A dual RNA-seq analyses revealed dynamic arms race during the invasion of walnut by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides.

BACKGROUND: Walnut anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides seriously endangers the yield and quality of walnut, and has now become a catastrophic disease in the walnut industry. Therefore, understanding both pathogen invasion mechanisms and host response processes is crucial to defense against C. gloeosporioides infection. RESULTS: Here, we investigated the mechanisms of interaction between walnut fruits (anthracnose-resistant F26 fruit bracts and anthracnose-susceptible F423 fruit bracts) and C. gloeosporioides at three infection time points (24hpi, 48hpi, and 72hpi) using a high-resolution time series dual transcriptomic analysis, characterizing the arms race between walnut and C. gloeosporioides. A total of 20,780 and 6670 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in walnut and C. gloeosporioides against 24hpi, respectively. Generous DEGs in walnut exhibited opposite expression patterns between F26 and F423, which indicated that different resistant materials exhibited different transcriptional responses to C. gloeosporioides during the infection process. KEGG functional enrichment analysis indicated that F26 displayed a broader response to C. gloeosporioides than F423. Meanwhile, the functional analysis of the C. gloeosporioides transcriptome was conducted and found that PHI, SignalP, CAZy, TCDB genes, the Fungal Zn (2)-Cys (6) binuclear cluster domain (PF00172.19) and the Cytochrome P450 (PF00067.23) were largely prominent in F26 fruit. These results suggested that C. gloeosporioides secreted some type of effector proteins in walnut fruit and appeared a different behavior based on the developmental stage of the walnut. CONCLUSIONS: Our present results shed light on the arms race process by which C. gloeosporioides attacked host and walnut against pathogen infection, laying the foundation for the green prevention of walnut anthracnose.

Molecular mechanisms of EGCG-CSH/n-HA/CMC in promoting osteogenic differentiation and macrophage polarization.

2. This research investigates the impact of the EGCG-CSH/n-HA/CMC composite material on bone defect repair, emphasizing its influence on macrophage polarization and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. Comprehensive evaluations of the composite's physical and chemical characteristics were performed. BMSC response to the material was tested in vitro for proliferation, migration, and osteogenic potential. An SD rat model was employed for in vivo assessments of bone repair efficacy. Both transcriptional and proteomic analyses were utilized to delineate the mechanisms influencing macrophage behavior and stem cell differentiation. The material maintained excellent structural integrity and significantly promoted BMSC functions critical to bone healing. In vivo results confirmed accelerated bone repair, and molecular analysis highlighted the role of macrophage M2 polarization, particularly through changes in the SIRPA gene and protein expression. EGCG-CSH/n-HA/CMC plays a significant role in enhancing bone repair, with implications for macrophage and BMSC function. Our findings suggest that targeting SIRPA may offer new therapeutic opportunities for bone regeneration.

Mid-term clinical effect of resecting posterior longitudinal ligament in anterior approach for cervical spondylosis with sympathetic symptoms: retrospective cohort analysis.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort analysis. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the removal of the posterior longitudinal ligament (PLL) affects the mid-term outcome of anterior cervical fusion for cervical spondylosis with sympathetic symptoms(CSSS). METHODS: From January 2012 to July 2013, 66 patients who were diagnosed with CSSS with ≥ 10-year follow-up at our institution were assessed. All patients were divided into two groups: Group A (36 cases) in which patients underwent anterior cervical fusion with PLL resection and Group B (30 cases) in which patients underwent anterior cervical fusion without PLL resection. The sympathetic symptom 20-point system was used to evaluate the sympathetic symptoms, such as tinnitus, headache and vertigo, etc. And the neurological status was assessed by the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scores. Clinical and radiologic data were evaluated preoperatively, 9 days, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, 24 months, 60 months, and 120 months postoperatively. Data collected included all perioperative complications as morbidities that occurred during the period of follow-up. RESULTS: The postoperative JOA scores and 20-point score can be significantly improved compared with preoperative whether the PLL is removed in both groups. However, the postoperative 20-point score of patients in group A was significantly different from that in group B. No loosening and displacement of prosthesis occurred. CONCLUSION: A better clinical effect could be attained when resecting the PLL in the operation. The PLL may play an important role in CSSS. The mid-term outcomes of anterior cervical fusion with PLL resection were satisfied in treating CSSS.

Evaluating the surface water pollution risk of mineral resource exploitation via an improved approach: a case study in Liaoning Province, Northeastern China.

Pollution from mineral exploitation is an important risk factor affecting surface water environment in mineral regions. It is urgent to construct a simple and accurate model to assess the surface water pollution risk from mineral exploitation in the regional scale. Thus, taking a mining province namely Liaoning in northeastern China as the study area, we proposed a framework to simulate the transport process of pollutants from mineral exploitation points to the surrounding surface water based on the "source-sink" theory. In our framework, we adopted the regional growth method (RGM) to extract the potential polluted water area as the certain "sink" considering the influence of the topography, and then applied Minimum Cumulative Resistance (MCR) model to assess the surface water pollution risk from mineral exploitation. The results revealed that: (1) 9.5% of the water areas were located at the potential impact area of MEPs. (2) The total value of resistance surface in Liaoning is relatively low, and gradually decreased from west to east. (3) MEPs in Liaoning had a high risk and seriously threatened the surface water environment, among 2125 MEPs, 733 MEPs (32.99%) were assessed as extremely high risk level, and about 35% of the MEPs were distributed within 10KM buffer zone of surface water. (4) Water pollution risk of MEPs in Dalian, Tieling, Fuxin and Dandong need to be emphasized. (5) Compared to previous studies, we considered the topographical influence before applying MCR model directly, so the results of water pollution risk were more reliable. This study provides a methodological support and scientific reference for the water environment protection and regional sustainable development.

Hounsfield units of vertebrae as a predictor of cervical deep paraspinal muscles atrophy and neck pain in degenerative cervical myelopathy.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the correlation between Hounsfield units (HU) of the cervical vertebrae and atrophy of the cervical deep paraspinal muscles, namely the multifidus and semispinalis cervicis (SCer), in patients diagnosed with degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM). METHODS: The authors retrospectively analyzed data from 136 patients aged 50-79 years (81 males and 55 females) who underwent surgical intervention for DCM. HU measurements of the cancellous bone in the C4 vertebra were acquired through standardized techniques. The authors evaluated fatty infiltration (FI); analyzed functional and vertebral cross-sectional area (CSA) of the multifidus and SCer at the C4-5, C5-6, and C6-7 levels; and analyzed the presence of Modic changes (MCs) and the incidence of axial neck pain. RESULTS: Patients were categorized into group A (n = 56) with mean ± SD HU of 293.3 ± 15.6 and group B (n = 80) with mean ± SD HU of 389.5 ± 10.6. Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in postoperative clinical outcomes (p < 0.05); however, no statistically significant difference was observed (p > 0.05). Significant disparities in HU measurements and visual analog scale (VAS) scores for neck pain were observed between the groups (p < 0.05). The highest VAS score correlated with MCs-1 type (i.e., low signal on T1-weighted images and high signal on T2-weighted images). The functional CSA to vertebral CSA ratios of the multifidus and SCer in group A were markedly reduced compared to those of group B (p < 0.05). No significant difference was noted in functional CSA asymmetry between the groups for both muscles (p > 0.05). Lower HU measurements directly correlated with increased FI in the multifidus (p = 0.002) and SCer (p = 0.035). Furthermore, a strong positive association was found between the functional CSA to vertebral CSA ratio of the multifidus and HU values (p = 0.003), whereas HU measurements and VAS scores exhibited a negative correlation (p = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: Among those patients older than 50 years with DCM, those with decreased HU values demonstrated elevated FI levels in the multifidus and SCer muscles. Moreover, these patients presented with pronounced muscle atrophy, which correlated with axial neck pain. A significant relationship was also identified between MCs and diminished HU values.

Establishment and validation of a multivariate logistic model for risk factors of thyroid nodules using lasso regression screening.

Objective: This study aims to analyze the association between the occurrence of thyroid nodules and various factors and to establish a risk factor model for thyroid nodules. Methods: The study population was divided into two groups: a group with thyroid nodules and a group without thyroid nodules. Regression with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) was applied to the complete dataset for variable selection. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between various influencing factors and the prevalence of thyroid nodules. Results: Based on the screening results of Lasso regression and the subsequent establishment of the Binary Logistic Regression Model on the training dataset, it was found that advanced age (OR=1.046, 95% CI: 1.033-1.060), females (OR = 1.709, 95% CI: 1.342-2.181), overweight individuals (OR = 1.546, 95% CI: 1.165-2.058), individuals with impaired fasting glucose (OR = 1.590, 95% CI: 1.193-2.122), and those with dyslipidemia (OR = 1.588, 95% CI: 1.197-2.112) were potential risk factors for thyroid nodule disease (p<0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the Binary Logistic Regression Model is 0.68 (95% CI: 0.64-0.72). Conclusions: advanced age, females, overweight individuals, those with impaired fasting glucose, and individuals with dyslipidemia are potential risk factors for thyroid nodule disease.

Exploring the multifaceted potential of (R)-ketamine beyond antidepressant applications.

(R, S)- and (S)-ketamine have made significant progress in the treatment of treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and have become a research focus in recent years. However, they both have risks of psychomimetic effects, dissociative effects, and abuse liability, which limit their clinical use. Recent preclinical and clinical studies have shown that (R)-ketamine has a more efficient and lasting antidepressant effect with fewer side effects compared to (R, S)- and (S)-ketamine. However, a recent small-sample randomized controlled trial found that although (R)-ketamine has a lower incidence of adverse reactions in adult TRD treatment, its antidepressant efficacy is not superior to the placebo group, indicating its antidepressant advantage still needs further verification and clarification. Moreover, an increasing body of research suggests that (R)-ketamine might also have significant applications in the prevention and treatment of medical fields or diseases such as cognitive disorders, perioperative anesthesia, ischemic stroke, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, substance use disorders, inflammatory diseases, COVID-19, and organophosphate poisoning. This article briefly reviews the mechanism of action and research on antidepressants related to (R)-ketamine, fully revealing its application potential and development prospects, and providing some references and assistance for subsequent expanded research.

JrPHL8-JrWRKY4-JrSTH2L module regulates resistance to Colletotrichum gloeosporioides in walnut.

Walnut anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides) reduces walnut yield and quality and seriously threatens the healthy development of the walnut industry. WRKY transcription factors (TFs) are crucial regulatory factors involved in plant-pathogen interactions. Our previous transcriptome analysis results indicate that JrWRKY4 responds to infection by C. gloeosporioides, but its specific regulatory network and disease resistance mechanism are still unclear. Herein, the characteristics of JrWRKY4 as a transcription activator located in the nucleus were first identified. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function analyses showed that JrWRKY4 could enhance walnut resistance against C. gloeosporioides. A series of molecular experiments showed that JrWRKY4 directly interacted with the promoter region of JrSTH2L and positively regulated its expression. In addition, JrWRKY4 interacted with JrVQ4 to form the protein complex, which inhibited JrWRKY4 for the activation of JrSTH2L. Notably, a MYB TF JrPHL8 interacting with the JrWRKY4 promoter has also been identified, which directly bound to the MBS element in the promoter of JrWRKY4 and induced its activity. Our study elucidated a novel mechanism of the JrPHL8-JrWRKY4-JrSTH2L in regulating walnut resistance to anthracnose. This mechanism improves our understanding of the molecular mechanism of WRKY TF mediated resistance to anthracnose in walnut, which provides new insights for molecular breeding of disease-resistant walnuts in the future.