Bacterial pneumonia patients with elevated globulin levels did not get infected with SARS-CoV-2: two case reports.

Background: COVID-19 began in December 2019, rapidly spreading worldwide. China implemented a dynamic zero-COVID strategy and strict control measures after the outbreak. However, Guangzhou city ended closed-off management by the end of November 2022, leading to exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Despite most hospitalized patients being infected or co-infected with SARS-CoV-2, some remained uninfected. We report two cases of bacterial pneumonia with elevated globulin levels not infected with SARS-CoV-2, aiming to identify protection factors of SARS-CoV-2 infection and provide a scientific basis for SARS-CoV-2 prevention. Case presentation: Case 1, a 92-year-old male, admitted on October 21, 2022, developed worsening cough and sputum after aspiration, diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli (CRE) and carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) infections. He was treated with imipenem anti-infective therapy and mechanical ventilation, then switched to a combination of meropenem, voriconazole and amikacin anti-infective therapy due to recurrent infections and septic shock, and died of sepsis on 8 January 2023. Case 2 is an 82-year-old male admitted on 30 September 2022, with recurrent cough, sputum, and shortness of breath, diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia with carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) and Mycobacterium pneumoniae infections. He was treated with ventilator-assisted ventilation, meropenem, amikacin, tigecycline and mucomycin nebulization and discharged with improvement on 26 October. He was readmitted on 21 November 2022 and diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia. He was treated with cefoperazone sulbactam, amikacin, meropenem and fluconazole and discharged on 31 December. Neither patient was infected with SARS-CoV-2 during hospitalization. Notably, their globulin levels were elevated before SARS-CoV-2 exposure, gradually decreasing afterward. Conclusions: Patients with bacterial pneumonia with high globulin levels likely have large amounts of immunoglobulin, and that immunoglobulin cross-reactivity causes this protein to be involved in clearing SARS-CoV-2 and preventing infection. Therefore, bacterial pneumonia patients with high globulin levels included in this study were not infected with SARS-CoV-2. After exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the amount of globulin in the patient's body was reduced because it was used to clear SARS-CoV-2. The results of this study are expected to provide a theoretical basis for the study of the mechanism of prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Attract and kill trees? No simple solution for Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) control.

Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky), the Asian longhorned beetle, is a serious wood-boring pest of hardwood trees. There have been records that suggest Elaeagnus angustifolia L. (Elaeagnaceae) might be an "attract and kill" tree species for A. glabripennis, i.e., a tree that is attractive to A. glabripennis adults but kills their oviposited eggs. To evaluate the possibility of E. angustifolia as a control measure for A. glabripennis, we carried out a series of behavioral experiments in the laboratory and in the field. Results showed that: (i) A. glabripennis females preferred E. angustifolia branches and leaves over poplar tree species evaluated; the weight of feces from both female and male A. glabripennis feeding on E. angustifolia was significantly higher than from those feeding on Populus deltoides 'Shalinyang' or Populus alba. L. var. pyramidalis; (ii) the average lifespan of females and males feeding on E. angustifolia was significantly longer than those feeding on other host trees evaluated; (iii) in the laboratory oviposition choice experiment, there were significantly fewer egg notch grooves on E. angustifolia than on P. deltoides 'Shalinyang', and those made in E. angustifolia were without eggs; (iv) in the field, the number of egg notch grooves on E. angustifolia was 43.6 ±â€…18.1 per stem, but the number of eggs laid was only 14.4 ±â€…6.4 per stem; and (v) Field surveys of existing mixed forests showed that when E. angustifolia was planted with P. alba. var. pyramidalis or Populus simonii × (Populus pyramidalis + Salix matsudana) 'Poparis' in the mixed forest, both poplar varieties suffered greater infestation than E. angustifolia. Therefore, E. angustifolia is not a suitable attract and kill tree to be extensively planted in mixed forests for control of A. glabripennis.

Tetracycline Three Times Daily Versus Four Times Daily in Bismuth-Containing Quadruple Therapy as the First-Line Treatment of Helicobacter pylori Infection: A Multicenter, Noninferiority, Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Current guidelines recommend bismuth-containing quadruple therapy for patients newly diagnosed with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of tetracycline administered three times daily versus four times daily in bismuth-containing quadruple therapy for first-line treatment of H. pylori infection. METHODS: This multicenter, noninferiority, randomized controlled study, conducted in China, recruited treatment-naïve adults with H. pylori infection, randomized 1:1 into two treatment groups to receive either of the following bismuth-containing quadruple therapies: esomeprazole 20 mg twice-daily; bismuth 220 mg twice-daily; amoxicillin 1000 mg twice-daily; and tetracycline 500 mg three times daily (TET-T) versus 500 mg four times daily (TET-F). At least 6 weeks post-treatment, a 13C-urea breath test was performed to evaluate H. pylori eradication. RESULTS: In total, 406 patients were randomly assigned to the two treatment groups. Intention-to-treat eradication rates were 91.63% (186/203; 95% confidence interval [CI] 87.82%-95.44%) versus 90.15% (183/203; 95% CI 86.05%-94.25%) (p = 0.0005) and per-protocol eradication rates were 95.34% (184/193; 95% CI 92.36%-98.31%) versus 95.72% (179/187; 95% CI 92.82%-98.62%) (p = 0.0002) for the TET-T and TET-F group, respectively. TET-T-treated patients had a lower incidence of adverse effects than TET-F-treated patients (21.61% vs. 31.63%, p = 0.024), with no significant differences in compliance to treatment between the groups. CONCLUSION: As a first-line therapy for H. pylori infection, the eradication rate of the TET-T therapy was noninferior to that of the TET-F therapy while significantly reducing the incidence of adverse reactions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05431075.

Identification of diagnostic biomarkers of rheumatoid arthritis based on machine learning-assisted comprehensive bioinformatics and its correlation with immune cells.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammatory cell infiltration, which can lead to chronic disability, joint destruction and loss of function. At present, the pathogenesis of RA is still unclear. The purpose of this study is to explore the potential biomarkers and immune molecular mechanisms of rheumatoid arthritis through machine learning-assisted bioinformatics analysis, in order to provide reference for the early diagnosis and treatment of RA disease. Methods: RA gene chips were screened from the public gene GEO database, and batch correction of different groups of RA gene chips was performed using Strawberry Perl. DEGs were obtained using the limma package of R software, and functional enrichment analysis such as gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), disease ontology (DO), and gene set (GSEA) were performed. Three machine learning methods, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression (LASSO), support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) and random forest tree (Random Forest), were used to identify potential biomarkers of RA. The validation group data set was used to verify and further confirm its expression and diagnostic value. In addition, CIBERSORT algorithm was used to evaluate the infiltration of immune cells in RA and control samples, and the correlation between confirmed RA diagnostic biomarkers and immune cells was analyzed. Results: Through feature screening, 79 key DEGs were obtained, mainly involving virus response, Parkinson's pathway, dermatitis and cell junction components. A total of 29 hub genes were screened by LASSO regression, 34 hub genes were screened by SVM-RFE, and 39 hub genes were screened by Random Forest. Combined with the three algorithms, a total of 12 hub genes were obtained. Through the expression and diagnostic value verification in the validation group data set, 7 genes that can be used as diagnostic biomarkers for RA were preliminarily confirmed. At the same time, the correlation analysis of immune cells found that γδT cells, CD4+ memory activated T cells, activated dendritic cells and other immune cells were positively correlated with multiple RA diagnostic biomarkers, CD4+ naive T cells, regulatory T cells and other immune cells were negatively correlated with multiple RA diagnostic biomarkers. Conclusions: The results of novel characteristic gene analysis of RA showed that KYNU, EVI2A, CD52, C1QB, BATF, AIM2 and NDC80 had good diagnostic and clinical value for the diagnosis of RA, and were closely related to immune cells. Therefore, these seven DEGs may become new diagnostic markers and immunotherapy markers for RA.

Effect analysis of applying high-quality service model to surgical nursing.

BACKGROUND: Surgical care of the hand plays a crucial role in the medical field, as problems with the hand can profoundly affect a patient's quality of life and function. In order to meet the needs of patients, improve patient satisfaction and improve treatment outcomes, high-quality service models have been introduced in the field of nursing. AIM: To explore the effect analysis of applying high-quality service model to surgical nursing. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of patients who underwent hand surgery at our hospital between 2019 and 2022, using a quality service model that included improved patient education, pain management, care team collaboration, and effective communication. Another group of patients received traditional care as a control group. We compared postoperative recovery, satisfaction, complication rate, and length of hospital stay between the two groups. Inferential statistics were used to compare the difference between the two groups by independent sample t test, Chi-square test and other methods to evaluate the effect of intervention measures. RESULTS: Postoperative recovery time decreased from 17.8 ± 2.3 d to 14.5 ± 2.1 d, pain score decreased from 4.7 ± 1.9 to 3.2 ± 1.4, and hand function score increased from 78.4 ± 7.1 to 88.5 ± 6.2. In terms of patient satisfaction, the quality service model group scored 87.3 ± 5.6 points, which was significantly higher than that of the traditional care group (74.6 ± 6.3 points). At the same time, patients' understanding of medical information also improved from 6.9 ± 1.4 to 8.6 ± 1.2. In terms of postoperative complications, the application of the quality service model reduced the incidence of postoperative complications from 26% to 10%, the incidence of infection from 12% to 5%, and the incidence of bleeding from 10% to 3%. The reduction in these data indicates that the quality service model plays a positive role in reducing the risk of complications. In addition, the average hospital stay of patients in the quality service model group was shortened from 6.8 ± 1.5 d to 5.2 ± 1.3 d, and the hospitalization cost was also reduced from 2800 ± 600 yuan to 2500 ± 500 yuan. CONCLUSION: Applying a quality service model to hand surgery care can significantly improve patient clinical outcomes, including faster recovery, less pain, greater satisfaction, and reduced complication rates.

MOF-derived high oxygen vacancies CuO/CeO2 catalysts for low-temperature CO preferential oxidation.

The CO preferential oxidation reaction (CO-PROX) is an effective strategy to remove residual poisonous CO in proton exchange membrane fuel cells, in which oxygen vacancies play a critical role in CO adsorption and activation. Herein, a series of CuO/CeO2 catalysts derived from Ce-MOFs precursors were synthesized using different organic ligands via the hydrothermal method and the CO-PROX performance was investigated. The CuO/CeO2-135 catalyst derived from homophthalic tricarboxylic acid (1,3,5-H3BTC) exhibited superior catalytic performance with 100 % CO conversion at a relatively low temperature (T100% = 100 °C), with a wide reaction temperature range and excellent stability. The superior catalytic properties were attributed to the structural improvements provided by the 1,3,5-H3BTC precursors and the promotional effects of oxygen vacancies. Additionally, in-situ Raman spectroscopy was performed to verify the dynamic roles of oxygen vacancies for CO adsorption and activation, while in-situ DRIFTS analysis revealed key intermediates in the CO-PROX reaction, shedding light on the mechanistic aspects of the catalytic process. This work not only demonstrates insights into the effective CuO/CeO2 catalysts for CO preferential oxidation, but also provides a feasible way to synthesize MOF-derived catalysts.

Regulating electron transfer and orbital interaction within metalloporphyrin-MOFs for highly sensitive NO2 sensing.

The understanding of electron transfer pathways and orbital interactions between analytes and adsorption sites in gas-sensitive studies, especially at the atomic level, is currently limited. Herein, we have designed eight isoreticular catechol-metalloporphyrin scaffolds, FeTCP-M and InTCP-M (TCP = 5,10,15,20-tetrakis-catechol-porphyrin, M = Fe, Co, Ni and Zn) with adjustable charge transfer schemes in the coordination microenvironment and precise tuning of orbital interactions between analytes and adsorption sites, which can be used as models for exploring the influence of these factors on gas sensing. Our experimental findings indicate that the sensitivity and selectivity can be modulated using the type of metals in the metal-catechol chains (which regulate the electron transfer routes) and the metalloporphyrin rings (which fine-tune the orbital interactions between analytes and adsorption sites). Among the isostructures, InTCP-Co demonstrates the highest response and selectivity to NO2 under visible light irradiation, which could be attributed to the more favorable transfer pathway of charge carriers in the coordination microenvironment under visible light illumination, as well as the better electron spin state compatibility, higher orbital overlap and orbital symmetry matching between the N-2s2pz hybrid orbital of NO2 and the Co-3dz2 orbital of InTCP-Co.

Yak genome database: a multi-omics analysis platform.

BACKGROUND: The yak (Bos grunniens) is a large ruminant species that lives in high-altitude regions and exhibits excellent adaptation to the plateau environments. To further understand the genetic characteristics and adaptive mechanisms of yak, we have developed a multi-omics database of yak including genome, transcriptome, proteome, and DNA methylation data. DESCRIPTION: The Yak Genome Database ( http://yakgenomics.com/ ) integrates the research results of genome, transcriptome, proteome, and DNA methylation, and provides an integrated platform for researchers to share and exchange omics data. The database contains 26,518 genes, 62 transcriptomes, 144,309 proteome spectra, and 22,478 methylation sites of yak. The genome module provides access to yak genome sequences, gene annotations and variant information. The transcriptome module offers transcriptome data from various tissues of yak and cattle strains at different developmental stages. The proteome module presents protein profiles from diverse yak organs. Additionally, the DNA methylation module shows the DNA methylation information at each base of the whole genome. Functions of data downloading and browsing, functional gene exploration, and experimental practice were available for the database. CONCLUSION: This comprehensive database provides a valuable resource for further investigations on development, molecular mechanisms underlying high-altitude adaptation, and molecular breeding of yak.

Terrirubrum flagellatum gen. nov., sp. nov. of Terrirubraceae fam. nov. and Lichenibacterium dinghuense sp. nov. from forest soil and proposal of Rhodoblastaceae fam. nov.

Two Gram-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped bacterial strains, 7MK25T and 6Y81T, were isolated from forest soil of Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve, Guangdong Province, PR China. Based on the results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain 7MK25T showed the highest similarity (93.6 %) to Methyloferula stellata AR4T, followed by Bosea thiooxidans DSM 9653T (93.3 %). Strain 6Y81T had the highest similarity of 97.9 % to Lichenibacterium minor RmlP026T, followed by Lichenibacterium ramalinae RmlP001T (97.2 %). Phylogenomic analysis using the UBCG and PhyloPhlAn methods consistently showed that strain 7MK25T formed a sister clade to Boseaceae, while strain 6Y81T formed an independent clade within the genus Lichenibacterium, both in the order Hyphomicrobiales. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity values between strains 7MK25T, 6Y81T and their close relatives were in the ranges of 19.1-29.9 % and 72.5-85.5 %, respectively. The major fatty acids of 7MK25T were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c/C18 : 1 ω6c), C19 : 0 cyclo ω8c, C16 : 0 and C17 : 0 cyclo, while those of 6Y81T were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c/C18 : 1 ω6c), C16 : 0 and C16 : 0 3-OH. Strains 7MK25T and 6Y81T took diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylcholine as their dominant polar lipids, and Q-10 as their major respiratory quinone. On the basis of phenotypic and phylogenetic data, strain 7MK25T is proposed to represent a novel species of a novel genus with name Terrirubrum flagellatum gen. nov., sp. nov., within a novel family Terrirubraceae fam. nov., with 7MK25T (=KCTC 62738T=GDMCC 1.1452T) as its type strain. Strain 6Y81T represents a novel species in the genus Lichenibacterium, for which the name Lichenibacterium dinghuense sp. nov. (type strain 6Y81T=KACC 21 727T=GDMCC 1.2176T) is proposed. Rhodoblastaceae fam. nov. with Rhodoblastus as the type genus is also proposed to solve the non-monophylectic problem of the family Roseiarcaceae.

Water-inrush mechanism from the head-on working face roof in a Jurassic coal seam in the Ordos Basin.

When Chinese coal mines are mining Carboniferous Permian coal seams, the mechanism of water inrush from the roof of the working face usually conforms to the "Upper Three Zones" or "Upper Four Zones" theory. The water inrush passageway is water-conducting fracture zone, and the water inrush position is located in the goaf. However, when mining Jurassic coal seams in Chinese coal mines, the location of water inrush often appears at the head-on working face, above the coal mining machine. Due to the support of the fully mechanized mining support, the roof rock layer cannot collapse and therefore cannot form water-conducting fracture zone. Therefore, the water inrush mechanism cannot be explained by the above two theories. This paper is guided by the Practical Mine Pressure Control Theory, and based on the explanation of the motion forms of bending (pulling) failure movement and shearing (cutting) failure movement, and combined with on-site examples, it is revealed that the passageways leading to from the head-on working face roof in a Jurassic coal seam in the Ordos Basin are splitting zones type, fracture line type and structural fracture type, respectively. Taking the changes in water inflow during the mining process of the 3301 and 3302 working faces in Zhujiamao Coal Mine as examples, this paper reveals the mechanism of water inrush from the head-on working face roof caused by splitting zones type, and proves the existence of this passageway through on-site 3D high-density electrical detection and tracing experiments. Taking two catastrophic water inrush accidents that occurred head-on in the 1309 working face of Guojiahe Coal Industry Co., Ltd. as examples, the water inrush mechanism of the fracture line type and the water inrush mechanism of the structural fracture type were respectively revealed. Based on mechanism of water inrush from head-on roof of working face and the analysis of the on-site water inrush process, a method for distinguishing the type of water inrush passageway from the front roof of the working face is proposed. The results indicate that the Jurassic coal seam mining in the Ordos Basin is prone to shearing (cutting) failure movement, resulting in the frequent formation of the three types of water inrush passageways mentioned above.

Water-richness evaluation method and application of clastic rock aquifer in mining seam roof.

Clastic rock aquifer of the coal seam roof often constitutes the direct water-filling aquifer of the coal seam and its water-richness is closely related to the risk of roof water inrush. Therefore, the evaluation of the water-richness of clastic rock aquifer is the basic work of coal seam roof water disaster prevention. This article took the 4th coal seam in Huafeng mine field as an example. It combined the empirical formula method and generalized regression neural network (GRNN) to calculate the development height of water-conducting fracture zone, determined the vertical spatial range of water-richness evaluation. Depth of the sandstone floor, brittle rock ratio, lithological structure index, fault strength index, and fault intersections and endpoints density were selected as the main controlling factors. A combination weighting method based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), rough set theory (RS), and minimum deviation method (MD) was proposed to determine the weight of the main controlling factors. Introduced the theory of unascertained measures and confidence recognition criteria to construct an evaluation model for the water-richness of clastic rock aquifers, the study area was divided into three zones: relatively weak water-richness zones, medium water-richness zones, and relatively strong water-richness zones. By comparing with the water inrush points and the water inflow of workfaces, the evaluation model's water yield zoning was consistent with the actual situation, and the prediction effect was good. This provided a new idea for the evaluation of the water-richness of the clastic rock aquifer on the roof of the mining coal seam.

Correlation between Combined Urinary Metal Exposure and Grip Strength under Three Statistical Models: A Cross-sectional Study in Rural Guangxi.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the potential relationship between urinary metals copper (Cu), arsenic (As), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), iron (Fe), lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) and grip strength. Methods: We used linear regression models, quantile g-computation and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to assess the relationship between metals and grip strength. Results: In the multimetal linear regression, Cu (ß = -2.119), As (ß = -1.318), Sr (ß = -2.480), Ba (ß = 0.781), Fe (ß = 1.130) and Mn (ß = -0.404) were significantly correlated with grip strength ( P < 0.05). The results of the quantile g-computation showed that the risk of occurrence of grip strength reduction was -1.007 (95% confidence interval: -1.362, -0.652; P < 0.001) when each quartile of the mixture of the seven metals was increased. Bayesian kernel function regression model analysis showed that mixtures of the seven metals had a negative overall effect on grip strength, with Cu, As and Sr being negatively associated with grip strength levels. In the total population, potential interactions were observed between As and Mn and between Cu and Mn ( P interactions of 0.003 and 0.018, respectively). Conclusion: In summary, this study suggests that combined exposure to metal mixtures is negatively associated with grip strength. Cu, Sr and As were negatively correlated with grip strength levels, and there were potential interactions between As and Mn and between Cu and Mn.

Alleviating sleep disturbances and modulating neuronal activity after ischemia: Evidence for the benefits of zolpidem in stroke recovery.

AIMS: Sleep disorders are prevalent among stroke survivors and impede stroke recovery, yet they are still insufficiently considered in the management of stroke patients, and the mechanisms by which they occur remain unclear. There is evidence that boosting phasic GABA signaling with zolpidem during the repair phase improves stroke recovery by enhancing neural plasticity; however, as a non-benzodiazepine hypnotic, the effects of zolpidem on post-stroke sleep disorders remain unclear. METHOD: Transient ischemic stroke in male rats was induced with a 30-minute middle cerebral artery occlusion. Zolpidem or vehicle was intraperitoneally delivered once daily from 2 to 7 days after the stroke, and the electroencephalogram and electromyogram were recorded simultaneously. At 24 h after ischemia, c-Fos immunostaining was used to assess the effect of transient ischemic stroke and acute zolpidem treatment on neuronal activity. RESULTS: In addition to the effects on reducing brain damage and mitigating behavioral deficits, repeated zolpidem treatment during the subacute phase of stroke quickly ameliorated circadian rhythm disruption, alleviated sleep fragmentation, and increased sleep depth in ischemic rats. Immunohistochemical staining showed that in contrast to robust activation in para-infarct and some remote areas by 24 h after the onset of focal ischemia, the activity of the ipsilateral suprachiasmatic nucleus, the biological rhythm center, was strongly suppressed. A single dose of zolpidem significantly upregulated c-Fos expression in the ipsilateral suprachiasmatic nucleus to levels comparable to the contralateral side. CONCLUSION: Stroke leads to suprachiasmatic nucleus dysfunction. Zolpidem restores suprachiasmatic nucleus activity and effectively alleviates post-stroke sleep disturbances, indicating its potential to promote stroke recovery.

Self-driven electrochemical system using solvent-regulated structural diversity of cadmium(II) metal-organic frameworks.

Optimizing friction materials based on molecular diversity in a molecular framework system is an effective method to improve the output performance of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). In this study, three cadmium(II) metal-organic frameworks (Cd-MOFs) with different cavities were synthesized solvothermally by the assembly of cadmium nitrate (Cd(NO3)2·4H2O), 4',4'''-carbonylbis(([1,1'-biphenyl]-3,5-dicarboxylic acid)) (H4CBBD), and trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene (4,4'-bpe) via a solvent-regulated strategy. The topology and porosity of Cd-MOFs could be controlled effectively by the solvent constituents and were demonstrated to be closely related to their triboelectric behaviors. Theoretical calculations and experimental characterizations revealed that the TENGs fabricated by the Cd-MOF with maximum porosity exhibited the best triboelectric performance owing to the enhanced specific surface area and surface potential. In the applications, the high-output TENGs can be successfully used as an efficient power supply for electrochemical systems, enabling the direct bromination of aromatic compounds in high yields with good regioselectivity. This study provides a simple and feasible method to optimize positive friction materials at the molecular level and develops the practical applications of TENGs in electrochemical systems.

GLP-1RAs inhibit the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway to regulate mouse renal podocyte pyroptosis.

OBJECTIVE: Podocytes are closely related to renal function as an important part of the glomerulus. The reduction and damage of podocytes lead to further decline of renal function and aggravate the progression of DKD. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAS) have recently attracted great attention in improving podocyte dysfunction, but the specific mechanism remains uncertain. METHODS: We used mouse kidney podocyte MPC5 to construct a high-glucose injury model. Cell viability was detected by the MTT method; RT-qPCR and western blotting were used to detect the expressions of NF-κB p65, NLRP3, GSDMD, N-GSDMD, caspase-1 and cleaved-caspase-1, and we used ELISA to detect the expressions of inflammatory factors IL-1ß and IL-18. RESULTS: Our results showed that high glucose decreased podocyte survival, while liraglutide and semaglutide increased podocyte survival under high glucose. Liraglutide and semaglutide can inhibit the expression of pyroptosis-related genes and proteins and also inhibit the expression of inflammatory factors IL-1ß, IL-18 increase. CONCLUSION: The protective effect of liraglutide and semaglutide on podocytes may be achieved by regulating the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway and inhibiting pyroptosis, and there were no significant differences between the two GLP-1RAs (liraglutide and semaglutide) in inhibiting podocyte pyroptosis.

A novel capsid-XL32-derived adeno-associated virus serotype prompts retinal tropism and ameliorates choroidal neovascularization.

Gene therapy has been adapted, from the laboratory to the clinic, to treat retinopathies. In contrast to subretinal route, intravitreal delivery of AAV vectors displays the advantage of bypassing surgical injuries, but the viral particles are more prone to be nullified by the host neutralizing factors. To minimize such suppression of therapeutic effect, especially in terms of AAV2 and its derivatives, we introduced three serine-to-glycine mutations, based on the phosphorylation sites identified by mass spectrum analysis, to the XL32 capsid to generate a novel serotype named AAVYC5. Via intravitreal administration, AAVYC5 was transduced more effectively into multiple retinal layers compared with AAV2 and XL32. AAVYC5 also enabled successful delivery of anti-angiogenic molecules to rescue laser-induced choroidal neovascularization and astrogliosis in mice and non-human primates. Furthermore, we detected fewer neutralizing antibodies and binding IgG in human sera against AAVYC5 than those specific for AAV2 and XL32. Our results thus implicate this capsid-optimized AAVYC5 as a promising vector suitable for a wide population, particularly those with undesirable AAV2 seroreactivity.

[Effects of Biochar Application on Soil Organic Carbon Component in Eucalyptus Plantations After Five Years in Northern Guangxi].

To investigate the effects of biochar(BC) addition on soil organic carbon(SOC) contents and its fractions under different biochar applications, Eucalyptus waste twigs in Northern Guangxi were used to produce BC at 500℃. Additionally, we sought to clarify and define the carbon sequestration potential of soil and provide a basis for the preparation of biochar from Eucalyptus forest wastes and soil improvement. In a long-term positioning test of biochar application from 1997, six different treatments were selected:0(CK), 0.5%(T1), 1%(T2), 2%(T3), 4%(T4), and 6%(T5). The contents of SOC, light fraction organic carbon(LFOC), heavy fraction organic carbon(HFOC), easily oxidized organic carbon(EOC), dissolved organic carbon(DOC), particulate organic carbon(POC), microbial biomass carbon(MBC), and carbon stock(CS) following the different treatments were measured. The results showed that:① compared to that in the control, biochar application induced an increase in each soil organic carbon fraction with increasing application rate and reached a maximum under the T4 or T5 treatments; with the increase in biochar application, the contents of SOC, DOC, EOC, POC, MBC, and CS increased significantly by 101.62%, 67.46%, 143.03%, 164.78%, 110.88%, and 41.73%, respectively. ② The contents of LFOC and HFOC in the 0-10, 10-20, and 20-30 cm soil layers increased significantly by 41.41%-140.63%, 9.26%-87.04%, and -19.54%-106.90% and 15.32%-78.99%, 15.72%-75.25%, and 89.49%-148.64%, respectively, with the increase in biochar application. The average contents of LFOC and HFOC in the 0-30 cm soil layer also increased gradually. The soil carbon pool of the Eucalyptus forest was dominated by a relatively stable heavy fraction organic carbon. ③ The contents of carbon stock, soil organic carbon, and its fractions decreased with the increase in soil depth. In conclusion, the application of forestry waste biochar for five years could significantly increase the content of SOC and its components, thereby increasing soil organic carbon activity. Therefore, increasing the amount of biochar was an effective measure to enhance the carbon storage, soil stable carbon pool, and soil quality of the Eucalyptus plantation field. This study provides a reference for the resource utilization of forestry waste and improvements in soil fertility of Eucalyptus plantations.

Trinickia violacea sp. nov. and Trinickia terrae sp. nov., isolated from forest soil.

Two Gram-stain negative, aerobic and rod-shaped bacterial strains, DHOD12T and 7GSK02T, were isolated from forest soil of Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve, Guangdong Province, PR China. Strain DHOD12T grew at 4-42 °C (optimum, 28-33 °C), pH 4.0-8.5 (optimum, pH 5.5-6.5) and in the presence of 0-1.5 % (w/v; optimum, 0-0.5 %)NaCl; while strain 7GSK02T grew at 12-42 °C (optimum, 28-33 °C), pH 4.0-8.5 (optimum, pH 5.0-6.0) and in the presence of 0-0.5 % (w/v; optimum, 0 %) NaCl. Strains DHOD12T and 7GSK02T had the highest 16S rRNA sequence similarities of 98.0 and 98.3 % with the same species Trinickia mobilis DHG64T, respectively, and 98.4 % between themselves. In the 16S rRNA phylogeny, they formed a clade that was sister to a major cluster consisting of all described Trinickia species. Phylogenomic analyses with the UBCG and PhyloPhlAn methods consistently showed that strains DHOD12T and 7GSK02T formed a clade with T. mobilis DHG64T that was a sister of a cluster containing the remainder of the Trinickia species. The DNA G+C contents of strains DHOD12T and 7GSK02T were 63.1 and 64.6 mol%, respectively. Digital DNA-DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity values of strains DHOD12T, 7GSK02T and their closely related strains were in the ranges of 21.6-31.4 % and 77.1-86.9 %, respectively. These two strains had the same major respiratory quinone, ubiquinone-8, and both had C16 : 0, C17 : 0 cyclo and summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c/C18 : 1 ω6c) as their major fatty acids. Their major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol. Genomic analysis indicated that the two strains could have the potential to degrade aromatic compounds like other Trinickia species. On the basis of phenotypic and phylogenetic results, strains DHOD12T and 7GSK02T represent two novel species of the genus Trinickia, for which the names Trinickia violacea sp. nov. (type strain DHOD12T=LMG 30258T=CGMCC 1.15436T) and Trinickia terrae sp. nov. (type strain 7GSK02T=CGMCC 1.15432T=KCTC 62468T) are proposed.