Natural autophagy modulators in non-communicable diseases: from autophagy mechanisms to therapeutic potential.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are defined as a kind of diseases closely related to bad behaviors and lifestyles, e.g., cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes. Driven by population growth and aging, NCDs have become the biggest disease burden in the world, and it is urgent to prevent and control these chronic diseases. Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved process that degrade cellular senescent or malfunctioning organelles in lysosomes. Mounting evidence has demonstrated a major role of autophagy in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and other major human diseases, suggesting that autophagy could be a candidate therapeutic target for NCDs. Natural products/phytochemicals are important resources for drugs against a wide variety of diseases. Recently, compounds from natural plants, such as resveratrol, curcumin, and ursolic acid, have been recognized as promising autophagy modulators. In this review, we address recent advances and the current status of the development of natural autophagy modulators in NCDs and provide an update of the latest in vitro and in vivo experiments that pave the way to clinical studies. Specifically, we focus on the relationship between natural autophagy modulators and NCDs, with an intent to identify natural autophagy modulators with therapeutic potential.

Melatonin-mediated low-temperature tolerance of cucumber seedlings requires Ca2+/CPKs signaling pathway.

Melatonin (Mel) is recognized as a prominent plant growth regulator. This study investigated the alleviating effect of Mel pretreatment on growth inhibition caused by low-temperature (LT) stress (10 °C/6 °C) in cucumber seedlings and explored the role of the Ca2+/Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CPKs) signaling pathway in Mel-regulated LT tolerance. The main results are as follows: compared to LT treatment alone, 100 µM Mel increased both the content of Ca2+ (highest about 42.01%) and the expression levels of Ca2+ transporter and cyclic nucleotide-gated channel (CNGC) genes under LT. Similarly, Mel enhanced the content of CPKs (highest about 27.49%) and the expression levels of CPKs family genes in cucumber leaves under LT. Additionally, pretreatment with 100 µM Mel for three days strengthened the antioxidant defense and photosynthesis of seedlings under LT. Genes in the ICE-CBF-COR pathway and the MAPK cascade were upregulated by Mel, with maximum upregulations reaching approximately 2.5-fold and 1.9-fold, respectively, thus conferring LT tolerance to cucumber seedlings. However, the above beneficial effects of Mel were weakened by co-treatment with calcium signaling blockers (LaCl3 or EGTA) or CPKs inhibitors (TFP or W-7), suggesting that the Ca2+/CPKs pathway is involved in the Mel-mediated regulation of LT tolerance. In conclusion, this study revealed that Mel can alleviate growth inhibition in cucumber seedlings under LT stress and demonstrated that the Ca2+/CPKs signaling pathway is crucial for the Mel-mediated enhancement of LT tolerance. The findings hold promise for providing theoretical insights into the application of Mel in agricultural production and for investigating its underlying mechanisms of action.

Evaluating the efficacy of percutaneous puncture biopsy guided by contrast-enhanced ultrasound for peripheral pulmonary lesions.

BACKGROUND: The incidence and mortality of lung cancer have increased annually. Accurate diagnosis can help improve therapeutic efficacy of interventions and prognosis. Percutaneous lung biopsy is a reliable method for the clinical diagnosis of lung cancer. Ultrasound-guided percutaneous lung biopsy technology has been widely promoted and applied in recent years. AIM: To investigate the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS)-guided percutaneous biopsy in peripheral pulmonary lesions. METHODS: We retrospectively collected data on 237 patients with peripheral thoracic focal lesions who underwent puncture biopsy at Wuxi People's Hospital. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: The CEUS-guided before lesion puncture group (contrast group) and conventional ultrasound-guided group (control group). Analyze the diagnostic efficacy of the puncture biopsy, impact of tumor size, and number of puncture needles and complications were analyzed and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Accurate pathological results were obtained for 92.83% (220/237) of peripheral lung lesions during the first biopsy, with an accuracy rate of 95.8% (113/118) in the contrast group and 89.9% (107/119) in the control group. The difference in the area under the curve (AUC) between the contrast and the control groups was not statistically significant (0.952 vs 0.902, respectively; P > 0.05). However, when the lesion diameter ≥ 5 cm, the diagnostic AUC of the contrast group was higher than that of the control group (0.952 vs 0.902, respectively; P < 0.05). In addition, the average number of puncture needles in the contrast group was lower than that in the control group (2.58 ± 0.53 vs 2.90 ± 0.56, respectively; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: CEUS guidance can enhance the efficiency of puncture biopsy of peripheral pulmonary lesions, especially for lesions with a diameter ≥ 5 cm. Therefore, CEUS guidance has high clinical diagnostic value in puncture biopsy of peripheral focal lung lesions.

[Assessment of carbon reduction and sink enhancement potential of photovoltaic+mining ecological restoration model]. / å ‰ä¼+矿山生态修复模式的减碳增汇潜力评估.

The energy oriented mine ecological restoration mode of photovoltaic+ecological restoration provides a breakthrough for alleviating the dilemma of photovoltaic land development and solving the urgent need for restoration of abandoned mining land. Taking a mining area in central Liaoning Province as an example, we established three photovoltaic+mining ecological restoration modes, including forest-photovoltaic complementary, agriculture-photovoltaic, and grass photovoltaic complementation. Combined with the life cycle assessment method, we calculated and assessed the potential of photovoltaic+mining ecological restoration in carbon reduction and sink enhancement. The average annual carbon reduction and sink increase was 514.93 t CO2·hm-2 under the photovoltaic+mining ecological restoration mode, while the average annual carbon reduction per megawatt photovoltaic power station was 1242.94 t CO2. The adoption of photovoltaic+ecological restoration mode in this mining area could make carbon reduction and sink enhancement 6.30-7.79 Mt CO2 during 25 years. The carbon reduction and sink increment mainly stemmed from the photovoltaic clean power generation induced carbon reduction, accounting for 96.4%-99.4%, while the contribution of ecosystem carbon sink increment was small, accounting for only 0.6%-3.7% of the total. Among different photovoltaic+ecological restoration modes, the carbon reduction and sink increment was the largest in forest-photovoltaic complementary (7.11 Mt CO2), followed by agriculture-photovoltaic (7.04 Mt CO2), and the least in grass photovoltaic complementation (6.98 Mt CO2). Constructing the development mode of "photovoltaic+mining ecological restoration" could effectively leverage the dual benefits of reducing emissions from photovoltaic power generation and increase sinks from mining ecological restoration, which would be helpful for achieving the goal of carbon neutrality in China.

Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in lung cancer patients and their associations with clinical health indicators.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have potential carcinogenicity, immunotoxicity, and hepatotoxicity. Research has been conducted on PFAS exposure in people to discuss their potential health effects, excluding lung cancer. In this study, we recruited participants (n = 282) with lung cancer from Heilongjiang Province, northeast China. The PFAS concentrations were measured in their serum to fill the data gap of exposure, and relationships were explored in levels between PFASs and clinical indicators of tumor, immune and liver function. Ten PFASs were found in over 80 % of samples and their total concentrations were 5.27-152 ng/mL, with the highest level for perfluorooctanesulfonate (median: 12.4 ng/mL). Long-chain PFASs were the main congeners and their median concentration (20.5 ng/mL) was nearly three times to that of short-chain PFASs (7.61 ng/mL). Significantly higher concentrations of perfluorobutanoic acid, perfluorononanoic acid and perfluorohexanesulfonate were found in males than in females (p < 0.05). Serum levels of neuro-specific enolase were positively associated with perfluoropentanoic acid in all participants and were negatively associated with perfluorononanesulfonate in females (p < 0.05, multiple linear regression models). Exposure to PFAS mixture was significantly positively associated with the lymphocytic absolute value (difference: 0.224, 95% CI: 0.018, 0.470; p < 0.05, quantile g-computation models) and serum total bilirubin (difference: 2.177, 95% CI: 0.0335, 4.33; p < 0.05). Moreover, PFAS exposure can affect γ-glutamyl transpeptidase through several immune markers (p < 0.05, mediating test). Our results suggest that exposure to certain PFASs could interfere with clinical indicators in lung cancer patients. To our knowledge, this is the first study to detect serum PFAS occurrence and check their associations with clinical indicators in lung cancer patients.

Light intensity differentially mediates the life cycle of lepidopteran leaf feeders and stem borers.

BACKGROUND: Leaf feeders, such as Spodoptera frugiperda and Spodoptera litura, and stem borers Ostrinia furnacalis and Chilo suppressalis, occupy two different niches and are well adapted to their particular environments. Borer larvae burrow and inhabit the interior of stems, which are relatively dark. By contrast, the larvae of leaf feeders are exposed to sunlight during feeding. We therefore designed series of experiments to evaluate the effect of light intensity (0, 2000, and 10 000 lx) on these pests with different feeding modes. RESULTS: The development of all four pests was significantly delayed at 0 lx. Importantly, light intensity affected the development of both male and female larvae of borers, but only significantly affected male larvae of leaf feeders. Furthermore, the proportion of female offspring of leaf feeders increased with increasing light intensity (S. frugiperda: 33.89%, 42.26%, 57.41%; S. litura: 38.90%, 51.75%, 65.08%), but no significant differences were found in stem borers. This research also revealed that the survival rate of female leaf feeders did not vary across light intensities, but that of males decreased with increasing light intensity (S. frugiperda: 97.78%, 85.86%, 61.21%; S. litura: 95.83%, 73.54%, 58.99%). CONCLUSION: These results improve our understanding of how light intensity affects sex differences in important lepidopteran pests occupying different feeding niches and their ecological interactions with abiotic factors in agroecosystems. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Nursing Care of a Child With Delirium Receiving Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Children receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation are prone to delirium. This case report describes the nursing care of a child with delirium who received venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Relevant interventions and precautions are also discussed. CLINICAL FINDINGS: A 6-year-old girl was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit with a 2-day history of vomiting and fever. The child underwent cannulation for venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. DIAGNOSIS: The child was diagnosed with acute fulminant myocarditis, cardiac shock, and ventricular arrhythmia. INTERVENTIONS: On the third day of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, bedside nurses began using the Cornell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium to assess the child for delirium symptoms. The team of physicians and nurses incorporated a nonpharmacologic delirium management bundle into pediatric daily care. Delirium screening, analgesia and sedation management, sleep promotion, and family participation were implemented. OUTCOMES: During the 18 days of pediatric intensive care unit hospitalization, the child had 6 days of delirium: 1.5 days of hypoactive delirium, 1.5 days of hyperactive delirium, and 3 days of mixed delirium. The child was successfully discharged home on hospital day 22. CONCLUSION: Caring for a child with delirium receiving venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation required multidimensional nursing capabilities to prevent and reduce delirium while ensuring safe extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. This report may assist critical care nurses caring for children under similar circumstances.

Preoperative controlling nutritional status as an optimal prognostic nutritional index to predict the outcome for colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: The controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score effectively reflects a patient's nutritional status, which is closely related to cancer prognosis. This study investigated the relationship between the CONUT score and prognosis after radical surgery for colorectal cancer, and compared the predictive ability of the CONUT score with other indexes. AIM: To analyze the predictive performance of the CONUT score for the survival rate of colorectal cancer patients who underwent potentially curative resection. METHODS: This retrospective analysis included 217 patients with newly diagnosed colorectal. The CONUT score was calculated based on the serum albumin level, total lymphocyte count, and total cholesterol level. The cutoff value of the CONUT score for predicting prognosis was 4 according to the Youden Index by the receiver operating characteristic curve. The associations between the CONUT score and the prognosis were performed using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: Using the cutoff value of the CONUT score, patients were stratified into CONUT low (n = 189) and CONUT high groups (n = 28). The CONUT high group had worse overall survival (OS) (P = 0.013) and relapse-free survival (RFS) (P = 0.015). The predictive performance of CONUT was superior to the modified Glasgow prognostic score, the prognostic nutritional index, and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio. Meanwhile, the predictive performances of CONUT + tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage for 3-year OS [area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) = 0.803] and 3-year RFS (AUC = 0.752) were no less than skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) + TNM stage. The CONUT score was negatively correlated with SMI (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: As a nutritional indicator, the CONUT score could predict long-term outcomes after radical surgery for colorectal cancer, and its predictive ability was superior to other indexes. The correlation between the CONUT score and skeletal muscle may be one of the factors that play a predictive role.

The catabolic specialization of the marine bacterium Polaribacter sp. Q13 to red algal ß1,3/1,4-mixed-linkage xylan.

Catabolism of algal polysaccharides by marine bacteria is a significant process of marine carbon cycling. ß1,3/1,4-Mixed-linkage xylan (MLX) is a class of xylan in the ocean, widely present in the cell walls of red algae. However, the catabolic mechanism of MLX by marine bacteria remains elusive. Recently, we found that a marine Bacteroidetes strain, Polaribacter sp. Q13, is a specialist in degrading MLX, which secretes a novel MLX-specific xylanase. Here, the catabolic specialization of strain Q13 to MLX was studied by multiomics and biochemical analyses. Strain Q13 catabolizes MLX with a canonical starch utilization system (Sus), which is encoded by a single xylan utilization locus, XUL-Q13. In this system, the cell surface glycan-binding protein SGBP-B captures MLX specifically, contributing to the catabolic specificity. The xylanolytic enzyme system of strain Q13 is unique, and the enzymatic cascade dedicates the stepwise hydrolysis of the ß1,3- and ß1,4-linkages in MLX in the extracellular, periplasmic, and cytoplasmic spaces. Bioinformatics analysis and growth observation suggest that other marine Bacteroidetes strains harboring homologous MLX utilization loci also preferentially utilize MLX. These results reveal the catabolic specialization of MLX degradation by marine Bacteroidetes, leading to a better understanding of the degradation and recycling of MLX driven by marine bacteria.IMPORTANCERed algae contribute substantially to the primary production in marine ecosystems. The catabolism of red algal polysaccharides by marine bacteria is important for marine carbon cycling. Mixed-linkage ß1,3/1,4-xylan (MLX, distinct from hetero-ß1,4-xylans from terrestrial plants) is an abundant red algal polysaccharide, whose mechanism of catabolism by marine bacteria, however, remains largely unknown. This study reveals the catabolism of MLX by marine Bacteroidetes, promoting our understanding of the degradation and utilization of algal polysaccharides by marine bacteria. This study also sets a foundation for the biomass conversion of MLX.

Selection and application of aptamers for p-hydroxybenzyl hydrogen sulfite after Gastrodia elata Bl. fumigated with sulfur.

Gastrodia elata Bl. is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine known for its medicinal properties. However, during the drying process, G. elata is often fumigated with sulfur to prevent corrosion and improve its appearance. Sulfur-fumigation can result in a reduction in the effective components of the herb and can also be hazardous to human health due to the remaining sulfur dioxide. Sulfur-fumigation of G. elata poses a significant challenge to both end-users and researchers. The detection of p-hydroxybenzyl hydrogen sulfite (p-HS) is a useful tool in determining whether G. elata has been fumigated with sulfur. Unfortunately, the current method for detecting p-HS is costly and requires sophisticated instruments. Therefore, there is a need to develop a more cost-effective and user-friendly method for the detection of p-HS. This study utilized the Capture-SELEX technique to screen high-affinity aptamers for p-HS, which were subsequently characterized by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). An aptamer sequence (seq 6) with a high affinity of Kd = 26.5 µM was obtained following 8 rounds of selection against p-HS. With the aptamer serving as the recognition element and gold nanoparticles as the colorimetric indicator, a simple and efficient colorimetric sensor was developed for the specific detection of p-HS. This detection method exhibited a limit of detection of 1 µg/ml, while the p-HS recoveries demonstrated a range of between 88.5 % and 105 % for samples of G. elata obtained in the market. In summary, the aptamer exhibited a high affinity for p-HS, and the sensor developed through the use of a colloidal gold detector based on nucleic acid aptamer can be utilized for rapid detection of sulfur-fumigated G. elata. With these findings, this research paper provides valuable scientific insights and highlights significant potential for future studies in this area.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus becomes lethal to post-larvae shrimp via acquiring novel virulence factors.

IMPORTANCE: As a severe emerging shrimp disease, TPD has heavily impacted the shrimp aquaculture industry and resulted in serious economic losses in China since spring 2020. This study aimed to identify the key virulent factors and related genes of the Vp TPD, for a better understanding of its pathogenicity of the novel highly lethal infectious pathogen, as well as its molecular epidemiological characteristics in China. The present study revealed that a novel protein, Vibrio high virulent protein-2 (MW >100 kDa), is responsible to the lethal virulence of V. parahaemolyticus to shrimp post-larvae. The results are essential for effectively diagnosing and monitoring novel pathogenic bacteria, like Vp TPD, in aquaculture shrimps and would be beneficial to the fisheries department in early warning of Vp TPD emergence and developing prevention strategies to reduce economic losses due to severe outbreaks of TPD. Elucidation of the key virulence genes and genomics of Vp TPD could also provide valuable information on the evolution and ecology of this emerging pathogen in aquaculture environments.

Efficacy of two opportunistic methods for screening osteoporosis in lumbar spine surgery patients.

PURPOSE: Hounsfield unit (HU) measurements and vertebral bone quality (VBQ) scores are opportunistic screening methods for evaluating bone quality. Since studies comparing the efficacies of the two methods are rare, this retrospective study aimed to examine the efficacy of VBQ scores compared with that of HU measurements for diagnosing osteoporosis in lumbar spine surgery patients. METHODS: We selected patients who had undergone spinal surgery between January 2020 and May 2022 from our database. The VBQ scores based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and HU measurements based on computed tomography (CT) were calculated. Correlation analysis of the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) T score and study parameters was performed. The Delong test and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to compare the efficacies of the two methods. RESULTS: We included 118 consecutive patients who underwent selective spinal surgery. The VBQ score and HU measurement were significantly correlated with the DEXA T score. Based on the Delong test, HU measurement predicted osteoporosis more effectively than the VBQ score did. The DCA revealed that the VBQ score performed better than the HU measurement did. CONCLUSIONS: The calculation of VBQ scores is a novel opportunistic screening method for diagnosing osteoporosis; however, CT-based HU measurements outperform MRI-based VBQ scores. HU measurements can be used as a screening method when pre-operative CT scans are available.

Prognostic nomograms for nasopharyngeal carcinoma with nodal features and potential indication for N staging system: Validation and comparison of seven N stage schemes.

PURPOSE: To identify the prognostic value of the nodal features, propose a nomogram-based N stage system and evaluate the performance of seven N stage schemes of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. METHODS: Data from 1638 non-distant metastatic NPC patients were used to develop nomograms predicting 3-year and 5-year overall survival (OS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS). Based on nomogram and multivariate analyses, a new N-stage scheme was proposed. The performance of the nomogram-based N staging system was assessed against five newly proposed N staging systems and the current 8th N staging system using a quantitative model to compare hazard consistency, discrimination, outcome prediction, and sample size balance. The Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank tests was used to compare survival differences. RESULTS: Nomograms to predict OS and DMFS were constructed using extranodal extension infiltrating the surrounding structures (ENEmax), maximal axial diameter (MAD), large retropharyngeal lymph nodes (RLN, minimal axial diameter > 1.5 cm), multiple central nodal necrosis (CNN), and total lymph node (LN) number and level. Multivariate analysis showed the independent prognostic value of ENEmax and MAD > 3 cm for all selected survival endpoints (p < 0.05). Large RLN and lower neck involvement were independently associated with OS (p < 0.05). We proposed using a large RLN and MAD > 3 cm as N2 factors, and ENEmax and lower neck involvement as N3 factors. Among the seven N-stage schemes, our nomogram-based N scheme and ENEmax to N3 scheme (ENE3) ranked in the top two in the overall comparison with the elevated outcome predicting value (highest c-index). However, between the N0, N1, N1, and N2 subgroups, the ENE3 scheme showed no difference in OS or DMFS (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The predictive model highlighted the independent prognostic value of ENEmax, cervical lymph node, MAD, and large RLN, which can be used as criteria for future N staging.

Underlying Degradation of Phthalates via Microbials in Dust from Different Microenvironments.

Phthalate monoesters (me-PAEs) have been used as biomarkers for assessing human exposure to phthalate esters (PAEs) for a long time, and studies on the sources and distribution of me-PAEs in the environment are limited. In this study, dust samples from microenvironments were collected to measure the occurrence of PAEs and me-PAEs, as well as the bacterial diversity. The results indicated that me-PAEs coexisted with PAEs in different microenvironmental dust samples, with concentrations of nine PAEs and 16 me-PAEs ranging from 108 to 1450 µg/g (median range) and 6.00 to 21.6 µg/g, respectively. The concentrations of several low molecular weight me-PAEs (e.g., monomethyl phthalate and monoethyl phthalate) in dust were even significantly higher than those of their parents. The bacteria in the dust were mainly predominant with Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes (total abundance >90%). Bacteria from bus and air conditioning dust samples had the highest species richness and species diversity. Seven genes of suspected enzymes with the ability to degrade PAEs were selected, and the concentration of me-PAEs increased with increasing abundance of enzyme function. Our findings will provide useful information on the profiles of me-PAEs and their potential sources in indoor dusts, which will benefit the accurate estimation of human exposure.

Risk factors of delirium in a paediatric intensive care unit: A prospective case series study.

BACKGROUND: Delirium is one of the most common complications in critically ill children. Once delirium occurs, it will cause physical and psychological distress in children and increase the length of their ICU stay and hospitalization costs. Understanding the risk factors for delirium in critically ill children can help develop targeted nursing interventions to reduce the incidence of delirium. AIMS: To investigate the incidence and the risk factors of delirium in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). STUDY DESIGN: We performed a prospective observational study in critically ill patients in the PICU between February and July 2020. Delirium was diagnosed by the Cornell Assessment of Paediatric Delirium (CAPD) and the Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale and analysed via univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression to determine the independent risk factors of delirium in critically ill children. RESULTS: The study enrolled 315 patients ranging in age from 1-202 (65.3-54.3) months, with 56.2% (n = 177) being male. The incidence of delirium was 29.2% (n = 92) according to CAPD criteria. Among them, 33 cases (35.9%) were of hyperactive delirium, 16 cases (17.4%) were of hypoactive delirium, and 43 cases (46.7%) were of mixed delirium. By using stepwise logistic regression, the independent risk factors of delirium included mechanical ventilation (odds ratio [OR], 11.470; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.283-30.721), nervous system disease (OR, 5.596; 95%CI, 2.445 to 12.809), developmental delay (OR, 5.157; 95% CI, 1.990-13.363), benzodiazepine (OR, 3.359; 95% CI 1.278-8.832), number of catheters (OR, 1.918; 95% CI, 1.425 to 2.582), and age (OR, 0.985; 95% confidence interval CI, 0.976-0.993). CONCLUSIONS: Delirium is a common complication in the PICU. The independent risk factors include mechanical ventilation, nervous system disease, developmental delay, benzodiazepines, higher number of catheters, and younger age. This study may help develop intervention strategies to reduce the incidence of delirium in critically ill children by targeting modifiable risk factors. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Recommendations for practice include paying attention to high-risk children in the ICU who are prone to delirium, removing influencing factors as soon as possible, and providing targeted nursing interventions.

[Diversity and Predictive Functional of Caragana jubata Bacterial Community in Rhizosphere and Non-rhizosphere Soil at Different Altitudes].

Caragana jubata, as the main dominant plant in the alpine and subalpine regions of northern China, is an important component of the local ecosystem. However, few studies have paid attention to its impact on the soil ecosystem and its response to environmental changes. Thus, in this study, we used high-throughput sequencing technology to investigate diversity and predictive function of rhizosphere and bulk soil bacteria communities of C.jubata from different altitudes. The results indicated that 43 phyla, 112 classes, 251 orders, 324 families, and 542 genera were obtained from the soil. The dominant phyla in all sample sites were Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Actinobacteria. There were significant differences in bacterial diversity index and community structure between the rhizosphere and bulk soil at the same altitude, whereas the differences across altitudes were insignificant. PICRUSt analysis showed that the functional gene families were mainly related to 29 sub-functions, including amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and metabolism of cofactors and vitamins, and the abundance of metabolism was highest. There were significant correlations between the relative abundances of genes involved in the level Ⅱ metabolic pathway of bacteria and phylum-level taxa, such as Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Chloroflexi. The predicted functional compositions of soil bacteria also showed a significantly positive correlation with the dissimilarity in bacterial community structure, indicating that there was a strong relationship between bacterial community structure and functional genes. This study preliminarily discussed the characteristics and functional prediction analysis of bacterial communities in the rhizosphere and bulk soil of C.jubata at different altitudinal gradients, which provided data support for the ecological effects of constructive plants and their responses to environmental changes in high altitude areas.

Ocular Mycobacterium haemophilum infection originating in the cornea: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Mycobacterium haemophilum is a slow-growing non-chromogenic nontuberculous Mycobacterium species that can cause skin infection or arthritis in an immunocompromised population or in children. Primary infection of the healthy adult cornea is rare. The special requirements for culture make this pathogen difficult to diagnose. The study aims to report the clinical manifestation and treatment process of corneal infection and notify the awareness of M. Haemophilus keratitis among clinicians. This is the first case report of primary M. haemophilum infection in the cornea of healthy adults reported in the literature. CASE PRESENTATION: A 53-year-old healthy goldminer presented with left eye redness and a history of vision loss for four months. The patient was misdiagnosed with herpes simplex keratitis until M. haemophilum was detected using high-throughput sequencing. Penetrating keratoplasty was performed, and a large number of mycobacteria were detected by Ziehl-Neelsen staining of the infected tissue. Three months later, the patient developed conjunctival and eyelid skin infections that manifested as caseous necrosis of the conjunctiva and skin nodules. After excision and debridement of the conjunctival lesions and systemic antituberculosis drug treatment for 10 months, the patient was cured. CONCLUSION: M. haemophilum could cause primary corneal infection in healthy adults, which is an infrequent or rare infection. Owing to the need for special bacterial culture conditions, conventional culture methods do not provide positive results. High-throughput sequencing can rapidly identify the presence of bacteria, which aids in early diagnosis and timely treatment. Prompt surgical intervention is an effective treatment option for severe keratitis. Long-term systemic antimicrobial therapy is crucial.

Gut microbiome dysregulation drives bone damage in broiler tibial dyschondroplasia by disrupting glucose homeostasis.

Tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) with multiple incentives is a metabolic skeletal disease that occurs in fast-growing broilers. Perturbations in the gut microbiota (GM) have been shown to affect bone homoeostasis, but the mechanisms by which GM modulates bone metabolism in TD broilers remain unknown. Here, using a broiler model of TD, we noted elevated blood glucose (GLU) levels in TD broilers, accompanied by alterations in the pancreatic structure and secretory function and damaged intestinal barrier function. Importantly, faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) of gut microbes from normal donors rehabilitated the GM and decreased the elevated GLU levels in TD broilers. A high GLU level is a predisposing factor to bone disease, suggesting that GM dysbiosis-mediated hyperglycaemia might be involved in bone regulation. 16S rRNA gene sequencing and short-chain fatty acid analysis revealed that the significantly increased level of the metabolite butyric acid derived from the genera Blautia and Coprococcus regulated GLU levels in TD broilers by binding to GPR109A in the pancreas. Tibial studies showed reduced expression of vascular regulatory factors (including PI3K, AKT and VEFGA) based on transcriptomics analysis and reduced vascular distribution, contributing to nonvascularization of cartilage in the proximal tibial growth plate of TD broilers with elevated GLU levels. Additionally, treatment with the total flavonoids from Rhizoma drynariae further validated the improvement in bone homoeostasis in TD broilers by regulating GLU levels through the regulation of GM to subsequently improve intestinal and pancreatic function. These findings clarify the critical role of GM-mediated changes in GLU levels via the gut-pancreas axis in bone homoeostasis in TD chickens.

Novel small-molecule compound VCP979 attenuates renal fibrosis in male rats with unilateral ureteral obstruction.

Renal fibrosis is a hallmark of chronic kidney disease, while efficient therapy against renal fibrosis is still lacking. In this study, we investigated the role of a novel small-molecule compound VCP979 on renal fibrosis and inflammation in a rat model of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). One week after the UUO surgery, rats were administered VCP979 by gavage for one week, and after treatment, magnetic resonance imaging of T1rho mapping and histopathological analysis were performed to evaluate renal fibrosis in vivo and ex vivo. This study showed that treatment with VCP979 effectively reduced renal fibrosis, extracellular matrix accumulation, and alleviated epithelial-mesenchymal transition in UUO rats, as well as improved renal function. In vivo T1rho mapping displayed increased T1rho values in the UUO rats, which was decreased after VCP979 treatment, and a positive correlation was detected between the T1rho values and the percentage of fibrotic area. Moreover, the administration of VCP979 also ameliorated the inflammatory cytokines expression and the infiltration of macrophages in renal tissues. Mechanistically, VCP979 treatment inhibited the activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, nuclear factor-kappa B, and transforming growth factor-ß1/Smads signaling pathways. These results indicated that VCP979 could be an effective therapeutic agent for alleviating renal fibrosis and inflammation in the rat model of UUO via its antifibrotic and anti-inflammatory effects.

N6-methyladenosine in hematological malignancies: a concise review.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Hematological malignancies are a kind of systemic cancers mostly related to abnormal differentiation of blood stem cells. Because of the poor prognosis, chemotherapy resistance and common recurrence, new mechanisms and treatment therapies are looking forward to be discovered. RECENT FINDINGS: Over the years, epigenetic abnormalities have been known to act a key part in occurrence and development of hematological tumors. In the internal modifications on long noncoding eukaryotic mRNA, there is a common type called N6-methyladenosine that can change the expression of target genes and participate in the translation, degradation and splicing of mRNA. M6A is related to a wealth of cancers, such as HNRNPA2B1's elevation in multiple myeloma, METTLE3's elevation in acute myeloid leukemia and lung cancer. Immune cells, playing a significant role in hematological cancers, can also be regulated by m6A. SUMMARY: In the review, we summarized the recent progress on hematological malignancies associating with m6A and immune cells, which may offer a new road for the treatment of them.