Predominant Group Research Articles

Soil Biodiversity: Influence of Soil Management Systems

Aim: Soil represents one of the most diverse habitats found on our planet. Soil organisms play crucial roles within ecosystems by exerting influence over physical properties and processes, as well as contributing to carbon and energy fluxes and the cycling of nutrients. The activity and composition of soil organisms are significantly impacted by land use and land management practices. In this study, we examined the predominant functional groups present in soil two different soil management systems viz., organic and integrated nutrient management (INM).
 Methods: We collected soil samples from coconut-based cropping systems under organic soil management and integrated nutrient management. Soil samples were characterised for soil macrofauna, mesofauna, microfauna and microflora.
 Results: The presence of soil macrofauna, mesofauna, microfauna, and microflora was more pronounced under organic management. Furthermore, the PERMANOVA analysis indicated that while management practices did not significantly impact community dissimilarity in the study area, the depth of the soil did have a significant influence.
 Conclusion: Although the PERMANOVA analysis within the light conditions examined, revealed that the influence of management practices on community dissimilarity was not statistically significant, it was noted that organic management led to an enhancement in soil biodiversity. The results of this study offer a comprehensive evaluation of the manner in which the organic management and INM practices influence the biodiversity of the soil.

The Prevalence of Transfusion-Transmitted Diseases Among Blood Donors in the Central Blood Bank in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

Background This study aimed to analyze the health and demographic characteristics of blood donors in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, and assess the prevalence and correlation of two markers related to hepatitis B infection: hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-hepatitis B virus surface antibody (HBsAb). Materials and methods The study used a retrospective design and collected data from the Central Blood Bank in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, in 2022. The sample size was 7,875 blood donors. The study used various methods, such as serological testing, nucleic acid testing (NAT), and statistical analysis. The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation to examine the relationships between different variables. Results The predominant age group was 29-39 years, accounting for 46.9% of the total donors. In terms of blood types, O+ve was the most common, representing 40.3% of the donors. The investigation into infectious markers revealed overall low levels of reactivity among donors. For HBsAg, a marker of active hepatitis B infection, only 0.36% of the units were reactive. Conversely, the anti-HBsAb, which indicates immunity to hepatitis B, was reactive in 6.83% of the units. The correlation analysis illuminated some critical relationships. The total number of units tested had a statistically significant, albeit weak, positive relationship with HBsAg reactivity, shown by a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.030 and a p-value of 0.008. Conversely, the total number of units tested and anti-HBsAb reactivity showed a moderate negative correlation, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of -0.437 and a p-value of less than 0.001. However, no significant correlation was identified between HBsAg and anti-HBsAb reactivity, indicating that active infection and immunity status might not be directly linked. Conclusion This extensive study provides in-depth insights into the sociodemographic characteristics of blood donors and the prevalence of key infectious markers within this population. It underlines the imperative of rigorous screening of blood units, particularly given the low immunity levels to hepatitis B identified. Also, the study showed the importance of screening blood units and vaccinating people against hepatitis B. It also suggested the need for more research on blood safety and infection-immunity relationships.

Grand challenges in organizational justice, diversity and equity

This inaugural article founding the Frontiers Journal Section on Organizational Justice, Diversity and Equity highlights four broad areas requiring further research in our field. First, organizational justice and DEI share common threads, and there is considerable room for work that conceptually integrates these two areas of study. Specifically, we need research that helps us understand how organizations as inequality-producing systems create and maintain perceptions of (un)fairness when individuals receive unequal rewards for their contributions, particularly in diverse workplaces. Furthermore, research is needed to enhance understanding of how to create and maintain high levels of organizational justice for both marginalized and predominant identity groups. Additionally, this is a space for empirical work that replicates prior findings, something that is essential to the development of science. It is also important to expand the scope of justice and DEI scholarship with a greater inclusion of research contexts from the Global South. Finally, Organizational Justice and DEI topics are inflamed in the contemporary U.S. context, and there is a need for investigation of how the societal context influences the development of our field.

Characteristics of Paediatric Death Cases at a Malaysian University Hospital

Introduction: Auditing of paediatric deaths has rarely been evaluated in hospitals especially in low and middle-income countries. The aim of the study is to describe the characteristics of paediatric death in hospitalised children and determine the predictors of death location in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). Method: Paediatric mortality cases for children aged between 29 days and 18 years old at the time of death were analyzed. These were documented cases between the year 2013 and 2020 at Hospital USM. Case notes were reviewed, and data were captured retrospectively. Multiple Logistic Regression was used to assess predictors of the location of death especially in the ward setting.Results: Out of 841 paediatric deaths identified during the period of the study, 544 cases were enrolled. The male gender has a higher proportion (1.4:1). The median age was 56 months, with infancy being the predominant age group. The median length of hospital stay was 10.5 days. More than half of the cases (58.3%) had underlying life-limiting illnesses. The majority of the patients had “Do Not Resuscitate” orders. A longer length of stay (prevalence odds ratio (POR 0.99, 95% CI 0.98, 0.99), being on ventilator (POR 3.42,95% CI 1.95, 6.01), being terminally ill (POR 0.40,95% CI 0.23, 0.70) and having underlying life limiting illness (POR 0.50, 95% CI 0.33, 0.75) were the significant predictors for the ward death. Conclusion: Understanding the characteristics of child death and the factors associated with death location is critical for improving paediatric care and treatment.

Comparison of innate lymphoid cells from tissue and blood in chronic tonsillitis and tonsillar hypertrophy.

Recurrent tonsillitis and tonsillar hypertrophy are two common diseases in children for which tonsillectomy is the definitive solution. The underlying causes of both diseases are not fully known. The aim of this study was to identify the predominant innate lymphoid cells in both diseases of the palatine tonsils, which are known to play an important role in the immune system. Children who underwent tonsillectomy were divided into two groups as recurrent tonsillitis and tonsillar hypertrophy according to the indication for surgery. The proportions of innate lymphoid cell (ILC) groups and IFN-gamma, IL-10 and IL-17 secreting T lymphocyte cells were determined in tonsil and blood samples obtained during surgery. Local and peripheral immune responses were evaluated. Innate immune responses and acquired immune responses were compared. The results of our study showed that the proportions of the innate lymphoid cell 1 group (ILC1) were similar in tonsil tissue in patients with recurrent tonsillitis and tonsil hypertrophy, with no statistically significant difference. It was observed that the innate lymphoid cell 2 group (ILC2) was the predominant group in tonsil hypertrophy, the innate lymphoid cell 3 group (ILC3) was the predominant innate lymphoid cell group in recurrent tonsillitis, and the proportion of IL-17 secreting T lymphocytes in blood and tonsillar mononuclear cells was higher in recurrent tonsillitis patients than in tonsil hypertrophy patients. With the results obtained, the predominant innate lymphoid cells in the pathogenesis of both diseases were identified and local and peripheral responses were compared. These findings may be a guide for possible medical treatments for both diseases in the future.

Zapadnaya Sibir' i kochevniki v XVII – nachale XVIII v.

Since the beginning of the 17th century, the nomads Oirats came to the southern borders of Siberia, who often attacked the lands of Russian counties. In the 17th century, the eastern counties of Siberia - Krasnoyarsk, Tomsk, Tarsky - suffered from the raids of nomads. In the first decades of the 17th century, Russian colonization occupied the lands along the Ture River with tributaries Tagil, Nice and Pyshma. In the 1620s, at the request of the population, the government organizes the construction of prisons and other fortifications in the settlements in the south of Siberia. In the 1630s in the south of Siberia, local Cossacks appeared to protect the settlements. In the 1650s, the construction of prisons along the river Iset’ began. In Siberia, military people were the numerically predominant group of the Russian population throughout the 17th century.

Occurrence and Formation Mechanism of PCDD/Fs and SCCPs in Chlorinated Paraffin Products.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) can be formed during the production of chlorinated paraffins (CPs). Detection and accurate quantification of PCDD/Fs in CPs are challenging because of their matrix complexity. Therefore, the occurrence and formation mechanisms of PCDD/Fs from CPs have not been studied extensively in the past. In this study, 15 commercial samples including solid and liquid CPs were collected in 2022 from China. The average ΣSCCP concentrations detected in the solid and liquid CPs were 158 and 137 mg/g, respectively. The average International Toxic Equivalent (I-TEQ) values of 2,3,7,8-PCDD/F in solid and liquid CPs were 15.8 pg I-TEQ/g and 15.0 pg I-TEQ/g, respectively. The solid and liquid CPs had different predominant congener groups for SCCPs and PCDD/Fs. Possible formation routes for the generation of PCDD/Fs were analyzed by screening precursors in paraffin and laboratory-scale thermochemical experiments of CPs. The transformation between 2,3,7,8-PCDD/Fs and non-2,3,7,8-PCDD/Fs was recognized by calculating the successive chlorination preference. The first reported occurrence of PCDD/Fs in CP commercial products indicated that exposure to CPs and downstream products might be an assignable source of PCDD/F emission, which is of great significance to further explore the control factors of PCDD/Fs in the whole life cycle of CPs.

Arteriovenous Fistula Stenosis: Correlating Degree of Neointimal Hyperplasia With Reduction in Volume Flow Measured on Ultrasound and Ultrasound Characterization Based on Stenosis Morphology

Introduction: Duplex ultrasound (DUS) is commonly used to diagnose and grade arteriovenous fistula (AVF) stenosis. Duplex ultrasound may also be used to examine stenosis type based on measurement of intimal-medial thickness (IMT). There are, as yet, no criteria in use to define the different stenosis types based on measurement of percentage IMT (%IMT). In this study, we have examined stenosis morphology using ultrasound. We have examined consecutive DUS examinations to assess the incidence and degree of IMT and correlated %IMT with volume flow as an indicator of AVF dysfunction. Methods: Duplex ultrasound was performed as per standard of care. Volume flow was measured within the ipsilateral brachial artery. Measurements of luminal diameter and vessel wall diameter were used to calculate %IMT. Results: The study group included 156 consecutive DUS examinations demonstrating a greater than 50% AVF stenosis. Mean %IMT was 45%. There were 17 (11%) lesions where there was no measurable IMT; the remainder had measurable IMT. On receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, a %IMT of 54% predicted low flow with 62.5% sensitivity and 62.7% specificity. Conclusion: Intimal-medial thickness has a moderate predictive value in predicting volume flow. Based on our results, there are 4 lesion types: (1) lesions with no measurable intimal hyperplasia, (2) a predominantly intimal hyperplastic lesion, (3) those with nonpredominant intimal hyperplasia, and (4) those with a valve type stenosis. A value based on correlation with volume flow could be considered based on our results at 54%IMT or based on morphology at 45%IMT to distinguish between predominant and nonpredominant intimal hyperplasia groups. Including measurements of %IMT in clinical trials could further our knowledge of how lesions with no measurable IMT and those with different degrees of intimal hyperplasia respond to different percutaneous interventions. This could potentially improve outcomes for patients and target more costly treatment options where there is most benefit.

Tomato defences modulate not only insect performance but also their gut microbial composition

Plants protect their tissues from insect herbivory with specialized structures and chemicals, such as cuticles, trichomes, and metabolites contained therein. Bacteria inside the insect gut are also exposed to plant defences and can potentially modify the outcome of plant–insect interactions. To disentangle this complex multi-organism system, we used tomato mutants impaired in the production of plant defences (odorless-2 and jasmonic acid–insensitive1) and two cultivars (Ailsa Craig and Castlemart), exposed them to herbivory by the cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni H.) and collected the insect frass for bacterial community analysis. While the epicuticular wax and terpene profiles were variable, the leaf fatty acid composition remained consistent among genotypes. Moreover, larval weight confirmed the negative association between plant defences and insect performance. The distinctive frass fatty acid profiles indicated that plant genotype also influences the lipid digestive metabolism of insects. Additionally, comparisons of leaf and insect-gut bacterial communities revealed a limited overlap in bacterial species between the two sample types. Insect bacterial community abundance and diversity were notably reduced in insects fed on the mutants, with Enterobacteriaceae being the predominant group, whereas putatively pathogenic taxa were found in wildtype genotypes. Altogether, these results indicate that plant defences can modulate insect-associated bacterial community composition.

Epidemiological profile of maxillofacial traumas served by the residency program of the hospital of the sugarcane suppliers of Piracicaba and hospital Santa Barbara - retrospective study

The aim of this study was to assess the epidemiological characteristics of maxillofacial trauma in the Piracicaba and Santa Barbara region - Sao Paulo, in a 4-year period. A descriptive and retrospective study was developed to analyze the epidemiological profile of facial trauma cases treated by the Residency Program of the Hospital of Sugarcane Suppliers of Piracicaba e Santa Barbara Hospital, through the evaluation of 625 medical records between March 2017 and December 2020, over a period of 04 years. Variables such as age, gender, etiology, type of trauma, type of treatment and presence or absence of postoperative complications were analyzed. The predominant age group was that of adults (20-59 years), the male gender was more affected with 76.74% of the sample. The most frequent etiology was a fall from a height (22.58%), followed by physical aggression (19.84%). Jaw fractures (17.07%) were more prevalent, followed by fractures of the nasal bone (16.26%). Conservative treatment of fractures was predominant (54.09%). The sample had a low complication rate (2.56%) and infections were the most observed complications (48.39%). The epidemiological characteristics of the population studied through data collection allowed the presentation of a profile of individuals affected by oral and maxillofacial trauma. The evaluation of the types of treatments performed and the complications allows a better perception of the particularity of the management of patients with facial trauma.

Restoring vertebral height in the treatment of multilevel vertebral compression fractures with vertebroplasty

BackgroundOsteoporosis (OP) is the fourth leading cause of disability in the elderly. The challenges presented by OP fractures are complex. Vertebral body fractures (VCF) are frequently encountered in osteoporotic patients. Due to the predominant age group of osteoporotic VCF along with co-morbidities, restoring the vertebral body height and the correction of kyphosis via minimally invasive methods are preferred. Vertebroplasty continues to be the most commonly employed method in this selection. The purpose of this study is to provide evidence for the combined employment of vertebroplasty with other minimally invasive techniques in the treatment of osteoporotic VCF. A retrospective analysis of patients treated for multilevel thoracolumbar osteoporotic VCF was performed. The patients were treated with percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP), transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion supplemented by vertebroplasty (TLIF-VP) and minimally invasive transpedicular screw fixation supplemented by vertebroplasty (TP-VP). They were followed up for at least a year and VAS and ODI scores along with the degree of kyphotic correction and restoration of vertebral body height have been evaluated.ResultsSixty patients with 132 levels of VCF treated were evaluated. PVP was superior in terms of shortened operative period, decreased blood loss, earlier ambulation and not requiring general anesthesia. Both TLIF-VP and TP-VP required general anesthesia, with longer operative period and increased blood loss, however it provided greater kyphotic correction. Restoration of vertebral body height was the highest in the PVP and TP-VP group. All patients benefited clinically from the interventions in regard to VAS pain and ODI scores.ConclusionsVP continues to be the choice for minimally invasive correction of osteoporotic VCF. VP can be employed with other techniques as seen in this study in selected patients with sufficient symptomology. TLIF implantation allowed for discectomy and sufficient root decompression while transpedicular screw fixation allowed for greater correction especially in the chronic fractures.

Reciprocal transplant experiment reveals multiple factors influencing changes in coral microbial communities across climate zones

Previous studies have demonstrated the influence of external factors (environmental factors and the coral host factors) on the community structure of coral-associated bacteria. However, the internal factors, e.g. the interaction within the bacterial community or bacteria itself, have often been overlooked in studies of the coral microbiome. Hence, we performed a reciprocal transplant of corals between two different climate zones to examine the resultant alterations in coral-associated bacterial communities. The findings highlight the significance of environmental factors, host selection, and highly resilient bacteria in shaping the coral microbial composition. The results support that coral species consistently harbor specific predominant bacterial groups influenced by host selection, while locations display unique bacterial taxa due to environmental variations. The transplantation of corals into new environments leads to a gradual shift in the bacterial community, from initially resembling that of the native location to eventually resembling that of the transplanted location, emphasizing the crucial role of bacterial community composition for coral survival under changing ambient conditions. Furthermore, highly resilient bacteria that persisted throughout the reciprocal transplant experiment demonstrated their adaptability to environmental and host changes, suggesting the presence of robust adaptation or resistance mechanisms in bacterial communities. Genetic adaptations within the prevalent bacterial group, Endozoicomonas, were also observed, suggesting variations in resilience and adaptation capabilities among different phylotypes. This study highlights the need to conduct further investigations into the coral-associated bacteria themselves, as they may hold some key insights into understanding the dynamics of coral-associated microbial communities. These data also highlight some key species of coral-associated bacteria which could benefit coral in response to alterations in ambient environment.

Absorbent mixtures optimisation for COD and Ammonia Nitrogen reduction in stabilised leachate

This paper describes the optimisation of mixed media for Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Ammonia Nitrogen (NH3-N) removal from stabilised leachate by feldspar (FE), zeolite (ZE), activated carbon (AC), and cockle shells (CS) mixtures using D-optimal mixture design. Linear equations characterised the optimal mixture. The optimum mitigation of COD and NH3-N in landfill leachate was favourable at 12.5 mg/L, 9.72 mg/L, 6 mg/L, and 11.79 mg/L of adsorbent mixed dosage for FE, ZE, AC, and CS, respectively, with the desirability value of 0.886. The predicted R-squared values for NH3-N (0.9839) and COD (0.8972) were in close agreement with the adjusted R-squared values of 0.9940 and 0.9900 for COD and NH3-N, respectively, which validates the obtained regression models. The Lack of Fit F-values of 0.6015 (COD) and 0.4565 (NH3-N) are insignificant, indicating that the models accurately predict the removal. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that the predominant hydroxyl group consisted of –OH at spectra 3306.18 and 3338.74. The study also revealed that the D-optimal mixture design has extremely high application potential as it produces a good mixture design based on the remediation of contaminants from stabilised leachate.

Divulging the dust: An examination of particle deposition on soft ocular lens during urban commuting

Air pollution affecting the eye is a relatively new, emerging area of research that has implications for urban commuting and is the key first study. This article emphasizes the importance of understanding the effects of particle deposition on the human eye using soft lenses and their exposure, as well as identifying the chemical, elemental composition, and morphology of particles when commuting over a period of 21-day period. In this study, the focus is on personal sampling with soft contact lenses (42% Hioxifilcon A, 58% H2O) to understand particle deposition on ocular along with cascade to understand cut-off size. Volunteers are used for five different modes, namely bus, open and closed car windows, pedestrian, and two-wheeler. The SEM results show that the morphology in buses, pedestrians and cars are denser, irregular, and nodular, with no or minimal interstitial pores, while the particles in two-wheelers appeared to be fibrous, thin, crystalline, and non-porous ranging from 51.2 nm to 406.3 nm. The ICPMS results show the higher concentration compositions for different commuter types, namely: zinc (0.0562 μg/m3 and 0.1076 μg/m3) for buses and pedestrians, potassium (1.5013 μg/m3) and calcium (2.5892 μg/m3), magnesium (2.978 μg/m3), potassium (4.197 μg/m3), calcium (22.335 μg/m3) and iron (7.526 μg/m3) for two-wheelers. The organic elemental composition from FTIR predominant groups namely carbonyl, carboxylic, OH, N–H, C–H, CC, CO, and C–O. The experiment concludes that travellers in two-wheelers and pedestrians are more susceptible to particle deposits which leads to several ocular effects such as eye-irritation, dryness, and visual impairment.

Species identification and drug susceptibility testing of non-tuberculous mycobacteria by Line Probe Assay in Lambaréné, Gabon—a cross-sectional study

BackgroundNon-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are a group of bacteria that cause rare lung infections and are increasingly recognized as causative agents of opportunistic and device-associated infections in humans. In Gabon, there is a lack of data on NTM species identification and drug susceptibility. The aim of this study was to identify the frequency of NTM species and their genotypic susceptibility pattern to commonly used antibiotics for NTM infections in Gabon.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted at the CERMEL TB laboratory from January 2020 to December 2022, NTM subspecies identification and drug susceptibility testing to macrolides and aminoglycosides were performed using the genotype NTM-DR kit.ResultsThe study found that out of 524 culture-positive specimens, 146 (28%) were NTM, with the predominant group being Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) and Mycobacterium abscessus complex (MABC). All MAC isolates were fully susceptible to macrolides and aminoglycosides, while five MABC isolates carried mutations indicative of reduced susceptibility to macrolide and aminoglycoside drugs.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that clinicians may use macrolides and aminoglycosides to manage NTM infections caused by MAC, but further investigation is required to determine MABC drug susceptibility.

Alterations of gut microbiota in a mouse model with partial small intestinal obstruction.

Changes in the gut microbiota of patients with partial small intestinal obstruction (PSIO) have not been widely clarified. We aimed to explore bacterial diversity in a PSIO mouse model. A PSIO mouse model was established using male C57BL/6 mice, and feces samples from the distal ileum and ileum epithelium tissues were collected. MiSeq sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene was conducted to characterize microbiota diversity and composition. RNA sequencing for differences in transcriptomic programming of the ileum tissue was performed between the PSIO and (Control) Ctrl groups. Bacterial diversity in the PSIO group was significantly lower than that in the controls. Pseudomonadota was predominant in the feces of the PSIO group. Unclassified_Muribaculaceae (p = 0.008) and Akkermansia (p = 0.007) were more abundant in the Ctrl group than those in the PSIO group. Furthermore, Escherichia_Shigella (p = 0.008) was more predominant in the feces of the PSIO group. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways related to metabolism were depleted in the PSIO group. Pathways associated with intestinal fibrosis, including extracellular matrix-receptor interaction, focal adhesion, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt signaling pathway and transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta signaling pathway, which were enriched in ileum epithelial tissue in the PSIO group. PSIO can lead to changes in the predominant intestinal bacterial groups. Depleted functional profiles of the gut microbiota were identified in the PSIO group. Functional pathways associated with intestinal fibrosis were activated by PSIO. The potential regulation by the microbiota needs to be explored in the future.

Plant endophytes: unveiling hidden applications toward agro-environment sustainability.

Endophytic microbes are plant-associated microorganisms that reside in the interior tissue of plants without causing damage to the host plant. Endophytic microbes can boost the availability of nutrient for plant by using a variety of mechanisms such as fixing nitrogen, solubilizing phosphorus, potassium, and zinc, and producing siderophores, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, and phytohormones that help plant for growth and protection against various abiotic and biotic stresses. The microbial endophytes have attained the mechanism of producing various hydrolytic enzymes such as cellulase, pectinase, xylanase, amylase, gelatinase, and bioactive compounds for plant growth promotion and protection. The efficient plant growth promoting endophytic microbes could be used as an alternative of chemical fertilizers for agro-environmental sustainability. Endophytic microbes belong to different phyla including Euryarchaeota, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Mucoromycota, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria. The most pre-dominant group of bacteria belongs to Proteobacteria including α-, β-, γ-, and δ-Proteobacteria. The least diversity of the endophytic microbes have been revealed fromBacteroidetes, Deinococcus-Thermus, and Acidobacteria. Among reported genera, Achromobacter, Burkholderia, Bacillus, Enterobacter, Herbaspirillum, Pseudomonas, Pantoea, Rhizobium, and Streptomyces were dominant in most host plants. The present review deals with plant endophytic diversity, mechanisms of plant growth promotion, protection, and their role for agro-environmental sustainability. In the future, application of endophytic microbes have potential role in enhancement of crop productivity and maintaining the soil health in sustainable manner.

Analysis of bZIP gene family in lotus (Nelumbo) and functional study of NnbZIP36 in regulating anthocyanin synthesis

BackgroundThe basic leucine zipper (bZIP) family is a predominant group of transcription factors in plants, involved in regulating plant growth, development, and response to stressors. Additionally, the bZIP gene family has a key role in anthocyanin production. Despite the significant role of bZIP genes in plants, their potential contribution in lotus remains understudied.ResultsA total of 124 bZIP genes (59 NnbZIPs and 65 NlbZIPs) were identified from genomes of two lotus species. These genes were classified into 13 groups according to the grouping principle of the Arabidopsis bZIP gene family. Analysis of promoter cis-acting elements indicated that most bZIP gene family members in lotus are associated with response to abiotic stresses. The promoters of some bZIP genes contain MYB binding sites that regulate anthocyanin synthesis. We examined the anthocyanin content of the petals from three different colored lotus, combined with transcriptome data analysis and qRT-PCR results, showing that the expression trends of NnbZIP36 and the homologous gene NlbZIP38 were significantly correlated with the anthocyanin content in lotus petals. Furthermore, we found that overexpression of NnbZIP36 in Arabidopsis promoted anthocyanin accumulation by upregulating the expression of genes (4CL, CHI, CHS, F3H, F3'H, DFR, ANS and UF3GT) related to anthocyanin synthesis.ConclusionsOur study enhances the understanding of the bZIP gene family in lotus and provides evidence for the role of NnbZIP36 in regulating anthocyanin synthesis. This study also sets the stage for future investigations into the mechanism by which the bZIP gene family regulates anthocyanin biosynthesis in lotus.

The role of tumor-associated macrophages in glioma cohort: through both traditional RNA sequencing and single cell RNA sequencing.

Gliomas are the leading cause in more than 50% of malignant brain tumor cases. Prognoses, recurrences, and mortality are usually poor for gliomas that have malignant features. In gliomas, there are four grades, with grade IV gliomas known as glioblastomas (GBM). Currently, the primary methods employed for glioma treatment include surgical removal, followed by chemotherapy after the operation, and targeted therapy. However, the outcomes of these treatments are unsatisfactory. Gliomas have a high number of tumor-associated macrophages (TAM), which consist of brain microglia and macrophages, making them the predominant cell group in the tumor microenvironment (TME). The glioma cohort was analyzed using single-cell RNA sequencing to quantify the genes related to TAMs in this study. Furthermore, the ssGSEA analysis was utilized to assess the TAM-associated score in the glioma group. In the glioma cohort, we have successfully developed a prognostic model consisting of 12 genes, which is derived from the TAM-associated genes. The glioma cohort demonstrated the predictive significance of the TAM-based risk model through survival analysis and time-dependent ROC curve. Furthermore, the correlation analysis revealed the significance of the TAM-based risk model in the application of immunotherapy for individuals diagnosed with GBM. Ultimately, the additional examination unveiled the prognostic significance of PTX3 in the glioma group, establishing it as the utmost valuable prognostic indicator in patients with GBM. The PCR assay revealed the PTX3 is significantly up-regulated in GBM cohort. Additionally, the assessment of cell growth further confirms the involvement of PTX3 in the GBM group. The analysis of cell proliferation showed that the increased expression of PTX3 enhanced the ability of glioma cells to proliferate. The prognosis of glioblastomas and glioma is influenced by the proliferation of tumor-associated macrophages.

Strategies of Controlling Iron Deficiency among Pregnant Women in the Peripheral Health Zones of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Anemia is the most widespread nutritional problem in the world. Its incidence rate is higher in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where it affects a large proportion of women and children. The problem is accentuated where intestinal parasitic infection and malaria are common and this increases the morbidity and mortality rate. The current study attempted to evaluate the effectiveness of strategies involved in the control system of iron deficiency anemia in pregnant women. This study comprised of a quantitative, cross-sectional, and analytical design. Two reference health structures were chosen, namely Kimbanseke General Reference Hospital and Kinkole General Reference Hospital. The sample size consisted of 250 pregnant women. The data collection involved hemoglobin, thick drop, and stool analysis to assess the hematological and health status of surveyed pregnant women. Moreover, a questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic data. The chi-square test was used to compare the variables and logistic regression was used to determine the effectiveness of applied strategies in order to control iron deficiency. Respondents were assured about the confidentiality of their responses and interviews were conducted in a secluded setting. The findings showed that the predominant age group was 20-24 years (34.0%), while most respondents were in the second semester of pregnancy (49.6%). Furthermore, most respondents had a secondary education (69.2%), their main activity was selling (47.2%), and most of them were married (84.0%). The level of hemoglobin was less than 11g/dl in most of the respondents (55.6%), while 66% were multigravida with the space between pregnancy of 12-24 months (57.8%). The stool analysis of most respondents showed the presence of yeast (24%), although the presence of some parasites were observed as well. For the thick drop, most respondents were diagnosed with malaria (77.6%). The iron supplementation, deworming, and counseling during the antenatal sessions proved effective against iron deficiency anemia. Given the seriousness of the situation in pregnant women, it is necessary that these strategies of effectiveness must be applied for a good management of anemia.