Au(I)/Sc(III)-co-catalyzed tandem spiroannulation/cycloisomerization of 3-(2-ethynylaryl)-N-tosylaziridines with indoles to access 5H-benzo[b]carbazoles.

An unusual spiroannulation/cycloisomerization cascade of 3-(2-ethynylaryl)-N-tosylaziridines with indoles enabled by cooperative gold/scandium catalysis is presented, which facilitates the synthesis of 5H-benzo[b]carbazoles in moderate to excellent yields. This protocol features a broad substrate scope and good functional-group compatibility. Additionally, the resulting 5H-benzo[b]carbazoles exhibit good fluorescence properties, demonstrating the synthetic practicality of this method. Moreover, control experiments were performed to illustrate the reaction mechanism.

The volatile oil of Hyssopus cuspidatus Boriss. (HVO) ameliorates OVA-induced allergic asthma via inhibiting PI3K/Akt/JNK/P38 signaling pathway and maintaining airway barrier integrity.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Hyssopus cuspidatus Boriss., a classic Uyghur medicine, is used to treat inflammatory lung diseases such as asthma. But the therapeutic effect and mechanism of the volatile oil of Hyssopus cuspidatus Boriss.(HVO) in asthma therapy remain unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: We aim to characterize the constituents of HVO, investigate the therapeutic effect in OVA-induced allergic asthmatic mice and further explore the molecular mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we applied two-dimensional gas chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-QTOF MS) to identify the ingredients of HVO. We established OVA-induced asthmatic model to investigate the therapeutic effect of HVO. To further explore the potential molecular pathways, we used network pharmacology approach to perform GO and KEGG pathways enrichment, and then built an ingredient-target-pathway network to identify key molecular pathways. Finally, LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages and OVA-induced asthmatic model were used to validate the potential signaling pathways. RESULTS: GC × GC-QTOF MS analysis revealed the presence of 123 compounds of HVO. The sesquiterpenes and monoterpenes are the main constituents. The in vivo study indicated that HVO suppressed OVA-induced eosinophilic infiltration in lung tissues, inhibited the elevation of IgE, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 levels, downregulated the expressions of phosphorylated PI3K, Akt, JNK and P38, and maintained epithelial barrier integrity via reducing the degradation of occludin, Zo-1, Zo-2, and E-cadherin. The in vitro study also revealed an inhibition of NO release and downregulation of phosphorylated PI3K, Akt, JNK and P38 levels. CONCLUSION: HVO alleviates airway inflammation in OVA-induced asthmatic mice by inhibiting PI3K/Akt/JNK/P38 signaling pathway and maintaining airway barrier integrity via reducing the degradation of occludin, Zo-1, Zo-2, and E-cadherin.

Pd-catalyzed 5-exo-dig cyclization/etherification cascade of N-propargyl arylamines for the synthesis of polysubstituted furans.

A method for the synthesis of furans bearing indoline skeletons was developed via an intramolecular palladium-catalyzed 5-exo-dig cyclization/etherification cascade of N-propargyl arylamines containing a 1,3-dicarbonyl side chain. This method realized the first capture of vinyl carbopalladiums by ketones as O-nucleophiles and showed a wide range of substrate tolerability affording trisubstituted furans in various yields. The enantioselective version for this domino process and diverse derivatizations of the reaction products were also studied.

Light-Assisted Fabrication of Hierarchical Azopolymer Structures Using the Breath Figure Method and AAO Templates.

Hierarchical polymer structures have garnered widespread application across various fields owing to their distinct surface properties and expansive surface areas. Conventional hierarchical polymer structures, however, often lack postfabrication scalability and spatial selectivity. In this study, we propose a novel strategy to prepare light-assisted hierarchical polymer structures using azopolymers (PAzo), the breath figure method, and anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates. Initially, the breath figure PAzo films are prepared by dripping a PAzo chloroform solution onto glass substrates in a high-humidity environment. The AAO templates are then placed on the breath figure PAzo film. Upon ultraviolet (UV) light exposure, the azobenzene groups in the azopolymers undergo trans-cis photoisomerization. This process causes the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the PAzo to become lower than room temperature, allowing the azopolymer to enter the nanopores of the AAO templates. The hierarchical azopolymer structures are then formed by using a sodium hydroxide solution to remove the templates. Furthermore, exploring the effects of PAzo concentration and UV light exposure duration on the film morphology reveals optimized conditions for hierarchical structure formation. Additionally, the water contact angles of these polymer structures are measured. The hierarchical PAzo structures exhibit higher hydrophobicity compared with the flat PAzo films and the PAzo breath figure films. Finally, patterned breath figure films can be prepared using designed photomasks, demonstrating the method's capability for spatial selectivity.

Genome-wide identification of the SAUR gene family and screening for SmSAURs involved in root development in Salvia miltiorrhiza.

KEY MESSAGE: SmSAUR4, SmSAUR18, SmSAUR28, SmSAUR37, and SmSAUR38 were probably involved in the auxin-mediated root development in Salvia miltiorrhiza. Salvia miltiorrhiza is a widely utilized medicinal plant in China. Its roots and rhizomes are the main medicinal portions and are closely related to the quality of this herb. Previous studies have revealed that auxin plays pivotal roles in S. miltiorrhiza root development. Whether small auxin-up RNA genes (SAURs), which are crucial early auxin response genes, are involved in auxin-mediated root development in S. miltiorrhiza is worthy of investigation. In this study, 55 SmSAUR genes in S. miltiorrhiza were identified, and their physical and chemical properties, gene structure, cis-acting elements, and evolutionary relationships were analyzed. The expression levels of SmSAUR genes in different organs of S. miltiorrhiza were detected using RNA-seq combined with qRT‒PCR. The root development of S. miltiorrhiza seedlings was altered by the application of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and Pearson correlation coefficient analysis was conducted to screen SmSAURs that potentially participate in this physiological process. The diameter of primary lateral roots was positively correlated with SmSAUR4. The secondary lateral root number was positively correlated with SmSAUR18 and negatively correlated with SmSAUR4. The root length showed a positive correlation with SmSAUR28 and SmSAUR37 and a negative correlation with SmSAUR38. The fresh root biomass exhibited a positive correlation with SmSAUR38 and a negative correlation with SmSAUR28. The aforementioned SmSAURs were likely involved in auxin-mediated root development in S. miltiorrhiza. Our study provides a comprehensive overview of SmSAURs and provides the groundwork for elucidating the molecular mechanism underlying root morphogenesis in this species.

High Overexpression of SiAAP9 Leads to Growth Inhibition and Protein Ectopic Localization in Transgenic Arabidopsis.

Amino acid permeases (AAPs) transporters are crucial for the long-distance transport of amino acids in plants, from source to sink. While Arabidopsis and rice have been extensively studied, research on foxtail millet is limited. This study identified two transcripts of SiAAP9, both of which were induced by NO3- and showed similar expression patterns. The overexpression of SiAAP9L and SiAAP9S in Arabidopsis inhibited plant growth and seed size, although SiAAP9 was found to transport more amino acids into seeds. Furthermore, SiAAP9-OX transgenic Arabidopsis showed increased tolerance to high concentrations of glutamate (Glu) and histidine (His). The high overexpression level of SiAAP9 suggested its protein was not only located on the plasma membrane but potentially on other organelles, as well. Interestingly, sequence deletion reduced SiAAP9's sensitivity to Brefeldin A (BFA), and SiAAP9 had ectopic localization on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Protoplast amino acid uptake experiments indicated that SiAAP9 enhanced Glu transport into foxtail millet cells. Overall, the two transcripts of SiAAP9 have similar functions, but SiAAP9L shows a higher colocalization with BFA compartments compared to SiAAP9S. Our research identifies a potential candidate gene for enhancing the nutritional quality of foxtail millet through breeding.

[Prognostic Value of Prothrombin Time and Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time in Newly Diagnosed Patients with Multiple Myeloma].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical and prognostic value of prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) in newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma (MM). METHODS: The clinical data of 116 newly diagnosed MM patients in the Second Hospital and Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from October 2014 to March 2022 were analyzed retrospectively, and the patients were divided into two groups: normal PT and APTT group and prolonged PT or APTT group. The differences in sex, age, classification, staging, bleeding events, laboratory indicators [including hemoglobin (Hb), platelet count (PLT), serum calcium, serum albumin (ALB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), serum creatinine and ß2-microglobulin], and cytogenetic characteristics between the two groups of patients were compared. The effect of prolonged PT or APTT on survival of patients with MM was analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with patients in normal PT and APTT group, patients in prolonged PT or APTT group were more likely to experience bleeding events (χ2=5.087, P =0.024), with lower ALB levels (χ2=4.962, P =0.026) and PLT levels (χ2=4.309, P =0.038), and higher serum calcium levels (χ2=5.056, P =0.025). The positive rates of del17p, del13q and 1q21+ in prolonged PT or APTT group were higher than those in normal PT and APTT group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P >0.05). K-M survival analysis showed that the prolonged PT or APTT group had a shorter median progression-free survival (PFS) (P =0.032) and overall survival (OS) (P =0.032). Multivariate Cox analysis showed that prolonged PT or APTT (HR=2.116, 95%CI :1.025-4.372, P =0.043) and age ≥65 years (HR=2.403, 95%CI : 1.195-4.836, P =0.014) were independent risk factor for OS in newly diagnosed MM patients. However, prolonged PT or APTT had no significant effect on PFS of newly diagnosed MM patients (HR=1.162, 95%CI : 0.666-2.026, P =0.597). CONCLUSION: Newly diagnosed MM patients with prolonged PT or APTT have worse clinical indicators, shorter PFS and OS. Prolonged PT or APTT is an independent risk factor for OS in MM patients.

The effectiveness of gliding arc discharge plasma in sterilizing artificial seawater contaminated with Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

The rapid proliferation of the halophilic pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus poses a severe health hazard to halobios and significantly impedes intensive mariculture. This study aimed to evaluate the potential application of gliding arc discharge plasma (GADP) to control the infection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in mariculture. This study investigated the inactivation ability of GADP against Vibrio parahaemolyticus in artificial seawater (ASW), changes in the water quality of GADP-treated ASW, and possible inactivation mechanisms of GADP against Vibrio parahaemolyticus in ASW. The results indicate that GADP effectively inactivated Vibrio parahaemolyticus in ASW. As the volume of ASW increased, the time required for GADP sterilization also increased. However, the complete sterilization of 5000 mL of ASW containing Vibrio parahaemolyticus of approximately 1.0 × 104 CFU/mL was achieved within 20 min. Water quality tests of the GADP-treated ASW demonstrated that there were no significant changes in salinity or temperature when Vibrio parahaemolyticus (1.0 ×104 CFU/mL) was completely inactivated. In contrast to the acidification observed in plasma-activated water (PAW) in most studies, the pH of ASW did not decrease after treatment with GADP. The H2O2 concentration in the GADP-treated ASW decreased after post-treatment. The NO2-concentration in the GADP-treated ASW remained unchanged after post-treatment. Further analysis revealed that GADP induced oxidative stress in Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which increased cell membrane permeability and intracellular ROS levels of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. This study provides a viable solution for infection with the halophilic pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus and demonstrates the potential of GADP in mariculture.

Adipocyte pyroptosis occurs in omental tumor microenvironment and is associated with chemoresistance of ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian carcinoma (OC) is a fatal malignancy, with most patients experiencing recurrence and resistance to chemotherapy. In contrast to hematogenous metastasizing tumors, ovarian cancer cells disseminate within the peritoneal cavity, especially the omentum. Previously, we reported omental crown-like structure (CLS) number is associated with poor prognosis of advanced-stage OC. CLS that have pathologic features of a dead or dying adipocyte was surrounded by several macrophages is well known a histologic hallmark for inflammatory adipose tissue. In this study, we attempted to clarify the interaction between metastatic ovarian cancer cells and omental CLS, and to formulate a therapeutic strategy for advanced-stage ovarian cancer. METHODS: A three-cell (including OC cells, adipocytes and macrophages) coculture model was established to mimic the omental tumor microenvironment (TME) of ovarian cancer. Caspase-1 activity, ATP and free fatty acids (FFA) levels were detected by commercial kits. An adipocyte organoid model was established to assess macrophages migration and infiltration. In vitro and in vivo experiments were performed for functional assays and therapeutic effect evaluations. Clinical OC tissue samples were collected for immunochemistry stain and statistics analysis. RESULTS: In three-cell coculture model, OC cells-derived IL-6 and IL-8 could induce the occurrence of pyroptosis in omental adipocytes. The pyroptotic adipocytes release ATP to increase macrophage infiltration, release FFA into TME, uptake by OC cells to increase chemoresistance. From OC tumor samples study, we demonstrated patients with high gasdermin D (GSDMD) expression in omental adipocytes is highly correlated with chemoresistance and poor outcome in advanced-stage OC. In animal model, by pyroptosis inhibitor, DSF, effectively retarded tumor growth and prolonged mice survival. CONCLUSIONS: Omental adipocyte pyroptosis may contribute the chemoresistance in advanced stage OC. Omental adipocytes could release FFA and ATP through the GSDMD-mediate pyroptosis to induce chemoresistance and macrophages infiltration resulting the poor prognosis in advanced-stage OC. Inhibition of adipocyte pyroptosis may be a potential therapeutic modality in advanced-stage OC with omentum metastasis.

Socioeconomic support, quality of life, and prognosis of frailty among the older adults.

Background: Although socioeconomic support is recommended for frailty management, its association with the prognosis of frailty is unclear. Methods: Using data from participants aged ≥65 years in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (2008-2018), the associations between socioeconomic support (source of income, medical insurance, community support, living status), onset of prefrailty/frailty, and worsening of prefrailty, were analyzed using multinominal logistic regression models. The associations between self-reported low quality of life (QoL) and reversion of prefrailty/frailty were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression models. Associations with mortality risk were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard regression models. Results: A total of 13,859 participants (mean age: 85.8 ± 11.1 years) containing 2056 centenarians were included. Financial dependence was a risk factor for low QoL among prefrail/frail individuals, but not among robust individuals. Having commercial or other insurance, and receiving social support from the community were protective factors for low QoL among prefrail/frail individuals and for the worsening of prefrailty. Continuing to work was a risk factor for low QoL, but a protective factor for worsening of prefrailty. A negative association between continuing to work and mortality existed in prefrail individuals aged <85 years and ≥85 years. Living alone was a risk factor for low QoL, but was not significantly associated with frailty prognosis. Conclusions: Prefrail and frail individuals were vulnerable to changes in socioeconomic support and more sensitive to it compared with robust individuals. Preferential policies regarding financial support, social support, and medical insurance should be developed for individuals with frailty.

Genomic analysis of PIN-FORMED genes reveals the roles of SmPIN3 in root architecture development in Salvia miltiorrhiza.

Salvia miltiorrhiza is a widely utilized medicinal herb in China. Its roots serve as crucial raw materials for multiple drugs. The root morphology is essential for the quality of this herb, but little is known about the molecular mechanism underlying the root development in S. miltiorrhiza. Previous study reveals that the polar auxin transport is critical for lateral root development in S. miltiorrhiza. Whether the auxin efflux carriers PIN-FORMEDs (PINs) are involved in this process is worthy investigation. In this study, we identified nine SmPIN genes in S. miltiorrhiza, and their chromosome localization, physico-chemical properties, and phylogenetic relationship were analyzed. SmPINs were unevenly distributed across four chromosomes, and a variety of hormone responsive elements were detected in their promoter regions. The SmPIN proteins were divided into three branches according to the phylogenetic relationship. SmPINs with close evolutionary distance showed similar conserved motif features. The nine SmPINs showed distinct tissue-specific expression patterns and most of them were auxin-inducible genes. We generated SmPIN3 overexpression S. miltiorrhiza seedlings to investigate the function of SmPIN3 in the root development in this species. The results demonstrated that SmPIN3 regulated the root morphogenesis of S. miltiorrhiza by simultaneously affecting the lateral root development and the root anatomical structure. The root morphology, patterns of root xylem and phloem as well as the expressions of genes in the auxin signaling pathway all altered in the SmPIN3 overexpression lines. Our findings provide new insights for elucidating the regulatory roles of SmPINs in the auxin-mediated root development in S. miltiorrhiza.

Photo-Healable Fabrics: Achieving Structural Control via Photochemical Solid-Liquid Transitions of Polystyrene/Azobenzene-Containing Polymer Blends.

While polymer fabrics are integral to a wide range of applications, their vulnerability to mechanical damage limits their sustainability and practicality. Addressing this challenge, our study introduces a versatile strategy to develop photohealable fabrics, utilizing a composite of polystyrene (PS) and an azobenzene-containing polymer (PAzo). This combination leverages the structural stability of PS to compensate for the mechanical weaknesses of PAzo, forming the fiber structures. Key to our approach is the reversible trans-cis photoisomerization of azobenzene groups within the PAzo under UV light exposure, enabling controlled morphological alterations in the PS/PAzo blend fibers. The transition of PAzo sections from a solid to a liquid state at a low glass transition temperature (Tg ∼ 13.7 °C) is followed by solidification under visible light, thus stabilizing the altered fiber structures. In this study, we explore various PS/PAzo blend ratios to optimize surface roughness and mechanical properties. Additionally, we demonstrate the capability of these fibers for photoinduced self-healing. When damaged fabrics are clamped and subjected to UV irradiation for 20 min and pressed for 24 h, the mobility of the cis-form PAzo sections facilitates healing while retaining the overall fabric structure. This innovative approach not only addresses the critical issue of durability in polymer fabrics but also offers a sustainable and practical solution, paving the way for its application in smart clothing and advanced fabric-based materials.

Efficacy of acupuncture for a cough-related symptom cluster in patients with lung cancer: A randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to evaluate the effect of acupuncture on cough, expectoration, and shortness of breath in lung cancer patients. METHODS: Between December 2021 and June 2022, a total of 130 lung cancer patients were recruited, and they were split into control and intervention groups at random. Routine nursing was provided to the control group, whereas routine nursing with acupuncture using LU7 (Lie Que), LU9 (Tai Yuan), BL13 (Fei Shu), and BL20 (Pi Shu) was administered to the intervention group for 7 days. The severity of cough, expectoration, and shortness of breath was assessed 1 day before and after the interventions using the lung cancer-specific module of the MDASI. A two-way ANOVA was performed for group comparisons. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the symptoms of cough in the intervention group were significantly improved (F = 5.095, MD = -0.32, 95% CI, -0.59 to 0.04, P = 0.025), while expectoration (F = 0.626, MD = -0.11, 95% CI, -0.38 to 0.16, P = 0.430) and shortness of breath (F = 0.165, MD = -0.05, 95% CI, -0.27 to 0.18, P = 0.685) had no significant change. Cough also identified an obvious interaction effect (P = 0.014), and the post-intervention simple main effect test demonstrated a tangible difference between the two groups (MD = -0.66, 95% CI, -0.99 to 0.33, P < 0.001) post-intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture using LU7, LU9, BL13, and BL20 can relieve the cough of lung cancer patients, but not relieve expectoration and shortness of breath.

Clinimetric Properties of the "FIND-NEEDS" to Screen Geriatric Conditions.

INTRODUCTION: Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is used to thoroughly assess and identify complex healthcare problems among older adults. However, administration of CGA is time-consuming and labor intensive. A simple screening tool with the mnemonic "FIND-NEEDS" was developed to quickly identify common geriatric conditions. The present study was to evaluate the clinimetric properties of the FIND-NEEDS. METHODS: The participants comprised first-visiting older adults aged 65 years and above (and who were able to communicate by themselves or with the help of a caregiver) who were assessed (October to December, 2021) using the FIND-NEEDS and CGA at geriatric outpatient clinics of a tertiary, referred medical center. The FIND-NEEDS was examined for its criterion-related validity and compared with the CGA results. Two types of scoring (summed score and binary score) of FIND-NEEDS and CGA were analyzed using Spearman correlation, sensitivity and specificity, and area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). RESULTS: The mean age of the 114 outpatients was 78.3 ± 7.6 years, and 79 (69.3%) were female. The internal consistency was excellent when using all FIND-NEEDS items, and was acceptable when using domain scores. Exploratory factor analysis showed that most of the FIND-NEEDS domain scores had factor loadings higher than 0.3. Intercorrelations of binary scores between domains of FIND-NEEDS and CGA showed most domains were moderately correlated. The overall correlation of summed scores between FIND-NEEDS and CGA was high. The FIND-NEEDS summed score was moderately correlated with CGA score (r = 0.494; p < 0.001), and the binary score showed excellent correlation (r = 0.944; p < 0.001). When using the CGA score as the gold standard, the FIND-NEEDS showed excellent AUC (0.950), sensitivity (1.00), and specificity (0.90). DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that the FIND-NEEDS had acceptable clinimetric properties to screen for geriatric problems among older adults. Further in-depth assessment and care plan can then be conducted afterwards.

Lymphocyte-Infiltrated Periportal Region Detection With Structurally-Refined Deep Portal Segmentation and Heterogeneous Infiltration Features.

Goal: The early diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis is essential to reduce hepatitis-related liver function deterioration and mortality. One component of the widely-used Ishak grading system for the grading of periportal interface hepatitis is based on the percentage of portal borders infiltrated by lymphocytes. Thus, the accurate detection of lymphocyte-infiltrated periportal regions is critical in the diagnosis of hepatitis. However, the infiltrating lymphocytes usually result in the formation of ambiguous and highly-irregular portal boundaries, and thus identifying the infiltrated portal boundary regions precisely using automated methods is challenging. This study aims to develop a deep-learning-based automatic detection framework to assist diagnosis. Methods: The present study proposes a framework consisting of a Structurally-REfined Deep Portal Segmentation module and an Infiltrated Periportal Region Detection module based on heterogeneous infiltration features to accurately identify the infiltrated periportal regions in liver Whole Slide Images. Results: The proposed method achieves 0.725 in F1-score of lymphocyte-infiltrated periportal region detection. Moreover, the statistics of the ratio of the detected infiltrated portal boundary have high correlation to the Ishak grade (Spearman's correlations more than 0.87 with p-values less than 0.001) and medium correlation to the liver function index aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase (Spearman's correlations more than 0.63 and 0.57 with p-values less than 0.001). Conclusions: The study shows the statistics of the ratio of infiltrated portal boundary have correlation to the Ishak grade and liver function index. The proposed framework provides pathologists with a useful and reliable tool for hepatitis diagnosis.

The role of USP7-YY1 interaction in promoting colorectal cancer growth and metastasis.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a significant global health issue with high incidence and mortality. Yin Yang 1 (YY1) is a powerful transcription factor that acts dual roles in gene activation and repression. High expression level of YY1 has been reported in CRC, indicating the existence of stable factors of YY1 in CRC cells. We aimed to identify the key molecules and underlying mechanisms responsible for stabilizing YY1 expression in CRC. Mass spectrometry analysis was utilized to identify USP7 as a potential molecule that interacted with YY1. Mechanically, USP7 stabilizes YY1 expression at the protein level by interfering its K63 linkage ubiquitination. YY1 exerts its oncogenic function through transcriptionally activating TRIAP1 but suppressing LC3B. In addition, at the pathological level, there is a positive correlation between the expression of YY1 and the budding of CRC. This study has revealed the intricate interplay between YY1 and USP7 in CRC, suggesting that they could serve as novel therapeutic targets or predictive biomarkers for CRC patients.

Comprehensive assessment of drought resistance and recovery in kiwifruit genotypes using multivariate analysis.

As global climate change persists, ongoing warming exposes plants, including kiwifruit, to repeated cycles of drought stress and rewatering, necessitating the identification of drought-resistant genotypes for breeding purposes. To better understand the physiological mechanisms underlying drought resistance and recovery in kiwifruit, moderate (40-45% field capacity) and severe (25-30% field capacity) drought stresses were applied, followed by rewatering (80-85% field capacity) to eight kiwifruit rootstocks in this study. We then conducted a multivariate analysis of 20 indices for the assessment of drought resistance and recovery capabilities. Additionally, we identified four principal components, each playing a vital role in coping with diverse water conditions. Three optimal indicator groups were pinpointed, enhancing precision in kiwifruit drought resistance and recovery assessment and simplifying the evaluation system. Finally, MX-1 and HW were identified as representative rootstocks for future research on kiwifruit's responses to moderate and severe drought stresses. This study not only enhances our understanding of the response mechanisms of kiwifruit rootstocks to progressive drought stress and recovery but also provides theoretical guidance for reliable screening of drought-adaptive kiwifruit genotypes.

Germline MLH1 and MSH6 mutations from two Lynch syndrome families identified in a patient with early-onset of endometrial cancer: A case report.

Introduction: Lynch syndrome is caused by a germline mutation in mismatch repair (MMR) genes, leading to the loss of expression of MMR heterodimers, either MLH1/PMS2 or MSH2/MSH6, or isolated loss of PMS2 or MSH6. Concurrent loss of both heterodimers is uncommon, and patients carrying pathogenic variants affecting different MMR genes are rare, leading to the lack of cancer screening recommendation for these patients.Case presentation:Here, we reported a female with a family history of Lynch syndrome with MLH1 c.676C > T mutation. She developed endometrial cancer at 37 years old, with loss of MLH1/PMS2 expression. Immunohistochemical staining on tumor samples incidentally detected the additional loss of MSH6 expression. Whole exome sequencing on genomic DNA from peripheral blood revealed MSH6 c.2731C > T mutation, which was confirmed to be inherited from her mother, who had an early-onset ascending colon cancer without cancer family history. Conclusion: This is a rare case of the Lynch syndrome harboring germline mutations simultaneously in two different MMR genes inherited from two families with Lynch syndrome. The diagnosis of endometrial cancer at the age less than 40 years is uncommon for Lynch syndrome-related endometrial cancer. This suggests an earlier cancer screening for patients carrying two MMR mutations.

Detoxifying bacterial genes for deoxynivalenol epimerization confer durable resistance to Fusarium head blight in wheat.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) and the presence of mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) pose serious threats to wheat production and food safety worldwide. DON, as a virulence factor, is crucial for the spread of FHB pathogens on plants. However, germplasm resources that are naturally resistant to DON and DON-producing FHB pathogens are inadequate in plants. Here, detoxifying bacteria genes responsible for DON epimerization were used to enhance the resistance of wheat to mycotoxin DON and FHB pathogens. We characterized the complete pathway and molecular basis leading to the thorough detoxification of DON via epimerization through two sequential reactions in the detoxifying bacterium Devosia sp. D6-9. Epimerization efficiently eliminates the phytotoxicity of DON and neutralizes the effects of DON as a virulence factor. Notably, co-expressing of the genes encoding quinoprotein dehydrogenase (QDDH) for DON oxidation in the first reaction step, and aldo-keto reductase AKR13B2 for 3-keto-DON reduction in the second reaction step significantly reduced the accumulation of DON as virulence factor in wheat after the infection of pathogenic Fusarium, and accordingly conferred increased disease resistance to FHB by restricting the spread of pathogenic Fusarium in the transgenic plants. Stable and improved resistance was observed in greenhouse and field conditions over multiple generations. This successful approach presents a promising avenue for enhancing FHB resistance in crops and reducing mycotoxin contents in grains through detoxification of the virulence factor DON by exogenous resistance genes from microbes.

Photoinduced Dynamics of a Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube with a sp3 Defect: The Importance of Excitonic Effects.

Herein, we employed linear-response time-dependent functional theory nonadiabatic dynamic simulations to explore the photoinduced exciton dynamics of a chiral single-walled carbon nanotube CNT(6,5) covalently doped with a 4-nitrobenzyl group (CNT65-NO2). The results indicate that the introduction of a sp3 defect leads to the splitting of the degenerate VBM/VBM-1 and CBM/CBM+1 states. Both the VBM upshift and the CBM downshift are responsible for the experimentally observed redshifted E11* trapping state. The simulations reveal that the photoinduced exciton relaxation dynamics completes within 500 fs, which is consistent with the experimental work. On the other hand, we also conducted the nonadiabatic carrier (electron and hole) dynamic simulations, which completely ignore the excitonic effects. The comparison demonstrates that excitonic effects are indispensable. Deep analyses show that such effects induce several dark states, which play an important role in regulating the photoinduced dynamics of CNT65-NO2. The present work demonstrates the importance of including excitonic effects in simulating photoinduced processes of carbon nanotubes. In addition, it not only rationalizes previous experiments but also provides valuable insights that will help in the future rational design of novel covalently doped carbon nanotubes with superior photoluminescent properties.