Characteristics of changes in volatile organic compounds and bacterial communities in physically preserved pigeon breast meat.

To understand the relationship between changes in aroma and bacteria in pigeon breast meat (PBM) during preservation, bacterial communities and volatile compounds in PBM were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry. Analyses of total viable bacteria counts revealed that modified atmospheric packaging (MAP) and electron beam irradiation (EBI) could be used to extend the shelf-life of PBM to 10 d and 15 d, respectively. Furthermore, Lactococcus spp. and Psychrobacter spp. were the dominant bacterial genera of the MAP and EBI groups, respectively. The results of the study revealed 91 volatile organic compounds, one of which, butanal, was the most intense volatile organic compound while being an important source of aroma differences between the physical preservation techniques. Alpha-terpinolene, acetoin-M, gamma-butyrolactone, 1-hexanol-M, and 2,6-dimethyl-4-heptanone may be markers of PBM spoilage. During preservation, the MA group (treatment with 50 % CO2 + 50 % N2) demonstrated greater stabilization of PBM aroma. A Spearman correlation analysis showed that Lactococcus spp., Psychrobacter spp., and Pseudomonas spp. were the dominant bacterial genera of PBM during preservation and were closely related to an increase in the intensity of anisole, 2-methyl-3-furanthiol, and 5-methyl-2-furanmethanol, respectively. Lactococcus spp. and Psychrobacter spp. play crucial roles in the sensory degradation of PBM. In this study, we analyzed the changes in bacterial genera and volatile organic compounds of PBM under different physical preservation techniques to identify a suitable method for preserving PBM and evaluating its freshness.

First Report of Fusarium Wilt on lily (Lilium 'Tresor') Caused by Fusarium armeniacum in Jiangsu Province, China.

In June 2021, a disease of stem and leaf rot was observed on lily cultivar 'Tresor' with approximately 20% disease incidence in fields at Huaiyin District (119°04'N, 33°63'E) of Huaian County, Jiangsu Province. The roots and bulbs of symptomatic plants were brown and rotten, with sunken lesions. Symptomatic plants showed short, discolored leaves, and eventually lead to stem wilt and death of the whole plants (Fig. 1A and Fig. 3C). To isolate the pathogen, necrotized plant tissues were surface sterilized with 2% sodium hypochlorite for 2 min followed by 70% ethanol for 30 s and rinsed with sterile water. About 4 mm × 4 mm of diseased tissues were placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) followed by incubation at 25°C in the dark for 5 days. The pure cultures were obtained by the hyphal-tip method. A total of four fungal isolates with similar colony characteristics were recovered. To determine the identity of the four isolated fungal isolates, genomic DNA was extracted using the method previously described (Khan et al. 2021), the sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), the translation elongation factor 1α (TEF1) and the RNA polymerase II beta subunit (RPB2) genes were analyzed with primers ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), EF1/ EF2 (O'Donnell et al. 1998), and 5F2/7cR (Reeb et al. 2004), respectively. The three gene sequences of four isolates showed 99.9 %-100% identities. The531 bp (ITS), 699 bp (TEF1), and 900 bp (RPB2) sequences of a representative isolate (JH-37) were deposited in GenBank with acce. nos. OR195729, OR195041 and OR195040, respectively. A phylogenetic tree was constructed using the concatenated three gene sequences of JH-37 and that of the related Fusarium species based on Maximum Likelihood (Fig.2). JH-37 was grouped together with the F. armeniacum strain CBS 485.94 (AB587001, GQ915501, GQ915485), and shared 99.9 % concatenated sequence identity. The three gene sequences of the strain JH-37 shared 100%, 99.85%, 99.89% identity to F. armeniacum strain CBS 485.94 using MEGA 7 software (Kuma et al. 2016) analysis, and with 94%, 95% and 100% coverage by BLAST analysis. The colony of JH-37 on PDA at 25°C for 5 days was white with yellow-brown pigmentation in the center (Fig. 1B-C). From 10-day-old cultures grown on Spezieller Nahrstoffarmer agar (SNA), macroconidia (n = 50) were falcate, slender, curved dorsiventrally, tapering towards both ends, 3 to 4 septate, and measured 24.2 to 50.0 × 2.6 to 4.2 µm. The microconidia (n = 50) were straight or slightly curved, septate 0 to 2, and measured 6.8 to 20.0× 2.1 to 3.7 µm (Fig.1D-F). These morphological characteristics were consistent with Fusarium spp. (Leslie and Summerell 2006). A pathogenicity test of JH-37 was performed on potted lily ('Tresor') under greenhouse conditions. Healthy lily bulbs were selected and one bulb was sown in soil of each pot. Inoculation was performed 60 days after sowing. Bulbs of the lily plants were wounded with needles and inoculated with 5 mL of conidia suspension (1×107 conidia/mL) in the soil around bulb or an equal amount of sterilized water as a control. This experiment had three replicates. After 15 days of inoculation, typical symptoms of bulb rotten, and leaf wilt, similar to the original field symptoms, appeared on the inoculated plants but not on the controls (Fig.3). The same fungus was reisolated from the diseased plants, as identified based on morphology and molecular evidence, which confirmed the Koch's postulate. To our knowledge, this is the first report that F. armeniacum caused Fusarium wilt on Lilium spp. in China. Further, our result could help to develop effective disease management strategies against lily wilt disease.

Knockdown of PRMT1 suppresses the malignant biological behavior of osteosarcoma cells and increases cisplatin sensitivity via c-Myc-mediated BCAT1 downregulation.

Increasing evidence indicated that protein arginine methyltransferase-1 (PRMT1) is an oncogene in multiple malignant tumors, including osteosarcoma (OS). The aim of this study was to investigate the underlying mechanism of PRMT1 in OS. The effects of PRMT1 or BCAT1, branched-chain amino acid transaminase 1 (BCAT1) on OS cell proliferation, invasion, autophagy, and apoptosis in vitro were examined. Moreover, molecular control of PRMT1 on c-Myc or transactivation of BCAT1 on c-Myc was assessed by chromatin immunoprecipitation and quantitative reverse transcription PCR assays. The effects of PRMT1 in vivo were examined with a xenograft tumor model. The results showed that PRMT1 was potently upregulated in OS tissues and cells. Upregulation of PRMT1 markedly increased OS cell proliferation and invasion in vitro and reduced cell apoptosis, whereas PRMT1 silencing showed the opposite effects. Cisplatin, one of the most effective chemotherapeutic drugs, improved cell survival rate by inducing the expression of PRMT1 to downregulate the cisplatin sensitivity. Meanwhile, the cisplatin-induced upregulation of PRMT1 expression caused dramatically autophagy induction and autophagy-mediated apoptosis by inactivating the mTOR signaling pathway, which could be reversed by 3-methyladenine, an autophagy inhibitor, or PRMT1 silencing. PRMT1 could activate c-Myc transcription and increase c-Myc-mediated expression of BCAT1. Furthermore, BCAT1 overexpression counteracted the effects of PRMT1 knockdown on cell proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis. Of note, deficiency of PRMT1 suppressed tumor growth in vivo. PRMT1 facilitated the proliferation and invasion of OS cells, inhibited cell apoptosis, and decreased chemotherapy sensitivity through c-Myc/BCAT1 axis, which may become potential target in treating OS.

Risk assessment and clinical prediction model of planned transfer to the ICU after hip arthroplasty in elderly individuals.

BACKGROUND: With the development of hip arthroplasty technology and rapid rehabilitation theory, the number of hip arthroplasties in elderly individuals is gradually increasing, and their satisfaction with surgery is also gradually improving. However, for elderly individuals, many basic diseases, poor nutritional status, the probability of surgery, anaesthesia and postoperative complications cannot be ignored. How to reduce the incidence of postoperative complications, optimize medical examination for elderly patients, and reasonably allocate medical resources. This study focuses on the construction of a clinical prediction model for planned transfer to the ICU after hip arthroplasty in elderly individuals. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed 325 elderly patients who underwent hip arthroplasty. The general data and preoperative laboratory test results of the patients were collected. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to screen independent influencing factors. The backwards LR method was used to establish the prediction model. Then, we assessed and verified the degree of discrimination, calibration and clinical usefulness of the model. Finally, the prediction model was rendered in the form of a nomogram. RESULTS: Age, blood glucose, direct bilirubin, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, serum albumin, prothrombin time and haemoglobin were independent influencing factors of planned transfer to the ICU after hip arthroplasty. The area under the curve (AUC) of discrimination and the 500 bootstrap internal validation AUC of this prediction model was 0.793. The calibration curve fluctuated around the ideal curve and had no obvious deviation from the ideal curve. When the prediction probability was 12%-80%, the clinical decision curve was above two extreme lines. The discrimination, calibration and clinical applicability of this prediction model were good. The clinical prediction model was compared with the seven factors in the model for discrimination and clinical use. The discrimination and clinical practicability of this prediction model were superior to those of the internal factors. CONCLUSION: The prediction model has good clinical prediction ability and clinical practicability. The model is presented in the form of a linear graph, which provides an effective reference for the individual risk assessment of patients.

Noncanonical contribution of microglial transcription factor NR4A1 to post-stroke recovery through TNF mRNA destabilization.

Microglia-mediated neuroinflammation is involved in various neurological diseases, including ischemic stroke, but the endogenous mechanisms preventing unstrained inflammation is still unclear. The anti-inflammatory role of transcription factor nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 1 (NR4A1) in macrophages and microglia has previously been identified. However, the endogenous mechanisms that how NR4A1 restricts unstrained inflammation remain elusive. Here, we observed that NR4A1 is up-regulated in the cytoplasm of activated microglia and localizes to processing bodies (P-bodies). In addition, we found that cytoplasmic NR4A1 functions as an RNA-binding protein (RBP) that directly binds and destabilizes Tnf mRNA in an N6-methyladenosine (m6A)-dependent manner. Remarkably, conditional microglial deletion of Nr4a1 elevates Tnf expression and worsens outcomes in a mouse model of ischemic stroke, in which case NR4A1 expression is significantly induced in the cytoplasm of microglia. Thus, our study illustrates a novel mechanism that NR4A1 posttranscriptionally regulates Tnf expression in microglia and determines stroke outcomes.

Fusarium pernambucanum Causing Leaf Yellow Spot on Melon (Cucumis melo L.), a New Disease in China.

Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, and is an important economic and horticultural crop. In March 2022, melon plants in greenhouses exhibited severe leaf yellow spot symptoms in Changjiang County (109°13'N, 19°28'E), Hainan Province. The incidence of the disease was about 30-50%. Lesions initially appeared as yellow dots on leaves and expanded irregularly. Gradually, brown spots appeared, and finally the whole leaves turned yellow and resulted in blighting and death of foliage (Figure 1.). A total of four symptomatic plants were sampled from about 0.2 ha of an area. Symptomatic leaves were excised, surface disinfected with 2% (w/v) NaOCl, rinsed three times with sterile distilled water, and placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) followed by incubation at 25°C in the dark for 5 days. The pure cultures were obtained by the hyphal-tip method. A total of eight fungal isolates with similar colony characteristics were recovered from the four symptomatic plants. Three DNA fragments (ITS, TEF1, and RPB2) of the eight isolates showed 100% sequence identity based on the molecular identification methods described below. Therefore, one of the isolates, M2JP-3, was chosen for identification and test of the pathogenicity. The colony of M2JP-3 on PDA at 25°C for 5 days was white with yellow-brown pigmentation in the center (Figure 2A-B). From 10-day-old cultures grown on CLA (Fisher et al. 1982), macroconidia (n = 50) were falcate, slender, curved dorsiventrally, tapering towards both ends, 3 to 7 septate, and measured 24.5 to 52.1 x 3.7 to 4.7 µm. The microconidia (n = 50) were straight or slightly curved, septate 0 to 2, and measured 9.9 to 16.3 x 2.5 to 3.7 µm (Figure 2C-E). For molecular identification, genomic DNA was extracted using the method previously described (Khan et al. 2021),the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), translation elongation factor 1α (TEF1) and DNA-dependent RNA polymerase subunit II (RPB2) were amplified, respectively, using primers ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), EF1/ EF2 (O'Donnell et al. 1998), and 5F2/7cR (Reeb et al. 2004). The 529 bp (ITS), 723 bp (TEF1), and 965bp (RPB2) sequences were deposited in GenBank with acce. nos. OP303211, OP312675 and OP312674, respectively. A phylogenetic tree was constructed using the concatenated three gene sequences of M2JP-3 and that of the Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti species complex (FIESC) (Xia et al. 2019) based on Maximum Likelihood (Figure 3). M2JP-3 was grouped together with the F. pernambucanum strain NRRL 32864 (accession no. GQ505702 for ITS, GQ505613 for TEF1and GQ505791 for RPB2), and shared 100% concatenated sequence identity. For pathogenicity tests of M2JP-3, seeds of melon cultivar Jinmeiren were surface disinfected and sowed in soil in three replicated pots in a greenhouse at 26 °C under natural light. Healthy leaves of the melon plants were wounded with needles and inoculated with mycelial plugs of M2JP-3 or PDA plugs as control. . Symptoms similar to the original greenhouse symptoms were observed at 7 days after inoculation (Figure 4). The control leaves were asymptomatic. The same fungus was reisolated from the inoculated leaves, as identified based on morphology and molecular evidence, which confirmed the Kochs' postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first time Fusarium pernambucanum has been recorded causing leaf yellow spot disease on melon. Further, findings of the present study will help to develop effective disease management strategies against Fusarium pernambucanum Leaf Yellow Spot on melon in China.

Associations between body circumference and testosterone levels and risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease: a mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUD: Body circumference and testosterone levels have been reported as associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) risk. However, whether body circumference and testosterone levels play a role in the development of MAFLD remains inconclusive. METHODS: Using a large database of genome-wide association studies, genetic loci that are independent of each other and strongly associated with body circumference and testosterone levels were selected as instrumental variables, the causal relationship between body circumference and testosterone and risk of MAFLD was investigated by two-sample Mendelian randomization methods such as inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR-Egger regression, and weighted median estimator (WME), using the odds ratios (ORs) as evaluation indicators. RESULTS: A total of 344 SNPs were included as instrumental variables in this study, including 180 for waist circumference, 29 for waist-to-hip ratio, and 135 for testosterone levels. Using the above two-sample Mendelian Randomization method to derive the causal association between exposure and outcome. The results of this study showed that three exposure factors were causally associated with the risk of MAFLD. Waist circumference obtained three statistically significant results for IVW, WME and Weighted mode (IVW: OR = 3.53, 95%CI: 2.23-5.57, P < 0.001; WME: OR = 3.88, 95%CI: 1.81-8.29, P < 0.001; Weighted mode: OR = 3.58, 95%CI: 1.05-12.16, P = 0.043). Waist-to-hip ratio obtained one statistically significant result for IVW (OR = 2.29, 95%CI: 1.12-4.66, P = 0.022). Testosterone levels obtained one statistically significant result for IVW (OR = 1.93, 95%CI: 1.30-2.87, P = 0.001). Waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio and testosterone level were considered as risk factors for MAFLD. The Cochran Q test for IVW and MR-Egger method indicated that there was no intergenic heterogeneity in SNPs. The test for pleiotropy indicated that the possibility of pleiotropy in the causal analysis was weak. CONCLUSION: The results of the two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis showed that waist circumference was the exact risk factor for MAFLD, waist-to-hip ratio and testosterone levels were potential risk factors for MAFLD, the risk of developing MAFLD increases with these three exposure factors.

Safety and feasibility of laparoscopic surgery for colorectal and gastric cancer under the Chinese multi-site practice policy: admittance standards of competence are needed.

Background: The multi-site practice (MSP) policy has been practiced in China over 10 years. This study aimed to investigate the safety and feasibility of performing laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer (LSCRC) and gastric cancer (LSGC) under the Chinese MSP policy. Methods: We collected and analysed the data from 1,081 patients who underwent LSCRC or LSGC performed by one gastrointestinal surgeon in his original hospital (n = 573) and his MSP institutions (n = 508) between January 2017 and December 2020. Baseline demographics, intraoperative outcomes, post-operative recovery, and pathological results were compared between the original hospital and MSP institutions, as well as between MSP institutions with and without specific competence (surgical skill, operative instrument, perioperative multi-discipline team). Results: In our study, 690 patients underwent LSCRC and 391 patients underwent LSGC. The prevalence of post-operative complications was comparable for LSCRC (11.5% vs 11.1%, P = 0.89) or LSGC (15.2% vs 12.6%, P = 0.46) between the original hospital and MSP institutions. However, patients in MSP institutions without qualified surgical assistant(s) and adequate instruments experienced longer operative time and greater intraoperative blood loss. The proportion of patients with inadequate lymph-node yield was significantly higher in MSP institutions than in the original hospital for both LSCRC (11.5% vs 21.2%, P < 0.01) and LSGC (9.8% vs 20.5%, P < 0.01). Conclusion: For an experienced gastrointestinal surgeon, performing LSCRC and LSGC outside his original hospital under the MSP policy is safe and feasible, but relies on the precondition that the MSP institutions are equipped with qualified surgical skills, adequate operative instruments, and complete perioperative management.

Analysis of related factors of scheduled ICU before primary hip arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Methods for improving the safety of medical treatments for patients, reducing the occurrence of postoperative complications and optimizing medical resources for primary hip replacement are needed. Previous literature has mostly analysed the risk factors and constructed and models to predict a transfer to the ICU after surgery, and no reports on preoperative ICU reservations have been found. This study evaluated the risk factors for preoperative ICU reservation and considered the necessity of preoperative ICU reservations to optimize preoperative communication, enable a seamless transfer between the operating room and ICU, reduce postoperative complications and shorten hospital stays. METHODS: We extracted the data of 1488 patients who underwent hip replacement from the hospital case database from November 2017 to May 2021 and used the case-control test to divide the patients into the case group (scheduled ICU admission, 134 cases) and the control group (Not scheduled ICU admission, 213 cases). The general conditions of the patients before surgery, including sex, age, Charlson comorbidity index, laboratory test results, and anaesthesia methods, were collected and used as independent variables. The t test, rank sum test, and X2 test were used to analyse and identify significant factors with a P < 0.05. Then, these factors were entered into binary logistic regression analysis, and a ROC curve was used to test the efficacy of the regression model. RESULTS: In the data we collected, 134 patients were planned to be transferred to the ICU, and 213 patients were not transferred to the ICU. The two groups of data were analyzed by logistic regression. We defined the risk factors for preoperative ICU appointment in patients with primary hip arthroplasty, including age. (odds ratio (OR) 1.066, 95% (confidence interval) CI (1.039, 1.093), P < 0.001), general anesthesia ( (OR) 1.821, 95%CI (1.165, 2.845), P = 0.008), preoperative C-reactive protein ((OR) 1.016, 95%CI (1.010, 1.022), P < 0.05), preoperative alanine aminotransferase ((OR) 1.042, 95%CI ((1.016, 1.070)), P = 0.002). These were promoting factors for preoperative ICU appointment,and preoperative albumin ((OR) 0.0839, 95%CI (0.792, 0.889)), P < 0.05) was a protective factor for ICU appointment. CONCLUSION: For patients requiring primary hip replacement. Age, general anesthesia, preoperative C-reactive protein, preoperative alanine aminotransferase and preoperative albumin are the key points of our preoperative assessment. Paying attention to the changes of these indicators will help surgeons assess the patient's condition and contact the ICU in advance.These data can be fully understood by the patients' families, reduce the unnecessary use of medical resources, and optimize perioperative management.

Circular RNA VMA21 ameliorates IL-1ß-engendered chondrocyte injury through the miR-495-3p/FBWX7 signaling axis.

This study explored the function of circular RNA VMA21 (circVMA21) in osteoarthritis (OA). IL-1ß inducement reduced the expression of circVMA21 in C28/I2 cells and human primary chondrocytes. Forced expression of circVMA21 heightened cell viability and attenuated cell apoptosis, accompanied by upregulation of Bcl-2, and downregulation of Bax and C-caspase-3 in C28/I2 cells in response to IL-1ß exposure. CircVMA21 overexpression diminished the expression of MMP1 and MMP13, augmented the expression of COL2A1, and impeded the production of IL-6, TNF-α, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and NO. CircVMA21 served as a competitive endogenous RNA by sponging miR-495-3p. F-box and WD40 domain protein 7 (FBWX7) was identified as a target of miR-495-3p. The compensation experiments affirmed that circVMA21-mediated protective effects on IL-1ß-irritated chondrocytes through the miR-495-3p/FBWX7 axis. The role of circVMA21 was also confirmed in an OA rat model. Collectively, these findings revealed a protective effect of circVMA21in OA by intercepting the miR-495-3p/FBWX7 crosstalk.

c-Abl-induced Olig2 phosphorylation regulates the proliferation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells.

Oligodendrocytes (OLs), the myelinating cells in the central nervous system (CNS), are differentiated from OL progenitor cells (OPCs). The proliferation of existing OPCs is indispensable for myelination during CNS development and remyelination in response to demyelination stimulation. The transcription factor Olig2 is required for the specification of OLs and is expressed in the OL lineage. However, the post-translational modification of Olig2 in the proliferation of OPCs is poorly understood. Herein, we identified that c-Abl directly phosphorylates Olig2 mainly at the Tyr137 site, and that Olig2 phosphorylation is essential for OPC proliferation. The expression levels of c-Abl gradually decreased with brain development; moreover, c-Abl was highly expressed in OPCs. OL-specific c-Abl knockout at the developmental stage led to an insufficient proliferation of OPCs, a decreased expression of myelin-related genes, and myelination retardation. Accordingly, a c-Abl-specific kinase inhibitor suppressed OPC proliferation in vitro. Furthermore, we observed that OL-specific c-Abl knockout reduced OPC proliferation and remyelination in a cuprizone model of demyelination. In addition, we found that nilotinib, a clinically used c-Abl inhibitor, decreased the expression of myelin basic protein (Mbp) and motor coordination in mice, indicating a neurological side effect of a long-term administration of the c-Abl inhibitor. Thus, we identified the important role of c-Abl in OLs during developmental myelination and remyelination in a disease model.

Arthrobacter wenxiniae sp. nov., a novel plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria species harbouring a carotenoids biosynthetic gene cluster.

A bacterial strain, designated AETb3-4T was isolated from the rhizosphere of lily. Comparison of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the sequence from strain AETb3-4T exhibits high sequence similarity with those of Arthrobacter silviterrae KIS14-16T (97.9%), Arthrobacter livingstonensis LI2T (97.2%) and Arthrobacter stackebrandtii CCM 2783T (97.0%). Whole genome average nucleotide identity (ANI) and the digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between strain AETb3-4T and the reference strains A. silviterrae DSM 27180T, A. livingstonensis L12T and A. stackebrandtii DSM 16005T were below 83.6% and 27.7%, respectively, values which are considerably below the proposed thresholds for the species delineation, consistent with the proposal that strain AETb3-4T represents a novel species. The genome size of strain AETb3-4T is 4.33 Mb and the genomic DNA G + C content is 67.3%. The main polar lipids were identified as phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycero, phosphatidylinositol and an unidentified glycolipid. The major fatty acids (> 10%) were identified as anteiso-C15: 0 and anteiso-C17: 0. The predominant menaquinone was found to be menaquinone 9 (MK-9) (H2) (82.2%). Phenotypic tests allowed the strain to be differentiated from its close phylogenetic neighbors. Based on the results obtained, it is proposed that the strain AETb3-4T (= CFCC 16390T = LMG 31708T) represents a novel species in the genus Arthrobacter, for which the names Arthrobacter wenxiniae sp. nov. is proposed. In addition, the novel strain AETb3-4T has multiple plant growth-promoting characters including ACC-deaminase activity and production of IAA. Furthermore, the genome contains secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene clusters, including a carotenoid biosynthetic gene cluster, suggesting potential capacities for secondary metabolite synthesis. These data suggest that strain AETb3-4T may have potential applications both in medicine and sustainable agriculture.

The clinical effect of probiotics on patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a meta-analysis.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common chronic liver disease. The present study explores the clinical efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of patients with NAFLD by conducting a systematic search of relevant databases. The RevMan 5.4 software was used to evaluate the effects of probiotics on liver function (i.e. alanine aminotransferase [ALT], aspartate aminotransferase [AST], gamma-glutamyl transferase [GGT], lipid metabolism, blood glucose, inflammatory factors [e.g. tumor necrosis factor-α, TNF-α] and body mass index [BMI]) in patients with NAFLD. A total of 18 high-quality studies were included in the final meta-analysis. The results of the meta-analysis showed that the use of probiotics in the adjuvant treatment of patients with NAFLD improved liver function and reduced ALT levels (mean difference [MD]: -0.07; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -12.95, -7.19), AST levels (MD: -11.90; 95% CI: -16.55, -7.25) and GGT levels (MD: -8.61; 95% CI: -14.74, -2.48); additionally, the treatment effect was more obvious when the treatment time exceeded 12 weeks. Probiotic therapy reduced patients' triglyceride levels (MD: -9.71; 95% CI: -18.39, -1.03) and total cholesterol levels (MD: -22.31; 95% CI: -25.41, -19.21). Probiotic treatment improved patients' levels of fasting blood (MD: -8.22; 95% CI: -12.25, -4.20), insulin (MD: -2.68; 95% CI: -4.94, -0.41) and insulin resistance (MD: -0.72; 95% CI: -1.21, -0.24). Probiotic adjuvant therapy for patients with NAFLD reduced their BMI by approximately 1.67 (95% CI: -2.93, -0.41) and TNF-α levels. The adjuvant treatment of NAFLD with probiotics has a positive clinical effect, which is influenced by treatment time.

Hypoxia inducible factor-3α promotes osteosarcoma progression by activating KDM3A-mediated demethylation of SOX9.

Hypoxia/oxygen-sensing signally is closely associated with many tumor progressions, including osteosarcoma (OS). Previous research principally focused on the function of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α and HIF-2α as the major hypoxia-associated transcription factors in OS, however, the role of HIF-3α has not been investigated. Our study found that HIF-3α was upregulated in OS tissues and cell lines. HIF-3α overexpression facilitated cell proliferation and invasion, and inhibited apoptosis, whereas HIF-3α knockdown showed the opposite results. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that lysine demethylase 3A (KDM3A) expression was transcriptionally activated by HIF-3α under hypoxia, and KDM3A occupied the SRY-box transcription factor 9 (SOX9) gene promoter region through H3 lysine 9 dimethylation (H3K9me2). Additionally, rescue results revealed that KDM3A or SOX9 overexpression reversed the effects of HIF-3α silence on cell functions. The Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway inhibitor cucurbitacin I suppressed the promotive effects of HIF-3α overexpression on cell proliferation, invasion and TAK2/STAT3 pathway. Finally, OS cell line MG-63 transfected with HIF-3α short hairpin RNA (HIF-3α shRNA) were subcutaneously injected into nude mice, and the results found that HIF-3α knockdown significantly inhibited the xenograft tumor growth of OS in vivo. In conclusion, this study reveals that HIF-3α promotes OS progression in vitro and in vivo by activating KDM3A-mediated SOX9 promoter demethylation, which may provide a potential therapeutic mechanism for OS.

Caulobacter endophyticus sp. nov., an endophytic bacterium harboring three lasso peptide biosynthetic gene clusters and producing indoleacetic acid isolated from maize root.

A novel Gram-stain-negative, aerobic and rod-shaped bacterium with a single polar flagellum or a stalk at the end of the cell, was isolated from maize roots in the Fangshan District of Beijing, People's Republic of China. The new strain designated 774T produced indole acetic acid (IAA). The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain 774T belongs to the genus Caulobacter and is closely related to Caulobacter flavus RHGG3T, Caulobacter zeae 410Tand Caulobacter radices 695T, all with sequence similarities of 99.9%. The genome size of strain774T was 5.4 Mb, comprising 5042 predicted genes with a DNA G+C content of 68.7%.Three striking lasso peptide biosynthetic gene clusters and two IAA synthesis genes belonging to the TPM pathway were also found in the genome of strain 774T. The average nucleotide identity values and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values of the strain774T with its closely phylogenetic neighbours were less than 91.5% and 45.0%, respectively, indicating a new Caulobacter species. The major fatty acids of strain774T were identified as C16: 0 (27.7%), summed feature 3 (C16: 1ω6c and/or C16: 1ω7c) (12.6%) and summed feature 8 (C18: 1ω7c and/or C18: 1ω6c) (42.9%).The major polar lipids consisted of phosphatidyl-glycerol and glycolipids. The predominant ubiquinone was identified as Quinone 10. Based on the polyphasic characterization, strain 774T represents a novel species of the genus Caulobacter, for which the name Caulobacter endophyticus sp. nov. is proposed with 774T (= CGMCC 1.16558T = DSM 106777T) as the type strain.

Complementary and alternative therapies for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A Bayesian network meta-analysis protocol.

BACKGROUND: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a global pandemic, and its incidence is increasing year by year. At present, there are no definite curative drugs for the treatment of NAFLD in modern medicine. Surprisingly, complementary and alternative therapies play an important role and have special advantages. In this study, we will adopt Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) to evaluate the efficiency and safety of complementary therapy and alternative therapies for NAFLD. METHODS: We will collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to the treatment of NAFLD in PubMed, Cochrane Library, CNKI, and other databases. Two reviewers will screen the literature and extract data in line with the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and then assess the risk of bias according to Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool. The Bayesian NMA will be performed by Stata16.0 and WinBUGS1.4.3. RESULTS: Our study will compare and rank the efficacy and safety of diverse complementary and alternative therapies for NAFLD. CONCLUSION: This study can provide credible evidence for the efficacy and safety of complementary therapies and alternative therapies in the treatment of NAFLD. We expect to assist clinicians and patients to choose the optimal therapeutic regimen. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY2020120136.

Comparative efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese patent medicine for NAFLD in childhood or adolescence: A protocol for a Bayesian network meta analysis.

BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a common reason for chronic liver disease in children and adults. The increasing incidence of the disease has become one of the most critical public health problems in the 21st century, closely related to genetic and environmental factors. So far, apart from changing lifestyle and diet, modern medicine still lacks effective treatment measures. Chinese patent medicine has the advantages of apparent curative effect, overall regulation and fewer side effects. However, there is a lack of research on the simultaneous comparison of various Chinese patent medicines. Therefore, we used a reticular meta-analysis to indirectly compare the efficacy and safety of different oral Chinese patent medicines through standard reference. METHOD: We will conduct a comprehensive and systematic search of Chinese and English databases from the beginning to December 2020. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of oral Chinese patent medicine for NAFLD in children will be searched. The 2 researchers then independently filter the retrieved literature, extract the data according to the data extraction table and assess the risk of bias. We will perform a pair of meta-analyses and a Bayesian network meta-analysis. STATA and Win BUGS software will be used for data analysis. RESULTS: This study will thoroughly compare and analyze the differences in the efficacy of all kinds of TCPM in NAFLD treatment in childhood or adolescence. CONCLUSION: This study will provide reference and evidence support for clinical drug selection optimization. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study does not require ethical approval. INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 2020120068.

Isolation and screening of stress-resistant endophytic fungus strains from wild and cultivated soybeans in cold region of China.

In this study, we firstly reported the large-scale screening and isolation of endophytic fungi from nine wild and six cultivated soybeans in the cold regions of China. We totally isolated 302 endophytic fungal strains, of which 215 strains are isolated from the wild soybeans and 87 are identified from cultivated soybeans. Among these endophytic fungal strains, in the roots, stems, and leaves, 24.17% were isolated from roots, 28.8% were isolated from stems, and 47.01% were isolated from leaves, respectively. Most endophytic fungal strains isolated from the wild soybean roots were the species of Fusarium genus, and the fungal strains in the stems were the species of ascomycetes and Fusarium fungi, whereas most strains in the leaves were Alternaria fungi. To analyze the taxonomy of the obtained samples, we sequenced and compared their rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences. The data showed that 6 strains are putatively novel strains exhibiting ≤ 97% homology with the known strains. We next measured the secondary metabolites produced by the different strains and we found 11 strains exhibited high-performance synthesis of triterpenoids, phenols, and polysaccharides. Furthermore, we characterized their tolerance to abiotic stresses. The results indicated that 4 strains exhibited high tolerance to cadmium, and some strains exhibited resistance to acid, and alkali. The results of the study could facilitate the further exploration of the diversity of plant endophytic fungi and the potential applications of the fungi to practical agriculture and medicine industries. KEY POINTS: • 302 endophytic fungal strains isolated from wild soybean and cultivated soybean • 11 strains had high contents of triterpenoids, phenols, and polysaccharides • 4 strains exhibited high Cd tolerance, and a few strains with strong tolerance to acid and alkali solution.

Variovorax beijingensis sp. nov., a novel plant-associated bacterial species with plant growth-promoting potential isolated from different geographic regions of Beijing, China.

Two plant-associated bacterial strains were isolated from Beijing, China. The two strains possessed almost identical 16S rRNA gene sequences. However, REP-PCR fingerprint patterns discriminated that they were not from one clonal origin. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) value and the digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) value between the two strains were 99.4% and 94.7%, respectively, suggesting that they belonged to the same species. The 16S rRNA gene phylogeny analysis indicated that the two strains belonged to the genus Variovorax and were closely related to V. paradoxus NBRC 15149T and V. boronicumulans BAM-48T. Their phylogenetic relationship were confirmed in both phylogenetic trees constructed with house-keeping gene sequences and concatenated core genes of the genome. The ANI and dDDH comparisons among 502T and the most related type strains showed values below the accepted threshold for species discrimination. The genome sizes of strains 502T and T529 were 6.76 and 6.69 Mbp, respectively. The strain 502T had 6,227 predicted genes with DNA G+C content of 67.4 %. The respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-8 and the major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and diphospatidylglycerol. The major fatty acids of strain 502T were C10: 03-OH (26.2%), C16:0 (12.9%), C17:0 cyclo (14.5%) and summed feature 3 (21.4%). Furthermore, both strains showed the potential of plant growth promotion. Based on these results, the two isolates could be considered to represent a novel species of the genus Variovorax, for which the name Variovorax beijingensis sp. nov., is proposed, with 502T (= DSM 106862T = CGMCC 1.16560T) as the type strain.