Study on the metabolic process of phthalic acid driven proliferation of Rhizoctonia solani.

Introduction: Continuous cropping obstacle seriously affects the quality and yield of Salvia miltiorrhiza, and the synergistic effect of root exudates and rhizosphere pathogenic microorganisms may be an important cause of continuous cropping obstacle. This study aimed to explore the effects of representative organic acids on the growth and metabolism of specific microorganisms in the S. miltiorrhiza rhizosphere soil under continuous cropping, and clarify its mechanism. Methods: The effect of phthalic acid (PA) on the growth and metabolism of Rhizoctonia solani was evaluated by mycelial growth inhibition method. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry were used to identify the differential metabolites of R. solani induced by exogenous PA. Results: PA exerted a concentration-dependent effect on mycelial growth, biomass, intracellular polysaccharides con-tent, and total protein content in R. solani. A total of 1773 metabolites and 1040 differential metabolites were identified in the blank medium (CK), Fungi (CK + fungi), and PA-Fungi (CK + fungi + acid) groups. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis showed that the differential metabolites were mainly involved in the sugar, lipid, and protein metabolic pathways related to stable membrane structure and cell growth. Discussion: The proliferation and metabolism network of R. solani induced by PA was proposed, and the enhancement of sugar, lipid, and amino acid metabolism was presumed to be related to the active resistance of cells to organic acid stress. These results offer new in-sights into the effects of PA metabolism on promoting R. solani proliferation, and provide theoretical support for further optimizing the rhizosphere microecological environment of Salvia miltiorrhiza continuous cropping soil and reducing continuous cropping obstacle.

Zero-profile anchored spacer versus conventional plate-cage construct in bilevel anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Zero-profile anchored spacers (ZAS) and plate-cage constructs (PCC) are currently employed when performing anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). Nevertheless, the efficacy and safety of both devices in bilevel ACDF remain controversial. The goal of our meta-analysis is to assess the overall long-term efficacy and security among ZAS and PCC in bilevel ACDF. METHODS: A search of four electronic databases was conducted to identify researches that compared ZAS with PCC for bilevel ACDF. Stata MP 17.0 software was used for this meta-analysis. RESULTS: Nine researches with a total of 580 patients were involved. In comparison to PCC, ZAS significantly reduced intraoperative bleeding and postoperative dysphagia rates. No significant differences were found concerning operation time, JOA score, NDI score, cervical Cobb angle, fusion rates, the incidence of adjacent segmental degeneration (ASD) and implant sinking rates at last follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to PCC, ZAS achieved similar efficacy and security in bilevel ACDF with respect to operative time, JOA score, NDI score, cervical Cobb angle, fusion rates, implant sinking rates and ASD rates at final follow-up. It is worth noting that ZAS offered considerable benefits over conventional PCC for the reduction of intraoperative bleeding and postoperative dysphagia. Therefore, for patients requiring bilevel ACDF, ZAS seems superior to PCC. Given the limitations of our study, larger prospective randomised controlled trials are needed to establish reliable proof to consolidate our conclusions.

Self-locking stand-alone cage versus cage-plate fixation in monosegmental anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with a minimum 2-year follow-up: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Currently, self-locking stand-alone cages (SSC) are commonly applied in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), as are cage-plate constructs (CPC). However, it remains controversial concerning the long-term effectiveness of both apparatuses. Our purpose is to compare long-term effectiveness of SSC with CPC in monosegmental ACDF. METHODS: Four electronic databases were queried to identify studies comparing SSC versus CPC in monosegmental ACDF. The meta-analysis was carried out with the use of the Stata MP 17.0 software package. RESULTS: Ten trials with 979 patients were included. Compared to CPC, SSC significantly reduced operative time, intraoperative blood loss, duration of hospitalisation, cervical Cobb angle at final follow-up, 1-month postoperative dysphagia rate, and incidence of adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) at final follow-up. No significant difference was found regarding 1-month postoperative cervical Cobb angle, JOA scores, NDI scores, fusion rate and cage subsidence rate at final follow-up. CONCLUSION: Both devices achieved similar long-term effectiveness in monosegmental ACDF regarding JOA scores, NDI scores, fusion rate and cage subsidence rate. SSC had significant advantages over CPC in reducing surgical duration, intraoperative bleeding, duration of hospitalisation, as well as rates of dysphagia and ASD after surgery. Therefore, SSC is a better option than CPC in monosegmental ACDF. However, SSC is inferior to CPC in maintaining cervical curvature at long-term follow-up. Whether radiological changes affect clinical symptoms needs confirmation in trials with longer follow-up.

Outcome Predictors of the Transforaminal Endoscopic Spine System Technique for Single-level Lumbar Disk Herniation.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic spine surgery has become increasingly popular. However, no study has researched the predictive factors for different outcomes. This study is the first to evaluate the outcome predictors of the transforaminal endoscopic spine system (TESSYS) technique for lumbar disk herniation (LDH). METHODS: We performed a prospective study of 80 patients meeting the inclusion criteria who underwent TESSYS for LDH. Clinical outcomes were assessed by the visual analog scale (VAS), the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and the modified MacNab criteria. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the outcome predictors. RESULTS: There were 36 men and 44 women with a mean age of 48.76 ± 15.60 years (range: 24-78 years). The mean follow-up time was 25.15 ± 9.76 months (range: 12-48 months). The VAS and ODI scores at the last follow-up were significantly improved (p < 0.001). Based on the modified MacNab criteria, the global outcomes were excellent in 34 patients (42.5%), good in 26 patients (32.5%), fair in 11 patients (13.75%), and poor in 9 patients (11.25%). The percentage of symptomatic improvement was 88.75%, and the success rate (excellent or good) was 75%. In the univariate and multivariate analyses, LDH with older age (odds ratio [OR]: 6.621; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.632-20.846; p = 0.019), high-intensity zone (HIZ) (OR: 8.152; 95% CI, 0.827-4.380; p = 0.003), and larger disk herniation (OR: 6.819; 95% CI, 0.113-4.825; p = 0.017) were the most significant negative outcome predictors. CONCLUSIONS: TESSYS is an effective method to treat LDH. Older age, the existence of an HIZ, and a large disk herniation were the most important predictors for a worse outcome.