Therapeutic Communication Methods Targeting Families and Family Members: A Literature Review

Background and Purpose: Therapeutic communication is a new term in family health care nursing, defined by Hohashi (2019) as a method of family intervention, and characterized by inclusion of not only verbal conversation but also nonverbal interaction. However, specific therapeutic communication methods have not been systematized. The purpose of this study was to clarify therapeutic communication methods for families/family members from the perspectives of verbal communication and non-verbal communication through a review of existing literature. Methods: We conducted a search using the medical literature databases PubMed and Ichushi-Web using the keywords “therapeutic communication”. Analysis was performed on seven articles from PubMed and 14 articles from Ichushi-Web that described therapeutic communication methods performed by healthcare professionals for families/family members. Through directed content analysis, therapeutic communication methods were subcategorized, and classified into three categories: verbal communication, non-verbal communication, and verbal/non-verbal communication. Results: A total of 23 subcategories were extracted. Verbal communication included 11 subcategories, such as “asking questions using the communicatee’s words as they are”. Non-verbal communication included five subcategories, such as “noticing changes in the content of the communicatee’s story”. And verbal/non-verbal communication featured seven subcategories, such as “making the communicatee aware of one’s own beliefs”. Conclusion: Therapeutic communication methods included basic care/caring in family interviews/meetings, as well as verbal communication and non-verbal communication that act on family/family members’ beliefs. It is believed that changes in family/family members’ beliefs can be used to eliminate, reduce, or improve problematic conditions in the family. .

Provenance of Conglomerate and Sandstone from Early Permian Shoushangou Formation in Xi Ujimqin,Inner Mongolia:Implications for Understanding Paleo-Asian Ocean Subduction

During the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian,a rift was formed by post-collisional extension after ocean closure or an island arc-related basin formed by Paleo-Asian Ocean(PAO)subduction in the Xi Ujimqin area.Nevertheless,the closure time of the PAO is still under debate.Thus,to identify the origin of the PAO,the geochemistry and U-Pb age of zircons were analyzed for the extra-large deep marine,polymict clastic boulders and sandstones in the Shoushangou Formation within the basin.The analyses revealed magmatic activity and tectonic evolution.The conglomerates include megaclasts of granite(298.8±9.1 Ma)and granodiorite porphyry(297.1±3.1 Ma),which were deposited by muddy debris flow.Results of this study demonstrated that the boulders of granitoids have the geochemistry of typical I-type granite,characterized by low Zr+Nb+Ce+Y and low Ga/Al values.The granitoid boulders were formed in island arc setting,indicating the presence of arc magmatism in the area that is composed of the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian subduction-related granitoid in southern Xi Ujimqin.Multiple diagrams for determining sedimentary provenance using major and trace elements indicate that Shoushangou sediments originated from continental island arc-related felsic rocks.Detrital zircon U-Pb age cluster of 330–280 Ma was obtained,indicating input from granite,ophiolite,Xilin Gol complex,and Carboniferous sources to the south.The basin was geographically developed behind the arc during the Early Permian period because the outcropped intrusive rocks in the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian form a volcanic arc.The comprehensive analyses of source areas suggest that Shoushangou sediments developed in a backarc basin in response to the northward subduction of the PAO.The backarc basin and intrusive rocks,in addition to previously published Late Carboniferous to Early Permian magmatic rocks of arc unit in Xilin Gol,confirm the presence of an Early Permian trencharc-basin system in the region,represented by the Baolidao arc and Xi Ujimqin backarc basin.This study highlights the importance and potential of combined geochemical and geochronological studies of conglomerates and sandstone for reconstructing the geodynamic setting of a basin.

Study on the variation in and selection of Fraxinus mandshurica provenances and families in northeast China

Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr.is one of the main afforestation species in northeast China,and there is great demand for improved F.mandshurica varieties.The results of an investigation into and analysis of the growth traits of F.mandshurica provenances and families showed that there were significant differences in different periods.However,variations in growth traits decreased year by year.There was a significant negative correlation between tree heights of the provenances and sunshine hours in their areas of origin.The provenances of Xinglong,Hailin and Wuchang were selected based on the volume of 18-year-old trees.The average genetic gain from the selection of fast-growing provenances was 19.4%.Ten superior fast-growing families were selected.The average volume of the selected families was22.6%,higher than that of all families.The correlation coefficient between heights at 6-year-old and at 18a was 0.838for provenances,and between heights at 4-year-old and at 18-year-old was 0.303 for families.These results indicate that early selection for height in provenances or families could be performed at 6 years or 4 years,respectively.Early selection for DBH and volume in families could start at 8 years.

Detrital Zircon Geochronology and Provenance of Metasedimentary Rocks from the Susong Complex Zone in the Dabie Orogen

The Susong complex zone is a relatively low-grade metamorphic unit located in the southern part of the Dabie orogen and preserves a variety of metasedimentary rocks,mostly with epidote-amphibolite facies.However,their depositional age,provenance and tectonic setting of sedimentary protolith remain controversial due to the lack of fossils,precise dating and integrated geochemical investigation.This study has conducted whole-rock elemental,and zircon U-Pb SHRIMP dating and Lu-Hf isotope analyses on three types of representative metasedimentary rocks including garnetbearing mica-quartz schist,graphite-muscovite-quartz schist and dolomitic marble from the Susong complex zone.The UPb SHRIMP dating data indicate that the sedimentary protolith of these rocks have the maximum depositional ages of less than 840-750 Ma and have various sedimentary provenances.In combination with zircon Lu-Hf isotope compositions,the provenance of the metasedimentary rocks in the region is for the first time documented to be mainly derived from four groups of magmatic rocks formed at~2.5 Ga,~2.0 Ga,~1.4 Ga and~0.8 Ga in response to four episodes of igneous activity in the northeastern margin of the Yangtze Block.The conventional geothermobarometry combined with rare metamorphic zircon ages indicate that the studied rocks underwent the Late Triassic continental subduction-related metamorphism with peak epidote-amphibolite facies conditions at P=0.34-0.91 GPa and T=427-532°C.In addition,results of the elemental contents(i.e.,La,Ce,Th andΣREE)and ratios(i.e.,Eu/Eu^(*)and La_(N)/Yb_(N))suggest that the protoliths of the metasedimentary rocks were mainly shales,wackes and limestones,most probably related to the Rodinia supercontinent rifting along the northern margin of the Yangtze Block during the Neoproterozoic.

New interpretation on the provenance changes of the upper Pinghu–lower Huagang Formation within Xihu Depression,East China Sea Shelf Basin

Both Pinghu and Huagang formations are important hydrocarbon reservoirs of the Xihu Depression in the East China Sea Shelf Basin.Clarifying the source suppliers and restoring source-to-sink transport routes are of great significance to the future petroleum and gas undertakings.Previous researchers were largely confined by either limitation of geological records,highly dependence on a singular method or low-precision dating techniques.Our study integrated heavy mineral assemblages,geochemical analyses and detrital zircon U-Pb dating to reconstruct multiple source-to-sink pathways,and to provide a better understanding on the provenance evolution for the upper Pinghu–lower Huagang depositions of the Xihu Depression.At least three major provenances have been confirmed and systematically investigated for their separate compositional features.The Hupijiao Uplift(or even farther northern area)was dominated by a major Paleoproterozoic population peaked at ca.1830 Ma along with minor Mesozoic clusters.The Haijiao Uplift to the west and the Yushan Low Uplift to the southwest,on the other hand,generate opposite U-Pb age spectra with apparently larger peaks of Indosinian and Yanshanian-aged zircons.To be noted,both Indosinian and Paleoproterozoic peaks are almost identical in proportion for the Haijiao Uplift.The overall sedimentary pattern of late Eocene-early Oligocene was featured by both spatial and temporal distinction.The Hupijiao Uplift was likely to cast limited impact during the late Eocene,whereas the broad southern Xihu Depression was transported by a large abundance of materials from the nearby Haijiao and Yushan Low Uplifts.The northern source substantially extended its influence to the farther south during the early Oligocene by delivering plentiful sediments of higher-degree metamorphic parent rocks.Combined with the proximal western and southwestern suppliers,the overall Xihu Depression was under control from both distant and local provenances.

Geochemistry and sedimentology of sediments in a short fluvial system,NW China:implications to the provenance and tectonic setting

Six outcrop sections in Fenghe River,Northwestern China,were sampled and analyzed.This study aims to determine provenance,tectonic setting,and source-area paleoweathering of the sediments of Fenghe River in combination of lithofacies analysis and bulk-rock geochemical data.The lithofacies in the studied area were classified as gravel,sand,and fine-grained clastic lithofacies,reflecting generally channel fill deposits,channel bar deposits,and over-bank deposits,respectively.The Chemical Index of Alteration(CIA),Plagioclase Index of Alteration(PIA),and Chemical Index of Weathering(CIW)values ranged 50.10–62.29,50.13–66.35,56.52–71.12,respectively,together with element ratios such as Rb/Sr,K/Na,Rb/K,Th/K,Rb/Ti,and Cs/Ti indicate that the source area was under a low to moderate chemical weathering condition probably in cold and semi-arid climates.Moreover,plot of SiO_(2)vs.(Al_(2)O_(3)+K_(2)O+Na_(2)O)suggests that the sediments were deposited in a semi-arid climate.Plots of Cr/Th vs.Th/Sc,TiO_(2)vs.Zr,La/Yb vs.rare earth element(REE),and La-Th-Sc ternary diagrams,along with the lithology,indicate that the sediments in Fenghe River were mainly originated from felsic igneous rocks.Major elements-based discrimination diagrams and Th-Sc-Zr/10 and La-Th-Sc ternary diagram of the samples indicates that the source rocks of Fenghe River developed in a composite active continental margin and continental island arc field.

Clay mineral compositions in the surface sediment of the Chanthaburi coast(northeastern Gulf of Thailand)and their implications on sediment provenance

Clay mineral composition represents an important tracer of sediment source area,migration processes,and paleoclimatic conditions.Clay mineral analysis was performed on 15 surface sediment samples collected from the coast of Chanthaburi,Thailand.Results show that the composition of clay minerals in the study area differs substantially from that in surrounding regions of the Gulf of Thailand.The clay minerals of the Chanthaburi coast are dominated by kaolinite(~56%),followed by smectite(~21%),illite(~14%),and low concentrations of chlorite(~8%).The average illite chemistry index and crystallinity are 0.93 and 0.32,respectively.Comparative analysis of the clay mineral composition of surface sediments in several typical areas around the Gulf of Thailand indicated that the clays of the Chanthaburi coast are mainly derived from parent rock weathering in the small watersheds of the Chanthaburi and Welu rivers and the surrounding islands.Terrestrial input from the northern coast of the Gulf of Thailand(excluding the Mekong River)was previously considered negligible;however,the present results indicate that such input has impact on the eastern Gulf of Thailand.The warm humid climatic conditions in Southeast Asia are the primary factors that affect the strong chemical weathering in the study area,followed by the nature of the parent rock.

Identifying and validating MMP family members(MMP2,MMP9,MMP12,and MMP16)as therapeutic targets and biomarkers in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma(KIRC)

Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma(KIRC)is a malignant tumor that carries a substantial risk of morbidity and mortality.The MMP family assumes a crucial role in tumor invasion and metastasis.This study aimed to uncover the mechanistic relevance of the MMP gene family as a therapeutic target and diagnostic biomarker in Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma(KIRC)through a comprehensive approach encompassing both computational and molecular analyses.STRING,Cytoscape,UALCAN,GEPIA,OncoDB,HPA,cBioPortal,GSEA,TIMER,ENCORI,DrugBank,targeted bisulfite sequencing(bisulfite-seq),conventional PCR,Sanger sequencing,and RT-qPCR based analyses were used in the present study to analyze MMP gene family members to accurately determine a few hub genes that can be utilized as both therapeutic targets and diagnostic biomarkers for KIRC.By performing STRING and Cytohubba analyses of the 24 MMP gene family members,MMP2(matrix metallopeptidase 2),MMP9(matrix metallopeptidase 9),MMP12(matrix metallopeptidase 12),and MMP16(matrix metallopeptidase 16)genes were denoted as hub genes having highest degree scores.After analyzing MMP2,MMP9,MMP12,and MMP16 via various TCGA databases and RT-qPCR technique across clinical samples and KIRC cell lines,interestingly,all these hub genes were found significantly overexpressed at mRNA and protein levels in KIRC samples relative to controls.The notable effect of the up-regulated MMP2,MMP9,MMP12,and MMP16 was also documented on the overall survival(OS)of the KIRC patients.Moreover,targeted bisulfite-sequencing(bisulfite-seq)analysis revealed that promoter hypomethylation pattern was associated with up-regulation of hub genes(MMP2,MMP9,MMP12,and MMP16).In addition to this,hub genes were involved in various diverse oncogenic pathways.The MMP gene family members(MMP2,MMP9,MMP12,and MMP16)may serve as therapeutic targets and prognostic biomarkers in KIRC.

Compositional characteristics of sediment from Jiaozhou Bay in North China and the implication to the provenance

Rare earth elements(REEs)can be used to trace source materials and identify their provenances,because of significant conservation and immobility during chemical alteration processes after erosion of materials from the provenance.This study focused on the temporal variation of REEs for columnar sediments from the mouth of Jiaozhou Bay in North China to understand the potential controls for the geochemical variations of sediments.Through extraction experiments,we identified that the residual fraction is the main host for REEs compared with other fractions(i.e.,exchangeable and carbonate fraction,easily reducible oxides fraction,reducible oxides fraction,magnetite fraction).REE ratios(e.g.,La_(N)/Sm_(N)and La_(N)/Yb_(N);N:normalized by chondrite)lack correlations with grain size or the chemical index of alteration(CIA),which is correlated with major elements.All these indicate that these REE variations reflect the varying contribution of source materials from different provenances instead of grain size or chemical weathering effects.REE ratios(e.g.,La_(N)/Sm_(N)and La_(N)/Yb_(N))remain relatively constant until the depth of roughly 40 cm(equivalent to the year 1995),and show obvious changes beyond this depth.Compared REE characteristics of Jiaozhou Bay with those of neighboring rivers and bedrocks,the relative contributions of Dagu River-Jiaolai River,and Licun River may have been increased during the sedimentary processes,which could be caused by the construction of reservoir and related change of aquaculture(e.g.,rapid accumulation of organic materials).

Early Cenozoic paleontological assemblages and provenance evolution of the Lishui Sag,East China Sea

The East China Sea Shelf Basin generated a series of back-arc basins with thick successions of marine-and terrestrial-facies sediments during Cenozoic.It is enriched with abundant oil and gas resources and is of great significance to the petroleum exploration undertakings.Therein,the Lishui Sag formed fan delta,fluvial delta and littoral-to-neritic facies sediments during Paleocene–Eocene,and the research on its sedimentary environment and sediment source was controversial.This study analyzed the paleontological combination characteristics,and conducted a source-to-sink comparative analysis to restore the sedimentary environment and provenance evolution of the Lishui Sag during Paleocene–Eocene based on the integration of detrital zircon U-Pb age spectra patterns with paleontological assemblages.The results indicated that Lishui Sag was dominated by littoral and neritic-facies environment during time corroborated by large abundance of foraminifera,calcareous nannofossils and dinoflagellates.Chronological analysis of detrital zircon U-Pb revealed that there were significant differences in sediment sources between the east and west area of the Lishui Sag.The western area was featured by deeper water depths in the Paleocene–Eocene,and the sediment was characterized by a single Yanshanian peak of zircon U-Pb age spectra,and mainly influenced from Yanshanian magmatic rocks of South China Coast and the surrounding paleo-uplifts.However,its eastern area partly showed Indosinian populations.In particular,the upper Eocene Wenzhou sediments were featured by increasingly plentiful Precambrian zircons in addition to the large Indosinian-Yanshanian peaks,indicating a possible impact from the Yushan Low Uplift to the east.Therefore,it is likely that the eastern Lishui Sag generated large river systems as well as deltas during time.Due to the Yuquan Movement,the Lishui Sag experienced uplifting and exhumation in the late stage of the late Eocene and was not deposited with sediments until Miocene.Featured by transitional-facies depositions of Paleocene–Eocene,the Lishui Sag thus beared significant potential for source rock and oil-gas reservoir accumulation.

Clay minerals and elemental composition of sediments on different sedimentary units in the northern East China Sea shelf:provenance tracing and genetic mechanism analysis

The composition,provenance,and genetic mechanism of sediment on different sedimentary units of the East China Sea(ECS)shelf are essential for understanding the depositional dynamics environment in the ECS.The sediments in the northern ECS shelf are distributed in a ring-shaped distribution centered on the southwestern Cheju Island Mud.From the inside to the outside,the grain size goes from fine to coarse.Aside from the“grain size effect”,hydrodynamic sorting and mineral composition are important restrictions on the content of rare earth elements(REEs).Based on the grain size,REEs,and clay mineral composition of 300 surface sediments,as well as the sedimentary genesis,the northern ECS shelf is divided into three geochemical zones:southwestern Cheju Island Mud Area(ZoneⅠ),Changjiang Shoal Sand Ridges(ZoneⅡ-1),Sand Ridges of the East China Sea shelf(ZoneⅡ-2).The northern ECS shelf is mostly impacted by Chinese mainland rivers(the Changjiang River and Huanghe River),and the provenance and transport mechanism of sediments of different grain sizes is diverse.The bulk sediments come primarily from the Changjiang River,with some material from the Huanghe River carried by the Yellow Sea Coastal Current and the North Jiangsu Coastal Current,and less from Korean rivers.Among them,surface sediments in the southwestern Cheju Island Mud Area(ZoneⅠ)come mostly from the Changjiang River and partly from the Huanghe River.It was formed by the counterclockwise rotating cold eddies in the northern ECS shelf,which caused the sedimentation and accumulation of the fine-grained sediments of the Changjiang River and the Huanghe River.The Changjiang Shoal Sand Ridges(ZoneⅡ-1)were developed during the early-middle Holocene sea-level highstand.It is the modern tidal sand ridge sediment formed by intense hydrodynamic action under the influence of the Yellow Sea Coastal Current,North Jiangsu Coastal Current,and Changjiang Diluted Water.The surface sediments mainly originate from the Changjiang River and Huanghe River,with the Changjiang River dominating,and the Korean River(Hanjiang River)influencing just a few stations.Sand Ridges of the East China Sea shelf(ZoneⅡ-2)are the relict sediments of the paleo-Changjiang River created by sea invasion at the end of the Last Deglaciation in the Epipleistocene.The clay mineral composition of the surface sediments in the study area is just dominated by the Changjiang River,with the North Jiangsu Coastal Current and the Changjiang Diluted Water as the main transporting currents.

Identification of the lysine and histidine transporter family in Camellia sinensis and the characterizations in nitrogen utilization

In plants,the lysine and histidine transporter(LHT)family represent a class of proteins that mediate the uptake,translocation,and utilization of amino acids.The tea plant(Camellia sinensis)is a perennial evergreen with a relatively high level of amino acids.However,systematic identification and molecular characterization of the LHT gene family has rarely been reported in tea plants.In this study,22 CsLHTs were identified from the‘Shuchazao’genome and classified into two groups.The modeled three-dimensional structure and the conserved domains presented a high similarity among the LHTs proteins.Moreover,it was predicted that a few genes were conserved through the analysis of the physiochemical characters,structures and cis-elements in promoters.The expression patterns in tea plants revealed that CsLHT7 was mainly expressed in the roots,and CsLHT4 and CsLHT11 exhibited relatively high expression in both the roots and leaves.Moreover,the expression of all three genes could be induced by organic nitrogen.Additionally,heterogeneous expression of CsLHT4,CsLHT7 and CsLHT11 in Arabidopsis thaliana decreased the aerial parts biomass compared with that in WT plants while significantly increased the rosette biomass only for CsLHT11transgenic plants versus WT plants.Overall,our results provide fundamental information about CsLHTs and potential genes in N utilization for further analysis in tea plants.

Multiple grain-size fraction analysis of heavy minerals and the provenance identification of sediments from the abandoned Huanghe River,eastern China

The quantitative analysis of sediment sources in a sink is an important scientific topic and challenge in provenance research.The characteristics of heavy minerals,combined with the geochemical constituents of detrital grains,provide a reliable provenance-tracing approach.We developed a mineral identification method to analyze the multiple grain-size fraction of sediments,from which the elemental geochemistry of hornblende was used to compare the characteristics of sediments from the Huaihe River and Huanghe(Yellow)River in eastern China.Elements that were statistically identified as being able to discriminate sediment provenance were employed to perform a quantitative analysis of the sources of sediments of the abandoned Huanghe River.Results reveal that the Huaihe River is characterized by a high amphibole content of>60%and that the Huanghe and abandoned Huanghe rivers have greater abundances of limonite and carbonate minerals compared with those of the Huaihe River.The contents of trace elements and rare earth elements in hornblende show that the sediments of the abandoned Huanghe River are similar to those of the Huanghe River but different from those of the Huaihe River.Furthermore,chemical mass balance was used to calculate the relative contributions of different provenances of sediment from the abandoned Huanghe River,and nine trace elements of hornblende were identified as discriminators of provenance.Approximately 2%of the hornblende in the abandoned Huanghe River is derived from the Huaihe River and 98%from the Huanghe River.Considering the proportion of hornblende in the total sediment,it is inferred that the contribution of Huaihe River sediment to the abandoned Huanghe River is approximately 0.5%.This study shows that mineral analysis using multiple grain-size fractions(within the wide range of 1Φto 6Φ)with assessment in elemental geochemistry of hornblende can characterize the provenance of fluvial material in coastal zones.

Geochemical characteristics and provenance analysis of Lower Jurassic Badaowan Formation in Changji area of Xinjiang,China

Based on the field survey of Lower Jurassic Badaowan Formation(Fm.)in Changji area of Xinjiang,China,the authors studied the sedimentary environment and provenance characteristics using the analyses of stratigraphic profiles,sedimentary structures,petrography,zircon U-Pb chronology and geochemistry.The results show that Badaowan Fm.deposited in fluvial to swamp shallow-deeplacustrine sedimentary facies deposition.Contents of Sr and ratios of Sr/Cu,Sr/Ba,Th/U,SiO_(2)/Al_(2)O_(3),V/(V+Ni),V/Cr,and Cu/Zn together indicate that Badaowan Fm.was deposited in an oxygen-poor transitional freshwater environment,under humid climatic conditions.Geochemical characteristics and Q–F–L,Qm–E–Lt,Th–Co–Zr/10,La–Th–Sc,and Th–Sc–Zr/10 discrimination diagrams indicate that the tectonic setting of the source area was a continental island arc environment.Lithological composition,Th/U ratios,and Co/Th–La/Sc,La/Th–Hf,and La/Yb–REE discrimination diagrams show that the source rocks of Badaowan Fm.were upper-crust felsic volcanic rocks.U-Pb dating of detrital zircons yields ages of 1542.3±15.0 to 232.9±3.3 Ma and mostly in the ranges of 470–410 and 370–280 Ma.A comparison of these ages with the age data from different blocks of crystalline rock in Tianshan Mountains area reveals that the sedimentary rocks in the Badaowan Fm.were sourced predominantly from the central and subordinately from the southern Tianshan Mountains during Early Jurassic.

De novel heterozygous copy number deletion on 7q31.31-7q31.32 involving TSPAN12 gene with familial exudative vitreoretinopathy in a Chinese family

AIM:To investigate the genetic and clinical characteristics of patients with a large heterozygous copy number deletion on 7q31.31-7q31.32.METHODS:A family with familial exudative vitreoretinopathy(FEVR)phenotype was included in the study.Whole-exome sequencing(WES)was initially used to locate copy number variations(CNVs)on 7q31.31-31.32,but failed to detect the precise breakpoint.The long-read sequencing,Oxford Nanopore sequencing Technology(ONT)was used to get the accurate breakpoint which is verified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(QPCR)and Sanger Sequencing.RESULTS:The proband,along with her father and younger brother,were found to have a heterozygous 4.5 Mb CNV deletion located on 7q31.31-31.32,which included the FEVRrelated gene TSPAN12.The specific deletion was confirmed as del(7)(q31.31q31.32)chr7:g.119451239_123956818del.The proband exhibited a phase 2A FEVR phenotype,characterized by a falciform retinal fold,macular dragging,and peripheral neovascularization with leaking of fluorescence.These symptoms led to a significant decrease in visual acuity in both eyes.On the other hand,the affected father and younger brother showed a milder phenotype.CONCLUSION:The heterozygous CNV deletion located on 7q31.31-7q31.32 is associated with the FEVR phenotype.The use of long-read sequencing techniques is essential for accurate molecular diagnosis of genetic disorders.

PML nuclear bodies:new players in familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-frontotemporal dementia?

Amyotrophi c lateral s c lerosis(ALS)and frontotemporal dementia(FTD)are two closely related disorders with overlapping clinical,genetic,and neuropathological features,forming a continuous disease spectrum(Ling et al.,2013).The major pathological hallmark of ALS and FTD are the depletion from the nucleus of the RNA-binding proteins TAR DNA‐binding protein 43(TDP-43)and FUsed in Sarcoma(FUS)and their abnormal accumulation in ubiquitin-positive cytoplasmic inclusions(Ling et al.,2013).

Functional prediction of tomato PLATZ family members and functional verification of Sl PLATZ17

PLATZ is a novel zinc finger DNA-binding protein that plays an important role in regulating plant growth and development and resisting abiotic stress.However,there has been very little research on the function of this family gene in tomatoes,which limits its application in germplasm resource improvement.Therefore,the PLATZ gene family was identified and analyzed in tomato,and its roles were predicted and verified to provide a basis for in-depth research on SlPLATZ gene function.In this study,the PLATZ family members of tomato were identified in the whole genome,and 19 SlPLATZ genes were obtained.Functional prediction was conducted based on gene and promoter structure analysis and RNA-seq-based expression pattern analysis.SlPLATZ genes that responded significantly under different abiotic stresses or were significantly differentially expressed among multiple tissues were screened as functional gene resources.SlPLATZ17 was selected for functional verification by experiment-based analysis.The results showed that the downregulation of SlPLATZ17 gene expression reduced the drought and salt tolerance of tomato plants.Tomato plants overexpressing SlPLATZ17 had larger flower sizes and long,thin petals,adjacent petals were not connected at the base,and the stamen circumference was smaller.This study contributes to understanding the functions of the SlPLATZ family in tomato and provides a reference for functional gene screening.

Characterization of a Novel Esterase Belonging to Family V from Marinobacter flavimaris

Lipolytic enzymes have attracted enormous attentions because of their ability in ester hydrolysis,ester synthesis,transesterification and other biochemical reactions.Bacteria are important sources of lipolytic enzymes applied in industry.Here,a novel lipolytic enzyme encoded by esterase gene est1347 was identified in Marinobacter flavimaris WLL162,and was purified and characterized.The lipolytic enzyme Est1347 consisted of 312 amino acid residues and a 21-amino-acids N-terminal signal peptide with a predicted molecular weight of 34.2 kDa.It belongs to family V of bacterial lipolytic enzymes based on the amino acid sequence homology analysis.Est1347 is a mesophilic and alkali-resistant enzyme with the highest activity at 45℃and pH 8.5;it is stable at temperatures below 50℃and pH 7.5–11.0.Est1347 showed a preference for middle-length chain substrate p-NPC10 and a wide range of other substrates.The Km,Vmax,Kcat and Kcat/Km values of Est1347 for p-NPC10 in pH 8.5 at 45℃were 0.9411 mmol L^(−1),1285μmol min^(−1)mg^(−1),698.91 s^(−1)and 743.65 s^(−1)(mmol L^(−1))^(−1),respectively.It is also tolerant to the metal ions,organic solvents and detergents.In conclusion,the esterase Est1347 laid a foundation for further study of bacterial lipolytic enzyme family V.

Correlates of Mistimed Pregnancy and Unmet Need for Family Planning among Women of Reproductive Age in Sandema, Ghana

Background: Globally, an estimated 80 million unintended pregnancies comprising both mistimed and unwanted pregnancies are recorded yearly. Yet only half of the women at risk of mistimed pregnancy use contraceptives. In developing countries, over 100 million females have unmet need, and national surveys in Ghana indicate 23% unmet need rate. Methods: Using a cross-sectional community-based approach, a sample size of 300 women of reproductive age were selected using multi-step cluster sampling techniques. The study was quantitative, using structured interviewer-administered questionnaires. Results: Two-third (66%) of the women in reproductive age still had unmet need, 71% were currently pregnant, and more than a third (36%) confirmed ever having a mistimed pregnancy. Fifty-three percent (53%) of the women confirmed never communicating with their partners on family planning issues, a little below half (45%) took their own health care decisions. Seventy nine percent (79%) ever received family planning services from a health professional. Factors related to unmet needs included mistimed pregnancy, level of education, preferred birth/pregnancy interval, communication between partners and the autonomy to spend self-earnings. Conclusion: Considering that high rates of unmet need results in mistimed pregnancy, improved policies around the influence of unmet need on mistimed pregnancies are needed.

Novel subtype of obesity influencing the outcomes of sleeve gastrectomy:Familial aggregation of obesity

BACKGROUND Differences in the preoperative characteristics and weight loss outcomes after sleeve gastrectomy(SG)between patients with familial aggregation of obesity(FAO)and patients with sporadic obesity(SO)have not been elucidated.AIM To explore the impact of SG on weight loss and the alleviation of obesity-related comorbidities in individuals with FAO.METHODS A total of 193 patients with obesity who underwent SG were selected.Patients with FAO/SO were matched 1:1 by propensity score matching and were categorized into 4 groups based on the number of first-degree relatives with obesity(1 SO vs 1FAO,2SO vs 2FAO).The baseline characteristics,weight loss outcomes,prevalence of obesity-related comorbidities and incidence of major surgeryrelated complications were compared between groups.RESULTS We defined FAO as the presence of two or more first-degree relatives with obesity.Patients with FAO did not initially show significant differences in baseline data,short-term postoperative weight loss,or obesity-related comorbidities when compared to patients with SO preoperatively.However,distinctions between the two groups became evident at the two-year mark,with statistically significant differences in both percentage of total weight loss(P=0.006)and percentage of excess weight loss(P<0.001).The FAO group exhibited weaker remission of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)(P=0.031),hyperlipidemia(P=0.012),and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)(P=0.003)as well as a lower incidence of acid reflux(P=0.038).CONCLUSION FAO patients is associated with decreased mid-to-long-term weight loss outcomes;the alleviation of T2DM,hyperlipidemia and NAFLD;and decreased incidence of acid reflux postoperatively.