A chromosome-level genome assembly for the Silkie chicken resolves complete sequences for key chicken metabolic, reproductive, and immunity genes.

A set of high-quality pan-genomes would help identify important genes that are still hidden/incomplete in bird reference genomes. In an attempt to address these issues, we have assembled a de novo chromosome-level reference genome of the Silkie (Gallus gallus domesticus), which is an important avian model for unique traits, like fibromelanosis, with unclear genetic foundation. This Silkie genome includes the complete genomic sequences of well-known, but unresolved, evolutionarily, endocrinologically, and immunologically important genes, including leptin, ovocleidin-17, and tumor-necrosis factor-α.

Tubular TMEM16A promotes tubulointerstitial fibrosis by suppressing PGC-1α-mediated mitochondrial homeostasis in diabetic kidney disease.

Tubulointerstitial fibrosis (TIF) plays a crucial role in the progression of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain obscure. The present study aimed to examine whether transmembrane member 16A (TMEM16A), a Ca-activated chloride channel, contributes to the development of TIF in DKD.

[Research progress on chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of Kaixin Powder and predictive analysis of its Q-markers].

Kaixin Powder is a classic prescription for invigorating Qi, nourishing the mind, and calming the mind. It has pharmacological effects of improving learning and memory ability, resisting oxidation, delaying aging, and promoting the differentiation and regeneration of nerve cells. It is mainly used in the modern clinical treatment of amnesia, depression, dementia, and other diseases.

[Clinical Study of Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter-Related Thrombosis and Its Influence on the Blood Flow Status of the Inserted Veins in Cancer Patients].

Objective: To investigate the clinical features of peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC)-related thrombosis (PICCRT) within 2 weeks after PICC placement in cancer patients and its dynamic influence on the blood flow status of veins inserted with catheter, and to provide support for implementing thrombosis prevention and control measures.

Methods: Between May 2019 and July 2020, patients who had solid tumors and who had PICC were prospectively enrolled at West China Hospital, Sichuan University. Scheduled color Doppler imaging was performed to examine the status of PICCRT formation at 8 points of time, with the first one conducted one day before the insertion of PICC and the other 7 completed within 2 weeks after the insertion of PICC.

sp. nov., a novel bacterium isolated from a tobacco field in Yunnan, China.

A Gram-negative, aerobic, motile with paired polar flagella and rod-shaped bacterium strain (56D2) was isolated from tobacco planting soil in Yunnan, PR China. Major fatty acids were C 7 (summed feature 3), C and C  7 (summed feature 8). The polar lipid profile of strain 56D2 consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified aminophospholipid and one unidentified glycolipid.

[Retracted] siRNA‑mediated inhibition of endogenous brain‑derived neurotrophic factor gene modulates the biological behavior of HeLa cells.

Subsequently to the publication of the above article and a Corrigendum that was published to indicate corrections made to Fig. 7 (DOI: 10.3892/or.

COVID-19-Related Knowledge and Practices of Cancer Patients and Their Anxiety and Depression During the Early Surge Phase of the Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Online Survey.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related knowledge and practices of cancer patients and to assess their anxiety- and depression-related to COVID-19 during the early surge phase of the pandemic.

Methods: An online questionnaire survey of cancer patients was conducted from February 10-29, 2020. Knowledge and practices related to COVID-19 were assessed using a custom-made questionnaire.

Disrupted Brain Network Topology in Drug-naïve Essential Tremor Patients with and Without Depression : A Resting State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.

Purpose: This study was carried out to investigate brain functional connectome and its potential relationships with the disease severity and emotion function in patients with essential tremor with and without depressive symptoms by using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and graph theory approaches.

Methods: In this study 33 essential tremor patients with depression, 45 essential tremor patients without depression and 79 age and gender-matched healthy controls were recruited to undergo a 3.0‑T imaging scan.

[Corrigendum] siRNA-mediated inhibition of endogenous brain‑derived neurotrophic factor gene modulates the biological behavior of HeLa cells.

Following the publication of this article, an interested reader drew to the authors' attention that, in Fig. 7 on p. 2757, sections of the data panels in Fig.

A compound heterozygous PINK1-associated juvenile Parkinson's disease with pregnancy in Chinese.

Background: PINK1 mutations are the second most common cause of recessive, early-onset Parkinson's disease (EOPD), of which 15% are cases of juvenile PD. PD is a progressive neurological disease that primarily affects middle-aged and older people. Thus PD patients experiencing pregnancy is uncommon, especially in patients with juvenile PD caused by PINK1 mutations.

[Clinical pathway and preparation method of high-precision tooth shoulder platform].

A clear shoulder platform that can be easily identified by doctors and technicians or machines (mouth scan and warehouse scan) is important to obtaining a good long-term and stable fixed prosthesis treatment effect. At present, the pre-paration of the shoulder platform is usually based on free hands, and the practical operation is mainly guided by experience. Moreover, no comprehensive and objective preoperative design, intraoperative verification, and final test are available.

Safety and efficacy of convalescent plasma therapy in severely and critically ill patients with COVID-19: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

Background: The rapidly evolving coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in more than 24 million infections and 821 thousand deaths. However, a vaccine or specific drug is absent up to this date and more attention has been focused on the use of convalescent plasma (CP). Several articles have described the CP treatment for patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Confirming whether novel rhein derivative 4a induces paraptosis-like cell death by endoplasmic reticulum stress in ovarian cancer cells.

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death among gynecologic cancer patients. Although platinum-based chemotherapy as a frontline treatment for ovarian cancer has been widely used in clinical settings, its clinical efficacy is not satisfactory due to the resistance of ovarian cancer cells to apoptosis. Therefore, it is of great significance to induce non-apoptotic programed cell death patterns, such as paraptosis, in ovarian cancer.

Altered spontaneous brain activity in essential tremor with and without resting tremor: a resting-state fMRI study.

Objectives: Essential tremor with resting tremor (rET) often exhibits severer clinical features and more extensive functional impairment than essential tremor without resting tremor (ETwr). However, the pathophysiology of rET is still unclear. This study aims to use resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to explore the alterations of brain activity between the drug-naïve patients of rET and ETwr.

Patterns of intrinsic brain activity in essential tremor with resting tremor and tremor-dominant Parkinson's disease.

The clinical pictures of essential tremor (ET) with resting tremor (rET) and tremor-dominant Parkinson's disease (tPD) are often quite mimic at the early stage, current approaches to the diagnosis and treatment therefore remain challenging. The regional homogeneity (ReHo) method under resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) would help exhibit the patterns in neural activity, which further contribute to differentiate these disorders and explore the relationship between symptoms and regional functional abnormalities. Sixty-eight Chinese participants were recruited, including 19 rET patients, 24 tPD patients and 25 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HCs).

[Minimal invasive microscopic tooth preparation based on endodontic, periodontal and functional health].

Tooth preparation is the primary and core operation technique for dental esthetic restoration treatment, due to its effect of providing restoration space, bonding interfaces and marginal lines for dental rehabilitation after tooth tissue reduction. The concept of microscopic minimal invasive dentistry put forward the issue of conducting high-quality tooth preparation, conserve tooth-structure, protect vital pulp and periodontal tissue simultaneously. This study reviewed the concepts, physiology background, design and minimal invasive microscopic tooth preparation, and in the meantime, individualized strategies and the two core elements of tooth preparation (quantity and shape) are listed.

Association of three candidate genetic variants in ACMSD/TMEM163, GPNMB and BCKDK /STX1B with sporadic Parkinson's disease in Han Chinese.

Large-scale meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies have identified that polymorphisms ACMSD/TMEM163 rs6430538, GPNMB rs199347 and BCKDK /STX1B rs14235 to be the risk loci for Parkinson's disease (PD) in a Caucasian population. However, the role of these three polymorphisms in a Han Chinese population from mainland China still remains to be clarified. We conducted a large sample study to examine genetic associations of rs6430538, rs199347 and rs14235 with PD in a Han Chinese population of 989 sporadic PD patients and 1058 healthy controls.

Monolithically integrated stretchable photonics.

Mechanically stretchable photonics provides a new geometric degree of freedom for photonic system design and foresees applications ranging from artificial skins to soft wearable electronics. Here we describe the design and experimental realization of the first single-mode stretchable photonic devices. These devices, made of chalcogenide glass and epoxy polymer materials, are monolithically integrated on elastomer substrates.

Determination of 18 phenolic acids in tobacco and rhizosphere soil by ultra high performance liquid chromatography combined with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry.

An ultra high performance liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry method for the determination of free and bound phenolic acids in tobacco plant and soil was developed. A simple solid-phase extraction, which used Polar Enhanced Polymer column as stationary phase and methanol as mobile phase, was used for the clean-up of bound phenolic acids, and a liquid-phase extraction using chloroform as solvent was used to purify free phenolic acids. With our method, 18 phenolic acids in rhizosphere soil of continuous cropping flue-cured cultivar k326 were separated and determined within 6 min with recoveries of 82-107% and relative standard deviations (n = 5) of 1.

Long-term low-dose morphine for patients with moderate cancer pain is predominant factor effecting clinically meaningful pain reduction.

Purpose: Patients with cancer often experience pain that affects their daily activities and quality of life. The analgesic ladder recommended by the World Health Organization has proved insufficient for many, and its scientific basis has been questioned. This retrospective study investigated factors related to adherence to long-term opioid therapy for patients with moderate cancer pain, including an evaluation of low-dose morphine relative to tramadol.