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The response of mesophyll conductance (gm) to CO2 plays a key role in photosynthesis and ecosystem carbon cycles under climate change. Despite numerous studies, there is still debate about how gm responds to short‐term CO2 variations. Here we used multiple methods and looked at the relationship between stomatal conductance to CO2 (gsc) and gm to address this aspect. We measured chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and online carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) at different CO2 mole fractions in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.), and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) leaves. The variable J and Δ based methods showed that gm decreased with an increase in CO2 mole fraction, and so did stomatal conductance. There were linear relationships between gm and gsc across CO2 mole fractions. gm obtained from A‐Ci curve fitting method was higher than that from the variable J method and was not representative of gm under the growth CO2 concentration. gm could be estimated by empirical models analogous to the Ball‐Berry model and the USO model for stomatal conductance. Our results suggest that gm and gsc respond in a coordinated manner to short‐term variations in CO2, providing new insight into the role of gm in photosynthesis modelling. Summary statement: For photosynthesis modelling, the response of gm to short‐term CO2 changes is essential. Using variable J and carbon isotope discrimination methods, we showed that gm decreased with an increase in CO2 mole fraction, which contradicts the assumption of a constant gm in photosynthesis models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Plants have intricate mechanisms that tailor their defence responses to pathogens. WRKY transcription factors play a pivotal role in plant immunity by regulating various defence signalling pathways. Many WRKY genes are transcriptionally activated upon pathogen attack, but how their functions are regulated after transcription remains elusive. Here, we show that OsWRKY7 functions as a crucial positive regulator of rice basal immunity against Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo). The activity of OsWRKY7 was regulated at both translational and post‐translational levels. Two translational products of OsWRKY7 were generated by alternative initiation. The full‐length OsWRKY7 protein is normally degraded by the ubiquitin–proteasome system but was accumulated following elicitor or pathogen treatment, whereas the alternate product initiated from the downstream in‐frame start codon was stable. Both the full and alternate OsWRKY7 proteins have transcriptional activities in yeast and rice cells, and overexpression of each form enhanced resistance to Xoo infection. Furthermore, disruption of the main AUG in rice increased the endogenous translation of the alternate stabilized form of OsWRKY7 and enhanced bacterial blight resistance. This study provides insights into the coordination of alternative translation and protein stability in the regulation of plant growth and basal defence mediated by the OsWRKY7 transcription factor, and also suggests a promising strategy to breed disease‐resistant rice by translation initiation control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Our ability to predict temperature responses of leaf respiration in light and darkness (RL and RDk) is essential to models of global carbon dynamics. While many models rely on constant thermal sensitivity (characterized by Q10), uncertainty remains as to whether Q10 of RL and RDk are actually similar.We measured short‐term temperature responses of RL and RDk in immature and mature leaves of two evergreen tree species, Castanopsis carlesii and Ormosia henry in an open field. RL was estimated by the Kok method, the Yin method and a newly developed Kok‐iterCc method.When estimated by the Yin and Kok‐iterCc methods, RL and RDk had similar Q10 (c. 2.5). The Kok method overestimated both Q10 and the light inhibition of respiration. RL/RDk was not affected by leaf temperature. Acclimation of respiration in summer was associated with a decline in basal respiration but not in Q10 in both species, which was related to changes in leaf nitrogen content between seasons. Q10 of RL and RDk in mature leaves were 40% higher than in immature leaves.Our results suggest similar Q10 values can be used to model RL and RDk while leaf development‐associated changes in Q10 require special consideration in future respiration models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The climbing mouse is a rare, small mammal listed as an endangered species on the China species red list. Molecular phylogenetic analyses and the evolutionary history of the genus remain unexplored because of the extreme difficulty in capturing individuals and their narrow distribution. Here, we collected 44 specimens, sequenced one mitochondrial and eight nuclear genes, and integrated morphological approaches to estimate phylogenetic relationships, delimit species boundaries, and explore evolutionary history. Molecular analyses and morphological results supported the validity of these four species. Here, we describe two new species, Vernaya meiguites sp. nov. and Vernaya nushanensis sp. nov., and recognize Vernaya foramena, previously considered a subspecies of Vernaya fulva, as a valid species. The estimated divergence time suggests that the climbing mouse began to diversify during the Pliocene (3.36 Ma). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incoloy 800H alloy has excellent high‐temperature mechanical properties and broad application prospects. However, the dynamic recrystallization (DRX) behavior of this alloy at different deformations has been little studied. The thermal deformation characteristics and DRX mechanisms of Incoloy 800H alloy are studied by thermal compression tests. Quantitative analysis of grain size, DRX fraction, misorientation distribution, and twin boundaries under different deformation degrees is conducted using electron‐backscattered diffraction. Furthermore, the evolution characteristics of dislocations and grains are observed through transmission electron microscopy. It is found that the proportion of DRX improves with increasing deformation significantly. In the DRX process, discontinuous DRX (DDRX) is the main nucleation mechanism, while continuous DRX (CDRX) serves as an auxiliary nucleation mechanism. As the deformation increases, the CDRX + DDRX mechanisms can also be observed simultaneously in the high‐density dislocation region near the grain boundary. In addition, the ratio of ∑3 boundaries first decreases and then increases as the deformation increases. The initial twins gradually disappear due to the increase in deformation, and new twins are formed within the DRX grains. Twins can promote grain boundary bulging, provide more nucleation sites for DRX, and have a significant promoting effect on DRX.During thermal compression, the change in deformation amount can well reflect the process of dynamic recrystallization (DRX) from nucleation to growth. Herein, the DRX mechanism and ∑3n boundaries of Incoloy 800H alloy are explored. With the increase of deformation, the grain size is more uniform. The ∑3n boundary has a significant promotion effect on DRX. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperuricemia closely correlates with the development of atherosclerosis, but little is known of the mechanism by which atherosclerosis progression occurs in hyperuricemia. Atherosclerosis appears to involve pyroptosis, an emerging mechanism of proinflammatory regulated cell death. This study tested the hypothesis that pyroptosis underlies the relationship between hyperuricemia and atherosclerosis, using ApoE−/− mice (a model of atherosclerosis), human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and human atherosclerotic arterial samples. We found that hyperuricemia can aggravate the aortic atherosclerotic plaque‐load in ApoE−/− mice and promote endothelial cell pyroptosis. Additionally, hyperuricemia can increase the levels of serum inflammatory factors (including IL‐1β and IL‐18). Exposure to lipopolysaccharide plus a high concentration of soluble uric acid (≥12 mg/dL) induced cell pyroptosis in HUVECs, as evidenced by increased expression of pyroptosis‐related proteins and elevated release of lactate dehydrogenase (a marker of tissue damage). Further, MCC950, a selective nucleotide‐binding oligomerization domain (NOD)‐like receptor 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome inhibitor, and N‐acetyl‐ l‐cysteine, an antioxidant, attenuated HUVEC pyroptosis by inhibiting activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). Finally, we detected significantly higher expression of pyroptosis‐associated proteins in carotid specimens from patients with hyperuricemia. Collectively, our findings suggest that hyperuricemia can aggravate endothelial cell pyroptosis in aortic atherosclerotic plaques, promoting the development of atherosclerosis. Additionally, a high concentration of soluble uric acid can trigger the activation stage of the NLRP3 inflammasome, mediating endothelial cell pyroptosis, and this process is regulated by the cellular ROS level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The basal levels of salicylic acid (SA) vary dramatically among plant species. In the shoot, for example, rice contains almost 100 times higher SA levels than Arabidopsis. Despite its high basal levels, neither the biosynthetic pathway nor the biological functions of SA are well understood in rice.Combining with metabolite analysis, physiological, and genetic approaches, we found that the synthesis of basal SA in rice shoot is dependent on OsAIM1, which encodes a beta‐oxidation enzyme in the phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase (PAL) pathway.Compromised SA accumulation in the Osaim1 mutant led to a lower shoot temperature than wild‐type plants. However, this shoot temperature defect resulted from increased transpiration due to elevated steady‐state stomatal aperture in the mutant. Furthermore, the high basal SA level is required for sustained expression of OsWRKY45 to modulate the steady‐state stomatal aperture and shoot temperature in rice.Taken together, these results provide the direct genetic evidence for the critical role of the PAL pathway in the biosynthesis of high basal level SA in rice, which plays an important role in the regulation of steady‐state stomatal aperture to promote fitness under stress conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lacked‐teeth pygmy weasel, Mustela aistoodonnivalis Wu & Kao, 1991, was originally described as being from Taibai Mountain and Zhashui county, Shaanxi, China. Subsequently, it was considered a subspecies or synonym of Mustela nivalis. In a faunal survey of northwestern Sichuan, eight specimens of M. aistoodonnivalis were collected. A molecular phylogenetic analysis of one mitochondrial and six nuclear genes clustered the specimens as a distinct clade and not with M. nivalis. Morphologically, the lack of the second lower molar differentiated them from M. nivalis, and genetic distances were typical of discrete species. These analyses confirmed that M. aistoodonnivalis is an independent species in the genus Mustela. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is involved in the carcinogenesis of gastric cancer (GC) upon infection of normal cell and induces a highly variable composition of the tumour microenvironment (TME). However, systematic bioinformatics analysis of key genes associated with EBV regulation of immune infiltration is still lacking. In the present study, the TCGA and GEO databases were recruited to analyse the association between EBV infection and the profile of immune infiltration in GC. The weighted gene co‐expression analysis (WGCNA) was applied to shed light on the key gene modules associated with EBV‐associated immune infiltration in GC. 204 GC tissues were used to analysed the expression of key hub genes by using the immunohistochemical method. Real‐time PCR was used to evaluate the association between the expression of EBV latent/lytic genes and key immune infiltration genes. Our results suggested that EBV infection changed the TME of GC mainly regulates the TIICs. The top three hub genes of blue (GBP1, IRF1, and LAP3) and brown (BIN2, ITGAL, and LILRB1) modules as representative genes were associated with EBV infection and GC immune infiltration. Furthermore, EBV‐encoded LMP1 expression is account for the overexpression of GBP1 and IRF1. EBV infection significantly changes the TME of GC, and the activation of key immune genes was more dependent on the invasiveness of the whole EBV virion instead of single EBV latent/lytic gene expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The elegant water shrew, Nectogale elegans, is one of the small mammal species most adapted to a semi‐aquatic lifestyle. The taxonomy of the genus Nectogale has received little attention due to difficulties in specimen collection. In this study, we sequenced one mitochondrial and eight nuclear genes to infer the phylogenetic relationship of Nectogale. Phylogenetic analyses revealed two large clades within Nectogale. One clade represented N. elegans, and the other was regarded as N. sikhimensis. The split between N. elegans and N. sikhimensis dated back to the early Pleistocene (2.15 million years ago [Ma]), which might be relevant to the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau (QTP) uplift. The morphological comparison showed several distinguishing characters within Nectogale: the shape of the mastoids, the first lower unicuspid (a1), and the second upper molar (M2). Overall, the molecular and the morphological evidences supported that the genus Nectogale consists of two valid species: N. elegans and N. sikhimensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many TGA transcription factors participate in immune responses in the SA‐mediated signaling pathway in Arabidopsis. This study identified a transcription factor OsTGAL1, which is induced upon infection by Xoo. Overexpression of OsTGAL1 increased the susceptibility of rice to Xoo. Plants overexpressing OsTGAL1 could affect the expression of many SA signaling‐related genes. OsTGAL1 was able to interact with the promoter of OsSGT1, which encodes a key enzyme for SA metabolism. The transcript of OsSGT1 was induced by Xoo and this responsive expression was further increased in plants overexpressing OsTGAL1. OsSGT1 knockout lines had enhanced resistance to Xoo, and knocking out OsSGT1 in plants overexpressing OsTGAL1 blocked the susceptibility caused by OsTGAL1. Altered expression levels of several OsPRs in all the transgenic plants demonstrated that SA‐mediated signaling had been affected. Furthermore, we identified an oxidoreductase of CC‐type glutaredoxin, OsGRX17, which interacted with OsTGAL1. OsGRX17 reduced the regulation of OsTGAL1 on OsSGT1, and this may be due to its redox modulation. Thus, our results demonstrate that OsTGAL1 negatively regulates resistance to Xoo by its effects on SA metabolism via the activation of OsSGT1, which provides valuable targets for plant breeders in developing new cultivars that are resistant to Xoo. Summary statement: OsTGAL1 negatively regulates the resistance of rice to Xoo by activating the transcription of OsSGT1. OsGRX17 interacts with OsTGAL1 to reduces the regulation of OsTGAL1 on OsSGT1. This study provides valuable targets for breeders in developing new cultivars that are resistant to Xoo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to investigate age‐dependent tendency of genomic alterations in lung cancer, and also to examine mutational profiles and its association with clinical treatment outcomes in young adenocarcinoma patients. By studying 7858 lung cancer samples using targeted‐gene sequencing, we investigated genomic differences and clinical on‐treatment time (OTT) to different therapies between young (≤ 45 years) and old (> 45 years) patients. The age‐dependent trend test for genomic alterations in all patients revealed steady increases in tumor mutation burden and alterations in a number of genes with age, including KRAS, MET, CDKN2A, PIK3CA and MDM2, while the frequencies of ALK, ROS1 and RET fusions and ERBB2 mutations were decreasing. The highest rate of EGFR alterations was observed in the 45 ~ 50 years age group. Comparisons of young and old adenocarcinoma patients found that young patients were characterized by a higher prevalence of ALK, ROS1 and RET fusions, and ERBB2 exon‐20 insertions and EGFR exon‐19 deletions. Actionable mutations were highly prevalent in young adenocarcinoma patients, with 88% of patients harboring at least one actionable genetic alteration. First‐line therapies in EGFR‐positive patients (n = 979) by EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors or chemotherapy resulted in similar OTT between young and old patients. Somatic interaction analyses implied that young EGFR‐positive patients were more likely to also have PIK3CA, MET, TP53 and RB1 mutations than old patients. Lung cancer in young patients, and especially those with adenocarcinoma, exhibited different clinical features and genomic attributes compared to old patients, which should be considered for therapeutic decision‐making purposes. What's new? Young patients with lung cancer represent a sub‐group with distinct clinical features compared to older patients. This large retrospective cohort study with a targeted sequencing panel covering over 400 cancer‐related genes suggests that young adenocarcinoma patients (≤45 years) have a different spectrum of driver mutations and a higher ratio of actionable genetic alterations compared to older patients. Over a third of young patients have multiple drivers, and the co‐mutation rate of EGFR with other oncogenes is high. These findings highlight genetic differences between young and older patients that possibly associate with different treatment outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Ferredoxin 1 (FD1) accepts and distributes electrons in the electron transfer chain of plants. Its expression is universally downregulated by viruses and its roles in plant immunity have been brought into focus over the past decade. However, the mechanism by which viruses regulate FD1 remains to be defined. In a previous report, we found that the expression of Nicotiana benthamianaFD1 (NbFD1) was downregulated following infection with potato virus X (PVX) and that NbFD1 regulates callose deposition at plasmodesmata to play a role in defense against PVX infection. We now report that NbFD1 is downregulated by rice stripe virus (RSV) infection and that silencing of NbFD1 also facilitates RSV infection, while viral infection was inhibited in a transgenic line overexpressing NbFD1, indicating that NbFD1 also functions in defense against RSV infection. Next, a RSV‐derived small interfering RNA was identified that contributes to the downregulation of FD1 transcripts. Further analysis showed that the abscisic acid (ABA) which accumulates in RSV‐infected plants also represses NbFD1 transcription. It does this by stimulating expression of ABA insensitive 5 (ABI5), which binds the ABA response element motifs in the NbFD1 promoter, resulting in negative regulation. Regulation of FD1 by ABA was also confirmed in RSV‐infected plants of the natural host rice. The results therefore suggest a mechanism by which virus regulates chloroplast‐related genes to suppress their defense roles. Significance Statement: The expression of chloroplast‐related genes (ChRGs) is often altered by viral infection but the mechanisms by which viruses downregulate host ChRGs are not well known. We report here that ferredoxin 1 (FD1) was downregulated by rice stripe virus both through a viral small interfering RNA and by abscisic acid‐mediated ABI5‐dependent regulation, suggesting a mechanism by which viruses can regulate ChRGs to suppress their defensive roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Carbon isotope discrimination (∆) in leaf biomass (∆BL) and tree rings (∆TR) provides important proxies for plant responses to climate change, specifically in terms of intrinsic water‐use efficiency (iWUE). However, the nonphotosynthetic 12C/13C fractionation in plant tissues has rarely been quantified and its influence on iWUE estimation remains uncertain. We derived a comprehensive, ∆ based iWUE model (iWUEcom) which includes nonphotosynthetic fractionations (d) and characterized tissue‐specific d‐values based on global compilations of data of ∆BL, ∆TR and real‐time ∆ in leaf photosynthesis (∆online). iWUEcom was further validated with independent datasets. ∆BL was larger than ∆online by 2.53‰, while ∆BL and ∆TR showed a mean offset of 2.76‰, indicating that ∆TR is quantitatively very similar to ∆online. Applying the tissue‐specific d‐values (dBL = 2.5‰, dTR = 0‰), iWUE estimated from ∆BL aligned well with those estimated from ∆TR or gas exchange. ∆BL and ∆TR showed a consistent iWUE trend with an average CO2 sensitivity of 0.15 ppm ppm−1 during 1975–2015. Accounting for nonphotosynthetic fractionations improves the estimation of iWUE based on isotope records in leaf biomass and tree rings, which is ultimate for inferring changes in carbon and water cycles under historical and future climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexation of Boric acid/Borax with hydroxyl compounds is an effective means for the removal and separation of boron in solutions. In this paper, the pH values of the solutions having different molar ratios of boron to hydroxyl compounds including Ethanol, isopropanol, Propanol, 1,2 propanediol, 2,3 butanediol, Glycerol, Xylitol, D‐fructose, D‐sorbitol, and D‐mannitol were determined and analyzed to study the reaction of Boric acid/Borax with different hydroxyl compounds. Solution Raman spectroscopy and DFT calculation were performed to confirm the observations. It was found that the complexation of borate with hydroxyl alcohols follow the order of monohydric alcohols < dihydric and trihydric alcohols < polyols. For polyols, the OH configuration plays very important role in the complexation, and xylitol has the strongest complexation among the polyols at the same molar ratios of boron to polyols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we evaluated the expressions and functions of a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), Noncoding RNA activated by DNA damage (NORAD) in human osteosarcoma. NORAD expressions were evaluated by qRT‐PCR in in vitro osteosarcoma cell lines and in vivo clinical specimens. SiRNA‐induced NORAD downregulation was conducted in Saos‐2 and 143B cells, and the functional effects of NORAD downregulation on osteosarcoma cells were evaluated by CCK‐8 proliferation assay, 24‐well transwell invasion assay and in vivo tumor explant assay, respectively. The possibility of NORAD endogenously competing microRNA target, hsa‐miR‐199a‐3p was examined by dual‐luciferase reporter assay and qRT‐PCR. Then, hsa‐miR‐199a‐3p was downregulated in NORAD‐inhibited osteosarcoma cells to examine its role in regulating NORAD inhibition induced cancer suppression in osteosarcoma cells. NORAD was found to be significantly overexpressed in both osteosarcoma cells and osteosarcoma tumors. In Saos‐2 and 143B cells transfected with NORAD‐specific siRNA, their proliferation, invasion, and in vivo explant growth were all markedly suppressed. Hsa‐miR‐199a‐3p was confirmed to be the competing target of NORAD. Its downregulation in Saos‐2 and 143B cells inversely augment proliferation and invasion that were initially suppressed by NORAD‐downregulation. The results of our study show that NORAD plays an important role in regulating cancer cell functions of osteosarcoma, possibly through endogenously competing with hsa‐miR‐199a‐3p. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Static cold storage (SCS) and hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP) are two primary options for renal allograft preservation. Compared with SCS, HMP decreased the incidence of delayed graft function (DGF) and protected graft function. However, more evidence is still needed to prove the advantages of the HMP. In this study, the outcomes of kidney grafts from the two preservation methods were compared by conducting a systematic review and meta‐analysis. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the effect of hypothermic machine perfusion and static cold storage in deceased donor kidney transplantation were identified through searches of the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases between January 1, 1980 and December 30, 2017. The primary endpoints were delayed graft function and graft survival. Secondary endpoints included primary non‐function (PNF), graft renal function, duration of DGF, acute rejection, postoperative hospital stay and patient survival. Summary effects were calculated as risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) or mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). A total of 13 RCTs were included, including 2048 kidney transplant recipients. The results indicated that compared with SCS, HMP decreased the incidence of DGF (RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.69–0.87, P < 0.0001), and improved the graft survival at 3 years (RR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02–1.11, P = 0.009). There was no significant difference in other endpoints. HMP might be a more desirable method of preservation for kidney grafts. The long‐term outcomes of kidney allografts stored by hypothermic machine perfusion still need to be further investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: BACKGROUND: As genetically modified (GM) crops are cultivated worldwide, concerns are emerging about the ecological consequences of the coexistence of transgenic and non‐transgenic crops in fields. We first conducted field experiments using insect‐resistant transgenic rice expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt‐transgenic rice) and its counterpart conventional rice (Oryza sativa L.) with or without insecticide spraying in 2013 and 2014. In 2015 and 2016, Bt‐transgenic and conventional rice plants were employed in pure and mixed cages, with an infestation of the target insect (Chilo suppressalis) and with insecticide spraying as the control treatment to prevent target insect infestation. RESULTS: The presence of Bt‐transgenic rice decreased the abundance of target insects but did not affect non‐target insects and predators in fields. Compared with conventional rice, Bt‐transgenic rice showed more empty seeds but comparable seed production in cages. The infestation of target insects significantly decreased the plant fitness of conventional rice in pure cages, but did not affect its fitness when conventional rice coexisted with Bt‐transgenic rice. In mixed cages, the presence of Bt‐transgenic rice decreased the abundance of target insects and the percentage of dead sheaths in conventional rice. CONCLUSION: The presence of Bt‐transgenic rice benefits the growth and reproduction of non‐transgenic rice in fields because of a decreased abundance of target insects. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims This study aimed to examine the involvement of glucose-regulated protein 94 ( GRP94) in oestrogen receptor-α36 ( ER-α36)-mediated oestrogen signalling in gastric cancer development. Methods and results A total of 130 formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded gastric tumour samples with corresponding normal gastric and tumour-adjacent tissues were used. High levels of GRP94 expression (2+ or 3+) were observed in 109 of 130 gastric carcinomas (83.85%) by immunohistochemistry, and in 13 of 18 tumour specimens (72.22%) with Western blot analysis. GRP94 expression was correlated positively with gender, tumour stage, lymph node metastasis and ER-α36 expression ( P < 0.05). Oestrogen treatment up-regulated both GRP94 and ER-α36 expression in gastric cancer SGC7901 cells. In addition, steady state levels of GRP94 protein were decreased in established gastric cancer SGC7901 cells with knocked-down levels of ER-α36 expression and in xenograft tumours formed by these cells. Forced expression of recombinant ER-α36 in SGC7901 cells, however, up-regulated the levels of GRP94 expression. Conclusions Glucose-regulated protein 94 is a downstream effector of ER-α36-mediated oestrogen signalling, and may be involved in ER-α36 function during gastric carcinogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The involvement of cytokinins (CTKs) in the repression of phosphate (Pi)-starvation signalling has been widely documented. However, the full physiological and molecular relevance of this role remains unclear. To gain further insights into the regulation system of CTK repression of Pi-starvation signalling, a global analysis of gene expression events in rice seedlings under Pi starvation, and the exogenous CTK treatment under Pi-sufficient (+P) and Pi-deficient (−P) conditions, was conducted using oligonucleotide array analysis. Physiological and biochemical adaptation was observed after 10 d Pi starvation in rice seedlings. A global reduction of the Pi-starvation signalling was detected after 3 d treatment of exogenous CTK. Expression profiling data indicate that, together with a significant increase of intracellular Pi content, many expression changes responsive to Pi starvation were reversed by exogenous CTK treatment while CTK-responsive genes behaved normally under −P condition. These results suggest that the interplay of CTK signal and Pi-starvation response can be partially explained by the rise of Pi concentration after exogenous CTK treatment. Microarray data also revealed that a small number of genes have different CTK response patterns under different Pi levels, suggesting a subtle interaction between CTK and Pi-starvation signalling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute respiratory and circulatory collapse might occasionally happen after pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA). We aimed to investigate the utilization of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) after PEA and potential risk factors., Methods: Demographic characteristics, clinical and surgical data were collected for all patients who underwent PEA from December 2016 to June 2022. All factors were compared between patients in the ECMO group and those in the other group. The most characteristic risk factors were obtained by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and support vector machine machine learning, and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) Curve analysis was performed to verify the diagnostic value of the obtained risk factors., Results: A total of 117 patients underwent PEA, and 8 (6.8%) of them received ECMO treatment intraoperatively or postoperatively. There were significant differences between the two groups in terms of cardiac function, pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), preoperative inflammation and cardiopulmonary bypass time. The PVR and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (N/L ratio) were the most characteristic risk factors with an area under the ROC curve of 0.847 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.7517-0.9420, p = .005) and 0.896 (95% CI = 0.803-0.989, p = .001), respectively. The ECMO group had higher PVR (1549.4 ± 600.7 vs. 952.9 ± 466.9 dyn.s.cm -5 , p = .004) and N/L ratio (6.3 ± 5.6 vs. 2.4 ± 1.7, p = .001)., Conclusions: PVR and N/L ratio can correctly predict who is likely to receive ECMO treatment after PEA. Therefore, addressing the preoperative inflammatory status might be beneficial but further research is needed., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)