ABSTRACT
Grain albumin is highly nutritious and closely related to the processing quality of wheat. However, few studies have explored the grain albumin content (GAC) in wheat. This study aims to uncover quantitative trait loci (QTLs) linked to wheat GAC by analyzing a doubled haploid (DH) population derived from common wheat cultivars ShanNong23 and ZhouMai17. We detected six QTLs controlling GAC on chromosomes 1B, 5A, and 6D, with individual QTL explaining 5.78% to 22.29% of the GAC variation. The effect of QGac.cau-1B.1 on GAC is attributed to the presence of the 1BL/1RS translocation, indicating that the 1BL/1RS translocation increase of GAC compared with the non-1BL/1RS translocation lines. The higher GAC observed in 1BL/1RS lines could be primarily attributed to the increased accumulation of omega-secalin, omega-gliadin, low molecular weight glutenin subunit and ribosomal protein content. Additionally, we also found that the SDS-sedimentation value of whole wheat flour was decreased by adding albumin solution. These results advance our understanding of the genetic basis of GAC and offer novel perspectives for enhancing wheat quality through genetic enhancements.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the factors affecting the quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performed by medical staff in hospital and to explore the training methods to enhance their in-hospital emergency response capabilities. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted, involving medical staff of intensive care unit (ICU) and general internal medicine wards in China-Japan Friendship Hospital in December 2021. The American Heart Association (AHA) resuscitation quality improvement (RQI) model was used to evaluate the skills of the subjects in performing external chest compressions and bag-mask ventilation on adult and infant simulators. While ICU subjects were undergoing RQI model objective assessment, two instructors also provided subjective scoring for their operations. The study compared the differences in RQI model objective assessment scores between ICU and general internal medicine ward subjects, between doctors and nurses, in the RQI model objective scoring for adult and infant resuscitation, in the scoring differences of different positions for chest compressions, and the differences between traditional subjective scoring and RQI objective scoring when ICU subjects were assessed for compression and ventilation. RESULTS: A total of 75 medical staffs were enrolled, consisting of 50 from the ICU (including 24 doctors and 26 nurses) and 25 from the general internal medicine wards (including 10 doctors and 15 nurses). The ICU medical staff's scores for adult resuscitation skills were significantly higher than those of the general internal medicine ward medical staff [adult compression score: 82.5 (66.0, 96.5) vs. 65.0 (52.5, 74.5), adult ventilation score: 82.0 (68.8, 98.0) vs. 61.0 (48.0, 82.0), both P < 0.01]. The nursing group's compression scores for both adult and infant were significantly higher than those of the doctor group [adult compression score: 77.0 (68.5, 89.5) vs. 63.0 (40.8, 90.3), infant compression score: 54.4±25.1 vs. 41.5±18.5, both P < 0.05]. The compression and ventilation scores for the infant were significantly lower than those for adult resuscitation [compression score: 48 (29, 65) vs. 76 (58, 90), ventilation score: 56 (42, 75) vs. 76 (60, 96), both P < 0.01]. When the rescuer was positioned on the right side of the model, the compression score for the adult significantly increased [79.0 (65.0, 92.0) vs. 65.0 (51.3, 77.0), P < 0.05]. The ICU medical staff's traditional subjective scores of compression and ventilation assessments for adult were significantly higher than the RQI model objective scores [adult compression score: 88.8 (79.4, 92.5) vs. 82.5 (66.0, 95.5), adult ventilation score: 95.0 (80.0, 98.1) vs. 82.0 (68.8, 98.0), both P < 0.01]. CONCLUSIONS: Rich experience in emergency rescue is related to the improvement of CPR skills, and performing chest compressions from the right side of the adult model is more effective. Objective scoring of resuscitation skills based on the RQI model may more accurately reflect the performance of the trainees.
Subject(s)
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation , Humans , Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation/methods , Cross-Sectional Studies , Intensive Care Units , Adult , Quality Improvement , Clinical CompetenceABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to investigate the association between hypothyroidism in early pregnancy and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and the effect of probiotics. Patients with hypothyroidism in early pregnancy and normal pregnant women during the same period were included in the methane-hydrogen breath test to compare the incidence of SIBO, smoothed curve fit, and differences in clinical symptoms. For those who combined with SIBO, the rate of clinical symptom conversion, thyroid hormones, and changes in associated inflammatory indexes were compared after 21 days of treatment with probiotics on top of conventional levothyroxine sodium tablets. The results are as follows: (1) The incidence of combined SIBO in patients with hypothyroidism in pregnancy was 56.0%, significantly higher than the 28.0% of normal pregnant women during the same period. (2) The highest value of hydrogen plus methane gas in 90 min in pregnancy hypothyroid patients showed a significant negative correlation with FT4 (p < .001, SD = 0.169). (3) Abdominal distension symptoms were significantly increased in both groups after combined SIBO (p = .036, p = .025), and the conversion rate after treatment was 69.2% and 75.0%, respectively. (4) In hypothyroidism, pregnancy combined with SIBO, TSH, and CRP was higher before treatment (p = .001, p = .012) and decreased significantly after treatment (p = .001, p = .008). Hypothyroidism in early pregnancy is associated with SIBO, and probiotic treatment is significantly effective.
ABSTRACT
The genetically modified (GM) maize DBN9936 with a biosafety certificate will soon undergo commercial application. To monitor the safety of DBN9936 maize, three genomic DNA (gDNA) reference materials (RMs) (DBN9936a, DBN9936b, and DBN9936c) were prepared with nominal copy number ratios of 100%, 3%, and 1% for the DBN9936 event, respectively. DBN9936a was prepared from the leaf tissue gDNA of DBN9936 homozygotes, while DBN9936b and DBN9936c were prepared by the quantitative mixing of gDNA from the leaf tissues of DBN9936 homozygotes and non-GM counterparts. Validated DBN9936/zSSIIb duplex droplet digital PCR was demonstrated to be an accurate reference method for conducting homogeneity study, stability study, and collaborative characterization. The minimum intake for one measurement was determined to be 2 µL, and the gDNA RMs were stable during transport at 37 °C for 14 days and storage at -20 °C for 18 months. Each gDNA RM was certified for three property values: DBN9936 event copy number concentration, zSSIIb reference gene copy number concentration, and DBN9936/zSSIIb copy number ratio. The measurement uncertainty of the certified values took the uncertainty components related to possible inhomogeneity, instability, and characterization into account. This batch of gDNA RMs can be used for calibration and quality control when quantifying DBN9936 events.
ABSTRACT
Grain protein content (GPC) is a crucial quality trait in bread wheat, which is influenced by the key transcription factor TaNAM. However, the regulatory mechanisms of TaNAM have remained largely elusive. In this study, a new role of TaNAM was unveiled in regulating nitrogen remobilisation which impacts GPC. The TaNAM knockout mutants generated by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/Cas9 exhibited significantly delayed senescence and lower GPC, while overexpression of TaNAM-6A resulted in premature senility and much higher GPC. Further analysis revealed that TaNAM directly activates the genes TaNRT1.1 and TaNPF5.5s, which are involved in nitrogen remobilisation. This activity aids in the transfer of nitrogen from leaves to grains for protein synthesis. In addition, an elite allele of TaNAM-6A, associated with high GPC, was identified as a candidate gene for breeding high-quality wheat. Overall, our work not only elucidates the potential mechanism of TaNAM-6A affecting bread wheat GPC, but also highlights the significance of nitrogen remobilisation from senescent leaves to grains for protein accumulation. Moreover, our research provides a new target and approach for improving the quality traits of wheat, particularly the GPC.
Subject(s)
Nitrogen , Triticum , Triticum/genetics , Triticum/metabolism , Nitrogen/metabolism , Grain Proteins/metabolism , Plant Proteins/metabolism , Plant Proteins/genetics , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant , Transcription Factors/metabolism , Transcription Factors/genetics , Edible Grain/metabolism , Edible Grain/genetics , Plant Leaves/metabolism , Plant Leaves/geneticsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To explore the pregnancy outcome and postpartum clinical phenotype of LCR22B/C~D central 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. METHODS: For fetuses diagnosed with central 22q11.2 deletion by chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) at the Prenatal Diagnosis Center of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2019 to April 2022, their prenatal imaging, parental CMA verification, pregnancy outcomes and postpartum clinical phenotype were analyzed. RESULTS: Eight cases of central 22q11.2 deletion syndrome were included, including six cases with LCR22B~D 22q11.2 deletions and two with LCR22C~D 22q11.2 deletions. Among the six cases with LCR22B~D type 22q11.2 deletions, three had shown cardiovascular malformations (right aortic arch, ventricular septal defect, mild tricuspid regurgitation), one had shown urinary defect (right kidney heterotopia). Two cases with LCR22C~D 22q11.2 deletions showed nonspecific ultrasonographic findings, including oligohydramnios with growth restriction and nuchal skin thickening. The CMA verification showed that six cases were inherited from their parents, and five couples had chosen to continue with the pregnancy. Postpartum follow-up showed that the physical and intellectual development of all children were normal. One couple had opted to terminate the pregnancy considering the ectopic fetal right kidney. Two remaining cases had decided to terminate their pregnancies without parental verification. CONCLUSION: The central 22q11.2 deletion syndrome of the LCR22B/C~D type is different from the classical types. Its genetic information mainly comes from parents. Prenatal imaging has mainly shown cardiovascular and urinary abnormalities. Postnatal growth and intellectual development have been normal. Therefore, the couples should be provided with suffice prenatal genetic counseling.
Subject(s)
DiGeorge Syndrome , Fetal Diseases , Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular , Child , Female , Pregnancy , Humans , DiGeorge Syndrome/diagnosis , DiGeorge Syndrome/genetics , Prenatal Diagnosis/methods , Fetal Diseases/genetics , Pregnancy OutcomeABSTRACT
KEY MESSAGE: A locus conferring Fusarium crown rot resistance was identified on chromosome arm 3DL through genome wide association study and further validated in two recombinant inbred lines populations. Fusarium crown rot (FCR) is a severe soil borne disease in many wheat growing regions of the world. In this study, we attempted to detect loci conferring FCR resistance through a new seedling inoculation assay. A total of 223 wheat accessions from different geography origins were used to assemble an association panel for GWAS analysis. Four genotypes including Heng 4332, Luwanmai, Pingan 998 and Yannong 24 showed stable resistance to FCR. A total of 54 SNPs associated with FCR resistance were identified. Among the 10 putative QTLs represented by these SNPs, seven QTLs on chromosome 2B, 3A, 3D, 4A, 7A and 7B were novel and were consistently detected in at least two of the three trials conducted. Qfcr.cau.3D-3, which was targeted by 38 SNPs clustered within a genomic region of approximately 5.57 Mb (609.12-614.69 Mb) on chromosome arm 3DL, was consistently detected in all the three trials. The effects of Qfcr.cau.3D-3 were further validated in two recombinant inbred line populations. The presence of this locus reduced FCR severity up to 21.55%. Interestingly, the collinear positions of sequences containing the four SNPs associated with two FCR loci (Qfcr.cau.3A and Qfcr.cau.3B) were within the regions of Qfcr.cau.3D-3, suggesting that genes underlying these three loci may be homologous. Our results provide useful information for improving FCR resistance in wheat.
Subject(s)
Fusarium , Genome-Wide Association Study , Triticum/genetics , Disease Resistance/genetics , Quantitative Trait Loci , Plant Diseases/geneticsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prenatal imaging characteristics, genetic characteristics and pregnancy outcome of fetuses with cardiac rhabdomyoma. STUDY DESIGN: The prenatal ultrasound, cranial MRI imaging information and genetic test results of 35 fetuses prenatally diagnosed with cardiac rhabdomyoma were collected and retrospectively analyzed, and the pregnancy outcome was followed up. RESULT: Cardiac rhabdomyomas mainly occurred in left ventricular wall and ventricular septum; cranial MRI imaging was found abnormal in 38.1% (8/21) of the fetuses; genetic test was found abnormal in 58.82% (10/17) of the fetuses; the fetus was born in 12 cases and the pregnancy was terminated in 23 cases. CONCLUSION: TRIO whole exome sequencing (TrioWES) is recommended as the genetic test regime for cardiac rhabdomyoma. The comprehensive evaluation of prognosis of fetuses needs to consider the genetic results and whether the brain is involved; the prognosis of fetuses with simple cardiac rhabdomyoma is good.
Subject(s)
Fetal Diseases , Heart Neoplasms , Rhabdomyoma , Tuberous Sclerosis , Female , Pregnancy , Humans , Pregnancy Outcome , Rhabdomyoma/diagnostic imaging , Rhabdomyoma/genetics , Retrospective Studies , Tuberous Sclerosis/diagnosis , Tuberous Sclerosis/genetics , Fetal Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Fetal Diseases/genetics , Prenatal Diagnosis/methods , Fetus/diagnostic imaging , Heart Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Heart Neoplasms/genetics , Ultrasonography, PrenatalABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical phenotype and genetic variants of a fetus with Glutaracidemia type II C (GA II C). METHODS: Clinical data of a 32-year-old pregnant woman and her fetus with GA II C diagnosed at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in December 2021 due to the enlargement and enhanced echo of the kidneys and oligohydramnios fluid at 17 weeks were analyzed retrospectively. Amniotic fluid sample of the fetus and peripheral blood samples of the couple were collected for whole exome sequencing (WES). Candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing. Copy number variation (CNV) was detected by using low-coverage whole genome sequencing (CNV-seq). RESULTS: At 18 weeks' gestation, ultrasound revealed that the fetus had enlargement and enhanced echo of the kidneys along with no echo of renal parenchymal tubular fissure and oligohydramnios. MRI at 22 weeks' gestation confirmed that both kidneys were enlarged with uniformly increased abnormal T2 signal and decreased DWI signal. The volume of both lungs was small, with slightly higher T2 signal. No CNV was detected in the fetus. WES revealed that the fetus has harbored compound heterozygous variants of the ETFDH gene, namely c.1285+1Gï¼A and c.343_344delTC, which were inherited from its father and mother, respectively. Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), both variants were classified as pathogenic (PVS1+PM2_Supporting+PS3_Supporting; PVS1+PM2_Supporting+PM3). CONCLUSION: The c.1285+1Gï¼A and c.343_344delTC compound heterozygous variants of the ETFDH gene probably underlay the disease in this fetus. Type II C glutaric acidemia may manifest as bilateral kidney enlargement with enhanced echo and oligohydramnios. Discovery of the c.343_344delTC has enriched the spectrum of ETFDH gene variants.
Subject(s)
DNA Copy Number Variations , Oligohydramnios , Pregnancy , Humans , Female , Mutation , Oligohydramnios/diagnostic imaging , Oligohydramnios/genetics , Retrospective Studies , Phenotype , Fetus/diagnostic imagingABSTRACT
The tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri) is currently placed in the order Scandentia. Owing to their unique characteristics, such as small body size, high brain-to-body mass ratio, short reproductive cycle and life span, and low maintenance costs in laboratory conditions, tree shrews have been proposed as alternative experimental animals to primates in biomedical research. In this study, we determined the complete mitochondrial genome of the subspecies Tupaia belangeri yaoshanensis (T.b. yaoshanensis). The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is 16,777 bp long and contains 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNA genes (12S and 16S), and 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes. The base composition of the mitogenome was A (32.28%), T (26.82%), G (14.79%), and C (26.11%). For the 13 PCGs, 1405 variable sites were found between T.b. yaoshanensis and T.b. chinensis (JN800724), of which 916 were synonymous and 489 were nonsynonymous. The frequency of mutations significantly varied among the different genes, with the highest value in the mt-NAD5 gene of tree shrews. Phylogenetic analysis based on the amino acid sequences of 13 PCGs revealed a closer relationship between the species of Scandentia and Lagomorpha. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of T.b. yaoshanensis.
ABSTRACT
Specific and economical nucleic acid detection is crucial for molecular diagnoses in resource-limited settings. Various facile readout approaches have been developed for nucleic acid detection, but they have limited specificity. Herein, nuclease-dead Cas9 (dCas9)/sgRNA was used as an excellent DNA recognition probe system to develop a visual clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/dCas9-mediated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for specific and sensitive detection of cauliflwer mosaic virus 35s (CaMV35S) promoter in genetically modified (GM) crops. In this work, the CaMV35S promoter was amplified with biotinylated primers, and then precisely bound with dCas9 in the presence of sgRNA. The formed complex was captured by antibody-coated microplate and bound to a streptavidin-labeled horseradish peroxidase probe for the visual detection. Under the optimal conditions, dCas9-ELISA could detect CaMV35s promoter as low as 12.5 copies µL-1. Moreover, the proposed method was capable to distinguish the target sequence with single-base specificity. Coupled with one-step extraction and recombinase polymerase amplification, dCas9-ELISA can identify actual GM rice seeds within 1.5 h from sampling to results without expensive equipment and technical expertise. Therefore, the proposed method offers a specific, sensitive, rapid and cost-effective detection platform for molecular diagnoses.
Subject(s)
CRISPR-Associated Protein 9 , Nucleic Acids , Immunosorbents , DNA Primers , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent AssayABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical phenotypes and genetic diagnosis of 2 sporadic cases for cleidocranial dysplasia. METHODS: The clinical data of two cases of CCD admitted to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University on December 16, 2021 and December 9, 2021 were analyzed retrospectively, and the whole exome sequencing (WES), chromosome microarray analysis and copy number variation sequencing were performed. RESULTS: The main ultrasonographic findings of the fetus had included poorly calcified skull bones, budging of parieto-occipital area, compression and deformation of skull, and loss of nasal bone. The infant's clinical phenotypes included delayed closure of anterior fontanelle, recurrent respiratory tract infection, growth retardation, and clavicular hypoplasia. By WES analysis, the fetus was found to harbor a heterozygous c.911_914delinsTTT variant of the RUNX2 gene, whilst the infant was found to harbor a heterozygous c.1008delT variant of the RUNX2 gene. Both variants were verified by Sanger sequencing to have occurred de novo. CONCLUSION: For sporadic cases featuring cleidocranial dysplasia, prenatal ultrasonography is particularly important. Hypoplastic clavicle, skull calcification and nasal bone absence are the main features. Diagnosis should also be suspected for infants featuring growth retardation, recurrent respiratory tract infections and clavicular dysplasia. The identification of the c.911_914delinsTTT and c.1008delT variants of the RUNX2 gene has facilitated genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis, and also expanded the mutational spectrum of the RUNX2 gene.
Subject(s)
Cleidocranial Dysplasia , Female , Humans , Pregnancy , Cleidocranial Dysplasia/diagnostic imaging , Cleidocranial Dysplasia/genetics , Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit , DNA Copy Number Variations , Growth Disorders , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
Rhizome fragmentation and sand burial are common phenomena in rhizomatous clonal plants. These traits serve as an adaptive strategy for survival in stressful environments. Thus far, some studies have been carried out on the effects of rhizome fragmentation and sand burial, but how the interaction between rhizome fragmentation and sand burial affects the growth and reproduction of rhizomatous clonal plants is unclear. We investigated the effect of the burial depth and rhizome fragment size on the survival and growth of the rhizomatous herb Phragmites communis using 288 clonal fragments (6 burial depths × 8 clonal fragment sizes × 6 replicates) in a field rhizome severing experiment. The ramet survival of the rhizomatous species significantly increased with the sand burial depth and clonal fragment size (p < 0.01), and the effects of the clonal fragment size on ramet survival depended on the sand burial depth. Sand burial enhanced both the vertical and horizontal biomass (p < 0.05), while the clonal fragment size affected the vertical biomass rather than the horizontal biomass. Sand burial facilitated the vertical growth of ramets (p < 0.05) while the number of newly produced ramets firstly increased and then decreased with the increasing clonal fragment size, and the maximal value appeared in four clonal fragments under a heavy sand burial depth. There is an interaction between the burial depth and rhizome fragment size in the growth of rhizome herbaceous plants. The population growth increases in the increase of sand burial depth, and reaches the maximum under severe sand burial and moderate rhizome fragmentation.
ABSTRACT
The hygromycin phosphotransferase (HPT) gene as a selective marker is normally used in screening tests as a first step in detecting and quantifying genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in seeds, food, and feed materials. Nevertheless, if researchers only focus on the HPT gene, it is difficult to distinguish genetically modified (GM) crops from microbial infection, leading to miscalculation of the rate of GM materials in a given sample set. Here, we cloned the 7259 bp sequence carrying the HPT gene from soybean sprouts using the genome walking strategy. BLAST analysis revealed that this sequence was derived from plasmids naturally occurring in microorganisms, such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae or Salmonella sp. Using the reconstructed plasmid pFP-hpt, qualitative PCR and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) methods were established, and 261 bp and 156 bp products were produced. The specificity of these assays was assessed against related pFP-hpt plasmids, plant species with important agronomic traits, and GM crops containing the HPT gene. No unexpected results were observed between samples using these qualitative PCR and qPCR methods. The sensitivity of this qualitative PCR assay was determined at 20 copies, while the limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) of qPCR were both 5 copies per reaction. Our in-house validation indicated that the amplification efficiency, linearity, and repeatability of this qPCR assay were in line with performance requirements. Furthermore, a qualitative and quantitative duplex PCR showed high reliability for the simultaneous detection of the HPT gene in a plant sample and environmental micro-organisms harboring the HPT gene in one PCR reaction. These qualitative PCR and qPCR assays were able to differentiate between plants infected with E. coli harboring the HPT gene from GM plants, indicating that these two methods are broadly applicable for routine GMO testing.
Subject(s)
Escherichia coli , DNA, Plant/genetics , Escherichia coli/genetics , Organisms, Genetically Modified , Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) , Plants, Genetically Modified/genetics , Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods , Reproducibility of ResultsABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The application of point of care ultrasound (PoCUS) in medical education is a relatively new course. There are still great differences in the existence, quantity, provision, and depth of bedside ultrasound education. The left ventricular outflow tract velocity time integral (LVOT-VTI) has been successfully used in several studies as a parameter for hemodynamic management of critically ill patients, especially in the evaluation of fluid responsiveness. While LVOT-VTI has been broadly used, valuable applications using artificial intelligence (AI) in PoCUS is still limited. We aimed to identify the degree of correlation between auto LVOT-VTI and the manual LVOT-VTI acquired by PoCUS trained ICU doctors. METHODS: Among the 58 ICU doctors who attended PoCUS training from 1 September 2019 to 30 November 2020, 46 ICU doctors who trained for more than 3 months were enrolled. At the end of PoCUS training, each of the enrolled ICU doctors acquired echocardiography parameters of a new ICU patient in 2 h after new patient was admitted. One of the two bedside expert sonographers would take standard echocardiogram of new ICU patients within 24 h. For ICU doctors, manual LVOT-VTI was obtained for reference and auto LVOT-VTI was calculated instantly by using an AI software tool. Based on the image quality of the auto LVOT-VTI, ICU patients was separated into ideal group (n = 31) and average group (n = 15). RESULTS: Left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDd, p = 0.1028), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF, p = 0.3251), left atrial dimension (LA-d, p = 0.0962), left ventricular E/A ratio (p = 0.160), left ventricular wall motion (p = 0.317) and pericardial effusion (p = 1) had no significant difference between trained ICU doctors and expert sonographer. ICU patients in average group had greater sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score (7.33 ± 1.58 vs. 4.09 ± 0.57, p = 0.022) and lactic acid (3.67 ± 0.86 mmol/L vs. 1.46 ± 0.12 mmol/L, p = 0.0009) with greater value of LVEDd (51.93 ± 1.07 vs. 47.57 ± 0.89, p = 0.0053), LA-d (39.06 ± 1.47 vs. 35.22 ± 0.98, p = 0.0334) and percentage of decreased wall motion (p = 0.0166) than ideal group. There were no significant differences of δLVOT-VTI (|manual LVOT-VTI - auto LVOT-VTI|/manual VTI*100%) between the two groups (8.8% ± 1.3% vs. 10% ± 2%, p = 0.6517). Statistically, significant correlations between manual LVOT-VTI and auto LVOT-VTI were present in the ideal group (R2 = 0.815, p = 0.00) and average group (R2 = 0.741, p = 0.00). CONCLUSIONS: ICU doctors could achieve the satisfied level of expertise as expert sonographers after 3 months of PoCUS training. Nearly two thirds of the enrolled ICU doctors could obtain the ideal view and one third of them could acquire the average view. ICU patients with higher SOFA scores and lactic acid were less likely to acquire the ideal view. Manual and auto LVOT-VTI had statistically significant agreement in both ideal and average groups. Auto LVOT-VTI in ideal view was more relevant with the manual LVOT-VTI than the average view. AI might provide real-time guidance among novice operators who lack expertise to acquire the ideal standard view.
Subject(s)
Artificial Intelligence , Ventricular Function, Left , Humans , Intensive Care Units , Lactic Acid , Stroke VolumeABSTRACT
Heat stress substantially reduces the yield potential of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), one of the most widely cultivated staple crops, and greatly threatens global food security in the context of global warming. However, few studies have explored the heat stress tolerance (HST)-related genetic resources in wheat. Here, we identified and fine-mapped a wheat HST locus, TaHST2, which is indispensable for HST in both the vegetative and reproductive stages of the wheat life cycle. The studied pair of near isogenic lines (NILs) exhibited diverse morphologies under heat stress, based on which we mapped TaHST2 to a 485 kb interval on chromosome arm 4DS. Under heat stress, TaHST2 confers a superior conversion rate from soluble sugars to starch in wheat grains, resulting in faster grain filling and a higher yield potential. A further exploration of genetic resources indicated that TaHST2 underwent strong artificial selection during wheat domestication, suggesting it is an essential locus for basal HST in wheat. Our findings provide deeper insights into the genetic basis of wheat HST and might be useful for global efforts to breed heat-stress-tolerant cultivars.
Subject(s)
Thermotolerance , Triticum , Triticum/genetics , Plant Breeding , Heat-Shock Response/genetics , Thermotolerance/genetics , Edible Grain/geneticsABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic triggered the first global "Infodemic" in the era of social media. Understanding how governments deal with the negative impacts of the infodemic (e.g., public panic) has become a priority. This paper uses the theoretical framework of the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) to explore mechanisms for alleviating panic associated with the infodemic. It considers, in particular, the quality of information circulated on Government Social Media (GSM) as the central route and local government trust as the peripheral route. An empirical study was conducted using data from a focus group interview and a questionnaire survey collected within the first three weeks following the citywide lockdown of Wuhan, China. The results show that as: (1) Quality of GSM information does not significantly reduce public panic, but local government trust significantly increases people's pandemic prevention knowledge; (2) Pandemic prevention knowledge is a critical mediator between information quality of GSM and public panic, as well as local government trust and public panic; and (3) Information quality of GSM significantly increases people's trust in local governments. This paper contributes to the literature on infodemic and government social media and provides implications for practice.
ABSTRACT
A label-free electrochemical impedimetric biosensor was constructed based on gold carbon dots (GCDs) modified screen-printed carbon electrode for the detection of genetic modified (GM) soybean. The structure and property of GCDs were investigated. The GCDs can directly bind to single-stranded DNA probes through Au-thiol interaction and boost electric conductivity for the DNA sensor construction. The quantification of target DNA was monitored by the change of electron-transfer resistance (Ret) upon the DNA hybridization on sensor surface. Under the optimal conditions, the Ret response (vs. Ag reference electrode) increased with the logarithm of target DNA concentrations in a wide linear range of 1.0 × 10-7 - 1.0 × 10-13 M with a detection limit of 3.1 × 10-14 M (S/N = 3). It was also demonstrated that the proposed DNA sensor possessed high specificity for discriminating target DNA from mismatched sequences. Moreover, the developed biosensor was applied to detect SHZD32-1 in actual samples, and the results showed a good consistency with those obtained from the gel electrophoresis method. Compared with the previous reports for DNA detection, the label-free biosensor showed a comparatively simple platform due to elimination of complicated DNA labeling. Therefore, the proposed method showed great potential to be an alternative device for simple, sensitive, specific, and portable DNA sensor.
Subject(s)
Biosensing Techniques , Metal Nanoparticles , Biosensing Techniques/methods , Carbon/chemistry , DNA/analysis , DNA/genetics , Gold/chemistry , Metal Nanoparticles/chemistry , Glycine max/geneticsABSTRACT
Genome-edited plants created by genome editing technology have been approved for commercialization. Due to molecular characteristics that differ from classic genetically modified organisms (GMOs), establishing regulation-compliant analytical methods for identification and quantification of genome-edited plants has always been regarded as a challenging task. An editing-site-specific PCR method was developed based on the unique edited sequence in CAO1-edited rice plants. Test results of seven primer/probe sets indicated that this method can identify specific CAO1-edited rice from other CAO1-edited rice and wild types of rice with high specificity and sensitivity. The use of LNA (locked nucleic acid) in a probe can efficiently increase the specificity of the editing-site-specific PCR method at increased annealing temperature which can eliminate non-specific amplification of the non-target. The genome-edited ingredient content in blinded samples at the level of 0.1% to 5.0% was accurately quantified by this method on the ddPCR platform with RSD of <15% and bias in the range of ±17%, meeting the performance requirements for GMO detection method. The developed editing-site-specific PCR method presents a promising detection and quantification technique for genome-edited plants with known edited sequence.