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Background Technosoils in Inowrocław, central Poland, are impacted by human activities and exhibit high salinity (ECe up to 70 dS/m) due to a soda lime repository. These saline environments pose challenges to plant growth and soil health. However, they also offer an opportunity for the evolution of microorganisms adapted to such conditions, including plant growth-promoting rhizospheric (PGPR) bacteria. The hypothesis tested here was that introducing PGPR bacteria from these environments could boost degraded soil performance, leading to better plant biomass and improved pathogen defense. Methods Azotobacter chroococcum W4ii was isolated from the rhizosphere of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) for its plant growth properties on wheat plants under salt stress. Results Wheat seeds co-inoculated with A. chroococcum W4ii under 200 mM salt stress showed significant improvement in various growth parameters such as seeds germination (by 130%), shoot biomass (15%), chlorophyll b content (40%) compared to un-inoculated ones. Bacterial inoculation decreased the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) by 55.5% (P

Background Technosoils in Inowrocław, central Poland, are impacted by human activities and exhibit high salinity (ECe up to 70 dS/m) due to a soda lime repository. These saline environments pose challenges to plant growth and soil health. However, they also offer an opportunity for the evolution of microorganisms adapted to such conditions, including plant growth-promoting rhizospheric (PGPR) bacteria. The hypothesis tested here was that introducing PGPR bacteria from these environments could boost degraded soil performance, leading to better plant biomass and improved pathogen defense. Methods Azotobacter chroococcum W4ii was isolated from the rhizosphere of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) for its plant growth properties on wheat plants under salt stress. Results Wheat seeds co-inoculated with A. chroococcum W4ii under 200 mM salt stress showed significant improvement in various growth parameters such as seeds germination (by 130%), shoot biomass (15%), chlorophyll b content (40%) compared to un-inoculated ones. Bacterial inoculation decreased the level of malondialdehyde (MDA), whereas it elevated the antioxidative enzymatic activities of peroxidase (POD). The test isolate also enhanced the level of defense enzymes like β-1,3-glucanase, which can protect plants from infection by pathogens. The bacterium could also successfully colonize the wheat plants. Conclusions These results indicate that A. chroococcum isolated from the technosoil has the potential to promote wheat growth under salt stress and can be further used as a bioinoculant in the salt affected agricultural fields.

Abstract In ovarian cancer, there is no current method to accurately predict recurrence after a complete response to chemotherapy. Here, we develop a machine learning risk score using serum proteomics for the prediction of early recurrence of ovarian cancer after initial treatment. The developed risk score was validated in an independent cohort with serum collected prospectively during the remission period. In the discovery cohort, patients scored as low-risk had a median time to recurrence (TTR) that was not reached at 10 years compared to 10.5 months (HR 4.66, p

Even though canola is one of the most important industrial crops worldwide, it has high nutrient requirements and is susceptible to pests and diseases. Therefore, natural methods are sought to support the development of these plants. One of those methods could be a plant growth–promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) that have a beneficial effect on plant development. The aim of this study was a genomic comparison of two PGPR strains chosen based on their effect on canola growth: Peribacillus frigoritolerans 2RO30, which stimulated canola growth only in sterile conditions, and Pseudomonas sivasensis 2RO45, which promoted canola growth in both sterile and non-sterile conditions. First of all, six bacterial strains: RO33 (Pseudomonas sp.), RO37 (Pseudomonas poae), RO45 (Pseudomonas kairouanensis), 2RO30 (Peribacillus frigoritolerans), 2RO45 (Pseudomonas sivasensis), and 3RO30 (Pseudomonas migulae), demonstrating best PGP traits in vitro, were studied for their stimulating effect on canola growth under sterile conditions. P. frigoritolerans 2RO30 and P. sivasensis 2RO45 showed the best promoting effect, significantly improving chlorophyll content index (CCI) and roots length compared to the non-inoculated control and to other inoculated seedlings. Under non-sterile conditions, only P. sivasensis 2RO45 promoted the canola growth, significantly increasing CCI compared to the untreated control and to other inoculants. Genome comparison revealed that the genome of P. sivasensis 2RO45 was enriched with additional genes responsible for ACC deaminase (acdA), IAA (trpF, trpG), and siderophores production (fbpA, mbtH, and acrB) compared to 2RO30. Moreover, P. sivasensis 2RO45 showed antifungal effect against all the tested phytopathogens and harbored six more biosynthetic gene clusters (BGC), namely, syringomycin, pyoverdin, viscosin, arylpolyene, lankacidin C, and enterobactin, than P. frigoritolerans 2RO30. These BGCs are well known as antifungal agents; therefore, it can be assumed that these BGCs were responsible for the antifungal activity of P. sivasensis 2RO45 against all plant pathogens. This study is the first report describing P. sivasensis 2RO45 as a canola growth promoter, both under controlled and natural conditions, thus suggesting its application in improving canola yield, by improving nutrient availability, enhancing stress tolerance, and reducing environmental impact of farming practices.

BackgroundThe Occlutech Atrial Flow Regulator (AFR) is a self-expandable double-disc nitinol device with a central fenestration. Its use has been approved in the adult population with heart failure and described for pulmonary hypertension (PH). Only case reports and small series have been published about its use in the paediatric population and for congenital heart disease (CHD).ObjectivesThe authors sought to investigate the feasibility, safety, and short-term follow-up of AFR implantation in patients with CHD or children with PH or cardiomyopathy.MethodsThis is a multicenter retrospective study involving 10 centers worldwide. Patients of any age with CHD or patients aged

Halo blight is a plant disease that leads to a significant decrease in the yield of common bean crops and kiwi fruits. The infection is caused by Pseudomonas syringae pathovars that produce phaseolotoxin, an antimetabolite which targets arginine metabolism, particularly by inhibition of ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC). OTC is responsible for production of citrulline from ornithine and carbamoyl phosphate. Here we present the first crystal structures of the plant OTC from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtOTC). Structural analysis of AtOTC complexed with ornithine and carbamoyl phosphate reveals that OTC undergoes a significant structural transition when ornithine enters the active site, from the opened to the closed state. In this study we discuss the mode of OTC inhibition by phaseolotoxin, which seems to be able to act only on the fully opened active site. Once the toxin is proteolytically cleaved, it mimics the reaction transition state analogue to fit inside the fully closed active site of OTC. Additionally, we indicate the differences around the gate loop region which rationally explain the resistance of some bacterial OTCs to phaseolotoxin.

The aim of this work was to develop and characterize a thin films composed of hyaluronic acid/ellagic acid for potential medical application. Its principal novelty, distinct from the prior literature in terms of hyaluronic acid films supplemented with phenolic acids, resides in the predominant incorporation of ellagic acid—a distinguished compound—as the primary constituent of the films. Herein, ellagic acid was dissolved in two different solvents, i.e., acetic acid (AcOH) or sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and the surface properties of the resultant films were assessed using atomic force microscopy and contact angle measurements. Additionally, various physicochemical parameters were evaluated including moisture content, antioxidant activity, and release of ellagic acid in phosphate buffered saline. Furthermore, the evaluation of films’ biocompatibility was conducted using human epidermal keratinocytes, dermal fibroblasts, and human amelanotic melanoma cells (A375 and G361), and the antimicrobial activity was elucidated accordingly against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15442. Our results showed that the films exhibited prominent antibacterial properties particularly against Staphylococcus aureus, with the 80HA/20EA/AcOH film indicating the strong biocidal activity against this strain leading to a significant reduction in viable cells. Comparatively, the 50HA/50EA/AcOH film also displayed biocidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus. This experimental approach could be a promising technique for future applications in regenerative dermatology or novel strategies in terms of bioengineering.