Occurrence of Maize Leaf Spot Disease Caused by Leptosphaerulina australis in Yunnan, China.

Maize (Zea mays) is vital as a staple food and livestock feed crop. Yunnan is one of the main maize-producing provinces in China (National Bureau of Statistics, 2022). While corn production in Yunnan is lower than the national average, the development of drought-tolerant varieties has contributed to improving productivity. In August 2021, a new leaf spot disease on maize was observed in Lancang, Yunnan (22°26'38.11"N to 22°48'38.68"N, 99°48'15.13"E to 99°59'20.03"E), causing serious damages to maize production with incidence up to 76.19 %. Initially, small light yellow lesions were seen scattered on diseased maize leaves, round or polygon, measuring 0.3 to 2.0 cm in diameter. In the intermediate phase, these lesions sank, ruptured, and turned white with dark brown borders. In severe cases, they merged into large irregular patches, reaching up to 10 cm, leading to complete leaf necrosis. Small black ascomata were seen on the lesions. Tissue sections reveal perithecium embedded in leaves, measuring 94~145 µm in diameter. Symptomatic tissues were sterilized in 1.5% NaClO for 60s, and washed twice withsterile purified water, then plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 25℃, 90% relative humidity (RH), and a 12-hour light cycle. 6 isolates were obtained from 2 diseased maize cultivars. In 20 days, the colony reached the edge of the PDA plate, the center darkening from white, featuring white aerial mycelium on top and black on the reverse side. Brown ascomata, solitary or clustered, measured 80.1~176.7 × 55.57~138.9 µm. The ellipsoid to oblong ascospores were 17.9~39.7 × 10.9~14.1 µm, and the bitunicate, thick-walled asci were 90.1~133.3 × 26.6~33.5 µm. The genomic DNA was extracted using the Chelex-100 method (Möller et al. 1992). For molecular identification, the ITS, LSU, and ß-tubulin (Tub2) genes were amplified using primer pairs ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), LR0R/LR5 (Vilgalys et al. 1990) and Btub2Fd/Btub4Rd (Woudenberg et al. 2009), respectively. Sequencing was performed by Sangon Biotech (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. The sequenced loci (GenBank accession nos.: LSU, OL687348-53; ITS, OL617009-10, and OL664058-61; Tub2, OL741678-83) of the isolates exhibited 100%/ 99%/ 100% similarities with L. australis genes: LSU, MH868885; ITS, KF381084; Tub2, GU237541, respectively. Using MEGA 11.0, phylogenetic trees were constructed using the maximum-likelihood algorithm on concatenated sequences of LSU, ITS, and Tub2 for isolates LCMB1 to 6. The isolates clustered with two L. australis strains with 100 % bootstrap support (1,000 replicates). The results were consistent with the Bayesian Inference tree. The pathogenicity test used strain LCMB4 on six healthy maize plants during the heading period under natural conditions. Three leaves pre-plant were wounded with sterile sandpaper and sprayed with conidial suspension (106 spores ml-1, diluted in sterilized water) in the greenhouse at 28℃, 90% RH, and a 12-hour light cycle, with sterilized distilled water used for control. Inoculated leaves developed symptoms consistent with the described after 10 days, while control leaves remained symptomless. The same pathogen was re-isolated from the infected leaves, fulfilling Koch's postulates. Previously, L. australis has been isolated from turfgrass (Mitkowski et al. 2004), Alfalfa (Zhang et al. 2021), soil (Li et al. 2018), and Paris polyphylla var. chinensis (Fu et al. 2019), but not from maize. This is the first report of L. australis causing leaf spot on maize globally.

PDX1+ cell budding morphogenesis in a stem cell-derived islet spheroid system.

Remarkable advances in protocol development have been achieved to manufacture insulin-secreting islets from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). Distinct from current approaches, we devised a tunable strategy to generate islet spheroids enriched for major islet cell types by incorporating PDX1+ cell budding morphogenesis into staged differentiation. In this process that appears to mimic normal islet morphogenesis, the differentiating islet spheroids organize with endocrine cells that are intermingled or arranged in a core-mantle architecture, accompanied with functional heterogeneity. Through in vitro modelling of human pancreas development, we illustrate the importance of PDX1 and the requirement for EphB3/4 signaling in eliciting cell budding morphogenesis. Using this new approach, we model Mitchell-Riley syndrome with RFX6 knockout hPSCs illustrating unexpected morphogenesis defects in the differentiation towards islet cells. The tunable differentiation system and stem cell-derived islet models described in this work may facilitate addressing fundamental questions in islet biology and probing human pancreas diseases.

ABE-ultramax for high-efficiency biallelic adenine base editing in zebrafish.

Advancements in CRISPR technology, particularly the development of base editors, revolutionize genetic variant research. When combined with model organisms like zebrafish, base editors significantly accelerate and refine in vivo analysis of genetic variations. However, base editors are restricted by protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) sequences and specific editing windows, hindering their applicability to a broad spectrum of genetic variants. Additionally, base editors can introduce unintended mutations and often exhibit reduced efficiency in living organisms compared to cultured cell lines. Here, we engineer a suite of adenine base editors (ABEs) called ABE-Ultramax (Umax), demonstrating high editing efficiency and low rates of insertions and deletions (indels) in zebrafish. The ABE-Umax suite of editors includes ABEs with shifted, narrowed, or broadened editing windows, reduced bystander mutation frequency, and highly flexible PAM sequence requirements. These advancements have the potential to address previous challenges in disease modeling and advance gene therapy applications.

Iron metabolism in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity: From mechanisms to therapies.

Doxorubicin (DOX) is an anti-tumor agent for chemotherapy, but its use is often hindered by the severe and life-threatening side effect of cardiovascular toxicity. In recent years, studies have focused on dysregulated iron metabolism and ferroptosis, a unique type of cell death induced by iron overload, as key players driving the development of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC). Recent advances have demonstrated that DOX disturbs normal cellular iron metabolism, resulting in excessive iron accumulation and ferroptosis in cardiomyocytes. This review will explore how dysregulated iron homeostasis and ferroptosis drive the progression of DIC. We will also discuss the current approaches to target iron metabolism and ferroptosis to mitigate DIC. Besides, we will discuss the limitations and challenges for clinical translation for these therapeutic regimens.

Analysis of the Economic Burden of Chronic Kidney Disease With Comorbidities Among Patients in Xuzhou, China.

Objectives: To analyze the costs and medication patterns of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and comorbidities in Xuzhou, China, using a large electronic medical records database. Methods: Data were obtained from an electronic medical records database. The annual per-person and per-visit cost of hospitalization, as well as the proportions of those costs, are presented. Results: The majority of the participants were middle-aged men, and had medical insurance. Glomerulonephritis was the primary cause of CKD in patients with an identified etiology. The average per-visit cost of hospitalization for the CKD-renal anemia and CKD-mineral and bone disorder groups was 8,674.5 (5,154.3-13,949.6) and 8,182.6 (4,798.2-12,844.7) Yuan, respectively, which was greater than that of the other groups. The major expenses incurred were for diagnostics, drug usage, surgical procedures, laboratory tests and material costs. Conclusion: The substantial burden imposed by CKD with comorbidities indicates the importance of implementing public health strategies aimed at detecting and preventing these conditions in the general population. With the aging population, our nation may experience a greater CKD-related economic burden.

Spatial distribution of sediment dissolved organic matter in oligotrophic lakes and its binding characteristics with Pb(II) and Cu(II).

Dissolved organic matter (DOM), the most active component in interstitial waters, determines the stability of heavy metals and secondary release in sediments. However, little is known about the composition and metal-binding patterns of DOM in interstitial water from oligotrophic lakes affected by different anthropogenic perturbations. Here, 18 interstitial water samples were prepared from sediments in agricultural, residential, tourist, and forest regions in an oligotrophic lake (Shengzhong Lake in Sichuan Province, China) watershed. Interstitial water quality and DOM composition, properties, and Cu(II)- and Pb(II)-binding characteristics were measured via physicochemical analysis, UV-vis spectroscopic, fluorescence excitation-emission matrix-parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC), and fluorescence titration methods. The DOM, which was produced mainly by microbial activities, had low molecular weights, humification degrees, and aromaticity. Based on EEM-PARAFAC results, the DOM was generally composed of tryptophan- (57.7%), terrestrial humic- (18.7%), microbial humic- (15.6%), and tyrosine-like (8.0%) substances. The DOM in the metal complexes was primarily composed of tryptophan-like substances, which accounted for ~42.6% of the DOM-Cu(II) complexes and ~72.0% of the DOM-Pb(II) complexes; however, microbial humic-like substances primarily contributed to the stability of DOM-Cu(II) (logKCu = 3.7-4.6) and DOM-Pb(II) (logKPb = 4.3-4.8). Water quality parameters did not significantly affect the stability of DOM-metal complexes. We demonstrated that the metal-binding patterns of DOM in interstitial water from oligotrophic lakes are highly dependent on microbial DOM composition and are affected by anthropogenic perturbations to a lesser extent.

Adaptive designs were primarily used but inadequately reported in early phase drug trials.

BACKGROUND: Faced with the high cost and limited efficiency of classical randomized controlled trials, researchers are increasingly applying adaptive designs to speed up the development of new drugs. However, the application of adaptive design to drug randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and whether the reporting is adequate are unclear. Thus, this study aimed to summarize the epidemiological characteristics of the relevant trials and assess their reporting quality by the Adaptive designs CONSORT Extension (ACE) checklist. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to January 2020. We included drug RCTs that explicitly claimed to be adaptive trials or used any type of adaptative design. We extracted the epidemiological characteristics of included studies to summarize their adaptive design application. We assessed the reporting quality of the trials by Adaptive designs CONSORT Extension (ACE) checklist. Univariable and multivariable linear regression models were used to the association of four prespecified factors with the quality of reporting. RESULTS: Our survey included 108 adaptive trials. We found that adaptive design has been increasingly applied over the years, and was commonly used in phase II trials (n = 45, 41.7%). The primary reasons for using adaptive design were to speed the trial and facilitate decision-making (n = 24, 22.2%), maximize the benefit of participants (n = 21, 19.4%), and reduce the total sample size (n = 15, 13.9%). Group sequential design (n = 63, 58.3%) was the most frequently applied method, followed by adaptive randomization design (n = 26, 24.1%), and adaptive dose-finding design (n = 24, 22.2%). The proportion of adherence to the ACE checklist of 26 topics ranged from 7.4 to 99.1%, with eight topics being adequately reported (i.e., level of adherence ≥ 80%), and eight others being poorly reported (i.e., level of adherence ≤ 30%). In addition, among the seven items specific for adaptive trials, three were poorly reported: accessibility to statistical analysis plan (n = 8, 7.4%), measures for confidentiality (n = 14, 13.0%), and assessments of similarity between interim stages (n = 25, 23.1%). The mean score of the ACE checklist was 13.9 (standard deviation [SD], 3.5) out of 26. According to our multivariable regression analysis, later published trials (estimated ß = 0.14, p < 0.01) and the multicenter trials (estimated ß = 2.22, p < 0.01) were associated with better reporting. CONCLUSION: Adaptive design has shown an increasing use over the years, and was primarily applied to early phase drug trials. However, the reporting quality of adaptive trials is suboptimal, and substantial efforts are needed to improve the reporting.

Electrophysiological and behavioral responses of Tamarixia radiata (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) to volatiles of nymphal Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae).

Huanglongbing (HLB), a devastating citrus disease caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, is efficiently vectored by the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae). Tamarixia radiata (Waterston) plays a crucial role as an ectoparasitoid, preying on D. citri nymphs. By collecting and identifying headspace volatiles from fifth instar nymphs of D. citri using a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS), we obtained a collection of 9 volatile compounds. These compounds were subsequently chosen to investigate the electrophysiological and behavioral responses of female T. radiata. At a concentration of 10 µg/µl, 9 compounds were compared with cis-3-hexen-1-ol (control), resulting in trans-2-nonenal inducing the highest relative electroantennogram (EAG) value, followed by hexanal, heptanal, n-heptadecane, tetradecanal, n-tetradecane, n-pentadecane, 1-tetradecanol, and 1-dodecanol. The top 5 EAG responses of female T. radiata to these compounds were further investigated through EAG dose-response experiments. The results showed positive dose-responses as concentrations increased from 0.01 to 10 µg/µl. In Y-tube olfactometer bioassays, female T. radiata exhibited a preference for specific compounds. They were significantly attracted to tetradecanal at a concentration of 10 µg/µl and trans-2-nonenal at 0.01 µg/µl, while no significant attraction was observed toward hexanal, heptanal, or n-heptadecane. Our report is the first to demonstrate that volatiles produced by D. citri nymphs attract T. radiata, which suggests that this parasitoid may utilize nymph volatiles to locate its host.

Enhanced nitrogen removal by an isolated aerobic denitrifying strain in a vertical-flow constructed wetland.

The addition of bacterial agents is an effective method for improving nitrogen removal from wetlands. Herein, an aerobic denitrifier, RC-15, was added to a vertical-flow constructed wetland (CW), and the presence of functional genes and microbial communities was investigated at different CW depths. For the RC-15-treated CW, the removal of NO3- and TN during the process was significantly greater than in the control. Quantitative PCR revealed that nirS is a dominant denitrifying gene for treating WWTP tailwater. Moreover, the presence of the RC-15 strain significantly enhanced the abundance of the napA gene and nirK gene in the CWs. The napA gene was concentrated in the upper layer of the CWs, and the nirK gene was concentrated in the middle and bottom layers. Compared to the control, the addition of the bacterial agent Trial resulted in a more diverse denitrification pathway, a greater abundance of 16Sr RNA, and a greater number of denitrifying strains. According to the microbial community analysis, Proteobacteria and Chloroflexi dominated denitrification in the CWs. Greater abundances of Thauera, Aeromonas and Ardenticatenales were found at the genus level, indicating that these genera have potential applications in future nitrogen removal projects.

The Polysaccharides from Pinellia ternata and Their Derivatives: Preparation, Structure Characteristics, and Activities in Vitro.

Three polysaccharides, PTC, PTH, and PTB, were extracted from Pinellia ternata using three different extraction conditions: room temperature water, hot water, and 2 % Na2CO3 solution. PTC and PTH were composed of rhamnose, glucose, galactose, mannose, glucuronic acid, galacturonic acid, and arabinose, which combine to form complex structures. PTB was composed solely of glucose and rhamnose. Further analysis indicated that PTC and PTB exhibited triple-helix structures. PTC showed the highest scavenging capacity against DPPH, superoxide anion, and hydroxyl radicals, with half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of 1004.1, 1584.1, and 1584.1 µg/mL, respectively. Additionally, PTC, PTH, and PTB were subjected to sulfation, phosphorylation, and selenization, resulting in the production of nine derivates. The distinctive absorptive bands of these derivates were determined through infrared spectroscopy. Selenized and sulfated derivates have shown significant antitumor and immunoenhancing properties. Our findings revealed that at 400 µg/mL, the inhibition rate of selenated PTB on HeLa cells was 54.2 % and that on HepG2 cells was 43.1 %. Additionally, selenized PTC displayed significant immunoenhancing activity, with a proliferation rate of 63.7 % at 400 µg/mL in RAW264.7 cells. These results provide valuable evidence supporting the consideration of polysaccharides from Pinellia ternata as a potential candidate for the development of antineoplastic drugs.

Organization of corticocortical and thalamocortical top-down inputs in the primary visual cortex.

Unified visual perception requires integration of bottom-up and top-down inputs in the primary visual cortex (V1), yet the organization of top-down inputs in V1 remains unclear. Here, we used optogenetics-assisted circuit mapping to identify how multiple top-down inputs from higher-order cortical and thalamic areas engage V1 excitatory and inhibitory neurons. Top-down inputs overlap in superficial layers yet segregate in deep layers. Inputs from the medial secondary visual cortex (V2M) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACA) converge on L6 Pyrs, whereas ventrolateral orbitofrontal cortex (ORBvl) and lateral posterior thalamic nucleus (LP) inputs are processed in parallel in Pyr-type-specific subnetworks (Pyr←ORBvl and Pyr←LP) and drive mutual inhibition between them via local interneurons. Our study deepens understanding of the top-down modulation mechanisms of visual processing and establishes that V2M and ACA inputs in L6 employ integrated processing distinct from the parallel processing of LP and ORBvl inputs in L5.

Joint toxicity of cadmium (II) and microplastic leachates on wheat seed germination and seedling growth.

Cadmium (Cd) pollution ranks first in soils (7.0%) and microplastics usually have a significant adsorption capacity for it, which could pose potential threats to agricultural production and human health. However, the joint toxicity of Cd and microplastics on crop growth remains largely unknown. In this study, the toxic effects of Cd2+ and two kinds of microplastic leachates, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE), on wheat seed germination and seedlings' growth were explored under single and combined conditions. The results showed that Cd2+ solution and two kinds of microplastic leachates stimulated the wheat seed germination process but inhibited the germination rate by 0-8.6%. The combined treatments promoted wheat seed germination but inhibited the seedlings' growth to different degrees. Specifically, the combination of 2.0 mg L-1 Cd2+ and 1.0 mgC L-1 PVC promoted both seed germination and seedlings' growth, but they synergistically increased the antioxidant enzyme activity of seedlings. The toxicity of the PVC leachate to wheat seedlings was stronger than LDPE leachate. The addition of Cd2+ could alleviate the toxicity of PVC leachate on seedlings, and reduce the toxicity of LDPE leachate on seedlings under the same concentration class combinations but aggravated stress under different concentration classes, consistent with the effect on seedlings' growth. Overall, Cd2+, PVC, and LDPE leachates have toxic effects on wheat growth, whether treated under single or combined treatments. This study has important implications for the joint toxicity of Cd2+ solution and microplastic leachates in agriculture.

Tenecteplase versus alteplase for acute ischemic stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized and non-randomized studies.

OBJECTIVE: Alteplase is the current standard of care for acute ischemic stroke. Tenecteplase is a newer fibrinolytic agent with preferable administration and lower costs; however, its comparative effectiveness to alteplase remains uncertain. We set out to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to establish the benefits and harms of tenecteplase versus alteplase for acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to April 2023 for randomized and non-randomized studies that compared tenecteplase versus alteplase for acute ischemic stroke. Paired reviewers independently assessed risk of bias and extracted data. We performed both conventional meta-analyses and Bayesian network meta-analyses (NMA) with random-effects models and used the GRADE approach to evaluate the certainty of evidence. Our primary efficacy outcome was excellent functional outcome at 3 months, defined as a score of 0-1 on the modified Rankin Scale. Our primary safety outcomes were symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: Thirty-six studies were eligible for review, including 12 randomized (n = 5533) and 24 non-randomized studies (n = 44,956). Moderate certainty evidence showed that there was no difference between tenecteplase and alteplase in increasing the proportion of patients achieving excellent functional outcome at 3 months (odds ratio [OR], 1.10; 95% CI 0.98-1.23; risk difference [RD] 2.4%, 95% CI - 0.5 to 5.2), while moderate certainty evidence from NMA suggested that 0.25 mg/kg tenecteplase significantly improved excellent functional outcome at 3 months (OR, 1.16; 95% credible interval 1.02-1.32). Moderate certainty evidence showed that, compared to alteplase, tenecteplase may make little to no difference in the prevalence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (OR, 1.12; 95% CI 0.79-1.59; RD 0.3%, 95% CI - 0.5 to 1.4), and probably reduces all-cause mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.44; 95% CI 0.30-0.64; RD - 4.6%; 95% CI - 5.8 to - 2.9). CONCLUSIONS: Moderate certainty evidence suggested that there was little to no difference between tenecteplase and alteplase in increasing the proportion of patients achieving excellent functional outcome at 3 months and the risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, while compared to alteplase, tenecteplase probably reduce all-cause mortality. Administration of 0.25 mg/kg tenecteplase after acute ischemic stroke is suggestive of increasing the proportion of patients that achieve excellent functional outcome at 3 months.

Investigation of the causal relationship between inflammatory bowel disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus: a Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have been associated, according to various epidemiological research. This study uses Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate the causal link between T2DM and IBD. Methods: To investigate the causal relationship between IBD and T2DM risk using European population data from the genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary datasets, we constructed a two-sample MR study to evaluate the genetically predicted impacts of liability towards IBD outcomes on T2DM risk. As instrumental variables (IVs), we chose 26 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with IBD exposure data. The European T2DM GWAS data was obtained from the IEU OpenGWAS Project database, which contains 298,957 cases as the outcome data. The causal relationship between T2DM and IBD using a reverse MR analysis was also performed. Results: The two-sample MR analysis, with the Bonferroni adjustment for multiple testing, revealed that T2DM risk in Europeans is unaffected by their IBD liability (odds ratio (OR): 0.950-1.066, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.885-1.019, p = 0.152-0.926). The effects of liability to T2DM on IBD were not supported by the reverse MR analysis either (OR: 0.739-1.131, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.651-1.100, p = 0.058-0.832). MR analysis of IBS on T2DM also have no significant causal relationship (OR: 0.003-1.007, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.013-5.791, p = 0.069-0.790). FUMA precisely mapped 22 protein-coding genes utilizing significant SNPs of T2DM acquired from GWAS. Conclusion: The MR study showed that the existing evidence did not support the significant causal effect of IBD on T2DM, nor did it support the causal impact of T2DM on IBD.

CRISPR RNA-Guided Transposases Facilitate Dispensable Gene Study in Phage.

Phages provide a potential therapy for multi-drug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. However, a significant portion of viral genes often remains unknown, posing potential dangers. The identification of non-essential genes helps dissect and simplify phage genomes, but current methods have various limitations. In this study, we present an in vivo two-plasmid transposon insertion system to assess the importance of phage genes, which is based on the V. cholerae transposon Tn6677, encoding a nuclease-deficient type I-F CRISPR-Cas system. We first validated the system in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 and its phage S1. We then used the selection marker AcrVA1 to protect transposon-inserted phages from CRISPR-Cas12a and enriched the transposon-inserted phages. For a pool of selected 10 open-reading frames (2 known functional protein genes and 8 hypothetical protein genes) of phage S1, we identified 5 (2 known functional protein genes and 3 hypothetical protein genes) as indispensable genes and the remaining 5 (all hypothetical protein genes) as dispensable genes. This approach offers a convenient, site-specific method that does not depend on homologous arms and double-strand breaks (DSBs), holding promise for future applications across a broader range of phages and facilitating the identification of the importance of phage genes and the insertion of genetic cargos.

ERK-activated CK-2 triggers blastema formation during appendage regeneration.

Appendage regeneration relies on the formation of blastema, a heterogeneous cellular structure formed at the injury site. However, little is known about the early injury-activated signaling pathways that trigger blastema formation during appendage regeneration. Here, we provide compelling evidence that the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-activated casein kinase 2 (CK-2), which has not been previously implicated in appendage regeneration, triggers blastema formation during leg regeneration in the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana. After amputation, CK-2 undergoes rapid activation through ERK-induced phosphorylation within blastema cells. RNAi knockdown of CK-2 severely impairs blastema formation by repressing cell proliferation through down-regulating mitosis-related genes. Evolutionarily, the regenerative role of CK-2 is conserved in zebrafish caudal fin regeneration via promoting blastema cell proliferation. Together, we find and demonstrate that the ERK-activated CK-2 triggers blastema formation in both cockroach and zebrafish, helping explore initiation factors during appendage regeneration.

Efficacy and safety of Shenbai Granules for recurrent colorectal adenoma: A multicenter randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal adenoma is benign glandular tumor of colon, the precursor of colorectal cancer. But no pharmaceutical medication is currently available to treat and prevent adenomas. PURPOSE: To evaluate efficacy of Shenbai Granules, an herbal medicine formula, in reducing the recurrence of adenomas. STUDY DESIGN: This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted by eight hospitals in China. METHODS: Patients who had received complete polypectomy and were diagnosed with adenomas within the recent 6 months were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either Shenbai granules or placebo twice a day for 6 months. An annual colonoscopy was performed during the 2-year follow-up period. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with at least one adenoma detected in the modified intention-to-treat (mITT) population during follow-up for 2 years. The secondary outcomes were the proportion of patients with sessile serrated lesions and other specified polypoid lesions. The data were analyzed using logistic regression. RESULTS: Among 400 randomized patients, 336 were included in the mITT population. We found significant differences between treatment and placebo groups in the proportion of patients with at least one recurrent adenoma (42.5 % vs. 58.6 %; OR, 0.47; 95 % CI, 0.29-0.74; p = 0.001) and sessile serrated lesion (1.8 % vs. 8.3 %; OR, 0.20; 95 % CI, 0.06-0.72; p = 0.01). There was no significant difference in the proportion of patients developing polypoid lesions (70.7 % vs. 77.5 %; OR, 1.43; 95 % CI, 0.88-2.34; p = 0.15) or high-risk adenomas (9.0 % vs. 13.6 %; OR, 0.63; 95 % CI, 0.32-1.25; p = 0.18). CONCLUSION: Shenbai Granules significantly reduced the recurrence of adenomas, indicating that they could be an effective option for adenomas. Future studies should investigate its effects in larger patient populations and explore its mechanism of action to provide more comprehensive evidence for the use of Shenbai Granules in adenoma treatment.

The MemTrax memory test for detecting and assessing cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease.

INTRODUCTION: A valid, reliable, accessible measurement for the early detection of cognitive decline in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) is in urgent demand. The objective of the study is to assess the clinical utility of the MemTrax Memory Test in detecting cognitive impairment in patients with PD. METHODS: The MemTrax, a fast on-line cognitive screening tool based on continuous recognition task, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) were administered to 61 healthy controls (HC), 102 PD patients with normal cognition (PD-N), 74 PD patients with mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI) and 52 PD patients with dementia (PD-D). The total percent correct (MTx- %C), average response time (MTx-RT), composite score (MTx-Cp) of MemTrax and the MoCA scores were comparatively analyzed. RESULTS: The MoCA scores were similar between HC and PD-N, however, MTx- %C and MTx-Cp were lower in PD-N than HC(p < 0.05). MTx- %C, MTx-Cp and the MoCA scores were significantly lower in PD-MCI versus PD-N and in PD-D versus PD-MCI (p ≤ 0.001), while MTx-RT was statistically longer in PD-D versus PD-MCI (p ≤ 0.001). For PD groups, the MemTrax performance correlated with the MoCA scores. To detect PD-MCI, the optimal MTx- %C and MTx-Cp cutoff were 75 % and 50.0, respectively. To detect PD-D, the optimal MTx- %C, MTx-RT and MTx-Cp cutoff were 69 %, 1.341s and 40.6, respectively. CONCLUSION: The MemTrax provides rapid, valid and reliable metrics for assessing cognition in PD patients which could be useful for identifying PD-MCI at early stage and monitoring cognitive function decline during the progression of disease.

A systematic survey of adaptive trials shows substantial improvement in methods is needed.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the design, conduct, and analysis of adaptive trials through a systematic survey and provide recommendations for future adaptive trials. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases up to January 2020. We included trials that were self-described as adaptive trials or applied adaptive designs. We identified three frequently used adaptive designs and summarized their methodological details in terms of design, conduct, and analysis. Lastly, we provided recommendations for future adaptive trials. RESULTS: We included a total of 128 trials in this study. The primary motivations for using adaptive design were to speed up the trials and facilitate decision-making (n = 29, 31.5%). The three most frequently used methods were group sequential design (GSD) (n = 71, 55.5%), adaptive dose-finding design (ADFD) (n = 35, 27.3%), and adaptive randomization design (ARD) (n = 26, 20.3%). The timing and frequency of interim analysis were detailed in three-fourths of the GSD trials (n = 55, 77.5%) and in half of the ADFD trials (n = 19, 54.3%); however, more than half of the ARD trials (n = 15, 57.7%) did not provide this information. Some trials selected a different outcome than the primary outcome for interim analysis (GSD: n = 7, 12.7%; ADFD: n = 8, 27.6%; ARD: n = 7, 50.0%), but the majority of these trials did not provide explicit reasons for this choice (GSD: n = 7, 100.0%; ADFD: n = 7, 87.5%; ARD: n = 5, 71.4%). More than half (n = 76, 59.4%) of trials did not mention the accessibility of supporting documents, and two-thirds (n = 86, 67.2%) did not state the establishment of independent data monitoring committees (IDMCs). Moreover, unplanned adjustments were observed during the conduct of one-sixth adaptive trials (n = 22, 17.2%). Based on our findings, we provide 14 recommendations for improving adaptive trials in the future. CONCLUSION: Substantial improvements were needed in methods of adaptive trials, particularly in the areas of interim analysis, the establishment of independent data monitoring committees, and unplanned adjustments. In this study, we offer recommendations from both general and specific aspects for researchers to carefully design, conduct, and analyze adaptive trials.

Progress of Mesoporous Silica Coated Gold Nanorods for Biological Imaging and Cancer Therapy.

For unique surface plasmon absorption and fluorescence characteristics, gold nanorods have been developed and widely employed in the biomedical field. However, limitations still exist due their low specific surface area, instability and tendency agglomerate in cytoplasm. Mesoporous silica materials have been broadly applied in field of catalysts, adsorbents, nanoreactors, and drug carriers due to its unique mesoporous structure, highly comparative surface area, good stability and biocompatibility. Therefore, coating gold nanorods with a dendritic mesopore channels can effectively prevent particle agglomeration, while increasing the specific surface area and drug loading efficiency. This review discusses the advancements of GNR@MSN in synthetic process, bio-imaging technique and tumor therapy. Additionally, the further application of GNR@MSN in imaging-guided treatment modalities is explored, while its promising superior application prospect is highlighted. Finally, the issues related to in vivo studies are critically examined for facilitating the transition of this promising nanoplatform into clinical trials.