Effect of basal metabolic rate on osteoporosis: A Mendelian randomization study.

Purpose: Basal metabolic rate may play a key role in the pathogenesis and progression of osteoporosis. We performed Mendelian random analysis to evaluate the causal relationship between basal metabolic rate and osteoporosis. Methods: Instrumental variables for the basal metabolic rate were selected. We used the inverse variance weighting approach as the main Mendelian random analysis method to estimate causal effects based on the summary-level data for osteoporosis from genome-wide association studies. Results: A potential causal association was observed between basal metabolic rate and risks of osteoporosis (odds ratio = 0.9923, 95% confidence interval: 0.9898-0.9949; P = 4.005e - 09). The secondary MR also revealed that BMR was causally associated with osteoporosis (odds ratio = 0.9939, 95% confidence interval: 0.9911-0.9966; P = 1.038e - 05). The accuracy and robustness of the findings were confirmed using sensitivity tests. Conclusion: Basal metabolic rate may play a causal role in the development of osteoporosis, although the underlying mechanisms require further investigation.

Difference Between Screw Cement Filling and Adequate Osteotomy With Thick Liner for Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty in Patients With Rand IIb Tibial Defects.

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of 2 treatment options, screw-cement fill, and adequate osteotomy with a thick liner, in treating patients with Rand IIb tibial defects (tibial plateau defects to a depth of 5 to 10 millimeters) in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has not yet been demonstrated. Therefore, we performed a retrospective study to evaluate the differences between these 2 treatments. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patients who underwent primary TKA for Rand IIb tibial plateau defects from 2015 to 2020 from a department database. Patients were categorized into the screw-cement and thick liner groups based on the different options used to repair tibial defects. We evaluated Knee Society Score, range of motion (ROM), Insall-Salvati index (ISI), and Forgotten Joint Score (FJS) in both groups. We also compared differences in prosthesis survival, stiffness, myasthenia, and joint clicking between the 2 groups at mean 2 years postoperatively (range, 2 to 2.3). A power analysis was performed on the number of cases in the cohort. RESULTS: Postoperative femur-tibia mechanical axis (FTMA) correction was significantly higher in the screw-cement group than in the thick-liner group: 18.8 (±5.6°) versus 15.4 (±5.9°) (P < .01); At mean 2 years after surgery, the American Knee Society Functional Score improvement values were higher in the thick-liner group than in the screw-cement group: 36.3 (±12.4) versus 42.4 (±16.4) (P = .05). Postoperative ISI scores were 0.95 (±0.12) points in the screw-cement group and 0.89 (±0.13) points in the-thick liner group (P = .03). There were no statistically significant differences in the Knee Society Clinical Score, ROM, FJS, stiffness, myasthenia, joint clicking, and revision rate. CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed no significant difference in clinical outcomes between the 2 reconstruction strategies of the screw cement fill technique and the adequate osteotomy and thick liner technique for Rand IIb tibial plateau defects. However, in patients who have FTMA deformities greater than 20° or in younger patients who need to preserve bone volume, we recommend the screw cement filling technique to ensure stable postoperative results and to prepare these patients for possible later surgery.

Antagonism of tomato spotted wilt virus against tomato yellow leaf curl virus in Nicotiana benthamiana detected by transcriptome analysis.

BACKGROUND: Tomato spot wilt virus (TSWV) and tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) are highly harmful viruses in agricultural production, which can cause serious economic losses to crops and even devastating consequences for vegetable yield in some countries and regions. Although the two viruses belong to different families and have different transmission vectors, they share most hosts. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the transcriptomic expression of single and mixed inoculations of TSWV and TYLCV, leading to antagonism using high-throughput RNA sequencing. METHODS: We confirmed the single and mixed infections of these viruses in Nicotiana benthamiana (N. benthamiana) by artificial inoculation. And the expression changes of related genes and their biological functions and pathways during the mixed infection of TSWV and TYLCV were analyzed by comparative transcriptome. RESULTS: Basically, similar symptoms were observed in the plants singly infected with TSWV and co-infected with TYLCV; the symptoms of TYLCV in the co-infected plants were not obvious compared with single TYLCV infections. When inoculated with TYLCV, the accumulation of the virus significantly reduced in single and mixed infections with TSWV; the TSWV accumulated slightly less in co-infection with TYLCV, whereas this reduction was much smaller than that of TYLCV. The results suggested that TSWV had an antagonistic effect on the accumulation of TYLCV in N. benthamiana. It mainly focused on the changes in unique differentially expressed genes (DEGs) caused by the co-infection of TSWV and TYLCV. The eight pathways enriched by upregulated DEGs mainly included amino acid biosynthesis, citrate cycle (or tricarboxylic acid cycle, TCA cycle), and so on. However, only pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) and peptidoglycan biosynthesis could be downregulated in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway in which peptidoglycan biosynthesis was involved in upregulated and downregulated pathways. CONCLUSIONS: The antagonistic effect of TSWV on TYLCV in N.benthamiana and the change trends and specific pathways of DEGs in this process were found. Our study provided new insights into the host regulation and competition between viruses in response to TSWV and TYLCV mixed infection.

Pathogenic Process-Associated Transcriptome Analysis of Stemphylium lycopersici from Tomato.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) gray leaf spot disease is a predominant foliar disease of tomato in China that is caused mainly by the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Stemphylium lycopersici. Little is known regarding the pathogenic mechanisms of this broad-host-range pathogen. In this study, a comparative transcriptomic analysis was performed and more genetic information on the pathogenicity determinants of S. lycopersici during the infection process in tomato were obtained. Through an RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis, 1,642 and 1,875 genes upregulated during the early infection and necrotrophic phases, respectively, were identified and significantly enriched in 44 and 24 pathways, respectively. The induction of genes associated with pectin degradation, adhesion, and colonization was notable during the early infection phase, whereas during the necrotrophic phase, some structural molecule activity-related genes were prominently induced. Additionally, some genes involved in signal regulation or encoding hemicellulose- and cellulose-degrading enzymes and extracellular proteases were commonly upregulated during pathogenesis. Overall, we present some putative key genes and processes that may be crucial for S. lycopersici pathogenesis. The abilities to adhere and colonize a host surface, effectively damage host cell walls, regulate signal transduction to manage infection, and survive in a hostile plant environment are proposed as important factors for the pathogenesis of S. lycopersici in tomato. The functional characterization of these genes provides an invaluable resource for analyses of this important pathosystem between S. lycopersici and tomato, and it may facilitate the generation of control strategies against this devastating disease.

Reverse transcription recombinase polymerase amplification assay for rapid detection of the cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus.

The cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV) causes severe economic losses in cucurbit plants. Although it has been widely known in various countries for several years, CCYV is rarely recognized due to the lack of rapid and effective detection methods in the early stage of the disease. Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) is a new, efficient, and simple technology for nucleic acid detection. In the present study, reverse transcription (RT)-RPA and quantitative RT-RPA were developed and utilized for fast detection of CCYV in field-collected melon samples. The analysis was performed under constant temperature conditions without the necessity for a thermal cycler in just 20 min. Moreover, the detection limit of RT-RPA for CCYV was determined at 10 pg. In the study, 58 field-collected samples were employed to evaluate the performance of the two assays. The positive rates were established at 72.4 % (42/58) and 75.9 % (44/58) by RT-RPA and qRT-RPA, respectively, and were consistent with the RT-PCR results. The successful application of RPA for the detection of CCYV in field-collected melon samples indicated its potential applicability. Thus, the developed RPA assays provide an alternative for fast, efficient, sensitive, and reliable detection of CCYV in diagnostic laboratories, which lack the precise instrumentation, and fields without appropriate equipment.

Population Genetic Structures of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici in the Gansu-Ningxia Region and Hubei Province, China.

Wheat stripe rust, caused by the fungal pathogen Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), is a destructive wheat disease in China. The Gansu-Ningxia region (GN) is a key area for pathogen over-summering in China, and northwestern Hubei (HB) is an important region for pathogen over-wintering, serving as a source of inoculum in spring epidemic regions. The spatiotemporal population genetic structure of Pst in HB and the pathogen population exchanges between GN and HB are important for estimating the risk of interregional epidemics. Here, 567 isolates from GN and HB were sampled from fall 2016 to spring 2018 and were genotyped using simple sequence repeat markers. The genotypic and genetic diversity of Pst subpopulations in HB varied among seasons and locations. Greater genetic diversification levels were found in the spring compared with fall populations using principal coordinate analysis and Bayesian assignments. In total, there were 17 common genotypes among the 208 determined, as shown by a small overlap of genotypes in the principal coordinate analysis and dissimilar Bayesian assignments in both regions, which revealed the limited genotype exchange between the populations of GN and HB.

Structural design of cobalt phosphate on nickel foam for electrocatalytic oxygen evolution.

The elaborate design and synthesis of low-cost, efficient and stable electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), which may alleviate the current energy shortage and environment pollution, is still a great challenge. Herein, metal phosphonate precursors with controllable morphologies were synthesizedin situon the surface of nickel foam with different solvents, and could be easily converted into carbon- and nitrogen-doped cobalt phosphate through a calcination method. The OER catalytic performance of the final products was studied in detail. The results showed that the nanowire shaped samples of CoPiNF-800 synthesized with deionized water under hydrothermal conditions had the strongest electrochemical performance. They exhibited extraordinary catalytic activity with a very low overpotential of 222 mV at 100 mA cm-2, the smallest impedance and excellent electrochemical stability. These results not only demonstrate the possibility of preparing low-cost OER catalysts based on transition metal phosphate, but also aid our understanding of the controllable synthesis process of different morphologies.

RuO2-x decorated CoSnO3 nanoboxes as a high performance cathode catalyst for Li-CO2 batteries.

Rechargeable Li-CO2 batteries contribute towards lessening fossil fuel depletion and alleviating the "greenhouse effect". However, more efforts must be made to figure out the critical problems of a high overpotential and poor cycling stability associated with this type of battery. Here, CoSnO3/RuO2-x nanocomposites were employed as an efficient air cathode for Li-CO2 batteries, which can lower the overpotential and improve their long-term cycling performance (around 145 cycles) remarkably.

Detection of melon necrotic spot virus by one-step reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay.

Melon necrotic spot virus (MNSV) can cause significant economic losses due to decreased quality in cucurbit crops. The current study is the first to use reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) for detection of MNSV. A set of four LAMP primers was designed based on the coat protein gene sequence of MNSV, and a RT-LAMP reaction was successfully performed for 1 h at 62°C. The results of RT-LAMP showed high specificity for MNSV and no cross-reaction with other viruses. Compared to traditional reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR), the RT-LAMP assay was 103-fold more sensitive in detecting MNSV. Due to its sensitivity, speed and visual assessment, RT-LAMP is appropriate for detecting MNSV in the laboratory.

[Phase I total hip replacement for severe hip osteoarthritis with proximal femoral fractures].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect and prognosis of stage I total hip replacement in the treatment of severe hip osteoarthritis with proximal femoral fracture. METHODS: From July 2014 to October 2017, 8 patients with severe end-stage hip disease and proximal femoral fracture were treated with stage I total hip replacement including 6 males and 2 females, aged 59 to 72 years old with an average age of 65 years old, involving 4 femoral head necrosis with proximal femoral fracture in the right side, 3 femoral head necrosis with proximal femoral fracture in the left side, and 1 left acetabular dysplasia with proximal femoral fracture in the left side. The average time from injury to operation was 7 days. Eight patients were treated with biologically elongated hip prosthesis. RESULTS: Eight patients with stage I total hip arthroplasty were followed up for 12 to 48 months with an average of 31 months. During the follow-up period, there was no loosening or subsidence of the prosthesis. Harris score increased from 33 points (22 to 42 points) preoperatively to 87 points(82 to 90 points) at the last follow-up. Among them, 3 cases were excellent and 5 cases were good. Abandoned abduction and walked 3 months after operation. X-ray films during 3-6 months after operation showed that fracture healing was good, hip pain and function were improved significantly, and the quality of life was greatly improved. CONCLUSIONS: Phase I total hip arthroplasty for severe hip osteoarthritis patients with proximal femoral fracture has the advantages of shortening the treatment time, alleviating patients'pain, reducing hospitalization costs and good prognosis.

Novel Co3O4 Nanoparticles/Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Composites with Extraordinary Catalytic Activity for Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER).

Herein, Co3O4 nanoparticles/nitrogen-doped carbon (Co3O4/NPC) composites with different structures were prepared via a facile method. Structure control was achieved by the rational morphology design of ZIF-67 precursors, which were then pyrolyzed in air to obtain Co3O4/NPC composites. When applied as catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), the M-Co3O4/NPC composites derived from the flower-like ZIF-67 showed superior catalytic activities than those derived from the rhombic dodecahedron and hollow spherical ZIF-67. The former M-Co3O4/NPC composite displayed a small over-potential of 0.3 V, low onset potential of 1.41 V, small Tafel slope of 83 mV dec-1, and a desirable stability. (94.7% OER activity was retained after 10 h.) The excellent performance of the flower-like M-Co3O4/NPC composite in the OER was attributed to its favorable structure.

Novel Ag@Nitrogen-doped Porous Carbon Composite with High Electrochemical Performance as Anode Materials for Lithium-ion Batteries.

A novel Ag@nitrogen-doped porous carbon (Ag-NPC) composite was synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method and applied as an anode material in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Using this method, Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were embedded in NPC through thermal decomposition of AgNO3 in the pores of NPC. The reversible capacity of Ag-NPC remained at 852 mAh g-1 after 200 cycles at a current density of 0.1 A g-1, showing its remarkable cycling stability. The enhancement of the electrochemical properties such as cycling performance, reversible capacity and rate performance of Ag-NPC compared to the NPC contributed to the synergistic effects between Ag NPs and NPC.

Sonocrystallization of ZIF-8 on Electrostatic Spinning TiO2 Nanofibers Surface with Enhanced Photocatalysis Property through Synergistic Effect.

Semiconductor-metal-organic framework (MOF) hybrid photocatalysts have attracted increasing attention because of their enhanced photocatalytic activity. However, the effect of the interface reaction between semiconductor and MOFs is rarely studied. In this work, we studied the synthesis and photocatalytic activity of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) decorated electrostatic spinning TiO2 nanofibers (TiO2 ESNFs). TiO2/ZIF-8 hybrid photocatalysts were prepared via a facile sonochemical route. It was crucial that the ZIF-8 was assembled homogeneously on the surface of TiO2 ESNFs and formed a N-Ti-O bond under sonochemical treatment, which may result in reducing recombination of the electron-hole pairs. The chemically bonded TiO2/ZIF-8 nanocomposites displayed excellent performance of thermal stability, controllable crystallinity, and great enhancement of photocatalytic activity in Rhodamine B (Rh B) photodegradation. Furthermore, the UV-vis light adsorption spectra of TiO2/ZIF-8 nanocomposites showed that the ZIF-8 photosensitizer extended the spectral response of TiO2 to the visible region. The new strategy reported here can enrich the method for designing new semiconductor-MOF hybrid photocatalysts.

Zn(3)(4-OOCC(6)H(4)PO(3))(2): A polar metal phosphonate with pillared layered structure showing SHG-activity and large dielectric anisotropy.

A new metal phosphonate Zn(3)(4-OOCC(6)H(4)PO(3))(2) (1) is reported which crystallizes in orthorhombic space group Pca2(1). It shows a pillared layered structure in which the {ZnO(4)}, {ZnO(5)} and {PO(3)C} polyhedra are connected through corner- or edge-sharing to form an inorganic layer in the ab plane which contains 4- and 5-member rings. These layers are pillared by the uni-oriented 4-carboxylatephenylphosphonate ligands, thus leading to a polar 3D architecture. The dielectric anisotropy measurements of a single crystal of 1 reveal that dielectric constant along the inter-layer is larger than that along the intra-layer with a ratio of about 2.3. Second harmonic generation (SHG) activity is observed.

Mixed-valent manganese phosphonate clusters prepared under microwave-assisted and ambient conditions.

Mixed-valent manganese phosphonate clusters [Mn(II)(8)Mn(III)(2)O(2)(O(3)PC(10)H(7))(4)(C(6)H(5)CO(2))(10)(py)(4)(H(2)O)(2)] (1) and [Mn(II)(4)Mn(III)(9)O(4)(OH)(2)(O(3)PC(10)H(7))(10)(C(6)H(5)CO(2))(5)(py)(8)(H(2)O)(6)] (2) are reported. Compound 1 is the first example of manganese phosphonate clusters prepared through a microwave-assisted technique. While compound 2 is obtained under ambient condition, and exhibits slow magnetic relaxation behaviour at low temperature.

A three-dimensional coordination polymer featuring effective ferrimagnetic hydroxide-bridged manganese(II) chains.

A three-dimensional coordination polymer, [Mn3(OH)2Na2(3-cnba)6]n (1) (3-Hcnba = 3-cyanobenzoic acid), has been synthesized by the reaction of MnCl2, NaN3, and 3-Hcnba in water. Its crystal structure was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Magnetic studies show that the complex behaves as a three-dimensional metamagnet built from effective ferrimagnetic Mn(II) chains in which spin moments are linked by interactions in an AF-F-AF (F = ferromagnetic and AF = antiferromagnetic) sequence in the triangular magnetic repeating unit.