Cold Stress-induced Glucosyltransferase CsUGT78A15 is Involved in the Formation of Eugenol Glucoside in Camellia sinensis

Eugenol is a natural phenolic compound known for its health-promoting properties and its ability to add a floral scent to tea plants.Plant eugenol glycosides have been identified and shown to make important contributions to fruit floral quality.However,the details of their biosynthesis and metabolism in tea plants are still unknown.Here,eugenol glucoside was unambiguously identified as a native metabolite in the tea plant,and its biosynthesis was shown to be induced by low temperature treatment.Through the analysis of UGTs induced by low temperature,the glycosyltransferase CsUGT78A15 was identified in tea,and its encoded protein was shown to catalyze the glucosylation of eugenol.Vmax/Km ratios showed that eugenol was the most suitable substrate for CsUGT78A15.Sugar donor preference analysis showed that CsUGT78A15 had a higher selectivity for glucose,followed by galactose and glucuronic acid.The expression of CsUGT78A15was correlatedwith the accumulation of eugenol glucoside in different tissues and genotypes of tea.Down-regulation of CsUGT78A15 led to a decreased eugenol glucoside content under cold stress,indicating that CsUGT78A15 plays an important role in the biosynthesis of eugenol glucoside under cold stress.The identification of eugenol glucoside in the tea plant and the discovery of a cold stress-induced eugenol glucosyltransferase in tea provide the foundation for the improvement of tea flavor under cold stress and the biotechnological production of eugenol glucoside.

Clinical Correlates and Prognostic Value of Different Metastatic Sites in Gastric and Colorectal Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma

印戒细胞癌是胃、结直肠肿瘤中恶性程度最高的病理类型之一。本研究分析了印戒细胞癌的转移特性及其对肿瘤特异性生存率的影响。这项研究纳入了4055例在2010—2012年被诊断为胃印戒细胞癌(signet ring cell carcin om a,SRCC)、结直肠印戒细胞癌患者,其中,胃印戒细胞癌2905例,结肠印戒细胞癌和直肠印戒细胞癌1150例。所有临床数据来源于癌症监测、流行病学、最终结果登记资料数据库(SEER)。我们通过卡方检验分析在确诊时伴有远处转移的患者及无远处转移的患者的临床特征。同时用K aplan-M eier、Cox风险比例回归模型分析出现不同部位转移的患者的预后差异。研究发现,在胃印戒细胞癌患者中,远处淋巴结转移是其最常见的转移部位,而出现脑转移的患者其预后最差。而在患有结肠或直肠的印戒细胞癌患者中,肝脏是其最常见的转移部位,而在确诊时出现远处淋巴结转移的患者拥有最高的死亡率。总之,出现远处转移常常是预后较差的标志之一,我们的研究结果为印戒细胞癌患者的临床随访、预后分析提供一定的建议。

A Predictive Nomogram for Predicting Improved Clinical Outcome Probability in Patients with COVID-19 in Zhejiang Province,China

The aim of this research was to develop a quantitative method for clinicians to predict the probability of improved prognosis in patients with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).Data on 104 patients admitted to hospital with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection from 10 January 2020 to 26 February 2020 were collected.Clinical information and laboratory findings were collected and compared between the outcomes of improved patients and non-improved patients.The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)logistics regression model and two-way stepwise strategy in the multivariate logistics regression model were used to select prognostic factors for predicting clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients.The concordance index(C-index)was used to assess the discrimination of the model,and internal validation was performed through bootstrap resampling.A novel predictive nomogram was constructed by incorporating these features.Of the 104 patients included in the study(median age 55 years),75(72.1%)had improved short-term outcomes,while 29(27.9%)showed no signs of improvement.There were numerous differences in clinical characteristics and laboratory findings between patients with improved outcomes and patients without improved outcomes.After a multi-step screening process,prognostic factors were selected and incorporated into the nomogram construction,including immunoglobulin A(IgA),C-reactive protein(CRP),creatine kinase(CK),acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II(APACHE II),and interaction between CK and APACHE II.The C-index of our model was 0.962(95%confidence interval(CI),0.931-0.993)and still reached a high value of 0.948 through bootstrapping validation.A predictive nomogram we further established showed close performance compared with the ideal model on the calibration plot and was clinically practical according to the decision curve and clinical impact curve.The nomogram we constructed is useful for clinicians to predict improved clinical outcome probability for each COVID-19 patient,which may facilitate personalized counselling and treatment.

The Analysis of Clinical Features of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) in Children

Objective:Observe the clinical characteristics of children with SLE,namely,to observe the symptoms and laboratory examinations,such as blood routine,blood lipid,immunoglobulin,complement,autoantibodies,serum 25(OH)D and other indicators,and to explore the clinical characteristics,the difference and the significance of vitamin D supplements between male and female SLE patients in children respectively.Methods:We enrolled 64 cases of SLE patients in children who were admitted into the department of pediatrics and rheumatology of the third affiliated hospital of sun yat-sen university in guangzhou from May 1,2011 to February 1,2019,They were analyzed retrospectively,adoptingΧ²test for statistical analysis.Results:64 cases of SLE in children,which included 10 cases of male and 54 cases of female.Clinical manifestations:facial skin rash in 48 patients(75%),fever in 38 cases(59.4%),arthritis in 28 cases(43.8%),oral ulcer in 18 cases(28.1%),serositis in13 cases(20.3%),and the sun allergy in 9 cases(14.1%),the damage of central nervous system in 7 cases(10.9%).Laboratory examination:30 cases of leukopenia(46.9%),anemia in 30 cases(46.9%),thrombocytopenia in 12 cases(18.8%),hematuria in 18 cases(28.1%),proteinuria in 33 cases(51.2%),6 patients with renal impairment(9.4%),antinuclear antibody positive in 63 cases(98.4%),anti-double-stranded DNA(dsDNA)antibody positive in 48 cases(75%),anti SSA antibody positive in 44 cases(68.7%),SSB antibody positive in 33 cases(51.6%),Sm antibody positive in 40 cases(62.5%),nucleosome antibody positive in 28 cases(43.8%).Among these children,male SLE patients were higher than female children with SLE in the damage of kidney,Sm antibodies and resisting nucleosome antibody positive rates(Χ²=4.451,8.336,6.803,P<0.05),the female children with SLE was higher than male SLE Children in the anti-SSB antibody positive rate(Χ²=4.945,P<0.05).In 64 cases of SLE children,which included 52 cases were lower than the normal level of serum 25(OH)D measurements,12 cases were in the normal lower limit of serum 25(OH)D measurements,at the same time,the female SLE.Patients was higher than male children with SLE in the reduce rate of serum 25(OH)D(Χ²=8.351,P<0.05).Conclusion:Male SLE patients which appeared damage of kidney easier than female patients,the proteinuria was the most common in the damage of kidney.Resistance to Sm antibodies which was the risk factor of renal injury with higher incidence in male children with SLE;Anti nucleosome antibody which was the risk factor for the disease activity in male children with SLE were higher than female children with SLE.It was estimated that the risk of Sjogren’s syndrome appeared in female with SLE were higher than that in male SLE children.In this retrospective study,the serum 25(OH)D levels were significantly lower in children with SLE,and vitamin D supplementation was required.

A comparative study on institutional collaboration characteristics in EM and LIS in China

Purpose： This study analyzes the current status of institutional cooperation in economics and management （EM） and library and information science （LIS） in China.Design/methodology/approach： Based on the Chinese Social Science Citation Index （CSSCI） database, we constructed institutional collaboration networks in EM and LIS, and analyzed the collaboration characteristics through social network analysis.Findings： In the development and evolution of the collaboration network of institutions in humanities and social sciences, EM is always at the center. It has extensive cooperation relationships with other fields. The position of LIS has also become centralized, and its interdisciplinary cooperation has increased. For both EM and LIS, we observed ＂small-world＂ and ＂scale-free＂ networks, indicating full communication and mature development in both disciplines. Based on a comparison of two institutions in the two fields, we confirmed the comprehensive development in EM and the extensive information exchange in LIS.Research limitations： We collected data only from humanities and social sciences, but did not consider the connection between EM and natural sciences, or between LIS and natural sciences. In addition, the paper lacks analysis of institutional collaboration at the micro level.Practical implications： The paper provides insights into the institutional cooperation characteristics in EM and LIS in China.Originality/value： The paper offers a new perspective on the characteristics of institutional collaboration in China.

客观绩效、信任度与公众满意度——基于调查-实验法的探索

政府客观绩效信息对公众主观满意度的影响及机理尚待深入研究。调查-实验法可以有效揭示公众关于空气质量的满意度与空气质量数据之间的因果关系。实验结果显示,良好的空气质量有助于提升公众对空气质量的满意度,客观绩效信息与公众主观满意度在方向上呈现一致。同时,公众对空气质量数据的信任度正向强化空气质量信息对满意度的影响,公众对空气质量数据的专业性或权威性的信任度越高,空气质量数据对满意度的影响力就越大。因此,为提升公众对空气质量的满意度,政府除了致力于改善空气质量外,还应增强公众对空气质量数据的信任度;而引入专业机构监测和发布空气质量数据则是提升信任度的有效手段。

Forest disturbances and the attribution derived from yearly Landsat time series over 1990–2020 in the Hengduan Mountains Region of Southwest China

Background:Natural forests in the Hengduan Mountains Region(HDMR)have pivotal ecological functions and provide diverse ecosystem services.Capturing long-term forest disturbance and drivers at a regional scale is crucial for sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation.Methods:We used 30-m resolution Landsat time series images and the LandTrendr algorithm on the Google Earth Engine cloud platform to map forest disturbances at an annual time scale between 1990 and 2020 and attributed causal agents of forest disturbance,including fire,logging,road construction and insects,using disturbance properties and spectral and topographic variables in the random forest model.Results:The conventional and area-adjusted overall accuracies(OAs)of the forest disturbance map were 92.3% and 97.70%±0.06%,respectively,and the OA of mapping disturbance agents was 85.80%.The estimated disturbed forest area totalled 3313.13 km^(2)(approximately 2.31% of the total forest area in 1990)from 1990 to 2020,with considerable interannual fluctuations and significant regional differences.The predominant disturbance agent was fire,which comprised approximately 83.33% of the forest area disturbance,followed by logging(12.2%),insects(2.4%)and road construction(2.0%).Massive forest disturbances occurred mainly before 2000,and the post-2000 annual disturbance area significantly dropped by 55% compared with the pre-2000 value.Conclusions:This study provided spatially explicit and retrospective information on annual forest disturbance and associated agents in the HDMR.The findings suggest that China’s logging bans in natural forests combined with other forest sustainability programmes have effectively curbed forest disturbances in the HDMR,which has implications for enhancing future forest management and biodiversity conservation.

A signaling cascade mediating fruit trait development via phosphorylation-modulated nuclear accumulation of JAZ repressor

It is generally accepted that jasmonate-ZIM domain(JAZ)repressors act to mediate jasmonate(JA)signaling via CORONATINE-INSENSITIVE1(COI1)-mediated degradation.Here,we report a cryptic signaling cascade where a JAZ repressor,FvJAZ12,mediates multiple signaling inputs via phosphorylation-modulated subcellular translocation rather than the COI1-mediated degradation mechanism in strawberry(Fragaria vesca).FvJAZ12 acts to regulate flavor metabolism and defense response,and was found to be the target of Fv MPK6,a mitogen-activated protein kinase that is capable of responding to multiple signal stimuli.FvMPK6 phosphorylates FvJAZ12 at the amino acid residues S179 and T183 adjacent to the PY residues,thereby attenuating its nuclear accumulation and relieving its repression for FvMYC2,which acts to control the expression of lipoxygenase 3(FvLOX3),an important gene involved in JA biosynthesis and a diverse array of cellular metabolisms.Our data reveal a previously unreported mechanism for JA signaling and decipher a signaling cascade that links multiple signaling inputs with fruit trait development.

Analysis of the Lost Circulation Problem

The well-known“lost circulation”problem refers to the uncontrolled flow of whole mud into a formation.In order to address the problem related to the paucity of available data,in the present study,a model is introduced for the lost-circulation risk sample profile of a drilled well.The model is built taking into account effective data(the Block L).Then,using a three-dimensional geological modeling software,relying on the variation function and sequential Gaussian simulation method,a three-dimensional block lost-circulation risk model is introduced able to provide relevant information for regional analyses.

CuI/Nylon Membrane Hybrid Film with Large Seebeck Effect

Room-temperature thermoelectric materials are important for converting heat into electrical energy.As a widebandgap semiconductor material,CuI has the characteristics of non-toxicity,low cost,and environmental friendliness.In this work,CuI powder was synthesized by a wet chemical method,then CuI film was formed by vacuum assisted filtration of the CuI powder on a porous nylon membrane,followed by hot pressing.The film exhibits a large Seebeck coefficient of 600μV·K^(-1)at room temperature.In addition,the film also shows good flexibility(~95%retention of the electrical conductivity after being bent along a rod with a radius of 4 mm for 1000 times).A finger touch test on a single-leg TE module indicates that a voltage of 0.9 mV was immediately generated within 0.5 s from a temperature difference of 4 K between a finger and the environment,suggesting the potential application in wearable thermal sensors.

Isolation and Identification of Cancer Stem-Like Cells from Murine Melanoma Cell Lines

In current study, cancer stem-like cells in the murine melanoma B16F10 cells were investigated. CD phenotypes of the B16F10 cells were analyzed by flow cytometry, and the specific CD phenotype cells from the B16F10 cells were isolated by MACS. Then we used colony formation assay in soft agar media, the cell growth assay in serum-free culture media as well as the tumorigenicity investigation of the specific CD phenotype cells in C57BL/6 mice, respectively, to identify cancer stem-like cells in the B16F10 cells. The results showed that the B16F10 cells could form spherical clones in serum-free culture media, and the rate of clonegenesis of CD133^＋, CD44^＋ and CD44^＋CD133^＋ cells was higher than that of CD133^-, CD44^- and CD44^＋CD133^＋ cells in soft agar media, respectively. The tumorigenic potential of CD133^＋, CD44^＋, CD44^＋CD133^＋ cells and CD44^＋CD133^＋CD24^＋ cells was stronger than that of CD133^-, CD44^-, CD44^＋CD133^- cells and CD44^＋CD133^＋CD24^- cells in mice, respectively. In conclusion, the CD44^＋CD133^＋CD24^＋ cells have some biological properties of cancer stem-like cells or are highly similar to the characteristics of cancer stem cells （CSC）. These results provide an important method for identifying cancer stem-like cells in B16F10 cells and for further cancer target therapy. Cellular ＆ Molecular Immunology.

MicroRNA-24 promotes pancreatic beta cells toward dedifferentiation to avoid endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis

Current research indicates that beta cell loss in type 2 diabetes may be attributed to beta cell dedifferentiation rather than apoptosis;however,the mechanisms by which this occurs remain poorly understood.Our previous study demonstrated that elevation of microRNA-24(miR-24)in a diabetic setting caused beta cell dysfunction and replicative deficiency.In this study,we focused on the role of miR-24 in beta cell apoptosis and dedifferentiation under endoplasmic reticulum(ER)stress conditions.We found that miR-24 overabundance protected beta cells from thapsigargin-induced apoptosis at the cost of accelerating the impairment of glucosestimulated insulin secretion(GSIS)and enhancing the presence of dedifferentiation markers.Ingenuity?Pathway Analysis(IPA)revealed that elevation of miR-24 had an inhibitory effect on XBP1 and ATF4,which are downstream effectors of two key branches of ER stress,by inhibiting its direct target,Irela.Notably,elevated miR-24 initiated another pathway that targeted Mafa and decreased GSIS function in surviving beta cells,thus guiding their dedifferentiation under ER stress conditions.Our results demonstrated that the elevated miR-24,to the utmost extent,preserves beta cell mass by inhibiting apoptosis and inducing dedifFerentiation.This study not only provides a novel mechanism by which miR-24 dominates beta cell turnover under persistent metabolic stress but also offers a therapeutic consideration for treating diabetes by inducing dedifferentiated beta cells to re-differentiation.

minimal genome design to maximally guarantee fertile inter-subspecific hybrid rice

Hybrid rice has made considerable contributions to achieve the ambitious goal of food security for the world's population.Hybrid rice from indica/xian and japonica/geng subspecies shows much higher heter-osis and is thereby an important innovation in promoting rice production in the next decade.However,such inter-subspecific hybrid rice has long suffered from serious hybrid sterility,which is a major challenge that needs to be addressed.In this study,we performed a genome design strategy to produce fertile inter-subspecific hybrid by creation of wide compatibility varieties that are able to overcome hybrid sterility.Based on combined genetic analyses in two indica-japonica crosses,we determined that four hybrid ste-rility loci,S5,f5,pf12 and Sc,are the major QTLs controlling inter-subspecific hybrid sterility and thus the minimal targets that can be manipulated for breeding sub-specific hybrid rice.We then cloned the pf12 lo-cus,one of the most effective loci for hybrid male sterility,by map-based cloning,and showed that artificial disruption of pf12A gene at this locus could successfully rescue hybrid fertility.We further dissected the genetic basis of wide compatibility using three pairwise crosses from a wide-compatibility variety Dular and representative indica and japonica varieties.On this basis,we constructed and assembled different combinations of naturally compatible alleles of four loci,S5,Sc,pf12,and f5,and found that the improved lines could fully recover pollen and embryo sac fertility in test-crossed F,s,thereby completely fulfilling the demands of inter-subspecific hybrid spikelet fertility in agricultural production.This breeding scheme would facilitate redesign of future inter-subspecific hybrid rice with a higher yield potential.

Network analysis of eight industrial symbiosis systems

Industrial symbiosis is the quintessential characteristic of an eco-industrial park. To divide parks into different types, previous studies mostly focused on qualitative judgments, and failed to use metrics to conduct quantitative research on the intemal structural or functional characteristics of a park. To analyze a park＇s structural attributes, a range of metrics from network analysis have been applied, but few researchers have compared two or more symbioses using multiple metrics. In this study, we used two metrics （density and network degree centraliza- tion） to compare the degrees of completeness and dependence of eight diverse but representative industrial symbiosis networks. Through the combination of the two metrics, we divided the networks into three types： weak completeness, and two forms of strong completeness, namely ＂anchor tenant＂ mutualism and ＂equality-oriented＂ mutualism. The results showed that the networks with a weak degree of completeness were sparse and had few connections among nodes; for ＂anchor tenant＂ mutualism, the degree of completeness was relatively high, but the affiliated members were too dependent on core members; and the members in ＂equality-oriented＂ mutualism had equal roles, with diverse and flexible symbiotic paths. These results revealed some of the systems＇ internal structure and how different structures influenced the exchanges of materials, energy, and knowledge among members of a system, thereby providing insights into threats that may destabilize the network. Based on this analysis, we provide examples of the advantages and effectiveness of recent improvement projects in a typical Chinese eco-industrial park （Shandong Lubei）.

Maternal Bisphenol B Exposure and Mammary Gland Development of Offspring:A Time-Series Analysis

Breast cancer incidence has increased and become the world’s most prevalent cancer,which is related to abnormal development of mammary glands and thought to be influenced by environment endocrine disruptors such as bisphenol A(BPA).However,whether its substitution,bisphenol B(BPB),has similar effects remains a concern.In the present study,a maternal exposure model of ICR mice combined time-series RNA-seq analysis was established to explore the underlying correlation among maternal BPB exposure(300μg/kg body weight),mammary gland development,and long-term breast health in offspring.The results showed that BPB exposure disrupted hormonal homeostasis of the female offspring but did not affect the branch development of mammary glands in a time-dependent manner.However,at postnatal day 90(PND90),BPB exposure resulted in duct dilatation,lobular hyperplasia,and inflammatory cell infiltration and increased the number of hormone receptor-expressing(HR+)luminal cells in offspring.Further,the differentially expressed genes in time-series analysis of RNA-seq for mammary glands of the female offspring were enriched in the morphogenesis of branching structures,branching epithelium,and branching morphogenesis of epithelial tubes,which are always considered gland development.Interestingly,the results of RNA-seq also suggested that progesterone receptor(Pgr)mRNA expression in the BPB group was elevated at PND90,and breast cancer related genes such as GATA binding protein 3(Gata3)and epidermal growth factor receptor(Egfr)were also altered.These findings suggested that maternal BPB exposure did not accelerate mammary gland development or lead to obvious morphological anomalies of offspring,but it induced pathological changes and altered cancer related gene expression in adult offspring breast.

Modulating contact properties by molecular layers in organic thin-film transistors

Advanced organic devices and circuits demand both ultrahigh charge carrier mobilities and ultralow-resistance contacts.However,due to a larger access resistance in staggered organic thin-film transistors(OTFTs),the achievement of ultralow contact resistance(Rc)is still a challenge.The modulation of contact resistance by molecular layers near the interface has been rarely reported.Here,we demonstrate that fewlayer organic single crystals are grown on hafnium oxide(HfO_(2))by solution-shearing epitaxy.We utilize these organic crystals to fabricate bottom-gate staggered OTFTs with different contact processes.The results show that the contact properties of OTFTs are obviously modulated by crystal layers.The tri-layer(3L)evaporated-Au C10-DNTT OTFTs exhibit optimal electrical performance,including ultralow Rc of 5.6Ω⋅cm,recorded transfer length of 0.4μm,field-effect mobility over 14 cm^(2)V^(−1)s^(−1),threshold voltage lower than 0.3 V,and long-term air stability over 8 months.The main cause is that the metal atoms can penetrate into the charge transport layer,with damage-free,in 3L evaporated-Au OTFTs;nevertheless,it cannot be realized in other cases.Due to layer stacking of conjugated molecules and polymers,our strategy can efficiently modulate the contact resistance to aid the development of highperformance organic devices and circuits.