Effects of Balanced Versus Saline-based Solutions on Acute Kidney Injury in Off-pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether balanced solutions can reduce the incidence of acute kidney injury after off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery compared with saline. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Single tertiary care center. PARTICIPANTS: Patients who underwent off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery between June 2014 and July 2020. INTERVENTIONS: Balanced solution-based chloride-restrictive intravenous fluid strategy. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary outcome was acute kidney injury within 7 postoperative days, as defined by the 2012 Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes Clinical Practice Guideline. The incidence of acute kidney injury was 4.4% (8/180) in the balanced group and 7.3% (13/178) in the saline group. The difference was not statistically significant (risk difference, -2.86%; 95% confidence interval [CI], -7.72% to 2.01%; risk ratio, 0.61, 95% CI, 0.26 to 1.43; p = 0.35). Compared with the balanced group, the saline group had higher levels of intraoperative serum chloride and lower base excess, which resulted in a lower pH. CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing off-pump bypass surgery with a normal estimated glomerular filtration rate, the intraoperative balanced solution-based chloride-restrictive intravenous fluid administration strategy did not decrease the rate of postoperative acute kidney injury compared with the saline-based chloride-liberal intravenous fluid administration strategy.

High Efficiency Flat-Type GaN-Based Light-Emitting Diodes with Multiple Local Breakdown Conductive Channels.

We investigated a flat-type p*-p LED composed of a p*-electrode with a local breakdown conductive channel (LBCC) formed in the p-type electrode region by applying reverse bias. By locally connecting the p*-electrode to the n-type layer via an LBCC, a flat-type LED structure is applied that can replace the n-type electrode without a mesa-etching process. Flat-type p*-p LEDs, devoid of the mesa process, demonstrate outstanding characteristics, boasting comparable light output power to conventional mesa-type n-p LEDs at the same injection current. However, they incur higher operating voltages, attributed to the smaller size of the p* region used as the n-type electrode compared to conventional n-p LEDs. Therefore, despite having comparable external quantum efficiency stemming from similar light output, flat-type p*-p LEDs exhibit diminished wall-plug efficiency (WPE) and voltage efficiency (VE) owing to elevated operating voltages. To address this, our study aimed to mitigate the series resistance of flat-type p*-p LEDs by augmenting the number of LBCCs to enhance the contact area, thereby reducing overall resistance. This structure holds promise for elevating WPE and VE by aligning the operating voltage more closely with that of mesa-type n-p LEDs. Consequently, rectifying the issue of high operating voltages in planar p*-p LEDs enables the creation of efficient LEDs devoid of crystal defects resulting from mesa-etching processes.

Highly sensitive and label-free protein immunoassay-based biosensor comprising infrared metamaterial absorber inducing strong coupling.

A mid-infrared label-free immunoassay-based biosensor is an effective device to help identify and quantify biomolecules. This biosensor employs a surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy, which is a highly potent sensing technique for detecting minute quantities of analytes. In this study, a biosensor was constructed using a metamaterial absorber, which facilitated strong coupling effects. For maximum coupling effect, it is necessary to enhance the near-field intensity and the spatial and spectral overlap between the optical cavity resonance and the vibrational mode of the analyte. Due to significant peak splitting, conventional baseline correction methods fail to adequately analyze such a coupling system. Therefore, we employed a coupled harmonic oscillation model to analyze the spectral distortion resulting from the peak splitting induced by the strong coupling effect. The proposed biosensor with a thrombin-binding aptamer-based immunoassay could achieve a limit of detection of 267.4 pM, paving the way for more efficient protein detection in clinical practice.

Marinomonas rhodophyticola sp. nov. and Marinomonas phaeophyticola sp. nov., isolated from marine algae.

Two Gram-stain-negative, facultatively aerobic, and motile rod bacteria, designated as strains KJ51-3T and 15G1-11T, were isolated from marine algae collected in the Republic of Korea. Both strains exhibited catalase- and oxidase-positive activities. Optimum growth conditions for strain KJ51-3T were observed at 30 °C and pH 6.0-8.0, with 1.0-7.0 % (w/v) NaCl, whereas strain 15G1-11T exhibited optimal growth at 30 °C, pH 7.0, and 1.0-5.0 % NaCl. Major fatty acids detected in both strains included C16 : 0, C10 : 0 3-OH and summed features 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c) and 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c and/or C18 : 1 ω6c). As for polar lipids, strain KJ51-3T contained phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), diphosphatidylglycerol, and two unidentified phospholipids, whereas strain 15G1-11T had PE, PG, and an unidentified aminolipid. Ubiquinone-8 was the predominant respiratory quinone in both strains, with minor detection of ubiquinone-9 in strain KJ51-3T. The genomic DNA G+C contents were 44.0 mol% for strain KJ51-3T and 40.5 mol% for strain 15G1-11T. Phylogenetic analyses based on both 16S rRNA gene and genome sequences placed strains KJ51-3T and 15G1-11T into distinct lineages within the genus Marinomonas, most closely related to Marinomonas arctica 328T (98.6 %) and Marinomonas algicola SM1966T (98.3 %), respectively. Strains KJ51-3T and 15G1-11T exhibited a 94.6 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity and a 70.7 % average nucleotide identity (ANI), with ANI values of 91.9 and 79.3 % between them and M. arctica 328T and M. algicola SM1966T, respectively, indicating that they represent novel species. In summary, based on their phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, and phylogenetic properties, strains KJ51-3T and 15G1-11T are proposed to represent novel species within the genus Marinomonas, for which the names Marinomonas rhodophyticola sp. nov. (KJ51-3T=KACC 22756T=JCM 35591T) and Marinomonas phaeophyticola sp. nov. (15G1-11T=KACC 22593T=JCM 35412T) are respectively proposed.

Coraliomargarita algicola sp. nov., isolated from a marine green alga.

A Gram-stain-negative, facultative aerobic, catalase- and oxidase-positive, non-motile, non-flagellated, and coccus-shaped bacterium, strain J2-16T, isolated from a marine green alga, was characterized taxonomically. Strain J2-16T grew at 20-40 °C (optimum, 30 °C), pH 6.0-10.0 (optimum, pH 7.0), and 1.0-4.0 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 3.0 %). Menaquinone-7 was identified as the sole respiratory quinone, and major fatty acids (>5 %) were C18 : 1 ω9c, iso-C14 : 0, C14 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0, C18 : 0, C16 : 0, and C17 : 1 ω8c. The polar lipids of strain J2-16T consisted of phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, two unidentified phospholipids, and three unidentified lipids. The genome size of strain J2-16T was 5384 kb with a G+C content of 52.0 mol%. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene and 120 protein marker sequences revealed that strain J2-16T formed a distinct phyletic lineage within the genus Coraliomargarita, closely related to Coraliomargarita sinensis WN38T and Coraliomargarita akajimensis DSM 45221T with 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of 95.7 and 94.4 %, respectively. Average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain J2-16T and Coraliomargarita species were lower than 71.2 and 20.0 %, respectively. The phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, and molecular features support that strain J2-16T represents a novel species of the genus Coraliomargarita, for which the name Coraliomargarita algicola sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is J2-16T (=KACC 22590T=JCM 35407T).

Three new nonenes from culture broth of marine-derived fungus Albifimbria verrucaria and their cytotoxic and anti-viral activities.

Three new nonenes, verrucanonenes A‒C (1‒3), were isolated from culture broth of marine-derived fungus Albifimbria verrucaria. These compounds were isolated using silica gel column chromatography, reversed-phase medium pressure liquid chromatography, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, and preparative HPLC. Their structures were determined using a spectroscopic method. Cytotoxicities of these isolated compounds to A549, DU145, HCT116, and HT1080 cancer cell lines were assessed. Compounds 1‒3 exhibited cytotoxicities to DU145 cancer cell line, with IC50 values of 23.4, 28.6, and 20.1 µM, respectively. Compound 2 decreased H1N1-induced cytopathic effects on MDCK cells in a dose-dependent manner.

Clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with COVID-19 on mechanical ventilation undergoing continuous renal replacement therapy.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly strained global healthcare, particularly in the management of patients requiring mechanical ventilation (MV) and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). This study investigated the characteristics and prognoses of these patients. METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cohort study gathered data from patients with COVID-19 across 26 medical centers. Logistic analysis was used to identify the factors associated with CRRT implementation. RESULTS: Of the 640 patients with COVID-19 who required MV, 123 (19.2%) underwent CRRT. Compared to the non-CRRT group, the CRRT group was older and exhibited higher sequential organ failure assessment scores. The incidence of hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic neurological disease, and chronic kidney disease was also higher in the CRRT group. Moreover, the CRRT group had higher intensive care unit (ICU) (75.6% vs. 26.9%, p < 0.001) and in-hospital (79.7% vs. 29.6%, p < 0.001) mortality rates. CRRT implementation was identified as an independent risk factor for both ICU mortality (hazard ratio [HR]:1.833, 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.342-2.505, p < 0.001) and in-hospital mortality (HR: 2.228, 95% CI: 1.648-3.014, p < 0.001). Refractory respiratory failure (n = 99, 19.1%) was the most common cause of death in the non-CRRT death group, and shock with multi-organ failure (n = 50, 40.7%) was the most common cause of death in the CRRT death group. Shock with multi-organ failure and cardiac death were significantly more common in the CRRT death group, compared to non-CRRT death group. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that CRRT is associated with higher ICU and in-hospital mortality rates in patients with COVID-19 who require MV. Notably, the primary cause of death in the CRRT group was shock with multi-organ failure, emphasizing the severe clinical course for these patients, while refractory respiratory failure was most common in non-CRRT patients.

The Factors Influencing Chronic Kidney Disease Incidence: Database from the Korean National Health Insurance Sharing Service (NHISS).

Background: The global prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing, with diabetes accounting for the highest proportion. We analyzed the influence of clinical factors on the incidence of CKD according to the renal function, primary focusing on patients with diabetes. Methods: We used the Sample Cohorts Database provided by the National Health Insurance Sharing Service (NHISS) in Korea. Participants aged ≥ 40 years who underwent a health checkup in 2009 were categorized into six groups based on their eGFR values (<60 mL/min, 60-89 mL/min, ≥90 mL/min) and the presence of diabetes. And all patients with CKD at 2009 screening were excluded. The participants were tracked from 2010 to 31 December 2019. The CKD incidence rate according to the eGFR values and the effect of the accompanying factors on CKD incidence were confirmed. Results: 148,089 people without CKD were analyzed. The CKD incidence rate was highest in those with eGFR < 60 mL/min with diabetes and lowest in those with eGFR ≥ 90 mL/min without diabetes. The CKD incidence rates were similar between the eGFR < 60 mL/min group without diabetes and the eGFR 60-89 mL/min group with diabetes. Compared to under 44 years of age, the hazard ratio of CKD incidence was 8 times higher in over 75 years of age. Men had a 1.7-fold higher risk of developing CKD than women. Current smoker, hypertension, dyslipidemia, myocardial infarction history, and atrial fibrillation and flutter increased the risk of CKD incidence. Age, diabetes, and baseline eGFR are important factors in the occurrence of CKD. As age increases, the risk of developing CKD in men increases compared to women. Conclusions: These results will be helpful in predicting risk groups for CKD and establishing strategies to lowering CKD incidence.

Association between Atherosclerosis and High-Risk Colorectal Adenomas based on Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index and Ankle-Brachial Index.

Background/Aims: Colorectal adenomas are precancerous lesions that may lead to colorectal cancer. Recent studies have shown that colorectal adenomas are associated with atherosclerosis. The cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) and ankle-brachial index (ABI) are noninvasive methods for evaluating atherosclerosis. This study examined the association between atherosclerosis and high-risk colorectal adenomas based on the CAVI and ABI. Methods: The data of patients aged ≥50 years who had a colonoscopy and CAVI and ABI measurements from August 2015 to December 2021 at the Kangwon National University Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. After the colonoscopy, subjects were divided into no, overall, and high-risk (size ≥1 cm, high-grade dysplasia or villous adenoma, three or more adenomas) adenoma groups based on the pathology findings. The data were subjected to univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: Among the 1,164 subjects, adenomas and high-risk adenomas were found in 613 (52.6%) and 118 (10.1%) patients, respectively. The rate of positive ABI (<0.9) and positive CAVI (≥9.0) were significantly higher in the high-risk adenoma group (22.0% and 55.9%) than in the no adenoma (12.3% and 39.6%) and the overall adenoma group (15.7% and 44.0%) (p=0.008 and p=0.006, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed a positive CAVI and smoking status to be significantly associated with high-risk adenoma with an odds ratio of 1.595 (95% confidence interval 1.055-2.410, p=0.027) and 1.579 (1.072-2.324, p=0.021), respectively. Conclusions: In this study, a significant correlation between positive CAVI and high-risk adenomas was observed. Therefore, CAVI may be a significant predictor for high-risk colorectal adenoma.

Primary nodal Epstein-Barr virus-positive T-cell/NK-cell lymphoma: Real-world experience.

PTCL-EBV is a disease entity newly recognized in the WHO-HAEMS5 and the ICC of Mature Lymphoid neoplasms classification. Previously, it was classified as a subtype within PTCL-NOS and was known to have a poor prognosis. However, the clinical feature and treatment outcomes are not well known. This retrospective observational study was conducted on patients diagnosed with PTCL-EBV at Samsung Medical Center through a pathology review from 2000 to 2020. We analyzed clinical data from 14 patients. We conducted an investigation of patients with PTCL-EBV into immunohistochemistry and analysis of survival outcomes for each treatment regimen. We analyzed both overall survival and progression-free survival for each treatment regimen. 25% were beta-F1 positive, and 67% were TCRγ positive. TIA-1 and granzyme B exhibited positive results in all cases, whereas the NK cell marker CD56 was negative in only 11% of patients. The CD3 was observed in all of patients. And, the CD4 was 43% positive. The CD8 were investigated in 8 patients, with 37.5% positive. Hepatosplenomegaly was observed in 55% of patients, and 70% of patients displayed B symptoms at the time of diagnosis. Patients who received CHOP or CVP treatment had a median PFS of 2.2 months (95% CI 1.9-2.5 months), and patients who received other treatments had a median PFS of 5.1 months (NA). The objective response rate (ORR) for ICE/dexa as the first or second line treatment was 100% (3 out of 3). But, ORR of CHOP or CVP as the first line treatment was 33.3% (3 out of 9). The median overall survival (OS) for the group that received HSCT after achieving a response was 34.6 months (95% CI 0-74.6 months), and the median OS for the group that did not receive HSCT was 5.0 months (95% CI 2.1-7.9 months) (p=0.04). In conclusion, in the context of PTCL-EBV, despite a limited sample size, the ICE/Dexa regimen shows potential benefits in terms of ORR and PFS. Furthermore, the application of HSCT following the attainment of a complete response may prove advantageous.

Three new phthalide derivatives from culture broth of Dentipellis fragilis and their cytotoxic activities.

Three new phthalide derivatives (1‒3) together with two known compounds, erinaceolactone B (4) and hericerin III (5), were isolated from the culture broth of Dentipellis fragilis. The chemical structures of 1‒5 were determined by analyses of their 1D-, 2D-NMR, and MS. The absolute configuration of 1 was determined by CD analysis. The isolated compounds were assessed for their cytotoxic activities against A549, DU145, HCT116, and HT1080 cancer cell lines. Compounds 1‒5 showed strong cytotoxic activities against DU145, with IC50 values ranging from 14.3 to 16.1 µM. Additionally, all compounds showed moderate or weak cytotoxic activities against all cell lines except for compounds 4 and 1 which showed no cytotoxic activities against A549 and HCT116 cancer cell lines, respectively. Against HT1080 cancer cell line, only compound 2 displayed moderate cytotoxic activity.

DERIVATION OF A MORTALITY PREDICTION MODEL IN CRITICAL CARE PATIENTS WITH CIRRHOSIS AND SEPSIS.

ABSTRACT: Objective : The aim of the study is to develop a predictive model for in-hospital mortality in critically ill patients with cirrhosis and sepsis, using clinical and laboratory data. Design : This is a retrospective cohort study. Setting: Medical and mixed intensive care units (ICUs) of a tertiary medical center. Patients : Cirrhotic adults were admitted with sepsis to the ICUs from January of 2007 to May of 2017. Interventions : None. Measurements and Main Results : Of 2,595 ICU admissions of patients with cirrhosis, 277 with first ICU admission for sepsis were included in the analysis, and 37% died in the hospital. Patients who stayed in the ICU for at least 6 h (n = 275) were considered for the multivariate model. Ten-fold cross-validation was used to estimate best parameter values and model performance, and the final model was chosen as the model maximizing area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve. Variables in order of impact were Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) III score, initial serum lactate, conjugated bilirubin, serum creatinine, model for end-stage liver disease score, age, body mass index, and serum hemoglobin. The final best model from cross-validation presented an area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.75, using a cut-point of 50% estimated probability, sensitivity and specificity were 0.46 and 0.90, respectively, with positive predictive value of 0.72 and negative predictive value of 0.74. These results were similar to the APACHE III only model (AUC = 0.74, sensitivity = 0.43, specificity = 0.89, positive predictive value = 0.69, negative predictive value = 0.73). Conclusion : The combination of initial serum lactate level, conjugated bilirubin, initial serum creatinine, model for end-stage liver disease score, age, body mass index, and serum hemoglobin did not yield meaningful improvement in the AUC and did not provide advantage over the APACHE III score for the prediction of in-hospital mortality in critically ill patients with cirrhosis and sepsis.

Relationship between Permanent Catheter Patency and Nutrient Score in Patients Aged >75 Years Requiring Renal Replacement Therapy.

Background: Malnutrition is common in patients undergoing hemodialysis and is a powerful predictor of morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to investigate the effect of nutritional status on permanent catheter patency in elderly patients aged >75 years of age undergoing dialysis using tunneled dialysis catheters; Methods: Records of 383 patients whose nutritional factors and body cell mass (BCM) were measured simultaneously at the start of dialysis between 14 January 2020 and 30 September 2023, at Chungnam National University Hospital, were retrospectively reviewed. The relationships between permanent catheter patency at 180 days and BCM parameters and clinical parameters were studied using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis. Results: Age and sexual differences were significant (p ≤ 0.05), and most of the BCM parameters and BCM were not significant (p ≤ 0.05), except for intracellular water. Permanent catheter patency was superior at low controlling nutritional status (CONUT) scores (p < 0.05). After adjustment for covariates, the CONUT score remained an independent factor associated with permanent catheter-patency survival; Conclusions: CONUT scores measured before the start of dialysis are expected to play an important role in predicting the prognosis of permanent catheter-patency survival in patients aged >75 years.

Association between Serum GDF-15 and Cognitive Dysfunction in Hemodialysis Patients.

Cognitive dysfunction is more frequent in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing hemodialysis compared with the healthy population, emphasizing the need for early detection. Interest in serum markers that reflect cognitive function has recently increased. Elevated serum growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) levels are known to be associated with an increased risk of decreased renal function and cognitive dysfunction. This study investigated the relationship between GDF-15 and cognitive dysfunction in hemodialysis patients using a retrospective analysis of 92 individuals aged ≥ 18 years. Cognitive function was assessed using the Korean version of the Mini-Mental Status Examination (K-MMSE), categorizing patients into normal (≥24 points) and cognitive dysfunction (<24 points). As a result, serum GDF-15 concentrations were at significantly higher levels in the cognitive dysfunction group (7500.42 pg/mL, p = 0.001). Logistic regression indicated an increased risk of K-MMSE scores < 24 points when serum GDF-15 exceeded 5408.33 pg/mL. After indoxyl sulfate exposure in HT22 cells, HT22 cells survival was decreased and GDF-15 expression in HT22 cells was increased. Similarly, exposure to indoxyl sulfate in mouse brain tissue resulted in an increased expression of GDF-15. This study highlights the potential of serum GDF-15 as a marker for cognitive dysfunction in hemodialysis patients, offering a valuable screening tool. Serum GDF-15 is related to cognitive dysfunction in hemodialysis patients and may be helpful in screening for cognitive dysfunction in hemodialysis patients.

Endovascular Treatment of Traumatic Vascular Injuries in the Head and Neck Region.

Background and Objectives: Traumatic vascular injuries of the head and neck pose significant treatment challenges due to the complex anatomy, diverse clinical presentation, and mostly emergent nature. Endovascular treatment increasingly complements traditional surgical approaches. This study aimed to report our 10-year experience in treating traumatic vascular injuries of the head and neck with endovascular therapy and to determine the effectiveness of endovascular treatment. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of 21 patients treated for head and neck vascular injuries between May 2011 and April 2021 was performed. Patients' medical histories, clinical presentations, imaging findings, treatment materials, and clinical outcomes were reviewed. Treatments included stenting, coil embolization, and other endovascular techniques focused on hemostasis and preservation of the parent vessel. Results: The most common injuries involved the internal maxillary artery branches (n = 11), followed by the common or internal carotid artery (n = 6), vertebral artery (n = 3), and others. Endovascular treatment achieved successful hemostasis in all but one case. In five of six carotid artery injuries and two of three vertebral artery injuries, we achieved successful hemostasis while preserving the parent vessel using covered and bare stents, respectively. Conclusions: Endovascular therapy might be a useful treatment modality for traumatic vascular injuries in the head and neck region, offering efficacy, safety, and a minimally invasive approach.

Efficacy of Single-Bolus Administration of Remimazolam During Induction of Anesthesia in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery: A Prospective, Single-Center, Randomized Controlled Study.

BACKGROUND: Remimazolam is a recently marketed ultrashort-acting benzodiazepine. This drug is considered safe and effective during general anesthesia; however, limited information is available about its effects on patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and hemodynamic stability of a bolus administration of remimazolam during anesthesia induction in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. METHODS: Patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery were randomly assigned to any 1 of the following 3 groups: anesthesia induction with a continuous infusion of remimazolam 6 mg/kg/h (continuous group), a single-bolus injection of remimazolam 0.1 mg/kg (bolus 0.1 group), or a single-bolus injection of remimazolam 0.2 mg/kg (bolus 0.2 group). Time to loss of responsiveness, defined as modified Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation Scale <3, and changes in hemodynamic status during anesthetic induction were measured. RESULTS: Times to loss of responsiveness were 137 ± 20, 71 ± 35, and 48 ± 9 seconds in the continuous, bolus 0.1, and bolus 0.2 groups, respectively. The greatest mean difference was observed between the continuous and bolus 0.2 groups (89.0, 95% confidence interval [CI], 79.1-98.9), followed by the continuous and bolus 0.1 groups (65.8, 95% CI, 46.9-84.7), and lastly between the bolus 0.2 and bolus 0.1 groups (23.2, 95% CI, 6.6-39.8). No significant differences were found in terms of arterial blood pressures and heart rates of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: A single-bolus injection of remimazolam provided efficient anesthetic induction in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. A 0.2 mg/kg bolus injection of remimazolam resulted in the shortest time to loss of responsiveness among the 3 groups, without significantly altering the hemodynamic parameters. Therefore, this dosing can be considered a favorable anesthetic induction method for patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Roseibium algicola sp. nov. and Roseibium porphyridii sp. nov., isolated from marine red algae.

Two Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic rods, designated as RMAR6-6T and KMA01T, exhibiting catalase- and oxidase-positive activities, were isolated from marine red algae in the Republic of Korea. Cells of strain RMAR6-6T exhibited flagellar motility, while those of strain KMA01T were non-motile. Strain RMAR6-6T exhibited optimal growth at 30-35°C and pH 7.0-8.0 with 4.0-6.0 % (w/v) NaCl, while strain KMA01T grew optimally at 30-35 °C, pH 7.0-8.0 and 2.0-5.0% NaCl. Both strains shared common major respiratory isoprenoid quinone (ubiquinone-10), cellular fatty acids (C18 : 0, C18: 1 ω7c 11-methyl, C20 : 1 ω7c and summed feature 8) and polar lipids (phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine and sulphoquinovosyldiacylglycerol). The genomic DNA G+C contents were 59.0 and 55.0 mol% for strains RMAR6-6T and KMA01T, respectively. With 98.5 % 16S rRNA gene similarity, 75.2 % average nucleotide identity (ANI) and 19.8 % digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values, strains RMAR6-6T and KMA01T were identified as representing distinct species. Phylogenetic analyses based on both 16S rRNA gene and genome sequences revealed that strains RMAR6-6T and KMA01T formed distinct phylogenic lineages within the genus Roseibium, most closely related to Roseibium aggregatum IAM 12614T and Roseibium album CECT 5094T, respectively. The ANI and dDDH values between strain RMAR6-6T and R. aggregatum IAM 12614T were 87.5 and 33.3 %, respectively. Similarly, the values between KMA01T and R. album CECT 5094T were 74.2 % (ANI) and 19.3 % (dDDH). Based on phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and molecular characteristics, strains RMAR6-6T and KMA01T represent two novel species of the genus Roseibium, for which the names R. algicola sp. nov. (RMAR6-6T=KACC 22482T=JCM 34977T) and R. porphyridii sp. nov. (KMA01T=KACC 22479T=JCM 34597T) are proposed, respectively.

Comparative pangenome analysis of Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus lactis provides new insights into the adaptive evolution by horizontal gene acquisitions.

BACKGROUND: Enterococcus faecium and E. lactis are phylogenetically closely related lactic acid bacteria that are ubiquitous in nature and are known to be beneficial or pathogenic. Despite their considerable industrial and clinical importance, comprehensive studies on their evolutionary relationships and genomic, metabolic, and pathogenic traits are still lacking. Therefore, we conducted comparative pangenome analyses using all available dereplicated genomes of these species. RESULTS: E. faecium was divided into two subclades: subclade I, comprising strains derived from humans, animals, and food, and the more recent phylogenetic subclade II, consisting exclusively of human-derived strains. In contrast, E. lactis strains, isolated from diverse sources including foods, humans, animals, and the environment, did not display distinct clustering based on their isolation sources. Despite having similar metabolic features, noticeable genomic differences were observed between E. faecium subclades I and II, as well as E. lactis. Notably, E. faecium subclade II strains exhibited significantly larger genome sizes and higher gene counts compared to both E. faecium subclade I and E. lactis strains. Furthermore, they carried a higher abundance of antibiotic resistance, virulence, bacteriocin, and mobile element genes. Phylogenetic analysis of antibiotic resistance and virulence genes suggests that E. faecium subclade II strains likely acquired these genes through horizontal gene transfer, facilitating their effective adaptation in response to antibiotic use in humans. CONCLUSIONS: Our study offers valuable insights into the adaptive evolution of E. faecium strains, enabling their survival as pathogens in the human environment through horizontal gene acquisitions.

Comparative pangenome analysis of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus oryzae reveals their phylogenetic, genomic, and metabolic homogeneity.

Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus oryzae are closely related fungal species with contrasting roles in food safety and fermentation. To comprehensively investigate their phylogenetic, genomic, and metabolic characteristics, we conducted an extensive comparative pangenome analysis using complete, dereplicated genome sets for both species. Phylogenetic analyses, employing both the entirety of the identified single-copy orthologous genes and six housekeeping genes commonly used for fungal classification, did not reveal clear differentiation between A. flavus and A. oryzae genomes. Upon analyzing the aflatoxin biosynthesis gene clusters within the genomes, we observed that non-aflatoxin-producing strains were dispersed throughout the phylogenetic tree, encompassing both A. flavus and A. oryzae strains. This suggests that aflatoxin production is not a distinguishing trait between the two species. Furthermore, A. oryzae and A. flavus strains displayed remarkably similar genomic attributes, including genome sizes, gene contents, and G + C contents, as well as metabolic features and pathways. The profiles of CAZyme genes and secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene clusters within the genomes of both species further highlight their similarity. Collectively, these findings challenge the conventional differentiation of A. flavus and A. oryzae as distinct species and highlight their phylogenetic, genomic, and metabolic homogeneity, potentially indicating that they may indeed belong to the same species.

Rapid detection and identification of microplastics from nonchemically treated soil with CARS microspectroscopy.

In conventional microplastic (MP) analysis, acid or alkaline digestion is a necessary pretreatment step to remove residual organic matter from environmental samples. However, such a digestion process is not only cumbersome and time-consuming, but also possibly cause severe chemical damage to the MP itself, often making accurate MP characterization difficult. This study demonstrates that broadband coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microspectroscopy is useful for rapidly detecting and identifying MPs in natural soil without any digestion process. A feasibility test is performed with soil samples, which are known to require the most complicated chemical pretreatment for MP analysis, deliberately mixed with various MP particles. The C-H bond-specific CARS imaging and spectral analysis allow rapid MP particle search and chemical identification even in the presence of other residual particles and strongly fluorescent substances from the soil. It is anticipated that this nondestructive, chemical pretreatment-free CARS approach will be a beneficial tool for studying the ecological impacts of MPs absorbed by terrestrial life, such as plants and soil organisms, as well as for complementary analysis of MPs subject to chemical degradation by digestion in investigating the environmental contamination of the MPs.