Assessment of bidirectional relationships between 98 genera of the human gut microbiota and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a 2-sample Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Growing evidence suggests a mutual interaction between gut microbiome alterations and ALS pathogenesis. However, previous studies were susceptible to potential confounding factors and reverse causation bias, likely leading to inconsistent and biased results. OBJECTIVES: To decipher the potentially mutual relationship between gut microbiota and ALS, we used a bidirectional two-sample MR approach to examine the associations between the gut microbiome and ALS. RESULTS: Using the inverse variance-weighted method, OTU10032 unclassified Enterobacteriaceae species-level OTU and unclassified Acidaminococcaceae were associated with a higher risk of ALS (per relative abundance: OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01-1.07; P = 0.011 and OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01-1.04; P = 0.009, respectively). Importantly, Gamma-Glu-Phe was showed potential deleterious effects on the risk of ALS (genetically predicted per a 1-standard deviation increase in the level of Gamma-Glu-Phe: OR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.50-2.55; P = 0.012). Sensitivity analysis of the two candidate genera and metabolites using the MR-Egger and weighted-median methods produced similar estimates, and no horizontal pleiotropy or outliers were observed. Intriguingly, genetically predicted ALS was associated with an increase in the relative abundance of OTU4607_Sutterella (per 1-unit higher log odds: ß, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.27-3.18; P = 0.020) and Lactobacillales_ORDER (per 1-unit higher log odds: ß, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.09-0.94; P = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide novel evidence supporting the bidirectional relationship between the gut microbiota and ALS. These results may contribute to designing microbiome- and microbiome-dependent metabolite interventions in future ALS clinical trials.

Climate change impacts on the potential distribution of Eogystia hippophaecolus in China.

BACKGROUND: Seabuckthorn carpenter moth, Eogystia hippophaecolus (Hua, Chou, Fang, & Chen, 1990), is the most important boring pest of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) in the northwest of China. It is responsible for the death of large areas of H. rhamnoides forest, seriously affecting the ecological environment and economic development in north-western China. To clarify the potential distribution of E. hippophaecolus in China, the present study used the CLIMEX 4.0.0 model to project the potential distribution of the pest using historical climate data (1981-2010) and simulated future climate data (2011-2100) for China. RESULTS: Under historical climate condition, E. hippophaecolus would be found to be distributed mainly between 27° N-51° N and 74° E-134° E, with favorable and highly favorable habitats accounting for 35.2% of the total potential distribution. Under future climate conditions, E. hippophaecolus would be distributed mainly between 27° N-53° N and 74° E-134° E, with the possibility of moving in a northwest direction. Under these conditions, the proportion of the total area providing a favorable and highly favorable habitat may decrease to about 33%. CONCLUSION: These results will help to identify the impact of climate change on the potential distribution of E. hippophaecolus, thereby providing a theoretical basis for monitoring and early forecasting of pest outbreaks. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

[Chemical characteristics and source assessment of rainwater at Shenyang].

To understand the origin and chemical characteristics of precipitation in Shenyang, about 25 rainwater samples were collected in 2007. The pH of samples varied from 4.89 to 8.02, with the volume-weighted average of 6.89. The results showed that the concentration of the sum of anions and cations in Shenyang was higher than those in southern cities such as Hangzhou, whereas the acidification of rainwater was not very serious in Shenyang. The volume-weighted average concentrations of SO4(2-) and Cl(-) were 330.00 microeq x L(-1) and 85.05 microeq x L(-1), with the percent contribution to anions of 60.32% and 15.55%, respectively. Ca2+ and NH4(+) were the main cations with contribution of 49.51% and 29.78%, respectively. The seasonal variations of ions showed that the concentrations were higher in autumn and winter than in spring and summer. Investigations of fractional acidity (FA), neutralization factors (NF), and correlation coefficients among ionic constituents indicated that high pH values were controlled by the neutralization caused by the alkaline materials but not by the absence of acidic materials. Results of NF indicated that NH4(+) and Ca(2+) were the dominant neutralization substances. Calculation of enrichment factors for rainwater components relative to soil and seawater indicated that SO4(2-) and NO3(-) were mostly attributed by the anthropogenic activities, 53.1% of Cl(-) originated from sea sources, and NH4(+) and K(+) came from the soils and human activities.