Triple Sensing Modes for Triggered ß-Galactosidase Activity Assays Based on Kaempferol-Deduced Silicon Nanoparticles and Biological Imaging of MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells.

ß-Galactosidase (ß-Gala) is an essential biomarker enzyme for early detection of breast tumors and cellular senescence. Creating an accurate way to monitor ß-Gala activity is critical for biological research and early cancer detection. This work used fluorometric, colorimetric, and paper-based color sensing approaches to determine ß-Gala activity effectively. Via the sensing performance, the catalytic activity of ß-Gala resulted in silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs), fluorescent indicators obtained via a one-pot hydrothermal process. As a standard enzymatic hydrolysis product of the substrate, kaempferol 3-O-ß-d-galactopyranoside (KOßDG) caused the fluorometric signal to be attenuated on kaempferol-silicon nanoparticles (K-SiNPs). The sensing methods demonstrated a satisfactory linear response in sensing ß-Gala and a low detection limit. The findings showed the low limit of detection (LOD) as 0.00057 and 0.098 U/mL for fluorometric and colorimetric, respectively. The designed probe was then used to evaluate the catalytic activity of ß-Gala in yogurt and human serum, with recoveries ranging from 98.33 to 107.9%. The designed sensing approach was also applied to biological sample analysis. In contrast, breast cancer cells (MCF-7) were used as a model to test the in vitro toxicity and molecular fluorescence imaging potential of K-SiNPs. Hence, our fluorescent K-SiNPs can be used in the clinic to diagnose breast cellular carcinoma, since they can accurately measure the presence of invasive ductal carcinoma in serologic tests.

Comprehensive identification, characterization, and expression analysis of the MORF gene family in Brassica napus.

BACKGROUND: RNA editing in chloroplast and mitochondrion transcripts of plants is an important type of post-transcriptional RNA modification in which members of the multiple organellar RNA editing factor gene family (MORF) play a crucial role. However, a systematic identification and characterization of MORF members in Brassica napus is still lacking. RESULTS: In this study, a total of 43 MORF genes were identified from the genome of the Brassica napus cultivar "Zhongshuang 11". The Brassica napus MORF (BnMORF) family members were divided into three groups through phylogenetic analysis. BnMORF genes distributed on 14 chromosomes and expanded due to segmental duplication and whole genome duplication repetitions. The majority of BnMORF proteins were predicted to be localized to mitochondria and chloroplasts. The promoter cis-regulatory element analysis, spatial-temporal expression profiling, and co-expression network of BnMORF genes indicated the involvement of BnMORF genes in stress and phytohormone responses, as well as growth and development. CONCLUSION: This study provides a comprehensive analysis of BnMORF genes and lays a foundation for further exploring their physiological functions in Brassica napus.

Classification and characterization on sorghums based on HS-GC-IMS combined with OPLS-DA and GA-PLS.

Headspace gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) detected 206 and 186 samples of fresh and stored sorghums respectively with three major types in Baijiu industry. The fingerprints showed the differences of volatile compounds among fresh sorghum types by qualitative analysis and artificial recognition. Organic waxy sorghums had more contents of nonanal and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol but fewer ketones. The contents of acetoin in non-glutinous sorghums and organic non-glutinous sorghums were high. On the other hand, genetic algorithm-partial least squares (GA-PLS) selected 19 and 32 characteristic volatile compounds in fresh and stored sorghums. After centering and auto scaling to unit variance, the classification models with three major types of organic waxy sorghum, non-glutinous sorghum and organic non-glutinous sorghum were established based on orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). The goodness-of-fit (R2Y) and the goodness-of-prediction in cross-validation (Q2) in the model of fresh sorghum types all exceeded 0.9, in stored were over 0.8, the correct classification rates of external prediction were 95 % and 100 %, which revealed good performance and prediction. On this basis, the correct classification rates reached 87 % in organic waxy sorghums adulterated over 10 % ratio. GC-IMS combined with chemometrics is applicable in practical production for rapid identification of sorghum types and adulterations.

Case report: Microwave ablation is a safe and effective method for primary hyperparathyroidism in pregnancy.

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is a rare disease in pregnancy and endangers the health of both pregnant women and fetuses. However, the treatments are very limited for PHPT and most of them are unsatisfactory because of the peculiar state in pregnancy. The only curable method is parathyroidectomy which can be safely performed in the second trimester of pregnancy. In this case, we reported a pregnant woman with primary parathyroid adenoma presenting hypercalcemia and severe vomit at the end of first trimester. Finally, she got cured by microwave ablation at the end of first trimester and gave birth to a healthy baby boy.

Recent advances and biotechnological applications of RNA metabolism in plant chloroplasts and mitochondria.

The chloroplast and mitochondrion are semi-autonomous organelles that play essential roles in cell function. These two organelles are embellished with prokaryotic remnants and contain many new features emerging from the co-evolution of organelles and the nucleus. A typical plant chloroplast or mitochondrion genome encodes less than 100 genes, and the regulation of these genes' expression is remarkably complex. The regulation of chloroplast and mitochondrion gene expression can be achieved at multiple levels during development and in response to environmental cues, in which, RNA metabolism, including: RNA transcription, processing, translation, and degradation, plays an important role. RNA metabolism in plant chloroplasts and mitochondria combines bacterial-like traits with novel features evolved in the host cell and is regulated by a large number of nucleus-encoded proteins. Among these, pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins are deeply involved in multiple aspects of the RNA metabolism of organellar genes. Research over the past decades has revealed new insights into different RNA metabolic events in plant organelles, such as the composition of chloroplast and mitochondrion RNA editosomes. We summarize and discuss the most recent knowledge and biotechnological implications of various RNA metabolism processes in plant chloroplasts and mitochondria, with a focus on the nucleus-encoded factors supporting them, to gain a deeper understanding of the function and evolution of these two organelles in plant cells. Furthermore, a better understanding of the role of nucleus-encoded factors in chloroplast and mitochondrion RNA metabolism will motivate future studies on manipulating the plant gene expression machinery with engineered nucleus-encoded factors.

ER+/PR- phenotype exhibits more aggressive biological features and worse outcome compared with ER+/PR+ phenotype in HER2-negative inflammatory breast cancer.

The loss of progesterone receptor (PR) often predicts worse biological behavior and prognosis in estrogen receptor-positive (ER +) breast cancer. However, the impact of PR status on inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) has not been studied. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to investigate the influence of PR on IBC. Patients with ER+ and HER2-negative IBC were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database. Pearson's χ2 test was used to compare the clinicopathological characteristics between patients with estrogen receptor-positive/progesterone receptor-positive (ER+/PR +) and patients with estrogen receptor-positive/progesterone receptor-negative (ER+/PR-). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to investigate the effects of PR status on the breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) and overall survival (OS) in IBC. Overall, 1553 patients including 1157 (74.5%) patients with ER+/PR+ and 396 (25.5%) patients with ER+/PR- were analyzed in our study. The patients with ER+/PR- were more likely to be high histological grade (p < 0.001) and liver metastasis (p = 0.045) compared to patients with ER+/PR+. Despite higher chance of receiving chemotherapy (83.6% vs 77.3%, P = 0.008), patients with ER+/PR- showed worse BCSS (5-year BCSS rate, 34.3% vs 51.3%, P < 0.001) and OS (5-year OS rate, 31.3% vs 46.1%, P < 0.001) compared with ER+/PR+ phenotype. Multivariate survival analysis showed that patients with ER+/PR- still had worse BCSS (hazard ratios [HR]: 1.764, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.476-2.109, P < 0.001) and OS (HR: 1.675, 95% CI 1.411-1.975, P < 0.001) than ER+/PR+ phenotype. Furthermore, patients with ER+/PR- showed worse outcomes than ER+/PR+ phenotype in most subgroups, especially in patients with younger age (≤ 60 years), lower histological grade, lymph node involved and distant metastasis. Patients with ER+/PR- had more aggressive biological behaviors and worse outcomes than patients with ER+/PR+ in IBC. Stronger treatments maybe needed for IBC patients with ER+/PR-.

Genome-wide identification of the LRR-RLK gene family in peanut and functional characterization of AhLRR-RLK265 in salt and drought stresses.

Leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLKs) play important roles in plant developmental regulations and various stress responses. Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a worldwide important oil crop; however, no systematic identification or analysis of the peanut LRR-RLK gene family has been reported. In present study, 495 LRR-RLK genes in peanut were identified and analyzed. The 495 AhLRR-RLK genes were classed into 14 groups and 10 subgroups together with their Arabidopsis homologs according to phylogenetic analyses, and 491 of 495 AhLRR-RLK genes unequally located on 20 chromosomes. Analyses of gene structure and protein motif organization revealed similarity in exon/intron and motif organization among members of the same subgroup, further supporting the phylogenetic results. Gene duplication events were found in peanut LRR-RLK gene family via syntenic analysis, which were important in LRR-RLK gene family expansion in peanut. We found that the expression of AhLRR-RLK genes was detected in different tissues using RNA-seq data, implying that AhLRR-RLK genes may differ in function. In addition, Arabidopsis plants overexpressing stress-induced AhLRR-RLK265 displayed lower seed germination rates and root lengths compared to wild-type under exogenous ABA treatment. Notably, overexpression of AhLRR-RLK265 enhanced tolerance to salt and drought stresses in transgenic Arabidopsis. Moreover, the AhLRR-RLK265-OE lines were found to have higher activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) under salt and drought stress treatments. We believe these results may provide valuable information about the function of peanut LRR-RLK genes for further analysis.

The bHLH transcription factor AhbHLH121 improves salt tolerance in peanut.

Plants have developed a number of protective mechanisms to respond to salt and other stresses. Previous studies have shown that the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor AhbHLH121 plays a crucial role in the response to abiotic stresses in peanut, but the mechanisms and functions related to AhbHLH121 remain unclear. In the current research, AhbHLH121 was induced by salt treatment. Overexpression of AhbHLH121 improved salt resistance, whereas silencing AhbHLH121 resulted in the inverse correlation. Our results also demonstrated that overexpression of AhbHLH121 results in greater activity of antioxidant enzymes under stress condition by promoting the expression of the genes for peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase (AhPOD, AhCAT and AhSOD), indicating enhanced scavenging of reactive oxygen species. Further analysis including Yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) assays and electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs), suggested that AhbHLH121 can bind directly to the G/E-box regions of the AhPOD, AhCAT and AhSOD promoters, thereby promoting their expression and leading to improved antioxidant enzyme activity. Our research improves the understanding of the mechanisms that allow this peanut bHLH transcription factor to improve abiotic tolerance, and provides valuable gene resources for breeding programs to promote salt stress resistance.

A novel "Turn-on" fluorometric assays triggered reaction for ß-glucosidase activity based on quercetin derived silicon nanoparticles and its potential use for cell imaging.

ß-Glucosidase (ß-Gluco) is an enzyme that is crucial to numerous diseases, including cancer, and in sector of industries, it is used in the manufacturing of food. Measuring its enzymatic activity is critical for biomedical studies and other activities. Herein, we have developed a novel and precise fluorescent sensing method for measuring ß-Gluco activity based on the production of yellow-green fluorescent quercetin-silicon nanoparticles (Q-SiNPs) produced from quercetin (QN) as a reducing agent and 3-[2-(2-aminoethyl amino) ethylamino] propyl-trimethoxy silane (AEEA) as a silane molecule. ß-Gluco hydrolyzed quercetin-3-O-ß-d-glucopyranoside (QO-ß-DG) to produce QN, which was then used to produce Q-SiNPs. Reaction parameters, including temperature, time, buffer, pH, and probe concentration, were carefully tuned in this study. Subsequently, the fluorescence intensity was performed, showing good linearity (R2 = 0.989), a broad linear dynamic range between 0.5 and 12 U L-1, and a limit of detection (LOD) as low as 0.428 U L-1, which was proven by fluorescence measurements. Most importantly, various parameters were detected and characterized with or without ß-Gluco. The designed probe was successively used to assess ß-Gluco activity in human serum and moldy bread. However, the mathematical findings revealed recoveries for human serum ranging from 99.3 to 101.66% and for moldy bread from 100.11 to 102.5%. Additionally, Q-SiNPs were well suited to being incubated in vitro with L929 and SiHa living cells, and after using an Olympus microscope, imaging showed good fluorescence cell images, and their viability evinced minimal cytotoxicity of 77% for L929 and 88% for SiHa. The developed fluorescence biosensor showed promise for general use in diagnostic tests. Therefore, due to this outstanding sensing modality, we anticipate that this research can provide a novel schematic project for creating simple nanostructures with a suitable plan and a green synthetic option for enzyme activity and cell imaging.

Azophenyl Calix[4]arene Porous Organic Polymer for Extraction and Analysis of Triphenylmethane Dyes from Seafood.

Porous organic polymers (POPs) based on calix[4]arene with a hydrophobic π-rich cavity and host-guest recognition properties exhibit a wide application range of molecular extraction and separation. However, it is still a challenge to improve the extraction and separation selectivity by exploring and seeking appropriate building blocks for the functionalization and pore size adjustment of calix[4]arene. Herein, an azophenyl calix[4]arene porous organic polymer (AC-POP) was proposed. By introducing an electron-rich cavity and adjusting the pore sizes of calix[4]arene, the AC-POP showed high selectivity extraction performance in triphenylmethane (TPM) dyes. The extraction mechanism was explored by adsorption thermodynamics study, density functional theory (DFT) calculation, and reduced density gradient (RDG) and electrostatic potential (ESP) analyses, which suggested that the selectivity adsorption of TPM dyes based on AC-POP was mainly the result of entropy driven by the hydrophobic effect. In addition, the noncovalent interactions including π-π stacking, van der Waals force, and electrostatic interaction were also important factors affecting the adsorption capacity of TPM dyes. Under optimal extraction conditions, the AC-POP possessed a maximum extraction amount of 95.3 mg·g-1 for Rhodamine B (RB), high enrichment factor of about 100, and excellent reusability more than 10 times. Then, an analytical method of TPM dyes with AC-POP as a solid-phase extractant combined with high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet (HPLC-UV) was established, which displayed excellent sensitivity with the limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantitation (LOQs) in the ranges of 0.004-0.35 and 0.016-1.16, respectively. The mean recoveries for TPM dyes ranged from 85.0 to 109.4% with an RSD of 0.48-9.45%. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of the five TPM dyes in seafood matrix samples.

Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Promote Trophoblast Cell Proliferation and Migration by Targeting TFPI2 in Preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy disorder characterized by systemic organ damage and high blood pressure. It has been reported that microRNA-195 (miR-195) is associated with preeclampsia. In this study, we discovered the target of miR-195 in regulating human extravillous cytotrophoblast-derived transformed cell proliferation and migration. We analyzed the clinicopathological factors of preeclampsia and normal pregnancies. The messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) levels of miR-195 and tissue factor pathway inhibitor 2 (TFPI2) were measured in placental tissues derived from normal and preeclampsia patients by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (hUC-MSC)-derived extracellular vesicles were verified by western blot. HTR8-S/Vneo cell proliferation was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, and cell migration rate was assessed by the transwell assay. Relative luciferase activities were measured in TFPI2 wild-type (WT) and mutant cells. miR-195 expression was negatively correlated with TFPI2 mRNA levels in preeclampsia patients. Extracellular vesicles derived from hUC-MSCs enhanced HTR8-S/Vneo cell proliferation and migration. In addition, miR-195 isolated from hUC-MSCs enhanced HTR8-S/Vneo cell proliferation and migration by targeting TFPI2. Our findings demonstrate that the upregulation of miR-195 in extracellular vesicles derived from hUC-MSCs promotes HTR8-S/Vneo cell proliferation and migration by targeting TFPI2.

Hsf transcription factor gene family in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.): genome-wide characterization and expression analysis under drought and salt stresses.

Heat shock transcription factors (Hsfs) play important roles in plant developmental regulations and various stress responses. In present study, 46 Hsf genes in peanut (AhHsf) were identified and analyzed. The 46 AhHsf genes were classed into three groups (A, B, and C) and 14 subgroups (A1-A9, B1-B4, and C1) together with their Arabidopsis homologs according to phylogenetic analyses, and 46 AhHsf genes unequally located on 17 chromosomes. Gene structure and protein motif analysis revealed that members from the same subgroup possessed similar exon/intron and motif organization, further supporting the results of phylogenetic analyses. Gene duplication events were found in peanut Hsf gene family via syntenic analysis, which were important in Hsf gene family expansion in peanut. The expression of AhHsf genes were detected in different tissues using published data, implying that AhHsf genes may differ in function. In addition, several AhHsf genes (AhHsf5, AhHsf11, AhHsf20, AhHsf24, AhHsf30, AhHsf35) were induced by drought and salt stresses. Furthermore, the stress-induced member AhHsf20 was found to be located in nucleus. Notably, overexpression of AhHsf20 was able to enhance salt tolerance. These results from this study may provide valuable information for further functional analysis of peanut Hsf genes.

The ATP Synthase γ Subunit ATPC1 Regulates RNA Editing in Chloroplasts.

RNA editing is the process of modifying RNA molecules by inserting, deleting, or substituting nucleotides. In flowering plants, RNA editing occurs predominantly in RNAs encoded by the organellar genomes of mitochondria and chloroplasts, and the main type of editing involves the substitution of cytidine with uridine at specific sites. Abnormal RNA editing in plants can affect gene expression, organelle function, plant growth, and reproduction. In this study, we report that ATPC1, the gamma subunit of ATP synthase in Arabidopsis chloroplasts, has an unexpected role in the regulation of editing at multiple sites of plastid RNAs. The loss of function of ATPC1 severely arrests chloroplast development, causing a pale-green phenotype and early seedling lethality. Disruption of ATPC1 increases the editing of matK-640, rps12-i-58, atpH-3'UTR-13210, and ycf2-as-91535 sites while decreasing the editing of rpl23-89, rpoA-200, rpoC1-488, and ndhD-2 sites. We further show that ATPC1 participates in RNA editing by interacting with known multiple-site chloroplast RNA editing factors, including MORFs, ORRM1, and OZ1. The transcriptome in the atpc1 mutant is profoundly affected, with a pattern of defective expression of chloroplast development-related genes. These results reveal that the ATP synthase γ subunit ATPC1 is involved in multiple-site RNA editing in Arabidopsis chloroplasts.

Development and validation of nomograms for predicting survival outcomes in patients with T1-2N1 breast cancer to identify those who could not benefit from postmastectomy radiotherapy.

Purpose: In this study, we aimed to develop and validate nomograms for predicting the survival outcomes in patients with T1-2N1 breast cancer to identify the patients who could not benefit from postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT). Methods: Data from 10191 patients with T1-2N1 breast cancer were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Of them, 6542 patients who had not received PMRT formed the training set. Concurrently, we retrospectively enrolled 419 patients from the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College (NSMC), and 286 patients who did not undergo PMRT formed the external validation set. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used for selecting prognostic factors in the training set. Using the selected factors, two prognostic nomograms were constructed. The nomograms' performance was assessed using the concordance index (C-index), calibration curves, decision curve analysis (DCA), and risk subgroup classification. The stabilized inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs) was used to balance the baseline characteristics of the different risk groups. Finally, the survival outcomes and effectiveness of PMRT after IPTW adjustment were evaluated using adjusted Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression models. Results: The 8-year overall survival (OS) and breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) rates for the SEER cohort were 84.3% and 90.1%, with a median follow-up time of 76 months, while those for the NSMC cohort were 84.1% and 86.9%, with a median follow-up time of 73 months. Moreover, significant differences were observed in the survival curves for the different risk subgroups (P < 0.001) in both SEER and NSMC cohorts. The subgroup analysis after adjustment by IPTW revealed that PMRT was significantly associated with improved OS and BCSS in the intermediate- (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.59-0.88, P=0.001; HR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.62-0.95, P = 0.015) and high- (HR=0.66, 95% CI: 0.52-0.83, P<0.001; HR=0.74, 95% CI: 0.56-0.99, P=0.039) risk groups. However, PMRT had no significant effects on patients in the low-risk groups. Conclusion: According to the prognostic nomogram, we performed risk subgroup classification and found that patients in the low-risk group did not benefit from PMRT.

The role of ethylene in plant temperature stress response.

Temperature influences the seasonal growth and geographical distribution of plants. Heat or cold stress occur when temperatures exceed or fall below the physiological optimum ranges, resulting in detrimental and irreversible damage to plant growth, development, and yield. Ethylene is a gaseous phytohormone with an important role in plant development and multiple stress responses. Recent studies have shown that, in many plant species, both heat and cold stress affect ethylene biosynthesis and signaling pathways. In this review, we summarize recent advances in understanding the role of ethylene in plant temperature stress responses and its crosstalk with other phytohormones. We also discuss potential strategies and knowledge gaps that need to be adopted and filled to develop temperature stress-tolerant crops by optimizing ethylene response.

Single progesterone receptor-positive phenotype has the similar clinicopathological features and outcome as triple-negative subtype in metastatic breast cancer.

Objective: The same clinicopathological features and prognosis have been reported between single progesterone receptor-positive (sPR-positive) and triple-negative phenotype in early-stage breast cancer, but such similarity has not been studied in metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to estimate the difference between sPR-positive phenotype and other phenotypes in MBC. Methods: Patients with HER-2-negative MBC were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database. Pearson's χ2 test was used to compare the difference of clinicopathologic factors between sPR-positive phenotype and other phenotypes. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the effects of hormone receptor (HoR) phenotypes and other clinicopathologic factors on the cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS). Results: Overall, 10877 patients including 7060 patients (64.9%) with double HoR-positive (dHoR-positive), 1533 patients (14.1%) with single estrogen receptor-positive (sER-positive), 126 patients (1.2%) with sPR-positive and 2158 patients (19.8%) with double HoR-negative (dHoR-negative) were analyzed. The patients with sPR-positive or dHoR-negative were more likely to be younger, higher grade and tumor stage, visceral and brain metastasis than ER-positive phenotypes (P<0.001). MBC with sPR-positive had the similar CSS (HR: 1.135, 95%CI: 0.909-1.417, P=2.623) and OS (HR: 1.141, 95%CI: 0.921-1.413, P=0.229) as dHoR-negative, but worse outcome than ER-positive phenotypes. Chemotherapy significantly improved the survival for MBC, especially for sPR-positive MBC (CSS, HR: 0.39, 95%CI: 0.213-0.714, P=0.002; OS, HR: 0.366, 95%CI: 0.203-0.662, P=0.001). Conclusions: Patients with sPR-positive and triple-negative have similar biological behavior and prognosis in MBC. Chemotherapy may be a preferred recommendation for MBC with sPR-positive.

Predictors for histological chorioamnionitis among women with preterm prelabour rupture of membranes after dexamethasone treatment: a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate reliable biomarkers for predicting histological chorioamnionitis (HCA) in women with preterm prelabour rupture of membranes (PPROM). DESIGN: A retrospective study. SETTING: A maternity care hospital in Shanghai. POPULATION: Women with PPROM before 34+0/7  weeks of gestation. METHODS: Mean values of biomarkers were compared by two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Log-binomial regression models were used to assess the association between biomarkers and risk of HCA. A stepwise logistic regression model was used to develop a multi-biomarker prediction model and identify the independent predictors. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to assess prediction performance. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The ability of the individual biomarker and the combination of multiple biomarkers to predict HCA. RESULTS: In 157 mothers with PPROM, 98 (62.42%) women had HCA and 59 (37.58%) women did not have HCA. No significant differences were observed between the two groups in white blood cell, neutrophil or lymphocyte counts, whereas both high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) were significantly higher in the HCA group. HsCRP and PCT were found to be independently associated with the risk of HCA, and PCT had a larger AUC value than hsCRP (p < 0.05). The optimal multi-biomarker prediction model for HCA (AUC = 93.61%) included hsCRP at 72 hours and PCT at 48 and 72 hours, and PCT had a stronger prediction capacity than hsCRP. CONCLUSIONS: PCT could be a reliable biomarker for the early prediction of HCA in women with PPROM within 72 hours of dexamethasone treatment.

MIKC-type MADS-box transcription factor gene family in peanut: Genome-wide characterization and expression analysis under abiotic stress.

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) is one of the most important economic crops around the world, especially since it provides vegetable oil and high-quality protein for humans. Proteins encoded by MADS-box transcription factors are widely involved in regulating plant growth and development as well as responses to abiotic stresses. However, the MIKC-type MADS-box TFs in peanut remains currently unclear. Hence, in this study, 166 MIKC-type MADS-box genes were identified in both cultivated and wild-type peanut genomes, which were divided into 12 subfamilies. We found a variety of development-, hormone-, and stress-related cis-acting elements in the promoter region of peanut MIKC-type MADS-box genes. The chromosomal distribution of peanut MADS-box genes was not random, and gene duplication contributed to the expansion of the MADS-box gene family. The interaction network of the peanut AhMADS proteins was established. Expression pattern analysis showed that AhMADS genes were specifically expressed in tissues and under abiotic stresses. It was further confirmed via the qRT-PCR technique that five selected AhMADS genes could be induced by abiotic and hormone treatments and presented different expressive profiles under various stresses. Taken together, these findings provide valuable information for the exploration of candidate genes in molecular breeding and further study of AhMADS gene functions.

Effect of cell density on the malignant biological behavior of breast cancer by altering the subcellular localization of ANXA2 and its clinical implications

To investigate the subcellular localization of ANXA2 in breast cancer of different cell densities in humans and its relationship with the clinicopathological features of patients. To investigate the differences in ANXA2 subcellular localization in MDA-MB-231 cells of different cell densities. To compare the proliferation, invasion, and migration ability of MDA-MB-231 cells under different ANXA2 subcellular localization.MethodsImmunohistochemistry was applied to detect the subcellular localization of ANXA2 in tissue sections of 60 breast cancer patients, and the association with ANXA2 subcellular localization was verified in conjunction with cell density. To investigate the relationship between cell density and clinicopathological data of breast cancer patients. To establish high- and low-density models of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines and verify the subcellular localization of ANXA2 using immunofluorescence and observation under confocal microscopy. The proliferation, migration, and invasion ability of MDA-MB-231 cells under different subcellular localization of ANXA2 were detected and compared using CCK-8 assay and Transwell assay. After changing the subcellular localization of ANXA2 in high-density MDA-MB-231 cells with PY-60, changes in biological behaviors of the compared MDA-MB-231 cells were observed. Two different 4T1 cell lines with high and low densities were implanted subcutaneously in nude mice to observe the effects of different cell densities on tumor growth in nude mice.ResultsThe clinical data showed that breast cancer with high cell density had higher T stage and higher TNM stage, and the cell density was positively correlated with breast cancer mass size. ANXA2 was mainly localized to the cell membrane when the cell density of breast cancer cells was high and to the cytoplasm when the cell density was low. (AU)

Copper-Catalyzed Carboxylation of Aryl Thianthrenium Salts with CO2.

Carboxyl group is one of the most widely used groups in organic synthesis. Herein, an efficient copper-catalyzed carboxylation of aryl thianthrenium salts with carbon dioxide (CO2 ) at room temperature has been developed. The reaction employs low loading of cuprous chloride catalyst under 1 atm CO2 and exhibits good functional group tolerance. In combination with C-H thianthrenation of aromatic hydrocarbons, this work provides an efficient method for the site-selective C-H carboxylation of aromatic hydrocarbons. It may serve as a significant late-stage carboxylation tool for the modification of drug molecules in the future.