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Echocardiography is the first-line diagnostic technique for heart diseases. Although artificial intelligence techniques have made great improvements in the analysis of echocardiography, the major limitations remain to be the built neural networks are normally adapted to a few diseases and specific equipment. Here, we present an end-to-end deep learning framework named AIEchoDx that differentiates four common cardiovascular diseases (Atrial Septal Defect, Dilated Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, prior Myocardial Infarction) from normal subjects with performance comparable to that of consensus of three senior cardiologists in AUCs (99.50% vs 99.26%, 98.75% vs 92.75%, 99.57% vs 97.21%, 98.52% vs 84.20%, and 98.70% vs 89.41%), respectively. Meanwhile, AIEchoDx accurately recognizes critical lesion regions of interest along with each disease by visualizing the decision-making process. Furthermore, our analysis indicates that heterogeneous diseases, like dilated cardiomyopathy, could be classified into two phenogroups with distinct clinical characteristics. Finally, AIEchoDx performs efficiently as an anomaly detection tool when applying handheld device-produced videos. Together, AIEchoDx provides a potential diagnostic assistant tool in either cart-based echocardiography equipment or handheld echocardiography device for primary and point-of-care medical personnel with high diagnostic performance, and the application of lesion region identification and heterogeneous disease phenogrouping, which may broaden the application of artificial intelligence in echocardiography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The maize Emb5 is an abscisic acid–responsive gene which is specifically expressed in the late embryo during seed maturity. To further dissect and identify the elements specific for its embryo expression pattern, we investigated the activity of the − 1653 bp upstream of the "full-length" promoter region of this gene in transgenic Arabidopsis plants. We first confirmed that the "full-length" promoter could indeed drive the expression of β-glucuronidase reporter gene (GUS) in the transgenic Arabidopsis seed embryo. Subsequently, DNA fragments of ~ 500 bp in length were generated after a series of progressive deletions from positions − 1653 bp to − 1 bp relative to the transcriptional initiation site. These fragments were fused with GUS and introduced into Arabidopsis. Measurement of the GUS activity in the immature seeds isolated from the transgenic plants revealed that the region between positions − 523 bp and − 1 bp, namely ProEm-D, is absolutely required and sufficient for the temporal and embryo-specific expression of GUS with an activity comparable with the full-length Emb5 promoter in Arabidopsis. Therefore, our results clearly demonstrated that the 523 bp ProEm-D can replace the − 1653 bp Emb5 promoter to drive embryo-specific expression in Arabidopsis seed. Because of its small size and strong embryo-specific activity, it could become the promoter of choice in metabolic pathway engineering to transfer multiple genes for the production of valuable pharmaceutical products in seeds, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids found in fish oils, or pro-vitamin A where at least three transgenes are required to assemble the entire metabolic pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is very important to assess pulmonary oedema in patients with acute heart failure. The aim of the study was to investigate the accuracy of lung ultrasound in evaluating pulmonary oedema and to explore lung ultrasound in predicting the prognosis. One hundred twenty-four acute heart failure patients were divided into 3 groups, according to the total number of lung ultrasound B-lines groups: B-lines < 15 was the mild pulmonary oedema group (33 cases), 15 ≤ B-lines < 30 was the moderate pulmonary oedema group (33 cases), and B-lines ≥ 30 was the severe pulmonary oedema group (58 cases). The PiCCO monitoring system was used in 11 patients and measured 26 times in different clinical situations. EVLWI have a higher positive correlation with B-lines (r = 0.95), compared with NT-proBNP and E/e′ (r = 0.72, r = 0.62). During 1 year of follow-up, a multivariate cox regression analysis showed that age, E/e′ and B-lines ≥ 30 at admission (C-index of 75%) were risk factors for prognosis. 12-month event-free survival showed a significantly worse outcome was observed in patients with ≥ 30 B-lines at admission. B-lines have a good correlation with EVLWI; age, E/e′ and B-lines ≥ 30 at admission were risk factors for prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purine alkaloid theacrine, synthesized in a high amount in Kucha (Camellia kucha (Chang et Wang) Chang), has shown multiple pharmacological effects such as anti-depression, dehydration and hypnotic activities. It is critical to better understand the theacrine metabolism at the molecular level for future breeding programs. To identify the putative genes involved in theacrine biosynthesis, we carried out comparative transcriptome analysis between Kucha (Kucha-6 and Kucha-11) and conventional varieties (Yinghong 9 and Qingxin 1). HPLC showed that Kucha synthesized more than 27-fold theacrine in comparison to conventional varieties. A total of ~ 671.61 million high quality clean reads were yielded, and 71.42 ~ 76.87% of these were aligned to the reference genome for each library. We identified 19,095 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by a pairwise approach, among which 1,142 common DEGs between Kucha and conventional varieties were screened. Functional annotation allowed the identified of 20 oxidoreductase (OR) genes and seven methyltransferase (MT) genes with enhanced expression in Kucha, which might be associated with theacrine diversity in the examined materials. Particularly, two N-methyltransferase-encoding genes (TEA010054 and TEA022559) may catalyze the final methylation step during theacrine synthesis in Kucha. The information generated will be helpful in identifying candidate genes and breeding tea plant with high theacrine content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild black tea varieties with almond odors were found in Guangdong, China. Few previous studies have investigated their metabolic profile during processing. Herein, we assessed the variations in the chemical components including the volatile flavor compounds and nonvolatile flavor components during black tea processing. Benzaldehyde was responsible for the almond odor and could be used as an indicator for identifying black tea varieties with almond odors because of its relative stability. The contents of aromatic compounds with floral, sweet, and honey-like aromas, such as (E)-geraniol, phenylethyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol, β-ionone, α-terpineol, and (Z)-geraniol, were higher in the final drying process than they were in the plucking stage. However, the contents of β-linalool and its oxides and methyl salicylate tended to be lower in the dried black teas. PCA showed that 88.41% of the variation between the aromatic compounds and their odor attributes can be explained by PC1 and PC2. The almond flavor samples were differentiated from the control samples according to PCA. The contents of nonvolatile flavor components such as tea polyphenols, amino acids, soluble carbohydrates and caffeine were significantly lower in the dried black teas. The sensory evaluation suggested that XR black teas had strong and lasting almond odors, while DX-8 had floral and medicinal odors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Inhibitor for the apoptosis-stimulating protein of p53 (iASPP) has been reported to be correlated with 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) resistance in renal cell carcinoma. Here, we uncover mechanisms of iASPP-Nrf2-ROS regulation of 5-Fu resistance which are important for the development of alternative treatment strategies for gastric adenocarcinoma treatment. Methods: We analyzed iASPP and Nrf2 through TCGA RNA-seq data, UALCAN analysis, and cBioPortal datasets. Intracellular ROS generation was determined by 2′,7′-dichloro-fluorescin diacetate staining. Transwell was used to evaluate the invasion. The expression of iASPP, Nrf2, HO-1, and GSTP1 was tested using western blot. Results: We found that iASPP KD led to an apparent 5-Fu-induced ROS accumulation in MGC803 and SCG790 cells. Accompanied by iASPP KD, Nrf2 was markedly decreased. iASPP-induced ROS inhibition relies on Nrf2, and due to both knocked down iASPP and Nrf2, the level of ROS did not show an obvious difference with Nrf2 KD solely. Similarly, iASPP KD failed to enhance the Nrf2 KD-mediated ROS accumulation after 5-Fu treatment, suggesting that iASPP-induced antioxidative effects related to 5-Fu resistance are partially dependent on Nrf2. Also, the combination of iASPP KD and Nrf2 KD did not show any synergistic effect on apoptosis after 5-Fu treatment in MGC803 and SCG790 cells. Further studies revealed that iASPP KD or Nrf2 KD could decrease the expression of HO-1 and GSTP1. Conclusions: Our data highlight that iASPP plays a crucial role in the inhibition of 5-Fu-induced apoptosis resistance by removing ROS accumulation in gastric adenocarcinoma, and that the removal of ROS induced by iASPP is Nrf2 signaling dependent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess whether global and regional myocardial strains from three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (3D-STE) correlate with myocardial infarction size (MIS) detected by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Fifty-seven patients with a history of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (MI) within 3-6 months were enrolled, alongside 24 healthy volunteers. Left ventricular (LV) global area strain, global longitudinal strain (GLS), global radial strain, global circumferential strain, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and wall motion score index (WMSI) were measured and compared with the corresponding SPECT-detected MISs. Patients were sub-grouped into massive MIS group (MIS ≥ 12%) and small MIS group (MIS < 12%). Myocardial strains of all the LV segments were compared with the corresponding MIS. Global myocardial strain parameters, LVEF and WMSI of the patients were significantly different from the control group (all P < 0.05) and correlated well with MISs, most significantly for GLS (r = 0.728, P < 0.01). Significant differences in myocardial strain parameters were found between the massive and small MIS groups (all P < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that GLS had a highest diagnostic value and when the cutoff was -13.8%, the area under the curve was 0.84, with the 70.6% sensitivity and 87.5% specificity. Significant differences of myocardial strain parameters were observed between segments with and without transmural MIs (P < 0.01). 3D-STE myocardial strain parameters evaluated LV global MIS, 3D GLS had the highest diagnostic value. It also preliminarily gauged the degree of ischemia and necrosis of regional myocardial segments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Inflammation participates centrally in all stages of atherosclerosis (AS), which begins with pro-inflammatory processes and inflammatory changes in the endothelium, related to lipid metabolism. MicroRNA (miRNA) inhibition of inflammation related to SIRT1 has been shown to be a promising therapeutic approach for AS. However, the mechanism of action is unknown. Methods: We investigated whether miRNAs regulate the SIRT1 and its downstream SREBP-lipogenesis-cholesterogenesis metabolic pathway in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). HUVECs were transfected with miR-132 mimics and inhibitors, and then treated with or without tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα). The effects of miR-132 on pro-inflammatory processes, proliferation and apoptosis were assessed. Results: We identified that the relative 3' UTR luciferase activities of SIRT1 were significantly decreased in miR-132 transfected HUVECs (0.338 ± 0.036) compared to control ( P = 0.000). miR-132 inhibited SIRT1 expression of mRNA level in HUVECs (0.53 ± 0.06) ( P < 0.01) as well as proteins of SIRT1. mRNA expression and protein levels of SREBP (0.45 ± 0.07), fatty acid synthase (FASN) (0.55 ± 0.09) and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase (HMGCR) (0.62 ± 0.08) ( P < 0.01), which are downstream regulated genes, were reduced in HUVECs by miR-132. MiR-132 promoted pro-inflammatory processes and apoptosis of HUVECs induced by TNF-α, and inhibited its proliferation, viability and migration. Conclusions: SIRT1 mRNAs are direct targets of miR-132. miR-132 controls lipogenesis and cholesterogenesis in HUVECs by inhibiting SIRT1 and SREBP-1c expression and their downstream regulated genes, including FASN and HMGCR. Inhibition of SIRT1 by miR-132 was associated with lipid metabolism-dependent pro-inflammatory processes in HUVECs. The newly identified miRNA, miR-132 represents a novel targeting mechanism for AS therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the original publication of the article, the below article note was missed and included in this correction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increasing evidence had proved that some circular RNA (circRNA) exerted critical roles in tumors progression by functioning as “microRNAs (miRNAs) sponges” to regulate their targeted genes.circFAM114A2 and miR-647 expression was measured in CRC tissues and cells by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and the prognostic value of circFAM114A2 evaluated by Kaplan–Meier survival curve. Subsequently, wounding healing and transwell assays were performed to assess cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. RNA pull-down and dual-luciferase reporter assays were used to confirm the interactions between circFAM114A2, miR-647, and DAB2IP.CircFAM114A2 was notably downregulated in CRC tissues and cells, and low circFAM114A2 expression indicated the poor prognosis of CRC patients. Next, overexpression of circFAM114A2 suppressed CRC cells proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and impede CRC tumor growth in vivo. Mechanically, circFAM114A2 competitively bound to miR-647 and upregulated its target gene DAB2IP expression in CRC cells.Our results indicated that circFAM114A2/miR-647/DAP2IP axis played an important role in CRC progression, suggesting that circFAM114A2 might be a novel therapeutic target in patients with CRC.Methods: Increasing evidence had proved that some circular RNA (circRNA) exerted critical roles in tumors progression by functioning as “microRNAs (miRNAs) sponges” to regulate their targeted genes.circFAM114A2 and miR-647 expression was measured in CRC tissues and cells by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and the prognostic value of circFAM114A2 evaluated by Kaplan–Meier survival curve. Subsequently, wounding healing and transwell assays were performed to assess cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. RNA pull-down and dual-luciferase reporter assays were used to confirm the interactions between circFAM114A2, miR-647, and DAB2IP.CircFAM114A2 was notably downregulated in CRC tissues and cells, and low circFAM114A2 expression indicated the poor prognosis of CRC patients. Next, overexpression of circFAM114A2 suppressed CRC cells proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and impede CRC tumor growth in vivo. Mechanically, circFAM114A2 competitively bound to miR-647 and upregulated its target gene DAB2IP expression in CRC cells.Our results indicated that circFAM114A2/miR-647/DAP2IP axis played an important role in CRC progression, suggesting that circFAM114A2 might be a novel therapeutic target in patients with CRC.Results: Increasing evidence had proved that some circular RNA (circRNA) exerted critical roles in tumors progression by functioning as “microRNAs (miRNAs) sponges” to regulate their targeted genes.circFAM114A2 and miR-647 expression was measured in CRC tissues and cells by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and the prognostic value of circFAM114A2 evaluated by Kaplan–Meier survival curve. Subsequently, wounding healing and transwell assays were performed to assess cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. RNA pull-down and dual-luciferase reporter assays were used to confirm the interactions between circFAM114A2, miR-647, and DAB2IP.CircFAM114A2 was notably downregulated in CRC tissues and cells, and low circFAM114A2 expression indicated the poor prognosis of CRC patients. Next, overexpression of circFAM114A2 suppressed CRC cells proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and impede CRC tumor growth in vivo. Mechanically, circFAM114A2 competitively bound to miR-647 and upregulated its target gene DAB2IP expression in CRC cells.Our results indicated that circFAM114A2/miR-647/DAP2IP axis played an important role in CRC progression, suggesting that circFAM114A2 might be a novel therapeutic target in patients with CRC.Conclusion: Increasing evidence had proved that some circular RNA (circRNA) exerted critical roles in tumors progression by functioning as “microRNAs (miRNAs) sponges” to regulate their targeted genes.circFAM114A2 and miR-647 expression was measured in CRC tissues and cells by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and the prognostic value of circFAM114A2 evaluated by Kaplan–Meier survival curve. Subsequently, wounding healing and transwell assays were performed to assess cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. RNA pull-down and dual-luciferase reporter assays were used to confirm the interactions between circFAM114A2, miR-647, and DAB2IP.CircFAM114A2 was notably downregulated in CRC tissues and cells, and low circFAM114A2 expression indicated the poor prognosis of CRC patients. Next, overexpression of circFAM114A2 suppressed CRC cells proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and impede CRC tumor growth in vivo. Mechanically, circFAM114A2 competitively bound to miR-647 and upregulated its target gene DAB2IP expression in CRC cells.Our results indicated that circFAM114A2/miR-647/DAP2IP axis played an important role in CRC progression, suggesting that circFAM114A2 might be a novel therapeutic target in patients with CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]