Complete chloroplast genome assembly and phylogenetic analysis of blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum), red and white currant (Ribes rubrum), and gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa) provide new insights into the phylogeny of Grossulariaceae.

Background: Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum), red currant (R. rubrum), white currant (R. rubrum), and gooseberry (R. uva-crispa) belong to Grossulariaceae and are popular small-berry crops worldwide. The lack of genomic data has severely limited their systematic classification and molecular breeding. Methods: The complete chloroplast (cp) genomes of these four taxa were assembled for the first time using MGI-DNBSEQ reads, and their genome structures, repeat elements and protein-coding genes were annotated. By genomic comparison of the present four and previous released five Ribes cp genomes, the genomic variations were identified. By phylogenetic analysis based on maximum-likelihood and Bayesian methods, the phylogeny of Grossulariaceae and the infrageneric relationships of the Ribes were revealed. Results: The four cp genomes have lengths ranging from 157,450 to 157,802 bp and 131 shared genes. A total of 3,322 SNPs and 485 Indels were identified from the nine released Ribes cp genomes. Red currant and white currant have 100% identical cp genomes partially supporting the hypothesis that white currant (R. rubrum) is a fruit color variant of red currant (R. rubrum). The most polymorphic genic and intergenic region is ycf1 and trnT-psbD, respectively. The phylogenetic analysis demonstrated the monophyly of Grossulariaceae in Saxifragales and the paraphyletic relationship between Saxifragaceae and Grossulariaceae. Notably, the Grossularia subgenus is well nested within the Ribes subgenus and shows a paraphyletic relationship with the co-ancestor of Calobotrya and Coreosma sections, which challenges the dichotomous subclassification of the Ribes genus based on morphology (subgenus Ribes and subgenus Grossularia). These data, results, and insights lay a foundation for the phylogenetic research and breeding of Ribes species.

AC099850.3/NCAPG Axis Predicts Poor Prognosis and is Associated with Resistance to EGFR Tyrosine-Kinase Inhibitors in Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Background: TKI-acquired resistance markedly interferes with treatment of lung cancer patients with EGFR mutant features. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) modify EGFR-TKI resistance during tumor progression. Non-structural maintenance of chromosomes condensin I complex subunit G (NCAPG) is a mitosis-related protein that is involved in tumorigenesis. We investigated the potential regulatory lncRNAs of NCAPG in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and assessed their roles in EGFR-TKI resistance. Methods: Data for 1678 lung cancer patients were retrieved from TCGA and GEO databases and used to evaluate NCAPG and lncRNAs expressions, as well as their prognostic significance in LUAD. Protein levels of NCAPG in LUAD were validated by immuno-histochemistry. To assess the relationship between NCAPG levels and EGFR-TKIs sensitivity, a cohort of 57 LUAD patients administered with EGFR-TKIs was used. Results: Both NCAPG and lncRNA AC099850.3 were over-expressed in LUAD tissues, and correlated with tumor progression and poor prognosis in LUAD. LncRNA AC099850.3 was identified as a potential regulator of NCAPG expressions. The AC099850.3/NCAGP axis was markedly correlated with EGFR mutations and IC50 of EGFR-TKIs. Besides, elevated NCAPG levels were associated with EGFR-TKIs resistance in 57 LUAD patients undergoing TKIs treatment. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that both AC099850.3 and NCAGP were abundant in the cell cycle and the p53 signaling pathway. Conclusion: The AC099850.3/NCAPG axis is a potential prognostic predictor and therapeutic biomarker for EGFR-TKIs in LUAD.

CT-derived abdominal adiposity: Distributions and better predictive ability than BMI in a nationwide study of 59,429 adults in China.

BACKGROUND: Although abdominal adiposity is associated with an altered cardiometabolic risk profile, the specific contribution of abdominal adipose tissue distribution remains not fully understood. Computed tomography (CT) is a well-established and precise method to measure abdominal adipose tissue distribution. The present study investigated abdominal adiposity assessed by CT in a large-scale Chinese population. METHOD: A total of 59,429 adults who underwent a low dose chest CT for lung cancer screening at one of 13 health checkup centers throughout China were evaluated. Abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) areas were measured at the center of the 2nd lumbar vertebra with Mindways quantitative CT software using the existing CT dataset without any additional radiation exposure. The ratio of visceral to total adipose tissue (TAT) areas (VAT/TAT ratio) was calculated and expressed as a percentage. Anthropometric indices including body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were also obtained. RESULTS: BMI, waist circumference, VAT area, SAT area, and the VAT/TAT ratio were 25.0 ±â€¯3.0 kg/m2, 90 ±â€¯8 cm, 194 ±â€¯77 cm2, 85 ±â€¯41 cm2, and 69.5 ±â€¯9.1%, respectively, in men and 23.3 ±â€¯3.1 kg/m2, 79 ±â€¯8 cm, 120 ±â€¯57 cm2, 123 ±â€¯53 cm2, and 48.9 ±â€¯9.7% in women. With increasing age, VAT area and the VAT/TAT ratio increased in both sexes whereas SAT area decreased in men (P < 0.001 for all). After adjustment for BMI and waist circumference, older individuals showed higher VAT area and higher VAT/TAT ratio than younger subjects (P < 0.001 for all). Adjusted VAT areas in participants aged 75 or older was 45 cm2 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 41 cm2, 50 cm2) higher in men and 43 cm2 (95% CI: 37 cm2, 49 cm2) higher in women compared with participants aged 31-44 years. Additionally, differences in VAT area across age groups increased as BMI or waist circumference increased. VAT and SAT areas, but not the VAT/TAT ratio, were positively associated with BMI and waist circumference in every age group. CONCLUSION: In a nationwide study conducted in China, distributions of CT-derived measures of visceral and subcutaneous adiposity were found to vary significantly between sex and age groups. Our study also revealed that the proportion of VAT (an important driver of cardiometabolic risk) could not be predicted from BMI in a Chinese population.

Opportunistic Screening Using Low-Dose CT and the Prevalence of Osteoporosis in China: A Nationwide, Multicenter Study.

Opportunistic screening for osteoporosis can be performed using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) imaging obtained for other clinical indications. In this study we explored the CT-derived bone mineral density (BMD) and prevalence of osteoporosis from thoracic LDCT in a large population cohort of Chinese men and women. A total of 69,095 adults (40,733 men and 28,362 women) received a thoracic LDCT scan for the purpose of lung cancer screening between 2018 and 2019, and data were obtained for analysis from the China Biobank Project, a prospective nationwide multicenter population study. Lumbar spine (L1 -L2 ) trabecular volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) was derived from these scans using quantitative computed tomography (QCT) software and the American College of Radiology QCT diagnostic criteria for osteoporosis were applied. Geographic regional differences in the prevalence of osteoporosis were assessed and the age-standardized, population prevalence of osteoporosis in Chinese men and women was estimated from the 2010 China census. The prevalence of osteoporosis by QCT for the Chinese population aged >50 years was 29.0% for women and 13.5% for men, equating to 49.0 million and 22.8 million, respectively. In women, this rate is comparable to estimates from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), but in men, the prevalence is double. Prevalence varied geographically across China, with higher rates in the southwest and lower rates in the northeast. Trabecular vBMD decreased with age in both men and women. Women had higher peak trabecular vBMD (185.4 mg/cm3 ) than men (176.6 mg/cm3 ) at age 30 to 34 years, but older women had lower trabecular vBMD (62.4 mg/cm3 ) than men (92.1 mg/cm3 ) at age 80 years. We show that LDCT-based opportunistic screening could identify large numbers of patients with low lumbar vBMD, and that future cohort studies are now required to evaluate the clinical utility of such screening in terms of fracture prevention and supporting national health economic analyses. © 2020 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR)..

Efficient Homogenization-Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Anthocyanins and Flavonols from Bog Bilberry (Vaccinium uliginosum L.) Marc with Carnosic Acid as an Antioxidant Additive.

To explore the optimum conditions for the extraction of anthocyanins and flavonols from bog bilberry (Vaccinium uliginosum L.) marc on a single-factor experimental basis, a response surface methodology was adopted for this intensive study. The extraction procedure was carried out in a Waring blender and followed an ultrasonic bath, and the natural antioxidant carnosic acid was added to inhibit oxidation. The optimum extraction conditions were as follows: a volume fraction of ethanol of 70%, an antioxidant content of 0.02% (the mass of sample) carnosic acid, a liquid-solid ratio of 16 mL/g, a homogenization time of 3 min, a reaction temperature of 55 °C, an ultrasound irradiation frequency of 80 kHz, an ultrasound irradiation power of 200 W, and an ultrasound irradiation time of 40 min. Satisfactory yields of anthocyanins (13.95 ± 0.37 mg/g) and flavonols (3.51 ± 0.16 mg/g) were obtained. The experimental results showed that the carnosic acid played an effective antioxidant role in the extraction process of anthocyanins and flavonols with a green and safety guarantee.

Downregulation of matrix metalloproteinase­19 induced by respiratory syncytial viral infection affects the interaction between epithelial cells and fibroblasts.

The present study was designed to examine the expression and function of matrix metalloproteinase­19 (MMP­19), which is downregulated following respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. The diverse expression levels of MMP were examined using a designed cDNA expression array. The expression and secretion of MMP­19 was examined using reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT­qPCR) analysis and ELISA, respectively. The proliferation of epithelial cells and lung fibroblasts were examined using flow cytometry. The epithelial­mesenchymal transition (EMT) was also examined by performing western blot and RT­qPCR analyses. The results of the cDNA assay showed that infection with RSV resulted in the abnormal expression of certain metalloproteinases. Among these, the expression of MMP­19 decreased 3 and 7 days following infection. By using flow cytometric, western blot and RT­qPCR analyses, the present study demonstrated that the downregulation of MMP­19 inhibited the proliferation of epithelial cells, promoted the EMT and induced the proliferation of lung fibroblasts. Taken together, the findings of the present study suggested that the downregulation of MMP­19 following RSV infection may be associated with the development of airway hyper­responsiveness.