Ultrasmall CuMn-His Nanozymes with Multienzyme Activity at Neutral pH: Construction of a Colorimetric Sensing Array for Biothiol Detection and Disease Identification.

Biothiol assays offer vital insights into health assessment and facilitate the early detection of potential health issues, thereby enabling timely and effective interventions. In this study, we developed ultrasmall CuMn-Histidine (His) nanozymes with multiple enzymatic activities. CuMn-His enhanced peroxidase (POD)-like activity at neutral pH was achieved through hydrogen bonding and electrostatic effects. In addition, CuMn-His possesses laccase (LAC)-like and superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activities at neutral pH. Based on three different enzyme mimetic activities of CuMn-His at neutral pH, the colorimetric sensing array without changing the buffer solution was successfully constructed. The array was successfully used for the identification of three biothiols, glutathione (GSH), cysteine (Cys), and homocysteine (Hcy). Subsequently, excellent application results were shown in complex serum and cellular level analyses. This study provides an innovative strategy for the development of ultrasmall bimetallic nanozymes with multiple enzymatic activities and the construction of colorimetric sensing arrays.

Cellular and Molecular Insights into the Divergence of Neural Stem Cells on Matrigel and Poly-l-lysine Interfaces.

Poly-l-lysine (PLL) and Matrigel, both classical coating materials for culture substrates in neural stem cell (NSC) research, present distinct interfaces whose effect on NSC behavior at cellular and molecular levels remains ambiguous. Our investigation reveals intriguing disparities: although both PLL and Matrigel interfaces are hydrophilic and feature amine functional groups, Matrigel stands out with lower stiffness and higher roughness. Based on this diversity, Matrigel surpasses PLL, driving NSC adhesion, migration, and proliferation. Intriguingly, PLL promotes NSC differentiation into astrocytes, whereas Matrigel favors neural differentiation and the physiological maturation of neurons. At the molecular level, Matrigel showcases a wider upregulation of genes linked to NSC behavior. Specifically, it enhances ECM-receptor interaction, activates the YAP transcription factor, and heightens glycerophospholipid metabolism, steering NSC proliferation and neural differentiation. Conversely, PLL upregulates genes associated with glial cell differentiation and amino acid metabolism and elevates various amino acid levels, potentially linked to its support for astrocyte differentiation. These distinct transcriptional and metabolic activities jointly shape the divergent NSC behavior on these substrates. This study significantly advances our understanding of substrate regulation on NSC behavior, offering novel insights into optimizing and targeting the application of these surface coating materials in NSC research.

Association of short-chain fatty acids and the gut microbiome with type 2 diabetes: Evidence from the Henan Rural Cohort.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Human studies about short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), the gut microbiome, and Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are limited. Here we explored the association between SCFAs and T2DM and the effects of gut microbial diversity on glucose status in rural populations. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed a cross-sectional study from the Henan Rural Cohort and collected stool samples. Gut microbiota composition and faecal SCFA concentrations were measured by 16S rRNA and GC-MS. The population was divided based on the tertiles of SCFAs, and logistic regression models assessed the relationship between SCFAs and T2DM. Generalized linear models tested the interactions between SCFAs and gut microbial diversity on glucose indicators (glucose, HbAlc and insulin). Compared to the lowest tertile of total SCFA, acetate and butyrate, the highest tertile exhibited lower T2DM prevalence, with ORs and 95% CIs of 0.291 (0.085-0.991), 0.160 (0.044-0.574) and 0.171 (0.047-0.620), respectively. Restricted cubic spline demonstrated an approximately inverse S-shaped association. We also noted interactions of the ACE index with the highest tertile of valerate on glucose levels (P-interaction = 0.022) and the Shannon index with the middle tertile of butyrate on insulin levels (P-interaction = 0.034). Genus Prevotella_9 and Odoribacter were inversely correlated with T2DM, and the genus Blautia was positively associated with T2DM. These bacteria are common SCFA-producing members. CONCLUSIONS: Inverse S-shaped associations between SCFAs (total SCFA, acetate, and butyrate) and T2DM were observed. Valerate and butyrate modify glucose status with increasing gut microbial diversity.

Environmentally related microcystin-LR-induced ovarian dysfunction via the CCL2-CCR10 axis in mice ameliorated by dietary mulberry.

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) is a reproductive toxin produced by cyanobacteria in the aquatic environment and can be ingested by humans through drinking water and the food chain, posing a threat to human reproductive health. However, the toxic mechanisms and prospective interventions for MC-LR-induced ovarian dysfunction at environmental doses are unknown. The mulberry fruit is a traditional natural product of plant origin, with various pharmacological effects, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Here, mice were exposed to MC-LR (10, 100 µg/L) in drinking water for 90 days, during which mice were gavage 600 mg/kg/week of mulberry fruit extract (MFE). It was found that MC-LR can accumulate in mouse ovaries, causing sexual hormone disturbance, inflammatory infiltration, and ovarian pathological damage. Results from RNA-seq were shown that CCL2, a chemokine associated with inflammatory response, was significantly increased in mouse ovary after MC-LR exposure. Further investigation revealed that MC-LR exposure aggravates apoptosis of granulosa cells via the CCL2-CCR10 axis-mediated Jak/Stat pathway. Importantly, MFE can significantly ameliorate these ovarian dysfunction phenotypes by inhibiting the activation of the CCL2-CCR10 axis. This study broadened new insights into the ovarian toxicity of MC-LR and clarified the pharmacological effects of mulberry fruit on ovarian function protection.

Ultrasound characteristics of normal parathyroid glands and analysis of the factors affecting their display.

BACKGROUND: Parathyroid glands are important endocrine glands, and the identification of normal parathyroid glands is crucial for their protection. The aim of this study is to explore the sonographic characteristics of normal parathyroid glands and analyze the factors affecting their display. METHODS: Seven hundred three subjects who underwent physical examination at our hospital were included. The number, location, size, morphology, echogenicity and blood flow distribution of parathyroid glands were recorded. The ultrasound characteristics and display rate were also summarized. Meanwhile, shear wave elastography was performed in 50 cases to provide the stiffness measurements, and 26 cases received contrast-enhanced ultrasonography for the assessment of microcirculatory perfusion. Furthermore, we analyzed the factors affecting parathyroid display, including basic information of the subjects and ultrasound features of the thyroid. RESULTS: ① A total of 1038 parathyroid glands were detected, among which, 79.29% were hyperechoic, 20.71% were isoechoic, 88.15% were oval-shaped, and 86.71% had blood flow of grade 0-I. ② 81.79% of the subjects had at least one parathyroid gland detected. ③ The Emean, Emax, PI and AUC of the parathyroid glands were significantly lower than those of the adjacent thyroid tissue (P < 0.05). ④ The display of normal parathyroid glands was related to BMI, thyroid echogenicity and thyroid volume of the subjects (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Normal parathyroid glands tend to appear as oval-shaped hyperechoic nodules with blood flow of grade 0-I. BMI, thyroid echogenicity and thyroid volume are independent factors affecting the display of parathyroid glands.

Cellulose and JbKOBITO 1 mediate the resistance of NaHCO3-tolerant chlorella to saline-alkali stress.

Carbonate stress has profound impacts on both agricultural and industrial production. Although a number of salinity-tolerant genes have been reported and applied in plants, there is a lack of research on the role of cell wall-related genes in resistance to carbonate. Likewise, in industry, current strategies have not been able to more effectively address the conflict between stress-induced microalgal biofuel accumulation and microalgal growth inhibition. It is of great significance to study the adaptation mechanism of carbonate-tolerant organisms and to explore related genes for future genetic modification. In this study, the role of the cell wall in the NaHCO3-tolerant chlorella JB17 was investigated. We found that JB17 possesses a relatively thick cell wall with a thickness of 300-600 nm, which is much higher than that of the control chlorella with a thickness of about 100 nm. Determination of the cell wall polysaccharide fractions showed that the cellulose content in the JB17 cell wall increased by 10.48% after NaHCO3 treatment, and the decrease in cellulose levels by cellulase digestion inhibited its resistance to NaHCO3. Moreover, the saccharide metabolome revealed that glucose, rhamnose, and trehalose levels were higher in JB17, especially rhamnose and trehalose, which were almost 40 times higher than in control chlorella. Gene expression detection identified an up-regulated expressed gene after NaHCO3 treatment, JbKOBITO1, overexpression of which could improve the NaHCO3 tolerance of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. As it encodes a glycosyltransferase-like protein that is involved in cellulose synthesis, the strong tolerance of JB17 to NaHCO3 may be partly due to the up-regulated expression of JbKOBITO 1 and JbKOBITO 1-mediated cellulose accumulation. The above results revealed a critical role of cellulose in the NaHCO3 resistance of JB17, and the identified NaHCO3-tolerance gene will provide genetic resources for crop breeding in saline-alkali soils and for genetic modification of microalgae for biofuel production.

Boosting reactivity of water-gas shift reaction by synergistic function over CeO2-x/CoO1-x/Co dual interfacial structures.

Dual-interfacial structure within catalysts is capable of mitigating the detrimentally completive adsorption during the catalysis process, but its construction strategy and mechanism understanding remain vastly lacking. Here, a highly active dual-interfaces of CeO2-x/CoO1-x/Co is constructed using the pronounced interfacial interaction from surrounding small CeO2-x islets, which shows high activity in catalyzing the water-gas shift reaction. Kinetic evidence and in-situ characterization results revealed that CeO2-x modulates the oxidized state of Co species and consequently generates the dual active CeO2-x/CoO1-x/Co interface during the WGS reaction. A synergistic redox mechanism comprised of independent contribution from dual functional interfaces, including CeO2-x/CoO1-x and CoO1-x/Co, is authenticated by experimental and theoretical results, where the CeO2-x/CoO1-x interface alleviates the CO poison effect, and the CoO1-x/Co interface promotes the H2 formation. The results may provide guidance for fabricating dual-interfacial structures within catalysts and shed light on the mechanism over multi-component catalyst systems.

Real-Time Detection Algorithm for Kiwifruit Canker Based on a Lightweight and Efficient Generative Adversarial Network.

Disease diagnosis and control play important roles in agriculture and crop protection. Traditional methods of identifying plant disease rely primarily on human vision and manual inspection, which are subjective, have low accuracy, and make it difficult to estimate the situation in real time. At present, an intelligent detection technology based on computer vision is becoming an increasingly important tool used to monitor and control crop disease. However, the use of this technology often requires the collection of a substantial amount of specialized data in advance. Due to the seasonality and uncertainty of many crop pathogeneses, as well as some rare diseases or rare species, such data requirements are difficult to meet, leading to difficulties in achieving high levels of detection accuracy. Here, we use kiwifruit trunk bacterial canker (Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae) as an example and propose a high-precision detection method to address the issue mentioned above. We introduce a lightweight and efficient image generative model capable of generating realistic and diverse images of kiwifruit trunk disease and expanding the original dataset. We also utilize the YOLOv8 model to perform disease detection; this model demonstrates real-time detection capability, taking only 0.01 s per image. The specific contributions of this study are as follows: (1) a depth-wise separable convolution is utilized to replace part of ordinary convolutions and introduce noise to improve the diversity of the generated images; (2) we propose the GASLE module by embedding a GAM, adjust the importance of different channels, and reduce the loss of spatial information; (3) we use an AdaMod optimizer to increase the convergence of the network; and (4) we select a real-time YOLOv8 model to perform effect verification. The results of this experiment show that the Fréchet Inception Distance (FID) of the proposed generative model reaches 84.18, having a decrease of 41.23 compared to FastGAN and a decrease of 2.1 compared to ProjectedGAN. The mean Average Precision (mAP@0.5) on the YOLOv8 network reaches 87.17%, which is nearly 17% higher than that of the original algorithm. These results substantiate the effectiveness of our generative model, providing a robust strategy for image generation and disease detection in plant kingdoms.

Occurrence Regionalization of Kiwifruit Brown Spot in Sichuan.

Kiwifruit brown spot caused by Corynespora cassiicola is the most significant fungal disease in Sichuan, resulting in premature defoliation, which had a significant impact on yield and fruit quality. The objective of the study was to determine the occurrence regularity and suitability of kiwifruit brown spot in Sichuan. The occurrence of the disease in the main producing region was continuously monitored, the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model was used to predict its potential distribution, and the key environmental variables were identified using the jackknife method. The results indicated that kiwifruit brown spot was widely distributed across the entire producing region in Sichuan, predominantly affecting the variety "Hongyang". The incidence (p < 0.01) and disease index (p < 0.05) showed a significant positive correlation with the cultivar, and decreased with the altitude increasing. The average area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 10 replicates was 0.933 ± 0.012, with an accuracy of 84.44% in a field test, confirming the reliability of the predicted results. The highly suitable distribution areas of kiwifruit brown spot were mainly located in the Chengdu and Ya'an regions. The entire Panzhihua region was an unsuitable distribution area, and the entire Pujiang County and Mingshan District were highly suitable distribution areas. The key environmental variables affecting the potential distribution of kiwifruit brown spot included isothermality (24.3-33.7%), minimum temperature in August (16.3-23.6 °C), maximum temperature in July (25.5-31.2 °C), minimum temperature in June (15.6-20.9 °C), precipitation in August (158-430 mm), and average temperature in October (15.6-18.8 °C). This study provides a theoretical basis for the reasonable layout of the cultivar and the precise prevention and control of the disease.

CircPLXNB2 regulates acute myeloid leukemia progression through miR-654-3p/CCND1 axis.

BACKGROUND: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a common hematological malignancy. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are newly discovered endogenous non-coding RNAs that play important roles in regulating gene expression in cancer biology. The aim of this study was to identify novel prognostic and therapeutic targets associated with AML. METHODS: The expression levels of circRNA Plexin B2 (circPLXNB2), microRNA-654-3p (miR-654-3p) and cyclin D1 protein (CCND1) mRNA were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The stability of circPLXNB2 was determined by RNase R and Actinomycin D assays. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and 5'-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EDU) assays were used to detect cell proliferation. Western blot was used to detect protein content. Cell apoptosis and cell cycle distribution were detected by flow cytometry. The relationship between miR-654-3p and circPLXNB2 or CCND1 was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS: CircPLXNB2 was highly expressed in AML patients and cells, and circPLXNB2 was more stable than linear PLXNB2. Knockdown of circPLXNB2 affected the proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle distribution of AML cells. CircPLXNB2 acted as a sponge for miR-654-3p and affected the progression of AML cells by targeting miR-654-3p. CCND1 was targeted by miR-654-3p, and miR-654-3p suppressed AML progression by targeting CCND1. CircPLXNB2 regulated CCND1 expression through sponging miR-654-3p. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, circPLXNB2 was highly expressed in AML patients and cells and modulated tumor progression by regulating the circPLXNB2/miR-654-3p/CCND1 axis, suggested that circPLXNB2 might be a new therapeutic target for AML treatment.

Surface Functional Modification by Ti3 C2 Tx MXene on PLLA Nanofibers for Optimizing Neural Stem Cell Engineering.

Optimizing cell substrates by surface modification of neural stem cells (NSCs), for efficient and oriented neurogenesis, represents a promising strategy for treating neurological diseases. However, developing substrates with the advanced surface functionality, conductivity, and biocompatibility required for practical application is still challenging. Here, Ti3 C2 Tx MXene is introduced as a coating nanomaterial for aligned poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) nanofibers (M-ANF) to enhance NSC neurogenesis and simultaneously tailor the cell growth direction. Ti3 C2 Tx MXene treatment provides a superior conductivity substrate with a surface rich in functional groups, hydrophilicity, and roughness, which can provide biochemical and physical cues to support NSC adhesion and proliferation. Moreover, Ti3 C2 Tx MXene coating significantly promotes NSC differentiation into both neurons and astrocytes. Interestingly, Ti3 C2 Tx MXene acts synergistically with the alignment of nanofibers to promote the growth of neurites, indicating enhanced maturation of these neurons. RNA sequencing analysis further reveals the molecular mechanism by which Ti3 C2 Tx MXene modulates the fate of NSCs. Notably, surface modification by Ti3 C2 Tx MXene mitigates the in vivo foreign body response to implanted PLLA nanofibers. This study confirms that Ti3 C2 Tx MXene provides multiple advantages for decorating the aligned PLLA nanofibers to cooperatively improve neural regeneration.

The moderation of satisfaction with working conditions in the association between workload and mental health among healthcare workers collecting test samples in the post-COVID-19 era.

Background: This study aimed to examine the associations between workload and satisfaction with working conditions and mental health (i.e., anxiety disorder, depression, and somatization) of healthcare workers collecting test samples during the local outbreaks of COVID-19, and explore satisfaction with working conditions as a moderator of these relationships. Methods: A total of 1,349 participants were obtained via an online survey in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China. Multivariate regression was used to assess the associations between workload and satisfaction with working conditions and anxiety disorder, depression, and somatization. The simple slope analysis and Johnson-Neyman technique were used to assess the effect value and change trend of the moderator. Results: The prevalence of anxiety disorder, depression, and somatization were 8.6, 6.9, and 19.2% of healthcare workers collecting test samples, respectively. High levels of workload were associated with an increased risk of an anxiety disorder (OR = 1.81, 95%CI = 1.17-2.78), depression (OR = 1.92, 95%CI = 1.19-3.10), and somatization (OR = 1.90, 95%CI = 1.40-2.57), while high satisfaction of working conditions was associated with a reduction in the risk of these outcomes, and ORs (95%CI) were 0.35 (0.20-0.64), 0.27 (0.13-0.56), and 0.32 (0.21-0.48), respectively. The findings also indicated that a weaker association between workload and anxiety disorder, as well as depression and somatization, has been reported in those with a high level of satisfaction with working conditions. Conclusion: Workload significantly increased the risk of healthcare workers suffering from psychological problems, while satisfaction with working conditions alleviated these negative effects, and effective resource support was crucial for healthcare workers.

Toward nanotechnology-enabled application of bilirubin in the treatment and diagnosis of various civilization diseases.

Bilirubin, an open chain tetrapyrrole, has powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immuno-suppressive, metabolic-modulating and anti-proliferative activities. Bilirubin is a natural molecule that is produced and metabolized within the human body, making it highly biocompatible and well suited for clinical use. However, the use of bilirubin has been hampered by its poor water solubility and instability. With advanced construction strategies, bilirubin-derived nanoparticles (BRNPs) have not only overcome the disadvantages of bilirubin but also enhanced its therapeutic effects by targeting damaged tissues, passing through physiological barriers, and ensuring controlled sustained release. We review the mechanisms underlying the biological activities of bilirubin, BRNP preparation strategies and BRNP applications in various disease models. Based on their superior performance, BRNPs require further exploration of their efficacy, biodistribution and long-term biosafety in nonhuman primate models that recapitulate human disease to promote their clinical translation.

Effects of bilirubin on the development and electrical activity of neural circuits.

In the past several decades, bilirubin has attracted great attention for central nervous system (CNS) toxicity in some pathological conditions with severely elevated bilirubin levels. CNS function relies on the structural and functional integrity of neural circuits, which are large and complex electrochemical networks. Neural circuits develop from the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells, followed by dendritic and axonal arborization, myelination, and synapse formation. The circuits are immature, but robustly developing, during the neonatal period. It is at the same time that physiological or pathological jaundice occurs. The present review comprehensively discusses the effects of bilirubin on the development and electrical activity of neural circuits to provide a systematic understanding of the underlying mechanisms of bilirubin-induced acute neurotoxicity and chronic neurodevelopmental disorders.

Association between attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccines and mental health among 140,259 college students in China.

Background: With the launch of the COVID-19 vaccines, the vaccination rate has become a hot issue of concern. However, the evidence for the relationship between college students' attitudes toward vaccines and anxiety and depressive symptoms has been limited. Methods: In total, 140,259 college students were recruited using a cluster sampling method in Zhengzhou, Xinxiang, Xinyang city of Henan Province, China, May 21-27, 2021. Anxiety symptoms were determined by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder tool (GAD-7) and depressive symptoms were determined by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Multiple logistic regression was performed to estimate the association between students' attitudes toward the vaccines and anxiety and depressive symptoms. Results: The results indicate that 22.45% of students are unclear whether the vaccine can protect them from infection and 45.57% are unclear whether the vaccine is safe and has no side effects. In addition, after adjusting, the model showed that students who think vaccines can protect them and are safe had 0.128 (95%CI 0.110-0.150; Ptrend < 0.001) times lower risk of anxiety compared to their counterparts who think vaccines can neither protect them nor are safe. Similar ORs were found in depression (aOR = 0.157; 95%CI 0.137-0.180). Conclusion: This large-scale study has shown an association between symptoms of anxiety and depression and reluctance to obtain vaccination. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10389-023-01830-7.

Comparison and Correlation of Corynespora cassiicola Populations from Kiwifruit and Other Hosts Based on Morphology, Phylogeny, and Pathogenicity.

Corynespora leaf spot, which is caused by Corynespora cassiicola (Berk. & M. A. Curtis) C.T. Wei (C. cassiicola), has been globally reported in many plant species. 'Hongyang' was reported as highly sensitive kiwifruit cultivar to C. cassiicola. This cultivar is an important germplasm resource in the Actinidiaceae family and is widely cultivated throughout China. Even though C. cassiicola has been identified as the pathogen associated with kiwifruits in China, the C. cassiicola population from kiwifruit has not been characterized based on morphology, phylogeny, and pathogenicity. In this study, 133 and 48 representative C. cassiicola isolates from kiwifruit and 11 other hosts, respectively, recovered from symptomatic leaves were classified into eight morphological subgroups based on host origins. Using three loci (rDNA ITS, caa5, and act1), a phylogenetic tree showed that C. cassiicola isolates in Sichuan Province were grouped into three clades. All kiwifruit isolates were genetically identical to the rubber isolates from different countries. However, most isolates from other hosts in this study were genetically identical to the cucumber, soybean, and cowpea isolates in China, Brazil, and the United States, and two strawberry isolates clustered with isolates from tomato and other hosts in China, Brazil, and the United States. Furthermore, we confirmed host shift of C. cassiicola among different plant species in this study. Although 51 isolates from kiwifruit and different hosts were pathogenic to kiwifruit, blueberry, cucumber, and soybean, virulence levels of the pathogen were diverse for four hosts. Kiwifruit isolates exhibited host specificity with regards to the original host in degree. In addition, those isolates revealed a correlation between morphology and pathogenicity. The results suggest that C. cassiicola in Sichuan Province were derived from three different phylogenetic lineages. Promotion of the susceptible 'Hongyang' cultivar led to the emergence of a regnant C. cassiicola population from kiwifruit. In conclusion, rapid development of the C. cassiicola-sensitive crop in agricultural systems led to the emergence of a regnant C. cassiicola population. In some dominant populations (e.g., the C. cassiicola population from kiwifruit in this study), host origin was found to be a key factor influencing the morphologic, genetic, and pathogenic characterization of C. cassiicola.

A Frontline, Rapid, Nucleic Acid-Based Fusarium circinatum Detection System Using CRISPR/Cas12a Combined with Recombinase Polymerase Amplification.

Pitch canker caused by the fungus Fusarium circinatum is a damaging disease that affects pines in Europe, South Africa, and North America in both the southeast and west coast of the United States. Several countries, including China, have listed F. circinatum as a quarantine pathogen. Timely detection, an important pillar of the quarantine effort, can efficiently prevent the introduction of F. circinatum into new areas or facilitate management and eradication strategies in already infested sites. In this study, we developed an F. circinatum detection technique based on a combination of recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) with CRISPR/Cas12a technology (termed RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a). After obtaining DNA, this novel method can be utilized for the molecular identification of F. circinatum using the naked eye and can specifically detect F. circinatum at DNA concentrations as low as 200 fg within 30 min at 37°C. The system is sensitive for both standard laboratory samples and samples from the field. In summary, we have developed a simple, rapid, sensitive, unaided-eye visualization, RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a-based detection system for the molecular identification of F. circinatum that does not require technical expertise or expensive ancillary equipment.

Recombinase Polymerase Amplification-Lateral Flow Dipstick Assay for Rapid Detection of Fusarium circinatum Based on a Newly Identified Unique Target Gene.

Pitch canker caused by the fungus Fusarium circinatum is an important disease affecting pine trees in Europe and South Africa. Several countries, including China, have listed F. circinatum as a quarantine pathogen. Therefore, timely detection of F. circinatum could efficiently prevent its introduction into new areas or facilitate spread management in already infected sites. In this study, a recombinase polymerase amplification-lateral flow dipstick (RPA-LFD) assay was developed for rapid detection of F. circinatum based on a new target gene, Fcir2067, identified from whole-genome sequences. The assay was highly specific to F. circinatum. In fact, it exclusively detected F. circinatum isolates; 53 isolates of fungal and oomycete species and 2 nematodes of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus and B. mucronatus were not detected. By detecting as little as 10 pg of F. circinatum genomic DNA in a 50-µl reaction, the RPA-LFD assay was 10 times more sensitive than conventional PCR assays. F. circinatum was also detected in artificially inoculated pine needles of Cedrus deodara. These results demonstrated that the developed RPA-LFD assay has the potential for rapid detection of F. circinatum in regions at high risk of infection. The RPA-LFD assay might serve as an alternative method for the early detection of F. circinatum.

The impact of cumulative ecological risks on health risk behaviors among college students in Henan Province / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To determine the current prevalence of health risk behaviors among college students in Henan Province, and to conduct an in depth analysis of the impact of cumulative ecological risks on health risk behaviors, so as to provide scientific basis for promoting healthy development of adolescents.@*Methods@#Using a multi stage stratified cluster sampling method, 9 743 college students from six universities in Henan Province were included as the research subjects from April to June 2023. A questionnaire survey was conducted using the College Student Cumulative Ecological Risk Scale and the China Urban Adolescent Health Related Behavior Survey Questionnaire (University Version). Data were analyzed by descriptive statistical analysis, Chi square test and binary Logistic regression.@*Results@#The reporting rates of unhealthy eating behavior, unhealthy weight loss behaviors, lack of physical activity, daily risk behaviors, negative emotions, current smoking behavior current drinking behaviors, Internet addiction emotions and dangerous sexual behaviors among college students in Henan Province were 40.2%, 39.5%, 76.0%, 13.7%, 28.1%, 11.3%, 12.7%, 5.9% and 2.2%, respectively. The reporting rates of negative emotions, current smoking behaviors, current drinking behaviors, dangerous sexual behaviors and daily risk behaviors of college students were higher in boys than in girls ( χ 2=44.00, 995.20, 902.49, 121.95, 103.09, P <0.05). In terms of reporting rates of unhealthy diet, unhealthy weight loss and lack of exercise behavior, girls were higher than boys ( χ 2=107.59, 13.01, 145.83, P <0.05). Cumulative ecological risk was positively correlated with overall health risk behaviors. For every unit increase in the cumulative ecological risk index, the risk of health risk behaviors among college students increased by 48%.@*Conclusions@#The prevalence of health risk behaviors among college students is relatively common. It should adrocate for a healthy lifestyle, reduce the cumulative ecological risk and the occurrence of health risk behaviors to promote the healthy development of adolescents.

Trends of overweight and obesity prevalence in school-aged children among Henan Province from 2000 to 2019.

Objectives: Overweight and obesity are harmful to human health. However, the latest trends of Chinese childhood overweight and obesity prevalence are not available. The aim of this study was to examine the trends from 2000 to 2019 among students in China. Methods: We analyzed data of 66,072 students in the Chinese National Survey on Students' Constitution and Health from 2000 to 2019. Overweight and obesity were defined based on the standard formulated by the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF standard), the World Health Organization (WHO standard), and the Working Group on Obesity in China (WGOC standard), respectively. The χ2-test was used to test the trends of overweight and obesity prevalence and logistic regression was conducted to evaluate the prevalence odds ratios of boys vs. girls and urban vs. rural areas. Results: The prevalence of obesity/overweight and obesity combined was 6.03/23.58% (IOTF standard), 10.56/25.88% (WGOC standard) and 10.75/29.69% (WHO standard) in 2019. From 2000 to 2019, according to the WGOC standard, the prevalence increased from 2.51 to 10.56% for obesity and increased from 9.81 to 25.88% for overweight and obesity combined (P for trend < 0.001). Obesity/overweight and obesity were greater problems in boys than girls and urban than rural areas, but urban-rural differences decreased over time. Conclusion: Overweight and obesity prevalence increased significantly in children and adolescents in China from 2000 to 2019. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in rural areas may contribute to a large percentage of children with overweight and obesity.