Causal relationship between gut microbiota and puerperal sepsis: a 2-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Some recent observational studies have shown that gut microbiota composition is associated with puerperal sepsis (PS) and no causal effect have been attributed to this. The aim of this study was to determine a causal association between gut microbiota and PS by using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

Methods: This study performed MR analysis on the publicly accessible genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary level data in order to explore the causal effects between gut microbiota and PS.

Autotetraploid rice: challenges and opportunities.

Autotetraploid rice is a type of germplasm developed from the whole genome duplication of diploid rice, leading to large grains, high nutrient content, and resistance. However, its low fertility has reduced yield and hampered commercialization. To address this issue, a new type of high fertility tetraploid rice was developed, which may serve as a useful germplasm for polyploid rice breeding.

Transcriptomic analysis reveals innate immune mechanisms of an underlying parasite-resistant grouper hybrid (Epinephelus fuscogutatus × Epinephelus lanceolatus).

Hybridization is an artificial breeding strategy for generating potentially desirable offspring. Recently, a novel Hulong grouper hybrid (Epinephelus fuscogutatus × Epinephelus lanceolatus) yielded significant growth superiority over its parent. Improved innate immunity is considered as another desirable feature during hybridization.

[Field investigation on ecological effect of windbreak and soil erosion reduction from sandy grasslands].

Through field observation of the variation of vegetational characteristics and sand transported rate in sandy grasslands at different levels of desertification during the spring erosive period, the ecological effects of windbreak and soil erosion reduction from sandy grasslands of the Horqin Sandy Land were studied. The results showed that vegetational coverage varied obviously from 0.3% in the shifting sand land of the severe desertification to 16% in the fixed sand land of the least desertification in mid May.