The 'Candidatus phytoplasma ziziphi' effectors SJP1 and SJP2 destabilise the bifunctional regulator ZjTCP7 to modulate floral transition and shoot branching.

Phytoplasmic SAP11 effectors alter host plant architecture and flowering time. However, the exact mechanisms have yet to be elucidated. Two SAP11-like effectors, SJP1 and SJP2, from 'Candidatus Phytoplasma ziziphi' induce shoot branching proliferation. Here, the transcription factor ZjTCP7 was identified as a central target of these two effectors to regulate floral transition and shoot branching. Ectopic expression of ZjTCP7 resulted in enhanced bolting and earlier flowering than did the control. Interaction and expression assays demonstrated that ZjTCP7 interacted with the ZjFT-ZjFD module, thereby enhancing the ability of these genes to directly bind to the ZjAP1 promoter. The effectors SJP1 and SJP2 unravelled the florigen activation complex by specifically destabilising ZjTCP7 and ZjFD to delay floral initiation. Moreover, the shoot branching of the ZjTCP7-SRDX transgenic Arabidopsis lines were comparable to those of the SJP1/2 lines, suggesting the involvement of ZjTCP7 in the regulation of shoot branching. ZjTCP7 interacted with the branching repressor ZjBRC1 to enhance suppression of the auxin efflux carrier ZjPIN3 expression. ZjTCP7 also directly bound to and upregulated the auxin biosynthesis gene ZjYUCCA2, thereby promoting auxin accumulation. Our findings confirm that ZjTCP7 serves as a bifunctional regulator destabilised by the effectors SJP1 and SJP2 to modulate plant development.

Misdiagnosis of cutaneous facial sporotrichosis: An analysis of five cases.

BACKGROUND: Facial cutaneous sporotrichosis presents with diverse clinical manifestations, often leading to misdiagnosis. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to present the clinical characteristics of five misdiagnosed cases of facial cutaneous sporotrichosis, aiming to enhance understanding of this disease and prevent misdiagnosis and mistreatment. METHODS: Clinical data, histopathology, and fungal culture results of these five cases were comprehensively analyzed. RESULTS: Among these five patients, three presented with lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis, while two had the fixed cutaneous type. Due to misdiagnosis, initial treatments were ineffective for all patients. Upon histopathological examination and fungal culture confirming sporotrichosis, treatment with itraconazole for 3 months led to complete resolution of lesions. While one patient experienced a relapse due to noncompliance with the prescribed medication. CONCLUSION: Facial sporotrichosis, with its diverse clinical manifestations and obscure trauma history, is prone to misdiagnosis. Timely and thorough examinations are crucial for precise diagnosis and management. Itraconazole treatment demonstrated notable efficacy, and patient compliance is also essential for favorable outcomes.

The 'Candidatus Phytoplasma ziziphi' effectors SJP1/2 negatively control leaf size by stabilizing the transcription factor ZjTCP2 in jujube.

Phytoplasmas manipulate host plant development to benefit insect vector colonization and their own invasion. However, the virulence factors and mechanisms underlying small-leaf formation caused by jujube witches' broom (JWB) phytoplasmas remain largely unknown. Here, effectors SJP1 and SJP2 from JWB phytoplasmas were identified to induce small-leaf formation in jujube (Ziziphus jujuba). In vivo interaction and expression assays showed that SJP1 and SJP2 interacted with and stabilized the transcription factor ZjTCP2. Overexpression of SJP1 and SJP2 in jujube induced ZjTCP2 accumulation. In addition, the abundance of miRNA319f_1 was significantly reduced in leaves of SJP1 and SJP2 transgenic jujube plants and showed the opposite pattern to the expression of its target, ZjTCP2, which was consistent with the pattern in diseased leaves. Overexpression of ZjTCP2 in Arabidopsis promoted ectopic leaves arising from the adaxial side of cotyledons and reduced leaf size. Constitutive expression of the miRNA319f_1 precursor in the 35S::ZjTCP2 background reduced the abundance of ZjTCP2 mRNA and reversed the cotyledon and leaf defects in Arabidopsis. Therefore, these observations suggest that effectors SJP1 and SJP2 induced small-leaf formation, at least partly, by interacting with and activating ZjTCP2 expression both at the transcriptional and the protein level, providing new insights into small-leaf formation caused by phytoplasmas in woody plants.

Refractive errors and visual impairment among children and adolescents in southernmost China.

BACKGROUND: Refractive errors and visual impairment in southernmost China have not been reported previously. We aim to investigate and determine the age-specific prevalence of myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and visual impairment based on a large population cross-sectional study in Hainan area of southernmost tropical province in China. METHODS: A population-based sample of 31,524 children aged 6-15 years from Hainan was assessed. Non-cycloplegic autorefraction and visual acuity (VA) analyses were performed on all participants and a subgroup of participants undergoing cycloplegia. RESULTS: Of all participants, 23.0% presented uncorrected VA (UCVA) was worse than 20/40 in worse eye, 6.0% presented mild presenting visual acuity impairment (PVAI), 7.0% presented moderate PVAI, 0.2% presented severe PVAI in the better eye, and 46.9% presented abnormal UCVA [worse than 20/25 (≥ 6, < 8 years old) and worse than 20/20 (≥ 8 years and older)] at least in one eye. The overall prevalence of myopia [spherical equivalent (SE) ≤ - 0.50 D] and high myopia (SE ≤ - 6.00 D) were 46.0%, 1.0% respectively. Hyperopia [SE ≥ + 1.00 D (≥ 7 years old) and SE ≥ + 2.00 D (≥ 6, < 7 years old)] and significant hyperopia (SE ≥ + 3.00 D) were 4.2 and 0.6%, respectively. Astigmatism [cylinder ≥ 1.00 D (≥ 7 years old) and ≥ 1.75 D (≥ 6, < 7 years old)] was found in 31.9%. CONCLUSIONS: Myopia was the most common refractive error in southernmost province in China (Hainan). Its prevalence increased with age, while hyperopia prevalence showed a decreasing trend. However, myopia, especially high myopia prevalence was much lower than in other urban regions across China.

Effects of coconut water on blood sugar and retina of rats with diabetes.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of coconut water on the general condition (fasting blood sugar and body weight) and retina of diabetic rats. METHODS: Forty-eight Sprague-Dawley male rats were divided into normal controls (NC), diabetes mellitus (DM), diabetes+coconut water (DM+CW), and diabetes+glibenclamide (DM+Gli) groups. After 4 weeks of normal feeding, coconut water was given to group III-DM+CW and 0.6 mg/kg glibenclamide to group IV-DM+Gli. The blood sugar, body weight, total retinal thickness, pathological changes, and VEGF expression in the retina were analyzed at different time points. RESULTS: The fasting blood sugar was 4-6 mmol/L in group I-NC and continuously increased in group II-DM, whereas gradually decreased after the 4th experiment week in the remaining two groups. The rats, except in group I-NC, have lost weight. In group II-DM, the total retinal thickness was significantly increased after the 8th and 12th experiment week, and the pathological changes in retina were observed. VEGF was almost fully expressed in the ganglion cell layer and inner granular layer and partially expressed in the outer granular layer in group II-DM, and mainly expressed in the ganglion cell layer and inner layer in group I-NC, with a lighter color. Group III-DM + CW and group IV-DM + Gli demonstrated similar VEGF expression as in group I-NC. CONCLUSIONS: Coconut water has the potential to reduce blood sugar and diabetic retinal damage, serving as a candidate drug or nutrient for treating diabetes and its complications.

Majocchi's granuloma on the forearm caused by Trichophyton tonsurans in an immunocompetent patient.

Majocchi's granuloma is an uncommon fungal infection of the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. The most frequently identified cause of Majocchi's granuloma is anthropophilic Trichophyton rubrum, and it is most commonly located on the anterior aspect of the lower limbs in women. Here, we report a case of Majocchi's granuloma on the forearm, a site that is rarely involved, in a 62-year-old woman who had been bitten by a dog. Histological examination revealed a dense dermal infiltrate composed of lymphoplasmacytic cells and neutrophils, with hyphae in the dermis. The presence of the fungus, Trichophyton tonsurans, was confirmed by mycological examination and molecular methods. Therefore, histological and mycological examination confirmed the diagnosis of Majocchi's granuloma. The patient was treated with local moxibustion and itraconazole, 200 mg/day, for 60 days, which facilitated a complete resolution of the lesions.

Effects of Dendrobium officinale flowers on testivular tissue and sperm quality in parent and offspring rats / 预防医学

Objective@#To learn the effects of Dendrobium officinale flowers on testivular tissue morphology and sperm quality in parent and offspring rats,so as to provide reference for safety evaluation of Dendrobium officinale flowers.@*Methods@#The 40 SD rats was randomly divided into the low-,middle-,high-dose and the control group,given 2.0,4.0,6.4 and 0 g/kgbw Dendrobium officinale flowers,respectively. After three months,the body weight,mass and organ/body coefficients of testis and epididymis of parent （P） and offspring （F1,F2） rats were measured;the number,activity and deformity of sperms were observed under microscope;the changes of testis and epididymis were observed by hematoxylin eosin staining. @* Results@#There were no significantly statistical differences in the body weight,mass and organ/body coefficients of testis and epididymis,sperm quantity,sperm motility rate among four groups of P、F1、F2 male rats （P>0.05）. There were no significantly statistical differences in sperm malformation rate between the high-dose group and the control group （P>0.05）. There was no significant change in testis and epididymis of P,F1 and F2 male rats. @*Conclusion@#Dendrobium officinale flowers did not show obviously adverse effects on testivular tissue morphology and sperm quality in parent and offsping rats.

Toxicity of Dendrobium officinale flowers to pregnantrats and offspring rats before birth / 预防医学

Objective@#To learn the toxicity of Dendrobium officinale flowers to pregnant rats ( P, F1 ) and offspring rats ( F1, F2 ) before birth, so as to provide toxicological evidence for the safety assessment.@*Methods @#The rats were divided into four groups with 20 female rats and 10 male each. The rats in three dose groups were fed with Dendrobium officinale flowers at the dose of 2.0, 4.0, 6.4g/kgbw. After two generation, the F1a and F2a rats were fed with basal diet; F1b and F2b rats were fed with Dendrobium officinale flowers. The body weights and total weight gains during the gestation, the conception rates, the pregnancy rates, the birth weights and survival rates of offspring rats were examined. @* Results@#There were no statistically significant differences in the body weights and total weight gains during the gestation, the conception rates, and the pregnancy rates in pregnant rats ( P, F1 ) among the four groups ( P>0.05 ). There were also no statistically significant differences in the survival rates and live birth rates in offspring rats (F1, F2) between the dose groups and the control group ( P>0.05 ). @*Conclusions@#Dendrobium officinale flowers did not show obviously adverse effects on pregnant rats ( P, F1 ) and offspring rats ( F1, F2 ) before birth.

Toxicokinetics and internal exposure of acrylamide: new insight into comprehensively profiling mercapturic acid metabolites as short-term biomarkers in rats and Chinese adolescents.

Acrylamide is classified as a probable carcinogen to humans and generated from Maillard reaction. Currently, the short-term exposure to acrylamide was evaluated via external diet sources in vitro or two main mercapturic acid metabolites: N-acetyl-S-(2-carbamoylethyl)-L-cysteine (AAMA) and N-acetyl-S-(2-carbamoyl-2-hydroxyethyl)-L-cysteine (GAMA) in vivo. In the present work, we comprehensively profiled four mercapturic acid metabolites and evaluated their internal exposure in rats and Chinese adolescents. The cumulative excretion of mercapturic acid metabolites contributes 38.4-73.0 and 43.8-63.6 % of total in vivo metabolites of acrylamide in male and female rats, respectively, when 1, 10, and 50 mg/kg bw of acrylamide were orally administered. Toxicokinetic study revealed that the conversion of acrylamide into glycidamide and glutathione coupling process is highly related to the gender and oral gavage dose via evaluating kinetic parameters, accumulative excretion percentages, and molar ratios of oxidative to reductive metabolism. In human study, a total of 101 Chinese adolescents (41 men and 60 women) were enrolled and served with a meal of potato chips, corresponding to a single-dose (12.6 µg/kg bw) exposure to acrylamide. Toxicokinetic work showed that AAMA is an early and predominant metabolite appearing as a biomarker in urine. N-acetyl-S-(2-carbamoylethyl)-L-cysteine-sulfoxide (AAMA-sul), an oxidative product from AAMA, exhibits a higher peak concentration than GAMA and N-acetyl-S-(1-carbamoyl-2-hydroxyethyl)-L-cysteine (iso-GAMA) during the whole 48-h toxicokinetic period. The internal exposure via four mercapturic acid metabolites is associated with the gender and body mass index characteristics. Thus, current study aims at mercapturic acid metabolites as urinary biomarkers and provides comprehensive insights into the short-term internal exposure to acrylamide.

[Study of side branch ostial deformation after interventional therapy of coronary bifurcation].

OBJECTIVE: To quantitative analyzing the deformation of SB, by using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), pre and post MV stenting after cross-over interventional treatment by proposing a concept of "deformation index(DI)". And, Trying to evaluate primarily the significances of such deformation. METHODS: There were 53 bifurcation lesions treated by cross-over technique. All the diameter of side branch was >2.0 mm. Proposing the concept of DI as (MaxD-MinD)/MaxD (MaxD, Maximum Diameter; MinD: Minimum Diameter) to present the morphological changes of SB ostium which was measured by IVUS. The DI will be 0 theoretically for a regular round and tend to be a ellipse if close to 1. Comparison analysis the ID of SB pre and post MV stenting and try to observing the effective factor of it and relationship with quantitative coronary angiography (QAG) in coronary bifurcation intervention. RESULTS: The DI of SB before and after MV stenting was 0.18 ± 0.13 and 0.26 ± 0.16(P < 0.01) respectively , DI was one of correlative factors of MinD of SB ostium measured by QAG (CO:-0.103; P = 0.015). DI was still the independent factor with QCA- MinD of SB by using partial correlation analysis (P = 0.002) when other relative factors were controlled well. CONCLUSIONS: Ostium of SB showed a obviously ellipse trend after MV stenting in coronary bifurcation interventional treatment. DI was one of relatives of QCA-MinD of SB after procedure and may be one the causes of aggressive QCA-MinD of SB after interventional therapy using cross-over strategy in coronary bifurcation lesion.

[Study on contamimation of endocrine disrupting chemicals in aquatic environment of Qiantang River].

OBJECTIVE: To study contamination of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in aquatic environment of Qiantang River. METHODS: Carp vitellogenin (VTG) content in serum and ethoxyresorufin-o-deethylase (EROD) activity in liver of wild crucian, pesticide content including organic cholorine, organic phosphorus and pyrethroid in its muscle from 7 monitoring sites including Zhangtan (ZT), Jiekou (JK), Jiangjunyan (JJY), Yandongguan (YDG), Tonglu (TL), Fuyang (FY) and Yuanpu (YP) in Qiantang river were detected. And chemical analysis of water quality was carried on in four sites. RESULTS: EROD activity in crucian from ZT, JJY, FY and YP [(23.51 +/- 4.17), (16.79 +/- 7.39), (18.74 +/- 5.16), (18.65 +/- 8.86) nmol x g(-1) pro x min(-1), respectively] was significantly higher than that of control ((7.84 +/- 2.42) nmol x g(-1) pro x min(-1)), and VTG content in wild crucian from ZT, TL, FY and YP [(1.536 +/- 0.521), (16.404 +/- 13.579), (19.672 +/- 16.354) and (17.079 +/- 18.397)] microg/ml, respectively) was significantly higher than that of control [(0.400 +/- 0.099) (microg/ ml]. No significantly difference in biomarkers was observed between other site and control. From high to low, in total organophosphorus, it was followed as: TL, YDG, YP, FY, QZ, JK, JJY (EPN was up to 2695.64, 611.96 microg/kg in TL and YDG, respectively). In total organochlorine: TL, YP, YDG, FY, QZ, JK and JJY (tetradifon content in muscle of wild crucian from TL was up to 3962.17 microg/kg). For pyrethroid pesticides: TL, YDG, YP, ZT, JK, FY and JJY (alpha-tetramethrin and alpha-phenothrin was comparatively high in TL and YDG, up to 371.54, 239.62 microg/kg in the former, 416.23, 189.15 microg/kg in the latter, respectively). CONCLUSION: Aquatic environment of these sites including ZT, TL, FY and YP in Qiantang river received comparatively high EDCs, whose effects may be mainly due to pesticide pollution. Obvious organic contamination occurred in these sites including ZT, JJY, FY and YP. Changes of chemicals in water and EROD activity in fish test result are consistent with the actual contamination, while agricultural effluent discharges only affect the local River in the downstream. High PAH contamination in these sites such as ZT maybe lead to underestimation of estrogen effects, which was neglected easily, need be paid more attention to.

Antimutagenicity of propolis against some mutagens in vivo and in vitro.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the antimutagenicity of propolis in vivo and in vitro. METHODS: Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98 and TA100 were used as a test model in vitro against a direct mutagen DMC and an indirect mutagen 2AF with or without S9 mix, and MN formation of mice bone marrow cell and CAs induction of mice testicle cell were applied as a test model in vivo against two mutagens CP and MMC. RESULTS: The present study clearly demonstrated that propolis could inhibit mutagenicity of both DMC and 2AF directly in a dose-dependent manner, and significant antimutagenic effects (P < 0.05) were obtained in TA98 strain at 2000 and 3000 microg/plate. It also could inhibit mutagenicity of both DMC and 2AF to TA98 strain in a dose-dependent manner, with significant antimutagenic effects (P < 0.05) appeared at 1000, 2000, and 3000 microg/plate. The results of antimutagenicity test in vivo revealed that propolis could inhibit MN formation significantly (P < 0.05) at the doses of 45.0 and 135.0 mg/kg b. w., and decrease the frequency of chromosome aberrants and chromosome aberrant cells significantly (P < 0.05) only at the dose of 135.0 mg/kg b. w. CONCLUSION: The propolis is a good inhibitor for mutagencity of DMC and 2AF in vitro, as well as for CP and MMC in vivo.