Complete chloroplast genome of the Malus baccata var. gracilis provides insights into the evolution and phylogeny of Malus species.

Malus baccata (L.) var. gracilis (Rehd.) has high ornamental value and breeding significance, and comparative chloroplast genome analysis was applied to facilitate genetic breeding for desired traits and resistance and provide insight into the phylogeny of this genus. Using data from whole-genome sequencing, a tetrameric chloroplast genome with a length of 159,992 bp and a total GC content of 36.56% was constructed. The M. baccata var. gracilis chloroplast genome consists of a large single-copy sequence (88,100 bp), a short single-copy region (19,186 bp), and two inverted repeat regions, IRa (26,353 bp) and IRb (26,353 bp). This chloroplast genome contains 112 annotated genes, including 79 protein-coding genes (nine multicopy), 29 tRNA genes (eight multicopy), and four rRNA genes (all multicopy). Calculating the relative synonymous codon usage revealed a total of 32 high-frequency codons, and the codons exhibited a biased usage pattern towards A/U as the ending nucleotide. Interspecific sequence comparison and boundary analysis revealed significant sequence variation in the vast single-copy region, as well as generally similar expansion and contraction of the SSC and IR regions for 10 analyzed Malus species. M. baccata var. gracilis and Malus hupehensis were grouped together into one branch based on phylogenetic analysis of chloroplast genome sequences. The chloroplast genome of Malus species provides an important foundation for species identification, genetic diversity analysis, and Malus chloroplast genetic engineering. Additionally, the results can facilitate the use of pendant traits to improve apple tree shape.

Multi-omics analysis reveals the biosynthesis of flavonoids during the browning process of Malus sieversii explants.

Malus sieversii is a precious apple germplasm resource. Browning of explants is one of the most important factors limiting the survival rate of plant tissue culture. In order to explore the molecular mechanism of the browning degree of different strains of Malus sieversii, we compared the dynamic changes of Malus sieversii and Malus robusta Rehd. during the whole browning process using a multi-group method. A total of 44 048 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by transcriptome analysis on the DNBSEQ-T7 sequencing platform. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the DEGs were significantly enriched in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway. In addition, metabonomic analysis showed that (-)-epicatechin, astragalin, chrysin, irigenin, isoquercitrin, naringenin, neobavaisoflavone and prunin exhibited different degrees of free radical scavenging ability in the tissue culture browning process, and their accumulation in different varieties led to differences in the browning degree among varieties. Comprehensive transcriptome and metabonomics analysis of the data related to flavonoid biosynthesis showed that PAL, 4CL, F3H, CYP73A, CHS, CHI, ANS, DFR and PGT1 were the key genes for flavonoid accumulation during browning. In addition, WGCNA analysis revealed a strong correlation between the known flavonoid structure genes and the selected transcriptional genes. Protein interaction predictions demonstrated that 19 transcription factors (7 MYBs and 12 bHLHs) and 8 flavonoid structural genes had targeted relationships. The results show that the interspecific differential expression of flavonoid genes is the key influencing factor of the difference in browning degree between Malus sieversii and Malus robusta Rehd., providing a theoretical basis for further study on the regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis.

Comparative study of clinical reasoning competence and self-directed learning competence in nurses across varied years of experience.

OBJECTIVES: To compare and analyse the differences in the clinical reasoning competence of nurses with different working years and their relationship with self-directed learning competence. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey design (online investigation) was used. A total of 376 nurses were recruited from four independent hospitals in China. Online questionnaires collected data on nurses' demographic characteristics and assessed their clinical reasoning and self-directed learning competence. Pearson correlation analysis, t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multivariate regression analysis were used. RESULTS: Clinical reasoning competence scores of nurses with working years >10 years were higher than those of other nurses. Self-directed learning competence scores of nurses with working years of <1 year and (from ≥1 year to <3 years) were lower than those of nurses with working years of 6-10 years and >10 years. Self-directed learning competence scores of nurses with working years of 3-5 years were lower than those of nurses with working years of >10 years. There was a positive correlation between clinical reasoning competence, self-directed learning competence and each dimension among nurses of different working years. There are differences in the influence of different dimensions of self-directed learning competence on clinical reasoning competence among different working years. CONCLUSION: There were differences in clinical reasoning and self-directed learning competence among nurses with different working years. Self-directed learning competence is a positive predictor of nurses' clinical reasoning competence, which applied to nurses with all working years; however, the specific effect of self-directed learning competence on clinical reasoning competence differed among nurses with different working years. IMPLICATION FOR NURSING MANAGERS: Nursing managers should pay attention to the development characteristics of clinical reasoning competence and self-directed learning competence of nurses with different working years and determine effective intervention strategies according to specific influencing factors.

Rare Presentation of Rapidly Involuting Congenital Hemangioma of the Skull: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Rapidly involuting congenital hemangioma (RICH) of the fetal skull is an extremely rare vascular disease which undergoes proliferation only in utero and progresses with maximal size at birth. RICH can be detected by prenatal imaging but is easily misdiagnosed. CASE REPORT A 28-year-old nulliparous woman was referred at 38 weeks of gestation for routine screening with obstetric ultrasonography. The ultrasonography revealed a female fetus with a previously undetected head tumor (32×22 mm). Certain unusual sonographic features were observed: the lesion was fusiform, with a wide base adjacent to the frontal bone. Tumor growth appeared to be toward the brain parenchyma rather than outwards (ie, toward the skull), which suggested that the mass may have been derived from the skull. The mass may have remained undiagnosed due to its small size or due to the superimposition of the skull in poor quality ultrasound images. On the basis of ultrasound findings, the lesion was diagnosed as an intracranial tumor, but fetal MRI findings led to the suspicion of RICH of the fetal skull. Finally, the patient was followed up until 1 year after birth, by which time the lesion had completely disappeared. CONCLUSIONS Careful evaluation of prenatal ultrasound is necessary to ensure detection of any mass adjacent to the skull, and the ultrasonography technician should carefully examine the features of any suspected mass to diagnose it correctly to avoid affecting the treatment strategy.

Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides Improves Cognitive Functions in ICV-STZ-Induced Alzheimer's Disease Mice Model by Improving the Synaptic Structural Plasticity and Regulating IRS1/PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway.

Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) have a certain curative effect on hypoglycemic and neuroprotective effects, but the specific mechanism is unclear and needs to be further explored. This study aimed to clarify the mechanisms of LBP in the treatment of ICV-STZ mice model of AD from the perspectives of insulin resistance, IRS1/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, and synaptic protein expression. We used male C57BL/6J mice injected with STZ (3 mg/kg) in the lateral ventricle as an AD model. After treatment with LBP, the learning and memory abilities of ICV-STZ mice were enhanced, and the pathological changes in brain tissue were alleviated. LBP can regulate the expression of proteins related to the IRS1/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and thereby reducing Aß deposition and tau protein phosphorylation in the brain of ICV-STZ mice. In addition, LBP also can up-regulate the expression of synaptic proteins. The results indicated that LBP played a neuroprotective role by regulating the IRS1/PI3K/AKT pathway, inhibiting tau protein hyperphosphorylation and improving the expression levels of synapse-related proteins.

Isolation, Identification, Genomic Diversity, and Antimicrobial Resistance Analysis of Streptococcus suis in Hubei Province of China from 2021 to 2023.

Streptococcus suis (S. suis) is a zoonotic pathogen capable of causing severe diseases in humans and pigs, including meningitis, sepsis, polyserositis, arthritis, and endocarditis. This study aimed to investigate the biological characteristics of 19 strains of S. suis isolated from diseased pigs in Hubei Province between 2021 and 2023. Through bioinformatics analysis, we investigated the serotype, MLST, pan-genome characteristics, SNP, AMR, and ICE of the 19 S. suis isolates. Among the 19 S. suis strains, ten serotypes were identified, and serotype 9 was the most prevalent (21.05%). Ten new alleles and nine new sequence types (STs) were discovered, with ST28 and ST243 emerging as the predominant STs. The results of the pan-genomic analysis of S. suis indicate that there are 943 core genes, 2259 shell genes, and 5663 cloud genes. Through SNP evolutionary analysis, we identified a strong genetic similarity between SS31 and the reference genome P1/7. The analysis of antibiotic resistance genes revealed widespread presence of erm(B) and tet(O) genes among 19 strains of S. suis. This association may be linked to the high resistance of S. suis to lincosamides, macrolides, and tetracyclines. Integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs) and integrative and mobilizable elements (IMEs) were identified in 16 strains, with a carriage rate of 84.21%, and resistance genes were identified within the ICE/IME elements of 8 strains. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed that all strains showed sensitivity to vancomycin and lincomycin but resistance to tilmicosin, tiamulin, amoxicillin, and doxycycline. This study contributes to our understanding of the genomic diversity of S. suis in Hubei Province of China, providing essential data for the comprehensive prevention and control of S. suis infections in China.

A novel easy-to-desorb eluant contributes to address environmental contamination of African swine fever virus.

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a highly pathogenic and rapidly disseminated virus with strong viability in the environment, suggesting the importance of environmental detection for prevention and control in all the pig industry. However, the detection results of environmental swabs cannot always reflect the accurate status of viral pollution, leading to persistent ASFV environmental contamination. In this study, we developed an ASFV eluant with higher environmental ASFV detection efficiency relative to 0.85% saline solution, which obtains the patent certificate issued by the China Intellectual Property Office (patent number:202010976050.9). qPCR analysis showed that in the environmental swab samples, the number of viral copies was 100 times higher for the ASFV eluant treatment than the traditional eluant treatment (0.85% saline solution). And besides, the high sensitivity of the ASFV eluant had be verified in a slaughterhouse environmental sampling detection. In soil samples, the ASFV eluent showed the same extraction effect as the TIANamp Soil DNA Kit, in contrast to no extraction effect for 0.85% saline solution. Simultaneously, this eluent could protect ASFV from degradation and allow the transportation of samples at ambient temperature without refrigeration. In clinical practice, we monitored the environmental contamination condition of the ASFV in a large-scale pig farm. The results shown that the ASFV load decreased after every disinfection in environment. This study provides an effective solution for surveilling the potential threat of ASFV in environment.

Analysis of flavonoid metabolism of compounds in succulent fruits and leaves of three different colors of Rosaceae.

Red flesh apple (Malus pumila var. medzwetzkyana Dieck), purple leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera Ehrhar f), and purple leaf peach (Prunus persica 'Atropurpurea') are significant ornamental plants within the Rosaceae family. The coloration of their fruits and leaves is crucial in their appearance and nutritional quality. However, qualitative and quantitative studies on flavonoids in the succulent fruits and leaves of multicolored Rosaceae plants are lacking. To unveil the diversity and variety-specificity of flavonoids in these three varieties, we conducted a comparative analysis of flavonoid metabolic components using ultra-high-performance liquid phase mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The results revealed the detection of 311 metabolites, including 47 flavonoids, 105 flavonols, 16 chalcones, 37 dihydroflavonoids, 8 dihydroflavonols, 30 anthocyanins, 14 flavonoid carbon glycosides, 23 flavanols, 8 isoflavones, 11 tannins, and 12 proanthocyanidins. Notably, although the purple plum and peach leaves exhibited distinct anthocyanin compounds, paeoniflorin and corythrin glycosides were common but displayed varying glycosylation levels. While the green purple leaf peach fruit (PEF) and red flesh apple leaf (AL) possessed the lowest anthocyanin content, they exhibited the highest total flavonoid content. Conversely, the red flesh apple fruit (AF) displayed the highest anthocyanin content and a diverse range of anthocyanin glycosylation modifications, indicating that anthocyanins predominantly influenced the fruit's color. Purple PLF, PLL, and PEL showcased varying concentrations of anthocyanins, suggesting that their colors result from the co-color interaction between specific types of anthocyanins and secondary metabolites, such as flavonols, flavonoids, and dihydroflavonoids. This study provides novel insights into the variations in tissue metabolites among Rosaceae plants with distinct fruit and leaf colors.

Effects of pristimerin on the proliferation, apoptosis and vasculogenic mimicry of cervical cancer HeLa cells by regulating the Shh/Gli1 signaling pathway / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@#[摘 要] 目的：探讨扁蒴藤素（Pris）调节Shh/Gli1信号通路对宫颈癌HeLa细胞增殖、凋亡和血管生成拟态（VM）的影响及其机制。方法：采用MTT法检测不同浓度Pris对宫颈癌HeLa细胞增殖的抑制作用，以选取合适的干预浓度。将HeLa细胞分为对照组、环巴胺组、Pris组、Pris+pc-NC组和Pris+pc-Shh组。采用MTT法、EdU法检测各组细胞的增殖能力，Transwell小室法、流式细胞术检测各组细胞的迁移及侵袭能力和细胞凋亡率，体外血管生成实验观察VM形成情况，qPCR法检测各组细胞中Shh和Gli1 mRNA表达水平，WB法检测细胞中血管内皮生长因子A（VEGF-A）、血管内皮钙黏素（VE-cadherin）、Ki-67、caspase-3及与Shh/Gli1信号通路相关蛋白表达水平。结果：0.25~2.5 mmol/L的Pris对HeLa细胞增殖均有显著抑制作用，选择1.5 mmol/L的Pris进行后续实验。对照组细胞形成良好的管腔结构，与对照组相比，环巴胺组、Pris组和Pris+pc-NC组HeLa细胞管腔结构被明显破坏，细胞增殖活力和增殖率、迁移及侵袭细胞数目、Shh和Gli1 mRNA、VEGF-A、VE-cadherin、Ki-67、Shh、Gli1蛋白表达均显著降低（均P<0.05），细胞凋亡率和caspase-3表达均显著升高（均P<0.05）；环巴胺组与Pris组HeLa细胞各项检测指标比较差异均无统计学意义（均P>0.05）；与Pris+pc-NC组相比，Pris+pc-Shh组细胞管腔结构形成明显改善，细胞增殖活力和增殖率、迁移及侵袭细胞数、Shh和Gli1 mRNA、VEGF-A、VE-cadherin、Ki-67、Shh、Gli1蛋白表达均显著升高（均P<0.05），细胞凋亡率和caspase-3表达均显著降低（均P<0.05）。结论：Pris抑制宫颈癌HeLa细胞的增殖、迁移与侵袭和VM的形成并促进细胞凋亡，可能与阻断Shh/Gli1信号通路有关。