Genome-wide analysis of metallothionein gene family in maize to reveal its role in development and stress resistance to heavy metal

BACKGROUND: Maize (Zea mays L.) is a widely cultivated cereal and has been used as an optimum heavy metal phytoremediation crop. Metallothionein (MT) proteins are small, cysteine-rich, proteins that play important roles in plant growth and development, and the regulation of stress response to heavy metals. However, the MT genes for maize have not been fully analyzed so far. METHODS: The putative ZmMT genes were identified by HMMER. The heat map of ZmMT genes spatial expression analysis was generated by using R with the log2 (FPKM + 1). The expression profiles of ZmMT genes under three kinds of heavy metal stresses were quantified by using qRT-PCR. The metallothionein proteins was aligned using MAFFT and phylogenetic analysis were constructed by ClustalX 2.1. The protein theoretical molecular weight and pI, subcellular localization, TFs binding sites, were predicted using ProtParam, PSORT, PlantTFDB, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 9 ZmMT genes were identified in the whole genome of maize. The results showed that eight of the nine ZmMT proteins contained one highly conserved metallothio_2 domain, while ZmMT4 contained a Metallothio_PEC domain. All the ZmMT proteins could be classified into three major groups and located on five chromosomes. The ZmMT promoters contain a large number of hormone regulatory elements and hormone-related transcription factor binding sites. The ZmMT genes exhibited spatiotemporal specific expression patterns in 23 tissues of maize development stages and showed the different expression patterns in response to Cu, Cd, and Pb heavy metal stresses. CONCLUSIONS: We identified the 9 ZmMT genes, and explored their conserved motif, tissue expression patterns, evolutionary relationship. The expression profiles of ZmMT genes under three kinds of heavy metal stresses (Cu, Cd, Pb) were analyzed. In summary, the expression of ZmMTs have poteintial to be regulated by hormones. The specific expression of ZmMTs in different tissues of maize and the response to different heavy metal stresses are revealed that the role of MT in plant growth and development, and stress resistance to heavy metals.

Prevention and Control Measures and Effects of COVID-19 in Shenmu City Hospital, China

Purpose: To explore the prevention and control strategies and effects of COVID-19 in Shenmu City Hospital, so as to provide basis for the prevention and control of COVID-19 in Shenmu City.Methods: Retrospective analysis and review of our hospital after the outbreak of COVID-19 prevention and control program, response measures and management procedures and other aspects of the deployment.Results:In the 86 days up to April 15, 2020, there were 7,843 pre-diagnosis and triage patients, among which 707 were high-risk group, 3,140 were general population and 3,996 were key population. 992 patients were treated in COVID-19 clinics, 2 suspected cases were reported and 89 were kept under observation. 5, 351 visits in general fever clinics; 89 cases were hospitalized in isolation ward, including 2 suspected cases. COVID-19 was discharged after improvement.Conclusion:Initial progress has been made in epidemic prevention and control. COVID-19 has not been reported in the whole city. It shows that effective prevention and control strategies are of great significance for achieving the goal of "three zeros" (zero infection, zero spread and zero death), and are worth learning and promoting

Analysis of influencing factors of severity in acute pancreatitis using big data mining

SUMMARY OBJECTIVES To evaluate the epidemiological characteristics of acute pancreatitis (AP) and explore potential relationships between these factors and severity. METHODOLOGY Data-sets of 5,659 patients with AP from health statistics and the Information Center of Jiangsu province, between 2014 and 2016, were analyzed. A self-organizing map (SOM) neural network was used for data clustering. RESULTS Biliary acute pancreatitis (BAP) (86.7%) was the most frequent etiological factor. A total of 804 (14.2%) patients had severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). The mean age of patients was 53.7 + 17.3 (range 12~94y). Most of the AP patients were married (75.4%); 6% of mild /moderately severe AP (MAP/MASP) patients were unmarried, which was less than SAP patients (P=0.016). AP patients with blood type AB in the general population (8.8%) was significantly lower than that of AP cases (13.9%) (P=0.019) and SAP cases(18.7%) (P=0.007). The number of AP patients in southern Jiangsu was much higher than that in northern Jiangsu province, especially in Nanjing (1229, 21.7%). The proportion of acute alcoholic pancreatitis (AAP) in the north of Jiangsu (Xuzhou 18.4%) was much higher than that in southern Jiangsu (Suzhou 2.6%). The whole sample was divided into five classes by SOM neural network. If BAP patients were male, old, divorced, and blood type AB or B, they were more likely to develop SAP. Middle-age, unmarried or divorced male patients with blood type B/AB who suffered from HAP or AAP were also more likely to develop SAP. CONCLUSIONS The number of unmarried patients with MAP/MASP was smaller than that of SAP. Blood types AB and B were more frequent in AP, especially in SAP. The differences between southern Jiangsu and northern Jiangsu, in number of AP patients and the proportion of AAP, were significant. In class I and class IV, the ratio of SAP was much higher than in other classes and the whole sample.

Analysis on composition and antibiotic resistance of pathogenic bacteria in surgical infection / 中国医师进修杂志

Objective To study the etiology of surgical infection and antibiotic resistance of infective bacteria,so as to provide evidence for clinical treatment.Method The composition and antibiotic resistance in surgical specimens of pathogenic bacteria from January 2008 to December 2010 was analyzed retrospectively.Results A total of 321 pathogens isolated,Gram-negative bacteria 201,accounting for 62.6％,Gram-positive cocci 114,accounting for 35.5％,Fungus 6,accounting for 1.9％.Escherichia coli 116(36.1％),Klebsiella pneumoniae 24(7.5％),Staphylococcus aureus 34(10.6％),Pseudomonas aeruginosa 18(5.6％),Enterococcus faecalis 16(5.0％).Staphylococcus species of Staphylococci methicillinresistant Staphylococcus atureus(MRS),Coagulase-negative staphylococci MRS and ultra wide-spectrum beta-lactamases(ESBLs)detection rate was 52.9％(18/34),83.7％(36/43)and 35.0％(49/140),respectively.The resistance rates of Gram-negative bacilli to piperacillin/tazobactam,ceftazidime,amikacin,imipenem and meropenem were below 20％,Gram-positive cocci,staphylococci to new compound sulfamethoxazole,minocycline,rifampin,vancomycin,teicoplanin and fusidic acid resistance rates were less than 40％,various pathogens had varies resistance.Conclusions Specimens of surgical infection pathogens widely distribute in different drug-resistant bacteria,some strains of multi-drug resistant infection,causing clinical failure of empirical therapy,clinical laboratory susceptibility results should be based on the rational use of antibiotics,to avoid the overuse of antibiotics.