bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
First Report of the Hyperaccumulating Potential of Cadmium and Lead by Cleome rutidosperma DC. With a Brief Insight Into the Chemical Vocabulary of its Roots
Authors: Bhattacharya Ekta , Mandal Biswas Suparna 
Published: May 2022

Phytoremediation is gaining interest in recent years as it is a simple and effective strategy for heavy metal decontamination. The most straightforward strategy for successful heavy metal clean-up is searching for efficient hyperaccumulator species that grow naturally in contaminated sites. The present study, therefore, is the first detailed account of hyperaccumulator potentialities of a neglected and underutilized (NUS) species, Cleome rutidosperma DC. Hydroponic screening experiment against cadmium and lead revealed that even at 10 mg/kg concentration, it could accumulate 42.49 mg/kg of Cd and 27.79 mg/kg of Pb in shoots, while it could accumulate 134.71 mg/kg Cd and 491.35 mg/kg of Pb in its roots, and these values were significantly higher than those of the control plants. This plant could efficiently accumulate as high as 639.07 mg/kg of Cd, 8,726.03 mg/kg of Pb in its roots, while it could accumulate 752.83 mg/kg Cd and 3,732.64 mg/kg Pb in its shoots as evident from the pot experiments. In the case of Cd, there was no significant effect of toxicity on the phytophysiological parameters. But increasing concentrations of Pb did have toxic effects on the total chlorophyll content. This plant showed to have a BCF &gt;1 in most of the tested concentrations. At the highest treatment concentration, however, both the BCF and TF were found to be greater than 1. This indicated that C. rutidosperma can accumulate and translocate the heavy metals to its aerial parts when the metal concentration is extremely high, proving itself to be an efficient hyperaccumulator. In order to decode the chemical signals, this plant may emit through the roots to cope with stress; root exudates were collected, purified, and analyzed through GCMS. This revealed the presence of five major compounds, namely, palmitic acid, linoleic acid, oleic acid, campesterol, and stigmasterol, which mainly are metabolic markers for detoxification mechanisms triggered by various stresses. Therefore, based on this study, C. rutidosperma can be termed a potent hyperaccumulator and can further be exploited for remediation of other classes of environmental pollutants.
Predicting a Suitable Distribution Pattern of Dominant Tree Species in the Northwestern Sichuan Plateau Under Climate Change and Multi-Scenario Evaluation of Carbon Sink Potentials
Authors: Wang Guangjie , Han Xuemei , Yang Chen , Qian Jiangcheng 
Published: May 2022

Climate change threatens the global living environment, and afforestation-based carbon sequestration is an effective measure to relieve and adapt to climate changes. In this study, the ideal distribution patterns of Abies, Picea, Quercus, and Betula species in forests in Mao County, China, were simulated and predicted, respectively, using the maximum entropy niche model, MaxEnt. Afterward, suitable distribution patterns of the four dominant tree species under different scenarios were simulated by overlaying suitable distribution areas for each species. Subsequently, the total carbon sinks of the suitable distribution patterns were estimated by combining the biomass expansion factors (BEFs). The optimal scenario for carbon sequestration was found by comparing the total carbon sinks under different scenarios. By comparing the results with existing forest resources in Mao County, the maximum increase of the carbon sink potential was estimated. The results demonstrated the following: 1) the MaxEnt model has a good simulation effect and the average AUC of the four tree species is higher than 0.8, indicating that the potential distribution areas of the dominant tree species have relatively high accuracy in model simulation. 2) The suitable area size order of the four dominant tree species is Picea &gt; Abies &gt; Betula &gt; Quercus. The total suitable area is 295,593.28ha. The order of biomass of the four tree species per unit area is Abies &gt; Betula &gt; Picea &gt; Quercus. 3) When it is suitable to plant multiple tree species simultaneously, the planting combination mode of the trees was chosen according to biomass to obtain maximum carbon reserves. The carbon reserve of this combination mode was 15.81 Tg C. 4) Compared with existing forest resources, the maximum carbon reserve potential of the four dominant tree species can increase to 2.13 Tg C in the future. In this study, suitable distribution patterns and carbon sink potentials of the four dominant tree species in the northwestern Sichuan Plateau were analyzed and predicted. The results provided a reference for afforestation plans, tree species selection, and regional distribution layouts for future carbon sequestration projects in the plateaus. The study is beneficial for increasing economic benefits and the ecological value of forest carbon sinks in plateaus.
Exome Sequencing Data Analysis and a Case-Control Study in Mexican Population Reveals Lipid Trait Associations of New and Known Genetic Variants in Dyslipidemia-Associated Loci
Authors: Jurado-Camacho Pedro A. , Cid-Soto Miguel A. , Barajas-Olmos Francisco , García-Ortíz Humberto , Baca-Peynado Paulina , Martínez-Hernández Angélica , Centeno-Cruz Federico , Contreras-Cubas Cecilia , González-Villalpando María Elena , Saldaña-Álvarez Yolanda , Salas-Martinez Guadalupe , Mendoza-Caamal Elvia C. , González-Villalpando Clicerio , Córdova Emilio J. , Orozco Lorena 
Published: May 2022

Background: Plasma lipid levels are a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Although international efforts have identified a group of loci associated with the risk of dyslipidemia, Latin American populations have been underrepresented in these studies.Objective: To know the genetic variation occurring in lipid-related loci in the Mexican population and its association with dyslipidemia.Methods: We searched for single-nucleotide variants in 177 lipid candidate genes using previously published exome sequencing data from 2838 Mexican individuals belonging to three different cohorts. With the extracted variants, we performed a case-control study. Logistic regression and quantitative trait analyses were implemented in PLINK software. We used an LD pruning using a 50-kb sliding window size, a 5-kb window step size and a r2 threshold of 0.1.Results: Among the 34251 biallelic variants identified in our sample population, 33% showed low frequency. For case-control study, we selected 2521 variants based on a minor allele frequency ≥1% in all datasets. We found 19 variants in 9 genes significantly associated with at least one lipid trait, with the most significant associations found in the APOA1/C3/A4/A5-ZPR1-BUD13 gene cluster on chromosome 11. Notably, all 11 variants associated with hypertriglyceridemia were within this cluster; whereas variants associated with hypercholesterolemia were located at chromosome 2 and 19, and for low high density lipoprotein cholesterol were in chromosomes 9, 11, and 19. No significant associated variants were found for low density lipoprotein. We found several novel variants associated with different lipemic traits: rs3825041 in BUD13 with hypertriglyceridemia, rs7252453 in CILP2 with decreased risk to hypercholesterolemia and rs11076176 in CETP with increased risk to low high density lipoprotein cholesterol.Conclusions: We identified novel variants in lipid-regulation candidate genes in the Mexican population, an underrepresented population in genomic studies, demonstrating the necessity of more genomic studies on multi-ethnic populations to gain a deeper understanding of the genetic structure of the lipemic traits.
Biological and Clinicopathological Characteristics of OPN in Cervical Cancers
Authors: Qin Shuhang , Yi Li , Liang Yanchun , Chen Yili , Wang Wei , Liao Yuandong , Zhang Chunyu , Huang Hua , Huang Jiaming , Yao Shuzhong 
Published: May 2022

Background: Cervical cancer (CC) is the most common gynecological malignancy. Recently, an increasing number of studies have indicated that osteopontin (OPN) is a promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for CC. However, the biological role and detailed mechanism of OPN in CC remain unclear.Methods: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets and a clinical sample microarray were used in our study. To identify the clinicopathological characteristics of OPN in CC, we compared the expression of OPN between normal and CC tissue samples and analyzed the correlations between OPN expression and multiple clinicopathological features. To identify biological processes involving OPN, OPN-associated genes were screened with Pearson correlation analysis and applied in hallmark gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Additionally, leukocyte infiltration was evaluated based on OPN expression. Finally, OPN-related signaling pathways were identified by GSEA.Results: OPN expression was higher in CC samples than in normal tissue samples and positively correlated with age, FIGO stage, tumor size, lymphovascular invasion and an unfavorable prognosis. OPN-associated genes were mainly enriched in the immune response, and increased OPN expression was accompanied by increased M2 macrophage infiltration. Additionally, OPN was correlated with hypoxia, high glycolytic metabolism, apoptosis, angiogenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and multiple signaling pathways (the p53 pathway, the PI3K/Akt pathway, IL6/STAT3 signaling, mTORC1 signaling and KRAS signaling).Conclusion: Our study showed that OPN is involved in immunological activities and multiple tumor processes, identifying it as a potential therapeutic target and useful prognostic factor in CC patients.
Identification and Expression Analysis of Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinases Gene Family in Potato Under Drought Stress
Authors: Dekomah Simon Dontoro , Wang Yihao , Qin Tianyuan , Xu Derong , Sun Chao , Yao Panfeng , Liu Yuhui , Bi Zhenzhen , Bai Jiangping 
Published: May 2022

Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) are a class of serine/threonine protein kinases encoded by several gene families that play key roles in stress response and plant growth and development. In this study, the BLAST method was used to search for protein sequences of the potato Calcium-dependent protein kinase gene family. The chromosome location, phylogeny, gene structures, gene duplication, cis-acting elements, protein-protein interaction, and expression profiles were analyzed. Twenty-five CDPK genes in the potato genome were identified based on RNA-seq data and were clustered into four groups (I-IV) based on their structural features and phylogenetic analysis. The result showed the composition of the promoter region of the StCDPKs gene, including light-responsive elements such as Box4, hormone-responsive elements such as ABRE, and stress-responsive elements such as MBS. Four pairs of segmental duplications were found in StCDPKs genes and the Ka/Ks ratios were below 1, indicating a purifying selection of the genes. The protein-protein interaction network revealed defense-related proteins such as; respiratory burst oxidase homologs (RBOHs) interacting with potato CDPKs. Transcript abundance was measured via RT-PCR between the two cultivars and their relative expression of CDPK genes was analyzed after 15, 20, and 25 days of drought. There were varied expression patterns of StCDPK3/13/21 and 23, between the two potato cultivars under mannitol induced-drought conditions. Correlation analysis showed that StCDPK21/22 and StCDPK3 may be the major differentially expressed genes involved in the regulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) and proline content in response to drought stress, opening a new research direction for genetic improvement of drought resistance in potato.
Gpr174 Knockout Alleviates DSS-Induced Colitis via Regulating the Immune Function of Dendritic Cells
Authors: Wei Wei , Mu Sucheng , Han Yi , Chen Yao , Kuang Zhongshu , Wu Xingyue , Luo Yue , Tong Chaoyang , Zhang Yiqun , Yang Yilin , Song Zhenju 
Published: May 2022

BackgroundDysfunction of the immune system would disturb the intestinal homeostasis and lead to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Dendritic cells (DCs) help maintain intestinal homeostasis and immediately respond to pathogens or injuries once the mucosa barriers are destroyed during IBD. G protein-coupled receptors(GPR)174 is an essential regulator of immunity that is widely expressed in most immune cells, including DCs. However, the role of GPR174 in regulating the immune function of DC in colitis has not been investigated.MethodsDextran sodium sulfate (DSS) was administered to establish the mice colitis model. Data of weight, length of colon, disease activity index (DAI), and macroscopic scores were collected. The flow cytometry was used to detect the infiltrations of T cells and DCs, the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of CD80, CD86, CD40, and major histocompatibility complex-II (MHC-II). And T cells proliferataion was measured by carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE). The expression of cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin -4 (IL-4)) and GPR174 mRNA were measured by Elisa, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and immunofluorescence. RNA of bone-marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) was extracted for sequencing. Adoptive transfer of BMDCs was administrated intravenously.ResultsGpr174-/- mice exposed to 3% DSS showed significant alleviation characterized by reduced loss of weight, more minor colon damage, and better DAI and macroscopic scores. The expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6) decreased, while anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) increased compared with WT mice. In vitro, Gpr174-/- BMDCs showed less maturity, with a declined expression of MHC-II, CD80, CD86 and reduced TNF-α, higher IL-10 after LPS stimulation. Gpr174-/- BMDCs were less capable of activating OT-II naïve CD4+ T cells than WT BMDCs and induced more Th0 cells to differentiate into Treg while less into Th1. Furthermore, the transcriptome sequencing analysis exhibited that Gpr174 participated in TNF-α (NF-κB) signaling, leukocyte transendothelial migration, and Th1/Th2 cell differentiation pathways. Adoptive transfer of Gpr174-/- BMDCs to WT mice ameliorated DSS-induced colitis.ConclusionOur study indicated that GPR174 was involved in the pathogenesis of IBD by regulating the maturation of the dendritic cells to maintain immune homeostasis. TNF-α (NF-κB) signaling pathway, leukocyte transendothelial migration, and Th1/Th2 cell differentiation pathways may be the target pathway.
Evaluation of the Relationship Between Aniseikonia and Stereopsis Using a New Method
Authors: Xu Lingxian , Liu Lu , Wu Huang 
Published: May 2022

PurposeTo investigate the influence of induced aniseikonia on stereopsis measured by contour-based and random-dot-based stereograms using a new method.MethodsUnlike previous studies in which aniseikonia was induced using magnifiers, which potentially influenced the position of the test symbols in the half-view, here the image was magnified while maintaining each test symbol’s central position within the half-view. A phoropter and two 4K smartphones were used to measure stereopsis in seventeen young adults aged 20–28 years old. Stereopsis was tested using both contour-based and random-dot-based stereograms under overall or meridional aniseikonia with magnifications ranging from 2.5 to 30%. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to evaluate the effect of aniseikonia on stereopsis.ResultsStereopsis decreased with an increase in aniseikonia magnification in the overall, horizontal, and vertical directions. Stereopsis values (log arcsec) increased from 1.29 ± 0.14 at baseline to 2.38 ± 0.16 with 30% overall aniseikonia of contour-based stereograms. In random-dot based stereograms, stereopsis values increased from 1.29 ± 0.16 at baseline to 2.24 ± 0.23 with 22.5% overall aniseikonia. Overall aniseikonia caused a significantly greater impairment on stereopsis as compared with the changes in meridional directions. In contour-based stereograms, vertical aniseikonia had significantly less impact on stereopsis than horizontal aniseikonia of identical magnification. The opposite phenomenon was found in random-dot-based stereograms.ConclusionStereopsis decreased with an increase of magnification of induced aniseikonia. Magnifying patterns (overall, horizontal, or vertical) also significantly affected stereopsis. The conflicting impact of meridional aniseikonia on stereopsis measured by contour-based and random-dot-based stereograms may be associated with the uniqueness of the two test systems.
Highly Efficient Methods to Culture Mouse Cholangiocytes and Small Intestine Organoids
Authors: Chen Wenyi , Yao Qigu , Wang Ruo , Fen Bing , Chen Junyao , Xu Yanping , Yu Jiong , Li Lanjuan , Cao Hongcui 
Published: May 2022

BackgroundOrganoids, which enable disease modeling and drug screening closer to an in vivo environment, can be isolated and grown from organs such as the brain, small intestine, kidney, lungs, and liver. To facilitate the establishment of liver and small intestinal organoids, we developed efficient protocols for cholangiocytes and intestine crypts collecting and organoid culturing.MethodsCholangiocytes were collected from intrahepatic bile ducts, the gallbladder, and small intestine crypts by gravity settling and multistep centrifugation methods. The cells isolated were embedded with Matrigel and grew in three-dimensional spheroids in a suitable culture medium. The stability of organoid cells was assessed by subculture, cryopreservation, and thawing. RNA and DNA extraction of organoids, as well as immunostaining procedure, were also optimized. Hand-picking procedures were developed and performed to ensure similar growth characteristics of organoids.ResultsA large number of cholangiocytes and small intestine crypts were collected under these protocols. Cholangiocytes developed into cyst-like structures after 3–4 days in Matrigel. After 1–2 weeks of cultivation, small intestinal organoids (in-orgs) developed buds and formed a mature structure. Compared to organoids derived from the gallbladder, cholangiocyte organoids (Cho-orgs) from intrahepatic the bile ducts grew more slowly but had a longer culture term, expressed the cholangiocytes markers Krt19 and Krt7, and recapitulated in vivo tissue organization.ConclusionsOur protocols simplified the cell collection procedure and avoided the possibility of exposing tissue-derived stem cells to mechanical damage or chemical injury by gravity settling and multistep centrifugation. In addition, our approach allowed similar growth characteristics of organoids from different mammalian tissue sources. The protocol requires 2–4 weeks to establish a stable organoid growth system. Organoids could be stably passaged, cryopreserved, and recovered under protocol guidance. Besides, the organoids of cholangiocytes and small intestines retained their original tissue characteristics, such as tissue-specific marker expression, which prepares them for further experiments such as preclinical in vitro trials and mechanism research studies.
SMARCC1 Enters the Nucleus via KPNA2 and Plays an Oncogenic Role in Bladder Cancer
Authors: Wei Zhengmao , Xu Jinming , Li Weiqing , Ou Longhua , Zhou Yingchen , Wang Yan , Shi Bentao 
Published: May 2022

Background: SWI/SNF-related, matrix-associated, actin-dependent regulator of chromatin subfamily C member 1 (SMARCC1), a component of the SWI/SNF complex, is thought to be an oncogene in several kinds of cancer.Materials and methods: The potential interaction between SMARCC1 and KPNA2 was inquired by Spearman’s correlation analysis, immunofluorescence staining and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assays. The immunohistochemistry staining, RT-PCR and western blot assay were taken for determining the expression levels of SMARCC1. And CCK-8, transwell assay, cell apoptosis assay, cell cycle analysis and subcutaneous tumor model were conducted to explore the role of SMARCC1 in carcinogenesis of bladder cancer.Results: In our experiments, Spearman’s correlation analysis, immunofluorescence staining and co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assays showed that SMARCC1 interacted with KPNA2, and after knockdown of KPNA2, Nup50 and Nup153, the nuclear content of SMARCC1 decreased while the amount of SMARCC1 protein remaining in the cytoplasm increased, indicating that SMARCC1 could be transported into the nucleus via KPNA2 and thus acted as an oncogene. We found that both the mRNA and protein expression levels of SMARCC1 were increased in bladder cancer, and increased SMARCC1 expression was significantly associated with a higher T stage and poorer prognosis in bladder cancer patients. Knockdown of SMARCC1 slowed the growth of the two tested cell lines and clearly arrested the cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase checkpoint. Moreover, the migratory ability was significantly decreased and the number of apoptotic cells was increased.Conclusion: On the whole, our results demonstrate KPNA2, Nup50 and Nup153 regulate the process of SMARCC1 nuclear translocation in BC. SMARCC1 may be a competent candidate as a diagnostic and therapeutic target for BC. Further studies are required to research the mechanism and assess the role of SMARCC1 in vivo.
Development of Nutrition Literacy Scale for Middle School Students in Chongqing, China: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Wang Tiankun , Zeng Mao , Xie Changxiao , Zhu Yuzhao , Shi Zumin , Sharma Manoj , Zhao Yong 
Published: May 2022

BackgroundInformation on nutrition literacy of middle schoolers is limited and tools for measuring nutrition literacy of middle schoolers are inadequate. Nutrition literacy has a positive effect on health. Improving children's nutrition literacy can help them to master the necessary nutritional knowledge, develop a healthy lifestyle, and learn to supplement nutrition according to their own needs for healthy growth.ObjectivesTo develop the Chongqing Middle school student Nutrition Literacy Scale (CM-NLS).MethodsThree experiments were conducted. A theoretical framework and an initial item pool of CM-NLS were established based on the literature review. And the two-round Delphi method was used to explore the suitable acceptance indicators and items. Item evaluation and reduction were performed using the classical test theory. Then, the items in the final CM-NLS were tested for their validity and reliability amongst 462 middle school students. The construct validity was assessed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The internal consistency reliability and split-half reliability were evaluated using Cronbach's alpha coefficients.ResultsThe final CM-NLS consisting of 52 items that were based on three primary items (functional, interactive and critical) and six sub-items (obtain, understand, apply, interact, medial literacy and critical skill) was developed and validated. EFA suggested six factors explaining 69.44% of the total variance (Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin test = 0.916, Bartlett's test χ2 = 5,854.037, P &lt; 0.001). CFA showed that the model fit the data adequately, with χ2/df = 1.911, root mean square error of approximation = 0.063, goodness-of-fit index = 0.822 and adjusted goodness of fit index = 0.790. The total CM-NLS Cronbach's alpha values of internal consistency and split-half reliability were 0.849 and 0.521, respectively, with reasonable reliability.ConclusionsCM-NLS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing nutrition literacy among middle school students in Chongqing. Specifically, it could be used by practitioners for needs assessment before the implementation of a nutrition education program.