BackgroundIn farmland, microbes in soils are affected by exogenous carbon, nitrogen, and soil depth and are responsible for soil organic carbon (SOC) mineralization. The cherry industry has been evolving rapidly in northwest China and emerged as a new source of income for local farmers to overcome poverty. Accordingly, it is highly imperative to probe the effect of defoliation and nitrogen addition on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and microbial communities in soils of dryland cherry orchards.MethodsCO2 emissions and microbial communities were determined in soil samples at three depths, including 0–10 cm, 10–30 cm, and 30–60 cm, from a 15-year-old rain-fed cherry orchard. The samples were respectively incubated with or without 1% defoliation under three input levels of nitrogen (0 mg kg−1, 90 mg kg−1, and 135 mg kg−1) at 25°C in the dark for 80 days.ResultsDefoliation and nitrogen addition affected CO2 emissions and microbial communities and increased microbial biomass carbon (MBC), the activity of soil catalase, alkaline phosphatase, and cellulase in soils of the dryland cherry orchard. The culture with defoliation significantly promoted CO2 emissions in soils at the three depths mainly by increasing the MBC, catalase, alkaline phosphatase, and cellulase activities, resulted in positive priming index. Nitrogen addition elevated the MBC and changed soil enzymes and reduced CO2 emissions in soils at the three depths. Moreover, the priming index was higher in deep soils than in top and middle soils under the condition of defoliation and nitrogen addition. No significant differences were observed in the soil bacterial diversity (Chao1, Shannon, and Simpson) among all treatments. Meanwhile, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria was markedly increased and that of Acidobacteria was substantially diminished in soils at the three depths by defoliation and nitrogen addition. The results sustained that defoliation and nitrogen can regulate SOC dynamics by directly and indirectly affecting soil microbial activities and communities. As a result, the combination of defoliation return and nitrogen fertilization management is a promising strategy to increase SOC and promote soil quality in dryland cherry orchards.

ObjectiveThis study aims to reveal the regulation network of lncRNAs-miRNAs-mRNA in endometrial carcinoma (EC), to investigate the underlying mechanisms of EC occurrence and progression, to screen prognostic biomarkers.MethodsRNA-seq and miRNA-seq data of endometrial carcinoma were downloaded from the TCGA database. Edge.R package was used to screen differentially expressed genes. A database was searched to determine differentially expressed lncRNA-miRNA and miRNA-mRNA pairs, to construct the topological network of ceRNA, and to elucidate the key RNAs that are for a prognosis of survival.ResultsWe screened out 2632 mRNAs, 1178 lncRNAs and 189 miRNAs that were differentially expressed. The constructed ceRNA network included 97 lncRNAs, 20 miRNAs and 73 mRNAs. Analyzing network genes for associations with prognosies revealed 169 prognosis-associated RNAs, including 92 lncRNAs, 16miRNAs and 61 mRNAs.ConclusionOur results reveal new potential mechanisms underlying the carcinogenesis and progression of endometrial carcinoma.

Background Dental unit waterlines (DUWLs) provide water for handpieces, air/water syringes, and mouth-rinse water outlets. DUWL contamination can negatively affect the operating environment and public health. Therefore, it is important to elucidate the bacterial concentrations and microbial composition in the DUWLs from different dental specialties. Methods We collected 350 5-mL dental water samples (from high-speed handpieces, air/water syringes, and mouth-rinse water outlets) from 60 dental chair units (DCUs) at a dental hospital to determine the bacterial concentrations by culture methods. Meanwhile, to investigate the diversity and community structure of microbe in the DUWLs, 17 high-quality DNA from 60 250-mL air/water syringe water samples, which were collected from the same 60 DCUs, were analyzed using 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing. Results The median bacterial concentration was 166 (31.5, 672.5) CFU/mL and the range was 0–3,816,000 CFU/mL. Only 42.6% of the water samples had bacterial concentrations below 100 CFU/mL. The Kruskal–Wallis H-test revealed that the water samples from three dental specialties had significantly different bacterial concentrations (H = 27.441, P < 0.01). High-throughput sequencing results showed significant differences in bacterial community structure between periodontics and the other two dental specialties. In the samples from three dental specialties, 508 OTUs were detected, with 160, 182 and 176 OTUs unique to the periodontics, endodontics and prosthodontics specialties, respectively. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe) suggested that Hydrocarboniphaga, Zoogloea, Aquabacterium, and Hydrogenophaga were enriched in the periodontics specialty; Acinetobacter, Geothrix, and Desulfovibrio were enriched in the prosthodontics specialty; and Alistipes, Clostridium XIVa, and Serratia were enriched in the endodontics specialty. Seven potentially human-pathogenic genera (Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Sphingomonas, Ochrobactrum, Rhizobium, Brevundimonas, and Methylobacterium) with relative abundance exceeding 1% were also detected in the DUWLs. Conclusions The bacterial concentrations and microbial composition were influenced by different dental specialties, so a validated disinfection protocol should be used to control DUWL contamination in different dental specialties.

ObjectiveThe effect of fetal oval foramen restriction and premature contraction of the arterial catheter for the right heart function of fetuses and infants was studied by evaluating the right and left ventricular (RV/LV) ratios, the tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) value, and the Tei index of right heart function parameters.MethodsThis study was approved by the Ethics Committee of First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University (K20190116). We collected 257 fetuses between March 2020 and December 2021. Among these, 98 fetuses that did not have any heart abnormalities were assigned to group A, 91 fetuses with restriction of the left and right atrial channels were assigned to group B, and 68 fetuses with premature contraction of the arterial catheter were assigned to group C. The ventricular transverse diameter, the right heart TAPSE value and the Tei index of fetuses in late pregnancy and 90 days after birth were measured in the three groups, and the diagnostic value of each index for the right heart function injury was evaluated. P < 0.05 indicates significant.ResultsThe P-value of the TAPSE value and Tei index of infants in BC and AC groups and postnatal infants were less than 0.05, which was significant. In the BC group, the RV/LV ratio of fetuses was compared when P 0.05, which was not significant; however, P < 0.05 after birth was considered significant. For fetuses and postnatal infants in the BC group, the RV/LV ratio was negatively associated with the TAPSE value. However, it was positively associated with the Tei index; Diagnostic test results. To predict impaired right heart function after birth, TAPSE had low diagnostic value, RV/LV and Tei index had high diagnostic value.ConclusionsOval foramen restriction and premature contraction of the arterial catheter may affect the right heart function after birth and be related to the degree of the right heart enlargement. Although TAPSE prediction of the fetal and postnatal right heart function is limited, the RV/LV ratio and the Tei index can be used to predict impaired right heart function after birth.

Climate change may lead to adverse effects on agricultural crops, plant microbiomes have the potential to help hosts counteract these effects. While plant–microbe interactions are known to be sensitive to temperature, how warming affects the community composition and functioning of plant microbiomes in most agricultural crops is still unclear. Here, we utilized a 10-year field experiment to investigate the effects of warming on root zone carbon availability, microbial activity and community composition at spatial (root, rhizosphere and bulk soil) and temporal (tillering, jointing and ripening stages of plants) scales in field-grown wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The dissolved organic carbon and microbial activity in the rhizosphere were increased by soil warming and varied considerably across wheat growth stages. Warming exerted stronger effects on the microbial community composition in the root and rhizosphere samples than in the bulk soil. Microbial community composition, particularly the phyla Actinobacteria and Firmicutes, shifted considerably in response to warming. Interestingly, the abundance of a number of known copiotrophic taxa, such as Pseudomonas and Bacillus, and genera in Actinomycetales increased in the roots and rhizosphere under warming and the increase in these taxa implies that they may play a role in increasing the resilience of plants to warming. Taken together, we demonstrated that soil warming along with root proximity and plant growth status drives changes in the microbial community composition and function in the wheat root zone.