Forest-to-Cropland Conversion Reshapes Microbial Hierarchical Interactions and Degrades Ecosystem Multifunctionality at a National Scale.

Conversion from natural lands to cropland, primarily driven by agricultural expansion, could significantly alter soil microbiome worldwide; however, influences of forest-to-cropland conversion on microbial hierarchical interactions and ecosystem multifunctionality have not been fully understood. Here, we examined the effects of forest-to-cropland conversion on intratrophic and cross-trophic microbial interactions and soil ecosystem multifunctionality and further disclosed their underlying drivers at a national scale, using Illumina sequencing combined with high-throughput quantitative PCR techniques. The forest-to-cropland conversion significantly changed the structure of soil microbiome (including prokaryotic, fungal, and protistan communities) while it did not affect its alpha diversity. Both intrakingdom and interkingdom microbial networks revealed that the intratrophic and cross-trophic microbial interaction patterns generally tended to be more modular to resist environmental disturbance introduced from forest-to-cropland conversion, but this was insufficient for the cross-trophic interactions to maintain stability; hence, the protistan predation behaviors were still disturbed under such conversion. Moreover, key soil microbial clusters were declined during the forest-to-cropland conversion mainly because of the increased soil total phosphorus level, and this drove a great degradation of the ecosystem multifunctionality (by 207%) in cropland soils. Overall, these findings comprehensively implied the negative effects of forest-to-cropland conversion on the agroecosystem, from microbial hierarchical interactions to ecosystem multifunctionality.

Seasonal variations of profiles of antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factor genes in household dust from Beijing, China revealed by the metagenomics.

Household-related microbiome is closely related with human health. However, the knowledge about profiles of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence factor genes (VFGs) which are carried by microbes inside homes and their temporal dynamics are rather limited. Here we monitored the seasonal changes of bacterial community (especially pathogenic bacteria), ARGs, and VFGs in household dust samples during two years. Based on metagenomic sequencing, the dust-related bacterial pathogenic community, ARGs, and VFGs all harbored the lowest richness in spring among four seasons. Their structure (except that of VFGs) also exhibited remarkable differences among the seasons. The structural variations of ARGs and VFGs were almost explained by mobile genetic elements (MGEs), bacterial pathogens, and particulate matter-related factors, with MGEs explaining the most. Moreover, the total normalized abundance of ARGs or VFGs showed no significant change across the seasons. Results of metagenomic binning and microbial network both showed that several pathogenic taxa (e.g., Ralstonia pickettii) were strongly linked with numerous ARGs (mainly resistant to multidrug) and VFGs (mainly encoding motility) simultaneously. Overall, these findings underline the significance of MGEs in structuring ARGs and VFGs inside homes along with seasonal variations, suggesting that household dust is a neglected reservoir for ARGs and VFGs.

Clinical spectrum, over 12-year follow-up and experience of SGLT2 inhibitors treatment on patients with glycogen storage disease type Ib: a single-center retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Glycogen storage disease type Ib (GSD Ib) is a rare disorder characterized by impaired glucose homeostasis caused by mutations in the SLC37A4 gene. It is a severe inherited metabolic disease associated with hypoglycemia, hyperlipidemia, lactic acidosis, hepatomegaly, and neutropenia. Traditional treatment consists of feeding raw cornstarch which can help to adjust energy metabolism but has no positive effect on neutropenia, which is fatal for these patients. Recently, the pathophysiologic mechanism of the neutrophil dysfunction and neutropenia in GSD Ib has been found, and the treatment with the SGLT2 inhibitor empaglifozin is now well established. In 2020, SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin started to be used as a promising efficient remover of 1,5AG6P in neutrophil of GSD Ib patients worldwide. However, it is necessary to consider long-term utility and safety of a novel treatment. RESULTS: In this study, we retrospectively examined the clinical manifestations, biochemical examination results, genotypes, long-term outcomes and follow-up of thirty-five GSD Ib children who visited our department since 2009. Fourteen patients among them underwent empagliflozin treatment since 2020. This study is the largest cohort of pediatric GSD Ib patients in China as well as the largest cohort of pediatric GSD Ib patients treated with empagliflozin in a single center to date. The study also discussed the experience of long-term management on pediatric GSD Ib patients. CONCLUSION: Empagliflozin treatment for pediatric GSD Ib patients is efficient and safe. Increase of urine glucose is a signal for pharmaceutical effect, however attention to urinary infection and hypoglycemia is suggested.

Electroacupuncture at ST25 corrected gut microbial dysbiosis and SNpc lipid peroxidation in Parkinson's disease rats.

Introduction: Parkinson's disease (PD) remains one kind of a complex, progressive neurodegenerative disease. Levodopa and dopamine agonists as widely utilized PD therapeutics have not shown significant positive long-term outcomes. Emerging evidences indicate that electroacupuncture (EA) have potential effects on the therapy of nervous system disorders, particularly PD, but its specific underlying mechanism(s) remains poorly understood, leading to the great challenge of clinical application and management. Previous study has shown that acupuncture ameliorates PD motor symptoms and dopaminergic neuron damage by modulating intestinal dysbiosis, but its intermediate pathway has not been sufficiently investigated. Methods: A rat model of PD was induced using rotenone. The therapeutic effect of EA on PD was assessed using the pole and rotarod tests and immunohistostaining for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the substantia nigra (SN) of brain. The role of gut microbiota was explored using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metabonomic analysis. PICRUSt2 analysis, lipidomic analysis, LPS and inflammatory factor assays were used for subsequent exploration and validation. Correlation analysis was used to identify the key bacteria that EA regulates lipid metabolism to improve PD. Results: The present study firstly reappeared the effects of EA on protecting motor function and dopaminergic neurons and modulation of gut microbial dysbiosis in rotenone-induced PD rat model. EA improved motor dysfunction (via the pole and rotarod tests) and protected TH+ neurons in PD rats. EA increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus, Dubosiella and Bifidobacterium and decreased the abundance of Escherichia-Shigella and Morganella belonging to Pseudomonadota, suggesting that the modulation of gut microbiota by EA improving the symptoms of PD motility via alleviating LPS-induced inflammatory response and oxidative stress, which was also validated by various aspects such as microbial gene functional analysis, fecal metabolomics analysis, LPS and inflammatory factor assays and SNpc lipidomics analysis. Moreover, correlation analyses also verified strong correlations of Escherichia-Shigella and Morganella with motor symptoms and SNpc lipid peroxidation, explicating targets and intermediate pathways through which EA improve PD exercise symptom. Conclusion: Our results indicate that the improvement of motor function in PD model by EA may be mediated in part by restoring the gut microbiota, which intermediate processes involve circulating endotoxins and inflammatory mediators, SNpc oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. The gut-microbiome - brain axis may be a potential mechanism of EA treatment for the PD.

Relationship between sportive capacities and athletic potential in the individual with chronic diseases / Relação entre capacidades esportivas e potencial atlético no indivíduo portador de doenças crônicas / Relación entre las capacidades deportivas y el potencial atlético en el individuo con enfermedades crónicas

ABSTRACT Introduction Success in sports depends on the athlete's potential, including the presence of chronic diseases that can negatively affect a sports career. The issue studied is complex, and its solution depends on a combination of factors that act as basal components. The relevance of the research topic mentioned here is determined by the need to study the relationship between these two factors in the context of their mutual influence on an individual's sports career development prospects. Objective This scientific study aims to establish a relationship between sports skills and athletic potential in an individual with chronic diseases. Methods The main approach of this study was a combination of systemic analysis of the relationship between various aspects of an individual's talent with the development of his sports career, a theoretical understanding of the relationship of this factor, and the influence of chronic diseases on sport activity. Results The main results obtained in this scientific study should be considered the determination of the quality of an athlete's achievements on his natural talent and the influence of chronic diseases. Conclusion The prospects for future scientific research in this direction are determined by a real need for the search for and practical application of methods to determine the dependence of sporting achievements on factors included in the theme of this scientific work. The applied value of this scientific study lies in the possibility of the practical application of its results to form such methods for future approaches. Evidence level II; Therapeutic studies - outcomes research.

RESUMO Introdução O sucesso no esporte depende do potencial do atleta, incluindo da presença de doenças crônicas que podem afetar negativamente uma carreira esportiva. A questão estudada é complexa e sua solução depende de uma combinação de fatores que atuam como componentes basais. A relevância do tema de pesquisa mencionado neste caso é determinada pela necessidade de estudar a relação entre estes dois fatores no contexto de sua influência mútua sobre as perspectivas de desenvolvimento da carreira esportiva de um indivíduo. Objetivo O objetivo deste estudo científico é estabelecer uma relação entre as capacidades esportivas e o potencial atlético em um indivíduo portador de doenças crônicas. Métodos A abordagem principal deste estudo foi uma combinação de análise sistêmica da relação entre vários aspectos do talento de um indivíduo com o desenvolvimento de sua carreira esportiva, uma compreensão teórica da relação deste fator e da influência de doenças crônicas na atividade esportiva. Resultados Os principais resultados obtidos no decorrer deste estudo científico devem ser considerados segundo a determinação da dependência da qualidade das realizações de um atleta em relação a seu talento natural e a influência das doenças crônicas. Conclusão As perspectivas de futuras pesquisas científicas nesta direção são determinadas por uma real necessidade de busca e aplicação prática de métodos para determinar a dependência das conquistas esportivas de fatores incluídos no tema deste trabalho científico. O valor aplicado deste estudo científico encontra-se na possibilidade de aplicação prática de seus resultados, com o objetivo de formar tais métodos para futuras abordagens. Evidência nível II; Estudos terapêuticos - pesquisa de resultados.

RESUMEN Introducción El éxito en el deporte depende del potencial del atleta, incluyendo la presencia de enfermedades crónicas que pueden afectar negativamente a la carrera deportiva. La cuestión estudiada es compleja y su solución depende de una combinación de factores que actúan como componentes basales. La pertinencia del tema de investigación mencionado en este caso viene determinada por la necesidad de estudiar la relación entre estos dos factores en el contexto de su influencia mutua en las perspectivas de desarrollo de la carrera deportiva de un individuo. Objetivo El objetivo de este estudio científico es establecer una relación entre las habilidades deportivas y el potencial atlético en un individuo con enfermedades crónicas. Métodos El enfoque principal de este estudio fue una combinación de análisis sistémico de la relación entre varios aspectos del talento de un individuo con el desarrollo de su carrera deportiva, una comprensión teórica de la relación de este factor y la influencia de las enfermedades crónicas en la actividad deportiva. Resultados Los principales resultados obtenidos en el curso de este estudio científico deben considerarse según la determinación de la dependencia de la calidad de los logros de un atleta de su talento natural y la influencia de las enfermedades crónicas. Conclusión Las perspectivas de futuras investigaciones científicas en esta dirección están determinadas por una necesidad real de búsqueda y aplicación práctica de métodos para determinar la dependencia de los logros deportivos de los factores incluidos en el tema de este trabajo científico. El valor aplicado de este estudio científico reside en la posibilidad de aplicación práctica de sus resultados, con el objetivo de formar dichos métodos para futuros planteamientos. Nivel de evidencia II; Estudios terapéuticos - investigación de resultados.

Depolymerization of Fucosylated Chondroitin Sulfate with a Modified Fenton-System and Anticoagulant Activity of the Resulting Fragments.

Fucosylated chondroitin sulfate (fCS) from sea cucumber Isostichopus badionotus (fCS-Ib) with a chondroitin sulfate type E (CSE) backbone and 2,4-O-sulfo fucose branches has shown excellent anticoagulant activity although has also show severe adverse effects. Depolymerization represents an effective method to diminish this polysaccharide's side effects. The present study reports a modified controlled Fenton system for degradation of fCS-Ib and the anticoagulant activity of the resulting fragments. Monosaccharides and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis of the resulting fragments indicate that no significant chemical changes in the backbone of fCS-Ib and no loss of sulfate groups take place during depolymerization. A reduction in the molecular weight of fCS-Ib should result in a dramatic decrease in prolonging activated partial thromboplastin time and thrombin time. A decrease in the inhibition of thrombin (FIIa) by antithromin III (AT III) and heparin cofactor II (HCII), and the slight decrease of the inhibition of factor X activity, results in a significant increase of anti-factor Xa (FXa)/anti-FIIa activity ratio. The modified free-radical depolymerization method enables preparation of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) oligosaccharides suitable for investigation of clinical anticoagulant application.

[Observation of pathological morphology on nervous system of rat with maximum dose sophoridine in chronic toxic test].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Sophoridine is a new anticancer drug with noticeable antitumor action and lower toxicity. No marked influence on bone marrow was found till now. The main toxicity is presented in nervous system. This study was to observe the morphological changes of the nervous system of the rats, which were treated with maximum dose of sorphoridine for a long time. METHODS: 30 rats,half of male when and half of female, were randomly divided into experimental group and control group. In the experimental group,rats were treated with maximum dose of sorphoridine [32 mg x(kg x d)(-1) ip, qd] for 60 days. In control group, rats were treated with the same volume of saline everyday for 60 days. The rats in both groups were killed at 20 d, 40 d, 60 d, and 75 d, respectively. The brain and spinal cord were taken out and made into pathological slices, which were stained by HE stain and special stain, sach as Nissel's body stain, glial fibrillary stain and myelin sheath stain. The differences in morphology between the two groups was observed. RESULTS: No pathological change was found in rats' cerebral cortex,internal capsul, striated body, hippocampus, substantia nigra,and spinal cord when the rats' were treated with sophoridine 32 mg x(kg x d)(-1) ip for 20 d, 40 d, 60 d. In the rats who had presented nervous system syndrome repeatedly or died for convulsion, or the rats who were killed in convalescence period (15 d after final administration), there was no pathological change either. CONCLUSION: No pathological changes and delayed changes in the nervous tissues were found when the rats were given maximum dose of Sophoridine continuously for 60 d. Our study showed that the syndrome of nervous system caused by Sophoridine is functional and stimulational, and can be recovered,and there is no any delayed change and sequela.