Application of the Pipeline Embolization Device for Giant Vertebrobasilar Dissecting Aneurysms in Pediatric Patients

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the pipeline embolization device (PED) for the treatment of pediatric giant vertebrobasilar dissecting aneurysms (VBDAs).Methods: We retrospectively reviewed our institutional clinical database and identified 2,706 patients who presented with a diagnosis of intracranial aneurysms from January 2016 to June 2018. Among this group, 153 patients were diagnosed with VBDAs, and 54 of these patients underwent PED therapy. The PED technique was used in four patients who were 18 years old or younger at the time of presentation (two males, two females; mean age 9.25 years; age range 8–11 years).Results: All four included pediatric patients were managed with the PED. One patient (25%) was treated with the PED alone, while three (75%) were treated with the PED and coils. One patient died from brainstem infarction or compression of the brainstem, while follow-up of the other three patients revealed favorable outcomes. The mass effect was reduced in cases 1, 2, and 3 on follow-up MRI performed 6 months after the PED procedure.Conclusions: PEDs could be feasible in the treatment of pediatric giant VBDAs. However, the safety and efficacy of this method have not been clarified in this special pediatric population, and long-term follow-up is still necessary

Association between atherosclerosis and primary Sjogren's syndrome: A cross‐sectional study

Abstract Background and Aims Atherosclerosis (AS) risk increases in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases. The association and mechanism between primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) and AS haven't been explained for now. We did this cross‐sectional study to clarify the prevalence and risk factors of AS in patients with pSS, and to further explore how immune cells and inflammatory cytokines work in the process. Methods Patients with pSS were enrolled. General information, AS events, immune cells, inflammatory cytokines, and related clinical data were recorded. Prevalence of AS events was calculated. Correlation analysis between immune factors and AS quantitative parameters were conducted by SPSS v20.0. Results A total of 155 pSS patients were included with a median Framingham 10‐year risk of 7%. Sixty‐four AS events were recorded, with a prevalence of 41.3%. Carotid intima‐media thickness was positively correlated to immunoglobulin (Ig) A (r = 0.245, p = 0.030) and negatively correlated to IgM (r = −0.227, p = 0.045). Left ankle‐brachial pulse wave velocity (baPWV) was positively correlated to the course of disease (r = 0.352, p = 0.004), B cells (r = 0.410, p = 0.001), and T helper (Th) cells (r = 0.284, p = 0.029), while negatively correlated to IgM (r = −0.257, p = 0.042). Right baPWV was positively correlated to the course of pSS (r = 0.319, p = 0.010), B cells (r = 0.453, p < 0.001), Th cells (r = 0.302, p = 0.020), and C‐reactive protein (CRP) (r = 0.286, p = 0.042). Use of hydroxychloroquine, cyclophosphamide, and glucocorticoids had no impact on AS events. Conclusion The prevalence of AS in patients with pSS is reported to be 41.3%. Several risk factors have been associated with AS in these patients, including the duration of the disease, levels of Th cells, B lymphocytes, and CRP. Interestingly, IgM appears to have a protective effect against AS. It is worth noting that traditional therapy for pSS does not seem to have any effect in preventing AS events

Effects of Different Organic Fertilizers on Sweet Potato Growth and Rhizosphere Soil Properties in Newly Reclaimed Land

It is well known that soil fertility is poor in most newly reclaimed land, which has been developed as an effective way to compensate farmland occupation. In order to ameliorate the soil quality of the newly reclaimed land, this study investigated the effect of commercial organic fertilizer (COF) (0.45, 0.90, 1.35 and 1.80 kg/m2), sheep manure (SM) (0.45, 0.75, 1.05 and 1.35 kg/m2), mushroom residue (MR) (1.50, 2.25, 3.00 and 3.75 kg/m2), and chemical compound fertilizer (CCF) (0.075 kg/m2) on the growth of sweet potato, soil pH, organic matter content (OMC), available phosphate, total nitrogen, available potassium, exchangeable Ca and Mg, as well as bacterial and fungal microbial composition during 2019–2021. The results from this study indicated that the COF, SM, MR, and CCF did not significantly change the soil pH, but significantly increased the OMC, which has been regarded as the most significant soil quality parameter. This suggests that the soil amendments used in this study have great potential to improve the soil quality in newly reclaimed land. However, these soil amendments exhibited a differential effect on sweet potato biomass, nutrient elements and the microbial community of the newly reclaimed soil, which depend on the kind and concentration of organic/chemical fertilizer, the application time, as well as the plant and soil parameters. The change was also observed on the bacterial and fungal soil microbial community, which provides us with a microbial basis to understand why organic fertilizer has a great effect on soil improvement. Overall, our results suggest that soil amended with organic fertilizers has great potential for the production of sweet potato in immature soil from the new reclamation land

Effects of Different Organic Fertilizers on Sweet Potato Growth and Rhizosphere Soil Properties in Newly Reclaimed Land

It is well known that soil fertility is poor in most newly reclaimed land, which has been developed as an effective way to compensate farmland occupation. In order to ameliorate the soil quality of the newly reclaimed land, this study investigated the effect of commercial organic fertilizer (COF) (0.45, 0.90, 1.35 and 1.80 kg/m2), sheep manure (SM) (0.45, 0.75, 1.05 and 1.35 kg/m2), mushroom residue (MR) (1.50, 2.25, 3.00 and 3.75 kg/m2), and chemical compound fertilizer (CCF) (0.075 kg/m2) on the growth of sweet potato, soil pH, organic matter content (OMC), available phosphate, total nitrogen, available potassium, exchangeable Ca and Mg, as well as bacterial and fungal microbial composition during 2019&ndash;2021. The results from this study indicated that the COF, SM, MR, and CCF did not significantly change the soil pH, but significantly increased the OMC, which has been regarded as the most significant soil quality parameter. This suggests that the soil amendments used in this study have great potential to improve the soil quality in newly reclaimed land. However, these soil amendments exhibited a differential effect on sweet potato biomass, nutrient elements and the microbial community of the newly reclaimed soil, which depend on the kind and concentration of organic/chemical fertilizer, the application time, as well as the plant and soil parameters. The change was also observed on the bacterial and fungal soil microbial community, which provides us with a microbial basis to understand why organic fertilizer has a great effect on soil improvement. Overall, our results suggest that soil amended with organic fertilizers has great potential for the production of sweet potato in immature soil from the new reclamation land

Advancements in the Use of Bacteriophages to Combat the Kiwifruit Canker Phytopathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae

Over the last several decades, kiwifruit production has been severely damaged by the bacterial plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa), resulting in severe economic losses worldwide. Currently, copper bactericides and antibiotics are the main tools used to control this bacterial disease. However, their use is becoming increasingly ineffective due to the emergence of antibiotic resistance. In addition, environmental issues and the changes in the composition of soil bacterial communities are also concerning when using these substances. Although biocontrol methods have shown promising antibacterial effects on Psa infection under in vitro conditions, the efficiency of antagonistic bacteria and fungi when deployed under field conditions remains unclear. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a phage-based biocontrol strategy for this bacterial pathogen. Due to the specificity of the target bacteria and for the benefit of the environment, bacteriophages (phages) have been widely regarded as promising biological agents to control plant, animal, and human bacterial diseases. An increasing number of studies focus on the use of phages for the control of plant diseases, including the kiwifruit bacterial canker. In this review, we first introduce the characteristics of the Psa-induced kiwifruit canker, followed by a description of the diversity and virulence of Psa strains. The main focus of the review is the description of recent advances in the isolation of Psa phages and their characterization, including morphology, host range, lytic activity, genome characterization, and lysis mechanism, but we also describe the biocontrol strategies together with potential challenges introduced by abiotic factors, such as high temperature, extreme pH, and UV irradiation in kiwifruit orchards. The information presented in this review highlights the potential role of phages in controlling Psa infection to ensure plant protection

Effect of the Nanoparticle Exposures on the Tomato Bacterial Wilt Disease Control by Modulating the Rhizosphere Bacterial Community

Ralstonia Solanacearum is one of the most infectious soil-borne bacterial plant pathogens, causing tomato bacterial wilt (TBW). Nanotechnology is an emerging area of research, particularly the application of nanoparticles (NPs) as nanopesticides to manage plant disease is gaining attention nowadays. However, the interaction between NPs and rhizosphere bacterial communities remains largely elusive. This study indicated that metal NPs (CuO, ZnO, and FeO) reduced the incidence of bacterial wilt to varying degrees and affected the composition and structure of the rhizosphere bacterial community. The results revealed that the application of metal oxide NPs can improve the morphological and physiological parameters of TBW infected tomato plants. Among all, CuONPs amendments significantly increase the Chao1 and Shannon index. In the early stage (the second week), it significantly reduces the relative abundance of pathogens. However, the relative abundance of beneficial Streptomyces bacteria increased significantly, negatively correlated with the relative abundance of pathogenic bacteria. In addition, the nano-treatment group will enrich some potential beneficial bacteria such as species from Sphingomonadaceae, Rhizobiaceae, etc. In general, our research provides evidence and strategies for preventing and controlling soil-borne disease tomato bacterial wilt with metal oxide NPs

Beneficial Effect and Potential Risk of Pantoea on Rice Production

Bacteria from the genus Pantoea have been reported to be widely distributed in rice paddy environments with contradictory roles. Some strains promoted rice growth and protected rice from pathogen infection or abiotic stress, but other strain exhibited virulence to rice, even causing severe rice disease. In order to effectively utilize Pantoea in rice production, this paper analyzed the mechanisms underlying beneficial and harmful effects of Pantoea on rice growth. The beneficial effect of Pantoea on rice plants includes growth promotion, abiotic alleviation and disease inhibition. The growth promotion may be mainly attributed to nitrogen-fixation, phosphate solubilization, plant physiological change, the biosynthesis of siderophores, exopolysaccharides, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase and phytohormones, including cytokinin, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), auxins, abscisic acid and gibberellic acid, while the disease inhibition may be mainly due to the induced resistance, nutrient and spatial competition, as well as the production of a variety of antibiotics. The pathogenic mechanism of Pantoea can be mainly attributed to bacterial motility, production of phytohormones such as IAA, quorum sensing-related signal molecules and a series of cell wall-degrading enzymes, while the pathogenicity-related genes of Pantoea include genes encoding plasmids, such as the pPATH plasmid, the hypersensitive response and pathogenicity system, as well as various types of secretion systems, such as T3SS and T6SS. In addition, the existing scientific problems in this field were discussed and future research prospects were proposed