Effects of melatonin on sperm quality, enzyme activity, antioxidant gene expression and fertility of cryopreserved bovine semen.

Melatonin (MLT) has strong antioxidant capacity and can reduce the damage caused by oxidative stress in sperm, but there is still little content in the field we have studied. In this study, we are committed to scientific research on adding melatonin to Belgian blue bull semen diluent for cryopreservation. Different concentrations (0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5 or 0.7 mg/mL) of MLT were added diluent. Sperm kinetic parameters, enzyme activity, antioxidant gene expression and fertility were analyzed after thawing. The results showed that MLT concentration of 0.3 mg/mL exerted positive effects on post-thaw kinetic parameters. Compared with other groups, 0.3 mg/mL MLT treated sperm acrosome and plasma membrane integrity, catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels significantly increased. Meanwhile, the mRNA expression of antioxidant genes SOD2, CAT and GPx increased in the 0.3 mg/mL MLT treatment group, and the mRNA expression of apoptosis genes Caspase-3 and Bax were significantly reduced. In addition, in vitro fertilization (IVF) embryo cleavage, blastocyst rate and artificial insemination (AI) pregnancy rate were higher in 0.3 mg/mL MLT. Therefore, MLT showed cryoprotective capacity to the freezing diluent used for Belgian blue bull sperm during the process of freezing-thawing, and the optimal concentration of MLT for the frozen diluent was 0.3 mg/mL.

A single-center, retrospective study of hospitalized patients with lower respiratory tract infections: clinical assessment of metagenomic next-generation sequencing and identification of risk factors in patients.

INTRODUCTION: Lower respiratory tract infections(LRTIs) in adults are complicated by diverse pathogens that challenge traditional detection methods, which are often slow and insensitive. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) offers a comprehensive, high-throughput, and unbiased approach to pathogen identification. This retrospective study evaluates the diagnostic efficacy of mNGS compared to conventional microbiological testing (CMT) in LRTIs, aiming to enhance detection accuracy and enable early clinical prediction. METHODS: In our retrospective single-center analysis, 451 patients with suspected LRTIs underwent mNGS testing from July 2020 to July 2023. We assessed the pathogen spectrum and compared the diagnostic efficacy of mNGS to CMT, with clinical comprehensive diagnosis serving as the reference standard. The study analyzed mNGS performance in lung tissue biopsies and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from cases suspected of lung infection. Patients were stratified into two groups based on clinical outcomes (improvement or mortality), and we compared clinical data and conventional laboratory indices between groups. A predictive model and nomogram for the prognosis of LRTIs were constructed using univariate followed by multivariate logistic regression, with model predictive accuracy evaluated by the area under the ROC curve (AUC). RESULTS: (1) Comparative Analysis of mNGS versus CMT: In a comprehensive analysis of 510 specimens, where 59 cases were concurrently collected from lung tissue biopsies and BALF, the study highlights the diagnostic superiority of mNGS over CMT. Specifically, mNGS demonstrated significantly higher sensitivity and specificity in BALF samples (82.86% vs. 44.42% and 52.00% vs. 21.05%, respectively, p < 0.001) alongside greater positive and negative predictive values (96.71% vs. 79.55% and 15.12% vs. 5.19%, respectively, p < 0.01). Additionally, when comparing simultaneous testing of lung tissue biopsies and BALF, mNGS showed enhanced sensitivity in BALF (84.21% vs. 57.41%), whereas lung tissues offered higher specificity (80.00% vs. 50.00%). (2) Analysis of Infectious Species in Patients from This Study: The study also notes a concerning incidence of lung abscesses and identifies Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Fusobacterium nucleatum, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia psittaci, and Haemophilus influenzae as the most common pathogens, with Klebsiella pneumoniae emerging as the predominant bacterial culprit. Among herpes viruses, EBV and herpes virus 7 (HHV-7) were most frequently detected, with HHV-7 more prevalent in immunocompromised individuals. (3) Risk Factors for Adverse Prognosis and a Mortality Risk Prediction Model in Patients with LRTIs: We identified key risk factors for poor prognosis in lower respiratory tract infection patients, with significant findings including delayed time to mNGS testing, low lymphocyte percentage, presence of chronic lung disease, multiple comorbidities, false-negative CMT results, and positive herpesvirus affecting patient outcomes. We also developed a nomogram model with good consistency and high accuracy (AUC of 0.825) for predicting mortality risk in these patients, offering a valuable clinical tool for assessing prognosis. CONCLUSION: The study underscores mNGS as a superior tool for lower respiratory tract infection diagnosis, exhibiting higher sensitivity and specificity than traditional methods.

Recent advances in cryotolerance biomarkers for semen preservation in frozen form-A systematic review.

Spermatozoa cryopreservation has been practiced for decades and is a very useful technique for long-term preservation of sperm fertility. The capability for semen cryopreservation varies across species, seasons, latitudes, and even for different ejaculates from the same animal. This article summarizes research results on sperm cryotolerance biomarkers in several species, focusing on three areas: spermatozoa cryotolerance biomarkers, seminal plasma proteins cryotolerance biomarkers, and other cryotolerance biomarkers. We discovered that sperm cryoresistance biomarkers are primarily related to sperm plasma membrane stability, the presence of antioxidant substances in sperm or seminal plasma, sperm cell energy metabolism, water and small molecule transport channels in the sperm plasma membrane, and antistress substances in sperm or seminal plasma. The research conducted using diverse livestock models can be employed to enhance the basic and applied reproduction of other mammals through the study of sperm cryotolerance biomarkers, as well as the substantial similarities between livestock and other organisms, including endangered species.

Identification of endocrine-disrupting chemicals targeting key DCM-associated genes via bioinformatics and machine learning.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a primary cause of heart failure (HF), with the incidence of HF increasing consistently in recent years. DCM pathogenesis involves a combination of inherited predisposition and environmental factors. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are exogenous chemicals that interfere with endogenous hormone action and are capable of targeting various organs, including the heart. However, the impact of these disruptors on heart disease through their effects on genes remains underexplored. In this study, we aimed to explore key DCM-related genes using machine learning (ML) and the construction of a predictive model. Using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, we screened differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and performed enrichment analyses of Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways related to DCM. Through ML techniques combining maximum relevance minimum redundancy (mRMR) and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression, we identified key genes for predicting DCM (IL1RL1, SEZ6L, SFRP4, COL22A1, RNASE2, HB). Based on these key genes, 79 EDCs with the potential to affect DCM were identified, among which 4 (3,4-dichloroaniline, fenitrothion, pyrene, and isoproturon) have not been previously associated with DCM. These findings establish a novel relationship between the EDCs mediated by key genes and the development of DCM.

Photodissociation of CO2 via the 1Πg state: Wavelength-dependent imaging studies of O(1D2) photoproducts.

Photodissociation of CO2 via the 1Πg state is investigated using a time-sliced velocity-mapped ion imaging apparatus combined with a tunable vacuum ultraviolet photolysis source. The main O(1D2) + CO(X1Σ+) channel is directly observed from the measured images of O(1D2) photoproducts at 129.08-134.76 nm. The total kinetic energy release spectra determined based on these images show that the energetic thresholds for the O(1D2) + CO(X1Σ+) photoproducts correspond to the thermochemical thresholds for the photodissociation of CO2(v2 = 0) and CO2(v2 = 1). One significant difference among the CO(X1Σ+, v) vibrational distributions for the predominant CO2(v2 = 0) dissociation is that the population of CO(v = 0) becomes favorable at 130.23-133.45 nm compared to the Boltzmann-like component (v > 0) that always exists at 129.08-134.76 nm. The wavelength dependences of the overall ß are found to follow the variation trend of the CO(v = 0) abnormal intensity. The vibrational state-specific ß values present a roughly decreasing trend with an increase in v, whereas ß(v = 0) appears to be significantly larger than ß(v = 1) at 130.23-133.45 nm compared to 134.76 and 129.08 nm. The non-statistical CO(v = 0) with larger ß values at 130.23-133.45 nm implies that an additional pathway may open through the conical intersection coupling to the dissociative 21A' state, except for the ever-existing pathway that yields the Boltzmann-like component. In contrast, at 129.08 nm, the restoration of the statistical equilibrium in the CO(X1Σ+, v) vibrational distribution may be caused by the emergence of novel dissociation pathways arising from the participation of the 31A″ state.

Preservation of Simmental bull sperm at 0°C in Tris dilution: effect of dilution ratio and long-distance transport.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the impact of the dilution ratio of Tris diluent, storage at 0°C, and long-distance transportation on the spermatozoa of Simmental cattle. It also validated the feasibility of the regional distribution of fresh semen. METHODS: In experiment 1, semen was diluted at four dilution ratios (1:6, 1:9, 1:12, and 1:15) to determine the optimal dilution ratio of Tris diluent. In experiment 2, we assessed sperm viability, progressive motility (objectively assessed by computer-assisted sperm analyzer), and acrosome intactness in Tris dilutions kept at constant 0°C for 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 days. We compared them to Tianshan livestock dilutions (Commercial diluent). In experiment 3, semen was diluted using Tris diluent, and sperm quality was measured before and after long-distance transport. Artificial insemination of 177 Simmental heifers compared to 156 using Tianshan Livestock dilution. RESULTS: The outcomes demonstrated that 1:9 was the ideal Tris diluent dilution ratio. The sperm viability, Progressive Motility, and acrosome integrity of both Tris and Tianshan dilutions preserved at 0°C gradually decreased over time. sperm viability was above 50% for both dilutions on d 9, with a flat rate of decline. The decrease in acrosome integrity rate was faster for Tianshan livestock dilutions than for Tris dilutions when stored at 0°C for 1 to 6 days. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) in sperm viability between semen preserved in Tris diluent after long-distance transportation and semen preserved in resting condition. The conception rates for Tris dilution and Tianshan livestock dilution were 49.15% and 46.15% respectively, with no significant difference (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: This shows that Tris diluent is a good long-term protectant. It has been observed that fresh semen can be successfully preserved for long-distance transport when stored under 0°C conditions. Additionally, it is feasible to distribute semen regionally.

Corrigendum: Genetic diversity, population structure, and selective signature of sheep in the northeastern Tarim Basin.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1281601.].

Genetic diversity, population structure, and selective signature of sheep in the northeastern Tarim Basin.

Local sheep in the northeastern Tarim Basin can adapt to dry and low-rainfall regional environments. In this study, three local sheep breeds in the northeastern Tarim Basin, LOP (LOP) sheep, Bayinbuluke (BYK) sheep, and Kunlun (KUN, also known as the Qiemo sheep) sheep, and three introduced sheep breeds, Suffolk (SUF) sheep, Dorset (APD) sheep, and Texel (TEX) sheep, were analyzed for genetic diversity, population structure, and selective signature using the Illumina OvineSNP50K BeadChip. We found that LOP, BYK, and KUN had lower observed heterozygosity and expected heterozygosity than TEX, SUF, and ADP, which were differentiated based on geographic distribution. We performed fixation index (FST) analysis on three local sheep breeds in the northeastern Tarim Basin (LOP, BYK, and KUN) and introduced sheep breeds (TEX, SUF, and ADP) to measure genetic differentiation. Nucleotide diversity (PI) analysis was performed on single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data of LOP, BYK, and KUN. A total of 493 candidate genes were obtained by taking the intersection at a threshold of 5%. Among them, SMAD2, ESR2, and HAS2 were related to reproductive traits. PCDH15, TLE4, and TFAP2B were related to growth traits. SOD1, TSHR, and DNAJB5 were related to desert environmental adaptation. Analyzing the genetic patterns of local sheep in the northeastern Tarim Basin can protect the germplasm resources of local sheep and promote the development and utilization of sheep genetic resources.

Metformin ameliorates insulin resistance, thyroid nodules and thyroid function.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the ameliorative impact of metformin on insulin resistance (IR), as well as thyroid nodules (TNs) and function in TN patients with IR. METHODS: The clinical data of 128 TN patients with IR admitted to Yantai Laiyang Central Hospital from July 2018 to March 2020 were retrospectively analyzed and categorized into a control group (CNG, n = 64) and a study group (SG, n = 64). Patients in the CNG received standard lifestyle intervention, while those in the SG received standard lifestyle intervention in conjunction with metformin therapy for 1 year of course. Weight-related indicators, IR, thyroid function, TN diameter, and oxidative stress levels were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. Additionally, the safety of metformin was evaluated. RESULTS: Before treatment, no significant differences were observed between the two groups in fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2-h postprandial glucose (2hPG), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting insulin (FINS), homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), TN diameter, and thyroid volume (P > 0.05). After treatment, significant statistical differences were observed in the aforementioned indicators between the two groups (P < 0.05). After 1 year of treatment, the SG exhibited lower levels of FPG, 2hPG, HbA1c, FINS, HOMA-IR, SBP, DBP, TSH, MDA, TN diameter, and thyroid volume, and showed higher levels of HOMA-ß, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase levels compared to before treatment (P < 0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in the SG was significantly higher than that in the CNG (P < 0.05). Taking metformin and free thyroxine (FT4) were protective factors for TSH (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Metformin could significantly improve IR and oxidative stress levels, regulate TSH levels, and shrink TNs in TN patients with IR, with high safety. The administration of metformin and FT4 were identified as protective factors for positive prognosis.

The novel peptide athycaltide-1 attenuates Ang II-induced pathological myocardial hypertrophy by reducing ROS and inhibiting the activation of CaMKII and ERK1/2.

Pathological myocardial hypertrophy initially develops as an adaptive response to cardiac stress, which can be induced by many diseases. It is accompanied by adverse cardiovascular events, including heart failure, arrhythmias, and death. The purpose of this research was to explore the molecular mechanism of a novel peptide Athycaltide-1 (ATH-1) in the treatment of Ang II-induced pathological myocardial hypertrophy. In this study, the mRNA of Control group, Ang II group, ATH-1 group and Losartan group mice were sequenced by high-throughput sequencing technology. The results showed that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly enriched in cell response to oxidative stress, regulation of reactive oxygen species metabolism and calmodulin binding. Then, the oxidation level of mouse hearts and H9c2 cardiomyocytes in each group and the expression of key proteins of CaMKII/HDAC/MEF2C and ERK1/2 signaling pathways were detected to preliminarily verify the positive effect of ATH-1. At the same time, the effect of ATH-1 was further determined by adding reactive oxygen species (ROS) inhibitor N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and CaMKII inhibitor AIP in vitro. The results showed that ATH-1 could significantly reduce the level of oxidative stress in hypertrophic cardiomyocytes and inhibiting the activation of CaMKII and ERK1/2.

Excitation wavelength dependent S1-state decay dynamics of 2-aminopyridine and 3-aminopyridine.

The decay dynamics of 2-aminopyridine and 3-aminopyridine excited to the S1 state is investigated using femtosecond time-resolved photoelectron imaging. The lifetime of the S1 state for both molecules shows a rapid decrease with the increase of the vibrational energy. It is shown that, besides intersystem crossing to the lower-lying triplet state of T1, the decay to the ground state (S0) via internal conversion through a conical intersection plays an increasingly important role and becomes dominant for vibrational states well above the S1 state origin. The comparison between 2-aminopyridine and 3-aminopyridine suggests that the intramolecular hydrogen bonding between a hydrogen atom of the NH2 group and the heterocyclic nitrogen atom in 2-aminopyridine effectively hinders the ring deformation at lower vibrational states which is required for the wavepacket to reach the S1/S0 conical intersection, and therefore slows down the S1 to S0 internal conversion.

Regulation of Cardiac Cav1.2 Channels by Calmodulin.

Cav1.2 Ca2+ channels, a type of voltage-gated L-type Ca2+ channel, are ubiquitously expressed, and the predominant Ca2+ channel type, in working cardiac myocytes. Cav1.2 channels are regulated by the direct interactions with calmodulin (CaM), a Ca2+-binding protein that causes Ca2+-dependent facilitation (CDF) and inactivation (CDI). Ca2+-free CaM (apoCaM) also contributes to the regulation of Cav1.2 channels. Furthermore, CaM indirectly affects channel activity by activating CaM-dependent enzymes, such as CaM-dependent protein kinase II and calcineurin (a CaM-dependent protein phosphatase). In this article, we review the recent progress in identifying the role of apoCaM in the channel 'rundown' phenomena and related repriming of channels, and CDF, as well as the role of Ca2+/CaM in CDI. In addition, the role of CaM in channel clustering is reviewed.

Rapid Detection of Strawberry Mild Yellow Edge Virus with a Lateral Flow Strip Reverse Transcription Recombinase Polymerase Amplification Assay.

Strawberry mild yellow edge virus (SMYEV) is a latent virus that severely affects the yield and quality of strawberry fruit. The technology suitable for rapid and accurate detection of SMYEV on site is important to effectively control its spread. In this study, a reverse transcription recombinase polymerase amplification combined with lateral flow strip (SMYEV-RT-RPA-LF), targeting the conserved genome of Beijing SMYEV isolate, was established to diagnose SMYEV in strawberries. The SMYEV-RT-RPA-LF assay showed no cross-reaction with other strawberry viruses. The sensitivity of SMYEV-RT-RPA-L assay was 100 times higher than that of RT-PCR (10 pg/µL). In addition, through the detection of suspected samples in the field, it was found that the accuracy of SMYEV-RT-RPA-L assay was consistent with the RT-PCR results. However, compared with RT-PCR, SMYEV-RT-RPA-LF assay has the advantages of simple operation, time savings, and high specificity and sensitivity, indicating the potential application of SMYEV-RT-RPA-LF in the rapid field diagnosis of SMYEV.

Exploration of interaction property between nonylphenol and G protein-coupled receptor 30 based on molecular simulation and biological experiments.

Nonylphenol (NP), a representative of environmental hormones, can cause extensive biological effects in the human body. In this study, we first analyzed the mutual binding modes of NP and G protein coupled estrogen receptor 30 (GPR30) by molecular simulation. The 3D structure of GPR30 was successfully constructed. We found that the binding sites of NP on GPR30 are similar to that of 17ß-Estradiol (E2) on GPR30. The GPR30-E2 bond complex is more stable than GPR30-NP bond complex. Next CCK-8 assay was used to detect the regulatory effect of NP on SKBR-3 cell proliferation. When NP and E2 were used alone, low concentration could promote cell proliferation, while high concentration was the opposite. The presence of E2 can promote the cell proliferation effect of NP, and inhibit the inhibitory intensity. NP could promote both the cell proliferation effect and inhibition intensity of E2. Based on our results, we conclude that the binding modes of NP and GPR30 is similar to that of E2 and GPR30. In biology, NP can play estrogen role by activating GPR30 receptor, but it can also produce cytotoxicity at higher concentration.

A Novel PPG-FMG-ACC Wristband for Hand Gesture Recognition.

Wrist-based hand gesture recognition has the potential to unlock naturalistic human-computer interaction for a vast array of virtual and augmented reality applications. Photoplethysmography (PPG), force myography (FMG), and accelerometry (ACC) have generally been proposed as isolated single sensing modalities for gesture recognition, but any of these alone is inherently limited in the amount of biological information it can collect during finger and hand movements. We thus propose a novel, wrist-based, PPG-FMG-ACC combined sensing approach based on a multi-head attention mechanism fusion convolutional neural network (CNN-AF) for gesture recognition. Nine subjects performed twelve hand gestures involving various wrist and finger postures. Experimental results showed that multi-modal fusion improved classification performance significantly ( p 0.01) compared to any single sensing modality, and the F1-score of the combined PPG-FMG-ACC approach was 40.1% higher than PPG alone, 27.4% higher than ACC alone, and 11.9% higher than FMG alone. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first to combine wrist-based PPG, FMG, and ACC signals for hand gesture recognition. These results could serve to inform wrist-based gesture recognition design (e.g., via a smartwatch) and thus expand the capabilities of intuitive and ubiquitous human-machine interaction.

Effects of Different Energy Diets on FSHR mRNA Expression and DNA Methylation in Promoter Region of Duolang Sheep During Diestrus.

The aim of this study was to study the relationship between the methylation level of the promoter region of follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) gene and the mRNA expression of Duolang sheep fed different energy diets. In this experiment, three groups of diets with different energy levels (dietary nutrient level reference (NY/T816 - 2004)) were designed to obtain medium energy level diets with metabolic energy of 10.88 MJ/d. The treatments with high and low energy levels increased and decreased by 15%, 12.51, and 9.25 MJ/d, respectively, on the basis of medium energy level. Total RNA and genomic DNA were extracted from the ovaries of Duolang sheep, and qPCR was performed. Bisulfite genomic sequencing PCR and sequence alignment were used to detect the relationship between the relative expression level of FSHR and methylation. The results showed that the expression of FSHR in high-energy group and medium-energy group was significantly higher than that in low-energy group (p < 0.01), and there was no significant difference between high-energy group and medium-energy group (p > 0.05). The methylation rate of the target fragment in the promoter region of FSHR gene was 41.67% in the high-energy group, 75.00% in the medium-energy group, and 83.33% in the low-energy group. This study revealed that different dietary energy levels had certain effects on DNA methylation level of FSHR gene and then affected gene expression, and the expression level was negatively correlated with methylation level.

Cadmium Accumulation in the Goat Liver and Kidney Is Partially Promoted by the Upregulation of Metal Transporter Genes.

Metal transporters, including divalent metal-ion transporter-1 (DMT1), Zrt-/Irt-like protein 8 and 14 (ZIP8 and ZIP14), and ferroportin-1 (FPN1), reportedly participate in cellular cadmium (Cd) uptake, but those in farm animals remain unclarified. This study aimed to examine the growth, plasma biochemical indices, Cd accumulation, and expression of metal transporter genes in the liver, kidney, and muscle of goats exposed to rice paddies contaminated with different levels of Cd. Twenty-four goats were randomly assigned across three dietary treatments: 0.23, 0.63, and 1.07 mg of Cd/kg of dry matter (DM) for 60 days. The results showed that dietary Cd exposure increased (p < 0.05) both Cd accumulation and the mRNA expressions of metal transporter genes (DMT1, ZIP, and FPN1) in the liver and kidney but not in the muscle, suggesting dietary Cd exhibited different deposition rates between goat liver, kidney, and muscle. These outcomes suggest that high levels of dietary Cd stimulated the expression of metal transporter genes and thereby enhanced the uptake and accumulation of Cd in the goat liver and kidney. As such, higher Cd concentrations in the liver and kidney observed with Cd diets could be partly explained by upregulation of metal transport genes expression.

Rapid detection of strawberry mottle virus using reverse transcription recombinase polymerase amplification with lateral flow strip.

Strawberry mottle virus (SMoV) is one of the main RNA viruses that profoundly affects the growth of strawberries worldwide. The rapid on-site detection of SMoV described here can be applied to produce virus-free strawberry seedlings. Reverse transcriptase recombinase polymerase amplification (RT-RPA) was combined with lateral flow (LF) strip to rapidly detect SMoV. The detection limit was 500 fg of RNA under optimized conditions. The SMoV-RT-RPA-LF assay was optimal with a combination of 2 µL reverse primer (5 µM) and 0.6 µL probe (10 µM) in a 50 µL RT-RPA reaction mixture for isothermal amplification at 40 â„ƒ for 15 min. In addition, 100 suspected samples were collected from different regions in the Shanghai suburbs. The SMoV-RT-RPA-LF assay showed that 3 of these 100 samples were positive for SMoV, which was in good concordance with the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results. The primers and probe had a unique specificity to SMoV because there was no cross-reaction with other strawberry viruses. This study provides an effective technique for the rapid on-site detection of SMoV to ensure a virus-free strawberry nursery.

Unraveling NPR-like Family Genes in Fragaria spp. Facilitated to Identify Putative NPR1 and NPR3/4 Orthologues Participating in Strawberry-Colletotrichum fructicola Interaction.

The salicylic acid receptor NPR1 (nonexpressor of pathogenesis-related genes) and its paralogues NPR3 and NPR4 are master regulators of plant immunity. Commercial strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) is a highly valued crop vulnerable to various pathogens. Historic confusions regarding the identity of NPR-like genes have hindered research in strawberry resistance. In this study, the comprehensive identification and phylogenic analysis unraveled this family, harboring 6, 6, 5, and 23 members in F. vesca, F. viridis, F. iinumae, and F. × ananassa, respectively. These genes were clustered into three clades, with each diploid member matching three to five homoalleles in F. × ananassa. Despite the high conservation in terms of gene structure, protein module, and functional residues/motifs/domains, substantial divergence was observed, hinting strawberry NPR proteins probably function in ways somewhat different from Arabidopsis. RT-PCR and RNAseq analysis evidenced the transcriptional responses of FveNPR1 and FxaNPR1a to Colletotrichum fructicola. Extended expression analysis for strawberry NPR-likes helped to us understand how strawberry orchestrate the NPRs-centered defense system against C. fructicola. The cThe current work supports that FveNPR1 and FxaNPR1a, as well as FveNPR31 and FxaNPR31a-c, were putative functional orthologues of AtNPR1 and AtNPR3/4, respectively. These findings set a solid basis for the molecular dissection of biological functions of strawberry NPR-like genes for improving disease resistance.

Proposal of a Wearable Multimodal Sensing-Based Serious Games Approach for Hand Movement Training After Stroke.

Stroke often leads to hand motor dysfunction, and effective rehabilitation requires keeping patients engaged and motivated. Among the existing automated rehabilitation approaches, data glove-based systems are not easy to wear for patients due to spasticity, and single sensor-based approaches generally provided prohibitively limited information. We thus propose a wearable multimodal serious games approach for hand movement training after stroke. A force myography (FMG), electromyography (EMG), and inertial measurement unit (IMU)-based multi-sensor fusion model was proposed for hand movement classification, which was worn on the user's affected arm. Two movement recognition-based serious games were developed for hand movement and cognition training. Ten stroke patients with mild to moderate motor impairments (Brunnstrom Stage for Hand II-VI) performed experiments while playing interactive serious games requiring 12 activities-of-daily-living (ADLs) hand movements taken from the Fugl Meyer Assessment. Feasibility was evaluated by movement classification accuracy and qualitative patient questionnaires. The offline classification accuracy using combined FMG-EMG-IMU was 81.0% for the 12 movements, which was significantly higher than any single sensing modality; only EMG, only FMG, and only IMU were 69.6, 63.2, and 47.8%, respectively. Patients reported that they were more enthusiastic about hand movement training while playing the serious games as compared to conventional methods and strongly agreed that they subjectively felt that the proposed training could be beneficial for improving upper limb motor function. These results showed that multimodal-sensor fusion improved hand gesture classification accuracy for stroke patients and demonstrated the potential of this proposed approach to be used as upper limb movement training after stroke.