Composition and distribution of bacterial communities and potential radiation-resistant bacteria at different elevations in the eastern Pamirs.

Altitude and ultraviolet (UV) radiation may affect the community composition and distribution of microorganisms in soil ecosystems. In this study, 49 soil samples from 10 locations were collected from different elevations on the eastern Pamir Plateau and analyzed for soil microbial community structure and function using high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that soil samples from different elevations of the eastern Pamir Plateau contained 6834 OTUs in 26 phyla and 399 genera. The dominant phyla common to different elevations were Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidota, Acidobacteriota, and Gemmatimonadota. The dominant genera were Rubrobacter, Sphingomonas, Nocardioides, and Solirubrobacter. Species richness increased slightly with elevation, and there were significant differences in community composition between the elevations. Elevation and UV exposure are important factors that drive changes in bacterial communities. The results of the KEGG pathway showed that drug resistance, antineoplastic, aging, replication, and repair were enhanced and then slightly decreased with increasing elevation. Bacterial communities at different elevations were rich in radiation-resistant microorganisms, and the main genera were Rubrobacter, Sphingomonas, Nocardioides, Pontibacter, and Streptomyces. The findings have shown the composition and distribution of bacterial communities at different elevations on the Eastern Pamir Plateau. Potentially radiation tolerant microbial species were also examined. The results are of considerable importance for the succession of bacterial microorganisms in the plateau region, the study of radiation tolerant bacterial germplasm resources, and the application of biofunctionality.

Predictors of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes Following Traumatic Injuries.

OBJECTIVE: After traumatic injury in pregnant women, providing timely and appropriate management for high-risk patients is crucial for both pregnant women and fetuses. This study aimed to identify risk factors that predict adverse pregnancy outcomes after traumatic injury. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study including 317 pregnant patients who experienced trauma was conducted. The collected data included general demographics, injury mechanisms and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Patients were divided into two subgroups based on the absence or presence of trauma-related adverse pregnancy outcomes. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were conducted to estimate the associations between clinical variables and adverse pregnancy outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 41 (12.93%) patients experienced adverse pregnancy outcomes within the first 24 h post-trauma. This study revealed that age >35 years (OR=14.995, 95% CI: 5.024-44.755, P<0.001), third trimester trauma (OR=3.878, 95% CI: 1.343-11.204, P=0.012), abdominal pain (OR=3.032, 95% CI: 1.221-7.527, P=0.017), vaginal bleeding (OR=3.226, 95% CI: 1.093-9.523, P=0.034), positive scan in focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) positive (OR=8.496, 95% CI: 2.825-25.555, P<0.001), 9≤ injury severity score (ISS) <16 (OR=3.039, 95% CI: 1.046-8.835, P=0.041) and ISS≥16 (OR=5.553, 95% CI: 1.387-22.225, P=0.015) increased the probability of posttraumatic adverse pregnancy outcomes. Maternal age, gestational age at delivery, vaginal bleeding and positive FAST results were risk factors for abnormal delivery. CONCLUSION: Advanced maternal age, third trimester, and positive FAST results should alert multidisciplinary trauma teams to closely monitor patients to prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Factors influencing contracting of residents with family doctors in China: a national cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Family doctor contract services (FDCS) have been introduced in China in 2009 [1] and rapidly expanded recently. This study sought to investigate factors that influenced the willingness of Chinese residents to use FDCS. METHODS: We employed multistage stratified and convenience sampling to administer questionnaires to 1455 Beijing, Qinghai, and Fujian residents. The willingness of residents in each province to contract family doctors was analyzed using the chi-square test and binary logistic regression. RESULTS: The analysis in this study found that the signing rate of family doctors in China was about 27.77%, with differences in the signing up levels in Beijing (13.68%), Fujian (64.49%) and Qinghai (11.22%). In addition, the binary logistic regression results emphasized the relative importance of age, education, medical preference and policy knowledge on the willingness to sign up. Distrust of family doctors' medical skills (65.7%), not knowing how to contract (47.8%), and not knowing what medical problems can be solved (41.1%) were the top three reasons accounting for the reluctance of residents to contract with family doctors. CONCLUSION: Residents from different backgrounds have different willingness to sign up, so the specific circumstances and needs of different groups should be taken into account. In order to increase the signing-up rate, consideration can be given to promoting the family doctor model in Fujian throughout the country. Individual hesitation can be eliminated by increasing the reimbursement rate of health insurance, reducing the out-of-pocket expenses of contracted patients, and providing incentives of certain discounts for consecutive contracted patients.

Application of improved GalNAc conjugation in development of cost-effective siRNA therapies targeting cardiovascular diseases.

N-Acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc)-conjugated small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapies have received approval for treating both orphan and prevalent diseases. To improve in vivo efficacy and streamline the chemical synthesis process for efficient and cost-effective manufacturing, we conducted this study to identify better designs of GalNAc-siRNA conjugates for therapeutic development. Here, we present data on redesigned GalNAc-based ligands conjugated with siRNAs against angiopoietin-like 3 (ANGPTL3) and lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)), two target molecules with the potential to address large unmet medical needs in atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. By attaching a novel pyran-derived scaffold to serial monovalent GalNAc units before solid-phase oligonucleotide synthesis, we achieved increased GalNAc-siRNA production efficiency with fewer synthesis steps compared to the standard triantennary GalNAc construct L96. The improved GalNAc-siRNA conjugates demonstrated equivalent or superior in vivo efficacy compared to triantennary GalNAc-conjugated siRNAs.

Pontibacter kalidii sp. nov., isolated from rhizosphere soil of Kalidium foliatum.

A Gram-negative, aerobic, gliding motile, rod-shaped bacterium, designated XAAS-72T, was isolated from the rhizosphere soil of Kalidium foliatum sampled in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, PR China. Cells grew at 4-45 °C, pH 5.0-8.0 and 0-8% NaCl, with optimal growth at 20-30 °C, pH 6.0-7.0 and 1-2 % NaCl. Strain XAAS-72T is closely related to members of the genus Pontibacter, namely Pontibacter korlensis CCTCC AB 206081T (97.6%) and Pontibacter flavimaris ACCC 19859T (97.2 %), and <94.6 % related to other currently described Pontibacter strains. The average nucleotide identity values between XAAS-72T and P. korlensis CCTCC AB 206081T and P. flavimaris ACCC 19859T were 77.9 and 86.9 %, respectively; the corresponding digital DNA-DNA hybridization values were 21.7 and 31.8 %. Menaquinone-7 was the predominant respiratory menaquinone. The polar lipids consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, two unidentified aminophospholipids, two unidentified glycolipids and five unidentified lipids. The major cellular fatty acids were summed feature 4 (containing iso-C17 : 1 I/anteiso-C17 : 1 B), summed feature 3 (containing C16 : 1 ω7c/C16 : 1 ω6c) and iso-C15 : 0. The genome length of strain XAAS-72T was 5 054 860 bp with a genomic DNA G+C content of 54.5 mol%. The phenotypic and genotypic data suggest that strain XAAS-72T represents a novel species of the genus Pontibacter, for which the name Pontibacter kalidii sp. nov. is proposed. The strain is XAAS-72T (CGMCC 16594T=KCTC 72095T).

Approach for quick exploration of highly effective broad-spectrum biocontrol strains based on PO8 protein inhibition.

Aflatoxin is a group of strongly toxic and carcinogenic mycotoxins produced by Aspergillus flavus and other Aspergillus species, which caused food contamination and food loss problems widely across the world especially in developing countries, thus threatening human health and sustainable development. So, it is important to develop new, green, and broad-spectrum biocontrol technology for the prevention of aflatoxin contamination sources. Previously, we found that the PO8 protein from aflatoxigenic A. flavus could be used as a biomarker to predict aflatoxin production in peanuts (so the PO8 is named as an early warning molecule), which infers that the PO8 is relative to aflatoxin production. Therefore, in the study, based on inhibiting the PO8, a new and quick strategy for screening aflatoxin biocontrol strains for developing control agents was presented. With the PO8 inhibition method, four biocontrol strains (2 strains were isolated from peanut kernels with sterilized surface and another 2 strains from peanut rhizosphere soil) were selected and combined to increase prevention wide-spectrum. As a result, the combination showed over 90% inhibition to all tested aflatoxigenic A. flavus isolated from three different peanut production areas (north, middle, and south areas of China), and better than any single strain. The field experiments located in five provinces of China showed that the practice prevention effects (inhibition of aflatoxigenic fungi on the surface of the peanuts) were from 50% to over 80%. The results indicated that the strategy of inhibiting the early warning molecule PO8 can be used to develop aflatoxin control agents well.

Effects of exercise therapy on disability, mobility, and quality of life in the elderly with chronic low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Exercise is an effective treatment in chronic low back pain (CLBP), but there are few studies on CLBP in the elderly, and the intervention effect is controversial. We aimed to compare the efficacy of different exercises therapy on CLBP, dysfunction, quality of life, and mobility in the elderly. METHODS: We searched Web of Science, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, EMBASE, and PubMed from the database inception till December 31, 2022. The publication languages were Chinese and English. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of exercise intervention in the elderly (≥ 60 years) with CLBP were included. Two reviewers independently extracted the data and evaluated them using the Revised Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for Randomized Trials 2 (RoB2). The pooled effect sizes on different aspects of outcome measures were calculated. RESULTS: Sixteen articles (18 RCTs) were included, comprising a total of 989 participants. The quality of included studies was relatively high. Meta-analysis results indicated that exercise therapy could improve visual analog scale (VAS) (WMD = - 1.75, 95% CI - 2.59, - 0.92, p < 0.05), Oswestry disability index (ODI) (WMD = - 9.42, 95% CI - 15.04, - 3.79, p < 0,005), short-form 36-item health survey physical composite summary (SF-36PCS) (WMD = 7.07, 95% CI 1.01, 13.14, p < 0.05), short-form 36-item health survey mental composite summary (SF-36MCS) (WMD = 7.88, 95% CI 0.09, 15.67, p < 0.05), and timed up and go test (TUG) (WMD = - 0.92, 95% CI - 2.22, 0.38, p < 0.005). CONCLUSION: Exercise therapy effectively improved VAS, ODI, and SF-36 indexes in the elderly. Based on the subgroup, when designing the exercise therapy regimen, aerobics, strength, and mind-body exercise (≥ 12 weeks, ≥ 3 times/week, ≥ 60 min) should be considered carefully, to ensure the safety and effectiveness for the rehabilitation of CLBP patients. More high-quality trials are needed in future to confirm the effect of exercise on SF-36 and TUG indexes.

Effects of Different Exercise Modes on Gait Performance of Parkinson's Disease Patients: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Gait disturbances are among the main symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) and can increase fall risk. In this study we aimed to systematically evaluate the effects of different exercise modes on gait indexes of PD patients. We conducted a review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in studies listed in Web of Science, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrailS.gov, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases from their inception to October 23, 2021. Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials investigating the effect of exercise on gait index by using the Timed Up and Go test, (TUG), stride length, stride cadence, or 6 Minutes Walking Test (6MWT). We used Review Manager 5.3 to evaluate the quality of the included literature, and we used Stata 15.1 and R-Studio for the network meta-analysis. We assessed the relative ranking of therapies by the surface under the cumulative ranking possibilities. In 159 studies, there were 24 exercise interventions. Compared with the control group, 13 exercises showed significant improvements on the TUG; six exercises were significantly better for improving stride length; only one exercise was better for improving stride cadence; and four exercises were better for improving the 6MWT. The surface under the cumulative ranking curves suggested that Pilates, body weight support treadmill training, resistance training, and a multidisciplinary exercise program were preferable for gains on TUG, stride length, stride cadence, and 6MWT. This meta-analytic review found that exercise therapies bring obvious benefits to gait indexes of patients with PD, and the efficacy of exercise therapies varied with different types of exercise and outcome indexes.

Reliability and validity of the repetitive behavior scale-revised for young Chinese children with autism spectrum disorder in Jiangxi Province.

Restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are one of the two main diagnostic features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To date, a growing body of research on RRB in children with ASD has recently attracted academic attention. The Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R) was primarily intended for use in evaluating RRBs observed in ASD. This study recruited 381 Chinese children with ASD aged 2-4 years to measure the reliability and validity of the RBS-R. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was applied to the structuring models of the four proposed structural models, indicating that a 6-factor model demonstrated good internal consistency and the best fit based on common overall fit indices. These findings suggest the utility of the Chinese version of RBS-R.

Effects of Low Back Pain Exercises on Pain Symptoms and Activities of Daily Living: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Our objective in this paper was to systematically review evaluations of the effects of exercises on pain symptoms and activities of daily living (ADL) in middle-aged and elderly patients with low back pain (LBP). We searched Web of Science, PubMed, EBSCO, and China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI) databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on this topic. We evaluated the methodological quality of included articles using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale, and we statistically analyzed these studies using RevMan software. We reviewed 18 RCTs (23 comparison groups) with a total of 910 participants, and our meta-analysis confirmed that exercises significantly improved both pain and ADLs measured on visual analog scales (VAS) (SMD = -0.91, 95% CI: [-1.3, -0.52], p < 0.00001) and on the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) (SMD = -2.07, 95% CI: [-3.19, -0.96], p < 0.00001). We conclude that exercises can reduce pain severity and improve ADL capacity in middle-aged and elderly persons with LBP, confirming that exercise can serve as a medical intervention for these indivdiuals. However, given the high heterogeneity of responses among individual participants, there remains a need for further study.

Central Hypoventilation Is a Key Risk Factor for Mechanical Ventilation During the Acute Phase of Anti-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Encephalitis.

Objective: Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis is an acute form of encephalitis of autoimmune etiology. We aimed to evaluate the risk factors that predicted the need for mechanical ventilation during the acute phase of anti-NMDAR encephalitis through an analysis of the clinical characteristics and biochemical test results of the patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis. Methods: In this retrospective study, patients who primarily presented with anti-NMDAR encephalitis and exhibited anti-NMDAR antibody positivity in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) between November 2015 and February 2020 were included. Data on the clinical characteristics, biochemical test results, and treatment methods selected for the patients were collected for the analysis of factors predicting the need for mechanical ventilation. Results: Thirty-one patients with a median age of onset of 31 years (inter-quartile range: 21-48 years) were included in this study, of which 15 were male (48.4%). Psychosis (23, 74.2%), seizures (20, 64.5%), and memory deficit (20, 64.5%) were the most common clinical manifestations. At admission, 17 patients (54.8%) presented with pyrexia, of which 12 (38.7%) had a body temperature ≥38°C, and six patients (19.4%) presented with central hypoventilation. All patients received first-line therapy (glucocorticoids, intravenous immunoglobulin, or plasmapheresis alone or combined), whereas two patients (6.5%) received rituximab, a second-line agent, as well. Seven patents required mechanical ventilation. Results of univariate logistic regression analysis revealed that body temperature ≥38°C [odds ratio (OR) = 18, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.79-181.31, P < 0.05] and central hypoventilation at admission (OR = 57.50, 95% CI: 4.32-764.89, P < 0.05) were the risk factors for mechanical ventilation. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that central hypoventilation at admission was the only risk factor predicting the need for mechanical ventilation. Conclusion: Central hypoventilation at admission is a key risk factor for mechanical ventilation during hospitalization in patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis.

Pediatric temporal fistula: Report of three cases.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric temporal fistulae are rarely reported in the literature. Dissemination of these cases can help inform future diagnosis and effective treatment. CASE SUMMARY: Three pediatric patients came to the clinic due to repeated infections of the skin and soft tissue of the temporal area. One patient presented with a temporal fistula that penetrated the temporal bone and reached the dura mater. Another patient presented with a temporal fistula that penetrated into the temporal muscle fascia. The third patient presented with a fistula that penetrated the lateral wall of the orbit and entered the orbit. All patients underwent surgical fistula resection informed by preoperative computed tomography (CT) evaluation. Histopathological evaluation was also performed. All three patients were surgically treated successfully. Histopathological evaluations confirmed the fistula diagnoses in all three cases. CONCLUSION: For patients who have temporal fistulae with repeated infections, surgical treatment should be performed as soon as possible to prevent serious complications. CT can be very useful for preoperative evaluation. B-mode ultrasound examination and evaluation also have a certain auxiliary role.

Clinical features, treatments, and outcomes of patients with anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate encephalitis-a single-center, retrospective analysis in China.

Objective: To describe the clinical features, laboratory data, treatment, and outcomes of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDAR) encephalitis in Chinese patients. Methods: This retrospective study included hospitalized patients definitively diagnosed with anti-NMDAR encephalitis and positive for anti-NMDAR antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in Shenzhen People's hospital, between November 2015 and February 2020. The clinical manifestation, laboratory data, treatments and outcomes were collected retrospectively. Patients were followed up for more than 1 year. Results: The study included 31 patients (15 men, 48.4%) with a median age of 31 years (interquartile range 21-48). The most common clinical presentations were psychosis (n = 23, 74.2%), seizures (n = 20, 64.5%), and memory impairment (n = 20, 64.5%). Total magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities were found in 11 patients (35.5%), with the medial temporal and frontal lobes as the most commonly involved. Abnormal electroencephalogram was observed in 16 patients (51.6%). Five out of 31 patients (19.5%) were diagnosed as neoplasm, including five females with ovarian teratoma and one male with a central nervous system tumor. Multiple immune antibodies, including anti-SSA antibody in four patients (15.4%), anti-Ro52 antibody in four (15.4%), antinuclear antibody (ANT) in four (15.4%), anti-thyroglobulin antibodies (TGAb) in five (17.2%), and thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) in three (10.3%) were present. All patients received first-line immunization therapy (intravenous immunoglobulin, glucocorticoids, or plasmapheresis alone or combined), and only two patients (7.3%) received second-line immunization therapy (rituximab). Mechanical ventilation was more necessary in women (37.5%) than in men (6.7%) (p = 0.04), and 29 (93.5%) had favorable clinical outcomes. At more than 12 months of follow-up, the median modified Rankin Scale score decreased from 4 to 0. Conclusions: Patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis in China had high rates of psychosis and seizures, with low rates of underlying neoplasms. A higher proportion of female patients required mechanical ventilation. Complications with other positive autoimmune antibodies were a common clinical symptoms of anti-NMDAR encephalitis. Majority of the patients obtained satisfactory outcomes in combination with early first-line and long-term immunization therapy.

Let-7a-5p regulated by lncRNA-MEG3 promotes functional differentiation to Schwann cells from adipose derived stem cells via directly inhibiting RBPJ-mediating Notch pathway.

Schwann cells (SCs) have important roles in supporting and repairing peripheral neurons, and thus have great potential for nerve injury treatment. Adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) can be reliably induced to differentiate into SCs. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. We explored the roles of MEG3/let-7a-5p/RBPJ axis in the differentiation into SCs from ADSCs. Primary ADSCs were induced to differentiate into SCs by appropriate reagents. ELISA, immunostaining, Western blotting, and qRT-PCR were employed to examine levels of SC-markers such as S100, GFAP, SOX10, p75NTR, GAP43, MPZ, ß-NGF, BDNF, and NCAM and let-7 family, MEG3, RBPJ, and Notch signaling related proteins. Dual luciferase assay and RNA immunoprecipitation were performed to validate interactions of let-7a-5p/RBPJ mRNA and MEG3/let-7a-5p. Cultured ADSCs could be induced to differentiate into functional SCs. Let-7a-5p and let-7d-5p were elevated during the differentiation while MEG3 and RBPJ/Notch-signaling were suppressed. Let-7a-5p mimics promoted ADSC differentiation into SCs and up-regulated the levels of SC-related markers including S100, GFAP, SOX10, p75NTR, GAP43, MPZ, ß-NGF, and NCAM, while RBPJ or MEG3 overexpression retarded the differentiation and reduced those levels. Let-7a-5p directly targeted RBPJ and MEG3 disinhibited Notch-RBPJ signaling via sponging let-7a-5p. RBPJ overexpression reversed the acceleration of let-7a-5p mimics on SC differentiation while let-7a-5p mimics blocked MEG3-mediated suppression on SC differentiation. Let-7a-5p sponged by MEG3 promotes differentiation of ADSCs into SCs via suppressing Notch signaling by targeting RBPJ. These findings shed light on mechanisms underlying the differentiation of ADSCs to SCs and provide avenues to accelerate the process.

[Effect of tiaoren tongdu acupuncture method on fractional anisotropy of diffusion densor imaging and upper extremity motor function after cerebral infarction].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of tiaoren tongdu acupuncture method (for regulating the function of the Conception Vessel and promoting the circulation of the Governor Vessel) on fractional anisotropy (FA) and upper-extremity motor function after cerebral infarction by diffusion densor imaging (DTI) technology. METHODS: The patients with cerebral infarction were divided into an acupuncture group and a control group according to the random number table method, 27 cases in each group. In the control group, the basic treatment with conventional medication was used. In the acupuncture group, on the basic treatment as the control group, the tiaoren tongdu acupuncture method was provided. Main acupoints included Baihui (GV20), Shuigou(GV26), Chengjiang(CV24), Guanyuan(CV4), Qihai (CV6), Zhongwan (CV12), Shenting(GV24) and Mingmen(GV4). Supplementary points included Jianyu(LI15), Chize(LU5), Houxi (SI3), Weizhong (BL40), Zusanli (ST36) and Taichong (LR3) on the affected side. The needles were retained for 30 min. Acupuncture was given once a day, at the interval of 1 days every week, consecutively for 4 weeks. The upper extremity Fugl-Meyer assessment (UE-FMA) was used to evaluate the motor function of upper extremity before and after treatment. DTI was adopted to observe the FA values of infarct focus, posterior limb of internal capsule (PLIC) and cerebral peduncle on the affected side, as well as FA values at the corresponding parts on the healthy side in the patients of two groups. The relative differences (rFA) were calculated. RESULTS: Compared with their own pretreatment, the UE-FMA value was significantly higher after treatment in either of two groups separately (P<0.05 in the control group, P<0.01 in the acupuncture group). The difference of UE-FMA before and after treatment in the acupuncture group was larger than that in the control group (P<0.05). The FA and rFA values in infarct focus were higher than those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05). The FA and rFA differences before and after treatment in the infarct focus and PLIC on the affected side were higher in the acupuncture group as compared with the control group (P<0.05). The UE-FMA difference was positively correlated with the rFA difference of each part in either group (P<0.05), and the correlation was the strongest in PLIC on the affected side in either group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Tiaoren tongdu acupuncture significantly improves the upper limb movement function after cerebral infarction. The rFA value of PLIC combined with UE-FMA can be used to evaluate the therapeutic effect of acupuncture on the upper extremity movement after cerebral infarction.

Effect of Ionizing Radiation on the Bacterial and Fungal Endophytes of the Halophytic Plant Kalidium schrenkianum.

Endophytic bacteria and fungi colonize plants that grow in various types of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Our study investigates the communities of endophytic bacteria and fungi of halophyte Kalidium schrenkianum growing in stressed habitats with ionizing radiation. The geochemical factors and radiation (at low, medium, high level and control) both affected the structure of endophytic communities. The bacterial class Actinobacteria and the fungal class Dothideomycetes predominated the endophytic communities of K. schrenkianum. Aerial tissues of K. schrenkianum had higher fungal diversity, while roots had higher bacterial diversity. Radiation had no significant effect on the abundance of bacterial classes. Soil pH, total nitrogen, and organic matter showed significant effects on the diversity of root endophytes. Radiation affected bacterial and fungal community structure in roots but not in aerial tissues, and had a strong effect on fungal co-occurrence networks. Overall, the genetic diversity of both endophytic bacteria and fungi was higher in radioactive environments, however negative correlations were found between endophytic bacteria and fungi in the plant. The genetic diversity of both endophytic bacteria and fungi was higher in radioactive environments. Our findings suggest that radiation affects root endophytes, and that the endophytes associated with aerial tissues and roots of K. schrenkianum follow different mechanisms for community assembly and different paradigms in stress response.

The functions of fluoxetine and identification of fluoxetine-mediated circular RNAs and messenger RNAs in cerebral ischemic stroke.

Fluoxetine is used to improve cognition, exercise ability, depression, and neurological functions in patients with cerebral ischemic stroke. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play important regulatory roles in multiple diseases. However, studies regarding the fluoxetine-mediated circRNA-microRNA-messenger RNA (mRNA) axis have not been conducted. This study is aim to investigate the functions of fluoxetine and identification of fluoxetine-mediated circRNAs and mRNAs in cerebral ischemic stroke. The middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rat models were successfully established at fisrt, and then rats were intraperitoneally injected with 10-mg/kg fluoxetine hydrochloride for 14 d. Afterward, the cerebral infarction area was evaluated using triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. High-throughput sequencing was adopted to screen the differential circRNAs and mRNAs. The candidate circRNAs, mRNAs, and potential microRNAs were verified using quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). In addtion, microRNA and circRNA binding was verified using the dual-luciferase reporter assay. Results revealed that fluoxetine markedly diminished the cerebral infarction area in rats after MCAO. The circRNAs and mRNAs were differentially expressed, which includes 879 circRNAs and 815 mRNAs between sham and MCAO groups, respectively, and 958 circRNAs and 838 mRNAs between MCAO and fluoxetine groups, respectively. In which, circMap2k1 and Pidd1 expression was significantly increased in the MCAO group but suppressed after fluoxetine treatment. Moreover, circMap2k1 directly binds with miR-135b-5p. Taken together, we verified that fluoxetine could improve brain injury after cerebral ischemic stroke. Moreover, the circMap2k1/miR-135b-5p/Pidd1 axis is potentially involved in cerebral ischemic stroke.

Effect of right-to-left shunt on youth benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: A prospective clinical study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the correlation between right to left shunt (RLS) and youth benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (YBPPV). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and normal control cases younger than 45 years were enrolled at 1:1 ratio. Contrast-enhanced transcranial doppler ultrasound was performed to determine the existence and shunt grading of RLS. Regression analysis was conducted by including other possible risk factors for YBPPV to evaluate whether RLS acts as an independent risk factor. RESULTS: A total of 174 cases were enrolled, with 87 cases in the YBPPV group and 87 cases in the normal control group. The proportion of existing RLS in the YBPPV group was significantly higher than in the normal control group (65.52% vs. 28.74%, P < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that RLS was an independent risk factor for YBPPV (odds ratio = 2.157, 95% credibility interval: 1.504～3.093, P＜0.001). In the YBPPV group, the recurrence of BPPV within 180 days showed no statistical difference between cases with RLS and receiving anti-platelet treatment and cases with RLS and without anti-platelet treatment. In the YBPPV group, the recurrence of BPPV within 180 days in cases without RLS and anti-platelet treatment did not significantly differ from cases with RLS and without anti-platelet treatment and cases with RLS and receiving anti-platelet treatment. CONCLUSION: In the present study, RLS resulted as an independent risk factor for YBPPV. This observation could generate hypotheses of the mechanism by which a RLS could induce YBPPV.

Prevalence of Percutaneous Injuries and Associated Factors Among a Sample of Midwives in Hunan Province, China.

Background: Percutaneous injuries and blood-borne-related infections pose occupational hazards to healthcare professionals. However, the prevalence and associated factors for these hazards among midwives in Hunan Province, China are poorly documented. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among a sample of 1,282 eligible midwives in the cities of Yongzhou, Chenzhou, Hengyang, and Changsha in Hunan Province, China, from January 2017 to July 2017. The association of selected independent variables with percutaneous injuries was investigated using binary logistic regression. Results: 992 participants responded (77.3%), and within the previous 12 months, 15.7% experienced percutaneous injuries. In multivariate analysis, hospital size, age, length of employment as a midwife, weekly working hours, and three aspects of Hospital Safety Climate Scale were associated with percutaneous injuries. The risk of percutaneous injuries among the midwives working in hospitals with ≤399 beds was higher than that among those working in hospitals with ≥400 beds by nearly 3 times. Furthermore, the percutaneous injury prevalence of midwives decreased as age increased. Moreover, the probability of percutaneous injuries among the midwives with weekly working hours of >40 was 4.35 times higher compared with that among midwives with weekly working hours of ≤40. Conclusion/Application to practice: The prevalence of percutaneous injuries among midwives in the study hospitals was substantial. Our results further proved that risk mitigation strategies tailored to midwives are needed to reduce this risk. These strategies include ensuring a positive organizational climate, providing highly safe devices, and reducing the workload.

Molecular and functional characterization of the SBP-box transcription factor SPL-CNR in tomato fruit ripening and cell death.

SlSPL-CNR, an SBP-box transcription factor (TF) gene residing at the epimutant Colourless non-ripening (Cnr) locus, is involved in tomato ripening. This epimutant provides a unique model to investigate the (epi)genetic basis of fruit ripening. Here we report that SlSPL-CNR is a nucleus-localized protein with a distinct monopartite nuclear localization signal (NLS). It consists of four consecutive residues ' 30KRKR33' at the N-terminus of the protein. Mutation of the NLS abolishes SlSPL-CNR's ability to localize in the nucleus. SlSPL-CNR comprises two zinc-finger motifs (ZFMs) within the C-terminal SBP-box domain. Both ZFMs contribute to zinc-binding activity. SlSPL-CNR can induce cell death in tomato and tobacco, dependent on its nuclear localization. However, the two ZFMs have differential impacts on SlSPL-CNR's induction of severe necrosis or mild necrotic ringspot. NLS and ZFM mutants cannot complement Cnr fruits to ripen. SlSPL-CNR interacts with SlSnRK1. Virus-induced SlSnRK1 silencing leads to reduction in expression of ripening-related genes and inhibits ripening in tomato. We conclude that SlSPL-CNR is a multifunctional protein that consists of a distinct monopartite NLS, binds to zinc, and interacts with SlSnRK1 to affect cell death and tomato fruit ripening.