Drought stress during grain filling is the most yield-damaging to wheat. Pre-drought priming facilitated the wheat plants to sustain grain development against the post-anthesis drought stress by modulating the levels of growth hormones. Post-anthesis drought stress substantially reduces grain yield in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) due to impaired grain development associated with imbalanced levels of growth hormones. To investigate whether pre-drought priming could sustain grain development in wheat by regulating favorable levels of growth hormones under post-anthesis drought conditions, the plants of a drought-sensitive (Yangmai-16) and drought-tolerant (Luhan-7) wheat cultivar were exposed to a moderate drought stress during tillering (Feekes 2 stage) for priming, and then, a subsequent severe drought stress was applied from 7 to 14 days after anthesis. The results showed that drought-stressed plants of both cultivars showed a decline in flag leaf water potential, chlorophyll contents, photosynthetic rate, grain size initiation, and grain filling as compared to well-watered plants; however, decline in these traits was less in pre-drought primed (PD) plants than in nonprimed (ND) plants. Under drought stress, the PD plants regulated higher concentrations of zeatin and zeatin riboside, indole-3-acetic acid, gibberellins, and lower abscisic acid content in grains, resulting in higher endosperm cell division and expansion, grain size initiation, grain-filling rate and duration, and finally higher grain dry weights as compared to ND plants. The PD plants of both cultivars showed higher potential to tolerate the post-anthesis drought stress, but more effect was displayed by drought-tolerant cultivar. From the achieved results, it was concluded that pre-drought priming facilitated the wheat plants to sustain higher grain development and yield against the most yield-damaging post-anthesis drought stress by modulating the levels of growth hormones.

Acute B lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is one of the most common types of childhood cancer worldwide and chemotherapy is the main treatment approach. Despite good response rates to chemotherapy regiments, many patients eventually relapse and minimal residual disease (MRD) is the leading risk factor for relapse. The evolution of leukemic clones during disease development and treatment may have clinical significance. In this study, we performed immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) repertoire high throughput sequencing (HTS) on the diagnostic and post-treatment samples of 51 pediatric B-ALL patients. We identified leukemic IGH clones in 92.2% of the diagnostic samples and nearly half of the patients were polyclonal. About one-third of the leukemic clones have correct open reading frame in the complementarity determining region 3 (CDR3) of IGH, which demonstrates that the leukemic B cells were in the early developmental stage. We also demonstrated the higher sensitivity of HTS in MRD detection and investigated the clinical value of using peripheral blood in MRD detection and monitoring the clonal IGH evolution. In addition, we found leukemic clones were extensively undergoing continuous clonal IGH evolution by variable gene replacement. Dynamic frequency change and newly emerged evolved IGH clones were identified upon the pressure of chemotherapy. In summary, we confirmed the high sensitivity and universal applicability of HTS in MRD detection. We also reported the ubiquitous evolved IGH clones in B-ALL samples and their response to chemotherapy during treatment.

Current circulating tumor cells (CTCs) detection strategies based on surface epithelial markers suffer from low specificity in distinguishing between CTCs and epithelial cells in hematopoietic cell population. Tumor‐associated miRNAs within CTCs are emerging as new biomarkers due to their high correlation with tumor development and progress. However, in‐situ simultaneous analysis of multiple miRNAs in single CTC cell is still challenging. To overcome this limitation, a digital droplet microfluidic flow cytometry based on biofunctionalized 2D metal‐organic framework nanosensor (Nano‐DMFC) is developed for in situ detection of dual miRNAs simultaneously in single living breast cancer cells. Here, 2D MOF‐based fluorescent resonance energy transfer (FRET) nanosensors are established by conjugating dual‐color fluorescence dye‐labeled DNA probes on MOF nanosheet surface. In the Nano‐DMFC, 2D MOF‐based nanoprobes are precisely microinjected into each single‐cell encapsulated droplets to achieve dual miRNA characterization in single cancer cell. This Nano‐DMFC platform successfully detects dual miRNAs at single‐cell resolution in 10 mixed positive MCF‐7 cells out of 10 000 negative epithelial cells in serum biomimic samples. Moreover, this Nano‐DMFC platform shows good reproductivity in the recovery experiment of spiked blood samples, which demonstrate the high potential for CTC‐based cancer early diagnosis and prognosis.

PurposeThe role of systemic sensitization in the pathophysiology of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) remains elusive. This study sought to characterize the pattern of cytokines in polyp tissues from atopic and nonatopic patients with CRSwNP.MethodsAtopic and nonatopic polyp and normal tissues were collected from 70 CRSwNP patients and 26 control subjects, respectively. The distribution of inflammatory cells (eosinophils, neutrophils, mast cells, etc.) were examined using immunohistochemistry, the mRNA levels of the transcription factors GATA-3, T-bet, RORc, and FOXP3 were determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The levels of inflammatory mediators (IFN-γ, IL-5, IL-17A, etc.) in tissue homogenates were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Moreover, the levels of inflammatory mediators in the supernatant of anti-IgE stimulated polyp tissues were measured using ELISA.ResultsAtopic CRSwNP patients were characterized by increased eosinophil accumulation, enhanced eosinophilic inflammation (elevated IL-5, ECP, and total IgE), and significantly increased GATA-3 mRNA levels (P<0.05), whereas both atopic and non-atopic CRSwNP patients showed decreased FOXP3 mRNA expression (P<0.05). After addition of anti-IgE stimulation, atopic CRSwNP patients produced more IL-5, IL-2, IL-10, IL-17A, and PGD2 in the supernatant of stimulated polyp tissues than nonatopic CRSwNP patients did.ConclusionsAtopic and nonatopic CRSwNP patients may possess the patterns of inflammatory response in polyp tissues.

Background Primitive electronic waste (e-waste) recycling is ongoing in Guiyu, so toxic heavy metals may continue to threaten the health of children in the area. Objective This study primarily aimed to evaluate the effect of e-waste exposure on haemoglobin (Hb) synthesis in preschool children. Methods Medical examinations were conducted with the permission of children’s guardians and the approval of the Ethics Committee of the Medical College of Shantou University. This study recruited 224 children (aged 3–6 years, exposed group) who lived in Guiyu and 204 children (aged 3–6 years, control group) who lived in a town free of e-waste pollution. Blood levels of lead, Hb, ferritin, folate and vitamin B12 were tested in all children. Furthermore, all children were assessed for thalassemia, and their parents were asked to fill in questionnaires. Results There were no significant differences in the level of ferritin, folate, or vitamin B12 between the exposed and control groups (P > 0.05). No children were identified as having thalassemia in all study participants. Blood lead level (BLL) and the risk of children with BLL ≥ 10 µg/dL in the exposed group were significantly higher than those in the control group (all P < 0.01). Three subgroups of each group were created according to BLL (Group A: < 5.0 µg/dL; Group B: 5.0–9.9 µg/dL; Group C: ≥ 10.0 µg/dL). Hb level decreased with elevated BLL in the exposed group (P = 0.03), but not in the control group (P = 0.14). Hb levels in group B and group C were also significantly lower in the exposed group than in the control group (Group B: 122.6 ± 9.5 g/L versus 125.8 ± 8.2 g/L, P = 0.01; Group C: 120.3 ± 7.3 g/L versus 123.6 ± 8.3 g/L, P = 0.03). In addition, the prevalence of anaemia associated with BLLs above 10 µg/dL and between 5.0 and 9.9 µg/dL were both significantly higher in the exposed group than in the control group (4.0% vs. 0.5%, 5.4% vs. 1.5%, respectively, both P < 0.05). Conclusion Lead exposure more significantly inhibits Hb synthesis in children who live in e-waste dismantling areas than in those who live in non-e-waste dismantling areas. Other toxins released from e-waste may also contribute to the inhibition of Hb synthesis and may lead to anaemia in local children. Further investigations are needed to provide evidence for the development of relevant protective measures.