The lncRNA1-miR6288b-3p-PpTCP4-PpD2 module regulates peach branch number by affecting brassinosteroid biosynthesis.

Branch number is one of the most important agronomic traits of fruit trees such as peach. Little is known about how LncRNA and/or miRNA modules regulate branching through transcription factors. Here, we used molecular and genetic tools to clarify the molecular mechanisms underlying brassinosteroid (BR) altering plant branching. We found that the number of sylleptic branch and BR content in pillar peach ('Zhaoshouhong') was lower than those of standard type ('Okubo'), and exogenous BR application could significantly promote branching. PpTCP4 expressed great differentially comparing 'Zhaoshouhong' with 'Okubo'. PpTCP4 could directly bind to DWARF2 (PpD2) and inhibited its expression. PpD2 was the only one differentially expressed key gene in the path of BR biosynthesis. At the same time, PpTCP4 was identified as a target of miR6288b-3p. LncRNA1 could act as the endogenous target mimic of miR6288b-3p and repress expression of miR6288b-3p. Three deletions and five SNP sites of lncRNA1 promoter were found in 'Zhaoshouhong', which was an important cause of different mRNA level of PpTCP4 and BR content. Moreover, overexpressed PpTCP4 significantly inhibited branching. A novel mechanism in which the lncRNA1-miR6288b-3p-PpTCP4-PpD2 module regulates peach branching number was proposed.

A conditional inference tree model for predicting cancer risk of non-mass lesions detected on breast ultrasound.

OBJECTIVES: To generate and validate a prediction model based on imaging features for cancer risk of non-mass lesions (NMLs) detected on breast ultrasound (US). METHODS: In this single-center study, consecutive women with 503 NMLs detected on breast US between 2012 and 2019 were retrospectively identified. The lesions were randomly assigned to the training or testing dataset with a 70/30 split. Age, symptoms, lesion size, and US features were collected. Multivariate analyses were employed to identify risk factors associated with malignancy. The predictive model was developed by using conditional inference trees (CTREE). RESULTS: There were 498 patients (50.9 ± 13.29 years; range, 22-88 years) with 503 NMLs with histopathologic results or > 2-year follow-up, including 224 (44.5%) benign and 279 (55.5%) malignant lesions. At multivariate analysis, age (odds ratio (OR) = 1.08, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.06-1.11, p < 0.001), NMLs with focal mass effect (OR = 3.03, 95% CI, 1.59-5.81, p = 0.001), indistinct glandular-fat interface (GFI) (OR = 4.23, 95% CI, 2.31-7.73, p < 0.001), geographic (OR = 3.47, 95% CI, 1.20-10.8, p = 0.022) and mottled (OR = 3.67, 95% CI, 1.32-10.21, p = 0.013) patterns, and calcifications (OR = 2.15, 95% CI, 1.16-4.01, p = 0.016) were associated with malignancy. The GFI status, architectural patterns, general morphology, and calcifications were consistently identified as the strongest US predictors of malignancy using CTREE analysis. Based on these factors, individuals were stratified into six risk groups. The predictive model showed an area under the curve of 0.797 in the testing dataset. CONCLUSION: The CTREE model efficiently aids in interpreting and managing ultrasound-detected breast NMLs, overcoming BI-RADS limitations by refining cancer risk stratification. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: The CTREE model allows for the reclassification of BI-RADS categories into subgroups with varying malignancy probabilities, thus providing a valuable enhancement to the BI-RADS assessment for the diagnosis of ultrasound-detected NMLs, with the potential to minimize unnecessary biopsies. KEY POINTS: • The indistinct glandular-fat interface (GFI) status, NML with focal mass effect, geographic or mottled patterns, and calcifications are the strongest imaging predictors of malignant non-mass lesions (NMLs) detected on breast US. • A practical system has been created to categorize NMLs found in breast US; each classification is associated with a degree of diagnostic certainty. • The model may contribute to patient stratification by determining the relative likelihood of malignancy and thus support clinical decision-making and evidence-based management.

First Report of Root Rot Caused by Fusarium incarnatum on Mongolian Snake gourd in China.

Mongolian snake gourd (Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim) is a precious traditional Chinese herbal medicine and perennial liana plant in the family Cucurbitaceae, and the root, fruit, seed and peel all possess the medicinal value (Zhang et al. 2016). During 2021-2022, the root rot was observed in a 20-ha commercial farm and became a major disease limiting Mongolian snake gourd production in Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province, China (119°27'E, 32°12'N). Field investigations showed that disease incidence was estimated at approximately 70% and resulted in up to a 50% decrease in total production. Symptoms on snake gourd initially appeared as yellow mottling produced on the surface of the infected new leaves and systemic wilting on the upper leaves. With the development of the infection, the base of the stem began to brown and die, and has lots of filamentous hyphae attached to it. As the lesions coalesced, the whole plant gradually wilted and died. In order to explore the cause of the disease, six infected plants were randomly collected from the commercial farm. The roots of the plants were rinsed in sterile water to remove soil debris, and symptomatic roots were surface sterilized using 75% ethanol for 60s, rinsed three times in sterile water, then plated onto the potato dextrose agar (PDA), and incubated at 25°C for 3 days in the dark. White fungal colonies grew from the tissue pieces, then hyphal tips were transferred to PDA to obtain pure cultures. A total of six isolates with similar morphological characteristics were obtained from six of the infected plants. One representative isolate GL21091501 was chosen for further analysis. At 5 days after inoculation, the colonies on PDA began to grow as white, and with the incubated time was extended, the hyphae turned yellowish-brown with a yellowish-brown center on the reverse side. Observations under a light microscope showed conidia that were falculate, slender and slightly curved, and the cells at both ends were sharp. Macroconidia had four to five septa, measuring 22.4 ~ 33.5 µm. Microconidia without septa, elliptical, measuring 4.36 ~ 9.88 µm. On the tip of aerial hyphae can form conidiophore, and produce macroconidia (Wonglom et al. 2020; Lin et al 2018). The pathogen was typical Fusarium spp. by morphological characteristics. To identify the species level, the mycelia of the representative isolate GL21091501 was used for genomic DNA extraction (Tiangen, China). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and partial translational elongation factor subunit 1-α (TEF-1α) of the cultures were amplified and sequenced using the primer pairs EF1/EF2 and ITS1/ITS4 respectively (White et al. 1990; O'Donnell et al. 1998). The obtained sequences were deposited in GenBank under the accesion numbers OP311409 and OP311410. BLAST searches of the deposited sequences showed 100% identity with the existing TEF sequences (MT563420.1) and ITS sequences (MN539094.1) of Fusarium incarnatum isolates in GenBank. In addition, BLASTn analysis of these in FUSARIUM-ID database showed 99.62% and 100% similarity with F. incarnatum-equiseti species complex (FIESC) NRRL13379 [ITS] and NRRL34004 [TEF-1α]), respectively. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted with the neighbor-joining (NJ) method using MEGA6.0 (Tamura et al. 2007). Combined phylogenetic analysis revealed that the isolate shared a common clade with the reference sequence of F. incarnatum in the F. incarnatum-equiseti species complex. Therefore, according to morphological and molecular characteristics confirming the identity of the isolated pathogen as F. incarnatum. In order to fulfill Koch's postulates, fresh isolate GL21091501 hyphae were cut into 3 × 3 mm agar plugs from a 7 cm PDA plate and inoculated in 200 mL the Potato Dextrose (PD) liquid medium on a shaker at 170 rpm, 25°C for 5 days. Spores were filtered through four layers of gauze, adjusted to 1 × 106 spores/ml with sterilized water. Then Mongolian snake gourd seedlings at the two true leaves stage were transplanted in (15-cm-diameter) pots (1 plants/pot) filled with mixture of sterilized soil: vermiculite: pearlite (2:1:1, v/v). The pathogenicity test was conducted on seedlings plants by root irrigation method (50 ml/plant, 1×106 conidia/mL), control plants were irrigation with sterilized water (50 ml/plant). Each treatment was repeated three times. After 15 days, all inoculated plants showed the same symptoms observed on the original diseased plants in the field, whereas, the control plants remained symptomless. The same pathogen was successfully re-isolated from the inoculated plants, and identical to those of the originals based on morphological and sequence data. To our knowledge, this is the first report of F. incarnatum causing root rot on Mongolian snake gourd in China. F. incarnatum has been reported to cause root and stem rot in many plants worldwide, including muskmelon (Wonglom et al. 2020), Cucurbita pepo (Thomas et al. 2019) and Bambusa multiplex (Lin et al. 2018). This discovery is of great importance for Mongolian snake gourd planters because the fungus is accurately identified in a certain geographic area and effective field management strategies are necessary to control this disease.

Treating Severe Adverse Drug Reactions Caused by Ischemic Optic Neuropathy with Ginkgo Biloba Extract Injection: A Case Report.

Background: Ginkgo biloba extract preparations are commonly used in ophthalmology to improve circulatory disorders and provide neurotrophic support for the treatment of optic neuropathy. However, their use also carries a higher risk of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), some of which can be severe and even life-threatening, such as anaphylactic shock. This case report highlights the importance of recognizing and managing ADRs associated with ginkgo biloba extract in ophthalmology clinical practice. This report aims to emphasize the need for appropriate patient selection, adherence to prescribing guidelines, and proactive measures to reduce ADR occurrence. Case Presentation: We present the case of a patient who experienced a severe ADR following the administration of Ginkgo biloba and Damo injection. The patient, a middle-aged individual without a history of allergies, developed anaphylactic shock within 30 minutes of medication initiation. Prompt medical intervention, including medication withdrawal, resuscitation, and intensive care unit transfer, led to symptom relief and successful recovery. Conclusions: This case underscores the need for vigilance when prescribing ginkgo biloba extract, particularly in middle-aged and elderly patients. Despite no previous history of allergies and adherence to the prescribed dosage, severe ADR can still occur. Close monitoring of patients within the first 30 minutes of medication administration is crucial. Furthermore, strict adherence to drug instructions, proper TCM syndrome differentiation, appropriate choice of infusion solvents, and strict control of drip rates should be considered to enhance patient safety. Other factors such as patient age, allergy history, and initial medication were also identified as important considerations in preventing ADRs. This case report emphasizes the significance of early identification, immediate withdrawal of medication, vital sign monitoring, and timely administration of anti-allergy drugs in managing ADR.

Efficacy of Individualized Preventive Treatment of Patients with Severe Hemophilia A Guided by Multiple Clinical Parameters and Pharmacokinetics.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of multiple clinical parameters (age, weight, blood types, and bleeding types) on FVIII pharmacokinetic parameters (PK parameters) in adult patients with severe hemophilia A (SHA), draw up individualized preventive treatment plans, and observe clinical efficacy. METHODS: Forty SHA patients treated in our hospital from January 2018 to May 2019 were enrolled, with their age, weight, blood types, bleeding types, and PK parameters measured to analyze the effects of clinical parameters on PK parameters. Individualized preventive treatment was developed, and patients were followed up for 1 year. The annual bleeding rate (ABR), annual joint bleeding rate (AJBR), and annual FVIII dosage were observed and compared before and after treatment. RESULTS: Weight, blood types, and bleeding types could affect the PK parameters of FVIII. A prophylaxis plan was formulated under the guidance of FVIII half-life. After 1 year of follow-up, the mean ABR dropped from 36.54 to 4.06, decreased by 88.9%, the mean AJBR dropped from 28.36 to 2.75, decreased by 90%, and annual FVIII dosage increased by 47%. The dosage of FVIII in 8 patients after was less than that before prophylaxis, and the average half-life time of these 8 patients was 13.32 h. CONCLUSIONS: (1) Weight, blood types, and bleeding types of adult SHA patients could affect FVIII half-life. As body mass index increased, FVIII half-life was significantly prolonged. The FVIII half-life of patients with type O blood was significantly shorter than those with other blood types, and the FVIII half-life of knee joint bleeding was conspicuously shorter than those of elbow joint bleeding. (2) Individualized preventive treatment could markedly reduce the number of bleeds. For patients with a long half-life period, the total annual FVIII dosage could be reduced to achieve bleeding prevention.

Adaptive Orbital Rendezvous Control of Multiple Satellites Based on Pulsar Positioning Strategy.

This paper addresses the orbital rendezvous control for multiple uncertain satellites. Against the background of a pulsar-based positioning approach, a geometric trick is applied to determine the position of satellites. A discontinuous estimation algorithm using neighboring communications is proposed to estimate the target's position and velocity in the Earth's Centered Inertial Frame for achieving distributed rendezvous control. The variables generated by the dynamic estimation are viewed as virtual reference trajectories for each satellite in the group, followed by a novel saturation-like adaptive control law with the assumption that the masses of satellites are unknown and time-varying. The rendezvous errors are proven to be convergent to zero asymptotically. Numerical simulations considering the measurement fluctuations validate the effectiveness of the proposed control law.

X-ray Pulsar Signal Denoising Based on Variational Mode Decomposition.

Pulsars, especially X-ray pulsars detectable for small-size detectors, are highly accurate natural clocks suggesting potential applications such as interplanetary navigation control. Due to various complex cosmic background noise, the original pulsar signals, namely photon sequences, observed by detectors have low signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) that obstruct the practical uses. This paper presents the pulsar denoising strategy developed based on the variational mode decomposition (VMD) approach. It is actually the initial work of our interplanetary navigation control research. The original pulsar signals are decomposed into intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) via VMD, by which the Gaussian noise contaminating the pulsar signals can be attenuated because of the filtering effect during signal decomposition and reconstruction. Comparison experiments based on both simulation and HEASARC-archived X-ray pulsar signals are carried out to validate the effectiveness of the proposed pulsar denoising strategy.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound characterization of renal mucinous tubular and spindle cell carcinoma: report of two cases.

Mucinous tubular and spindle cell carcinoma of the kidney is a relatively rare pathologic entity that has recently been described in the World Health Organization 2004 renal cell carcinoma classification. We report two cases of mucinous tubular and spindle cell carcinoma in which contrast-enhanced ultrasound was used.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography for evaluation of cystic renal mass: in comparison to contrast-enhanced CT and conventional ultrasound.

PURPOSE: To assess the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in evaluating cystic renal lesions compared with conventional ultrasound (US) and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT). METHODS: One hundred and three patients with complex cystic renal masses underwent preoperative US and CEUS, among which 70 conducted CECT at our institution. The images were analyzed with the number of septa, septa and wall thickness and the presence of solid component, and final diagnosis was made. RESULTS: In malignancies, CEUS demonstrated more septa, thicker wall or septa, and more solid components than US and CECT. CEUS permitted categorization of 51.7% (30/58) and 28.6% (10/35) of malignant tumors in higher grade than by US and CECT, respectively. In benign lesions, CEUS detected more septa than CECT and correctly diagnosed benign cysts which appeared as solid lesions in US. CEUS permitted downgrading of 71.1% (32/45) and 17.1% (6/35) of benign lesions compared to US and CECT. The diagnostic performance of CEUS was better than US for benign cystic lesions. The phenomenon that solid-like component by US did not enhance by CEUS was a strong predictor of benign disease, with a positive predictive value (PPV) of 100%. Enhancement of solid, soft tissue by CEUS was highly predictive of malignancy, with a PPV of 100%. CONCLUSIONS: CEUS was superior to US and CECT in visualizing the number of septa septa and wall thickness, and the presence of solid component of cystic renal lesions. CEUS may play a similar role to CECT in the diagnosis of renal cystic lesions, and better than US.

Automated Breast Volume Scanner Is More Valuable Than Hand-Held Ultrasound in Diagnosis of Small Breast cancer: An Analysis of 725 Patients With 912 Lesions Evaluations.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical value of automated breast volume scanner (ABVS) compared with hand-held ultrasound (HHUS). From January 2015 to May 2019, a total of 912 breast lesions in 725 consecutive patients were included in this study. κ statistics were calculated to identify interobserver agreement of ABVS and HHUS. The diagnostic performance for ABVS and HHUS was expressed as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, as well as the corresponding 95% confidence interval, sensitivity, and specificity. The sensitivities of ABVS and HHUS were 95.95% and 93.69%, and the specificities were 85.47% and 81.20%, respectively. A difference that nearly reached statistical significance was observed in sensitivities between ABVS and HHUS (P = 0.0525). The specificity of ABVS was significantly higher than that of HHUS (P = 0.006). When lesions were classified according to their maximum diameter, the sensitivity and specificity of ABVS were significantly higher than HHUS for lesions ≤20 mm, while they made no statistical significance between ABVS and HHUS for lesions >20 mm. The interobserver agreement for ABVS was better than that of HHUS. Automated breast volume scanner was more valuable than HHUS in diagnosing breast cancer, especially for lesions ≤20 mm, and it could be a valuable diagnostic tool for breast cancer.

Persistent production of multiple active species with copper doped zinc gallate nanoparticles for light-independent photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants.

Photocatalysis is considered as an environmentally friendly and sustainable method as it can produce active species to degrade pollutants. However, its applications are hindered by the turbidity of pollutants and the requirements for continuous or repeated in situ irradiation. To avoid the need for continuous in situ irradiation in the photocatalytic process, herein we report the doping of Cu(II) ions into zinc gallate (ZnGa2O4) as traps to capture photo-generated electrons. In this way, long lifetime charge release and separation were effectively achieved for the persistent degradation of organic dyes in wastewater. The Cu(II) doped ZnGa2O4 (ZGC) nanoparticles with a small size about 7.7 nm synthesized via a hydrothermal method exhibited a persistent photocatalytic activity with continuous production of reactive oxygen species for at least 96 h without in situ irradiation due to its unique electronic structure and carrier transport path, and enabled to degrade 82.2 % of rhodamine B in 1 h. Further investigation revealed that the doped Cu(II) ions occupied the octahedral sites of ZGC and highly increased the persistent production and availability of active species for the persistent degradation of organic dyes under pre-illuminated conditions.

Size-independent boosting of near-infrared persistent luminescence in nano-phosphors via a magnesium doping strategy.

Near-infrared (NIR)-emitting persistent luminescence nanoparticles (PLNPs) are ideal optical imaging contrast reagents characterized by autofluorescence-free optical imaging for their frontier applications in long-term bioimaging. Preparation of uniform small-sized PLNPs with excellent luminescence performance is crucial for biomedical applications, but challenging. Here, we report a facile magnesium doping strategy to achieve size-independent boost of NIR persistent luminescence in typical and most concerned ZnGa2O4:Cr3+ PLNPs. This strategy relies on the doping of Mg2+ ions that with similar size of Zn2+ ions in the host lattice matrix, and concomitant to the electron traps tailoring tuned by varying the feed ratio of Mg2+. The optimum Mg2+-doped PLNPs give a long afterglow time (signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) = 31.6 at 30 d) without changing the desirable uniform sub-10 nm size of the original nanocrystals. The appropriate increase of the depth and concentration of electron trap contribute jointly to the enhancement of lifetime (488 % longer, 20.57 s) and afterglow time for 700 nm persistent luminescence. Meanwhile, these PLNPs keep the original excellent rechargeability and promote over 60 times increase of SNR in renewable in vivo imaging. This simple strategy provides a basis for new opportunities to address the critical challenge of effective optical performance boost in small-sized PLNPs.

Engineering Photothermal Catalytic CO2 Nanoreactor for Osteomyelitis Treatment by In Situ CO Generation.

Photocatalytic carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction is an effective method for in vivo carbon monoxide (CO) generation for antibacterial use. However, the available strategies mainly focus on utilizing visible-light-responsive photocatalysts to achieve CO generation. The limited penetration capability of visible light hinders CO generation in deep-seated tissues. Herein, a photothermal CO2 catalyst (abbreviated as NNBCs) to achieve an efficient hyperthermic effect and in situ CO generation is rationally developed, to simultaneously suppress bacterial proliferation and relieve inflammatory responses. The NNBCs are modified with a special polyethylene glycol and further embellished by bicarbonate (BC) decoration via ferric ion-mediated coordination. Upon exposure to 1064 nm laser irradiation, the NNBCs facilitated efficient photothermal conversion and in situ CO generation through photothermal CO2 catalysis. Specifically, the photothermal effect accelerated the decomposition of BC to produce CO2 for photothermal catalytic CO production. Benefiting from the hyperthermic effect and in situ CO production, in vivo assessments using an osteomyelitis model confirmed that NNBCs can simultaneously inhibit bacterial proliferation and attenuate the photothermal effect-associated pro-inflammatory response. This study represents the first attempt to develop high-performance photothermal CO2 nanocatalysts to achieve in situ CO generation for the concurrent inhibition of bacterial growth and attenuation of inflammatory responses.

Self-evolving persistent luminescence nanoprobes for autofluorescence-free ratiometric imaging and on-demand enhanced chemodynamic therapy of pulmonary metastatic tumors.

Precise imaging-guided therapy of a pulmonary metastasis tumor is of great significance for tumor management and prognosis. Persistent luminescence nanoparticles (PLNPs) are promising probes due to their in situ excitation-free and low-background imaging characteristics. However, most of the PLNP-based probes cannot intelligently distinguish between normal and tumor tissues or balance the needs of targeted accumulation and rapid metabolism, resulting in false positive signals and potential side effects. Besides, the luminescence intensity of single-emissive PLNPs is affected by external factors. Herein, we report a self-evolving double-emissive PLNP-based nanoprobe ZGMC@ZGC-TAT for pulmonary metastatic tumor imaging and therapy. Acid-degradable green-emitting PLNPs (ZGMC) with good afterglow performance and therapeutic potential are synthesized by systematic optimization of dopants. Ultra-small red-emitting PLNPs (ZGC) are then prepared as imaging and reference probes. The two PLNPs are finally covalently coupled and further modified with a cell-penetrating peptide (TAT) to obtain ZGMC@ZGC-TAT. Dual emission ensures a stable luminescence ratio (I700/I537) independent of probe concentration, test voltage and time gate. ZGMC degrades and phosphorescence disappears in a tumor microenvironment (TME), resulting in an increase in I700/I537, thus enabling tumor-specific ratiometric imaging. Cu2+ and Mn2+ released by ZGMC degradation achieve GSH depletion and enhance CDT, effectively inhibiting tumor cell proliferation. Meanwhile, the size of ZGMC@ZGC-TAT decreases sharply, and the resulting ZGC-TAT further causes nuclear pyknosis and quickly clear metabolism. The developed ZGMC@ZGC-TAT turns non-targeted lung aggregation of nanomaterials into a unique advantage, and integrates TME-triggered phosphorescence and size self-evolution, and on-demand therapeutic functions, showing outstanding prospects in precise imaging and efficient treatment of pulmonary metastatic tumors.

Fluorescent sensing of mercury(II) based on formation of catalytic gold nanoparticles.

A fluorescence assay for the highly sensitive and selective detection of Hg(2+) using a gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-based probe was proposed. The assay was based on the formation of Hg-Au alloys, which accelerated the oxidization of o-phenylenediamine by dissolved oxygen to produce 2,3-diaminophenazine, a fluorescent product.

Clinical Effect Evaluation of Concentrated Growth Factor in Endodontic Microsurgery: A Cross-Sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: Concentrated growth factor (CGF) is the third-generation platelet concentrate product. This study aimed to evaluate whether the use of CGF during endodontic microsurgery had a positive influence on surgical outcomes. METHODS: Fifty-four patients who underwent endodontic microsurgery from January 2017 to November 2021 were enrolled. They were assigned to the CGF and the control groups according to whether CGF was used during the surgery and followed up at 6, 12, and 18 months after surgery. Preoperative classification of the cases and follow-up radiographic outcomes were based on Kim's classification and Molven's criteria, respectively, and evaluated by 2 calibrated endodontists. The Student t test and χ2 test were used to assess the baseline of 2 groups. Rank sum test was used to determine whether CGF had an impact on the surgical outcome. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients (41 periapical lesion sites) were included in the CGF group, and 23 patients (26 periapical lesion sites) were included in the control group. The overall success rate of endodontic microsurgery was greater than 90%. The baseline of the 2 groups had no difference (P < .05). In the CGF group, the success rate was always 100% in 3 follow-ups, whereas the success rate was 84.2%, 92.8%, and 90%, respectively, in the control group. The success rate between the CGF group and the control group was statistically significant in all 3 follow-up points (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The application of CGF during endodontic microsurgery might have a positive influence on surgical outcomes, thus, its prognosis. However, higher-grade evidence is needed to demonstrate its role.

The Potential Immunomodulatory Roles of Semaphorin 4D in Human Periapical Lesions.

INTRODUCTION: Semaphorin 4D (SEMA4D) is an important immunoregulator in the development of inflammatory diseases. Currently, the role of SEMA4D in human apical periodontitis remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the expression of SEMA4D and its potential immunomodulatory roles in apical periodontitis. METHODS: A total of 31 periapical tissues and 6 healthy gingival tissues were used in this experiment. Hematoxylin-eosin staining, immunohistochemical staining, and multiplex immunofluorescence staining were performed for histologic examination and immunochemical analysis. For data processing, the number of SEMA4D+, CD4+, CD8+, and CD20+ cells was analyzed by QuPath. In addition, the colocalization of SEMA4D with CD4, CD8, and CD20 was detected. RESULTS: Radicular cysts (RCs) (n = 18) and periapical granulomas (PGs) (n = 13) were identified by histologic evaluation. The number of SEMA4D+ cells in PGs was significantly greater than that in RCs (P < .05). T-cell and B-cell infiltration did not differ significantly between RCs and PGs. An increased number of CD20+ cells was observed in both types of apical periodontitis compared to CD8+ cells and CD4+ cells. Additionally, the presence of SEMA4D/CD4 and SEMA4D/CD20 double-positive cells was also markedly higher in PGs than in RCs. CONCLUSION: The expression of SEMA4D and related immune cells showed different characteristics between RCs and PGs. The disparate expression patterns indicated the possible different pathologic states of the 2 types of periapical lesions. This study provides a new perspective on the description of the comprehensive microenvironment of periapical lesions.

PpTCP18 is upregulated by lncRNA5 and controls branch number in peach (Prunus persica) through positive feedback regulation of strigolactone biosynthesis.

Branch number is an important agronomic trait in peach (Prunus persica) trees because plant architecture affects fruit yield and quality. Although breeders can select varieties with different tree architecture, the biological mechanisms underlying architecture remain largely unclear. In this study, a pillar peach ('Zhaoshouhong') and a standard peach ('Okubo') were compared. 'Zhaoshouhong' was found to have significantly fewer secondary branches than 'Okubo'. Treatment with the synthetic strigolactone (SL) GR24 decreased branch number. Transcriptome analysis indicated that PpTCP18 (a homologous gene of Arabidopsis thaliana BRC1) expression was negatively correlated with strigolactone synthesis gene expression, indicating that PpTCP18 may play an important role in peach branching. Yeast one-hybrid, electrophoretic mobility shift, dual-luciferase assays and PpTCP18-knockdown in peach leaf buds indicated that PpTCP18 could increase expression of PpLBO1, PpMAX1, and PpMAX4. Furthermore, transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing PpTCP18 clearly exhibited reduced primary rosette-leaf branches. Moreover, lncRNA sequencing and transient expression analysis revealed that lncRNA5 targeted PpTCP18, significantly increasing PpTCP18 expression. These results provide insights into the mRNA and lncRNA network in the peach SL signaling pathway and indicate that PpTCP18, a transcription factor downstream of SL signaling, is involved in positive feedback regulation of SL biosynthesis. This role of PpTCP18 may represent a novel mechanism in peach branching regulation. Our study improves current understanding of the mechanisms underlying peach branching and provides theoretical support for genetic improvement of peach tree architecture.

Responsive nanoplatform for persistent luminescence "turn-on" imaging and "on-demand" synergistic therapy of bacterial infection.

Multifunctional nanotheranostic platforms are emerging for the treatment of bacterial infections. Uncontrollable drug release and poor response in target location leads to inefficient therapy and failure to offer timely antibacterial monitoring. Here, we report a multifunctional nanoplatform that can be triggered by the bacterial microenvironment for effective bacterial killing and high-sensitive persistent luminescence (PL) "turn-on" imaging. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is grafted on the surface of mesoporous silica-coated persistent luminescence nanoparticles (PLNPs@MSN) loaded with cinnamaldehyde (CA). Further in situ growth of MnO2 shells gives PLNPs@MSN@CA-HA-MnO2 (PMC-HA-MnO2). MnO2 shell of PMC-HA-MnO2 can be reduced to Mn2+ by the H2O2 in the bacterial microenvironment to trigger persistent luminescence (PL) "turn-on" imaging along with chemodynamic therapy (CDT). Meanwhile, HA can response to bacterially secreted hyaluronidase to make the packaged CA release controllable and "on-demand". Consequently, PMC-HA-MnO2 enables effective response to bacterial-infected region, ensuring high-sensitive "turn-on" imaging, synergistic CDT, accurate targeting and "on-demand" CA release to give great antibacterial effect. This nanoplatform has great potential for the diagnosis and treatment of multidrug-resistant bacterial infection with high specificity and efficiency.

Quantitative Indicators of Retraction Phenomenon on an Automated Breast Volume Scanner: Initial Study in the Diagnosis and Prognostic Prediction of Breast Tumors.

Retraction phenomenon is a unique sign on an automated breast volume scanner coronal plane image and has high specificity in differentiating benign lesions from malignant breast cancer. The purpose of this study was to quantify the retraction phenomenon by setting different rules to describe connected regions from different dimensions. In total, six quantitative indicators (FΩ1,FΓ,FS,FΩ2,FΩ3and FL) were obtained. FΩ1, FΩ2 and FΩ3 represent the relative areas of the connected region under different rules. FΓandFS represent the number ratio and absolute area of the connected region, respectively. FL represents the ratio of edge numbers. Two hundred fourteen patients with 214 lesions (90 benign and 124 malignant) were enrolled in this study. All quantitative indicators in the malignant group were significantly higher than those in the benign group (all p values <0.001). The indicator FΓ achieved the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) (0.701, 95% confidence interval: 0.631-0.771). Both FΓ and FS had significant associations with axillary lymph node metastasis (p = 0.023 and 0.049). Compared with the classic texture feature gray-level co-occurrence matrix, retraction phenomenon quantization improved the AUC by 8.3%. The results indicate that retraction phenomenon quantitative indicators have certain value in distinguishing benign and malignant breast lesions and seem to be associated with axillary lymph node metastasis.