Ginsenoside Rg3 Sensitizes Colorectal Cancer to Radiotherapy through Downregulation of Proliferative and Angiogenic Biomarkers

Background. Radiation therapy is an important mode of colorectal cancer treatment. However, most people die of local recurrence after tumors become resistant to radiotherapy, and little progress has been made in treating radiotherapy-resistant colorectal cancer. Hence, novel agents that are nontoxic and can sensitize colorectal cancer to radiotherapy are urgently needed. Ginsenoside Rg3, a saponin extracted from ginseng, shows cytotoxicity against a variety of cancer cells through suppression of pathways linked to oncogenesis, including cell survival, proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis. In this article, we investigated whether Rg3 can sensitize colorectal cancer to radiation in vivo. Methods and Materials. We established CT-26 xenografts in BALB/c mice and treated them with vehicle, Rg3, radiation, and combined Rg3 + radiation. Mouse quality of life, survival, tumor volumes, and inhibitive rates were estimated. NF-κB activation was ascertained using electrophoretic mobility shift assay and immunohistochemistry. We also tested for markers of proliferation, angiogenesis, and invasion using immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. Results. Rg3 significantly enhanced the efficacy of fractionated radiotherapy by improving the quality of life of mice. Moreover, tumors from mice xenografted with CT-26 cells and treated with combined Rg3 + radiotherapy showed significantly lower tumor volumes (P<0.01 versus controls; P<0.05 versus radiation alone), NF-κB activation, and expression of NF-κB-regulated gene products (cyclin D1, survivin, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)) compared with controls. The combination treatment was also effective in suppressing angiogenesis, as indicated by lower CD31+ microvessel density compared with controls (P<0.05). Conclusion. Our results suggest that Rg3 enhances the antitumor effects of radiotherapy for colorectal cancer by suppressing NF-κB and NF-κB-regulated gene products, leading to inhibition of tumors and prolongation of the lifespan of CT-26 xenograft BALB/c mice

Physical Mapping of a Novel Locus Conferring Leaf Rust Resistance on the Long Arm of Agropyron cristatum Chromosome 2P

Wheat leaf rust is one of the most common wheat diseases worldwide and can cause up to 40% wheat yield loss. To combat the growth and spread of leaf rust disease, continual exploration and identification of new and effective resistance genes are needed. Here, we report for the first time a locus conferring leaf rust resistance located on the long arm of Agropyron cristatum chromosome 2P in Triticum aestivum–A. cristatum 2P translocation lines. This study used 50 leaf rust races, including two Chinese major dominant leaf rust races, named by THT and PHT, and other 48 different leaf rust races collected from 11 provinces, 1autonomous region and 1 municipality of China to test the resistance to T. aestivum–A. cristatum 2P chromosome translocation lines and their backcross populations, the results indicated that the novel leaf rust resistance locus was immune or nearly immune to all tested leaf rust races. Four long arm translocation lines with different breakpoints of A. cristatum chromosome 2PL and their backcross populations were tested with leaf rust race THT at the seedling and adult stages and genotyped with 2P-specific STS markers. The results showed that the novel leaf rust resistance locus of the T. aestivum–A. cristatum 2P translocation lines was located in the chromosomal bin FL 0.66–0.86 of 2PL. Therefore, T. aestivum–A. cristatum 2P chromosome translocation lines conferring leaf rust resistance locus could provide a novel disease-resistance resource for future wheat breeding programs

Analysis of microbial communities in wheat, alfalfa, and oat crops after Tilletia laevis Kühn infection

Common bunt caused by Tilletia laevis Kühn is one of the most serious fungal diseases of wheat. The root–microbial associations play key roles in protecting plants against biotic and abiotic factors. Managing these associations offers a platform for improving the sustainability and efficiency of agriculture production. Here, by using high throughput sequencing, we aimed to identify the bacterial and fungal associations in wheat, alfalfa, and oat crops cultivated in different years in the Gansu province of China. Soil samples (0–6 cm below the surface) from infected wheat by T. laevis had significantly more bacterial and fungal richness than control samples as per the Chao1 analysis. We found some dominant fungi and bacterial phyla in infected wheat by T. laevis, such as Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Mortierello mycota. We also analyzed the chemical and enzymatic properties of soil samples after T. laevis inoculation. The total nitrogen, total kalium (TK), ammonium nitrogen, available kalium, organic carbon, invertase, phosphatase, and catalase were more in T. laevis-infected samples as compared to the control samples, while pH, total phosphorus, nitrate nitrogen, available phosphorus, and urease were more in control samples compared to T. laevis-infected samples. The results of this study will contribute to the control of wheat common bunt by candidate antagonistic microorganisms and adverse properties of soil

Absorption and Reflection of Switchable Multifunctional Metamaterial Absorber Based on Vanadium Dioxide

A dynamically tunable terahertz broadband absorber based on the metamaterial structure of vanadium dioxide (VO2) is proposed and analyzed. The absorber consists of two patterned VO2 layers and a metal bottom layer separated by two polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) dielectric layers. Simulation results show that the absorption exceeds 90% in the frequency range of 2.4–11 THz with a relative bandwidth of 128.4% under normal incidence. When VO2 is in the metal phase, the designed absorber functions as an ideal absorber. The absorption rate can be flexibly adjusted from 2% to 99% as vanadium dioxide transitions from the insulator phase to the metal phase. Therefore, the newly developed broad structure has the capability to seamlessly transition between functioning as an absorber or reflector through modifications in the conductivity of VO2 from the insulator phase to the metal phase. Moreover, further insight into the underlying physical processes can be gained by studying the insensitivity of the proposed absorber to the polarization of incident light and its ability to achieve high absorption across a wide range of incident angles. Impedance matching theory and electric field distribution of the absorber are investigated. The THz absorber has many potential applications in fields such as THz sensors, modulation, and switches

Current Status and Future Perspectives of Genomics Research in the Rust Fungi

Rust fungi in Pucciniales have caused destructive plant epidemics, have become more aggressive with new virulence, rapidly adapt to new environments, and continually threaten global agriculture. With the rapid advancement of genome sequencing technologies and data analysis tools, genomics research on many of the devastating rust fungi has generated unprecedented insights into various aspects of rust biology. In this review, we first present a summary of the main findings in the genomics of rust fungi related to variations in genome size and gene composition between and within species. Then we show how the genomics of rust fungi has promoted our understanding of the pathogen virulence and population dynamics. Even with great progress, many questions still need to be answered. Therefore, we introduce important perspectives with emphasis on the genome evolution and host adaptation of rust fungi. We believe that the comparative genomics and population genomics of rust fungi will provide a further understanding of the rapid evolution of virulence and will contribute to monitoring the population dynamics for disease management

SSR Genotypes of the <i>Puccinia triticina</i> in 15 Provinces of China Indicate Regional Migration in One Season from East to West and South to North

Leaf rust of wheat caused by Puccinia triticina (Pt) is one of the most common fungal diseases in the southwest and northwest of China, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and the southern part of the Huang-Huai-Hai river basin. Using 13 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, we systematically revealed the genotypic diversities, population differentiation and reproduction of Pt isolates in 15 wheat-producing areas in China. A total of 622 isolates were divided into 3 predominant populations, including the eastern Pt populations, consisting of Pt samples from 8 eastern provinces of Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Anhui, Shandong, Henan, and Heilongjiang; the 4 western Pt populations from Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, and Inner Mongolia provinces; and the bridge Pt populations including Jiangsu, Hubei, and Yunnan, which communicated the other 2 populations as a “bridge”. The pathogen transmission of eastern Pt populations was more frequent than western Pt populations. The linkage disequilibrium test indicated that the whole Pt population was in a state of linkage disequilibrium. However, populations of Beijing, Hebei, Shaanxi, Jiangsu, Henan, and Heilongjiang provinces showed obvious linkage equilibrium, while the five provinces of Qinghai, Hubei, Anhui, Shandong, and Inner Mongolia supported clonal modes of reproduction

Metabolomic Analysis of Wheat Grains after <i>Tilletia laevis</i> Kühn Infection by Using Ultrahigh-Performance Liquid Chromatography–Q-Exactive Mass Spectrometry

Tilletia laevis causes common bunt disease in wheat, with severe losses of production yield and seed quality. Metabolomics studies provide detailed information about the biochemical changes at the cell and tissue level of the plants. Ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography–Q-exactive mass spectrometry (UPLC-QE-MS) was used to examine the changes in wheat grains after T. laevis infection. PCA analysis suggested that T. laevis-infected and non-infected samples were scattered separately during the interaction. In total, 224 organic acids and their derivatives, 170 organoheterocyclic compounds, 128 lipids and lipid-like molecules, 85 organic nitrogen compounds, 64 benzenoids, 31 phenylpropanoids and polyketides, 21 nucleosides, nucleotides, their analogues, and 10 alkaloids and derivatives were altered in hyphal-infected grains. According to The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and genomes analysis, the protein digestion and absorption, biosynthesis of amino acids, arginine and proline metabolism, vitamin digestion and absorption, and glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism pathways were activated in wheat crops after T. laevis infection

Online Homework Intelligent Platform Based on Self-Regulated Learning (SRL): Essential for Sustainable Development of Online Higher Education

Online higher education has become a steadily more popular way of learning for university students in the post-pandemic era. It has been emphasized that active learning and interactive communication are key factors in achieving effective performance in online learning. However, due to the lack of learning motivation of students and the lack of feedback data in online learning, there are numerous problems, such as the weak self-discipline of students, unsatisfactory learning experience, a high plagiarism rate of homework, and the low utilization of online teaching resources. In this study, an online homework intelligent platform implemented by information technology (IT) was proposed. It was based on the pedagogical self-regulated learning (SRL) strategy as a theoretical foundation, and information technology as a driver. Through setting online homework assignments, a sustainable means of promoting the four components of the SRL strategy, i.e., self-disciplinary control, independent thinking, reflective learning, and interest development, can be provided to university students. Therefore, this study explained the &ldquo;4A&rdquo; functions in the platform and analysed the details of their implementation and value, such as assistance in locating resources, assignment of differentiated homework, assessment of warning learning, and achievement of sharing. After three years of continuous improvements since COVID-19, this online platform has been successfully applied to students and teachers at our university and other pilot universities. A comparison of student teaching data, questionnaire responses and teacher interviews from the Computer Composition Principles course illustrated the sustainability as well as the effectiveness of the method

Online Homework Intelligent Platform Based on Self-Regulated Learning (SRL): Essential for Sustainable Development of Online Higher Education

Online higher education has become a steadily more popular way of learning for university students in the post-pandemic era. It has been emphasized that active learning and interactive communication are key factors in achieving effective performance in online learning. However, due to the lack of learning motivation of students and the lack of feedback data in online learning, there are numerous problems, such as the weak self-discipline of students, unsatisfactory learning experience, a high plagiarism rate of homework, and the low utilization of online teaching resources. In this study, an online homework intelligent platform implemented by information technology (IT) was proposed. It was based on the pedagogical self-regulated learning (SRL) strategy as a theoretical foundation, and information technology as a driver. Through setting online homework assignments, a sustainable means of promoting the four components of the SRL strategy, i.e., self-disciplinary control, independent thinking, reflective learning, and interest development, can be provided to university students. Therefore, this study explained the “4A” functions in the platform and analysed the details of their implementation and value, such as assistance in locating resources, assignment of differentiated homework, assessment of warning learning, and achievement of sharing. After three years of continuous improvements since COVID-19, this online platform has been successfully applied to students and teachers at our university and other pilot universities. A comparison of student teaching data, questionnaire responses and teacher interviews from the Computer Composition Principles course illustrated the sustainability as well as the effectiveness of the method