Development and evaluation of the model for acute kidney injury in patients with cardiac arrest after successful resuscitation.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to construct a clinical prediction model and create a visual line chart depicting the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) following resuscitation in cardiac arrest (CA) patients. Additionally, the study aims to validate the clinical predictive accuracy of the developed model. METHODS: Data were retrieved from the Dryad database, and publicly shared data were downloaded. This retrospective cohort study included 347 successfully resuscitated patients post-cardiac arrest from the Dryad database. Demographic and clinical data of patients in the database, along with their renal function during hospitalization, were included. Through data analysis, the study aimed to explore the relevant influencing factors of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients after cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The study constructed a line chart prediction model using multivariate logistic regression analysis with post-resuscitation shock status (Post-resuscitation shock refers to the condition where, following successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation after cardiac arrest, some patients develop cardiogenic shock.), C reactive protein (CRP), Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) identified as predictive factors. The predictive efficiency of the fitted model was evaluated by the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that post-resuscitation shock status, CRP, LDH, and PAL were the influencing factors of AKI after resuscitation in CA patients. The calibration curve test indicated that the prediction model was well-calibrated, and the results of the Decision Curve Analysis (DCA) demonstrated the clinical utility of the model constructed in this study. CONCLUSION: Post-resuscitation shock status, CRP, LDH, and ALPare the influencing factors for AKI after resuscitation in CA patients. The clinical prediction model constructed based on the above indicators has good clinical discriminability and practicality.

Notch1 signaling activation alleviates coronary microvascular dysfunction through histone modification of Nrg-1 via the interaction between NICD and GCN5.

The Notch signaling pathway is related to endothelial dysfunction in coronary atherosclerosis. Our objective was to explore the role of Notch signaling in coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD). CMD models were constructed by sodium laurate injection in vivo and homocysteine (Hcy) stimulation in vitro. The binding ability of Notch Intracellular Domain (NICD)/H3K9Ac/GCN5 (General Control Non-derepressible 5) to Neuregulin-1 (Nrg-1) promoter was examined by chromatin immunoprecipitation. Immunofluorescence staining was conducted to detect CD31 positive cells, NICD localization, and co-localization of NICD and GCN5. Flow cytometry and Tunel staining were conducted to identify the apoptosis. Hematoxylin and eosin staining, quantitative real-time PCR, western blot, immunohistochemical staining, co-immunoprecipitation, and double luciferase report analysis were also conducted. Notch signaling pathway-related protein levels were decreased, levels of Nrg-1 and the phosphorylation of ErbB2 and ErbB4 were enhanced in CMD models. Interference with Nrg-1 further increased the apoptosis in Hcy-induced cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (CMECs). Meanwhile, the activation of the Notch signaling pathway increased the levels of Nrg-1 and the phosphorylation of ErbB2 and ErbB4, as well as inhibited the apoptosis induced by Hcy. Furthermore, NICD and histone acetyltransferase enzyme GCN5 could regulate Nrg-1 promoter activity by affecting the expression of acetylation-modified protein H3K9Ac. In addition, NICD also interacted with GCN5. In vivo results also confirmed that the activation of the Notch signal alleviated CMD. Notch signaling pathway regulates Nrg-1 level through synergistic interaction with GCN5, thereby mitigating CMD.

First report of black patch disease caused by Phyllosticta capitalensis on Litsea cubeba in China.

Litsea cubeba, an economical important tree species originally from China, produces fruit from which essential oils are extracted and extensively used in the chemical industry (Zhang et al. 2020). In August 2021, a large-scale outbreak of black patch disease was first observed on the leaves of Litsea cubeba in Huaihua (27°33'N; 109°57'E), Hunan province, China (disease incidence 78%). A second outbreak in 2022, in the same area, lasted from June to August. Symptoms consisted of irregular lesions that initially appeared as small black patches near the lateral veins. These lesions grew along the lateral veins and formed feathery patches until almost the entire lateral veins of the leaves were infected by the pathogen. The infected plants grew poorly and eventually the leaves desiccated and the tree defoliated. To identify the causal agent, the pathogen was isolated from nine symptomatic leaves from three trees. Symptomatic leaves were washed with distilled water three times. Leaves were cut into small pieces (11 cm), surface sterilized with 75% ethanol for 10s and 0.1% HgCl2 for 3 min, and then washed 3 times in sterile distilled water. Surface disinfected leaf pieces were placed onto potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium with cephalothin (0.2 mg/ml) and incubated at 28°C for 4-8 days (about 16h light, 8h dark). Seven morphologically identical isolates were obtained, from which five were selected for further morphological examination and three for molecular identification and pathogenicity test. Strains from grayish white colonies with a granular surface and grayish black wavy edges; bottom of the colonies turned black over time. Conidia were hyaline and nearly elliptical, unicellular. The sizes of conidia ranged from 8.59 to 15.06 µm (n=50) in length and 3.57 to 6.36 µm (n=50) in width. These morphological characteristics are consistent with the description of Phyllosticta capitalensis (Guarnaccia et al. 2017, Wikee et al. 2013). To further confirm the identity of this pathogen, genomic DNA of three isolates (phy1, phy2 and phy3) were extracted to amplify the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, the 18S rDNA region, the transcription elongation factor (TEF), and actin (ACT) gene with ITS1/ITS4 (Cheng et al. 2019), NS1/NS8 (Zhan et al. 2014), EF1-728F/EF1-986R (Druzhinina et al. 2005) and ACT-512F/ACT-783R (Wikee et al. 2013) primers, respectively. Sequence similarity indicated that these isolates were highly homologous to Phyllosticta capitalensis. The ITS (Genbank No. OP863032, ON714650 and OP863033), 18S rDNA (Genbank No. OP863038, ON778575 and OP863039), TEF (Genbank No. OP905580, OP905581 and OP905582) and ACT (Genbank No. OP897308, OP897309 and OP897310) sequences of isolates Phy1, Phy2 and Phy3 shared up to 99%, 99%, 100% and 100% similarities with their counterparts (Genbank No. OP163688, MH051003, ON246258 and KY855652) in Phyllosticta capitalensis, respectively. To further confirm their identity, a neighbor-joining phylogenetic tree was generated using MEGA7. Based on morphological characteristics and sequence analysis, the three strains were identified as P. capitalensis. To fulfill Koch's postulates, conidial suspension (1×105 conidia per mL) collected from three isolates were independently inoculated on artificially wounded detached leaves and leaves on trees of Litsea cubeba. Leaves were inoculated with sterile distilled water as negative controls. The experiment was repeated three times. All pathogen-inoculated wounds exhibited necrotic lesions within 5 days on detached leaves and 10 days on the leaves growing on trees after inoculation, whereas no symptoms were observed on the controls. The pathogen was exclusively re-isolated from the infected leaves and showed identical morphological characteristics to those of the original pathogens. P. capitalensis is a destructive plant pathogen that has been shown to cause leaf spots or black patch symptoms on variety of host plants around the world (Wikee et al. 2013), including oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.), tea plant (Camellia sinensis), Rubus chingii and castor (Ricinus communis L.). To our knowledge, this is the first report of black patch disease of Litsea cubeba caused by P. capitalensis in China. This disease causes severe leaf abscission in fruit development stage of Litsea cubeba and leads to a large amount of fruit drop.

Acute effect of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitor on oxidized low-density lipoprotein and lipid profile in patients at cardiovascular risk.

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors are a new class of potent lipid-lowering drugs. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) is the key pathogenic factor leading to atherosclerosis. However, its effect on ox-LDL levels has not been clinically reported. The clinical data of 290 very high-risk atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) patients diagnosed in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from May 2022 to October 2022 were collected retrospectively. According to whether evolocumab (a PCSK9 inhibitor) was used after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), they were divided into evolocumab group (153 cases) and statin monotherapy group (137 cases). At hospital admission, ox-LDL, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoproteinA1 (apoA1), apolipoprotein B-100 (apoB), lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)], and high-sensitivity reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were collected and used as baseline data. After two weeks of treatment, ox-LDL in the evolocumab group and statin monotherapy group were significantly lower than those before treatment (p<0.05). The decrease of ox-LDL in the evolocumab group was more than in the stain monotherapy group (p<0.05). In conclusion, PCSK9 inhibitors reduce ox-LDL levels in very high-risk ASCVD patients in a short time.

Clinical characteristics and viral analysis of severe influenza A [H1N1]pdm09 in Guangzhou, 2019.

To understand the clinical characteristics of and analyze viral genes in patients with severe pneumonia due to [H1N1]pdm09 influenza virus in Guangzhou, 2019. The clinical data of 120 inpatients with laboratory-confirmed influenza A [H1N1]pdm09 virus from January to March 2019 were collected and analyzed. The subjects were diagnosed according to the criteria of the "Diagnosis and Treatment Program of Influenza A H1N1 (third Edition 2009)" issued by the Ministry of Health and were divided into severe and nonsevere groups. Serum samples during fever were collected for cytokine analysis, and the viral genes were analyzed after the virus cultured in MDCK cells. The data were analyzed by SPSS 16 software, and the results of gene sequencing were analyzed by MEGA 6 software. Among the 120 inpatients, 36 (30%) were severe and 84 (70%) were nonsevere patients. The average age of severe patients was 53.11 ± 19.94 years, the average age of nonsevere patients, at 44.03 ± 24.47 years. There was no significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.05). There were significant differences in the rates of moist rales and dyspnea in critically ill patients (p < 0.05). There were significant differences in the white blood cell count (WBC), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK), serum creatinine (sCr), procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in severe patients with type A H1N1. Chest radiologic findings in severe patients showed ground glass shadows or pulmonary solid changes, and the difference was statistically significant for pulmonary fibrosis. Chronic lung disease (52.8%) and cardiovascular disease (27.8%) were independent risk factors for severe disease (p < 0.05). There were significant differences in secondary infections by Staphylococcus aureus (11.1%), pulmonary Aspergillus (22%) and Acinetobacter baumannii (16.7%) in critically ill patients (p < 0.05). Serum IL-8 in critically ill patients was significantly higher than those in nonsevere patients and healthy controls. The origin of virus strains in severe and nonsevere patients was the same, and there was no obvious mutation in the amino acid region of the antigenic site of the HA protein, but compared with the results of gene sequencing in previous years, the mutation sites showed a trend of annual accumulation. In conclusion, there was a high risk of severe pneumonia caused by H1N1 influenza A virus in Guangzhou in spring 2019. Long-term continuous surveillance, prevention and control of the virus should be carried out to predict its epidemiology and distribution.

Evaluation of Platelet Count by Different Methods in Hyperlipidemia Specimens.

BACKGROUND: Changes in platelet count are associated with a variety of diseases and treatments. Measuring it gives better insight into the expected outcome. Our aim was to evaluate the accuracy of three methods for platelet count in hyperlipidemia samples. METHODS: Sixty non-lipid whole bloods from 60 individuals were included: 20 in low platelet count group, 20 in medium platelet count group, and 20 in high platelet count group. Then, 400 µL plasma was exchanged with 400 µL fat emulsion. Platelet count was measured after replacement by three methods, impedance method (Plt-I), optical method (Plt-O), and fluorescence method (Plt-F). RESULTS: In the low platelet count group with fat emulsion plasma exchange, except for Plt-O, other methods showed the predefined acceptance criterion (± 10%) covered the mean bias and 95% CI of proportional bias (slope) which were obtained from Bland-Altman plot and Passing-Bablok algorithm, respectively. In medium and high platelet count group with fat emulsion plasma exchange, the predefined acceptance mean bias and criterion of 95% CI of proportional bias (slope) and intercept were met only in Plt-F. In the medium platelet count group, the mean bias was -1.600% and the 95%CI of slope and intercept were 1.000 (0.815 to 1.071) and -0.500 (-12.831 to 23.907), respectively. In the high platelet count group, the mean bias was -2.250% and the 95%CI of slope and intercept were 1.071 (0.974 to 1.225) and -33.8142 (-113.703 to 8.339), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that the Plt-F can more accurately reflect the true platelet count of lipemia specimens compared with Plt-I or Plt-O.

First report of leaf spot disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum on Litsea cubeba in China.

Litsea cubeba, an important industrial plant species that originated in China, produces fruit essential oil extensively applied in the chemical industry (Xiang et al. 2020). In July 2020, a large-scale outbreak of leaf spot disease on Litsea cubeba was first observed and then monitored over time in Yueyang (29°37'N; 113°13'E) and Changsha (28°06'N; 113°02'E), Hunan province, China. Symptoms of this disease consisted of round-shaped lesions that initially appeared as small light-brown spots. With the increase in number, these small spots coalesced into larger, dark-brown lesions leading to yellowing and abscission of the leaves. To identify the causal agent this disease, the pathogen was isolated with a tissue separation method (Gao et al. 2020). The infected leaf tissues surface-disinfected with 75% ethanol and 0.1% HgCl were aseptically cut into small pieces (11 cm) and then placed onto potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium with cephalothin (0.2 mg/ml) and incubated at 28°C for 3-5 days. The purified colonies on PDA exhibited fluffy white hyphae, secreted a dark red pigment that had been observed in previous studies (Xiao et al. 2015) and produced microconidia and macroconidia. The microconidia were single-celled, non-septate, ovoid, and ranged from 3.08 to 13.89 µm long and 2.17 to 3.62 µm wide (n=50). Macroconidia were three to five-septate, slightly curved, and ranged from 11.77 to 26.85 µm long and 3.31 to 4.50 µm wide (n=50). These morphological features suggested that theisolates were most likely Fusarium oxysporum (Savian et al. 2021). To further confirm the identity of this pathogen (designated as Fox-1), the TEF-1a gene (Genbank accession No. OM281065) and rDNA ITS region (Genbank accession No. OM250084) were cloned and then sequenced (Cui et al, 2021). Sequence alignments indicated that the ITS and TEF-1a sequences shared 99.8% (504/505) and 99.7% (665/667) similarities with that of F. oxysporum (Genbank accession No. MF667966, KT230848), respectively. Both of the morphological characteristics and molecular data were used to identify this pathogen as F. oxysporum Schltdl.: Fr. 1824. To further verify whether these isolates of F. oxysporum can cause leaf spot disease, Koch's postulates were tested (Gradmann 2014). The purified pathogens were inoculated on artificial wounds of detached Litsea cubeba leaves and the leaves on the field plants of Litsea cubeba, respectively. The wounds of leaves were inoculated with sterile distilled water as negative controls. The experiment was performed independently three times, each with three leaves and three inoculated wounds on each leaf. All pathogen-inoculated wounds developed dark brown or black lesions on detached leaves within 3 days and on leaves on plants within 9 days, whereas the controls showed no symptoms. Re-isolations from infected leaves confirmed that the re-isolated pathogens possessed identical morphological characteristics to those of the original pathogens. To our knowledge, this is the first report of leaf spot infection of Litsea cubeba caused by F. oxysporum in China. This disease severely delays plant development and significantly decreases the yield of essential oil of Litsea cubeba. Our results laid a foundation for the subsequent research into pathogenic mechanisms drug sensitivity tests, which will contribute to the prevention and cure of leaf spot disease of Litsea cubeba. References: Cui, L. X., et al. 2021. Plant Dis. 105:7. Gao, W., et al. 2020. Plant Dis. 105:501. Gradmann. 2014. J. Microbes Infect. 16:885-892. Savian, L. G., et al. 2021. Plant Dis. 104:1870. Xiang, Y. J., et al. 2020. J. Chin. Cereals Oils Assco. 35:186-195. Xiao, J. L., et al. 2015. Hunan Agric. Sci. 4:105-108.

Clinical Features, Replication Competence, and Innate Immune Responses of Human Adenovirus Type 7 Infection.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic reports suggest that the most severe or fatal adenoviral disease in children might be associated with human adenovirus (HAdV) type 7. However, the pathogenesis of HAdV-7-induced severe disease remains poorly understood. METHODS: HAdV-3 and HAdV-7 replication kinetics and the host response to infection were compared using ex vivo human lung tissue cultures. Furthermore, cytokine and chemokine levels and the presence of adenovirus DNA in the serum of hospitalized children infected with HAdV-7 (n = 65) or HAdV-3 (n = 48) were measured (using a multiplex immunoassay and Taqman real-time polymerase chain reaction, respectively). RESULTS: Among 471 HAdV-positive specimens, HAdV-3 or HAdV-7 was the most prevalent genotype during 2014-2016 or 2018, respectively. The incidence of severe pneumonia was higher in HAdV-7-infected than in HAdV-3-infected individuals (30.1% vs 4.5%, respectively). HAdV-7 replicated more efficiently than HAdV-3 ex vivo. Interferon-induced protein 10, interleukin 6, and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 levels were significantly higher in HAdV-7-infected than in HAdV-3-infected children. Adenovirus DNA was detected in serum samples from 40% and 4.2% of HAdV-7- and HAdV-3-infected children, respectively. Furthermore, viremia was strongly associated with severe clinical presentations. CONCLUSIONS: The pathogenesis of HAdV-7-induced severe disease was probably associated with high replication competence and hyperinflammatory responses. The detection of adenovirus DNA in blood may be useful in assessing risk for severe disease.

Room-temperature ferromagnetism in two-dimensional transition metal borides: a first-principles investigation.

It is currently technologically important to predict new two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnetic materials for next-generation information storage media. However, discovered 2D ferromagnetic materials are still rare. Here, we explored the fact that 2D transition metal borides are potential room-temperature 2D ferromagnetic materials. By performing first-principles calculations, we found that the CrB monolayer is a ferromagnetic (FM) metal, while the FeB monolayer is a typically antiferromagnetic (AFM) semiconductor. Interestingly, both CrB and FeB monolayers are FM metals with a moderate magnetic anisotropy energy by saturating with functional groups. Monte Carlo simulations show that the Curie temperature (Tc) of the CrB monolayer is about 520 K, which is further increased to 580 K and 570 K through -F and -OH chemical modification, while Tc is about 250 K, 275 K and 300 K for the FeBF, FeBO and FeBOH monolayer, respectively. Thus, the 2D transition metal borides have great potential applications in information storage devices.

[Analysis on quality value transfer of substance benchmarks of Qingwei San].

By preparing 10 batches of substance benchmarks freeze-drying powder( lyophilized powder),the methodology of the characteristic spectrum and the content of index component for substance benchmarks of Qingwei San was established. The characteristic peaks and the similarity range of the characteristic spectrum,the contents and the transfer rate range of isoferulic acid,palmatine and paeonol,and the paste-forming rate range were determined to define key quality attributes of substance benchmarks of Qingwei San. In the10 batches of substance benchmarks of Qingwei San,the similarity of characteristic spectrum was higher than 0. 90. In further comparison of the characteristic peak information,a total of 16 characteristic peaks were identified,including 5 characteristic peaks from Cimicifugae Rhizoma,5 characteristic peaks from Coptidis Rhizoma,2 characteristic peaks from Angelicae Sinensis Radix and 4 characteristic peaks from Moutan Cortex. The content of isoferulic acid was 0. 10%-0. 18%,with the average transfer rate of 49. 82%±4. 02%. The content of palmatine was 0. 17%-0. 31%,with the average transfer rate of 15. 84% ±2. 39%. The content of paeonol was 0. 41%-0. 75%,with the average transfer rate of 23. 41%±3. 23%. The paste-forming rate of the 10 batches of substance benchmarks were controlled at 27%-33%,with the transfer rate between the theoretical paste-forming rate and the actual paste-forming rate was 86. 59%±3. 39%. In this study,the quality value transfer of substance benchmarks of Qingwei San was analyzed by the combination of characteristic spectrum,the content of index component and the paste-forming rate. A scientific and stable evaluation method was preliminarily established,so as to provide the basis for subsequent development and quality control of relevant preparations of Qingwei San.

De novo transcriptome analysis of the mussel Perna viridis after exposure to the toxic dinoflagellate Prorocentrum lima.

Diarrheic shellfish poisoning (DSP) toxins are produced by harmful microalgae and accumulate in bivalve mollusks, causing various toxicity. These toxic effects appear to abate with increasing DSP concentration and longer exposure time, however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. To explore the underlying molecular mechanisms, de novo transcriptome analysis of the digestive gland of Perna viridis was performed after Prorocentrum lima exposure. RNA-seq analysis showed that 1886 and 237 genes were up- and down-regulated, respectively after 6 h exposure to P. lima, while 265 genes were up-regulated and 217 genes were down-regulated after 96 h compared to the control. These differentially expressed genes mainly involved in Nrf2 signing pathways, immune stress, apoptosis and cytoskeleton, etc. Combined with qPCR results, we speculated that the mussel P. viridis might mainly rely on glutathione S-transferase (GST) and ABC transporters to counteract DSP toxins during short-term exposure. However, longer exposure of P. lima could activate the Nrf2 signaling pathway and inhibitors of apoptosis protein (IAP), which in turn reduced the damage of DSP toxins to the mussel. DSP toxins could induce cytoskeleton destabilization and had some negative impact on the immune system of bivalves. Collectively, our findings uncovered the crucial molecular mechanisms and the regulatory metabolic nodes that underpin the defense mechanism of bivalves against DSP toxins and also advanced our current understanding of bivalve defense mechanisms.

Discovery of a Hybrid Molecule with Phytotoxic Activity by Genome Mining, Heterologous Expression, and OSMAC Strategy.

Genome mining in association with the OSMAC (one strain, many compounds) approach provides a feasible strategy to extend the chemical diversity and novelty of natural products. In this study, we identified the biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) of restricticin, a promising antifungal agent featuring a reactive primary amine, from the fungus Aspergillus sclerotiorum LZDX-33-4 by genome mining. Combining heterologous expression and the OSMAC strategy resulted in the production of a new hybrid product (1), along with N-acetyl-restricticin (2) and restricticinol (3). The structure of 1 was determined by spectroscopic data, including optical rotation and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations, for configurational assignment. Compound 1 represents a fusion of restricticin and phytotoxic cichorin. The biosynthetic pathway of 1 was proposed, in which the condensation of a primary amine of restricticin with a precursor of cichorine was postulated. Compound 1 at 5 mM concentration inhibited the growth of the shoots and roots of Lolium perenne, Festuca arundinacea, and Lactuca sativa with inhibitory rates of 71.3 and 88.7% for L. perenne, 79.4 and 73.0% for F. arundinacea, and 58.2 and 52.9% for L. sativa. In addition, compound 1 at 25 µg/mL showed moderate antifungal activity against Fusarium fujikuroi and Trichoderma harzianum with inhibition rates of 22.6 and 31.6%, respectively. These results suggest that heterologous expression in conjunction with the OSMAC approach provides a promising strategy to extend the metabolite novelty due to the incorporation of endogenous metabolites from the host strain with exogenous compounds, leading to the production of more complex compounds and the acquisition of new physiological functions.

Clinical efficacy of thalidomide for various genotypes of beta thalassemia.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of thalidomide across various genotype presentations of ß-thalassemia so as to facilitate the early screening of thalidomide-sensitive thalassemia cases and to understand the impact of iron overload on thalidomide. METHODS: From our initial sample of 52 patients, we observed 48 patients with ß-thalassemia for two years after administration of thalidomide. This cohort included 34 patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT) and 14 patients with non-transfusion-dependent thalassemia (NTDT). We recorded the values of hemoglobin (Hb), fetal hemoglobin (HbF), and serum ferritin (SF) in the baseline period and at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after enrollment, as well as the pre- and post-treatment blood transfusion volume in all 48 cases. According to the increase in Hb levels from baseline during the 6-month observation period, the response to thalidomide was divided into four levels: main response (MaR), minor response (MiR), slow response (SLR), and no response (NR). A decrease in serum ferritin levels compared to baseline was considered alleviation of iron overload. We calculated the overall response rate (ORR) as follows: ORR = MaR + MiR + SLR/number of observed cases. RESULTS: The ORR was 91.7% (44/48 cases), and 72.9% showed MaR (35/48 cases). Among the 34 patients with TDT, 21 patients (61.8%) were free of blood transfusion, and the remaining 13 patients still required blood transfusion, but their total blood transfusion volume reduced by 31.3% when compared to the baseline. We found a total of 33 cases with 10 combinations of advantageous genes, which included 5 cases with ßCD41-42/ßCD17 and 6 cases with ßCD41-42/ß-28. Based on the treatment outcomes among the 48 cases in the observation group, there were 33 cases in the MaR group and 15 cases in the SLR/NR group. There was a difference in HbF between the two groups at baseline (P = 0.041). There were significant differences between the two groups in Hb and HbF at the time points of 6 and 12 months, respectively (P < 0.001). Compared to the baseline measurement, there was a significant decrease in the level of SF at months 12 and 24 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In this study, we identified 10 ß-thalassemia gene combinations that were sensitive to thalidomide. These gene combinations can be used for initial screening and to predict the therapeutic effect of thalidomide in clinical practice. We examined the therapeutic response to thalidomide and found that the administration of thalidomide in combination with standardized iron removal was more beneficial in reducing iron overload.

Intercropping of tobacco and maize at seedling stage promotes crop growth through manipulating rhizosphere microenvironment.

Introduction: Changes in the rhizosphere microbiome and metabolites resulting from crop intercropping can significantly enhance crop growth. While there has been an increasing number of studies on various crop combinations, research on the intercropping of tobacco and maize at seedling stage remains limited. Methods: This study is the first to explore rhizosphere effects of intercropping between tobacco and maize seedling stages, we analyzed the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium nutrients in the soil, and revealed the important effects on soil microbial community composition and metabolite profiles, thereby regulating crop growth and improving soil balance. Results and discussion: Compared with mono-cropping, intercropping increased the biomass of the two crops and promoted the nutrient absorption of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Under intercropping conditions, the activities of sucrase, catalase and nitrate reductase in tobacco rhizosphere soil and the content of available potassium, the activities of nitrate reductase and acid phosphatase in maize rhizosphere soil were significantly increasing. Rhizosphere soil bacterial and fungal communities such as Sphingomonas, Massilia, Humicola and Penicillium respond differently to crop planting patterns, and soil dominant microbial communities are regulated by environmental factors such as pH, Organic Matter, Available Potassium, Nitrate Reductase, and Urease Enzyme. Network analysis showed that soil microbial communities were more complex after intercropping, and the reciprocal relationship between bacteria and fungi was enhanced. The difference of metabolites in soil between intercropping and monocropping system was mainly concentrated in galactose metabolism, starch and sucrose metabolism pathway, and the content of carbohydrate metabolites was significantly higher than that of monocropping soil. Key metabolites such as D-Sucrose, D-Fructose-6-Phosphate, D-Glucose-1-Phosphatel significantly influence the composition of dominant microbial communities such as Sphingomonas and Penicillium. This study explained the effects of intercropping between flue-cured tobacco and maize on the content of soil metabolites and soil microbial composition in rhizosphere soil, and deepened the understanding that intercropping system can improve the growth of flue-cured crops seedlings through rhizosphere effects.

A novel m6A/m5C/m1A score signature to evaluate prognosis and its immunotherapy value in colon cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Colon cancer features strong heterogeneity and invasiveness, with high incidence and mortality rates. Recently, RNA modifications involving m6A, m5C, and m1A play a vital part in tumorigenesis and immune cell infiltration. However, integrated analysis among various RNA modifications in colon cancer has not been performed. METHODS: RNA-seq profiling, clinical data and mutation data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus. We first explored the mutation status and expression levels of m6A/m5C/m1A regulators in colon cancer. Then, different m6A/m5C/m1A clusters and gene clusters were identified by consensus clustering analysis. We further constructed and validated a scoring system, which could be utilized to accurately assess the risk of individuals and guide personalized immunotherapy. Finally, m6A/m5C/m1A regulators were validated by immunohistochemical staining and RT-qPCR. RESULTS: In our study, three m6A/m5C/m1A clusters and gene clusters were identified. Most importantly, we constructed a m6A/m5C/m1A scoring system to assess the clinical risk of the individuals. Besides, the prognostic value of the score was validated with three independent cohorts. Moreover, the level of the immunophenoscore of the low m6A/m5C/m1A score group increased significantly with CTLA-4/PD-1 immunotherapy. Finally, we validated that the mRNA and protein expression of VIRMA and DNMT3B increased in colon cancer tissues. CONCLUSIONS: We constructed and validated a stable and powerful m6A/m5C/m1A score signature to assess the survival outcomes and immune infiltration characteristics of colon cancer patients, which further guides optimization of personalized treatment, making it valuable for clinical translation and implementation.

Association Between Intestinal Prevotella copri Abundance and Glycemic Fluctuation in Patients with Brittle Diabetes.

Objective: Previous studies have demonstrated an association between gut microbiota composition and non-brittle type 2 diabetes (NBT2DM) pathogenesis. However, little is known about the correlation between the abundance of intestinal Prevotella copri and glycemic fluctuations in patients with brittle diabetes mellitus (BDM). In this context, we conducted a case-control study of BDM patients and patients with NBT2DM, aiming to determine and analyze the relationship between the abundance of intestinal Prevotella copri and glycemic fluctuations in patients with BDM. Research Design and methods: We performed a metagenomic analysis of the gut microbiome obtained from fecal samples of 10 BDM patients, and compared their microbial composition and function to NBT2DM patients (1:1 ratio). Then further collected data including age, sex, BMI, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), blood lipids, and alpha diversity of the gut microbiota, which were comparable between the BDM and NBT2DM patients by t-test. Results: A significant difference existed in the beta diversity of the gut microbiota between the two groups (PCoA, R2 = 0.254, P = 0.0001). The phylum-level abundance of Bacteroidetes in the gut microbiota of the BDM patients was significantly lower, by 24.9% (P = 0.001), than that of the NBT2DM patients. At the gene level, the abundance of Prevotella copri was obviously reduced, Correlation analysis showed that the Prevotella copri abundance was inversely correlated to the standard deviation of blood glucose (SDBG) (r = -0.477, P = 0.034). Quantitative PCR confirmed that the abundance of Prevotella copri in the BDM patients in the validation cohort was significantly lower than that in NBT2DM patients, and was negatively correlated with SDBG (r = -0.318, P = 0.043). Glycemic variability in BDM was inversely correlated with the abundance of intestinal Prevotella copri. Conclusion: The decreased abundance of Prevotella copri in patients with BDM may be associated with glycemic fluctuation.

Feline umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells: isolation, identification, and antioxidative stress role through NF-κB signaling pathway.

At present, the differentiation potential and antioxidant activity of feline umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) have not been clearly studied. In this study, feline UC-MSCs were isolated by tissue adhesion method, identified by flow cytometry detection of cell surface markers (CD44, CD90, CD34, and CD45), and induced differentiation toward osteogenesis and adipogenesis in vitro. Furthermore, the oxidative stress model was established with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (100 µM, 300 µM, 500 µM, 700 µM, and 900 µM). The antioxidant properties of feline UC-MSCs and feline fibroblasts were compared by morphological observation, ROS detection, cell viability via CCK-8 assay, as well as oxidative and antioxidative parameters via ELISA. The mRNA expression of genes related to NF-κB pathway was detected via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, while the levels of NF-κB signaling cascade-related proteins were determined via Western Blot. The results showed that feline UC-MSCs highly expressed CD44 and CD90, while negative for CD34 and CD45 expression. Feline UC-MSCs cultured under osteogenic and adipogenic conditions showed good differentiation capacity. After being exposed to different concentrations of H2O2 for eight hours, feline UC-MSCs exhibited the significantly higher survival rate than feline fibroblasts. A certain concentration of H2O2 could up-regulate the activities of SOD2 and GSH-Px in feline UC-MSCs. The expression levels of p50, MnSOD, and FHC mRNA in feline UC-MSCs stimulated by 300 µM and 500 µM H2O2 significantly increased compared with the control group. Furthermore, it was observed that 500 µM H2O2 significantly enhanced the protein levels of p-IκB, IκB, p-p50, p50, MnSOD, and FHC, which could be reversed by BAY 11-7,082, a NF-κB signaling pathway inhibitor. In conclusion, it was confirmed that feline UC-MSCs, with good osteogenesis and adipogenesis abilities, had better antioxidant property which might be related to NF-κB signaling pathway. This study lays a foundation for the further application of feline UC-MSCs in treating the various inflammatory and oxidative injury diseases of pets.

Detection, isolation, and identification of cadmium-resistant bacteria based on PCR-DGGE.

This study focused on the screening of cadmium-resistant bacterial strains from Pb-Zn tailing. We investigated the diversity of microbial community inhabiting Dong-san-cha Pb-Zn tailing in Beijing, China, by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of 16S rRNA gene of bacterial strain, and found two dominant strains in the DGGE profile. Using special culture media, we isolated two strong cadmium-resistant bacterial strains. On the basis of morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics, BIOLOG, and 16S rDNA sequencing, the two strains were identified as Bacillus cereus and Enterobacter cloacae. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of heavy metals for the bacteria were determined. E. cloacae showed higher MIC values for heavy metals and a larger range of antibiotic resistance than B. cereus.

Exposure of okadaic acid alters the angiogenesis in developing chick embryos.

Okadaic acid (OA) is a common phycotoxin, which concerns diarrheic shellfish poisoning (DSP) in human being. It has been known that OA can induce disorganization in cytoskeletal architecture and cell-cell contact, cause chromosome loss, apoptosis, DNA damage and inhibit phosphatases, suggesting its potential embryotoxicity. In this paper, we found that low concentration of OA (50 nM, 100 nM and 200 nM) significantly reduced the density of vascular plexus in yolk-sac membrane (YSM) of chick embryo, while high concentration of OA (500 nM) distinctly depressed the blood vessel density in chorioallantoic membrane (CAM). After exposed to OA, MDA level and SOD activity increased significantly in CAM tissues. However, addition of vitamin C could rescue OA-suppressed angiogenesis in CAM of chick embryo. After exposure of OA, Ang-2 expression was down-regulated in CAM tissues. Taking together, we proposed that OA interfered with angiogenesis in developing chick embryo, through, at least partly, the induction of excessive ROS generation.

Epigenetic priming with decitabine followed by low-dose idarubicin/cytarabine has an increased anti-leukemic effect compared to traditional chemotherapy in high-risk myeloid neoplasms.

Decitabine (DAC) is commonly used for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Previous studies have indicated DAC sequentially combined with idarubicin was an effective treatment for myeloid neoplasms. Therefore, a clinical study was conducted of the sequential combination of DAC followed by low-dose idarubicin/cytarabine in high-risk myeloid neoplasms. A total of 30 patients with a diagnosis of high-risk MDS, AML evolving from MDS or relapsed/refractory AML were enrolled in the study. DAC was administered 20 mg/m(2) daily for 3 consecutive days. Idarubicin (3 mg/m(2)/day) was administered 24 h after the last administration of DAC for 5-7 consecutive days, combined with cytarabine (30 mg/m(2)/day) for 7-14 days. The overall complete remission rate was 66.67%. The results demonstrate that epigenetic priming with decitabine followed by low-dose idarubicin/ytarabine has an increased anti-leukemia effect compared to traditional chemotherapy in high-risk myeloid neoplasms.