Associations of hearing loss and structural changes in specific cortical regions: a Mendelian randomization study.

INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have suggested a correlation between hearing loss (HL) and cortical alterations, but the specific brain regions that may be affected are unknown. METHODS: Genome-wide association study (GWAS) data for 3 subtypes of HL phenotypes, sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), conductive hearing loss, and mixed hearing loss, were selected as exposures, and GWAS data for brain structure-related traits were selected as outcomes. The inverse variance weighted method was used as the main estimation method. RESULTS: Negative associations were identified between genetically predicted SNHL and brain morphometric indicators (cortical surface area, cortical thickness, or volume of subcortical structures) in specific brain regions, including the bankssts (ß = -0.006 mm, P = 0.016), entorhinal cortex (ß = -4.856 mm2, P = 0.029), and hippocampus (ß = -24.819 cm3, P = 0.045), as well as in brain regions functionally associated with visual perception, including the pericalcarine (ß = -10.009 cm3, P = 0.013). CONCLUSION: Adaptive changes and functional remodeling of brain structures occur in patients with genetically predicted HL. Brain regions functionally associated with auditory perception, visual perception, and memory function are the main brain regions vulnerable in HL.

Chloroplast Genomes Evolution and Phylogenetic Relationships of Caragana species.

Caragana sensu lato (s.l.) includes approximately 100 species that are mainly distributed in arid and semi-arid regions. Caragana species are ecologically valuable for their roles in windbreaking and sand fixation. However, the taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships of the genus Caragana are still unclear. In this study, we sequenced and assembled the chloroplast genomes of representative species of Caragana and reconstructed robust phylogenetic relationships at the section level. The Caragana chloroplast genome has lost the inverted repeat region and wascategorized in the inverted repeat loss clade (IRLC). The chloroplast genomes of the eight species ranged from 128,458 bp to 135,401 bp and contained 110 unique genes. All the Caragana chloroplast genomes have a highly conserved structure and gene order. The number of long repeats and simple sequence repeats (SSRs) showed significant variation among the eight species, indicating heterogeneous evolution in Caragana. Selective pressure analysis of the genes revealed that most of the protein-coding genes evolved under purifying selection. The phylogenetic analyses indicated that each section forms a clade, except the section Spinosae, which was divided into two clades. This study elucidated the evolution of the chloroplast genome within the widely distributed genus Caragana. The detailed information obtained from this study can serve as a valuable resource for understanding the molecular dynamics and phylogenetic relationships within Caragana.

OsHUB2 inhibits function of OsTrx1 in heading date in rice.

Heading date is one of the most pivotal agronomic traits for rice (Oryza sativa) yield and adaptation. Little is known about the crosstalk between histone ubiquitination and histone methylation in rice heading date regulation. Here, we reported HISTONE MONOUBIQUITINATION 1 (OsHUB1) and OsHUB2 are involved in heading date regulation via the Hd1 and Ehd1 pathway. Loss of OsHUB1 and OsHUB2 function resulted in early heading under long-day and short-day photoperiods. The expression of Hd3a, RFT1, and Ehd1 was induced and the transcript levels of Hd1, Ghd7, OsCCA1, OsGI, OsFKF1, and OsTOC1 were reduced under long-day conditions, whereas RFT1 and Ehd1 expression was induced in oshub2 mutants under short-day conditions. OsHUB2 interacted with OsTrx1 and repressed the gene expression of OsTrx1. OsHUB2 directly bound to Ehd1 to ubiquitinate H2B at Ehd1, and H2B ubiquitination levels were reduced in oshub2-2 and oshub2-3 mutants. OsTrx1 were highly enriched at Ehd1, and H3K4me3 levels of Ehd1 were upregulated in oshub2-2. Mutations of OsTrx1 in the oshub2-2 background rescued the early-heading phenotype of oshub2-2. The increases in Ehd1 H3K4me3 levels and transcript levels in oshub2-2 mutants were attenuated in oshub2-2 ostrx1-2 double mutants. Together, our results (i) reveal that OsHUB2 represses the function of OsTrx1 and H3K4me3 levels at Ehd1 and (ii) suggest that OsHUB2-mediated H2B ubiquitination plays critical roles together with H3K4me3 in rice heading date regulation.

Insights into the phylogeny and chloroplast genome evolution of Eriocaulon (Eriocaulaceae).

BACKGROUND: Eriocaulon is a wetland plant genus with important ecological value, and one of the famous taxonomically challenging groups among angiosperms, mainly due to the high intraspecific diversity and low interspecific variation in the morphological characters of species within this genus. In this study, 22 samples representing 15 Eriocaulon species from China, were sequenced and combined with published samples of Eriocaulon to test the phylogenetic resolution using the complete chloroplast genome. Furthermore, comparative analyses of the chloroplast genomes were performed to investigate the chloroplast genome evolution of Eriocaulon. RESULTS: The 22 Eriocaulon chloroplast genomes and the nine published samples were proved highly similar in genome size, gene content, and order. The Eriocaulon chloroplast genomes exhibited typical quadripartite structures with lengths from 150,222 bp to 151,584 bp. Comparative analyses revealed that four mutation hotspot regions (psbK-trnS, trnE-trnT, ndhF-rpl32, and ycf1) could serve as effective molecular markers for further phylogenetic analyses and species identification of Eriocaulon species. Phylogenetic results supported Eriocaulon as a monophyletic group. The identified relationships supported the taxonomic treatment of section Heterochiton and Leucantherae, and the section Heterochiton was the first divergent group. Phylogenetic tree supported Eriocaulon was divided into five clades. The divergence times indicated that all the sections diverged in the later Miocene and most of the extant Eriocaulon species diverged in the Quaternary. The phylogeny and divergence times supported rapid radiation occurred in the evolution history of Eriocaulon. CONCLUSION: Our study mostly supported the taxonomic treatment at the section level for Eriocaulon species in China and demonstrated the power of phylogenetic resolution using whole chloroplast genome sequences. Comparative analyses of the Eriocaulon chloroplast genome developed molecular markers that can help us better identify and understand the evolutionary history of Eriocaulon species in the future.

Chromatin remodeling factors OsYAF9 and OsSWC4 interact to promote internode elongation in rice.

Deposition of H2A.Z and H4 acetylation by SWI2/SNF2-Related 1 Chromatin Remodeling (SWR1) and Nucleosome Acetyltransferase of H4 (NuA4) complexes in specific regulatory regions modulates transcription and development. However, little is known about these complexes in Oryza sativa (rice) development. Here, we reported that OsYAF9 and OsSWC4, two subunits of SWR1 and NuA4 complexes, are involved in rice vegetative and reproductive development. Loss of OsYAF9 resulted in reduced height, fewer tillers, fewer pollen grains, and defects in embryogenesis and seed filling. OsYAF9 directly interacted with OsSWC4 in vitro and in vivo. Loss of OsSWC4 function exhibited defects in pollen germination and failure to generate seeds, whereas knockdown of OsSWC4 resulted in reduced height and fewer tillers. The reduced height caused by OsYAF9 mutation and OsSWC4 knockdown was due to shorter internodes and defects in cell elongation, and this phenotype was rescued with gibberellin (GA) treatment, suggesting that both OsYAF9 and OsSWC4 are involved in the GA biosynthesis pathway. OsSWC4 was directly bound to the AT-rich region of GA biosynthesis genes, which in turn accomplished H2A.Z deposition and H4 acetylation at the GA biosynthesis genes with OsYAF9. Together, our study provides insights into the mechanisms involving OsSWC4 and OsYAF9 forming a protein complex to promote rice internode elongation with H2A.Z deposition and H4 acetylation.

Telecom-wavelength conversion in a high optical depth cold atomic system.

We experimentally investigate the frequency down-conversion through the four-wave mixing (FWM) process in a cold 85Rb atomic ensemble, with a diamond-level configuration. An atomic cloud with a high optical depth (OD) of 190 is prepared to achieve a high efficiency frequency conversion. Here, we convert a signal pulse field (795 nm) attenuated to a single-photon level, into a telecom light at 1529.3 nm within near C-band range and the frequency-conversion efficiency can reach up to 32%. We find that the OD is an essential factor affecting conversion efficiency and the efficiency may exceed 32% with an improvement in the OD. Moreover, we note the signal-to-noise ratio of the detected telecom field is higher than 10 while the mean signal count is larger than 0.2. Our work may be combined with quantum memories based on cold 85Rb ensemble at 795 nm and serve for long-distance quantum networks.

Optical memory for arbitrary perfect Poincaré states in an atomic ensemble.

Inherent spin angular momentum (SAM) and orbital angular momentum (OAM), which manifest as polarization and spatial degrees of freedom (DOFs) of photons, hold a promise of large capability for applications in classical and quantum information processing. To enable these photonic spin and orbital dynamic properties strongly coupled with each other, Poincaré states have been proposed and offer advantages in data multiplexing, information encryption, precision metrology, and quantum memory. However, since the transverse size of Laguerre-Gaussian beams strongly depends on their topological charge numbers | l |, it is difficult to store asymmetric Poincaré states due to the significantly different light-matter interaction for distinct spatial modes. Here, we experimentally realize the storage of perfect Poincaré states with arbitrary OAM quanta using the perfect optical vortex, in which 121 arbitrarily selected perfect Poincaré states have been stored with high fidelity. The reported work has great prospects in optical communication and quantum networks for dramatically increased encoding flexibility of information.

Phylogenomic approaches untangle early divergences and complex diversifications of the olive plant family.

BACKGROUND: Deep-branching phylogenetic relationships are often difficult to resolve because phylogenetic signals are obscured by the long history and complexity of evolutionary processes, such as ancient introgression/hybridization, polyploidization, and incomplete lineage sorting (ILS). Phylogenomics has been effective in providing information for resolving both deep- and shallow-scale relationships across all branches of the tree of life. The olive family (Oleaceae) is composed of 25 genera classified into five tribes with tribe Oleeae consisting of four subtribes. Previous phylogenetic analyses showed that ILS and/or hybridization led to phylogenetic incongruence in the family. It was essential to distinguish phylogenetic signal conflicts, and explore mechanisms for the uncertainties concerning relationships of the olive family, especially at the deep-branching nodes. RESULTS: We used the whole plastid genome and nuclear single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data to infer the phylogenetic relationships and to assess the variation and rates among the main clades of the olive family. We also used 2608 and 1865 orthologous nuclear genes to infer the deep-branching relationships among tribes of Oleaceae and subtribes of tribe Oleeae, respectively. Concatenated and coalescence trees based on the plastid genome, nuclear SNPs and multiple nuclear genes suggest events of ILS and/or ancient introgression during the diversification of Oleaceae. Additionally, there was extreme heterogeneity in the substitution rates across the tribes. Furthermore, our results supported that introgression/hybridization, rather than ILS, is the main factor for phylogenetic discordance among the five tribes of Oleaceae. The tribe Oleeae is supported to have originated via ancient hybridization and polyploidy, and its most likely parentages are the ancestral lineage of Jasmineae or its sister group, which is a "ghost lineage," and Forsythieae. However, ILS and ancient introgression are mainly responsible for the phylogenetic discordance among the four subtribes of tribe Oleeae. CONCLUSIONS: This study showcases that using multiple sequence datasets (plastid genomes, nuclear SNPs and thousands of nuclear genes) and diverse phylogenomic methods such as data partition, heterogeneous models, quantifying introgression via branch lengths (QuIBL) analysis, and species network analysis can facilitate untangling long and complex evolutionary processes of ancient introgression, paleopolyploidization, and ILS.

Maternal Donor and Genetic Variation of Lagerstroemia indica Cultivars.

Lagerstroemia indica L. is a well-known ornamental plant with large pyramidal racemes, long flower duration, and diverse colors and cultivars. It has been cultivated for nearly 1600 years and is essential for investigating the germplasm and assessing genetic variation to support international cultivar identification and breeding programs. In this study, 20 common Lagerstroemia indica cultivars from different varietal groups and flower morphologies, as well as multiple wild relative species, were analyzed to investigate the maternal donor of Lagerstroemia indica cultivars and to discover the genetic variation and relationships among cultivars based on plastome and nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) sequences. A total of 47 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 24 insertion/deletions (indels) were identified in the 20 L. indica cultivars' plastome and 25 SNPs were identified in the nrDNA. Phylogenetic analysis based on the plastome sequences showed that all the cultivars formed a clade with the species of L. indica, indicating that L. indica was the maternal donor of the cultivars. Population structure and PCA analyses supported two clades of cultivars, which exhibited significant genetic differences according to the plastome dataset. The results of the nrDNA supported that all 20 cultivars were divided into three clades and most of the cultivars had at least two genetic backgrounds and higher gene flow. Our results suggest that the plastome and nrDNA sequences can be used as molecular markers for assessing the genetic variation and relationships of L. indica cultivars.

SDG128 is involved in maize leaf inclination.

Maize leaf angle (LA) is a complex quantitative trait that is controlled by developmental signals, hormones, and environmental factors. However, the connection between histone methylation and LAs in maize remains unclear. Here, we reported that SET domain protein 128 (SDG128) is involved in leaf inclination in maize. Knockdown of SDG128 using an RNA interference approach resulted in an expanded architecture, less large vascular bundles, more small vascular bundles, and larger spacing of large vascular bundles in the auricles. SDG128 interacts with ZmGID2 both in vitro and in vivo. Knockdown of ZmGID2 also showed a larger LA with less large vascular bundles and larger spacing of vascular bundles. In addition, the transcription level of cell wall expansion family genes ZmEXPA1, ZmEXPB2, and GRMZM2G005887; transcriptional factor genes Lg1, ZmTAC1, and ZmCLA4; and auxin pathway genes ZmYUCCA7, ZmYUCCA8, and ZmARF22 was reduced in SDG128 and ZmGID2 knockdown plants. SDG128 directly targets ZmEXPA1, ZmEXPB2, LG1, and ZmTAC1 and is required for H3K4me3 deposition at these genes. Together, the results of the present study suggest that SDG128 and ZmGID2 are involved in the maize leaf inclination.

Phylogenomics and biogeography of Catalpa (Bignoniaceae) reveal incomplete lineage sorting and three dispersal events.

Catalpa Scop. (Bignoniaceae) is a small genus (8 spp.) of trees that is disjunctly distributed among eastern Asia, eastern United States, and the West Indies. Catalpa bears beautiful inflorescences and have been cultivated as important ornamental trees for landscaping, gardening, and timber. However, the phylogenetic relationships and biogeographic history of the genus have remained unresolved. In this study, we used a large genomic dataset that includes data from the chloroplast (plastomes), and nuclear genomes (ITS and 5,759 single-copy nuclear genes) to reconstruct phylogenetic relationship within Catalpa, test interspecific gene flow events within the genus, and infer its biogeographic history. Our phylogenetic results indicate that Catalpa is monophyletic containing two main clades, section Catalpa and section Macrocatalpa. Section Catalpa is further divided into three subclades. While most relationships are congruent between the chloroplast and nuclear datasets, the position of C. ovata differs, likely due to incomplete lineage sorting. Interspecific gene flow events include C. bungei s.s. with vectors of inheritance from C. duclouxii and C. fargesii, supporting a combination of these three species and recognizing a broadly circumscribed C. bungei s.l. Our biogeographic study suggests three main dispersal events, two of which occurred during the Oligocene. The first dispersal event occurred from southwestern North America and Mexico into the Greater Antilles giving rise to the ancestor of the section of Macrocatalpa. The second dispersal event also occurred from southwestern North America and Mexico, but led to central and northern North America, subsequently reaching China through the Bering land bridge, and also reaching Europe through the North Atlantic land bridge. The third dispersal event took place in the Miocene from China to North America and gave rise to a clade composed of C. bignonioides and C. speciosa. This study uses a phylogenomic approach and biogeographical methods to infer the evolutionary history of Catalpa, highlighting issues associated with gene tree discordance, and suggesting that incomplete lineage sorting likely played an important role in the evolutionary history of Catalpa.

Long-Lived Memory for Orbital Angular Momentum Quantum States.

Quantum memories that are capable of storing multiple spatial modes offer advantages in speed and robustness when incorporated into quantum networks. When it comes to spatial degrees of freedom, orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes have received widespread attention since they enable encoding with inherent infinite number of dimensions. Although the faithful storage of OAM qubits or qutrits has been realized in previous works, the achieved lifetimes are still on the order of a few microseconds as limited by the spatially dependent decoherence. We here demonstrate a long-lived quantum memory for OAM qutrits by suppressing the decoherence in the transverse and longitude direction simultaneously; the achieved fidelity beats the quantum-classical criteria after a storage time of 400 µs, which is 2 orders of magnitude longer than earlier works. The present work is promising for establishing high-dimensional quantum networks.

Can cognition help predict suicide risk in patients with major depressive disorder? A machine learning study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies suggest that deficits in cognition may increase the risk of suicide. Our study aims to develop a machine learning (ML) algorithm-based suicide risk prediction model using cognition in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). METHODS: Participants comprised 52 depressed suicide attempters (DSA) and 61 depressed non-suicide attempters (DNS), and 98 healthy controls (HC). All participants were required to complete a series of questionnaires, the Suicide Stroop Task (SST) and the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). The performance in IGT was analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. ML with extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) classification algorithm and locally explanatory techniques assessed performance and relative importance of characteristics for predicting suicide attempts. Prediction performances were compared with the area under the curve (AUC), decision curve analysis (DCA), and net reclassification improvement (NRI). RESULTS: DSA and DNS preferred to select the card from disadvantageous decks (decks "A" + "B") under risky situation (p = 0.023) and showed a significantly poorer learning effect during the IGT (F = 2.331, p = 0.019) compared with HC. Performance of XGBoost model based on demographic and clinical characteristics was compared with that of the model created after adding cognition data (AUC, 0.779 vs. 0.819, p > 0.05). The net benefit of model was improved and cognition resulted in continuous reclassification improvement with NRI of 5.3%. Several clinical dimensions were significant predictors in the XGBoost classification algorithm. LIMITATIONS: A limited sample size and failure to include sufficient suicide risk factors in the predictive model. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrate that cognitive deficits may serve as an important risk factor to predict suicide attempts in patients with MDD. Combined with other demographic characteristics and attributes drawn from clinical questionnaires, cognitive function can improve the predictive effectiveness of the ML model. Additionally, explanatory ML models can help clinicians detect specific risk factors for each suicide attempter within MDD patients. These findings may be helpful for clinicians to detect those at high risk of suicide attempts quickly and accurately, and help them make proactive treatment decisions.

Hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether mediated photodynamic therapy inhibits oral squamous cell carcinoma by regulating the P53-miR-21-PDCD4 axis via singlet oxygen.

The objective of this study was to determine the mechanism and effect of hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether mediated photodynamic therapy (HMME-PDT) on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Human OSCC CAL-27 cells were randomly divided into four groups: control group, HMME group, laser group, and HMME-PDT group. Cell viability was detected by the CCK-8 method. Cell cycle distribution was evaluated by flow cytometry. GEO database was used to screen differentially expressed microRNAs (DEMs), and TCGA database was performed to verify DEM expression in OSCC and normal tissues. The effects of HMME-PDT on DEM expression were assayed by real-time PCR, and the expressions of miRNAs target genes were measured by western blot. Fluorescence probes were used to determine the production of singlet oxygen (1O2). Compared with the other three groups, HMME-PDT dramatically inhibited CAL-27 cell proliferation and induced G0/G1 cycle arrest. The expressions of miR-21 and miR-155 were significantly upregulated in OSCC. HMME-PDT downregulated the expression of miR-21 but had no obvious effect on miR-155. HMME-PDT remarkably upregulated the levels of P53 and miR-21 target proteins, such as PDCD4, RECK, and SPRY2. 1O2 was generated during HMME-PDT, and inhibition of 1O2 production could reverse the regulation of HMME-PDT on P53, miR-21, and its target proteins, thus restoring cell viability. HMME-PDT can significantly inhibit the growth of OSCC cells, and the mechanism of this effect is related to the regulation of the P53-miR-21-PDCD4 axis via 1O2 induced by HMME-PDT.

Rigorous imaging-based measurement method of polarization aberration in hyper-numerical aperture projection optics.

Imaging-based measurement methods of polarization aberration (PA) are indispensable in hyper-numerical aperture projection optics for advanced lithography. However, the current methods are derived from the Kirchhoff model and ignore the 3D mask effect of the test mask, which will impact the measurement accuracy. In this paper, a novel imaging-based measurement method of PA is proposed based on a rigorous imaging model to improve the measurement accuracy. Through the quantitative description of the 3D mask effect, a rigorous imaging-based measurement model of PA is established. A synchronous orientation measurement method is designed to effectively reduce the cost of establishing the overdetermined equations. A deep neural network is used to retrieve the PA accurately. Simulations show that the proposed method effectively eliminates the impact of the 3D mask effect of test mask on PA measurement, and the measurement error is reduced by 72% compared with the measurement method based on the Kirchhoff model.

Estrogen Receptor alpha depletion affects the biomechanical properties and cytoskeleton rearrangements in breast cancer cells.

Estrogen Receptor alpha (ERα) affects the morphology of tumors, which is closely related to the biomechanical properties and the cytoskeletal proteins. In recent years, researchers have found that biomechanical properties and cytoskeletal proteins are closely related to the occurrence and development of tumors and that biomechanical properties can be used as markers for tumor development and drug resistance. The relationship between ERα expression status and biomechanical properties, cytoskeletal proteins is not known. In this study, we found that tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cells (MCF-7/TamR) altered cell morphology and lacked of ERα expression during the process of the Tamoxifen resistance induction. To determine whether this change was influenced by ERα expression, we transiently constructed another ERα depleted model with ERα siRNA (MCF-7/ERα siRNA) and used atomic force microscope (AFM) to detect morphological and biophysical changes. The results indicated that the roughness and Young's modulus of ERα expression depleted cells were significantly increased, accompanied by rearrangement of the cytoskeletal proteins (F-actin, FLNA, α-tubulin) and the cytoskeletal regulatory protein Rho (Rac1, CDC42) decreased. Our results have demonstrated that ERα depletion affects the biomechanical properties of breast cancer cells, which are related to cytoskeletal protein rearrangement and Rho protein decreased.

Protective Effects of Allicin on ISO-Induced Rat Model of Myocardial Infarction via JNK Signaling Pathway.

OBJECTIVE: This research was aimed to explore protective effects of allicin on rat model of myocardial infarction via JNK signaling pathway. METHODS: Rat myocardial ischemia model was established with subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol (ISO). Seventy-five rats were randomly divided into 5 groups (n = 15): sham group, ISO group, low-dose group (1.2 mg/kg/days for 7 days), medium-dose group (1.8 mg/kg/days for 7 days), and high-dose group (3.6 mg/kg/days for 7 days). Routine HE staining and Masson staining were performed to observe myocardial histopathology. The expression of oxidative stress-related indicators, heart tissue apoptosis-related proteins, and JNK and p-JNK proteins were measured for different groups. RESULTS: Compared with the sham group, the T wave value of the ISO group was significantly increased (p < 0.01). When allicin was administered, the T wave values at different time points in all groups were all decreased. Compared with the sham group, the ratio of eNOS, Bcl-2/Bax was significantly decreased, and p-eNOS, iNOS, caspase-3, caspase-9, and Cyt-c were significantly elevated in the ISO group (p < 0.05). After allicin was administered, significant changes in these proteins were observed in the medium- and high-dose groups. There was no significant change in the expression of JNK protein in the ISO group compared with the sham group; however, the expression of eNOS and p-JNK protein were significantly upregulated (p < 0.01) and the expression of p-eNOS and iNOS were significantly downregulated (p < 0.01). When allicin was administered, expression of p-JNK protein was significantly downregulated. CONCLUSION: Allicin can reduce oxidative stress damage and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in rat model of myocardial infarction and can significantly regulate JNK signaling pathway.

Comparison of blood lipid profile/thyroid function markers between unipolar and bipolar depressed patients and in depressed patients with anhedonia or suicidal thoughts.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the differences in the serum levels of glucose, lipid, and thyroid function markers between unipolar and bipolar depressed patients, as well as the effect of anhedonia and suicidal thoughts on the levels of these biochemical parameters. METHODS: A total of 287 unmedicated depressed patients from January 2016 to December 2017 were included in this study, including 92 bipolar depressions and 195 unipolar depressions. Anhedonia was determined using the item 32 of Symptom Checklist (SCL-90). Suicide ideation was assessed by item 15 of SCL-90. RESULTS: The bipolar group had significantly lower lipid levels (including triglycerides, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL], very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [VLDL]) and insulin resistance index but higher levels of prolactin, low triiodothyronine (T3) and free T3 (FT3) as well as higher incidence of anhedonia as compared with the unipolar group. Depressed patients with anhedonia had significantly higher LDL level than those without anhedonia. Depressed patients with suicidal thoughts had cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) level. The above-mentioned differences were confirmed by logistic regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) ranged from 0.546 to 0.685. CONCLUSION: Triglycerides, cholesterol, LDL, VLDL T3, FT3 levels were significantly different between unipolar and bipolar depressed patients, which might have the potential to be the markers for differential diagnosis. Patients with anhedonia had lower LDL level, while patients with suicidal thoughts had higher levels of cholesterol and HDL as compared with the corresponding control groups.

Enhancement of using combined packing materials on the removal of mixed sulfur compounds in a biotrickling filter and analysis of microbial communities.

BACKGROUND: Packing materials is a critical design consideration when employing biological reactor to treat malodorous gases. The acidification of packing bed usually results in a significant drop in the removal efficiency. In the present study, a biotrickling filter (BTF2) packed with plastic balls in the upper layer and with lava rocks in the bottom layer, was proposed to mitigate the acidification. RESULTS: Results showed that using combined packing materials efficiently enhanced the removal performance of BTF2 when compared with BTF1, which was packed with sole lava rocks. Removal efficiencies of more than 92.5% on four sulfur compounds were achieved in BTF2. Average pH value in its bottom packing bed was about 4.86, significantly higher than that in BTF1 (2.85). Sulfate and elemental sulfur were observed to accumulate more in BTF1 than in BTF2. Analysis of principal coordinate analysis proved that structure of microbial communities in BTF2 changed less after the shutdown but more when the initial pH value was set at 5.5. Network analysis of significant co-occurrence patterns based on the correlations between microbial taxa revealed that BTF2 harbored more diverse microorganisms involving in the bio-oxidation of sulfur compounds and had more complex interactions between microbial species. CONCLUSIONS: Results confirmed that using combined packing materials effectively improved conditions for the growth of microorganisms. The robustness of reactor against acidification, adverse temperature and gas supply shutdown was greatly enhanced. These provided a theoretical basis for using mixed packing materials to improve removal performance.

Adaptive Responses of Shewanella decolorationis to Toxic Organic Extracellular Electron Acceptor Azo Dyes in Anaerobic Respiration.

Bacterial anaerobic respiration using an extracellular electron acceptor plays a predominant role in global biogeochemical cycles. However, the mechanisms of bacterial adaptation to the toxic organic pollutant as the extracellular electron acceptor during anaerobic respiration are not clear, which limits our ability to optimize the strategies for the bioremediation of a contaminated environment. Here, we report the physiological characteristics and the global gene expression of an ecologically successful bacterium, Shewanella decolorationis S12, when using a typical toxic organic pollutant, amaranth, as the extracellular electron acceptor. Our results revealed that filamentous shift (the cells stretched to fiber-like shapes as long as 18 µm) occurred under amaranth stress. Persistent stress led to a higher filamentous cell rate and decolorization ability in subcultural cells compared to parental strains. In addition, the expression of genes involved in cell division, the chemotaxis system, energy conservation, damage repair, and material transport in filamentous cells was significantly stimulated. The detailed roles of some genes with significantly elevated expressions in filamentous cells, such as the outer membrane porin genes ompA and ompW, the cytochrome c genes arpC and arpD, the global regulatory factor gene rpoS, and the methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins genes SHD_2793 and SHD_0015, were identified by site-directed mutagenesis. Finally, a conceptual model was proposed to help deepen our insights into both the bacterial survival strategy when toxic organics were present and the mechanisms by which these toxic organics were biodegraded as the extracellular electron acceptors.IMPORTANCE Keeping toxic organic pollutants (TOPs) in tolerable levels is a huge challenge for bacteria in extremely unfavorable environments since TOPs could serve as energy substitutes but also as survival stresses when they are beyond some thresholds. This study focused on the underlying adaptive mechanisms of ecologically successful bacterium Shewanella decolorationis S12 when exposed to amaranth, a typical toxic organic pollutant, as the extracellular electron acceptor. Our results suggest that filamentous shift is a flexible and valid way to solve the dilemma between the energy resource and toxic stress. Filamentous cells regulate gene expression to enhance their degradation and detoxification capabilities, resulting in a strong viability. These novel adaptive responses to TOPs are believed to be an evolutionary achievement to succeed in harsh habitats and thus have great potential to be applied to environment engineering or synthetic biology if we could picture every unknown node in this pathway.