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Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are important in regulating plant development as well as stress response. In this study, we genome-widely identified 56 MAPK genes in upland cotton. These MAPK genes unequally distribute on 22 chromosomes of cotton genome, but no MAPK gene is located on At_Chr6, Dt_Chr6, At_Chr13 and Dt_Chr13. The exons and introns in GhMAPK gene family vary widely at the position, number and length. Furthermore, GhMAPK family can be divided into 4 groups (A, B, C and D), and the TEY type of T-loop exists in three groups (A, B and C), but the TDY type of T-loop is only in group D. Further study revealed that some GhMAPK genes (including GhMPK6) are preferentially expressed in elongating fibers. GhMPK6 maintains a high phosphorylation level in elongating fibers, and its phosphorylation was enhanced in fibers by phytohormones brassinosteroid (BR), ethylene and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Additionally, GhMPK6 could interact with GhMKK2-2 and GhMKK4, suggesting that GhMKK2-2/4-GhMPK6 module may be involved in phosphorylation of its downstream proteins for regulating fiber elongation of cotton.

Spatiotemporally regulated callose deposition is an essential, genetically programmed phenomenon that promotes pollen development and functionality. Severe male infertility is associated with deficient callose biosynthesis, highlighting the significance of intact callose deposition in male gametogenesis. The molecular mechanism that regulates the crucial role of callose in production of functional male gametophytes remains completely unexplored. Here, we provide evidence that the gradual upregulation of a previously uncharacterized cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) pollen-specific SKS-like protein (PSP231), specifically at the post pollen-mitosis stage, activates callose biosynthesis to promote pollen maturation. Aberrant PSP231 expression levels caused by either silencing or overexpression resulted in late pollen developmental abnormalities and male infertility phenotypes in a dose-dependent manner, highlighting the importance of fine-tuned PSP231 expression. Mechanistic analyses revealed that PSP231 plays a central role in triggering and fine-tuning the callose synthesis and deposition required for pollen development. Specifically, PSP231 protein sequesters the cellular pool of RNA-binding protein GhRBPL1 to destabilize GhWRKY15 mRNAs, turning off GhWRKY15-mediated transcriptional repression of GhCalS4/GhCalS8 and thus activating callose biosynthesis in pollen. This study showed that PSP231 is a key molecular switch that activates the molecular circuit controlling callose deposition toward pollen maturation and functionality and thereby safeguards agricultural crops against male infertility.

BACKGROUND Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is currently the most commonly diagnosed endocrine malignancy. In addition, the sex- and age-adjusted incidence of PTC has exhibited a greater increase over the last 2 decades than in many other malignancies. Thus, discovering noninvasive specific serum biomarker to distinguish PTC from cancer-free controls in its early stages remains an important goal. MATERIAL AND METHODS Serum samples from 88 PTC patients and 80 cancer-free controls were randomly allocated into training or validation sets. Serum peptide profiling was performed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) after using weak cation exchange magnetic beads (WCX-MB), and the results were evaluated by use of ClinProTools™ Software. To distinguish PTC from cancer-free controls, quick classifier (QC), supervised neural network (SNN), and genetic algorithm (GA) models were established. The models were blindly validated to verify their diagnostic capabilities. The most discriminative peaks were subsequently identified with a nano-liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry system. RESULTS Six peptide ions were identified as the most discriminative peaks between the PTC and cancer-free control samples. The QC model exhibited satisfactory sensitivity and specificity among the 3 models that were validated. Two peaks, at m/z 2671.17 and m/z 1464.68, were identified as fragments of the alpha chain of fibrinogen, while a peak at m/z 1738.92 was a fragment of complement component 4A/B. CONCLUSIONS MS combined with ClinProTools™ software was able to detect peptide biomarkers in PTC patients. In addition, the constructed classification models provided a serum peptidome pattern for distinguishing PTC from cancer-free controls. Both fibrinogen a and complement C4A/B were identified as potential markers for diagnosis of PTC.

As the important source of natural fibers in the textile industry, cotton fiber quality and yield are often restricted to drought conditions because most of cotton plants in the world grow in the regions with water shortage. WRKY transcription factors regulate multiple plant physiological processes, including drought stress response. However, little is known of how the WRKY genes respond to drought stress in cotton. Our previous study revealed GhWRKY33 is leaf-specific and induced by drought stress. In this study, our data showed GhWRKY33 protein localizes to the cell nucleus and is able to bind to “W-box” cis-acting elements of the target promoters. Under drought stress, GhWRKY33 overexpressing transgenic Arabidopsis was withered much more quickly than wild type due to faster water loss. Moreover, GhWRKY33 transgenic plants displayed more tolerance to abscisic acid (ABA), relative to wild type. Expression of some drought stress-related genes and ABA-responsive genes were changed in the GhWRKY33 transgenic Arabidopsis with drought or ABA treatment. Collectively, our findings indicate that GhWRKY33 may act as a negative regulator to mediate plant response to drought stress and to participate in the ABA signaling pathway.

LIM domain proteins are cysteine-rich proteins, and are often considered as actin bundlers and transcription factors in plants. However, the roles of XLIM proteins in plants (especially in cotton) remain unexplored in detail so far. In this study, we identified a cotton XLIM protein (GhXLIM6) that is preferentially expressed in cotton fiber during whole elongation stage and early secondary cell wall (SCW) synthesis stage. The GhXLIM6-silenced transgenic cotton produces shorter fibers with thinner cell walls, compared with wild-type (WT). GhXLIM6 protein could directly bind F-actin and promote actin polymerization both in vitro and in vivo. It also acts as a transcription factor to suppress GhKNL1 expression through binding the PAL-box element of GhKNL1 promoter, and subsequently regulate the expression of CesA genes related to cellulose biosynthesis and deposition in SCWs of cotton fibers. The cellulose content in fibers of GhXLIM6RNAi cotton is lower than that in WT. Taken together, these data reveal the dual roles of GhXLIM6 in fiber development. On one hand, GhXLIM6 functions in fiber elongation through binding to F-actin to maintain the dynamic F-actin cytoskeleton. On the other hand, GhXLIM6 fine-tunes fiber SCW formation, probably through directly suppressing transcription of GhKNL1 to promote cellulose biosynthesis.

An unsymmetric tetracarboxylic ligand collaborates with 4,4′-bipyridine to induce spontaneous resolution to form homochiral 3D coordination frameworks, while the use of longer dipyridyl ligands instead of 4,4′-bipyridine leads to isoreticular but heterochiral frameworks.

Soil salinity is one of the most serious threats in world agriculture, and often influences cotton growth and development, resulting in a significant loss in cotton crop yield. WRKY transcription factors are involved in plant response to high salinity stress, but little is known about the role of WRKY transcription factors in cotton so far. In this study, a member (GhWRKY34) of cotton WRKY family was functionally characterized. This protein containing a WRKY domain and a zinc-finger motif belongs to group III of cotton WRKY family. Subcellular localization assay indicated that GhWRKY34 is localized to the cell nucleus. Overexpression of GhWRKY34 in Arabidopsis enhanced the transgenic plant tolerance to salt stress. Several parameters (such as seed germination, green cotyledons, root length and chlorophyll content) in the GhWRKY34 transgenic lines were significantly higher than those in wild type under NaCl treatment. On the contrary, the GhWRKY34 transgenic plants exhibited a substantially lower ratio of Na(+)/K(+) in leaves and roots dealing with salt stress, compared with wild type. Growth status of the GhWRKY34 transgenic plants was much better than that of wild type under salt stress. Expressions of the stress-related genes were remarkably up-regulated in the transgenic plants under salt stress, compared with those in wild type. Based on the data presented in this study, we hypothesize that GhWRKY34 as a positive transcription regulator may function in plant response to high salinity stress through maintaining the Na(+)/K(+) homeostasis as well as activating the salt stress-related genes in cells.

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) as one of the most important economic crop in the world is often suffering from biotic and abiotic stresses during its growth seasons. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades participate in signal transduction of extracellular stimuli and regulate multiple biotic and abiotic stress responses in plants. In this study, a MAPK gene (GhMPK4) belonging to the group B of MAPK family was identified in cotton. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that expression of GhMPK4 was induced by high salinity and osmotic stresses. Overexpression of GhMPK4 in Arabidopsis significantly enhanced the transgenic plants’ sensitivity to salt and osmotic stresses and exogenous abscisic acid (ABA). Under NaCl, mannitol and ABA treatments, the rates of seed germination and cotyledon expansion/greening of the GhMPK4 overexpression transgenic lines were remarkably declined compared with those of wild type, and roots of the GhMPK4 overexpression transgenic seedlings were shorter than those of wild type. Chlorophyll and proline contents in leaves of the GhMPK4 transgenic lines were obviously lower than those in wild type. Growth status of the GhMPK4 transgenic plants was worse than that of wild type when being subjected to drought and salinity stresses. Furthermore, the expression levels of the stress-related genes were altered in the transgenic plants under NaCl, mannitol and ABA treatments, compared with those in wild type. Taken the data together, it is suggested that GhMPK4 as a negative regulator may participate in response to salt and osmotic stresses and ABA signaling through affecting the expression of the stress-related genes in plants.

This study aims to investigate the effects of microRNA-335-5p (miR-335-5p) on lower-extremity deep vein thrombosis (LEDVT) by targeting PAI-1 through the TLR4 signaling pathway in rat models. siRNA, mimic, and inhibitor were used for transfection. The miR-335-5p expression was detected by in situ hybridization. CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry were adopted to detect proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis, respectively. Scratch test and Matrigel-based tube formation assay were used to detect the effect of miR-335-5p on cell migration ability and tube formation ability. A miR-335-5p lentivirus plasmid was constructed and injected into LEDVT rats. The length and weight of thrombus were measured, changes of thrombus recanalization were observed by CD34 immunohistochemistry, and levels of PAI-1 and inflammatory factors in femoral vein blood were detected by ELISA. LEDVT rats showed a higher AOD value of PAI-1, higher expression of PAI-1, NF-κB, Rac1, IL-1β, and TLR4 and a lower miR-335-5p expression. PAI-1 and miR-335-5p were negatively correlated. Compared to the blank and siRNA-NC groups, the miR-335-5p mimic and siRNA-PAI-1 groups showed declined expression of PAI-1, TLR4, NF-κB, Rac1, and IL-1β, increased proliferation and tube formation abilities, less cells in G0/G1 phase, and decreased apoptosis, decreased length and weight of thrombus, organized thrombus, increased new blood vessels, and decreased levels of PAI-1, IL-1, IL-6, and Tnf-a. miR-335-5p may suppress the occurrence and development of LEDVT in rats by repressing the activation of the TLR4 signaling pathway by targeted inhibition of PAI-1.

Background Overexpression of cyclin D1 dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) is a common feature of many human cancers including leukemia. LEE011 is a novel inhibitor of both CDK4 and 6. To date, the molecular function of LEE011 in leukemia remains unclear. Methods Leukemia cell growth and apoptosis following LEE011 treatment was assessed through CCK-8 and annexin V/propidium iodide staining assays. Cell senescence was assessed by β-galactosidase staining and p16INK4a expression analysis. Gene expression profiles of LEE011 treated HL-60 cells were investigated using an Arraystar Human LncRNA array. Gene ontology and KEGG pathway analysis were then used to analyze the differentially expressed genes from the cluster analysis. Results Our studies demonstrated that LEE011 inhibited proliferation of leukemia cells and could induce apoptosis. Hoechst 33,342 staining analysis showed DNA fragmentation and distortion of nuclear structures following LEE011 treatment. Cell cycle analysis showed LEE011 significantly induced cell cycle G1 arrest in seven of eight acute leukemia cells lines, the exception being THP-1 cells. β-Galactosidase staining analysis and p16INK4a expression analysis showed that LEE011 treatment can induce cell senescence of leukemia cells. LncRNA microarray analysis showed 2083 differentially expressed mRNAs and 3224 differentially expressed lncRNAs in LEE011-treated HL-60 cells compared with controls. Molecular function analysis showed that LEE011 induced senescence in leukemia cells partially through downregulation of the transcriptional expression of MYBL2. Conclusions We demonstrate for the first time that LEE011 treatment results in inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of G1 arrest and cellular senescence in leukemia cells. LncRNA microarray analysis showed differentially expressed mRNAs and lncRNAs in LEE011-treated HL-60 cells and we demonstrated that LEE011 induces cellular senescence partially through downregulation of the expression of MYBL2. These results may open new lines of investigation regarding the molecular mechanism of LEE011 induced cellular senescence. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12935-017-0405-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was established to detect Xeljanz enantiomers in active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and tablets. The separation was achieved on a Chiralpak IC column using a mobile phase of hexane-ethanol-diethylamine (65:35:0.1, v/v). The detection wavelength was 289 nm. The peak areas and the enantiomer concentrations in the range of 0.15–2.25 μg•mL−1 were in high linearity, with correlation coefficients higher than 0.999. The recoveries were 86.44% at the concentrations of 7.5, 18.75, and 37.5 μg•mL−1. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.042 and 0.14 μg•mL−1, respectively. This HPLC method is suitable for detecting the enantiomers of Xeljanz in its APIs and tablets. Chirality 27:235–238, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The functions of transformer oil in the transformer were insulation and cooling, its position was very important. Oil usually keeps its good oxidation resistance by adding antioxidants, the most common used antioxidants in the transformer oil was T501, the oxidation rate of oil could be delayed significantly by adding it, thereby the life of oil would be prolonged. But the electrochemical performance of oil would be affected by the excessive addition of antioxidants, so it was important to determine the content antioxidant precisely. This paper mainly studied under the three electrode system, the determined electrode material and electrode size, studied the influence of support electrolyte species on the determination of T501 by electrochemical methods, choose the most suitable electrolyte solution type. It was further demonstrated that the working electrode was a 4 mm-diameter graphite electrode, Pt coil was used as the counter electrode, the reference electrode was a calomel electrode, the optimum electrolyte was KOH, optimum organic solvent was 98% ethanol solution.

WRKY proteins that contain highly conserved WRKYGQK sequence and zinc-finger-like motif belong to a large transcription factor family in plants. In this study, 26 genes encoding putative WRKY proteins were identified in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). On the basis of their conserved WRKY domain sequences, all of the GhWRKY proteins can be assigned to the previously defined groups I–III. Among 26 members of cotton WRKY family, five with two WRKY domains belong to group I, sixteen contribute to group II, and five containing C2HC zinc-finger pattern fall into group III. Phylogenetic analysis of GhWRKY proteins with Arabidopsis WRKYs revealed that they were indeed classified into three groups, and also their relative distance can be used as clues to confer their putative functions. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that the isolated GhWRKY genes were expressed differentially in different tissues (such as leaves, roots, cotyledons, petals, anthers, or/and fibers), suggesting they may have an impact on cotton development. Under NaCl, mannitol and abscisic acid treatments, expressions of the GhWRKY genes are up-regulated in roots, cotyledons and/or hypocotyls of cotton seedlings, suggesting that the isolated GhWRKY genes may take part in plant response to abiotic stress during cotton development. Thus, our results may provide a valuable reference data set as the basis for further studying the roles of these WRKY genes in cotton.

Two new sesquiterpenes, innatifolone A (1) and pinnatifolone B (2), along with 6 known compounds, furostan (3), isocalamendiol (4), pluviatolide (5), (8S,8'R,9S)-cubebin (6), 2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl)-3-(3,4-dimethoxybenzyl) tetrahydrofuran (7), and methyl 3-acetoxy-12-oleanen-28-oate (8), were isolated from Mongolian herb Syringa pinnatifolia.

Reaction of pyridoxal hydrochloride and sulfanilic acid with CoCl2 in aqueous methanol solution afforded a Co(II) Schiff base complex, which was characterized by physico-chemical and spectroscopic methods. The structure of the complex was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. In the complex, the Co(II) is sandwiched at the edge of two parallel Schiff base ligands, being coordinated by two phenolic O and two imine N atoms of two Schiff base ligands plus two O atoms of water ligands, forming a distorted octahedral coordination environment. Thermal stability measurements showed that the skeleton of the complex is stable up to 500 K. The antibacterial activity of the complex was screened using the paper disc diffusion method.

P(AA-co-DMAA) superporous drug-loaded hydrogels containing berberine hydrochloride were prepared by dispersion polymerization in foam system with acrylic acid (AA) and N,N-dimethyl acrylamide (DMAA) as monomers. Then sodium alginate (SA) as the second network was added to the system, and P(AA-co-DMAA)/SA interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) hydrogels were formed. The effects of pH value, reaction time between SA and glutaric dialdehyde (GA), the concentration of SA and GA on release behavior of berberine hydrochloride were discussed. The FT-IR spectra showed that P(AA-co-DMAA)/SA IPN hydrogels were synthesized successfully. The inverted fluorescence micrograph of P(AA-co-DMAA)/SA showed that some part of the superporous structures were still retained.The cumulative release profiles showed that the release rates were slightly higher in pH=6.8 phosphate buffer solution (PBS) than the one in pH=1 HCl solution. The release rate was the slowest in distilled water, only 7.3% within 24h. When the reaction time between SA and GA was shortened, the release speed of berberine hydrochloride became faster. The pore size of P(AA-co-DMAA) hydrogels was reduced with the concentration of SA and GA increased, and the release rate decreased due to the more dense network structures.

A modified seed-mediated growth method was developed for in situ controllable preparation of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) within P(AMPS-co-HEMA) hydrogel networks. When the time of cycles absorbing procedure increased in mother solutions under given temperature during the processing stage, the number of GNPs was significantly increased and networks were utilized for in situ nanoparticles synthesis by reduction of glod ion absorbed. TEM images confirmed that GNPs were between 100 and 200 nm in size and distributed uniformly in gel. The network embedded GNPs also endows the composite gel with selective catalytic activity for selective catalysis in the reduction of nitro compound (2-NP, 3-NP and 4-NP). The kinetics of the reduction reaction were investigated under the same condition, the result showed the GNPs gel system was found to have an excellent catalytic activity and high conversion for 4-NP reduction among nitrophenol homologue, the nitrophenol hydrogenation rate got to 6.63 mol/g min for reducing of 4-NP compared to 3.69 mol/g min, the rate of 2-NP. It was almost zero for 3-NP implying no catalytic activity, even though they were isomeride.

Niobium carbide (NbC) particulates -reinforced iron matrix composites were prepared by in- situ fabrication method combining an infiltration casting with a subsequent heat treatment. The microstructure and wear-resistance of NbC particulate-reinforced iron matrix composites were studied using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and wear testing. The results indicate that at 1172 °C for 3 hours NbC particulate-reinforced iron matrix composites were fabricated, and the size of NbC reinforcement was 0.3–3.5 μm. The relative wear resistance of the composites was 5.4 times higher than that of gray cast iron under a 20 N load. This was achieved at 22 % NbC volume fraction. Wear of the composites manifests as grooves, broken carbide particulates and some micro-cracks.

To provide experimental and theoretical basis for the clinical application of Puerarin in acute alcohol poisoning, 30 Wistar rats were randomized into 3 groups as follows: (1) Group A (control) underwent normal sodium (N.S.) peritoneal injection (i.p.) and intragastric administration (i.g.); (2) Group B (alcohol) underwent an equivalent dosage of N.S. i.p. and 40% ethanol (8000 mg/kg. d).ig for 5 days; (3) Group C (Puerarin) underwent Puerarin 200 mg/kg. d. ip, and an equivalent dosage of ethanol for 5 days. The left lobes of livers were sampled, and the levels of MDA, SOD and GPX in plasma and liver homogenate were detected. The level of MDA in plasma and liver homogenate in the alcohol group was obviously higher than that in the control group (p < 0.05, respectively), while that in the Puerarin group was significantly lower than in the alcohol group (p < 0.05, respectively). The levels of SOD and GPX were opposite to that of MDA. Under a light microscope, the livers of the rats in the alcohol group showed unclear structure of hepatic lobules, stiffness of hepatic sinusoids, diffused lipid degeneration of hepatic cells, cellular swelling, and focal necrosis, while the structure remained clear in the Puerarin group. Under the electron microscope, lipid degeneration, cell organ decrease, enlargement of endoplasmic reticulum, reduced quantity of hepatins and swelling of mitochondria were observed in cells of the model group. However, the pathologistic changes were slight in the Puerarin group. In conclusion, Puerarin may have the function of inhibiting the oxidative stress induced by acute alcoholism.

Cotton stalk was fast pyrolyzed at temperatures between 480 °C and 530 °C in a fluidized bed, and the main product of bio-oil is obtained. The experimental result shows that the highest bio-oil yield of 55 wt% was obtained at 510 °C for cotton stalk. The chemical composition of the bio-oil acquired was analyzed by GC–MS, and its heat value, stability, miscibility and corrosion characteristics were determined. These results showed that the bio-oil obtained can be directly used as a fuel oil for combustion in a boiler or a furnace without any upgrading. Alternatively, the fuel can be refined to be used by vehicles. Furthermore, the energy performance of the pyrolysis process was analyzed. In the pyrolysis system used in our experiment, some improvements to former pyrolysis systems are done. Two screw feeders were used to prevent jamming the feeding system, and the condenser is equipped with some nozzles and a heat exchanger to cool quickly the cleaned hot gas into bio-oil.

Objectives To provide toxicokinetic and clinical evidence of the hydrolytic effect of paraoxonase-1 (PON1) on acute organophosphate poisoning in rats. Methods 40 male Wistar rats were randomised into four equal groups. Dichlorvos administration group (A group) underwent dichlorvos injection (dissolved in corn oil) using intraperitoneal (ip) dose of 10 mg/kg. PON1 pretreatment group (B group) was injected with PON1 in the tail vein (intravenous), dose 9600 U/kg, 30 min prior to dichlorvos administration. In the treatment group (C group), atropine 0.05 mg/kg and pyraloxime chloride (PAM-CI) 120 mg/kg were injected intravenously within 2 min after dichlorvos administration. Finally, in the co-treatment group (D group), PON1 was injected intravenously with a dose of 9000 U/kg 30 min prior to dichlorvos administration; atropine 0.05 mg/kg and PAM-CI 120 mg/kg were injected intravenously within 2 min after dichlorvos administration. Blood was collected after administration. Plasma dichlorvos concentration was detected by liquid chromatography-mass spectra (LC-MS) method and clinical signs were observed. Toxicokinetic parameters were calculated in a statistical moment model. Results AUC (0→∞) in group B was statistically different from that in groups A and C (p0.05); there was no statistical difference between group A and group C (p>0.05). The statistical results of Cmax were the same as those of AUC (0→∞). There were no differences of MRT between four groups (p>0.05). Clinical signs can be improved by PON1 and atropine + PAM-CI, and co-treatment can relieve signs more effectively. Conclusion PON1 can decrease the amount of dichlorvos that entered the blood, lowered the peak concentration and relieved clinical signs.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades play pivotal roles in mediating biotic and abiotic stress responses. Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) is the most important textile crop in the world, and often encounters abiotic stress during its growth seasons. In this study, a gene encoding a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) was isolated from cotton, and designated as GhMPK17. The open reading frame (ORF) of GhMPK17 gene is 1494 bp in length and encodes a protein with 497 amino acids. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis indicated that GhMPK17 expression was up-regulated in cotton under NaCl, mannitol and ABA treatments. The transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing GhMPK17 gene showed higher seed germination, root elongation and cotyledon greening/expansion rates than those of the wild type on MS medium containing NaCl, mannitol and exogenous ABA, suggesting that overexpression of GhMPK17 in Arabidopsis increased plant ABA-insensitivity, and enhanced plant tolerance to salt and osmotic stresses. Furthermore, overexpression of GhMPK17 in Arabidopsis reduced H2O2 level and altered expression of ABA- and abiotic stress-related genes in the transgenic plants. Collectively, these data suggested that GhMPK17 gene may be involved in plant response to high salinity and osmotic stresses and ABA signaling.

BACKGROUND: Iodiated contrast‐induced nephropathy (CIN) is a serious complication of contrast‐enhanced imaging. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic sensitivities and specificities of serum cystatin C (sCys C) and serum creatinine (sCr) for CIN and to further investigate difference of the incidence, risk factors, and in‐hospital and 3‐month prognosis of CIN according to sCys C criteria and sCr criteria. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated 213 patients who underwent angiography. The sCr and sCys C concentrations were detected before and at 48 hours, 72 hours after the procedure. The incidence, risk factors, and in‐hospital and 3‐month prognosis of CIN were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was performed for sCr and sCys C 48 hours after procedure. RESULTS: The incidence of CIN was 24.4% (sCys C criteria) and 8% (sCr criteria). Diabetes mellitus, dehydration, and hypoalbuminemia were independent risk factors for CIN. Area under the ROC of sCys C 48 hours after procedure was not superior to sCr (0.715 vs 0.790, P=.178). The mortality of patients with CIN in sCr criteria increased significantly (P