The use of cardiac magnetic resonance in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy over the past 10 years [2013-2023]: a CiteSpace-based bibliometric analysis.

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common genetic cardiac disorder characterized by the hypertrophy of a segment of the myocardium. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has been widely used in the assessment of HCM. However, no bibliometric assessment has been conducted on the progress of research in this field. This study thus aimed to examine the current state of research into the application of CMR in HCM and the hotspots and trends that have emerged in this field over the past decade. Methods: A systematic search was conducted on the Web of Science regarding CMR in the assessment of HCM. The databases were searched from 2013 to June 2023. CiteSpace is an application that can be used to characterize the underlying knowledge of the scientific literature in a given field. We used it to analyze the relationship between publication year and country, institution, journal, author, bibliography, and keywords in the field of CMR for the assessment of HCM. Results: A total of 1,427 articles were included in the analysis. In the assessment of HCM, the findings from the past decade have consistently demonstrated a progressive rise in the quantity of articles pertaining to CMR. The country with the largest number of publications was the United States [310], and the institution with the greatest number of publications was the University College London [45]. The analysis of keywords revealed the diagnosis and management of HCM with CMR to be the current research focus and emerging trend within this academic field. Conclusions: This study used a novel approach to visually analyze the use of CMR in HCM assessment. The current research trajectory in CMR consists of the diagnosis and management of patients with HCM. Although most studies confirmed the indispensability of CMR in the assessment of HCM, larger-scale cohorts are still needed to more comprehensively evaluate the role of CMR in the differential diagnosis, pre- and post-treatment assessment, and long-term management of patients with HCM.

Polyaniline-Coated Porous Vanadium Nitride Microrods for Enhanced Performance of a Lithium-Sulfur Battery.

To solve the slow kinetics of polysulfide conversion reaction in Li-S battery, many transition metal nitrides were developed for sulfur hosts. Herein, novel polyaniline-coated porous vanadium nitride (VN) microrods were synthesized via a calcination, washing and polyaniline-coating process, which served as sulfur host for Li-S battery exhibited high electrochemical performance. The porous VN microrods with high specific surface area provided enough interspace to overcome the volume change of the cathode. The outer layer of polyaniline as a conductive shell enhanced the cathode conductivity, effectively blocked the shuttle effect of polysulfides, thus improving the cycling capacity of Li-S battery. The cathode exhibited an initial capacity of 1007 mAh g-1 at 0.5 A g-1, and the reversible capacity remained at 735 mAh g-1 over 150 cycles.

Efficacy and safety of sivelestat sodium for the treatment of inflammatory response in acute Stanford type A aortic dissection: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) after surgery for acute Stanford type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) via cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) are strongly associated with mortality. Although the sivelestat sodium has been approved for the treatment of patients with acute lung injury, there is currently no enough evidence for improving inflammatory response and reducing the associated mortality. Our study aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of sivelestat sodium for the treatment of inflammatory response in acute Stanford type A aortic dissection. Methods: A total of 71 ATAAD patients who received surgical treatment at our center from January 2021 to December 2021 retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into the sivelestat sodium group and the control group. Clinical information including the postoperative oxygenation index (PaO2/FiO2), white blood cell (WBC) count, procalcitonin (PCT) level, interleukin-6 (IL-6) level, duration of ventilator use (hours), intensive care unit stay (days), and 28-day mortality rate, were collected. The statistical inference differences between the groups were compared using the non-paired Student's t-test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, chi squared test and repeated analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: There were no significant differences between the sivelestat sodium group and the control group in terms of baseline characteristics (all P>0.05). The mortality rate was decreased in the sivelestat sodium group than the control group (10% vs. 13.73%). The subgroup analysis showed that for patients with a mechanical ventilation duration >96 h, the 48-h oxygenation index (149±53 vs. 260±66, P=0.001), and the 72-h oxygenation index (165±66 vs. 288±95, P=0.002) were significantly lower in the control group than the sivelestat sodium group. And the postoperative WBC count (P=0.015) and PCT level (P=0.033) were significantly lower in the sivelestat sodium group than the control group in post-operative day 4. Conclusions: Sivelestat sodium can improves the postoperative oxygenation index and inflammatory response for ATAAD patients requiring mechanical ventilation for extended periods.

Regulatory interaction of BcWRKY33A and BcHSFA4A promotes salt tolerance in non-heading Chinese cabbage [Brassica campestris (syn. Brassica rapa) ssp. chinensis].

Salinity is a universal environmental stress that causes yield reduction in plants. WRKY33, which has been extensively studied in plant defense against necrotrophic pathogens, has recently been found to be important in salt-responsive pathways. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms controlling the involvement of WRKY33 in salt tolerance have not been fully characterized. Here, we explored the function of BcWRKY33A in non-heading Chinese cabbage (NHCC). Under salt stress, BcWRKY33A expression is significantly induced in roots. As a nuclear protein, BcWRKY33A has strong transcriptional activation activity. Overexpression of BcWRKY33A confers salt tolerance in Arabidopsis, whereas silencing of BcWRKY33A causes salt sensitivity in NHCC. Furthermore, BcHSFA4A, a protein that interacts with BcWRKY33A, could directly bind to the HSE motif within the promoters of BcZAT12 and BcHSP17.6A, which are involved in the plant response to salt stress. Finally, we found that BcWRKY33A could enhance the transcriptional activity of BcHSFA4A and affect its downstream genes (e.g. BcZAT12 and BcHSP17.6A), and co-overexpression of BcWRKY33A and BcHSFA4A could promote the expression of salt-related genes, suggesting that the regulatory interaction between BcWRKY33A and BcHSFA4A improves salt tolerance in plants. Overall, our results provide insight into the molecular framework of the BcWRKY33A-BcHSFA4A signaling pathway, which also aids in our understanding of the molecular mechanism of salt tolerance in plants.

Plasma-derived extracellular vesicles transfer microRNA-130a-3p to alleviate myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury by targeting ATG16L1.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are implicated in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury as modulators by shuttling diverse cargoes, including microRNAs (miRNAs). The current study was initiated to unravel the potential involvement of plasma-derived EVs carrying miR-130a-3p on myocardial I/R injury. Rats were induced with moderate endoplasmic reticulum stress, followed by isolation of plasma-derived EVs. Then, an I/R rat model and hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) cardiomyoblast model were established to simulate a myocardial I/R injury environment where miR-130a-3p was found to be abundantly expressed. miR-130a-3p was confirmed to target and negatively regulate autophagy-related 16-like 1 (ATG16L1) in cardiomyoblasts. Based on a co-culture system, miR-130a-3p delivered by EVs derived from plasma protected H/R-exposed cardiomyoblasts against H/R-induced excessive cardiomyoblast autophagy, inflammation, and damage, improving cardiac dysfunction as well as myocardial I/R-induced cardiac dysfunction and tissue injury. The mechanism underlying the functional role of EVs-loaded miR-130a-3p was found to be dependent on its targeting relation with ATG16L1. The protective action of EV-carried miR-130a-3p was further re-produced in a rat model serving as in vivo validation as evidenced by improved cardiac function, tissue injury, myocardial fibrosis, and myocardial infarction. Collectively, miR-130a-3p shuttled by plasma-derived EVs was demonstrated to alleviate excessive cardiomyoblast autophagy and improve myocardial I/R injury.

Evaluating the potency of blood long noncoding RNA PVT1 as candidate biomarker reflecting inflammation, multiple organ dysfunction, and mortality risk in sepsis patients.

OBJECTIVE: Long noncoding RNA plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (lnc-PVT1) promotes septic inflammation and organ injuries via multiple ways, while its clinical engagement in sepsis management is indistinct. This study aimed to investigate its relationship with inflammation, multiple organ dysfunction, and mortality risk in sepsis patients. METHODS: Sepsis patients and age-/gender-matched healthy controls were enrolled; their lnc-PVT1 expression in plasma were detected by RT-qPCR. For sepsis patients only, the inflammatory cytokine levels (tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1ß, and IL-17A) in plasma were detected by ELISA. According to the survival data during 28-day follow-up, sepsis patients were divided into sepsis survivors and sepsis deaths. RESULTS: Lnc-PVT1 expression was increased in sepsis patients (N = 157) compared with healthy controls (N = 80) (p < 0.001). In sepsis patients, lnc-PVT1 was linked with higher acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHEII) score (p = 0.001), total sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, and its most subitems (SOFA-respiratory system, SOFA-coagulation, SOFA-liver, SOFA-cardiovascular system, and SOFA-renal system scores) (all p < 0.01), but not SOFA-nervous system score (p = 0.091); it did not relate to primary infection sites either (p = 0.204). Furthermore, lnc-PVT1 correlated with increased C-reactive protein, TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-17 in sepsis patients (all p < 0.01). Additionally, lnc-PVT1 expression was higher in sepsis deaths than that in sepsis survivors (p < 0.001), following receiver-operating characteristic curve disclosed that lnc-PVT1 predicted 28-day septic mortality risk (area under the curve: 0.789, 95% confidence interval: 0.702-0.875). CONCLUSION: Circulating lnc-PVT1 exhibits the potential as a biomarker in sepsis patients to inform inflammation, multiple organ dysfunction, and mortality risk.

Deep brain stimulation for chorea-acanthocytosis: a systematic review.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a reversible treatment for chorea-acanthocytosis (ChAc). Its safety and efficacy remain elusive due to the low prevalence of ChAc. We aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of DBS for ChAc by systematically reviewing literature through PubMed and EMBASE. Inclusion criteria were reports on the efficacy or safety of DBS for ChAc and English language articles, and exclusion criteria were other movement disorders, non-human subjects, and studies without original data. Most studies were published as case reports, and we therefore pooled these cases in one cohort. Twenty studies with 34 patients were included. The mean age of symptom onset was 29.3 years (range, 17-48). The median follow-up was 12 months (range, 2-84). Twenty-nine patients underwent GPi-DBS, two received STN-DBS, and one underwent Vop-DBS. Electrodes were implanted into the ventralis oralis complex of the thalamus and the pallidal in two patients. Symptoms seemed to be easier relieved in chorea (88.5%) and dystonia (76.9%) but dysarthria of most patients (85.7%) was no response after DBS. The Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale-Motor Score was used to assess the efficacy of DBS in 25 patients; the mean score decreased from 43.2 to 22.3 and the median improvement rate was 46.7%. Of 24 patients with data on adverse events, complications occurred in 9 patients (37.5%; mostly transient and mild events). DBS is a promising treatment for ChAc with satisfactory efficacy and safety based on the review. Pallidal and thalamic DBS have been applied in ChAc; GPi-DBS seems to be more widely used.

Long-term efficacy of GPi DBS for craniofacial dystonia: a retrospective report of 13 cases.

This study evaluated the long-term efficacy of globus pallidus internus (GPi) deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the treatment of craniofacial dystonia (Meige syndrome) and investigated the correlation between the volume of tissue activated (VTA) in the GPi and each subregion and movement score improvement. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 13 patients with drug-refractory Meige syndrome who were treated with GPi DBS. The pre- and postoperative Burke-Fahn-Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale (BFMDRS) scores were compared. The relationships between the preoperative baseline variables and improvement in the BFMDRS-Movement (BFMDRS-M) score were analyzed. LEAD-DBS software was used for the three-dimensional reconstruction of the GPi and implanted electrodes. The correlations between the GPi-VTA and score improvement were analyzed. The average follow-up period was 36.6 ± 11.0 months (18-55 months). At 3 months after the stimulation and the final follow-up visit, the improvements in the BFMDRS-M score were 58.2 and 54.6%, and the improvements in the BFMDRS-Disability (BFMDRS-D) score were 53.6 and 51.7%, respectively. At the final follow-up visit, the improvements in the BFMDRS-M scores of the eye, mouth, and speech/swallowing were significant (P < 0.001). Age was an independent predictor of improvement in the BFMDRS-M score after DBS (P = 0.005). A decrease in the BFMDRS-M score was significantly positively correlated with the GPi-VTA (r = 0.757, P = 0.003). GPi DBS is an effective method for treating drug-refractory Meige syndrome. LEAD-DBS software can be used as an effective aid for visualization programming after DBS.

Effect of CeO2 on the microstructure and microhardensss of laser-cladded Ni60 on 35CrMoV alloys.

In present work, the effect of CeO2 addition on the crack susceptibility, microstructure, phase composition, solute segregation and microhardness of Ni60 cladding layer was investigated. The coatings were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and microscopic vickers hardness tester. The results show that main phase composition of Ni60 cladding layer are Ni3Fe, Ni3V, Ni3B, Cr23C6, Fe5C2. The microhardness of the cladding layers from the surface to the substrate is gradually decreased with increasing depth of the cladding layer. With increasing addition of CeO2, the diffraction peak of XRD is shifted to the left, indicating the lattice distortion in the phases of the coating. Compared with other cladding layers with different contents of CeO2, the solute distribution of Ni60 cladding layer containing 4.0 % CeO2 is more uniform, and the cross-section structure is more compact and homogeneous. The results show that the addition of 4.0 % CeO2 can effectively inhibit the cracks and porosity, promote grain refinement, and improve the microstructure homogeneity in the Ni60 cladding layer.

Evaluation of Positive End-Expiratory Pressure Strategies in Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019-Induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Background: Different positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) strategies are available for subjects with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) requiring invasive mechanical ventilation. We aimed to evaluate three conventional PEEP strategies on their effects on respiratory mechanics, gas exchanges, and hemodynamics. Methods: This is a prospective, physiologic, multicenter study conducted in China. We recruited 20 intubated subjects with ARDS and confirmed COVID-19. We first set PEEP by the ARDSnet low PEEP-fraction of inspired oxygen (FIO2) table. After a recruitment maneuver, PEEP was set at 15, 10, and 5 cm H2O for 10 min, respectively. Among these three PEEP levels, best-compliance PEEP was the one providing the highest respiratory system compliance; best-oxygenation PEEP was the one providing the highest PaO2 (partial pressure of arterial oxygen)/FIO2. Results: At each PEEP level, we assessed respiratory mechanics, arterial blood gas, and hemodynamics. Among three PEEP levels, plateau pressure, driving pressure, mechanical power, and blood pressure improved with lower PEEP. The ARDSnet low PEEP-FIO2 table and the best-oxygenation strategies provided higher PEEP than the best-compliance strategy (11 ± 6 cm H2O vs. 11 ± 3 cm H2O vs. 6 ± 2 cm H2O, p = 0.001), leading to higher plateau pressure, driving pressure, and mechanical power. The three PEEP strategies were not significantly different in gas exchange. The subgroup analysis showed that three PEEP strategies generated different effects in subjects with moderate or severe ARDS (n = 12) but not in subjects with mild ARDS (n = 8). Conclusions: In our cohort with COVID-19-induced ARDS, the ARDSnet low PEEP/FIO2 table and the best-oxygenation strategies led to higher PEEP and potentially higher risk of ventilator-induced lung injury than the best-compliance strategy. Clinical Trial Registration: www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT04359251.

LncRNA NEAT1 correlates with Th1 and Th17 and could serve as an assistant biomarker in sepsis.

Aim: Investigating correlation of lncRNA NEAT1 with Th1 and Th17 in sepsis, and their associations with inflammation, disease severity and prognosis. Materials & methods: A total of 127 sepsis patients and 50 health subjects were included. LncRNA NEAT1, Th1, Th17 and Th1/Th17-secreted cytokines were detected. Results:LncRNA NEAT1 positively correlated with Th1 and Th17 cell proportions in sepsis patients. LncRNA NEAT1 positively correlated with Th1 and Th17-secreted cytokine levels in sepsis patients. LncRNA NEAT1 and Th17 cell proportion positively correlated with CRP level, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score and sequential organ failure assessment score. High lncRNA NEAT1 expression, Th1 and Th17 cell proportions correlated with elevated accumulating mortality. Conclusion:LncRNA NEAT1 positively correlated with Th1 and Th17, and may serve as an assistant biomarker in sepsis patients.

OsWUS promotes tiller bud growth by establishing weak apical dominance in rice.

Two branching strategies are exhibited in crops: enhanced apical dominance, as in maize; or weak apical dominance, as in rice. However, the underlying mechanism of weak apical dominance remains elusive. OsWUS, an ortholog of Arabidopsis WUSCHEL (WUS) in rice, is required for tiller development. In this study, we identified and functionally characterized a low-tillering mutant decreased culm number 1 (dc1) that resulted from loss-of-function of OsWUS. The dc1 tiller buds are viable but repressed by the main culm apex, leading to stronger apical dominance than that of the wild-type (WT). Auxin response is enhanced in the dc1 mutant, and knocking out the auxin action-associated gene ABERRANT SPIKELET AND PANICLE 1 (ASP1) de-repressed growth of the tiller buds in the dc1 mutant, suggesting that OsWUS and ASP1 are both involved in outgrowth of the rice tiller bud. Decapitation triggers higher contents of cytokinins in the shoot base of the dc1 mutant compared with those in the WT, and exogenous application of cytokinin is not sufficient for sustained growth of the dc1 tiller bud. Transcriptome analysis indicated that expression levels of transcription factors putatively bound by ORYZA SATIVA HOMEOBOX 1 (OSH1) are changed in response to decapitation and display a greater fold change in the dc1 mutant than that in the WT. Collectively, these findings reveal an important role of OsWUS in tiller bud growth by influencing apical dominance, and provide the basis for an improved understanding of tiller bud development in rice.

CHR721, interacting with OsRPA1a, is essential for both male and female reproductive development in rice.

KEY MESSAGE: CHR721 functions as a chromatin remodeler and interacts with a known single-stranded binding protein, OsRPA1a, to regulate both male and female reproductive development in rice. Reproductive development and fertility are important for seed production in rice. Here, we identified a sterile rice mutant, chr721, that exhibited defects in both male and female reproductive development. Approximately 5% of the observed defects in chr721, such as asynchronous dyad division, occurred during anaphase II of meiosis. During the mitotic stage, approximately 80% of uninucleate microspores failed to develop into tricellular pollen, leading to abnormal development. In addition, defects in megaspore development were detected after functional megaspore formation. CHR721, which encodes a nuclear protein belonging to the SNF2 subfamily SMARCAL1, was identified by map-based cloning. CHR721 was expressed in various tissues, especially in spikelets. CHR721 was found to interact with replication protein A (OsRPA1a), which is involved in DNA repair. The expressions of genes involved in DNA repair and cell-cycle checkpoints were consistently upregulated in chr721. Although numerous genes involved in male and female development have been identified, the mode of participation of chromatin-remodeling factors in reproductive development is still not well understood. Our results suggest that CHR721, a novel gene cloned from rice, plays a vital role in both male and female reproductive development.

Effect of sub-hypothermia blood purification technique in cardiac shock after valvular disease surgery.

To observe the effect of sub-hypothermia (HT) blood purification technique in the treatment of cardiac shock after heart valve disease.The patients were randomly divided into normothermic (NT) continuous blood purification (CBP) group (NT group) and HT CBP group (HT group). Observe the cardiac index (CI), the oxygen delivery (DO2) and oxygen consumption (VO2) ratio, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III(APACHE III) score, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) score, dynamic monitoring of electrocardiograph, blood loss with or without muscle tremors, intensive care unit stay, mechanical ventilation time, CBP time, and the cases of infection and mortality at 0 day, 1 day, 2 day, 3 day; all above indicators were compared between 2 groups.Ninety-five patients were randomly assigned into HT group (48 cases) and NT group (47 cases); there were no significant differences between the 2 groups for age, gender, pre-operative cardiac function, cardiothoracic ratio, and type of valve replacement (P > .05). There were no significant differences among the 1 day, 2 day, 3 day after recruited for CI, DO2/VO2 ratio, APACHE III score, MODS score (P > .05). But in HT group, DO2/VO2 ratio had been significantly improved after treatment for 1 day (2.5 ±â€Š0.7 vs 1.8 ±â€Š0.4, P = .024), and CI (3.0 ±â€Š0.5 vs 1.9 ±â€Š0.7, P = .004), APACHE III score (50.6 ±â€Š6.2 vs 77.5 ±â€Š5.5 P = .022), MODS score (6.0 ±â€Š1.5 vs 9.3 ±â€Š3.4, P = .013) also had been significantly improved after treatment for 3 days. In clinical outcomes, there were no significant differences between 2 groups for blood loss (617.0 ±â€Š60.7 ml vs 550.9 ±â€Š85.2 ml, P = .203), infection ratio (54.17% vs 53.19%, P = .341), the incidence of ventricular arrhythmia (31.25% vs 36.17%, P = .237), and muscle tremors (14.58% vs 8.51%, P = .346), while there were significant differences between 2 groups for intensive care unit stay (6.9 ±â€Š3.4 days vs 12.5 ±â€Š3.5 days, P = .017,), mechanical ventilation time (4.2 ±â€Š1.3 days vs 7.5 ±â€Š2.7 days, P = .034,), CBP time (4.6 ±â€Š1.4 days vs 10.5 ±â€Š4.0 days, P = .019), mortality (12.50% vs 23.40%, P = .024). But the incidence of bradycardia in HT group was much higher than the NT group (29.16% vs 14.89%, P = .029).HT blood purification is a safer and more effective treatment than NT blood purification for patients who suffered from cardiac shock after valve surgery.

Preparation of cobalt sulfide@reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites with outstanding electrochemical behavior for lithium-ion batteries.

Cobalt sulfide@reduced graphene oxide composites were prepared through a simple solvothermal method. The cobalt sulfide@reduced graphene oxide composites are composed of cobalt sulfide nanoparticles uniformly attached on both sides of reduced graphene oxide. Some favorable electrochemical performances in specific capacity, cycling performance, and rate capability are achieved using the porous nanocomposites as an anode for lithium-ion batteries. In a half-cell, it exhibits a high specific capacity of 1253.9 mA h g-1 at 500 mA g-1 after 100 cycles. A full cell consists of the cobalt sulfide@reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite anode and a commercial LiCoO2 cathode, and is able to hold a high capacity of 574.7 mA h g-1 at 200 mA g-1 after 200 cycles. The reduced graphene oxide plays a key role in enhancing the electrical conductivity of the electrode materials; and it effectively prevents the cobalt sulfide nanoparticles from dropping off the electrode and buffers the volume variation during the discharge-charge process. The cobalt sulfide@reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites present great potential to be a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries.

Genome-wide analysis of the Chinese cabbage IQD gene family and the response of BrIQD5 in drought resistance.

KEY MESSAGE: Thirty-five IQD genes were identified and analysed in Chinese cabbage and BrIQD5 transgenic plants enhanced the drought resistance of plants. The IQD (IQ67-domain) family plays an important role in various abiotic stress responses in plant species. However, the roles of IQD genes in the Chinese cabbage response to abiotic stress remain unclear. Here, 35 IQD genes, from BrIQD1 to BrIQD35, were identified in Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis). Based on the phylogenetic analysis, these genes were clustered into three subfamilies (I-III), and members within the same subfamilies shared conserved exon-intron distribution and motif composition. The 35 BrIQD genes were unevenly distributed on 9 of the 10 chromosomes with 4 segmental duplication events. Ka/Ks ratios showed that the duplicated BrIQDs had mainly experienced strong purifying selection. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction of 35 BrIQDs under PEG6000 indicated that BrIQD5 was significantly induced by PEG6000. To verify BrIQD5 function, BrIQD5 was heterologously overexpressed in tobacco and was silenced in Chinese cabbage. BrIQD5-overexpressed plants showed more tolerance to drought stress than wild-type plants, while BrIQD5-silenced plants in Chinese cabbage showed decreased drought tolerance. Additionally, six BrIQD5 potential interactive proteins were isolated by the yeast two-hybrid assay, including BrCaMa, BrCaMb and four other stress-related proteins. Motif IQ1 of BrIQD5 is important for the interaction with BrCaMa and BrCaMb, and the isoleucine in motif IQ1 is an essential amino acid for calmodulin binding to BrIQD5. The identification and cloning of the new Chinese cabbage drought tolerance genes will promote the drought-resistant breeding of Chinese cabbage and help to better understand the mechanism of IQD involved in the drought tolerance of plants.

Genome-wide Analysis and Expression Divergence of the Trihelix family in Brassica Rapa: Insight into the Evolutionary Patterns in Plants.

Trihelix gene family is an important transcription factor (TF) family involved in plants' growth and development. This extensive study of trihelix genes from Arabidopsis thaliana to Brassica rapa could shed light on the evolution in plants and support crop breeding. In this study, a total of 52 trihelix genes were identified in B.rapa. Whole-genome annotation, molecular-evolution and gene-expression analyses of all known trihelix genes were conducted. By statistics of the number of trihelix genes in each species, we found the expansion of trihelix gene family started with angiosperm evolution. And SIP1 was more preferentially retained than other subgroups (GT-1, GT-2, GTγ, SH4), consistent with the gene dosage hypothesis. Then we investigated the evolutionary patterns, footprints and conservation of trihelix genes in selected plants. The putative trihelix proteins were highly conserved, but their expression patterns varied. Half of these genes were highly expressed in all the selected organs but some showed tissue-specific expression patterns. Furthermore, among six abiotic stresses (Cold, Heat, PEG, NaCl, ABA and GA), most trihelix genes were activated by salt and ABA treatment. In summary, the phylogenetic, evolution and expression analyses of trihelix gene family in B.rapa establish a solid foundation for future comprehensive functional analysis of BraTHs.

Left ventricular myocardial strain in ventricular arrhythmia without structural heart disease using cardiac magnetic resonance.

Ventricular arrhythmia (VA) in structurally normal heart is considered as benign. However, these arrhythmias have been recently reported to induce left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Up to now, there is no efficacious method to detect abnormal myocardial systolic function in VA patients. Therefore, in the current study, we used cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking (CMR-FT) on balanced steady state free precision (SSFP) cine images to investigate LV myocardial strain in 42 VA patients without known heart disease as well as in 29 normal volunteers. As compared with controls, VA patients had lower peak values of radial and circumferential strain (RS, CS) in both basal and middle parts of LV and the peak value of longitudinal strain (LS) in VA patients was also decreased in middle LV. Moreover, as revealed by LV myocardial segmental peak strain, reduced RS, CS and LS peaks in VA were more significant in anterior, inferoseptal and anterolateral segments, especially for the patients with frequent premature ventricular complexes. Our results suggested that VA in normal heart is associated with abnormal segmental wall motion, which can be efficaciously detected by CMR-FT derived strain analysis. And early clinical management should be considered to prevent further significant symptoms in these patients.