Mitochondrial complex II in intestinal epithelial cells regulates T cell-mediated immunopathology.

Intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) damage by T cells contributes to graft-versus-host disease, inflammatory bowel disease and immune checkpoint blockade-mediated colitis. But little is known about the target cell-intrinsic features that affect disease severity. Here we identified disruption of oxidative phosphorylation and an increase in succinate levels in the IECs from several distinct in vivo models of T cell-mediated colitis. Metabolic flux studies, complemented by imaging and protein analyses, identified disruption of IEC-intrinsic succinate dehydrogenase A (SDHA), a component of mitochondrial complex II, in causing these metabolic alterations. The relevance of IEC-intrinsic SDHA in mediating disease severity was confirmed by complementary chemical and genetic experimental approaches and validated in human clinical samples. These data identify a critical role for the alteration of the IEC-specific mitochondrial complex II component SDHA in the regulation of the severity of T cell-mediated intestinal diseases.

Ambient oxygen levels regulate intestinal dysbiosis and GVHD severity after allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

The severity of T cell-mediated gastrointestinal (GI) diseases such as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and inflammatory bowel diseases correlates with a decrease in the diversity of the host gut microbiome composition characterized by loss of obligate anaerobic commensals. The mechanisms underpinning these changes in the microbial structure remain unknown. Here, we show in multiple specific pathogen-free (SPF), gnotobiotic, and germ-free murine models of GI GVHD that the initiation of the intestinal damage by the pathogenic T cells altered ambient oxygen levels in the GI tract and caused dysbiosis. The change in oxygen levels contributed to the severity of intestinal pathology in a host intestinal HIF-1α- and a microbiome-dependent manner. Regulation of intestinal ambient oxygen levels with oral iron chelation mitigated dysbiosis and reduced the severity of the GI GVHD. Thus, targeting ambient intestinal oxygen levels may represent a novel, non-immunosuppressive strategy to mitigate T cell-driven intestinal diseases.

Gut microbiome-derived metabolites modulate intestinal epithelial cell damage and mitigate graft-versus-host disease.

The effect of alterations in intestinal microbiota on microbial metabolites and on disease processes such as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is not known. Here we carried out an unbiased analysis to identify previously unidentified alterations in gastrointestinal microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) after allogeneic bone marrow transplant (allo-BMT). Alterations in the amount of only one SCFA, butyrate, were observed only in the intestinal tissue. The reduced butyrate in CD326(+) intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) after allo-BMT resulted in decreased histone acetylation, which was restored after local administration of exogenous butyrate. Butyrate restoration improved IEC junctional integrity, decreased apoptosis and mitigated GVHD. Furthermore, alteration of the indigenous microbiota with 17 rationally selected strains of high butyrate-producing Clostridia also decreased GVHD. These data demonstrate a heretofore unrecognized role of microbial metabolites and suggest that local and specific alteration of microbial metabolites has direct salutary effects on GVHD target tissues and can mitigate disease severity.

MicroRNA-142 Is Critical for the Homeostasis and Function of Type 1 Innate Lymphoid Cells.

Natural killer (NK) cells are cytotoxic type 1 innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) that defend against viruses and mediate anti-tumor responses, yet mechanisms controlling their development and function remain incompletely understood. We hypothesized that the abundantly expressed microRNA-142 (miR-142) is a critical regulator of type 1 ILC biology. Interleukin-15 (IL-15) signaling induced miR-142 expression, whereas global and ILC-specific miR-142-deficient mice exhibited a cell-intrinsic loss of NK cells. Death of NK cells resulted from diminished IL-15 receptor signaling within miR-142-deficient mice, likely via reduced suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 (Socs1) regulation by miR-142-5p. ILCs persisting in Mir142-/- mice demonstrated increased expression of the miR-142-3p target αV integrin, which supported their survival. Global miR-142-deficient mice exhibited an expansion of ILC1-like cells concurrent with increased transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) signaling. Further, miR-142-deficient mice had reduced NK-cell-dependent function and increased susceptibility to murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection. Thus, miR-142 critically integrates environmental cues for proper type 1 ILC homeostasis and defense against viral infection.

Description of Microbacterium dauci sp. nov., a plant growth hormone indoleacetic acid-producing and nitrogen-fixing bacterium isolated from carrot rhizosphere soil.

A plant growth hormone indoleacetic acid-producing strain LX3-4T was isolated from a carrot rhizosphere soil sample collected in Shandong Province, China. It is Gram-stain-positive, non-motile, and has irregular short rod-shaped cells. LX3-4T shared high 16S rRNA gene sequence identity with Microbacterium oleivorans DSM 16091T (99.4%), M. testaceum NBRC 12675T (98.6%), M. marinum DSM 24947T (98.5%), M. resistens NBRC 103078T (98.4%), and M. paraoxydans NBRC 103076T (98.3%). Phylogenetic analysis based on the concatenated gene sequences of 16S rRNA gene, housekeeping genes gryB and rpoB also showed the distinction between strain LX3-4T and other Microbacterium species. Furthermore, analysis of the average nucleotide identities (ANI), the average amino acid identity (AAI), and the digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between strain LX3-4T and its relatives revealed that strain LX3-4T represents a distinct species. The genomic DNA G + C content of the strain is 69.5%. It can grow at 25-37 °C (optimum 37 °C), pH 5.0-10.0 (optimum pH 6.0-8.0), and the range of NaCl concentration is 0-7% (w/v) (optimum 1-5%). The colonies on agar plates are smooth, translucent, and pale yellow. The main cellular fatty acids of strain LX3-4T are anteiso-C15:0, anteiso-C17:0, and iso-C16:0. The predominant respiratory quinones are MK-12 and MK-11. Diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, an unidentified glycolipid, and an unidentified phosphoglycolipid are major polar lipids. The cell-wall sugar of strain LX3-4T is glucose. The cell-wall peptidoglycan contains glycine, alanine, lysine, and glutamic acid. In addition, this strain carries nitrogen fixation genes and can grow in nitrogen-free medium. Based on the polyphasic data, strain LX3-4T represents a novel species of the genus Microbacterium, for which the name Microbacterium dauci sp. nov. is proposed with strain LX3-4T (= CCTCC AB 2023103T = LMG 33159T) designated as the type strain.

Role of microRNA-4739 in enhancing cisplatin chemosensitivity by negative regulation of RHBDD2 in human cervical cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Cisplatin (DDP) is a widely used chemotherapy drug for advanced cervical cancer (CC), but resistance poses a significant challenge. While miR-4739 has been implicated in tumor development, its specific role in regulating DDP resistance in CC remains unclear. METHODS: We analyzed the expression levels of miR-4739 and RHBDD2 in DDP-resistant and DDP-sensitive CC tissues using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and assessed their correlation through Spearman's correlation analysis. DDP-resistant CC cell lines (HeLa/DDP and SiHa/DDP) were established by gradually increasing DDP concentrations, followed by transfection with miR-4739 mimics, si-RHBDD2, or a RHBDD2 overexpression vector. A series of functional assays, including CCK-8 assay, colony formation, flow cytometry, and transwell assay were performed. The interaction between miR-4739 and RHBDD2 was confirmed by luciferase reporter assay. We examined the protein levels of RHBDD2, P-gP, MRP1, cleaved caspase-3, and E-cadherin through western blot analysis. Moreover, we generated xenograft tumors by injecting stably transfected HeLa/DDP cells into mice to compare their tumorigenesis capacity. RESULTS: We observed downregulation of miR-4739 and upregulation of RHBDD2 in DDP-resistant CC tissues and cell lines. MiR-4739 was shown to directly bind to RHBDD2 gene sequences to repress RHBDD2 expression in HeLa/DDP and SiHa/DDP cells. Our in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that overexpressing miR-4739 overcame DDP resistance in CC cells by targeting RHBDD2. Furthermore, RHBDD2 overexpression reversed the effects of miR-4739 mimics on drug-resistance-related proteins (P-gP and MRP1) and the expression of cleaved caspase-3 and E-cadherin in HeLa/DDP cells. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, our study revealed that miR-4739 can reverse DDP resistance by modulating RHBDD2 in CC cells.

Carbon-TiO2 Hybrid Quantum Dots for Photocatalytic Inactivation of Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria.

Carbon-semiconductor hybrid quantum dots are classical carbon dots with core carbon nanoparticles doped with a selected nanoscale semiconductor. Specifically, on those with the nanoscale TiO2 doping, denoted as CTiO2-Dots, their synthesis and thorough characterization were reported previously. In this work, the CTiO2-Dots were evaluated for their visible light-activated antibacterial function, with the results showing the effective killing of not only Gram-positive but also the generally more resistant Gram-negative bacteria. The hybrid dots are clearly more potent antibacterial agents than their neat carbon dot counterparts. Mechanistically, the higher antibacterial performance of the CTiO2-Dots is attributed to their superior photoexcited state properties, which are reflected by the observed much brighter fluorescence emissions. Also considered and discussed is the possibility of additional contributions to the antibacterial activities due to the photosensitization of the nanoscale TiO2 by its doped core carbon nanoparticles.

Carbon Dots: Classically Defined versus Organic Hybrids on Shared Properties, Divergences, and Myths.

Carbon dots are defined as small carbon nanoparticles with effective surface passivation via organic functionalization. The definition is literally a description of what carbon dots are originally found for the functionalized carbon nanoparticles displaying bright and colorful fluorescence emissions, mirroring those from similarly functionalized defects in carbon nanotubes. In literature more popular than classical carbon dots are the diverse variety of dot samples from "one-pot" carbonization of organic precursors. On the two different kinds of samples from the different synthetic approaches, namely, the classical carbon dots versus those from the carbonization method, highlighted in this article are their shared properties and apparent divergences, including also explorations of the relevant sample structural and mechanistic origins for the shared properties and divergences. Echoing the growing evidence and concerns in the carbon dots research community on the major presence of organic molecular dyes/chromophores in carbonization produced dot samples, demonstrated and discussed in this article are some representative cases of dominating spectroscopic interferences due to the organic dye contamination that have led to unfound claims and erroneous conclusions. Mitigation strategies to address the contamination issues, including especially the use of more vigorous processing conditions in the carbonization synthesis, are proposed and justified.

Interleukin 4 gene polymorphisms and the risk of tuberculosis: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-4 (IL-4) is implicated in the progression of tuberculosis (TB); however, these results remain controversial. OBJECTIVES: This meta-analysis examined the relationship between IL and 4 polymorphisms (-589C/T, +4221C > A, and -33C/T) and the risk of TB. METHODS: A retrospective database analysis was conducted using the CNKI and PubMed databases. Using fixed- and random-effects models, we calculated the combined odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: We identified 14 articles related to this topic, and theresultsshowed that the IL-4 -589C/T polymorphism didnotinfluencethe risk of TB. However,in subgroupanalyses we found that the IL-4 -589C/T polymorphism was associated with the risk of TB inCaucasians (recessive modelOR = 2.54, 95% CI = 1.30-4.96). In our study, the IL-4--33C/T polymorphism was not associated with the risk of TB. The IL-4 + 4221C > A polymorphism was associated with the risk of TB (recessive model: OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.07-1.83). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis showed that the IL-4 -589C/T polymorphism was associated with TB risk in Caucasian populations, and the IL-4 + 4221C > A polymorphism is associated with TB risk.

Halobacterium wangiae sp. nov. and Halobacterium zhouii sp. nov., two extremely halophilic archaea isolated from sediment of a salt lake and saline soil of an inland saltern.

Two novel halophilic archaeal strains, Gai3-17T and XZYJT26T, were isolated from the sediment of Gaize salt lake and the saline soil of Mangkang ancient solar saltern in Tibet, PR China, respectively. Strains Gai3-17T and XZYJT26T were related to each other (96.5 and 89.7% similarity, respectively) and showed 97.5-95.4 and 91.5-87.7% similarities to the current members of Halobacterium based on 16S rRNA and rpoB' genes. The phylogenomic analysis indicated that strains Gai3-17T and XZYJT26T formed two distinct clades and clustered with the Halobacterium species. The two strains can be differentiated from the type strains of the six species with validly published names based on several phenotypic characteristics. The phospholipids of the two strains were phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester. One major glycolipid, sulphated galactosyl mannosyl glucosyl diether, was detected in strain Gai3-17T, while four glycolipids, mannosyl glucosyl diether, sulphated mannosyl glucosyl diether, disulphated mannosyl glucosyl diether and sulphated galactosyl mannosyl glucosyl diether were observed in strain XZYJT26T. The average nucleotide identity, digital DNA-DNA hybridization and amino acid identity values among the two strains and the members of Halobacterium were no more than 81, 25 and 77 %, respectively. These overall genome-related indices were below the threshold values for species boundary, indicating that strains Gai3-17T and XZYJT26T represent two novel species of Halobacterium. Thus, two novel species, Halobacterium wangiae sp. nov. and Halobacterium zhouii sp. nov., are proposed to accommodate strains Gai3-17T (=CGMCC 1.16101T=JCM 33551T) and XZYJT26T (=CGMCC 1.16682T=JCM 33556T), respectively.

Halocatena marina sp. nov., a novel filamentous halophilic archaeon isolated from marine tidal flat and emended description of the genus Halocatena.

Three novel filamentous halophilic archaea, strains DFN5T, RDMS1, and QDMS1, were isolated from the coastal saline soil samples of the intertidal zones located in different regions of Jiangsu Province, China. The colonies of these strains were pinkish-white due to the presence of white spores. These three strains are extremely halophilic and grew optimally at 35-37 °C and pH 7.0-7.5. Based on 16S rRNA and rpoB' gene analysis, strains DFN5T, RDMS1, and QDMS1 gathered together in phylogenetic trees and then clustered with the current species of the genus Halocatena showing 96.9-97.4% and 82.2-82.5% similarities, respectively. Both the 16S rRNA gene-based and rpoB' gene-based phylogenies were fully supported by the phylogenomic analysis, and the overall genome-related indexes indicated that strains DFN5T, RDMS1, and QDMS1 should be a novel species of the genus Halocatena. Genome mining revealed that there are considerable differences in the genes related to ß-carotene synthesis among these three strains and the current species of Halocatena. The major polar lipids of strains DFN5T, RDMS1, and QDMS1 are PA, PG, PGP-Me, S-TGD-1, TGD-1, and TGD-2. The minor polar lipids, S-DGD-1, DGD-1, S2-DGD, and S-TeGD may be detected. According to the phenotypic characteristics, phylogenetic analysis, genomic and chemotaxonomic features, strains DFN5T (= CGMCC 1.19401 T = JCM 35422 T), RDMS1 (= CGMCC 1.19411) and QDMS1 (= CGMCC 1.19410) were classified as a novel species of the genus Halocatena with the proposed name, Halocatena marina sp. nov. This is the first report of the description of a novel filamentous haloarchaeon isolated from marine intertidal zones.

Halorubrum hochsteinianum sp. nov., an ancient haloarchaeon from a natural experiment.

A single extremely halophilic strain was isolated from salt brine produced when a fresh water lake flooded a large salt mine located beneath the lake. The water that entered this mine contained less than 0.34 M NaCl, but over time, this sealed brine became saturated by Cenozoic age salt (121-125 million-year BCE). The isolated strain requires at least 1.7 M NaCl for survival and grows optimally in 3.1 M NaCl. Therefore, it could not have survived or been present in the waters that flooded this salt mine. The strain grows at a pH range from 6.5 to 9.0 and has a wide tolerance to temperatures from 25 ℃ to at least 60 ℃. The comparison of 16S rRNA and rpoB' genes revealed that strain 1-13-28T is related to Halorubrum tebenquichense DSM 14210T showing 98.6% and 98.1% similarities, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA, rpoB' genes and 122 concatenated archaeal genes show that the strain 1-13-28T consistently forms a cluster with Halorubrum tebenquichense of the genus Halorubrum. Strain 1-13-28T contained sulfated mannosyl glucosyl diether, and the polar lipid profile was identical to those of most Halorubrum species. Based on the overall combination of physiological, phylogenetic, polar lipids and phylogenomic characteristics, strain 1-13-28T (= ATCC 700083T = CGMCC 1.62627T) represents a newly identified species within the genus Halorubrum for which the name Halorubrum hochsteinianum is proposed.

Identification of the key genes of tuberculosis and construction of a diagnostic model via weighted gene co-expression network analysis.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease with high mortality, and mining key genes for TB diagnosis is vital to raise the survival rate of patients. METHODS: The whole microarray datasets GSE83456 (training set) and GSE19444 (validation set) of TB patients were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differential expression was conducted on genes between TB and normal samples (unconfirmed TB) in GSE83456 to yield TB-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs). DEGs were subjected to weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and clustered to form distinct gene modules. The immune scores of 25 kinds of immune cells were obtained by single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) of TB samples, and Pearson correlation analysis was carried out between the 25 immune scores and diverse gene modules. The gene modules significantly associated with immune cells were retained as Target modules. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed on the genes in the modules (p-value <0.05). The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was established utilizing the STRING database for genes in the Target module, and the selected key genes were intersected with immune-related genes in the ImmPort database. The obtained immune-related module genes were used for subsequent least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis and diagnostic models were constructed. Finally, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was utilized to validate the diagnostic model. RESULTS: The turquoise and yellow modules had a high correlation with macrophages. LASSO regression analysis of immune-related genes in TB was carried on to finally construct a 5-gene diagnostic model composed of C5, GRN, IL1B, IL23A, and TYMP. As demonstrated by the ROC curves, the diagnostic efficiency of this diagnostic model was 0.957 and 0.944 in the training and validation sets, respectively. Therefore, the immune-related 5-gene model had a good diagnostic function for TB. CONCLUSION: We identified 5 immune-related diagnostic markers that may play an important role in TB, and verified that this immune-related key gene model had a good diagnostic performance.

The regulatory metabolic networks of the Brassica campestris L. hairy roots in response to cadmium stress revealed from proteome studies combined with a transcriptome analysis.

Brassica campestris L., a cadmium (Cd) hyperaccumulating herbaceous plant, is considered as a promising candidate for the bioremediation of Cd pollution. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating these processes remain unclear. The present work, using proteome studies combined with a transcriptome analysis, was carried out to reveal the response mechanisms of the hairy roots of Brassica campestris L. under Cd stress. Significant tissue necrosis and cellular damage occurred, and Cd accumulation was observed in the cell walls and vacuoles of the hairy roots. Through quantitative proteomic profiling, a total of 1424 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified, and are known to be enriched in processes including phenylalanine metabolism, plant hormone signal transduction, cysteine and methionine metabolism, protein export, isoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis and flavone biosynthesis. Further studies combined with a transcriptome analysis found that 118 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and their corresponding proteins were simultaneously up- or downregulated. Further Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis of the 118 shared DEGs and DEPs indicated their involvement in calcium, ROS and hormone signaling-mediated response, including regulation of carbohydrate and energy metabolism, biosynthesis of GSH, PCs and phenylpropanoid compounds that play vital roles in the Cd tolerance of Brassica campestris L. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the regulatory networks of Brassica campestris L. under Cd stress, as well as provide valuable information on candidate genes (e.g., BrPAL, BrTAT, Br4CL, BrCDPK, BrRBOH, BrCALM, BrABCG1/2, BrVIP, BrGCLC, BrilvE, BrGST12/13/25). These results are of particular importance to the subsequent development of promising transgenic plants that will hyperaccumulate heavy metals and efficient phytoremediation processes.

Impact of contact with the baby following stillbirth on parental mental health and well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: This study aims to identify and synthesize available research reporting parental mental health outcomes related to contact with a stillborn baby. BACKGROUND: Stillbirth is devastating events for parents. The effects of contact with the stillborn baby on parental mental health are uncertain. METHODS: This was a systematic review and meta-analysis carried out by searching six international electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, Web of Science, PsycINFO and CNKI databases from inception to 15 January 2023. Review Manager software was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Ten studies were included (n = 3974). Contact with a stillborn baby increased the risks of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in the short term and increased the risks of anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder in the long term. Parents who had contact with a stillborn baby were more satisfied with their decision. Subgroup analysis showed that seeing a stillborn baby had no significant effect on anxiety or depression, but holding a stillborn baby increased the risks of anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: Caregivers should respect the parents' decision on whether to have contact with the stillborn baby and provide parents with continuous information, emotional and behavioural support after they have contact with stillborn babies.

The value of artificial intelligence and imaging diagnosis in the fight against COVID-19.

The outbreak of the new type of coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) has caused a huge impact on the world. In this case, only by adhering to the prevention and control methods of early diagnosis, early isolation, and early treatment, can the spread of the virus be prevented to the greatest extent. This article uses artificial intelligence-assisted medical imaging diagnosis as the research object, combines artificial intelligence and CT medical imaging diagnosis, introduces an intelligent COVID-19 detection system, and uses it to achieve COVID-19 disease screening and lesion evaluation. CT examination has the advantages of fast speed and high accuracy, which can provide a favorable basis for clinical diagnosis. This article collected 32 lung CT scan images of patients with confirmed COVID-19. Two professional radiologists analyzed the CT images using traditional imaging diagnostic methods and artificial intelligence-assisted imaging diagnostic methods, and the comparison showed the gap between the two methods. According to experiments, CT imaging diagnosis assisted by artificial intelligence only takes 0.744 min on average, which can save a lot of time and cost compared with the average time of 3.623 min for conventional diagnosis. In terms of comprehensive test accuracy, it can be concluded that the combination of artificial intelligence and imaging diagnosis has extremely high application value in COVID-19 diagnosis.

Silencing circ_0074371 inhibits the progression of sepsis-induced acute kidney injury by regulating miR-330-5p/ELK1 axis.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common in clinic. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play significant roles in ameliorating AKI. The purpose of this study was aimed to identify the role of circ_0074371 and the potential action mechanism in sepsis-induced AKI. METHODS: AKI patients and healthy individual serum samples were collected and the relative expression of circ_0074371 was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). HK2 cells were treated with different dose (0, 2.5, 5 and 10 µg/ml) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to establish the AKI cell model. The cell viability and apoptosis of HK2 cells were detected using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and flow cytometry, respectively. The contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were evaluated using the relative commercial kits. The IL-1ß and TNF-α levels in cell culture supernatants were measured by ELISA. The interaction relationship between miR-330-5p and circ_0074371 or ELK1 was predicted by Targetscan database and further confirmed by the dual-luciferase reporter assay system. RESULTS: The circ_0074371 expression was up-regulated in sepsis patients and LPS-induced HK2 cells. Silencing circ_0074371 promoted HK2 cells viability and inhibited the HK2 cells apoptosis. miR-330-5p inhibitor weakened circ_0074371 inhibitor-induced cell viability, apoptosis and oxidative stress. Further mechanism analysis showed that circ_0074371 acted as a sponge for miR-330-5p to increase ELK1 expression level. Importantly, miR-330-5p downregulation or ELK1 upregulation reversed the action of circ_0074371 knockdown on LPS-induced HK2 cells. CONCLUSION: Knockdown of circ_0074371 ameliorated LPS-induced HK2 cells apoptosis, inflammation and oxidative stress via regulating miR-330-5p/ELK1, opening a new window into the pathogenesis AKI.

Advances in Studies of Boron Nitride Nanosheets and Nanocomposites for Thermal Transport and Related Applications.

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and exfoliated nanosheets (BNNs) not only resemble their carbon counterparts graphite and graphene nanosheets in structural configurations and many excellent materials characteristics, especially the ultra-high thermal conductivity, but also offer other unique properties such as being electrically insulating and extreme chemical stability and oxidation resistance even at elevated temperatures. In fact, BNNs as a special class of 2-D nanomaterials have been widely pursued for technological applications that are beyond the reach of their carbon counterparts. Highlighted in this article are significant recent advances in the development of more effective and efficient exfoliation techniques for high-quality BNNs, the understanding of their characteristic properties, and the use of BNNs in polymeric nanocomposites for thermally conductive yet electrically insulating materials and systems. Major challenges and opportunities for further advances in the relevant research field are also discussed.

Halocatena salina sp. nov., a filamentous halophilic archaeon isolated from Aiding Salt Lake.

A filamentous cell-shaped halophilic archaeon (strain AD-1T) was isolated from Aiding Salt Lake, PR China. Its colonies on HCM7 agar plates were pinkish white, 1-4 mm (diameter), elevated and round. The optimum conditions for growth were observed at 42 °C, 4.3 M NaCl, 0.01 M MgCl2 and pH 7. Strain AD-1T could hydrolyse Tween 60, Tween 80, starch and gelatin. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene, rpoB' and the concatenated 484 single-copy orthologous proteins revealed that strain AD-1T formed a clade with Halocatena pleomorpha SPP-AMP-1T. The average nucleotide identity and in silico DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain AD-1T and Halocatena pleomorpha SPP-AMP-1T were both below the species delineation thresholds (95~96 and 70 %, respectively). The major phospholipids of strain AD-1T were phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester, while the major glycolipids were sulphated galactosyl mannosyl glucosyl diether, galactosyl mannosyl glucosyl diether and glucosyl mannosyl glucosyl diether. The phenotypic, phylogenetic and genome-based analyses suggested that strain AD-1T (=CGMCC 1.13724T=JCM 32960T) represents a novel species, for which the name Halocatena salina sp. nov. is proposed.