Global phylogeographical distribution of Gloeoporus dichrous.

Phylogeographic analyses are efficient in ecological and evolutionary studies to discover the origin of a lineage, its dispersal routes, and the divergence of ancestral traits. Studies on widespread wood-decay fungi have revealed the phylogenetic division of several polypores based on geographical distribution. In this study, specimens of Gloeoporus dichrous, a cosmopolitan polypore species, were collected globally and analyzed for their geographic distribution. Multi-marker Bayesian molecular clock and haplotype analyses revealed a clear division of G. dichrous populations by continent. The species diverged from its neighboring clades 10.3 (16.0-5.6) million years ago, with Asian and North American populations at the center of divergence. Possible dispersal mechanisms and pathways are predicted and discussed based on the evaluated transfer routes. The biogeography of G. dichrous analyzed in this study represents a fraction of the polypore evolution and may advance the understanding of the overall evolution of wood-decay fungi.

Reliability and Validity of the Korean Version of Lung Cancer Screening Health Belief Scale.

The purpose of this study was to verify the validity and reliability of the LCSHBS-K. This was a methodological study. The participants were adults aged between 50 and 74 years old, according to the selection criteria for lung cancer screening presented by the Comprehensive Cancer Network clinical practice guidelines in oncology recommendations. This study included 204 high-risk individuals who had not been diagnosed with lung cancer. The collected data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS Statistics software 26.0 version (IBM, New York, NY, USA). The reliability was analyzed by Cronbach's α for internal consistency, and the concurrent validity was analyzed by Pearson's correlation coefficients to identify the correlations with the health belief scale for Korean adults. To test the convergent validity, the average variance extracted (AVE) and composite reliability (CR) were calculated using confirmatory factor analysis. In addition, the model fit for a tool was CMIN (χ2/df), SRMR, RMSEA, GFI, and CFI as a comparative fit index. The discriminant validity was tested based on AVE > r2. The average age of the participants was 55.49 (SD = 5.07), the average smoking history was 29.55 (SD = 8.12) years, and the average number of cigarettes smoked per day was 12.18 (SD = 7.77). The goodness of fit met the criteria with GFI = 0.81 (criteria > 0.9), CMIN = 1.69 (criteria < 2), SRMR = 0.06 (criteria < 0.08), RMSEA = 0.058 (criteria < 0.06), and CFI = 0.91 (criteria > 0.9). The LCSHBS-K showed a statistically significant positive correlation with the HBS (r = 0.32 (p < 0.001)). Cronbach's α was 0.80 for all the items in the LCSHBS-K. Therefore, the validity and reliability of the LCSHBS-K tool were confirmed. Based on the results of this study, the Korean version of the LCSHBS tool was found to be suitable for screening lung cancer in high-risk groups in Korea.

Therapeutic effects of polydeoxyribonucleotide in an in vitro neuronal model of ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) is an agonist that selectively stimulates adenosine A2A receptor (ADORA2A), which suppresses inflammatory responses. Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury plays a major role in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke by inducing neuroinflammation. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of PDRN in an in vitro I/R injury model. The in vitro model was established with differentiated Neuro-2a cells under oxygen and glucose deprivation condition. The cells were treated with PDRN for 24 h under reoxygenation condition. As the results of RNA-seq transcriptome analysis, CSF1, IL-6, PTPN6, RAC2, and STAT1 were identified of its relation to the effect of PDRN on inflammatory responses in the model. To further investigate therapeutic effects of PDRN, RT-qPCR, western blotting, LDH assay, and TUNEL assay were performed. PDRN significantly reversed the expression of genes and proteins related to inflammatory responses. The elevated ADORA2A expression by PDRN treatment downregulated JAK/STAT pathway in the model. Furthermore, PDRN inhibited neuronal cell death in the model. Consequently, our results suggested that PDRN alleviated inflammatory responses through inhibition of JAK/STAT pathway by mediating ADORA2A expression and inhibited neuronal cell death in the model. These results provide significant insights into potential therapeutic approaches involving PDRN treatment for I/R injury.

Two new species of Fistulina (Agaricales, Basidiomycota) from the Northern Hemisphere.

Phylogenetic and morphological analyses on samples of Fistulina from East Asia and North America were carried out, and two new species were described, namely, Fistulina americana and Fistulina orientalis, both previously known as Fistulina hepatica. The former is characterized by lateral stipitate basidiocarps, relatively small pores (7-8 per mm), a monomitic hyphal system with both clamp connections and simple septa, and ellipsoid basidiospores of 4-4.8 × 3-3.3 µm, and the species has been found on Quercus in North-East USA. F. orientalis is characterized by lateral stipitate basidiocarps, very small pores (11-12 per mm) with pruinose dissepiments, a monomitic hyphal system with both clamp connections and simple septa, and ovoid to subglobose basidiospores of 3-4 × 2.7-3 µm, and the species has been found on Castanopsis in East Asia. Phylogenetically, samples of F. americana and F. orientalis form two new lineages nested in the Fistulina clade.

Association of Carbohydrate and Fat Intake with Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome Can Be Modified by Physical Activity and Physical Environment in Ecuadorian Adults: The ENSANUT-ECU Study.

The associations of lifestyle and environment with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cardiovascular disease have recently resulted in increased attention in research. This study aimed to examine interactive associations among carbohydrate and fat intake, physical environment (i.e., elevation and humidity), lifestyle, and MetS among Ecuadorian adults. We used data from the Ecuador National Health and Nutrition Survey 2012 (ENSANUT-ECU), with a total of 6023 participants aged 20 to 60 years included in this study. Logistic regression was used to determine the association of status of carbohydrate and fat intake, low-carbohydrate high-fat diet (LCHF) and medium-carbohydrate and fat (MCF) diet with MetS, where the high-carbohydrate low-fat (HCLF) diet was used as a reference. Women with LCHF and MCF diets showed lower prevalence of increased blood pressure (OR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.19-0.59; OR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.32-0.79, respectively). Women with MCF diet also showed lower prevalence of elevated fasting glucose (OR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.37-0.91). Moreover, there were negative associations between MetS and reduced HDL cholesterol in women with MCF diet residing in low relative humidity (OR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.45-0.98) and in women with LCHF diet residing at a high elevation (OR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.16-0.86). Additionally, higher prevalence of increased waist circumference was observed in men with both MFC and LCHF diets who were physically inactive (OR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.12-3.20; OR = 2.34, 95% CI: 1.19-4.60, respectively) and residing in high relative humidity (OR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.08-2.89; OR = 2.63, 95% CI: 1.32-5.28, respectively). Our findings suggest that LCHF intake is associated with lower blood pressure, while MCF intake is associated with lower blood pressure and fasting glucose in Ecuadorian women. Furthermore, the associations of carbohydrate and fat intake with prevalence of MetS can be modified by physical activity, relative humidity, and elevation. The obtained outcomes may provide useful information for health programs focusing on dietary intake and lifestyle according to physical environment of the population to promote health and prevent metabolic diseases.

Effect of DHU001, a Polyherbal Formula on Formalin-induced Paw Chronic Inflammation of Mice.

The effect of DHU001, a mixed herbal formula consisted of 7 types aqueous extracts for various respiratory disorders were evaluated on the formalin-induced paw chronic inflammation in mice after oral administration. Mice were subaponeurotically injected in the left hind paw with 0.02 ml of 3.75% formalin, then subjected to 500, 250 and 125 mg/kg of DHU001 oral administration, once a day for 10 days during which then the hind-paw thickness and volume were measured daily. The paw wet-weight, histological profiles, histomorphometrical analyses and paw tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α contents were conducted at termination. After two formalin treatments, a marked increase in the paw thickness and volume was detected in the formalin-injected control as compared with that in the intact control, plus at the time of sacrifice the paw wet-weights, paw TNF-α contents were also dramatically increased with severe chronic inflammation signs at histopathological observations. However, these formalin-induced chronic inflammatory changes were dramatically decreased by treatment of dexamethasone and all three different dosages of DHU001. DHU001 has favorable effects on formalin-induced chronic inflammation mediated by TNF-α suppression, and DHU001 may represent an alternative approach for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases.