Genome-wide detections for runs of homozygosity and selective signatures reveal novel candidate genes under domestication in chickens.

BACKGROUND: Indigenous chickens were developed through a combination of natural and artificial selection; essentially, changes in genomes led to the formation of these modern breeds via admixture events. However, their confusing genetic backgrounds include a genomic footprint regulating complex traits, which is not conducive to modern animal breeding. RESULTS: To better evaluate the candidate regions under domestication in indigenous chickens, we considered both runs of homozygosity (ROHs) and selective signatures in 13 indigenous chickens. The genomes of Silkie feather chickens presented the highest heterozygosity, whereas the highest inbreeding status and ROH number were found in Luhua chickens. Short ROH (< 1 Mb), were the principal type in all chickens. A total of 291 ROH islands were detected, and QTLdb mapping results indicated that body weight and carcass traits were the most important traits. An ROH on chromosome 2 covering VSTM2A gene was detected in 12 populations. Combined analysis with the Tajima's D index revealed that 18 genes (e.g., VSTM2A, BBOX1, and RYR2) were under selection and covered by ROH islands. Transcriptional analysis results showed that RYR2 and BBOX1 were specifically expressed in the heart and muscle tissue, respectively. CONCLUSION: Based on genome-wide scanning for ROH and selective signatures, we evaluated the genomic characteristics and detected significant candidate genes covered by ROH islands and selective signatures. The findings in this study facilitated the understanding of genetic diversity and provided valuable insights for chicken breeding and conservation strategies.

GPS2 ameliorates cigarette smoking-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling by modulating the ras-Raf-ERK axis.

BACKGROUND: Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)signaling-mediated smoking-associated pulmonary vascular remodeling (PVR) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of group 3 pulmonary hypertension (PH). And G protein pathway suppressor 2 (GPS2) could suppress G-protein signaling such as Ras and MAPK, but its role in cigarette smoking -induced PVR (CS-PVR) is unclear. METHODS: An in vivo model of smoke-exposed rats was constructed to assess the role of GPS2 in smoking-induced PH and PVR. In vitro, the effects of GPS2 overexpression and silencing on the function of human pulmonary arterial smooth cells (HPASMCs) and the underlying mechanisms were explored. RESULTS: GPS2 expression was downregulated in rat pulmonary arteries (PAs) and HPASMCs after CS exposure. More importantly, CS-exposed rats with GPS2 overexpression had lower right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP), right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVHI), and wall thickness (WT%) than those without. And enhanced proliferation and migration of HPASMCs induced by cigarette smoking extract (CSE) can be evidently inhibited by overexpressed GPS2. Besides, GPS2siRNA significantly enhanced the proliferation, and migration of HPASMCs as well as activated Ras and Raf/ERK signaling, while these effects were inhibited by zoledronic acid (ZOL). In addition, GPS2 promoter methylation level in rat PAs and HPASMCs was increased after CS exposure, and 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine (5-aza) inhibited CSE-induced GPS2 hypermethylation and downregulation in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: GPS2 overexpression could improve the CS-PVR, suggesting that GPS2 might serve as a novel therapeutic target for PH-COPD in the future.

Research on process parameter optimization of irregular coal face.

Based on the engineering background of 1353 working face in Daizhuang Coalmine, the paper identifies three primary issues with the working face mining process: conventional pressure relief means are limited, risk of impact and the length of working face changes, It also proposes comprehensive control measures to improve the blasting roof cutting scheme, optimize mining speed and the location of the stopping line. The three improvement measures mentioned above are simulated numerically, and the effects of the drilling and blasting plan, mining speed, and stopping line location on stress distribution are determined. The results show that by implementing the three improvement measures, the stress variation interval can be efficiently controlled and the working face's production safety can be increased. Finally, it is determined that the 1353 working face of Daizhuang Coalmine adopts the pressure relief method of drilling on one side and cutting the roof 20 m deep on the other side, and the mining speed of the working face is 3 m/day and the length of the stopping line is 85 m. Based on the on-site monitoring results, the implementation of comprehensive treatment measures can effectively improve the surrounding rock state of 1353 working face, which has certain guiding significance for the mining of irregular working face.

Cannabidiol Inhibits Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: Role of Gut Microbiome.

Epithelial ovarian cancer is among the deadliest gynecological tumors worldwide. Clinical treatment usually consists of surgery and adjuvant chemo- and radiotherapies. Due to the high rate of recurrence and rapid development of drug resistance, the current focus of research is on finding effective natural products with minimal toxic side effects for treating epithelial ovarian tumors. Cannabidiol is among the most abundant cannabinoids and has a non-psychoactive effect compared to tetrahydrocannabinol, which is a key advantage for clinical application. Studies have shown that cannabidiol has antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, cytotoxic, antiangiogenic, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties. However, its therapeutic value for epithelial ovarian tumors remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of cannabidiol on epithelial ovarian tumors and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that cannabidiol has a significant inhibitory effect on epithelial ovarian tumors. In vivo experiments demonstrated that cannabidiol could inhibit tumor growth by modulating the intestinal microbiome and increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria. Western blot assays showed that cannabidiol bound to EGFR/AKT/MMPs proteins and suppressed EGFR/AKT/MMPs expression in a dose-dependent manner. Network pharmacology and molecular docking results suggested that cannabidiol could affect the EGFR/AKT/MMPs signaling pathway.

Characteristics of industrialized hydrothermal cracking solid organic fertilizer and its effects on fresh corn growth.

Traditional methods of producing organic fertilizers result in significant nutrient loss and greenhouse gas emissions, making it challenging to align with sustainable development and the achievement of net-zero emissions goals. Hydrothermal cracking, as a novel clean technology for the utilization of organic waste into fertilizer, has been extensively studied and refined in laboratory settings, but its large-scale industrial evaluation remains limited. This study investigates the properties and field application of hydrothermal cracking solid organic fertilizer (HCSOF) produced at a pilot scale with an annual output of 10,000 tons. The results indicate that the organic matter content and total nutrient content (TN + P2O5 + K2O) of HCSOF reached 50.6 % and 5.46 %, respectively, which are 20.6 % and 1.46 % higher than the standards for organic fertilizers in China. Additionally, contaminants such as pathogens and antibiotics in the product were completely eliminated. Elemental analysis and pore size distribution highlighted the unique adsorptive attributes of HCSOF, which showed significant effect in reducing soil ammonium nitrogen. Results from field trials indicate that the complete substitution of chemical fertilizers with HCSOF did not reduce corn yield, which remained at 9.03 t/ha. Particularly, compared to the exclusive use of chemical fertilizers, HCSOF treatments resulted in a 7.03 % and 4.70 % decrease in fresh corn lodging and disease incidence, respectively. Antibacterial tests further confirmed its ability to counter pathogens. This study provides robust evidence for scaling up hydrothermal cracking fertilizer production from laboratory to industrial levels. Future research should focus on multi-batch sampling and extended field experiments.

Association between the Reduced Expression of RECK and Neutrophilic Inflammation in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

INTRODUCTION: Reversion-inducing cysteine-rich protein with Kazal motifs (RECK), a recently discovered inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP). There is a large number of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients worldwide; however, the role of RECK on COPD has not been studied. This study explored the expression of RECK in COPD patients and its effect on neutrophil function to provide a new scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of COPD. METHOD: Fifty patients with acute exacerbation of COPD and fifty healthy controls were enrolled in the study. RECK was detected in lung tissue, sputum, and plasma of subjects as well as in BEAS-2B cells stimulated with cigarette smoke extract (CSE) by immunohistochemistry, ELISA, and qRT-PCR. Meanwhile, lung function (FEV1%pred) and inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and IL-8) were examined, and correlation analysis was performed with RECK expression. The effect of RECK on proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and inflammatory cytokines and its potential mechanism was further quantified by neutrophil stimulated with recombinant human RECK protein (rhRECK) combined with CSE using CCK8, flow cytometry, Transwell assay, qRT-PCR, ELISA, and Western analysis. RESULTS: RECK was mainly expressed on airway epithelial cells in normal lung tissue and was significantly diminished in COPD patients. The levels of RECK in sputum and plasma were also significantly decreased in COPD patients. Pearson correlation analysis showed that RECK level in plasma was positively correlated with FEV1%pred (r = 0.458, p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with IL-6 and IL-8 (r = -0.386, -0.437; p = 0.006, 0.002) in COPD patients. The expression of RECK was decreased in BEAS-2B stimulated with CSE. The migration, inflammation, and MMP-9 expression of neutrophils were promoted by CSE, while inhibited by rhRECK. CONCLUSION: RECK is low expressed in COPD patients and negatively correlated with inflammation. It may inhibit the inflammation and migration of neutrophils by downregulating MMP-9.

Whole-genome variants dataset of 209 local chickens from China.

Compared to commercial chickens, local breeds exhibit better in meat quality and flavour, but the productivity (e.g., growth rate, body weight) of local chicken breeds is rather low. Genetic analysis based on whole-genome sequencing contributes to elucidating the genetic markers or putative candidate genes related to some economic traits, facilitating the improvement of production performance, the acceleration of breeding progress, and the conservation of genetic resources. Here, a total of 209 local chickens from 13 breeds were investigated, and the observation of approximately 91.4% high-quality sequences (Q30 > 90%) and a mapping rate over 99% for each individual indicated good results of this study, as confirmed by a genome coverage of 97.6%. Over 19 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 1.98 million insertion-deletions (InDels) were identified using the reference genome (GRCg7b), further contributing to the public database. This dataset provides valuable resources for studying genetic diversity and adaptation and for the cultivation of new chicken breeds/lines.

Switchable Synthesis of Spirodihydroindolizines and Indolizines from Aurones and Pyridin-2-yl Active Methylene Compounds.

A novel and flexible domino reaction of aurones with pyridin-2-yl active methylene compounds promoted by I2/BF3 has been developed to afford spirodihydroindolizines and indolizines in a controllable manner. When the reaction was performed in 1,2-dichloroethane at 80 °C, a variety of spirodihydroindolizines were obtained, whereas it almost exclusively provided a series of indolizines when the reaction was performed in a mixed solvent of 1,2-dichloroethane and N,N-dimethylformamide at a relatively higher temperature of 100 °C. Being metal-free, excellent product selectivity, high atom economy, good functional group tolerance, and feasibility for large-scale synthesis are the salient features of the developed methodology.

IKZF4/NONO-RAB11FIP3 axis promotes immune evasion in gastric cancer via facilitating PD-L1 endosome recycling.

As an immune checkpoint protein expressed by diverse cancer cells, programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) facilitates immune evasion by interacting with programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) on T cells. Despite the clinical benefits observed in various cancer types, strategies targeting PD-1/PD-L1 have demonstrated limited efficacy in gastric cancer (GC). Furthermore, the regulation of PD-L1, especially at post-translational modification levels, remains largely unknown. Therefore, it is crucial to elucidate the mechanisms governing PD-L1 expression to enhance anti-tumor immunity. In this study, we have identified that IKAROS family zinc finger 4 (IKZF4) and Non-POU domain-containing octamer-binding (NONO) synergistically regulate and enhance the expression of RAB11 family-interacting protein 3 (RAB11FIP3) in GC. The IKZF4/NONO-RAB11FIP3 axis facilitates the endosomal recycling of PD-L1, particularly on the cell membrane of GC cells. Moreover, overexpression of RAB11FIP3 mitigates the hypo-expression of PD-L1 protein resulting from IKZF4 or NONO deletion. Functionally, the silencing of RAB11FIP3 or IKZF4 promotes T cell proliferation, and enhances T-cell cytotoxicity towards GC cells in vitro, which further inhibits tumor immune evasion in mice via increasing the infiltration of CD8+ T cells into the tumor microenvironment (TME) to suppress GC progression. Our study suggests that the IKZF4/NONO-RAB11FIP3 axis promotes immune evasion by facilitating PD-L1 endosome recycling, thus presenting a potential therapeutic target for GC treatment.

Towards Negative Emissions: Hydrothermal Carbonization of Biomass for Sustainable Carbon Materials.

The contemporary production of carbon materials heavily relies on fossil fuels, contributing significantly to the greenhouse effect. Biomass is a carbon-neutral resource whose organic carbon is formed from atmospheric CO2. Employing biomass as a precursor for synthetic carbon materials can fix atmospheric CO2 into solid materials, achieving negative carbon emissions. Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) presents an attractive method for converting biomass into carbon materials, by which biomass can be transformed into materials with favorable properties in a distinct hydrothermal environment, and these carbon materials have made extensive progress in many fields. However, the HTC of biomass is a complex and interdisciplinary problem, involving simultaneously the physical properties of the underlying biomass and sub/supercritical water, the chemical mechanisms of hydrothermal synthesis, diverse applications of resulting carbon materials, and the sustainability of the entire technological routes. This review starts with the analysis of biomass composition and distinctive characteristics of the hydrothermal environment. Then, the factors influencing the HTC of biomass, the reaction mechanism, and the properties of resulting carbon materials are discussed in depth, especially the different formation mechanisms of primary and secondary hydrochars. Furthermore, the application and sustainability of biomass-derived carbon materials are summarized, and some insights into future directions are provided.

Characterization of an imported HIV-1 A1/A7/G recombinant in China.

BACKGROUND: International migration has accelerated the HIV-1 spread across national borders, gradually reducing the restrictions on the geographical distribution of HIV-1 subtypes. Subtypes A and G are globally recognized as the third and sixth most dominant HIV-1 genotypes, mainly prevalent in Africa, but rarely detected in China. Here we reported an imported HIV-1 recombinant which was composed of sub-subtypes A1 and A7 of subtype A and subtype G genes in a Chinese female. This virus was the first HIV-1 recombinant including A7 genes reported in the world. CASE PRESENTATION: The near full-length genome (NFLG) was obtained from the plasma sample of the female in an HIV-1 molecular epidemiological survey with 853 participants in China. Phylogenetic analyses showed that this NFLG sequence contains three A7 segments, four G segments and one A1 segment with seven breakpoints, and all these segments were closely related to HIV-1 references circulating in Africa. The evidence from epidemiological investigation indicated that this female participant had a more-than-two-years heterosexual contact history with a fixed partner from Nigeria, a country in west Africa, which further supported the results of phylogenetic analyses. By the Bayesian phylogenetic analyses, the times of most recent common ancestors (tMRCA) of the partial pol gene (nt2308-3284, A7 region) and full-length vpr-vpu plus partial env gene (nt5534-6858, G region) were estimated around 1989 and 1984, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, by using the NFLG sequencing, we identified an imported HIV-1 A1/A7/G recombinant which was estimated to originate around 1980s in Africa and introduced into China with international migration. This study highlighted the complexity of the global HIV-1 epidemic, the necessity of using genome sequences to determine HIV-1 genotypes and the importance of real-time monitoring of HIV-1 infection among international migrants and travelers.

Physicochemical Index Analyses of the Egg White in Blue-Shelled Eggs and Commercial Brown-Shelled Eggs during Storage.

To compare the physical and chemical changes in egg whites during storage, assisting in the evaluation of differences in egg freshness between various chicken breeds, we chose 240 blue-shelled eggs (Blue group) and 240 commercial brown-shelled eggs (Brown group) that 28-week-old hens had laid. In this study, all eggs were stored at 25 °C. The egg weight, egg components' weight and proportion, Haugh Unit value and the contents of S-ovalbumin, ovomucin and lysozyme in the thick albumen (KA) and thin albumen (NA) were measured at eight time points every 3 days until the 21st day of storage. The eggshell, yolk and KA proportions in the Brown group were significantly lower, whereas the NA proportion was significantly higher than that in the Blue group (p < 0.001). The Haugh Unit value and S-ovalbumin in the Brown group were significantly higher, whereas KA ovomucin and NA lysozyme were significantly lower than those in the Blue group (p < 0.001). There existed significant negative correlations between the KA and NA, irrespective of weight or proportion. The Haugh Unit value was significantly positively correlated with lysozyme and ovomucin, but significantly negatively correlated with S-ovalbumin. During storage, the KA weight (proportion), Haugh Unit value, lysozyme and ovomucin decreased, whereas the NA weight (proportion) and S-ovalbumin increased. At each time point, the NA lysozyme in the Brown group was lower than that in the Blue group (p < 0.05). After storage for 6 days, the KA ovomucin in the Brown group began to be lower than that in the Blue group (p < 0.05). The study showed that the weight (proportion) differences in egg components between blue-shelled eggs and commercial brown-shelled eggs are mainly due to the NA. The Haugh Unit value and albumin protein indexes of blue-shelled eggs were better than those of brown-shelled eggs, and showed mild changes during storage, indicating the better storage performance of blue-shelled eggs.

Biological informed graph neural network for tumor mutation burden prediction and immunotherapy-related pathway analysis in gastric cancer.

Tumor mutation burden (TMB) has emerged as an essential biomarker for assessing the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. However, due to the inherent complexity of tumors, TMB is not always correlated with the responsiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Thus, refining the interpretation and contextualization of TMB is a requisite for enhancing clinical outcomes. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive investigation of the relationship between TMB and multi-omics data across 33 human cancer types. Our analysis revealed distinct biological changes associated with varying TMB statuses in STAD, COAD, and UCEC. While multi-omics data offer an opportunity to dissect the intricacies of tumors, extracting meaningful biological insights from such massive information remains a formidable challenge. To address this, we developed and implemented the PGLCN, a biologically informed graph neural network based on pathway interaction information. This model facilitates the stratification of patients into subgroups with distinct TMB statuses and enables the evaluation of driver biological processes through enhanced interpretability. By integrating multi-omics data for TMB prediction, our PGLCN model outperformed previous traditional machine learning methodologies, demonstrating superior TMB status prediction accuracy (STAD AUC: 0.976 ± 0.007; COAD AUC: 0.994 ± 0.007; UCEC AUC: 0.947 ± 0.023) and enhanced interpretability (BA-House: 1.0; BA-Community: 0.999; BA-Grid: 0.994; Tree-Cycles: 0.917; Tree-Grids: 0.867). Furthermore, the biological interpretability inherent to PGLCN identified the Toll-like receptor family and DNA repair pathways as potential combined biomarkers in conjunction with TMB status in gastric cancer. This finding suggests a potential synergistic targeting strategy with immunotherapy for gastric cancer, thus advancing the field of precision oncology.

Genetics and breeding of a black-bone and blue eggshell chicken line. 3. Visual eggshell color and colorimeter parameters in 3 consecutive generations.

The BG line, originated by crossing 2 Chinese indigenous breeds, Dongxiang blue eggshell and Jiangshan black-bone, has been bred for black carcass and blue-greenish eggs. Aiming to study the genetic parameters and selection aspects of these eggshell colors, the 4 colorimeter parameters (L*, a*, b*, SCI = L*-a*-b*) were measured on ∼5 eggs/hen/age (200 d and 300 d) from each hen in 3 generations (G4 = 452, G5 = 508, G6 = 498). Visual eggshell color was classified as either "Light," "Blue," "Green," or "Olive," and data from G4 and G5 indicated that visual eggshell color was more accurately determined by combining the classifications of single representative egg/hen by 4 independent observers. Based on the apparent gradual variation in visual color, the 4 colors were expressed numerically (Light = 1, Blue = 2, Green = 3, Olive = 4) and the averages of the 4 observers (AveObs) were used as quantitative expression of the visual color of each egg. This expression, in the range from Blue to Olive, was highly significantly correlated with L*, b* and SCI. The a* values were also associated with AveObs, but not linearly; AveObs between 2 (Blue) and 3 (Green) had lowest a*, and it increased as AveObs was more Light (<2) or more Olive (>3). The heritability estimates of the colorimeter parameters were mostly very high; those of b* and SCI ranged between 0.7 and 0.8, and those of L* and a* between 0.6 and 0.7, indicating that they can serve as criterions to select for blue and/or green eggshells. The phenotypic and genetic correlations between the colorimeter parameters were highly significant and favorable. It is suggested that effective breeding for blue eggs can be done by selecting hens laying eggs with highest SCI/L* or lowest b* (against green and olive shades), followed by selection for low a* (against light shades). Breeding for green eggs can be done by selecting hens laying eggs with SCI ≈ 75 and/or L* ≈ 80 and/or b* ≈ 12. Breeding for hens that lay either blue or green eggs can be done by selection for low a* values.

CXCL17 Attenuates Diesel Exhaust Emissions Exposure-Induced Lung Damage by Regulating Macrophage Function.

Exposure to diesel exhaust emissions (DEE) is strongly linked to innate immune injury and lung injury, but the role of macrophage chemoattractant CXCL17 in the lung damage caused by DEE exposure remains unclear. In this study, whole-body plethysmography (WBP), inflammatory cell differential count, and histopathological analysis were performed to assess respiratory parameters, airway inflammation, and airway injury in C57BL/6 male mice exposed to DEE for 3 months. qRT-PCR, IHC (immunohistochemistry), and ELISA were performed to measure the CXCL17 expression in airway epithelium or BALF (bronchoalveolar lavage fluid) following DEE/Diesel exhaust particle (DEP) exposure. Respiratory parameters, airway inflammation, and airway injury were assessed in CXCL17-overexpressing mice through adeno-associated virus vector Type 5 (AAV5) infection. Additionally, an in vitro THP-1 and HBE co-culture system was constructed. Transwell assay was carried out to evaluate the effect of rh-CXCL17 (recombinant human protein-CXCL17) on THP-1 cell migration. Flow cytometry and qRT-PCR were conducted to assess the impacts of rh-CXCL17 on apoptosis and inflammation/remodeling of HBE cells. We found that the mice exposed to DEE showed abnormal respiratory parameters, accompanied by airway injury and remodeling (ciliary injury in airway epithelium, airway smooth muscle hyperplasia, and increased collagen deposition). Carbon content in airway macrophages (CCAM), but not the number of macrophages in BALF, increased significantly. CXCL17 expression significantly decreased in mice airways and HBE after DEE/DEP exposure. AAV5-CXCL17 enhanced macrophage recruitment and clearance of DEE in the lungs of mice, and it improved respiratory parameters, airway injury, and airway remodeling. In the THP-1/HBE co-culture system, rh-CXCL17 increased THP-1 cell migration while attenuating HBE cell apoptosis and inflammation/remodeling. Therefore, CXCL17 might attenuate DEE-induced lung damage by recruiting and activating pulmonary macrophages, which is expected to be a novel therapeutic target for DEE-associated lung diseases.

Developing a special microwave oven: Assessment of its performance for dough fermentation and nutrient soup elaboration.

Bread and soup are two of the most important foods in daily life, thus dough fermentation and nutrient soup elaboration are more and more popular, but there is a lack of relevant low-cost and high-reliable household appliances on the market. Therefore, this paper proposes automatic control methods for dough fermentation and nutrient soup elaboration based on a special microwave oven. Fermentation theory, run-up microwave fermentation principle, microwave extraction principle, NTC temperature probe design and scalable fuzzy control algorithm are described in detail. Besides, the experimental platform is set up with a temperature chamber, an optical fiber thermometer and a power meter. Experimental results demonstrate that the relationship between the heating time and flour's mass is linear. For different ambient temperature tests, the volume ratios of the fermented dough to unfermented dough of different cases range from 2.2 to 2.62, and the inside of the dough after fermentation is fluffy, with small and dense cavities. Meanwhile, there is no acid taste and skin dryness, and the power consumption of microwave fermentation is less than half of that induced by grill, convection or steam fermentation. The detection error of the NTC temperature probe with microwave shielded is 0.48 °C, and the control error of the closed loop system is less than 0.5 °C. The temperature-rise slope of water is lower than that of ingredient, and the water's temperature is about 1 °C less than that of the ingredient. The soup after microwave elaboration is amber and clear, the ingredients are intact, the water loss is less than 50 g, and the total power consumption is 684 Wh. In short, microwave-based control methods for dough fermentation and nutrient soup elaboration are effective.

Aerobic CuBr2-Catalyzed Oxidative Coupling Reaction of Amidines with Exocyclic α,ß-Unsaturated Cycloketones for the Synthesis of Spiroimidazolines.

A CuBr2-catalyzed cascade reaction of amidines with exocyclic α,ß-unsaturated cycloketones was developed, affording a large variety of spiroimidazolines in moderate to excellent yields. The reaction process involved the Michael addition and copper(II)-catalyzed aerobic oxidative coupling, in which O2 from air acted as the oxidant and H2O was the sole byproduct.

Identification of a novel HIV-1 second-generation circulating recombinant form (CRF136_0107) among MSM in China.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 in Heilongjiang, China, and try to spot signs of new circulating recombinant form (CRF) in this region. DESIGN: A molecular epidemiological study was conducted in Heilongjiang, China during 2011-2020. METHODS: Plasma samples were collected from three HIV-1-positive patients (two MSM and one man lacking risk factor information). The near full-length genome sequences (NFLGs) of a novel CRF were then obtained and subjected to phylogenetic analysis using Mega 7.0.26. Recombination analysis was performed by the jumping profile Hidden Markov Model (jpHMM). Finally, the origin time of this novel CRF was inferred using the Bayesian phylogenetic analysis in Beast v1.10.4. RESULTS: The three NFLGs formed a distinct monophyletic cluster in the neighbor-joining (NJ) tree. Recombination analysis revealed that the recombinant genome was composed of five segments derived from CRF01_AE, subtypes B, and C, but further confirmed to be a second-generation recombinant form of CRF01_AE/CRF07_BC by a comparison of genome maps and subregion phylogenetic analysis and, therefore, designated as CRF136_0107. With Bayesian phylogenetic analysis, CRF136_0107 was estimated to originate around 2010-2011. CONCLUSION: A novel HIV-1 CRF01_AE/CRF07_BC second-generation CRF called CRF136_0107 was identified among MSM in Heilongjiang, a northeast province of China.

The pigments in eggshell with different colour and the pigment regulatory gene expression in corresponding chicken's shell gland.

Eggshell colour is the unique appearance and economically valuable trait of eggs, whereas the colour is often short of uniformity, especially in the blue-shelled breeds, hence, their pigment differences and molecular mechanism need clarity. To investigate the relationship between the pigment content of eggshells and related gene expression in the eggshell glands of chickens, four subtypes of blue-shelled eggs ('Olive', 'Green', 'Blue', and 'Light') from the same blue-eggshell chicken line were selected; Hy-Line 'White' and 'Brown'-shelled eggs were used as control groups. The L*, a*, b* values, and protoporphyrin-IX and biliverdin contents in each group of eggshells were measured. In addition, the shell glands of the corresponding hens were collected to detect SLCO1B3 genotype and mRNA expression, and ABCG2 and HMOX1 transcription and protein expression. Eggshell colour L* values were negatively correlated with protoporphyrin-IX, b* values were positively correlated with total pigment content (P < 0.001), and a* values were positively correlated with protoporphyrin-IX (P < 0.001) but negatively with biliverdin. Moreover, all four blue-eggshell subtypes were SLCO1B3 homozygous, with SLCO1B3 mRNA expression in shell glands being significantly higher than in the White and Brown groups. ABCG2 and HMOX1 mRNA expression were highest in the Brown and Green groups, respectively (P < 0.05), and were positively correlated with protoporphyrin-IX (P < 0.001) and biliverdin contents in eggshells, respectively. Western blot and immunohistochemical results demonstrated that the Brown group had the highest ABCG2 expression (P < 0.05), followed by the Green and Olive groups. HMOX1 protein expression was higher in the Olive and Green groups (P < 0.05), and lowest in the White group. This study suggests that ABCG2 and HMOX1 have important regulatory roles in the production and transport of protoporphyrin-IX and biliverdin in blue-shelled chicken eggs, respectively.

Research and analysis on computed tomography signs and clinical characteristics of chronic duodenal papilla mucositis and duodenal papillary carcinoma.

Objective: To investigate the computed tomography (CT) findings of chronic duodenal papilla mucositis and duodenal papillary carcinoma, and provide more imaging information for early diagnosis of duodenal malignant diseases.Methods: CT findings and clinical data of 40 patients with chronic duodenal papilla mucositis and 46 patients with duodenal papillary carcinoma were retrospectively analyzed. Observation and measuring of direct duodenal papilla signs (including size, shape, density, enhancement uniformity, etc.), indirect duodenal papilla signs (including pancreaticobiliary dilatation) and clinical indicators (including tumor markers CA19-9, CA125, CEA, blood routine white blood cell count, bilirubin, age, gender, etc.) were carried out according to CT as well as statistical analysis.Results: There were significant differences in duodenal papilla regular morphology, age and CA19-9 (p < .05), and significant differences in duodenal papilla maximum transverse diameter, diameter of common bile duct, diameter of pancreatic duct, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, and jaundice in duodenal papillary carcinoma group (p < 0.01). There were no significant differences in duodenal papilla enhancement uniformity, plain CT value, arterial CT value, portal CT value, enhancement uniformity, presence or not of calculus at the lower end, gender, CEA, CA125, white blood cell count, and abdominal pain with fever (all p > .05).Conclusion: CT is helpful for the diagnosis of duodenal papilla disease, but the CT findings of patients with duodenal papillary carcinoma tend to be similar to findings of chronic duodenal papilla mucositis, which is easy to lead to misdiagnosis, so comprehensive diagnosis should be made according to the direct and indirect CT signs as well as laboratory and clinical manifestations of duodenal papilla, so as to improve the diagnosis of duodenal papillary carcinoma, and reduce missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis.