First Report of Fusarium falciforme Causing Root and Rhizome Rot of Epimedium sagittatum in China.

Epimedium sagittatum (Sieb.et Zucc.) Maxim., a perennial herb, is an important medicinal plant, rich in flavonoids, and widely used in the treatment of sexual dysfunction, rheumatic disease, and cancers (Tan et al. 2016). In July 2022, a disease of root and rhizome was found on E. sagittatum aged 1-8 years in a planting area (266 ha) of Zhumadian City (32°58'12" N, 114°37'48" E), Henan Province, China. The disease incidence per field (660 m2) was around 10-15% in six randomly surveyed fields planted with about 10,000 E. sagittatum plants each. Symptoms included leaf yellowing, root and rhizome browning, rotting and necrosis, and eventually the whole plant wilted and died. Fifteen plants with symptoms were sampled to isolate the pathogen. Symptomatic tissues were cut into small pieces of 5×5 mm, surface sterilized with 75% ethanol for 30 s, followed by three rinses with sterile double-distilled water (ddH2O). The pieces were then surface disinfected with 0.1% HgCl2 for 30 s, rinsed three times with sterile ddH2O, placed onto potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates and incubated at 28°C in the dark for 5 days. Twelve deferent Fusarium spp. colonies were purified by excising hyphal tip onto PDA for cultivation. Pathogenicity test of all strains was performed. Only isolate GY2 could result in root and rhizome rot of host plant. Colonies of GY2 on PDA had abundant white aerial mycelia with yellow halo. Macroconidia were hyaline, falciform, with a slightly curved apical cell and blunt basal cell, 29.7~45.0 (average 38.3) × 4.5~6.6 (average 5.3) µm (n =50), with 2-3 septa. Microconidia were oval, or reniform, hyaline, 8.4~26.5 (average 16.5) × 2.7~6.0 (average 4.5) µm (n =50), with 0-2 septa. Morphological characteristics of isolate GY2 were consistent with those of the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) (Chehri et al. 2015). For molecular identification, a region of the translation elongation factor 1-α (TEF) and RNA polymerase second largest subunit (RPB2) of GY2 were PCR-amplified and sequenced using the primers EF1-728F/986R (Carbone et al. 1999) and RPB2-5f2/7cr (O'Donnell et al. 2010), respectively. The TEF and RPB2 sequences (GenBank accession nos. OR978135.1 and OR978136.1) of GY2 were concatenated for a phylogenetic analysis using the Bayesian method (Zhang et al. 2020). The phylogenetic tree revealed that isolate GY2 clustered with F. falciforme with a credibility value of 99%. Morphological and molecular results support identification of isolate GY2 as F. falciforme. A pathogenicity test was performed on 4-year-old healthy plants grown in pots. Twenty healthy plants were inoculated by pouring a 200 mL conidial suspension (1×106 conidia/mL) around the rhizome. Control plants received 200 mL of sterile ddH2O. All treatments were maintained in a greenhouse at 25±1°C and 80% relative humidity. The assay was conducted three times. After 20 days, similar symptoms as those in the field were observed on the inoculated plants, whereas controls remained asymptomatic. Fusarium falciforme was reisolated from the symptomatic plants and showed the same morphological and molecular characteristics as isolate GY2, fulfilling Koch's postulates. Fusarium falciforme was reported to cause root rot of tobacco (Qiu et al. 2023) and industrial hemp (Paugh et al. 2022). However, this is the first report of F. falciforme causing root and rhizome rot of E. sagittatum. Our study will contribute to the development of strategies for the effective management of this disease on E. sagittatum.

Blood Eosinophil Count and Its Determinants in a Chinese Population-Based Cohort.

INTRODUCTION: Blood eosinophil count has been shown markedly variable across different populations. However, its distribution in Chinese general population remains unclear. We aimed to investigate blood eosinophil count and its determinants in a Chinese general population. METHODS: In this population-based study, general citizens of Sichuan province in China were extracted from the China Pulmonary Health study. Data on demographics, personal and family history, living condition, lifestyle, spirometry, and complete blood count test were obtained and analyzed. A stepwise multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify determinants of high blood eosinophils (>75th percentile). RESULTS: A total of 3,310 participants were included, with a mean age (standard deviation) of 47.0 (15.6) years. In total population, the median blood eosinophil count was 110.0 (interquartile range [IQR]: 67.2-192.9) cells/µL, lower than that in smokers (133.4 cells/µL, IQR: 79.3-228.4) and patients with asthma (140.7 cells/µL, IQR: 79.6-218.2) or post-bronchodilator airflow limitation (141.5 cells/µL, IQR: 82.6-230.1), with a right-skewed distribution. Multivariate analyses revealed that oldness (aged ≥60 years) (odds ratio [OR]: 1.66, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.11-2.48), smoking ≥20 pack-years (OR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.20-3.00), raising a dog/cat (OR: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.17-2.52), and occupational exposure to dust, allergen, and harmful gas (OR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.15-2.15) were significantly associated with high blood eosinophils. CONCLUSION: This study identifies a median blood eosinophil count of 110.0 cells/µL and determinants of high blood eosinophils in a Chinese general population, including oldness (aged ≥60 years), smoking ≥20 pack-years, raising a dog/cat, and occupational exposure to dust, allergen, and harmful gas.

Applications and Challenges of Bacteriostatic Aptamers in the Treatment of Common Pathogenic Bacteria Infections.

The continuous evolution and spread of common pathogenic bacteria is a major challenge in diagnosis and treatment with current biotechnology and modern molecular medicine. To confront this challenge, scientists urgently need to find alternatives for traditional antimicrobial agents. Various bacteriostatic aptamers obtained through SELEX screening are one of the most promising strategies. These bacteriostatic aptamers can reduce bacterial infection by blocking bacterial toxin infiltration, inhibiting biofilm formation, preventing bacterial invasion of immune cells, interfering with essential biochemical processes, and other mechanisms. In addition, aptamers may also help enhance the function of other antibacterial materials/drugs when used in combination. This paper has reviewed the bacteriostatic aptamers in the treatment of common pathogenic bacteria infections. For this aspect, first, bacteriostatic aptamers and their screening strategies are summarized. Then, the effect of molecular tailoring and modification on the performance of the bacteriostatic aptamer is analyzed, and the antibacterial mechanism and antibacterial strategy based on aptamers are introduced. Finally, the key technical challenges and their development prospects in clinical treatment are also carefully discussed.

Effects of modified triangular flap for third molar extraction on distal periodontal health of second molar: A randomized controlled study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of flap design for impacted mandibular third molar extraction on the distal periodontal tissue of their neighbors clinically, immunologically, and microbiologically. Study design: This randomized controlled study comprised 100 patients who were allocated randomly to receive either a triangular flap or a modified triangular flap. The distal periodontal pocket depth, plaque index, bleeding on probing, the presence of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Prevotella intermedia, and the level of interleukin-1ß, interleukin-8 and matrix metalloproteinase-8 of adjacent second molars were measured at baseline, and 1, 4 and 8 weeks after surgery. Results: After 1 and 4 weeks, distal periodontal conditions of adjacent second molars deteriorated, along with an increase in subgingival microbiota and inflammatory factors in both groups. And compared to the modified triangular flap group, the triangular flap group significantly increased (p < 0.05). Prevotella intermedia, interleukin-1ß and probing depth were positively correlated in both groups. After 8 weeks, they returned to the preoperative level. Conclusions: In this study, both flap designs for impacted mandibular third molar extractions was associated with worse clinical periodontal indices, increased inflammatory biomarkers of gingival crevicular fluid, and more subgingival pathogenic microbiota within 4 weeks. But compared with the triangular flap, the modified triangular flap was better for distal periodontal health of adjacent second molars, which provides certain directions for clinical treatment.

Insights into the Mechanisms of Reuterin against Staphylococcus aureus Based on Membrane Damage and Untargeted Metabolomics.

Reuterin is a dynamic small-molecule complex produced through glycerol fermentation by Limosilactobacillus reuteri and has potential as a food biopreservative. Despite its broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, the underlying mechanism of action of reuterin is still elusive. The present paper aimed to explore the antibacterial mechanism of reuterin and its effects on membrane damage and the intracellular metabolome of S. aureus. Our results showed that reuterin has a minimum inhibitory concentration of 18.25 mM against S. aureus, based on the 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde level. Key indicators such as extracellular electrical conductivity, membrane potential and permeability were significantly increased, while intracellular pH, ATP and DNA were markedly decreased, implying that reuterin causes a disruption to the structure of the cell membrane. The morphological damage to the cells was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. Subsequent metabolomic analysis identified significant alterations in metabolites primarily involved in lipid, amino acid, carbohydrate metabolism and phosphotransferase system, which is crucial for cell membrane regulation and energy supply. Consequently, these findings indicated that the antibacterial mechanism of reuterin initially targets lipid and amino acid metabolism, leading to cell membrane damage, which subsequently results in energy metabolism disorder and, ultimately, cell death. This paper offers innovative perspectives on the antibacterial mechanism of reuterin, contributing to its potential application as a food preservative.

Application of the Reuterin System as Food Preservative or Health-Promoting Agent: A Critical Review.

The reuterin system is a complex multi-component antimicrobial system produced by Limosilactobacillus reuteri by metabolizing glycerol. The system mainly includes 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde (3-HPA, reuterin), 3-HPA dimer, 3-HPA hydrate, acrolein and 3-hydroxypropionic acid, and has great potential to be applied in the food and medical industries due to its functional versatility. It has been reported that the reuterin system possesses regulation of intestinal flora and anti-infection, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. Typically, the reuterin system exerts strong broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties. However, the antimicrobial mechanism of the reuterin system remains unclear, and its toxicity is still controversial. This paper presents an updated review on the biosynthesis, composition, biological production, antimicrobial mechanisms, stability, toxicity and potential applications of the reuterin system. Challenges and opportunities of the use of the reuterin system as a food preservative or health-promoting agent are also discussed. The present work will allow researchers to accelerate their studies toward solving critical challenges obstructing industrial applications of the reuterin system.

A case of Hb Rothschild (HBB: c.112T>A) with low pulse oximetry: a first familial presentation in China.

A 37-year-old Chinese man complained of recurrent dyspnea, with low pulse oximetry (SpO2) and normal partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) by blood gas analysis. The patient's P50 was elevated at 47.3 mmHg, while hemoglobin fraction by capillary electrophoresis revealed an abnormal HbD quantified at 43.2%. Further DNA analysis by whole exome sequencing (WES) identified heterozygosity for a mutation in exon 2 at codon 38 (HBB: c.112T>A, p.Trp38Arg), which decodes to a substitution of the amino acid tryptophan (Try) by arginine (Arg), known as Hb Rothschild. The patient's mother and daughter were also diagnosed to have low SpO2 readings and his daughter was confirmed to carry Hb Rothschild. This is the first known familial case of Hb Rothschild in China. As Hb Rothschild may be underdiagnosed in Asian descent, better understanding in this area would help avoid unnecessary cardiorespiratory interventions.

PKM2 regulates cigarette smoke-induced airway inflammation and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition via modulating PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy.

Cigarette smoke (CS) mediates inflammation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in bronchial epithelial cells, contributing to airway remodeling in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Cross-talk between metabolic pathways and cell signaling has emerged as an important focus of research in the field of inflammation. Here, we established in vitro and in vivo models of CS-induced COPD to elucidate the role of pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), a glycolytic enzyme, in CS-induced airway remodeling. Exposure to CS significantly increased PKM2 expression in lung tissues of C57BL/6 mice and BEAS-2B cells, which positively related to the levels of airway inflammation and EMT. Administering PKM2 inhibitor shikonin attenuated CS-induced airway inflammation and EMT process. Moreover, knockdown of PKM2 by small-interfering RNA (siRNA) decreased the release of TNF-α and IL-8, ROS and reversed the CS extract (CSE)-induced changes of N-cadherin and E-cadherin in BEAS-2B cells. In CSE-treated cells, we also observed enhancement of PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy, which were decreased by PKM2 siRNA. Furthermore, pretreatment with mitophagy inducer CCCP before CSE stimulation led to increased expressions of both nuclear and cytosolic PKM2, accompanied by reduction of TGF-ß-induced factor homeobox 2 (TGIF2), a repressor of TGF-ß1/smad pathway and EMT, while PKM2 knockdown restored the expression of TGIF2. Our results imply that CS induces PKM2 upregulation in airway epithelial cells, acting in synergism with PINK/Parkin-mediated mitophagy, which may initiate and exaggerate airway inflammation and EMT process. Further studies will be required to elucidate more molecular details and other pathways by which PKM2-mitophagy signaling regulates the effector function of airway epithelial.

Associations of residential greenness with lung function and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in China.

BACKGROUND: Studies on the association of greenness with respiratory health are scarce in developing countries, and previous studies in China have focused on only one or two indicators of lung function. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to evaluate the associations of residential greenness with full-spectrum lung function indicators and prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: This nationwide cross-sectional survey included 50,991 participants from the China Pulmonary Health study. Lung function indicators included four categories: indicators of obstructive ventilatory dysfunction (FEV1, FVC and FEV1/FVC); an indicator of large-airway dysfunction (PEF); indicators of small-airway dysfunction (FEF25-75% and FEV3/FEV6); and other indicators. Residential greenness was assessed by the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Multivariable linear regression models and logistic regression models were used to analyze associations of greenness with lung function and COPD prevalence. RESULTS: Within the 500 m buffer, an interquartile range (IQR) increase in NDVI was associated with higher FEV1 (24.76 mL), FVC (16.52 mL), FEV1/FVC (0.38), FEF50% (56.34 mL/s), FEF75% (33.43 mL/s), FEF25-75% (60.73 mL/s), FEV3 (18.59 mL), and FEV6 (21.85 mL). However, NDVI was associated with lower PEF. In addition, NDVI was significantly associated with 10% lower odds of COPD. The stratified analyses found that the associations were only significant in middle-young people, females, and nonsmokers. The associations were influenced by geographic regions. CONCLUSIONS: Residential greenness was associated with better lung function and lower odds of COPD in China. These findings provide a scientific basis for healthy community planning.

Clinical Predictors of High Blood Eosinophils in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Purpose: Elevated blood eosinophils have been implicated in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) progression and exacerbation. We aim to investigate clinical predictors of high blood eosinophils in a Chinese COPD cohort. Patients and Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study in Sichuan province, a Southwest province with high prevalence of COPD in China. All patients in this cohort were extracted from the Chinese Pulmonary Health study, a large cross-sectional study on COPD epidemiology in China. Demographics, personal and family history, living condition, spirometry and blood eosinophil counts were obtained. Univariate and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to determine predictors of high blood eosinophils. Results: A total of 375 COPD patients were included in this cohort. The median absolute blood eosinophil count was 138.8 cells/µL, and the prevalence of COPD with high blood eosinophils was 66.7% and 14.7% when using the thresholds of 100 cells/µL and 300 cells/µL, respectively. Univariate analyses indicated that male gender, lower body mass index, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), lower family income, raising pets and biomass use were significantly associated with high blood eosinophils (p < 0.05). Multiple linear regression model further revealed male gender (unstandardized coefficient (B)=66.125, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 16.350 to 115.900, p=0.009), age (B=2.819, 95% CI 0.639 to 5.000, p=0.012) predicted high blood eosinophil level, whereas HDL (B=-64.682, 95% CI -123.451 to -5.914, p=0.031) was a negative predictor for high blood eosinophils. Conclusion: This retrospective cohort study suggests male gender, oldness and lower HDL could be clinical predictors of high blood eosinophils in Chinese COPD patients.

Prevalence and impact of comorbid obstructive sleep apnoea in diffuse parenchymal lung diseases.

OBJECTIVE: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are increasingly recognized as important features in diffuse parenchymal lung diseases (DPLDs) with differed prevalence and impact reported. The aim of this study is to systematically review the prevalence of comorbid OSA and characterize its impact on clinical and outcome measurements in adults with DPLDs. METHODS: Publications addressing the prevalence of OSA in DPLDs and its impacts on DPLDs were selected from electronic databases. A random-effect model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of OSA. Odds ratios (ORs) or mean differences (MDs) were used to assess the associations of OSA with clinical and outcome measurements. Heterogeneity was quantified by I2 with 95% confidence interval (95% CI). RESULTS: 4 studies comprising 643 participants were included. Overall, the pooled prevalence of OSA among DPLDs was 72% (95% CI: 65-79%; I2 = 75.4%). Moderate-severe OSA was observed in 40% patients (95% CI: 28-52%; I2 = 90.8%). The prevalence was higher as 76% in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients than in connective tissue associated-ILD or sarcoidosis (60%). Although oxygen desaturation during sleep was greater in OSA group compared with non-OSA patients, there was no difference in lung function or systematic comorbidities between the two groups. The associations between OSA and the mortality or disease progression of DPLDs were also systematically reviewed. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, OSA is a common comorbidity in DPLD patients, affecting approximately three in four patients, which may exacerbate the nocturnal desaturation and have negative influence on the outcomes. Larger studies with more homogeneous samples are warranted.

Intimate Partner Violence and Controlling Behavior Among Male Same-Sex Relationships in China: Relationship With Ambivalent Sexism.

In this study, we examined intimate partner violence (IPV), cold violence, and controlling behaviors in male same-sex relationships in China, with a focus on the characteristics of IPV and controlling behaviors, and their relationships with ambivalent sexism. IPV was categorized as psychological aggression, physical injury, physical assault, and sexual coercion and was measured using the revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2), an eight-item scale measuring cold violence that was designed specifically for this study. Controlling behaviors were measured using a 34-item scale that was designed for this study, and sexist attitudes toward women and men were assessed using the short forms of the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI) and the Ambivalence toward Men Inventory (AMI), respectively. Participants (N = 272) reported instances of perpetration of or victimization by IPV and controlling behaviors within the past 6 months and indicated ambivalent sexism (hostile attitude toward men and women and benevolent attitude toward men and women [HM, HS, BM, and BS, respectively]). Almost 47.1% of the participants reported an experience of IPV, and the prevalence of cold violence and controlling behaviors was found to be 65.1% and 80.5%, respectively. Psychological aggression was the most common, followed sequentially by sexual coercion, physical assault, and injury in present study. We found a strong association between perpetration and victimization and that different forms of violence tend to co-occur in both IPV and controlling behaviors. As predicted, ambivalent sexism was positively correlated with IPV and controlling behaviors, specifically HS and HM. The results indicated the high prevalence of IPV and controlling behaviors among male same-sex relationships, and sexism contributing to this high prevalence.

Characteristics of Pulmonary Auscultation in Patients with 2019 Novel Coronavirus in China.

BACKGROUND: Effective auscultations are often hard to implement in isolation wards. To date, little is known about the characteristics of pulmonary auscultation in novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pneumonia. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore the features and clinical significance of pulmonary auscultation in COVID-19 pneumonia using an electronic stethoscope in isolation wards. METHODS: This cross-sectional, observational study was conducted among patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 at Wuhan Red-Cross Hospital during the period from January 27, 2020, to February 12, 2020. Standard auscultation with an electronic stethoscope was performed and electronic recordings of breath sounds were analyzed. RESULTS: Fifty-seven patients with average age of 60.6 years were enrolled. The most common symptoms were cough (73.7%) during auscultation. Most cases had bilateral lesions (96.4%) such as multiple ground-glass opacities (69.1%) and fibrous stripes (21.8%). High-quality auscultation recordings (98.8%) were obtained, and coarse breath sounds, wheezes, coarse crackles, fine crackles, and Velcro crackles were identified. Most cases had normal breath sounds in upper lungs, but the proportions of abnormal breath sounds increased in the basal fields where Velcro crackles were more commonly identified at the posterior chest. The presence of fine and coarse crackles detected 33/39 patients with ground-glass opacities (sensitivity 84.6% and specificity 12.5%) and 8/9 patients with consolidation (sensitivity 88.9% and specificity 15.2%), while the presence of Velcro crackles identified 16/39 patients with ground-glass opacities (sensitivity 41% and specificity 81.3%). CONCLUSIONS: The abnormal breath sounds in COVID-19 pneumonia had some consistent distributive characteristics and to some extent correlated with the radiologic features. Such evidence suggests that electronic auscultation is useful to aid diagnosis and timely management of the disease. Further studies are indicated to validate the accuracy and potential clinical benefit of auscultation in detecting pulmonary abnormalities in COVID-19 infection.

Subcutaneous injection of IFN alpha-2b for COVID-19: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: The global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection is ongoing and associated with high mortality. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous injection of interferon alpha-2b (IFN alpha-2b) combined with lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) in the treatment of COVID-19 infection, compared with that of using LPV/r alone. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection in Wuhan Red Cross hospital during the period from January 23, 2020 to March 19, 2020 were included. The length of stay, the time to viral clearance and adverse reactions during hospitalization were compared between patients using oral LPV/r and combined therapy of LPV/r and subcutaneous injection of IFN alpha-2b. RESULTS: A total of 22 patients were treated with LPV/r alone and 19 with combined therapy with subcutaneous injection of IFN alpha-2b. The average length of hospitalization in the combination group was shorter than that of LPV/r group (16 ± 9.7 vs 23 ± 10.5 days; P = 0.028). Moreover, the days of hospitalization in early intervention group decreased from 25 ± 8.5 days to 10 ± 2.9 days compared with delayed intervention group (P = 0.001). Combined therapy with IFN alpha-2b also significantly reduced the duration of detectable virus in the upper respiratory tract. No patient in each group was transferred to intensive care unit (ICU) or died during the treatment. There was no significant difference in the adverse effect composition between two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Subcutaneous injection of IFN alpha-2b combined with LPV/r shortened the length of hospitalization and accelerated viral clearance in COVID-19 patients, which deserves further investigation in clinical practice.

Identification of transcriptomic markers for developing idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: an integrative analysis of gene expression profiles.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) remains a lethal disease with unknown etiology and unmet medical need. The aim of this study was to perform an integrative analysis of multiple public microarray datasets to investigate gene expression patterns between IPF patients and healthy controls. Moreover, functional interpretation of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was performed to assess the molecular mechanisms underlying IPF progression. DEGs between IPF and normal lung tissues were picked out by GEO2R tool and Venn diagram software. Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) was applied to analyze gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome (KEGG) pathway. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) of these DEGs was visualized by Cytoscape with Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING). 5520 DEGs were identified in IPF based on six profile datasets, including 3714 up-regulated genes and 1806 down-regulated genes. Using Venn software, a total of 367 commonly altered DEGs were revealed, including 259 up-regulated genes mostly enriched in collagen catabolic process, heparin binding, and the extracellular region. For pathway analysis, up-regulated DEGs were mainly enriched in ECM-receptor interaction, protein digestion and absorption, and focal adhesion. Finally, 24 DEGs with degrees ≥10 were screened as hub genes from the PPI network, which were enriched in protein digestion and absorption, ECM-receptor interaction, focal adhesion, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, amoebiasis, and platelet activation. The present integrative study identified DEGs and hub genes that may be diagnostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets, and provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of IPF.

Single versus bilateral lung transplantation in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Lung transplantation remains the only curative treatment for end-stage lung disease, conferring a better survival for some IPF patients, but whether they should receive double lung transplantation (DLT) or single lung transplantation (SLT) is still controversial. The aim of this study was to determine which type of lung transplantation was more effective and relatively safe in IPF patients by meta-analysis. METHODS: Publications comparing overall survival (OS) or other perioperative characteristics between IPF patients undergoing SLT and DLT were selected from electronic databases. The hazard ratios (HRs) were abstracted or calculated to evaluate the survival outcome. Odds ratios (ORs) or mean differences (MDs) were used to compare the causes of death or perioperative parameters. A random-effect model was used to combine data. Heterogeneity was quantified by means of an I2 with 95% confidence interval (95% CI). The publication bias was estimated using the Eggers test with Begg's funnel plots. RESULTS: 16 studies with 17,872 IPF cases who met the inclusion criteria were included in this meta-analysis. SLT was associated with declined post-transplant FEV1% (MD = -15.37, 95% CI:-22.28,-8.47; P<0.001), FVC % (MD = -12.52, 95% CI:-19.45,-5.59; P<0.001) and DLCO% (MD = -13.85, 95% CI:-20.42,-7.29; P<0.001), but no significant advantage of DLT over SLT was seen in the overall survival outcome (HR = 1.08, 95% CI: 0.91-1.29; P = 0.391). Subgroup analyses for studies of follow-up period ≥ 60 months also showed similar results (all P-values>0.05). Moreover, there was fewer deaths attributable to primary graft dysfunction in SLT recipients (OR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.2-0.48; P<0.001), while more patients with SLT died of malignancy (OR = 3.44, 95% CI: 2.06-5.77; P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that DLT was associated with better postoperative pulmonary function, but there was no difference in long-term overall survival between patients undergoing DLT and SLT. However, further high-quality and large-scale studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Circulating syndecan-1 as a novel biomarker relates to lung function, systemic inflammation, and exacerbation in COPD.

Introduction: Patients with COPD often show increased systemic inflammation which is associated with lower functional status, greater exacerbation risk, and worse clinical outcomes. Syndecans (SDCs), a family of transmembrane heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs), have been found to involve in inflammatory processes in many chronic inflammatory diseases. The aim of this preliminary clinical study was to investigate the possible association between two SDCs, SDC-1 and SDC-4, with lung function, systemic inflammation, and risk of exacerbations in COPD patients. Method: Serum SDC-1 and SDC-4 levels were measured in 101 COPD patients and 57 health controls. Correlations between SDCs and other parameters were analyzed using Spearsman's rho. Receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the threshold value in differentiating disease status. Results: Although both serum SDC-1 and SDC-4 showed a downward trend in COPD patients, only SDC-1 levels were correlated positively with the ratio of FEV1/FVC and parameters of small airway obstruction. Besides, SDC-1 but not SDC-4, was negatively correlated with C-reactive protein (CRP) in COPD patients and downregulated in frequent exacerbators (FEs) of COPD. Using a cutoff value of 2.08 ng/mL, the sensitivity and specificity of SDC-1 to differentiate FE were 44% and 93.4%, respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, circulating SDC-1 may be a novel inflammatory biomarker associated with lung function and systemic inflammation in patients with COPD, which could also be useful to identify the risk of COPD exacerbation. Further studies should be performed to clarify the influences of SDC-1 on the pathogenesis and outcomes of COPD.

Corrigendum: Who Deserves My Trust? Cue-Elicited Feedback Negativity Tracks Reputation Learning in Repeated Social Interactions.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00307.].

Influence of the Perceived Infidelity of Online Sexual Activities (OSAs) on OSA Experiences Among Chinese Heterosexual Individuals in Committed Relationships.

Previous studies have revealed that many individuals in settled relationships engage in online sexual activities (OSAs). Considering this, this study examined the influence the perceived infidelity of OSA has on the OSA experiences of individuals in such committed relationships. OSAs involve viewing sexually explicit material, seeking sexual partners, cybersex, and flirting. Taking these specific activities, we measured perceived infidelity concerning OSAs by asking our participants (N = 301) to select either "yes" or "no" in regard to whether they believed each constituted an infidelity. Further, the participants also mentioned if they had engaged in an OSA within the past 12 months and whether they considered engaging in OSA in general as an infidelity. Our results indicated that men are less likely to perceive OSAs as infidelities, and also that they engage more frequently than women in all subtypes of OSA. More specifically, individuals who did not perceive OSAs to be infidelities engaged in more sexual-partner seeking, cybersex, and flirting than their counterparts. Furthermore, perceived infidelity was found to mediate the relationship between gender and OSA experiences. The findings indicate that perceived infidelity for OSA shapes OSA experiences and contributes to gender differences in terms of opinions on and engagement with OSAs.

Prognostic significance of pulmonary hypertension in patients with cystic fibrosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is frequently found in advanced parenchymal lung diseases like cystic fibrosis (CF), but the role played by PH in the clinical outcome of CF patients remains unclear. The aim of this study is to determine the influence of PH on survival in the CF population by meta-analysis. METHODS: Publications addressing the associations between PH and overall survival (OS) or other clinical characteristics in CF patients were selected from electronic databases. Odds ratios (ORs) or mean differences (MDs) were used to estimate the association between PH and the clinical characteristics. The hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were abstracted or calculated to evaluate the association between PH and CF survival outcome. Subgroup analyses were also conducted. RESULTS: Seven studies including 2141 CF patients who met the inclusion criteria were included in our meta-analysis. With respect to clinical features, PH was significantly associated with lower PaO2 (P < .001), higher PaCO2 (P = .02), lower forced expiratory volume in 1 second percent (P < .001) and lower forced vital capacity percent (P < .001). However, PH had no significant impact on CF patients' OS (HR = 1.29, 95% CI 0.81 to 2.06, P = .283). Furthermore, subgroup analyses also showed no evidence of prognostic role of PH in CF patients (all P values >.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the presence of PH was strongly correlated with worse blood-gas parameters and worse lung function, but surprisingly had no significant prognostic value on survival among CF patients. Further large-scale and prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.