PCSK9 inhibitor alleviates experimental pulmonary fibrosis-induced pulmonary hypertension via attenuating epithelial-mesenchymal transition by suppressing Wnt/β-catenin signaling and .

Background: The co-occurrence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is linked to a more unfavorable prognosis and increased mortality compared to PF cases without PH. Early intervention and comprehensive management are pivotal for improving survival outcomes. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is a protein essential in cholesterol metabolism.

The cellular and molecular processes of lenticel development during tree stem growth.

The lenticel is a channel-like structure that facilitates oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor exchange on secondary growth tissue, such as a tree stem. Although the structure of lenticel has been described, there is limited understanding regarding the impact of this secondary structure on secondary growth as well as the cellular and metabolic processes underlying its formation. The study reveals the essential role of the lenticel in the process of tree secondary growth and the cellular and metabolic processes that take place during its formation.

The MPK6-LTF1L1 module regulates lignin biosynthesis in rice through a distinct mechanism from Populus LTF1.

Lignin is a complex polymer that provides structural support and defense to plants. It is synthesized in the secondary cell walls of specialized cells. Through regulates its stability, LTF1 acts as a switch to control lignin biosynthesis in Populus, a dicot plant.

Screening genome-editing knockouts reveals the receptor-like kinase ASX role in regulations of secondary xylem development in Populus.

In trees, secondary xylem development is essential for the growth of perennial stem increments. Many signals regulate the process of development, but our knowledge of the molecular components involved in signal transduction is still limited. In this study, we identified Attenuation of Secondary Xylem (ASX) knockouts by screening genome-editing knockouts of xylem-expressed receptor-like kinases (RLKs) in Populus.

Two MADS-box genes regulate vascular cambium activity and secondary growth by modulating auxin homeostasis in .

In trees, stem secondary growth depends on vascular cambium proliferation activity and subsequent cell differentiation, in which an auxin concentration gradient across the cambium area plays a crucial role in regulating the process. However, the underlying molecular mechanism for the establishment of auxin concentration is not fully understood. In this study, we identified two function-unknown MADS-box genes, and 2, which are expressed specifically in the vascular cambium and modulate the subcellular homeostasis of auxin.

Cell-Specific Suppression of 4-Coumarate-CoA Ligase Gene Reveals Differential Effect of Lignin on Cell Physiological Function in .

Lignin is a main component of the secondary cell wall in vessels and fibers of xylem tissue. However, the significance of lignin in cell physiology during plant growth is unclear. In this study, we generated lignin-modified via cell-specific downregulation of the 4-coumarate-CoA ligase gene ().

High-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy versus non-invasive ventilation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients after extubation: a multicenter, randomized controlled trial.

Background: High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy is being increasingly used to prevent post-extubation hypoxemic respiratory failure and reintubation. However, evidence to support the use of HFNC in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with hypercapnic respiratory failure after extubation is limited. This study was conducted to test if HFNC is non-inferior to non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in preventing post-extubation treatment failure in COPD patients previously intubated for hypercapnic respiratory failure.

Superfine grinding induced amorphization and increased solubility of α-chitin.

As the most common structure of chitin, α-chitin is insoluble in common aquatic and organic solvents, and is very difficult to be processed due to its highly ordered crystalline structure and the large number of intermolecular and intramolecular hydrogen bonds. Amorphization of α-chitin has been proved to be a valid measure for improving its subsequent functionalization efficiency and depolymerization yield. In this study, superfine grinding (SFG) was introduced to make α-chitin amorphous, and it was found that SFG effectively reduced the particle size, changed the microstructure, and significantly reduced the crystallinity of α-chitin.

Fibre-specific regulation of lignin biosynthesis improves biomass quality in Populus.

Lignin is a major component of cell wall biomass and decisively affects biomass utilisation. Engineering of lignin biosynthesis is extensively studied, while lignin modification often causes growth defects. We developed a strategy for cell-type-specific modification of lignin to achieve improvements in cell wall property without growth penalty.

High flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy versus non-invasive ventilation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute-moderate hypercapnic respiratory failure: an observational cohort study.

Background: High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy in acute hypoxic respiratory failure is becoming increasingly popular. However, evidence to support the use of HFNC in acute respiratory failure (ARF) with hypercapnia is limited.

Methods: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with moderate hypercapnic ARF (arterial blood gas pH 7.

A xylem-produced peptide PtrCLE20 inhibits vascular cambium activity in Populus.

In trees, lateral growth of the stem occurs through cell divisions in the vascular cambium. Vascular cambium activity is regulated by endogenous developmental programmes and environmental cues. However, the underlying mechanisms that regulate cambium activity are largely unknown.

[Benefits and risks of stress ulcer prevention with proton pump inhibitors for critical patients: an observational cohort study with 1 972 patients].

Objective: To investigate the benefits and risks of stress ulcer prevention (SUP) using proton pump inhibitors (PPI) for critical patients.

Methods: The clinical data of adult critically ill patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital from January 2016 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients who were treated with PPI for SUP within the first 48 hours after ICU admission were enrolled in the SUP group.

Duration of cardiac arrest requires different ventilation volumes during cardiopulmonary resuscitation in a pig model.

There are few studies examining the ventilation strategies recommended by current CPR guidelines. We investigated the influence of different minute volume applying to untreated cardiac arrest with different duration, on resuscitation effects in a pig model. 32 Landrace pigs with 4 or 8 min (16 pigs each) ventricular fibrillation (VF) randomly received two ventilation strategies during CPR.

Phosphorylation of LTF1, an MYB Transcription Factor in Populus, Acts as a Sensory Switch Regulating Lignin Biosynthesis in Wood Cells.

Lignin is specifically deposited in plant secondary cell walls, and initiation of lignin biosynthesis is regulated by a variety of developmental and environmental signals. However, the mechanisms governing the regulation of lignin biosynthesis remain to be elucidated. In this study, we identified a lignin biosynthesis-associated transcription factor (LTF) from Populus, LTF1, which binds the promoter of a key lignin biosynthetic gene encoding 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL).

A HD-ZIP III gene, PtrHB4, is required for interfascicular cambium development in Populus.

Wood production is dependent on the activity of the vascular cambium, which develops from the fascicular and interfascicular cambia. However, little is known about the mechanisms controlling how the vascular cambium is developed in woody species. Here, we show that PtrHB4, belonging to the Populus HD-ZIP III family, plays a critical role in the process of vascular cambium development.

Formation of wood secondary cell wall may involve two type cellulose synthase complexes in Populus.

Cellulose biosynthesis is mediated by cellulose synthases (CesAs), which constitute into rosette-like cellulose synthase complexe (CSC) on the plasma membrane. Two types of CSCs in Arabidopsis are believed to be involved in cellulose synthesis in the primary cell wall and secondary cell walls, respectively. In this work, we found that the two type CSCs participated cellulose biosynthesis in differentiating xylem cells undergoing secondary cell wall thickening in Populus.

Suppression of PtrDUF579-3 Expression Causes Structural Changes of the Glucuronoxylan in Populus.

DUF579 (domain unknown function 579) genes have been reported to play diverse roles in cell wall biosynthesis, such as in glucuronoxylan (GX) synthesis. As GX is a major type of hemicelluloses in hard wood species, how DUF579 genes function in wood formation remains to be demonstrated in planta. This study reports a Populus DUF579 gene, PtrDUF579-3, which is characterized for its function in wood cell wall formation.

Accelerated partial breast irradiation with intensity-modulated radiotherapy is feasible for chinese breast cancer patients.

Purpose: Several accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) techniques are being investigated in patients with early-stage breast cancer. The present study evaluated the feasibility, early toxicity, initial efficacy, and cosmetic outcomes of accelerated partial breast intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for Chinese female patients with early-stage breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery.

Methods: A total of 38 patients met the inclusion criteria and an accelerated partial breast intensity-modulated radiotherapy (APBI-IMRT) plan was designed for each patient.

Diverse roles of PtrDUF579 proteins in Populus and PtrDUF579-1 function in vascular cambium proliferation during secondary growth.

DUF579 (domain of unknown function 579) family proteins contain a DUF579 domain structure but vary greatly in their overall sequence similarity. Several DUF579 proteins have been found to play a role in cell wall biosynthesis in Arabidopsis, while DUF579 family genes have not yet been systematically investigated in Populus. In this study, the Populus DUF579 family proteins were found to be localized in different cell types and subcellular locations.

PtrKOR1 is required for secondary cell wall cellulose biosynthesis in Populus.

KORRIGAN (KOR), encoding an endo-1,4-β-glucanase, plays a critical role in the cellulose synthesis of plant cell wall formation. KOR sequence orthologs are duplicated in the Populus genome relative to Arabidopsis. This study reports an expression analysis of the KOR genes in Populus.

Intron-mediated alternative splicing of WOOD-ASSOCIATED NAC TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR1B regulates cell wall thickening during fiber development in Populus species.

Alternative splicing is an important mechanism involved in regulating the development of multicellular organisms. Although many genes in plants undergo alternative splicing, little is understood of its significance in regulating plant growth and development. In this study, alternative splicing of black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) wood-associated NAC domain transcription factor (PtrWNDs), PtrWND1B, is shown to occur exclusively in secondary xylem fiber cells.

PtrCel9A6, an endo-1,4-β-glucanase, is required for cell wall formation during xylem differentiation in populus.

Endo-1,4-β-glucanases (EGases) are involved in many aspects of plant growth. Our previous study found that an EGase, PtrCel9A6, is specifically expressed in differentiating xylem cells during Populus secondary growth. In this study, the xylem-specific PtrCel9A6 was characterized for its role in xylem differentiation.

Populus endo-beta-mannanase PtrMAN6 plays a role in coordinating cell wall remodeling with suppression of secondary wall thickening through generation of oligosaccharide signals.

Endo-1,4-β-mannanase is known to able to hydrolyze mannan-type polysaccharides in cell wall remodeling, but its function in regulating wall thickening has been little studied. Here we show that a Populus endo-1,4-β-mannanase gene, named PtrMAN6, suppresses cell wall thickening during xylem differentiation. PtrMAN6 is expressed specifically in xylem tissue and its encoded protein localizes to developing vessel cells.

PtrHB7, a class III HD-Zip gene, plays a critical role in regulation of vascular cambium differentiation in Populus.

A key question in the secondary growth of trees is how differentiation of the vascular cambium cells is directed to concurrently form two different tissues: xylem or phloem. class III homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-Zip III) genes are known to play critical roles in the initiation, patterning, and differentiation of the vascular system in the process of primary and secondary growth. However, the mechanism of how these genes control secondary vascular differentiation is unknown.