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Objectives: The pathogen of Pantoea stewartii (Ps) is the causal agent of bacterial disease in corn and various graminaceous plants. Ps has two subspecies, Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartia (Pss) and Pantoea stewartii subsp. indologenes (Psi). This study presents two complete genomes of Ps strains including ATCC 8199 isolated from maize and PSCN1 causing bacterial wilt in sugarcane. The two bacterial genomes information will be helpful for taxonomy analysis in this genus Pantoea at whole-genome levels and accurately discriminated the two subspecies of Pss and Psi., Data Description: The reference strain ATCC 8199 isolated from maize was purchased from Beijing Biobw Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (China) and the strain of PSCN1 was isolated from sugarcane cultivar YZ08-1095 in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province of China. Two complete genomes were sequenced using Illumina Hiseq (second-generation) and Oxford Nanopore (third-generation) platforms. The genome of the strain ATCC 8199 comprised of 4.78 Mb with an average GC content of 54.03%, along with five plasmids, encoding a total of 4,846 gene with an average gene length of 827 bp. The genome of PSCN1 comprised of 5.03 Mb with an average GC content of 53.78%, along with two plasmids, encoding a total of 4,725 gene with an average gene length of 913 bp. The bacterial pan-genome analysis highlighted the strain ATCC 8199 was clustered into a subgroup with a Pss strain CCUG 26,359 from USA, while the strain PSCN1 was clustered into another subgroup with a Ps strain NRRLB-133 from USA. These findings will serve as a useful resource for further analyses of the evolution of Ps strains and corresponding disease epidemiology worldwide., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objectives: The evaluation of Fontan-associated liver disease is often challenging. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging can detect hepatic fibrosis from capillary perfusion and diffusion abnormalities from extracellular matrix accumulation. This study investigated its role in the evaluation of liver disease in Fontan patients and explored possible diagnostic methods for early detection of advanced liver fibrosis., Methods: Stable adult Fontan patients who could safely be examined with magnetic resonance imaging were enrolled, and blood biomarkers, transient elastography were also examined., Results: Forty-six patients received diffusion-weighted imaging; and 58.7% were diagnosed with advanced liver fibrosis (severe liver fibrosis, 37.0%, and cirrhosis 21.7%). Two parameters of hepatic dysfunction, platelet counts (Spearman's ρ: -0.456, P = 0.001) and cholesterol levels (Spearman's ρ: -0.383, P = 0.009), decreased with increasing severity of fibrosis. Using transient elastography, a cut-off value of 14.2 kPa predicted the presence of advanced liver fibrosis, but with a low positive predictive value. When we included platelet count, cholesterol, post-Fontan years and transient elastography values as a composite, the capability of predicting advanced liver fibrosis was the most satisfactory (C statistic 0.817 ± 0.071, P < 0.001). A cut-off value of 5.0 revealed a sensitivity of 78% and a specificity of 82%., Conclusions: In Fontan patients, diffusion-weighted imaging was helpful in detecting liver fibrosis that was correlated with hepatic dysfunction. A simple score was proposed for long-term surveillance and early detection of advanced liver disease in adult Fontan patients. For adult Fontan patients with a calculated score > 5.0, we may consider timely diffusion-weight imaging and early management for liver complications., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)

The epidemiological data on osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) in Asia is limited. This study, representing the first comprehensive epidemiological investigation on OI in Taiwan, reveals high medical resource utilization and underscores the importance of early diagnosis to enhance care quality., Introduction: This study examines osteogenesis imperfecta, a hereditary connective tissue disorder causing pediatric fractures and limb deformities, using a nationwide database from Taiwan to analyze clinical features and medical burden., Methods: The study identified validated OI patients from the Catastrophic Illness Registry in the National Health Insurance Research Database from 2008 to 2019. Demographic data and medical resource utilization were analyzed. A multivariate Cox model assessed the influence of sex, validation age, and comorbidities., Results: 319 OI patients (M/F = 153/166) were identified, with 58% validated before age 20. Prevalence and incidence were 0.8-1.3/100,000 and 0.02-0.09/100,000, respectively, with higher rates in the pediatric demographic. In the study period, 69.6% of the patients had admission history, primarily to pediatric and orthopedic wards. The median admission number was 3, with a median length of stay of 12 days and a median inpatient cost of approximately 3,163 USD during the period. Lower limb fractures were the main reason for hospitalization. 57% of OI patients received bisphosphonate treatment. The leading causes of mortality were OI-related deaths, neurovascular disease, and cardiovascular disease. The median age of validation in the non-survival group was significantly higher compared to the survival group (33 vs. 14 years), and patients validated during childhood required more inpatient fracture surgeries than those validated during adulthood., Conclusion: This study provides comprehensive real-world evidence on the clinical characteristics and high medical resource utilization of OI patients in a low prevalence region like Taiwan. Early diagnosis is crucial for improving care quality and enhancing health outcomes., (© 2024. International Osteoporosis Foundation and Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation.)

Purpose: The purpose of this systematic review and network meta-analysis was to compare the efficacy of different surgical treatments, including open and arthroscopic modified Broström procedures (MB), anatomical reconstructions, and suture tape augmentations (STA), for chronic lateral ankle instability (CLAI)., Methods: We conducted a systematic search for comparative studies that included adult patients with CLAI who underwent open MB, arthroscopic MB, reconstruction with autografts or allografts, and STA. We used a random-effects model to present the NMA results, with mean differences and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) for continuous measures and relative ratios with 95 % CI for dichotomous variables. Surface under the cumulative ranking curve analysis (SUCRA) was used for treatment ranking., Results: The results, based on surface under the cumulative ranking curve analysis, showed that arthroscopic MB likely improves functional outcomes the most as measured by change in American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot scores. Anatomical graft reconstructions with allografts or autografts demonstrated greater reduction in anterior talar translation (ATT) and talar tilt angle (TTA). Arthroscopic MB and STA were associated with fewer complications., Conclusions: Arthroscopic MB may be associated with better functional outcomes, while anatomical reconstructions appear to provide greater improvements in stability for CLAI. Additionally, arthroscopic techniques seem to have lower complication risks compared to open procedures. These potential differences in outcomes and risks between techniques could help guide surgical decision-making., Competing Interests: Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 European Foot and Ankle Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This case report sheds light on the management of skeletal deformity in a young child with X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH), emphasizing the significance of a timely orthotic intervention alongside pharmacological treatment, which is a strategy not frequently highlighted in the XLH literature. The patient, a 2-year-and-7-month-old female, presented with classic XLH symptoms, including short stature, pronounced genu varum, and hypophosphatemia, with deformities observed in both the coronal and sagittal planes of the femur and tibia. Despite initial reliance on pharmacotherapy, which proved insufficient for skeletal realignment, the integration of orthotic treatment at age 3 marked a pivotal turn in the management strategy. By the age of 5 years and 9 months, this combined approach yielded significant improvements: the deformities in the femur and tibia were notably corrected, tibial torsion was addressed, and enhanced limb alignment was achieved, as corroborated by radiographic evidence. This case underscores the effectiveness of orthotic intervention as a critical and underemphasized adjunct to pharmacological therapy in managing XLH in early childhood. It advocates for the early inclusion of orthotic measures to optimize treatment outcomes and expand the range of management strategies for limb deformities.

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is an important sugar and biofuel crop in the world. It is frequently subjected to drought stress, thus causing considerable economic losses. Transgenic technology is an effective breeding approach to improve sugarcane tolerance to drought using drought-inducible promoter(s) to activate drought-resistance gene(s). In this study, six different promoters were cloned from sugarcane bacilliform virus (SCBV) genotypes exhibiting high genetic diversity. In β-glucuronidase (GUS) assays, expression of one of these promoters (P SCBV-YZ2060 ) is similar to the one driven by the CaMV 35S promoter and >90% higher compared to the other cloned promoters and Ubi1. Three SCBV promoters (P SCBV-YZ2060 , P SCBV-TX , and P SCBV-CHN2 ) function as drought-induced promoters in transgenic Arabidopsis plants. In Arabidopsis, GUS activity driven by promoter P SCBV-YZ2060 is also upregulated by abscisic acid (ABA) and is 2.2-5.5-fold higher when compared to the same activity of two plant native promoters (P ScRD29A from sugarcane and P AtRD29A from Arabidopsis). Mutation analysis revealed that a putative promoter region 1 (PPR1) and two ABA response elements (ABREs) are required in promoter P SCBV-YZ2060 to confer drought stress response and ABA induction. Yeast one-hybrid and electrophoretic mobility shift assays uncovered that transcription factors ScbZIP72 from sugarcane and AREB1 from Arabidopsis bind with two ABREs of promoter P SCBV-YZ2060 . After ABA treatment or drought stress, the expression levels of endogenous ScbZIP72 and heterologous GUS are significantly increased in P SCBV-YZ2060 :GUS transgenic sugarcane plants. Consequently, promoter P SCBV-YZ2060 is a possible alternative promoter for genetic engineering of drought-resistant transgenic crops such as sugarcane., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Plants must adapt to the complex effects of several stressors brought on by global warming, which may result in interaction and superposition effects between diverse stressors. Few reports are available on how drought stress affects Xanthomonas albilineans ( Xa ) infection in sugarcane ( Saccharum spp. hybrids). Drought and leaf scald resistance were identified on 16 sugarcane cultivars using Xa inoculation and soil drought treatments, respectively. Subsequently, four cultivars contrasting to drought and leaf scald resistance were used to explore the mechanisms of drought affecting Xa -sugarcane interaction. Drought stress significantly increased the occurrence of leaf scald and Xa populations in susceptible cultivars but had no obvious effect on resistant cultivars. The ROS bursting and scavenging system was significantly activated in sugarcane in the process of Xa infection, particularly in the resistant cultivars. Compared with Xa infection alone, defense response via the ROS generating and scavenging system was obviously weakened in sugarcane (especially in susceptible cultivars) under Xa infection plus drought stress. Collectively, ROS might play a crucial role involving sugarcane defense against combined effects of Xa infection and drought stress.

Background: Clubfoot, or congenital talipes equinovarus deformity, is a common anomaly affecting the foot in infants. However, clinical equipoise remains between different interventions, especially those based on the Ponseti method. The aim of this study was to examine the clinical outcomes of the various interventions for treating idiopathic clubfoot., Methods: Searches of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and CINAHL were conducted. Randomized controlled trials comparing different interventions, including the Ponseti method, accelerated Ponseti method, Ponseti method with botulinum toxin type A (Botox) injection, Ponseti method with early tibialis anterior tendon transfer (TATT), Kite method, and surgical treatment, were included. Network meta-analyses (NMAs) were conducted according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) reporting guidelines. The primary outcomes were the change in total Pirani score and maximal ankle dorsiflexion. Secondary outcomes were the number of casts, time in casts, and rates of tenotomy, total complications, relapse, adverse events, and additional required major surgery., Results: Eleven randomized controlled trials involving 740 feet were included. According to the SUCRA (surface under the cumulative ranking curve)-based relative ranking, the Ponseti method was associated with the best outcomes in terms of Pirani score changes, maximal ankle dorsiflexion, number of casts, adverse events, and total complications, whereas the accelerated Ponseti method was associated with the best outcomes in terms of time in casts and tenotomy rate. Early TATT ranked best in terms of relapse rate. The Ponseti method with Botox injection was associated with the best outcomes in terms of the need for additional major surgery., Conclusions: The NMAs suggest that the Ponseti method is the optimal treatment overall, despite potential drawbacks such as longer time in casts and higher rates of tenotomy, relapse, and the need for additional surgery compared with other modified approaches. Therefore, clinicians should consider how treatments can be tailored individually., Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level I . See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest forms are provided with the online version of the article ( http://links.lww.com/JBJS/H784 )., (Copyright © 2023 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.)

Objective: To investigate the clinical effect of the modified vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap in repairing the skin and soft tissue defect after abdominoperineal resection for rectal cancer. Methods: This study was a retrospective observational study. From June 2019 to July 2022, five male patients with low rectal cancer who were conformed to the inclusion criteria were admitted to the Department of Basic Surgery of Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, with ages ranging from 65 to 70 years and the sizes of the perianal skin ulcers ranging from 5 cm×4 cm to 11 cm×9 cm, and all of them underwent abdominoperineal resection. The secondary skin and soft tissue defects in the perineum with an area of 8 cm×6 cm-14 cm×12 cm (with the depth of pelvic floor dead space being 10-15 cm) were repaired intraoperatively with transplantation of modified vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous flaps with the skin area being 9 cm×7 cm-16 cm×12 cm, the volume of the muscle being 18 cm×10 cm×5 cm-20 cm×12 cm×5 cm, and the vessel pedicle being 18-20 cm in length. During the operation, most of the anterior sheath of the rectus abdominis muscle was retained, the flap was transferred to the recipient area through the abdominal cavity, the remaining anterior sheaths of the rectus abdominis muscle on both sides of the donor area were repeatedly folded and sutured, the free edge of the transverse fascia of the abdomen was sutured with the anterior sheath of the rectus abdominis muscle, and the donor area skin was directly sutured. After the operation, the survival of the transplanted myocutaneous flap was observed. The occurrence of complications in the perineal recipient area was recorded within 2 weeks after the operation. The recovery of the perineal recipient area and the abdominal donor area was observed during follow-up, and the occurrence of complications in the donor area of the abdomen as well as the recurrence of tumors and metastasis were recorded. Results: All transplanted myocutaneous flaps in 5 patients survived after surgery. One patient had dehiscence of the incision in the perineal recipient area 2 days after surgery, which healed after 7 d with intermittent dressing changes and routine vacuum sealing drainage treatment. In the other 4 patients, no complications such as incisional rupture, incisional infection, or fat liquefaction occurred in the perineal recipient area within 2 weeks after surgery. Follow-up for 6-12 months after discharge showed that the skin of the perineal recipient area had good color, texture, and elasticity, and was not bloated in appearance; linear scars were left in the perineal recipient area and the abdominal donor area without obvious scar hyperplasia or hyperpigmentation; no complications such as incisional rupture, incisional infection, intestinal adhesion, intestinal obstruction, or weakening of the abdominal wall strength occurred in the abdominal donor area, and the abdominal appearance was good with no localized bulge or formation of abdominal hernia; there was no local recurrence of tumor or metastasis in any patient. Conclusions: The surgical approach of using the modified vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap to repair the skin and soft tissue defects after abdominoperineal resection for rectal cancer is relatively simple in operation, can achieve good postoperative appearances of the donor and recipient areas with few complications, and is worthy of clinical promotion.

Background: Traditional treatment for displaced humeral supracondylar fractures (SCFs) in children involves closed reduction (CR) under fluoroscopic guidance, percutaneous pinning, and immobilization with a long-arm cast. This study aims to explore the viability of using radiation-free ultrasound (US) for guiding CR and tracking ulnar nerve dynamics during medial pinning, contrasting the US method with the conventional cross pinning technique., Materials and Methods: We assessed 70 children with acute displaced SCFs. The US group (n = 30) underwent US-guided reduction, whereas the traditional group (n = 40) underwent fluoroscopy-guided reduction. Both groups received percutaneous cross pinning and subsequent cast immobilization. Postoperative outcomes were compared between the two methods after a 6-month follow-up. In the US group, ultrasonography assessed fracture displacement distances before and after CR. The angle at which the ulnar nerve relocated to the cubital tunnel during elbow extension was documented using real-time US monitoring during medial pinning., Results: The US group demonstrated improved reduction accuracy, increased range of motion, superior restoration of both Baumann and Humeroulnar angles, and a decreased incidence of malunions compared to the traditional group (all p < 0.05). The ultrasonographic measurement of fracture displacement was comparable with that of fluoroscopy (intraclass correlation coefficient > 0.90). In the US group, no ulnar nerve injury was noted, compared to 2.5 % in the traditional group, and real-time US observations revealed ulnar nerve hypermobility, with 53.3 % of patients exhibiting anterior ulnar nerve subluxation at 120° elbow flexion, 40 % at 90°, 16.7 % at 60°, and none at 30° flexion., Conclusion: Ultrasound is as reliable as fluoroscopy for evaluating fracture reductions. The use of intra-operative ultrasound significantly improves reduction accuracy and radiographic outcomes while reducing the risk of ulnar nerve injury., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Auxin response factor (ARF) is a critical regulator in the auxin signaling pathway, involved in a variety of plant biological processes. Here, gene members of 24 SpapARFs and 39 SpnpARFs were identified in two genomes of Saccharum spontaneum clones AP85-441 and Np-X, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all ARF genes were clustered into four clades, which is identical to those ARF genes in maize ( Zea mays ) and sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ). The gene structure and domain composition of this ARF family are conserved to a large degree across plant species. The SpapARF and SpnpARF genes were unevenly distributed on chromosomes 1-8 and 1-10 in the two genomes of AP85-441 and Np-X, respectively. Segmental duplication events may also contribute to this gene family expansion in S. spontaneum . The post-transcriptional regulation of ARF genes likely involves sugarcane against various stressors through a miRNA-medicated pathway. Expression levels of six representative ShARF genes were analyzed by qRT-PCR assays on two sugarcane cultivars [LCP85-384 (resistant to leaf scald) and ROC20 (susceptible to leaf scald)] triggered by Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae ( Aaa ) and Xanthomonas albilineans ( Xa ) infections and salicylic acid (SA) treatment. ShARF04 functioned as a positive regulator under Xa and Aaa stress, whereas it was a negative regulator under SA treatment. ShARF07/17 genes played positive roles against both pathogenic bacteria and SA stresses. Additionally, ShARF22 was negatively modulated by Xa and Aaa stimuli in both cultivars, particularly LCP85-384. These findings imply that sugarcane ARFs exhibit functional redundancy and divergence against stressful conditions. This work lays the foundation for further research on ARF gene functions in sugarcane against diverse environmental stressors., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Lin, Ali, Chu, Fu, Huang, Mbuya, Gao and Zhang.)

Background: Although the effectiveness of robotic hepatectomy (RH) has been evaluated in several studies, the superiority of RH over other approaches has not been definitely established. Therefore, in the present propensity score-matched cohort study, we compared RH and laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) in terms of perioperative and oncologic outcomes., Methods: This retrospective study included patients who underwent RH or LH for benign and malignant liver lesions at a single center in Taiwan at any time between 2014 and 2020. Confounding factors, specifically age, sex, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, IWATE criteria, and Charlson comorbidity index, were adjusted through propensity score matching (PSM)., Results: A total of 329 patients were finally included in this study. Two homogeneous groups (RH and LH; n, 72 each) were formed using PSM. The RH group had a longer operative time (median: 231 vs.180 min, respectively; P = .001) and lower conversion (to open surgery) rate (9.7% vs.0.0%, respectively; P = .013) than did the LH group. However, the two groups did not differ in terms of other perioperative outcomes, specifically blood loss, hospital stay, intensive care unit admission, mortality, morbidity, or tumor margin status., Conclusions: The rate of conversion to open surgery is lower in RH than in LH. Although operative time is longer in RH than in LH, RH is feasible and safe for patients with benign or malignant liver lesion. Our study also demonstrated comparable oncological results in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma between LH and RH group., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Disclosures Drs. Alvin Chen, Kuei-Yen Tsai, Wan-Yu Wang, Hsin-An Chen, and Ming-Te Huang have no conflict of interest or financial ties to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 Asian Surgical Association and Taiwan Robotic Surgery Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Reinforcement of the immune-regulatory pathway is a feasible strategy for prevention and therapy of allergic asthma. The short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) acetate, propionate, and butyrate are pleiotropic microbial fermentation products known to induce regulatory T (Treg) cells and exert an immune-regulatory effect. The cellular mechanism underlying SCFA immune regulation in asthma is not fully understood., Objective: We investigated the role of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and Treg cells, the immune-regulatory cells of innate and adaptive origin, respectively, in SCFA-elicited protection against allergic airway inflammation., Methods: BALB/c mice were given SCFA-containing drinking water before being rendered asthmatic in response to ovalbumen. When indicated, mice were given a GR1-depleting antibody to investigate the function of MDSCs in allergic inflammation of the airways. MDSCs were sorted to examine their immunosuppressive function and interaction with T cells., Results: The mice receiving SCFAs developed less severe asthma that was accompanied by expansion of PMN-MDSCs and Treg cells. Mice depleted of PMN-MDSCs exhibited aggravated asthma, and the protective effect of SCFAs was abrogated after PMN-MDSC depletion. SCFAs were able to directly induce T-cell differentiation toward Treg cells. Additionally, we found that PMN-MDSCs enhanced Treg cell expansion in a cell contact-dependent manner. Whilst membrane-bound TGF-β has been shown to induce Treg cell differentiation, we found that MDSCs upregulated surface expression of TGF-β after coculture with T-cells and that MDSC-induced Treg cell differentiation was partially inhibited by TGF-β blockage., Conclusions: Although previous studies revealed Treg cells as the effector mechanism of SCFA immune regulation, we found that SCFAs ameliorate allergic airway inflammation by relaying immune regulation, with sequential induction of PMN-MDSCs and Treg cells., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Objective: To study the effect of borneol combined with astragaloside IV and Panax notoginseng saponins (BAP) on promoting neurogenesis by regulating microglia polarization after cerebral ischaemia-reperfusion(CI/R) in rats., Methods: A focal CI/R injury model was established. Evaluated the effects of BAP on ischaemic brain injury, on promoting neurogenesis, on inhibiting Inflammatory microenvironment and TLR4/MyD88/NFκB signalling pathway. A microglia oxygen-glucose deprivation reoxygenation (OGD/R) model was established that evaluated the effects of BAP on regulating the polarization of microglia and inflammatory microenvironment., Results: BAP can inhibit the expression of TLR4, MyD88 and NFκB proteins, reduce IL-1β and increase IL-10, reduce M1 type microglia and increase M2 microglia. The proliferation of neural stem cells increased, synaptic gap decreased, synaptic interface curvature increased, expression of SYN and PSD95 proteins increased, which improved the neurological dysfunction and reduced the volume of cerebellar infarction and nerve cell injury., Conclusion: BAP can reduce CI/R injury and promote neurogenesis, the effect is related to inhibition of the activation of TLR4/MyD88/NFκB, regulating the polarization of microglia from M1 type to M2 type and inhibition of inflammatory response., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Purpose: To evaluate the short-term outcomes of genicular artery embolization (GAE) for knee osteoarthritis (OA) with and without bone marrow lesion (BML) and/or subchondral insufficiency fracture of the knee (SIFK)., Materials and Methods: This single-institution prospective observational pilot study analyzed 24 knees in 22 patients with mild to moderate knee OA, including 8 knees without BML, 13 knees with BML, and 3 knees with both BML and SIFK. The area and volume of BMLs on magnetic resonance images were measured before and after GAE. Baseline and postoperative pain and physical function were assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC)., Results: GAE significantly reduced the BML area and volume 3 months after embolization in the knees with BML (both P < .0005). GAE significantly decreased the VAS scores at 3 and 6 months after embolization in patients without BML (both P = .04) and those with BML (both P = .01). GAE also lowered the WOMAC scores 3 months after embolization in patients without and with BML (P = .02 and P = .0002, respectively). However, GAE did not significantly alter the BML area and volume (both P = .25), VAS scores (P = 1.00), and WOMAC scores (P = .08) in patients with BML and SIFK at 3 months after GAE., Conclusions: This observational pilot study suggested that GAE effectively reduces the BML area and volume and improves pain and physical function in patients with knee OA accompanied by BML but is inefficacious in those with both BML and SIFK., (Copyright © 2023 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Footwear adjustment is recommended in the management plan of leg length discrepancy. However, it is not clear how the outsole of motion control shoe adjustment influences trunk symmetry and walking performance., Research Question: Does bilateral adjustment of the outsole affect trunk and pelvis symmetry and ground reaction force during walking in individuals with leg length discrepancy?, Methods: 20 mild leg length discrepancy participants were recruited into a cross-sectional study. All subjects performed a walking trial with their habitual shoes to determine the outsole adjustment. Four trials of walking were carried out in the order of unadjusted and bilateral adjusted motion control air-cushion shoes. Shoulder level differences and trunk and pelvic motion were assessed, while the ground reaction force at the heel strike was reported. A paired t-test was performed to compare the differences between the conditions with a significance level at p < 0.05., Results: During walking trials, mild leg length discrepancy participants with the adjusted shoe displayed lower variations in the maximum shoulder height differences (p = 0.001) and trunk rotation angle (p = 0.002) than those with the unadjusted shoe. Also, there was a significant reduction in the vertical ground reaction force (p = 0.030), but not in the anteroposterior or mediolateral directions, during walking in the adjusted shoe condition compared to the unadjusted shoe condition., Significance: The outsole adjustment of the bilateral motion control shoes can improve trunk symmetry while decreasing the ground impact at the heel strike. The study provides additional information to prescribe or recommend footwear adjustment to improve walking symmetry in leg length discrepancy participants., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None declared., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Leaf scald caused by Xanthomonas albilineans ( Xa ) is a major bacterial disease in sugarcane that represents a threat to the global sugar industry. Little is known about the population structure and genetic evolution of this pathogen. In this study, 39 Xa strains were collected from 6 provinces in China. Of these strains, 15 and 24 were isolated from Saccharum spp. hybrid and S. officinarum plants, respectively. Based on multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA), with five housekeeping genes, these strains were clustered into two distinct phylogenetic groups (I and II). Group I included 26 strains from 2 host plants, Saccharum spp. hybrid and S. officinarum collected from 6 provinces, while Group II consisted of 13 strains from S. officinarum plants in the Zhejiang province. Among the 39 Xa strains, nucleotide sequence identities from 5 housekeeping genes were: ABC (99.6-100%), gyr B (99.3-100%), rpo D (98.4-100%), atp D (97.0-100%), and gln A (97.6-100%). These strains were clustered into six groups (A-F), based on the rep-PCR fingerprinting, using primers for ERIC2, BOX A1R, and (GTG)5. UPGMA and PCoA analyses revealed that group A had the most strains (24), followed by group C with 11 strains, while there was 1 strain each in groups B and D-F. Neutral tests showed that the Xa population in S. officinarum had a trend toward population expansion. Selection pressure analysis showed purification selection on five concatenated housekeeping genes from all tested strains. Significant genetic differentiation and infrequent gene flow were found between two Xa populations hosted in Saccharum spp. hybrids and S. officinarum . Altogether, these results provide evidence of obvious genetic divergence and population structures among Xa strains from China.

Background: Patients with morbid obesity exhibit sustained weight loss after sleeve gastrectomy (SG), but some individuals exhibit subsequent weight regain in the following years. Early weight loss was proven as a predictor of short- and mid-term weight loss and regain. However, the long-term effects of early weight loss have yet to be fully investigated. This study investigated the predictive effects of early weight loss on long-term weight loss and regain after SG., Methods: Data of patients who underwent SG from November 2011 to July 2016 and followed through July 2021 were collected retrospectively. Weight regain was defined by weight increase more than 25% of their lost weight at the first postoperative year. Linear regression analysis and Cox proportional hazards analysis were performed to evaluate the correlations among early weight loss, weight loss, and weight regain., Results: Data of 408 patients were included. The percentages of total weight loss (%TWL) at postoperative months 1, 3, 12, and 60 were 10.6%, 18.1%, 29.3%, and 26.6%, respectively. The %TWL at months 1 and 3 were significantly correlated with %TWL after 5 years (P < .01). The weight regain rate was 29.8% at 5 years. The %TWL at months 1 and 3 significantly influenced weight regain (hazard ratio: 0.87 and 0.89, P = .017 and .008)., Conclusion: Early weight loss may be used to predict weight loss and regain 5 years after SG. Patients with poor early weight loss are recommended to receive early interventions to achieve long-term weight loss and prevent weight regain., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Metastasis in breast cancer usually lead to the majority of deaths on clinical patients. Accordingly, diagnosis of metastasis at the early stage in breast cancer is important to improve the prognosis. We observed that Dicer protein levels are significant decrease in highly invasive breast cancer cells and usually correlated with poor clinical outcomes. Following, we aim to clarify the molecular regulatory mechanism of this phenomenon in breast cancer to provide a new therapeutic target. In this study, we obtained that Dicer expression correlated with metastasis and invasion without affect cell stability in breast cancer cells. Importantly, we identified the regulatory mechanism of Dicer protein degradation, the chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA)-mediated degradation that is major mechanism to decrease Dicer protein expression and lead to cancer metastasis. We discovered that heat shock cognate 71-kDa protein (Hsc70) which as a CMA-related factor interacts with the CMA-targeting motif I333A/K334A on Dicer to promote degradation through CMA. Taken together, our findings hint that Dicer highly correlated with cancer metastasis, we reveal the tumor-promoting effect of CMA-mediated Dicer degradation in breast cancer., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objective: To explore the repair methods of complex facial defect wounds involving paranasal sinuses and their clinical effectiveness. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted. From January 2020 to May 2022, 5 patients admitted to the Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery of Xiangya Hospital of Central South University and 4 patients admitted to the Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery of Chenzhou First People's Hospital with complex facial defect wounds involving paranasal sinuses met the inclusion criteria, including 6 males and 3 females, aged 35-69 years, including 4 patients with titanium mesh exposure combined with paranasal sinuses injury and 5 patients with tumor involving paranasal sinuses. After an adequate assessment of the damage by a multiple discipline team, titanium mesh removal, paranasal sinus debridement, and paranasal sinus mucosa removal were performed in patients with exposed titanium mesh, and radical tumor resection was performed in patients with tumors, with postoperative skin and soft tissue defects areas of 5.0 cm×2.5 cm to 18.0 cm×7.0 cm, anterior paranasal sinus wall defects/absence areas of 3 cm×2 cm to 6 cm×4 cm, and sinus cavity depths of 1 to 4 cm. Depending on the perforator course of the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery, the anterolateral femoral chimeric flap or anterolateral femoral myocutaneous flap (with flap area of 9 cm×4 cm to 19 cm×8 cm, muscle size of 5 cm×3 cm×3 cm to 11 cm×6 cm×3 cm) was transplanted to repair the defect, and the donor site wound was sutured directly. The type of tissue flap transplanted, the blood vessel of the recipient area, and the vascular anastomosis way during the operation, the recovery of the donor and recipient areas and the occurrence of complications after operation were observed. The appearance and blood supply of the recipient area and the recurrence of ulcers and tumors were followed up. Results: The anterolateral femoral myocutaneous flap transplantation was performed in 6 patients, and the anterolateral femoral chimeric flap transplantation was performed in 3 patients. The blood vessels in recipient areas were facial arteries and veins in 3 cases and superficial temporal arteries and veins in 6 cases. The superficial temporal arteries and veins were bridged with blood vessels in tissue flaps by flow-through way in 2 patients, and end-to-end anastomosis of blood vessels in donor and recipient areas was performed in 7 patients. After operation, all the tissue flaps survived, and the facial defect wounds were well repaired without cerebrospinal fluid leakage or paranasal sinus secretion leakage, no intracranial infection occurred, and the wounds in donor areas were healed well. Follow-up of 6-35 months after operation showed that all the patients had good blood supply in the recipient area, and the shape was acceptable; 4 patients with exposed titanium mesh had no recurrence of ulceration, and 5 patients with tumor had no local tumor recurrence or metastasis. Conclusions: Based on an adequate assessment of the extent of paranasal sinuses involved in the facial wound and the nature of the defect, good clinical effects can be achieved by using the anterolateral femoral muscle flap or the anterolateral femoral chimeric flap transplantation to repair complex facial defect wounds with open paranasal sinuses.

Aims: We aimed to explore the heterogeneous treatment effects (HTEs) for spironolactone treatment in patients with Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and examine the efficacy and safety of spironolactone medication, ensuring a better individualized therapy., Methods and Results: We used the causal forest algorithm to discover the heterogeneous treatment effects (HTEs) from patients in the Treatment of Preserved Cardiac Function Heart Failure with an Aldosterone Antagonist (TOPCAT) trial. Cox regressions were performed to assess the hazard ratios (HRs) of spironolactone medication for cardiovascular death and drug discontinuation in each group. The causal forest model revealed three representative covariates and participants were partitioned into four subgroups which were Group 1 (baseline BMI ≤ 31.71 kg/m 2 and baseline ALP ≤ 80 U/L, n = 759); Group 2 (BMI ≤ 31.71 kg/m 2 and ALP > 80 U/L, n = 1088); Group 3 (BMI > 31.71 kg/m 2 , and WBC ≤ 6.6 cells/μL, n = 633); Group 4 (BMI > 31.71 kg/m 2 and WBC > 6.6 cells/μL, n = 832), respectively. In the four subgroups, spironolactone therapy reduced the risk of cardiovascular death in high-risk group (Group 4) with both high BMI and WBC count (HR: 0.76; 95% CI 0.58 to 0.99; P = 0.045) but increased the risk in low-risk group (Group 1) with both low BMI and ALP (HR: 1.45; 95% CI 1.02 to 2.07; P = 0.041; P for interaction = 0.020) but showed similar risk of drug discontinuation (P for interaction = 0.498)., Conclusion: Our study manifested the HTEs of spironolactone in patients with HFpEF. Spironolactone treatment in HFpEF patients is feasible and effective in patients with high BMI and WBC while harmful in patients with low BMI and ALP. Machine learning model could be meaningful for improved categorization of patients with HFpEF, ensuring a better individualized therapy in the clinical setting., (© 2022 The Authors. ESC Heart Failure published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Society of Cardiology.)

Circular RNA (circRNA) forms closed loops via back-splicing in precursor mRNA, resisting exonuclease degradation. In higher eukaryotes, protein-coding genes create circRNAs through exon back-splicing. Unlike mRNAs, circRNAs possess unique production and structural traits, bestowing distinct cellular functions and biomedical potential. In this review, we explore the pivotal roles of viral circRNAs and associated RNA in various biological processes. Analysing the interactions between viral circRNA and host cellular machinery yields fresh insights into antiviral immunity, catalysing the development of potential therapeutics. Furthermore, circRNAs serve as enduring biomarkers in viral diseases due to their stable translation within specific tissues. Additionally, a deeper understanding of translational circRNA could expedite the establishment of circRNA-based expression platforms, meeting the rising demand for broad-spectrum viral vaccines. We also highlight the applications of circular RNA in biomarker studies as well as circRNA-based therapeutics. Prospectively, we expect a technological revolution in combating viral infections using circRNA.

Leaf scald caused by Xanthomonas albilineans is one of the major bacterial diseases of sugarcane that threaten the sugar industry worldwide. Pathogenic divergence among strains of X. albilineans and interactions with the sugarcane host remain largely unexplored. In this study, 40 strains of X. albilineans from China were distributed into three distinct evolutionary groups based on multilocus sequence analysis and simple sequence repeats loci markers. In pathogenicity assays, the 40 strains of X. albilineans from China were divided into three pathogenicity groups (low, medium, and high). Twenty-four hours post inoculation (hpi) of leaf scald susceptible variety GT58, leaf populations of X. albilineans strain XaCN51 (high pathogenicity group) determined by qPCR were 3-fold higher than those of strain XaCN24 (low pathogenicity group). Inoculated sugarcane plants modulated the reactive oxygen species (ROS) homoeostasis by enhancing respiratory burst oxidase homolog (ScRBOH) expression and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and by decreasing catalase (CAT) activity, especially after infection by X. albilineans XaCN51. Furthermore, at 24 hpi, plants infected with XaCN51 maintained a lower content of endogenous salicylic acid (SA) and a lower expression level of SA-mediated genes ( ScNPR3 , ScTGA4 , ScPR1 , and ScPR5 ) as compared to plants infected with XaCN24. Altogether, these data revealed that the ROS production-scavenging system and activation of the SA pathway were involved in the sugarcane defense response to an attack by X. albilineans ., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Zhao, Chen, Shi, Fu, Huang, Rott and Gao.)

The phase diagram of a given polymer solution is used to determine the solution’s electrospinnability. We constructed a phase diagram of an aqueous solution of atactic poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (a-PNIPAM) based on turbidity measurements and the rheological properties derived from linear viscoelasticity. Several important transition temperatures were obtained and discussed, including the onset temperature for concentration fluctuations T1, gel temperature Tgel, and binodal temperature Tb. On heating from 15 °C, the one-phase a-PNIPAM solution underwent pronounced concentration fluctuations at temperatures above T1. At higher temperatures, the thermal concentration fluctuations subsequently triggered the physical gelation process to develop a macroscopic-scale gel network at Tgel before the phase separation at Tb. Thus, the temperature sequence for the transition is: T1 < Tgel < Tb~31 °C for a given a-PNIPAM aqueous solution. Based on the phase diagram, a low-temperature electrospinning process was designed to successfully obtain uniform a-PNIPAM nanofibers by controlling the solution temperature below T1. In addition, the electrospinning of an a-PNIPAM hydrogel at Tgel < T < Tb was found to be feasible considering that the elastic modulus of the gel was shown to be very low (ca. 10−20 Pa); however, at the jet end, jet whipping was not seen, though the spitting out of the internal structures was observed with high-speed video. In this case, not only dried nanofibers but also some by-products were produced. At T > Tb, electrospinning became problematic for the phase-separated gel because the enhanced gel elasticity dramatically resisted the stretching forces induced by the electric field.

Plant non-specific lipid transfer proteins (nsLTPs) are small basic proteins that play a significant regulatory role in a wide range of physiological processes. To date, no genome-wide survey and expression analysis of this gene family in sugarcane has been performed. In this study we identified the nsLTP gene family in Saccharum spontaneum and carried out expression profiling of nsLTPs in two sugarcane cultivars ( Saccharum spp.) that have different resistance to leaf scald caused by Xanthomonas albilineans ( Xa ) infection. The effect of stress related to exogenous salicylic acid (SA) treatment was also examined. At a genome-wide level, S. spontaneum AP85-441 had 71 SsnsLTP genes including 66 alleles. Tandem (9 gene pairs) and segmental (36 gene pairs) duplication events contributed to SsnsLTP gene family expansion. Five SsnsLTP proteins were predicted to interact with five other proteins. Expression of ShnsLTPI.8/10/Gb.1 genes was significantly upregulated in LCP85-384 (resistant cultivar), but downregulated in ROC20 (susceptible cultivar), suggesting that these genes play a positive regulatory role in response of sugarcane to Xa infection. Conversely, ShnsLTPGa.4/Ge.3 appears to act as a negative regulator in response Xa infection. The majority (16/17) of tested genes were positively induced in LCP85-384 72 h after SA treatment. In both cultivars, but particularly in LCP85-384, ShnsLTPIV.3/VIII.1 genes were upregulated at all time-points, suggesting that the two genes might act as positive regulators under SA stress. Meanwhile, both cultivars showed downregulated ShnsLTPGb.1 gene expression, indicating its potential negative role in SA treatment responses. Notably, the ShnsLTPGb.1 gene had contrasting effects, with positive regulation of gene expression in response to Xa infection and negative regulation induced by SA stress. Together, our results provide valuable information for elucidating the function of ShnsLTP family members under two stressors and identified novel gene sources for development of sugarcane that are tolerant of environmental stimuli., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Li, Zhao, Shi, Fu, Huang, Meng and Gao.)

Background: Exposure to nicotine has been observed associated with tumor progression, metastasis, and therapy resistance of many cancers. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one major cancer related to the liver and the most difficult to treat malignancies worldwide. The underlying mechanism of nicotine in the stimulation of HCC tumorigenesis is still not studied well., Methods: Classically, nicotine binds to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and induces many downstream cancer-associated signaling pathways. Big data analysis is used to explore the importance of a7nAChR-Jak2 axis in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma. Bioinformatic analysis was performed to determine gene associated with a7nAChR-Jak2 axis of HCC patients. Biological importance of a7nAChR-Jak2 axis was investigated in vitro (Hun7 and HepG2 cell lines), and athymic nude mouse models bearing HepG2-HCC cells xenografts were established in vivo ., Result: We found that nicotine exposure stimulated the HCC tumorigenicity by inducing the expression of one of the key nAChRs subunit that is α 7nAChR as well as the expression of Janus kinase (JAK)-2. In both the in vitro and in vivo studies, the reduced overexpression of α 7nAChR and increased sensitization of HCC towards treatment is observed with dehydrocrenatidine (DHCT), a novel and potent JAK family kinase inhibitor. Interestingly, DHCT treatment results in the reduction of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process which leads to a significant reduction of clonogenicity, migratory, and invasive ability of HCC cells. Moreover, DHCT treatment also inhibits the cancer stem cell phenotype by inhibiting the tumor-sphere formation and reducing the number of ALDH1+ cells population in nicotine-stimulated HCC cells., Conclusions: Taken together, the presented results indicate the positive effect of inhibition of nicotine induced overexpression of α 7nAChR and JAK2, unique to HCC. Thus, these findings suggest the nicotine effect on HCC progression via α 7nAChR-mediated JAK2 signaling pathways, and DHCT treatment enhances the therapeutic potential of HCC patients via overcoming/reversing the effect of nicotine in HCC patients., Competing Interests: We confirm that we have no known conflicts of interest associated with this publication, and no significant financial support for this work could have influenced its outcome., (Copyright © 2022 Ching-Li Li et al.)

Background/purpose: Although laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) is a common surgical procedure for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), its suitability for large HCCs (≥5 cm) remains controversial. This study compared surgical outcomes of open hepatectomy with LLR for large HCCs., Methods: A total of 313 patients with HCC who underwent hepatectomy between January 2010 and June 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. Demographic data, short-term outcomes, and long-term survivals were analyzed., Results: Among patients with large HCCs (n = 122), the open group (n = 85) had larger tumor sizes (10.91 ± 4.72 vs. 7.45 ± 2.95 cm; p < 0.001) and more advanced stages (stages 3/4: 71.8% vs. 45.9%; p = 0.029) than the LLR group (n = 37), while LLR group achieved less blood loss (623.24 ± 841.75 mL vs. 1091.76 ± 1004.72 mL, p = 0.014) and shorter LOS (9.00 ± 5.13 d vs. 12.82 ± 8.51 d, p = 0.013). There were no significant differences in complication and mortality rates between groups. The 5-year overall and recurrence-free survival rates between the two groups were not significantly different (p = 0.408 and 0.644 respectively). The surgical outcomes showed equal benefit of the two operation types., Conclusion: With sufficient surgeon experience and appropriate patient selection, LLR is a feasible treatment choice for large HCCs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All named authors of this article, including Drs. Meng-Hsuan Chiang, Kuei-Yen Tsai, Hsin-An Chen, Wan-Yu Wang, and Ming-Te Huang, make the following declarations: 1. No support, financial or otherwise, has been received from any organization that may have an interest in the submitted work. 2. There are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC.)

Objective: To explore the repair methods and clinical effects of full-thickness burn wounds deep to tendon or even bone in fingers. Methods: A retrospective non-randomized controlled trial was conducted on the 98 patients with full-thickness finger burns deep to tendon or even bone who met the inclusion criteria and were hospitalized in Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from January 2010 to December 2019. Among the 98 patients, there were 81 males and 17 females, aged from 1 to 72 years, with 160 fingers involved. The wound area of each of affected fingers ranged from 2.0 cm×1.5 cm to 12.0 cm×3.5 cm, and the maximum wound area after merging the affected fingers was 12.0 cm×10.0 cm. For adult hands with multiple full-thickness burn wounds deep to tendon or even bone in multiple fingers or children with full-thickness finger burns deep to tendon or even bone, pedicled abdominal flaps were selected. For adults with single or two fingers with full-thickness burns deep to tendon or even bone, the pedicled internal hand flaps and free tissue flaps were selected. The free tissue flap repair requires good vascular conditions in the recipient area with arteries and veins available for anastomosis. For thumb nail burns deep to tendon or even bone or partial absence of the thumb after burns, the thumbs were reconstructed with the first toenail flap or dorsal foot flap with the second toe. In this study, 45 pedicled abdominal flaps were used to repair the wounds in 91 fingers, 37 pedicled internal hand flaps were used to repair the wounds in 37 fingers, 26 free tissue flaps were used to repair the wounds in 28 fingers, 3 first toenail flaps were used to reconstruct 3 patients' thumb nails and to repair hand wounds, and 1 dorsal foot flap with the second toe was used to reconstruct 1 patient's thumb and to repair hand and wrist wounds. The tissue flap area was from 2.0 cm×1.5 cm to 20.0 cm×10.0 cm. The wound in the donor site was repaired by direct suture or full-thickness skin grafting from the medial upper arm of the affected limb or split-thickness skin grafting from the outer thigh. The postoperative survival of the tissue flap, postoperative complications, and appearance and function of the flap donor site were observed. For the patients who were followed up, their finger functions were evaluated at the last follow-up using the trial criteria for replantation function evaluation of the amputated finger issued by the Hand Surgery Society of the Chinese Medical Association, and the satisfaction of the patients was investigated using the Efficacy Satisfaction Scale. Data were statistically analyzed with Kruskal-Wallis H test and Nemenyi test. Results: Of the 112 tissue flaps, 104 tissue flaps survived completely and had good blood circulation; 1 pedicled thumb dorsal ulnar reverse island flap, 1 pedicled finger artery cutaneous branch reverse island flap, and 1 free grafted anterolateral thigh perforator flap were slightly necrotic at the end, which were repaired with outer thigh split-thickness skin graft after dressing change and granulation tissue growth; 2 free grafted tarsal external artery flaps and 1 pedicled thumb dorsal ulnar reverse island flap suffered from postoperative venous return obstruction, which survived after partial suture removal and heparin saline cleansing of the wound; 1 pedicled modified dorsal metacarpal artery retrograde island flap and 1 free grafted peroneal artery perforator flap were necrotic, which were repaired by a pedicled abdominal flap and a lateral upper arm flap free transplantation respectively in stage Ⅱ. After transplantation, the tissue flaps had good shape, soft texture, and good elasticity, without bloating. There was no functional disorder in the flap donor site, and only slight scar remained. A total of 117 fingers of the 72 patients received 3-24 months of outpatient or telephone follow-up. At the last follow-up, the excellent and good rates of function evaluation of fingers repaired with pedicled abdominal flap, pedicled internal hand flap, and free tissue flap were respectively 77.3% (51/66), 96.3% (26/27), and 95.8% (23/24). The function of fingers repaired with free tissue flap and pedicled internal hand flap was significantly better than that with pedicled abdominal flap ( P <0.01). The satisfaction of patients with fingers repaired by free tissue flaps was significantly higher than that by pedicled abdominal flap ( P <0.05). Conclusions: According to the specific situation of full-thickness burn wounds deep to tendon or even bone in fingers, the pedicled abdominal flap is used to repair the multiple full-thickness burn wounds deep to tendon or even bone in multiple fingers of adult or the full-thickness burn wounds deep to tendon or even bone in fingers of children, the pedicled internal hand flap or free tissue flap is used to repair the full-thickness burn wounds deep to tendon or even bone in single or two fingers of adult patients, and the first toenail flap or the dorsal foot flap with the second toe is used to reconstruct the thumbs with full-thickness burn deep to tendon or even bone, with high postoperative tissue flap survival rate and few complications. The functional recovery of the affected finger is better after repair with free tissue flap and pedicled internal hand flap, and the patients' satisfaction is the highest after free tissue flap repair.

Background: Diabetes is usually the leading cause of chronic non-healing wounds. LncRNA-GAS5 has been verified to be involved in the regulation of diabetes or high glucose (HG)-stimulated cells. However, its regulatory roles in diabetic wound healing need further investigation., Method: GAS5, miR-217 and Prox1 were identified by qRT-PCR. MTT, flow cytometry assay, wound-healing assay and tube formation were used to analyze cell viability, apoptosis, migration and tube formation capacity. Western blotting was carried out to detect the protein expression of c-Myc, CyclinD1, CDK4, Bcl-2, Prox1, VEGFR-3 and LYVE-1. Bioinformatics and luciferase assay were performed to predict and validate the binding sites of miR-217 on GAS5 and Prox1. Immunofluorescence staining detected the expression and distribution of Prox1. The wound healing rate was also assessed by setting up the diabetic mouse model. H&E staining assessed the distribution of inflammatory cells and fibroblasts in the wound tissues., Results: GAS5 was significantly down-regulated whereas miR-217 was obviously up-regulated in diabetic skin, HG-induced lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) and diabetic mouse model. GAS5 sponged miR-217 to up-regulate Prox1. GAS5 overexpression or miR-217 inhibition rescued the impairments of cell viability, migration and lymphatic vessel formation and the facilitation of apoptosis of LECs caused by HG. Similar impacts were observed on the protein level of VEGFR-3, LYVE-1, and Prox1. GAS5 promoted wound healing and lymphangiogenesis in the diabetic mouse model., Conclusion: GAS5 sponged miR-217 to up-regulate Prox1 and promote lymphangiogenesis and diabetic wound healing. This might provide novel therapeutic strategy to improve the efficacy of diabetic wound healing., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

AXL which is a chemosensitizer protein for breast cancer cells in response to epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor and suppresses tumor growth. The clinical information show nuclear factor I (NFI)-C and NFI-X expression correlate with AXL expression in breast cancer patients. Following, we establish serial deletions of AXL promoter to identify regions required for Adenovirus-5 early region 1A (E1A)-mediated AXL suppression. All of the NFI family members were extensively studied for their expression and functions in regulating AXL. Moreover, E1A post-transcriptionally downregulates AXL expression through NFI. NFI-C and NFI-X, not NFI-A and NFI-B, resulting in cell death in response to EGFR-TKI. Our finding suggests that NFI-C and NFI-X are crucial regulators for AXL and significantly correlated with poor survival of breast cancer patients., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection is rarely eradicated by current antiviral nucleos(t)ide analogues. We found that α2,6-biantennary sialoglycans of HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) bound human SIGLEC-3 (CD33) by IP and ELISA, and the binding affinity between SIGLEC-3 and α2,6-biantennary sialoglycans was determined by biolayer interferometry (equilibrium dissociation constant [KD]: 1.95 × 10-10 ± 0.21 × 10-10 M). Moreover, HBV activated SIGLEC-3 on myeloid cells and induced immunosuppression by stimulating immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif phosphorylation and SHP-1/-2 recruitment via α2,6-biantennary sialoglycans on HBsAg. An antagonistic anti-SIGLEC-3 mAb reversed this effect and enhanced cytokine production in response to TLR-7 agonist GS-9620 in PBMCs from CHB patients. Moreover, anti-SIGLEC-3 mAb alone was able to upregulate the expression of molecules involved in antigen presentation, such as CD80, CD86, CD40, MHC-I, MHC-II, and PD-L1 in CD14+ cells. Furthermore, SIGLEC-3 SNP rs12459419 C, which expressed a higher amount of SIGLEC-3, was associated with increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in CHB patients (HR: 1.256, 95% CI: 1.027-1.535, P = 0.0266). Thus, blockade of SIGLEC-3 is a promising strategy to reactivate host immunity to HBV and lower the incidence of HCC in the CHB patient population.

Gemcitabine has been a commonly used therapeutic agent for treatment of pancreatic cancer. In the clinic, a growing resistance to gemcitabine has been observed in patients with pancreatic cancer, and investigation of the underlying mechanism of gemcitabine resistance is urgently required. The microRNA (miRNA)-producing enzyme, Dicer, is crucial for the maturation of miRNAs, and is involved in clinical aggressiveness, poor prognosis, and survival outcomes in various cancers, however, the role of Dicer in acquired gemcitabine resistance of pancreatic cancer is still not clear. Here, we found that Dicer expression was significantly increased in gemcitabine-resistant PANC-1 (PANC-1/GEM) cells compared with parental PANC-1 cells and observed a high level of Dicer correlated with increased risk of pancreatic cancer. Suppression of Dicer obviously decreased gemcitabine resistance in PANC-1/GEM cells; consistently, overexpression of Dicer in PANC-1 cells increased gemcitabine resistance. Moreover, we identified that transcriptional factor Sp1 targeted the promoter region of Dicer and found ERK/Sp1 signaling regulated Dicer expression in PANC-1/GEM cells, as well as positively correlated with pancreatic cancer progression and suggest that targeting the ERK/Sp1/Dicer pathway has potential therapeutic value for pancreatic cancer with acquired resistance to gemcitabine., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Influenza A viruses (IAV) modulate host antiviral responses to promote growth and pathogenicity. Here, we examined the multifunctional IAV nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) of influenza A virus to better understand factors that contribute to viral replication efficiency or pathogenicity. In 2009, a pandemic H1N1 IAV (A/California/07/2009 pH1N1) emerged in the human population from swine. Seasonal variants of this virus are still circulating in humans. Here, we compared the sequence of a seasonal variant of this H1N1 influenza virus (A/Urumqi/XJ49/2018(H1N1), first isolated in 2018) with the pandemic strain A/California/07/2009. The 2018 virus harbored amino acid mutations (I123V and N205S) in important functional sites; however, 108R and 189G were highly conserved between A/California/07/2009 and the 2018 variant. To better understand interactions between influenza viruses and the human innate immune system, we generated and rescued seasonal 2009 H1N1 IAV mutants expressing an NS1 protein harboring a dual mutation (R108K/G189D) at these conserved residues and then analyzed its biological characteristics. We found that the mutated NS1 protein exhibited systematic and selective inhibition of cytokine responses via a mechanism that may not involve binding to cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor 30 (CPSF30). These results highlight the complexity underlying host-influenza NS1 protein interactions.

Background: Single incision laparoscopic colectomy (SILC) and single incision robotic colectomy (SIRC) are both advanced minimally invasive operative techniques. However, studies comparing these two surgical methods have not been published. The purpose of this study is to compare and evaluate the short-term outcomes of SIRC with those of SILC., Methods: A total of 21 consecutive patients underwent SIRC and 136 consecutive patients underwent SILC in separate institutes between January 2013 and December 2019. We used retrospective cohort matching to analyze these patients., Results: Prior to matching, patients who underwent SIRC had a lower percentage of American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grades III-IV (5% vs. 19%, P = 0.11) compared with patients who underwent SILC. The SIRC group revealed a higher proportion of sigmoid colon lesions and anterior resections than the SILC group (61% vs. 45%, P = 0.16). After 1:4 cohort matching, 21 patients were enrolled in the SIRC group and 84 patients were enrolled in the SILC group. No statistically significant difference in terms of operative time (SIRC: 185 ± 46 min, SILC: 208 ± 53 min; P = 0.51), estimated blood loss (SIRC: 12 ± 22 ml, SILC: 85 ± 234 ml; P = 0.12), and complications (SIRC: 4.7%, SIRC: 7.1%; P = 0.31) was observed between these groups. Length of postoperative hospital stay (SIRC: 8.3 ± 1.7 days, SILC: 9.3 ± 6.5; P = 0.10) and number of harvested lymph nodes (SIRC: 21.3 ± 10.3, SILC: 21.3 ± 9.5; P = 0.77) were also similar between the two groups. In subgroup analysis, numbers of harvested lymph node is less in SIRC than SILC (SIRC: 18.1 ± 4.7 vs. SILC: 18.9 ± 8.1, P = 0.04) in anterior resection., Conclusion: SIRC and SILC are safe and feasible procedures with similar surgical and pathological outcomes for right- and left-side colectomy., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC.)

Asthma is a major global health issue. Over 300 million people worldwide suffer from this chronic inflammatory airway disease. Typical clinical symptoms of asthma are characterized by a recurrent wheezy cough, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. The main goals of asthma management are to alleviate asthma symptoms, reduce the risk of asthma exacerbations, and minimize long-term medicinal adverse effects. However, currently available type 2 T helper cells (Th2)-directed treatments are often ineffective due to the heterogeneity of the asthma subgroups, which manifests clinically with variable and poor treatment responses. Personalized precision therapy of asthma according to individualized clinical characteristics (phenotype) and laboratory biomarkers (endotype) is the future prospect. This mini review discusses the molecular mechanisms underlying asthma pathogenesis, including the hot sought-after topic of microbiota, add-on therapies and the potential application of probiotics in the management of asthma.

Objective: To explore the clinical effects of axillary propeller flaps in reconstructing the axillary fold scar contracture. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. From July 2016 to January 2020, 11 patients with anterior axillary fold or anterior and posterior axillary fold scar contractures after burns were admitted to Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, including 7 males and 4 females, aged 8 to 48 years. The lesions involved unilateral axilla in 9 cases and bilateral axilla in 2 cases, with the joint abduction angle of the affected shoulder ranging from 25 to 100°. The axillary fold contracture scars were excised and released, resulting in wound of 8 cm×5 cm-24 cm×20 cm. According to the condition of the residual normal skin in axilla, 2, 3, and 4-leaf propeller flaps with area of 5 cm×3 cm-24 cm×10 cm were designed to repair the wounds after scar excision and release. The donor site wound was closed by suturing directly, and the residual wound that could not be completely sutured was transplanted with free full-thickness skin grafts from the inner thigh or abdomen. The application of 2, 3, and 4-leaf propeller flaps, the joint abduction angle of the affected shoulder immediately after operation, and the survival of the flaps and skin grafts after operation were recorded. The recurrence of scar contracture, the appearance of the flaps, the joint abduction angle of the affected shoulder, and the functional recovery of the affected shoulder joint and upper arm were observed through a follow-up. Results: Among the 13 axillary propeller flaps transplanted in the 11 patients in this group, there were 9 double-leaf propeller flaps, two 3-leaf propeller flaps, and two 4-leaf propeller flaps. The joint abduction angle of the affected shoulder reached 110-165° immediately after operation. All the flaps survived after operation. Nine flap donor sites were repaired with free skin grafts, with skin grafts survived in 7 flap donor sites after operation. Scar erosion in incision and small area of skin graft necrosis developed in 2 flap donor sites. One of the wounds was debrided and repaired by transplantation of split-thickness skin grafts from inner thigh, and the other wound was healed after dressing changes. A follow-up of 6 to 24 months was conducted after surgery, and all the patients had no recurrence of axillary scar contracture; the color of the flap matched the receiving area; the elasticity of flap was good; the joint abduction angle of the affected shoulder reached 120-165°, and the joint pronation and supination, upper arm lifting and circular rotation of the affected shoulder were all good. Conclusions: Reconstruction of the axillary fold scar contracture with axillary propeller flaps has good result, with better flap appearance and recovery of the shoulder joint activity and upper arm function after operation.

Recently studies found that APEX1 was abnormally expressed in melanoma, indicating that it might be involved in the development of melanoma. However, the underlying mechanism and the interaction between APEX1 and LINC00470 in melanoma are not clear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the role of LINC00470 in the development of melanoma in this work. We discovered that LINC00470 was overexpressed in melanoma tissues and cells compared with the adjacent normal tissues and cells by qPCR. The overexpression of LINC00470 promoted the proliferation and migration of melanoma cells. The functional investigation demonstrated that LINC00470 activated the transcription factor, ZNF131, to regulate the APEX1 expression, which finally promoted cell proliferation and migration. In contrast, knockdown of LINC00470 could significantly inhibit the melanoma cell proliferation and migration, and suppress the growth of tumor in vivo. Overexpression of APEX1 could reverse the impact of the silence of LINC00470 in melanoma cells. In summary, our studies revealed that LINC00470 promoted melanoma proliferation and migration by enhancing the expression of APEX1, which indicated that LINC00470 might be a therapeutic target for the treatment of melanoma.

Maize yellow mosaic virus (MaYMV) hosted in various gramineous plants was assigned to the genus Polerovirus (family Luteoviridae ) in 2018. However, little is known about its genetic diversity and population structure. In this study, 509 sugarcane leaf samples with mosaic symptoms were collected in 2017 to 2019 from eight sugarcane-growing provinces in China. Reverse-transcription PCR results revealed that four positive-sense RNA viruses were found to infect sugarcane, and the incidence of MaYMV among samples from Fujian, Sichuan, and Guangxi Provinces was 52.1, 9.8, and 2.5%, respectively. Based on 82 partial MaYMV sequences and 46 whole-genome sequences from different host plants, phylogenetic analysis revealed that MaYMV populations are very closely associated with their source geographical regions (China, Africa, and South America). Pairwise identity analysis showed significant variability in genome sequences among MaYMV isolates with genomic nucleotide identities of 91.1 to 99.9%. In addition to codon mutations, insertions or deletions also contributed to genetic variability in individual coding regions, especially in the readthrough protein (P3-P5 fusion protein). Low gene flow and significant genetic differentiation of MaYMV were observed among the three geographical populations, suggesting that environmental adaptation is an important evolutionary force that shapes the genetic structure of MaYMV. Genes in the MaYMV genome were subject to strong negative or purification selection during evolution, except for the movement protein (MP), which was under positive selection pressure. This finding suggests that the MP may play an important role in MaYMV evolution. Taken together, our findings provide basic information for the development of an integrated disease management strategy against MaYMV.

Gout is a common inflammatory arthritis caused by the deposition of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals in the joints. This activates the macrophages into a proinflammatory state by inducing NLRP3-dependent interleukin-1β (IL-1β) secretion, resulting in neutrophil recruitment. Soluble decoy receptor 3 (DcR3) is an immune modulator and can exert biological functions via decoy and non-decoy actions. Previously, we showed that DcR3 suppresses lipopolysaccharides (LPS)- and virus-induced inflammatory responses in the macrophages and promotes the macrophages into the M2 phenotype. In this study, we clarified the actions of DcR3 and its non-decoy action motif h eparin sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) b inding d omain (HBD) in the MSU crystal-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation in the macrophages and in mice. In bone marrow-derived macrophages, THP-1 and U937 cells, we found that the MSU crystal-induced secretion of IL-1β and activation of NLRP3 were suppressed by both DcR3.Fc and HBD.Fc. The suppression of the MSU-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation is accompanied by the inhibition of lysosomal rupture, mitochondrial production of the reactive oxygen species (ROS), expression of cathepsins, and activity of cathepsin B, without affecting the crystal uptake and the expression of NLRP3 or pro-IL-1β. In the air pouch mice model of gout, MSU induced less amounts of IL-1β and chemokines secretion, an increased M2/M1 macrophage ratio, and a reduction of neutrophil recruitment in DcR3-transgenic mice, which expresses DcR3 in myeloid cells. Similarly, the mice intravenously treated with DcR3.Fc or HBD.Fc displayed less inflammation response. These findings indicate that HBD of DcR3 can reduce MSU crystal-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation via modulation of mitochondrial and lysosomal functions. Therefore, we, for the first time, demonstrate a new therapeutic potential of DcR3 for the treatment of gout., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Pan, Huang, Sekar, Huang, Lin and Hsieh.)

Human C-type lectin member 18A (CLEC18A) is ubiquitously expressed in human, and highest expression levels are found in human myeloid cells and liver. In contrast, mouse CLEC18A (mCLEC18A) is only expressed in brain, kidney and heart. However, the biological functions of CLEC18A are still unclear. We have shown that a single amino acid change (S 339 →R 339 ) in CTLD domain has profound effect in their binding to polysaccharides and house dust mite allergens. In this study, we further demonstrate that CLEC18A and its mutant CLEC18A(S339R) associate with TLR3 in endosome and bind poly (I:C) specifically. Compared to TLR3 alone, binding affinity to poly (I:C) is further increased in TLR3-CLEC18A and TLR3-CLEC18A(S339R) complexes. Moreover, CLEC18A and CLEC18A(S339R) enhance the production of type I and type III interferons (IFNs), but not proinflammatory cytokines, in response to poly (I:C) or H5N1 influenza A virus (IAV) infection. Compared to wild type (WT) mice, ROSA-CLEC18A and ROSA-CLEC18A(S339R) mice generate higher amounts of interferons and are more resistant to H5N1 IAV infection. Thus, CLEC18A is a TLR3 co-receptor, and may contribute to the differential immune responses to poly (I:C) and IAV infection between human and mouse.

To systematically analyze mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase gene families and their expression profiles in sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids; Sh) under diverse biotic and abiotic stresses, we identified 15 ShMAPKs, 6 ShMAPKKs and 16 ShMAPKKKs genes in the sugarcane cultivar R570 genome. These were also confirmed in one S. spontaneum genome and two transcriptome datasets of sugarcane trigged by Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae (Aaa) and Xanthomonas albilineans (Xa) infections. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that four subgroups were present in each ShMAPK and ShMAPKK family and three sub-families (RAF, MEKK and ZIK) presented in the ShMAPKKK family. Conserved protein motif and gene structure analyses supported the evolutionary relationships of the three families inferred from the phylogenetic analysis. All of the ShMAPK, ShMAPKK and ShMAPKKK genes identified in Saccharum spp. R570 were distributed on chromosomes 1-7 and 9-10. RNA-seq and qRT-PCR analyses indicated that ShMAPK07 and ShMAPKKK02 were defense-responsive genes in sugarcane challenged by both Aaa and Xa stimuli, while some genes were upregulated specifically by Aaa and Xa infection. Additionally, ShMAPK05 acted as a negative regulator under drought and salinity stress, but served as a positive regulator under salicylic acid (SA) treatment. ShMAPK07 plays a positive role under drought stress, but a negative role under SA treatment. ShMAPKKK01 was negatively modulated by both salinity stress and SA treatment, whereas ShMAPKKK06 was positively regulated by both of the two stress stimuli. Our results suggest that members of MAPK cascade gene families regulate adverse stress responses through multiple signal transduction pathways in sugarcane., (© 2020 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.)

Objective: To analyze the rules of acupoint selection in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease in China using data mining technology., Methods: The published literature of treating gastroesophageal reflux disease with acupuncture was retrieved from electronic databases from January 1, 1983 to December 1, 2019, including SinoMed, CNKI, Wanfang and VIP database. Acupuncture prescription database was established, and the rules of acupoint selection were explored by statistical software SPSS 20.0 and SPSS Modeler 18.0., Results: A total of 92 articles were included into this analysis, involving 92 acupuncture prescriptions, 76 acupoints. The total frequency of using these acupoints reached 549 times. Zhongwan (CV 12) was the most frequently used acupoint; the often selected meridians were conception vessel, stomach meridian, governor vessel, bladder meridian; the acupoints located at the abdomen, lower limbs and back were commonly selected; crossing points in the specific acupoints were commonly selected; the most frequently used group was Zusanli (ST 36)-Zhongwan (CV 12) and Neiguan (PC 6)., Conclusion: Treating gastroesophageal reflux disease by acupuncture in China is dominated by shu-mu point combination, supplemented by mu-he point combination; yin meridians are emphasized as much as yang meridians; using specific acupoints is advocated, especially the crossing points.

Objective: To establish an artificial intelligence burn depth recognition model based on convolutional neural network, and to test its effectiveness. Methods: In this evaluation study on diagnostic test, 484 wound photos of 221 burn patients in Xiangya Hospital of Central South University (hereinafter referred to as the author's unit) from January 2010 to December 2019 taken within 48 hours after injury which met the inclusion criteria were collected and numbered randomly. The target wounds were delineated by image viewing software, and the burn depth was judged by 3 attending doctors with more than 5-year professional experience in Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery of the author's unit. After marking the superficial partial-thickness burn, deep partial-thickness burn, or full-thickness burn in different colors, the burn wounds were cut according to 224×224 pixels to obtain 5 637 complete wound images. The image data generator was used to expand images of each burn depth to 10 000 images, after which, images of each burn depth were divided into training set, verification set, and test set according to the ratio of 7.0∶1.5∶1.5. Under Keras 2.2.4 Python 2.8.0 version, the residual network ResNet-50 of convolutional neural network was used to establish the artificial intelligence burn depth recognition model. The training set was input for training, and the verification set was used to adjust and optimize the model. The judging accuracy rate of various burn depths by the established model was tested by the test set, and precision, recall, and F1&#95;score were calculated. The test results were visualized to generate two-dimensional tSNE cloud chart through the dimensionality reduction tool tSNE, and the distribution of various burn depths was observed. According to the sensitivity and specificity of the model for the recognition of 3 kinds of burn depths, the corresponding receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curve was drawn, and the area under the ROC curve was calculated. Results: (1) After the testing of the test set, the precisions of the artificial intelligence burn depth recognition model for the recognition of superficial partial-thickness burn, deep partial-thickness burn, or full-thickness burn were 84% (1 095/1 301), 81% (1 215/1 499) and 82% (1 395/1 700) respectively, the recall were 73% (1 095/1 500), 81% (1 215/1 500) and 93% (1 395/1 500) respectively, and the F1&#95;scores were 0.78, 0.81, and 0.87 respectively. (2) tSNE cloud chart showed that there was small overlapping among different burn depths in the test results for the test set of artificial intelligence burn depth recognition model, among which the overlapping between superficial partial-thickness burn and deep partial-thickness burn and that between deep partial-thickness burn and full-thickness burn were relatively more, while the overlapping between superficial partial-thickness burn and full-thickness burn was relatively less. (3) The area under the ROC curve for 3 kinds of burn depths recognized by the artificial intelligence burn depth recognition model was ≥0.94. Conclusions: The artificial intelligence burn depth recognition model established by ResNet-50 network can rather accurately identify the burn depth in the early wound photos of burn patients, especially superficial partial-thickness burn and full-thickness burn. It is expected to be used clinically to assist the diagnosis of burn depth and improve the diagnostic accuracy.

The pathogen of Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii (Pss) that is the causal agent of Stewart's bacterial wilt of corn also infects numerous experimental hosts of graminaceous plants (Pepper et al., 1967; Wang et al., 2012). However, little is known about this pathogen naturally infecting sugarcane. In 2017, we observed some sugarcane cultivars showing leaf blade bleaching at the disease initiation stage, which further resulted in development of blight and necrotic lesions (Figure 1-A and -B) in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province of China. To diagnose this putative disease, five symptomatic leaf samples were collected from different sugarcane cultivars. The Pss was found to infect these samples using the nested PCR with Pss-specific outer primers PS1/PS4 and inner primers Ps2r/Ps3r that targeted at the 16S rRNA gene of this pathogen (Wang et al., 2009). The expected 262-bp fragments from positive samples were amplified, cloned, and sequenced (GenBank accession no. MW015795-MW015799). BLASTN analysis revealed that these isolates had more than 99.5% nucleotide identify (222 bp out of 262 bp) with each other and with Pss strains (ATCC 8199 and DC283) as well as P. stewartii subsp. indologenes strains (SR2-12 and LMG 2632) after sequences were trimmed at the 5'- and 3'-terminal of inner primer sequences. In addition, these leaf samples were surface-sterilized with 75% alcohol followed by macerated and chopped in sterile water. Upon plating on solid NA medium at 28 °C for 24-36 h, the bacterial colonies exhibited yellow color with circular, convex, smooth and translucent edges (Figure 1-C). Straight rods and non-encapsulated cells were detected under transmission electron microscopy (Figure 1-D). Moreover, an identical colony termed as PSCN1 was isolated from sugarcane cultivar YZ08-1095 and was further confirmed by the PCR with a universal primer pair 63F (5'-CAGGCCTAACACATGCAAGTC-3') and 1387R (5'-GGGCGGWGTGTACAAGGC-3') that targeted at bacterial 16S rRNA gene (Marchesi et al., 1998). A 1362-bp DNA fragment sequence was obtained from PSCN1 strain and deposited on GenBank library (accession no. MW015767). Sequence analysis showed that PSCN1 shared 99.9-100% nucleotide identity (1315 bp out of 1362 bp) with the two reference strains of Pss (ATCC 8199 and DC283) after sequences were trimmed at the 5'- and 3'-terminal of primer sequences. According to Koch's postulates, pathogenicity test was carried out on YZ08-1095 plants with 3-5 fully developed leaf inoculated with the suspended cells (108 cells/ml) of PSCN1 strain by cutting the one-third of leaves before spraying with a suspension. Control plants were mock-inoculated with serial liquid nutrition agar medium. Two independent experiments were performed for pathogenicity assay and more than 28 plants of YZ08-1095 were used in each treatment. Plants were cultured in a growth chamber at 28 °C and 60% humidity under a 16 h light/8 h dark photoperiod. Leaves inoculated by the PSCN1 initially showed bleached, blight and wilting symptoms on leaf edges at seven days post-inoculation (dpi) (Figure 1-E and -F), which were similar to those symptoms observed in the fields. Control plants remained asymptomatic (Figure 1-G). The average incidence of diseased plant was 51.9% at 21 dpi. The bacteria were subsequently re-isolated from diseased leaves, and yielded colonies were completely identical to the PSCN1. Taken together, our data provides the valuable information for diagnosis and controlling this disease in sugarcane.

In recent years, outbreaks of leaf scald have been reported in two chewing cane clones "Guangdong Huangpi" and "Taoshang Guozhe" in Zhejiang province, China. From May to July 2019, we collected 11 and 13 leaf or stalk samples from symptomatic "Guangdong Huangpi" from four farms in Wenling and "Taoshang Guozhe" clones from three farms in Ruian, Zhejiang province, respectively. Leaves in young plants exhibited white pencil-line streaks (Supplement Fig. 1A & 1D) as well as partial or complete chlorosis of the leaf blade (Supplement Fig. 1B & 1E). Internal symptoms included an orange-red discoloration of the vascular bundles at the basal nodes of the stalk and discoloration extension into the internodes (Supplement Fig. 1C & 1F). Leaf and stalk tissues were used for bacterial isolation and purification on XAS medium, which is selective for Xanthomonas albilineans (Davis et al. 1994), using the streak plate method to obtain 24 isolates (Lin et al. 2018). Circular, convex, smooth, shiny and yellow colonies were isolated from all the samples. The pathogenicity of two isolates, XaCN30 from "Guangdong Huangpi" and XaCN43 from "Taoshang Guozhe", was confirmed with Koch's postulates according to the protocol reported by Lin et al. (2018). The incidences of diseased plants (56% and 63%) were observed in individual host clones at 28 d post-inoculation with isolates XaCN30 and XaCN43, respectively. Furthermore, all isolates were confirmed as X. albilineans via molecular methods. PCR amplification was conducted for all 24 isolates using the primer pairs XgyrB1F/XgyrB1R2 (Ntambo et al. 2019) and XAF1/XAR1 (Wang et al. 1999), which targeting the gyrB (encoding the b subunit of the DNA gyrase) and abc (encoding an ABC transporter) genes, and generating 904 bp and 608 bp amplicons, respectively. The PCR fragments were cloned into the pMD19-T vector (TaKaRa, Dalian, China). For each isolate, three single colonies of transformed Escherichia coli DH5α carrying targeted fragment were sequenced. These sequences were deposited into the GenBank with accession no. MT776053-MT776059 and MT776061-MT776077 for gyrB gene and MT776098-MT776104 and MT776106-MT776122 for abc gene. Based on the two concatenated DNA sequences of our 24 isolates, compared with 27 previously reported X. albilineans isolates obtained from the GenBank database, pairwise sequence identity analysis revealed that all 24 isolates from Zhejiang province had 99.4-100% identity with each other, 99.6-100% identity with 14 published domestic isolates, and 98.3-100% identity with 13 foreign isolates. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis with MEGA 7.0 (Kumar et al. 2016) showed that the isolates from Zhejiang province clustered into two distinct groups (Supplement Fig. 2). One group consisted of 25 Chinese isolates (including all 11 isolates from Wenling) along with four isolates from the French West Indies (GPE PC73, GPE PC17, GPE PC86, and MTQ032), and one isolate from the USA (XaFL07-1), which were assigned to pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) group B (Davis et al. 1997; Pieretti et al. 2012). A putative group was also proposed, which included all 13 isolates from Ruian, indicating that isolates from Ruian are distinct from the isolates isolated from other Chinese sugarcane-planting areas, including Wenling. We conclude that leaf scald disease in local clones of chewing cane are caused by X. albilineans in Zhejiang province in China, which will be helpful for leaf scald management in chewing cane, a cash crop.

In Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) anchored on the bacterial outer membrane is a major immune stimulus that can broadly activate immune cells and induce innate immune responses. wzxE is involved in bacterial LPS biosynthesis but has rarely been reported in Salmonella; wzxE encodes a flipase that can flip the precursor of LPS across the membrane into the periplasm space. Our preliminary data showed that the wzxE transposon mutant of S. Typhimurium could not significantly adhere to and invade into HEp-2 cells, but the mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we infected human LS174T, Caco-2, HeLa, and THP-1 cells with the wild-type S. Typhimurium strain SL1344, its wzxE mutant, and its complemented strain. wzxE depletion significantly attenuated bacterial adhesion and internalization in the four cell types. In addition, the postinfectious production of interleukin-8 (IL-8) was significantly decreased in the Caco-2 cells infected with the wzxE mutant. Bacterial LPS stained with polymyxin B probe also exhibited a reduced signal in the wzxE mutant. The silver staining of purified LPS demonstrated a significant reduction of the O-antigen (OAg) chain in the wzxE mutant. To confirm the role of OAg in the wzxE mutant during infection, we treated the HT-29 cells with the S. Typhimurium strain SL1344, its wzxE mutant, and their purified LPS, which revealed significantly decreased IL-8 secretion in the HT-29 cells treated with purified LPS from the wzxE mutant and with the wzxE mutant. In conclusion, wzxE mediates LPS biosynthesis and plays a major role in bacterial pathogenesis by regulating OAg flipping., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest and no financial disclosure for this study., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

RNA silencing is a conserved mechanism in eukaryotic organisms to regulate gene expression. Argonaute (AGO), Dicer-like (DCL) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RDR) proteins are critical components of RNA silencing, but how these gene families' functions in sugarcane were largely unknown. Most stress-resistance genes in modern sugarcane cultivars (Saccharum spp.) were originated from wild species of Saccharum, for example S. spontaneum. Here, we used genome-wide analysis and a phylogenetic approach to identify four DCL, 21 AGO and 11 RDR genes in the S. spontaneum genome (termed SsDCL, SsAGO and SsRDR, respectively). Several genes, particularly some of the SsAGOs, appeared to have undergone tandem or segmental duplications events. RNA-sequencing data revealed that four SsAGO genes (SsAGO18c, SsAGO18b, SsAGO10e and SsAGO6b) and three SsRDR genes (SsRDR2b, SsRDR2d and SsRDR3) tended to have preferential expression in stem tissue, while SsRDR5 was preferentially expressed in leaves. qRT-PCR analysis showed that SsAGO10c, SsDCL2 and SsRDR6b expressions were strongly upregulated, whereas that of SsAGO18b, SsRDR1a, SsRDR2b/2d and SsRDR5 was significantly depressed in S. spontaneum plants exposed to PEG-induced dehydration stress or infected with Xanthomonas albilineans, causal agent of leaf scald disease of sugarcane, suggesting that these genes play important roles in responses of S. spontaneum to biotic and abiotic stresses.

Based on the data from a continuous emission monitoring systems network in 2015, this study analyzed the compliance rates of exhaust gas in the processes of China's iron and steel industry, and established a high-resolution steel plant emission inventory for China (HSEC, 2015), based on the bottom-up method. The contribution of emissions from the iron and steel industry to regional air quality was quantitatively simulated using a CAMx model. The results showed that in 2015, the total emissions of SO 2 , NO x , PM 10 , PM 2.5 , PCDD/Fs, VOCs, CO, BC, OC, EC, and F were 374800 t, 720500 t, 334800 t, 150300 t, 1.91 kg, 842900 t, 34788500 t, 6400 t, 8300 t, 800 t, and 7700 t, respectively. From a regional perspective, the iron and steel industry in Shanghai and Tianjin has the highest emission intensity per unit area and contributes a high proportion to regional air pollution. From a process perspective, in 2015, the exhaust concentration of flue gas in the main process gradually decreased, with a high compliance rate, and the emission factor significantly decreased to lower than that in the existing research results. From a species perspective, in 2015, NO x emission from the steel industry contributed the most to regional air quality, and there is therefore a great emission reduction potential for NO x .

Background: Laparoscopic liver resection yields improved short-term surgical outcomes, whereas the reports about clinical benefits of single-incision laparoscopic hepatectomy (SILH) are scarce. This retrospective study is to compare the surgical outcomes of SILH with those of multi-incision laparoscopic hepatectomy (MILH)., Methods: The study included 54 patients who had undergone SILH and 184 patients who had undergone MILH between January 2010 and December 2017. Short-term outcomes were compared in those of patients who underwent left lateral sectionectomy and partial hepatectomy of segment 5-6. A subgroup analysis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was also performed for long-term outcome comparisons., Results: In those of patients who underwent left lateral sectionectomy, SILH group had less chronic hepatitis B (15.2 vs. 45.8%; p = 0.004), less liver cirrhosis (12.1 vs. 50.0%; p = 0.002), less tumor proximal to major vessel (6.1 vs. 29.2%; p = 0.018), shorter surgical time (113.2 ± 37.9 vs. 146.0 ± 50.5 min; p = 0.007), and shorter postoperative hospital stays (4.4 ± 1.1 vs. 5.4 ± 1.3 days; p = 0.002) compared with MILH group. In those of patients with tumor located at segment 5-6, no significant differences were observed in surgical time, blood loss, complications, and mortality. Single-incision laparoscopic partial hepatectomy was only associated with wider surgical margins (11.8 ± 7.0 vs. 5.3 ± 5.2 mm; p = 0.003). In the HCC subgroup, SILH had similar 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival and 1-, 3-, and 5-year recurrence-free survival rates compared with patients who had undergone MILH., Conclusions: The study demonstrates the safety and feasibility of single-incision laparoscopic liver resection for left lateral sectionectomy and partial hepatectomy for segment 5-6. In selected patients within the group and by experienced surgical team, the SILH technique results in comparable short-term surgical outcomes and long-term oncological outcomes.

Each influenza pandemic was caused at least partly by avian- and/or swine-origin influenza A viruses (IAVs). The timing of and the potential IAVs involved in the next pandemic are currently unpredictable. We aim to build machine learning (ML) models to predict human-adaptive IAV nucleotide composition. A total of 217,549 IAV full-length coding sequences of the PB2 (polymerase basic protein-2), PB1, PA (polymerase acidic protein), HA (hemagglutinin), NP (nucleoprotein), and NA (neuraminidase) segments were decomposed for their codon position-based mononucleotides (12 nts) and dinucleotides (48 dnts). A total of 68,742 human sequences and 68,739 avian sequences (1:1) were resampled to characterize the human adaptation-associated (d)nts with principal component analysis (PCA) and other ML models. Then, the human adaptation of IAV sequences was predicted based on the characterized (d)nts. Respectively, 9, 12, 11, 13, 10 and 9 human-adaptive (d)nts were optimized for the six segments. PCA and hierarchical clustering analysis revealed the linear separability of the optimized (d)nts between the human-adaptive and avian-adaptive sets. The results of the confusion matrix and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve indicated a high performance of the ML models to predict human adaptation of IAVs. Our model performed well in predicting the human adaptation of the swine/avian IAVs before and after the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. In conclusion, we identified the human adaptation-associated genomic composition of IAV segments. ML models for IAV human adaptation prediction using large IAV genomic data sets can facilitate the identification of key viral factors that affect virus transmission/pathogenicity. Most importantly, it allows the prediction of pandemic influenza., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.)