Search

Summary: The plant rapid alkalinization factor (RALF) peptides function as key regulators in cell growth and immune responses through the receptor kinase FERONIA (FER). In this study, we report that the transcription factor FgPacC binds directly to the promoter of FgRALF gene, which encodes a functional homologue of the plant RALF peptides from the wheat head blight fungus Fusarium graminearum (FgRALF). More importantly, FgPacC promotes fungal infection via host immune suppression by activating the expression of FgRALF. The FgRALF peptide also exhibited typical activities of plant RALF functions, such as inducing plant alkalinization and inhibiting cell growth, including wheat (Triticum aestivum), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and Arabidopsis thaliana. We further identified the wheat receptor kinase FERONIA (TaFER), which is capable of restoring the defects of the A. thaliana FER mutant. In addition, we found that FgRALF peptide binds to the extracellular malectin‐like domain (ECD) of TaFER (TaFERECD) to suppress the PAMP‐triggered immunity (PTI) and cell growth. Overexpression of TaFERECD in A. thaliana confers plant resistance to F. graminearum and protects from FgRALF‐induced cell growth inhibition. Collectively, our results demonstrate that the fungal pathogen‐secreted RALF mimic suppresses host immunity and inhibits cell growth via plant FER receptor. This establishes a novel pathway for the development of disease‐resistant crops in the future without compromising their yield potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the defect of requiring artificially set manoeuvring parameters in traditional target models, an adaptive manoeuvring frequency tracking algorithm based on acceleration pre-estimation model (APM) was proposed. On the basis of APM, which has a better target tracking performance compared with current statistic model, this study used residual vector to determine variance of target's manoeuvring, and realised an adaptive adjustment for manoeuvring frequency by using a non-linear function, solved the problem of requiring artificially set manoeuvring frequency in APM. The simulation results showed that the improved algorithm effectively ameliorated the target tracking performance.

Summary: Radiation-induced oral mucositis has a dismal outcome with limited treatment options. We conducted a phase I study to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) mouthwash when given along with radiation in head and neck cancer. Patients with pathologically confirmed head and neck cancer were eligible for this study. EGCG mouthwash was administered at the assigned dosage level (starting at 440 μmol/L, three times a day) in a standard 3 + 3 dose escalation design. Mucosal toxicity, patient satisfaction, and mucositis-related pain (MTP) were assessed weekly. The primary endpoint was safety of EGCG, and the secondary endpoint was to determine the relief of the mucositis symptom. The pre- and post-treatment parameters were compared using the paired t-test. 20 patients were enrolled. The maximum tolerated dose of the EGCG mouthwash was 2200 μmol/L. Burning (n = 1/20) and nausea (n = 3/20) were the most common toxicities. No patients experienced WHO Grade 3 or higher mucositis. MTP scores significantly decreased after EGCG administration over time (p < 0.05). Adding EGCG mouthwash to radiotherapy is feasible without increasing toxicities. The recommended dose for phase II study is determined to be 1760 μmol/L, and EGCG administration reduces radiation-induced oral mucosal injury in patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the prognostic value of standard uptake value (SUV) from serial Fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (F-FDG PET/CT) in patients with head and neck cancer. Methods: We searched for articles limited to head and neck cancer, dealt with the impact of SUV on survival and published in English. The endpoints were disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and local control (LC). Two reviewers extracted data independently. Results: Thirty-five studies were identified; of which, 26 studies involving 1,415 patients met the inclusion criteria. Pooled survival data suggested better DFS, OS, and LC in patients with low SUV of pre-treatment, and the odds ratio (OR) was 0.23, 0.24, and 0.27, respectively. Patients having tumors with low SUV of post-treatment also had significantly better DFS (OR = 0.17) and OS (OR = 0.28) than those with high SUV. Conclusions: The present meta-analysis showed that F-FDG uptake, as measured by the SUV before treatment and metabolic response after treatment, are valuable for predicting long-term survival in head and neck cancer. High F-FDG uptake may be useful for identifying patients requiring more aggressive treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]