Search

Returning straw to the field has become the most important straw utilization method in China. The aim of this research was to study the appropriate amount of nitrogen fertilizer applied when returning the straw of three major crops (wheat, rice, and corn) to the field in areas under low to high yield levels based on the demand of nitrogen for microbial decomposition of straw. Under the condition of returning 100% straw to the field, we developed the formula for calculating the nitrogen application rate and estimated the urea application rate for the three major grain crops. The results showed that returning straws of wheat, early-season rice, middle-season rice and late-season rice, and corn to the field with urea application at the rate of about 150 kg/ha, 120～135 kg/ha, 75 kg/ha, and 75～90 kg/ha, respectively, can provide sufficient nitrogen for microbial decomposition. The urea application rate for returning 100% wheat straw to the field in Huang-Huai-Hai region, Middle-Lower Yangtze region, Loess plateau region, and Northwest arid region was 135–230 kg/ha, 110–190 kg/ha, 85–145 kg/ha, and 95–165 kg/ha, respectively. 52.5–98.5 kg/ha of urea was used for 100% early rice straw returning to the field in Middle-Lower Yangtze region and South China. In addition, the urea application rate for 100% middle-late rice straw returning to the field was 95–180 kg/ha, 100–185 kg/ha, 95–175 kg/ha, and 75–140 kg/ha, respectively. The rate of urea application for 100% corn straw returning to the field in Northeast China, Huang-Huai-Hai, Northwest arid region, and Southwest China was 60–135 kg/ha, 50–115 kg/ha, 60–135 kg/ha, and 45–105 kg/ha, respectively. The amount of nitrogen fertilizer required for the total return of crop straw is not only affected by crop straw C : N, yield per unit area, and ratio of grass to grain but also affected by straw returning mode, regional nitrogen application level, and other factors. Therefore, the amount of nitrogen fertilizer should be adjusted according to the type of cropping system, soil, and climatic conditions of the specific location. This substantial N input for stimulating straw decomposition may favor N losses with nitrate leaching and nitrous oxide emissions and hold a potential for soil N eutrophication in the long term if the level is not carefully adjusted to the N requirement of the subsequent crops and changes in soil organic matter levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To estimate the potential value of fetal assessment for the cardiac axis (CAx) and V‐sign angle (VSA) in the first trimester in the prediction of fetal major cardiac defects. Methods: A cohort study was conducted from December 2015 to June 2016. Patients with singleton pregnancies and crown‐rump length from 45 to 84 mm were recruited to undergo nuchal translucency sonography. The CAx on the 4‐chamber view and the VSA on the 3‐vessel and trachea view with Doppler mapping were measured. The estimated performance of different combinations of increased fetal nuchal translucency, CAx, and VSA in screening for major cardiac defects was examined. Results: The study population of fetuses included 30 fetuses with major cardiac defects and 1538 normal fetuses. The CAx and VSA were 30° to 60° and 30° to 40°, respectively, according to the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles in normal fetuses. When cases of isolated septal wall defects and an isolated right aortic arch were excluded, nuchal translucency above the 95th percentile, an abnormal CAx, and an abnormal VSA were observed in 63.3% (19 of 30), 63.3% (19 of 30), and 66.7% (20 of 30) of fetuses with major cardiac defects, respectively, and in 4.6% (71 of 1538), 2.0% (30 of 1538), and 5.6% (86 of 1538) of those without cardiac defects. Either an abnormal CAx or VSA was found in 93.3% (28 of 30) of the fetuses with cardiac defects and in 7.3% (113 of 1538) of those without cardiac defects. Conclusion: Assessment of the CAx and VSA is helpful in defining a population at risk for major cardiac defects in the first trimester. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnaporthe oryzae avirulence (AVR) genes are predicted to be involved in pathogen invasion and their virulence functions are restricted by the presence of the cognate resistance (R) genes. In this study, the distribution and variation of the avirulence (AVR‐Pii) gene of M. oryzae in Yunnan province, China were analysed to understand haplotype diversity of AVR‐Pii under field conditions. The presence of AVR‐Pii in 454 field isolates of M. oryzae collected in Yunnan province was examined using gene‐specific PCR markers. The results showed that 82 M. oryzae isolates carried AVR‐Pii. Among them, 39 (35.5%), 5 (15.2%), 4 (14.3%), 2 (13.3%), 25 (12.8%) and 7 (9.7%) of the M. oryzae isolates carried AVR‐Pii from central, southeastern, southwestern, northwestern, western and northeastern Yunnan province, respectively. Of these isolates, 55 were sequenced, while the remaining 27 isolates were not suitable for PCR‐based sequencing and were not used for further analysis. Moreover, three AVR‐Pii haplotypes were identified among the 55 isolates, in which H1 was identical with a previous sequence in GenBank (accession no. AB498874) and H2 and H3 were novel variants. All DNA sequence variations were found to occur in the protein‐coding region resulting in amino acid substitutions. One virulent haplotype of AVR‐Pii to Pii was identified among 55 field isolates, suggesting that the AVR‐Pii gene has lost avirulence function through base substitution. These findings suggest that AVR‐Pii is under positive selection and AVR‐Pii mutations are responsible for overcoming race‐specific resistance in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection causes subclinical diseases, leading to high mortality (>25%) in pregnant women. HEV replication is aggressively escalated in pregnant women, especially in the third trimester of pregnancy. Oestrogen plays an important role in pregnancy. However, the pathogenesis of HEV in pregnant women or immunosuppressive pregnant women (such as HIV-infected or organ-transplanted pregnant women) remains unclear. We investigated the role of oestradiol in HEV infection in a cell culture system. HEV-infected pregnant women had significantly higher oestradiol levels compared with uninfected individuals. HEV infection was significantly increased in cells treated with analogues of oestradiol, diethylstilbestrol (DES) or 17β-oestradiol in a dose-dependent way. However, tamoxifen, an antagonist oestrogen, inhibited HEV replication. HEV infection inhibits oestrogen receptor (ER-α) expression. Immunofluorescence and co-immunoprecipitation assays indicated that ER-α interacted with the helicase of HEV ORF1 indirectly. More importantly, HEV infection was exacerbated in immunosuppressive cells treated with an inhibitor of PI3K-AKT-mTOR signal pathway (LY296004) and supplemented with pregnant women serum with high oestradiol simultaneously. These results strongly suggest that pregnant women with high oestradiol and/or immunosuppression will be vulnerable to HEV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the performance of the maxilla in the axial view in detection of orofacial clefts (OC) compared with the retronasal triangle (RNT) in the coronal view and palatine line in the sagittal view at the early stage of gestation.Methods: A total of 2982 fetuses (including 315 twins) were enrolled for the first-trimester screening in this prospective study. The maxilla in the axial view, palatine line in the sagittal view, and RNT in the coronal view were scanned by 2-dimensional ultrasound.Results: Excluded 103 cases lost to follow-up, 2879 fetuses were analyzed in our study. Obtaining rates of the satisfactory image of the maxilla in the axial view, RNT in the coronal view, and palatine line in the sagittal view were 95.2%, 93.8%, and 98.2% respectively. Abnormal axial view of the maxilla, coronal view of the RNT, and sagittal view of the palatine line were observed in 100% (8/8), 75% (6/8), and 50% (4/8) of the CLP cases respectively.Conclusions: The study demonstrates that using the axial view of maxilla in the diagnosis of OC is feasible and improved the detection of OC compared with the sagittal view of the palatine line and coronal view of the RNT in the first trimester. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Trichothecium roseum is one of the most dreadful postharvest pathogens responsible for core rot of apples. Besides causing economic loss, the disease is also associated with mycotoxins contamination. The effects of storage temperature and lesion diameter on T‐2 toxin and neosolaniol (NEO) accumulation were evaluated in genetically diverse apple cultivars. The results showed T‐2 concentration was much higher in Fuji than that in Ralls, while NEO was only detected in Red Delicious. The room temperature is favorable for T‐2 and NEO accumulation compared with low temperature. We also noticed the positive relationship between the size of lesion diameter and the concentrations of NEO and T‐2. NEO and T‐2 were found not only in the rotten part, but in the adjacent asymptomatic tissue, indicating that the spread of the trichothecenes to non‐infected of the fruits, and trichothecenes concentration showed a trend of decline with increase in distance from the rotten parts. Practical application: Trichothecium roseum is one of the most important postharvest pathogens, and can cause core rot of apples. The disease not only causes economic loss, but also results in trichothecene contamination. Storage temperature and the size of lesion diameter significantly affected T‐2 and neosolaniol accumulation in genetically diverse apple. The results showed T‐2 toxin concentration was much higher in Fuji than that in Ralls, while neosolaniol was only detected in Red Delicious. The room temperature was favorable for T‐2 toxin and neosolaniol accumulation compared with low temperature. In addition, the positive relationship between the size of lesion diameter and the concentrations of neosolaniol and T‐2 toxin was observed. T‐2 toxin and neosolaniol were found not only in the rotten part, but also in the adjacent asymptomatic tissue, and the concentration showed a trend of decline with increase in distance from the rotten parts. The study will be useful not only for apple post‐harvest storage and reduce the health risk of exposure to the trichothecenes of T‐2 toxin and neosolaniol, but also provide baseline information for the introduction of EU‐limits for T‐2 toxin and neosolaniol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to investigate effects of xanthophylls on serum lipid profile (triglyceride, TG; cholesterol, CHO; high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, HDLC; and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDLC) and nuclear factor (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, PPARγ; PPAR gamma coactivator 1 alpha, PGC1α; retinoid X receptor gamma, RXRγ; and retinoic acid receptor alpha, RARα) gene expression of breeding hens and chicks. In experiment 1, 432 hens were divided into three groups and fed diets supplemented with 0 (as control group), 20 or 40 mg/kg xanthophylls. Blood was sampled at 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 days of trial. Liver, duodenum, jejunum and ileum were sampled at 35 days of trial. Results showed that serum HDLC level of hens was increased after dietary 40 mg/kg xanthophyll addition for 21, 28 and 35 days, while serum TG, CHO and LDLC were not affected. Xanthophyll addition also increased PPARγ expression in jejunum, RXRγ expression in duodenum and jejunum, and RARα expression in liver and duodenum. Experiment 2 was a 2 × 2 factorial design. Male chicks hatched from 0 or 40 mg/kg xanthophyll diet of hens were fed diet containing either 0 or 40 mg/kg xanthophylls. Liver, duodenum, jejunum and ileum were sampled at 0, 7, 14 and 21 days after hatching. Blood samples were also collected at 21 days. Results showed that in ovo xanthophylls elevated PPARγ in duodenum and jejunum, and RXRγ and RARα in liver of chicks mainly within 1 week after hatching, while dietary xanthophylls increased serum HDLC level and PPARγ and RXRγ in liver from 2 weeks onwards. In conclusion, our research suggested xanthophylls can regulate serum lipid profile and nuclear factor expression in hens and chicks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper (Cu) is an essential nutrition trace element for Tilapia. However, the molecular mechanisms for the effects of Cu on Tilapia remain unknown. To explore the mechanism, 2,160 hybrid tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus × Oreochromis aureus) fries were used and evenly assigned to six groups and fed with different concentrations of Cu. After 60-day culture, physiological characters and biochemical parameters were measured. Spleen somatic index ( SSI) was analysed, and distribution of trace elements was investigated. qRT- PCR was used to analyse the levels of immune genes. The result showed that 17 mg kg−1 of dietary Cu improved the growth rate, survival rate ( SR), weight gain rate, condition factor and feed conversion ratio of hybrid tilapia ( p < .05). Meanwhile, the dietary Cu increased the activity of superoxide dismutase and reduced the activity of glutathione ( GSH), alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and lysozyme ( p < .05). Sixteen mg kg−1 of dietary Cu did not affect SSI. Furthermore, dietary Cu affects the levels of immune genes, interleukin-1, tumour necrosis factor, MHC class IIB, pre-B-cell leukaemia transcription factor 1 and P450. Therefore, a certain concentration of Cu can improve tilapia performance by affecting its antioxidant and immune activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine (a) the baseline sensitivity of Rhizoctonia solani to thifluzamide and (b) the risk of the fungus developing resistance to the fungicide. Thifluzamide sensitivity was assessed for 227 isolates of R. solani collected from 12 provinces of China from 2007 to 2011. One insensitive isolate GD-1 was obtained from the field, and the EC50 values of the 226 sensitive isolates had a unimodal frequency distribution with a mean of 0.0351 µg mL−1. Nine resistant mutants were generated using thifluzamide-amended media or UV radiation in the laboratory. The resistance was stable for all mutants after 10 transfers on PDA medium. Fitness of the most resistant mutants was lower than that of the sensitive isolates, implying a lower competitiveness of the mutants relative to sensitive isolates in field. Cross-resistance was detected between thifluzamide and the Succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors (SDHIs) fenfuram, carboxin, penflufen and boscalid, but not between thifluzamide and difenoconazole, carbendazim, propiconazol, SYP-2815 (quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicide developed in China), fluazinam, jinggangmycin, pyrimorph or mepronil. The SDHI fungicide fluopyram did not inhibit R. solani. Taken together, these results suggest that the risk of R. solani developing resistance to thifluzamide is low to moderate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Montelukast, a leukotriene receptor antagonist commonly prescribed for treatment of asthma, is primarily metabolized by cytochrome P450 (CYP)2C8, and has been suggested as a probe substrate for investigating CYP2C8 activity in vivo. We evaluated the quantitative role of hepatic uptake transport in its pharmacokinetics and drug-drug interactions (DDIs). Montelukast was characterized with significant active uptake in human hepatocytes, and showed affinity towards organic anion transporting polypeptides (OATPs) in transfected cell systems. Single-dose rifampicin, an OATP inhibitor, decreased montelukast clearance in rats and monkeys. Clinical DDIs of montelukast were evaluated using physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling; and simulation of the interactions with gemfibrozil-CYP2C8 and OATP1B1/1B3 inhibitor, clarithromycin-CYP3A and OATP1B1/1B3 inhibitor, and itraconazole-CYP3A inhibitor, implicated OATPs-CYP2C8-CYP2C8 interplay as the primary determinant of montelukast pharmacokinetics. In conclusion, hepatic uptake plays a key role in the pharmacokinetics of montelukast, which should be taken into account when interpreting clinical interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NLRC5 plays an important role in the innate immunity and cellular immunity in many species, but the regulatory mechanism of NLRC5 expression in chickens remains unclear. In this study, a series of deletion fragments of the NLRC5 promoter region were constructed and dual-luciferase assay was performed. Then, we detected the SNP in the core region and its function. Important transcriptional regulatory elements were predicted and identified. Methylation of CpG islands was measured. The results revealed that the two core regions of −4372 to −3756 and −2925 to −2265 in the NLRC5 promoter were essential for NLRC5 mRNA expression in which a SNP (A/G), located at −2470, was found to have an effect on the transcriptional activity. Also, the STAT1 element in the second core region of the NLRC5 promoter was identified to bind with the STAT1 transcription factor, which was necessary for the transcriptional activity. In addition, many other elements in the NLRC5 promoter, including YY1 and CEBP, may contribute significantly to the expression activity of NLRC5. Moreover, two CpG islands were searched. Part of one was located in the first core region, which suggests that epigenetic modification may regulate the activity of the first promoter region, and the other was mostly in an unmethylated state. Collectively, these results suggest the complex regulation of NLRC5 expression includes SNPs, transcription factors and methylation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuroplasticity - the capacity of the brain to change as a response to internal and external pressures - has been studied from a number of different perspectives. Perhaps one of the most powerful models is the study of populations that have been congenitally deprived of a sense. It has been shown that the right Auditory Cortex ( AC) of congenitally deaf humans is neuroplastically modified in order to represent visual properties of a stimulus. One unresolved question is how this visual information is routed to the AC of congenitally deaf individuals. Here, we performed volumetric analysis of subcortical auditory and visual brains regions - namely the thalamus (along with three thalamic nuclei: the pulvinar, the lateral geniculate nucleus and the medial geniculate nucleus), and the inferior and superior colliculi - in deaf and hearing participants in order to identify which structures may be responsible for relaying visual information toward the altered AC. Because there is a hemispheric asymmetry in the neuroplastic changes observed in the AC of the congenitally deaf, we reasoned that subcortical structures that also showed a similar asymmetry in their total volume could have been enlisted in the effort of relaying visual information to the neuroplastically altered right AC. We show that for deaf, but not for hearing individuals, the right thalamus, right lateral geniculate nucleus and right inferior colliculus are larger than their left counterparts. These results suggest that these subcortical structures may be responsible for rerouting visual information to the AC in congenital deafness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine the optimum conditions for calcium oxide (CaO) treatment of anaerobically stored corn stover by in situ and in vitro methods. Four ruminally cannulated, non-lactating, non-pregnant Holstein cows were used to determine the in situ effective degradabilities of dry matter ( ISDMD), organic matter ( ISOMD), neutral detergent fibre ( ISNDFD), in vitro organic matter disappearance ( IVOMD) and gas production in 72 h ( GP72h) of corn stover. A completely randomized design involving a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement was adopted. Ground corn stover was treated with different levels of CaO (3%, 5% and 7% of dry stover) at varying moisture contents (40%, 50% and 60%) and stored under anaerobic conditions for 15 days before analysis. Compared with untreated corn stover, the CaO-treated stover had increased ash and calcium (Ca) contents but decreased aNDF and OM contents. The moisture content, CaO level and their interaction affected (p < 0.01) the content of aNDF, ash and OM, and the ratio of aNDF/ OM. The greatest ISDMD, ISOMD and ISNDFD were observed when stover was treated with 7% CaO and 60% moisture, while no differences (p > 0.01) in these in situ degradability parameters were observed between the stover treated with 5% CaO at 60% moisture content and those treated with 7% CaO at 60% moisture content. Corn stover treated with 5% CaO at 50% moisture had the maximum IVOMD and GP72 h among the treatments, and there was no difference (p > 0.01) between 50% and 60% moisture. Results from this study suggested that 5% CaO applied at 60% moisture could be an effective and economical treatment combination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Cosmetic Science is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Broadening the maize (Zea mays L.) genetic base is essential for improving grain yield. Suwan1, developed from a broad base of tropical germplasm in Thailand, has recently been identified as a heterotic group different from Reid and non-Reid heterotic groups. The objectives of this study were (i) to evaluate the grain yield (GY) of crosses to see if there is value to utilizing Suwan1 as a heterotic group in maize breeding, and (ii) to investigate the general combining ability and specific combining ability to determine if Suwan1 shows good combining ability with Reid and non-Reid heterotic groups for GY. Three testers, one from each of the three heterotic groups, were crossed with 20 elite lines collected from across China. Eighteen lines improved via introgression of exotic germplasm and two lines improved via pedigree selection were crossed with TRL02 (non-Reid), YML46 (Suwan1), and TRL211 (Reid). Grain yield, ear length, ear diameter, kernel rows per ear, kernels per row, and 100-kernel weight of crosses and a check were evaluated at three locations. The results suggested that the Suwan1 × temperate crossing system was a very useful heterotic pattern. Suwan1 improved all five yield components in crosses and demonstrated good combining ability for GY with Reid and non-Reid heterotic groups. We have also determined that the appropriate percentage of introgressed germplasm should be between 6.25 and 12.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To examine the association between depression and impaired glucose regulation, newly diagnosed diabetes and previously diagnosed diabetes in middle-aged and elderly Chinese people, and whether depression was associated with different treatment regimens or durations of diabetes. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed among 229 047 adults living in the community aged ≥ 40 years from 25 centres in China. The self-reported depression rating scale Patient Health Questionnaire 9 ( PHQ-9) was used to diagnose probable and sub-threshold depression. Glucose metabolism status was determined according to World Health Organization 1999 diagnostic criteria. Results The numbers of participants with normal glucose regulation, impaired glucose regulation, newly diagnosed diabetes and previously diagnosed diabetes were 120 458, 59 512, 24 826 and 24 251, respectively. The prevalence of sub-threshold depression in the total sample of participants was 4.8% (4.8%, 4.8%, 4.4% and 5.6% from normal glucose regulation to previously diagnosed diabetes, respectively), and the prevalence of probable depression was 1.1% (1.1%, 1.0%, 0.9% and 1.8% from normal glucose regulation to previously diagnosed diabetes, respectively). Compared with participants with normal glucose regulation, those with previously diagnosed diabetes had increased odds of probable depression [odds ratio ( OR) = 1.61, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 1.39-1.87] and sub-threshold depression ( OR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.06-1.24), after adjustment for multiple confounding factors. Newly diagnosed diabetes or impaired glucose regulation was not associated with depression. Among those with previously diagnosed diabetes, insulin treatment was associated with greater odds of depression compared with no treatment or oral anti-diabetic medicine. Conclusion Previously diagnosed diabetes, but not newly diagnosed diabetes or impaired glucose regulation, was associated with a higher prevalence of depression. Patients receiving insulin were more likely to have depression than those not receiving treatment or being treated with oral anti-diabetic medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Duck Tembusu virus ( DTMUV) is an infectious pathogen that can cause epidemics in egg-laying ducks. Here, we isolated and characterized a DTMUV, designated GDLH01, thought to be responsible for the noticeable egg drop in Muscovy duck flocks in South China since 2011. The genome sequence of GDLH01 shared 97-99% homology with other avian-origin Tembusu viruses, and 99.5% homology with the mosquito-borne strain SDMS recently reported in China. Phylogenetic analysis based on the nucleotide sequence of the entire open reading frame confirmed that the isolate was of avian origin and closely related to a mosquito-borne strain. Our findings characterize a novel Tembusu virus circulating in Muscovy ducks in South China and emphasize the importance of reinforcing biosecurity measures and developing vaccines to prevent the spread of this viral pathogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of different supplementation ways of lycopene during pre-hatch (from the diet of hens) and post-hatch (from the diet of progeny) on production performance, antioxidant capacity and biochemical parameters in chicks. In total, 360 hens were fed diets supplemented with 0 (control group) or 40 mg lycopene/kg diet. From 28 to 34 days after the start of supplementation (30 weeks old), 650 qualified eggs were collected to artificial incubation. In this trial, 2 × 2 factorial designs were used. Male chicks hatched from hens fed with 0 or 40 mg lycopene/kg diet were fed a diet containing either 0 or 40 mg lycopene/kg diet. The results showed that, relative to control, in ovo-deposited lycopene significantly increased chick birth body weight, improved liver total antioxidant capacity (T- AOC), glutathione peroxidase ( GSH-Px) and glutathione to oxidized glutathione ratio ( GSH: GSSG), and significantly declined liver malondialdehyde ( MDA) level and increased liver lycopene content during 0-14 days after hatching. On days 14 after hatching, dietary lycopene in diet began to take over gradually. Both supplementation ways of lycopene increased immune organ index, serum high-density lipoprotein ( HDL) cholesterol, villus length and villus/crypt in duodenum, jejunum and ileum. Data in this study suggested lycopene supplementation could improve antioxidant capacity and immune function, and regulate lipid metabolism in chicks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Progressive [beta]-cell dysfunction hinders the maintenance of glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes, but comparative data on [beta]-cell-protective therapies are lacking in the early stage of type 2 diabetes. Here we evaluated the comparative glycaemic efficacy and impact on [beta]-cell function of three antihyperglycaemic agents that have a [beta]-cell-protective effect, exenatide, insulin and pioglitazone, in newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes. DESIGN AND METHODS: In this 48-week, multicentre, parallel-group study, 416 patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned 1 : 1 : 1 to receive exenatide, insulin or pioglitazone. The primary end-point was the change in glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) from baseline. Secondary end-points included effects on weight, blood pressure, lipid profiles and [beta]-cell function assessed by homeostasis model assessment, fasting proinsulin:insulin (PI/I), disposition index (DI) and acute insulin response (AIR). RESULTS: At week 48, mean [95% confidence interval (CI)] HbA1c changes from baseline were -1.8% (-1.55% to -2.05%) with exenatide, -1.7% (-1.52% to -1.96%) with insulin and -1.5% (-1.23% to -1.71%) with pioglitazone. Treatment differences were -0.20% (95% CI -0.46% to 0.06%) for exenatide versus insulin (P = 0.185), and -0.37% (95% CI -0.63% to -0.12%) for exenatide versus pioglitazone (P = 0.002). Significant improvements from baseline in AIR, PI/I and DI were observed with all treatments, with the greatest improvements in DI, as well as weight, blood pressure and lipid profile, observed with exenatide. CONCLUSIONS: All three agents showed efficacy regarding glycaemic control and metabolic benefits; however, exenatide showed the greatest efficacy. [beta]-cell function improved in all treatment groups; hence, early initiation of [beta]-cell-protective therapy may halt the decline in [beta]-cell function in type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Progressive β-cell dysfunction hinders the maintenance of glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes, but comparative data on β-cell-protective therapies are lacking in the early stage of type 2 diabetes. Here we evaluated the comparative glycaemic efficacy and impact on β-cell function of three antihyperglycaemic agents that have a β-cell-protective effect, exenatide, insulin and pioglitazone, in newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes. Design and methods In this 48-week, multicentre, parallel-group study, 416 patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned 1 : 1 : 1 to receive exenatide, insulin or pioglitazone. The primary end-point was the change in glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) from baseline. Secondary end-points included effects on weight, blood pressure, lipid profiles and β-cell function assessed by homeostasis model assessment, fasting proinsulin:insulin ( PI/I), disposition index ( DI) and acute insulin response ( AIR). Results At week 48, mean [95% confidence interval ( CI)] HbA1c changes from baseline were −1.8% (−1.55% to −2.05%) with exenatide, −1.7% (−1.52% to −1.96%) with insulin and −1.5% (−1.23% to −1.71%) with pioglitazone. Treatment differences were −0.20% (95% CI −0.46% to 0.06%) for exenatide versus insulin ( P = 0.185), and −0.37% (95% CI −0.63% to −0.12%) for exenatide versus pioglitazone ( P = 0.002). Significant improvements from baseline in AIR, PI/I and DI were observed with all treatments, with the greatest improvements in DI, as well as weight, blood pressure and lipid profile, observed with exenatide. Conclusions All three agents showed efficacy regarding glycaemic control and metabolic benefits; however, exenatide showed the greatest efficacy. β-cell function improved in all treatment groups; hence, early initiation of β-cell-protective therapy may halt the decline in β-cell function in type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 1511 isolates of Phytophthora capsici were collected from farms with no history of exposure to the carboxylic acid amide (CAA) fungicides in 32 provinces in China during 2006 to 2013. All 1511 isolates were assayed for mating type and 403 were assayed for sensitivity to dimethomorph (DMM) and metalaxyl. The DMM EC50 values ranged from 0·126 to 0·339 μg mL−1. Both A1 and A2 mating types were detected on the same farms in four provinces and with a 1:1 ratio. Most isolates were sensitive to metalaxyl but a few exhibited intermediate resistance or resistance to metalaxyl. The segregation of DMM resistance and sensitivity among 337 progeny obtained from hybridization or self-crossing in vitro indicated that the resistance of P. capsici to DMM is controlled by two dominant genes. Eighteen progeny that were derived from hybridization differed in DMM sensitivity and in fitness. Some progeny were as fit as parental isolates. Given the distribution of mating types and therefore the potential for sexual reproduction, the control of resistance by two dominant genes, and the fitness of hybrid progeny, the risk of P. capsici populations developing DMM resistance in China is substantial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our previous studies, we found that plague vaccines can induce long-term antibody response, but no significant antibody boost was observed when the immunized mice were challenged with virulent Yersinia pestis. However, a booster vaccination of subunit vaccine on week 3 after primary immunization elicited a significantly higher antibody titre than a single dose, whereas no significant antibody titre difference was observed between a single dose and two doses of EV76 vaccination. To address these issues, in this study, we first investigated the kinetics of memory B cells and plasma cells in the mice immunized with EV76 or F1 protein by flow cytometry and then determined antibody titre in five groups of mice immunized with various vaccination strategy. The results showed that memory B cells dropped to a low level at day 56 after primary immunization. In contrast, plasma cells were maintained for more than 98 days. The group with primary immunization of EV76 and booster of F1 antigen developed a higher antibody titre than the group with immunization of F1 antigen and booster of EV76. This result supports a hypothesis that an excess of antigens can neutralize pre-existing antibodies, and then the redundant antigen induces antibody boost. Taken together, a boost of antibody titre after revaccination may be dependent on the existence of memory B cells and an excess of antigen vaccination. In addition, this study showed an ideal immunization strategy that involves first immunization with a live attenuated vaccine, such as EV76, and then with a subunit vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions such as the following often arise: "Should reciprocal crosses be included in a diallel?" and "Would their inclusion in a diallel impact grain yield (GY), estimates of general (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) effects, and heterotic group classification in maize (Zea mays L.)?" We evaluated a 12-parent maize diallel cross (Griffing's Method 3 and Method 4) in three environments to determine (i) if reciprocal crosses impact GY of crosses and GCA and SCA effects, (ii) if reciprocal crosses influence the GCA and SCA and residual variance estimates in a diallel analysis, and (iii) if reciprocal crosses impact maize heterotic group classification. The results showed that inclusion of reciprocal crosses in a diallel greatly impacted GY and estimates of GCA and SCA effects. Under the assumption of a random-effects model, the inclusion of reciprocal crosses caused the residual and GCA variances to decrease and the SCA variances to increase as the number of parental lines increased in a diallel cross. Because inclusion of reciprocal crosses impacted GY and SCA estimates, reciprocal crosses would have great impact on maize heterotic group classification. The maize heterotic groups might be classified differently with and without the inclusion of reciprocal crosses. Based on our dataset from southwest China, three heterotic groups seemed to be an ideal number for improving maizebreeding efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Studies with metformin suggest a favourable change in β-cell function over sulphonylureas in the early course of obese type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but it remains unclear whether a similar effect is observed in non-obese individuals. Here we investigated the effects of metformin or glipizide gastrointestinal therapeutics system extended-release formulation (GITS) on β-cell function in non-obese patients with newly diagnosed T2DM. Methods A total of 160 newly diagnosed patients with fasting glucose 7.0-13.0 mmol/L and body mass index <30 kg/m2 from five centres in China were randomized to metformin or glipizide GITS for 24 weeks. Early insulin secretion [the ratio of area under the curve (AUC) of insulin to glucose during 0-30 min (InsAUC30/GluAUC30)] and insulin sensitivity [Matsuda index (ISIM)] were assessed during the standard meal tolerance test before and after therapy. Plasma glucagon-like peptide-1(GLP-1) and glucagon levels were also measured. Results Metformin improved InsAUC30/GluAUC30 significantly (from 8.1 ± 0.6 pmol/mmol to 10.7 ± 0.7 pmol/mmol, p < 0.05), comparable to results with glipizide GITS. In the metformin-treated lean (body mass index < 25 kg/m2) subgroup, the increase in ISIM was not significant, but the improvement in InsAUC30/GluAUC30 was of great magnitude. Increased GLP-1 responses during meal tolerance test and decreased fasting glucagon level were observed after metformin treatment. Correlation analysis showed that the improvement of InsAUC30/GluAUC30 was associated with the changes in HbA1c ( r = −0.374, p = 0.000), ISIM ( r = 0.356, p = 0.001), and ΔGLP-10-30 ( r = 0.225, p = 0.02). Conclusions Metformin improved β-cell function in non-obese subjects with newly diagnosed T2DM, which was partly independent of the change in insulin sensitivity in these subjects. This study provides evidence-based data to support metformin use in non-obese patients with T2DM as the first-line agent, which can improve both insulin sensitivity and β-cell function. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIM: Studies with metformin suggest a favourable change in [beta]-cell function over sulphonylureas in the early course of obese type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but it remains unclear whether a similar effect is observed in non-obese individuals. Here we investigated the effects of metformin or glipizide gastrointestinal therapeutics system extended-release formulation (GITS) on [beta]-cell function in non-obese patients with newly diagnosed T2DM. METHODS: A total of 160 newly diagnosed patients with fasting glucose 7.0-13.0 mmol/L and body mass index <30 kg/m(2) from five centres in China were randomized to metformin or glipizide GITS for 24 weeks. Early insulin secretion [the ratio of area under the curve (AUC) of insulin to glucose during 0-30 min (InsAUC30 /GluAUC30 )] and insulin sensitivity [Matsuda index (ISIM )] were assessed during the standard meal tolerance test before and after therapy. Plasma glucagon-like peptide-1(GLP-1) and glucagon levels were also measured. RESULTS: Metformin improved InsAUC30 /GluAUC30 significantly (from 8.1 ± 0.6 pmol/mmol to 10.7 ± 0.7 pmol/mmol, p < 0.05), comparable to results with glipizide GITS. In the metformin-treated lean (body mass index < 25 kg/m(2) ) subgroup, the increase in ISIM was not significant, but the improvement in InsAUC30 /GluAUC30 was of great magnitude. Increased GLP-1 responses during meal tolerance test and decreased fasting glucagon level were observed after metformin treatment. Correlation analysis showed that the improvement of InsAUC30 /GluAUC30 was associated with the changes in HbA1c (r = -0.374, p = 0.000), ISIM (r = 0.356, p = 0.001), and [Delta]GLP-10-30 (r = 0.225, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Metformin improved [beta]-cell function in non-obese subjects with newly diagnosed T2DM, which was partly independent of the change in insulin sensitivity in these subjects. This study provides evidence-based data to support metformin use in non-obese patients with T2DM as the first-line agent, which can improve both insulin sensitivity and [beta]-cell function. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, is proved to be a recently emerged clone from Y. pseudotuberculosis. However, the diseases they cause and their patterns of transmission are very different. People always focus on the genetic changes between Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis to reveal their pathogenic differences, and little is known about host defence differences to these two Yersinia. In this study, the effects of Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis on macrophages were analysed. Cell apoptosis showed significant difference after the macrophages were infected by these two strains, and caspase-3 activity also demonstrated a similar tendency. Further, macrophage function activities were evaluated. We found during the early infection of Y. pestis, several basic functions of macrophages, including phagocytosis, secretion of cytokine tumour necrosis factor-α and nitric oxide, macrophage polarity and antigen presenting, were significantly interrupted. In comparison, Y. pseudotuberculosis infection showed lower inhibition on macrophages. Especially, Y. pestis infection might cause macrophage to polarize to M2 macrophages in the early phase, compared with Y. pseudotuberculosis infection, which was different from the common acute infection. These results clearly indicated even in the early stage of infection, different host macrophage defence patterns could help us to understand the obvious virulence differences between Y. pestis and Y. pseudotuberculosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

T helper 17 (TH17) cells have well-described roles in autoimmune diseases. The immune modulations of development and function of TH17 have become a key issue. In this review, we summarize the recent findings regarding the direct and indirect signalling regulatory mechanisms of TH17 cells in the general mouse model of autoimmune diseases and other human diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Our aim was to provide a quantitative analysis of the changes in the principal determinants of insulin sensitivity and secretion in relation to fasting plasma glucose (FPG) or 2-h plasma glucose (2h PG) in a Chinese population with a wide range of glucose tolerance. Methods: A total of 5728 adults spanning the entire range of glucose tolerance were included. Insulin sensitivity was measured by Matsuda insulin sensitivity index (ISIM) and homeostasis model assessment of 1/homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). β-Cell function adjusted by insulin sensitivity was assessed from disposition index (DI) at early-phase DI30 and total DI120. The exponential curve was established as the best fit for the relationship between insulin sensitivity or β-cell function and FPG or 2h PG. Results: Relative to the trend classified as increasing 2h PG, hepatic insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion showed a decreasing trend to a substantial degree as FPG increased. A 1 mmol/l increase in FPG and 2h PG concentration was associated with a −22 and −21% decline in ISIM, −16 and −4% in 1/HOMA-IR, −38 and −35% in DI30 and −36 and −26% in DI120. The decay constant of ISIM and DI30 in IFG or ISIM, 1/HOMA-IR, DI30 and DI120 in IGT was lower than that in normal glucose tolerance. Significant interactions between sex and glucose levels determining DI were found. Conclusions: We conclude that impairment of insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion contributes to both FPG or 2h PG hyperglycaemia in a Chinese population, but that the decline in insulin secretion is more pronounced with increasing fasting than 2h PG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baseline sensitivity to flumorph, a carboxylic acid amide (CAA) fungicide used to control some oomycetes, was examined using 83 Phytophthora capsici isolates, resulting in a unimodal distribution of effective concentration for 50% inhibition of mycelial growth ranging from 0·716 to 1·363, with a mean of 1·033 ± 0·129 μg mL−1. To assess the potential risk of developing flumorph resistance, 13 flumorph-resistant mutants of P. capsici were obtained using ultraviolet irradiation. Most of these mutants and their progeny had high levels of fitness, including mycelial growth, sporulation and virulence. The resistance to flumorph changed slightly, either increasing or decreasing, after 10 transfers on agar media. Cross-resistance was found between flumorph and other CAA fungicides (dimethomorph and iprovalicarb), but not between flumorph and non-CAA fungicides (cymoxanil, metalaxyl, azoxystrobin and cyazofamid). To investigate the genetics of the flumorph resistance, 619 progeny were obtained by self-crossing and sexual hybridization. Segregation of sensitivity to fungicide was measured as a ratio of sensitive (S) to resistant (R) isolates. Segregation of the progeny, from self-crossed isolate PCAS1 (flumorph resistant), was 1:15 in the first generation; and 0:1 or 1:15 in the second generation. In sexual hybridization, segregation of progeny was 0:1 and 1:7 for R × R hybridization; and 1:3 for R × S hybridization. Therefore, the resistance of P. capsici against flumorph was controlled by two dominant genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[i] Rainwater and aerosol samples were collected from a coastal urban area (Qingdao) and remote islands (Qianliyan and Shengsi) and along cruise tracks in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea from 1997 to 2005. The samples were analyzed for nitrogen species (NO3+, NO2+, NH4+, and organic nitrogen) and other important elements. The nitrogen species concentrations showed considerable temporal and spatial variations for wet as well as dry atmospheric depositions. In addition, there was a dramatic reduction in the influence of anthropogenic emissions on nitrogen species with increasing distance from coastal urban stations to remote areas across the Yellow Sea and East China Sea. The monsoon climate of East Asia also had prominent effects on the atmospheric composition of nitrogen, with higher loadings in northerly (i.e., winter) than southerly (i.e., summer) monsoon periods, owing to strong emissions from the East Asian landmass. Dust storms in spring dramatically reduced the periodically high concentrations of atmospheric pollutants (e.g., nitrogen species) across the NW Pacific Ocean, but this was accompanied by a twofold-to-fourfold increase in the temporal deposition flux, which showed broad spatial dimensions. Finally, our study identified a strong gradient of wet as well as dry nitrogen deposition fluxes from East Asia to the interior of the North Pacific Ocean. The gradient reflected changes in emission sources and chemical reactions (e.g., forming secondary aerosols), rainfall and scavenging, and change in air mass trajectory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The virulence of the pathogenic Yersinia species depends on a plasmid-encoded type III secretion system (T3SS) that injects six Yersinia outer protein (Yop) effector proteins into the cytosol of macrophages, leading to disruption of host defence mechanisms. Here, we report that a T3SS structural protein YscW of Yersinia pestis contributed to the induction of apoptosis of murine macrophages. The apoptotic percentage of macrophages, from both mouse peritoneal cavity and spleen, and of RAW264.7 cell line, caused by the yscW mutant strain was significantly lower than that by wild type (WT) Y. pestis and yscW complemented strain. Meanwhile, detection of caspase-3 activity in macrophages, a key apoptosis-inducing protein, showed coincident results with the changes of macrophage apoptosis induced by WT, yscW mutant and complemented strains, indicating that macrophage apoptosis was related to caspase-3 signal pathways. However, ectopic expression of YscW in RAW264.7 cells cannot increase the macrophage apoptosis and death, suggesting that YscW itself could not induce macrophage apoptosis directly. To get insight into the mechanism of this phenomenon, we investigated the secretion of YopJ, which has been thought to be the only Yop effector related to apoptosis, in WT, mutant and complemented strains, respectively. Results showed that in yscW mutant strain, secretion of YopJ was decreased significantly in the supernatant than that in WT or complemented strain. This means although YscW does not induce apoptosis directly, it can indirectly affect apoptosis through reducing the secretion of YopJ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a detailed comparison of ectopic ossification (EO) found in tendons of biglycan (Bgn), fibromodulin (Fmod) single and double Bgn/Fmod-deficient (DKO) mice with aging. At 3 months, Fmod KO, Bgn KO and DKO displayed torn cruciate ligaments and EO in their quadriceps tendon, menisci and cruciate and patellar ligaments. The phenotype was the least severe in the Fmod KO, intermediate in the Bgn KO and the most severe in the DKO. This condition progressed with age in all three mouse strains and resulted in the development of large supernumerary sesmoid bones. To determine the role of exercise in the extent of EO, we subjected normal and DKO mice to a treadmill exercise 3 days a week for 4 weeks. In contrast to previous findings using more rigorous exercise regimes, the EO in moderately exercised DKO was decreased compared with unexercised DKO mice. Finally, DKO and Bgn KO mice tested using a rotarod showed a reduced ability to maintain their grip on a rotating cylinder compared with wild-type controls. In summary, we show (1) a detailed description of EO formed by Bgn, Fmod or combined depletion, (2) the role of exercise in modulating EO and (3) that Bgn and Fmod are critical in controlling motor function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Arabidopsis thaliana, the regulation of hexose levels by the large monosaccharide transporter (MST) gene family influences many aspects of plant growth. The cloning and transgenic expression of one family member (STP13) enabled the manipulation of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) metabolism in Arabidopsis. Transgenic seedlings constitutively over-expressing STP13 (STP13OX) had increased rates of glucose uptake, higher endogenous sucrose levels and accumulated more total C and biomass per plant when grown on soil-less media supplemented with 55 mm glucose and sufficient N (9 mm nitrate). Furthermore, STP13OX seedlings acquired 90% more total N than the Col-0 seedlings, and had higher levels of expression of the nitrate transporter NRT2.2. In addition, STP13OX seedlings were larger and had higher biomass than Col-0 seedlings when grown under a limiting N condition (3 mm nitrate). Transgene analysis of STP13 reveals that its gene product is localized to the plasma membrane (PM) in tobacco BY-2 suspension cells, that it encodes a functional MST in planta, and that the STP13 promoter directs GUS expression to the vasculature and to leaf mesophyll cells. This work highlights the link between C and N metabolism, demonstrating that a plant's N use may be improved by increasing the availability of C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethanol-dichloromethane crude extract from peel of pear ( Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd. cv. Pingguoli) was separated by thin layer chromatographic plates and bioassayed with conidia of Alternaria alternata. The inhibition zones differed significantly in retention factor ( Rf) at expanding stage, harvest time and after 100 days of cold storage. The compounds in the inhibition zones were isolated and identified with gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy. Palmitate methyl, oleic acid methyl, linolenic acid methyl and squalene were present at all stages. The concentration of these chemicals was the highest in expanding stage fruit peel and decreased rapidly with fruit development. It is suggested that these compounds may be the main antifungal compounds in the growing fruit. The phthalate alkyl esters occurred at relatively higher concentrations in pear peel at harvest and after 100 days of cold storage. Six phthalate alkyl esters were identified from peel of pear fruit after 100 days of cold storage. It is also supposed that these esters may be the antifungal compounds in postharvest pear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternaria rot of Pingguoli pear occurred after latent infection. Fruit surfaces were asymptomatic within 60 days storage under cold condition (0°C, RH 85–90%), but black-grey hyphae could be seen in the lenticels or calyx tube of Pingguoli pear after 90 days of storage. The tissue collapsed and resulted in visible black spots as the hyphae spread over the fruit. Average incidence of Alternaria rot of fruits from an orchard in Gansu was 28.86% at 100 days of storage. The main fungus isolated from the Alternaria rot on stored Pingguoli pear was identified as Alternaria alternata (Fr. : Fr.) Keissl. This pathogen was able to initially infect the fruit via two pathways during the growing season, and then remain in a latent state. The fungus first colonized the styles at the full-blossoming stage, and then grew into the carpel cavities progressively after 50 days from petal fall. The percentage latent infection of A. alternata was up to 45% in the carpel cavity until the harvest time. The fungus also attacked fruit surfaces and remained latent in the fruit peel during fruit development. The percentage of A. alternata latent infection at the calyx end, middle part and stem end of the fruit peel was 40%, 24% and 42.8%, respectively, at harvest time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The methylation pattern at CpG sites of a housekeeping gene correlates with the likelihood of mutation. Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type II, an X-linked disorder, results from the deficiency of iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS). In these patients, over 35% of independent point mutations at the IDS gene locus were found at CpG sites as transitional events. To gain insight into the relationship between methylation status and CpG hot spot mutations, we investigated patterns of cytosine methylation in the entire IDS gene, except for introns 4-8. Bisulfite genomic sequencing was performed on the normal leukocyte DNA. Our data show that: 1) cytosine methylation at the CpG sites was extensive, except for those present from the promoter region to a portion of intron 3; 2) a sharp boundary of methylated-nonmethylated regions was observed at the 5′-flanking region, whereas a gradual change in methylation was observed in the 2.0-kb segment in the 3′-flanking region; 3) the boundary of the 5′-flanking region contained multiple Sp1 sites and the TATA box; 4) the CpG sites in exons 1 and 2 were hypomethylated and were associated only with rare transitional mutations, while the CpG sites in exon 3 were also hypomethylated, yet were associated with a high rate of transitional mutations; 5) there was no striking sex difference in the methylation patterns in active alleles; and, 6) the methylation in both strands was symmetrical, except at the boundary of methylated-unmethylated regions. Hum Mutat 23:590-598, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented regarding the retrospective study conducted on the clinical characteristics and prognosis of Chinese early stage breast cancer patients.

The antifungal activity of sodium silicate on Fusarium sulphureum and its inhibitory effect on dry rot of potato tubers were investigated. Sodium silicate strongly inhibited spore germination and mycelial growth. Morphological changes in sodium silicate-treated hyphae such as mycelium sparsity and asymmetry, hyphal swelling, curling, and cupped shape were observed by scanning electron microscopy. Ultrastructural alterations were also observed using transmission electron microscopy, including thickening of the hyphal cell walls, cell distortion, cavity, or electron-dense material in hyphal cells. Daughter hyphae and new daughter hyphae inside of the collapsed hyphal cells were often detected in the cytoplasm of sodium silicate-treated hyphae, although the septa of treated hyphae remained uniform. In vivo testing showed that sodium silicate at 100 and 200 mM effectively controlled dry rot of tubers that were challenged by inoculation with a F. sulphureum spore suspension. These findings suggest that sodium silicate has direct fungitoxic activity against the pathogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Dopamine replacement therapy is the backbone of Parkinson's disease (PD) treatment. However, long-term levodopa (L-DOPA) administration can lead to the severely disabling motor complication L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID), for which standard, effective therapy is currently lacking. This study was conducted to characterize the distinct neural electrophysiological patterns involved in the progression of PD and to examine the efficacy of tetrabenazine, a vesicular monoamine transporter-2 inhibitor, in alleviating dyskinesia and its underlying electrophysiological mechanism., Methods: Electrophysiological analysis was performed to obtain power spectrum density and functional connectivity information from local field potential (LFP) data recorded from the primary motor cortex (M1) and dorsolateral striatum (DLS) during different pathological states in PD model rats. Behavioral tests and abnormal involuntary movements (AIMs) scoring were conducted to confirm PD model establishment and assess LID severity., Results: Increased beta oscillations and abnormally strengthened beta causality in the M1 → DLS direction and exaggerated beta-band M1-DLS functional connectivity were observed in the PD state. L-DOPA administration suppressed beta activity and augmented gamma power in the M1 and DLS, with increased gamma causality in the M1 → DLS direction and beta causality in the DLS → M1 direction, as well as elevated gamma-band M1-DLS functional connectivity. Tetrabenazine strongly ameliorated dyskinetic manifestations. It suppressed gamma power in the M1 and DLS, reduced gamma causality and increased beta causality in the M1 → DLS direction, reduced beta causality in the DLS → M1 direction, and reduced gamma-band M1-DLS functional connectivity., Conclusion: Tetrabenazine abrogated aberrant gamma activity to improve LID symptoms, which provides compelling evidence for its future clinical application in LID therapy., (© 2025 The Author(s). CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Aims: To compare the probability of achieving diabetes remission in individuals with different phenotypes of insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion, and beta cell function and further detect the effects of diet, exercise, and lifestyle education intervention on these indexes., Methods: Three-hundred and one participants who had glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) data at baseline and after intervention were included for this post hoc analysis. We used the multi-way analysis of variance to assess the differences between the diabetes remission and non-remission groups or between intervention groups in changes of the indexes of insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion, and beta cell function. Furthermore, logistic regression analysis was used to identify the association between the diabetes remission and baseline and change of each insulin index., Results: Participants with a higher disposition index (DI) or higher adaptation index at baseline were more likely to achieve diabetes remission. The diabetes remission group had a significantly greater increase in AUC c-pep0-30 /AUC gluc0-30 , DI, and adaptation index compared with the non-remission group, while there were no between-group differences in indexes of insulin sensitivity. Participants with greater increases in insulin secretion and beta cell function were more likely to achieve diabetes remission. Indexes of beta cell function improved in all intervention groups, while the diet intervention induced significant improvement compared with lifestyle education., Conclusions: These findings supported the importance of aggressively implementing intensive lifestyle interventions for individuals with type 2 diabetes at an early stage of the disease, when beta cell function was not yet significantly impaired, to promote achieving diabetes remission., (© 2025 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Aim: To explore the holistic impact of socioeconomic and mental health inequalities on the global burden of type 2 diabetes., Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study used data on the incidence, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and mortality of type 2 diabetes as well as DALYs attributable to risk factors during 1990-2021 from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. Average annual percent change (AAPC) was applied to assess the temporal trends from 1990 to 2021. Countries were categorised according to levels of sociodemographic index (SDI) and prevalence of depressive disorders or anxiety disorders., Results: In 2021, the highest age-standardised incidence rate (per 100 000 population) for type 2 diabetes was in countries with a higher prevalence of depressive or anxiety disorders (ranging from 466.35 to 517.08), wherein those with higher SDI experienced the fastest increase from 1990 to 2021 (AAPC ranging from 2.51% to 2.61%). The highest age-standardised rates of DALY and mortality (per 100 000 population) for type 2 diabetes in 2021 were in countries with lower SDI, of which countries with a higher prevalence of depressive or anxiety disorders exhibited the greatest burden (ranging from 1714.38 to 2012.12 for DALY; from 48.66 to 51.91 for mortality). The attributable risk factors for DALYs of type 2 diabetes varied across countries with different SDI levels and prevalence of mental disorders., Conclusions: The results suggest that the imbalance of faster socioeconomic development but worse mental health underpins diabetes incidence, while slower socioeconomic development and worse mental health jointly contribute to the disability and mortality burdens of diabetes. It is imperative to promote mental health alongside economic and social development to address the public health challenge of type 2 diabetes., (© 2025 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Both hypertension and type 2 diabetes are attributable to premature death, cardiovascular and kidney diseases with largely overlapping population. Followed the GRADE approach, this expert consensus aimed to reduce the cardiovascular and kidney death and disability due to hypertension and minimize the treatment burden in adults with type 2 diabetes. Through online survey and discussion, a multidisciplinary team comprehensively prioritized seven key guideline questions. Informed by the evidence synthesis and online discussion, the team developed 12 recommendations under the GRADE Evidence-to-decision (EtD) framework. The recommendations covered the screening of hypertension in adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes but not hypertension and the monitoring, lifestyle interventions, and medications in those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and hypertension., (© 2024 Chinese Cochrane Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Aim: We aimed to identify the characteristics of patients with diabetes who can derive cognitive benefits from intensive blood pressure (BP) treatment using machine learning methods., Materials and Methods: Using data from the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes Memory in Diabetes (ACCORD-MIND) study, 1349 patients with type 2 diabetes who underwent BP treatment (intensive treatment targeting a systolic BP <120 mmHg vs. standard treatment targeting <140 mmHg) were included in the machine learning analysis. Seventy-nine variables correlated with diabetes and cognitive function were used to build the causal forest and causal tree models for identifying heterogeneous BP treatment effects on cognitive decline., Results: Our analyses identified four variables including urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR, mg/g), Framingham 10-year cardiovascular risk score (FRS, %), triglycerides (TG, mmol/L) and diabetes duration, that categorized the participants into five subgroups with different risk benefits for cognitive decline from BP treatments. Subgroup 1 (UACR ≥65 mg/g) had an absolute risk reduction (ARR) of 15.36% (95% CI, 5.01%-25.46%) from intensive versus standard BP treatment (hazard ratio [HR], 0.36; 95% CI, 0.18-0.73). Subgroup 2 (UACR <65 mg/g, FRS ≥26%, TG <2.3 mmol/L and diabetes duration ≥9 years) had an ARR of 14.74% (95% CI, 4.56%-24.59%) from intensive versus standard BP treatment (HR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.15-0.77). No significant benefits were found for other subgroups., Conclusions: Patients with type 2 diabetes with high UACR, or with low UACR and low TG, but high predicted cardiovascular risk and long diabetes duration were likely to derive cognitive benefits from intensive BP treatment., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Aims: To explore serum exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) as risk biomarkers for early detection of cognitive impairment in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients., Materials and Methods: This study included two phases: a discovery phase and a validation phase. To detect adipose tissue exosomal biomarkers for T2DM patients, small RNA sequencing was conducted on a discovery population consisting of six T2DM patients and five subjects with normal glucose tolerance. To identify miRNAs with causal effects on cognitive impairment, Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis using publicly available genome wide association studies (GWAS) datasets was performed. Relationships between serum exosomal miRNAs and cognitive impairment were evaluated in a training population of 207 T2DM patients, and further validated in an external population of 101 T2DM patients from multiple centres., Results: In the discovery phase, 13 exosomal miRNAs were significantly upregulated in adipose tissue of T2DM patients. MR analyses identified that increased miR-125a-5p was causally associated with increased Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk (OR = 1.231, 95% CI 1.062-1.426). In the validation phase, higher serum exosomal miR-125a-5p levels were related to increased amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) risk (OR = 1.066, 95% CI 1.030-1.103) and reduced left hippocampal body volume (r = -0.189, p < 0.05), achieving an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.728 for identifying aMCI in T2DM patients. External validation confirmed a diagnostic AUC of 0.738., Conclusions: Serum exosomal miR-125a-5p derived from adipose tissue can serve as a causal biomarker for cognitive impairment in T2DM patients., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)