Activation of the p62-Keap1-Nrf2 pathway improves pulmonary arterial hypertension in MCT-induced rats by inhibiting autophagy.

Autophagy is implicated in the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). We aimed to investigate whether the p62-Keap1-Nrf2 pathway affects the development of PAH by mediating autophagy. A PAH rat model was established using monocrotaline (MCT). Pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) were extracted, and the changes in proliferation, migration, autophagy, and oxidative stress were analyzed following overexpression or knockdown of p62. The impact of p62 on the symptoms of PAH rats was assessed by the injection of an adenovirus overexpressing p62. We found that the knockdown of p62 increased the proliferation and migration of PASMCs, elevating the oxidative stress of PASMCs and upregulating gene expression of NADPH oxidases. Co-IP assay results demonstrated that p62 interacted with Keap1. p62 knockdown enhanced Keap1 protein stability and Nrf2 ubiquitination. LC3II/I and ATG5 were expressed more often when p62 was knocked down. Treating with an inhibitor of autophagy reversed the impact of p62 knockdown on PASMCs. Nrf2 inhibitor treatment reduced the expression of Nrf2 and p62, while increasing the expression of Keap1, LC3II/I, and ATG5 in PASMCs. However, overexpressing p62 diminished mRVP, SPAP, and Fulton index in PAH rats and attenuated pulmonary vascular wall thickening. Overexpression of p62 also decreased the expression of Keap1, LC3II/I, and ATG5 and increased the nuclear expression of Nrf2 in PAH rats. Importantly, overexpression of p62 reduced oxidative stress and the NADPH oxidase expression in PAH rats. Overall, activation of the p62-Keap1-Nrf2 positive feedback signaling axis reduces the proliferation and migration of PASMCs and alleviates PAH by inhibiting autophagy and oxidative stress.

Identification and characterization of the Dmrt1B gene in the oriental river prawn, Macrobrachium nipponense.

Dmrt (doublesex and mab-3 related transcription factor) is a protein family of transcription factors implicated in sexual regulation. Dmrt proteins are widely conserved and known for their involvement in sex determination and differentiation across species, from invertebrates to humans. In this study, we identified a novel gene with a DM (doublesex/Mab-3)-domain gene in the river prawn, Macrobrachium nipponense, which we named MniDmrt1B due to its similarities and close phylogenetic relationship with Dmrt1B in Macrobrachium rosenbergii. Through amino acid alignments and structural predictions, we observed conservation and identified putative active sites within the DM domain. qRT-PCR analysis revealed that MniDmrt1B exhibited high expression levels in the testis, with consistently higher expression in males compared to females during development. Additionally, similar to other sex-regulated genes, the MniDmrt1B gene exhibited high expression levels during the sex differentiation-sensitive periods in M. nipponense. These results strongly indicated that MniDmrt1B probably plays an important role in testis development and sex differentiation in M. nipponense.

Iodine capture of a two-dimensional layered uranyl-organic framework: a combined DFT and AIMD study.

To develop nuclear energy sustainably, it is important to effectively capture radioiodine in nuclear waste. In this study, we used density functional theory (DFT) and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) calculations to investigate how well the uranyl-organic framework (UOF) could capture radioiodine. We found that the uranyl center and C-N ring sites in both cluster and periodic UOF models are very attractive to the I2 molecule. The adsorption energies of the I2 molecule in the periodic UOF models are as high as -1.10 eV, which is much higher than in the cluster model. The interaction characteristics between the I2 molecule and the UOF were revealed by electronic density topological analyses. Our AIMD simulations at 300 and 600 K have confirmed that the UOF has high adsorption kinetics for I2 molecules and can effectively capture them. The UOF has a high adsorption capacity and good adsorption stability for the I2 molecule, making it a promising option for the environmentally friendly removal of radioiodine.

Transition metal single-atoms supported on hexagonal ZnIn2S4 monolayers for the hydrogen evolution reaction.

Herein, we report a series of 5d transition metal (TM) single atoms supported on ZIS as promising catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction using first-principles calculations. The binding behaviors of TMs with the ZIS surface in single-atom catalyst formation are analysed using the adsorption energy (Eads), partial density of states (PDOS), charge density difference (CDD), and crystal orbital Hamilton population (COHP). The TM@ZIS (TM = Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, and Pt) shows excellent hydrogen evolution performance with the Gibbs free energy (ΔGH*) values from -0.120 to 0.128 eV. The Tafel and Heyrovsky reaction mechanisms to drive H2 formation are also identified.

Improved Double Deep Q-Network Algorithm Applied to Multi-Dimensional Environment Path Planning of Hexapod Robots.

Detecting transportation pipeline leakage points within chemical plants is difficult due to complex pathways, multi-dimensional survey points, and highly dynamic scenarios. However, hexapod robots' maneuverability and adaptability make it an ideal candidate for conducting surveys across different planes. The path-planning problem of hexapod robots in multi-dimensional environments is a significant challenge, especially when identifying suitable transition points and planning shorter paths to reach survey points while traversing multi-level environments. This study proposes a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO)-guided Double Deep Q-Network (DDQN) approach, namely, the PSO-guided DDQN (PG-DDQN) algorithm, for solving this problem. The proposed algorithm incorporates the PSO algorithm to supplant the traditional random selection strategy, and the data obtained from this guided approach are subsequently employed to train the DDQN neural network. The multi-dimensional random environment is abstracted into localized maps comprising current and next level planes. Comparative experiments were performed with PG-DDQN, standard DQN, and standard DDQN to evaluate the algorithm's performance by using multiple randomly generated localized maps. After testing each iteration, each algorithm obtained the total reward values and completion times. The results demonstrate that PG-DDQN exhibited faster convergence under an equivalent iteration count. Compared with standard DQN and standard DDQN, reductions in path-planning time of at least 33.94% and 42.60%, respectively, were observed, significantly improving the robot's mobility. Finally, the PG-DDQN algorithm was integrated with sensors onto a hexapod robot, and validation was performed through Gazebo simulations and Experiment. The results show that controlling hexapod robots by applying PG-DDQN provides valuable insights for path planning to reach transportation pipeline leakage points within chemical plants.

Temperature-Induced Sex Differentiation in River Prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense): Mechanisms and Effects.

Macrobrachium nipponense is gonochoristic and sexually dimorphic. The male prawn grows faster and usually has a larger size than the female. Therefore, a higher male proportion in stock usually results in higher yield. To investigate the impact of temperature on sexual differentiation in M. nipponense, two temperature treatments (26 °C and 31 °C) were conducted. The results showed that compared to the 31 °C treatment (3.20 ± 0.12), the 26 °C treatment displayed a lower female/male ratio (2.20 ± 0.11), which implied that a lower temperature could induce masculinization in M. nipponense. The temperature-sensitive sex differentiation phase was 25-35 days post hatching (DPH) at 26 °C while 15-20 DPH at 31 °C. Transcriptome and qPCR analysis revealed that a lower temperature up-regulated the expression of genes related to androgen secretion, and down-regulated the expressions of genes related to oogonia differentiation. Thirty-one temperature-regulated sex-differentiation genes were identified and the molecular mechanism of temperature-regulated sex differentiation was suggested. The finding of this study indicates that temperature regulation can be proposed as an innovative strategy for improving the culture yield of M. nipponense.

Paeoniflorin loaded liposomes modified with glycyrrhetinic acid for liver-targeting: preparation, characterization, and pharmacokinetic study.

OBJECTIVE: To enhance the retention times and therapeutic efficacy of paeoniflorin (PF), a liver-targeted drug delivery system has been developed using glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) as a ligand. SIGNIFICANCE: The development and optimization of GA-modified PF liposomes (GPLs) have shown promising potential for targeted delivery to the liver, opening up new possibilities for liver disease treatment. METHODS: This study aimed to identify the best prescriptions using single-factor experiments and response surface methodology. The formulation morphology was determined using transmission electron microscopy. Tissue distribution was observed through in vivo imaging, and pharmacokinetic studies were conducted. RESULTS: The results indicated that GPLs, prepared using the thin film dispersion method and response surface optimization, exhibited well-dispersed and uniformly sized particles. The in vitro release rate of GPLs was slower compared to PF monomers, suggesting a sustained release effect. The liver-targeting ability of GA resulted in stronger fluorescence signals in the liver for targeted liposomes compared to non-targeted liposomes. Furthermore, pharmacokinetic studies demonstrated that GPLs significantly prolonged the residence time of PF in the bloodstream, thereby contributing to prolonged efficacy. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that GPLs are more effective than PF monomers in terms of controlling drug release and delivering drugs to specific targets, highlighting the potential of PF as a liver-protective drug.

Shoulder MRI-based radiomics for diagnosis and severity staging assessment of surgically treated supraspinatus tendon tears.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate MRI-based radiomics models capable of evaluating supraspinatus tendon tears within the shoulder joints by using arthroscopy as the reference standard. METHODS: A total of 432 patients (332 in the training set and 100 in the external validation set) with intact supraspinatus tendon (n = 202) and supraspinatus tendon tear (n = 230, 130 full-thickness tears and 100 partial-thickness tears) were enrolled. Radiomics features were extracted from fat-saturated T2-weighted coronal images. Two radiomics signature models for detecting supraspinatus tendon abnormalities (tear or not), and stage lesion severity (full- or partial-thickness tear) and radiomics scores (Rad-score), were constructed and calculated using multivariate logistic regression analysis. The diagnostic performance of the two models was validated using ROC curves on the training and validation datasets. RESULTS: For the radiomics model of no tears or tears, thirteen features from MR images were used to build the radiomics signature with an AUC value of 0.98 in the training set, 0.97 in the internal validation set, and 0.98 in the external validation set. For the radiomics model of full- or partial-thickness tears, thirteen features from MR images were used to build the radiomics signature with an AUC value of 0.79 in the training set, 0.69 in the internal validation set, and 0.77 in the external validation set. CONCLUSION: The proposed radiomics models in this study can accurately rule out supraspinatus tendon tears and are capable of assessing the severity staging of tears with moderate accuracy based on shoulder MR images. KEY POINTS: • The radiomics model of no tears or tears achieved a high overall accuracy of 93.6%, sensitivity of 91.6%, and specificity of 95.2% for supraspinatus tendon tears. • The radiomics model of full- or partial-thickness tears displayed moderate performance with an accuracy of 76.4%, a sensitivity of 79.2%, and a specificity of 74.3% for supraspinatus tendon tears severity staging.

High Coordination Numbers of Actinides (An) in AnC13+ Rings (An = Th and U).

An intriguingly high abundance of both ThC13+ and UC13+ cluster cations was observed in a previous mass spectrometry experiment; however, the structural identification of these cations has not yet been completed. In this study, we determined the lowest lying structures of ThC13+ and UC13+ clusters using an unbiased structural search method. The 13-coordinate planar ring configuration was the most stable for both ThC13+ and UC13+ cluster cations. The C-An bonds in ThC13+ and UC13+ show a small degree of covalency, originating from the overlap of the s, d, and f orbitals of the An atoms with C 2p orbitals of both π and σ characteristics. The infrared and electronic absorption spectra of the most favorable planar ring configurations were theoretically simulated to facilitate the identification of the molecular structures in future experiments. This study provides an in-depth understanding of the experimental mass spectra.

Screening out the Transition Metal Single Atom Supported on Onion-like Carbon (OLC) for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

A recent experiment has confirmed that onion-like nanospheres of carbon (OLC) covered with single Pt atoms show comparable hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalytic activity to the commercial Pt/C. In this work, we have performed screening calculations on the single transition metal (TM) atom supported on OLC (a total of 26 candidates) using the density functional theory (DFT) to find excellent HER catalysts. Our calculated results indicate that the Nb1/CLO, Mo1/CLO, Ru1/CLO, Rh1/CLO, Pd1/CLO, and Ir1/OLC show high-efficient catalysts performance for the HER, as experimental Pt1/OLC does. We also try to seek an appropriate descriptor relevant to the Gibbs free energies, and the average local ionization energy (ALIE), which is first used to predict HER activity, shows a perfect linear correlation with Gibbs free energy. It is interesting to note that the ALIE descriptor is more successful than the commonly used d-band center.

Adsorption and diffusion of actinyls on the basal gibbsite (001) surface: a theoretical perspective.

Actinides are an important component of nuclear fuel for nuclear power and affect human health, and a key process in the transport of radionuclides in the environment is adsorption on mineral surfaces. In this work, we have used density functional theory (DFT) to investigate the microscopic adsorption and diffusion mechanisms of actinyls, U(V), U(VI), Np(V), Np(VI) Pu(V), and Pu(VI), on the gibbsite (001) surface. Actinyls(VI) are attached to the gibbsite surface through two An-Os bonds, which results in a bidentate inner sphere mode, while actinyls(V) favor a monodentate inner sphere adsorption mode with the gibbsite (001) surface. The solvent effects were considered through an explicit water cluster model. All the actinyls studied can be efficiently adsorbed on the gibbsite (001) surface with binding energies ranging from -113.9 kJ mol-1 to -341.2 kJ mol-1. Electronic structure analyses indicate that the cooperation of the An-Os bonds and hydrogen bonds leads to high adsorption stability of the actinyls with the gibbsite surface. The diffusion barriers of the actinyls on the gibbsite surface were determined, and the high energy barriers indicate that this type of gas-phase diffusion process is not likely to take place.

A Vehicle Simulation Study Examining the Effects of System Interface Design Elements on Performance in Different Vibration Environments Below 3 Hz.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the relationship between system interface elements' design features and interaction performance in simulated vehicle vibration environments. BACKGROUND: Touch screens have been widely used in vehicle information systems, but few studies have focused on the decline of touchscreen interaction performance and task load increase when driving on unpaved roads. METHOD: The interaction performance (reaction time and task accuracy rate) with vibration frequencies below 3 Hz (1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 Hz) and different interface design elements was investigated employing a touch screen computer and E-prime software. RESULTS: The results indicate that vehicle vibration (below 3 Hz) can significantly reduce interaction performance with a vehicle information system interface. CONCLUSION: An appropriate increase in the physical size of the interface design features (visual stimulus materials and touch buttons) can help to mitigate this negative effect of vibration. APPLICATION: The results and findings of this study can be utilized for the design of information system interfaces as it relates to the vibration scenario of unpaved roads.

Exosome-transmitted S100A4 induces immunosuppression and non-small cell lung cancer development by activating STAT3.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the primary reason of tumor morbidity and mortality worldwide. We aimed to study the transfer process of S100A4 between cells and whether it affected NSCLC development by affecting STAT3 expression. First, S100A4 expression in NSCLC cells was measured. The exosomes in MRC-5, A549, and H1299 cells were isolated and identified. We constructed si-S100A4 and si-PD-L1 to transfect A549 cells and oe-S100A4 to transfect H1299 cells, and tested the transfection efficiency. Cell function experiments were performed to assess cell proliferation, clone number, apoptosis, cell cycle, migration, and invasion abilities. In addition, ChIP was applied to determine the targeting relationship between S100A4 and STAT3. Next, we explored NSCLC cell-derived exosomes role in NSCLC progress by transmitting S100A4. Finally, we verified the function of exosome-transmitted S100A4 in NSCLC in vivo. High expression of S100A4 was secreted by exosomes. After knocking down S100A4, cell proliferation ability was decreased, clones number was decreased, apoptosis was increased, G1 phase was increased, S phase was repressed, and migration and invasion abilities were also decreased. ChIP validated STAT3 and PD-L1 interaction. After knocking down S100A4, PD-L1 expression was decreased, while ov-STAT3 reversed the effect of S100A4 on PD-L1 expression. Meanwhile, S100A4 inhibited T-cell immune activity by activating STAT3. In addition, knockdown of PD-L1 inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. NSCLC cell-derived exosomes promoted cancer progression by transmitting S100A4 to activate STAT3 pathway. Finally, in vivo experiments further verified that exosome-transmitted S100A4 promoted NSCLC progression. Exosome-transmitted S100A4 induces immunosuppression and the development of NSCLC by activating STAT3.

Effects of extreme precipitation on hospital visit risk and disease burden of depression in Suzhou, China.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of extreme precipitation on the risk of outpatient visits for depression and to further explore its associated disease burden and vulnerable population. METHODS: A quasi-Poisson generalized linear regression model combined with distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) was used to investigate the exposure-lag-response relationship between extreme precipitation (≥95th percentile) and depression outpatient visits from 2017 to 2019 in Suzhou city, Anhui Province, China. RESULTS: Extreme precipitation was positively associated with the outpatient visits for depression. The effects of extreme precipitation on depression firstly appeared at lag4 [relative risk (RR): 1.047, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.005-1.091] and lasted until lag7 (RR = 1.047, 95% CI: 1.009-1.087). Females, patients aged ≥65 years and patients with multiple outpatient visits appeared to be more sensitive to extreme precipitation. The attributable fraction (AF) and numbers (AN) of extreme precipitation on outpatient visits for depression were 5.00% (95% CI: 1.02-8.82%) and 1318.25, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested that extreme precipitation may increase the risk of outpatient visits for depression. Further studies on the burden of depression found that females, aged ≥65 years, and patients with multiple visits were priority targets for future warnings. Active intervention measures against extreme precipitation events should be taken to reduce the risk of depression outpatient visits.

Glycomyces salinus sp. nov., an actinomycete isolated from a hypersaline habitat.

A Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, nonmotile actinobacterium, designated strain YIM 93776T, was isolated from a saline sediment sample collected from Aiding Lake in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Northwest China. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain YIM 93776T was affiliated to the genus Glycomyces and was closely related to Glycomyces albus TRM 49136T (97.6% sequence similarity), Glycomyces lacisalsi XHU 5089T (97.0%) and Glycomyces anabasis EGI 6500139T (96.2%). The cell wall contained meso-diaminopimelic acid and the whole-cell hydrolysates sugars were galactose, mannose, arabinase, glucose and ribose. The predominant menaquinones were MK-9 (H4) and MK-10 (H4). Diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, two phosphatidylglyceride, two unidentified phospholipids and two unidentified polar lipids were detected in the polar lipid extracts. Major fatty acids were anteiso-C17:0, iso-C15:0, iso-C16:0, anteiso-C15:0 and anteiso C17:1 A. The draft genome sequence of strain YIM 93776T was 5.37 Mbp in size with 69.5% DNA G + C content. The dDDH and ANI values between strain YIM 93776T and related neighbours were 25.0-34.3% and 77.3-79.8%, respectively. On the basis of morphological, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic evidence, strain YIM 93776T; therefore, represents a novel species, for which the name Glycomyces salinus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YIM 93776T (= KCTC 49430T = CGMCC 4.7685T).

Qaidamihabitans albus gen. nov., sp. nov., a new member of the family Pseudonocardiaceae, and transfer of Prauserella shujinwangii to Qaidamihabitans gen. nov. as Qaidamihabitans shujinwangii comb. nov.

A novel mycelium-forming actinomycete strain, designated YIM S01255T were isolated from a salt lake. Optimal growth occurred in the presence of 0-5.0% (w/v) NaCl, at pH 7.0-8.0, and at 37 °C. Strain YIM S01255T contained meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid, and glucose, galactose and arabinose as the whole-cell sugars. The major fatty acid (> 5.0%) were iso-C16:0, iso-C16:1H and iso-C15:0. The major menaquinone were MK-9(H4) and MK-8(H4). The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositolmannoside and phosphatidylinositol. The DNA G + C content was 70.7 mol%. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of the strain showed high similarity to members of genera in the family Pseudonocardiaceae with values less than 95.8%, and most closely related to the genus Amycolatopsis. Both of phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and the up-to-date bacterial genome sequences analysis revealed that strains YIM S01255T and Prauserella shujinwangii XJ46T formed a distinct monophyletic clade and was separated from the other members within the family Pseudonocardiaceae. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) values and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) between the two strains were 81.0% and 40.6%, respectively. The distinctive polyphasic evidences differentiated YIM S01255T from members of the family Pseudonocardiaceae, so strain YIM S01255T is considered to represent a novel species of a novel genus of the family Pseudonocardiaceae, for which the name Qaidamihabitans albus gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of genus Qaidamihabitans is YIM S01255T (= KCTC 49476T = CGMCC 4.7684T). Moreover, Prauserella shujinwangii is also proposed to being transferred into the genus Qaidamihabitans as Qaidamihabitans shujinwangii comb. nov. (type strain XJ46T = CGMCC 4.7125T = JCM 19736T).

Oceanobacillus salinisoli sp. nov., a bacterium isolated from saline soil of Turpan city in Xinjiang province, north-west China.

YIM B00359T, a novel bacterial strain was isolated from the saline soil of Turpan city in Xinjiang province, north-west China. The strain was Gram-stain-positive, motile, aerobic, produced oval subterminal endospores in swollen sporangia. The whole-cell hydrolysates contain meso-diaminopimelic acid as the cell-wall diamino acid, with xylose, glucose, and ribose as the major whole-cell sugars. The phospholipids are diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, unidentified phospholipids, unidentified glycolipids, and one unidentified glycophospholipid. The predominant menaquinone is MK-7. The major fatty acids are anteiso-C15:0, iso-C14:0, iso-C15:0, and iso-C16:0. The DNA G + C content of the type strain is 37.5 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the isolate belongs to the genus Oceanobacillus. However, it differed from its closest relatives, Oceanobacillus halophilus DSM 23996 T and Oceanobacillus senegalensis Marseille-P3587T in many physiological and chemotaxonomic characteristics. Based on comparative analysis of polyphasic taxonomic data, strain YIM B00359T represents a novel species of the genus Oceanobacillus, for which the name Oceanobacillus salinisoli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YIM B00359T (= CGMCC 1.17509T = KCTC 43185T).

Lentibacillus saliphilus. sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium isolated from a saltern in Korea.

A novel moderately halophilic bacterial strain, designated YIM 93176T, was isolated from a saltern in Korea and subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. This isolate YIM 93176T was observed to grow in the presence of 0-22% (w/v) NaCl and at pH 6.0-10.0 and 10-45 °C; optimum growth was observed with 5-10% (w/v) NaCl and at pH 7.0-9.0 and 28-37 °C. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequences analysis, the nearest relatives were Lentibacillus alimentarius M2024T (96.5% similarity), followed by Virgibacillus carmonensis LMG 20964T (96.0%) and the other type strains of the family Bacillaceae, but phylogenetic analysis indicated that strain YIM 93176T belonged to the cluster comprising type species of the genus Lentibacillus. Genome sequencing of strain YIM 93176T revealed a genome size of 3.2 Mb and a DNA G + C content of 40.5 mol%. The major fatty acids were anteiso-C15:0 (40.7%) and iso-C15:0 (26.4%), while the predominant respiratory quinone was menaquinone 7. The polar lipids consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. These genotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics supported affiliation of strain YIM 93176T to the genus Lentibacillus. In addition, phenotypic characteristics could distinguish strain YIM 93176T from its closely related species in genus Lentibacillus. Based on the cumulative evidences from the polyphasic taxonomic study, strain YIM 93176T represents a novel species of the genus Lentibacillus, for which name Lentibacillus saliphilus sp. nov. (type strain YIM 93176T = CCTCC AB 208139T = DSM 21375T) is proposed.

Regulatory roles of phytochemicals on circular RNAs in cancer and other chronic diseases.

As novel non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs) play an essential role in the pathogenesis of many chronic diseases, and the regulation of these functional molecules has become a research hotspot gradually. Within the past decade, phytochemicals were reported to regulate the expression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) in various chronic diseases, and more recently, most studies focus on the regulatory roles of phytochemicals on circRNAs. Abnormal expression of circRNAs has been identified in chronic diseases like cancer, heart failure, depression and atherosclerosis, and numerous studies have revealed the modulation of circRNAs by phytochemicals including berberine, celastrol, cinnamaldehyde, curcumin, et al. The expression of circRNAs, such as circSATB2 and circFOXM1, were modulated by phytochemicals, and these regulations further affected cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, autophagy, chemosensitivity, radiosensitivity and other biological processes. Mechanismly, the circRNAs mainly functioned as miRNA sponge, subsequently affecting miRNA-mediated regulation of target genes and related cell signaling pathways. In this review, we summarized the impact of phytochemicals on circRNAs expression and biological function, and discussed the mechanisms underlying phytochemicals regulating circRNAs in cancer and other chronic diseases.

Alkalibacillus aidingensis sp. nov., an Bacterium Isolated from Aiding Lake in Xinjiang Province, North-West China.

A bacterial strain, Gram staining negative, aerobic, long rod, motile bacterium with flagellum, designated strain YIM 98829T, was isolated from the Aiding Lake in Xinjiang province, North-West China. The isolate produced oval subterminal endospores in swollen sporangia. The predominant menaquinone was MK-7. The cell wall peptidoglycan contained ornithine, serine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and alanine, while diaminopimelic acid could not be detected. The major whole-cell sugars contained xylose, glucose, galactose, and mannose. Diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, one unknown phospholipid, and two unidentified aminophospholipids were part of the polar lipid profile. Iso-C15:0 and anteiso-C15:0 were the major fatty acids. The DNA G + C content of the type strain was 38.0 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the isolate belongs to the genus Alkalibacillus. However, it differed from its closest relatives, A. haloalkaliphilus DSM 5271T (97.04%), A. filiformis 4AGT (96.99%), and A. silvisoli BM2T (96.95%) in some physiological characteristics. DNA-DNA hybridization result indicated low levels of relatedness between strain YIM 98829T and A. haloalkaliphilus JCM 12303T (16.9%). On the basis of physiological, phenotypic, and chemotaxonomic data, strain YIM 98829T represents a novel species of genus Alkalibacillus, for which the name Alkalibacillus aidingensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YIM 98829T (= NBRC 114103T = CGMCC 1.17260T = DSM 112470T).