bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Macronutrients and dissolved iron in a land-ocean approach: Influences of contamination by ore tailings in Southeastern Brazil
Authors: Cagnin Renata Caiado , Longhini Cybelle Menolli , Costa Eduardo Schettini , da Silva Cesar Alexandro , Zorzal-Almeida Stéfano , Mendes Danniel , Pasa Vânya Márcia Duarte , Barbeira Paulo Jorge Sanches , Delazari-Barroso Alessandra , Gücker Björn , Boëchat Iola Gonçalves , Lima Ana Teresa , Neto Renato Rodrigues , Sá Fabian , Barroso Gilberto Fonseca
Published: November 2022

Recently, many dam rupture disasters related to the mining industry have caused significant disruption to ecosystems globally. Contaminants, including nutrients in excess, can be transported from the river watersheds to the ocean in great quantities. In 2015, millions of m3 of iron ore tailings were released in the Doce River in southeastern Brazil, leading to several damaging effects to the river and marine ecosystem. So far, few studies have integrated the impact of these tailings on the river and the sea simultaneously. This research aims to provide a perspective on the macronutrients and iron concentrations and balance in the Doce River and the adjacent continental shelf, the related abiotic factors and the phytoplankton response under a new steady state of iron enrichment environment. The iron ore tailings increased the concentrations of nutrients in the river and on the continental shelf, especially for dissolved silica and iron. There was also a long-term indirect phosphorus enrichment associated to adsorption/desorption onto Fe-oxides and a nitrogen increase possibly due to N-fixing enhanced by iron. N fixation/remineralization predominates in the river watershed, while in the sea, the hydrodynamics provides nutrients supplied by the river and recycling from sediment resuspension. Nutrient ratios show DIP limitation in the river, while the complex marine environment brings both limitations on DIN, DIP, and DSi, as well as a stoichiometric equilibrium to the dataset. The phytoplankton response to the abiotic factors was more representative in the river watershed than on the continental shelf. This work emphasizes the importance of reporting local data for understanding global land-ocean nutrient fluxes and their potential influence on primary productivity and trophic chain balance.
Isotopic components and source analysis of inorganic nitrogen in coastal aerosols of the Yellow Sea
Authors: Zhang Ke , Liu Sumei , Wu Nian , Xu Wenqi
Published: November 2022

The coastal atmospheric environment is one of the most complex environments on earth. It is shaped by terrestrial, marine, and atmospheric processes and acts as an external nutrient source for coastal waters. At present, there are few observations of inorganic nitrogen isotopes of China coastal aerosols, let alone the Yellow Sea. In this study, a weekly collection of total suspended particulate aerosols was conducted on the Qianliyan Island in 2018 for the measurements of inorganic nitrogen species (NO3− and NH4+) and their isotopic ratios (δ15N-NO3−, δ18O-NO3−, and δ15N-NH4+). At the Qianliyan Island, the average NO3− and NH4+ concentrations were 2.49 ± 2.12 and 3.33 ± 2.68 μg·m−3, respectively; the average δ15N-NO3−, δ18O-NO3−, and δ15N-NH4+ were 2.4‰ ± 5.7‰, 78.7‰ ± 8.0‰, and −2.6‰ ± 6.3‰, respectively. The major nitrate formation pathways were •OH oxidation and N2O5 hydrolysis paths, and the dominant sources of inorganic nitrogen aerosols were coal combustion (29% ± 7%), marine (19% ± 15%), and fertilizer (16% ± 13%). Aerosol δ15N-NO3− and δ18O-NO3− were obviously higher in winter and lower in summer; conversely, aerosol δ15N-NH4+ was slightly higher in summer and slightly lower in winter. The difference in nitrogen sources was considered to be the best explanation for the aerosol δ15N-NO3− and δ15N-NH4+ differences between summer and winter, of which coal combustion contributed the most. The seasonal difference in nitrate formation paths was considered to be the best explanation for the difference of Qianliyan aerosol nitrate δ18O-NO3− between summer and winter. Aerosol inorganic nitrogen deposition flux was estimated to be 3.4 nmol N·m−2·s−1, which induced less than 1% to marine primary production, and aerosol inorganic nitrogen deposition, compared with N2 fixation, contributed some 80% of δ15N-NO3− depression of the summer Yellow Sea thermocline.
A community-oriented survey on the association between androgenetic alopecia and metabolic syndrome in Chinese people
Authors: Zhu Hongliu , Guo Haijian , Gao Yihong , Wei Yuegang , Mao Tao , Yang Jianqiu
Published: November 2022

Background

Several studies on Caucasians have revealed a positive relationship between androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and metabolic syndrome (MS). However, this correlation varies in different contexts. Currently, the association of AGA with MS is yet to be studied and elucidated in Chinese people.

Objective

To evaluate the association between AGA and MS in the Chinese population.

Methods

This study included information on components of MS along with other possible risk factors in a total of 3,703 subjects. The patients’ loss of hair was assessed using Hamilton-Norwood and Ludwig classification method.

Results

In this study, 29.88% of male and 27.58% of female AGA patients were diagnosed with MS, while the rest were regarded as controls (29.95% of male and 27.89% of female control subjects) (P > 0.05). The AGA males presented significantly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure than the male control subjects (SP: P = 0.000; DP: P = 0.041). Among females with AGA, waist circumference, hip circumference, and waist-hip ratio elevated the loss of hair compared to that of the female controls (P = 0.000, P = 0.020, P = 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion

Our study indicated no direct association between AGA and MS in Chinese people. However, a close relationship was observed between AGA and systolic blood pressure.
Effects of tofacitinib therapy on arginine and methionine metabolites in association with vascular pathophysiology in rheumatoid arthritis: A metabolomic approach
Authors: Soós Boglárka , Hamar Attila , Pusztai Anita , Czókolyová Monika , Végh Edit , Szamosi Szilvia , Pethő Zsófia , Gulyás Katalin , Kerekes György , Szántó Sándor , Szűcs Gabriella , Christians Uwe , Klawitter Jelena , Seres Tamás , Szekanecz Zoltán
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been associated with changes in lipid, arginine and NO metabolism with increased cardiovascular (CV) risk. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of tofacitinib, a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, on arginine and methionine metabolism in correlation with inflammation, functional and pathological vascular changes during one-year treatment of patients with RA.

Materials and methods

Thirty RA patients with active disease were treated with either 5 mg bid or 10 mg bid tofacitinib for 12 months. We determined DAS28, CRP, IgM rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) levels. We assessed brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD), carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and pulse-wave velocity (PWV) by ultrasound at baseline and after 6 and 12 months. We also determined plasma L-arginine, L-citrulline, L-ornithine, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), asymmetric (ADMA) and symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA), L-N-monomethyl-arginine (L-NMMA), cysteine, homocysteine, and methionine levels at these time points.

Results

Twenty-six patients (13 on each arm) completed the study. CRP, ESR and DAS28 decreased significantly during one-year treatment with tofacitinib. Arginine and ADMA showed a negative univariate correlation with CRP but not with FMD, PWV or IMT. Tofacitinib at 10 mg bid significantly increased L-arginine, L-ornithine, iNOS and methionine levels after 12 months. ADMA and SDMA levels did not change in our study. Methionine showed negative correlation with FMD at baseline and positive correlation with PWV after 12 months. No change was observed in FMD and PWV but a significant increase was measured in IMT at 6 and 12 months. Multivariate analysis indicated variable correlations of L-arginine, L-citrulline, ADMA, L-NMMA, homocysteine and methionine with DAS28, CRP, ESR and RF but not with anti-CCP after one-year treatment. With respect to vascular pathophysiology, only PWV and methionine correlated with each other.

Conclusion

One-year tofacitinib treatment suppressed systemic inflammation and improved functional status in RA. FMD, PWV have not been affected by one-year tofacitinib treatment., while IMT increased further despite treatment. Increased arginine and methionine might contribute to the anti-inflammatory effects of tofacitinib. Increased arginine availability with no changing ADMA may protect FMD and PWV from deterioration. The increase of IMT in the anti-inflammatory environment cannot be explained by arginine or methionine metabolism in this study.
Neuro-vascular coupling and heart rate variability in patients with type II diabetes at different stages of diabetic retinopathy
Authors: Hommer Nikolaus , Kallab Martin , Schlatter Andreas , Janku Patrick , Werkmeister René M. , Howorka Kinga , Schmidl Doreen , Schmetterer Leopold , Garhöfer Gerhard
Published: November 2022

Aims/Hypothesis

There is evidence that diabetes is accompanied by a break-down of functional hyperemia, an intrinsic mechanism of neural tissues to adapt blood flow to changing metabolic demands. However, to what extent functional hyperemia is altered in different stages of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients with type II diabetes is largely unknown. The current study set out to investigate flicker-induced retinal blood flow changes in patients with type II diabetes at different stages of DR.

Materials and methods

A total of 76 subjects were included in the present parallel-group study, of which 56 had diabetes with either no DR or different stages of non-proliferative DR (n = 29 no DR, 12 mild DR, 15 moderate to severe DR). In addition, 20 healthy subjects were included as controls. Retinal blood flow was assessed before and during visual stimulation using a combined measurement of retinal vessel calibers and blood velocity by the means of Doppler optical coherence tomography (OCT). To measure systemic autonomic nervous system function, heart rate variability (HRV) was assessed using a short-term orthostatic challenge test.

Results

In healthy controls, retinal blood flow increased by 40.4 ± 27.2% during flicker stimulation. Flicker responses in patients with DR were significantly decreased depending on the stage of the disease (no DR 37.7 ± 26.0%, mild DR 26.2 ± 28.2%, moderate to severe DR 22.3 ± 13.9%; p = 0.035, ANOVA). When assessing systemic autonomous neural function using HRV, normalized low frequency (LF) spectral power showed a significantly different response to the orthostatic maneuver in diabetic patients compared to healthy controls (p < 0.001).

Conclusion/Interpretation

Our study indicates that flicker induced hyperemia is reduced in patients with DR compared to healthy subjects. Further, this impairment is more pronounced with increasing severity of DR. Further studies are needed to elucidate mechanisms behind the reduced hyperemic response in patients with type II diabetes.

Clinical trial registration

[https://clinicaltrials.gov/], identifier [NCT03 552562].
Characterization of B cells in lupus erythematosus skin biopsies in the context of different immune cell infiltration patterns
Authors: de Vos Luka , Guel Tugce , Niebel Dennis , Bald Sandra , ter Steege Adrian , Bieber Thomas , Wenzel Joerg
Published: November 2022

Cutaneous lesions in lupus erythematosus (LE) subtypes are heterogenous. In line with the heterogeneity of the clinical presentation, the underlying lesional inflammation in LE skin samples is defined by different immune cell infiltrates. Pathophysiologically, lesional inflammation is driven by autoreactive cytotoxic T cells, targeting keratinocytes; plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), producing large amounts of interferon (IFN); and B cells, whose function in cutaneous LE is still unclear. This study aims to (a) classify inflammatory patterns with regard to the dominating cell type or cytokine expression and (b) investigating the specific role of B cells in LE skin lesions. Therefore, the immunohistological expression of inflammatory surrogates (CD20, CD123, MXA) in skin samples of n = 119 LE (subtypes: subacute cutaneous LE, chronic discoid LE, chilblain LE, LE tumidus, other LE) and n = 17 patients with inflammatory skin diseases (atopic dermatitis, psoriasis) were assessed. Samples were classified with regard to inflammatory groups. In addition multiplex-immunohistochemical analyses of n = 17 LE skin samples focusing on lesional B cells were conducted. In this study, we show that cutaneous lesions present with eight different inflammatory groups dominated by B cells, pDCs, a strong IFN expression, or overlapping patterns. Altogether, LE subtypes show heterogenous infiltration regardless of LE subtype, certain subtypes display a preference for infiltration groups. Furthermore, lesional B cells either form diffuse infiltrates or pseudofollicular structures, wherein they show antigen-presenting and T cell-activating properties. Altogether, in the light of emerging targeted therapeutic options, we suggest histological assessment in regard to B-cell or pDC preponderance to allow tailored treatment decisions.
Novel pathogenic variants in KIT gene in three Chinese piebaldism patients
Authors: Wang Chen , Zhang Yingzi , Hu Xuyun , Wang Lijuan , Xu Zhe , Xing Huan
Published: November 2022

Background

Piebaldism is a rare autosomal dominant disease, and roughly 75% patients had KIT gene mutations. Up to date, approximately 90 KIT mutations causing piebaldism were reported.

Methods

To identify KIT gene mutations in three pediatric piebaldism patients from different families and explore the genotype-phenotype correlation, peripheral blood DNA were collected from probands and their parents. Whole-exome sequencing was performed to detect potential disease-causing variants in the three probands. Putative variants were validated by Sanger sequencing.

Results

Heterozygous variants of c.2469_2484del (p.Tyr823*), c.1994G > C (p.Pro665Leu), and c.1982_1983insCAT (p.662_663insIle) in KIT gene were detected in three probands. These variants were all novel and classified as pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants according to the interpretation guidelines of American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and the Association for Molecular Pathology. The probands carrying variants located in tyrosine kinase domain exhibited a more severe phenotype.

Conclusion

The piebaldism in three families was caused by novel heterozygous KIT variants. The severity of phenotypes is related with the types and locations of different mutations. Our results further provided evidence for genetic counseling for the three families.
Impact of parental rheumatoid arthritis on risk of autism spectrum disorders in offspring: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Sun Cheuk-Kwan , Cheng Yu-Shian , Chen I-Wen , Chiu Hsien-Jane , Chung Weilun , Tzang Ruu-Fen , Fan Hsin-Yi , Lee Chia-Wei , Hung Kuo-Chuan
Published: November 2022

Background

To investigate the association of risk of offspring autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with both maternal and paternal rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

The Embase, Medline, Cochrane Library databases were searched for studies that investigated the association of parental RA with risk of offspring ASD. The primary outcome was the associations of maternal/paternal RA with the risk of offspring ASD. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on the timing of maternal RA diagnosis (i.e., before/after childbirth) and geographical location (i.e., Western vs. Asian countries) of studies.

Results

Ten studies published between 2005 and 2022 involving 6,177,650 participants were analyzed. Pooled results revealed a significant association between maternal RA and the risk of ASD (OR = 1.246, p < 0.001, 10 studies), while there was no association of paternal RA with the risk of offspring ASD (OR = 1.104, p = 0.253, four studies). Subgroup analysis demonstrated no correlation between diagnosis of maternal RA before childbirth and the risk of offspring ASD (OR = 1.449, p = 0.192, four studies), while there was a significant association of maternal RA regardless of the timing of diagnosis with the risk of offspring ASD (OR = 1.227, p = 0.001, six studies). Subgroup analysis on geographical location showed a significant association of maternal RA with the risk of offspring ASD regardless of the study location (all p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Our findings supported an association between maternal RA and an elevated risk of ASD in offspring. However, given the limited numbers of studies investigating the risk of offspring ASD in mothers diagnosed with RA before childbirth, further studies are warranted to elucidate this issue.

Systematic review registration

[www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/], identifier [CRD42022358470].
Urinary chemerin as a potential biomarker for inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Gunawan Stefan , Elger Tanja , Loibl Johanna , Fererberger Tanja , Sommersberger Stefanie , Kandulski Arne , Müller Martina , Tews Hauke Christian , Buechler Christa
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Systemic levels of the adipokine chemerin are elevated in different inflammatory conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In IBD, chemerin protein expression in colon mucosa is induced and serum chemerin levels are increased. Aim of this study was to identify chemerin protein in human feces and/or urine and to evaluate a possible association with IBD activity.

Materials and methods

Feces and urine of 40 patients with IBD and the respective sera of 34 patients were collected. Chemerin levels were analyzed by immunoblot in feces and urine samples. In addition, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure chemerin in all urine, feces and serum samples of the patients and in urine of 17 healthy controls.

Results

Chemerin was not detectable in 80% of the human feces samples by ELISA. Chemerin in human urine was detected by immunoblot and ELISA. Compared to serum levels, urinary concentration was about 6,000-fold lower. Urinary chemerin did not differ between patients with ulcerative colitis (n = 15) and Crohn’s disease (n = 25). Urinary chemerin was not related to its serum levels, did not correlate with serum C-reactive protein level and negatively correlated with serum creatinine. Of note, urinary chemerin of patients with a fecal calprotectin > 500 μg/g was significantly higher compared to patients with lower calprotectin levels and compared to healthy controls. Serum creatinine did not differ between the patient groups.

Conclusion

Urinary chemerin might present a novel non-invasive biomarker for monitoring IBD severity and clinical course.
Performance of leflunomide as a steroid-sparing agent in giant cell arteritis: A single-center, open-label study
Authors: Kramarič Jelka , Rotar Žiga , Tomšič Matija , Hočevar Alojzija
Published: November 2022

Background

The management of giant cell arteritis (GCA) remains challenging and many patients require prolonged glucocorticoid treatment due to high disease relapse rates. We aimed to evaluate the role of leflunomide as a steroid-sparing agent in GCA.

Methods

This prospective open-label study included patients diagnosed with GCA between July 2014 and August 2020 and followed them for 96 weeks. At the time of diagnosis all patients received treatment following a predefined glucocorticoid regimen. At week 12 of follow-up, 10 mg of leflunomide per day was recommended as an adjunctive therapy. The decision to start with leflunomide treatment was patient-dependent. Follow-up visits were performed adhering to a predetermined protocol. The number of relapses, the cumulative glucocorticoid dose and treatment-related adverse events were recorded and compared between glucocorticoid-only and leflunomide groups.

Results

Of the 215 GCA patients [67.6% female, median (IQR) age 74 (66–79) years], 151 (70.2%) received leflunomide at week 12 (leflunomide group); the others continued with glucocorticoids (glucocorticoid-only group). During the study 64/215 (29.8%) patients relapsed. Of the 51 patients who relapsed after 12 weeks, 22/151 patients (14.6%) and 29/64 patients (45.3%) were in the leflunomide and glucocorticoid-only group, respectively (p = 0.001; NNT 3.3 for leflunomide). Furthermore, 80/151 patients in the leflunomide group managed to stop glucocorticoids at week 48 [with relapses in 6/80 patients (7.5%)]. The cumulative glucocorticoid dose was lower in the leflunomide group (p = 0.009).

Conclusion

In our cohort, leflunomide safely and effectively reduced the GCA relapse rate and demonstrated a steroid-sparing effect in over three quarters of patients.
Microbial community and fermentation characteristic of whole-crop wheat silage treated by lactic acid bacteria and Artemisia argyi during ensiling and aerobic exposure
Authors: Wang Zhenyu , Tan Zhongfang , Wu Guofang , Wang Lei , Qin Guangyong , Wang Yanping , Pang Huili
Published: November 2022

Whole-crop wheat silage (WCWS) is an excellent feed material for ruminants. However, microbial fermentation during silage production consumes valuable nutrients, decreasing the quality of silage. The main objective of this study was to assess how the addition of increasing amounts of Artemisia argyi (AA) affected fermentation quality, microbial composition, and mycotoxin production in whole-crop wheat at dough stage (WCWD) silage during ensiling to aerobic exposure compared with Lactiplantibacillus buchneri (LB). The addition of 20% AA, resulted in a lower pH and higher lactic acid content, was found in silage treated with 20% AA, and an obvious increase in the relative abundance of Lactobacillus was detected in silages treated with LB and 20% AA, respectively. Meanwhile, inoculation with 20% AA decreased the abundance of harmful microorganisms, including Acinetobacter, Enterobacter, and Aspergillus. It also reduced the contents of mycotoxins, Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), and deoxynivalenol (DON) during ensiling and aerobic exposure. These results confirmed that WCWD treated with 20% AA could improve the fermentation quality and enhance the aerobic stability of silage.
Oral administration of live combined Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecium alleviates colonic oxidative stress and inflammation in osteoarthritic rats by improving fecal microbiome metabolism and enhancing the colonic barrier
Authors: Tang Jilang , Song Xiaopeng , Zhao Mingchao , Chen Hong , Wang Yingying , Zhao Binger , Yu Shiming , Ma Tianwen , Gao Li
Published: November 2022

Osteoarthritis (OA) causes intestinal damage. The protective effect of probiotics on the intestine is indeed effective; however, the mechanism of protection against intestinal damage in OA is not clear. In this study, we used meniscal/ligamentous injury (MLI) to mimic OA in rats and explored the colonic protective effects of Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecium on OA. Our study showed that treatment with B. subtilis and E. faecium attenuated colonic injury and reduced inflammatory and oxidative stress factors in the serum of osteoarthritic rats. α- and ß diversity of the fecal flora were not different among groups; no significant differences were observed in the abundances of taxa at the phylum and genus levels. We observed the presence of the depression-related genera Alistipes and Paraprevotella. Analysis of fecal untargeted metabolism revealed that histamine level was significantly reduced in the colon of OA rats, affecting intestinal function. Compared to that in the control group, the enriched metabolic pathways in the OA group were primarily for energy metabolisms, such as pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis, and beta-alanine metabolism. The treatment group had enriched linoleic acid metabolism, fatty acid biosynthesis, and primary bile acid biosynthesis, which were different from those in the control group. The differences in the metabolic pathways between the treatment and OA groups were more evident, primarily in symptom-related metabolic pathways such as Huntington's disease, spinocerebellar ataxia, energy-related central carbon metabolism in cancer, pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis metabolic pathways, as well as some neurotransmission and amino acid transport, and uptake- and synthesis-related metabolic pathways. On further investigation, we found that B. subtilis and E. faecium treatment enhanced the colonic barrier of OA rats, with elevated expressions of tight junction proteins occludin and Zonula occludens 1 and MUC2 mRNA. Intestinal permeability was reduced, and serum LPS levels were downregulated in the treatment group. B. subtilis and E. faecium also regulated the oxidative stress pathway Keap1/Nrf2, promoted the expression of the downstream protective proteins HO-1 and Gpx4, and reduced intestinal apoptosis. Hence, B. subtilis and E. faecium alleviate colonic oxidative stress and inflammation in OA rats by improving fecal metabolism and enhancing the colonic barrier.
Bacteroides fragilis derived metabolites, identified by molecular networking, decrease Salmonella virulence in mice model
Authors: Gautier Thomas , Oliviero Nolwenn , Ferron Solenn , Le Pogam Pierre , David-Le Gall Sandrine , Sauvager Aurélie , Leroyer Patricia , Cannie Isabelle , Dion Sarah , Sweidan Alaa , Loréal Olivier , Tomasi Sophie , Bousarghin Latifa
Published: November 2022

In the gut microbiota, resident bacteria prevent pathogens infection by producing specific metabolites. Among bacteria belonging to phylum Bacteroidota, we have previously shown that Bacteroides fragilis or its cell-free supernatant inhibited in vitro Salmonella Heidelberg translocation. In the present study, we have analyzed this supernatant to identify bioactive molecules after extraction and subsequent fractionation using a semi-preparative reversed-phase Liquid Chromatography High-Resolution Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-HRMS/MS). The results indicated that only two fractions (F3 and F4) strongly inhibited S. Heidelberg translocation in a model mimicking the intestinal epithelium. The efficiency of the bioactive fractions was evaluated in BALB/c mice, and the results showed a decrease of S. Heidelberg in Peyer’s patches and spleen, associated with a decrease in inflammatory cytokines and neutrophils infiltration. The reduction of the genus Alistipes in mice receiving the fractions could be related to the anti-inflammatory effects of bioactive fractions. Furthermore, these bioactive fractions did not alter the gut microbiota diversity in mice. To further characterize the compounds present in these bioactive fractions, Liquid Chromatography High-Resolution Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-HRMS/MS) data were analyzed through molecular networking, highlighting cholic acid (CA) and deoxycholic acid. In vitro, CA had inhibitory activity against the translocation of S. Heidelberg by significantly decreasing the expression of Salmonella virulence genes such as sipA. The bioactive fractions also significantly downregulated the flagellar gene fliC, suggesting the involvement of other active molecules. This study showed the interest to characterize better the metabolites produced by B. fragilis to make them means of fighting pathogenic bacteria by targeting their virulence factor without modifying the gut microbiota.
Rickettsia parkeri infection modulates the sialome and ovariome of the Gulf coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum
Authors: Guizzo Melina Garcia , Budachetri Khemraj , Adegoke Abdulsalam , Ribeiro Jose M. C. , Karim Shahid
Published: November 2022

The Gulf Coast tick, Amblyomma maculatum, is a vector of several tick-borne pathogens, including Rickettsia parkeri. The ability of R. parkeri to persist within the tick population through transovarial and transstadial transmission, without apparently harming the ticks, contributes to the pathogen’s perpetuation in the tick population. Previous studies have shown that the R. parkeri load in A. maculatum is regulated by the tick tissues’ oxidant/antioxidant balance and the non-pathogenic tick microbiome. To obtain further insights into the interaction between tick and pathogen, we performed a bulk RNA-Seq for differential transcriptomic analysis of ovaries and salivary glands from R. parkeri-infected and uninfected ticks over the feeding course on a host. The most differentially expressed functional category was of bacterial origin, exhibiting a massive overexpression of bacterial transcripts in response to the R. parkeri infection. Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii and bacteria from the genus Rickettsia were mainly responsible for the overexpression of bacterial transcripts. Host genes were also modulated in R. parkeri-infected tick organs. A similar number of host transcripts from all analyzed functional categories was negatively and positively modulated, revealing a global alteration of the A. maculatum transcriptome in response to pathogen infection. R. parkeri infection led to an increase in salivary transcripts involved in blood feeding success as well as a decrease in ovarian immune transcripts. We hypothesize that these transcriptional alterations facilitate pathogen persistence and transmission within tick population.
Beyond Saccharomyces pastorianus for modern lager brews: Exploring non-cerevisiae Saccharomyces hybrids with heterotic maltotriose consumption and novel aroma profile
Authors: Gyurchev Nikola Y. , Coral-Medina Ángela , Weening Susan M. , Almayouf Salwa , Kuijpers Niels G. A. , Nevoigt Elke , Louis Edward J.
Published: November 2022

Non-domesticated, wild Saccharomyces yeasts have promising characteristics for beer diversification, particularly when used in the generation of de novo interspecific hybrids. A major motivation for the current work was the question whether attractive novel Saccharomyces interspecific hybrids can be created for the production of exotic lager beers without using the genomic resources of the ale yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Importantly, maltotriose utilization is an essential characteristic typically associated with domesticated ale/lager brewing strains. A high-throughput screening on nearly 200 strains representing all eight species of the Saccharomyces genus was conducted. Three Saccharomyces mikatae strains were able to aerobically grow on maltotriose as the sole carbon source, a trait until recently unidentified for this species. Our screening also confirmed the recently reported maltotriose utilization of the S. jurei strain D5095T. Remarkably, de novo hybrids between a maltotriose-utilizing S. mikatae or S. jurei strain and the maltotriose-negative Saccharomyces eubayanus strain CBS 12357T displayed heterosis and outperformed both parents with regard to aerobically utilizing maltotriose as the sole source of carbon. Indeed, the maximum specific growth rates on this sugar were comparable to the well-known industrial strain, Saccharomyces pastorianus CBS 1513. In lager brewing settings (oxygen-limited), the new hybrids were able to ferment maltose, while maltotriose was not metabolized. Favorable fruity esters were produced, demonstrating that the novel hybrids have the potential to add to the diversity of lager brewing.
Decrypting phytomicrobiome of the neurotoxic actinorhizal species, Coriaria myrtifolia, and dispersal boundary of Frankia cluster 2 in soil outward compatible host rhizosphere
Authors: Swanson Erik , Sbissi Imed , Ktari Amir , Cherif-Silini Hafsa , Ghodhbane-Gtari Faten , Tisa Louis S. , Gtari Maher
Published: November 2022

The actinorhizal plant, Coriaria myrtifolia, is a neurotoxic plant species endemic to the western Mediterranean area, which forms a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with members of Frankia cluster 2. Contrarily to other Frankia clusters, the occurrence and mode of dispersal for infective cluster 2 units outside of the host plant rhizosphere remains controversial. The present study was designed to investigate the structure of the microbiomes of C. myrtifolia phytosphere, rhizosphere, and soil samples extending outward linearly up to 1 km. Results showed that the epiphyte and endophyte communities were not significantly different from each other for most of the plant tissues. The communities associated with the below-ground tissues (nodule and root) were significantly different from those found on the above-ground tissues (fruit, leaves, and stems) and had a higher community richness. Coriaria myrtifolia phytomicrobiomes were dominated by Cyanobacteria for leaf, stem, and fruit while Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria were dominant in the root and nodule organelles. The nodule, a special niche for nitrogen fixation, was mainly inhabited by Frankia but contained several non-Frankia bacteria. Beside Frankia cluster 2, the presence of clusters 1, 4, and large numbers of cluster 3 strains have been detected in nodules, roots, and rhizospheres of C. myrtifolia. Despite Frankia being found in all plots using plant trapping bioassays with C. myrtifolia seedlings, Frankia cluster 2 was not detected in soil metagenomes showing the limits of detection by this approach. This result also suggests that in the absence of appropriate host plant species, Frankia cluster 2 has a reduced number of infective units present in the soil outward from the rhizosphere.
One microRNA has the potential to target whole viral mRNAs in a given human coronavirus
Authors: Xu Tielong , Li Long-xue , Jia Yao , Wu Qingni , Zhu Weifeng , Xu Zhou , Zheng Bin , Lu Xuexin
Published: November 2022

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can repress viral replication by targeting viral messenger RNA (mRNA), which makes them potential antiviral agents. The antiviral effects of miRNAs on infectious viruses have been explored extensively; however, recent studies mainly considered the action modes of miRNAs, neglecting another key factor, the molecular biology of viruses, which may be particularly important in the study of miRNA actions against a given virus. In this paper, the action modes of miRNAs and the molecular biology of viruses are jointly considered for the first time and based on the reported roles of miRNAs on viruses and human coronaviruses (HCoVs) molecular biology, the general and specific interaction modes of miRNAs-HCoVs are systematically reviewed. It was found that HCoVs transcriptome is a nested set of subgenomic mRNAs, sharing the same 5′ leader, 3′ untranslated region (UTR) and open reading frame (ORF). For a given HCoV, one certain miRNA with a target site in the 5′ leader or 3’ UTR has the potential to target all viral mRNAs, indicating tremendous antiviral effects against HCoVs. However, for the shared ORFs, some parts are untranslatable attributed to the translation pattern of HCoVs mRNA, and it is unknown whether the base pairing between the untranslated ORFs and miRNAs plays a regulatory effect on the local mRNAs where the untranslated ORFs are located; therefore, the regulatory effects of miRNAs with targets within the shared ORFs are complicated and need to be confirmed. Collectively, miRNAs may bepromising antiviral agents against HCoVs due to their intrinsically nested set of mRNAs, and some gaps are waiting to be filled. In this review, insight is provided into the exploration of miRNAs that can interrupt HCoVs infection.
Comprehensive update on the monkeypox outbreak
Authors: Karim Asad Mustafa , Kwon Jeong Eun , Karim Mujahid Aizaz , Iftikhar Haseeb , Yasir Muhammad , Ullah Irfan , Kang Se Chan
Published: November 2022

Monkeypox (MPX) was first reported in 1970 in humans and outbreaks were restricted and highly localised to endemic regions of western and central Africa. However, after the first reported case in the UK in early May, 2022, the pattern of epidemic spreading in the geographical regions was much larger compared to past, posing a risk MPX might become entrenched beyond endemic areas. This virus is less transmissible than SARS-CoV-2, as it transmitted mainly through personal, close, often skin-to-skin contact with infectious MPX rash, body fluids, or scabs from an individual with MPX. Infections usually present with chills, fever, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, sore throat, skin lesions, and lymphadenopathy. Currently, there are no antivirals approved for MPX. However, an antiviral drug called “tecovirimat,” approved for the treatment of smallpox, has been made accessible to treat MPX. Moreover, to prevent MPX, there are two vaccines available which are approved by FDA: Bavarian Nordic JYNNEOS, and ACAM2000 vaccine. Contact tracing is absent in case of MPX outbreak and there is lack of information from the data systems in rapid manner. Additionally, test capacity needs to be increased. Like SARS-CoV-2, global MPX outbreak demand for vaccines far exceeds availability.
An Enterobacter cloacae strain NG-33 that can solubilize phosphate and promote maize growth
Authors: Chen Xinxin , Yang Caihe , Palta Jairo A. , Li Youzhi , Fan Xianwei
Published: November 2022

It is critical to identify and evaluate efficient phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) that enable P uptake from unavailable forms, and therefore improve the phosphorus (P) uptake efficiency of crops. The Enterobacter cloacae strain NG-33, belonging to PSB, was isolated and identified from calcareous rhizosphere soils in Nonggang National Reserve, Guangxi, China. The stain NG-33 could reduce the pH of the medium to below 5.6, and had the ability to release soluble phosphorus (P; 180.7 μg ml−1) during the culture in the National Botanical Research Institute’s Phosphate medium (NBRIP), and produced such organic acids as gluconic acid (4,881 mg L−1), acetic acid (346 mg L−1), and indole-3-acetic acid (20.4 μg ml−1). It could also convert inorganic P in AlPO4 (Al-P) and FePO4 (Fe-P) into soluble P, with conversion efficiencies of 19.2 μg ml−1 and 16.3 μg ml−1, respectively. Under pot experiments and when compared controls without inoculating NG-33, the shoot and root biomass of maize seedlings showed increases by 140% for shoot biomass and by 97% for root biomass in loamy soil (P sufficient) inoculated with NG-33. In sandy soil (P deficit) supplemented with tricalcium phosphate and inoculated with NG-33, the soluble P content was significantly higher, 58.6% in soil and 33.6% in roots, meanwhile, the biomass of shoots and roots increased by 14.9 and 24.9%, respectively. The growth-promoting effects coupled to the significant increase in leaf net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance of plants grown in NG-33-inoculated soil. Inoculating NG-33 could significantly improve the diversity and richness of bacterial population and altered the dominant bacterial population in soil.
Research progress of Auricularia heimuer on cultivation physiology and molecular biology
Authors: Sun Xin , Yang Chunhui , Ma Yinpeng , Zhang Jiechi , Wang Lei
Published: November 2022

Auricularia heimuer (A. heimuer F. Wu, B. K. Cui, Y. C. Dai), a well-known gelatinous fungus used for both food and medicine, is a major edible fungus with a more than 1000-year history of cultivation in China. The nutrients of A. heimuer are abundant, including polysaccharides, melanin, mineral elements, etc. The A. heimuer polysaccharides exhibit antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and anticancer properties. A. heimuer is a completely different species grown in China, unlike Auricularia auricula-judae (Bull.) Quel, which was used to characterize it. The cultivated strain varies based on the local climatic factors and cultivation practices. Hardwood chips are the primary material utilized in the cultivation of substitute materials, which is the principal cultivation technique. However, in actual production, straw is frequently replaced for some wood chips to address the issue of a lack of wood. There are three different types of growing techniques: open-air ground cultivation, arch cultivation, and shed-type hanging substitute cultivation of these three, the quality of A. heimuer grown in a shed is superior to that grown in an open-air environment. The A. heimuer genome sequencing project started later than expected, and the entire genome sequencing was not finished until 2019. A. heimuer’s molecular biology studies have mostly concentrated on analyzing genetic diversity and identifying cultivars using molecular markers including RAPD, ISSR, and ITS. There have only been a small number of studies on the function of A. heimuer genes, which have only focused on the preliminary cloning and expression study of a few genes, including the laccase gene and the triterpene compound production gene, among others. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive information concerning A. heimuer, necessitating a synopsis. To our knowledge, this is the first published review of A. heimuer, and it summarizes the most recent studies on its molecular biology and cultivation. This review can serve as a guide for future research on the fungus.
Gut microbiome metabolites as key actors in atherosclerosis co-depression disease
Authors: Liao Xing-Xing , Wu Xiao-Yun , Zhou Yu-Long , Li Jia-Jun , Wen You-Liang , Zhou Jun-Jie
Published: November 2022

Cardiovascular diseases, mainly characterized by atherosclerosis (AS), and depression have a high comorbidity rate. However, previous studies have been conducted under a single disease, and there is a lack of studies in comorbid states to explore the commonalities in the pathogenesis of both diseases. Modern high-throughput technologies have made it clear that the gut microbiome can affect the development of the host’s own disorders and have shown that their metabolites are crucial to the pathophysiology of AS and depression. The aim of this review is to summarize the current important findings on the role of gut microbiome metabolites such as pathogen-associated molecular patterns, bile acids, tryptophan metabolites, short-chain fatty acids, and trimethylamine N -oxide in depression and AS disease, with the aim of identifying potential biological targets for the early diagnosis and treatment of AS co-depression disorders.
The rational design of iron-sulfur cluster binding site for prolonged stability in magnetoreceptor MagR
Authors: Tong Tianyang , Zhou Yajie , Fei Fan , Zhou Xiujuan , Guo Zhen , Wang Shun , Zhang Jing , Zhang Peng , Cai Tiantian , Li Guohui , Zhang Yuebin , Wang Junfeng , Xie Can
Published: November 2022

Iron-sulfur proteins play essential roles in a wide variety of cellular processes such as respiration, photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation and magnetoreception. The stability of iron-sulfur clusters varies significantly between anaerobic and aerobic conditions due to their intrinsic sensitivity to oxygen. Iron-sulfur proteins are well suited to various practical applications as molecular redox sensors or molecular “wires” for electron transfer. Various technologies have been developed recently using one particular iron-sulfur protein, MagR, as a magnetic tag. However, the limited protein stability and low magnetic sensitivity of MagR hindered its wide application. Here in this study, the iron-sulfur binding site of pigeon clMagR was rationally re-designed. One such mutation, T57C in pigeon MagR, showed improved iron-sulfur binding efficiency and higher iron content, as well as prolonged thermostability. Thus, clMagRT57C can serve as a prototype for further design of more stable and sensitive magnetic toolbox for magnetogenetics in the future.
Early detection of Parkinson’s disease from multiple signal speech: Based on Mandarin language dataset
Authors: Wang Qiyue , Fu Yan , Shao Baiyu , Chang Le , Ren Kang , Chen Zhonglue , Ling Yun
Published: November 2022

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that negatively affects millions of people. Early detection is of vital importance. As recent researches showed dysarthria level provides good indicators to the computer-assisted diagnosis and remote monitoring of patients at the early stages. It is the goal of this study to develop an automatic detection method based on newest collected Chinese dataset. Unlike English, no agreement was reached on the main features indicating language disorders due to vocal organ dysfunction. Thus, one of our approaches is to classify the speech phonation and articulation with a machine learning-based feature selection model. Based on a relatively big sample, three feature selection algorithms (LASSO, mRMR, Relief-F) were tested to select the vocal features extracted from speech signals collected in a controlled setting, followed by four classifiers (Naïve Bayes, K-Nearest Neighbor, Logistic Regression and Stochastic Gradient Descent) to detect the disorder. The proposed approach shows an accuracy of 75.76%, sensitivity of 82.44%, specificity of 73.15% and precision of 76.57%, indicating the feasibility and promising future for an automatic and unobtrusive detection on Chinese PD. The comparison among the three selection algorithms reveals that LASSO selector has the best performance regardless types of vocal features. The best detection accuracy is obtained by SGD classifier, while the best resulting sensitivity is obtained by LR classifier. More interestingly, articulation features are more representative and indicative than phonation features among all the selection and classifying algorithms. The most prominent articulation features are F1, F2, DDF1, DDF2, BBE and MFCC.
Stress-induced impairment reveals the stage and features of post-error adaptive adjustment
Authors: Hu Na , Long Quanshan , Zhang Dawei , Wang Xiaoxi , Deng Min , Li Qing , Yan Minmin , Chen Antao
Published: November 2022

An increased reaction time often occurs after error responses (post-error slowing, PES). However, the role of top-down regulation in post-error processing remains to be debated. Impairing cognitive control function through acute stress would help to investigate the role and stage of top-down adaptive regulation in post-error processing. Here, we recruited 50 healthy male participants who were randomly assigned to either a stress condition (Trier Social Stress Task, TSST) or a control condition (control version of the TSST). A color-word Stroop task with different response stimulus intervals (RSIs) was used to investigate the effects of acute stress on different stages of post-error processing. The results showed that cortisol, heart rate, perceived stress level, and negative affect were higher in the stress group (n = 24) than in the control group (n = 26), indicating successful stress induction. The accuracy of post-error response in the control group increased with the extension of RSI, and the reaction time decreased. However, the accuracy of 1,200 ms RSI was close to that of 700 ms RSI in the stress group but was significantly lower than that in the control group. The results suggested that acute stress caused the impairment of top-down adaptive regulation after error. Furthermore, our study manifested adaptive adjustment only in the late stages of post-error processing, indicating the phasic and adaptive features of post-error adjustment.
Huntingtin exon 1 deletion does not alter the subcellular distribution of huntingtin and gene transcription in mice
Authors: Zhao Xianxian , Sun Yize , Wang Zhifu , Chen Laiqiang , Li Shihua , Li Xiao-Jiang
Published: November 2022

Huntington disease (HD) is caused by the expansion of CAG triplet repeats in exon 1 of the huntingtin (HTT) gene, which also encodes the first 17 amino acids (N-17) that can modulate the toxicity of the expanded polyQ repeat. N-17 are conserved in a wide range of species and are found to influence the subcellular distribution of mutant Htt. Moreover, N-17 is subject to many posttranslational modifications that may regulate the function, stability, and distribution of HTT. However, the function of Htt exon 1 and its influence on the normal Htt remains to be fully investigated. By investigating a knock-in mouse model that lacks Htt exon1, we found that deletion of Htt exon1 does not affect the survival of mice and differentiation of cultured mouse neurons. Furthermore, the lack of Htt exon 1 does not alter the subcellular distribution of Htt, autophagy protein expression, and global gene transcription in the mouse brain. These results suggest that removing the entire exon 1 of Htt could be a therapeutic approach to eliminate expanded polyQ toxicity.