Plant genomic resources at National Genomics Data Center: assisting in data-driven breeding applications.

Genomic data serve as an invaluable resource for unraveling the intricacies of the higher plant systems, including the constituent elements within and among species. Through various efforts in genomic data archiving, integrative analysis and value-added curation, the National Genomics Data Center (NGDC), which is a part of the China National Center for Bioinformation (CNCB), has successfully established and currently maintains a vast amount of database resources. This dedicated initiative of the NGDC facilitates a data-rich ecosystem that greatly strengthens and supports genomic research efforts. Here, we present a comprehensive overview of central repositories dedicated to archiving, presenting, and sharing plant omics data, introduce knowledgebases focused on variants or gene-based functional insights, highlight species-specific multiple omics database resources, and briefly review the online application tools. We intend that this review can be used as a guide map for plant researchers wishing to select effective data resources from the NGDC for their specific areas of study. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42994-023-00134-4.

A comprehensive evaluation of the potential of three next-generation short-read-based plant pan-genome construction strategies for the identification of novel non-reference sequence.

Pan-genome studies are important for understanding plant evolution and guiding the breeding of crops by containing all genomic diversity of a certain species. Three short-read-based strategies for plant pan-genome construction include iterative individual, iteration pooling, and map-to-pan. Their performance is very different under various conditions, while comprehensive evaluations have yet to be conducted nowadays. Here, we evaluate the performance of these three pan-genome construction strategies for plants under different sequencing depths and sample sizes. Also, we indicate the influence of length and repeat content percentage of novel sequences on three pan-genome construction strategies. Besides, we compare the computational resource consumption among the three strategies. Our findings indicate that map-to-pan has the greatest recall but the lowest precision. In contrast, both two iterative strategies have superior precision but lower recall. Factors of sample numbers, novel sequence length, and the percentage of novel sequences' repeat content adversely affect the performance of all three strategies. Increased sequencing depth improves map-to-pan's performance, while not affecting the other two iterative strategies. For computational resource consumption, map-to-pan demands considerably more than the other two iterative strategies. Overall, the iterative strategy, especially the iterative pooling strategy, is optimal when the sequencing depth is less than 20X. Map-to-pan is preferable when the sequencing depth exceeds 20X despite its higher computational resource consumption.

Dysfunction of cecal microbiota and CutC activity in mice mediating diarrhea with kidney-yang deficiency syndrome.

Objective: Previous studies have indicated that diarrhea with kidney-yang deficiency syndrome leads to a disorder of small intestine contents and mucosal microbiota. However, the relationship of TMA-lyase (CutC) activity and TMAO with diarrhea with kidney-yang deficiency syndrome remains unexplored. Therefore, this study explores the relationship between cecal microbiota and choline TMA-lyase (CutC) activity, as well as the correlation between trimethylamine oxide (TMAO), inflammatory index, and CutC activity. Method: Twenty SPF-grade male KM mice were randomly divided into the normal group (CN) and the diarrhea model group (CD). Diarrhea mouse models were established by adenine combined with Folium sennae administration. CutC activity, TMAO, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were detected, and the cecal content microbiota was sequenced. Result: After 14 days, diarrhea occurred in the CD group. Compared with the CN group, there was no significant change in the activity of CutC in the small intestine of the CD group, while the activity of CutC in the cecum was significantly increased, and the levels of TMAO, IL-6, and TNF-α showed a significant increase. The Chao1 index, Observed_species index, Shannon index, and Simpson index all exhibited a decreasing trend. The main changes at the bacterial genus level were Alistipes, Enterorhabdus, Desulfovibrio, Bacteroides, Candidatus_Saccharimonas, and [Ruminococcus]_torques_group. The results of LEfSe analysis, random forest analysis and ROC curve analysis revealed Paludicola, Blautia, Negativibacillus, Paraprevotella, Harryflintia, Candidatus_Soleaferrea, Anaerotruncus, Oscillibacter, Colidextribacter, [Ruminococcus]_torques_group, and Bacteroides as characteristic bacteria in the CD group. Correlation analysis showed a significant negative correlation between cecal CutC activity and Ligilactobacillus, and a significant positive correlation with Negativibacillus and Paludicola. The level of TMAO was significantly positively correlated with CutC activity and IL-6. Conclusion: Diarrhea with kidney-yang deficiency syndrome significantly affects the physiological status, digestive enzyme activity, CutC activity, TMAO levels, and inflammatory response in mice. Additionally, there are changes in the composition and function of cecal microbiota, indicating an important impact of diarrhea with kidney-yang deficiency syndrome on the host intestinal microbiota balance. The occurrence of diarrhea with kidney-yang deficiency syndrome may be associated with dysbiosis of intestinal microbiota, increased CutC activity, elevated TMAO levels, and heightened inflammatory factor levels.

Bipolar Switching Properties of the Transparent Indium Tin Oxide Thin Film Resistance Random Access Memories.

In this study, the bipolar switching properties and electrical conduction behaviors of the ITO thin films RRAM devices were investigated. For the transparent RRAM devices structure, indium tin oxide thin films were deposited by using the RF magnetron sputtering method on the ITO/glass substrate. For the ITO/ITOX/ITO/glass (MIM) structure, an indium tin oxide thin film top electrode was prepared to form the transparent RRAM devices. From the experimental results, the 102 On/Off memory ratio and bipolar switching cycling properties for set/reset stable states were found and discussed. All transparent RRAM devices exhibited the obvious memory window and low set voltage for the switching times of 120 cycles. The electrical transport mechanisms were dominated by the ohmic contact and space charge limit conduction (SCLC) models for set and reset states. Finally, the transmittances properties of the transparent ITO/ITOX/ITO RRAM devices for the different oxygen growth procedures were about 90% according to the UV-Vis spectrophotometer for the visible wavelength range.

Noncancerous disease-targeting AIEgens.

Noncancerous diseases include a wide plethora of medical conditions beyond cancer and are a major cause of mortality around the world. Despite progresses in clinical research, many puzzles about these diseases remain unanswered, and new therapies are continuously being sought. The evolution of bio-nanomedicine has enabled huge advancements in biosensing, diagnosis, bioimaging, and therapeutics. The recent development of aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) has provided an impetus to the field of molecular bionanomaterials. Following aggregation, AIEgens show strong emission, overcoming the problems associated with the aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) effect. They also have other unique properties, including low background interferences, high signal-to-noise ratios, photostability, and excellent biocompatibility, along with activatable aggregation-enhanced theranostic effects, which help them achieve excellent therapeutic effects as an one-for-all multimodal theranostic platform. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the overall progresses in AIEgen-based nanoplatforms for the detection, diagnosis, bioimaging, and bioimaging-guided treatment of noncancerous diseases. In addition, it details future perspectives and the potential clinical applications of these AIEgens in noncancerous diseases are also proposed. This review hopes to motivate further interest in this topic and promote ideation for the further exploration of more advanced AIEgens in a broad range of biomedical and clinical applications in patients with noncancerous diseases.

The delivery of nanoparticles improves the pharmacokinetic properties of celecoxib to open a therapeutic window for oral administration of insoluble drugs.

A sensitive and reliable LC-MS/MS method is established and validated to determine the concentration of celecoxib, in the serum of cynomolgus monkey, using celecoxib-D7 as an internal standard. The pharmacokinetic process was investigated after giving Celebrex, celecoxib nanoparticles (CXB-NPs) and hyaluronic acid celecoxib nanoparticles (HA-CXB-NPs) by intragastric (i.g.) administration. Chromatographic separation was performed with a C18 column (2.1 × 100 mm, 2.6 µm) at 40°C with a mobile phase of 2‰ HCOOH in water and acetonitrile. The mass spectral acquisition was then performed in the multiple reaction monitoring mode, with negative ESI ion at m/z 380.0 → 316.0 and m/z 387.1 → 323.1 for celecoxib and celecoxib-D7, respectively. Good linearity was observed over the concentration range from 3 to 2,000 ng/ml (R2 = 0.9954). The intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy, matrix effect and extraction recovery, as well as stability, all met the determination requirements of biological samples. The pharmacokinetic parameters of Celebrex, CXB-NPs and HA-CXB-NPs were determined as: area under the curve, 1,855.98 ± 346.59, 1,908.00 ± 1,130.24 and 2,164.48 ± 657.47 h·ng/ml; peak concentration, 261.08 ± 113.26, 261.12 ± 94.67 and 263.34 ± 151.78 µg/L; time to peak concentration, 2.00 ± 1.22, 4.00 ± 0.00 and 3.60 ± 0.89 h; half-life, 4.39 ± 1.26, 2.33 ± 0.94 and 4.92 ± 3.13 h; relative bioavailability, 102.80 ± 49.62 and 116.63 ± 25.55%. The validated method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of celecoxib in cynomolgus monkey, after i.g. administration. The preparation of the nanoparticles of celecoxib and the modification of hyaluronic acid on the surface of nanoparticles could improve the bioavailability and prolong the circulation of celecoxib in vivo, which could lay the foundation for further development of celecoxib nanoparticles.

CCL19 has potential to be a potential prognostic biomarker and a modulator of tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) of breast cancer: a comprehensive analysis based on TCGA database.

The development of cancer was determined by not only the intrinsic properties of cancer cells, but also the communication between cancer cells and tumor microenvironment (TME). We applied ESTIMATE and CIBERSORT algorithms to calculate the immune/stromal component and tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TICs) in TME of BC. The results showed that immune component in TME predicted patients' survival and associated with progression of BC. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were primarily enriched in immune-related activities. Finally, CCL19 was acquired which shared the leading nodes in PPI network and was associated with patients' survival. High expression of CCL19 predicted better prognosis and participated in progression of BC. Genes in CCL19 up-regulated group were enriched in immune-related activities and these functions might depend on the communications between CCL19 and multiple TICs in TIME. In conclusion, CCL19 functioned as a potential prognostic biomarker and a modulator of TIME in BC through communicating with various TICs.

Functional Outcomes in a Randomized Controlled Trial of Animal-Assisted Therapy on Middle-Aged and Older Adults with Schizophrenia.

Deficits in cognition, physical, and social functions in adults with schizophrenia may become salient with aging. While animal-assisted therapy (AAT) can benefit physical function in older adults and improve symptoms of psychotic disorders, the effect of AAT on middle-aged patients with schizophrenia is unclear. The current randomized controlled trial aimed to explore the efficacy of AAT for middle-aged patients with schizophrenia. Forty participants were randomly assigned to either the AAT or control group. The AAT group participated in one-hour sessions with dog-assisted group activities once a week for 12 weeks. The controls participated in dose-matched, non-animal-related recreational activities. Both groups remained on their usual psychotropic medication during the trial. Evaluations included the Chair Stand Test (CST), Timed Up-and-Go (TUG) test, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), 5-Meter walk test (5MWT), and Assessment of Communication and Interaction Skills (ACIS). The increases in CST repetitions and ACIS scores were larger in the AAT group than in the controls. The two groups did not differ significantly in MoCA scores, TUG performance, or the 5MWT. The AAT group showed a greater increase in lower extremity strength and social skills, but no improvement in cognitive function, agility, or mobility. Further research with more sensitive evaluations and longer follow-up is needed.

A new and spontaneous animal model for ankylosing spondylitis is found in cynomolgus monkeys.

BACKGROUND: Ankylosing spondylitis is a progressive, disabling joint disease that affects millions worldwide. Given its unclear etiology, studies of ankylosing spondylitis relied heavily on drug-induced or transgenic rodent models which retain only partial clinical features. There is obviously a lack of a useful disease model to conduct comprehensive mechanistic studies. METHODS: We followed a group of cynomolgus monkeys having joint lesions reported of spinal stiffness for 2 years by conducting hematological testing, radiographic examination, family aggregation analysis, pathological analysis, and genetic testing. RESULTS: The results confirmed that these diseased animals suffered from spontaneous ankylosing spondylitis with clinical features recapitulating human ankylosing spondylitis disease progression, manifested by pathological changes and biochemical indicators similar to that of ankylosing spondylitis patients. CONCLUSION: The study offers a promising non-human primate model for spontaneous ankylosing spondylitis which may serve as an excellent substitute for its pre-clinical research.

Immune activation of characteristic gut mycobiota Kazachstania pintolopesii on IL-23/IL-17R signaling in ankylosing spondylitis.

It is very important to understand the communication and interaction mechanisms between the host and its resident microorganisms on host physiology and for precise diagnosis and treatment. Although intestinal fungi and bacteria dysbiosis is increasingly linked to ankylosing spondylitis (AS), their mechanisms of action have been rarely illustrated. In this paper, fecal samples from 10 AS monkeys and 10 healthy controls were collected to systematically characterize the gut mycobiota and microbiota in AS monkeys by 16S rRNA and ITS2 DNA sequencing. Our results showed the gut fungi of Kazachstania pintolopesii, Saccharomycetaceae, Kazachstania, and Saccharomyceteles. Saccharomycetes were specially enriched in AS, and the microbiota of AS monkeys was characterized by an increased abundance of Clostridia, Clostridiales, Ruminococcaceae, and Prevotella 2, using Line Discriminant Analysis Effect Size. Compared to healthy controls, decreased ITS2/16S biodiversity ratios and altered bacterial-fungal interkingdom networks were observed in AS monkeys. Oral administration of K. pintolopesii activates IL-17RA pathway and induce inflammatory reaction in the colonic tissue of C57BL/6 mice, as well as multiple AS phenotypes, including fungal and bacterial dysbiosis, immune responses of NK cells, platelets, T cells, leukocytes, B-cell activation, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease. We also found the secreted products of K. pintolopesii could activate the IL-17RA pathway, which induces PANoptosis in macrophage RAW264.7 cells. Much worse, the PANoptosis products could promote the proliferation and morphological changes of K. pintolopesii, which resulted in much more K. pintolopesii and a severe inflammatory reaction. Interestingly, the inflammatory factor TNF-α can promote the morphological transformation of Candida albicans and K. pintolopesii, which is worthy of further study. The characteristic fungi in all these findings implied that fungal and bacterial dysbiosis have a close link to AS and that their communication and interaction indeed play an important role in autoimmune responses, and K. pintolopesii could be a potential marker microorganism in AS, although its specific mechanism is not fully elucidated.

Injectable shear-thinning polylysine hydrogels for localized immunotherapy of gastric cancer through repolarization of tumor-associated macrophages.

Immunotherapy has emerged as one of the most promising treatments for cancer in recent years. However, it works only for a small proportion of patients, which can in part be attributed to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) are the critical components of tumors and play an important role in the development of the immunosuppressive TME. The transition of TAMs from the pro-tumor (M2) phenotype to anti-tumor (M1) phenotype is crucial for the immunotherapy of gastric cancer. Herein, we developed a shear-thinning, injectable hydrogel co-loaded with polyphyllin II (PP2) and resiquimod (R848) (PR-Gel) for potentiating localized immunotherapy of gastric cancer through the repolarization of TAMs. In this work, we evaluate the effects of PR-Gel on TAM repolarization and explored its therapeutic effect for localized immunotherapy. The hydrogels were synthesized through the Schiff base reactions between aldehyde-functionalized polyethylene glycol and the amino group of polylysine. A M2-to-M1 repolarization of TAMs and increased production of TNF-α and IL-6 were observed after treatment with PR-Gel in vitro. The anti-tumor efficacy of PR-Gel in a subcutaneous xenograft model of gastric cancer showed that the hydrogels possess good tumor growth suppression properties after a single injection. Furthermore, an increased iNOS/CD206 ratio in TAMs and enhanced CD8+ T cell infiltration were also observed within the TME after the treatment with PR-Gel. Hence, the biocompatible, shear-thinning, injectable hydrogels are a promising noninvasive drug-delivery platform for the regulation of the immunosuppressive TME and have great potential in localized immunotherapy against gastric cancer.

Animal-Assisted Therapy in Middle-Aged and Older Patients With Schizophrenia: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has the potential to improve the symptomology, negative emotions, and level of well-being in older adults, as well as patients with mental illness. However, there remains limited evidence supporting the treatment efficacy of AAT in middle-aged and older adults with schizophrenia. Therefore, this study implemented a randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy of a 12-week AAT psychological intervention with dogs for middle-aged and older patients with chronic schizophrenia in a clinical setting. Method: Patients, age ≥ 40 years, with chronic schizophrenia were allocated randomly to either the AAT group or control group. Patients in the AAT group received an additional hour -long AAT session every week for 12 weeks. Patients in the control group received the usual treatment plus an hour long non-animal related intervention. All patients were assessed based on primary outcome measures before and after the 12-week intervention, including the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Depression Anxiety Stress Scales Assessment (DASS), and Chinese Happiness Inventory (CHI). Results: Patients who received AAT had greater improvements in the PANSS and DASS-stress subscale scores than the control group (p < 0.05). The effect was small (success ratio different, SRD = 0.25) for the PANSS and the DASS-stress subscale (SRD = 0.15). There were no significant differences in the change scores of the CHI between the AAT and control groups (p = 0.461). Conclusions: AAT seemed to be effective in reducing psychiatric symptoms and stress levels of middle-aged and older patients with schizophrenia. AAT could be considered as a useful adjunctive therapy to the usual treatment programs.

Genome Warehouse: A Public Repository Housing Genome-scale Data.

The Genome Warehouse (GWH) is a public repository housing genome assembly data for a wide range of species and delivering a series of web services for genome data submission, storage, release, and sharing. As one of the core resources in the National Genomics Data Center (NGDC), part of the China National Center for Bioinformation (CNCB; https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn), GWH accepts both full and partial (chloroplast, mitochondrion, and plasmid) genome sequences with different assembly levels, as well as an update of existing genome assemblies. For each assembly, GWH collects detailed genome-related metadata of biological project, biological sample, and genome assembly, in addition to genome sequence and annotation. To archive high-quality genome sequences and annotations, GWH is equipped with a uniform and standardized procedure for quality control. Besides basic browse and search functionalities, all released genome sequences and annotations can be visualized with JBrowse. By May 21, 2021, GWH has received 19,124 direct submissions covering a diversity of 1108 species and has released 8772 of them. Collectively, GWH serves as an important resource for genome-scale data management and provides free and publicly accessible data to support research activities throughout the world. GWH is publicly accessible at https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/gwh.

TAP Test Image Dynamic Tracking Study after Thyroid Cancer Surgery and after Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy.

Thyroid cancer is a relatively common endocrine gland malignant tumor; if improper treatment, there will be a high risk of recurrence or metastasis, and abnormal sugar chain glycoprotein (TAP) has a close relationship with the development of the disease; therefore, the purpose of this article is to discuss abnormal sugar chain glycoprotein (TAP) as thyroid cancer curative effect evaluation and radiation and chemotherapy after surgery clinical significance. In this paper, 95 patients with thyroid cancer diagnosed in a hospital were selected as the study objects and treated as the observation group. The clinical and follow-up data of the observation group were retrospectively analyzed. Meanwhile, 55 healthy patients were randomly selected as the control group. TAP, squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC) level, and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level were detected in peripheral blood of 95 patients with thyroid cancer before and after treatment. The short-term efficacy was evaluated by chest CT examination, and the changes of the three markers before and after treatment and the correlation with the short-term efficacy of the patients were compared. According to the results of testing, the TAP positive expression in patients before radiotherapy can better predict the recent curative effect has certain clinical value; before radiotherapy TAP positive expression rate was significantly higher than that of healthy people, TAP positive expression quantity decreased obviously after radiation treatment, and patients with a recent radiotherapy curative effect is good or bad and negatively correlated with the degree of TAP protein positive expression; TAP high protein in patients with recent poor radiation effects, prompt the factor can be predicted in the near future curative effect of the molecular markers, and can TAP level for clinicians provide certain reference for targeted therapy.

Functions and Targets of miR-335 in Cancer.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs (18~25 nt in length) that act as master regulators of eukaryotic gene expression. They might play an oncogenic or tumor-suppressive role in multiple cancers. In recent decades, several studies have focused on the functions and mechanisms of miR-335 in cancer. The expression level of miR-335 in tissues and cells varies with cancer types, and miR-335 has been proposed as a potential biomarker for the prognosis of cancer. Besides, miR-335 may serve as an oncogene or tumor suppressor via regulating different targets or pathways in tumor initiation, development, and metastasis. Furthermore, miR-335 also influences tumor microenvironment and drug sensitivity. MiR-335 is regulated by various factors such as lncRNAs and microRNAs. In this review, we reveal the functions and targets of miR-335 in various cancers and its potential application as a possible biomarker in prognostic judgment and treatment of malignant tumors.

Role of exosomal miRNAs in brain metastasis affected by radiotherapy.

In oncogenesis and development of malignant tumor, microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate the complex gene expression associated with the tumor pathogenesis. Currently, only few studies have been conducted to identify miRNAs and the potential pathways involved in the pathogenesis of brain metastasis in patients who underwent radiotherapy, especially miRNAs in the plasma exosomes. Therefore, this study is aimed to use small RNA analysis to identify miRNAs and their potential target genes in plasma exosomes during the initiation and development of brain metastasis in patients who underwent radiotherapy. Using high-throughput sequencing technologies, we identified 35 differentially expressed miRNAs in patients with brain metastasis who had undergone radiotherapy. In annotation of miRNA targets, gene ontology enrichment analysis revealed that the targets of the differentially expressed miRNAs were significantly enriched in the regulation of cellular processes. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes revealed that most of the miRNA targets were cancer-related, including genes involved in the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway, cancer-related pathways, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B signaling pathway, microtubule-associated protein kinase signaling pathway, Ras signaling pathway, regulation of the actin cytoskeleton, and axon guidance. In conclusion, this study provides a new perspective to understand the possible function of these miRNAs in the pathogenesis of brain metastasis. This was the first time that a pilot study identified plasma exosomal miRNAs in five patients with brain metastasis before and after radiotherapy. This study is the beginning; more specimen and further research are needed to explore the functional role of specific miRNAs and their potential as therapeutic targets for brain metastasis.

Whole-genome sequencing reveals sex determination and liver high-fat storage mechanisms of yellowstripe goby (Mugilogobius chulae).

As a promising novel marine fish model for future research on marine ecotoxicology as well as an animal model of human disease, the genome information of yellowstripe goby (Mugilogobius chulae) remains unknown. Here we report the first annotated chromosome-level reference genome assembly for yellowstripe goby. A 20.67-cM sex determination region was discovered on chromosome 5 and seven potential sex-determining genes were identified. Based on combined genome and transcriptome data, we identified three key lipid metabolic pathways for high-fat accumulation in the liver of yellowstripe goby. The changes in the expression patterns of MGLL and CPT1 at different development stage of the liver, and the expansion of the ABCA1 gene, innate immune gene TLR23, and TRIM family genes may help in balancing high-fat storage in hepatocytes and steatohepatitis. These results may provide insights into understanding the molecular mechanisms of sex determination and high-fat storage in the liver of marine fishes.

Effects of Local Warming on the Peripheral Vein Cross-Sectional Area in Children Under Sedation.

PURPOSE: Peripheral venous catheterization is challenging in small children. The local warming technique has been used to increase the peripheral vein cross-sectional area (CSA) and improve the success rate. However, there is limited evidence on the effect of local warming on venous CSA in children under sedation. DESIGN: A pilot randomized controlled trial. METHODS: Eligible children aged 1 to 4 years undergoing ambulatory surgery were enrolled. At the bedside in the ambulatory surgery center, they were routinely sedated with 1 mcg/kg of intranasal dexmedetomidine. Through a computer allocation program, children were randomized into either a control group or a local warming group. Cephalic vein and basilic vein at 1 cm proximal to cubital fossa were scanned with ultrasound to measure venous CSA. Children in the control group received no intervention; those in the local warming group had a prepared hot pack of ~40°C applied to the target area on the arm for 5 minutes. A second ultrasound measurement was undertaken in both groups. FINDINGS: A total of 35 from 40 children were analyzed. Cephalic vein CSA and basilic vein CSA increased significantly vs the first measurement within the local warming group (P < .05 for both) but not in the control group (P > .05 for both). Cephalic vein CSA was significantly different between groups at the second measurement (P < .05) but not at the first measurement (P > .05). Basilic vein CSA was significantly different between groups neither at the first measurement nor at the second measurement (P > .05 for both). The application of local warming resulted in an average of 34% increase (from 4.1 to 5.5 mm2) in cephalic vein CSA and an average of 21% increase (from 4.8 to 5.8 mm2) in basilic vein CSA. CONCLUSIONS: The application of local warming induced mild venodilation in cephalic vein with an increase in CSA by 34% and had little venodilation effect on the basilic vein with an increase in CSA by only 21%.