Despite the existence of over half million species of plant-eating insects, our planet remains predominantly green. In fact, susceptibility to herbivory is the exception, as plants are resistant to most insect species. This phenomenon is known as nonhost resistance (NHR), where every individual of a plant species is resistant to all variants of a pest or pathogen. While NHR represents the most common and durable outcome of the plant immune system, several aspects of this type of plant defence remains elusive, particularly in plant-insect interactions. In this review, we clarify the concepts of NHR in plant-insect interaction. We emphasize that NHR is a phenomenon arising as a consequence of effective plant defences providing invulnerability to most insect herbivores. This underscores that NHR is one of the main ecological features delimiting the range of plant-insect interactions on Earth. We further highlight the traits and molecular components of the plant immune system known to participate in NHR against insects. Finally, we discuss how NHR can be leveraged as a tool to develop pest resilient crops. Given the significant threat insects pose to global food security, research in plant NHR represents a crucial focal point with immense potential for ensuring food security worldwide.

BACKGROUND: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a global disease estimated to affect one-third of the world\'s population. NAFLD is the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome. In recent years, formulations have been made using haematological laboratory parameters, and it has been reported to be associated with inflammation and fibrosis in the liver. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the neutrophil to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio (NHR) in patients diagnosed with NAFLD by ultrasonographic imaging for the first time in the literature.
METHODS: The study was carried out by recruiting men and women between the ages of 18 and 65 years who applied to the check-up outpatient clinic of our hospital. Ultrasonography was used as the diagnostic method for hepatosteatosis in all cases. Venous blood samples were taken from the patients for haematological and biochemical measurements.
RESULTS: The study population consisted of 155 patients, 115 of whom were fatty liver patients and 40 were controls. NHR was determined as 99.6 ± 56.8 in those with grade 1 fatty liver, 114.98 ± 39.2 in those with grade 2, 122.9 ± 51.1 in those with grade 3, and 86.17 ± 35.2 in the control group. In the analysis, NHR was statistically significantly higher in grade 2 and 3 fatty liver patients compared with the control group (p = 0.03 and 0.01, respectively). However, there was no statistical difference between grade 1 fatty liver patients and the control group (p = 0.53).
CONCLUSIONS: We found higher NHR in patients with NAFLD. NHR is a cheap and easy to access parameter. An elevated NHR with FIB-4 in patients with NAFLD may be a marker of liver inflammation or fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Based on European guidelines, transcatheter aortic valve implementation (TAVI) could be the therapy of choice in patients with severe aortic stenosis aged ≥ 75 years. In the Netherlands, there has been a debate between healthcare providers and the National Health Care Institute regarding reimbursement for TAVI, which resulted in an indication document that defines TAVI patients who are eligible for reimbursement. This document has been effective since 1 January 2021.
METHODS: We extracted data from the Netherlands Heart Registry for patients who underwent biological surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) or TAVI in the Netherlands from 2018 through 2021. We compared baseline characteristics and variables from the indication document for the subsequent years and age groups. We also analysed the annual SAVR/TAVI ratio.
RESULTS: The total number of patients treated with SAVR or TAVI was constant in 2018-2021. Baseline characteristics of patients treated with TAVI did not differ throughout the years. The SAVR/TAVI ratio shifted towards a higher percentage of TAVI from 2018 to 2019. From 2019 to 2020, the TAVI percentage was constant. Since the implementation of the indication document (in 2021), a change in the SAVR/TAVI ratio was not found either.
CONCLUSIONS: Since the implementation of the national indication document for AVR in 2021, no major effect was seen for the SAVR versus TAVI landscape in the Netherlands.

UNASSIGNED: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignant disease characterized by a single clonal proliferation of B cell-derived plasma cells in the bone marrow. It is the second most common haematologic malignancy in adults. The objective of this retrospective study is to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of haematologic parameters in MM.
UNASSIGNED: The difference of NLR/ALB ratio (NAR) and NLR/HDL-C ratio (NHR) between the 151 newly diagnosed MM patients and 153 healthy controls was compared. According to NAR and NHR cutoff values obtained from the ROC curve, MM patients were divided into low group and high group. The differences in hematological parameters and survival time between the two groups were compared. Independent prognostic analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazard regression model.
UNASSIGNED: The NAR and NHR values in MM group were significantly higher than those in control group (P < 0.001). Higher NAR levels were significantly associated with lower albumin (ALB), higher β2 microglobulin(β2-MG), higher creatinine (Crea), and highe ISS stage (All P<0.05). High NHR group was significantly correlated with age , β2-MG and ISS stage (All P<0.05). In high NAR or NHR groups, OS and DFS was significantly shortened and the prognosis was poor (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that PLT, ISS stage and NAR were independent prognostic indicators of OS in MM patients, while ALB, PLT and NAR were independent prognostic factors of DFS.
UNASSIGNED: NAR and NHR are inexpensive, readily available diagnostic indicators for MM, and NAR is an independent prognostic factor for MM.

Ischemic stroke (IS) exhibits significant heterogeneity in terms of etiology and pathophysiology. Several recent studies highlight the significance of inflammation in the onset and progression of IS. White blood cell subtypes, such as neutrophils and monocytes, participate in the inflammatory response in various ways. On the other hand, high-density lipoproteins (HDL) exhibit substantial anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions. Consequently, novel inflammatory blood biomarkers have emerged, such as neutrophil to HDL ratio (NHR) and monocyte to HDL ratio (MHR). Literature research of two databases (MEDLINE and Scopus) was conducted to identify all relevant studies published between 1 January 2012 and 30 November 2022 dealing with NHR and MHR as biomarkers for IS prognosis. Only full-text articles published in the English language were included. Thirteen articles have been traced and are included in the present review. Our findings highlight the utility of NHR and MHR as novel stroke prognostic biomarkers, the widespread application, and the calculation of which, along with their inexpensive cost, make their clinical application extremely promising.

BACKGROUND: The relationships between inflammatory indexes and atherosclerosis as well as those between blood lipid indexes and atherosclerosis have been widely studied, but the relationship between the neutrophil to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (NHR) and atherosclerosis had not been investigated until the present study.
METHODS: For this cross-sectional study, we continuously collected data from a health examination population in the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2012 to December 2017 (N = 1978). The collected data included clinical data, hematological indexes, and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (Ba-PWV). Atherosclerosis was defined as Ba-PWV ≥ 1400 cm/s. The relationship between the NHR and atherosclerosis was explored via univariate regression analysis, multivariate regression analysis, smoothing function analysis, and analysis of a threshold saturation effect.
RESULTS: Among 1978 participants, the mean age was 54 years, 1189 participants (60.11%) were male, and 1103 (55.76%) had a history of atherosclerosis. Univariate analysis showed a positive association between the NHR and atherosclerosis [odds ratio (OR) = 1.19, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11-1.27, P < 0.01], and this positive association remained significant on multivariate analyses with adjustments for confounding factors (OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.06-1.24, P < 0.01). Generalized additive model results revealed a non-linear relationship with a saturation effect between the NHR and atherosclerosis, with a threshold at 3.32. At values ≤ 3.32, the NHR was positively associated with atherosclerosis, but the association was not statistically significant for values > 3.32.
CONCLUSIONS: A nonlinear relationship with a certain saturation effect was observed between the NHR and atherosclerosis in a health examination population.

UNASSIGNED: This study was to explore the predictive value of monocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR), neutrophils to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (NHR), C-reactive protein-to-lymphocyte ratio (CLR), and C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR) for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis (APTB).
UNASSIGNED: A total of 991 active pulmonary tuberculosis (APTB) patients (201 with T2DM) were hospitalized in the Department of Tuberculosis, Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology were included. The routine blood examination indicators and biochemical parameters were collected to calculate MHR, NHR, CLR, and CAR. The Pearson correlation analysis, Univariate Logistic regression analysis, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were performed to assess the predictive value of MHR, NHR, CLR, and CAR for APTB-T2DM patients.
UNASSIGNED: The levels of MHR, NHR, CLR, and CAR in the APTB-T2DM patients were significantly higher than in the APTB-no T2DM patients (P < 0.05). Additionally, the MHR, NHR, CLR, and CAR have a positive correlation with fasting blood glucose in the whole study population. However, in the APTB-T2DM patients, MHR, NHR, and CAR were not correlated with fasting blood glucose, and only CLR was positively correlated with fasting blood glucose. The area under curve (AUC) predicting APTB-T2DM patients of the MHR, NHR, CLR, and CAR was 0.632, 0.72, 0.715, and 0.713, respectively. Further, univariate logistic regression analyses showed that the higher MHR, NHR, CLR, and CAR were independent risk factors for APTB-T2DM (P < 0.01). The MHR, NHR, CLR, and CAR quartiles were used to divide the APTB patients into four groups for further analysis. The prevalence of T2DM was significantly higher in APTB individuals as MHR, NHR, CLR, and CAR values increased (P < 0.05).
UNASSIGNED: MHR, NHR, CLR, and CAR are simple and practicable inflammatory parameters that could be used for assessing T2DM in APTB. APTB patients have a greater possibility to be diagnosed with T2DM with the higher MHR, NHR CLR, and CAR values. Therefore, more attention should be given to the indicator in the examination of APTB.

Nuclear receptors (NRs) are responsible for the regulation of diverse developmental and physiological systems in metazoans. NR actions can be the result of genomic and non-genomic mechanisms depending on whether they act inside or outside of the nucleus respectively. While the actions of both mechanisms have been shown to be crucial to NR functions, non-genomic actions are considered less frequently than genomic actions. Furthermore, hypotheses on the origin and evolution of non-genomic NR signaling pathways are rarely discussed in the literature. Here we summarize non-genomic NR signaling mechanisms in the context of NR protein family evolution and animal phyla. We find that NRs across groups and phyla act via calcium flux as well as protein phosphorylation cascades (MAPK/PI3K/PKC). We hypothesize and discuss a possible synapomorphy of NRs in the NR1 and NR3 families, including the thyroid hormone receptor, vitamin D receptor, ecdysone receptor, retinoic acid receptor, steroid receptors, and others. In conclusion, we propose that the advent of non-genomic NR signaling may have been a driving force behind the expansion of NR diversity in Cnidarians, Placozoans, and Bilaterians.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD), as a most common cause of death, is mainly caused by atherosclerosis. Due to the role of inflammation in the process of atherosclerosis, in the present study, the relationship between the severity of coronary artery disease and inflammatory factors of monocyte to HDL-C ratio (MHR), platelet-to-HDL-C ratio (PHR), neutrophil to HDL-C ratio (NHR), and IL-25 was investigated. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 64 patients with diagnosis of coronary artery disease who were undergoing angiography in Farshchian heart center in Hamadan were studied. For each patient, the count of monocytes, neutrophils, platelet, and HDL-C, and IL-25 were measured from their blood and serum samples. Also, demographic information, such as age, gender, diabetes, smoking, and history of hypertension, was collected using a checklist. Data were described using frequency, percent, mean, and standard deviation. Statistical analysis was performed using independent t test, Mann-Whitney, Wilcoxon, and Spearman rank correlation tests, and multiple linear regression by SPSS version 25.0 SPSS Inc). P <.05 was considered as significant. Results: The results of this study showed that IL-25 and MHR index has a significant correlation with coronary artery disease and Gensini score (P ˂.001). The PHR index was associated with coronary artery disease. Also, qualitative variables, such as history of hypertension, history of smoking, and gender, have a significant association with the severity of coronary artery disease (P <.05). Conclusion: Among the inflammatory markers examined, IL-25 and MHR are stronger markers for assessing the severity of coronary artery disease. Simple and available IL-25 and MHR measurements may be able to, along with common risk factors and lipid profiles, predict the amount of vascular occlusion in treatment centers as an alternative of angiography as well as screening high risk patients prone to cardiovascular disease.

To understand the characteristics of winter fine aerosol pollution in Beijing, we conducted continuous measurements of the atmospheric trace gas ammonia (NH3), PM2.5, and inorganic ions in PM2.5 at an urban site in Beijing from February 13 to March 17, 2015. The hourly average concentration of NH3 throughout the campaign was 15.4 ± 17.5 ppb. NH3 concentrations correlated well with NH4+ in PM2.5, indicating the dominant precursor role of NH3 on NH4+ formation. The diurnal profile indicated an increase in NH3 concentrations during the morning rush hours, which was likely due to vehicle emissions. The mean ammonium conversion ratio (NHR) was 0.26, with the highest value of 0.32 in the afternoon. Elevated NHR, nitrate oxidation ratio (NOR), and NH4+ coincided with the significant increase in O3 levels in the afternoon, indicating the large daytime formation of NH4NO3 via photochemical reactions. Moreover, higher NHR values occurred under higher relative humidity (RH >60%) and lower temperature (0-10 °C). NHR increased during the nighttime and correlated well with RH, indicating the dominant role of heterogeneous reactions on gas-particle partitioning. The sulfate oxidation ratio (SOR) and NOR showed positive correlations with RH, which suggests that the conversions of SO2 to SO42- and NO2 to NO3- were sensitive to changes in RH. The sustained increase in SO42- concentrations at RH >60% suggests that RH had a higher influence on SO42- formation than on NO3- formation. As the sole precursor of NH4+, NH3 significantly enhanced daytime NH4NO3 formation via homogeneous gas-phase reactions and also promoted sulfate formation via both homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions. Moreover, the back trajectory results inferred a high contribution of southwestern air masses to atmospheric NH3 and NH4+ aerosol variations in Beijing. The result suggests the need for controlling the vehicle emissions to reduce the high levels of NH3 and alleviate PM2.5 pollution in winter in Beijing.