Abstract
Background
Melaleuca quinquenervia (broad-leaved paperbark) is a coastal wetland tree species that serves as a foundation species in eastern Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and New ...Caledonia. While extensively cultivated for its ornamental value, it has also become invasive in regions like Florida, USA. Long-lived trees face diverse pest and pathogen pressures, and plant stress responses rely on immune receptors encoded by the nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) gene family. However, the comprehensive annotation of NLR encoding genes has been challenging due to their clustering arrangement on chromosomes and highly repetitive domain structure; expansion of the NLR gene family is driven largely by tandem duplication. Additionally, the allelic diversity of the NLR gene family remains largely unexplored in outcrossing tree species, as many genomes are presented in their haploid, collapsed state.
Results
We assembled a chromosome-level pseudo-phased genome for M. quinquenervia and described the allelic diversity of plant NLRs using the novel FindPlantNLRs pipeline. Analysis reveals variation in the number of NLR genes on each haplotype, distinct clustering patterns, and differences in the types and numbers of novel integrated domains.
Conclusions
The high-quality M. quinquenervia genome assembly establishes a new framework for functional and evolutionary studies of this significant tree species. Our findings suggest that maintaining allelic diversity within the NLR gene family is crucial for enabling responses to environmental stress, particularly in long-lived plants.
Austropuccinia psidii is a biotrophic fungus that causes myrtle rust. First described in Brazil, it has since spread to become a globally important pathogen that infects more than 480 myrtaceous ...species. One of the most important commercial crops affected by A. psidii is eucalypt, a widely grown forestry tree. The A. psidii–Eucalyptus spp. interaction is poorly understood, but pathogenesis is likely driven by pathogen-secreted effector molecules. Here, we identified and characterized a total of 255 virulence effector candidates using a genome assembly of A. psidii strain MF-1, which was recovered from Eucalyptus grandis in Brazil. We show that the expression of seven effector candidate genes is modulated by cell wax from leaves sourced from resistant and susceptible hosts. Two effector candidates with different subcellular localization predictions, and with specific gene expression profiles, were transiently expressed with GFP-fusions in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Interestingly, we observed the accumulation of an effector candidate, Ap28303, which was upregulated under cell wax from rust susceptible E. grandis and described as a peptidase inhibitor I9 domain-containing protein in the nucleus. This was in accordance with in silico analyses. Few studies have characterized nuclear effectors. Our findings open new perspectives on the study of A. psidii–Eucalyptus interactions by providing a potential entry point to understand how the pathogen manipulates its hosts in modulating physiology, structure, or function with effector proteins.
Background Patients with chronic total occlusion ( CTO ) may not participate in regular exercise because of refractory angina. Exercise participation after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) ...for CTO ( CTO PCI ) and the association of exercise with health status after CTO PCI is unknown. Methods and Results Overall, 1000 patients enrolled in the Outcomes, Patient Health Status, and Efficiency in Chronic Total Occlusion OPEN CTO is a registry were asked about participation in regular exercise at baseline and 12 months after CTO PCI , and the frequency of exercise (<1, 1-2, ≥3 times/week) was collected among exercisers. Health status was assessed using the Seattle Angina Questionnaire ( SAQ ). Multivariable regression assessed 12-month health status change across 4 groups defined by exercise frequency at baseline and 12 months after CTO PCI (no regular exercise at baseline and 12 months, reduced, increased, and consistent exercise at 12 months). Among 869 patients with complete exercise data, the proportion that exercised regularly increased from 33.5% at baseline to 56.6% 12 months after CTO PCI ( P<0.01). Predictors of regular exercise at 12 months included baseline exercise, smoking, baseline and increase in SAQ scores for angina frequency, physical limitation, quality of life, and summary. After multivariable adjustment, consistent or increased exercise frequency was associated with significantly greater improvement in SAQ scores for angina frequency, physical limitation, quality of life, and summary ( P<0.01). Conclusions Participation in regular exercise increased significantly 12 months after CTO PCI , and patients who had greater health status benefit after PCI were more likely to exercise regularly at 12 months. CTO PCI may enable coronary artery disease patients with limiting symptoms to engage in regular exercise and to support better long-term outcomes.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, all people in Indonesia must limit social interaction. In addition, this social restriction rule requires shopping centers to close, making consumers have to switch to ...making purchases online. This study aims to measure the most fit overall interaction relationship between the characteristics of shopping motivation and online promotion on compulsive buying. Primary data was obtained from a questionnaire that was filled out online by 246 respondents domiciled in Jabodetabek who met the requirements, namely buying clothes in April-July 2020. The data were analyzed using the F test and beta-beta coefficient test to determine the suitability and influence of each aspect. The test results show that hedonic shopping motivation has no suitability and is not influenced by online promotion of compulsive buying. The three dimensions of shopping motivation have compatibility and are directly influenced by online promotion, namely utilitarian motivation, peer influence, and social comparison. The three dimensions of motivation are influenced by online promotion, the dimensions of the discount size and time restriction. Based on this, the discount size and time restriction promotion methods are the most effective online promotion strategies to attract buyers.
Abstract Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common neurodegenerative disease associated with aging, is still an incurable condition. Although in vitro evidence strongly indicates that estrogens exert ...neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects, the role of this class of hormones in the treatment of AD is still a debated issue. In 2000 a new gene, named seladin-1 (for SELective Alzheimer's Disease INdicator-1), was identified and found to be down regulated in vulnerable brain regions in AD. Seladin-1 was considered a novel neuroprotective factor, because of its anti-apoptotic activity. Subsequently, it was demonstrated that seladin-1 has also enzymatic activity 3-β-hydroxysterol delta-24-reductase, (DHCR24), which catalyzes the synthesis of cholesterol from desmosterol. The amount of membrane cholesterol may play an important role both in protecting neuronal cells against toxic insults and in inhibiting the production of β-amyloid. We demonstrated that seladin-1 overexpression increases the amount of membrane cholesterol and induces resistance against β-amyloid aggregates in neuroblastoma cells, whereas a specific inhibitor of DHCR24 increased cell vulnerability. We also hypothesized that seladin-1 might be a mediator of the neuroprotective effects of estrogens. We first demonstrated that, in human fetal neuroepithelial cells (FNC), 17β-estradiol, raloxifene, and tamoxifen exert protective effects against β-amyloid toxicity and oxidative stress. In addition, these molecules significantly increased the expression of seladin-1 and the amount of cell cholesterol. Then, we showed that, upon seladin-1 silencing, the protective effects of estrogens were abolished, thus indicating this factor as a fundamental mediator of estrogen-mediated neuroprotection, at least in FNC cells. Furthermore, we detected the presence of functionally active half-palindromic estrogen responsive elements upstream the coding region of the seladin-1 gene. Overall, our results indicate that seladin-1 may be viewed as a multi-faceted protein, which conjugates both the neuroprotective properties of estrogens and the important functions of cholesterol in maintaining brain homeostasis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Neuroactive Steroids: Focus on Human Brain.
Purpose
Hyponatremia occurs in about 30% of patients with pneumonia, including those with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection. Hyponatremia predicts a worse outcome in several pathologic conditions and ...in COVID-19 has been associated with a higher risk of non-invasive ventilation, ICU transfer and death. The main objective of this study was to determine whether early hyponatremia is also a predictor of long-term sequelae at follow-up.
Methods
In this observational study, we collected 6-month follow-up data from 189 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients previously admitted to a University Hospital. About 25% of the patients (
n
= 47) had hyponatremia at the time of hospital admission.
Results
Serum Na
+
was significantly increased in the whole group of 189 patients at 6 months, compared to the value at hospital admission (141.4 ± 2.2 vs 137 ± 3.5 mEq/L,
p
< 0.001). In addition, IL-6 levels decreased and the PaO
2
/FiO
2
increased. Accordingly, pulmonary involvement, evaluated at the chest X-ray by the RALE score, decreased. However, in patients with hyponatremia at hospital admission, higher levels of LDH, fibrinogen, troponin T and NT-ProBNP were detected at follow-up, compared to patients with normonatremia at admission. In addition, hyponatremia at admission was associated with worse echocardiography parameters related to right ventricular function, together with a higher RALE score.
Conclusion
These results suggest that early hyponatremia in COVID-19 patients is associated with the presence of laboratory and imaging parameters indicating a greater pulmonary and right-sided heart involvement at follow-up.
Purpose
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of hypothyroidism as a cause of hyponatremia in a clinical model of iatrogenic acute hypothyroidism due to thyroid hormone withdrawal ...prior to ablative radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy after total thyroidectomy.
Methods
The study group consisted of 101 differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) patients (77 women and 24 men). Plasma concentration of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and sodium (Na
+
) was evaluated before total thyroidectomy (preTSH and preNa
+
) and on the day of RAI therapy (postTSH and postNa
+
).
Results
The frequency of hypothyroidism-associated hyponatremia was 4 % (4/101). PreNa
+
was significantly higher than postNa
+
(140.7 ± 1.6 vs 138.7 ± 2.3 mEq/L,
p
= 0.012). Moreover, a linear correlation was identified between preNa
+
and postNa
+
.
Conclusions
Iatrogenic acute hypothyroidism-related hyponatremia is uncommon. However, because of the significant reduction of Na
+
in the transition from euthyroidism to iatrogenic hypothyroidism, the value of preNa
+
should be viewed as a parameter to be considered. Since it acts as an independent risk factor for the development of hyponatremia, patients with a preNa
+
close to the lower limit of normal range may deserve a closer monitoring of Na
+
.
Purpose
Nowadays, no human neuroendocrine cell models derived from the neural crest are available. In this study, we present non-transformed long-term primary Neural Crest Cells (NCCs) isolated from ...the trunk region of the neural crest at VIII–XII gestational weeks of human foetuses obtained from voluntary legal abortion.
Methods and results
In NCC, quantitative real-time RT PCR demonstrated the expression of neural crest specifier genes, such as Snail1, Snail2/SLUG, Sox10, FoxD3, c-Myc, and p75NTR. Moreover, these cell populations expressed stemness markers (such as Nanog and nestin), as well as markers of motility and invasion (TAGLN, MMP9, CXCR4, and CXCR7), and of neuronal/glial differentiation (MAP2, GFAP, SYP, and TAU). Functional analysis demonstrated that these cells not only possessed high migration properties, but most importantly, they expressed markers of sympatho-adrenal lineage, such as ASCL1 and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). Moreover, the expression of TH increased after the induction with two different protocols of differentiation towards neuronal and sympatho-adrenal phenotypes. Finally, exposure to conditioned culture media from NCC induced a mature phenotype in a neuronal cell model (namely SH-SY5Y), suggesting that NCC may also act like Schwann precursors.
Conclusion
This unique human cell model provides a solid tool for future studies addressing the bases of human neural crest-derived neuroendocrine tumours.
Background
Oncologic outcomes after laparoscopic gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer in the West have been poorly investigated. The aim of the present study was to compare survival outcomes in ...patients undergoing curative-intent laparoscopic and open gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer in several centres belonging to the Italian Research Group for Gastric Cancer.
Methods
Data of patients operated between 2015 and 2018 were retrospectively analysed. Propensity Score Matching was performed to balance baseline characteristics of patients undergoing laparoscopic and open gastrectomy. The primary endpoint was 3-year overall survival. Secondary endpoints were 3-year disease-free survival and short-term outcomes. Multivariable regression analyses for survival were conducted.
Results
Data were retrieved from 20 centres. Of the 717 patients included, 438 patients were correctly matched, 219 per group. The 3-year overall survival was 73.6% and 68.7% in the laparoscopic and open group, respectively (
p
= 0.40). When compared with open gastrectomy, laparoscopic gastrectomy showed comparable 3-year disease-free survival (62.8%, vs 58.9%,
p
= 0.40), higher rate of return to intended oncologic treatment (56.9% vs 40.2%,
p
= 0.001), similar 30-day morbidity/mortality. Prognostic factors for survival were ASA Score ≥ 3, age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index ≥ 5, lymph node ratio ≥ 0.15, p/ypTNM Stage III and return to intended oncologic treatment.
Conclusions
Laparoscopic gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer offers similar rates of survival when compared to open gastrectomy, with higher rates of return to intended oncologic treatment. ASA score, age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index, lymph node ratio, return to intended oncologic treatment and p/ypTNM Stage, but not surgical approach, are prognostic factors for survival.
We assembled the genome of Leptospermum scoparium 'Crimson Glory' using a combination of Illumina paired-end sequencing, high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) and high density ...genetic mapping. As 'Crimson Glory' is a variety of mānuka, this is the first genome assembly for a plant species culturally recognised as a treasure (taonga) by the indigenous Māori of Aotearoa New Zealand. The mānuka genome spans a total of 297 Mbp organised in 11 pseudo-chromosomes that are syntenic with the Eucalyptus genome. A large proportion of the genome assembly corresponds to fungal and bacterial sequences, indicating the presence of an associated microbiome. A total of 31,220 protein-coding gene models were detected throughout the genome, including genes involved in biosynthesis of biologically active phenylpropanoids, triketones and terpenes, as well as genes involved in biotic resistance. The mānuka genome sequence will help shed new light on the genetic control of unique characters such as nectar and foliage biochemical composition, flowering time and disease resistance.
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