Description of Aureibaculum luteum sp. nov. and Aureibaculum flavum sp. nov. isolated from Antarctic intertidal sediments.

Two Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile, and rod-shaped bacterial strains, designated SM1352T and A20T, were isolated from intertidal sediments collected from King George Island, Antarctic. They shared 99.8% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with each other and had the highest sequence similarity of 98.1% to type strain of Aureibaculum marinum but < 93.4% sequence similarity to those of other known bacterial species. The genomes of strains SM1352T and A20T consisted of 5,108,092 bp and 4,772,071 bp, respectively, with the G + C contents both being 32.0%. They respectively encoded 4360 (including 37 tRNAs and 6 rRNAs) and 4032 (including 36 tRNAs and 5 rRNAs) genes. In the phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene and single-copy orthologous clusters (OCs), both strains clustered with Aureibaculum marinum and together formed a separate branch within the family Flavobacteriaceae. The ANI and DDH values between the two strains and Aureibaculum marinum BH-SD17T were all below the thresholds for species delineation. The major cellular fatty acids (> 10%) of the two strains included iso-C15:0, iso-C15:1 G, iso-C17:0 3-OH. Their polar lipids predominantly included phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified aminophospholipid, one unidentified aminolipid, and two unidentified lipids. Genomic comparison revealed that both strains possessed much more glycoside hydrolases and sulfatase-rich polysaccharide utilization loci (PULs) than Aureibaculum marinum BH-SD17T. Based on the above polyphasic evidences, strains SM1352T and A20T represent two novel species within the genus Aureibaculum, for which the names Aureibaculum luteum sp. nov. and Aureibaculum flavum sp. nov. are proposed. The type strains are SM1352T (= CCTCC AB 2014243 T = JCM 30335 T) and A20T (= CCTCC AB 2020370 T = KCTC 82503 T), respectively.

Quantitative evaluation of anastomotic perfusion during colorectal surgery via indocyanine green fluorescence angiography: a narrative review.

Background and Objective: Quantitative studies of indocyanine green (ICG) are needed to optimize its evaluative potential in anastomotic perfusion during colorectal surgery. However, some limitations still existed in current studies about qualitative evaluations such as small-scale studies, the inconsistent concentration of the drug, the method of injection, etc. Therefore, this review summarized the primary quantitative parameters, image, method, and so on, during ICG fluorescence angiography aiming to further provide a theoretical basis for the application of ICG in laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Methods: The following keywords "indocyanine green or ICG", "anastomotic perfusion", and "colorectal surgery" were applied to search for literature published from 2002 to 2022 in the PubMed, Web of Science, and Medline databases. Then, the information about ICG fluorescence angiography in quantitative evaluation of anastomotic perfusion during colorectal surgery was summarized. Through integrating the experiences derived from the literature and our research center, the crucial quantitative parameters [such as T0, Tmax, Fmax, and S (Fmax/Tmax)], image characteristics, and standard operational process for ICG fluorescence angiography were summarized. Key Content and Findings: Firstly, quantitative parameters, including T0, Tmax, Fmax, and S (Fmax/Tmax) during the ICG fluorescence angiography could predict anastomotic leakage, and thus should be recorded. Secondly, the image curve generated by the software might differ among patients, which included a filling period, reducing period, and platform period; some patients even presented a second fluorescence intensity peak. Finally, present studies presented great heterogeneity regarding the injection dose of ICG, observation distance from the laparoscope to the anastomotic site, software, and so on, during ICG fluorescence angiography in quantitatively evaluating the intestinal blood perfusion. Conclusions: This review points out the challenges of ICG fluorescence angiography in quantitative evaluation of anastomotic perfusion and gives some advice. However, some difficulties and issues are non-neglectable during the clinical implications of the quantitative evaluation of ICG, such as standardizing the specific cut-off value about the quantitative parameters, injection dose of ICG, observation distance from the laparoscope to the anastomotic site, software, and so on, during ICG fluorescence angiography in quantitatively evaluating the intestinal blood perfusion to eliminate heterogeneity.

Endoplasmic Reticulum stress-dependent expression of ERO1L promotes aerobic glycolysis in Pancreatic Cancer.

Rationale: Endoplasmic reticulum oxidoreductase 1 alpha (ERO1L) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) luminal glycoprotein that has a role in the formation of disulfide bonds of secreted proteins and membrane proteins. Emerging data identify ERO1L as a tumor promoter in a wide spectrum of human malignancies. However, its molecular basis of oncogenic activities remains largely unknown. Methods: Pan-cancer analysis was performed to determine the expression profile and prognostic value of ERO1L in human cancers. The mechanism by which ERO1L promotes tumor growth and glycolysis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) was investigated by cell biological, molecular, and biochemical approaches. Results: ERO1L was highly expressed in PDAC and its precursor pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia and acts as an independent prognostic factor for patient survival. Hypoxia and ER stress contributed to the overexpression pattern of ERO1L in PDAC. ERO1L knockdown or pharmacological inhibition with EN460 suppressed PDAC cell proliferation in vitro and slowed tumor growth in vivo. Ectopic expression of wild type ERO1L but not its inactive mutant form EROL-C394A promoted tumor growth. Bioinformatics analyses and functional analyses confirmed a regulatory role of ERO1L on the Warburg effect. Notably, inhibition of tumor glycolysis partially abrogated the growth-promoting activity of ERO1L. Mechanistically, ERO1L-mediated ROS generation was essential for its oncogenic activities. In clinical samples, ERO1L expression was correlated with the maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) in PDAC patients who received 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging preoperatively. Analysis of TCGA cohort revealed a specific glycolysis gene expression signature that is highly correlated with unfolded protein response-related gene signature. Conclusion: Our findings uncover a key function for ERO1L in Warburg metabolism and indicate that targeting this pathway may offer alternative therapeutic strategies for PDAC.

Inline Inspection with an Industrial Robot (IIIR) for Mass-Customization Production Line.

Robots are essential for the rapid development of Industry 4.0. In order to truly achieve autonomous robot control in customizable production lines, robots need to be accurate enough and capable of recognizing the geometry and orientation of an arbitrarily shaped object. This paper presents a method of inline inspection with an industrial robot (IIIR) for mass-customization production lines. A 3D scanner was used to capture the geometry and orientation of the object to be inspected. As the object entered the working range of the robot, the end effector moved along with the object and the camera installed at the end effector performed the requested optical inspections. The detailed information about the developed methodology was introduced in this paper. The experiments showed there was a relative movement between the moving object and the following camera and the speed was around 0.34 mm per second (worst case was around 0.94 mm per second). For a camera of 60 frames per second, the relative moving speed between the object and the camera was around 6 micron (around 16 micron for the worst case), which was stable enough for most industrial production inspections.

Multi-Drug-Resistant Bacterial Infection after Pancreatoduodenectomy: Risk Factors and Clinical Impact.

Background: Infection by multi-drug-resistant (MDR) bacteria is a high-risk factor for poor clinical results. Pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) has been associated with a high rate of complications, including intra-abdominal infections. However, there are few data available regarding MDR infection in patients undergoing PD. This study evaluated the present situation of risk factors for and clinical impact of MDR infection on patients who received PD. Methods: A total of 357 consecutive patients who underwent PD in our department from January 2016 to June 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. They were grouped into those with MDR infection (observation group) and those without MDR infection (control group). Univariable and multivariable analyses were used to identify risk factors for MDR infection in the two groups and the relations between MDR infection and clinical outcome. Results: Infections by MDR bacteria occurred in 38 patients (10.6%), and a total of 49 MDR bacterial strains were detected. Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the most common strains. Multivariable analysis suggested that pancreatic fistula (p = 0.001) and post-operative use of quinolones (p = 0.000) were risk factors for MDR infection. At the same time, MDR infection was an independent risk factor for an increase in the 30-day in-hospital mortality rate (p = 0.005). Conclusions: Intensive intra-operative management to reduce the incidence of pancreatic fistula as well as curtailing empirical use of antibiotics, especially quinolones, may help to reduce the incidence of MDR infection and thus in-hospital deaths.

Perineural Invasion Reprograms the Immune Microenvironment through Cholinergic Signaling in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Perineural invasion is a common feature of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Here, we investigated the effect of perineural invasion on the microenvironment and how this affects PDAC progression. Transcriptome expression profiles of PDAC tissues with different perineural invasion status were compared, and the intratumoral T-cell density and levels of neurotransmitters in these tissues were assessed. Perineural invasion was associated with impaired immune responses characterized by decreased CD8+ T and Th1 cells, and increased Th2 cells. Acetylcholine levels were elevated in severe perineural invasion. Acetylcholine impaired the ability of PDAC cells to recruit CD8+ T cells via HDAC1-mediated suppression of CCL5. Moreover, acetylcholine directly inhibited IFNγ production by CD8+ T cells in a dose-dependent manner and favored Th2 over Th1 differentiation. Furthermore, hyperactivation of cholinergic signaling enhanced tumor growth by suppressing the intratumoral T-cell response in an orthotopic PDAC model. Conversely, blocking perineural invasion with bilateral subdiaphragmatic vagotomy in tumor-bearing mice was associated with an increase in CD8+ T cells, an elevated Th1/Th2 ratio, and improved survival. In conclusion, perineural invasion-triggered cholinergic signaling favors tumor growth by promoting an immune-suppressive microenvironment characterized by impaired CD8+ T-cell infiltration and a reduced Th1/Th2 ratio. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings provide a promising therapeutic strategy to modulate the immunosuppressive microenvironment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma with severe perineural invasion.

Transcription factor NFAT5 contributes to the glycolytic phenotype rewiring and pancreatic cancer progression via transcription of PGK1.

Hypoxia and the hypovascular tumor microenvironment are major hallmarks of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), in which glycolysis is of great importance to tumor survival and proliferation. There is little research regarding the role of Nuclear Factor of Activated T Cells 5 (NFAT5) in relation to carcinoma. Here, we explored the impact of NFAT5 on the biological behavior of PDAC and the underlying mechanism. We demonstrated that NFAT5 was highly expressed in PDAC and was related to poorer prognosis. Knockdown of NFAT5 lead to impaired proliferation of tumor cells caused by an aberrant Warburg effect. Mechanically, phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK-1), which is the first enzyme generating ATP in glycolysis, was verified as a target gene of NFAT5. Over-expression of PGK1 compromised the aberrant oncological behavior caused by knockdown of NFAT5 both in vitro and in vivo. Clinical samples underwent positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) examination and KrasG12D/+/Trp53R172H/+/Pdx1-Cre (KPC) mice were collected to support our conclusion.

The discordance pattern of molecular sub-types between primary and metastatic sites in Chinese breast cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: Based on estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER-2), and proliferation cell nuclear antigen (Ki-67) status, breast cancer (BC) can be divided into several molecular sub-types. The patterns of these biological receptors may change during the course of progression and metastasis which could lead to new treatment strategies accordingly. METHOD: The present multi-center-based clinical data investigated the discordance patterns of molecular features in Chinese BC patients between primary tumors and distant metastasis. 151 pathologically confirmed BC patients were enrolled. The comparison of the statuses of ER, PR, HER-2, and the Ki-67 index by the IHC and/or FISH method was performed. RESULTS: The discordance rate in one or more molecular markers was 52.4% and varied between primary and metastatic lesions. The most common transformation pattern was the loss of ER and PR. On the other hand, the ER-positive patients have the longest OS. Patients with ER changing from positive to negative have the shortest OS. The patients with PR changing from negative to positive have the longest OS, while PR-negative patients have the shortest OS. The median DFI (disease-free interval) was 54.93 months in this study. ER, PR, and HER-2 transformation rates are common in patients with DFI < 2 years than in patients with DFI ≥ 5 years. For patients with an ER-positive expression in metastatic lesions, a significantly prolonged PFS was observed (P < 0.05) in those receiving endocrine treatment. CONCLUSION: The transformation of molecular subtyping status was identified between primary and corresponding relapse lesions and was used for determining the treatment strategies and prognosis prediction in advanced BC patients.

Toxic Metals Increase Serum Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Levels, Modified by Essential Elements and Different Types of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Promoter Single-nucleotide Polymorphisms.

BACKGROUND: Lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and arsenic (As) could cause health issues through oxidative stress that is indicated in the elevated tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). However, some of the essential elements-selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), cobalt (Co), and copper (Cu)-are cofactors or structural components of antioxidant enzymes. It is suggested that single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TNF-α gene have different TNF-α responses. This study aims to evaluate the effect of serum TNF-α levels through the interactions between toxic metals and essential elements and how the interactions between the toxic metals and TNF-α SNPs (-1031 T > C, -863 C > A, -857 C > T, -308 G > A, -238 G > A) influence serum TNF-α levels. METHODS: Blood samples were collected from 455 workers who carried out annual health examinations and multielements determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). TNF-α levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). TNF-α promoter SNPs were analyzed by specific primer probes using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. RESULTS: Increasing blood Pb, Cd, and As levels were associated with elevated TNF-α levels. The interaction between Pb and Cu decreased TNF-α levels and so did the interaction between Cd and Se. In the interaction between Pb and SNPs, individuals with AA/AG (-308 G > A) and AA/AG (-238 G > A) had higher serum TNF-α levels. However, lower TNF-α levels were noted in those individuals with AA/CA (-863 C > A). In the interaction between As and SNPs, workers with AA/AG (-238 G > A) had synergic effect with As and induced higher serum TNF-α levels. CONCLUSIONS: Blood Cu and Se were antagonists of toxic metals (Pb, As, and Cd) through lower serum TNF-α levels. Variant types of TNF-α SNPs (-308 G > A, -238 G > A) and wild type of -863 CC would be more susceptible to toxic metals.

Haliea atlantica sp. nov., isolated from seawater, transfer of Haliea mediterranea to Parahaliea gen. nov. as Parahaliea mediterranea comb. nov. and emended description of the genus Haliea.

A novel Gram-stain-negative, oxidase- and catalase-positive, aerobic bacterium, designated strain SM1351T, was isolated from surface seawater of the Atlantic Ocean. This strain grew at 4-45 °C and with 5-90 g NaCl l- 1. It did not reduce nitrate to nitrite and could not hydrolyse starch or DNA. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that the strain was affiliated with the genus Haliea in the family Alteromonadaceae, with sequence similarities with the type strains of Haliea salexigens and Haliea mediterranea, the two recognized species of the genus Haliea, of 96.2 and 94.6 %, respectively. The major fatty acids of strain SM1351T were C16 : 1ω7c and/or iso-C15 : 0 2-OH, C17 : 1ω8c, C18 : 1ω7c and C16 : 0 and the major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol. The major respiratory quinone was ubiquinone Q-8. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain SM1351T was 62 mol%. On the basis of the polyphasic characterization of strain SM1351T in this study, it is considered to represent a novel species in the genus Haliea, for which the name Haliea atlantica sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SM1351T ( = CCTCC AB 2014266T = JCM 30304T). Moreover, the transfer of Haliea mediterraneaLucena et al. 2010 to Parahaliea gen. nov. as Parahaliea mediterranea comb. nov. (type strain 7SM29T = CECT 7447T = DSM 21924T) and an emended description of the genus Haliea are also proposed.

Marivirga atlantica sp. nov., isolated from seawater and emended description of the genus Marivirga.

A novel Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, orange-pigmented, non-flagellated, gliding, rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain SM1354(T) was isolated from surface seawater of the Atlantic Ocean. The strain hydrolysed gelatin and DNA but did not reduce nitrate. It grew at 4-40 °C and with 0.5-11% (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain SM1354(T) belonged to the genus Marivirga with 96.0-96.2% sequence similarities to known species of the genus Marivirga . The major fatty acids of strain SM1354(T) were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 1 G, iso-C17 : 03-OH and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or iso-C15 : 02-OH). Polar lipids of strain SM1354(T) included phosphatidylethanolamine, three unidentified lipids and one unidentified aminolipid and aminophospholipid. The major respiratory quinone of strain SM1354(T) was menaquinone 7 (MK-7). The genomic DNA G+C content of strain SM1354(T) was 33.9 ± 0.4 mol%. On the basis of the results of the polyphasic characterization in this study, it is proposed that strain SM1354(T) represents a novel species of the genus Marivirga , namely Marivirga atlantica sp. nov. The type strain of Marivirga atlantica is SM1354(T) ( =CCTCC AB 2014242(T) =JCM 30305(T)). An emended description of the genus Marivirga is also proposed.

Evaluating the performance of urine conductivity as screening for early stage chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine if urine conductivity (Cond) is better for screening early stage chronic kidney disease (CKD) instead of the currently routinely used parameters of urine creatinine (UCr), urine osmolality (Osmo), urine specific gravity (SpGr), and urine protein (UP). METHODS: One hundred and forty participants (86 male, 54 female) with eGFR > 60 were grouped as either early stage CKD (kidney damage longer than 3 months with either structural or functional abnormalities [n = 72]) or the control group (without CKD and without kidney damage or functional abnormalities [n = 681]). Sensitivty (Sn) and specificity (Sp) of UP and the ROC curves were calculated. The area under the curve (AUC) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to compare Cond, UCr, Osmo, and SpGr. Pearson's correlation was used to analyze the correlation between Cond and UCr, Osmo, and SpGr in the early stage CKD group. RESULTS: The Sn and Sp of UP were 22.2% and 92.6%, respectively. By ROC analysis, Cond had the largest AUC (0.752, 95% CI: 0.672-0.832), with 52.9% Sn and 86.1% Sp. Pearson's correlation showed that the coefficient (p < 0.01) of Cond to UCr, Osmo, and SpG were 0.696, 0.907, and 0.820, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Cond has better screening ability than UP for early stage CKD and may be a potential surrogate parameter for Osmo, SpGr and UCr.

Polaribacter huanghezhanensis sp. nov., isolated from Arctic fjord sediment, and emended description of the genus Polaribacter.

A Gram-negative, orange-colony-forming, aerobic and non-flagellated bacterium, designated strain SM1202(T), was isolated from marine sediment of Kongsfjorden, Svalbard. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain SM1202(T) was phylogenetically closely related to the genus Polaribacter. It shared the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with the type strain of Polaribacter dokdonensis (94.2 %) and 92.7-93.9 % sequence similarity with type strains of other known species of the genus Polaribacter. The strain grew at 4-35 °C and with 1.0-5.0 % (w/v) NaCl. It contained iso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 0 3-OH, iso-C13 : 0, C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 1 G, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH and C15 : 1ω6c as predominant cellular fatty acids and menaquinone-6 (MK-6) as the major respiratory quinone. The polar lipids of strain SM1202(T) were phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified lipid, two unidentified aminophospholipids and one unidentified aminolipid. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain SM1202(T) was 36.4 mol%. On the basis of the data from this polyphasic taxonomic study, strain SM1202(T) represents a novel species in the genus Polaribacter of the family Flavobacteriaceae, for which the name Polaribacter huanghezhanensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Polaribacter huanghezhanensis is SM1202(T) ( = CCTCC AB 2013148(T) = KCTC 32516(T)). An emended description of the genus Polaribacter is also presented.

Inhibition of Epstein-Barr virus reactivation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by dietary sulforaphane.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been associated with several human malignancies including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Reactivation of latent EBV has been considered to contribute to the carcinogenesis of NPC. Blocking the EBV lytic cycle has been shown effective in the treatment of EBV-associated diseases. We have searched for natural dietary compounds inhibiting EBV reactivation in NPC cells. Among them, sulforaphane (SFN) was found to be effective in the inhibition of EBV reactivation in latent EBV-positive NPC cells, NA and HA. SFN is a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor and has been recognized as an antioxidant and antitumor compound for chemoprevention. However, its antiviral effect is less well elucidated. In this study, after determination of the cytotoxicity of SFN on various epithelial cells, we showed that SFN treatment inhibits EBV reactivation, rather than induction, by detection of EBV lytic gene expression in EBV-positive NPC cells. We also determined that the number of cells supporting the EBV lytic cycle is decreased using immunofluorescence and flow cytometric analysis. Moreover, we have found that this inhibitory effect decreases virus production. To elucidate the inhibitory mechanism of SFN on the EBV lytic cycle, luciferase reporter assays were carried out on the Zta and Rta promoters. The results show that SFN inhibits transactivation activity of the EBV immediate-early gene Rta but not Zta. Together, our results suggest that SFN has the capability to inhibit EBV lytic cycle and the potential to be taken as a dietary compound for prevention of EBV reactivation.

An arsenate reductase homologue possessing phosphatase activity from sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam): kinetic studies and characterization.

A cDNA encoding a putative arsenate reductase homologue (IbArsR) was cloned from sweet potato (Ib). The deduced protein showed a high level of sequence homology (16-66%) with ArsRs from other organisms. A 3-D homology structure was created based on AtArsR (PDB code 1T3K ) from Arabidopsis thaliana. The putative active site of protein tyrosine phosphatase (HC(X)(5)R) is conserved in all reported ArsRs. IbArsR was overexpressed and purified. The monomeric nature of the enzyme was confirmed by 15% SDS-PAGE and molecular mass determination of the native enzyme via ESI Q-TOF. The IbArsR lacks arsenate reductase activity but possesses phosphatase activity. The Michaelis constant (K(M)) value for p-nitrophenyl phosphate (pNPP) was 11.11 mM. The phosphatase activity was inhibited by 0.5 mM sodium arsenate [As(V)]. The protein's half-life of deactivation at 25 °C was 6.1 min, and its inactivation rate constant K(d) was 1.1 × 10(-1) min(-1). The enzyme was active in a broad pH range from 4.0 to 11.0 with optimum activity at pH 10.0. Phosphatase would remove phosphate group from nucleic acid or dephosphorylation of other enzymes as regulation signaling.