Exome risk score for predicting susceptibility to and severity of isolated thoracic aortic aneurysm.

Isolated thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAAs) are asymptomatic before dissection or rupture and heterogeneous in clinical phenotype. It is urgent need but difficult to identify individuals at high risk to enable enhanced screening or preventive therapies. Because TAAs have a genetic component, one possible approach is to stratify individuals based on inherited DNA variations. Here, we constructed an integrated exome risk score (ERS) based on both common and rare variants found in whole-exome sequencing through a machine-learning framework in discovery population consisting of 551 cases and 1071 controls. We evaluated the performance of the ERS in an independent population including 151 cases and 779 controls with a raw odds ratio (OR) per 1 standard deviation (SD) = 1.95 and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) = 0.680. When adjusted by gender and the first four principal components, OR per SD = 1.68 and AUC reached 0.783. Individuals in the top 20% of ERS distribution had an OR of 3.20 compared with others. Finally, we found that individuals with top 20% ERS developed TAA at a younger age (P = 0.002) and with a larger diameter (P = 0.016) compared with lower ERS, and were more likely to suffer from aortic root aneurysms (P = 0.009). Our analysis provides a global view of the genetic components of isolated TAA. The exome score developed and evaluated here is the first polygenic risk score for TAA and is a promising predictor of disease risk and severity, which will facilitate the implementation of the risk-reduction strategies.

Modulation of plasmacytoid dendritic cell and CD4+ T cell differentiation accompanied by upregulation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway induced by enterovirus 71.

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is a neurotropic enterovirus associated with hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) fatalities. In this study, we investigated the impact of EV71 on plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) and CD4+ T cells. The results showed that pDCs were promptly activated, secreting interferon (IFN)-α and inducing CD4+ T cell proliferation and differentiation during early EV71 infection. This initiated adaptive immune responses and promoted proinflammatory cytokine production by CD4+ T cells. Over time, viral nucleic acids and proteins were synthesized in pDCs and CD4+ T cells. Concurrently, the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway (CAP) was activated, exhibiting an anti-inflammatory role. With constant viral stimulation, pDCs and CD4+ T cells showed reduced differentiation and cytokine secretion. Defects in pDCs were identified as a key factor in CD4+ T cell tolerance. CAP had a more significant regulatory effect on CD4+ T cells than on pDCs and was capable of inhibiting inflammation in these cells.

Comparison of characteristics of children hospitalized for respiratory syncytial virus infection during the pre- and post-COVID-19 eras: a multicenter retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a leading cause of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) among children, has resurged in the form of endemic or even pandemic in many countries and areas after the easing of COVID-19 containment measures. This study aimed to investigate the differences in epidemiological and clinical characteristics of children hospitalized for RSV infection during pre- and post-COVID-19 eras in Yunnan, China. METHODS: A total of 2553 pediatric RSV inpatients from eight hospitals in Yunnan were retrospectively enrolled in this study, including 1451 patients admitted in 2018-2019 (pre-COVID-19 group) and 1102 patients admitted in 2023 (post-COVID-19 group). According to the presence or absence of severe LRTI (SLRTI), patients in the pre- and post-COVID-19 groups were further divided into the respective severe or non-severe subgroups, thus analyzing the risk factors for RSV-associated SLRTI in the two eras. Demographic, epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory data of the patients were collected for the final analysis. RESULTS: A shift in the seasonal pattern of RSV activity was observed between the pre-and post-COVID-19 groups. The peak period of RSV hospitalizations in the pre-COVID-19 group was during January-April and October-December in both 2018 and 2019, whereas that in the post-COVID-19 group was from April to September in 2023. Older age, more frequent clinical manifestations (fever, acute otitis media, seizures), and elevated laboratory indicators [neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), c-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), co-infection rate] were identified in the post-COVID-19 group than those in the pre-COVID-19 group (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, compared to the pre-COVID-19 group, the post-COVID-19 group displayed higher rates of SLRTI and mechanical ventilation, with a longer length of hospital stay (all P < 0.05). Age, low birthweight, preterm birth, personal history of atopy, underlying condition, NLR, IL-6 were the shared independent risk factors for RSV-related SLRTI in both pre- and post-COVID-19 groups, whereas seizures and co-infection were independently associated with SLRTI only in the post-COVID-19 group. CONCLUSIONS: An off-season RSV endemic was observed in Yunnan during the post-COVID-19 era, with changed clinical features and increased severity. Age, low birthweight, preterm birth, personal history of atopy, underlying condition, NLR, IL-6, seizures, and co-infection were the risk factors for RSV-related SLRTI in the post-COVID-19 era.

Sodium oligomannate activates the enteroendocrine-vagal afferent pathways in APP/PS1 mice.

Enteroendocrine cells (EECs) and vagal afferent neurons constitute functional sensory units of the gut, which have been implicated in bottom-up modulation of brain functions. Sodium oligomannate (GV-971) has been shown to improve cognitive functions in murine models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and recently approved for the treatment of AD patients in China. In this study, we explored whether activation of the EECs-vagal afferent pathways was involved in the therapeutic effects of GV-971. We found that an enteroendocrine cell line RIN-14B displayed spontaneous calcium oscillations due to TRPA1-mediated calcium entry; perfusion of GV-971 (50, 100 mg/L) concentration-dependently enhanced the calcium oscillations in EECs. In ex vivo murine jejunum preparation, intraluminal infusion of GV-971 (500 mg/L) significantly increased the spontaneous and distension-induced discharge rate of the vagal afferent nerves. In wild-type mice, administration of GV-971 (100 mg· kg-1 ·d-1, i.g. for 7 days) significantly elevated serum serotonin and CCK levels and increased jejunal afferent nerve activity. In 7-month-old APP/PS1 mice, administration of GV-971 for 12 weeks significantly increased jejunal afferent nerve activity and improved the cognitive deficits in behavioral tests. Sweet taste receptor inhibitor Lactisole (0.5 mM) and the TRPA1 channel blocker HC-030031 (10 µM) negated the effects of GV-971 on calcium oscillations in RIN-14B cells as well as on jejunal afferent nerve activity. In APP/PS1 mice, co-administration of Lactisole (30 mg ·kg-1 ·d-1, i.g. for 12 weeks) attenuated the effects of GV-971 on serum serotonin and CCK levels, vagal afferent firing, and cognitive behaviors. We conclude that GV-971 activates sweet taste receptors and TRPA1, either directly or indirectly, to enhance calcium entry in enteroendocrine cells, resulting in increased CCK and 5-HT release and consequent increase of vagal afferent activity. GV-971 might activate the EECs-vagal afferent pathways to modulate cognitive functions.

Evaluation of disease severity and prediction of severe cases in children hospitalized with influenza A (H1N1) infection during the post-COVID-19 era: a multicenter retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The rebound of influenza A (H1N1) infection in post-COVID-19 era recently attracted enormous attention due the rapidly increased number of pediatric hospitalizations and the changed characteristics compared to classical H1N1 infection in pre-COVID-19 era. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics and severity of children hospitalized with H1N1 infection during post-COVID-19 period, and to construct a novel prediction model for severe H1N1 infection. METHODS: A total of 757 pediatric H1N1 inpatients from nine tertiary public hospitals in Yunnan and Shanghai, China, were retrospectively included, of which 431 patients diagnosed between February 2023 and July 2023 were divided into post-COVID-19 group, while the remaining 326 patients diagnosed between November 2018 and April 2019 were divided into pre-COVID-19 group. A 1:1 propensity-score matching (PSM) was adopted to balance demographic differences between pre- and post-COVID-19 groups, and then compared the severity across these two groups based on clinical and laboratory indicators. Additionally, a subgroup analysis in the original post-COVID-19 group (without PSM) was performed to investigate the independent risk factors for severe H1N1 infection in post-COIVD-19 era. Specifically, Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression was applied to select candidate predictors, and logistic regression was used to further identify independent risk factors, thus establishing a prediction model. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calibration curve were utilized to assess discriminative capability and accuracy of the model, while decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to determine the clinical usefulness of the model. RESULTS: After PSM, the post-COVID-19 group showed longer fever duration, higher fever peak, more frequent cough and seizures, as well as higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-10, creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) and fibrinogen, higher mechanical ventilation rate, longer length of hospital stay (LOS), as well as higher proportion of severe H1N1 infection (all P < 0.05), compared to the pre-COVID-19 group. Moreover, age, BMI, fever duration, leucocyte count, lymphocyte proportion, proportion of CD3+ T cells, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and IL-10 were confirmed to be independently associated with severe H1N1 infection in post-COVID-19 era. A prediction model integrating these above eight variables was established, and this model had good discrimination, accuracy, and clinical practicability. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric H1N1 infection during post-COVID-19 era showed a higher overall disease severity than the classical H1N1 infection in pre-COVID-19 period. Meanwhile, cough and seizures were more prominent in children with H1N1 infection during post-COVID-19 era. Clinicians should be aware of these changes in such patients in clinical work. Furthermore, a simple and practical prediction model was constructed and internally validated here, which showed a good performance for predicting severe H1N1 infection in post-COVID-19 era.

Cont-ID: detection of sample cross-contamination in viral metagenomic data.

BACKGROUND: High-throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies completed by the bioinformatic analysis of the generated data are becoming an important detection technique for virus diagnostics. They have the potential to replace or complement the current PCR-based methods thanks to their improved inclusivity and analytical sensitivity, as well as their overall good repeatability and reproducibility. Cross-contamination is a well-known phenomenon in molecular diagnostics and corresponds to the exchange of genetic material between samples. Cross-contamination management was a key drawback during the development of PCR-based detection and is now adequately monitored in routine diagnostics. HTS technologies are facing similar difficulties due to their very high analytical sensitivity. As a single viral read could be detected in millions of sequencing reads, it is mandatory to fix a detection threshold that will be informed by estimated cross-contamination. Cross-contamination monitoring should therefore be a priority when detecting viruses by HTS technologies. RESULTS: We present Cont-ID, a bioinformatic tool designed to check for cross-contamination by analysing the relative abundance of virus sequencing reads identified in sequence metagenomic datasets and their duplication between samples. It can be applied when the samples in a sequencing batch have been processed in parallel in the laboratory and with at least one specific external control called Alien control. Using 273 real datasets, including 68 virus species from different hosts (fruit tree, plant, human) and several library preparation protocols (Ribodepleted total RNA, small RNA and double-stranded RNA), we demonstrated that Cont-ID classifies with high accuracy (91%) viral species detection into (true) infection or (cross) contamination. This classification raises confidence in the detection and facilitates the downstream interpretation and confirmation of the results by prioritising the virus detections that should be confirmed. CONCLUSIONS: Cross-contamination between samples when detecting viruses using HTS (Illumina technology) can be monitored and highlighted by Cont-ID (provided an alien control is present). Cont-ID is based on a flexible methodology relying on the output of bioinformatics analyses of the sequencing reads and considering the contamination pattern specific to each batch of samples. The Cont-ID method is adaptable so that each laboratory can optimise it before its validation and routine use.

Outcomes of a Double-Cup Construct to Treat Paprosky 3A and 3B Acetabular Defects at a Mean of 39 Months.

BACKGROUND: Modular reconstruction systems based on porous tantalum (PT) prosthetic components have been increasingly used for the treatment of complex acetabular bone defects in revision total hip arthroplasty. We report a novel technique that applies a revision cup as a "super-augment" to form a "double-cup" construct for Paprosky type III defects. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted on revision total hip arthroplasty cases, comparing those treated with double-cup constructs (DC group, n = 48) to those treated with PT shells and augments (PT group, n = 48). All procedures were performed at the same institute between 2017 and 2022. Clinical outcome evaluation utilized the Harris Hip Score, Oxford Hip Score, and the 36-Item Short Form Survey. Preoperative and postoperative radiographic assessments measured hip center of rotation (COR) position and leg length discrepancy. Additionally, postoperative complications and implant survivorship were monitored during the follow-up period. RESULTS: The clinical outcomes improved substantially in both groups, which showed no significant difference in the Harris Hip Score (P = .786), the Oxford Hip Score (P = .570), and the 36-Item Short Form Survey (P = .691). Compared to the PT group, the reconstruction COR was significantly closer to the anatomic COR (vertical distance: 2.630 versus 7.355 mm, P = .0034; horizontal distance: 1.881 versus -6.413 mm, P < .0001) in Paprosky 3B type defects. Additionally, postoperative leg length discrepancy was less in the DC group (-8.252 versus -1.821 mm, P = .0008). Dislocation was the main complication in the DC group, and only 1 patient received re-revision due to repeated dislocation. The cumulative survival rate of the DC group (100%; 95% confidence interval 100) was better than the PT group (83.4%; 95% confidence interval 70.5 to 98.6) when re-revisions for aseptic loosening were the endpoint (P = .046). CONCLUSIONS: The DC is a reliable revision technique for the reconstruction of Paprosky type III bone defects. Although dislocation remains challenging, the biomechanically superior restoration achieved by this technique lowers the risk of aseptic loosening.

Factors associated with non-lifting of colorectal mucosal lesions.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is an effective treatment for colorectal tumors. However, lesions that cannot be lifted after submucosal injection are not indication for ESD. This is because the procedure is difficult, and the lesions are often considered as tumor invasion or submucosal fibrosis. The aims of this study are to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ESD for non-lifting lesions and to analyze the causes of non-lifting phenomenon. METHODS: This retrospective study included 29 patients with non-lifting colon lesions resected by ESD from February 2018 to September 2021. Cases were observed for demographics, endoscopic findings, treatment outcomes, adverse events and endoscopic follow-up. We studied the pathological features of lesions to explore the reasons for non-lifting. RESULTS: Among 29 cases of non-lifting lesions, 20 lesions (69.0%) were 30 mm in diameter or larger. Most of lesions (96.6%) were non-lifting in center, and only one lesions (3.4%) had non-lifting of one side. The en bloc and curative resection rates of ESD were 100 and 86.2%, respectively. There was one (3.4%) delayed bleeding, no perforations and other complications. No tumor recurrence occurred during the follow-up period. For pathological features, 16 (55.2%) non-lifting lesions had submucosal fibrosis and only 4 cases (13.8%) had deep submucosal invasion. There were 9 cases (31.0%) of non-lifting lesions due to musculo-fibrous of muscularis propria anomaly (MMPA). CONCLUSION: MMPA is another reason for non-lifting signs besides invasive carcinomas and submucosal fibrosis. ESD should be considered in patients with large non-lifting adenoma instead of surgery.

Ezetimibe attenuates functional impairment via inhibition of oxidative stress and inflammation in traumatic spinal cord injury.

Sustained inflammation after a traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) triggers oxidative stress and neuronal apoptosis, hindering functional recovery. Ezetimibe (EZE) has been reported to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties in hepatology-related diseases, but its potential role in SCI remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic effect of EZE on inflammatory microglia and in an SCI model and elucidated the underlying mechanism. First, we stimulated the BV2 microglia cell line with LPS, and we also induced moderate spinal cord injuries in adult male C57BL/6 mice. Both the cells and mice were treated with EZE, and we investigated inflammation, oxidative stress, neurologic damage, and motor function in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Our findings demonstrated that EZE administration attenuates inflammation in microglia by regulating the AMPK/Nrf2 axis. Furthermore, EZE treatment reduced inflammation and oxidative stress levels in the injured spinal cord. Additionally, treatment with EZE decreased glial scarring and improved motor function recovery, indicating the protective role of EZE in SCI. EZE was found to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects on SCI, and it modulated the AMPK/Nrf2 pathway in microglia. Moreover, EZE prevented histological destruction of the spinal cord tissue. In conclusion, EZE shows promise as a drug to protect neurologic integrity following post-SCI.

Hyperhubeins A-I, Bioactive Sesquiterpenes with Diverse Skeletons from Hypericum hubeiense.

Nine new sesquiterpenes, hyperhubeins A-I (1-9), and 14 known analogues (10-23) were isolated from the aerial portions of Hypericum hubeiense. Their structures and absolute configurations were determined unambiguously via spectroscopic analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and electronic circular dichroism calculations. Compounds 1-3 possess an unprecedented sesquiterpene carbon skeleton. Further, a plausible biosynthetic pathway from farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) is proposed. The isolated phytochemicals were evaluated for neuroprotective and anti-neuroinflammatory properties in vitro. Compounds 1, 2, 5-8, 14, and 21 displayed notable neuroprotective activity against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced lesions in PC-12 cells at 10 µM. Additionally, compounds 1, 2, 12, and 13 exhibited inhibition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in BV-2 microglial cells, with their IC50 values ranging from 4.92 to 6.81 µM. Possible interactions between these bioactive compounds and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were predicted via molecular docking. Moreover, Western blotting indicated that compound 12 exerted anti-neuroinflammatory activity by suppressing LPS-stimulated expression of toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) and inhibiting consequent activation of nuclear factor-kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling.

Circ_0002295 facilitated myocardial fibrosis progression through the miR-1287/CXCR2 axis.

Myocardial fibrosis (MF) is involved in hypertension, myocardial infarction and heart failure. It has been reported that circular RNA (circRNA) is a key regulatory factor of MF progression. In this study, we revealed that circ_0002295 and CXCR2 were elevated, and miR-1287 was reduced in MF patients. Knockdown of circ_0002295 effectively suppressed the proliferation, migration and MF progression. Circ_0002295 was the molecular sponge of miR-12878, and miR-1287 inhibitor reversed the biological functions of circ_0002295 on the myocardial fibrosis. CXCR2 was a target gene of miR-1287, and CXCR2 silencing relieved the impacts of miR-1287 inhibitor on cardiac myofibroblasts. Circ_0002295 promoted MF progression by regulating the miR-1287/CXCR2 axis, providing a possible circRNA-targeted therapy for MF.

First report of powdery mildew on Vigna unguiculata caused by Podosphaera xanthii in China.

Vigna unguiculata belongs to the Legume family, and is an annual twining, herbaceous vine plant, which is native to Africa. V. unguiculata is the most economically beneficial type of off-season vegetables in Hainan, China because of its rich in nutrients such as protein, minerals, dietary fiber, and vitamins (Jayathilake et al. 2018). In April 2022, typical powdery mildew infection was observed on V. unguiculata leaves in Haikou, Hainan Province, China (20°3'40.428"N, 110°19'45.217"E). More than 70% leaves of 13 V. unguiculata plants displayed severe powdery mildew disease. The diseased leaves at first exhibited white rounded irregular patches, which gradually enlarged, fused and covered all the leaf as well as stems. Edges of the infected leaves crinkled upwards, and the leaves often fell off the plants at the late infection stage. On the infected leaves, many conidiophores and dense mycelium were observed by microscopic analysis. Hyphae were septate, branched, epigenous, and flexuous to straight. Hyphal appressoria were indistinct or slightly nipple-shaped, and the haustoria developed were in the shape of oval-sphere and 9 to 11µm long. Foot cells of conidiophores were straight, cylindrical, and measured 43 to 70 × 10 to 12 µm. The conidiophores arising straightly from a hyphal cell, were measured 168 to 252 (mean = 204) µm in length and produced 6 to 9 immature conidia in each chain. Conidia were ovate, pyriform or barrel-shaped, with fibrosin bodies, and measured 26 to 32 (mean = 29.4) × 16 to 20 (mean = 18.6) µm. The chasmothecia was not found in all samples. These morphological characteristics were typical of the conidial stage of the powdery mildew Podosphaera xanthii of genus Podosphaera (Braun and Cook 2012). To further confirm the identity of this causal fungus, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, and the partial sequence of large subunit ribosomal RNA gene (28S rRNA), were amplified with primer pairs ITS1/ ITS4 (White et al. 1990) and NL1/NLP2 (Mori et al. 2000) from extracted genomic DNA. The obtained 563-bp ITS region and 715-bp 28S rRNA gene sequences were deposited in GenBank (ITS, OQ415534; 28S rRNA, OQ415545.1), and were compared with BLAST analysis in the GenBank nr database. The results revealed that the ITS region sequence was 99.82% identity with P. xanthii isolate HUVU-08 (MH143485.1), and the 28S rRNA gene partial sequence was 100% identity with P. xanthii isolate XHL1 (MK357442.1). On the basis of the morphological characteristics and sequence analysis, this fungus was identified as P. xanthii. Pathogenicity tests were performed by gently brushing conidia onto the leaves of six healthy potted V. unguiculata plants. Six non-inoculated plants were used as control. All plants were maintained in a greenhouse at 26 ± 2°C. After 2 weeks inoculation, similar symptoms were observed in the inoculated plants, whereas no symptoms occurred on the control plants. By microscopic observation, the fungus present on the inoculated plants was morphologically identical to those on originally diseased plants. Furthermore, ITS and 28S rRNA sequences of the re-isolated fungus individually displayed 100% identity with OQ415534 and OQ415545.1. So far, although powdery mildew disease caused by P. xanthii on different plants including Sigesbeckia orientalis (Mukhtar et al. 2022), Vigna radiata (Sheu et al. 2021), Cosmos bipinnatus (Kong et al. 2023), Verbena brasiliensis (Luecke et al. 2020), Cucurbita ficifolia (Choi et al. 2022), Glandularia tenera (Pei et al. 2023) and Verbena bonariensis (Choi et al. 2023) have been reported, to our knowledge, this is the first report of powdery mildew caused by P. xanthii on V. unguiculata in Hainan, China, which seriously threatens the utilization of V. unguiculata on off-season vegetables industry.

betaDelta and betaSandwich: Confidence Intervals for Standardized Regression Coefficients in R.

The multivariate delta method was used by Yuan and Chan to estimate standard errors and confidence intervals for standardized regression coefficients. Jones and Waller extended the earlier work to situations where data are nonnormal by utilizing Browne's asymptotic distribution-free (ADF) theory. Furthermore, Dudgeon developed standard errors and confidence intervals, employing heteroskedasticity-consistent (HC) estimators, that are robust to nonnormality with better performance in smaller sample sizes compared to Jones and Waller's ADF technique. Despite these advancements, empirical research has been slow to adopt these methodologies. This can be a result of the dearth of user-friendly software programs to put these techniques to use. We present the betaDelta and the betaSandwich packages in the R statistical software environment in this manuscript. Both the normal-theory approach and the ADF approach put forth by Yuan and Chan and Jones and Waller are implemented by the betaDelta package. The HC approach proposed by Dudgeon is implemented by the betaSandwich package. The use of the packages is demonstrated with an empirical example. We think the packages will enable applied researchers to accurately assess the sampling variability of standardized regression coefficients.

Overexpression of TaSTT3b-2B improves resistance to sharp eyespot and increases grain weight in wheat.

STAUROSPORINE AND TEMPERATURE SENSITIVE3 (STT3) is a catalytic subunit of oligosaccharyltransferase, which is important for asparagine-linked glycosylation. Sharp eyespot, caused by the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Rhizoctonia cerealis, is a devastating disease of bread wheat. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying wheat defense against R. cerealis are still largely unclear. In this study, we identified TaSTT3a and TaSTT3b, two STT3 subunit genes from wheat and reported their functional roles in wheat defense against R. cerealis and increasing grain weight. The transcript abundance of TaSTT3b-2B was associated with the degree of wheat resistance to R. cerealis and induced by both R. cerealis and exogenous jasmonic acid (JA). Overexpression of TaSTT3b-2B significantly enhanced resistance to R. cerealis, grain weight, and JA content in transgenic wheat subjected to R. cerealis stress, while silencing of TaSTT3b-2B compromised resistance of wheat to R. cerealis. Transcriptomic analysis showed that TaSTT3b-2B affected the expression of a series of defense-related genes and JA biosynthesis-related genes, as well as genes coding starch synthase and sucrose synthase. Application of exogenous JA elevated expression levels of the abovementioned defense- and grain weight-related genes, and rescuing the resistance of TaSTT3b-2B-silenced wheat to R. cerealis, while pretreatment with sodium diethyldithiocarbamate, an inhibitor of JA synthesis, attenuated the TaSTT3b-2B-mediated resistance to R. cerealis, suggesting that TaSTT3b-2B played critical roles in regulating R. cerealis resistance and grain weight via JA biosynthesis. Altogether, this study reveals new functional roles of TaSTT3b-2B in regulating plant innate immunity and grain weight, and illustrates its potential application value for wheat molecular breeding.

Phase 2 Study of Adjuvant Radiotherapy Following Narrow-Margin Hepatectomy in Patients With HCC.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Surgical resection is the primary treatment for HCC; however, it is associated with a high rate of recurrence and death. We conducted this phase 2 study to investigate the efficacy and safety of postoperative intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for HCC after narrow-margin hepatectomy. APPROACH AND RESULTS: We designed a single-arm, prospective phase 2 trial to evaluate overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), recurrence patterns, and toxicity in patients receiving adjuvant radiotherapy. The eligibility criteria included the following: pathological diagnosis of HCC after hepatectomy, with narrow pathological margins (< 1 cm); age > 18 years; and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status score of 0 or 1. Patients received IMRT within 4-6 weeks after surgical resection. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01456156). Between 2008 and 2016, a total of 76 eligible patients who underwent narrow-margin resection were enrolled. The median follow-up duration was 70 months; the 3-year OS and DFS rates were 88.2% and 68.1%, respectively; and the 5-year OS and DFS rates were 72.2% and 51.6%, respectively. Intrahepatic recurrence was the primary recurrence pattern. No marginal recurrence was found. Intrahepatic, extrahepatic, and combined recurrences at the first relapse were found in 33, 5, and 1 patient, respectively. The most common radiation-related grade-3 toxicities were leukopenia (7.9%), elevated alanine aminotransferase (3.9%) and aspartate aminotransferase (2.6%) levels, and thrombocytopenia (1.3%). Classical or nonclassical radiation-induced liver disease was not noted. CONCLUSIONS: Adjuvant radiotherapy is an effective, well-tolerated, and promising adjuvant regimen in patients with HCC who have undergone narrow-margin hepatectomy. Our trial provides evidence and a rationale for planning a future phase 3 trial.

Expression and significance of miR-34 with PI3K, AKT and mTOR proteins in colorectal adenocarcinoma tissues.

This research was carried out to investigate the expression of miR-34a, miR-34b and p-PI3K, p-AKT, and mTOR proteins in colorectal adenocarcinoma and corresponding distal cutaneous normal mucosal tissues and their relationship with the clinicopathological parameters of colorectal adenocarcinoma as well as the correlation between miR-34a, miR-34b and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. The expression of p-PI3K, p-AKT, and mTOR proteins in 67 colorectal adenocarcinomas and the corresponding distal cut-off normal mucosa were assayed by immunohistochemistry. Their relationship with clinicopathological parameters and the correlation of the three proteins were evaluated. The expression of miR-34a and miR-34b in colorectal adenocarcinoma and the corresponding distal cutaneous normal mucosa was detected by applying real-time quantitative PCR. The correlation between colorectal adenocarcinoma tissue miR-34a, miR-34b and p-PI3K, p-AKT, and mTOR proteins, respectively, was analyzed. Results showed that the expression of p-PI3K, p-AKT and mTOR proteins in colorectal adenocarcinoma tissues was higher than that in the corresponding distal cutaneous normal mucosa (P=0.000), and there was a positive correlation between the expression of the three proteins in colorectal adenocarcinoma tissues. The expression of p-PI3K and p-AKT protein in colorectal adenocarcinoma tissues were correlated with tumor size, differentiation degree, infiltration degree, lymph node metastasis and TNM stage (P<0.05). The expression of mTOR protein was related to tumor size and differentiation degree (P<0.05). The relative expression of miR-34a and miR-34b in colorectal adenocarcinoma tissues was less than that in the corresponding distal cutaneous normal mucosa (P<0.05), and the expression of miR-34a and miR-34b was positively correlated. The expression of miR-34a and miR-34b in colorectal adenocarcinoma tissues was negatively correlated with the expression of p-PI3K, p-AKT and mTOR proteins. In conclusion, the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway may promote colorectal adenocarcinoma and differentially participate in differentiation, infiltration and lymph node metastasis. Also, miR-34a and miR-34b may inhibit colorectal adenocarcinoma. Importantly, miR-34a and miR-34b may affect the development and progression of colorectal adenocarcinoma by regulating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

Triterpenoids and meroterpenoids from the edible Ganoderma resinaceum and their potential anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-apoptosis activities.

Ganoderma resinaceum, as a traditional edible mushroom, has been widely reported to improve neurodegenerative diseases characterized by oxidative stress and inflammation. In this study, five new terpenoids, including four lanostane triterpenoids, named ganoresinoid A-D (1-4) and one meroterpenoid, named ganoresinoid E (5), along with 27 known compounds (6-32), were isolated from the fruiting bodies of edible mushroom G. resinaceum. These structures were identified by NMR, HRESIMS data analysis. All metabolites were evaluated for anti-inflammatory, antioxidative and anti-apoptosis activities. Among them, ganoresinoid A showed notably restrained nitric oxide (NO), IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α levels in LPS-activated BV-2 microglial cells via suppressing TLR-4/ NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathway. Simultaneously, ganoresinoid A remarkably alleviated LPS-induced apoptosis by means of the decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and reactive oxygen species (ROS). In addition, ganoresinoid A demonstrated antioxidant effects in H2O2-induced SH-SY5Y cells by activating the Akt/GSK-3ß/Nrf2 signaling pathway. Taken together, these results may provide a stronger theoretical basis for ganoresinoid A from G. resinaceum as nutrition intervention to alleviate neurodegenerative diseases.

Wrist-Ankle Acupuncture as Additional Therapy for Postoperative Multimodal Analgesia in Orthopedic Surgery: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The present meta-analysis analyzed the efficacy and safety of wrist-ankle acupuncture (WAA) as an additional therapy for postoperative multimodal analgesia after orthopedic surgery. METHODS: Electronic databases, including Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, CNKI, SinoMed, Wanfang, and VIP, were searched to identify randomized controlled trials and cohort studies that reported details of WAA as an additional therapy for postoperative multiple analgesia in orthopedic surgery before October 1, 2021. Analyzed outcomes included time points of the visual analog scale, use of patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA), and postoperative adverse events. Subgroup analysis was performed according to time points and complication type. RESULTS: Eleven randomized controlled trials and one cohort study were included in the meta-analysis. Among a total of 845 patients, there were 422 patients in the WAA groups and 423 patients in the control groups. The WAA groups showed a better analgesic effect (standard mean difference [SMD] = -1.34; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -1.76 to -0.91; P < 0.00001; I2 = 0.94), lower use of PCIA (SMD = -1.48; 95% CI: -2.26 to -0.69; P = 0.0002; I2 = 0.94), and lower occurrence of postoperative adverse events (risk ratio = 0.38; 95% CI: 0.30 to 0.49; P < 0.00001; I2 = 0) than did the control groups. CONCLUSION: WAA as an additional therapy for postoperative multimodal analgesia in orthopedic surgery showed advantages over control treatment in terms of pain relief, use of PCIA, and occurrence of postoperative adverse events.

New pathogenic variants of ALMS1 gene in two Chinese families with Alström Syndrome.

PURPOSE: Alström Syndrome (AS) is an autosomal recessive hereditary disease with the characteristics of multiorgan dysfunction. Due to the heterogeneity of clinical manifestations of AS, genetic testing is crucial for the diagnosis of AS. Herein, we used whole-exome sequencing (WES) to determine the genetic causes and characterize the clinical features of three affected patients in two Chinese families with Alström Syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three affected patients (initially diagnosed as achromatopsia). and five asymptomatic members were recruited for both genetic and clinical tests. The complete ophthalmic examinations and systemic examinations were performed on all participants. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed for mutation detection. The silico analysis was also applied to predict the pathogenesis of identified pathogenic variants. RESULTS: In family 1, the proband showed low vision, hyperopia, photophobia, nystagmus, and total color blindness. DNA analysis revealed that she carried a compound heterozygote with two novel pathogenic variants in the ALMS1 gene NM_015120.4:c.10379del (NP_055935.4:p.(Asp2252Tyr)) and NM_015120.4:c.11641_11642del (NP_055935.4:p.(Val3881ThrfsTer11)). Further systemic examinations showed short stature, acanthosis nigricans, and sensorineural hearing loss. In family 2, two affected siblings presented the low vision, hyperopia, photophobia, nystagmus, and total color blindness. DNA analysis revealed that they carried a same compound heterozygote with two novel pathogenic variants in the ALMS1 gene NM_015120.4:c.10379del (NP_055935.4:p.(Asn3460IlefsTer49)), NM_015120.4:c.10819C > T (NP_055935.4:p.(Arg3607Trp)). Further systemic examinations showed obesity and mild abnormalities of lipid metabolism. According to the genetic testing results and further systemic analysis, the three affected patients were finally diagnosed as Alström Syndrome (AS). CONCLUSIONS: We found two new compound heterozygous pathogenic variants of the ALMS1 gene and determined the diagnosis as Alström Syndrome in three patients of two Chinese families. Our study extends the genotypic and phenotypic spectrums for ALMS1 -AS and emphasizes the importance of gene testing in assisting the clinical diagnosis for cases with phenotypic diversities, which would help the AS patients with early diagnosis and treatment to reduce future systemic damage.

The Pathogen-Induced MATE Gene TaPIMA1 Is Required for Defense Responses to Rhizoctonia cerealis in Wheat.

The sharp eyespot, mainly caused by the soil-borne fungus Rhizoctonia cerealis, is a devastating disease endangering production of wheat (Triticum aestivum). Multi-Antimicrobial Extrusion (MATE) family genes are widely distributed in plant species, but little is known about MATE functions in wheat disease resistance. In this study, we identified TaPIMA1, a pathogen-induced MATE gene in wheat, from RNA-seq data. TaPIMA1 expression was induced by Rhizoctonia cerealis and was higher in sharp eyespot-resistant wheat genotypes than in susceptible wheat genotypes. Molecular biology assays showed that TaPIMA1 belonged to the MATE family, and the expressed protein could distribute in the cytoplasm and plasma membrane. Virus-Induced Gene Silencing plus disease assessment indicated that knock-down of TaPIMA1 impaired resistance of wheat to sharp eyespot and down-regulated the expression of defense genes (Defensin, PR10, PR1.2, and Chitinase3). Furthermore, TaPIMA1 was rapidly induced by exogenous H2O2 and jasmonate (JA) treatments, which also promoted the expression of pathogenesis-related genes. These results suggested that TaPIMA1 might positively regulate the defense against R. cerealis by up-regulating the expression of defense-associated genes in H2O2 and JA signal pathways. This study sheds light on the role of MATE transporter in wheat defense to Rhizoctonia cerealis and provides a potential gene for improving wheat resistance against sharp eyespot.