Diversity, abundance, and expression of proteorhodopsin genes in the northern South China Sea.

Proteorhodopsins have been suggested as an important strategy among phototrophs to capture solar energy in marine environments. The goals of this study was to investigate the diversity of proteorhodopsin genes and to explore their abundance, distribution, and expression in the coastal surface waters of the northern South China Sea, one of the largest marginal seas of the western North Pacific Ocean. Using 21 metagenomes, we recovered proteorhodopsin genes from a wide range of prokaryotic taxa, and chlorophyll a contributed significantly to the community composition of proteorhodopsin-containing microbes. Most proteorhodopsin sequences were predicted to encode green light-absorbing proton pumps and green light-absorbing proteorhodopsin genes were more abundant than blue-absorbing ones. The variations in the conserved residues involved in ion pumping and several uncharacterized proteorhodopsins were observed. The gene abundance pattern of proteorhodopsin types were significantly influenced by the levels of total organic carbon and soluble reactive phosphorus. Gene expression analysis confirmed the importance of proteorhodopsin-based phototrophy and revealed different expressional patterns among major phyla. In tandem, we screened 2295 metagenome-assembled genomes to describe the taxonomic distribution of proteorhodopsins. Bacteroidota are the key lineages encoding proteorhodopsins, but proteorhodopsins were predicated from members of Proteobacteria, Marinisomatota, Myxococcota, Verrucomicrobiota and Thermoplasmatota. Our study expanded the diversity of proteorhodopsins and improve our understanding on the significance of proteorhodopsin-mediated phototrophy in the marine ecosystem.

Hospital-treated infectious diseases, infection burden and risk of Parkinson disease: An observational and Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Experimental and cross-sectional evidence has suggested a potential role of infection in the ethology of Parkinson's disease (PD). We aim to examine the longitudinal association of infections with the incidence of PD and to explore whether the increased risk is limited to specific infection type rather than infection burden. METHODS: Based on the UK Biobank, hospital-treated infectious diseases and incident PD were ascertained through record linkage to national hospital inpatient registers. Infection burden was defined as the sum of the number of infection episodes over time and the number of co-occurring infections. The polygenic risk score (PRS) for PD was calculated. The genome-wide association studies (GWAS) used in two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) were obtained from observational cohort participants of mostly European ancestry. RESULTS: Hospital-treated infectious diseases were associated with an increased risk of PD (adjusted HR [aHR] 1.35 [95 % CI 1.20-1.52]). This relationship persisted when analyzing new PD cases occurring more than 10 years post-infection (aHR 1.22 [95 % CI 1.04-1.43]). The greatest PD risk was observed in neurological/eye infection (aHR 1.72 [95 % CI 1.32-2.34]), with lower respiratory tract infection (aHR 1.43 [95 % CI 1.02-1.99]) ranked the second. A dose-response association was observed between infection burden and PD risk within each PD-PRS tertile (p-trend < 0.001). Multivariable MR showed that bacterial and viral infections increase the PD risk. CONCLUSIONS: Both observational and genetic analysis suggested a causal association between infections and the risk of developing PD. A dose-response relationship between infection burden and incident PD was revealed.

Deciphering the pathogenic risks of microplastics as emerging particulate organic matter in aquatic ecosystem.

Microplastics are accumulating rapidly in aquatic ecosystems, providing habitats for pathogens and vectors for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), potentially increasing pathogenic risks. However, few studies have considered microplastics as particulate organic matter (POM) to elucidate their pathogenic risks and underlying mechanisms. Here, we performed microcosm experiments with microplastics and natural POM (leaves, algae, soil), thoroughly investigating their distinct effects on the community compositions, functional profiles, opportunistic pathogens, and ARGs in Particle-Associated (PA) and Free-Living (FL) bacterial communities. We found that both microplastics and leaves have comparable impacts on microbial community structures and functions, enriching opportunistic pathogens and ARGs, which may pose potential environmental risks. These effects are likely driven by their influences on water properties, including dissolved organic carbon, nitrate, DO, and pH. However, microplastics uniquely promoted pathogens as keystone species and further amplified their capacity as hosts for ARGs, potentially posing a higher pathogenic risk than natural POM. Our research also emphasized the importance of considering both PA and FL bacteria when assessing microplastic impacts, as they exhibited different responses. Overall, our study elucidates the role and underlying mechanism of microplastics as an emerging POM in intensifying pathogenic risks of aquatic ecosystems in comparison with conventional natural POM.

Association between muscular tissue desaturation and acute kidney injury in older patients undergoing major abdominal surgery: a prospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: Present study was designed to investigate the association between muscular tissue desaturation and acute kidney injury (AKI) in older patients undergoing major abdominal surgery. METHOD: A total of 253 patients (≥ 65 years old) who underwent abdominal surgery with expected duration ≥ 2 h were enrolled. Muscular tissue oxygen saturation (SmtO2) was monitored at quadriceps and bilateral flanks during surgery. Muscular desaturation was defined as SmtO2 < 90% baseline lasting for > 60 s. The primary outcome was the incidence of AKI within postoperative 7 days. The association between muscular desaturation and AKI was analyzed by multivariable logistic regression model. The secondary outcomes indicated the other complications within postoperative 30 days. RESULTS: Among 236 patients, 44 (18.6%) of them developed AKI. The incidence of muscular desaturation at quadriceps was 28.8% (68/236). Patients with muscular desaturation had higher incidence of AKI than those without desaturation (27.9% [19/68], vs. 14.9% [25/168], P = 0.020). After adjustment of confounders, multivariable analysis showed that muscular desaturation at quadriceps was significantly associated with an increased risk of AKI (OR = 2.84, 95% CI 1.21-6.67, P = 0.016). Muscular desaturations at left and right flank were also associated with an increased risk of AKI (OR = 6.38, 95% CI 1.78-22.89, P = 0.004; OR = 8.90, 95% CI 1.42-45.63; P = 0.019, respectively). Furthermore, patients with muscular desaturation may have a higher risk of pulmonary complications, sepsis and stroke at 30-day follow-up. CONCLUSION: Muscular desaturation was associated with postoperative AKI in older patients undergoing major abdominal surgery which may serve as a predictor of AKI.

Viral community-wide auxiliary metabolic genes differ by lifestyles, habitats, and hosts.

BACKGROUND: Viral-encoded auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) are important toolkits for modulating their hosts' metabolisms and the microbial-driven biogeochemical cycles. Although the functions of AMGs have been extensively reported in numerous environments, we still know little about the drivers that shape the viral community-wide AMG compositions in natural ecosystems. Exploring the drivers of viral community-wide AMG compositions is critical for a deeper understanding of the complex interplays among viruses, hosts, and the environments. RESULTS: Here, we investigated the impact of viral lifestyles (i.e., lytic and lysogenic), habitats (i.e., water, particle, and sediment), and prokaryotic hosts on viral AMG profiles by utilizing metagenomic and metatranscriptomic techniques. We found that viral lifestyles were the most important drivers, followed by habitats and host identities. Specifically, irrespective of what habitats viruses came from, lytic viruses exhibited greater AMG diversity and tended to encode AMGs for chaperone biosynthesis, signaling proteins, and lipid metabolism, which could boost progeny reproduction, whereas temperate viruses were apt to encode AMGs for host survivability. Moreover, the lytic and temperate viral communities tended to mediate the microbial-driven biogeochemical cycles, especially nitrogen metabolism, in different manners via AMGs. When focusing on each lifestyle, we further found clear dissimilarity in AMG compositions between water and sediment, as well the divergent AMGs encoded by viruses infecting different host orders. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our study provides a first systematic characterization of the drivers of viral community-wide AMG compositions and further expands our knowledge of the distinct interactions of lytic and temperate viruses with their prokaryotic hosts from an AMG perspective, which is critical for understanding virus-host-environment interactions in natural conditions. Video Abstract.

Association of electroencephalogram epileptiform discharges during cardiac surgery with postoperative delirium: An observational study.

Background: Delirium is a frequent and serious complication following cardiac surgery involving cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Electroencephalography reflects the electrical activity of the cerebral cortex. The impact of electroencephalographic epileptiform discharges during cardiac surgery on postoperative delirium remains unclear. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between intraoperative epileptiform discharges and postoperative delirium in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Methods: A total of 76 patients who underwent cardiac surgery under CPB were included. The baseline cognitive status was measured before surgery. Electroencephalograms were monitored continuously from entry into the operating room to the end of surgery. The presence of delirium was assessed through the Confusion Assessment Method or the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit on the first 3 days after surgery. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association between epileptiform discharges and delirium. Results: Delirium occurred in 31% of patients and epileptiform discharges were present in 26% of patients in the study. Patients with delirium had a higher incidence of epileptiform discharges (52.63% vs. 13.95%, P < 0.001) and longer durations of anesthesia and CPB (P = 0.023 and P = 0.015, respectively). In addition, patients with delirium had a longer length of hospital stay and a higher incidence of postoperative complications. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age and epileptiform discharges were significantly associated with the incidence of postoperative delirium [odds ratio, 4.75 (1.26-17.92), P = 0.022; 5.00 (1.34-18.74), P = 0.017, respectively]. Conclusions: Postoperative delirium is significantly related to the occurrence of epileptiform discharges during cardiac surgery.

Habitat-dependent prokaryotic microbial community, potential keystone species, and network complexity in a subtropical estuary.

Microbes (e.g., bacteria and archaea) are indispensable components for the key biological processes of estuarine ecosystems and three main habitats (sediment, particle, and water) are harboring diverse estuarine microbes. However, we still know little about how the microbial community structures, potential keystone species, and network properties change among these three habitats in estuarine ecosystems. In this study, we collected size-fractioned water and sediment samples from the Pearl River Estuary to reveal their microbial diversity, community structures, network properties, and potential keystone taxa. We found that the sediment microbial community was remarkably more diverse than particle-attached (PA) and free-living (FL) communities, whereas its ecological network was less complex in terms of node distance and connectivity. TOC was determined as the main driver of sediment community, while the PA and FL communities were predominantly shaped by NO2-, non-ionic ammonia (NH) and pH. Among the bulk water, there were no significant differences between PA and FL communities in diversity, community structure, and network complexity. However, the PA community was more susceptible to metal elements, suggesting their higher level of involvement in physiological metabolism. Potential keystone taxa among community networks were taxonomically divergent in three habitats. Specifically, Synechococcales (Cyanobacteria) and Actinomarinales (Actinobacteria) exclusively served as the module-hubs in FL network, while members from phylum Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were the module-hubs and connectors in PA network. Potential keystone taxa in sediment network were more diverse and covered 9 phyla, including the only archaeal lineage Bathyarchaeia (Crenarchaeota). Overall, our study provided more detailed information about estuarine microbial communities in three habitats, especially the potential keystone species, which provided new perspectives on evaluating further effects of anthropogenic disturbances on estuarine microbes and facilitated the environment monitoring based on microbial community.

Unraveling microbe-mediated degradation of lignin and lignin-derived aromatic fragments in the Pearl River Estuary sediments.

Estuaries are one of the most crucial areas for the transformation and burial of terrestrial organic carbon (TerrOC), playing an important role in the global carbon cycle. While the transformation and degradation of TerrOC are mainly driven by microorganisms, the specific taxa and degradation processes involved remain largely unknown in estuaries. We collected surface sediments from 14 stations along the longitudinal section of the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), P. R. China. By combining analytical chemistry, metagenomics, and bioinformatics methods, we analyzed composition, source and degradation pathways of lignin/lignin-derived aromatic fragments and their potential decomposers in these samples. A diversity of bacterial and archaeal taxa, mostly those from Proteobacteria (Deltaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria etc.), including some lineages (e.g., Nitrospria, Polyangia, Tectomicrobia_uc) not previously implicated in lignin degradation, were identified as potential polymeric lignin or its aromatic fragments degraders. The abundance of lignin degradation pathways genes exhibited distinct spatial distribution patterns with the area adjacent to the outlet of Modaomen as a potential degradation hot zone and the Syringyl lignin fragments, 3,4-PDOG, and 4,5-PDOG pathways as the primary potential lignin aromatic fragments degradation processes. Notably, the abundance of ferulic acid metabolic pathway genes exhibited significant correlations with degree of lignin oxidation and demethylation/demethoxylization and vegetation source. Additionally, the abundance of 2,3-PDOG degradation pathways genes also showed a positive significant correlation with degree of lignin oxidation. Our study provides a meaningful insight into the microbial ecology of TerrOC degradation in the estuary.

Deinococcus aestuarii sp. nov. and Deinococcus aquaedulcis sp. nov., two novel resistant bacteria isolated from pearl river estuary.

Two novel species of the genus Deinococcus, designated SYSU M49105T and SYSU M42101T, were isolated from freshwater samples of the Pearl River estuary in Guangdong, China. Phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strains SYSU M49105T and SYSU M42101T showed the highest sequence similarities to Deinococcus aetherius JCM 11751 T (93.6%) and Deinococcus multiflagellatus NBRC 112888 T (97.3%), respectively. Cells of both strains were Gram-staining positive, aerobic, coccus-shaped, oxidase-negative and non-motile. The cell wall contained meso-diaminopimelic acid as their diagnostic diamino acid. MK-8 was the predominant respiratory quinone for both strains. The polar lipid profile of SYSU M49105T contained two unidentified phosphoglycolipids, nine unidentified glycolipids, and five unidentified polar lipids. SYSU M42101T had one unidentified phosphoglycolipid, nine unidentified glycolipids, one unidentified aminophospholipid and four unidentified polar lipids. The major fatty acids of strains SYSU M49105T and SYSU M42101T were summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c and/ or C16:1 ω6c) and C16:0. The G + C contents of the novel isolates based on genomic DNAs were 69.6% and 67.4%, respectively. On the basis of phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic data, strains SYSU M49105T and SYSU M42101T should be considered to represent two novel species in the genus Deinococcus, for which the names Deinococcus aestuarii sp. nov. and Deinococcus aquaedulcis sp. nov. were proposed with the type strains SYSU M49105T (= KCTC 43258 T = CGMCC 1.18609 T) and SYSU M42101T (= KCTC 43257 T = CGMCC 1.18614 T), respectively.

Development and validation of a nomogram to predict chronic postoperative pain in elderly orthopedic patients.

BACKGROUND: At present, there is no nomogram for predicting chronic postoperative pain (CPSP) in elderly orthopedic patients. This study aimed to develop and validate a predictive nomogram of CPSP in elderly orthopedic patients, in order to analyze the risk factors of CPSP in elderly patients undergoing orthopedic surgery and provide support for the clinical prediction of the CPSP in elderly orthopedic patients. METHODS: A total of 1,227 elderly patients undergoing elective orthopedic surgery were enrolled. The demographic and clinical data of patients were collected from the hospital electronic case system, and CPSP was diagnosed 3 months after surgery by telephone questionnaire based on the standards of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP). Patients were divided into two groups according to whether or not they had CPSP, and a predictive nomogram was developed using multivariate logistic regression analysis, followed by internal and external validation. RESULTS: Six variables were selected as independent predictors of CPSP in elderly patients undergoing orthopedic surgery: spouse or not, preoperative pain at surgical site, preoperative pain at non-surgical site, type of surgery, postoperative hospital stay, and acute postoperative pain (APSP) or not (P<0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) of this nomogram was 0.815 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.783-0.847], showing good calibration and clinical practicability. CONCLUSIONS: The predictive nomogram of CPSP in this study has good prediction ability and accuracy, and can play an important auxiliary role in screening high-risk elderly patients with CPSP undergoing orthopedic surgery.

Roseomonas ponticola sp. nov., a novel bacterium isolated from Pearl River estuary.

A novel species of the genus Roseomonas, designated SYSU M41301T, was isolated from water sample of the Pearl River estuary in Guangdong, China. Polyphasic, taxonomic and phylogenomic analyses were used to determine the taxonomy position of the strain. Phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain SYSU M41301T showed the highest sequence similarity to Roseomonas stagni KCTC 22213T (97.9 %) and Roseomonas riguiloci KCTC 23339T (96.4 %). The novel species could be differentiated from other species of the genus Roseomonas by its distinct phenotypic and genotypic characteristics. The isolate was Gram-staining-negative, aerobic, short rod-shape, oxidase-positive and non-motile. The predominant respiratory quinone was ubiquinone 8 (Q-8). The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, and one unidentified polar lipid. The major fatty acids (>10 % of total) were 11-methyl C18 : 1 ω7c, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c and/ or C16 : 1 ω6c) and summed feature 8 (C18:  :1 ω7c and/or C18 : 1 ω6c). The G+C content of the novel isolate based on genomic DNA was 72.0 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic data, strain SYSU M41301T should be considered to represent a novel species in the genus Roseomonas, for which the name Roseomonas ponticola sp. nov. is proposed with the type strain SYSU M41301T (=KCTC 72726T=CGMCC 1.18613T).

Agilicoccus flavus gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel member of the family Dermatophilaceae isolated from the Pearl River.

A novel actinobacterium, designated strain SYSU M44304T, was isolated from freshwater samples in the Pearl River Estuary. The isolate was Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, coccus-shaped, oxidase-positive and motile. The cell wall contained meso-diaminopimelic acid as its diagnostic diamino acid. The predominant menaquinone was MK-8. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylethanolamine and seven unidentified phospholipids. The major fatty acids were C16 : 0 and C16 : 1. The G+C content based on genomic DNA was 73.2 mol %. The nearest phylogenetic neighbours to the novel strain were Mobilicoccus pelagius NBRC 104925T and Mobilicoccus caccae YIM 101593T. On the basis of chemotaxonomic and physiological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis, strain SYSU M44304T should be considered to represent a novel species of a new genus in the family Dermatophilaceae, for which we propose the name Agilicoccus flavus gen. nov., sp. nov. The type strain of Agilicoccus flavus is SYSU M44304T (=NBRC 114808T=CGMCC 1.18608T).

Impacts of bio-stimulants on pyrene degradation, prokaryotic community compositions, and functions.

Bio-stimulation of the indigenous microbial community is considered as an effective strategy for the bioremediation of polluted environments. This examination explored the near effects of various bio-stimulants on pyrene degradation, prokaryotic community compositions, and functions using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and qPCR. At first, the results displayed significant differences (p < 0.05) between the prokaryotic community structures of the control group, PYR (contains pyrene only), and bio-stimulants amended groups. Among the bio-stimulants, biochar, oxalic acid, salicylate, NPK, and ammonium sulfate augmented the pyrene degradation potential of microbial communities. Moreover, the higher abundance of genera, such as Flavobacterium, Hydrogenophaga, Mycobacterium, Rhodococcus, Flavihumibacter, Pseudomonas, Novosphingobium, etc., across the treatments indicated that these genera play a vital role in pyrene metabolism. Based on the higher abundance of GP-RHD and nidA genes, we speculated that Gram-positive prokaryotic communities are more competent in pyrene dissipation than Gram-negative. Furthermore, the marked abundance of nifH, and pqqC genes in the NPK and SA treatments, respectively, suggested that different bio-stimulants might enrich certain bacterial assemblages. Besides, the significant distinctions (p < 0.05) between the bacterial consortia of HA (humic acid) and SA (sodium acetate) groups from NPK, OX (oxalic acid), UR (urea), NH4, and SC (salicylate) groups also suggested that different bio-stimulants might induce distinct ecological impacts influencing the succession of prokaryotic communities in distinct directions. This work provides new insight into the bacterial degradation of pyrene using the bio-stimulation technique. It suggests that it is equally important to investigate the community structure and functions along with studying their impacts on degradation when devising a bio-stimulation technology.

Enhanced anti-cancer activity of chitosan loaded Morinda citrifolia essential oil against A549 human lung cancer cells.

In the present study, the chemical composition of Morinda citrifolia essential oils was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and was found to contain several anti-cancer compounds including L-scopoletin, nordamnacanthal, ß-morindone, α-copaene, 9-H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole, ß-thujene and terpinolene. The physico-chemical characterization of chitosan, chitosan nanoparticles and Morinda citrifolia essential oils loaded chitosan nanoparticles combination was carried out by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction and dynamic light scattering coupled with zeta potential. The morphological observation obtained by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy provided clear indication that the immobile chitosan polymer formed a coating onto the Morinda citrifolia essential oils surface. The cytotoxic effect of Morinda citrifolia essential oils loaded chitosan nanoparticles against A549 cells were investigated, resulting in 54% inhibition at 40 µg/ml-1. Information about in vitro morphological modification, nucleus damages, ROS generation and cell cycle arrest was obtained by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometer analysis. The toxicity evaluation against human red blood cells suggested that the Morinda citrifolia essential oils loaded chitosan nanoparticles possess minimum cytotoxicity. Altogether, the present study suggests that these Morinda citrifolia essential oils loaded chitosan nanoparticles are valuable biomaterials owing to their ability to fight against A549 cancer cells.

Invasive plants exert disproportionately negative allelopathic effects on the growth and physiology of the earthworm Eisenia fetida.

Exotic invasive plants possess the capacity to disrupt and extirpate populations of native species. Native plants' increased sensitivity to invaders' allelochemicals is a mechanism by which this can occur. However, it is not clear whether and how the allelopathic effects of invasive plants affect members of the soil faunal community - particularly the important functional guild of earthworms. We used the model earthworm Eisenia fetida to investigate the responses to extracts from the widely invasive Asterids (Ageratina adenophora, Bidens pilosa, Erigeron annuus) and closely-related native species in a greenhouse experiment. We observed declines in body mass and respiration, and increases in oxidative and DNA damage biomarkers in the native earthworm E. fetida when grown under root and leaf extracts from these invasive plants. These effects were concentration-dependent, and worm growth and physiology was most negatively affected under the highest concentrations of leaf extracts. Most importantly, extracts from invasive plants caused significantly more negative effects on E. fetida than did extracts from native plant species, indicating allelopathy from invasive plants may inhibit earthworm physiological functioning. These results expand the domain of the novel weapons hypothesis to the earthworm guild and demonstrate the utility of E. fetida as a bioindicator for plant allelochemicals.