Association of fucosyltransferase 2 gene polymorphism with the susceptibility to norovirus infection in Han Chinese population.

Fucosyltransferase 2 (FUT2) gene, which regulates the formation of Histoblood group antigens, could determine the human susceptibility to norovirus. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between FUT2 gene polymorphism and susceptibility to norovirus gastroenteritis in Han Chinese population. A total of 212 children patients with acute gastroenteritis were enrolled. The stool and serum samples were collected respectively. We used the qPCR method to detect the norovirus infection status from the stool samples, and we used serum samples to detect the FUT2 polymorphism. A case-control study was conducted to investigate the three common SNPs polymorphisms (rs281377, rs1047781, and rs601338) of FUT2 gene with sanger sequencing method. The results indicated that the homozygous genotypes and mutant allele of rs1047781 (A385T) would downgrade the risk of norovirus gastroenteritis in Chinese Han population (AA vs. TT, odds ratio [OR] = 0.098, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.026-0.370, p = 0.001; AA + AT vs. TT, OR = 0.118. 95% CI = 0.033-0.424, p = 0.001; A vs. T, OR = 0.528, 95% CI = 0.351-0.974, p = 0.002). There were no significant difference of rs281377 (C357T) and rs601338 (G428A) polymorphisms between norovirus positive and norovirus negative groups (p > 0.05). The haplotype T-T-G was less susceptible (OR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.31-0.79, p = 0.0034) to norovirus infection compared to other haplotypes. Our results investigated the relationship between the FUT2 gene polymorphisms and norovirus susceptibility in Han Chinese population, and firstly revealed that children with homozygous genotypes and mutant alleles of FUT2 rs1047781 (A385T) were less susceptible to norovirus gastroenteritis.

Improved Measurement of the Differential Polarizability Using Co-Trapped Ions.

We present a novel approach for measuring the differential static scalar polarizability of a target ion utilizing a "polarizability scale" scheme with a reference ion co-trapped in a linear Paul trap. The differential static scalar polarizability of the target ion can be precisely extracted by measuring the ratio of the ac Stark shifts induced by an add-on infrared laser shed on both ions. This method circumvents the need for the calibration of the intensity of the add-on laser, which is usually the bottleneck for measurements of the polarizability of trapped ions. As a demonstration, ^{27}Al^{+} (the target ion) and ^{40}Ca^{+} (the reference ion) are used in this work, with an add-on laser at 1068 nm injected into the ion trap along the trap axis. The differential static scalar polarizability of ^{27}Al^{+} is extracted to be 0.416(14) a.u. by measuring the ratio of the ac Stark shifts of both ions. Compared to the most recent result [Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 033201 (2019)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.123.033201], the relative uncertainty of the differential static scalar polarizability of ^{27}Al^{+} is reduced by approximately a factor of 4, to 3.4%. This improvement is expected to be further enhanced by using an add-on laser with a longer wavelength.

Insulin receptor isoform B is required for efficient proinsulin processing in pancreatic ß cells.

The insulin receptor (INSR, IR) has two isoforms, IRA and IRB, through alternative splicing. However, their distinct functions in vivo remain unclear. Here we generated ß cell-specific IRB knockout (KO) mice (ßIRBKO). The KO mice displayed worsened hyperinsulinemia and hyperproinsulinemia in diet-induced obesity due to impaired proinsulin processing in ß cells. Mechanistically, loss of IRB suppresses eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4G1 (eIF4G1) by stabilizing the transcriptional receptor sterol-regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP1). Moreover, excessive autocrine proinsulin in ßIRBKO mice enhances the activity of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) through the remaining IRA to further stabilize nuclear SREBP1, forming a feedback loop. Collectively, our study paves the way to dissecting the isoform-specific function of IR in vivo and highlights the important roles of IRB in insulin processing and protecting ß cells from lipotoxicity in obesity.

Prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Ureaplasma urealyticum among outpatients in central China: A retrospective study.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) are the common sexually transmitted pathogens and lead to genital diseases, highly prevalent all around the world. The objective of this study was to analyze the prevalence of NG, CT and UU among outpatients in central China. A total of 2186 urogenital swabs were collected from the patients and the NG, CT and UU pathogens were testing with RT-PCR method, meanwhile the medical records were obtained from the hospital information system. The overall infection rates of NG, CT and UU were 4.57 %, 6.63 % and 48.81 % respectively, showed the prevalence of UU was higher than NG and CT. The younger people had the highest infection rate of NG (10.81 %), CT (20.54 %) and UU (54.59 %). Single infection (89.09 %) was significant higher than co-infection (10.91 %), and the CT-UU co-infection was the prominent pattern (66.41 %). There were an obvious sex difference, the prevalence of NG and CT were significant higher in male, whereas UU was higher in female. Our study could contributed a better understanding of the prevalence of NG, CT and UU, facilitating to the development of effective screening, prevention and treatment policies.

[Analysis of the Gene Mutation Type and Frequency of Thalassemia Patients in Jingzhou Area].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the gene mutation types and frequence of thalassemia patients in Jingzhou area. METHODS: A total of 721 suspected thalassemia patients who were visited in Jingzhou Central Hospital from June 2019 to June 2022 were selected as the research objects. There were 204 males and 517 females. PCR-reverse dot hybridization method was used to analyze the types and frequencies of 23 common α or ß thalassemia gene mutations. RESULTS: Among the 721 patients with suspected thalassemia, 228 cases were positive for α or ß thalassemia gene, with a total positive rate of 31.62%, including 87 cases of α-thalassemia, accounting for 38.16%, and 140 cases of ß-thalassemia, accounting for 61.40%. There was 1 case of α ß complex thalassemia, accounting for 0.44%. A total of 4 types of α-thalassemia gene mutations were detected, all of which were deletion types, including αα/--SEA (64/87, 73.56%), αα/-α3.7 (14/87, 16.09%), --SEA /-α3.7 (7/87, 8.05%), αα/-α4.2 (2/87, 2.30%). Among 140 patients with ß-thalassemia, 138 were pure heterozygotes, and the genotypes of IVS-II-654M (63/140, 45.00%), CD41-42M (34/140, 24.29%), CD17M (18/140, 12.86%) and CD27-28M (10/140, 7.14%) accounted for 89.29% of all mutations (125/140), 2 cases of double heterozygosity (2/140, 1.43%) were found, no homozygous ß-thalassemia were detected; 1 case of αß complex thalassemia with genotype -α3.7/IVS-II-654M was found. The incidence of difference types of thalassemia was statistically significant (χ2=194.250, P < 0.001). The percentage of positive thalassemia genes was not significantly difference between male and female suspected patients (χ2=0.199, P =0.655). CONCLUSION: The α-thalassemia gene mutation in Jingzhou area is dominated by αα/--SEA, and the IVS-II-654M mutation is more common in ß-thalassemia, and α ß complex thalassemia is relatively rare, which can provide a reference for the formulation of prevention and treatment measures for thalassemia in Jingzhou area.

Assessment of the Clinical Value of Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is associated with higher mortality as a result of poor prognosis and unavailability of effective treatment options. This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical value of platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) to aid in differentiating early hepatocellular carcinoma from liver cirrhosis patients. Three hundred and nine (309) patients including 155 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 154 patients with liver cirrhosis were enrolled in this study. General clinical characteristics and blood parameters of each patient were collected, calculated, and retrospectively analyzed. Mann-Whitney U test was calculated to compare the two groups. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was performed to investigate the diagnostic potential of PLR in the prediction of HCC at a cut-off with high accuracy (area under the curve [AUC]) > 0.80. Hemoglobin (HB) concentration, red blood cell (RBC) count, neutrophil (NEU) count, platelet count, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were significantly higher in the HCC patients than in the liver cirrhosis patients (p < 0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC, optimal cut-off value, sensitivity, and specificity of PLR to predict HCC patients were 0.912, 98.7, 81.2%, and 80.6% respectively. The results suggest that PLR is a potential biomarker that can be used to predict early HCC.

Impact of IRGM gene promoter polymorphisms on susceptibility to chronic HBV infection.

The autophagy gene immunity-related GTPase M (IRGM) can affect the immune response against intracellular pathogens. The study was performed to determine any possible association between three IRGM single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs4958842, rs4958843 and rs4958846) and chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. A total of 171 chronic HBV-infected individuals and 171 healthy controls were collected. Peripheral blood cells and Sanger sequencing were used to extract genomic DNA and determine the SNP genotypes, respectively. The C allele of rs4958843 is a risk factor for chronic HBV infection in various genetic models, including allelic, codominant and dominant models, with the following respective statistical data: allelic (T vs. C: OR = 1.371, 95% CI = 1.009-1.863, p = .043), codominant (TT vs. CC: OR = 2.137, 95% CI = 1.104-4.138, p = .024) and dominant (TT + TC vs. CC: OR = 1.976, 95% CI = 1.106-3.533, p = .021) models. The genotype and allele distributions of rs4958842 and rs4958846 showed no significant differences between chronic HBV infection patients and healthy controls. IRGM rs4958843 CC genotype carriers had significantly elevated values of alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase alpha-fetoprotein and total bilirubin (OR = 3.467, 95%CI = 1.167-10.298), which was positively associated with the disease progression of HBV infection. Mutant allele C of IRGM rs4958843 polymorphism is associated with the risk of chronic HBV infection in the Han people in central China and contributes to the disease progression.

Clinical utility of biomarkers of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common forms of cancer significantly affecting the mortality and morbidity rates. The increasing incidence of HCC is a great concern across the globe. The current methods of HCC screening, detection and diagnosis depend mainly on imaging techniques. However, biomarkers represent a relatively easy and noninvasive way to detect and estimate the disease prognosis. New potential biomarkers such as α-fetoprotein (AFP), des­Î³­carboxyprothrombin (DCP), α-fetoprotein L3 (AFP-L3), glypican 3 (GCP3), micro-RNA, and Golgi-protein 73 (GP73) are being used more often in the diagnosis and prognosis of HCC. The lack of prudent diagnostic measures makes early detection of HCC nearly impossible. The use of biomarkers to detect cancer has helped to screen for the disease. However, the most commonly used biomarkers for HCC have inadequate performance characteristics. Despite numerous efforts to identify molecules as potential biomarkers, there is no single ideal marker for HCC. In this paper the main biomarkers for the surveillance, diagnosis and prognosis of HCC are reviewed. The advantages and limitations of these biomarkers are summarized, and the future development directions are proposed (Tab. 1, Ref. 30). Keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma, biomarkers, AFP, DCP, diagnosis.

HECTD3 inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome assembly and activation by blocking NLRP3-NEK7 interaction.

The NLRP3 inflammasome plays an important role in protecting the host from infection and aseptic inflammation, and its regulatory mechanism is not completely understood. Dysregulation of NLRP3 can cause diverse inflammatory diseases. HECTD3 is a E3 ubiquitin ligase of the HECT family that has been reported to participate in autoimmune and infectious diseases. However, the relationship between HECTD3 and the NLRP3 inflammasome has not been well studied. Herein, we show that HECTD3 blocks the interaction between NEK7 and NLRP3 to inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome assembly and activation. In BMDMs, Hectd3 deficiency promotes the assembly and activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and the secretion of IL-1ß, while the overexpression of HECTD3 inhibits these processes. Unexpectedly, HECTD3 functions in an E3 activity independent manner. Mechanically, the DOC domain of HECTD3 interacts with NACHT/LRR domain of NLRP3, which blocks NLRP3-NEK7 interaction and NLRP3 oligomerization. Furthermore, HECTD3 inhibits monosodium urate crystals (MSU)-induced gouty arthritis, a NLRP3-related disease. Thus, we reveal a novel regulatory mechanism of NLRP3 by HECTD3 and suggest HECTD3 could be a potential therapeutic target for NLRP3-dependent pathologies.

Efficacy and Safety of Disitamab Vedotin Combined with Programmed Death-1 Inhibitor for Advanced Urothelial Cancer: A Case-Series Study.

INTRODUCTION: Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) and programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitors play crucial roles in the treatment of advanced urothelial cancer (aUC). Increasingly, combination treatment modalities are used in patients with aUC intolerant to platinum-based chemotherapy (PBC). However, clinical evidence on the efficacy and safety of disitamab vedotin plus PD-1 inhibitors for aUC is limited. This case series aims to address this knowledge gap. METHODS: Patients with aUC who were refractory or intolerant to PBC were included. All patients received combined treatment with disitamab vedotin (one of the ADC drugs) and PD-1 inhibitors for at least three cycles. The clinical characteristics of examination, histopathology, outcomes, and adverse events (AEs) were retrospectively collected. RESULTS: Among this case series, eight patients received disitamab vedotin plus PD-1 inhibitors, of which three achieved a complete response (CR) and two had a partial response (PR). The most common AE was peripheral neuropathy (4/8); the remaining AEs were mostly of mild to moderate severity or unknown and were manageable by supportive care. CONCLUSIONS: Disitamab vedotin combined with PD-1 inhibitors exhibits a favorable efficacy and safety profile, but subsequent larger cohort clinical studies are required to provide evidence-based medicine for the universal application of this regimen.

Prevalence and genotype distribution of human papillomavirus infection among women in Jingzhou, China: a population-based study of 51,720 women.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide with a serious threat to women's health. Persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) has been identified as the main cause of cervical cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and genotype distribution of HR-HPV among women in Jingzhou, Hubei province, China, which is critical for the government to formulate the precision strategies of cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccine innoculation. METHODS: To obtain the baseline data on the population-based prevalence and genotype distribution of HR-HPV infection among age groups and different years, a total of 51,720 women from 2018 to 2022 who went to Jingzhou Hospital Affiliated to Yangtze University for physical examination or gynacological treatment and received HR-HPV DNA genotyping were included in this retrospective study. The possible cervicovaginal infection of 15 high-risk HPV genotypes were analyzed by multiplex fluorescent real-time PCR, including HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, 68 and 82. RESULTS: The overall high-risk HPV prevalence among 51,720 women was 18.75% (9,698/51,720), and the HPV-positive rate of physical examination group (PEG) was 13.22% (541/4,091), which was lower than the HPV-positive rate of gynacological checkup group (GCG) 19.23% (9,157/47,629), with statistical difference (χ2 = 89.069, P < 0.01). The five most common prevalent genotypes were HPV52 (6.55%), HPV58 (3.41%), HPV16 (2.58%), HPV68 (1.82%) and HPV51 (1.57%). Single HPV infection was the predominant (14.36%), which compared to double (3.34%) and multiple (1.05%) infections. The HPV-positive rate was the highest in the > 60 age group (31.73%), and the lowest in the 31-40 age group (15.46%). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of high-risk HPV infection among women in Jingzhou area was 18.75%. HPV52, HPV58 and HPV16 genotypes were the most common. The higher prevalence was in the > 60 and ≤ 20 age group, which showed a "U" shape curve, suggesting the necessity of screening among older women to decrease the mortality of cervical cancer.

Genome and transcriptome analysis of Enterococcus faecium from intestinal colonization and Enterococcus faecium from urinary tract infection.

Introduction: Enterococcus faecium is a common pathogen responsible for urinary tract infections (UTIs) and often establishes extensive colonization within the intestinal tract. Our aim was to assess the genomic and transcriptomic differences between colonized E. faecium without UTI (only-colonization) and colonized E. faecium causing UTI (endogenous infections). Method: We investigated the correlation between fecal isolates from the same patient and UTI-causing isolates using PFGE and WGS, and classified fecal isolates into two groups: those that solely colonized and those associated with endogenous urinary tract infections. We characterized the genomes of colonization-only and endogenously infected isolates by Scoary GWAS, and the transcriptomes of the isolates at 3 h urine exposure to assess pathogen-related changes. Result: Based on PFGE and WGS, eight isolates of endogenously infected E. faecium and nine isolates of only-colonized E. faecium were characterized and carbon and nitrogen regulated metabolisms such as genes encoding the phosphotransferase (PTS) system were enriched in endogenously infected E. faecium. Transcriptome analysis revealed significant differences in gene expression in the PTS system, lysine synthesis, galactose metabolism and citrate import between endogenously infected and only-colonized E. faecium isolates, highlighting the important role of certain carbon regulatory genes in the colonization and survival of endogenously infected E. faecium. Conclusion: In only-colonized and endogenously infected isolates, we observed differential expression patterns of genes related to carbon metabolism and amino acids, suggesting that metabolic diversity is a strategy for isolates leading to endogenous infection.

Reoperation after surgical treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia: a systematic review.

Context: Surgical treatment is important for male lower urinary tract symptom (LUTS) management, but there are few reviews of the risks of reoperation. Objective: To systematically evaluate the current evidence regarding the reoperation rates of surgical treatment for LUTS in accordance with current recommendations and guidelines. Evidence acquisition: Eligible studies published up to July 2023, were searched for in the PubMed® (National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA), Embase® (Elsevier, Amsterdam, the Netherlands), and Web of Science™ (Clarivate™, Philadelphia, PA, USA) databases. STATA® (StataCorp LP, College Station, TX, USA) software was used to conduct the meta-analysis. Random-effects models were used to calculate the pooled incidences (PIs) of reoperation and the 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Evidence synthesis: A total of 119 studies with 130,106 patients were included. The reoperation rate of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years was 4.0%, 5.0%, 6.0%, and 7.7%, respectively. The reoperation rate of plasma kinetic loop resection of the prostate (PKRP) at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years was 3.5%, 3.6%, 5.7%, and 6.6%, respectively. The reoperation rate of holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years was 2.4%, 3.3%, 5.4%, and 6.6%, respectively. The reoperation rate of photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years was 3.3%, 4.1%, 6.7%, and 7.1%, respectively. The reoperation rate of surgery with AquaBeam® at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years was 2.6%, 3.1%, 3.0%, and 4.1%, respectively. The reoperation rate of prostatic artery embolization (PAE) at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years was 12.2%, 20.0%, 26.4%, and 23.8%, respectively. The reoperation rate of transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT) at 1, 2, 3, and 5 years was 9.9%, 19.9%, 23.3%, and 31.2%, respectively. The reoperation rate of transurethral incision of the prostate (TUIP) at 5 years was 13.4%. The reoperation rate of open prostatectomy (OP) at 1 and 5 years was 1.3% and 4.4%, respectively. The reoperation rate of thulium laser enucleation of the prostate (ThuLEP) at 1, 2, and 5 years was 3.7%, 7.7%, and 8.4%, respectively. Conclusion: Our results summarized the reoperation rates of 10 surgical procedures over follow-up durations of 1, 2, 3, and 5 years, which could provide reference for urologists and LUTS patients. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, identifier CRD42023445780.

Characteristics of hematological parameters on admission in COVID-19 Omicron variant infected in Chinese population: a large-scale retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, currently the most prevalent strain, has rapidly spread in Jingzhou, China, due to changes in the country's epidemic prevention policy, resulting in an unprecedented increase in cases. Previous studies reported hematological parameters' predictive value in COVID-19 severity and prognosis, but their relevance for early diagnosis in patients infected by the Omicron variant, particularly in high-risk pneumonia cases, remains unclear. Our study aimed to evaluate these parameters as early warning indicators for Omicron-infected patients in fever clinics and those with pulmonary infections (PI). METHODS: A total of 2,021 COVID-19 patients admitted to the fever clinic and infectious disease department of Jingzhou Hospital Affiliated to Yangtze University from November 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022, were retrospectively recruited. Demographic and hematological parameters were obtained from the electronic medical records of eligible patients. These hematological parameters were analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to determine whether they can be used for early diagnosis of COVID-19 patients in fever clinics and the presence of PI in COVID-19 patients. RESULTS: Statistical differences in hematological parameters were observed between COVID-19 patients with fever and PI and control groups (P < 0.01). The ROC curve further demonstrated that lymphocyte (LYM) counts, neutrophil (NEU) counts, monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratios (MLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios (PLR), white blood cell counts (WBC), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were the top 6 indicators in diagnosing Omicron infection with fever, with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.738, 0.718, 0.713, 0.702, 0.700, and 0.687, respectively (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the mean platelet volume (MPV) with an AUC of 0.764, red blood cell count (RBC) with 0.753, hematocrit (HCT) with 0.698, MLR with 0.694, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) with 0.676, and systemic inflammation response indexes (SIRI) with 0.673 were the top 6 indicators for the diagnosis of COVID-19 patients with PI (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: LYM, NEU, MLR, PLR, WBC, and MCHC can serve as potential prescreening indicators for Omicron infection in fever clinics. Additionally, MPV, RBC, HCT, MLR, MCH, and SIRI can predict the presence of PI in COVID-19 patients infected by the Omicron variant.

Correlation analysis of IL-37 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to chronic HBV infection among Han people in Central China.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is responsible for various liver diseases, such as chronic hepatitis B (CHB), liver fibrosis, liver cirrhosis (LC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which pose a significant threat to human health. An ineffective immune response to HBV can result in viral chronicity. Interleukin-37 (IL-37), an immunomodulator, is capable of inhibiting both innate and adaptive immune responses. It is believed that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the IL-37 gene could contribute to the regulation of HBV clearance. Our aim to conduct this study was to investigate whether SNPs in the IL-37 gene were associated with the risk of chronic HBV infection in adults. A total of 342 participants, consisting of 171 cases and 171 controls, were recruited for this study. Sanger sequencing was employed for genotyping six SNPs (rs3811042 G/A, rs3811043 G/C, rs2466449 A/G, rs3811045 C/T, rs3811046 T/G and rs3811047G/A). There was no significant difference in allele and genotype distribution between the two groups, and the constructed haplotypes were not found to be associated with the risk of chronic HBV infection. Our results revealed that there was no relationship between these six SNPs (rs3811042G/A, rs3811043G/C, rs2466449A/G, rs3811045C/T, rs3811046T/G and rs3811047G/A) in the IL-37 gene and susceptibility to chronic HBV infection among Han people in Central China.

Microbial degradation of petroleum characteristic pollutants in hypersaline environment, emphasizing n-hexadecane and 2,4 di-tert-butylphenol.

In this paper, nine strains of salt-tolerant petroleum-degrading bacteria were applied to an biological aerated filter. Simulating the degradation of high-salinity petroleum wastewater with n-hexadecane and 2,4-ditert-butylphenol as the primary pollutants and analyzing the structure of the biofilm at various salt concentrations. According to the results, when the salinity was 4%, the COD removal efficiency reached 74.34%. Various halotolerant microorganisms have adapted to various salt concentrations. At a salinity of 3%, n-hexadecane exhibited the best degradation effect, with a rate of 83.21%. Shewanella, Acinetobacter, and Marinobacter were the predominant bacterial groups at the time. At 4% salinity, Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas were the predominant bacteria, and the average 2,4-ditert-butylphenol degradation rate was the highest at 63.02%. This study provided an experimental basis for further studying the biological treatment of high-salinity petroleum wastewater.

Synergistic effect of naphthalenediimide and squaraine ligand targeting G-quadruplex DNA in cancer cells.

Targeting and stabilizing nonclassical DNA G-quadruplexes (G4s) with a ligand to inhibit cell proliferation is a very promising approach for cancer treatment. Here, we demonstrate that the combination of a naphthalenediimide (NDI) ligand and a squaraine ligand significantly improves the anticancer activity of either ligand alone. The NDI ligand binds the 5'-terminal of hybrid-type G4s and induces the topological conversion from a metastable hybrid to a stable parallel conformation, which allows the end-stacking of the squaraine ligand on the 3'-terminal of the resultant parallel-type G4 structure. Moreover, the NDI ligand promotes the diffusion of the squaraine ligand into the nucleus, and the synergistic effect of the two ligands improves the stability of G4s in cancer cells, blocks the cell cycle in the sub-G1 phase, and induces the DNA damage response. These findings will be helpful in the development of combinational ligands targeting DNA G4s with enhanced bioactivity toward the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation.

Rapid Bacterial Identification and Drug Sensitivity Test Methods for Pathogens in Positive Blood Cultures.

BACKGROUND: The turnover time of positive blood culture using traditional methods takes too long. This study aimed to evaluate rapid direct identification and drug sensitivity test methods for pathogens in positive blood cultures. METHODS: A total of 403 blood culture bottles were used to compare the rapid identification methods and drug sensitivity tests for pathogens causing bloodstream infections. Bacteria were enriched using separator gel tubes and were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. In addition, bacteria were also identified using an established traditional method for comparison. The sensitivity of gram-negative bacilli against antibiotics was tested using Rapid Bacterial Test Strips or the VITEK 2 Compact system. RESULTS: The accuracy was 81.8% in 403 bacteria, of which 71% (132/186) and 96.3% (209/217) were gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, respectively. The gram-positive bacteria were primarily Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus. The gram-negative bacteria were primarily Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia. Compared with routine drug sensitivity testing methods, the coincidence rate of direct drug sensitivity testing for classifying the bacteria was 98.6% (1,325/1,344). The average rapid bacterial identification time was 1.5 hours, and the direct drug sensitivity test took - 8.5 hours. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that direct identification and rapid drug sensitivity testing can be performed on the same day and can be completed 1 or 2 days ahead of routine methods, thereby assisting in providing earlier drug options for anti-infective therapy.

Network Pharmacological Study on the Mechanism of Cynanchum paniculatum (Xuchangqing) in the Treatment of Bungarus multicinctus Bites.

Background: Bungarus multicinctus is one of the top ten venomous snakes in China. Its venom is mainly neurotoxin-based. Novel antivenom drugs need to be further researched and developed. Objective: This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanism of Cynanchum paniculatum in treating Bungarus multicinctus bites based on network pharmacology. Material and methods. The potential active ingredients of Cynanchum paniculatum were screened and their SDF structures were obtained using the PubChem database and imported into the SwissTargetPrediction database, and targets were obtained for the antitoxin effects of Cynanchum paniculatum in the treatment of Bungarus multicinctus bites. The Cynanchum paniculatum-active compound-potential target network and protein-protein interaction network were constructed by using Cytoscape software, and then biological function analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were performed using the DAVID. Results: Seven potential active components (cynapanoside C, cynatratoside B, tomentolide A, sitosterol, sarcostin, tomentogenin, and paeonol) and 286 drug targets were obtained, including 30 key targets for the treatment of bungarotoxin toxicity. The active components mainly acted on PIK3CA, MAPK1, MAP2K1, JAK2, FYN, ACHE, CHRNA7, CHRNA4, and CHRNB2, and they antagonized the inhibitory effect of bungarotoxin on the nervous system through cholinergic synapses and the neurotrophin signaling pathway. Conclusions: Cynanchum paniculatum exerts a therapeutic effect on Bungarus multicinctus bites through multiple active components, multiple targets, and multiple pathways. The findings provide a theoretical basis for the extraction of active components of Cynanchum paniculatum and for related antivenom experiments.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids promote the rapid fusion of lipid droplets in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Lipid droplets (LDs) are intracellular organelles that dynamically regulate lipids and energy homeostasis in the cell. LDs can grow through either local lipid synthesis or LD fusion. However, how lipids involving in LD fusion for LD growth is largely unknown. Here, we show that genetic mutation of acox-3 (acyl-CoA oxidase), maoc-1 (enoyl-CoA hydratase), dhs-28 (3-hydroxylacyl-CoA dehydrogenase), and daf-22 (3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase), all involved in the peroxisomal ß-oxidation pathway in Caenorhabditis elegans, led to rapid fusion of adjacent LDs to form giant LDs (gLDs). Mechanistically, we show that dysfunction of peroxisomal ß-oxidation results in the accumulation of long-chain fatty acid-CoA and phosphocholine, which may activate the sterol-binding protein 1/sterol regulatory element-binding protein to promote gLD formation. Furthermore, we found that inactivation of either FAT-2 (delta-12 desaturase) or FAT-3 and FAT-1 (delta-15 desaturase and delta-6 desaturase, respectively) to block the biosynthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) with three or more double bonds (n≥3-PUFAs) fully repressed the formation of gLDs; in contrast, dietary supplementation of n≥3-PUFAs or phosphocholine bearing these PUFAs led to recovery of the formation of gLDs in peroxisomal ß-oxidation-defective worms lacking PUFA biosynthesis. Thus, we conclude that n≥3-PUFAs, distinct from other well-known lipids and proteins, promote rapid LD fusion leading to LD growth.