Association of autoimmune and allergic diseases with senile cataract: a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Many observational studies have been reported that patients with autoimmune or allergic diseases seem to have a higher risk of developing senile cataract, but the views are not consistent. In order to minimize the influence of reverse causality and potential confounding factors, we performed Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the genetic causal associations between autoimmune, allergic diseases and senile cataract. Methods: Single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with ten common autoimmune and allergic diseases were obtained from the IEU Open genome-wide association studies (GWAS) database. Summary-level GWAS statistics for clinically diagnosed senile cataract were obtained from the FinnGen research project GWAS, which consisted of 59,522 individuals with senile cataracts and 312,864 control individuals. MR analysis was conducted using mainly inverse variance weighted (IVW) method and further sensitivity analysis was performed to test robustness. Results: As for ten diseases, IVW results confirmed that type 1 diabetes (OR = 1.06; 95% CI = 1.05-1.08; p = 2.24×10-12), rheumatoid arthritis (OR = 1.05; 95% CI = 1.02-1.08; p = 1.83×10-4), hypothyroidism (OR = 2.4; 95% CI = 1.42-4.06; p = 1.12×10-3), systemic lupus erythematosus (OR = 1.02; 95% CI = 1.01-1.03; p = 2.27×10-3), asthma (OR = 1.02; 95% CI = 1.01-1.03; p = 1.2×10-3) and allergic rhinitis (OR = 1.07; 95% CI = 1.02-1.11; p = 2.15×10-3) were correlated with the risk of senile cataract. Celiac disease (OR = 1.04; 95% CI = 1.01-1.08; P = 0.0437) and atopic dermatitis (OR = 1.05; 95% CI = 1.01-1.10; P = 0.0426) exhibited a suggestive connection with senile cataract after Bonferroni correction. These associations are consistent across weighted median and MR Egger methods, with similar causal estimates in direction and magnitude. Sensitivity analysis further proved that these associations were reliable. Conclusions: The results of the MR analysis showed that there were causal relationships between type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, hypothyroidism, systemic lupus erythematosus, asthma, allergic rhinitis and senile cataract. To clarify the possible role of autoimmune and allergy in the pathophysiology of senile cataract, further studies are needed.

Degradation Mechanism of Aflatoxin M1 by Recombinant Catalase from Bacillus pumilusE-1-1-1: Food Applications in Milk and Beer.

A bacteria capable of degrading aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) was isolated from African elephant manure. It was identified as Bacillus pumilus by 16s rDNA sequencing and named B. pumilusE-1-1-1. Compared with physical and chemical methods, biological methods have attracted much attention due to their advantages, such as thorough detoxification, high specificity, and environmental friendliness. This work aimed to study the effects of a recombinant catalase (rCAT) from B. pumilusE-1-1-1 on the degradation of AFM1 in pattern solution. The degradation mechanism was further explored and applied to milk and beer. Kinetic Momentum and Virtual Machine Maximum values for rCAT toward AFM1 were 4.1 µg/mL and 2.5 µg/mL/min, respectively. The rCAT-mediated AFM1 degradation product was identified as C15H14O3. Molecular docking simulations suggested that hydrogen and pi bonds played major roles in the steadiness of AFM1-rCAT. In other work, compared with identical density of AFM1, survival rates of Hep-G2 cells incubated with catalase-produced AFM1 degradation products increased by about 3 times. In addition, degradation rates in lager beer and milk were 31.3% and 47.2%, respectively. Therefore, CAT may be a prospective substitute to decrease AFM1 contamination in pattern solution, milk, and beer, thereby minimizing its influence on human health.

Visualization and analysis of mapping knowledge domains for optic neuritis: a bibliometric research from 2013 to 2022.

PURPOSE: To explore the global research trends, hotspots and frontiers of optic neuritis (ON) over the past decade through qualitative and quantitative analysis of bibliometrics. METHODS: Publications on ON from 2013 to 2022 were retrieved from Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). VOSviewer and CiteSpace were mainly used to facilitate bibliometric analysis and visualization. RESULTS: A total of 3027 papers were retrieved from peer-reviewed publications and the annual research output increased over time. Neurosciences neurology was the most published area. The USA was the most productive and influential country, and in the focus of international cooperation. University College London was the most productive organization and Charite Medical University of Berlin had the largest number of cooperating partners. Paul F contributed the largest number of publications and Wingerchuk DM ranked first among the co-cited authors. Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders was the most prolific journal publishing ON research. The most co-cited references mainly focused on the diagnostic criteria for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and multiple sclerosis (MS). The keywords formed the following four clusters: the pathophysiology of MS-ON; the autoantibody markers and diagnostic criteria of NMOSD-ON and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein associated disorder-ON (MOGAD-ON); the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of ON; and the treatment of ON. CONCLUSION: This bibliometrics analysis showed a systematic view of the evolutionary process, research hotspots, and future directions of ON research. It can provide insights for ON research and valuable information for neuro-ophthalmologic specialists to evaluate research policies and promote international cooperation.

Microfabrication of engineered Lactococcus lactis biocarriers with genetically programmed immunorecognition probes for sensitive lateral flow immunoassay of antibiotic in milk and lake water.

Micro/nanomaterials display considerable potential for increasing the sensitivity of lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) by acting as 3D carriers for both antibodies and signals. The key to achieving high detection sensitivity depends on the probe's orientation on the material surface and its multivalent biomolecular interactions with targets. Here, we engineer Lactococcus lactis as the bacterial microcarrier (BMC) for a multivalent immunorecognition probe that was genetically programmed to display multifunctional components including a phage-screened single-chain variable fragment (scFv), an enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP), and a C-terminal peptidoglycan-binding domain (AcmA) anchored on BMC through the cell wall peptidoglycan. The innovative design of this biocarrier system, which incorporates a lab-on-a-chip microfluidic device, allows for the rapid and non-destructive self-assembly of the multivalent scFv-eGFP-AcmA@BMC probe, in which the 3D structure of BMC with a large peptidoglycan surface area facilitates the precisely orientated attachment and immobilization of scFv-eGFP-AcmA. This leads to a remarkable fluorescence aggregation amplification effect in LFIA, outperforming a monovalent 2D scFv-eGFP-AcmA probe for florfenicol detection. By designing a portable sensing device, we achieved an exceptionally low detection limit of 0.28 pg/mL and 0.21 pg/mL for florfenicol in lake water and milk sample, respectively. The successful microfabrication of this biocarrier holds potential to inspire innovative biohybrid designs for environment and food safety biosensing applications.

Subjective dry eye symptoms and associated factors among the national general population in China during the COVID-19 pandemic: A network analysis.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has presented numerous challenges to public health, including the emergence of subjective dry eye symptoms among individuals. However, there is currently a dearth of comprehensive knowledge regarding the associated factors with subjective dry eye symptoms in the general population. Methods: A nationwide survey in China was carried out from 20 June to 31 August 2022, involving 21 916 participants. Subjective dry eye symptoms were assessed using the Ocular Surface Disease Index-6. We employed random forest classification to select potential associated factors based on the socioecological model. We also conducted univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses to explore the factors associated with subjective dry eye symptoms. Network analyses were employed to explore the network structure of subjective dry eye symptoms and associated factors. Results: The item "watching TV (or similar task)" displayed the highest node strength and exhibited the highest predictability within the network. The results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated significant associations between subjective dry eye symptoms and several factors, including loneliness (odds ratio (OR) = 1.29; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.26 to 1.32), problematic Internet use (OR = 1.08; 95% CI = 1.08 to 1.09), family communication (OR = 1.01; 95% CI = 1.00 to 1.01), the presence of depression (OR = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.39 to 1.68) and anxiety (OR = 1.31; 95% CI = 1.17 to 1.47) symptoms, older age (OR = 1.01; 95% CI = 1.01 to 1.01), self-rated health status (OR = 0.99; 95% CI = 0.98 to 0.99), family health (OR = 0.97; 95% CI = 0.96 to 0.97), health literacy (OR = 0.98; 95% CI = 0.97 to 0.99) and the agreeableness personality trait (OR = 0.97; 95% CI = 0.95 to 0.99). Conclusions: These findings have important implications for public health interventions targeting the prevention and management of subjective dry eye symptoms in the general population. Strategies addressing individual risk factors and supporting psychological well-being may prove beneficial in mitigating the burden associated with subjective dry eye symptoms.

Observation of the effect of posterior scleral reinforcement combined with orthokeratology and 0.01% atropine in the treatment of congenital myopia: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Myopia has recently emerged as a significant threat to global public health. The high and pathological myopia in children and adolescents could result in irreversible damage to eye tissues and severe impairment of visual function without timely control. Posterior scleral reinforcement (PSR) can effectively control the progression of high myopia by limiting posterior scleral expansion, improving retrobulbar vascular perfusion, thereby stabilizing the axial length and refraction of the eye. Moreover, orthokeratology and low concentrations of atropine are also effective in slowing myopia progression. CASE PRESENTATION: A female child was diagnosed with binocular congenital myopia and amblyopia at the age of 3 and the patient's vision had never been rectified with spectacles at the first consultation. The patient's ophthalmological findings suggested, high refractive error with low best corrected visual acuity, longer axial length beyond the standard level of her age, and fundus examination suggesting posterior scleral staphyloma with weakened hemodynamics of the posterior ciliary artery. Thereby, PSR was performed to improve fundus health and the combination of orthokeratology and 0.01% atropine were performed to control the development of myopia. Following up to 8 years of clinical treatment and observations, the progression of myopia could be well controlled and fundus health was stable. CONCLUSION: In this report, 8-year of clinical observation indicated that PSR could improve choroidal thickness and hemodynamic parameters of the retrobulbar vessels, postoperative orthokeratology combined with 0.01% atropine treatment strategy may be a good choice for myopia control effectively.

Global Trends of Treatment for NAFLD from 2012 to 2021: A Bibliometric and Mapping Analysis.

AIM: The present study aimed to map publication trends and explore research hotspots of treatment for NAFLD study by bibliometric analysis. BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a multi-system metabolic disorder involving the liver. Thousands of papers have been published on the treatment of NAFLD, but no comprehensive statistical and intuitive analysis has been made. The present study aimed to map publication trends and explore research hotspots of treatment for NAFLD study by biblio-metric analysis. OBJECTIVE: (1) the pathogenesis of NAFLD and the possible treatment mechanism; (2) preva-lence, risk factors, and traditional therapies for NAFLD; (3) frontier therapies for NAFLD. Method; This paper conducted a bibliometric analysis based on the Web of Science Core Col-lection (WoSCC). The knowledge map was constructed by VOS viewer v.1.6.10 to visualize the annual publication number, the distribution of countries, international collaborations, author productivity, source journals, cited references, and keywords in this field. RESULT: From 2012 to 2021, 2,437 peer-reviewed publications on the treatment of NAFLD were retrieved. China contributed the most publications, while the United States received the most citations. Journal of Hepatology was the most prolific journal in this field. Prof. Rohit Loomba. CONCLUSION: Our study provides a comprehensive and objective analysis of NAFLD treatment that allows researchers to quickly locate research hotspots in a large number of relevant litera-tures. Meanwhile, it may also provide valuable information for researchers looking for potential partners and institutions.

Development of corneal contact lens materials and current clinical application of contact lenses: A review.

Unlike conventional glasses, corneal contact lenses (CLs) can directly contact the surface of the tear film through the application of biopolymer materials, to achieve therapeutic and cosmetic purposes. Since the advent of polymethylmethacrylate, a material that has gained widespread use and attention, statistically, there are now more than 150 × 106 people around the world who wear corneal contact lenses. However, the associated complications caused by the interaction of contact lenses with the ocular surface, tear film, endogenous and environmental microorganisms, and components of the solution affect nearly one-third of the wearer population. The application of corneal contact lenses in correcting vision and myopia control has been widely recognized. With the development of related materials, corneal contact lenses are applied to the treatment of ocular surface diseases, including corneal bandage lenses, drug-loaded corneal contact lenses, biosensors, and other new products, while minimizing the side effects associated with CL wear. This paper summarized the development history and material properties of CLs, focused on the current main clinical applications and mechanisms, as well as clarified the possible complications in wearing therapeutic contact lenses and the direction for improvement in the future.

Prediction and validation of enzymatic degradation of aflatoxin M1: Genomics and proteomics analysis of Bacillus pumilus E-1-1-1 enzymes.

Aflatoxins are a class of highly toxic mycotoxins. Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is hydroxylated metabolite of aflatoxin B1, having comparable toxicity, which is more commonly found in milk. In this study, the whole genome sequencing of Bacillus pumilus E-1-1-1 isolated from feces of 38 kinds of animals, having aflatoxin M1 degradation ability was conducted. Bacterial genome sequencing indicated that a total of 3445 sequences were finally annotated on 23 different cluster of orthologous groups (COG) categories. Then, the potential AFM1 degradation proteins were verified by proteomics; the properties of these proteins were further explored, including protein molecular weight, hydrophobicity, secondary structure prediction, and three-dimensional structures. Bacterial genome sequencing combined with proteomics showed that eight genes were the most capable of degrading AFM1 including three catalases, one superoxide dismutase, and four peroxidases to clone. These eight genes with AFM1 degrading capacity were successfully expressed. These results indicated that AFM1 can be degraded by Bacillus pumilus E-1-1-1 protein and the most degrading proteins were oxidoreductases.

Three recombinant peroxidases as a degradation agent of aflatoxin M1 applied in milk and beer.

The aim of this work was to estimate the effects of three recombinant peroxidases (rPODs) on the degradation of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in a model solution and were applied in milk and beer to study the AFM1 degradation. Besides, the contents of AFM1 in model solution, milk and beer were evaluated, and the kinetic parameters of rPODs were determined (Michaelis-Menten constant - Km and maximal velocity - Vmax). The optimized reaction conditions (The degradation was over 60 %) for these three rPODs in the model solution were, respectively as follows: pH were 9, 9, and 10; hydrogen peroxide concentrations were 60, 50, and 60 mmol/L; at an ionic strength of 75 mmol/L and reaction temperature of 30 °C with 1 mmol/L K+ or 1 mmol/L Na+. These three rPODs (1 U /mL) presented the maximum activity for degradation of AFM1 of 22.4 %, 25.6 %, and 24.3 % in milk, while 14.5 %, 16.9 %, and 18.2 % in beer, respectively. Meanwhile, the survival rate of Hep-G2 cells raised about 1.4 times after treated with peroxidase-generated AFM1 degradation products. Therefore, POD may be a promising alternative to reduce the pollution of AFM1 in model solution, milk, beer, and minimize their impact on the environment in humans.

Mapping research trends of chronic ocular graft-versus-host disease from 2009 to 2020: a bibliometric analysis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the global scientific output of research on ocular chronic Graft versus host disease (cGVHD) and explore the current status and trends in this field over the past decade by bibliometric analysis. METHODS: The bibliometric search was performed in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. VOSviewer v.1.6.16 was used to map the knowledge domain. The annual number of publications and citations, distribution of countries and organizations, productivity of authors and journals, international collaborations, cited references, and keywords in the field of ocular cGVHD were visualized. RESULTS: In total, 398 peer-reviewed publications from 2009 to 2020 on ocular cGVHD were retrieved. The United States among all countries had the highest number of publications and citations, and Keio University was the most effective institution. Dana, R ranks the highest regarding the number of publications and citations on ocular cGVHD. Cornea and Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation were the most-cited journals in ocular cGVHD studies from ophthalmology and hematology, respectively. The top-cited references were primarily centered on dry eye. The keywords constituted three clusters: (1) consensus criteria and epidemiology of ocular cGVHD, (2) preclinical medical research of ocular cGVHD, and (3) treatment. CONCLUSION: Based on the data retrieved from WoSCC, a comparative analysis of the quantity and quality of papers on ocular cGVHD was conducted through bibliometric methods. This may contribute to better understanding of the status of ocular cGVHD study. The three major research topics shed new light on the ocular cGVHD study as well as meaningful materials for scholars to identify potential collaborators and promising partner institutions.

Correlation Between Degree of Lens Opacity and the Phacoemulsification Energy Parameters Using Different Imaging Methods in Age-Related Cataract.

Purpose: To compare the correlation between degree of lens opacity and the phacoemulsification energy parameter in patients with age-related cataract as determined by slit lamp, 25-MHz ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM), and Scheimpflug imaging (Pentacam) and to evaluate the application of these three methods to measuring lens opacification. Methods: This observational study was conducted in 319 patients (381 eyes) with different types of age-related cataract. The average age of patients was 67.3 ± 11.4 years. The degree of lens opacity acquired by slit lamp, 25-MHz UBM, and Pentacam was determined by the Lens Opacity Classification System III (LOCSIII), pixel units calculated by ImageJ, and lens density, respectively. We primarily analyzed and compared the correlation between lens opacity and the cumulative dissipated energy (CDE) values of phacoemulsification. Results: Cortical, nuclear, and posterior subcapsular (PSC) cataracts were evaluated as follows: LOCSIII grades 3.31 ± 1.42, 3.29 ± 1.49, and 0.91 ± 0.83; pixel units 120.91 ± 22.8, 93.2 ± 15.9, and 99.7 ± 13.0; and lens density 51.8 ± 31.2, 21.2 ± 6.10, and 53.3 ± 35.3, respectively. The CDE values were 12.1 ± 12.4, 13.5 ± 9.11, and 3.93 ± 1.96. In cortical cataract, there was a linear correlation among LOCSIII, pixel units, and CDE value (r = 0.560, r = 0.832, and r = 0.582, respectively; both P < 0.05), but lens density had no correlation with other parameters. In nuclear cataract, there was a linear correlation among LOCSIII, lens density, and CDE value (r = 0.747, r = 0.865, and r = 0.906, respectively; both P < 0.05), but pixel units had no correlation with other parameters. In PSC, only pixel units and LOCSIII showed a correlation. Conclusions: The various imaging methods offered different advantages in terms of determining lens opacity, a feature related to types of age-related cataracts. Choosing the most suitable imaging method to evaluate lens opacification based on the type of age-related cataract is important for accurately predicting the phacoemulsification parameters for cataract surgery. Translational Relevance: Determining the appropriate phacoemulsification strategy depends on quantitative analysis of the degree of lens opacity to reduce intraoperative and postoperative complications and to obtain the optimal postoperative visual outcome.

Bibliometric analysis of metabolic surgery for type 2 diabetes: current status and future prospects.

Metabolic surgery has become a powerful treatment for obese type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Experts have been devoting to the research of metabolic surgery in the treatment of T2DM. The debate continues, and there is no comprehensive statistical and intuitive analysis for it. To explore the current research status, the latest hotspots and the changing trend in this field, we conducted a bibliometric analysis. This paper made a bibliometric analysis based on the data source from Science Core Collection Network (WoSCC). Vosviewer v.1.6.10 software is used to construct a knowledge map. From 2011 to 2020, 1424 peer-reviewed papers on metabolic surgery for T2DM were retrieved. The United States contributed the most publications and gained global impact with the most citations. Obesity Surgery was the most prolific journal in this field. Prof. Schauer Philip R., Prof. Buchwald H. and Prof. Sjostrom L. were the most renowned experts in this aspect. The top cited references discussed the status of metabolic surgery for the treatment of T2DM worldwide and the importance of regular evaluation. The extracted keywords mainly formed three clusters: (1) research on the selection of different metabolic surgery methods; (2) possible mechanisms; (3) improvement of T2DM complications by metabolic surgery. Our study makes a comprehensive and objective analysis of metabolic surgery in obese patients with T2DM, providing valuable information for further clinical application and related scientific research. Researchers can quickly locate research hotspots in a large number of relevant literature.

Hotspots and trends in liver kinase B1 research: A bibliometric analysis.

INTRODUCTION: In the past 22 years, a large number of publications have reported that liver kinase B1 (LKB1) can regulate a variety of cellular processes and play an important role in many diseases. However, there is no systematic bibliometric analysis on the publications of LKB1 to reveal the research hotspots and future direction. METHODS: Publications were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC), Scopus, and PubMed databases. CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used to analysis the top countries, institutions, authors, source journals, discipline categories, references, and keywords. RESULTS: In the past 22 years, the number of LKB1 publications has increased gradually by year. The country, institution, author, journals that have published the most articles and cited the most frequently were the United States, Harvard University, Prof. Benoit Viollet, Journal of Biochemistry and Plos One. The focused research hotspot was the molecular functions of LKB1. The emerging hotspots and future trends are the clinical studies about LKB1 and co-mutated genes as biomarkers in tumors, especially in lung adenocarcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: Our research could provide knowledge base, frontiers, emerging hotspots and future trends associated with LKB1 for researchers in this field, and contribute to finding potential cooperation possibilities.

Bibliometric analysis and mapping knowledge domain of pterygium: 2000-2019.

AIM: To track the knowledge structure, topics in focus, and trends in emerging research in pterygium in the past 20y. METHODS: Base on the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC), studies related to pterygium in the past 20y from 2000-2019 have been included. With the help of VOSviewer software, a knowledge map was constructed and the distribution of countries, institutions, journals, and authors in the field of pterygium noted. Meanwhile, using co-citation analysis of references and co-occurrence analysis of keywords, we identified basis and hotspots, thereby obtaining an overview of this field. RESULTS: The search retrieved 1516 publications from WoSCC on pterygium published between 2000 and 2019. In the past two decades, the annual number of publications is on the rise and fluctuated a little. Most productive institutions are from Singapore but the most prolific and active country is the United States. Journal Cornea published the most articles and Coroneo MT contributed the most publications on pterygium. From co-occurrence analysis, the keywords formed 3 clusters: 1) surgical therapeutic techniques and adjuvant of pterygium, 2) occurrence process and pathogenesis of pterygium, and 3) epidemiology, and etiology of pterygium formation. These three clusters were consistent with the clustering in co-citation analysis, in which Cluster 1 contained the most references (74 publications, 47.74%), Cluster 2 contained 53 publications, accounting for 34.19%, and Cluster 3 focused on epidemiology with 18.06% of total 155 co-citation publications. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that the research of pterygium is gradually attracting the attention of scholars and researchers. The interaction between authors, institutions, and countries is lack of. Even though, the research hotspot, distribution, and research status in pterygium in this study could provide valuable information for scholars and researchers.

Metagenomic insights into Chinese northeast suancai: Predominance and diversity of genes associated with nitrogen metabolism in traditional household suancai fermentation.

Chinese northeast suancai represents a typical and valuable food product that has been handed down by traditional household procedures over centuries. Nitrite is formed and accumulated during the suancai fermentation process and commonly causes food safety problems. The biogeochemical cycle of nitrite may provide a reference and guidance for the enzymatic degradation of nitrite in fermented food. The potential nitrogen metabolic pathways in the microbially driven suancai fermentation were reasonably inferred through monitoring nitrogen conversions and detecting the genes of different functional enzymes. Complex microbial metabolism is responsible for the unique nitrogen conversions during suancai fermentation. The metagenomic results showed that Pseudomonas with nitrate reductase genes (narG, narH, narI) and nitrite reductase genes (nirB, nirD) contributed the most to both nitrite reduction and nitrate reduction. The majority of the sequences of nitrate reductase and nitrite reductase were derived from the families of Pseudomonadaceae, Erwiniaceae and Yersiniaceae. According to the physicochemical analysis, the nitrite concentration of the fermentation broth reached the peak value (0.48 mM) and gradually decreased to the minimum (0.02 mM). The downward trend of the pH and nitrite concentration were closely associated with the nitrite enzymatic degradation period before the acid degradation period. Our results indicated that nitrite removal in suancai fermentation involved the reduction of nitrite to ammonia and denitrification, which were mainly contributed by the reduction of nitrite to ammonia mediated by the nirB/nirD enzyme (Indentified ECs: 1.7.1.15). This research offers new insights into the metagenome-based bioinformatic roles of the previously unstudied microorganisms in spontaneous suancai fermentation for the enzymatic degradation of nitrite. It provides helpful basis for the detection and even elimination of nitrite in suancai and for improving the safety level of suancai.

Immune-related lncRNAs as predictors of survival in breast cancer: a prognostic signature.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease, this poses challenges for classification and management. Long non-coding RNAs play acrucial role in the breast cancersdevelopment and progression, especially in tumor-related immune processes which have become the most rapidly investigated area. Therefore, we aimed at developing an immune-related lncRNA signature to improve the prognosis prediction of breast cancer. METHODS: We obtained breast cancer patient samples and corresponding clinical data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Immune-related lncRNAs were screened by co-expression analysis of immune-related genes which were downloaded from the Immunology Database and Analysis Portal (ImmPort). Clinical patient samples were randomly separated into training and testing sets. In the training set, univariate Cox regression analysis and LASSO regression were utilized to build a prognostic immune-related lncRNA signature. The signature was validated in the training set, testing set, and whole cohorts by the Kaplan-Meier log-rank test, time-dependent ROC curve analysis, principal component analysis, univariate andmultivariate Cox regression analyses. RESULTS: A total of 937 immune- related lncRNAs were identified, 15 candidate immune-related lncRNAs were significantly associated with overall survival (OS). Eight of these lncRNAs (OTUD6B-AS1, AL122010.1, AC136475.2, AL161646.1, AC245297.3, LINC00578, LINC01871, AP000442.2) were selected for establishment of the risk prediction model. The OS of patients in the low-risk group was higher than that of patients in the high-risk group (p = 1.215e - 06 in the training set; p = 0.0069 in the validation set; p = 1.233e - 07 in whole cohort). The time-dependent ROC curve analysis revealed that the AUCs for OS in the first, eighth, and tenth year were 0.812, 0.81, and 0.857, respectively, in the training set, 0.615, 0.68, 0.655 in the validation set, and 0.725, 0.742, 0.741 in the total cohort. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated the model was a reliable and independent indicator for the prognosis of breast cancer in the training set (HR = 1.432; 95% CI 1.204-1.702, p < 0.001), validation set (HR = 1.162; 95% CI 1.004-1.345, p = 0.044), and whole set (HR = 1.240; 95% CI 1.128-1.362, p < 0.001). GSEA analysis revealed a strong connection between the signature and immune-related biological processes and pathways. CONCLUSIONS: We constructed and verified a robust signature of 8 immune-related lncRNAs for the prediction of breast cancer patient survival.

Overexpression of ATG4a promotes autophagy and proliferation, and inhibits apoptosis in lens epithelial cells via the AMPK and Akt pathways.

Autophagy is a major intracellular degradation system that plays an important role in several biological processes. Although some studies indicate that autophagy may play a role in lens degradation and cataracts formation, its underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated. Autophagy­related gene 4a (ATG4a) cleaves autophagy­related protein 8 (Atg8) near the C terminus, allowing Atg8 to conjugate with phosphatidylethanolamine via the exposed glycine; although this is pivotal in cancer development, no study has yet linked it to eye diseases. In the present study, the protein expression of ATG4a is significantly upregulated in hydrogen peroxide­treated lens epithelial cells (HLE­B3), indicating that ATG4a may play an important role in lens degradation. ATG4a was overexpressed using lentivirus in lens epithelial cells to observe the effect of ATG4a on various phenotypes by transmission electron microscopy, western blotting, EdU incorporation assay, flow cytometry and in situ cell death detection. The results demonstrated that the overexpression of ATG4a could promote autophagy by promoting the adenosine 5'­monophosphate­activated protein kinase pathway and inhibiting the Akt pathway. It also upregulated the proliferation and downregulated the apoptosis of lens epithelial cells. Overall, the present study showed that ATG4a plays a vital role in lens degradation and that it could be a potential target in cataract therapies.

Purification and immobilization of the soluble and insoluble portions of recombinant lipase by gram-positive enhancer matrix (GEM) particles.

Lipases are important enzyme for industries. In this work, the recombinant lipase with an AcmA tag working as purification and immobilization tag was expressed in Escherichia coli. Gram-positive enhancer matrix (GEM) particles work to purify and immobilize the recombinant lipase. GEM particles are produced by boiling the cells of Lactococcus lactis NZ9000 to remove the DNA and most proteins. GEM particles specifically bind protein with the AcmA tag in the C-terminal. The recombinant lipase was in two forms, the soluble part and the inclusion body. GEM particles could purify and immobilize the lipase from the soluble part in one step. After the inclusion body being dissolved by 8 M urea, the enzyme activity was recycled by the GEM particles. The GEM particles could immobilize over 75% of the enzyme activity. The lipase immobilized was a basophilla enzyme with the optimal temperature was 30 °C. The activity of the lipase immobilized was 47.1U/OD600 GEM particles at optimal conditions. The enzyme catalysis did not need the ions added to improve the activity. The GEM particles had excellent enzyme activity reusability.

Characterization of antibacterial bacterial cellulose composite membranes modified with chitosan or chitooligosaccharide.

To synthesize biomaterials for antibacterial applications, chitosan (CS) and chitooligosaccharide (COS) were successfully incorporated into bacterial cellulose (BC) matrix respectively. The representative Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) were selected to evaluate the antibacterial effects of the composite membranes. The results manifested BC-CS and BC-COS membranes exhibited remarkable antibacterial properties against both bacteria with the inhibition ratio of 99.99 ±â€¯0.01% (S. aureus) and 99.99 ±â€¯0.01% (E. coli) for BC-CS, 99.64 ±â€¯0.18% (S. aureus) and 90.56 ±â€¯0.06% (E. coli) for BC-COS. The morphology obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed BC-CS and BC-COS composite membranes possessed lower porosity and denser structure in comparison to pure BC. Moreover, in contrast with BC-CS, BC-COS performed better mechanical properties and also displayed stronger ABTS radical scavenging capacity of 92.62 ±â€¯2.85%. These results suggested that the development of BC-COS composite membrane would open up the possibility for the antibacterial applications in food and medical fields.