Combined Minimally Invasive Treatment of Pyeloureteral Junction Obstruction and Primary Obstructive Megaureter in Children: Case Report and Literature Review.

INTRODUCTION: In children, the association of ipsilateral pyeloureteral junction obstruction (PUJO) and ureterovesical junction obstruction (UVJO) is a rare malformation with a non-standardized treatment. We report a case of PUJO and UVJO treated by a combined minimally invasive surgical treatment to resolve the double urinary obstruction. The current literature was also reviewed. CASE REPORT AND REVIEW: A two-month-old boy, without antenatal and postnatal signs of urinary tract anomalies, was hospitalized presenting right hydronephrosis, perirenal fluid effusion, and ascites. An acute pelvic rupture was suspected, and a retrograde pyelogram was performed, showing a primary obstructive megaureter (POM) associated with a corkscrew pyeloureteral junction. The impossibility to place a double J catheter through the pyeloureteral junction led us to achieve percutaneous nephrostomy and an abdominal drain placement. Three months later, the patient underwent a combined high-pressure balloon ureterovesical junction dilation and retroperitoneoscopic Anderson Hynes one-trocar-assisted pyeloplasty (OTAP). The literature search identified 110 children experiencing double urinary tract obstruction. All authors agreed on the difficulty to diagnose both obstructions preoperatively, but there is still no consensus on which obstruction should be relieved earlier, because the alteration in urinary vascularity during a double surgery could damage the ureter. CONCLUSIONS: The simultaneous occurrence of UPJO and UVJO is rare, with a challenging diagnosis. Prompt identification and timely surgical intervention are crucial to mitigate the risk of renal function loss attributable to obstruction and infection. Drawing from our expertise and the analysis of the existing literature, we propose employing a simultaneous double minimally invasive strategy in order to optimize the preservation of ureteral vascularity. This approach entails performing a minimally invasive pyeloplasty for the PUJ and utilizing high-pressure balloon dilatation for the UVJ.

Explainable Machine Learning Model to Preoperatively Predict Postoperative Complications in Inpatients With Cancer Undergoing Major Operations.

PURPOSE: Preoperative prediction of postoperative complications (PCs) in inpatients with cancer is challenging. We developed an explainable machine learning (ML) model to predict PCs in a heterogenous population of inpatients with cancer undergoing same-hospitalization major operations. METHODS: Consecutive inpatients who underwent same-hospitalization operations from December 2017 to June 2021 at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. The ML model was developed and tested using electronic health record (EHR) data to predict 30-day PCs for patients with Clavien-Dindo grade 3 or higher (CD 3+) per the CD classification system. Model performance was assessed using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), area under the precision recall curve (AUPRC), and calibration plots. Model explanation was performed using the Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) method at cohort and individual operation levels. RESULTS: A total of 988 operations in 827 inpatients were included. The ML model was trained using 788 operations and tested using a holdout set of 200 operations. The CD 3+ complication rates were 28.6% and 27.5% in the training and holdout test sets, respectively. Training and holdout test sets' model performance in predicting CD 3+ complications yielded an AUROC of 0.77 and 0.73 and an AUPRC of 0.56 and 0.52, respectively. Calibration plots demonstrated good reliability. The SHAP method identified features and the contributions of the features to the risk of PCs. CONCLUSION: We trained and tested an explainable ML model to predict the risk of developing PCs in patients with cancer. Using patient-specific EHR data, the ML model accurately discriminated the risk of developing CD 3+ complications and displayed top features at the individual operation and cohort level.

Structure of antiviral drug bulevirtide bound to hepatitis B and D virus receptor protein NTCP.

Cellular entry of the hepatitis B and D viruses (HBV/HDV) requires binding of the viral surface polypeptide preS1 to the hepatobiliary transporter Na+-taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (NTCP). This interaction can be blocked by bulevirtide (BLV, formerly Myrcludex B), a preS1 derivative and approved drug for treating HDV infection. Here, to elucidate the basis of this inhibitory function, we determined a cryo-EM structure of BLV-bound human NTCP. BLV forms two domains, a plug lodged in the bile salt transport tunnel of NTCP and a string that covers the receptor's extracellular surface. The N-terminally attached myristoyl group of BLV interacts with the lipid-exposed surface of NTCP. Our structure reveals how BLV inhibits bile salt transport, rationalizes NTCP mutations that decrease the risk of HBV/HDV infection, and provides a basis for understanding the host specificity of HBV/HDV. Our results provide opportunities for structure-guided development of inhibitors that target HBV/HDV docking to NTCP.

Machine Learning Algorithm to Perform the American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification.

OBJECTIVE: The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Physical Status (PS) Classification System defines perioperative patient scores ranging from 1 to 6 (healthy to brain dead, respectively). The scoring is performed and used by physician anesthesiologists and providers to classify surgical patients based on co-morbidities and various clinical characteristics. There is potentially a variability in scoring stemming from individual biases. The biases impact the prediction of operating times, length of stay in the hospital, anesthetic management, and billing. This study's purpose was to develop an automated system to achieve reproducible scoring. METHODS: A machine learning (ML) model was trained on already assigned ASA PS scores of 12,064 patients. The ML algorithm was automatically selected by Wolfram Mathematica (Wolfram Research, Champaign, IL) and tested with retrospective records not used in training. Manual scoring was performed by the anesthesiologist as part of the standard preoperative evaluation. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) in R (version 4.2.2; R Development Core Team, Vienna, Austria) was calculated to assess the consistency of scoring. RESULTS: An ML model was trained on the data corresponding to 12,064 patients. Logistic regression was chosen automatically, with an accuracy of 70.3±1.0% against the training dataset. The accuracy against 1,999 patients (the test dataset) was 69.6±1.0%. The ICC for the comparison between ML and the anesthesiologists' ASA PS scores was greater than 0.4 ("fair to good"). CONCLUSIONS: We have shown the feasibility of applying ML to assess the ASA PS score within an oncology patient population. Though our accuracy was not very good, we feel that, as more data are mined, a valid foundation for refinement to ML will emerge.

Transferability of a Sensing Mattress for Posture Classification from Research into Clinics.

Sleep is crucial in rehabilitation processes, promoting neural plasticity and immune functions. Nocturnal body postures can indicate sleep quality and frequent repositioning is required to prevent bedsores for bedridden patients after a stroke or spinal cord injury. Polysomnography (PSG) is considered the gold standard for sleep assessment. Unobtrusive methods for classifying sleep body postures have been presented with similar accuracy to PSG, but most evaluations have been done in research lab environments. To investigate the challenges in the usability of a previously validated device in a clinical setting, we recorded the sleep posture of 17 patients with a sensorized mattress. Ground-truth labels were collected automatically from a PSG device. In addition, we manually labeled the body postures using video data. This allowed us also to evaluate the quality of the PSG labels. We trained neural networks based on the VGG-3 architecture to classify lying postures and used a self-label correction method to account for noisy labels in the training data. The models trained with the video labels achieved a higher classification accuracy than those trained with the PSG labels (0.79 vs. 0.68). The self-label correction could further increase the models' scores based on video and PSG labels to 0.80 and 0.70, respectively. Unobtrusive sensors validated in clinics can, therefore, potentially improve the quality of care for bedridden patients and advance the field of rehabilitation.

Impacts of Oak Mulch Amendments on Rhizosphere Microbiome of Citrus Trees Grown in Florida Flatwood Soils.

Rhizosphere interactions are an understudied component of citrus production. This is even more important in Florida flatwood soils, which pose significant challenges in achieving sustainable and effective fruit production due to low natural fertility and organic matter. Citrus growers apply soil amendments, including oak mulch, to ameliorate their soil conditions. Thus, the aim of this research was to evaluate the effects of oak mulch on citrus nutrient uptake, soil characteristics, and rhizosphere composition. The plant material consisted of 'Valencia' sweet orange (Citrus × sinensis) trees grafted on 'US-812' (C. reticulata × C. trifoliata) rootstock. The experiment consisted of two treatments, which included trees treated with oak mulch (300 kg of mulch per plot) and a control. The soil and leaf nutrient contents, soil pH, cation exchange capacity, moisture, temperature, and rhizosphere bacterial compositions were examined over the course of one year (spring and fall 2021). During the spring samplings, the citrus trees treated with oak mulch resulted in significantly greater soil Zn and Mn contents, greater soil moisture, and greater rhizosphere bacterial diversity compared to the control, while during the fall samplings, only a greater soil moisture content was observed in the treated trees. The soil Zn and Mn content detected during the spring samplings correlated with the significant increases in the diversity of the rhizosphere bacterial community composition. Similarly, the reduced rates of leaching and evaporation (at the soil surface) of oak mulch applied to Florida sandy soils likely played a large role in the significant increase in moisture and nutrient retention.

Low neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and pan-immune-inflammation-value predict nodal pathologic complete response in 1274 breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy: a multicenter analysis.

Background: Systemic inflammatory markers draw great interest as potential blood-based prognostic factors in several oncological settings. Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate whether neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV) predict nodal pathologic complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in node-positive (cN+) breast cancer (BC) patients. Design: Clinically, cN+ BC patients undergoing NAC followed by breast and axillary surgery were enrolled in a multicentric study from 11 Breast Units. Methods: Pretreatment blood counts were collected for the analysis and used to calculate NLR and PIV. Logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate independent predictors of nodal pCR. Results: A total of 1274 cN+ BC patients were included. Nodal pCR was achieved in 586 (46%) patients. At multivariate analysis, low NLR [odds ratio (OR) = 0.71; 95% CI, 0.51-0.98; p = 0.04] and low PIV (OR = 0.63; 95% CI, 0.44-0.90; p = 0.01) were independently predictive of increased likelihood of nodal pCR. A sub-analysis on cN1 patients (n = 1075) confirmed the statistical significance of these variables. PIV was significantly associated with axillary pCR in estrogen receptor (ER)-/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)+ (OR = 0.31; 95% CI, 0.12-0.83; p = 0.02) and ER-/HER2- (OR = 0.41; 95% CI, 0.17-0.97; p = 0.04) BC patients. Conclusion: This study found that low NLR and PIV levels predict axillary pCR in patients with BC undergoing NAC. Registration: Eudract number NCT05798806.

Prognostic role of serum soluble ST2 of advanced breast cancer patients: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: The soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 receptor (sST2) binds to interleukin-33 (IL-33) and blocks IL-33 and ST2 binding, suggesting that sST2 acts as a "decoy" receptor for IL-33 and is involved in the malignant progression of breast cancer. This paper aimed to investigate the differences in sST2 expression in patients with different molecular subtypes of breast cancer and assess its clinical value in the prognostic evaluation of advanced breast cancer. Methods: In this paper, we collected sera from 91 patients firstly diagnosed with advanced breast cancer at the Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital from 2008 to 2021 during their first hospitalization. We detected the expression level of sST2 in the serum of patients with different molecular fractions of breast cancer and analyzed the relationship between serum sST2 levels and breast cancer-related bone metastasis, cardiotoxicity, and overall survival. Bone metastases were detected using the Emission Computed Tomography technique, and chemotherapy drug-induced cardiotoxicity was detected by echocardiography. The Overall Survival was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier estimator, and multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to demonstrate the association between variables and sST2 levels. Results: Serum sST2 levels did not vary among the different pathological types, molecular types, and estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and tumor proliferation marker (Ki-67) subgroups, and only differed significantly in the cardiotoxicity group. There were no statistical differences in tissue polypeptide specific antigen (TPSA), carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 153 (CA153), D-dimer, and inflammatory indexes neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) among different molecular subgroups. However, except for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), there was no difference in peripheral blood soluble ST2 concentrations among other molecular subtypes. Meanwhile, the survival of the high sST2 level group among advanced breast cancer patients was significantly lower than that of the normal group, and sST2 expression was closely related to cardiotoxicity and clinical stage. Conclusions: Serum sST2 is not only traditionally applied to the assessment of cardiac injury, but can also be utilized for assessing the prognosis of advanced breast cancer, excluding the influence of clinical stage and cardiotoxicity.

The extinct Sicilian wolf shows a complex history of isolation and admixture with ancient dogs.

The Sicilian wolf remained isolated in Sicily from the end of the Pleistocene until its extermination in the 1930s-1960s. Given its long-term isolation on the island and distinctive morphology, the genetic origin of the Sicilian wolf remains debated. We sequenced four nuclear genomes and five mitogenomes from the seven existing museum specimens to investigate the Sicilian wolf ancestry, relationships with extant and extinct wolves and dogs, and diversity. Our results show that the Sicilian wolf is most closely related to the Italian wolf but carries ancestry from a lineage related to European Eneolithic and Bronze Age dogs. The average nucleotide diversity of the Sicilian wolf was half of the Italian wolf, with 37-50% of its genome contained in runs of homozygosity. Overall, we show that, by the time it went extinct, the Sicilian wolf had high inbreeding and low-genetic diversity, consistent with a population in an insular environment.

Beyond PARP Inhibitors in Advanced Breast Cancer Patients with Germline BRCA1/2 Mutations: Focus on CDK4/6-Inhibitors and Data Review on Other Biological Therapies.

We explored the outcomes of germline BRCA1/2 pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants (PVs/LPVs) in the endocrine-sensitive disease treated with first-line standard of care cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6) inhibitors. Three studies retrospectively showed a reduction in the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in gBRCA1/2m patients compared to both the germinal BRCA1/2 wild type (gBRCA1/2wt) and the untested population. Regarding the efficacy of PI3Kα inhibitors, there are no subgroups or biomarker analyses in which germinal BRCA status was explored. However, the biological interactions between the PIK3CA/AKT/mTOR pathway and BRCA1/2 at a molecular level could help us to understand the activity of these drugs when used to treat BC in BRCA1/2 PVs/LPVs carriers. The efficacy of trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd), an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting HER2 for HER2-low and HER2-positive (HER2+) BC, has been increasingly described. Unfortunately, data on T-DXd in HER2+ or HER2-low metastatic BC harboring germinal BRCA1/2 PVs/LPVs is lacking. Including germinal BRCA1/2 status in the subgroup analysis of the registration trials of this ADC would be of great interest, especially in the phase III trial DESTINY-breast04. This trial enrolled patients with HER2-negative (HER2-) and both HR+ and HR- metastatic disease, which can now be categorized as HER2-low. The HER2-low subgroup includes tumors that were previously classified as triple negative, so it is highly likely that some women were germline BRCA1/2 PVs/LPVs carriers and this data was not reported. Germline BRCA1/2 status will be available for a higher number of individuals with BC in the near future, and data on the prognostic and predictive role of these PVs/LPVs is needed in order to choose the best treatment options.

MRI-Conditional Breast Tissue Expander: First In-Human Multi-Case Assessment of MRI-Related Complications and Image Quality.

This study aims to assess potential complications and effects on the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) image quality of a new MRI-conditional breast tissue expander (Motiva Flora®) in its first in-human multi-case application. Twenty-four patients with 36 expanders underwent non-contrast breast MRI with T1-weighted, T2-weighted, and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequences on a 3 T unit before breast tissue expander exchange surgery, being monitored during and after MRI for potential complications. Three board-certified breast radiologists blindly and independently reviewed image quality using a four-level scale ("poor", "sufficient", "good", and "excellent"), with inter-reader reliability being assessed with Kendall's τb. The maximum diameters of RFID-related artifacts on T1-weighted and DWI sequences were compared with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. All 24 examinations were completed without patient-related or device-related complications. The T1-weighted and T2-weighted sequences of all the examinations had "excellent" image quality and a median 11 mm (IQR 9-12 mm) RFID artifact maximum diameter, significantly lower (p < 0.001) than on the DWI images (median 32.5 mm, IQR 28.5-34.5 mm). DWI quality was rated at least "good" in 63% of the examinations, with strong inter-reader reliability (Kendall's τb 0.837, 95% CI 0.687-0.952). This first in-human study confirms the MRI-conditional profile of this new expander, which does not affect the image quality of T1-weighted and T2-weighted sequences and moderately affects DWI quality.

Variation in the Root System Architecture of Peach × (Peach × Almond) Backcrosses.

The spatial arrangement and growth pattern of root systems, defined by the root system architecture (RSA), influences plant productivity and adaptation to soil environments, playing an important role in sustainable horticulture. Florida's peach production area covers contrasting soil types, making it necessary to identify rootstocks that exhibit soil-type-specific advantageous root traits. In this sense, the wide genetic diversity of the Prunus genus allows the breeding of rootstock genotypes with contrasting root traits. The evaluation of root traits expressed in young seedlings and plantlets facilitates the early selection of desirable phenotypes in rootstock breeding. Plantlets from three peach × (peach × almond) backcross populations were vegetatively propagated and grown in rhizoboxes. These backcross populations were identified as BC1251, BC1256, and BC1260 and studied in a completely randomized design. Scanned images of the entire root systems of the plantlets were analyzed for total root length distribution by diameter classes, root dry weight by depth horizons, root morphological components, structural root parameters, and root spreading angles. The BC1260 progeny presented a shallower root system and lower root growth. Backcross BC1251 progeny exhibited a more vigorous and deeper root system at narrower root angles, potentially allowing it to explore and exploit water and nutrients in deep sandy entisols from the Florida central ridge.

RNA binding proteins in senescence: A potential common linker for age-related diseases?

Aging represents the major risk factor for the onset and/or progression of various disorders including neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic disorders, and bone-related defects. As the average age of the population is predicted to exponentially increase in the coming years, understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of aging-related diseases and the discovery of new therapeutic approaches remain pivotal. Well-reported hallmarks of aging are cellular senescence, genome instability, autophagy impairment, mitochondria dysfunction, dysbiosis, telomere attrition, metabolic dysregulation, epigenetic alterations, low-grade chronic inflammation, stem cell exhaustion, altered cell-to-cell communication and impaired proteostasis. With few exceptions, however, many of the molecular players implicated within these processes as well as their role in disease development remain largely unknown. RNA binding proteins (RBPs) are known to regulate gene expression by dictating at post-transcriptional level the fate of nascent transcripts. Their activity ranges from directing primary mRNA maturation and trafficking to modulation of transcript stability and/or translation. Accumulating evidence has shown that RBPs are emerging as key regulators of aging and aging-related diseases, with the potential to become new diagnostic and therapeutic tools to prevent or delay aging processes. In this review, we summarize the role of RBPs in promoting cellular senescence and we highlight their dysregulation in the pathogenesis and progression of the main aging-related diseases, with the aim of encouraging further investigations that will help to better disclose this novel and captivating molecular scenario.

Divergent effects of cerium oxide nanoparticles alone and in combination with cadmium on nutrient acquisition and the growth of maize (Zea mays).

Introduction: The increasing use of cerium nanoparticles (CeO2-NPs) has made their influx in agroecosystems imminent through air and soil deposition or untreated wastewater irrigation. Another major pollutant associated with anthropogenic activities is Cd, which has adverse effects on plants, animals, and humans. The major source of the influx of Cd and Ce metals in the human food chain is contaminated food, making it an alarming issue; thus, there is a need to understand the factors that can reduce the potential damage of these heavy metals. Methods: The present investigation was conducted to evaluate the effect of CeO2-10-nm-NPs and Cd (alone and in combination) on Zea mays growth. A pot experiment (in sand) was conducted to check the effect of 0, 200, 400, 600, 1,000, and 2,000 mg of CeO2-10 nm-NPs/kg-1 dry sand alone and in combination with 0 and 0.5 mg Cd/kg-1 dry sand on maize seedlings grown in a partially controlled greenhouse environment, making a total of 12 treatments applied in four replicates under a factorial design. Maize seedling biomass, shoot and root growth, nutrient content, and root anatomy were measured. Results and discussion: The NPs were toxic to plant biomass (shoot and root dry weight), and growth at 2,000 ppm was the most toxic in Cd-0 sets. For Cd-0.5 sets, NPs applied at 1,000 ppm somewhat reverted Cd toxicity compared with the contaminated control (CC). Additionally, CeO2-NPs affected Cd translocation, and variable Ce uptake was observed in the presence of Cd compared with non-Cd applied sets. Furthermore, CeO2-NPs partially controlled the elemental content of roots and shoots (micronutrients such as B, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, and Fe and the elements Co and Si) and affected root anatomy.

Grapefruit Root and Rhizosphere Responses to Varying Planting Densities, Fertilizer Concentrations and Application Methods.

Huanglongbing (HLB) disease has caused a severe decline in citrus production globally over the past decade. There is a need for improved nutrient regimens to better manage the productivity of HLB-affected trees, as current guidelines are based on healthy trees. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different fertilizer application methods and rates with different planting densities on HLB-affected citrus root and soil health. Plant material consisted of 'Ray Ruby' (Citrus × paradisi) grapefruit trees grafted on 'Kuharske' citrange (Citrus × sinensis × Citrus trifoliata). The study consisted of 4 foliar fertilizer treatments, which included 0×, 1.5×, 3× and 6× the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agriculture (UF/IFAS) recommended guidelines for B, Mn and Zn. Additionally, 2 ground-applied fertilizer treatments were used, specifically controlled-release fertilizer (CRF1): 12-3-14 + B, Fe, Mn and Zn micronutrients at 1× UF/IFAS recommendation, and (CRF2): 12-3-14 + 2× Mg + 3× B, Fe, Mn and Zn micronutrients, with micronutrients applied as sulfur-coated products. The planting densities implemented were low (300 trees ha-1), medium (440 trees ha-1) and high (975 trees ha-1). The CRF fertilizer resulted in greater soil nutrient concentrations through all of the time sampling points, with significant differences in soil Zn and Mn. Grapefruit treated with ground-applied CRF2 and 3× foliar fertilizers resulted in the greatest bacterial alpha and beta diversity in the rhizosphere. Significantly greater abundances of Rhizobiales and Vicinamibacterales were found in the grapefruit rhizosphere of trees treated with 0× UF/IFAS foliar fertilizer compared to higher doses of foliar fertilizers.

Influence of ionic cerium and cerium oxide nanoparticles on Zea mays seedlings grown with and without cadmium.

Cerium (Ce4+) and cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2-NPs) have diversified reported effects on plants. Once dispersed in the environment their fate is not well understood, especially in co-existence with other pollutants like cadmium (Cd). The effect of co-application of Ce and Cd are reported in various studies, but the role of Ce source (ionic or bulk) and nanoparticle size is still unknown in cereal plants like maize (Zea mays). To better understand the synergistic effects of Ce and Cd, 500 mg kg-1 Ce coming from ionic (Ce4+ as CeSO4) and CeO2 nano sources (10 nm, 50 nm, and 100 nm) alone and in combination with 0.5 mg Cd kg-1 sand were applied to maize seedlings. Growth, physiology, root structure, anatomy, and ionic homeostasis in maize were measured. The results revealed that Ce4+ resulted in overall decrease in seedling growth, biomass and resulted in higher heavy metal (in control sets) and Cd (in Cd spiked sets) uptake in maize seedlings' root and shoot. The effects of CeO2-NPs were found to be dependent on particle size; in fact, under Cd-0 (non-Cd spiked sets) CeO2-100 nm showed beneficial effects compared to the control. While under co-application with Cd, CeO2-50 nm showed net beneficial effects on maize seedling growth parameters. The Ce alone, and in combination with Cd, altered the root suberin barrier formation. Both ionic and nano Ce sources alone and in co-existence with Cd behaved differently for tissue elemental concentrations (Ce, Cd, micronutrients like B, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, Fe and elements Co, Si) suggesting a strong influence of Cd-Ce coexistence on the element's uptake and translocation in maize.

Function and prognosis analysis of nucleolus protein DCAF13 in breast cancer.

Background: Breast cancer is one of the main causes of death among women. RNA binding proteins (RBPs) play a crucial role in the progression of breast cancer, with increasingly detailed understanding of RBP functional molecular mechanisms in breast cancer, the functional research of RBPs may help elucidate the potential mechanisms of tumor occurrence, development, invasion, metastasis and prognosis. DDB1- and CUL4-associated factor 13 (DCAF13) is an RBPs has been identified as a substrate receptor for the CUL4-DDB1 E3 ligase complex. Its expression is related to the prognosis of certain cancer. We tried to explore both co-expressed network and biological functions of DCAF13 in breast cancer. Methods: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was used to analyze the different expression of DCAF13 messenger RNA (mRNA) between normal breast tissue and breast carcinoma tissue, and the clinical data about 960 samples were downloaded from the cBio Cancer Genomics Portal (cBioPortal). The expression level of DCAF13, co-expression network, and survival were analyzed. Those with a fold change ≥1 and FDR <0.05 were considered to have statistical significance. Unsupervised clustering of differentially expressed RBPs was performed based on log2-transformed FPKM values using the "pheatmap" package in R. Genes with a Spearman score >0.55 were regarded as moderately co-expressed genes. The Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) database was used to construct a co-expression network. Meanwhile, the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases were used to identify the biological process cluster and pathway cluster, respectively. Results: Compared with normal breast tissue, DCAF13 mRNA expression was significantly increased in breast cancer tissue (P<0.01). The Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) was used to identify the functions of the co-expressed network. These genes were mainly enriched in mitosis, nuclear division, metabolic process, recombination, replication and repair of DNA, double-strand break repair, posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression, regulation of cell cycle, division and proliferation, regulation of protein stability and also participation in in regulation of poly(A) RNA binding, mRNA binding, tRNA binding, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) binding. KEGG pathway analysis revealed that the genes were mainly enriched in cell cycle, oocyte meiosis and oxidative phosphorylation. According to survival analysis, upregulation of DCAF13 mRNA was significant for overall survival (OS) (P=0.0163). Conclusions: DCAF13 is up-regulated in breast cancer, the OS of patients with DCAF13 up-regulation was obviously reduced. DCAF13 was used as a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for breast cancer. By building a co-expression network of DCAF13 and conducting bioinformatics analysis, it is possible to find the biomarker to evaluate patient prognosis. This finding provides a new target in mechanism and cell research of breast cancer.

Root-Shoot Nutrient Dynamics of Huanglongbing-Affected Grapefruit Trees.

With huanglongbing (HLB) causing a reduction in fine root mass early in disease progression, HLB-affected trees have lower nutrient uptake capability. Questions regarding the uptake efficiency of certain fertilizer application methods have been raised. Therefore, the goals of this study are to determine if nutrient management methods impact nutrient translocation and identify where in the tree nutrients are translocated. Destructive nutrient and biomass analysis were conducted on field grown HLB-affected grapefruit trees (Citrus × paradisi) grafted on 'sour orange' (Citrus × aurantium) rootstock under different fertilizer application methods. Fertilizer was applied in the form of either 100% soluble granular fertilizer, controlled release fertilizer (CRF), or liquid fertilizer. After three years, the entire tree was removed from the grove, dissected into eight different components (feeder roots, lateral roots, structural roots, trunk, primary branches, secondary branches, twigs, and leaves), weighed, and then analyzed for nutrient contents. Overall, application methods showed differences in nutrient allocation in leaf, twig, and feeder root; however, no consistent pattern was observed. Additionally, leaf, twig, and feeder roots had higher amount of nutrients compared to the other tree components. This study showed that fertilization methods do impact nutrient contents in different components of HLB-affected trees. Further research should be conducted on the impact of different fertilizer application methods and rates on HLB-affected trees.

Rhizoboxes as Rapid Tools for the Study of Root Systems of Prunus Seedlings.

Rootstocks are fundamental for peach production, and their architectural root traits determine their performance. Root-system architecture (RSA) analysis is one of the key factors involved in rootstock selection. However, there are few RSA studies on Prunus spp., mostly due to the tedious and time-consuming labor of measuring below-ground roots. A root-phenotyping experiment was developed to analyze the RSA of seedlings from 'Okinawa' and 'Guardian'™ peach rootstocks. The seedlings were established in rhizoboxes and their root systems scanned and architecturally analyzed. The root-system depth:width ratio (D:W) throughout the experiment, as well as the root morphological parameters, the depth rooting parameters, and the root angular spread were estimated. The 'Okinawa' exhibited greater root morphological traits, as well as the other parameters, confirming the relevance of the spatial disposition and growth pattern of the root system.

Multivalent γ-PGA-Exendin-4 Conjugates to Target Pancreatic ß-Cells.

Targeting of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R), expressed on the surface of pancreatic ß-cells, is of great interest for the development of advanced therapies for diabetes and diagnostics for insulinoma. We report the conjugation of exendin-4 (Ex-4), an approved drug to treat type 2 diabetes, to poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) to obtain more stable and effective GLP-1R ligands. Exendin-4 modified at Lysine-27 with PEG4-maleimide was conjugated to γ-PGA functionalized with furan, in different molar ratios, exploiting a chemoselective Diels-Alder cycloaddition. The γ-PGA presenting the highest number of conjugated Ex-4 molecules (average 120 per polymeric chain) showed a double affinity towards GLP-1R with respect to exendin per se, paving the way to improved therapeutic and diagnostic applications.