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Persimmon is classified as either pollination-constant non-astringent (PCNA) or non-PCNA on the basis of the loss of astringency in fruit. PCNA trait of persimmon has attracted much research attention owing to its economical merit, as there is no cost in removing astringency. To efficiently develop new PCNA cultivars in crossbreeding, marker-assisted selection plays a crucial role. Here, we describe a cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) marker that can be used to select PCNA persimmon. A sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR) marker used to screen for PCNA offspring is unsuitable for populations recently derived from two non-PCNA parents ('Yoshidagosho' and 'Toyoichi'), resulting in the selection of non-PCNA offspring as PCNA. To detect specific polymorphisms for these non-PCNA offspring, we analyzed fragment sizes of SCAR marker products by capillary DNA sequencing. A slightly lower-molecular-weight fragment at 353 bp was specifically detected in non-PCNA offspring but not in PCNA offspring. We treated the SCAR marker products with the StuI restriction enzyme and demonstrated that the smaller 353-bp fragment corresponded to allele a353-1, one of four previously identified sequence polymorphisms at the 353-bp peak, and a353-1 is linked to non-PCNA trait. Comprehensive analysis of 130 germplasms by the CAPS marker, detecting the truncated fragment after StuI treatment, indicated the presence of a353-1 in 38 non-PCNA cultivars. Our findings suggest the potential use of the CAPS marker for selecting PCNA offspring derived from these 38 non-PCNA cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: One hundred and fifty-five QTL for trace element concentrations in foxtail millet were identified using a genome-wide association study, and a candidate gene associated with Ni–Co–Cr concentrations was detected. Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) is an important regional crop known for its rich mineral nutrient content, which has beneficial effects on human health. We assessed the concentrations of ten trace elements (Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, and Zn) in the grain of 408 foxtail millet accessions. Significant differences in the concentrations of five elements (Ba, Co, Ni, Sr, and Zn) were observed between two subpopulations of spring- and summer-sown foxtail millet varieties. Moreover, 84.4% of the element pairs exhibited significant correlations. To identify the genetic factors influencing trace element accumulation, a comprehensive genome-wide association study was conducted, identifying 155 quantitative trait locus (QTL) for the ten trace elements across three different environments. Among them, ten QTL were consistently detected in multiple environments, including qZn2.1, qZn4.4, qCr4.1, qFe6.3, qFe6.5, qCo6.1, qPb7.3, qPb7.5, qBa9.1, and qNi9.1. Thirteen QTL clusters were detected for multiple elements, which partially explained the correlations between elements. Additionally, the different concentrations of five elements between foxtail millet subpopulations were caused by the different frequencies of high-concentration alleles associated with important marker-trait associations. Haplotype analysis identified a candidate gene SETIT_036676mg associated with Ni accumulation, with the GG haplotype significantly increasing Ni–Co–Cr concentrations in foxtail millet. A cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence marker (cNi6676) based on the two haplotypes of SETIT_036676mg was developed and validated. Results of this study provide valuable reference information for the genetic research and improvement of trace element content in foxtail millet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Frequency of imaging markers (FIM) has been identified as an independent predictor of hematoma expansion in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), but its impact on clinical outcome of ICH is yet to be determined. The aim of the present study was to investigate this association. Methods: This study was a secondary analysis of our prior research. The data for this study were derived from six retrospective cohorts of ICH from January 2018 to August 2022. All consecutive study participants were examined within 6 h of stroke onset on neuroimaging. FIM was defined as the ratio of the number of imaging markers on noncontrast head tomography (i.e., hypodensities, blend sign, and island sign) to onset-to-neuroimaging time. The primary poor outcome was defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of 3–6 at 3 months. Results: A total of 1253 patients with ICH were included for final analysis. Among those with available follow-up results, 713 (56.90%) exhibited a poor neurologic outcome at 3 months. In a univariate analysis, FIM was associated with poor prognosis (odds ratio 4.36; 95% confidence interval 3.31–5.74; p < 0.001). After adjustment for age, Glasgow Coma Scale score, systolic blood pressure, hematoma volume, and intraventricular hemorrhage, FIM was still an independent predictor of worse prognosis (odds ratio 3.26; 95% confidence interval 2.37–4.48; p < 0.001). Based on receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, a cutoff value of 0.28 for FIM was associated with 0.69 sensitivity, 0.66 specificity, 0.73 positive predictive value, 0.62 negative predictive value, and 0.71 area under the curve for the diagnosis of poor outcome. Conclusions: The metric of FIM is associated with 3-month poor outcome after ICH. The novel indicator that helps identify patients who are likely within the 6-h time window at risk for worse outcome would be a valuable addition to the clinical management of ICH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) have many limitations in diagnosing prediabetes. Glycated albumin (GA) estimation can be a potential tool for its early diagnosis. The present study aims to analyze the diagnostic efficacy of GA to identify prediabetes. Methods: Prediabetics (n = 406) and healthy (n = 406) subjects were included. OGTT was used as the diagnostic standard for identifying prediabetes. HbA1c was estimated in a Bio-Rad D-10 analyzer based on the High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method. GA was measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique and was expressed as a percent of total albumin. Total albumin was measured by the modified bromocresol Purple (BCP) dye-binding method in Siemen's autoanalyzer. Results: HbA1c (5.83 ± 0.57%) and GA (14.43 ± 1.92%) were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the prediabetics as compared to healthy individuals. Both HbA1c and GA showed a significantly positive correlation with fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and 2-h plasma glucose. However, the correlation was stronger with 2-h plasma glucose for both parameters. GA and HbA1c also showed a significant positive correlation with each other. HbA1c, at 5.7% cut-off, predicted prediabetes with 74% sensitivity and 90% specificity. At the cut-off of 13.5%, GA showed 66% sensitivity and 85% specificity to identify pre-diabetes. The sensitivity of the combined tests was significantly greater than that for HbA1c alone (84% combined versus 74% HbA1c). Conclusion: GA, combined with HbA1c, can be used as a screening test for identifying pre-diabetes. Early diagnosis and interventions could prevent disease progression and limit dreadful complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mid- to late-stage Parkinson's disease (PD) is often linked with worsened and significant impairment of motor activities, but existing prognostic markers do not adequately capture the risk of loss of balance in PD patients. This study aims to develop a risk prognostic model for mid- to late-stage PD and identify prognostic factors that are indicative of impending loss of balance and falls. Methods: The study included 307 participants of which 75 were diagnosed with idiopathic PD and 232 were neurological or non-neurological controls. Among the PD group, 46 were early-stage (Hoehn and Yahr [H&Y] = 1,2) with no significant loss of balance while 29 were mid- to late-stage (H&Y = 3,4,5) which is characterized by loss of balance and falls. Multivariable logistic regression (MLR) was used to develop a prognostic model for mid- to late-stage PD. Model discrimination was assessed by ROC curves. The model was internally validated through bootstrapping and calibration plots. Results: The relevant factors identified and included in the final MLR model were shortness of breath, age, swollen joints, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) protein, and total salivary protein. The model had an AUC of 0.82 (95% CI = 0.71–0.92) and was well calibrated (calibration slope = 0.77, intercept = 0.03). The likelihood of shortness of breath (OR = 7.91, 95% CI = 1.63–45.12) was significantly higher among mid- to late-stage PD than early-stage. Age and total salivary protein were also significantly higher among mid- to late-stage PD. Conclusion: The MLR prognostic model for mid- to late-stage PD may assist physicians in identifying patients at high risk for loss of balance and falls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant secondary cell wall provides physical support for upright growth and transportation of water and nutrients. Detailed characterization of the molecular mechanism for SCW biosynthesis would be of great importance for breeding maize varieties. Cellulose, synthesized by the cellulose synthase complex (CSC), composed of cellulose synthase (CesA) proteins, is a main component of plant cell walls. However, CesA genes that are specific for SCW biosynthesis in maize were undefined. In our study, ZmCesA10, 11, and 12 were characterized to be responsible for SCW biosynthesis in maize. ZmCesA10, 11, and 12 interact with each other and are co-expressed in maize culms and roots. Mutants for ZmCesA10, 11, and 12, exhibited an increased culm brittleness, a reduced cell wall thickness, and cellulose content. We concluded that ZmCesA10, 11, and 12 would be markers for the SCW study, and finally this study helps in the construction of the molecular network for SCW biosynthesis in maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a marker and its real-time tracking method are proposed. Different from existing technologies that recognize the markers by spatial event features, which lead to many practical problems, we discover the possibility of using temporal features. Strobe LEDs (light emitting diode) are used as markers to produce periodically flipping events, and a fast clustering-based algorithm is designed to track and recognize these markers simultaneously. Experiments demonstrate that our methods have superior speed and accuracy compared to state-of-the-arts. The markers can be stably tracked in many challenging situations, thus can be used in various visual tracking applications. The proposed method introduces a new marker and its corresponding recognition algorithm for event camera-based targets tracking, offering a reliable solution for various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The genetic improvement in growth and food habit domestication of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) have made breakthroughs in past decades, while the relevant work on disease resistance were rarely carried out. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes, which are well known as their numbers and high polymorphisms, have been used as candidate genes to mine disease-resistant-related molecular markers in many species. Methods and results: In present study, we developed and characterized 40 polymorphic and biallelic InDel markers from the major histocompatibility complex genes of largemouth bass. The minor allele frequency, observed heterozygosity, expected heterozygosity and polymorphic information content of these markers ranged from 0.0556 to 0.5000, 0.1111 to 0.6389, 0.1064 to 0.5070, and 0.0994 to 0.3750, respectively. Three loci deviated significantly from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, while linkage disequilibrium existed at none of these loci. Conclusion: These InDel markers might provide references for the further correlation analysis and molecular assisted selection of disease resistance in largemouth bass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study focuses on the application range of nitrous oxide as a hold-up time marker in supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). This compound has been suggested a decade ago to be used as unretained marker, something that the field of SFC was missing for a long time, since its beneficial properties make it an ideal candidate as hold-up time marker. Determination of the hold-up volume and actual volumetric flow rates have always been problematic in SFC due to the compressibility of carbon dioxide and one part of this is the difficulty of hold-up time measurements. Depending on the mobile phase, different methods have been used to measure the hold-up time with varying results. Nitrous oxide and other molecules have been compared in different conditions, mobile phases and stationary phases. In all cases, nitrous oxide gave the lowest elution times. However, detection was difficult in mobile phases containing 10% or more of organic modifier, because most solvents mask the signal of nitrous oxide. Interestingly, the choice of stationary phase also had a slight effect on detection, while different pressure and temperature settings affected each compound in a different manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insulinoma is an excessive insulin-released beta cell tumor. Pancreas cancer is one of the deadliest malignant neoplasms. Exosomes are secreted cell membrane vesicles containing a large number of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of exosomes on two cell lines of benign and malignant character. For the first time, exosomes were isolated from pancreatic island-derived progenitor cells (PID-PCs) and applied to INS-1 and MiaPaCa-2 cells. In addition, exosomes isolated from PID-PC, MiaPaca-2, and INS-1 cells were characterized in order to compare their sizes with other previously isolated exosomes. Alix, TSG101, CD9, and CD81 were analyzed. The size and concentration of exosomes and the cell viability were detected. The cells were marked with HSP90, HSF-1, Kaspaz-8, Active-Kaspaz-3, Beclin, and p-Bcl-2. The cell cytotoxicity and insulin levels kit were measured. Alix in all exosomes, and PID-PC, MiaPaca-2 cell lysates; TSG101 in PID-PC and MiaPaca-2 cell lysates; CD9 in INS-1 exosomes were detected. The dimensions of isolated exosomes were 103.6 ± 28.6 nm, 100.7 ± 10 nm, and 147.2 ± 12.3 nm for PID-PCs, MiaPaca-2, and INS-1 cells. The cell viability decreased and HSP90 increased in the MiaPaca-2 cells. The HSF-1 was higher in the control MiaPaca-2 cell compared to the control INS-1 cell, and the exosome-treated MiaPaca-2 cell compared to the exosome-treated INS-1 cell. Beclin and p-Bcl-2 were decreased in the exosome-treated MiaPaca-2 cells. The insulin level in the cell lysates increased compared to cell secretion in INS-1 cells. In conclusion, exosomes isolated from the PID-PC caused cell death in the MiaPaca-2 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The IC50 value determined for MiaPaca-2 cells has no effect on cell viability in INS-1 cells, which best mimics pancreatic beta cells and can be used instead of healthy pancreatic beta cells. Isolated exosomes can kill cancer cells without damaging healthy cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long noncoding RNAs have been shown to be involved in a myriad of physiological and pathological pathways. To date, malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is considered an extremely aggressive cancer. One reason for this is the late diagnosis of the disease, which can occur within 30–40 years of asbestos exposure. There is an immense need for the development of new, sensitive, inexpensive and easy methods for the early detection of this disease other than invasive methods such as biopsy. The aim of this study was to determine the expression of circulating lncRNAs in mesothelioma patient plasma to identify potential biomarkers. Ten previously identified lncRNAs that were shown to be aberrantly expressed in mesothelioma tissues were selected as candidates for subsequent validation. The expression of the ten selected candidate lncRNAs was verified via quantitative PCR (qPCR) in human plasma samples from mesothelioma patients versus healthy controls. The expression levels of circulating GAS5, SNHG8 and MALAT1 were significantly greater in plasma samples from patients than in those from controls. The ROC analysis of both MALAT1 and SNHG8 revealed 88.89% sensitivity and 66.67% specificity. The sensitivity of these markers was greater than that of GAS5 (sensitivity 72.22% and specificity 66.67%). The regression model for GAS5 was statistically significant, while that for SNHG8 and MALAT1 was not significant due to the small sample size. The area under the curve (AUC) of the three ROC curves was acceptable and significant: 0.7519 for GAS5, 0.7352 for SNHG8 and 0.7185 for MALAT1. This finding confirmed their ability to be used as markers. The three lncRNAs were not affected by age, sex or smoking status. The three lncRNAs showed great potential as independent predictive diagnostic biomarkers. Although the prediction model for MALAT1 did not significantly differ, MALAT1 was significantly expressed in patients more than in controls (p = 0.0266), and the recorded sensitivity and specificity were greater than those of GAS5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic accuracy and time in the detection of fractures on pediatric foot radiographs marked without and with localization cues. Method: One-hundred randomly selected foot radiographic examinations that were performed on children (<18 years old) after injury and with at least 4 weeks of follow-up were included. Blinded to history and diagnosis, 4 readers (one each: medical student, pediatrician, pediatric orthopedic surgeon, and pediatric musculoskeletal radiologist) retrospectively and independently reviewed each examination twice (without and with cue, at least 1 month apart, and after randomization). Each reader recorded the presence or absence of a fracture, fracture location, diagnostic confidence, and the total (interpretation) time spent on each study. Diagnostic accuracy, reader confidence, and interpretation time were compared between examinations without and with cues. Results: Our study included 59 examinations without and 41 with fractures (21 phalangeal, 18 metatarsal, and 2 tarsal fractures). Localization cues improved inter-reader agreement (κ=0.36 to 0.64), overall sensitivity (68 to 72%), specificity (66 to 73%), and diagnostic accuracy (67 to 73%); thus, overcalled and missed rates also improved from 34 to 27% and 32 to 28%, respectively. Reader confidence improved with cue (49 to 61%, p<0.01) with higher incremental improvement with younger children (30% for 1–6 years; 14% for 7–11 years; and 10% for 12–17 years). Interpretation time decreased by 40% per examination (40±22 s without to 24±13 s with cues, p<0.001). Conclusion: Localization cues improved diagnostic accuracy and reader confidence, reducing interpretation time in the detection of pediatric foot fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carrots are highly susceptible to root-knot nematodes (RKN) which reduce their marketability due to deformation of roots. Hence, there is a need to identify resistant sources against RKN to accelerate resistance breeding programmes in carrot. In the current study, forty-eight carrot accessions were screened by artificial inoculation of nematodes to locate the lines resistant to Meloidogyne incognita. Among all, Acc- 88 was found to be immune to M. incognita followed by Acc-72, Acc-145 and KSP-123 which showed a moderately resistant reaction. Acc -113B was highly susceptible while the other 44 lines showed a susceptible reaction towards M. incognita. The accessions were validated for the Mj gene using linked molecular markers conferring resistance to RKN. The immune line, Acc-88 amplified at 266 bp proving the presence of resistance allele and Acc-113B generated the product size of the susceptible allele revealing a polymorphic difference with the ESSR0110 marker. The Mj resistance locus carrying Acc-88 has the potential to introgress RKN resistance in susceptible varieties of carrot. The validated ESSR0110 co-dominant molecular marker is promising because it could effectively distinguish resistant and susceptible individuals, thus helps the breeder to develop stable source resistance to root knot nematode. This finding is the first report on identification of immune linse and linked molecular marker in tropical carrot against M. incognita. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peculiarities of the genetic structure of the population of Holstein cattle bred in Ukraine were studied by beta-casein and tumor necrosis factor alpha loci. Using the methods of allele-specific PCR (AS-PCR) and PCR with restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis, polymorphism of the beta-casein gene (CSN2) by allelic variants A1 and A2 and of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) by SacI-polymorphism in the promoter region of the gene (–824 A>G marker mutation) and RsaI-polymorphism in the fourth exon were analyzed. It was proven that both loci are polymorphic in the studied cattle population. For each of the polymorphic loci, the main genetic and population parameters of the Holstein cow population were established. For the CSN2 locus, a significant predominance of the frequency of the A2 allele over A1 was established (0.78 vs. 0.22). For the SacI- and RsaI-polymorphisms of TNF-α, maximal (1.980 and 1.988) values of the locus polymorphism level (the number of effective alleles) were detected. For both mutations in the TNF-α gene, actual parity in the frequency values of the corresponding alleles was established (0.55 and 0.45 for the SacI-polymorphism; 0.54 and 0.46 for the RsaI-polymorphism). For the RsaI-polymorphism in the TNF-α fourth exon, a deviation from the state of genetic equilibrium according to Hardy–Weinberg was recorded in the studied population of animals, and a significant excess of heterozygous individuals was detected (25%). Based on the results of the analysis of milk productivity parameters of individuals with different CSN2 locus genotypes, it was established that individuals with the A2A2 genotype are characterized by higher values of standard milk production as compared with individuals with the A1A1 genotype (p = 0.042). For the SacI- and RsaI-polymorphism of the TNF-α gene, there were no significant differences in the parameters of standard milk productivity for two lactations between individuals with different genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent and fatal malignancies worldwide. Following an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS), cancer cells enter an oxidative stress state. As a result, these cells experience an increase in antioxidant activity to counteract oxidative stress. The thioredoxin (TRX) system is a ubiquitous mammalian antioxidant system that neutralizes ROS and maintains intracellular reduction oxidation (redox) balance, which is essential for HCC growth. However, the role of TRX protein in HCC remains largely unknown. Hence, we aimed to assess the diagnostic utility of serum TRX in patients with HCC. A total of 50 patients were consecutively recruited in this observational study. They were classified into three groups: an HCC group (25 patients), a cirrhosis group (15 patients with liver cirrhosis on top of chronic HCV infection), and a control group (10 healthy individuals). Serum TRX levels were measured using ELISA. Results: Higher serum TRX levels were detected in the HCC group than in the cirrhosis and control groups (140.96 ± 12.70 vs 88.33 ± 10.34 vs 73.10 ± 13.22 ng/mL, respectively; P < 0.001). TRX was independently associated with the presence of HCC (P < 0.001). Regarding the detection of HCC, TRX at a cut-off value of 114 ng/mL had superior diagnostic performance to AFP with an AUC of 1.000, sensitivity of 100%, and specificity of 100%, whereas AFP at a cut-off value of 20.5 ng/mL had an AUC of 1.000, sensitivity of 100%, and specificity of 47%. Conclusion: Thioredoxin has the potential to be an HCC diagnostic marker. The clinical significance of thioredoxin in HCC requires further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'UAM14-122-17-7 and UAM14-123-18-3' (Reg. no. NGVU-22-39 and NGVU-22-40, respectively) are medium maturity group, high-yielding, Striga-resistance, large brown seeded cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp.] cultivars developed and released in 2022 by the Cowpea Breeding Program of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi. The two cultivars UAM14-122-17-7 and UAM14-123-18-3 were developed by crossbreeding with marker-assisted selection (MAS) from a three-way cross between BOSADP, IT99K-573-1-1 and YAMISRA '(BOSADP × IT99K-573-1-1) × YAMISRA'. The parents, BOSADP and YAMISRA, are photosensitive local landraces popularly grown in northeast Nigeria because of their large seed size and suitability for intercropping. BOSADP has brown seed coat colour, while YAMISRA has white seed coat colour with black hilum; both are highly susceptible to Striga gesnerioides. The other parent, IT99K-573-1-1' is an improved cultivar bred at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). It was derived from an F5 selection from the cross IT93K-596-9-12 × IT86D-880. Thus, IT99K-573-1-1 has a wide genetic background that carries the B301 (Striga resistance) gene. It is a semi-erect medium maturing cultivar with medium seed size, and highly resistant to Striga. Before release, UAM14-122-17-7 and UAM14-123-18-3 were tested in multi- environments and on-farm trials in the Guinea savannas of Nigeria from 2018 to 2021 for yield and other agronomic traits. On average, UAM14-122-17-7 recorded a grain yield of 1671 kg ha−1, while UAM14-123-18-3 recorded a grain yield of 1511 kg ha−1, which is higher than the mean of all the local checks (SAMPEA 19, Borno Brown and IT99K-573-1-1), about 80% for UAM14-122-17-7 and 95% for UAM14-123-18-3. UAM14-122-17-7 and UAM14-123-18-3 are medium maturing (80–85 days), with seed sizes ranging from 26 to 28 g/100 and 27–30 g/100, respectively. These two cultivars, therefore, have larger seed sizes with brown seed coat texture compared with the previously released cultivars. Their seed protein content ranged from 22 to 25% above that of the parental cultivars, BOSADP and YAMISRA. The two cultivars showed absolute resistance to Striga gesnerioides race 3 (SG3) prevalent in Nigeria and good adaptation for intercropping with cereals. The two cultivars were approved for release and registered in the Nigeria Variety Catalogue of the Plant Varieties in 2022 based on their superior performance in on-station, field and multi-locational trials and the massive demand for high-yielding Striga-resistant cowpea cultivars with brown seed coat colour and large seed by farmers. The National Variety Release Committee formally released the two cultivars UAM14-122-17-7 and UAM14-123-18-3 in 2022. It gave it the national code name FUAMPEA 3 and FUAMPEA 4, respectively, for cultivation in Nigeria (NCGRB 2023). The availability of these cultivars to farmers would increase cowpea production and productivhity under variable cropping systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracing the standard conodont zones in the Central Devonian Field (CDF) of the East European Platform (EEP) is complicated, because the Devonian deposits are extremely shallow in this area, and major species of the standard scale appear only under transgressions. The objective of this investigation is to conduct a mediated correlation of the myospore zone and Givetian subzones in the CDF of the EEP with the Standard Conodont Stratigraphic Scale. An indirect correlation is carried out between the palynological sequence of CDF and that of Poland where the palynozones are related to the International Conodont Scale. The Poland palynozones and subzones are quite comparable with the CDF subzones and have a similar myospore zoning and common index species of the palynozone and subzones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large number of QTLs controlling important traits in different crops have been mapped but their deployment in the marker assisted selection (MAS) is highly limited. The possible reason is lack of availability of stable QTLs over diverse genetic background and environment. QTL meta-analysis provides an opportunity to compile QTLs from different studies and identify consistent QTLs across genetic background and environments. These meta-QTLs can be targeted for further fine mapping and used for MAS after validation. QTL meta-analysis involve library search for reported QTL studies for a particular trait in a crop and subsequently a consensus linkage map is constructed projecting QTLs from different studies using simple scaling rule. The Confidence Interval (CI) of QTL is estimated on the consensus map using the formula as CI (95): ¼ 530/(Nλ), where CI (95) is the confidence interval at 95 percent probability level, N is the size of mapping population and λ is the proportion of phenotypic variance explained by the concerned QTL. Finally, detected QTLs are projected for cluster analysis to determine the exact number and positions of true QTLs. The utility of this approach will help to detect the stable meta-QTLs that will be further helpful to identify candidate genes and their application in MAS program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To introduce a new supporting marker for discriminating different grades of ptosis called Sector Area Index (SAI) and a semi-automated technique to calculate it. Methods: In this cross-sectional comparative case series, a circle enclosing the intercanthal distance was automatically drawn after choosing two points as the medial and lateral canthus and manually selecting the palpebral fissure region. Finally, 15-degree apart sectors are applied to the enclosed circle. SAI was measured automatically by dividing the area of each 15-degree sector marked with the upper eyelid contour by the total area of the sector marked with the edge of the surrounding circle. SAI values and inter-eye SAI differences were compared between patients with different grades of ptosis as well as normal patients. Results: In the current study, 106 eyes were recruited (30, 25, 27, and 24 in the control, mild, moderate, and severe ptosis groups, respectively). Mean values of SAI in all sectors showed a decreasing trend from normal individuals toward patients with severe ptosis. The mean difference values of SAI between study eyes and fellow eyes in all four groups of patients showed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). In a pairwise comparison between groups, mean values of SAI in all nasal sectors from 15° to 60° showed a statistically significant difference between all groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The mean difference of SAI between study eyes and fellow eyes, including eyelid curvature, especially in 15°–60° and 120°–165° sectors, can demonstrate differentiating performance for detecting and discriminating varying grades of ptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate additional potential clinical risk factors for preeclampsia. Methods: This is a nested case–control study of preeclampsia and unaffected pregnancies. Cases were either from a prenatal screening database or from a national network of clinicians, and controls were from the same prenatal source. Preeclampsia was defined by international criteria which were endorsed by the Ukraine Ministry of Health. Questionnaires were used to record a range of pregnancy related factors, personal history of health conditions and family history, followed by a telephone interview to collect more details. Results: There were 103 cases, 56 from the prenatal database and 47 from the clinicians, and 480 controls from the database. The two types of case did not differ in terms of age, weight, BMI or parity. Known risk factors were more common in cases than controls. In addition there was a 17-fold higher prevalence of cholelithiasis in cases compared with controls (29.1% versus 1.7%), a highly statistically significant difference (P < 0.0001). There was also an 8.8-fold increase among the mothers of cases and controls (P < 0.0001), and if either the patient or her mother had the disease the increase was 6.4-fold (P < 0.0001). Including the father or sibling did not increase the relative risk. Conclusion: Cholelithiasis is a clinical risk factor for preeclampsia which has not previously been reported. If confirmed by additional studies it may have utility in routine prenatal screening and provide insight into the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urinary tract infections are the initial manifestation in 30% of urinary tract malformations. Identifying these patients, who could benefit from a specific treatment, is still challenging. Hyponatremia during urinary tract infection has been proposed as a urinary tract malformation marker. We evaluate the prevalence of hyponatremia during febrile urinary tract infections and its association with subjacent urinary tract malformations. We performed a retrospective study of healthy patients under 16 years, diagnosed with a first episode of febrile urinary tract infection, who had undergone blood testing in the acute episode and at least one renal ultrasound during follow-up (January 2014-November 2020). Hyponatremia was defined as (serum sodium ≤ 130 mEq/L). According to imaging findings, we classified patients into three groups: normal kidney ultrasound, mild pelviectasis, and significant urinary tract malformation. We performed logistic regression models to identify independent risk factors for urinary tract malformation and mild pelviectasis. We included 492 patients and 2.8% presented hyponatremia. We identified normal ultrasound in 77%, mild pelviectasis in 10.8%, and urinary tract malformation in 12% of patients. We found an association between mild pelviectasis and hyponatremia [OR 6.6 (CI95% 1.6–26.6)]. However, we found no association between hyponatremia and urinary tract malformation. The parameters that were associated with malformations were presenting a non-E. coli infection, C-reactive-protein levels over 80 mg/L, and bacteremia. Conclusion: Hyponatremia during the first episode of febrile urinary tract infection is present in 2.8% of patients and is associated with mild pelviectasis in imaging. However, hyponatremia does not indicate a greater need for complementary tests to screen for urinary tract malformations. What is Known: • Urinary tract infection is the first manifestation in 30% of children with urinary tract malformation. • Hyponatremia could be a marker to identify these children and guide the imaging approach. What is New: • Around 12% of children with a first episode of febrile urinary tract infection have a urinary tract malformation. • Non-E. coli infection, C-reactive protein levels over 80 mg/L, and bacteremia are markers for malformations to guide diagnostic imaging tests, but hyponatremia (Na ≤ 130 mEq/l) is not a reliable marker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a vast scope of area expansion of lentils after harvesting wet rice in South Asia. However, due to the photoperiod effect and terminal heat, the existing short-duration varieties failed to minimize yield loss under late-sown conditions. A mis-splicing causing A/G SNP present in the last nucleotide of exon 3 of early flowering 3 (ELF3) gene (elf3 allele) in a lentil line, L4710, is associated with the photoperiod insensitive flowering and the fast absolute growth rate (AGR). None of the Indian cultivars tested in this study, either early or late, possesses the non-functional elf3 allele. However, the A to G transition in ELF3-exon2 replaces glycine with aspartic acid at the 403rd amino acid in all the Indian varieties tested, compared to the reference sequence of Mediterranean accession, ILL5588. Therefore, targeting A/G SNP of exon 3, a PCR-based codominant marker is developed. The elf3 allele is correlated with the fast AGR and early flowering, but low yield and biomass, in an L4710 × LL56–derived RIL-population, compared to ELF3 carrying alleles when sown on 15th November. However, in a month of delayed sowing (20th December), the same elf3-RILs revealed a higher yield and biomass with slower AGR Moreover, three elf3-carrying lines, grown in delayed condition (20 December) for two consecutive years in three locations, outyielded three popular high-yielding cultivars that carry functional ELF3. Thus, elf3-carrying high-yielding lines could be the breeder's choice to expand and enhance lentil yield in short-season environments and in vast rice fallows of south Asia, where delayed rice harvest occurs frequently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foods and beverages are nutrient-rich systems prone to a rapid development of microorganisms that hamper their long-period storage. Particularly, yeasts are strong fermenters of fresh and processed fruits and vegetables; hence, they are often accountable for their spoilage and production of off-flavor. This work provides a quick and easy tool to recognize and count the spoilage of juices with ergosterol as distinctive biomarker of molds and yeasts. Melon juice was reconstituted at natural physical–chemical parameters according to legislation, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae was selected as yeast to contaminate the juice. Chemical and enzyme tests were performed on the fresh juice to ensure its authentic properties. Ergosterol was then evaluated using a spectrophotometric method that was proven against the official plate count test. The study showed linear and consistent results and, therefore, the ergosterol molecule may be indicated for testing molds and yeasts in contaminated beverages, replacing the common and time-consuming analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) provides a quantitative evaluation of 'vagal tone' and may be used for pain and stress assessment in livestock. The aim was to quantify the magnitude of RSA in cows and sheep. In 7 cows and 4 sheep standing at rest we measured the 3-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) together with the pneumogram, to identify inspiration and expiration. For each breath, RSA was the difference in instantaneous heart rate (HR) between the inspiratory peak and the expiratory trough, in percent of mean HR. The resting breathing rates (28 ± 2 and 32 ± 5 breaths/min in cows and sheep, respectively) were about twice those expected for similar size non-ruminants, in conformity with previous reports. Both species had long-period (>15 s) HR fluctuations. The average values of RSA, 1.4 ± 0.2% in cows and 7.8 ± 3.1 in sheep, were lower than those previously computed by an identical approach in humans (12%), dogs (40%) and horses (9%). In conclusion, by breath-by-breath analysis of instantaneous HR we measured RSA in both cows and sheep. Results from the present study represent a preliminary step in assessing whether or not RSA could be used as a biomarker for stress or pain in ruminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several attempts have been made to reconstruct the whole lung using pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) to treat terminal stage diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD] and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis [IPF], for which whole-organ transplantation is currently the only treatment option. The development of induced differentiation technologies has made it possible to regenerate lungs from the 'bottom-up' via stepwise protocols. Nonetheless, the earliest lung multipotent progenitors, namely lung primordial stem cells, have not been identified to date. Considering the intricate crosstalk network that regulates lung development, stepwise protocols to differentiate PSCs into lung progenitors have raised some key questions: (1) the heterogeneity of these induced progenitors, and (2) obtaining a high-purity population. One important strategy to overcome these hurdles is to identify relevant markers or factors that regulate the complex network in lung morphogenesis according to those erected in vivo and ex vivo experiments. For screening lung primordial stem cells, several markers are 'on the shelf', and this review explores the most common or substantiated candidates. We artificially divided these markers into positive selecting and negative limiting proximal or distal markers as well as early progenitor markers that can be used to identify lung primordial stem cell, which represents the earliest progenitor during lung morphogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular DNA markers are valuable tools for analyzing genetic variation among yeast from different populations to reveal the genetically different autochthonous strains. In this study, we employed inter-primer binding site (iPBS) retrotransposon polymorphism to assess the genetic variation and population structure of 96 Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolates from four different regions in Turkey. The nine selected iPBS primers amplified 102 reproducible and scorable bands, of which 95.10% were polymorphic with an average of 10.78 polymorphic fragments per primer. The average polymorphism information content and the resolving power were 0.26–3.58, respectively. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed significant (P < 0.001) genetic differences within populations (88%) and between populations (12%). The unweighted pair group mean with arithmetic (UPGMA) dendrogram grouped 96 S. cerevisiae strains into two main clusters, where the highest probability of the data elucidating the population structure was obtained at ΔK = 2. There was not an obvious genetic discrimination of the populations according to geographical regions on UPGMA, supported by principal coordinate analysis. However, the individuals of the closer provinces in each population were more likely to group together or closely. The results indicate that iPBS polymorphism is a useful tool to reveal the genetically diverse autochthonous S. cerevisiae strains that may be important for the production of sourdough or baked goods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The specific features of the motion of markers placed on the free surface of a vortex funnel formed by rotation of water in a cylindrical tank are studied experimentally and theoretically. The time dependence of the angular and radial coordinates of marker's centers of mass, as well as the dependence of the marker rotation about its own axis on the angle of rotation of its center of mass about the vertical axis of vortex flow, are measured. The mathematical model of the motion of a solid marker of an arbitrary shape is proposed. The results of theoretical calculations are in good agreement with experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study comprised of 100 lines derived from teosinte × maize (DI-103) hybridization, which were evaluated for morphological as well as molecular diversity. The slight difference in GCV and PCV estimates for all the traits except grain yield per plant reflects genotypic variation without much influence of environmental factors. The high heritability coupled with high genetic advance for most of the traits elucidated the presence of additive gene effect in the governance of these traits. Genotyping with 76 SSR markers resulted in 377 alleles with an average 5 alleles per marker loci. Wider polymorphic information content (PIC) range from 0.29 to 0.86, reflects higher allelic variation and wide distribution in the population. The average gene diversity, heterozygosity, major allele frequency, and minor allele frequency were 0.48, 0.85, 0.58, and 0.48 respectively. Cluster analysis allocated 102 lines including, maize inbred (DI-103) and teosinte-parviglumis into 14 genetic groups which indicate uniqueness of lines in terms of molecular makeup. Linkage analysis using SSR data revealed ten linkage groups in maize. Maximum allelic contribution from maize (65.2%) and teosinte (59.4%) parent was recorded in MT-26 and MT-19 respectively. With 14 and 3 heterozygous segments MT-44 and MT-26 reflected maximum (37.5%) and minimum (2.4%) heterozygosity respectively. The Maximum recombination (52%) was recorded in the case of MT-40, whereas, the line MT-81 expressed the least recombination (30%). The results reflected a quite significant variability among derived lines and governed by introgression of teosinte alleles, which can be visualized by graphical genotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and oxidative stress markers in blood. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature search on databases including Pubmed and Embase for studies reporting circulating oxidative stress markers in patients with OSA and controls that were published between 1988 and June 2019. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were calculated. Results: Of the 2226 articles initially retrieved, 52 were included in our meta-analysis, covering a total of 12 oxidative stress markers. The concentrations of malondialdehyde (SMD = 1.18; 95%CI: 0.87, 1.49; p < 0.001), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (SMD = 1.82; 95%CI: 0.79, 2.86; p = 0.001), advance oxidative protein products (SMD = 0.68; 95%CI: 0.14, 1.23; p = 0.014), total oxidant capacity (SMD = 1.32; 95%CI: 0.33, 2.31; p = 0.009), and asymmetric dimethylarginine (SMD = 0.32; 95%CI: 0.16, 0.47; p < 0.001) in the blood of patients with OSA were higher than those of the control group, whereas the concentrations of thiols (SMD = − 0.37; 95%CI: − 0.60, − 0.15; p = 0.001) and nitric oxide (SMD = − 2.61; 95%CI: − 4.02, − 1.21; p < 0.001) were lower than those of the control group. Conclusions: The oxidative stress markers in the blood of patients with OSA were aberrant, indicating an imbalanced state of oxidation and antioxidation in OSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The X-chromosome short tandem repeat (STR) polymorphisms are a particular tool in the felds of human population genetics and personal identifcation. It was necessary in investigating complex kinship or def‑ ciency cases in conditions where information on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) or Y chromosome polymorphisms have been used to explore their direct paternal line. This study aimed to investigate the allele frequency of (12X-STR) of 200 unrelated males from diferent region of Baghdad City to serve as a reference data base for individual identifcation in Iraqi population. Results: Twelve X-STR loci (DXS7424, HPRTB, DXS8377, GATA31E08, DXS7423, DXS8378, DXS9895, DXS10074, DXS6809, DXS7133, DXS101, DXS6807) were successfully amplifed by multiplex PCR and divided into four groups. According to measures of allele frequency, the higher alleles frequency were 16, 11, 46, 11, 14, 10, 15, 15.2, 35, 11, 25, and 11 while the lowest alleles frequency were 11, 9, 52,53, 7, 17, 14, 13, 12.2,17, 36, 15, 16, 22, 29, and 17 that observed at the 12 loci respectively. Forensic efciency parameter for DXS8377 locus in the frst group showed high‑ est polymorphic allele in the Iraqi Arab population with the frequencies ranging from 0.005 to 0.16%. The power of discrimination (PD) value ranged from 0.663 for DXS7423 locus and 0.9066 for DXS8377 locus. In addition, the poly‑ morphism information content (PIC) value ranged from 0.602974 for DXS7423 locus to 0.899206 for DXS8377 locus. Conclusions: Overall the X-STR markers become used as an important source of information beside the autosomal and Y-STR markers, especially for kinship testing and haplotype analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty four honey samples of eight distinct botanical origins obtained from different regions of Turkey were analyzed in this study. Various physicochemical (glucose and fructose content, color, diastase activity, electrical conductivity, optical rotation, moisture and proline content), biochemical (total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, FRAP antioxidant capacity and DPPH radical scavenging activity) and volatile analytical methods were used for floral authentication of the honeys. Identification of 103 volatile compounds from different chemical classes was carried out using SPME/GC/MS. The availability of physicochemical and volatile identification methods, instead of melissopalynology which is dependent on the researcher's ability and judgment regarding honey classification, was investigated. The results were statistically processed, and principal component analysis (PCA) was applied. The first two principal components explained 98.10% of the total variance, and the PCA produced eight different groups rhododendron, chestnut, lavandula, astragalus, chaste tree, polyfloral, oak, and pine honeys, each corresponding to a distinct botanical origin. Polyfloral honeys formed a cluster, although those samples were rather widespread. The studied honeys exhibited specific volatile compounds and biochemical properties which may be capable of use as floral markers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dysregulation of gene amplification, cell-signaling–pathway transduction, epigenetic and transcriptional regulation, and protein interactions drives tumor-cell proliferation and invasion, while ion channels also play an important role in the generation and development of tumor cells. Overexpression of Ca2+-activated Cl- channel anoctamin 1 (ANO1) is shown in numerous cancer types and correlates with poor prognosis. However, the mechanisms involved in ANO1-mediated malignant cellular transformation and the role of ANO1 in tumor immunity remain unknown. In this review, we discuss recent studies to determine the role of ANO1 in tumorigenesis and provide novel insights into the role of ANO1 in the context of tumor immunity. Furthermore, we analyze the roles and potential mechanisms of ANO1 in different types of cancers, and provide novel notions for the role of ANO1 in the tumor microenvironment and for potential use of ANO1 in clinical applications. Our review shows that ANO1 is involved in tumor immunity and microenvironment, and may, therefore, be an effective biomarker and therapeutic drug target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer is one of the diseases with the highest morbidity and mortality rates worldwide, and its therapeutic options are inadequate. The endothelial glycoprotein, also known as CD105, is a type I transmembrane glycoprotein located on the surface of the cell membranes and it is one of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) receptor complexes. It regulates the responses associated with binding to transforming growth factor β1 egg (Activin-A), bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2), and bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP-7). Additionally, it is involved in the regulation of angiogenesis. This glycoprotein is indispensable in the treatment of tumor angiogenesis, and it also plays a leading role in tumor angiogenesis therapy. Therefore, CD105 is considered to be a novel therapeutic target. In this study, we explored the significance of CD105 in the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of various tumors, and provided evidence for the effect and mechanism of CD105 on tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of 3D imaging is becoming increasingly common, so too is the use of fiducial markers to identify/track regions of interest and assess material deformation. While many different materials have been used as fiducials, they are often used in isolation, with little comparison to one another. Objective: In the current study, we aim to directly compare different Computed Tomography (CT and μCT) fiducial materials, both metallic and nonmetallic. Methods: μCT imaging was performed on a soft-tissue structure, in this case heart valve tissue, with markers from eight different materials attached. Additionally, we evaluated the same markers with DiceCT stained tissue in a fluid medium. Results: All of the metallic markers generated significant artifacts, and were found unsuitable for soft-tissue μCT imaging, whereas alumina markers were found to perform the best, with excellent contrast and consistency. Conclusions: These findings support the further use of alumina as fiducial markers for soft material and tissue studies that utilize CT and μCT imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a metabolic disorder characterised by enhanced hepatic fat deposition and inflammation. Efforts to manage NAFLD are limited by the poorly characterised pathological processes and the lack of precise non-invasive markers, thus, proving the need to further study the involved cytokines, which, in turn, may represent novel molecular targets with possible diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Hence, we aimed to assess the diagnostic utility of serum interleukin 32 (IL-32) in NAFLD cases. This case-control study included 40 NAFLD patients and 40 healthy controls. The serum IL-32 concentrations were assessed by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: The serum IL-32 concentrations were significantly higher in NAFLD cases than controls (76 [45.5–111.125] vs. 13 [8–15] pg/mL, P < 0.001, respectively). IL-32 at a cut-off point > 22.5 pg/mL had 100% sensitivity, 87.50% specificity, 88.9% positive predictive value, 100% negative predictive value, and 98.2% accuracy in detecting the NAFLD cases. Conclusion: Serum IL-32 could be considered a novel non-invasive marker for NAFLD. Further investigations are warranted to verify the potential utility of IL-32 in the clinical setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Oncogenic miRNAs upregulated in OSCC play a range of versatile roles in oral carcinogenesis. Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) are the antecedent lesions to oral squamous carcinoma (OSCC) and they require a definitive diagnosis and early intervention. This study hypothesizes the presence of aberrant oncogenic miRNA expression in swabbed oral lesions. Materials and methods: The expression of miR-21, miR-31, miR-134, miR-146a, and miR-211 in swabbed samples from 36 dysplastic or hyperplastic OPMDs and 10 OSCCs, relative to respective normal mucosa within the same patient, is analyzed with qRT-PCR to develop a diagnosis. Results: Upregulation of all tested miRNAs in OPMD and OSCC samples comparing to controls is found to have occurred. Receiver operating characteristics curve analysis shows that miR-31 gives the best diagnostic accuracy of 0.91 when differentiating OPMD/OSCC from controls. An analysis of miR-134 and miR-211 expression allows the discrimination of the dysplastic state associated with OPMD, while the use of expression of the combined miRNAs further improves the analytical performances when identifying the dysplastic state. The concordant upregulation of miR-21, miR-31, and miR-146a is found to occur during an early stage of OSCC carcinogenesis. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the upregulation of multiple oncogenic miRNAs in swabbed OPMD and OSCC samples. miRNA expression in swabbed collectives enables the differentiation between normal mucosa and OPMD/OSCC, independent of their histopathological severity. Clinical relevance: This conventional and convenient sampling tool, when coupled with an assessment of miR-31 expression, would seem to be an adjuvant approach to the diagnosis of OPMD and OSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying the hormonal signature of gonad maturity and spawning seasonality is essential for upgrading the forecast of recruitment, environmental impacts, and captive maturation. The study evaluated the pattern of gonad development and associated plasma levels of sex steroids and thyroid hormones in both sexes to identify gonadal stage markers and reproductive seasonality in an Indian shad, Tenualosa ilisha. Various stages depicted the cellular organization of ovarian and testicular developments. The ovarian histology revealed hilsa as group synchronous total spawners. The seasonal distribution of distinct maturity stages indicated unsynchronized gonad development within the population. Hilsa exhibited a differential preference of environmental cues in spring and late autumn spawning. However, peak spawning activity took place at similar photoperiod and temperature. The appearance of post-ovulatory follicles (POFs) and late spermiating testicular lobules (LS) marked active spawning in different sexes. The gonadosomatic index (IG) showed temporal, stage-specific variations with a positive correlation with plasma 11-KT (11-ketotestosterone), estradiol (E2) in females or with 17α, 20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnene-3-one (DHP) in males, although the relationship altered temporally for each variable. The positively correlated average plasma 11-KT and E2 values with the number of pre- and post-vitellogenic females serve as hormonal signatures for identifying initiation and completion of gonad growth, respectively. Higher circulating levels of 11-KT compared to T during annual gonad cycles indicate 11-KT as the predominant androgen that controls spermatogenesis in this species. Plasma DHP showed a minor peak in March and a significant elevation in October, synchronized with active spawning in females and males marked as a hormonal signature of spawning irrespective of sex. Plasma T4 showed a positive correlation with IG and spawning females, whereas plasma T3 had a similar correlation with 11-KT and the number of early spermiating males in the population. The results demonstrate hormonal signatures of gonadal recrudescence, maturation, and spawning at the population level for promoting recruitment and artificial propagation of hilsa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR), caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) De Bary, is one of the most devastating diseases of tomato. The control of the pathogen is challenging because of its high genetic variability, broad host range and lack of information on natural resistance in tomato germplasm. Through the availability of the genome sequence of S. sclerotiorum, progress has been made in the identification of genes associated with the early stages of pathogenesis. However, less than 60 genes have been functionally validated. Very little information is available on the function of genes associated with the later stage of pathogenesis and signalling pathways. Researches related to SSR management have addressed agricultural practices and the application of fungicides. Agricultural practices like field sanitisation, soil sterilisation, biofumigation and organic amendments have shown improvement in disease control, while smart crop monitoring using unmanned aerial systems and optical sensors can further aid in early detection. Application of biological fungicides has demonstrated potential in SSR control in tomato, while the application of ultraviolet radiation can further aid in sustainable disease control. Transgenic approaches via the expression of some genes targeting degradation of the important molecule of pathogenesis or overexpression of the tomato defence-related genes have shown promises to enhance resistance. However, the generation of disease-resistant varieties in tomato is still in infancy. This review focuses on the current advancement of S. sclerotiorum-tomato pathosystem research and identifies some gaps in knowledge while providing recommendations for future research towards sustainable control of SSR in tomato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The burial of a cadaver results in reduced arthropod activity and disruptions in colonisation patterns. Here, the distribution and diversity of mite taxa was studied across decomposition stages of shallowly buried pig carcasses (Sus scrofa domesticus). In total 300 mites (88 species) were collected from three pig shallow graves compared to 129 mites (46 species) from control (bare) soil samples at the same depth. A successional pattern of Acari higher taxa and families was observed, and species richness and biodiversity fluctuated throughout decomposition, whereas active decay showed the greatest biodiversity. Mesostigmata mites were the most abundant in 'cadaver soils' with a significant difference in the abundance of Parasitidae mites, whereas Oribatida mites (true soil mites) were the most abundant in control soils. Certain mite species were significantly associated with decay stages: Cornigamasus lunaris with 'bloated', Gamasodes spiniger with 'active', Eugamasus sp. and Lorryia reticulata with 'advanced', and Macrocheles matrius and Ramusella clavipectinata in 'dry'. Scheloribates laevigatus was a marker of bare soil at a shallow depth and Vulgoramasus remberti of buried decomposition, not specific to any decay stage. Analysis of mite assemblages associated with head, torso and posterior body showed that Parasitus evertsi and M. matrius are attracted to beneath the thighs, whereas L. reticulata to beneath the head. This study highlights the value of mites as indicator species of decomposition and its stages, confirming (1) a succession of Acari on buried remains and (2) species specificity to body regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Codonopsis lanceolata is an herbaceous perennial plant predominantly cultivated in East Asia and used for medicinal purposes. However, genetic information of C. lanceolata is lacking. Therefore, we sequenced genomic DNA using next-generation sequencing (NGS) and searched for simple sequence repeats (SSRs) to develop molecular markers in C. lanceolata. A total of 250,455 SSRs were identified, and di-nucleotides and tri-nucleotides accounted for the majority of all the SSRs. Among these SSRs, we designed 26,334 primer sets from di- to octa-nucleotide motifs. We used an in silico approach to investigate 2626 SSRs (tri- to penta-nucleotide motifs) and found 573 SSRs showing polymorphism. Of the 573 SSRs showing polymorphism in silico, we randomly selected 39 SSRs and verified polymorphism in 16 C. lanceolata accessions. The number of alleles ranged from 2 to 13, and the mean polymorphic information content value was 0.54. Therefore, we successfully designed 39 SSR markers for use in breeding and genetic studies of C. lanceolata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidation of chromia-forming alloys (pure chromium, nickel–chromium alloy and ferritic stainless steel alloy) at temperature ranging from 800 to 1050 °C was conducted on samples with or without gold markers applied prior to testing. Gold is often used as a marker in order to identify oxide growth direction. Its localization inside the oxide scale can demonstrate an inward or an outward growth. It is found that gold particles can be found either at the internal metal/oxide interface or inside the scale or again at the external oxide/gas interface on the same sample (on NiCr and stainless steel alloys). For pure chromium oxidation, gold is found inside the chromia scale, at the equiaxed-columnar interface, as expected from ASTAR-TEM characterization. However, photoelectrochemical characterization has shown that gold can modify the semiconducting chromia properties. Finally, gold is not inert in these several conditions and should not be considered in these present cases, but also more generally in most cases, as an appropriate marker. On the contrary, ASTAR maps may permit to access the oxide growth direction without interfering the studied system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Traditional videometric method can not be used in the measurement of large flexible cable-net structure for its large overall size and small partial size. Objective: A videometrics technique was proposed in this work to measure the topography and deformation of a large cable net structure. Methods: Tiny spots with high brightness (and large gray gradient) are used to mark the cable net nodes. By arranging the imaging light path properly, the light spot markers can be enlarged and accurately identified in the captured images. Results: The relationship between the imaging parameters and the gray distribution of the light spot markers were derived and verified. And a topographical measurement experiment of a cable net structure was carried out with the proposed videometrics technique. Conclusions: The topography/deformation of the cable net can be measured with tiny-light spot markers, and the effectiveness and robustness of the technique on topography and deformation measurement of large cable-net structures are demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: An increasing number of studies have shown that insulinoma-associated protein 1 (INSM1) is a robust marker for the diagnosis of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP-NEN). The overall diagnostic accuracy of INSM1 for GEP-NEN remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to estimate the diagnostic value of INSM1 for GEP-NEN through a meta-analysis. Methods: We searched relevant studies addressing the accuracy of INSM1 in the diagnosis of GEP-NEN from PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) as well as from reference lists since the establishment of the database to January 12, 2021. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves were used to comprehensively evaluate the diagnostic value of INSM1 for GEP-NEN. Statistical analysis was performed by Stata 15.0 and RevMan 5.4. Results: Nine studies with a total of 393 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis results showed that the pooled sensitivity and specificity of INSM1 for the diagnosis of GEP-NEN were 0.99 (95% CI: 0.87–1.00) and 0.96 (95% CI: 0.93–0.98), respectively. The PLR and NLR were 23.3 (95% CI: 13.3–40.8) and 0.01 (95% CI: 0.00–0.14), respectively. The DOR was 380.31 (95% CI: 164.14–881.21), and the area under the curve (AUC) of SROC curve was 0.98 (95% CI: 0.96–0.99). Conclusions: The results show that INSM1 is an effective marker for the diagnosis of GEP-NEN with high sensitivity and specificity. INSM1 is recommended for clinical application to improve the diagnostic accuracy of GEP-NEN. However, more high-quality studies are needed to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Barley is one of the major cereal crops, which can provide a significant source of genes for stress tolerance due to its high diversity and adaptability. Metabolite traits are considered to be significant for adaptation of barley to heat stress. Methods and results: In the present study, genetic relationships between 120 barley genotypes were determined with 50 simple sequence repeat (SSR) and 26 inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers under heat stress and non-stress conditions. Moreover, genetic diversity of barley accessions was investigated using the studied markers covering 7 chromosomes of barley. Results: In general, 153 and 85 polymorphic alleles were detected for SSR and ISSR and number of the observed polymorphic allele varied between 2–9 and 2–6, with an average of 3.26 and 3.26 alleles per locus, respectively. Markers of Bmag0223, GBMS180/180, HVM7, ISSR22, ISSR25, and ISSR48 were the most informative due to their high polymorphism information content value demonstrating that putative techniques utilized in this research can be powerful and valuable tools in breeding program of barley. Association analysis was performed between 9 important traits and SSR and ISSR markers using four statistical models. The results revealed that the model containing both population structure (Q) and general similarity in genetic background arising from shared kinship (K) factors reduced false positive associations between markers and phenotypes. Conclusions: According to the results, some of markers related to more than one trait under normal conditions (ISSR31-2, HVM62, and GBMS180/180) and heat stress conditions (ISSR20-5, EBmac635, HVM14, and ISSR37-3) were determined, which can be considered to be the most interesting candidates for further studies and simultaneously will provide a useful target for the future breeding programs, such as marker-assisted selection (MAS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to determine the parameters that affect the mortality of patients operated on for gastric cancer and to investigate whether fibrinogen affects mortality or not. This retrospective clinical study included patients who underwent surgery due to gastric adenocarcinoma between January 2011 and January 2014. Patients' demographic data, laboratory values, (hemogram parameters, fibrinogen, albumin, and tumor markers), operations, lymph node dissections, parameters of histopathology reports, stages, mortality/survival status, metastasis status at follow-up, and admission/operation/follow-up were obtained from the hospital automation system and recorded using the statistical software. Patients were divided into two groups: deceased and survivors. Analyses were carried out to determine whether the parameters of the patients, including fibrinogen, affected survival. A total of 130 patients were included in the study. Of the patients, 91 were men and 39 were women. The mean age of the patients was 63.99 SD 11.22 years. The results of the analysis of the patients' parameters revealed that the presence of lymphatic invasion, lymph node positivity, high metastatic lymph node ratio, and advanced stage were statistically significantly correlated with low survival (p<0.05). A statistically significant correlation was found between the increase in patient age and high fibrinogen levels (p<0.05). High N stage, high grade, presence of lymphatic invasion, presence of metastasis at diagnosis, and high fibrinogen levels were found to be independent risk factors for gastric cancer mortality. It was concluded that patients with high fibrinogen levels had higher mortality rates in the early period of follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing evidence has identified nocturia as a potential manifestation of several cardiovascular disease states. We aimed to determine whether a relationship exists between nocturia and global atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk, defined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) ASCVD risk calculator, using a large nationally-representative study sample from the United States. We explored potential associations between nocturia and ASCVD risk in adults aged 40–79 years with no prior history of overt/known atherosclerotic disease from 7 consecutive cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Subjects were classified by whether they met the ASCVD high-risk threshold following current ACC/AHA consensus guidelines (10-year major adverse cardiovascular event risk ≥ 20%). Logistic regression analyses were used to explore associations between nocturia (defined as ≥ 2 nocturnal voids) and ASCVD risk. The prevalence of nocturia and high ASCVD risk were 27.0% and 10.9%, respectively. Nocturia, older age, increased body mass index, and diuretic use were associated with high ASCVD risk on univariate logistic regression. After adjusting for age, body mass index, and diuretic use, nocturia remained associated with significantly greater odds of high ASCVD risk in females but not in males. Elicitation of nocturia on clinical history taking may serve to identify high cardiovascular risk in females. Future studies are needed to elucidate mechanisms underlying this association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-throughput genotyping has become more convenient and cost-effective due to recent advancements in next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques. Numerous approaches exploring sequencing advances for genotyping have been developed over the past decade, which includes different variants of genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS), and restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq). Most of these methods are based on the reduced representation of the genome, which ultimately reduces the cost of sequencing by many folds. However, continuously lowering the cost of sequencing makes it more convenient to use whole genome-based approaches. In this regard, skim sequencing, where low coverage whole-genome sequencing is used for the identification of large numbers of polymorphic markers cost-effectively. In the present review, we have discussed recent technological advancements, applicability, and challenges of skim sequencing-based genotypic approaches for crop improvement programmes. Skim sequencing is being extensively used for genotyping in diverse plant species and has a wide range of applications, particularly in quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, genomewide association studies (GWAS), fine genetic map construction, and identification of recombination and gene conversion events in various breeding programmes. The cost-effectiveness, simplicity, and genomewide coverage will increase the application of skims sequencing-based genotyping. The article summarizes the protocol, uses, bioinformatics tools, its application, and future prospects of skim sequencing in crop improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Lots of studies indicated that many microRNAs (miRNAs) are associated with the prognosis of patients with laryngeal cancer (LC). The objective of our study is to identify potential core miRNAs associated with the pathogenesis and prognosis of LC. Methods: Using the Cancer Genome Atlast database, we identified 70 differentially expressed miRNAs between LC tumor specimens and non-tumor specimens. Then Cox regression analyses and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression signature were performed to detect miRNA prognostic markers. A nomogram integrating miRNA prognostic markers was constructed to predict overall survival (OS) for LC patients. The potential target genes of the key miRNA were predicted by miRTarBase and miRDB databases. Subsequently, their potential functions were revealed by gene ontology annotation and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway enrichment analysis. Related biological pathways of the key target gene involved in LC were detected through gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Results: A prognostic miRNA signature was constructed. The up-regulated miR‐105–1 was related to a worse OS (p = 0.043), which suggested that miR‐105–1 may likely be the key miRNA prognostic marker. Survival analyses and paired expression analyses of target genes indicated that ENDOU may be the key target gene. Finally, we conducted GSEA to elucidate the pathways enriched between low- and high-ENDOU expression datasets. Conclusion: Our findings might bring some new light on the pathogenesis of LC. Then, it might facilitate doctors to predict the prognosis and improve treatment outcomes for LC patients. However, the behaviors of LC are relatively heterogeneous, and the TCGA database cannot provide detailed information about the subsites and treatment modalities of LC. Further molecular biological experiments and clinical investigations would be required to confirm this conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between salivary cortisol content and secondary mild cognitive impairment (MCI), thereby supporting the prediction of MCI in clinical practice. In this study, the salivary cortisol levels were examined in 120 patients with MCI after cerebral ischemic stroke (CIS) (CIS-MIC) and 80 CIS patients without MIC (CIS). The clinical data were compared among these patients with different cortisol levels. The salivary level of cortisol was significantly higher in patients with CIS-MIC (0.85–3.65 nmol/L) than that in those with CIS (0.52–1.21 nmol/L). The categorized analysis by CIS-MIC quartile showed that patient age, hyperlipidemia, total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), etc. were significantly increased with increasing salivary cortisol levels. Moreover, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that the MCI risk of patients in the first quartile was 0.35 and 0.41 times, respectively, of the fourth quartile. Multiple linear regression showed that patient age, the time of rescue, and the salivary cortisol level were independent factors in the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) score of MCI patients. Meanwhile, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that the area under the curve of salivary cortisol as a diagnostic marker for MCI after CIS was 0.982, with sensitivity of 0.973 and specificity of 0.980. In this study, we found that salivary cortisol level was an independent risk factor of MCI after CIS. A higher salivary cortisol level indicated a higher probability of MCI occurrence, and salivary cortisol level can be used as a predictive marker for MCI occurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving spikelet number without limiting panicle number is an important strategy to increase rice productivity. In this study, a spikelet number enhancing SPIKE-allele was identified from the aus subtype indica rice, cv. Bhutmuri, which has an identical japonica like corresponding sequence including a retrotransposon sequence, usually absent in indica genotypes, like IR64. An allele-specific singletube PCR-based codominant marker targeting an A/G single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at the 30 UTR was identified for easier genotyping. The yield enhancing ability of the Bhutmuri-SPIKE allele carrying RILs and NILs over IR64-SPIKE allele carrying alleles was due to increased number of filled grains/panicle. More than three times higher abundance of SPIKE transcripts was observed in Bhutmuri and NILs carrying this allele compared with IR64 and its allele carrying NILs. Higher rate of photosynthesis at more than 900 lmolm-2 s -1 light intensity and more than six small vascular bundles between the two large vascular bundles in the flag leaves of Bhutmuri and its allele carrying NILs were also observed. The identified SPIKE allele and the marker associated with it will be useful for increasing the productivity of rice by marker-assisted breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]