Molecular analyses display the increasing diversity of Podostemaceae in China

Podostemaceae(riverweed family),one of the largest aquatic plant families in the world,comprises about 350 species in 51 genera placed in three subfamilies,Podostemoideae,Weddellinoideae,and Tristichoideae(Koi et al.,2022).Most Podostemaceae genera(~38)are monotypic or oligotypic,with a high level of endemism(Koi et al.,2018,2022).Members of Podostemaceae adhere to rocks in fast-flowing rivers,streams,or waterfalls in the subtropics and tropics(Koi et al.,2018).As an adaptation to fastrunning currents,the morphological structure of river-weeds tends to be extremely reduced,including a loss or reduction of primary shoots or roots(Koi and Kato,2007).The vegetative mass of these plants resembles lichens or bryophytes,and are thus known commonly as“dream bryophytes”(Philbrick and Retana,1998).Podostemaceae plants flower when the water level drops during the dry season.In recent years,anthropogenic factors and climate change have severely affected river weed habitats,decreasing populations of these plants.

Identification of Serum Exosomal MicroRNA Expression Profiling in Menopausal Females with Osteoporosis by High-throughput Sequencing

Estrogen deficiency,which mainly occurs in postmenopausal women,is a primary reason for osteoporosis in clinical diagnosis.However,the molecular regulation of osteoporosis in menopausal females is still not adequately explained in the literature,with the diagnosis and treatment for osteoporosis being limited.Herein,exosomal microRNAs(miRNAs)were used to evaluate their diagnosis and prediction effects in menopausal females with osteoporosis.In this study,6 menopausal females without osteoporosis and 12 menopausal females with osteoporosis were enrolled.The serum exosomes were isolated,and the miRNA expression was detected by miRNA high-throughput sequencing.Exosomal miRNA effects were analyzed by Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses.The miRNA-targeted genes were evaluated by Targetscan 7.2 and the protein-protein interactions(PPI)by STRING.Hub genes were analyzed by the CytoHubba app of Cytoscape.The results showed that 191 aberrant miRNAs were found in the group of menopausal females with osteoporosis,including 72 upregulated miRNAs and 121 downregulated miRNAs.Aberrant miRNAs were involved in many signaling pathways,such as the Wnt,MAPK,and Hippo pathways.Based on PPI network analysis,FBXL3,FBXL13,COPS2,UBE2D3,DCUN1D1,DCUN1D4,CUL3,FBXO22,ASB6,and COMMD2 were the 10 most notable genes in the PPI network.In conclusion,aberrant serum exosomal miRNAs were associated with an altered risk of osteoporosis in menopausal females and may act as potential biomarkers for the prediction of risk of osteoporosis in menopausal females.

Mapping the habitat suitability of Ottelia species in Africa

Understanding the influence of environmental covariates on plant distribution is critical,especially for aquatic plant species.Climate change is likely to alter the distribution of aquatic species.However,knowledge of this change on the burden of aquatic macroorganisms is often fraught with difficulty.Ottelia,a model genus for studying the evolution of the aquatic family Hydrocharitaceae,is mainly distributed in slow-flowing creeks,rivers,or lakes throughout pantropical regions in the world.Due to recent rapid climate changes,natural Ottelia populations have declined significantly.By modeling the effects of climate change on the distribution of Ottelia species and assessing the degree of niche similarity,we sought to identify high suitability regions and help formulate conservation strategies.The models use known background points to determine how environmental covariates vary spatially and produce continental maps of the distribution of the Ottelia species in Africa.Additionally,we estimated the possible influences of the optimistic and extreme pessimistic representative concentration pathways scenarios RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 for the 2050s.Our results show that the distinct distribution patterns of studied Ottelia species were influenced by topography(elevation)and climate(e.g.,mean temperature of driest quarter,annual precipitation,and precipitation of the driest month).While there is a lack of accord in defining the limiting factors for the distribution of Ottelia species,it is clear that water-temperature conditions have promising effects when kept within optimal ranges.We also note that climate change will impact Ottelia by accelerating fragmentation and habitat loss.The assessment of niche overlap revealed that Ottelia cylindrica and O.verdickii had slightly more similar niches than the other Ottelia species.The present findings identify the need to enhance conservation efforts to safeguard natural Ottelia populations and provide a theoretical basis for the distribution of various Ottelia species in Africa.

A progressive compression model of thoracic spinal cord injury in mice： function assessment and pathological changes in spinal cord

Non-traumatic injury accounts for approximately half of clinical spinal cord injury, including chronic spinal cord compression. However, previous rodent spinal cord compression models are mainly designed for rats, few are available for mice. Our aim is to develop a thoracic progressive compression mice model of spinal cord injury. In this study, adult wild-type C57BL/6 mice were divided into two groups： in the surgery group, a screw was inserted at T9 lamina to compress the spinal cord, and the compression was increased by turning it further into the canal（0.2 mm） post-surgery every 2 weeks up to 8 weeks. In the control group, a hole was drilled into the lamina without inserting a screw. The results showed that Basso Mouse Scale scores were lower and gait worsened. In addition, the degree of hindlimb dysfunction in mice was consistent with the degree of spinal cord compression. The number of motor neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord was reduced in all groups of mice, whereas astrocytes and microglia were gradually activated and proliferated. In conclusion, this progressive compression of thoracic spinal cord injury in mice is a preferable model for chronic progressive spinal cord compression injury.

Microplastic pollution in Yellow River,China:Current status and research progress of biotoxicological effects

This study aims to comprehensively assess the environmental risks of microplastics in the Yellow River,achieving the following results through comprehensive research.The average microplastic abundances in the river waters and sediments are 5358-654000 n/m3 and 43.57-615 items/kg,respectively,and there are fewer microplastics in water samples than in sediments.Microplastics in the study area can be divided into five types according to their occurrence morphologies,namely fragments,foams,films,fibers,and particles.The most widely distributed pollution types in sediments include debris,fibers,and particles.In contrast,fibers are the dominant type in water samples,accounting for 68.18%‒98.93%.The chemical components of the microplastics include polyethylene,polypropylene,polystyrene,polyethylene terephthalate,and polyvinyl chloride.The microplastics are in four colors,with white accounting for a higher proportion.The grain size of the microplastics in tributaries or lakes of the Yellow River is less than 2 mm,which makes them liable to enter organisms for enrichment.Furthermore,the sources of the microplastics are closely related to agricultural and industrial production and biological activities in habitats and exhibit seasonal and hydrological characteristics.The microplastics in the study area show the adsorption of metals and nonmetals to different degrees,which increases the pollution risks of heavy metals combined with microplastics.In addition,microplastics can accumulate in organisms in the Yellow River and cause physical,biochemical,and other damage to aquatic organisms,thus further posing carcinogenic risks to human beings.Therefore,it is necessary to study,monitor,and control the pollution and effects of microplastics in the Yellow River,in order to provide theoretical references for the control of pollution and ecological risk of microplastics in the river.

The complete plastome sequences of five Aponogeton species(Aponogetonaceae):Insights into the structural organization and mutational hotspots

Members of the aquatic plant genus Aponogeton are widely used commercially in aquariums because of their variable leaf shape and unique inflorescences.However,due to extensive similarity between species in this genus,morphological characters are generally inadequate for taxonomic classification.Currently,molecular makers available for taxonomic and phylogenetic studies of Aponogeton are limited.One approach to clarifying relationships between species in these complex groups is to use divergence hotspot regions within the genome.Here,we sequenced and analyzed the plastomes of five Aponogeton species collected from China,Zambia,and Kenya,and subsequently screened these plastomes for divergent DNA hotspots.The five plastomes are circular structures with sizes ranging from 154,167 bp to 154,860 bp.The Large and the Small Single Copies are separated by two Inverted Repeats.One hundred and thirteen unique genes were identified including 79 protein-coding,30 tRNA,and four rRNA genes.We found that the most abundant repeats in all but one species were mononucleotide repeats(A/T)and that there were 23 potential RNA ending sites.Interestingly,a^3 kb inversion,which includes the accD gene,was detected within the Asian species of Aponogeton.The inversion may be related to more frequent exchanges between this region and the nuclear genome.Furthermore,we detected mutational hotspot sites among the five Aponogeton species.Three of these hotspots are intergenic spacer regions(accD-psaI,rbcL-accD and trnH-GUG-psbA)that might be suitable for use as barcodes to resolve intra-generic relationships.We also identified four highly variable protein-coding genes(ccsA,rpl22,rps16 and ycf1)may be used as barcodes to resolve the higher-level phylogenies.Our study will provide valuable molecular resources for the taxonomic and phylogenomic study of the complex genus Aponogeton.

Efficacy of Spinal Pia Mater Incision and Laminoplasty Combined with Internal Fixation for Old Spinal Cord Injury

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of incising spinal pia mater to relieve pressure and unilateral open-door laminoplasty with internal screw fixation for treatment of the dated spinal cord injury. Methods From March, 2009 to July, 2010, 16 cases with chronic cervical cord injury underwent spinal dura mater incision and unilateral open-door laminoplasty with internal screw fixation. Nerve functions of preand postoperation were evaluated by Frankel classification and the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scale. The improvement rate of JOA score at the indicated time was recorded. Results Postoperative Frankel classification rating of 16 patients improved obviously. JOA scores at the 1st month, 3rd month, 6th month, and 12th month after surgery were 7.9±2.3, 8.5±1.6, 8.9±2.1, and 12.4±2.5, respectively, and significantly increased compared with that prior to surgery (5.5±0.6). At the end of follow-up period, JOA score was significantly higher than that of pre-treatment (P<0.05). The recovery was relatively rapid during the first 3 months following the surgery, then entered a platform period. Conclusion It is effective for patients with dated spinal cord injury to undergo spinal decompression and laminoplasty.

Blood lead level in Chinese adults with and without coronary artery disease

BACKGROUND The Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy study found that edetate disodium(disodium ethylenediaminetet-raacetic acid)chelation therapy significantly reduced the incidence of cardiac events in stable post-myocardial infarction patients,and a body of epidemiological data has shown that accumulation of biologically active metals,such as lead and cadmium,is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease.However,limited studies have focused on the relationship between angiograph-ically diagnosed coronary artery disease(CAD)and lead exposure.This study compared blood lead level(BLL)in Chinese pa-tients with and without CAD.METHODS In this prospective,observational study,450 consecutive patients admitted to Beijing Anzhen Hospital with sus-pected CAD from November 1,2018,to January 30,2019,were enrolled.All patients underwent coronary angiography,and an experienced heart team calculated the SYNTAX scores(SXscore)for all available coronary angiograms.BLLs were determined with atomic absorption spectrophotometry and compared between patients with angiographically diagnosed CAD and those without CAD.RESULTS In total,343(76%)patients had CAD,of whom 42%had low(0−22),22%had intermediate(23−32),and 36%had high(≥33)SXscore.BLLs were 36.8±16.95μg/L in patients with CAD and 31.2±15.75μg/L in those without CAD(P=0.003).When BLLs were categorized into three groups(low,middle,high),CAD prevalence increased with increasing BLLs(P<0.05).In the multivariate regression model,BLLs were associated with CAD(odds ratio(OR):1.023,95%confidence interval(CI):1.008−1.039;P=0.0017).OR in the high versus low BLL group was 2.36(95%CI:1.29−4.42,P=0.003).Furthermore,BLLs were independently associated with intermediate and high SXscore(adjusted OR:1.050,95%CI:1.036-1.066;P<0.0001).CONCLUSION BLLs were significantly associated with angiographically diagnosed CAD.Furthermore,BLLs showed excel-lent predictive value for SXscore,especially for complex coronary artery lesions.

Clinical efficacy of different treatments and their impacts on the quality of life of octogenarians with coronary artery disease

Background:Coronary artery disease(CAD)in octogenarians(age of>80 years)has a high risk of mortality and high expenses.Research shows that the prevalence of CAD is higher among octogenarians than that among younger people,but few such patients undergo percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)or coronary artery bypass grafting(CABG).This study aimed to evaluate different treatments w让h respect to their clinical effects and impacts on quality of life of octogenarians with CAD.Methods:Data of 519 octogenarians with CAD consecutively treated at Beijing Anzhen Hospital,Capital Medical University(Beijing,China)from January 2010 to January 2016 were collected in this study.The patients were categorized into three groups based on the treatments they received:the PCI group(n=292),CABG group(n=110),and medical treatment group(n=117).The followings were recorded during follow-up:clinical data,death(all-cause and cardiovascular-related),re-hospitalization time,Seattle Angina Questionnaire(SAQ)score,and occurrence of hemorrhagic events(cerebral bleeding,gastrointestinal bleeding,and dermal ecchymosis).Results:The median follow-up duration was 25.0(25th,75th percentile:17.0,55.5)months among 417 patients.The all-cause death rates(28.2%vs.12.0%and 14.6%,respectively)and cardiovascular-related death rates(15.4%us.3.8%and 6.4%,respectively)were significantly higher in the medical treatment group than those in the PCI group and CABG group(all P<0.05).The re-hospitalization rate for cardiovascular events was significantly lower in the CABG group than those in the PCI group and medical treatment group(3.8%vs.12.8%and 14.9%,respectively)(x^2=8.23&P=0.018).The SAQ scores of physical limitation,angina frequency,treatment satisfaction,and disease perception were significantly higher in the PCI group and CABG group than those in the medical treatment group(all P<0.05).No significant difference in the angina stability score was observed among the three groups(F=3.179,P=0.204).Conclusion:PCI and CABG result in reduced mortality and better quality of life in octogenarians with CAD.

Low-Dose Unfractionated Heparin with Sequential Enoxaparin in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus and Complex Coronary Artery Disease during Elective Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background： Despite its limitations, unfractionated heparin （UFH） has been the standard anticoagulant used during percutaneous coronary intervention （PCl）. This study compared the safety of low-dose UFH with sequential enoxaparin with that of UFH in patients with diabetes mellitus （DM） and complex coronary artery disease receiving elective PCl. Methods： In this retrospective study, 514 consecutive patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases and type 2 DM were admitted to the hospital and received selective PCI, from January 2013 to December 2015. All patients with PCl received low-dose UFH with enoxaparin （intraductal 50 U/kg UFH and 0.75 mg/kg enoxaparin, n = 254; UFH-Enox group） or UFH only （intraductal 100 U/kg UFH, n = 260; UFH group）. The study endpoints were major adverse cardiac events （MACEs）, namely death, myocardial infarction （MI）, stroke, target-vessel immediate revascularization （TVR）, and thrombolysis in MI （TIMI） major bleeding, within 30 days and 1 year after PCI. Any catheter thrombosis during the procedure was recorded. Results： Only one patient had an intraductal thrombus in the UFH group. At the 30-day follow-up, no MACE occurred in any group; seven and five cases of recurrent angina and/or rehospitalization were reported in the UFH-Enox and UFH groups, respectively; there was no significant difference between the two groups （χ^2= 0.11, P = 0.77）. There was no TIMI major bleeding in the groups. With respect to the 1-year endpoint, two cases of recurrent MI and two of TVRs were reported in the UFH-Enox group, whereas in the UFH group, one case of recurrent MI and three of TVRs were reported; no significant difference existed between the two groups （χ^2 0, P= 0.99）. There were 30 and 25 recurrent angina and/or rehospitalizations in the UFH-Enox and UFH groups, respectively; there was no significant difl＇erence between the two groups （χ^2 = 0.37, P= 0.57）. Conclusion： In elective PCI, low-dose UFH with sequential enoxaparin has similar effects and safety to the UFH-only method.

Low-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol/High-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio as Predictor of First Acute Myocardial Infarction and Major Adverse Cardiovascular Event after Intervention in Young Males

To the Editor： Acute myocardial infarction （AMI） is an unstable ischemic syndrome induced event of myocardial necrosis. Although it is well known that lipid abnormalities are linked to AMI risk, the optimal lipid parameter for risk prediction is unclear. Analyses from the INTERHEART study demonstrated the role of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C） ratio and triglycerides （TG）/HDL-C ratio in AMI, in addition to that of LDL-C and HDL-C absolute values, prompting the search for optimal and reliable markers for AMI. Furthermore, lipid abnormalities are affected by ethnicity, age, and gender. However, limited data are available for young Chinese males. The present study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of plasma lipids and their association with the risk and clinical outcome of a first AMI in this population.

Unfractionated Heparin with Sequential Enoxaparin in Patients with Complex Coronary Artery Lesions during Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background： Unfractionated heparin （UFH）, despite its limitations, has been used as the primary anticoagulant alternative during the percutaneous coronary intervention （PCI）. Some studies indicated that intravenous enoxaparin could be an effective and safe option. Our team used enoxaparin alone at one time according to the guidelines （Class IIA） and found a little catheter thrombosis during PCI. We recommend a new anticoagulation strategy using enoxaparin in combination with UFH. Enoxaparin has a more predictable anticoagulant response with no need of repeatedly monitoring anticoagulation during PCI. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of using enoxaparin in combination with UFH in PCI patients with complex coronary artery disease. Methods： Between January 2015 and April 2017, 600 PCI patients who received intravenous UFH at an initial dose of 3000 U plus intravenous enoxaparin at a dose of 0.75 mg/kg （observation group） and 600 PCI patients who received UFH at a dose of 100 U/kg （control group） were consecutively included in this retrospective study. The endpoints were postoperative 48-h thrombolysis in myocardial infarction （TIMI） bleeding and transfusion and 30-day and l-year major adverse cardio-cerebrovascular events （MACCE）. Results： Baseline clinical, angiographic, and procedural characteristics were similar between groups, except there was less stent implantation per patient in the observation group （2.13 vs. 2.25 in the control group, P = 0.002）. TIMI bleeding （3.3% vs. 4.7%） showed no significant difference between the observation group and control group. During the 30-day follow-up, the rate of MACCE was 0.9% in the observation group and 1.5% in the control group. There was no significant difference in the rates of MACCE, death, myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularization, cerebrovascular event, and angina within 30 days and 1 year after PC1 between groups as well as in the subgroup analysis of transfemoral approach. Conclusions： UFH with sequential enoxaparin has similar anticoagulant effect and safety as UFH in PCI of complex coronary artery disease.