The impact of traffic noise on the capitalization of public walking area: A hedonic analysis of Vienna, Austria.

Traffic noise is a burden at home and outdoors. Economic literature confirms mostly negative effects of traffic noise on house prices, often based on distance between high noise and house location. We extend this literature using rich micro data to examine not only the impact of traffic noise at the house but also provide new results on the impact of traffic noise in public areas surrounding a home. Using Hedonic regression in Vienna, Austria, we confirm that very loud traffic noise (≥65 dB) experienced at the house reduces housing prices and further show that the value of public walking areas near a home, while positive overall, are substantially reduced when exposed to noise. Our findings help to establish spatial patterns in noise capitalization reflecting household exposure and the impact on the capitalized values of public areas in a context where active transportation (e.g. walking, biking) is an important mode of transportation. For policymakers, our findings help quantify and raise important questions as how to address and link the public bad nature of noise pollution to nearby residents.

Identifying a panel of nine genes as novel specific model in endometriosis noninvasive diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE: To study biomarkers to develop a novel diagnosis model for endometriosis and validate it using clinical samples. DESIGN: We used publicly available data sets and weighted gene coexpression network analysis to identify differentially expressed genes. Ten machine learning algorithms were used to develop an integrative model for predicting endometriosis. The accuracy and robustness of the model were validated using data sets and clinical samples. SETTING: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. PATIENT(S): The study included clinical patients between the ages of 20 and 40 years who required laparoscopic surgery and who had not undergone hormone therapy within the previous 3 months. All the healthy individuals had given birth to a child at least once in their lives. Patients with inflammatory conditions, malignant diseases, immune diseases, myoma, or adenomyosis were excluded. Paraffin blocks of the samples were collected (case, n = 5; control, n = 5). Blood samples of 58 individuals were collected (case, n = 28; control, n = 30). INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The areas under the receiver operator characteristic curve of our diagnostic model were measured for data sets and clinical samples. Multiplex immunohistochemical staining and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays were used for the validation of the model from tissue slides and peripheral blood samples. RESULT(S): A nine-gene panel endometriosis messenger RNA score (EMScore), was constructed to distinguish the patients with endometriosis from healthy individuals using algorithms. The EMScore accurately predicted endometriosis, and the areas under the receiver operator characteristic curve of our diagnostic model were 0.920, and 0.942 for tissue and blood samples, respectively. Moreover, the EMScore outperformed other acknowledged signatures for predicting endometriosis across seven clinical cohorts. Overall, the EMScore constitutes a sensitive and specific noninvasive diagnostic method for endometriosis. CONCLUSION(S): We developed the EMScore, a novel model that can aid in the diagnosis of endometriosis using peripheral blood samples. This study will contribute to the development of improved clinical noninvasive and sensitive diagnostic tools for endometriosis. These nine genes might be potential target molecules for treating endometriosis.

Rfamide-related peptide-3(RFRP-3) receptor gene is expressed in mouse ovarian granulosa cells: Potential role of RFRP-3 in steroidogenesis and apoptosis.

RFRP-3 is a functional ortholog of avian GnIH and regulates reproductive activities in the gonads of animals. However, the role of RFRP-3 in the function of ovarian granulosa cells in mice remains unclear. First, we detected the expression of the RFRP-3 receptor (GPR147) in the ovarian granulosa cells of mice. Second, the effect of RFRP-3 treatment on estradiol and progesterone secretions from granulosa cells was tested by ELISA. Meanwhile, the expression of genes and proteins regulating steroid hormone synthesis was respectively examined by qPCR and western blot. Furthermore, the effect of RFRP-3 treatment on the apoptosis of granulosa cells was analyzed. The results revealed that the GPR147 protein (a RFRP-3 receptor) was expressed in the ovarian granulosa cells of mice. Low and medium doses RFRP-3 treatment significantly reduced progesterone secretion in the granulosa cells (P < 0.05), while RFRP-3 suppressed p450scc, 3ß-HSD, StAR, and FSHR expression in a non-dose-dependent manner. Moreover, RFRP-3 treatment might induce the apoptosis of granulosa cells. Additionally, low doses RFRP-3 significantly reduced p-ERK1/2 protein expression (P < 0.05) in the ovarian granulosa cells. We here, for the first time, confirmed that GPR147 was expressed in the ovarian granulosa cells of mice. Our findings suggested that and RFRP-3 regulates the granulosa cell function through the ERK signaling pathway, which will lay the foundation for uncovering molecular mechanisms by which RFRP-3 regulates follicle development in future.

Using TransR to enhance drug repurposing knowledge graph for COVID-19 and its complications.

MOTIVATION: The COVID-19 pandemic has been spreading globally for four years, yet specific drugs that effectively suppress the virus remain elusive. Furthermore, the emergence of complications associated with COVID-19 presents significant challenges, making the development of therapeutics for COVID-19 and its complications an urgent task. However, traditional drug development processes are time-consuming. Drug repurposing, which involves identifying new therapeutic applications for existing drugs, presents a viable alternative. RESULT: In this study, we construct a knowledge graph by retrieving information on genes, drugs, and diseases from databases such as DRUGBANK and GNBR. Next, we employ the TransR knowledge representation learning approach to embed entities and relationships into the knowledge graph. Subsequently, we train the knowledge graph using a graph neural network model based on TransR scoring. This trained knowledge graph is then utilized to predict drugs for the treatment of COVID-19 and its complications. Based on experimental results, we have identified 15 drugs out of the top 30 with the highest success rates associated with treating COVID-19 and its complications. Notably, out of these 15 drugs, 10 specifically aimed at treating COVID-19, such as Torcetrapib and Tocopherol, has not been previously identified in the knowledge graph. This finding highlights the potential of our model in aiding healthcare professionals in drug development and research related to this disease.

Molecular Characterization of Tick-borne Pathogens in Bactrian Camels and Ticks from Gansu Province, China.

PURPOSE: Ticks are dangerous ectoparasites for humans and other animals, and tick-borne pathogens of Bactrian camels have been epidemiologically surveyed in Gansu Province, China. We aimed to determine the current distribution of tick-borne pathogens among Bactrian camels in Gansu during August 2013 using molecular tools. METHODS: All ticks underwent morphological identification. We extracted DNA from the blood samples and ticks, screened them for Theileria, Babesia, Anaplasma, and Ehrlichia using standard or nested PCR with specific primers. RESULTS: All ticks collected from the skin were identified as Hyalomma asiaticum. The blood and tick samples harbored similar pathogens, including the Theileria species, T. annulata, T. luwenshuni, T. uilenbergi, and T. capreoli, the Anaplasma species A. bovis and uncultured Anaplasma, the Ehrlichia species E. canis and uncultured Ehrlichia, and a new haplotype of Babesia species. CONCLUSION: Our findings of anaplasmataceae and piroplasmida in Bactrian camels in Gansu provide a theoretical basis for deeper investigation into the epidemiology of tick-borne pathogens in these camels.

Effect of high intensity ultrasonic treatment on structural, rheological, and gelling properties of potato protein isolate and its co-gelation properties with egg white protein.

The study aimed to investigate the effect of high intensity ultrasonic (HIU) treatment at different times (0, 10, 20, and 30 min) on the structure and gel properties of water-soluble potato protein isolate (WPPI) and to further investigate the improvement of gel properties of ultrasonicated WPPI (UWPPI) by the addition of egg white protein (EWP). HIU reduced the particle size of WPPI, whose structure became loose and disordered, which improved gelling properties of UWPPI. Fourier transform infrared results indicated that α-helix content decreased, whereas the proportion of irregular curl increased with the increase in ultrasonication time (0-20 min), indicating that the initially ordered structure of UWPPI became disordered. After HIU treatment, the free sulfhydryl groups of UWPPI and surface hydrophobicity decreased and fluorescence intensity increased. These results demonstrated that the HIU loosened the structure of UWPPI, exposing more chromogenic groups while embedding more hydrophilic groups. After thermal induction, UWPPI gel hardness increased and exhibited excellent water holding capacity. After the addition of EWP, rheological properties stabilized, and the hardness of UWPPI-EWP gels increased significantly, forming internally structured protein gels with a tightly ordered structure and increased brightness. Thus, HIU changed the structure and gelling properties of WPPI, and the addition of EWP further enhanced the performance of hybrid protein gels. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: High intensity ultrasonic changed the structure of water-soluble potato protein isolate (WPPI) and improved the properties of WPPI gels. The addition of egg white protein significantly improved the quality of mixed protein gels which showed great potential industrial value.

Analysis of reproduction-related transcriptomes on pineal-hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian tissues during estrus and anestrus in Tan sheep.

Seasonal estrus is an important factor limiting the fertility of some animals such as sheep. Promoting estrus in the anestrus season is one of the major ways in improving the fecundity of seasonally breeding animals. The pineal-hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary (PHPO) axis plays a decisive role in regulating animal reproduction. However, the molecular mechanisms by which the PHPO axis regulates seasonal reproduction in animals are not well understood, especially in Tan sheep. To this end, we collected pineal, hypothalamus, pituitary and ovary tissues from Tan sheep during estrus and anestrus for RNA-Sequencing, and performed bioinformatics analysis on the entire regulatory axis of the pineal-hypothalamic-pituitary-ovary (PHPO). The results showed that 940, 1,638, 750, and 971 DEGs (differentially expressed genes, DEGs) were identified in pineal, hypothalamus, pituitary and ovary, respectively. GO analysis showed that DEGs from PHPO axis-related tissues were mainly enriched in "biological processes" such as transmembrane transport, peptide and amide biosynthesis and DNA synthesis. Meanwhile, KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the bile acid secretion pathway and the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway were significantly enriched. Additionally, four potential candidate genes related to seasonal reproduction (VEGFA, CDC20, ASPM, and PLCG2) were identified by gene expression profiling and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis. These findings will contribute to be better understanding of seasonal reproduction regulation in Tan sheep and will serve as a useful reference for molecular breeding of high fertility Tan sheep.

Hypoglycemic Activity of Self-Assembled Gellan Gum-Soybean Isolate Composite Hydrogel-Embedded Active Substance-Saponin.

In order to avoid hemolysis caused by direct dietary of kidney tea saponin, complex gels based on gellan gum (GG) and soybean isolate protein (SPI) loaded with saponin were created in the present study by using a self-assembly technique. Studies were conducted on the rheological characteristics, encapsulation effectiveness, molecular structure, microstructure, and hypoglycemic activity of GG/SPI-saponin gels. Increasing the concentration of SPI helped to enhance the strength and energy storage modulus (G') of the gels, and the incorporation of high acylated saponin allowed the whole gel to undergo sol-gel interconversion. The encapsulation efficiency showed that GG/SPI-saponin was 84.52 ± 0.78% for saponin. Microstructural analysis results suggested that GG and SPI were bound by hydrogen bonds. The in vitro digestion results also indicated that saponin could be well retained in the stomach and subsequently released slowly in the intestine. In addition, the in vitro hypoglycemic activity results showed that the IC50 of encapsulated saponin against α-glucosidase and α-amylase were at 2.4790 mg/mL and 1.4317 mg/mL, respectively, and may be used to replace acarbose for hypoglycemia.

Changes in TFG gene expression in bovine leucocytes transformed by Theileria annulata.

Theileria annulata schizont-infected host cells in culture in vitro show unlimited proliferation similar to tumor cells; thus far, T. annulata and T. parva are the only eukaryotes that have been found to transform mammalian cells (immortalized). The transformation of these cells is reversible; when the parasite is eliminated in transformed cells by buparvaquone (BW720c), the host cells show normal growth and apoptosis. TFG is a tropomyosin-receptor kinase fused gene that is conserved among many species and is an important proto-oncogene. In this study, the bovine TFG gene was amplified by PCR from the cDNA of T. annulata schizont-transformed cells, cloned into the pGEX-4T-1 vector and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). After purification, the fusion protein was injected into rabbits to produce polyclonal antibodies. Using T. annulata-transformed cells together with BW720c treatment to kill the parasite, we aimed to identify changes in TFG gene expression by real-time PCR and Western blotting. The results showed that the bovine TFG gene was ~582 bp in size; SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the fusion protein was expressed in BL21 (DE3) cells with a molecular mass of 48 kD, and Western blotting indicated that the polyclonal antibodies could react with bovine TFG proteins from T. annulata-transformed cells and showed high specificity. Compared with that in the control group, the transcription level of the host TFG gene decreased significantly in the BW720c test group, and the expression of host tumor-related TFG protein decreased sharply after 72 h of drug treatment, suggesting that the TFG protein expression in transformed cells was directly related to T. annulata. This finding laid a foundation for further study on the interaction between T. annulata and host cells.

Comprehensive analysis of m6A-modified circRNAs in peritoneal metastasis of high grade serious carcinoma of ovary.

Purpose: High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) remains the most lethal female cancer due to metastasis. CircRNAs are recently identified to be modified by N6-methyladenosine (m6A) in many cells. However, the significance of m6A-modified circular RNAs (circRNAs) has not been elucidated in HGSOC peritoneal metastasis. Here, we aimed to investigate the participation and potential functions of m6A-modified circRNAs in HGSCO peritoneal metastasis. Methods: Cancerous tissues were collected from the in situ and the peritoneal metastasis lesions of HGSCO patients. M6A-tagged circRNAs were identified by m6A-modified RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (m6A-RIP-seq). Gene Ontology (GO) annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed to predict the potential functions of the m6A-modified circRNAs. Results: For the m6A-modified circRNAs, 259 were upregulated and 227 were downregulated in the peritoneal metastasis than in the situ lesions of HGSCO patients. For the m6A peaks, 1541 were upregulated and 1293 were downregulated in the peritoneal metastasis than in the in situ lesions of HGSCO patients. For the differential expressed circRNAs, 1911(19.6%) were upregulated and 2883(29.6%) were downregulated in the peritoneal metastasis than in the in situ lesions of HGSCO patients. The upregulated m6A-modified circRNAs were associated with the HIF-1 signaling. The downregulated m6A-modified circRNAs were associated with the MAPK signaling. Conclusions: This work firstly identified the transcriptome-wide map of m6A-modified circRNAs in peritoneal metastasis of HGSCO. Our findings provided novel evidences about the participation of m6A-modified circRNAs via HIF-1 and MAPK signaling and a new insight in molecular target of HGSCO peritoneal metastasis.

Metabolomic profiling of bovine leucocytes transformed by Theileria annulata under BW720c treatment.

BACKGROUND: When Theileria annulata infects host cells, it undertakes unlimited proliferation as tumor cells. Although the transformed cells will recover their limited reproductive characteristics and enter the apoptosis process after treatment with buparvaquone (BW720c), the metabolites and metabolic pathways involved are not clear. METHODS: The transformed cells of T. annulata were used as experimental materials, and the buparvaquone treatment group and DMSO control group were used. Qualitative and quantitative analysis was undertaken of 36 cell samples based on the LC-QTOF platform in positive and negative ion modes. The metabolites of the cell samples after 72 h of drug treatment were analyzed, as were the different metabolites and metabolic pathways involved in the BW720c treatment. Finally, the differential metabolites and metabolic pathways in the transformed cells were found. RESULTS: A total of 1425 metabolites were detected in the negative ion mode and 1298 metabolites were detected in the positive ion mode. After drug treatment for 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h, there were 56, 162, and 243 differential metabolites in negative ion mode, and 35, 121, and 177 differential metabolites in positive ion mode, respectively. These differential metabolites are mainly concentrated on various essential amino acids. CONCLUSION: BW720c treatment induces metabolic disturbances in T. annulata-infected cells by regulating the metabolism of leucine, arginine, and L-carnitine, and induces host cell apoptosis.

High Expression of MicroRNA-200a/b Indicates Potential Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer.

Objective: To detect the expression levels of microRNA-200a/b (miR-200a/b) in tumor tissues and serum of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and to explore its clinical significance. Methods: A retrospective selection of 30 cases of benign ovarian disease or healthy physical examination (control group) and 55 cases of EOC patients. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression level of miR-200a/b in tumor tissues and serum, and the miR-200a/b expresses relevance in the two types of samples were evaluated at the same time. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were used to evaluate the diagnostic value of miR-200a/b expression and its influence on prognosis, respectively. Results: The serum and tissue miR-200a/b expression levels in EOC patients were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.001), and there was a significant positive correlation between serum and tissue miR-200a/b expression (R 2 = 0.9419, P < 0.001 and R 2 = 0.9605, P < 0.001). ROC analysis showed that the expression of serum miR-200a/b can distinguish EOC patients from the control group. In addition, there were significant differences in the TNM stage, tumor differentiation, and lymph node metastasis between the miR-200a/b high- and low-expression groups (P < 0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis found that the overall survival and disease-free survival of patients with high miR-200a/b expression were shorter than those of patients with low miR-200a/b expression (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Upregulation of miR-200a/b expression is a common molecular event in EOC patients, and miR-200a/b can be used as a noninvasive biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of EOC.

Development and application of an indirect ELISA to detect antibodies to Neospora caninum in cattle based on a chimeric protein rSRS2-SAG1-GRA7.

Neospora caninum is an important apicomplexan parasite causing neosporosis in cattle. The disease is recognized as one of the most important cause of reproductive problems and abortion in cattle worldwide. In this context, we developed an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) with chimeric protein rSRS2-SAG1-GRA7 to diagnose antibodies to Neospora-infection. This indirect ELISA was compared to indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and western blotting (WB), and the sensitivity and specificity results of ELISA were calculated to be 86.7 and 96.1%, respectively. The overall coincidence rate was 92.6% using IFAT and WB. Additionally, 329 aborting dairy cattle serum samples were tested using this ELISA to evaluate the prevalence of N. caninum in Ningxia, China. The positive rate of N. caninum in these farms was from 19.05 to 57.89%, and the mean rate was 41.64% (±11.01%), indicating that infection with N. caninum may be one of the important causes of cattle abortion in this region. This established rSRS2-SAG1-GRA7 indirect ELISA is capable for detecting the antibodies against N. caninum, and it could be a useful screening tool for monitoring the epidemiology of neosporosis in cattle.

Mouse Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Alleviate Perinatal Brain Injury Via a CD8+ T Cell Mechanism in a Model of Intrauterine Inflammation.

The objective of this study was to determine if mouse bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) ameliorate preterm birth and perinatal brain injury induced by intrauterine inflammation (IUI). A mouse model of IUI-induced perinatal brain injury at embryonic (E) day 17 was utilized. BMMSCs were derived from GFP-transgenic mice and phenotypically confirmed to be CD44+, Sca-1+, CD45-, CD34-, CD11b-, and CD11c- by flow cytometry and sorted by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Dams were assigned to four groups: phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) + PBS, PBS + BMMSCs, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) + PBS, and LPS + BMMSCs. Following maternal IUI, there was a significant increase in CD8+ T cells in the placentas. Maternally administered BMMSCs trafficked to the fetal side of the placenta and resulted in significantly decreased placental CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, fetal trafficking of maternally administered BMMSCs correlated with an improved performance on offspring neurobehavioral testing in LPS + BMMSC group compared with LPS + PBS group. Our data support that maternal administration of BMMSCs can alleviate perinatal inflammation-induced brain injury and improve neurobehavioral outcomes in the offspring via CD8+ T cell immunomodulation at the feto-placental interface.

MiR-291a/b-5p inhibits autophagy by targeting Atg5 and Becn1 during mouse preimplantation embryo development.

microRNA-290 (miR-290) clusters are highly expressed in mouse preimplantation embryos, but their specific role and regulatory mechanisms in the development of mouse preimplantation embryos remain unclear. Here, we found that miR-291a-5p and miR-291b-5p, as mature microRNA molecules of miR-290 clusters, were dynamically expressed in mouse preimplantation embryos. The expression of miR-291a-5p and miR-291b-5p in mouse embryos increased during the 2-4-cell stages and was accompanied by the decreasing expression of the autophagy-related genes Atg5 and Becn1 in mRNA. Immunofluorescence studies showed that the formation of autophagosomes and autophagic lysosomes increased in the 1-cell stage, decreased in the 2-cell stage, and rapidly decreased during the 4-8-cell stage. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) also demonstrated that there were autophagosomes in the cytoplasm of fertilized eggs with a double-layer membrane structure, whereas this structure was not observed in the unfertilized oocyte cytoplasm. Moreover, miR-291a/b-5p inhibited the protein and mRNA expression of Atg5 and Becn1 in NIH/3T3 cells. A dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed that miR-291a/b-5p directly targeted the Atg5 and Becn1 genes. MiR-291a/b-5p repressed rapamycin-induced autophagy-related LC3-I to LC3-II conversion, ultimately inhibiting the formation of autophagosomes. Furthermore, the microinjection of mouse zygote cytoplasm with miR-291a-5p inhibitors increased the mRNA expression of Atg5 and Becn1 in mouse embryos and facilitated the first cleavage of mouse embryos and blastocyst formation. Our results suggest the important role of miR-291a/b-5p during mouse preimplantation embryo development.

Application of amphiphilic fluorophore-derived nanoparticles to provide contrast to human embryonic stem cells without affecting their pluripotency and to monitor their differentiation into neuron-like cells.

Fluorogenic labeling is a potential technique in biology that allows for direct detection and tracking of cells undergoing various biological processes. Compared to traditional genetic modification approaches, labeling cells with nanoparticles has advantages, especially for the additional safety they provide by avoiding genomic integration. However, it remains a challenge to determine whether nanoparticles interfere with cell traits and provide long-lasting signals in living cells. We employed an amphiphilic fluorophore-derived nanoparticle (denoted by TPE-11) bearing a tetraphenylethene (TPE) moiety and two ionic heads; this nanoparticle has an aggregation-induced emission (AIE) effect and the ability to self-assemble. TPE-11 exhibited the property of higher or longer fluorescence intensities in cell imaging than the other two nanomaterials under the same conditions. We used this nanomaterial to label human embryonic stem (hES) cells and monitor their differentiation. Treatment with low concentrations of TPE-11 (8.0 µg/mL) resulted in high-intensity labeling of hES cells, and immunostaining analysis and teratoma formation assays showed that at this concentration, their pluripotency remained unaltered. TPE-11 nanoparticles allowed for long-term monitoring of hES cell differentiation into neuron-like cells; remarkably, strong nanoparticle signals were detected throughout the nearly 40-day differentiation process. Thus, these results demonstrate that the TPE-11 nanoparticle has excellent biocompatibility for hES cells and is a potential fluorogen for labeling and tracking the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: This study uses a nanoparticle-based approach to label human embryonic stem (hES) cells and monitor their differentiation. hES cells are distinguished by two distinctive properties: the state of their pluripotency and the potential to differentiate into various cell types. Thus, these cells will be useful as a source of cells for transplantation or tissue engineering applications. We noticed the effect of aggregation-induced emission, and the ability to self-assemble could enhance the persistence of signals. Treatment with low concentrations of TPE-11 nanoparticles showed high-intensity labeling of hES cells, and immunostaining analysis and teratoma formation assays showed that at this concentration, their pluripotency remained unaltered. Additionally, these nanoparticles allowed for long-term monitoring of hES cell differentiation into neuron-like cells lasting for 40 days.

First detection and molecular identification of Borrelia species in Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) from Northwest China.

Comprehensive epidemiological surveys for Lyme disease have not been conducted for the Bactrian camel in China. In this study, a total of 138 blood specimens collected from Bactrian camels from Zhangye City in Gansu Province and Yili and Aksu in Xinjiang Province, China, were examined for the presence of Borrelia spp. Species-specificity nested PCR based on the 5S-23S rRNA, OspA, flaB and 16S rRNA genes revealed that the total positive rate of Borrelia spp. was 3.6% (5/138, 95% CI = 0.2-17.9). These results were confirmed by sequence analysis of the positive PCR products or positive colonies. This is the first report of Borrelia pathogens in camels in China. Two Borrelia species that cause Lyme disease and one that causes relapsing fever were identified in the camel blood samples by sequencing. The findings of this study indicate that the Bactrian camel may serve as a potential natural host of Lyme disease and/or relapsing fever in China.

Maternal Glucose Supplementation in a Murine Model of Chorioamnionitis Alleviates Dysregulation of Autophagy in Fetal Brain.

Fetal brain injury induced by intrauterine inflammation is a major risk factor for adverse neurological outcomes, including cerebral palsy, cognitive dysfunction, and behavioral disabilities. There are no adequate therapies for neuronal protection to reduce fetal brain injury, especially new strategies that may apply promptly and conveniently. In this study, we explored the effect of maternal glucose administration in a mouse model of intrauterine inflammation at term. Our results demonstrated that maternal glucose supplementation significantly increased survival birth rate and improved the neurobehavioral performance of pups exposed to intrauterine inflammation. Furthermore, we demonstrated that maternal glucose administration improved myelination and oligodendrocyte development in offspring exposed to intrauterine inflammation. Though the maternal blood glucose concentration was temporally prevented from decrease induced by intrauterine inflammation, the glucose concentration in fetal brain was not recovered by maternal glucose supplementation. The adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level and autophagy in fetal brain were regulated by maternal glucose supplementation, which may prevent dysregulation of cellular metabolism. Our study is the first to provide evidence for the role of maternal glucose supplementation in the cell survival of fetal brain during intrauterine inflammation and further support the possible medication with maternal glucose treatment.

Maternal CD8+ T-cell depletion alleviates intrauterine inflammation-induced perinatal brain injury.

We investigated the mechanisms by which CD8+ T-cell trafficking in placenta contributes to perinatal brain injury by studying effects of maternal CD8+ T-cell depletion (DEP) in a mouse model of intrauterine inflammation (IUI). Maternal CD8+ T cells were depleted with anti-CD8+ antibodies. IUI was induced with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). DEP was confirmed using flow cytometry. Preterm birth rate was evaluated. Offspring neurologic sequelae were assessed by Nissl staining, immune arrays, confirmatory individual TaqMan® gene assays, and neurobehavioral tests. DEP did not significantly prevent LPS-induced preterm birth but improved neurobehavioral performance (P < .001) and increased cortical neuronal density (P < .05) in LPS-exposed pups compared to controls. These changes were associated with decreased CCL3 and CXCL10 and increased CCL5 in DEP LPS-exposed mice. We demonstrate that DEP reduces perinatal brain injury following IUI. This supports a role for maternal CD8+ T-cell trafficking in placenta in mediating perinatal brain injury separate from preterm birth mechanisms.

MicroRNA-129-3p functions as a tumor suppressor in serous ovarian cancer by targeting BZW1.

The aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) underlies a series of human diseases, including ovarian cancers. In our previous study, we found that miR-129-1-3p and miR-129-2-3p levels were significantly decreased in serous ovarian cancer via a microarray and quantitative PCR. In this study, we investigated the pathological role of miR-129-3p in an ovarian cancer cell line, SKOV3 cells. The results demonstrated that miR-129-3p overexpression distinctively inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of ovarian cancer cells. The regulator of cell cycling, BZW1 (basic leucine zipper and W2 domains 1), was validated as a novel direct target of miR-129-3p. Specifically, miR-129-3p bound directly to the 3' untranslated region of BZW1 and suppressed its expression. Our results indicate that miR-129-3p serves as a tumor suppressor by targeting BZW1 in ovarian cancer cells and highlight that the restoration of miR-129-3p might be a novel therapeutic strategy for ovarian cancer.