Procyanidin B2 alleviates oxidized low-density lipoprotein-induced cell injury, inflammation, monocyte chemotaxis, and oxidative stress by inhibiting the nuclear factor kappa-B pathway in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

BACKGROUND: Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) can initiate and affect almost all atherosclerotic events including endothelial dysfunction. In this text, the role and underlying molecular basis of procyanidin B2 (PCB2) with potential anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in ox-LDL-induced HUVEC injury were examined. METHODS: HUVECs were treated with ox-LDL in the presence or absence of PCB2. Cell viability and apoptotic rate were examined by CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry, respectively. The mRNA and protein levels of genes were tested by RT-qPCR and western blot assays, respectively. Potential downstream targets and pathways of apple procyanidin oligomers were examined by bioinformatics analysis for the GSE9647 dataset. The effect of PCB2 on THP-1 cell migration was examined by recruitment assay. The effect of PCB2 on oxidative stress was assessed by reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). RESULTS: ox-LDL reduced cell viability, induced cell apoptosis, and facilitated the expression of oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor 1 (LOX-1), C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (MCP-1), vascular cell adhesion protein 1 (VCAM-1) in HUVECs. PCB2 alleviated ox-LDL-induced cell injury in HUVECs. Apple procyanidin oligomers triggered the differential expression of 592 genes in HUVECs (|log2fold-change| > 0.58 and adjusted p-value < 0.05). These dysregulated genes might be implicated in apoptosis, endothelial cell proliferation, inflammation, and monocyte chemotaxis. PCB2 inhibited C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 1/8 (CXCL1/8) expression and THP-1 cell recruitment in ox-LDL-stimulated HUVECs. PCB2 inhibited ox-LDL-induced oxidative stress and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) activation in HUVECs. CONCLUSION: PCB2 weakened ox-LDL-induced cell injury, inflammation, monocyte recruitment, and oxidative stress by inhibiting the NF-κB pathway in HUVECs.

Yeast communities of a North American hybrid wine grape differ between organic and conventional vineyards.

AIMS: To compare the species diversity and composition of indigenous yeast communities of hybrid grapes from conventionally and organically cultivated vineyards of an emerging cool-climate wine producing region. METHODS AND RESULTS: Illumina MiSeq sequences from L'Acadie blanc grape musts were processed and filtered to characterize indigenous yeast communities in organic and conventional vineyards of the Annapolis Valley wine region in Nova Scotia, Canada. While cultivation practice was not associated with yeast diversity or species richness, there was a strong effect on yeast community composition, with conventional vineyards characterized by higher proportions of Sporidiobolales and Filobasidium magnum, and organic vineyards supporting Filobasidium species other than F. magnum and higher proportions of Symmetrospora. There was also variation in yeast community composition among individual vineyards, and from year to year. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first comprehensive assessment of yeasts associated with hybrid grapes grown using different cultivation practices in a North American cool climate wine region. Communities were dominated by basidiomycete yeasts and species composition of these yeasts differed significantly between vineyards employing organic and conventional cultivation practices. The role of basidiomycete yeasts in winemaking is not well understood, but some species may influence wine characteristics.

Causal relationship between nutritional assessment phenotypes and heart failure: A Mendelian randomization study.

Introduction: Malnutrition is strongly associated with heart failure (HF); however, the causal link remains unclear. We used Mendelian randomization (MR) to infer causal associations between different nutritional assessment phenotypes and HF and to analyze whether these associations were mediated by common HF risk factors. Methods: Two-sample bidirectional MR was used to infer causal associations between nutritional assessment phenotypes and HF. Mutual influences between different nutritional assessment phenotypes and potential correlations were estimated using multivariate MR methods. Two-step MR was used to quantify the mediating effects of common HF risk factors on the causal associations. Results: Three phenotypes were positively associated with the development of HF: waist circumference (WC) (odds ratio [OR] = 1.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.60-1.90; P = 3.95 × 10-39), body mass index (BMI) (OR = 1.70; 95%CI, 1.60-1.80; P = 1.35 × 10-73), and whole body fat mass (WBFM) (OR = 1.54; 95%CI, 1.44-1.65; P = 4.82 × 10-37). Multivariate MR indicated that WBFM remained positively associated with HF after conditioning on BMI and WC (OR = 2.05; 95%CI, 1.27-3.31; P = 0.003). Three phenotypes were negatively correlated with the development of HF: usual walking pace (UWP) (OR = 0.40; 95%CI, 0.27-0.60; P = 8.41 × 10-6), educational attainment (EA) (OR = 0.73; 95%CI, 0.67-0.79; P = 2.27 × 10-13), and total cholesterol (TC) (OR = 0.90; 95%CI, 0.84-0.96; P = 4.22 × 10-3). There was a bidirectional causality between HF and UWP (Effect estimate = -0.03; 95%CI, -0.05 to -0.01; P = 1.95 × 10-3). Mediation analysis showed that common risk factors for HF (hypertension, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, and valvular heart disease) mediated these causal associations (all P < 0.05). Conclusions: BMI, WC, and WBFM are potential risk factors for HF, and the correlation between WBFM and HF was significantly stronger than that between BMI and WC, and HF. EA, UWP, and TC are potential protective factors against HF. Common risk factors for HF mediate these causal pathways. Early identification of potential risk or protective factors for HF patients from the dimension of nutritional status is expected to further improve patient outcomes.

CEBPA facilitates LOXL2 and LOXL3 transcription to promote BCL-2 stability and thus enhances the growth and metastasis of lung carcinoma cells in vitro.

Lung carcinoma (LC) is a complicated and highly heterogeneous disease with high morbidity and mortality. Both lysyl oxidase-like (LOXL) 2 and 3 act in cancer progression. This work endeavors to illustrate the influence of LOXL2/LOXL3 on LC progression and the underlying mechanisms. LOXL family genes and CCAAT enhancer binding protein A (CEBPA) were analyzed in the TCGA database for their expression patterns in LC patients and their correlations with the patient's prognosis. CEBPA, LOXL2, and LOXL3 expression levels were determined in LC cells. Gain- and loss-of-function assays were conducted, followed by assays for cell proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), apoptosis, invasion, and migration. The binding of CEBPA or B cell lymphoma protein (BCL)-2 to LOXL2/LOXL3 was verified. The ubiquitination level of BCL-2 and histone acetylation level of LOXL2/LOXL3 in LC cells were analyzed. Database analyses revealed that LC patients had high CEBPA, LOXL2, and LOXL3 expression, which were related to poor prognosis. LC cells also exhibited high CEBPA, LOXL2, and LOXL3 levels. LOXL2/LOXL3 knockdown subdued EMT, proliferation, migration, and invasion while enhancing the apoptosis of LC cells. LOXL2/LOXL3 could bind to CEBPA and BCL-2. LOXL2/LOXL3 knockdown upregulated BCL-2 ubiquitination level and diminished BCL-2 expression in LC cells. CEBPA recruited Tip60 to enhance histone acetylation and transcription of LOXL2/LOXL3 in LC cells. BCL-2 overexpression abolished the impacts of LOXL2/LOXL3 knockdown on LC cells. In conclusion, CEBPA boosts LOXL2 and LOXL3 transcription to facilitate BCL-2 stability by recruiting Tip60 and thus contributes to LC cell growth and metastasis.

Advance in the sulfur-based electron donor autotrophic denitrification for nitrate nitrogen removal from wastewater.

In the field of wastewater treatment, nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N) is one of the significant contaminants of concern. Sulfur autotrophic denitrification technology, which uses a variety of sulfur-based electron donors to reduce NO3--N to nitrogen (N2) through sulfur autotrophic denitrification bacteria, has emerged as a novel nitrogen removal technology to replace heterotrophic denitrification in the field of wastewater treatment due to its low cost, environmental friendliness, and high nitrogen removal efficiency. This paper reviews the advance of reduced sulfur compounds (such as elemental sulfur, sulfide, and thiosulfate) and iron sulfides (such as ferrous sulfide, pyrrhotite, and pyrite) electron donors for treating NO3--N in wastewater by sulfur autotrophic denitrification technology, including the dominant bacteria types and the sulfur autotrophic denitrification process based on various electron donors are introduced in detail, and their operating costs, nitrogen removal performance and impacts on the ecological environment are analyzed and compared. Moreover, the engineering applications of sulfur-based electron donor autotrophic denitrification technology were comprehensively summarized. According to the literature review, the focus of future industry research were discussed from several aspects as well, which would provide ideas for the application and optimization of the sulfur autotrophic denitrification process for deep and efficient removal of NO3--N in wastewater.

Antibacterial Effect of Pomegranate Juice on Listeria innocua and E. coli in Different Media.

The antibacterial effect of pomegranate juice (PJ) at six concentrations (0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50%) against Listeria innocua and Escherichia coli was investigated in distilled water (DW) and bacterial culture broth. L. innocua and E. coli at approximately 105 cfu mL-1 were inoculated in PJ samples and incubated at 4, 25, and 37 °C for 0, 6, 24, and 48 h. The bacterial population and pH of culture media were measured at each removal. Results indicated that the antibacterial effect of PJ was dependent upon bacteria species, juice concentration, incubation temperature, and growth medium. Higher juice concentration and incubation temperature resulted in increased antibacterial effects. Bacterial populations were decreased more significantly in DW systems than in the culture broth, while L. innocua was more sensitive to PJ than E. coli in the DW systems. Regardless of PJ concentrations in DW systems, L. innocua, initially inoculated at approximately 105 cfu mL-1, was reduced to undetectable levels at 25 and 37 °C within 24 h. The growth of L. innocua and E. coli was significantly inhibited in bacterial culture broth containing ≥ 20% PJ (p < 0.001). This study provides insight into the potential application of PJ in food and beverage products for food protection.

Association of sleep disorders with asthma: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Animal experiments and clinical trials have revealed a potential relationship between sleep disorders and asthma. However, the associations between these factors remain unclear. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases for eligible studies published before 30 December 2022. Studies investigating the association between sleep disorders (insomnia, poor sleep quality and insufficient sleep time) and asthma were selected. Sleep disorders were assessed using questionnaires, interviews, or medical records. Asthma was diagnosed based on medical history and drug use. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality checklist were employed for quality assessment. We used OR with 95% CI as the effect measures and forest plots to display the results. Heterogeneity was evaluated using I2 statistics and subgroup analyses were performed for bias analysis. Publication bias was evaluated using the funnel plots and Egger's test. RESULTS: Twenty-three studies were included in the primary analysis, which suggested a positive association between sleep disorders and asthma (OR: 1.38, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.74). Subgroup analyses were conducted according to the study design, age, family history of asthma and type of sleep disorders. We did not find any association between sleep disorders and asthma in children aged ˂12 years (OR: 1.13, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.32). The association was insignificant in studies where the family history of asthma was adjusted for (OR: 1.16, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.42). Funnel plot and Egger's test indicated a significant publication bias. CONCLUSION: Sleep disorders are associated with an increased prevalence and incidence of asthma. However, the quality of the evidence was low because of potential biases. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42023391989.

Bacillus spore germination: mechanisms, identification, and antibacterial strategies.

Bacterial spores are metabolically inactive and highly resistant to harsh environmental conditions in nature and during decontamination processes in food and related industries. However, inducing germination using specific germinants in dormant spores can convert them into vegetative cells which are metabolically active and fragile. The potential utility of a "germinate to eradicate" strategy, also known as germination-inactivation, has been validated in foods. Meanwhile, the strategy has sparked much interest in triggering and maximizing spore germination. Although many details of the spore germination process have been identified over the past decades, there remain many uncertainties, including some signal transduction mechanisms involved in germination. In addition, the successful implementation of the germination-inactivation strategy relies on the sensitive detection of germinative biomarkers within minutes of germination initiation and the optimal timing for the subsequent inactivation step. Meanwhile, the emergence of biomarkers has renewed attention to the practical application of the spore germination process. Here, this review presents the current knowledge of the germination mechanisms of Bacillus spore, influencing factors, and germination biomarkers. It also covers a detailed discussion on the development of germination-inactivation as a spore eradication strategy.

Halloysite@Polyaniline Nanoparticles Loaded with the Praseodymium (III) Cation for Improving Active Corrosion Protection of Waterborne Epoxy Coating.

The corrosion resistance of the waterborne epoxy coating is poor during long-term service, which greatly limits its widespread application. In this paper, the halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) were modified by polyaniline (PANI) and then used as nanocontainers to encapsulate the green corrosion inhibitor praseodymium (III) cations (Pr3+), obtaining HNTs@PANI@Pr3+ nanoparticles. A scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis were applied to characterize the formation of PANI and the absorption of Pr3+ cations. The corrosion-inhibiting ability of the HNTs@PANI@Pr3+ nanoparticles for iron sheets and the anticorrosion properties of the nanocomposite coatings were evaluated by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technique. The results indicated that the coating containing HNTs@PANI@Pr3+ nanoparticles exhibited excellent anticorrosion performance. After immersion in 3.5 wt % NaCl solution for 50 days, its Zf=0.01 Hz value was still as high as 9.4 × 108 Ω cm2. The icorr value was 3 orders of magnitude lower than that of the pure WEP coating. The excellent anticorrosion property of the HNTs@PANI@Pr3+ coating could be attributed to the synergy of three beneficial factors, including evenly distributed nanoparticles, PANI, and Pr3+ cations. This research will provide theoretical and technical support for the development of waterborne coatings with high corrosion resistance.

Typical clinical presentation of acute myocardial infarction and confusing coronary angiography: A case report and literature review of coronary embolism.

RATIONALE: The purpose of this article is to discuss the characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of cases of multiple coronary embolism (CE) highly suspected to be caused by a dislodged aneurysm of the ventricular membranous septum (AVMS) thrombus. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 35-year-old man was rushed to the Chest Pain Center of Taicang TCM Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine for sudden onset of chest pain. The patient had severe and persistent chest pain without relief, accompanied by sweating throughout the body. DIAGNOSIS: An electrocardiogram showed ST-segment elevation in the inferior wall leads, and blood tests suggested elevated troponin I levels. The initial diagnosis was acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Emergency coronary angiography revealed complete occlusion of the first diagonal branch, thrombolysis in myocardial infarction grade 0 flow, and smooth remaining vessels. Complete occlusion of the left anterior descending artery unexpectedly occurred during interventional treatment. Postoperative cardiac ultrasonography revealed the presence of a thrombus within the AVMS and in the apical portion of the heart. The final diagnosis was a CE. INTERVENTIONS: Intraoperatively, the diagonal branch occluded segment was dilated with a balloon and intracoronary administration of tirofiban and nitroglycerin. Postoperatively, antithrombotic therapy (aspirin, clopidogrel, and rivaroxaban) was administered. OUTCOMES: Ten days after admission, a repeat coronary angiography showed complete restoration of left anterior descending artery flow on its own, balloon dilation was again performed on the diagonal branch, and flow was restored to thrombolysis in myocardial infarction grade 1. Six months later, the intracardiac thrombus disappeared on repeat cardiac ultrasound. LESSONS: AVMS is a potential source of embolism in patients with CE. CE has features that distinguish it from atherosclerosis, and a timely and correct diagnosis can help improve patient clinical outcomes.

Quantitative proteomics analysis of bacteriocin-like substance producing Lactococcus spp. in simulated vegetable and fruit media.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and their metabolites such as bacteriocins have gained considerable interest in terms of their bio-preservative properties to improve food safety and quality. In this study, a quantitative proteomic investigation employing stable isotope labeling by peptide demethylation was carried out to investigate changes in intracellular proteins of bacteriocin-like substance (BLS) producing Lactococcus spp. 7.17 grown in vegetable or fruit juice culture media at 10 °C for 0, 3 or 7 days. In total, 1053 proteins in vegetable medium and 1113 in fruit medium were identified and quantified. Proteins that changed more than two- fold were identified as increased or decreased ones and grouped into four clusters. Those increased proteins were involved in the events of low temperature and ROS stress responses, DNA processing, transcription and translation, central carbon metabolism, fatty acid and phospholipid metabolism, amino acid and cell wall biosynthesis. Key proteins in relation to BLS producing property were also identified suggesting that at least one bacteriocin IIa production system exists in Lactococcus spp. 7.17. These findings provide insights into protein changes of L. lactis at low temperature and lay foundations for further investigations on BLS producing LAB using targeted quantitative proteomic approaches. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESEARCH: The inhibitory effects of Lactococcus spp. 7.17 on Listeria innocua in fruit and vegetable juice culture media were confirmed. Using a quantitative proteomic approach employing stable isotope labeling by peptide demethylation, 99 or 113 significantly changed proteins of Lactococcus spp. 7.17 grown in vegetable or fruit juice medium were determined, respectively. The significant change in protein abundance suggested an adaptive mechanism of Lactococcus spp. to culture condition at low temperatures. This research provides insights on protein changes of Lactococcus spp. which has potential application in fresh and fresh-cut fruit and vegetables at low temperature.

Prognostic predictors of radical resection of stage I-IIIB non-small cell lung cancer: the role of preoperative CT texture features, conventional imaging features, and clinical features in a retrospectively analyzed.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the value of preoperative computed tomography (CT) texture features, routine imaging features, and clinical features in the prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after radical resection. METHODS: Demographic parameters and clinically features were analyzed in 107 patients with stage I-IIIB NSCLC, while 73 of these patients received CT scanning and radiomic characteristics for prognosis assessment. Texture analysis features include histogram, gray size area matrix and gray co-occurrence matrix features. The clinical risk features were identified using univariate and multivariate logistic analyses. By incorporating the radiomics score (Rad-score) and clinical risk features with multivariate cox regression, a combined nomogram was built. The nomogram performance was assessed by its calibration, clinical usefulness and Harrell's concordance index (C-index). The 5-year OS between the dichotomized subgroups was compared using Kaplan-Meier (KM) analysis and the log-rank test. RESULTS: Consisting of 4 selected features, the radiomics signature showed a favorable discriminative performance for prognosis, with an AUC of 0.91 (95% CI: 0.84 ~ 0.97). The nomogram, consisting of the radiomics signature, N stage, and tumor size, showed good calibration. The nomogram also exhibited prognostic ability with a C-index of 0.91 (95% CI, 0.86-0.95) for OS. The decision curve analysis indicated that the nomogram was clinically useful. According to the KM survival curves, the low-risk group had higher 5-year survival rate compared to high-risk. CONCLUSION: The as developed nomogram, combining with preoperative radiomics evidence, N stage, and tumor size, has potential to preoperatively predict the prognosis of NSCLC with a high accuracy and could assist to treatment for the NSCLC patients in the clinic.

Effects of verbal violence on job satisfaction, work engagement and the mediating role of emotional exhaustion among healthcare workers: a cross-sectional survey conducted in Chinese tertiary public hospitals.

OBJECTIVE: Recently, Chinese ministries and commissions have issued a series of policies and systems in response to violent injuries to doctors, physical violence have been managed to a certain extent. However, verbal violence has not been deterred and is still prevalent, it has not received appropriate attention. This study thus aimed to assess the impact of verbal violence on the organisational level and identify its risk factors among healthcare workers, so as to provide practical methods for verbal violence reduction and treatment of the complete period. METHODS: Six tertiary public hospitals were selected in three provinces (cities) in China. After excluding physical and sexual violence, a total of 1567 remaining samples were included in this study. Descriptive, univariate, Pearson correlation and mediated regression analyses were employed to assess the difference between the variables, emotional responses of healthcare workers to verbal violence and the relationship between verbal violence and emotional exhaustion, job satisfaction, and work engagement. RESULTS: Nearly half of the healthcare workers in China's tertiary public hospitals experienced verbal violence last year. Healthcare workers who experienced verbal violence had strong emotional response. The exposure of healthcare workers to verbal violence significantly positively predicted the emotional exhaustion (r=0.20, p<0.01), significantly negatively predicted job satisfaction (r=-0.17, p<0.01) and work engagement (r=-0.18, p<0.01), but was not associated with turnover intention. Emotional exhaustion partially mediated the effects of verbal violence on job satisfaction and work engagement. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the incidence of workplace verbal violence in tertiary public hospitals in China is high and cannot be ignored. This study is to demonstrate the organisational-level impact of verbal violence experienced by healthcare workers and to propose training solutions to help healthcare workers reduce the frequency and mitigate the impact of verbal violence.

Emerging Nanoparticles in Food: Sources, Application, and Safety.

Nanoparticles (NPs) are small-sized, with high surface activity and antibacterial and antioxidant properties. As a result, some NPs are used as functional ingredients in food additives, food packaging materials, nutrient delivery, nanopesticides, animal feeds, and fertilizers to improve the bioavailability, quality, and performance complement or upgrade. However, the widespread use of NPs in the industry increases the exposure risk of NPs to humans due to their migration from the environment to food. Nevertheless, some NPs, such as carbon dots, NPs found in various thermally processed foods, are also naturally produced from the food during food processing. Given their excellent ability to penetrate biopermeable barriers, the potential safety hazards of NPs on human health have attracted increased attention. Herein, three emerging NPs are introduced including carbon-based NPs (e.g., CNTs), nanoselenium NPs (SeNPs), and rare earth oxide NPs (e.g., CeO2 NPs). In addition, their applications in the food industry, absorption pathways into the human body, and potential risk mechanisms are discussed. Challenges and prospects for the use of NPs in food are also proposed.

Bibliometric analysis of traditional Chinese medicine research on heart failure in the 21st century based on the WOS database.

Introduction: Heart Failure (HF) is a key area of research in human medicine, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an important branch of this field. This study aimed to use bibliometric methods to sort out the trajectory of TCM research on HF in this century (2000-2022) from a high dimension and to analyze its characteristics, hotspots and frontiers. Methods: In this study, the search formula "TS=(("traditional Chinese medicine") OR ("Chinese medicine")) AND TS=("heart failure")" was used to find relevant studies included in the Web of Science Core Collection from 2000 to 2022. Targeted literature records were analyzed and mapped using CiteSpace and VOSviewer. Results: The authors and collaborators of this study were still in the formation process, but several well-known scholars were included: YONG WANG, WEI WANG, etc. The main research institutions in this research area were Beijing Univ Chinese Med, China Acad Chinese Med Sc, etc. The main country of study was China. Current research hotspots and frontiers were Qili Qiangxin capsules, extracts (Tanshinone ⅡA, Panax ginseng, etc.), cardiac hypertrophy, ventricular remodeling, oxidative stress, signaling pathways, network pharmacology, etc. Influential journals that publish papers in this field were the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Scientific Reports, Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, etc. The top 3 co-cited journals were Circulation, J ethnopharmacol, and J am coll cardiol. Conclusions: We analyzed valuable details in TCM research on HF in the 21st century, which may help researchers identify potential collaborators and partner institutions, hotspots, and frontiers in the field.

Yeast communities before and after spontaneous fermentation of wine grapes: a case study from Nova Scotia.

Wine fermentations are generally completed by the domestic yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but many indigenous vineyard yeasts also influence wine flavour and aroma. Despite the flourishing wine industry in Nova Scotia, there has yet to be any systematic evaluation of these yeasts in Atlantic Canada. The yeast communities of pressed L'Acadie blanc grapes sampled from an organic vineyard in the Annapolis Valley in 2018 and 2019 were characterized before and after spontaneous fermentation by both Illumina and PacBio sequencing, to address and compare potential platform biases. Chemical and sensory evaluations were also conducted. Basidiomycete yeasts, including Vishniacozyma carnescens, Filobasidium globisporum, and Curvibasidium cygneicollum, dominated pre-fermentation diversity. Species of Saccharomyces made up ∼0.04% of sequences prior to fermentation, but 85%-100% after fermentation, with some replicates dominated by S. cerevisiae and some by S. uvarum. PacBio sequencing detected high proportions of Hanseniaspora uvarum, while Illumina sequencing did not. A better understanding of Nova Scotia vineyard yeast communities will allow local wine makers to make better use of non-traditional yeasts and spontaneous fermentations to produce high-quality wines unique to the region.

Multiple-probe-assisted DNA capture and amplification for high-throughput African swine fever virus detection.

African swine fever (ASF) is one of the most devastating infectious diseases affecting domestic pigs and wild boar. The grave socio-economic impact of African swine fever infection at a global level makes large-scale rapid and robust diagnosis a critical step towards effective control. Here, we describe multiple-probe-assisted DNA capture and amplification technology (MADCAT) - a novel, sensitive, simple, and high-throughput method for detecting ASFV directly from whole blood or other complex matrices. Through a unique DNA capture approach which specifically captures the target DNA onto 96-well plate for subsequent amplification, MADCAT abandons the complicated extraction protocol and achieves ultrafast and high-throughput detection. The sample-to-result time for 96 samples is about 90 min, as compared with the 3-4 h time of the conventional real-time qPCR method. The limit of detection (LOD) of MADCAT is 0.5 copies/µL blood and is 5 times more sensitive than an extraction-based qPCR assay when testing serially diluted whole blood samples. The assay is 100% specific against other common swine pathogens. In the clinical diagnosis of 96 field samples, all 22 positive samples were correctly identified with lower Ct values than extraction-based qPCR, confirming its high diagnostic sensitivity (100%). Owing to its high-throughput, specific high sensitivity, and direct detection features, MADCAT shows great potential for use in large-scale ASFV surveillance and monitoring for effective disease control. KEY POINTS: • No nucleic acid extraction, 100% capture efficiency, and high-throughput • Ultra-high sensitivity of 0.5 DNA copies/µL or 6 DNA copies/reaction • The sample-to-answer time for 96 samples is about 90 min.

Sex differences in depression for childhood cancer survivors.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the differential association between sex and depression, and the possible mediating pathways. METHODS: We analysed survey data from 296 (age 7-17.1 years) cancer survivors from three centres affiliated with Beijing Children's Hospital. Linear regression analysis was used to assess the association between sex and depression. Quantile regression analysis was used to estimate the regression coefficients (ß) and 95% confidence intervals for sex in depression at different quantiles. Mediation analysis with multiple mediators was used to explore the effects of sex on depression. RESULTS: Using linear regression, we found that the age ranged from 8.7 to 10.4 years and the regression coefficient of sex on depression was significant (ß = -2.75, p = 0.03). Quantile regression results showed a significant negative association between sex and depression in the 0.30-0.75 quantiles. Mediation analysis revealed that boys were 1.545 times more depressed than girls, with family resilience, self-perceived burden, and behavioural problems explaining approximately 16.79%, 21.57%, and 43.94% of the sex difference, respectively. The combined effect of family functioning, resilience, social support, self-perceived burden, and behavioural problems might explain the 89.17% sex difference. CONCLUSION: Clinicians should consider sex effects when assessing depression in childhood cancer survivors and target sex-specific interventions for further treatment.

Artificial clickase-triggered fluorescence "turn on" based on a click bio-conjugation strategy for the immunoassay of food allergenic protein.

Herein, based on an artificial clickase-catalyzed bio-conjugation strategy, we established a sensitive fluorescent clickase-linked immunosorbent assay (FCLISA) platform using an oligonucleotide-molecular beacon (Oligo-MB) hairpin structure as a fluorescence switch for detection of food allergenic protein. Firstly, a highly stable Cu(I)-containing nanocube was prepared for usage as an artificial clickase, which could catalyze the bio-conjugation of two short oligonucleotides (i.e., Oligo-A and Oligo-B labeled by a 5'-alkyne and a 3'-azide group, respectively) through clickase-catalyzed azide/alkyne cycloaddition reaction. Subsequently, the formed long-chain oligonucleotide (Oligo-A-B) could hybridize with Oligo-MB hairpin to open hairpin structure, leading to its fluorescence turn on. By using clickase as an alternative enzymatic label in conventional ELISAs, the established FCLISA showed high sensitivity and accuracy in detection of casein, achieving a limit of detection as low as 1.5 × 10-8 g/mL. Additionally, FCLISA has been challenged by detecting the casein in real samples, indicating a great potential in food safety assay.

Anti-Thymocyte Globulin (ATG)-Free Nonmyeloablative Haploidentical PBSCT Plus Post-Transplantation Cyclophosphamide Is a Safe and Efficient Treatment Approach for Pediatric Acquired Aplastic Anemia.

Most cases of acquired aplastic anemia (AA) arise from autoimmune destruction of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-haploidentical nonmyeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) plus post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (PTCy) is increasingly applied to salvage AA using bone marrow as graft and anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) in conditioning. Herein, we characterize a cohort of twelve AA patients clinically and molecularly, six who possessed other immunological disorders (including two also carrying germline SAMD9L mutations). Each patient with SAMD9L mutation also carried an AA-related rare BCORL1 variant or CTLA4 p.T17A GG genotype, respectively, and both presented short telomere lengths. Six of the ten patients analyzed harbored AA-risky HLA polymorphisms. All patients recovered upon non-HSCT (n = 4) or HSCT (n = 8) treatments. Six of the eight HSCT-treated patients were subjected to a modified PTCy-based regimen involving freshly prepared peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) as graft and exclusion of ATG. All patients were engrafted between post-transplantation days +13 and +18 and quickly reverted to normal life, displaying a sustained complete hematologic response and an absence of graft-versus-host disease. These outcomes indicate most AA cases, including of the SAMD9L-inherited subtype, are immune-mediated and the modified PTCy-based regimen we present is efficient and safe for salvage.