Flowering and bolting are important agronomic traits in cruciferous crops such as Brassica juncea. Timely flowering can ensure the crop organ yield and quality, as well as seed propagation. The WRKY family plays an important role in regulating plant bolting and flowering, while the function and mechanism of WRKY12 in B. juncea remain unknown. To explore its function and mechanism in bolting and flowering of B. juncea, we cloned and characterized the BjuWRKY12 gene in B. juncea and found that its expression levels were significantly higher in flowers and inflorescences than in leaves. BjuWRKY12 belonged to the Ⅱc subfamily of the WRKY family, and subcellular localization indicated that the protein was located in the nucleus. Ectopic overexpression of BjuWRKY12 in transgenic lines promoted bolting and flowering, leading to significant increases in the expression levels of flowering integrators SOC1 and FUL. Furthermore, yeast one-hybrid and dual luciferase reporter system assays confirmed that BjuWRKY12 directly bound to the promoters of BjuSOC1 and BjuFUL, undergoing protein-DNA interactions. This discovery gives new insights into the regulation network and molecular mechanisms of BjuWRKY12, laying a theoretical foundation for the breeding of high-yield and high-quality varieties of B. juncea.
Mustard Plant/metabolism* ; Flowers/growth & development* ; Plant Proteins/physiology* ; Promoter Regions, Genetic/genetics* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Plants, Genetically Modified/genetics* ; Transcription Factors/metabolism* ; MADS Domain Proteins/metabolism*

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been widely used in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) . However, ICIs related pneumonia, myocarditis, rash, colitis, nervous system immune-related adverse events (irAEs) , as well as hypothyroidism, ocular irAEs, liver irAEs, etc., can be generated in the process of use, and some irAEs are even fatal. Systemic inflammatory biomarkers as well as chemotherapy, higher body mass index, epidermal growth factor receptor mutation are risk factors for its occurrence. The common irAEs and risk factors are analyzed in order to improve the clinician's understanding of ICIs.

Brassica juncea is a yearly or biennial vegetable in Brassica of Cruciferae. The yield and quality of its product organs are affected by flowering time. WRKY proteins family can respond to biological and abiotic stresses, developmental regulation and signal transduction. WRKY75 is an important member of WRKY family which can regulate flowering, but the flowering regulation mechanism in B. juncea has not been reported. In this study, a gene BjuWRKY75 in B. juncea was cloned, and the encoded-protein belonged to the group Ⅱ of WRKY protein with highly conserved domain. BjuWRKY75 had the highest homology with BriWRKY75 of Brassica nigra. The relative expression level of BjuWRKY75 in flowers was significantly higher than that in leaves and stems, and it was expressed stably in leaves. BjuWRKY75 protein was localized in the nucleus and interacted with the promoter of the flowering integrator BjuFT, which contained the W-box response element for the interaction between protein and DNA. Thus, it could transcriptionally activate the expression of the downstream genes. The overexpression of BjuWRKY75 in Arabidopsis led to earlier flowering significantly. In conclusion, BjuWRKY75 could directly target the promoter of BjuFT and accelerate flowering. These results may facilitate further study on the regulation of flowering molecules of BjuWRKY75.
Arabidopsis/genetics* ; Flowers/genetics* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Mustard Plant/genetics* ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Promoter Regions, Genetic

Lysine acetylation is one of the major post-translational modifications and plays critical roles in regulating gene expression and protein function. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are responsible for the removal of acetyl groups from the lysines of both histone and non-histone proteins. The RPD3 family is the most widely studied HDACs. This article summarizes the regulatory mechanisms of Arabidopsis RPD3 family in several growth and development processes, which provide a reference for studying the mechanisms of RPD3 family members in regulating plant development. Moreover, this review may provide ideas and clues for exploring the functions of other members of HDACs family.
Arabidopsis/metabolism* ; Histone Deacetylases/metabolism* ; Histones ; Plant Development/genetics*

Flowering is a critical transitional stage during plant growth and development, and is closely related to seed production and crop yield. The flowering transition is regulated by complex genetic networks, whereas many flowering-related genes generate multiple transcripts through alternative splicing to regulate flowering time. This paper summarizes the molecular mechanisms of alternative splicing in regulating plant flowering from several perspectives, future research directions are also envisioned.
Alternative Splicing/genetics* ; Arabidopsis/metabolism* ; Arabidopsis Proteins/genetics* ; Flowers/genetics*

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyse the epidemiological characteristics of bacillary dysentery (BD) caused by Shigella in Chongqing, China, and to establish incidence prediction models based on the correlation between meteorological factors and BD, thus providing a scientific basis for the prevention and control of BD. METHODS: In this study, descriptive methods were employed to investigate the epidemiological distribution of BD. The Boruta algorithm was used to estimate the correlation between meteorological factors and BD incidence. The genetic algorithm (GA) combined with support vector regression (SVR) was used to establish the prediction models for BD incidence. RESULTS: In total, 68,855 cases of BD were included. The incidence declined from 36.312/100,000 to 23.613/100,000, with an obvious seasonal peak from May to October. Males were more predisposed to the infection than females (the ratio was 1.118:1). Children < 5 years old comprised the highest incidence (295.892/100,000) among all age categories, and pre-education children comprised the highest proportion (34,658 cases, 50.335%) among all occupational categories. Eight important meteorological factors, including the highest temperature, average temperature, average air pressure, precipitation and sunshine, were correlated with the monthly incidence of BD. The obtained mean absolute percent error (MAPE), mean squared error (MSE) and squared correlation coefficient (R) of GA_SVR_MONTH values were 0.087, 0.101 and 0.922, respectively. CONCLUSION From 2009 to 2016, BD incidence in Chongqing was still high, especially in the main urban areas and among the male and pre-education children populations. Eight meteorological factors, including temperature, air pressure, precipitation and sunshine, were the most important correlative feature sets of BD incidence. Moreover, BD incidence prediction models based on meteorological factors had better prediction accuracies. The findings in this study could provide a panorama of BD in Chongqing and offer a useful approach for predicting the incidence of infectious disease. Furthermore, this information could be used to improve current interventions and public health planning.

Objective: To investigate the effects of two nanotopographies of ultraviolet (UV)-treated titanium surface on macrophage biological behaviour and inflammatory cytokines secretion, and to provide basis for clinical application of UV-treatment in dental implant modification. Methods: Titanium disks were allocated into two groups. Samples in one group were acid-etched in hydrofluoric acid (Acid Ti group), and those in the other group were acid-etched and anodized (Anodization group) to form two nanotopographies respectively. The surface morphology was evaluated by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The samples were stored in the dark for 8 weeks. Thirteen samples from each group were exposed to UV-irradiation for 48 h (Acid Ti+UV group and Anodization+UV group), UV-untreated samples from Acid Ti and Anodization groups served as control. Hydrophilicity of samples was measured using contact angle measuring device. After 4, 24 and 72 h of incubation, macrophage cell adhesion and proliferation were conducted using cell counting kit-8. Cytokine/chemokine secretions [tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) and macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α)] were measured from cell culture supernatants at 24 and 72 h using magnetic luminex assay. Cell morphology was examined using FE-SEM after 2 h of incubation. Results: Micropitted/nanopillar and micropitted/nanotubular topographies were observed in Acid Ti group and Anodization group respectively. Contact angles in Acid Ti+UV and Anodization+UV groups (20.2°±2.8° and 0.0°±0.0°) were significantly smaller than those in the Acid Ti and Anodization groups (P<0.05). Cell adhesion and proliferation in all groups at 4 and 24 h showed no difference (P>0.05). Cell proliferation in Acid Ti+UV and Anodization+UV groups at 72 h were (0.92±0.13) and (1.10±0.08) respectively, which were significantly higher than those in Acid Ti and Anodization groups. TNF-α concentration in Acid Ti+UV and Anodization+UV groups at 72 h were (1.03±0.11) and (0.87±0.10) ng/L, MCP-1 were (301.7±50.3) and (240.8±18.7) ng/L, MIP-1α were (224.9±30.6) and (233.9±14.9) ng/L respectively, which were significantly lower than those in Acid Ti and Anodization groups (P<0.05). Conclusions UV treatment can increase hydrophilicity of two titanium surface topographies, especially of Anodization+UV group. UV-treated titanium surfaces can promote macrophage proliferation and reduce the inflammatory response in vitro.

Objective To investigate the effect of Shuxuetong (SXT) on promoting collateral circulation formation and enhancing cerebrovascular reserve capacity in mouse models after ischemic stroke.Methods Fifty-eight C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into blank control group (n=6),SXT group (n=26) and control group (n=26).The mice in the SXT group and control group were subjected to distal middle cerebral artery occlusion (dMCAO) by electrocoagulation,and intraperitoneal administration of SXT (1.5 mL/kg) or equal volume of saline was given 30 min after stroke and repeated every 12 h for the next 3 d.TTC staining was used to assess the volume of infarction one d after ischemic stroke.Adhesive removal tests were performed to evaluate sensorimotor function of the mice before and one,3,7,14,21 and 28 d after stroke,Standardized regional cerebral blood flow (SrCBF) was measured by laser speckle contrast imaging before and one,3,and 7 d after stroke,Immunofluorescence was used to evaluate the numbers of deoxyuridine 5'-monophosphate disodium (BrdU)+,BrdU+/von Willebrand factor (vWF)+ and BrdU+/Laminin+ cells and vessel density 7 d after stroke.The expression levels of total protein kinase (AKT),phosphorylated (p)-AKT,vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were explored by Western blotting one d after stroke.Results As compared with those in the control group,the infarction volume of SXT group was significantly smaller one d after stroke,SrCBF was significantly higher 3 and 7 d after stroke,and vessel density was significantly increased and numbers of BrdU+/vWF+ and BrdU+/laminin+ cells in the subventricular zone and peri-infarction region were statistically larger 7 d after stroke (P＜0.05).The results of SXT group in behavior experiments were significantly better than those of control group one d after stroke (P＜0.05).The levels of p-AKT and VEGF of SXT group were significantly up-regulated,while MPO level was significantly decreased in peri-infarction tissues as compared with those in the control group one d after stroke (P＜0.05).Conclusion SXT can promote the formation of collateral circulation and enhance the cerebrovascular reserve canacity.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and the clinical value of magnetic resonance elastography(MRE) in diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis with Meta-analysis, and to provide basis for clinical treatment of hepatic fibrosis.Methods:The studies published before February 2, 2017 about MRE and staging of hepatic fibrosis in Chinese or English were retrived in the databases including PubMed, EMBase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library,CNKI, CBMDisc,VIP, Wanfang data, and supplemented by manual retrieval for relevant literatures.The inclusion and exclusion criterions were used to select and extract the literatures.The literatures qualitie were valuated based on QUADAS-2 tool.The sensitivity(SEN), specificity (SPE), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), positive likelihood ratio (+LR), negative likelihood ratio (-LR) on the groups of F0 vs F1-F4,F0-F1 vs F2-F4,F0-F2 vs F3-F4, F0-F3 vs F4 and heterogeneity were combined and tested with Stata software respectively.HSROC and AUROC were also implemented.Results:A total of 1 332 studies were searched, and 22 were included.21 of them were in English and 1 in Chinese.The results of Meta analysis showed that the SENp, SPEp, +LRp,-LRp, DOR and AUROC in F0 vs F1-F4 group were 88.8%(85.0-91.7),95.9%(91.5-98.0),21.435(10.215-44.979),0.117(0.086-0.159),183.187(72.533-462.650) and 0.96(0.94-0.98) ,respectively;the SENp, SPEp, +LRp,-LRp, DOR and AUROC in F0-F1 vs F2-F4 group were 93.3%(89.2%-35.9%), 94.1%(90.2%-96.5%),15.839(9.344-26.848),0.072(0.044-0.117),221.224(100.980-484.648) and 0.98(0.96-0.99),respectively;the SENp, SPEp, +LRp, -LRp, DOR and AUROC in F0-F2 vs F3-F4 group were 92.9%(88.9%-95.5%),94.6%(91.2%-96.8%),17.348(10.496-28.671),0.075(0.048-0.119),230.434(111.482-476.317)0.98(0.96-0.99), respectively;the SENp, SPEp, +LRp,-LRp, DOR and AUROC in F0-F3 vs F4 group were 97.7%(93.0%-99.3%),93.2%(90.3%-95.2%),14.337(9.910-20.742),0.025(0.008-0.075),580.405(144.871-2325.307) and 0.98(0.96-0.99),respectively.Conclusion:MRE,as a new and noninvasive imaging method, has high diagnostic value in all stages of hepatic fibrosis, which can provide a reliable reference for clinical precise treatment of hepatic fibrosis.

Objective To explore surgical methods and their efficacy for post-traumatic Made-lung deformity complicated with dorsal or volar angulation in the adults. Methods Volar plate or exter-nal fixator, combined with the techniques osteotomy and bone grafting, were selected to treat adult pa-tients with post-traumatic Madelung deformity complicated with dorsal or volar angulation. The effects were preliminarily evaluated through comparing the volar tilting angle, ulnar inclination, radial shortening and the range of joint motion before and after the operation. Results All the patients were followed up for 6-27 months (mean 16 months). The volar tilting angle, radial inclination, radial shortening, range of joint motion of all patients were improved significantly (P<0.05). Conclusions For patients with Madelung deformity complicated with dorsal angulation, internal fixation of volar plate combined with volar osteotomy and bone grafting is recommended; while dynamic eternal fixator combined with combined with dorsal osteotomy and bone grafting is an ideal choice for patients with Madelung deformity complicated with volar angulation.