Salinity decline promotes growth and harmful blooms of a toxic alga by diverting carbon flow.

Global climate change intensifies the water cycle and makes freshest waters become fresher and vice-versa. But how this change impacts phytoplankton in coastal, particularly harmful algal blooms (HABs), remains poorly understood. Here, we monitored a coastal bay for a decade and found a significant correlation between salinity decline and the increase of Karenia mikimotoi blooms. To examine the physiological linkage between salinity decreases and K. mikimotoi blooms, we compare chemical, physiological and multi-omic profiles of this species in laboratory cultures under high (33) and low (25) salinities. Under low salinity, photosynthetic efficiency and capacity as well as growth rate and cellular protein content were significantly higher than that under high salinity. More strikingly, the omics data show that low salinity activated the glyoxylate shunt to bypass the decarboxylation reaction in the tricarboxylic acid cycle, hence redirecting carbon from CO2 release to biosynthesis. Furthermore, the enhanced glyoxylate cycle could promote hydrogen peroxide metabolism, consistent with the detected decrease in reactive oxygen species. These findings suggest that salinity declines can reprogram metabolism to enhance cell proliferation, thus promoting bloom formation in HAB species like K. mikimotoi, which has important ecological implications for future climate-driven salinity declines in the coastal ocean with respect to HAB outbreaks.

Analogical Assessment of Train-Induced Vibration and Radiated Noise in a Proposed Theater.

This study presents the analogical assessment of the train-induced vibration and radiated noise in a proposed theater. The theater is to be constructed in a region with crowded metro lines, and the assessment is implemented in an analogical building with comparable structural type and metro condition. Prior to the assessment, the comparability of the analogical building with the theater is validated using the train-induced ground vibration. With the same horizontal distance from the metro line, the train-induced vibration level in the analogical building is 9 dB higher than that in the construction site of the theater. Such results indicate that the lack of soil layers may lead to a dramatic increase in train-induced vibration in the building. In the staircase of the analogical building, the train-induced radiated noise reached 55 dB (A), which is 10 dB (A) higher than the daytime allowable level. As the most important indicator, the noise rating number in the cinema of the analogical building is NR-43, which put forward an enormous challenge on the construction of the theater with a denoise demand of 23 dB. The analogical method applied in this study provides an effective and practical way for the assessment of train-induced vibration and radiated noise in proposed vibration-sensitive buildings. The assessment results that provide necessary reference and support for the anti-vibration design will help guarantee the stage effect of the theater.

Citrobacter freundii Activation of NLRP3 Inflammasome via the Type VI Secretion System.

Citrobacter freundii is a significant cause of human infections, responsible for food poisoning, diarrhea, and urinary tract infections. We previously identified a highly cytotoxic and adhesive C. freundii strain CF74 expressing a type VI secretion system (T6SS). In this study, we showed that in mice-derived macrophages, C. freundii CF74 activated the Nucleotide Oligomerization Domain -Like Receptor Family, Pyrin Domain Containing 3(NLRP3) inflammasomes in a T6SS-dependent manner. The C. freundii T6SS activated the inflammasomes mainly through caspase 1 and mediated pyroptosis of macrophages by releasing the cleaved gasdermin-N domain. The CF74 T6SS was required for flagellin-induced interleukin 1ß release by macrophages. We further show that the T6SS tail component and effector, hemolysin co-regulation protein-2 (Hcp-2), was necessary and sufficient to trigger NLRP3 inflammasome activation. In vivo, the T6SS played a key role in mediating interleukin 1ß secretion and the survival of mice during C. freundii infection in mice. These findings provide novel insights into the role of T6SS in the pathogenesis of C. freundii.

Stachyose inhibits vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus colonization and affects gut microbiota in mice.

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) caused nosocomial infections are rising globally. Multiple measures have been investigated to address this issue, altering gut microbiota through dietary intervention represents one of such effort. Stachyose can promote probiotic growth, which makes it a good candidate for potentially inhibiting VRE infection. This study aimed to determine whether stachyose inhibits VRE colonization and investigated the involvement of gut microbiota this effect of stachyose. In VRE-infection experiment, 6-week old female C57/6 J mice pre-treated with vancomycin were infected with 2 × 108 CFU VRE via gavage. These mice then received oral administration of stachyose or PBS as control for 7days. Two groups of uninfected mice were also received daily gavage of stachyose or PBS for 7 days to observe the impact of stachyose treatment on normal mice. Fresh fecal and colon samples were collected, then VRE colonization, gut microbiota and gene expression were respectively assessed using cultivation, 16s rRNA sequencing and RNA-sequencing in two parallel experiment, respectively. In VRE-infected mice, stachyose treatment significantly reduced VRE colonization on days 9 and 10 post-infection. Stachyose treatment increased the relative abundance of Porphyromonadaceae, Parabacteroides, and Parabacteroides distasonis compared to the PBS-treated infection mice (P < 0.01). Uninfected mice treated with stachyose showed a significant increase in Lactobacillaceae and Lactobacillus compared to the PBS-treated uninfected mice(P < 0.05). RNA-sequencing results showed that stachyose treatment in VRE-infected mice increased expression of genes involved in TNF and IL-17 signaling pathways. Stachyose treatment also up-regulated Hsd17b14, Cyp3a44, Arg1, and down-regulated Pnliprp2, Ces1c, Pla2g4c genes involving in metabolic pathway in uninfected mice. In conclusion, stachyose supplementation can effectively inhibit VRE colonization and probably altering composition of the microbiome, which can in turn result in changes in expression of genes. Stachyose may also benefit health by increasing the abundance of Lactobacillus and expression of genes involving in metabolic pathway in normal mice.

[Effects of Lactobacillus paragasseri Y20 on cholesterol-lowering, intestinal microbiota and liver metabolism in rats with hypercholesterolaemia].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cholesterol-lowering effects of Lactobacillus paragasseri Y20 on rats with high cholesterol diet and its effect on the gut microbiota of rats, and to explore the potential mechanism of Lactobacillus paragasseri regulating hypercholesterolemia in rats. METHODS: Thirty rats were randomly divided into three groups and were treated with normal diet, high cholesterol diet+PBS, and high cholesterol diet+Lactobacillus paragasseri Y20, respectively. After five consecutive weeks of treatment, serum lipids were measured by ELISA. Rat feces were collected and DNA was extracted for 16 S rRNA amplicon sequencing analysis. Rat livers were collected and analyzed for non-targeted metabolites using high performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: Compared with the high-cholesterol model group, Lactobacillus paragasseri Y20 treatment could reduce the serum triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein concentrations and increase the high-density lipoprotein concentration in rats. High-cholesterol diet decreased the intestinal flora diversity and richness of rats, while Y20 intervention can effectively restore the change of intestinal flora of high-cholesterol rats. High cholesterol dietsmainly caused the changes in the relative abundance in phylum of Firmicutes, Deferribacteres, Verrucomicrobia, and Proteobacteria, increasing Akkermansia, Clostridium_III, and Clostridium_XIVbgenera, and decreasing the intestinimonasgenus. However, Y20 intervention restored the diversity of gut microbiota and alteration in relative abundance of these bacteria caused by high-cholesterol diet. Y20 could effectively decrease the higher relative abundance of Akkermansiahigh-cholesterol diet. CONCLUSION: Lactobacillus paragasseri Y20 can alleviate hypercholesterolemia in rats, regulate the gut microbiotadiversity and composition and affect liver metabolism in hypercholesterol rats.

Complete genome sequence and comparative genome analysis of a new special Yersinia enterocolitica.

Yersinia enterocolitica is the most diverse species among the Yersinia genera and shows more polymorphism, especially for the non-pathogenic strains. Individual non-pathogenic Y. enterocolitica strains are wrongly identified because of atypical phenotypes. In this study, we isolated an unusual Y. enterocolitica strain LC20 from Rattus norvegicus. The strain did not utilize urea and could not be classified as the biotype. API 20E identified Escherichia coli; however, it grew well at 25 °C, but E. coli grew well at 37 °C. We analyzed the genome of LC20 and found the whole chromosome of LC20 was collinear with Y. enterocolitica 8081, and the urease gene did not exist on the genome which is consistent with the result of API 20E. Also, the 16 S and 23 SrRNA gene of LC20 lay on a branch of Y. enterocolitica. Furthermore, the core-based and pan-based phylogenetic trees showed that LC20 was classified into the Y. enterocolitica cluster. Two plasmids (80 and 50 k) from LC20 shared low genetic homology with pYV from the Yersinia genus, one was an ancestral Yersinia plasmid and the other was novel encoding a number of transposases. Some pathogenic and non-pathogenic Y. enterocolitica-specific genes coexisted in LC20. Thus, although it could not be classified into any Y. enterocolitica biotype due to its special biochemical metabolism, we concluded the LC20 was a Y. enterocolitica strain because its genome was similar to other Y. enterocolitica and it might be a strain with many mutations and combinations emerging in the processes of its evolution.

Gene polymorphism analysis of Yersinia enterocolitica outer membrane protein A and putative outer membrane protein A family protein.

BACKGROUND: Yersinia enterocolitica outer membrane protein A (OmpA) is one of the major outer membrane proteins with high immunogenicity. We performed the polymorphism analysis for the outer membrane protein A and putative outer membrane protein A (p-ompA) family protein gene of 318 Y. enterocolitica strains. RESULTS: The data showed all the pathogenic strains and biotype 1A strains harboring ystB gene carried both ompA and p-ompA genes; parts of the biotype 1A strains not harboring ystB gene carried either ompA or p-ompA gene. In non-pathogenic strains (biotype 1A), distribution of the two genes and ystB were highly correlated, showing genetic polymorphism. The pathogenic and non-pathogenic, highly and weakly pathogenic strains were divided into different groups based on sequence analysis of two genes. Although the variations of the sequences, the translated proteins and predicted secondary or tertiary structures of OmpA and P-OmpA were similar. CONCLUSIONS: OmpA and p-ompA gene were highly conserved for pathogenic Y. enterocolitica. The distributions of two genes were correlated with ystB for biotype 1A strains. The polymorphism analysis results of the two genes probably due to different bio-serotypes of the strains, and reflected the dissemination of different bio-serotype clones of Y. enterocolitica.

Homology analysis of pathogenic Yersinia species Yersinia enterocolitica, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, and Yersinia pestis based on multilocus sequence typing.

We developed a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme and used it to study the population structure and evolutionary relationships of three pathogenic Yersinia species. MLST of these three Yersinia species showed a complex of two clusters, one composed of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and Yersinia pestis and the other composed of Yersinia enterocolitica. Within the first cluster, the predominant Y. pestis sequence type 90 (ST90) was linked to Y. pseudotuberculosis ST43 by one locus difference, and 81.25% of the ST43 strains were from serotype O:1b, supporting the hypothesis that Y. pestis descended from the O:1b serotype of Y. pseudotuberculosis. We also found that the worldwide-prevalent serotypes O:1a, O:1b, and O:3 were predominated by specific STs. The second cluster consisted of pathogenic and nonpathogenic Y. enterocolitica strains, two of which may not have identical STs. The pathogenic Y. enterocolitica strains formed a relatively conserved group; most strains clustered within ST186 and ST187. Serotypes O:3, O:8, and O:9 were separated into three distinct blocks. Nonpathogenic Y. enterocolitica STs were more heterogeneous, reflecting genetic diversity through evolution. By providing a better and effective MLST procedure for use with the Yersinia community, valuable information and insights into the genetic evolutionary differences of these pathogens were obtained.

Polystyrene microplastics enhance microcystin-LR-induced cardiovascular toxicity and oxidative stress in zebrafish embryos.

The health risks associated with combined exposure to microplastics (MPs) and cyanobacteria toxins have gained increasing attention due to the large-scale prevalence of cyanobacterial blooms and accumulation of MPs in aquatic environments. Therefore, we explored the cardiovascular toxic effects of microcystin-LR (MC-LR, 1, 10, 100 µg/L) in the presence of 5 µm polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs, 100 µg/L) and 80 nm polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs, 100 µg/L) in zebrafish models. Embryos were exposed to certain PS-MPs and PS-NPs conditions in water between 3 h post-fertilization (hpf) and 168 hpf. Compared to MC-LR alone, a significant decrease in heart rate was observed as well as notable pericardial edema in the MC-LR + PS-MPs/NPs groups. At the same time, sinus venosus and bulbus arteriosus (SV-BA) distances were significantly increased. Furthermore, the addition of PS-MPs/NPs caused thrombosis in the caudal vein and more severe vascular damage in zebrafish larvae compared to MC-LR alone. Our findings revealed that combined exposure to PS-NPs and MC-LR could significantly decreased the expression of genes associated with cardiovascular development (myh6, nkx2.5, tnnt2a, and vegfaa), ATPase (atp1a3b, atp1b2b, atp2a1l, atp2b1a, and atp2b4), and the calcium channel (cacna1ab and ryr2a) compared to exposure to MC-LR alone. In addition, co-exposure with PS-MPs/NPs exacerbated the MC-LR-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, as well as the ROS-stimulated apoptosis and heightened inflammation. We also discovered that astaxanthin (ASTA) treatment partially attenuated these cardiovascular toxic effects. Our findings confirm that exposure to MC-LR and PS-MPs/NPs affects cardiovascular development through calcium signaling interference and ROS-induced cardiovascular cell apoptosis. This study highlights the potential environmental risks of the co-existence of MC-LR and PS-MPs/NPs for fetal health, particularly cardiovascular development.

Lactococcus cremoris D2022 alleviates hyperuricemia and suppresses renal inflammation via potential gut-kidney axis.

Hyperuricemia (HUA) is a widespread metabolic disorder. Probiotics have drawn increasing attention as an adjunctive treatment with fewer side effects. However, thus far the effective strains are limited and the mechanisms for their serum uric acid (SUA)-lowering effect are not well understood. Along this line, we conducted the current study using a hyperuricemia mouse model induced by potassium oxonate and adenine. A novel strain of Lactococcus cremoris named D2022 was identified to have significant SUA-lowering capability. Lactococcus cremoris D2022 significantly reduced SUA levels by inhibiting uric acid synthesis and regulating uric acid transportation. It was also found that Lactococcus cremoris D2022 alleviated HUA-induced renal inflammatory injury involving multiple signaling pathways. By focusing on the expression of NLRP3-related inflammatory genes, we found correlations between the expression levels of these genes and free fatty acid receptors (FFARs). In addition, oral administration of Lactococcus cremoris D2022 increased short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in cecal samples, which may be one of the mechanisms by which oral probiotics alleviate renal inflammation. Serum untargeted metabolomics showed changes in a variety of serum metabolites associated with purine metabolism and inflammation after oral administration of Lactococcus cremoris D2022, further confirming its systemic bioactivity. Finally, it was proved that Lactococcus cremoris D2022 improved intestinal barrier function. In conclusion, Lactococcus cremoris D2022 can alleviate HUA and HUA-induced nephropathy by increasing the production of SCFAs in the gut and systemic metabolism.

Comparison of cytokine immune responses to Brucella abortus and Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:9 infections in BALB/c mice.

Brucella abortus and Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:9 serologically cross-react in the immune response with the host; therefore, our aim was to compare the immune responses to these two pathogens. We selected typical B. abortus and Y. enterocolitica O:9 strains to study the cytokine immune response and the histopathological changes in livers and spleens of BALB/c mice. The data showed the cytokine responses to the two strains of pathogens were different, where the average levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), gamma interferon (IFN-γ), interleukin-12 (IL-12), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were higher with B. abortus infections than with Y. enterocolitica O:9 infections, especially for IFN-γ, while the IL-10 level was lower and the levels of IL-1ß, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-6 were similar. The histopathological effects in the livers and spleens of the BALB/c mice with B. abortus and Y. enterocolitica O:9 infections were similar; however, the pathological changes in the liver were greater with B. abortus infections, while damage in the spleen was greater with Y. enterocolitica O:9 infections. These observations show that different cytokine responses and histopathological changes occur with B. abortus and Y. enterocolitica O:9 infections.

New exploration of creativity: Cross-validation analysis of the factors influencing multiteam digital creativity in the transition phase.

Multiteam digital creativity (MTDC) is a new domain of creativity study that fits the new developments of the digital era, thus scholars have called for exploring MTDC in the fine-graining phase. This paper responds to this call, and adopts two studies and cross-validation analysis to explore the theoretical framework of the impact factors of MTDC in the transition phase. Study 1 adopts the qualitative analysis method of rooted theory to explore a more comprehensive impact factor and to maximize the new theory's saturation. Study 2 adopts the CL-WG DEMATEL method, one analysis method of group decision-making and optimized concept lattice, which could cross-validation analyze the results of Study 1 and further determine the importance of the factors. The results of the studies indicate that the influencing factors of MTDC are multilevel, and the factors such as the organizational digital climate, team psychological empowerment, individual digital cognition and emotion, and leadership competence have greater impacts on MTDC. This indicates that the transition phase has a unique internal mechanism. This paper constructs a theoretical framework of factors influencing MTDC in the transition phase and provides new theoretical and practical references for how organizations could fully stimulate MTDC in the digital era. In addition, the cross-validated analytical method further enriches the study tools in the domain of organizational behavior.

Effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum GUANKE on Diphenoxylate-Induced Slow Transit Constipation and Gut Microbiota in Mice.

Slow transit constipation (STC) is a prevalent gastrointestinal condition with slow transit, and some probiotics can effectively relieve constipation, but the exact mechanisms have not been fully understood. In this study, we evaluate the impact of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum GUANKE (GUANKE) on diphenoxylate-induced slow transit constipation and speculate on the underlying mechanisms in a mouse model. Administration of L. plantarum GUANKE alleviated constipation indexes, including defecation time, fecal output and water content, and gastrointestinal transit ratio. In addition, GUANKE restored the protein expression of constipation-related intestinal factors (aquaporins (AQPs) and interstitial Cajal cells (ICCs)) in colon tissues measured using immunofluorescence staining; regulated the neurotransmitters and hormones, such as increased levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine, substance P, and motilin; and decreased levels of vasoactive intestinal peptide and nitric oxide in serum, as measured by an ELISA. 16S rRNA and correlation analysis of feces indicated that GUANKE administration effectively reduced constipation-induced Prevotella enrichment and suggested a potential contribution of Prevotella to diphenoxylate-induced STC in mice. GUANKE had no effect on short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in cecum content. This study revealed that GUANKE may alleviate constipation in mice through regulating intestinal neurotransmitter and hormone release and altering specific bacterial taxa, rather than by affecting SCFAs and the diversity of microbiota in the gut. Further research is needed to confirm if the findings observed in this study will be consistent in other animal studies or clinical trials.

Microcystin-LR induced transgenerational effects of thyroid disruption in zebrafish offspring by endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated thyroglobulin accumulation and apoptosis.

MC-LR can interfere with thyroid function in fish, but the underlying mechanism is still unclear. Current study focuses to study the intergenerational inheritance of MC-LR-induced thyroid toxicity in zebrafish and in rat thyroid cells. In vivo experiments, adult female zebrafish (F0) were exposed to MC-LR (0, 5, and 25 µg/L) for 90 days and mated with male zebrafish without MC-LR exposure to generate F1 generation. F1 embryos were allowed to develop normally to 7 days post-fertilization (dpf) in clear water. In the F0 generation, MC-LR induced disturbance of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis, leading to a decrease in the production of thyroid hormones. Maternal MC-LR exposure also induced growth inhibition by altering thyroid hormones (THs) homeostasis and interfering with thyroid metabolism and development in F1 offspring. Mechanistically, MC-LR caused excessive accumulation of ROS and induced ER stress that further lead to activation of UPR in the F0 and F1 offspring of zebrafish. Interestingly, our findings suggested that MC-LR exposure hampered thyroglobulin turnover by triggering IRE1 and PERK pathway in zebrafish and FRTL-5 thyroid cells, thus disturbing the thyroid endocrine system and contributing to the thyroid toxicity from maternal to its F1 offspring of zebrafish. Particularly, inhibition of the IRE1 pathway by siRNA could alleviate thyroid development injury induced by MC-LR in FRTL-5 cells. In addition, MC-LR induced thyroid cell apoptosis by triggering ER stress. Taken together, our results demonstrated that maternal MC-LR exposure causes thyroid endocrine disruption by ER stress contributing to transgenerational effects in zebrafish offspring.

Lactiplantibacillus pentosus P2020 protects the hyperuricemia and renal inflammation in mice.

Introduction: Hyperuricemia (HUA) is a common metabolic disease, and its prevalence has been increasing worldwide. Pharmaceutical drugs have been used for controlling HUA but they all have certain side effects, which thus calls for discovering alternative options including using treatment of probiotics to prevent the development of HUA. Methods: We established HUA mice model induced by potassium oxonate and adenine and performed in vivo experiments to verify the ability to lower serum uric acid of Lactiplantibacillus pentosus P2020 (LPP), a probiotics stain extracted from Chinese pickle. We also tried to discussed the underlying mechanisms. Results: Oral administration with LPP significantly decreased serum uric acid and reduced renal inflammatory response by downregulating multiple inflammation pathways including NK-kB, MAPK, and TNFα. We also found that LPP administration significantly promoted uric acid excretion by regulating expression of transporters in the kidney and ileum. In addition, LPP intake improved intestinal barrier function and modulated the composition of gut microbiota. Discussion: These results suggest that probiotics LPP may have a promising potential to protect against development of HUA and HUA-related renal damage, and its working mechanisms involve regulation of inflammation pathways and expression of transporters in the kidney and ileum.

Pulsatillae radix extract alleviates DSS-induced colitis via modulating gut microbiota and inflammatory signaling pathway in mice.

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic relapsing intestinal disease with complex pathogenesis. The increasing morbidity and mortality of UC become a global public health threat. Baitouweng decoction (BD), a formulated prescription of Traditional Chinese Medicine, has been applied to cure UC for many centuries. However, the therapeutic efficacy and working mechanisms of this medicine are not well studied. Aim of study: In this study we determined whether Pulsatillae radix, one of four ingredients in BD, had a therapeutic effect on colitis. And explore the underlying mechanism of Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel radix in the improvement of DSS-induced colitis in mice model. Methods: The active compounds of Pulsatilla chinensis was identified by UPLC. The composition of the mice's cecum microbiota was determined by 16S rRNA sequencing. And gene expression profile of colon was detected by transcriptome. Results: The results showed that Pulsatillae radix significantly improved the clinical symptom, prevented the shorten of colon length, and decreased the diseased activity index (DAI) in an 3 % DSS-induced ulcerative colitis mouse model. We found that Pulsatillae radix reversed the dysbiosis of gut microbiota as evidenced by increase in the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, Deferribacteres, and Proteobacteria phyla and decrease in Firmicutes, as well as by decrease in the genera levels of Bacteroides, Parabacteroides, Prevotella, Mucispirillum, Coprococcus, Oscillospira, and Escherichia. The results of transcriptome showed Pulsatillae radix administration led to 128 genes up-regulation, and 122 genes down-regulation, up-regulate NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, down-regulate Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, and TNF and IL-17 signaling pathways. Conclusion: in this study, we demonstrate Pulsatillae radix alleviates DSS-induced colitis probably via modulating gut microbiota and inflammatory signaling pathway in DSS-induced colitis mouse model.

Inhibiting virus replication and excessive inflammatory response: Mechanism of combined prescription of Ma-Xing-Shi-Gan decoction and Xiao-Chai-Hu decoction against influenza virus.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The combined prescription of two classical decoctions (Ma-Xing-Shi-Gan decoction with Xiao-Chai-Hu decoction), named as San-Yang-He-Zhi (SYHZ) decoction, has been widely used for the treatment of influenza virus (IFV) infections for decades. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to evaluate the anti-influenza effect of SYHZ decoction and explore the underlying mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The ingredients of SYHZ decoction were analyzed by mass spectrometry. An animal model of IFV infection was established by challenging C57BL/6J mice with PR8 virus. Three groups of mice were infected with lethal or non-lethal doses of IFV, then followed by oral administration of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), or SYHZ, or oseltamir; blank control mice (without IFV infection) were treated with PBS. Survival rate, Lung index, colon length, body weight loss and IFV viral load were measured 7 days post infection; histology and electron-microscopy examinations of lung tissue were performed; cytokine and chemokine levels in lung and serum were measured; and the intestinal metagenome, the cecum metabolome, and the lung transcriptome were analyzed. RESULTS: SYHZ treatment significantly improved survival rate compared with PBS (40% vs 0%); improved lung index, colon length, and body weight loss; and alleviated lung histological damage and viral load. SYHZ-treated mice had significantly lower levels of IL-1ß, TNF-α, IL-6, CCL2, CXCL10 in lung and serum, and increased levels of multiple bioactive components in cecum. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, Toll- and NOD-like receptors, pro-apoptosis molecules, and lung-injury-related proteins were downregulated in SYHZ mice, whereas surfactant protein and mucin were upregulated. The NOD-like receptor pathway, Toll-like receptor pathway, and NF-κB pathway were downregulated by SYHZ treatment. CONCLUSIONS: SYHZ decoction alleviated IFV infection in a mouse model. Multiple bioactive ingredients of SYHZ may inhibit replication of IFV and suppress excessive immune response.

Prevalence of Yersinia enterocolitica in pigs slaughtered in Chinese abattoirs.

The distribution of Yersinia enterocolitica in slaughtered pigs in China was studied. A total of 8,773 samples were collected and examined from different pig abattoirs in 11 provinces from 2009 to 2011. Of these, 4,495 were oral-pharyngeal swab (tonsils) samples from pigs, 1,239 were from intestinal contents, and 3,039 were feces samples from abattoirs or local pigpens. The data showed that 1,132 strains were obtained, from which the isolation rate for Yersinia enterocolitica was 19.53% (878/4,495) from the tonsil samples, 7.51% (93/1,239) from intestinal contents, and 5.30% (161/3,039) from feces. Of the 850 pathogenic Yersinia strains, except for three of bioserotype 2/O:9 and three of bioserotype 4/O:3, most (844/850) were of bioserotype 3/O:3. Interestingly, pathogenic Y. enterocolitica accounted for the majority of the isolated strains from most provinces (85.17% to 100%), whereas from Heilongjiang, 96.52% (111/115) were classified as nonpathogenic biotype 1A with various serotypes, and only 3.48% of the strains (4/115) were pathogenic 3/O:3. All of the pathogenic strains were analyzed using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and 49 patterns were obtained for the O:3 pathogenic strains; most of them were K6GN11C30021 (53.13%: 450/847) and K6GN11C30012 (21.37%: 181/847). Several strains from diarrhea patient samples revealed PFGE patterns identical to that from samples of local pigs, suggesting a possible link between porcine isolates and human infection. The results above suggested that Yersinia enterocolitica in slaughtered pigs from Chinese abattoirs was characterized by region-specific PFGE patterns and confirmed that strains isolated from pigs are closely related to those from human infections.

Comparative antigenic proteins and proteomics of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica bio-serotypes 1B/O: 8 and 2/O: 9 cultured at 25°C and 37°C.

Yersinia enterocolitica is a Gram-negative enteric pathogen responsible for a number of gastrointestinal disorders; the most pathogenic bio-serotype is 1B/O: 8. In this study, we compared the antigenicity of the outer membrane proteins and proteomics of the whole-cell proteins of a pathogenic bio-serotype 2/O: 9 isolated in China and a bio-serotype 1B/O: 8 strain isolated in Japan. Using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, we showed that the outer membrane proteins A (OmpA), C (OmpC) and F (OmpF) were the major antigens for both strains, although proteins located on the bacterial cell membrane and enzymes involved in energy metabolism were also identified as antigenic. We compared the whole-cell proteins of the two strains cultured at 25°C and 37°C and found portions of the outer membrane proteins (OmpX, OmpF and OmpA) were downregulated when the bacteria were cultured at 37°C, whereas urease subunit gamma (UreA), urease subunit alpha (UreC) and urease accessory protein (UreE), which are involved in urease synthesis, were upregulated when the bacteria were grown at 37°C. These observations will lay a foundation to selection of diagnostic markers for pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica, and maybe contribute to choose the vaccine targets.

Tech Optimization in Cybersecurity Defenses by Advanced ML Methods: The Use Case of Volleyball Industry.

Individual and team performance can be improved by utilizing "smart" devices and applications that are connected through networks. In sports, the Internet of Things (IoT) refers to all of the "smart" devices and applications linked through networks to reduce injuries to the bare minimum, develop advanced training techniques, and apply analytical advanced sports improvement methodologies to improve sports performance in general. The Internet of Things (IoT) in sports is closely related to the objective of both security and privacy in sports, which has become a topic of crucial concern for the sports business in recent years, as evidenced by the adoption of IoT in sports years. For this reason, security flaws can have catastrophic consequences, including the disclosure of personal data, the manipulation of statistical findings, the harming of organizations' reputations, and enormous financial losses for the sporting organization. One or more of the consequences, as previously mentioned, is related to sports organizations and the athletes who are members of those organizations, and they have a direct impact on the corresponding set of sports-related, medical-related, and paramedical enterprises, specifically those that provide specialized sports equipment and associated services. A critical need to detect and quantify threats has long been recognized to better support decision-making when adopting or constructing a safe and reliable sports Internet-of-Things infrastructure, which is becoming increasingly common. Using advanced machine learning algorithms, this research provides a methodology for technology optimization in cybersecurity defenses that is then used in a unique case study utilizing volleyball players to demonstrate its effectiveness. In conjunction with a Monte Carlo optimization technique, an upgraded variant of fuzzy cognitive maps (FCM) is presented in greater detail. This model is utilized for a specific scenario of risk identification of volleyball industry, assessment, and optimization for IoT sports networks.