Synthetic consortia of four strains promote Schisandra chinensis growth by regulating soil microbial community and improving soil fertility.

MAIN CONCLUSION: Synthetic consortia performed better in promoting Schisandra chinensis growth than individual strains, and this result provides valuable information for the development of synthetic microbial fertilizers. Schisandra chinensis is an herbal medicine that can treat numerous diseases. However, the excessive reliance on chemical fertilizers during the plantation of S. chinensis has severely restricted the development of the S. chinensis planting industry. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can promote the growth of a wide range of crops, and synthetic consortia of them are frequently superior to those of a single strain. In this study, we compared the effects of four PGPR and their synthetic consortia on S. chinensis growth. The pot experiment showed that compared with the control, synthetic consortia significantly increased the plant height, biomass, and total chlorophyll contents of S. chinensis, and their combined effects were better than those of individual strains. In addition, they improved the rhizosphere soil fertility (e.g., TC and TN contents) and enzyme activities (e.g., soil urease activity) and affected the composition and structure of soil microbial community significantly, including promoting the enrichment of beneficial microorganisms (e.g., Actinobacteria and Verrucomicrobiota) and increasing the relative abundance of Proteobacteria, a dominant bacterial phylum. They also enhanced the synergistic effect between the soil microorganisms. The correlation analysis between soil physicochemical properties and microbiome revealed that soil microorganisms participated in regulating soil fertility and promoting S. chinensis growth. This study may provide a theoretical basis for the development of synthetic microbial fertilizers for S. chinensis.

Childhood trauma and internalizing and externalizing behavior problems among adolescents: Role of executive function and life events stress.

INTRODUCTION: Exposure to childhood trauma is found to increase internalizing and externalizing behavior problems in adolescents, however, the potential mechanism of this link remains underexplored. This study investigated the associations between childhood trauma and internalizing and externalizing behavior problems among adolescents, and tested the mediating role of executive function and the moderating role of life events stress in this relationship. METHODS: Questionnaire data were collected from 952 junior students in Northwest China. Participants ranged in age from 11 to 15 years old (M = 12.88 years, SD = 0.72; 53% females). SPSS 26.0 was used to analyze the relationship between variables and examine the mediation model and the moderated mediation model. RESULTS: Childhood trauma was positively associated with internalizing and externalizing behavior problems among adolescents. In addition, executive function partially mediated the relations between childhood trauma and internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. Life events stress was observed to moderate the relations between childhood trauma and executive function, as well as executive function and internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, but the effect sizes were relatively small. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the role of executive function and life events stress in the association between childhood trauma and behavioral problems among adolescents.

Effects of Stigma on the Relationship Between Perceived Social Support and Sexual Satisfaction Among Breast Cancer Survivors.

BACKGROUND: Sexual satisfaction is one of the issues faced by breast cancer survivors (BCSs). AIM: This study aims to explore the mediation of stigma in the relationship between perceived social support (PSS) and sexual satisfaction among breast cancer survivors. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 918 BCSs in Shanghai Cancer Rehabilitation Club. Data were collected using an online questionnaire including questions on sociodemographic characteristics, health status, PSS, stigma and sexual satisfaction of participants. The bootstrap method was used to test the significance of the simple mediation model. OUTCOMES: The simple mediation of stigma was found significant in the relationship between PSS and sexual satisfaction. RESULTS: Stigma plays an intermediary role in the relationship between 2 dimensions of PSS (family and friends) and sexual satisfaction, but not in the relationship between the dimension of other significant people of PSS and sexual satisfaction. CLINICAL TRANSLATION: It is important to reduce stigma when improving the sexual satisfaction of BCSs from the perspective of PSS. STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: The mediating role of stigma in the relationship between PSS and sexual satisfaction among BCSs has been shown for the first time. Study limitations include limitations in the representativeness of population by the study sample and the cross-sectional study design. CONCLUSIONS: Stigma mediates the relationship between PSS and sexual satisfaction, which needs to be eliminated in intervention practice. Yuxin Zhang, Jie Zhao, Nan Jiang, et al. Effects of Stigma on the Relationship Between Perceived Social Support and Sexual Satisfaction Among Breast Cancer Survivors. J Sex Med 2022;19:1002-1011.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase L1 represses endothelial-mesenchymal transition by inhibiting IL-1ß/NF-κB/Snail signaling.

Endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EnMT) plays a pivotal role in various diseases, including pulmonary hypertension (PH), and transcription factors like Snail are key regulators of EnMT. In this study we investigated how these factors were regulated by PH risk factors (e.g. inflammation and hypoxia) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). We showed that treatment with interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß) induced EnMT of HUVECs via activation of NF-κB/Snail pathway, which was further exacerbated by knockdown of protein tyrosine phosphatase L1 (PTPL1). We demonstrated that PTPL1 inhibited NF-κB/Snail through dephosphorylating and stabilizing IκBα. IL-1ß or hypoxia could downregulate PTPL1 expression in HUVECs. The deregulation of PTPL1/NF-κB signaling was validated in a monocrotaline-induced rat PH (MCT-PH) model and clinical PH specimens. Our findings provide novel insights into the regulatory mechanisms of EnMT, and have implications for identifying new therapeutic targets for clinical PH.

Analyzing nanoparticle-induced neurotoxicity: A bibliometric analysis.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, nanoparticles have been widely used in many fields, ranging from cosmetics, agriculture, environment, and biomedical areas. The increasing use of nanoproducts induces a potential increasing exposure to human body, and then, unknown pathological consequences could increase. METHODS: The database was searched from 2008 to 2018 by the Web of Science Core Collection. The bibliometric methods, CiteSpace and HistCite, were used for analysis and visualization of the data. RESULTS: The 2932 publications were analyzed and the annual publications grew from 78 to 512 in a decade. The United States and China mainly contribute to this research area, which accounted for 29.5% and 22.9%, respectively. PLoS One, Scientific Reports, and Nanoscale were the three journals that published the most articles. Keyword analysis indicated that the major research direction was the mechanisms of nanoneurotoxicity, which included oxidative stress, inflammation, astrocyte activation, and the fibrillation of amyloid ß protein. CONCLUSION: This bibliometric study revealed that nanoneurotoxicity was still a research hot topic and could be a promising area of research in the next few years. Nanoparticles play a role in neurodegenerative diseases by inducing reactive oxygen species production, inflammation, alterations of gene expression, and signal pathways.

Full genome sequence analysis and putative host-shifting of Milk vetch dwarf virus infecting tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) in China.

BACKGROUND: Tobacco production in China has been affected by plant viruses with Milk vetch dwarf virus (MDV) as a recent invader posing serious concern. According to most of the studies, MDV mainly infects hosts from Fabaceae family but in our previous study we reported its infection in tobacco plant (Nicotiana tabacum L.) in Shandong province. FINDINGS: In current study (2016-2017), tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum) with severe stunting, yellowing and axillary bunch of new leaves were observed in Zhengning, Gansu province. Isolate GSZN yielded into eight genomic circular single-stranded DNA components while no alphasatellite DNA was obtained. High percent identity of this isolate was recorded in overall nucleotide and amino acid assembly with reported MDV isolates worldwide. Phylogenetic analysis fetched into a separate sub-clade comprising of new isolate along with other tobacco infecting isolates of MDV. While recombination was predicted in DNA-C encoding Clink protein and DNA-U1, which may attribute towards the potential host-shifting phenomenon and ability of this virus to expand its host range. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge this is the first full genome annotation of a Nanovirus, infecting tobacco in natural field conditions, also this is the first extended analysis on host-shifting behavior of MDV.

Crosstalk between the Akt/mTORC1 and NF-κB signaling pathways promotes hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension by increasing DPP4 expression in PASMCs.

Abnormal wound healing by pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) promotes vascular remodeling in hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (HPH). Increasing evidence shows that both the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) are involved in the development of HPH. In this study, we explored the crosstalk between mTORC1 and NF-κB in PASMCs cultured under hypoxic condition and in a rat model of hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (HPH). We showed that hypoxia promoted wound healing of PASMCs, which was dose-dependently blocked by the mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin (5-20 nM). In PASMCs, hypoxia activated mTORC1, which in turn promoted the phosphorylation of NF-κB. Molecular docking revealed that mTOR interacted with IκB kinases (IKKs) and that was validated by immunoprecipitation. In vitro kinase assays and mass spectrometry demonstrated that mTOR phosphorylated IKKα and IKKß separately. Inhibition of mTORC1 decreased the level of phosphorylated IKKα/ß, thus reducing the phosphorylation and transcriptional activity of NF-κB. Bioinformatics study revealed that dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) was a target gene of NF-κB; DPP4 inhibitor, sitagliptin (10-500 µM) effectively inhibited the abnormal wound healing of PASMCs under hypoxic condition. In the rat model of HPH, we showed that NF-κB activation (at 3 weeks) was preceded by mTOR signaling activation (after 1 or 2 weeks) in lungs, and administration of sitagliptin (1-5 mg/kg every day, ig) produced preventive effects against the development of HPH. In conclusion, hypoxia activates the crosstalk between mTORC1 and NF-κB, and increased DPP4 expression in PASMCs that leads to vascular remodeling. Sitagliptin, a DPP4 inhibitor, exerts preventive effect against HPH.

Saccharopolyspora qinghaiensis sp. nov., a novel actinobacterium isolated from a salt lake.

A novel halophilic, Gram-positive and aerobic actinobacterium, designated strain AFM 20147T, was isolated from a sediment sample collected from Xiaochaidan Salt Lake of Qinghai, China. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain AFM 20147T belongs to the genus Saccharopolyspora, shows high sequence similarities to Saccharopolyspora griseoalba AFM 10238T (99.41%) and Saccharopolyspora halophila YIM 90500T (98.20%), and has low similarities (below 98.0%) with other members of the genus. The DNA-DNA relatedness values of strain AFM 20147T with S. griseoalba AFM 10238T and S. halophila YIM 90500T were 40 ± 1.7% and 37 ± 2.3%, respectively. Optimal growth was found to occur at 28 °C, pH 7.5 and in the presence of 7.5% (w/v) NaCl. Strain AFM 20147T was found to contain meso-diaminopimelic acid as the cell wall diamino acid, and galactose and arabinose as the whole cell sugars. The major fatty acids were identified as iso-C15:0, iso-C16:0 and anteiso-C17:0. The major polar lipids were identified as diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmethylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylcholine. MK-9(H4) was found to be the predominant menaquinone and the DNA G+C content was determined to be 67.8 mol%. DNA-DNA relatedness data, together with phenotypic and chemotaxonomic differences, clearly distinguish the isolate from its close neighbours. On the basis of the data from this polyphasic analysis, a novel species Saccharopolyspora qinghaiensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is S. qinghaiensis AFM 20147T (=KCTC 49190T =CGMCC 4.7556T).

Exploring the Abundance and Diversity of Bacterial Communities and Quantifying Antibiotic-Related Genes Along an Elevational Gradient in Taibai Mountain, China.

Thus far, no studies have investigated the soil microbial diversity over an elevational gradient in Taibai Mountain, the central massif of the Qinling Mountain Range. Here, we used Illumina sequencing and quantitative PCR of the 16S rRNA gene to assess the diversity and abundance of bacterial communities along an elevational gradient in representative vegetation soils in Taibai Mountain. We identified the soil, climate, and vegetation factors driving the variations in soil bacterial community structure by Pearson correlation and redundancy analysis. We also evaluated the potential for antibiotic discovery by quantitative PCR of the PKS-I, PKS-II, and NRPS genes from Actinobacteria. The results showed that soil bacterial alpha diversity increased first and then decreased with an elevational rise in both the northern and southern slopes of Taibai Mountain. The bacterial abundance was significantly correlated with soil organic matter and nitrate nitrogen. The average relative abundance of Actinobacteria in Taibai Mountain was markedly higher than those in other mountain forest soils. The absolute abundance of PKS and NPRS gene was significantly higher in the tested soils compared with the gene copy numbers reported in tropical urban soils. Taibai Mountain is rich in actinomycete resources and has great potential for antibiotic excavation.

Haloactinomyces albus gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from the Dead Sea.

A novel halophilic, filamentous actinomycete strain, designated AFM 10258T, was isolated from a sediment sample collected from the Dead Sea of Israel. The isolate grew with 10-35 % NaCl and did not grow without NaCl. The isolate formed white aerial mycelium and long spore chains, and two spores were separated by sterile mycelium. The spores were non-motile, spherical and rugose-surfaced. The isolate contained meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid and galactose and arabinose as the major whole-cell sugars. The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmethylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and three unknown phospholipids. Major fatty acids were anteiso-C17 : 0, iso-C16 : 0 and iso-C15 : 0. MK-9(H4) was the predominant menaquinone and the DNA G+C content was 62.8 mol%. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain AFM 10258T shared low sequence similarity with the closely related representatives of the families Pseudonocardiaceae (below 94.47 %) and Actinopolysporaceae (below 93.76 %). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain AFM 10258T formed a robust clade with members of the family Actinopolysporaceae. On the basis of analysis of phenotypic, chemical and molecular characteristics, strain AFM 10258T is considered to represent a novel species of a new genus, for which the name Haloactinomyces albus gen. nov., sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is AFM 10258T (=DSM 45977T=CGMCC 4.7115T).

Reclassification of Mzabimyces algeriensis Saker et al. 2015 as Halopolyspora algeriensis comb. nov.

Halopolyspora alba AFM10251T was proposed to represent a novel species of a new genus belonging to the family Actinopolysporaceae in a previous study. The family Mzabimycetaceae , containing one genus, Mzabimyces, was proposed subsequently and Mzabimyces algeriensis H195T was the type strain. However, analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity showed that the two strains were highly similar (99.2 %). Phenotypic and chemotaxonomic data, as well as DNA-DNA hybridization confirmed that the two strains are different genomic species of the same genus, Halopolyspora. Mzabimyces algeriensis should be classified in the genus Halopolyspora as Halopolysporaalgeriensis comb. nov. The type strain of Halopolysporaalgeriensis is H195T (=DSM 46680T=CECT 8575T).

A Novel Multi-Epitope Vaccine Based on Urate Transporter 1 Alleviates Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes by Producing Anti-URAT1 Antibody and an Immunomodulatory Effect in C57BL/6J Mice.

Hyperuricemia (HUA) is related to diabetes. Uric acid-induced inflammation and oxidative stress are risk factors for diabetes and its complications. Human urate transporter 1 (URAT1) regulates the renal tubular reabsorption of uric acid. IA-2(5)-P2-1, a potent immunogenic carrier designed by our laboratory, can induce high-titer specific antibodies when it carries a B cell epitope, such as B cell epitopes of DPP4 (Dipeptidyl peptidase-4), xanthine oxidase. In this report, we describe a novel multi-epitope vaccine composing a peptide of URAT1, an anti-diabetic B epitope of insulinoma antigen-2(IA-2) and a Th2 epitope (P2:IPALDSLTPANED) of P277 peptide in human heat shock protein 60 (HSP60). Immunization with the multi-epitope vaccine in streptozotocin-induced diabetes C57BL/6J mice successfully induced specific anti-URAT1 antibody, which inhibited URAT1 action and uric acid reabsorption, and increased pancreatic insulin level with a lower insulitis incidence. Vaccination with U-IA-2(5)-P2-1 (UIP-1) significantly reduced blood glucose and uric acid level, increased Th2 cytokines interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-4, and regulated immune reactions through a balanced Th1/Th2 ratio. These results demonstrate that the URAT1-based multi-epitope peptide vaccine may be a suitable therapeutic approach for diabetes and its complications.

Saccharopolyspora griseoalba sp. nov., a novel actinomycete isolated from the Dead Sea.

A novel halotolerant actinomycete, designated strain AFM 10238T, was isolated from a sediment sample collected from the Dead Sea of Israel. The isolate grew at 15-45 °C, pH 6-12 and with 0-15 % (w/v) NaCl. Strain AFM 10238T contains meso-diaminopimelic acid as cell wall diamino acid, and galactose and arabinose as the whole cell sugars. The major polar lipids are phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, and diphosphatidylglycerol. Major fatty acids are iso-C16:0, iso-C17:0, iso-C15:0, anteiso-C17:0 and C17:1 ω8c. MK-9(H4) is the predominant menaquinone and the DNA G + C content is 72.7 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain AFM10238T belongs to the genus Saccharopolyspora. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity between strain AFM 10238T and its close neighbours, Saccharopolyspora halophila YIM 90500T , Saccharopolyspora spinosa DSM 44228T, Saccharopolyspora dendranthemae KLBMP 1305T and Saccharopolyspora cebuensis DSM 45019T were 98.2, 97.2, 97.1 and 97.0 %, respectively. Sequence similarities to other type strains of this genus were below 97 %. DNA-DNA relatedness data, together with phenotypic and chemotaxonomic differences, clearly distinguished the isolate from its close neighbours. On the basis of the data from this polyphasic analysis, a novel species Saccharopolyspora griseoalba sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is AFM 10238T (= DSM 46,663 = CGMCC 4.7124).

Neuroprotective Effect of Calpeptin on Acrylamide-Induced Neuropathy in Rats.

Acrylamide (ACR) is a vinyl monomer with established human neurotoxic effects, which is characterized by the accumulation of neurofilaments (NFs) in the distal swellings of large axons in peripheral and central nervous systems. However, the mechanisms of neurotoxicity remain unclear. The objective is to investigate the neuroprotective effect of calpeptin (CP) on ACR-induced neuropathy and its mechanism. Female adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (control, CP, ACR, and ACR + CP group). Control group received 0.9 % saline, ACR and ACR + CP groups received 30 mg/kg ACR by intraperitoneal injection. In addition, CP and ACR + CP groups also received 200 µg/kg CP. Gait analysis and hind limb splay were measured weekly to analyze neurobehavioral changes. The calpain activity and the changes of NFs protein levels in spinal cord are determined. Compared with control group, body weight of rats in ACR group decreased by 11.3 % (P < 0.01), while in ACR + CP group body weight increased significantly by 8.3 % (P < 0.01) compared with ACR group by the end of the 4th week; gait score of rats in both ACR and ACR + CP groups increased significantly by 167 % and 100 % (P < 0.01) compared with control group, while it decreased significantly by 25.1 % (P < 0.01) in ACR + CP group compared with ACR group; the distance of hind limb splay in both ACR and ACR + CP groups increased by 76.7 % and 49.5 % (P < 0.01) compared with control group, while it decreased by 15.4 % (P < 0.01) in ACR + CP group compared with ACR group; calpain activity of spinal cord at ACR and ACR + CP groups increased significantly by 14.9 % and 10.0 % (P < 0.01) compared with control group, while it decreased 4.2 % (P < 0.01) in ACR + CP group compared with ACR group; compared with control group, the levels of light NF (NF-L), medium NF (NF-M) and heavy NF (NF-H) subunits increased by 81.2 %, 263.6 % and 22.6 % (P < 0.01) in the supernatant of ACR group in spinal cord tissue and increased by 28.4 %, 96.6 % and 10.6 % (P < 0.01) in ACR + CP group, while the levels of NF-L, NF-M and NF-H subunits decreased by 29.1 %, 45.9 % and 9.8 % (P < 0.01) in ACR + CP group compared with ACR group. The present results suggested that CP can relieve ACR neuropathy by decrease calpain activity and NFs degradation. The changes of calpain activity and NFs may be one of the mechanisms of ACR-induced neuropathy.

Amycolatopsis flava sp. nov., a halophilic actinomycete isolated from Dead Sea.

A novel halophilic, filamentous actinomycete, designated strain AFM 10111(T), was isolated from a sediment sample collected from the Dead Sea of Israel and its taxonomic position was established by using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. The isolate grew at 20-35 °C, pH 5-12 and with 1-30 % NaCl. The substrate mycelium is white or yellow, well developed, branched and fragments into squarish, rod-like elements. The isolate contained meso-diaminopimelic acid as cell-wall diamino acid, and arabinose and galactose as whole-cell sugars. The major menaquinone was MK-9(H4). The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylethanolamine phosphatidylmethylethanolamine and one unidentified phospholipid. Major fatty acids were iso-C16:0, iso-C16:1 H, C17:1 ω6c. The DNA G + C content was 67.7 mol %. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain AFM 10111(T) belongs to the genus Amycolatopsis, and formed a distinct clade with Amycolatopsis marina CGMCC 4.3568(T) and Amycolatopsis palatopharyngis CGMCC 4.1729(T), with the sequence similarity 98.4 and 98.6 %. The level of DNA-DNA relatedness between the strain AFM 10111(T) and A. marina CGMCC 4.3568(T) and A. palatopharyngis CGMCC 4.1729(T) were 46.9 ± 3.08 and 49.4 ± 1.25 %. The combined genotypic and phenotypic data indicate that strain AFM 10111(T) represents a novel species of the genus Amycolatopsis, for which the name Amycolatopsis flava sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is AFM 10111(T) (= DSM 46658(T) = CGMCC 4.7123(T)).

[Analysis of risk factors for hypertension among taxi drivers on different shifts].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence and risk factors for hypertension among taxi drivers working different shifts. METHODS: Using the cluster sampling method, 415 day-shift and 304 night-shift taxi drivers in Jinan, China were selected and investigated. The influencing factors for hypertension were analyzed. RESULTS: The incidence of hypertension in all taxi drivers was 33.2%. The incidence of hypertension in night-shift drivers was significantly higher than that in day-shift drivers (37.8% vs 29.9%, P<0.05). According to multivariate analysis, the incidence of hypertension in day-shift drivers was closely related to body mass index (BMI), working years, working hours, sleep duration, rest days, diet quality, water intake, and smoking, while the incidence of hypertension in night-shift drivers was closely related to BMI, working years, working hours, part-time job, sleep duration, rest days, and drinking. CONCLUSION: BMI, working years, and working hours are the common risk factors for hypertension in day-shift and night-shift drivers. Sleep duration and rest days are the common protective factors. The risk factors for hypertension in taxi drivers vary with different shifts.

Halopolyspora alba gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from sediment.

A novel halophilic, filamentous actinomycete, designated strain AFM 10251(T), was isolated from a sediment sample collected from the Dead Sea, Israel. The isolate grew with 10-35% multi-salts, and did not grow without NaCl or MgCl2. The isolate formed a white aerial mycelium, and long chains of arthrospores with more than 10 spores per chain. The spores were spherical or oval with warty surfaces, and sterile mycelium was present between individual spores. The isolate contained meso-diaminopimelic acid and a small proportion of LL-diaminopimelic acid as cell-wall diamino acids, and galactose and arabinose as whole-cell sugars. The major menaquinone was MK-9(H4). The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and three unknown phospholipids. Major fatty acids were iso-C(16 : 0), iso-C(17 : 0), iso-C(15 : 0) and anteiso-C(17 : 0). The DNA G+C content of strain AFM 10251(T) was 66.7 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain AFM 10251(T) and the genus Actinopolyspora formed a distinct lineage. Analysis of the secondary structures of variable areas of the 16S rRNA gene showed that strain AFM 10251(T) was different from all recognized species of the genus Actinopolyspora and members of the family Pseudonocardiaceae. Analysis of the signature nucleotides of the 16S rRNA gene showed that strain AFM 10251(T) and Actinopolyspora halophila formed a single group, but with base pair differences at positions 127 : 234 and 183 : 194. On the basis of analysis of chemical and molecular characteristics, strain AFM 10251(T) is considered to represent a novel species of a new genus in the family Actinopolysporaceae, for which the name Halopolyspora alba gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Halopolyspora alba is AFM 10251(T) ( = DSM 45976(T) = CGMCC 4.7114(T)).

Paenibacillus quercus sp. nov., isolated from rhizosphere of Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata.

A Gram-positive, spore-forming, rod-shaped and motile bacterium, designated strain 1-25(T), was isolated from the rhizosphere of Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata in Taibai Mountain, Shaanxi Province, China. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain 1-25(T) belongs to the genus Paenibacillus. Strain 1-25(T) was found to be closely related to Paenibacillus harenae and Paenibacillus castaneae with 96.0 and 95.9 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities, respectively. The strain was observed to grow optimally at 28 °C and pH 7.5. The major isoprenoid quinone was found to be menaquinone-7. The dominant cellular fatty acids were identified as anteiso-C15:0 and iso-C15:0. The diagnostic diamino acid in the cell-wall peptidoglycan was found to be meso-diaminopimelic acid. The DNA G+C content was determined to be 41.6 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic characteristics and molecular properties, strain 1-25(T) is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Paenibacillus, for which the name Paenibacillus quercus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 1-25(T) (=CCTCC AB2013265(T) = KCTC 33194(T)).

Childhood abuse and depressive symptoms in adolescents: Affective inhibitory control as a mediator and sensory processing sensitivity as a moderator.

BACKGROUND: It is well documented that childhood abuse increases the likelihood of emotional disorders particularly depressive symptoms. Childhood abuse might disrupt individuals' inhibitory control of emotional stimuli to increase the risk of depressive symptoms, and may differ in individuals' sensory processing sensitivity to the environment. OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to examine the associations between childhood abuse and depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents and test the mediating role of affective inhibitory control and the moderating role of sensory processing sensitivity in the relationship. METHODS: The childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ), the highly sensitivity child scale (HSCS) and the center for epidemiological studies depression scale (CES-D) were administered to 234 junior school students who underwent the face-word Stroop task during which intraindividual reaction time variability (IIV) was calculated to assess affective inhibitory control. RESULTS: Childhood abuse was positively related to depressive symptoms. In addition, IIV under negative conditions partially mediated the relationship between childhood abuse and depressive symptoms. Sensory processing sensitivity moderated the mediation model, such that poor affective inhibitory control indexed by greater IIV under negative conditions was related to greater depressive symptoms in adolescents with high sensory processing sensitivity, but not in those with low sensory processing sensitivity. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that disrupted affective inhibitory control of negative emotional stimuli serves as a potential mechanism linking childhood abuse with depressive symptoms, and is subjected to adolescent sensory processing sensitivity.

Social interaction anxiety and sleep quality in youth: Individual difference in childhood adversity and cardiac vagal control.

BACKGROUND: Social interaction anxiety and sleep problems are prevalent during adolescence. Social interaction anxiety undermines sleep quality, however, little is known whether the association between social interaction anxiety and sleep quality is moderated by environmental factors such as childhood adversity and individual factors such as cardiac vagal control. This study sought to investigate the moderating effects of childhood adversity and cardiac vagal control on the link between social interaction anxiety and sleep quality. METHOD: The Social Interaction Anxiety Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire were administered to 274 adolescents, who received 3-min resting ECG recording to assess respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) as an index of cardiac vagal control. RESULTS: Social interaction anxiety was negatively associated with sleep quality, and this association was moderated by childhood adversity and cardiac vagal control. In specific, social interaction anxiety was negatively associated with sleep quality among adolescents with low childhood adversity regardless of cardiac vagal control. Sleep quality was generally disrupted when adolescents exposed to high childhood adversity, but the negative association between social interaction anxiety and sleep quality among adolescents with high childhood adversity could be amortized by high cardiac vagal control. LIMITATIONS: Cross-sectional design precluded establishing causality among variables. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that high cardiac vagal control reflecting better self-regulation might buffer the negative effect of social interaction anxiety on sleep quality particularly among adolescents exposed to early life stress.