Concentration and composition of odd-chain fatty acids in phospholipids and triacylglycerols in Chinese human milk throughout lactation.

Human milk represents the gold standard for infant nutrition, with approximately 50% of the energy in human milk derived from lipids. Odd-chain fatty acids (OCFAs) have been recognized as a category of bioactive milk fatty acids in recent research; however, limited data exist on OCFAs in human milk. This study collected human milk samples spanning the postpartum period from 0 to 400 days. Phospholipids containing OCFAs (PL-OCFAs) were determined in 486 human milk samples using hydrophilic liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-triquadrupole-mass spectrometry. Triacylglycerols containing OCFAs (TAG-OCFAs) were analyzed in 296 human milk samples using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The average total concentration of PL-OCFA ranged from 30.89 ± 14.27 mg L-1 to 93.48 ± 36.55 mg L-1 during lactation, and the average total TAG-OCFA content ranged from 103.1 ± 147.15 mg L-1 to 965.41 ± 651.67 mg L-1. Despite the lower absolute concentration of PL-OCFA, its relative concentration (8.75%-11.75%) was significantly higher than that of TAG-OCFA (0.37%-1.85%) throughout lactation. PC-OCFA, SM-OCFA and PE-OCFA are major sub-classes of PL-OCFA. Furthermore, C17:0 was the major chain length in both PL-OCFA and TAG-OCFA, followed by C15:0. C17:1 was characteristic of TAG-OCFA, while long-chain fatty acids C19:0, C21:0 and C23:0 were characteristic of PL-OCFA. Our findings highlighted the importance of bioactive lipids in human milk, suggesting that OCFAs could be targeted in future studies in relation to the health and development of infants.

Improved diagnostic markers for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in COPD patients.

Background: The prevalence of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is steadily increasing, leading to high mortality. Although early diagnosis can significantly reduce mortality, the efficacy of current diagnostic methods is limited. Consequently, there is a need for novel approaches for early IPA detection. Methods: This retrospective study involved 383 hospitalized COPD patients with GOLD stages III and IV. The IPA group (67 patients) and non-IPA group (316 patients) were identified at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University between January 2016 and February 2022. We analyzed common serological indicators in our hospital to identify predictive indicators for the early diagnosis of IPA in COPD patients. Results: The sensitivity and specificity of C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), procalcitonin (PCT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and ceruloplasmin (CER) for diagnosing IPA in COPD patients were as follows: CRP (91.2%, 57.7%), ESR (77.5%, 73.0%), PCT (60.5%, 71.4%), LDH (50.0%, 88.8%), and CER (60.7%, 74.3%). Combinations of biomarkers, such as CRP-ESR, CRP-LDH, ESR-LDH, ESR-CER, and LDH-CER, showed promising diagnostic potential, with larger area under the curve (AUC) values for IPA diagnosis in COPD patients. However, no statistically significant difference was observed between the diagnostic efficacy of single biomarkers and combined biomarkers. Notably, compared to those in the unassisted ventilation group, the patients in the assisted ventilation group (including noninvasive ventilation and tracheal intubation/incision-assisted ventilation group) exhibited significantly greater PCT and LDH levels, while the CER significantly decreased (p=0.021). There were no significant differences in biomarker levels between the ICU group and the non-ICU group. CRP (p<0.01), ESR (p=0.028), PCT (p<0.01), and CER (p<0.01) were positively correlated with hospitalization duration, whereas LDH was not correlated with hospitalization duration. Conclusion: Our study highlights the diagnostic potential of CRP, ESR, PCT, LDH, and CER for IPA in COPD patients. CRP and LDH can also initially predict the need for assisted ventilation, while CRP can initially estimate the length of hospitalization. This study represents the first report of the potential of CER for diagnosing IPA, suggesting its significance for further research.

Ecological filter walls for efficient pollutant removal from urban surface water.

Urban surface water pollution poses significant threats to aquatic ecosystems and human health. Conventional nitrogen removal technologies used in urban surface water exhibit drawbacks such as high consumption of carbon sources, high sludge production, and focus on dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration while neglecting the impact of DO gradients. Here, we show an ecological filter walls (EFW) that removes pollutants from urban surface water. We utilized a polymer-based three-dimensional matrix to enhance water permeability, and emergent plants were integrated into the EFW to facilitate biofilm formation. We observed that varying aeration intensities within the EFW's aerobic zone resulted in distinct DO gradients, with an optimal DO control at 3.19 ± 0.2 mg L-1 achieving superior nitrogen removal efficiencies. Specifically, the removal efficiencies of total organic carbon, total nitrogen, ammonia, and nitrate were 79.4%, 81.3%, 99.6%, and 79.1%, respectively. Microbial community analysis under a 3 mg L-1 DO condition revealed a shift in microbial composition and abundance, with genera such as Dechloromonas, Acinetobacter, unclassified_f__Comamonadaceae, SM1A02 and Pseudomonas playing pivotal roles in carbon and nitrogen elimination. Notably, the EFW facilitated shortcut nitrification-denitrification processes, predominantly contributing to nitrogen removal. Considering low manufacturing cost, flexible application, small artificial trace, and good pollutant removal ability, EFW has promising potential as an innovative approach to urban surface water treatment.

4D Printed Soft Microactuator for Particle Manipulation via Surrounding Medium Variation.

Soft actuators have assumed vital roles in a diverse number of research and application fields, driving innovation and transformative advancements. Using 3D molding of smart materials and combining these materials through structural design strategies, a single soft actuator can achieve multiple functions. However, it is still challenging to realize soft actuators that possess high environmental adaptability while capable of different tasks. Here, the response threshold of a soft actuator is modulated by precisely tuning the ratio of stimulus-responsive groups in hydrogels. By combining a heterogeneous bilayer membrane structure and in situ multimaterial printing, the obtained soft actuator deformed in response to changes in the surrounding medium. The response medium is suitable for both biotic and abiotic environments, and the response rate is fast. By changing the surrounding medium, the precise capture, manipulation, and release of micron-sized particles of different diameters in 3D are realized. In addition, static capture of a single red blood cell is realized using biologically responsive medium changes. Finally, the experimental results are well predicted using finite element analysis. It is believed that with further optimization of the structure size and autonomous navigation platform, the proposed soft microactuator has significant potential to function as an easy-to-manipulate multifunctional robot.

A Metabolomics Study of the Effects of Eleutheroside B on Glucose and Lipid Metabolism in a Zebrafish Diabetes Model.

(1) Background: Diabetes is a common metabolic disease that seriously endangers human health. In the present study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of the active ingredient Eleutheroside B (EB) from the traditional Chinese medicine Eleutheroside on diabetes mellitus in a zebrafish model. Concomitant hepatic injury was also analysed, along with the study of possible molecular mechanisms using metabolomics technology. This work should provide some theoretical references for future experimental studies. (2) Methods: A zebrafish diabetes model was constructed by soaking in a 1.75% glucose solution and feeding a high-fat diet. The intervention drug groups were metformin (100 µg∙mL-1) and EB (50, 100, and 150 µg∙mL-1) via water-soluble exposure for 30 days. Glucose, TG, TC, LDL-C, and HDL-C were evaluated in different treatment groups. GLUT4 protein expression was also evaluated in each group, and liver injury was observed by HE staining. Metabolomics techniques were used to investigate the mechanism by which EB regulates endogenous markers and metabolic pathways during the development of diabetes. (3) Results: All EB treatment groups in diabetic zebrafish showed significantly reduced body mass index (BMI) and improved blood glucose and lipid profiles. EB was found to upregulate GLUT4 protein expression and ameliorate the liver injury caused by diabetes. Metabolomics studies showed that EB causes changes in the metabolic profile of diabetic zebrafish. These were related to the regulation of purine metabolism, cytochrome P450, caffeine metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, the mTOR signalling pathway, insulin resistance, and glycerophospholipid metabolism. (4) Conclusions: EB has a hypoglycaemic effect in diabetic zebrafish as well as significantly improving disorders of glycolipid metabolism. The mechanism of action of EB may involve regulation of the mTOR signalling pathway, purine metabolism, caffeine metabolism, and glycerophospholipid metabolism.

Th1 cell immune response in Talaromyces marneffei infection with anti-interferon-γ autoantibody syndrome.

Anti-interferon-γ autoantibody (AIGA) syndrome may be the basis of disseminated Talaromyces marneffei infection in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative adults. However, the pathogenesis of Th1 cell immunity in T. marneffei infection with AIGA syndrome is unknown. A multicenter study of HIV-negative individuals with T. marneffei infection was conducted between September 2018 and September 2020 in Guangdong and Guangxi, China. Patients were divided into AIGA-positive (AP) and AIGA-negative (AN) groups according to the AIGA titer and neutralizing activity. The relationship between AIGA syndrome and Th1 immune deficiency was investigated by using AP patient serum and purification of AIGA. Fifty-five HIV-negative adults with disseminated T. marneffei infection who were otherwise healthy were included. The prevalence of AIGA positivity was 83.6%. Based on their AIGA status, 46 and 9 patients were assigned to the AP and AN groups, respectively. The levels of Th1 cells, IFN-γ, and T-bet were higher in T. marneffei-infected patients than in healthy controls. However, the levels of CD4+ T-cell STAT-1 phosphorylation (pSTAT1) and Th1 cells were lower in the AP group than in the AN group. Both the serum of patients with AIGA syndrome and the AIGA purified from the serum of patients with AIGA syndrome could reduce CD4+ T-cell pSTAT1, Th1 cell differentiation and T-bet mRNA, and protein expression. The Th1 cell immune response plays a pivotal role in defense against T. marneffei infection in HIV-negative patients. Inhibition of the Th1 cell immune response may be an important pathological effect of AIGA syndrome.IMPORTANCEThe pathogenesis of Th1 cell immunity in Talaromyces marneffei infection with anti-interferon-γ autoantibody (AIGA) syndrome is unknown. This is an interesting study addressing an important knowledge gap regarding the pathogenesis of T. marneffei in non-HIV positive patients; in particular patients with AIGA. The finding of the Th1 cell immune response plays a pivotal role in defense against T. marneffei infection in HIV-negative patients, and inhibition of the Th1 cell immune response may be an important pathological effect of AIGA syndrome, which presented in this research could help bridge the current knowledge gap.

Engineering Anti-CRISPR Proteins to Create CRISPR-Cas Protein Switches for Activatable Genome Editing and Viral Protease Detection.

Proteins capable of switching between distinct active states in response to biochemical cues are ideal for sensing and controlling biological processes. Activatable CRISPR-Cas systems are significant in precise genetic manipulation and sensitive molecular diagnostics, yet directly controlling Cas protein function remains challenging. Herein, we explore anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins as modules to create synthetic Cas protein switches (CasPSs) based on computational chemistry-directed rational protein interface engineering. Guided by molecular fingerprint analysis, electrostatic potential mapping, and binding free energy calculations, we rationally engineer the molecular interaction interface between Cas12a and its cognate Acr proteins (AcrVA4 and AcrVA5) to generate a series of orthogonal protease-responsive CasPSs. These CasPSs enable the conversion of specific proteolytic events into activation of Cas12a function with high switching ratios (up to 34.3-fold). These advancements enable specific proteolysis-inducible genome editing in mammalian cells and sensitive detection of viral protease activities during virus infection. This work provides a promising strategy for developing CRISPR-Cas tools for controllable gene manipulation and regulation and clinical diagnostics.

Changes of influenza vaccination rate and associated influencing factors after the COVID-19 pandemic in Shanghai, China.

The vaccination rate for seasonal influenza remains low in most regions of China. It is essential to understand the factors that associated with the low influenza vaccination rate in various populations after the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with residents in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China. Respondents' vaccination condition during the 2021-2022 flu season and the reasons for receiving or not receiving influenza vaccine were investigated. Binary logistic regression was conducted to explore potential factors influencing vaccination uptake. 2,476 of 14,001 respondents received an influenza vaccine, with a total coverage of 17.68% (95% CI: 17.05%, 18.32%). Children had the highest vaccination coverage (35.68%; 95% CI: 34.02, 37.33), followed by adults (12.75%; 95% CI: 11.91%, 13.58%) and elderly individuals (11.70%, 95% CI: 10.78%, 12.62%). For children, lower household income was an significant promoting factor. For adults, factors significantly associated with vaccination were household income, sex, and education level. For elderly, factors significantly associated with vaccination were household income, education level, living state, and having underlying diseases. (P < .05)The main reason for vaccine hesitancy among children was worried about side effects (21.49%), for adults and elderly was self-rated good health (adults: 37.14%, elderly people: 30.66%). The overall influenza vaccination coverage rate in Shanghai, especially among elderly individuals, is lower than many developed countries. Appropriate strategies and programs targeting different populations need to be implemented to enhance influenza vaccine coverage.

The vaccination rate for seasonal influenza remains low in most regions of China. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an increase in public awareness regarding the prevention and control of infectious diseases and changes in people's health behaviors thus may leading to changes in influenza vaccination rates and vaccination willingness. We conducted a survey on the medical service utilization behavior of community residents in Shanghai, the biggest city in eastern China. The vaccination status of respondents during the 2021­2022 flu season and the reasons for receiving or not receiving the vaccine were investigated among 14,001 local residents. The influenza vaccination rate in 2021­2022 season (17.68%) was higher than that in 2018­2019 season (11.8%) in the same area. And this trend was found in population of different age groups. However, the overall influenza vaccination coverage rate in Shanghai is still low, especially among elderly, it remains inadequate to establish an immune barrier and lags behind other developed regions. For children, lower household income was an independent promoting factor. For adults, factors significantly associated with vaccination were  household income, sex, and education level. For elderly, factors significantly associated with vaccination were household income, education level, living state, and having underlying diseases. (P < .05) The main reason for vaccine hesitancy among children was worried about side effects (21.49%), for adults and elderly was self-rated good health (adults: 37.14%,elderly people: 30.66%).Efforts should be made to increase awareness of influenza vaccines according to the characteristics of different population.

Integrating serum pharmacochemistry and network pharmacology to explore the molecular mechanisms of Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr. & Maxim.) Harms on attenuating doxorubicin-induced myocardial injury.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr. & Maxim.) Harms (AS), also known as Eleutherococcus senticosus (Rupr. & Maxim.) Maxim. or Siberian ginseng, has a rich history of use as an adaptogen, a substance believed to increase the body's resistance to stress, fatigue, and infectious diseases. As a traditional Chinese medicine, AS is popular for its cardioprotective effects which can protect the cardiovascular system from hazardous conditions. Doxorubicin (DOX), on the other hand, is a first-line chemotherapeutic agent against a variety of cancers, including breast cancer, lung cancer, gastric cancer, and leukemia, etc. Despite its effectiveness, the clinical use of DOX is limited by its side effects, the most serious of which is cardiotoxicity. Considering AS could be applied as an adjuvant to anticancer agents, the combination of AS and DOX might exert synergistic effects on certain malignancies with mitigated cardiotoxicity. Given this, it is necessary and meaningful to confirm whether AS would neutralize the DOX-induced cardiotoxicity and its underlying molecular mechanisms. AIM OF THE STUDY: This paper aims to validate the cardioprotective effects of AS against DOX-induced myocardial injury (MI) while deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying such effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Firstly, the cardioprotective effects of AS against DOX-induced MI were confirmed both in vitro and in vivo. Secondly, serum pharmacochemistry and network pharmacology were orchestrated to explore the in vivo active compounds of AS and predict their ways of functioning in the treatment of DOX-induced MI. Finally, the predicted mechanisms were validated by Western blot analysis during in vivo experiments. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that AS possessed excellent antioxidative ability, and could alleviate the apoptosis of H9C2 cells and the damage to mitochondria induced by DOX. In vivo experiments indicated that AS could restore the conduction abnormalities and ameliorate histopathological changes according to the electrocardiogram and cardiac morphology. Meanwhile, it markedly downregulated the inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1ß), decreased plasma ALT, AST, LDH, CK, CK-MB, and MDA levels, as well as increased SOD and GSH levels compared to the model group, which collectively substantiate the effectiveness of AS. Afterward, 14 compounds were identified from different batches of AS-dosed serum and selected for mechanism prediction through HPLC-HRMS analysis and network pharmacology. Consequently, the MAPKs and caspase cascade were confirmed as primary targets among which the interplay between the JNK/Caspase 3 feedback loop and the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 were highlighted. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the integrated approach employed in this paper illuminated the molecular mechanism of AS against DOX-induced MI, whilst providing a valuable strategy to elucidate the therapeutic effects of complicated TCM systems more reliably and efficiently.

Trajectories of Human Milk Gangliosides during the First Four Hundred Days and Maternal-to-Offspring Transfer of Gangliosides: Results from a Chinese Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Gangliosides are crucial for early-life cognition and immunity development. However, limited data exist on gangliosides within the Chinese population, and maternal-to-fetal/infant ganglioside transport remains unclear. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate gangliosides concentrations and trajectories in Chinese human milk during the first 400 d of lactation, and seek to understand gangliosides transmission between mother and offspring. METHODS: This study involved 921 cross-sectional participants providing human milk samples across 0-400 d of lactation and 136 longitudinal participants offering maternal plasma, cord plasma, and human milk samples within the first 45 d postpartum. Ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used for the quantification of gangliosides. RESULTS: Human milk GM3 (Neu5Acα2-3Galß1-4GlcßCer) concentration increased from 2.29 ± 1.87 to 13.93 ± 4.82 µg/mL, whereas GD3 (Neu5Acα2-8Neu5Acα2-3Galß1-4GlcßCer) decreased from 17.94 ± 6.41 to 0.30 ± 0.50 µg/mL during the first 400 d postpartum (all P < 0.05). Consistent results were observed in cross-sectional and longitudinal participants. GD3 concentration gradually increased from maternal plasma (1.58 µg/mL) through cord plasma (2.05 µg/mL) to colostrum (21.35 µg/mL). Significant positive correlations were observed between maternal and cord plasma for both GM3 (r = 0.30, P < 0.001) and GD3 (r = 0.35, P < 0.001), and maternal plasma GD3 also correlated positively with colostrum concentrations (r = 0.21, P = 0.015). Additionally, in maternal and cord plasma, gangliosides were mainly linked with 16- and 18-carbon fatty acids. However, human milk GM3 showed a broad spectrum of fatty acid chain lengths, whereas GD3 was primarily tied to very long-chain fatty acids (≥20 carbon). CONCLUSIONS: We identified an increase in GM3 and a decrease in GD3 concentration in human milk, with GD3 notably more concentrated in cord plasma and colostrum. Importantly, ganglioside concentrations in maternal plasma positively correlated with those in cord plasma and colostrum. Our findings contribute to the existing Chinese data on gangliosides and enhance understanding of their transmission patterns from mother to offspring. This trial was registered at chictr.org.cn as ChiCTR1800015387.

Lineage classification and selective site identification of Orthoebolavirus zairense.

As the high pathogenic species of Filoviridae virus family, Orthoebolavirus zairense (EBOV) shows frequent outbreaks in human in recently years since its first emerging in 1976 in Democratic Republic of the Congo (COD), bringing ongoing risks and burden on public health safety. Here, the phylogenetic relationship among major outbreaks was analyzed. The results showed that EBOV isolates could be divided into four lineages according to spatial and temporal epidemics. Then, the positive selection sites (PSSs) were detected on all proteins of the EBOV, exhibiting lineage characteristic. Particularly, sites in GP and VP24 were identified to be significantly under positive selection, and partial of which were maintained in the latest isolates in 2021. GP and L were found to have high variability between lineages. Substitutions including F443L and F443S in GP, as well as F1610L and I1951V in L could be characteristic of the two large outbreaks in COD (2018) and West Africa (2014), respectively. Further, substitutions of significant PSSs in VP24 and L proteins were visualized for analysis of structural changes, which may affect EBOV pathogenesis. In summary, our results gains insights in genetic characteristic and adaptive evolution of EBOV, which could facilitate gene functional research against EBOV.

Cross-species transmission and host range genes in poxviruses.

The persistent epidemic of human mpox, caused by mpox virus (MPXV), raises concerns about the future spread of MPXV and other poxviruses. MPXV is a typical zoonotic virus which can infect human and cause smallpox-like symptoms. MPXV belongs to the Poxviridae family, which has a relatively broad host range from arthropods to vertebrates. Cross-species transmission of poxviruses among different hosts has been frequently reported and has caused epidemics. Poxviruses have a complex linear double-strand DNA genome that encodes hundreds of proteins. Genes related to the host range of poxvirus are called host range genes (HRGs). This review briefly introduces the taxonomy, phylogeny and hosts of poxviruses, and then comprehensively summarizes the current knowledge about the cross-species transmission of poxviruses. In particular, the HRGs of poxvirus are described and their impacts on viral host range are discussed in depth. We hope that this review will provide a comprehensive perspective about the current progress of researches on cross-species transmission and HRG variation of poxviruses, serving as a valuable reference for academic studies and disease control in the future.

Effects of fecal microbial transplantation on police performance and transportation stress in Kunming police dogs.

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been shown to improve gut dysbiosis in dogs; however, it has not completely been understood in police dogs. This study aimed to investigate the effects of FMT on performance and gut microflora in Kunming police dogs. Twenty Wolf Cyan dogs were randomly assigned to receive physiological saline or fecal suspension at low, medium, or high doses through oral gavage for 14 days. Growth performance, police performance, serum biochemical profiling, and gut microflora were determined 2-week post-FMT. Dogs after FMT treatment were also subjected to an hour road transportation and then were evaluated for serum stress indicators. Overall, FMT enhanced the growth performance and alleviated diarrhea rate in Kunming dogs with the greatest effects occurring in the low dose FMT (KML) group. The improvement of FMT on police performance was also determined. These above alterations were accompanied by changed serum biochemical parameters as indicated by elevated total protein and albumin and reduced total cholesterol and glycerol. Furthermore, the serum stress indicators after road transportation in dog post-FMT significantly decreased. Increased bacterial diversity and modified bacterial composition were found in the feces of dogs receiving FMT. The fecal samples from FMT dogs were characterized by higher abundances of the genera Lactobacillus, Prevotella, and Fusobacterium and lower concentrations of Cetobacterium, Allobaculum, Bifidobacterium, and Streptococcus. The present study supports a potential benefit of FMT on police performance in Kunming dogs. KEY POINTS: • FMT improves the growth performance and reduces diarrhea rates in Kunming police dogs. • FMT alleviates the serum stress profiles after road transportation in Kunming police dogs. • FMT modifies the gut microbiota composition of Kunming police dogs.

Pulmonary cryptococcosis complicated with pulmonary aspergillosis: a series of studies and a literature review.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: With the development of society, pulmonary fungal diseases, represented by pulmonary aspergillosis and pulmonary cryptococcosis, have become increasingly common. However, there is a lack of clear understanding regarding coinfection by these two types of fungi in immunocompetent individuals. METHODS: A retrospective study from 2014 to 2022 and a systematic literature review of original articles published in English were performed. Patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis complicated with pulmonary aspergillosis including 5 in the retrospective study and 6 in the systematic literature review. RESULT: The diagnosis of concurrent pulmonary cryptococcosis and pulmonary aspergillosis in patients was confirmed through repeated biopsies or surgical resection. Pulmonary cryptococcosis is often diagnosed initially (6/11, 55%), while the diagnosis of pulmonary aspergillosis is established when the lesions become fixed or enlarged during treatment. Transbronchial lung biopsy (3/11, 27%), thoracoscopic lung biopsy (2/11, 18%), and percutaneous aspiration biopsy of the lung (1/11, 9%) were the main methods to confirm concurrent infection. Most patients were treated with voriconazole, resulting in a cure for the coinfection (6/11, 55%). CONCLUSION: Pulmonary cryptococcosis complicated with pulmonary Aspergillus is an easily neglected mixed fungal infection. During the treatment of lesion enlargement in clinical cryptococcus, we need to watch out for Aspergillus infection.

Impact of macrophage differentiation on hematopoietic function enhancement by Shenzhu ErKang Syrup.

Shenzhu Erkang Syrup (SZEK) is a traditional Chinese medicine that improves spleen and stomach function, tonifying the Qi and activating the blood; however, its therapeutic effects in hematopoietic dysfunction and their underlying mechanism remain unexplored. In this study, mice were given cyclophosphamide (100 mg/kg) by intraperitoneal injections for three days to produce hematopoietic dysfunction model. We investigated the hematopoietic effect and mechanism of SZEK in mice with hematopoietic dysfunction via histopathological examination, flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and Western blotting combined with intestinal flora and serum metabolomics analysis. In mice with hematopoietic dysfunction, SZEK (gavage, 0.3 mL/25 g) alleviated pathological damage to the bone marrow and spleen; increased the number of naïve cells (Lin-), hematopoietic stem cells (Lin-Sca-1+c-Kit+), long-term self-renewing hematopoietic stem cells (Lin-Sca-1+c-Kit+CD48-CD150+), B lymphocytes (CD45+CD19+), and macrophages (CD11b+F4/80+) in the bone marrow; and reduced inflammation. Preliminary intestinal flora and serum metabolome analyses indicated that the pro-hematopoietic mechanism of SZEK was associated with macrophage differentiation. Further validation revealed that SZEK promoted hematopoiesis by decreasing the number of M2 macrophages and inhibiting the secretion of negative hematopoietic regulatory factors in mice with hematopoietic dysfunction.

Performance and mechanism of pilot-scale carbon fibers enhanced ecological floating beds for urban tail water treatment in optimized ecological floating beds water surface coverage.

A pilot-scale carbon fibers enhanced ecological floating beds (CF-EFBs) was constructed. Compared to EFBs without carbon fibers enhancement, CF-EFBs have the better removal of total inorganic nitrogen (TIN), total phosphorus (TP), and chemical oxygen demand (COD), the removal efficiencies were 3.19, 3.49, and 2.74 times higher than EFBs. Throughout the pilot test (under three different coverage rates), the concentrations of COD, TIN and TP of effluent were 18.11 ± 4.52 mgL-1, 1.95 ± 0.92 mgL-1 and 0.13 ± 0.08 mgL-1. Meanwhile, the average removal of TIN, TP and COD from tailwater was 0.96 gm-2d-1, 0.07 gm-2d-1 and 2.37 gm-2d-1 respectively. When the coverage was 30 %, the CF-EFBs had better nitrogen removal effectiveness (TIN purification ability of 1.49 gm-2d-1). The enrichment of denitrifying bacteria, such as Aridibacter, Nitrospira, Povalibacter, and Phaeodactylibacter increased denitrification efficiency. These results verified the feasibility of CF-EFBs in tailwater treatment at pilot-scale, which was of great significance for the practical application of CF-EFBs.

Gentiana Scabra Bge Extract (GSE) Protects Against Alcoholic Liver Disease by Regulating the TLR4/NF-κB Pathway in Mice.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol abuse leads to alcoholic liver disease (ALD), for which no effective treatment is yet known. Gentiana Scabra Bge is a traditional Chinese medicine; its extract has a significant liver protection effect, but its effects on the mechanism of improving alcohol-induced toxicity remain unclear. Therefore, this study used cell and mouse models to investigate how Gentiana Scabra Bge extract (GSE) might affect the TLT4/NF-κB inflammation pathway in ALD. METHODS: In mice, we induced the alcoholic liver injury model by applying alcohol and induced the inflammatory cell model by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced macrophages. Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were measured in liver tissue; we also performed histological analysis of liver tissue sections to assess the hepatoprotective effect of GSE on alcohol. Using real-time fluorescence quantification, we determined the expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) mRNA levels; we used Western blotting to detect the expression of TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway-related proteins. RESULTS: We demonstrate that GSE decreased AST and ALT activity, ameliorated liver dysfunction, decreased cytokine levels, and reduced LPS-induced cellular inflammation. In addition, GSE protected mouse liver cells from the inflammatory response by reducing alcohol-induced liver pathological damage and downregulating genes and proteins such as nuclear factors. CONCLUSIONS: GSE can attenuate liver injury in mice through the TLR4/NF-κB pathway by inhibiting the activation of nuclear factors.

VIGA: a one-stop tool for eukaryotic virus identification and genome assembly from next-generation-sequencing data.

Identification of viruses and further assembly of viral genomes from the next-generation-sequencing data are essential steps in virome studies. This study presented a one-stop tool named VIGA (available at https://github.com/viralInformatics/VIGA) for eukaryotic virus identification and genome assembly from NGS data. It was composed of four modules, namely, identification, taxonomic annotation, assembly and novel virus discovery, which integrated several third-party tools such as BLAST, Trinity, MetaCompass and RagTag. Evaluation on multiple simulated and real virome datasets showed that VIGA assembled more complete virus genomes than its competitors on both the metatranscriptomic and metagenomic data and performed well in assembling virus genomes at the strain level. Finally, VIGA was used to investigate the virome in metatranscriptomic data from the Human Microbiome Project and revealed different composition and positive rate of viromes in diseases of prediabetes, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Overall, VIGA would help much in identification and characterization of viromes, especially the known viruses, in future studies.

Subacute infective endocarditis due to Lodderomyces elongisporus: a case report and review of the literature.

Lodderomyces elongisporus, a rare emerging pathogen, can cause fungemia often related to immunosuppression or intravenous devices. Herein, we report the case of a 58-year-old woman with subacute infective endocarditis due to Lodderomyces elongisporus identified by blood fungal culture and whole-genome sequencing, who was treated with antifungals, mitral replacement and endocardial vegetation removal surgery.

Fabrication of hollow microtube arrays based on a femtosecond laser double-pulse multiphoton polymerization.

Microtubes with widely varied dimensions and materials have great prospects in functional devices applied in microoptics, microrobot, and biomedicine. However, the fabrication of vertically protruding hollow microtubes with high diameter-to-thickness ratio is challenging and few reported. Femtosecond laser two-photon polymerization can solve this problem via point-by-point scanning or SLM-based parallel processing, but the low efficiency limits its high throughput fabrication. Here, we report a novel, to the best of our knowledge, femtosecond laser double-pulse multiphoton polymerization approach for high efficiency fabrication of hollow microtube arrays. We established a two-aperture laser beam reshaping system to generate a circular beam via two rounds of Fresnel diffraction. Based on the unique laser energy distribution, hollow microtubes with high diameter-to-thickness ratio can be generated by two successively laser pulses exposure, which can improve the fabrication efficiency significantly. With the optimized parameters, we can achieve repeatable and uniform microtube array fabrication in large scale, and the yield can be 94.9%. Defocus testing showed that the proposed approach has a high range of focusing tolerance. The proposed microtube fabrication approach is meaningful in providing some enlightenment for researchers in the field of microfabrication.