The safety and efficacy of the fissure-first approach in lung segmentectomy for patients with incomplete fissures.

Background: Lung segmentectomy has gained much more attention as an important surgical method for treating early-stage lung cancer. However, incomplete fissures increase the difficulty of lung segmentectomy. The aim of this study was to analyze the safety and efficacy of the fissure-first approach in precision resection of lung segments for patients with incomplete fissures. Methods: The clinical data of patients with incomplete fissures who underwent lung segmentectomy were retrospectively analyzed. Date was divided into fissure-first approach in lung segmentectomy group (group A) and fissure-last approach in lung segmentectomy group (group B). The general linear data, operation times, intraoperative adverse events, postoperative recovery dates and complications were compared. Results: A total of 122 patients with complete clinical data were included. Patients in group B had more COPD (p < 0.05), and the lesions in group A were more closely related to the hilum of the lung (p < 0.05). Compared to Group B, Group A achieved better surgical outcomes, such as operation time, postoperative hospital stays, intraoperative bleeding, number of intrapulmonary lymph nodes sampled, counts of resected subsegments (except the upper lobe of the right lung), and rate of conversion to thoracotomy (all p < 0.05). Conclusion: The fissure-first approach is a safe and effective surgical approach in lung segmentectomy for patients with incomplete fissures. This approach can reduce the counts of resected subsegments and improve techniques in lung segmentectomy for patients with lung incomplete fissures.

Diallyl Trisulfide Acts as a Soil Disinfestation Against the Ilyonectria destructans through Inducing the Burst of Reactive Oxygen Species.

Soil-borne diseases represent an impediment to the sustainable development of agriculture. A soil-borne disease caused by Ilyonectria destructans severely impacts Panax species, and soil disinfestation has proven to be an effective management approach. Here, diallyl trisulfide (DATS), derived from garlic, exhibited pronounced inhibitory effects on the growth of I. destructans in vitro tests and contributed to the alleviation of soil-borne diseases in the field. A comprehensive analysis demonstrated that DATS inhibits the growth of I. destructans by activating detoxifying enzymes, such as GSTs, disrupting the equilibrium of redox reactions. A series of antioxidant amino acids were suppressed by DATS. Particularly noteworthy is the substantial depletion of glutathione by DATS, resulting in the accumulation of ROS, ultimately culminating in the inhibition of I. destructans growth. Briefly, DATS could effectively suppress soil-borne diseases by inhibiting pathogen growth through the activation of ROS, and it holds promise as a potential environmentally friendly soil disinfestation.

Phytoalexin sakuranetin attenuates endocytosis and enhances resistance to rice blast.

Phytoalexin sakuranetin functions in resistance against rice blast. However, the mechanisms underlying the effects of sakuranetin remains elusive. Here, we report that rice lines expressing resistance (R) genes were found to contain high levels of sakuranetin, which correlates with attenuated endocytic trafficking of plasma membrane (PM) proteins. Exogenous and endogenous sakuranetin attenuates the endocytosis of various PM proteins and the fungal effector PWL2. Moreover, accumulation of the avirulence protein AvrCO39, resulting from uptake into rice cells by Magnaporthe oryzae, was reduced following treatment with sakuranetin. Pharmacological manipulation of clathrin-mediated endocytic (CME) suggests that this pathway is targeted by sakuranetin. Indeed, attenuation of CME by sakuranetin is sufficient to convey resistance against rice blast. Our data reveals a mechanism of rice against M. oryzae by increasing sakuranetin levels and repressing the CME of pathogen effectors, which is distinct from the action of many R genes that mainly function by modulating transcription.

Anatomical distribution and clinical significance of translobar bronchi, arteries, and veins hidden in the interlobar fissure.

Background: The interlobar bronchovascular structures hidden in the incomplete interlobar fissures (IFs) are often inadvertently transected during pulmonary resections, which could inevitably lead to accidental injury and potentially compromise the function of the preserved area. A thorough examination of the anatomical distribution of translobar bronchi, arteries, and veins holds significant clinical importance. Methods: Three-dimensional computed tomography bronchography and angiography (3D-CTBA) data from patients who underwent pulmonary resection between December 2018 and November 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The translobar bronchi, arteries, and veins were categorized based on their origin and distribution. Surgical results of patients who underwent surgery involving translobar structures were further reviewed. Results: Among the 310 enrolled patients, incomplete IFs (IIFs) were most frequently observed in horizontal fissures (68.7%), followed by right upper oblique fissures (42.3%), left lower oblique fissures (32.6%), left upper oblique fissures (12.9%), and right lower oblique fissures (11.0%). The incidence of bronchovascular structures was significantly higher in IIFs than in complete IFs (CIFs; 85.5% vs. 5.2%, χ2=1,021.1, P<0.001). A total of three subtypes of translobar bronchi, five subtypes of translobar arteries, and 14 subtypes of translobar veins were identified. Primary subtypes of translobar arteries (frequency >5%) included the left A4/5 (18.7%) that branched from A7/8/7+8 and the common trunk of right Asc.A2+A6 (6.1%). Primary subtypes of translobar veins (frequency >5%) included the right V2 draining into inferior pulmonary vein (IPV) (5.8%), the interlobar V3b (58.4%) within horizontal fissures, the right V4/5 draining into V2/3 (26.1%), the left V4/5 draining into IPV (7.4%), the right V6 draining into V2 (38.4%), and the common trunk of left IPV and superior pulmonary vein (SPV; 9.4%). Moreover, 12.0% of translobar arteries and 75.0% of translobar veins were mistransected during anatomical pulmonary resection, resulting in gas-exchanging dysfunction in the preserved territory. Conclusions: Translobar bronchovascular structures exhibited a high incidence and were more commonly present in IIFs. Surgeons should pay increased attention to these structures to prevent accidental injuries during anatomical pulmonary resection.

Preliminary findings on the development of a predictive model for BLCA based on disulfidptosis-associated IncRNAs signature.

BACKGROUND: Bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA) is the most common malignancy of the urinary tract, presenting with a wide range of clinical symptoms and prognosis. Disulfidptosis is a newly identified cell death method and closely associated with BLCA progression, prognosis, and treatment outcome. Currently, we need to construct a new prognostic model for disulfidptosis-related long noncoding RNAs (drlncRNAs) to improve the treatment strategy of BLCA. METHODS: The data for BLCA samples were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and then 10 unique genes related to disulfidoptosis (DRGs) were identified from research papers. The differences between the two groups showed in this study were used to create the "disulfidptosis-related long noncoding RNAs score" (disulfidptosis-score) prognostic model. RESULTS: We identified two groups of drlncRNAs with high and low disulfidptosis scores in this study. Patients with low disulfidptosis scores had a better overall survival rate compared to those with high scores in bladder cancer, and the high disulfidptosis score subtype exhibited more active malignant pathways related to cancer than the low score subtype. We found that the low disulfidptosis-score subgroup had better prognosis than the high disulfidptosis-score subgroup. The expression of mutation burden was much higher in the low disulfidptosis-score group than in the high disulfidptosis-score group. The low disulfidptosis-score subgroup of patients exhibited significantly higher proportions of plasma cells, T cells CD8, and Tregs, while the high-risk subgroup had a greater abundance of Macrophages M0 and Macrophages M2. The disulfidptosis-score showed a strong correlation with the sensitivity of chemotherapeutic drugs, and patients in the low disulfidptosis-score group were more likely to exhibit an immune response and respond positively to immunotherapy. Additionally, we developed a nomogram to enhance the accuracy of the disulfidptosis-clinical score. CONCLUSION: Based on our investigation of disulfidptosis-score in BLCA, disulfidptosis-score may have an important role in TME, prognosis, and drug sensitivity. We also investigated the significance of the disulfidoptosis-score in relation to immunotherapy and immune response, providing a basis for improving prognosis and responding to immunotherapy among patients with BLCA.

First Report of Ilyonectria coprosmae Causing Root Rot of Bletilla striata in Yunnan province of China.

Bletilla striata is a valuable medicine in China, belonging to the Orchidaceae family, and is used for treating various ailments such as hemoptysis, pyocutaneous disease, and anal fissure by preventing blood flow, reducing swelling, and promoting granulation. In June 2022, a disease with symptoms similar to root rot was observed on B. striata in the pineland (the area was 0.4 hectare) of Lancang County (22°48'17" N, 99°46'58"22 E), Yunnan Province, China. The root rot incidence rate reached 16% (Table S1). The root rot incidence was calculated as follows: root rot incidence (%) = (number of root rot seedlings/total number of seedlings investigated) × 100. In May 2023, the similar symptoms were observed in the field, and the disease incidence was 17% (Table S1). Initially, there were no obvious symptoms on the leaves. Subsequently, the leaves wilted and brown spots appeared. Later, the entire leaf browned, withered and eventually died (Fig. S1A, B). The roots were brown and the browning spread from the root edge to the center, causing vascular bundle browning and dead lignified fibers in the cortex (Fig. S1C, D). To isolate the causal pathogen, 20 symptomatic root tissues were collected from 20 plants. Cutting the diseased tissues into small pieces (0.5 × 0.5 cm). After surface sterilization (30s with 75% ethanol and 3 min with 2% sodium hypochlorite, rinsed three times with sterile water), the disinfected root tissues were plated onto potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated at 25℃ for 4 to 6 days with 12 h light/dark photoperiod. A total of 10 single-spore isolates with similar morphology and conidial characteristics were obtained. one representative isolate BJG6 was selected for identification and further study. The fungal colony was reddish-brown or orange-white on PDA after 8 days of incubation at 25℃. The mycelium was like carpet or cotton, and the edge of colony was uniform (Fig. S1E). Large conidia were formed on simple conidial peduncles (Fig. S1F, G). The conidia with 1~3 septates and 1 mostly, with cylindrical shapes and narrow tops but sharp bases (Fig. S1H-J). Conidia with 1 septate measured as 5.5 (4.3-6.7) × 20.7 (16.0-25.4) µm (n=30), while those with 2 septates measured as 6.6 (5.8-7.4) × 26.5 (21.7-31.3) µm (n=30), and those with 3 septates was 6.9 (6.2-7.8) × 31.8 (29.3-34.3) µm (n=30). Ellipsoidal microconidia could be formed on conidiophore and measured as 2.4 (1.9-2.9) × 4.9 (5.9-3.9) µm to 2.7 (2.2-3.2) × 5.4 (4.3-6.5) µm (n=30). Spherical or subspherical chlamydospores were produced on low-nutrient agar, with an average size of 5.8(5.0-6.6) µm×5.3 (4.4-6.2) µm (n=30) (Fig. S1K, L). According to the morphology and conidial features, the pathogen was consistent with the description of Ilyonectria coprosmae (Cabral et al. 2012). The total genomic DNA was extracted, and primer pairs ITS4/ITS5 were used to amplify and sequence the rDNA-ITS region (ITS1-5.8 S rRNA-ITS2 gene regions) (White et al. 1990). The sequences were deposited in GenBank (SUB13905750 for ITS). BLAST searches revealed BJG6 showed 98% homology with corresponding sequences of Ilyonectria coprosmae in GenBank (JF735260). A phylogenetic tree (MEGA 7.0) was constructed using maximum-likelihood methods (Fig. S2). To identify pathogenicity, a cultured medium in a size of 6mm containing isolate BJG6 was inoculated onto ten healthy roots of B. striata, PDA plugs alone were used as the uninoculated controls. All samples were placed in a dark inoculation chamber at 25℃. The pathogenicity test was replicated three times. After two weeks, all inoculated roots appeared similar symptoms identical to those observed on field plants (Fig. S1M, N-P), while control plants remained healthy (Fig. S1Q, R). The same pathogenic fungus was reisolated from the symptomatic root rot, and the characteristics of colony and conidia were the same as the original isolates (Fig. S1S, T). These results confirmed I. coprosmae as the causal pathogen of root rot disease on B. striata in China by Koch's postulates tests for the first time. Further exploration should be conducted to understand the occurrence and migration of this disease, so as to develop specific and efficient disease management strategies in the future.

Challenging Diagnosis: Unmasking the Enigma of Imaging Findings with Lung Schwannomas.

Schwannomas are benign slow-growing tumors arising from the embryonic neural crest cells of the nerve sheaths of peripheral and cranial nerves, and they are a rare type of soft tissue mass that is usually always solitary. Generally, it grows in the head, neck, and flexor portions of the limbs, where many nerves are located. Schwannomas of the lung are extremely rare. Fewer than ten cases of schwannomas in this organ region have been reported in the existing literature. In this case report, a 40-year-old male non-smoker was hospitalized with occasional chest pain. His chest computed tomographic scan revealed a 3.8 cm space occupying lesion in the upper lobe of the right lung. This lesion has clear boundaries and uneven internal density. And it was concluded as a benign lesion possibility, it is preferred to be considered as a haematoma. This space occupying lesion was eventually confirmed as a schwannoma by needle biopsy tissues. Due to the presence in rare locations, such as the lung, the clinical presentation of this space occupying lesion is non-specific, making diagnosis difficult. The data presented in this case report can help clinicians to obtain information on the identification of this disease, which highlighted lung schwannoma as a differential diagnosis for patients with intermittent pain. It can also alert clinicians and radiologists to observe every detail of the radiology imaging findings.

Development of a prognostic model to predict BLCA based on anoikis-related gene signature: preliminary findings.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA) is significant on a global scale. Anoikis is a type of procedural cell death that has an important role in tumor invasion and metastasis. The advent of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) approaches has revolutionized the genomics field by providing unprecedented opportunities for elucidating cellular heterogeneity. Understanding the mechanisms associated with anoikis in BLCA is essential to improve its survival rate. METHODS: Data on BLCA and clinical information were acquired from the databases of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). ARGs were obtained from Genecards and Harmonizome databases. According to univariate Cox regression analysis, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm was utilized to select the ARGs associated with the overall rate (OS). A multivariate Cox regression analysis was carried out to identify eight prognostic ARGs, leading to the establishment of a risk model. The OS rate of BLCA patients was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. To explore the molecular mechanism in low- and high-risk groups, we employed Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSVA). Immune infiltration landscape estimation was performed using ESTIMATE, CIBERSOT, and single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithms. Patients were categorized into different subgroups through consensus clustering analysis. We employed biological functional enrichment analysis and conducted immune infiltration analysis to examine the disparities in potential biological functions, infiltration of immune cells, immune activities, and responses to immunotherapy. RESULTS: We identified 647 ARGs and 37 survival-related genes. We further developed a risk scoring model to quantitatively assess the predictive capacity of ARGs. The high-risk score group exhibited an unfavorable prognosis, whereas the low-risk score group demonstrated a converse effect. We also found that the two groups of patients might respond differently to immune targets and anti-tumor drugs. CONCLUSION: The nomogram with 8 ARGs may help guide treatment of BLCA. The systematic assessment of risk scores can help to design more individualized and precise treatment strategies for BLCA patients.

Integrated analysis of transcriptome, metabolome, and histochemistry reveals the response mechanisms of different ages Panax notoginseng to root-knot nematode infection.

Panax notoginseng (P. notoginseng) is an invaluable perennial medicinal herb. However, the roots of P. notoginseng are frequently subjected to severe damage caused by root-knot nematode (RKN) infestation. Although we have observed that P. notoginseng possessed adult-plant resistance (APR) against RKN disease, the defense response mechanisms against RKN disease in different age groups of P. notoginseng remain unexplored. We aimed to elucidate the response mechanisms of P. notoginseng at different stages of development to RKN infection by employing transcriptome, metabolome, and histochemistry analyses. Our findings indicated that distinct age groups of P. notoginseng may activate the phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways in varying ways, leading to the synthesis of phenolics, flavonoids, lignin, and anthocyanin pigments as both the response and defense mechanism against RKN attacks. Specifically, one-year-old P. notoginseng exhibited resistance to RKN through the upregulation of 5-O-p-coumaroylquinic acid and key genes involved in monolignol biosynthesis, such as PAL, CCR, CYP73A, CYP98A, POD, and CAD. Moreover, two-year-old P. notoginseng enhanced the resistance by depleting chlorogenic acid and downregulating most genes associated with monolignol biosynthesis, while concurrently increasing cyanidin and ANR in flavonoid biosynthesis. Three-year-old P. notoginseng reinforced its resistance by significantly increasing five phenolic acids related to monolignol biosynthesis, namely p-coumaric acid, chlorogenic acid, 1-O-sinapoyl-D-glucose, coniferyl alcohol, and ferulic acid. Notably, P. notoginseng can establish a lignin barrier that restricted RKN to the infection site. In summary, P. notoginseng exhibited a potential ability to impede the further propagation of RKN through the accumulation or depletion of the compounds relevant to resistance within the phenylpropanoid and flavonoid pathways, as well as the induction of lignification in tissue cells.

Effects of allyl isothiocyanate fumigation on medicinal plant root knot disease control, plant survival, and the soil bacterial community.

BACKGROUND: Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) is a natural product with high volatility that is used as a biofumigant to alleviate soil-borne plant diseases, and problems such as root knot nematodes (RKNs) that necessitate continuous cropping. However, little research has assessed the effects of AITC fumigation on medicinal plants. RESULTS: AITC significantly reduced the population of RKNs in soil (p < 0.0001) and showed an excellent RKN disease control effect within 6 months after sowing Panax notoginseng (p < 0.0001). The seedling survival rate of 2-year-old P. notoginseng was approximately 1.7-fold higher after soil treatment with AITC (p = 0.1008). 16S rRNA sequencing indicated that the AITC treatment affected bacterial richness rather than diversity in consecutively cultivated (CC) soil. Furthermore, biomarkers with statistical differences between AITC-treated and untreated CC soil showed that Pirellulales (order), Pirellulaceae (family), Pseudomonadaceae (family), and Pseudomonas (genus) played important roles in the AITC-treated group. In addition, the microbiome functional phenotypes predicted using the BugBase tool suggested that AITC treatment is more conducive to improving CC soil through changes in the bacterial community structure. Crucially, our research also suggested that AITC soil treatment significantly increases soil organic matter (p = 0.0055), total nitrogen (p = 0.0054), and available potassium (p = 0.0373), which promotes the survival of a succeeding medicinal plant (Polygonatum kingianum). CONCLUSION: AITC is an ecologically friendly soil treatment that affects the top 10 bacterial richness but not diversity. It could also provide a basis for a useful agricultural soil management measure to alleviate soil sickness.

Investigation of the prevalence and risk factors of Helicobacter pylori infection and the value of different gastric cancer screening methods in a low-risk region of gastric cancer in China.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this current study was to identify the prevalence and risk factors of H. pylori infection in the low-risk area of gastric cancer in China, and evaluate the value of different gastric cancer screening methods. METHODS: An epidemiological study was conducted in Yudu County, Jiangxi, China, and participants were followed up for 6 years. All participants completed a questionnaire, laboratory tests and endoscopy. Patients were divided into H. pylori positive and negative groups, and risk factors for H. pylori infection were identified using multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 1962 residents were included, the prevalence of H. pylori infection was 33.8%. Multivariate analysis showed that annual income ≤20,000 yuan (OR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.18-1.77, p < 0.001), loss of appetite (OR: 1.71, 95% CI: 1.29-2.26, p < 0.001), PG II >37.23 ng/mL (OR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.50-2.97, p < 0.001), G-17 > 1.5 and ≤5.7 pmol/L (OR: 2.52, 95% CI: 1.93-3.30, p < 0.001), and G-17 > 5.7 pmol/L (OR: 1.96, 95% CI: 1.48-2.60, p < 0.001) were risk factors of H. pylori infection, while alcohol consumption (OR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.54-0.91, p = 0.006) was a protective factor. According to the new gastric cancer screening method, the prevalence of low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia in the low-risk group, medium-risk group and high-risk group was 4.4%, 7.7% and 12.5% respectively (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In a low-risk area of gastric cancer in China, the infection rate of H. pylori is relatively low. Low income, loss of appetite, high PG II, and high G-17 were risk factors for H. pylori infection, while alcohol consumption was a protective factor. Moreover, the new gastric cancer screening method better predicted low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia than the ABC method and the new ABC method.

First report of Leptosphaeria biglobosa 'brassicae' causing leaf spots in Eutrema japonicum in Yunnan, China.

Wasabi (Eutrema japonicum) is a root vegetable that is cultivated at large scales in southwestern China. In November 2021, approximately 40% of plants in a forested plantation in Dadishui, Yunnan Province, China (25.47°N, 103.22°E), showed leaf spot symptoms. The early symptoms were small black spots that gradually expanded into irregular brown to black lesions (0.5-1.5 cm), which were restricted by leaf veins. Yellow halos were observed at the outer edges of necrotic lesions. To identify the causal agent, we collected 20 diseased leaves and obtained fungal isolates from symptomatic leaf tissues. Following surface sterilization with 75% ethanol for 30 s, the tissues were cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates and incubated at 25°C under a 12 h light/12 h dark light cycle. After 7 days of incubation, a total of 12 isolates were obtained through single-spore culture. All isolates had similar colony morphology, and produced fluffy white mycelia and yellow pigment after 1 week of PDA culture at 25°C, and blackish- brown mycelium, tan pigment, and conidia after 2 weeks. The conidia were hyaline and cylindrical, with an average size of 4.6 µm × 2.2 µm. These morphological characteristics similar to the description of Leptosphaeria biglobosa (Shoemaker et. al, 2001) and Leptosphaeria maculans (Vincenot et al. 2008). Genomic DNA was extracted from mycelium of isolate SK-1, which was harvested from 10-day-old PDA culture using a FAST plant genomic DNA Extraction Kit (Biomed, China), following the manufacturer's instructions. The species-specific primers LbigF, LmacF, and LmacR (Liu et al. 2006) were used for identification via polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A 444-bp fragment characteristic of L. biglobosa 'brassicae' (Lbb), and a 330-bp of L. maculans 'brassicae' (Lmb) were amplified, respectively. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences (592 bp), part of the 5' end of beta-tubulin (968 bp), and actin (899 bp) were also amplified using the primers ITS1/ITS4, BT1/BT2, and ACTF/ACTR (Vincenot et al. 2008), respectively. PCR was performed in a volume of 25 µL containing 12.5 µL 2 × T5 Super PCR Mix (Tsingke Biotech, Beijing, China), 1 µL 10 µM primer (Tsingke Biotech), 1 µL DNA template, and an aliquot of sterile water to attain the total volume. The thermal cycler settings were 5 min at 98°C; 35 cycles of 10 s at 98°C, 10 s at 58°C, and 30 s at 72°C; and extension for 2 min at 72°C. The ITS sequence of isolate SK-1 (GenBank accession no. OQ216838), the partial ß-tubulin gene sequence (OQ241183), and the actin gene sequence (OQ241184) indicated 100% query cover and 100% identity with L. biglobosa (DQ458906), Lbb strain B3.6 (AY748995), and Lbb strain 2379-4 (AY748949), respectively. Phylogenetic analysis (King et al. 2022) also identified of isolate SK-1 as Lbb. To determinate its pathogenicity, isolate SK-1 was grown on PDA incubated at 28°C for 2 weeks, and conidial suspensions were prepared at a concentration of 106 conidia/mL. Then, 15 leaves of 4-month-old E. japonicum seedlings were needle-wounded on the front and inoculated by syringe injection of 10 µL of the appropriate conidial suspension. We used 10 µL of the sterilized distilled water as the control under forest growth conditions. All inoculation sites were covered with cotton strips and moistened with 1.0 mL sterile water to maintain humidity. After 12 days of incubation, the leaves developed symptoms similar to those observed in the field, and the fungus was reisolated from diseased leaves, whereas the controls remained healthy. Based on these results, we identified L. biglobosa 'brassicae' as the causal agent of leaf spot on E. japonicum in China. This fungus has been reported to cause blackleg in many Brassica crops in China such as Brassica napus (Fitt et al. 2006), Brassica oleracea (Zhou et al. 2019), B. juncea var. tumida (Deng et al. 2020), Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis (Yu et al. 2021). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of L. biglobosa causing leaf spots in E. japonicum in China. Our data provide a basis for disease management in E. japonicum production in China.

Comprehensive analysis of cuproptosis-related lncRNAs signature to predict prognosis in bladder urothelial carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Cuproptosis-related genes (CRGs) have been recently discovered to regulate the occurrence and development of various tumors by controlling cuproptosis, a novel type of copper ion-dependent cell death. Although cuproptosis is mediated by lipoylated tricarboxylic acid cycle proteins, the relationship between cuproptosis-related long noncoding RNAs (crlncRNAs) in bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA) and clinical outcomes, tumor microenvironment (TME) modification, and immunotherapy remains unknown. In this paper, we tried to discover the importance of lncRNAs for BLCA. METHODS: The BLCA-related lncRNAs and clinical data were first obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). CRGs were obtained through Coexpression, Cox regression and Lasso regression. Besides, a prognosis model was established for verification. Meanwhile, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis, gene ontology (GO) analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), half-maximal inhibitory concentration prediction (IC50), immune status and drug susceptibility analysis were carried out. RESULTS: We identified 277 crlncRNAs and 16 survival-related lncRNAs. According to the 8-crlncRNA risk model, patients could be divided into high-risk group and low-risk group. Progression-Free-Survival (PFS), independent prognostic analysis, concordance index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and nomogram all confirmed the excellent predictive capability of the 8-lncRNA risk model for BLCA. During gene mutation burden survival analysis, noticeable differences were observed in high- and low-risk patients. We also found that the two groups of patients might respond differently to immune targets and anti-tumor drugs. CONCLUSION: The nomogram with 8-lncRNA may help guide treatment of BLCA. More clinical studies are necessary to verify the nomogram.

Structural mechanism of heavy metal-associated integrated domain engineering of paired nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat proteins in rice.

Plant nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat (NLR) proteins are immune sensors that detect pathogen effectors and initiate a strong immune response. In many cases, single NLR proteins are sufficient for both effector recognition and signaling activation. These proteins possess a conserved architecture, including a C-terminal leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domain, a central nucleotide-binding (NB) domain, and a variable N-terminal domain. Nevertheless, many paired NLRs linked in a head-to-head configuration have now been identified. The ones carrying integrated domains (IDs) can recognize pathogen effector proteins by various modes; these are known as sensor NLR (sNLR) proteins. Structural and biochemical studies have provided insights into the molecular basis of heavy metal-associated IDs (HMA IDs) from paired NLRs in rice and revealed the co-evolution between pathogens and hosts by combining naturally occurring favorable interactions across diverse interfaces. Focusing on structural and molecular models, here we highlight advances in structure-guided engineering to expand and enhance the response profile of paired NLR-HMA IDs in rice to variants of the rice blast pathogen MAX-effectors (Magnaporthe oryzae AVRs and ToxB-like). These results demonstrate that the HMA IDs-based design of rice materials with broad and enhanced resistance profiles possesses great application potential but also face considerable challenges.

Exogenous leucine alleviates heat stress and improves saponin synthesis in Panax notoginseng by improving antioxidant capacity and maintaining metabolic homeostasis.

Panax notoginseng saponins (PNSs) are used as industrial raw materials to produce many drugs to treat cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. However, it is a heat-sensitive plant, and its large-scale artificial cultivation is impeded by high temperature stress, leading to decreases in productivity and PNSs yield. Here, we examined exogenous foliar leucine to alleviate heat stress and explored the underlying mechanism using metabolomics. The results indicated that 3 and 5 mM exogenous foliar leucine significantly alleviated heat stress in one-year- and two-year-old P. notoginseng in pots and field trials. Exogenous foliar leucine enhanced the antioxidant capacity by increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes (POD, SOD) and the contents of antioxidant metabolites (amino acids). Moreover, exogenous foliar leucine enhanced carbohydrate metabolism, including sugars (sucrose, maltose) and TCA cycle metabolites (citric acid, aconitic acid, succinic acid and fumaric acid), in P. notoginseng leaves, stems, and fibrous roots to improve the energy supply of plants and further alleviate heat stress. Field experiments further verified that exogenous foliar leucine increased the productivity and PNSs accumulation in P. notoginseng. These results suggest that leucine application is beneficial for improving the growth and quality of P. notoginseng under heat stress. It is therefore possible to develop plant growth regulators based on leucine to improve the heat resistance of P. notoginseng and other crops.

A new Panax notoginseng Leaf Spot Caused by Boeremia linicola in Yunnan, China.

Panax notoginseng-also known as Tianqi and Sanqi-is one of the most highly valued medicinal perennial herbs in the world (Wang et al. 2016). In August 2021, leaf spot was observed on P. notoginseng leaves in Lincang sanqi base (23º43´10˝N, 100º7´32˝E, 13.33 hm2). Symptoms expanded from water soaked areas on the leaves to form irregular round or oval leaf spots with transparent or grayish-brown centers containing black granular matter, with an incidence of 10 to 20%. To identify the causal agent, ten symptomatic leaves were randomly selected from ten P. notoginseng plants. Symptomatic leaves were cut into small pieces (5 mm2) with asymptomatic tissue margins, disinfected in 75% ethanol for 30s and in 2% sodium hypochlorite for 3 min, and rinsed three times with sterile distilled water. The tissue portions were placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates incubated at 20℃ with a 12 h light/dark photoperiod. Seven pure isolates were obtained with similar colony morphology, dark gray (top view) or taupe (back view) coloration, with flat and villous surfaces. Pycnidia were globose to subglobose, glabrous or with few mycelial outgrowths, dark brown to black, 22.46 to 155.94 (av. 69.57) µm × 18.20 to 130.5 (av. 57.65) µm (n=50) in size. Conidia were ellipsoidal to cylindrical, thinwalled, smooth, hyaline, aseptate, and measured 1.47 to 6.81 (av. 4.29) µm long and 1.01 to 2.97 (av. 1.98) µm thick (n=100). The isolated strains were preliminarily identified as Boeremia sp. based on the morphological characteristics of colonies and conidia. (Aveskamp et al. 2010; Schaffrath et al. 2021). To confirm pathogen identity, the total genomic DNA of two isolates (LYB-2 and LYB-3) was extracted using the T5 Direct PCR kit. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS), 28S large subunit nrRNA gene (LSU), and ß-tubulin (TUB2) gene regions were PCR-amplified using primers ITS1/ITS4, LR0Rf/LR5r, and BT2F/BT4R (Chen et al. 2015), respectively. Sequences have been deposited in GenBank (ON908942-ON908943 for ITS, ON908944-ON908945 for LSU, ON929285-ON929286 for TUB2). BLASTn searches of generated DNA sequences from 2 purified isolates (LYB-2 and LYB-3) against GenBank showed high similarity (>99%) with the sequences of Boeremia linicola. Moreover, a phylogenetic tree was constructed based on the neighbor-joining method in MEGA-X (Kumar et al. 2018) and revealed that the 2 isolates were closest to B. linicola (CBS 116.76). Pathogenicity tests were conducted with the 2 isolates (LYB-2 and LYB-3) as described by Cai et al. (2009) with slight modifications. Each isolate was inoculated with three healthy annual P. notoginseng plants, and each leaf was inoculated with three drops of conidia suspension (106 spores/mL). Three P. notoginseng plants inoculated with sterile water were used as controls. All plants were covered with plastic bags incubated in a greenhouse (20℃, 90%RH, 12 h light/dark photoperiod). Fifteen days post-inoculation, all inoculated leaves showed similar lesions, and the symptoms were identical to those in the field. The pathogen was reisolated from symptomatic leaf spots, and the colony characteristics were identical to the original isolates. Control plants remained healthy, and no fungus was re-isolated. Morphological characteristics, sequence alignment and pathogenicity tests confirmed that B. linicola was the cause of P. notoginseng leaf spot disease. This is the first report of B. linicola causing leaf spot on P. notoginseng in Yunnan, China. The identification of B. linicola as the causal agent of the observed leaf spot on P. notoginseng is critical to the prevention and control of this disease in the future.

Correlation analysis between renal anatomical factors and residual stones after an ultrasound-guided PCNL.

Introduction: To predict the factors of residual stones after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) by analyzing the characteristics of the renal anatomical structure in intravenous urography, so as to make a reasonable operation plan, reduce the risk of residual stones in PCNL, and improve the stone-free rate (SFR). Methods: A retrospective study was performed between January 2019 and September 2020 for patients treated with PCNL. According to the results of a kidney ureter bladder review after PCNL, 245 patients were divided into a residual stone group (71 patients, stone size >4 mm) and a stone-free group (174 patients, stone size ≤4 mm). An independent sample t-test was used to analyze the age, the length and width of channel calices, the angle between the channel calices and the involved calices, and the length and width of the involved calices. The gender, the channel types, the number of channels, the degree of hydronephrosis, and the number of involved calices were analyzed by using the chi-square test. A score of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. At the same time, logistic regression analysis was carried out to explore the independent influencing factors of the SFR after PCNL. Results: A total of 71 patients developed residual stones after surgery. The overall residual rate was 29.0%. The width of the channel calices (p = 0.003), the angle between the channel calices and the involved calices (p = 0.007), the width of the involved calices (p < 0.001), the channel types (p = 0.008), and the number of involved calices (p < 0.001) were all significantly correlated with residual stones after PCNL. Logistic regression analysis showed that the width of the channel calices (p = 0.003), the angle between the channel calices and the involved calices (p = 0.012), the width of the involved calices (p < 0.001), the channel types (p = 0.008), and the number of involved calyces (p < 0.001) were all independent influencing factors of the SFR after PCNL. Conclusion: A larger caliceal neck width and angle can reduce the risk of residual stones. The more calyces that are involved, the higher the risk of residual stones. There was no difference between F16 and F18, but F16 had a higher SFR than F24.

Insights into risk factors for urolithiasis: a mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Risk factors for urolithiasis have not been identified. Here, we aimed to identify potentially causal risk factors driving the risk of urolithiasis. METHODS: Two sets of instrumental variables were used for analysis, derived from publicly available databases. Summary-level statistical data for urolithiasis were obtained from the MRC-IEU Consortium and UK biobank (Neale Lab). Mendelian randomization (MR) was conducted to identify causal risk of urolithiasis. Finally, the results of the two databases were combined and a meta-analysis was performed. RESULTS: In the MRC-IEU consortium, the odds of urolithiasis increased per 1-SD increase of body mass index (BMI) (OR = 1.0016, 95% CI:1.0004-1.0029, p = 0.010), triglycerides (OR = 1.0016, 95% CI:1.0003-1.0029, p = 0.017), adiponectin (OR = 1.0027, 95% CI:1.0003-1.0050, p = 0.024), and body fat percentage (OR = 1.008, 95% CI:1.0001-1.0161, p = 0.047). In addition, alcohol intake also increased the incidence of urolithiasis (OR = 1.0030, 95% CI:1.0009-1.0051, p = 0.005). In the UK biobank, the odds of urolithiasis increased per 1-SD increase of waist circumference (OR = 1.0215, 95% CI:1.0061-1.0372, p = 0.008) and body fat percentage (OR = 1.0239, 95% CI:1.0043-1.0440, p = 0.020). Surprisingly, we found that the risk of urolithiasis decreased with increasing hip circumference (OR = 0.9954, 95% CI:0.9915-0.9992, p = 0.017). In a meta-analysis of MR results, higher BMI (OR = 1.0016, 95% CI:1.0004-1.0027, p = 0.009), waist circumference (OR = 1.0073, 95% CI:1.0020-1.0126, p = 0.007), adiponectin (OR = 1.0026, 95% CI:1.0008-1.0043, p = 0.004), triglycerides (OR = 1.0015, 95% CI:1.0004-1.0026, p = 0.008) and body fat percentage (OR = 1.0104, 95% CI:1.0030-1.0178, p = 0.006) increased the risk of urolithiasis. Furthermore, alcohol intake also increased the incidence of urolithiasis (OR = 1.0033, 95% CI:1.0012-1.0053, p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Our MR study found that higher BMI, triglycerides, waist circumference, adiponectin, body fat percentage, and alcohol intake increased the risk of urolithiasis.

2,3-Butanediol from the leachates of pine needles induces the resistance of Panax notoginseng to the leaf pathogen Alternaria panax.

Compared with the use of monocultures in the field, cultivation of medicinal herbs in forests is an effective strategy to alleviate disease. Chemical interactions between herbs and trees play an important role in disease suppression in forests. We evaluated the ability of leachates from needles of Pinus armandii to induce resistance in Panax notoginseng leaves, identified the components via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and then deciphered the mechanism of 2,3-Butanediol as the main component in the leachates responsible for resistance induction via RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Prespraying leachates and 2,3-Butanediol onto leaves could induce the resistance of P. notoginseng to Alternaria panax. The RNA-seq results showed that prespraying 2,3-Butanediol onto leaves with or without A. panax infection upregulated the expression of large number of genes, many of which are involved in transcription factor activity and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Specifically, 2,3-Butanediol spraying resulted in jasmonic acid (JA) -mediated induced systemic resistance (ISR) by activating MYC2 and ERF1. Moreover, 2,3-Butanediol induced systemic acquired resistance (SAR) by upregulating pattern-triggered immunity (PTI)- and effector-triggered immunity (ETI)-related genes and activated camalexin biosynthesis through activation of WRKY33. Overall, 2,3-Butanediol from the leachates of pine needles could activate the resistance of P. notoginseng to leaf disease infection through ISR, SAR and camalexin biosynthesis. Thus, 2,3-Butanediol is worth developing as a chemical inducer for agricultural production.