Antagonistic effects of Talaromyces muroii TM28 against Fusarium crown rot of wheat caused by Fusarium pseudograminearum

Fusarium crown rot (FCR) caused by Fusarium pseudograminearum is a serious threat to wheat production worldwide. This study aimed to assess the effects of Talaromyces muroii strain TM28 isolated from root of Panax quinquefolius against F. pseudograminearum. The strain of TM28 inhibited mycelial growth of F. pseudograminearum by 87.8% at 72 h, its cell free fermentation filtrate had a strong antagonistic effect on mycelial growth and conidial germination of F. pseudograminearum by destroying the integrity of the cell membrane. In the greenhouse, TM28 significantly increased wheat fresh weight and height in the presence of pathogen Fp, it enhanced the antioxidant defense activity and ameliorated the negative effects of F. pseudograminearum, including disease severity and pathogen abundance in the rhizosphere soil, root and stem base of wheat. RNA-seq of F. pseudograminearum under TM28 antagonistic revealed 2,823 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Most DEGs related to cell wall and cell membrane synthesis were significantly downregulated, the culture filtrate of TM28 affected the pathways of fatty acid synthesis, steroid synthesis, glycolysis, and the citrate acid cycle. T. muroii TM28 appears to have significant potential in controlling wheat Fusarium crown rot caused by F. pseudograminearum

Zebrafish Whole-Adult-Organism Chemogenomics for Large-Scale Predictive and Discovery Chemical Biology

The ability to perform large-scale, expression-based chemogenomics on whole adult organisms, as in invertebrate models (worm and fly), is highly desirable for a vertebrate model but its feasibility and potential has not been demonstrated. We performed expression-based chemogenomics on the whole adult organism of a vertebrate model, the zebrafish, and demonstrated its potential for large-scale predictive and discovery chemical biology. Focusing on two classes of compounds with wide implications to human health, polycyclic (halogenated) aromatic hydrocarbons [P(H)AHs] and estrogenic compounds (ECs), we generated robust prediction models that can discriminate compounds of the same class from those of different classes in two large independent experiments. The robust expression signatures led to the identification of biomarkers for potent aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and estrogen receptor (ER) agonists, respectively, and were validated in multiple targeted tissues. Knowledge-based data mining of human homologs of zebrafish genes revealed highly conserved chemical-induced biological responses/effects, health risks, and novel biological insights associated with AHR and ER that could be inferred to humans. Thus, our study presents an effective, high-throughput strategy of capturing molecular snapshots of chemical-induced biological states of a whole adult vertebrate that provides information on biomarkers of effects, deregulated signaling pathways, and possible affected biological functions, perturbed physiological systems, and increased health risks. These findings place zebrafish in a strategic position to bridge the wide gap between cell-based and rodent models in chemogenomics research and applications, especially in preclinical drug discovery and toxicology

Synthesis of AG@AgCl Core–Shell Structure Nanowires and Its Photocatalytic Oxidation of Arsenic (III) Under Visible Light

Abstract Ag@AgCl core–shell nanowires were synthesized by oxidation of Ag nanowires with moderate FeCl3, which exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity for As(III) oxidation under visible light. It was proved that the photocatalytic oxidation efficiency was significantly dependent on the mole ratio of Ag:AgCl. The oxidation rate of As(III) over Ag@AgCl core–shell nanowires first increased with the decrease of Ag0 percentage, up until the optimized synthesis mole ratio of Ag nanowires:FeCl3 was 2.32:2.20, with 0.023 mg L−1 min−1 As(III) oxidation rate; subsequently, the oxidation rate dropped with the further decrease of Ag0 percentage. Effects of the pH, ionic strength, and concentration of humic acid on Ag@AgCl photocatalytic ability were also studied. Trapping experiments using radical scavengers confirmed that h+ and ·O2 − acted as the main active species during the visible-light-driven photocatalytic process for As(III) oxidation. The recycling experiments validated that Ag@AgCl core–shell nanowires were a kind of efficient and stable photocatalyst for As(III) oxidation under visible-light irradiation

Effects of Different Methods of Air Disinfection of Computed Tomography Rooms Dedicated to COVID-19 Cases

Objective. To monitor the number of bacterial colonies in the air of computed tomography (CT) room for COVID-19 using different disinfection methods and to identify the most effective method for disinfection and protection of equipment. Methods. Three methods for disinfection using ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (group A), plasma circulation air sterilizer (group B), and ultraviolet germicidal irradiation plus plasma circulation air sterilizer (group C) were utilized to sanitize the air in the CT room dedicated to COVID-19 cases. Single-factor ANOVA was used to evaluate and compare the disinfection effect of the three air disinfection methods; an air microbial sampler was used to sample and measure the number of bacteria in the air of the machine room. Results. The number of bacteria in the air immediately after disinfection was significantly lower than before disinfection (p0.05). In addition, the effect of disinfection after 2 h was compared, and the number of bacteria in group C after 2 h was significantly lower than that in group A and group B. Conclusions. All three disinfection methods have significant disinfection effects. In addition, using ultraviolet disinfection lamps combined with a plasma air disinfection machine to sterilize the air in CT machine room has the best disinfection effect for the longest duration. Therefore, we recommend the combined disinfection method (ultraviolet disinfection lamps plus plasma air disinfection), as well as formulating relevant disinfection management norms, which should thus be the method to use during pandemics

Trichoderma cyanodichotomus sp. nov., a new soil-inhabiting species with a potential for biological control

During a biodiversity survey of Trichoderma (Ascomycota, Hypocreales, Hypocreaceae) in the coastal and lake wetlands of China, a new species Trichoderma cyanodichotomus was isolated from Dongting Lake wetland of Hunan province. The strain TW21990-1 was characterized by having two types of conidia and producing a distinct blue-green pigment on PDA and CMD. The taxonomic position was analyzed using three molecular markers, internal transcribed spacer rDNA (ITS), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1-ι), RNA polymerase II subunit B (RPB2), revealing less than 95.0% homology with all known Trichoderma species. The combined phylogenetic tree further identified T. cyanodichotomus an independent subgroup belonging to Section Pachybasium with no close relatives. The in vitro antagonistic activity by dual culture assay exhibited broad inhibition against various plant pathogens including Botryosphaeria dothidea, Pythium aphanidermatum, Rizoctonia solani, and Verticillium dahliae. In addition, TW21990-1 demonstrated moderate hydrolase activity of cellulase, chitinase, β-1,3-glucanase, and protease, which might be involved in mycoparasitism. Greenhouse experiment showed strong biocontrol effects against tomato damping-off incited by P. aphanidermatum, together with increased seedlings height and weight gain rate. The identification of T. cyanodichotomus will provide useful information for sufficient utilization of fungal resources.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Synthesis and Luminescence Properties of Core-Shell-Shell Composites: SiO₂@PMDA-Si-Tb@SiO₂ and SiO₂@PMDA-Si-Tb-phen@SiO₂

Two novel core-shell composites SiO2@PMDA-Si-Tb, SiO2@PMDA-Si-Tb-phen with SiO2 as the core and terbium organic complex as the shell, were successfully synthesized. The terbium ion was coordinated with organic ligand forming terbium organic complex in the shell layer. The bi-functional organosilane ((HOOC)2C6H2(CONH(CH2)3Si(OCH2CH3)3)2 (abbreviated as PMDA-Si) was used as the first ligand and phen as the second ligand. Furthermore, the silica-modified SiO2@PMDA-Si-Tb@SiO2 and SiO2@PMDA-Si-Tb-phen@SiO2 core-shell-shell composites were also synthesized by sol-gel chemical route. An amorphous silica shell was coated around the SiO2@PMDA-Si-Tb and SiO2@PMDA-Si-Tb-phen core-shell composites. The core-shell and core-shell-shell composites both exhibited excellent luminescence in solid state. The luminescence of core-shell-shell composites was stronger than that of core-shell composites. Meanwhile, an improved luminescence stability property for the core-shell-shell composites was found in the aqueous solution. The core-shell-shell composites exhibited bright luminescence, high stability, long lifetime, and good solubility, which may present potential applications in the bio-medical field

The association of triglyceride-glucose-waist circumference with metabolic associated fatty liver disease and the severity of liver steatosis and fibrosis in American adults: a population-based study

The global obesity pandemic has led to an alarming rise in the prevalence of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), making it a substantial clinical and economic burden on society. Early detection and effective treatment of MAFLD are imperative to mitigate its impact. This cross-sectional study was conducted involving 4634 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) 2017–2018 cycle. Transient elastography (TE) was used to diagnose MAFLD and assess the extent of liver steatosis and fibrosis. Multivariate logistic regression models were utilized to examine the association between the triglyceride and glucose index-waist circumference (TyG-WC) and the risk of MAFLD, liver fibrosis, and steatosis. A positive association between TyG-WC and MAFLD persisted across all three models: model1: OR = 8.44, 95% CI: 6.85–10.38 (unadjusted), model2: OR = 8.28, 95% CI: 6.53–10.50 (partially adjusted), and model3: OR = 7.98, 95% CI: 4.11–15.46 (fully adjusted). Further investigation through interaction and stratified analysis revealed that this association was more pronounced in the non-obese and Non-Hispanic White persons groups. Moreover, a non-linear relationship analysis unveiled threshold and saturation effects between TyG-WC and MAFLD. Specifically, a TyG-WC value of approximately 600 may represent the threshold effect for MAFLD risk, while 1200 may signify the saturation effect of MAFLD risk. Finally, a robust correlation between TyG-WC and the severity of liver steatosis and fibrosis was found. The findings suggest that the TyG-WC index exhibits excellent predictive value for MAFLD in the general American population.</p