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Background: The diagnostic criteria for Parkinson's disease (PD) remain complex, which is especially problematic for nonmovement disorder experts. A test is required to establish a diagnosis of PD with improved accuracy and reproducibility. Objective: The study aimed to investigate the sensitivity and specificity of tests using sniffer dogs to diagnose PD. Methods: A prospective, diagnostic case‐control study was conducted in four tertiary medical centers in China to evaluate the accuracy of sniffer dogs to distinguish between 109 clinically established medicated patients with PD, 654 subjects without PD, 37 drug‐naïve patients with PD, and 185 non‐PD controls. The primary outcomes were sensitivity and specificity of sniffer dog's identification. Results: In the study with patients who were medicated, when two or all three sniffer dogs yielded positive detection results in a sample tested, the index test sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios were 91% (95% CI: 84%–96%), 95% (95% CI: 93%–97%), and 19.16 (95% CI: 13.52–27.16) and 0.10 (95% CI: 0.05–0.17), respectively. The corresponding sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios in patients who were drug‐naïve were 89% (95% CI: 75%–96%), 86% (95% CI: 81%–91%), and 6.6 (95% CI: 4.51–9.66) and 0.13 (95% CI: 0.05–0.32), respectively. Conclusions: Tests using sniffer dogs may be a useful, noninvasive, fast, and cost‐effective method to identify patients with PD in community screening and health prevention checkups as well as in neurological practice. © 2022 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microbial community of acid mine drainage (AMD) fascinates researchers by their adaption and roles in shaping the environment. Molecular surveys have recently helped to enhance the understanding of the distribution, adaption strategy, and ecological function of microbial communities in extreme AMD environments. However, the interactions between the environment and microbial community of extremely acidic AMD (pH <3) from different mining areas kept unanswered questions. Here, we measured physicochemical parameters and profiled the microbial community of AMD collected from four mining areas with different mineral types to provide a better understanding of biogeochemical processes within the extremely acidic water environment. The prominent physicochemical differences across the four mining areas were in SO42−, metal ions, and temperature, and distinct microbial diversity and community assemblages were also discovered in these areas. Mg2+ and SO42− were the predominant factors determining the microbial structure and prevalence of dominant taxa in AMD. Leptospirillum , Ferroplasma , and Acidithiobacillus were abundant but showed different occurrence patterns in AMD from different mining areas. More diverse communities and functional redundancy were identified in AMD of polymetallic mining areas compared with AMD of copper mining areas. Functional prediction revealed iron, sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon metabolisms driven by microorganisms were significantly correlated with Mg2+ and SO42−, Ca2+, temperature, and Fe2+, which distinguish microbial communities of copper mine AMD from that of polymetallic mine AMD. In summary, microbial diversity, composition, and metabolic potential were mainly shaped by Mg2+ and SO42− concentrations of AMD, suggesting that the substrate concentrations may contribute to the distinct microbiological profiles of AMD from different mining areas. These findings highlight the microbial community structure in extremely acidic AMD forming by types of minerals and the interactions of physicochemical parameters and microbiology, providing more clues of the microbial ecological function and adaptation mechanisms in the extremely acidic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating the ratcheting behavior of magnesium alloys is significant for the structure's reliable design. The uniaxial ratcheting behavior of AZ31B magnesium alloy is studied by the asymmetric cyclic stress-controlled experiments at room temperature. A modified kinematic hardening model is established to describe the uniaxial ratcheting behavior of the studied alloy. In the modified model, the material parameter m is improved as an exponential function of the maximum equivalent stress. The modified model can be used to predict the ratcheting strain evolution of the studied alloy under the single-step and multi-step asymmetric stress-controlled cyclic loadings. Additionally, due to the significant effect of twinning on the plastic deformation of magnesium alloy, the relationship between the material parameter m and the linear density of twins is discussed. It is found that there is a linear relationship between the material parameter m and the linear density of twins induced by the cyclic loadings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The uniaxial low-cycle fatigue behavior of hot-rolled AZ91 magnesium alloy was investigated by asymmetric cyclic stress-controlled experiments at room temperature. The effects of the sampling direction, peak stress and stress ratio on the fatigue life were discussed. The fatigue life increases with increasing the stress ratio or decreasing the peak stress. Due to the anisotropic property, the specimen in transverse direction shows superior fatigue resistance. Considering the effects of mean stress on the fatigue strength coefficient and fatigue strength exponent, a modified Basquin model was proposed and validated to evaluate the fatigue life of AZ91 magnesium alloy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Two acidophilic strains, designated as ALEF1 T and S30H14 T , were isolated from acid mine drainage sediment. Cells of both strains were Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, endospore-forming rods. Strains ALEF1 T and S30H14 T were acidophilic and mesophilic, the former grew at 20-40 °C (optimum, 30 °C) and pH 2.5-4.5 (optimum, pH 3.5), while the latter grew at 20-45 °C (optimum, 30 °C) and pH 2.0-5.5 (optimum, pH 4.5). The 16S rRNA gene-based sequence analysis revealed that strains ALEF1 T and S30H14 T belonged to the genus Alicyclobacillus , and were phylogenetically close to Alicyclobacillus ferrooxydans TC-34 T with 97.1 and 97.4% similarity, respectively. The similarity between the two novel strains was 98.6 %. The average nucleotide identity value between the genome sequences of ALEF1 T and S30H14 T was 79.5 %, and that between each of the two isolates and A. ferrooxydans TC-34 T were 72.0 and 74.3 %. In addition, the digital DNA-DNA hybridization value between ALEF1 T and S30H14 T was 24.9 %, between strain ALEF1 T and A. ferrooxydans TC-34 T was 21.7 %, and between S30H14 T and A. ferrooxydans TC-34 T was 26.3 %, far below the interspecies threshold. Both strains could utilize diverse carbon sources for heterotrophic growth; strain ALEF1 T could utilize ferrous iron as the energy source for autotrophic growth. Menaquinone 7 was the only quinone detected in either strain. Both strains contained anteiso-C 15 : 0 and anteiso-C 17 : 0 , while ω -alicyclic fatty acids were not detected. Based on their phylogenetic positions, as well as phenotypic and genomic data, it is considered that strains ALEF1 T and S30H14 T represent two novel species within the genus Alicyclobacillus , for which the names Alicyclobacillus curvatus sp. nov. (type strain ALEF1 T =CGMCC 1.17055 T =KCTC 43124 T ) and Alicyclobacillus mengziensis sp. nov. (S30H14 T =CGMCC 1.17050 T =KCTC 43125 T ) are proposed.

The abnormal expression and regulation of circular RNA (circRNA) is involved in the occurrence and development of a variety of tumors. The current study aimed to determine the role of circRNA&#95;141539 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). CircRNA&#95;141539 expression in ESCC was detected via circRNA chip analysis and verified via reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Associations between circRNA&#95;141539, patient clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis were also statistically analyzed. Additionally, the effects of circRNA&#95;141539 on ESCC cell proliferation and invasion were assessed. A dual-luciferase assay was performed to analyze the interaction between circRNAs, microRNAs (miRs) and mRNAs. The results revealed that circRNA&#95;141539 was significantly up-regulated in patients with ESCC. Furthermore, high circRNA&#95;141539 expressions were significantly associated with TNM stage, differentiation and poor prognosis, revealing high diagnostic value (P<0.05). Furthermore, circRNA&#95;141539 overexpression promoted cell proliferation and invasion, while circRNA&#95;141539 silencing inhibited cell proliferation and invasion (P<0.05). The dual-luciferase reporter assay identified that circRNA&#95;141539 directly binds to miR-4469 and also revealed that cyclin-dependent kinase-3 (CDK3) was negatively regulated by miR-4469. The results indicated that circRNA&#95;141539 served as an oncogenic factor in ESCC by sponging miR-4469 and activating CDK3 expression. circRNA&#95;141539 may present as a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker and a therapeutic target for patients with ESCC.

Following the publication of the above article, the authors have realized that certain intended corrections were not carried over to the published version of the article. First, the description of the results of Figs. 5 and 6 did not match the figures; Edu and Transwell invasion assays were intended to have been excluded from the manuscript during the proofreading stage, although these data were presented in the description of the results for Figs. 5 and 6. Consequently, the text for the "circRNA&#95;001275 promotes cell proliferation" subsection of the Results section towards the end of p. 153 should have read as follows: "MTT assay was used to detect the effects of circRNA&#95;001275 on cell proliferation. The results showed that cell viability was significantly increased in the circRNA&#95;001275 OE group, and significantly decreased in the si circRNA&#95;001275 group (both P<0.05, Fig. 5A and B), compared with the corresponding control groups." Furthermore, the text in the subsequent subsection ("circRNA&#95;001275 inhibits cell apoptosis") should have read as follows: "Hoechst 33258 staining was used to detect the effects of circRNA&#95;001275 on apoptosis. The apoptosis rate was significantly decreased in the circRNA&#95;001275 OE group, and significantly increased in the si circRNA&#95;001275 group (both P<0.05; Fig. 6), compared with the corresponding control group. Secondly, Fig. 5B was omitted from Fig. 5 in the published article; and thirdly, a higher‑resolution version of Fig. 6 was submitted during the revision stages, although the version of this figure that was deemed to have been too low in quality was the one that appeared in the final proofs. The corrected / updated versions of Figs. 5 and 6 are shown opposite. The Editor of International Journal of Oncology regrets that certain of these errors were introduced into the article during the production stages, and apologizes both to the authors and to the readership. [the original article was published in International Journal of Oncology 57: 151‑160, 2020; DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2020.5050].

Investigation of the 95% EtOH extract of stems of Dendrobium findlayanum afforded four new seco-dendrobines, findlayines A-D (1-4); two known dendrobines, dendrobine (5) and 2-hydroxydendrobine (6); and four new phenolic compounds, dendrofindlaphenols A-C (7, 9, and 10) and 6″-de-O-methyldendrofindlaphenol A (8). Compounds 1 and 2 are the first seco-dendrobines possessing a seven-membered lactam moiety, with 3 and 4 derived from the oxidative cleavage of the C-2-C-3 bond of dendrobine. The structures were established using spectroscopic methods and by comparison with literature data. The absolute configurations of 1-4 were confirmed via single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. Cytotoxic activity assays against HL-60, SMMC-7721, A-549, MCF-7, and SW480 human cancer cell lines revealed IC 50 values ranging from 2.3 to 5.3 μM for compound 7, from 19.4 to 34.4 μM for 8, and from 49.4 to 96.8 μg/mL for the EtOAc extract. An assay of the inhibition of NO production with RAW 264.7 cells indicated that 8 had an IC 50 value of 21.4 μM, and the EtOAc extract, 10.5 μg/mL. The EtOAc extract possessed DPPH radical scavenging activity of 69.93% at 100 μg/mL.

Study Design: A prospective cohort double-center study., Objective: To assess the clinical effect of minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (miTLIF) using the tunnel technique., Summary of Background Data: A series of short-term studies have indicated that miTLIF could reduce blood loss and improve clinical results. However, long-term clinical study and magnetic resonance imaging research are still scare., Methods: From January 2008 to January 2009, 187 patients with 1-segment lumbar disease requiring intervertebral fusion were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the operative methods. Postoperative low back pain (LBP), postoperative lumbar function, the fusion rate, lower extremity pain relief, variation of lumbar lordosis, and implant failure were assessed. At 48 months postoperation, the cross-sectional area of the paraspinal muscle was measured using magnetic resonance imaging., Results: The mean duration of follow-up was 54.4±5.9 months. The intermuscular pressure generated by the tunnel in the miTLIF group was lower than that generated in the oTLIF group. Patients in the miTLIF group reported a lower degree of LBP at all timepoints. The ODI scores were similar to the VAS scores. No significant differences were found in fusion rate, lower extremity pain relief, lumbar lordosis, or implant failure rate. A significant difference was found between the 2 groups in postoperative cross-sectional area., Conclusions: This study confirmed the advantages of miTLIF in reducing postoperative LBP, improving postoperative quality of life and preventing paraspinal muscle atrophy compared with oTLIF, while achieving a similar therapeutic outcome. The lower intermuscular pressure generated by minimally invasive tunnel and subsequent moderate muscle atrophy were presumed to be possible reasons for its superiority.

Cardiac conduction disease is a primary cause of sudden cardiac death. Sodium voltage‑gated channel‑α subunit 5 (SCN5A) mutations have been reported to underlie a variety of inherited arrhythmias. Numerous disease‑causing mutations of SCN5A have been identified in patients with ≥10 different conditions, including type 3 long‑QT syndrome and Brugada syndrome. The present study investigated a family with a history of arrhythmia, with the proband having a history of arrhythmia and syncope. Whole‑exome sequencing was applied in order to detect the disease‑causing mutation in this family, and Sanger sequencing was used to confirm the co‑segregation among the family members. A missense mutation (c.1099C>G/p.R367G) of SCN5A was identified in the family and was observed to be co‑segregated in all affected members of the family. The missense mutation results in a substitution of glycine for arginine, which may affect sodium transmembrane transport. The present study provides an accurate genetic test which may be used in individuals who exhibit no clinical symptoms.