Comparative microbiome analysis reveals the variation in microbial communities between 'Kyoho' grape and its bud mutant variety.

Microbes are an important part of the vineyard ecosystem, which significantly influence the quality of grapes. Previously, we identified a bud mutant variety (named 'Fengzao') from 'Kyoho' grapes. The variation of microbial communities in grape and its bud mutant variety has not been studied yet. So, in this study, with the samples of both 'Fengzao' and 'Kyoho', we conducted high-throughput microbiome sequencing and investigated their microbial communities in different tissues. Obvious differences were observed in the microbial communities between 'Fengzao' and 'Kyoho'. The fruit and the stem are the tissues with relatively higher abundance of microbes, while the leaves contained less microbes. The fruit and the stem of 'Kyoho' and the stem of 'Fengzao' had relatively higher species diversity based on the alpha diversity analysis. Proteobacteria, Enterobacteriaceae and Rhodobacteraceae had significantly high abundance in 'Fengzao'. Firmicutes and Pseudomonas were highly abundant in the stems of 'Kyoho', and family of Spirochaetaceae, Anaplasmataceae, Chlorobiaceae, and Sphingomonadaceae, and genera of Spirochaeta, Sphingomonas, Chlorobaculum and Wolbachia were abundant in the fruits of 'Kyoho'. These identified microbes are main components of the microbial communities, and could be important regulators of grapevine growth and development. This study revealed the differences in the microbial compositions between 'Kyoho' and its bud mutant, and these identified microbes will be significant resources for the future researches on the quality regulation and disease control of grapevines.

Potential Role of the Fragile Histidine Triad in Cancer Evo-Dev.

Cancer development follows an evolutionary pattern of "mutation-selection-adaptation" detailed by Cancer Evolution and Development (Cancer Evo-Dev), a theory that represents a process of accumulating somatic mutations due to the imbalance between the mutation-promoting force and the mutation-repairing force and retro-differentiation of the mutant cells to cancer initiation cells in a chronic inflammatory microenvironment. The fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene is a tumor suppressor gene whose expression is often reduced or inactivated in precancerous lesions during chronic inflammation or virus-induced replicative stress. Here, we summarize evidence regarding the mechanisms by which the FHIT is inactivated in cancer, including the loss of heterozygosity and the promoter methylation, and characterizes the role of the FHIT in bridging macroevolution and microevolution and in facilitating retro-differentiation during cancer evolution and development. It is suggested that decreased FHIT expression is involved in several critical steps of Cancer Evo-Dev. Future research needs to focus on the role and mechanisms of the FHIT in promoting the transformation of pre-cancerous lesions into cancer.

The mortalities of female-specific cancers in China and other countries with distinct socioeconomic statuses: A longitudinal study.

INTRODUCTION: Female-specific cancers seriously affect physical and psychological health of women worldwide. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to elucidate trends in the age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) of breast cancer, cervical cancer, uterine cancer, and ovarian cancer in female populations with different socioeconomic statuses in China and in countries with different Human Development Index (HDI). METHODS: A longitudinal study was performed using the data of cancer death in China and other 39 countries. The mortality rates were standardized with the Segi's world population. Trends in the mortalities were exhibited by estimated annual percentage change (EAPC). Pearson correlation was used to assess the association between EAPC and HDI. RESULTS: In mainland China, female breast cancer, cervical cancer, uterine cancer, and ovarian cancer accounted for 6.60 %, 4.21 %, 2.50 %, and 2.02 % of cancer death (n = 1,314,040) in women with 1,220,251,032 person-years, respectively. The ASMRs of cervical cancer (EAPC = 3.87 %, P < 0.001) and ovarian cancer (EAPC = 1.81 %, P < 0.001) increased, that of female breast cancer unchanged, whereas that of uterine cancer was extremely higher and rapidly decreased (EAPC =  - 7.65 %, P < 0.001), during 2004-2019. The ASMRs of female breast and ovarian cancers were higher in urban and developed regions than in rural and undeveloped regions, in contrast to cervical and uterine cancers. The ASMRs of female breast and ovarian cancers were lower in China than in other countries, in contrast to uterine cancer. The ASMR of cervical cancer decreased, that of uterine cancer increased, in other countries during 2004-2017. EAPCs for the ASMRs of breast and ovarian cancers were inversely correlated to HDI. CONCLUSION: The ASMRs of cervical and ovarian cancers increased, in contrast to uterine cancer, in China during socioeconomic transition. Trends in the ASMRs of breast and ovarian cancers were inversely associated with HDI. These data help control female-specific cancers.

A Novel Remaining Useful Life Prediction Method for Capacity Diving Lithium-Ion Batteries.

To be prepared for the capacity diving phenomena in future capacity deterioration, a hybrid method for predicting the remaining useful life (RUL) of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is proposed. First, a novel empirical degradation model is proposed in this paper to improve the generalization applicability and accuracy of the algorithm. A particle filter (PF) algorithm is then implemented to generate the original error series using prognostic results. Next, a discrete wavelet transform (DWT) algorithm is designed to decompose and reconstruct the original error series to improve the data validity by reducing the local noise distribution information. A relatively less approximate component is selected as the reconstructed error series, which preserves the primary evolutionary information. Finally, to make full use of the information contained in the PF algorithm's prognosis results, the support vector regression (SVR) algorithm is utilized to correct the PF prognosis results. The results indicate that long-short-term deterioration progress and RUL prediction tasks can both benefit from significant performance improvements.

The effects of hypertension on the prognosis of coronavirus disease 2019: a systematic review and meta-analysis on the interactions with age and antihypertensive treatment.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs)/angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) have been reported to be associated with the prognosis of COVID-19, but the findings remain controversial. Here, we conducted a systematic review to summarize the current evidence. METHODS: We retrieved all the studies by MEDLINE via PubMed, CENTRAL, and Embase using the MeSH terms until 30 April 2021. A fixed or random effect model was applied to calculate pooled adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Interactive analysis was performed to identify the interaction effect of hypertension and age on in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: In total, 86 articles with 18 775 387 COVID-19 patients from 18 countries were included in this study. The pooled analysis showed that the COVID-19 patients with hypertension had increased risks of in-hospital mortality and other adverse outcomes, compared with those without hypertension, with an AOR (95% CI) of 1.36 (1.28-1.45) and 1.32 (1.24-1.41), respectively. The results were mostly repeated in countries with more than three independent studies. Furthermore, the effect of hypertension on in-hospital mortality is more evident in younger and older COVID-19 patients than in 60-69-year-old patients. ACEI/ARBs did not significantly affect the mortality and adverse outcomes of COVID-19 patients, compared with those receiving other antihypertensive treatments. CONCLUSION: Hypertension is significantly associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality and adverse outcomes in COVID-19. The effect of hypertension on in-hospital mortality among consecutive age groups followed a U-shaped curve. ACEI/ARB treatments do not increase in-hospital mortality and other poor outcomes of COVID-19 patients with hypertension.

Heterogeneity, inherent and acquired drug resistance in patient-derived organoid models of primary liver cancer.

PURPOSE: We aimed to elucidate the applicability of tumor organoids for inherent drug resistance of primary liver cancer (PLC) and mechanisms of acquired drug resistance. METHODS: PLC tissues were used to establish organoids, organoid-derived xenograft (ODX) and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. Acquired drug resistance was induced in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) organoids. Gene expression profiling was performed by RNA-sequencing. RESULTS: Fifty-two organoids were established from 153 PLC patients. Compared with establishing PDX models, establishing organoids of HCC showed a trend toward a higher success rate (29.0% vs. 23.7%) and took less time (13.0 ± 4.7 vs. 25.1 ± 5.4 days, p = 2.28 × 10-13). Larger tumors, vascular invasion, higher serum AFP levels, advanced stages and upregulation of stemness- and proliferation-related genes were significantly associated with the successful establishment of HCC organoids and PDX. Organoids and ODX recapitulated PLC histopathological features, but were enriched in more aggressive cell types. PLC organoids were mostly resistant to lenvatinib in vitro but sensitive to lenvatinib in ODX models. Stemness- and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related gene sets were found to be upregulated, whereas liver development- and liver specific molecule-related gene sets were downregulated in acquired sorafenib-resistant organoids. Targeting the mTOR signaling pathway was effective in treating acquired sorafenib-resistant HCC organoids, possibly via inducing phosphorylated S6 kinase. Genes upregulated in acquired sorafenib-resistant HCC organoids were associated with an unfavorable prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: HCC organoids perform better than PDX for drug screening. Acquired sorafenib resistance in organoids promotes HCC aggressiveness via facilitating stemness, retro-differentiation and EMT. Phosphorylated S6 kinase may be predictive for drug resistance in HCC.

Green modification of graphene dispersion with high nanosheet content, good dispersibility, and long storage stability.

In this work, an easy, green, noncovalent surface modification of pristine graphene (GR) was carried out using a single-step method between sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and pristine GR, resulting in the formation of a modified CMC-GR (CGR) dispersion with 15% nanosheet content, the first reported in water. Results obtained from thermogravimetry analysis (TGA), Raman spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) confirm that the CMC modifier is successfully decorated on the pristine GR surface. Analyses of transmittance spectrum, zeta potential and transmittance electron microscopy (TEM) images reveal that the modified CGR has a high degree of dispersion. More importantly, the pristine GR is insoluble, while the modified CGR-3, mixed with 1.1 wt% CMC modifier, is easily well dispersed in water and has good flowability, and no sedimentation is observed after more than 3 months.

Early pregnancy stage 1 hypertension and high mean arterial pressure increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in Shanghai, China.

We aimed to evaluate the influence of early pregnancy stage 1 hypertension and mean arterial pressure (MAP) on the risk of pregnancy complications, including gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Pregnant women without early pregnancy hypertension were consecutively recruited in 2010 in Shanghai, China. Total 6104 women with blood pressure (BP) <140/90 mmHg were categorized according to early pregnancy BP and MAP levels, respectively. Multivariate adjusted logistic regression and cox regression was used to test the potential associations. Finally 313 (5.1%) pregnant women identified as stage 1 hypertension. Compared with normotensive women, women with early pregnancy stage 1 hypertension increased the risk of gestational hypertension (GH) [Adjust odds ratio (AOR) 2.295, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.578-3.338], GDM [AOR 1.185, 95% CI 1.010-1.391], preeclampsia [AOR 2.295 95% CI 1.578-3.338], preterm delivery [AOR 1.326, 95% CI 1.026-1.713]and infants with low-birth weight [AOR 1.487, 95% CI 1.082-2.045]; Compared women with MAP < 76 mmHg, the risk of GDM increased, with an adjust hazard ratio (AHR) of 1.387 (95%CI 1.048-1.835) for 76 ≤ MAP < 88 mmHg and an AHR of 1.451 (95%CI 1.053-1.998) for MAP ≥ 88 mmHg. Especially, high MAP levels (≥ 88 mmHg) are associated with GH [AOR 2.775, 95%CI 1.805-4.266], preeclampsia [AOR 3.936, 95%CI 2.358-6.570] and preterm delivery [AOR 1.412, 95%CI 1.035-1.926]. In summary early pregnancy stage 1 hypertension is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. Relative higher BP levels in early pregnancy, especially elevated MAP levels should be aware by clinicians to decrease the risk of pregnancy complications.

Trends in cancer mortality in China from 2004 to 2018: A nationwide longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: The long-term trend in cancer death in a rapidly developing country provides information for cancer prophylaxis. Here, we aimed to identify the trends in cancer mortality in China during the 2004-2018 period. METHODS: Using raw data from the national mortality surveillance system of China, we assessed the mortalities of all cancer and site-specific cancers during the 2004-2018 period. The participants were divided into three age groups: ≥65 years, 40-64 years, and ≤39 years. Changing trends in cancer death by gender, residency, and tumor location were estimated using fitting joinpoint models to log-transformed crude mortality rates (CMRs) and age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs). RESULTS: Cancer death accounted for 24% of all-cause of death in China during 2014-2018. The CMR of all cancer was 150.0 per 100,000 persons. Cancer was the leading cause of death in the population <65 years. The six major cancer types (lung/bronchus cancer, liver cancer, stomach cancer, esophagus cancer, colorectal cancer, and pancreas cancer) accounted for 75.85% of all cancer deaths. The CMR of all cancer increased while the ASMR decreased during 2014-2018 (P < 0.001). Lung/bronchus cancer and liver cancer were the leading causes of cancer death in the population <65 years, accounting for 45.31% (CMR) and 44.35% (ASMR) of all cancer death, respectively. The ASMR of liver cancer was higher in the 40-64 years population than in the ≥65 years population, in contrast to the other five major cancers. The ASMRs of liver cancer, stomach cancer, and esophagus cancer decreased although they were higher in rural residents than in urban residents; the ASMRs of lung/bronchus cancer, colorectal cancer, and pancreas cancer increased in rural residents although they were higher in urban residents than in rural residents during 2014-2018. CONCLUSION: Although the ASMR of all cancer decreased in China during 2004-2018, lung/bronchus cancer and liver cancer remained the leading causes of cancer-related premature death. Lung/bronchus cancer, colorectal cancer, and pancreas cancer increased in rural residents.

Ultrabright organic fluorescent microparticles for in vivo tracing applications.

We report the in vivo distribution, toxicity and metabolism of micro-sized fluorescent organic particles and their applications in cerebral blood flow tracing. The fluorescent microparticles exhibit bright fluorescence, good photo-stability and low toxicity; therefore, they are ideal for long-term non-invasive in vivo tracing. In contrast to conventional fluorescent labeling agents, which stain the entire blood vessel, the tracer microparticles can be easily tracked individually and provide vital information about blood flow behavior. Furthermore, we observed stimulated emission from these microparticles in living animals. These microparticles can provide unprecedented contrast for simultaneous observation of the distribution of blood vessels and the dynamics of microcirculation. Pathological examination revealed that the injected microparticles eventually collected in the spleen and liver. We found no observable toxicity of the microparticles to cells or mouse organs. We demonstrate that these fluorescent microparticles are suitable for applications in the field of non-intrusive blood flow tracing and could play a complementary role to traditional imaging agents.

Expression of a truncated ATHB17 protein in maize increases ear weight at silking.

ATHB17 (AT2G01430) is an Arabidopsis gene encoding a member of the α-subclass of the homeodomain leucine zipper class II (HD-Zip II) family of transcription factors. The ATHB17 monomer contains four domains common to all class II HD-Zip proteins: a putative repression domain adjacent to a homeodomain, leucine zipper, and carboxy terminal domain. However, it also possesses a unique N-terminus not present in other members of the family. In this study we demonstrate that the unique 73 amino acid N-terminus is involved in regulation of cellular localization of ATHB17. The ATHB17 protein is shown to function as a transcriptional repressor and an EAR-like motif is identified within the putative repression domain of ATHB17. Transformation of maize with an ATHB17 expression construct leads to the expression of ATHB17Δ113, a truncated protein lacking the first 113 amino acids which encodes a significant portion of the repression domain. Because ATHB17Δ113 lacks the repression domain, the protein cannot directly affect the transcription of its target genes. ATHB17Δ113 can homodimerize, form heterodimers with maize endogenous HD-Zip II proteins, and bind to target DNA sequences; thus, ATHB17Δ113 may interfere with HD-Zip II mediated transcriptional activity via a dominant negative mechanism. We provide evidence that maize HD-Zip II proteins function as transcriptional repressors and that ATHB17Δ113 relieves this HD-Zip II mediated transcriptional repression activity. Expression of ATHB17Δ113 in maize leads to increased ear size at silking and, therefore, may enhance sink potential. We hypothesize that this phenotype could be a result of modulation of endogenous HD-Zip II pathways in maize.

Involvement of the N-terminal B-box domain of Arabidopsis BBX32 protein in interaction with soybean BBX62 protein.

Previous studies have demonstrated that Arabidopsis thaliana BBX32 (AtBBX32) represses light signaling in A. thaliana and that expression of AtBBX32 in soybean increases grain yield in multiple locations and multiyear field trials. The BBX32 protein is a member of the B-box zinc finger family from A. thaliana and contains a single conserved Zn(2+)-binding B-box domain at the N terminus. Although the B-box domain is predicted to be involved in protein-protein interactions, the mechanism of interaction is poorly understood. Here, we provide in vitro and in vivo evidence demonstrating the physical and functional interactions of AtBBX32 with another B-box protein, soybean BBX62 (GmBBX62). Deletion analysis and characterization of the purified B-box domain indicate that the N-terminal B-box region of AtBBX32 interacts with GmBBX62. Computational modeling and site-directed mutagenesis of the AtBBX32 B-box region identified specific residues as critical for mediating the interaction between AtBBX32 and GmBBX62. This study defines the plant B-box as a protein interaction domain and offers novel insight into its role in mediating specific protein-protein interactions between different plant B-box proteins.

[Artificial femoral head replacement for the treatment of unstable intertrochanteric fractures in aged patients: a report 40 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To study the operative procedures, indicatrions and short-term effects of the artificial femoral head replacement for the treatment of unstable intertrochanteric fracture in aged patients. METHODS: From January 2001 to October 2008, 40 patients with unstable intertrochanteric fractures were treated with artificial femoral head replacement. Among the patients, 9 patients were male and 31 patients were female, ranging in age from 75 to 95 years, averaged 81.1 years. The duration from injured to the hospitalization ranged from 3 to 48 hours, with a mean of 11.5 h. According to Evans classification, 8 patients were type II , 21 type III, and 11 type IV. The duration from hospitalization to operation ranged from 4 to 8 days, averaged 4.8 day. After the operation, the hip motion was observed and the preoperative and postoperative Harris scores were compared. RESULTS: All the patients were operated successfully, and were kept in bed about 4 to 7 days, 5.9 days in average. Thirty-one patients were followed up for 6 months without loose or dislocation of prothesis, periprosthetic fractures. Fourteen patients resumed to normal activity of the hip joint while 17 patients showed the declination of hip movement. Their hip movements recovered to (66.67+/-26.35)% at 4 months after operations and (76.08+/-25.62)% at 6 months. Among 10 patients with normal ability of hip joints before their injuries were valuated with Harris system at 6 mouths after operations, the results were:5 excellent, 3 good and 2 poor. CONCLUSION: Artificial femoral head replacement for unstable intertrochanteric fractures in aged patients is effective in the recovery of hip joint function in short time with earlier walking and decreased complications.

Risk of diabetes mellitus associated with atypical antipsychotic use among Medicaid patients with bipolar disorder: a nested case-control study.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To quantify the risk of diabetes mellitus associated with atypical antipsychotics compared with conventional antipsychotics in managed care Medicaid patients with bipolar disorder. DESIGN: Retrospective nested case-control study. DATA SOURCE: Integrated seven-state Medicaid managed care claims database from January 1, 1998-December 31, 2002. PATIENTS: Two hundred eighty-three patients with diabetes (cases) and 1134 controls matched by age, sex, and the index date on which bipolar disorder was diagnosed. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Cases were defined as those having an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision diagnosis of diabetes or those receiving treatment with antidiabetic drugs. Both case and control patients had at least a 3-month exposure to either conventional or atypical antipsychotic agents or three filled prescriptions related to treatment for bipolar disorder. Of the 283 cases, 139 (49%) received atypical antipsychotics (olanzapine, risperidone, quetiapine, ziprasidone, and clozapine) and 133 (47%) were prescribed conventional antipsychotics. To compare the risk for new-onset diabetes associated with atypical versus conventional antipsychotics, we conducted a Cox proportional hazard regression, in which we controlled for age; sex; duration of bipolar disorder follow-up; use of lithium, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, and other drugs; and psychiatric and medical comorbidities. Compared with patients receiving conventional antipsychotics, the risk of diabetes was greatest among patients taking risperidone (hazard ratio [HR] 3.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.7-5.3), olanzapine (3.7, 95% CI 2.5-5.3), and quetiapine (2.5, 95% CI 1.4-4.3). The risk for developing diabetes was also associated with weight gain (HR 2.5, 95% CI 1.9-3.4), hypertension (HR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2-2.2), and substance abuse (HR 1.5, 95% CI 1.0-2.2). CONCLUSION: Olanzapine, risperidone, and quetiapine are all associated with development or exacerbation of diabetes mellitus in patients with bipolar disorder. When prescribing therapy for this patient population, metabolic complications such as diabetes, weight gain, and hypertension need to be considered.

Risk of diabetes mellitus associated with atypical antipsychotic use among patients with bipolar disorder: A retrospective, population-based, case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Drug-induced diabetes onset has not been adequately quantified in patients with bipolar disorder, although atypical antipsychotics have been widely used as new mood stabilizers. OBJECTIVES: To quantify the association between atypical antipsychotics and diabetes mellitus. METHOD: A retrospective, population-based, case-control study was conducted using the medical claims database from U.S. managed care organizations from January 1, 1998, to December 31, 2002. Nine hundred twenty incident cases of diabetes were matched with 5258 controls by age, sex, and bipolar index month and year. Diabetes cases were identified by either diagnosis of ICD-9 codes or diabetic medications. Patients with diabetes had a minimum 3-month exposure to any medications or at least 3 prescriptions for their bipolar or comorbidity treatment. Cox proportional hazard regression was conducted to assess the risk of diabetes associated with antipsychotic use. RESULTS: Of 920 cases, 41% received atypical antipsychotics (e.g., olanzapine, risperidone, quetiapine, ziprasidone, clozapine) and 34% received conventional antipsychotics. Compared to patients receiving conventional antipsychotics, the risk of diabetes was greatest among patients taking clozapine (hazard ratio [HR] = 7.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.7 to 28.9), risperidone (HR = 3.4, 95% CI = 2.8 to 4.2), olanzapine (HR = 3.2, 95% CI = 2.7 to 3.8), and quetiapine (HR = 1.8, 95% CI =1.4 to 2.4), with controlling covariates of age; sex; duration of follow-up; use of lithium, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, or concomitant drugs; and psychiatric and medical comorbidities. CONCLUSION: Development or exacerbation of diabetes mellitus is associated with antipsychotic use in bipolar patients. Metabolic complications are a major issue in patients receiving antipsychotic therapy. Thus, the propensity of an antipsychotic to induce diabetes should be a consideration when selecting an agent for patients with bipolar disorder.

Adults' attitudes toward children with cancer.

More children with cancer are receiving effective treatment, which allows for increased participation in everyday settings. Yet, little information is available about people's acceptance of children with cancer. This study examined young adults' acceptance ratings for a child receiving chemotherapy for cancer, a child with cancer in remission, and a physically healthy child. Findings did not provide support for a cancer stereotype and call into question whether results of studies using total or global scores from attitude scales should be taken at face value. Adults' responses suggested that they perceived children with cancer as experiencing primarily physical limitations (e.g., less strength and agility). Exposure to information about cancer was related to higher acceptance ratings for children described as having cancer, providing support for the importance of continued efforts to improve knowledge about the effects of this disease.