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The pathogen causing Sorbaria sorbifolia anthracnose in Shandong Province, China was identified as Colletotrichum gloeosporioides sensu stricto using morphological and molecular approaches. The daily growth rate was 13.7 mm/d (25 °C); the optimum for growth and conidial germination was 25–30 °C, pH 5.0–9.0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To clarify the effectiveness of Chinese herbal fomentation in treating chronic neck pain by means of changes in cervical kinematics. Methods: Seventy-six patients with chronic neck pain were included in the study and were randomized into two groups based on the random number generator of the SPSS software: fomentation combined with Chinese herbal (Group 1) and fomentation without any medicine (Group 2). In both groups, the fomentation lasted for 60 min and heated to 35 °C, once a day for 28 consecutive days. Standard lateral radiographs of the cervical spine were obtained including the neutral, full flexion, and full extension positions. Before and after intervention, the following parameters were used to evaluate the changes in kinematics: range of motion (ROM), sagittal alignment and instantaneous center of rotation (ICR). Results: After treatment, the ROM was signifcantly higher than that of before treatment in Group 1 (51.5, 95% CI: 49.8-55.9; P<0.05). There was no significant difference between before and after treatment in Group 2 ( P>0.05). Although C2-C7 cervical alignment was increased in both groups after treatment, no significant difference was detected between before and after treatment ( P>0.05). For Group 1, the significant X coordinate variation was only observed at C5/C6 level (38.1; 95% CI: 34.0, 42.1; P<0.05). There was a significant upward trend in the Y coordinate of the ICR at C5/C6 (−30.5; 95% CI: −34.3, −26.8; P<0.05) and C6/C7 after treatment (−6.1; 95% CI: −6.7, −5.4; P<0.05). For Group 2, the ICR location of each level was not statistically different between the pre- and post-treatment ( P>0.05). Conclusions: Chinese herbal fomentation could improve abnormal mobility in terms of ROM and ICR. Chinese herbal fomentation might be an effective treatment for chronic neck pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• In the interaction system, the DEGs of C. gloeosporioides s.s. were analyzed. • The response model of C. gloeosporioides s.s. to B. amyloliquefaciens was discussed. • The hypothetical response strategies of C. gloeosporioides s.s. was validated. Walnut is cultivated all over the world for its precious woody nut and edible oil. Walnut anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum spp. is a disastrous disease in the walnut plantation. In China, this disease is difficult to control. The efficacies of the traditional preventing and controlling measures are inadequate. It causes serious losses every year. In the interaction systems of 'antagonistic organism-pathogen', the response mechanisms of the pathogen to the stress of antagonistic organisms were largely unknown. To understand the response mechanisms of walnut anthracnose pathogen, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides sensu stricto (s.s.) TS-09R was treated with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens , and RNAseq gene expression analyses were performed. A total of 610 genes expressed differentially (DEGs). Among these genes, 387 genes were up-regulated and 223 genes were down-regulated. Gene ontology (GO) analysis showed that 409 DEGs involved in the categories of biological process, and cellular component. The KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that all up-regulated DEGs were enriched in amino acid metabolism, biosynthesis of other secondary metabolites, and xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism. Further analyses indicated that C. gloeosporioides s.s. TS-09R up-expressed significantly some DEGs associated with cell membrane synthesis and, or maintaining stabilization, antioxidant and anti-stress to build the cell membrane, maintain the normal physiological function of cells. At the same time, it improved detoxification efficiency and reduced its sensitivity to the exogenous antimicrobial substance (EAS). It also improved the activity of the efflux pump translocating EAS out of the cells, reduced accumulation, and minimized injuries to cells. C. gloeosporioides s.s. TS-09R also up-expressed significantly genes associated with sporulation to promote spore production for survival in adversity. C. gloeosporioides s.s. TS-09R recruited numerous genes to respond to or resist the biocontrol of B. amyloliquefaciens. The response model was a holistic and complex network involving multiple genes and multiple signaling pathways. Additionally, the glutathione-S-transferases (GST) activities of C. gloeosporioides s.s. TS-09R, TS-09 cultured for 5 days and 9 days were calculated, and the GST activity had a similar change trend to the GST-related gene expression. The result indicated that the hypothetical response strategies were reliable. In this paper, we provided new insights into the onset of the interaction system of ' C. gloeosporioides s.s. – B. amyloliquefaciens '. The results will contribute to exploring comprehensively the mechanism of B. amyloliquefaciens according to the response mechanisms of C. gloeosporioides s.s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Prolonged disorders of consciousness (pDoC) are a catastrophic condition following brain injury with few therapeutic options. Transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (taVNS), a safe, non-invasive intervention modulating thalamo-cortical connectivity and brain function, is a possible treatment option of pDoC. We developed a protocol for a randomised controlled study to evaluate the effectiveness of taVNS on consciousness recovery in patients with pDoC (TAVREC)., Methods and Analysis: The TAVREC programme is a multicentre, triple-blind, randomised controlled trial with 4 weeks intervention followed by 4 weeks follow-up period. A minimum number of 116 eligible pDoC patients will be recruited and randomly receive either: (1) conventional therapy plus taVNS (30 s monophasic square current of pulse width 300 μs, frequency of 25 Hz and intensity of 1 mA followed by 30 s rest, 60 min, two times per day, for 4 weeks); or (2) conventional therapy plus taVNS placebo. Primary outcome of TAVREC is the rate of improved consciousness level based on the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) at week 4. Secondary outcomes are CRS-R total and subscale scores, Glasgow Coma Scale score, Full Outline of UnResponsiveness score, ECG parameters, brainstem auditory evoked potential, upper somatosensory evoked potential, neuroimaging parameters from positron emission tomography/functional MRI, serum biomarkers associated with consciousness level and adverse events., Ethics and Dissemination: This study was reviewed and approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (Reference number: 2023-SR-392). Findings will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at relevant conferences., Trial Registration Number: ChiCTR2300073950., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: This study assessed the combined utility of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels to predict long-term mortality and cardiovascular outcomes of patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Elevated CRP levels and renal dysfunction have both been shown to independently and jointly predict mortality and cardiovascular outcomes after PCI in the short term. However, long-term results in patients with acute STEMI undergoing PCI have not been reported., Methods: A total of 262 patients with acute STEMI undergoing primary PCI were classified at admission into quartiles according to eGFR (<60, 60-70, 70-80 and ≥80 mL·min·1.73 m) and hsCRP (<3 and ≥3 mg/L). Mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI) and major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) were compared among the groups., Results: During a median follow-up of 48.3 months, the composite of all-cause mortality and nonfatal MI (mortality + MI) was significantly higher (35.09%) in the group with the lowest eGFR compared with that of the other 3 eGFR groups (14.29%, 3.77% and 9.43%, respectively, P < 0.0001) and the group with elevated hsCRP (34.29%) versus that with hsCRP <3 mg/L (4.41%, P < 0.0001). A combined analysis showed an exaggerated hazard in patients with the lowest eGFR and highest hsCRP (hazard ratio: 44.658; 95% confidence interval: 5.955-111.890)., Conclusions: Renal dysfunction and elevated hsCRP predict a high long-term incidence of MACE in patients with acute STEMI undergoing primary PCI, with the combination being of prognostic significance for long-term mortality and MI in these patients.

Background: Why 3.3% to 10% of all patients with hepatolithiasis develop intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) remains unknown. We carried out a hospital-based case-control study to identify risk factors for the development of ICC in patients with hepatolithiasis in China., Methods: Eighty-seven patients with pathologically diagnosed hepatolithiasis associated with ICC and 228 with hepatolithiasis alone matched by sex, age (+/-2 years), hospital admittance and place of residence were interviewed during the period of 2000-2008. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for each risk factor., Results: Among the patients with hepatolithiasis associated with ICC, the mean age was 57.7 years and 61.0% were female. Univariate analysis showed that the significant risk factors for ICC development in hepatolithiasis were smoking, family history of cancer, appendectomy during childhood (under age 20), and duration of symptoms >10 years. In multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis, smoking (OR=1.931, 95% CI: 1.000-3.731), family history of cancer (OR=5.175, 95% CI: 1.216-22.022), and duration of symptoms >10 years (OR=2.348, 95% CI: 1.394-3.952) were independent factors., Conclusion: Smoking, family history of cancer and duration of symptoms >10 years may be risk factors for ICC in patients with hepatolithiasis.