Culture-free detection of ß-lactamase-Producing bacteria in urinary tract infections using a paper sensor.

Developing simple, inexpensive, fast, sensitive, and specific probes for antibiotic-resistant bacteria is crucial for the management of urinary tract infections (UTIs). We here propose a paper-based sensor for the rapid detection of ß-lactamase-producing bacteria in the urine samples of UTI patients. By conjugating a strongly electronegative group -N+(CH3)3 with the core structures of cephalosporin and carbapenem antibiotics, two visual probes were achieved to respectively target the extended-spectrum/AmpC ß-lactamases (ESBL/AmpC) and carbapenemase, the two most prevalent factors causing antibiotic resistance. By integrating these probes into a portable paper sensor, we confirmed 10 and 8 cases out of 30 clinical urine samples as ESBL/AmpC- and carbapenemase-positive, respectively, demonstrating 100% clinical sensitivity and specificity. This paper sensor can be easily conducted on-site, without resorting to bacterial culture, providing a solution to the challenge of rapid detection of ß-lactamase-producing bacteria, particularly in resource-limited settings.

Maintaining the native gut microbiota of bharal (Pseudois nayaur) is crucial in ex situ conservation.

As wildlife protection continue to strengthen, research on the gut microbiota of wildlife is increasing. Carrying out conservation and research on endangered species in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau plays an important role in global biodiversity conservation. This study utilized 16S rRNA sequencing of fecal samples to investigate the composition, function, and changes of the gut microbiota of bharal in different environments, seasons, and genders. The results showed that Firmicutes and Bacteroidota were the dominant phyla and UCG-005, Bacteroides, UCG-010 were the dominant genera of bharal. In the wild, the abundance of Firmicutes increased which was conducive to the decomposition and utilization of cellulose, hemicellulose, and carbohydrate. Due to the variety of food types and nutrition in different seasons, the composition and function of gut microbiota were obviously different between genders. Compared with zoo, higher alpha diversity, a more complex gut microbiota network structure, and stronger metabolic function were conducive bharal to adapting to the wild environment. In the zoo, captive bharals were fed foods rich in high fat and protein, which increased the abundance of Bacteroidota and reduced the alpha diversity of gut microbiota. A fixed diet unified the gut microbiota between genders of bharal. It is very important to pay attention to the impact of captive environments and maintain the native gut microbiota of wildlife.

Gut microbiota non-convergence and adaptations in sympatric Tibetan and Przewalski's gazelles.

Unraveling the connection between gut microbiota and adaptability in wild species in natural habitats is imperative yet challenging. We studied the gut microbiota of sympatric and allopatric populations of two closely related species, the Procapra picticaudata and P. przewalskii, with the latter showing lower adaptability and adaptive potential than the former. Despite shared habitat, sympatric populations showed no convergence in gut microbiota, revealing distinct microbiota-environment relationships between the two gazelle species. Furthermore, the gut microbiota assembly process of the P. przewalskii was shifted toward homogeneous selection processes relative to that of the P. picticaudata. Those taxa which contributed to the shift were mainly from the phyla Firmicutes and Verrucomicrobiota, with functions highly related to micronutrient and macronutrient metabolism. Our study provides new insights into the complex dynamics between gut microbiota, host adaptability, and environment in wildlife adaptation and highlights the need to consider host adaptability when examining wildlife host-microbiome interplay.

Prevalence and immunopathologic characteristics of seropositive and seronegative hepatitis B virus-associated membranous nephropathy: a retrospective study of 420 biopsy-proven cases.

BACKGROUND: This retrospective study aims to investigate the prevalence and immunopathologic characteristics of seropositive and seronegative hepatitis B virus-associated membranous nephropathy (HBV-MN). METHODS: Clinicopathologic and serologic records of 420 patients with histologically confirmed HBV-MN between January 2014 and July 2021 were examined to determine the prevalence of seropositive and seronegative HBV-MN. Serum anti-PLA2R antibody testing was conducted on 280 patients with HBV-associated membranous nephropathy (HBV-MN) from August 2018 to July 2021. Immunopathologic characteristics of HBV-MN patients and anti-PLA2R antibody positivity were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 420 pathologically confirmed HBV-MN patients, 230 (54.8%) were seropositive for HBV. The seropositive group exhibited higher blood creatinine values and incidence of liver function abnormalities than the seronegative group (p < .05). Serum anti-PLA2R antibody testing on 280 HBV-MN patients revealed a total positive rate of 44.6%, with the seronegative group showing a significantly higher rate (62.6%) compared to the seropositive group (32.1%) (p < .01). The anti-PLA2R antibody-positive group displayed higher levels of urine protein (p < .05), serum cholesterol (p < .01), and IgG4 subtypes (p < .05) compared to the negative group. Additionally, the positive group had significantly lower levels of serum albumin and IgG than the negative group (p < .01). CONCLUSIONS: This comprehensive study reveals a significantly higher prevalence of seronegative HBV-MN than previously thought. The blood creatinine values and incidence of liver function abnormalities was higher in the serology-positive group than in the serology-negative group. Notably, the seronegative group displayed a higher positive rate of anti-PLA2R antibodies compared to the seropositive group, indicating distinctive clinical and immunopathologic features.

Phase II prefusion non-stabilised Covid-19 mRNA vaccine randomised study.

ChulaCov19 mRNA vaccine demonstrated promising phase 1 results. Healthy adults aged 18-59 years were double-blind randomised 4:1 to receive two intramuscular doses of ChulaCov19 50 µg or placebo. Primary endpoints were safety and microneutralization antibody against-wild-type (Micro-VNT50) at day 50. One hundred fifty adults with median (IQR) age 37 (30-46) years were randomised. ChulaCov19 was well tolerated, and most adverse events were mild to moderate and temporary. Geometric mean titres (GMT) of neutralizing titre against wild-type for ChulaCov19 on day 50 were 1367 IU/mL. T-cell IFN-γ-ELISpot showed the highest responses at one week (Day29) after dose 2 then gradually declined. ChulaCov19 50 µg is well tolerated and elicited high neutralizing antibodies and strong T-cell responses in healthy adults.Trial registration number: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT04566276, 28/09/2020.

Rapid and visual identification of ß-lactamase subtypes for precision antibiotic therapy.

The abuse of antibiotics urgently requires rapid identification of drug-resistant bacteria at the point of care (POC). Here we report a visual paper sensor that allows rapid (0.25-3 h) discrimination of the subtypes of ß-lactamase (the major cause of bacterial resistance) for precision antibiotic therapy. The sensor exhibits high performance in identifying antibiotic-resistant bacteria with 100 real samples from patients with diverse bacterial infections, demonstrating 100% clinical sensitivity and specificity. Further, this sensor can enhance the accuracy of antibiotic use from 48% empirically to 83%, and further from 50.6% to 97.6% after eliminating fungal infection cases. Our work provides a POC testing platform for guiding effective management of bacterial infections in both hospital and community settings.

[Advances in pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of adult severe-associated thrombotic microangiopathy].

Thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) is a group of highly heterogeneous, acute and severe clinicopathological syndromes, characterized by microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (MAHA), thrombocytopenia and ischemic injury of end organs. TMA has the characteristics of dangerous condition, multiple organ involvement and high mortality. Patients with severe TMA need to be admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) for organ function support therapy. Early and rapid evaluation, differential diagnosis, and timely and effective treatment are the key to improve the prognosis of TMA patients. Here, we review the pathophysiological changes, diagnosis differential diagnosis, and treatment of the severe TMA in adult.

A combined adjuvant approach primes robust germinal center responses and humoral immunity in non-human primates.

Adjuvants and antigen delivery kinetics can profoundly influence B cell responses and should be critically considered in rational vaccine design, particularly for difficult neutralizing antibody targets such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Antigen kinetics can change depending on the delivery method. To promote extended immunogen bioavailability and to present antigen in a multivalent form, native-HIV Env trimers are modified with short phosphoserine peptide linkers that promote tight binding to aluminum hydroxide (pSer:alum). Here we explore the use of a combined adjuvant approach that incorporates pSer:alum-mediated antigen delivery with potent adjuvants (SMNP, 3M-052) in an extensive head-to-head comparison study with conventional alum to assess germinal center (GC) and humoral immune responses. Priming with pSer:alum plus SMNP induces additive effects that enhance the magnitude and persistence of GCs, which correlate with better GC-TFH cell help. Autologous HIV-neutralizing antibody titers are improved in SMNP-immunized animals after two immunizations. Over 9 months after priming immunization of pSer:alum with either SMNP or 3M-052, robust Env-specific bone marrow plasma cells (BM BPC) are observed. Furthermore, pSer-modification of Env trimer reduce targeting towards immunodominant non-neutralizing epitopes. The study shows that a combined adjuvant approach can augment humoral immunity by modulating immunodominance and shows promise for clinical translation.

Seasonal Variation of Gut Microbial Composition and Metabolism in Tibetan antelopes in Hoh Xil National Nature Reserve.

The Tibetan antelope is an endangered species suffering from poaching and habitat fragmentation. The intestinal flora and metabolites play a crucial role in the physiological homeostasis of hosts, which are influenced by various environmental factors like seasonal variation. In this particular research, our main goal was to explore the alterations in the metabolism and gut microbiota of Tibetan antelopes between the cold season (XB) and warm season (DA), using untargeted metabolomics and 16S rRNA gene-sequencing analyses. The findings indicated that Tibetan antelopes had a higher alpha-diversity of intestinal microbes during the cold season than during the warm season. Principal co-ordinate analysis revealed notable seasonal discrepancies in the function and structure of intestinal microbes in Tibetan antelopes. The relative abundance of Firmicutes was significantly increased during the cold season compared to during the warm season. Furthermore, the Tibetan antelope's primary metabolic functions of the intestinal micro-organisms were significantly higher during the cold season. The untargeted metabolomics analysis results showed a total of 532 metabolites that were significantly different between the cold season and warm season groups. These metabolites were found to be enriched in a total of 62 metabolic pathways. Among the most significant pathways of enrichment were the purine metabolism and pyrimidine metabolism. The levels of related metabolites in those pathways were remarkably higher in the warm season compared to the cold season. The comprehensive analysis of 16S rRNA and the metabolome reveals there is a significant correlation between differential microbiota and differential metabolites. Therefore, the gut microbiota changes caused by seasonal changes influenced the metabolites as well. This research reveals the function of seasonal changes in the intestinal flora and metabolites in the adaptation of Tibetan antelopes to environmental fluctuations and supplies a theoretical basis for instructing the protection management of Tibetan antelopes.

Dexmedetomidine attenuates the neuroinflammation and cognitive dysfunction in aged mice by targeting the SNHG14/miR­340/NF­κB axis.

Neuroinflammation plays a key role in the pathogenesis of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD). Results of our previous study demonstrated that dexmedetomidine (Dex) attenuates neuroinflammation in BV2 cells treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) by targeting the microRNA (miR)-340/NF-κB axis. However, the molecular mechanisms by which Dex improves POCD remain unclear. In the present study, the association between long non-coding (lnc)RNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 14 (SNHG14) and miR-340 in BV2 microglial cells was determined using a dual-luciferase reporter assay. In addition, SNHG14, miR-340 and NF-κB expression levels were measured in LPS-treated BV-2 cells and hippocampal tissues of mice with POCD, and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine the levels of proinflammatory mediators. Results of the present study demonstrated that SNHG14 exhibited potential as a target of miR-340. In addition, SNHG14 knockdown increased the levels of miR-340 and reduced the levels of NF-κB in LPS-treated BV2 cells. In addition, Dex treatment significantly reduced the levels of SNHG14 and NF-κB, and elevated the levels of miR-340 in the hippocampus of aged mice with POCD. Moreover, Dex treatment notably decreased the expression levels of TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-12 in the hippocampus of aged mice with POCD by upregulating miR-340. The spatial memory impairments in aged mice with POCD were also notably increased following Dex treatment via upregulation of miR-340. Collectively, results of the present study demonstrated that Dex may protect microglia from LPS-induced neuroinflammation in vitro and attenuate hippocampal neuroinflammation in aged mice with POCD in vivo via the SNHG14/miR-340/NF-κB axis. The present study may provide further insights into the mechanisms underlying Dex in the treatment of POCD.

Atrial fibrillation is not an independent determinant of 28-day mortality among critically III sepsis patients.

This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between atrial fibrillation and the clinical prognosis of patients with sepsis in intensive care unit. A total of 21,538 sepsis patients were enrolled in the study based on the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV database, of whom 6,759 had AF. Propensity score matching was used to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with and without AF. Besides, the inverse probability of treatment weighting, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyzes were performed. Of the 21,538 patients, 31.4% had AF. The prevalence of AF increased in a step-by-step manner with growing age. Patients with AF were older than those without AF. After PSM, 11,180 patients remained, comprising 5,790 matched pairs in both groups. In IPTW, AF was not associated with 28-day mortality [hazard ratio (HR), 1.07; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.99-1.15]. In Kaplan-Meier analysis, it was not observed difference of 28-day mortality between patients with and without AF. AF could be associated with increased ICU LOS, hospital LOS and need for mechanical ventilation; however, it does not remain an independent short-term predictor of 28-day mortality among patients with sepsis after PSM with IPTW and multivariate analysis.

Reducing the Ir-O Coordination Number in Anodic Catalysts based on IrOx Nanoparticles towards Enhanced Proton-exchange-membrane Water Electrolysis.

Due to the robust oxidation conditions in strong acid oxygen evolution reaction (OER), developing an OER electrocatalyst with high efficiency remains challenging in polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) water electrolyzer. Recent theoretical research suggested that reducing the coordination number of Ir-O is feasible to reduce the energy barrier of the rate-determination step, potentially accelerating the OER. Inspired by this, we experimentally verified the Ir-O coordination number's role at model catalysts, then synthesized low-coordinated IrOx nanoparticles toward a durable PEM water electrolyzer. We first conducted model studies on commercial rutile-IrO2 using plasma-based defect engineering. The combined in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) analysis and computational studies clarify why the decreased coordination numbers increase catalytic activity. Next, under the model studies' guidelines, we explored a low-coordinated Ir-based catalyst with a lower overpotential of 231 mV@10 mA cm-2 accompanied by long durability (100 h) in an acidic OER. Finally, the assembled PEM water electrolyzer delivers a low voltage (1.72 V@1 A cm-2 ) as well as excellent stability exceeding 1200 h (@1 A cm-2 ) without obvious decay. This work provides a unique insight into the role of coordination numbers, paving the way for designing Ir-based catalysts for PEM water electrolyzers.

[Comparison of four early warning scores in predicting the prognosis of critically ill patients in secondary hospitals].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the predictive value of acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II), sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA), quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) and modified early warning score (MEWS) in evaluating the prognosis of patients in intensive care unit (ICU) of secondary hospitals, and to provide guidance for clinical application. METHODS: The clinical data of adult critical patients admitted to the ICU of Wanzhou District First People's Hospital from October 2022 to April 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the clinical outcome of ICU, the patients were divided into improvement group and death group. The general information, blood routine, heart, liver and kidney function indicators, coagulation indicators, blood gas analysis, APACHE II score, SOFA score, qSOFA score, MEWS score at the time of admission to the ICU, the number of cases of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and continuous blood purification (CBP) were compared between the two groups. Univariate analysis was performed, and multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the related factors of death. Receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was used to analyze the predictive value of the four scores in ICU patients. RESULTS: A total of 126 patients were included, of which 45 patients died in the ICU and 81 patients improved and transferred out. Univariate analysis of death-related critically ill patients showed that procalcitonin (PCT), serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), albumin (ALB), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial prothrombin time (APTT), D-dimer, pH value, HCO3-, blood lactic acid (Lac), number of patients treated with IMV and CBP, APACHE II score, SOFA score, qSOFA score and MEWS score were significantly different between the two groups (all P < 0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the APACHE II score [odds ratio (OR) = 1.115, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.025-1.213, P = 0.011], SOFA score (OR = 1.204, 95%CI was 1.037-1.398, P = 0.015), MEWS score (OR = 1.464, 95%CI was 1.102-1.946, P = 0.009), and APTT (OR = 1.081, 95%CI was 1.015-1.152, P = 0.016) were independent risk factors affecting the mortality of critically ill patients in the ICU. ROC curve analysis showed that APACHE II, SOFA, qSOFA, and MEWS scores could predict the prognosis of critically ill ICU patients, among which SOFA score had the strongest predictive effect, and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.808. There was a statistically significant difference in the time required for the four scores (F = 117.333, P < 0.001), among which the MEWS scoring required the shortest time [(1.03±0.39) minutes], and the APACHE II scoring required the longest time [(2.81±1.04) minutes]. CONCLUSIONS: APACHE II, SOFA, qSOFA, and MEWS scores can be used to assess the severity of critically ill patients and predict in-hospital mortality. The SOFA score is superior to other scores in predicting severity. The MEWS is preferred because its assessment time is shortest. Early warning score can help secondary hospitals to detect potentially critical patients early and provide help for clinical rapid urgent emergency decision-making.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with or without radio(chemo)therapy for locally advanced or recurrent/metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate the efficacy and prognostic factors for immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) combined with or without radio(chemo)therapy and to evaluate their toxicity in patients with locally advanced or recurrent/metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (LA/RM ESCC). METHODS: In this study, 198 patients with locally advanced or recurrent/metastatic (LA/RM) ESCC who received ICIs combined with or without radiotherapy/chemotherapy in the Department of Radiotherapy of the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS). The factors affecting treatment response and the occurrences of treatment-related adverse events (trAEs) were analyzed. RESULTS: The median OS and PFS were 30.4 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 15.1-45.7 months) and 15.3 months (95% CI 12.8-17.8 months), respectively. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that the number of ICI cycles, the intervention of radiotherapy and dysphagia were independent factors affecting OS (Hazard ratio [HR] = 0.39, 2.043 and 0.365, respectively; P = 0.018, 0.001 and 0.032, respectively). The intervention of radiotherapy was an independent factor for PFS (hazard ratio [HR] = 18.149, P = 0.013). The median OS and PFS for patients who had complete response and partial response (Objective response, ORR) were 50.8 months (95% CI 25.8-75.7 months) and 20.5 months (95% CI 14.1-27.0), respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the non-ORR group (OSnon-ORR:17.5 months, 95% CI 14.0-21.0; χ2 = 13.881, P < 0.001; PFSnon-ORR: 12.1 months, 95% CI 10.1-14.1, χ2 = 10.676, P = 0.001). The intervention of radiotherapy could improve treatment response (χ2 = 47.725, P = 0.000). In entire study population, 83 patients (41.9%) had ≥ grade 2 trAEs. CONCLUSIONS: ICIs combined with radiotherapy/chemotherapy are safe and effective in LA/RM ESCC patients. Intervention of radiotherapy, the number of immunotherapy cycles and occurrence of dysphagia affecting the overall survival of LR/RM ESCC patients. Intervention of radiotherapy was an independent prognosis factor for OS and PFS and associated with better treatment response.

Focusing antibody responses to the fusion peptide in rhesus macaques.

Immunodominance of antibodies targeting non-neutralizing epitopes and the high level of somatic hypermutation within germinal centers (GCs) required for most HIV broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) are major impediments to the development of an effective HIV vaccine. Rational protein vaccine design and non-conventional immunization strategies are potential avenues to overcome these hurdles. Here, we report using implantable osmotic pumps to continuously deliver a series of epitope-targeted immunogens to rhesus macaques over the course of six months to elicit immune responses against the conserved fusion peptide. Antibody specificities and GC responses were tracked longitudinally using electron microscopy polyclonal epitope mapping (EMPEM) and lymph node fine-needle aspirates, respectively. Application of cryoEMPEM delineated key residues for on-target and off-target responses that can drive the next round of structure-based vaccine design.

Marked variations in gut microbial diversity, functions, and disease risk between wild and captive alpine musk deer.

Maintaining a healthy status is crucial for the successful captive breeding of endangered alpine musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster, AMD), and captive breeding programs are beneficial to the ex-situ conservation and wild population recovery of this species. Meanwhile, the gut microbiota is essential for host health, survival, and environmental adaptation. However, changes in feeding environment and food can affect the composition and function of gut microbiota in musk deer, ultimately impacting their health and adaptation. Therefore, regulating the health status of wild and captive AMD through a non-invasive method that targets gut microbiota is a promising approach. Here, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was employed to reveal the composition and functional variations between wild (N = 23) and captive (N = 25) AMD populations. The results indicated that the gut microbiota of wild AMD exhibited significantly higher alpha diversity (P < 0.001) and greater abundance of the phylum Firmicutes, as well as several dominant genera, including UCG-005, Christensenellaceae R7 group, Monoglobus, Ruminococcus, and Roseburia (P < 0.05), compared to captive AMD. These findings suggest that the wild AMD may possess more effective nutrient absorption and utilization, a more stable intestinal microecology, and better adaption to the complex natural environment. The captive individuals displayed higher metabolic functions with an increased abundance of the phylum Bacteroidetes and certain dominant genera, including Bacteroides, Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group, NK4A214 group, and Alistipes (P < 0.05), which contributed to the metabolic activities of various nutrients. Furthermore, captive AMD showed a higher level of 11 potential opportunistic pathogens and a greater enrichment of disease-related functions compared to wild AMD, indicating that wild musk deer have a lower risk of intestinal diseases and more stable intestinal structure in comparison to captive populations. These findings can serve as a valuable theoretical foundation for promoting the healthy breeding of musk deer and as a guide for evaluating the health of wild-released and reintroduced musk deer in the future. KEY POINTS: • Wild and captive AMD exhibit contrasting gut microbial diversity and certain functions. • With higher diversity, certain bacteria aid wild AMD's adaptation to complex habitats. • Higher potential pathogens and functions increase disease risk in captive AMD.

Recognition of Ellipsoid-like Herbaceous Tibetan Medicinal Materials Using DenseNet with Attention and ILBP-Encoded Gabor Features.

Tibetan medicinal materials play a significant role in Tibetan culture. However, some types of Tibetan medicinal materials share similar shapes and colors, but possess different medicinal properties and functions. The incorrect use of such medicinal materials may lead to poisoning, delayed treatment, and potentially severe consequences for patients. Historically, the identification of ellipsoid-like herbaceous Tibetan medicinal materials has relied on manual identification methods, including observation, touching, tasting, and nasal smell, which heavily rely on the technicians' accumulated experience and are prone to errors. In this paper, we propose an image-recognition method for ellipsoid-like herbaceous Tibetan medicinal materials that combines texture feature extraction and a deep-learning network. We created an image dataset consisting of 3200 images of 18 types of ellipsoid-like Tibetan medicinal materials. Due to the complex background and high similarity in the shape and color of the ellipsoid-like herbaceous Tibetan medicinal materials in the images, we conducted a multi-feature fusion experiment on the shape, color, and texture features of these materials. To leverage the importance of texture features, we utilized an improved LBP (local binary pattern) algorithm to encode the texture features extracted by the Gabor algorithm. We inputted the final features into the DenseNet network to recognize the images of the ellipsoid-like herbaceous Tibetan medicinal materials. Our approach focuses on extracting important texture information while ignoring irrelevant information such as background clutter to eliminate interference and improve recognition performance. The experimental results show that our proposed method achieved a recognition accuracy of 93.67% on the original dataset and 95.11% on the augmented dataset. In conclusion, our proposed method could aid in the identification and authentication of ellipsoid-like herbaceous Tibetan medicinal materials, reducing errors and ensuring the safe use of Tibetan medicinal materials in healthcare.

Effects of ex situ conservation on diversity and function of the gut microbiota of the Tibetan wild ass (Equus kiang).

Ex situ conservation is the main method for the protection of endangered wildlife. To explore the effect of ex situ conservation on the gut microbiota of the kiang (Equus kiang), metagenomic sequencing combined with bioinformatics analysis was used to investigate the composition and function of the gut microbiota of the kiang. The results showed that ex situ conservation not only protected wildlife, but also affected the composition and function of gut microbiota, as well as the health of animals. In the zoo, the ratio of the relative abundance of Firmicutes to that of Bacteroidetes (F/B) is higher, clusters of potentially pathogenic bacteria (such as Catonella, Catonella, and Mycoplasma) are more numerous, the abundance of resistance genes is higher, and the abundance of metabolic functions is increased. The dynamic changes of the gut microbiota also played an important role in the nutritional absorption, energy metabolism, and environmental adaptation of the kiang. Improving the rearing environment and increasing food diversity play important roles for increasing the diversity of gut microbiota, reducing the spread of potentially pathogenic bacteria, and reducing diseases. In the wild, especially in winter and in food-deficient areas, food supplementation can enhance the gut microbial homeostasis of wild animals and reduce the impact of crises. In depth studies of the gut microbial function of wildlife have important implications for improving ex situ conservation.

Effects of Insulin-degrading enzyme on the proliferation of swine Sertoli cells.

Sertoli cells, the only somatic cells in testis seminiferous tubules, provide a supporting microenvironment for male germ cells and play essential roles in spermatogenesis. The insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE), a ubiquitous zinc peptidase of the inverzincin family, plays crucial role in sperm production, as IDE-knockout mice presented decreased testis weight and impaired sperm viability and morphology. However, whether and how IDE affects swine Sertoli cell proliferation remains unclear. Thus, in the present study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of IDE on the proliferation of swine Sertoli cells, as well as its underlying molecular mechanism. After knocking down IDE expression with small interfering RNA transfection, we analyzed the proliferation of swine Sertoli cells as well as the expression of related regulatory factors (WT1, ERK, and AKT). The results showed that IDE knockdown promoted swine Sertoli cell proliferation and increased WT1 expression, possibly through activating ERK and AKT. Overall, our findings suggest that IDE may be involved in male reproduction by regulating Sertoli cell proliferation, which provides new information to better understand the regulatory mechanisms of swine Sertoli cells and improve the reproductive traits of male pigs.