Characterizing Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Neurology Outpatients: A Retrospective Observational Study.

OBJECTIVES: Clinical manifestations of vitamin B12 deficiency are varied and may result in missed or delayed diagnosis. This investigation explores the diverse clinical manifestations and demographic characteristics of vitamin B12 deficiency in neurology outpatients, aiming to enhance timely diagnosis and outcomes. METHODS: The severity of vitamin B12 deficiency was classified as absolute (≤150 pg/mL) or borderline deficiency (150-300 pg/mL). We conducted a retrospective analysis of 165 outpatients with vitamin B12 deficiency at the department of neurology between May 2020 and May 2021. RESULT: Absolute vitamin B12 deficiency was found in 23.0% of the patients. The most common age range was 50-60 years, the most common cause was vegetarianism, and the most common symptom was headache. Epileptiform symptoms were more likely to occur in younger patients (<20 years old) with vitamin B12 deficiency, whereas psychiatric symptoms were more likely to occur in older patients (>70 years old). Vegetarians, salivation, and nonmegaloblastic anemia were more obvious in patients with absolute vitamin B12 deficiency, whereas headaches often showed borderline B12 deficiency. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical characteristics of vitamin B12 deficiency are complex and nonspecific. The diagnosis should be based on multiple factors.

Fused in sarcoma (FUS) inhibits milk production efficiency in mammals.

Efficient milk production in mammals confers evolutionary advantages by facilitating the transmission of energy from mother to offspring. However, the regulatory mechanism responsible for the gradual establishment of milk production efficiency in mammals, from marsupials to eutherians, remains elusive. Here, we find that mammary gland of the marsupial sugar glider contained milk components during adolescence, and that mammary gland development is less dynamically cyclic compared to that in placental mammals. Furthermore, fused in sarcoma (FUS) is found to be partially responsible for this establishment of low efficiency. In mouse model, FUS inhibit mammary epithelial cell differentiation through the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p57Kip2, leading to lactation failure and pup starvation. Clinically, FUS levels are negatively correlated with milk production in lactating women. Overall, our results shed light on FUS as a negative regulator of milk production, providing a potential mechanism for the establishment of milk production from marsupial to eutherian mammals.

Successful Treatment of Severe Case of Lipid Overload Syndrome with Pancreatitis and Pneumonia: A Case Report.

Background: Fat overload syndrome is a rare and severe adverse reaction triggered by the infusion of a single source of lipid emulsion, resulting in elevated blood triacylglycerol (TG) levels. The majority of literature reports focus on cases of fat overload syndrome in patients with mild symptoms. This case is significant because it demonstrates the diagnostic and therapeutic experience and provide valuable insights for the management for severe fat overload syndrome. Case Presentation: We present a case report of a female patient who developed fat overload syndrome following prolonged and excessive infusion of lipid emulsion after colon resection surgery. In the setting of compromised immune function and malnutrition, the patient's pulmonary infection and respiratory distress symptoms have further exacerbated. Hence, in addition to severe pancreatitis, the patient has also contracted severe pneumonia. Upon admission, tracheal intubation, plasma exchange and blood perfusion were performed. Subsequently, comprehensive treatment was provided, including anti-infection, antispasmodic, acid suppression, enzyme inhibition, as well as targeted supportive measures to stabilize electrolytes and nutritional status. After treatment, there was a progressive reduction in blood lipid levels. After assessing the relevant risks, it was deemed necessary to perform an emergency computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous drainage tube placement procedure targeting the necrotic area of the pancreas while the patient was still intubated. Finally, the patient was discharged from the hospital. Conclusion: The case highlights the association between fat overload syndrome and pancreatitis as well as the use of lipid emulsions and suggests the treatment strategies for severe fat overload syndrome.

Gender differences in attitudes towards psychological help-seeking among chinese medical students: a comparative analysis.

BACKGROUND: Medical students are known to be at a greater risk of psychological disorders compared to the general population. However, their rate of help-seeking behavior is low. The purpose of this study was to explore the influencing factors of attitudes towards psychological help-seeking among Chinese medical students and to examine its gender differences. METHODS: A total of 3,453 medical students from three medical colleges in Hainan Province, China, completed anonymous questionnaires that included socio-demographic attributes, the Family APGAR Index, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-20), and the Attitudes Towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help Short Form (ATSPPH-SF). Associations between predictor variables and attitudes towards help-seeking were explored using multivariate linear regression, and regression models with interaction terms were employed to test gender difference. RESULTS: The mean score on ATSPPH-SF Scale was 15.04 ± 3.45, with males scoring significantly lower than females (14.34 vs. 15.64, P < 0.0001). For both male and female groups, psych knowledge, mental health status, family function and help-seeking utility perception significantly influenced attitudes toward psychological help-seeking. Furthermore, having more than once psycho-help experiences was positively correlated with women's attitudes. Significant interactions were found between gender and mental health status. CONCLUSION: Attitude towards seeking psychological help was relatively negative among Chinese medical students. The implementation of interventions should take into account the at-risk population, especially the males and individuals with poor mental health.

Visible-light-induced three-component reactions of α-diazoesters, quinazolinones and cyclic ethers toward quinazoline-based hybrids.

An effective approach for the construction of 4-short-chain ether attached carbonyl group-substituted quinazolines was developed. Visible-light-induced three-component reactions of α-diazoesters, quinazolinones, and cyclic ethers, with a broad substrate scope and excellent functional group tolerance, under extremely mild conditions without the need for any additional additives and catalysts, selectively led to quinazoline-based hybrids in good to excellent yields. The synthesized hybrids, which are a conglomeration of a quinazoline, a short-chain ether, and a carbonyl group in one molecular skeleton, have potential for application in the development of new drugs or drug candidates.

Structural annotation of unknown molecules in a miniaturized mass spectrometer based on a transformer enabled fragment tree method.

Structural annotation of small molecules in tandem mass spectrometry has always been a central challenge in mass spectrometry analysis, especially using a miniaturized mass spectrometer for on-site testing. Here, we propose the Transformer enabled Fragment Tree (TeFT) method, which combines various types of fragmentation tree models and a deep learning Transformer module. It is aimed to generate the specific structure of molecules de novo solely from mass spectrometry spectra. The evaluation results on different open-source databases indicated that the proposed model achieved remarkable results in that the majority of molecular structures of compounds in the test can be successfully recognized. Also, the TeFT has been validated on a miniaturized mass spectrometer with low-resolution spectra for 16 flavonoid alcohols, achieving complete structure prediction for 8 substances. Finally, TeFT confirmed the structure of the compound contained in a Chinese medicine substance called the Anweiyang capsule. These results indicate that the TeFT method is suitable for annotating fragmentation peaks with clear fragmentation rules, particularly when applied to on-site mass spectrometry with lower mass resolution.

The association of systemic inflammatory response index and neutrophil-to-high-density lipoprotein ratio mediated by fasting blood glucose with 90-day prognosis in acute ischemic stroke patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The contribution of individual and combined inflammatory markers for the prognosis of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) remains elusive. This study investigated the effect of systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI), and neutrophil to high-density lipoprotein ratio (NHR), which is mediated by fasting blood glucose (FBG), on 90-day prognosis of patients with AIS. METHODS: In this pre-specified substudy of an observational cohort study, 2828 patients with AIS were enrolled from the Nanjing Stroke Registry between January 2017 to July 2021. Peripheral venous blood was collected from patients fasting for at least 8 hours within 24 hours of admission to gather information on the following parameters: neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, monocyte count, HDL level, and fasting blood glucose level. Then, the SIRI and NHR values were calculated. Following this, the correlation among SIRI, NHR, and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores 90d after onset was examined via univariate and multivariate logistic analyses. Lastly, mediation analysis was performed to examine the relationship between systematic inflammatory response and study outcomes mediated by FBG. RESULTS: SIRI and NHR were both negatively correlated with clinical outcomes (p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that SIRI and NHR were independently associated with poor outcomes after adjusting for potential confounders. Subgroup analyses further validated these correlations. Meanwhile, mediation analysis corroborated that FBG partially mediated the associations between SIRI and a poor prognosis at 90d (indirect effect estimate = 0.0038, bootstrap 95% CI 0.001 to 0.008; direct effect estimate = 0.1719, bootstrap 95% CI 0.1258 to 0.2179). Besides, FBG also played a mediating role between NHR and poor outcomes (indirect effect estimate = 0.0066, bootstrap 95% CI 0.002 to 0.120; direct effect estimate = 0.1308, bootstrap 95% CI 0.0934 to 0.1681). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that SIRI and NHR are positively associated with poor clinical and mortality outcomes at 90d in AIS patients, which was partially mediated by FBG.

Aqueous Dispersion of Aramid Nanofibers Achieved by Using Tannic Acid for Ultrahigh Strength Films.

Polymer nanofibers have established a robust foundation and possess immense potential in various emerging fields such as sensors and biotechnology. In this study, aqueous dispersions of aramid nanofibers (ANFs) were successfully prepared by using tannic acid (TA). Morphological analysis revealed that TA effectively prevented self-aggregation of ANFs, and preserved the nanofiber structure during TA-assisted solvent exchange. Subsequently, the ANF and TA/ANF films were fabricated using casting and vacuum-assisted filtration techniques. Notably, the tensile strength of the casting TA/ANF film reached 393.8 MPa, exhibiting a remarkable improvement of 41.3% compared to that of the pure ANF film. These exceptional mechanical properties can be attributed to the well-dispersed nanostructures, hydrogen-bonding interactions, zigzag structures, and fiber-bridging effects. Furthermore, the TA/ANF film demonstrated superior ultraviolet (UV) shielding capabilities, visible transparency properties, and excellent resistance to chemical reagents. The above-mentioned interesting findings demonstrate its potential as a nanofiber-reinforced material for poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) composites.

The Relationship Between Chromosomal Polymorphism and Male Reproductive Abnormalities.

This study aims to investigate the association between chromosomal polymorphisms and abnormalities in male reproductive health. Within the period from January 2018 to December 2022, a cohort of 10,827 males seeking fertility services at our reproductive center was selected for inclusion in this study. Peripheral blood chromosomal karyotype analysis was conducted for each participant to identify carriers of chromosomal polymorphisms, who were subsequently categorized into a polymorphism group. Additionally, a control group was constituted by randomly selecting 1,630 patients exhibiting normal chromosomal karyotypes. The study conducted statistical analyses to compare clinical outcomes between the two groups, focusing on infertility, history of spontaneous miscarriage in partners, anomalies in reproductive development, fetal abnormalities, and sperm quality metrics. (1) Among the cohort of 10,827 males, chromosomal polymorphisms were identified in 1,622 participants, yielding a detection rate of 14.98%. This rate is significantly elevated in comparison to the baseline prevalence of 1.77% observed in the general population. (2) The predominant variant among these polymorphisms was related to the Y chromosome, accounting for 1,082 cases (66.71% of the polymorphic findings), corresponding to a detection rate of 9.99%. This is markedly higher than the approximate 0.09% prevalence noted within a normative demographic. (3) Statistical analysis revealed significant disparities between the chromosomal polymorphism group and the control group in several clinical outcomes. Notably, the rates of spontaneous abortion (18.06% vs. 1.35%), fetal anomalies (1.97% vs. 0.25%), and poor sperm quality (41.74% vs. 7.18%) were markedly higher in the polymorphism group. Additionally, incidences of testicular dysgenesis (2.28% vs. 0.92%) and hypogonadism in partners (0.62% vs. 0.37%) also demonstrated significant differences, underscoring the potential reproductive implications of chromosomal polymorphisms. The study establishes a significant link between chromosomal polymorphisms and critical reproductive outcomes, including male infertility, spontaneous miscarriages in partners, fetal anomalies, and reduced sperm quality. These findings highlight the clinical relevance of chromosomal polymorphisms in reproductive health assessments and suggest the necessity for their consideration in the diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for male reproductive disorders.

Exploring the Multifaceted Landscape of Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Insights into Prevalence, Severity, and Coexisting Conditions.

Background: Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a multifaceted disorder marked by recurrent upper airway obstruction during sleep, often coexisting with various medical conditions. This study, aimed to comprehensively analyze the Multifaceted Landscape of Pediatric Insights into Prevalence, Severity, and Coexisting Conditions. With a sample of 1928 participants, our study sought to determine the prevalence, severity, and associations between OSA and diverse conditions. Methods: Conducted retrospectively from February 2019 to April 2023, the study included pediatric patients. Data were collected through electronic health records, involving clinical assessments, medical histories, and diagnostic tests to establish OSA and coexisting condition diagnoses. Relationships between sleep parameters, apnea types, and severity indices were evaluated. Results: High OSA prevalence was evident across age groups, with severity peaking between 3 to 12 years. Among the participants, coexisting conditions included allergic rhinitis (59.6%), tonsillar hypertrophy (49.7%), adenoid hypertrophy (28.4%), and obesity (15.3%). Analysis revealed intriguing relationships between different sleep parameters and apnea types. Notable associations were observed between Obstructive Apnea (OA) and Central Apnea (CA), and Mixed Apnea (MA) displayed associations with both OA and CA. Hypopnea correlated directly with the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI), reflecting its role in OSA severity. Conclusion: This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the intricate dynamics between pediatric OSA and coexisting conditions. The prevalence of OSA and its coexistence with various conditions underscore the need for comprehensive evaluation and management strategies. By revealing associations between different sleep parameters and apnea types, the study emphasizes the complexity of OSA diagnosis and management. These findings hold the potential to enhance clinical approaches, ultimately leading to improved care and outcomes for affected children.

Chlorine bridge bond-enabled binuclear copper complex for electrocatalyzing lithium-sulfur reactions.

Engineering atom-scale sites are crucial to the mitigation of polysulfide shuttle, promotion of sulfur redox, and regulation of lithium deposition in lithium-sulfur batteries. Herein, a homonuclear copper dual-atom catalyst with a proximal distance of 3.5 Å is developed for lithium-sulfur batteries, wherein two adjacent copper atoms are linked by a pair of symmetrical chlorine bridge bonds. Benefiting from the proximal copper atoms and their unique coordination, the copper dual-atom catalyst with the increased active interface concentration synchronously guide the evolutions of sulfur and lithium species. Such a delicate design breaks through the activity limitation of mononuclear metal center and represents a catalyst concept for lithium-sulfur battery realm. Therefore, a remarkable areal capacity of 7.8 mA h cm-2 is achieved under the scenario of sulfur content of 60 wt.%, mass loading of 7.7 mg cm-2 and electrolyte dosage of 4.8 µL mg-1.

An Efficient, Amine-Specific, and Cost-Effective Method for TMT 6/11-plex Labeling Improves the Proteome Coverage, Quantitative Accuracy and Precision.

Tandem mass tags (TMT) are widely used in proteomics to simultaneously quantify multiple samples in a single experiment. The tags can be easily added to the primary amines of peptides/proteins through chemical reactions. In addition to amines, TMT reagents also partially react with the hydroxyl groups of serine, threonine, and tyrosine residues under alkaline conditions, which significantly compromises the analytical sensitivity and precision. Under alkaline conditions, reducing the TMT molar excess can partially mitigate overlabeling of histidine-free peptides, but has a limited effect on peptides containing histidine and hydroxyl groups. Here, we present a method under acidic conditions to suppress overlabeling while efficiently labeling amines, using only one-fifth of the TMT amount recommended by the manufacturer. In a deep-scale analysis of a yeast/human two-proteome sample, we systematically evaluated our method against the manufacturer's method and a previously reported TMT-reduced method. Our method reduced overlabeled peptides by 9-fold and 6-fold, respectively, resulting in the substantial enhancement in peptide/protein identification rates. More importantly, the quantitative accuracy and precision were improved as overlabeling was reduced, endowing our method with greater statistical power to detect 42% and 12% more statistically significant yeast proteins compared to the standard and TMT-reduced methods, respectively. Mass spectrometric data have been deposited in the ProteomeXchange Consortium via the iProX partner repository with the data set identifier PXD047052.

Food-related inhibitory control deficits in young male adults with obesity: Behavioral and ERP evidence from a food-related go/no-go task.

PURPOSE: Obesity poses a pervasive challenge to global public health, which is linked to adverse physical health outcomes and cognitive decline. Cognitive function, particularly food-related cognitive function, plays a critical role in sustaining a healthy weight and mitigating the progression of obesity. The aim of this study was to investigate the behavioral and neuroelectronic aspects of food-related inhibitory functions in young adult males with obesity. METHODS: Forty-nine participants with obesity and healthy-weight were recruited (BMI = 35.83 ± 5.06 kg/m2 vs. 22.55 ± 1.73 kg/m2, age = 24.23 ± 4.55 years vs. 26.00 ± 3.97 years). A food-related Go/No-go task which included 6 distinct blocks in a randomized order was conducted to investigate the general and food-related inhibitory control. 180 stimulus images from the Food Picture Database encompassing high-calorie food, low-calorie food, and neutral images were selected. Behavioral (Go RT, Go ACC, No-go ACC) and event-related potential measures (N2 and P3 amplitude) during the food-related Go/No-go task were measured. RESULTS: The main findings indicated that the group with obesity exhibited lower No-go accuracy, slower go reaction times, and smaller P3 amplitudes in high-calorie, low-calorie foods, and neutral picture, compared to the normal-weight group, but with no group difference in N2. Additionally, high-calorie food induced larger N2 and P3 amplitude than the neutral stimuli. CONCLUSIONS: Young male adults with obesity exhibit poorer inhibitory control in both food and non-food domains, specifically in slower reaction time and reduced accuracy, featuring difficulties in neural resource recruitment during the inhibitory control process. Additionally, the P3 component could serve as sensitive indicators to reveal the neural mechanisms of inhibitory control deficits in obesity, while the N2 and P3 components may differentiate the neural differences between high-calorie foods and non-foods in inhibitory control processing. Food, especially high-calorie food, induces more neural resources and may exacerbate the poor inhibitory ability towards food in obesity. Targeted interventions such as exercise interventions, cognitive training as well as neuromodulation interventions are warranted in the future to improve impaired general and food-related inhibitory functions in the obese populations, offering both theoretical and practical frameworks for obesity prevention and treatment.

Harmonic and anharmonic vibrational computations for biomolecular building blocks: Benchmarking DFT and basis sets by theoretical and experimental IR spectrum of glycine conformers.

Advanced vibrational spectroscopic experiments have reached a level of sophistication that can only be matched by numerical simulations in order to provide an unequivocal analysis, a crucial step to understand the structure-function relationship of biomolecules. While density functional theory (DFT) has become the standard method when targeting medium-size or larger systems, the problem of its reliability and accuracy are well-known and have been abundantly documented. To establish a reliable computational protocol, especially when accuracy is critical, a tailored benchmark is usually required. This is generally done over a short list of known candidates, with the basis set often fixed a priori. In this work, we present a systematic study of the performance of DFT-based hybrid and double-hybrid functionals in the prediction of vibrational energies and infrared intensities at the harmonic level and beyond, considering anharmonic effects through vibrational perturbation theory at the second order. The study is performed for the six-lowest energy glycine conformers, utilizing available "state-of-the-art" accurate theoretical and experimental data as reference. Focusing on the most intense fundamental vibrations in the mid-infrared range of glycine conformers, the role of the basis sets is also investigated considering the balance between computational cost and accuracy. Targeting larger systems, a broad range of hybrid schemes with different computational costs is also tested.

Study on Plastic Constitutive Relation and Ductile Fracture Criterion of AM60B Magnesium Alloy.

It is currently a challenge to accurately predict the deformation and fracture behavior of metal parts in automobile crashes. Many studies have shown that the deformation and fracture behavior of materials are significantly affected by the stress state during automobile crashes with complex stress state characteristics. In order to further promote the application of die-cast magnesium alloys in automobiles, it is particularly important to study the material deformation and fracture behavior of die-cast magnesium alloys. In this paper, the mechanical properties of the AM60B die-cast magnesium alloy sheet under four stress states (shear, tension, R10 notch tension, and cupping) were designed and tested. Based on the von Mises isotropic constitutive model and Swift weighted Hockett-Sherby hardening model, the plastic constitutive model of die-cast magnesium alloy was established. Based on the plastic model and the fracture model (JC, MMC, and DIEM) considering the influence of three stress states, the deformation and fracture behavior of the AM60B die-cast magnesium alloy front-end members in three-point bending were predicted by experiments and finite element simulation. The experimental results show that the deformation mode and loading-displacement curve trend of the AM60B die-cast magnesium alloy front members are the same, the crack initiation point and crack initiation time are the same, and the crack shape is similar. The results show that the complex stress state constitutive model parameters and the DIEM fracture model obtained in this paper can accurately predict the deformation and fracture failure behavior of the AM60B die-cast magnesium alloy sheet.

The effect of life events on NSSI: the chain mediating effect of sleep disturbances and PLEs among Chinese college students.

This study aimed to explore the relationship between life events and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in college students, as well as the mediating effect of sleep disturbances and psychotic-like experiences (PLEs). After excluding invalid questionnaires, 5,754 were retained, and the valid efficiency was 75.94%. The subjects were aged 16 to 29 years (M = 19.166; SD = 1.392), with 1,969 males (34.22%) and 3,785 females (65.78%). Life events, sleep disturbances, PLEs, and NSSI were assessed using standard scales. Data were analyzed by Pearson Correlation Analysis and bias-correction percentile Bootstrap method. The results show that (1) life events were significant positive predictors of NSSI, sleep disturbances, and PLEs; (2) sleep disturbances, PLEs, and the chain mediation between the two, were mediators between life events and NSSI. Life events are thus shown to be an important external factor influencing NSSI in university students, and this process is mediated through sleep disturbances, PLEs, and the chain between the two. Interventions for NSSI can therefore be made by improving college students' sleep quality and reducing PLEs.

Assessment of sarcopenic obesity as a predictor of pneumonia in patients with stable schizophrenia-A prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: The European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) and the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) recently released the first international consensus on the diagnostic criteria for Sarcopenic obesity (SO). The present study aimed to explore the ability of SO to predict the risk of pneumonia in patients with stable schizophrenia. METHODS: This was a prospective study involving hospitalized patients with schizophrenia aged ≥50 years from two mental health centers in western China. Baseline patient data were collected from September 1 to September 30, 2020. Follow-up data on pneumonia were collected from October 2020 to October 2022. The diagnosis of SO was based on the ESPEN/EASO criteria. Patients were assessed for handgrip strength (HGS), skeletal muscle mass/weight (SMM/W), and fat mass percentage (FM%). Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the effect of SO on the risk of pneumonia in patients with stable schizophrenia. RESULTS: A total of 320 patients with stable schizophrenia were included. Of these, 74 (23.13%) were diagnosed with SO, while 117 (36.56%) developed pneumonia. Compared with patients in the non-low HGS, non-low HGS + non-low SMM/W (or non-low HGS + low SMM/W or low HGS + non-low SMM/W) and non-SO groups, the proportions of patients with pneumonia in the low HGS (42.3% vs. 25.9%, p = 0.004), low HGS + low SMM/W (45.3% vs. 33.3%, p = 0.048), and SO (47.3% vs. 33.3%, p = 0.029) groups, respectively, were higher. However, there was no difference in the proportion of patients with pneumonia in the low SMM/W group and the obese group compared with the non-low SMM/W and non-obese groups. Further logistic regression analysis after adjustment for potential influencing factors showed that compared with the non-low HGS group, patients in the low HGS group had a higher risk of pneumonia (OR = 1.892, 95%CI: 1.096-3.264). CONCLUSION: SO defined according to the ESPEN/EASO criteria was not found to be significantly associated with the development of pneumonia in patients with stable schizophrenia. Further verification of these results is needed with larger sample sizes and the establishment of a cutoff value for this population.

Identification of ISVlu1-derived translocatable units containing optrA and/or fexA genes generated by homologous or illegitimate recombination in Lactococcus garvieae of porcine origin.

The optrA gene encodes an ABC-F protein which confers cross-resistance to oxazolidinones and phenicols. Insertion sequence ISVlu1, a novel ISL3-family member, was recently reported to be involved in the transmission of optrA in Vagococcus lutrae. However, the role of ISVlu1 in mobilizing resistance genes has not yet fully explored. In this study, two complete and three truncated copies of ISVlu1 were found on plasmid pBN62-optrA from Lactococcus garvieae. Analysis of the genetic context showed that both optrA and the phenicols resistance gene fexA were flanked by the complete or truncated ISVlu1 copies. Moreover, three different-sized ISVlu1-based translocatable units (TUs) carrying optrA and/or fexA, were detected from pBN62-optrA. Sequence analysis revealed that the TU-optrA was generated by homologous recombination while TU-fexA and TU-optrA+fexA were the products of illegitimate recombinations. Importantly, conjugation assays confirmed that pBN62-optrA was able to successfully transfer into the recipient Enterococcus faecalis JH2-2. To our knowledge, this is the first report about an optrA-carrying plasmid in L. garvieae which could horizontally transfer into other species. More importantly, the ISVlu1-flanked genetic structures containing optrA and/or fexA were also observed in bacteria of different species, which underlines that ISVlu1 is highly active and plays a vital role in the transfer of some important resistance genes, such as optrA and fexA.