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  1. Wu Y, Rahman RA, Yu Q
    Environ Monit Assess, 2022 Feb 08;194(3):154.
    PMID: 35132444 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-022-09817-9
    Sustainable agriculture is important for preserving environmental health and simultaneously gaining economic profits while maintaining social and economic equity. One way to evaluate sustainable agriculture is by studying agricultural eco-efficiency (AEE). Hence, this study constructed a data-driven method to evaluate and optimize AEE with the aim of providing a basis for improving the sustainable development of regional agriculture. Sixteen cities in Anhui Province, China, were considered in the study, and the variables used were agricultural resource inputs, environmental pollution, and agricultural economic development. Agricultural non-point source pollution (NPSP) emissions were considered the undesired output to build an AEE evaluation index system. Furthermore, a data envelopment analysis (DEA) model was established to analyse AEE from the static and dynamic perspectives. The spatial development and the temporal and spatial characteristics of AEE were also analysed. In addition, we applied a random effect (RE) panel Tobit model to quantitatively analyse the influencing factors of AEE from the input perspective and then proposed reasonable suggestions for improving the sustainable development of regional agriculture. Our findings show that the overall agricultural development in the 16 cities in Anhui Province has been continuously improving, even though there is an agglomeration of spatial development in some regions. In conclusion, this study provides suggestions and references for policy makers and agricultural practitioners regarding how to improve regional AEE and promote the sustainable development of the regional agricultural economy.
  2. Wang J, Balakrishnan B, Wan X, Yu Q, Ye Q
    Front Psychol, 2024;15:1485265.
    PMID: 39949975 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1485265
    INTRODUCTION: Over the past decade, there has been a growing focus on the study of how religion and technology intersect, particularly within the field of digital religion studies. In recent years, digital religious activities have emerged on Chinese social media platforms, with the sharing and promotion of content related to religious activities becoming increasingly popular. In a country like China, which adheres to atheistic ideology, the emergence of religious activities among the Generation Z youth provides a unique case for academic research. However, there is very limited research on digital religious behavior in mainland China. This study fills this gap by extending the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to predict additional influencing factors of digital religious intentions and behavior.

    METHODS: This study employed a quantitative design, disseminating surveys via Sina Weibo and the Douyin platform. We collected a total of 525 valid responses. This study aims to deeply explore the social and psychological factors generated by digital religious activities on social media platforms, particularly how they stimulate Chinese Generation Z youth to participate in digital religious activities.

    RESULTS: The results show that attitudes toward digital religion, perceived behavioral control, social identity, and empathetic willingness are predictors of intentions, while social norms are not. Intentions significantly predict users'behavior on social media platforms such as Weibo and Douyin. Moreover, empathetic willingness and social identity fully mediate the effects of subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and attitudes on intentions. Consequently, these behaviors generate impact, indicating the presence of multiple mediation effects.

    DISCUSSION: Unlike the societal context of theistic nations, there is a pronounced atheistic inclination within Chinese society. Consequently, subjective norms do not influence the digital religious behaviors of Chinese youth. Among contemporary Chinese youth, participation in digital religious practices is a temporary, secular activity undertaken only as a comforting behavior when anxiety becomes unmanageable or surpasses their threshold of tolerance. In contemporary China, young people face immense pressures stemming from workplace competition, social interactions, and economic burdens. Social media offers these young individuals broader opportunities for connection, community formation, and identity construction, as well as various possibilities for organizing their social lives. Consequently, on one hand, they turn to online religious avenues, seeking understanding from others through shared experiences, thereby obtaining emotional solace and comfort. On the other hand, they look to spiritual beliefs to alleviate anxiety, resolve confusion, and gain psychological comfort through emotional exchanges. Therefore, digital religion can, to some extent, be viewed as a form of social-technological empowerment, providing contemporary youth with a new "pressure valve" to facilitate emotional relief, comfort, and tension alleviation.

  3. Zhang C, Yu Q, Han H, Yu C, Nyporko A, Tian X, et al.
    J Exp Bot, 2022 Jan 13.
    PMID: 35029685 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac008
    Glufosinate is an important and widely used non-selective herbicide active on a wide range of plant species. Resistance evolution to glufosinate in weedy plant species (including the global weed Eleusine indica) is underway. Here, we established the molecular basis of target-site glufosinate resistance in Eleusine indica. Full-length E. indica glutamine synthetase (GS) iso-genes (EiGS1-1, 1-2, and 1-3 and EiGS2) were cloned, and expression of EiGS1-1 and EiGS1-2 was higher than EiGS2. A novel point mutation resulting in a Ser-59-Gly substitution in EiGS1-1 was identified in glufosinate-resistant (R) plants. Rice calli and seedlings transformed with the mutant EiGS1-1 gene were resistant to glufosinate. Purified mutant EiGS1-1 expressed in yeast was more tolerant to glufosinate than the wild type (WT) variant. These transgenic results correlate with a more glufosinate-R GS in the crude tissue extract of R versus susceptible E. indica plants. Structural modelling of the mutant EiGS1-1 revealed that the Ser-59 is not directly involved in glufosinate binding but in contact with some important binding residues (e.g. Glu-297) and especially with Asp-56 that forms an intratoroidal contact interface. Importantly, the same Ser-59-Gly mutation was also found in geographically isolated glufosinate-R populations from Malaysia and China, suggesting parallel evolution of this resistance mutation.
  4. Liu Y, Yu Q, Shu YL, Zhao JH, Fang JY, Wu HL
    J Helminthol, 2019 Jul 12;94:e59.
    PMID: 31296272 DOI: 10.1017/S0022149X19000518
    We identified and characterized a new cosmocercid nematode species, Cosmocercoides wuyiensis n. sp., through microscopic examination and sequencing of the partial small ribosomal RNA gene (18S rDNA), internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) genes. The new species was isolated from the intestine of the Asiatic frog Amolops wuyiensis Liu and Hu, 1975 captured from four localities of the Anhui province in south-east China. Among the 25 recorded species of the Cosmocercoides genus, the morphology of C. wuyiensis n. sp. is closest to that of C. kiliwai and C. malayensis, which were isolated from various Mexican frog and Malaysian lizard species, respectively. However, C. wuyiensis n. sp. displayed several distinguishing features, such as small size of the male body, two spicules of unequal lengths in the male, small gubernaculum, pre-, ad- and post-cloacal caudal rosette papillae in the ratio of 18-24:2:6 and simple papillae in the ratio of 14:multiple:4, circle and number of punctation in each rosette at 1:11-16, sharply conical tail-end and the presence of lateral alae and somatic papillae in both sexes. BLAST and the phylogenetic analyses of the 18S rDNA and ITS sequences indicated that C. wuyiensis n. sp. belonged to the genus Cosmocercoides, while that of the COI gene sequence of C. wuyiensis n. sp. showed 16.36% nucleotide divergence with C. pulcher and 47.99% nucleotide divergence with C. qingtianensis. The morphological and molecular characterization of C. wuyiensis n. sp. provides new taxonomic data for this genus.
  5. Su W, Yu Q, Yang J, Han Q, Wang S, Heděnec P, et al.
    J Environ Sci (China), 2024 Aug;142:236-247.
    PMID: 38527889 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2023.06.016
    The response patterns of microbial functional genes involved in biogeochemical cycles to cadaver decay is a central topic of recent environmental sciences. However, the response mechanisms and pathways of the functional genes associated with the carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling to cadaveric substances such as cadaverine and putrescine remain unclear. This study explored the variation of functional genes associated with C fixation, C degradation and N cycling and their influencing factors under cadaverine, putrescine and mixed treatments. Our results showed only putrescine significantly increased the alpha diversity of C fixation genes, while reducing the alpha diversity of N cycling genes in sediment. For the C cycling, the mixed treatment significantly decreased the total abundance of reductive acetyl-CoA pathway genes (i.e., acsB and acsE) and lig gene linked to lignin degradation in water, while only significantly increasing the hydroxypropionate-hydroxybutylate cycle (i.e., accA) gene abundance in sediment. For the N cycling, mixed treatment significantly decreased the abundance of the nitrification (i.e., amoB), denitrification (i.e., nirS3) genes in water and the assimilation pathway gene (i.e., gdhA) in sediment. Environmental factors (i.e., total carbon and total nitrogen) were all negatively associated with the genes of C and N cycling. Therefore, cadaverine and putrescine exposure may inhibit the pathway in C fixation and N cycling, while promoting C degradation. These findings can offer some new insight for the management of amine pollution caused by animal cadavers.
  6. Wang S, Su M, Hu X, Wang X, Han Q, Yu Q, et al.
    FEMS Microbiol Lett, 2024 Jan 09;371.
    PMID: 38124623 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnad135
    Invertebrates such as termites feeding on nutrient-poor substrate receive essential nitrogen by biological nitrogen fixation of gut diazotrophs. However, the diversity and composition of gut diazotrophs of vertebrates such as Plateau pikas living in nutrient-poor Qinghai-Tibet Plateau remain unknown. To fill this knowledge gap, we studied gut diazotrophs of Plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae) and its related species, Daurian pikas (Ochotona daurica), Hares (Lepus europaeus) and Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) by high-throughput amplicon sequencing methods. We analyzed whether the gut diazotrophs of Plateau pikas are affected by season, altitude, and species, and explored the relationship between gut diazotrophs and whole gut microbiomes. Our study showed that Firmicutes, Spirochaetes, and Euryarchaeota were the dominant gut diazotrophs of Plateau pikas. The beta diversity of gut diazotrophs of Plateau pikas was significantly different from the other three lagomorphs, but the alpha diversity did not show a significant difference among the four lagomorphs. The gut diazotrophs of Plateau pikas were the most similarly to that of Rabbits, followed by Daurian pikas and Hares, which was inconsistent with gut microbiomes or animal phylogeny. The dominant gut diazotrophs of the four lagomorphs may reflect their living environment and dietary habits. Season significantly affected the alpha diversity and abundance of dominant gut diazotrophs. Altitude had no significant effect on the gut diazotrophs of Plateau pikas. In addition, the congruence between gut microbiomes and gut diazotrophs was low. Our results proved that the gut of Plateau pikas was rich in gut diazotrophs, which is of great significance for the study of ecology and evolution of lagomorphs.
  7. Zakaria N, Han H, Khalil Y, Ashworth M, Yu Q, Flower KC
    Pest Manag Sci, 2025 Feb 05.
    PMID: 39907002 DOI: 10.1002/ps.8690
    BACKGROUND: The first case of glyphosate resistance was reported in a capeweed population from Western Australia in our previous study. This current study investigates the resistance mechanisms in the population.

    RESULTS: Target-site EPSPS gene sequencing revealed two partial sequences of the EPSPS transcripts (1001 bp and 998 bp), and the full-length sequence (1551 bp) containing the 1001-bp transcript was cloned as it was found in the resistant plants. A known resistance-endowing target-site mutation in the 1551-bp transcript was identified in the resistant plants, resulting in the Pro-106-Ser substitution. The subpopulation derived from these mutant plants exhibited >10-fold resistance to glyphosate compared to the susceptible population. Additionally, the EPSPS gene (1551 bp) was constitutively expressed at a higher level (4.3-fold) in the resistant than in the susceptible populations. However, 14C-glyphosate foliar uptake was similar with no visual difference in 14C-glyphosate translocation from leaves to other parts of a plant, between the resistant and susceptible population.

    CONCLUSION: Glyphosate resistance in the studied population is associated with both a target-site mutation (Pro-106-Ser) and increased EPSPS gene expression. © 2025 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

  8. Yu Q, Hu X, Qian Y, Wang Y, Shi C, Qi R, et al.
    J Environ Sci (China), 2025 Aug;154:550-562.
    PMID: 40049896 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2024.08.026
    The degradation of animal carcasses can lead to rapid waste release (e.g., pathogenic bacteria, viruses, prions, or parasites) and also result in nutrient accumulation in the surrounding environment. However, how viral profile responds and influences nutrient pool (carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S)) in polluted water caused by animal carcass decomposition had not been explored. Here, we combined metagenomic analysis, 16S rRNA gene sequencing and water physicochemical assessment to explore the response of viral communities under different temperatures (23 °C, 26 °C, 29 °C, 32 °C, and 35 °C) in water polluted by cadaver, as well as compare the contribution of viral/bacterial communities on water nutrient pool. We found that a total of 15,240 viral species were classified and mainly consisted of Siphoviridae. Both temperature and carrion reduced the viral diversity and abundance. Only a small portion of the viruses (∼8.8 %) had significant negative correlations with temperature, while most were not sensitive. Our results revealed that the viruses had lager contribution on nutrient pool than bacteria. Besides, viral-related functional genes involved in C, N, P and S cycling. These functional genes declined during carcass decomposition and covered part of the central nutrient cycle metabolism (including carbon sugar transformation, denitrification, P mineralization and extracelluar sulfate transfer, etc.). Our result implies that human regulation of virus communities may be more important than bacterial communities in regulating and managing polluted water quality and nutrition.
  9. Zhu X, Liu X, Yu Q, Liu Y, Wang L, Du W, et al.
    Int J Biol Macromol, 2025 Apr 01;309(Pt 1):142759.
    PMID: 40180082 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.142759
    The Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is a ubiquitous pest in stored products, with the larvae inflicting the most damage. The molecular mechanisms underlying larval olfaction and associated behaviors remain poorly understood. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis revealed two odorant binding proteins of P. interpunctella (PintOBPs) with antenna-biased expression in larvae. Competitive binding assays revealed that both PintOBP18 and PintOBP19 bind to a variety of volatile compounds emitted from stored food products, with ethyl linoleate identified as the best ligand for both proteins. According to RNA interference tests, the attractiveness of ethyl linoleate to P. interpunctella larvae was not significantly affected by the silencing of PintOBP18 or PintOBP19 separately. Nevertheless, the attractiveness of this odorant to larvae was severely impaired when both OBPs were knocked down. Furthermore, molecular docking and site-directed mutagenesis studies demonstrated that Ser66 in PintOBP18 and Val62 in PintOBP19 play crucial roles in binding ethyl linoleate. These findings advance our understanding of olfactory recognition in P. interpunctella larvae and provide potential targets for developing olfactory disruption strategies to control storage pests.
  10. Chen MX, Zhang RL, Xu XN, Yu Q, Huang DN, Liu W, et al.
    Trop Biomed, 2020 Mar 01;37(1):50-57.
    PMID: 33612717
    A 24-year-old man born in Guizhou province was diagnosed with obstructive jaundice and bile duct stones in 2013. Four living trematodes were found during laparotomy and cholecystectomy. Based on the morphology and molecular genetics analysis of internal transcribed spacer and pcox1 genes of the flatworm specimens, the trematodes from the patient were confirmed to be Fasciola hepatica. This report provided the clinical and molecular diagnosis information on human fascioliasis, which is an emerging sanitary problem still ignored in China. Human fascioliasis constantly occurs due to climatic changes and frequency of human travel. Therefore, it deserves more attention from physicians working in both developing and developed countries.
  11. Li G, Yan L, Chen X, Lam SS, Rinklebe J, Yu Q, et al.
    Chemosphere, 2023 Apr;320:138058.
    PMID: 36746249 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138058
    Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) pose a great threat to ecosystems and long-term exposure causes adverse effects to wildlife and humans. Cadmium induces a variety of diseases including cancer, kidney dysfunction, bone lesions, anemia and hypertension. Here we review the ability of plants to accumulate cadmium from soil, air and water under different environmental conditions, focusing on absorption mechanisms and factors affecting these. Cadmium possess various transport mechanisms and pathways roughly divided into symplast and apoplast pathway. Excessive cadmium concentrations in the environment affects soil properties, pH and microorganism composition and function and thereby plant uptake. At the same time, plants resist cadmium toxicity by antioxidant reaction. The differences in cadmium absorption capacity of plants need more exploration to determine whether it is beneficial for crop breeding or genetic modification. Identify whether plants have the potential to become hyperaccumulator and avoid excessive cadmium uptake by edible plants. The use of activators such as wood vinegar, GLDA (Glutamic acid diacetic acid), or the placement of earthworms and fungi can speed up phytoremediation of plants, thereby reducing uptake of crop varieties and reducing human exposure, thus accelerating food safety and the health of the planet.
  12. Ma Z, Zhang F, Ma H, Chen X, Yang J, Yang Y, et al.
    PLoS One, 2021;16(4):e0248329.
    PMID: 33857162 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248329
    The elderly usually suffer from many diseases. Improving the quality of life of the elderly is an urgent social issue. In this present study, D-galactose treated aging mice models were used to reveal the effects of different animal sources and different doses of whey protein (WP) on the immune indexes organs and intestinal flora. A total of 9 groups were set up, including normal control (NC), negative control (NS), positive control (Vc), low-, medium- and high-doses of cow WP intervention groups (CL, CM and CH for short, correspondingly) and low-, medium- and high-doses of goat WP intervention groups (GL, GM and GH for short, correspondingly). The body weight gain, thymus/body weight ratio, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, spleen immunoglobulins G (IgG), spleen interleukin-2 (IL-2) and spleen interleukin-2 (IL-6) were measured. Then, the intestinal contents were collected, and 16s genes of intestinal bacteria were sequenced to reveal the changes in bacterial flora structure. WP intervention significantly increased the weight gain, thymus/body ratio and SOD activity, but decrease the content of MDA. WP intervention increased some immune indicators. All the WP treated aging mice showed similar values of physiological indexes to that of the Vc group, even better. The relative abundance of Lactobacillus and Stenotrophomonas was increased and decreased, respectively, by both cow and goat WP. Lactobacillus may be involved in regulating the functional repair of organisms. In contrast, Stenotrophomonas might play a negative role in the immune and antioxidant capacity of the body. Combining physiological indicators and intestinal flora structure, low-concentration WP for cow and goat might be optimal for aging models.
  13. Li Y, Sun M, Tian X, Bao T, Yu Q, Ma NL, et al.
    J Nutr Biochem, 2024 Nov;133:109709.
    PMID: 39053860 DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2024.109709
    Gut microbiota dysbiosis and gut barrier disruption are key events associated with high-fat diet (HFD)-induced systemic metabolic disorders. Gymnemic acid (GA) has been reported to have an important role in alleviating HFD-induced disorders of glycolipid metabolism, but its regulatory role in HFD-induced disorders of the gut microbiota and gut barrier function has not been elucidated. Here we showed that GA intervention in HFD-induced hamsters increased the relative abundance of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing microbes including Lactobacillus (P
  14. Luo JX, Gao XT, Rong Z, Zhang LH, Sun YF, Qi ZL, et al.
    Mar Biotechnol (NY), 2025 Feb 01;27(1):41.
    PMID: 39891779 DOI: 10.1007/s10126-025-10420-5
    Mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) is a voracious carnivorous species, usually consuming only live bait fish, but dietary acclimation enables it to accept artificial feed. However, the effects of dietary acclimation on intestinal performance and gene expression in mandarin fish and related mechanisms remain largely unknown. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of artificial feed on intestinal physicochemical and biochemical performance and gene expression in mandarin fish. Mandarin fish were sampled on day 10 after feeding with live dace (LD), at day 40 after subsequent feeding with dead dace plus artificial feed (DD + AF) from day 11 to day 40, and at day 90 after continuous feeding with artificial feed (AF) alone from day 41 to day 90 for transcriptome sequencing. The biochemical analysis results indicated that artificial feed significantly increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase in the intestine, liver, and stomach. Histological analysis demonstrated intestinal damage in mandarin fish fed with artificial feed. The GO and KEGG enrichment analyses indicated that the DEGs in AF vs. DD + AF were significantly enriched in the pentose phosphate pathway, and the DEGs in AF vs. LD were mainly significantly enriched in glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and PPAR signaling pathways. Nineteen feed acclimation-related key genes such as gene pfkfb4a and scd were identified in the intestine and found to exhibit upregulated expressions. These results revealed that artificial feed domestication enhanced the antioxidant capacity of the mandarin fish intestine and reduced hepatic lipid deposition by upregulating the related gene expression of mandarin fish and that the regulation of carbon metabolisms, including sugar, lipid, and steroid metabolisms, might be fundamental mechanisms for mandarin fish to acclimatize to dietary changes. These findings provide novel insights into the feed acclimation mechanism of mandarin fish, holding implications for promoting large-scale artificial feed aquaculture of mandarin fish and improving economic efficiency.
  15. Rahman AY, Usharraj AO, Misra BB, Thottathil GP, Jayasekaran K, Feng Y, et al.
    BMC Genomics, 2013;14:75.
    PMID: 23375136 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-14-75
    Hevea brasiliensis, a member of the Euphorbiaceae family, is the major commercial source of natural rubber (NR). NR is a latex polymer with high elasticity, flexibility, and resilience that has played a critical role in the world economy since 1876.
  16. Ovchinsky N, Aumar M, Baker A, Baumann U, Bufler P, Cananzi M, et al.
    Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol, 2024 Jul;9(7):632-645.
    PMID: 38670135 DOI: 10.1016/S2468-1253(24)00074-8
    BACKGROUND: In patients with Alagille syndrome, cholestasis-associated clinical features can include high serum bile acids and severe pruritus that can necessitate liver transplantation. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the ileal bile acid transporter inhibitor odevixibat versus placebo in patients with Alagille syndrome.

    METHODS: The ASSERT study was a phase 3, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial that enrolled patients at 21 medical centres or hospitals in ten countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Poland, Türkiye, the UK, and the USA). Eligible patients had a genetically confirmed diagnosis of Alagille syndrome, a history of significant pruritus, and elevated serum bile acids. Patients were randomly assigned (2:1) to receive oral odevixibat 120 μg/kg per day or placebo for 24 weeks (in a block size of six and stratified by age: <10 years and ≥10 years to <18 years) via a web-based system. Patients, clinicians, study staff, and people analysing the data were masked to treatment allocation. The primary efficacy endpoint was change in caregiver-reported scratching score (on the PRUCISION instrument; range 0-4) from baseline to weeks 21-24. The prespecified key secondary efficacy endpoint was change in serum bile acid concentration from baseline to the average of weeks 20 and 24. Outcomes were analysed in patients who received at least one dose of study drug (the full analysis set for efficacy outcomes and the safety analysis set for safety outcomes). This trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04674761) and EudraCT (2020-004011-28), and is completed.

    FINDINGS: Between Feb 26, 2021, and Sept 9, 2022, 52 patients were randomly assigned to receive odevixibat (n=35) or placebo (n=17), all of whom were included in the analysis sets. The median age was 5·5 years (IQR 3·2 to 8·9). 27 (52%) of 52 patients were male and 25 (48%) were female. The mean scratching score was elevated at baseline in both groups (2·8 [SD 0·5] for odevixibat vs 3·0 [0·6] for placebo). Mean scratching scores at weeks 21-24 were 1·1 (0·9) for odevixibat and 2·2 (1·0) for placebo, representing a least-squares (LS) mean change of -1·7 (95% CI -2·0 to -1·3) for odevixibat and -0·8 (-1·3 to -0·3) for placebo, which was significantly greater for odevixibat than for placebo (difference in LS mean change from baseline -0·9 [95% CI -1·4 to -0·3]; p=0·0024). Odevixibat also resulted in significantly greater reductions in mean serum bile acids from baseline versus placebo (237 μmol/L [SD 115] with odevixibat vs 246 μmol/L [121] with placebo) to the average of weeks 20 and 24 (149 μmol/L [102] vs 271 μmol/L [167]; LS mean change -90 μmol/L [95% CI -133 to -48] with odevixibat vs 22 μmol/L [-35 to 80] with placebo; difference in LS mean change -113 μmol/L [95% CI -179 to -47]; p=0·0012). The most common treatment-emergent adverse events were diarrhoea (ten [29%] of 35 patients in the odevixibat group vs one [6%] of 17 in the placebo group) and pyrexia (eight [23%] vs four [24%]). Seven patients had serious treatment-emergent adverse events during the treatment period: five (14%) in the odevixibat group and two (12%) in the placebo group. No patients discontinued treatment and there were no deaths.

    INTERPRETATION: Odevixibat could be an efficacious non-surgical intervention to improve pruritus, reduce serum bile acids, and enhance the standard of care in patients with Alagille syndrome. Longer-term safety and efficacy data of odevixibat in this population are awaited from the ongoing, open-label ASSERT-EXT study.

    FUNDING: Albireo Pharma, an Ipsen company.

  17. Wu D, Shen E, Jiang B, Feng Y, Tang W, Lao S, et al.
    Nat Commun, 2022 02 03;13(1):689.
    PMID: 35115514 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28359-9
    As one of the great survivors of the plant kingdom, barnyard grasses (Echinochloa spp.) are the most noxious and common weeds in paddy ecosystems. Meanwhile, at least two Echinochloa species have been domesticated and cultivated as millets. In order to better understand the genomic forces driving the evolution of Echinochloa species toward weed and crop characteristics, we assemble genomes of three Echinochloa species (allohexaploid E. crus-galli and E. colona, and allotetraploid E. oryzicola) and re-sequence 737 accessions of barnyard grasses and millets from 16 rice-producing countries. Phylogenomic and comparative genomic analyses reveal the complex and reticulate evolution in the speciation of Echinochloa polyploids and provide evidence of constrained disease-related gene copy numbers in Echinochloa. A population-level investigation uncovers deep population differentiation for local adaptation, multiple target-site herbicide resistance mutations of barnyard grasses, and limited domestication of barnyard millets. Our results provide genomic insights into the dual roles of Echinochloa species as weeds and crops as well as essential resources for studying plant polyploidization, adaptation, precision weed control and millet improvements.
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