Differential allelopathic effects of mangrove plants Kandelia obovata and Aegiceras corniculatum on harmful algal species: Potential applications in algal bloom control.

This study examined effects of mangrove plants Kandelia obovata and Aegiceras corniculatum on harmful algal species. While A. corniculatum leaf extract had no inhibitory effect, K. obovata leaf extract significantly inhibited the growth of two harmful algal species Alexandrium tamarense and Karenia mikimotoi. The inhibitory effect was concentration-dependent, with over 90 % inhibition at the highest concentration. Morphological changes and cell size reduction were observed in both microalgae. Excessive production of reactive oxygen species and damage to algal photosynthetic system were found. The allelopathic effect of K. obovata on K. mikimotoi with low-concentration repeated exposure was more effective than high-concentration single exposure. The EC50 of K. obovata (0.33 g L-1) was lower than reported values on other coastal plants. Higher inhibitory effects of K. obovata were found on naked algal species than the armoured ones. These findings suggest potential applications of K. obovata leaf extract in controlling harmful algal blooms.

A prediction model based on computed tomography characteristics for identifying malignant from benign sub-centimeter solid pulmonary nodules.

Background: Distinguishing benign from malignant sub-centimeter solid pulmonary nodules (SSPNs) continues to be challenging in clinical practice. Earlier diagnosis is crucial for improving patient survival and prognosis. This study aimed to investigate the risk factors of malignant SSPNs and establish and validate a prediction model based on computed tomography (CT) characteristics to assist in their early diagnosis. Methods: A total of 261 consecutive participants with 261 SSPNs were retrospectively recruited between January 2012 and July 2023 from National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (Center 1), including 161 malignant lesions and 100 benign lesions. Patients were randomly assigned to the training set (n=183) and validation set (n=78) according to a 7:3 ratio. Malignant nodules were confirmed by pathology; and benign nodules were confirmed by follow-up or pathology. Clinical data and CT features were collected to estimate the independent predictors of malignancy of SSPN with multivariate logistic analysis. A clinical prediction model was subsequently established by logistic regression. Furthermore, an additional 69 consecutive patients with 69 SSPNs from The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University (Center 2) between January 2022 and December 2022 were retrospectively included as an external cohort to validate the predictive efficacy of the model. The performance of the prediction model was assessed by sensitivity, specificity, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: There were 113 (61.7%), 48 (61.5%) and 28 (40.6%) malignant SSPNs in the training, internal and external validation sets, respectively. Multivariate logistic analysis revealed four independent predictors of malignant SSPNs: tumor-lung interface (P=0.002), spiculation (P=0.04), air bronchogram (P=0.047), and invisible at the mediastinal window (P=0.003). The area under the curve (AUC) for the prediction model in the training set was 0.875 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.818, 0.933]; and the sensitivity and specificity were 94.7% and 68.6%, respectively. The AUCs in the internal and external validation set were (0.781; 95% CI: 0.664, 0.897) and (0.873; 95% CI: 0.791, 0.955), respectively; the sensitivity and specificity were 66.7% and 83.3% for the internal validation data, and 100.0% and 61.0% for the external validation data, respectively. Conclusions: The prediction model based on CT characteristics could be helpful for distinguishing malignant SSPNs from benign ones.

Radiological Features of Primary Pulmonary Invasive Mucinous Adenocarcinoma Based on 312 Consecutive Patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to investigate the radiological features of primary pulmonary invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma (IMA) in a relatively large population to help improve its further understanding and its accuracy of initial diagnosis. METHODS: This retrospective study included consecutive patients with pathologically confirmed primary pulmonary IMA from January 2019 to December 2021. According to tumor morphology, IMAs were divided into regular nodule/mass, irregular, and large consolidative types. According to tumor density, IMAs were divided into solid, halo, part-solid, pure ground-glass, and cystic types. ANOVA, chi-square, or Fisher exact tests were used to analyze the differences in radiological and clinicopathological characteristics of IMA according to morphological and density subtypes. RESULTS: We analyzed 312 patients. Pulmonary IMA tended to occur in the elderly, with a slightly higher number of women than men. IMA showed a predominance in the lower lobe and adjacent to pleura. IMA of regular nodule/mass, irregular, and large consolidative types accounted for 80.8% (252/312), 13.8% (43/312), and 5.4% (17/312), respectively. Solid, halo, part-solid, pure ground-glass, and cystic IMAs accounted for 55.8% (174/312), 28.2% (88/312), 11.2% (35/312), 1.3% (4/312), and 3.5% (11/312), respectively. The lobulated (76.9%), spiculated (63.5%), and air bronchogram (56.7%) signs were common in IMA. Dead branch sign (88.2%), angiogram sign (88.2%), and satellite nodules/skipping lesions (47.1%) were common in large-consolidative-type IMA. Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene mutations were common (56.1%), whereas epidermal growth factor receptor mutations were relatively rare (2.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary IMA of regular nodule/mass type and solid type were the most common at the initial diagnosis. Detailed radiological features can aid in the differential diagnosis of IMA.

A Study on the Functional Identification of Overexpressing Winter Wheat Expansin Gene TaEXPA7-B in Rice under Salt Stress.

Expansin is a cell wall relaxant protein that is common in plants and directly or indirectly participates in the whole process of plant root growth, development and morphogenesis. A well-developed root system helps plants to better absorb water and nutrients from the soil while effectively assisting them in resisting osmotic stress, such as salt stress. In this study, we observed and quantified the morphology of the roots of Arabidopsis overexpressing the TaEXPAs gene obtained by the research group in the early stage of development. We combined the bioinformatics analysis results relating to EXPA genes in five plants and identified TaEXPA7-B, a member of the EXPA family closely related to root development in winter wheat. Subcellular localization analysis of the TaEXPA7-B protein showed that it is located in the plant cell wall. In this study, the TaEXPA7-B gene was overexpressed in rice. The results showed that plant height, root length and the number of lateral roots of rice overexpressing the TaEXPA7-B gene were significantly higher than those of the wild type, and the expression of the TaEXPA7-B gene significantly promoted the growth of lateral root primordium and cortical cells. The plants were treated with 250 mM NaCl solution to simulate salt stress. The results showed that the accumulation of osmotic regulators, cell wall-related substances and the antioxidant enzyme activities of the overexpressed plants were higher than those of the wild type, and they had better salt tolerance. This paper discusses the effects of winter wheat expansins in plant root development and salt stress tolerance and provides a theoretical basis and relevant reference for screening high-quality expansin regulating root development and salt stress resistance in winter wheat and its application in crop molecular breeding.

Case studies of the load-bearing performance of shield tunnel segment with misaligned defects.

The segment misalignment is a common defect in the segment installation of a shield tunnel construction, due to the complexity and uncertainty of its construction conditions. This raises a concerning about the safety of the segment lining for the shield tunnel. In this paper, the integrated numerical models with surrounding rock, peastone grouting and segment lining were built using three-dimensional finite element method, by introducing two kinds of misaligned defects of segments. One was the misalignment that elongated the horizontal axis of the transversal ring section of segment lining, another was the misalignment between adjacent rings of segments. To eliminate the impact of boundary on numerical results, seven rings of segments are built for the three-dimensional finite element models, and the middle ring is dealt with for the results analysis under V-class surrounding rock, including the circumferential stress of outer and inner layers of the segment, the contact stress on joint surface between segments, and the stress of locating pins between adjacent rings. Results indicate that the two kinds of misaligned defects create pronounced impact on tensile stress of segment at the bottom and the crown segments, respectively, which produces a greater tensile stress to increase cracking risk even abrupt fracture of segment. However, the misaligned defects have a slight impact on the contact stress and the locating pins stress. Therefore, attention should be paid to the cracking of bottom or crown segments in the segment lining of shield tunnel.

Overexpression of Wild Soybean Expansin Gene GsEXLB14 Enhanced the Tolerance of Transgenic Soybean Hairy Roots to Salt and Drought Stresses.

As a type of cell-wall-relaxing protein that is widely present in plants, expansins have been shown to actively participate in the regulation of plant growth and responses to environmental stress. Wild soybeans have long existed in the wild environment and possess abundant resistance gene resources, which hold significant value for the improvement of cultivated soybean germplasm. In our previous study, we found that the wild soybean expansin gene GsEXLB14 is specifically transcribed in roots, and its transcription level significantly increases under salt and drought stress. To further identify the function of GsEXLB14, in this study, we cloned the CDS sequence of this gene. The transcription pattern of GsEXLB14 in the roots of wild soybean under salt and drought stress was analyzed by qRT-PCR. Using an Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated genetic transformation, we obtained soybean hairy roots overexpressing GsEXLB14. Under 150 mM NaCl- and 100 mM mannitol-simulated drought stress, the relative growth values of the number, length, and weight of transgenic soybean hairy roots were significantly higher than those of the control group. We obtained the transcriptomes of transgenic and wild-type soybean hairy roots under normal growth conditions and under salt and drought stress through RNA sequencing. A transcriptomic analysis showed that the transcription of genes encoding expansins (EXPB family), peroxidase, H+-transporting ATPase, and other genes was significantly upregulated in transgenic hairy roots under salt stress. Under drought stress, the transcription of expansin (EXPB/LB family) genes increased in transgenic hairy roots. In addition, the transcription of genes encoding peroxidases, calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases, and dehydration-responsive proteins increased significantly. The results of qRT-PCR also confirmed that the transcription pattern of the above genes was consistent with the transcriptome. The differences in the transcript levels of the above genes may be the potential reason for the strong tolerance of soybean hairy roots overexpressing the GsEXLB14 gene under salt and drought stress. In conclusion, the expansin GsEXLB14 can be used as a valuable candidate gene for the molecular breeding of soybeans.

A Self-supervised Learning-Based Fine-Grained Classification Model for Distinguishing Malignant From Benign Subcentimeter Solid Pulmonary Nodules.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Diagnosing subcentimeter solid pulmonary nodules (SSPNs) remains challenging in clinical practice. Deep learning may perform better than conventional methods in differentiating benign and malignant pulmonary nodules. This study aimed to develop and validate a model for differentiating malignant and benign SSPNs using CT images. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included consecutive patients with SSPNs detected between January 2015 and October 2021 as an internal dataset. Malignancy was confirmed pathologically; benignity was confirmed pathologically or via follow-up evaluations. The SSPNs were segmented manually. A self-supervision pre-training-based fine-grained network was developed for predicting SSPN malignancy. The pre-trained model was established using data from the National Lung Screening Trial, Lung Nodule Analysis 2016, and a database of 5478 pulmonary nodules from the previous study, with subsequent fine-tuning using the internal dataset. The model's efficacy was investigated using an external cohort from another center, and its accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were determined. RESULTS: Overall, 1276 patients (mean age, 56 ± 10 years; 497 males) with 1389 SSPNs (mean diameter, 7.5 ± 2.0 mm; 625 benign) were enrolled. The internal dataset was specifically enriched for malignancy. The model's performance in the internal testing set (316 SSPNs) was: AUC, 0.964 (95% confidence interval (95%CI): 0.942-0.986); accuracy, 0.934; sensitivity, 0.965; and specificity, 0.908. The model's performance in the external test set (202 SSPNs) was: AUC, 0.945 (95% CI: 0.910-0.979); accuracy, 0.911; sensitivity, 0.977; and specificity, 0.860. CONCLUSION: This deep learning model was robust and exhibited good performance in predicting the malignancy of SSPNs, which could help optimize patient management.

Predicting epidermal growth factor receptor mutations in non-small cell lung cancer through dual-layer spectral CT: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether quantitative parameters of detector-derived dual-layer spectral computed tomography (DLCT) can reliably identify epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: Patients with NSCLC who underwent arterial phase (AP) and venous phase (VP) DLCT between December 2021 and November 2022 were subdivided into the mutated and wild-type EGFR groups following EGFR mutation testing. Their baseline clinical data, conventional CT images, and spectral images were obtained. Iodine concentration (IC), iodine no water (INW), effective atomic number (Zeff), virtual monoenergetic images, the slope of the spectral attenuation curve (λHU), enhancement degree (ED), arterial enhancement fraction (AEF), and normalized AEF (NAEF) were measured for each lesion. RESULTS: Ninety-two patients (median age, 61 years, interquartile range [51, 67]; 33 men) were evaluated. The univariate analysis indicated that IC, normalized IC (NIC), INW and ED for the AP and VP, as well as Zeff and λHU for the VP were significantly associated with EGFR mutation status (all p < 0.05). INW(VP) showed the best diagnostic performance (AUC, 0.892 [95% confidence interval {CI}: 0.823, 0.960]). However, neither AEF (p = 0.156) nor NAEF (p = 0.567) showed significant differences between the two groups. The multivariate analysis showed that INW(AP) and NIC(VP) were significant predictors of EGFR mutation status, with the latter showing better performance (p = 0.029; AUC, 0.897 [95% CI: 0.816, 0.951] vs. 0.774 [95% CI: 0.675, 0.855]). CONCLUSION: Quantitative parameters of DLCT can help predict EGFR mutation status in patients with NSCLC. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Quantitative parameters of DLCT, especially NIC(VP), can help predict EGFR mutation status in patients with NSCLC, facilitating appropriate and individualized treatment for them. KEY POINTS: Determining EGFR mutation status in patients with NSCLC before starting therapy is essential. Quantitative parameters of DLCT can predict EGFR mutation status in NSCLC patients. NIC in venous phase is an important parameter to guide individualized treatment selection for NSCLC patients.

Radiological and clinical features of large consolidative-type pulmonary invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the radiological, pathological, and prognostic characteristics of large consolidative-type pulmonary invasive mucinous adenocarcinomas (IMA). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 738 patients who confirmed IMA between January 2010 and August 2022, and two radiologists reviewed imaging data to determine subtypes. We included 41 patients with pathologically large consolidative-type IMA. We analyzed their radiological, pathological, and prognostic characteristics. The recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were determined using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Most lesions were located in the lower lobe, with 46.3% patients showing multiple lesions. Halo, angiogram, vacuole, air bronchogram, and dead branch sign were observed in 97.6%, 73.2%, 63.4%, 61.0%, and 61.0% of the cases, respectively. Unevenly low enhancement was observed in 88.89% of patients. T3 and T4 pathological stages were observed in 50.0% and 30.6% of patients, respectively. Lymph node metastasis was observed in 16.7% patients, with no distant metastasis. Spread-through air spaces and intrapulmonary dissemination were observed in 27.8% and 19.4% patients, respectively. Moreover, Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene mutations were found in 68.6% of cases, and no epidermal growth factor receptor mutations were seen. Among all mutation sites, G12V mutation is the most common, accounting for 40%. The average RFS and OS were 19.4 and 66.4 months, respectively, with 3-year RFS and OS rates of 30.0% and 75.0%, respectively. Pleural invasion and lymph node metastasis were independent risk factors for diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Halo, vacuole, angiogram, and dead branch signs were frequently observed in consolidative-type IMA. Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene mutations are common in consolidative-type IMA, especially site G12V, whereas epidermal growth factor receptor mutations were rare; therefore, gene immunotherapy was more difficult. Most patients were in stage T3-T4; however, lymph node metastasis was rare.

Correlation between different points on the face and the width of maxillary anterior teeth.

Statement of problem: There is currently no consensus on the relationship between maxillary anterior teeth and different facial anthropometric measurements. Additionally, whether these relationships vary by age and sex remains unreported. Purpose: This clinical study aimed to investigate the relationship between the intercanine distance (ICaD) and intercanthal distance (ICD), interpupillary distance (IPD), interalar width (IAW), and intercommissural width (ICW), and to compare whether these relationships differ between different age and sex populations. Material and methods: Participants (n = 409) were enrolled according to the inclusion criteria, and their standardized digital images were taken to measure facial and oral segments through an image processing program. The differences between ICaD and four facial measurements and the sexual differences for all measurements were compared using the 1-sample t-test. The differences among different age groups for all measurements were compared using the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test, and a least significant difference (LSD) test was used for multiple comparisons. The association between ICaD and the four facial measurements was evaluated using Pearson correlation analysis. The correlation between ICaD and four facial measurements was evaluated using linear regression. Differences in regression equations among the subgroups were evaluated through subgroup regression analysis and the significance test of the difference between the two regression coefficients. Tests of significance were two-sided, with alpha level of 0.05. The reliability of the results was evaluated by calculating intraclass correlation coefficients. Results: The ICD, IPD, ICW, and IAW significantly differed from the ICaD in both sexes (P < 0.01). All measurements were significantly greater in men than in women (P < 0.01). The differences among the age groups were statistically significant for all measurements except IPD (P < 0.05). A significant positive correlation was found between all facial measurements (r = 0.258 [ICD], r = 0.334 [IPD], r = 0.389 [ICW], and r = 0.393 [IAW]) and the ICaD in both sexes. The highest correlation was found between ICW(r = 0.345) and ICAD in men and IAW (r = 0.285) and ICAD in women. Except for the 20-29 and 50-59 age groups, the mathematical equations of ICaD and facial anthropometric measurements differed among the other age groups and sexes. Conclusions: ICD, IPD, ICW, and IAW cannot be directly used to determine ICaD in both sexes. Nevertheless, when observed from the frontal aspect, by the use of digital images, all facial measurements correlated to the intercanine distance, with a high probability. The mathematical formulae combined with facial anthropological measurements can help ensure the combined width of the six maxillary anterior teeth, but the effects of sex and age differences should be considered.

Gastrodin improves osteoblast function and adhesion to titanium surface in a high glucose environment.

Objective: To investigate the effects of gastrodin on the biological behavior of osteoblasts and osseointegration on the surface of the titanium plate in a high glucose environment, and to explore the possible regulatory mechanisms involved. Methods: A high glucose-induced oxidative damage model of MC3T3-E1 cells was established in vitro to observe the effects of gastrodin on cellular oxidative stress, cell viability, osteogenic differentiation, mineralization, migration, and adhesion ability on the titanium surface. Results: High glucose environment can cause oxidative stress damage to MC3T3-E1 cells, leading to a decrease in cell viability, osteogenesis, migration, adhesion and other functions. Gastrodin can upregulate the expression of antioxidant enzymes (Nrf2 and HO-1) and osteogenic differentiation related proteins (RUNX2 and BMP2) in MC3T3-E1 cells in high glucose environment, thereby inhibiting the excessive production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), reversing the decrease in cell viability, and improving the osteogenic differentiation and mineralization ability of osteoblasts. And gastrodin alleviated the decline in cell migration ability, improved the morphology of the cytoskeleton and increased the adhesion ability of osteoblasts on the surface of titanium plates in high glucose environment. However, gastrodin itself did not affect the cell viability, osteogenic differentiation and mineralization ability of osteoblasts in normal environment. Conclusions: Gastrodin may protect MC3T3-E1 cells osteogenesis and osseointegration on the surface of the titanium plate in vitro by upregulating antioxidant enzymes expression, and attenuating high glucose-induced oxidative stress. Therefore, gastrodin may be a potential drug to address the problem of poor implant osseointegration in patients with diabetes.

Development of a combined radiomics and CT feature-based model for differentiating malignant from benign subcentimeter solid pulmonary nodules.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to develop a combined model based on radiomics and computed tomography (CT) imaging features for use in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant subcentimeter (≤ 10 mm) solid pulmonary nodules (SSPNs). METHODS: A total of 324 patients with SSPNs were analyzed retrospectively between May 2016 and June 2022. Malignant nodules (n = 158) were confirmed by pathology, and benign nodules (n = 166) were confirmed by follow-up or pathology. SSPNs were divided into training (n = 226) and testing (n = 98) cohorts. A total of 2107 radiomics features were extracted from contrast-enhanced CT. The clinical and CT characteristics retained after univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to develop the clinical model. The combined model was established by associating radiomics features with CT imaging features using logistic regression. The performance of each model was evaluated using the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC). RESULTS: Six CT imaging features were independent predictors of SSPNs, and four radiomics features were selected after a dimensionality reduction. The combined model constructed by the logistic regression method had the best performance in differentiating malignant from benign SSPNs, with an AUC of 0.942 (95% confidence interval 0.918-0.966) in the training group and an AUC of 0.930 (0.902-0.957) in the testing group. The decision curve analysis showed that the combined model had clinical application value. CONCLUSIONS: The combined model incorporating radiomics and CT imaging features had excellent discriminative ability and can potentially aid radiologists in diagnosing malignant from benign SSPNs. RELEVANCE STATEMENT: The model combined radiomics features and clinical features achieved good efficiency in predicting malignant from benign SSPNs, having the potential to assist in early diagnosis of lung cancer and improving follow-up strategies in clinical work. KEY POINTS: • We developed a pulmonary nodule diagnostic model including radiomics and CT features. • The model yielded the best performance in differentiating malignant from benign nodules. • The combined model had clinical application value and excellent discriminative ability. • The model can assist radiologists in diagnosing malignant from benign pulmonary nodules.

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Profiling of Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Universal Stress Proteins Reveal Essential Roles in Mechanical Damage and Deoxynivalenol Stress.

Universal stress proteins (USPs) play an important regulatory role in responses to abiotic stress. Most of the research related to USPs so far has been conducted on plant models such as Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), rice (Oryza sativa L.), and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). The potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the four major food crops in the world. The potato is susceptible to mechanical damage and infection by pathogenic fungi during transport and storage. Deoxynivalenol (DON) released by Fusarium can seriously degrade the quality of potatoes. As a result, it is of great significance to study the expression pattern of the potato StUSP gene family under abiotic stress conditions. In this study, a total of 108 USP genes were identified from the genome of the Atlantic potato, divided into four subgroups. Based on their genetic structure, the physical and chemical properties of their proteins and other aspects of their biological characteristics are comprehensively analyzed. Collinear analysis showed that the homologous genes of StUSPs and four other representative species (Solanum lycopersicum, Arabidopsis, Oryza sativa L., and Nicotiana attenuata) were highly conserved. The cis-regulatory elements of the StUSPs promoter are involved in plant hormones, environmental stress, mechanical damage, and light response. RNA-seq analysis showed that there are differences in the expression patterns of members of each subgroup under different abiotic stresses. A Weighted Gene Coexpression Network Analysis (WGCNA) of the central gene showed that the differential coexpression gene is mainly involved in the plant-pathogen response process, plant hormone signal transduction, and the biosynthesis process of secondary metabolites. Through qRT-PCR analysis, it was confirmed that StUSP13, StUSP14, StUSP15, and StUSP41 may be important candidate genes involved in the response to adversity stress in potatoes. The results of this study provide a basis for further research on the functional analysis of StUSPs in the response of potatoes to adversity stress.

Diagnostic performance of a deep learning-based method in differentiating malignant from benign subcentimeter (≤10 mm) solid pulmonary nodules.

Background: This study assessed the diagnostic performance of a deep learning (DL)-based model for differentiating malignant subcentimeter (≤10 mm) solid pulmonary nodules (SSPNs) from benign ones in computed tomography (CT) images compared against radiologists with 10 and 15 years of experience in thoracic imaging (medium-senior seniority). Methods: Overall, 200 SSPNs (100 benign and 100 malignant) were retrospectively collected. Malignancy was confirmed by pathology, and benignity was confirmed by follow-up or pathology. CT images were fed into the DL model to obtain the probability of malignancy (range, 0-100%) for each nodule. According to the diagnostic results, enrolled nodules were classified into benign, malignant, or indeterminate. The accuracy and diagnostic composition of the model were compared with those of the radiologists using the McNemar-Bowker test. Enrolled nodules were divided into 3-6-, 6-8-, and 8-10-mm subgroups. For each subgroup, the diagnostic results of the model were compared with those of the radiologists. Results: The accuracy of the DL model, in differentiating malignant and benign SSPNs, was significantly higher than that of the radiologists (71.5% vs. 38.5%, P<0.001). The DL model reported more benign or malignant deterministic results and fewer indeterminate results. In subgroup analysis of nodule size, the DL model also yielded higher performance in comparison with that of the radiologists, providing fewer indeterminate results. The accuracy of the two methods in the 3-6-, 6-8-, and 8-10-mm subgroups was 75.5% vs. 28.3% (P<0.001), 62.0% vs. 28.2% (P<0.001), and 77.6% vs. 55.3% (P=0.001), respectively, and the indeterminate results were 3.8% vs. 66.0%, 8.5% vs. 66.2%, and 2.6% vs. 35.5% (all P<0.001), respectively. Conclusions: The DL-based method yielded higher performance in comparison with that of the radiologists in differentiating malignant and benign SSPNs. This DL model may reduce uncertainty in diagnosis and improve diagnostic accuracy, especially for SSPNs smaller than 8 mm.

A review: Mechanism and prospect of gastrodin in prevention and treatment of T2DM and COVID-19.

Gastrodin is an extract from the dried tuber of the Chinese herb Gastrodia elata (Tian ma), with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiviral properties. Recent studies have shown that, compared to commonly used diabetes drugs, gastrodin has antidiabetic effects in multiple ways, with characteristics of low cost, high safety, less side effects, protection of ß-cell function, relieving insulin resistance and alleviating multiple complications. In addition, it is confirmed that gastrodin can protect the function of lung and other organs, enhance antiviral activity via upregulating the type I interferon (IFN-I), and inhibit angiotensin II (AngII), a key factor in "cytokine storm" caused by COVID-19. Therefore, we reviewed the effect and mechanism of gastrodin on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and speculated other potential mechanisms of gastrodin in alleviating insulin resistance from insulin signal pathway, inflammation, mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum and its potential in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. We hope to provide new direction and treatment strategy for basic research and clinical work: gastrodin is considered as a drug for the prevention and treatment of diabetes and COVID-19.

Hemolysin from Aeromonas hydrophila enhances the host's serum enzyme activity and regulates transcriptional responses in the spleen of Cyprinus rubrofuscus.

Aeromonas hydrophila is a conditional pathogen impacting public hygiene and safety. Hemolysin is a virulence factor of Aeromonas hydrophila that causes erythrocyte hemolysis, yet its transcriptional response to Cyprinus rubrofuscus remains unknown. Our investigation confirmed the hemolysis of hemolysin from A. hydrophila. Serum enzyme activity was evaluated weekly after C. rubrofuscus were immunized with hemolysin Ahh1. The results showed that the hemolysin enhances the serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), lysozyme (LZM), and catalase (CAT) activity, which reached a maximum on day 14. To elucidate the molecular interaction between hemolysin from A. hydrophila and the host, we performed transcriptome sequencing on the spleen of C. rubrofuscus 14 days post hemolysin infection. The total number of clean reads was 41.37 Gb, resulting in 79,832 unigenes with an N50 length of 1863 bp. There were 1982 significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including 1083 upregulated genes and 899 downregulated genes. Transcript levels of the genes, such as LA6BL, CD2, and NLRC5, were significantly downregulated, while those of IL11, IL1R2, and IL8 were dramatically upregulated. The DEGs were mainly enriched in the immune disease, viral protein interaction with cytokine and cytokine receptor, and toll-like receptor pathways, suggesting that hemolysin stimulation can activate the transcriptional responses. RT-qPCR experiments results of seven genes, IL-8, STAT2, CTSK, PRF1, CXCL9, TLR5, and SACS, showed that their expression was highly concordant with RNA-seq data. We clarified for the first time the key genes and signaling pathways response to hemolysin from A. hydrophila, which offers strategies for treating and preventing diseases.

Fully digital workflow for duplicating clasp-retained removable partial dentures using three-dimensional printing: A clinical report.

This clinical report describes a fully digital workflow for replicating removable partial dentures (RPDs). The artificial teeth and denture base of existing dentures were duplicated and applied to new dentures with a redesigned framework. After the components of RPDs had been separated from the scan data of the existing dentures, they were fabricated using 3-dimensional printing and assembled to create a new denture.

Genome-Wide Identification of the NPR1-like Gene Family in Solanum tuberosum and Functional Characterization of StNPR1 in Resistance to Ralstonia solanacearum.

The NPR1 (nonexpressor of pathogenesis-related genes 1) gene is an activator of the systemic acquisition of resistance (SAR) in plants and is one of the central factors in their response to pathogenic bacterial infestation, playing an important role in plant disease resistance. Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a crucial non-grain crop that has been extensively studied. However, the identification and analysis of the NPR1-like gene within potato have not been understood well. In this study, a total of six NPR1-like proteins were identified in potato, and phylogenetic analysis showed that the six NPR1-like proteins in Solanum tuberosum could be divided into three major groups with NPR1-related proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana and other plants. Analysis of the exon-intron patterns and protein domains of the six NPR1-like genes from potato showed that the exon-intron patterns and protein domains of the NPR1-like genes belonging to the same Arabidopsis thaliana subfamily were similar. By performing quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis, we found that six NPR1-like proteins have different expression patterns in different potato tissues. In addition, the expression of three StNPR1 genes was significantly downregulated after being infected by Ralstonia solanacearum (RS), while the difference in the expression of StNPR2/3 was insignificant. We also established potato StNPR1 overexpression lines that showed a significantly increased resistance to R. solanacearum and elevated activities of chitinase, ß-1,3-glucanase, and phenylalanine deaminase. Increased peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activities, as well as decreased hydrogen peroxide, regulated the dynamic balance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the StNPR1 overexpression lines. The transgenic plants activated the expression of the genes associated with the Salicylic acid (SA) defense response but suppressed the expression of the genes associated with Jasmonic acid (JA) signaling. This resulted in resistance to Ralstonia solanacearum.

Iva xanthiifolia leaf extract reduced the diversity of indigenous plant rhizosphere bacteria.

BACKGROUND: Iva xanthiifolia, native to North America, is now widely distributed in northeastern China and has become a vicious invasive plant. This article aims to probe the role of leaf extract in the invasion of I. xanthiifolia. METHODS: We collected the rhizosphere soil of Amaranthus tricolor and Setaria viridis in the invasive zone, the noninvasive zone and the noninvasive zone treated with extract from I. xanthiifolia leaf, and obtained I. xanthiifolia rhizosphere soil in the invasive zone. All wild plants were identified by Xu Yongqing. I. xanthiifolia (collection number: RQSB04100), A. tricolor (collection number: 831,030) and S. viridis (collection number: CF-0002-034) are all included in Chinese Virtual Herbarium ( https://www.cvh.ac.cn/index.php ). The soil bacterial diversity was analyzed based on the Illumina HiSeq sequencing platform. Subsequently, taxonomic analysis and Faprotax functional prediction were performed. RESULTS: The results showed that the leaf extract significantly reduced the diversity of indigenous plant rhizosphere bacteria. A. tricolor and S. viridis rhizobacterial phylum and genus abundances were significantly reduced under the influence of I. xanthiifolia or its leaf extract. The results of functional prediction showed that bacterial abundance changes induced by leaf extracts could potentially hinder nutrient cycling in native plants and increased bacterial abundance in the A. tricolor rhizosphere related to aromatic compound degradation. In addition, the greatest number of sensitive Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) appeared in the rhizosphere when S. viridis was in response to the invasion of I. xanthiifolia. It can be seen that A. tricolor and S. viridis have different mechanisms in response to the invasion of I. xanthiifolia. CONCLUSION: I. xanthiifolia leaves material has potential role in invasion by altering indigenous plant rhizosphere bacteria.

Combined Transcriptome and Metabolome Analysis Reveals Adaptive Defense Responses to DON Induction in Potato.

Phytophthora infestans poses a serious threat to potato production, storage, and processing. Understanding plant immunity triggered by fungal elicitors is important for the effective control of plant diseases. However, the role of the potato stress response to Fusarium toxin deoxynivalenol (DON)-induced stress is still not fully understood. In this study, the metabolites of DON-treated potato tubers were studied for four time intervals using UPLC-MS/MS. We identified 676 metabolites, and differential accumulation metabolite analysis showed that alkaloids, phenolic acids, and flavonoids were the major differential metabolites that directly determined defense response. Transcriptome data showed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were significantly enriched in phenylpropane and flavonoid metabolic pathways. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified many hub genes, some of which modulate plant immune responses. This study is important for understanding the metabolic changes, transcriptional regulation, and physiological responses of active and signaling substances during DON induction, and it will help to design defense strategies against Phytophthora infestans in potato.