Search

The genus Bambusa belongs to the subtribe Bambusinae and the subfamily Bambusoideae. The subgenera of Bambusa has not been satisfactorily circumscribed, and this remains a major taxonomic issue. Simultaneously, genera such as Dendrocalamus and Gigantochloa have not been confidently assigned to Bambusa. Here, the phylogenetic relationships among subgenera were investigated using five chloroplast DNA markers (rpl32-trnL, rpl16, matK, rbcL, and trnH-psbA) for a sample of 50 ingroup and 16 outgroup species. A total of 186 key morphological descriptors were studied for the 50 ingroup species. The results indicated that five chloroplast DNA markers were possible to distinguish Bambusa species from other species and divide them into several clusters. Phylogenetic analyses conducted using morphological descriptors and a combined marker (rpl32-trnL+rpl16) revealed three and five distinct lineages, respectively, among the currently recognized Bambusa species. The branching pattern of the dendrogram was not completely consistent with the classical taxonomic classification of Bambusa. In addition, not all varieties and cultivars were clustered with McClure classifications. As the maximum parsimony topology and morphological analyses were inconsistent, some clustering results overlapped. Overall, the results obtained here do not support the current classification of the Bambusa subgenera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In poultry, feed restriction is common feeding management to limit poultry nutrients intake so that poultry only intake the essential energy, meeting the basic need of growth and development. Our study investigated whether feeding restriction affects the diversity of the intestinal microbiota of growing breeding ducks. In this research, the 60–120-day-old ducks were raised in restricted and free-feeding groups. After slaughtering, the carcass traits and the cecal contents were collected for 16S rRNA sequencing analysis. After feeding restriction, the growth rate of ducks was limited, the weight and rate of abdominal fat decreased, and the rate of chest and leg muscles increased. In addition, feeding restriction can also change the diversity of intestinal microorganisms in breeding ducks, such as the increase of Firmicutes abundance and the decrease of Bacteroidetes abundance. After analyzing of correlation, significant correlations between gut microbiota and carcass phenotypes were found. The results indicated that gut microbiota might be involved in the life activities associated with phenotypic changes. This study proved the effect of feeding methods on the intestinal microbiota of ducks, providing a theoretical basis of the microbial angle for raising ducks in a feeding-restricted period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) possesses a poor prognosis even for stages I–III resected patients. Reliable prognostic biomarkers that can stratify and predict clinical outcomes for stage I–III resected LUSC patients are urgently needed. Based on gene expression of LUSC tissue samples from five public datasets, consisting of 687 cases, we developed an immune-related prognostic model (IPM) according to immune genes from ImmPort database. Then, we comprehensively analyzed the immune microenvironment and mutation burden that are significantly associated with this model. According to the IPM, patients were stratified into high- and low-risk groups with markedly distinct survival benefits. We found that patients with high immune risk possessed a higher proportion of immunosuppressive cells such as macrophages M0, and presented higher expression of CD47, CD73, SIRPA, and TIM-3. Moreover, When further stratified based on the tumor mutation burden (TMB) and risk score, patients with high TMB and low immune risk had a remarkable prolonged overall survival compared to patients with low TMB and high immune risk. Finally, a nomogram combing the IPM with clinical factors was established to provide a more precise evaluation of prognosis. The proposed immune relevant model is a promising biomarker for predicting overall survival in stage I–III LUSC. Thus, it may shed light on identifying patient subset at high risk of adverse prognosis from an immunological perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fat deposition in muscle includes intramuscular fat (IMF) and intermuscular fat. IMF content is an index of pork quality; however, because IMF content is difficult to measure in vivo in young animals, conventional breeding for IMF content is difficult to carry out. The mechanism and progression of animal fat deposition is not well understood, and there are currently no effective control methods. In this study, using Laiwu and large white pigs as the research subjects and RNA sequencing technology, we analyzed the genetic mechanism of animal fat deposition in pigs. Specifically, we analyzed the features of lncRNAs and their potential target genes. We obtained 464 million clean reads, from which 907 lncRNAs were identified. The cis and trans analysis identified target genes, including genes that were upregulated (286) and downregulated (621) in the fatty and lean pigs. ENSSSCG00000008692_ADD1, ENSSSCG00000023124_ADD1 and ENSSSCG00000005918_DGAT1 were validated as target genes of the lncRNAs and were shown to be closely related to fat deposition. These results provide a basis for studying the different metabolic lncRNA expression of IMF deposition. In addition, as the valuable model animal to study the mechanisms of obesity, pigs may represent a new avenue for studying human obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear tandemly repeated ribosomal RNA genes (18S-5.8S-25S rDNA and 5S rDNA) have been proven to be excellent cytogenetic markers for karyotype analysis of various higher plants by using the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique. To illustrate physical mapping of these rDNAs in brown seaweed, Saccharina japonica, chromosomes, an approximately 5400-bp transcription unit of 18S-5.8S-25S rDNA was assembled by cloning the 25S rDNA after paired-end sequencing of two screened clones from a bacterial artificial chromosome library of kelp gametophytes. In contrast to the conserved 18S-5.8S-25S rDNA and ITS1 in S. japonica, the 245-bp ITS2 was variable in sequence. The cloned 5S rDNA revealed that the 120-bp conserved coding region was separated by a diverse intergenic spacer sequence that were 250, 445, 905, or 1335 bp in length. On average, the 18S-5.8S-25S rDNA of kelp female and male gametophytes had 45 and 41 copies per haploid genome, respectively, as detected by quantitative real-time PCR, whereas the 5S rDNA had 2590 and 2648 copies, respectively. Southern hybridization with labeled probes of 18S rDNA or 5S rDNA demonstrated that kelp gametophytes possessed only one locus each of the 18S-5.8S-25S or 5S rDNAs. This was further confirmed by FISH analysis using the same labeled probes, thus illustrating that 18S-5.8S-25S rDNA is located at the intercalary region of chromosome 23, whereas 5S rDNA at the sub-telomeric region of chromosomes 27. The localization of these rDNAs using the FISH technique has facilitated the identification of individual chromosomes and karyotype analysis of this kelp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on an analysis of the strengthening and toughening mechanisms of natural composites (shells and pearls) and the biomimetic principle, a new type of hexagonal honeycomb shelter was designed using concrete-filled steel tubes. Experiments were conducted to investigate the anti-penetration properties of the honeycomb shelter. The experimental results showed that in contrast to a reinforced concrete shelter, damage from an impacting projectile only occurred within a single hexagonal unit of the honeycomb shelter; in addition, the damaged area on the honeycomb shelter was relatively small. Furthermore, the projectile tended to yaw when it penetrated the honeycomb shelter. The results of the experiments on the honeycomb shelter were also analyzed in terms of stress wave propagation, which was examined using a numerical simulation. The analysis showed that due to the restriction and obstruction effects of the hexagonal steel tubes on the concrete within the steel tubes, the resistance on the projectile increased during the penetration process, which reduced the damage caused by the projectile. The experimental results and analysis showed that a honeycomb shelter composed of concrete-filled steel tube components exhibits relatively good anti-penetration properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the perspective of forensic wound age estimation, experiments related to skeletal muscle regeneration after injury have rarely been reported. Here, we examined the time-dependent expression patterns of multiple biomarkers associated with satellite cell fate, including the transcription factor paired box 7 (Pax7), myoblast determination protein (MyoD), myogenin, and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), using immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and quantitative real-time PCR in contused skeletal muscle. An animal model of skeletal muscle contusion was established in 30 Sprague–Dawley male rats, and another five rats were employed as non-contused controls. Morphometrically, the data obtained from the numbers of Pax7 + , MyoD + , and myogenin + cells were highly correlated with the wound age. Pax7, MyoD, myogenin, and IGF-1 expression patterns were upregulated after injury at both the mRNA and protein levels. Pax7, MyoD, and myogenin protein expression levels confirmed the results of the morphometrical analysis. Additionally, the relative quantity of IGF-1 protein > 0.92 suggested a wound age of 3 to 7 days. The relative quantity of Pax7 mRNA > 2.44 also suggested a wound age of 3 to 7 days. Relative quantities of Myod1, Myog, and Igf1 mRNA expression > 2.78, > 7.80, or > 3.13, respectively, indicated a wound age of approximately 3 days. In conclusion, the expression levels of Pax7, MyoD, myogenin, and IGF-1 were upregulated in a time-dependent manner during skeletal muscle wound healing, suggesting the potential for using them as candidate biomarkers for wound age estimation in skeletal muscle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previously, we developed and validated a multiplex assay of 27 ancestry-informative markers (AIMs) for analyzing African (AFR), European (EUR), and East Asian (EAS) ancestry components. In this study, we typed and collectively analyzed a large Uyghur sample of 979 individuals to estimate the genetic coefficients of the 27 AIMs and investigate differentiation parameters between Uyghur and Han. The Uyghur allele frequencies ranged from 0.243 to 0.952, and heterozygosities ranged from 0.091 to 0.500. Values of F3 and I3 for EUR, Uyghur, and EAS ranged from 0.028 to 0.550 and 0.0002 to 0.345, respectively. The Uyghur population displays a substantial ancestry contribution of 50.3:49.7 (EUR:EAS) and was efficiently discriminated from Han Chinese with an accuracy of 99.285 %. All populations were clustered into AFR, EUR, EAS, and admixture groups of these three ancestries. Central Asian was obviously stratified from the other admixture populations of South Asians, North Asians, and the Americans. The 27 SNPs yield a circle with an average distance of 0.936 from the center (0, 0) in PCA analysis. Using this set, Chinese Uyghur and Han populations achieved accurate differentiation, and our updated genotype database (by citing 1000 Genomes data) of 43 worldwide populations is a useful resource for forensic applications and disease association studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The title complex, {[Co(BPPA)(5-OH- bdc)] · (HO)} was prepared under hydrothermal conditions based on two ligands, namely, bis(4-(pyridin-4-yl)phenyl)amine (BPPA) and 5-hydroxyisophthalic acid (5-OH-H bdc). 5-OH- bdc anions coordinated to Co atoms to give layers in crystal. BPPA ligands coordinate to Co atoms and thread into the adjacent layers. There are hydrogen bonds between adjacent layers, giving rise to a 2D → 3D framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the cost of silicon drops over years, the IC test cost basically stays flat. Hence, the percentage of the test cost in the overall chip cost increases significantly. For the total test cost, the RF test cost is a major contributor due to its tester requirement as well as the complexity of the RF parametric and functional tests. Design for Test (DFT) is a natural step to take to reduce the overall testing cost when the cost of the silicon to implement many Built-In Self Test (BIST) is virtually negligible. This article presents general guidelines for the RF IC, especially for the System on Chip (SoC) and System in Package (SiP) parts. It discusses the specific guidelines for DFT in order to reduce the RF test cost while still keeping acceptable test quality for both RF parameters and functionalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We give a good characterization of the permutation polynomials in two variables over ℤ/ p2ℤ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerebellar ataxia(CA) is defined as a degenerative disease of the nervous system. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been a promising treatment for neurological and psychiatric diseases. Hence, to find out whether cerebellar rTMS impacts CA as a potential therapy, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis. Qualified studies through a systematic search were retrieved for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using acknowledged databases. Review Manager 5.4 software was employed to synthesize the data. A total of seven studies were identified as eligible and included in the quantitative review. Comparing real and sham-rTMS interventions, the utilization of rTMS on cerebellum improved the scale for the assessment and rating of ataxia (SARA) (SMD − 0.87, 95% CI − 1.41 to − 0.34; P = 0.001; I2 = 62%), the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS) (SMD − 1.06, 95% CI − 1.47 to − 0.64; P < 0.00001; I2 = 0%) and Berg balance Scale (BBS) (SMD 0.76, 95% CI 0.33 to 1.19; P = 0.0005; I2 = 39%). The subgroup analysis demonstrated high-frequency of rTMS had a positive effect (SMD − 1.28, 95% CI − 1.82 to − 0.74; P < 0.00001; I2 = 0%). For the safety, the incidence of adverse events between the two groups was not significantly different (OR 1.73, 95% CI 0.55 to 5.46; P = 0.35; I2 = 0%). In conclusion, this meta-analysis provided limited evidence, suggesting a possible strategy that rTMS over the cerebellum could be a viable therapy for symptoms associated with CA. Besides, rTMS intervention was well-attended and did not result in unanticipated negative effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gram-negative bacteria can cause serious infections and are well known problems in biomedical practices. Biofilms of gram-negative bacteria are notorious for their frequently encountered resistance toward antibiotics. We demonstrate that α/β chimeric polypeptide molecular brush (α/β CPMB) exerts potent activities against antibiotic-resistant gram-negative bacteria. MTT viability assay, bacterial colony counting, and live/dead staining all indicate that α/β CPMB not only inhibits biofilm formation of gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii, but also effectively disrupts mature biofilms that are highly resistant to one of the most active antibiotics—colistin. The superior antibacterial performance of the α/β CPMB implies its potential topical applications in treating biofilms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely recognized that flipped learning has great potential for enhancing students' conceptual understanding through the reversed arrangement of before-class learning activities and in-class settings. However, this approach also raises the challenge of students having to obtain the learning content by themselves, especially for abstract concepts such as fractions, where students frequently encounter problems in mathematics education. In this study, we proposed a gamified interactive e-book approach to supporting a flipped mathematics classroom. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, a quasi-experimental study was implemented in an elementary school mathematics course. There were three groups: the students who adopted the gamified interactive e-book in the mathematical flipped classroom (the GIEBFL group), the students who learned with conventional flipped learning (the CFL group), and those who learned with traditional instruction (the TI group). The results from a paper-and-pencil test indicated that the GIEBFL students significantly outperformed the CFL and TI students. In addition, the questionnaire of students' learning motivation showed that the GIEBFL students had better motivation than the CFL and TI students. Also, the GIEBFL students achieved significantly higher meta-cognition tendency than the TI students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single-tube multiplex assay of a small set of ancestry-informative markers (AIMs) for effectively estimating individual ancestry and admixture is an ideal forensic tool to trace the population origin of an unknown DNA sample. We present a newly developed 27-plex single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panel with highly robust and balanced differential power to perfectly assign individuals to African, European, and East Asian ancestries. Evaluating 968 previously described intercontinental AIMs from three HapMap population genotyping datasets (Yoruban in Ibadan, Nigeria (YRI); Utah residents with Northern and Western European ancestry from the Centre de'Etude du Polymorphism Humain (CEPH) collection (CEU); and Han Chinese in Beijing, China (CHB)), the best set of markers was selected on the basis of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium ( p > 0.00001), population-specific allele frequency (two of three δ values >0.5), according to linkage disequilibrium ( r < 0.2), and capable of being multiplexed in one tube and detected by capillary electrophoresis. The 27-SNP panel was first validated by assigning the ancestry of the 11 populations in the HapMap project. Then, we tested the 27-plex SNP assay with 1164 individuals from 17 additional populations. The results demonstrated that the SNP panel was successful for ancestry inference of individuals with African, European, and East Asian ancestry. Furthermore, the system performed well when inferring the admixture of Eurasians (EUR/EAS) after analyzing admixed populations from Xinjiang (Central Asian) as follows: Tajik (68:27), Uyghur (49:46), Kirgiz (40:57), and Kazak (36:60). For individual analyses, we interpreted each sample with a three-ancestry component percentage and a population match probability sequence. This multiplex assay is a convenient and cost-effective tool to assist in criminal investigations, as well as to correct for the effects of population stratification for case-control studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activation of oncogenes by mechanisms other than genetic aberrations such as mutations, translocations, or amplifications is largely undefined. Here we report a novel isoform of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) that is expressed in ∼11% of melanomas and sporadically in other human cancer types, but not in normal tissues. The novel ALK transcript initiates from a de novo alternative transcription initiation (ATI) site in ALK intron 19, and was termed ALKATI. In ALKATI-expressing tumours, the ATI site is enriched for H3K4me3 and RNA polymerase II, chromatin marks characteristic of active transcription initiation sites. ALKATI is expressed from both ALK alleles, and no recurrent genetic aberrations are found at the ALK locus, indicating that the transcriptional activation is independent of genetic aberrations at the ALK locus. The ALKATI transcript encodes three proteins with molecular weights of 61.1, 60.8 and 58.7 kilodaltons, consisting primarily of the intracellular tyrosine kinase domain. ALKATI stimulates multiple oncogenic signalling pathways, drives growth-factor-independent cell proliferation in vitro, and promotes tumorigenesis in vivo in mouse models. ALK inhibitors can suppress the kinase activity of ALKATI, suggesting that patients with ALKATI-expressing tumours may benefit from ALK inhibitors. Our findings suggest a novel mechanism of oncogene activation in cancer through de novo alternative transcription initiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We determined the association of cord blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] with birth weight and the risk of small for gestational age (SGA). As part of the China-Anhui Birth Cohort (C-ABC) study, we measured cord blood levels of 25(OH)D in 1491 neonates in Hefei, China. The data on maternal sociodemographic characteristics, health status, lifestyle, birth outcomes were prospectively collected. Multiple regression models were used to estimate the association of 25(OH)D levels with birth weight and the risk of SGA. Compared with neonates in the lowest decile of cord blood 25(OH) D levels, neonates in four deciles (the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh deciles) had significantly increased birth weight and decreased risk of SGA. Multiple linear regression models showed that per 10 nmol/L increase in cord blood 25(OH)D, birth weight increased by 61.0 g (95% CI: 31.9, 89.9) at concentrations less than 40 nmol/L, and then decreased by 68.5 g (95% CI: -110.5, -26.6) at concentrations from 40 to 70 nmol/L. This study provides the first epidemiological evidence that there was an inverted U shaped relationship between neonatal vitamin D status and fetal growth, and the risk of SGA reduced at moderate concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]