Utility of clinical metagenomics in diagnosing malignancies in a cohort of patients with Epstein-Barr virus positivity

BackgroundsDifferentiation between benign and malignant diseases in EBV-positive patients poses a significant challenge due to the lack of efficient diagnostic tools. Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing (mNGS) is commonly used to identify pathogens of patients with fevers of unknown-origin (FUO). Recent studies have extended the application of Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) in identifying tumors in body fluids and cerebrospinal fluids. In light of these, we conducted this study to develop and apply metagenomic methods to validate their role in identifying EBV-associated malignant disease.MethodsWe enrolled 29 patients with positive EBV results in the cohort of FUO in the Department of Infectious Diseases of Huashan Hospital affiliated with Fudan University from 2018 to 2019. Upon enrollment, these patients were grouped for benign diseases, CAEBV, and malignant diseases according to their final diagnosis, and CNV analysis was retrospectively performed in 2022 using samples from 2018 to 2019.ResultsAmong the 29 patients. 16 of them were diagnosed with benign diseases, 3 patients were diagnosed with CAEBV and 10 patients were with malignant diseases. 29 blood samples from 29 patients were tested for mNGS. Among all 10 patients with malignant diagnosis, CNV analysis suggested neoplasms in 9 patients. Of all 19 patients with benign or CAEBV diagnosis, 2 patients showed abnormal CNV results. The sensitivity and specificity of CNV analysis for the identification for tumors were 90% and 89.5%, separately.ConclusionsThe application of mNGS could assist in the identification of microbial infection and malignancies in EBV-related diseases. Our results demonstrate that CNV detection through mNGS is faster compared to conventional oncology tests. Moreover, the convenient collection of peripheral blood samples adds to the advantages of this approach

Effect of Diatomite on Properties of Cement- Copper Tailing Powder Cementitious Materials

To overcome the poor mechanical strength of copper tailing powders- Portland cement, diatomite was added into this cementitious system.Diatomite replaced the copper tailing powders- Portland cement with 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5% and 2.0% in weight.The fluidity, setting time, water absorption, porosity, bulk density, mechanical properties and microscopic properties of the composite cement materials were tested. The results showed that with the increase of the dosage of diatomite, the fluidities of the pastes decrease, the setting time shortens, water absorptions and porosities decrease, bulk densities increase, compressive strength and flexural strength of the mortars increase. After curing for 28 days, the addition of diatomite makes the SiO2 and Ca(OH)2 content in the hydration products decrease, the C-S-H (Calcium Silicate Hydrate) gels increase, and the whole is denser

Geographical Distribution and Environmental Correlates of Eleutherosides and Isofraxidin in Eleutherococcus senticosus from Natural Populations in Forests at Northeast China

Non-wood forest products (NWFPs) derived from understory plants are attracting attention about sustainable forestry development. Geographical distribution and climate correlates of bioactive compounds are important to the regional management for the natural reserves of medical plants in forests. In this study, we collected Eleutherococcus senticosus individuals from 27 plots to map the special distribution of concentrations of eleutheroside B, eleutheroside E, and isofraxidin in forests of Northeast China. Compound concentrations in both aerial and underground organs were further detected for relationships with the average of 20-year records of temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity (RH). We found higher shoot eleutheroside B concentration in populations in northern and low-temperature regions (R = −0.4394; P = 0.0218) and in eastern and high-RH montane forests (R = 0.5003; P = 0.0079). The maximum-likelihood regression indicated that both RH (Pr > Chi-square, 0.0201) and longitude (Pr > Chi-square, 0.0026) had positive contributions to eleutheroside B concentration in roots, but precipitation had strongly negative contributions to the concentrations of eleutheroside E (Pr > Chi-square, 0.0309) and isofraxidin (Pr > Chi-square, 0.0014) in roots. Both geography and climate factors had effects on the special distribution of medical compounds in E. senticosus plants in natural populations in Northeast China. The management of NWFP plants at the regional scale should consider effects from climatic geography

Intra-annual dynamics of xylem growth in Pinus massoniana submitted to an experimental nitrogen addition in Central China

In recent decades, anthropogenic activities have increased nitrogen (N) deposition in terrestrial ecosystems. This higher availability of N is expected to impact plant growth. However, the effects of N deposition on tree growth remain inconclusive due to the wide variability of experimental methods used. This study aimed to test the effect of short-term N addition on the intra-annual wood formation of Chinese red pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) in a warm-temperate forest of Central China. From 2013, solution containing 25 kg N ha-1 year-1 was applied monthly to the understory of experimental plots from April to December to double the current natural N deposition. Each week from March to December in 2014 and 2015, cambial activity and the timings and dynamics of xylem formation were monitored by collecting microcores from stems. Xylem formation lasted from March to November, producing an average of 19 and 33 cells for all studied trees in 2014 and 2015, respectively. No difference in xylem cell production was observed between control and N-treated trees. Moreover, N-treated trees had similar timings, rates and durations of xylem formation as control trees. These findings indicated that short-term N addition was unable to affect timings and dynamics of xylem formation in Chinese red pine of warm-temperate forest

Ice phenology dataset reconstructed from remote sensing and modelling for lakes over the Tibetan Plateau

Measurement(s) lake ice phenology Technology Type(s) remote sensing and numerical modelin

Climatic Factors Shape the Spatial Distribution of Concentrations of Triterpenoids in Barks of White Birch (Betula Platyphylla Suk.) Trees in Northeast China

Betulin, betulinic acid and lupeol are naturally occurring pentacyclic triterpenoids with significant medicinal values. Great amounts of triterpenoids are found in the bark of white birch (Betula platyphylla Suk.) trees, which can be affected by climatic factors along the geographical gradients. In this study, site-based data of triterpenoids’ (betulin, betulinic acid and lupeol) concentrations were determined in barks of white birch trees from 48 sites in Northeast China. Triterpenoid concentration in white birch tree barks did not change in response to any geographical gradients along latitudes, longitudes or elevations. Instead, concentrations of betulin and lupeol in birch tree barks increased with the increase of temperature and precipitation but declined with the increase of relative humidity. As a result, betulin concentration was higher in birch trees in the northeastern and southwestern parts of the study area, and lower in the central part of the study area in Northeast China. Although betulinic acid concentration did not change with climatic factors, its distribution pattern was similar to betulin concentration. Lupeol concentration was highest in the north-eastern part and along the southern and eastern boundaries in the study area. Our results can supply information for precondition of triterpenoids’ extraction for industrial production, which can be an available approach to solve the issue of bark waste processing of white birch

UHRF1 establishes crosstalk between somatic and germ cells in male reproduction

Sertoli cells (SCs) support and nourish germ cells (GCs) through their crosstalk during spermatogenesis. However, the underlying epigenetic mechanism that ensures SCs' functions in this process remains unclear. Here, we report that UHRF1, a critical epigenetic regulator, is mainly expressed in human and mouse pre-mature SCs, and is essential for establishing Sertoli-Germ cell crosstalk. SC-specific UHRF1 knockout mice exhibit complete sterility with Sertoli cell (SC) proliferation and differentiation aberrance, blood-testis barrier (BTB) disruption, and immature germ cell (GC) sloughing. RNA sequencing and Whole Genome Bisulfite Sequencing (WGBS) revealed that many extracellular matrix (ECM)-related genes (e.g., Timp1, Trf, and Spp1) appeared upregulated with the DNA hypomethylation status in UHRF1-deficient SCs. Strikingly, overexpression of Timp1, Trf, and Spp1 in SCs in vitro and in vivo could phenocopy the SC-specific UHRF1-deficient mice. Our data demonstrated that UHRF1 regulates the transcriptional program of ECM-related genes in SCs and establishes SC-GC crosstalk