Cross-talk of MLST and transcriptome unveiling antibiotic resistance mechanism of carbapenem resistance Acinetobacter baumannii clinical strains isolated in Guiyang, China.

Introduction: Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) is an important opportunistic pathogen causing nosocomial infection in the clinic. The occurrence rate of antibiotic resistance is increasing year by year, resulting in a highly serious situation of bacterial resistance. Methods: To better understand the local epidemiology of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii, an investigation was conducted on the antibiotic resistance of different types of A. baumannii and its relationship with the genes of A. baumannii. Furthermore, the molecular mechanism underlying antibiotic resistance in A. baumannii was investigated through transcriptome analysis. Results: These results showed that a total of 9 STs were detected. It was found that 99% of the strains isolated in the hospital belonged to the same STs, and the clone complex CC208 was widely distributed in various departments and all kinds of samples. Furthermore, these A. baumannii strains showed high resistance to ertapenem, biapenem, meropenem, and imipenem, among which the resistance to ertapenem was the strongest. The detection rate of bla OXA-51 gene in these carbapenem resistance A. baumannii (CRAB) reached 100%; Additionally, the transcriptome results showed that the resistance genes were up-regulated in resistance strains, and these genes involved in biofilm formation, efflux pumps, peptidoglycan biosynthesis, and chaperonin synthesis. Discussion: These results suggest that the CC208 STs were the main clonal complex, and showed high carbapenem antibiotic resistance. All these resistant strains were distributed in various departments, but most of them were distributed in intensive care units (ICU). The bla OXA-23 was the main antibiotic resistance genotype; In summary, the epidemic trend of clinical A. baumannii in Guiyang, China was analyzed from the molecular level, and the resistance mechanism of A. baumannii to carbapenem antibiotics was analyzed with transcriptome, which provided a theoretical basis for better control of A. baumannii.

Teleost-specific TLR23 in Takifugu rubripes recruits MyD88 to trigger ERK pathway and promotes antibacterial defense.

Takifugu rubripes is a highly valued cultured fish in Asia, while pathogen infections can result in severe diseases and lead to substantial economic losses. Toll-like receptors (TLRs), as pattern recognition receptors, play a crucial role on recognition pathogens and initiation innate immune response. However, the immunological properties of teleost-specific TLR23 remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the biological functions of TLR23 (TrTLR23) from T. rubripes, found that TrTLR23 existed in various organs. Following bacterial pathogen challenge, the expression levels of TrTLR23 were significantly increased in immune related organs. TrTLR23 located on the cellular membrane and specifically recognized pathogenic microorganism. Co-immunoprecipitation and antibody blocking analysis revealed that TrTLR23 recruited myeloid differentiation primary response protein (MyD88), thereby mediating the activation of the ERK signaling pathway. Furthermore, in vivo showed that, when TrTLR23 is overexpressed in T. rubripes, bacterial replication in fish tissues is significantly inhibited. Consistently, when TrTLR23 expression in T. rubripes is knocked down, bacterial replication is significantly enhanced. In conclusion, these findings suggested that TrTLR23 played a critical role on mediation TLR23-MyD88-ERK axis against bacterial infection. This study revealed that TLR23 involved in the innate immune mechanism, and provided the foundation for development disease control strategies in teleost.

Seven-year long-term inoculation with Funneliformis mosseae increases maize yield and soil carbon storage evidenced by in situ 13C-labeling in a dryland.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) establish symbiotic relationships with roots of most plants, contributing to plant water uptake and soil carbon (C) sequestration. However, the interactive contribution and of long-term field AMF inoculation and water conservation on maize yield and soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in drylands remain largely unknown. After 7-year long-term field inoculation with AMF Funneliformis mosseae, AMF suppression by fungicide benomyl, and no-AMF/no-benomyl control, and two water conservation practices of half-film and full-film mulching (∼50 % and ∼100 crop planted area covered with plastic film), this study thus applied in situ 13CO2-C labeling and high-throughput sequencing to quantify newly photosynthetically assimilated C into different soil C pools including soil aggregates and respiration, and their effects on maize growth and productivity. Results showed that 7-year long-term AMF inoculation significantly increased the relative abundance of F. mosseae in rhizosphere soil and root AMF colonization, indicating that F. mosseae successfully dominated in AMF communities. Compared to no-AMF/no-benomyl control, AMF colonization significantly increased shoot biomass and maize yield by 17.9 % and 20.3 % while mitigated the less water conservation effects of half-film mulching on maize performance. The SOC content under field AMF inoculation SOC was increased from 7.9 to 8.4 g kg-1 and also the mean weight diameter of aggregates (1.21 to 1.35), e.g. aggregate stability. After 1 and/or 40 days 13C labeling, the enhanced 13C translocations into macro-aggregates with decreased 13C emissions from microbial decomposition under field AMF inoculation had contributed to SOC conservation in bulk soil. These results suggest that AMF inoculation in dryland crops is promising to increase crop yield while promoting more atmospheric CO2 fixation in soil aggregates. A long-term field AMF inoculation will enhance our understanding of applying beneficial mycorrhizal fungi to enhance soil C sequestration and also crop yield via plant-fixed atmospheric CO2 in semi-arid and arid farmlands.

Association of myopia and astigmatism with postoperative ocular high order aberration after small incision lenticule extraction.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between higher-order aberrations (HOA) after small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and the severity of myopia and astigmatism, along with the relevant factors. These findings will provide valuable insights for decreasing the occurrence of HOA after SMILE and enhancing visual quality. METHODS: A total of 75 patients (150 eyes) with myopia and astigmatism who underwent SMILE were categorized into four groups based on the severity of myopia and astigmatism: Myopia Group 1 (Group M1, spherical diopter ranged from -1.00 D to -4.00 D), Myopia Group 2 (Group M2, spherical diopter ranged from -4.10 D to -10.00 D), Astigmatism Group 1 (Group A1, cylindrical diopter ranged from 0 D to -1.00 D), and Astigmatism Group 2 (Group A2, cylindrical diopter ranged from -1.10 D to -3.00 D). A comprehensive assessment was performed to examine the association between HOA and various relevant factors, including a detailed analysis of the subgroups. RESULTS: Group M1 had significantly lower levels of total eye coma aberration (CA), corneal total HOA (tHOA), internal tHOA, and vertical CA ( Z 3 - 1 ) after SMILE than Group M2 (P < 0.05). Similarly, Group A1 had significantly lower levels of total eye tHOA, CA, trefoil aberration (TA), corneal tHOA, TA, and vertical TA ( Z 3 - 3 ) after SMILE than Group A2 (P < 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis indicated a statistically significant positive relationship between the severity of myopia/astigmatism and most HOA (P < 0.05). Subgroup evaluations demonstrated a notable increase in postoperative HOA associated with myopia and astigmatism in Groups M2 and A2 compared with the control group. Lenticule thickness, postoperative central corneal thickness (CCT), postoperative uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), and postoperative corneal Km and Cyl were strongly correlated with most HOA. Age, eyes, and postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) were only associated with specific HOA. CONCLUSION: HOA positively correlated with the severity of myopia and astigmatism after SMILE. However, this relationship was not linear. HOA after SMILE was influenced by various factors, and additional specialized investigations are required to establish its clinical importance.

Functional genomics identifies N-acetyllactosamine extension of complex N-glycans as a mechanism to evade lysis by natural killer cells.

Natural killer (NK) cells are primary defenders against cancer precursors, but cancer cells can persist by evading immune surveillance. To investigate the genetic mechanisms underlying this evasion, we perform a genome-wide CRISPR screen using B lymphoblastoid cells. SPPL3, a peptidase that cleaves glycosyltransferases in the Golgi, emerges as a top hit facilitating evasion from NK cytotoxicity. SPPL3-deleted cells accumulate glycosyltransferases and complex N-glycans, disrupting not only binding of ligands to NK receptors but also binding of rituximab, a CD20 antibody approved for treating B cell cancers. Notably, inhibiting N-glycan maturation restores receptor binding and sensitivity to NK cells. A secondary CRISPR screen in SPPL3-deficient cells identifies B3GNT2, a transferase-mediating poly-LacNAc extension, as crucial for resistance. Mass spectrometry confirms enrichment of N-glycans bearing poly-LacNAc upon SPPL3 loss. Collectively, our study shows the essential role of SPPL3 and poly-LacNAc in cancer immune evasion, suggesting a promising target for cancer treatment.

Differences in ocular high order aberrations before and after small incision lenticule extraction for correction of myopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To examine the causes and factors that lead to high order aberration (HOA) during the treatment of myopia using small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE), as well as the differences between SMILE and other corneal refractive surgeries through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: A systematic search was conducted from January 2015 to February 2023 in Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases to gather relevant studies on SMILE and HOA. Studies meeting specific criteria were chosen, and clinical data was retrieved for analysis. Results: This meta-analysis resulted in the inclusion of 19 studies involving 1,503 eyes. Pooled results showed significant induction of total HOA (tHOA, d = -0.21, p < 0.001), spherical aberration (SA, d = -0.11, p < 0.001) and coma aberration (CA, d = -0.18, p < 0.001) after SMILE compared to pre-SMILE, while no significant change in trefoil aberration (TA) was observed (d = -0.00, p = 0.91). There was a significantly lower induction of tHOA after SMILE compared to femtosecond laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK, d = 0.04, p < 0.001), and no significant difference was observed compared to wavefront aberration-guided (WFG) refractive surgery (d = 0.00, p = 0.75). There was also a significant association between different levels of myopia and astigmatism, duration of follow-up, lenticule thickness, and preoperative central corneal thickness (CCT) on the induction of tHOA after SMILE (p < 0.05), while the higher preoperative myopia group (sphere > -5D), lower preoperative astigmatism group (cylinder ≤ -1D), larger lenticule thickness group (lenticule thickness > 100 µm), shorter follow-up group (follow-up 1 month postoperatively) and the thicker CCT group (CCT > 550 µm) brought a significant induction of tHOA compared to the opposite comparison group (p < 0.001). Conclusion: While SMILE can induce HOA significantly, it induces less HOA than FS-LASIK. Postoperative HOA following SMILE can be affected by factors such as myopia, astigmatism, lenticule thickness, CCT, and duration of follow-up. Future research should continue to explore techniques to decrease the induction of HOA by using this methodology. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/.

Spermidine regulates wheat grain weight at high planting density by promoting the synthesis of sucrose and starch in inferior grains.

Increasing density is an effective way to enhance wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield under limited cultivated areas. However, the physiological mechanisms underlying the reduction in grain weight when density increased are still unclear. Three field experiments were conducted during the 2014-2019 growing seasons to explore the physiological mechanisms by which polyamines affect grain weight formation. The results showed that when wheat planting density exceeded 450 × 104 seedlings ha-1 and 525 × 104 seedlings ha-1, wheat yield tended to decrease. Compared to moderate density (DM, 450 × 104 seedlings ha-1), the filling rate of inferior grains was reduced before 25 days after anthesis (DAA) and the active filling period was shortened by 6.4%-7.4% under high density (DH, 600 × 104 seedlings ha-1), resulting in a loss of 1000-grain weight by 5.4%-8.1%. DH significantly reduced sucrose and starch content in inferior grains at the filling stage. Meanwhile, DH inhibited the activity of key enzymes involved in polyamine synthesis [SAMDC (EC 4.1.1.50) and SpdSy (EC 2.5.1.16)] and induced the activity of ethylene (ETH) precursor synthase, resulting in a significant decrease in endogenous spermidine (Spd) content in inferior grains, but a significant increase in ETH release rate. Post-flowering application of exogenous Spd increased the accumulation of sucrose and starch in the inferior grains and positively regulated the filling and grain weight of the inferior grains, whereas exogenous ETH had a negative effect. Overall, Spd may affect wheat grain weight at high planting density by promoting the synthesis of sucrose and starch in inferior grains.

A Catheter-Related Candida albicans Infection Model in Mouse.

Catheter-related infection (CRI) is a common nosocomial infection caused by candida albicans during catheter implantation. Typically, biofilms are formed on the outer surface of the catheter and lead to disseminated infections, which are fatal to patients. There are no effective prevention and treatment management in clinics. Therefore, it is urgent to establish an animal model of CRI for the preclinical screening of new strategies for its prevention and treatment. In this study, a polyethylene catheter, a widely used medical catheter, was inserted into the back of the BALB/c mice after hair removal. Candida albicans ATCC MYA-2876 (SC5314) expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein was subsequently inoculated on the skin's surface along the catheter. Intense fluorescence was observed on the surface of the catheter under a fluorescent microscope 3 days later. Mature and thick biofilms were found on the surface of the catheter via scanning electron microscopy. These results indicated the adhesion, colonization, and biofilm formation of candida albicans on the surface of the catheter. The hyperplasia of the epidermis and the infiltration of inflammatory cells in the skin specimens indicated the histopathological changes of the CRI-associated skin. To sum up, a mouse CRI model was successfully established. This model is expected to be helpful in the research and development of therapeutic management for candida albicans associated CRI.

In Situ Myocardial Regeneration With Tissue Engineered Cardiac Patch Using Spheroid-Based 3-Dimensional Tissue.

BACKGROUND: We have developed a tissue engineered cardiac patch derived from a 3-dimensional (3D) myocardial tissue reinforced with extracellular matrix in an effort to enhance in situ myocardial regeneration. The feasibility of the patch was evaluated in a porcine model by various modalities to assess both the constructive and functional aspects of regeneration. METHODS: A spheroid-based 3D multicellular tissue was created using a 3D net mold system that incorporated cardiomyocytes and embryonic fibroblast cells. The 3D multicellular tissue was incorporated with extracellular matrix sheets and surgically implanted into the right ventricle of a healthy porcine model (n = 4). After 60 days, the implanted patches were evaluated by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and electroanatomic mapping studies as well as by post-euthanasia analyses, including measurements of mechanical viscoelasticity. RESULTS: Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging revealed improved regional tissue perfusion in the patch area. Electroanatomic mapping exhibited regenerated electrical conductivity in the patch, as evidenced by relatively preserved voltage regions (1.11 ± 0.8 mV) in comparison to the normal right ventricle (4.7 ± 2.8 mV). Histologic and tissue analyses confirmed repopulation of site-specific host cells, including premature cardiomyocytes and active vasculogenesis. These findings were supported by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. CONCLUSIONS: The tissue engineered cardiac patch effectively facilitated in situ constructive and functional myocardial regeneration, characterized by increased regional tissue perfusion and positive electrical activity in the porcine model.

Spatio-temporal microbial regulation of aggregate-associated priming effects under contrasting tillage practices.

Tillage intensity significantly influences the heterogeneous distribution and dynamic changes of soil microorganisms, consequently shaping spatio-temporal patterns of SOC decomposition. However, little is known about the microbial mechanisms by which tillage intensity regulates the priming effect (PE) dynamics in heterogeneous spatial environments such as aggregates. Herein, a microcosm experiment was established by adding 13C-labeled straw residue to three distinct aggregate-size classes (i.e., mega-, macro-, and micro-aggregates) from two long-term contrasting tillage histories (no-till [NT] and conventional plow tillage [CT]) for 160 days to observe the spatio-temporal variations in PE. Metagenomic sequencing and Fourier transform mid-infrared techniques were used to assess the relative importance of C-degrading functional genes, microbial community succession, and SOC chemical composition in the aggregate-associated PE dynamics during straw decomposition. Spatially, straw addition induced a positive PE for all aggregates, with stronger PE occurring in larger aggregates, especially in CT soil compared to NT soil. Larger aggregates have more unique microbial communities enriched in genes for simple C degradation (e.g., E5.1.3.6, E2.4.1.7, pmm-pgm, and KduD in Nitrosospeera and Burkholderia), contributing to the higher short-term PE; however, CT soils harbored more genes for complex C degradation (e.g., TSTA3, fcl, pmm-pgm, and K06871 in Gammaproteobacteria and Phycicoccus), supporting a stronger long-term PE. Temporally, soil aggregates played a significant role in the early-stage PEs (i.e., < 59 days after residue addition) through co-metabolism and nitrogen (N) mining, as evidenced by the increased microbial biomass C and dissolved organic C (DOC) and reduced inorganic N with increasing aggregate-size class. At a later stage, however, the legacy effect of tillage histories controlled the PEs via microbial stoichiometry decomposition, as suggested by the higher DOC-to-inorganic N and DOC-to-available P stoichiometries in CT than NT. Our study underscores the importance of incorporating both spatial and temporal microbial dynamics for a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying SOC priming, especially in the context of long-term contrasting tillage practices.

A Periprosthetic Joint Candida albicans Infection Model in Mouse.

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is one of the common infections caused by Candida albicans (C. albicans), which increasingly concerns surgeons and scientists. Generally, biofilms that can shield C. albicans from antibiotics and immune clearance are formed at the infection site. Surgery involving the removal of the infected implant, debridement, antimicrobial treatment, and reimplantation is the gold standard for the treatment of PJI. Thus, establishing animal PJI models is of great significance for the research and development of new drugs or therapeutics for PJI. In this study, a smooth nickel-titanium alloy wire, a widely used implant in orthopedic clinics, was inserted into the femoral joint of a C57BL/6 mouse before the C. albicans were inoculated into the articular cavity along the wire. After 14 days, mature and thick biofilms were observed on the surface of implants under a scanning electronic microscope (SEM). A significantly reduced bone trabecula was found in the H&E staining of the infected joint specimens. To sum up, a mouse PJI model with the advantages of easy operation, high successful rate, high repeatability, and high clinical correlation was established. This is expected to be an important model for clinical studies of C. albicans biofilm-related PJI prevention.

Polyamines mediate the inhibitory effect of drought stress on nitrogen reallocation and utilization to regulate grain number in wheat.

Drought stress poses a serious threat to grain formation in wheat. Nitrogen (N) plays crucial roles in plant organ development; however, the physiological mechanisms by which drought stress affects plant N availability and mediates the formation of grains in spikes of winter wheat are still unclear. In this study, we determined that pre-reproductive drought stress significantly reduced the number of fertile florets and the number of grains formed. Transcriptome analysis demonstrated that this was related to N metabolism, and in particular, the metabolism pathways of arginine (the main precursor for synthesis of polyamine) and proline. Continuous drought stress restricted plant N accumulation and reallocation rates, and plants preferentially allocated more N to spike development. As the activities of amino acid biosynthesis enzymes and catabolic enzymes were inhibited, more free amino acids accumulated in young spikes. The expression of polyamine synthase genes was down-regulated under drought stress, whilst expression of genes encoding catabolic enzymes was enhanced, resulting in reductions in endogenous spermidine and putrescine. Treatment with exogenous spermidine optimized N allocation in young spikes and leaves, which greatly alleviated the drought-induced reduction in the number of grains per spike. Overall, our results show that pre-reproductive drought stress affects wheat grain numbers by regulating N redistribution and polyamine metabolism.

Cisplatin-induced oxPAPC release enhances MDSCs infiltration into LL2 tumour tissues through MCP-1/CCL2 and LTB4/LTB4R pathways.

Lung cancer is the leading global cause of cancer-related death, however, resistance to chemotherapy drugs remains a huge barrier to effective treatment. The elevated recruitment of myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) to tumour after chemotherapy has been linked to resistance of chemotherapy drugs. Nevertheless, the specific mechanism remains unclear. oxPAPC is a bioactive principal component of minimally modified low-density lipoproteins and regulates inflammatory response. In this work, we found that cisplatin, oxaliplatin and ADM all increased oxPAPC release in tumour. Treating macrophages with oxPAPC in vitro stimulated the secretion of MCP-1 and LTB4, which strongly induced monocytes and neutrophils chemotaxis, respectively. Injection of oxPAPC in vivo significantly upregulated the percentage of MDSCs in tumour microenvironment (TME) of wild-type LL2 tumour-bearing mice, but not CCL2-/- mice and LTB4R-/- mice. Critically, oxPAPC acted as a pro-tumor factor in LL2 tumour model. Indeed, cisplatin increased oxPAPC level in tumour tissues of WT mice, CCL2-/- and LTB4R-/- mice, but caused increased infiltration of Ly6Chigh monocytes and neutrophils only in WT LL2-bearing mice. Collectively, our work demonstrates cisplatin treatment induces an overproduction of oxPAPC and thus recruits MDSCs infiltration to promote the tumour growth through the MCP-1/CCL2 and LTB4/LTB4R pathways, which may restrict the effect of multiple chemotherapy. This provides evidence for a potential strategy to enhance the efficacy of multiple chemotherapeutic drugs in the treatment of lung cancer by targeting oxPAPC.

Emerging ESG reporting of higher education institutions in China.

This paper investigates the ESG reporting practices of Chinese higher education institutions (HEIs). Based on Global Reporting Initiative's common reporting standards and the education sector-specific indicators proposed by earlier studies, we construct a disclosure framework of 112 indicators classified into environmental, social, governance, and educational dimensions. We manually collect all ESG-related information disclosed by 147 elite Chinese HEIs from various channels, including 8 standalone sustainability reports, around 600 annual reports, 139 charters, official websites, and official social media accounts, for the period 2020-2023. The results demonstrate how Chinese HEIs disclose different types of ESG information via different channels, with most of the information disclosed through channels other than standalone sustainability reports. Most Chinese HEIs do not adopt any specific disclosure standards but loosely follow the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in reporting. We further assess the quality of the disclosed information for each indicator and observe that, quality-wise, governance > educational > social > environmental, highlighting the necessity for Chinese HEIs to enhance environmental reporting. Next, we investigate the determinants of reporting quality and find that an HEI's number of faculty members is a more significant factor associated with its ESG reporting quality than other factors (i.e., number of students, funding, expenditure). Chinese HEIs are advised to report in a more balanced manner across the four dimensions in a standalone report using an education-oriented indicator-based framework instead of the current SDGs-based framework, to improve the completeness, materiality, and comparability of information.

Aging rate, environmental risk and production efficiency of the low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films with contrasting thickness in irrigated region.

Physical thickness of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films might determine the release rate of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) & structural integrity and affect production efficiency. However, this critical issue is still unclear and little reported. Aging effects were evaluated in LDPE films with the thickness of 0.006, 0.008, 0.010 and 0.015 mm in a maize field of irrigation region. The Scanning electron microscope (SEM) results showed that the proportion of damaged area (Dam) to total area of LDPE films was massively lowered with increasing thickness after aging. The highest and lowest Dam was 32.2% and 3.5% in 0.006 and 0.015 mm films respectively. Also, the variations in peak intensity of asymmetric & symmetrical stretching vibrations (ASVI & SSVI) were detected using Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FTIR), indicating that the declines in peak intensity tended to be slower with thickness. Interestingly, the declines in physical integrity were tightly associated with increasing exhalation rate of PAEs. Average releasing rate of PAEs was 38.2%, 31.4%, 31.5% and 19.7% in LDPE films from 0.006 to 0.015 mm respectively. Critically, thicker film mulching can lead to greater soil water storage at plough layer (SWS-PL) and better thermal status, accordingly harvesting higher economic benefit. Therefore, LDPE film thickening may be a solution to reduce environmental risk but improve production efficiency in arid region.

Metagenomics reveals the abundance and accumulation trend of antibiotic resistance gene profile under long-term no tillage in a rainfed agroecosystem.

Widespread soil resistance can seriously endanger sustainable food production and soil health. Conservation tillage is a promising practice for improving soil structure and health. However, the impact of long-term no-tillage on the presence of antibiotic resistance genes in agricultural soils remains unexplored. Based on the long-term (>11 yr) tillage experimental fields that include both conservation tillage practices [no tillage (ZT)] and conventional tillage practices [plough tillage (PT)], we investigated the accumulation trend of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in farmland soils under long-term no-tillage conditions. We aimed to provide a scientific basis for formulating agricultural production strategies to promote ecological environment safety and human health. In comparison to PT, ZT led to a considerable reduction in the relative abundance of both antibiotic resistance genes and antibiotic target gene families in the soil. Furthermore, the abundance of all ARGs were considerably lower in the ZT soil. The classification of drug resistance showed that ZT substantially decreased the relative abundance of Ethambutol (59.97%), ß-lactams (44.87%), Fosfomycin (35.82%), Sulfonamides (34.64%), Polymyxins (33.67%), MLSB (32.78%), Chloramphenicol (28.57%), Multi-drug resistance (26.22%), Efflux pump (23.46%), Aminoglycosides (16.79%), Trimethoprim (13.21%), Isoniazid (11.34%), Fluoroquinolone (6.21%) resistance genes, compared to PT soil. In addition, the abundance of the bacterial phyla Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Gemmatimonadetes decreased considerably. The Mantel test indicated that long-term ZT practices substantially increased the abundance of beneficial microbial flora and inhibited the enrichment of ARGs in soil by improving soil microbial diversity, metabolic activity, increasing SOC, TN, and available Zn, and decreasing pH. Overall, long-term no-tillage practices inhibit the accumulation of antibiotic resistance genes in farmland soil, which is a promising agricultural management measure to reduce the accumulation risk of soil ARGs.

Extraction technology, components analysis and anti-inflammatory activity in vitro of total flavonoids extract from Artemisia anomala S. Moore.

Artemisia anomala S. Moore exerts many pharmacological activities, including the removing of the blood stasis, relieving of the fever and analgesia, reducing the swelling and dampness. In this study, the extraction technology, chemical compositions and anti-inflammatory effect in vitro and mechanism of total flavonoids extract from Artemisia anomala S. Moore were studied. The optimal yield rate of total flavonoids extract was optimized by single factor experiments and response surface method, and the chemical constituents were analyzed by UPLC-QTOF-MS method; and the anti-inflammatory activity of the extract was evaluated with lipopolysaccharide induced RAW 264.7 cells. The highest extraction rate was 2.02% under these conditions of the concentration of ethanol 50%, the ultrasonic extraction time 30 min, and the ratio of solvent volume to material weight 20:1 (ml/g). In addition, the main components of total flavonoid extract were preliminarily identified and deduced based on mass spectrometry information and relevant literatures, and its stronger anti-inflammatory activity was demonstrated by reducing the phagocytosis, the content of nitric oxide and the level of related cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-10, interleukin-6). Furthermore, it was further revealed that the anti-inflammatory effect of the extract was closely connected with the activation of TLR4-MyD88-NF-κB signalling pathway. This study indicated that the total flavonoids extract from Artemisia anomala S. Moore may be a better candidate anti-inflammatory natural medicine.

Plant biomass mediates the decomposition of polythene film-sourced pollutants in soil through plastisphere bacteria island effect.

The polyethylene (PE) film mulching as a water conservation technology has been widely used in dryland agriculture, yet the long-term mulching has led to increasing accumulation of secondary pollutants in soils. The decomposition of PE film-sourced pollutants is directly associated with the enrichment of specific bacterial communities. We therefore hypothesized that plant biomass may act as an organic media to mediate the pollutant decomposition via reshaping bacterial communities. To validate this hypothesis, plant biomass (dried maize straw and living clover) was embedded at the underlying surface of PE film, to track the changes in the composition and function of bacterial communities in maize field across two years. The results indicated that both dry crop straw and alive clover massively promoted the α-diversity and abundance of dominant bacteria at plastisphere, relative to bulk soil. Bacterial communities tended to be clustered at plastisphere, forming the bacteria islands to enrich pollutant-degrading bacteria, such as Sphingobacterium, Arthrobacter and Paracoccus. As such, plastisphere bacteria islands substantially enhanced the degradation potential of chloroalkene and benzoate (p < 0.05). Simultaneously, bacterial network became stabilized and congregated at plastisphere, and markedly improved the abundance of plastisphere module hubs and connectors bacteria via stochastic process. Particularly, bacterial community composition and plastic film-sourced pollutants metabolism were evidently affected by soil pH, carbon and nitrogen sources that were mainly derived from the embedded biomass. To sum up, plant biomass embedding as a nature-based strategy (NbS) can positively mediate the decomposition of plastic-sourced pollutants through plastisphere bacteria island effects.

IL8 of Takifugu rubripes is a chemokine that interacts with peripheral blood leukocytes and promotes antibacterial defense.

Interleukin 8 (IL8) is a CXC chemokine that plays a crucial role on promoting inflammatory response and immune regulation. In teleost, IL8 can induce the migration and activation of immune cells. However, the biological functions of IL8 are still unknown in Takifugu rubripes. In this study, we examined the biological characteristics of TrIL8 in T. rubripes. TrIL8 is composed of 98 residues and contained a chemokine CXC domain. We found that the TrIL8 expression was detected in diverse organs and significantly increased by Vibrio harveyi or Edwardsiella tarda challenge. The recombinant TrIL8 (rTrIL8) exhibited significantly the binding capacities to 8 tested bacteria. In addition, rTrIL8 could bind to peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL), and increased the expression of immune gene, resistance to bacterial infection, respiratory burst, acid phosphatase activity, chemotactic activity, and phagocytic activity of PBL. In the presence of rTrIL8, T. rubripes was enhanced the resistance to V. harveyi infection. These results indicated that TrIL8 is a chemokine and involved in the activation of immune cells against bacterial infection in teleost.