[Mechanism of Qiwei Guibao Granules in treatment of premature ovarian failure based on metabolomics].

In this study, a mouse model of premature ovarian failure(POF) was constructed by injecting D-galactose(200 mg·kg~(-1)) into the back of the neck for 6 weeks. The mice were randomly divided into a normal group(group N), a model group(group M), and a Qiwei Guibao Granules group(group A, 12.87 g·kg~(-1)). Starting from the 11th day of modeling, group A was treated with Qiwei Guibao Granules by gavage for 32 days, while group M and group N were given equal volume of saline. Metabolomics analysis was used to explore the mechanism of action of Qiwei Guibao Granules in the treatment of POF. The results showed that compared with group N, the group M exhibited decreased wet weight of bilateral ovaries, increased levels of LH and FSH in serum, and significantly decreased levels of E_2 and PROG. After treatment with Qiwei Guibao Granules, compared with the group M, the group A showed a significant increase in the wet weight of bilateral ovaries, a significant decrease in the levels of FSH and LH in serum, and a significant increase in the level of E_2. Metabolomics analysis revealed 55 differential metabolites identified between group N and group M(14 upregulated and 41 downregulated compared with group N) and 82 differential metabolites identified between group M and group A(56 upregulated and 26 downregulated compared with group M), with 5 metabolites showing consistent changes between the group N vs group M. After excluding these 5 metabolites, 77 metabolites that changed after intervention with Qiwei Guibao Granules were focused on. These mainly involved histidine metabolism, glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism, and glycerophospholipid metabolism. Among them, carnosine, 1-methyl-L-histidine, imidazoleacetic acid, choline, L-threonine, beta-hydroxypyruvic acid, phosphatidylcholine, and glycerol-3-phosphate were the major differential metabolites in these three metabolic pathways. Therefore, Qiwei Guibao Granules may exert therapeutic effects on POF mice by regulating amino acid metabolism and lipid metabolism in the mouse body.

Distinct enterotypes and dysbiosis: unraveling gut microbiota in pulmonary and critical care medicine inpatients.

BACKGROUND: The gut-lung axis, pivotal for respiratory health, is inadequately explored in pulmonary and critical care medicine (PCCM) inpatients. METHODS: Examining PCCM inpatients from three medical university-affiliated hospitals, we conducted 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing on stool samples (inpatients, n = 374; healthy controls, n = 105). We conducted statistical analyses to examine the gut microbiota composition in PCCM inpatients, comparing it to that of healthy controls. Additionally, we explored the associations between gut microbiota composition and various clinical factors, including age, white blood cell count, neutrophil count, platelet count, albumin level, hemoglobin level, length of hospital stay, and medical costs. RESULTS: PCCM inpatients exhibited lower gut microbiota diversity than healthy controls. Principal Coordinates Analysis revealed marked overall microbiota structure differences. Four enterotypes, including the exclusive Enterococcaceae enterotype in inpatients, were identified. Although no distinctions were found at the phylum level, 15 bacterial families exhibited varying abundances. Specifically, the inpatient population from PCCM showed a significantly higher abundance of Enterococcaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Erysipelatoclostridiaceae, Clostridiaceae, and Tannerellaceae. Using random forest analyses, we calculated the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) to be 0.75 (95% CIs 0.69-0.80) for distinguishing healthy individuals from inpatients. The four most abundant genera retained in the classifier were Blautia, Subdoligranulum, Enterococcus, and Klebsiella. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence of gut microbiota dysbiosis in PCCM inpatients underscores the gut-lung axis's significance, promising further avenues in respiratory health research.

Genome-wide variation study and inter-tissue communication analysis unveil regulatory mechanisms of egg-laying performance in chickens.

Egg-laying performance is of great economic importance in poultry, but the underlying genetic mechanisms are still elusive. In this work, we conduct a multi-omics and multi-tissue integrative study in hens with distinct egg production, to detect the hub candidate genes and construct hub molecular networks contributing to egg-laying phenotypic differences. We identifiy three hub candidate genes as egg-laying facilitators: TFPI2, which promotes the GnRH secretion in hypothalamic neuron cells; CAMK2D, which promotes the FSHß and LHß secretion in pituitary cells; and OSTN, which promotes granulosa cell proliferation and the synthesis of sex steroid hormones. We reveal key endocrine factors involving egg production by inter-tissue crosstalk analysis, and demonstrate that both a hepatokine, APOA4, and an adipokine, ANGPTL2, could increase egg production by inter-tissue communication with hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis. Together, These results reveal the molecular mechanisms of multi-tissue coordinative regulation of chicken egg-laying performance and provide key insights to avian reproductive regulation.

Effectiveness of onsite and online education in enhancing knowledge and use of human immunodeficiency virus pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis.

BACKGROUND: Enhancing awareness and use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is vital to curb human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) spread. High-risk behaviors prevalent among sexually transmitted infection clinic outpatients underscore the need for increased PrEP/PEP education in this group. AIM: To investigate the effects of both onsite and online health education on the knowledge of, and willingness to use, PrEP and PEP among individuals receiving PEP services. METHODS: Participants were drawn from a cohort study on PEP service intervention at an STD/AIDS outpatient clinic in designated HIV/AIDS hospitals in Beijing, conducted from January 1 to June 30, 2022. Health education was provided both onsite and online during follow-up. Surveys assessing knowledge of, and willingness to use, PrEP/PEP were administered at baseline and again at 24 wk post-intervention. RESULTS: A total of 112 participants were enrolled in the study; 105 completed the follow-up at week 24. The percentage of participants with adequate knowledge of, and willingness to use, PrEP significantly increased from 65.2% and 69.6% at baseline to 83.8% and 82.9% at the end of the intervention (both P < 0.05). Similarly, those with adequate knowledge of, and willingness to use, PEP increased from 74.1% and 77.7% at baseline to 92.4% and 89.5% at week 24 (P < 0.05). Being between 31 years and 40 years of age, having a postgraduate degree or higher, and reporting a monthly expenditure of RMB 5000 or more were found to be significantly associated with knowledge of PrEP and PEP (both P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The findings show that both onsite and online health education significantly improved the knowledge of, and increased willingness to use, PrEP and PEP in individuals utilizing PEP services.

Behavioral dysregulation in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus, GIFT) post-Streptococcus agalactia infection: Role of the microbiota-gut-brain axis.

In the aquatic farming industry, understanding the factors affecting fish behavior is crucial, particularly in response to infections that compromise welfare and productivity. Swimming performance is a key life history trait critical to their ecology. This study explores the swimming behavior imbalance in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus, GIFT) post-infection with Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS), a common pathogen responsible for significant losses in aquaculture. We focused on how the microbiota-gut-brain axis influences the behavioral response of tilapia to GBS infection. Behavioral changes were quantified by measuring collision times and swimming speeds, which decreased significantly following infection. This behavioral downturn is mediated by alterations in the microbiota-gut-brain axis, evidenced by increased levels of monoamine neurotransmitters (serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine) in the brain and intestinal tissues. The study utilized pharmacological agents, the 5-HT1A receptor agonist (8-OH-DPAT) and antagonist (WAY-100635), to investigate their efficacy in mitigating these behavioral and biochemical changes. Both agents partially restored normal behavior by adjusting neurotransmitter concentrations disrupted by GBS infection. Additionally, a notable increase in the relative abundance of Streptococcus within the gut microbiota of infected fish highlights the potential role of specific bacterial populations in influencing host behavior. This research provides novel insights into the complex interactions between pathogen-induced gut microbiota changes and Nile tilapia's behavioral outcomes, highlighting potential avenues for improving fish health management through microbiota-targeted interventions.

ß-resorcylic acid released by Limosilactobacillus reuteri protects against cisplatin-induced ovarian toxicity and infertility.

Chemotherapy-induced premature ovarian insufficiency (CIPOI) triggers gonadotoxicity in women undergoing cancer treatment, leading to loss of ovarian reserves and subfertility, with no effective therapies available. In our study, fecal microbiota transplantation in a cisplatin-induced POI mouse model reveals that a dysbiotic gut microbiome negatively impacts ovarian health in CIPOI. Multi-omics analyses show a significant decrease in Limosilactobacillus reuteri and its catabolite, ß-resorcylic acid , in the CIPOI group in comparison to healthy controls. Supplementation with L. reuteri or ß-RA mitigates cisplatin-induced hormonal disruptions, morphological damages, and reductions in follicular reserve. Most importantly, ß-RA pre-treatment effectively preserves oocyte function, embryonic development, and fetus health, thereby protecting against chemotherapy-induced subfertility. Our results provide evidence that ß-RA suppresses the nuclear accumulation of sex-determining region Y-box 7, which in turn reduces Bcl-2-associated X activation and inhibits granulosa cell apoptosis. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting the gut-ovary axis for fertility preservation in CIPOI.

Highly Efficient Red/Near-Infrared Phosphorescence from Doped Crystals.

Organic red/near-infrared (NIR) room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials with low toxicity and facile synthesis are highly sought after, particularly for applications in biotechnology and encryption. However, achieving efficient red/NIR RTP emitters has been challenging due to the weak spin-orbit coupling of organics and the rapid nonradiative decay imposed by the energy gap law. Here we demonstrate highly efficient red/ NIR RTP with boosted quantum yields (Φp) of up to 32.96% through doping the thionated derivatives of phthalimide (PAI) (MTPAI and DTPAI) into PAI crystals. The red-shifted photoluminescence (PL) stems from a combination of the external heavy atom effect and the formation of emissive clusters centered around electron-rich sulfur atoms. Furthermore, the dopants enhance exciton generation efficiency and facilitate energy transfer from smaller PAI units to larger aggregates, leading to dramatically increased Φp. This strategy proves universal, opening possibilities for acquiring long-wavelength RTP with tunable photophysical properties. The doped crystals exhibit promising applications in optical waveguides and encryption paper/ink. This research provides a practical approach to obtaining long-wavelength RTP materials and offers valuable insights into the mechanisms governing host-guest systems.

Gut antibiotic resistome during pregnancy associates with the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: New evidence from a prospective nested case-control study.

Antibiotic resistome has emerged as a global threat to public health. However, gestational antibiotic resistome and potential link with adverse pregnancy outcomes remains poorly understood. Our study reports for the first time an association between gut antibiotic resistome during early pregnancy and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) based on a prospective nested case-control cohort including 120 cases and 120 matched controls. A total of 214 antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) subtypes belonging to 17 ARG types were identified in > 10 % fecal samples collected during each trimester. The data revealed dynamic profiles of gut antibiotic resistome through pregnancy, and significant positive associations between selected features (i.e., ARG abundances and a GDM-ARG score which is a new feature characterizing the association between ARGs and GDM) of gut antibiotic resistome during early pregnancy and GDM risk as well as selected endogenous metabolites. The findings demonstrate ubiquitous presence of ARGs in pregnant women and suggest it could constitute an important risk factor for the development of GDM.

Predicting bowel function after diverting stoma closure in patients with rectal cancer.

Background: Patients with rectal cancer undergoing laparoscopic anterior resection and diverting stomas often suffer from bowel dysfunction after stoma closure, impairing their quality of life. This study aims to develop a machine learning tool to predict bowel function after diverting stoma closure. Methods: Clinicopathological data and post-operative follow-up information from patients with mid-low rectal cancer after diverting stoma closure were collected and analyzed. Patients were randomly divided into training and test sets in a 7:3 ratio. A machine learning model was developed in the training set to predict major low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) and evaluated in the test set. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to assess clinical utility. Results: The study included 396 eligible patients who underwent laparoscopic anterior resection and diverting stoma in Tongji Hospital affiliated with Huazhong University of Science and Technology from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2020. The interval between stoma creation and closure, neoadjuvant therapy, and body mass index were identified as the three most crucial characteristics associated with patients experiencing major LARS in our cohort. The machine learning model achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.78 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.74-0.83] in the training set (n=277) and 0.74 (95% CI: 0.70-0.79) in the test set (n=119), and area under the precision-recall curve (AUPRC) of 0.73 and 0.69, respectively, with sensitivity of 0.67 and specificity of 0.66 for the test set. DCA confirmed clinical applicability. Conclusions: This study developed a machine learning model to predict major LARS in rectal cancer patients after diverting stoma closure, aiding their decision-making and counseling.

De Novo Synthesis of α-Ketoamides via Pd/TBD Synergistic Catalysis.

Precisely controlling the product selectivity of a reaction is an important objective in organic synthesis. α-Ketoamides are vital intermediates in chemical transformations and privileged motifs in numerous drugs, natural products, and biologically active molecules. The selective synthesis of α-ketoamides from feedstock chemicals in a safe and operationally simple manner under mild conditions is a long-standing catalysis challenge. Herein, an unprecedented TBD-switched Pd-catalyzed double isocyanide insertion reaction for assembling ketoamides in aqueous DMSO from (hetero)aryl halides and pseudohalides under mild conditions is reported. The effectiveness and utility of this protocol are demonstrated by its diverse substrate scope (93 examples), the ability to late-stage modify pharmaceuticals, scalability to large-scale synthesis, and the synthesis of pharmaceutically active molecules. Mechanistic studies indicate that TBD is a key ligand that modulates the Pd-catalyzed double isocyanide insertion process, thereby selectively providing the desired α-ketoamides in a unique manner. In addition, the imidoylpalladium(II) complex and α-ketoimine amide are successfully isolated and determined by X-ray analysis, confirming that they are probable intermediates in the catalytic pathway.

Dynamic alternations of three-dimensional chromatin architecture contribute to phenotypic characteristics of breast muscle in chicken.

Breast muscle growth rate and intramuscular fat (IMF) content show apparent differences between fast-growing broilers and slow-growing indigenous chickens. However, the underlying genetic basis of these phenotypic characteristics remains elusive. In this study, we investigate the dynamic alterations of three-dimensional genome architecture and chromatin accessibility in breast muscle across four key developmental stages from embryo to starter chick in Arbor Acres (AA) broilers and Yufen (YF) indigenous chickens. The limited breed-specifically up-regulated genes (Bup-DEGs) are embedded in breed-specific A compartment, while a majority of the Bup-DEGs involving myogenesis and adipogenesis are regulated by the breed-specific TAD reprogramming. Chromatin loops allow distal accessible regions to interact with myogenic genes, and those loops share an extremely low similarity between chicken with different growth rate. Moreover, AA-specific loop interactions promote the expression of 40 Bup-DEGs, such as IGF1, which contributes to myofiber hypertrophy. YF-specific loop interactions or distal accessible regions lead to increased expression of 5 Bup-DEGs, including PIGO, PEMT, DHCR7, TMEM38B, and DHDH, which contribute to IMF deposition. These results help elucidate the regulation of breast muscle growth and IMF deposition in chickens.

Effect of Pond-Based Rice Floating Bed on the Microbial Community Structure and Quality of Water in Pond of Mandarin Fish Fed Using Artificial Diet.

The culture of mandarin fish using artificial feed has been gaining increasing attention in China. Ensuring good water quality in the ponds is crucial for successful aquaculture. Recently, the trial of pond-based rice floating beds (PRFBs) in aquaculture ponds has shown promising results. This research assessed the impact of PRFBs on the microbial community structure and overall quality of the aquaculture pond, thereby enhancing our understanding of its functions. The results revealed that the PRFB group exhibited lower levels of NH4+-N, NO2--N, NO3--N, TN, TP, and Alk in pond water compared to the control group. The microbial diversity indices in the PRFB group showed a declining trend, while these indices were increasing in the control group. At the phylum level, there was a considerable increase in Proteobacteria abundance in the PRFB group throughout the culture period, suggesting that PRFBs may promote the proliferation of Proteobacteria. In the PRFB group, there was a remarkable decrease in bacterial populations related to carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus metabolism, including genera Rhodobacter, Rhizorhapis, Dinghuibacter, Candidatus Aquiluna, and Chryseomicrobium as well as the CL500_29_marine_group. Overall, the research findings will provide a basis for the application of aquaculture of mandarin fish fed an artificial diet and rice floating beds.

Development and External Validation of a Machine Learning-based Fall Prediction Model for Nursing Home Residents: A Prospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: To develop and externally validate a machine learning-based fall prediction model for ambulatory nursing home residents. The focus is on predicting fall occurrences within 6 months after baseline assessment through a binary classification task, aiming to provide staff with an effective and user-friendly fall-risk assessment tool. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A total of 864 older residents living in 4 nursing homes between May 2022 and March 2023 in China. METHODS: Potential fall-risk predictors were collected through in-person interviews and assessments of anthropometric and physical function. Participants were followed for 6 months, with falls recorded by trained nurses. Seven machine learning algorithms, including Logistic Regression (LR), Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM), eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Neural Networks (NN), and Decision Tree (DT), were used to develop prediction models. Performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC-AUC) and Precision-Recall curve (PR-AUC), with calibration assessed via a calibration curve. Feature importance was visualized using SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP). RESULTS: The 6 selected predictors were balance, grip strength, fatigue, fall history, age, and comorbidity. The ROC-AUC for the models ranged from 0.710 to 0.750, PR-AUC from 0.415 to 0.473, sensitivity from 0.704 to 0.914, and specificity from 0.511 to 0.687 in the validation cohort. The LR model was converted into a nomogram. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The machine learning-based fall-prediction models effectively identified nursing home residents at high risk of falls. The developed nomogram can be integrated into clinical practice to enhance fall risk assessment protocols, ultimately improving patient safety and care in nursing homes.

Gut commensal metabolite rhamnose promotes macrophages phagocytosis by activating SLC12A4 and protects against sepsis in mice.

Sepsis progression is significantly associated with the disruption of gut eubiosis. However, the modulatory mechanisms of gut microbiota operating during sepsis are still unclear. Herein, we investigated how gut commensals impact sepsis development in a pre-clinical model. Cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) surgery was used to establish polymicrobial sepsis in mice. Mice depleted of gut microbiota by an antibiotic cocktail (ABX) exhibited a significantly higher level of mortality than controls. As determined by metabolomics analysis, ABX treatment has depleted many metabolites, and subsequent supplementation with l-rhamnose (rhamnose, Rha), a bacterial carbohydrate metabolite, exerted profound immunomodulatory properties with a significant enhancement in macrophage phagocytosis, which in turn improved organ damage and mortality. Mechanistically, rhamnose binds directly to and activates the solute carrier family 12 (potassium-chloride symporter), member 4 (SLC12A4) in macrophages and promotes phagocytosis by activating the small G-proteins, Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate1 (Rac1) and cell division control protein 42 homolog (Cdc42). Interestingly, rhamnose has enhanced the phagocytosis capacity of macrophages from sepsis patients. In conclusion, by identifying SLC12A4 as the host interacting protein, we disclosed that the gut commensal metabolite rhamnose is a functional molecular that could promote the phagocytosis capacity of macrophages and protect the host against sepsis.

Characteristics and comparative study of medicinal materials between China and India based on data mining from literatures.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: China and India have unique traditional medicine systems with vast territory and rich medical resources. Traditional medicines in China include traditional Chinese medicine, Tibetan medicine, Mongolian medicine, Uyghur medicine, Dai medicine, etc. In the third national survey of Chinese medicine resources, 12694 medicinal materials were identified. Traditional medicines in India include Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Homoeopathy, etc. There are 7263 medicinal materials in India. AIM OF THE STUDY: To reveal the characteristics of medicinal materials between China and India respectively, and to compare the similarities and differences in terms of properties, tastes, medicinal parts and therapeutic uses and to promote the exchange of traditional medicine between China and India and the international trade of traditional medicine industry. METHODS: The information of medicinal materials between China and India was extracted from The Chinese Traditional Medicine Resource Records and Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China, as well as from 71 Indian herbal monographs. The information of each medicinal material, such as types, families, genera, properties, distribution, medicinal parts, efficacy, therapeutic uses, dosage form and dosage, was recorded in Excel for statistical analysis and visual comparison. RESULTS: A total of 12694 medicinal materials in China and 5362 medicinal materials in India were identified. The medicinal materials were mostly distributed in Southwest China and northern India. Plants were the main sources of medicinal materials. The common medicinal parts in China were whole medicinal materials, roots and rhizomes, and India used more renewable fruits, seeds and leaves. They are commonly used in the treatment of digestive system diseases. There were 1048 medicinal materials used by both China and India, which were distributed in 188 families and 685 genera. The Chinese and Indian pharmacopoeias had a total of 80 species of medicinal materials used by both China and India. CONCLUSIONS: The characteristics of medicinal materials between China and India were somewhat different, which was conducive to provide a reference basis for traditional medicine in China or India to increase the medicinal parts and indications when using a certain medicinal material, as well as to expand the source of medicine and introduce new resources. However, there were certain similarities and shared medicinal materials, which can tap the potential of bilateral trade of medicinal materials between China and India, so as to promote the medical cultural exchange and economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

Prevalence of physical inactivity and its determinants among older adults living in nursing homes: A cross-sectional study based on COM-B model.

AIMS: To investigate the prevalence of physical inactivity in older adults living in nursing homes and explore the determinants of physical inactivity by using the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour model. DESIGN: A multisite, cross-sectional study was performed by convenience sampling and questionnaire survey. METHODS: A total of 390 nursing home residents were recruited from three nursing homes in Southern China from May 2022 to April 2023. The participants completed a self-designed general information questionnaire, Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly, Self-Efficacy for Exercise Scale, Exercise Benefits Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the Short Physical Performance Battery test. Descriptive statistics, univariate analysis, Spearman correlation analysis, and ordinal logistic regression were applied for data analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of physical inactivity among the nursing home residents reached 88.46%. Ordinal logistic regression results showed that exercise self-efficacy, perceived exercise benefits, physical function, availability of physical activity instruction, having depression, number of chronic diseases and living with spouse were the main influencing determinants of physical inactivity and explained 63.7% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS: Physical inactivity was considerable in nursing home residents in China and influenced by complex factors. Tailored measures should be designed and implemented based on these factors to enhance physical activity while considering the uniqueness of Chinese culture. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND PATIENT CARE: Healthcare professionals should enhance physical activity of residents by increasing benefits understanding, boosting self-efficacy, improving physical function, alleviating depression and integrating personalized physical activity guidance into routine care services. And more attention should be paid to the residents who had more chronic diseases or did not live with spouse. IMPACT: Physical inactivity is a significant problem in nursing home residents. Understanding physical inactivity and its determinants enables the development of tailored interventions to enhance their physical activity level. REPORTING METHOD: This study was reported conforming to the STROBE statement. PATIENTS OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Nursing home residents who met the inclusion criteria were recruited.

Photochromic luminescence of organic crystals arising from subtle molecular rearrangement.

Photoluminescence (PL) colour-changing materials in response to photostimulus play an increasingly significant role in intelligent applications for their programmability. Nevertheless, current research mainly focuses on photochemical processes, with less attention to PL transformation through uniform aggregation mode adjustment. Here we show photochromic luminescence in organic crystals (e.g. dimethyl terephthalate) with PL varying from dark blue to purple, then to bright orange-red, and finally to red. This change is attributed to the emergence of clusters with red emission, which is barely achieved in single-benzene-based structures, thanks to the subtle molecular rearrangements prompted by light. Crucial to this process are the through-space electron interactions among molecules and moderate short contacts between ester groups. The irradiated crystals exhibit reversible PL transformation upon sufficient relaxation, showing promising applications in information storage and smart optoelectronic devices. This research contributes to the development of smart photochromic luminescent materials with significant PL colour transformations through molecular rearrangement.

[Altitude Distribution Characteristics of Farmland Soil Bacteria in Loess Hilly Region of Ningxia].

It is of great significance for the conservation of biodiversity in farmland ecosystems to study the diversity, structure, functions, and biogeographical distribution of soil microbes in farmland and their influencing factors. High-throughput sequencing technology was used to analyze the distribution characteristics of soil bacterial diversity, community structure, and metabolic function along elevation and their responses to soil physicochemical properties in farmland in the loess hilly areas of Ningxia. The results showed that:① The Alpha diversity index of soil bacterial was significantly negatively correlated with elevation (P < 0.05) and showed a trend of decreasing and then slightly increasing along the elevation. ② Seven phyla, including Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria, were the dominant groups, and five of them showed highly significant differences between altitudes (P < 0.01). ③ At the secondary classification level, there were 36 metabolic functions of bacteria, including membrane transport, carbohydrate metabolism, and amino acid metabolism, of which 22 showed significant differences, and 12 showed extremely significant differences among different altitudes. ④ Pearson correlation analysis showed that soil water content, bulk density, pH, and carbon-nitrogen ratio had the most significant effects on bacterial Alpha diversity, whereas soil nutrients such as total organic carbon, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus had significant effects on bacterial Beta diversity. ⑤ Mantel test analysis showed that the soil water content, total organic carbon, and carbon-nitrogen ratio affected bacterial community structure at the phylum level, and soil pH, total organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and carbon-nitrogen ratio were significantly correlated with bacterial metabolic function. Variance partitioning analysis showed that soil water content had the highest explanation for the community structure of soil bacteria, whereas soil pH had the highest explanation for metabolic function. In conclusion, soil water content and pH were the main factors affecting the diversity, community composition, and metabolic function of soil bacteria in farmland in the loess hilly region of Ningxia.

Highly diverse sputum microbiota correlates with the disease severity in patients with community-acquired pneumonia: a longitudinal cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a common and serious condition that can be caused by a variety of pathogens. However, much remains unknown about how these pathogens interact with the lower respiratory commensals, and whether any correlation exists between the dysbiosis of the lower respiratory microbiota and disease severity and prognosis. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study to investigate the composition and dynamics of sputum microbiota in patients diagnosed with CAP. In total, 917 sputum specimens were collected consecutively from 350 CAP inpatients enrolled in six hospitals following admission. The V3-V4 region of the 16 S rRNA gene was then sequenced. RESULTS: The sputum microbiota in 71% of the samples were predominately composed of respiratory commensals. Conversely, 15% of the samples demonstrated dominance by five opportunistic pathogens. Additionally, 5% of the samples exhibited sterility, resembling the composition of negative controls. Compared to non-severe CAP patients, severe cases exhibited a more disrupted sputum microbiota, characterized by the highly dominant presence of potential pathogens, greater deviation from a healthy state, more significant alterations during hospitalization, and sparser bacterial interactions. The sputum microbiota on admission demonstrated a moderate prediction of disease severity (AUC = 0.74). Furthermore, different pathogenic infections were associated with specific microbiota alterations. Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas were more abundant in influenza A infections, with Acinetobacter was also enriched in Klebsiella pneumoniae infections. CONCLUSION: Collectively, our study demonstrated that pneumonia may not consistently correlate with severe dysbiosis of the respiratory microbiota. Instead, the degree of microbiota dysbiosis was correlated with disease severity in CAP patients.

An Organophosphorescence Probe with Ultralong Lifetime and Intrinsic Tissue Selectivity for Specific Tumor Imaging and Guided Tumor Surgery.

Organic phosphorescent materials are excellent candidates for use in tumor imaging. However, a systematic comparison of the effects of the intensity, lifetime, and wavelength of phosphorescent emissions on bioimaging performance has not yet been undertaken. In addition, there have been few reports on organic phosphorescent materials that specifically distinguish tumors from normal tissues. This study addresses these gaps and reveals that longer lifetimes effectively increase the signal intensity, whereas longer wavelengths enhance the penetration depth. Conversely, a strong emission intensity with a short lifetime does not necessarily yield robust imaging signals. Building upon these findings, an organo-phosphorescent material with a lifetime of 0.94 s was designed for tumor imaging. Remarkably, the phosphorescent signals of various organic nanoparticles are nearly extinguished in blood-rich organs because of the quenching effect of iron ions. Moreover, for the first time, we demonstrated that iron ions universally quench the phosphorescence of organic room-temperature phosphorescent materials, which is an inherent property of such substances. Leveraging this property, both the normal liver and hepatitis tissues exhibit negligible phosphorescent signals, whereas liver tumors display intense phosphorescence. Therefore, phosphorescent materials, unlike chemiluminescent or fluorescent materials, can exploit this unique inherent property to selectively distinguish liver tumor tissues from normal tissues without additional modifications or treatments.