Plasma Metabonomics of Human Adenovirus-infected Patients with Pneumonia and Upper Respiratory Tract Infection.

OBJECTIVE: Human adenovirus (HAdV) infection is common and can develop to serious conditions with high mortality, yet the mechanism of HAdV infection remains unclear. In the present study, the serum metabolite profiles of HAdV-7-infected patients with pneumonia or upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) were explored. METHODS: In total, 35 patients were enrolled in the study following an outbreak of HAdV-7 in the army, of whom 14 had pneumonia and 21 had URTI. Blood samples were collected at the acute stage and at the recovery stage and were analyzed by untargeted metabolomics. RESULTS: Over 90% of the differential metabolites identified between the pneumonia patients and URTI patients were lipids and lipid-like molecules, including glycerophospholipids, fatty acyls, and sphingolipids. The metabolic pathways that were significantly enriched were primarily the lipid metabolism pathways, including sphingolipid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and linoleic acid metabolism. The sphingolipid metabolism was identified as a significantly differential pathway between the pneumonia patients and URTI patients and between the acute and recovery stages for the pneumonia patients, but not between the acute and recovery stages for the URTI patients. Ceramide and lactosylceramide, involved in sphingolipid metabolism, were significantly higher in the pneumonia patients than in the URTI patients with good discrimination abilities [area under curve (AUC) 0.742 and 0.716, respectively; combination AUC 0.801]. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that HAdV modulated lipid metabolism for both the patients with URTI and pneumonia, especially the sphingolipid metabolism involving ceramide and lactosylceramide, which might thus be a potential intervention target in the treatment of HAdV infection.

Long-term spaceflight composite stress induces depressive behaviors in model rats through disrupting hippocampus synaptic plasticity.

INTRODUCTION: Long-term spaceflight composite stress (LSCS) can cause adverse effects on human systems, including the central nervous system, which could trigger anxiety and depression. AIMS: This study aimed to identify changes in hippocampus synaptic plasticity under LSCS. METHODS: The present study simulated the real long-term space station environment by conducting a 42-day experiment that involved simulating microgravity, isolation, noise, circadian rhythm disruptions, and low pressure. The mood and behavior of the rats were assessed by behavior test. Transmission electron microscopy and patch-clamp were used to detect the changes in synapse morphology and electrophysiology, and finally, the expression of NMDA receptor channel proteins was detected by western blotting. RESULTS: The results showed that significant weight loss, anxiety, and depressive behaviors in rats were observed after being exposed to LSCS environment for 42 days. The synaptic structure was severely damaged, manifested as an obvious decrease in postsynaptic density thickness and synaptic interface curvature (p < 0.05; p < 0.05, respectively). Meanwhile, LTP was significantly impaired (p < 0.0001), and currents in the NMDAR channel were also significantly reduced (p < 0.0001). Further analysis found that LSCS decreased the expression of two key subtype proteins on this channel. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that LSCS-induced depressive behaviors by impairing synaptic plasticity in rat hippocampus.

T Lymphocyte Subsets Profile and Toll-Like Receptors Responses in Patients with Herpes Zoster.

Purpose: Herpes zoster (HZ) is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), and 20% of healthy humans and 50% of people with immune dysfunction have a high probability of suffering from HZ. This study aimed to screen dynamic immune signatures and explore the potential mechanism during HZ progression. Patients and Methods: Peripheral blood samples from 31 HZ patients and 32 age-sex-matched healthy controls were collected and analyzed. The protein levels and gene levels of toll-like receptors (TLRs) were detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) by flow cytometry and quantitative real-time PCR. Further, the characteristics of T cell subsets and cytokines were detected via a cytometric bead array. Results: Compared to healthy controls, the mRNA levels of TLR2, TLR4, TLR7, and TLR9 mRNA in PBMCs were significantly increased in HZ patients. The protein level of TLR4 and TLR7 was significantly increased in HZ patients, but the levels of TLR2 and TLR9 were dramatically decreased. The CD3+ T cells were constant in HZ and healthy controls. CD4+ T cells were decreased in HZ patients, while CD8+ T cells were increased, resulting in an improved CD4+/CD8+ T cells ratio. Further, it was found that Th2 and Th17 were not changed, but the decreased Th1 and upregulated Treg cells were found in HZ. The Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg ratios were significantly decreased. Last, the levels of IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-γ were significantly increased, but IL-2, IL-4, and IL-17A had no significant changes. Conclusion: The dysfunction of host's lymphocytes and activation of TLRs in PBMCs were the important mechanism in varicella-zoster virus induced herpes zoster. TLRs might be the core targets for the therapy drug development in treating HZ.

Novel Sulfonylurea Derivatives as Potential Antimicrobial Agents: Chemical Synthesis, Biological Evaluation, and Computational Study.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a worldwide health threat and has already tormented humanity during its long history, creating an urgent need for the development of new classes of antibacterial agents. In this study, twenty-one novel sulfonylurea derivatives containing phenyl-5-vinyl and pyrimidinyl-4-aryl moieties were designed and synthesized, among which, nine compounds exhibited inhibitory potencies against Gram-positive bacterial strains: MRSA (Chaoyang clinical isolates), S. aureus ATCC6538, vancomycin-resistant Enterococci-309 (VRE-309), and Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633. Especially, 9i and 9q demonstrated inhibitory activities against the four bacterial strains with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 0.78-1.56 µg/mL, and quite a few of other MRSA clinical strains with MICs of 0.78 µg/mL, superior to those of the positive controls vancomycin (MIC of 1 µg/mL) and methicillin (MIC of >200 µg/mL). This is the very first time that sulfonylurea derivatives have been identified as promising inhibitors against different MRSA clinical isolates. In addition, all the MIC values of the synthesized compounds against Candida albicans were greater than 100 µg/mL. Since the reported anti-Candida activities of sulfonylureas were due to acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) inhibition, the molecular target against MRSA for the target sulfonylureas was thought to be a different mode of action. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were finally performed to understand the structure-activity relationships, based on which, significant differences were observed between their HOMO maps for compounds with strong antibacterial activities and weak anti-MRSA effects. The present results hence provide valuable guidance for the discovery of novel agents to treat bacterial infections, especially against MRSA.

Type 3 innate lymphoid cells as an indicator of renal dysfunction and serum uric acid in hyperuricemia.

BACKGROUND: Type 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) are a newly identified group of innate immune cells that participate in the progression of several metabolic diseases by secreting interleukin (IL)-17 and IL-22. These cytokines are associated with hyperuricemia (HUA) severity and development; however, the relationship between ILC3s and HUA remains unclear. OBJECTIVES: To determine the characteristics of circulating ILC3s in patients with HUA. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Type 3 innate lymphoid cells and their subsets were detected using flow cytometry in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 80 HUA patients and 30 healthy controls (HC). Plasma levels of IL-17A and IL-22 were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Clinical data of enrolled subjects were collected from electronic medical records. RESULTS: In patients with HUA, the frequency of circulating ILC3s was elevated and positively correlated with levels of serum uric acid and serum creatinine (Scr). Although there was no significant difference in the plasma concentration of IL-17A between the patients with HUA and healthy controls, positive correlations between plasma IL-17A and the concentration of serum uric acid and frequency of circulating ILC3s were observed in the patients with HUA. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with HUA, positive correlations were detected between circulating ILC3 levels, plasma IL-17A and serum uric acid. Therefore, ILC3s and IL-17A may be useful indicators of disease severity, and are potential new therapeutic targets in HUA.

[Study on mechanism of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata for treatment of osteoarthritis based on network pharmacology and molecular docking].

The mechanism of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata against osteoarthritis was investigated based on network pharmacology, molecular docking, and in vitro experiments in the present study. Osteoclast models were established via receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand(RANKL) and macrophage colony-stimulating factor(M-CSF) inducing RAW264.7 cells. Further, the influence of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata on the activity of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase(TRAP) was evaluated and the efficacy of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata in the treatment of osteoarthritis was verified. The active components of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata were obtained from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP) and literature, and the potential targets of the components were collected from SwissTargetPrediction. Osteoarthritis disease targets were searched in Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man(OMIM), Therapeutic Target Database(TTD), GeneCards, and DisGeNET. The intersection targets of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata and osteoarthritis were obtained by Venny platform. The protein-protein interaction(PPI) network was constructed by Cytoscape 3.8.2, and key targets were obtained based on topology algorithm. The Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery(DAVID) was used to perform Gene Ontology(GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. Finally, the mRNA expression of the key targets was determined by RT-qPCR and the binding activity between the components and key targets was validated by molecular docking. The results showed that Rehmanniae Radix Prae-parata inhibited the TRAP activity, thus inhibiting bone resorption by osteoclasts and treating osteoarthritis. By network pharmacology, 14 active components of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata and 126 intersection targets were obtained. The network pharmacology enrichment results revealed 432 biological processes and 139 signaling pathways. Key targets such as proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src(SRC), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3) and transcription factor p65(RELA) were obtained according to the degree in topological analysis. SRC was highly expressed in osteoclasts, which accelerated the development of osteoarthritis. Therefore, SRC was selected for subsequent verification, and Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata decreased the gene expression level of SRC. The molecular docking showed that acteoside, isoacteoside, raffinose had good bonding activity with SRC, suggesting that they might be the critical components in treating osteoarthritis. In conclusion, Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata can inhibit bone resorption by osteoclasts and balance the metabolism of articular cartilage and subchondral bone via acting on SRC, thus playing a therapeutic role in osteoarthritis. In addition, Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata may exert overall efficacy on osteoarthritis through other targets such as STAT3 and RELA, and other related pathways such as PI3 K-AKT and IL-17 signaling pathways.

Comparison of adenoma detection in different colorectal segments between deep-sedated and unsedated colonoscopy.

To investigate if deep-sedated colonoscopy affects adenoma detection in certain colorectal segment. Review of colonoscopy reports, electronic images and medical records of individuals underwent screening colonoscopy with or without propofol sedation between October 2020 and March 2021 from seven hospitals in China. A total of 4500 individuals were analyzed. There was no significant difference in ADR between deep-sedated colonoscopy and unsedated colonoscopy [45.4% vs. 46.3%, P > 0.05]. The APP of deep-sedated colonoscopy was lower than unsedated colonoscopy (1.76 ± 0.81 vs. 2.00 ± 1.30, P < 0.05). Both average number of adenomas and luminal distention score of splenic flexure and descending colon were lower in deep-sedated colonoscopy (P < 0.05), and average number of adenomas was positively correlated with an improved distension score in splenic flexure and descending colon (splenic flexure r = 0.031, P < 0.05; descending colon r = 0.312, P < 0.05). Linear regression model showed deep-sedated colonoscopy significantly affected luminal distention of splenic flexure and descending colon as well as average number of adenomas detected in splenic flexure (P < 0.05). Deep-sedated colonoscopy decreased adenoma detection in splenic flexure and the luminal distention of splenic flexure and descending colon compared with unsedated colonoscopy.

Alterations in bile acids as metabolic signatures in the patients with human adenovirus type 7 infection.

Objectives: The changes in metabolism by human adenovirus (HAdV) infection was unclear. The potential mechanism of HAdV-7 causing acute respiratory tract infection was explored. Methods: Totally 35 patients with HAdV-7 infection, 32 asymptomatic cases with HAdV-7 and 14 healthy controls were enrolled from an outbreak of HAdV-7 in the army. The serum samples were analyzed by untargeted and targeted metabolomics. The effects of differential metabolites were verified on HAdV-7 replication in an A549 cell line. Results: The untargeted metabolomics analysis revealed more significant changes in the classes of sphingolipids, polyketides, glycerolipids, fatty acyls, and carboxylic acids and their derivatives in the patients with HAdV-7 than in healthy controls. Two key metabolic pathways of secondary and primary bile acid biosynthesis were noted from pathway enrichment analysis. Targeted metabolomics analysis showed that the levels of unconjugated bile acids in the patients were significantly lower, while the levels of glyco- and tauro- conjugated bile acids in patients and asymptomatic cases were higher than those in the healthy controls. The profiles of cytokines and peripheral lymphocyte subsets obviously varied at different levels of bile acids, with significant differences after HAdV-7 infection. A cell verification test demonstrated that the replication of HAdV-7 significantly reduced when GCDCA and TCA were added. Conclusion: Bile acids inhibited HAdV-7 replication in vitro. Alterations in bile acids was metabolic signatures of HAdV-7 infected subjects, and our results suggested bile acids might play protective roles against HAdV-7 infection.

Characterization of an Endophytic Antagonistic Bacterial Strain Bacillus halotolerans LBG-1-13 with Multiple Plant Growth-Promoting Traits, Stress Tolerance, and Its Effects on Lily Growth.

Microbial inoculants are an important tool for increasing arable land productivity and decreasing mineral fertilizer application. This study was aimed at isolating and identifying endophytic antagonistic bacteria from lily (Lilium davidii var. unicolor) roots grown in Northwestern China and at evaluating their antifungal activity and plant growth-promoting characteristics. For this purpose, endophytic bacteria were isolated from plant roots, and plant growth-promoting strains were identified. One bacterial strain, isolated from the root part, was identified as Bacillus halotolerans based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis and was designated as LBG-1-13. The strain showed antagonistic activities against important plant pathogens of lily including Botrytis cinerea, Botryosphaeria dothidea, and Fusarium oxysporum. The highest percentage of growth inhibition, i.e., 71.65 ± 2.39%, was observed for LBG-1-13 against Botryosphaeria dothidea followed by 68.33 ± 4.70% and 48.22 ± 4.11% against Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium oxysporum, respectively. Meanwhile, the isolated strain also showed plant growth-promoting traits such as the production of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), siderophore, ACC deaminase, and phosphate solubilization activity. The strain showed ACC deaminase activity and was able to cleave 58.41 ± 2.62 nmol α-ketobutyrate (mg protein)-1 min-1. The strain exhibited tolerance to salt and drought stress in an in vitro experiment. The strain LBG-1-13 was able to grow in the presence of 10% NaCl and 20% polyethylene glycol (PEG) in the growth medium. Inoculation of Lilium varieties, Tresor and Bright Diamond, with LBG-1-13 enhanced plant growth under greenhouse and field conditions, respectively. All these results demonstrated that Bacillus halotolerans LBG-1-13 could be utilized as a good candidate in the biocontrol of lily disease and plant growth promotion in sustainable agriculture.

[Investigation of the Performance of Organic Contaminant Degradation by Fe2+/PDS Under Environmentally Relevant pH Conditions].

Peroxydisulfate (PDS) activation by Fe2+ has proven to be a promising method to abate emerging organic contaminants by generating reactive oxidation species. Nevertheless, this process may only achieve good decontamination performance under acidic conditions, which has markedly limited its application in real practice. To address this issue, we comprehensively investigated the performance of the Fe2+/PDS process toward some probe contaminants at different pH levels and explored the potential change in reactive oxidative species and the influence of oxygen. Both SO4-· and Fe(Ⅳ) were identified to be involved in the Fe2+/PDS process, and the types of these oxidative species did not change with varying pH values. Although dissolved oxygen could compete with PDS for Fe2+, especially at high pH values, this competition process was not the major reason for the declined performance of the Fe2+/PDS process, since 37.6%-100% of PDS could also be activated with the presence of oxygen. Instead, the overdosing of Fe2+could greatly inhibit carbamazepine removal, indicating that the nonproductive consumption of reactive oxidants by Fe2+should account for the declined performance of Fe2+/PDS under environmentally relevant pH conditions. Accordingly, the feasibility of applying zero-valent iron and sulfidated zero-valent iron was further evaluated, and the formation of corrosion products was characterized using X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. All these findings will improve our understanding about the Fe2+/PDS process and thus facilitate its application.

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.

Long-pulsed neodymium-doped yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser versus cryotherapy for the treatment of cutaneous warts: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Observational studies have shown promising therapeutic effects of long-pulsed neodymium-doped yttrium-aluminum-garnet (LP-Nd:YAG) laser on warts. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether LP-Nd:YAG laser was superior to cryotherapy for cutaneous warts. METHODS: In this study, 150 adult patients with warts were randomized equally to receive laser or cryotherapy every 3 to 4 weeks, for a maximum of 4 sessions. The primary outcomes were the cure rates at 16 weeks and 6 months; secondary outcomes included time to clearance of warts and treatment-related adverse effects. RESULTS: There was no difference in the cure rate for laser versus cryotherapy at 16 weeks (54.1% vs 46.7%, respectively) and 6 months (59.5% vs 57.3%, respectively). However, time to clearance of warts, up to 16 weeks and 6 months, tended to be shorter for laser versus cryotherapy (P = .04 and .08, respectively). Post hoc analyses showed a significantly higher cure rate for laser versus cryotherapy in 3 subgroups of human papillomavirus 2/27/57-induced recalcitrant warts but not in their counterpart subgroups. Laser had more mild adverse effects. LIMITATIONS: Single center. CONCLUSIONS: The overall therapeutic effects of LP-Nd:YAG laser were similar to cryotherapy, but laser may be more effective to relatively recalcitrant warts and may be associated with shorter time to clearance of warts.

Receiving Human Immunodeficiency Virus Serostatus Disclosure from Male Sexual Partners and Related Factors among Men Who Have Sex with Men Aged 50 and Above / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To investigate the rate and correlates of receiving human immunodeficiency virus(HIV) serostatus disclosure from their most recent male sexual partners among men who have sex with men(MSM) aged 50 and above. Methods With a geosocial networking application,we recruited participants through online convenience sampling to collect the demographic variables,behavioral information,receiving HIV serostatus disclosure,etc.Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to interpret the associated factors of receiving HIV serostatus disclosure. Results Overall,38.4%(398/1037) of participants received HIV serostatus disclosure from their most recent male sexual partners.The multivariable analysis demonstrated that the following populations were less likely to receive HIV serostatus disclosure from their most recent male sexual partners:participants with junior high school degree or below(OR=0.660,95%CI=0.473-0.922, P=0.015) compared to those with senior high school degree or above;participants unemployed(OR=0.537,95%CI=0.322-0.896, P=0.017) and employed(OR=0.663,95%CI=0.466-0.944, P=0.022) compared to those retired;participants without knowledge about HIV or acquired immune deficiency syndrome(AIDS) compared to those with knowledge about HIV/AIDS(OR=0.636,95%CI=0.466-0.868, P=0.004);participants having ≥2 male sexual partners in the last year(OR=0.433,95%CI=0.320-0.586, P<0.001) compared to those having none or one male sexual partner;participants never been tested for HIV(OR=0.544,95%CI=0.403-0.734, P<0.001) compared to those ever been tested for HIV;participants ever been diagnosed to have sexually transmitted infection(STI)(OR=0.472,95%CI=0.349-0.637, P<0.001) compared to those never diagnosed to have STI;and participants with higher level of HIV stigma(OR=0.742,95%CI=0.604-0.912, P=0.005). Conclusions Our findings indicated that the MSM aged 50 and above had low possibility of receiving HIV serostatus disclosure from the most recent male sexual partners.Education,employment status,number of sexual partners,HIV/AIDS-related knowledge,HIV testing behaviors,STI infection history,and HIV stigma contributed to this result.

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.

The Interface between Nanoenergy and Self-Powered Electronics.

In recent decades, nanogenerators based on several techniques such as triboelectric effects, piezoelectric effects, or other mechanisms have experienced great developments. The nanoenergy generated by nanogenerators is supposed to be used to overcome the problem of energy supply problems for portable electronics and to be applied to self-powered microsystems including sensors, actuators, integrated circuits, power sources, and so on. Researchers made many attempts to achieve a good solution and have performed many explorations. Massive efforts have been devoted to developing self-powered electronics, such as self-powered communication devices, self-powered human-machine interfaces, and self-powered sensors. To take full advantage of nanoenergy, we need to review the existing applications, look for similarities and differences, and then explore the ways of achieving various self-powered systems with better performance. In this review, the methods of applying nanogenerators in specific circumstances are studied. The applications of nanogenerators are classified into two categories, direct utilization and indirect utilization, according to whether a treatment process is needed. We expect to offer a line of thought for future research on self-powered electronics.

Paenibacillus apii sp. nov., a novel nifH gene-harbouring species isolated from the rhizospheres of vegetable plants grown in different regions of northern China.

Two nifH gene-harbouring bacterial strains were isolated from rhizospheres of different vegetable plants grown in different regions of northern PR China. The two strains possessed almost identical 16S rRNA gene sequences. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between the two strains were 99.21 and 93.6% respectively, suggesting they belong to one species. Based on 16S rRNA gene phylogeny, the two strains were clustered together with Paenibacillus rhizophilus 7197T, Paenibacillus sabinae T27T and Paenibacillus forsythiae T98T, but on a separate branch. Novelty of the species was confirmed by ANI and dDDH comparisons between the type strain 7124T and its closest relatives, since the obtained values were considerably below the proposed thresholds for the species delineation. The genome size of strain 7124T was 5.40 Mb, comprising 5050 predicted genes with a DNA G+C content of 52.3 mol%. The polar lipids contained diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and three unidentified lipids. The major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C15  :  0 (52.9%) and C16  :  0 (23.4 %). Menaquinone-7 was reported as the major respiratory quinone. The diamino acid in the cell-wall peptidoglycan was found to be meso-diaminopimelic acid. Based on phylogenetic, genomic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic data, the two isolates are considered to represent a novel species of the genus Paenibacillus, for which the name Paenibacillus apii sp. nov. is proposed, with 7124T (=DSM 103172T=CGMCC 1.15689T) as type strain.

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.

Rhizobium rhizophilum sp. nov., an indole acetic acid-producing bacterium isolated from rape (Brassica napus L.) rhizosphere soil.

A novel Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped and indole acetic acid-producing strain, designated 7209-2T, was isolated from rhizosphere of rape (Brassica napus L.) grown in the Yakeshi City, Inner Mongolia, PR China. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain 7209-2T belongs to the genus Rhizobium and is closely related to Rhizobium rosettiformans W3T, Rhizobium ipomoeae shin9-1T and Rhizobium wuzhouense W44T with sequence similarities of 98.2, 98.1 and 97.9 %, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on concatenated housekeeping recA and atpD gene sequences showed that strain 7209-2T formed a group together with R. wuzhouense W44T and R. rosettiformans W3T, with sequences similarities of 92.6 and 91.1 %, respectively. The genome size of strain 7209-2T was 5.25 Mb, comprising 5027 predicted genes with a DNA G+C content of 61.2 mol%. The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization comparisons among 7209-2T and reference strains for the most closely related species showed values below the accepted threshold for species discrimination. The major fatty acids of strain 7209-2T were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c and/or C18 : 1 ω6c) and summed feature 2 (C12 : 0 aldehyde and/or unknown 10.953) . The major polar lipids were found to consist of phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine and an unidentified aminophospholipid. The predominant ubiquinone was identified as quinone 10. Based on all the above results, strain 7209-2T represents a novel species of the genus Rhizobium, for which the name Rhizobium rhizophilum sp. nov. is proposed with 7209-2T (=CGMCC 1.15691T=DSM 103161T) as the type strain.

Aberrant resting-state cerebral blood flow and its connectivity in primary dysmenorrhea on arterial spin labeling MRI.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to clarify the resting-state cerebral blood flow alteration patterns induced by primary dysmenorrhea, investigate the relationships between cerebral blood flow alterations and clinical parameters of patients with primary dysmenorrhea, and explore whether brain regions with abnormal cerebral blood flow also feature functional connectivity changes. METHODS: Arterial spin labeling imaging and clinical parameters were acquired in 42 patients with primary dysmenorrhea and 41 healthy controls during their menstrual phases. Differences in cerebral blood flow were compared between the two groups, and the clusters with significant group differences were selected as the regions of interest for further statistical analyses. RESULTS: Compared to healthy controls, patients with primary dysmenorrhea exhibited increased cerebral blood flow in the bilateral precuneus, left posterior cingulate cortex, and right rolandic operculum. Among patients with primary dysmenorrhea, we identified a negative correlation between the cerebral blood flow in the right rolandic operculum and the visual analogue score for anxiety, and greater correlation between the functional connectivity in the precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex and the right middle cingulate cortex, and between the right rolandic operculum and the left inferior parietal lobule and the bilateral postcentral gyrus. DISCUSSION: Cerebral blood flow abnormalities associated with primary dysmenorrhea were mainly concentrated in the areas comprising the default mode network in primary dysmenorrhea patients, which could be involved in the central mechanism of primary dysmenorrhea. Cerebral blood flow alteration in the rolandic operculum may underlie an anxiety-induced compulsive tendency in patients with primary dysmenorrhea. Investigating the enhanced connectivity among various pain-related brain regions could improve understanding of the onset and development of primary dysmenorrhea.