The plant F-box protein more axillary growth 2 (MAX2) is a key factor in the signal transduction of strigolactones (SLs) and karrinkins (KARs). As the main component of the SKP1-CUL1-FBX (SCF) complex ubiquitin ligase E3, MAX2 is responsible for specifically recognizing the target proteins, suppressor of MAX2 1/SMAX1-like proteins (SMAX1/SMXLs), which would be degraded after ubiquitination. It can thereby regulate plant morphogenesis and stress responses. There exist homologous genes of MAX2 in the important grain and oil crop soybean (Glycine max). However, its role in plant defense responses has not been investigated yet. Here, GmMAX2b, a homologous gene of MAX2, was successfully cloned from stressed soybean. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that there were two MAX2 homologous genes, GmMAX2a and GmMAX2b, with a similarity of 96.2% in soybean. Their F-box regions were highly conserved. The sequence alignment and cluster analysis of plant MAX2 homologous proteins basically reflected the evolutionary relationship of plants and also suggested that soybean MAX2 might be a multifunctional protein. Expression analysis showed that plant pathogen infection and salicylic acid treatment induced the expression of GmMAX2b in soybean, which is consistent with that of MAX2 in Arabidopsis. Ectopic expression of GmMAX2b compensated for the susceptibility of Arabidopsis max2-2 mutant to pathogen, indicating that GmMAX2b positively regulated plant disease resistance. In addition, yeast two hybrid technology was used to explore the potential target proteins of GmMAX2b. The results showed that GmMAX2b interacted with SMXL6 and weakly interacted with SMXL2. In summary, GmMAX2b is a positive regulator in plant defense responses, and its expression is induced by pathogen infection and salicylic acid treatment. GmMAX2b might exert its effect through interaction with SMXL6 and SMXL2. This study expands the theoretical exploration of soybean disease resistant F-box and provides a scientific basis for future soybean disease resistant breeding.
Glycine max/metabolism* ; Disease Resistance/genetics* ; Plant Diseases/immunology* ; Plant Proteins/genetics* ; Cloning, Molecular ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; F-Box Proteins/genetics* ; Arabidopsis/genetics* ; Phylogeny

[Objective]To evaluate the utility of left atrial(LA)volume and strain measured by 4D auto left atrial quantification(4D auto LAQ)in differentiating pre-capillary from post-capillary pulmonary hypertension(PH),and to compare its discriminative performance with echocardiographic pulmonary to left atrial global strain ratio(ePLAGS).[Methods]A total of ninety-eight subjects with intermediate to high probability of PH were prospectively enrolled.Clinical history and laboratory data were collected.All patients underwent comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography,and LA volume and strain parameters were measured by dedicated commercial software for LA 4D analysis.[Results]Based on pulmonary arterial wedge pressure,patients were divided into pre-capillary PH group[n=39;mean age(53±24)years]and post-capillary PH group[n=59;mean age(57±18)years].Compared to the pre-capillary PH group,the post-capillary PH group showed significantly higher LAVImax,LAVImin and LAVIpreA but markedly lower LASr and LAScd.Multivariate logistic regression identified LAVImax[OR:1.40;95%CI:(1.052,1.872);P=0.021]and LAScd[OR:1.76;95%CI:(1.183,2.489);P=0.004]as independent predictors of post-capillary PH.ROC analysis demonstrated that LAVImax(AUC=0.82,P＜0.001)and LAScd(AUC=0.78,P＜0.001)had strong discriminating power for predicting post-capillary PH group,with optimal cutoff values of 35.69 mL/m2(sensitivity 86%,specificity 74%)and-9%(sensitivity 80%,specificity70%).[Conclusion]LAVImax and LAScd measured with 4D auto LAQ are robust parameters for distinguishing pre-capillary PH from post-capillary PH.

Nonunion of osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVF), predominantly affecting the elderly, can lead to intractable pain, vertebral collapse, progressive kyphotic deformity, and neurological impairment, significantly compromising patients′ quality of life. There exists considerable debate on diagnosis and management of OVF, encompassing key issues such as clinical diagnosis and staging criteria for nonunion, surgical indications and procedure selection, and postoperative rehabilitation planning. Currently, there lacks standardized clinical guideline and expert consensus on the diagnosis and management of OVF nonunion in China. To address this gap, Minimally Invasive Surgery Group of Chinese Orthopedic Association, Osteoporosis Committee of Chinese Association of Orthopedic Surgeons, Prevention and Rehabilitation Committee for Osteoporosis of Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine and Minimally Invasive Orthopedic Surgery Branch of China Association for Geriatric Care jointly organized domestic experts in spinal surgery, endocrinology, and rehabilitation to formulate the Clinical guideline for the diagnosis and treatment for nonunion of osteoporotic vertebral fractures ( version 2025), based on existing literature and clinical experience and adhering to principles of scientific rigor and practicality. The guideline provided 13 evidence-based recommendations encompassing diagnosis and treatment of OVF nonunion, aiming to standardize its clinical management.

Objective To verify the performance of an non competitive immune sandwich method(candidate method)in detecting 25(OH)D,and evaluate the measurement agreement of candidate method with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS,reference method).Methods According to the comparison of documents such as China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment(CNAS)-GL037,the precision,linear interval,lower limit of quantitation(LOQ)and accuracy of the method for detecting 25(OH)D were verified.1 073 residual serum samples were collected from March to July 2021 and 25(OH)D was detected by the two methods.Passing-bablok regression,concordance correlation coefficient(CCC),Bland altman plots and Kappa test were used to analyze the consistency and bias.Weighted Kappa test was conducted to evaluate the consistency of two methods for clinical assessment of vitamin D nutritional status.Results The performance of candidate method:the within-run CV was lower than 5%and the in laboratory CV were lower than 10%;test results between 2.88～52.45 ng/ml showed good linear relationship;the lower limit of quantitation was 2.26 ng/ml,the bias of candidate method measuring standard reference materials were within±6%and within 15%measuring vitamin D external quality assessment scheme(DEQAS)samples.The comparison method and the reference method showed good correlation(r=0.965,CCC=0.946)with an average deviation of-1.54 ng/ml(-7.42%).The two methods coincidence rate in judging vitamin D status was 85.96%(918/1 068),and the weighted kappa value was 0.801.Conclusions The candidate method measurement performance met the clinical requirements,and showed good correlation and consistency with the reference method.

Objective To verify the performance of an non competitive immune sandwich method(candidate method)in detecting 25(OH)D,and evaluate the measurement agreement of candidate method with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS,reference method).Methods According to the comparison of documents such as China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment(CNAS)-GL037,the precision,linear interval,lower limit of quantitation(LOQ)and accuracy of the method for detecting 25(OH)D were verified.1 073 residual serum samples were collected from March to July 2021 and 25(OH)D was detected by the two methods.Passing-bablok regression,concordance correlation coefficient(CCC),Bland altman plots and Kappa test were used to analyze the consistency and bias.Weighted Kappa test was conducted to evaluate the consistency of two methods for clinical assessment of vitamin D nutritional status.Results The performance of candidate method:the within-run CV was lower than 5%and the in laboratory CV were lower than 10%;test results between 2.88～52.45 ng/ml showed good linear relationship;the lower limit of quantitation was 2.26 ng/ml,the bias of candidate method measuring standard reference materials were within±6%and within 15%measuring vitamin D external quality assessment scheme(DEQAS)samples.The comparison method and the reference method showed good correlation(r=0.965,CCC=0.946)with an average deviation of-1.54 ng/ml(-7.42%).The two methods coincidence rate in judging vitamin D status was 85.96%(918/1 068),and the weighted kappa value was 0.801.Conclusions The candidate method measurement performance met the clinical requirements,and showed good correlation and consistency with the reference method.

[Objective]To evaluate the utility of left atrial(LA)volume and strain measured by 4D auto left atrial quantification(4D auto LAQ)in differentiating pre-capillary from post-capillary pulmonary hypertension(PH),and to compare its discriminative performance with echocardiographic pulmonary to left atrial global strain ratio(ePLAGS).[Methods]A total of ninety-eight subjects with intermediate to high probability of PH were prospectively enrolled.Clinical history and laboratory data were collected.All patients underwent comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography,and LA volume and strain parameters were measured by dedicated commercial software for LA 4D analysis.[Results]Based on pulmonary arterial wedge pressure,patients were divided into pre-capillary PH group[n=39;mean age(53±24)years]and post-capillary PH group[n=59;mean age(57±18)years].Compared to the pre-capillary PH group,the post-capillary PH group showed significantly higher LAVImax,LAVImin and LAVIpreA but markedly lower LASr and LAScd.Multivariate logistic regression identified LAVImax[OR:1.40;95%CI:(1.052,1.872);P=0.021]and LAScd[OR:1.76;95%CI:(1.183,2.489);P=0.004]as independent predictors of post-capillary PH.ROC analysis demonstrated that LAVImax(AUC=0.82,P＜0.001)and LAScd(AUC=0.78,P＜0.001)had strong discriminating power for predicting post-capillary PH group,with optimal cutoff values of 35.69 mL/m2(sensitivity 86%,specificity 74%)and-9%(sensitivity 80%,specificity70%).[Conclusion]LAVImax and LAScd measured with 4D auto LAQ are robust parameters for distinguishing pre-capillary PH from post-capillary PH.

Nonunion of osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVF), predominantly affecting the elderly, can lead to intractable pain, vertebral collapse, progressive kyphotic deformity, and neurological impairment, significantly compromising patients′ quality of life. There exists considerable debate on diagnosis and management of OVF, encompassing key issues such as clinical diagnosis and staging criteria for nonunion, surgical indications and procedure selection, and postoperative rehabilitation planning. Currently, there lacks standardized clinical guideline and expert consensus on the diagnosis and management of OVF nonunion in China. To address this gap, Minimally Invasive Surgery Group of Chinese Orthopedic Association, Osteoporosis Committee of Chinese Association of Orthopedic Surgeons, Prevention and Rehabilitation Committee for Osteoporosis of Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine and Minimally Invasive Orthopedic Surgery Branch of China Association for Geriatric Care jointly organized domestic experts in spinal surgery, endocrinology, and rehabilitation to formulate the Clinical guideline for the diagnosis and treatment for nonunion of osteoporotic vertebral fractures ( version 2025), based on existing literature and clinical experience and adhering to principles of scientific rigor and practicality. The guideline provided 13 evidence-based recommendations encompassing diagnosis and treatment of OVF nonunion, aiming to standardize its clinical management.

Objective:To clone the Helicobacter pylori(Hp)hp0169 gene and conduct the crystallographic study,and to clarify its secondary and tertiary structures.Methods:The hp0169 gene and its encoded protein sequence of the Hp NCTC26695 strain were retrieved from the UniProt database.Bioinformatics method was used to analyze the physicochemical properties of the Hp recombinant protease(HpPrtC)protein;SOPMA and DNAStrar softwares were used to predict the secondary structure characteristics of HpPrtC protein;SWISS-MODEL software was used to construct the tertiary structure of the HpPrtC protein;IEDB and ABCpred softwares were used to predict the antigenic epitopes of the B lymphocytes HpPrtC protein;SYFPEITMI website was used to predict the antigenic epitopes of the T lymphocytes of HpPrtC protein;the expert pool(EP)and random forest(RF)algorithms were used to predict the crystallizability of the HpPrtC protein;the HpPrtC recombinant protein was expressed in the prokaryotic system;the HpPrtC recombinant protein was purified by Ni2+affinity chromatography and size-exclusion chromatography;the crystallization conditions for HpPrtC were screened by crystallization kit.Results:The hp0169 gene contained 1 269 base pairs and encoded the protein of 422 amino acids,the theoretical isoelectric point was 7.64 and the relative molecular weight was 47 300.HpPrtC was a hydrophilic and soluble protein.The number of amino acids of alpha helices of HpPrtC accounted for 35.78%,beta sheets 18.72%,beta turns 6.87%,and random coils 38.63%.The antigen epitope analysis results showed that HpPrtC contained five dominant linear epitopes of B lymphocytes,three conformational epitopes,and multiple potential dominant epitopes of T lymphocytes.The homology modeling results showed that HpPrtC formed a dimer,and each monomer displayed a barrel structure surrounded by β sheets,alpha helices,and random coils.HpPrtC was predicted to have moderate crystallizability without signal peptides and transmembrane helices.Small clustered needle-like crystals of HpPrtC were obtained under the conditions of 0.2 mol·L-1 magnesium chloride,0.1 mol·L-1 tris(hydroxymethyl)amino methane(Tris),3.4 mol·L-1 hexanediol,and pH=8.5.Conclusion:HpPrtC is a hydrophilic protein that forms a dimeric structure and crystallizes into small clustered needle-like crystals under suitable conditions.HpPrtC contains dominant antigenic epitopes of the T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes and can serve as an antigen for the design of Hp vaccines to establish the multivalent fusion vaccines or multi-epitope vaccines;the results provide an experimental basis for the prevention and control of Hp.

Objective To design a storage device for lymph node specimens of gynecological malignant tumors and to evaluate its application effect.Methods The specimen depository is composed of 3 parts,including storage frame,partition plate and marking plate.391 patients with gynecological malignant tumor surgeries requiring collection of retroperitoneal lymph nodes were selected in the operating room of a tertiary A hospital in Zhejiang Province from January to December 2022 in accordance with the operation schedule.They were randomly divided into an experimental group(n=196)and a control group(n=195).Patients in the experimental group used a newly developed storage device,while the control group was with traditional device.The incidence of additional verification specimens by doctors,the average time for disposing of lymph node specimens,and the job satisfaction survey of doctors and nurses were compared.Results Within a period of 12 months after utilizing this easily recognizable specimen storage device,the additional verification rate in the experimental group was 10.62％compared with the rate of 72.48％in the control group.The average time of disposing lymph node specimens was reduced from(8.3±0.9)to(5.2±0.3)minutes.Doctors and nurses in the experimental group reported a higher level of satisfaction for the specimen storage device(P＜0.05).Conclusion Utilizing the newly designed specimen storage device can help medical staff to alleviate their workload,enhance their work efficiency,raise their job satisfaction,and ensure the accuracy of pathological results.

Generally, small for gestational age(SGA) infants will catch up with growth after birth, but some SGAs fail to show enough catch-up growth, leading to physical growth backwardness, and the risk of metabolic diseases in adult offspring increases. The application of exogenous growth hormone replacement therapy can ensure and promote the occurrence of SGA catching up with growth. However, as growth hormone exerts therapeutic effects in related clinical diseases, clinical attention is gradually being paid to whether growth hormone may bring long-term risks. This article aims to review the efficacy and potential risks of growth hormone treatment for SGA.