Overexpression of RpKTI2 from Robinia pseudoacacia Affects the Photosynthetic Physiology and Endogenous Hormones of Tobacco.

Kunitz trypsin inhibitor genes play important roles in stress resistance. In this study, we investigated RpKTI2 cloned from Robinia pseudoacacia and its effect on tobacco. RpKTI2 was introduced into the tobacco cultivar NC89 using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Six RpKTI2-overexpressing lines were obtained. Transgenic and wild-type tobacco plants were then compared for photosynthetic characteristics and endogenous hormone levels. Transgenic tobacco showed minor changes in chlorophyll content, fluorescence, and photosynthetic functions. However, the maximum photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm) increased significantly while intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) decreased significantly. Stomatal size and hormone content (indole-3-acetic acid, zeatin riboside, gibberellin, and indole-3-propionic acid) were reduced, while brassinosteroid content increased. Random forest regression revealed that RpKTI2 overexpression had the biggest impact on carotenoid content, initial fluorescence, Ci, stomatal area, and indole-3-acetic acid. Overall, RpKTI2 overexpression minimally affected chlorophyll synthesis and photosynthetic system characteristics but influenced stomatal development and likely enhanced the antioxidant capacity of tobacco. These findings provide a basis for future in-depth research on RpKTI2.

Association Between Red Blood Cell Distribution Width in Late Pregnancy and the Incidence of Adverse Perinatal Outcomes: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: This study aimed to quantify adverse perinatal outcomes (APO), including small/large for gestational age (SGA/LGA) and preterm birth (PTB), in pregnant women with abnormal red cell distribution width (RDW) and explore the related mechanisms. METHODS: This study included 11,659 pregnant women who delivered in a specialized hospital. At the time of admission, the lipid profiles and whole blood cell counts were assessed, and APO was analyzed. RESULTS: Women with high RDW (>18.5% [the 97.5th percentile]) in late pregnancy had a higher risk of LGA compared with those with low RDW (<12.3% [the 2.5th percentile]), whereas women with low RDW had a higher risk of SGA and PTB, compared with those with high RDW. A 1% increase in RDW was associated with an increased risk of LGA and a decreased risk of SGA and PTB. Consistent associations were observed in sensitivity analysis among pregnant women of non-advanced age, non-obesity, non-pregnancy complications, and non-PTB (for SGA/LGA only). Increased RDW was significantly associated with increased triglycerides and decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Triglycerides and HDL-C significantly mediated 10.63 and 15.8% of RDW-associated LGA, 9.51% and 9.40 of RDW-associated SGA, and 8.44 and -8.25% of RDW-associated PTB, respectively. CONCLUSION: Abnormal RDW was associated with an increased risk of APO, and the RDW-associated APO risk could be partially mediated by triglycerides and HDL-C, suggesting that RDW may be a promising APO predictor.

Maternal fibrinogen/fibrin degradation products to high density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio for predicting delivery of small and large for gestational age infants: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate associations between fibrinogen/fibrin degradation products (FDP) to high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio (FHR) of mothers and the risk of delivering large/small for gestational age (LGA/SGA) infants and to evaluate the predictive power of FHR on LGA/SGA. METHODS: This study retrospectively reviewed 11,657 consecutive women whose lipid profiles and FDP levels were investigated at the time of admission for delivery at a specialized hospital. The FHR was calculated, and perinatal outcomes, including clinical parameters, were analyzed. RESULTS: The prevalence of SGA was 9% (n = 1034), and that of LGA was 15% (n = 1806) in this cohort study. FHR was significantly lower in women who delivered SGA infants (4.0 ± 3.2 vs. 4.7 ± 3.3 mg/mmol, P < 0.01) and higher in women who delivered LGA infants (5.7 ± 3.8 vs. 4.7 ± 3.3 mg/mmol, P < 0.01) compared with those who delivered infants of normal size for their gestational age. Women in the top quartile for FHR (> 5.9 mg/mmol) had a 2.9-fold higher risk of delivering LGA infants [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 2.9, P < 0.01] and a 47% lower risk of delivering SGA infants (adjusted OR = 0.47, P < 0.01) than those in the bottom quartile (< 2.7 mg/mmol). In addition, adding FHR to the conventional models significantly improved the area under the curve for the prediction of delivering LGA (0.725 vs. 0.739, P < 0.01) and SGA (0.717 vs. 0.727, P < 0.01) infants. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the FHR calculated in late pregnancy is an innovative predictor of delivering LGA and SGA infants. Combining FHR with perinatal parameters could thus enhance the predictive ability for predicting the delivery of LGA/SGA infants.

Patent ductus arterious and increased conjugated bilirubin in the second week after birth are independent risk factors for necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a common critical illness of the gastrointestinal system in neonatal intensive care units with complex causes. We want to explore effects of serum-conjugated bilirubin on the occurrence of NEC in preterm infants. METHODS: A retrospective study of clinical case data of premature infants from 2017 to 2020 in the Department of pediatrics of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University was conducted. Among these, 41 were diagnosed with NEC. After screening, 2 cases were excluded because of incomplete data. Propensity-matching score (PSM) was performed according to the ratio of 1:2(2 preterm infants in the NEC group were not matched), and finally, 37 cases were in the NEC group (average time to diagnosis was 18.9 days), and 74 cases in the non-NEC group. We compared the difference between the NEC and non-NEC groups in early serum-conjugated bilirubin and total bilirubin levels (time points: the first day of birth, 1 week after birth, 2 weeks after birth). RESULTS: (1) The changing trend of conjugated bilirubin was different between the two groups(F = 4.085, P = 0.019). The NEC group's serum-conjugated bilirubin levels gradually increased ([Formula: see text] ± s:12.64±2.68; 17.11±4.48; 19.25±11.63), while the non-NEC group did not show a continuous upward trend ([Formula: see text] ± s:13.39±2.87; 15.63±3.75; 15.47±4.12). (2) Multiple analyses showed that patent ductus arteriosus(PDA) (odds ratio[OR] = 5.958, 95%confidence interval[CI] = 2.102 ~ 16.882) and increased conjugated bilirubin in the 2nd week (OR = 1.105, 95%CI = 1.013 ~ 1.206) after birth were independent risk factors for NEC. CONCLUSIONS: The body had already experienced an elevation of conjugated bilirubin before the occurrence of NEC. The change of early conjugated bilirubin may be an important factor in the occurrence of NEC.

Platelet counts affect the association between hyperhomocysteinemia and pregnancy complications.

BACKGROUND: The joint effect of platelet and other modifiers on the risk of pregnancy complications is unknown. This study investigated whether platelet count (PC) and total homocysteine (tHcy) level have a synergistic effect on the incidence of pregnancy complications in a Chinese population. METHODS: Total 11,553 consecutive pregnant women who received whole blood cell and biochemical tests at the time of admission for labor in Changzhou Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital were analyzed. The primary outcome was the prevalence of pregnancy complications: gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP), pre-eclampsia (PE), and pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH). RESULTS: The prevalence of GDM, ICP, PE, and PIH was 8.4%, 6.2%, 3.4%, and 2.1%, respectively. The highest rate of ICP (28.6%) was observed in women with high tHcy (> 15 µmol/L) and low PC (quartile 1); and the lowest rate of GDM (0.6%) was found in women with high tHcy and high PC (quartiles 2 to 4). In low PC group, the prevalence of ICP in women with high tHcy was significantly higher than that in women with low tHcy (≤ 15 µmol/L) (28.6% vs. 8.4%), representing an absolute risk increment of 20.2% and a relative risk increment of 3.3-fold (OR: 3.34; 95% CI: 1.55, 7.17; P = 0.002), whereas no joint effect was observed among high PC group. CONCLUSIONS: Among Chinese pregnant women, one subgroup (high tHcy and low PC) has the highest risk of ICP and another (high tHcy and high PC) has the lowest risk of GDM; tHcy and platelet could be used as indicators to identify the women with high risk of ICP or low risk of GDM.

Impact of Maternal Monocyte to High-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio on the Incidence of Large-for-gestational-age Newborns: An Observational Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Monocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR) has recently been identified as a new marker of inflammation and oxidative stress. However, it is unknown whether maternal MHR is associated with fetal weight at birth. Therefore, our objective was to analyze the association between maternal MHR and the frequency of small/large for gestational age (SGA/LGA) newborns in this retrospective cohort study. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed hospitalization records and laboratory data and obtained results from consecutive pregnant women in whom the blood lipid level had been investigated along with the blood cell count. Linear regression and logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate the associations of maternal MHR with birth weight and SGA/LGA. RESULTS: Monocyte counts and MHR were positively associated with birth weight/LGA risk (monocyte [1-109/L increase] for birth weight: ß: 170.24, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 41.72-298.76, LGA: odds ratio [OR]: 7.67; 95% CI: 2.56-22.98; MHR [1-109/mmol increase] for birth weight: ß: 294.84, 95% CI: 170.23-419.44, LGA: OR: 7.97; 95% CI: 3.06-20.70), whereas high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were negatively associated with birth weight/LGA risk [1 mmol/L increase for birth weight (ß: -99.83, 95% CI: -130.47 to -69.19), for LGA: (OR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.45-0.73). Obese pregnant women (body mass index [BMI] ≥30 kg/m2) with higher MHR (tertile 3: >0.33 109/mmol) significantly increased LGA risk by 6.39 fold (95% CI: 4.81, 8.49) compared to those with low MHR (tertile 1-2: ≤0.33 109/mmol) and normal weight (BMI <25 kg/m2). CONCLUSION: Maternal MHR is associated with LGA risk, and this association might be further modified by BMI.

Association of folate and vitamin B12 imbalance with adverse pregnancy outcomes among 11,549 pregnant women: An observational cohort study.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate maternal serum levels of folate, vitamin B12, and their ratio on admission for labor and determine whether an imbalance between folate and vitamin B12, represented by a higher or lower serum folate to vitamin B12 ratio (SFVB12R), was associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 11,549 pregnant women attending a district specialized hospital and who had serum folate (SF) and serum vitamin B12 (SVB12) levels measured at delivery was performed. The levels of SF, SVB12, and SFVB12R were defined as high (>95th percentile), normal (5-95th percentile), and low (<5th percentile). Information on pregnancy outcomes was retrieved from medical records. Linear regression was performed to examine the association of abnormal SF, SVB12, and SFVB12R levels with fetal growth indicators. Logistic regression was applied to estimate the association between abnormal SF, SVB12, and SFVB12R levels and pregnancy outcomes. Results: Lower SF levels were associated with higher risks of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP, OR 1.58; 95% CI 1.15-2.17), pre-eclampsia (PE, OR 1.89; 95% CI 1.28-2.81), and a lower risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM, OR 0.40; 95% CI 0.23-0.70), whereas higher SVB12 levels were associated with a higher risk of ICP (OR 2.22; 95% CI 1.67-2.96), PE (OR 1.69; 95% CI 1.04-2.74), and GDM (OR 1.62; 95% CI 1.24-2.11). A higher SFVB12R increased birthweight (ß 60.99; 95% CI 29.52-92.45) and was associated with a higher risk of large-for-gestational-age (LGA) newborns (OR 3.08; 95% CI 1.63-5.83); a lower SFVB12R decreased birthweight (ß -43.81; 95% CI -75.62, -12.00) and was associated with a lower risk of LGA newborns (OR 0.75; 95% CI 0.56-1.00), and with higher risks of ICP (OR 2.03; 95% CI 1.54-2.67) and pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH, OR 1.81; 95% CI 1.09-3.00). Conclusion: An imbalance between folate and vitamin B12, represented by a higher or lower SFVB12R before delivery, was significantly associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes (ICP/PIH/LGA).

Low Fetal Fraction of Cell Free DNA at Non-Invasive Prenatal Screening Increases the Subsequent Risk of Preterm Birth in Uncomplicated Singleton Pregnancy.

Objective: To examine the association between low fetal fraction (FF) of cell free DNA determined at non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPS) and the subsequent risk of preterm birth in uncomplicated singleton pregnancy. Methods: We retrospectively interrogated NIPS System and hospitalization records from April 2018 to August 2019 and obtained results from 1521 consecutive and uncomplicated women with singleton pregnancy in which plasma FF of cell free DNA at NIPS had been investigated together with birth outcomes. We examined the association between FF and preterm birth (PTB) by regression analysis. Results: The incidence of preterm birth, low birthweight, and macrosomia in the study population was 5.06%, 2.89%, and 7.17%, respectively. FF at NIPS in the second to fourth quartiles (8.40-11.07, 11.08-13.70, and >13.70%, respectively) was associated with higher gestational age at delivery relative to the lowest quartile (<8.40%), with estimated mean increases of 0.27 weeks (95% CI: 0.05-0.49), 0.29 weeks (95% CI: 0.06-0.51), and 0.28 weeks (95% CI: 0.05-0.51), respectively (P for trend = 0.027). Low FF (< the 5th percentile) was associated with an increased risk of PTB (adjusted OR: 2.23, 95% CI: 1.01-4.98, P = 0.047) compared to normal FF (≥ the 5th and ≤ the 95th percentiles). In addition, when compared to women with normal FF and body mass index (BMI) <25 at NIPS, the risk of early PTB (< 34 weeks gestation) was remarkably significantly higher among those with low FF and BMI ≥25 (adjusted OR: 6.29, 95% CI: 1.71-23.15, P = 0.006). Conclusion: Our study supports the association of low FF at NIPS with PTB (especially early PTB) for uncomplicated singleton pregnancy.

Investigation and Application of Risk Factors of Macrosomia Based on 10,396 Chinese Pregnant Women.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the association of fetal macrosomia with maternal D-dimer and blood lipid levels, and explore whether D-dimer and blood lipids, either alone or in combination with traditional risk factors at hospital birth, could be used to predict subsequent delivery of macrosomia. Methods: From April 2016 to March 2017, 10,396 women with singleton pregnancy giving birth at around 28-41 weeks of gestation were recruited into the present study. D-dimer and blood lipid levels were measured at hospital admission; and data on birth outcomes were obtained from hospital records. Results: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that D-dimer, triglyceride and HDL-C levels were significantly associated with risk of macrosomia independent of traditional risk factors (for D-dimer: adjusted OR: 1.33, 95% CI, 1.23-1.43; for triglyceride: adjusted OR: 1.14, 95% CI, 1.05-1.23; for HDL-C: adjusted OR: 0.35, 95% CI, 0.24-0.51, all P <0.01). More importantly, incorporating D-dimer and blood lipids into the traditional model significantly increased the area under curve (AUC) for prediction of macrosomia (0.783 vs. 0.811; P <0.01). Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that maternal D-dimer, triglyceride, and HDL-C levels before hospital birth could be significant and independent of risk factors of fetal macrosomia. Therefore, combining D-dimer and blood lipid levels with traditional risk factors might improve the ability to predict macrosomia in gestational diabetes mellitus and normal pregnancies.

Association of Maternal Serum Uric Acid and Cystatin C Levels in Late Pregnancy with Adverse Birth Outcomes: An Observational Cohort Study in China.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the associations between serum uric acid (UA) and cystatin C (CysC) levels in late pregnancy with major unfavorable birth outcomes. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the maternal UA and CysC levels during late pregnancy and their relationship with unfavorable birth outcomes in a Chinese population (n = 11,580). RESULTS: Women with the highest quartile of UA had higher risks of low birth weight (LBW) and small for gestational age (SGA) babies and a lower risk of preterm birth (PTB) compared to women with the lowest quartile [for LBW, adjusted-odds ratio (OR) = 2.63, 95% CI: 1.76, 3.95; for SGA, adjusted-OR = 2.11, 95% CI: 1.73, 2.57; for PTB, adjusted-OR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.45, 0.69; all P for trend <0.001]. Compared to women in the lowest quartile of CysC, higher risks of macrosomia and large for gestational age (LGA) and lower risks of PTB and SGA were observed for those in the highest quartile (for macrosomia, adjusted-OR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.60, 2.51; for LGA, adjusted-OR = 1.97, 95% CI: 1.67, 2.32; for PTB, adjusted-OR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.26, 0.41; all P for trend <0.001; for SGA, adjusted-OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.64, 0.96; P for trend <0.05). CONCLUSION: This study reports the associations of maternal UA and CysC with adverse birth outcomes, and suggests that routine determination of maternal UA and CysC in late pregnancy is beneficial for assessing the risks of these outcomes.

The study of the differences between low-functioning autistic children and typically developing children in the processing of the own-race and other-race faces by the machine learning approach.

OBJECTIVE: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder which affects the developmental trajectory in several behavioral domains, including impairments of social communication and stereotyped behavior. Unlike typically developing children who can successfully obtain the detailed facial information to decode the mental status with ease, autistic children cannot infer instant feelings and thoughts of other people due to their abnormal face processing. In the present study, we tested the other-race face, the own-race strange face and the own-race familiar face as stimuli material to explore whether ASD children would display different face fixation patterns for the different types of face compared to TD children. We used a machine learning approach based on eye tracking data to classify autistic children and TD children. METHODS: Seventy-seven low-functioning autistic children and eighty typically developing children were recruited. They were required to watch a series face photos in a random order. According to the coordinate frequency distribution, the K-means clustering algorithm divided the image into 64 Area Of Interest (AOI) and selected the features using the minimal redundancy and maximal relevance (mRMR) algorithm. The Support Vector Machine (SVM) was used to classify to determine whether the scan patterns of different faces can be used to identify ASD, and to evaluate classification models from both accuracy and reliability. RESULTS: The results showed that the maximum classification accuracy was 72.50% (AUC = 0.77) when 32 of the 64 features of unfamiliar other-race faces were selected; the maximum classification accuracy was 70.63% (AUC = 0.76) when 18 features of own-race strange faces were selected; the maximum classification accuracy was 78.33% (AUC = 0.84) when 48 features of own-race familiar faces were selected; The classification accuracy of combining three types of faces reached a maximum of 84.17% and AUC = 0.89 when 120 features were selected. CONCLUSIONS: There are some differences between low-functioning autistic children and typically developing children in the processing of the own-race and other-race faces by the machine learning approach, which might be a useful tool for classifying low-functioning autistic children and TD children.

The identification of children with autism spectrum disorder by SVM approach on EEG and eye-tracking data.

OBJECTIVE: To identify autistic children, we used features extracted from two modalities (EEG and eye-tracking) as input to a machine learning approach (SVM). METHODS: A total of 97 children aged from 3 to 6 were enrolled in the present study. After resting-state EEG data recording, the children performed eye-tracking tests individually on own-race and other-race stranger faces stimuli. Power spectrum analysis was used for EEG analysis and areas of interest (AOI) were selected for face gaze analysis of eye-tracking data. The minimum redundancy maximum relevance (MRMR) feature selection method combined with SVM classifiers were used for classification of autistic versus typically developing children. RESULTS: Results showed that classification accuracy from combining two types of data reached a maximum of 85.44%, with AUC = 0.93, when 32 features were selected. LIMITATIONS: The sample consisted of children aged from 3 to 6, and no younger patients were included. CONCLUSIONS: Our machine learning approach, combining EEG and eye-tracking data, may be a useful tool for the identification of children with ASD, and may help for diagnostic processes.

Broad-spectrum monoclonal antibody and a sensitive multi-residue indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the antibacterial synergists in samples of animal origin.

To monitor the abuse of antibacterial synergists, a hapten, trimethoprim carboxylic derivative (TMPCOOH), was designed by using molecular modelling technology. A broad-spectrum monoclonal antibody (mAb) TMP/2G1 was prepared, for which the IC50 values of trimethoprim, diaveridine, aditoprim, baquiloprim, ormetoprim, and brodimoprim were 0.232, 0.527, 1.479, 4.354, 0.965, and 0.119 µg L-1, respectively. Based on the broad spectrum mAb, an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) was developed to determine the residues of antibacterial synergists. The limit of detection regarding the developed ic-ELISA for antibacterial synergists ranged from 0.025 to 1.126 µg L-1 in milk, honey and edible animal tissues. The recoveries ranged from 81.4% to 107.7%, with a coefficient of variation less than 20%. A good correlation (R2 = 0.994) between the ic-ELISA and HPLC-MS/MS showed the reliability of the developed ic-ELISA.