No abstract

Aggressive NK-cell leukemia (ANKL) is a rare form of NK cell neoplasm that is more prevalent among people from Asia and Central and South America. Patients usually die within days to months, even after receiving prompt therapeutic management. Here we performed the first comprehensive study of ANKL by integrating whole genome, transcriptome and targeted sequencing, cytokine array as well as functional assays. Mutations in the JAK-STAT pathway were identified in 48% (14/29) of ANKL patients, while the extracellular STAT3 stimulator IL10 was elevated by an average of 56-fold (P < 0.0001) in the plasma of all patients examined. Additional frequently mutated genes included TP53 (34%), TET2 (28%), CREBBP (21%) and MLL2 (21%). Patient NK leukemia cells showed prominent activation of STAT3 phosphorylation, MYC expression and transcriptional activities in multiple metabolic pathways. Functionally, STAT3 activation and MYC expression were critical for the proliferation and survival of ANKL cells. STAT signaling regulated the MYC transcription program, and both STAT signaling and MYC transcription were required to maintain the activation of nucleotide synthesis and glycolysis. Collectively, the JAK-STAT pathway represents a major target for genomic alterations and IL10 stimulation in ANKL. This newly discovered JAK/STAT-MYC-biosynthesis axis may provide opportunities for the development of novel therapeutic strategies in treating this subtype of leukemia.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were not widely manufactured or used in China before they became the subject of international bans on production. Recent work has shown they have reached China associated with imported wastes, and that there are considerable unintentional sources of PCBs that have only recently been identified. As such, it was hypothesised that the source inventory and profile of PCBs may be different or unique in China, compared to countries where they were widely used and which have been widely studied. For the first time in this study we therefore undertook a complete analysis of 209 PCB congeners and assessed the contribution of unintentionally-produced PCBs (UP-PCBs) in the atmosphere of China, using polyurethane foam passive air samplers (PUF-PAS) deployed across a wide range of Chinese locations. ∑209 PCBs ranged from 9 to 6856 pg/m 3 (median: 95 pg/m 3 ) during three deployments in 2016-2017. PCB 11 was one of the most detected congeners, contributing 33±19% to ∑209 PCBs. The main sources to airborne PCBs in China were estimated and ranked as pigment/painting (34%), metallurgical industry/combustion (31%), e-waste (23%) and petrochemical/plastic industry (6%). For typical Aroclor-PCBs, e-waste source dominated (>50%). Results from our study indicate that UP-PCBs have become the controlling source in the atmosphere of China and an effective control strategy is urgently needed to mitigate emissions from multiple industrial sources.

No abstract

Our research indicates that bryophytes have similar trait relationships as vascular plant leaves, although the slopes of the relationships differ for most trait combinations. This study confirms a functional-trait tradeoff in bryophytes, and reveals that bryophytes allocate greater proportions of N and P into the metabolic pools.

A gradient reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method has been developed to be suitable for the separation and determination of 12 isoflavones in soybeans. Profiles of daidzein, genistein, glycitein, and their malonyl-, acetyl-, and nonconjugated β-glycosides were determined in cotyledons and hypocotyls of soybeans as affected by dry heating and germination. The results showed that the compositions and concentrations of isoflavones were remarkably different in the two parts of soybeans, and hypocotyls contained a much higher content of isoflavones than cotyledons (e.g., 7.8-fold higher). In hypocotyls, daidzein and its glycoside conjugates (59.6%) were the most abundant isoflavones, being followed by glycitein (26.6%) and genistein series (13.8%). In cotyledons, genistein and its glycoside conjugates (61.9%) were the main isoflavones, being followed by daidzein series (38.1%), and no glycitein series was found. Both hypocotyls and cotyledons contained remarkably high amounts of malonylglycosides (69.1 and 69.4%, respectively) and β-glycosides (27.1 and 25.4%), and only a very small quantity of aglycones (3.8 and 5.2%) and no acetylglycosides were detected. Acetylglycosides and β-glycosides were the thermal decarboxylation and deesterification products, respectively, of malonylglycosides, which were thermally unstable. The relative rates of decarboxylation and deesterification reactions were different in cotyledons and hypocotyls at different temperatures. During the process of germination, β-glycosides decreased, and malonylglycosides and aglycones increased, and then, malonylglycosides were the major fractions in germinating soybeans. Interestingly, the present study occasionally found a significant circadian change between malonylglycosides and aglycones with a nocturnal increase of aglycones and decrease of malonylglycosides during germination, and even aglycones became the most abundant forms at night. However, this mechanism is yet to be investigated.

photosynthetic capacities than prostrate species. Furthermore, erect bryophytes invest more nitrogen in chloroplast pigments to improve their light-harvesting ability, while the structure of prostrate species permits more efficient light capture. This study confirms the effect of growth form on the functional trait levels and scaling relationships of bryophytes. It also suggests that bryophytes could be good models for investigating the carbon economy and nutrient allocation of plants at the shoot rather than the leaf scale.

Insect-proof net cultivation (IPN), rice-duck farming (RD), and organic matter return (OM) are important methods to realize sustainable development of rice production. A split-plot field experiment was performed to study the effects of IPN, RD, and OM on the rice yield, dry matter accumulation and N utilization. Results showed that compared to inorganic N fertilizer (IN), wheat straw return, and biogas residue return increased the rice yield by 2.11–4.28 and 4.78–7.67%, respectively, and also improved dry matter and N accumulation after the elongation stage (EG), dry matter and N translocation, and N recovery efficiency (NRE). These results attributed to an increase in leaf SPAD values and net photosynthetic rate (Pn) after the EG. Compared to conventional rice farming (CR), RD promoted the rice yield by 1.52–3.74%, and contributed to higher the leaf photosynthesis, dry matter and N accumulation, dry matter and N translocation, and NRE. IPN decreased the intensity of sun radiation in the nets due to the coverage of the insect-proof nets, which declined the leaf Pn, dry matter accumulation and translocation, N absorption and translocation, and NRE compared to open field cultivation (OFC). The rice yield of IPN were 2.48–4.98% lower than that of OFC. Compared to the interaction between CR and IN, the interaction between RD and OM improved the rice yield by 5.26–9.33%, and increased dry matter and N accumulation after the EG, dry matter and N translocation, and NRE. These results indicated that OM, RD and the interaction between RD and OM could promote dry matter accumulation and N utilization, which was beneficial to improve the rice yield.