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Background Okra ( Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) is an economically important crop and is known for its slimy juice, which has significant scientific research value. The A. esculentus chloroplast genome has been reported; however, the sequence of its mitochondrial genome is still lacking. Results We sequenced the plastid and mitochondrial genomes of okra based on Illumina short reads and Nanopore long reads and conducted a comparative study between the two organelle genomes. The plastid genome of okra is highly structurally conserved, but the mitochondrial genome of okra has been confirmed to have abundant subgenomic configurations. The assembly results showed that okra’s mitochondrial genome existed mainly in the form of two independent molecules, which could be divided into four independent molecules through two pairs of long repeats. In addition, we found that four pairs of short repeats could mediate the integration of the two independent molecules into one complete molecule at a low frequency. Subsequently, we also found extensive sequence transfer between the two organelles of okra, where three plastid-derived genes ( psaA , rps7 and psbJ ) remained intact in the mitochondrial genome. Furthermore, psbJ , psbF , psbE and psbL were integrated into the mitochondrial genome as a conserved gene cluster and underwent pseudogenization as nonfunctional genes. Only psbJ retained a relatively complete sequence, but its expression was not detected in the transcriptome data, and we speculate that it is still nonfunctional. Finally, we characterized the RNA editing events of protein-coding genes located in the organelle genomes of okra. Conclusions In the current study, our results not only provide high-quality organelle genomes for okra but also advance our understanding of the gene dialogue between organelle genomes and provide information to breed okra cultivars efficiently.

It has been proven that certain biomarkers in people’s breath have a relationship with diseases and blood glucose levels (BGLs). As a result, it is possible to detect diseases and predict BGLs by analysis of breath samples captured by e-noses. In this paper, a novel optimized medical e-nose system specified for disease diagnosis and BGL prediction is proposed. A large-scale breath dataset has been collected using the proposed system. Experiments have been organized on the collected dataset and the experimental results have shown that the proposed system can well solve the problems of existing systems. The methods have effectively improved the classification accuracy.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), as a relatively rapid and effective minimally invasive treatment for coronary heart disease (CHD), can effectively relieve coronary artery stenosis and restore myocardial perfusion. However, the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) is a significant challenge for post PCI care. To better understand risk/benefit indicators and provide post PCI MACE prediction, 408 patients with CHD who had undergone PCI treatment from 2018 to 2021 in Tianjin Chest hospital were retrospectively studied for their clinical characteristics in relation with the MACE occurrence during a 12-month follow-up. In the study, 194 patients had MACE and 214 patients remained MACE-free. Using uni- and multivariate regression analyses, we have shown that smoking history, elevated serum C-reactive protein levels (hs-CRP), and high haemoglobin levels A1c (HbA1c) are all independent risk factors for MACE after PCI. Furthermore, we have discovered that the serum level of IL-38, one of the latest members identified in the IL-1 cytokine family, is another predictive factor and is reversely related to the occurrence of MACE. The serum level of IL-38 alone is capable of predicting non-MACE occurrence in subcategorized patients with abnormal levels of hs-CRP and/or HbA1c.

Background Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of necrosis that promotes AS by accelerating endothelial dysfunction in lipid peroxidation. This study aims to investigate the role of deubiquitinase USP7 in ferroptosis of VECs during AS. Methods AS models were established using HFD-fed ApoE −/− mice in vivo and ox-LDL-treated HUVECs in vitro. After USP7 inhibition, plaque area and necrotic core in aortas were assessed by Oil-red O and H&E staining. TC, TG, HDL-C, and LDL-C were measured, and iron content, ROS, MDA, and GSH levels in tissues and cells were quantified. USP7, KIAA1429, lncRNA NEAT1, GPX4 and SLC7A11 expression were analyzed by qRT-PCR or Western blot. Cell viability was assessed by CCK-8 assay. Protein interactions between USP7 and KIAA1429 and ubiquitination level of KIAA1429 were detected via Co-IP. Total m6A levels were quantified. M6A enrichment on NEAT1 was measured by MeRIP. Binding between KIAA1429 and NEAT1 was detected. Bindings between YTHDF1 and NEAT1, and between NEAT1 and CTCF were detected by RIP. CTCF binding and H3K27me3 enrichment at the SLC7A11 promoter were analyzed by ChIP. Results USP7, KIAA1429, and NEAT1 were upregulated in mouse AS models and ox-LDL-treated HUVECs. USP7 inhibition attenuated AS pathology and VECs ferroptosis. USP7 deubiquitinated and stabilized KIAA1429, which facilitated YTHDF1-mediated m6A modification to stabilize NEAT1. NEAT1 recruited CTCF to maintain H3K27me3 modification at the SLC7A11 promoter, repressing SLC7A11 transcription and triggering HUVECs ferroptosis. Overexpression of KIAA1429 or NEAT1 reversed protective effects of USP7 inhibition on ferroptosis. Conclusion USP7 promotes VECs ferroptosis in AS via the KIAA1429/NEAT1/CTCF axis.

A hydroponics experiment was aimed at identifying the lead (Pb) tolerance and phytoremediation potential of Moso bamboo ( Phyllostachys pubescens ) seedlings grown under different Pb treatments. Experimental results indicated that at the highest Pb concentration (400 μmol/L), the growth of bamboo seedlings was inhibited and Pb concentrations in leaves, stems, and roots reached the maximum of 148.8, 482.2, and 4282.8 mg/kg, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the excessive Pb caused decreased stomatal opening, formation of abundant inclusions in roots, and just a few inclusions in stems. The ultrastructural analysis using transmission electron microscopy revealed that the addition of excessive Pb caused abnormally shaped chloroplasts, disappearance of endoplasmic reticulum, shrinkage of nucleus and nucleolus, and loss of thylakoid membranes. Although ultrastructural analysis revealed some internal damage, even the plants exposed to 400 μmol/L Pb survived and no visual Pb toxicity symptoms such as necrosis and chlorosis were observed in these plants. Even at the highest Pb treatment, no significant difference was observed for the dry weight of stem compared with controls. It is suggested that use of Moso bamboo as an experimental material provides a new perspective for remediation of heavy metal contaminated soil owing to its high metal tolerance and greater biomass.

Background Dysregulation of the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is a crucial cause of atherosclerosis. MiR-637 exerts an antiproliferative effect on multiple human cells. Its impact on atherosclerosis remains largely unexplored. Methods Real-time PCR was used to determine miR-637 expression in samples from atherosclerosis patients and animal models. Its expression in VSMC dysfunction models (induced by ox-LDL) was also measured. The proliferation and migration of VSMCs were respectively tested using CCK-8 and Transwell assays, and apoptosis was measured using flow cytometry. The Targetscan database was used to predict the target genes of miR-637. Interaction between miR-637 and the potential target gene was validated via real-time PCR, western blotting and a luciferase reporter assay. Results MiR-637 expression was significantly lower in atherosclerosis patient and animal model samples. It also decreased in a dose- and time-dependent manner in animal models with ox-LDL-induced atherosclerosis. Transfection with miR-637 mimics suppressed the proliferation and migration of VSMCs while promoting apoptosis, while transfection with miR-637 inhibitors had the opposite effects. We also validated that insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF-2), a crucial factor in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, serves as a target gene for miR-637. Conclusion MiR-637 targeting IGF-2 contributes to atherosclerosis inhibition and could be a potential target for this disease.

Motivated by the key observation that children generally resemble their parents more than other persons with respect to facial appearance, distance metric (similarity) learning has been the dominant choice for state-of-the-art kinship verification via facial images in the wild. Most existing learning-based approaches to kinship verification, however, are focused on learning a genetic similarity measure in a batch learning manner, leading to less scalability for practical applications with ever-growing amount of data. To address this, we propose a new kinship verification approach by learning a sparse similarity measure in an online fashion. Experimental results on the kinship datasets show that our approach is highly competitive to the state-of-the-art alternatives in terms of verification accuracy, yet it is superior in terms of scalability for practical applications.

Propagating omens constituted a crucial strategy to bolster a dynasty's claim of political legitimacy in early medieval China. While it was believed that Heaven indicated its approbation or reproach of the ruler through omens, in the fifth and sixth centuries, when rival states fought with weapons and words, how to interpret signs and understand Heaven's will became a contentious issue. A \"semiotic war-fare\" was waged, where the Northern Wei and its southern enemies, Song, Qi, and Liang, competed to define and contest the rules of reading and the scope of their semiotic practices. This paper examines omen reading in Shen Yue's (441–513) treatises on \"Heavenly Patterns\" (\"Tianwen\"), the \"Five Phases\" (\"Wuxing\"), and \"Auspicious Omens\" (\"Furui\") in the Song shu. The three treatises show a drastic shift in strategies of interpretation: from a contextualized mode of sense making in \"Tianwen\" and \"Wuxing\" to a decontextualized reading in \"Furui.\" Analyzing these treatises against the background of semiotic competition, this paper argues that \"Furui zhi\" represents Shen Yue's attempt to redress the interpretive multi-plicities in the other two treatises and to prevail in the discursive wars over legiti-macy by forestalling verbal maneuvers of contexts and eliminating interpretive flexibility.

Background/Aims: Hyperlipidemia is a risk factor for various cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. And it is tightly related to chronic inflammation. Interleukin-38 (IL-38) represents a new member of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Thus we studied the important role of IL-38 in hyperlipidemia development and treatment. Methods: The mRNA level of IL-38 in PBMCs (peripheral blood mononuclear cells) and serum IL-38 levels in hyperlipidemia patients and healthy controls were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA). The hyperlipidemia patients were further divided into two groups (Sensitive and Resistant Group) according to their clinical response to Atorvastatin therapy. Finally, the effects of IL-38 on hyperlipidemia was evaluated in the mice model. Results: Data showed that the IL-38 mRNA and serum protein levels were higher in patients with hyperlipidemia compared with healthy controls. And the IL-38 mRNA and serum protein levels were higher in patients sensitive to Atorvastatin therapy than the resistant group. In vitro, IL-38 inhibited the production of IL-6, IL-1β and CRP in PBMCs of patients with hyperlipidemia. In the mice model of hyperlipidemia, IL-38 was also elevated during the hyperlipidemia development. Furthermore, the IL-38 over-expressed by adeno-associated virus significantly inhibited the hyperlipidemia development, inflammatory factor secretion and also the atherosclerosis process. Conclusion: Thus our data showed that IL-38 might present protective effects on hyperlipidemia treatment.

The City of Ye in the Chinese Literary Landscape. By Joanne Tsao. Sinica Leidensia, vol. 145. Leiden: Brill, 2020. Pp. x + 210. $102.