The neurotransmitter calcitonin gene-related peptide shapes an immunosuppressive microenvironment in medullary thyroid cancer.

Neurotransmitters are key modulators in neuro-immune circuits and have been linked to tumor progression. Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), an aggressive neuroendocrine tumor, expresses neurotransmitter calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), is insensitive to chemo- and radiotherapies, and the effectiveness of immunotherapies remains unknown. Thus, a comprehensive analysis of the tumor microenvironment would facilitate effective therapies and provide evidence on CGRP's function outside the nervous system. Here, we compare the single-cell landscape of MTC and papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) and find that expression of CGRP in MTC is associated with dendritic cell (DC) abnormal development characterized by activation of cAMP related pathways and high levels of Kruppel Like Factor 2 (KLF2), correlated with an impaired activity of tumor infiltrating T cells. A CGRP receptor antagonist could offset CGRP detrimental impact on DC development in vitro. Our study provides insights of the MTC immunosuppressive microenvironment, and proposes CGRP receptor as a potential therapeutic target.

The impact of preoperative calcitonin screening on the prognosis of patients with medullary thyroid cancer: a retrospective multicenter cohort study.

PURPOSE: There is still controversy in different guidelines regarding the necessity of routine preoperative calcitonin (Ctn) testing in medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). The level of preoperative Ctn may influence the extent of surgery. METHODS: This retrospective multicenter cohort study involved 149 MTC patients from 6 centers between 2013 to 2023. Clinical characteristics, surgical procedure and clinical outcomes were compared between Ctn-screened and Non-screened group. Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: In total, 127 MTC patients with preoperative Ctn screening and 22 MTC patients without screening were analyzed. MTC patients with preoperative Ctn screening underwent more radical surgical procedures including total thyroidectomy and lymph node dissection, compared to those without screening (84.3% vs. 68.2% and 91.3% vs. 72.7%, respectively). The rate of recurrence and death were lower in the Ctn-screened group (16.1% vs. 36.4%, 0.8% vs. 18.2%, respectively). The survival curve showed a significantly better overall survival in Ctn-screened group than Non-screened group (HR:17.932, 95% CI 1.888-170.294, p-value = 0.001), while no significant difference was observed of RFS between two groups (HR:1.6, 95% CI 0.645-3.966, p-value = 0.307). CONCLUSION: Preoperative Ctn screening can prompt surgeons choosing more radical initial surgical treatment for MTC patients, potentially leading to better long-term outcomes. Further evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of routine Ctn screening in thyroid nodule patients is warranted.

Double loading of nickel phosphide surface for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction.

Metal phosphide, as a highly conductive, chemically stable catalyst material, modulating its hydrogen adsorption is crucial to enhance hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity. In this study, we propose a double loading strategy to build Ag and AgP2 heterogeneous structures on Ni2P nanosheets (Ag-AgP2/Ni2P). This is the first application of AgP2 materials in HER. This innovative synthesis was achieved by liquid-phase adsorption of precursors and heat-treatment phosphorization, surface adsorbed AgNO3 is converted to Ag-AgP2 double loading at the same time as Ni2P formation. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the double loading structure optimizes charge distribution and d-band center. Its hydrogen adsorption free energy is closer to electroneutrality than that of single loading and simple heterostructures. Benefiting from the special structure, Ag-AgP2/Ni2P exhibits excellent HER performance in alkaline media, requiring only 78 mV overpotential to reach 10 mA cm-2 and stability up to 200 h. This dual loading strategy broadens the perspective of heterogeneous electrocatalyst development.

Dearomative Intramolecular meta-Thermocycloadditions of Ben-Zene Rings via Wheland Intermediates.

Dearomative cycloadditions are powerful synthetic transformations utilizing aromatic compounds for cycloaddition reactions. They have been extensively applied to the synthesis of biologically relevant compounds not only because of the complexity generated from simplicity but also the atom- and step-economy. For the most studied yet challenging benzene ring systems, ortho- and para-cycloadditions have been realized both photochemically and thermally, while the meta-cycloadditions are still limited to the photochemical processes tracing back to the 1960s. Herein, we for the first time realized the thermal cycloadditions of benzene rings with alkenes in a meta fashion via Wheland intermediates. A broad spectrum of readily available C(sp2)-rich aniline-tethered enynes were transformed into C(sp3)-rich 3D complex polycyclic architectures simply by stirring in TFA. Moreover, the reaction could be performed in gram-scales and the products could be diversely elaborated.

GenBase: A Nucleotide Sequence Database.

The rapid advancement of sequencing technologies poses challenges in managing the large volume and exponential growth of sequence data efficiently and on time. To address this issue, we present GenBase (https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/genbase), an open-access data repository that follows the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration (INSDC) data standards and structures, for efficient nucleotide sequence archiving, searching, and sharing. As a core resource within the National Genomics Data Center (NGDC), of the China National Center for Bioinformation (CNCB; https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn), GenBase offers bilingual submission pipeline and services, as well as local submission assistance in China. GenBase also provides a unique Excel format for metadata description and feature annotation of nucleotide sequences, along with a real-time data validation system to streamline sequence submissions. As of April 23, 2024, GenBase received 68,251 nucleotide sequences and 689,574 annotated protein sequences across 414 species from 2319 submissions. Out of these, 63,614 (93%) nucleotide sequences and 620,640 (90%) annotated protein sequences have been released and are publicly accessible through GenBase's web search system, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), and Application Programming Interface (API). Additionally, in collaboration with INSDC, GenBase has constructed an effective data exchange mechanism with GenBank and started sharing released nucleotide sequences. Furthermore, GenBase integrates all sequences from GenBank with daily updates, demonstrating its commitment to actively contributing to global sequence data management and sharing.

Effects evaluation of different exercises on subclinical left ventricular dysfunction in obese rats by speckle-tracking echocardiography.

OBJECTIVE: To identify subclinical left ventricle dysfunction (LVD) in obese rats by speckle-tracking echocardiography, and to evaluate the effects of 12-week Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training (MICT) or High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) on LV geometry, histology and function in obese rats. METHODS: Eighteen male standard or obese Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the Control group, the MICT group, and the HIIT group. Exercise interventions were conducted for 12 weeks, with equal total load and increased intensity gradient. Using dual-energy X-ray, two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography, pulse Doppler, and HE staining to evalucate body shape, LV morphology, structure, and myocardial mechanics function. RESULTS: (1) Both MICT and HIIT have good weight loss shaping effect. (2) The LV of obese rats underwent pathological remodeling, with decreased longitudinal contractility and synchrony, and increased circumferential contractility and synchrony. (3) Exercise can inhibit LV pathological remodeling, improve myocardial mechanical function. HIIT is superior to MICT. (4) The global longitudinal strain of obese rats in the HIIT group showed a significant correlation with Fat% and Lean%. CONCLUSION: Obesity can induce LV pathological remodeling and subclinical dysfunction. Compared with MICT, 12-week HIIT can effectively inhibit the pathological remodeling of LV and promote the benign development of myocardial mechanical function in obese rats.

Plant genomic resources at National Genomics Data Center: assisting in data-driven breeding applications.

Genomic data serve as an invaluable resource for unraveling the intricacies of the higher plant systems, including the constituent elements within and among species. Through various efforts in genomic data archiving, integrative analysis and value-added curation, the National Genomics Data Center (NGDC), which is a part of the China National Center for Bioinformation (CNCB), has successfully established and currently maintains a vast amount of database resources. This dedicated initiative of the NGDC facilitates a data-rich ecosystem that greatly strengthens and supports genomic research efforts. Here, we present a comprehensive overview of central repositories dedicated to archiving, presenting, and sharing plant omics data, introduce knowledgebases focused on variants or gene-based functional insights, highlight species-specific multiple omics database resources, and briefly review the online application tools. We intend that this review can be used as a guide map for plant researchers wishing to select effective data resources from the NGDC for their specific areas of study. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42994-023-00134-4.

Roles of gut microbiota in androgenetic alopecia: insights from Mendelian randomization analysis.

Background: Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common type of androgen-associated hair loss. Previous studies have indicated an association between the gut microbiota and AGA. To delve deeper, we executed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the potential causal relationship between the gut microbiota and AGA. Methods: A two-sample MR investigation was utilized to delve into the intricate interplay between gut microbiota and AGA. Information regarding 211 gut microbial taxa was sourced from the MiBioGen consortium. The summary statistics of the genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for AGA were obtained from the FinnGen biobank, which included 195 cases and 201,019 controls. Various analytical approaches, including Inverse Variance Weighting (IVW), Weighted Median, MR-Egger, Weighted Mode, and Simple Mode were employed to evaluate the causal impact of gut microbiota on AGA. Sensitivity analyses were subsequently conducted to affirm the robustness of the findings. Results: A two-sample MR investigation unveiled the genus Olsenella, genus Ruminococcaceae UCG-004, and genus Ruminococcaceae UCG-010 were identified as risk factors associated with AGA. In contrast, the family Acidaminococcaceae and genus Anaerofilum, along with the genus Ruminiclostridium 9, demonstrated a protective effect. The sensitivity analyses provided additional assurance that the findings of the current study were less susceptible to the influence of confounding variables and biases. Conclusion: The MR study has established a link between specific gut microbiota and AGA, offering evidence for the identification of more precisely targeted probiotics. This discovery has the potential to aid in the prevention, control, and reversal of AGA progression.

Radiation reduction for interventional radiology imaging: a video frame interpolation solution.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to diminish radiation exposure in interventional radiology (IR) imaging while maintaining image quality. This was achieved by decreasing the acquisition frame rate and employing a deep neural network to interpolate the reduced frames. METHODS: This retrospective study involved the analysis of 1634 IR sequences from 167 pediatric patients (March 2014 to January 2022). The dataset underwent a random split into training and validation subsets (at a 9:1 ratio) for model training and evaluation. Our approach proficiently synthesized absent frames in simulated low-frame-rate sequences by excluding intermediate frames from the validation subset. Accuracy assessments encompassed both objective experiments and subjective evaluations conducted by nine radiologists. RESULTS: The deep learning model adeptly interpolated the eliminated frames within IR sequences, demonstrating encouraging peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and structural similarity index (SSIM) results. The average PSNR values for angiographic, subtraction, and fluoroscopic modes were 44.94 dB, 34.84 dB, and 33.82 dB, respectively, while the corresponding SSIM values were 0.9840, 0.9194, and 0.7752. Subjective experiments conducted with experienced interventional radiologists revealed minimal discernible differences between interpolated and authentic sequences. CONCLUSION: Our method, which interpolates low-frame-rate IR sequences, has shown the capability to produce high-quality IR images. Additionally, the model exhibits potential for reducing the frame rate during IR image acquisition, consequently mitigating radiation exposure. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: This study presents a critical advancement in clinical radiology by demonstrating the effectiveness of a deep neural network in reducing radiation exposure during pediatric interventional radiology while maintaining image quality, offering a potential solution to enhance patient safety. KEY POINTS: • Reducing radiation: cutting IR image to reduce radiation. • Accurate frame interpolation: our model effectively interpolates missing frames. • High visual quality in terms of PSNR and SSIM, making IR procedures safer without sacrificing quality.

Global characterization of RNA editing in genetic regulation of multiple ovarian cancer subtypes.

RNA editing plays an extensive role in the initiation and progression of cancer. However, the overall profile and molecular functions of RNA editing in different ovarian cancer subtypes have not been fully characterized and elucidated. Here, we conducted a study on RNA editing in four cohorts of ovarian cancer subtypes through large-scale parallel reporting and bioinformatics analysis. Our findings revealed that RNA editing patterns exhibit subtype-specific characteristics within cancer subtypes. The expression pattern of ADAR and the number of differential editing sites varied under different conditions. CCOC and EOC exhibited significant editing deficiency, whereas HGSC and MOC displayed significant editing excess. The sites within the turquoise module of the coedited network also revealed their correlation with ovarian cancer. In addition, we identified an average of over 40,000 cis-edQTLs in the four subtypes. Finally, we explored the association between RNA editing and drug response, uncovering several potentially effective editing-drug pairs (EDP) and suggesting the conceivable utility of RNA editing sites as therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. Overall, our comprehensive study has identified and characterized RNA editing events in various subtypes of ovarian cancer, providing a new perspective for ovarian cancer research and facilitating the development of medical interventions and treatments.

Copper-promoted C5-selective bromination of 8-aminoquinoline amides with alkyl bromides.

An efficient and practical method for the synthesis of C5-brominated 8-aminoquinoline amides via a copper-promoted selective bromination of 8-aminoquinoline amides with alkyl bromides was developed. The reaction proceeds smoothly in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) under air, employing activated and unactivated alkyl bromides as the halogenation reagents without additional external oxidants. This method features outstanding site selectivity, broad substrate scope, and excellent yields.

Clinical prediction models for cervical lymph node metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Accurate preoperative diagnosis of lymph node metastasis (LNM) in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) remains an unsolved problem. This study aimed to construct a nomogram and scoring system for predicting LNM based on the clinical characteristics of patients with PTC. METHODS: 1400 patients with PTC who underwent thyroidectomy and lymph node dissection at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University were retrospectively enrolled and randomly divided into training and internal testing sets. Furthermore, 692 patients with PTC from three other medical centers were collected as external testing sets. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was used to screen the predictors, and a nomogram was constructed. In addition, a scoring system was constructed using 10-fold cross-validation. The performances of the two models were verified among datasets and compared with preoperative ultrasound (US). RESULTS: Six independent predictors were included in the multivariate logistic model: age, sex, US diagnosis of LNM, tumor diameter, location, and thyroid peroxidase antibody level. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) (95% confidence interval) of this nomogram in the training, internal testing, and three external testing sets were 0.816 (0.791-0.840), 0.782 (0.727-0.837), 0.759 (0.699-0.819), 0.749 (0.667-0.831), and 0.777 (0.726-0.828), respectively. The AUROC of the scoring system were 0.810 (0.785-0.835), 0.772 (0.718-0.826), 0.736 (0.675-0.798), 0.717 (0.635-0.799) and 0.756 (0.704-0.808), respectively. The prediction performances were both significantly superior to those of preoperative US (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The nomogram and scoring system performed well in different datasets and significantly improved the preoperative prediction of LNM than US alone.

In Situ Construction of Built-In Opposite Electric Field Balanced Surface Adsorption for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Achieving a balance between H-atom adsorption and binding with H2 desorption is crucial for catalyzing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In this study, the feasibility of designing and implementing built-in opposite electric fields (OEF) is demonstrated to enable optimal H atom adsorption and H2 desorption using the Ni3(BO3)2/Ni5P4 heterostructure as an example. Through density functional theory calculations of planar averaged potentials, it shows that opposite combinations of inward and outward electric fields can be achieved at the interface of Ni3(BO3)2/Ni5P4, leading to the optimization of the H adsorption free energy (ΔGH*) near electric neutrality (0.05 eV). Based on this OEF concept, the study experimentally validated the Ni3(BO3)2/Ni5P4 system electrochemically forming Ni3(BO3)2 through cyclic voltammetry scanning of B-doped Ni5P4. The surface of Ni3(BO3)2 undergoes reconstruction, as characterized by Grazing Incidence Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering (GIWAXS) and in situ Raman spectroscopy. The resulting catalyst exhibits excellent HER activity in alkaline media, with a low overpotential of 33 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and stability maintained for over 360 h. Therefore, the design strategy of build-in opposite electric field enables the development of high-performance HER catalysts and presents a promising approach for electrocatalyst advancement.

Atomic Dispersed Hetero-Pairs for Enhanced Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction.

Electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) involves a variety of intermediates with highly correlated reaction and ad-desorption energies, hindering optimization of the catalytic activity. For example, increasing the binding of the *COOH to the active site will generally increase the *CO desorption energy. Breaking this relationship may be expected to dramatically improve the intrinsic activity of CO2RR, but remains an unsolved challenge. Herein, we addressed this conundrum by constructing a unique atomic dispersed hetero-pair consisting of Mo-Fe di-atoms anchored on N-doped carbon carrier. This system shows an unprecedented CO2RR intrinsic activity with TOF of 3336 h-1, high selectivity toward CO production, Faradaic efficiency of 95.96% at - 0.60 V and excellent stability. Theoretical calculations show that the Mo-Fe diatomic sites increased the *COOH intermediate adsorption energy by bridging adsorption of *COOH intermediates. At the same time, d-d orbital coupling in the Mo-Fe di-atom results in electron delocalization and facilitates desorption of *CO intermediates. Thus, the undesirable correlation between these steps is broken. This work provides a promising approach, specifically the use of di-atoms, for breaking unfavorable relationships based on understanding of the catalytic mechanisms at the atomic scale.

CCLHunter: An efficient toolkit for cancer cell line authentication.

Cancer cell lines are essential in cancer research, yet accurate authentication of these cell lines can be challenging, particularly for consanguineous cell lines with close genetic similarities. We introduce a new Cancer Cell Line Hunter (CCLHunter) method to tackle this challenge. This approach utilizes the information of single nucleotide polymorphisms, expression profiles, and kindred topology to authenticate 1389 human cancer cell lines accurately. CCLHunter can precisely and efficiently authenticate cell lines from consanguineous lineages and those derived from other tissues of the same individual. Our evaluation results indicate that CCLHunter has a complete accuracy rate of 93.27%, with an accuracy of 89.28% even for consanguineous cell lines, outperforming existing methods. Additionally, we provide convenient access to CCLHunter through standalone software and a web server at https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/cclhunter.

Genome-wide perturbations of A-to-I RNA editing dysregulated circular RNAs promoting the development of cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer, the second most common female malignant tumor, seriously threatens women's health and lives. Despite the availability of the HPV vaccine, effective treatment options for cervical cancer are still lacking. New research perspectives now clarify that RNA editing dysregulation and changes in circRNA expression are jointly involved in disease pathogenesis, so molecular changes associated with circRNA and RNA editing may provide clues for the development of new therapeutic strategies for cervical cancer. In this study, we designed a series of pipelines to identify and analyze dysregulated RNA editing events in circRNAs. Our findings indicate a decrease in A-to-I RNA editing levels in cervical cancer compared to normal tissues, and editing may influence the back-splicing process of circRNAs through structural modifications of Alu elements. Moreover, our research reveals that RNA editing could modulate circRNA biogenesis by influencing RNA binding protein (RBP) binding on a transcriptome-wide scale, as well as influence the expression and coding potential of circRNAs. Importantly, we identified three RNA editing sites that could serve as potential biomarkers. In summary, our study presents a comprehensive landscape of RNA editing perturbations in circRNAs, providing new insights into the complex relationship between RNA editing and circRNA dysregulation in cervical cancer.

Quantitative parameters of static imaging and fast kinetics imaging in 18F-FDG total-body PET/CT for the assessment of histological feature of pulmonary lesions.

Background: To investigate the value of quantitative parameters related to static imaging and fast kinetics imaging of total-body (TB) 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in differentiating benign from malignant pulmonary lesions and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) from adenocarcinoma (AC) and to analyze the correlation of each parameter with the Ki-67 index. Methods: A total of 108 patients with pulmonary lesions from July 2021 to May 2022 in the Henan Provincial People's Hospital, China, were consecutively recruited for TB 18F-FDG PET/CT in this prospective study. Static imaging parameters maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and fast kinetics imaging parameters transport constant (K1), rate constants (k2), time delay (td), and fractional blood volume (vb) were calculated and compared. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC), Delong test, Logistic regression analyses, and Pearson correlation were used to assess diagnostic efficacy, find independent predictors and analyse correlations respectively. Results: Malignant lesions had higher SUVmax and K1 and lower vb than benign lesions, and SCC had higher SUVmax and K1 and lower td and vb than AC (all P<0.05). For the differentiation of benign and malignant lesions, SUVmax, K1, and vb were independent predictors, and AUC (SUVmax + K1+ vb) =0.909 (95% CI: 0.839-0.956), AUC (SUVmax) =0.883 (95% CI: 0.807-0.937), AUC (K1) =0.810 (95% CI: 0.723-0.879), and AUC (vb) =0.746 (95% CI: 0.653-0.825), where AUC (SUVmax + K1+ vb) was significantly different from AUC (K1), AUC (vb) (Z=3.006, 3.965, all P<0.05). For the differentiation of SCC and AC, SUVmax, K1, td, and vb were independent predictors, and AUC (SUVmax + K1+ td + vb) =0.946 (95% CI: 0.840-0.991), AUC (SUVmax) =0.818 (95% CI: 0.680-0.914), AUC (K1) =0.770 (95% CI: 0.626-0.879), AUC (vb) =0.737 (95% CI: 0.590-0.853), and AUC (td) =0.669 (95% CI: 0.510-0.791), where AUC (SUVmax + K1+ td + vb) was significantly different from AUC (SUVmax), AUC (K1), AUC (vb), and AUC (td) (Z=2.269, 2.821, 2.848, and 3.276, all P<0.05). SUVmax and K1 were moderately and mildly positively correlated with the Ki-67 index (r=0.541, 0.452, all P<0.05), respectively. Conclusions: Quantitative parameters of static imaging and fast kinetics imaging in 18F-FDG total-body PET/CT can be used to differentiate benign from malignant pulmonary lesions and SCC from AC and to assess Ki-67 expression.

Real-World Use of Systemic Therapies for the Treatment of Advanced Thyroid Cancers.

OBJECTIVE: In the last decade, new systemic treatment options have been made available for patients with advanced thyroid cancer. However, little is known about the real-world utilization of these systemic therapies. METHODS: We used Optum's de-identified Clinformatics® Data Mart Database to characterize trends in the use of 15 systemic therapies that are available for the treatment of advanced thyroid cancer between 2013 and 2021. Joinpoint regression was used to calculate annual percentage changes in the use of systemic therapy by patients' race/ethnicity. The sequence of therapies was determined by the date of prescription claims. RESULTS: Between 2013 and 2021, the annual number of patients treated for advanced thyroid cancer with systemic therapy increased from 45 patients in 2013 to 114 patients in 2021 (N of total cohort = 885). Most patients were female (54.7%) and non-Hispanic White (62.1%). Between 2013 and 2021, there was a significant decrease in the proportion of non-Hispanic White patients treated for advanced thyroid cancer with systemic therapy (annual percentage change -3.9%, 95% confidence intervals, -6.0% to -1.8%). Since its approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2015, lenvatinib remains the most frequently prescribed first-line therapy for the treatment of radioiodine-refractory thyroid cancer (48.8% of patients between 2017 and 2021). Between 2017 and 2021, most patients (79.7%) were initiated on 1 of the 10 FDA-approved agents and 81.7% received only a first-line therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Between 2013 and 2021, the use of systemic treatment options for advanced thyroid cancer increased significantly, largely driven by the prescription of lenvatinib following its approval by the FDA in 2015, with an increasing trend for use in non-White patients.

Transcriptome and metabolite analyses indicated the underlying molecular responses of Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) toward Colletotrichum panacicola infection.

Panax ginseng Meyer is one of the most valuable plants and is widely used in China, while ginseng anthracnose is one of the most destructive diseases. Colletotrichum panacicola could infect ginseng leaves and stems and causes serious anthracnose disease, but its mechanism is still unknown. Here, transcriptome and metabolism analyses of the host leaves were conducted to investigate the ginseng defense response affected by C. panacicola. Upon C. panacicola infection, ginseng transcripts altered from 14 to 24 h, and the expression of many defense-related genes switched from induction to repression. Consequently, ginseng metabolites in the flavonoid pathway were changed. Particularly, C. panacicola repressed plant biosynthesis of the epicatechin and naringin while inducing plant biosynthesis of glycitin, vitexin/isovitexin, and luteolin-7-O-glucoside. This work indicates C. panacicola successful infection of P. ginseng by intervening in the transcripts of defense-related genes and manipulating the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, which might have antifungal activities.

CCE and EODF as two distinct non-shivering thermogenesis models inducing weight loss.

Increasing energy expenditure and reducing energy intake are considered two classical methods to induce weight loss. Weight loss through physical methods instead of drugs has been a popular research topic nowadays, but how these methods function in adipose and cause weight loss in body remains unclear. In this study, we set up chronic cold exposure (CCE) and every-other-day fasting (EODF) as two distinct models in long-term treatment to induce weight loss, recording their own characteristics in changes of body temperature and metabolism. We investigated the different types of non-shivering thermogenesis induced by CCE and EODF in white and brown adipose tissue through sympathetic nervous system (SNS), creatine-driven pathway, and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21)-adiponectin axis. CCE and EODF could reduce body weight, lipid composition, increase insulin sensitivity, promote the browning of white fat, and increase the expression of endogenous FGF21 in adipose tissue. CCE stimulated the SNS and increased the thermogenic function of brown fat, and EODF increased the activity of protein kinase in white fat. In this study, we further explained the thermogenic mechanism function in adipose and metabolic benefits of the stable phenotype through physical treatments used for weight loss, providing more details for the literature on weight loss models. The influence on metabolism, non-shivering thermogenesis, endogenous FGF21, and ADPN changes in the long-term treatment of distinct methods (increasing energy expenditure and decreasing energy intake) to induce weight loss.