Cultivar-Specific Defense Responses in Wild and Cultivated Squash Induced by Belowground and Aboveground Herbivory.

Plant domestication often alters plant traits, including chemical and physical defenses against herbivores. In squash, domestication leads to reduced levels of cucurbitacins and leaf trichomes, influencing interactions with insects. However, the impact of domestication on inducible defenses in squash remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated the chemical and physical defensive traits of wild and domesticated squash (Cucurbita argyrosperma), and compared their responses to belowground and aboveground infestation by the root-feeding larvae and the leaf-chewing adults of the banded cucumber beetle Diabrotica balteata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Wild populations contained cucurbitacins in roots and cotyledons but not in leaves, whereas domesticated varieties lacked cucurbitacins in all tissues. Belowground infestation by D. balteata larvae did not increase cucurbitacin levels in the roots but triggered the expression of cucurbitacin biosynthetic genes, irrespective of domestication status, although the response varied among different varieties. Conversely, whereas wild squash had more leaf trichomes than domesticated varieties, the induction of leaf trichomes in response to herbivory was greater in domesticated plants. Leaf herbivory varied among varieties but there was a trend of higher leaf damage on wild squash than domesticated varieties. Overall, squash plants responded to both belowground and aboveground herbivory by activating chemical defense-associated gene expression in roots and upregulating their physical defense in leaves, respectively. While domestication suppressed both chemical and physical defenses, our findings suggest that it may enhance inducible defense mechanisms by increasing trichome induction in response to herbivory.

Enhanced methane production from source-separated human feces (brown water) by single phase anaerobic co-digestion: Effects of different co-substrates.

Based on the concept of source separation of brown water (BW, human feces with flushing water) and yellow water (urine) in rural area, anaerobic co-digestion of BW with agricultural waste is a promising and effective method for rural waste treatment and resource recovery. The purpose of this study was to investigate the performance of different agricultural wastes (peanut straw (PST), peanut shell (PSH), swine wastewater acting as co-substrate for anaerobic co-digestion with BW, and the relative mechanisms were explored. When the mixed ratio was uniformly set as 1:1 (mass ratio, measured by volatile solid (VS)) and initial VS load as 20 g/L, the maximum cumulative methane production obtained by co-digestion (21 days) of BW and PST was 688 mL/g-VS, which performed better than the individual substrates (341 mL/g-VS), as well as the average of the sole BW and sole PST groups (531.2 mL/g-VS). The most impactful advantage was ascribed to the promotion of hydrolytic and acidogenic enzyme activities. The addition of PST also reduced the production of endogenous humus, which is difficult for biodegradation. Microbial community analysis showed that different co-substrates would affect the microbial community composition in the reactor. The relative abundance of hydrolytic acidogens in the PST and PSH co-digestion groups were higher than that in the SW co-digestion and sole BW groups, and the methanogenic archaea were dominated by the acetate-trophic Methanotrichaceae. The overall results suggest that anaerobic co-digestion is a feasible method, and co-digestion of BW and PST can improve methane production potential.

Consequences of squash (Cucurbita argyrosperma) domestication for plant defence and herbivore interactions.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Cucurbita argyrosperma domestication affected plant defence by downregulating the cucurbitacin synthesis-associated genes. However, tissue-specific suppression of defences made the cultivars less attractive to co-evolved herbivores Diabrotica balteata and Acalymma spp. Plant domestication reduces the levels of defensive compounds, increasing susceptibility to insects. In squash, the reduction of cucurbitacins has independently occurred several times during domestication. The mechanisms underlying these changes and their consequences for insect herbivores remain unknown. We investigated how Cucurbita argyrosperma domestication has affected plant chemical defence and the interactions with two herbivores, the generalist Diabrotica balteata and the specialist Acalymma spp. Cucurbitacin levels and associated genes in roots and cotyledons in three wild and four domesticated varieties were analysed. Domesticated varieties contained virtually no cucurbitacins in roots and very low amounts in cotyledons. Contrastingly, cucurbitacin synthesis-associated genes were highly expressed in the roots of wild populations. Larvae of both insects strongly preferred to feed on the roots of wild squash, negatively affecting the generalist's performance but not that of the specialist. Our findings illustrate that domestication results in tissue-specific suppression of chemical defence, making cultivars less attractive to co-evolved herbivores. In the case of squash, this may be driven by the unique role of cucurbitacins in stimulating feeding in chrysomelid beetles.

Aphid and caterpillar feeding drive similar patterns of induced defences and resistance to subsequent herbivory in wild cotton.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Our results indicate caterpillars and aphids cause similar levels of induced defences and resistance against caterpillars in wild cotton plants. These symmetrical effects are not consistent with patterns predicted by plant defensive signaling crosstalk and call for further work addressing the biochemical mechanisms underpinning these results. Plant-induced responses to attack often mediate interactions between different species of insect herbivores. These effects are predicted to be contingent on the herbivore's feeding guild, whereby prior feeding by insects should negatively impact subsequent feeding by insects of the same guild (induced resistance) but may positively influence insects of a different guild (induced susceptibility) due to interfering crosstalk between plant biochemical pathways specific to each feeding guild. We compared the effects of prior feeding by leaf-chewing caterpillars (Spodoptera frugiperda) vs. sap-sucking aphids (Aphis gossypii) on induced defences in wild cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) and the consequences of these attacks on subsequently feeding caterpillars (S. frugiperda). To this end, we conducted a greenhouse experiment where cotton plants were either left undamaged or first exposed to caterpillar or aphid feeding, and we subsequently placed caterpillars on the plants to assess their performance. We also collected leaves to assess the induction of chemical defences in response to herbivory. We found that prior feeding by both aphids and caterpillars resulted in reductions in consumed leaf area, caterpillar mass gain, and caterpillar survival compared with control plants. Concomitantly, prior aphid and caterpillar herbivory caused similar increases in phenolic compounds (flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acids) and defensive terpenoids (hemigossypolone) compared with control plants. Overall, these findings indicate that these insects confer a similar mode and level of induced resistance in wild cotton plants, calling for further work addressing the biochemical mechanisms underpinning these effects.

Stemborer-induced rice plant volatiles boost direct and indirect resistance in neighboring plants.

Herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) are known to be perceived by neighboring plants, resulting in induction or priming of chemical defenses. There is little information on the defense responses that are triggered by these plant-plant interactions, and the phenomenon has rarely been studied in rice. Using chemical and molecular analyses in combination with insect behavioral and performance experiments, we studied how volatiles emitted by rice plants infested by the striped stemborer (SSB) Chilo suppressalis affect defenses against this pest in conspecific plants. Compared with rice plants exposed to the volatiles from uninfested plants, plants exposed to SSB-induced volatiles showed enhanced direct and indirect resistance to SSB. When subjected to caterpillar damage, the HIPV-exposed plants showed increased expression of jasmonic acid (JA) signaling genes, resulting in JA accumulation and higher levels of defensive proteinase inhibitors. Moreover, plants exposed to SSB-induced volatiles emitted larger amounts of inducible volatiles and were more attractive to the parasitoid Cotesia chilonis. By unraveling the factors involved in HIPV-mediated defense priming in rice, we reveal a key defensive role for proteinase inhibitors. These findings pave the way for novel rice management strategies to enhance the plant's resistance to one of its most devastating pests.

The N-terminal subunit of vitellogenin in planthopper eggs and saliva acts as a reliable elicitor that induces defenses in rice.

Vitellogenins (Vgs) are critical for the development and fecundity of insects. As such, these essential proteins can be used by plants to reliably sense the presence of insects. We addressed this with a combination of molecular and chemical analyses, genetic transformation, bioactivity tests, and insect performance assays. The small N-terminal subunit of Vgs of the planthopper Nilaparvata lugens (NlVgN) was found to trigger strong defense responses in rice when it enters the plants during feeding or oviposition by the insect. The defenses induced by NlVgN not only decreased the hatching rate of N. lugens eggs, but also induced volatile emissions in plants, which rendered them attractive to a common egg parasitoid. VgN of other planthoppers triggered the same defenses in rice. We further show that VgN deposited during planthopper feeding compared with during oviposition induces a somewhat different response, probably to target the appropriate developmental stage of the insect. We also confirm that NlVgN is essential for planthopper growth, development, and fecundity. This study demonstrates that VgN in planthopper eggs and saliva acts as a reliable and unavoidable elicitor of plant defenses. Its importance for insect performance precludes evolutionary adaptions to prevent detection by rice plants.

Formyl peptide receptor-2 is upregulated in the blood and placenta of patients with gestational diabetes mellitus.

AIM: To investigate the expression of formyl peptide receptor 2 (FPR2) in maternal blood, umbilical blood, and placenta of patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and to analyze the changes of other pro-inflammatory cytokines in blood, including interleukin 33 (IL-33), IL-1ß, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and C-reactive protein (CRP), so as to reveal the pathogenesis of GDM. METHODS: FPR2, IL-33, IL-1ß, T TNF-α, and CRP in maternal blood and umbilical cord blood of 50 pregnant women with GDM and 30 normal pregnant women were analyzed by ELISA method to explore the correlation between inflammatory factors and blood glucose. The expression of FPR2 in placental tissues was analyzed by PCR and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The expression of FPR2 in maternal blood of gestational diabetes patients was significantly higher than that of normal pregnant women, and other inflammatory factors IL-33 and IL-1ß in maternal blood were also significantly increased. The expression of FPR2 in umbilical cord blood of gestational diabetes was higher than that of normal pregnant women, but the difference was not significant. Other inflammatory factors IL-33, IL-1ß, and CRP in umbilical cord blood were also significantly increased. The expression of FPR2mRNA and protein in placental tissues of gestational diabetes was significantly higher than that of normal pregnant women. CONCLUSIONS: The level of FPR2, IL-33, and IL-1ß in maternal blood was related to the pathogenesis of GDM and these inflammatory factors could be used as special candidate direction of marks for the prevention, clinical treatment and drug design of GDM, laying a new theoretical foundation for the treatment of GDM.

Predictive factors of surgical site infection after hysterectomy for endometrial carcinoma: a retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: Surgical site infection (SSI) is a common postoperative complication. We aimed to analyze the potential risk factors of SSI in patients with endometrial carcinoma. METHODS: Patients with endometrial carcinoma who underwent surgery treatment in our hospital from Sept 1, 2018 to August 31, 2020 were included. We retrospectively compared the characteristics of SSI and no SSI patients, and logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the risk factors of SSI in patients with endometrial carcinoma. RESULTS: A total of 318 postoperative patients with endometrial carcinoma were included. The incidence of SSI in patients with endometrial carcinoma was 14.47 %. There were significant differences on the FIGO stage, type of surgery, durations of drainage, postoperative serum albumin and postoperative blood sugar (all p < 0.05), and no significant differences on the age, BMI, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, estimated blood loss, length of hospital stay were found (all p > 0.05). FIGO stage IV (HR3.405, 95 %CI 2.132-5.625), open surgery (HR2.692, 95 %CI 1.178-3.454), durations of drainage ≥ 7 d (HR2.414,95 %CI 1.125-2.392), postoperative serum albumin < 30 g/L (HR1.912,95 %CI 1.263-2.903), postoperative blood sugar ≥ 10 mmol/L (HR1.774,95 %CI 1.102-2.534) were the independent risk factors of SSI in patients with endometrial carcinoma (all p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Measures including reasonable control of serum albumin and blood glucose levels, minimally invasive surgery as much as possible, timely assessment of drainage and early removal of the tube may be beneficial to reduce the postoperative SSI in in patients with endometrial carcinoma.

Expression of PD-L1 in ovarian cancer and its synergistic antitumor effect with PARP inhibitor.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian cancer samples were studied to determine the expression of programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) and its relationship with prognosis, and to explore the effect and potential mechanism of a PARP inhibitor combined with PD-L1 monoclonal antibody for the treatment of ovarian cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PD-L1 expression in paraffin-embedded tissues of ovarian cancer was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Flow cytometry was used to detect PD-L1 expression in TILs. Furthermore, we investigated the mechanism of the upregulation of PD-L1 expression by PARP inhibitors in vitro and verified the combined effect in vivo. RESULTS: Our study demonstrated that PD-L1 expression in ovarian cancer tissues was associated with the FIGO stage (P = 0.026). OS was significantly lower in high PD-L1 expression group than in the low expression group (P = 0.0005, HR = 2.689), PD-L1 high expression (P = 0.023, HR = 2.275) and FIGO stage (P = 0.024, HR = 11.229) were independent risk factors affecting the survival and prognosis of ovarian cancer patients. Flow cytometry test suggested that PD-L1+ expression was negatively correlated with CD8+ T cell count in ovarian cancer cells (P = 0.054, r = -0.624). In vitro experiments revealed that PD-L1 expression of ovarian cancer cell lines was upregulated after intervention with PARP inhibitors through the Chk1 pathway. The results of in vivo experiments suggested that the growth volume and quality of tumors in the combination group were significantly lower than those in control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: PARP inhibitors could induce upregulation of PD-L1 expression by promoting phosphorylation of chk1. Antagonistic PD-L1 could reverse the inhibitory effect of PARP inhibitors on CD8+T cells, and had synergistic antitumor effect with PARP inhibitors.

The Desaturase Gene Nlug-desatA2 Regulates the Performance of the Brown Planthopper Nilaparvata lugens and Its Relationship with Rice.

Insect desaturases are known to play an important role in chemical communication between individuals. However, their roles in insect growth, development and fecundity, and in regulating interactions of insects with plants, remain largely unknown. In this study, we explored the functions of Nlug-desatA2, a desaturase gene of the brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Stål). The RNA interference-based knockdown of Nlug-desatA2 decreased the ratio of monounsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids, and the level of fatty acids and triglycerides in BPH. Nlug-desatA2-knockdown also reduced the food intake, body mass and fecundity of female BPH adults, and led to abdomen atrophy and ovarian agenesis. Nlug-desatA2-knockdown suppressed the transcription of TOR (target of rapamycin), Lpp (Lipophorin) and AKHR (adipokinetic hormone receptor) in female adults. Moreover, the corrected survival rate of BPH with Nlug-desatA2-knockdown fed an artificial diet was higher than the survival rate of those fed on rice plants. Higher levels of salicylic acid in rice infested by Nlug-desatA2-knockdown female BPH adults than in rice infested by control BPH may be the reason. These findings demonstrate that Nlug-desatA2 has an essential role in lipid metabolism and is involved in the food intake, survival, development and fecundity of BPH. In addition, this gene is likely involved in regulating the responses of rice to BPH infestation.

Zinc finger protein transcription factors: Integrated line of action for plant antimicrobial activity.

The plants resist/tolerate unfavorable conditions in their natural habitats by using different but aligned and integrated defense mechanisms. Such defense responses include not only morphological and physiological adaptations but also the genomic and transcriptomic reconfiguration. Microbial attack on plants activates multiple pro-survival pathways such as transcriptional reprogramming, hypersensitive response (HR), antioxidant defense system and metabolic remodeling. Up-regulation of these processes during biotic stress conditions directly relates with plant survival. Over the years, hundreds of plant transcription factors (TFs) belonging to diverse families have been identified. Zinc finger protein (ZFP) TFs have crucial role in phytohormone response, plant growth and development, stress tolerance, transcriptional regulation, RNA binding and protein-protein interactions. Recent research progress has revealed regulatory and biological functions of ZFPs in incrementing plant resistance to pathogens. Integration of transcriptional activity with metabolic modulations has miniaturized plant innate immunity. However, the precise roles of different zinc finger TFs in plant immunity to pathogens have not been thoroughly analyzed. This review consolidates the pivotal functioning of zinc finger TFs and proposes the integrative understanding as foundation for the plant growth and development including the stress responses.

The Desaturase Gene Family is Crucially Required for Fatty Acid Metabolism and Survival of the Brown Planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens.

Desaturases are essentially required for unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) biosynthesis. We identified 10 genes encoding putative desaturases in the transcriptome database of the brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens. These include eight First Desaturase family genes, one cytochrome b5 fused desaturase gene (Nlug-Cytb5r) and one Sphingolipid Desaturase gene (Nlug-ifc). Transcript level profiling revealed significant variation in the expression patterns of these genes across tissues and developmental stages, which occur in a gene-specific manner. Interestingly, their expression was also modulated by the insect food source: the mRNA levels of Nlug-desatC and Nlug-Cytb5r were down-regulated, but the expression level of Nlug-desatA1-b and Nlug-desatA1-c were elevated in the BPH fed on the resistant rice variety Babawee as compared to the non-resistant variety Taichun Native 1 (TN1). Silencing Nlug-desatA1-b, Nlug-desatA1-c, or Nlug-Ifc reduced fatty acid composition and abundance in female BPH 1-d-old-adults compared to controls. Whereas, single knockdown of all ten desaturase genes significantly increased mortality of BPH nymphs compared with controls. Of the ten desaturase genes, knockdown of Nlug-desatA1-b and Nlug-desatA2 caused the highest mortality in BPH (91% and 97%, respectively). Our findings offer a base for expression and functional characterization of newly identified desaturase genes in BPH, and may contribute to RNA interference-based pest management strategies.

A Salivary Endo-ß-1,4-Glucanase Acts as an Effector That Enables the Brown Planthopper to Feed on Rice.

The brown planthopper (BPH) Nilaparvata lugens is one of the most destructive insect pests on rice (Oryza sativa) in Asia. After landing on plants, BPH rapidly accesses plant phloem and sucks the phloem sap through unknown mechanisms. We discovered a salivary endo-ß-1,4-glucanase (NlEG1) that has endoglucanase activity with a maximal activity at pH 6 at 37°C and is secreted into rice plants by BPH NlEG1 is highly expressed in the salivary glands and midgut. Silencing NlEG1 decreases the capacity of BPH to reach the phloem and reduces its food intake, mass, survival, and fecundity on rice plants. By contrast, NlEG1 silencing had only a small effect on the survival rate of BPH raised on artificial diet. Moreover, NlEG1 secreted by BPH did not elicit the production of the defense-related signal molecules salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and jasmonoyl-isoleucine in rice, although wounding plus the application of the recombination protein NlEG1 did slightly enhance the levels of jasmonic acid and jasmonoyl-isoleucine in plants compared with the corresponding controls. These data suggest that NlEG1 enables the BPH's stylet to reach the phloem by degrading celluloses in plant cell walls, thereby functioning as an effector that overcomes the plant cell wall defense in rice.

Temporarily Blocking the Uterine Artery to Dig Out a Diffused Adenomyosis Lesion Treated Laparoscopically.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To show the tips and tricks of a simpler technique for temporary blocking of the uterine artery in laparoscopic resection of a diffuse adenomyosis lesion to make the procedure more efficient and reproducible. DESIGN: This study is designed to be a step-by-step explanation of the technique using videos and pictures (Canadian Task Force classification III). SETTING: Changzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Changzhou, China. PATIENTS: Three patients (age 39-42 years, 41±1.73) were diagnosed with diffuse adenomyosis with severe secondary dysmenorrhea willing to reserve the uterus and a poor response to medical management. Gynecologic examination revealed that the uteri sizes were 9 to 14 weeks. Transvaginal ultrasonography revealed that the lesions were 4 to 7 cm in size. INTERVENTIONS: Laparoscopic resection of the diffuse adenomyosis lesion was conducted after temporary blocking of the uterine artery with a rubber belt. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The traditional methods for injecting diluted vasopressin in the myometrium around the affected area and a half-life period of 30 minutes were used. Many adenomyosis patients with severe dysmenorrhea and menometrorrhagia have a large lesion; thus, the operating time is longer. The maximum dose of vasopressin is 20 units daily, and hypertensive patients have a contraindication. We made an incision of the broad ligament of the avascular area near the uterine artery and pulled the rubber pressure pulse ligation tightly through to temporarily block the uterine artery without vasopressin completely through the laparoscopic resection of the diffuse adenomyosis lesion. Intraoperative blood loss was only 120 to 230 mL. In this video, we show a simpler technique for temporarily blocking the uterine artery in laparoscopic resection of diffuse adenomyosis with a stepwise expiation. A levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (Mirena; Bayer, Leverkusen, Germany) was placed in the uterus from the vagina immediately after surgery. At the 3-25 month (10.67±12.42) follow-up, visual analog scale scores were obviously reduced, and the menstrual quantity and amenorrhea dramatically declined after the surgery. All patients had no recurrence and no Mirena loss as assessed by vaginal ultrasound and the visual analog scale [1]. Estrogen was maintained at the normal level after 3 months. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Changzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University. CONCLUSION: The incidence of adenomyosis is a newer trend that is being used in patients with a poor response to medical management of uterine lesions and large lesions in China. Using the rubber belt to temporarily block the uterine artery in laparoscopic resection of the diffuse adenomyosis lesion offers the possibility of the rubber belt being effective, safe, and reproducible. Minimally invasive surgery in expert hands is the preferred solution of an increasing number of patients after drug treatment failure.

Cook Cervical Ripening Balloon successfully prevents excessive hemorrhage combined with ultrasound-guided suction curettage in the treatment of cesarean scar pregnancy.

AIM: Cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) is a rare occurrence of ectopic pregnancy. CSP incidence has increased significantly as a result of the increase in cesarean section rates. At present, there are no standard treatment guidelines for CSP; therefore, we report a minimally invasive treatment method for patients diagnosed with CSP. METHODS: This study included 15 women who were diagnosed with CSP. Ultrasound-guided suction curettage was performed on all patients. The Cook Cervical Ripening Balloon was used to tamponade and prevent hemorrhage during the procedure. In 12 patients, the balloon was placed immediately following ultrasound-guided suction curettage; in two patients, the balloon was placed when excessive bleeding occurred post-curettage; and in one patient, the balloon was placed after the gestational sac evacuated by itself, and then suction aspiration was performed on day 5, following the evacuation. Human chorionic gonadotropin levels were evaluated three days after the procedure. RESULTS: Placement and inflation of the Cook Cervical Ripening Balloon was well tolerated by all patients. The balloon tamponade effectively reduced or prevented vaginal bleeding in all patients, and none of the patients had an estimated blood loss higher than 1000 ml. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound-guided suction curettage is effective in the treatment of CSP. The Cook Cervical Ripening Balloon is easy to place and inflate and successfully prevented bleeding or assisted in the management of bleeding complications. We recommend the Cook Cervical Ripening Balloon as an adjuvant method for ultrasound-guided suction curettage for the treatment of CSP.

The salicylanilide derivatives inhibit signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 pathways in A549 lung cancer cells.

The signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is constitutively activated in certain cancer cells. Therefore, blocking the aberrant activity of STAT3 in tumor cells is a validated therapeutic strategy. To discover novel inhibitors of STAT3 activity, we report the salicylanilide derivatives as a new small molecule inhibitor of the STAT3 signaling pathway. The N-(3-chloro-4-fluorophenyl)-2-hydroxy-4-(3-(piperidin-1-yl)propoxy) benzamide potently inhibited the activation and transcriptional function of STAT3. These studies further validate STAT3 as a drug discovery target and provide evidence that pharmacological agents that can selectively reduce the phospho-STAT3 levels in human cancer cells result in tumor apoptosis and growth inhibition.

Nutrition support can bring survival benefit to high nutrition risk gastric cancer patients who received chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: The aim of our study is firstly to evaluate the prevalence and prognostic value of nutrition risk in gastric cancer patients and secondly to explore whether the nutrition support can prolong the survival of advanced gastric cancer patients. METHODS: It contained two study periods. In the first period, we prospectively evaluated the nutritional risk of gastric adenocarcinoma patients from 2009 to 2011 using the method of European Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS) 2002. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to evaluate the prognostic value of high nutrition risk. The second period was between 2012 and 2013. We prospectively gave the nutrition support to stage IV gastric cancer patients whose NRS is ≥3. RESULTS: There were 830 patients in the first period, 50.7% patients with a NRS ≥ 3. Patients with NRS ≥ 3 presented a significantly higher percentage of stage IV diseases, elevated values of C-reactive protein, and hypoproteinemia. The median survival was significantly higher in NRS < 3 patients (31.9 vs. 25.7 months, P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis confirmed that NRS status was an independent prognostic factor. There were 347 patients in the second period. Young, male, and good response to chemotherapy were more likely to have the NRS shift to <3 after nutrition support. The median survival was 14.3 and 9.6 months for patients with and without NRS shift, respectively, P = 0.001. CONCLUSIONS: NRS ≥ 3 was an independent adverse prognostic factor in gastric cancer patients. For stage IV patients whose NRS ≥ 3, the nutrition support might be helpful to improve the prognosis.

Risk factors for sarcopenia in patients with head and neck cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Sarcopenia is a common condition among patients with cancer. To better understand the prevalence of sarcopenia in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC), we analysed the risk factors of sarcopenia and developed a theoretical foundation for further development of sarcopenia prevention and treatment strategies. METHODS: Six hundred and seventeen patients with HNC were recruited for this cross-sectional observational study, and the data were analyzed using logistic regression analyses. The bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) was used to measure skeletal muscle mass, and sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the 2019 diagnostic criteria of the Asian Sarcopenia Working Group (AWGS). RESULTS: Among the 617 patients enrolled in the study, 115 (18.6%) had sarcopenia. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 29.1% in males and 8% in females. In the multivariate analysis, older age (OR = 12.266, 95% CI: 3.864-38.934, p < 0.01), body fat (OR = 1.775, 95% CI: 1.511-2.084, p < 0.01), and sex (OR = 138.659, 95% CI: 42.382-453.642, p < 0.01) were independent risk factors for sarcopenia. Body mass index (BMI) (OR = 0.137, 95% CI: 0.09-0.21, p < 0.01), and total body water/fat free mass (TBW/FFM) (OR = 0.122, 95% CI: 0.031-0.474, p < 0.01) were protective factors for sarcopenia; we observed that sarcopenia decreased with increasing BMI and TBW/FFM. CONCLUSIONS: Male sex, advanced age, and excess body fat were identified as risk factors for sarcopenia in patients with HNC, whereas a higher BMI and TBW/FFM acted as protective factors against sarcopenia in these patients.

A Horizontally Transferred Plant Fatty Acid Desaturase Gene Steers Whitefly Reproduction.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are essential nutrients for all living organisms. PUFA synthesis is mediated by Δ12 desaturases in plants and microorganisms, whereas animals usually obtain PUFAs through their diet. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is an extremely polyphagous agricultural pest that feeds on phloem sap of many plants that do not always provide them with sufficient PUFAs. Here, a plant-derived Δ12 desaturase gene family BtFAD2 is characterized in B. tabaci and it shows that the BtFAD2-9 gene enables the pest to synthesize PUFAs, thereby significantly enhancing its fecundity. The role of BtFAD2-9 in reproduction is further confirmed by transferring the gene to Drosophila melanogaster, which also increases the fruit fly's reproduction. These findings reveal an extraordinary evolutionary scenario whereby a phytophagous insect acquired a family of plant genes that enables it to synthesize essential nutrients, thereby lessening its nutritional dependency and allowing it to feed and reproduce on many host plants.