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Background: The potential effects of global warming on soil fungal communities and their functions remain uncertain. To address this issue, we investigated the effects of 3-year simulated field warming on the community and function of fungi in a temperate steppe of Inner Mongolia, northern China. Methods: The diversity and structure of the fungal community were measured by high-throughput sequencing. The functionality of fungal communities was identified by comparison with the ITS reference database. Results: Our results showed that warming did not affect the diversity of fungi, but significantly increased the complexity of the fungal community, with fungal taxa more closely associating with each other. We observed that plant pathogens and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were the most abundant functional groups. Meanwhile, warming significantly decreased the relative abundance of animal pathogens. Conclusions: Warming significantly increased the complexity of the fungal community, with soil pH being the main factor affecting soil fungal function. Our findings emphasize that the response of the fungal community and its functional groups to warming has significant implications for ecosystem biogeochemical cycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron (Fe) deficiency chlorosis (FDC) in plant is associated with high bicarbonate concentration in calcareous soil and irrigation water, which leads to new leaf yellowing and lessens crop yield and quality. However, little is known about whether the chlorosis under bicarbonate stress resulted from blocking root–shoot Fe translocation or root Fe absorption. Moreover, the molecular response of chlorotic leaf under bicarbonate stress has been rarely reported on. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of bicarbonate on Fe acquisition, Fe translocation as well as Fe accumulation in roots, normal leaf (NL) and chlorotic leaf (CL) of Medicago lupulina. Seeds were grown with and without Fe and NaHCO3 (Fe and Bic) in the nutrient solution for 10 d. Fe content, gene expression and enzymatic activity in different tissues were determined. A factorial statistical design with two factors (Fe and Bic) and two levels of each factor was adopted: + Fe, −Fe, + Fe + Bic and −Fe + Bic. Results indicated that bicarbonate stress increased the expression of genes MlHA1, MlFRO1 and MlIRT1 related to Fe acquisition and promoted the Fe absorption from solution. Furthermore, the presence of bicarbonate stress inhibited the expression of MlMATE66 in roots, prevented the Fe translocation from roots to developing leaf, brought about Fe accumulation in roots and reduced the Fe content in new leaf. Generally, according to our results, bicarbonate could prevent Fe translocation from roots into developing leaf, decrease Fe bioavailability and induce chlorosis in M. lupulina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Pet exposure has always been controversial with childhood asthma and allergic rhinitis. We aimed to understand the prevalence of asthma and allergic rhinitis in children exposed to pets by meta-analysis. Methods: We searched articles published from Jan 1, 2012 to Dec 31, 2022 in the Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases. We included a cross-sectional study that reported the prevalence of asthma and allergic rhinitis in children exposed to pets. Furthermore, we performed subgroup analyses according to pet type and age. Results: In 14 selected studies, the meta-analysis results showed that the pooled prevalence of asthma in children exposed to pets was 19.0% (95% CI 13.3–24.7%), and the pooled prevalence of allergic rhinitis in children exposed to pets was 25.5% (95% CI 12.4–38.5%). The prevalence of asthma in children exposed to cats and dogs was 16.4% (95% CI 9.9–22.8%) and 12.5% (95% CI 8.7–16.2%), respectively. The prevalence of allergic rhinitis was 24.9% (95% CI 2.9–47.0%) and 24.1% (95% CI 2.6–45.6%), respectively. The prevalence of asthma in pet-exposed children was 17.1% (95% CI 12.3–22.0%) in the adolescence group (> 10 years) and 26.3% (95% CI 12.2–40.3%) in the childhood group (0–10 years). The prevalence of allergic rhinitis was 8.6% (95% CI 7.2–10.0%) in the adolescence group and 46.3% (95% CI 44.0–48.6%) in the childhood age group. Conclusions: The prevalence of asthma and allergic rhinitis in children exposed to pets is different. Exposure to pet cats is more prone to illness, and younger children are more susceptible to disease than older children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: Overexpression and loss of function of OsGEX3 reduce seed setting rates and affect pollen fertility in rice. OsGEX3 positively regulates osmotic stress response by regulating ROS scavenging. GEX3 proteins are conserved in plants. AtGEX3 encodes a plasma membrane protein that plays a crucial role in pollen tube guidance. However, the function of its homolog in rice, OsGEX3, has not been determined. Our results demonstrate that OsGEX3 is localized in the plasma membrane and the nucleus as shown by a transiently transformed assay using Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. The up-regulation of OsGEX3 was detected in response to treatments with polyethylene glycol (PEG) 4000, hydrogen peroxide, and abscisic acid (ABA) via RT-qPCR analysis. Interestingly, we observed a significant decline in the seed setting rates of OsGEX3-OE lines and mutants, compared to the wild type. Further investigations reveal that overexpression and loss of function of OsGEX3 affect pollen maturation. TEM observation revealed a significant decrease in the fertile pollen rates of OsGEX3-OE transgenic lines and Osgex3 mutants due to a delay in pollen development at the late vacuolated stage. Overexpression of OsGEX3 improved osmotic stress and oxidative stress tolerance by enhancing reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging in rice seedlings, whereas Osgex3 mutants exhibited an opposite phenotype in osmotic stress. These findings highlight the multifunctional roles of OsGEX3 in pollen development and the response to abiotic stress. The functional characterization of OsGEX3 provides a fundamental basis for rice molecular breeding and can facilitate efforts to cultivate drought resistance and yield-related varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: OsNAC103 negatively regulates rice plant height by influencing the cell cycle and crosstalk of phytohormones. Plant height is an important characteristic of rice farming and is directly related to agricultural yield. Although there has been great progress in research on plant growth regulation, numerous genes remain to be elucidated. NAC transcription factors are widespread in plants and have a vital function in plant growth. Here, we observed that the overexpression of OsNAC103 resulted in a dwarf phenotype, whereas RNA interference (RNAi) plants and osnac103 mutants showed no significant difference. Further investigation revealed that the cell length did not change, indicating that the dwarfing of plants was caused by a decrease in cell number due to cell cycle arrest. The content of the bioactive cytokinin N6-Δ2-isopentenyladenine (iP) decreased as a result of the cytokinin synthesis gene being downregulated and the enhanced degradation of cytokinin oxidase. OsNAC103 overexpression also inhibited cell cycle progression and regulated the activity of the cell cyclin OsCYCP2;1 to arrest the cell cycle. We propose that OsNAC103 may further influence rice development and gibberellin–cytokinin crosstalk by regulating the Oryza sativa homeobox 71 (OSH71). Collectively, these results offer novel perspectives on the role of OsNAC103 in controlling plant architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High concentrations of arsenic in soil and plant systems are a threat to human health and ecosystems. The levels of phosphate ions in the soil strongly influence the soil efficacy and arsenic absorption by plants. This study investigated the effects of phosphate-solubilizing fungi (PSF) on environmental factors and structural changes in microbial community in soils contaminated with arsenic. Four experimental groups were created: control (CK), Penicillium GYAHH-CCT186 (W186), Aspergillus AHBB-CT196 (W196), and Penicillium GYAHH-CCT186 + Aspergillus AHBB-CT196 (W186 + W196), with Pakchoi (Brassica chinensis L.) as the test plant. Analysis of altered nutrient levels, enzyme activities and microbial community structure in the soil as well as the growth and physiological characteristics of Pakchoi, revealed a significant increase in the available phosphorus (AP), organic matter (OM), cation exchange capacity (CEC) and available arsenic (AAs) content of the soil following W186 + W196, W196 and W186 treatments. All experimental treatments enhanced the activity of soil β-glucosidase (β-GC) and soil catalase (S-CAT). W186 + W196 and W196 treatments significantly enhanced soil acid phosphatase (S-ACP) activity. Besides, W186 + W196 treatment significantly induced dehydrogenase (S-DHA) activity. Further, of the treatment with PSF increased the fresh weight, root length, plant height and chlorophyll levels while decreasing the arsenic accumulation in Pakchoi. Exposure to PSF also increased the activity of Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Chytridiomycota, unclassified_Fungi, Mortierellomycota, Cryptomycota and Rozellomycota in the soil. The relative abundance of Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Mortierellomycota was positively correlated with the available nutrients (except iron) in the soil as well as enzyme activities. Consequently, the PSF improved the quality of soil and the safety of Pakchoi, suggesting that PSF can be utilized for the remediation of arsenic-contaminated soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian influenza is a disease of poultry that causes economic losses to poultry farms. Conventional vaccine production requires chicken embryos for virus proliferation with time-consuming and also affected by egg supply during the avian influenza virus outbreak. There are several advantages of plant cells as bio-factories for vaccine production, including low cost, low risk of contamination, and even edible. In this study, we chose carrot (Daucus carota) as a bioreactor to produce hemagglutinin (HA), an avian influenza virus antigen protein. HA gene linked with heat-labile enterotoxin B subunit (LTB) gene whose product plays the role of adjuvant protein was codon optimized with codon usage bias of carrot for high-level expression. The native and codon-optimized LTB–HA were transformed into carrots by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. T-DNA insertion of two version constructs was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction. Integration of codon-optimized LTB–HA gene in all transgenic carrot lines was identified as a single copy by Southern blot analysis. LTB–HA protein expressed in carrot cells was determined through enzyme-linked immunoassay. Codon-optimized LTB–HA gene showed a better expression level than the native LTB–HA gene in transgenic carrots. The highest expression level of LTB–HA in codon-optimized LTB–HA-transformed carrot taproot reached up to 0.0108% of total soluble protein. This study is the first report about expression of HA antigen of H5N2 subtype AIV in a horticultural crop. Our transgenic carrots have successfully produced HA protein which shows great potential to become an edible vaccine against avian influenza virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing has promising therapeutic potential for genetic diseases and cancers, but safety could be a concern. Here we use whole genomic analysis by 10x linked-read sequencing and optical genome mapping to interrogate the genome integrity after editing and in comparison to four parental cell lines. In addition to the previously reported large structural variants at on-target sites, we identify heretofore unexpected large chromosomal deletions (91.2 and 136 Kb) at atypical non-homologous off-target sites without sequence similarity to the sgRNA in two edited lines. The observed large structural variants induced by CRISPR-Cas9 editing in dividing cells may result in pathogenic consequences and thus limit the usefulness of the CRISPR-Cas9 editing system for disease modeling and gene therapy. In this work, our whole genomic analysis may provide a valuable strategy to ensure genome integrity after genomic editing to minimize the risk of unintended effects in research and clinical applications. The safety of CRISPR-Cas9 editing is a concern. Here the authors use whole genomic analysis by 10x linked-read sequencing and optical genome mapping to interrogate the genome integrity after editing: they see large structural variants at on-target sites and unexpected large chromosomal deletions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate whether the combination scheme of deep learning score (DL-score) and radiomics can improve preoperative diagnosis in the presence of micropapillary/solid (MPP/SOL) patterns in lung adenocarcinoma (ADC). A retrospective cohort of 514 confirmed pathologically lung ADC in 512 patients after surgery was enrolled. The clinicoradiographic model (model 1) and radiomics model (model 2) were developed with logistic regression. The deep learning model (model 3) was constructed based on the deep learning score (DL-score). The combine model (model 4) was based on DL-score and R-score and clinicoradiographic variables. The performance of these models was evaluated with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and compared using DeLong's test internally and externally. The prediction nomogram was plotted, and clinical utility depicted with decision curve. The performance of model 1, model 2, model 3 and model 4 was supported by AUCs of 0.848, 0.896, 0.906, 0.921 in the Internal validation set, that of 0.700, 0.801, 0.730, 0.827 in external validation set, respectively. These models existed statistical significance in internal validation (model 4 vs model 3, P = 0.016; model 4 vs model 1, P = 0.009, respectively) and external validation (model 4 vs model 2, P = 0.036; model 4 vs model 3, P = 0.047; model 4 vs model 1, P = 0.016, respectively). The decision curve analysis (DCA) demonstrated that model 4 predicting the lung ADC with MPP/SOL structure would be more beneficial than the model 1and model 3 but comparable with the model 2. The combined model can improve preoperative diagnosis in the presence of MPP/SOL pattern in lung ADC in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The seedling establishment is controlled by the programmed expression of sets of genes at the specific tissues of seed, abundance and environment. Plumule is an important part of the seed embryo and expresses the suits of genes to exert distinct functions during seed germination. Although rice genomic resources are available and developed rapidly, thousands of transcripts have not previously been located in the plumule of rice. Objective: This study was performed to identify plumule-preferentially expressed (OsPluP) genes in rice and determine the expression profiles and functions of OsPluP genes. Methods: We identified the OsPluP genes through Affymetrix microarray data. Meanwhile, qRT-PCR was performed to validate the expression pattern, also found that OsPluP genes were regulated by dark/light treatment. The cis-acting regulatory elements were analyzed in the promoters' regions of OsPluP genes. The T-DNA mutant of the OsPluP seed was used to reveal the function in seed germination. Results: In this study, a genomic survey of OsPluP genes was performed, and we identified 88 OsPluP genes based on Affymetrix microarray data. The expression profiles of 88 OsPluP members in 24 representative tissues covering rice whole life cycle can be roughly classified into three major groups, suggesting functional divergence of OsPluP genes in seed germination. The microarray data, qRT-PCR, and promoter analysis results demonstrated that transcripts of more than half OsPluPs (54 genes) could be enhanced in the darkness and respond to phytohormone. Gene Ontology (GO)and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) analysis demonstrated that OsPluP and their co-expressed genes were highly enriched in fatty acid metabolism. Moreover, OsPluP82 T-DNA mutant seeds displayed short plumule length and storage lipid accumulation. Conclusion: This study would enable the functions of OsPluP genes during seed germination and contribute to the goal of molecular regulatory networks that lay the foundation for further studies of seedling growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new heterometallic structures of [Zn2Ba(TCA)2(H2O)2]·2n(H2O) (1) and [Cd2Ba(TCA)2(DMA)2(H2O)3]·2n(DMA) (2) were successfully prepared via the solvothermal reactions of 4,4ʹ,4″-ticarboxytriphenylamine (H3TCA) with Zn(NO3)2·6H2O salts and Ba(NO3)2 or Cd(NO3)2·4H2O salts and Ba(NO3)2. The structural characterization results show that complex 1 features a 3D framework structure based on the 1D rod-like heterometal-carboxylate chains while the 3D framework of 2 is constructed from the trinuclear [Cd2Ba(COO)4] cluster. Due to the triphenylamine chromophore of TCA3−, compounds 1–2 show intensive luminescence at room temperature. Their application values on the ICU infection treatment were explored, and we also discussed the corresponding mechanism simultaneously. The utilization of enzyme linked immunosorbent assay detection was done firstly and then content of inflammatory cytokines released into the plasma was determined. Then, the measurement of Toll-like receptor 4 activation was made by real time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The CCK-8 assay was conducted in this study to evaluate the toxicity of the new compound during treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Karst rocky desertification (KRD) influences soil properties and plant species. Soil microbes are important factors in maintaining ecosystem stability. However, little is known about the role of fungi in adaptation of plants to KRD. Methods: Fungi colonized in bulk soil, rhizosphere, and roots of Themeda japonica at strong and slight KRD were analyzed by ITS2 amplicon sequencing. The relationship between soil nutrients and fungal diversity was estimated by redundancy analysis (RDA) and Spearman analysis. Results: AN, NN, SOC, TN, TP content and pH in strong KRD soil were higher than those with slight KRD. Rhizosphere with slight KRD had higher fungal richness and diversity than it with strong KRD, but there was no difference in root endophyte between KRD grades. The bulk soil with slight KRD had higher fungal richness compare to strong KRD. The fungal communities in bulk soil, rhizosphere, and root between plants at different KRD grades were significantly different. In addition, the fungal communities of rhizosphere were sensitive to the change of KRD environment. Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were the predominant phyla in bulk soil, rhizosphere and root endophyte at strong and slight KRD. SOC, AN and pH influenced the composition of fungal communities at strong KRD. In contrast, TN and AN had a negative impact on richness. Conclusion: Our results suggest that fungal communities of rhizosphere may play a role in adaptation of T. japonica to KRD and may contribute to promote plant growth and ecological performance in karst areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of our study was to investigate the effects of vulvovaginal erbium laser on the genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) and sexual function of postmenopausal women. We conducted a retrospective study of sixty-four postmenopausal women with GSM, and these patients were scheduled for three times of vulvovaginal erbium laser treatment. A baseline and post-treatment vaginal status was assessed by measuring vaginal pH, patients' subjective vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA) symptoms, which included dryness, dyspareunia, itching, and burning. The urinary response to treatment was assessed using ICIQ-SF, UDI-6, IIQ-7, OABSS, and POPDI-6. Sexual function was evaluated using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) before and after vulvovaginal laser therapy. Patient follow-ups were scheduled for 12 months after treatment. A total of sixty-four patients were enrolled in the study. We observed the significant improvement in the percentage of negative symptoms (dryness/dyspareunia/itching/burning) and in lower urinary tracts symptoms evaluated with ICIQ-SF, UDI-6, IIQ-7, OABSS, and POPDI-6 (P < 0.05). Patients' overall satisfaction regarding their sexual life, assessed via Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), showed significant improvement in its six domains of sexual function (P < 0.05). The pH level of vaginal secretions significantly decreased. No long-term complications were found post-treatment. The Er:YAG vaginal laser procedure is associated with a significant improvement in GSM and sexual function of postmenopausal women. Our result demonstrates that it can be a safe and efficacious treatment for patients with GSM without any serious adverse effects up to 1-year post-treatment. The long-term effects of using vulvovaginal laser in the treatment of GSM should be investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Denitrifying bacteria are a crucial component of aquatic ecosystem in nitrogen cycle. However, the denitrifying bacterial community dynamics and structure in epiphytic biofilms remain unexplored. The abundance of denitrification gene (nir) and structure of nirS-denitrifying bacterial community in the epiphytic biofilms collected in July and November of 2018 from a typical plateau lake (Caohai Wetland, Guizhou, China) were studied by Real-time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) and high-throughput sequencing. Results show that the gene abundance of nirK was higher than that of nirS (P<0.05), and it was significantly different during the growth period (July) than the decline period (November). The denitrifying bacterial species was similar in the two months and shared 76.18% of OTUs. Proteobacteria (56.55%±22.15%) was the dominant phylum in all the samples. Epiphytic biofilms between growth period and decline period displayed significantly different microbial community structures due to differences in species abundance. Water temperature was the crucial factor that affected the denitrifying microbial community structure in our study. Environmental factors explain only partially the dynamic characteristics of denitrifying microbial communities, implying that the stochastic processes affected the construction of denitrifying microbial communities. As the null model analysis results show, dispersal limitation (stochastic) and undominated processes significantly influenced the assembly of denitrifying microbial communities. This study broadened our understanding of the denitrifying bacterial community structure and its function on epiphytic biofilms in freshwater ecosystems with new information provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins GL3 (GlABRA 3) and EGL3 (Enhancer of GLABRA 3) are transcription factors that establish physical interactions with GL1 and TTG1 to regulate trichome development in Arabidopsis. In this study, we identified GL3 and EGL3 homologous genes from Rosa roxburghii, named RrGL3 and RrEGL3, respectively. RrGL3 and RrEGL3 were both exclusively localized in the nucleus. Transcriptional profiling and in situ hybridization demonstrated that the expression level of RrEGL3 was significantly higher than RrGL3 in vegetative and reproductive tissues. Moreover, RrEGL3 was remarkably expressed in flower buds and the prickles of young fruits. Notably, overexpression of RrEGL3 produced significantly more trichomes compared with wild type. Besides, RrEGL3 was able to functionally complement the glabrous phenotype of gl3 egl3 and ttg1 mutants. Surprisingly, overexpression of RrGL3 did not influence trichome patterning in Arabidopsis. Finally, while RrEGL3 was found to interact with both TTG1 and GL1 in vitro and in vivo, in contrast, RrGL3 only interacted with GL1. The inability of RrGL3 to interact with TTG1 suggests functional divergence between RrGL3 and RrEGL3. These results illustrated that highly expressed RrEGL3 mediates trichome development in Arabidopsis by forming a GL1-RrEGL3-TTG1 complex, proposing RrEGL3 as a good candidate for controlling prickles in R. roxburghii. This study provides insights into the molecular mechanisms concerning the development of prickles in the Rosaceae family, and provides the theoretical basis for cultivation of prickle-free fruits. Key message: RrEGL3 expressed highly in tissues presenting prickles of Rosa roxburghii could mediated trichome development in Arabidopsis by forming GL1-RrEGL3-TTG1 complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) is an important modality for acute cholecystitis and has been applied for other clinical scenarios as well. In the present study, we aimed to investigate an alternative use of PC for obstructive jaundice. Methods: From January 2012 to December 2018, eligible subjects were selected from patients undergoing PC in our institute. The characteristics, spectrum of underlying disease, indication for PC performance, details of the procedure, and treatment effect were all investigated. Results: During the study period, 1364 patients underwent PC. Seventy patients fulfilled the defined inclusion criteria. While 47 patients were diagnosed with malignant biliary obstruction with or without cholangitis, 23 patients were diagnosed with nonmalignant biliary obstruction and acute cholangitis. There were 63 patients (90%) diagnosed with acute cholangitis. Pancreatic cancer (n = 24, 51%) and advanced malignancy (n = 28, 59%) were noted mostly in the group with malignant biliary obstruction. Treatment effects were proven by laboratory data, including the white blood cell count, C-reactive protein level, and hepatic function. Conclusion: PC can temporize definitive therapies and serve as an alternative treatment for patients with nonmalignant conditions. For patients with advanced malignancy, PC can serve as a palliative procedure that has a high success rate and low complication rate and effectively relieves biliary obstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the stability of zero-vorticity and vortex lattice quantum droplets (LQDs), which are described by a two-dimensional (2D) Gross–Pitaevskii (GP) equation with a periodic potential and Lee–Huang–Yang (LHY) term. The LQDs are divided in two types: onsite-centered and offsite-centered LQDs, the centers of which are located at the minimum and the maximum of the potential, respectively. The stability areas of these two types of LQDs with different number of sites for zero-vorticity and vorticity with S = 1 are given. We found that the μ–N relationship of the stable LQDs with a fixed number of sites can violate the Vakhitov–Kolokolov (VK) criterion, which is a necessary stability condition for nonlinear modes with an attractive interaction. Moreover, the μ–N relationship shows that two types of vortex LQDs with the same number of sites are degenerated, while the zero-vorticity LQDs are not degenerated. It is worth mentioning that the offsite-centered LQDs with zero-vorticity and vortex LQDs with S = 1 are heterogeneous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of local injection of autologous platelet rich plasma (A-PRP) as a treatment for women suffering from stress urinary incontinence (SUI). In a prospective intervention study, twenty consecutive women suffering from SUI were treated with A-PRP injection at anterior vaginal wall where mid-urethra locates. Self-reported questionnaires were used to measure pre-treatment, 1 month and 6 months post-treatment symptom severity. Secondary outcomes of sexual function and treatment effect sorted by age were analyzed with valid statistical methods. A-PRP is effective in relieving SUI symptoms at both 1 month and 6 months post-treatment without significant adverse reactions reported. It seems to have a trend that treatment success rate with cured and improved symptoms was slightly higher in the younger group, although it did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.07). No significant changes in sexual function before and after the treatment were reported by the patients. This pilot study is the first to report A-PRP treatment effect for SUI in women. The result suggested that A-PRP is a considerable treatment option for mild to moderate SUI cases. It also opens up further research opportunities for A-PRP's clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: LBDs, as the plant-specific gene family, play essential roles in lateral organ development, plant regeneration, as well as abiotic stress and pathogen response. However, the number and characteristic of LBD genes in Pyscomitrella patens were still obscure. Objective: This study was performed to identify the LBD family gene in moss and to determine the expression profiles of LBDs under the abiotic and pathogen stress. Methods: Complete genome sequences and transcriptomes of P. patens were downloaded from the Ensembl plant database. The hidden Markov model-based profile of the conserved LOB domain was submitted as a query to identify all potential LOB domain sequences with HMMER software. Expression profiles of PpLBDs were obtained based on the GEO public database and qRT-PCR analysis. Results: In this study, a total of 31 LBDs were identified in the P. patens genome, divided into two classes based on the presence of the leucine zipper-like coiled-coil motif. A phylogenetic relationship was obtained between 31 proteins from P. patens and 43 proteins from the Arabidopsis thaliana genome, providing insights into their conserved and potential functions. Furthermore, the exon–intron organization of each PpLBD were analyzed. All PpLBD contain the conserved DNA binding motif (CX2CX6CX3C zinc finger-like motif), and were predicted to be located in cell nuclear. The 31 PpLBD genes were unevenly assigned to 18 out of 27 chromosomes based on the physical positions. Among these genes, PpLBD27 was not only remarkably highest expressed in desiccation, but also a susceptible gene to pathogens through jasmonic acid-mediated signaling pathway. Most of PpLBDs were up-regulated with the treatment of mannitol. These results showed they were differentially induced and their potential functions in the environmental stimulus of the early terrestrial colonizers. Conclusion: Despite significant differences in the life cycle in P. patens and flowering plants, their functions involved in abiotic and biotic stress-regulated by LBDs have been identified and appear to be conserved in the two lineages. These results provided a comprehensive analysis of PpLBDs and paved insights into studies aimed at a better understanding of PpLBDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subgenomic mRNA (sgRNA) promoter for coat protein (CP) was isolated from the cDNA infectious clone of Odontoglossum ringspot virus Taiwan strain (ORSV-TW), which is a positive single-stranded RNA virus of the Tobamovirus family. The 5′-end deletion analysis of the 290 nucleotides ORSV CP sgRNA promoter was performed to investigate the promoter activity. A series of different ORSV CP sgRNA promoter deletions were characterized by driving the expression of a fused green fluorescent protein (GFP)-β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene using Agrobacterium-mediated infiltration in Phalaenopsis petals and Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. The results of deletion analysis indicated that the region between 24 nucleotides upstream and 18 nucleotides downstream of translation start codon was sufficient for promoter activity. The activity of this minimal promoter was relatively stronger than other promoters with longer length. A minimal ORSV CP sgRNA promoter was found to accumulate high levels of GFP and GUS, suggesting that this sequence might drive the foreign protein expression in heterologous systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aim: Calcium oxalate (CaOx) is a common biomineral found in the plant kingdom. Crystals of CaOx occur in different plant tissues, such as leaves and stems. However, little is known about the biosynthesis of CaOx in oxalate-accumulating plants. Moreover, the literature on genes related to CaOx formation under high-calcium environment is scarce. In the present study, the physiological parameters and the transcript profiles of Medicago lupulina leaves treated with 0.1 and 25 mM Ca2+ were analyzed to study the genes involved in the biosynthesis of CaOx. Results: We demonstrated that exposure to high external calcium concentration induced H2O2 production, ascorbic acid degradation, and CaOx accumulation in M. lupulina leaves. Moreover, we identified 1715 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (1322 up-regulated and 393 down-regulated genes) in leaves treated with 25 mM Ca2+ compared with the leaves treated with 0.1 mM Ca2+. We further demonstrated the involvement of DEGs in oxalic acid production, calcium transport, and calcium buffering. These results revealed that a high calcium promoted oxalic acid biosynthesis by inducing the expression of NADPH oxidase and ascorbate oxidase genes. In addition, several genes encoding cyclic nucleotide-gated channel, Ca2+-ATPase, H+/Ca2+ exchangers, and calcium-binding proteins were found to be differentially expressed and involved in calcium transport and calcium buffering. Conclusion: Our transcriptome analyses provide a comprehensive insight into the biosynthesis of CaOx in oxalate-accumulating plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aim of this study is to identify calcium dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) superfamily genes (including calcium dependent protein kinase (CDPK) genes, CDPK-related kinase (CRK) genes, and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase kinase-related kinase (PEPRK) genes) and to analyze their expression in response to high calcium, bicarbonate, and water deficit in Medicago lupulina. Methods: Transcriptome sequencing databases and bioinformatics were used to identify CDPK superfamily genes. qRT-PCR analyses were used to study the expression of CDPK superfamily genes in response to high calcium, bicarbonate, water deficit, and their combined treatments. Results: Ten MlCDPKs, four MlCRKs, and two MlPEPRKs genes were identified from transcriptome sequencing databases. The identified MlCDPK superfamily genes could be divided into six subgroups including CDPK I, CDPK II, CDPK III, CDPK IV, CRK, and PEPRK according to evolutionary relationships. Analysis of protein structure indicated that MlCDPK proteins contained a protein kinase domain and EF-hand domain. However, PEPRKs contained only a protein kinase domain while CRKs contained also degenerative EF-hands. Most of the MlCDPK superfamily genes were differentially expressed in different organs. According to their expression levels, MlCDPK superfamily genes such as MlCDPK1, MlCDPK9, and MlCDPK10 were more sensitive in response to individual treatments of high calcium, carbonate or PEG rather than their combination of treatments. The results indicated that MlCDPK superfamily genes may play an important role in response to those stresses. Conclusions: These results provide important insight into the role of CDPKs in M. lupulina, especially in the tolerance to Karst habitats, where high calcium and carbonate and drought conditions are the dominant ecological limiting factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Small agarics are poorly documented in Taiwan, with previously reported species either rudimentarily described or lacking a description or diagnosis in most cases. A survey on small agarics in a lowland forest of Taiwan revealed two species previously unrecorded. Results: One agaric, which is characterized mainly by white hairs overlying the pileus, a conspicuous cup-shaped basal disc surrounding the stipe, and inamyloid basidiospores, fits the genus Mycena and appears undescribed. It readily produced abundant basidiomata in culture in three weeks. The other agaric is Gloiocephala epiphylla, being characterized by its reduced hymenium and conspicuous pileogloeocystidia. ITS sequences from the two agarics further corroborated the identifications. Their macroscopic and microscopic features and culture morphology are described. A dichotomous key is provided to the species of Mycena reported in Taiwan. Conclusion: The Mycena species is newly described as M. albopilosa herein. Gloiocephala epiphylla is new to Taiwan, being the only species of the genus known on the island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a lethal disease afflicting many thousands of patients worldwide. We have previously developed an oral thioacetamide (TAA)-induced model of rat CCA that recapitulates the histologic progression of human CCA. Our objective was to evaluate the feasibility of animal PET in detecting CCA in the setting of the TAA rat model.Procedures: Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 30) were used in this study. Drinking water with TAA 300 mg/l was administered orally in 26 rats, and animal PET was performed at 20 weeks after initiation of TAA. A total of four rats served as controls. Animal PET images were acquired sequentially using both C-11 acetate and 2-deoxy-2-[F-18]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) to determine the optimal tracer. Dynamic animal PET images were collected to assess the optimal scan time based on the highest tumor-to-liver (T/L) ratio using time-activity curves. Animal PET findings were compared lesion by lesion with the results of autoradiography and the histological data.Results: FDG animal PET images had a higher T/L ratio compared to images obtained with C-11 acetate as a marker. The optimal scan time for FDG animal PET was determined as 90 min postinjection of the tracer. This was when the T/L ratio reached its peak. Necropsy and histology confirmed the presence of TAA-induced CCA in 22 rats (84.6 %). Static animal PET images showed intense FDG uptake in 17 of the 22 tumor-bearing animals (77.3%). The average T/L ratio was 1.60 +/- 0.09. The sensitivity and specificity of animal PET in the detection of CCA were 77% (17/22) and 100% (4/4), respectively.Conclusions: We conclude that animal PET in the setting of the TAA rat model seems to be feasible for the detection of CCA. Future translational studies are needed to confirm and expand our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Replicative senescence of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) contributes to aging as well as age-related cardiovascular diseases. Rapamycin can delay the onset of aging-related diseases via inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), but its role in vascular aging remains elusive. This study investigated the involvement of mTOR signaling in replicative senescence of VSMCs. Replicative senescence was induced by the extended passages of human VSMCs. Aging-related cell morphology was observed. The aging-related proteins and enzyme activity, and oxidative stress were measured. Significant increase in SA-β-gal activity and protein expression, p53 and p16 protein expression, proliferation index (PI), malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity, and significant decrease in telomerase activity was observed in aging VSMCs compared to young cells. Significant activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling was observed in aging cells but not young cells. Pretreatment of VSMCs with PI3K inhibitor blocked while PI3K activator increased the changes of the above replicative senescence-related parameters in VSMCs. Rapamycin and silencing of mTOR expression inhibited replicative senescence in VSMCs through decreasing the level of p-mTOR Ser, p-mTOR Thr, and S6K1 phosphorylation. This study for the first time demonstrated that the PI3K/Akt/mTOR/S6K1 signal pathway plays an important role in regulating replicative senescence of human VSMCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deleted in malignant brain tumor-1 (DMBT1) is a mucin-like molecule participating in mucosal immune defense. Given that bovine gallbladder mucin, which accelerates cholesterol crystallization, is a DMBT1 homolog, DMBT1 expression was examined immunohistochemically in biliary epithelial cells in livers with hepatolithiasis (N = 25), primary sclerosing cholangitis (N = 7), large bile duct obstruction (N = 12), and control normal livers (N = 10). DMBT1 protein was determined in the hepatic bile samples of hepatolithiasis (N = 12) and other hepatobiliary diseases (N = 8) by immunoblot. While DMBT1 was faintly expressed in normal livers (20%), it was significantly augmented in hepatolithiasis (76%) (P < 0.05). DMBT1 was mildly expressed in primary sclerosing cholangitis and large bile duct obstruction. DMBT1 protein was detected frequently in hepatic bile samples of hepatolithiasis (50%) (P < 0.05), but in the other bile samples. The percentage of cholesterol in intrahepatic calculi was significantly higher in the patients with DMBT1-positive bile. Augmented expression and secretion of DMBT1 in intrahepatic large bile ducts in hepatolithiasis suggests its role in lithogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is known that phytohormone auxin affects floral sexual determination in monoecious Cucurbitaceae such as cucumber and melon. TRANSPORT INHIBITOR RESPONSE 1 (TIR1) was first identified in Arabidopsis thaliana as the auxin receptor but few reports have correlated it with fruit initiation and development. As the first step to understanding the regulatory mechanism of auxin in flower sex expression, fruit set, and fruit development in bitter gourd, a TIR1 ortholog named McTIR1, was isolated and characterized in monoecious bitter gourd ( Momordica charantia L.). The translation start codon locates in the second exon of McTIR1. Based on phylogenetic analysis, the similarity of deduced amino acid sequence was closer between the McTIR1 and AtTIR1 than between McTIR1 and AUXIN SIGNALING F-BOX (AFB) family. Northern analysis indicated McTIR1 expressed in the early fruit developmental stages of bitter gourd. The McTIR1 mRNA was most abundant in young leaves and stems and lowest in roots of bitter gourd. Expression of McTIR1 was further characterized using transcriptional fusion construct containing β-glucuronidase reporter gene fused to the gene promoter and 5′-untranslated region of McTIR1. The expression of McTIR1 promoter decreased dramatically during the late stages of pistil development in transgenic tobacco. These results indicate that expression of auxin receptor McTIR1 is associated with the pistil development of unisexual flowers in bitter gourd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A constitutive equation was established to describe the deformation behavior of a nitride-strengthened (NS) steel through isothermal compression simulation test. All the parameters in the constitutive equation including the constant and the activation energy were precisely calculated for the NS steel. The result also showed that from the stress-strain curves, there existed two different linear relationships between critical stress and critical strain in the NS steel due to the augmentation of auxiliary softening effect of the dynamic strain-induced transformation. In the calculation of processing maps, with the change of Zener-Hollomon value, three domains of different levels of workability were found, namely excellent workability region with equiaxed-grain microstructure, good workability region with 'stripe' microstructure, and the poor workability region with martensitic-ferritic blend microstructure. With the increase of strain, the poor workability region first expanded, then shrank to barely existing, but appeared again at the strain of 0.6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Several investigations have shown that the risk of childhood overweight and obesity may be associated with excessive gestational weight gain (GWG), but the study samples were limited and results were mixed; hence we conducted this meta-analysis to assess the explicit association between them and present evidence. Methods: We searched PubMed, EMbase, Ovid, Web of knowledge and Cochrane library for relevant studies. Bibliographies from retrieved articles were also manually searched. Cohort studies that presented results by OR or RR with 95 % CI for the association of maternal excessive GWG and child overweight/obesity were included. The pooled estimates were calculated by fixed-effect model or random-effect model according to the heterogeneity. Results: Twelve cohort studies were identified, and the combined OR of excessive GWG and childhood overweight/obesity was 1.33 (95 % CI 1.18-1.50) with evidence of heterogeneity ( P = 0.000, I = 71.1 %). Adjustment of maternal BMI, investigation area, age of children, research type, and omission of any single study had little effect on the pooled estimate. After eliminating the effect of publication bias by trim and fill analyses, the result still remained statistically significant (OR 1.21, 95 % CI 1.05-1.40). Conclusions: This meta-analysis suggests that the risk of childhood overweight/obesity is significantly associated with excessive gestational weight gain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engagement of HIV-positive persons into care and achieving optimal antiretroviral treatment outcomes is a fundamental HIV prevention strategy. Case management model was recommended as a beneficial model of care for patients with a new HIV diagnosis, focusing on individuals with unmet needs, and linking them with the coordinated health and social services to achieve desired outcomes. HIV case management is population-driven and programs are designed to respond to the unique needs of the client population they serve, such as substance users, homeless, youth, and prison inmates. This view found 28 studies addressing effectiveness and impacts of case management intervention for people living with or at risk of HIV/AIDS. Effectiveness of case management intervention was categorized as follows: decreased mortality and improve health outcomes, linkage to and retention in care, decreased unmet needs, and reducing risky behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Peripheral cholangiocarcinoma (PCC) can be grossly classified as mass-forming (MF), periductal-infiltrating (PI), and intraductal papillary (IP) types. IP-PCC should be distinguished from other types of PCC because patients with IP-PCC have a more favorable prognosis. We hypothesized that gross pathological classification of non-IP-PCC could determine the efficacy of hepatectomy. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 224 histologically proven PCCs (including 172 PCCs from patients having non-IP type tumors) from patients who underwent hepatectomy between 1977 and 2007. Non-IP-PCCs were further classified as MF, MF mixed with PI (MF-PI), and PI for comparison. Results: Of the 224 patients with PCC, 52 had IP-PCC (23.2 %), and 172 had non-IP-PCC (76.8 %). One hundred one of the 172 non-IP-PCC patients had a curative resection (curative resection rate 58.7 %). The follow-up duration ranged from 1.1 to 193.1 months (median 13.4 months). Overall survival (OS) rates for the non-IP-PCC patients at 1 and 5 years were 58.4 and 15.1 %, respectively. Absence of symptoms, lower alkaline phosphatase levels, normal carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and presence of MF-type PCC independently and favorably affected OS for the non-IP-PCC patients following hepatectomy. Independent factors favorably predicting OS for the MF-PCC patients were the absence of symptoms, hepatolithiasis, normal CEA levels, successful curative hepatectomy, and negative lymph node metastasis, while for the MF-PI-PCC patients following hepatectomy, one independent factor, successful curative hepatectomy, favorably predicted OS. For the PI-PCC patients, the independent factors favorably predicting OS were normal albumin levels and negative lymph node metastasis. Conclusions: It is important to correctly differentiate between the gross pathological classifications of non-IP-PCC because of their distinct characteristics and outcomes following hepatectomy. Correct gross pathological classification is essential for further translational investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Adenocarcinoma of the body and tail of the pancreas are more often than not inoperable to begin with. Factors predicting the prognosis in the resected tumors of pancreatic body and tail were analyzed. Methods: Between 1989 and 2006, 43 patients with adenocarcinoma of the body and tail of the pancreas underwent resection at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan. Univariate and multivariate analysis of clinicopathological factors affecting the prognosis were analyzed. Results: Totally, 32 patients were available for the analysis. The median follow-up was 13.6 months (1.5-87.5 months). The median survival time was 14.2 months and the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 58.1, 25.8, and 6.5 %, respectively. On univariate analysis, the factors which influenced the survival were tumor size >4 cm ( p = 0.004), lymphatic invasion ( p = 0.001), and positive resection margin ( p = 0.030). On multivariate analysis, only the tumor size and the lymphatic invasion were independent prognostic factors. Conclusion: Even after macroscopic curative resection, the prognosis remains poor for pancreatic body and tail adenocarcinoma. Early diagnosis is the key to achieving long-term survival. Newer effective adjuvant treatment after curative resection is needed to improve the survival [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructural evolutions of advanced 9-12%Cr ferrite/martensite heat-resistant steels used for power generation plants are reviewed in this article. Despite of the small differences in chemical compositions, the steels share the same microstructure of the as-tempered martensite. It is the thermal stability of the initial microstructure that matters the creep behavior of these heat-resistant steels. The microstructural evolutions involved in 9-12%Cr ferrite heat-resistant steels are elaborated, including (1) martensitic lath widening, (2) disappearance of prior austenite grain boundary, (32) emergence of subgrains, (4) coarsening of precipitates, and (5) formation of new precipitates, such as Laves-phase and Z-phase. The former three microstructural evolutions could be retarded by properly disposing the latter two. Namely improving the stability of precipitates and optimizing their size distribution can effectively exert the beneficial influence of precipitates on microstructures. In this sense, the microstructural stability of the tempered martensite is in fact the stability of precipitates during the creep. Many attempts have been carried out to improve the microstructural stability of 9-12%Cr steels and several promising heat-resistant steels have been developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For completely resected primary gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), mitotic rate, tumor size, and tumor location are important risk factors for recurrence. However, molecular markers for recurrence are still lacking. Methods: We reanalyzed GIST gene expression profile GSE8167 available from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and confirmed the prognostic influence of one selected gene, aurora kinase A ( AURKA), in another cohort of 142 patients using immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results: Thirty-two cases in GSE8167 were classified into two risk groups with distinct recurrence-free survival (RFS) and expression profiles using modified criteria of Miettinen et al. from the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP-Miettinen). AURKA was among the 19 genes common to the top 50 features of the high-risk phenotype and a 67-gene signature called the complexity index in sarcomas. AURKA was significantly overexpressed in the high-risk group, and patients with high AURKA expression had significantly worse RFS than those with low expression. In the IHC-validated cohort, AURKA expression was significantly higher in nongastric tumors than in gastric tumors and was significantly correlated with AFIP-Miettinen risk group. Univariate analysis showed that RFS was significantly influenced by tumor size, mitotic count, AFIP-Miettinen risk group classification, and AURKA expression. However, only tumor size ( P = 0.017), mitotic count ( P = 0.007), and AURKA expression ( P = 0.039) were identified as independent unfavorable prognostic factors for RFS in multivariate analysis. Conclusions: By integrating bioinformatics and clinicopathological studies, AURKA was identified as a marker for high-risk GIST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

longitudinal prospective study was conducted at an AIDS designated hospital in Taiwan. The study aimed to determine the incidence of syphilis and to identify risk factors predicting new onset syphilis and relapse into risky behaviors among 117 patients enrolled in the HIV case management program for 1 year. Having a new episode of syphilis was defined as patients had a fourfold increase of serum rapid plasma reagin titers from baseline to 12-month follow-up. After enrollment, 17% relapsed in unprotected sexual intercourse. New onset syphilis was noted in ten (10.4%) participants, and all were men having sex with men. The incidence of syphilis was 5.8 per 100 person-years. Predictors of a new episode of syphilis were higher CD4 cell counts [hazard ratio (HR), 1.003; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.00-1.006], and recreational drug use (HR, 18.89; 95% CI, 2.78-128.15). Regular screening for syphilis among patients retaining in HIV care remains necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Signet ring cell carcinoma (SRC) is defined as a histological entity. The clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of gastric SRC remain controversial.Methods: From 1994 to 2006, 2,439 patients with gastric carcinoma who underwent gastrectomy were enrolled. Of these, 505 patients (20.7%) had SRC and were compared to 1,934 patients with other histological types.Results: Twenty-nine percent of patients in the SRC group (n = 149) had early gastric cancer, with tumor invasion limited to the mucosa or submucosa, compared to 22.2% of patients in the non-SRC group (n = 430). The proportion of regional LN metastases was 10.7 and 16.0% in early SRC and early non-SRC, respectively, (p = 0.115). The 5-year survival rates for patients with early SRC were better than those for patients with early non-SRC (96.1 vs. 89.6%, p = 0.01).Conclusions: Early gastric SRC has favorable prognosis. There is no significant difference in terms of LN metastasis between SRC histologic type and other histological types. Less-invasive strategies may be acceptable in selected patients with early gastric SRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]