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Since the beginning of the 21st century, humans have experienced three coronavirus pandemics, all of which were transmitted to humans via animals. Recent studies have found that porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) can infect humans, so swine enteric coronavirus (SeCoV) may cause harm through cross-species transmission. Transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) and PDCoV have caused tremendous damage and loss to the pig industry around the world. Therefore, we analyzed the genome sequence data of these two SeCoVs by evolutionary dynamics and phylogeography, revealing the genetic diversity and spatiotemporal distribution characteristics. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analysis showed that TGEV could be divided into two different genotypes, and PDCoV could be divided into four main lineages. Based on the analysis results inferred by phylogeography, we inferred that TGEV might originate from America, PDCoV might originate from Asia, and different migration events had different migration rates. In addition, we also identified positive selection sites of spike protein in TGEV and PDCoV, indicating that the above sites play an essential role in promoting membrane fusion to achieve adaptive evolution. In a word, TGEV and PDCoV are the past and future of SeCoV, and the relatively smooth transmission rate of TGEV and the increasing transmission events of PDCoV are their respective transmission characteristics. Our results provide new insights into the evolutionary characteristics and transmission diversity of these SeCoVs, highlighting the potential for cross-species transmission of SeCoV and the importance of enhanced surveillance and biosecurity measures for SeCoV in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research underscores the significant impact of remnant cholesterol (RC) on stroke occurrence due to its proatherogenic and proinflammatory traits. This study aims to explore diverse risks of new-onset stroke associated with RC, considering distinct inflammation levels in the middle-aged and senior population in China. We analyzed 6509 participants from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) across four waves (2011–2018). We employed a multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model, incorporated restricted cubic spline techniques, and conducted sensitivity analyses to evaluate the association among RC, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), and the risk of new-onset stroke. Results: Over 7 years, 540 new-onset strokes occurred. Individuals in the highest quartile of RC levels exhibited a heightened risk of new-onset stroke, with a multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) peaking at 1.50 (95% confidence interval 1.12–2.00, P for trend = 0.021), showing a non-linear correlation (P nonlinearity = 0.049). High hsCRP alone had an adjusted HR of 1.10 (95% CI 0.87–1.39), compared to 1.40 (95% CI 1.00–1.96) for high RC alone. Additionally, concurrent high RC and hsCRP showed an adjusted HR of 1.43 (95% CI 1.05–1.96). Consistency persisted across various hsCRP thresholds, after adjusting for additional parameters, or excluding chronic diseases in the primary model, reinforcing result robustness. Our findings reveal a substantial and non-linear association between higher baseline RC levels and an elevated risk of new-onset stroke. Moreover, elevated levels of both RC and hsCRP jointly pose the highest risk for new-onset stroke, surpassing the risk associated with each factor individually. [Display omitted] • Elevated remnant cholesterol levels show non-linear correlation with increased stroke risk. • Varied stroke risks associated with remnant cholesterol amid inflammation. • Peak stroke risk tied to elevated remnant cholesterol and high-sensitivity CRP levels together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence and molecular characteristics of fosA3 and fosA7 among Salmonella isolates.Methods: Five hundred and fifty-one Salmonella isolates collected from food animals in China during 2016-19 were screened for fos genes. The drug resistance, serovars, clonal relationships and genetic environments of fosA were compared between fosA7- and fosA3-positive Salmonella.Results: A relatively high prevalence of fosA7 (9.26%) and fosA3 (6.53%) was identified. fosA3 was associated with high-level fosfomycin resistance (≥512 mg/L), while fosA7 conferred relatively low-level resistance that was independent of the presence of glucose-6-phosphate. Additionally, fosA7 could facilitate Salmonella survival under oxidative stress. Both fosA3 and fosA7 were found in diverse serovars and STs, but segregated into distinct groups. The fosA3-positive Salmonella Typhimurium/Salmonella Indiana strains showed close genetic relationships, while fosA7-positive Salmonella Meleagridis/Salmonella Agona/Salmonella Derby showed a relatively high degree of whole-genome sequence heterogeneity. fosA3 was located on conjugative IncHI2 plasmids or chromosomes, while fosA7 was strictly chromosomal. Furthermore, two strains carried large chromosomal fosA7 regions within genomic islands. The fosA3 and fosA7 contigs from our isolates and the NCBI could be segregated into four primary and distinct genomic backbones. IS26 and the antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) blaCTX-M, blaTEM-1B and rmtB were frequently adjacent to fosA3, while fosA7-carrying contigs generally lacked mobile elements and ARGs.Conclusions: fosA3 and fosA7 were the primary factors contributing to reduced fosfomycin susceptibility, to different degrees, in these Salmonella isolates. The distinct distributions and molecular characteristics of fosA7 and fosA3 indicated that their origin and evolution in Salmonella were most likely distinct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine the transmission and molecular characteristics of blaNDM-producing Escherichia coli between companion animals and their healthcare providers at veterinary clinics in Guangzhou, China.Methods: A total of 359 samples from companion animals and their healthcare providers were collected at 14 veterinary clinics in Guangzhou, China. Genomic characteristics and clonal relationships for blaNDM-positive E. coli and complete plasmid sequences were characterized based on WGS data from combined Illumina and MinION platform reads.Results: Forty-five blaNDM-positive bacteria were recovered from companion animals (n = 43) and their healthcare providers (n = 2) at 10 veterinary clinics. Overall, E. coli (73.3%, 33/45) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (13.3%, 6/45) were the most prevalent species among the seven species of blaNDM-positive bacteria. Four blaNDM variants (blaNDM-1, blaNDM-4, blaNDM-5 and blaNDM-7) were identified in 45 blaNDM-positive bacteria and blaNDM-5 was the most prevalent (77.8%, 35/45). WGS indicated that the most prevalent STs were ST405 (8/33), ST453 (6/33), ST457 (6/33) and ST410 (5/33) among the 33 blaNDM-positive E. coli isolates. Phylogenomics and PFGE analysis revealed that clonal spread of blaNDM-positive ST453 E. coli isolates between companion animals and their healthcare providers was evident. In addition, two novel IncFIB plasmids carrying blaNDM-4 (pF765_FIB and pG908_FIB) were found in this study and indicated that IS26 may promote the horizontal transmission of blaNDM between different plasmid types.Conclusions: In this study we conducted a large-scale investigation on the prevalence of blaNDM-positive E. coli isolates from companion animals and their healthcare providers and revealed the clonal spread of blaNDM-positive E. coli isolates between these two groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 0.5 mg·L−1 of F-53B had no noticeable effect on nitrogen removal performance. • Microbial defluorination was feasible in the anammox process. • Denitratisoma was the dominant bacterial genus (40.7 %) at 0.5 mg·L−1F-53B. • The relative content of H 2 O 2 decreased by 26.1 % with the introduced 0.5 mg·L−1F-53B. • F-53B inhibited ammonium transport by binding to Amt domain. This study investigates the behaviors and effects of F-53B, an alternative to perfluorooctane sulfonate on anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) processes. Results showed that the nitrogen removal efficiency (NRE) reached 83.8 % at a F-53B concentration of 0.5 mg·L−1, while NRE decreased to 66.9 % with 5 mg·L−1 of F-53B. The defluorination rates of 17.8 % (0.5 mg·L−1) and 9.3 % (5 mg·L−1) were observed, respectively, suggesting the occurrence of F-53B degradation. The relative abundance of Ca. Kuenenia decreased from 26.1 % to 16.2 % with the F-53B concentration increasing from 0.5 mg·L−1 to 5 mg·L−1. Meanwhile, Denitratisoma was selectively enriched with a relative abundance of 40.7 % at an F-53B concentration of 0.5 mg·L−1. Ca. Kuenenia could reduce reactive oxygen species induced by F-53B to maintain the balance of oxidative stress. This study gains insight into the behaviors and metabolic mechanisms of F-53B in anammox consortia, suggesting the feasibility of anammox processes for industrial wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Immediate and long-term functional outcomes after percutaneous treatment of small vessel disease (SVD) with drug-coated balloon (DCB) versus drug-eluting stent (DES) remain unknown. The study sought to investigate whether treatment of de novo SVD with DCB yields similar functional results compared with DES, as judged with angiography-based quantitative flow ratio (QFR). Methods and results QFR was measured at pre-procedural, post-procedural and 9-month angiography in all available subjects from the non-inferiority RESTORE SVD China trial, in which patients were randomized to Restore DCB (n = 116) or Resolute DES (n = 114) study arms. Primary outcome of this analysis was 9-month QFR. Pre-procedural, post-procedural and 9-month QFR was performed in 84.8% (195/230), 83.0% (191/230) and 93.8% (181/193) cases, respectively. At 9 months, the QFR of DCB showed no significant difference to DES (0.88 ± 0.23 vs. 0.92 ± 0.12, p = 0.12). Both 9-month QFR and the QFR difference between post-procedure and 9-month follow-up were correlated with angiographic percentage of diameter stenosis and late loss, and predictive of 2-year clinical outcome. Conclusions Treatment of coronary SVD with DCB resulted in similar 9-month functional results compared with DES. This study provides evidences to the value of QFR as a mean of evaluating device performance after coronary revascularization. Clinical trial registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; ClinicalTrial.gov: Identifier: NCT02946307. • Percutaneous revascularization in SVD with DCB resulted in a similar functional outcome with DES at 9-month follow-up. • Performing QFR in small vessels is feasible and useful as a mean of evaluating device performance. • Future studies may investigate QFR or QFR loss in combination with % diameter stenosis or late lumen loss as a surrogate endpoint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine the dissemination and molecular characteristics of NDM-producing Escherichia coli strains from duck farms in south-east coastal China and their threats to human health.Methods: A total of 232 NDM-producing E. coli were recovered from 1505 samples collected from 25 duck farms and their surrounding environments in five provinces in China. Resistance genes were confirmed using PCR. Genomic characteristics of the carbapenemase-producing isolates were determined by WGS and bioinformatic analysis.Results: The rate of NDM-positive E. coli detected in samples from the five provinces ranged from 3.7% to 28.5%. There was substantial variation in the prevalence of NDM-positive E. coli from different duck farms in each province studied. Three variants (blaNDM-1, blaNDM-4 and blaNDM-5) were found in 232 NDM-positive E. coli; blaNDM-5 (94.8%, 220/232) was the most prevalent. WGS analysis indicated that ST746, ST48, ST1011 and ST167 E. coli isolates were prevalent in the current study and poultry was likely the primary reservoir for NDM-positive ST746 and ST48 E. coli in China. Phylogenomic analysis showed that NDM-positive E. coli isolates from ducks were closely related to those of human origin. In addition, WGS analysis further revealed that blaNDM co-existed with other antibiotic resistance genes, conferring resistance to nine classes of antimicrobials.Conclusions: This study revealed that ducks farm in China are an important reservoir for NDM-positive E. coli and STs of the isolates showed obvious distinctive diversities in geographical distribution. The distribution and spread of NDM-positive E. coli in duck farms poses a threat to public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disco Interacting Protein 2 Homolog A (DIP2A) is expressed throughout the body and abundantly expressed in the brain tissue. It is activated by Follistatin-like 1 (FSTL1). Activated DIP2A interacts with several pathways, such as AMPK/mTOR and AKT pathways, to contribute to many biological processes, such as oxidative stress, transcriptional regulation, and apoptosis. Dysregulated DIP2A activation has been implicated in numerous processes in the brain. If the upstream pathways of DIP2A remain globally unexplored, many proteins, including cortactin, AMPK, and AKT, have been identified as its downstream targets in the literature. Recent studies have linked DIP2A to a variety of mechanisms in many types of brain disorders, suggesting that regulation of DIP2A could provide novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for brain disorders. In this review, we comprehensively summarized and discussed the current research on DIP2A in various brain disorders, such as stroke, autism spectrum disorders (ASD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), dyslexia, and glioma. • DIP2A plays multiple functions in neurological disorders. • DIP2A regulates various biological processes including oxidative stress, and apoptosis. • The role of DIP2A in brain disorders is understudied and more studies are required for more understanding. • Controlling DIP2A could help design effective diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for brain disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The recent emergence and dissemination of high-level mobile tigecycline resistance Tet(X) challenge the clinical effectiveness of tigecycline, one of the last-resort therapeutic options for complicated infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogens. Although tet(X) has been found in various bacterial species, less is known about phylogeographic distribution and phenotypic variance of different genetic variants. Methods: Herein, we conducted a multiregional whole-genome sequencing study of tet(X)-positive Acinetobacter isolates from human, animal, and their surrounding environmental sources in China. The molecular and enzymatic features of tet(X) variants were characterized by clonal expression, microbial degradation, reverse transcription, and gene transfer experiments, while the tet(X) genetic diversity and molecular evolution were explored by comparative genomic and Bayesian evolutionary analyses. Results: We identified 193 tet(X)-positive isolates from 3846 samples, with the prevalence ranging from 2.3 to 25.3% in nine provinces in China. The tet(X) was broadly distributed in 12 Acinetobacter species, including six novel species firstly described here. Besides tet(X3) (n = 188) and tet(X4) (n = 5), two tet(X5) variants, tet(X5.2) (n = 36) and tet(X5.3) (n = 4), were also found together with tet(X3) or tet(X4) but without additive effects on tetracyclines. These tet(X)-positive Acinetobacter spp. isolates exhibited 100% resistance rates to tigecycline and tetracycline, as well as high minimum inhibitory concentrations to eravacycline (2–8 μg/mL) and omadacycline (8–16 μg/mL). Genetic analysis revealed that different tet(X) variants shared an analogous ISCR2-mediated transposon structure. The molecular evolutionary analysis indicated that Tet(X) variants likely shared the same common ancestor with the chromosomal monooxygenases that are found in environmental Flavobacteriaceae bacteria, but sequence divergence suggested separation ~ 9900 years ago (7887 BC), presumably associated with the mobilization of tet(X)-like genes through horizontal transfer. Conclusions: Four tet(X) variants were identified in this study, and they were widely distributed in multiple Acinetobacter spp. strains from various ecological niches across China. Our research also highlighted the crucial role of ISCR2 in mobilizing tet(X)-like genes between different Acinetobacter species and explored the evolutionary history of Tet(X)-like monooxygenases. Further studies are needed to evaluate the clinical impact of these mobile tigecycline resistance genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Tested 20 novel PD risk loci identified by GWAS in East Asian samples. • Allele of LRRK2 and IL1R2 have a higher risk of PD. • Genotypic models of ZNF184, PARK16, ITPKB significantly associated with PD. Genetic factors may play important roles in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease, and more than 40 loci involved in Parkinson's disease have been identified. Due to differing allele frequencies across origins, the associations of these loci and sporadic Parkinson's disease in the Eastern Chinese population are still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between 20 single nucleotide polymorphisms and Parkinson's disease in the Eastern Chinese population. A total of 441 Parkinson's disease patients and 384 healthy controls were recruited. The MassARRAY System was used to detect 20 single nucleotide polymorphisms. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated to assess the relationship between polymorphisms and Parkinson's disease susceptibility. We found that ITPKB rs4653767 (OR [95 % confidential interval (CI)] = 0.524 [0.309−0.922], p = 0.023), ZNF184 rs9468199 (OR [95 % CI] = 0.530 [0.326−0.862], p = 0.010), IL1R2 rs34043159 (OR [95 % CI] = 0.794 [0.651−0.968], p = 0.022), LRRK2 rs76904798 (OR [95 % CI] = 0.397 [0.225−0.700], p = 0.001), and PARK16 rs11240572 (OR [95 % CI] = 0.715 [0.531−0.962], p = 0.027) were significantly associated with Parkinson's disease. LRRK2 rs76904798, ZNF184 rs9468199, PARK16 rs11240572, ITPKB rs4653767, and IL1R2 rs34043159 may associate with Parkinson's disease in the Eastern Han Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To date, several studies have suggested that genes involved in monogenic forms of Parkinson's disease (PD) contribute to unrelated sporadic cases, but there is limited evidence in the Chinese population. Methods: We performed a systematic analysis of 12 autosomal‐dominant PD (AD‐PD) genes (SNCA, LRRK2, GIGYF2, VPS35, EIF4G1, DNAJC13, CHCHD2, HTRA2, NR4A2, RIC3, TMEM230, and UCHL1) using panel sequencing and database filtration in a case‐control study of a cohort of 391 Chinese sporadic PD patients and unrelated controls. We evaluated the association between candidate variants and sporadic PD using gene‐based analysis. Results: Overall, 18 rare variants were discovered in 18.8% (36/191) of the index patients. In addition to previously reported pathogenic mutations (LRRK2 p.Arg1441His and p.Ala419Val), another four unknown variants were found in LRRK2, which also contribute to PD risk (p = 0.002; odds ratio (OR) = 7.83, 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 1.76–34.93). The cumulative frequency of undetermined rare variants was significantly higher in PD patients (14.1%) than in controls (3.5%) (p = 0.0002; OR=4.54, 95% CI = 1.93‐10.69). Conclusion: Our results confirm the strong impact of LRRK2 on the risk of sporadic PD, and also provide considerable evidence of the existence of additional undetermined rare variants in AD‐PD genes that contribute to the genetic etiology of sporadic PD in a Chinese cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residual Ca2+ decreases the efficiency and increases the power consumption of the chlor-alkali industry. However, Ca2+ and Na+ sieving is challenging due to the similar ionic radii of these cations. Inspired by the presence of carbonyl oxygens in key selective filters of biological Ca2+ and Na+ channels, we used molecular dynamics to investigate the effects of carbonyl oxygen atoms in modified graphene nanopores of various sizes (characteristic diameters: 0.57–1.50 nm) on Ca2+/Na+ sieving. The results demonstrated that selectivity is closely associated with the different roles of the carbonyl oxygen atoms. In small nanopores, Ca2+ sheds increased numbers of water molecules due to the predominant steric effect of carbonyl oxygen atoms. Thus, Ca2+ must overcome a higher energy barrier than Na+. This requirement prevents the passage of Ca2+. In large nanopores, carbonyl oxygen atoms do preferentially substitute water molecules outside the first hydration shell of Ca2+ compared with those outside the first hydration shell of Na+, thereby hindering Na+ departure from the nanopore. These findings provide useful guidance for the further development of Ca2+ separation materials as sensors and ion separators. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on the legacy effects of 8-year application of N (in gradient of 0, 140, 280, 470, and 660 kg N ha−1 year−1) on the bacterial community diversity, interactions, and assembly processes in the wheat rhizosphere. The rhizosphere bacterial α-diversity increased with the rate of historical N input, while it did not change at N addition rates of over 280 kg N ha−1 year−1. Historical N input clearly shifted the rhizosphere bacterial community composition, and soils with more N input were more dissimilar to those without N input. The net relatedness index (NRI) and nearest taxon index (NTI) analysis revealed that the rhizosphere bacterial communities in most samples were phylogenetically clustered, and the treatments with high N (> 470 kg N ha−1 year−1) showed higher levels of clustering than those with low N (< 140 kg N ha−1 year−1), indicating more environmental selection stress in soil with higher historical N input. Increased co-occurrence network size and connectivity were accompanied by increased aboveground biomass of wheat. Overall, with the increase in historical N input, the resulting legacy effects forced the bacterial community in the rhizosphere to undergo higher environmental selection pressure, and indirectly affected the complexity of wheat rhizosphere assemblages during subsequent crop growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Parkin reduces the efficiency of human fibroblasts reprogramming neurons. • Parkin -mutation reduces the complexity of neurites in induced neurons. • The parkin mutation hinds the maturation of induced neurons. Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders, and mainly characterized by the progressive degeneration of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the midbrain substantia nigra and non-DA neurons in many other parts of the brain. Previous studies have shown that several genes associated with the causes of PD can influence neurite outgrowth. Mutations of PRKN (encoding parkin, an E3 ubiquitin ligase) are the most frequent cause of recessively inherited PD. The lack of a PD phenotype in Prkn -knockout mice may imply a unique vulnerability of neurons to parkin mutations. CRISPR/Cas9 technology was used to target random mutations into exon3 of PRKN in human fibroblasts cell line MRC-5. The induced DA neurons were achieved from direct conversion of fibroblasts (with or without PRKN mutations) via a cocktail of transcriptional factors (Ascl1, Nurr1, Lmx1a, miRNA124, p53 shRNA) and chemicals (CHIR99021, Purmorphamine, TGFβ3, BDNF, GDNF, NGF and Y27632). Herein, we successfully established human neuronal cell models with parkin mutations from fibroblast-reprogrammed neurons. In these neurons, not only were the induced ratio and number of mature neurons markedly decreased, but also the complexity of the neuronal processes, measured by total neurite length and number of terminals, was greatly reduced, in TH+ and TH−neurons with PRKN mutations. The results suggest that parkin not only maintains the morphological complexity of human neurons, but also influences maturation and differentiation in the fibroblast reprogramming process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate potential genetic overlap between essential tremor and Parkinson's disease in a cohort of 825 subjects from an Eastern Chinese population. Methods: A total of 441 Parkinson's disease patients and 384 healthy controls were recruited. The MassARRAY System was used to detect three essential tremor‐related single nucleotide polymorphisms. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidential interval (CI) were calculated to assess the relationship between polymorphisms and Parkinson's disease susceptibility. Results: Our results demonstrated that the odds ratios of rs3794087 of SLC1A2, rs9652490 of LINGO1, and rs17590046 of PPARGC1A were 0.71 (95% CI = 0.55‐0.91), 0.99 (95% CI = 0.78‐1.26), and 0.88 (95% CI = 0.62‐1.25), respectively. Conclusion: An essential tremor SNP (rs3794087 of SLC1A2) is associated with a decreased risk of PD in the Eastern Han Chinese population, while rs9652490 (LINGO1) and rs17590046 (PPARGC1A) do not show an association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Batch and column leaching tests were used to study thallium's release and migration behaviour and evaluate its potential toxicity risks in soil. The results indicated that leaching concentrations of Tl using TCLP and SWLP were much higher than the threshold, indicating a high risk of thallium pollution in the soil. Furthermore, the intermittent leaching rate of Tl by Ca2+ and HCl reached its maximum value, demonstrating the easy release of Tl. After HCl leaching, the form of Tl in the soil has changed, and ammonium sulfate has increased its extractability. Additionally, the extensive application of calcium promoted the release of Tl, increasing its potential ecological risk. Spectral analysis showed that Tl was mainly present in minerals such as Kaolinite and Jarosite, and exhibited significant adsorption capacity for Tl. HCl and Ca2+ damaged the crystal structure of the soil, greatly enhancing the migration and mobility of Tl in the environment. More importantly, XPS analysis confirmed that the release of Tl (I) in the soil was the leading cause of increased mobility and bioavailability. Therefore, the results revealed the risk of Tl release in the soil, providing theoretical guidance for its pollution prevention and control. [Display omitted] • Thallium release in leachates was both method-parameter and sample dependent. • CaCl 2 and HCl showed the highest leaching for Tl(I). • Ca2+ could extract thallium for ion exchange. • HCl extensively changed the fractionation distribution of Tl in soils. • The crystal lattice of leached soil was significantly destroyed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytoremediation is widely used for the restoration of aquatic environments. However, the phytoremediation effects and mechanisms of special submerged species of native aquatic plants, especially under low-temperature conditions, are not yet clear. In this study, two typical submerged plants, Myriophyllum aquaticum (M. aquaticum ; an exotic species) and Hippuris vulgaris (H. vulgaris ; a native species), in China were investigated for their phosphorus (P) removal efficiencies (RE p) and the related mechanisms of phytophysiology and microorganisms in a low-temperature incubator (10 °C during the day and 2 °C at night). At an initial P level of 0.5 mg L−1, the two plants exhibited similar RE p , with the highest values (73.5%–92.1%) observed on days 3–6. After 18 days, the residual P concentration in the water was less than the Grade III limit value (0.2 mg L−1; GB 3838–2002). However, M. aquaticum had a faster RE p velocity than H. vulgaris at an initial P level of 3.0 mg L−1, which was attributed to the mechanisms of plant and its interactions with microorganisms. Compared to the control group, the superoxide dismutase activity of H. vulgaris was significantly increased and its catalase activity was decreased, whereas for that of M. aquaticum was the opposite. Micro region X-ray fluorescence analysis revealed that there may be synergic absorption effects between P, S, and K, and antagonistic absorption action between P and Mn in H. vulgaris. In addition, Acinetobacter , Novosphingobium and Pseudomonas were enriched at 3.0 mg L−1 P level with these two plants, but Chlorophyta only accumulated with H. vulgaris , respectively. Overall, the native species, H. vulgaris, could replace the exotic M. aquaticum to efficiently remove P from polluted water at low temperatures. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for submerged plants P removal capabilities, and the protection of local ecosystem diversity at low temperatures. [Display omitted] • H. vulgaris can effectively replace M. aquaticum in removing P from water at low temperature. • Both H. vulgaris and M. aquaticum effectively removed P from water at low temperatures. • Plants and microorganisms accounted for 37.9–60.6% and 17.0–42.0% of P removal, respectively. • There may be synergic effects between P, S, and K, and antagonistic action between P and Mn in H. vulgaris. • Chlorophyta was enriched with H. vulgaris to remove P from water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Chemoautotrophic ammonia‐oxidizers and nitrite‐oxidizers are responsible for a significant amount of soil nitrate production. The identity and composition of these active nitrifiers in soils under different long‐term fertilization regimes remain largely under‐investigated. Based on that soil nitrification potential significantly decreased in soils with chemical fertilization (CF) and increased in soils with organic fertilization (OF), a microcosm experiment with DNA stable isotope probing was further conducted to clarify the active nitrifiers. Both ammonia‐oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) were found to actively respond to urea addition in soils with OF and no fertilizer (CK), whereas only AOB were detected in soils with CF. Around 98% of active AOB were Nitrosospira cluster 3a.1 in all tested soils, and more than 90% of active AOA were Nitrososphaera subcluster 1.1 in unfertilized and organically fertilized soils. Nitrite oxidation was performed only by Nitrospira‐like bacteria in all soils. The relative abundances of Nitrospira lineage I and VI were 32% and 61%, respectively, in unfertilized soils, and that of Nitrospira lineage II was 97% in fertilized soils, indicating long‐term fertilization shifted the composition of active Nitrospira‐like bacteria in response to urea. This finding indicates that different fertilizer regimes impact the composition of active nitrifiers, thus, impacting soil nitrification potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract GATA transcription factors (GATAs) are widely expressed among various organisms and belong to the zinc finger protein family. GATA transcription factors play important roles in the proliferation, differentiation, and development of eukaryotes. Previous studies have shown that GATA participates in oogenesis by selective splicing in silkworms. In this study, we investigated the function of GATAs during vitellogenesis using female silkworms (Bombyx mori). Six types of GATA transcription factors were successfully cloned in the fat body of silkworms during the wandering stage and only BmGATAβ4 induced the activity of the Bombyx mori vitellogenin (BmVg) promoter. Furthermore, BmVg and BmGATAβ4 exhibited similar expression patterns in the fat body of female silkworms during the wandering stage. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays, cell transfection assays, and chromatin immunoprecipitation showed that BmGATAβ4 was involved in regulating the transcription of BmVg by directly binding to the GATA cis -response element 1 (CRE1) and GATA cis -response element 2 (CRE2) in the promoter of the BmVg gene. RNA interference of BmGATAβ4 in female silkworms downregulated BmVg transcription, resulting in a decrease in egg size and shortening of the length of egg tubes relative to the control. In summary, our results indicated that BmGATAβ4 bound to the GATA CRE1 and CRE2 motifs in the BmVg promoter to upregulate BmVg expression in the fat body of female silkworms. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • BmGATAβ4 induces the activity of the vitellogenin (BmVg) promoter. • BmGATAβ4 regulates BmVg transcription by directly binding to GATA CRE1 and CRE2 DNA elements. • BmVg and BmGATAβ4 exhibit similar expression profiles in the fat body of female silkworms. • BmGATAβ4 knockdown affects reproduction in female silkworms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two colistin-resistant Escherichia coli strains (FS13Z2S and FS3Z6C) possessing chromosomally encoded mcr-1 isolated from swine were characterised. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that in strain FS13Z2S mcr-1 occurred in triplicate in the chromosome with another copy encoded on a pHNSHP45-2-like IncHI2 plasmid, whereas in strain FS3Z6C only one copy mcr-1 was inserted in the chromosome. It seems likely that the triplication of chromosomal copies of mcr-1 in FS13Z2S is due to intramolecular transposition events via a composite transposon containing an mcr-1 cassette bracketed by two copies of insertion sequence IS Apl1 , and the pap2 gene at the insertion site was truncated by an IS 1294 -like element. In plasmid pFS13Z2S and the chromosome of strain FS3Z6C, only a single copy of IS Apl1 was present upstream of the mcr-1 cassette. The two strains exhibited similar colistin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and featured phosphoethanolamine addition to lipid A, without regard to the copy number of mcr-1 . The mcr-1 -harbouring plasmid was unstable in wild-type strain FS13Z2S and was quickly lost after 7 days of passage on colistin-free Luria–Bertani broth containing 0.5% SDS, but the mcr-1 copies on the chromosome persisted. These results reveal that the single copy of mcr-1 could result in modification of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and cause colistin resistance in E. coli . Acquisition of multiple copies of mcr-1 , especially on the chromosome, would facilitate stable persistence of colistin resistance in the host strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major problem in the treatment of breast cancer. In the present study, next-generation sequencing technology was employed to identify differentially expressed genes in MCF‑7/MDR cells and MCF‑7 cells, and aimed to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms of MDR in breast cancer. Differentially expressed genes between MCF‑7/MDR and MCF‑7 cells were selected using software; a total of 2085 genes were screened as differentially expressed in MCF‑7/MDR cells. Furthermore, gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed using the DAVID database. Finally, a protein‑protein interaction network was constructed and the hub genes in the network were analyzed using the STRING database. GO annotation demonstrated that the differentially expressed genes were enriched in various biological processes, including ‘regulation of cell differentiation’, ‘cell development’, ‘neuron development’, ‘movement of cell or subcellular component’ and ‘cell morphogenesis involved in neuron differentiation’. Cellular component analysis by GO revealed that differentially expressed genes were enriched in ‘plasma membrane region’ and ‘extracellular matrix’ terms. Furthermore, KEGG analysis demonstrated that the target genes were enriched in various pathways, including ‘cell adhesion molecules (CAMs)’, ‘calcium signaling pathway’, ‘tight junction’, ‘Wnt signaling pathway’ and ‘pathways in cancer’ terms. A protein‑protein interaction network demonstrated that certain hub genes, including cyclin D1, nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3), NOTCH3, brain‑derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), paired box 6, neuropeptide Y, phospholipase C β (PLCB) 4, PLCB2 and actin α cardiac muscle 1, may be associated with MDR in breast cancer. Subsequently, RT‑qPCR confirmed that the expression of these 9 hub genes was higher in MCF‑7/MDR cells compared with MCF‑7 cells, consistent with the RNA‑sequencing analysis. Additionally, a Cell Counting Kit‑8 assay demonstrated that specific inhibitors of NOS3 and BDNF/neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase, type 2 signaling reduced the IC50 of MCF‑7/MDR cells in response to various anticancer drugs, including adriamycin, cisplatin and 5‑fluorouracil. The results of the present study provide novel insights into the mechanism underlying MDR in MCF‑7 cells and may identify novel targets for the treatment of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In continuously cropped fields, residues from decomposing watermelon plants are a primary source of autotoxins, which can inhibit watermelon growth and facilitate invasion of soil-borne pathogens. The composition of the autotoxins produced and the primary microbial decomposers remain unknown. Therefore, a microcosm experiment was conducted to identify the produced volatile organic compounds (VOCs, majority of which are believed to act as autotoxins) as well as the bacteria decomposers of watermelon residue decomposition in Fusarium -infested soil at 7, 14, 30 and 45 days post-inoculation (dpi) by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and 13 C-DNA stable isotope probing-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis ( 13 C-DNA-SIP-DGGE), respectively. Our results indicate that at the beginning of decomposition, there was an increase in the formation of complex phenolic, alcoholic and ester compounds (e.g., 2,6-Bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-(1-oxopropyl)phenol), whereas at 45 dpi, the VOCs were alkenes and alkanes (e.g., dodecane, caryophyllene, pentadecane) with simple structures. The residue-C assimilating community was dominated by the Phyla Alphaproteobacteria , Betaproteobacteria and Firmicutes at 7 dpi. From 14 to 45 dpi, Gammaproteobacteria together with Alphaproteobacteria became dominant. In total, there were 27 bacterial species from 9 phyla that utilized the 13 C-residues in the microcosms. Although the VOC profiles and bacterial decomposers might vary from soils and conditions, these results increase our understanding of residue decomposition of autotoxins and may contribute to mitigate soil-borne disease via crop residue management in field practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The confinement of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) significantly affects the nanoconfined water molecules behaviors, manifested structurally as fluid layering and dynamically as slowing down of fluid mobility near the confining surface. In this work, we carried out molecular dynamics simulations to investigate temperature-dependent structural characteristics of water molecules confined in rutile (110) nanoslits. Specifically, we studied the microstructure of two layers of water molecules near TiO 2 surface under temperatures ranging from 27 to 800 °C. The simulation results showed that the mean residence time of the first layer of water molecules decreased with temperature. A dramatic decreasing rate occurred when the temperature went beyond 300 °C. Detailed microstructural investigation of confined water molecules showed that with the increase of temperature, the orientation of some water molecules changed. The possible reason is that water molecules obtained more kinetic energy due to the higher interfacial temperature, so as to increase the probability of forming hydrogen bonds between water molecules in layer I. Moreover, dimers of water molecules, which exhibit higher mobility than water monomers near TiO 2 surfaces, began to form at about 300 °C. The formation of hydrogen bonds within the first layer of water molecules is largely responsible for the reduction of mean residence time. The results of this work provide perceptive guidelines for the application of TiO 2 at high temperatures, such as TiO 2 -supported catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Co(II) in the Fenton-like Co2+-HCO3 − system can be easily oxidized to Co(III). [•] Reduction of Co(III) back to Co(II) is the rate-limiting step. [•] Bound hydroxyl radical is produced by the system. [•] The two C-N bonds in acid orange II are simultaneous cleaved. [•] The dye is decomposed into p-phenolsulfonic acid, 1,2-naphthaquinone and N2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammation disease which is initiated by endothelial cell injury Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) is directly associated with chronic vascular inflammation. Many transcription factors take part in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. As a transcription factor mainly expressed in cardiovascular system, T-box20 (Tbx20) plays an important role in embryonic cardiovascular system development and homeostasis. However, the role of Tbx20 in endothelial cell injury and atherosclerosis is still not clear. We showed that Tbx20 might affect ox-LDL-induced inflammatory responses in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Methods and Results: First, Tbx20 expression was down regulated in the C57BL/6 mice with high-fat diet-induced artery injury, which was accompanied by elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and cell adhesion molecule expression. Second, ox-LDL led to concurrent decreased Tbx20 expression and increased levels of ROS and adhesion molecules in the HUVECs. Third, over-expression of Tbx20 by adenovirus reduced ox-LDL-induced HUVEC injury via attenuation of ROS generation and cell adhesion molecule expression. Fourth, knock down of Tbx20 by siRNA significantly increased adhesion molecule expression and decreased cell viability. Moreover, Tbx20 could directly regulate PPAR-γ expression, as shown by Tbx20 knock down and PPAR-γ inhibition, which significantly reversed Tbx20's HUVEC protection effect. Conclusions: These results indicate that misregulation of Tbx20 could reduce HUVEC tolerance of ox-LDL-induced cell injury, suggesting that Tbx20 might be a crucial regulator and potential therapeutic target for atherosclerosis. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: As a transcription factor mainly expressed in cardiovascular system, T-box 20 (Tbx20) plays an important role in embryonic cardiovascular system development and adult heart function. Here, we determined the mechanism by which Tbx20 regulates cardiomyocyte apoptosis and cardiomyopathies. Methods: We analyzed Tbx20 expression levels and apoptosis rates in normal and heart failure human autopsy heart samples. Female C57BL/6 mice were ovariectomized and treated with 17β-estradiol to determine Tbx20 expression levels. ROS production, TUNEL, DNA laddering, qRT-PCR, Western blot, immunohistochemistry and ChIP analyses were performed on male C57BL/6 transverse aortic constriction-induced heart failure samples and on neonatal rat ventricular myocytes that were treated with H2O2 to investigate the role of Tbx20 in estrogen-mediated heart protection. Results: Tbx20 expression was down regulated during heart failure, accompanied by elevated cardiomyocyte apoptotic levels in humans and mice. H2O2 led to a concurrent decrease in Tbx20 expression and increase in apoptosis in cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. Tbx20 overexpression reduced H2O2-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and was associated with a profound inhibition of p38MAPK, Bax and caspase3 and the activation of Bcl-2. Estrogen was able to protect cardiomyocytes from H2O2-induced apoptosis by upregulating Tbx20 expression in a concentration-dependent manner. Tbx20 silencing increased oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in H9c2 cells. Moreover, Tbx20 directly regulated Esrra expression to enhance the heart-protective effect of estrogen. Conclusions: These results indicate that Tbx20 functions as an important regulator of estrogen-mediated cardiomyocyte protection during oxidative stress, suggesting that estorgen-Tbx20-ERR-α may represent a crucial regulatory cascade and a potential therapeutic target for heart failure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

pseudotype baculovirus with the glycoprotein of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV-G) on the envelope was used as a vector for the construction of recombinant baculovirus expressing the G protein of rabies virus (RABV) under the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter. The generated recombinant baculovirus (BV-G) efficiently expressed the RABV G proteins in mammalian cells. Intramuscular vaccination with BV-G (10 PFU/mouse) induced the production of RABV G-specific neutralizing antibodies and strong T cell responses in mice. Our data clearly indicate that pseudotype baculovirus-mediated gene delivery can be utilized as an alternative strategy to develop a new generation of vaccine against RABV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Senecavirus A (SVA), formerly known as Seneca Valley virus (SVV), causes vesicular symptoms in adult pigs and acute death of neonatal piglets. This pathogen has emerged in major swine producing countries around the world and caused significant economic losses to the pig industry. Thus, it is necessary to develop strategies to prevent and control SVA infection. Herein, an SVA strain (named GD-ZYY02-2018) was isolated from a pig herd with vesicular symptoms in Guangdong province of China in 2018. The present study aimed to carry out the phylogenetic analysis of the GD-ZYY02-2018 strain, determine its pathogenicity in finishing pigs, and assess the protective efficacy of the inactivated GD-ZYY02-2018 strain against virus challenge. The results of phylogenetic analysis showed that the SVA GD-ZYY02-2018 strain belonged to the USA-like strains and had a close genetic relationship with recent Chinese SVA strains. Animal challenge experiment showed that 100-day-old pigs inoculated intranasally with SVA GD-ZYY02-2018 strain developed vesicular lesion, low fever, viremia, and virus shedding in feces. The immunization challenge experiment showed that pigs vaccinated with inactivated GD-ZYY02-2018 strain could produce a high titer of anti-SVA neutralizing antibody and no vesicular lesion, fever, viremia, and virus shedding in feces was observed in vaccinated pigs after challenge with GD-ZYY02-2018 strain, indicating that inactivated GD-ZYY02-2018 could protect finishing pigs against the challenge of homologous virus. In conclusion, preliminary results indicated that inactivated GD-ZYY02-2018 could be used as a candidate vaccine for in-depth research and might be conducive to the prevention and control of SVA infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The application of animal manures significantly increased the abundance and diversity of ARGs. • Composted pig, chicken and cattle manures had similar influence on the level of soil ARGs. • Repeated manure addition led to the enrichment and accumulation of ARGs in soil over time. • Bacterial population and MGEs were the major drivers for shaping the antibiotic resistome in soil. The application of animal manure is generally considered an important transmission pathway for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in soil. Nevertheless, the fate of ARGs in soil where manure from different sources has been repeatedly implemented is not fully understood. Thus, the succession of ARGs and bacterial communities following the repeated application of three types of animal manures (pig, chicken, and cow manure) to agricultural soil were investigated using Illumina sequencing analysis and high-throughput qPCR. Results showed that manure application remarkably increased the abundance of soil ARGs by increasing the enrichment of indigenous ARGs and introducing extrinsic ARGs. There were no prominent differences in the abundance or diversity of ARGs among the three different manured soils. The abundance and diversity of ARGs in manured soils increased over three consecutive years. Additionally, the abundance of mobile gene elements (MGEs) and bacteria were positively correlated with ARGs, while the changes in the ARG profiles were dramatically associated with the MGEs and bacterial communities. These findings imply that repeated manure application may facilitate to the accumulation and persistence of the soil resistome by regulation of the bacterial community and horizontal gene transfer, providing better insights into the temporal dynamics of soil ARGs in agro-ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is emerging as a significant cause of human and animal disease worldwide. A total of 3400 samples were collected from animal farms and adjacent environments in China. The bla L1 and bla L2 genes were identified using whole genome sequence analyses and examined by phylogenetics. Isolates were also tested for susceptibility to 18 antibiotics. We isolated 118 strains of S. maltophilia from 3400 samples. The positive rates of bla L1 and bla L2 genes were 75% (89/118) and 22% (26/118) and we identified 11 L1 and 6 L2 amino acid sequence variants. S. maltophilia has at least two inducible β-lactamases (L1 and L2) that can hydrolyze almost all classes of β-lactams and these genes are suspected to confer carbapenem resistance. This represents a significant public health threat especially for hospitalized patients. We conducted a molecular surveillance study on the prevalence and characteristics of the bla L1 and bla L2 genes of S. maltophilia. • The strains of 118 S. maltophilia with high levels resistance to carbapenems. • Seventy-seven L1 and eighty L2 variants were discovered. • The 8 L1 and 1 L2 novel variants of S. maltophilia were isolated. • The cloning of novel variants MICs showed 0.125 to 32 μg/mL to MEM, IMP, ERT, CTX, CZA. • The MICs of cloned novel variants showed 2–2000-fold greater than the negative control strain. • The clonal S. maltophilia in human-animal-environment can pose a potential threat to public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• In this paper, we propose a novel fast and robust template matching method named A-MNS based on the Most Neighbors Similarity (MNS) and the annulus projection transformation (APT). The proposed A-MNS is able to estimate the rotation angle of the target object, overcome the challenges such as background clutter, occlusion, arbitrary rotation transformation, non-rigid deformation and perform fast matching. • A-MNS is efficient due to the coarse-to-fine matching strategy and MNS measurement which avoids the sliding window scan. The coarse matching stage utilizes a low-cost feature APT vector to obtain the matching candidates, and then uses MNS to provide an accurate match. • The essential of A-MNS is the MNS, a useful, rotation invariant, low computational cost and robust similarity measurement. It considers the global spatial structure of the object via counting the quantity of relative neighbours. In the paper, a novel fast and robust template matching method named A-MNS based on Majority Neighbour Similarity (MNS) and the annulus projection transformation (APT) is proposed. Its essence is the MNS, a useful, rotation-invariant, low-computational-cost and robust similarity measurement. The proposed method is theoretically demonstrated and experimentally evaluated as being able to estimate the rotation angle of the target object, overcome challenges such as background clutter, occlusion, arbitrary rotation transformation, and non-rigid deformation, while performing fast matching. Empirical results evaluated on the up-to-date benchmark show that A-MNS is 4.419 times faster than DDIS (the state-of-the-art) and is also competitive in terms of its matching accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Amino acid content increases upon knockout of Fib-H. • The majority of the main amino acids of silk protein could induce BmVg expression. • Amino acid induces BmVg expression through the TOR signalling pathway. • AA injection induces BmVg up-regulation after finishing spinning. Silkworms are economically important insects because of the value of their silk. After finishing silk spinning, silkworms begin another important physiological process, vitellogenesis. In this study, we explored the relationship between silk spinning and vitellogenin (BmVg) expression in silkworms. In silkworms with the silk fibroin heavy chain gene knocked-out, the concentration of amino acids in the hemolymph was found to be significantly higher than that in the wild type, and the expression of BmVg was advanced at day 7 of the fifth instar stage and 0 h after spinning. Furthermore, through culturing fat body in vitro with different substances treatment including glucose, trehalose, amino acids, 20-hydroxyecdysone, and insulin, we found that only amino acids could induce BmVg expression. RNA interference of BmTOR1 in female silkworms could down-regulate BmVg transcription, resulting in shortened egg ducts and smaller eggs relative to the control. Therefore, these results showed that amino acids could induce BmVg expression through the TOR signaling pathway. Fat body cultured with amino acids in vitro and experiments involving amino acids injected into the silkworm showed that the majority of main amino acids of silk protein could induce BmVg expression. These results suggested that BmVg expression is related to silk spinning and this study would lay a foundation for elucidating the stage specificity expression of BmVg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]