Effectiveness of acupuncture combined with auricular acupressure in the treatment of postoperative ileus: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: About one-third of patients experience postoperative ileus (POI) after abdominal surgery, which can cause various complications and has not been treated well in clinical practice. The comprehensive treatment offered by traditional Chinese medicine may be a good choice for promoting intestinal mobility. Therefore, the aim of this study protocol is to observe the effectiveness of acupuncture combined with auricular acupressure in decreasing the incidence and related symptoms of POI. Methods: This is a single-center, assessor-blinded, randomized controlled trial. A total of 160 participants are supposed to recruit at Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital and randomly divided into two parallel groups in a 1:1 ratio. The intervention group are planned to receive manual acupuncture combined with auricular acupressure, while the control group are planned to receive regular enhanced recovery after surgery treatment. The primary outcome is the time to first defecation and first flatus after surgery. The secondary outcomes include the length of postoperative hospital stay, intensity of postoperative abdominal pain and distension, severity of postoperative nausea and vomiting, time to tolerate diet, inflammatory index, and incidence of prolonged postoperative ileus. Discussion: The results of this research will provide substantial evidence regarding the efficacy of comprehensive traditional Chinese treatment, specifically auricular acupressure and manual acupuncture, in treating and preventing POI. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier: ChiCTR2300075983, registered on September 21, 2023.

Different myrosinases activate sequestered glucosinolates in larvae and adults of the horseradish flea beetle.

ß-Glucosidases play an important role in the chemical defense of many insects by hydrolyzing and thereby activating glucosylated pro-toxins that are either synthesized de novo or sequestered from the insect's diet. The horseradish flea beetle, Phyllotreta armoraciae, sequesters pro-toxic glucosinolates from its brassicaceous host plants and possesses endogenous ß-thioglucosidase enzymes, known as myrosinases, for glucosinolate activation. Here, we identify three myrosinase genes in P. armoraciae (PaMyr) with distinct expression patterns during beetle ontogeny. By using RNA interference, we demonstrate that PaMyr1 is responsible for myrosinase activity in adults, whereas PaMyr2 is responsible for myrosinase activity in larvae. Compared to PaMyr1 and PaMyr2, PaMyr3 was only weakly expressed in our laboratory population, but may contribute to myrosinase activity in larvae. Silencing of PaMyr2 resulted in lower larval survival in a predation experiment and also reduced the breakdown of sequestered glucosinolates in uninjured larvae. This suggests that PaMyr2 is involved in both activated defense and the endogenous turnover of sequestered glucosinolates in P. armoraciae larvae. In activity assays with recombinant enzymes, PaMyr1 and PaMyr2 preferred different glucosinolates as substrates, which was consistent with the enzyme activities in crude protein extracts from adults and larvae, respectively. These differences were unexpected because larvae and adults sequester the same glucosinolates. Possible reasons for different myrosinase activities in Phyllotreta larvae and adults are discussed.

Association of Interleukin-6 Genetic Polymorphisms (rs1800795, -174C > G and rs1800796, -572G > C) With Risk of Essential Hypertension in the Chinese Population.

Background Interleukin-6 (IL-6) plays a critical role in essential hypertension (EH) and cardiovascular disease. Evidence suggests two hotspot single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the IL-6 gene (rs1800795, -174C > G and rs1800796, -572G > C) might be associated with the susceptibility of EH. However, no consensus has yet been established. Thus, we aimed to investigate the potential association between IL-6 gene polymorphisms and the risk of EH based on a case-control study in a Chinese population. Materials and methods A total of 479 subjects (272 healthy controls and 207 EH patients) were randomly enrolled in our study. After extracting the genomic DNA, two SNPs of the IL-6 gene (rs1800795, -174C > G and rs1800796, -572G > C) were genotyped to analyze the potential association between these genetic variants and EH risk. Multiple genetic models were performed to investigate the strength of association by calculating the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). The potential effect of SNPs on gene expression was evaluated using expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis. Results The genotyping findings of IL-6 rs1800795, -174C > G polymorphism showed three study participants with CG genotype and 204 with GG genotype in the EH patients. The IL-6 -174C > G polymorphism was significantly associated with EH risk (P = 0.046) and conferred a reduced risk of EH development (OR = 0.99, 95%CI = 0.97-1.00). Conversely, no substantial association between IL-6 rs1800796, -572G > C polymorphism and the risk of EH was found in all genetic models (P > 0.05). Moreover, the eQTL analysis indicated that the -174C > G polymorphism was significantly associated with gene expression of IL-6 (P = 0.006), and the G allele corresponded to a reduced IL-6 gene expression (Beta = -0.397). Compared with -174C > G, the -572G > C polymorphism was not found to be significantly associated with IL-6 gene expression (Beta = -0.120, P = 0.560). Conclusions Our findings provide evidence that the rs1800795, -174C > G polymorphism can affect the expression levels of IL-6, and the risk of EH occurrence. However, the rs1800796, -572G > C polymorphism does not regulate the IL-6 gene expression levels and the susceptibility of EH.

Clinical Efficacy and Safety Evaluation of Ceftazidime-Avibactam in the Treatment of Klebsiella pneumoniae Infection: A Retrospective Analysis from a Hospital in China.

Background: Ceftazidime-avibactam (CAZ-AVI) is a new cephalosporin/ß-lactamase inhibitor combination that received clinical approval in China in 2019. This study aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of CAZ-AVI in the treatment of Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) infection in a hospital, and differences in efficacy among various infection sites and between monotherapy and combination therapy, providing valuable insights for its further application. Methods: Patients who used CAZ-AVI between January 2019 and April 2023 were identified through the hospital information system. Demographic information, details of the infection site, KP strain's drug sensitivity report, treatment duration, combination therapies, adverse drug reactions (ADR), and 28-day survival were recorded. Clinical and microbiological efficacies were analyzed using SPSS 23.0 software to compare different infection sites and combination therapies. Results: The overall effective clinical response (CR) rate of CAZ-AVI against KP infection was 62.13%, with a favorable microbial response (MR) rate was 65.68% and a 28-day survival rate was 63.91%. No significant difference occurred in effective CR and 28-day survival rate among different infection sites (P = 0.709 and 0.862, respectively). The favorable MR rate for abdominal infections was slightly lower than that for other sites of infection (P = 0.021). No significant differences in effective CR, favorable MR, and 28-day survival between monotherapy and combination therapy were present (P values were 0.649, 0.123, and 0.280, respectively). The incidence of ADR was 1.78%, including increased creatinine, elevated transaminase, hematuria, and thrombocytopenia. Conclusion: CAZ-AVI demonstrates good clinical efficacy and safety in the treatment of KP infections. The clinical efficacy of CAZ-AVI was similar across different infection sites, and combination therapy did not show an advantage over monotherapy. Further studies are warranted. It should be noted that CAZ-AVI may induce thrombocytopenia and hematuria.

Study on the effect of Jianpi Yiqi decoction on clinical symptoms, inflammation, oxidative stress, efficacy and adverse reactions in sufferers with colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer is a type of cancer that affects the colon or rectum, which are part of the digestive system. It usually develops from small growths called polyps that can turn cancerous over time. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Jianpi Yiqi prescription on clinical symptoms, inflammation, oxidative stress, efficacy, and adverse reactions in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. A total of 84 CRC patients treated at a hospital from January 2020 to December 2021 were randomly divided into two groups: the conventional chemotherapy group and the Jianpi Yiqi prescription group. Patients in the Jianpi Yiqi group received traditional Chinese medicine on top of conventional chemotherapy. Clinical symptoms and plasma biomarkers were analyzed and compared between the two groups. Results showed that there were significant differences between the two groups before therapy. After therapy, the Jianpi Yiqi group had lower TCM symptom scores, inflammatory factor indices, MDA and SOD levels, and incidence of adverse reactions than the conventional group. Moreover, the total effective rate and tumor stability rate of the Jianpi Yiqi group were higher than those of the conventional group. The study concluded that Jianpi Yiqi prescription had better clinical efficacy in treating CRC patients compared to conventional chemotherapy, with fewer adverse reactions and better inhibition of inflammatory factors and oxidative stress. Overall, this study suggests that Jianpi Yiqi prescription could be a promising complementary therapy for CRC patients, but more research is needed to confirm these findings.

Research on the Derated Power Data Identification Method of a Wind Turbine Based on a Multi-Gaussian-Discrete Joint Probability Model.

This paper focuses on how to identify normal, derated power and abnormal data in operation data, which is key to intelligent operation and maintenance applications such as wind turbine condition diagnosis and performance evaluation. Existing identification methods can distinguish normal data from the original data, but usually remove power curtailment data as outliers. A multi-Gaussian-discrete probability distribution model was used to characterize the joint probability distribution of wind speed and power from wind turbine SCADA data, taking the derated power of the wind turbine as a hidden random variable. The maximum expectation algorithm (EM), an iterative algorithm derived from model parameters estimation, was applied to achieve the maximum likelihood estimation of the proposed probability model. According to the posterior probability of the wind-power scatter points, the normal, derated power and abnormal data in the wind turbine SCADA data were identified. The validity of the proposed method was verified by three wind turbine operational data sets with different distribution characteristics. The results are that the proposed method has a degree of universality with regard to derated power operational data with different distribution characteristics, and in particular, it is able to identify the operating data with clustered distribution effectively.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Combination of Chinese Herbal Fumigation Sitz-Bath and Red Ointment in Managing Postoperative Wound Healing and Pain Control in Anal Fistula Patients.

Objective: To explore the efficacy of Chinese herbal fumigation and sitz-bath combined with red ointment in the treatment of postoperative wound healing and pain control in anal fistula patients. Methods: A total of 118 anal fistula patients were selected as the study population, randomly divided into two groups, i.e., the research group (n = 60) and the control group (n = 60). The control group was treated with red ointment therapy for postoperative wound healing and pain while the research group was treated with a combination of ointment and traditional Chinese medicine fumigation sitz-bath, Postoperative wound healing, pain control, and safety evaluation were compared between the two groups. Results. The total effective rate in the research group was 96.67%, which was significantly higher than that in the control group (93.10%), and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The VAS scores and postoperative wound healing times in the research group were significantly lower than those in the control group. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). A day after postoperative treatment, there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in TNF-α and IL-6 levels between the two study groups; however, from day 3 to day 14 the levels were statistically different. TNF-α and IL-6 levels in research group were significantly lower than those in the control group. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The incidence of postoperative complications in the research group at 6.67% was statistically significant (P < 0.05), significantly lower than 13.79% in the control group. Conclusion. Postoperative intervention with Chinese herbal fumigation and sitz-bath combined with red ointment can effectively reduce the wound healing duration and lower the degree of pain experienced by anal fistula patients, thereby improving their quality of life.

Research on College English Classroom Teaching Model Based on Adaptive Genetic Algorithm.

While college English teaching is steadily changing from static knowledge transfer to dynamic language ability development, classroom activities centered on language application are becoming more and more important in cultivating students' language application ability. In recent years, education has been paid more and more attention, the scale of university education has gradually expanded, the professional categories have become more and more complete, the curriculum has become larger and larger, and the number of students has grown by leaps and bounds. The teaching resources (teachers, classrooms, teaching equipment, etc.) and the workload of English teachers are increasing. In order to effectively improve the efficiency of college English teaching, the paper proposes to apply genetic algorithms to the actual English course scheduling problem in colleges, taking into account all the various hardware and software constraints and the expected course scheduling goals, so as to provide a clear and concise solution to the course scheduling problem plan (parallel search for optimal scheduling) and the design and coding structure of each genetic operator. Furthermore, this study creates a genetic algorithm-based English social platform and examines the design aspects of dynamic teaching models and classroom activities of college English students in the context of this paper.

Rapid monitoring of flavonoid content in sweet tea (Lithocarpus litseifolius (Hance) Chun) leaves using NIR spectroscopy.

BACKGROUND: Sweet tea, which functions as tea, sugar and medicine, was listed as a new food resource in 2017. Flavonoids are the main medicinal components in sweet tea and have significant pharmacological activities. Therefore, the quality of sweet tea is related to the content of flavonoids. Flavonoid content in plants is normally determined by time-consuming and expensive chemical analyses. The aim of this study was to develop a methodology to measure three constituents of flavonoids, namely, total flavonoids, phloridin and trilobatin, in sweet tea leaves using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR). RESULTS: In this study, we demonstrated that the combination of principal component analysis (PCA) and NIR spectroscopy can distinguish sweet tea from different locations. In addition, different spectral preprocessing methods are used to establish partial least squares (PLS) models between spectral information and the content of the three constituents. The best total flavonoid prediction model was obtained with NIR spectra preprocessed with Savitzky-Golay combined with second derivatives (SG + D2) (RP2 = 0.893, and RMSEP = 0.131). For trilobatin, the model with the best performance was developed with raw NIR spectra (RP2 = 0.902, and RMSEP = 2.993), and for phloridin, the best model was obtained with NIR spectra preprocessed with standard normal variate (SNV) (RP2 = 0.818, and RMSEP = 1.085). The coefficients of determination for all calibration sets, validation sets and prediction sets of the best PLS models were higher than 0.967, 0.858 and 0.818, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The conclusion indicated that NIR spectroscopy has the ability to determine the flavonoid content of sweet tea quickly and conveniently.

Rapid and Selective Absorption of Plant Defense Compounds From the Gut of a Sequestering Insect.

Many herbivorous insects exploit defense compounds produced by their host plants for protection against predators. Ingested plant defense compounds are absorbed via the gut epithelium and stored in the body, a physiological process that is currently not well understood. Here, we investigated the absorption of plant defense compounds from the gut in the horseradish flea beetle, Phyllotreta armoraciae, a specialist herbivore known to selectively sequester glucosinolates from its brassicaceous host plants. Feeding experiments using a mixture of glucosinolates and other glucosides not found in the host plants showed a rapid and selective uptake of glucosinolates in adult beetles. In addition, we provide evidence that this uptake mainly takes place in the foregut, whereas the endodermal midgut is the normal region of absorption. Absorption via the foregut epithelium is surprising as the apical membrane is covered by a chitinous intima. However, we could show that this cuticular layer differs in its structure and overall thickness between P. armoraciae and a non-sequestering leaf beetle. In P. armoraciae, we observed a thinner cuticle with a less dense chitinous matrix, which might facilitate glucosinolate absorption. Our results show that a selective and rapid uptake of glucosinolates from the anterior region of the gut contributes to the selective sequestration of glucosinolates in P. armoraciae.

Molecular evolution and functional characterization of chitinase gene family in Populus trichocarpa.

Chitinases, the chitin-degrading enzymes, have been shown to play important role in defense against the chitin-containing fungal pathogens. In this study, we identified 48 chitinase-coding genes from the woody model plant Populus trichocarpa. Based on phylogenetic analysis, the Populus chitinases were classified into seven groups. Different gene structures and protein domain architectures were found among the seven Populus chitinase groups. Selection pressure analysis indicated that all the seven groups are under purifying selection. Phylogenetic analysis combined with chromosome location analysis showed that Populus chitinase gene family mainly expanded through tandem duplication. The Populus chitinase gene family underwent marked expression divergence and is inducibly expressed in response to treatments, such as chitosan, chitin, salicylic acid and methyl jasmonate. Protein enzymatic activity analysis showed that Populus chitinases had activity towards both chitin and chitosan. By integrating sequence characteristic, phylogenetic, selection pressure, gene expression and protein activity analysis, this study shed light on the evolution and function of chitinase family in poplar.

Effect of vitamin D supplementation on benign paroxysmal positional vertigo recurrence: A meta-analysis.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is characterized by recurrence, which exposes patients to repeated vertigo attacks. Vitamin D deficiency has been found to be a risk factor in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, although effect of its elimination on recurrence reduction remains unknown. To determine the effect of vitamin D supplementation in preventing recurrence of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo patients with vitamin D deficiency using a meta-analysis study. We searched and retrieved relevant articles from several databases, then used the Cochrane evaluation system or Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies (MINORS) to assess the quality of studies. We adopted risk-ratio (RR) with corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) to determine effect sizes, and further performed statistical analyses under a randomized- or fixed-effects model. Seven studies, comprising 602 and 731 participants in the case and control group respectively, met our inclusion criteria, and were therefore included in the meta-analysis. Assessment based on Cochrane evaluation system or MINORS revealed that most of the studies had high quality. Moreover, the randomized- model revealed that the vitamin D supplementation group had a lower recurrence rate than the control group which did not accepted vitamin D supplementation (RR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.26-0.65, p < 0.01). Overall, these findings indicate that vitamin D supplementation can significantly lower recurrence in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and vitamin D deficiency.

Sugar transporters enable a leaf beetle to accumulate plant defense compounds.

Many herbivorous insects selectively accumulate plant toxins for defense against predators; however, little is known about the transport processes that enable insects to absorb and store defense compounds in the body. Here, we investigate how a specialist herbivore, the horseradish flea beetle, accumulates glucosinolate defense compounds from Brassicaceae in the hemolymph. Using phylogenetic analyses of coleopteran major facilitator superfamily transporters, we identify a clade of glucosinolate-specific transporters (PaGTRs) belonging to the sugar porter family. PaGTRs are predominantly expressed in the excretory system, the Malpighian tubules. Silencing of PaGTRs leads to elevated glucosinolate excretion, significantly reducing the levels of sequestered glucosinolates in beetles. This suggests that PaGTRs reabsorb glucosinolates from the Malpighian tubule lumen to prevent their loss by excretion. Ramsay assays corroborated the selective retention of glucosinolates by Malpighian tubules of P. armoraciae in situ. Thus, the selective accumulation of plant defense compounds in herbivorous insects can depend on the ability to prevent excretion.

Adverse reactions of vancomycin in humans: A protocol for meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Vancomycin is effective against Gram-positive bacteria and considered as a last resort in the case of ineffective use of other antigens. While due to the occurrence of adverse reactions, the application of vancomycin is strictly limited. We will conduct a meta-analysis to summarize adverse reactions of vancomycin in humans. METHODS: To collect comprehensive randomized controlled trials (RCTs), the following electronic databases will be searched: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and China Science and Technology Journal Database. The range of publication time will be from the inception of the database to August 2020 without language limitation. Two reviewers will independently conduct selection of studies, data extraction and management, and assessment of risk of bias. Any disagreement will be resolved by discussion with the third reviewer. Review Manager 5.3 (The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration) will be used for meta-analysis. The Cochrane risk of bias tool will be used to assess the risk of bias. RESULTS: This study will synthesize the data from the present eligible high quality RCTs to explore the incidence of adverse reactions such as hypersensitivity reactions, nephrotoxicity, ototoxicity, phlebitis, and agranulocytosis. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis will provide systematic evidence for adverse reactions of vancomycin in humans. STUDY REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202080094.

Two cases of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treated with the combination of acupuncture and medication in bedridden patients2.

The paper reports the experiences in treatment of two cases of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with the combination of acupuncture and medication in bedridden patients confirmed in C7 Inpatient Ward, Wuhan Leishenshan Hospital, China. The combined treatment of acupuncture with the oral administration of "Shanghai leishen No.1 formula" was given every day. The prescription was modified weekly according the symptoms of the patients. Besides, the antivirus, anti-infectious and symptomatic treatment of western medicine was combined. Both of the two cases were improved and discharged. It is anticipated that the treatment experiences in these two cases may provide the instruction and enlightenment for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.

Risk factors and pathogenic microorganism characteristics for pneumonia in convalescent patients with stroke: A retrospective study of 380 patients from a rehabilitation hospital.

BACKGROUND: Pneumonia is a major complication leading to death after stroke. The risk factors of pneumonia in convalescent patients who have experienced stroke remain poorly defined. METHODS: To identify the risk factors of pneumonia, we applied logistic regression as a statistical method using SPSS23.0 statistical software, based on a sample of 380 patients. And statistical description method was used to analyze pathogens' characteristics and drug resistance. RESULTS: Ultimately, the obtained logistic model has statistical significance (χ2(13) = 91.560, P <0.0005). The sensitivity of the model is 41.7%, the specificity is 97.6%, the positive predictive value is 76.9%, and the negative predictive value is 89.8%. The Barthel index (BI) (OR=1.97, 95% CI: 1.01-3.87), basic lung diseases (OR=4.24, 95% CI: 1.02-17.61), trachea ventilation (OR=6.56, 95% CI: 1.18-36.34), feeding tube (OR=6.06, 95% CI: 2.59-14.18), and hypoproteinemia (OR=3.97, 95% CI: 1.56-10.10) were statistically significant (P<0.05). Among patients who have pneumonia, the proportion of gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria and fungal infection is 10.00%, 54.29%, 5.71% respectively. The study most frequently isolated Pseudomonas aeruginosa (18.57%), followed by Acinetobacter baumannii (10.00%,) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (10.00%). The drug resistance rate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae to different antibiotics ranged from 0.00-37.77%, 0.00-85.71% and 0.00-57.14%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The lower BI scores, basic lung diseases, trachea ventilation, tube feeding, and hypoproteinemia are independent risk factors of pneumonia among convalescent patients with stroke. The main pathogens that caused pneumonia were gram-negative bacteria, and such organisms have different degrees of resistance to drugs.

The phytopathogenic fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum detoxifies plant glucosinolate hydrolysis products via an isothiocyanate hydrolase.

Brassicales plants produce glucosinolates and myrosinases that generate toxic isothiocyanates conferring broad resistance against pathogens and herbivorous insects. Nevertheless, some cosmopolitan fungal pathogens, such as the necrotrophic white mold Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, are able to infect many plant hosts including glucosinolate producers. Here, we show that S. sclerotiorum infection activates the glucosinolate-myrosinase system, and isothiocyanates contribute to resistance against this fungus. S. sclerotiorum metabolizes isothiocyanates via two independent pathways: conjugation to glutathione and, more effectively, hydrolysis to amines. The latter pathway features an isothiocyanate hydrolase that is homologous to a previously characterized bacterial enzyme, and converts isothiocyanate into products that are not toxic to the fungus. The isothiocyanate hydrolase promotes fungal growth in the presence of the toxins, and contributes to the virulence of S. sclerotiorum on glucosinolate-producing plants.

Identification and biochemical characterization of the glutathione reductase family from Populus trichocarpa.

Glutathione reductase (GR; EC 1.6.4.2) is a key NADPH-dependent flavo-protein oxidoreductase which can catalyze the oxidized glutathione (GSSG) to reduced glutathione (GSH) to protect plant cells from oxidative damage induced by Reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst. To investigate the biochemical characteristics and functional divergence of Populus GR family, three GR genes (PtGR1.1/1.2/2) were cloned from Populus trichocarpa and their biochemical characteristics were analyzed in this study. All the three genes were expressed in root, stem, leaf and bud, and the expression of PtGR genes were general upregulated under salicylic acid and alamethicin treatment. PtGR1.1 and PtGR1.2 were localized in cytoplasm, while PtGR2 was in chloroplast. The three PtGR proteins showed different enzymatic activities, apparent kinetic characteristic and thermal stability profiles. However, they have similar bivalent metal ions (Cu2+, Cd2+, Zn2+ and Pb2+) sensitivity and optimum pH profiles. Our study sheds light on a comprehensive information of glutathione reductase family in P. trichocarpa, and proved PtGR genes play critical roles when suffering different stresses.

Glucosinolate Abundance and Composition in Brassicaceae Influence Sequestration in a Specialist Flea Beetle.

The horseradish flea beetle Phyllotreta armoraciae exclusively feeds on Brassicaceae, which contain glucosinolates as characteristic defense compounds. Although glucosinolates are usually degraded by plant enzymes (myrosinases) to toxic isothiocyanates after ingestion, P. armoraciae beetles sequester glucosinolates. Between and within brassicaceous plants, the glucosinolate content and composition can differ drastically. But how do these factors influence sequestration in P. armoraciae? To address this question, we performed a five-day feeding experiment with three Arabidopsis thaliana lines that differ four-fold in glucosinolate content and the composition of aliphatic and indolic glucosinolates. We quantified the amounts of ingested, sequestered, and excreted glucosinolates, and analyzed the changes in glucosinolate levels and composition in beetles before and after feeding on Arabidopsis. P. armoraciae accumulated almost all ingested glucosinolate types. However, some glucosinolates were accumulated more efficiently than others, and selected glucosinolates were modified by the beetles. The uptake of new glucosinolates correlated with a decrease in the level of stored glucosinolates so that the total glucosinolate content remained stable at around 35 nmol/mg beetle fresh weight. Beetles excreted previously stored as well as ingested glucosinolates from Arabidopsis, which suggests that P. armoraciae regulate their endogenous glucosinolate level by excretion. The metabolic fate of ingested glucosinolates, i.e. the proportions of sequestered and excreted glucosinolates, depended on glucosinolate type, content, and composition in the food plant. Overall, P. armoraciae sequestered and excreted up to 41% and 31% of the total ingested aliphatic and indolic glucosinolates from Arabidopsis, respectively. In summary, we show that glucosinolate variability in Brassicaceae influences the composition but not the level of sequestered glucosinolates in P. armoraciae beetles.

Deciphering the Role of Human Gastrointestinal Microbiota in the Pathogenesis of Vaginal Infection and Cervical Cancer.

The human microbiota typically contains symbionts and supports the host, although it can be commensal or reciprocal and pathogenic in its host function, immunity, and diet. Modern studies indicate that perturbations in the microbiome may be present in quite a few diseases, including inflammation and cancer. To be more specific, changes in the microbiomes of the gut and vagina may be related to various gynecologic cancers (cervical, uterine, and ovarian). Furthermore, the gastrointestinal microbiota can be altered by environmental factors and pre-existing morbidities and may cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and abdominal pain. A healthy female gut microbiome is dominated by Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Bacteroides, Clostridium, Escherichia, Streptococcus, and Ruminococcus; the vaginal microbiome includes Firmicutes, specifically Lactobacilli spp. However, the gram-variable coccobacillus Gardnerella vaginalis (previously known as Haemophilus vaginalis) dominates the microbiota of biological vaginosis (BV) and includes several anaerobic organisms. Vaginal microbiota perturbations can cause vaginal pain, sexual dysfunction, and urinary symptoms. In the current review paper, we explore recent research along with existing gaps in knowledge related to the association of changes in microbiota diversity and the pathogenesis of vaginal infection-associated cervical cancer.