Terrirubrum flagellatum gen. nov., sp. nov. of Terrirubraceae fam. nov. and Lichenibacterium dinghuense sp. nov. from forest soil and proposal of Rhodoblastaceae fam. nov.

Two Gram-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped bacterial strains, 7MK25T and 6Y81T, were isolated from forest soil of Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve, Guangdong Province, PR China. Based on the results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain 7MK25T showed the highest similarity (93.6 %) to Methyloferula stellata AR4T, followed by Bosea thiooxidans DSM 9653T (93.3 %). Strain 6Y81T had the highest similarity of 97.9 % to Lichenibacterium minor RmlP026T, followed by Lichenibacterium ramalinae RmlP001T (97.2 %). Phylogenomic analysis using the UBCG and PhyloPhlAn methods consistently showed that strain 7MK25T formed a sister clade to Boseaceae, while strain 6Y81T formed an independent clade within the genus Lichenibacterium, both in the order Hyphomicrobiales. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity values between strains 7MK25T, 6Y81T and their close relatives were in the ranges of 19.1-29.9 % and 72.5-85.5 %, respectively. The major fatty acids of 7MK25T were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c/C18 : 1 ω6c), C19 : 0 cyclo ω8c, C16 : 0 and C17 : 0 cyclo, while those of 6Y81T were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c/C18 : 1 ω6c), C16 : 0 and C16 : 0 3-OH. Strains 7MK25T and 6Y81T took diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylcholine as their dominant polar lipids, and Q-10 as their major respiratory quinone. On the basis of phenotypic and phylogenetic data, strain 7MK25T is proposed to represent a novel species of a novel genus with name Terrirubrum flagellatum gen. nov., sp. nov., within a novel family Terrirubraceae fam. nov., with 7MK25T (=KCTC 62738T=GDMCC 1.1452T) as its type strain. Strain 6Y81T represents a novel species in the genus Lichenibacterium, for which the name Lichenibacterium dinghuense sp. nov. (type strain 6Y81T=KACC 21 727T=GDMCC 1.2176T) is proposed. Rhodoblastaceae fam. nov. with Rhodoblastus as the type genus is also proposed to solve the non-monophylectic problem of the family Roseiarcaceae.

Fourteen-Day Tegoprazan-Amoxicillin Dual Therapy as the First-Line Treatment of Helicobacter pylori Infection (SHARE2301): A Multicenter, Noninferiority, Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Potassium-competitive acid blockers have demonstrated enormous potential in the eradication treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection, with tegoprazan being one of the representatives. The available data on the safety and efficacy of tegoprazan in dual therapy are limited. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The multicenter, noninferiority, randomized-controlled trial was conducted from May 2023 to March 2024. Treatment-naive subjects were randomly assigned (1:1) to enter either the tegoprazan-amoxicillin (TA) group (tegoprazan 50 mg twice daily and amoxicillin 750 mg four times daily) or the esomeprazole-amoxicillin (EA) group (esomeprazole 20 mg and amoxicillin 750 mg all four times daily), with a duration for 14 days. The primary outcome was eradication rate as determined by 13C-urea breath test, including per-protocol (PP) analysis and intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis. Secondary outcomes were adverse events and compliance. RESULTS: A total of 368 individuals were included in the randomization. The eradication rates in the EA group and the TA group were 84.2% and 85.8%, respectively, according to an ITT analysis (p = 0.77), and 88.5% and 88.2%, respectively, according to PP analysis (p = 1.00). The eradication rates for the TA group were not inferior to those of the EA group in both PP (p = 0.0023) and ITT analyses (p = 0.0009). There were no significant statistical differences in the incidence of adverse events and compliance between the two groups. The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that poor compliance increased the risk of eradication failure (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Dual therapy containing tegoprazan is safe and effective to be considered as a clinical first-line treatment option, but further optimization involving antimicrobial susceptibility testing and adjustments in dosage and frequency is warranted. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05870683.

Efficacy of Tetracycline Three Times Daily was Comparable to That of Four Times Daily for Helicobacter pylori Rescue Treatment: A Multicenter, Noninferiority, Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: The optimal dosage of tetracycline remains unclear for Helicobacter pylori eradication. Frequent dosing requirements may decrease patient adherence and increase the incidence of adverse events, potentially reducing treatment efficacy. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of different tetracycline dosages in rescue treatment for H. pylori infection. METHODS: A total of 406 patients needing H. pylori rescue treatment were enrolled. Patients were randomized into two groups and received bismuth-containing quadruple therapies as follows: esomeprazole 40 mg twice daily, bismuth 220 mg twice daily, amoxicillin 1000 mg twice daily, and tetracycline 500 mg either three (TET-T group) or four (TET-F group) times daily. At least 6 weeks after treatment completion, a 13C-urea breath test was performed to evaluate H. pylori eradication. RESULTS: The intention-to-treat (ITT) eradication rates were 91.13% (185/203) and 90.15% (183/203) (p = 0.733), the modified ITT (MITT) eradication rates were 94.87% (185/195) and 95.31% (183/192) (p = 0.841), and the per-protocol (PP) eradication rates were 94.79% (182/192) and 95.21% (179/188) (p = 0.851) in the TET-T group and TET-F group, respectively. The eradication rates for the TET-T group were not inferior to those of the TET-F group in ITT, MITT, and PP analyses. The incidence of adverse effects was significantly lower in the TET-T group than in the TET-F group (23.65% vs. 33.50%, p = 0.028). No significant differences were observed in treatment compliance between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: The dose of tetracycline administered three times daily showed comparable efficacy to that administered four times daily, while significantly reducing the incidence of adverse events. The combination of tetracycline and amoxicillin in bismuth-containing quadruple therapy achieved a high eradication rate in H. pylori rescue treatment.

Tetracycline Three Times Daily Versus Four Times Daily in Bismuth-Containing Quadruple Therapy as the First-Line Treatment of Helicobacter pylori Infection: A Multicenter, Noninferiority, Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Current guidelines recommend bismuth-containing quadruple therapy for patients newly diagnosed with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of tetracycline administered three times daily versus four times daily in bismuth-containing quadruple therapy for first-line treatment of H. pylori infection. METHODS: This multicenter, noninferiority, randomized controlled study, conducted in China, recruited treatment-naïve adults with H. pylori infection, randomized 1:1 into two treatment groups to receive either of the following bismuth-containing quadruple therapies: esomeprazole 20 mg twice-daily; bismuth 220 mg twice-daily; amoxicillin 1000 mg twice-daily; and tetracycline 500 mg three times daily (TET-T) versus 500 mg four times daily (TET-F). At least 6 weeks post-treatment, a 13C-urea breath test was performed to evaluate H. pylori eradication. RESULTS: In total, 406 patients were randomly assigned to the two treatment groups. Intention-to-treat eradication rates were 91.63% (186/203; 95% confidence interval [CI] 87.82%-95.44%) versus 90.15% (183/203; 95% CI 86.05%-94.25%) (p = 0.0005) and per-protocol eradication rates were 95.34% (184/193; 95% CI 92.36%-98.31%) versus 95.72% (179/187; 95% CI 92.82%-98.62%) (p = 0.0002) for the TET-T and TET-F group, respectively. TET-T-treated patients had a lower incidence of adverse effects than TET-F-treated patients (21.61% vs. 31.63%, p = 0.024), with no significant differences in compliance to treatment between the groups. CONCLUSION: As a first-line therapy for H. pylori infection, the eradication rate of the TET-T therapy was noninferior to that of the TET-F therapy while significantly reducing the incidence of adverse reactions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05431075.

Effects of working memory span training on top-down attentional asymmetry at both neural and behavioral levels.

The leftward asymmetry of the visual field and posterior brain regions, a feature of the normal attention process, can be strengthened by brain stimulation, e.g. administering alpha frequency stimulation to the left posterior cortex. However, whether it can be strengthened by cognitive training, especially with nonlateralized tasks, is unknown. We used a dataset from a 2-month-long randomized controlled trial and compared the control group with 2 training groups trained with backward or forward memory span tasks. A lateralized change detection task with varied memory loads was administered as the pre-, mid-, and post-tests with simultaneous electroencephalographic recording. Intrasubject response variability (IRV) and the alpha modulation index (MI) were calculated. Analysis of IRV showed more enhanced leftward attentional bias in the backward group than in the other groups. Consistently, analysis of MI found that its enhancements in the left hemisphere (but not the right hemisphere) of the backward group were significantly higher than those of the other groups. Further analysis revealed that left MI changes predicted left IRV improvement. All of these results indicated that backward memory span training enhanced leftward attentional asymmetry at both the behavioral and neural levels.

Trinickia violacea sp. nov. and Trinickia terrae sp. nov., isolated from forest soil.

Two Gram-stain negative, aerobic and rod-shaped bacterial strains, DHOD12T and 7GSK02T, were isolated from forest soil of Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve, Guangdong Province, PR China. Strain DHOD12T grew at 4-42 °C (optimum, 28-33 °C), pH 4.0-8.5 (optimum, pH 5.5-6.5) and in the presence of 0-1.5 % (w/v; optimum, 0-0.5 %)NaCl; while strain 7GSK02T grew at 12-42 °C (optimum, 28-33 °C), pH 4.0-8.5 (optimum, pH 5.0-6.0) and in the presence of 0-0.5 % (w/v; optimum, 0 %) NaCl. Strains DHOD12T and 7GSK02T had the highest 16S rRNA sequence similarities of 98.0 and 98.3 % with the same species Trinickia mobilis DHG64T, respectively, and 98.4 % between themselves. In the 16S rRNA phylogeny, they formed a clade that was sister to a major cluster consisting of all described Trinickia species. Phylogenomic analyses with the UBCG and PhyloPhlAn methods consistently showed that strains DHOD12T and 7GSK02T formed a clade with T. mobilis DHG64T that was a sister of a cluster containing the remainder of the Trinickia species. The DNA G+C contents of strains DHOD12T and 7GSK02T were 63.1 and 64.6 mol%, respectively. Digital DNA-DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity values of strains DHOD12T, 7GSK02T and their closely related strains were in the ranges of 21.6-31.4 % and 77.1-86.9 %, respectively. These two strains had the same major respiratory quinone, ubiquinone-8, and both had C16 : 0, C17 : 0 cyclo and summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c/C18 : 1 ω6c) as their major fatty acids. Their major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol. Genomic analysis indicated that the two strains could have the potential to degrade aromatic compounds like other Trinickia species. On the basis of phenotypic and phylogenetic results, strains DHOD12T and 7GSK02T represent two novel species of the genus Trinickia, for which the names Trinickia violacea sp. nov. (type strain DHOD12T=LMG 30258T=CGMCC 1.15436T) and Trinickia terrae sp. nov. (type strain 7GSK02T=CGMCC 1.15432T=KCTC 62468T) are proposed.

Paraburkholderia flagellata sp. nov. and Paraburkholderia adhaesiva sp. nov., two novel species isolated from forest soil in Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve in Guangdong, China.

Two Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, motile and short rod strains, designated 4D117T and ZD32-2T, were isolated from the forest soils. Strains 4D117T and ZD32-2T grew optimally at pH 4.0-6.5, 20-33 °C and pH 4.5-7.0, 33 °C, respectively, and both at 0.5% (w/v) NaCl concentration. Strains 4D117T and ZD32-2T shared the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with P. acidiphila 7Q-K02T (99.1%) and P. ferrariae NBRC 106233T (98.7%), respectively. The genome size and G + C contents of strains 4D117T and ZD32-2T were 9,002,095 bp, 62.9% and 6,974,420 bp, 61.7%, respectively. The dDDH and ANI values between strains 4D117T, ZD32-2T and closely related Paraburkholderia species were in the ranges of 21.9-51.6% and 82.9-94.4%, and 81.7% and 25.4% between themself, respectively. Functional genomic analysis showed both strains were capable of degrading contaminants, such as benzoate, anthranilic acid and catechol for 4D117T, and benzene and catechol for ZD32-2T, indicating that they may have potentials for soil pollutant treatment. The main polar lipids of strains 4D117T and ZD32-2T were phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and diphosphatidylglycerol. Strain 4D117T contained C16:0, C19:0 cyclo ω8c and C18:1 ω7c and/or C18:1 ω6c, while strain ZD32-2T had C16:0 and C17:0 cyclo as their major cellular fatty acids (> 10%). Based on the phenotypic characters and genomic data, strains 4D117T and ZD32-2T represent two novel species of genus Paraburkholderia, for which the names Paraburkholderia flagellata sp. nov. (type strain 4D117T = GDMCC 1.2617T = NBRC 115278T) and Paraburkholderia adhaesiva sp. nov. (type strain ZD32-2T = GDMCC 1.2622T = NBRC 115282T) are proposed.

Shumkonia mesophila gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel representative of Shumkoniaceae fam. nov. and its potentials for extracellular polymeric substances formation and sulfur metabolism revealed by genomic analysis.

A microaerophilic, mesophilic, chemoorganoheterotrophic bacterium, designated Y-P2T, was isolated from oil sludge enrichment in China. Cells of the strain were Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, non-spore-forming, rod-shaped or slightly curved with 0.8-3.0 µm in length and 0.4-0.6 µm in diameter. The strain Y-P2T grew optimally at 25 °C (range from 15 to 30 °C) and pH 7.0 (range from pH 6.0 to 7.5) without NaCl. The major cellular fatty acids were C16:0, summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c and/or C16:1 ω6c), summed feature 8 (C18:1 ω7c and/or C18:1 ω6c). The main polar liquids of strain Y-P2T comprised phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylglycerol (PG). The respiratory quinone was Q-10. Acetate and H2 were the fermentation products of glucose. The DNA G + C content was 66.0%. Strain Y-P2T shared the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (90.3-90.6%) with species within Oceanibaculum of family Thalassobaculaceae in Rhodospirillales. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and genomes showed that strain Y-P2T formed a distinct evolutionary lineage within the order Rhodospirillales. On the basis of phenotypic, phylogenetic and phylogenomic data, we propose that strain Y-P2T represents a novel species in a novel genus, for which Shumkonia mesophila gen. nov., sp. nov., within a new family Shumkoniaceae fam. nov. The type strain is Y-P2T (= CCAM 826 T = JCM 34766 T).

Paracidobacterium acidisoli gen. nov., sp. nov. and Alloacidobacterium dinghuense gen. nov., sp. nov., two acidobacteria isolated from forest soil, and reclassification of Acidobacterium ailaaui and Acidipila dinghuensis as Pseudacidobacterium ailaaui gen. nov., comb. nov. and Silvibacterium dinghuense comb. nov.

Two aerobic and obligately acidophilic bacteria, designated 4G-K13T and 4Y35T, were isolated from the forest soil sampled at Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve, Guangdong Province, PR China. These two strains were Gram-stain-negative, non-motile and short rods that multiplied by binary division. Strains 4G-K13T and 4Y35T had the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 97.0 and 97.2 % to Silvibacterium bohemicum DSM 103733T and Acidisarcina polymorpha SBC82T, respectively. Phylogenetic trees based on the 16S rRNA gene and whole genome sequences showed consistently that these two strains formed a major clade with members of the genera Acidipila, Acidisarcina, Silvibacterium and Acidobacterium in the family Acidobacteriaceae, but each occupied an unique position. In both the UBCG and the PhyloPhlAn phylogenomic trees, strains 4G-K13T and 4Y35T congruently formed a highly supported subclade with Acidobacterium capsulatum DSM 11244T and Acidobacterium ailaaui DSM 27394T, respectively. The major fatty acids (>5 %) of strain 4G-K13T were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C17 : 0, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c) and summed feature 9 (iso-C17 : 1 ω9c and/or C16 : 0 10-methyl), while that of strain 4Y35T were C16 : 0, C18 : 1 ω9c, iso-C15 : 0, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c) and summed feature 9 (iso-C17 : 1 ω9c and/or C16 : 0 10-methyl). Strain 4G-K13T contained phosphatidylethanolamine, four unidentified phospholipids, four glycolipids, two unidentified aminolipids and two unknown lipids, while strain 4Y35T had phosphatidylethanolamine, three unidentified phospholipids, two glycolipids, five unidentified aminolipids and one unknown polar lipid. The DNA G+C contents of 4G-K13T and 4Y35T were 60.5 and 55.8 mol%, respectively. Based on all these phylogenetic, physiological and chemotaxonomic data, we suggest that strains 4G-K13T and 4Y35T represent two novel species of two novel genera in the family Acidobacteriaceae, for which the names Paracidobacterium acidisoli gen. nov., sp. nov. (type strain: 4G-K13T=GDMCC 1.1195T=NBRC 113249T) and Alloacidobacterium dinghuense gen. nov., sp. nov. (type strain: 4Y35T=KACC 21728T=NBRC 114261T) are proposed. We also propose to reclassify Acidobacterium ailaaui and Acidipila dinghuensis as Pseudacidobacterium ailaaui gen. nov., comb. nov. and Silvibacterium dinghuense comb. nov., respectively, based mainly on the results of phylogenomic analysis.

The VNTR of the AS3MT gene is associated with brain activations during a memory span task and their training-induced plasticity.

BACKGROUND: The Arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase (AS3MT) gene has been identified as a top risk gene for schizophrenia in several large-scale genome-wide association studies. A variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) of this gene is the most significant expression quantitative trait locus, but its role in brain activity in vivo is still unknown. METHODS: We first performed a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan of 101 healthy subjects during a memory span task, trained all subjects on an adaptive memory span task for 1 month, and finally performed another fMRI scan after the training. After excluding subjects with excessive head movements for one or more scanning sessions, data from 93 subjects were included in the final analyses. RESULTS: The VNTR was significantly associated with both baseline brain activation and training-induced changes in multiple regions including the prefrontal cortex and the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex. Additionally, it was associated with baseline brain activation in the striatum and the parietal cortex. All these results were corrected based on the family-wise error rate method across the whole brain at the peak level. CONCLUSIONS: This study sheds light on the role of AS3MT gene variants in neural plasticity related to memory span training.

Dyella telluris sp. nov. and Dyella acidiphila sp. nov., isolated from forest soil of Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve, China.

Cells of bacterial strains G9T and 7MK23T, isolated from forest soil samples collected from the Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve, Guangdong Province, PR China, were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic and rod-shaped. Strain G9T was motile with single polar flagellum and grew at 12-37 °C (optimum, 28 °C), pH 4.5-8.0 (optimum, pH 6.0-7.5) and in the presence of 0-3.5 % NaCl (optimum, 1.5%, w/v); while strain 7MK23T was non-motile and grew at 12-42 °C (optimum, 28-33 °C), pH 2.5-8.5 (optimum, pH 4.5-6.5) and NaCl levels of 0-1.0 % (optimum, 0-0.5 %, w/v). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that both isolates fell within the cluster of the genus Dyella. The closely related species (with a 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity >98.65%) of strain G9T were Dyella terrae JS14-6T (99.0 %), D. kyungheensis THG-B117T (98.8 %) and D. amyloliquefaciens DHC06T (98.7 %) while that of strain 7MK23T were D. mobilis DHON07T (99.2 %) and D. flava DHOC52T (99.1 %), but the average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between strains G9T, 7MK23T and the closely related Dyella species listed above were in the ranges of 77.5-83.8 % and 22.0-27.0 %, much lower than the species demarcation lines of 95.5 and 70 %, respectively. Phylogenomic analyses using UBCG and Phylophlan also supported that these two strains represent two novel species of Dyella. The major fatty acids of strain G9T were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C17 : 1 ω9c and iso-C17 : 0 while that of strain 7MK23T were iso-C15 : 0 and anteiso-C15 : 0. Ubiquinone-8 was the only respiratory quinone detected in both strains. The polar lipids of strain G9T consisted of phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, and several unknown phospholipids, aminophospholipids, aminolipids and lipid while strain 7MK23T contained phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmethylethanolamine and several unknown phospholipids and aminophospholipids. The DNA G+C contents of strains G9T and 7MK23T were 64.7 and 63.4 mol%, respectively. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses as well as phenotypic data obtained, we propose that strains G9T and 7MK23T represent two novel species of the genus Dyella, for which the names Dyella telluris sp. nov. (type strain G9T=KACC 21725T=GDMCC 1.2132T) and Dyella acidiphila sp. nov. (type strain 7MK23T=KCTC 62739T=GDMCC 1.1446T) are proposed.

LncRNA HAND2-AS1 represses cervical cancer progression by interaction with transcription factor E2F4 at the promoter of C16orf74.

Cervical cancer is one of the major malignancies, the pathophysiology and progression of which remain to be scarcely understood. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been previously implicated in the progression of cervical cancer. Here, the purpose of this study was to identify whether lncRNA heart- and neural crest derivative-expressed 2-antisense RNA 1 (HAND2-AS1) affect the development of cervical cancer through regulation of chromosome 16 open reading frame 74 (C16orf74) by mediating a transcription factor E2F4. RT-qPCR was performed to determine the expression of HAND2-AS1 in cervical cancer cells. Then, cervical cancer cells were treated with HAND2-AS1 or si-E2F4 RNA, or C16orf74, after which the proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion were detected. Moreover, the binding between HAND2-AS1 and E2F4 or between E2F4 and C16orf74 was explored. Finally, the tumorigenesis of cervical cancer cells was measured in nude mice with altered HAND2-AS1/E2F4/C16orf74 expression. HAND2-AS1 exhibited poor expression in cervical cancer, and HAND2-AS1 overexpression suppressed the proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion of cervical cancer cells. In addition, HAND2-AS1 was found to recruit transcription factor E2F4 to C16orf74 promoter region and down-regulate C16orf74 expression. Lastly, HAND2-AS1/E2F4/C16orf74 modulated the tumorigenesis of cervical cancer in nude mice. In conclusion, this study provided evidence on the inhibitory effect of HAND2-AS1 on the development of cervical cancer through the suppression of C16orf74 expression by recruiting transcription factor E2F4. This study highlights the potential of lncRNA HAND2-AS1 as a target in the treatment of cervical cancer.

ERP evidence for the effect of working memory span training on working memory maintenance: A randomized controlled trial.

There is a lot of debate in the literature with regards to whether the effects of working memory span training generalize to working memory tasks that are different from the trained task, however, there is little evidence to date supporting this idea. The present randomized controlled trial included 80 undergraduate students who were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (N = 40) or the control group (N = 40) in order to receive a working memory span intervention for 20 sessions over the course of 4 weeks. Brain electrophysiological signals during a dot pattern expectancy (DPX) task and a change detection task were recorded both before and after the intervention. The amplitudes of characteristic event-related potential (ERP) components reflecting working memory maintenance capability during the delay period of both tasks (i.e., the contingent negative variation or CNV, derived from the DPX task, and the contralateral delay activity or CDA, derived from the change detection task) were used as the primary outcome measures. Our data indicated that the intervention resulted in specific changes in both, the CNV and the CDA, suggesting that working memory span training generalized to working memory maintenance processes as observed in working memory tasks that were different from the trained task. We conclude that working memory span training might serve as a useful tool to improve working memory maintenance capability. Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (chiCTR-INR-17011728).

Paraburkholderia acidiphila sp. nov., Paraburkholderia acidisoli sp. nov. and Burkholderia guangdongensis sp. nov., isolated from forest soil, and reclassification of Burkholderia ultramafica as Paraburkholderia ultramafica comb. nov.

Three Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, motile and rod-shaped bacterial strains, 7Q-K02T, DHF22T and DHOM02T, were isolated from forest soil sampled at Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve, Guangdong Province, China. Strains 7Q-K02T, DHF22T and DHOM02T grew at 4-37, 4-42 and 12-37 °C, pH 3.0-8.5, 3.5-8.5 and 5.0-8.0, and in the presence of 0-3.0, 0-3.5 and 0-2.5 % (w/v) NaCl; with optima at 28-33, 28 and 28-33 °C, pH 3.5-6.5, 4.0-5.5 and 6.5-7.0, and 0-1.5, 0-1.5 and 0.5-1.5 % (w/v) NaCl, respectively. Strains 7Q-K02T and DHF22T have the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of 99.0 and 98.0 % to Paraburkholderia sacchari LMG 19450T and 97.7 % between themselves, while strain DHOM02T shares the highest similarity of 98.4 % to 'Burkholderia rinojensis' A396T followed by 98.3 % to Burkholderia plantarii ATCC 43733T. In the 16S rRNA gene sequence phylogram, strain 7Q-K02T formed a sister branch with Paraburkholderia sacchari, Paraburkholderia oxyphila and Paraburkholderia paradisi, and strain DHF22T was separated from all other species within the genus Paraburkholderia, while strain DHOM02T formed a separated clade with members of the genus Burkholderia. The DNA G+C contents of strains 7Q-K02T, DHF22T and DHOM02T wwe 64.3, 65.4 and 66.6 %, respectively. Digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) and average nucleotide identity (ANI) values of strains 7Q-K02T, DHF22T and closely related Paraburkholderia strains were in the ranges of 25.5-43.7 % and 81.5-91.3 %, respectively. While dDDH and ANI values between strain DHOM02T and Burkholderia strains with genome sequence data were in the ranges of 22.4-31.0 % and 78.2-86.1 %, respectively. These three strains have the same major respiratory quinone: ubiquinone-8. Strains 7Q-K02T, DHF22T and DHOM02T have C16 : 0, C17 : 0 cyclo, C19 : 0 cyclo ω8c and summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c/C18 : 1 ω6c) as their major fatty acid compositions. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol. On the basis of phenotypic, phylogenetic, genomic analyses and chemotaxonomic data, strains 7Q-K02T and DHF22T represent two novel species of the genus Paraburkholderia, for which the names Paraburkholderia acidiphila sp. nov. (type strain 7Q-K02T=CGMCC 1.15433T=KCTC 62472T=LMG 29209T) and Paraburkholderia acidisoli sp. nov. (type strain DHF22T=GDMCC 1.1448T=LMG 30262T) are proposed, while strain DHOM02T represents a novel species in the genus Burkholderia, for which the name Burkholderia guangdongensis sp. nov. (type strain DHOM02T=KCTC 42625T=LMG 28843T) is proposed. We also propose to transfer Burkholderia ultramafica to the genus Paraburkholderia as Paraburkholderia ultramafica comb. nov. based mainly on the results of phylogenomic analysis.

Hyperspectral Imaging for the Nondestructive Quality Assessment of the Firmness of Nanguo Pears Under Different Freezing/Thawing Conditions.

Firmness changes in Nanguo pears under different freezing/thawing conditions have been characterized by hyperspectral imaging (HSI). Four different freezing/thawing conditions (the critical temperatures, numbers of cycles, holding time and cooling rates) were set in this experiment. Four different pretreatment methods were used: multivariate scattering correction (MSC), standard normal variate (SNV), Savitzky-Golay standard normal variate (S-G-SNV) and Savitzky-Golay multiplicative scattering correction (S-G-MSC). Combined with competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) to identify characteristic wavelengths, firmness prediction models of Nanguo pears under different freezing/thawing conditions were established by partial least squares (PLS) regression. The performance of the firmness model was analyzed quantitatively by the correlation coefficient (R), the root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC), the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) and the root mean square error of cross validation (RMSECV). The results showed that the MSC-PLS model has the highest accuracy at different cooling rates and holding times; the correlation coefficients of the calibration set (Rc) were 0.899 and 0.927, respectively, and the correlation coefficients of the validation set (Rp) were 0.911 and 0.948, respectively. The accuracy of the SNV-PLS model was the highest at different numbers of cycles, and the Rc and the Rp were 0.861 and 0.848, respectively. The RMSEC was 65.189, and the RMSEP was 65.404. The accuracy of the S-G-SNV-PLS model was the highest at different critical temperatures, with Rc and Rp values of 0.854 and 0.819, respectively, and RMSEC and RMSEP values of 74.567 and 79.158, respectively.

Protective Effects of Reduced Beta 2 Glycoprotein I on Liver Injury in Streptozotocin (STZ)-Diabetic Rats by Activation of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase.

BACKGROUND Protective effects of reduced beta 2 glycoprotein I (Rb2GPI) against vascular injury of diabetes mellitus have been extensively investigated. However, the effects of Rb2GPI on liver injury in diabetic animals have not been reported. MATERIAL AND METHODS A diabetic rat model of was produced by systemic injection of streptozotocin (STZ). Rats were divided into a normal control group, a model group, and an Rb2GPI treatment group (N=6 in each group). After treatments, blood serum and liver tissue were collected to test the protection of Rb2GPI. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. RESULTS Our results revealed that Rß2GPI reduced blood glucose, serum creatinine, and urea nitrogen levels, as well as serum inflammation cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and C-reactive protein in the diabetic rats. Importantly, Rß2GPI prevented liver injury in the diabetic rats as confirmed by hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and gamma-glutamyl transferase. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were promoted by diabetic modeling and were attenuated by Rß2GPI administration. Moreover, Rß2GPI significantly reduced liver catalase, malondialdehyde, and superoxide dismutase levels in the diabetic rats. Rß2GPI reduced liver glycolipid storage in STZ diabetic rats. Both immunohistochemistry and Western blotting demonstrated that Rß2GPI promoted AMPK phosphorylation in the diabetic rats. CONCLUSIONS Our data proved that Rß2GPI prevented liver injury in diabetic rats, likely through activating the AMPK signaling pathway.

Association of Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Levels with Microvascular Complications in Type 2 Diabetes Patients.

BACKGROUND Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is typically featured by elevated serum concentration of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). This study aimed to determine the relationship between TSH levels and microvascular complications in type 2 diabetes patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 860 type 2 diabetes patients were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Subjects were evaluated for anthropometric measurements, thyroid function, diabetic retinopathy, and diabetic kidney disease. TSH was divided into 3 levels: 0.27-2.49 mU/l, 2.5-4.2 mU/l, and >4.2 mU/l. RESULTS Among the participants, 76 subjects (8.8%) were diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) (male: 6.6% and female: 11.8%). The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy did not differ among the groups (P=0.259). Of the 860 type 2 diabetic subjects, we further excluded invalid or missing data. Therefore, 800 and 860 subjects were included in our study of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic kidney disease (DKD), respectively. The frequencies of microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria differed significantly among the different groups. The frequency of DKD was significantly different among the 3 groups (P=0.001) and was higher in subjects with higher TSH levels. After an adjustment for confounding variables, TSH levels were significantly associated with DKD (P<0.001). When compared with subjects with TSH 0.27-2.49 mU/l, the frequency of DKD was higher in subjects with TSH >4.20 mU/l (OR 1.531, 95% CI 1.174-1.997) and with TSH 2.50-4.20 mU/l (OR 1.579, 95% CI 1.098-2.270). However, TSH levels was not significantly correlated with DR (P=0.126). CONCLUSIONS Type 2 diabetic patients with higher TSH values had a higher prevalence of DKD.

Effect of rs1063843 in the CAMKK2 gene on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

Recently, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the CAMKK2 gene (rs1063843) was found to be associated with lower expression of the gene in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and with schizophrenia (SCZ) and deficits in working memory and executive function. However, the brain mechanism underlying this association is poorly understood. A functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study (N = 84 healthy volunteers) involving multiple cognitive tasks, including a Stroop task (to measure attentional executive control), an N-back task (to measure working memory), and a delay discounting task (to measure decision making) to identify the brain regions affected by rs1063843 was performed. Across all three tasks, it was found that carriers of the risk allele consistently exhibited increased activation of the left DLPFC. In addition, the risk allele carriers also exhibited increased activation of the right DLPFC and the left cerebellum during the Stroop task and of the left caudate nucleus during the N-back task. These findings helped to elucidate the role of CAMKK2 in cognitive functions and in the etiology of SCZ. Hum Brain Mapp 37:2398-2406, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The ANK3 gene and facial affect processing: An ERP study.

ANK3 is one of the most promising candidate genes for bipolar disorder (BD). A polymorphism (rs10994336) within the ANK3 gene has been associated with BD in at least three genome-wide association studies of BD [McGuffin et al., 2003; Kieseppä, 2004; Edvardsen et al., 2008]. Because facial affect processing is disrupted in patients with BD, the current study aimed to explore whether the BD risk alleles are associated with the N170, an early event-related potential (ERP) component related to facial affect processing. We collected data from two independent samples of healthy individuals (Ns = 83 and 82, respectively) to test the association between rs10994336 and an early event-related potential (ERP) component (N170) that is sensitive to facial affect processing. Repeated-measures analysis of covariance in both samples consistently revealed significant main effects of rs10994336 genotype (Sample I: F (1, 72) = 7.24, P = 0.009; Sample II: F (1, 69) = 11.81, P = 0.001), but no significant interaction of genotype × electrodes (Ps > 0.05) or genotype × emotional conditions (Ps > 0.05). These results suggested that rs10994336 was linked to early ERP component reflecting facial structural encoding during facial affect processing. These results shed new light on the brain mechanism of this risk SNP and associated disorders such as BD. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Changes in liraglutide-induced body composition are related to modifications in plasma cardiac natriuretic peptides levels in obese type 2 diabetic patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Liraglutide treatment can improve glycemic control with a concomitant weight loss, but the underlying mechanism on weight loss is not completely understood. Cardiac natriuretic peptides (NPs) can resist body fat accumulation through increasing adipocytes lypolysis. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that liraglutide-induced weight loss was associated with increased plasma NPs concentrations. METHODS: Thirty-one outpatients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) treated with metformin and other oral antidiabetic drugs except for thiazolidinediones (TZDs) were subcutaneously administered with liraglutide for 12 weeks. Body composition, abdominal visceral adipose tissue areas (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue areas (SAT) were assessed at pre- and post-treatment by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanning and abdominal computerized tomography (CT). Plasma atrial natriuretic peptides (ANP) and B-type ventricular natriuretic peptides (BNP) concentrations were tested by commercial ELISA Kit quantitatively. RESULTS: Following 12-week liraglutide treatment, body weight, waist circumference, total fat and lean mass, fat percentage, SAT and VAT areas were significantly reduced from baseline. Concurrently, plasma ANP and BNP levels were significantly increased following 12-week liraglutide treatment. There were significant correlations between the reductions in body compositions and the increases in both plasma ANP and BNP levels. CONCLUSIONS: There were significant correlations between increases in both plasma ANP and BNP levels and changes in liraglutide-induced body composition. Our data implied that increases in plasma NPs may add a novel dimension to explain how liraglutide induces weight loss.