Prognostic implications of heart failure stages among Chinese community populations: insight from a nationwide population-based study.

Background: In light of high burden of heart failure (HF) in China, studies of prognostic implication of HF stages are important. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between HF stages and mortality risk in Chinese community populations. Methods: Nationwide representative populations aged ≥35 years (n = 23,284, mean age 56.9 years, women 53.2%) were enrolled from 2012 to 2016. According to the international HF guidelines, participants were divided into stage A, B and C, and those who did not qualify these stages were categorized as apparently-healthy group. Association between HF stages and all-cause, cardiovascular [CV] and non-CV death was evaluated using multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional regression analysis. Findings: During a median follow-up of 4.7 years (109,902.8 person-years), 1314 deaths occurred. Age-adjusted incidence rate of all-cause death was 5.3 in apparently-healthy, 7.8 in stage A, 8.6 in stage B and 24.6 in stage C groups per 1000 person-years. In reference to apparently-healthy group, adjusted hazard ratio for all-cause death was 1.90 (95% CI: 1.47-2.45), 2.43 (95% CI: 1.89-3.13) and 6.40 (95% CI: 4.56-8.99) for stage A, B and C. Advancing HF stages were associated with increasing risks for all-cause, CV and non-CV death (P-trend <0.05). For all-cause death, population attributable fraction due to stage A, B and C were 21.2%, 33.4% and 4.9%, accounting for 1,933,385, 3,045,993 and 446,867 deaths in China in 2018. Interpretation: Advancing HF stages were associated with increasing risk mortality. Development and implementation of early screening and targeted interventions are urgently needed to reduce HF burdens in China. Funding: This work was supported by the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (grant 2017-I2M-1-004), the Projects in the Chinese National Science & Technology Pillar Program during the Twelfth Five-year Plan Period (No.: 2011BAI11B01), and the Project Entrusted by the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China (NHC2020-609).

The improvement of agronomic performances in the cold weather conditions for perennial wheatgrass by crossing Thinopyrum intermedium with wheat-Th. intermedium partial amphiploids.

Thinopyrum intermedium (2n=6x=42, StStJrJrJvsJvs) is resistant or tolerant to biotic and abiotic stresses, making it suitable for developing perennial crops and forage. Through five cycles of selection, we developed 24 perennial wheatgrass lines, designated 19HSC-Q and 20HSC-Z, by crossing wheat-Th. intermedium partial amphiploids with Th. intermedium. The cold resistance, morphological performance, chromosome composition, and yield components of these perennial lines were investigated from 2019 to 2022. Six lines of 19HSC-Q had higher 1,000-kernel weight, grains per spike, and tiller number than Th. intermedium, as well as surviving -30°C in winter. Lines 19HSC-Q14, 19HSC-Q18, and 19HSC-Q20 had the best performances for grain number per spike and 1,000-kernel weight. The 20HSC-Z lines, 20HSC-Z1, 20HSC-Z2, and 20HSC-Z3, were able to survive in the cold winter in Harbin and had been grown for two years. Sequential multicolor GISH analysis revealed that the Jvs subgenome of Th. intermedium were divided into two karyotypes, three pairs of type-I Jvs chromosomes and four pairs of type-II Jvs chromosomes. Both Th. intermedium and the 24 advanced perennial wheatgrass lines had similar chromosome compositions, but the translocations among subgenome chromosomes were detected in some lines with prominent agronomic traits, such as 19HSC-Q11, 19HSC-Q14, 19HSC-Q18, 19HSC-Q20, and the three 20HSC-Z lines. The chromosome aberrations were distinguished into two types: the large fragment translocation with St-Jr, Jvs-St, Jr-IIJvs, and Jvs-Jr and the small fragment introgression of Jr-St, St-IJvs, and Jvs-Jr. These chromosomal variations can be used to further analyze the relationship between the subgenomes and phenotypes of Th. intermedium. The results of this study provide valuable materials for the next selection cycle of cold-resistant perennial wheatgrass.

PAX5-activated lncRNA ARRDC1-AS1 accelerates the autophagy and progression of DLBCL through sponging miR-2355-5p to regulate ATG5.

BACKGROUND: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has high cancer-related mortality. Studies have supported that lncRNAs can regulate cancer progression by affecting autophagy of cells. ARRDC1 antisense RNA 1 (ARRDC1-AS1) was found to be upregulated in DLBCL tissues in GEPIA, but it has never been detected in DLBCL. AIM: In this study, we aimed to explore the regulatory mechanism of ARRDC1-AS1 in DLBCL cells. MAIN METHODS: RT-qPCR was taken to measure the expression of ARRDC1-AS1, microRNA-2355-5p (miR-2355-5p) and autophagy-related gene 5 (ATG5) in DLBCL cells. Western blot was conducted to detect protein levels. The malignant behaviors of DLBCL cells were estimated through functional assays. The molecular interactions were detected by Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), RNA pull-down, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and luciferase reporter assays. RESULTS: We found that ARRDC1-AS1 was upregulated in DLBCL tissues and cell lines. ARRDC1-AS1 was activated by transcription factor PAX5. Knockdown of ARRDC1-AS1 suppressed DLBCL autophagy to aggravate proliferation, repress apoptosis, and facilitate invasion and migration. Furthermore, ARRDC1-AS1 sponged miR-2355-5p to upregulate ATG5. CONCLUSION: Present study first showed that PAX5-activated ARRDC1-AS1 accelerates the autophagy and progression of DLBCL via sponging miR-2355-5p to regulate ATG5, revealing a novel molecular mechanism of ARRDC1-AS1 in DLBCL and suggested ARRDC1-AS1 as a potential target in DLBCL.

Molecular cytogenetic characterization and fusarium head blight resistance of five wheat-Thinopyrum intermedium partial amphiploids.

BACKGROUND: Partial amphiploids created by crossing octoploid tritelytrigia(2n = 8× = 56, AABBDDEE) and Thinopyrum intermedium (2n = 6× = 42, StStJJJSJS) are important intermediates in wheat breeding because of their resistance to major wheat diseases. We examined the chromosome compositions of five wheat-Th. intermedium partial amphiploids using GISH and multicolor-FISH. RESULTS: The result revealed that five lines had 10-14 J-genome chromosomes from Th. intermedium and 42 common wheat chromosomes, using the J-genomic DNA from Th. bessarabicum as GISH probe and the oligo probes pAs1-1, pAs1-3, AFA-4, (GAA) 10, and pSc119.2-1 as FISH probe. Five lines resembled their parent octoploid tritelytrigia (2n = 8× = 56, AABBDDEE) but had higher protein contents. Protein contents of two lines HS2-2 and HS2-5 were up to more than 20%. Evaluation of Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance revealed that the percent of symptomatic spikelets (PSS) of these lines were below 30%. Lines HS2-2, HS2-4, HS2-5, and HS2-16 were less than 20% of PPS. Line HS2-5 with 14 J-genome chromosomes from Th. intermedium showed the best disease resistance, with PSS values of 10.8% and 16.6% in 2016 and 2017, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: New wheat-Th. intermedium amphiploids with the J-genome chromosomes were identified and can be considered as a valuable source of FHB resistance in wheat breeding.

Integrating satellite and unmanned aircraft system (UAS) imagery to model livestock population dynamics in the Longbao Wetland National Nature Reserve, China.

The collection of field-based animal data is laborious, risky and costly in some areas, such as various nature reserves. Although multiple studies have used satellite imagery, aerial imagery, and field data individually for some animal species surveys, several technical issues still need to be addressed before full standardization of remote sensing methods for modeling animal population dynamics over large areas. This study is the first to model the population dynamics of livestock in the Longbao Wetland National Nature Reserve, China by utilizing yak estimations from Worldview-2 satellite imagery (0.5 m) collected in 2010 and yaks counted in a ground-based survey conducted in 2011 in combination with the animal population structure precisely extracted from UAS imagery captured in 2016. As a consequence, 5501, 5357, and 5510 yaks were estimated to appear in the reserve in 2010, 2011 and 2016, respectively. In total, 1092, 1062 and 1092 sheep were estimated to appear in the reserve in 2010, 2011 and 2016, respectively. The uncertainty of the presented method is also discussed. Primary experiments show that both the satellite imagery and UAS imagery are promising for use in yak censuses, but no sheep were observed in the satellite imagery because of the low resolution. Compared to the ground-based survey conducted in 2011, the UAS image estimate and satellite imagery count deviated in yak quantity by 2.69% and 2.86%, respectively. UASs are a reliable and low-budget alternative to animal surveys. No discernable changes in animal behaviors and animal distributions were observed as the UAS passed at a height of 700 m, and the accuracy of UAS imagery counts were not significantly affected by the short-distance animal movement and image mosaicking errors. The experimental results illustrate the advantages of the combination of satellite and UAS imagery in modeling animal population dynamics.

Development and Molecular Cytogenetic Characterization of Cold-Hardy Perennial Wheatgrass Adapted to Northeastern China.

Cold-hardy perennial wheatgrass plays an important role in the use of barren land for farming, soil and water conservation, variety improvement, and also for increasing grass yield. By crossing octoploid tritelytrigia (2n = 8x = 56, AABBDDEE) with Thinopyrum intermedium (2n = 6x = 42, StStJJJ S J S ), we developed 34 lines of perennial wheatgrass from F1 to F6 generations, which had vigorous regrowth and cold hardiness. The cold-hardy, perennial wheatgrass lines were well-adapted to the cold environment and developed root and rhizomes, with a longevity between 5 and 11 years and a better seed set. Some of them maintained wheat chromosomes beneficial for breeding perennial wheat. Molecular cytogenetic analysis demonstrated that the Th. intermedium chromosomes contributed the most to the synthetic genome of the wheatgrass hybrids and were associated with the perennial growth habit and winter hardiness. They were also preferentially maintained and transmitted to the progenies. Some wheat chromosomes were also transmitted from the F1 to F6 generations, although they were eliminated in each life cycle of the wheatgrass hybrids. The numbers of wheat and Th. intermedium chromosomes affected seed set and perennial growth habit. Seed set increased with the establishment of a more balanced genomic constitution in later generations. The cold-hardy and perennial wheatgrass lines were produced, which can be the starting point of domestication effort aimed at producing well-adapted ground cover plants under extreme environments.

MicroRNA-216b regulates cell proliferation, invasion and cycle progression via interaction with cyclin T2 in gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer has become the second most common malignant tumor in the world, revealing the molecular mechanism of gastric cancer development is essential for the treatment of gastric cancer and improvement of prognosis. Recent studies have shown that microRNAs may play a carcinogenic or tumor-suppressive role in many types of cancer. It has been detected that miR-216b is down-regulated in many cancer types, indicating that miR-216b can be used as a prognostic marker for these particular types of cancer. However, the effect of miR-216b on gastric cancer remains unclear. In the present study, miR-216 was observed to be significantly down-regulated in cancer tissues compared to normal tissues, and the level of miR-216b in various gastric cancer cell lines was decreased. In addition, miR-216b overexpression inhibits proliferation, migration, invasion, cell cycle and apoptosis of gastric cancer cells. We further verified that the inhibitory effect of miR-216b on proliferation and invasion of gastric cancer cells is mediated by cyclin T2. Overexpression of cyclin T2 can reverse the anti-cancer effect of miR-216b mimics. The results further enriched the mechanism of miR-216b in the development and progression of gastric cancer.

High SALM3 Expression in Tumor Cells and Fibroblasts Is Correlated with Poor Prognosis in Gastric Cancer Patients.

OBJECTIVE: The synaptic adhesion-like molecule (SALM) family is largely restricted to neural tissues and is involved in the regulation of neurite outgrowth and synapse formation. However, the expression of SALM3 in gastric cancer (GC) and its clinical significance remain unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic value of SALM3 in patients with GC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Expression of SALM3 was validated by tissue microarrays from 730 GC patients and statistically assessed for correlations with the clinical parameters and the prognosis of the patients. The transcriptional and survival data of SALM3 in GC patients were also mined through the Oncomine and Kaplan-Meier Plotter databases. RESULTS: SALM3 is overexpressed in the tumor cells and fibroblasts of clinical GC tissues, and a high level of SALM3 was significantly associated with tumor invasive characteristics. Cox proportional hazards univariate and multivariate regression analyses revealed SALM3 expression in tumor cells or stroma as an independent prognostic factor in the overall survival rate of GC patients. Furthermore, the survival of GC patients with high SALM3 expression in both tumor cells and fibroblasts was significantly poorer than that of the other groups. Oncomine and Kaplan-Meier Plotter analyses further confirmed high levels of SALM3 expression in GC, and high levels of SALM3 expression were associated with shorter survival in patients. CONCLUSION: SALM3 may be a prognostic factor for GC and may potentially be a high-priority therapeutic target.

Downregulation of Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 3 is associated with poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma after curative resection.

Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 3 (EBI3) encodes a secretory glycoprotein, and has previously been identified as upregulated in various types of tumors. The presnet study examined the clinical significance of EBI3 expression for predicting tumor recurrence and survival after resection in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). EBI3 expression in various HCC cell lines and in 20 pairs of tumor and peritumor tissue samples were detected using western blot analysis. Immunohistochemical staining using tissue microarray with 312 samples from randomly selected patients with HCC who underwent surgery. Survival analysis was performed using univariate and multivariate analyses. EBI3 protein level was higher in L-02 cells and in peri-tumor tissues compared with tumor tissues. Immunohistochemical staining of EBI3 was reduced in HCC tissues in comparison with adjacent normal tissues and significantly associated with tumor invasive characteristics, including tumor thrombus, poor differentiation and large size. Notably, the results suggested that EBI3 was a predictor for tumor recurrence and patient survival, and multivariate analysis indicated EBI3 to be an independent prognostic factor. Even in early-stage disease, low EBI3 expression was also independently associated with increased tumor recurrence and shortened survival. Downregulation of EBI3 in HCC indicated aggressive tumor behaviors and predicted a more severe clinical outcome, which suggests that EBI2 may be a useful biomarker to identify patients at high risk of post-operative recurrence.

Overexpression of ST3Gal-I promotes migration and invasion of HCCLM3 in vitro and poor prognosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Excessive ST3Gal-I levels predict a poor outcome for patients with several types of tumors. This study aims to investigate the role of ST3Gal-I in determining the invasive and metastatic potential of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and clinical prognosis for patients with HCC. METHODS: We compared the expression of ST3Gal-I in various HCC cell lines and in 20 pairs of tumor and peritumor tissue samples using Western blot analysis. Changes in the degree of invasiveness and migration were determined before and after small interfering RNA-induced knockdown of ST3Gal-I using a Transwell matrigel invasion assay and scratch wound assay. The correlation between ST3Gal-I expression and prognosis was determined in a large HCC patient cohort (n=273). RESULTS: ST3Gal-I expression was higher in metastatic HCCLM3 cells and tumor tissue compared with normal adjacent tissue. Following the ST3Gal-I knockdown, the invasiveness and migration of HCCLM3 cells were markedly reduced. ST3Gal-I expression in HCC correlated closely with tumor thrombus (P<0.001), tumor size (>5.0 cm, P=0.032), tumor node metastasis stages II-III (P=0.002), and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stages B-C (P<0.001). Cox regression analysis demonstrated that ST3Gal-I is an independent predictor of prognosis in patients with HCC, and related to disease-free survival (hazard ratio =1.464, P=0.037) and overall survival (hazard ratio =1.662, P=0.012). CONCLUSION: ST3Gal-I might contribute to the invasiveness and metastatic nature of HCC and, thus, could be an independent predictor of recurrence and a suitable pharmaceutical target in patients with HCC.

Cytogenetic and molecular identification of small-segment chromosome translocation lines from wheat-rye substitution lines to create wheat germplasm with beneficial traits.

Intergeneric crop plant hybrid lines with small-segment chromosome translocations are very useful in plant genetic research and breeding. In this study, to create small-segment chromosome translocations with beneficial agronomic characters, the progeny of wheat-rye substitution lines 5R/5A and 6R/6A were selected from generations F2 to F5 for rye-specific characteristics. A PCR primer and specific simple sequence repeat marker for rye were used in F5 populations to detect rye chromatin and to amplify a specific chromosome band in six translocation lines (06-6-5, 06-6-6, 06-6-9, 6-26-1, 7-23, and 7-33). Fragment pSc119.1 cloned from 7-33 had 99% homology with the big ear gene sequence (GenBank AF512607.1) in wheat. The six lines were further characterized via pollen mother cell meiosis analysis for genetic stability, and chromosome C-banding and genomic in situ hybridization for rye chromatin. The results show that line 7-33 was still within the 5R/5A substitution lines and possessed the big ear gene. The other lines all contained small-segment rye chromosome translocations. The results indicated that substitution line hybridization is an effective method for creating small-segment chromosome translocations with useful agronomic traits. Trials for these six wheat-rye translocation lines are justified because they possess many important stably-inherited agronomic characters, including disease resistance and improved yield.

Quality differences between NILs of wheat variety Long 97-586 possessing HMW-GS 7+8 and 7.

The high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) 7+8 were introduced into the Long 97-586 (1, 7, 2+12) wheat variety (Triticum aestivum) by 5 consecutive backcrosses with biochemical marker-assisted selection. Nearly isogenic lines (NILs) of HMW-GS 7 and 7+8 were obtained, and the NILs were planted in the experimental field at the Crop Breeding Institute of Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Science in 2004-2006. The field experiments were designed using the two-column contrast arrangement method with six replicates in 2004-2005 and four replicates in 2006. The result of three years experiments showed that the differences between NILs of Long 97-586 with subunit 7 and those with subunits 7+8 in the quality parameters of flour protein content and dry gluten content were negligible (P>0.1). However, the differences in some of the quality parameters were remarkably significant (P<0.01), including wet gluten content, ratio of wet gluten/dry gluten, gluten index, Zeleny sedimentation, ratio of sedimentation/dry gluten, and the farinogram parameters of water absorption, development time, stability, breakdown time and degree of softening. The difference between NILs with subunits 7+8 and subunit 7 was significant (P<0.05) on the alveogram W value and had a critical value (P=0.05) on the alveogram P value in 2006. The results show that HMW-GS 7+8 is far superior to HMW-GS 7 in terms of baking quality. The possibilities of using subunits 7+8 and subunit 7 in breeding strong and weak gluten wheat varieties are discussed in this paper.