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Abstract The triglyceride glucose (TyG) index-related obesity indices have been proposed as reliable indicators of insulin resistance. This study aims to investigate the association between TyG index-related obesity indices and sarcopenia as well as their potential as a tool for screening sarcopenic patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 7,161 participants aged 18 and above from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. TyG index and TyG index-related obesity indices, including triglyceride glucose-body mass index (TyG-BMI), triglyceride glucose-waist circumference (TyG-WC), and triglyceride glucose-waist-to-height ratio (TyG-WHtR) were determined using standard formulas. The ratio of appendicular skeletal muscle mass to BMI were used to assess sarcopenia. The relationship between the TyG index as well as TyG index-related obesity indices and sarcopenia was investigated using restricted cubic spline analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis. The diagnostic value of the TyG index and TyG index -related obesity indices for sarcopenia was compared using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. In the fully adjusted regression model, a positive correlation was observed between the TyG-WHtR index and sarcopenia (for each one-unit increase in TyG-WHtR index: OR = 3.57, 95% CI: 2.71–4.71, P

Abstract Background Age is a major risk factor associated with the complexity of coronary artery disease (CAD), and the prognosis of elderly patients with coronary heart disease is relatively poor. Metabolic disturbances are prevalent in the elderly population and contribute to CAD morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and total coronary atherosclerotic burden assessed non-invasively by Coronary Computed Tomography Angiogram (CCTA) in the elderly population. Methods This retrospective cross-sectional study involved 427 patients who underwent CCTA. The patients were divided into two groups based on their Leiden score: ≥5 and

Abstract Background To our knowledge, the different situations of identifying second primary malignant tumors (SPMTs) in lymphoma patients with synchronous solid tumors remain to be comprehensively investigated. Methods We retrospectively collected information pertaining to lymphoma patients with synchronous solid tumors (diagnosed within 6 months) at Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute between 2009 and 2019. The non‐parametric Aalen–Johansen estimator was applied to calculate cumulative incidence function in the competing risk model. Furthermore, propensity score‐matched analysis was performed to compare survival differences in lymphoma patients with or without synchronous solid tumors. Results Thirty‐eight patients were enrolled. There were three situations of identifying SPMTs. First, in 15 patients (39.5%), SPMTs were identified before the initiation of any treatment. Among them, priority was given to anti‐lymphoma treatment in case of only three patients. Second, in 17 patients (44.7%), SPMTs were unexpectedly detected on surgical specimen assessment; of them, 13 received anti‐lymphoma treatment after surgery. Third, in six patients (15.8%), SPMTs were identified after the outset of treatment for the primary tumor; in this population, three of four patients with lymphoma switched toward the treatment plan for SPMTs. The 5‐year overall survival was 58.7%. The cumulative incidence function within 5 years was 26.6% for lymphoma and 14.7% for other solid tumors. The early identification of SPMTs was associated with better outcomes (p = 0.048). After balancing the baseline characteristics, no differences in survival were observed between lymphoma patients with and without synchronous solid tumors (p = 0.664). Conclusions This is the first study to present the different situations of identifying SPMTs in lymphoma patients with synchronous solid tumors. In only

BackgroundBlood pressure variability (BPV) obtained from ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) has been demonstrated to accurately predict the risk of cerebrovascular events and death in hypertension patients, however, the association between BPV and the severity of coronary atherosclerotic plaque remains unclear.MethodsPatients with hypertension combined with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) were collected, who underwent both ABPM and coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) from December 2017 to March 2022. Patients were divided into three groups according to the Leiden score: low-risk group (Leiden score 20). The clinical characteristics of patients were collected and analyzed. Univariate Pearson correlation and multivariate Logistics regression were used to determine the association between BPV and the severity of coronary atherosclerotic plaque.ResultsA total of 783 patients were included, with the average age of (62.85 ± 10.17) years and 523 males. Patients in the high-risk group had higher mean systolic blood pressure (SBP), nighttime mean SBP and SBP variability (P

BackgroundThe role of consolidation therapy with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) in first complete remission (CR1) or partial remission (PR1) remains controversial. The existing data from China are limited. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of ASCT on the survival of Chinese patients with PTCL showing response to induction chemotherapy at our hospital.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the data of patients with PTCL (excluding Natural killer/T cell lymphoma) in CR1 or PR1 treated at Peking University Hospital &Institute from 1996 to 2020. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance clinical characteristics between the ASCT and non-ASCT groups. The primary endpoints were event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS).ResultsOf the 414 selected patients, 73 received ASCT consolidation and 341 did not. Over a median follow-up of 5.7 years, survival was significantly better in the ASCT group than in the non-ASCT group (median EFS, 8.1 years vs. 2.8 years, P = 0.002; median OS, 14.9 years vs. 10.2 years, P = 0.007). The 5-year EFS and OS rates were 68.4% and 77.0% in ASCT group, and 43.2% and 57.6% in non-ASCT group, respectively. The survival benefit was confirmed in the propensity score matched cohort (46 patients who received ASCT and 84 patients who did not receive ASCT): P = 0.007 for median EFS and P = 0.022 for the median OS. Cox regression analysis showed that ASCT was independently associated with better survival: hazard ratio (HR) for EFS, 0.46 (95% CI: 0.28-0.76); HR for OS, 0.50 (95% CI: 0.31-0.84). Subgroup analysis showed that ASCT was more likely to benefit higher-risk patients and those with advanced disease. Among the subtypes of PTCL, the benefit was significant in angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (HR = 0.26 [95% CI: 0.10-0.66] for EFS and 0.29 [95% CI: 0.12-0.74] for OS), but not in the other subtypes.ConclusionASCT may improve the long-term survival of patients with PTCL in first CR or PR, especially for patients with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma. The specific groups most likely to benefit from upfront ASCT need to be clearly identified.

Patients with lymphoma who are also infected with Hepatitis B virus (HBV) have a poor prognosis. This could be partly explained by the delay or premature termination of anti-tumor treatment because of HBV reactivation. However, there is limited data on the survival outcome of patients HBV-related lymphoma in the era of prophylactic antivirals. Data for 128 patients with HBV surface antigen-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was collected. The median age was 54 years and the ratio of men to women was 1.2:1. All patients received immune-chemotherapy and prophylactic antiviral therapy. The median number of cycles of immune-chemotherapy was six. The overall response rate was 82%, with a complete remission rate of 75%. With a median follow-up of 58.4 months, the 5-year progression-free survival and overall survival rates were 75.7% and 74.7%, respectively. Nine patients experienced HBV reactivation but none experienced HBV-associated hepatitis. Patients with low and high HBV DNA loads had comparable survival outcomes. In conclusion, HBV infection had no negative effect on the prognosis of DLBCL in the era of prophylactic antiviral therapy.

Abstract Background The treatment outcomes and prognosis of lymphoma are affected by various factors such as hospital types. This study was to describe the temporal trend in the survival of lymphoma in an academic center in China. Methods A total of 3840 consecutive patients with lymphoma diagnosed between 1996 and 2015 were reviewed. Eighty patients were excluded, and finally, 3760 patients were analyzed in this study. The cohort was divided into four groups according to calendar periods at diagnosis: 1996‐2000, 2001‐2005, 2006‐2010, and 2010‐2015. The overall survival (OS) rates among the four groups were compared. Results The 5‐ and 10‐year OS for the whole cohort were 62% and 52%, respectively. The 5‐year OS of patient with classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL), mature B‐cell lymphoma (BCL), and peripheral T‐cell lymphoma (PTCL) were 79%, 63%, and 50%, respectively. Among mature BCL, the 5‐year OS was highest in follicular lymphoma (77.8%), followed by Burkitt lymphoma (76.5%), marginal zone lymphoma (74.1%), diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (61.5%), small lymphocytic lymphoma/chronic lymphocytic leukemia (55.1%), and mantle cell lymphoma (44.3%). Among PTCL, the 5‐year OS was highest in ALK+anaplastic large cell lymphoma (79.0%), followed by ALK−anaplastic large cell lymphoma (63.1%), natural killer/T‐cell lymphoma (57.7%), angioimmunoblastic T‐cell lymphoma (34.9%, and peripheral T‐cell lymphoma not otherwise specified (27.6%). Significant improvement in the survival of lymphoma was observed, with the 5‐year OS increasing from 48% in 1996‐2000 to 65% in 2011‐2015 (P

Background Multimodal opioid‐sparing analgesia is a key component of an enhanced recovery pathway after surgery that aims to improve postoperative recovery. Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) is assumed to alleviate pain and anxiety and to modify the autonomic nervous system. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of TEAS for sedation and postoperative analgesia in lung cancer patients undergoing thoracoscopic pulmonary resection. Methods A total of 80 patients were randomized into two groups: the TEAS group and the sham TEAS combined with general anesthesia group. Postoperative pain levels at six, 24, 48 hours, and one month after surgery were measured using the visual analogue scale (VAS). Bispectral index (BIS) score during the TEAS prior to anesthetic induction, Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation (OAAS) score, sufentanil consumption during postoperative patient‐controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA), number of total and effective attempts of PCIA pump use, and incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting were recorded and analyzed statistically. Results Patients in the TEAS group had significantly lower VAS scores at six, 24, and 48 hours after surgery (P

Abstract Background This study was to investigate the effect and its possible mechanism of fucoidan on the development of spontaneous autoimmune diabetes in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice. Methods 7-week-old NOD mice were randomly divided into three groups: control group, low-dose (300 mg/kg) and high-dose (600 mg/kg) fucoidan-treatment groups. After 5 weeks of treatment, 10 mice per group were randomly selected to be sacrificed after feces collection. The remaining 12 mice per group were fed until 26 weeks of age to assess the incidence of diabetes. Results Treatment with fucoidan increased serum insulin level, delayed the onset and decreased the development of diabetes in NOD mice. Fucoidan reduced the levels of strong Th1 proinflammatory cytokines, but induced Th2-bias ed. cytokine response. And dentridic cells (DCs) in fucoidan treatment group were characterized as low expression of MHC class II and CD86 molecules. TLR4 expressions and the downstream molecules in pancreas were down-regulated in fucoidan-treated groups. There were significant differences in the composition of gut flora between NOD control group and fucoidan group. Lactobacillus and Akkermansia were significantly enriched in fucoidan group. Conclusions Fucoidan could prevent the development of autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice via regulating DC/Treg induced immune tolerance, improving gut microecology, down-regulating TLR4 signaling pathway, and maintaining pancreatic internal environment.

Abstract Background Immune checkpoint blockade targeting PD-1/PD-L1 has shown efficacy in several types of cancers. However, the correlation between PD-L1/PD-1 expression and the specific clinicopathological features in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) has not been investigated. Methods We examined the immunohistochemical expression of PD-L1, PD-1, and BRAF V600E on whole-tissue sections from 126 cases of primary PTC more than 1 cm in size. The correlation between the PD-L1/PD-1 expression and the clinicopathological features was evaluated. Results PD-L1 was positively expressed in 53.2% PTCs, and its expression was positively correlated with rich tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), background chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis (CLT), female gender, absence of psammoma bodies, and PD-1 expression. Among these parameters, rich TILs, female gender, and absence of psammoma bodies were independent factors affecting PD-L1 expression on the multivariate logistic regression analysis. PD-1 expression was detected in the TILs and was positively correlated with rich TILs, background CLT, and absence of stromal calcification. Lack of stromal calcification was an independent factor affecting PD-1 expression. Neither PD-L1 nor PD-1 expression showed significant correlation with BRAF V600E expression. Conclusions Our results show that the distinctive pathological features of PTCs, including TILs, background CLT, female gender, psammoma bodies, and stromal calcification, are useful parameters for predicting PD-L1 or PD-1 expression.

Colorectal cancer is one of the major cancers that seriously threaten human health. In order to provide guidelines and supervision for self-care behaviors such as disease management, role management and emotion management in patients with permanent colostomy, this paper employs patients with permanent colostomy in a tertiary care hospital within one year as the study population. An intelligent care device based on the intervalvalued fuzzy soft-set intervention algorithm is used to intervene in the self-care behaviors of the patients in the test group. Specifically, the time effect for the level of self-care scores is 90.453, the group effect is 19.713 and the time factor and group interaction are 19.784 before and after the intervention. Moreover, the time effect for the level of Hamilton Anxiety Scale scores is 198.493, the group effect is 15.022 and the time factor and group interaction are 4.847. Furthermore, the time effect for the Hamilton Depression Scale score level is 30.578, the group effect is 13.574 and the time factor and group interaction are 3.998. The decrease in the number of stoma complications is approximately 10% and the decrease in the peripheral skin variance is approximately 50%. This suggests that interventions using intelligent care devices are effective in enhancing the self-care of stoma patients. It also has a positive impact on improving the condition of the surrounding skin and reducing the incidence of stoma complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic process of homogenous nucleation in charged colloids is investigated by brute-force molecular dynamics simulation. To check if the liquid-solid transition will pass through metastable bcc, simulations are performed at the state points that definitely lie in the phase region of thermodynamically stable fcc. The simulation results confirm that, in all of these cases, the preordered precursors, acting as the seeds of nucleation, always have predominant bcc symmetry consistent with Ostwald's step rule and the Alexander-McTague mechanism. However, the polymorph selection is not straightforward because the crystal structures formed are not often determined by the symmetry of intermediate precursors but have different characters under different state points. The region of the state point where bcc crystal structures of large enough size are formed during crystallization is narrow, which gives a reasonable explanation as to why the metastable bcc phase in charged colloidal suspensions is rarely detected in macroscopic experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The rhizosphere soil properties and microbial communities of Lilium tsingtauense, an endangered wild plant, have not been examined in previous studies. Here, we characterized spatial variation in soil properties and microbial communities in the rhizosphere of L. tsingtauense. We measured the abundance of L. tsingtauense at different altitudes and collected rhizosphere and bulk soils at three representative altitudes. The results showed that L. tsingtauense was more abundant, and the rhizosphere soil was richer in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, water content, and organic matter and more acidic at high altitudes than at lower altitudes. The diversity and richness of rhizosphere bacteria and fungi increased with altitude and were higher in rhizosphere soil than in bulk soil. In addition, ectomycorrhizal fungi, endophytic fungi, and nitrogen-fixing bacteria were more abundant, and plant-pathogenic fungi were less abundant at high altitudes. Co-occurrence network analysis identified four key phyla (Bacteroidota, Proteobacteria, Ascomycota, and Basidiomycota) in the microbial communities. We identified a series of microbial taxa (Acidobacteriales, Xanthobacteraceae, and Chaetomiaceae) and rhizosphere soil metabolites (phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine) that are crucial for the survival of L. tsingtauense. Correlation analysis and random forest analysis showed that some environmental factors were closely related to the rhizosphere soil microbial community and played an important role in predicting the distribution and growth status of L. tsingtauense. In sum, the results of this study revealed altitudinal variation in the rhizosphere microbial communities of L. tsingtauense and the factors driving this variation. Our findings also have implications for habitat restoration and the conservation of this species.IMPORTANCEOur study highlighted the importance of the rhizosphere microbial community of the endangered plant L. tsingtauense. We found that soil pH plays an important role in the survival of L. tsingtauense. Our results demonstrated that a series of microbial taxa (Acidobacteriales, Xanthobacteraceae, Aspergillaceae, and Chaetomiaceae) and soil metabolites (phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine) could be essential indicators for L. tsingtauense habitat. We also found that some environmental factors play an important role in shaping rhizosphere microbial community structure. Collectively, these results provided new insights into the altitudinal distribution of L. tsingtauense and highlight the importance of microbial communities in their growth.

Drought (water shortage) can substantially limit the yield and economic value of rose plants (Rosa spp.). Here, we characterized the effect of exogenous calcium (Ca2+) on the antioxidant system and photosynthesis-related properties of rose under polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG6000)-induced drought stress. Chlorophyll levels, as well as leaf and root biomass, were significantly reduced by drought; drought also had a major effect on the enzymatic antioxidant system and increased concentrations of reactive oxygen species. Application of exogenous Ca2+ increased the net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance of leaves, enhanced water-use efficiency, and increased the length and width of stomata following exposure to drought. Organ-specific physiological responses were observed under different concentrations of Ca2+. Application of 5 mmol · L−1 Ca2+ promoted photosynthesis and antioxidant activity in the leaves, and application of 10 mmol · L−1 Ca2+ promoted antioxidant activity in the roots. Application of exogenous Ca2+ greatly enhanced the phenotype and photosynthetic capacity of potted rose plants following exposure to drought stress. Overall, our findings indicate that the application of exogenous Ca2+ enhances the drought resistance of roses by promoting physiological adaptation and that it could be used to aid the cultivation of rose plants.

Background: The role of consolidation therapy with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) in first complete remission (CR1) or partial remission (PR1) remains controversial. The existing data from China are limited. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of ASCT on the survival of Chinese patients with PTCL showing response to induction chemotherapy at our hospital. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of patients with PTCL (excluding Natural killer/T cell lymphoma) in CR1 or PR1 treated at Peking University Hospital &Institute from 1996 to 2020. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance clinical characteristics between the ASCT and non-ASCT groups. The primary endpoints were event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: Of the 414 selected patients, 73 received ASCT consolidation and 341 did not. Over a median follow-up of 5.7 years, survival was significantly better in the ASCT group than in the non-ASCT group (median EFS, 8.1 years vs. 2.8 years, P = 0.002; median OS, 14.9 years vs. 10.2 years, P = 0.007). The 5-year EFS and OS rates were 68.4% and 77.0% in ASCT group, and 43.2% and 57.6% in non-ASCT group, respectively. The survival benefit was confirmed in the propensity score matched cohort (46 patients who received ASCT and 84 patients who did not receive ASCT): P = 0.007 for median EFS and P = 0.022 for the median OS. Cox regression analysis showed that ASCT was independently associated with better survival: hazard ratio (HR) for EFS, 0.46 (95% CI: 0.28-0.76); HR for OS, 0.50 (95% CI: 0.31-0.84). Subgroup analysis showed that ASCT was more likely to benefit higher-risk patients and those with advanced disease. Among the subtypes of PTCL, the benefit was significant in angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (HR = 0.26 [95% CI: 0.10-0.66] for EFS and 0.29 [95% CI: 0.12-0.74] for OS), but not in the other subtypes. Conclusion: ASCT may improve the long-term survival of patients with PTCL in first CR or PR, especially for patients with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma. The specific groups most likely to benefit from upfront ASCT need to be clearly identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with lymphoma who are also infected with Hepatitis B virus (HBV) have a poor prognosis. This could be partly explained by the delay or premature termination of anti-tumor treatment because of HBV reactivation. However, there is limited data on the survival outcome of patients HBV-related lymphoma in the era of prophylactic antivirals. Data for 128 patients with HBV surface antigen-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was collected. The median age was 54 years and the ratio of men to women was 1.2:1. All patients received immune-chemotherapy and prophylactic antiviral therapy. The median number of cycles of immune-chemotherapy was six. The overall response rate was 82%, with a complete remission rate of 75%. With a median follow-up of 58.4 months, the 5-year progression-free survival and overall survival rates were 75.7% and 74.7%, respectively. Nine patients experienced HBV reactivation but none experienced HBV-associated hepatitis. Patients with low and high HBV DNA loads had comparable survival outcomes. In conclusion, HBV infection had no negative effect on the prognosis of DLBCL in the era of prophylactic antiviral therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Plant Myeloblastosis (MYB) proteins function crucially roles upon variegated abiotic stresses. Nonetheless, their effects and mechanisms in rose (Rosa chinensis) are not fully clarified. In this study, we characterized the effects of rose RcMYB8 under salt and drought tolerances. For induction of the RcMYB8 expression, NaCl and drought stress treatment were adopted. Rose plants overexpressing RcMYB8 displayed enhanced tolerance to salinity and drought stress, while silencing RcMYB8 resulted in decreased tolerance, as evidenced by lowered intra-leaf electrolyte leakage and callose deposition, as well as photosynthetic sustainment under stressed conditions. Here, we further show that RcMYB8 binds similarly to the promoters of RcPR5/1 and RcP5C51 in vivo and in vitro. Inhibiting RcP5CS1 by virus-induced gene silencing led to decreased drought tolerance through the reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostatic regulation. RcP5CS1-silenced plants showed an increase in ion leakage and reduce of proline content, together with the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) increased, lowered activities of Catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Our study highlights the transcriptional modulator role of RcMYB8 in drought and salinity tolerances, which bridges RcPR5/1 and RcP5CS1 by promoting ROS scavenging. Besides, it is probably applicable to the rose plant engineering for enhancing their abiotic stress tolerances. Graphical Abstract

VIGS (Virus-induced gene silencing), a method for posttranscriptional gene silencing, is an effective technique for investigating the activities of genes in plants. Since there is no report for available VIGS system in Styrax japonicus, the application of a VIGS approach that results in a gene knockdown to study gene function is limited. In this study, we compared the characteristics that could affect the viability of VIGS in S. japonicus, including the acetosyringone (AS) concentration, the Agrobacterium's optical density and the inoculation method. The stable reference genes of S. japonicus were selected to validate the gene's knockdown by quantitative PCR. As a result, we successfully constructed 2 VIGS systems based on TRV virus: vacuum with AS concentration of 200 μmol·L−1 and OD600 of 0.5, and friction-osmosis with AS concentration of 200 μmol·L−1 and OD600 of 1.0, which silencing efficiency was 83.33% and 74.19%, respectively. The successfully applied VIGS method provides a rapid and effective reverse gene functional analysis approach in S. japonicus to identify unknown gene functions.

Camellia japonica (Naidong), a rare temperate arbor in the genus Camellia, is an ornamental plant with high economic value. To understand transcriptional changes of the drought response in C. japonica, a comparative transcriptome analysis of C. japonica (Naidong) was conducted at two drought stages (0 and 20 DAF) based on the PacBio platform. The results showed significant differences in 265 genes and 3383 lncRNAs. Of these, 150 were upregulated and 115 were downregulated. Functional analysis revealed the involvement of distinct genes in 43 pathways. The biosynthesis of amino acids and the circadian rhythm of the plant were significantly enriched, with a significant change in CjGST potentially playing an important role under drought stress. In addition, three differential protein interaction network modules composed of 45 differentially expressed genes were predicted, which involved E3 ubiquitin ligases and threonine synthetic proteins. Moreover, a transient expression experiment demonstrated that overexpression of CjGST1 in camellia leaves significantly increased leaf area compared to wild variants under drought stress, resulting in higher drought resistance. These findings provide a valuable resource for studying the genus Camellia while shedding new light on the molecular mechanisms of drought stress.

Leaves are the main vegetative organs of the aboveground part of plants and play an important role in plant morphogenesis. KNOTTED-LIKE HOMEOBOX (KNOX) plays a crucial role in regulating leaf cell fate and maintaining leaf development. In this study, we analyzed LtKNOX1 from Lilium tsingtauense and illustrated its function in transgenic plants. Tissue-specific expression analysis indicated that LtKNOX1 was highly expressed in stems, young flower buds, and shoot apical meristems (SAMs). Ectopic overexpression of LtKNOX1 in Nicotiana benthamiana suggested that transformants with mild phenotypes were characterized by foliar wrinkles and mildly curled leaves; transformants with intermediate phenotypes showed severely crimped blades and narrow leaf angles, and the most severe phenotypes lacked normal SAMs and leaves. Moreover, the expression levels of genes involved in the regulation of KNOX in transgenic plants were detected, including ASYMMETRIC LEAVES1, PIN-FORMED 1, GA20-oxidase, CUP-SHAPED COTYLEDON 2, CLAVATA 1 and WUSCHEL(WUS), and the expression of other genes were down-regulated except WUS. This study contributes to our understanding of the LtKNOX1 function.

Several epidemiological studies have evaluated the association between calcium intake and the risk of ovarian cancer. However, the results of these studies remain controversial. Thus, we performed a meta-analysis to explore the association between calcium intake and the risk of ovarian cancer. Pubmed, Embase andWeb of Science were searched for eligible publications up to April 2017. Pooled relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using the random-effects model. Small-study effect was estimated using Egger's test and the funnel plot. Among 15 epidemiological studies involving 493,415 participants and 7453 cases eligible for this meta-analysis, 13 studies were about dietary calcium intake, 4 studies about dairy calcium intake and 7 studies about dietary plus supplemental calcium intake. When comparing the highest with the lowest intake, the pooled RRs of ovarian cancer were 0.80 (95% CI 0.72-0.89) for dietary calcium, 0.80 (95% CI 0.66-0.98) for dairy calcium and 0.90 (95% CI 0.65-1.24) for dietary plus supplemental calcium, respectively. Dietary calcium was significantly associated with a reduced risk of ovarian cancer among cohort studies (RR = 0.86, 95% CI 0.74-0.99) and among case-control studies (RR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.64-0.89). In subgroup analysis by ovarian cancer subtypes, we found a statistically significant association between the dietary calcium (RR = 0.78, 95% CI 0.69-0.88) and the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). This meta-analysis indicated that increased calcium intake might be inversely associated with the risk of ovarian cancer; this still needs to be confirmed by larger prospective cohort studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Stephanandra incisa is a wild-type shrub with beautiful leaves and white flowers and is commonly used as a garden decoration accessory. However, the limited availability of genomic data of S. incisa has restricted its breeding process. Here, we identified EST-SSR markers using de novo transcriptome sequencing. In this study, a transcriptome database containing 35,251 unigenes, having an average length of 985 bp, was obtained from S. incisa. From these unigene sequences, we identified 5,555 EST-SSRs, with a distribution density of one SSR per 1.60 kb. Dinucleotides (52.96%) were the most detected SSRs, followed by trinucleotides (34.64%). From the EST-SSR loci, we randomly selected 100 sites for designing primer and used the DNA of 60 samples to verify the polymorphism. The average value of the effective number of alleles (Ne), Shannon’s information index (I), and expective heterozygosity (He) was 1.969, 0.728, and 0.434, respectively. The polymorphism information content (PIC) value was in the range of 0.108 to 0.669, averaging 0.406, which represented a middle polymorphism level. Cluster analysis of S. incisa were also performed based on the obtained EST-SSR data in our work. As shown by structure analysis, 60 individuals could be classified into two groups. Thus, the identification of these novel EST-SSR markers provided valuable sequence information for analyzing the population structure, genetic diversity, and genetic resource assessment of S. incisa and other related species.

Abstract Background Rose (Rosa chinensis) is a traditional famous flower with valuable ornamental characteristics. However, drought stress restricts its growth and development, leading to an abnormal phenotype. One of the main transcription factor (TF) protein groups in the plant kingdom are the APETALA2/ethylene-responsive factor (AP2/ERF) proteins and are potentially involved in the growth and stress responses of various plants. Results Our investigation mainly focused on exploring the genome of rose and thereby we discovered 135 apparent AP2/ERF TFs. Phylogenic analyses revealed that RcAP2/ERF genes are categorized into DREB, Soloist, AP2, and ERF subfamilies, and are further classified these into 17 groups, with the same as Malus domestica and Arabidopsis thaliana. The analysis of the gene structure revealed that the introns ranged from 0 to 9 in number. Pattern examination demonstrated that the RcAP2/ERF predominantly consists of typical AP2 domains, of which the 2nd motif is the most ubiquitous. Distributions of cis-acting elements indicated that members of the AP2/ERF family are frequently involved in growth and development, phytohormone and stress response in rose species. Also, the distribution mapping of the rose chromosomes indicated that AP2/ERF class genes are dispersed among all seven chromosomes. Additionally, we isolated a novel DREB A2 subgroup gene and named it RcDREB2B. Subsequently, the RcDREB2B transcript accumulation was repressed under the mild and severe drought stress in the root samples of rose. RcDREB2B was targeted to the nucleus and exhibited transactivation in yeast cells. The overexpression of RcDREB2B was found to promote sensitivity to a higher salt concentration, ABA, and PEG at the germination and post-germination stages. Twelve putative osmotic and ABA-related genes were impaired in RcDREB2B-overexpressing plants. Conclusions The results provide comprehensive information regarding the gene structure, phylogenic, and distribution of the rose AP2/ERF family and bring insight into the complex transcriptional gene regulation of RcAP2/ERF. Findings in this study would also contribute to further understanding of the RcDREB2B gene in rose.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of dual phase cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in detecting small (<3 cm in diameter) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumors during transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).Materials and Methods: Twenty-two consecutive patients with unresectable small HCCs in whom TACE was performed were retrospectively evaluated. Contrast CT or contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in all patients within 1 month prior to the procedure. Dual phase CBCT was performed prior to TACE and lipiodol-CBCT was performed after treatment. The sensitivity of dual phase CBCT in detecting small HCCs was compared to hepatic angiography, contrast enhanced CT and MRI.Results: Seventy HCC tumors with sizes of P < 0.001).Conclusions: Dual phase CBCT is significantly more sensitive than hepatic angiography, contrast enhanced CT, and MRI in detecting smaller than 3 cm HCC tumors and can be a helpful modality in making accurate planning for treatment of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In plants, transcription factors (TFs) belonging to the APETALA2/ethylene responsive factor (AP2/ERF) superfamily regulate a variety of life processes, including germination, maturation, and stress response. In the present study, RcTINY2, a novel dehydration response element binding protein (DREB) belonging to the A-4 group, was identified and characterized in rose (Rosa chinensis). RcTINY2 shares high homology with AtTINY2 of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), with several abiotic stress-responsive cis-regulatory elements. Transcript levels of RcTINY2 were induced by exposure to abscisic acid (ABA) in rose leaves and repressed by exposure to ABA, polyethylene glycol (PEG), and NaCl in rose roots. RcTINY2 is localized in the nucleus and showed transcriptional activation in yeast cells. Further analysis of transgenic Arabidopsis demonstrated that plants overexpressing RcTINY2 displayed increased ABA, PEG, and NaCl sensitivity in both germinating seeds and seedlings with reduced root growth and lateral root number. RcTINY2-silenced rose plants were found to be increasingly intolerant of both drought and salt stress. Furthermore, the transcript levels of several ABA- and abiotic stress-related genes were suppressed in RcTINY2-silenced rose plants. The results suggested that RcTINY2 may serve as a candidate gene for genetic improvement of abiotic stress tolerance in rose and other plant species.

Plant transcription factors involved in stress responses are generally classified by their involvement in either the abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent or the ABA-independent regulatory pathways. A stress-associated NAC gene from rose (Rosa hybrida), RhNAC3, was previously found to increase dehydration tolerance in both rose and Arabidopsis. However, the regulatory mechanism involved in RhNAC3 action is still not fully understood. In this study, we isolated and analyzed the upstream regulatory sequence of RhNAC3 and found many stress-related cis-elements to be present in the promoter, with five ABA-responsive element (ABRE) motifs being of particular interest. Characterization of Arabidopsis thaliana plants transformed with the putative RhNAC3 promoter sequence fused to the β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene revealed that RhNAC3 is expressed at high basal levels in leaf guard cells and in vascular tissues. Moreover, the ABRE motifs in the RhNAC3 promoter were observed to have a cumulative effect on the transcriptional activity of this gene both in the presence and absence of exogenous ABA. Overexpression of RhNAC3 in A. thaliana resulted in ABA hypersensitivity during seed germination and promoted leaf closure after ABA or drought treatments. Additionally, the expression of 11 ABA-responsive genes was induced to a greater degree by dehydration in the transgenic plants overexpressing RhNAC3 than control lines transformed with the vector alone. Further analysis revealed that all these genes contain NAC binding cis-elements in their promoter regions, and RhNAC3 was found to partially bind to these putative NAC recognition sites. We further found that of 219 A. thaliana genes previously shown by microarray analysis to be regulated by heterologous overexpression RhNAC3, 85 are responsive to ABA. In rose, the expression of genes downstream of the ABA-signaling pathways was also repressed in RhNAC3-silenced petals. Taken together, we propose that the rose RhNAC3 protein could mediate ABA signaling both in rose and in A. thaliana.