TaSINA2B, interacting with TaSINA1D, positively regulates drought tolerance and root growth in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is an important food crop mainly grown in arid and semiarid regions worldwide, whose productivity is severely limited by drought stress. Although various E3 ubiquitin (Ub) ligases regulate drought stress, only a few SINA-type E3 Ub ligases are known to participate in such responses. Herein, we identified and cloned 15 TaSINAs from wheat. The transcription level of TaSINA2B was highly induced by drought, osmotic and abscisic acid treatments. Two-type promoters of TaSINA2B were found in 192 wheat accessions; furthermore wheat accessions with promoter TaSINA2BII showed a considerably higher level of drought tolerance and gene expression levels than those characterizing accessions with promoter TaSINA2BI that was mainly caused by a 64 bp insertion in its promoter. Enhanced drought tolerance of TaSINA2B-overexpressing (OE) transgenic wheat lines was found to be associated with root growth promotion. Further, an interaction between TaSINA2B and TaSINA1D was detected through yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays. And TaSINA1D-OE transgenic wheat lines showed similar drought tolerance and root growth phenotype to those observed when TaSINA2B was overexpressed. Therefore, the variation of TaSINA2B promoter contributed to the drought stress regulation, while TaSINA2B, interacting with TaSINA1D, positively regulated drought tolerance by promoting root growth.

Inhibitory receptor CD47 binding to plasma TSP1 suppresses NK-cell IFN-γ production via activating the JAK/STAT3 pathway during HIV infection

BACKGROUND

Natural killer (NK) cells play an important first-line role against tumour and viral infections and are regulated by inhibitory receptor expression. Among these inhibitory receptors, the expression, function, and mechanism of cluster of differentiation 47 (CD47) on NK cells during human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection remain unclear.

METHODS

Fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected from people living with HIV (PLWH) and HIV negative controls (NC) subjects. Soluble ligand expression levels of CD47 were measured using ELISA. HIV viral proteins or Toll-like receptor 7/8 (TLR7/8) agonist was used to investigate the mechanisms underlying the upregulation of CD47 expression. The effect of CD47 on NK cell activation, proliferation, and function were evaluated by flow cytometry. RNA-seq was used to identify downstream pathways for CD47 and its ligand interactions. A small molecule inhibitor was used to restore the inhibition of NK cell function by CD47 signalling.

RESULTS

CD47 expression was highly upregulated on the NK cells from PLWH, which could be due to activation of the Toll-like receptor 7/8 (TLR7/8) pathway. Compared with NC subjects, PLWH subjects exhibited elevated levels of CD47 ligands, thrombospondin-1 (TSP1), and counter ligand signal regulatory protein-α (SIRPα). The TSP1-CD47 axis drives the suppression of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) production and the activation of the Janus kinase signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) pathway in NK cells. After treatment with a STAT3 inhibitor, the NK cells from PLWH showed significantly improved IFN-γ production.

CONCLUSIONS

The current data indicate that the binding of the inhibitory receptor CD47 to plasma TSP1 suppresses NK cell IFN-γ production by activating the JAK/STAT3 pathway during HIV infection. Our results suggest that CD47 and its related signalling pathways could be targets for improving NK cell function in people living with HIV.

Stable and Fast Deep Mutual Information Maximization Based on Wasserstein Distance

Deep learning is one of the most exciting and promising techniques in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), which drives AI applications to be more intelligent and comprehensive. However, existing deep learning techniques usually require a large amount of expensive labeled data, which limit the application and development of deep learning techniques, and thus it is imperative to study unsupervised machine learning. The learning of deep representations by mutual information estimation and maximization (Deep InfoMax or DIM) method has achieved unprecedented results in the field of unsupervised learning. However, in the DIM method, to restrict the encoder to learn more normalized feature representations, an adversarial network learning method is used to make the encoder output consistent with a priori positively distributed data. As we know, the model training of the adversarial network learning method is difficult to converge, because there is a logarithmic function in the loss function of the cross-entropy measure, and the gradient of the model parameters is susceptible to the "gradient explosion" or "gradient disappearance" phenomena, which makes the training of the DIM method extremely unstable. In this regard, we propose a Wasserstein distance-based DIM method to solve the stability problem of model training, and our method is called the WDIM. Subsequently, the training stability of the WDIM method and the classification ability of unsupervised learning are verified on the CIFAR10, CIFAR100, and STL10 datasets. The experiments show that our proposed WDIM method is more stable to parameter updates, has faster model convergence, and at the same time, has almost the same accuracy as the DIM method on the classification task of unsupervised learning. Finally, we also propose a reflection of future research for the WDIM method, aiming to provide a research idea and direction for solving the image classification task with unsupervised learning.

A Hierarchical Control Strategy for a Rigid-Flexible Coupled Hexapod Bio-Robot

The motion process of legged robots contains not only rigid-body motion but also flexible motion with elastic deformation of the legs, especially for heavy loads. Hence, the characteristics of the flexible components and their interactions with the rigid components need to be considered. In this paper, a hierarchical control strategy for robots with rigid-flexible coupling characteristics is proposed. This strategy involves (1) leg force prediction based on real-time motion trajectories and feedforward compensation for the error caused by flexible components; (2) building upon the centroid dynamics model of the rigid-body chassis, the centroid trajectories (centroid angular momentum (CAM) and centroid linear momentum (CLM)) and the body trajectory are taken into account to derive the optimal drive torque for maintaining body stability; (3) finally, the precise force control of the hydraulic drive units is achieved through the sliding mode control algorithm, integrating the dynamic model of the flexible legs. The proposed methods are validated on a giant hexapod robot weighing 3.5 tons, demonstrating that the introduced approach can reduce the robot's vibrations.

Development and application of a competitive ELISA for the detection of antibodies against Salmonella Abortusequi in equids

The high abortion rate associated with Salmonella Abortusequi (S. Abortusequi) infection in equids has re-emerged over the past 10 years and has caused serious economic losses to China. Our previous studies showed that the flagellin FljB gene could distinguish S. Abortusequi from most Salmonella serotypes. In this study, the flagellin antigen was used to develop a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) that could be used to detect both horse and donkey serum samples using a monoclonal antibody (MAb) that was found to bind to FljB. A cELISA was established using the purified MAb coating of the plate and incubation of the mixture of horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-conjugated FljB antigen with the undiluted serum sample. The performance of the cELISA and the tube agglutination test (TAT) assay was compared with respect to sensitivity and specificity, by testing a panel containing 660 S. Abortusequi-positive and 515 S. Abortusequi-negative serum samples, all of which had been characterized by Western blotting. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed to determine the cutoff value and estimate the detection specificity (Sp) and sensitivity (Se). ROC analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) values of cELISA [AUC = 0.9941; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.9898-0.9984] were higher than those of TAT (AUC = 0.7705; 95% Cl, 0.7437-0.7972). A cutoff value of 39.5% was selected with Sp and Se values of 100 (95% Cl, 99.26-100.00) and 97.58 (95% Cl, 96.10-98.50), respectively. The cELISA has excellent futures compared with TAT, such as shortened detection time, no need for pre-treatment of sera, and easy interpretation of the results, and is more suitable for disease surveillance.

Evaluation of Augmented Reality Surgical Navigation in Percutaneous Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy: Clinical Study

BACKGROUND

The puncture procedure in percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) is non-visual, and the learning curve for PELD is steep.

METHODS

An augmented reality surgical navigation (ARSN) system was designed and utilized in PELD. The system possesses three core functionalities: augmented reality (AR) radiograph overlay, AR puncture needle real-time tracking, and AR navigation. We conducted a prospective randomized controlled trial to evaluate its feasibility and effectiveness. A total of 20 patients with lumbar disc herniation treated with PELD were analyzed. Of these, 10 patients were treated with the guidance of ARSN (ARSN group). The remaining 10 patients were treated using C-arm fluoroscopy guidance (control group).

RESULTS

The AR radiographs and AR puncture needle were successfully superimposed on the intraoperative videos. The anteroposterior and lateral AR tracking distance errors were 1.55 ± 0.17 mm and 1.78 ± 0.21 mm. The ARSN group exhibited a significant reduction in both the number of puncture attempts (2.0 ± 0.4 vs. 6.9 ± 0.5, p = 0.000) and the number of fluoroscopies (10.6 ± 0.9 vs. 18.5 ± 1.6, p = 0.000) compared with the control group. Complications were not observed in either group.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that the clinical application of the ARSN system in PELD is effective and feasible.

Aqueous Extract of Brassica rapa L.'s Impact on Modulating Exercise-Induced Fatigue via Gut-Muscle Axis

Exercise-induced fatigue is a common physiological response to prolonged physical activity, often associated with changes in gut microbiota and metabolic responses. This study investigates the potential role of Brassica rapa L. in modulating these responses. Using an animal model subjected to chronic exercise-induced stress, we explored the effects of Brassica rapa L. on fatigue-related biomarkers, energy metabolism genes, inflammatory responses, intestinal integrity, and gut microbiota composition. Our findings revealed that Brassica rapa L. exhibits significant antioxidant activity and effectively modulates physiological responses to fatigue. It influences gene expression related to the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle in muscle tissue through the AMPK/PGC-1α/TFAM signaling pathway. Furthermore, Brassica rapa L. has been found to alleviate inflammation by inhibiting lipopolysaccharide (LPS) infection and suppressing the activation of the NF-κB pathway. It also maintains intestinal integrity and controls Gram-negative bacterial growth. A correlation analysis identified several pathogenic bacteria linked with inflammation and energy metabolism, as well as beneficial probiotic bacteria associated with improved energy metabolism and reduced inflammation. These findings underscore Brassica rapa L.'s potential for managing prolonged exercise-induced fatigue, paving the way for future therapeutic applications. The results highlight its impact on gut microbiota modulation and its role in nutrition science and sports medicine.

Phycobiliproteins from microalgae: research progress in sustainable production and extraction processes

Phycobiliproteins (PBPs), one of the functional proteins from algae, are natural pigment-protein complex containing various amino acids and phycobilins. It has various activities, such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. And are potential for applications in food, cosmetics, and biomedicine. Improving their metabolic yield is of great interest. Microalgaes are one of the important sources of PBPs, with high growth rate and have the potential for large-scale production. The key to large-scale PBPs production depends on accumulation and recovery of massive productive alga in the upstream stage and the efficiency of microalgae cells breakup and extract PBPs in the downstream stage. Therefore, we reviewed the status quo in the research and development of PBPs production, summarized the advances in each stage and the feasibility of scaled-up production, and demonstrated challenges and future directions in this field.

High-Temperature Failure Evolution Analysis of K-Type Film Thermocouples

Ni90%Cr10% and Ni97%Si3% thin-film thermocouples (TFTCs) were fabricated on a silicon substrate using magnetron sputtering technology. Static calibration yielded a Seebeck coefficient of 23.00 μV/°C. During staged temperature elevation of the TFTCs while continuously monitoring their thermoelectric output, a rapid decline in thermoelectric potential was observed upon the hot junction reaching 600 °C; the device had failed. Through three cycles of repetitive static calibration tests ranging from room temperature to 500 °C, it was observed that the thermoelectric performance of the TFTCs deteriorated as the testing progressed. Utilizing the same methodology, Ni-Cr and Ni-Si thin films corresponding to the positive and negative electrodes of the TFTCs were prepared. Their resistivity after undergoing various temperature annealing treatments was measured. Additionally, their surfaces were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The causes behind the decline in thermoelectric performance at elevated temperatures were analyzed from both chemical composition and microstructural perspectives.

The correlation between gut microbiome and atrial fibrillation: pathophysiology and therapeutic perspectives

Regulation of gut microbiota and its impact on human health is the theme of intensive research. The incidence and prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) are continuously escalating as the global population ages and chronic disease survival rates increase; however, the mechanisms are not entirely clarified. It is gaining awareness that alterations in the assembly, structure, and dynamics of gut microbiota are intimately engaged in the AF progression. Owing to advancements in next-generation sequencing technologies and computational strategies, researchers can explore novel linkages with the genomes, transcriptomes, proteomes, and metabolomes through parallel meta-omics approaches, rendering a panoramic view of the culture-independent microbial investigation. In this review, we summarized the evidence for a bidirectional correlation between AF and the gut microbiome. Furthermore, we proposed the concept of "gut-immune-heart" axis and addressed the direct and indirect causal roots between the gut microbiome and AF. The intricate relationship was unveiled to generate innovative microbiota-based preventive and therapeutic interventions, which shed light on a definite direction for future experiments.

Pueraria thomsonii Radix Water Extract Alleviate Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in db/db Mice through Comprehensive Regulation of Metabolism and Gut Microbiota

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an increasingly prevalent and serious health problem. Its onset is typically associated with metabolic disorders and disturbances in the gut microbiota. Previous studies have reported the anti-T2DM effects of Pueraria thomsonii Radix as a functional food. However, the mechanism of action is still unknown. In this study, rich polyphenols and polysaccharides from Pueraria Thomsonii Radix water extract (PTR) were quantitatively determined, and then the effects of PTR on db/db mice were evaluated by pharmacology, metabolomics, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results showed that PTR could alleviate pancreatic tissue damage, significantly decrease fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting serum insulin (FINS), homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), urinary glucose (UGLU), and urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR). Metabolomics showed that the Diabetes Control (DM) group produced 109 differential metabolites, of which 74 could be regulated by PTR. In addition, 16S rRNA sequencing was performed in fecal samples and results showed that PTR could reduce the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes(F/B) ratio and regulate three beneficial bacteria and one harmful bacterium. In conclusion, the results showed that PTR could ameliorate the T2DM symptoms, metabolic disorder, and gut microbiota imbalance of db/db mice, and it was superior to metformin in some aspects. We suggested for the first time that γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) may be involved in the regulation of the microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGB) and thus affects the metabolic disorders associated with T2DM. This study will provide a scientific basis for the development of functional food with PTR.

Rapid Colloidal Gold Immunoassay for Pharmacokinetic Evaluation of Vancomycin in the Cerebrospinal Fluid and Plasma of Beagle Dogs

Vancomycin (VAN), a glycopeptide antibiotic, is the preferred therapeutic agent for treating Gram-positive bacteria. Rapid and precise quantification of VAN levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma is crucial for optimized drug administration, particularly among elderly patients. Herein, we introduce a novel clinical test strip utilizing colloidal gold competitive immunoassay technology for the expedient detection of VAN. This test strip enables the detection of VAN concentrations in clinical samples such as plasma within 10 min and has a limit of detection of 10.3 ng/mL, with an inhibitory concentration 50% (IC50) value of 44.5 ng/mL. Furthermore, we used the test strip for pharmacokinetic analysis of VAN in the CSF and plasma of beagle dogs. Our results provide valuable insights into the fluctuations of the drug concentration in the CSF and plasma over a 24 h period after a single intravenous dose of 12 mg/kg. The test strip results were compared with the results obtained via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry methods, and the measured VAN concentrations in the CSF and plasma via both of the methods showed excellent agreement.

Generation of Rh D-negative blood using CRISPR/Cas9

Blood supply shortages, especially the shortage of rare blood types, threaten the current medical system. Research on stem cells has shed light on in vitro blood cell manufacturing. The in vitro production of universal red blood cells (RBCs) from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has become the focus of transfusion medicine. To obtain O-type Rh D-negative blood, we developed O-type Rh D-negative human (h)iPSCs using homology-directed repair (HDR)-based CRISPR/Cas9. HuAiPSCs derived from human umbilical arterial endothelial cells and showing haematopoietic differentiation preferences were selected for gene modification. Guide RNAs (gRNAs) were selected, and a donor template flanked by gRNA-directed homologous arms was set to introduce a premature stop code to RHD exon 2. CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing has resulted in the successful generation of an RHD knockout cell line. The HuAiPSC-A1-RHD-/- cell line was differentiated into haematopoietic stem/progenitor cells and subsequently into erythrocytes in the oxygen concentration-optimized differentiation scheme. HuAiPSC-A1-RHD-/- derived erythrocytes remained positive for the RBC markers CD71 and CD235a. These erythrocytes did not express D antigen and did not agglutinate in the presence of anti-Rh D reagents. In conclusion, taking the priority of haematopoietic preference hiPSCs, the HDR-based CRISPR/Cas9 system and optimizing the erythroid-lineage differentiation protocol, we first generated O-type Rh D-negative universal erythrocytes from RHD knockout HuAiPSCs. Its production is highly efficient and shows great potential for clinical applications.

Repellent effects of Chinese cinnamon oil on nymphal ticks of Haemaphysalis longicornis, Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides, and Hyalomma asiaticum

The repellent activity of Chinese cinnamon oil (Cinnamomum cassia) on nymphal ticks (Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann, Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides Supino, and Hyalomma asiaticum Schulze and Schlottke) was evaluated in a sample Y-tube bioassay. The results were based on the vertical migration of ticks during the host-seek phase and showed a dose-dependent repellent effect of Chinese cinnamon oil on the tested nymphs after 6 h. For H. longicornis, R. haemaphysaloides, and H. asiaticum at the concentrations (vol/vol) of 3, 3, and 1.5%, the repellent percentages over time were 68-97, 69-94, and 69-93%, respectively, which indicated strong repellent activities against ticks, similar to the positive control DEET (N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide). Chinese cinnamon oil exerted the strongest effect on H. asiaticum nymphs. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the repellent effects of Chinese cinnamon oil on ticks. Chinese cinnamon oil has considerable potential and should be developed as a practical tick repellent.

Thyroid function test abnormalities-isolated TPOAb+, SCH and hypothyroxinemia and preschool children's neurodevelopment

OBJECTIVE

Thyroid function test abnormalities are frequent and associated with the offspring's adverse neurodevelopment. This study aimed to examine the relationship between maternal thyroid function test abnormalities before 20 gestational weeks and children's cognitive, emotional and behavioural development at 3-6 years of age.

PATIENTS AND MEASUREMENTS

A total of 2243 mother-child pairs were included in the final analysis. Maternal thyroid function was evaluated retrospectively during the children's preschool period. The serum thyrotrophin, free thyroxine and thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) were detected by chemiluminescence immunoassay during the follow-up period. The neurodevelopmental status of preschoolers aged 3-6 years was evaluated by parental versions of The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool and The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires. The associations between maternal thyroid function test abnormalities and preschoolers' neurodevelopment were examined using Poisson regression models.

RESULTS

After adjusting for potential confounders in Poisson regression analyses, it showed that maternal isolated TPOAb positivity before 20 gestational weeks may be associated with the increased risk of abnormalities in peer problems (odds ratio [OR] = 1.90, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.26, 287). Maternal isolated SCH before 20 gestational weeks was observed to be related with increased risk of abnormalities in inhibition (OR = 2.73, 95% CI: 1.37, 5.41), working memory (OR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.04, 2.70), conduct problems (OR = 1.80, 95% CI: 1.05, 3.09), hyperactivity (OR = 1.94, 95% CI:1.08, 3.49) and total difficulties (OR = 1.94, 95% CI: 1.13, 3.34). Maternal isolated hypothyroxinemia before 20 gestational was observed to be related with increased risk of abnormalities in peer problems (OR = 2.71, 95% CI: 1.17, 6.27).

CONCLUSIONS

Thyroid function test abnormalities before 20 gestational weeks may be associated with children's neurodevelopment at 3-6 years of age.

Comparing the clinical value of baseline [68 Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT and [18F]F-FDG PET/CT in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: additional prognostic value of the distal pancreatitis

PURPOSE

Anatomical and molecular staging strategies are needed for the personalized treatment of localized pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). This study evaluated the performance of [68 Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 and [18F]F-FDG PET/CT on the disease staging and prognostic value of patients with localized PDAC on contrast-enhanced (CE)-CT images.

METHODS

Patients with suspected localized PDAC on CE-CT were recruited for static [68 Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 and 18[F]F-FDG and PET/CT, and select patients underwent simultaneous 60-min dynamic 68 Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT. The diagnostic and staging performances of the static PET/CT results were evaluated by delineating regions of interest in the primary tumor, whole pancreas, and distal pancreas in both types of scans and then evaluating correlations between the PET/CT findings and clinicopathological characteristics. Furthermore, Kaplan-Meier and hazard ratio (log-rank) methods were used to evaluate the prognostic value of the combined dynamic [68 Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 and static [18F]F-FDG PET/CT method.

RESULTS

We included 49 patients with histologically confirmed PDAC adenocarcinomas; 32 underwent 60-min dynamic [68 Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT imaging simultaneously. The static [68 Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 method had significantly higher accuracy and uptake values than the static [18F]F-FDG method for primary PDAC lesions, metastatic lymph nodes, and distal metastases. Furthermore, 18.4% and 10.2% of the patients' stages changed after using the [68 Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 and [18F]F-FDG PET/CT methodologies, respectively, compared to the CE-CT-designated stage. The Ki values obtained from dynamic [68 Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT did not differ between PDAC and distal obstructive pancreatitis lesions. Pathologically enlarged tumor size, poor differentiation, and perineural invasion were associated with increased [68 Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 uptake but not with [18F]F-FDG uptake. The preoperative prognostic performance of [68 Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 was better than that of [18F]F-FDG. Interestingly, combined [68 Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 and [18F]F-FDG uptake results in the whole pancreas could further stratify patients based on their postoperative prognosis.

CONCLUSION

6[68 Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT was more sensitive and accurate than [18F]F-FDG PET/CT for tumor, node, and metastasis staging of PDAC identified on CE-CT. Additionally, [68 Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 uptake was significantly associated with pathologically aggressive tumor features. Combined [68 Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 and [18F]F-FDG PET/CT findings improved the prognostic value, potentially providing a non-invasive guide for clinical management. Finally, increased fibroblast activity in PDAC-induced obstructive pancreatitis may be associated with poor patient survival rates.

Financial and clinical outcomes of CT myocardial perfusion imaging and coronary CT angiography-guided versus coronary CT angiography-guided strategy

OBJECTIVES

To compare the financial and clinical outcomes of CT myocardial perfusion imaging (CT-MPI) + coronary CT angiography (CCTA)-guided versus CCTA-guided strategy in patients suspected of chronic coronary syndrome (CCS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study retrospectively included consecutive patients suspected of CCS and referred for CT-MPI+CCTA-guided and CCTA-guided treatment. The details of medical costs within 3 months after index imaging, including downstream invasive procedures, hospitalization, and medications, were recorded. All patients were followed up for major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at a median time of 22 months.

RESULTS

A total of 1335 patients (559 in the CT-MPI+CCTA group and 776 in the CCTA group) were finally included. In the CT-MPI+CCTA group, 129 patients (23.1%) underwent ICA and 95 patients (17.0%) received revascularization. In the CCTA group, 325 patients (41.9%) underwent ICA whereas 194 patients (25.0%) received revascularization. An addition of CT-MPI in the evaluation strategy remarkably reduced the healthcare expenditure, compared with CCTA-guided strategy (USD 1441.36 vs. USD 232.91, p < 0.001). After adjustment for potential cofounders after inverse probability weighting, the CT-MPI+CCTA strategy was significantly associated with lower medical expenditure [adjusted cost ratio (95% CI) for total costs: 0.77 (0.65-0.91), p < 0.001]. In addition, there was no significant difference regarding the clinical outcome between the two groups (adjusted HR= 0.97; p = 0.878).

CONCLUSIONS

CT-MPI+CCTA considerably reduced medical expenditures in patients suspected of CCS, compared to the CCTA strategy alone. Moreover, CT-MPI+CCTA led to a lower rate of invasive procedures with a similar long-term prognosis.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT

CT myocardial perfusion imaging + coronary CT angiography-guided strategy reduced medical expenditure and invasive procedure rate.

KEY POINTS

• CT-MPI+CCTA strategy yielded significantly lower medical expenditure than did the CCTA strategy alone in patients with suspected CCS. • After adjustment for potential confounders, the CT-MPI+CCTA strategy was significantly associated with lower medical expenditure. • No significant difference was observed regarding the long-term clinical outcome between the two groups.

Prediction of liver and lung metastases in patients with early-onset colorectal cancer by nomograms based on heterogeneous and homogenous risk factors

BACKGROUND

Identifying the risk factors for distant metastasis in early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) is crucial for elucidating its etiology and facilitating preventive treatment. This study aims to characterize the variability in EOCRC incidence and discern both heterogeneous and homogeneous risk factors associated with synchronous liver, lung, and hepato-lung metastases.

METHODS

This study included patients with EOCRC enrolled in the SEER database between 2010 and 2015 and divided patients into three groups by synchronous liver, lung, and hepato-lung metastases. Each group of patients with different metastasis types was randomly assigned to the development and validation cohort in a ratio of 7:3. Logistic regression was used to analyze the heterogeneous and homogenous risk factors for synchronous liver, lung, and hepato-lung metastases in the development cohort of patients. Nomograms were built to calculate the risk of metastasis, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calibration curve were used to quantitatively evaluate their performance.

RESULTS

A total of 16,336 eligible patients with EOCRC were included in this study, of which 17.90% (2924/16,336) had distant metastases. The overall incidences of synchronous liver, lung, and hepato-lung metastases were 11.90% (1921/16,146), 2.42% (390/16,126), and 1.50% (241/16,108), respectively. Positive CEA values before treatment, increased lymphatic metastases, and deeper invasion of intestinal wall were positively correlated with three distant types of metastases. On the contrary, the correlation of age, ethnicity, location of primary tumor, and histologic grade among the three types was inconsistent. The ROC curve and calibration curve proved to have fine performance in predicting distant metastases of EOCRC.

CONCLUSIONS

There are significant differences in the incidence of distant metastases in EOCRC, and related risk factors are heterogeneous and homogenous. Although limited risk factors were incorporated in this study, the established nomograms indicated good predictive performance.

Wnt10b knockdown promotes UCP1 expression in brown adipose tissue in mice

The effect of Wnt10b overexpression on adipose tissue development has been reported. However, the impact of Wnt10b knockdown on the function of brown adipose tissue (BAT) is yet largely unknown. Here, we used the CRISPR/Cas9 technique to generate Wnt10b-knockdown (Wnt10b+/- ) mice. We compared the development and thermogenic gene expression of interscapular BAT (iBAT) between Wnt10b+/- and Wnt10b+/+ mice under a chow diet, high-fat diet (HFD), and cold exposure conditions. Moreover, the effect of Wnt10b knockdown on brown adipocyte function was tested via in vitro experiments. Results indicated that Wnt10b knockdown decreased the iBAT mass and the brown adipocyte size and enhanced thermogenic gene expression, including UCP1, under chow diet conditions. In addition, Wnt10b+/- mice appeared to be able to maintain their body temperature better than the control in a cold environment, accompanied by higher UCP1 protein expression. Intriguingly, even under HFD conditions, Wnt10b+/- mice still showed higher UCP1 expression, which was associated with an alleviated obesity phenotype. In vitro studies further evidenced the Wnt10b knockdown stimulation of UCP1 expression and suppression of the adipogenic program. This study indicates that Wnt10b knockdown enhances UCP1 expression and inhibits the adipogenic differentiation of brown adipocytes, providing a novel option for therapeutic interventions in adiposity.

Molecular mechanism of different flower color formation of Cymbidium ensifolium

Cymbidium ensifolium is one of the national orchids in China, which has high ornamental value with changeable flower colors. To understand the formation mechanism of different flower colors of C. ensifolium, this research conducted transcriptome and metabolome analyses on four different colored sepals of C. ensifolium. Metabolome analysis detected 204 flavonoid metabolites, including 17 polyphenols, 27 anthocyanins, 75 flavones, 34 flavonols, 25 flavonoids, 18 flavanones, and 8 isoflavones. Among them, purple-red and red sepals contain a lot of anthocyanins, including cyanidin, pelargonin, and paeoniflorin, while yellow-green and white sepals have less anthocyanins detected, and their metabolites are mainly flavonols, flavanones and flavonoids. Transcriptome sequencing analysis showed that the expression levels of the anthocyanin biosynthetic enzyme genes in red and purple-red sepals were significantly higher than those in white and yellow-green sepals of C. ensifolium. The experimental results showed that CeF3'H2, CeDFR, CeANS, CeF3H and CeUFGT1 may be the key genes involved in anthocyanin production in C. ensifolium sepals, and CeMYB104 has been proved to play an important role in the flower color formation of C. ensifolium. The results of transformation showed that the CeMYB104 is involved in the synthesis of anthocyanins and can form a purple-red color in the white perianth of Phalaenopsis. These findings provide a theoretical reference to understand the formation mechanism of flower color in C. ensifolium.

A human mucosal melanoma organoid platform for modeling tumor heterogeneity and exploring immunotherapy combination options

Mucosal melanoma (MM), an aggressive rare subtype of melanoma, is distinct from cutaneous melanoma and has poor prognoses. We addressed the lack of cell models for MM by establishing 30 organoids of human oral MM (OMM), which retained major histopathological and functional features of parental tumors. Organoid groups derived from chronologically or intratumorally distinct lesions within the same individual displayed heterogeneous genetics, expression profiles, and drug responses, indicating rapid tumor evolution and poor clinical response. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis revealed receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) signaling, particularly NGFR, a nerve growth factor receptor, was significantly up-regulated in OMMs and organoids from patients resistant to anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD-1) therapy. Combining anti-PD-1 with anlotinib (a phase 2 multitarget RTK inhibitor for OMM) or NGFR knockdown enhanced the effective activity of immune cells in organoid-immune cell coculture systems. Together, our study suggested that OMM organoids serve as faithful models for exploring tumor evolution and immunotherapy combination strategies.

Global burden and trends of ectopic pregnancy: An observational trend study from 1990 to 2019

BACKGROUND

Ectopic pregnancy (EP) is one of the leading causes of death in women in early pregnancy, and the mortality of EP have gradually decreased over time in developed countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States. However, epidemiological information on EP has been lacking in recent years, so we analyzed EP data over a thirty-year period from 1990-2019 with the help of Global Burden of Disease study (GBD) data to fill this gap.

METHODS

According to the EP data in GBD for the three decades from 1990 to 2019, we used estimated annual percentage changes (EAPC) to assess the trend of age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR), age-standardized death rate (ASDR) and age-standardized disability adjusted life years (AS-DALYs) trends in EP and to explore the correlation between socio-demographic index (SDI) stratification, age stratification and EP.

RESULTS

Global ASIR, ASDR, AS-DALYs for EP in 2019 are 170.33/100,000 persons (95% UI: 133.18 to 218.49), 0.16/100,000 persons (95% UI, 0.14 to 0.19) and 9.69/100,000 persons (95% UI, 8.27 to 11.31), respectively. At the overall level, ASDR is significantly negatively correlated with SDI values (R = -0.699, p < 0.001). Besides that, ASDR and AS-DALYs have basically the same pattern. In addition, iron deficiency is one of the risk factors for EP.

CONCLUSIONS

In the past three decades, the morbidity, mortality and disease burden of EP have gradually decreased. It is noteworthy that some economically disadvantaged areas are still experiencing an increase in all indicators, therefore, it is more important to strengthen the protection of women from ethnic minorities and low-income groups.

Genetic testing and diagnostic strategies of fetal skeletal dysplasia: a preliminary study in Wuhan, China

BACKGROUND

Fetal skeletal dysplasia is a diverse group of degenerative diseases of bone and cartilage disorders that can lead to movement disorder and even death. This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic yield of sonographic examination and genetic testing for fetal skeletal dysplasia.

METHODS

From September 2015 to April 2021, the study investigated 24 cases with suspected short-limb fetuses, which were obtained from Tongji Hospital affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology. To identify the causative gene, multiple approaches (including karyotype analysis, copy number variations and whole exome sequencing) were performed on these fetuses. And further segregation analysis of the candidate variant was performed in parents by using Sanger sequencing.

RESULTS

① Out of 24 cases, likely pathogenic variants in FGFR3, FBN2, COL1A2, CUL7 and DYNC2H1 were detected in 6 cases; pathogenic variants in FGFR3, IMPAD1 and GORAB were identified in other 6 cases; and variants in WNT1, FBN1, OBSL1, COL1A1, DYNC2H1 and NEK1, known as Variant of Undetermined Significance, were found in 4 cases. There were no variants detected in the rest 8 cases by the whole exome sequencing. ② Of 24 cases, 12 (50%) were found to carry variants (pathogenic or likely pathogenic) in seven genes with 12 variants. Four fetuses (16.7%) had variants of uncertain significance.

CONCLUSION

Genetic testing combining with ultrasound scanning enhances the accurate diagnosis of fatal skeletal dysplasia in utero, and then provides appropriate genetic counseling.

Identification of Crucial Genes and Regulatory Pathways in Alfalfa against Fusarium Root Rot

Fusarium root rot, caused by Fusarium spp. in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), adversely impacts alfalfa by diminishing plant quality and yield, resulting in substantial losses within the industry. The most effective strategy for controlling alfalfa Fusarium root rot is planting disease-resistant varieties. Therefore, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying alfalfa's resistance to Fusarium root rot is imperative. In this study, we observed the infection process on alfalfa seedling roots infected by Fusarium acuminatum strain HM29-05, which is labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP). Two alfalfa varieties, namely, the resistant 'Kangsai' and the susceptible 'Zhongmu No. 1', were examined to assess various physiological and biochemical activities at 0, 2, and 3 days post inoculation (dpi). Transcriptome sequencing of the inoculated resistant and susceptible alfalfa varieties were conducted, and the potential functions and signaling pathways of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed through gene ontology (GO) classification and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Meanwhile, a DEG co-expression network was constructed though the weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) algorithm. Our results revealed significant alterations in soluble sugar, soluble protein, and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in both the 'Kangsai' and 'Zhongmu No. 1' varieties following the inoculation of F. acuminatum. WGCNA analysis showed the involvement of various enzyme and transcription factor families related to plant growth and disease resistance, including cytochrome P450, MYB, ERF, NAC, and bZIP. These findings not only provided valuable data for further verification of gene functions but also served as a reference for the deeper explorations between plants and pathogens.

Genetic adaptations of sea anemone to hydrothermal environment

Hydrothermal vent habitats are characterized by high hydrostatic pressure, darkness, and the continuous release of toxic metal ions into the surrounding environment where sea anemones and other invertebrates thrive. Nevertheless, the understanding of metazoan metal ion tolerances and environmental adaptations remains limited. We assembled a chromosome-level genome for the vent sea anemone, Alvinactis idsseensis sp. nov. Comparative genomic analyses revealed gene family expansions and gene innovations in A. idsseensis sp. nov. as a response to high concentrations of metal ions. Impressively, the metal tolerance proteins MTPs is a unique evolutionary response to the high concentrations of Fe2+ and Mn2+ present in the environments of these anemones. We also found genes associated with high concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids that may respond to high hydrostatic pressure and found sensory and circadian rhythm-regulated genes that were essential for adaptations to darkness. Overall, our results provide insights into metazoan adaptation to metal ions, high pressure, and darkness in hydrothermal vents.

Trichinella spiralis excretory/secretory products from adult worms inhibit NETosis and regulate the production of cytokines from neutrophils

Upon encountering exogenous pathogens, polymorphonucleocytes (PMNs) engage in various processes to destroy them, including releasing neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) that trap pathogens and induce phagocytosis and cytokine production. Parasites have unique strategies with which to evade the host's immune response. However, the strategy employed by Trichinella spiralis in response to the reaction of PMNs has yet to be elucidated. This study explored the effect of excretory/secretory products (ESP) on three major functions: NETs, phagocytosis, and cytokine production. Specifically, PMNs were pre-treated with the ESP of 3-day-old adults and then stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). We found that in PMNs pretreated with ESP, PMA-induced NET generation was suppressed by ESP. ROS production is a hallmark of PMA-induced NETosis. The LDH assay results showed that ESP inhibits NETs by suppressing ROS rather than promoting PMN death. Furthermore, ESP enhanced Escherichia coli engulfment by PMNs, improving overall phagocytic function. Finally, cytokine analysis revealed an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β, and other cytokines (IL-10, TNF-α), while IL-4 displayed a significant reduction. In conclusion, this study has unraveled T. spiralis' evasion and regulation mechanisms against innate immune cells, providing insights into parasite strategies to manipulate host immunity, potentially informing new treatments for NET-related autoimmune diseases.

Unlocking the Multifaceted Mechanisms of Bud Outgrowth: Advances in Understanding Shoot Branching

Shoot branching is a complex and tightly regulated developmental process that is essential for determining plant architecture and crop yields. The outgrowth of tiller buds is a crucial step in shoot branching, and it is influenced by a variety of internal and external cues. This review provides an extensive overview of the genetic, plant hormonal, and environmental factors that regulate shoot branching in several plant species, including rice, Arabidopsis, tomato, and wheat. We especially highlight the central role of TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1 (TB1), a key gene in orchestrating bud outgrowth. In addition, we discuss how the phytohormones cytokinins, strigolactones, and auxin interact to regulate tillering/branching. We also shed light on the involvement of sugar, an integral component of plant development, which can impact bud outgrowth in both trophic and signaling ways. Finally, we emphasize the substantial influence of environmental factors, such as light, temperature, water availability, biotic stresses, and nutrients, on shoot branching. In summary, this review offers a comprehensive evaluation of the multifaced regulatory mechanisms that underpin shoot branching and highlights the adaptable nature of plants to survive and persist in fluctuating environmental conditions.

Enhancing cord blood stem cell-derived NK cell growth and differentiation through hyperosmosis

BACKGROUND

Natural killer (NK) cells hold great promise in treating diverse hematopoietic and solid tumors. Despite their availability from peripheral blood and cord blood, stem cell-derived NK cells offer an 'off-the-shelf' solution. Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) derived from cord blood pose no risk to the newborn or mother and are virtually ideal sources for NK cell differentiation.

METHODS

We developed a modified protocol to differentiate HSPCs to NK cells under serum-free conditions using defined factors. The HSPC-derived NK (HSC-NK) cells could be expanded in a K562 feeder cell-dependent manner. Furthermore, using lentivirus transduction, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified HSPCs could be differentiated into NK cells, leading to the establishment of CAR-NK cells.

RESULTS

The efficiency of NK cell differentiation from HSPCs was increased through the simple modulation of osmotic pressure by the addition of sodium chloride or glucose. Furthermore, the hyperosmosis-primed HSC-NK cells exhibited enhanced proliferation capacity and maintained normal functional characteristics, including transcriptome and antitumor efficacy. The optimized protocol yielded approximately 1.8 million NK cells from a single CD34-positive cell within a 28-day cycle, which signifies more than a ten-fold increase in efficiency relative to the conventional methods. This optimized protocol was also suitable for generating CAR-NK cells with high yields compared to standard conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study establish high osmotic pressure as a simple yet powerful adjustment that significantly enhances the efficiency and functionality of HSC-NK cells, including CAR-NK cells. This optimized protocol could lead to cost-effective, high-yield NK cell therapies, potentially revolutionizing cancer immunotherapy strategies.

Development of a counterselectable system for rapid and efficient CRISPR-based genome engineering in Zymomonas mobilis

BACKGROUND

Zymomonas mobilis is an important industrial bacterium ideal for biorefinery and synthetic biology studies. High-throughput CRISPR-based genome editing technologies have been developed to enable targeted engineering of genes and hence metabolic pathways in the model ZM4 strain, expediting the exploitation of this biofuel-producing strain as a cell factory for sustainable chemicals, proteins and biofuels production. As these technologies mainly take plasmid-based strategies, their applications would be impeded due to the fact that curing of the extremely stable plasmids is laborious and inefficient. Whilst counterselection markers have been proven to be efficient for plasmid curing, hitherto only very few counterselection markers have been available for Z. mobilis.

RESULTS

We constructed a conditional lethal mutant of the pheS gene of Z. mobilis ZM4, clmPheS, containing T263A and A318G substitutions and coding for a mutated alpha-subunit of phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase to allow for the incorporation of a toxic analog of phenylalanine, p-chloro-phenylalanine (4-CP), into proteins, and hence leading to inhibition of cell growth. We demonstrated that expression of clmPheS driven by a strong Pgap promoter from a plasmid could render the Z. mobilis ZM4 cells sufficient sensitivity to 4-CP. The clmPheS-expressing cells were assayed to be extremely sensitive to 0.2 mM 4-CP. Subsequently, the clmPheS-assisted counterselection endowed fast curing of genome engineering plasmids immediately after obtaining the desired mutants, shortening the time of every two rounds of multiplex chromosome editing by at least 9 days, and enabled the development of a strategy for scarless modification of the native Z. mobilis ZM4 plasmids.

CONCLUSIONS

This study developed a strategy, coupling an endogenous CRISPR-based genome editing toolkit with a counterselection marker created here, for rapid and efficient multi-round multiplex editing of the chromosome, as well as scarless modification of the native plasmids, providing an improved genome engineering toolkit for Z. mobilis and an important reference to develope similar genetic manipulation systems in other non-model organisms.

Oxidative stress biomarker triggered multiplexed tool for auxiliary diagnosis of atherosclerosis

Oxidative stress is integral in the development of atherosclerosis, but knowledge of how oxidative stress affects atherosclerosis remains insufficient. Here, we design a multiplexed diagnostic tool that includes two functions (photoacoustic imaging and urinalysis), for assessing intraplaque and urinary malondialdehyde (MDA), a well-recognized end-product of oxidative stress. Molecular design is conducted to develop the first near-infrared MDA-responsive molecule (MRM). Acid-unlocked ratiometric photoacoustic nanoprobe is designed to report intraplaque MDA, enabling it to reflect plaque burden. Furthermore, MRM is tailored for urinary MDA detection with excellent specificity in a blind study. Moreover, we found a significant difference in urinary MDA between healthy adults and atherosclerotic patients (more than 600 participants). Combining these two functions, such a multiplexed diagnostic tool can dynamically report intraplaque and systemic oxidative stress levels during atherosclerosis progression, pneumonia infection, and drug treatment in atherosclerotic mice, which is promising for the auxiliary diagnosis of atherosclerosis.

Reconstructing COVID-19 incidences from positive RT-PCR tests by deconvolution

BACKGROUND

The emergency of new COVID-19 variants over the past three years posed a serious challenge to the public health. Cities in China implemented mass daily RT-PCR tests by pooling strategies. However, a random delay exists between an infection and its first positive RT-PCR test. It is valuable for disease control to know the delay pattern and daily infection incidences reconstructed from RT-PCR test observations.

METHODS

We formulated the convolution model between daily incidences and positive RT-PCR test counts as a linear inverse problem with positivity restrictions. Consequently, the Richard-Lucy deconvolution algorithm was used to reconstruct COVID-19 incidences from daily PCR tests. A real-time deconvolution was further developed based on the same mathematical principle. The method was applied to an Omicron epidemic data set of a bar outbreak in Beijing and another in Wuxi in June 2022. We estimated the delay function by maximizing likelihood via an E-M algorithm.

RESULTS

The delay function of the bar-outbreak in 2022 differs from that reported in 2020. Its mode was shortened to 4 days by one day. A 95% confidence interval of the mean delay is [4.43,5.55] as evaluated by bootstrap. In addition, the deconvolved infection incidences successfully detected two associated infection events after the bar was closed. The application of the real-time deconvolution to the Wuxi data identified all explosive incidence increases. The results revealed the progression of the two COVID-19 outbreaks and provided new insights for prevention and control strategies, especially for the role of mass daily RT-PCR testing.

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed deconvolution method is generally applicable to other infectious diseases if the delay model can be assumed to be approximately valid. To ensure a fair reconstruction of daily infection incidences, the delay function should be estimated in a similar context in terms of virus variant and test protocol. Both the delay estimate from the E-M algorithm and the incidences resulted from deconvolution are valuable for epidemic prevention and control. The real-time feedback is particularly useful during the epidemic's acute phase because it can help the local disease control authorities modify the control measures more promptly and precisely.

Study on Mechanical Properties and Degradation Behavior of Magnesium Alloy Vascular Clip

The Mg alloy vascular clip has biodegradability and good biocompatibility, which can improve the convenience and safety of clinical application. However, the Mg alloy vascular clip also has some disadvantages, such as an unreasonable structure design and a degradation rate which is too fast. In this study, the process of clamping blood vessels with a biodegradable Mg alloy (Mg-Zn-Nd-Zr and Mg-Zn-Nd) general V-type vascular clip was simulated by finite element simulation software (Abaqus). A new type of vascular clip, the P-type vascular clip, was analyzed and investigated through simulation. The differences between Mg alloy vascular clips of V-type and P-type were analyzed by finite element simulation. In addition, the effects of Zr element on the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of P-type vascular clips were also investigated to improve the mechanical stability. The results show that during the V-type vascular clip closure of Mg-Zn-Nd-Zr alloy, this clip has some problems, such as uneven distribution of blood vessel stress, crevices in blood vessels and stress concentration. The improved P-type vascular clip has uniform closure, and there is no gap in the blood vessel, which can effectively avoid stress concentration. The improved P-type vascular clip is well closed and can effectively avoid stress concentration. The corrosion resistance of the Mg-Zn-Nd-Zr alloy P-type clip was better than that of the Mg-Zn-Nd alloy P-type clip (degradation rate of 2.02 mm/y and 2.61 mm/y on the 7th day, respectively). Mg-Zn-Nd-Zr alloy The P-type vascular clip remained closed even on the 7th day, which could meet the requirements of clinical application.

Hybrid Path Planning for Unmanned Surface Vehicles in Inland Rivers Based on Collision Avoidance Regulations

In recent years, with the continuous advancement of the construction of the Yangtze River's intelligent waterway system, unmanned surface vehicles have been increasingly used in the river's inland waterways. This article proposes a hybrid path planning method that combines an improved A* algorithm with an improved model predictive control algorithm for the autonomous navigation of the "Jinghai-I" unmanned surface vehicle in inland rivers. To ensure global optimization, the heuristic function was refined in the A* algorithm. Additionally, constraints such as channel boundaries and courses were added to the cost function of A* and the planned path was smoothed to meet the collision avoidance regulations for inland rivers. The model predictive control algorithm incorporated a new path-deviation cost while imposing a cost constraint on the yaw angle, significantly minimizing the path-tracking error. Furthermore, the improved model predictive control algorithm took into account the requirements of rules in the cost function and adopted different collision avoidance parameters for different encounter scenarios, improving the rationality of local path planning. Finally, the proposed algorithm's effectiveness was verified through simulation experiments that closely approximated real-world navigation conditions.

Efficient expansion and delayed senescence of hUC-MSCs by microcarrier-bioreactor system

BACKGROUND

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) are widely used in cell therapy due to their robust immunomodulatory and tissue regenerative capabilities. Currently, the predominant method for obtaining hUC-MSCs for clinical use is through planar culture expansion, which presents several limitations. Specifically, continuous cell passaging can lead to cellular aging, susceptibility to contamination, and an absence of process monitoring and control, among other limitations. To overcome these challenges, the technology of microcarrier-bioreactor culture was developed with the aim of ensuring the therapeutic efficacy of cells while enabling large-scale expansion to meet clinical requirements. However, there is still a knowledge gap regarding the comparison of biological differences in cells obtained through different culture methods.

METHODS

We developed a culture process for hUC-MSCs using self-made microcarrier and stirred bioreactor. This study systematically compares the biological properties of hUC-MSCs amplified through planar culture and microcarrier-bioreactor systems. Additionally, RNA-seq was employed to compare the differences in gene expression profiles between the two cultures, facilitating the identification of pathways and genes associated with cell aging.

RESULTS

The findings revealed that hUC-MSCs expanded on microcarriers exhibited a lower degree of cellular aging compared to those expanded through planar culture. Additionally, these microcarrier-expanded hUC-MSCs showed an enhanced proliferation capacity and a reduced number of cells in the cell cycle retardation period. Moreover, bioreactor-cultured cells differ significantly from planar cultures in the expression of genes associated with the cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study demonstrate that our microcarrier-bioreactor culture method enhances the proliferation efficiency of hUC-MSCs. Moreover, this culture method exhibits the potential to delay the process of cell aging while preserving the essential stem cell properties of hUC-MSCs.

The Changes of Phyllosphere Fungal Communities among Three Different Populus spp

As an ecological index for plants, the diversity and structure of phyllosphere microbial communities play a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem stability and balance; they can affect plant biogeography and ecosystem function by influencing host fitness and function. The phyllosphere microbial communities reflect the immigration, survival, and growth of microbial colonists, which are influenced by various environmental factors and leaves' physical and chemical properties. This study investigated the structure and diversity of phyllosphere fungal communities in three different Populus spp., namely-P. × euramaricana (BF3), P. nigra (N46), and P. alba × P. glandulosa (84K). Leaves' chemical properties were also analyzed to identify the dominant factors affecting the phyllosphere fungal communities. N46 exhibited the highest contents of total nitrogen (Nt), total phosphorus (Pt), soluble sugar, and starch. Additionally, there were significant variations in the abundance, diversity, and composition of phyllosphere fungal communities among the three species: N46 had the highest Chao1 index and observed_species, while 84K had the highest Pielou_e index and Simpson index. Ascomycota and Basidiomycota are the dominant fungal communities at the phylum level. Results from typical correlation analyses indicate that the chemical properties of leaves, especially total phosphorus (Pt), total nitrogen (Nt), and starch content, significantly impact the structure and diversity of the phyllosphere microbial community. However, it is worth noting that even under the same stand conditions, plants from different species have distinct leaf characteristics, proving that the identity of the host species is the critical factor affecting the structure of the phyllosphere fungal community.

Loss of life expectancy due to stroke and its subtypes in urban and rural areas in China, 2005-2020

Stroke is characterised by high mortality and disability rate in China. This study aimed to explore the temporal trends in years of life lost (YLL) and loss of life expectancy due to stroke and its subtypes in urban and rural areas in China during 2005-2020. Data were obtained from China National Mortality Surveillance System. Abbreviated life and stroke-eliminated life tables were generated to calculate loss of life expectancy. The YLL and loss of life expectancy due to stroke in urban and rural areas at both national and provincial level during 2005-2020 were estimated. In China, the age-standardised YLL rate due to stroke and its subtypes were higher in rural areas than in urban areas. The YLL rate due to stroke showed a downward trend in both urban and rural residents from 2005 to 2020, decreased by 39.9% and 21.5%, respectively. Loss of life expectancy caused by stroke decreased from 1.75 years to 1.70 years from 2005 to 2020. During which, loss of life expectancy due to intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) decreased from 0.94 years to 0.65 years, while that of ischaemic stroke (IS) increased from 0.62 years to 0.86 years. A slightly upward trend was observed in loss of life expectancy caused by subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH), from 0.05 years to 0.06 years. Loss of life expectancy due to ICH and SAH was always higher in rural areas than in urban areas, whereas that of IS was higher in urban areas than in rural areas. Rural males suffered the greatest loss of life expectancy due to ICH and SAH, while the highest loss of life expectancy caused by IS was found in urban females. Furthermore, Heilongjiang (2.25 years), Tibet (2.17 years) and Jilin (2.16 years) were found to have the highest loss of life expectancy caused by stroke in 2020. Loss of life expectancy caused by ICH and SAH was higher in western China, while the disease burden of IS was heavier in northeast China. Stroke remains a major public health problem in China, although the age-standardised YLL rate and loss of life expectancy due to stroke decreased. Evidence-based strategies should be conducted to reduce the premature death burden caused by stroke and prolong life expectancy in Chinese population.

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Key Genes and Pathways Associated with the Regulation of Flowering Time in Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata)

Flowering time is an important agronomic trait in cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata), but the molecular regulatory mechanism underlying flowering time regulation in cabbage remains unclear. In this study, transcriptome analysis was performed using two sets of cabbage materials: (1) the early-flowering inbred line C491 (P1) and late-flowering inbred line B602 (P2), (2) the early-flowering individuals F2-B and late-flowering individuals F2-NB from the F2 population. The analysis revealed 9508 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) common to both C491_VS_ B602 and F2-B_VS_F2-NB. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGGs) analysis showed that plant hormone signal transduction and the MAPK signaling pathway were mainly enriched in up-regulated genes, and ribosome and DNA replication were mainly enriched in down-regulated genes. We identified 321 homologues of Arabidopsis flowering time genes (Ft) in cabbage. Among them, 25 DEGs (11 up-regulated and 14 down-regulated genes) were detected in the two comparison groups, and 12 gene expression patterns closely corresponded with the different flowering times in the two sets of materials. Two genes encoding MADS-box proteins, Bo1g157450 (BoSEP2-1) and Bo5g152700 (BoSEP2-2), showed significantly reduced expression in the late-flowering parent B602 compared with the early-flowering parent C491 via qRT-PCR analysis, which was consistent with the RNA-seq data. Next, the expression levels of Bo1g157450 (BoSEP2-1) and Bo5g152700 (BoSEP2-2) were analyzed in two other groups of early-flowering and late-flowering inbred lines, which showed that their expression patterns were consistent with those in the parents. Sequence analysis revealed that three and one SNPs between B602 and C491 were identified in Bo1g157450 (BoSEP2-1) and Bo5g152700 (BoSEP2-2), respectively. Therefore, BoSEP2-1 and BoSEP2-2 were designated as candidates for flowering time regulation through a potential new regulatory pathway. These results provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying flowering time regulation in cabbage.

Compositions and Antioxidant Activity of Tea Polysaccharides Extracted from Different Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) Varieties

Tea polysaccharide (TPS) is a bioactive compound extracted from tea. It has raised great interest among researchers due to its bioactivity. However, few studies focused on the diversity of TPS in its compositions and antioxidant activity. This study collected 140 different tea varieties from four tea germplasm gardens in China, and their TPSs in tea shoots were extracted. The extraction efficiency, composition contents, including neutral sugar, uronic acid, protein, and tea polyphenols, and the scavenging abilities of hydroxyl radical (·OH) and superoxide radical (O2-·) of 140 TPSs were determined and analyzed. The results showed significant differences in the compositions and antioxidant activities of TPS extracted from different tea varieties. By applying hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), we selected nine tea varieties with high TPS extraction efficiency and 26 kinds of TPS with high antioxidant capacity.

Genome-Wide Identification of Trachinotus ovatus Antimicrobial Peptides and Their Immune Response against Two Pathogen Challenges

Golden pompano, Trachinotus ovatus, as a highly nutritious commercially valuable marine fish, has become one of the preferred species for many fish farmers due to its rapid growth, wide adaptability, and ease of feeding and management. However, with the expansion of aquaculture scale, bacterial and parasitic diseases have also become major threats to the golden pompano industry. This study, based on comparative genomics, shows the possibility of preferential evolution of freshwater fish over marine fish by analyzing the phylogenetic relationships and divergence times of 14 marine fish and freshwater fish. Furthermore, we identified antimicrobial peptide genes from 14 species at the genomic level and found that the number of putative antimicrobial peptides may be related to species evolution. Subsequently, we classified the 341 identified AMPs from golden pompano into 38 categories based on the classification provided by the APD3. Among them, TCP represented the highest proportion, accounting for 23.2% of the total, followed by scolopendin, lectin, chemokine, BPTI, and histone-derived peptides. At the same time, the distribution of AMPs in chromosomes varied with type, and covariance analysis showed the frequency of its repeat events. Enrichment analysis and PPI indicated that AMP was mainly concentrated in pathways associated with disease immunity. In addition, our transcriptomic data measured the expression of putative AMPs of golden pompano in 12 normal tissues, as well as in the liver, spleen, and kidney infected with Streptococcus agalactiae and skin infected with Cryptocaryon irritans. As the infection with S. agalactiae and C. irritans progressed, we observed tissue specificity in the number and types of responsive AMPs. Positive selection of AMP genes may participate in the immune response through the MAPK signaling pathway. The genome-wide identification of antimicrobial peptides in the golden pompano provided a complete database of potential AMPs that can contribute to further understanding the immune mechanisms in pathogens. AMPs were expected to replace traditional antibiotics and be developed into targeted drugs against specific bacterial and parasitic pathogens for more precise and effective treatment to improve aquaculture production.

Peripheral Blood and Cerebrospinal Fluid Levels of YKL-40 in Alzheimer's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The pathogenesis associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is particularly complicated, and early diagnosis and course monitoring of the disease are not ideal based on the available core biomarkers. As a biomarker closely related to neuroinflammation, YKL-40 provides a potential scalable approach in AD, but its association remains controversial and inconclusive with AD. We conducted this study to assess the utility of YKL-40 levels in peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of AD patients and healthy controls (HCs) by meta-analysis. We systematically searched and screened relevant trials for comparing YKL-40 levels between AD patients and HCs in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science, with a search deadline of 14 March 2023 for each database. A total of 17 eligible and relevant studies involving 1811 subjects, including 949 AD patients and 862 HCs, were included. The results showed that YKL-40 levels in the peripheral blood of AD patients and HCs did not possess significant differences. Subgroup analysis showed YKL-40 significantly differed in plasma (SMD = 0.527, 95%CI: [0.302, 0.752]; p = 0.000), but did not in serum. In the case of comparison with HCs, YKL-40 was significantly higher in CSF of AD patients (SMD = 0.893, 95%CI: [0.665, 1.121]; p = 0.000). Besides that, when we performed a combined analysis of total YKL-40 in both peripheral blood and CSF, overall YKL-40 concentrations were also significantly increased among AD patients (SMD = 0.608, 95%CI: [0.272, 0.943]; p = 0.000). YKL-40 provides support and rationale for the neuroinflammatory pathogenesis of AD. The significance of CSF levels of YKL-40 for early screening of AD is definite. Plasma levels of YKL-40 also appear to assist in discriminating AD patients from HCs, which facilitates early screening and monitoring of the natural course of AD.

Broadening the Substrate Specificity of Cellobiose Phosphorylase from Clostridium thermocellum for Improved Transformation of Cellodextrin to Starch

Cellobiose phosphorylase (CBP) catalyzes the reversible phosphorolysis of cellobiose into α-glucose 1-phosphate and glucose. A CBP with a broadened substrate specificity would be more desirable when utilized to convert cellulose into amylose (PNAS, 110: 7182-7187, 2013) and to construct yeast that can phosphorolytically use cellodextrin to produce ethanol. Based on the structure differences in the catalytic loops of CBP and cellodextrin phosphorylase from Clostridium thermocellum (named CtCBP and CtCDP, respectively), CtCBP was mutated to change its substrate specificity. A single-site mutant S497G was identified to exhibit a 5.7-fold higher catalytic efficiency with cellotriose as a substrate in the phosphorolytic reaction compared to the wild type, without any loss of catalytic efficiency on its natural substrate, cellobiose. When the S497G variant was used in the transformation of mixed cellodextrin (cellobiose + cellotriose) to amylose, the amylose yield was significantly increased compared to that of wild-type CtCBP. A structure change in the substrate-binding pocket of the S497G variant accounted for its capacity to accept longer cellodextrins than cellobiose. Taken together, the modified CtCBP, S497G was confirmed to acquire a promising feature favorable to those application scenarios involving cellodextrin's phosphorolysis.

Mortality and years of life lost due to pancreatic cancer in China, its provinces, urban and rural areas from 2005 to 2020: results from the national mortality surveillance system

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic cancer is a growing public health concern in China, and depicting it from different perspectives would provide a comprehensive understanding of its epidemiological characteristics.

METHODS

Data from the National Mortality Surveillance System (NMSS) in China was used to estimate the number of deaths, years of life lost (YLL), age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) and age-standardized YLL rate in China, its provinces and urban-rural areas from 2005 to 2020. Joinpoint regression analysis was employed to explore the temporal trends of ASMR and age-standardized YLL rate. Decomposition analysis was conducted to assess the contribution of population growth, population aging and cause-specific mortality rate to the increment of pancreatic cancer deaths.

RESULTS

A total of 100,427 pancreatic cancer deaths and 2,166,355 pancreatic cancer related YLL were estimated in China in 2020. The overall ASMR significantly increased from 6.6/100 000 in 2005 to 7.4/100 000 in 2020, and was higher in men than that in women. Age-standardized YLL rate showed a similar trend. The mortality rates of pancreatic cancer were generally higher in northeast China than in southwest China. The highest ASMRs were found in Jilin, Zhejiang, Inner Mongolia and Anhui, and the lowest ones in Guangxi, Yunnan, Tibet, and Hainan. The disease burden due to pancreatic cancer presented a significant upward trend in rural areas and a downward trend in urban areas.

CONCLUSIONS

The burden associated with pancreatic cancer had been increasing in China from 2005 to 2020. The escalating disease burden of pancreatic cancer in rural areas necessitates the implementation of effective control and prevention measures. Relevant provinces should pay greater attention to the prevailing of pancreatic cancer, particularly those exhibiting higher mortality rates.

Associations of socioeconomic status and obesity with hypertension in tibetan adults in a Chinese plateau area

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have identified that socioeconomic status (SES) and obesity are associated with hypertension. However, their interaction on hypertension risk has not yet been assessed.

METHODS

The study used data from 6,069 Tibetan residents in Chengguan District in Lhasa, the Chinese Tibetan autonomous region's capital, based on a cohort study conducted from May 2018 to September 2019 in five provinces in southwest China. We used logistic regression models to assess the complex relations of SES and obesity with hypertension.

RESULTS

Compared with individuals of high SES, low and moderate SES were positively associated with high risk of hypertension. SES and obesity have significant additive interaction on hypertension (general obesity by BMI: RERI = 1.33, P < 0.001; abdominal obesity by WC: RERI = 0.76, P < 0.001; abdominal obesity by WHtR: RERI = 0.96, P < 0.001). In people from the low and moderate SES segments, obesity was linked to an increased risk of hypertension, but the correlations were stronger in people from the moderate SES category. Compared with people of high SES and non obese, those with moderate SES and obesity had a higher risk of hypertension, and ORs were 4.38 (2.80, 6.84) for general obesity by BMI, 3.38 (2.05, 5.57) for abdominal obesity by WC, and 3.18 (1.57, 6.42) for abdominal obesity by WHtR.

CONCLUSION

There is an independent and additive interaction effect of obesity and SES on the risk of hypertension. People with obesity, especially those of moderate and low SES, should reduce weight and waist circumference, and pay more attention to blood pressure. Moreover, the government, health administration departments, and society should prioritize improving the socioeconomic status of the Tibetan population and addressing risk factors like obesity.

Low Ruthenium Content Confined on Boron Carbon Nitride as an Efficient and Stable Electrocatalyst for Acidic Oxygen Evolution Reaction

To date, only a few noble metal oxides exhibit the required efficiency and stability as oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts under the acidic, high-voltage conditions that exist during proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE). The high cost and scarcity of these catalysts hinder the large-scale application of PEMWE. Here, we report a novel OER electrocatalyst for OER comprised of uniformly dispersed Ru clusters confined on boron carbon nitride (BCN) support. Compared to RuO2 , our BCN-supported catalyst shows enhanced charge transfer. It displays a low overpotential of 164 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 , suggesting its excellent OER catalytic activity. This catalyst was able to operate continuously for over 12 h under acidic conditions, whereas RuO2 without any support fails in 1 h. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirm that the interaction between the N on BCN support and Ru clusters changes the adsorption capacity and reduces the OER energy barrier, which increases the electrocatalytic activity of Ru.

Secure Ring Signature Scheme for Privacy-Preserving Blockchain

Blockchain integrates peer-to-peer networks, distributed consensus, smart contracts, cryptography, etc. It has the unique advantages of weak centralization, anti-tampering, traceability, openness, transparency, etc., and is widely used in various fields, e.g., finance and healthcare. However, due to its open and transparent nature, attackers can analyze the ledger information through clustering techniques to correlate the identities between anonymous and real users in the blockchain system, posing a serious risk of privacy leakage. The ring signature is one of the digital signatures that achieves the unconditional anonymity of the signer. Therefore, by leveraging Distributed Key Generation (DKG) and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC), a blockchain-enabled secure ring signature scheme is proposed. Under the same security parameters, the signature constructed on ECC has higher security in comparison to the schemes using bilinear pairing. In addition, the system master key is generated by using the distributed key agreement, which avoids the traditional method of relying on a trusted third authorizer (TA) to distribute the key and prevents the key leakage when the TA is not authentic or suffers from malicious attacks. Moreover, the performance analysis showed the feasibility of the proposed scheme while the security was ensured.

Research on Deep Reinforcement Learning Control Algorithm for Active Suspension Considering Uncertain Time Delay

The uncertain delay characteristic of actuators is a critical factor that affects the control effectiveness of the active suspension system. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a control algorithm that takes into account this uncertain delay in order to ensure stable control performance. This study presents a novel active suspension control algorithm based on deep reinforcement learning (DRL) that specifically addresses the issue of uncertain delay. In this approach, a twin-delayed deep deterministic policy gradient (TD3) algorithm with system delay is employed to obtain the optimal control policy by iteratively solving the dynamic model of the active suspension system, considering the delay. Furthermore, three different operating conditions were designed for simulation to evaluate the control performance: deterministic delay, semi-regular delay, and uncertain delay. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm achieves excellent control performance under various operating conditions. Compared to passive suspension, the optimization of body vertical acceleration is improved by more than 30%, and the proposed algorithm effectively mitigates body vibration in the low frequency range. It consistently maintains a more than 30% improvement in ride comfort optimization even under the most severe operating conditions and at different speeds, demonstrating the algorithm's potential for practical application.

Supraphysiologic doses of 17β-estradiol aggravate depression-like behaviors in ovariectomized mice possibly via regulating microglial responses and brain glycerophospholipid metabolism

BACKGROUND

17β-Estradiol (E2) is generally considered neuroprotective in humans. However, the current clinical use of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) is based on the physiological dose of E2 to treat menopausal syndrome and has limited therapeutic efficacy. The efficacy and potential toxicity of superphysiological doses of ERT for menopausal neurodegeneration are unknown.

METHODS

In this study, we investigated the effect of E2 with a supraphysiologic dose (0.5 mg/kg, sE2) on the treatment of menopausal mouse models established by ovariectomy. We performed the open field, Y-maze spontaneous alternation, forced swim tests, and sucrose preference test to investigate behavioral alterations. Subsequently, the status of microglia and neurons was detected by immunohistochemistry, HE staining, and Nissl staining, respectively. Real-time PCR was used to detect neuroinflammatory cytokines in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. Using mass spectrometry proteomics platform and LC-MS/ MS-based metabolomics platform, proteins and metabolites in brain tissues were extracted and analyzed. BV2 and HT22 cell lines and primary neurons and microglia were used to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms in vitro.

RESULTS

sE2 aggravated depression-like behavior in ovariectomized mice, caused microglia response, and increased proinflammatory cytokines in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, as well as neuronal damage and glycerophospholipid metabolism imbalance. Subsequently, we demonstrated that sE2 induced the pro-inflammatory phenotype of microglia through ERα/NF-κB signaling pathway and downregulated the expression of cannabinoid receptor 1 in neuronal cells, which were important in the pathogenesis of depression.

CONCLUSION

These data suggest that sE2 may be nonhelpful or even detrimental to menopause-related depression, at least partly, by regulating microglial responses and glycerophospholipid metabolism.

Quality Analysis and Correction of Sea Surface Temperature Data from China HY-1C Satellite in Southeast Asia Seas

China's marine satellite infrared radiometer SST remote sensing observations began relatively late. Thus, it is essential to evaluate and correct the SST observation data of the Ocean Color and Temperature Scanner (COCTS) onboard the China HY-1C satellite in the Southeast Asia seas. We conducted a quality assessment and correction work on the SST of the China COCTS/HY-1C in Southeast Asian seas based on multisource satellite SST data and temperature data measured by Argo buoys. The accuracy evaluation results of the COCTS SST indicated that the bias, Std, and RMSE of the daytime SST data for HY-1C were -0.73 °C, 1.38 °C, and 1.56 °C, respectively, while the bias, Std, and RMSE of the nighttime SST data were -0.95 °C, 1.57 °C, and 1.83 °C, respectively. The COCTS SST accuracy was significantly lower than that of other infrared radiometers. The effect of the COCTS SST zonal correction was most significant, with the Std and RMSE approaching 1 °C. After correction, the RMSE of the daytime SST and nighttime SST data decreased by 32.52% and 42.04%, respectively.

Automated high-throughput characterization of microbial metabolites and species using array ballpoint electrospray ionization technique

RATIONALE

Microbial metabolites are widely used in agriculture, food, environment, and medicine. However, there is a lack of high-throughput, nonclogging, and simple methods for the identification of microbial metabolites and their subspecies using ambient mass spectrometry (MS). Here, we proposed a method for analyzing the microbial metabolites and identifying their species using the array ballpoint electrospray ionization (aBPESI) technique.

METHODS

The previously developed BPESI was combined with the array analysis technique to form a high-throughput analysis technique called aBPESI. The bacteria cultured on the plate medium were directly analyzed using MS with aBPESI. Principal component analysis-linear discriminant analysis (PCA-LDA) algorithm was used to analyze the different subspecies groups.

RESULTS

The results showed that aBPESI was capable of completing a sample analysis within 30 s, and the level of metabolite detection was comparable to existing techniques. The accuracy of bacterial subspecies identification was 90% (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and 100% (Serratia marcescens).

CONCLUSIONS

A new high-throughput and robust MS technique aBPESI was proposed. It does not require sample pretreatment and greatly reduces the sample analysis time. aBPESI shows a strong ability in microbial analysis and is expected to be further applied in other research fields.

Comparison of the 2009 Institute of Medicine and 2021 Chinese guidelines for gestational weight gain: A retrospective population-based cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the associations between gestational weight gain (GWG) and perinatal outcomes based on the GWG guidelines of the Chinese Nutrition Society (CNS) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM).

METHODS

This was a retrospective study with 9075 low-risk singleton pregnant women. Logistic regression model was used to analyze associations between GWG categories and perinatal outcomes. Sensitivity analyses were performed based on pre-pregnancy body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters).

RESULTS

Excessive GWG as defined by the two guidelines was associated with a higher risk of adverse perinatal outcomes. Inadequate GWG was associated with higher risks of small for gestational age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10-1.64) and preterm birth (aOR 1.70, 95% CI 1.22-2.36), but a lower risk of large for gestational age (LGA) (aOR 0.77, 95% CI 0.63-0.95) according to the IOM guidelines. When using the CNS guidelines, inadequate GWG was associated with only a lower risk of preterm birth (aOR 1.80, 95% CI 1.19-2.70). Sensitivity analyses suggested that excessive GWG was associated with a higher risk of LGA in underweight women.

CONCLUSIONS

Both guidelines could demonstrate the relationship between GWG and adverse perinatal outcomes. The CNS guidelines were more suitable for the Chinese population with underweight or normal weight before pregnancy, whereas IOM was more suitable for pregnant women with inadequate GWG.