Photon-enhanced thermionic emission solar cells based on boron-doped graphene/carbon nanosphere composite aerogel photocathode material.

This study employed a two-step hydrothermal reduction process and freeze-drying technique. Initially, carbon nanosphere composite aerogels (CNSs) were synthesized through the hydrothermal reduction of glucose. Subsequently, boron-doped graphene/carbon nanosphere composite aerogel (BGA/CNS) was prepared by utilizing graphene oxide (GO) and boric acid as carbon (C) and boron (B) sources, respectively, in conjunction with CNS. The photo-enhanced thermionic electron emission (PETE) performance of the samples was assessed using a custom-made device. Boron atom doping was found to modulate the bandgap of graphene aerogel and induce P-type semiconductor characteristics, while the addition of CNSs increased its specific surface area, thereby enhancing its photoelectric properties. The results indicated that BGA/CNS-8h exhibited superior PETE effects, with a short-circuit current, open-circuit voltage, and maximum power of 5.81 µA, -2.10V, and-1.57µW.

Optimization of Mg-Al Layered Double Hydroxide Film Preparation and Corrosion Resistance Study on AZ91D Mg Alloy by Multivariate Polynomial Regression Fitting.

Layered double hydroxide (LDH) films have received extensive attention for their unique physical barrier function and ion exchange properties, which make them promising candidates for corrosion protection of magnesium alloys. In this paper, we used the multiple polynomial regression fitting method to establish a regression equation for the electrochemical corrosion resistance with the reaction temperature (T), pH, and reaction time (t) of the Mg-Al LDH film on the AZ91D magnesium alloy. The goodness of fit, confidence, and residual analyses confirmed the high accuracy of the model equation. According to the calculation using the fmincon function, the best corrosion resistance of the prepared samples could be achieved when the parameters are T = 135 °C, pH = 12.0, and t = 15 h. Then, the experimental results showed that the corrosion current density (Icorr) of the obtained LDH film under the above conditions could be 1.07 × 10-7 A/cm2, approximately 3 orders of magnitude lower than the magnesium alloy substrate, after immersion in a 3.5 wt % NaCl solution for 180 h, the surface structure of the LDH film did not change significantly, and the Icorr was still 2 orders of magnitude higher than that of the magnesium alloy substrate. Hence, a synergistic effect equation for the reaction temperature, pH, and reaction time on the corrosion resistance of the LDH film on a magnesium alloy surface prepared by the hydrothermal method was obtained. Moreover, using this equation, we obtained an LDH film with good corrosion resistance and durability, providing theoretical guidance for optimizing the process of preparing the LDH film by the hydrothermal method in practical applications.

Risk Factors for Pneumocystis jirovecii Pneumonia in Children With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Exposed to Prolonged High-Dose Glucocorticoids.

BACKGROUND: Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) is a life-threatening opportunistic infection in immunocompromised children with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Prophylaxis against PJP in high-risk children is crucial, but the risk factors for PJP in children with SLE are not adequately characterized. This study sought to identify the risk factors for PJP in long-term glucocorticoid-treated pediatric SLE patients. METHODS: This study encompassed 71 treatment episodes involving 64 children with prolonged (≥4 weeks) high-dose (≥20 mg/d prednisone) steroid regimens. Fourteen treatment episodes involved the PJP, whereas others did not. Risk factors for PJP were assessed through Cox regression. The predictive value of these factors was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves. The incidence of PJP in different risk groups was compared using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: The creatinine (hazard ratio, 1.009; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.001-1.017; p = 0.021) and the lowest lymphocyte count (hazard ratio, 0.007; 95% CI, 0.000-0.373; p = 0.014) were independent risk factors for PJP in children with SLE. The receiver operating characteristic curve showed that using creatinine greater than 72.5 µmol/L and the lowest lymphocyte count less than 0.6 × 109/L as risk predictors for PJP resulted in an area under the curve value of 0.934 (95% CI, 0.870-0.997; p < 0.001). The study revealed a significant increase in PJP prevalence (p < 0.001) in children with elevated creatinine levels and low lymphocyte count. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated levels of creatinine and decreased lymphocyte count are identified as distinct risk factors for PJP in children with SLE who receive prolonged high-dose steroid therapy.

Overexpression of ZNF488 supports pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and tumorigenesis through inhibition of ferroptosis via regulating SCD1-mediated unsaturated fatty acid metabolism.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer is a malignancy with high mortality. Once diagnosed, effective treatment strategies are limited and the five-year survival is extremely poor. Recent studies have shown that zinc finger proteins play important roles in tumorigenesis, including pancreatic cancer. However, it remains unknown on the clinical significance, function and underlying mechanisms of zinc finger protein 488 (ZNF488) during the development of pancreatic cancer. METHODS: The clinical relevance of ZNF488 and stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) was examined by analyzing the data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and immunohistochemical staining of the tissue microarray. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments were performed by transfecting the cells with overexpressing lentivirus and siRNAs or shRNA lentivirus, respectively. The function of ZNF488 in pancreatic cancer was assessed by CCK8, colony formation, EdU staining, PI/Annexin V staining and xenografted tumorigenesis. Chip-qPCR assay was conducted to examine the interaction between ZNF488 and the promoter sequence of SCD1. Transcription activity was measured by dual luciferase reporter assay. mRNA and protein expression was detected by qRT-PCR and immunoblotting experiment, respectively. Fatty acid was quantified by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. RESULTS: ZNF488 was overexpressed in pancreatic cancer samples compared with normal tissues. High expression of ZNF488 predicted the poor prognosis of the patients. In vitro, ZNF488 upregulation contributed to the EuU cooperation, proliferation and colony formation of MIAPaCa-2 and PANC-1 cells. Based on PI/Annexin V and trypan blue staining results, we showed that ZNF488 suppressed the ferroptosis and apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells. Mechanistically, ZNF488 directly interacted with the promoter sequence of SCD1 gene and promoted its transcription activity, which resulted in enhanced palmitoleic and oleic acid production, as well as the peroxidation of fatty acid. In vivo, ZNF488 overexpression promoted the xenograted tumorigenesis of PANC-1, which was reversed by SCD1 knockdown. Importantly, combination of erastin and SCD1 inhibitors A939572 completely blunted the growth of ZNF488 overexpressed MIAPaCa-2 and PANC-1 cells. Usage of A939572 or erastin recovered the sensitivity of pancreatic cancer cells to the treatment of gemcitabine. Lastly, we found a positive correlation between ZNF488 and SCD1 in pancreatic cancer patients based on TCGA and immunohistochemical staining results. CONCLUSION: Overexpression of ZNF488 suppresses the ferroptosis and apoptosis to support the growth and tumorigenesis of pancreatic cancer through augmentation of SCD1-mediated unsaturated fatty acid metabolism. Combination of SCD1 inhibitors, ferroptosis inducers or gemcitabine could be applied for the treatment of pancreatic cancer with overexpression of ZNF488.

New insights into glycogen synthase kinase-3: A common target for neurodegenerative diseases.

Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) is a highly conserved protein serine/threonine kinase that plays a central role in a wide variety of cellular processes to coordinate catabolic and anabolic pathways and regulate cell growth and fate. There is increasing evidence showing that abnormal glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) is associated with the pathogenesis and progression of many disorders, such as cancer, diabetes, psychiatric diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we summarize recent findings about the regulatory role of GSK-3 in the occurrence and development of multiple neurodegenerative diseases, mainly focusing on Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The aim of this study is to provide new insight into the shared working mechanism of GSK-3 as a therapeutic target of multiple neurodegenerative diseases.

Differences in door-to-balloon time and outcomes in SARS-CoV-2-positive ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 infection has significantly impacted the world and placed a heavy strain on the medical system and the public, especially those with cardiovascular diseases. Hoverer, the differences in door-to-balloon time and outcomes in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection are not known too much. METHODS: Web of Science, EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Wanfang, VIP, and China's National Knowledge Infrastructure were utilized to perform a systematic literature search until April 30, 2023. We computed the odds ratios (ORs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to determine the correlation. A random-effects model was used for the meta-analysis if the study had significant heterogeneity. Meanwhile, sensitivity analysis and Trial sequential analysis were also accomplished using Rveman5.4 and trial sequential analysis 0.9.5.10 Beta software, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 5 eligible studies were explored in our meta-analysis, including 307 cases and 1804 controls. By meta-analysis, the pooled data showed that SARS-CoV-2-positive STEMI patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention had a longer door-to-balloon time (OR 6.31, 95% CI 0.99, 11.63, P = .02) than the negative subjects. The glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor use after SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR 2.71, 95% CI 1.53, 4.81, P = .0006) was relatively frequent compared with controls, and the postoperative Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction blood flow (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.34, 0.67, P < .0001) was worse compared that. The in-hospital mortality (OR 5.16, 95% CI 3.53, 7.53, P < .00001) was higher than non-SARS-CoV-2 infection ones. In addition, we also discovered that age, gender (male), hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, smoking, previous myocardial infarction, total ischemia time, and thrombus aspiration use did not have a significant association with the development of STEMI patients with SARS-CoV-2. CONCLUSION: SARS-CoV-2 positivity is significantly associated with longer door-to-balloon time and higher in-hospital mortality in STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Development and validation of a novel nomogram to predict postoperative pancreatic fistula after pancreatoduodenectomy using lasso-logistic regression: an international multi-institutional observational study.

BACKGROUND: Existing prediction models for clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) after pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) lack discriminatory power or are too complex. This study aimed to develop a simple nomogram that could accurately predict clinically relevant POPF after PD. METHODS: A high-volume, multicenter cohort of patients who underwent PD from the American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database in the United States during 2014-2017 was used as the model training cohort ( n =3609), and patients who underwent PD from the Pancreatic Center of the National Cancer Center Hospital in China during 2014-2019 were used as the external validation cohort ( n =1347). The study used lasso penalized regression to screen large-scale variables, then logistic regression was performed to screen the variables and build a model. Finally, a prediction nomogram for clinically relevant POPF was established based on the logistic model, and polynomial equations were extracted. The performance of the nomogram was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis. RESULTS: In the training and validation cohorts, there were 16.7% (601/3609) and 16.6% (224/1347) of patients who developed clinically relevant POPF, respectively. After screening using lasso and logistic regression, only six predictors were independently associated with clinically relevant POPF, including two preoperative indicators (weight and pancreatic duct size), one intraoperative indicator (pancreatic texture), and three postoperative indicators (deep surgical site infection, delayed gastric emptying, and pathology). The prediction of the new nomogram was accurate, with an area under the curve of 0.855 (95% CI: 0.702-0.853) in the external validation cohort, and the predictive performance was superior to three previously proposed POPF risk score models (all P <0.001, likelihood ratio test). CONCLUSIONS: A reliable lasso-logistic method was applied to establish a novel nomogram based on six readily available indicators, achieving a sustained, dynamic, and precise POPF prediction for PD patients. With a limited number of variables and easy clinical application, this new model will enable surgeons to proactively predict, identify, and manage pancreatic fistulas to obtain better outcomes from this daunting postoperative complication.

Subcellular localization of nucleolar protein 14 and its proliferative function mediated by miR-17-5p and E2F4 in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies worldwide. Acquiring infinite proliferation ability is a key hallmark and basis of tumorigenesis. NOP14 is an identified ribosome biogenesis protein that plays potential roles in cell proliferation. However, the function and molecular mechanism of NOP14 remain ambiguous in most human cancers. In this study, we first investigated the subcellular localization and expression of NOP14 by multiple quantitative assays in pancreatic cancer. We confirmed that NOP14 was mainly localized in nucleolus in human pancreatic cancer cells. Then we studied the regulatory effects of this nucleolus protein on tumor cell proliferation in vitro. NOP14 was demonstrated to play a dominant pro-proliferation role in pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, we identified miR17-5p as a downstream target of NOP14. Transfection of miR17-5p mimics or inhibitors rescued the down- or upregulated effect of NOP14 on cell proliferation by regulating expression of P130. In addition, NOP14 induced expression of transcription factor E2F4 independent of miR17-5p/P130 signaling, which simultaneously activated a set of targeted genes, such as CCNE1, PIM1, AKT1 etc., to promote tumor proliferation. These findings might provide novel insights for better understanding the diverse function of NOP14 in human malignancies to develop new strategies for targeted therapy.

ITGA3 acts as a purity-independent biomarker of both immunotherapy and chemotherapy resistance in pancreatic cancer: bioinformatics and experimental analysis.

Contribution of integrin superfamily genes to treatment resistance remains uncertain. Genome patterns of thirty integrin superfamily genes were analyzed of using bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing, mutation, copy number, methylation, clinical information, immune cell infiltration, and drug sensitivity data. To select the integrins that are most strongly associated with treatment resistance in pancreatic cancer, a purity-independent RNA regulation network including integrins were constructed using machine learning. The integrin superfamily genes exhibit extensive dysregulated expression, genome alterations, epigenetic modifications, immune cell infiltration, and drug sensitivity, as evidenced by multi-omics data. However, their heterogeneity varies among different cancers. After constructing a three-gene (TMEM80, EIF4EBP1, and ITGA3) purity-independent Cox regression model using machine learning, ITGA3 was identified as a critical integrin subunit gene in pancreatic cancer. ITGA3 is involved in the molecular transformation from the classical to the basal subtype in pancreatic cancer. Elevated ITGA3 expression correlated with a malignant phenotype characterized by higher PD-L1 expression and reduced CD8+ T cell infiltration, resulting in unfavorable outcomes in patients receiving either chemotherapy or immunotherapy. Our findings suggest that ITGA3 is an important integrin in pancreatic cancer, contributing to chemotherapy resistance and immune checkpoint blockade therapy resistance.

Root Hair Development and Adaptation to Abiotic Stress.

Root hairs tie the root system to the soil substrate, facilitate water and nutrient absorption, and enable the interaction with microbes in the soil. Root hair development can be classified into three main development types (I-III). Root hair development type III has been extensively studied, mainly represented using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Transcription factors, plant hormones, and proteins are involved at different root hair developmental stages. The mechanisms underlying development in types I and II have been examined using other representative plant species but have not been studied as intensively. Many key developmental genes in types I and II are highly homologous with those in type III, exhibiting conservation of related mechanisms. Root hairs are also involved in the regulation of plant response to abiotic stress by altering developmental patterns. Abiotic stress, regulatory genes, and plant hormones jointly regulate root hair development and growth; however, few studies have focused on how root hair recognizes abiotic stress signals. This review examines the molecular mechanisms of root hair development and adaptations under stress, and prospective future developments in root hair research are also discussed.

Expression, prognostic value and mechanism of SP100 family in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is one of the most aggressive malignancies with a very poor prognosis. Exploring more therapeutic targets and prognostic biomarkers is of great significance to improve the prognosis of PAAD patients. Increasing evidence supports that the speckled protein (SP) 100 family is associated with human cancer and immune disorders. However, the function of the SP100 family members in PAAD is still unclear. METHODS: R, Cytoscape, cBioPortal, and other software and online databases were used to comprehensively analyze the expression characteristics, prognostic value, and oncogenic mechanism of the SP100 family in PAAD. RESULTS: The high expression of SP100 family members in PAAD was significantly correlated with poor clinicopathological features and poor prognosis of PAAD patients. Mechanistically, TP53 mutations were significantly associated with the expression levels of the SP100 family members, which were significantly coexpressed with M6A methylation regulators and were activated in multiple oncogenic pathways, including the EMT pathways. Moreover, we found that their expression levels were significantly correlated with the sensitivity of multiple traditional chemotherapeutic drugs. CONCLUSION: The SP100 family is closely related to the occurrence and development of PAAD and can be used as a new biomarker and therapeutic target for patients with PAAD.

New insights from trio whole-exome sequencing in the children with kidney disease: A single-center retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Kidney disease of children markedly affects their health and development. Limited clinical data of early-stage kidney disease render a tremendous challenge for the accurate diagnosis. Trio whole-exome sequencing (Trio-WES) is emerging as a first-line diagnostic strategy in pediatric kidney disease, and shows important implications for the precision medicine strategies of children with kidney disease. METHODS: Trio-WES was performed in 133 Chinese children with kidney disease and their parents. The results for casual variants in genes known to cause kidney disease were analyzed. We further assessed the genetic diagnostic yield and the clinical implications of genetic testing. RESULTS: An overall diagnostic yield of 52.63% (70/133) was found, and the diagnostic rates ranged from 44.74% to 59.62% in different clinical phenotypes. The diagnostic yield of the three groups of simple proteinuria, renal insufficiency, and "other" was 50%, 50%, and 54.55%, respectively. Eight-seven diagnostic variants were identified in 70 probands with variants spanning 30 genes. The top 7 genes with diagnostic variants were COL4A5 (23, 26.44%), COL4A4 (13, 14.94%), ADCK4 (7, 8.05%), CLCN5 (3, 3.45%), ACE (3, 3.45%), PKD1 (3, 3.45%), and SLC12A3 (3, 3.45%), accounting for 63.22% of all variations in the cohort. CONCLUSIONS: The retrospective cohort study summarized the clinical utility of genetic testing in 133 probands, and expanded the phenotypic and genetic profiles of kidney disease in children. Trio-WES is an efficient diagnostic tool for children with kidney disease, which facilitates the clinical diagnosis and treatment. Our findings have important implications for the precise diagnosis of childhood nephropathy and may provide clinical guideline for disease management.

GIS-based calculation method of surge height generated by three-dimensional landslide.

Combined with the spatial data processing capability of the Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the Pan Jiazheng method is extended from two-dimensional (2D) to three-dimensional (3D), and a 3D landslide surge height calculation method is proposed based on grid column units. First, the data related to the landslide are rasterized to form grid columns, and a force analysis model of 3D landslides is established. Combining the vertical strip method with Newton's laws of motion, dynamic equilibrium equations are established to solve the surge height. Moreover, a 3D landslide surge height calculation expansion module is developed in the GIS environment, and the results are compared with those of the 2D Pan Jiazheng method. Comparisons showed that the maximum surge height obtained by the proposed method is 24.6% larger than that based on the Pan Jiazheng method. Compared with the traditional 2D method, the 3D method proposed in this paper better represent the actual spatial state of the landslide and is more suitable for risk assessment.

Association between microRNA-146a rs2910164 polymorphism and coronary heart disease: An updated meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the manifestations of atherosclerosis with a high morbidity rate. MicroRNA (miRNA)-146a rs2910164, a single nucleotide polymorphism, is associated with the progression of CHD risk. However, the results are controversial and uncertain. Therefore, an updated meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the association between rs2910164 and CHD susceptibility. METHODS: PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of Science, China's National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP, and Wan fang were searched for the eligible articles until April 30, 2022. The odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence interval (CIs) were calculated to assess the correlation. Bonferroni correction was utilized between multiple comparisons. Trial sequential analysis was performed to measure the required information size and assess the reliability of the meta-analysis results. RESULTS: A total of 18 eligible studies, including 6859 cases and 8469 controls, were analyzed in our meta-analysis. After Bonferroni correction, we found that the G allele at rs2910164 was associated with significantly decreased CHD risk in the allelic model (OR = 0.86), homozygous model (OR = 0.79), and heterozygous model (OR = 0.89) in total population. In the subgroup analysis, the subjects containing the G allele and GG genotype were associated with a lower risk of CHD in the Chinese population, not the GG + CG and CG genotype. In addition, under the allelic, homozygous, heterozygous, and dominant models, miR-146a rs2910164 was at lower CHD risk in the large size population except in the recessive model. CONCLUSION: These results show that miR-146a rs2910164 might be associated with lower CHD susceptibility.

Prognostic value, immune signature and molecular mechanisms of the APOBEC family members APOBEC1, APOBEC3A, APOBEC3G and APOBEC3H in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Background: Increasing evidence supports that the APOBEC family is associated with development of a variety of cancers. However, the function of APOBEC1/3A/3G/3H in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is still unclear. Methods: Comprehensive bioinformatic analysis using R (version 3.6.3), TISIDB, Metascape etc. were performed to study the clinicopathological characteristics, prognostic value, immune features and functional mechanisms of the APOBEC1/3A/3G/3H in PAAD. Results: APOBEC1/3A/3G/3H showed significantly elevated expression in PAAD than para-cancerous or normal tissues. Their high expression or amplification were significantly correlated with worse clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis in PAAD patients. In addition, the role of APOBEC1/3A/3G/3H in the immune regulation is diverse and complex, the high expression of APOBEC1 may inhibit the infiltration level of many kinds of immunoreactive tumor-infiltrating cells, which may be an important factor leading to immune escape of PAAD cells. Mechanistically, APOBEC1/3A/3G/3H played an activating role in multiple oncogenic pathways, including the EMT, RAS/MAPK and TSC/mTOR pathways. Moreover, we found that the expression level of APOBEC3G was positively correlated with the sensitivity of gemcitabine and doxorubicin. Conclusion: APOBEC1/3A/3G/3H play an oncogenic role in the development of PAAD and might serve as new biomarkers or therapeutic targets.

Long-term nutritional status after total gastrectomy was comparable to proximal gastrectomy but with much less reflux esophagitis and anastomotic stenosis.

Aim: To compare the long-term nutritional status, reflux esophagitis and anastomotic stenosis, between total gastrectomy (TG) and proximal gastrectomy (PG). Methods: Patients who underwent PG or TG in this single institution between January 2014 and December 2016 were included in this study. The inclusion and exclusion criteria were defined. One-to-one propensity score matching (PSM) by the demographic and pathological characteristics was performed to compare the long-term outcomes between the two groups. The primary endpoint was long-term nutritional status, and the second endpoints were reflux esophagitis and anastomotic stenosis. Long-term nutritional status was valued by percentage of body mass index (%BMI), body weight, and blood test including total protein, prealbumin, hemoglobin and total leukocytes. Results: Totally 460 patients received PG or TG in our institution for the treatment between January 2014 and December 2016 and according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria 226 cases were included in this study finally. There was no significant difference as to nutritional status in the end of first 5 years after PG or TG. While reflux esophagitis and anastomotic stenosis were significantly higher in the PG group than in the TG group (54.4% versus 26.8%, p < 0.001; 14.9% versus 4.5%, p=0.015; respectively). Overall survival rates were similar between the two groups after PSM (5-year survival rates: 65.4% versus 61.5% in the PG and TG groups, respectively; p = 0.54). The rate of carcinoma of remnant stomach after PG was 3.5% in this group of patients. Conclusions: TG should be more aggressively recommended for the similar nutritional status, significantly lower reflux esophagitis and anastomotic stenosis, and free of carcinoma of remnant stomach compared with PG.

LbMYB48 positively regulates salt gland development of Limonium bicolor and salt tolerance of plants.

Limonium bicolor is a dicotyledonous recretohalophyte with several multicellular salt glands on the leaves. The plant can directly secrete excess salt onto the leaf surface through the salt glands to maintain ion homeostasis under salt stress. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the functions of genes related to salt gland development and salt tolerance. In this study, an R1-type MYB transcription factor gene was screened from L. bicolor, named LbMYB48, and its expression was strongly induced by salt stress. Subcellular localization analysis showed that LbMYB48 was localized in the nucleus. LbMYB48 protein has transcriptional activation activity shown by transcriptional activation experiments. The density of salt glands in the leaves and the salt secretion capacity of LbMYB48-silenced lines were decremented, as demonstrated by the leaf disc method to detect sodium ion secretion. Furthermore, salt stress index experiments revealed that the ability of LbMYB48-silenced lines to resist salt stress was significantly reduced. LbMYB48 regulates salt gland development and salt tolerance in L. bicolor mainly by regulating the expression of epidermal cell development related genes such as LbCPC-like and LbDIS3 and salt stress-related genes (LbSOSs, LbRLKs, and LbGSTs) as demonstrated by RNA-seq analysis of LbMYB48-silenced lines. The heterologous over-expression of LbMYB48 in Arabidopsis thaliana improves salt tolerance of plants by stabilizing ion and osmotic balance and is likely to be involved in the abscisic acid signaling pathway. Therefore, LbMYB48, a transcriptional activator regulates the salt gland development of L. bicolor and salt tolerance of L. bicolor and A. thaliana.

The roles of HD-ZIP proteins in plant abiotic stress tolerance.

Homeodomain leucine zipper (HD-ZIP) proteins are plant-specific transcription factors that contain a homeodomain (HD) and a leucine zipper (LZ) domain. The highly conserved HD binds specifically to DNA and the LZ mediates homodimer or heterodimer formation. HD-ZIP transcription factors control plant growth, development, and responses to abiotic stress by regulating downstream target genes and hormone regulatory pathways. HD-ZIP proteins are divided into four subclasses (I-IV) according to their sequence conservation and function. The genome-wide identification and expression profile analysis of HD-ZIP proteins in model plants such as Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and rice (Oryza sativa) have improved our understanding of the functions of the different subclasses. In this review, we mainly summarize and discuss the roles of HD-ZIP proteins in plant response to abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, low temperature, and harmful metals. HD-ZIP proteins mainly mediate plant stress tolerance by regulating the expression of downstream stress-related genes through abscisic acid (ABA) mediated signaling pathways, and also by regulating plant growth and development. This review provides a basis for understanding the roles of HD-ZIP proteins and potential targets for breeding abiotic stress tolerance in plants.

Dynamic monitoring revealed a slightly prolonged waiting time for total gastrectomy during the COVID-19 pandemic without increasing the short-term complications.

We aimed to determine the pattern of delay and its effect on the short-term outcomes of total gastrectomy before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Overlaid line graphs were used to visualize the dynamic changes in the severity of the pandemic, number of gastric cancer patients, and waiting time for a total gastrectomy. We observed a slightly longer waiting time during the pandemic (median: 28.00 days, interquartile range: 22.00-34.75) than before the pandemic (median: 25.00 days, interquartile range: 18.00-34.00; p = 0.0071). Moreover, we study the effect of delayed surgery (waiting time > 30 days) on short-term outcomes using postoperative complications, extreme value of laboratory results, and postoperative stay. In patients who had longer waiting times, we did not observe worse short-term complication rates (grade II-IV: 15% vs. 19%, p = 0.27; grade III-IV: 7.3% vs. 9.2%, p = 0.51, the short waiting group vs. the prolonged waiting group) or a higher risk of a longer POD (univariable: OR 1.09, 95% CI 0.80-1.49, p = 0.59; multivariable: OR 1.10, 95% CI 0.78-1.55, p = 0.59). Patients in the short waiting group, rather than in the delayed surgery group, had an increased risk of bleeding in analyses of laboratory results (plasma prothrombin activity, hemoglobin, and hematocrit). A slightly prolonged preoperative waiting time during COVID-19 pandemic might not influence the short-term outcomes of patients who underwent total gastrectomy.