Genome-wide identification of the heat shock transcription factor gene family in two kiwifruit species

High temperatures have a significant impact on plant growth and metabolism. In recent years, the fruit industry has faced a serious threat due to high-temperature stress on fruit plants caused by global warming. In the present study, we explored the molecular regulatory mechanisms that contribute to high-temperature tolerance in kiwifruit. A total of 36 Hsf genes were identified in the A. chinensis (Ac) genome, while 41 Hsf genes were found in the A. eriantha (Ae) genome. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the clustering of kiwifruit Hsfs into three distinct groups (groups A, B, and C). Synteny analysis indicated that the expansion of the Hsf gene family in the Ac and Ae genomes was primarily driven by whole genome duplication (WGD). Analysis of the gene expression profiles revealed a close relationship between the expression levels of Hsf genes and various plant tissues and stress treatments throughout fruit ripening. Subcellular localization analysis demonstrated that GFP-AcHsfA2a/AcHsfA7b and AcHsfA2a/AcHsfA7b -GFP were localized in the nucleus, while GFP-AcHsfA2a was also observed in the cytoplasm of Arabidopsis protoplasts. The results of real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and dual-luciferase reporter assay revealed that the majority of Hsf genes, especially AcHsfA2a, were expressed under high-temperature conditions. In conclusion, our findings establish a theoretical foundation for analyzing the potential role of Hsfs in high-temperature stress tolerance in kiwifruit. This study also offers valuable information to aid plant breeders in the development of heat-stress-resistant plant materials

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Correction to: Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake

The construction and operational models of internet hospitals in China: a hospital-based survey study

Abstract Background China has empowered and continues to empower internet hospitals, which saw an increase in their development due to the pandemic, to fight against COVID-19. The construction and operational models of internet hospitals can be categorized as self-constructed and self-managed models, self-constructed and enterprise-run models, hospital and enterprise joint-owned models, and hosted by a third-party platform. Despite the growing importance of internet hospitals, there have been few systematic summaries of their construction and operational models. The primary purpose of the study was to understand the construction and operational models of internet hospitals in China. Methods Data was collected from 39 internet hospitals and 356 medical staff between September 2020 and April 2021, via internet hospital and hospital staff surveys. T-tests were used to compare the continuous variables, while Chi-square tests were employed to compare the proportions of categorical variables. The self-perception of the internet hospitals’ services was assessed using a 5-point Likert scale on 16 aspects and a root cause analysis was conducted to identify the root causes and influencing factors of current deficiencies experienced by internet hospitals. Results Among the 39 internet hospitals, 22 (56.4%) were self-constructed and self-managed. Compared to other models of Internet hospitals, self-constructed and self-managed hospitals had lower percentages of professionals providing online services (P = 0.006), numbers of doctors outside of the entity (P = 0.006), numbers of online nurses (P = 0.004), and the ratio of online nurses to offline doctors (P < 0.001). Of the 16 aspects evaluated with regards to the medical staff’s self-perception of the internet hospital services, the highest scores were given for fee transparency, fee rationality, travel cost capital, patience and responsibility, and consultation behaviors. The root causes included five aspects: human, channels, prices, services, and time. Conclusions While the self-constructed and self-managed model was found to be the most prevalent form of internet hospital in China, the different models of internet hospitals can have an impact on both the quantity and quality of online healthcare services. This study contributes to the existing literature on internet hospitals' construction and operational models, offering additional policy implications for telemedicine management

Cytosine base editors (CBEs) for inducing targeted DNA base editing in Nicotiana benthamiana

Abstract Background The base editors can introduce point mutations accurately without causing double-stranded DNA breaks or requiring donor DNA templates. Previously, cytosine base editors (CBEs) containing different deaminases are reported for precise and accurate base editing in plants. However, the knowledge of CBEs in polyploid plants is inadequate and needs further exploration. Results In the present study, we constructed three polycistronic tRNA-gRNA expression cassettes CBEs containing A3A, A3A (Y130F), and rAPOBEC1(R33A) to compare their base editing efficiency in allotetraploid N. benthamiana (n = 4x). We used 14 target sites to compare their editing efficiency using transient transformation in tobacco plants. The sanger sequencing and deep sequencing results showed that A3A-CBE was the most efficient base editor. In addition, the results showed that A3A-CBE provided most comprehensive editing window (C1 ~ C17 could be edited) and had a better editing efficiency under the base background of TC. The target sites (T2 and T6) analysis in transformed N. benthamiana showed that only A3A-CBE can have C-to-T editing events and the editing efficiency of T2 was higher than T6. Additionally, no off-target events were found in transformed N. benthamiana. Conclusions All in all, we conclude that A3A-CBE is the most suitable vector for specific C to T conversion in N. benthamiana. Current findings will provide valuable insights into selecting an appropriate base editor for breeding polyploid plants

Genome-Wide Identification of Kiwifruit <i>SGR</i> Family Members and Functional Characterization of SGR2 Protein for Chlorophyll Degradation

The STAY-GREEN (SGR) proteins play an important role in chlorophyll (Chl) degradation and are closely related to plant photosynthesis. However, the availability of inadequate studies on SGR motivated us to conduct a comprehensive study on the identification and functional dissection of SGR superfamily members in kiwifruit. Here, we identified five SGR genes for each of the kiwifruit species [Actinidia chinensis (Ac) and Actinidia eriantha (Ae)]. The phylogenetic analysis showed that the kiwifruit SGR superfamily members were divided into two subfamilies the SGR subfamily and the SGRL subfamily. The results of transcriptome data and RT-qPCR showed that the expression of the kiwifruit SGRs was closely related to light and plant developmental stages (regulated by plant growth regulators), which were further supported by the presence of light and the plant hormone-responsive cis-regulatory element in the promoter region. The subcellular localization analysis of the AcSGR2 protein confirmed its localization in the chloroplast. The Fv/Fm, SPAD value, and Chl contents were decreased in overexpressed AcSGR2, but varied in different cultivars of A. chinensis. The sequence analysis showed significant differences within AcSGR2 proteins. Our findings provide valuable insights into the characteristics and evolutionary patterns of SGR genes in kiwifruit, and shall assist kiwifruit breeders to enhance cultivar development

Genome-Wide Identification of Kiwifruit SGR Family Members and Functional Characterization of SGR2 Protein for Chlorophyll Degradation

The STAY-GREEN (SGR) proteins play an important role in chlorophyll (Chl) degradation and are closely related to plant photosynthesis. However, the availability of inadequate studies on SGR motivated us to conduct a comprehensive study on the identification and functional dissection of SGR superfamily members in kiwifruit. Here, we identified five SGR genes for each of the kiwifruit species [Actinidia chinensis (Ac) and Actinidia&nbsp;eriantha (Ae)]. The phylogenetic analysis showed that the kiwifruit SGR superfamily members were divided into two subfamilies the SGR subfamily and the SGRL subfamily. The results of transcriptome data and RT-qPCR showed that the expression of the kiwifruit SGRs was closely related to light and plant developmental stages (regulated by plant growth regulators), which were further supported by the presence of light and the plant hormone-responsive cis-regulatory element in the promoter region. The subcellular localization analysis of the AcSGR2 protein confirmed its localization in the chloroplast. The Fv/Fm, SPAD value, and Chl contents were decreased in overexpressed AcSGR2, but varied in different cultivars of A. chinensis. The sequence analysis showed significant differences within AcSGR2 proteins. Our findings provide valuable insights into the characteristics and evolutionary patterns of SGR genes in kiwifruit, and shall assist kiwifruit breeders to enhance cultivar development

Genome-Wide Identification and Structural Characterization of Growth-Regulating Factors (GRFs) in Actinida eriantha and Actinidia chinensis

Growth-regulating factors (GRFs) encode plant-specific transcription factors that play a vital role in regulation of plant growth, development, and stress response. Although GRFs have been identified in various plants, there is no reported work available in Actinidia (commonly known as kiwifruit) so far. In the present study, we identified 22 GRF genes on A. chinensis (hereafter A. chinensis is referred to as Ac, and GRF genes in A. chinensis are referred to as AcGRF) distributed on 17 chromosomes and one contig, and 26 GRF genes in A. eriantha (hereafter A. eriantha is referred to as Ae, and GRF genes in A. eriantha are referred to as AeGRF) distributed on 21 chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that kiwifruit GRF proteins were clustered into five distinct groups. Additionally, kiwifruit GRFs showed motif composition and gene structure similarities within the same group. Synteny analysis showed that whole-genome duplication played a key role in the expansion of the GRF family in kiwifruit. The higher expression levels of kiwifruit GRFs in young tissues and under stress conditions indicated their regulatory role in kiwifruit growth and development. We observed two genes in Ae (AeGRF6.1, AeGRF 6.2) and two genes in Ac (AcGRF 6.1, AeGRF 6.2) significantly upregulated in different RNA-seq datasets. The presence of conserved protein structures and cis-regulatory elements caused functional divergence in duplicated gene pairs. The subcellular localization indicated the presence of kiwifruit GRFs in the nucleus of the plant cell. Protein-protein interaction analysis predicted AtGIF protein orthologs for AcGRFs and AeGRFs. Taken together, we systematically analyzed the characterization of kiwifruit GRF family members for their potential role in kiwifruit development and Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa.) invasion response. Further functional studies of kiwifruit GRFs in plant growth, development, and stress response will provide valuable insights for kiwifruit breeders