Bacterial communities associated with mushrooms in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are shaped by soil parameters.

Fungi capable of producing fruit bodies are essential food and medicine resources. Despite recent advances in the study of microbial communities in mycorrhizospheres, little is known about the bacterial communities contained in fruit bodies. Using high-throughput sequencing, we investigated the bacterial communities in four species of mushrooms located on the alpine meadow and saline-alkali soil of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). Proteobacteria (51.7% on average) and Actinobacteria (28.2% on average) were the dominant phyla in all of the sampled fairy ring fruit bodies, and Acidobacteria (27.5% on average) and Proteobacteria (25.7% on average) dominated their adjacent soils. For the Agria. Bitorquis, Actinobacteria was the dominant phylum in its fruit body (67.5% on average) and adjacent soils (65.9% on average). The alpha diversity (i.e., Chao1, Shannon, Richness, and Simpson indexes) of the bacterial communities in the fruit bodies were significantly lower than those in the soil samples. All of the fungi shared more than half of their bacterial phyla and 16.2% of their total operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with their adjacent soil. Moreover, NH4+ and pH were the key factors associated with bacterial communities in the fruit bodies and soils, respectively. These results indicate that the fungi tend to create a unique niche that selects for specific members of the bacterial community. Using culture-dependent methods, we also isolated 27 bacterial species belonging to three phyla and five classes from fruit bodies and soils. The strains isolated will be useful for future research on interactions between mushroom-forming fungi and their bacterial endosymbionts.

Levetiracetam alleviates cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease animal model by ameliorating the dysfunction of the neuronal network.

Background: Patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) have a significantly higher risk of seizures than other individuals in an age-matched population, suggesting a close association between epilepsy and AD. We aimed to examine the effects of levetiracetam (LEV)-a drug for treating seizures-on learning and memory and the neuropathological features of AD. Methods: We crossbred APP23 mice with microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) transgenic mice to generate APP23/MAPT mice. These mice were treated with different concentrations of LEV in the presence of kainic acid (KA) for 3 months. Results: Low doses of LEV alleviated the effects of KA on memory defects in APP23/MAPT mice. Mechanistic investigations showed that low concentrations of LEV decreased tau phosphorylation by reducing the activities of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 and glycogen synthase kinase 3α/ß, thus rescuing neurons from synaptic dystrophy and apoptosis. Low doses of LEV inhibited the effects of KA (i.e., inducing neuroinflammation and impairing the autophagy of amyloid ß-peptide), thus improving cognitive decline. High concentrations of LEV decreased the production and deposition of amyloid ß-peptide (Aß) by reducing the expression of ß-site APP-cleaving enzyme 1 and presenilin 1. However, high concentrations of LEV also induced neuronal apoptosis, decreased movement ability in mice, and did not alleviate cognitive decline in AD mice. Conclusion: Our results support the hypothesis that aberrant network activity contributes to the synaptic and cognitive deficits in APP23/MAPT mice. A low concentration of LEV may help ameliorate abnormalities of AD; however, a high LEV concentration did not induce similar results.

Novel Bio-Based Pomelo Peel Flour/Polyethylene Glycol Composite Phase Change Material for Thermal Energy Storage.

Abstract: A series of novel bio-based form stable composite phase-change materials (fs-CPCMs) for solar thermal energy storage and management applications were prepared, using the pomelo peel flour (PPF) as the supporting matrix and poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) or isocyanate-terminated PEG to induce a phase change. The microscopic structure, crystalline structures and morphologies, phase change properties, thermal stability, light-to-thermal conversion behavior, and thermal management characteristics of the obtained fs-CPCMs were studied. The results indicate that the obtained fs-CPCM-2 presented remarkable phase-change performance and high thermal stability. The melting latent heat and crystallization heat for fs-CPCM-2 are 143.2 J/g and 141.8 J/g, respectively, and its relative enthalpy efficiency (λ) is 87.4%, which are higher than most reported values in the related literature. The obtained novel bio-based fs-CPCM-2 demonstrated good potential for applications in solar thermal energy storage and waste heat recovery.

Foaming Behavior and Microcellular Morphologies of Incompatible SAN/CPE Blends with Supercritical Carbon Dioxide as a Physical Blowing Agent.

The foaming process and cellular morphologies of poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile) (SAN)/chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) blends with supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) as a blowing agent were investigated in this study. As compared to pure SAN foam in the same batch, the foamed blends with various CPE elastomer content had smaller average pore size and larger cell density. This is probably related to the inhibition of bubble growth by elastomer, resulting in poor melt flowability and strong viscoelasticity, and the efficient bubble heterogeneous nucleation caused by numerous phase interfaces inside the incompletely compatible blend system. In addition, many tiny interconnected holes through the pore walls were formed to connect adjacent micropores in foamed blend samples. The formation mechanism of such interconnected pores is probably due to the fracture of stretched melt around the bubble from phase interfaces with weak interactions. These facts suggest an effective path to control pore size, cell density and even interconnected pores of blend foams depends on the compatibility of the blend system and difference in foamability of individual components in supercritical CO2.

Progress and prospects in stem cell therapy.

In the past few years, progress being made in stem cell studies has incontestably led to the hope of developing cell replacement based therapy for diseases deficient in effective treatment by conventional ways. The induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are of great interest of cell therapy research because of their unrestricted self-renewal and differentiation potentials. Proof of principle studies have successfully demonstrated that iPSCs technology would substantially benefit clinical studies in various areas, including neurological disorders, hematologic diseases, cardiac diseases, liver diseases and etc. On top of this, latest advances of gene editing technologies have vigorously endorsed the possibility of obtaining disease-free autologous cells from patient specific iPSCs. Here in this review, we summarize current progress of stem cell therapy research with special enthusiasm in iPSCs studies. In addition, we compare current gene editing technologies and discuss their potential implications in clinic application in the future.

Pharmacokinetic properties and bioequivalence of two sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine fixed-dose combination tablets: a parallel-design study in healthy Chinese male volunteers.

BACKGROUND: Sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine fixed-dose combination (FDC) tablet is the long-acting portion of the antimalaria product Artecospe(®), coblister containing artesunate tablets plus sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine FDC tablets. This study was conducted to support the efficacy and tolerability of the sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine FDC tablet in the World Health Organization's (WHO) Prequalification of Medicines Programme, as well as to obtain marketing authorization in China. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to compare the pharmacokinetic profiles between a new generic and the branded reference formulation of sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine FDC tablets, and to assess the bioequivalence of the 2 products in healthy Chinese volunteers. METHODS: This single-dose, open-label, randomized, parallel-group study was conducted in healthy Chinese male volunteers who were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive a single 1500/75-mg dose (3 × 500/25-mg tablets) of either the test or reference formulation after a 12-hour overnight fast. Seventeen blood samples were obtained over a 168-hour interval, and plasma concentrations of sulfadoxine and pyrimethamine were determined by 2 separate validated liquid chromatography-isotopic dilution mass spectrometry methods. Pharmacokinetic properties (C(max), AUC(0-72), AUC(0-168), and T(max)) were calculated and analyzed statistically. The 2 formulations were to be considered bioequivalent if 90% CIs for the log-transformed ratios of C(max) and AUC(0-72) were within the predetermined bioequivalence range of 80% to 125%, in accordance with the guidelines of WHO and China's Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Tolerability was evaluated throughout the study by vital signs, physical examinations, clinical laboratory tests, 12-lead ECGs, and subject interviews on adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: Forty-six healthy subjects completed the study. The mean values of sulfadoxine C(max) (183.07 and 165.15 mg/L), AUC(0-72) (11,036.52 and 10,536.78 mg/L/h), and AUC(0-168) (22,247.05 and 21,761.02 mg/L/h) were not significantly different between the test and reference formulations, respectively. The same was true for pyrimethamine (0.55 and 0.58 mg/L, 29.85 and 31.44 mg/L/h, and 56.18 and 59.27 mg/L/h, respectively). The 90% CIs for the log-transformed ratios of C(max), AUC(0-72), and AUC(0-168) of both sulfadoxine (105.4%-116.6%, 99.3%-110.6%, and 96.4%-108.1%) and pyrimethamine (88.8%-100.9%, 89.5%-101.0%, and 88.3%-101.6%) were within the acceptance limits for bioequivalence. A total of 7 mild AEs were reported in 7 subjects (15.2%). CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this single-dose (1500/75-mg) study suggest that the test and reference formulations of sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine FDC 500/25-mg tablet have similar pharmacokinetic profiles both in terms of rate and extent of absorption. The formulations met WHO's and China's FDA regulatory criteria for bioequivalence in these healthy Chinese volunteers under fasting conditions. Both formulations were generally well-tolerated.