Concurrent brain structural and functional alterations in the thalamus of adult survivors of childhood brain tumors: a multimodal MRI study.

Adult survivors of childhood brain tumors often present with cognitive deficits that affect their quality of life. Studying brain structure and function in brain tumor survivors can help understand the underlying mechanisms of their cognitive deficits to improve long-term prognosis of these patients. This study analyzed voxel-based morphometry (VBM) derived from T1-weighted MRI and the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to examine the structural and functional alterations in 35 brain tumor survivors using 35 matching healthy individuals as controls. Compared with healthy controls, brain tumor survivors had decreased gray matter volumes (GMV) in the thalamus and increased GMV in the superior frontal gyrus. Functionally, brain tumor survivors had lower ALFF values in the inferior temporal gyrus and medial prefrontal area and higher ALFF values in the thalamus. Importantly, we found concurrent but negatively correlated structural and functional alterations in the thalamus based on observed significant differences in GMV and ALFF values. These findings on concurrent brain structural and functional alterations provide new insights towards a better understanding of the cognitive deficits in brain tumor survivors.

Physiological and Transcriptomic Responses of Bok Choy to Heat Stress.

High temperatures have adverse effects on the yield and quality of vegetables. Bok choy, a popular vegetable, shows varying resistance to heat. However, the mechanism underlying the thermotolerance of bok choy remains unclear. In this study, 26 bok choy varieties were identified in screening as being heat-resistant at the seedling stage; at 43 °C, it was possible to observe obvious heat damage in different bok choy varieties. The physiological and biochemical reactions of a heat-tolerant cultivar, Jinmei (J7), and a heat-sensitive cultivar, Sanyueman (S16), were analyzed in terms of the growth index, peroxide, and photosynthetic parameters. The results show that Jinmei has lower relative conductivity, lower peroxide content, and higher total antioxidant capacity after heat stress. We performed transcriptome analysis of the two bok choy varieties under heat stress and normal temperatures. Under heat stress, some key genes involved in sulfur metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and the ribosome pathway were found to be significantly upregulated in the heat-tolerant cultivar. The key genes of each pathway were screened according to their fold-change values. In terms of sulfur metabolism, genes related to protease activity were significantly upregulated. Glutathione synthetase (GSH2) in the glutathione metabolism pathway and the L3e, L23, and S19 genes in the ribosomal pathway were significantly upregulated in heat-stressed cultivars. These results suggest that the total antioxidant capacity and heat injury repair capacity are higher in Jinmei than in the heat-sensitive variety, which might be related to the specific upregulation of genes in certain metabolic pathways after heat stress.

Can we preserve the necrotic testis caused by incarcerated inguinal hernia in infants under 3 months?

PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate whether necrotic testis resulting from incarcerated inguinal hernias can be preserved in infants under 3 months old. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on data collected from infants under 3 months old who had necrotic testis caused by incarcerated inguinal hernias between 2016 and 2020. They were divided into two groups: the orchiectomy group and the testicular preservation group. The control group consisted of normal male children of the same age. Data regarding bilateral testicular volume, dihydrotestosterone, inhibin B, and antisperm antibodies were collected. RESULTS: The study included 42 cases, with 18 patients being followed up for 6-54 months after the operation. In the testicular preservation group, 2 children did not experience testicular atrophy. There was no significant difference in the volume of the contralateral testes between the testicular preservation group and the control group; however, both groups had smaller testicular volumes compared to the orchiectomy group. There was no significant difference in the levels of inhibin B between the testicular preservation group and the orchiectomy group, although both were lower than the control group. Furthermore, no significant difference was observed in the levels of dihydrotestosterone and the positivity rate of antisperm antibodies among the three groups. CONCLUSION: Preserving the necrotic testis may allow it to survive without impacting the contralateral testis. Therefore, a more conservative approach should be considered for orchiectomy when dealing with testicular necrosis caused by incarcerated inguinal hernias in infants.

Applications of indocyanine greenenhanced fluorescence in the laparoscopic treatment of colonic stricture after necrotizing enterocolitis.

BACKGROUND: The status of anastomotic blood perfusion is associated with the occurrence of anastomotic leakage after intestinal anastomosis. Fluorescence angiography (FA) with indocyanine green (ICG) can objectively assess intestinal blood perfusion. This study aims to investigate whether anastomotic perfusion assessment with ICG influences surgical decision-making during laparoscopic intestinal resection and primary anastomosis for colonic stricture after necrotizing enterocolitis. METHODS: Patients who underwent laparoscopic intestinal resection and primary anastomosis between January 2022 and December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Before intestinal anastomosis, the ICG fluorescence technology was used to evaluate the blood perfusion of intestinal tubes on both sides of the anastomosis. After the completion of primary anastomosis, the anastomotic blood perfusion was assessed again. RESULTS: Of the 13 cases, laparoscopy was used to determine the extent of the diseased bowel to be excised, and the normal bowel was preserved for anastomosis. The anastomosis was established under the guidance of ICG fluorescence technology, and FA was performed after anastomosis to confirm good blood flow in the proximal bowel. The anastomotic intestinal tube was changed in one case because FA showed a difference between the normal range of intestinal blood flow and the macroscopic prediction. There was no evidence of ICG allergy, anastomotic leakage, anastomotic stricture, or other complications. The median follow-up was 6 months, and all patients recovered well. CONCLUSIONS: The ICG fluorescence technology is helpful in precisely and efficiently determining the anastomotic intestinal blood flow during stricture resection and in avoiding anastomotic leakage caused by poor anastomotic intestinal blood flow to some extent, with satisfactory short-term efficacy.

Cervical HPV infection in Yueyang, China: a cross-sectional study of 125,604 women from 2019 to 2022.

Objective: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is currently the main cause of cervical cancer and precancerous lesions in women. The aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of HPV genotypes among women in Yueyang city and to provide a basis for the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer in this city. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 125,604 women who had received treatment from eight hospitals in Yueyang city from September 2019 to September 2022. Analysis of the prevalence of HPV in patients. Results: The prevalence of HPV was 20.5% (95%CI: 20.2-20.7%), of which the high-risk type (HR-HPV) accounted for 17.5% (95%CI: 17.3-17.7%) and the low-risk type (LR-HPV) accounted for 5.0% (95%CI: 4.9-5.1%). Among the HR-HPV subtypes, the top five in prevalence, from the highest to the lowest, were HPV52 (5.1%), HPV16(2.7%), HPV58 (2.6%), HPV53 (2.4%), and HPV51 (1.7%). The main LR-HPV infection types were HPV81 (2,676 cases, OR = 2.1%; 95%CI, 2.0-2.1%). Among the infected patients, 19,203 cases (OR = 74.3%; 95%CI, 73.8-74.9%) had a single subtype, 4,673 cases (OR = 18.1%; 95%CI, 17.6-18.6%) had two subtypes, and 1957 cases (OR = 7.6%; 95%CI, 7.3-7.9%) had three or more subtypes. HPV prevalence is highest among women <25 years, 55-64 years and ≥ 65 years of age. Conclusion: The prevalence of HPV in women in Yueyang city was 20.5%, with HR-HPV being dominant. As women aged <25 years, 55-64 years, and ≥ 65 years are at a relatively higher risk, more attention should be paid to them for prevention and control of HPV infections.

Exogenous spraying of IAA improved the efficiency of microspore embryogenesis in Wucai (Brassica campestris L.) by affecting the balance of endogenous hormones, energy metabolism, and cell wall degradation.

BACKGROUND: Microspore embryogenesis is an extraordinarily complicated process, comprehensively regulated by a composite network of physiological and molecular factors, among which hormone is one of the most crucial factors. Auxin is required for stress-induced microspore reprogramming, however, the mechanism of its regulation of microspore embryogenesis is still unclear. RESULTS: In this study, we found exogenously spraying 100 mg·L- 1 IAA on the buds of Wucai significantly increased the rate of microspore embryogenesis, and moreover accelerated the process of embryogenesis. Physiological and biochemical tests showed that the contents of amino acids, soluble total sugar, soluble protein, and starch were significantly increased after IAA treatment. Furthermore, exogenously spraying 100 mg·L- 1 IAA significantly enhanced IAA, GA4, and GA9 content, increased catalase (CAT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) activity, and reduced abscisic acid (ABA), MDA and soluble protopectin content, H2O2 and O2·- production rate in the bud with the largest population of late-uninucleate-stage microspores. Transcriptome sequencing was performed on buds respectively treated with 100 mg·L- 1 IAA and fresh water. A total of 2004 DEGs were identified, of which 79 were involved in micropores development, embryonic development and cell wall formation and modification, most of which were upregulated. KEGG and GO analysis revealed that 9.52% of DEGs were enriched in plant hormone synthesis and signal transduction pathways, pentose and glucuronic acid exchange pathways, and oxidative phosphorylation pathways. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicated that exogenous IAA altered the contents of endogenous hormone content, total soluble sugar, amino acid, starch, soluble protein, MDA and protopectin, the activities of CAT and peroxidase (POD), and the production rate of H2O2 and O2·-. Combined with transcriptome analysis, it was found that most genes related to gibberellin (GA) and Auxin (IAA) synthesis and signal transduction, pectin methylase (PME) and polygalacturonase (PGs) genes and genes related to ATP synthesis and electron transport chain were upregulated, and genes related to ABA synthesis and signal transduction were downregulated. These results indicated that exogenous IAA treatment could change the balance of endogenous hormones, accelerate cell wall degradation, promote ATP synthesis and nutrient accumulation, inhibit ROS accumulation, which ultimately promote microspore embryogenesis.

Auxin participates in regulating the leaf curl development of Wucai (Brassica campestris L.).

Wucai (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis var. rosularis Tsen) belongs to the Brassica genus of the Cruciferae family, and its leaf curl is a typical feature that distinguishes Wucai from other nonheading cabbage subspecies. Our previous research found that plant hormones were involved in the development of the leaf curl in Wucai. However, the molecular mechanisms and the hormones regulating the formation of leaf curl in Wucai have not yet been reported. This study aimed to understand the molecular functions related to hormone metabolism during the formation of leaf curl in Wucai. A total of 386 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by transcriptome sequencing of two different morphological parts of the same leaf of Wucai germplasm W7-2, and 50 DEGs were found to be related to plant hormones, which were mainly involved in the auxin signal transduction pathway. Then, we measured the content of endogenous hormones in two different forms of the same leaf of Wucai germplasm W7-2. A total of 17 hormones with differential content were identified, including auxin, cytokinins, jasmonic acids, salicylic acids, and abscisic acid. And we found that treatment with auxin transport inhibitor N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid can affect the leaf curl phenotype of Wucai and pak choi (Brassica rapa L. subsp. Chinensis). These results indicated that plant hormones, especially auxin, are involved in developing the leaf curl of Wucai. Our findings provide a potentially valuable reference for future research on the development of leaf curls.

Combined Metabolome and Transcriptome Analysis Elucidates Sugar Accumulation in Wucai (Brassica campestris L.).

Wucai (Brassica campestris L.) is a leafy vegetable that originated in China, its soluble sugars accumulate significantly to improve taste quality during maturation, and it is widely accepted by consumers. In this study, we investigated the soluble sugar content at different developmental stages. Two periods including 34 days after planting (DAP) and 46 DAP, which represent the period prior to and after sugar accumulation, respectively, were selected for metabolomic and transcriptomic profiling. Differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were mainly enriched in the pentose phosphate pathway, galactose metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, starch and sucrose metabolism, and fructose and mannose metabolism. By orthogonal projection to latent structures-discriminant s-plot (OPLS-DA S-plot) and MetaboAnalyst analyses, D-galactose and ß-D-glucose were identified as the major components of sugar accumulation in wucai. Combined with the transcriptome, the pathway of sugar accumulation and the interact network between 26 DEGs and the two sugars were mapped. CWINV4, CEL1, BGLU16, and BraA03g023380.3C had positive correlations with the accumulation of sugar accumulation in wucai. The lower expression of BraA06g003260.3C, BraA08g002960.3C, BraA05g019040.3C, and BraA05g027230.3C promoted sugar accumulation during the ripening of wucai. These findings provide insights into the mechanisms underlying sugar accumulation during commodity maturity, providing a basis for the breeding of sugar-rich wucai cultivars.

Identification of the BcLEA Gene Family and Functional Analysis of the BcLEA73 Gene in Wucai (Brassica campestris L.).

Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins are important developmental proteins in the response of plants to abiotic stress. In our previous study, BcLEA73 was differentially expressed under low-temperature stress. Herein, we combined bioinformatics analysis, subcellular localization, expression assays, and stress experiments (including salt, drought, and osmotic stress) to identify and analyze the BcLEA gene family. Gene cloning and functional analysis of BcLEA73 were performed in tobacco and Arabidopsis. Based on the sequence homology and the available conservative motif, 82 BrLEA gene family members were identified and were divided into eight subfamilies in the genome-wide database of Chinese cabbage. The analysis showed that the BrLEA73 gene was located on chromosome A09 and belonged to the LEA_6 subfamily. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis indicated that the BcLEA genes were differentially expressed to varying degrees in the roots, stems, leaves, and petioles of Wucai. The overexpressed BcLEA73 transgenic plants exhibited no significant differences in root length and seed germination rates compared to the wild-type (WT) plants under control conditions. Under salt and osmotic stress treatment, the root length and seed germination rates of the BcLEA73-OE strain were significantly greater than those of WT plants. Under salt stress, the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) of the BcLEA73-OE lines increased significantly, and the relative conductivity, (REL), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content, and superoxide anion (O2-) production rate decreased significantly. Under drought treatment, the survival rate of the BcLEA73-OE lines was significantly higher than that of WT plants. These results showed that the BcLEA73 gene of Wucai functions in enhancing the tolerance of plants to salt, drought, and osmotic stress. This study provides a theoretical basis to explore the relevant functions of the BcLEA gene family members of Wucai.

Root Exudates of Ginger Induced by Ralstonia solanacearum Infection Could Inhibit Bacterial Wilt.

Bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum (Rs) is one of the most important diseases found in ginger; however, the disease resistance mechanisms dependent on root bacteria and exudates are unclear. In the present study, we analyzed the changes in the composition of rhizobacteria, endobacteria, and root exudates during the pathogenesis of bacterial wilt using high-throughput sequencing and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Rs caused bacterial wilt in ginger with an incidence of 50.00% and changed the bacterial community composition in both endosphere and rhizosphere. It significantly reduced bacterial α-diversity but increased the abundance of beneficial and stress-tolerant bacteria, such as Lysobacter, Ramlibacter, Pseudomonas, and Azospirillum. Moreover, the change in rhizobacterial composition induced the changes in endobacterial and root exudate compositions. Moreover, the upregulated exudates inhibited ginger bacterial wilt, with the initial disease index (77.50%) being reduced to 40.00%, suggesting that ginger secretes antibacterial compounds for defense against bacterial pathogens.

Nomogram for the Estimation of Intestinal Necrosis Risk in Incarcerated Inguinal Hernia in Infants under 6 Months.

OBJECTIVE: This article develops a nomogram to estimate intestinal necrosis risk in the incarcerated inguinal hernia (IIH) in infants under 6 months. METHODS: A total of 273 infants who underwent an emergency operation due to IIH were investigated retrospectively. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the relationship between variables and intestinal necrosis and construct a nomogram of intestinal necrosis. The discrimination and concordance of the model were verified by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and calibration curve, and the bootstrap method was used for internal validation of the model. The clinical applicability of the model was evaluated using the decision curve and the clinical impact curve. RESULTS: Intestinal necrosis was found in 37 of 273 infants (13.6%) in this study. The vomiting symptoms, platelet count, C-reactive protein, and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio were independent risk factors for intestinal necrosis in IIH. We then constructed a nomogram with these four factors. ROC analysis showed that the nomogram had a good diagnostic performance, with the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity of 0.918 (95% confidence interval: 0.880-0.956), 97.3%, and 69.9%, respectively. The nomogram was further validated using 2,000-repetition internal bootstrap validation, and the values of AUC, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.899, 95.7%, and 50.5%, respectively. The decision curve and the clinical impact curve indicated that the predictive model has a favorable clinical application. CONCLUSION: The nomogram can be used to predict intestinal necrosis in IIH, and allow us to estimate the severity of IIH more accurately and arrange the treatment process more reasonably.

Mapping and Validation of BrGOLDEN: A Dominant Gene Regulating Carotenoid Accumulation in Brassica rapa.

In plants, the accumulation of carotenoids can maintain the balance of the photosystem and improve crop nutritional quality. Therefore, the molecular mechanisms underlying carotenoid synthesis and accumulation should be further explored. In this study, carotenoid accumulation differed significantly among parental Brassica rapa. Genetic analysis was carried out using the golden inner leaf '1900264' line and the light-yellow inner leaf '1900262' line, showing that the golden inner leaf phenotype was controlled by a single dominant gene. Using bulked-segregant analysis sequencing, BraA09g007080.3C encoding the ORANGE protein was selected as a candidate gene. Sequence alignment revealed that a 4.67 kb long terminal repeat insertion in the third exon of the BrGOLDEN resulted in three alternatively spliced transcripts. The spatiotemporal expression results indicated that BrGOLDEN might regulate the expression levels of carotenoid-synthesis-related genes. After transforming BrGOLDEN into Arabidopsis thaliana, the seed-derived callus showed that BrGOLDENIns and BrGOLDENDel lines presented a yellow color and the BrGOLDENLdel line presented a transparent phenotype. In addition, using the yeast two-hybrid assay, BrGOLDENIns, BrGOLDENLdel, and Brgoldenwt exhibited strong interactions with BrPSY1, but BrGOLDENDel did not interact with BrPSY1 in the split-ubiquitin membrane system. In the secondary and 3D structure analysis, BrGOLDENDel was shown to have lost the PNFPSFIPFLPPL sequences at the 125 amino acid position, which resulted in the α-helices of BrGOLDENDel being disrupted, restricting the formation of the 3D structure and affecting the functions of the protein. These findings may provide new insights into the regulation of carotenoid synthesis in B. rapa.

Genome-wide analysis of the DREB family genes and functional identification of the involvement of BrDREB2B in abiotic stress in wucai (Brassica campestris L.).

Dehydration responsive element binding protein (DREB) is a significant transcription factor class known to be implicated in abiotic stresses. In this study, we systematically conducted a genome-wide identification and expression analysis of the DREB gene family, including gene structures, evolutionary relationships, chromosome distribution, conserved domains, and expression patterns. A total of 65 DREB family gene members were identified in Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L.) and were classified into five subgroups based on phylogenetic analysis. Through analysis of the conserved domains of BrDREB family genes, only one exon existed in the gene structure. Through the analysis of cis-acting elements, these genes were mainly involved in hormone regulation and adversity stress. In order to identify the function of BrDREB2B, overexpressed transgenic Arabidopsis was constructed. After different stress treatments, the germination rate, root growth, survival rate, and various plant physiological indicators were measured. The results showed that transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants overexpressing BrDREB2B exhibited enhanced tolerance to salt, heat and drought stresses. Taken together, our results are the first to report the BrDREB2B gene response to drought and heat stresses in Chinese cabbage and provide a basis for further studies to determine the function of BrDREBs in response to abiotic stresses.

Phosphorylation Regulation of a Histone-like HU Protein from Deinococcus radiodurans.

BACKGROUND: Histone-like proteins are small molecular weight DNA-binding proteins that are widely distributed in prokaryotes. These proteins have multiple functions in cellular structures and processes, including the morphological stability of the nucleoid, DNA compactness, DNA replication, and DNA repair. Deinococcus radiodurans, an extremophilic microorganism, has extraordinary DNA repair capability and encodes an essential histone-like protein, DrHU. OBJECTIVE: We aim to investigate the phosphorylation regulation role of a histone-like HU protein from Deinococcus radiodurans. METHODS: LC-MS/MS analysis was used to determine the phosphorylation site of endogenous DrHU. The predicted structure of DrHU-DNA was obtained from homology modeling (Swissmodel) using Staphylococcus aureus HU-DNA structure (PDB ID: 4QJU) as the starting model. Two types of mutant proteins T37E and T37A were generated to explore their DNA binding affinity. Complemented-knockout strategy was used to generate the ΔDrHU/pk-T37A and ΔDrHU/pk-T37E strains for growth curves and phenotypical analyses. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The phosphorylation site Thr37, which is present in most bacterial HU proteins, is located at the putative protein-DNA interaction interface of DrHU. Compared to the wild-type protein, one in which this threonine is replaced by glutamate to mimic a permanent state of phosphorylation (T37E) showed enhanced double-stranded DNA binding but a weakened protective effect against hydroxyl radical cleavage. Complementation of T37E in a DrHU-knockout strain caused growth defects and sensitized the cells to UV radiation and oxidative stress. CONCLUSIONS: Phosphorylation modulates the DNA-binding capabilities of the histone-like HU protein from D. radiodurans, which contributes to the environmental adaptation of this organism.

Evaluation of Patients with Vaccine Allergies Prior to mRNA-Based COVID-19 Vaccination.

During the initial rollout of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in Singapore, the Ministry of Health (MOH) issued a recommendation that patients with a history of any previous vaccine allergy be referred to an allergist for further review of their suitability to proceed with mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines. Patients fulfilling the above criterion were divided into three groups: immediate reaction (Group A), delayed reaction (Group B) and no/irrelevant reaction (Group C). They were subjected to either a skin prick test (SPT) and intradermal test (IDT) with polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polysorbate-containing products; direct injection with the Pfizer BNT162b2 vaccine in the allergy clinic; or injection at community vaccination centres, respectively. Groups A and B were also invited to complete a questionnaire survey on post-vaccination reactions, and blood sampling pre-vaccination and 1 h after the first dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine to measure immunoglobulin (Ig) G, IgM and IgE antibodies to the Pfizer BNT162b2 vaccine via ELISA assays immobilised with the BNT162b2 vaccine, as well as levels of allergic cytokines interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-33, complement C5a and the endothelial activation marker intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). Groups A and B comprised 62 (20.5%) patients each. In Group A, two subjects (3.2%) with equivocal IDT results tolerated both doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine without major allergic reactions. The remaining 60 (96.8%) in Group A and 62 (100%) in Group B completed both doses of BNT162b2 vaccination without major adverse reactions. Among the 99 who completed the questionnaire survey, 13 (13%) patients reported mild allergic reactions after the first dose of the vaccine. Immunoglobulin (Ig) G and M antibodies, but not IgE antibodies to the Pfizer BNT162b2 vaccine were detected in 67 subjects prior to vaccination. The presence of anti-Pfizer BNT162b2 IgG and IgM prior to vaccination did not result in major allergic reactions nor increases in Th2-related cytokines (IL-4, IL-33), complement activation products (C5a) or endothelial activation (ICAM-1). The majority of those with suspected reactions to non-COVID-19 polysorbate-containing vaccines tolerated the BNT162b2 vaccine. Excipient skin tests for PEG and polysorbate prior to vaccination are unnecessary.

Heat stress response in Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L.) revealed by transcriptome and physiological analysis.

High temperatures have a serious impact on the quality and yield of cold-loving Chinese cabbage, which has evolved to have a unique set of stress mechanisms. To explore the relationship between these mechanisms and the heat-tolerance of Chinese cabbage, the physiological indicators of the heat-tolerant '268' line and heat-sensitive '334' line were measured. Under heat stress, the proline (Pro), soluble sugar (SS), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) indexes of the '268' line increased significantly. When additionally using transcriptome analysis, we found that the identified 3,360 DEGs were abundantly enriched in many metabolic pathways including 'plant hormone signal transduction', 'carbon metabolism', and 'glycolysis/gluconeogenesis'. Dynamic gene expression patterns showed that HKL1 in Cluster 15 may be a key factor in the regulation of sugar homeostasis. The interaction network screened four ABA-related genes in Cluster 15, suggesting that high temperatures lead to changes in hormonal signaling, especially an increase in ABA signaling. Compared with the '334' line, the expressions of Prx50, Prx52, Prx54, SOD1, and SOD2 in the '268' line were significantly upregulated, and these genes were actively involved in the reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging process. In summary, our results revealed the relationship between plant heat tolerance, physiology, and biochemistry and may also provide ideas for the future development of high-quality and heat-tolerant Chinese cabbage germplasm resources.

Transcriptome analysis and differential gene expression profiling of wucai (Brassica campestris L.) in response to cold stress.

BACKGROUND: Wucai suffers from low temperature during the growth period, resulting in a decline in yield and poor quality. But the molecular mechanisms of cold tolerance in wucai are still unclear. RESULTS: According to the phenotypes and physiological indexes, we screened out the cold-tolerant genotype "W18" (named CT) and cold-sensitive genotype "Sw-1" (named CS) in six wucai genotypes. We performed transcriptomic analysis using seedling leaves after 24 h of cold treatment. A total of 3536 and 3887 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the low temperature (LT) and control (NT) comparative transcriptome in CT and CS, respectively, with 1690 DEGs specific to CT. The gene ontology (GO) analysis showed that the response to cadmium ion (GO:0,046,686), response to jasmonic acid (GO:0,009,753), and response to wounding (GO:0,009,611) were enriched in CT (LT vs NT). The DEGs were enriched in starch and sucrose metabolism and glutathione metabolism in both groups, and α-linolenic acid metabolism was enriched only in CT (LT vs NT). DEGs in these processes, including glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), 13S lipoxygenase (LOX), and jasmonate ZIM-domain (JAZ), as well as transcription factors (TFs), such as the ethylene-responsive transcription factor 53 (ERF53), basic helix-loop-helix 92 (bHLH92), WRKY53, and WRKY54.We hypothesize that these genes play important roles in the response to cold stress in this species. CONCLUSIONS: Our data for wucai is consistent with previous studies that suggest starch and sucrose metabolism increased the content of osmotic substances, and the glutathione metabolism pathway enhance the active oxygen scavenging. These two pathways may participated in response to cold stress. In addition, the activation of α-linolenic acid metabolism may promote the synthesis of methyl jasmonate (MeJA), which might also play a role in the cold tolerance of wucai.

TMT-based comparative proteomic analysis of the male-sterile mutant ms01 sheds light on sporopollenin production and pollen development in wucai (Brassica campestris L.).

A spontaneous male-sterile mutant ms01 was discovered from the excellent high-generation inbred line 'hx12-6-3' in wucai. Compared with wild-type 'hx12-6-3', ms01 displayed complete male sterility with degenerated stamens and no pollen. In this study, cytological observation revealed that the tapetum of the anthers of ms01 had degraded in advance, and microspore development had stagnated in the mononuclear stage, ultimately resulting in completely aborted pollen. Genetic analysis indicated that the sterility of ms01 was controlled by a single recessive nuclear gene. In the differential proteomic analysis of 'hx12-6-3' and ms01 flower buds using a tandem mass tags-based approach, a comparison of two stages (stage a and stage e) revealed 1272 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs). The abnormal variation of the anther cuticle, pollen coat, and sporopollenin production were effected by lipid metabolism and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis in the mutant ms01. Further analysis elucidated that pollen development was associated with amino acid metabolism, protein synthesis and degradation, carbohydrate metabolism, flavonoid biosynthesis and glutathione metabolism. These results provide novel insights into the molecular mechanism of GMS (genic male sterility) in wucai. SIGNIFICANCE: ms01, as the first indentified spontaneous male-sterile mutant in wucai, plays a significant role in the initial study of GMS (genic male sterility). In our study, the key DAPs related to anther and pollen development were obtained by TMT-based comparative proteomic analysis. We found that the abnormal accumulation of H2O2 might induce premature degradation of the tapetum, causing anther metabolism disorder and pollen abortion. This process involved multiple DAPs and formed a complex regulatory network that generated a series of physiological metabolic alterations, ultimately leading to male sterility. Our results provide a theoretical foundation for further research on the complex anther and pollen development process.

The use of the ratio of C-reactive protein to albumin for the diagnosis of complicated appendicitis in children.

PURPOSE: No reliably specific marker for complicated appendicitis has been identified. The ratio of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) to albumin (ALB) (CRP/ALB ratio) is a new inflammation-based prognostic score that is associated with the severity of inflammation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of CRP/ALB ratio for the diagnosis of complicated appendicitis in children. METHODS: A retrospective study of 296 children with acute appendicitis was conducted with assessments of demographic data, clinical symptoms, pre-operative laboratory results, abdominal ultrasound examinations and clinical outcomes. According to the postoperative pathological results, patients were divided into a simple appendicitis group (169 patients) and a complicated appendicitis group (127 patients). SPSS version 22.0 was used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Of the 296 patients, CRP/ALB ratio was higher in complicated appendicitis than in simple appendicitis (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that higher levels of white blood cell count (WBC), CRP, CRP/ALB ratio, and increased incidence in submucosal layer loss and appendicolith were independent risk factors for complicated appendicitis in children. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the area under the curve of the CRP/ALB ratio (0.883) was larger than that of WBC (0.702), CRP (0.802), ALB (0.835), submucosal layer loss (0.633) and appendicolith (0.673). A CRP/ALB ratio ≥ 1.39 was found to be a significant marker in the prediction of complicated appendicitis, with 86.61% sensitivity and 84.62% specificity. Patients with a CRP/ALB ratio ≥ 1.39 had a 31.263 times higher chance of having complicated appendicitis (95% CI: 16.449-59.418) than those with a CRP/ALB ratio < 1.39. CONCLUSION: The admission CRP/ALB ratio was significantly higher in children with complicated appendicitis. The CRP/ALB ratio is a novel but promising haematological marker that aids in the differentiation of acute complicated and simple appendicitis.

Morphological characteristics and transcriptome analysis at different anther development stages of the male sterile mutant MS7-2 in Wucai (Brassica campestris L.).

BACKGROUND: The discovery of male sterile materials is of great significance for the development of plant fertility research. Wucai (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis var. rosularis Tsen) is a variety of non-heading Chinese cabbage. There are few studies on the male sterility of wucai, and the mechanism of male sterility is not clear. In this study, the male sterile mutant MS7-2 and the wild-type fertile plant MF7-2 were studied. RESULTS: Phenotypic characteristics and cytological analysis showed that MS7-2 abortion occurred at the tetrad period. The content of related sugars in the flower buds of MS7-2 was significantly lower than that of MF7-2, and a large amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was accumulated. Through transcriptome sequencing of MS7-2 and MF7-2 flower buds at three different developmental stages (a-c), 2865, 3847, and 4981 differentially expressed genes were identified in MS7-2 at the flower bud development stage, stage c, and stage e, respectively, compared with MF7-2. Many of these genes were enriched in carbohydrate metabolism, phenylpropanoid metabolism, and oxidative phosphorylation, and most of them were down-regulated in MS7-2. The down-regulation of genes involved in carbohydrate and secondary metabolite synthesis as well as the accumulation of ROS in MS7-2 led to pollen abortion in MS7-2. CONCLUSIONS: This study helps elucidate the mechanism of anther abortion in wucai, providing a basis for further research on the molecular regulatory mechanisms of male sterility and the screening and cloning of key genes in wucai.