Genome diversification of symbiotic fungi in beetle-fungus mutualistic symbioses.

Ambrosia beetles and their fungal symbionts represent a widespread and diverse insect-fungus mutualism. This study investigates the genomic adaptations associated with the evolution of the ambrosia lifestyle across multiple fungal lineages. We performed comparative genomic analyses on 70 fungal genomes from four families (Irpicaceae, Ceratocystidaceae, Nectriaceae, and Ophiostomataceae), including 24 ambrosia and 34 non-ambrosia lineages.

Left Ventricle Myocardial Remodeling Following Septal Myectomy in Patients with Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy.

Background: Left ventricular (LV) reverse myocardial remodeling occurs following septal myectomy in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM), but it remains unclear whether diffuse fibrosis is reversible during this period. Extracellular volume fraction (ECV) and indexed extracellular volume (iECV) are important surrogate markers of diffuse myocardial fibrosis. This study aimed to investigate whether diffuse myocardial fibrosis in HOCM can regress after myectomy.

Establishing an Interactive Sequence Database for Shiitake Cultivar Identification.

Shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) hold significant cultural and economic value, particularly in Asia where they are extensively cultivated. The diversification of shiitake cultivars, driven by the need to adapt to various climatic conditions and cultivation methods, has resulted in over 200 distinct cultivars. Reliable identification of these cultivars is crucial for breeding, intellectual property protection, and effective genetic resource management.

Incremental Prognostic Value of Cardiac MRI Feature Tracking and T1 Mapping in Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy.

Purpose To explore the role of cardiac MRI feature tracking (FT) and T1 mapping in predicting sustained ventricular arrhythmias (VA) in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) and to investigate their possible incremental value beyond ARVC risk score. Materials and Methods The retrospective study analyzed 91 patients with ARVC (median age, 36 years [IQR, 27-50 years]; 60 male, 31 female) who underwent cardiac MRI examinations between November 2010 and March 2022. The primary end point was the first occurrence of sustained VA after cardiac MRI to first VA, with censoring of patients who were alive without VA at last follow-up.

Optimal liquid-based DNA preservation for DNA barcoding of field-collected fungal specimens.

Preserving fungal tissue DNA in the field is essential for molecular ecological research, enabling the study of fungal biodiversity and community dynamics. This study systematically compares two liquid-based preservation solutions, RNAlater and DESS, for their effectiveness in maintaining macrofungi DNA integrity during field collection and storage. The research encompasses both controlled experiments and real-world field collections.

Second-Order Motion-Compensated Echo-Planar Cardiac Diffusion-Weighted MRI: Usefulness of Compressed Sensitivity Encoding.

Background: Cardiac diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) using second-order motion-compensated spin echo (M2C) can provide noninvasive in-vivo microstructural assessment, but limited by relatively low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Echo-planar imaging (EPI) with compressed sensitivity encoding (EPICS) could address these issues.

Purpose: To combine M2C DWI and EPCIS (M2C EPICS DWI), and compare image quality for M2C DWI.

Clinical manifestations and susceptibility of Scedosporium/Lomentospora infections at a tertiary medical centre in Taiwan from 2014 to 2021: A retrospective cohort study.

Background: Scedosporiosis/lomentosporiosis is a globally emerging and crucial fungal infection. However, clinical data on Scedosporium/Lomentospora infections in Taiwan are scarce.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the clinical characteristics of Scedosporium/Lomentospora-infected patients and evaluate the susceptibility of these isolates to antifungal agents.

Body size of fungus-growing termites infers on the volume and density of their fungal cultivar.

The body size of an animal plays a crucial role in determining its trophic level and position within the food web, as well as its interactions with other species. In the symbiosis between and fungus-growing termites, termites rely on nutrition of fungal nodules produced by . To understand whether the size of termites and fungal nodules are related to their partner specificity, we quantified the size of termite farmer caste, and the size and density of nodules in termite nests of four genera of fungus-growing termites, and identified their cultivated fungus species based on internal transcribed spacer regions and partial large subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequences.

Keratitis in Taiwan: Molecular Identification, Antifungal Susceptibilities, and Clinical Features.

We performed molecular identification and antifungal susceptibilities of pathogens and investigated clinical features of 43 culture-proven keratitis cases from 2015-2020 in Taiwan. The pathogens were identified by sequencing of their internal transcribed spacer regions of ribosomal DNA and translation elongation factor 1α gene; their antifungal susceptibilities (to seven agents) were determined by broth microdilution method. We also collected clinical data to compare the drug susceptibilities and clinical features of species complex (FSSC) isolates with those of other species complexes (non-FSSC).

First report of causing root rot on rice seedling in Taiwan.

Rice ( L.) is the principle staple crops in the World and its production can be severely damaged by species. Several species including , , , , , have been recorded to cause rice seedling root rot in Taiwan (List of Plant Diseases in Taiwan edited by Tzean et al.

Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography Assessment of High-Risk Plaques in Predicting Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is a comprehensive, non-invasive and cost-effective imaging assessment approach, which can provide the ability to identify the characteristics and morphology of high-risk atherosclerotic plaques associated with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The development of CCTA and latest advances in emerging technologies, such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD), have made it possible not only to identify the morphological characteristics of high-risk plaques non-invasively, but also to assess the hemodynamic parameters, the environment surrounding coronaries and so on, which may help to predict the risk of ACS. In this review, we present how CCTA was used to characterize the composition and morphology of high-risk plaques prone to ACS and the current role of CCTA, including emerging CCTA technologies, advanced analysis, and characterization techniques in prognosticating the occurrence of ACS.