La-doped Porous Fe2O3 Nanorods as Advanced Anodes for Lithium/Sodium Ion Batteries and Sulfur Host for Li-Sulfur Batteries.

Transition metal oxides are investigated as electrochemically active anodes for several years due to the merits of high specific capacity, low cost, abundant resources and controllable synthesis. But the poor cycle performances have hindered their further wide application. Herein, porous La-doped FeOOH nanorods have been synthesized through a facile hydrothermal method, which could be transformed into porous La-doped Fe2O3 (Fe2O3-La) via a simple heating process. Compared with the undoped Fe2O3, the Fe2O3-La showed larger surface area, higher specific capacities and more stable cycle performances for lithium/sodium ion batteries. In addition, as an advanced sulfur host for lithium-sulfur batteries, the Fe2O3-La also displayed much more excellent cycle and rate performances than the undoped Fe2O3. The superior electrochemical performances of the Fe2O3-La may could be attributed to the doping of La, which could induce more porous morphology and offer more reactive sites. The positive effects of La-doping for electrochemical performances of porous Fe2O3 nanorods provide novel insights for further applications of rare earth metal doping.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease and atrial fibrillation: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.

Background: In observational studies, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is linked to atrial fibrillation (AF). It is uncertain whether the relationship is due to GERD-induced AF or GERD caused by AF, or confusion with factors related to GERD and AF such as obesity and sleep-disordered breathing. We applied bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR), in which genetic variations are used as instrumental variables to resolve confounding and reverse causation issues, to determine the causal effect between GERD and AF. Methods: Using summary data from the GERD and AF genome-wide association study (GWAS), a bidirectional MR was performed to estimate the causative impact of GERD on AF risk and AF on GERD risk. The GWAS of GERD meta-analysis comprised 78707 cases and 288734 controls. GWAS summary data for AF, including 45766 AF patients and 191924 controls, were used to genetically predicted AF. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was the major MR approach used. MR-PRESSO was implemented to detect heterogeneity and correct the effect of outliers. Weighted median and MR-Egger regression were applied to test heterogeneity and pleiotropy. Results: The genetic instruments of GERD related to increasing the risk of AF, with an OR of 1.339 (95% CI: 1.242-1.444, p < 0.001). However, after removing the outlier 8 SNPs, genetically predicted AF was not associated with an elevated risk of GERD (p = 0.351). Conclusions: Our result suggested that GERD had a causal effect on AF. However, no evidence was identified that AF elevated the risk of GERD.

Diagnosis and treatment of venous thromboembolism during pregnancy relate to genetic polymorphism.

OBJECTIVES: Previous research had shown that age, a positive family history, comorbidities, major surgical operations, gestation, and use of several medications could increase the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE). With the development of medical and clinical individualized treatment, many people exposed to above risk factors did not develop VTE, suggested that genetic factors are also involved in the development of VTE. In this review, we aim to summarize VTE diagnosis and treatment in pregnancy women related to gene polymorphism. METHODS: A comprehensive electronic search using PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE and Web of Science was conducted to find relevant journal articles with key search terms including: "pregnancy OR pregnant," "venous thromboembolism OR VTE," "deep vein thrombosis OR DVT," "pulmonary embolism OR PE," and "genetic OR gene." Prominent publications from establishment of database till present were analysed to achieve a deeper understanding of VTE during pregnancy relate to genetic polymorphism, and the information was then collated to form this review. RESULTS: The literature review revealed that inherited thrombophilia significantly associated with the development of VTE, especially the factor V Leiden (FVL) and prothrombin gene mutation (PGM). Furthermore, the role of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene mutation in the development of pregnancy-related VTE remains controversial, further study is required. In the present study, Marburg I polymorphism (G511 E), c.1538 G>A and c.1601 G>A in Factor V (FV), JAK2V617 F mutation were reported as an independent risk factor for VTE, there is no sufficient evidence to confirm the gene mutation is related to VTE during pregnancy, these factors appearing as another promising potential diagnostic marker of VTE during pregnancy. Besides, the dosages of heparin in the treatment of VTE during pregnancy need be adjusted according to gene polymorphism of these population, particularly FVL or PGM carriers, and this area is not studied deeply, it is worth further study. CONCLUSION: Inherited thrombophilia significantly associated with the development of VTE, especially the FVL and PGM, however the relation between MTHFR gene mutation and pregnancy-related VTE remains controversial, further study is needed. In addition, the dosages of heparin in the treatment of VTE during pregnancy suggested to adjusted based on gene polymorphism in FVL and PGM, and establish better prediction models is a direction of future research.

KGSCS-a smart care system for elderly with geriatric chronic diseases: a knowledge graph approach.

BACKGROUND: The increasing aging population has led to a shortage of geriatric chronic disease caregiver, resulting in inadequate care for elderly people. In this global context, many older people rely on nonprofessional family care. The credibility of existing health websites cannot meet the needs of care. Specialized health knowledge bases such as SNOMED-CT and UMLS are also difficult for nonprofessionals to use. Furthermore, professional caregiver in elderly care institutions also face difficulty caring for multiple elderly people at the same time and working handovers. As a solution, we propose a smart care system for the elderly based on a knowledge graph. METHOD: First, we worked with professional caregivers to design a structured questionnaire to collect more than 100 pieces of care-related information for the elderly. Then, in the proposed system, personal information, smart device data, medical knowledge, and nursing knowledge are collected and organized into a dynamic knowledge graph. The system offers report generation, question answering, risk identification and data updating services. To evaluate the effectiveness of the system, we use the expert evaluation method to score the user experience. RESULTS: The results of the study showed that compared to existing tools (health websites, archives and expert team consultation), the system achieved a score of 8 or more for basic information, health support and Dietary information. Some secondary evaluation indicators reached 9 and 10 points. This finding suggested that the system is superior to existing tools. We also present a case study to help the reader understand the role of the system. CONCLUSION: The smart care system provide personalized care guidelines for nonprofessional caregivers. It also makes the job easier for institutional caregivers. In addition, the system provides great convenience for work handover.

Roles of quorum-sensing molecules in methane production from anaerobic digestion aided by biochar.

Biochar has been used to enhance methane generation from anaerobic digestion through establishing direct interspecific electron transfer between microorganisms. However, the microbial communication is still inadequate, thereby limiting further methane production improvement contributed by biochar. This study investigated the roles of quorum-sensing molecules, acylated homoserine lactone (AHL), in anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge aided by biochar. Results showed that the co-addition of separated biochar and AHL achieved best methane production performance, with the maximal methane yield of 154.7 mL/g volatile suspended solids, which increased by 51.9%, 47.2%, 17.9%, and 39.4% respectively compared to that of control, AHL-loaded biochar, sole AHL, and sole biochar groups. The reason was that the co-addition of separated biochar and AHL promoted the stages of hydrolysis and acidification, promoting the conversion of organic matters and short-chain fatty acids, and optimizing the accumulation of acetate acid. Moreover, the methanogenesis stage also performed best among experimental groups. Correspondingly, the highest activities of electron transfer and coenzyme F420 were obtained, with increase ratios of 33.2% and 27.2% respectively compared to that of control. Furthermore, biochar did more significant effects on the evolution of microbial communities than AHL, and the direct interspecific electron transfer between fermentative bacteria and methanogens were possibly promoted.

Improving aromatic higher alcohol acetates in wines by co-fermentation of Pichia kluyveri and Saccharomyces cerevisiae: growth interaction and amino acid competition.

BACKGROUND: Higher alcohol acetates (HAAs) are potent aroma-active esters that impart desirable fruity and floral aromas. However, the conversion of higher alcohol precursors into HAAs is extremely low in winemaking. To investigate the underlying yeast-yeast interaction on targeted improvement of aromatic HAAs, we evaluated fermentation activity, cell viability, amino acid consumption and HAA production when Pichia kluyveri and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were inoculated concurrently or sequentially. RESULTS: Pichia kluyveri PK-21 possessed the ability to survive and increased HAA level up to 5.2-fold in mixed fermentation. Such an increment may benefit from the efficient conversion of higher alcohol precursors into HAAs (>27-fold higher than S. cerevisiae). During mixed fermentation, the two yeasts exhibited crucial interactions regarding cell growth and amino acid competition. Saccharomyces cerevisiae dominated over the co-inoculated P. kluyveri by efficient uptake of amino acids and biomass production. However, this dominance decreased in sequential fermentation, where P. kluyveri growth increased due to the consumption of preferred amino acids prior to S. cerevisiae. Pearson correlation analysis indicated that phenylalanine and aspartic acid may act as positive amino acids in boosting P. kluyveri growth and HAA production. Laboratory-scale winemaking validated the fermentation performance of P. kluyveri in sequential inoculum, resulting in a balanced aroma profile with enhanced floral and tropical fruity characteristics in the final wines. CONCLUSION: This study proposes a microbial, non-genetically engineered approach for targeted increase of HAA production in winemaking and the findings provide new insights into yeast-yeast interactions. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Parapedobacter tibetensis sp. nov., isolated from shore soil of saline lake in Tibet of China and its genome mining of secondary metabolite.

Five aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, non-spore-forming, short rod bacteria strains, designated as C3-1-R+6T, C3-2-M9, B3-2-R-7, B3-2-R-21 and C3-2-M2, were isolated from shore soil of LungmuCo Lake in Tibet of China. The 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons confirmed their affiliation to the genus Parapedobacter of the family Sphingobacteriaceae, and showed that they were most closely related to Parapedobacter lycopersici KACC 18788T with 94.26 % similarities. The average nucleotide identity (ANI), average amino acid identity (AAI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between them and the validly published Parapedobacter species were all below the thresholds for delineating species, supporting that they were novel species of genus Parapedobacter. The ANI, AAI and dDDH values between strains C3-1-R+6T and Parapedobacter lycopersici KACC 18788T were 72, 75, and 18% respectively. Meanwhile, the ANI/AAI and dDDH values between these five isolates were higher than the threshold values, showing that they belonged to the same species of Parapedobacter. According to genome comparison, the novel isolates have some special biosynthetic gene clusters of secondary metabolites including bacteriton, aryl-polyene, lantipeptide and t1pks, which were absent from their most related phylogenetic neighbours P. lycopersici KACC 18788T and P. pyrenivorans CGMCC 1.12195T. The main polar lipids contained phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified phospholipid, one unidentified aminolipid, one unidentified glycolipid and five unidentified lipids. The predominant respiratory quinone was MK-7. The major cellular fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c) and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH. The genome size of strain C3-1-R+6T was 5 984 948 bp, and its genomic DNA G+C content was 46.21 mol%. To sum up, the five strains were identified as a novel species of the genus Parapedobacter, for which the name Parapedobacter tibetensis sp. nov. was proposed. The type strain was C3-1-R+6T (=CGMCC 1.19194T=KCTC 92150T).

Zero-Carbon Emission Chemical Method to Remove Formaldehyde without Catalyst by Highly Porous Polymer Composites at Room Temperature.

Herein, the fabrication of reduced graphene oxide (RGO)-templated polymer composites for chemical removal of gaseous formaldehyde under ambient conditions is presented. The chemical removal of formaldehyde is achieved by a nucleophilic addition reaction between formaldehyde and aminooxy groups on the polymer chain ends to form the oxime bonds with the only byproduct of H2 O. RGO is essential since it not only has an ultralarge surface area but also can act as a perfect template for immobilizing pyrene-terminated and aminooxy-functionalized polymers via strong π-π stacking interactions, while melamine foam provides a three-dimensional skeleton for loading RGO/polymer composites to afford a porous 3D structure for efficient formaldehyde removal. Since the oxime bond can be cleaved into aminooxy group in acidic media, the RGO/polymer composite can be regenerated for repeatable usage, which shows an excellent performance of adsorbing 14 mg of formaldehyde by 100 mg of the polymer at ambient condition.

Circular RNA SLTM as a miR-421-competing endogenous RNA to mediate HMGB2 expression stimulates apoptosis and inflammation in arthritic chondrocytes.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common age-related joint disease characterized by chronic inflammation, progressive articular cartilage destruction, and subchondral sclerosis. Accumulating evidence suggests that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play key roles in OA, but the function of circSLTM in OA remains greatly unknown. Therefore, this study focused on interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß)-treated primary human chondrocytes as well as a rat model to investigate the expression pattern and functional role of circSLTM in OA in vitro and in vivo. CircSLTM and high mobility group protein B2 (HMGB2) were upregulated in IL-1ß-induced chondrocytes, whereas miR-421 was downregulated. Knockdown of circSLTM or overexpression of miR-421 ameliorated IL-1ß-induced chondrocyte apoptosis and inflammation. The regulatory relationship between circSLTM and miR-421, as well as that between miR-421 and HMGB2, was predicted by bioinformatics and then verified by the RNA immunoprecipitation experiment and dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. Furthermore, silencing of circSLTM increased cartilage destruction and decreased cartilage tissue apoptosis rate and inflammation in a rat model of OA. Taken together, our findings demonstrate the fundamental role of circSLTM in OA progression and provide a potential molecular target for OA therapy.

Time Perspective, Dietary Behavior, and Glycemic Control in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Dietary behavior is a key component in the self-management of patients with Type 2 diabetes (T2DM), as it is essential for glycemic control and preventing diabetic complications. However, it is challenging for patients with diabetes to make sustainable dietary behavior changes and achieve long-term optimal glycemic control. OBJECTIVES: Dietary behavior changes involve present efforts to achieve future benefits. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the relationships among time perspective, dietary behaviors, and health outcomes in patients with T2DM. Based on the temporal self-regulation theory and previous research, the secondary aim of the study was to explore how time perspective influences dietary behaviors. METHODS: Following convenient sampling ( N = 329), a cross-sectional study was conducted in patients with T2DM between November 2021 and October 2022. Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires and the retrieval of clinical information from medical records. Hierarchical regression and path analysis were used to explore the relationships among study variables. RESULTS: Our analyses showed that a future-oriented time perspective was associated with better dietary behavior but was not significantly related to hemoglobin A1c. Hierarchical regression analysis also demonstrated that having a more future-oriented time perspective was associated with healthier dietary behavior after controlling covariates. Based on the theory and path analysis, there was an indirect effect of future time perspective on dietary behavior through self-control capacity and intention. DISCUSSION: The study reveals that a future-oriented time perspective can promote healthier dietary behavior when providing care for patients with T2DM. As a theoretical framework, the temporal self-regulation theory offers references for researchers and clinicians to take into consideration patients' time perspectives and their intentions and self-control capacity when developing interventional programs to improve dietary behaviors.

miR-101-3p contributes to the progression of preeclampsia by suppressing WDR5-mediated proliferation and invasion of trophoblast.

BACKGROUND: Decreased proliferation and invasion of trophoblast were proven to be involved in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia (PE). However, the regulatory network has not been clarified yet. This study aimed to explore the role of miR-101-3p in the progression of PE. METHODS: miR-101-3p expression in placentas of pregnant women with or without PE was analyzed by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Trophoblastic HTR-8/SVneo and HPT-8 cell lines were cultured and underwent hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) treatment to mimic PE in vitro. Cell proliferation and invasion were analyzed in gain-of and loss-of-function assays. Finally, we undertook in vivo studies to explore effects of miR-101-3p in the PE model. RESULTS: Compared to placentas from patients without PE, miR-101-3p expressed significantly higher in placentas from PE patients, and its level was positively correlated with the severity of patients. In vitro studies found that overexpression of miR-101-3p significantly suppressed cell proliferation and invasion, while knockdown of miR-101-3p reversed the impacts of H/R treatment. Further research showed that the expression of WD repeat domain 5 (WDR5) was significantly lower in placentas from patients with PE, and its level was negatively associated with the severity of patients. In vitro and in vivo studies confirmed that miR-101-3p promoted PE progression through the regulation of WD WDR5 expression. CONCLUSION: Increased expression of miR-101-3p in placenta contributes to the development of PE by suppressing WDR5-mediated proliferation and invasion of trophoblast.

Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Acute Coronary Syndrome Clinical Practice Patterns: Findings from a Multicenter Clinician Survey in China.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has severely affected healthcare systems around the world. This study aimed to investigate the perceptions of cardiologists regarding how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the clinical practice patterns for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods: A multicenter clinician survey was sent to 300 cardiologists working in 22 provinces in China. The survey collected demographic information and inquired about their perceptions of how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected ACS clinical practice patterns. Results: The survey was completed by 211 (70.3%) cardiologists, 82.5% of whom were employed in tertiary hospitals, and 52.1% reported more than 10 years of clinical cardiology practice. Most respondents observed a reduction in ACS inpatients and outpatients in their hospitals during the pandemic. Only 29.9% of the respondents had access to a dedicated catheter room for the treatment of COVID-19-positive ACS patients. Most respondents stated that the COVID-19 pandemic had varying degrees of effect on the treatment of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), acute non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and unstable angina. Compared with the assumed non-pandemic period, in the designed clinical questions, the selection of coronary interventional therapy for STEMI, NSTEMI, and unstable angina during the COVID-19 pandemic was significantly decreased (all p < 0.05), and the selection of pharmacotherapy was increased (all p < 0.05). The selection of fibrinolytic therapy for STEMI during the pandemic was higher than in the assumed non-pandemic period (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected ACS clinical practice patterns. The use of invasive therapies significantly decreased during the pandemic period, whereas pharmacotherapy was more often prescribed by the cardiologists.

Algiphilus acroporae sp. nov. and Coraliihabitans acroporae gen. nov. sp. nov., isolated from scleractinian coral Acropora digitifera.

Two Gram-staining-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped bacteria NNCM1T and NNCM2T were isolated from the scleractinian coral Acropora digitifera. NNCM1T grew with 0.5-12 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 3-6 %), at 18-37 °C (optimum, 28 °C) and at pH 6.0-10.0 (optimum, 7.0-8.0). NNCM2T grew with 0.5-10 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 2 %), at 18-37 °C (optimum, 28 °C) and at pH 6.5-9.0 (optimum, 7.0). The results of phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that NNCM1T formed a lineage within the genus Algiphilus of the family Algiphilaceae, and it was distinct from the most closely related species Algiphilus aromaticivorans DG1253T, with a 16S rRNA gene sequences similarity of 97.05 %. NNCM2T formed a lineage within the family Rhodobacteraceae, and it was distinct from the closely related genera Limibaculum halophilum CAU 1123T, Paroceanicella profunda D4M1T and Pseudoruegeria aestuarii MME-001T with 93.41, 92.78 and 91.09% identities, respectively. The major respiratory quinone was Q-8 and Q-10 for NNCM1T and NNCM2T, respectively. The predominant fatty acids (more than 10 %) were summed feature 8 (39.4 %) and C16 : 0 (19.4 %) for NNCM1T and summed feature 8 (62.8 %) and C16 : 0 (12.4 %) for NNCM2T. The DNA G+C contents of NNCM1T and NNCM2T were 63.3 and 63.4 mol% respectively. The polar lipids of NNCM1T comprised one diphosphatidylglycerol, one phosphatidylethanolamine, one phosphatidylglycerol and one unknown polar lipid, while those of NNCM2T comprised one phosphatidylethanolamine, one phosphatidylglycerol, one aminolipid and four unknown polar lipids. Phenotypic characteristics (physiological, biochemical and chemotaxonomic) also supported the taxonomic novelty of the two isolates. Thus, NNCM1T is considered to represent a novel species within genus Algiphilus, for which the name Algiphilus acroporae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NNCM1T (=KCTC 82966T=MCCC 1K06445T). NNCM2T represents a novel genus and species within the family Rhodobacteraceae, for which the name Coraliihabitans acroporae gen. nov. sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NNCM2T (=KCTC 82967T=MCCC 1K06408T).

Flavobacterium coralii sp. nov., a marine bacterium isolated from coral culture seawater.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, strictly aerobic, rod-shaped bacterium, with one polar flagellum and named D11R37T, was isolated from coral culture seawater of Acropora digitifera. Strain D11R37T grew with 0-6 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0.5%), at 10-41 °C (optimum, 28 °C) and at pH 6.0-7.0 (optimum, 7.0). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain D11R37T formed a lineage within the genus Flavobacterium, and it was distinct from the most closely related species Flavobacterium suzhouense XIN-1T and Flavobacterium suaedae G16-7T with 16S rRNA gene sequences similarities of 95.97% and 95.48 %. The major respiratory quinone was menaquinone-6. The polar lipids comprised one phosphatidylethanolamine, two aminolipids and one unknown polar lipid. The predominant fatty acids (more than 10 % of total fatty acids) were iso-C15 : 0 (18.0%), iso-C17 : 0 3-OH (11.9 %) and summed feature 3 (10.9 %). The DNA G+C content was 41.3 mol%. Based on polyphasic taxonomic data, strain D11R37T is considered to represent a novel species within the genus Flavobacterium, for which the name Flavobacterium coralii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is D11R37T (=KCTC 82968T=MCCC 1K06440T).

Comparison of infections with respiratory syncytial virus between children and adults: a multicenter surveillance from 2015 to 2019 in Beijing, China.

The objective of this study is to investigate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI) caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) among the population of all age categories in Beijing, China. Outpatients and inpatients with ARTI were enrolled from 35 sentinel hospitals in Beijing between March 2015 and February 2019. They were interviewed and their medical records were collected using a standardized form. Their respiratory specimens were collected and tested for the nucleic acid of RSV. The RSV-positive specimens were further genotyped into RSV-A and RSV-B groups. A total of 29,923 cases were included in this study. RSV was detected in 623 (2%, 623/29923) patients, with 391 (62.8%) genotypd as RSV-A, 126 (20.2%) as RSV-B, and 106 (17.0%) untyped. The RSV epidemic season usually occurred between October and March covering approximately 90% of annual RSV infections. The RSV-infected children aged < 5 years accounted for 52.2% of the total RSV infections with cough and fever as the most common manifestations. The RSV-infected elderly adults aged ≥ 60 years have the second largest proportion (25.2%) with dyspnea and lymphocytopenia as the most common manifestations and showed an elevated rate of hospitalization, an increased rate of ICU admission, an extended length of hospital stay, and an elevated mortality compared to the RSV-infected children. The RSV infections aged ≥ 60 years old, as the second largest population of the total annual RSV infections, usually developed worse outcomes than children and should be taken seriously.

First report of Ovipleistophora ovariae and O. diplostomuri in China provides new insights into the intraspecific genetic variation and extends their distribution.

Microsporidia of the genus Ovipleistophora are generally parasites of fishes and aquatic crustaceans. In the current study, Ovipleistophora diplostomuri and O. ovariae were firstly reported from Culter alburnus and Xenocypris argentea and Parabramis pekinensis, respectively. Both of them exclusively infected fish ovary and were morphologically, ultrastructurally and genetically characterized. Sporogony occurred in direct contact with the host cell cytoplasm and sporophorous vesicles were not observed for the new isolates of these two Ovipleistophora species. Spores of O. ovariae were for the first time observed to be dimorphic. Genetic analysis indicated that the genetic variation in the ITS and LSU sequences was distinct among between-host O. diplostomuri isolates. High sequence variation in ITS sequence suggests that it can be a reliable molecular marker to explore the population genetics of O. diplostomuri. This is the first report of these two Ovipleistophora species in China which extends their host and geographical range.

Construction of Streptococcus agalactiae sialic acid mutant and evaluation of its potential as a live attenuated vaccine in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

AIMS: This study aimed to develop a live attenuated vaccine as an effective approach to prevent streptococcosis in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). METHODS AND RESULTS: We eliminated the virulence factor, sialic acid (Sia) encoded by the neuA-D gene cluster from the Group B Streptococcus (Streptococcus agalactiae, GBS) strain WC1535, to construct Sia-deficient S. agalactiae (ΔSia) mutant by homologous recombination. Results showed that the ΔSia mutant had higher adherence to HEp-2 cells and lower resistance to RAW264.7 cell phagocytosis than the wild-type S. agalactiae. The virulence of the ΔSia mutant to tilapia dramatically decreased with no virulence recovery. The relative percent survivals (RPSs) were 50.00% and 54.50% at 30 days when challenged at the wild-type WC1535 doses of 1.0 × 107 and 5.0 × 107  CFU fish-1 , respectively, via intraperitoneal (IP) injection. The tilapia vaccinated via IP injection with the ΔSia mutant induced strong antibody agglutination titers. The expression of IL-1ß, TNF-α, MHC-Iα, and MHC-IIß could be enhanced in the intestine, spleen, and head kidney for tilapia administered with the ΔSia mutant. CONCLUSIONS: GBS Sia plays a critical role in adherence to HEp-2 cells and resistance to the immune clearance of RAW264.7 cells. Moreover, the ΔSia mutant is a safe, stable, and immunogenic live attenuated vaccine candidate to protect tilapia against GBS infection. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF STUDY: The results offer more evidence of the importance of Sia in GBS and may be instructive in the control of tilapia streptococcosis.

The benefit of exercise rehabilitation guided by 6-minute walk test on lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 in patients with coronary heart disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: a prospective randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) has been taken as a biomarker of inflammation in patients with acute coronary diseases. Regular exercise rehabilitation could attenuate inflammation and promote the rehabilitation of coronary heart disease (CHD). The level of Lp-PLA2 is negatively correlated with 6-min walk test (6-MWT). The exercise prescription of appropriate intensity is the basis of exercise rehabilitation. 6-MWT is associated with maximal oxygen consumption, and can be used to determine the intensity of exercise prescription guiding patients how to do exercise rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to observe the benefit of 6-MWT guided exercise rehabilitation on the level of Lp-PLA2 in patients with CHD undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: We prospectively, consecutively enrolled 100 patients between Dec 2018 and Dec 2020 in the fourth ward of the Department of Cardiology, Yuebei People's Hospital Affiliated to Shantou University. Eligible patients were 1:1 divided into Group A, with no exercise rehabilitation, and Group B, with regular exercise rehabilitation, using random number table method of simple randomization allocation. Clinical data such as general information, the profile of lipids and the level of Lp-PLA2 were collected at baseline and at 12-week follow-up. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences of the percentages of gender, hypertension, type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the profile of lipids and level of Lp-PLA2 between the groups at baseline (P > 0.05). The level of Lp-PLA2 decreased at 12-week follow-up, moreover, the decline of the Lp-PLA2 level in Group B was more significant than that in Group A (t = 2.875, P = 0.005). Multivariate linear regression analysis indicated that exercise rehabilitation was independently correlated with the level of Lp-PLA2 (ß' = - 0.258, t = - 2.542, P = 0.013). CONCLUSION: Exercise rehabilitation for 12 weeks guided by 6-MWT can further reduce the level of LP-PLA2 in patients with CHD undergoing PCI. Trial registration This trial was registered on the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2100048124, registered 3 July 2021- Retrospectively registered. The study protocol adheres to the CONSORT guidelines.

MiR-3571 modulates the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells by targeting claudin 1.

Background and aims: The miRNA-based post-transcription modification has been extensively studied in hypertension. It however remains elusive how miRNA expression is regulated in this pathological process. We hypothesize that hydroxymethylation in the promoter regions tightly controls the levels of key miRNAs, which in turn affects the development of hypertension. Methods: The levels of hydroxymethylation in the promoter regions from thoracic aortic tissues were compared between spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKYs), using hydroxymethylcytosine DNA immunoprecipitation (hMeDIP) sequencing. The altered hydroxymethylation level of miR-3571 was confirmed by glucosylation-coupled hydroxymethylation-sensitive qPCR. We further identified claudin 1(CLDN1) as a key target of miR-3571 via bioinformatic prediction (targetscan) and dual-luciferase activity assays. Finally, we analyzed the contribution of miR-3571/CLDN1 axis in the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Results: The hydroxymethylation level of miR-3571 promoter region in thoracic aortic tissue from spontaneously hypertensive rats was lower than that from normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats. Accordingly, the expression of miR-3571 was lower during hypertension, with up-regulated CLDN1 protein levels. More importantly, we found that miR3571 overexpression led to phenotypic changes of VSMCs, and inhibited the proliferation and migration of muscle cells via suppressing CLDN1 as well. Our findings further suggested that CLDN1 up-regulation increase the activity of ERK1/2 in VSMCs. Conclusions: Our study suggested that hydroxymethylation in the promoter regions controlled the level of miR-3571 and revealed the important roles of miR-3571 and CLDN1 in VSMCs during the development of hypertension. In addition, our results also indicated that miR-3571/CLDN1 axis regulated the functions of VSMCs via the ERK1/2 pathway. Taken together, our findings support miR-3571 as a novel biomarker for the diagnosis and prevention of hypertension.

Identification and ultrasensitive photoelectrochemical detection of LncNR_040117: a biomarker of recurrent miscarriage and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome in platelet-derived microparticles.

The abnormal expression of long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) in platelet-derived microparticles (PMPs) is closely related to immune disorders and may lead to antiphospholipid antibody syndrome and recurrent miscarriage. To understand the association between the LncRNAs in PMPs and RM/APS, the differences in the expression of LncRNAs in RM/APS patients and healthy controls were analyzed. Microarray analysis and RT-qPCR detection proved that RM/APS patient exhibited high levels of LncNR_040117 expression. The lentiviral silent expression transfection of HTR-8/SVneo cells indicated that LncNR_040117 downregulation decreased the activity of HTR-8/SVneo cells and inhibited the MAPK signaling pathway, further confirming the biomarker proficiency of LncNR_040117 for RM/APS. After that, we proposed a ß-In2S3@g-C3N4 nanoheterojunction-based photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensor to achieve the ultrasensitive detection of LncNR_040117. The nanoheterojunction aids in the effective separation of photogenerated carriers and significantly improve the photocurrent response of the biosensor. The conjugation of LncNR_040117 onto the PEC biosensing platform increased the steric hindrance between electrolyte and electrode, subsequently decreasing the photocurrent signal. The PEC biosensor showed a wide detection range of 0.1-106 fM and a low limit of detection of 0.025 fM. For clinical sample testing, the results of the PEC and RT-qPCR were highly consistent. Overall, LncNR_040117 in PMPs was identified as an effective biomarker for RM/APS and could be accurately detected by the proposed PEC biosensor, which is expected to provide a reliable diagnostic platform for RM/APS.