Fusarium as potential pathogenic fungus of Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) wilt disease.

The wilt disease of ginger, caused by various Fusarium species, imperils the cultivation of this valuable crop. However, the pathogenic mechanisms and epidemiology of ginger wilt remain elusive. Here, we investigate the association between ginger rhizome health and the prevalence of Fusarium conidia, as well as examine fungal community composition in symptomatic and asymptomatic ginger tissues. Our findings show that diseased rhizomes have reduced tissue firmness, correlating negatively with Fusarium conidia counts. Pathogenicity assays confirmed that both Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium solani are capable of inducing wilt symptoms in rhizomes and sterile seedlings. Furthermore, Fungal community profiling revealed Fusarium to be the dominant taxon across all samples, yet its relative abundance was significantly different between symptomatic and asymptomatic tissues. Specifically, there is a higher incidence of Fusarium amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) in symptomatic above-ground parts. Our results unequivocally implicate F. oxysporum or F. solani as the etiological agents responsible for ginger wilt and demonstrate that Fusarium is the principal fungal pathogen associated with this disease. These findings provide critical insights for efficacious disease management practices within the ginger industry.

Cross-modal deep learning model for predicting pathologic complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer.

Pathological complete response (pCR) serves as a critical measure of the success of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer, directly influencing subsequent therapeutic decisions. With the continuous advancement of artificial intelligence, methods for early and accurate prediction of pCR are being extensively explored. In this study, we propose a cross-modal multi-pathway automated prediction model that integrates temporal and spatial information. This model fuses digital pathology images from biopsy specimens and multi-temporal ultrasound (US) images to predict pCR status early in NAC. The model demonstrates exceptional predictive efficacy. Our findings lay the foundation for developing personalized treatment paradigms based on individual responses. This approach has the potential to become a critical auxiliary tool for the early prediction of NAC response in breast cancer patients.

Clinical manifestations and viral kinetics of people with Mpox: A case series during the 2023 outbreak in Taiwan.

Monkeypox (Mpox) has emerged as a global threat since 2022. We reported 14 cases of Mpox in 10 people with HIV (PWH) and 4 people without HIV (PWoH), of whom 64.3% had sexually transmitted co-infections. Severe complications of Mpox and prolonged viral shedding might occur in both PWH and PWoH.

Correlation between gross motor coordination and basic coordination capacities in normal-weight and overweight/obese children aged 9-10 years.

Background: Gross motor coordination (GMC) plays a crucial factor in children's motor development and daily activities. It encompasses various sub-capacities, such as spatial orientation, rhythm, and motor reaction, collectively referred to as basic coordination capacities (BCC). However, children who are overweight and obese (OW/OB) often display poorer GMC. This study aims to examine the impact of gender and weight status (BMI categories) on children's GMC and BCC. It also seeks to investigate the impact of BCC and BMI on GMC. Method: The study involved 266 participants, 135 in the NW group (boys: n = 75; girls: n = 60) and 131 in the OW/OB group (boys: n = 68; girls: n = 63). An NW status is defined by a BMI z-score between ≥-2SD to ≤1SD, while an OW/OB status corresponds to a BMI z-score > 1SD. Physical activity was assessed using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children, developed by the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. We used six field tests to evaluate BCC, including single leg standing test (static balance), YBT (dynamic balance), rhythmic sprint test (rhythm), reaction time test (motor reaction), target standing broad test (kinesthetic differentiation), and numbered medicine ball running test (spatial orientation). GMC was evaluated with Kiphard-Schilling's Body Coordination Test (KTK). Result: The motor quotient (MQ) was primarily affected by weight status (F = 516.599, p < 0.001; gender: F = 6.694, p = 0.01), with no significant interaction effect (F = 0.062, p = 0.803). In BCC, gender had a significant main effect on rhythm capacity (F = 29.611, p < 0.001) and static balance (F = 11.257, p = 0.001) but did not significant influence other sub-capacities (p > 0.05). Weight status impacted dynamic balance (F = 11.164, p = 0.001). The interaction of gender and weight status significantly impacted motor reaction (F = 1.471, p = 0.024) and kinesthetic differentiation (F = 5.454, p = 0.02), but did not affect other sub-capacities (p > 0.05). The physical activity was not significant affected by gender (F = 0.099, p = 0.753), weight status (F = 0.171, p = 0.679) and the interactions of two variables (F = 0.06, p = 0.806). In the regression analysis, except motor reaction (p > 0.05), other BCC sub-capacities influenced GMC to varying extents (ß = -0.103-0.189, p < 0.05). Nonetheless, only two types of balance significantly mediated the relationship between BMI and GMC (BMI→MQ: ß = -0.543, p < 0.001; BMI→YBT: ß = -0.315, p < 0.001; BMI→SLS: ß = -0.282, p < 0.001; SLS→MQ: ß = 0.189, p < 0.001; YBT→MQ: ß = 0.182, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Compared to gender, the main effect of weight status on most GMC and BCC's sub-capacities was more pronounced. OW/OB children exhibited poorer GMC, which is related to their reduced static and dynamic balance due to excess weight. Kinesthetic differentiation, spatial orientation, and rhythm capacity are not significantly associated with BMI, but these sub-capacities positively influence gross motor coordination (GMC), except for hand-eye motor reaction.

Canagliflozin mediates mitophagy through the AMPK/PINK1/PARKIN pathway to alleviate isoprenaline-induced cardiac remodelling.

Heart failure has always been a prevalent, disabling, and potentially life-threatening disease. For the treatment of heart failure, controlling cardiac remodeling is very important. In recent years, clinical trials have shown that SGLT-2 inhibitors not only excel in lowering glucose levels but also demonstrate favorable cardiovascular protective effects. However, the precise mechanisms behind the cardiovascular benefits of SGLT-2 inhibitors remain elusive. In our current research, we assessed the impact of canagliflozin (CANA, an SGLT-2 inhibitor) on cardiac remodeling progression in mice, and preliminarily elucidated the possible mechanism of action of SGLT-2 inhibitor. Our results indicate that the administration of canagliflozin significantly attenuates myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis and enhances cardiac ejection function in mice with isoprenaline (ISO)-induced cardiac remodeling. Notably, excessive mitophagy, along with mitochondrial structural abnormalities observed in ISO-induced cardiac remodeling, were mitigated by canagliflozin treatment, thereby attenuating cardiac remodeling progression. Furthermore, the differential expression of AMPK/PINK1/Parkin pathway-related proteins in ISO-induced cardiac remodeling was effectively reversed by canagliflozin, suggesting the therapeutic potential of targeting this pathway with the drug. Thus, our study indicates that canagliflozin holds promise in mitigating cardiac injury, enhancing cardiac function, and potentially exerting cardioprotective effects by modulating mitochondrial function and mitophagy through the AMPK/PINK1/Parkin pathway.

Novel SARS-CoV-2 inhibition properties of the anti-cancer Kang Guan Recipe herbal formula.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is a persistent challenge, with continued breakthrough infections despite vaccination efforts. This has spurred interest in alternative preventive measures, including dietary and herbal interventions. Previous research has demonstrated that herbal medicines can not only inhibit cancer progression but also combat viral infections, including COVID-19 by targeting SARS-CoV-2, indicating a multifaceted potential to address both viruses and cancer. Here, we found that the Kang Guan Recipe (KGR), a novel herbal medicine formula, associates with potent inhibition activity against the SARS-CoV-2 viral infection. We demonstrate that KGR exhibits inhibitory activity against several SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs). Mechanistically, we found that KGR can block the interaction of the viral spike and human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Furthermore, we assessed the inhibitory effect of KGR on SARS-CoV-2 viral entry in vivo, observing that serum samples from healthy human subjects having taken KGR exhibited suppressive activity against SARS-CoV-2 variants. Our investigation provides valuable insights into the potential of KGR as a novel herbal-based preventive and therapeutic strategy against COVID-19.

The Association between GLP-1 Receptor-Based Agonists and the Incidence of Asthma in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and/or Obesity: A Meta-Analysis.

Objective: Recent studies have indicated potential anti-inflammatory effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) on asthma, which is often comorbid with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to assess the association between the administration of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor-based agonists and the incidence of asthma in patients with T2DM and/or obesity. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Clinicaltrial.gov were systematically searched from inception to July 2023. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of GLP-1 receptor-based agonists (GLP-1RA, GLP-1 based dual and triple receptor agonist) with reports of asthma events were included. Outcomes were computed as risk ratios ( RR) using a fixed-effects model. Results: Overall, 39 RCTs with a total of 85,755 participants were included. Compared to non-GLP-1 receptor-based agonist users, a trend of reduced risk of asthma was observed in patients with T2DM or obesity using GLP-1 receptor-based agonist treatments, although the difference was not statistically significant [ RR = 0.91, 95% confidence interval ( CI): 0.68 to 1.24]. Further Subgroup analyses indicated that the use of light-molecular-weight GLP-1RAs might be associated with a reduced the risk of asthma when compared with non-users ( RR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.43 to 0.99, P = 0.043). We also performed sensitivity analyses for participant characteristics, study design, drug structure, duration of action, and drug subtypes. However, no significant associations were observed. Conclusion: Compared with non-users, a modest reduction in the incidence of asthma was observed in patients with T2DM or obesity using GLP-1 receptor-based agonist treatments. Further investigations are warranted to assess the association between GLP-1 receptor-based agonists and the risk of asthma.

Myricitrin inhibited ferritinophagy-mediated ferroptosis in cisplatin-induced human renal tubular epithelial cell injury.

Cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) increases the patient mortality dramatically and results in an unfavorable prognosis. A strong correlation between AKI and ferroptosis, which is a notable type of programmed cell death, was found in recent studies. Myricitrin is a natural flavonoid compound with diverse pharmacological properties. To investigate the protective effect of myricitrin against cisplatin induced human tubular epithelium (HK-2) cell injury and the underlying anti-ferroptic mechanism by this study. Firstly, a pharmacology network analysis was proposed to explore the myricitrin's effect. HK-2 cells were employed for in vitro experiments. Ferroptosis was detected by cell viability, quantification of iron, malondialdehyde, glutathione, lipid peroxidation fluorescence, and glutathione peroxidase (GPX4) expression. Ferritinophagy was detected by related protein expression (NCOA4, FTH, LC3II/I, and SQSTM1). In our study, GO enrichment presented that myricitrin might be effective in eliminating ferroptosis. The phenomenon of ferroptosis regulated by ferritinophagy was observed in cisplatin-activated HK-2 cells. Meanwhile, pretreatment with myricitrin significantly rescued HK-2 cells from cell death, reduced iron overload and lipid peroxidation biomarkers, and improved GPX4 expression. In addition, myricitrin downregulated the expression of LC3II/LC3I and NCOA4 and elevated the expression of FTH and SQTM. Furthermore, myricitrin inhibited ROS production and preserved mitochondrial function with a lower percentage of green JC-1 monomers. However, the protection could be reserved by the inducer of ferritinophagy rapamycin. Mechanically, the Hub genes analysis reveals that AKT and NF-κB are indispensable mediators in the anti-ferroptic process. In conclusion, myricitrin ameliorates cisplatin induced HK-2 cells damage by attenuating ferritinophagy mediated ferroptosis.

Serological responses to COVID-19 vaccination in patients with chronic liver diseases.

Longitudinal analysis of antibody responses following three-dose COVID-19 vaccination in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) has been limited. From August 2021 to February 2023, sequential anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike IgG titers were determined in 45 patients with CLD who received two or three doses of COVID-19 vaccine. The geometric mean of anti-spike IgG at four weeks after the second and third doses were 1313.16 BAU/mL and 3042.29 BAU/mL, respectively, and it decreased significantly from four to 24 weeks after the second (1313.16 vs. 198.42 BAU/mL, p = 0.002) and the third (3042.29 vs. 636.71 BAU/mL, p < 0.001) dose. The anti-spike IgG titers in participants receiving prime-boost homologous mRNA vaccines (BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273) were comparable between participants with and those without significant liver fibrosis at each follow-up time point. This study demonstrated a notable decrease in anti-spike IgG after completion of the vaccination schedule in patients with CLD, highlighting the importance of additional booster doses.

Systematic Studies on the Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Mechanisms of Tea Polyphenol-Related Natural Products.

The causative pathogen of COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), utilizes the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein to bind to human receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Further cleavage of spike by human proteases furin, TMPRSS2, and/or cathepsin L facilitates viral entry into the host cells for replication, where the maturation of polyproteins by 3C-like protease (3CLpro) and papain-like protease (PLpro) yields functional nonstructural proteins (NSPs) such as RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) to synthesize mRNA of structural proteins. By testing the tea polyphenol-related natural products through various assays, we found that the active antivirals prevented SARS-CoV-2 entry by blocking the RBD/ACE2 interaction and inhibiting the relevant human proteases, although some also inhibited the viral enzymes essential for replication. Due to their multitargeting properties, these compounds were often misinterpreted for their antiviral mechanisms. In this study, we provide a systematic protocol to check and clarify their anti-SARS-CoV-2 mechanisms, which should be applicable for all of the antivirals.