Enacting partner specificity in legume-rhizobia symbioses.

Legumes, such as peas, beans, and alfalfa, have evolved a remarkable ability to establish root nodule symbioses with nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria to fulfill their nitrogen needs. This partnership is characterized by a high degree of specificity, occurring both within and between host and bacterial species. Consequently, nodulation capacity and nitrogen-fixing efficiency vary significantly among different plant-bacteria pairs.

Deep Learning-Based Segmentation of Gravity-Loaded Human Spine.

Accurate analysis of spinal alignment under gravity-loaded conditions is essential for diagnosing and managing musculoskeletal disorders such as scoliosis and degenerative disc disease. Traditional imaging techniques, such as 2D radiographs and supine CT or MRI, do not capture the full 3D geometry of the spine in a load-bearing state. Weight-bearing cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) provides high-resolution, 3D images in a standing position, allowing for a more accurate evaluation of spinal alignment.

Decoding the Tumor Microenvironment of Myoepithelial Cells in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Through Single-Cell and Transcriptomic Sequencing and Establishing a Prognostic Model Based on Key Myoepithelial Cell Genes.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype with high malignancy, rapid progression, and a poor 5-year survival rate of ~77%. Due to the lack of targeted therapies, treatment options are limited, highlighting the urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies. Myoepithelial cells (MECs) in the tumor microenvironment may significantly influence TNBC development and progression.

Exploring the tumor microenvironment of breast cancer to develop a prognostic model and predict immunotherapy responses.

Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy in women and exhibits significant heterogeneity. The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a critical role in tumorigenesis, progression, and response to therapy. However, its impact on the prognosis and immunotherapy responses is incompletely understood.

Species-specific microsymbiont discrimination mediated by a receptor kinase.

Host range specificity is a prominent feature of the legume-rhizobial symbiosis. and are two closely related species that engage in root nodule symbiosis with legume plants of the genus, but certain species exhibit selectivity in their interactions with the two rhizobial species. We have identified a receptor-like kinase, which can discriminate between the two bacterial species, acting as a genetic barrier against infection by most strains.

Effects of clonal fragmentation on depend on growth stages in a rubber plantation.

Introduction: Clonal fragmentation helps to assess clonal plants' growth resilience to human and environmental disturbance. Although clonal integration in epiphytes in tropical rubber plantations is important to understand their role in enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem services, research on this subject is limited. These plantations are typically monospecific economic forests that face increased anthropogenic disturbances.

From 2D to 3D: automatic measurement of the Cobb angle in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with the weight-bearing 3D imaging.

Background Context: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) necessitates accurate spinal curvature assessment for effective clinical management. Traditional two-dimensional (2D) Cobb angle measurements have been the standard, but the emergence of three-dimensional (3D) automatic measurement techniques, such as those using weight-bearing 3D imaging (WR3D), presents an opportunity to enhance the accuracy and comprehensiveness of AIS evaluation.

Purpose: This study aimed to compare traditional 2D Cobb angle measurements with 3D automatic measurements utilizing the WR3D imaging technique in patients with AIS.

Altered static and dynamic intrinsic brain activity in unilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Introduction: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) is a critical otologic emergency characterized by a rapid decline of at least 30 dB across three consecutive frequencies in the pure-tone audiogram within a 72-hour period. This audiological condition has been associated with alterations in brain cortical and subcortical structures, as well as changes in brain functional activities involving multiple networks. However, the extent of cerebral intrinsic brain activity disruption in SSHL remains poorly understood.

Binary classification of non-specific low back pain condition based on the combination of B-mode ultrasound and shear wave elastography at multiple sites.

Low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent and complex condition that poses significant medical, social, and economic burdens worldwide. The accurate and timely assessment and diagnosis of LBP, particularly non-specific LBP (NSLBP), are crucial to developing effective interventions and treatments for LBP patients. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential of combining B-mode ultrasound image features with shear wave elastography (SWE) features to improve the classification of NSLBP patients.

Paired receptors mediate broad-spectrum resistance to nodulation by carrying a species-specific gene.

Plants have evolved the ability to distinguish between symbiotic and pathogenic microbial signals. However, potentially cooperative plant-microbe interactions often abort due to incompatible signaling. The () locus in the legume blocks tissue invasion and root nodule induction by many strains of the nitrogen-fixing symbiont .

The Impacts of Domestication and Breeding on Nitrogen Fixation Symbiosis in Legumes.

Legumes are the second most important family of crop plants. One defining feature of legumes is their unique ability to establish a nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbiosis with soil bacteria known as rhizobia. Since domestication from their wild relatives, crop legumes have been under intensive breeding to improve yield and other agronomic traits but with little attention paid to the belowground symbiosis traits.

Genetic and Physical Localization of the Gene Controlling Leaf Pigmentation Pattern in .

In , some ecotypes form a black or purple stain in the middle of adaxial leaf surface due to accumulation of anthocyanins. However, this morphological marker is missing in some other ecotypes, although anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway is not disrupted. Genetic analysis indicated that the lack of the leaf spot of anthocyanins accumulation is a dominant trait, which is controlled by a single gene, Genetic mapping indicated that the gene was delimited to a 280 kb-region on Chromosome 7.

Identification of plasma hsa_circ_0008673 expression as a potential biomarker and tumor regulator of breast cancer.

Objective: Cell-free circular RNAs (circRNAs) are stable and abundantly exist in body fluids. In this study, we aimed to investigate plasma cell-free circRNAs as a novel class of biomarkers for the diagnosis of breast cancer (BC).

Methods: Differentially expressed circRNAs from 6 normal and 6 BC plasma samples were detected by microarray.

Genetic localization of the SPC gene controlling pod coiling direction in Medicago truncatula.

Background: Handedness in plants introduced by helical growth of organs is frequently observed, and it has fascinated plant scientists for decades. However, the genetic control of natural handedness has not been revealed. In the model legume Medicago truncatula, pods can be coiled in a clockwise or anti-clockwise manner, providing a model for genetic analysis of plant handedness.

An aptamer-based new method for competitive fluorescence detection of exosomes.

Exosomes have been recognized as promising sources of biomarkers for early cancer diagnosis due to their important role in the occurrence and metastasis of cancer, and so the development of a sensitive low-cost detection method for exosomes is highly desirable. In this paper, we report a fluorescence method for the competitive detection of exosomes based on an aptamer specific to CD63 (an exosome transmembrane protein). Aptamer-modified magnetic beads were hybridized with a Cy3-labeled short sequence complementary to a region of the aptamer.

Reduction in milk fat globule-EGF factor 8 inhibits triple-negative breast cancer cell viability and migration.

Milk fat globule-EGF factor 8 (MFG-E8) has been demonstrated to be associated with the progression and metastasis of breast cancer, although the underlying mechanisms remain undefined. The aim of the present study was to explore the role of MFG-E8 in human breast cancer and examine the underlying molecular mechanisms. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis was used to evaluate the expression levels of MFG-E8 in human breast carcinoma cell lines.

An Aptamer-Based Probe for Molecular Subtyping of Breast Cancer.

Molecular subtyping of breast cancer is of considerable interest owing to its potential for personalized therapy and prognosis. However, current methodologies cannot be used for precise subtyping, thereby posing a challenge in clinical practice. The aim of the present study is to develop a cell-specific single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) aptamer-based fluorescence probe for molecular subtyping of breast cancer.

Aptamer selection and applications for breast cancer diagnostics and therapy.

Aptamers are short non-coding, single-stranded oligonucleotides (RNA or DNA) developed through Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential enrichment (SELEX) in vitro. Similar to antibodies, aptamers can bind to specific targets with high affinity, and are considered promising therapeutic agents as they have several advantages over antibodies, including high specificity, stability, and non-immunogenicity. Furthermore, aptamers can be produced at a low cost and easily modified, and are, therefore, called "chemical antibodies".

TPX2 promotes migration and invasion of human breast cancer cells.

Objective: To investigate the expression of targeting protein for Xenopus kinesin-like protein 2 (TPX2) in breast cancer tissue and to explore its role in proliferation, migration and invasion of breast cancer cells.

Methods: The mRNA and protein expressions of TPX2 in breast cancer tissue and cell lines were assessed by quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot. The effect of TPX2 with RNA interference on proliferation, invasion and migration of breast cancer cells was observed by MTT and Transwell assays.