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Temperature is vital in plant growth and agricultural fruit production. Litchi chinensis Sonn, commonly known as litchi, is appreciated for its delicious fruit and fragrant blossoms and is susceptible to stress when exposed to low temperatures. This study investigates the effect of two cryoprotectants that counteract cold stress during litchi flowering, identifies the genes that generate the cold resistance induced by the treatments, and hypothesizes the roles of these genes in cold resistance. Whole plants were treated with Bihu and Liangli cryoprotectant solutions to protect inflorescences below 10 °C. The soluble protein, sugar, fructose, sucrose, glucose, and proline contents were measured during inflorescence. Sucrose synthetase, sucrose phosphate synthetase, antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT), and MDA were also monitored throughout the flowering stage. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs), gene ontology, and associated KEGG pathways in the transcriptomics study were investigated. There were 1243 DEGs expressed after Bihu treatment and 1340 in the control samples. Signal transduction pathways were associated with 39 genes in the control group and 43 genes in the Bihu treatment group. The discovery of these genes may contribute to further research on cold resistance mechanisms in litchi. The Bihu treatment was related to 422 low-temperature-sensitive differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs), as opposed to 408 DAMs in the control, mostly associated with lipid metabolism, organic oxidants, and alcohols. Among them, the most significant differentially accumulated metabolites were involved in pathways such as β-alanine metabolism, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon biosynthesis, linoleic acid metabolism, and histidine metabolism. These results showed that Bihu treatment could potentially promote these favorable traits and increase fruit productivity compared to the Liangli and control treatments. More genomic research into cold stress is needed to support the findings of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research was to evaluate and compare the pharmacokinetic profiles and safety of lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide (10 mg/12.5 mg) tablets in the test and reference formulations administered to participants in both fasting and postprandial states and to evaluate the bioequivalence of the 2 products in healthy Chinese volunteers. This study employed a single‐center, randomized, open‐label, single‐dose dosing trial involving a cumulative 96 healthy adult participants (60 in the fasting group and 36 in the postprandial group). Each group comprised 2 sequence sets, and a 2‐week washout period was implemented. There were no statistically significant differences in time to maximum concentration and terminal elimination half‐life between the test and control groups under fasting and postprandial conditions (P >.05), and the 90% CIs for area under the plasma concentration–time curve and maximum plasma concentration were within the bioequivalence range of 80%‐125%. Pharmacokinetic results indicate a large food effect for lisinopril, meaning that there is a loss of approximately 20%‐25% of systemic exposure from fasting to postprandial administration for both preparations. The study demonstrated that a single oral dose of generic lisinopril/hydrochlorothiazide is bioequivalent to the reference product and well tolerated, with no significant adverse events observed, and that both products are similarly safe in a cohort of healthy Chinese male and female participants, following administration under fasting and postprandial conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid identification of pathogens is critical for early and appropriate treatment of bloodstream infections. The various culture‐independent assays that have been developed often have long turnaround times, low sensitivity and narrow pathogen coverage. Here, we propose a new multiplex PCR assay, MeltArray, which uses intact microbial cells as the source of genomic DNA (gDNA). The successive steps of the MeltArray assay, including selective lysis of human cells, microbial cell sedimentation, microbial cellular DNA extraction, target‐specific pre‐amplification and multiplex PCR detection, allowed the detection of 35 major bloodstream infectious pathogens in whole blood within 5.5 h. The limits of detection varied depending on the pathogen and ranged from 1 to 5 CFU/mL. Of 443 blood culture samples, including 373 positive blood culture samples and 70 negative blood culture samples, the MeltArray assay showed a sensitivity of 93.8% (350/373, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 90.7%–96.0%), specificity of 98.6% (69/70, 95% CI = 91.2%–99.9%), positive predictive value of 99.7% (95% CI = 98.1%–99.9%), and negative predictive value of 75.0% (95% CI = 64.7%–83.2%). The MeltArray detection results of 16 samples differed from MALDI–TOF and were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Further testing of 110 whole blood samples from patients with suspected bloodstream infections using blood culture results revealed that the MeltArray assay had a clinical sensitivity of 100% (9/9, 95% CI = 62.8%–100.0%), clinical specificity of 74.5% (70/94, 95% CI = 64.2%–82.7%), positive predictive value of 27.3% (95% CI = 13.9%–45.8%), and negative predictive value of 100.0% (95% CI = 93.5%–100.0%). Compared with metagenomic next‐generation sequencing, the MeltArray assay displayed a positive agreement of 85.7% (6/7, 95% CI = 42.0%–99.2%) and negative agreement of 100.0% (4/4, 95% CI = 39.6%–100.0%). We conclude that the MeltArray assay can be used as a rapid and reliable tool for direct identification of pathogens in bloodstream infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asperulosidic acid is a bioactive iridoid isolated from Hedyotis diffusa Willd. with anti-inflammatory and renal protective effects. However, its mechanism on renal interstitial fibrosis has not been elucidated yet. The present study aims to explore whether asperulosidic acid could retard renal fibrosis by reducing the circulating indoxyl sulfate (IS), which is a uremic toxin and accelerates chronic kidney disease progression by inducing renal fibrosis. In this paper, a unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) model of Balb/C mice was established. After the mice were orally administered with asperulosidic acid (14 and 28 mg/kg) for two weeks, blood, liver and kidney were collected for biochemical, histological, qPCR and Western blot analyses. Asperulosidic acid administration markedly reduced the serum IS level and significantly alleviated the histological changes in glomerular sclerosis and renal interstitial fibrosis. It is noteworthy that the mRNA and protein levels of the organic anion transporter 1 (OAT1), OAT3 and hepatocyte nuclear factor 1α (HNF1α) in the kidney were significantly increased, while the mRNA expressions of cytochrome P450 2e1 (Cyp2e1) and sulfotransferase 1a1 (Sult1a1) in the liver were not altered after asperulosidic acid administration. These results reveal that asperulosidic acid could accelerate the renal excretion of IS by up-regulating OATs via HNF1α in UUO mice, thereby alleviating renal fibrosis, but did not significantly affect its production in the liver, which might provide important information for the development of asperulosidic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium (K+) is an endogenous substance that is an essential dietary component. However, the interaction between dietary arrangements and specific effects of dietary K+ intake in bioequivalence studies remains unclear. To investigate the influence of dietary arrangement on the bioequivalence of potassium chloride (KCl) sustained‐release tablets in healthy Chinese volunteers, the pharmacokinetics of KCl were compared in two open‐label, single‐center, randomized, two‐period crossover studies with different dietary conditions. All volunteers received an oral dose of 6 g of KCl sustained‐release tablets under fasting conditions, with different dietary arrangements. Urine samples were collected on baseline days and 48 hours after tablet consumption. Inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry was used to measure the concentration of K+ in the urine samples. Pharmacokinetic parameters were analyzed using Phoenix WinNonlin software in a noncompartmental model. In either clinical trial, no significant differences were observed in the maximal rate of urinary excretion and cumulative urinary excretion from 0 to 24 hours of K+ between the reference and test drugs. The bioequivalence studies of both KCl sustained‐release tablet formulations were successfully conducted under different dietary conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the potential pathogenic mechanism of temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (TLE+HS) by analyzing the expression profiles of microRNA/ mRNA/ lncRNA/ DNA methylation in brain tissues. Methods: Brain tissues of six patients with TLE+HS and nine of normal temporal or parietal cortices (NTP) of patients undergoing internal decompression for traumatic brain injury (TBI) were collected. The total RNA was dephosphorylated, labeled, and hybridized to the Agilent Human miRNA Microarray, Release 19.0, 8 × 60K. The cDNA was labeled and hybridized to the Agilent LncRNA+mRNA Human Gene Expression Microarray V3.0,4 × 180K. For methylation detection, the DNA was labeled and hybridized to the Illumina 450K Infinium Methylation BeadChip. The raw data was extracted from hybridized images using Agilent Feature Extraction, and quantile normalization was performed using the Agilent GeneSpring. P -value < 0.05 and absolute fold change >2 were considered the threshold of differential expression data. Data analyses were performed using R and Bioconductor. BrainSpan database was used to screen for signatures that were not differentially expressed in normal human hippocampus and cortex (data from BrainSpan), but differentially expressed in TLE+HS' hippocampus and NTP' cortex (data from our cohort). The strategy "Guilt by association" was used to predict the prospective roles of each important hub mRNA, miRNA, or lncRNA. Results: A significantly negative correlation (r < −0.5) was found between 116 pairs of microRNA/mRNA, differentially expressed in six patients with TLE+HS and nine of NTP. We examined this regulation network's intersection with target gene prediction results and built a lncRNA-microRNA-Gene regulatory network with structural, and functional significance. Meanwhile, we found that the disorder of FGFR3, hsa-miR-486-5p, and lnc-KCNH5-1 plays a key vital role in developing TLE+HS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: We investigated the locoregional effect of trastuzumab, and determined whether patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)2-positive breast cancer (BC) treated with trastuzumab could achieve comparable efficacy to that of patients with HER2-negative BC. Materials and Methods: This was post hoc analyses of data of 793 BC patients from a randomized controlled trial comparing post-mastectomy hypofractionated radiotherapy with conventional fractionated radiotherapy. Survival rates were analyzed by the Kaplan–Meier method and compared by the log-rank test. Results: Patients were classified into three groups: HER2-negative (HER2−; n = 547), HER2-positve with trastuzumab (HER2+ + T; n = 136), and HER2-positive without trastuzumab (HER2+ − T; n = 110). The HER2+ + T group had significantly lower locoregional recurrence (LRR, 6.0% vs. 13.9%), distant metastasis (DM, 17.4% vs. 33.8%) and higher disease-free survival (DFS, 81.2% vs. 61.9%) at 5 years than that of the HER2+ − T group (P <.05). The HER2− group had significantly lower LRR (6.8% vs. 13.9%), DM (22.4% vs. 33.8%) and higher DFS (76.1% vs. 61.9%) at 5 years than that of the HER2+ − T group (P <.05). The difference in LRR, DM and DFS at 5 years was not significant between the HER2+ + T group and HER2− group (P >.05). Different annual LRR patterns was found among groups according to HR status. Conclusion: Trastuzumab reduces LRR in patients with locally advanced HER2-positive BC who have received post-mastectomy radiotherapy. It provides comparable DFS to that with patients with HER2-negative BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accumulating evidence has highlighted the correlation between microRNAs (miRNAs) and the progression of glioma. However, the role of miR cluster MC‐let‐7a‐1 ~ let‐7d in glioma remains elusive. Thus, the current study aimed to investigate the effect of miR cluster MC‐let‐7a‐1 ~ let‐7d on glioma progression. Methods and Results: Microarray data analysis provided data indicating the involvement of miR cluster MC‐let‐7a‐1 ~ let‐7d in glioma via STAT3. The expression of let‐7a‐1, let‐7d, let‐7f‐1, and miR cluster MC‐let‐7a‐1 ~ let‐7d was diminished in the glioma tissues and the cell lines. Additionally, our results revealed that STAT3 was a target gene of let‐7d, let‐7a‐1, and let‐7f‐1, which was further verified by the dual‐luciferase reporter gene assay. Moreover, STAT3 expression was negatively mediated by let‐7a‐1, let‐7d, and let‐7f‐1. Up‐regulated miR cluster MC‐let‐7a‐1 ~ let‐7d or silenced STAT3 suppressed cell proliferation but accelerated cell apoptosis and autophagy. Moreover, restrained tumor growth was identified in the nude mice treated with miR cluster MC‐let‐7a‐1 ~ let‐7d mimics or STAT3 siRNA. Conclusion: Taken together, the miR cluster MC‐let‐7a‐1 ~ let‐7d promotes glioma cell autophagy and apoptosis by repressing STAT3. The current study highlights the potential of the miR cluster MC‐let‐7a‐1 ~ let‐7d as biomarkers and promising treatment strategies for glioma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To obtain different instant tea, three tea leaves (Pu'er tea, Gold Junmei tea and Tie Guanyin tea) were extrated by conventional (90 °C, 30 min) and pressurized (120 °C, 30 min) methods and dried in freezing and spraying condition. The amino acid composition and content were determined by the automatic amino acid analyzer, and the sensory evaluation was conducted. The yield and the content of free amino acids in instant tea powder was higher under the conditions of 120 °C pressurized hot extraction and freeze drying. The sensory evaluation showed freeze drying tea sample was more aromatic, better soluble, more mellow in taste, and it soup color was easier to accept than spray drying tea sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The available components in the flesh of litchi seem insufficient to interpret its wide and significant physiological effects. Some unusual compounds, including myo-inositol, inositol methyl derivatives and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) were identified as main constituents in the flesh of litchi. Their concentrations varied among cultivars but remain relatively constant during development. Litchi flesh was shown to contain moderate myo-inositol (0.28–0.78 mg g−1FW), ascorbic acid (0.08–0.39 mg g−1FW) and phenolics (0.47–1.60 mg g−1FW), but abundantl-quebrachitol (1.6–6.4 mg g−1FW) and GABA (1.7–3.5 mg g−1FW). The concentration of GABA in the flesh of litchi was about 100 times higher than in other fruits. Andl-quebrachitol is not a common component in fruits. The biological and physiological activities of inositols, inositol derivatives and GABA have been extensively documented. These compounds are probably important compositional characteristic contributing to the widely shown health benefits of litchi. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Bridge quality assessment is an important part in the final acceptance of new bridge construction, and it is also the main basis for the reinforcement or removal of old bridges. We evaluated the weight of each affecting factor to the upper events using progressive analytical hierarchy process (AHP) with the adoption of scaling, reduced the calculation in analytical process, and precluded the nonuniformity of the scaling system. We obtained a comprehensive evaluation system of bridge quality, and verified its practicality and effectiveness using numerical examples. 3 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to identify potential markers of local dorsal root ganglion (DRG) inflammation to aid diagnosis, treatment and prognosis evaluation of DRG pain. A localized inflammation of the DRG (LID) rat model was used to study the contribution of inflammation to pain. The dataset GSE38859 was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Pre-treatment standardization of gene expression data for each experiment was performed using the R/Bioconductor Limma package. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between a LID model and a sham surgery control group. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses of DEGs and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were carried out using the 'clusterProfiler' package in R. Using the Search Tool for Retrieval of Interacting Genes, a protein-protein interaction network was constructed and visualized. Candidate genes with the highest potential validity were validated using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting. In total, 66 DEGs were enriched in GO terms related to inflammation and the immune response processes. KEGG analysis revealed 14 associated signaling pathway terms. Protein-protein interaction network analysis revealed 9 node genes, 3 of which were among the top 10 DEGs. Matrix metallopeptidase 9, chemokine CXCL9, and complement component 3 were identified as key regulators of DRG inflammatory pain progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The purpose of this study was examined the feasibility of using phytantriol-based cubic and hexagonal liquid crystal preparation for the percutaneous administration of trans ‑cinnamaldehyde (TCA). TCA-loaded lyotropic liquid crystal formulations were prepared and characterized, their skin permeability in vitro and in vivo was evaluated. Preliminary pharmacodynamics were also investigated in adjuvant arthritics (AA) rats. The formulations were identified respectively as cubic and hexagonal structure. The in vitro permeability study exhibited that both cubic and hexagonal liquid crystal improved the cumulative permeation quantity and permeation rates of TCA compared with home-made gel. The results of an in vivo transdermal permeability experiment showed that the area under the curve [AUC (0–∞) ] of the hexagonal and cubic liquid crystal was 1.62 and 1.53 times higher than that of the gel group, respectively. Preliminary pharmacodynamics studies indicated that the group of high-dose TCA-loaded (200 mg·kg−1) hexagonal liquid crystal was shown to inhibit the paw swelling of AA rats, improve synovial hyperplasia and inflammatory cell infiltration, and down-regulate the levels of serum interleukin (IL)‑1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‑α. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the anti-inflammatory effects of TCA-loaded hexagonal liquid crystal and the commercially available product Voltaren® emulgel®. Thus, hexagonal liquid crystal was considered as an effective delivery system for TCA. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracellular matrix proteins appear to be necessary for the synaptic plasticity that underlies addiction memory. In the brain, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), especially matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), have been recently implicated in processes involving alcohol reward and memory. Here, we showed for the first time, the positive effects of MMP-9 on alcohol-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) behavior and hippocampal neuron plasticity in C57BL/6 mice. Using recombinant adeno-associated viruses to overexpress MMP-9 in the hippocampus, we investigated the NMDAR, PSD-95, and cellular cytoskeleton proteins F-actin/G-actin in the modulation of alcohol reward behavior in mice exposed to CPP. We found that hippocampal infusions of MMP-9 decreased alcohol-induced place preference suggesting a reduction in alcohol reward. Western blot analysis demonstrated that protein expression of NMDA receptors (GluN1, GluN2A and GluN2B) in the hippocampus of alcohol-exposed mice were higher than that of the saline group. Further, the expression of these proteins was decreased in MMP-9 overexpressing mice. MMP-9 also regulated the ratio of F-actin/G-actin (dendritic spines cytoskeleton proteins), which might be the key mediator for behavioral changes in mice. Consequently, our results highlight new evidence that MMP-9 may play an important role in the molecular mechanism underlying alcohol reward and preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Changes in the levels of chlorophyll a and b and their derivatives, and chlorophyllase activities were compared in the pericarp of ‘Feizixiao’ (slow-degreening) and ‘Nuomici’ (fast-degreening) litchis (Litchi chinensis Sonn.). Cluster bagging and growth regulators were used to regulate the degreening process of ‘Feizixiao’. HPLC analysis revealed the presence of chlorophyllide a, pheophorbide a and pheophytin a as chlorophyll derivatives in litchi pericarp. Loss of chlorophylls in ‘Feizixiao’ pericarp was slower than that in ‘Nuomici’ pericarp. The concentrations of chlorophyll a and b in the pericarp of ‘Feizixiao’ were significantly higher than those in ‘Nuomici’ during fruit maturation, whereas the chlorophyll derivatives in the former were noticeably lower than in the latter. Chlorophyllase activity increased as chlorophylls diminished. Chlorophyllase activity peaked around the colour-break in ‘Nuomici’, being much higher than that in ‘Feizixiao’. Both cluster bagging and treatment with abscisic acid (ABA, 200mgl−1) or jasmonic acid (50mgl−1) significantly decreased the chlorophyll content and increased the chlorophyllase activity and the anthocyanin level. In fruit treated with 6-benzyl aminopurine (6-BA, 100mgl−1) the degradation of chlorophylls was delayed, with concomitant decrease of chlorophyllase activity and anthocyanin level. These results imply that chlorophyllase is the crucial factor in the regulation of the chlorophyll loss in the pericarp. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Natural antioxidants have been shown to be effective against atherosclerosis. Ginkgo flavone aglycone (GA) has strong antioxidant properties and can protect against endothelial damage. However, the mechanisms by which GA protects against atherosclerosis remain largely unexplored. This study hopes to find the anti-atherosclerotic mechanism of GA. ApoE -/- mice fed a high-fat diet were used for modeling atherosclerosis. The efficacy of GA on mice with atherosclerosis was evaluated based on the following indicators: Oil Red O staining, Masson staining, lipid content, and apoptosis. Transmission electron microscopy, Western blot, immunofluorescence staining, and propidium iodide staining were used to analyze the effects of GA on ox-LDL-treated human aortic endothelial cells. GA activated Nrf2 by promoting the nuclear translocation of Nrf2, thereby inhibiting endothelial pyroptosis. GA prevented endothelial pyroptosis suppressed oxidative stress, and inhibited the development of atherosclerosis in ApoE -/- mice fed high-fat diets. At the cellular level, GA suppressed ox-LDL-induced pyroptosis of HAECs by reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome. Furthermore, siRNA targeting Nrf2 or ML385, an Nrf2 inhibitor, reversed these effects. GA liberated Nrf2 from Keap1 sequestration, enhanced the nuclear translocation of Nrf2 and the transcription of downstream antioxidant proteins, reinforced the antioxidant defense system, and inhibited oxidative stress, thereby preventing endothelial cell pyroptosis, and attenuating the progression of atherosclerosis. This study indicated that GA mitigated endothelial pyroptosis by modulating Keap1/Nrf2 interactions, shedding light on the potential mechanisms underlying the protective effects of natural antioxidants against atherosclerosis., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Hylocereus megalanthus (syn. Selenecereus megalanthus), commonly known as Yanwo fruit (bird's nest fruit), is an important tropical fruit, which is popular and widely planted due to its high nutritional and economic value in southern China. In September 2022, a serious stem and fruit canker was observed on Ecuadorian variety of Yanwo fruit plant in a 0.2 ha orchard in Guangdong (N21°19'1.24" E110°7'28.49"). Almost all plants were infected and disease incidence of fruits and stems was about 80% and 90% respectively. Symptoms on the stem and fruits were small, circular or irregular, sunken, orangish brown spots that developed into cankers (Fig 1 A, B and C). Black pycnidia were embedded under the surface of the cankers at the initial stage, subsequently they became erumpent from the surface, and the infected parts rotted. Five symptomatic stems from five plants were collected, 0.2 cm2 tissues adjacent to cankers were surface sterilized and placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) to incubate at 25 to 28 ℃. Fungal isolates each with similar morphology grew from 100% of the tissues. Colonies covered with aerial mycelium were grayish white, and then gradually turned to grayish black. Septate hyphae were hyaline to brown and constricted into arthroconidial chains. The arthroconidia were variously shaped and colored, orbicular to rectangular, hyaline to dark brown, thick-walled, and zero- to one- septate, averaging 7.7 × 3.6 μm (n>50) (Fig 1 D, E, F and G). To identify the fungus, the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1), beta-tubulin (tub2), histone H3 (his3) and chitin synthase (chs) gene of isolate ACCC 35488 and ACCC 35489 (Agricultural Culture Collection of China) were amplified and sequenced with primer pairs: ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), EF1-728F/EF2-rd (Carbone & Kohn 1999; O'Donnell et al.1998), TUB2Fd/ TUB4Rd（Aveskamp et al 2009）, CYLH3F/H3-1b (Crous et al. 2004) and CHS-79F/CHS-345R (Carbone & Kohn 1999) (ITS: OQ381102 and PP488350; tef1: OQ408545 and PP510454; tub2: OQ408546 and PP510455; his3: OQ408544 and PP510453; chs: OQ408543 and PP510452). Sequence Blastn results showed above 99% identical with those of Neoscytalidium dimidiatum ex-type strain CPC38666. Phylogenetic tree inferred from Maximum Likelihood analysis of the combined ITS, tub2 and tef1 sequences revealed two isolates clustered with N. dimidiatum (Fig 2). Pathogenicity was tested on healthy one-year-old cuttings and fruits of Ecuadorian variety at room temperature. Six sites were pin-pricked on each stem and fruit. Both wounded stems and fruits were inoculated with spore suspensions (106 spore/ml) and 6-mm fungal plugs respectively. Sterile water and agar were used as control. The test was repeated twice. Stems and fruits were enclosed in plastic boxes with 80% relative humidity. Symptoms described above were observed on inoculated stems and fruits at five days post inoculation (Fig 1 H and I). No symptoms developed on the controls. Neoscytaliudium dimidiatum was reisolated from the cankers with a frequency of 100% via morphological and molecular analysis. This is first report of stem and fruit canker caused by N. dimidiatum on H. megalanthus in China and this disease represents a serious risk of Yanwo fruit yield losses. This fungus is widespread occurring throughout the world causing diseases on a wide variety of plants. The finding will be helpful for its prevention and control.

Hylocereus megalanthus (family Cactaceae), commonly known as bird's nest fruit (Yanwo fruit), was a new tropical plant cultivated commercially in south China because of its high nutritional content and sweet taste. In August 2023, damping-off disease of approximately 60% of seedlings was observed at a nursery in Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province (E110°17'46″ N21°9'2″). Stems of infected seedlings exhibited symptoms of water-soaked tissue which caused collapse at the base of the stem and sloughing of necrotic root cortex tissue was observed (Figure 1). White aerial mycelia were visible on the surface of the stem and soil at a high relative humidity. Diseased tissues about 0.5 cm2 were taken from the infected roots and stems, surface disinfected with 75% ethanol and 3% hydrogen peroxide solution, each for 1 min, subsequently rinsed in sterile water, and placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA). Plates were incubated at 25 to 28℃ in the dark for 3 days. Coenocytic hyphae grew from all infected roots and stems. Hyphal tip transfers were completed twice, and twelve isolates with the same morphological characteristics were obtained. The colony growth on PDA was ample. Main hyphae are up to 9.5 µm wide. Sporangia were terminal, inflated, branched or unbranched. Encysted zoospores were 7.5 µm in diameter. Oogonia were terminal, globose, smooth and of 16.8 to 27.4 µm (average 21.5 µm) diameter. Oospores were typically spherical, thick-walled, yellowish, 19.7 to 26.3 µm (average 21.1 µm) diameter, wall 1 to 2 µm thick. Antheridia were mostly intercalary, sometimes terminal, broadly sac-shaped, 15.0×19.0 µm (Figure 2). The morphological features were very similar to those of Pythium spp. (Toporek and Keinath 2021). For further identification, the LSU and ITS regions of isolate CCAS-YWGCD (stored in Agricultural Culture Collection of China, ACCC 35633) were amplified and sequenced with using primer pairs LROR/LR7 and ITS1/ITS4, respectively (Gao et al. 2017; White et al. 1990). The resulting sequences were deposited in GenBank (ITS: OR775664; LSU: OR775667). BLASTn results showed 100% sequence similarity with reference sequences of Pythium aphanidermatum (AY598622 for ITS and HQ665084 for LSU). Phylogenetic tree generated from maximum likelihood analysis based on combined LSU and ITS sequence data with MEGA 10.1.8, clustered the oomycete in P. aphanidermatum clade with 100% bootstrap support (Figure 3). Therefore, the oomycete was identified as P. aphanidermatum. To confirm Koch's postulates, six three-month-old seedlings of H. megalanthus (height about 15 cm) were transplanted to 15 cm pots. Six-mm-diameter mycelial plugs obtained from 7-day-old cultures at 25℃ in the dark were buried adjacent to the stem of three unwounded healthy seedlings. Another three seedlings inoculated with PDA agar served as controls. The plants were covered with plastic bags, kept at about 30℃, and watered regularly to keep the soil moisture content high. All inoculated seedlings exhibited symptoms of stems rot and damping-off, Symptoms did not develop on the control seedlings. P. aphanidermatum by morphological and molecular analysis was reisolated from the stems. P. aphanidermatum had been reported worldwide causing disease in many agricultural crops (Qi et al. 2021; Kim et al. 2020), but this is the first report causing damping-off of H. megalanthus seedling in China as well as worldwide, and this disease should be monitored in nursery seedlings.

To understand the current quality status and rearing situation of Bombyx Batryticatus, the authors collected 102 batches of Bombyx Batryticatus from different main producing areas and five major Chinese medicine markets from 2016 to 2018, and measured the properties and quality of the silk gland, to clarify the quality status of Bombyx Batryticatus from different producing areas and markets. In addition, 35 batches of Bombyx Batryticatus from 2019 to 2022 were used to verify the silk gland after revision. Moreover, Beauveria Bassiana was inoculated in the silkworm of 4-5 instars, and standardized rearing was carried out until they die. The death rate and the quality of Bombyx Batryticatus were measured to determine the differences in Bombyx Batryticatus of different instars, and explore the rationality of the infection age of Bombyx Batryticatus in Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020). The results revealed that in the 102 batches of Bombyx Batryticatus, the qualification rate of silk gland was low; the content of total ash far exceeded the standard; the content of beauvericin varied greatly. The qualification rate of the silk gland of the 35 batches of Bombyx Batryticatus was only 47.49%, which could be increased to 73.00% if the number of silk gland was 2 to 4. The death rate of Bombyx Batryticatus at different infection ages was quite different, with uneven quality. Generally, the yield of Bombyx Batryticatus inoculated on the first day of the fifth instar was high with good quality. Therefore, in combination with the quality and actual production of Bombyx Batryticatus, the following suggestions were proposed for revision of Bombyx Batryticatus in Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2025): The number of silk gland should be revised as 2-4 bright brown or bright black silk glands, after which, the quality of Bombyx Batryticatus could be guaranteed, and the &quot;quality identification based on character&quot; could also be reflected scientifically; the content determination index that the content of beauvericin shall not be less than 0.017% should be added to better control the quality of Bombyx Batryticatus; the infection age should be revised as the first day of the fifth instar to narrow the age span, which could better fit the actual production and ensure the quality of Bombyx Batryticatus.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have the potential to be used in aquaculture, but their influence on the growth and health of aquatic organisms has not been extensively investigated. In this study, the abalone viscera hydrolysates decorated AgNPs (AVH-AgNPs) were dispersed into aquaculture water at different concentrations (0, 6, 9, and 18 μg/l) to evaluate the biological effects on zebrafish (Danio rerio). The results showed that the AVH-AgNPs treatments of 6 and 9 μg/l promoted the growth and did not cause obvious damage to the gills, intestines, and livers of zebrafish. All the treatments induced catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and increased glutathione (GSH) content in the livers and upregulated the expression of immune related genes. The effects of 9 and 18 μg/l AVH-AgNPs treatments were more obvious. After AVH-AgNPs treatment, the abundances of some potential pathogens, such as species Plesimonas shigelloides and Pseudomonas alcaligenes and genus Flavobacterium decreased significantly. In contrast, the abundance of some beneficial bacteria that can degrade pollutants and toxins (e.g., Rhodococcus erythropolis) increased significantly. Thus, the application of low concentrations (6 ~ 18 μg/l) of AVH-AgNPs in aquaculture water is relatively safe and has a positive effect on zebrafish farming., Competing Interests: 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 © 2022 Ni, Yang, Zhang, Ma, Xiong and Jian.)

Polysaccharide decorated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are a new type of antibacterial agent in aquaculture, but their effects on the bacterial community structure in aquaculture water are still unknown. In this study, the primary hydrolysate from abalone ( Haliotis discus hannai ) viscera (AVH) was used to biosynthesize AVH-AgNPs by in situ reduction, and the crystallinity nature, size, morphology, and chemical composition were analyzed by high-resolution characterization techniques such as Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), X-rays diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Dynamic light scattering (DLS), Zeta potential, inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and Turbiscan stability index (TSI) values. Furthermore, the acute toxicity of AVH-AgNPs to zebrafish ( Danio rerio ) and their effects on bacterial community structure in fish culture water at low concentrations were studied. The results showed that the spherical AVH-AgNPs with an average diameter of 54.57 ± 12.96 nm had good stability, low toxicity, and good in vitro antibacterial activity. Within the experimental concentration range, all AVH-AgNPs treatments had decreased the bacterial diversity in zebrafish culture water to varying degrees. The bacteria with significantly decreased abundances were pathogenic or potential pathogenic, such as Aeromonas veronii , Flavobacterium columnare , and genera Flectobacillus and Bosea . The abundance of Haliscomenobacter sp. JS224, which might cause sludge swelling, also decreased significantly. On the other hand, the relative abundance of some bacterial taxa could remove xenobiotics (e.g., Runella defluvii and Phenylobacterium ), control water eutrophication ( Sediminibacterium ), and reduce toxic algae proliferation ( Candidatus Intestinusbacter nucleariae and Candidatus Finniella ), increased significantly. Thus, the application of AVH-AgNPs in aquaculture water at low concentrations is relatively safe and has positive significance for improving the aquaculture environment. Also, AVH-AgNPs have good prospects in aquaculture., 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 Zhang, Yang, Ni, Ma, Xiong and Jian.)

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most malign brain tumors in adults. Temozolomide (TMZ) is an oral chemotherapy drug constituting the backbone of chemotherapy regimens utilized as first-line treatment of GBM. However, resistance to TMZ often leads to treatment failure. In the present study, we explored the expression and related mechanisms of nuclear enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1) in glioma stem cells (GSCs). Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) showed that NEAT1 was up-regulated in serum samples of GBM patients and GSCs isolated from U87, U251 cell lines. Functional experiments showed that NEAT1 knockdown restrained malignant behaviors of GSC, including proliferation, migration and invasion. Dual-luciferase assays identified let-7g-5p was a downstream target and negatively adjusted by NEAT1. Restoration of let-7g-5p impeded tumor progression by inhibiting proliferation, migration and invasion. Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 1 (MAP3K1), as a direct target of let-7g-5p, was positively regulated by NEAT1 and involved to affect the regulation of NEAT1 on GSCs' behaviors. In conclusion, our results suggested that NEAT1 promoted GSCs progression via NEAT1/let-7g-5p/MAP3K1 axis, which provided a depth insight into TMZ resistance mechanism., (© 2020 The Author(s).)

Bawei Chenxiang Powder is a traditional Tibetan folk medicine formula, consisting of resinous wood of Aquilaria sinensis, kernel of Myristica fragrans, fruit of Choerospondias axillaris, travertine, resin of Boswellia carterii or B. bhaw-dajiana, stem of Aucklandia lappa, fruit of Terminalia chebula(roasted), and flower of Gossampinus malabarica. It has the function of clearing heart heat, nourishing heart, tranquilizing mind, and inducing resuscitation, which has been used for the treatment of coronary heart disease and angina pectoris. Modern research shows that the medicine materials of this formula mainly contain terpenoids like sesquiterpenes and triterpenes and polyphenols like flavonoids, lignans, and tannins, displaying some pharmacological activities such as anti-myocardial ischemia, anti-cerebral ischemia, and spatial learning and memory promotion. This review summaries the traditional uses, chemical constituents, and pharmacological activities research progress, hopefully to provide a reference for clarification of its pharmacological active ingredients.

Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID) is a slowly progressing neurodegenerative disease characterized by eosinophilic intranuclear inclusions in the nervous system and multiple visceral organs. The clinical manifestation of NIID varies widely, and both familial and sporadic cases have been reported. Here we have performed genetic linkage analysis and mapped the disease locus to 1p13.3-q23.1; however, whole-exome sequencing revealed no potential disease-causing mutations. We then performed long-read genome sequencing and identified a large GGC repeat expansion within human-specific NOTCH2NLC. Expanded GGC repeats as the cause of NIID was further confirmed in an additional three NIID-affected families as well as five sporadic NIID-affected case subjects. Moreover, given the clinical heterogeneity of NIID, we examined the size of the GGC repeat among 456 families with a variety of neurological conditions with the known pathogenic genes excluded. Surprisingly, GGC repeat expansion was observed in two Alzheimer disease (AD)-affected families and three parkinsonism-affected families, implicating that the GGC repeat expansions in NOTCH2NLC could also contribute to the pathogenesis of both AD and PD. Therefore, we suggest defining a term NIID-related disorders (NIIDRD), which will include NIID and other related neurodegenerative diseases caused by the expanded GGC repeat within human-specific NOTCH2NLC., (Copyright © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Effects of maternal aging on the offspring cognitive function remain controversial in population-based investigations, and information available in animal studies is very limited. We investigated the impact of a delayed first natural pregnancy on pregnancy outcomes in the mouse model. Spatial learning capacity in young adult mouse offspring was observed by step-down passive avoidance task and Morris water maze (MWM). Maternal serum α-klotho was measured by ELISA. Morphological characteristics of fetoplacental unit and offspring brain were identified by H&E and immunohistochemistry. Klotho, VDR and other related genes expression were quantified by real-time-RT-PCR and western blot. We found delayed pregnancy reduced fertility in female mice by three-fold (Young vs. Old: 5.0% vs. 20.7%), and increased adverse pregnant outcomes by eight-fold (Young vs. Old: 3.0% vs. 27.5%). Mice born to old mothers exhibited shorter retention trial latency in passive avoidance task and longer latency to find the platform in MWM, suggesting worse performance on the tests that measure learning and memory. Serum α-klotho level was lower in old female mice before pregnancy, whereas became comparable after pregnancy. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) expression, both in mRNA and protein, markedly decreased during the early stage of fetoplacental unit in old mice, especially in trophoblast giant cells when compared with that of young mice. Importantly, consistent with fetoplacental unit, VDR expression also declined in hippocampus from offspring born to old mice. These results suggest that young adult offspring from aged mothers exhibited worse cognitive function and the reduced VDR expression during fetoplacental development might play an important role., Competing Interests: None.

Objective: To establish a simplified culture system for the isolation of brain tumor stem cells (BTSCs) from the tumors of human neuroepithelial tissue, to observe the growth and differentiation pattern of BTSCs, and to investigate their expression of the specific markers., Methods: Twenty-six patients with brain neuroepithelial tumors underwent tumor resection. Two pieces of tumor tissues were taken from each tumor to be dissociated, triturated into single cells in sterile DMEM-F12 medium, and then filtered. The tumor cells were seeded at a concentration of 200,000 viable cells per mL into serum-free DMEM-F12 medium simply supplemented with B27, human basic fibroblast growth factor (20 microg/L), human epidermal growth factor (20 microg /L), insulin (4 U/L), L-glutamine, penicillin and streptomycin. After the primary brain tumor spheres (BTSs) were generated, they were triturated again and passed in fresh medium. Limiting dilution assay was performed to observe the monoclone formation. 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation test was performed to observe the proliferation of the BTS. The BTSCs were cultured in mitogen-free DMEM-F12 medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum to observe their differentiation. Immunocytochemistry was used to examine the expression of CD133 and nestin, specific markers of BTSC, and the rate of CD133 positive cells., Results: Only a minority of subsets of cells from the tumors of neuroepithelial tissue had the capacity to survive, proliferate, and generate free-floating neurosphere-like BTSs in the simplified serum-free medium. These cells attached to the poly-L-lysine coated coverslips in the serum-supplemented medium and differentiated. The BTSCs were CD133 and nestin positive. The rate of CD133 positive cells in the tumor specimens was (21 +/- 6.2)% - (38 +/- 7.0)%., Conclusion: A new simplified culture system for the isolation of BTSCs is established. The tumors of human neuroepithelial tissue contain CD133 and nestin positive tumor stem cells which can be isolated, proliferate and differentiate in vitro and give rise to brain tumor spheres. This tumorigenic subset may provide both a platform for brain tumor research and a target for clinical treatment.