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Septoria brown spot, caused by Septoria glycines, is Illinois’ most prevalent soybean disease. It is common to use foliar fungicides to control Septoria brown spot and other late-season diseases of soybean. The effects of fungicide on nontarget organisms in the phyllosphere are unknown. To study the effect of S. glycines and fungicide application on the soybean phyllosphere mycobiome, we conducted a replicated field trial and collected samples at three soybean developmental stages. Then, we sequenced full-length internal transcribed spacer and a partial large subunit region using Oxford Nanopore technologies. Sequencing and data analysis produced 3,342 operational taxonomic units. The richness of the fungal community increased with the host development. There were differences in mycobiome diversity between soybean lines at the early developmental stage but not at the reproductive stages. Inoculation with S. glycines did not affect the α diversity but some significant changes were observed for the β diversity. At the beginning seed stage (R5), fungicide application changed the composition of the fungal community. The fungicide treatment decreased the proportion of several fungal taxa but it increased the proportion of Septoria. The core mycobiome in the phyllosphere was composed of genera Gibberella, Alternaria, Didymella, Cladosporium, Plectosphaerella, Colletotrichum, and Bipolaris. Network analysis identified significant interactions between Septoria and Diaporthe, Bipolaris, and two other taxonomic units. In this study, we set Septoria as the target organism and demonstrated that metabarcoding could be a tool to quantify the effect of multiple treatments on the mycobiome community. Better understanding of the dynamics of the phyllosphere microbiome is necessary to untangle the late-season diseases of soybean.

Root exudates comprise various primary and secondary metabolites that are responsive to plant stressors, including drought. As increasing drought episodes are predicted with climate change, identifying shifts in the metabolome profile of drought-induced root exudation is necessary to understand the molecular interactions that govern the relationships between plants, microbiomes, and the environment, which will ultimately aid in developing strategies for sustainable agriculture management. This study utilized an aeroponic system to simulate progressive drought and recovery while non-destructively collecting cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) root exudates. The molecular composition of the collected root exudates was characterized by untargeted metabolomics using Fourier-Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) and mapped to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases. Over 700 unique drought-induced metabolites were identified throughout the water-deficit phase. Potential KEGG pathways and KEGG modules associated with the biosynthesis of flavonoid compounds, plant hormones (abscisic acid and jasmonic acid), and other secondary metabolites were highly induced under severe drought, but not at the wilting point. Additionally, the associated precursors of these metabolites, such as amino acids (phenylalanine and tyrosine), phenylpropanoids, and carotenoids, were also mapped. The potential biochemical transformations were further calculated using the data generated by FT-ICR MS. Under severe drought stress, the highest number of potential biochemical transformations, including methylation, ethyl addition, and oxidation/hydroxylation, were identified, many of which are known reactions in some of the mapped pathways. With the application of FT-ICR MS, we revealed the dynamics of drought-induced secondary metabolites in root exudates in response to drought, providing valuable information for drought-tolerance strategies in cotton.

Abstract Background Rice blast, caused by Magnaporthe oryzae, is an important rice disease occurring in all rice-growing areas. To manage blast disease effectively and in an environmentally friendly way, it is important to continually discover diverse resistant resources for breeding. In this study, genome-wide association study (GWAS) was used to map genes/loci resistant to rice blast in the open-access rice diversity panel 1 (RDP1), previously genotyped with a 44K single-nucleotide polymorphism array. Two geographically and genetically different M. oryzae isolates from Taiwan, D41-2 and 12YL-DL3-2, were used to challenge RDP1. Infected leaves were visually rated for lesion type (LT) and evaluated for proportion of diseased leaf area (%DLA) by image analysis software. Results A total of 32 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were identified, including 6 from LT, 30 from DLA, and 4 from both LT and DLA. In all, 22 regions co-localized with previously reported resistance (R) genes and/or QTLs, including two cloned R genes, Pita and Ptr; 19 mapped R loci, and 20 QTLs. We identified 100 candidate genes encoding leucine-rich repeat-containing proteins, transcription factors, ubiquitination-related proteins, and peroxidases, among others, in the QTL intervals. Putative resistance and susceptibility haplotypes of the 32 QTL regions for each tested rice accessions were also determined. Conclusions By using Taiwanese M. oryzae isolates and image-based phenotyping for detailed GWAS, this study offers insights into the genetics underlying the natural variation of blast resistance in RDP1. The results can help facilitate the selection of desirable donors for gene/QTL validation and blast resistance breeding.

Septoria brown spot, caused by Septoria glycines, is a highly prevalent foliar disease of soybean in the United States. Accurately identifying and quantifying the pathogen in soybean can provide valuable information for disease management. In this study, we describe the development and validation of a quantitative PCR (qPCR) method to detect and quantify Septoria glycines accurately. Three sets of primers and assays were designed based on the polymorphic regions on the β-tubulin, the calmodulin, and the actin genes of S. glycines. Assays designed with the actin gene (Ac) were specific to S. glycines for both conventional PCR and qPCR. The assay designed with the β-tubulin (Bt) gene was specific to S. glycines only on the qPCR. The qPCR reaction efficiency of the Ac and Bt assays was 95 % and 98 %, respectively. The sensitivity of both Ac and Bt assays was 10 pg of S. glycines gDNA. The Bt assay was validated with field samples that had different necrotic areas. Symptoms of necrosis ranging from 0 to 30 % were significant and positively correlated (r = 0.87) to the S. glycines gDNA. The S. glycines gDNA was detected as early as 1-day post-inoculation in detached leaf assays. We expect that the assays reported here could be used for disease diagnosis and to better characterize the infection process of S. glycines.

Background: To revisit the association between vitamin D deficiency (VDD, defined as serum 25(OH)D

AbstractBackground Whether erectile dysfunction (ED) leads to considerable stress for affected men remains unclear? In this study, we investigated whether organic ED (OED) is associated with increased risks of herpes zoster (HZ) and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).Methods A representative subset of Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database was employed for this study. Enrollees with OED from the years 2000 to 2018 were selected. To ensure comparability between the case and control groups, we implemented 1:1 propensity score matching based on age, index year, comorbidities, and medications.Results The case group included 20,808 patients with OED, while the control group consisted of 20,808 individuals without OED. The OED group exhibited a significantly elevated risk of HZ (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.74) and PHN (aHR = 1.56) compared to the non-OED group.Conclusions Men experiencing OED seem to face elevated risks of HZ and PHN compared to those without OED. ED may serve as a warning sign for individuals at HZ risk.

Using extensive Monte-Carlo simulations with a nucleation-limited-switching (NLS) ferroelectric model and considering cycle-to-cycle variations, this paper constructs and analyzes the intrinsic conductance (GDS) response of stacked-nanosheet FeFET synapses with emphasis on the challenging identical-pulse stimulation. Our study indicates that the interlayer oxide thickness of the FeFET and the saturation polarization of the ferroelectric are crucial to the linearity and symmetry of the intrinsic GDS response. With the stacked-nanosheet architecture, the maximum-to-minimum conductance ratio in the GDS response can be boosted by increasing the number of channel tiers without footprint penalty. For a stacked-nanosheet FeFET synapse with an area ratio effect, the GDS response can be further engineered by varying the tier number. In addition, the immunity to cycle-to-cycle variations and the noise margin for each state in the GDS response can also be improved by increasing the number of tiers. Our study may provide insights for future FeFET synapse design for analog computing.

Background: Scabies is typically treated with scabicides like lindane, which poses a risk for acute neural toxicity. Lindane’s prolonged use, particularly in agriculture, is linked to neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease (PD), the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. This study aimed to evaluate whether scabies patients, particularly those treated with topical lindane, are at increased risk of developing PD. Methods: A nationwide population-based cohort study was conducted using data from Taiwan’s National Health Research Institutes claims database from 2000 to 2018. The study included 27,173 patients with scabies, matched to a control group, with both groups followed for up to 18 years. The primary outcome was the incidence of newly diagnosed PD, and the hazard ratio (HR) for PD was calculated, focusing on those treated with topical lindane. Results: Among the 54,346 patients, 1639 (3.0%) were newly diagnosed with PD, with 993 (60.6%) from the scabies group and 646 (39.4%) from the control group. Scabies patients had an adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of 1.46 (95% CI 1.32–1.63) for developing PD compared to controls. However, patients treated with topical lindane had a significantly lower aHR for PD at 0.15 (95% CI 0.12–0.19; p < 0.001), with a lower cumulative incidence of PD also observed in this group (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Scabies patients are at a 1.46-fold increased risk of developing PD, but those treated with lindane exhibit a significantly lower risk, suggesting potential protective effects of lindane against PD.

BackgroundVascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1), a dual-function glycoprotein, has been reported to play a crucial role in inflammation and tumor progression. We conducted a community-based cohort study to investigate whether serum VAP-1 could be a potential biomarker for predicting incident cancers and mortality.MethodFrom 2006 to 2018, we enrolled 889 cancer-free subjects at baseline. Serum VAP-1 levels were measured using a time-resolved immunofluorometric assay. Cancer and vital status of the participants were obtained by linking records with the computerized cancer registry and death certificates in Taiwan.ResultsDuring a median follow-up of 11.94 years, 69 subjects developed incident cancers and 66 subjects died, including 29 subjects who died from malignancy. Subjects in the highest tertile of serum VAP-1 had a significantly higher risk of cancer incidence (p=0.0006), cancer mortality (p=0.0001), and all-cause mortality (p=0.0002) than subjects in the other tertiles. The adjusted hazard ratios per one standard deviation increase in serum VAP-1 concentrations were 1.28 for cancer incidence (95% CI=1.01–1.62), 1.60 for cancer mortality (95% CI=1.14–2.23), and 1.38 for all-cause mortality (95% CI=1.09–1.75). The predictive performance of serum VAP-1 was better than that of gender, smoking, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, and estimated glomerular filtration rate but lower than that of age for cancer incidence, cancer mortality, and all-cause mortality, as evidenced by higher increments in concordance statistics and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve.ConclusionSerum VAP-1 levels are associated with a 12-year risk of incident cancer, cancer mortality, and all-cause mortality in a general population.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a significant role as a pro-angiogenic and pro-permeability factor within the kidney. Bevacizumab is a pharmaceutical monoclonal anti-VEGF antibody that inhibits the growth of new blood vessels, which blocks blood supply and thereby restricts tumor growth. Thus, we conducted a nationwide study to explore the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) development in Taiwan residents after bevacizumab therapy. We drew data from the extensive National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD), which encompasses data from >99% of Taiwan’s population from 1995 onwards. Individuals who received bevacizumab between 2012–2018 were identified as the bevacizumab cohort, with the index date set at the first usage. We randomly selected dates within the study period for the control group to serve as index dates. We excluded patients with a history of CKD prior to the index date or those

Background This study compared the efficacy and safety between catheter‐directed thrombolysis (CDT) and systemic thrombolysis for patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) with midterm follow‐up. Methods and Results We conducted a prospective open cohort study by using data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database for 2001 to 2013. Patients who were first admitted for PE and were treated by either systemic thrombolysis or CDT were included and compared. Inverse probability of treatment weighting, based on the propensity score, was used to mitigate possible selection bias. A total of 145 CDT‐treated and 1158 systemic thrombolysis–treated patients with PE were included. The in‐hospital mortality rate was significantly lower in the CDT group (12.7% versus 21.4%; odds ratio, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.36–0.67) after inverse probability of treatment weighting. No significant differences between the groups were observed for the safety (bleeding) outcomes. In patients who survived the index PE admission, the 1‐year all‐cause mortality rate was significantly lower in the CDT group after inverse probability of treatment weighting (12.2% versus 13.2%; hazard ratio [HR], 0.73; 95% CI, 0.56–0.94). Treatment with CDT was also associated with lower risks of recurrent PE (9.3% versus 17.5%; subdistribution HR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.41–0.66). The difference remained through the last follow‐up. Conclusions Among patients with PE requiring reperfusion therapy, those accepting CDT had lower all‐cause mortality and recurrent PE over both short‐term and midterm follow‐up periods than those receiving systemic thrombolysis. The bleeding risk was similar for both groups. These findings should be cautiously validated in future randomized trials.

Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) is a biomarker in human blood. Aberrant BChE activity has been associated with human diseases. Here we developed a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) chemical probe to specifically quantify BChE activity in serum, while simultaneously discriminating against glutathione (GSH). The FRET chemical probe 11 was synthesized from a key trifunctional bicyclononyne exo-6 and derivatives of 5-(2-aminoethylamino)-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid (EDANS) and 4-[4-(dimethylamino)phenylazo]benzoic acid (DABCYL). EDANS fluorescence visualization and kinetic analysis of 11 in the presence of diverse compounds confirmed the outstanding reactivity and specificity of 11 with thiols. The thiol-dependent fluorescence turn-on property of 11 was attributed to a general base-catalyzed SN2 nucleophilic substitution mechanism and independent of metal ions. Moreover, all thiols, except GSH, reacted swiftly with 11. Kinetic studies of 11 in the presence of covalently modified GSH derivatives corroborated that the steric hindrance of 11 imposing on GSH was the likely cause of the distinguished reactivity. Since GSH commonly interferes in assays measuring BChE activity in blood samples, the 11-based fluorescent assay was employed to directly quantify BChE activity without GSH interference, and delivered a linear range of 4.3–182.2 U L−1 for BChE activity with detection limit of 4.3 U L−1, and accurately quantified serum BChE activity in the presence of 10 μM GSH. Finally, the 11-based assay was exploited to determine Ki of 5 nM for tacrine inhibition on BChE catalysis. We are harnessing the modulated characteristics of 6 to synthesize advanced chemical probes able to more sensitively screen for BChE inhibitors and quantify BChE activity in serum.