Expression Profiles of Long Noncoding RNAs and Messenger RNAs in Mn-Exposed Hippocampal Neurons of Sprague–Dawley Rats Ascertained by Microarray: Implications for Mn-Induced Neurotoxicity

Manganese (Mn) is an essential trace element, while excessive expose may induce neurotoxicity. Recently, lncRNAs have been extensively studied and it has been confirmed that lncRNAs participate in neural functions and aberrantly expressed lncRNAs are involved in neurological diseases. However, the pathological effects of lncRNAs on Mn-induced neurotoxicity remain unclear. In this study, the expression profiles of lncRNAs and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) were identified in Mn-treated hippocampal neurons and control neurons via microarray. Bioinformatic methods and intersection analysis were also employed. Results indicated that 566, 1161, and 1474 lncRNAs meanwhile 1848, 3228, and 4022 mRNAs were aberrantly expressed in low, intermediate, and high Mn-exposed groups compared with the control group, respectively. Go analysis determined that differentially expressed mRNAs were targeted to biological processes, cellular components, and molecular functions. Pathway analysis indicated that these mRNAs were enriched in insulin secretion, cell cycle, and DNA replication. Intersection analysis denominated that 135 lncRNAs and 373 mRNAs were consistently up-regulated while 150 lncRNAs and 560 mRNAs were consistently down-regulated. Meanwhile, lncRNA {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"BC079195","term_id":"50926238"}}BC079195 was significantly up-regulated while lncRNAs uc.229- and {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"BC089928","term_id":"59808777"}}BC089928 were significantly down-regulated in three comparison groups. The relative expression levels of 3 lncRNAs and 4 mRNAs were validated through qRT-PCR. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to identify the expression patterns of lncRNAs and mRNAs in hippocampal neurons of Sprague–Dawley rats. The results may provide evidence on underlying mechanisms of Mn-induced neurotoxicity, and aberrantly expressed lncRNAs/mRNAs may be useful in further investigations to detect early symptoms of Mn-induced neuropsychiatric disorders in the central nervous system.     

Genome-Wide Identification,Characterization and Phylogenetic Analysis of ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) Transporter Genes in Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio)

The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) gene family is considered to be one of the largest gene families in all forms of prokaryotic and eukaryotic life. Although the ABC transporter genes have been annotated in some species, detailed information about the ABC superfamily and the evolutionary characterization of ABC genes in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) are still unclear. In this research, we identified 61 ABC transporter genes in the common carp genome. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that they could be classified into seven subfamilies, namely 11 ABCAs, six ABCBs, 19 ABCCs, eight ABCDs, two ABCEs, four ABCFs, and 11 ABCGs. Comparative analysis of the ABC genes in seven vertebrate species including common carp, showed that at least 10 common carp genes were retained from the third round of whole genome duplication, while 12 duplicated ABC genes may have come from the fourth round of whole genome duplication. Gene losses were also observed for 14 ABC genes. Expression profiles of the 61 ABC genes in six common carp tissues (brain, heart, spleen, kidney, intestine, and gill) revealed extensive functional divergence among the ABC genes. Different copies of some genes had tissue-specific expression patterns, which may indicate some gene function specialization. This study provides essential genomic resources for future studies in common carp.     

Ultrasonic Elastography Research Based on a Multicenter Study: Adding Strain Ratio after 5-Point Scoring Evaluation or Not

Background

This study aimed to confirm whether strain ratio should be added after evaluation of lesions with 5-point elasticity scoring for differentiating benign and malignant breast lesions on ultrasonographic elastography(UE).

Materials and Methods

From June 2010 to March 2012, 1080 consecutive female patients with breast lesions were recruited into a multicenter retrospective study, which involved 8 centers across China. Each institutional ethic review board approved the study, and all the patients gave written informed consent. All the patients underwent the UE procedure and the strain ratios were calculated and the final diagnosis was made by histological findings. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV and NPV were calculated for each of the two evaluation systems and the areas under the ROC curve were compared.

Results

The strain ratios of benign lesions (mean, 2.6±2.0) and malignant lesions (mean,7.9±5.8) were significantly different (p <0.01). When the cutoff point was 3.01, strain ratio method had 79.8% sensitivity, 82.8% specificity, and 81.3% accuracy, while the 5-point scoring method had 93.1% sensitivity, 73.0% specificity, and 76.8% accuracy. The areas under the ROC curve with the strain ratio method and 5-point scoring method were 0.863 and 0.865, respectively(p>0.05). The strain ratio method shows better a diagnosis performance of the lesions with elasticity score 3 and 4.

Conclusions

Although the two UE methods have similar diagnostic performance, separate calculation of the strain ratios seems compulsory, especially for the large solid breast lesions and the lesions with elasticity score 3 and 4.     

新疆野苹果(Malus sieversii(Ledeb.) M.Roem.)植物学性状遗传多样性及相关性分析

为加强野苹果种质资源利用与研究,促进野苹果研究工作,以3年来调查收集的新疆野苹果(赛威士苹果)的129个单株资源为材料,对单果重、果实纵横经、叶片大小等12个数量性状和叶片颜色、叶尖类型等5个质量性状进行遗传多样性及相关性分析。分析结果表明:叶片颜色、叶尖类型、叶姿、叶缘、叶面状态5个质量性状分布频率较集中;单果重、果实纵横经、叶柄长、叶片长宽、可溶性固形物、干周、树高均存在较大变异,变异系数幅度为16%~51%。各性状多样性指数也较大,均值为1.9264,叶片长的多样性指数最小为1.7359;果梗长的多样性指数最大为2.0525。新疆野苹果资源拥有丰富的遗传多样性,在于果实相关性状的多样性指数高,且变异幅度大,表明丰富的遗传多样性是新疆野苹果资源的重要特征。     

Comparison of three transgenic Bt rice lines for insecticidal protein expression and resistance against a target pest,Chilo suppressalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

Two transgenic rice lines (T2A‐1 and T1C‐19b) expressing cry2A and cry1C genes, respectively, were developed in China, targeting lepidopteran pests including Chilo suppressalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). The seasonal expression of Cry proteins in different tissues of the rice lines and their resistance to C. suppressalis were assessed in comparison to a Bt rice line expressing a cry1Ab/Ac fusion gene, Huahui 1, which has been granted a biosafety certificate. In general, levels of Cry proteins were T2A‐1 > Huahui 1 > T1C‐19b among rice lines, and leaf > stem > root among rice tissues. The expression patterns of Cry protein in the rice line plants were similar: higher level at early stages than at later stages with an exception that high Cry1C level in T1C‐19b stems at the maturing stage. The bioassay results revealed that the three transgenic rice lines exhibited significantly high resistance against C. suppressalis larvae throughout the rice growing season. According to Cry protein levels in rice tissues, the raw and corrected mortalities of C. suppressalis caused by each Bt rice line were the highest in the seedling and declined through the jointing stage with an exception for T1C‐19b providing an excellent performance at the maturing stage. By comparison, T1C‐19b exhibited more stable and greater resistance to C. suppressalis larvae than T2A‐1, being close to Huahui 1. The results suggest cry1C is an ideal Bt gene for plant transformation for lepidopteran pest control, and T1C‐19b is a promising Bt rice line for commercial use for tolerating lepidopteran rice pests.     

Integration: An Effective Strategy to Develop Multifunctional Energy Storage Devices

Energy storage devices are arousing increasing interest due to their key role in next‐generation electronics. Integration is widely explored as a general and effective strategy aiming at high performances. Recent progress in integrating a variety of functions into electrochemical energy storage devices is carefully described. Through integration at the level of materials: flexible, stretchable, responsive, and self‐healing devices are discussed to highlight the state‐of‐the‐art multi‐functional electronics. Through the integration at the level of devices, the incorporation of photovoltaic and piezoelectric devices is detailed to reflect the advances in self‐powering electronics. Integrated energy storage devices are presented for wearable applications to indicate a new growth direction. The main challenges and important directions are summarized to offer some useful clues for future development.     

A Fully Verified Theoretical Analysis of Contact‐Mode Triboelectric Nanogenerators as a Wearable Power Source

Harvesting mechanical energy from human activities by triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) is an effective approach for sustainable, maintenance‐free, and green power source for wireless, portable, and wearable electronics. A theoretical model for contact‐mode triboelectric nanogenerators based on the principles of charge conservation and zero loop‐voltage is illustrated. Explicit expressions for the output current, voltage, and power are presented for the TENGs with an external load of resistance. Experimental verification is conducted by using a laboratory‐fabricated contact‐mode TENG made from conducting fabric electrodes and polydimethylsiloxane/graphene oxide composite as the dielectric layer. Excellent agreements of the output voltage, current, and power are demonstrated between the theoretical and experimental results, without any adjustable parameters. The effects of the moving speed on output voltage, current, and power are illustrated in three cases, that is, the motion with constant speed, the sinusoidal motion cycles, and the real walking cycles by human subject. The fully verified theoretical model is a very powerful tool to guide the design of the device structure and selection of materials, and optimization of performance with respect to the application conditions of TENGs.