Identification of Mycoviruses in the Pathogens of Fragrant Pear Valsa Canker from Xinjiang in China.

As a common disease, canker seriously affects the yield and quality of fragrant pear due to the lack of effective control measures. Some fungi have been reported to harbor rich reservoirs of viral resources, and some mycoviruses can be used as biocontrol agents against plant diseases. In this study, 199 isolates were obtained from diseased branches of fragrant pear in the main production areas of Xinjiang. Among them, 134 belonged to Valsa spp., identified using morphological and molecular biological techniques, in which V. mali was the dominant species. The mycoviruses in Valsa spp. were further identified using metatranscriptomic sequencing and RT-PCR. The results revealed that a total of seven mycoviruses were identified, belonging to Botourmiaviridae, Endornaviridae, Fusariviridae, Hypoviridae, Mitoviridae, and Narnaviridae, among which Phomopsis longicolla hypovirus (PlHV) was dominant in all the sample collection regions. The Cryphonectria hypovirus 3-XJ1 (CHV3-XJ1), Botourmiaviridae sp.-XJ1 (BVsp-XJ1), and Fusariviridae sp.-XJ1 (Fvsp-XJ1) were new mycoviruses discovered within the Valsa spp. More importantly, compared with those in the virus-free Valsa spp. strain, the growth rate and virulence of the VN-5 strain co-infected with PlHV and CHV3-XJ1 were reduced by 59% and 75%, respectively, and the growth rate and virulence of the VN-34 strain infected with PlHV were reduced by 42% and 55%, respectively. On the other hand, the horizontal transmission efficiency of PlHV decreased when PlHV was co-infected with CHV3-XJ1, indicating that PlHV and CHV3-XJ1 were antagonistic. In summary, the mycoviruses in Valsa spp. were identified in Xinjiang for the first time, and three of them were newly discovered mycoviruses, with two strains yielding good results. These results will offer potential biocontrol resources for managing pear canker disease and provide a theoretical basis for the control of fruit tree Valsa canker disease.

Color components determination and full-length comparative transcriptomic analyses reveal the potential mechanism of carotenoid synthesis during Paphiopedilum armeniacum flowering.

Background: Paphiopedilum armeniacum (P. armeniacum), an ornamental plant native to China, is known for its distinctive yellow blossoms. However, the mechanisms underlying P. armeniacum flower coloration remain unclear. Methods: We selected P. armeniacum samples from different flowering stages and conducted rigorous physicochemical analyses. The specimens were differentiated based on their chemical properties, specifically their solubilities in polar solvents. This key step enabled us to identify the main metabolite of flower color development of P. armeniacum, and to complete the identification by High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) based on the results. Additionally, we employed a combined approach, integrating both third-generation full-length transcriptome sequencing and second-generation high-throughput transcriptome sequencing, to comprehensively explore the molecular components involved. Results: We combined physical and chemical analysis with transcriptome sequencing to reveal that carotenoid is the main pigment of P. armeniacum flower color. Extraction colorimetric method and HPLC were used to explore the characteristics of carotenoid accumulation during flowering. We identified 28 differentially expressed carotenoid biosynthesis genes throughout the flowering process, validated their expression through fluorescence quantification, and discovered 19 potential positive regulators involved in carotenoid synthesis. Among these candidates, three RCP2 genes showed a strong potential for governing the PDS and ZDS gene families. In summary, our study elucidates the fundamental mechanisms governing carotenoid synthesis during P. armeniacum flowering, enhancing our understanding of this process and providing a foundation for future research on the molecular mechanisms driving P. armeniacum flowering.

Microvesicle-Embedded Solid-liquid Composite Coating for the Tribological Behavior Regulation and Long-Acting Lubrication.

Friction interfaces in liquid-embedded composite lubrication coatings commonly comprise a combination of discontinuous fluid films and rough solid contact surfaces, which together ensure easy shearing and a prolonged wear life. However, achieving high efficacy in mixed lubrication poses a challenge due to the conflicting nature of enhanced migration freedom for the liquid lubricant and increased mechanical strength of the solid matrix. Recent efforts have focused on incorporating reinforcing fillers to develop multicomponent, multiphase composites that can address this paradox. Here, we describe a modified attapulgite (APT) with strong biphasic wettability via the oil decompressive osmosis treatment on APT nanocontainers grafted with long nonpolar alkyl chains. This modified APT enables control over the size, distribution, and mobility of lubricant droplets by constructing a Pickering emulsion and toughens the solid-phase matrix through dispersion strengthening. Additionally, the introduction of APT induces the formation of a solid tribofilm during friction, which possesses a higher oil adsorption capacity, as verified through first-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT). Consequently, the fluid films can be replenished by the fracture of nanocontainers and adsorption from the bulk phase; further comprehensive and effective regulation of the friction interface leads to low friction and wear.

[Prediction of Soil Bacterial Community Structure and Function in Minqin Desert-oasis Ecotone Artificial Haloxylon ammodendron Forest].

Exploring the effects of artificial Haloxylon ammodendron forest planting on the structure and function of a desert soil bacterial community provides data reference for soil micro-ecological restoration and land quality improvement in desert oasis transition zones. Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology and PICRUSt2 functional prediction analysis were used to identify and analyze the structure and function of soil bacterial communities, and the Mantel correlation test and RDA analysis were used to explain the physicochemical factors affecting the structure and function of soil bacterial communities. The results showed that:① the soil bacterial OTU number, Chao1 index, and Shannon index were significantly higher in the H. ammodendron forest than in the mobile dune soil, and the PCoA analysis and Adonis test showed significant differences in the soil bacterial community structure between H. ammodendron and mobile dune soil (P=0.001). ② A total of 34 phyla, 89 classes, 174 orders, 262 families, and 432 genera of bacteria were detected in all samples, and the phyla Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Chloroflexi accounted for 76.05% of the relative abundance of soil bacteria, which belonged to the dominant soil bacteria, among which the relative abundance of Actinobacteria in H. ammodendron forest soil was extremely significantly higher than that in mobile dune soil (P < 0.01). ③PICRUSt2 function prediction revealed that the soil bacterial community of H. ammodendron forest included six categories of primary functions and 28 categories of secondary functions, among which the metabolism of carbohydrates, metabolism of amino acids, and metabolism of cofactors and vitamins were all greater than 10% in relative abundance and were the main metabolic functions of H. ammodendron forest soil bacteria. ④ The planting of H. ammodendron forest significantly improved the nutrient content of soil organic matter and other nutrients. Soil pH, organic matter, total nitrogen, and fast-acting phosphorus were the main physicochemical factors affecting the bacterial community, with soil organic matter significantly affecting the soil bacterial community structure (P < 0.05) and metabolic function (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the artificial H. ammodendron forest helped to increase desert soil microbial diversity, increase the relative abundance of soil bacterial metabolic function genes, and improve the desert soil microenvironment.

Room-Temperature Ferromagnetism in Epitaxial Bilayer FeSb/SrTiO3(001) Terminated with a Kagome Lattice.

Two-dimensional (2D) magnets exhibit unique physical properties for potential applications in spintronics. To date, most 2D ferromagnets are obtained by mechanical exfoliation of bulk materials with van der Waals interlayer interactions, and the synthesis of single- or few-layer 2D ferromagnets with strong interlayer coupling remains experimentally challenging. Here, we report the epitaxial growth of 2D non-van der Waals ferromagnetic bilayer FeSb on SrTiO3(001) substrates stabilized by strong coupling to the substrate, which exhibits in-plane magnetic anisotropy and a Curie temperature above 390 K. In situ low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy and density-functional theory calculations further reveal that an Fe Kagome layer terminates the bilayer FeSb. Our results open a new avenue for further exploring emergent quantum phenomena from the interplay of ferromagnetism and topology for application in spintronics.

Mechanism of Antidepressant Action of (2R,6R)-6-Hydroxynorketamine (HNK) and Its Compounds: Insights from Proteomic Analysis.

The effects of HNK, I5, and I6 on the expression of protein in hippocampus of depressed mice were studied by isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) to explore the mechanism of their antidepressant action. HNK, I5, and I6 were administered intragastric administration once a day in the morning for 7 days. The drug was subsequently discontinued for 7 days (without any treatment). On the 15th day, mice in each group were given the drug (1.0, 10.0, 30.0 mg/kg) intragastric stimulation and mouse hippocampal tissues were taken to perform iTRAQ to identify differentially expressed proteins, and bioinformatics was used to analyze the functional enrichment of the differentially expressed proteins. Compared with Ctr group, the number of differentially expressed proteins in HNK, I5, and I6 treatment groups was 158, 88, and 105, respectively. The three groups shared 29 differentially expressed proteins. In addition, compared with HNK group, the number of differentially expressed proteins in I5 and I6 groups was 201 and 203, respectively. A total of 47 and 56 differentially expressed proteins were co-expressed in I5 and I6 groups. Bioinformatics analysis showed that these differentially expressed proteins mainly had the functions of binding, biocatalysis, and transport, and mainly participated in cellular process, biological regulation process, biological metabolism process, and stress reaction process. GO and KEGG pathway analysis found that these differentially expressed proteins were involved long-term potentiation, G13 pathway, platelet activation pathway, and MAPK signaling pathway. HNK, I5, and I6 antidepressants are closely related to sudden stress sensitivity, stress resistance, neurotransmitter, and metabolic pathways. This study provides a scientific basis to further elucidate the mechanism and clinical application of HNK, I5, and I6 antidepressants.

Single-cell transcriptome analyses reveal cellular and molecular responses to low nitrogen in burley tobacco leaves.

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) is cultivated and consumed worldwide. It requires great amounts of nitrogen (N) to achieve the best yield and quality. With a view to sustainable and environmentally friendly agriculture, developing new genotypes with high productivity under low N conditions is an important approach. It is unclear how genes in tobacco are expressed at the cellular level and the precise mechanisms by which cells respond to environmental stress, especially in the case of low N. Here, we characterized the transcriptomes in tobacco leaves grown in normal and low-N conditions by performing scRNA-seq. We identified 10 cell types with 17 transcriptionally distinct cell clusters with the assistance of marker genes and constructed the first single-cell atlas of tobacco leaves. Distinct gene expression patterns of cell clusters were observed under low-N conditions, and the mesophyll cells were the most important responsive cell type and displayed heterogene responses among its three subtypes. Pseudo-time trajectory analysis revealed low-N stress decelerates the differentiation towards mesophyll cells. In combination with scRNA-seq, WGCNA, and bulk RNA-seq results, we found that genes involved in porphyrin metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, carbon fixation, photosynthesis, and photosynthesis-antenna pathway play an essential role in response to low N. Moreover, we identified COL16, GATA24, MYB73, and GLK1 as key TFs in the regulation of N-responsive genes. Collectively, our findings are the first observation of the cellular and molecular responses of tobacco leaves under low N stress and lay the cornerstone for future tobacco scRNA-seq investigations.

Epstein-Barr virus infection with non-tumor-associated Anti-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate receptor encephalitis: a case report and review of literature.

To study a case of a middle-aged male with a non-tumor-associated Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection associated with Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis (NMDARE), to explore the role of EBV in the pathogenesis of anti-NMDARE. The patient was diagnosed with "Anti-NMDARE, EBV infection" by using Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) autoimmune encephalitis profile, and Metagenomics Next-Generation Sequencing (mNGS) pathogenic microbial assays, we discuss the relationship between EBV and NMDARE by reviewed literature. EBV infection may trigger and enhance anti-NMDARE, and the higher the titer of NMDAR antibody, the more severe the clinical presentation.

Proline Metabolism Process and Antioxidant Potential of Lycium ruthenicum Murr. in Response to NaCl Treatments.

Salinity influences the level of antioxidants and proline content, which are both involved in the regulation of stress responses in plants. To examine the interplay between the antioxidant system and proline metabolism in plant stress acclimation, explants of Lycium ruthenicum were subjected to NaCl treatments, and the growth characteristics, antioxidant enzyme activities, proline accumulation, and metabolic enzyme content were analyzed. The results revealed that NaCl concentrations between 50 to 150 mM have a positive effect on the growth of L. ruthenicum explants. Increasing NaCl concentrations elevated the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), while hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content was inhibited, suggesting that the elevated antioxidants play a central protective role in superoxide anion (O2•-) and H2O2 scavenging processes in response to NaCl treatments. Also, high proline levels also protect antioxidant enzyme machinery, thus protecting the plants from oxidative damage and enhancing osmotic adjustment. Increasing levels of pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS), pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (P5CR), and ornithine-δ-aminotransferase (δ-OAT) were observed, resulting in elevated level of proline. In addition, the expression levels of LrP5CS1, -2, -3, LrOAT-1, and -2 were promoted in NaCl treatments. According to the combined analysis of metabolic enzyme activities and their relative expression, it is confirmed that the glutamate (Glu) pathway is activated in L. ruthenicum faced with different levels of NaCl concentrations. However, Glu supplied by δ-OAT is fed back into the main pathway for proline metabolism.

Modeling Impacts of Urbanization on Winter Boundary Layer Meteorology and Aerosol Pollution in the Central Liaoning City Cluster, China.

The influence of urbanization on the frequent winter aerosol pollution events in Northeast China is not fully understood. The Weather Research and Forecasting Model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) coupled with urban canopy (UC) models was used to simulate the impact of urbanization on an aerosol pollution process in the Central Liaoning city cluster (CLCC), China. To investigate the main mechanisms of urban expansion and UC on the winter atmospheric environment and the atmospheric diffusion capacity (ADC) in the CLCC, three simulation cases were designed using land-use datasets from different periods and different UC schemes. A comparative analysis of the simulation results showed that the land-use change (LU) and both LU and UC (LUUC) effects lead to higher surface temperature and lower relative humidity and wind speed in the CLCC by decreasing surface albedo, increasing sensible heat flux, and increasing surface roughness, with a spatial distribution similar to the distribution of LU. The thermal effect leads to an increase in atmospheric instability, an increase in boundary layer height and diffusion coefficient, and an increase in the ADC. The LU and LUUC effects lead to a significant decrease in near-surface PM2.5 concentrations in the CLCC due to changes in meteorological conditions and ADC within the boundary layer. The reduction in surface PM2.5 concentrations due to the LU effect is stronger at night than during daytime, while the LUUC effect leads to a greater reduction in surface PM2.5 concentrations during the day, mainly due to stronger diffusion and dilution caused by the effect of urban turbulence within different levels caused by the more complex UC scheme. In this study, the LU and LUUC effects result in greater thermal than dynamic effects, and both have a negative impact on surface PM2.5 concentrations, but redistribute pollutants from the lower urban troposphere to higher altitudes.

Association Between Serum Cystatin C and Cognitive Decline Independently from Creatinine: Evidence from Two Nationally Representative Aging Cohorts.

BACKGROUND: Studies on the association between cystatin C based estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFRcys) and cognitive outcomes yielded inconsistent results. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to examine the potential association of eGFRcys with subsequent cognitive decline rate. METHODS: A total of 11,503 community-based participants were involved in our analyses, including 5,837 (aged 72.9±6.3; 58.6% women) in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) from the US and 5,666 (aged 58.1±9.2; 49.0% women) in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The association of eGFRcys with subsequent cognitive decline rate was evaluated by linear mixed models. RESULTS: During 85,266 person-years of follow-up, both baseline elevated serum cystatin C (-0.048 standard deviation [SD]/year per mg/L; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.060 to -0.036; p < 0.001) and decreased eGFRcys (0.026 SD/year per 30 mL/min/1.73m2; 95% CI, 0.020 to 0.032; p < 0.001) were associated with faster cognitive decline rate after full adjustment. Compared with those had eGFRcys ≥90 mL/min/1.73m2, participants with eGFRcys between 60 to 90 mL/min/1.73m2 (-0.012 SD/year; 95% CI, -0.020 to -0.004; p = 0.004) and those with eGFRcys <60 mL/min/1.73m2 (-0.048 SD/year; 95% CI, -0.058 to -0.039; p < 0.001) experienced statistically significantly faster cognitive decline after adjustment. The associations were independent from serum creatinine/eGFRcre (eGFR that was calculated from serum creatinine). CONCLUSION: Decreased eGFRcys are significantly associated with faster cognitive decline after full adjustment, independently from serum creatinine/eGFRcre. Serum cystatin C might be a risk factor or a prodromal biomarker of cognitive decline.

Identification and transcriptome data analysis of ARF family genes in five Orchidaceae species.

The Orchidaceae is a large family of perennial herbs especially noted for the exceptional diversity of specialized flowers. Elucidating the genetic regulation of flowering and seed development of orchids is an important research goal with potential utility in orchid breeding programs. Auxin Response Factor (ARF) genes encode auxin-responsive transcription factors, which are involved in the regulation of diverse morphogenetic processes, including flowering and seed development. However, limited information on the ARF gene family in the Orchidaceae is available. In this study, 112 ARF genes were identified in the genomes of 5 orchid species (Apostasia shenzhenica, Dendrobium catenatum, Phalaenopsis aphrodite, Phalaenopsis equestris and Vanilla planifolia,). These genes were grouped into 7 subfamilies based on their phylogenetic relationships. Compared with the ARF family in model plants, such as Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa, one group of ARF genes involved in pollen wall synthesis has been lost during evolution of the Orchidaceae. This loss corresponds with absence of the exine in the pollinia. Through mining of the published genomic and transcriptomic data for the 5 orchid species: the ARF genes of subfamily 4 may play an important role in flower formation and plant growth, whereas those of subfamily 3 are potentially involved in pollen wall development. the study results provide novel insights into the genetic regulation of unique morphogenetic phenomena of orchids, which lay a foundation for further analysis of the regulatory mechanisms and functions of sexual reproduction-related genes in orchids.

Emergence of Corona Is Independent of the Four Whorls of Floral Organs in Narcissus tazetta.

Plants of the genus Narcissus are well-known for their characteristic corona morphology, which structural origins have been a bone of contention among scholars. With "Jinzhanyintai" (JZ) and "Yulinglong" (YLL)-two major close-originated cultivars of Chinese narcissus (Narcissus tazetta L. var. chinensis Roem)-as materials, anatomic observation was made on floral organs during corona morphogenesis by dissection with hands under a stereomicroscope, paraffin section, scanning electron microscopy, and high-resolution X-ray tomography. It was uncovered that corona primordia of both cultivars appeared following the end of the differentiation of other floral organs, with differentiation sites located at the inner wall of the juncture of the base of tepals and the upper margin of the hypanthium. Affected by staminal filaments, the corona primordia of JZ experienced a three-stage differentiation process, namely blockage from the second whorl of stamens, blockage from the first whorl of stamens, and healing of corona primordia. However, the expanded spatial structure of the first whorl of petal-like stamens blocked the path of differentiation of YLL corona primordia, giving rise to slow differentiation of the corona primordia at the base of the first whorl of petal-like stamens and malformed differentiation of the corona primordia in the interval between the two whorls of petal-like stamens. Thus, a fragmented structure consisting of typical and fragmented coronas was formed. Furthermore, petal-like stamens of YLL in the lower part had a corona-like morphology. The spatio-temporal specificity of corona differentiation convincingly demonstrates that the corona is a structure independent of and different from the typical four whorls of floral organs, but also highly correlated with stamen.

Associations of cumulative depressive symptoms with subsequent cognitive decline and adverse health events: Two prospective cohort studies.

BACKGROUND: The course of depression is variable; however, few studies examined the relationship between long-term cumulative depressive symptoms and adverse health outcomes in the elderly. METHODS: In this cohort study, we used data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) over 24 years and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) over 16 years. Cumulative depressive symptoms were estimated by calculating the areas under the curve based on the Center for Epidemiological Research Depression scale assessed at four examinations. Outcomes include cognitive decline, incident dementia, cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: A total of 8284 American (mean age: 60.1 years; male: 35.4 %) and 4314 British (60.1 years; 42.4 %) were included in the analysis. The median follow-up was 16.1 years in the HRS and 9.9 years in the ELSA. Similar results were observed in two cohorts. Comparing with the first tertile of cumulative depressive symptoms, the third tertile experienced faster cognitive decline (p = 0.013 in the ELSA and p < 0.001 in the HRS), increased risk of dementia (both p < 0.001), CVD (both p < 0.001) and all-cause mortality (p = 0.002 in the HRS). Strong dose-response relationships were observed. We did not found clearly association between cumulative depressive symptoms and incident cancer. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that long-term cumulative depressive symptoms were associated with subsequent faster cognitive decline and greater risks for dementia, CVD and all-cause mortality, but not cancer. These findings provide insights on potential effective strategy that may improve health in the elderly, future clinical trials are needed to determine causality.

Utility of SCORE2 risk algorithm for predicting life course accelerated frailty and physical function decline.

BACKGROUND: Frailty is a dynamic process that increases with ageing, while it remains unclear whether cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk algorithm could predict life course dynamic frailty trajectories, for example, the longitudinal patterns of how frailty evolves with time. We intended to examine the predictive utility of the Systemic Coronary Risk Estimation 2 (SCORE2) algorithm for life course accelerated frailty and physical function decline, in comparison with the precedent SCORE algorithm. METHODS: Longitudinal data regarding accumulation of deficits frailty index (FI) and physical function (grip strength, gait speed, peak expiratory flow and timed chair rises) were drawn from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and Health and Retirement Study (HRS), two nationally representative cohorts with community-dwelling adults aged ≥50 years. SCORE and SCORE2 were calculated at baselines following European Society of Cardiology guidelines. A group-based trajectory modelling approach was used for identifying potential life course frailty trajectories, based on 14- and 12-year FI data in the ELSA and HRS. Modified Poisson regression and linear mixed model were applied for analysing associations between SCORE2 with accelerated frailty trajectory and physical function decline, respectively. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was conducted to evaluate predictive utility for accelerated frailty increase trajectory of SCORE and SCORE2, with the area under the curve (AUC) compared using the paired DeLong's test. RESULTS: A total of 4834 participants from the ELSA and 7815 participants from the HRS were included (mean age: 64.0 ± 9.2 and 65.4 ± 9.9 years; men: 44.3% and 41.4%, respectively). Three frailty trajectories were consistently identified in both cohorts: (1) stable frailty increase (n = 3026 in ELSA and 4004 in HRS); (2) moderate frailty increase (n = 1325 in ELSA and 2955 in HRS); (3) accelerated frailty increase (n = 483 in ELSA and 856 in HRS). Each 10% increment in SCORE2 risk was associated with the higher risk of accelerated frailty increase (risk ratio [RR]: 3.58, 95% confidence interval [CI] [3.22, 3.98], P < 0.001 in ELSA; RR: 1.61, 95% CI [1.56, 1.67], P < 0.001 in HRS) and faster declines in all physical function measurements. SCORE2 algorithm showed good accuracy for predicting accelerated frailty increase (area under the curve [AUC] in ELSA: 0.759; HRS: 0.744), with better performance than the SCORE (AUC in ELSA: 0.729; HRS: 0.700) in both cohorts (P < 0.001 for comparison). CONCLUSIONS: SCORE2 algorithm could serve good utility for predicting life course accelerated frailty increase and physical function decline among community-dwelling non-frail adults aged ≥50 years.

Development and validation of a deep learning algorithm based on fundus photographs for estimating the CAIDE dementia risk score.

BACKGROUND: the Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Incidence of Dementia (CAIDE) dementia risk score is a recognised tool for dementia risk stratification. However, its application is limited due to the requirements for multidimensional information and fasting blood draw. Consequently, an effective and non-invasive tool for screening individuals with high dementia risk in large population-based settings is urgently needed. METHODS: a deep learning algorithm based on fundus photographs for estimating the CAIDE dementia risk score was developed and internally validated by a medical check-up dataset included 271,864 participants in 19 province-level administrative regions of China, and externally validated based on an independent dataset included 20,690 check-up participants in Beijing. The performance for identifying individuals with high dementia risk (CAIDE dementia risk score ≥ 10 points) was evaluated by area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) with 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: the algorithm achieved an AUC of 0.944 (95% CI: 0.939-0.950) in the internal validation group and 0.926 (95% CI: 0.913-0.939) in the external group, respectively. Besides, the estimated CAIDE dementia risk score derived from the algorithm was significantly associated with both comprehensive cognitive function and specific cognitive domains. CONCLUSIONS: this algorithm trained via fundus photographs could well identify individuals with high dementia risk in a population setting. Therefore, it has the potential to be utilised as a non-invasive and more expedient method for dementia risk stratification. It might also be adopted in dementia clinical trials, incorporated as inclusion criteria to efficiently select eligible participants.

C-reactive protein and coronary atheroma regression following statin therapy: A meta-regression of randomized controlled trials.

Objective: Several clinical trials have indicated that statins stabilize and reverse atherosclerotic plaque. However, different studies have provided inconsistent findings regarding mechanisms and influencing factors of plaque regression under statin therapy. Apart from lipid-lowering effect, statins have pleiotropic effects including anti inflammation in humans. In this study, meta-analysis and meta-regression were used to determine the effects of statin medications on coronary plaque volume. Meanwhile, to assess whether statins promote plaque regression effect was related to their anti-inflammatory ability, the impact of CRP/hsCRP reduction during statin therapy on plaque regression was investigated. Methods: Up to June 15, 2022, a systematic PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane search was performed for randomized controlled trials that assessed treatment effect using total atheroma volume (TAV), percent atheroma volume (PAV), or plaque volume (PV). Only CRP/hsCRP and LDL-C values reported before and after treatment were considered. Results: 12 studies (2,812 patients with heart and/or vascular disease) fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review. A meta-analysis of 15 statin-treated arms reported a significant reduction in change of TAV/PV [standardized mean difference (SMD): -0.27, 95% confidence intervals (-CI): -0.42, -0.12, p < 0.001], compared with the control arms. Another meta-analysis of 7 trials also found that patients in the intervention group had a significant reduction in change of PAV (SMD: -0.16, 95% CI: -0.29, -0.03, p = 0.019), compared with those in the control group. Meta-regressionanalysis revealed that the percent change of CRP/hsCRP was significantly associated with SMD in change of TAV/PV after adjusting for percent change of LDL-C, age, gender and study duration. Meta-regression analysis showed that percent change of CRP/hsCRP statistically influenced SMD in change of PAV, when percent change of CRP/hsCRP was included separately. However, the percent change of CRP/hsCRP was not significantly associated with SMD of PAV change after adjusting for all covariates. Conclusion: In conclusion, statin therapy is beneficial for plaque regression. Statins promote plaque regression, which might be associated to their anti-inflammatory ability.

Associations of physical activity participation trajectories with subsequent motor function declines and incident frailty: A population-based cohort study.

Background: Maintaining physical function and delaying frailty are of significant importance in both quality of life and health longevity for successful aging. The objective of this study is to investigate whether different trajectories of long-term physical activity (PA) participation are associated with subsequent motor function declines and incident frailty in middle-aged and elderly adults. Materials and methods: Data from 8,227 aged ≥ 50 years adults enrolled in the English Longitudinal Study of Aging were analyzed. Long-term PA participation trajectories were assessed using group-based trajectory modeling over the first 6-year period from wave 1 (2002-2003) to wave 4 (2008-2009). The longitudinal associations of PA trajectories with motor function declines and incident frailty were evaluated by a linear mixed model and Cox regression model, respectively, with follow-up of 10 years from wave 4 to wave 9 (2018-2019). Results: Five distinct trajectories of long-term PA participation were identified in the aging cohort, including persistently low-active trajectory (N = 2,039), increasing active trajectory (N = 1,711), declining active trajectory (N = 216), persistently moderate-active trajectory (N = 2,254), and persistently high-active trajectory (N = 2,007). Compared with the persistently low-active group, the participants in persistently moderate- and high-active groups experienced significantly decelerated grip strength decline, decreased gait speed decline, and faster chair rises after multiple-adjustment. Similarly, participants maintaining moderate- and high-active PA were also associated with a lower risk of incident frailty (multiple-adjusted hazard ratio: 0.70, 95% confidence interval: 0.62-0.80, and 0.42, 95% CI: 0.36-0.49, respectively), compared with those with persistently low PA. Notably, the participants with the increasing active trajectory got similar health benefits as those with persistently moderate and high levels of PA. Conclusion: In addition to persistent PA, increasing PA was linked to a slower decline in motor function and lower risk of incident frailty in the cohort. Our findings suggest that regular PA is never too late.

Community composition and trophic mode diversity of fungi associated with fruiting body of medicinal Sanghuangporus vaninii.

BACKGROUND: The microbial symbionts of macrofungal fruiting body have been shown to play momentous roles in host growth, development, and secondary metabolism. Nevertheless, there is no report on the fungal diversity of Sanghuangporus, a medicinal and edible homologous macrofungus as "forest gold", which has good effects on antioxidation, boosting immunity and curing stomachache. Here, the diversity and functional group of fungi associated with the fruiting body of the most widely applied S. vaninii were characterized by high-throughput sequencing and FUNGuild tool for the first time. RESULTS: Total 11 phyla, 34 classes, 84 orders, 186 families, and 328 genera were identified in the fruiting body, and our results revealed that the fungal community was dominated by the host fungal taxonomy with absolute superiority (more than 70%), namely, Basidiomycota, Agaricomycetes, Hymenochaetales, Hymenochaetaceae, and genus of Phellinus corrected to Sanghuangporus. Simultaneously, the reads allocated into non-host fungal operational taxonomic units were largely dominated by Ascomycota, Sordariomycetes, Sordariales, Mortierellaceae, and Mortierella. Furthermore, the endophytic fungi were assigned into three trophic modes of "saprotroph" (53.2%), "symbiotroph" (32.2%), and "pathotroph" (14.1%), in which the category of "plant pathogen" was highest enriched with relative abundance of 91.8%, indicating that the endophytic fungi may have the potential to adjust the growth and metabolism of host S. vaninii. CONCLUSION: Altogether, this report firstly provided new findings that can be inspiring for further in-depth studies to exploit bioactive microbial resources for increased production of Sanghuangporus via coculture, as well as to explore the relationship between macrofungi and their associated endophytes.