Patterns and trends of primary drug-resistant tuberculosis in Chongqing, China, from 2012 to 2020.

Primary drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) contributes significantly to the global TB epidemic, particularly in countries with high TB burdens. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of primary DR-TB prevalence in Chongqing, China, from 2012 to 2020. A total of 4546 newly diagnosed and 2769 relapse TB patients admitted to the hospital from 2012 to 2020 were included. Categorical variables were compared using Pearson chi-square test or Fisher exact test, as appropriate. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors associated with primary DR-TB. The rate of primary DR-TB was 24.5%, whereas that of acquired DR-TB was 67.8%. Among newly diagnosed TB cases, the percentage of DR-TB (from 48.9 to 44.2%), mono-resistant TB (from 11.8 to 9.7%), multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB; from 25.3 to 6.9%), and pre-extensive drug-resistant TB (from 13.7 to 5.8%) showed a decreasing trend from 2012 to 2020. Age from 15 to 64 years was a risk factor for the development of primary DR-TB (15-44 years: adjusted odds ratio = 2.227, 95% confidence interval: 1.053-4.710; 45-64 years: adjusted odds ratio = 2.223, 95% confidence interval: 1.048-4.717). The rates of primary DR-TB (P = .041) and MDR-TB (P = .007) were significantly higher in the age group of 15 to 64 years than in the age groups of ≤14 years and ≥65 years. Noticeably, rising trends of primary DR-TB (from 0 to 27.3%) and MDR-TB (from 0 to 9.1%) in the population of ≤14 years were observed from 2012 to 2020. Although the rate of primary DR-TB showed a downward trend, a rising drug-resistance rate among some particular subgroups was still observed. Further control of primary DR-TB should focus more on TB patients aged 15 to 64 years.

Biotransformation to synthesize the methylated derivatives of baicalein using engineered Escherichia coli.

Oroxylin A and negletein are flavonoid compounds existing in plants, with excellent pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammatory, anti-viropexis, and anti-cancer. Nevertheless, the natural abundance of these compounds in plants is extremely low. Here, a biotransformation pathway was developed in engineered strains to synthesize oroxylin A and negletein from baicalin by using the crude extract of Scutellaria baicalensis as the substrate. Briefly, the precursor baicalin in this crude extract was hydrolyzed by a ß-glucuronidase to form the intermediate baicalein, then O-methyltransferases utilize this intermediate to synthesize oroxylin A and negletein. Through screening strains and carbon sources, regulating intercellular S-adenosyl L-methionine synthesis, and optimizing culture conditions, the titers of the target products increased gradually, with 188.0 mg/L for oroxylin A and 222.7 mg/L for negletein finally. The study illustrates a convenient method to synthesize oroxylin A and negletein from a low-cost substrate, paving the way for the mass acquisition and further bioactivities development and utilization of these rare and high-value compounds.

Optimal treatment options for uterine submucosal fibroids: Percutaneous microwave ablation versus transcervical resection of myoma.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy and safety of percutaneous microwave ablation (PMWA) and transcervical resection of myoma (TCRM) for submucosal fibroids. METHODS: From January 2019 to January 2021, we conducted a randomized controlled study involving patients with symptomatic uterine submucosal fibroids. Questionnaires were also used to measure the uterine fibroid symptom (UFS) scores and quality of life (QoL) scores before and after treatment at 3, 6, and 12 months. Outcomes, adverse events, hemoglobin recovery, and submucosal fibroid volume of both groups were also compared. Operation time, amount of bleeding, hospital stay time, and occurrence of complications were compared in groups with fibroids of different lengths. RESULTS: Follow-up after surgery showed that UFS scores at 3, 6, and 12 months were significantly lower in each group, while QoL scores increased significantly. For fibroids less than 3 cm, surgical time was 34.2 ± 9.9 min, incidence of perioperative complications was 4.2%, and both decreased significantly, compared to the surgical time of the PMWA group (40.0 ± 8.1 min) and incidence of perioperative complications (24%; p < .05 for both). For uterine submucosal fibroids >5 cm, the operation time in the PMWA group was 92.7 ± 16.0 min, intraoperative bleeding volume was 22.7 ± 6.4 mL, and hospital stay was 2.7 ± 1.1 days, which were significantly less than the procedural time (107 ± 11.9 min), intraoperative bleeding loss (45.9 ± 12.8 mL), and length of hospital stay (5.0 ± 1.1 days) in the TCRM group. The differences were statistically significant (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: PMWA and TCRM were both effective treatments for uterine submucosal fibroids. For fibroids shorter than 3 cm in length, especially pedicled submucosal fibroids, TCRM has absolute advantages; however, for uterine submucosal fibroids >5 cm, PMWA avoids perioperative complications, such as uterine perforation, water poisoning syndrome, and the need for repeat surgery, and is considered the preferred mode of treatment. Therefore, personalized treatment should be used for different patients with uterine submucosal fibroids.

Efficient production of the glycosylated derivatives of baicalein in engineered Escherichia coli.

Baicalein-7-O-glucoside and baicalein-7-O-rhamnoside have been proven to possess many pharmacological activities and are potential candidate drug leads and herb supplements. However, their further development is largely limited due to low content in host plants. Few studies reported that both bioactive plant components are prepared through the bioconversion of baicalein that is considered as the common biosynthetic precursor of both compounds. Herein, we constructed a series of the engineered whole-cell bioconversion systems in which the deletion of competitive genes and the introduction of exogenous UDP-glucose supply pathway, glucosyltransferase, rhamnosyltransferase, and the UDP-rhamnose synthesis pathway are made. Using these engineered strains, the precursor baicalein is able to be transformed into baicalein-7-O-glucoside and baicalein-7-O-rhamnoside, with high-titer production, respectively. The further optimization of fermentation conditions led to the final production of 568.8 mg/L and 877.0 mg/L for baicalein-7-O-glucoside and baicalein-7-O-rhamnoside, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, it is the highest production in preparation of baicalein-7-O-glucoside from baicalein so far, while the preparation of baicalein-7-O-rhamnoside is the first reported via bioconversion approach. Our study provides a reference for the industrial production of high-value products baicalein-7-O-glucoside and baicalein-7-O-rhamnoside using engineered E. coli. KEY POINTS: • Integrated design for improving the intracellular UDP-glucose pool • High production of rare baicalein glycosides in the engineered E. coli • Baicalein-7-O-glucoside and baicalein-7-O-rhamnoside.

Self-assembled nanoflower-like FeSe2/MoSe2 heterojunction anode with enhanced kinetics for superior-performance Na-ion half/full batteries.

Transition metal selenides are a research hotspot in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). However, slow kinetics and rapid capacity decay due to volume changes during cycling limit their commercial applications. Heterostructures have the ability to accelerate charge transport and are widely used in energy storage devices due to their abundant active sites and lattice interfaces. A rational design of heterojunction electrode materials with excellent electrochemical performance is essential for SIBs. Herein, a novel anode material heterostructured FeSe2/MoSe2 (FMSe) nanoflower for SIBs was successfully prepared through a facile co-precipitation and hydrothermal route. The as-prepared FMSe heterojunction exhibits excellent electrochemical performance, including a high invertible capacity (493.7 mA h g-1 after 150 cycles at 0.2 A g-1), long-term cycling stability (352.2 mA h g-1 even after 4200 cycles at 5.0 A g-1) and competitive rate capability (361.2 mA h g-1 at 20 A g-1). By matching with a Na3V2(PO4)3 cathode, it can even exhibit ideal cycling stability (123.5 mA h g-1 at 0.5 A g-1 after 200 cycles). Furthermore, the sodium storage mechanism of the FMSe electrodes was systematically determined by ex situ electrochemical techniques. Theoretical calculation also reveals that the heterostructure on the FMSe interface enhances charge transport and promotes reaction kinetics.

Virtual monoenergetic imaging predicting Ki-67 expression in lung cancer.

This study aimed to optimize slope and energy levels for evaluating Ki-67 expression in lung cancer using virtual monoenergetic imaging and compare the predictive efficiency of different energy spectrum slopes (λHU) for Ki-67. Forty-three patients with primary lung cancer confirmed via pathological examination were enrolled in this study. They underwent baseline arterial-phase (AP) and venous-phase (VP) energy spectrum computed tomography (CT) scanning before surgery. The CT values were 40-190 keV, with 40-140 keV indicating pulmonary lesions at AP and VP, and P < 0.05 indicating a statistically significant difference. An immunohistochemical examination was conducted, and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to analyze the prediction performance of λHU for Ki-67 expression. SPSS Statistics 22.0 (IBM Corp., NY, USA) was used for statistical analysis, and χ2, t, and Mann-Whitney U tests were used for quantitative and qualitative analyses of data. Significant differences were observed at the corresponding CT values of 40 keV (as 40-keV is considered the best for single-energy image for evaluating Ki-67 expression) and 50 keV in AP and at 40, 60, and 70 keV in VP between high- and low-Ki-67 expression groups (P < 0.05). In addition, the λHU values of three-segment energy spectrum curve in both AP and VP were quite different between two groups (P < 0.05). However, the VP data had greater predictive values for Ki-67. The areas under the curve were 0.859, 0.856, and 0.859, respectively. The 40-keV single-energy sequence was the best single-energy sequence to evaluate the expression of Ki-67 in lung cancer and to obtain λHU values using the energy spectrum curve in the VP. The CT values had better diagnostic efficiency.

Serum miR-4488 as a potential biomarker of lean nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background: In lean individuals, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is not a benign disease, and these patients have long-term morbidity and mortality similar to those of their nonlean counterparts. Finding biomarkers for noninvasive and early detection is urgent and microRNAs (miRNAs) show potential. The aims of this study were to investigate the potential role of serum miRNAs in the detection of lean NAFLD and to explore the possible pathogenesis of lean NAFLD. Methods: A total of 498 patients with NAFLD and 98 healthy controls were included to compare the clinical characteristics of lean NAFLD patients [LNs: body mass index (BMI) <23 kg/m2], nonlean NAFLD patients (NLNs: BMI ≥23 kg/m2) and normal healthy individuals (HIs). A total of 14 serum samples were collected from 4 LNs, 6 NLNs and 4 HIs for high-throughput profiling to identify altered miRNA expression patterns in lean NAFLD. The candidate miRNA, miR-4488, was identified by filtering based on studies in a second independent cohort (31 LNs, 62 NLNs, 72 HIs) that included quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment, and protein-protein interaction network analyses were performed to investigate the potential molecular mechanism of miR-4488 in lean NAFLD. Results: LNs were older and had a smaller waist circumference, lower levels of alanine aminotransferase, glutamyl transpeptidase, fasting insulin, and uric acid, lower HOMA-IR score, and higher levels of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and hemoglobin (P<0.05). The serum level of miR-4488 was increased in LNs compared with HIs (P<0.0001) and NLNs (P=0.025). miR-4488 had acceptable performance in predicting [area under the curve (AUC) =0.794, 0.698] lean NAFLD. Moreover, GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that the differentially expressed target genes were mainly involved in choline metabolism in cancer, the tumor-necrosis factor (TNF) signaling pathway and the p53 signaling pathway. PPI analysis identified ARHGAP1, SLC10A1 and SIX5 as the hub genes. Conclusions: Taken together, our findings indicate that serum miR-4488 is a potential biomarker for diagnosing and predicting the pathogenetic mechanisms of lean NAFLD.

Development of the Cultural Tightness-Looseness Orientation Scale for College Students.

Background: "The cultural tightness-looseness orientation of college students", which involves college students' cognition about tolerance for non-learning-behavior in class, strength of learning-behavior norms in class, and strength of social norms in the generalized macro-context, offers a new perspective to explain college students' psychology and behavior and could effectively promote their all-round development. However, there is severely lack of a reliable and valid instrument. Hence, we seek to develop the Cultural Tightness-Looseness Orientation Scale for College Students (CTLOS-S) in the Chinese context. Methods: We firstly pooled the initial 17 measuring items of CTLOS-S through literature review and the open-ended interview. After conducting questionnaire survey among 264 college students using the initial scale, we did a series of reliability and validity tests to get the formal CTLOS-S, based on which we further administered questionnaire survey among 755 college students to check its reliability, construct validity, criterion validity, content validity, and across-gender invariance. Results: The formal CTLOS-S contains 7-item subscale of tolerance orientation for non-learning-behavior in class, 4-item subscale of strength orientation of learning-behavior norms in class, and 3-item subscale of strength orientation of social norms in the generalized macro-context. The testing results of the second-stage questionnaire survey data (N = 755) demonstrate that the reliability coefficients of CTLOS-S and its three subscales are 0.85, 0.85, 0.83, and 0.76 separately, the internal 3-factor structure validity of CTLOS-S is satisfactorily acceptable with χ 2(74) = 318.76, CFI = 0.94, TLI = 0.93, RMSEA = 0.06, and SRMR = 0.04, and the content validity and criterion validity are satisfactory as the total score of CTLOS-S is positively correlated with each score of its three subscales and the total score of learning engagement scale. Besides, the 3-factor structure of CTLOS-S is invariant across gender. Conclusion: The 14-item CTLOS-S we develop is a reliable and valid instrument for researchers to conduct quantitative studies on college students' cultural tightness-looseness orientation.

Integrating surface structure via triphenyl phosphate treatment to stabilize Li-rich Mn-based cathode materials.

Li-rich Mn-based layered oxides (LLOs) have emerged as one of the most promising cathode materials for the next-generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) because of their high energy density, high specific capacity, and environmental friendliness. These materials, however, have drawbacks such as capacity degradation, low initial coulombic efficiency (ICE), voltage decay, and poor rate performance due to irreversible oxygen release and structural deterioration during cycling. Herein, we present a facile method of triphenyl phosphate (TPP) surface treatment to create an integrated surface structure on LLOs that includes oxygen vacancies, Li3PO4, and carbon. When used for LIBs, the treated LLOs show an increased initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) of 83.6% and capacity retention of 84.2% at 1C after 200 cycles. It is suggested that the enhanced performance of the treated LLOs can be attributed to the synergetic functions of each component in the integrated surface, such as the oxygen vacancy and Li3PO4 being able to inhibit the evolution of oxygen and accelerate the transport of lithium ions, while the carbon layer can restrain undesirable interfacial side reactions and reduce the dissolution of transition metals. Furthermore, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT) prove an enhanced kinetic property of the treated LLOs cathode, and ex-situ X-ray diffractometer shows a suppressed structural transformation of TPP-treated LLOs during the battery reaction. This study provides an effective strategy for constructing an integrated surface structure on LLOs to achieve high-energy cathode materials in LIBs.

Cyhalofop-butyl exposure induces the severe hepatotoxicity and immunotoxicity in zebrafish embryos.

Cyhalofop-butyl (CyB) is a highly effective herbicide and is widely used for weed control in paddy fields. Because CyB is easily residual in the aquatic environment, its potential harm to aquatic organisms has attracted much attention and has not been fully understood. In this study, we systematically explored the hepatotoxic and immunotoxic effects of CyB exposure in zebrafish embryos. Firstly, CyB induced a decrease in the survival rate of zebrafish and led to a series of developmental abnormalities. Meanwhile, CyB can significantly reduce the size of zebrafish liver tissue and the number of hepatocytes in a dose-dependent manner. Secondly, the number of macrophages and neutrophils significantly decreased but the antioxidant enzyme activities such as CAT and MDA were greatly elevated upon CyB exposure. Thirdly, RNA-Seq analysis identified 1, 402 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) including 621 up-regulated and 781 down-regulated in zebrafish embryos after CyB exposure. KEGG and GO functional analysis revealed that the metabolic pathways of drug metabolism-cytochrome P450, biosynthesis of antibiotics, and metabolism of xenobiotics, along with oxidation-reduction process, high-density lipoprotein particle and cholesterol transport activity were significantly enriched after CyB exposure. Besides, hierarchical clustering analysis suggested that the genes involved in lipid metabolism, oxidative stress and innate immunity were largely activated in CyB-exposed zebrafish. Moreover, CyB induced zebrafish liver injury and increased hepatocyte apoptosis, which increased the protein expression levels of Bax, TLR4, NF-kB p65 and STAT3 in zebrafish. Finally, specific inhibition of TLR signaling pathway by TLR4 knock-down could significantly reduce the expression of inflammatory cytokines induced by CyB exposure. Taken together, these informations demonstrated that CyB could induce the hepatotoxicity and immunotoxicity in zebrafish embryos, and the expression levels of many genes involved in lipid metabolism and immune inflammation were obtained by RNA-Seq analysis. This study provides valuable information for future elucidating the aquatic toxicity of herbicide in aquatic ecosystems.

A chlorin e6 derivative-mediated photodynamic therapy inhibits cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma cell proliferation via Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although most cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) cases are generally nonlethal and manageable with surgical excision, there ares till significant hazards for patients who are ineligible for surgical resection. We sought to find a suitable and effective treatment for cSCC. METHODS: We modified chlorin e6 by adding a hydrogen chain with a six-carbon ring to the benzene ring and named this new photosensitizer as STBF. We first investigated the fluorescence characteristics, cellular uptake of STBF and subcellular localization. Next, cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay and the TUNEL staining was performed. Akt/mTOR-related proteins were examined by western blot. RESULTS: STBF-photodynamic therapy (PDT) inhibits cSCC cells viability in a light dose dependent manner. The antitumor mechanism of STBF-PDT might be due to the suppression of the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Further animal investigation determined that STBF-PDT led to a marked reduction in tumor growth. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that STBF-PDT exerts significant therapeutic effects in cSCC. Thus, STBF-PDT is expected to be a promising method for the treatment of cSCC and the photosensitizer STBF may be destined for a wider range of applications in photodynamic therapy.

Sodium Oligomannate Electrostatically Binds to Aß and Blocks Its Aggregation.

GV-971 (sodium oligomannate) is a China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA)-approved drug for treating Alzheimer's disease, and it could inhibit Aß fibril formation in vitro and in mouse studies. To elucidate the mechanisms for understanding how GV-971 modulates Aß's aggregation, we conducted a systematic biochemical and biophysical study of Aß40/Aß42:GV-971 systems. The integrating analysis of previously published data and our results suggests that the multisite electrostatic interactions between GV-971's carboxylic groups and Aß40/Aß42's three histidine residues might play a dominant role in driving the binding of GV-971 to Aß. The fuzzy-type electrostatic interactions between GV-971 and Aß are expected to protect Aß from aggregation potentially through breaking the histidine-mediated inter-Aß electrostatic interactions. Meanwhile, since GV-971's binding exhibited a slight downregulation effect on the flexibility of Aß's histidine-colonized fragment, which potentially favors Aß aggregation, we conclude that the dynamics alteration plays a minor role in GV-971's modulation on Aß aggregation.

Design of a Coumarin-Based Fluorescent Probe for Efficient In Vivo Imaging of Amyloid-ß Plaques.

Amyloid-ß (Aß) is the core constituent protein of senile plaques, which is one of the key pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here we describe the design, synthesis, and evaluation of coumarin-derived small molecule fluorophores for Aß imaging. By embedding the aromatic coumarin framework into π bridge of a push-pull chromophore, a novel fluorescence probe XCYC-3 applicable to efficient Aß recognition was discovered. XCYC-3 displays higher fluorescent enhancement for aggregated Aß than monomeric Aß, and possesses good blood-brain barrier permeability. In vitro staining and in vivo imaging studies demonstrated that XCYC-3 could efficiently recognize Aß plaques in the brain of AD transgenic mice. These results suggest that XCYC-3 is a promising fluorescence imaging agent for Aß, which might provide important clues for the future development of potent NIR fluorescent probes for Aß diagnosis.

Sarglamides A-E, Indolidinoid-Monoterpenoid Hybrids with Anti-neuroinflammatory Activity from a Sarcandra Species.

Sarglamides A-E (1-5), representing the first example of heterodimers of a trans-N-cinnamoylindolidinoid and α-phelladrene derivatives, were isolated from Sarcandra glabra subsp. brachystachys. Particularly, compounds 4 and 5 possess unprecedented cagelike 6/6/5/6/5- and 6/6/6/6/5-fused pentacyclic scaffolds, respectively. Their structures were established by spectroscopic analysis, X-ray crystallography, quantum-chemical calculations, and chemical conversions. Plausible biosynthetic pathways of 1-5 involving the coisolated enantiomers 6a and 6b were proposed. Compounds 3-7 showed inhibitory activity against lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in BV-2 microglial cells.

Safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of fluoropezil (DC20), a novel acetylcholinesterase inhibitor: A phase I study in healthy young and elderly Chinese subjects.

The present study evaluated the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of fluoropezil (DC20), a novel acetylcholinesterase inhibitor under development for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in otherwise healthy young and elderly Chinese subjects. The study of young subjects included the multiple ascending dose (MAD) arm (2 and 6 mg, N = 24) and the food effect arm (4 mg, N = 12) and was followed by the study of elderly subjects who were given (2 and 4 mg, N = 11). The noncompartmental analysis method was used to determine the pharmacokinetic parameters. The pharmacokinetics of fed versus fasted dose administration in the same subjects was assessed by 90% confidence interval. In the MAD arm, the accumulation ratios of DC20 in vivo were 2.29 and 2.15, respectively. In the food effect arm, compared with fasting administration, an area under the concentration-time curve from zero to t after a standard and high-fat diet orally administered slightly increased by about 19% and 29%, and the time to maximum concentration (Tmax ) was delayed by around 1 h. For elderly study subjects, Tmax was 1.5 and 1.25 h, and terminal half-life (t1/2 ) was 77.1 and 74.2 h, respectively. There were no serious adverse events (AEs), whereas gastrointestinal reactions were the most common AEs associated with the study drug. We predicted the safety risks of DC20 in the clinical treatment of AD, which were well-tolerated by the healthy young and elderly subjects. The elimination of DC20 from the body was slower in elderly subjects than in young subjects. This study was approved by the Center for Drug Evaluation, National Medical Products Administration (CTR20181428, CTR20190664, CTR20191878, and CTR20192724).

The soil-air exchange of OCPs and PCBs in the Tibetan Plateau: Emphasis on episodic transport of unintentionally produced PCBs.

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in paired ambient and surface air fugacity samples were measured in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) from 2019 to 2022. The air concentrations of previously intentionally produced chemicals like dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) declined. Their soil-air exchange direction ranged from equilibrium to volatilization, suggesting that the TP is acting as a secondary source of most OCPs and PCBs with the pollution alleviation. However, considerably high atmospheric levels of PCB-11, an indicator of unintentionally produced PCBs (UP-PCBs), were recorded in southern TP. Strong episodic LRAT and deposition of PCB-11 events took place mostly in summer. Those events associated with winds from potential sources and less rainfall interception along the air mass transport routes accounted for a significant fraction of overall atmospheric deposition in the TP. Meanwhile, cryoturbation and plowing are suspected to be important factors contributing to the reemission of PCB-11 from surface soil. The high abundance of PCB-11 and strong deposition/evaporation events highlights potential environmental and health risks of UP-POPs in the TP.

Virus-induced interference as a means for accelerating fitness-based selection of cyprinid herpesvirus 3 single-nucleotide variants in vitro and in vivo.

Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3) is the archetype of fish alloherpesviruses and is advantageous to research because, unlike many herpesviruses, it can be studied in the laboratory by infection of the natural host (common and koi carp). Previous studies have reported a negative correlation among CyHV-3 strains between viral growth in vitro (in cell culture) and virulence in vivo (in fish). This suggests the existence of genovariants conferring enhanced fitness in vitro but reduced fitness in vivo and vice versa. Here, we identified the syncytial plaque formation in vitro as a common trait of CyHV-3 strains adapted to cell culture. A comparison of the sequences of virion transmembrane protein genes in CyHV-3 strains, and the use of various recombinant viruses, demonstrated that this trait is linked to a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the open reading frame (ORF) 131 coding sequence (C225791T mutation) that results in codon 183 encoding either an alanine (183A) or a threonine (183T) residue. In experiments involving infections with recombinant viruses differing only by this SNP, the 183A genovariant associated with syncytial plaque formation was the more fit in vitro but the less fit in vivo. In experiments involving coinfection with both viruses, the more fit genovariant contributed to the purifying selection of the less fit genovariant by outcompeting it. In addition, this process appeared to be accelerated by viral stimulation of interference at a cellular level and stimulation of resistance to superinfection at a host level. Collectively, this study illustrates how the fundamental biological properties of some viruses and their hosts may have a profound impact on the degree of diversity that arises within viral populations.

Different responses of two maize cultivars to Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae infestation provide insights into their differences in resistance.

Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), a pest with an amazing appetite, damages many crops and causes great losses, especially maize. Understanding the differences in different maize cultivars' responses to S. frugiperda infestation is very important for revealing the mechanisms involved in the resistance of maize plants to S. frugiperda. In this study, a comparative analysis of two maize cultivars, the common cultivar 'ZD958' and the sweet cultivar 'JG218', was used to investigate their physico-biochemical responses to S. frugiperda infestation by a pot experiment. The results showed that the enzymatic and non-enzymatic defense responses of maize seedlings were rapidly induced by S. frugiperda. Frist, the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents of infested maize leaves were significantly increased and then decreased to the level of the control. Furthermore, compared with the control leaves, the puncture force values and the total phenolics, total flavonoids, and 2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one contents of infested leaves were significantly increased within a certain time. The superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activities of infested leaves were significantly increased in a certain period of time, while the catalase activities decreased significantly and then increased to the control level. The jasmonic acid (JA) levels of infested leaves were significantly improved, whereas the salicylic acid and abscisic acid levels changed less. Signaling genes associated with phytohormones and defensive substances including PAL4, CHS6, BX12, LOX1, and NCED9 were significantly induced at certain time points, especially LOX1. Most of these parameters changed greater in JG218 than in ZD958. Moreover, the larvae bioassay showed that S. frugiperda larvae weighed more on JG218 leaves than those on ZD958 leaves. These results suggested that JG218 was more susceptible to S. frugiperda than ZD958. Our findings will make it easier to develop strategies for controlling S. frugiperda for sustainable maize production and breeding of new maize cultivars with increased resistance to herbivores.

A Green Approach Used for Heavy Metals 'Phytoremediation' Via Invasive Plant Species to Mitigate Environmental Pollution: A Review.

Heavy metals (HMs) normally occur in nature and are rapidly released into ecosystems by anthropogenic activities, leading to a series of threats to plant productivity as well as human health. Phytoremediation is a clean, eco-friendly, and cost-effective method for reducing soil toxicity, particularly in weedy plants (invasive plant species (IPS)). This method provides a favorable tool for HM hyperaccumulation using invasive plants. Improving the phytoremediation strategy requires a profound knowledge of HM uptake and translocation as well as the development of resistance or tolerance to HMs. This review describes a comprehensive mechanism of uptake and translocation of HMs and their subsequent detoxification with the IPS via phytoremediation. Additionally, the improvement of phytoremediation through advanced biotechnological strategies, including genetic engineering, nanoparticles, microorganisms, CRISPR-Cas9, and protein basis, is discussed. In summary, this appraisal will provide a new platform for the uptake, translocation, and detoxification of HMs via the phytoremediation process of the IPS.

Comparison of the efficacy of dienogest and GnRH-a after endometriosis surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of dienogest and GnRH-a after endometriosis surgery. METHODS: Patients with endometriosis who were admitted to our hospital from December 2020 to March 2022 were randomly collected. A total of 81 patients were collected and divided into 40 cases in the control group and 41 cases in the observation group. Among them, the control group was treated with GnRH-a drug, and the observation group was treated with dienogest (DNG). RESULTS: The study found that the therapeutic effects of the two drugs were basically the same in patients with endometriosis. The VAS and Kupperman scores of the control group were 0.78 ± 0.8, 3.9 ± 1.84, P < 0.05, respectively; the VAS and Kupperman scores of the observation group were 0.73 ± 0.78, 1.55, respectively ± 1.24, P < 0.05, the difference was statistically significant.In the case of postoperative recurrence, the observation group was better than the control group, with 8 cases of recurrence in the control group and 2 cases of recurrence in the observation group, P < 0.05. CONCLUSION: In the comparison of postoperative efficacy of the two drugs on patients with endometriosis, dienogest is better than GnRH-a adjuvant drug in postoperative recurrence, and has a good improvement and application, which is worthy of further promotion in clinical practice.