A comparative analysis of phage classification methods in light of the recent ICTV taxonomic revisions.

Recent ICTV taxonomy updates significantly changed phage taxonomy, yet a thorough phage classification workflow doesn't exist. This study compares six categorization tools and establishes a novel multi-method approach, combining genome similarity and specialized protein analysis. Applying the method to APEC phage P151 showed consistent categorization across platforms. A possible workflow for phage classification is proposed; offering a versatile tool for phage research and development.

Pelvic floor muscle strength and influencing factors based on vaginal manometry among healthy women at different life stages: A multicentre cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess pelvic floor muscle (PFM) strength and influencing factors among healthy women at different life stages. DESIGN: Multicentre cross-sectional study. SETTING: Fourteen hospitals in China. POPULATION: A total of 5040 healthy women allocated to the following groups (with 1680 women per group): premenopausal nulliparous, premenopausal parous and postmenopausal. METHODS: The PFM strength was evaluated by vaginal manometry. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the influencing factors for low PFM strength. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Maximum voluntary contraction pressure (MVCP). RESULTS: The median MVCP values were 36, 35 and 35 cmH2O in premenopausal nulliparous (aged 19-51 years), premenopausal parous (aged 22-61 years), and postmenopausal (aged 40-86 years) women, respectively. In the premenopausal nulliparous group, physical work (odds ratio, OR 2.05) was the risk factor for low PFM strength, which may be related to the chronic increased abdominal pressure caused by physical work. In the premenopausal parous group, the number of vaginal deliveries (OR 1.28) and diabetes (OR 2.70) were risk factors for low PFM strength, whereas sexual intercourse (<2 times per week vs. none, OR 0.55; ≥2 times per week vs. none, OR 0.56) and PFM exercise (OR 0.50) may have protective effects. In the postmenopausal group, the number of vaginal deliveries (OR 1.32) and family history of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) (OR 1.83) were risk factors for low PFM strength. CONCLUSIONS: Physical work, vaginal delivery, diabetes and a family history of POP are all risk factors for low PFM strength, whereas PFM exercises and sexual life can have a protective effect. The importance of these factors varies at different stages of a woman's life.

Association of the urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with sex hormones stratified by menopausal status older than 20 years: a mixture analysis.

We examined the relationships between exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) metabolites and sex hormones in pre- and postmenopausal women from the 2013-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The study comprised 648 premenopausal and 370 postmenopausal women (aged 20 years or older) with comprehensive data on PAH metabolites and sex steroid hormones. To evaluate the correlations between individual or mixture of the PAH metabolites and sex hormones stratified by menopausal status, we used linear regression and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR). After controlling for confounders, 1-Hydroxynaphthalene (1-NAP) was inversely associated with total testosterone (TT), and 1-NAP, 3-Hydroxyfluorene (3-FLU), and 2-Hydroxyfluorene (2-FLU) were inversely associated with estradiol (E2). 3-FLU was positively associated with sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and TT/E2, whereas 1-NAP and 2-FLU were inversely associated with free androgen index (FAI). In the BKMR analyses, chemical combination concentrations at or above the 55th percentile were inversely connected to E2, TT, and FAI values but positively correlated with SHBG when compared with the matching 50th percentile. In addition, we only found that mixed exposure to PAHs was positively associated with TT and SHBG in premenopausal women. Exposure to PAH metabolites, either alone or as a mixture, was negatively associated with E2, TT, FAI, and TT/E2 but positively associated with SHBG. These associations were stronger among postmenopausal women.

Combining curcumin and aspirin ameliorates preeclampsia-like symptoms by inhibiting the placental TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway in rats.

AIM: Preeclampsia (PE) is a common medical complication of pregnancy characterized by high blood pressure and proteinuria after the 20th gestational week. This study aimed to investigate the potency of the combination of curcumin and aspirin in the treatment of PE and explore the underlying mechanisms. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The PE model was constructed in female rats by administering 0.5 mg/mL N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester from gestational days (GDs) 6 to 16. The pregnant female rats were divided into five groups according to the drug treatment. The curcumin or aspirin was given to the rats by tail vein injection (0.36 mg/kg) or gavage treatment (1.5 mg/kg BW/day) from GD4 to GD18. RESULTS: Treatment with curcumin and aspirin combination significantly reduced the systolic blood pressure and proteinuria in the PE rats. Meanwhile, in comparison to the PE rats treated with single-dose curcumin or aspirin, the rats treated with combined curcumin and aspirin showed significantly decreased sFlt-1, increased placental growth factor, and alleviated oxidative stress in both blood and placental tissues, which are abnormal in no-treated PE rats. Furthermore, dramatically decreased inflammatory cytokines secretion and TLR4 and NF-κB p65 expression in placental tissues were also observed in the PE rats with combined treatment compared to those of no-treated, signal-dose curcumin or aspirin-treated PE rats. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that the combined treatment of curcumin and aspirin significantly ameliorates the symptoms of PE in rats, which is most likely due to the inhibition of the placental TLR4/NF-κB p65 signaling pathway.

Isolation and identification of the broad-spectrum high-efficiency phage vB_SalP_LDW16 and its therapeutic application in chickens.

BACKGROUND: Salmonella infection in livestock and poultry causes salmonellosis, and is mainly treated using antibiotics. However, the misuse use of antibiotics often triggers the emergence of multi-drug-resistant Salmonella strains. Currently, Salmonella phages is safe and effective against Salmonella, serving as the best drug of choice. This study involved 16 Salmonella bacteriophages separated and purified from the sewage and the feces of the broiler farm. A phage, vB_SalP_LDW16, was selected based on the phage host range test. The phage vB_SalP_LDW16 was characterized by the double-layer plate method and transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, the clinical therapeutic effect of phage vB_SalP_LDW16 was verified by using the pathogenic Salmonella Enteritidis in the SPF chicken model. RESULTS: The phage vB_SalP_LDW16 with a wide host range was identified to the family Siphoviridae and the order Caudoviridae, possess a double-stranded DNA and can lyse 88% (22/25) of Salmonella strains stored in the laboratory. Analysis of the biological characteristics, in addition, revealed the optimal multiplicity of infection (MOI) of vB_SalP_LDW16 to be 0.01 and the phage titer to be up to 3 × 1014 PFU/mL. Meanwhile, the phage vB_SalP_LDW16 was found to have some temperature tolerance, while the titer decreases rapidly above 60 ℃, and a wide pH (i.e., 5-12) range as well as relative stability in pH tolerance. The latent period of phage was 10 min, the burst period was 60 min, and the burst size was 110 PFU/cell. Furthermore, gastric juice was also found to highly influence the activity of the phage. The clinical treatment experiments showed that phage vB_SalP_LDW16 was able to significantly reduce the bacterial load in the blood through phage treatment, thereby improving the pathological changes in the intestinal, liver, and heart damage, and promoting the growth and development of the chicken. CONCLUSIONS: The phage vB_SalP_LDW16 is a highly lytic phage with a wide host range, which can be potentially used for preventing and treating chicken salmonellosis, as an alternative or complementary antibiotic treatment in livestock farming.