KCNQ1 rs2237895 gene polymorphism increases susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus in Asian populations

BACKGROUND The association of single nucleotide polymorphism of KCNQ1 gene rs2237895 with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)is currently controversial.It is unknown whether this association can be gene realized across different populations.AIM To determine the association of KCNQ1 rs2237895 with T2DM and provide reliable evidence for genetic susceptibility to T2DM.METHODS We searched PubMed,Embase,Web of Science,Cochrane Library,Medline,Baidu Academic,China National Knowledge Infrastructure,China Biomedical Literature Database,and Wanfang to investigate the association between KCNQ1 gene rs2237895 and the risk of T2DM up to January 12,2022.Review Manager 5.4 was used to analyze the association of the KCNQ1 gene rs2237895 polymorphism with T2DM and to evaluate the publication bias of the selected literature.RESULTS Twelve case–control studies(including 11273 cases and 11654 controls)met our inclusion criteria.In the full population,allelic model[odds ratio(OR):1.19;95%confidence interval(95%CI):1.09–1.29;P<0.0001],recessive model(OR:1.20;95%CI:1.11–1.29;P<0.0001),dominant model(OR:1.27.95%CI:1.14–1.42;P<0.0001),and codominant model(OR:1.36;95%CI:1.15–1.60;P=0.0003)(OR:1.22;95%CI:1.10–1.36;P=0.0002)indicated that the KCNQ1 gene rs2237895 polymorphism was significantly correlated with susceptibility to T2DM.In stratified analysis,this association was confirmed in Asian populations:allelic model(OR:1.25;95%CI:1.13–1.37;P<0.0001),recessive model(OR:1.29;95%CI:1.11–1.49;P=0.0007),dominant model(OR:1.35;95%CI:1.20–1.52;P<0.0001),codominant model(OR:1.49;95%CI:1.22–1.81;P<0.0001)(OR:1.26;95%CI:1.16–1.36;P<0.0001).In non-Asian populations,this association was not significant:Allelic model(OR:1.06,95%CI:0.98–1.14;P=0.12),recessive model(OR:1.04;95%CI:0.75–1.42;P=0.83),dominant model(OR:1.06;95%CI:0.98–1.15;P=0.15),codominant model(OR:1.08;95%CI:0.82–1.42;P=0.60.OR:1.15;95%CI:0.95–1.39;P=0.14).CONCLUSION KCNQ1 gene rs2237895 was significantly associated with susceptibility to T2DM in an Asian population.Carriers of the C allele had a higher risk of T2DM.This association was not significant in non-Asian populations.

A new diatom genus Spargeria gen.nov.(Bacillariophyceae)from Xizang,China,and the description of two new species

During our investigation of diatom biodiversity in Xizang,two species exhibited unique morphological features discriminative from all previously known genera.Herein we describe these two species and describe as new the genus,Spargeria gen.nov.The new genus features narrow to wide rectangular valves,narrow valve mantles,filiform raphe branches that occur on the valve face only,terminal raphe fissures straight or slightly deflected to same side,bow-tie shaped central areas,chambered striae present on the valve face only,being absent from the mantle,wider striae near the axial area and very narrow near the margin,multiseriate striae with small and round areolae that are occluded externally.Comparatively,Spargeria zhuii sp.nov.has larger and robust valves,radiate striae,with one divergent stria near the apices,while Spargeria chenia sp.nov.is smaller,with narrow valves,striae slightly radiate in the middle,becoming convergent or parallel near apices.This new genus belongs to the family Pinnulariaceae,and it was compared and contrasted with other genera of this family.Our work suggests the need for continued studies to document the biodiversity of diatoms in Xizang.

Hemodynamics of aneurysm intervention with different stents

An ideal cerebral aneurysm model with different stent forms is established.By using the single-relaxation-time(SRT)lattice Boltzmann method(LBM)to solve the flow field,the blood flow characteristics in the aneurysm under different conditions are studied numerically.The intra-arterial stenting of saccular aneurysms at different Reynolds numbers and the feasibility of new stenting forms such as double stenting and variable-spacing stenting in the aneurysms are explored.The hemodynamic factors such as velocity distribution and wall shear stress(WSS)in the aneurysm are analyzed.Numerical results show that the risk of aneurysm rupture is mainly centralized at the right corner of the aneurysm.Intervention of stents in the aneurysm can effectively reduce the intra-aneurysmal velocity and WSS,and decrease the danger of aneurysm rupture during strenuous exercise or emotional excitement.At the same time,the intervention of a double stent and the stent shape with a dense anterior part in the aneurysm has certain advantages in preventing aneurysm rupture.The intraaneurysmal mean velocity reduction can reach 90.39% and 80.29% after the intervention of the double stent and the anterior densified stent respectively.

Phyllosphere eukaryotic microalgal communities in rainforests:Drivers and diversity

Phyllosphere algae are common in tropical rainforests,forming visible biofilms or spots on plant leaf surfaces.However,knowledge of phyllosphere algal diversity and the environmental factors that drive that diversity is limited.The aim of this study is to identify the environmental factors that drive phyllosphere algal community composition and diversity in rainforests.For this purpose,we used single molecule real-time sequencing of full-length 18S rDNA to characterize the composition of phyllosphere microalgal communities growing on four host tree species(Ficus tikoua,Caryota mitis,Arenga pinnata,and Musa acuminata) common to three types of forest over four months at the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden,Yunnan Province,China.Environmental 18S rDNA sequences revealed that the green algae orders Watanabeales and Trentepohliales were dominant in almost all algal communities and that phyllosphere algal species richness and biomass were lower in planted forest than in primeval and reserve rainforest.In addition,algal community composition differed significantly between planted forest and primeval rainforest.We also found that algal communities were affected by soluble reactive phosphorous,total nitrogen,and ammonium contents.Our findings indicate that algal community structure is significantly related to forest type and host tree species.Furthermore,this study is the first to identify environmental factors that affect phyllosphere algal communities,significantly contributing to future taxonomic research,especially for the green algae orders Watanabeales and Trentepohliales.This research also serves as an important reference for molecular diversity analysis of algae in other specific habitats,such as epiphytic algae and soil algae.

Cladophora as ecological engineer:A new test from the largest lake of Qinghai-Tibet plateau with filamentous algal blooms

Filamentous algae blooms(FABs)have been increasing globally in recent years,and their presence can have both harmful and beneficial effects on aquatic ecosystems.As one of the most common FABs,Cladophora blooms have been reported in the lakes of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau during the past few years.However,there have been few studies focused on how FABs impact other aquatic organisms,especially in alpine lakes since these are at the forefront of responding to global climate change.In this study,the phytoplankton communities in different regions of Qinghai Lake were profiled in different seasons using meta-barcode sequencing.The phytoplankton assemblages in areas with Cladophora blooms were compared to those without Cladophora.The phytoplankton community structure correlated with physicochemical properties including water temperature,electrical conductivity,nitrate,and the presence or absence of Cladophora blooms.The relative abundance of Bacillariophytes was found to be higher in zones with Cladophora blooms than in other regions.Significant seasonal changes in phytoplankton biomass andβdiversity were observed in zones with Cladophora blooms.Growth and microbial degradation of Cladophora can change the pH,dissolved oxygen,secchi depth,and nitrate.Together with seasonal temperature and electrical conductivity changes,Cladophora growth can significantly impact the phytoplankton biomass,community dissimilarity and assembly process.These results showed that Cladophora plays a key role in littoral aquatic ecosystem ecology.

From source to lake:Multi‒taxon alpha and beta diversity patterns along a river above 4500 m AMSL on the Qinghai‒Tibetan Plateau

Understanding the distribution of species is highly important for optimizing future conservation priorities and strategies at the regional scale.Relatively little attention has been given to multi-taxon aquatic biota in extreme alpine environments.We examined the spatial and temporal patterns of alpha and beta diversity,site-specific contributions to beta diversity and assembly mechanisms of four taxonomic groups(fishes,macroinvertebrates,zooplankton and phytoplankton)from the source to the estuary of the Za'gya Zangbo River above 4500 m AMSL(above mean sea level)on the northern Qinghai-Tibetan(Q–T)Plateau.A total of 4 fish species,45 macroinvertebrate taxa,17 zooplankton taxa and 56 phytoplankton taxa were found in the study area.No consistent patterns in taxonomic richness were observed across taxa from upstream to estuary.The fish communities had the lowest dissimilarity between communities,the phytoplankton community had the highest dissimilarity in the dry season,and the macroinvertebrate community had the highest dissimilarity in the wet season.The relative importance of the turnover and nestedness components varied considerably across taxa and along spatial gradients.The diversity patterns of macroinvertebrate,zooplankton and phytoplankton communities were significantly correlated with several environmental factors,whereas only the beta diversity of fish was correlated with altitude.Stochastic processes dominated in shaping the macroinvertebrate communities whereas deterministic processes dominated the assembly of the phytoplankton communities.Weak congruence of diversity patterns across taxonomic groups suggested that biological groups cannot serve as reliable surrogates for one another and that multiple biological groups should be included in the biomonitoring of high-altitude rivers on the Q‒T Plateau.The relatively unique species in the upstream area and estuary of the Za'gya Zangbo River harbor should receive more attention in future conservation and management schemes.

Anisotanols A—D,Four Norsesquiterpenoids with an Unprece-dented Sesquiterpenoid Skeleton from Anisodus tanguticus

Anisotanols A—D(1-4),four new compounds possessing an unprecedented sesquiterpenoid skeleton with a congested tricyclic 6/3/5 ring system,were obtained from Anisodus tanguticus.Their structures were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopic techniques,and the absolute configurations were confirmed via ECD calculations and single-crystal X-ray diffractions.A putative biosynthetic pathway for these compounds was proposed.Biological evaluation disclosed that compound 3 showed anti-angiogenic activity by inhibiting the viability,migration,and tube formation in HUVECs.

Energy Storage in High Variable Renewable Energy Penetration Power Systems:Technologies and Applications

Integrating variable renewable energy is one of the most effective ways to achieve a low-carbon energy system.The high penetration of variable renewable energy,such as wind power and photovoltaic,increases the challenge of balancing the power system.Energy storage technology is regarded as one of the key technologies for balancing the intermittency of variable renewable energy to achieve high penetration.This study reviews the energy storage technology that can accommodate the high penetration of variable renewable energy.The basic energy storage technologies that can accommodate time-scale variation are reviewed first.The role of energy storage in the generation,transmission,distribution,and consumption for the high variable renewable energy penetration system is then analyzed.The supporting energy storage policies in the United States,the United Kingdom and China are summarized.Specific suggestions are proposed from the perspectives of technology,business and policy.This paper provides guidelines for planning energy storage to enable a high variable renewable energy penetration power system.

Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Potent and Selective S1PR1 Agonists for the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis

The binding of Sphingosine-1-phosphate(S1P)with the S1PR1-5 plays a fundamental physiological role in a number of processes including vascular development and stabilization,lymphocyte migration and distribution.S1P-S1PR1 signal axis established roles in immune cell trafficking thus playing a therapeutic role in multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease.In this study,a series of oxadiazole derivatives were designed and synthesized as S1PR1 agonists based on rational drug design.Among them,compound 9i was identified as a potent and selective S1PR1 agonist with activities onβ-arrestin recruitment(EC50=0.36 nmol/L)and receptor internalization(EC50=8.09 nmol/L).Meanwhile,compound 9i displayed an oral bioavailability up to 93.6%.Based on its excellent activity to S1PR1 and pharmacokinetic properties,compound 9i effectively alleviated dextran sulfate sodium(DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis in mice at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg.

The sex determination gene doublesex regulates expression and secretion of the basement membrane protein Collagen Ⅳ

The highly conserved doublesex(dsx) and doublesex/mab-3 related(Dmrt) genes control sexually dimorphic traits across animals. The dsx gene encodes sex-specific transcription factors, Dsx^(M) in males and Dsx^(F) in females, which function differentially and often oppositely to establish sexual dimorphism. Here, we report that mutations in dsx, or overexpression of dsx, result in abnormal distribution of the basement membrane(BM) protein Collagen Ⅳ in the fat body. We find that Dsx isoforms regulate the expression of Collagen Ⅳ in the fat body and its secretion into the BM of other tissues. We identify the procollagen lysyl hydroxylase(dPlod) gene, which is involved in the biosynthesis of Collagen Ⅳ, as a direct target of Dsx. We further show that Dsx regulates Collagen Ⅳ through d Plod-dependent and independent pathways. These findings reveal how Dsx isoforms function in the secretory fat body to regulate Collagen Ⅳ and remotely establish sexual dimorphism.

Research on shape parameters of circular arc disc teeth for three-cone bit

Through the single row drilling experiment,this paper studied the regularity of the tooth shape parameter's influence to the disc teeth's rock-breaking effect,which provided some basis for the composite teeth type roller bit's combined experimental study and the structure design of the tooth type.This experimental research is only for the circular arc disc teeth which is arranged on the composite teeth type roller bit's main tooth.The experiments were designed using the method of orthogonal design and the results were analyzed by the fuzzy optimization method.The results show that the disc tooth's drilling effect is the best when the tip diameter is 2 mm,taper angle is 30
and the groove number is 8,and the disc tooth's drilling effect is the second best when the tip diameter is 3 mm,taper angle is 30
and the groove number is 7.The above two combined ways of drilling effect's difference is very small(the difference of the degree of the membership is 0.003).