Search Results (14,484)

Agrocybe chaxingu is a commercially important edible mushroom in China, valued for its rich bioactive compounds and distinctive umami flavor. In recent years, frequent disease outbreaks have severely limited production, as many pathogens spread rapidly and are difficult to control, posing a significant threat to the sustainable development of the industry. In this study, a systematic disease survey across major A. chaxingu cultivation areas in Jiangxi Province led to the isolation and identification of 17 potential fungal pathogens and 2 potential myxomycete pathogens using combined morphological characterization and multilocus phylogenetic analyses including the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, 28S large subunit ribosomal RNA (LSU), translation elongation factor (tef1), RNA polymerase largest subunit (rpb1), RNA polymerase second largest subunit (rpb2), Histone (H3), Beta tubulin (tub2), and 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA). Among the identified diseases, white slime disease showed the highest incidence (17.3%) and was attributed to the slime mold Fuligo gyrosa, with pathogenicity confirmed according to Koch’s postulates. F. gyrosa proved highly virulent to both fruiting bodies and mycelia, enveloping host mycelium via plasmodial expansion, inhibiting growth, inducing structural rupture, and causing progressive degradation. Infection was accompanied by the deposition of characteristic stress-related pigments in the mycelium. This study provides the first detailed characterization of F. gyrosa infection dynamics in A. chaxingu mycelium. These findings provide new insights into the myxomycete pathogenesis in edible fungi and provide a foundation for the accurate diagnosis, targeted prevention, and sustainable management of diseases in A. chaxingu cultivation. Full article

Surface irrigation systems are among the most common yet often inefficient methods due to poor design and management. A key factor in optimizing their design is the accurate prediction of the water advance and infiltration relationships’ coefficients. This study introduces a novel model based on the Beta cumulative distribution function for predicting water advance and estimating infiltration coefficients in surface irrigation systems. Traditional methods, such as the two-point approach, rely on limited data from only the midpoint and endpoint of the field, often resulting in insufficient accuracy and non-physical outcomes under heterogeneous soil conditions. The proposed model enhances predictive flexibility by incorporating the entire advance dataset and integrating the midpoint as a constraint during optimization, thereby improving the accuracy of advance curve estimation and subsequent infiltration coefficient determination. Evaluation using field data from three distinct sites (FS, HF, WP) across 10 irrigation events demonstrated the superiority of the proposed model over the conventional power advance method. The new model achieved average RMSE, MAPE, and R² values of 0.790, 0.109, and 0.997, respectively, for advance estimation. For infiltration prediction, it yielded an average error of 12.9% in total infiltrated volume—outperforming the two-point method—and also showed higher accuracy during the advance phase, with average RMSE, MAPE, and R² values of 0.427, 0.075, and 0.990, respectively. These results confirm that the Beta-based model offers a more robust, precise, and reliable tool for optimizing the design and management of surface irrigation systems. Full article

Background: Nowadays, there is a lack of reliable and minimally invasive diagnosis methods for the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. The development and validation of such tools could significantly reduce the dependence on more invasive and costly confirmatory procedures, such as cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers analysis and neuroimaging techniques. Objectives: The main objective of this study is to validate the clinical performance of a previously developed diagnosis model based on plasma biomarkers from patients in a cognitive disorder unit. Methods: A new cohort of patients was recruited from the same cognitive disorder unit (n = 93). Specifically, demographic data (gender, age, and educational level), plasma biomarkers levels, and genotype (glial fibrillary acidic protein, phosphorylated Tau 181, amyloid-beta42/amyloid-beta40, apolipoprotein E) were collected to evaluate both approaches of the previous diagnosis model (one-cut-off, two-cut-off). Results: The one-cut-off approach showed a sensitivity of 74.3%, a specificity of 89.5%, and an area under the curve of 0.888, while the values for the two-cut-off approach were sensitivity of 66.7%, specificity of 99.9%, and area under the curve of 0.867. Conclusions: A multivariate diagnostic tool was temporally validated for implementation in a clinical unit. In fact, satisfactory results were obtained from both approaches (one-cut-off, two-cut-offs), but the two cut-offs approach was more consistent in correctly identifying non-Alzheimer’s disease cases, allowing us to identify a large number of cases with high specificity. Full article

Introduction: Twelve-lead electrocardiography (ECG) remains an essential diagnostic tool for patients presenting with chest pain. Timely recognition of specific electrocardiographic patterns is critical for guiding reperfusion strategies and predicting adverse outcomes. Among these, Wellens’ pattern is a high-risk marker of critical left anterior descending (LAD) artery stenosis and an impending anterior myocardial infarction. Although typically described in clinically stable patients without heart failure, its occurrence in the setting of acute decompensation is rare. Case Report: We report the case of a 66-year-old male with hypertension, obesity, and active smoking who presented with exertional chest pain, dyspnea, and signs of acute heart failure. Initial ECG revealed biphasic T waves in V2–V4, consistent with type A Wellens’ pattern. Laboratory evaluation demonstrated elevated troponin I, while point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) identified systolic and diastolic dysfunction, lateral wall hypokinesia, pericardial effusion, and cardiogenic pulmonary edema. The patient received acute management with antiplatelet therapy, statins, diuretics, and anticoagulation, followed by referral for coronary angiography. This revealed critical stenosis (>90%) of the proximal LAD, successfully treated with percutaneous coronary intervention and drug-eluting stent implantation. The in-hospital course was uneventful, and guideline-directed medical therapy was optimized at discharge, including dual antiplatelet therapy, beta-blocker, renin–angiotensin system inhibitor, and SGLT2 inhibitor. Conclusions: This case highlights the need for early recognition of Wellens’ pattern, even in atypical contexts such as acute heart failure. Integrating ECG interpretation with bedside POCUS facilitated diagnostic accuracy and guided an early invasive strategy, preventing extensive myocardial infarction. In resource-limited settings, strengthening frontline diagnostic capabilities and referral networks is crucial to improving patient outcomes. Full article

Nuclear factor of activated T cells 5 (NFAT5), an osmosensitive transcription factor, has been shown to protect against coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3)-induced myocarditis but is susceptible to cleavage by viral proteases. Identifying agents that upregulate NFAT5 may offer a novel antiviral strategy. Cyclodextrins, cyclic oligosaccharides that influence cellular osmolality, are promising candidates. In this study, we demonstrate that NFAT5 is critical for maintaining desmosomal integrity in cardiomyocytes. Cardiac-specific Nfat5-knockout mice showed a significant reduction in desmosomes, as observed by transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, we identified desmoplakin (DSP), a structural desmosomal protein, as a direct transcriptional target of NFAT5, with reduced expression in Nfat5-knockout mouse hearts and NFAT5-knockdown HeLa cells. Notably, treatment with 5 mM cyclodextrin significantly upregulated NFAT5 expression with minimal cytotoxicity, restored DSP expression, and suppressed CVB3 replication by inhibiting viral RNA transcription, protein synthesis, and virion production. Additionally, cyclodextrin reduced mRNA levels of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1 beta and interleukin-8, indicating its potential role as an alleviator of excessive cytokine production. These findings identify NFAT5 as a key regulator of desmoplakin expression and prove cyclodextrin as a dual-functioning agent in counteracting cardiac damage through NFAT5-DSP-mediated protection of desmosome integrity and suppressing proinflammatory cytokine expression in CVB3-induced myocarditis. Full article

Background: Passive brain–computer interface (pBCI) systems use a combination of electroencephalography (EEG) and machine learning (ML) to evaluate a user’s cognitive and physiological state, with increasing applications in both clinical and non-clinical scenarios. pBCI systems have been limited by their traditional reliance on sensor technologies that cannot easily be integrated into non-laboratory settings where pBCIs are most needed. Advances in textile-electrode-based EEG show promise in overcoming the operational limitations; however, no study has demonstrated their use in pBCIs. This study presents the first application of fully textile-based EEG for pBCIs in differentiating cognitive states. Methods: Cognitive state comparisons between eyes-open (EO) and eyes-closed (EC) conditions were conducted using publicly available data for both novel textile and traditional dry-electrode EEG. EO vs. EC differences across both EEG sensor technologies were assessed in delta, theta, alpha, and beta EEG power bands, followed by the application of a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier. The SVM was applied to each EEG system separately and in a combined setting, where the classifier was trained on dry EEG data and tested on textile EEG data. Results: The textile EEG system accurately captured the characteristic increase in alpha power from EO to EC (p < 0.01), but power values were lower than those of dry EEG across all frequency bands. Classification accuracies for the standalone dry and textile systems were 96% and 92%, respectively. The cross-sensor generalizability assessment resulted in a 91% classification accuracy. Conclusions: This study presents the first use of textile-based EEG for pBCI applications. Our results indicate that textile-based EEG can reliably capture changes in EEG power bands between EO and EC, and that a pBCI system utilizing non-traditional textile electrodes is both accurate and generalizable. Full article

Pleurotus ostreatus cultivation is often affected by pest infestations, which contaminate the bag by eating nutrients and mycelium. This contamination eventually leads to a decline in the quality and yield of edible mushrooms and affects farmers’ income. Therefore, pesticides are commonly used for pest control. To examine the impact of insecticides on the growth of P. ostreatus, this study quantified the activities of antioxidant enzymes, including catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and phenylalanine deaminase (PAL), in the mushroom under different insecticide treatments. Additionally, transcriptome sequencing was performed to investigate the underlying regulatory mechanisms. The findings indicated that dinotefuran, diflubenzuron, chlorantraniliprole, and beta-cypermethrin treatments resulted in a significant reduction in catalase and peroxidase activities in P. ostreatus. Conversely, the application of beta-cypermethrin and chlorantraniliprole significantly enhanced PAL and SOD activities in the mycelium. PAL activity was significantly increased in all the mixed substrates, whereas only spray treatments with diflubenzuron resulted in a significant increase in PAL activity. SOD activity in the substrates was reduced by diflubenzuron in the mixed treatment and chlorantraniliprole in the spray treatment. In contrast, all other treatments resulted in a significant increase in SOD activity in the substrates. Transcriptome sequencing revealed that differential genes were predominantly enriched in valine, leucine, and isoleucine degradation, fatty acid degradation, tyrosine metabolism, ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, and histidine metabolism, among others. These biological processes are hypothesized to be involved in the growth regulatory effects of insecticides on the mycelium and ascospores of P. ostreatus. The reliability of the transcriptomic data was also validated through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Full article

Bulbine species (Asphodelaceae) are routinely used in many African communities to treat various dermatological disorders, including wounds, due to their relative accessibility, affordability, safety records, and reported efficacies. However, these reported biological activities lack robust empirical evidence and well-validated cellular mechanisms for plausible applications. Hence, this review was aimed at investigating the bioactive compounds of Bulbine species linked to their cellular wound healing attributes, their toxicity, and cytotoxicity. A detailed literature search was conducted using Web of Science, Google scholar, and PubMed, followed by Scopus and VOSviewer (version 1.6.20) bibliographic analyses. Bulbine frutescens (L.) Willd. and Bulbine natalensis Baker safely mediate tissue healing and coagulation cascade as adaptogens and cytotoxic agents. The wound healing activities of the Bulbine species were linked to the synergistic wound healing or tissue repair properties of bioactive compounds (such as saponins, terpenoids, luteolin, and apigenin) via the expression of collagen type-I, alpha-2 (COL1A2) gene, collagen III, increase in the wound tensile strength, and anti-cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) mRNA. Bulbine species were also reported to contain specialised biomarker compounds (such as naphthoquinones, bulbine-emodin, and aloe-emodin) which mediate the activation of hydroxyproline, Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor, transforming growth factor beta—β1 (TGFβ1), and the suppressor of mothers against decapentaplegic proteins (SMAD), which ultimately induce tissue granulation, myofibroblast differentiation, re-epithelialization, higher protein complexes, and scar tissue formations. These findings give credence to the wound healing therapeutic potential of Bulbine species. However, additional clinical studies are necessary to further ascertain the reported efficacies of Bulbine species’ bioactive principles, their overall safety, and the underlying cellular mechanisms involved in the wound healing process and carcinogenesis. Full article

Chicoric and chlorogenic acids (CRA and CGA), two caffeic acid derivatives found in a large variety of plants, particularly in Asteraceae, are known to modulate glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) in hepatic and muscle cells. The aim of the present study is to use CRA/CGA to explore the modulation role and molecular mechanism of endocrine pancreatic beta-cells’ insulin secretion. The G6Pase enzyme activity influenced by caffeic and derivatives alone or in combination was assessed on microsomal fractions of INS1-beta-cells and hepatocytes. Overall, our results show inverse effects of CGA/CRA, allowing us to investigate the G6Pase activity modulation under low and high glucose concentrations. Our data strongly suggests the existence of two putative forms of the G6Pase enzyme. Based on these observations, we formulate the hypothesis of an adaptative bi-conformational model of G6Pase enzyme activity modulation depending on the level of the beta-cell glucose exposure. Full article

Background/Objectives: Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) is a multifunctional cytokine involved in immune regulation, extracellular matrix turnover, and tissue repair. Its role in periodontitis remains controversial due to conflicting human studies. This systematic review addressed the PICO-based question: in adults with periodontitis (population), how does the expression and regulation of TGF-β isoforms (intervention/exposure) compare with healthy or post-treatment states (comparator) regarding clinical outcomes (outcomes)? Methods: A systematic search of PubMed and Scopus was conducted on 1 July 2025 for human studies published in English between 2010 and 2025. Eligible studies investigated TGF-β expression, function, or genetic regulation in periodontal tissues or biological fluids. Screening and quality appraisal were performed according to PRISMA guidelines, using design-specific risk-of-bias tools. The review protocol was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251138456). Results: Fifteen studies met inclusion criteria. TGF-β1 was the most frequently analyzed isoform and was consistently elevated in diseased gingival tissue and gingival crevicular fluid, correlating with probing depth and attachment loss. Several studies reported post-treatment reductions in TGF-β, supporting its value as a dynamic biomarker. Additional findings linked TGF-β signaling to immune modulation, fibrosis, bone turnover, and systemic comorbidities. Evidence for TGF-β2 and TGF-β3 was limited but suggested isoform-specific roles in epithelial–mesenchymal signaling and scar-free repair. Conclusions: Current evidence supports TGF-β, particularly TGF-β1, as a central mediator of periodontal inflammation and repair, with promise as both a biomarker and therapeutic target. Standardized, isoform-specific, and longitudinal studies are needed to clarify its diagnostic and translational utility. Full article

Background: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are distinct neurological conditions that may share genetic and molecular underpinnings. ADHD, a neurodevelopmental disorder, affects approximately 5% of children and 3% of adults globally, while AD, a neurodegenerative disorder, is the leading cause of dementia in older adults. Emerging evidence suggests potential overlapping contributors, including pathways related to synaptic plasticity, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress. Methods: this systematic review investigated potential genetic predispositions linking Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Following PRISMA guidelines, a search was conducted in Web of Science, Embase, PsycINFO, and PubMed using keywords related to ADHD, AD, and genetic factors. Studies included were original human studies utilizing genetic analyses and ADHD polygenic risk scores (PRS), with AD confirmed using established diagnostic criteria. Exclusion criteria comprised non-original studies, animal research, and articles not addressing genetic links between ADHD and AD. Screening was conducted with Rayyan software, assessing relevance based on titles, abstracts, and full texts. Results:. The search identified 1450 records, of which 1092 were screened after duplicates were removed. Following exclusions, two studies met inclusion criteria. One study analyzed ADHD-PRS in 212 cognitively unimpaired older adults using amyloid-beta (Aβ) PET imaging and tau biomarkers. The findings revealed that ADHD-PRS was associated with progressive cognitive decline, increased tau pathology, and frontoparietal atrophy in Aβ-positive individuals, suggesting that ADHD genetic liability may exacerbate AD pathology. Another study assessed ADHD-PRS in a cohort of 10,645 Swedish twins, examining its association with 16 somatic conditions. The results showed modest risk increases for cardiometabolic, autoimmune, and neurological conditions, with mediation effects through BMI, education, tobacco use, and alcohol misuse, but no direct link between ADHD-PRS and dementia. Discussion and conclusion: this review highlights preliminary but conflicting evidence for a genetic intersection between ADHD and AD. One study suggests that ADHD genetic liability may exacerbate AD-related pathology in Aβ-positive individuals, whereas another large registry-based study finds no direct link to dementia, with associations largely mediated by lifestyle factors. The potential ADHD–AD relationship is likely complex and context-dependent, influenced by biomarker status and environmental confounders. Longitudinal studies integrating genetics, biomarkers, and detailed lifestyle data are needed to clarify this relationship. Full article

T cell receptor (TCR) profiling using next-generation sequencing (NGS) enables high-throughput, in-depth analysis of repertoire diversity, offering numerous clinical applications. We developed a DNA-based strategy to analyse the TCRβ-chain using NGS and established reference values for T cell repertoire characteristics in 74 healthy donors, including 44 adults, 20 paediatrics, and 10 cord blood units (CBUs). Additionally, four paediatric patients with combined immunodeficiency (CID) or severe CID (SCID) due to deleterious mutations in recombination activating genes (RAG) were analysed. The developed strategy demonstrated high specificity, reproducibility, and sensitivity, and all functional variable and joining genes were detected with minimal PCR bias. All donors had a Gaussian-like distribution of complementary-determining region 3 length, with lower presence of non-templated nucleotides and higher proportion of non-functional clonotypes in CBUs. Both CBUs and paediatrics showed greater convergence and TCRβ diversity was significantly lower in adults and donors with cytomegalovirus-positive serostatus. Finally, an analysis of paediatric patients with RAG-SCID/CID showed significantly shorter CDR3 region length and lower repertoire diversity compared to healthy paediatrics. In summary, we developed a reliable and feasible TCRβ sequencing strategy for application in the clinical setting, and established reference values that could assist in the diagnosis and monitoring of pathological conditions affecting the T cell repertoire. Full article

Supplement use has increased in recent years, despite limited evidence for its broad health benefits. Furthermore, exogenous antioxidants may determine pro-oxidant effects, depending on various factors such as dose, circadian window, and presence of metal ions. Although the effects of sleep deprivation (SD) on the brain are well-documented, its impact on peripheral organs remains relatively underexplored. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of a Cornus mas (C. mas) fruit extract on multiple peripheral sites in rats undergoing paradoxical sleep deprivation (PSD). Male Wistar rats were randomly distributed in four groups, including control, C. mas (CM), sleep deprivation (SD), and sleep deprivation and C. mas (SD+CM) (n = 7/group). Seven days of PSD were associated with ultrastructural liver injury and evidence of oxidative dysfunction in several organs: liver, kidney, spleen, and aorta. These alterations were accompanied by marked increases in the evaluated cytokines, including testicular Interleukin-1β, hepatic Interleukin-6, and aortic Interleukin-4. Although the C. mas extract largely maintained hepatic ultrastructure, its effects on other organs were limited. In the aorta, it normalized GSSG values but was also associated with a significant increase in lipid peroxidation. These findings highlight both the systemic impact of SD and caution against assuming uniform benefits of exogenous antioxidants across organ systems in this context. Full article

The present study presents a comparative evaluation of two analytical deconvolution models applied to Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) decay curves of zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate (ZLS), a glass-ceramic material with potential applications in accidental dosimetry. ZLS samples were subjected to beta irradiation and measured under Continuous Wave OSL (CW-OSL) protocols. A comparative analysis is conducted between two deconvolution approaches—the General Order Kinetics (GOK) model and a master analytical equation based on the Lambert W function. The results imply that both models yield a linear dose-response behavior of the fast OSL component; however, the Lambert W approach offers simpler fitting with fewer parameters. The abovementioned findings demonstrate the methodological robustness of the Lambert W formalism and also confirm that ZLS is a promising dosimetric material, aligning with the goals of protocol development in material characterization. Full article

To improve the economy and stability of data center green power direct supply, the capacity configuration optimization of wind–light–load storage based on improved particle swarm optimization (PSO) is conducted. According to wind speed, the Weibull distribution of wind output is established, while the Beta distribution of solar output is established according to light intensity. Furthermore, by conducting the correlation analysis, it is indicated that there is a negative correlation between wind and solar output, which is helpful to optimize the mix of wind and solar output. To minimize the yearly average cost of wind–light–load storage, the capacity configuration optimization model is established, where the constraints include wind and solar output, energy storage capacity, balance between wind and solar output and data center load. To solve the capacity configuration optimization model, the improved PSO is adopted, compared to other optimization algorithms, like differential evolution (DE), genetic algorithm (GA) and grey wolf optimizer (GWO); by adjusting the inertia weight factor dynamically, the improved PSO is more likely to escape the local optimal solution. To validate the feasibility of data center green power direct supply with wind–light–load storage, a case study is conducted. By solving the capacity configuration optimization model of wind–light–load storage with the improved PSO, the balance rate between wind–solar output and data center load is improved by 12.5%, while the rate of abandoned wind and solar output is reduced by 17.5%, which is helpful to improve the economy and stability of data center green power direct supply. Full article