Nitrite nitrogen stress disrupts the intestine bacterial community by altering host-community interactions in shrimp.

Environmental stress can disrupt the intricate interactions between the host and intestine microbiota, thereby impacting the host health. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the dynamic changes in the bacterial community within shrimp intestines under nitrite nitrogen (nitrite-N) stress and investigate potential host-related factors influencing these changes. Our results revealed a significant reduction in community diversity within the intestine exposed to nitrite-N compared to control conditions. Furthermore, distinct differences in community structures were observed between these two groups at 72 h and 120 h post-stress induction. Nitrite-N stress also altered the abundances of some bacterial species in the intestine dramatically. It is noteworthy that, in comparison to the 72 h, intestine bacterial community structure of stressed shrimp exhibited a significantly higher degree of dispersion after 120 h of nitrite-N stress when compared to control shrimp, and the relative abundance of numerous bacterial species experienced a substantial decrease or even reached 0 %. Moreover, it led to a reduction in bacterial community interactions and decreased competitiveness within the intestine microbiota. Notably, the influence of bacterial community assemblies in the shrimp intestine shifted from a stochastic process to a deterministic one after 24 h and 72 h of nitrite-N stress, returning to a stochastic process at 120 h. We further observed a close association between this phenomenon and host's response to nitrite-N stress. Expression levels of differentially expressed genes in the intestinal tissue significantly impact the intestine bacterial diversity and abundance of species. In particular, the significant decline in bacterial diversity and abundances of quite a few species in intestine was attributed to the up-regulation of peritrophin-48-like. Overall, nitrite-N stress indeed disrupted the intestine microbiota and changed the host-microbiota interactions of shrimp. This study offered novel insights into environment-host-microbiota interactions and also provided practical guidance for promoting healthy shrimp cultivation practices.

Effect of off-label targeted drugs on long-term survival in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: Insights from a national multicentre prospective registry.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Off-label pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)-targeted drugs are commonly prescribed for non-operated chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), but their effect on the long-term prognosis of CTEPH remains unknown. This study investigated the effect of off-label PAH-targeted drugs on the long-term survival of CTEPH patients. METHODS: CTEPH patients were enrolled from a prospective multicentre national registry. Except for licensed riociguat and treprostinil, other PAH-targeted drugs were off-label. In the original and propensity score-matched (PSM) samples, five-year survival was compared in two groups: (a) patients not receiving off-label PAH-targeted drugs (control) versus (b) patients receiving off-label PAH-targeted drugs (treatment). The latter group was investigated for the effect of started off-label PAH-targeted drugs at baselines (initial) or during follow-up (subsequent). RESULTS: Of 347 enrolled patients, 212 were treated with off-label PAH-targeted drugs initially (n = 173) or subsequently (n = 39), and 135 were untreated. The 1-, 2-, 3- and 5-year survival of the treatment group was significantly higher than that of the control group (97.1% vs. 89.4%, 92.3% vs. 82.1%, 83.2% vs. 75.1% and 71.1% vs. 55.3%, respectively, log-rank test, p = 0.005). Initial treatment was correlated with better 5-year survival after excluding patients with subsequent treatment to reduce the immortal-time bias (hazard ratio: 0.611; 95% CI: 0.397-0.940; p = 0.025). In PSM samples, patients given initial treatment showed significantly better 5-year survival than untreated patients (68.9% vs. 49.3%, log-rank test, p = 0.008). CONCLUSION: Off-label targeted drugs contributed to improved long-term survival in CTEPH patients receiving pharmacotherapies.

Oral delivery of bacteria expressing wsv108 gene-specific dsRNA protects shrimp from white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) infection.

Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) can specifically inhibit gene expression by RNA interference and has important application potential in animal disease control. White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is one of the most harmful pathogens in shrimp aquaculture, causing huge economic losses every year. In this study, we investigated the function of the WSSV-encoded wsv108 protein. We demonstrated that wsv108 could promote apoptosis by interacting with heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and enhancing the expression of multiple apoptosis-related genes. Silencing of wsv108 gene by injection with specific dsRNA prepared by in vitro transcription significantly increased the survival rate of WSSV-infected shrimp and reduced the viral load in tissues, suggesting that wsv108 is important for WSSV pathogenicity. Based on this, we expressed the wsv108 specific dsRNA in engineered Escherichia coli. Oral feeding of this bacterium could inhibit the expression of wsv108, increase the survival rate of WSSV-infected shrimp, and decrease the viral load of WSSV in tissues. Therefore, this study developed a new method for treatment of WSSV disease by oral administration of bacterially expressed dsRNA against a novel therapeutic target molecule, which could be a potential candidate strategy for WSSV control in aquaculture.

Hypermethylated genome of a fish vertebrate iridovirus ISKNV plays important roles in viral infection.

Iridoviruses are nucleocytoplasmic large dsDNA viruses that infect invertebrates and ectothermic vertebrates. The hypermethylated genome of vertebrate iridoviruses is unique among animal viruses. However, the map and function of iridovirus genomic methylation remain unknown. Herein, the methylated genome of Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV, a fish iridovirus), and its role in viral infection, are investigated. The methylation level of ISKNV is 23.44%. The hypermethylated genome is essential for ISKNV amplification, but there is no correlation between hypermethylation and viral gene expression. The hypomethylated ISKNV (obtained via 5-Azacytidine) activates a strong immunoreaction in vitro and reduces its pathogenicity in vivo. The unmethylated viral DNA can induce a stronger immunoreaction in vitro, whereas inactivated hypomethylated ISKNV can induce a stronger immunoreaction in vivo, suggesting ISKNV may evade from immune system by increasing its genome methylation level. Our work provides new insights into the role of genome methylation in viral infection.

Large B-cell Lymphoma with IRF4 Rearrangement in the Nasolacrimal Duct: A Clinicopathological Study of One Case and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) with interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) rearrangement (LBCL-IRF4) is a rare subtype of LBCL, with a high prevalence in Waldeyer's ring as well as the neck, head and gastrointestinal lymph nodes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A patient with 2-month clinical symptoms of nasal obstruction and facial swelling was reported in this short review. A nasal endoscopy examination revealed a neoplasm in the inferior nasal meatus. Both CT and enhanced MRI showed that a soft tissue occupied the nasolacrimal duct, with bone destruction, and extended into the left nasal cavity and left lacrimal gland area. Then, a biopsy of the neoplasm in the inferior nasal meatus was performed. RESULTS: HE staining results showed that neoplastic cells presented diffuse growth patterns, abundant cytoplasm, vacuole shape, lightly stained nuclei, and irregular nuclear membrane. Immunohistochemistry staining results revealed MUM1(+), Bcl6(+), CD20(+), CD79α(+), and CD10(+). FISH analyses detected positive IRF4 rearrangement. LBCL-IRF4 was diagnosed in the patient. The patient received treatment with four cycles of R-CHOP and two times of rituximab, followed up for 2 years, and finally got complete remission. CONCLUSION: For the first time, we summarize the imaging and pathological features, drug treatment, and curative effect of LBCL-IRF4 in the nasolacrimal duct.

Biventricular intraventricular mechanical and electrical dyssynchrony in pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) leads to myocardial remodeling, manifesting as mechanical dyssynchrony (M-dys) and electrical dyssynchrony (E-dys), in both right (RV) and left ventricles (LV). However, the impacts of layer-specific intraventricular M-dys on biventricular functions and its association with E-dys in PAH remain unclear. Methods: Seventy-nine newly diagnosed patients with PAH undergoing cardiac magnetic resonance scanning were consecutively recruited between January 2011 and December 2017. The biventricular volumetric and layer-specific intraventricular M-dys were analyzed. The QRS duration z-scores were calculated after adjusting for age and sex. Results: 77.22 % of patients were female (mean age 30.30 ± 9.79 years; median follow-up 5.53 years). Further, 29 (36.71 %) patients succumbed to all-cause mortality by the end of the study. At the baseline, LV layer-specific intraventricular M-dys had apparent transmural gradients compared with RV in the radial and circumferential directions. However, deceased patients lost the transmural gradients. The LV longitudinal strain rate time to late diastolic peak in the myocardial region (LVmyoLSRTTLDPintra) predicted long-term survival. The Kaplan-Meier curve revealed that patients with PAH with LVmyoLSRTTLDPintra <20.01 milliseconds had a worse prognosis. Larger right ventricle (RV) intraventricular M-dys resulted in worse RV ejection fraction. However, larger LV intraventricular M-dys in the late diastolic phase indicated remarkable exercise capacity and higher LV stroke volume index. E-dys and intraventricular M-dys had no direct correlations. Conclusions: The layer-specific intraventricular M-dys had varying impacts on biventricular functions in PAH. PAH patients with LVmyoLSRTTLDPintra <20.01 milliseconds had a worse prognosis. LV intraventricular M-dys in the late diastolic phase needs more attention to precisely evaluate LV function.

Intestine bacterial community affects the growth of the Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei).

Increasing evidence suggests that intestine microorganisms are closely related to shrimp growth, but there is no existing experiment to prove this hypothesis. Here, we compared the intestine bacterial community of fast- and slow-growing shrimp at the same developmental stage with a marked difference in body size. Our results showed that the intestine bacterial communities of slow-growing shrimp exhibited less diversity but were more heterogeneous than those of fast-growing shrimp. Uncultured_bacterium_g_Candidatus Bacilloplasma, Tamlana agarivorans, Donghicola tyrosinivorans, and uncultured_bacterium_f_Flavobacteriaceae were overrepresented in the intestines of fast-growing shrimp, while Shimia marina, Vibrio sp., and Vibrio campbellii showed the opposite trends. We further found that the bacterial community composition was significantly correlated with shrimp length, and some bacterial species abundances were found to be significantly correlated with shrimp weight and length, including T. agarivorans and V. campbellii, which were chosen as indicators for a reverse gavage experiment. Finally, T. agarivorans was found to significantly promote shrimp growth after the experiment. Collectively, these results suggest that intestine bacterial community could be important factors in determining the growth of shrimp, indicating that specific bacteria could be tested in further studies against shrimp growth retardation. KEY POINTS: • A close relationship between intestine bacterial community and shrimp growth was proven by controllable experiments. • The bacterial signatures of the intestine were markedly different between slow- and fast-growing shrimp, and the relative abundances of some intestine bacterial species were correlated significantly with shrimp body size. • Reverse gavage by Tamlana agarivorans significantly promoted shrimp growth.

Imaging characteristics and prognostic factors of Behcet's disease with arterial involvement: A long-term follow-up study.

PURPOSE: To investigate the imaging characteristics and prognostic factors for the long-term survival of Behcet's disease (BD) with arterial involvement. METHODS: In this retrospective study, BD patients with arterial involvement were identified from January 2003 to January 2020. Arterial lesions were detected by ultrasonography, traditional arteriography, and/or computed tomography angiography (CTA). Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were performed to identify the prognostic factors. RESULTS: Totally, 84 BD patients with arterial involvement were identified (73.8 % males). The mean age at BD diagnosis was 39.1 ± 13.1 years. Arterial involvement was the initial manifestation in 33.3 % of the patients, and the median time from BD diagnosis to arterial involvement was 6 (IQR 1-15.5) years for the rest of patients. Systemic artery involvement and pulmonary artery involvement (PAI) were found in 64 and 27 patients, respectively. Approximately 94.0 % (79/84) of the patients had more than one artery involved concurrently or successively during the course of BD. Aneurysm/dilation was the most prevalent lesion in the aorta (76.0 %), while stenosis/occlusion was the main lesion of the coronary artery (90.9 %) and other aortic branches (74.5 %). Pulmonary hypertension was found in 70.4 % (19/27) of patients with PAI. The 5- and 10-year survival rates of BD patients with arterial involvement were 87.4 % and 84.1 %, respectively. Cardiac involvement (HR: 4.34) and pulmonary artery aneurysm/dilation (HR: 4.89) were independently associated with mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Arterial lesions associated with BD usually involve multiple arteries and manifest differently in different types of arteries. Cardiac involvement and pulmonary artery aneurysm/dilation are independent prognostic factors of BD patients with arterial involvement.

Orange-spotted grouper nervous necrosis virus-encoded protein A induces interferon expression via RIG-I/MDA5-MAVS-TBK1-IRF3 signaling in fish cells.

IMPORTANCE: As a major pathogen, nervous necrosis virus (NNV) infects more than 120 fish species worldwide and is virulent to larvae and juvenile fish, hampering the development of the fish fry industry. Understanding virus-host interaction and underlying mechanisms is an important but largely unknown issue in fish virus studies. Here, using channel catfish ovary and fathead minnow cells as models for the study of innate immunity signaling, we found that NNV-encoded ProA activated interferon signaling via the retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I)-like receptor (RLR) pathway which was still suppressed by the infection of wild-type NNV. This finding has important implications for the comprehension of NNV protein function and the immune response from different cells. First, RIG-I is the key node for anti-NNV innate immunity. Second, the response intensity of RLR signaling determines the degree of NNV proliferation. This study expands our knowledge regarding the overview of signal pathways affected by NNV-encoded protein and also highlights potential directions for the control of aquatic viruses.

Orange-spotted grouper IFNh response to NNV or MSRV and its potential antiviral activities.

Type I interferon (IFN) plays a crucial role in the antiviral immune response. Nervous necrosis virus (NNV) and Micropterus salmoides rhabdovirus (MSRV) are the most important viruses in cultured larvae and juveniles, causing great economic losses to fish farming. To better understand the antiviral activities and immunoregulatory role of IFN from orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides), EcIFNh was cloned from NNV infected sample. EcIFNh has an open reading frame (ORF) of 552 bp and encodes a polypeptide of 183 amino acids. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that EcIFNh was clustered into the IFNh branch. The tissue distribution analysis revealed that EcIFNh was highly expressed in the liver and brain of healthy orange-spotted grouper. The mRNA levels of EcIFNh were significantly upregulated after poly (I:C) stimulation and NNV or MSRV infection. Furthermore, the promoter of EcIFNh was characterized and significantly activated by EcMDA5, EcMAVS, EcSTING, EcIRF3, and EcIRF7 in the luciferase activity assays. We found that EcIFNh overexpression resisted the replication of NNV and MSRV, while EcIFNh silencing facilitated NNV replication in GB cells. In addition, EcIFNh recombinant protein (rEcIFNh) enhanced the immune response by inducing the expression of ISGs in vivo and in vitro, suggesting the potential application of rEcIFNh for anti-NNV and anti-MSRV. Taken together, our research may offer the foundation for virus-IFN system interaction in orange-spotted grouper.

Identification of an Ortholog of MALT1 from Shrimp That Induces NF-κB-Mediated Antiviral Immunity.

MALT1 (mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma translocation protein 1) serves as a pivotal mediator for NF-κB activation in response to a wide spectrum of transmembrane receptor stimuli. In the present study, a homolog of MALT1, named LvMALT1, is cloned from the Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and its potential function in shrimp innate immunity is explored. The open reading frame of LvMALT1 is 2364 bp that encodes 787 amino acids. The predicted LvMALT1 protein structure comprises a death domain, three immunoglobulin domains, and a caspase-like domain, exhibiting remarkable similarity to other homologs. LvMALT1 is a cytoplasmic-localized protein and could interact with LvTRAF6. Overexpression of LvMALT1 induces the activation of promoter elements governing the expression of several key antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), including penaeidins (PENs) and crustins (CRUs). Conversely, silencing of LvMALT1 leads to a reduction in the phosphorylation levels of Dorsal and Relish, along with a concomitant decline in the in vivo expression levels of multiple AMPs. Furthermore, LvMALT1 is prominently upregulated in response to a challenge by the white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), facilitating the NF-κB-mediated expression of AMPs as a defense against viral infection. Taken together, we identified a MALT1 homolog from the shrimp L. vannamei, which plays a positive role in the TRAF6/NF-κB/AMPs axis-mediated innate immunity.

Low-temperature immunization attenuates the residual virulence of orf074r gene-deleted infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus: a candidate immersion vaccine.

IMPORTANCE: Global aquaculture production yielded a record of 122.9 million tons in 2022. However, ~10% of farmed aquatic animal production is lost each year due to various infectious diseases, resulting in substantial economic waste. Therefore, the development of vaccines is important for the prevention and control of aquatic infectious diseases. Gene-deletion live attenuated vaccines are efficacious because they mimic natural pathogen infection and generate a strong antibody response, thus showing good potential for administration via immersion. However, most gene-deletion viruses still have residual virulence, and thus, gene-deletion immersion vaccines for aquatic viruses are rarely developed. In this study, an orf074r deletion strain (Δorf074r) of ISKNV with residual virulence was constructed, and an immunization process was developed to reduce its residual virulence at 22°C, thereby making it a potential immersion vaccine against ISKNV. Our work will aid in the development of an aquatic gene-deletion live-attenuated immersion vaccine.

Maintaining Excellent Mechanical Properties via Additive Manufacturing of Low-N 25Cr-Type Duplex Stainless Steel.

Duplex stainless steel (DSS) exhibits good mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, and has attracted more and more attention within the fields of both science and technology. However, the increasing levels of N and of Cr, Mo, etc., as alloying elements in DSS increase production difficulty. In particular, the N element increases the risk of Cr2N precipitation, which can seriously deteriorate the thermal plasticity of DSS, while increasing its strength. For this reason, a low-N-content 25Cr-type DSS was designed in order to adapt additive manufacturing processes. With regard to the nano-inclusions of oxide precipitation and effective grain refinement, and considering the benefits of selective laser melting fabrication, a low-N 25Cr-type duplex stainless steel with a 0.09 wt.% N content achieved high mechanical properties, with a yield strength of 712 MPa and an elongation of 27.5%, while the V-notch impact toughness was 160 J/cm2. The microstructure evolution and the reasons behind the improvement in mechanical properties will be discussed in detail.

Genetic evidence for differential functions of figla and nobox in zebrafish ovarian differentiation and folliculogenesis.

FIGLA and NOBOX are important oocyte-specific transcription factors. Both figla-/- and nobox-/- mutants showed all-male phenotype in zebrafish due to increased dominance of the male-promoting pathway. The early diversion towards males in these mutants has precluded analysis of their roles in folliculogenesis. In this study, we attenuated the male-promoting pathway by deleting dmrt1, a key male-promoting gene, in figla-/- and nobox-/- fish, which allows a sufficient display of defects in folliculogenesis. Germ cells in figla-/-;dmrt1-/- double mutant remained in cysts without forming follicles. In contrast, follicles could form well but exhibited deficient growth in nobox-/-;dmrt1-/- double mutants. Follicles in nobox-/-;dmrt1-/- ovary could progress to previtellogenic (PV) stage but failed to enter vitellogenic growth. Such arrest at PV stage suggested a possible deficiency in estrogen signaling. This was supported by lines of evidence in nobox-/-;dmrt1-/-, including reduced expression of ovarian aromatase (cyp19a1a) and level of serum estradiol (E2), regressed genital papilla (female secondary sex characteristics), and more importantly the resumption of vitellogenic growth by E2 treatment. Expression analysis suggested Nobox might regulate cyp19a1a by controlling Gdf9 and/or Bmp15. Our discoveries indicate that Figla is essential for ovarian differentiation and follicle formation whereas Nobox is important for driving subsequent follicle development.

Clinical features and long-term survival in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension with thyroid dysfunction: insights from a national multicentre prospective study.

Background: Our objective was to clarify the characteristics and long-term survival of idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) patients with thyroid dysfunction and compare them with IPAH without thyroid dysfunction. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted using prospectively collected data. IPAH patients with thyroid dysfunction at baseline were included. Patients with other subgroups of PAH and Group 2-5 pulmonary hypertension were excluded. IPAH patients with euthyroid function were matched 1:1 to IPAH patients with thyroid dysfunction by age and sex. Results: In total, 148 IPAH patients with thyroid dysfunction were included. Patients with hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, subclinical hyperthyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism accounted for 16.2%, 18.9%, 8.1% and 56.8%, respectively. IPAH patients with hyperthyroidism showed the highest mixed venous oxygen saturation (SvO2) and the lowest pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) at baseline among subgroups, while patients with subclinical hypothyroidism had the lowest SvO2 and highest PVR (p<0.05). Compared with IPAH without thyroid dysfunction, patients with hyperthyroidism (9.14 versus 13.86 WU; p<0.05) and hypothyroidism (10.70 versus 13.86 WU; p<0.05) showed significantly lower PVR. The haemodynamic profiles of patients with subclinical hypothyroidism were similar to IPAH with euthyroid function except for lower right atrial pressure (6 versus 8 mmHg; p=0.009). The long-term survival of patients with clinical thyroid dysfunction was better than IPAH without thyroid dysfunction, while that of those with subclinical diseases was comparable to the latter, even after adjusting for baseline haemodynamics and treatment. Conclusion: IPAH patients with clinical hyper- and hypothyroidism had better haemodynamics and survival than those without thyroid dysfunction, while patients with subclinical hypothyroidism had similar haemodynamics and survival profiles to the latter.

Molecular mechanism of the interaction between Megalocytivirus-induced virus-mock basement membrane (VMBM) and lymphatic endothelial cells.

IMPORTANCE: Viruses are able to mimic the physiological or pathological mechanism of the host to favor their infection and replication. Virus-mock basement membrane (VMBM) is a Megalocytivirus-induced extracellular structure formed on the surface of infected cells and structurally and functionally mimics the basement membrane of the host. VMBM provides specific support for lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) rather than blood endothelial cells to adhere to the surface of infected cells, which constitutes a unique phenomenon of Megalocytivirus infection. Here, the structure of VMBM and the interactions between VMBM components and LECs have been analyzed at the molecular level. The regulatory effect of VMBM components on the proliferation and migration of LECs has also been explored. This study helps to understand the mechanism of LEC-specific attachment to VMBM and to address the issue of where the LECs come from in the context of Megalocytivirus infection.

Basigin binds bacteria and activates Dorsal signaling to promote antibacterial defense in Penaeus vannamei.

The NF-κB pathway plays an important role in immune regulation. Basigin, an immunoglobulin superfamily membrane protein, is involved in the activation of NF-κB. However, its role in NF-κB signaling in response to pathogen infection remains unclear. In this study, we identified the Basigin gene from Pacific white shrimp, Penaeus vannamei, a representative species for studying the innate immune system of invertebrates. Basigin promoted the degradation of the IκB homolog Cactus, facilitated the nuclear translocation of the NF-κB family member Dorsal, and positively regulated the expression of Dorsal pathway downstream antimicrobial peptide genes. Interestingly, recombinant Basigin protein could bind a variety of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Silencing of Basigin inhibited the Dorsal signaling activated by V. parahaemolyticus infection and significantly decreased the survival rate of V. parahaemolyticus-infected shrimp. The expression levels of the antimicrobial peptides ALF1 and ALF2 were downregulated, and the phagocytosis of hemocytes was attenuated in Basigin-silenced shrimp. Similar results were observed in shrimp treated with a recombinant extracellular region of the Basigin protein that was able to compete with endogenous Basigin. Therefore, to the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate the function of Basigin as a pathogen recognition receptor that activates NF-κB signaling for antibacterial immunity in shrimp.

Right heart thrombus in acute pulmonary embolism: A single center experience in China.

Right heart thrombus (RHT) is a rare but life-threatening condition in acute pulmonary embolism (APE) without clear management guidelines. This study aimed to address the clinical characteristics and outcomes of RHT-APE in Chinese patients. In this study, 17 RHT-APE and 329 non-RHT-APE patients, who were diagnosed between September 2015 and August 2019, were retrospectively recruited with the median follow-up was 360 days. The overall prevalence of RHT was 4.91% in APE. Its prevalence increased along the increase of APE risk stratifications. Comparisons showed that with higher proportion of male gender and younger age, RHT-APE patients also had worse hemodynamic instability and heart function, and higher risk stratification levels than non-RHT-APE patients. After adjusting by age and gender, multivariate logistic regression analysis found high/intermediate-high risk stratification, decreased right ventricular (RV) motion, NT-proBNP >600 pg/mL, and RV dysfunction were risk factors for RHT. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed non-RHT had better prognosis than RHT patients (30-day survival: log-rank: p < 0.001; 90-day survival: log-rank: p = 0.002). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed RHT was an independent risk factor for 30-day mortality in APE. The subgroup analysis showed RHT would result in worse outcomes in patients who already had higher APE early mortality risk. RHT would increase the risk of 30- and 90-day mortality in APE. More attention should be paid to young male APE patients with decreased RV motion, NT-proBNP >600 pg/mL, RV dysfunction, or high level of risk stratification, to exclude the coexistence of RHT.

Genomic Characteristics and Functional Analysis of Brucella sp. Strain WY7 Isolated from Antarctic Krill.

Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) is a key species of the Antarctic ecosystem whose unique ecological status and great development potential have attracted extensive attention. However, the genomic characteristics and potential biological functions of the symbiotic microorganisms of Antarctic krill remain unknown. In this study, we cultured and identified a strain of Brucella sp. WY7 from Antarctic krill using whole-genome sequencing and assembly, functional annotation, and comparative genomics analysis. First, based on 16S rDNA sequence alignment and phylogenetic tree analysis, we identified strain WY7 as Brucella. The assembled genome of strain WY7 revealed that it has two chromosomes and a plasmid, with a total genome length of 4,698,850 bp and an average G + C content of 57.18%. The DNA-DNA hybridization value and average nucleotide identity value of strain WY7 and Brucella anthropi ATCC® 49188TM, a type strain isolated from human clinical specimens, were 94.8% and 99.07%, respectively, indicating that strain WY7 is closely related to Brucella anthropi. Genomic island prediction showed that the strain has 60 genomic islands, which may produce HigB and VapC toxins. AntiSMASH analysis results showed that strain WY7 might produce many secondary metabolites, such as terpenes, siderophores and ectoine. Moreover, the genome contains genes involved in the degradation of aromatic compounds, suggesting that strain WY7 can use aromatic compounds in its metabolism. Our work will help to understand the genomic characteristics and metabolic potential of bacterial strains isolated from Antarctic krill, thereby revealing their roles in Antarctic krill and marine ecosystems.