ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Patients with cerebral palsy (CP) face lifelong consequences of their condition, and their healthcare needs evolve as they age. Transitional care for these patients is not universally available and various models have been described. In this article, the authors review the current literature surrounding transitional care for patients with CP, focusing predominantly on the neurosurgical aspects of transitional care, and they describe current approaches adopted by programs in North America. They further describe their own experience developing a transitional care clinic for patients with CP, as well as the integration of this program with a multidisciplinary clinic to address the specific challenges that growing patients face in our region. METHODS: The authors performed a literature review to identify models, barriers, and assessments of effective transitional care for CP patients. They also reviewed the recommendations of various professional societies regarding transitional care practices. They performed qualitative analysis of the relevant literature. RESULTS: Transitional care has been broadly categorized into transitional care clinics with multidisciplinary teams and facilitator-led transitional care. CP patients have to overcome a variety of barriers, including those from within the healthcare system as well as environmental and personal, during the period of their transition. These challenges are all interconnected, and navigation requires healthcare professionals to work closely with patients and their caregivers. Multiple instruments are described to measure successful transition, which is likely a reflection of the unique needs that a patient may require. Current guidelines recommend that neurosurgeons select a suitable model of care based on their own local practice and available services, develop a well-defined transition plan, and identify a primary transition facilitator or care coordinator. CONCLUSIONS: Providing effective transitional care to CP patients remains challenging given the different models of care and the barriers faced by them during the period of transition. In developing a transitional care program for these patients, attention must be given to the resources that are available regionally, with an effort to incorporate the best practices from successful transitional care programs.
Subject(s)
Cerebral Palsy , Humans , Cerebral Palsy/therapy , Young Adult , Transition to Adult Care/trends , Adult , Transitional Care/trendsABSTRACT
The effective monitoring of microalgae cultivation is crucial for optimizing their energy utilization efficiency. In this paper, a quantitative analysis method, using microalgae images based on two convolutional neural networks, EfficientNet (EFF) and residual network (RES), is proposed. Suspension samples prepared from two types of dried microalgae powders, Rhodophyta (RH) and Spirulina (SP), were used to mimic real microalgae cultivation settings. The method's prediction accuracy of the algae concentration ranges from 0.94 to 0.99. RH, with a distinctively pronounced red-green-blue value shift, achieves a higher prediction accuracy than SP. The prediction results of the two algorithms were significantly superior to those of a linear regression. Additionally, RES outperforms EFF in terms of its generalization ability and robustness, which is attributable to its distinct residual block architecture. The RES provides a viable approach for the image-based quantitative analysis.
Subject(s)
Biomass , Microalgae , Neural Networks, Computer , Spirulina , Microalgae/metabolism , Spirulina/metabolism , Rhodophyta/metabolism , Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods , AlgorithmsABSTRACT
Fruit color is an important trait influencing the commercial value of eggplant fruits. Three dominant genes (D, P and Y) cooperatively control the anthocyanin coloration in eggplant fruits, but none has been mapped. In this study, two white-fruit accessions (19 141 and 19 147) and their F2 progeny, with 9:7 segregation ratio of anthocyanin pigmented versus non-pigmented fruits, were used for mapping the D and P genes. A high-density genetic map was constructed with 5270 SNPs spanning 1997.98 cM. Three QTLs were identified, including two genes on chromosome 8 and one on chromosome 10. Gene expression analyses suggested that the SmANS on chromosome 8 and SmMYB1 on chromosome 10 were the putative candidate genes for P and D, respectively. We further identified (1) a SNP leading to a premature stop codon within the conserved PLN03176 domain of SmANS in 19 141, (2) a G base InDel in the promoter region leading to an additional cis-regulatory element and (3) a 6-bp InDel within the R2-MYB DNA binding domain of SmMYB1, in 19 147. Subsequently, these three variations were validated by PARMS technology as related to phenotypes in the F2 population. Moreover, silencing of SmANS or SmMYB1 in the purple red fruits of F1 (E3316) led to inhibition of anthocyanin biosynthesis in the peels. Conversely, overexpression of SmANS or SmMYB1 restored anthocyanin biosynthesis in the calli of 19 141 and 19 147 respectively. Our findings demonstrated the epistatic interactions underlying the white color of eggplant fruits, which can be potentially applied to breeding of eggplant fruit peel color.
ABSTRACT
Triptolide is an epoxidized diterpene lactone isolated from Tripterygium wilfordii. Studies have shown that triptolide exerts organ-protective effects. However, it remains unknown whether triptolide improves Alzheimer's disease (AD)-like presentations. Thirty healthy 8-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control (n = 10), model (n = 10), and triptolide (n = 10) groups. Amyloid-ß (Aß)42 was injected bilaterally into the ventricles of mice in the model group. Triptolide was injected intraperitoneally daily after injecting Aß42 (a total of 30 days) in the triptolide group. Learning and memory were tested using the Morris water maze test. The deposition of Aß42 in the hippocampus was detected using immunohistochemical staining. In the hippocampus, three synaptic-associated proteins-gephyrin, collybistin, and GABRA1 -were detected by western blotting. Furthermore, we used ELISA to detect proinflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α and IL-1ß, in the blood and hippocampus. Moreover, superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and GSH levels were measured using the corresponding kits. We found that triptolide improved spatial learning and memory in AD-like mice. Additionally, triptolide maintained the expression of gephyrin, collybistin, and GABRA1 and reduced Aß in these mice. Additionally, triptolide reduced the expression of inflammatory cytokines and decreased oxidative damage in AD-like mice. Our study suggests that triptolide attenuates AD-like changes in the mouse brain.
Subject(s)
Alzheimer Disease , Diterpenes , Mice , Male , Animals , Alzheimer Disease/metabolism , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Amyloid beta-Peptides/metabolism , Diterpenes/pharmacology , Diterpenes/therapeutic use , Diterpenes/metabolism , Hippocampus/metabolism , Cytokines/metabolism , Disease Models, AnimalABSTRACT
Melatonin (MT) and nitric oxide (NO) in plants can function cooperatively to alleviate salt stress, sodic alkaline stress and immune response, as well as adventitious root formation. The interaction of MT and NO on the nitrate stress tolerance of cucumber seedlings are not well understood. We investigated the effects of exogenous MT, NO donor (SNP) and NO scavenger (cPTIO) on the growth; photosynthesis; characteristics of root morphological; accumulation of mineral elements, endogenous NO, MT, IAA and ABA; and related genes expression in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. "Jin You No. 1") seedlings grown under high nitrate condition (HN). The results showed that MT and NO independently alleviated the inhibition of growth and photosynthesis capacity of cucumber seedlings under nitrate stress. NO was required for MT to enhance the root activity, root length, lateral root number and the accumulation of calcium, magnesium and iron in the roots of cucumber seedlings grown under nitrate stress. Consistently, the expression of adventitious rootless 1 gene (CsARL1) was modulated. Furthermore, exogenous MT induced accumulation of endogenous MT, NO, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and abscisic acid (ABA), mainly within 24 h after treatment, in which MT and NO were further increased at 48 h and 96 h, IAA and ABA were further increased at 16 h in the presence of SNP. In contrast, the accumulation of endogenous IAA, MT and ABA slightly decreased within 24 h, NO significantly decreased at 192 h in the presence of cPTIO. Correspondingly, the expression levels of genes involved in nitrogen metabolism (CsNR1 and CsNR2), MT metabolism (CsT5H, CsSNAT2 and Cs2-ODD33), auxin carriers and response factors (CsAUX1, CsGH3.5, CsARF17), ABA synthesis and catabolism (CsNCED1, CsNCED3 and CsCYP707A1) were upregulated by MT, in which CsNR1, CsNR2, CsAUX1, CsNCED3 and CsT5H were further induced in the presence of SNP in roots of cucumber seedlings. These observations indicated that NO act as a crucial factor in MT, alleviating nitrate stress through regulating the mechanism of root growth in cucumber seedlings.
Subject(s)
Cucumis sativus , Melatonin , Abscisic Acid/metabolism , Abscisic Acid/pharmacology , Benzoates , Calcium/metabolism , Imidazoles , Indoleacetic Acids/metabolism , Iron/metabolism , Magnesium/pharmacology , Melatonin/pharmacology , Minerals/metabolism , Nitrates/metabolism , Nitrates/pharmacology , Nitric Oxide/metabolism , Nitrogen/metabolism , Plant Roots/metabolism , SeedlingsABSTRACT
Compared with sole nitrogen (N), the nutrition mixture of ammonium (NH4 +) and nitrate (NO3 -) is known to better improve crop yield and quality. However, the mechanism underlying this improvement remains unclear. In the present study, we analyzed the changes in nutrient solution composition, content of different N forms in plant tissues and exudates, and expression of plasma membrane (PM) H+-ATPase genes (HAs) under different NH4 +/NO3 - ratios (0/100, 10/90, 25/75, 50/50 as control, T1, T2, and T3) in flowering Chinese cabbage. We observed that compared with the control, T1 and T2 increased the economical yield of flowering Chinese cabbage by 1.26- and 1.54-fold, respectively, whereas T3 significantly reduced plant yield. Compared with the control, T1-T3 significantly reduced the NO3 - content and increased the NH4 +, amino acid, and soluble protein contents of flowering Chinese cabbage to varying extents. T2 significantly increased the N use efficiency (NUE), whereas T3 significantly decreased it to only being 70.25% of that of the control. Owing to the difference in N absorption and utilization among seedlings, the pH value of the nutrient solution differed under different NH4 +/NO3 - ratios. At harvest, the pH value of T2 was 5.8; in the control and T1, it was approximately 8.0, and in T3 it was only 3.6. We speculated that appropriate NH4 +/NO3 - ratios may improve N absorption and assimilation and thus promote the growth of flowering Chinese cabbage, owing to the suitable pH value. On the contrary, addition of excessive NH4 + may induce rhizosphere acidification and ammonia toxicity, causing plant growth inhibition. We further analyzed the transcription of PM H+-ATPase genes (HAs). HA1 and HA7 transcription in roots was significantly down-regulated by the addition of the mixture of NH4 + and NO3 -, whereas the transcription of HA2, HA9 in roots and HA7, HA8, and HA10 in leaves was sharply up-regulated by the addition of the mixture; the transcription of HA3 was mainly enhanced by the highest ratio of NH4 +/NO3 -. Our results provide valuable information about the effects of treatments with different NH4 +/NO3 - ratios on plant growth and N uptake and utilization.
ABSTRACT
Plant growth and development are tightly regulated by phytohormones. However, little is known about the interaction between auxin and gibberellin acid (GA) during flower stalk elongation and how it is directly related to organ formation. Therefore, the effects of indole acetic acid (IAA) and GA3 treatments and their interaction on flower stalk elongation in flowering Chinese cabbage were investigated. The growth of flowering Chinese cabbage is regulated by IAA and GA3, and the opposite results were observed after treatments with uniconazole (GA synthesis inhibitor) and N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) (auxin transport inhibitor). Anatomical analysis of the pith region in stalks revealed that IAA promoted expansion via signal transduction and transport pathways. GA3 regulated the elongation of flower stalks by controlling GA synthesis and partially controlling the IAA signaling pathway. GA3 also had a stronger effect on stalk elongation than IAA. The results of qRT-PCR and histological analysis revealed that GA3 and IAA induced the expansion of cell walls by activating the expression of genes encoding cell wall structural proteins such as Expansin (EXP). These findings provide new insights into the mechanism of stalk formation regulated by the combination of IAA and GA3.
Subject(s)
Brassica/chemistry , Flowers/chemistry , Gibberellins/chemistry , Indoleacetic Acids/chemistry , Biological Transport/drug effects , Phthalimides , Plant Growth Regulators/chemistry , Plant Proteins/metabolism , Protein Conformation , Signal Transduction , Triazoles/chemistry , Triazoles/pharmacologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Many studies have been done to reported the value of SRY-related HMG-box Gene 2 (SOX2) in prognosis of solid tumors. But results were not particularly consistent among these studies because of the limitations of the small sample data. METHODS: We searched relevant studies published before November 2018 by PubMed, Web of Science and EMBASE. In this meta-analysis, hazard ratio (HR) values for overall survival (OS) were cumulatively pooled and quantitatively analyzed. RESULTS: A meta-analysis based on 12 studies with 3318 patients was conducted to assess the potential correlation between SOX2 overexpression and OS in human solid tumors. A total of 12 studies (nâ=â3318) were assessed in the meta-analysis. It suggested that the high expression of SOX2 obviously indicates poor survival and prognosis in both univariate and multivariate analysis. In the univariate analysis, the combined HR for OS was 1.66 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.46-1.89, Pâ<â.001). The pooled HR of multivariate analysis for OS was 1.51 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.32-1.71, Pâ<â.001). CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis indicated that the high expression level of SOX2 is significantly associated with a decline in survival of human with solid tumors. On the basis of the expression level in solid tumors, SOX2 is expected to be a meaningful prognostic biomarker and effective therapeutic target.
Subject(s)
Neoplasms/genetics , Neoplasms/mortality , SOXB1 Transcription Factors/biosynthesis , Biomarkers, Tumor , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic , Humans , Prognosis , Proportional Hazards Models , Survival AnalysisABSTRACT
The provision of ammonium (NH4 +) and nitrate (NO3 -) mixture increases the total nitrogen (N) than the supply of sole NH4 + or NO3 - with the same concentration of total N; thus, the mixture contributes to better growth in Brassica campestris. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we analyzed NH4 + and NO3 - fluxes using a scanning ion-selective electrode technique to detect under different N forms and levels in B. campestris roots. We observed that the total N influxes with NH4 + and NO3 - mixture were 1.25- and 3.53-fold higher than those with either sole NH4 + or NO3 -. Furthermore, NH4 + and NO3 - might interact with each other under coexistence. NO3 - had a positive effect on net NH4 + influx, whereas NH4 + had a negative influence on net NO3 - influx. The ammonium transporter (AMT) played a key role in NH4 + absorption and transport. Based on expression analysis, BcAMT1.2 differed from other BcAMT1s in being upregulated by NH4 + or NO3 -. According to sequence analysis and functional complementation in yeast mutant 31019b, AMT1.2 from B. campestris may be a functional AMT. According to the expression pattern of BcAMT1.2, ß-glucuronidase activity, and the cellular location of its promoter, BcAMT1.2 may be responsible for NH4 + transport. Following the overexpression of BcAMT1.2 in Arabidopsis, BcAMT1.2-overexpressing lines grew better than wildtype lines at low NH4 + concentration. In the mixture of NH4 + and NO3 -, NH4 + influxes and NO3 - effluxes were induced in BcAMT1.2-overexpressing lines. Furthermore, transcripts of N assimilation genes (AtGLN1.2, AtGLN2, and AtGLT1) were significantly upregulated, in particular, AtGLN1.2 and AtGLT1 were increased by 2.85-8.88 times in roots, and AtGLN1.2 and AtGLN2 were increased by 2.67-4.61 times in leaves. Collectively, these results indicated that BcAMT1.2 may mediate in NH4 + fluxes under the coexistence of NH4 + and NO3 - in B. campestris.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Reporting guidelines (eg, Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials [CONSORT] statement) are intended to improve reporting standards and enhance the transparency and reproducibility of research findings. Despite accessibility of such guidelines, researchers are not required to adhere to them. Our goal was to determine the current status of reporting quality in the medical literature and examine whether adherence of reporting guidelines has improved since the inception of reporting guidelines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight reporting guidelines, such as CONSORT, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE), Quality of Reporting of Meta-analysis (QUOROM), STAndards for Reporting of Diagnostic accuracy (STARD), Animal Research: Reporting In Vivo Experiments (ARRIVE), Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS), and Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) were examined. Our inclusion criteria included reviews published between January 1996 to September 2016 which investigated the adherence to reporting guidelines in the literature that addressed clinical trials, systematic reviews, observational studies, meta-analysis, diagnostic accuracy, economic evaluations, and preclinical animal studies that were in English. All reviews were found on Web of Science, Excerpta Medical Database (EMBASE), MEDLINE, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). RESULTS: Among the general searching of 26,819 studies by using the designed searching method, 124 studies were included post screening. We found that 87.9% of the included studies reported suboptimal adherence to reporting guidelines. Factors associated with poor adherence included non-pharmacological interventions, year of publication, and trials concluding with significant results. Improved adherence was associated with better study designs such as allocation concealment, random sequence, large sample sizes, adequately powered studies, multiple authorships, and being published in journals endorsing guidelines. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the level of adherence to reporting guidelines remains suboptimal. Endorsement of reporting guidelines by journals is important and recommended.
ABSTRACT
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is a typical monoecism vegetable with individual male and female flowers, which has been used as a plant model for sex determination. It is well known that light is one of the most important environmental stimuli, which control the timing of the transition from vegetative growth to reproductive development. However, whether light controls sex determination remains elusive. To unravel this problem, we performed high-throughput RNA-Seq analyses, which compared the transcriptomes of shoot apices between R2B1(Red light:Blue light = 2:1)-treated and R4B1(Red light:Blue light = 4:1)-treated cucumber seedlings. Results showed that the higher proportion of blue light in the R2B1 treatment significantly induced the formation of female flowers and accelerated female flowering time in this whole study. The genes related to flowering time, such as flowering locus T (FT) and SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CO1 (SOC1), were up-regulated after R2B1 treatment. Furthermore, the transcriptome analysis showed that up-regulation and down-regulation of specific DEGs (the differentially expressed genes) were primarily the result of plant hormone signal transduction after treatments. The specific DEGs related with auxin formed the highest percentage of DEGs in the plant hormone signal transduction. In addition, the expression levels of transcription factors also changed after R2B1 treatment. Thus, sex differentiation affected by light quality might be induced by plant hormone signal transduction and transcription factors. These results provide a theoretical basis for further investigation of the regulatory mechanism of female flower formation under different light qualities in cucumber seedlings.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Prospective study protocols and registrations can play a significant role in reducing incomplete or selective reporting of primary biomedical research, because they are pre-specified blueprints which are available for the evaluation of, and comparison with, full reports. However, inconsistencies between protocols or registrations and full reports have been frequently documented. In this systematic review, which forms part of our series on the state of reporting of primary biomedical, we aimed to survey the existing evidence of inconsistencies between protocols or registrations (i.e., what was planned to be done and/or what was actually done) and full reports (i.e., what was reported in the literature); this was based on findings from systematic reviews and surveys in the literature. METHODS: Electronic databases, including CINAHL, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and EMBASE, were searched to identify eligible surveys and systematic reviews. Our primary outcome was the level of inconsistency (expressed as a percentage, with higher percentages indicating greater inconsistency) between protocols or registration and full reports. We summarized the findings from the included systematic reviews and surveys qualitatively. RESULTS: There were 37 studies (33 surveys and 4 systematic reviews) included in our analyses. Most studies (n = 36) compared protocols or registrations with full reports in clinical trials, while a single survey focused on primary studies of clinical trials and observational research. High inconsistency levels were found in outcome reporting (ranging from 14% to 100%), subgroup reporting (from 12% to 100%), statistical analyses (from 9% to 47%), and other measure comparisons. Some factors, such as outcomes with significant results, sponsorship, type of outcome and disease speciality were reported to be significantly related to inconsistent reporting. CONCLUSIONS: We found that inconsistent reporting between protocols or registrations and full reports of primary biomedical research is frequent, prevalent and suboptimal. We also identified methodological issues such as the need for consensus on measuring inconsistency across sources for trial reports, and more studies evaluating transparency and reproducibility in reporting all aspects of study design and analysis. A joint effort involving authors, journals, sponsors, regulators and research ethics committees is required to solve this problem.
Subject(s)
Biomedical Research/standards , Databases, Bibliographic , Research Design/standards , Research Report/standards , Biomedical Research/methods , Biomedical Research/statistics & numerical data , Clinical Trials as Topic/methods , Clinical Trials as Topic/standards , Clinical Trials as Topic/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Outcome Assessment, Health Care/methods , Outcome Assessment, Health Care/standards , Outcome Assessment, Health Care/statistics & numerical data , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
Ammonium transporters (AMTs), which include AMT1 and AMT2 subfamilies, have been identified and partially characterized in many plants. In this study, two AMT2-type genes from Brassica campestris, namely BcAMT2 and BcAMT2like, were identified and characterized. BcAMT2 and BcAMT2like are 2666 bp and 2952 bp, encode proteins of 490 and 489 amino acids, respectively, and contain five exons and four introns. Transient expression of these proteins labelled with green fluorescence protein in onion epidermal cells indicated that both are located on the plasma membrane. When expressing BcAMT2 or BcAMT2like, the mutant yeast strain 31019b could grow on medium containing 2 mM ammonium as the only nitrogen source when expressing BcAMT2 or BcAMT2like, indicating that both are functional AMT genes. Quantitative PCR results showed that BcAMT2 and BcAMT2like were expressed in all tissues, but they displayed different expression patterns in the reproductive stages. BcAMT2s transcript levels in leaves were positively correlated with ammonium concentration and external pH. Moreover, the expression BcAMT2s responded to diurnal change. Furthermore, the uncharged form of ammonium, i.e., ammonia, might also be transported by BcAMT2s. These results provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying ammonium absorption and transportation by the AMT2 subfamily in B. campestris.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Evidence shows that research abstracts are commonly inconsistent with their corresponding full reports, and may mislead readers. In this scoping review, which is part of our series on the state of reporting of primary biomedical research, we summarized the evidence from systematic reviews and surveys, to investigate the current state of inconsistent abstract reporting, and to evaluate factors associated with improved reporting by comparing abstracts and their full reports. METHODS: We searched EMBASE, Web of Science, MEDLINE, and CINAHL from January 1st 1996 to September 30th 2016 to retrieve eligible systematic reviews and surveys. Our primary outcome was the level of inconsistency between abstracts and corresponding full reports, which was expressed as a percentage (with a lower percentage indicating better reporting) or categorized rating (such as major/minor difference, high/medium/low inconsistency), as reported by the authors. We used medians and interquartile ranges to describe the level of inconsistency across studies. No quantitative syntheses were conducted. Data from the included systematic reviews or surveys was summarized qualitatively. RESULTS: Seventeen studies that addressed this topic were included. The level of inconsistency was reported to have a median of 39% (interquartile range: 14% - 54%), and to range from 4% to 78%. In some studies that separated major from minor inconsistency, the level of major inconsistency ranged from 5% to 45% (median: 19%, interquartile range: 7% - 31%), which included discrepancies in specifying the study design or sample size, designating a primary outcome measure, presenting main results, and drawing a conclusion. A longer time interval between conference abstracts and the publication of full reports was found to be the only factor which was marginally or significantly associated with increased likelihood of reporting inconsistencies. CONCLUSIONS: This scoping review revealed that abstracts are frequently inconsistent with full reports, and efforts are needed to improve the consistency of abstract reporting in the primary biomedical community.
Subject(s)
Abstracting and Indexing/standards , Biomedical Research/standards , Periodicals as Topic/standards , Research Report/standards , Bias , Humans , Periodicals as Topic/statistics & numerical data , Publishing/standards , Publishing/statistics & numerical data , Research Design/standards , Review Literature as TopicABSTRACT
Flowering Chinese cabbage is a stalk vegetable whose quality and yield are directly related to stalk development. However, no comprehensive investigations on stalk development have been performed. To address this issue, the present study used RNA sequencing to investigate transcriptional regulation at three key stages (seedling, bolting, and flowering) of stalk development in flowering Chinese cabbage. Anatomical analysis revealed that cell division was the main mode of stalk thickening and elongation at all key stages. Among the 35,327 genes expressed in shoot apices, 34,448 were annotated and 879 were identified as novel transcripts. We identified 11,514 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) among the three stages of stalk development. Functional analysis revealed that these DEGs were significantly enriched in 'ribosome' and 'plant hormone signal transduction' pathways and were involved in hormone signal transduction, cell cycle progression, and the regulation of flowering time. The roles of these genes in stalk development were explored, and a putative gene-regulation network for the stalk flowering time was established. These findings provide insight into the molecular mechanisms of stalk development in flowering Chinese cabbage that provides a new theoretical basis for stalk vegetable breeding.
Subject(s)
Brassica/genetics , Flowers/genetics , Gene Expression Regulation, Plant , Genes, Plant , RNA, Messenger/genetics , Transcriptome , Brassica/anatomy & histology , Brassica/growth & development , Brassica/metabolism , Cell Division , China , Flowers/anatomy & histology , Flowers/growth & development , Flowers/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental , Gene Ontology , Gene Regulatory Networks , High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing , Molecular Sequence Annotation , Plant Cells , Plant Growth Regulators/metabolism , Plant Shoots/anatomy & histology , Plant Shoots/genetics , Plant Shoots/growth & development , Plant Shoots/metabolism , RNA, Messenger/metabolism , Seedlings/anatomy & histology , Seedlings/genetics , Seedlings/growth & development , Seedlings/metabolism , Signal TransductionABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Breast cancer detections for women with suspicious lesions mainly depend on two non-operative pathological tests-fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and core needle biopsy (CNB). The aim of this systematic review was to compare the sensitivity and specificity of CNB and FNAC in this setting. METHODS: The data sources included MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) till February 2016. We included prospective series of studies which directly compared the accuracy of FNAC and CNB. We used forest plots to display the sensitivity and specificity of FNAC and CNB respectively. Pre-specified subgroup analyses and sensitivity analysis were conducted. RESULTS: Ultimately, 12 articles (1802 patients) were included in the final analysis. The pooled analysis shows that the sensitivity of CNB is better than that of FNAC [87% (95% CI, 84%-88%, I2 = 88.5%) versus 74% (95% CI, 72%-77%, I2 = 88.3%)] and the specificity of CNB is similar to that of FNAC [98% (95% CI, 96%-99%, I2 = 76.2%) versus 96% (95% CI, 94%-98%, I2 = 39.0%)]. For subgroup analysis, the sensitivities of both tests are better for palpable lesions than that of non-palpable lesions. Sensitivity analysis shows the robustness of the primary analysis. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that both of FNAC and CNB have good clinical performance. In similar circumstances, the sensitivity of CNB is better than that of FNAC, while their specificities are similar. FNAC could be still considered the first choice to evaluate suspicious nonpalpable breast lesions.
Subject(s)
Biopsy, Fine-Needle , Biopsy, Large-Core Needle , Breast Neoplasms/pathology , Breast/pathology , Female , Humans , Sensitivity and SpecificityABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Because most transient transformation techniques are inadequate for functional genomics research in roots, we aimed to develop a simple and efficient Agrobacterium-mediated transient transformation system that utilized root absorption for research in flowering Chinese cabbage. RESULTS: Both semi-quantitative and fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR confirmed that the target gene BcAMT1;3 was more highly expressed in plants that were infected with the transformed Agrobacterium strain (EHA105-p35S-BcAMT1;3) than in control plants that were infected with the control strain (EHA105-p35S). Furthermore, GUS staining analysis conformed the availability of this transient transformation system. In addition, we found that the highest transformation efficiency was achieved using an Agrobacterium cell density of OD600 = 0.3 for 3-6 h, without hyperosmotic pretreatment, and under these conditions, the peak transformation efficiency was observed at 2 and 4 d after infection. CONCLUSIONS: The transformation method developed by the present study is simple and convenient, since no special equipment is required, and since the method causes no damage, the plants can be used for subsequent experiments.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Mesothelin is a membrane-bound glycoprotein. Although the biologic function of mesothelin is not very clear, researchers have found that it plays a role in the survival, proliferation, and migration of tumor cells. Identified as a tumor-associated biomarker, mesothelin is more often overexpressed in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) than in common luminal breast tumor subtype or normal tissues. The objective of this review is to determine the association between the expression of mesothelin and overall survival in patients with TNBC. METHODS/DESIGN: We will search the following electronic databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, and Web of Science with no time or language restriction. Prospective or retrospective longitudinal studies that investigate mesothelin expression in TNBC or the prognosis of TNBC with mesothelin baseline measurement will be selected. Two reviewers will independently assess every abstract or full text for inclusion. Data on clinical outcomes, as well as on study design, research setting, study population, demographic characteristics of the participants, and methodological quality, will be extracted using a structured codebook developed by the authors. A pooled measure of associations will be assessed through meta-analyses if appropriate. Heterogeneity across the included studies will be evaluated using the I (2) statistics. Findings will be reported according to the Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. The quality of evidence and risk of bias of the studies will be evaluated. DISCUSSION: The aim of this systematic review is to synthesize the evidence regarding the association between the expression of mesothelin and the survival outcomes of patients with TNBC. A better understanding of the expression frequency and prognostic value of mesothelin in TNBC will be essential to identifying a novel therapeutic target. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42016036212.
Subject(s)
GPI-Linked Proteins/blood , Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/blood , Biomarkers, Tumor/blood , Female , Humans , Mesothelin , Prognosis , Research Design , Systematic Reviews as Topic , Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/mortalityABSTRACT
A quarterly investigation of the macrozoobenthos community in Tian'e Zhou Yangtze Oxbows was conducted during January 2011 to October 2011. And water quality was assessed based on the benthic macroinvertebrate community structure. It shows that, a total of 30 macrozoobenthos species were found, among which, Insecta (14 species) , Mollusca (6 species), Oligochaeta (8 species) and others (2 species) accounted for 46.67%, 20.00%, 26.67%, and 6.67% of the total, respectively. The dominant species were Clinotanypus, Cryptochironomus digitatus, Limnodrilus claparedeianus, and Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri. The average annual density and biomass of macrozoobenthos were 558.37 ind · m(-2), and 14.03 g · m(-2), respectively. The density of macrozoobenthos was highest in the winter and lowest in the spring, the biomass was highest in the autumn and lowest in the spring. In ten sampling points, No. 8 had the highest density, 1986.00 ind · m(-2), No. 7 had the highest biomass, 50.22 g · m(-2), and No. 6 had the lowest density and biomass, 98.00 ind · m(-2) and 0.85 g · m(-2). The evaluation with Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H'), Margalef richness index (d), Family-level biotic index (FBI), and integrated pollution index (BI) indicated that the overall water quality of the Tian'e Zhou Oxbow was moderate-heavy pollution (III-IV). As compared to that in 2003-2004 (II), the water quality of Tian'e Zhou Oxbow was somewhat decreased.
Subject(s)
Biota , Environmental Monitoring , Water Quality , Animals , Biomass , China , Chironomidae , Insecta , Mollusca , Oligochaeta , SeasonsABSTRACT
Burkholderia pseudomallei (Bp), the causative agent of the often-deadly infectious disease melioidosis, contains one of the largest prokaryotic genomes sequenced to date, at 7.2 Mb with two large circular chromosomes (1 and 2). To comprehensively delineate the Bp transcriptome, we integrated whole-genome tiling array expression data of Bp exposed to >80 diverse physical, chemical, and biological conditions. Our results provide direct experimental support for the strand-specific expression of 5,467 Sanger protein-coding genes, 1,041 operons, and 766 non-coding RNAs. A large proportion of these transcripts displayed condition-dependent expression, consistent with them playing functional roles. The two Bp chromosomes exhibited dramatically different transcriptional landscapes--Chr 1 genes were highly and constitutively expressed, while Chr 2 genes exhibited mosaic expression where distinct subsets were expressed in a strongly condition-dependent manner. We identified dozens of cis-regulatory motifs associated with specific condition-dependent expression programs, and used the condition compendium to elucidate key biological processes associated with two complex pathogen phenotypes--quorum sensing and in vivo infection. Our results demonstrate the utility of a Bp condition-compendium as a community resource for biological discovery. Moreover, the observation that significant portions of the Bp virulence machinery can be activated by specific in vitro cues provides insights into Bp's capacity as an "accidental pathogen", where genetic pathways used by the bacterium to survive in environmental niches may have also facilitated its ability to colonize human hosts.