Toosendanin Restrains Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis by Inhibiting ZEB1/CTBP1 Interaction.

BACKGROUND: Extensive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is due to hyperactivation and proliferation of pulmonary fibroblasts. However, the exact mechanism is not clear. OBJECTIVE: This study focused on the role of CTBP1 in lung fibroblast function, elaborated its regulation mechanism, and analyzed the relationship between CTBP1 and ZEB1. Meanwhile, the antipulmonary fibrosis effect and its molecular mechanism of Toosendanin were studied. METHODS: Human IPF fibroblast cell lines (LL-97A and LL-29) and normal fibroblast cell lines (LL-24) were cultured in vitro. The cells were stimulated with FCS, PDGF-BB, IGF-1, and TGF-ß1, respectively. BrdU detected cell proliferation. The mRNA expression of CTBP1 and ZEB1 was detected by QRT-PCR. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of COL1A1, COL3A1, LN, FN, and α-SMA proteins. An animal model of pulmonary fibrosis was established to analyze the effects of CTBP1 silencing on pulmonary fibrosis and lung function in mice. RESULTS: CTBP1 was up-regulated in IPF lung fibroblasts. Silencing CTBP1 inhibits growth factor-driven proliferation and activation of lung fibroblasts. Overexpression of CTBP1 promotes growth factor-driven proliferation and activation of lung fibroblasts. Silencing CTBP1 reduced the degree of pulmonary fibrosis in mice with pulmonary fibrosis. Western blot, CO-IP, and BrdU assays confirmed that CTBP1 interacts with ZEB1 and promotes the activation of lung fibroblasts. Toosendanin can inhibit the ZEB1/CTBP1protein interaction and further inhibit the progression of pulmonary fibrosis. CONCLUSION: CTBP1 can promote the activation and proliferation of lung fibroblasts through ZEB1. CTBP1 promotes lung fibroblast activation through ZEB1, thereby increasing excessive deposition of ECM and aggravating IPF. Toosendanin may be a potential treatment for pulmonary fibrosis. The results of this study provide a new basis for clarifying the molecular mechanism of pulmonary fibrosis and developing new therapeutic targets.

Identification and introgression of a novel leaf rust resistance gene from Thinopyrum intermedium chromosome 7Js into wheat.

KEY MESSAGE: A novel leaf rust resistance locus located on a terminal segment (0-69.29 Mb) of Thinopyrum intermedium chromosome arm 7JsS has been introduced into wheat genome for disease resistance breeding. Xiaoyan 78829, a wheat-Thinopyrum intermedium partial amphiploid, exhibits excellent resistance to fungal diseases in wheat. To transfer its disease resistance to common wheat (Triticum aestivum), we previously developed a translocation line WTT26 using chromosome engineering. Disease evaluation showed that WTT26 was nearly immune to 14 common races of leaf rust pathogen (Puccinia triticina) and highly resistant to Ug99 race PTKST of stem rust pathogen (P. graminis f. sp. tritici) at the seedling stage. It also displayed high adult plant resistance to powdery mildew (caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici). Cytogenetic and molecular marker analysis revealed that WTT26 carried a T4BS·7JsS chromosome translocation. Once transferred into the susceptible wheat genetic background, chromosome 7JsS exhibited its resistance to leaf rust, indicating that the resistance locus was located on this alien chromosome. To enhance the usefulness of this locus in wheat breeding, we further developed several new translocation lines with small Th. intermedium segments using irradiation and developed 124 specific markers using specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing, which increased the marker density of chromosome 7JsS. Furthermore, a refined physical map of chromosome 7JsS was constructed with 74 specific markers, and six bins were thus arranged according to the co-occurrence of markers and alien chromosome segments. Combining data from specific marker amplification and resistance evaluation, we mapped a new leaf rust resistance locus in the 0-69.29 Mb region on chromosome 7JsS. The translocation lines carrying the new leaf rust resistance locus and its linked markers will contribute to wheat disease-resistance breeding.

Disparity of smell tests in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: There are discrepancies of olfactory impairment between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative disorders. Olfactory deficits may be a potential marker for early and differential diagnosis of AD. We aimed to assess olfactory functions in patients with AD and other neurodegenerative disorders, to further evaluate the smell tests using subgroup analysis, and to explore moderating factors affecting olfactory performance. Methods: Cross-sectional studies relating to olfactory assessment for both AD and other neurodegenerative disorders published before 27 July 2022 in English, were searched on PubMed, Embase and Cochrane. After literature screening and quality assessment, meta-analyses were conducted using stata14.0 software. Results: Forty-two articles involving 12 smell tests that evaluated 2,569 AD patients were included. It was revealed that smell tests could distinguish AD from mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Lewy body disease (LBD), depression, and vascular dementia (VaD), but not from diseases such as frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Our finding indicated that in discriminating AD from MCI, the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) was most frequently used (95%CI: -1.12 to -0.89), while the Brief Smell Identification Test (B-SIT), was the most widely used method in AD vs. LBD group. Further subgroup analyses indicated that the methods of smell test used contributed to the heterogeneity in olfactory threshold and discrimination scores in group AD vs. MCI. While the moderating variables including age, MMSE scores, education years in AD vs. LBD, were account for heterogeneity across studies. Conclusion: Our finding suggests smell tests have potential value in early differential diagnosis of AD. UPSIT and its simplified variant, B-SIT, are widely used methods in the analyses. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php? RecordID = 357970 (PROSPERO, registration number CRD42022357970).

Real­world data indicated that neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone was associated with a higher risk of tumor recurrence in high­risk breast cancer subgroup patients.

Numerous clinical trials have reported equal effects of tumor control between neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) in patients with breast cancer (BC). However, this conclusion has not been verified in practice. The present retrospective study evaluated if there were different risk profiles for NAC, AC and their combinative modes on disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with BC using real-world data. All women with primary unilateral Stage I-III BC and first recurrence in 2008-2018 at The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University were retrospectively identified for enrollment. The four modes of chemotherapy administered for primary BC were classified as 'None', 'NAC only', 'NAC+AC' and 'AC only'. One multivariate Cox model was used to estimate the adjusted Hazard Ratio (HR) and P-value. Covariates included age, Easter Cooperative Oncology Group grade, T stage, N stage, pathology, grade, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), BC subtype, number of chemotherapy cycles and other therapies. Amongst 637 patients, who had a mean age of 48.2 years at BC diagnosis and 50.9 years at recurrence, the median DFS by the 'None' (n=27), 'NAC only' (n=47), 'NAC+AC' (n=118) and 'AC only' (n=445) modes were 31.4, 16.6, 22.6 and 28.4 months (P<0.001), respectively. Compared with the 'AC only', adjusted HR (P-value) of the 'None', 'NAC only' and 'NAC+AC' modes on tumor recurrence were 1.182 (0.551), 1.481 (0.037) and 1.102 (0.523), respectively. The adjusted HR of 'NAC only' vs. 'AC only' modes were 1.448 (P=0.157) for locoregional recurrence and 2.675 (P=0.003) for distant recurrence. Stratified analyses further indicated that the 'NAC only' mode was associated with a higher recurrence risk in T3-4, N2-3, LVI-positive, or HER2-negative subgroup patients. In conclusion, NAC alone was associated with a higher risk of tumor recurrence in high-risk BC subgroup patients in real-world data. Patient selection of chemotherapy mode was involved in practice but could not fully explain this finding. The 'inadequate' NAC was highly likely to have accounted for this observation.

Physical mapping of a new powdery mildew resistance locus from Thinopyrum ponticum chromosome 4AgS.

Thinopyrum ponticum (Podp.) Barkworth and D.R. Dewey is a decaploid species that has served as an important genetic resource for improving wheat for the better part of a century. The wheat-Th. ponticum 4Ag (4D) disomic substitution line Blue 58, which was obtained following the distant hybridization between Th. ponticum and common wheat, has been stably resistant to powdery mildew under field conditions for more than 40 years. The transfer of 4Ag into the susceptible wheat cultivar Xiaoyan 81 resulted in powdery mildew resistance, indicating the alien chromosome includes the resistance locus. Irradiated Blue 58 pollen were used for the pollination of the recurrent parent Xiaoyan 81, which led to the development of four stable wheat-Th. ponticum 4Ag translocation lines with diverse alien chromosomal segments. The assessment of powdery mildew resistance showed that translocation line L1 was susceptible, but the other three translocation lines (WTT139, WTT146, and WTT323) were highly resistant. The alignment of 81 specific-locus amplified fragments to the Th. elongatum genome revealed that 4Ag originated from a group 4 chromosome. The corresponding physical positions of every 4Ag-derived fragment were determined according to a cytogenetic analysis, the amplification of specific markers, and a sequence alignment. Considering the results of the evaluation of disease resistance, the Pm locus was mapped to the 3.79-97.12 Mb region of the short arm of chromosome 4Ag. Because of its durability, this newly identified Pm locus from a group 4 chromosome of Th. ponticum may be important for breeding wheat varieties with broad-spectrum disease resistance.

The relationship between the interictal epileptiform discharge source connectivity and cortical structural couplings in temporal lobe epilepsy.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the relation between interictal epileptiform discharge (IED) source connectivity and cortical structural couplings (SCs) in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Methods: High-resolution 3D-MRI and 32-sensor EEG data from 59 patients with TLE were collected. Principal component analysis was performed on the morphological data on MRI to obtain the cortical SCs. IEDs were labeled from EEG data and averaged. The standard low-resolution electromagnetic tomography analysis was performed to locate the source of the average IEDs. Phase-locked value was used to evaluate the IED source connectivity. Finally, correlation analysis was used to compare the IED source connectivity and the cortical SCs. Results: The features of the cortical morphology in left and right TLE were similar across four cortical SCs, which could be mainly described as the default mode network, limbic regions, connections bilateral medial temporal, and connections through the ipsilateral insula. The IED source connectivity at the regions of interest was negatively correlated with the corresponding cortical SCs. Significance: The cortical SCs were confirmed to be negatively related to IED source connectivity in patients with TLE as detected with MRI and EEG coregistered data. These findings suggest the important role of intervening IEDs in treating TLE.

A large single-center prospective study to investigate the factors influencing the choice of breast-conserving surgery versus mastectomy in Chinese women with early breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Compared to mastectomy, breast-conserving surgery (BCS) provides the same survival rate and a higher quality of life for patients with early breast cancer (EBC). However, Chinese women with EBC are known to have a low BCS rate. A large prospective cohort study was conducted to investigate the factors influencing the choice of BCS in this population. METHODS: In 2017, all women with unilateral EBC and eligible for BCS at our institution were enrolled. Before surgery, the patient's trust in the surgeon and her perceived strength of the surgeon's recommendation of BCS were measured through an in-person interview and validated ad hoc questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regressions on BCS procedure vs. mastectomy were used to estimate the odds ratio (OR). RESULTS: One thousand one hundred thirty-six patients enrolled at analysis had an average age of 51.8 and tumor size of 2.4 cm. 19.9% of patients had BCS. The "strong" level of trust in the surgeon was significantly associated with BCS with an OR of 2.944 (p<0.001) when compared to the "average or under" trust. The "strong" and "moderate" strengths in surgeon recommendation for BCS were also found to be significantly associated with the BCS procedure with ORs of 12.376 (p <0.001) and 1.757 (p =0.040), respectively, compared to the "neutral or dissuaded" strength. CONCLUSIONS: Stronger trust in surgeons and BCS recommendation by surgeons are associated with a higher rate of BCS in Chinese women with EBC. Interventional trials are needed to confirm this finding.

Psychometric properties of the post-traumatic stress disorder checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) in Chinese stroke patients.

BACKGROUND: Stroke is a devastating disease and can be sufficiently traumatic to induce post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Post-stroke PTSD is attracting increasing attention, but there was no study assessing the psychometric properties of the PCL-5 in stroke populations. Our study was conducted to examine the psychometric properties of the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) in Chinese stroke patients. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional observational study conducted at our hospital. Three hundred and forty-eight Chinese stroke patients came to our hospital for outpatient service were recruited. They were instructed to complete the PCL-5 scales and were interviewed for PTSD diagnosis with the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5). The cutoff scores, reliability and validity of the PCL-5 were analyzed. RESULTS: PCL-5 scores in our sample were positively skewed, suggesting low levels of PTSD symptoms. The reliability of PCL-5 was good. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated acceptable construct validity, and confirmed the multi-dimensionality of the PCL-5. By CFA analysis, the seven-factor hybrid model demonstrated the best model fit. The PCL-5 also showed good convergent validity and discriminant validity. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses revealed a PCL-5 score of 37 achieved optimal sensitivity and specificity for detecting PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings supported the use of PCL-5 as a psychometrically adequate measure of post-stroke PTSD in the Chinese patients.

Exploring the relationships between hormone receptor, HER2 status, and bone involvement in the first distant metastases of in Chinese breast cancer patients who lacked HER2 targeted therapy.

BACKGROUND: This retrospective study explored the relationship between hormone receptor (HR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status, and bone involvement in the first distant metastases (DM) of Chinese breast cancer (BC) patients who lacked the HER2 targeted therapy. Such therapy was rarely received due to its lag approval or high cost in China compared with the developed countries. METHODS: All eligible women with primary unilateral stage I - III BC and first DM diagnosed in 2008-2018 at one cancer center were identified for enrollment. Based on chart records, a full or no/partial compliance status of endocrine therapy (ET) was assigned for HR-positive patients. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the adjusted odd ratio (aOR), its 95%CI and p value. RESULTS: Four hundred eighteen patients had an average age of 50.7 years and median disease-free survival of 27.1 months at DM. Bone, lung, liver and brain metastasis rates in patients were 55.7%, 34.7%, 33.0% and 8.1%, respectively. Compared to HR-negative patients, HR-positive patients with the full and non/partial compliance of ET were significantly associated with higher risk of bone involvement with an aOR of 2.329 (1.316 - 1.741, p = 0.004) and 2.317 (1.330 - 4.036, p = 0.003), respectively. No difference of such risk was found between the two groups of ET compliance (p = 0.984) nor between HER2-negative and HER2-positive patients (aOR 0.827, p = 0.431). Stratified analyses further indicated that HR-positive was associated with bone involvement only in HER2-negative BC patients (p = 0.006-0.015). CONCLUSIONS: HR-positive tumors are significantly associated with bone involvement in HER2-negative metastatic BC patients. ET does not appear to impact this association. HER2 status per se is not associated with such risk.

Effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with a brief exposure procedure for post-stroke posttraumatic stress disorder.

The incidence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following stroke ranges from 6.5 % to 25 %. Presently few studies have focused on its treatment. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is often applied as a rehabilitation method after stroke, and it also represents a novel approach to PTSD. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of rTMS (or combined with a brief stroke re-exposure) on treating post-stroke PTSD. Sixty participants with post-stroke PTSD were randomly assigned into three groups (rTMS + brief exposure group, TMS + BE; rTMS alone group, TMS; sham treatment group, ST) and received 10 sessions of treatment accordingly over two weeks. Changes in PTSD symptoms (Impact of Event Scale-Revised, IES-R) were evaluated at pre-treatment (T1), the end of the first (T2), and the end of the second treatment week (T3). At the three-month follow-up (T4), a PTSD interview and IES-R assessment were given. Results showed that from T1 to T3, IES-R (and its intrusion subscale) scores of TMS + BE group and TMS group were significantly lower than the ST group, and the effect remained at three-month follow-up. The treatment effect was comparable between TMS + BE group and TMS group at T3, however, it was better for TMS + BE group than TMS group at T2, indicating a brief exposure promotes the effect of rTMS. At follow-up, the rates of PTSD were lower in TMS + BE group and TMS group than ST group. In conclusion, rTMS can effectively treat post-stroke PTSD and the effects may be accelerated by combining a brief exposure procedure. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, identifier: ChiCTR2100043444.

Full Compliance of Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy Is Associated with Higher Disease-Free Survival in Hormone Receptor-Positive and HER2-Negative Chinese Breast Cancer Patients with First Tumor Recurrence.

PURPOSE: To characterize the compliance status of adjuvant endocrine therapy (aET) and its relationship with disease-free survival (DFS) in hormone receptor-positive (HR+) and HER2-negative (HER2-) in Chinese breast cancer (BC) patients with first tumor recurrence. METHODS: All women with primary unilateral stage I - III HR+HER2- BC and first tumor recurrence in 2008 - 2018 at our institution were identified. Full (vs. none/partial) compliance of aET was classified from records. Multivariate Cox regression estimated the hazard ratio (HR), its 95% confidence interval (CI), and p value. DFS. Covariates included age, T stage, N stage, pathology, tumor grade, LVI, chemotherapy, radiotherapy.      Results: A total 258 patients had average age 47.4 years at BC diagnosis and median DFS 31.7 months. Patients with ipsilateral (contralateral) region and organ recurrence were 47.7% (19.8%) and 71.9%. Compared to the patients with none/partial compliance of aET, the full compliance patients (54.3% ) had a higher DFS (median 35.0 vs. 25.2 months, p=0.009). Multivariate analysis showed that the full compliance of aET was associated with a lower HR 0.614 (95%CI 0.467 - 0.807, p<0.001) on recurrence. Early discontinuation (67.5%, 56/83) due to the drug side effects was the top reason for partial compliance of aET. CONCLUSIONS: Full compliance of aET was quite low in Chinese HR+HER2- BC patients. However, it was associated with a 38.6% lower risk of first tumor recurrence. To search for effective tools to improve the compliance of aET in this population should be stressed.

Supportive psychological therapy can effectively treat post-stroke post-traumatic stress disorder at the early stage.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop after stroke attacks, and its rate ranges from 4 to 37% in the stroke population. Suffering from PTSD not only decreases stroke patient's quality of life, but also relates to their non-adherence of treatment. Since strokes often recur and progress, long-term medical management is especially important. However, previous studies generally focused on the epidemiological characteristics of post-stroke PTSD, while there are literally no studies on the psychological intervention. In our study, 170 patients with a first-ever stroke during the acute phase were recruited. They were randomized into Psycho-therapy group 1 and Control group 1, and were administered with preventive intervention for PTSD or routine health education, respectively. At 2-month follow-up, PTSD symptoms were evaluated. Participants who were diagnosed with post-stroke PTSD were further randomized into Psycho-therapy group 2 and Control group 2, and received supportive therapy or routine health counseling, respectively. At 6-month follow-up (1°month after the therapy was completed), PTSD symptoms were re-evaluated. Our results showed that at 2-month, the PTSD incidence in our series was 11.69%, and the severity of stroke was the only risk factor for PTSD development. The preventive intervention was not superior to routine health education for PTSD prevention. At 6-month, results indicated the supportive therapy did have a fine effect in ameliorating symptoms for diagnosed PTSD patients, superior to routine health counseling. Thus, our study was the first to provide evidence that the supportive therapy was effective in treating post-stroke PTSD early after its diagnosis. This clinical trial was preregistered on www.chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR2100048411).

Characterizing Cerebral Imaging and Electroclinical Features of Five Pseudohypoparathyroidism Cases Presenting with Epileptic Seizures.

Objective: To characterize the cerebral imaging and electroclinical features and investigate their etiological contributions to seizures in pseudoparathyroidism (PHP). Methods: The clinical symptoms, biochemical imaging by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) tests, and electroencephalogram (EEG) manifestations of five PHP patients with seizures were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Results: Physical examination showed an average stature in cases 2~4 and short stature in cases 1 and 5. X-ray tests suggested ectopic calcification in four patients. The seizures in four cases were effectively controlled with antiseizure medicines (ASMs). Cerebral CT scans showed extensive brain calcifications in the bilateral basal ganglia (all five cases), cerebellum (cases 1, 3, and 5), thalamus (case 4), and cerebral cortex. Cerebral MRI showed short T1 signals mainly in the basal ganglia. EEG records revealed focal EEG abnormalities, including abnormal slow waves and epileptiform discharges, mainly over the temporal and frontal lobes. The brain areas with focal EEG abnormalities and calcification did not always coincide. Conclusion: The seizures in PHP can be focal to bilateral tonic-clonic. ASMs are effective in epilepsy combined with PHP. Intracranial calcification is not a reliable etiological cause of epilepsy in PHP patients.

Establishment and identification of six wheat-Thinopyrum ponticum disomic addition lines derived from partial amphiploid Xiaoyan 7430.

KEY MESSAGE: Six wheat-Thinopyrum ponticum disomic addition lines derived from partial amphiploid Xiaoyan 7430 were identified using in situ hybridization and SNP microarray, the homoeologous group and stripe rust resistance of each alien chromosome were determined, and Th. ponticum chromosome-specific markers were developed. Xiaoyan 7430 is a significant partial amphiploid, which is used to set up a bridge for transferring valuable genes from Thinopyrum ponticum (Podp.) Barkworth & D.R. Dewey into common wheat. To accelerate the application of these useful genes in enriching the genetic variability of cultivated wheat by chromosome engineering, a complete set of derived addition lines has been created from Xiaoyan 7430. The chromosome composition of each line was characterized by the combination of genomic in situ hybridization and multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization (mc-FISH), and the homoeology of each alien chromosome was determined by wheat SNP microarray analysis. Addition line WTA55 with alien group-6 chromosome was evaluated resistant to stripe rust isolates at both the seedling and grain-filling stages (Zadoks scale at z.11 and z.73). Diagnostic marker analysis proved that it could carry a novel stripe rust resistance gene derived from Th. ponticum. Furthermore, a FISH probe and 45 molecular markers specific for alien chromosomes were developed based on specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq). Of which 27 markers were separately located on single alien chromosome, and some of them could be used to identify the derived translocation lines. This set of addition lines as well as the molecular markers and the FISH probe will promote the introgression of abundant variation from Th. ponticum into wheat in wheat improvement programs.

Application value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary focal lesions.

INTRODUCTION: Peripheral pulmonary lesions are encountered frequently in clinical practice. Accurate diagnosis of these lesions is of great importance for clinicians. Ultrasound-guided lung tissue puncture is a reliable method for diagnosing these lesions. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the application value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) combined with rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) in the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary focal lesions. METHODS: Eighty patients enrolled from July 2020 to June 2021 were divided into two groups: a conventional ultrasound group and a CEUS group. Both groups underwent diagnostic procedures guided by ROSE to improve the success rate of puncture sampling. The success rates and complications in both groups were compared. The results for lesion enhancement, time taken for the contrast agent to reach the lesions (AT) and lung tissues (L-AT), and the difference between these times (∆AT) were compared in the CEUS group. RESULTS: The success rate of biopsy in the CEUS group was 97.62%, which was significantly higher than that in the conventional ultrasound group (84%; P < .05). Puncture complications did not occur in the CEUS group and occurred in 5.26% of the cases in the conventional ultrasound group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P > .05). A comparison of enhancement of benign lesions and malignant lesions in the CEUS group showed a statistically significant difference (P < .05). The difference between the AT and ∆AT of benign and malignant lesions was statistically significant (P <.05). The optimal threshold of ∆AT was 2.05 s. CONCLUSION: CEUS combined with ROSE is a very important approach for biopsy in the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary focal lesions. CEUS has definite clinical value in the diagnosis of benign and malignant lung lesions.

Brain structural connectivity sub typing in unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy.

To categorize and clinically characterize subtypes of brain structural connectivity patterns in unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Voxel based morphometry (VBM) and surfaced based morphometry (SBM) analysis were used to detect brain structural alterations associated with TLE from MRI data. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to identify subtypes of brain structural connectivity patterns. Correlation analysis was used to explore associations between PC scores and clinical characteristics. A total of 59 patients with TLE and 100 healthy adults were included in this study. Widespread cortical atrophy was shown in both left and right TLE (P < 0.05, FWE corrected). Six principal components (PCs) that explained more than 70% of the variance were extracted for left and right TLE, reflecting patterns of brain structural connectivity. PCs representing perisylvian connectivity were positively correlated with verbal IQ (left TLE: r = 0.696, P < 0.001; right TLE: r = 0.484, P = 0.012) and total IQ (left TLE r = 0.608, P < 0.001) and negatively correlated with disease duration (r = -0.448, P = 0.009). In left TLE, the PC in the ipsilateral mesial temporal region was negatively correlated with age at onset (r = -0.382, P = 0.028). In right TLE, the PC representing the default mode network was negatively correlated with number of antiepileptic drugs (r = -0.407, P = 0.039). This study categorized subtypes of unilateral TLE based on brain structural connectivity patterns. Findings may provide insight into seizure pathways, the pathophysiology of epilepsy, including comorbidities such as cognitive impairment, and help predict treatment outcomes.

Cytogenetic identification and molecular marker development of a novel wheat-Thinopyrum ponticum translocation line with powdery mildew resistance.

KEY MESSAGE: A new wheat-Thinopyrum ponticum translocation line with excellent powdery mildew resistance was produced, and alien-specific PCR markers and FISH probes were developed by SLAF-seq. Powdery mildew is one of the most threatening diseases in wheat production. Thinopyrum ponticum (Podp.) Barkworth and D. R. Dewey, as a wild relative, has been used for wheat genetic improvement for the better part of a century. In view of the good powdery mildew resistance of Th. ponticum, we have been working to transfer the resistance genes from Th. ponticum to wheat by creating translocation lines. In this study, a new wheat-Th. ponticum translocation line with excellent resistance and agronomic performance was developed and through seedling disease evaluation, gene postulation and diagnostic marker analysis proved to carry a novel Pm gene derived from Th. ponticum. Cytogenetic analysis revealed that a small alien segment was translocated to the terminal of chromosome 1D to form new translocation TTh-1DS·1DL chromosome. The translocation breakpoint was determined to lie in 21.5 Mb region of chromosome 1D by using Wheat660K SNP array analysis. Based on specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) technology, eight molecular markers and one repetitive sequence probe were developed, which were specific for Th. ponticum. Fortunately, the probe could be used in distinguishing six alien chromosome pairs in partial amphiploid Xiaoyan 7430 by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Furthermore, a Thinopyrum-specific oligonucleotide probe was designed depending on the sequence information of the FISH probe. The novel translocation line could be used in wheat disease resistance breeding, and these specific markers and probes will enable wheat breeders to rapidly trace the alien genome with the novel Pm gene(s).

Screening of Salt-Tolerant Thinopyrum ponticum Under Two Coastal Region Salinity Stress Levels.

To accelerate the exploitation and use of marginal soils and develop salt-tolerant forage germplasm suitable for the coastal regions of China, seven lines of decaploid tall wheatgrass [Thinopyrum ponticum (Podp.) Barkworth and D. R. Dewey, 2n = 10x = 70] were transplanted under low (.3%) and high (.5%) salt conditions for a comprehensive analysis at the adult-plant stage. Differences were observed among these materials, especially in terms of grass yield, agronomic characteristics, and physiological and biochemical indices. Line C2 grew best with the highest shoot total fresh and dry weights under all conditions except for the milk-ripe stage in Dongying in 2019. The total membership value of C2 also reflected its excellent performance after transplanting. As superior germplasm, its relatively high antioxidant enzyme activities and chlorophyll a/b ratio suggested C2 may maintain normal metabolic and physiological functions under saline conditions. Furthermore, decaploid tall wheatgrass as a forage grass species has a high nutritive value beneficial for animal husbandry. Accordingly, line C2 may be used as excellent germplasm to develop salt-tolerant cultivars in the Circum-Bohai sea.

Mapping QTL for seedling morphological and physiological traits under normal and salt treatments in a RIL wheat population.

KEY MESSAGE: The genetic basis of 27 seedling traits under normal and salt treatments was fully analyzed in a RIL wheat population, and seven QTL intervals were validated in two other genetic populations. Soil salinity seriously constrains wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production globally by influencing its growth and development. To explore the genetic basis of salt tolerance in wheat, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from a cross between high-yield wheat cultivar Zhongmai 175 (ZM175) and salt-tolerant cultivar Xiaoyan 60 (XY60) was used to map QTL for seedling traits under normal and salt treatments based on a high-density genetic linkage map. A total of 158 stable additive QTL for 27 morphological and physiological traits were identified and distributed on all wheat chromosomes except 3A and 4D. They explained 2.35-46.43% of the phenotypic variation with a LOD score range of 2.61-40.38. The alleles from XY60 increased corresponding traits for 100 QTL, while the alleles from ZM175 had positive effects for the other 58 QTL. Nearly half of the QTL (78/158) were mapped in nine QTL clusters on chromosomes 2A, 2B, 2D, 4B, 5A, 5B, 5D, and 7D (2), respectively. To prove the reliability and potentiality in molecular marker-assisted selection (MAS), seven QTL intervals were validated in two other genetic populations. Besides additive QTL, 94 pairs of loci were detected with significant epistatic effect and 20 QTL were found to interact with treatment. This study provides a full elucidation of the genetic basis of seedling traits (especially root system-related traits) associated with salt tolerance in wheat, and the developed kompetitive allele-specific PCR markers closely linked to stable QTL would supply strong supports to MAS in salt-tolerant wheat breeding.

Structural brain assessment of temporal lobe epilepsy based on voxel-based and surface-based morphological features.

AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to assess the cerebral voxel-based and surface-based morphological abnormalities of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 100 healthy adults and 73 patients with TLE were enrolled in this study, and their 3D T1-weighted MRI data were collected. Voxel-based morphology (VBM) and surface-based morphology (SBM) tools were used to compare the morphological differences between healthy adults and patients with TLE. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to acquire the boundary values for detecting morphological abnormalities in regions of interest from the corrected VBM and SBM analysis. RESULTS: Our results showed that cortical voxels and decreased thickness areas were located in the widespread cortex and subcortical structures in the TLE group. However, after completing the analysis, we found that the left-TLE lesions were limited to the left temporal pole and left hippocampus, while the right-TLE lesions were located in the bilateral medial temporal lobe, including the right hippocampus and bilateral amygdala. ROC-curve results showed that the volume of the left hippocampus at 4,124.45 mm3 and the thickness of the left temporal pole cortex at 3.50 mm could be used as optimal boundary values based on the curves of the left-TLE group. The right-TLE group curves were poor. CONCLUSIONS: Widespread cerebral morphological TLE abnormalities were represented in this study. However, the lesions may be limited after completing a corrected comparison with clinical information. Boundary values of left-TLE group lesions were also obtained.