Innexin hemichannel activation by Microplitis bicoloratus ecSOD monopolymer reduces ROS.

The extracellular superoxide dismutases (ecSODs) secreted by Microplitis bicoloratus reduce the reactive oxygen species (ROS) stimulated by the Microplitis bicoloratus bracovirus. Here, we demonstrate that the bacterial transferase hexapeptide (hexapep) motif and bacterial-immunoglobulin-like (BIg-like) domain of ecSODs bind to the cell membrane and transiently open hemichannels, facilitating ROS reductions. RNAi-mediated ecSOD silencing in vivo elevated ROS in host hemocytes, impairing parasitoid larva development. In vitro, the ecSOD-monopolymer needed to be membrane bound to open hemichannels. Furthermore, the hexapep motif in the beta-sandwich of ecSOD49 and ecSOD58, and BIg-like domain in the signal peptides of ecSOD67 were required for cell membrane binding. Hexapep motif and BIg-like domain deletions induced ecSODs loss of adhesion and ROS reduction failure. The hexapep motif and BIg-like domain mediated ecSOD binding via upregulating innexins and stabilizing the opened hemichannels. Our findings reveal a mechanism through which ecSOD reduces ROS, which may aid in developing anti-redox therapy.

A Novel RHCE*cE (c.827C>A) Allele, Containing the Single-Nucleotide Change, Encodes Altered c/E Antigens.

The RH blood group system is the most complex with over 50 antigens. So far over hundreds of RhCE variant alleles have been described resulting in weakened and/or partial expression of RhCE antigens [1], some variant Rh phenotypes are caused by exchange of genetic material between the RHD and RHCE genes, resulting in many hybrid genes, other phenotypes result from missense mutations. Variant alleles encode altered phenotypes with either weakened antigens, lacked antigens, or unexpected antigens. Besides, the mutation of RH blood group genes may lead to the changes of Rh antigen epitopes. RHCE gene mutations or polymorphisms may bring about altered RH antigens in quality and quantity [2]. Serologic weaknesses or discrepancies are regularly faced by blood transfusion laboratories, and molecular background explaining this feature can be precisely characterized only by the molecular biological methods.

Efficacy of a membrane concentration method combined with real-time PCR for detection of Giardia and Cryptosporidium in drinking water.

The occurrence of Giardia and Cryptosporidium (oo)cysts in drinking source water poses a serious public health risk. Here, we established a method that combines membrane concentration and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to quantify Giardia and Cryptosporidium in drinking water. The water samples were filtered through a cellulose membrane to collect Giardia and Cryptosporidium, and then nucleic acids were extracted. Specific primers and probes were designed and synthesized according to the gph gene sequence of Giardia and 18S rRNA gene sequence of Cryptosporidium. The concentrations of the two targets were determined using real-time PCR technology. The sensitivity, specificity, and stability of the method were evaluated. Our findings revealed that the detection limits of real-time PCR method for detecting Giardia and Cryptosporidium were 0.926 and 0.65 copy/µL, respectively; the spiked recovery rates were above 60% and 38%, respectively, and relative standard deviations were under 0.95% and 2.26%, respectively. Therefore, this effective procedure based on the membrane concentration method and real-time PCR will be useful for detecting Giardia and Cryptosporidium in drinking water for purpose of continuous environmental monitoring.

First Report of Fusarium acuminatum Causing Leaf Spot on Schisandra chinensis in China.

Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. is a popular and widely cultivated medicinal herb in China, which has rich nutritional value and medicinal effect. In August 2022, leaves with oval and irregularly circular light brown spots from 2 to 10 mm wide with white centers were found on Schisandra chinensis growing in Fusong district (127°28'E, 42°33'N) of Jilin, China. The symptoms were observed in 20% of the plants of a 2 ha-1 field of Schisandra chinensis. About 50% of the leaf areas were affected. As the disease developed, the lesions grew larger and developed necrotic centers. Leaves with light brown spot symptoms from five plants were collected from the field. Five leaf pieces (3 to 5 mm2) were excised from lesion margins, surface sterilized based on Ju et al. (Ju et al. 2021), and incubated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 25°C. Six single spores were isolated from five independently infected isolates for pure culture using the single spore isolation technique (Zhang. 2003). Representative single spore isolate (ZWWZH) was selected from pure cultures for further culture. After 5 days, fluffy white aerial mycelium with pink pigmentation on the underside of the colony were observed on PDA. Mycelia became pinkish-brown as the culture aged. Microscopic observations showed the presence of elongated or pointed, and thick-walled macroconidia (n = 50), predominantly three septate, 3.40 to 7.50 × 40.34 to 61.29 µm were observed. Chlamydospores formed in chains within or on top of the mycelium. The primers ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990) and Bt-2a/Bt-2b (Robideau et al., 2011) were used to amplify the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA and ß-tubulin (TUB2) region, respectively. The obtained sequences were submitted to GenBank under accession numbers for OQ629789 (ITS) and OQ803521(TUB2). BLASTn analysis of both ITS sequence and TUB2 sequence, revealed 100% and 99.92% sequence identity with F. acuminatum MT566456, MT560377 and KJ396328, respectively. The pathogen was identified as F. acuminatum based on morphological and molecular data. Pathogenicity tests were carried out in the greenhouse. Select five healthy Schisandra chinensis seedlings, each with each healthy leaf surfaces inoculated a 1 × 106 spores/mL solution, 3 wells on one side, 10 µL per well. Sterile ddH2O was used in the control experiment. The inoculated seedlings were incubated at 25°C with a relative humidity of 65 to 70% in a greenhouse. Four days after inoculation, all inoculated leaves exhibited the same symptoms as observed in the field, while the controls showed no symptoms. The experiment was repeated three more times with similar results. The re-isolated fungi from the inoculated plants had the same morphology and DNA sequences as the original isolate (ZWWZH) obtained from the field samples, completing Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of F. acuminatum causing leaf spot on Schisandra chinensis in China. F. acuminatum has seriously affected the quality of Schisandra chinensis production. The identification of leaf spot caused by F. acuminatum will enable farmers to identify practices to minimize disease on this important crop.

[Effects of Exogenous Melatonin Treatment on the Growth and Antioxidant System of Rice Seedlings Under Antimony Stress].

To investigate the effect of exogenous application of melatonin (MT) on rice seedlings under antimony (Sb) stress, hydroponic experiments were carried out with rice seedlings (Huarun No.2). The fluorescent probe localization technology was used to locate the reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the root tips of rice seedlings, and the root viability, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, ROS (H2O2 and O2-·) content, antioxidant enzyme (SOD, POD, CAT, and APX) activities, and antioxidant (GSH, GSSG, AsA, and DHA) contents in the roots of rice seedlings were analyzed. The results showed that exogenous addition of MT could alleviate the adverse effects of Sb stress on the growth and increase the biomass of rice seedlings. Compared with the Sb treatment, the application of 100 µmol·L-1 MT increased rice root viability and total root length by 44.1% and 34.7% and reduced the content of MDA, H2O2, and O2-· by 30.0%, 32.7%, and 40.5%, respectively. Further, the MT treatment increased the activities of POD and CAT by 54.1% and 21.8%, respectively, and also regulated the AsA-GSH cycle. This research indicated that exogenous application of 100 µmol·L-1MT can promote the growth and antioxidant ability of rice seedlings and alleviate the damage of lipid peroxidation by Sb stress, thus improving the resistance of rice seedlings under Sb stress.

Diagnostic markers of metabolic bone disease of prematurity in preterm infants.

Due to the higher birth rate of preterm infants and improvements in their management, metabolic bone disease of prematurity (MBDP) has a high incidence and is attracting attention. However, clear indicators for the early diagnosis of MBDP are lacking. We aimed to explore simple and feasible early warning indicators for diagnosing MBDP. Our study collected case data of premature infants from two medical centers in Chongqing from January 2020 to February 2022. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, data from 136 cases were collected. The correlation between 14 variables in each case and the occurrence of MBDP was analyzed. According to area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) analysis, the best cutoff value for each variable was determined. Potential predictors were selected, and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression analysis was used to establish the association of two models with MBDP, whose results were used to develop a diagnostic nomogram. Furthermore, a model decision curve was analyzed. Four predictors were selected from 14 clinical variables by LASSO regression, and Model I was established, including the following characteristics: height (>36 cm), head circumference (≤29.49 cm), total serum calcium (Ca) (>2.13 mmol/L), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (>344 U/L) levels. A single predictor, the ALP level (>344 U/L), was used to establish Model II. The AUROC values of the two models were 0.959 for Model I and 0.929 for Model II. In conclusion, in this study, two diagnostic models of MBDP were developed using four combinations of predictors and ALP as a single predictor. Both models showed good sensitivity and specificity for the early diagnosis of metabolic bone disease (MBD), and an ALP level of 344 U/L was defined as a simple and effective diagnostic threshold. In future studies, using larger samples, diagnostic threshold values of ALP for premature infants of different ages should be established, and internal and external validations are needed to improve the adaptability of the current model.

Research progress in gut-skin axis and its association with traditional Chinese medicine theory / 中国中药杂志

Currently, the gut-organ axis has become a hot research topic. As increasing attention has been paid to the role of gut microbiota in the health of organs, the complex and integrated dialogue mechanism between the gastrointestinal tract and the associated microbiota has been demonstrated in more and more studies. Skin as the largest organ in the human body serves as the primary barrier protecting the human body from damage. The proposal of the gut-skin axis has established a bidirectional link between the gut and the skin. The disturbance of gut microbiota can lead to the occurrence of skin diseases, the mechanism of which is complex and may involve multiple pathways in immunity, metabolism, and internal secretion. According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), the connection between the intestine and the skin can be established through the lung, and the interior disorders will definitely cause symptoms on the exterior. This paper reviews the research progress in the gut-skin axis and its correlation with TCM theory and provides ideas and a basis for cli-nical treatment and drug development of skin and intestinal diseases.

Application of enhanced recovery after surgery in da Vinci robotic McKeown surgery for esophageal cancer: A retrospective cohort study / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective     To investigate the application of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) in da Vinci robotic McKeown surgery for esophageal cancer. Methods     Clinical data of patients admitted to the First Hospital of Lanzhou University and undergoing da Vinci robotic McKeown surgery for esophageal cancer from 2017 to 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the treatment, they were divided into two groups, a conventional group and an ERAS group. Patients in the conventional group were treated with the conventional perioperative treatment mode of thoracic surgery, and patients in the ERAS group were treated with accelerated rehabilitation surgical treatment mode. Relevant hospitalization indicators and postoperative complication rates were compared between the two groups. Results     Finally 128 patients were collected, including 106 males and 22 females, with an average age of 61.91 years. There were 71 patients in the conventional group and 57 patients in the ERAS group. The postoperative pain index in the ERAS group was significantly lower than that in the conventional group (P<0.05), and the duration of postoperative analgesic pump used in the ERAS group was shorter than that in the conventional group (2.39±0.49 d vs. 3.13±0.63 d, P<0.001). There was no statistical difference in the incidence of postoperative related complications (gastroesophageal reflux, anastomotic stenosis, anastomotic fistula, arrhythmia, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, chylothorax, anastomosis stomatitis or incisional infection) between the two groups (P>0.05), but the incidence of postoperative lung infection in the ERAS group was statistically lower (12.28% vs. 26.76%, P=0.043), and the volume of postoperative pleural effusion was statistically less compared with the conventional group (P<0.05). In the ERAS group, the surgery time (294.35±15.19 min vs. 322.79±59.09 min, P<0.001), postoperative exhaust time (1.44±0.39 d vs. 1.94±0.43 d, P<0.001), postoperative removal time of nasolasal tube (6.79±0.73 d vs. 8.21±0.86 d, P<0.001), hospital stay (19.88±3.36 d vs. 21.34±3.59 d, P=0.020), hospitalization costs (105 575.28±8 960.75 yuan vs. 137 894.64±19 518.60 yuan, P<0.001) were all lower or shorter than those of the conventional group. Postoperative activity was longer in the ERAS group than that in the conventional group (P<0.05), but there was no statistical difference in preoperative anesthesia time between the two groups (P=0.841). Conclusion     The application of ERAS in da Vinci robotic McKeown surgery for esophageal cancer can effectively alleviate the physiological and psychological burden of patients, reduce the occurrence of postoperative related complications, effectively shorten the total hospital stay, save hospitalization costs, and reduce the economic burden of patients and society. Therefore, it can be promoted and applied in the clinic.

Research on the application of Miller's pyramid theory combined with Bahrain's team activities in standardized residency training of burn surgeons / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Objective:To explore the application of Miller's pyramid theory combined with Bahrain's team activities in the standardized residency training (SRT) of burn surgeons.Methods:Seventy-four residents who were on the SRT program in the Department of Burns & Wound Care in The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University were enrolled in the study. The students were divided into control group and observation group according to the teaching methods. Thirty-seven students in the control group were provided with conventional teaching, and 37 students in the observation group were provided with training based on Miller' pyramid theory combined with Bahrain's team activities. The two groups were evaluated for teaching effectiveness and doctor-patient communication skills. SPSS22.0 was used for the chi-square test and t test. Results:The evaluation outcome of teaching effectiveness in the observation group was better than that in the control group ( t=3.01, 3.47, 3.49, 3.32, and 2.54; P=0.004, 0.001, 0.001, 0.001, and 0.013). After the training, the scores of Set Elicit Give Understand End scale in the two groups increased, with significantly higher scores achieved in the observation group than in the control group ( t=3.23, 2.99, 2.07, 3.62, 3.00, and 7.89; P=0.002, 0.004, 0.042, 0.001, 0.004, and <0.001). Conclusion:The application of Miller's pyramid theory and Bahrain's team activities in the SRT of burn surgeons can improve students' evaluation of teaching effectiveness and improve their doctor-patient communication skills.

Analysis of Chemical Constituents in Puerariae Lobatae Radix Dispensing Granules by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveA rapid method for identification of chemical constituents in Puerariae Lobatae Radix dispensing granules was established in order to clarify the material basis. MethodThe chemical constituents of Puerariae Lobatae Radix dispensing granules was qualitatively analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS） under positive and negative ion modes， and the chromatographic conditions were on an ACQUITY UPLC HSS T3 column（2.1 mm×100 mm， 1.8 μm） with 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution（A）-0.1% formic acid acetonitrile solution（B） as mobile phase for gradient elution（0-4 min， 5%-10%B； 4-10 min， 10%-15%B； 10-20 min， 15%-16%B； 20-27 min， 16%-31%B； 27-33 min， 31%-59%B； 33-42 min， 59%-95%B； 42-42.1 min， 95%-5%B； 42.1-45 min， 5%B）， the flow rate was 0.35 mL·min-1， the column temperature was 40 ℃， the injection volume was 5 μL， and electrospray ionization（ESI） was selected. Then these chemical constituents were comprehensively identified based on PeakView 1.2， PubChem， ChemicalBook， ChemSpider， comparative control profiles and literature information. ResultA total of 128 chemical constituents were identified from the dispensing granules， including 60 flavonoids， 26 organic acids， 7 glycosides， 6 coumarins， 3 nucleosides and 26 other compounds. By focusing on the cleavage patterns of flavonoids， organic acids， glycosides， coumarins， nucleosides and other compounds， 12 compounds that have not been reported in Puerariae Lobatae Radix species were identified from the dispensing granules. ConclusionThe established method can systematically and rapidly identify the chemical constituents in Puerariae Lobatae Radix dispensing granules， and cleared it composition is mainly flavonoids and organic acids. Laying a foundation for the study of the material basis， mechanism of action and clinical application of the dispensing granules.

Reverse effect of Semaphorin-3F on rituximab resistance in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma via the Hippo pathway / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Exploring the underlying mechanism of rituximab resistance is critical to improve the outcomes of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Here, we tried to identify the effects of the axon guidance factor semaphorin-3F (SEMA3F) on rituximab resistance as well as its therapeutic value in DLBCL.@*METHODS@#The effects of SEMA3F on the treatment response to rituximab were investigated by gain- or loss-of-function experiments. The role of the Hippo pathway in SEMA3F-mediated activity was explored. A xenograft mouse model generated by SEMA3F knockdown in cells was used to evaluate rituximab sensitivity and combined therapeutic effects. The prognostic value of SEMA3F and TAZ (WW domain-containing transcription regulator protein 1) was examined in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and human DLBCL specimens.@*RESULTS@#We found that loss of SEMA3F was related to a poor prognosis in patients who received rituximab-based immunochemotherapy instead of chemotherapy regimen. Knockdown of SEMA3F significantly repressed the expression of CD20 and reduced the proapoptotic activity and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) activity induced by rituximab. We further demonstrated that the Hippo pathway was involved in the SEMA3F-mediated regulation of CD20. Knockdown of SEMA3F expression induced the nuclear accumulation of TAZ and inhibited CD20 transcriptional levels via direct binding of the transcription factor TEAD2 and the CD20 promoter. Moreover, in patients with DLBCL, SEMA3F expression was negatively correlated with TAZ, and patients with SEMA3F low TAZ high had a limited benefit from a rituximab-based strategy. Specifically, treatment of DLBCL cells with rituximab and a YAP/TAZ inhibitor showed promising therapeutic effects in vitro and in vivo .@*CONCLUSION@#Our study thus defined a previously unknown mechanism of SEMA3F-mediated rituximab resistance through TAZ activation in DLBCL and identified potential therapeutic targets in patients.

Genotype and Phenotype of α-Thalassemia Fusion Gene in Huadu District of Guangzhou, Guangdong Province of China / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the carrier rate, genotype and phenotype of α-thalassemia fusion gene in Huadu district of Guangzhou, Guangdong province of China, and provide data reference for the prevention and control of thalassemia.@*METHODS@#A total of 10 769 samples who were screened for thalassemia in Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Huadu District from July 2019 to November 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. Blood cell analysis and hemoglobin (Hb) electrophoresis were performed. Thalassemia genes were analyzed by gap-PCR and PCR-reverse dot blot hybridization (PCR-RDB).@*RESULTS@#A total of 9 cases with α-thalassemia fusion gene were detected in 10 769 samples (0.08%). There were 7 cases with fusion gene heterozygote, 1 case with compound of α-thalassemia fusion gene and Hb G-Honolulu, 1 case with compound of α-thalassemia fusion gene and Hb QS. The MCV results of 4 samples of blood cell analysis were within the reference range, the Hb A2 value of 1 case was decreased, and there were no other abnormalities found.@*CONCLUSION@#The α-thalassemia fusion gene is common in Huadu district of Guangzhou, and heterozygotes are more common, and current screening methods easily lead to misdiagnosis.

Effect of parental weight and early life factors on overweight and obesity in children and adolescents / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To investigate the association of the risk of overweight/obesity in children and adolescents with their early life factors and parental weight.@*Methods@#From June 1 to June 30 of 2022, the stratified randomized cluster sampling method was used to collect information using questionnaires from 5 370 primary and secondary school students in Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and multivariate analysis were performed using multiple Logistic regression model estimation in a generalized linear model for parental BMI and early life factors in children and adolescents.@*Results@#The prevalence of overweight/obesity was 32.2% , and the prevalence of overweight/obesity among male students was 37.8%, which was higher than that of female students 26.1% χ 2= 84.59 , P <0.01). The results of the multirariate Logistic regression anaysis showed that the prevalence of overweight/obesity was higher in only paternal overweight ( OR=1.52, 95%CI =1.30-1.77), only maternal overweight ( OR=1.61, 95%CI = 1.31 -1.97), and parentl overweight ( OR=2.42, 95%CI =2.03-2.87)( P <0.05). The risk of overweight/obesity was higher in children with high birth weight ( OR=1.29, 95%CI =1.08- 1.55 ), children born by caesarean section ( OR=1.32, 95%CI =1.17- 1.48 ), and children whose mothers gained excessive weight during pregnancy ( OR=1.24, 95%CI =1.06-1.46), and the results were statistically significant ( P <0.05).@*Conclusions@#Overweight parents, excessive maternal weight gain during pregnancy, cesarean delivery, and high birth weight are associated with increased risk of overweight/obesity in children and adolescents. Attention should be paid to these aspects in obesity prevention and control.

Single-shot 3D shape acquisition using a learning-based structured-light technique.

Learning three-dimensional (3D) shape representation of an object from a single-shot image has been a prevailing topic in computer vision and deep learning over the past few years. Despite extensive adoption in dynamic applications, the measurement accuracy of the 3D shape acquisition from a single-shot image is still unsatisfactory due to a wide range of challenges. We present an accurate 3D shape acquisition method from a single-shot two-dimensional (2D) image using the integration of a structured-light technique and a deep learning approach. Instead of a direct 2D-to-3D transformation, a pattern-to-pattern network is trained to convert a single-color structured-light image to multiple dual-frequency phase-shifted fringe patterns for succeeding 3D shape reconstructions. Fringe projection profilometry, a prominent structured-light technique, is employed to produce high-quality ground-truth labels for training the network and to accomplish the 3D shape reconstruction after predicting the fringe patterns. A series of experiments has been conducted to demonstrate the practicality and potential of the proposed technique for scientific research and industrial applications.

[Effects of Exogenous Jasmonic Acid on Arsenic Accumulation and Response to Stress in Roots of Rice Seedlings].

Arsenic (As) pollution has a toxic effect on crop growth, leading to reduced crop quality and yield. Therefore, it is urgent to explore safe and effective strategies to reduce its toxicity. In this experiment, hydroponics, fluorescent probe locating technology, differential centrifugation, and Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis were used to research the effect of exogenous jasmonic acid (JA) on the accumulation and stress resistance of rice seedlings. The results showed that JA application reduced the As content in the roots and shoots of rice by 31.4% and 51.4%, respectively, and significantly reduced As content in the cell wall and soluble fractions of rice roots. JA changed the distribution ratio of As in the subcellular components. The distribution ratio of As in the cell wall increased by 16.4%, and the distribution ratio of soluble fractions decreased by 17.3%. JA enhanced the fixation of As by the cell wall and reduced the As content in the soluble fraction. Furthermore, JA increased the levels of SOD, CAT, GSH, and PEPC in root cells and reduced the contents of H2O2 and MDA, indicating that JA reduced lipid peroxidation damage, regulated carbon and nitrogen metabolism, and alleviated As toxicity. This research provides a new approach for the prevention and control of rice As pollution.

Analysis of albumin as a prognostic factor in HHV-8/HIV-negative Castleman disease from a multicenter study.

As a rare lymphoproliferative disorder, many patients with HHV-8/HIV-negative Castleman disease (CD) have hypoalbuminemia. However, data is limited on whether hypoalbuminemia is an independent predictor of CD. We retrospectively collected data from 230 patients diagnosed at 12 medical centers in China and the U.S. Different classifications included 147 patients with unicentric CD (UCD) and 83 with idiopathic multicentric CD (iMCD). Adjusted smooth curve fitting showed that the relationship between albumin and all-cause death of patients with CD and iMCD was linear. Cox proportional hazards regression modeling showed a negative association between the risk of death and albumin level (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.84; 95% CI, 0.76, 0.93). Using the Kaplan-Meier method, we determined that hypoproteinemia was a risk factor for poorer prognosis in patients with CD, UCD, and iMCD. Albumin was independently and negatively associated with the risk of death in CD patients, especially those with iMCD.

[Effect of Chelating Agents and Organic Acids on Remediation of Cadmium and Arsenic Complex Contaminated Soil Using Xanthium sibiricum].

In order to improve the phytoextraction efficiency of Xanthium sibiricum on farmland soil that had been contaminated by Cd and As, this study explored the effects of chelating agents and organic acids (EDTA, SAP, CA, and MA) on the extraction of Cd and As heavy metals using X. sibiricum. The results showed that the four different chelating agents and organic acids had little effect on the biomass of the roots, stems, and leaves of X. sibiricum. However, they had different effects on the concentrations and accumulation of Cd and As in various organs of X. sibiricum. Compared with the those in the CK treatment, EDTA, SAP, CA, and MA significantly increased the Cd concentrations in the leaves of X. sibiricum by 44.1%, 32.4%, 41.2%, and 38.2% and the As concentrations in the roots of X. sibiricum by 89.6%, 7.4%, 94.8%, and 61.5%, respectively. The four treatments (EDTA, SAP, CA, and MA) improved the total Cd accumulation of X. sibiricum, with increasing ranges, respectively, of 70.2%, 29.4%, 28.9%, and 33.1%, and the As accumulation increased by 67.0%, 19.6%, 81.9%, and 40.8%, respectively, compared with that of the CK treatment. The four chelating agents and organic acids had different effects on the Cd and As bioconcentration factor and transfer factor of various organs of X. sibiricum. Treatments with EDTA, SAP, CA, and MA resulted in a decrease of 32.7%-38.2% in soil Cd concentrations and a decrease of 14.6%-20.5% in soil As concentrations. These four chelating agents can be used for enhancing the efficiency of extraction Cd and As heavy metals by X. sibiricum.

FOXF2 oppositely regulates stemness in luminal and basal-like breast cancer cells through the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway.

The stemness of cancer cells contributes to tumorigenesis, the heterogeneity of malignancies, cancer metastasis, and therapeutic resistance. However, the roles and regulatory mechanisms maintaining stemness among breast cancer subtypes remain elusive. Our previous studies have demonstrated that ectopic expression and dynamic alteration of the mesenchymal transcription factor forkhead box F2 (FOXF2) differentially regulates breast cancer progression and metastasis organotropism in a cell subtype-specific manner. Here, we reveal the underlying mechanism by which FOXF2 enhances stemness in luminal breast cancer cells but suppresses that in basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) cells. We show that luminal breast cancer and BLBC cells with FOXF2-regulated stemness exhibit partial mesenchymal stem cell properties that toward osteogenic differentiation and myogenic differentiation, respectively. Furthermore, we show that FOXF2 activates the Wnt signaling pathway in luminal breast cancer cells but represses this pathway in BLBC cells by recruiting nuclear receptor coactivator 3 (NCoA3) and nuclear receptor corepressor 1 (NCoR1) to the promoters of Wnt family member 2B (WNT2B) and frizzled class receptor 1 (FZD1) genes to activate and repress their transcription, respectively. We propose that targeting the Wnt signaling pathway is a promising strategy for the treatment of breast cancers with dysregulated expression of FOXF2.

[Research advances in histone modification-regulated plant stress memory and defense priming.] / ç»„è›‹ç™½ä¿®é¥°è°ƒæŽ§æ¤ç‰©å¯¹èƒè¿«çš„è®°å¿†ä¸Žè­¦å¤‡æŠ—æ€§çš„ç ”ç©¶è¿›å±•.

Plants, grown in the immobile soils, have evolved various strategies in response to environmental stresses, including the "stress memory" and "defense priming" mechanisms. The environmental stresses cannot immediately change the DNA base sequence in plants in the short-term. Therefore, epigenetic inheritance is a key mechanism for stress memory and defense priming. In particular, histone modification is considered to be the most important mechanism, which offers the possibility of stress memory. We summarized research advances in plant histone modifications involved in stress memory and defense priming under biotic and abiotic stresses, and proposed pro-blems in the field and the focus and directions in the future research. In-depth understanding of the relationship between histone modification and environmental stresses would facilitate the quick adaptation of plants to harsh environments, and provide theoretical and technical guidance for plant phenotype shaping, organ regeneration, and crop genetic improvement.