Optimal development of apoptotic cells-mimicking liposomes targeting macrophages.

Macrophages are multifunctional innate immune cells that play indispensable roles in homeostasis, tissue repair, and immune regulation. However, dysregulated activation of macrophages is implicated in the pathogenesis of various human disorders, making them a potential target for treatment. Through the expression of pattern recognition and scavenger receptors, macrophages exhibit selective uptake of pathogens and apoptotic cells. Consequently, the utilization of drug carriers that mimic pathogenic or apoptotic signals shows potential for targeted delivery to macrophages. In this study, a series of mannosylated or/and phosphatidylserine (PS) -presenting liposomes were developed to target macrophages via the design of experiment (DoE) strategy and the trial-and-error (TaE) approach. The optimal molar ratio for the liposome formulation was DOPC: DSPS: Chol: PEG-PE = 20:60:20:2 based on the results of cellular uptake and cytotoxicity evaluation on RAW 264.7 and THP-1 in vitro. Results from in vivo distribution showed that, in the DSS-induced colitis model and collagen II-induced rheumatoid arthritis model, PS-presenting liposomes (PS-Lipo) showed the highest accumulation in intestine and paws respectively, which holds promising potential for macrophage target therapy since macrophages are abundant at inflammatory sites and contribute to the progression of corresponding diseases. Organs such as the heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney did not exhibit histological alterations such as inflammation or necrosis when exposed to PC-presenting liposomes (PC-Lipo) or PS-Lipo. In addition, liposomes demonstrated hemobiocompatibility and no toxicity to liver or kidney for circulation and did not induce metabolic injury in the animals. Thus, the well-designed PS-Lipo demonstrated the most potential for macrophage target therapy.

8-O-acetyl shanzhiside methylester protects against sleep deprivation-induced cognitive deficits and anxiety-like behaviors by regulating NLRP3 and Nrf2 pathways in mice.

Sleep deprivation (SD) is prevalent throughout the world, which has negative effects on cognitive abilities, and causing mood alterations. 8-O-acetyl shanzhiside methylester (8-OaS), a chief component in Lamiophlomis rotata (L. rotata) Kudo, possesses potent neuroprotective properties and analgesic effects. Here, we evaluated the alleviative effects of 8-OaS on memory impairment and anxiety in mice subjected to SD (for 72-h). Our results demonstrated that 8-OaS (0.2, 2, 20 mg/kg) administration dose-dependently ameliorated behavioral abnormalities in SD mice, accompanied with restored synaptic plasticity and reduced shrinkage and loss of hippocampal neurons. 8-OaS reduced the inflammatory response and oxidative stress injury in hippocampus caused by SD, which may be related to inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated inflammatory process and activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. SD also led to increases in the expressions of TLR-4/MyD88, active NF-κB, pro-IL-1ß, TNFα and MDA, as well as a decrease in the level of SOD in mice hippocampus, which were reversed by 8-OaS administration. Moreover, our molecular docking analyses showed that 8-OaS also has good affinity for NLRP3 and Nrf2 signaling pathways. These results suggested that 8-OaS could be used as a novel herbal medicine for the treatment of sleep loss and for use as a structural base for developing new drugs.

Upregulation of HRD1 promotes cell migration and invasion in colon cancer.

3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl reductase degradation (HRD1) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that functions by promoting degradation of misfolded proteins in processes such as embryogenesis and rheumatoid arthritis. However, little is known about the role of HRD1 in cancer. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression pattern and functions of HRD1 in human colon cancer (CC). We found that HRD1 expression was increased significantly in human CC tissues, and its overexpression was associated with TNM stage, tumor differentiation, tumor invasive depth, and distant metastasis. Knockdown of HRD1 using small hairpin (sh) RNA plasmid significantly inhibited CC cell migration and invasion. Furthermore, the silencing of HRD1 decreased the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9, which is critical for CC cell migration and invasion. Taken together, these results revealed that HRD1 is overexpressed in CC and promotes migration and invasion of CC cells. Inhibition of HRD1 may be considered as an effective anti-CC strategy.

Derlin-1 is overexpressed in human colon cancer and promotes cancer cell proliferation.

Derlin-1 is overexpressed in many types of solid tumors and plays an important role in cancer progression. However, the expression pattern and functions of Derlin-1 in human colon cancer are not fully understood. In the present study, we examined Derlin-1 expression in colon cancer cell lines and human tissues and investigated its role in colon cancer. We found that Derlin-1 expression was increased significantly in colon cancer tissues and its overexpression correlated with the tumor differentiation, Dukes stage, invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and poor overall survival. The silencing of Derlin-1 by shRNA led to the growth inhibition of colon cancer cells, which were associated with the promotion of apoptosis. Furthermore, Derlin-1 silencing significantly inhibited the activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Taken together, our results showed that Derlin-1 is overexpressed in colon cancer and promotes proliferation of colon cancer cells. Derlin-1 may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of colon cancer.

C-Myc-activated long noncoding RNA CCAT1 promotes colon cancer cell proliferation and invasion.

Recently, more and more evidence are rapidly accumulating that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in human tumorigenesis and misregulated in many cancers, including colon cancer. LncRNA could regulate essential pathways that contribute to tumor initiation and progression with their tissue specificity, which indicates that lncRNA would be valuable biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Colon cancer-associated transcript 1 (CCAT1) is a 2628 nucleotide-lncRNA and located in the vicinity of a well-known transcription factor c-Myc. CCAT1 has been found to be upregulated in many cancers, including gastric carcinoma and colonic adenoma-carcinoma. However, its roles in colon cancer are still not well documented and need to be investigated. In this study, we aim to investigate the prognostic value and biological function of CCAT1 and discover which factors may contribute to the deregulation of CCAT1 in colon cancer. Our results revealed that CCAT1 was significantly overexpressed in colon cancer tissues when compared with normal tissues, and its increased expression was correlated with patients' clinical stage, lymph nodes metastasis, and survival time after surgery. Moreover, c-Myc could promote CCAT1 transcription by directly binding to its promoter region, and upregulation of CCAT1 expression in colon cancer cells promoted cell proliferation and invasion. These data suggest that c-Myc-activated lncRNA CCAT1 expression contribute to colon cancer tumorigenesis and the metastatic process and could predict the clinical outcome of colon cancer and be a potential target for lncRNA direct therapy.

Left ventricular systolic dysfunction predicts clinical prognosis in patients with acute ischemic stroke after intravenous thrombolysis.

BACKGROUND: Although intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) thrombolysis is the most effective early treatment for acute ischemic stroke (AIS), outcomes vary greatly among patients. Left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) is prone to distant organ ischemia and may be a predictor for poor prognosis in AIS patients undergoing intravenous thrombolysis (IVT). Our aim was to investigate the predictivity of LVSD diagnosis (as measured by left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)) on 90-day clinical outcomes in AIS patients undergoing thrombolysis. METHODS: The current prospective cohort study continuously enrolled 273 AIS patients from the National Stroke Prevention and Treatment Engineering Management Special Database who underwent IVT and completed echocardiography within 24 h of admission between 2021 and 2023. LVSD was examined by evaluation of the echocardiographic LVEF values using Simpson's biplane method of discs in line with international guidelines, and defined as a LVEF value < 50%. Multivariable ordinal logistic regression model was performed to analyze the association between LVEF and functional outcome at 3 months. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) was used to examine the shape of the dose-response association between reduced LVEF and poor functional outcomes. Subgroup analysis was also employed to further verify the reliability and practicability of the results. RESULTS: Baseline data analysis showed LVSD patients had more comorbidities including on multivariate analyses, LVSD (OR 2.78, 95% CI 1.23 to 6.24, P=0.014), pre-existing diabetes mellitus (OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.11 to 3.90, P=0.023) and NIHSS on arrival (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.21 to 1.49, P<0.001) were independent predictors of poor functional outcomes (mRS ≥ 3) at 3 months. Multivariable-adjusted spline regression indicated a linear dose-response association between LVEF after IVT and poor functional outcomes (p for linearity < 0.001), with the optimal cutoff values of LVEF being 0.48. CONCLUSIONS: Our finding indicated that AIS patients with LVSD after IVT had poorer outcomes, suggesting the need to monitor and optimize LVEF in stroke management.

A multicenter propensity score analysis of significance of hepatic resection type for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The impact of hepatic resection type on long-term oncological prognosis of patients with early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been systematically investigated. We sought to determine risk factors, recurrence patterns, and survival outcomes after anatomical resection (AR) versus non-anatomical resection (NAR) for early-stage HCC. METHODS: From a prospectively collected multicenter database, consecutive patients undergoing curative hepatectomy for early-stage HCC were identified. Recurrence patterns, overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and risk factors were investigated in patients undergoing AR versus NAR using propensity score matching (PSM), subgroup analysis, and COX regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 3585 patients with early-stage HCC were enrolled, including 1287 and 2298 in the AR and NAR groups, respectively. After PSM, the OS and RFS of patients in the AR group were 58.8% and 42.7%, which were higher than those in the NAR group (52.2% and 30.6%, both p < 0.01). The benefits of AR were consistent across most subgroup analyses of OS and RFS. Multivariable COX regression analysis showed that AR was independently associated with better OS and RFS. Notably, although recurrence patterns were comparable, the risk factors for recurrence were not identical for AR versus NAR. Microvascular invasion and narrow resection margin were only associated with a higher recurrence rate after NAR. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that AR decreases the risk of tumor recurrence and improves OS and RFS in patients with early-stage HCC. AR should be adopted as long as such a surgical maneuver is feasible for initial treatment of early-stage HCC.

Development and validation of a novel clinical prediction model to predict the 90-day functional outcome of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage.

Background: Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH) is associated with high mortality and disability. Accurately predicting adverse prognostic risks of SICH is helpful in developing risk stratification and precision medicine strategies for this phenomenon. Methods: We analyzed 413 patients with SICH admitted to Hefei Second People's Hospital as a training cohort, considering 74 patients from the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University for external validation. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to select risk factors for 90-day functional outcomes, and a nomogram was developed to predict their incidence in patients. Discrimination, fitting performance, and clinical utility of the resulting nomogram were evaluated through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), calibration plots, and decision curves analysis (DCA), respectively. Results: Of the 413 patients, 180 had a poor prognosis. Univariate analysis showed significant variance of age, systolic pressure, intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores, National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores, and hematoma volume between the groups (p < 0.05). Logistic multivariate regression analysis showed that age, IVH, NIHSS, and hematoma volume were associated with unfavorable outcomes. Based on the results, a nomogram model was developed with an area under the ROC curve of 0.91 (95% CI; 0.88-0.94) and 0.89 (95% CI; 0.80-0.95) in the training and validation sets, respectively. In the validation set, the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of the model were 0.851, 0.923, 0.812, 0.727, and 0.951, respectively. The calibration plot demonstrates the goodness of fit between the nomogram predictions and actual observations. Finally, DCA indicated significant clinical adaptability. Conclusion: We developed and validated a short-term prognostic nomogram model for patients with SICH including NIHSS scores, age, hematoma volume, and IVH. This model has valuable potential in predicting the prognosis of patients with SICH.

Coevolutionary phage training and Joint application delays the emergence of phage resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are current threats to available antibiotic therapies, and this has renewed interest in the therapeutic use of phage as an alternative. However, development of phage resistance has led to unsuccessful therapeutic outcomes. In the current study, we applied phage training to minimize bacterial phage resistance and to improve treatment outcome by adapting the phage to their target hosts during co-evolution. We isolated and characterized a novel Pseudomonas aeruginosa N4-like lytic phage (PWJ) from wastewater in Yangzhou, China. PWJ is a double-stranded DNA podovirus that can efficiently lyse the model strain ATCC 27,853 and opportunistic pathogen PAO1. Genome sequencing of PWJ revealed features similar to those of the N4-like P. aeruginosa phage YH6. We used PWJ to screen for an evolved trained phage (WJ_Ev14) that restored infectivity to PWJ phage bacterial resisters. BLASTN analysis revealed that WJ_Ev14 is identical to its ancestor PWJ except for the amino acid substitution R1051S in its tail fiber protein. Moreover, phage adsorption tests and transmission electron microscopy of resistant bacteria demonstrated that the R1051S substitution was most likely the reason WJ_Ev14 could re-adsorb and regain infectivity. Furthermore, phage therapy assays in vitro and in a mouse P. aeruginosa lung infection model demonstrated that PWJ treatment resulted in improved clinical results and a reduction in lung bacterial load whereas the joint phage cocktail (PWJ+ WJ_Ev14) was better able to delay the emergence of resister bacteria. The phage cocktail (PWJ +WJ_Ev14) represents a promising candidate for inclusion in phage cocktails developed for clinical applications.

Association of primary tumor location with long-term oncological prognosis following hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma:A multicenter propensity score matching analysis.

PURPOSE: There is a striking laterality in the site of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with a strong predominance for the right side; however, the impact of primary tumor location on long-term prognosis after hepatectomy of HCC remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of primary tumor location on long-term oncological prognosis after hepatectomy for HCC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data of consecutive patients undergoing curative hepatectomy for HCC between 2008 and 2017 were analyzed. Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) of left-sided HCC (LS group) and right-sided HCC (RS group) were compared by using propensity score matching (PSM) analysis. COX regression analysis was performed to assess the adjusted effect of tumor location on long-term oncological prognosis. RESULTS: Of the 2799 included patients, 707 (25.3%) and 2092 (74.7%) were in the LS and RS groups, respectively. Using PSM analysis, 650 matched pairs of patients were created. In the PSM cohort, median OS (66.0 vs. 72.0 months, P = 0.001) and RFS (28.0 vs. 51.0 months, P < 0.001) were worse among patients in the LS group compared to individuals in the RS group. After further adjustment for other confounders using multivariable COX regression analyses, HCC located on the left side remained independently associated with worse OS and RFS. CONCLUSION: Tumors located on the left side are associated with poorer OS and RFS after hepatectomy for HCC. Careful surgical options selection and frequent follow-up to improve long-term survival may be justified for HCC patients with left-sided primary tumors.

Characterization of the mitochondrial genome of Cucumis hystrix and comparison with other cucurbit crops.

The mitochondria ofCucumis genus contain several intriguing features such as paternal inheritance and three-ring genome structure. However, the evolutionary relationships of mitochondria inCucumisremain elusive. Here, we assembled the mitochondrial genome ofC. hystrixand performed a comparative genomic analysis with other crops inthe Cucurbitaceae. The mitochondrial genome ofC. hystrixhas three circular-mapping chromosomes of lengths 1,113,461 bp, 110,683 bp, and 92,288 bp, which contain 73 genes including 38 protein-coding genes, 31tRNAgenes, and 4rRNAgenes. Repeat sequences, RNA editing, and horizontal gene transfer events were identified. The results of phylogenetic analyses, collinearity and gene clusters revealed thatC. hystrixis closer toC. sativus than to C. melo. Meanwhile, wedemonstrated mitochondrial paternal inheritance inC. hystrixbymolecular markers. In comparison with other cucurbitcrops, wefound amarker foridentification of germplasm resources ofCucumis. Collectively, our findings provide a tool to help clarify the paternal lineage within that genus in the evolution of Cucumis.

Medicarpin Improves Depressive-Like Behaviors in a Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress-Induced Mouse Model of Depression by Upregulating Liver X Receptor ß Expression in the Amygdala.

Presently, the regulatory mechanism underlying depression is indistinct, and almost 50% of depression sufferers undergo no apparent effects during treatment. This study explored the effects of medicarpin on depressive-like behaviors in a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced mouse model of depression. The results of network pharmacological analysis revealed that liver X receptor ß (LXRß) might be a potential target of medicarpin and depression. The LXRß level was reduced in the amygdala of mice induced by CUMS; however, this effect was suppressed by co-treatment with medicarpin. Medicarpin treatment ameliorated depressive-like behaviors in CUMS-induced mice by modulating LXRß level. Moreover, medicarpin treatment reduced M1 polarization and enhanced M2 polarization of amygdala microglia in CUMS-induced mice, as well as increased GFAP level in the amygdala. Medicarpin treatment also suppressed CUMS-induced inflammation and hindered nuclear factor-κ B (NF-κB) signaling activation. These data indicate that medicarpin activated astrocytes and inhibited microglia M1 polarization while promoted M2 polarization by enhancing the expression of LXRß. Hence, our results suggest that medicarpin could have a positive effect on the treatment of depression, and LXRß could serve as a novel therapeutic target.

Similarities of P1-Like Phage Plasmids and Their Role in the Dissemination of blaCTX-M-55.

The P1-like phage plasmid (PP) has been widely used as a molecular biology tool, but its role as an active accessory cargo element is not fully understood. In this study, we provide insights into the structural features and gene content similarities of 77 P1-like PPs in the RefSeq database. We also describe a P1-like PP carrying a blaCTX-M-55 gene, JL22, which was isolated from a clinical strain of Escherichia coli from a duck farm. P1-like PPs were very similar and conserved based on gene content similarities, with only eight highly variable regions. Importantly, two kinds of replicon types, namely, IncY and p0111, were identified and can be used to specifically identify the P1-like phage. JL22 is similar to P1, acquiring an important foreign DNA fragment with two obvious features, namely, the plasmid replication gene repA' (p0111) replacing the gene repA (IncY) and a 4,200-bp fragment mobilized by IS1380 and IS5 and containing a blaCTX-M-55 gene and a trpB gene encoding tryptophan synthase (indole salvaging). The JL22 phage could be induced but had no lytic capacities. However, a lysogenic recipient and intact structure of JL22 virions were observed, showing that the extended-spectrum ß-lactamase blaCTX-M-55 gene was successfully transferred. Overall, conserved genes can be a good complement to improve the identification efficiency and accuracy in future screening for P1-like PPs. Moreover, the highly conserved structures may be important for their prevalence and dissemination. IMPORTANCE As a PP, P1 DNA exists as a low-copy-number plasmid and replicates autonomously with a lysogenization style. This unique mode of P1-like elements probably indicates a stable contribution to antibiotic resistance. After analyzing these elements, we show that P1-like PPs are very similar and conserved, with only eight highly variable regions. Moreover, we observed the occurrence of replicon IncY and p0111 only in the P1-like PP community, implying that these conserved regions, coupled with IncY and p0111, can be an important complement in future screening of P1-like PPs. Identification and characterization of JL22 confirmed our findings that major changes were located in variable regions, including the first detection of blaCTX-M-55 in such a mobile genetic element. This suggests that these variable regions may facilitate foreign DNA mobilization. This study features a comprehensive genetic analysis of P1-like PPs, providing new insights into the dissemination mechanisms of antibiotic resistance through P1 PPs.

First Survey of the Pathogenic Fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Wild Populations of the Yunnan Caecilian (Ichthyophis bannanicus) in Guangxi, China.

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which causes chytridiomycosis, mainly infects Anura and Caudata but is poorly known in Gymnophiona. We conducted a survey of Bd in the Yunnan caecilian (Ichthyophis bannanicus) and found that 6 of 71 samples (8.4%) tested positive for Bd. To our knowledge, this is the first detection of Bd in wild I. bannanicus.

Relationship between the consumption of wholegrain and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: The TCLSIH cohort study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Wholegrain contributes a range of beneficial nutrients and is considered to play a role in the prevention of chronic diseases, but evidence of their influence on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is limited. We conducted this study to investigate the prospective association between daily wholegrain consumption and NAFLD in the general population. METHODS: This prospective cohort study included a total of 14,968 (42.2% men) inhabitants living in Tianjin, China. Participants without a history of CVD, cancer, alcoholic fatty liver disease, other liver diseases, or NAFLD were followed up for 1-6 years with a median follow-up duration of 4.2 years. Wholegrain consumption was assessed using a validated self-administered food frequency questionnaire. NAFLD was diagnosed with the results of liver ultrasonography without significant alcohol consumption and other causes of liver disease. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate the association between wholegrain consumption and NAFLD. RESULTS: A total of 3505 (2171 men) first incident cases of NAFLD occurred during 53,303 person-years of follow-up (median follow-up of 4.2 years). After adjusting for several potential confounders and setting "almost never" as the control group, the multivariable hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of the NAFLD were 0.82 (0.73, 0.92) when they consuming ≤1 time/week, 0.78 (0.69, 0.88) when they consuming 2-6 time/week and 0.77 (0.66, 0.90) when they consuming ≥1 time/day (p for trend <0.001). CONCLUSION: The results from our prospective study demonstrated that the higher consumption of wholegrain is associated with a decreased risk of NAFLD in Chinese adults.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor signalling mediates antidepressant effects of lamotrigine.

The anticonvulsant drug lamotrigine has been shown to produce antidepressant effects in patients with bipolar disorder. To date, only a few preclinical studies have been conducted using lamotrigine treatment in the forced swim test (FST), an animal model of depression with low face validity. The underlying mechanisms by which lamotrigine works have not been well characterized either. This study extends earlier work on the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in regulating the antidepressant actions of lamotrigine. We showed that in rats subjected to chronic unpredictable stress, chronic administration of 30 mg/kg lamotrigine ameliorates behavioural deficits of stressed rats in both sucrose preference test (SPT) and novelty-suppressed feeding test (NSFT). In parallel, chronic lamotrigine treatment up-regulates frontal and hippocampal BDNF protein expression in both naive and stressed animals, and restores the stress-induced down-regulation of BDNF levels. In addition, inhibition of BDNF signalling by infusion of K252a, an inhibitor of the BDNF receptor TrkB, blocks the antidepressant effects of lamotrigine in SPT, NSFT and FST. Taken together, this study provides further evidence that BDNF is an essential mediator for the antidepressant effects of lamotrigine.

Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification in continuous flow MBBR with novel surface-modified carriers.

ABSTRACTMoving-Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) process is an ideal preference for simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) attributing to the longer sludge age and aerobic/anoxic microenvironment along biofilm. However, conventional carriers generally exhibit negative charge and surface hydrophobicity, which are unbeneficial for biofilm formation. In this study, novel surface-modified carriers with favourable hydrophilicity (surface contact angle dropped to 60.2 ± 2.3°) and positive surface charge (+11.7 ± 1.1 mV, pH 7.0) were prepared via polymer blending and implemented for SND in continuous flow MBBR system. Results indicated SND started up quickly with more biomass in MBBR filled with surface-modified carriers. At the operation condition of low dissolved oxygen level (0.75 ± 0.25 mg/L), pH of 7.5 ± 0.5, 23 ± 2°C and C/N ratio of 7, COD, NH4+-N and TN removal efficiencies were 90.5%, 88.6% and 76.6% respectively in MBBR filled with surface-modified carriers, which ensured the effluent met the first grade A of the Discharge Standard of China. On the contrary, COD, NH4+-N and TN removal efficiencies were 89.7%, 82.3% and 60.4% respectively in the control reactors filled with conventional polyethylene carriers. The worse performance of the control reactor was mainly attributed to the less biomass and lower functional bacteria abundance developed on conventional carriers. Moreover, novel carriers provided a favourable niche for more types of functional bacteria, of which autotrophic nitrification, anoxic denitrification, heterotrophic nitrification and aerobic denitrification co-existed and participated in nitrogen removal.

A Comparative Study of Macular and Choroidal Thickness and Blood-Flow Parameters in Patients with Intermediate and Simple Juvenile Moderate Myopia.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the macular and choroidal thicknesses and blood-flow parameters of patients with intermediate and simple juvenile moderate myopia in order to provide a greater understanding of the pathogenesis of myopia and a basis for its prevention. METHODS: Participants were selected from patients under the age of 18 with moderate myopia who were treated in our ophthalmic clinic between June and December 2019. Seventy-five right eyes were selected from participants with a mean spherical equivalent ranging from -6.0 to -3.0 D. These samples were divided into two groups based on eye axial length (AL). The thicknesses of the macula and choroid, the area of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ), and the blood flow density of the macular capillaries were measured, intergroup comparison was conducted. RESULTS: The average area of the FAZ was larger in the intermediate group than in the simple group. PERIM in the upper half was lower in the intermediate group than in the simple group, and the blood-flow density in the lower half of the macular area was higher in the simple group than in the intermediate group. The blood-flow density within 1 mm of the fovea centralis and the downward blood-flow density were higher in the intermediate group than in the simple group. The thicknesses of the lower part of the FAZ, the choroid of the fovea centralis, and the choroid under the retina were all larger in the intermediate group than in the simple group. CONCLUSION: The area of the FAZ in patients with intermediate juvenile moderate myopia is larger than that in patients with simple myopia; the choroid in the fovea of macula compensatorily increases, and blood flow density also increases; the thickness of the choroid under the retina increases with myopia.

Effects of the Newly Isolated T4-like Phage on Transmission of Plasmid-Borne Antibiotic Resistance Genes via Generalized Transduction.

Bacteriophages are the most abundant biological entities on earth and may play an important role in the transmission of antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) from host bacteria. Although the specialized transduction mediated by the temperate phage targeting a specific insertion site is widely explored, the carrying characteristics of "transducing particles" for different ARG subtypes in the process of generalized transduction remains largely unclear. Here, we isolated a new T4-like lytic phage targeting transconjugant Escherichia coli C600 that contained plasmid pHNAH67 (KX246266) and encoded 11 different ARG subtypes. We found that phage AH67C600_Q9 can misload plasmid-borne ARGs and package host DNA randomly. Moreover, for any specific ARG subtype, the carrying frequency was negatively correlated with the multiplicity of infection (MOI). Further, whole genome sequencing (WGS) identified that only 0.338% (4/1183) of the contigs of an entire purified phage population contained ARG sequences; these were floR, sul2, aph(4)-Ia, and fosA. The low coverage indicated that long-read sequencing methods are needed to explore the mechanism of ARG transmission during generalized transduction.

Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification process using novel surface-modified suspended carriers for the treatment of real domestic wastewater.

Moving-bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) is a well-established technology for simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND). In MBBR, biofilm development and pollutant removal performance are strictly governed by the physico-chemical properties of the carriers. In this study, novel surface-modified carriers with enhanced hydrophilicity (surface contact angle of 60.2 ± 2.3°) and positively-charged surfaces (+11.7 ± 1.1 mV, pH 7.0) had been prepared successfully via polymer blending, and they had also been implemented in SND system for the treatment of real domestic wastewater. Results showed that accelerated startup of SND with more biomass on the carriers was observed in MBBR system filled with surface-modified carriers. At low DO level (0.6-0.8 mg L-1) and low C/N ratio (≤5), highly efficient organics removal and SND performance could be achieved with COD removal, TN removal and SND efficiencies of 79.3-85.7%, 62.0-75.9% and 58.5-71.8%, respectively. The efficient performance of SND in MBBR system filled with surface-modified carriers was mainly attributed to the coexistence of enriched mixtrophic nitrifiers and denitrifiers like autotrophic nitrifers (Nitrosomonas, Nitrospira, Nitrobacter), heterotrophic nitrifers (Rudaea), aerobicdenitrifiers (Dokdonella, Terrimonas), anoxic denitrifiers (Gemmobacter, Ottowia, Methyloversatilis, Thermomonas) and N2O producer (Mesorhizobium).