The biological characteristics of DAstV molecular epidemiology and pathogenicity of duck astrovirus causing hepatitis in ducks and chickens in Southeast China.

A suspected outbreak of duck astrovirus (DAstV) disease occurred in a large Muscovy duck farm in Guangdong Province, China, in June 2022, which severely affected the production performance and health of Muscovy ducks. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of DAstV disease in Southeast China. Herein, we employed semi-nested PCR ethodto screen 5203 swab and liver samples from 11 Muscovy duck farms in 5 provinces of China for the presence of DAstV. Among them, 1356 samples (26.06%, 1356/5203) tested positive for DAstV, out of which 11 DAstV strains were isolated after 10 generations of blind transmission through Leghorn male hepatoma (LMH) cells and performed their whole-genome sequencing. The alignment results showed that the 11 DAstV isolates exhibited relatively low homology (15.4%-75%) with the astrovirus isolates from other species published in GenBank, whereas their homology (nucleotide: 90.4%-99.99%; amino acid: 94%-99.8%) with the DAstV type 1 (DAstV-1) reference strain was higher, indicating considerable homology. The results indicated that DAstV-1 was the main pathogenic factor. Herein, we successfully recreated the clinical symptoms of natural infection in 28-day-old specific-pathogen-free (SPF) ducks using the DAstV-1-GDB-2022 strain. The primary clinical manifestations included liver enlargement, hemorrhaging, and disruptions in liver function. Additionally, we confirmed the cross-species transmission potential of DAstV-1, marking the first occurrence of clinical symptoms of DAstV in 28-day-old SPF chickens. Our findings provide new perspectives on the epidemiology and pathogenicity of DAstV-1 and may help in advancing the development of DAstV vaccines.

AGAMOUS-LIKE 24 senses continuous inductive photoperiod in the inflorescence meristem to promote anthesis in chrysanthemum.

During the floral transition, many plant species including chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) require continuous photoperiodic stimulation for successful anthesis. Insufficient photoperiodic stimulation results in flower bud arrest or even failure. The molecular mechanisms underlying how continuous photoperiodic stimulation promotes anthesis are not well understood. Here, we reveal that in wild chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum indicum), an obligate short-day (SD) plant, floral evocation is not limited to SD conditions. However, SD signals generated locally in the inflorescence meristem (IM) play a vital role in ensuring anthesis after floral commitment. Genetic analyses indicate that the florigen FLOWERING LOCUS T-LIKE3 (CiFTL3) plays an important role in floral evocation, but a lesser role in anthesis. Importantly, our data demonstrate that AGAMOUS-LIKE 24 (CiAGL24) is a critical component of SD signal perception in the IM to promote successful anthesis, and that floral evocation and anthesis are two separate developmental events in chrysanthemum. We further reveal that the central circadian clock component PSEUDO-RESPONSE REGULATOR 7 (CiPRR7) in the IM activates CiAGL24 expression in response to SD conditions. Moreover, our findings elucidate a negative feedback loop in which CiAGL24 and SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CO 1 (CiSOC1) modulate LEAFY (CiLFY) expression. Together, our results demonstrate that the CiPRR7-CiAGL24 module is vital for sustained SD signal perception in the IM to ensure successful anthesis in chrysanthemum.

Mortality and associated influencing factors among oral cancer patients in western China: A retrospective cohort study from 2016 to 2021.

Few studies have examined oral cancer-related mortality in Guangxi. This study aimed to explore the incidence and characteristics of oral cancer and to identify the risk factors for oral cancer-related mortality. The study was conducted to provide a reference for clinical treatment and to improve the survival rate of patients with oral cancer. A total of 271 patients with oral cancer who were treated in the Stomatology Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from 2016 to 2017 were selected as the research subjects. The follow-up lasted until the middle of 2021. The survival rate and mean survival time of 271 patients were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazard models and stratified analysis were used to explore the related factors that affect the mortality of patients. Nomogram plots were used to visualize the relationships among multiple variables. Among 271 patients with oral cancer, the 2-year and 5-year overall survival rates were 83.8% and 68.5% respectively. The results of multivariate analysis showed that, age, pathological type, surgery and readmission were significant factors affecting survival. When the above factors were incorporated into nomogram plots and stratified analysis, the results showed that the risk of death after treatment in patients with oral cancer aged > 55 years was 1.693 times higher than that in patients aged ≤ 55 years (HR, hazard ratio [HR] = 1.795, 95% confidence intervals [CI] = 1.073, 3.004). The risk of death after surgical treatment was 0.606 times higher than that without surgical treatment (HR = 0.590, 95% CI = 0.367, 0.948). Patients who were readmitted had a 2.340-fold increased risk of death compared with patients who were not readmitted (HR = 2.340, 95% CI = 1.267,4.321). Older age, surgery, and readmission were risk factors for mortality among patients with oral cancer. The median survival time of 271 patients with oral cancer was 52.0 months. Patients under the age of 55 years old and those who choose surgical treatment tend to have a better prognosis and a longer survival. Oral cancer-related mortality is affected by age, treatment mode, readmission, and other factors. All of these factors are worthy of clinical attention for their prevention and control.

Body Image Perception and Satisfaction of Junior High School Students: Analysis of Possible Determinants.

Body image (BI) is a multidimensional construct that refers to one's perceptions of and attitudes toward one's own physical characteristics. Adolescence is a critical developmental stage in which concerns about BI increase. Therefore, the present cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate body image and aesthetic body shape standards in a sample of middle school students living in China. The researchers gathered demographic information, as well as height and weight data, for their study. They used a body silhouette to assess body image perception and body shape aesthetics and calculated two indexes: BIP, which measures the accuracy of self-perception and the estimation of bodily dimensions, and BIS, which indicates the difference between an individual's perceived and ideal body images. A total of 1585 students in three grades at two middle schools were included in the study (759 = female, mean age = 13.67 ± 0.90; 839 = male, mean age = 13.70 ± 0.90). The results showed that the BIP bias rate of middle school students was 55.7%, and the BI dissatisfaction rate was 81.0%. Females tended to overestimate their body shape and desire to be thinner compared to males. Students with a higher BMI grading were more prone to underestimating their body shape and aspiring to be thinner. Furthermore, 8.6% of students chose underweight as the ideal body type for boys, while 22.6% chose underweight as the ideal body type for girls. In conclusion, there are significant gender differences in the aesthetic standards of body shape, and adolescents believe that for women, a thin body shape is beautiful.

Hierarchical Multi-Objective Optimization for Dedicated Bus Punctuality and Supply-Demand Balance Control.

Public transportation is a crucial component of urban transportation systems, and improving passenger sharing rates can help alleviate traffic congestion. To enhance the punctuality and supply-demand balance of dedicated buses, we propose a hierarchical multi-objective optimization model to optimize bus guidance speeds and bus operation schedules. Firstly, we present an intelligent decision-making method for bus driving speed based on the mathematical description of bus operation states and the application of the Lagrange multiplier method, which improves the overall punctuality rate of the bus line. Secondly, we propose an optimization method for bus operation schedules that respond to passenger needs by optimizing departure time intervals and station schedules for supply-demand balance. The experiments were conducted in Future Science City, Beijing, China. The results show that the bus line's punctuality rate has increased to 90.53%, while the retention rate for platform passengers and the intersection stop rate have decreased by 36.22% and 60.93%, respectively. These findings verify the effectiveness and practicality of the proposed hierarchical multi-objective optimization model.

Molecular characterization of chicken infectious anaemia virus (CIAV) in China during 2020-2021.

Chicken infectious anaemia virus (CIAV) has been identified as the causative agent of chicken infectious anaemia (CIA), causing huge economic losses to the poultry industry globally. In this study, a total of 573 clinical samples were collected from 197 broiler farms in 17 provinces of China during 2020-2021. Among them, 375 samples (375/573, 65.4%) were positive for CIAV by real-time PCR. The positive rate of CIAV detection between different regions of China ranged from 46.67% (North China) to 81.25% (Central China). The nucleotide sequences of the VP1 gene were obtained for 91 CIAV strains, whole genome sequencing was successful for 72 out of 91 strains. Phylogenetic analysis based on the VP1 gene revealed that 91 CIAV strains currently circulating in China belong to three genotypes (II, IIIa and IIIb), and most of the CIAV strains belong to genotype IIIa. Phylogenetic analysis of the whole genome showed that 71 CIAV strains belong to genotype IIIa, and one strain belongs to genotype II. Sequence analysis showed several amino acid substitutions in both the VP1, VP2 and VP3 proteins. Our results enhance the understanding of the molecular characterization of CIAV infection in China.RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS A molecular systematic survey of CIAV in China during 2020-2021.CIAV genotype IIIa is the predominant genotype in China.

Correlation analysis of sleep behavior and overweight and obesity in junior high school students / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To analyze the association between different sleep behaviors and overweight and obesity of junior high school students in Yangzhou City, and to provide a basis for policies and interventions related to adolescent health management.@*Methods@#A total of 1 589 students in grades 7-9 from two middle schools in Yangzhou City were selected using the cluster sampling method and were administered with sleep time, bedtime, social jetlag difference, and sleep habits.@*Results@#Totally 64.38% were sleep deprived during the school days, 86.78% went to bed too late, 46.51% had a social jetlag of ≥1 h, and 37.44% took a nap every day(Incluldes holidays and school days). Social jetlag length was statistically different between grades( F =6.97, P < 0.01 ). Girls[(0.95±0.65)h] shown significantly higher social jetlag than the boys[(0.76±0.59)h]( t=6.19, P <0.01). Later bedtime on weekends, later wake up time on weekends and poor sleep behavior were risk factors for overweight and obesity in junior high school students( OR=1.20, 1.14, 1.04, P <0.05).@*Conclusion@#Junior high school students had less sleep and later bedtimes with the increase of grade, and weekend bedtimes,wake up times and poor sleep behavior were independently associated with the risk of overweight and obesity in junior high school students. Parents and schools should be instructed to pay attention to their sleep health and carry out adolescent sleep health guidance.

Augmented reality hologram combined with pre-bent distractor enhanced the accuracy of distraction vector transfer in maxillary distraction osteogenesis, a study based on 3D printed phantoms.

Background: Vector control is a significant concern in maxillary distraction osteogenesis (DO). Distraction vector planning on the patient's 3D-printed skull phantom is more intuitive for surgeons and cost-efficient than virtual surgical planning. However, the accuracy of transferring the planned vector to intraoperative (vector transfer) according to the shape of the pre-bent footplate alone is relatively limited. The application of augmented reality (AR) in surgical navigation has been studied for years. However, few studies have focused on its role in maxillary DO vector transfer. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of AR surgical navigation combined with the pre-bent distractor in vector transfer by comparing it with the pre-bent distractor alone. Methods: Ten patients with maxillary hypoplasia were enrolled with consent, and three identical 3D-printed skull phantoms were manufactured based on per patient's corresponding pre-operative CT data. Among these, one phantom was for pre-operative planning (n = 10), while and the other two were for the AR+Pre-bending group (n = 10) and the Pre-bending group (n = 10) for the experimental surgery, respectively. In the Pre-bending group, the distraction vector was solely determined by matching the shape of footplates and maxillary surface. In the AR+Pre-bending group, the distractors were first confirmed to have no deformation. Then AR surgical navigation was applied to check and adjust the vector in addition to the steps as in the Pre-bending Group. Results: For the angular deviation of the distraction vector, the AR+Pre-bending group was significantly smaller than the Pre-bending group in spatial (p < 0.001), x-y plane (p = 0.002), and y-z plane (p < 0.001), and there were no significant differences in the x-z plane (p = 0.221). The AR+Pre-bending group was more accurate in deviations of the Euclidean distance (p = 0.004) and the y-axis (p = 0.011). In addition, the AR+Pre-bending group was more accurate for the distraction result. Conclusions: In this study based on 3D printed skull phantoms, the AR surgical navigation combined with the pre-bent distractor enhanced the accuracy of vector transfer in maxillary DO, compared with the pre-bending technique alone.

Integrative analysis of transcriptome, proteome, and ubiquitome changes during rose petal abscission.

Plant organ abscission is regulated by multiple physiological and biochemical processes. However, the transcriptional, translational, and post-translational modifications occurring during organ abscission have not been systematically investigated. In this study, we report transcriptome, proteome, and ubiquitome data for the abscission zone (AZ) of rose petals collected during petal shedding. We quantified 40,506 genes, 6,595 proteins, and 2,720 ubiquitinated proteins in rose petal AZ. Our results showed that during petal abscission, 1,496 genes were upregulated and 2,199 were downregulated; 271 proteins were upregulated and 444 were downregulated; and 139 ubiquitination sites in 100 proteins were upregulated and 55 ubiquitination sites in 48 proteins were downregulated. Extracellular levels of cell component proteins were significantly increased, while levels within protoplasts were significantly decreased. During petal abscission, transcript levels of genes involved in defense response, transport, and metabolism changed significantly. Levels of proteins involved in the starch and sucrose metabolism and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathways were significantly altered at both the transcript and protein levels. The transcriptional and translational upregulation of peroxidase (POD), in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, pathway may be associated with deposition of lignin, which forms a protective layer during petal abscission. Overall, our data provide a comprehensive assessment of the translational and post-translational changes that occur during rose petal abscission.

The chrysanthemum DEAD-box RNA helicase CmRH56 regulates rhizome outgrowth in response to drought stress.

Plants have evolved complex mechanisms to reprogram growth in response to drought stress. In herbaceous perennial plant species, the rhizome, which is normally an organ for propagation and food storage, can also support plant growth in stressful environments, and allows the plant to perennate and survive stress damage. However, the mechanisms that regulate rhizome growth in perennial herbs during abiotic stresses are unknown. Here, we identified a chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) DEAD-box RNA helicase gene, CmRH56, that is specifically expressed in the rhizome shoot apex. Knock down of CmRH56 transcript levels decreased the number of rhizomes and enhanced drought stress tolerance. We determined that CmRH56 represses the expression of a putative gibberellin (GA) catabolic gene, GA2 oxidase6 (CmGA2ox6). Exogenous GA treatment and silencing of CmGA2ox6 resulted in more rhizomes. These results demonstrate that CmRH56 suppresses rhizome outgrowth under drought stress conditions by blocking GA biosynthesis.

Development of an indirect ELISA for detecting swine acute diarrhoea syndrome coronavirus IgG antibodies based on a recombinant spike protein.

Swine acute diarrhoea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV) is a newly identified swine enteropathogenic coronavirus that causes watery diarrhoea in neonatal piglets, leading to significant economic losses to the swine industry. Currently, there are no suitable serological methods to assess the infection of SADS-CoV and effectiveness of vaccines, making an urgent need to exploit effective enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to compensate for this deficiency. Here, a recombinant plasmid that expresses the spike (S) protein of SADS-CoV fused to the Fc domain of human IgG was constructed to generate recombinant baculovirus and expressed in HEK 293F cells. The S-Fc protein was purified with protein G Resin, which retained reactivity with anti-human Fc and anti-SADS-CoV antibodies. The S-Fc protein was then used to develop an indirect ELISA (S-iELISA) and the reaction conditions of S-iELISA were optimized. As a result, the cut-off value was determined as 0.3711 by analyzing OD450nm values of 40 SADS-CoV-negative sera confirmed by immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and western blot. The coefficient of variation (CV) of 6 SADS-CoV-positive sera within and between runs of S-iELISA were both less than 10%. The cross-reactivity assays demonstrated that S-iELISA was non-cross-reactive with other swine viruses' sera. Furthermore, the overall coincidence rate between IFA and S-iELISA was 97.3% based on testing 111 clinical serum samples. Virus neutralization test with seven different OD450nm values of the sera showed that the OD450nm values tested by S-iELISA are positively correlated with the virus neutralization assay. Finally, a total of 300 pig field serum samples were tested by S-iELISA and commercial kits of other swine enteroviruses showed that the IgG-positive for SADS-CoV, TGEV, PDCoV and PEDV was 81.7, 54, 65.3 and 6%, respectively. The results suggest that this S-iELISA is specific, sensitive, repeatable and can be applied for the detection of the SADS-CoV infection in the swine industry.

Systemic Analysis of the Prognosis-Associated Alternative Polyadenylation Events in Breast Cancer.

Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is a post-translational modification that occurs during mRNA maturation in humans. Studies suggested that abnormal APA events are associated with the genesis and progression of malignant tumors. Here, we aimed to comprehensively evaluate the prognostic value of APA events involved in breast cancer (BC). Both APA events and clinical information for BC patients were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to identify prognosis-related APA events in BC. A total of 462 APA events and 374 APA events were shown to be significantly related to overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS), respectively, of BC patients. The TCGA set was randomly divided into a training and a test set. Key prognosis-related APA events were selected by LASSO regression to build prediction signatures for OS and RFS by multivariate Cox regression analysis in the training, test, and whole set. BC patients were stratified into high-risk and low-risk groups based on median risk scores. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that low-risk groups had better OS and RFS than high-risk groups in all three sets. The time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves showed that our signatures had a good predictive ability for survival and recurrence for BC patients in all three sets. The independent prognostic indicators-based nomogram model had excellent performance and considerable net benefit for predicting the OS and RFS in BC. A PPI network was constructed between key prognosis and core regulators associated with APA, consisting of 48 nodes and 244 edges. Functional enrichment analysis also revealed their association with RNA processing and RNA synthesis. Collectively, our data indicate that prognostic signatures based on APA events may be powerful prognostic predictors for OS and RFS in BC.

Long non-coding RNA-based signatures to improve prognostic prediction of breast cancer.

Breast cancer (BC) is a disease of high mortality rate because of high malignant, while early diagnosis and personal management may make a better prognosis possible. This study aimed to establish and validate lncRNAs signatures to improve the prognostic prediction for BC.RNA sequencing data along with the corresponding clinical information of patients with BC were gained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Prognostic differentially expressed lncRNAs were obtained using differentially expressed lncRNAs analysis (P value <.01 and |fold change| > 2) and univariate cox regression (P value <.05). By applying least absolute shrinkage and selection operation (LASSO) Cox regression analysis along with 10-fold cross-validation, 2 lncRNA-based signatures were constructed in the training, test and whole set.A 14-lncRNAs signature and a 10-lncRNAs signature were built for overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) respectively in the 3 sets. BC patients were divided into high-risk groups and low-risk groups depended on median risk score value. Significant differences were found for OS and RFS between 2 groups in the 3 sets. The time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves analysis demonstrated that our lncRNAs signatures had better predictive capacities of survival and recurrence for BC patients as well as enhancing the predictive ability of the tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage system.These results indicate that the 2 lncRNAs signatures with the potential to be biomarkers to predict the prognosis of BC for OS and RFS.

[Effects of TRAM-34 on Proliferation and Invasion of Leukemia Cell Line HL-60].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of KCa3.1 channel inhibitor TRAM-34 on the proliferation and invasion of leukemia cell line HL-60. METHODS: HL-60 cells at logarithmic growth phase exposed to TRAM-34 at the final concentration of 25, 50, 75 and 100 nmol/L were used as experimental group. The HL-60 cells of control group was cultured in 10% fetal bovine serum-RPMI 1640. The proliferation inhibition rate of TRAM-34 on HL-60 cells was detected by adding MTT solution after 24, 48 and 72 h culture. The cell apoptotic rate and cell cycle distribution of HL-60 cells treated with TRAM-34 were evaluated by flow cytometry with Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide(PI) double staining or PI single staining. The number of transmembrane cells was detected by Transwell at 24 and 48 h after treatment with TRAM-34. The effect of TRAM-34 on CDK6, P53 and MMP-2 mRNA level was detected by real-time quantitative PCR. RESULTS: Compared with the control group (0 nmol/L), the inhibition rate, apoptosis rate, G0/G1 phase cell proportion and P53 mRNA level all increased, but the percentages of cells in S phase, cell number penetrating the membrane and mRNA levels of CDK6 and MMP-2 in the TRAM-34-treated group decreased (P<0.05) except for 24 h proliferation rate of TRAM-34 at low concentration (25 nmol/L). The effect of TRAM-34 on the above indices was enhanced with the increase of concentration and prolongation of time, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: TRAM-34 can inhibit the proliferation and invasion of HL-60 cells, and can induce cell apoptosis and G0/G1 arrest. The time and concentration of TRAM-34 have effect on the malignant behavior of HL-60 cells.

[The effect of the period of cryopreservative storage on the cryosurvival of human spermatozoa].

OBJECTIVES: To study the effect of cryopreservative period on the cryosurvival of human spermatozoa and find out the optimal recovery time of cryopreservation. METHODS: Eighty-eight semen samples were collected from normal donors and divided randomly into 5 groups according to the period of cryopreservative storage (1 d, 7 d, 30 d, 180 d, 300 d) in liquid nitrogen after being frozen by the programized, three-step freezing method. Fresh and frozen-thawed semen were examined by the routine analysis of semen and then the sperm recovery rate were calculated. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in sperm recovery rate between group I and the others (P > 0.05). The period of cryopreservative storage in liquid nitrogen had no correlation with the cryosurvival of human spermatozoa (r = 0.05, P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It was indicated that freezing-thawing after 24 h would be helpful to the screening of semen donors in batches for donor insemination of human sperm bank.