Oriented Growth of Highly Emissive Manganese Halide Microrods for Dual-Mode Low-Loss Optical Waveguides.

Zero-dimensional (0D) structured lead-free metal halides have recently attracted widespread attention due to their high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and negligible self-absorption, showing enormous potential as optical waveguides towards miniaturized photonic devices. However, due to the great difficulty in growth of rod-like nano/micro-sized morphologies, such applications have been less explored. Herein, a new-type emissive organic-inorganic manganese (II) halide crystal (TPS2MnCl4, TPS = C18H15S, triphenylsulfonium) in the form of microrods is synthesized via a facile chloride ion (Cl-) induced oriented growth method. Due to a combination of attractive features such as a high PLQY of 86%, negligible self-absorption and smooth crystal surface, TPS2MnCl4 microrods are well suited for use in optical waveguide with an ultra-low optical loss coefficient of 1.20·10-4 dB µm-1, superior to that of most organic-inorganic metal halide hybrids, organic materials, polymers and metal nanoclusters to the best of our knowledge. Importantly, TPS2MnCl4 microrods can further work as dual-mode optical waveguides, combining active and passive light transmission functionalities in one single crystal. In addition, TPS2MnCl4 microrods also display remarkable performance in lighting and anti-counterfeiting due to their distinct optical properties and commendable stability.

Safe and potent anti-CD19 CAR T-cells with shRNA-IL-6 gene silencing element in patients with refractory or relapsed B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Severe cytokine release syndrome (sCRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) have limited the widespread use of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR T)-cell therapy. We designed a novel anti-CD19 CAR (ssCART-19) with a small hairpin RNA (shRNA) element to silence the interleukin-6 (IL-6) gene, hypothesizing it could reduce sCRS and ICANS by alleviating monocyte activation and proinflammatory cytokine release. In a post hoc analysis of two clinical trials, we compared ssCART-19 with common CAR T-cells (cCART-19) in relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (r/r B-ALL). Among 87 patients, 47 received ssCART-19 and 40 received cCART-19. Grade ≥3 CRS occurred in 14.89% (7/47) of the ssCART-19 group versus 37.5% (15/40) in the cCART-19 group (p = 0.036). ICANS occurred in 4.26% (2/47) of the ssCART-19 group (all grade 1) compared to 15% (2/40) of the cCART-19 group. Patients in the ssCART-19 group showed comparable rates of treatment response (calculated with rates of complete remission and incomplete hematological recovery) were 91.49% (43/47) for ssCART-19 and 85% (34/40) for cCART-19 (p = 0.999). With a median follow-up of 21.9 months, cumulative nonrelapse mortality was 10.4% for ssCART-19 and 13.6% for cCART-19 (p = 0.33). Median overall survival was 37.17 months for ssCART-19 and 32.93 months for cCART-19 (p = 0.40). Median progression-free survival was 24.17 months for ssCART-19 and 9.33 months for cCART-19 (p = 0.23). These data support the safety and efficacy of ssCART-19 for r/r B-ALL, suggesting its potential as a promising therapy.

Pneumocystis pneumonia in stage IIIA lung adenocarcinoma with immune-related acute kidney injury and thoracic radiotherapy: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are therapeutic agents for advanced and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with high clinical antitumor efficacy. However, immune-related adverse events occur in 20% of these patients and often requiring treatment with immunosuppressive agents, such as corticosteroids. Consequently, this may increase the risk of patients to opportunistic infections. Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP), a rare but serious opportunistic infection typically observed in patients with human immunodeficiency virus, can also occur in cancer patients undergoing long-term glucocorticoid treatment. CASE SUMMARY: We report a case of a 56-year-old male with squamous NSCLC treated with triplimab combined with paclitaxel, carboplatin, and radical thoracic radiation therapy. Following this regimen, he developed acute kidney injury (AKI) with elevated creatinine levels. After concurrent radical chemoradiotherapy ended, he developed a grade 3 immune-related AKI. High-dose corticosteroids were administered to treat AKI, and renal function gradually recovered. Corticosteroids were reduced to a dose of 10 mg prednisone equivalent daily eight weeks later; however, he developed severe pneumonia with spontaneous pneumothorax. Next-generation sequencing of the bronchoscopic lavage revealed PJP co-infection with herpes simplex virus 1 and cytomegalovirus. The inflammation was more severe in areas exposed to radiation. Piperacillin-tazobactam, acyclovir, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim were used to control the infection. The patient recovered, and immunotherapy was terminated. CONCLUSION: PJP is rare but can occur in patients with ICI adverse events and should be differentiated from tumor progression or immune-related adverse events. Thoracic radiation may increase risk, necessitating careful monitoring and prevention.

Efficacy and Safety of Sacubitril/Allisartan for the Treatment of Primary Hypertension.

Background: The prevalence of hypertension still increases with the very rapidly increasing longevity in some countries, such as China. The control rate remains low. Objectives: This randomized, double-blind, phase 3 study assessed the efficacy and safety of sacubitril/allisartan, compared with olmesartan in Chinese patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension. Methods: Eligible patients aged 18 to 75 years (n = 1,197) with mild-to-moderate hypertension were randomized to receive sacubitril/allisartan 240 mg (n = 399), sacubitril/allisartan 480 mg (n = 399), or olmesartan 20 mg (n = 399) once daily for 12 weeks. Patients who completed the 12-week treatment then received another 12-week extended treatment (n = 1,084) and 28-week prolonged treatment (n = 189). The primary end point was a reduction in clinic mean sitting systolic blood pressure (msSBP) from baseline at 12 weeks. Results: Sacubitril/allisartan 240 mg/d provided a greater reduction in msSBP than olmesartan at 12 weeks (between-group difference: -1.9 mm Hg [95% CI: -4.2 to 0.4 mm Hg]; P = 0.0007, for noninferiority). Sacubitril/allisartan 480 mg/d provided a significantly greater reduction in msSBP than olmesartan at 12 weeks (between-treatment difference: -5.0 mm Hg [95% CI: -7.3 to -2.8 mm Hg]; P < 0.001, for superiority). Greater reductions in 24-hour, and daytime and nighttime systolic and diastolic blood pressure were also observed with both doses of sacubitril/allisartan compared with olmesartan (P ≤ 0.001 for 480 mg/d). The blood pressure reductions tended to be dose-dependent for sacubitril/allisartan. Sacubitril/allisartan was well tolerated, and no cases of angioedema or death were reported. Conclusions: Sacubitril/allisartan is effective for the treatment of hypertension and well tolerated in Chinese patients.

Light δD apatites reveal deep origin water in North China Craton intracontinental granites and basalts.

Water is essential to the formation of intracontinental granites, but its origin remains elusive. Here we address this scientific problem by analyzing D/H isotopes of apatites, hydrous minerals in Jurassic and Early Cretaceous granites and basalts from eastern North China Craton, where water was previously interpreted as derived from subducting slab. Results reveal extremely low δD values in pristine Early Cretaceous granitic (-203‰ to -127‰) and basaltic (-197‰ to -107‰) apatites, contrasting with relatively high δD values (-137‰ to -47‰) in Jurassic granites. Given the depth-dependent D/H isotopic fractionation during slab dehydration and high-water contents in coeval primitive mafic magmas, the Early Cretaceous magma water is attributed to the stagnant slab within the mantle transition zone. Secular change in the depth of water aligns with steepening of subducting Paleo-Pacific plate from Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, demonstrating the potential of apatite H isotopes in tracing water origin in granites and basalts.

A Novel Lactam and Two Rare Mycophenolic Acid Derivatives from the Fungus Penicillium sclerotiorum JBHL321.

A novel lactam penicillactam (1), two rare mycophenolic acid (MPA) derivatives penimycophens A and B (2 and 3), together with two known biogenetically related MPA derivatives (4 and 5) and a known alkaloid (6) were isolated from the Penicillium sclerotiorum JBHL321. The structures of these compounds were determined by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses. The absolute configuration of 1 was confirmed by electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Compound 1 represent the rare example of a oxygen bridge-linked lactam from natural products. Structurally, compounds 2 and 3 were rare MPA derivatives featuring a methoxy group at C-3. The inhibitory activity of compounds 1-6 against two phytopathogenic fungi, three phytopathogenic bacteria and four cancer cell lines were evaluated. Compounds 2-5 exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against HeLa, MCF-7, A549 and MGC-803 cells with IC50 values in the low micromolar to nanomolar. Compound 3 exhibited especially cytotoxic activity against four different cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 0.06 to 0.14 µM, compared to IC50 values ranging from 0.62 to 2.51 µM for epirubicin.

Expression profile of circular RNAs in blood samples of Northern Chinese males with intracerebral hemorrhage shows downregulation of hsa-circ-0090829.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in several neurological disorders; however, the mechanisms underlying their involvement remain to be clarified. We attempted to explore the expression profiles of circRNAs and their potential functions and mechanisms in the pathogenesis of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in Northern Chinese males. The microarray results showed that 50 circRNAs were significantly upregulated, while 194 circRNAs were significantly downregulated in ICH patients compared with healthy controls (p < 0.05). After bioinformatics analysis, a circRNA-microRNA-messenger RNA network and a protein-protein interaction network were constructed. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses showed that the neurotrophin signaling pathway, long-term potentiation, and the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway are potentially implicated in ICH pathophysiology. The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction results revealed that hsa-circ-0090829 was significantly downregulated in ICH. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the area under the curve of hsa-circ-0090829 between ICH and healthy controls was 0.807. Furthermore, the dual-luciferase assay showed that hsa-circ-0090829 sponged miR-526b-5p. This study reports the altered expression of circRNAs and identifies the potential functions of these circRNAs in ICH. Our results may facilitate further mechanistic research on circRNAs in ICH and provide probable novel diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for ICH.

Effects of migratory birds activities on the stoichiometry of soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in a Carex-dominated wetland of Poyang Lake.

Studying the stoichiometric characteristics of soil nutrients aids in evaluating soil quality and deciphering the coupling of soil nutrients. The influence of migratory bird activities on the dynamics of wetland soil nutrients and their stoichiometric remains unclear. We classified the central, peripheral and adjacent natural grassy areas as severe, mild, and no bird activity (control), respectively, in Donghu Carex meadow, a representative migratory bird habitat in Poyang Lake, based on flock characteristics and initial surveys. We analyzed the contents and stoichio-metry of soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) across soil depths of 0-100 cm under different intensities of migratory bird activities. The results showed that the activities of migratory birds significantly impacted nutrient levels exclusively within 0-30 cm soil. Mild activities markedly enhanced SOC and TN across 0-30 cm soil, while both mild and severe activities significantly raised TP within the same depth. For the 0-100 cm soil profiles, soil C/N ratios were 10.0, 10.8, and 9.9, C/P ratios were 23.5, 30.0, and 22.7, and N/P ratios were 2.3, 2.7, and 2.3 under no, mild, and severe bird activities, respectively. Further, mild activities of migratory birds significantly increased soil C/N, C/P and N/P ratios only within the 0-30 cm depth, while the stoichiometric ratios of all soil layer had no significant difference under severe bird activity. Soil stoichiometric ratios strongly correlated with physicochemical properties. SOC, TN, and TP primarily mediated the effects of migratory bird activity on soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus stoichiometric ratios in Poyang Lake wetland. In conclusion, the influence of migratory bird activity on the stoichiometric ratios of soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in Poyang Lake wetland exhibited depth threshold (approximately 30 cm), aligning with the "Intermediate Distur-bance Hypothesis". These findings could provide a new perspective for the protection of wetlands and migratory birds.

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Improving the availability of soil phosphorus (P) and promoting tree growth through tree species selection and assembly are the critical issue. We conducted an afforestation experiment following randomized block experimental design with 1, 2, 4, and 6 tree species richness in south subtropics, including Pinus massoniana, Mytilaria laosensis, Erythrophleum fordii, Castanopsis hystrix, Michelia macclurei, Manglietia glauca, Aquilaria sinensis, and Dalbergia odorifera. We measured the bioavailable P components (CaCl2-P, citrate-P, enzyme-P and HCl-P) and examined the effects of different tree species assembly on bioavailable P components and tree growth. The results showed that, compared with non-nitrogen-fixing tree species, the mixing of nitrogen-fixing tree species (E. fordii and D. odorifera) effectively increased the contents of soil water, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and microbial biomass P (MBP). The assembly of specific tree species improved the accumulation of bioavailable P. Mixing of nitrogen-fixing tree species significantly increased CaCl2-P content by 46.2% to 160.3%, the enzyme-P content produced by microbial mineralization by 69.3% to 688.2%, and HCl-P by 31.5% to 81.3%, increased MBP by 81.8% to 149.4%, and microbial biomass N (MBN) by 88.1% to 160.6%, respectively. Redundancy and correlation analysis results showed that MBP, available P, total phosphorus, L-leucine aminopeptidase, cellobiose, acid phosphatase, MBN and soil organic carbon were key factors driving the variation of rhizosphere soil bioavailable P. Mixing of nitrogen-fixing tree species increased enzyme-P and citrate-P, and the availability of which were positively correlated to tree basal area. In this study, mixing of nitrogen-fixing tree species increased the rhizosphere soil bioavailable P content, which facilitates tree growth.

Exploring the efficacy of laser speckle contrast imaging in the stratified diagnosis of rosacea: a quantitative analysis of facial blood flow dynamics across varied regions.

Background: Rosacea has a high incidence, significantly impacts quality of life, and lacks sufficient diagnostic techniques. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) for measuring facial blood perfusion in patients with rosacea and to identify differences in blood flow among various facial regions associated with different rosacea subtypes. Methods: From June to December 2023, 45 patients were recruited, with 9 excluded, leaving 36 subjects: 12 with erythematotelangiectatic rosacea (ETR), 12 with papulopustular rosacea (PPR), and 12 healthy controls. The Think View multispectral imaging analyzer assessed inflammation via gray reading values across the full face and five facial areas: forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin. LSCI measured and analyzed blood perfusion in the same areas. Plasma biomarkers interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1ß, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were tested in different groups. Results: Both ETR and PPR groups showed increased average blood perfusion and facial inflammation intensity by gray values compared to controls, with statistically significant differences. Average blood perfusion of ETR and PPR groups showed increased values in the forehead, cheeks, and nose, compared to controls, and the values in the cheeks were statistically different between ETR and PPR. The facial inflammation intensity of the ETR group showed increased values in the forehead and cheeks, and the PPR group showed increased gray values in the forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin compared to controls, and the values for the cheeks, nose, and chin were statistically significantly different between ETR and PPR. Plasma biomarkers IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α were significantly elevated in both ETR and PPR groups compared to controls. Conclusion: LSCI is a valuable, non-invasive tool for assessing blood flow dynamics in rosacea, providing a data foundation for clinical research. Different rosacea subtypes exhibit distinct lesion distribution and blood flow patterns, and both ETR and PPR could affect all facial areas, particularly the cheeks in ETR and the forehead, nose, and chin in PPR.

Genome-wide characterization of dynamic DNA 5-hydroxymethylcytosine and TET2-related DNA demethylation during breast tumorigenesis.

BACKGROUND: Breast tumorigenesis is a complex and multistep process accompanied by both genetic and epigenetic dysregulation. In contrast to the extensive studies on DNA epigenetic modifications 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) and 5-methylcytosine (5mC) in malignant breast tumors, their roles in the early phases of breast tumorigenesis remain ambiguous. RESULTS: DNA 5hmC and 5mC exhibited a consistent and significant decrease from usual ductal hyperplasia to atypical ductal hyperplasia and subsequently to ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). However, 5hmC showed a modest increase in invasive ductal breast cancer compared to DCIS. Genomic analyses showed that the changes in 5hmC and 5mC levels occurred around the transcription start sites (TSSs), and the modification levels were strongly correlated with gene expression levels. Meanwhile, it was found that differentially hydroxymethylated regions (DhMRs) and differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were overlapped in the early phases and accompanied by the enrichment of active histone marks. In addition, TET2-related DNA demethylation was found to be involved in breast tumorigenesis, and four transcription factor binding sites (TFs: ESR1, FOXA1, GATA3, FOS) were enriched in TET2-related DhMRs/DMRs. Intriguingly, we also identified a certain number of common DhMRs between tumor samples and cell-free DNA (cfDNA). CONCLUSIONS: Our study reveals that dynamic changes in DNA 5hmC and 5mC play a vital role in propelling breast tumorigenesis. Both TFs and active histone marks are involved in TET2-related DNA demethylation. Concurrent changes in 5hmC signals in primary breast tumors and cfDNA may play a promising role in breast cancer screening.

Exploring hepatic fibrosis screening via deep learning analysis of tongue images.

Background: Tongue inspection, an essential diagnostic method in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), has the potential for early-stage disease screening. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of deep learning-based analysis of tongue images for hepatic fibrosis screening. Methods: A total of 1083 tongue images were collected from 741 patients and divided into training, validation, and test sets. DenseNet-201, a convolutional neural network, was employed to train the AI model using these tongue images. The predictive performance of AI was assessed and compared with that of FIB-4, using real-time two-dimensional shear wave elastography as the reference standard. Results: The proposed AI model achieved an accuracy of 0.845 (95% CI: 0.79-0.90) and 0.814 (95% CI: 0.76-0.87) in the validation and test sets, respectively, with negative predictive values (NPVs) exceeding 90% in both sets. The AI model outperformed FIB-4 in all aspects, and when combined with FIB-4, the NPV reached 94.4%. Conclusion: Tongue inspection, with the assistance of AI, could serve as a first-line screening method for hepatic fibrosis.

Metabolic tumor volume and the survival of patients with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma treated with chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy: a meta-analysis.

Background: Chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) is a promising treatment for aggressive Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The aim of the meta-analysis was to determine the association between metabolic tumor volumes (MTV) derived on positron emission tomography before CAR-T infusion and the survival of patients with NHL. Methods: Relevant observational studies pertaining to the purpose of the meta-analysis were obtained through a search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase from inception of the databases to April 1, 2024. The data was combined using a random-effects model that accounted for the potential influence of between-study heterogeneity. Results: Fifteen observational studies were included. Pooled results showed that compared to those with a lower MTV, the NHL patients with a higher MTV before CAR-T infusion were associated with a poor progression-free survival (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.73, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.48 to 2.02, p < 0.001; I2 = 20%) and overall survival (HR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.54 to 2.89, p < 0.001; I2 = 58%). Subgroup analysis showed that the association between MTV and survival of NHL patients after CAR-T was not significantly impacted by study design, methods for determination of MTV cutoff, or analytic models (univariate or multivariate, p for each subgroup all < 0.05). Subgroup analysis suggested a stronger association between MTV and poor survival outcomes in patients with median of lines of previous treatment of 2 or 3 as compared to those of 4 (p for subgroup difference < 0.05). Further meta-regression analyses suggested that the association between MTV and survival was not significantly affected by sample size, age, proportion of men, cutoff value of MTV, follow-up duration, or study quality scores (p all > 0.05). Conclusion: A high MTV at baseline is associated with a poor survival of NHL patients after CAR-T. Systematic Review Registration: https://inplasy.com/, identifier INPLASY (INPLASY202450069).

Novel fabrication of anti-VEGF drug ranibizumab loaded PLGA/PLA co-polymeric nanomicelles for long-acting intraocular delivery in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration therapy.

Age associated macular degeneration is the 3rd primary cause of blind fundus diseases globally. A reliable and long-lasting method of intraocular drug delivery is still needed. Herein, this study was aim to develop the novel fabrication of ranibizumab loaded co-polymeric nanomicelles (Rabz-CP-NMs) for AMD. The CMC of co-polymeric nanomicelles was determined to be low, at 6.2 µg/ml. The ring copolymerization method was employed to fabricate the NMs and characterize via FTIR, XRD, TEM, DLS and Zeta potential. Rabz-CP-NMs was spherical shape with 10-50 nm in size. Stable and prolonged drug release was achieved with the Rabz from CP-NMs at 48 h. D407 and ARPE19 ocular cell lines showed dose-dependent cell viability with Rabz-CP-NMs. The Rabz-CP-NMs also had less toxicity, higher uptake, lower cell death and prolonged VEGF-A inhibition, as shown by cytoviability assay. Thus, Rabz-CP-NMs were safe for ocular use, suggesting that could be used to improve intraocular AMD treatment.

Oxalate-derived porous C-doped NiO with amorphous-crystalline heterophase for supercapacitors.

Constructing amorphous/crystalline heterophase structure with high porosity is a promising strategy to effectively tailor the physicochemical properties of electrode materials and further improve the electrochemical performance of supercapacitors. Here, the porous C-doped NiO (C-NiO) with amorphous/crystalline heterophase grown on NF was prepared using NF as Ni source via a self-sacrificial template method. Calcining the self-sacrificial NiC2O4 template at a suitable temperature (400 °C) was beneficial to the formation of porous heterophase structure with abundant cavities and cracks, resulting in high electrical conductivity and rich ion/electron-transport channels. The density functional theory (DFT) calculations further verified that in-situ C-doping could modulate the electronic structure and enhance the OH- adsorption capability. The unique porous amorphous/crystalline heterophase structure greatly accelerated electrons/ions transfer and Faradaic reaction kinetic, which effectively improved the charge storage. The C-NiO calcined at 400 °C (C-NiO(400)) displayed a markedly enhanced specific charge, outstanding rate property and excellent cycling stability. Furthermore, the hybrid supercapacitor assembled by C-NiO(400) and active carbon achieved a high energy density of 49.0 Wh kg-1 at 800 W kg-1 and excellent cycle stability (90.9 % retention at 5 A/g after 10 000 cycles). This work provided a new strategy for designing amorphous/crystalline heterophase electrode materials in high-performance energy storage.

Anatomical variation of the posterior septal artery leads to refractory epistaxis.

Purpose: To report a rare variant of the posterior septal artery (PSA), which supplies blood to the posterior mucosa of the contralateral nasal septum. Case report: A 31-year-old female patient underwent suture removal 14 days after septoplasty and developed left-sided epistaxis 6 h after suture removal. To safely and effectively relieve the patient from epistaxis, the cauterization of the left PSA was performed under general anesthesia. However, 24 h after the first surgical hemostasis, the patient experienced epistaxis again in the right nasal cavity. We have reviewed the patient's sinus computed tomography again and found a rare variant of PSA, which is the right-sided PSA passing through a bony canal in the left-sided nasal septum. Discussion: The variant of PSA well explained the failure of the first hemostatic surgery. Therefore, we again performed a cauterization of the right-sided PSA, after which the patient recovered and no further epistaxis occurred. Conclusion: When cauterization of PSA is used to manage posterior epistaxis, it is necessary to pay attention to the possible variation in PSA.

Biodegradation of low-density polyethylene by mixed fungi composed of Alternaria sp. and Trametes sp. isolated from landfill sites.

With the development of industry and modern manufacturing, nondegradable low-density polyethylene (LDPE) has been widely used, posing a rising environmental hazard to natural ecosystems and public health. In this study, we isolated a series of LDPE-degrading fungi from landfill sites and carried out LDPE degradation experiments by combining highly efficient degrading fungi in pairs. The results showed that the mixed microorganisms composed of Alternaria sp. CPEF-1 and Trametes sp. PE2F-4 (H-3 group) had a greater degradation effect on heat-treated LDPE (T-LDPE). After 30 days of inoculation with combination strain H-3, the weight loss rate of the T-LDPE film was approximately 154% higher than that of the untreated LDPE (U-LDPE) film, and the weight loss rate reached 0.66 ± 0.06%. Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to further investigate the biodegradation impacts of T-LDPE, including the changes on the surface and depolymerization of the LDPE films during the fungal degradation process. Our findings revealed that the combined fungal treatment is more effective at degrading T-LDPE than the single strain treatment, and it is expected that properly altering the composition of the microbial community can help lessen the detrimental impact of plastics on the environment.

Supplementation with Lactobacillus helveticus NS8 alleviated behavioral, neural, endocrine, and microbiota abnormalities in an endogenous rat model of depression.

Introduction: Major depressive disorder is a condition involving microbiota-gut-brain axis dysfunction. Increasing research aims to improve depression through gut microbiota regulation, including interventions such as probiotics, prebiotics, and fecal microbiota transplants. However, most research focuses on exogenous depression induced by chronic stress or drugs, with less attention given to endogenous depression. Additionally, research on gut mycobiota in depression is significantly less than that on gut bacteria. Methods: In the present study, Wistar-Kyoto rats were used as an endogenous depression and treatment-resistant depression model, while Wistar rats served as controls. Differences between the two rat strains in behavior, gut bacteria, gut mycobiota, nervous system, endocrine system, immune system, and gut barrier were evaluated. Additionally, the effects of Lactobacillus helveticus NS8 supplementation were investigated. Results: Wistar-Kyoto rats demonstrated increased depressive-like behaviors in the forced swimming test, reduced sucrose preference in the sucrose preference test, and decreased locomotor activity in the open field test. They also exhibited abnormal gut bacteria and mycobiota, characterized by higher bacterial α-diversity but lower fungal α-diversity, along with increased butyrate, L-tyrosine, and L-phenylalanine biosynthesis from bacteria. Furthermore, these rats showed dysfunction in the microbiota-gut-brain axis, evidenced by a hypo-serotonergic system, hyper-noradrenergic system, defective hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, compromised gut barrier integrity, heightened serum inflammation, and diminished gut immunity. A 1-month L. helveticus NS8 intervention increased the fecal abundance of L. helveticus; reduced the abundance of Bilophila and Debaryomycetaceae; decreased immobility time but increased climbing time in the forced swimming test; reduced hippocampal corticotropin-releasing hormone levels; decreased hypothalamic norepinephrine levels; increased hippocampal glucocorticoid receptor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor dopamine, and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid content; and improved the gut microbiota, serotonergic, and noradrenergic system. Conclusion: The depressive phenotype of Wistar-Kyoto rats is not only attributed to their genetic context but also closely related to their gut microbiota. Abnormal gut microbiota and a dysfunctional microbiota-gut-brain axis play important roles in endogenous depression, just as they do in exogenous depression. Supplementing with probiotics such as L. helveticus NS8 is likely a promising approach to improve endogenous depression and treatment-resistant depression.

Sodium houttuyfonate induces bacterial lipopolysaccharide shedding to promote macrophage M1 polarization against acute bacterial lung infection.

Sodium houttuyfonate (SH), derived from the widely utilized natural herb Houttuynia cordata, exhibits an effective therapeutic effect on various diseases, including bacterial and fungal infections, especially the respiratory tract infection. Therefore, the anti-microbial mechanisms of SH may be different from the single-target action mechanism of conventional antibiotics, and further research is needed to clarify this. Firstly, we discovered that SH can effectively intervene in mouse lung infections by reducing bacterial load and acute inflammation response related to pneumonia caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Interestingly, our results confirmed that SH has surface activity and can directly induce changes in the cell wall the shedding of surface lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Additionally, we found that SH-induced shedding of LPS can induce M1 polarization of macrophages in the early stage, leading to the production of corresponding polarization effector molecules. Subsequently, we discovered that SH-induced M1 polarization cells can effectively phagocytose and kill bacterial cells. The protein expression results indicated that SH can enhance the expression of M1 polarization pathway of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB during the initial phase of macrophage and pathogen interaction. In summary, our results imply that SH could directly induce the shedding of P. aeruginosa LPS in a surfactant-like manner. Afterwards, the SH induced abscisic LPS can initiate the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB immune pathway to trigger the M1 polarization of macrophages, which might intervene the P. aeruginosa-caused acute lung infection at early stage. Based on these findings, we attempted to coin the term "immune feedback eradication mechanism against pathogen of natural product" to describe this potent antimicrobial mechanism of SH.