With the development of high-throughput sequencing technology, circular RNAs (circRNAs) have gradually become a hotspot in the research on non-coding RNA. CircRNAs are produced by the covalent circularization of a downstream 3' splice donor and an upstream 5' splice acceptor through backsplicing, and they are pervasive in eukaryotic cells. CircRNAs used to be considered byproducts of false splicing, whereas an explosion of related studies in recent years has disproved this misconception. Compared with the rich studies of circRNAs in animals, the study of circRNAs in plants is still in its infancy. In this review, we introduced the discovery of plant circRNAs, the discovery of plant circRNAs, the circularization feature, expression specificity, conservation, and stability of plant circRNAs and expounded the identification tools, main types, and biogenesis mechanisms of circRNAs. Furthermore, we summarized the potential roles of plant circRNAs as microRNA (miRNA) sponges and translation templates and in response to biotic/abiotic stress, and briefed the degradation and localization of plant circRNAs. Finally, we discussed the challenges and proposed the future directions in the research on plant circRNAs.
Animals ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Organelle Biogenesis ; Plants/metabolism* ; Protein Biosynthesis/physiology* ; RNA, Circular/metabolism* ; RNA, Plant/metabolism* ; Research/trends* ; Stress, Physiological/genetics*

Objective:To investigate the clinical features of patients with recurrent or metastatic differentiated thyroid carcinoma(DTC)after 131I therapy. Methods:From December 2000 to December 2017, a total of 40 patients[14 males amd 26 females, median age 48(29-60)years] with recurrent or metastatic DTC after 131I therapy in Tianjin Medical University General Hospital were reviewed. We analyzed the clinical pathological features of the patients receiving the initial 131I ablation to screen the relevant factors affecting the time of recurrence or metastasis, the dynamic serological changes, imaging characteristics and the iodine uptake in the lesion at diagnosis. Chi- square test, Mann- Whitney U test and Kaplan- Meier analysis were used to compare the differences between the two groups. Results:The time of recurrence or metastasis of DTC after 131I therapy was not statistically different in the patient′s age, gender, multifocal cancer, lymph node metastasis, the interval between the initial 131I therapy and the operation, stimulated thyroglobulin(Tg)levels before the initial ablation and last 131I therapy, and times of 131I therapy( P > 0.05), but associated with the T-stage of in-situ tumor, soft tissue metastasis and initial therapeutic dose of 131I. Patients with the T4-stage of in-situ tumor( P=0.033), soft tissue metastasis( P=0.008)and tumor initial dose≤3.7 GBq( P=0.002)were more prone to early recurrence or metastasis. From termination of 131I therapy to the diagnosis of tumor recurrence or metastasis, Tg [Tg antibodys(TgAb)negative] and TgAb(TgAb positive)showed a gradually increasing trend. Recurrent or metastatic lesions were mostly located in the cervical lymph nodes, and most of them were multiple. Among the 40 patients with recurrent or metastatic DTC, only 3 patients had iodine-avid lesions. Conclusion:The T-stage of in-situ tumor, soft tissue metastasis and initial therapeutic dose of radioiodine are important factors affecting the time of recurrence or metastasis after 131I therapy in DTC patients. Most of the recurrent or metastatic lesions don′t ever concentrate radioiodine, so it′s difficult to benefit from continued 131I therapy.

Apomixis has been widely concerned because of its great potential in heterosis fixation. Artificial apomixis is an important direction of current apomixis research. Mitosis instead of Meiosis (MIME) produces diploid gametes that is identical with the maternal genetic composition and is a key step in the artificial creation of apomixes. This paper reviews the occurrence of MIME and its application in crop apomixis and the problems encountered, in an aim to provide reference for expanding the application of MIME in crop apomixis.
Apomixis ; Crops, Agricultural ; genetics ; Diploidy ; Germ Cells ; Meiosis ; Mitosis

Chronic high-salt diet-associated renal injury is a key risk factor for the development of hypertension. However, the mechanism by which salt triggers kidney damage is poorly understood. Our study investigated how high salt (HS) intake triggers early renal injury by considering the ‘gut-kidney axis’. We fed mice 2% NaCl in drinking water continuously for 8 weeks to induce early renal injury. We found that the ‘quantitative’ and ‘qualitative’ levels of the intestinal microflora were significantly altered after chronic HS feeding, which indicated the occurrence of enteric dysbiosis. In addition, intestinal immunological gene expression was impaired in mice with HS intake. Gut permeability elevation and enteric bacterial translocation into the kidney were detected after chronic HS feeding. Gut bacteria depletion by non-absorbable antibiotic administration restored HS loading-induced gut leakiness, renal injury and systolic blood pressure elevation. The fecal microbiota from mice fed chronic HS could independently cause gut leakiness and renal injury. Our current work provides a novel insight into the mechanism of HS-induced renal injury by investigating the role of the intestine with enteric bacteria and gut permeability and clearly illustrates that chronic HS loading elicited renal injury and dysfunction that was dependent on the intestine.
Animals ; Bacteria ; Bacterial Translocation ; Blood Pressure ; Drinking Water ; Dysbiosis ; Enterobacteriaceae ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Gene Expression ; Hypertension ; Intestines ; Kidney ; Mice* ; Microbiota ; Permeability ; Risk Factors

Objective To evaluate the level of COPD knowledge of community nursing managers, and to provide basis for carrying out targeted training and improving community management capacity of chronic diseases.Methods The method of convenient sampling was used to investigate the self-designed questionnaire of COPD knowledge among 41 community nursing managers in Dongcheng district through the questionnaire network.Results The total score of COPD knowledge was (5.27±2.247), of which score of the basic concept of COPD knowledge was (2.93±1.349) and score of medication guidance knowledge was (1.44±0.776), score of disease care and health guidance knowledge (0.88±0.927). The correlation between knowledge mastery and disease nursing knowledge was the strongest (r=0.403,P<0.01), which had correlation with age, length of work, title, whether receiving the nursing training, and whether having experience to care non-invasive ventilator (P<0.05).Conclusions COPD knowledge of community nursing managers was poor. A variety of targeted and diverse knowledge and skills training should be conducted to improve the education and management ability of community nursing managers.

OBJECTIVETo confirm the genetic diagnosis of two patients with ring chromosome 22 syndrome and investigate the mechanism underlying the formation of r(22) and potential genetic causes for the clinical phenotypes.

METHODSCytogenetic and molecular analyses using standard G-banding, fluorescence in situ hybridization and single nucleotide polymorphism array (SNP array) were performed.

RESULTSFor case 1, the karyotype was 46,XY,r(22)(p11q13). SNP array has identified a 7.0 Mb heterozygous deletion at 22q13.2q13.33. For case 2, the karyotype was 46,XY,r(22)(p11q13)[84]/45,XY,-22[6]; SNP array has detected a heterozygous microdeletion of 1.6 Mb at 22q13.33.

CONCLUSIONWith combined application of genetic testing, 2 cases of r(22) syndrome were diagnosed, which has improved the understanding of the genotype-phenotype correlation of r(22).

Child, Preschool ; Chromosome Banding ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 22 ; genetics ; Genetic Testing ; Humans ; Male ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; genetics ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Ring Chromosomes

Objective To identify clinical features of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma(PTMC) according to patients' age.Methods Seventy-eight patients with PTMC were divided into 2 groups according to age:≥45 years and ＜45 years.The clinical data were retrospectively analyzed.Results The average preoperative thyroglobulin (Tg)level in ＜45 years group was apparently higher than that in ≥45 years group[(138.61 ± 91.87 vs 80.20 ± 85.00) μg/L,P＜0.01].The average tumor size in ＜45 years group was apparently larger than that in ≥45 years group [(0.64 ± 0.24 vs 0.45 ± 0.25) cm,P＜0.01].There were more patients with multiple cancer foci in ＜45 years group than in ≥45 years group (73.53％ vs 45.45％,P＜0.05).And there were more patients with cancer in bilateral lobes in ＜45 years group than that in ≥45 years group(44.12％ vs 18.18％,P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in preoperative thyroid stimulating hormone level,preoperative thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb)level,incidence of capsular invasion of cancer,neck lymph nodes involvement,distant metastasis,and backgrounds of benign thyroid diseases between two groups (all P＞0.05).Conclusion The patients with PTMCs had different clinical features according to age.Hence,clinicians should consider an individualized treatment according to age in order to achieve better therapeutic efficacy.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with different molecular subtypes of breast cancer.Methods A cohort of 716 breast cancer patients which had clear immunohistochemical detection were investiged.Their molecular subtypes were categorized as Luminal A,Luminal B,HER-2 over-expressing and basal-like subtypes,based on detection of ER,PR,HER-2 expression,and the clinical data including characteristics,relapse,prognosis and prognostic factors of the patients with different subtypes of breast cancer were analyzed retrospectively.Results There were no significant differences among different molecular subtypes at the age,menopausal status,production times,clinical stage,and radiation therapy(P ＞0.05).There were significant differences among different molecular subtypes at axillary lymph node starus (x2 =17.208,P =0.001),turner size (x2 =20.528,P =0.000) and operation method (x2 =24.242,P =0.000) and chemotherapy regimens (x2 =10.711,P =0.013).Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that clinical stage (x2 =17.005,P =0.002),axillary lymph node status (x2 =11.267,P =0.000) and molecular typing(x2 =125.634,P =0.000) were independent prognostic factors affecting long-term survisal rate.Conclusion Breast cancer patients in different subtypes have different long-term survival rate.The patients in basal-like subtype have the worst long-term survival rate.Molecular subtypes may provide important information to predict the prognosis of breast cancer.

Objective In order to know the effect of heating infusion for premature infants to pro-mote their restoration of physiological function. Methods Divided 160 premature infants who need infu-sion into the experimental group and the control group randomly, there were 80 cases in each group. Normal temperature infusion was used in the control group, while heating infusion was used in the experimental group, compared the body temperature, pluse, respiration, blood pressure, oxygen saturation and the blood ghcose between the two groups. Results There were significant difference about the indexes which had mentioned above between the two groups. Conclusions Heating infusion can effective promote the reha-bilitation of physiological function of premature infants.

Objective To analyze the control strategy of malsria in Sihong County for the recent 10 years and to evaluate its control effect.Methods The individual questionnaires of cases,the historical data of malaria control and the endemic situation of malaria in Sihong County from 1997 to.2007 were collected and analyzed.Results Two malaria Cases were reported in 2 towns of Sihong County in 1997,and the endemic situation rebounded in 1998 with 21 cases distributed in 12 towns.In 1999,the number of cases who distributed in 16 towns increased to 65.Endemic outbreaks occurred in some districts in 2000 and 2001 when the case number increased to 477 and 488,respectively,and the incidence increased to 4.77 and 7.78 per 10 000 people,respectively.After the comprehensive mesgures with an emphasis on infection source management and vector control were implemented,the incidence decreased to 0.99 per 10 000 people in 2007 and the endemic situation became stable.Conclusions Though the measures of malaria control in Sihong County are effective,surveillance should be strengthened to prevent the endemic situation from rebounding.