A chromosome-level genome assembly of Hong Kong catfish (Clarias fuscus) uncovers a sex-determining region.

BACKGROUND: Hong Kong catfish (Clarias fuscus) is an ecologically and economically important species that is widely distributed in freshwater regions of southern China. Hong Kong catfish has significant sexual growth dimorphism. The genome assembly of the Hong Kong catfish would facilitate study of the sex determination and evolution mechanism of the species. RESULTS: The first high-quality chromosome-level genome of the Hong Kong catfish was constructed. The total genome was 933.4 Mb, with 416 contigs and a contig N50 length of 8.52 Mb. Using high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) data, the genome assembly was divided into 28 chromosomes with a scaffold N50 length of 36.68 Mb. A total of 23,345 protein-coding genes were predicted in the genome, and 94.28% of the genes were functionally annotated in public databases. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that C. fuscus and Clarias magur diverged approximately 63.7 million years ago. The comparative genome results showed that a total of 60 unique, 353 expanded and 851 contracted gene families were identified in Hong Kong catfish. A sex-linked quantitative trait locus identified in a previous study was located in a sex-determining region of 30.26 Mb (0.02 to 30.28 Mb) on chromosome 13 (Chr13), the predicted Y chromosome. This QTL region contained 785 genes, of which 18 were identified as sex-related genes. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to report the chromosome-level genome assembly of Hong Kong catfish. The study provides an excellent genetic resource that will facilitate future studies of sex determination mechanisms and evolution in fish.

Neurology practice and stroke services across East China: a multi-site, county-level hospital-based survey.

BACKGROUND: Neurological disorders are an economic and public health burden which requires efficient and adequate medical resources. Currently, little is known about the status of the quality of neurological care services available in China. As neurological primary care is mostly provided at the county hospital level, investigation of this geographical level is required. The aim of this study is to evaluate currently available neurology care services in Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomerations in east China. METHODS: A multi-site, county-level hospital-based observational survey was conducted in east China from January 2017 to December 2017. A questionnaire was made to assess hospital and the departmental patient care capabilities, human resources and technical capacity in neurology departments. RESULTS: Of 228 hospitals across the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomerations, 217 documents were returned. Of these, 22 were excluded due to invalid hospital information or duplicate submission. Overall, most hospitals have neurology departments (162, 83.1%) while less than half of the hospitals have a stroke center (80, 41.0%) and neurology emergency department (46, 23.6%). Among 162 hospitals with neurology department, 5 were excluded due to inadequate sharing, leaving 157 hospitals for analysis. About 84.1% of these neurology departments can administer intravenous thrombolysis while about one third of them has the ability to perform arterial thrombectomy (36.9%). In addition, 46.2% of hospitals can carry out computed tomography angiography (CTA) in emergency room. Tertiary care hospitals are much more equipped with modern medical resources compared to the secondary hospitals. In four administrative regions, the neurology services are better in more economically advanced regions. CONCLUSIONS: Neurological care services need to be enhanced at the county-level hospitals to improve health care delivery.

Ambient fine particulate pollution hysteresis triggers wake-up stroke and rapidly triggers non-wake-up stroke: a case-crossover study.

Atmospheric pollutants increase the risk of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) which has been widely reported. However, little is known about the relationships between air pollution and specific subsets of AIS, such as wake-up stroke (WUS) and non-wake-up stroke (non-WUS). This study aimed to explore the relationship between WUS and non-WUS and atmospheric pollutants. A total of 1432 patients (331 WUS patients and 1101 non-WUS patients) were admitted to a tertiary hospital from 2016 to 2019. A time-stratified case-crossover design and a conditional logistic regression model to study the associations of change in pollutant concentration with WUS and non-WUS events were constructed. Data analysis revealed that WUS-related risks increased 48 to 72 h after the increase in the PM2.5 concentration (each 10 µg/m3 increase, lag 0-72 h) [threshold OR (95% CI):18 µg/m3 1.03 (0.94-1.11), 35 µg/m3 1.01 (0.92-1.12), 50 µg/m3 1.04 (0.91-1.19)]; the non-WUS-related risk increased 1 to 6 h after the increase in the PM2.5 concentration (each 10 µg/m3 increase, lag 0-1 h) [threshold OR (95% CI):18 µg/m3 1.01 (0.98-1.03), 35 µg/m3 1.00 (0.97-1.04), 50 µg/m3 1.01 (0.96-1.05)] (lag 0-6 h) [threshold OR (95% CI): 18 µg/m3 1.00 (0.97-1.03), 35 µg/m3 1.00 (0.97-1.04), 50 µg/m3 1.01 (0.97-1.06)]; O3 exposure was related to WUS events, and its impact on WUS events was stronger and longer-lasting (1-96 h) than its impact on non-WUS events (1-6 h). Greater than or equal to 65 years of age, overweight (BMI ≥ 25), and diabetes had a significantly greater risk of WUS associated with increased PM2.5 concentration in the previous 12-96 h than patients without these conditions. Patients with hypertension and smoking had a significant risk of non-WUS associated with increased PM2.5 concentration in the previous 1-6 h. The increase in PM2.5 concentration in the cold season increased the risk of both WUS and non-WUS events. Ambient air pollution hysteresis triggers WUS and rapidly triggers non-WUS, even if the degree of pollutant is relatively low. Patients with elderly, overweight, and diabetes appeared particularly susceptible to WUS, and patients with hypertension and smoking history were susceptible to non-WUS. We need to expand the sample for further investigation into mechanisms by which environmental pollutants trigger WUS or non-WUS.

Fist-Edge-Palm (FEP) test has a high sensitivity in differentiating dementia from normal cognition in Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND: The Fist-Edge-Palm (FEP) test takes 0.5-3 min to complete and is highly sensitive in differentiating Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia from normal cognition, but it has not yet been studied in Parkinson's disease (PD). OBJECTIVE: To determine the sensitivity and specificity of the FEP test in screening patients with PD for cognitive impairment and dementia. METHODS: PD patients were recruited and divided into three groups based on cognitive status: normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia according to 2015 MDS clinical diagnostic criteria for PD and clinical dementia rating scale (CDR) assessment for cognitive status. MMSE, FEP and clock drawing test (CDT) were tested in all recruited PD patients. Chi-square test was used to compare the sensitivity of FEP and CDT in detecting PDD and PD-MCI. RESULTS: A total of 108 PD patients were included: 52 normal cognition, 28 MCI, and 28 dementia. The sensitivity of FEP in differentiating PDD from PD-NC was 96.4% and the sensitivity for PD-MCI from PD-NC was 71.4%. The sensitivity of CDT in differentiating PDD from PD-NC was 71.4% and PD-MCI from PD-NC was 53.6%. The sensitivities of FEP and CDT were 83.9% and 62.5%, respectively, in identifying cognitive impairment (CDR ≥ 0.5) in PD patients. CONCLUSION: FEP is a sensitive screening tool in differentiating PDD or PD-MCI from PD-NC, and it is much faster than MMSE and more sensitive than CDT. FEP may be a practical screening tool for daily clinical practice.

Wake-up stroke: imaging-based diagnosis and recanalization therapy.

Wake-up stroke (WUS) is a subgroup of ischemic stroke in which patients show no abnormality before sleep while wake up with neurological deficits. In addition to the uncertain onset, WUS patients have difficulty to receive prompt and effective thrombolytic or reperfusion therapy, leading to relatively poor prognosis. A number of researches have indicated that CT or MRI based thrombolysis and endovascular therapy might have benefits for WUS patients. This review article narratively discusses the pathogenesis, risk factors, imaging-based diagnosis and recanalization treatments of WUS with the purpose of expanding current treatment options for this group of stroke patients and exploring better therapeutic methods. The result showed that multimodal MRI or CT scan might be the best methods for extending the time window of WUS and, therefore, a large proportion of WUS patients could have favorable prognosis.

Proteomic profiling uncovered the cytosolic superoxide dismutase BsSOD1 associated with plant defence in the herbal orchid Bletilla striata.

The herbal orchid Bletilla striata (Thunb.) Rchb.f. has a long cultivation history and has been widely used in medicines and cosmetics. The fungal infection leaf blight (LB) seriously threatens B. striata cultivation. Here, we systemically collected wild B. striata accessions and isolated the accessions with strong resistance against LB. We carried out proteomic profiling analysis of LB-resistant and LB-susceptible accessions, and identified a large number of differentially expressed proteins with significant gene ontology enrichment for 'oxidoreductase activity.' Of the proteins identified in the reactive oxygen species signalling pathway, the protein abundance of the Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase BsSOD1 and its gene expression level were higher in LB-resistant accessions than in LB-susceptible lines. Transient expression of the dismutase fused with yellow fluorescent protein determined that its subcellular localisation is in the cytoplasm. Our study provides new insights into the molecular markers associated with fungal infection in B. striata.

Acetaldehyde dehydrogenase 2 interactions with LDLR and AMPK regulate foam cell formation.

Acetaldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) is a mitochondrial enzyme detoxifying acetaldehyde and endogenous lipid aldehydes; previous studies suggest a protective role of ALDH2 against cardiovascular disease (CVD). Around 40% of East Asians carrying the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) ALDH2 rs671 have an increased incidence of CVD. However, the role of ALDH2 in CVD beyond alcohol consumption remains poorly defined. Here we report that ALDH2/LDLR double knockout (DKO) mice have decreased atherosclerosis compared with LDLR-KO mice, whereas ALDH2/APOE-DKO mice have increased atherosclerosis, suggesting an unexpected interaction of ALDH2 with LDLR. Further studies demonstrate that in the absence of LDLR, AMPK phosphorylates ALDH2 at threonine 356 and enables its nuclear translocation. Nuclear ALDH2 interacts with HDAC3 and represses transcription of a lysosomal proton pump protein ATP6V0E2, critical for maintaining lysosomal function, autophagy, and degradation of oxidized low-density lipid protein. Interestingly, an interaction of cytosolic LDLR C-terminus with AMPK blocks ALDH2 phosphorylation and subsequent nuclear translocation, whereas ALDH2 rs671 mutant in human macrophages attenuates this interaction, which releases ALDH2 to the nucleus to suppress ATP6V0E2 expression, resulting in increased foam cells due to impaired lysosomal function. Our studies reveal a novel role of ALDH2 and LDLR in atherosclerosis and provide a molecular mechanism by which ALDH2 rs671 SNP increases CVD.

The Role of Sirt1 in Ischemic Stroke: Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Strategies.

Silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1 (Sirt1), a nicotine adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-dependent enzyme, is well-known in playing a part in longevity. Ischemic stroke is a major neurological disorder and is a leading cause of death and adult disability worldwide. Recently, many studies have focused on the role of Sirt1 in ischemic stroke. Numerous studies consider Sirt1 as a protective factor and investigate the signaling pathways involved in the process under ischemic stress. However, the answer to whether upregulation of Sirt1 improves the outcome of stroke is still a controversy. In this review, we discuss the role and mechanisms of Sirt1 in the setting of ischemic stroke.

[Analysis of Microbial Diversity in a Fluidized-Sand Biofilter Based on High-Throughput Sequencing Technology].

In order to understand the microbial community composition and mechanism of purifying aquaculture water with a biofilter that was been applied to spotted parrotfish recirculating aquaculture systems with microglass beads as the biofilter filler, the changes in the nutrients of different biological filter beds and the water treatment performance of a fluidized-sand biofilter were analyzed. By using high-throughput sequencing technology, the microbial community structure of the surface area and bottom area at different times were studied. The results show that the fluidized-sand biofilter successfully start-up after one month under marine culture. Nitrification of the biofilter occurred mainly in the lower bed layer; the surface area played a small role in eliminating the NH4+-N. The average removal rates of NH4+-N, TN, BOD5, and SS were 68.3%±2.24%, 49.54%±3.56%, 60.35%±4.98%, and 45.21%±2.11%, respectively. The average NH4+-N removal load reached (343.28±75.5) g·(m3·d)-1, which showed a better performance of wastewater treatment. In this experiment, 31 phyla and 490 genera were identified, thus the biological diversity was significantly higher than that of the other conventional microbial biofilter. Start-stop cycling of the self-cleaning device in the biofilter had no effect on the microbial diversity of different regional, but had some effect on the dominant bacterial community of the microglass beads surface. Under opening self-cleaning device regularly condition, the microbial species of the surface and bottom areas became significantly similar. With time, the microbial species of the superficial area and bottom area had no significant change, and the microbial population structure was relatively stable. In the biofilm training period, the diversity of microbial communities was significantly lower than it was after biofilm maturation. At the time of biofilter stable operation, the dominant bacteria of the superficial zone essentially remained unchanged and mainly included Anaerolineaceae_uncultured (8.4%-28%), Flavobacteriaceae_unclassified (1.1%-32%), Rhodobacteraceae_uncultured (2.3%-17%), Nitrospira(1%-7%), and Caldilineaceae_uncultured (1%-6%). The dominant bacteria of the bottom zone changed over time and mainly include Nitrospira (12.45%-17.06%), Candidatus_Microthrix (2.6%-8.8%), Muricauda (4.8%-6.3%), Defluviimonas (6%-7%), and Rhodobacteraceae_uncultured (2%-6.2%). Among them, the abundance of Nitrospira was significantly higher than that in the other biofilter.