Comparative analysis of liver transcriptome reveals adaptive responses to hypoxia environmental condition in Tibetan chicken

Objective Tibetan chickens, which have unique adaptations to extreme high-altitude environments, exhibit phenotypic and physiological characteristics that are distinct from those of lowland chickens. However, the mechanisms underlying hypoxic adaptation in the liver of chickens remain unknown. Methods RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) technology was used to assess the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in hypoxia adaptation in highland chickens (native Tibetan chicken [HT]) and lowland chickens (Langshan chicken [LS], Beijing You chicken [BJ], Qingyuan Partridge chicken [QY], and Chahua chicken [CH]). Results A total of 352 co-DEGs were specifically screened between HT and four native lowland chicken breeds. Gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes enrichment analyses indicated that these co-DEGs were widely involved in lipid metabolism processes, such as the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) signaling pathway, fatty acid degradation, fatty acid metabolism and fatty acid biosynthesis. To further determine the relationship from the 352 co-DEGs, protein-protein interaction network was carried out and identified eight genes (ACSL1, CPT1A, ACOX1, PPARC1A, SCD, ACSBG2, ACACA, and FASN) as the potential regulating genes that are responsible for the altitude difference between the HT and other four lowland chicken breeds. Conclusion This study provides novel insights into the molecular mechanisms regulating hypoxia adaptation via lipid metabolism in Tibetan chickens and other highland animals

Genome-wide Association Study of Response to Methotrexate in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Methotrexate (MTX) monotherapy is a common first treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but many patients do not respond adequately. In order to identify genetic predictors of response, we have combined data from two consortia to carry out a genome-wide study of response to MTX in 1424 early RA patients of European ancestry. Clinical endpoints were change from baseline to 6 months after starting treatment in swollen 28-joint count, tender 28-joint count, C-reactive protein and the overall 3-component disease activity score (DAS28). No single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) reached genome-wide statistical significance for any outcome measure. The strongest evidence for association was with rs168201 in NRG3 (p = 10‾⁷ for change in DAS28). Some support was also seen for association with ZMIZ1, previously highlighted in a study of response to MTX in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Follow-up in two smaller cohorts of 429 and 177 RA patients did not support these findings, although these cohorts were more heterogeneous

A Facile and General Approach to Enhance Water Resistance of Metal-Organic Frameworks by the Post-Modification with Aminopropyltriethoxylsilane

The water sensitivity of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as a common and crucial issue has greatly hindered their practical applications. Here, we present a facile and general approach to improve the water resistance of a typical MOF, i.e., CuBTC [Cu3(BTC)2(H2O)3]n (BTC = benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate) using a post-modification reaction with aminopropyltriethoxylsilane (APTES) at room temperature. The afforded material is denoted as CuBTC@APTES. Various spectroscopic methods reveal that the organosilicon linkers have been successfully grafted onto CuBTC by electrostatic attraction between acid and base groups and without affecting the original coordination mode and basic structure. Compared with CuBTC, the water stability of CuBTC@APTES was significantly improved. The pristine CuBTC almost lost all its crystallinity, morphology and pore structure after 3-day treatment in water, while CuBTC@APTES is able to retain its main crystal structure and basic porosity after the same treatment. This finding can be explained by the successful introduction of the organosilicon molecular overlayer on the periphery of CuBTC to slow down the destruction of weak metal coordination bonds by water molecules, thus improving the water stability of CuBTC. The solution of water sensitivity provides more opportunities for the practical applications of CuBTC, such as aqueous phase catalysis and gas separation in humid environments. This simple approach can certainly be expanded to improve the water resistance of other carboxylate-containing ligand-based MOFs

Seepage calculation of foundation with suspended curtain based on improved resistance coefficient method

The combination of the curtain and pit dewatering is the main trend of groundwater control in the deep foundation pit project.Due to the complexity and scale effect of the seepage field around the deep foundation pit, there is still no mature and accurate analytical calculation method for dewatering design.Based on the comparison of the characteristics of the seepage field between the suspended curtain and the gate dam, a new subsection mode of seepage section of suspended curtain foundation pit under confined aquifer is proposed.Modified from the improved resistance coefficient method of the gate dam, a new formula for calculating equivalent resistance coefficient of "horizontal confluence section"within special zone of foundation pit is derived, which is extended to the anisotropic condition of aquifer and can be used in the quantitative calculation of the water outflow and drawdown in the suspended curtain foundation pit.Finally, the accuracy of the method is verified by numerical simulation combined with a typical foundation pit case.The studies show that, after reasonable segmentation, equivalence and correction, the relative error between the improved resistance coefficient method and the numerical modeling can be controlled within 5%, with high accuracy.Besides, it has the advantages of flexible segmentation and simple calculation, and can be applied to the calculation of foundation pit dewatering design under different site conditions

Analysis of spatial variations and sources of heavy metals in farmland soils of Beijing suburbs.

To understand the effect of intense human activities in suburbs on environmental quality, we obtained 758 measurements of the heavy metals in certain farmland soils of the Beijing suburbs. Multivariate statistical analysis and geostatistical analysis were used to conduct a basic analysis of the heavy metal concentrations, the distribution characteristics and the sources of pollution of the farmland soils in these suburbs. The results showed the presence of eight heavy metals in the agricultural soils at levels exceeding the background values for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn. In particular, all the measured Cr concentrations exceeded the background value, while As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn were present at 1.13, 1.68, 1.95, 1.43, 1.63, 0.79, 0.92 and 1.36 times their background values, respectively. The results of correlation, factor and spatial structure analyses showed that Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn were strongly homologous, whereas Cr and Hg showed a degree of heterogeneity. The analysis further indicated that in addition to natural factors, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in the soil were mainly associated with distribution from road traffic and land use status. Different agricultural production measures in the various areas were also important factors that affected the spatial distribution of the soil Cr concentration. The major sources of Hg pollution were landfills for industrial waste and urban domestic garbage, while the spatial distribution of As was more likely to be a result of composite pollution. The regional distribution of the heavy metals indicated that except for Cr and Hg, the high heavy metal levels occurred in districts and counties with higher organic matter concentrations, such as the northwestern and southeastern suburbs of Beijing. There was no significant Ni pollution in the agricultural soils of the Beijing suburbs

A Review on the Extraction, Bioactivity, and Application of Tea Polysaccharides

Tea is a non-alcoholic drink containing various active ingredients, including tea polysaccharides (TPSs). TPSs have various biological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-tumor, hypoglycemic, and anti-cancer activities. However, TPSs have a complex composition, which significantly limits the extraction and isolation methods, thus limiting their application. This paper provides insight into the composition, methodological techniques for isolation and extraction of the components, biological activities, and functions of TPSs, as well as their application prospects