Transcription factor TaNF-YB2 interacts with partners TaNF-YA7/YC7 and transcriptionally activates distinct stress-defensive genes to modulate drought tolerance in T. Aestivum.

BACKGROUND: Drought stress limits significantly the crop productivity. However, plants have evolved various strategies to cope with the drought conditions by adopting complex molecular, biochemical, and physiological mechanisms. Members of the nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) transcription factor (TF) family constitute one of the largest TF classes and are involved in plant responses to abiotic stresses. RESULTS: TaNF-YB2, a NY-YB subfamily gene in T. aestivum, was characterized in this study focusing on its role in mediating plant adaptation to drought stress. Yeast two-hybrid (Y-2 H), biomolecular fluoresence complementation (BiFC), and Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assays indicated that TaNF-YB2 interacts with the NF-YA member TaNF-YA7 and NF-YC family member TaNF-YC7, which constitutes a heterotrimer TaNF-YB2/TaNF-YA7/TaNF-YC7. The TaNF-YB2 transcripts are induced in roots and aerial tissues upon drought signaling; GUS histochemical staining analysis demonstrated the roles of cis-regulatory elements ABRE and MYB situated in TaNF-YB2 promoter to contribute to target gene response to drought. Transgene analysis on TaNF-YB2 confirmed its functions in regulating drought adaptation via modulating stomata movement, osmolyte biosynthesis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis. TaNF-YB2 possessed the abilities in transcriptionally activating TaP5CS2, the P5CS family gene involving proline biosynthesis and TaSOD1, TaCAT5, and TaPOD5, the genes encoding antioxidant enzymes. Positive correlations were found between yield and the TaNF-YB2 transcripts in a core panel constituting 45 wheat cultivars under drought condition, in which two types of major haplotypes including TaNF-YB2-Hap1 and -Hap2 were included, with the former conferring more TaNF-YB2 transcripts and stronger plant drought tolerance. CONCLUSIONS: TaNF-YB2 is transcriptional response to drought stress. It is an essential regulator in mediating plant drought adaptation by modulating the physiological processes associated with stomatal movement, osmolyte biosynthesis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis, depending on its role in transcriptionally regulating stress response genes. Our research deepens the understanding of plant drought stress underlying NF-Y TF family and provides gene resource in efforts for molecular breeding the drought-tolerant cultivars in T. aestivum.

Construction of an enteral nutrition evaluation system for critically ill patients based on the Delphi method.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to construct an enteral nutrition evaluation system for critically ill patients using the Delphi method to direct the formulation of enteral nutrition support strategies and reduce interruption to enteral feeding. METHODS: We used domestic and foreign databases to obtain and analyze the literature and form "The Whole-Proceeding Enteral Nutrition Evaluation System for Critically Ill Patients." The Delphi method was used to conduct two rounds of expert opinion consultation, combined with the suggestions from the research group to finalize the nutrition evaluation content of the system. RESULTS: After two rounds of expert consultation, a nutrition evaluation system was formed around three dimensions: before the start, during, and after the end of nutritional support. The effective recovery rates of the two rounds of expert consultation were 90.0% (18/20) and 100.0% (18/18), respectively. Authority coefficients were 0.865 and 0.908, while Kendall coordination coefficients were 0.108 ( P < 0.05) and 0.115 ( P < 0.001), respectively. Finally, the full enteral nutrition evaluation system for critically ill patients was constructed based on the Delphi method, including three primary items and seven secondary and 28 tertiary indicators. CONCLUSION: The established "Whole-Proceeding Enteral Nutrition Evaluation System for Critically Ill Patients" has high consistency from expert opinions and reliability, which can provide a practical evaluation tool for the process of enteral nutrition for severe patients.

[18 F] -FAPI-42 PET/CT assessment of Progressive right ventricle fibrosis under pressure overload.

BACKGROUND: Right heart failure (RHF) is a complication of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and increases the mortality independently of the underlying disease. However, the process of RHF development and progression is not fully understood. We aimed to develop effective approaches for early diagnosis and precise evaluation of RHF. METHODS: Right ventricle (RV) pressure overload was performed via pulmonary artery banding (PAB) surgery in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats to induce RHF. Echocardiography, right heart catheterization, histological staining, fibroblast activation protein (FAP) immunofluorescence and 18 F-labelled FAP inhibitor-42 ([18 F] -FAPI-42) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) were performed at day 3, week 1, 2, 4 and 8 after PAB. RNA sequencing was performed to explore molecular alterations between PAB and sham group at week 2 and week 4 after PAB respectively. RESULTS: RV hemodynamic disorders were aggravated, and RV function was declined based on right heart catheterization and echocardiography at week 2, 4 and 8 after PAB. Progressive cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis and capillary rarefaction could be observed in RV from 2 to 8 weeks after PAB. RNA sequencing indicated 80 upregulated genes and 43 downregulated genes in the RV at both week 2 and week 4 after PAB; Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed that fibrosis as the most significant biological process in the RV under pressure overload. Immunofluorescence indicated that FAP was upregulated in the RV from week 2 to week 8 after PAB; and [18 F] -FAPI-42 PET/CT revealed FAPI uptake was significantly higher in RV at week 2 and further increased at week 4 and 8 after PAB. CONCLUSION: RV function is progressively declined with fibrosis as the most prominent molecular change after pressure overload, and [18 F] -FAPI-42 PET/CT is as sensitive and accurate as histopathology in RV fibrosis evaluation.

PABPC1 promotes cell proliferation and metastasis in pancreatic adenocarcinoma by regulating COL12A1 expression.

BACKGROUND: The expression of cytoplasmic poly (A) binding protein-1 (PABPC1) has been reported in multiple cancer types. This protein is known to modulate cancer progression. However, the effects of PABPC1 expression in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) have not been investigated. Here, we investigate the regulatory targets and molecular mechanisms of PABPC1 in PAAD. METHODS: PABPC1 and collagen type XII α1 chain (COL12A1) expression in PAAD and their role in tumor prognosis and tumor stage were investigated using The Cancer Genome Atlas database analysis. After silencing PABPC1, messenger RNA sequencing and Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed. The expression of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), cell viability, apoptosis, and cell migration and invasion were explored using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, flow cytometry assay, and transwell assay, respectively. The relationship between PABPC1 and COL12A1 expression was assessed by Pearson's correlation analysis. The regulatory function of COL12A1 in PABPC1-affected BXPC3 cell behavior was studied after COL12A1 was overexpressed. RESULTS: PABPC1 and COL12A1 expression was upregulated in patients with PAAD and was linked to poor prognosis. Four hundred and seventy-four DEGs were observed in BXPC3 cells after PABPC1 silencing. GO and KEGG analyses revealed that the top 10 DEGs were enriched in cell adhesion pathways. Additionally, PABPC1 silencing inhibited cell viability, migration, and invasion and accelerated apoptosis in BXPC3 cells. PABPC1 silencing increased AZGP1 and ARHGAP30 expression and decreased CAV1 and COL12A1 expression in BXPC3 cells. PABPC1 positively mediated COL12A1 expression, whereas PABPC1 knockdown induced the inhibition of BXPC3 cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that PABPC1 may function as a tumor promoter in PAAD, accelerating BXPC3 cell proliferation and metastasis by regulating COL12A1 expression.

Distribution analysis of positive and negative pathogenic bacteria in patients with acute pancreatitis and the clinical characteristics and model prediction analysis of positive infection bacteria.

Background: There were bacteria in the early pancreatic juice culture of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) patients, but during the clinical time, some patients showed more positive bacteria and some patients showed more negative bacteria. Many scholars have different test results, and further clinical research needs to be carried out to clarify this fact. To determine evidence of infection in the early stage of acute pancreatitis (AP) by pancreatic juice bacterial culture and provide a reference for the anti-infective therapy of AP. Methods: Patients with AP who underwent pancreatic juice bacterial culture in the Department of hepatobiliary surgery of the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from January 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020were reviewed. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was used to collect pancreatic juice, which was sent to the laboratory for culturing. The clinical data and bacterial culture results of the patients were then recorded and analyzed. According to the results of the pancreatic juice culture, the patients were divided into a positive bacterial culture group (n=64) and a negative bacterial culture group (n=92). It was compared the data results of two groups [age, gender, etiology, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II score, cultured bacteria, complications, local complications, Balthazar computed tomography (CT) score, inflammatory factors, the use of antibiotics, drug sensitivity analysis results, and the patient's co-infection] and performed multivariate analysis to identify the clinically valuable indicators. Moreover, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to predict the model of positive pancreatic juice culture in AP. Results: The patients in the positive bacterial culture group and the negative bacterial culture group had statistically significant differences in gender, age, body mass index (BMI), amylase, white blood cell count and the two groups of patients were comparable. A total of 156 patients were included in the study and pathogenic bacteria were cultured in the pancreatic juice of 64 patients (41.03%) and 94 strains of bacteria were found (Gram-positive bacteria, 38.30%; Gram-negative bacteria, 58.51%; fungi, 3.19%). A history of ERCP and early pancreatic necrosis were independent influencing factors of positive pancreatic juice culture. The incidence of complications, APACHE II, and inflammatory factor levels of patients with positive pancreatic juice bacterial culture were significantly higher than those of negative pancreatic juice bacterial culture (P<0.05). Multivariate regression and the ROC curve of pancreatic infection showed that positive pancreatic and Balthazar CT score >7 on admission were independent risk factors of pancreatic. The area under the ROC curve of patients with later pancreatic infection was 0.863 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.769-0.957], specificity was 65.30%, sensitivity was 90.50%, and the Youden index was 0.603. Conclusions: Bacterial culturing of pancreatic juice provides evidence of infection in the early stage of AP, which has certain significance for the anti-infective therapy of AP.

Summary of the evidence of best practices for the prevention and treatment of embolism syndrome after TACE in primary liver cancer.

Objective: This study aims to retrieve, evaluate, and summarize domestic and foreign evidence on the prevention and treatment of embolism syndrome following transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for primary liver cancer and to provide an evidence-based foundation for clinical practice. Methods: Utilizing the "6S" model, we conducted a systematic search of UpToDate, BMJ Best Practice, domestic and foreign guidelines, and related databases on the prevention and treatment of embolism syndrome following TACE for primary liver cancer. This search included clinical decision-making, guidelines, systematic reviews, evidence summaries, randomized controlled trials, and expert consensus. The search time frame extended from January 1, 2013 to May 1, 2023. Evidence was synthesized after an independent review of the included studies by two investigators. Results: A total of 11 articles were included in the analysis, comprising one clinical decision-making article, three clinical guidelines, six expert consensus articles, and one randomized controlled trial. We summarized 31 pieces of evidence across three categories: preoperative preparation, intraoperative interventions, and postoperative symptom management. Conclusion: This study presents a comprehensive summary of the best available evidence on the prevention and treatment of embolism syndrome following TACE for primary liver cancer. These findings can serve as a valuable reference for clinical practitioners, enabling nurses to deliver individualized care based on the symptoms and specific needs of liver cancer patients. Systematic review registration: http://ebn.nursing.fudan.edu.cn, identifier ES20232398.