Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis for the Identification of Key lncRNAs, mRNAs, and Potential Drugs in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinomas.

Purpose: The overall survival of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is poor. Markers for early detection and progression could improve disease outcomes. This study aims to reveal the potential pathogenesis of ccRCC by integrative bioinformatics analysis and to further develop new therapeutic strategies. Patients and Methods: RNA-seq data of 530 ccRCC cases in TCGA were downloaded, and a comprehensive analysis was carried out using bioinformatics tools. Another 14 tissue samples were included to verify the expression of selected lncRNAs by qRT-PCR. DGIdb database was used to screen out potential drugs, and molecular docking was used to explore the interaction and mechanism between candidate drugs and targets. Results: A total of 58 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) and 660 differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs) were identified in ccRCC. LINC02038, FAM242C, LINC01762, and PVT1 were identified as the optimal diagnostic lncRNAs, of which PVT1 was significantly correlated with the survival rate of ccRCC. GO analysis of cell components showed that DEmRNAs co-expressed with 4 DElncRNAs were mainly distributed in the extracellular area and the plasma membrane, involved in the transport of metal ions, the transport of proteins across membranes, and the binding of immunoglobulins. Immune infiltration analysis showed that MDSC was the most correlated immune cells with PVT1 and key mRNA SIGLEC8. Validation analysis showed that GABRD, SIGLEC8 and CDKN2A were significantly overexpressed, while ESRRB, ELF5 and UMOD were significantly down-regulated, which was consistent with the expression in our analysis. Furthermore, 84 potential drugs were screened by 6 key mRNAs, of which ABEMACICLIB and RIBOCICLIB were selected for molecular docking with CDKN2A, with stable binding affinity. Conclusion: In summary, 4 key lncRNAs and key mRNAs of ccRCC were identified by integrative bioinformatics analysis. Potential drugs were screened for the treatment of ccRCC, providing a new perspective for disease diagnosis and treatment.

Family Networks, Social Networks, and Life Satisfaction of Older Adults in China.

Older adults' family networks and social networks are important factors that influence life satisfaction, but their transmission mechanisms have not been adequately discussed. The objective of this study was to examine the mechanisms through which family networks and social networks influence the life satisfaction of older adults. We empirically examined the effects and mechanisms of older adults' family networks and social networks on their life satisfaction using the 2018 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey with a sample size of 11,418 older adults aged 60 years and older. In the research sample, 6.47% of older adults were subjected to at least one form of mistreatment. The research results indicate that family networks (ß = 0.0060, p < 0.05) and social networks (ß = 0.0122, p < 0.01) have a significant positive effect on older adults' life satisfaction. The mechanism-of-action test found that family networks and social networks enhance older adults' life satisfaction, mainly by reducing the level of physical mistreatment they experience, but these networks cannot improve the life satisfaction of the elderly by reducing their emotional mistreatment. Further research found that community-provided medical escorts, home chores, and meal delivery services can all alleviate the decline in life satisfaction among older adults due to emotional mistreatment. This study deepens our understanding of how older adults' family and social networks affect their life satisfaction as we examine the mediating role of the physical and emotional mistreatment of older adults and discuss the effects of potential policy interventions.

Do China's Urban-Environmental Quality and Economic Growth Conform to the Environmental Kuznets Curve?

The environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) expresses the relationship between environmental quality and economic growth. Based on the defects of previous studies on EKC using only environmental pollution indicators, this study holds that environmental quality is the result of pollutants after treatment, absorption, and self-purification, including two dimensions of pollution and absorption. Therefore, the environmental pollution and absorption data of 74 key environmental monitoring cities in China from 2005 to 2017 were selected, and a comprehensive index of environmental quality was constructed using the vertical and horizontal grading method. Then, based on the relevant economic growth indicators of these cities, they were divided into first-tier and new first-tier, second-tier, third-tier, and below. It was found that the EKC of the total sample, the first-tier and new first-tier cities, and the second-tier cities presented an inverted N-shape and had passed the second inflection point, where environmental quality continues to improve with the deepening of economic growth. There was no EKC in the third-tier and below cities. The findings have important implications. China can cross the second inflection point of the EKC and improve environmental quality at a low income level. Therefore, by vigorously developing cleaner production technologies and raising residents' awareness of environmental protection, it is possible to improve environmental quality at a lower income level than expected, which provides a useful reference for other developing countries.

Drought-induced changes in root biomass largely result from altered root morphological traits: Evidence from a synthesis of global field trials.

Extreme drought is likely to become more frequent and intense as a result of global climate change, which may significantly impact plant root traits and responses (i.e., morphology, production, turnover, and biomass). However, a comprehensive understanding of how drought affects root traits and responses remains elusive. Here, we synthesized data from 128 published studies under field conditions to examine the responses of 17 variables associated with root traits to drought. Our results showed that drought significantly decreased root length and root length density by 38.29% and 11.12%, respectively, but increased root diameter by 3.49%. However, drought significantly increased root:shoot mass ratio and root cortical aerenchyma by 13.54% and 90.7%, respectively. Our results suggest that drought significantly modified root morphological traits and increased root mortality, and the drought-induced decrease in root biomass was less than shoot biomass, causing higher root:shoot mass ratio. The cascading effects of drought on root traits and responses may need to be incorporated into terrestrial biosphere models to improve prediction of the climate-biosphere feedback.

Association of VDR polymorphisms ( Taq I and Bsm I) with prostate cancer: a new meta-analysis.

Objective Prostate cancer is a malignant tumour that poses a serious risk to human health. Epidemiological studies suggest that it may be associated with vitamin D receptor gene ( VDR) polymorphisms. Previous work investigated potential risks between Taq I (rs731236) and Bsm I (rs1544410) VDR polymorphisms with prostate cancer in humans; however, results are inconsistent. Methods We conducted a meta-analysis to retrieve genetic association analyses of rs731236 and rs1544410 polymorphisms with prostate cancer from studies published between 2006-2016. Pooled odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were used to assess genetic associations, and heterogeneity was assessed by Q and I2statistics. Results Our findings suggest a significant association between rs731236 and prostate cancer risk in Asians and African Americans, but rs1544410 was not associated with prostate cancer under three genetic models. Conclusion Future studies including larger sample sizes and the analysis of gene functions are needed to help develop prostate cancer treatment.