Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PHD-finger family genes in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.): Evolutionary conservatism, functional diversification, and active expression in abiotic stress

Plant homeodomain (PHD) transcription factors (TFs) are a class of proteins with conserved Cys4-His-Cys3 domains that play important roles in plant growth and development and in response to abiotic stresses. Although characterization of PHDs has been performed in plants, little is known about their function in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), especially under stress conditions. In the present study, 244 TaPHDs were identified in wheat using comparative genomics. We renamed them TaPHD1-244 based on their chromosomal distribution, and almost all PHD proteins were predicted to be located in the nucleus. According to the unrooted neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree, gene structure, and motif analyses, PHD genes were divided into four clades. A total of 149 TaPHD genes were assigned to arise from duplication events. Furthermore, 230 gene pairs came from wheat itself, and 119, 186, 168, 7, 2, and 6 gene pairs came from six other species (Hordeum vulgareto, Zea mays, Oryza sativa, Arabidopsis thaliana, Brassica rapa, and Gossypium raimondii, respectively). A total of 548 interacting protein branches were identified to be involved in the protein interaction network. Tissue-specific expression pattern analysis showed that TaPHDs were highly expressed in the stigma and ovary during flowering, suggesting that the TaPHD gene plays an active role in the reproductive growth of wheat. In addition, the qRT-PCR results further confirmed that these TaPHD genes are involved in the abiotic stress response of wheat. In conclusion, our study provides a theoretical basis for deciphering the molecular functions of TaPHDs, particularly in response to abiotic stress.
Impact of daily vitamin D3 supplementation on the risk of vitamin D deficiency with the interaction of rs2282679 in vitamin D binding protein gene (GC) among overweight and obese children and adolescents: A one-year randomized controlled trial

Background The rs2282679 polymorphism in the vitamin D binding protein (DBP) gene may influence the response to vitamin D supplementation. Therefore, we examine the effect of 1-year vitamin D supplementation on vitamin D deficiency (VDD) with the interaction of rs2282679 polymorphism in overweight and obese children and adolescents. Materials and methods The participants (n = 300) were part of a randomized controlled trial who received a daily supplement of either 1,000 or 2,000 IU or four supplements of 1,000 IU weekly (equal to 600 IU daily) of vitamin D3 for 12 months. Genotyping was performed using amplification refractory mutation system polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR). Results The mean of 25(OH)D values at baseline for participants with the TT, TG, and GG genotypes were 15.4, 14.4, and 10.8 ng/mL, respectively, and were not different between the three genotype groups (P = 0.062). A significant reduction in VDD was observed after vitamin D supplementation with dosages of 1,000 or 2,000 IU compared to 600 IU. No significant association of genotypes with risk of VDD was observed in each intervention group after vitamin D supplementation, except, that individuals with TG genotype showed a higher risk of VDD compared to those with TT genotype in the 2,000 IU group after 6 months of supplementation [odds ratio (95% CI): 6.94; 1.30–37.02]. We observed no interaction between time duration, three genotypes, and dosages with serum 25(OH)D, calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, and parathyroid hormone levels. Conclusion Response to vitamin D supplementation by three doses of 600, 1,000, and 2,000 IU could not be affected by rs2282679 polymorphism during 12 months in overweight and obese children and adolescents.
Editorial: Rising stars in comparative and clinical medicine: 2021

COPYRIGHT © 2022 Nabi and Arain. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. Editorial: Rising stars in comparative and clinical medicine: 2021
Effects of seawater acidification and solar ultraviolet radiation on photosynthetic performances and biochemical compositions of Rhodosorus sp. SCSIO-45730

Ocean acidification (OA) caused by rising atmospheric CO2 concentration and solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) resulting from ozone depletion may affect marine organisms, but little is known regarding how unicellular Rhodosorus sp. SCSIO-45730, an excellent species resource containing various biological-active compounds, responds to OA and UVR. Therefore, we conducted a factorial coupling experiment to unravel the combined effects of OA and UVR on the growth, photosynthetic performances, biochemical compositions and enzyme activities of Rhodosorus sp. SCSIO-45730, which were exposed to two levels of CO2 (LC, 400 μatm, current CO2 level; HC, 1000 μatm, future CO2 level) and three levels of UVR (photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), PAR plus UVA, PAR plus UVB) treatments in all combinations, respectively. Compared to LC treatment, HC stimulated the relative growth rate (RGR) due to higher optimum and effective quantum yields, photosynthetic efficiency, maximum electron transport rates and photosynthetic pigments contents regardless of UVR. However, the presence of UVA had no significant effect but UVB markedly reduced the RGR. Additionally, higher carbohydrate content and lower protein and lipid contents were observed when Rhodosorus sp. SCSIO-45730 was cultured under HC due to the ample HCO 3 − applications and active stimulation of metabolic enzymes of carbonic anhydrase and nitrate reductase, thus resulting in higher TC/TN. OA also triggered the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the increase of ROS coincided approximately with superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, as well as phenols contents. However, UVR induced photochemical inhibition and damaged macromolecules, making algal cells need more energy for self-protection. Generally, these results revealed that OA counteracted UVR-related inhibition on Rhodosorus sp. SCSIO-45730, adding our understanding of the red algae responding to future global climate changes.
Prevalence and genetic diversity of Aeromonas veronii isolated from aquaculture systems in the Poyang Lake area, China

The area around Poyang Lake is the main aquaculture area in Jiangxi Province, China, and an important base for the supply of freshwater aquatic products. Aquaculture in the Poyang Lake area is severely threatened by diseases caused by bacterial pathogens, and Aeromonas veronii has been the main pathogen in recent years. In this paper, ERIC-PCR genotyping, virulence gene and antimicrobial resistance gene detection, and drug susceptibility tests were carried out on 46 A. veronii isolates obtained from aquaculture systems in the Poyang Lake area from 2016 to 2020. The results showed that the A. veronii strains in the Poyang Lake area had high genetic diversity, and 46 strains produced 36 ERIC genotypes. There were no geographical and temporal differences in the cluster analysis results and no dominant clones. All 13 virulence genes tested were detected, and all isolates had harbored 2 or more virulence genes, with a maximum of 12 virulence genes detected. Among the 22 antimicrobial resistance genes selected, 15 were detected; 97.8% of the isolates contained 2 or more antimicrobial resistance genes, with a maximum of 9 antimicrobial resistance genes. Drug susceptibility tests showed that some strains were resistant to a variety of traditionally effective drugs for Aeromomas, such as enrofloxacin and florfenicol. This study provides a reference for exploring the impact of aquaculture in the Poyang Lake area on public health.
Metal-semiconductor-metal TiO2 ultraviolet detectors with Ni electrodes

In this letter, metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) TiO2 ultraviolet (UV) detectors with Ni electrodes have been fabricated. TiO2 thin films were prepared by sol-gel method. At 5 V bias, the dark current of the detector with Ni electrode was 1.83 nA. High photoresponse of 889.6 A/W was found under irradiation of 260 nm UV light, which was much higher than those of other wide bandgap UV detectors with MSM structure. The high photoresponse was due to the great internal gain caused by the hole trapping at interface. The rise time of the device was 13.34 ms and the fall time was 11.43 s.
Perinatal manifestations of congenital disorders of glycosylation—A clue to early diagnosis

N-glycosylation defects—isolated or mixed with other glycosylation defects—are the most frequent congenital disorders of glycosylation and present mostly in childhood, with a specific combination of non-specific phenotypic features. The diagnosis, however, is often delayed. The aim of this study is to describe the perinatal phenotype of congenital disorders of N-glycosylation. We present an analysis of perinatal symptoms in a group of 24 one-center Polish patients with N-glycosylation defects—isolated or mixed. The paper expands the perinatal phenotype of CDGs and shows that some distinctive combinations of symptoms present in the perinatal period should raise a suspicion of CDGs in a differential diagnosis.
ESG performance and corporate value: Analysis from the stakeholders’ perspective

Based on the panel data of China’s A-share non-financial listed enterprises from 2011 to 2020, we empirically explore whether EGS performance can significantly promote corporate value and how to promote it, from the stakeholders’ perspective. We find that: 1) ESG performance significantly improves corporate value. 2) Both media attention and analyst coverage play an intermediary role in the impact of ESG performance on corporate value. 3) Further analysis of the single dimension of ESG illustrates that Environmental (E) and Social (S) have a positive impact on corporate value, but the effect size of Social (S) is smaller, and there is no evidence for a significant relationship between Governance (G) and corporate value. 4) The heterogeneity analysis shows that ESG performance of non-heavily polluting enterprises has a significant positive effect on corporate value, but not on heavily polluting enterprises. Meanwhile, ESG performance of enterprises with a low percentage of institutional investor ownership has a significant positive effect on corporate value, but not with a high percentage. Overall, our study shows that high-quality ESG performance triggers the attention of media and analysts, which in turn promotes corporate value by raising stakeholder pressure. We also analyze the possible causes of heterogeneous results from the perspective of stakeholders, and put forward reasonable suggestions to promote ESG performance and corporate value, as well as protect the interests of stakeholders.
Thrombotic microangiopathy mediates poor prognosis among lupus nephritis via complement lectin and alternative pathway activation

Objective The pathogenesis of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) in lupus nephritis (LN) remains complicated. This study aimed to detect the deposition of complement lectin pathway (LP) and alternative pathway (AP) components in renal tissues, then evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics and risk factors for renal survival between patients with or without TMA in LN cohorts. Methods We included 79 patients with biopsy-proven LN-associated TMA and matched the same number of LN patients without TMA as the control group. The deposition of mannose binding lectin (MBL), MBL-associated serine proteases 1/3 (MASP1/3), complement factor B (CFB), complement factor D (CFD), C4d, and von Willebrand factor (VWF) in renal tissue was assessed by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Besides, co-localization of C5b-9 and CD34 was detected by confocal microscopy. Results In our retrospective cohort, the incidence of acute kidney injury (30% vs. 14%, p = 0.013), acute hemodialysis (35% vs. 5%, p < 0.001), and interstitial fibrosis (43% vs. 13%, p < 0.001) is higher in the TMA, compared with the control group. Despite aggressive steroids pulse, plasma exchange, and immunosuppressive therapy among TMA group, they still had significantly inferior 3-year renal survival rates (68% vs. 89%, p = 0.002) than those in the non-TMA group. COX regression analysis identified that TMA (HR 4.807, 95% CI [2.052, 11.263], p < 0.001) is a risk factor in LN. MBL, MASP1/3, CFB, CFD, C4d, and VWF deposited along the glomerulus among LN, while TMA had stronger staining intensity and deposition. The co-localized expression of CD34 and C5b-9 in the endothelial cells was also observed in the renal tissues. Conclusions TMA is an independent risk factor for renal survival in LN patients. Moreover, LP and AP activation are involved in the pathogenesis of LN-associated TMA.
MicroRNAs and long non-coding RNAs in cartilage homeostasis and osteoarthritis

During the last decade, osteoarthritis (OA) has become one of the most prevalent musculoskeletal diseases worldwide. OA is characterized by progressive loss of articular cartilage, abnormal remodeling of subchondral bone, hyperplasia of synovial cells, and growth of osteophytes, which lead to chronic pain and disability. The pathological mechanisms underlying OA initiation and progression are still poorly understood. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) constitute a large portion of the transcriptome that do not encode proteins but function in numerous biological processes. Cumulating evidence has revealed a strong association between the changes in expression levels of ncRNA and the disease progression of OA. Moreover, loss- and gain-of-function studies utilizing transgenic animal models have demonstrated that ncRNAs exert vital functions in regulating cartilage homeostasis, degeneration, and regeneration, and changes in ncRNA expression can promote or decelerate the progression of OA through distinct molecular mechanisms. Recent studies highlighted the potential of ncRNAs to serve as diagnostic biomarkers, prognostic indicators, and therapeutic targets for OA. MiRNAs and lncRNAs are two major classes of ncRNAs that have been the most widely studied in cartilage tissues. In this review, we focused on miRNAs and lncRNAs and provided a comprehensive understanding of their functional roles as well as molecular mechanisms in cartilage homeostasis and OA pathogenesis.
Social behavior and communication grand challenges – Frontiers in Ethology

COPYRIGHT © 2022 Freeberg. This is an openaccess article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. TYPE Specialty Grand Challenge PUBLISHED 13 December 2022 DOI 10.3389/fetho.2022. 1066186
Spatial epidemiology of acute respiratory infections in children under 5 years and associated risk factors in India: District-level analysis of health, household, and environmental datasets

Background In India, acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are a leading cause of mortality in children under 5 years. Mapping the hotspots of ARIs and the associated risk factors can help understand their association at the district level across India. Methods Data on ARIs in children under 5 years and household variables (unclean fuel, improved sanitation, mean maternal BMI, mean household size, mean number of children, median months of breastfeeding the children, percentage of poor households, diarrhea in children, low birth weight, tobacco use, and immunization status of children) were obtained from the National Family Health Survey-4. Surface and ground-monitored PM2.5 and PM10 datasets were collected from the Global Estimates and National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme. Population density and illiteracy data were extracted from the Census of India. The geographic information system was used for mapping, and ARI hotspots were identified using the Getis-Ord Gi* spatial statistic. The quasi-Poisson regression model was used to estimate the association between ARI and household, children, maternal, environmental, and demographic factors. Results Acute respiratory infections hotspots were predominantly seen in the north Indian states/UTs of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and Chandigarh, and also in the border districts of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir. There is a substantial overlap among PM2.5, PM10, population density, tobacco smoking, and unclean fuel use with hotspots of ARI. The quasi-Poisson regression analysis showed that PM2.5, illiteracy levels, diarrhea in children, and maternal body mass index were associated with ARI. Conclusion To decrease ARI in children, urgent interventions are required to reduce the levels of PM2.5 and PM10 (major environmental pollutants) in the hotspot districts. Furthermore, improving sanitation, literacy levels, using clean cooking fuel, and curbing indoor smoking may minimize the risk of ARI in children.
Identification and drug metabolic characterization of four new CYP2C9 variants CYP2C9*72-*75 in the Chinese Han population

Cytochrome 2C9 (CYP2C9), one of the most important drug metabolic enzymes in the human hepatic P450 superfamily, is required for the metabolism of 15% of clinical drugs. Similar to other CYP2C family members, CYP2C9 gene has a high genetic polymorphism which can cause significant racial and inter-individual differences in drug metabolic activity. To better understand the genetic distribution pattern of CYP2C9 in the Chinese Han population, 931 individuals were recruited and used for the genotyping in this study. As a result, seven synonymous and 14 non-synonymous variations were identified, of which 4 missense variants were designated as new alleles CYP2C9*72, *73, *74 and *75, resulting in the amino acid substitutions of A149V, R150C, Q214H and N418T, respectively. When expressed in insect cell microsomes, all four variants exhibited comparable protein expression levels to that of the wild-type CYP2C9 enzyme. However, drug metabolic activity analysis revealed that these variants exhibited significantly decreased catalytic activities toward three CYP2C9 specific probe drugs, as compared with that of the wild-type enzyme. These data indicate that the amino acid substitution in newly designated variants can cause reduced function of the enzyme and its clinical significance still needs further investigation in the future.
Role of adipocytokines in endometrial cancer progression

Endometrial cancer is considered a significant barrier to increasing life expectancy and remains one of the most common malignant cancers among women in many countries worldwide. The increasing mortality rates are potentially proportional to the increasing obesity incidence. Adipose tissue secretes numerous adipocytokines, which may play important roles in endometrial cancer progression. In this scenario, we describe the role of adipocytokines in cell proliferation, cell invasion, cell adhesion, inflammation, angiogenesis, and anti-apoptotic action. A better understanding of the mechanisms of these adipocytokines may open up new therapeutic avenues for women with endometrial cancer. In the future, larger prospective studies focusing on adipocytokines and specific inhibitors should be directed at preventing the rapidly increasing prevalence of gynecological malignancies.
Spurious causalities due to low temporal resolution: Towards detection of bidirectional coupling from time series

The detection of causal influences is a topical problem in time series analysis. A traditional approach is based on Granger causality and increasingly often used in very diverse fields. However, a principal possibility of spurious detection of a bidirectional coupling due to low sampling rate, noted by statisticians and econometricians, remains overlooked in physical research. With models widely used in physics, including linear oscillators and nonlinear chaotic maps, we show that spurious coupling characteristics can be rather large and one may even incorrectly identify directionality of a unidirectional coupling if a sampling interval is not small enough. To avoid erroneous conclusions, we suggest a practical test to distinguish between uni- and bi-directional couplings and illustrate it with mathematical systems and climatic data.
Perforating scleral vessels adjacent to myopic choroidal neovascularization achieved a poor outcome after intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy

Background This study aimed to summarize the features of perforating scleral vessels (PSVs) in patients with myopic choroidal neovascularization (CNV) (mCNV) using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and to identify the associations with the response after intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy. Methods A consecutive series of naïve patients who had mCNV and received intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy with a follow-up duration of 12 months or more were enrolled. The prevalence, location, and branches of PSVs were analyzed. Projection-resolved OCTA (PR-OCTA) was used to analyze the neovascular signals between CNV and PSVs. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT) were measured. The proportion of CMT change relative to baseline was used to assess therapeutic response. Results A total of 44 eyes from 42 patients with mCNV were enrolled. PSVs were identified in 41 out of 44 eyes. Branches were identified in the PSVs of 24 eyes (57.14%), and 20 eyes did not have PSV branches (47.62%). In eight eyes (18.18%), PSVs were adjacent to mCNV, and in 36 eyes (81.82%), PSVs were not adjacent to mCNV. After anti-VEGF therapy for mCNV, BCVA increased (F = 6.119, p < 0.001) and CMT decreased (F = 7.664, p < 0.001). In the eyes where PSVs were adjacent to mCNV, BCVA improvements (F = 7.649, p = 0.009) were poor, and changes in CMT were small. Conclusion The eyes with PSVs adjacent to mCNV showed poor therapeutic responses after intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy.