The functional role of P2 purinergic receptors in the progression of gastric cancer.

Studies have confirmed that P2 purinergic receptors (P2X receptors and P2Y receptors) expressed in gastric cancer (GC) cells and GC tissues and correlates with their function. Endogenous nucleotides including ATP, ADP, UTP, and UDP, as P2 purinergic receptors activators, participate in P2 purinergic signal transduction pathway. These activated P2 purinergic receptors regulate the progression of GC mainly by mediating ion channels and intracellular signal cascades. It is worth noting that there is a difference in the expression of P2 purinergic receptors in GC, which may play different roles in the progression of GC as a tumor promoting factor or a tumor suppressor factor. Among them, P2 × 7, P2Y2 and P2Y6 receptors have certain clinical significance in patients with GC and may be used as biological molecular markers for the prediction of patients with GC. Therefore, in this paper, we discuss the functional role of nucleotide / P2 purinergic receptors signal axis in regulating the progression of GC and that these P2 purinergic receptors may be used as potential molecular targets for the prevention and treatment of GC.

Comparative efficacy of exercise modalities for general risk factors, renal function, and physical function in non-dialysis chronic kidney disease patients: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Exercise therapy can effectively manage chronic kidney disease (CKD) risk factors and improve renal function and physical fitness, but the challenge lies in choosing the right exercise type tailored to patients' condition. METHODS: An electronic search of databases including PubMed, The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of Science, VIP, WanFang, and CNKI was performed. The random effects model was used. Mean difference was employed as the effect size for continuous variables, with 95% confidence interval (CI) provided. RESULTS: A total of 36 RCTs were included in this study. Compared to conventional therapy (CT), the combination of three exercise therapies with CT resulted in notable benefits in enhancing six minutes walk test (6MWT) capacity, 24-h urinary protein quantity (24hUTP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Resistance exercise therapy (RT) + CT were more effective than CT to reduce serum creatinine (Scr), body mass index (BMI), and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and improve estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). In terms of improving peak oxygen uptake (VO2 peak), only two exercise modalities were involved, aerobic exercise therapy (AT) and combined (Resistance-Aerobic) exercise therapy (CBT), both of which were more efficacious than CT. The efficacy ranking overall demonstrated clear benefits for RT in enhancing eGFR and 6MWT, decreasing Scr, BMI, SBP, DBP, and HbA1c, while AT was more suitable for boosting VO2 peak, and CBT had greater potential for reducing 24hUTP. CONSLUSIONS: Exercise therapy combined with CT offers significant advantages over CT in many cases, but no single exercise modality is universally effective for all indicators.

The Response of Murine Gut Microbiome in the Presence of Altered rpoS Gene of Klebsiella pneumoniae.

The murine model is invaluable for studying intricate interactions among gut microbes; hosts; and diseases. However; the impact of genetic variations in the murine microbiome; especially in disease contexts such as Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp) infection; still needs to be explored. Kp; an opportunistic global pathogen; is becoming increasingly prevalent in regions like Asia; especially China. This study explored the role of the gut microbiota during Kp infection using mouse model; including wild-type and rpoS mutants of Kp138; KpC4; and KpE4 from human; maize; and ditch water; respectively. Under stress conditions; RpoS reconfigures global gene expression in bacteria; shifting the cells from active growth to survival mode. Our study examined notable differences in microbiome composition; finding that Lactobacillus and Klebsiella (particularly in WKp138) were the most abundant genera in mice guts at the genus level in all wild-type treated mice. In contrast; Firmicutes were predominant in the healthy control mice. Furthermore; Clostridium was the dominant genus in all mutants; mainly in ∆KpC4; and was absent in wild-type treated mice. Differential abundance analysis identified that these candidate taxa potentially influence disease progression and pathogen virulence. Functional prediction analysis showed that most bacterial groups were functionally involved in biosynthesis; precursor metabolites; degradation; energy generation; and metabolic cluster formation. These findings challenge the conventional understanding and highlight the need for nuanced interpretations in murine studies. Additionally; this study sheds light on microbiome-immune interactions in K. pneumoniae infection and proposes new potential therapeutic strategies.

Rapid Determination of Tetracyclines in Drinking and Environmental Waters Using Fully Automatic Solid-Phase Extraction with Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

The abuse and irrational use of tetracyclines (TCs) in human medicine and animal husbandry has become a serious concern, affecting the ecological environment and human health. The aim of this study was to develop a sensitive and selective method using fully automatic solid-phase extraction coupled with ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the determination of twelve TCs in water. Four isotope-labeled internal standards for TCs were used to correct matrix effects. Several parameters affecting extraction efficiency were systematically optimized, and the optimum experimental conditions found were 1.0 L water sample with 0.5 g/L Na2EDTA (pH 3.0) extracted and enriched by CNW HLB cartridge and eluted by 4 mL of acetone:methanol (v/v, 1:1). The enrichment factors were up to 798-1059 but only requiring about 60 min per six samples. Under the optimized conditions, the linearity of the method ranged from 0.2 to 100 µg/L for 12 TCs, the detection limits were as low as 0.01-0.15 ng/L, and the recoveries were in the range of 70%-118%, with relative standard deviations less than 15%. The developed method can be successfully utilized for the determination of 12 TCs in pure water, tap water, river water, and mariculture seawater. In summary, three and six TCs were detected in river water and mariculture seawater, respectively, with total concentrations of 0.074-0.520 ng/L (mean 0.248 ng/L) and 0.792-58.369 ng/L (12.629 ng/L), respectively. Tetracycline (TC) and oxytetracycline (OTC) were the dominant TCs in river water, while doxytetracycline (DXC) and OTC were dominant in mariculture seawater.

Fengycin produced by Bacillus subtilis XF-1 plays a major role in the biocontrol of Chinese cabbage clubroot via direct effect and defense stimulation.

Bacillus subtilis XF-1 is a well-investigated biocontrol agent against the biotrophic Plasmodiophora brassicae Woron., the causal agent of clubroot disease of cruciferous crops. The present study demonstrates that XF-1 could efficiently control clubroot disease via leaf spraying and provides an understanding of the biocontrol mechanisms. High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HTPLC) analysis indicated the presence of fengycin-type cyclopeptides in the supernatant. A ppsB deletion mutant of XF-1 resulted in no fengycin production, significantly reduced the lysis rate of testing spores in vitro and the primary infection rate of root hair in vivo, and decreased the protection value against clubroot disease under the greenhouse conditions. Confocal laser scanning microscopy proved that fengycin was not required for leaf internalization and root colonization. Moreover, the expression level of the ppsB gene in XF-1 was regulated by its cell density in root during interaction with P. brassicae. In addition, the ΔppsB mutant of XF-1 could not efficiently control disease because it led to a lower activation level of the jasmonic acid and salicylic acid signaling pathways in roots, which are necessary for the plant defense reaction upon pathogen invasion. Altogether, the present study provides a new understanding of specific cues in the interaction between B. subtilis and P. brassicae as well as insights into the application of B. subtilis in agriculture.

Biocontrol of plant pathogens in omics era-with special focus on endophytic bacilli.

Nearly all plants and their organs are inhabited by endophytic microbes which play a crucial role in plant fitness and stress resilience. Harnessing endophytic services can provide effective solutions for a sustainable increase in agriculture productivity and can be used as a complement or alternative to agrochemicals. Shifting agriculture practices toward the use of nature-based solutions can contribute directly to the global challenges of food security and environmental sustainability. However, microbial inoculants have been used in agriculture for several decades with inconsistent efficacy. Key reasons of this inconsistent efficacy are linked to competition with indigenous soil microflora and inability to colonize plants. Endophytic microbes provide solutions to both of these issues which potentially make them better candidates for microbial inoculants. This article outlines the current advancements in endophytic research with special focus on endophytic bacilli. A better understanding of diverse mechanisms of disease control by bacilli is essential to achieve maximum biocontrol efficacy against multiple phytopathogens. Furthermore, we argue that integration of emerging technologies with strong theoretical frameworks have the potential to revolutionize biocontrol approaches based on endophytic microbes.

First report of Aloe root and stem rot caused by Phytophthora palmivora in Yunnan Province, China.

Aloe genus plants are perennial evergreen herb belonging to Liliaceae family which is widely used in food, medicine, beauty, and health care (Kumar et al. 2019). In August 2021, symptoms of root and stem rot was observed in approximately 20% of Aloe vera plantings in Yuanjiang County, Yunnan Province, China (23° 64' 53" N, 101° 99' 84" E). The most typical symptoms were stem and root rot, browning and necrosis of vascular tissues, gradual greening, and reddish-browning of leaves from bottom to top, abscission, and eventual plant death (Fig. S1). Therefore, to isolate and identify the pathogen, the plants showing the above symptoms were collected. The plant tissues were cut from the edges of root and stem lesions, followed by disinfection with 75% ethanol for 1 min, rinsed three times with sterilized distilled water, and cut into 3 × 3 mm small squares after excision of marginal tissues. The tissues were transferred to the oomycetes selective medium (Liu et al. 2022) and incubated at 28 °C in the dark for 3~5 days, and suspected colonies were purified. The colonies were then inoculated onto potato dextrose agar (PDA), V8-juice agar (V8), and oatmeal agar (OA) medium plates for morphological characteristics. Finally, 18 isolates with the same colonial and morphological characteristics were obtained from 30 lesioned tissue and one of them was named as ARP1. On PDA, V8 and OA medium plates, the ARP1 colonies were white. On PDA plate, the mycelia were dense and the colonies were petal-like; on V8 plate, the mycelia were cashmere and the colonies were radial or star-like. Whereas, on OA plate, the mycelia were cotton-like and the colonies were fluffy and radial (Fig. S2 A~C). Mycelium did not have septum with high branching and swelling. Sporangia were abundant, semi-papillate, varying in shape from ovoid-ellipsoid to long-ellipsoid, 18-26 × 45-63 µm (average: 22 × 54 µm, n = 30), sporangia released numerous zoospores from the papillate after maturation. The chlamydospores were spherical, 20-35 µm in diameter (average: 27.5 µm, n = 30) (Fig. S2 D~F). These morphological features were like those of the pathogenic species of the oomycetes (Chen et al. 2022). For the molecular characterization, the genomic DNA of the isolate was extracted using the cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide method, and the translation elongation factor 1α (tef-1α) (Stielow et al. 2015), ß-tubulin (ß-tub) (Kroon et al. 2004) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) (White et al. 1990) of isolated strain ARP1 were amplified using primer pairs EF1-1018F/EF1-1620R, TUBUF2/TUBUR1 and ITS1/ITS4, respectively. The tef-1α, ß-tub genes and ITS region of ARP1 were directly sequenced and their sequence information was deposited in GenBank under accession numbers OQ506129, OQ506127 and OQ449628. ARP1 was clustered on the same evolutionary branch with Phytophthora palmivora (Fig. S3). To confirm the pathogenicity of ARP1, the main root of A. vera was wounded to 1 cm long and 2 mm deep with a scalpel blade followed by inoculation with 50 ml suspension of ARP1 zoospores at a concentration of 1 × 106 spores / ml per potted plant, and an equal volume of water as control. All inoculated plants were placed in the greenhouse at 28°C, 12 h / 12 h light / dark. After 15 dpi, the inoculated plants showed typical symptoms of wilted and drooping leaves and stem and root rot, same as observed in the field condition (Fig. S4). After inoculation with ARP1, a strain with the same morphological and molecular characteristics as the original isolate was re-isolated, confirming Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. palmivora causing root and stem rot of A. vera in the study region. This disease could be a potential risk for aloe production and therefore appropriate management measures should be taken.

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens AK-12 Helps Rapeseed Establish a Protection against Brevicoryne brassicae.

Aphids are a serious threat to rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) production, and cause unmanageable loss. Therefore, effective prevention and management strategies are urgently required to avoid losses. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens AK-12 isolated from a dead aphid with aphicidal activity was tagged with a green fluorescent protein through a natural transformation. The transformed strains were checked for stability and growth, and the best-performing strain was tested for its colonization inside and outside the rapeseed plant. The stability of AK-12-GFP reached more than 95%, and the growth curve was consistent with that of AK-12. After 30 days of treatment, the colonization of 1 × 106 CFU/g was recorded in rapeseed leaves. Interestingly, AK-12 reduced the aphid transmission rate compared with the control and improved the growth of the rapeseed seedlings. Meanwhile, the AK-12 strain also exhibited phosphorus, potassium-solubilizing, and nitrogen-fixing activity, and produced 2.61 µg/mL of IAA at 24 h. Regulation in the activity of four enzymes was detected after the AK-12 treatment. Phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) was recorded at a maximum of 86.84 U/g after 36 h, and catalase (CAT) decreased after 48 h; however, peroxidase (POD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) reached the maximum within 12 h of AK-12 application. Additionally, important resistance genes related to these enzymes were upregulated, indicating the activation of a defense response in the rapeseed against aphids. In conclusion, defense enzymes and defense-related gene activation could improve the pest resistance in rapeseed, which has good application prospects for the future to be developed into biopesticide.

One Pot Synthesis of Nanofiber-Coated Magnetic Composites as Magnetic Dispersive Solid-Phase Extraction Adsorbents for Rapid Determination of Tetracyclines in Aquatic Food Products.

A magnetic adsorbent based on a C-nanofiber (Fe3O4@C-NFs) nanocomposite was synthesized using a simple one-pot co-precipitation method. The characterized results showed that the obtained C-nanofiber-coated magnetic nanoparticles had many attractive features such as a large specific surface area and a highly interwoven and branched mesoporous structure, as well as distinguished magnetism. The nanocomposite was then used as an adsorbent in the magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) of four typical tetracyclines (oxytetracycline, tetracycline, chlortetracycline, and doxycycline) in aquatic products. The TCs in the extract were determined using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Experimental variables of MSPE, including the sorbent amount, pH condition, adsorption and desorption time, and desorption solvent, were investigated and optimized systematically. The method validation indicated that the developed method showed good linearity (R2 > 0.995) in the range of 1.0-200 ng/mL. The average recoveries at the spiked levels ranged from 90.7% to 102.7% with intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations (RSDs, n = 6) ranging from 3.72% to 8.17% and 4.20% to 9.69%, respectively. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) for the four kinds of TCs were 0.7 µg/kg and 2.0 µg/kg, respectively. Finally, MSPE based on C-nanofiber-coated magnetic nanoparticles was successfully applied to TC analysis in real aquatic products (grass carp, large yellow croaker, snakehead, mandarin fish, Penaeus vannamei, swimming crab, etc.). Compared with traditional extraction methods, the proposed method for TC analysis in aquatic products is more sensitive, effective, recyclable, and environmentally friendly.

Determination of Pentachlorophenol in Seafood Samples from Zhejiang Province Using Pass-Through SPE-UPLC-MS/MS: Occurrence and Human Dietary Exposure Risk.

Pentachlorophenol (PCP) has attracted wide attention due to its high toxicity, persistence, and bioaccumulation. In this study, a sensitive UPLC-MS/MS method for the determination of PCP in seafood samples was developed and validated. The samples were ultrasonic extracted with acetonitrile containing 1% acetic acid-acetonitrile and followed by using a pass-through solid-phase extraction (SPE) cleanup on Captiva EMR-Lipid cartridges. The linearity of this method ranged from 1 to 1000 µg/L, with regression coefficients of >0.99. The detection limit and quantitation limit were 0.5 µg/kg and 1.0 µg/kg, respectively. The recoveries in different types of seafood samples ranged from 86.4% to 102.5%, and the intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations (RSDs) were 3.7% to 11.2% and 2.9% to 12.1%, respectively (n = 6). Finally, the method has been successfully utilized for the screening of PCP in 760 seafood samples from Zhejiang Province. PCP was detected in 5.8% of all seafood samples, with the largest portion of detections found in shellfish, accounting for approximately 60% of the total. The average concentrations detected ranged from 1.08 to 21.49 µg/kg. The non-carcinogenic risk indices for adults and children who consume PCP ranged from 10-4 to 10-3 magnitudes. All of these indices stayed significantly below 1, implying that the health risk from PCP in marine organisms to humans is minimal.

An Automated Solid-Phase Extraction-UPLC-MS/MS Method for Simultaneous Determination of Sulfonamide Antimicrobials in Environmental Water.

The large-scale use of sulfonamide antimicrobials in human and veterinary medicine has seriously endangered the ecological environment and human health. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a simple and robust method for the simultaneous determination of seventeen sulfonamides in water using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry coupled with fully automated solid-phase extraction. Seventeen isotope-labeled internal standards for sulfonamides were used to correct matrix effects. Several parameters affecting extraction efficiency were systematically optimized, and the enrichment factors were up to 982-1033 and only requiring about 60 min per six samples. Under the optimized conditions, this method manifested good linearity (0.05-100 µg/L), high sensitivity (detection limits: 0.01-0.05 ng/L), and satisfactory recoveries (79-118%) with acceptable relative standard deviations (0.3-14.5%, n = 5). The developed method can be successfully utilized for the determination of 17 sulfonamides in pure water, tap water, river water, and seawater. In total, six and seven sulfonamides were detected in river water and seawater, respectively, with a total concentration of 8.157-29.676 ng/L and 1.683-36.955 ng/L, respectively, and sulfamethoxazole was the predominant congener.

Extreme events in two laterally-coupled semiconductor lasers.

Rogue waves (RWs) are extreme and rare waves that emerge unexpectedly in many natural systems and their formation mechanism and prediction have been extensively studied. Here, we numerically demonstrate the appearance of extreme events (EEs) for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, in the chaotic regimes of a two-element coupled semiconductor laser array. Based on coupled-mode theory, we characterize the occurrence of EEs by calculating the probability distribution, which confirms the RW-type feature of the intensity pulses, i.e., non-Gaussian distribution. Combining with the results of the 0-1 test for chaos, we confirm that EEs originate from deterministic nonlinearities in coupled semiconductor laser systems. We show that EEs can be predicted with a long anticipation time. Furthermore, simulation results manifest that the occurrence probability of EEs can be flexibly tuned by tailoring the coupling parameter space. With the help of two-dimension maps, the effects of key parameters, i.e., the waveguide structure and the pump level, on the formation of EEs are discussed systematically. This work provides a new platform for the research of EEs in a highly integrated structure and opens up a novel investigation field for coupled semiconductor laser arrays.

The hidden treasures of citrus: finding Huanglongbing cure where it was lost.

Huanglongbing (HLB), a deadly citrus disease which has significantly downsized the entire industry worldwide. The intractable and incurable disease has brought the citriculture an enormous loss of productivity. With no resistant varieties available, failure of chemical treatments despite repeated applications, and hazardous consequences to environmental health, have led to large-scale research to find a sustainable cure. Inside plants, the key determinants of health and safety, live the endophytic microbes. Endophytes possess unrivaled plant benefiting properties. The progression of HLB is known to cause disturbance in endophytic bacterial communities. Given the importance of the plant endophytic microbiome in disease progression, the notion of engineering microbiomes through indigenous endophytes is attracting scientific attention which is considered revolutionary as it precludes the incompatibility concerns associated with the use of alien (microbes from other plant species) endophytes. In this review, we briefly discuss the transformation of the plant-pathogen-environment to the plant-pathogen-microbial system in a disease triangle. We also argue the employment of indigenous endophytes isolated from a healthy state to engineer the diseased citrus endophytic microbiomes that can provide sustainable solution for vascular pathogens. We evaluated the plethora of microbiomes responses to the re-introduction of endophytes which leads to disease resistance in the citrus host. The idea is not merely confined to citrus-HLB, but it is globally applicable for tailoring a customized cure for general plant-pathogen systems particularly for the diseases caused by the vascular system-restricted pathogens.

Phytophthora cinnamomi causing root rot on Rhododendron lapponicum and control it using potential biocontrol agents.

Rhododendron lapponicum (R. lapponicum) is a dwarf Rhododendron species, which is severely infected with root rot and wilt in Yunnan province, China. However, the causal agent causing these symptoms was unknown. An isolate, Pci-1 was identified as Phytophthora cinnamomi, based on its morphology and the sequences of ß-tubulin, internal transcribed spacer, and Ypt1 genes and verified according to the Koch's postulate. We found that this pathogen could infect 14 species of plants, including Althaea rosea, Viburnum cylindricum, and Brassica napus. Strain Pci-1 could cause R. lapponicum to wither and die; and it grows best in an oat medium with pH 7.0 - 8.0 and an optimum temperature of 27°C. We suggest that the rhizosphere of R. lapponicum treated with biocontrol strains Paenibacillus polymyxoides P2-5 and Trichoderma asperellum Tv-1 showed a significant inhibitory effect on pathogen Pci-1. The inhibitory effect of 70% dimethomorph + cymoxanil was significantly higher with EC50 and EC90 values of 0.1894 and 0.3618 a.i. µg/ml, respectively. Greenhouse experiments revealed that the pathogen load is decreased in the presence of potential antagonists. This study provides fundamentals on risk assessment and theoretical support for the management of P. cinnamomi pathogen and contributes significantly to the planting of forest and horticultural crops in a disease-free environment.

Novel Virulence Factors Deciphering Klebsiella pneumoniae KpC4 Infect Maize as a Crossing-Kingdom Pathogen: An Emerging Environmental Threat.

Klebsiella pneumoniae is not only a human and animal opportunistic pathogen, but a food-borne pathogen. Cross-kingdom infection has been focused on since K. pneumoniae was identified as the pathogen of maize, banana, and pomegranate. Although the pathogenicity of K. pneumoniae strains (from ditch water, maize, and human) on plant and mice has been confirmed, there are no reports to explain the molecular mechanisms of the pathogen. This study uncovered the K. pneumoniae KpC4 isolated from maize top rot for the determination of various virulence genes and resistance genes. At least thirteen plant disease-causing genes are found to be involved in the disruption of plant defense. Among them, rcsB is responsible for causing disease in both plants and animals. The novel sequence types provide solid evidence that the pathogen invades plant and has robust ecological adaptability. It is imperative to perform further studies on the verification of these KpC4 genes' functions to understand the molecular mechanisms involved in plant−pathogen interactions.

Structure and Anticoagulant Activity of a Galactofuranose-Containing Sulfated Polysaccharide from the Green Seaweed, Codium isthmocladum.

A water-soluble sulfated polysaccharide, F2-1, was obtained from the marine green alga, Codium isthmocladum, using ion-exchange and size-exclusion chromatography. Structure analysis showed that the F2-1 was a sulfated arabinan comprising Ara, Rha, Man, Gal, and Xyl with an 18% sulfate content and a molecular weight of 100 kDa. Methylation analysis combined with desulfation, GC-MS, IR, and NMR spectroscopy showed that the backbone of F2-1 was →4)-ß-L-Arap(1→ residue. Its 2-O and/or 3-O positions showed sulfate modification; additionally, the 2-O or 3-O position showed branch points. The side chains were composed of →5)-ß-D-Galf, (1→2,6)-ß-D-Galf(1→, (1→2)-ß-L-Rhap4S, →4)-α-D-Glcp(1→, and terminal α-D-Galp(1→ and ß-D-Xylp(1→. Polysaccharides containing ß-D-galactofuranose are rarely found in seaweed. F2-1 exhibited significant anticoagulant activity in vitro. Our findings suggested that the green-tide alga, Codium isthmocladum, can be considered as a useful resource for bioactive polysaccharides.

Analysis of monosaccharide composition of water-soluble polysaccharides from Codium fragile by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Codium fragile is a green alga belonging to Codiales family. The sulfated polysaccharides of this alga have anti-coagulation, antiviral, anti-angiogenesis, antioxidant, and immunoregulatory properties. In this study, we developed a reliable and rapid method for the analysis of 10 monosaccharides using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in the negative electrospray ionization and multiple reaction monitoring mode. Monosaccharides, including two pentoses (xylose, arabinose); two deoxyhexoses (rhamnose, fucose); three hexoses (mannose, glucose, galactose); two hexuronic acids (glucuronic acid, galacturonic acid), and an N-acetyl-hexosamine (glucosamine), were derivatized using 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone and simultaneously analyzed within 9 min. Optimization of the derivatization process, especially by using various 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone concentrations, was studied. The calibration curves showed good linearity with a squared correlation coefficient > 0.995. The spiked recovery was determined to be 91.1-105.7% with the relative intra-day and inter-day standard deviations ranging from 2.58-6.71% and 3.15-7.67%, respectively. The limit of detection and limit of quantification for all 10 monosaccharides ranged from 0.02 to 0.10 µg/mL and 0.05 to 0.25 µg/mL, respectively. Using this method, the monosaccharides comprising the polysaccharides of Codium fragile were determined to be arabinose, galactose, and glucose.

The weak correlation between serum vitamin levels and chronic kidney disease in hospitalized patients: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has become a global public health problem. Accumulating evidence suggested that vitamins play important roles in the progression of CKD. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the vitamin status of patients with CKD at stage 1-5. The serum concentrations of 9 vitamins, vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, B9, B12, C, D, and E were measured by electroanalytical method with a Multi-Vitamin Analyzer. Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression between serum level of vitamins were analyzed. RESULTS: The median levels of vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, B9, B12, C and E were within the reference ranges or on the borderline. Vitamin D deficiency was found in all patients. Weak correlation was found between vitamin A or vitamin D and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). The Pearson correlation coefficient were - 0.21766 and 0.19752, respectively. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and atherosclerosis were the major comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS: For the first time, the serum levels of 9 vitamins were measured simultaneously in patients with CKD at different stages. Vitamin D deficiency was found in all patients. Weak correlation between vitamin A or vitamin D and eGFR was found.

Ecology and etiology of bacterial top rot in maize caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae KpC4.

Klebsiella pneumoniae is an important opportunistic pathogen in humans and animals. Recently, K. pneumoniae KpC4 was identified as a causative agent of bacterial top rot in maize, which has been observed in many areas of Yunnan province, China. KpC4 is potentially dangerous to humans and livestock due to its cross-kingdom infection ability. Our study revealed the disease cycle of maize bacterial top rot caused by KpC4 and the ecological adaptability and host range of KpC4. We found same pathogenicity in maize between KpC4, the environmental strains E1, E4 (K1 serotype), E5, and the clinical strain K. pneumoniae 138 (Kp138). Alternative hosts of K. pneumoniae include not only humans and animals but also a variety of plants (such as maize, banana and sorghum). One of the survival strategies of K. pneumoniae is ecological adaptability, which is an essential factor for KpC4 to be able to cause bacterial top rot in maize. K. pneumoniae, for example, could survive in large numbers (2.34 ± 0.22 × 103 cfu/g) not only in the maize leaves (2.34 ± 0.22 × 103 cfu/g) under natural light, but persist in dried maize plant debris (1.51 × 104 cfu/g) for at least 6 months. K. pneumoniae strains from different sources can generally induce infection in susceptible hosts. Thus, this study revealed the ecological basis of KpC4 cross-kingdom infections, laying the foundation for the study of the mechanisms underlying cross-kingdom infections involving this type of human/animal opportunistic pathogen.

Two Blends of Refined Rice Bran, Flaxseed, and Sesame Seed Oils Affect the Blood Lipid Profile of Chinese Adults with Borderline Hypercholesterolemia to a Similar Extent as Refined Olive Oil.

BACKGROUND: Individual vegetable oils have a characteristic fatty acids (FA) composition and unique phytonutrient profiles, enabling formulation of oil blends that may have health-promoting effects. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to investigate effects of 2 oil blends made with refined rice bran, flaxseed, and sesame oils, with distinct monounsaturated to saturated FA, polyunsaturated to saturated FA, and omega-3 (n-3) to omega-6 FA ratios and different phytonutrient concentrations on blood lipid profile, compared with refined olive oil as a control. The secondary outcomes were other markers of cardiometabolic health. METHODS: A parallel-design, randomized controlled trial compared consumption of 30 g of allocated intervention oil per day for a period of 8 wk. The study recruited 143 borderline hypercholesterolemic (LDL cholesterol: 3.06-4.51 mmol/L) Chinese volunteers between 50 and 70 y old and with a BMI (kg/m2) ≤27.5. All outcomes were measured every 2 wk, and the time × treatment interactions and the main effects of treatment and time were analyzed using an intention-to-treat approach. RESULTS: Compared with baseline (week 0), there were significant reductions during the post-intervention time points in serum total cholesterol (-3.47%; P < 0.0001), LDL cholesterol (-4.16%; P < 0.0001), triglycerides (-10.3%; P < 0.0001), apoB (-3.93%; P < 0.0001), total to HDL-cholesterol (-3.44%; P < 0.0001) and apoB to apoA1 (-3.99%; P < 0.0001) ratios, systolic and diastolic blood pressures (-3.32% and -3.16%, respectively; both P < 0.0001), and serum glucose (-1.51%; P < 0.05) and a small but significant increase in body weight (+0.7%; P < 0.001) for all 3 intervention oils but no effects of intervention on HDL-cholesterol or apoA1 concentration. No significant effects of treatment or time × treatment interactions were found. CONCLUSIONS: Using blended vegetable oils that are extensively consumed in Asia, this study found that specific oil blends can improve blood lipid profile and other cardiometabolic parameters, to a similar extent as refined olive oil, in Chinese adults with borderline hypercholesterolemia. This trial is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03964857.