Search Results (417)

The olive tree hosts diverse endophytic fungi that may contribute to plant protection and growth. In this study, a preliminary screening of olive-associated fungal endophytes was conducted. A total of 67 fungal endophytes were isolated from the leaves and roots of the Greek cultivars Amfissa and Kalamon and identified using morphological and molecular approaches; 28 representative strains were selected for functional evaluation. Dual culture assays revealed substantial antagonistic activity against major phytopathogens, with growth inhibition ranging from 19.05% to 100%. Notably, strains F.KALl.8 and F.AMFr.15 showed the strongest suppression across pathogens. Interaction phenotyping revealed all major interaction types (A, B, C) and subtype C1/C2, with several strains producing pigmentation zone lines or hyphal ridges at contact sites. The assessment of plant growth-related effects using Arabidopsis thaliana as a model system showed that three strains (F.AMFr.15, F.KALr.4, F.KALr.38A) significantly increased seedling biomass (up to ~16% above the control), whereas nine strains caused severe growth reduction and disease symptoms. Beneficial strains also altered root architecture, inhibiting primary root elongation while inducing extensive lateral root formation. Collectively, these findings highlight the functional diversity of olive-associated fungal endophytes and identify promising candidate strains, particularly F.AMFr.15 (identified as Clonostachys sp.), for further host-specific validation as potential biological control and plant growth-promoting agents. Full article

Repeated exposure to low-level blast overpressure (BOP) during controlled detonations is an emerging occupational health concern for military breachers and Special Operations Forces personnel, given accumulating evidence that chronic exposure may produce subtle, subclinical neurotrauma. This study derived a latent neuroinjury construct integrating three complementary domains of brain health—post-concussive symptoms, working-memory performance, and circulating biomarkers—to determine whether breachers exhibit coherent patterns of neurobiological alteration. Symptom severity was assessed using the Rivermead Post-Concussion Questionnaire (RPQ), and working memory was assessed with the N-Back task and a panel of thirteen neuroproteomic biomarkers was measured reflecting astroglial activation, neuronal and axonal injury, oxidative stress, inflammatory signaling, and neurotrophic regulation. Experienced Canadian Armed Forces breachers with extensive occupational BOP exposure were compared with unexposed controls. Bayesian latent-variable modeling provided probabilistic evidence for a chronic, subclinical neurobiological signal, with the strongest contributions arising from self-reported symptoms and smaller but consistent contributions from the biomarker domain. Working-memory performance did not load substantively on the latent factor. Several RPQ items and circulating biomarkers showed robust loadings, and the latent neuroinjury factor was elevated in breachers relative to controls (97% posterior probability). The pattern is broadly consistent with subclinical neurobiological stress in the absence of measurable cognitive impairment, suggesting early or compensated physiological alterations rather than overt dysfunction. This multidomain, biomarker-informed framework provides a mechanistically grounded and scalable approach for identifying subtle neurobiological strain in military personnel routinely exposed to repetitive low-level blast. It may offer value for risk stratification, operational health surveillance, and the longitudinal monitoring of neurobiological change in high-risk occupations. Full article

Atomic-scale strain is the basis of a material’s macroscopic deformation behavior. The current measure of atomic-scale strain in the form of the Green–Lagrange tensor loses its physical meaning beyond the yield point, as atomic neighborhoods undergo significant reconstructions. We have recently introduced a new atomic-scale strain measure, namely, atomic bond strain, through our study of bond behavior in multicomponent metallic glasses. Here, we apply this new strain measure to uniaxial tensile tests (simulated using molecular dynamics) of several representative single-crystal FCC (face-centered cubic) metals under varied strain rates. We show that this new strain measure displays remarkable near-linear correlation with stress, not only in the elastic regime, but also in the plastic regime where complex dislocation dynamics (nucleation, bursting, motion, annihilation, regeneration) and stress fluctuations take place. This suggests that the overall stress of the materials even in the plastic regime is predominantly determined by the degree of bond stretching among all atoms. This appears to contradict the common conceptions that the plastic flow stress of a crystalline material is governed by dislocation events involving only a small fraction of atoms around dislocations, and that the stress–strain relationship is highly non-linear for plastic deformation. The contradictions can be reconciled by considering the causal sequence: dislocation events alter bond stretching, and bond stretching directly determines the stress. This brings a novel insight into the nature of plastic deformation, owing to the newly introduced atomic bond strain. How well the near-linear correlation between the stress and the atomic bond strain holds in other materials (e.g., non-FCC single crystals, polycrystals, quasicrystals, elements, alloys, and compounds) is an intriguing and important topic for future investigation, following the example of this work. Full article

Background: The global incidence of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis continues to rise. The ribosome serves as a target for multiple antimicrobials, making functional research on it hold great significance. Methods: Using homologous recombination combined with a multiple serine integrase-mediated site-specific recombination system, we replaced the two endogenous rRNA operons in Mycobacterium smegmatis MC² 155 with a single copy of the single rRNA operon from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, constructing the M. smegmatis BRkoA strain. We assessed growth kinetics at 37 °C, cold sensitivity at lower temperatures, transcriptional levels by RT-qPCR, 70S ribosome integrity through cryo-EM, and antimicrobial susceptibility by microdilution assays. Results: The BRkoA strain was successfully constructed. It exhibited markedly slower growth compared to the wild-type strain. Cold-sensitivity assays indicated potential ribosome assembly defects, while transcriptional analysis suggested altered rRNA processing and modification. Cryo-EM analysis further demonstrated the absence of specific ribosomal proteins in the BRkoA 70S ribosome. Moreover, BRkoA displayed reduced susceptibility tendency to several ribosome-targeting antibiotics, including kanamycin, amikacin, paromomycin, gentamicin, and linezolid. Conclusions: Replacement of the two endogenous rrn operons in M. smegmatis with a single copy of the single M. tuberculosis rrn operon using a serine integrase-mediated recombination system caused growth impairment and decreased sensitivity tendency to several ribosome-targeting antimicrobials. These findings suggest that ribosome structural variation contributes to intrinsic drug resistance mechanisms. Full article

Chinese wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.), a specialty crop with ecological, medical, and economic value in Ningxia province of China, is subject to severe damage from Aphis gossypii Glover. Currently, A. gossypii populations show extremely high-level resistance to beta-cypermethrin in the major wolfberry planting areas in Ningxia. The specific resistance mechanisms, however, are still not known. In this work, we collected a field A. gossypii strain (HSP) from a wolfberry orchard in Ningxia in 2021 using a single-time sampling method, and its resistance to beta-cypermethrin was determined to be extremely high (994.74-fold) as compared with that of a susceptible strain (SS). Then we explored the potential resistance mechanisms from two aspects, namely, metabolic detoxification and target-site alterations. Bioassays of beta-cypermethrin with or without a synergist showed that piperonyl butoxide (PBO) significantly increased the toxicity of beta-cypermethrin (4.72-fold) to the HSP strain, while triphenyl phosphate (TPP) and diethyl maleate (DEM) exhibited no significant synergistic effects. Correspondingly, the O-demethylase activity of cytochrome P450s in the HSP strain was 1.68-fold higher than that in the susceptive strain (SS), whereas changes in carboxylesterases and glutathione S-transferases activities were unremarkable. Also, fifteen upregulated P450 genes were identified by both RNA-Seq and qRT-PCR technologies, containing eleven CYP6 genes, three CYP4 genes, and one CYP380 gene. Especially, five CYP6 genes with high relative expression levels (>3.00-fold) were intensively expressed by beta-cypermethrin induction in the HSP aphids. These metabolism-related results indicate the key role of P450-mediated metabolic detoxification in HSP resistance to beta-cypermethrin. Sequencing of voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) genes identified a prevalent M918L mutation and a new G1012D mutation in HSP A. gossypii. Moreover, heterozygous 918 M/L and 918 M/L + G1012D mutations were the dominant genotypes with frequencies of 60.00% and 36.67% in the HSP population, respectively. Overall, VGSC mutations along with P450-mediated metabolic resistance contributed to the extremely high resistance of the HSP wolfberry aphids to beta-cypermethrin, providing support for A. gossypii control and resistance management in the wolfberry planting areas of Ningxia using insecticides with different modes of action. Full article

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease in which barrier impairment, immune dysregulation, and gut–skin dysbiosis intersect, prompting growing interest in probiotics as microbiota-modulating adjuncts. We conducted a narrative review of peer-reviewed articles indexed in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, restricted to publications from 1 January 2018 to 31 October 2025 (searches last run in December 2025). Eligible evidence included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), observational studies, and mechanistic or conceptual reviews addressing microbiome alterations and microbiota-modulating interventions in AD. Most pediatric RCTs using multistrain, Lactobacillus-dominant formulations (often combined with Bifidobacterium) reported modest improvements in AD severity and pruritus and in selected barrier- and inflammation-related biomarkers. However, direct cutaneous microbiome “restoration” outcomes were reported in a minority of studies, and most clinical evidence relies on clinical endpoints and gut–skin axis plausibility rather than longitudinal skin microbiome readouts. Single-strain regimens showed inconsistent effects, and evidence in adolescents and adults remained heterogeneous. Mechanistically, probiotics may enhance short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) signaling, dampen toll-like receptor 2/4 (TLR2/4)-nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation, and promote interleukin-10 (IL-10)- and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)-driven tolerance. Probiotics are a biologically plausible adjunct targeting the gut–skin axis in AD and are generally well tolerated; however, heterogeneity across trials, limited follow-up, inconsistent adverse-event reporting, and scarce skin microbiome endpoints preclude firm clinical recommendations. Full article

Acute extracardiac conditions can occasionally produce electrocardiographic abnormalities that closely mimic acute coronary occlusion, posing a diagnostic challenge and increasing the risk of unnecessary activation of invasive cardiac pathways. Severe gastrointestinal distension, although uncommon, is a recognized cause of transient ST-segment elevation due to mechanical displacement of the heart, autonomic imbalance, and abrupt changes in ventricular loading conditions. These alterations may be particularly misleading in patients with chronic regional wall motion abnormalities, in whom new ECG changes risk being misinterpreted as recurrent ischemia. We report the case of a 68-year-old man with a history of inferior myocardial infarction who presented with marked abdominal distension secondary to a closed-loop small bowel obstruction. Despite the absence of chest pain, his ECG showed significant anterolateral ST-segment elevation. High-sensitivity troponin I remained negative, and transthoracic echocardiography demonstrated preserved anterior and apical motion, chronic inferior akinesia, and unchanged global longitudinal strain. Following nasogastric decompression, the ST-segment normalized completely within fifteen minutes. Subsequent imaging confirmed a closed-loop volvulus requiring urgent surgical intervention, with full bowel viability preserved. This case underscores the importance of integrating clinical context, biomarkers, and rapid echocardiographic assessment when evaluating ST-segment elevation, helping avoid unnecessary coronary angiography in the presence of extracardiac causes. Full article

Leishmaniasis is a severe parasitic disease transmitted by sandflies that affects both humans and animals, with clinical manifestations ranging from cutaneous lesions to life-threatening visceral involvement. Current treatments are limited by toxicity, high cost, and the emergence of drug-resistant strains, underscoring the need for safer and more effective therapeutic strategies. In this study, we investigated the antiparasitic potential of combining Amphotericin B, a drug commonly used for leishmaniasis treatment, with 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione (phendione) coordinated to copper (Cu²⁺-phendione), an experimental coordination compound, against Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes. The combination markedly impaired parasite proliferation, disrupted ultrastructural integrity, and interfered with metabolic activity. Mechanistic analyses revealed the presence of autophagosomes and pronounced mitochondrial alterations in treated parasites, suggesting the induction of cellular stress and the disruption of essential survival pathways. In addition, the treatment reduced the association index with THP-1 cells, indicating a decrease in parasite infectivity. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that the combination of Cu²⁺-phendione and Amphotericin B exerts potent antiparasitic effects through multiple mechanisms. Our results also showed that Cu²⁺-phendione combined with AmB displayed an additive effect, although the isobologram suggested that certain ratios approached synergy. The results support the potential of this combination as a novel chemotherapeutic approach against leishmaniasis and provide a basis for future in vivo studies to evaluate safety, efficacy, and optimal dosing strategies. Full article

The hemibiotrophic bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae (Pst) infects a range of plant species and causes enormous economic losses. Despite its agronomic significance, the molecular mechanisms underlying tomato–Pst interactions remain largely uncharacterized. To elucidate these mechanisms, we conducted a comprehensive transcriptomic analysis using infected tomato leaves inoculated with virulent strains Pst DC3000 at relatively early time points. RNA-sequencing of nine libraries identified stage-specific expression patterns, with DEG counts ranging from 484 to 1267 upregulated and from 560 to 844 downregulated genes. Enrichment analysis highlighted significant alterations in metabolic pathways, plant–pathogen interaction networks, and hormone signaling cascades, with marked transcriptional reprogramming observed between the pre- and post-infection stages. A longitudinal analysis of gene expression dynamics identified 15 consistently upregulated and 9 downregulated genes across all post-inoculation time points. Notably, in several candidate genes, a homologous gene of AtNSP2, SlNSP-Like was confirmed to be involved in disease resistance in tomato leaves. SlNSP-Like is localized in the cytoplasm and nucleus, and the transient overexpression of SlNSP-Like tomato plant exhibits significant resistance to Pst DC3000. This study provides valuable insights into the molecular dialogue between tomato and Pst, and the identified regulatory genes and pathways serve as promising targets for breeding disease-resistant tomato cultivars and developing management strategies against bacterial spot disease. Full article

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (UC), are characterized by chronic gastrointestinal inflammation and involve complex interactions of genetic, environmental, and immune factors. Enterococcus faecalis, a gut commensal bacterium, has been implicated in IBD pathogenesis. This study investigated the effects of monocolonization with a UC-derived E. faecalis strain on acute dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in germ-free (GF) mice, focusing on epithelial injury, inflammatory markers, hematologic indices, and bacterial translocation. In DSS-treated mice, monocolonization was associated with modest and mixed effects, including a higher colitis-related disease activity score, reduced anemia, increased fecal albumin and a trend towards reduced fecal calprotectin. Despite translocation of E. faecalis to mesenteric lymph nodes, no systemic dissemination was observed. Histological analysis revealed broadly similar inflammatory patterns between DSS-treated groups, with slightly more epithelial injury observed in colonized mice. These findings suggest that E. faecalis may influence discrete aspects of DSS injury in a strain-dependent and context-specific manner, rather than broadly altering overall disease severity. This study highlights the utility of GF models for examining strain-specific host–microbe interactions and underscores that individual bacterial isolates may exert heterogeneous and selective effects on acute colitis. Further research is needed to elucidate these complex mechanisms. Full article

Water alkalinization is a critical global stressor for freshwater fish, yet the systemic patterns of multi-organ responses and injury remain insufficiently understood. This study integrates histopathology, biochemistry, and multi-organ transcriptomics to provide an integrated, time-resolved assessment of stress responses in European perch (Perca fluviatilis) exposed to acute alkaline stress (20 mmol/L). The analysis indicated that alkaline stress initially causes structural disturbance of gill tissue (lamellar fusion, necrosis) within 96 h, associated with impaired osmoregulatory functions. This primary dysfunction was followed by progressive hepatic impairment, characterized by uncontrolled oxidative stress (elevated levels in Malondialdehyde, MDA) and widespread hepatocyte necrosis. Transcriptomic analysis identified extensive transcriptional shifts associated with these alterations: large-scale differential expression in the liver (3629 Differentially Expressed Genes, DEGs) and kidney (478 DEGs). Notably, the liver exhibited a stress-responsive transcriptional profile involving activation of the HIF-1 signaling pathway and mobilizing protein quality control systems (e.g., ‘Proteasome,’ ‘Lysosome’) consistent with mitigation of proteotoxic stress. This compensatory response appeared insufficient to prevent severe metabolic disruption and cellular injury. This study presents a time-associated sequence of organ-specific stress responses under acute alkalinity, identifying candidate stress-associated genes (slc7a11, egln3, klhl38b) as potential targets for future functional studies and breeding alkali-tolerant strains. Full article

Fusarium wilt causes substantial losses in many crops, and Penicillium rubens strain 212 (PO212) is a well-established biological control agent effective against several soil-borne pathogens, including the causal agents of Fusarium wilt. Before its widespread use, it is essential to assess whether applying PO212 may affect indigenous soil microbial communities. To address this, two open-field tomato trials were conducted to evaluate spatial and temporal changes in non-target soil fungal communities following the application of PO212. Fungal community profiles were monitored over one year using PCR–DGGE of fungal rDNA, and representative DGGE bands were sequenced for taxonomic confirmation. Community structure and variability were analysed using cluster analysis (UPGMA and Neighbor-Joining) and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) to determine the effects of treatment, sampling date, and soil depth. PO212 application did not significantly altered the composition or diversity of indigenous soil fungal communities. DGGE banding patterns and diversity indices were similar between treated and untreated soils throughout the study period. Observed community changes were driven primarily by temporal (seasonal) variation, with samples collected at 365 days clustering separately from earlier sampling dates for both treatments. AMOVA confirmed that sampling date, rather than PO212 treatment, explained most of the variance in community composition (p < 0.05). Although PO212 persisted in soil, fluctuations in other fungal populations were minor and within the range of natural seasonal variability. Overall, field application of PO212 did not disrupt indigenous soil fungal communities, supporting its environmental safety as a biocontrol agent for managing Fusarium wilt. Full article

Introduction: Worldwide, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent chronic liver disorder, strongly associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Although patients have a preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), individuals having NAFLD may demonstrate subclinical cardiac dysfunction. Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) enables a more sensitive evaluation, identifying even subtle alterations of myocardial strain, compared to conventional LVEF measurements. This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to examine the relationship between NAFLD and subclinical left ventricular systolic impairment, utilizing STE-derived strain parameters. Methods: A comprehensive search of the literature was undertaken using PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus. Observational studies evaluating patients with NAFLD through STE-derived myocardial strain parameters were included. Study quality was appraised using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The primary outcomes were the mean differences (MD) in global longitudinal strain (GLS), global circumferential strain (GCS), global radial strain (GRS), global area strain (GAS), and related strain rate indices between NAFLD spectrum patients and controls. Results: A total of sixteen studies, comprising 8359 participants, were included in the analysis. Compared to controls, patients with NAFLD demonstrated significant reductions in GLS (MD: −2.043; 95% CI: −2.868, −1.218), GAS (MD: −3.706; 95% CI: −4.999, −2.413), and GCS (MD: −1.415; 95% CI: −2.893, 0.064). These reductions were more substantial among individuals with moderate to severe NAFLD and those with concomitant type 2 diabetes mellitus (GLS MD: −4.385; 95% CI: −5.400, −3.369 in diabetic NAFLD vs. diabetic controls). Subgroup analysis further revealed a progressive deterioration in strain parameters from simple steatosis to more severe NAFLD. Notably, LVEF remained preserved in all groups, highlighting the subclinical nature of this dysfunction. Conclusions: This meta-analysis verifies the presence of subclinical left ventricular systolic dysfunction in individuals with NAFLD, which is identifiable by STE despite preserved LVEF. Myocardial strain metrics, particularly GLS, serve as sensitive early markers of myocardial impairment. Routine application of STE in the clinical assessment of NAFLD may support earlier cardiovascular risk detection and timely intervention. Full article

Background and Objectives: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder primarily affecting children, driven by genetic, immunologic, and environmental factors. Emerging evidence links gut microbiota alterations to immune modulation and AD severity. Probiotics, live microorganisms providing health benefits when consumed in adequate amounts, have been proposed as a potential adjunctive therapy. This review evaluates the efficacy of various probiotic treatments in reducing SCORAD indices and symptoms in children with AD, and its effects on immunologic markers such as IgE. Materials and Methods: Through a systematic literature review of multiple electronic databases through 9 October 2024, we identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in pediatric patients with an established diagnosis of atopic dermatitis. Our search strategy was as follows: “((atopy) OR (dermatitis) OR (hypersensitivity)) AND pediatric AND probiotic” yielding 25 total studies. Patients were treated with either a probiotic regimen or placebo and assessed for levels of IgE and SCORAD indices. Results: Of 25 studies extracted, 14 RCTs evaluated the effects of probiotics on atopic dermatitis using SCORAD scores. Eleven showed significant reductions in SCORAD indices. Pooled analysis using a random-effects model (Hedges’ g ≈ 0.65, p < 0.05) indicated a moderate to large improvement in AD severity with probiotic therapy. However, heterogeneity in probiotic strains, intervention duration, and limited sample sizes are limitations that warrant further investigation. Secondary analysis of IgE changes showed a non-significant effect (g ≈ 0.15, p = 0.13), possibly due to short study durations (mean 12 weeks). Conclusions: Probiotics demonstrate a moderate to large clinical impact in reducing SCORAD indices among children with atopic dermatitis. These findings highlight their potential as a future adjunctive, non-pharmaceutical therapy for the roughly 9.6 million pediatric patients affected in the United States. Further studies are needed to clarify strain-specific effects and patient factors influencing response. Full article

Over the last decade, laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) received increased attention as a method of producing complex-shaped products from various materials. Recent results indicate the potential of this technology for the production of intermetallic NiTi alloys with shape memory. Several studies have demonstrated a strong influence of the LPBF process conditions on the resulting material properties, i.e., the martensitic phase transformation temperatures, reversible/irreversible strain after cyclic loading, phase composition, chemical composition, etc. However, the mechanisms of functional properties altering during LPBF consolidation remain unexplored in the present state-of-the-art. This study aims to advance the knowledge about tailoring material properties of NiTi under laser influence. In this work, thin-walled samples were manufactured from pre-alloyed NiTi powder via LPBF in a wide window of laser power and scanning speed, excluding hatch spacing by employing a single track-based scanning strategy to reveal the pure effect of the laser’s influence. NiTi samples were characterized by various methods such as differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, and mechanical tests. Established relationships between NiTi properties and the LPBF process conditions provide the basis for the development of NiTi production protocols with controlled functional properties. Full article