Altered gut microbiota in temporal lobe epilepsy with anxiety disorders.

Introduction: Patients with epilepsy are particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of anxiety disorders. In particular, temporal lobe epilepsy with anxiety disorders (TLEA) has attracted more attention in epilepsy research. The link between intestinal dysbiosis and TLEA has not been established yet. To gain deeper insight into the link between gut microbiota dysbiosis and factors affecting TLEA, the composition of the gut microbiome, including bacteria and fungi, has been examined. Methods: The gut microbiota from 51 temporal lobe epilepsy patients has been subjected to sequencing targeting 16S rDNA (Illumina MiSeq) and from 45 temporal lobe epilepsy patients targeting the ITS-1 region (through pyrosequencing). A differential analysis has been conducted on the gut microbiota from the phylum to the genus level. Results: TLEA patients' gut bacteria and fungal microbiota exhibited distinct characteristics and diversity as evidenced by high-throughput sequencing (HTS). TLEA patients showed higher abundances of Escherichia-Shigella (genus), Enterobacterales (order), Enterobacteriaceae (family), Proteobacteria (phylum), Gammaproteobacteria (class), and lower abundances of Clostridia (class), Firmicutes, Lachnospiraceae (family), Lachnospirales (order), and Ruminococcus (genus). Among fungi, Saccharomycetales fam. incertae sedis (family), Saccharomycetales (order), Saccharomycetes (class), and Ascomycota (phylum) were significantly more abundant in TLEA patients than in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy but without anxiety. Adoption and perception of seizure control significantly affected TLEA bacterial community structure, while yearly hospitalization frequency affected fungal community structures in TLEA patients. Conclusion: Here, our study validated the gut microbiota dysbiosis of TLEA. Moreover, the pioneering study of bacterial and fungal microbiota profiles will help in understanding the course of TLEA and drive us toward preventing TLEA gut microbiota dysbiosis.

First-Principles Calculations of Two-Dimensional CdO/HfS2 Van der Waals Heterostructure: Direct Z-Scheme Photocatalytic Water Splitting.

Using two-dimensional (2D) heterostructure as photocatalyst for water splitting is a popular strategy for the generation of hydrogen. In this investigation, the first-principles calculations are explored to address the electronic performances of the 2D CdO/HfS2 heterostructure formed by van der Waals (vdW) forces. The CdO/HfS2 vdW heterostructure has a 1.19 eV indirect bandgap with type-II band alignment. Importantly, the CdO/HfS2 vdW heterostructure possesses an intrinsic Z-scheme photocatalytic characteristic for water splitting by obtaining decent band edge positions. CdO donates 0.017 electrons to the HfS2 layer in the heterostructure, inducing a potential drop to further separate the photogenerated electrons and holes across the interface. The CdO/HfS2 vdW heterostructure also has excellent optical absorption capacity, showing a promising role as a photocatalyst to decompose the water.