Agriculture, the strategic cornerstone of national long-term stability, is undergoing a fundamental shift from resource-dependent to technology-driven, driven by global food security and ecological conservation needs. Traditional agriculture can no longer sustain the growing food demand. Scientific and technological advancements are fundamental guarantees for ensuring food supply security and are the primary driver for future agricultural development. This special issue compiles the latest research advancements from diverse experts, covering fields such as microbe-driven green agriculture, pesticide technology innovation, intelligent agricultural machinery, smart manufacturing, and molecular design breeding fundamentals. It aims to inspire researchers to explore cutting-edge directions in future agriculture, promote interdisciplinary collaboration and technological integration, and thereby drive innovative breakthroughs and industrial transformation in agricultural modernization.
Agriculture/methods* ; Crops, Agricultural/genetics* ; Food Supply ; Biotechnology ; Pesticides

Small RNAs (sRNAs), the key components of RNA interference (RNAi) or RNA silencing, can mediate cell-autonomous gene silencing and function as signaling molecules across species. Microbe-induced gene silencing (MIGS), which is based on interspecies RNAi, is an effective approach for controlling fungal diseases in crops. The enolase gene VdEno is essential for the growth and development of the fungal pathogen Verticillium dahliae, which causes cotton Verticillium wilt. In this study, we engineered Trichoderma harzianum (Th) to express the double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) targeting VdEno. The engineered strain Th-VdEnoi successfully generated VdEno-specific small interfering RNA (siVdEno). We further confirmed that Th-VdEnoi effectively induced VdEno silencing at the translational level. The results of crop protection assays revealed that the cotton plants co-inoculated with V. dahliae (strain V592) and Th-VdEnoi presented significantly reduced disease severity and lower fungal biomass in their roots than the control plants inoculated with V. dahliae alone or with V. dahliae and Th-GFPi (a control strain expressing GFP-targeting dsRNA). Collectively, our findings demonstrate that VdEno is an effective target for controlling cotton Verticillium wilt and confirm that MIGS is a promising strategy for managing soil-borne fungal pathogens in crops. MIGS provides strong technical support for reducing the application of conventional chemical pesticides, developing eco-friendly biopesticides, and facilitating the sustainable development of agriculture.
Gossypium/microbiology* ; Plant Diseases/prevention & control* ; Gene Silencing ; Ascomycota/genetics* ; RNA Interference ; RNA, Double-Stranded/genetics* ; Hypocreales/genetics* ; RNA, Small Interfering/genetics* ; Verticillium/genetics* ; Fungal Proteins/genetics*

Objective To establish a machine learning radiomics model that can accurately predict MRI enhancement patterns of glioma based on T2 fluid attenuated inversion recovery(T2-FLAIR)images for optimizing the workflow of magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)examinations of glioma patients.Methods We retrospectively collected preoperative MR T2-FLAIR images from 385 patients with pathologically confirmed glioma,who were divided into enhancing and non-enhancing groups according to the enhancement pattern.Predictive radiomics models were established using Gaussian Process,Linear Regression,Linear Regression-Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator,Support Vector Machine,Linear Discriminant Analysis or Naive Bayes as the classifiers in the training cohort(n=201)and tested both in the internal(n=85)and external validation cohorts(n=99).The receiver-operating characteristic curve was used to assess the predictive performance of the models.Results The predictive model constructed based on 15 radiomics features using Gaussian Process as the classifier had the best predictive performance in both the training cohort and the internal validation cohort,with areas under the curve(AUC)of 0.88(95%CI:0.81-0.94)and 0.80(95%CI:0.71-0.88),respectively.In the external validation cohort,the model showed an AUC of 0.81(95%CI:0.71-0.90)with sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 0.98,0.61,0.76 and 0.96,respectively.Conclusion The T2-FLAIR-based machine learning radiomics model can accurately predict the enhancement pattern of gliomas on MRI.

Objective To establish a machine learning radiomics model that can accurately predict MRI enhancement patterns of glioma based on T2 fluid attenuated inversion recovery(T2-FLAIR)images for optimizing the workflow of magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)examinations of glioma patients.Methods We retrospectively collected preoperative MR T2-FLAIR images from 385 patients with pathologically confirmed glioma,who were divided into enhancing and non-enhancing groups according to the enhancement pattern.Predictive radiomics models were established using Gaussian Process,Linear Regression,Linear Regression-Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator,Support Vector Machine,Linear Discriminant Analysis or Naive Bayes as the classifiers in the training cohort(n=201)and tested both in the internal(n=85)and external validation cohorts(n=99).The receiver-operating characteristic curve was used to assess the predictive performance of the models.Results The predictive model constructed based on 15 radiomics features using Gaussian Process as the classifier had the best predictive performance in both the training cohort and the internal validation cohort,with areas under the curve(AUC)of 0.88(95%CI:0.81-0.94)and 0.80(95%CI:0.71-0.88),respectively.In the external validation cohort,the model showed an AUC of 0.81(95%CI:0.71-0.90)with sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 0.98,0.61,0.76 and 0.96,respectively.Conclusion The T2-FLAIR-based machine learning radiomics model can accurately predict the enhancement pattern of gliomas on MRI.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the role and mechanism of microRNA-125b (miR-125b) in downregulating ion channel-related protein expression in a cardiac hypertrophy model.METHODS① In vivo:Lentiviral vectors for miR-125b overexpression and knockdown were constructed,and male C57BL/6 mice were divided into the following groups:sham group (thoracotomy without virus injection),LV-miR-125b group (mmu-miR-125b mimic),LV-miR-125b-inhibitor group (mmu-miR-125b-inhibitor),and negative control group (LV-NC).The mice were raised under normal conditions for 4 weeks.The ultrastructural changes in myocardium tissue sections of LV-miR-125b mice were observed using trans-mission electron microscopy.The cardiac hypertrophy model in mice was established using thoracic aortic constriction (TAC).Echocardiography was performed to measure ejection fraction (EF) and frac-tional shortening (FS),and the ratio of heart weight to body weight (HW/BW),ratio of heart weight to tibia length (HW/TL),as well as the expression level of the myocardial hypertrophy marker β-myosin heavy chain (β-MHC) were calculated to evaluate the success of the TAC-induced hypertrophy model.Subse-quently,C57BL/6 mice were divided into four groups:Sham group,TAC model group,LV-miR-125b-inhibitor+TAC group,and LV-NC+TAC group.Protein expression levels of cardiac sodium channel (Nav1.5) and calcium channel (Cav1.2) were detected using Western blotting.RT-qPCR was performed to assess the levels of miR-125b and mRNA expression of myocardial hypertrophy markers,including atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP),brain natriuretic peptide (BNP),and β-MHC.② In vitro:Primary cultured neonatal Kunming mouse cardiomyocytes were divided into four groups:cell control group (no treatment),miR-125b overexpression group,miR-125b-inhibitor group,and negative control group (NC).RT-qPCR was used to detect the levels of miR-125b,ANP,BNP,and β-MHC.Western blotting and immunofluorescence were performed to assess the expression levels of Nav1.5 and Cav1.2 in the cardiomyocytes.Luciferase reporter gene assay was used to evaluate the direct effect of miR-125b on the target proteins Nav1.5 and Cav1.2.RESULTS ① In vivo:Compared to the Sham group,the TAC model mice showed significantly increased the ratio of heart weight to body weight (HW/BW),the ratio of heart weight to tibia length (HW/TL),and expression levels of the myocardial hypertrophy marker β-MHC (P＜0.05),indicating the successful establishment of the TAC model.Furthermore,miR-125b expression was significantly elevated in the TAC model group (P＜0.01).In the LV-miR-125b group,compared to the LV-NC group,the expression levels of myocardial hypertrophy markers ANP,BNP,and β-MHC were significantly increased (P＜0.01),while the ejection fraction (EF) and fractional short-ening (FS) values of the mice were significantly reduced (P＜0.01).Additionally,Additionally,myocardium ultrastructure of LV-miR-125b group was damaged.Compared to the LV-NC+TAC group,the LV-miR-125b-inhibitor+TAC group showed a significant increase in ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS) values (P＜0.05).Additionally,the levels of Nav1.5 and Cav1.2 in myocardium tissue were signifi-cantly elevated in the LV-miR-125b-inhibitor+TAC group compared to the LV-NC+TAC group (P＜0.05).② In vitro:Compared to the NC group,the miR-125b overexpression group showed a significant increase in miR-125b expression (P＜0.01),as well as elevated levels of ANP,BNP,and β-MHC (P＜0.01).However,miR-125b-inhibitor significantly reversed the increases in ANP,BNP,and β-MHC (P＜0.01).Western blotting and immunofluorescence results showed that,compared to the NC group,the miR-125b mimic group exhibited significantly decreased levels of Nav1.5 and Cav1.2 (P＜0.01),while miR-125b-inhibitor led to an increase in the levels of both Nav1.5 and Cav1.2.Luciferase assay results demon-strated that miR-125b directly binds to the ion channel proteins Nav1.5 and Cav1.2,encoded by the SCN5A and CACNA1C genes.CONCLUSION miR-125b promotes the development of cardiac hyper-trophy by inhibiting the voltage-gated ion channel proteins Nav1.5 and Cav1.2 Inhibition of miR-125b expression improves cardiac hypertrophy.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the role and mechanism of microRNA-125b (miR-125b) in downregulating ion channel-related protein expression in a cardiac hypertrophy model.METHODS① In vivo:Lentiviral vectors for miR-125b overexpression and knockdown were constructed,and male C57BL/6 mice were divided into the following groups:sham group (thoracotomy without virus injection),LV-miR-125b group (mmu-miR-125b mimic),LV-miR-125b-inhibitor group (mmu-miR-125b-inhibitor),and negative control group (LV-NC).The mice were raised under normal conditions for 4 weeks.The ultrastructural changes in myocardium tissue sections of LV-miR-125b mice were observed using trans-mission electron microscopy.The cardiac hypertrophy model in mice was established using thoracic aortic constriction (TAC).Echocardiography was performed to measure ejection fraction (EF) and frac-tional shortening (FS),and the ratio of heart weight to body weight (HW/BW),ratio of heart weight to tibia length (HW/TL),as well as the expression level of the myocardial hypertrophy marker β-myosin heavy chain (β-MHC) were calculated to evaluate the success of the TAC-induced hypertrophy model.Subse-quently,C57BL/6 mice were divided into four groups:Sham group,TAC model group,LV-miR-125b-inhibitor+TAC group,and LV-NC+TAC group.Protein expression levels of cardiac sodium channel (Nav1.5) and calcium channel (Cav1.2) were detected using Western blotting.RT-qPCR was performed to assess the levels of miR-125b and mRNA expression of myocardial hypertrophy markers,including atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP),brain natriuretic peptide (BNP),and β-MHC.② In vitro:Primary cultured neonatal Kunming mouse cardiomyocytes were divided into four groups:cell control group (no treatment),miR-125b overexpression group,miR-125b-inhibitor group,and negative control group (NC).RT-qPCR was used to detect the levels of miR-125b,ANP,BNP,and β-MHC.Western blotting and immunofluorescence were performed to assess the expression levels of Nav1.5 and Cav1.2 in the cardiomyocytes.Luciferase reporter gene assay was used to evaluate the direct effect of miR-125b on the target proteins Nav1.5 and Cav1.2.RESULTS ① In vivo:Compared to the Sham group,the TAC model mice showed significantly increased the ratio of heart weight to body weight (HW/BW),the ratio of heart weight to tibia length (HW/TL),and expression levels of the myocardial hypertrophy marker β-MHC (P＜0.05),indicating the successful establishment of the TAC model.Furthermore,miR-125b expression was significantly elevated in the TAC model group (P＜0.01).In the LV-miR-125b group,compared to the LV-NC group,the expression levels of myocardial hypertrophy markers ANP,BNP,and β-MHC were significantly increased (P＜0.01),while the ejection fraction (EF) and fractional short-ening (FS) values of the mice were significantly reduced (P＜0.01).Additionally,Additionally,myocardium ultrastructure of LV-miR-125b group was damaged.Compared to the LV-NC+TAC group,the LV-miR-125b-inhibitor+TAC group showed a significant increase in ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS) values (P＜0.05).Additionally,the levels of Nav1.5 and Cav1.2 in myocardium tissue were signifi-cantly elevated in the LV-miR-125b-inhibitor+TAC group compared to the LV-NC+TAC group (P＜0.05).② In vitro:Compared to the NC group,the miR-125b overexpression group showed a significant increase in miR-125b expression (P＜0.01),as well as elevated levels of ANP,BNP,and β-MHC (P＜0.01).However,miR-125b-inhibitor significantly reversed the increases in ANP,BNP,and β-MHC (P＜0.01).Western blotting and immunofluorescence results showed that,compared to the NC group,the miR-125b mimic group exhibited significantly decreased levels of Nav1.5 and Cav1.2 (P＜0.01),while miR-125b-inhibitor led to an increase in the levels of both Nav1.5 and Cav1.2.Luciferase assay results demon-strated that miR-125b directly binds to the ion channel proteins Nav1.5 and Cav1.2,encoded by the SCN5A and CACNA1C genes.CONCLUSION miR-125b promotes the development of cardiac hyper-trophy by inhibiting the voltage-gated ion channel proteins Nav1.5 and Cav1.2 Inhibition of miR-125b expression improves cardiac hypertrophy.

Humans ; Adult ; Serum Albumin, Human ; Consensus ; Cardiac Surgical Procedures ; Thoracic Surgery

Antrodia cinnamomea is extensively used as a traditional medicine to prevention and treatment of liver cancer. However, its comprehensive chemical fingerprint is uncertain, and the mechanisms, especially the potential therapeutic target for anti-hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are still unclear. Using UPLC‒Q-TOF/MS, 139 chemical components were identified in A. cinnamomea dropping pills (ACDPs). Based on these chemical components, network pharmacology demonstrated that the targets of active components were significantly enriched in the pathways in cancer, which were closely related with cell proliferation regulation. Next, HCC data was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus database (GEO). The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and DisGeNET were analyzed by bioinformatics, and 79 biomarkers were obtained. Furtherly, nine targets of ACDP active components were revealed, and they were significantly enriched in PI3K/AKT and cell cycle signaling pathways. The affinity between these targets and their corresponding active ingredients was predicted by molecular docking. Finally, in vivo and in vitro experiments showed that ACDPs could reduce the activity of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and downregulate the expression of cell cycle-related proteins, contributing to the decreased growth of liver cancer. Altogether, PI3K/AKT-cell cycle appears as the significant central node in anti-liver cancer of A. Cinnamomea.

Objective    To evaluate the safety and efficacy of mitral valve surgery and cryoablation in elderly patients with mitral valve disease and persistent or long-term persistent atrial fibrillation. Methods    From May 2014 to July 2018, 144 patients with mitral valve diseases combined with persistent or long-term persistent atrial fibrillation in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command were selected. Among them, there were 69 patients in a non-elderly group (<60 years) including 18 males and 51 females aged 52.07±5.56 years, and 75 patients in an elderly group (≥60 years) including 32 males and 43 females aged 65.23±4.29 years. A propensity-score matching (PSM) study was conducted to eliminate confounding factors. Both groups underwent mitral valve surgery and cryoablation at the same time. A 2-year follow-up was conducted after discharge from the hospital, and the perioperative and postoperative efficacy indexes were compared between the two groups. Results    After PSM analysis, there were 56 patients in each group. The sinus rhythm conversion rate of the two groups at each follow-up time point was above 85%, and the cardiac function was graded asⅠorⅡ, which was significantly improved compared with that before the surgery, but there was no statistical difference between the two groups (P>0.05). Among the perioperative indicators of the two groups, the elderly group had more coronary artery bypass graft surgeries and longer postoperative ICU stay time compared with the non-elderly group (P<0.05), and the differences in other indicators were not statistically different (P>0.05). Conclusion    The mitral valve surgery and cryoablation in elderly patients with mitral valve diseases combined with persistent or long-term persistent atrial fibrillation are safe, and the short-term outcome is satisfactory.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether CaN-NFAT3 pathway mediates the protective effects of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) 2 in high glucose-treated neonatal rat ventricular myocytes. METHODS: The ventricular myocytes were isolated from the heart of neonatal (within 3 days) SD rats by enzyme digestion and cultured in the presence of 5-Brdu. After reaching confluence, the cultured ventricular myocytes were identified using immunofluorescence assay for -SA protein. The cells were then cultured in either normal (5 mmol/L) or high glucose (30 mmol/L) medium in the presence of ALDH2 agonist Alda-1, ALDH 2 inhibitor Daidzin, or Alda-1 and NFAT3 inhibitor (11R-VIVIT). Fluorescent probe and ELISA were used to detect intracellular Ca concentration and CaN content, respectively; ALDH2, CaN and NFAT3 protein expressions in the cells were detected using Western blotting. RESULTS: Compared with cells cultured in normal glucose, the cells exposed to high glucose showed a significantly decreased expression of ALDH2 protein ( < 0.05) and increased expressions of CaN ( < 0.05) and NFAT3 proteins with also increased intracellular CaN and Ca concentrations ( < 0.01). Alda-1 treatment significantly lowered Ca concentration ( < 0.05), intracellular CaN content ( < 0.01), and CaN and NFAT3 protein expressions ( < 0.05), and increased ALDH2 protein expression ( < 0.05) in high glucose- exposed cells; Daidzin treatment significantly increased Ca concentration ( < 0.01) and intracellular CaN content ( < 0.05) in the exposed cells. Compared with Alda-1 alone, treatment of the high glucose-exposed cells with both Alda-1 and 11R-VIVIT did not produce significant changes in the expression of ALDH2 protein (>0.05) but significantly reduced the expression of NFAT3 protein ( < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Mitochondrial ALDH2 protects neonatal rat cardiomyocytes against high glucose-induced injury possibly by negatively regulating Ca-CaN-NFAT3 signaling pathway.
Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Mitochondrial ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism ; Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Benzamides ; pharmacology ; Benzodioxoles ; pharmacology ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Culture Media ; Enzyme Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Glucose ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Isoflavones ; pharmacology ; Mitochondria, Heart ; enzymology ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; drug effects ; metabolism ; NFATC Transcription Factors ; metabolism ; Nuclear Pore Complex Proteins ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley