Establishment of Indirect Competitive Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ic-ELISA) for Copper ion (Cu2+) in Raw Meat Products.

Adding an appropriate amount of copper to feed can promote the growth and development of livestock; however, a large amount of heavy metal copper can accumulate in livestock through the enrichment effect, which poses a serious threat to human health. Traditional Cu2+ detection relies heavily on complex and expensive instruments, such as inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS); thus, convenient and simple rapid detection technologies are urgently needed. In this paper, synthesized copper antigens were used to immunize mice and highly specific anticopper monoclonal antibodies were obtained, which were verified to exhibit high affinity and specificity. Based on the above antibodies, an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) was established for the rapid detection of copper content in pork. The standard inhibition curve of the method was obtained by antigen-antibody working concentration screening, in which the half inhibitory concentration (IC50) was 11.888 ng/mL, the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.841 ng/mL and the correlation coefficient R2 of the curve was 0.998. In the additive recovery experiment, the recovery rate ranged from 90% to 110%, and the coefficient of variation (CV) was less than 10%, indicating that the method achieved high accuracy and precision. Finally, the results of ic-ELISA combined with Bland-Altman analysis showed a high correlation with ICP-MS, and the correlation coefficient (R2) reached 0.990 when the copper concentration was less than 200 ng/mL. Thus, the ic-ELISA method exhibits high reliability.

The MoLfa1 Protein Regulates Fungal Development and Septin Ring Formation in Magnaporthe oryzae.

Septins play a key regulatory role in cell division, cytokinesis, and cell polar growth of the rice blast fungus (Magnaporthe oryzae). We found that the organization of the septin ring, which is essential for appressorium-mediated infection in M. oryzae, requires long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs), which act as mediators of septin organization at membrane interfaces. However, it is unclear how septin ring formation and LCFAs regulate the pathogenicity of the rice blast fungus. In this study, a novel protein was named MoLfa1 because of its role in LCFAs utilization. MoLfa1 affects the utilization of LCFAs, lipid metabolism, and the formation of the septin ring by binding with phosphatidylinositol phosphates (PIPs), thereby participating in the construction of penetration pegs of M. oryzae. In addition, MoLfa1 is localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and interacts with the ER-related protein MoMip11 to affect the phosphorylation level of Mps1. (Mps1 is the core protein in the MPS1-MAPK pathway.) In conclusion, MoLfa1 affects conidia morphology, appressorium formation, lipid metabolism, LCFAs utilization, septin ring formation, and the Mps1-MAPK pathway of M. oryzae, influencing pathogenicity.

Silencing NlFAR7 destroyed the pore canals and related structures of the brown planthopper.

Fatty acyl-CoA reductase (FAR) is one of the key enzymes, which catalyses the conversion of fatty acyl-CoA to the corresponding alcohols. Among the FAR family members in the brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens), NlFAR7 plays a pivotal role in both the synthesis of cuticular hydrocarbons and the waterproofing of the cuticle. However, the precise mechanism by which NlFAR7 influences the formation of the cuticle structure in N. lugens remains unclear. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the impact of NlFAR7 through RNA interference, transmission electron microscope, focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) and lipidomics analysis. FIB-SEM is employed to reconstruct the three-dimensional (3D) architecture of the pore canals and related cuticle structures in N. lugens subjected to dsNlFAR7 and dsGFP treatments, enabling a comprehensive assessment of changes in the cuticle structures. The results reveal a reduction in the thickness of the cuticle and disruptions in the spiral structure of pore canals, accompanied by widened base and middle diameters. Furthermore, the lipidomics comparison analysis between dsNlFAR7- and dsGFP-treated N. lugens demonstrated that there were 25 metabolites involved in cuticular lipid layer synthesis, including 7 triacylglycerols (TGs), 5 phosphatidylcholines (PCs), 3 phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs) and 2 diacylglycerols (DGs) decreased, and 4 triacylglycerols (TGs) and 4 PEs increased. In conclusion, silencing NlFAR7 disrupts the synthesis of overall lipids and destroys the cuticular pore canals and related structures, thereby disrupting the secretion of cuticular lipids, thus affecting the cuticular waterproofing of N. lugens. These findings give significant attention with reference to further biochemical researches on the substrate specificity of FAR protein, and the molecular regulation mechanisms during N. lugens life cycle.

Post-Mating Responses in Insects Induced by Seminal Fluid Proteins and Octopamine.

Following insect mating, females often exhibit a series of physiological, behavioral, and gene expression changes. These post-mating responses (PMRs) are induced by seminal fluid components other than sperm, which not only form network proteins to assist sperm localization, supplement female-specific protein requirements, and facilitate the formation of specialized functional structures, but also activate neuronal signaling pathways in insects. This review primarily discusses the roles of seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) and octopamine (OA) in various PMRs in insects. It explores the regulatory mechanisms and mediation conditions by which they trigger PMRs, along with the series of gene expression differences they induce. Insect PMRs involve a transition from protein signaling to neuronal signaling, ultimately manifested through neural regulation and gene expression. The intricate signaling network formed as a result significantly influences female behavior and organ function, contributing to both successful reproduction and the outcomes of sexual conflict.

Transposon-based identification of genes involved in the rimocidin biosynthesis in Streptomyces rimosus M527.

The transposon mutagenesis strategy has been employed to generate random insertion mutants and analyze the correlation between genes and secondary metabolites in the genus Streptomyces. In this study, our primary objective was to identify an unknown gene involved in rimocidin biosynthesis and elucidate its role in rimocidin production in Streptomyces rimosus M527. To achieve this, we established a random mutant library of S. rimosus M527 using a Tn5 transposon-mediated random mutagenesis strategy. Among the 137 isolated mutants, M527-G10 and M527-W5 exhibited the most significant variations in antagonistic activity against the plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum. Specifically, M527-G10 displayed a 72.93% reduction, while M527-W5 showed a 49.8% increase in rimocidin production compared to the wild-type (WT) strain S. rimosus M527. Subsequently, we employed a plasmid rescue strategy to identify the insertion loci of the transposon in the genomes of mutants M527-G10 and M527-W5, revealing a response regulator transcription factor (rrt) and a hypothetical protein (hyp), respectively. The roles of rrt and hyp in rimocidin biosynthesis were determined through gene deletion, overexpression in the WT strain, and complemented expression in the transposon mutants. Notably, the gene-deletion mutants M527-ΔRRT and M527-ΔHYP exhibited similar behavior in rimocidin production compared to the corresponding transposon mutants M527-G10 and M527-W5, suggesting that transposon insertions in genes rrt and hyp led to alterations in rimocidin production. Furthermore, both gene deletion and overexpression of rrt and hyp had no discernible effects on cell growth. These results reveal that genes rrt and hyp have positive and negative impacts on rimocidin production in S. rimosus M527, respectively.

Predicting pathological response to neoadjuvant or conversion chemoimmunotherapy in stage IB-III non-small cell lung cancer patients using radiomic features.

BACKGROUND: To develop a radiomics model based on chest computed tomography (CT) for the prediction of a pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant or conversion chemoimmunotherapy (CIT) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: Patients with stage IB-III NSCLC who received neoadjuvant or conversion CIT between September 2019 and July 2021 at Hunan Cancer Hospital, Xiangya Hospital, and Union Hospital were retrospectively collected. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) were used to screen features. Then, model 1 (five radiomics features before CIT), model 2 (four radiomics features after CIT and before surgery) and model 3 were constructed for the prediction of pCR. Model 3 included all nine features of model 1 and 2 and was later named the neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy-related pathological response prediction model (NACIP). RESULTS: This study included 110 patients: 77 in the training set and 33 in the validation set. Thirty-nine (35.5%) patients achieved a pCR. Model 1 showed area under the curve (AUC) = 0.65, 64% accuracy, 71% specificity, and 50% sensitivity, while model 2 displayed AUC = 0.81, 73% accuracy, 62% specificity, and 92% sensitivity. In comparison, NACIP yielded a good predictive value, with an AUC of 0.85, 81% accuracy, 81% specificity, and 83% sensitivity in the validation set. CONCLUSION: NACIP may be a potential model for the early prediction of pCR in patients with NSCLC treated with neoadjuvant/conversion CIT.

Characterization and transcriptomic analysis of a native fungal pathogen against the rice pest Nilaparvata lugens.

The brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens, is one of the most destructive pests of rice. Given the threats posed by insecticide resistance to its control, eco-friendly strategies based on microbial pathogens emerged as a promising biocontrol alternative. In the present study, we isolated a native fungal pathogen against BPH from infected BPH cadavers and preliminarily identified as a strain of Aspergillus fumigatus based on morphological and molecular methods. Laboratory bioassay revealed that this fungal strain was highly virulent to BPH both at nymphal and adult stages, with the median lethal times (LT50) of 7.5 and 5.8 days under high conidial concentration of 1 × 109 conidia mL-1. A genome-wide view of gene expressions in BPH against fungal attack was analyzed by transcriptomic sequencing and consequently a large number of differentially expressed genes that mainly involved in host immune defense and cell detoxification were found. RNAi-mediated knockdown of an upregulated gene encoding a serine protease (NlSPN) could cause a significant decrease in BPH survival. Combination of dsRNA injection and fungal infection showed an additive effect on BPH mortality, which provided clues to develop new pest management strategies against BPH.

Elevated serum HbA1c level, rather than previous history of diabetes, predicts the disease severity and clinical outcomes of acute pancreatitis.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of our study is to explore the value of serum glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in disease severity and clinical outcomes of acute pancreatitis (AP). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Patients with AP were included from January 2013 to December 2020, retrospectively, dividing into normal serum HbA1c level (N-HbA1c) group and high serum HbA1c level (H-HbA1c) group according to the criteria HbA1c <6.5%. We compared patient characteristics, biochemical parameters, disease severity, and clinical outcomes of patients with AP in two groups. Besides, we evaluated the efficacy of serum HbA1c to predict organ failure (OF) in AP patients by receiver operating curve (ROC). RESULTS: We included 441 patients with AP, including 247 patients in N-HbA1c group and 194 patients in H-HbA1c group. Serum HbA1c level was positively correlated with Atlanta classification, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, local complication, and OF (all p<0.05). Ranson, BISAP (bedside index of severity in acute pancreatitis), and CT severity index scores in patients with H-HbA1c were markedly higher than those in patients with N-HbA1c (all p<0.01). ROC showed that the best critical point for predicting the development of OF in AP with serum HbA1c is 7.05% (area under the ROC curve=0.79). Logistic regression analysis showed H-HbA1c was the independent risk factor for the development of OF in AP. Interestingly, in patients with presence history of diabetes and HbA1c <6.5%, the severity of AP was significantly lower than that in H-HbA1c group. Besides, there was no significant difference between with and without history of diabetes in N-HbA1c group. CONCLUSIONS: Generally known, diabetes is closely related to the development of AP, and strict control of blood glucose can improve the related complications. Thus, the level of glycemic control before the onset of AP (HbA1c as an indicator) is the key to poor prognosis of AP, rather than basic history of diabetes. Elevated serum HbA1c level can become the potential indicator for predicting the disease severity of AP.

A Droplet Digital PCR-Based Approach for Quantitative Analysis of the Adulteration of Atlantic Salmon with Rainbow Trout.

Low-cost fish species are often used to adulterate or substitute for Atlantic salmon products, posing a serious threat to market order and public health. Hence, reliable techniques are urgently needed to detect Atlantic salmon adulteration. In this study, a precise method for identifying and quantifying adulterated Atlantic salmon with rainbow trout based on droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) testing was developed. Species-specific primers and probes were designed targeting the single-copy nuclear gene myoglobin of two salmonids. A quantitative formula for calculating the mass fraction of adulterated Atlantic salmon with rainbow trout was established based on a one-step conversion strategy, in which the DNA copy number ratios were directly transformed to meat mass fractions by introducing a fixed constant (the transfer coefficient). The dynamic range of the established ddPCR method was from 1% to 90%, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.2% and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.8% for rainbow trout in Atlantic salmon, respectively. The quantification method demonstrated an acceptable level of repeatability and reproducibility, as the values of the relative standard deviation (RSD) for the tested meat mixtures with the known fractions were all less than 5%. Thermal and freezing treatments, as well as adding food additives within the recommended dosage limits, had no significant effect on the quantification accuracy. The method was successfully applied to detect rainbow trout adulteration in commercial raw and processed Atlantic salmon products. In comparison to real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) testing, the established ddPCR method exhibited a higher level of stability and accuracy. Overall, the ddPCR-based quantitative method exhibited high levels of accuracy, stability, sensitivity, and practicability, suitable for applications in the routine surveillance and quality assurance of salmon products.

Inter-Alpha-Trypsin Inhibitor Heavy Chain 4 Plays an Important Role in the Development and Reproduction of Nilaparvata lugens.

The brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens, is a difficult-to-control insect pest affecting rice yields in Asia. As a structural component of the inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor (ITI), the inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain (ITIH) has been reported to be involved in various inflammatory or malignant disorders, ovarian development, and ovulation. To reveal the function of ITIH4 in N. lugens, the gene encoding N. lugens ITIH4 (NlITIH4) was cloned and characterized. NlITIH4 contains a signal peptide, a vault protein inter-alpha-trypsin domain, and a von Willebrand factor type A domain. qPCR analysis showed that NlITIH4 was expressed at all developmental stages and in all tissues (fat body, ovary, and gut), with the highest expression in the fat body. Double stranded NlITIH4 (dsNlITIH4) injection clearly led to an RNAi-mediated inhibition of the expression of NlITIH4 and resulted in reduced survival, delayed ovarian development, and reduced egg production and egg hatching. These results indicate that NlITIH4 plays an important role in the development and reproduction of N. lugens.

Progress in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most common chronic complications of diabetes. Symptoms of DPN mainly include spontaneous intractable pain that is diffuse and continuous and can last from several weeks to several months. DPN is associated with a high mortality rate and poor prognosis. Its pathogenesis is not fully understood, and clinical treatment is focused on relieving its clinical symptoms, as well as improving blood sugar control and cardiovascular risk factors. DPN and its clinically effective treatments need to be studied. This study discusses the treatment methods and pathogenesis of DPN, summarizes the related research progress, and attempts to provide a reference for DPN research.

A reverse transcription-cross-priming amplification method with lateral flow dipstick assay for the rapid detection of Bean pod mottle virus.

Bean pod mottle virus (BPMV) is a destructive virus that causes serious economic losses in many countries every year, highlighting the importance of its effective detection. In this study, we developed a fast reverse transcription-cross-priming amplification (RT-CPA) coupled with lateral flow dipstick (LFD) diagnostic method for BPMV detection. The RT-CPA-LFD assay that targets the coat protein gene of BPMV was highly specific against diagnosing four other common viruses transmitted by soybean seeds, i.e., Southern bean mosaic virus (SBMV), Tomato ringspot virus (ToRSV), Arabis mosaic virus (ArMV), and Tobacco ringspot virus (TRSV). The sensitivities of the real-time fluorescent RT-CPA and the RT-CPA-LFD assay were at least 50 pg/µl and 500 pg/µl, respectively. Despite a compromise in the limit of detection of the RT-CPA method compared with TaqMan-MGB real-time RT-PCR, our results demonstrated a notably better performance in the detection of field samples of BPMV-infested soybean seeds. With the advantages of efficiency and convenience by visual determination, the RT-CPA-LFD assay presents a potential application for the rapid and accurate detection of BPMV in routine tests.

The De Novo Genome Sequencing of Silver Pheasant (Lophura nycthemera).

Silver pheasant (Lophura nycthemera) belongs to Phasianidae, Galliformes, which exhibits high subspecific differentiation. In this study, we assembled a novel genome based on 98.42 Gb of Illumina sequencing data and 30.20 Gb of PacBio sequencing data. The size of the final assembled genome was 1.01 Gb, with a contig N50 of 6.96 Mb. Illumina paired-end reads (94.96%) were remapped to the contigs. The assemble genome shows high completeness, with a complete BUSCO score of 92.35% using the avian data set. A total of 16,747 genes were predicted from the generated assembly, and 16,486 (98.44%) of the genes were annotated. The average length of genes, exons, and introns were 19,827.53, 233.69, and 1841.19 bp, respectively. Noncoding RNAs included 208 miRNAs, 40 rRNAs, and 264 tRNAs, and a total of 189 pseudogenes were identified; 116.31 Mb (11.47%) of the genome consisted of repeat sequences, with the greatest proportion of LINEs. This assembled genome provides a valuable reference genome for further studies on the evolutionary history and conversion genetics of L. nycthemera and the phylogenomics of the Galliformes lineage.

Comprehensive insights into host-pathogen interaction between brown planthopper and a fungal entomopathogen by dual RNA sequencing.

BACKGROUND: The brown planthopper (BPH) is one of the most destructive pests of rice, causing tremendous yield and economic losses every year. The fungal entomopathogen Metarhizium anisopliae was previously proved to have great potential for BPH biocontrol. Genome-wide insight into the insect-fungus interaction is crucial for genetic improvement of M. anisopliae to enhance its virulence to BPH but still has been poorly explored. RESULTS: Using dual RNA-seq approach, we present here a global view of host and fungal gene expressions in BPH adults during the fungal infection. The results revealed that BPH could initiate strong defense responses against the fungal attack by upregulating the expressions of a large number of genes, including genes involved in cuticle formation, immune response, cell detoxification and biomacromolecule metabolism. Correspondingly, the fungal entomopathogen could induce a series of genes to infect and modulate BPH, including genes involved in fungal penetration, invasive growth, stress resistance and virulence. Three host defense-related genes (NlPCE4, NlPOD1 and NlCYP4DE1) were chosen for further function analysis. RNAi-mediated knockdown of NlPCE4 caused a significant decrease in BPH survival, but no obvious effects on the survival rates were detected by the suppression of NlPOD1 and NlCYP4DE1. Combination of dsRNA injection and fungal infection could significantly enhance the BPH-killing speed, as synergistic mortalities were observed in co-treatments of RNAi and M. anisopliae infection. CONCLUSION: Our study provides a comprehensive insight into molecular mechanisms of host-pathogen interaction between BPH and M. anisopliae and contributes to future development of new efficient biocontrol strategies for BPH biocontrol.

Turn-on fluorescent probe for dopamine detection in solutions and live cells based on in situ formation of aminosilane-functionalized carbon dots.

Dopamine (DA) is a critical biomarker for a variety of neurological diseases. Methods for simple and rapid DA detection are crucial for clinical diagnosis and treatments for those diseases. In this work, we developed a novel pretreatment-free method for dopamine detection using carbon dots as a turn-on fluorescent probe synthesized in situ. The aminosilane-functionalized carbon dots (SiCDs) were produced in a mild condensation reaction between N-[3-(Trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ethylenediamine (AEATMS) and dopamine, which were directly used for probing of dopamine. The prepared SiCDs exhibited green fluorescence with excitation/emission maximum at 380/495 nm, the intensity of which can be measured to quantify the DA present in the reaction mixture. The linear range of the assay was between 0.1 and 100 µM with a limit of detection (LOD) of 56.2 nM. The probe is of good selectivity and the recoveries of the developed method were in the range of 101.77-119.91% with RSDs within 3.67% in human serum sample tests. The SiCDs were also synthesized within MN9D cells under 37 °C and generated bright fluorescence, which can probe the DA's distribution in the cells. The described method exhibit potential in DA detection and live-cell imaging for its feature of facility, inexpensiveness, and sensitivity.

Host-Plant Induced Shifts in Microbial Community Structure in Small Brown Planthopper, Laodelphax striatellus (Homoptera: Delphacidae).

Microbiome associated with insects play vital roles in host ecology and physiology. The small brown planthopper (SBPH), Laodelphax striatellus, is a polyphagous insect pest that caused enormous damage to a wide range of cereal crops. Previous studies have assessed the effects of environmental factors, such as antibiotics, insecticide, and geographical habitat on the bacterial composition of SBPH. However, the influence of host plants on the microbial community in SBPH still unclear. Here, we characterized and compared the microbial community in three SBPH populations feeding on rice, barley, and wheat, respectively, using high-throughput amplicon sequencing. Our observations revealed that the microbiome harbored by SBPH was abundant and diverse. Ten phyla comprising 141 genera of bacteria were annotated, and four fungal phyla consisting of 47 genera were assigned. The bacteria belonging to the phylum Proteobacteria were the most prevalent and the fungi with the highest abundance were from the order Hypocreales. Comparative analysis showed that host plants could significantly induce structural changes of SBPH microbiome. Significant differences in abundance were observed in two main bacterial orders (Rickettsiales and Rhodospirillales) and three fungal classes (Sordariomycetes, an unclassified class in Ascomycota and Eurotiomycetes) among three host-adapted SBPH populations. Our results could broaden our understanding of interactions among SBPH, its microbial associates and host plants, and also represented the basis of future SBPH biological management.

The gut bacterial flora associated with brown planthopper is affected by host rice varieties.

Gut microbiota plays vital roles in the development, evolution and environmental adaptation of the host insects. The brown planthopper (BPH) is one of the most destructive pests of rice, but little is known about its gut microbiota. In this study, we investigated the gut bacterial communities in two BPH populations feeding on susceptible and resistant rice varieties by high-throughput amplicon sequencing. Our results revealed that the gut bacterial communities in BPH were species diverse. A total of 29 phyla and 367 genera were captured, with Proteobacteria and Acinetobacter being the most prominent phylum and genus, respectively. Comparative analysis showed that significant differences in the profile of gut bacterial communities existed between the two BPH populations. The species richness detected in the population feeding on the resistant rice variety was significantly higher than that in the population rearing on the susceptible rice variety. Although the most dominant gut bacteria at all taxonomic levels showed no significant differences between the two BPH populations, the relative abundances of two subdominant phyla (Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes) and two subdominant classes (Bacteroidia and Clostridia) were significantly different. FAPROTAX analysis further indicated that host rice varieties might induce changes of the gut bacterial flora in BPH, as significant differences in five metabolism-related functional categories (fermentation, methylotrophy, xylanolysis, nitrate reduction and ureolysis) were detected between the two BPH populations. Our results are informative for studies which focused on the interactions between BPH and its symbiotic microbes and could also provide the basis of future BPH biological management.

Whitefly-induced tomato volatiles mediate host habitat location of the parasitic wasp Encarsia formosa, and enhance its efficacy as a bio-control agent.

BACKGROUND: Whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a phloem-feeding insect and causes extensive agricultural damage around the world. Although the parasitic wasp Encarsia formosa is widely used to control B. tabaci on glasshouse tomatoes, low efficiency and discontinuity are frequently recorded. It has been well-documented that herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) are important cues in the foraging behavior of the natural enemies of herbivores. However, the volatiles emitted from tomatoes infested by different developmental stages of B. tabaci (nymphs versus adults) have not been compared in terms of their effects on E. formosa attraction. RESULTS: Olfactometer assays with four tomato cultivars revealed that the E. formosa wasps showed a significant attraction to the volatiles from adult-infested plants (except for cv. Castlemart), but not to those from nymph-infested plants. In a close-range habitat, however, the wasps appeared to use visual or tactile cues derived from nymphs for host location. Volatile analyses and behavioral assays showed that wasp attraction was correlated with enhanced ß-myrcene and ß-caryophyllene emissions from adult-infested plants. Furthermore, the use of B. tabaci adult-induced plant cues under glasshouse conditions resulted in a higher parasitism rate by this parasitoid. CONCLUSION: Our findings confirm that E. formosa uses the HIPVs resulting from feeding of B. tabaci adults to locate host habitat. Release of ß-myrcene and ß-caryophyllene from dispensers may enhance the efficacy of E. formosa as a biological control agent against B. tabaci in glasshouse production systems.

Magnetic resonance imaging tumor response score (mrTRS) predicts therapeutic effect and prognosis of locally advanced rectal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy: A prospective, multi-center study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The MRI-assessed tumor regression grade (mrTRG) is limited due to its subjectivity and poor consistency on pathological tumor regression grade (pTRG). A new MRI criterion was established to predict the prognosis of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The new MRI criterion magnetic resonance imaging tumor response score (mrTRS) was based on the retrospective sample of 214 LARC patients (unpublished data). Subsequently, 878 LARC patients were enrolled for a prospective, multicenter study. Baseline and postoperative MRI were obtained, and imaging features were measured by collecting the pathological, clinical and follow-up data. Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank estimate and multivariate cox regression model was used to determine the prognosis of mrTRS in LARC patients with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT). The predictive capability of 3-year prognosis between mrTRS and mrTRG was determined by time-dependent ROC curves. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that mrTRS acted as an independent predictor of survival outcomes. mrTRS stratified by good and moderate responders showed significantly lower risk of death (HR = 0.04, 95%CI 0.01-0.31; HR = 0.35, 95%CI 0.23-0.52), distant metastasis (HR = 0.25, 95%CI 0.13-0.52; HR = 0.42, 95%CI 0.30-0.58), and local recurrence when compared with poor responders(HR = 0.01 95%CI 0.23-0.52;HR = 0.38, 95%CI 0.16-0.90). In contrast, no significant difference was observed among mrTRG stratified groups. Excellent and substantial interobserver agreement for mrTRS and mrTRG evaluation was observed (κ = 0.92 and 0.62), respectively. CONCLUSION: mrTRS can serve as an effective predictor for assessing tumor regression grade in LARC patients with NACRT.

Introgressive hybridization between two non-native apple snails in China: widespread hybridization and homogenization in egg morphology.

BACKGROUND: Apple snails from the genus Pomacea have spread widely in paddy fields and other wetlands of southern China since their introduction in the 1980s. Pomacea spp. are commonly identified using mitochondrial COI sequences. However, sequencing the nuclear elongation factor 1-alpha (EF1α) gene revealed genetic introgression between field populations of P. canaliculata and P. maculata, which produce surviving hybrids in laboratory crossbreeding experiments. RESULTS: In this study, we sequenced 1054 EF1α clones to design specific primers and established a fast and accurate multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for genotyping EF1α. Combined with genotyping P. canaliculata and P. maculata based on mitochondrial COI and nuclear EF1α, we revealed the genetic introgression patterns of 30 apple snail populations in China. Purebred and hybrid individuals of P. canaliculata were widely distributed, while pure maculata-EF1α type was detected only in a few individuals identified as P. canaliculata based on COI sequences. Each egg clutch had one to three genetic patterns, indicating multiple paternity or segregation in the progeny of hybrids. The higher percentages of hybrids in both wild populations and progeny than the homozygotes indicated a potential heterosis in the apple snail populations. Additionally, egg size and clutch size of the apple snails became homogeneous among the non-native populations exhibiting introgression hybridization. CONCLUSION: Our findings emphasize the value of apple snails as a model to study the mechanisms and impacts of introgressive hybridization on fitness traits. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.