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Effectively assessing the basic genomic information of a species is fundamental for conducting molecular research and provides a foundation for constructing whole-genome maps. Hapalogenys analis is a temperate and tropical nearshore marine fish in China’s coastal waters, with significant economic value and high aquaculture potential. However, the genomic differences between male and female individuals of this species are not yet apparent. This study conducted whole-genome survey analyses on male and female H. analis to provide basic genomic information. According to K-mer analysis, the genome sizes of female and male fish were 436.24 Mb and 493.21 Mb. The heterozygosity rates were 0.58% for females and 0.23% for males. The proportion of repetitive sequences of female and male fish were 42.95% and 51.20%. The GC content of the genomes was 43.30% for female and 43.20% for male. The sizes of the assembled genomes were 589.18 Mb for female and 592.02 Mb for male, with N50 lengths of 3,135 bp and 3,041 bp, respectively. SSR screening results showed that 959,447 and 894,158 SSR sequences were detected in the genomes of female and male, respectively. The lengths of the assembled mitochondrial genome sequences were 19,755 bp for female and 19,754 bp for male, each containing 38 genes. Among these mitochondrial sequences, 13 protein-coding genes were identified, including 7 NADH dehydrogenase, 3 cytochrome c oxidase, 1 cytochrome b, and 2 ATP synthase genes. Both sequences contained 23 tRNA genes and 2 rRNA genes. This study provides a theoretical basis for constructing a high-quality whole genome of H. analis and valuable data for subsequent molecular breeding research.

BackgroundChina exited strict Zero-COVID policy with a surge in Omicron variant infections in December 2022. Given China’s pandemic policy and population immunity, employing Baidu Index (BDI) to analyze the evolving disease landscape and estimate the nationwide pneumonia hospitalizations in the post Zero COVID period, validated by hospital data, holds informative potential for future outbreaks.MethodsRetrospective observational analyses were conducted at the conclusion of the Zero-COVID policy, integrating internet search data alongside offline records. Methodologies employed were multidimensional, encompassing lagged Spearman correlation analysis, growth rate assessments, independent sample T-tests, Granger causality examinations, and Bayesian structural time series (BSTS) models for comprehensive data scrutiny.ResultsVarious diseases exhibited a notable upsurge in the BDI after the policy change, consistent with the broader trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic. Robust connections emerged between COVID-19 and diverse health conditions, predominantly impacting the respiratory, circulatory, ophthalmological, and neurological domains. Notably, 34 diseases displayed a relatively high correlation (r > 0.5) with COVID-19. Among these, 12 exhibited a growth rate exceeding 50% post-policy transition, with myocarditis escalating by 1,708% and pneumonia by 1,332%. In these 34 diseases, causal relationships have been confirmed for 23 of them, while 28 garnered validation from hospital-based evidence. Notably, 19 diseases obtained concurrent validation from both Granger causality and hospital-based data. Finally, the BSTS models approximated approximately 4,332,655 inpatients diagnosed with pneumonia nationwide during the 2 months subsequent to the policy relaxation.ConclusionThis investigation elucidated substantial associations between COVID-19 and respiratory, circulatory, ophthalmological, and neurological disorders. The outcomes from comprehensive multi-dimensional cross-over studies notably augmented the robustness of our comprehension of COVID-19’s disease spectrum, advocating for the prospective utility of internet-derived data. Our research highlights the potential of Internet behavior in predicting pandemic-related syndromes, emphasizing its importance for public health strategies, resource allocation, and preparedness for future outbreaks.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease with a high prevalence in the elderly population, but our understanding of its mechanisms remains incomplete. Analysis of serum exosomal small RNA sequencing data from clinical patients and gene expression data from OA patient serum and cartilage obtained from the GEO database revealed a common dysregulated miRNA, miR-199b-5p. In vitro cell experiments demonstrated that miR-199b-5p inhibits chondrocyte vitality and promotes extracellular matrix degradation. Conversely, inhibition of miR-199b-5p under inflammatory conditions exhibited protective effects against damage. Local viral injection of miR-199b-5p into mice induced a decrease in pain threshold and OA-like changes. In an OA model, inhibition of miR-199b-5p alleviated the pathological progression of OA. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation identified Gcnt2 and Fzd6 as potential target genes of MiR-199b-5p. Thus, these results indicated that MiR-199b-5p/Gcnt2 and Fzd6 axis might be a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of OA.

ObjectiveThis retrospective study aimed to investigate the clinical features of optic neuritis associated with COVID-19 (COVID-19 ON), comparing them with neuromyelitis optica-associated optic neuritis (NMO-ON), myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-associated optic neuritis (MOG-ON), and antibody-negative optic neuritis (antibody-negative ON).MethodsData from 117 patients (145 eyes) with optic neuritis at the Shantou International Eye Center (March 2020–June 2023) were categorized into four groups based on etiology: Group 1 (neuromyelitis optica-related optic neuritis, NMO-ON), Group 2 (myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein optic neuritis, MOG-ON), Group 3 (antibody-negative optic neuritis, antibody-negative ON), and Group 4 (optic neuritis associated with COVID-19, COVID-19 ON). Characteristics of T2 and enhancement in orbital magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were assessed. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was compared before treatment, at a short-term follow-up (14 days), and at the last follow-up after treatment.ResultsThe COVID-19-associated optic neuritis (COVID-19 ON) group exhibited 100% bilateral involvement, significantly surpassing other groups (P < 0.001). Optic disk edema was observed in 100% of COVID-19 ON cases, markedly differing from neuromyelitis optica-related optic neuritis (NMO-ON) (P = 0.023). Orbital magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed distinctive long-segment lesions without intracranial involvement in T1-enhanced sequences for the COVID-19 ON group compared to the other three groups (P < 0.001). Discrepancies in optic nerve sheath involvement were noted between the COVID-19 ON group and both NMO-ON and antibody-negative optic neuritis (antibody-negative ON) groups (P = 0.028). Before treatment, no significant difference in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) existed between the COVID-19 ON group and other groups. At the 14-day follow-up, BCVA in the COVID-19 ON group outperformed the NMO-ON (P < 0.001) and antibody-negative ON (P = 0.028) groups, with no significant difference observed compared to the myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein optic neuritis (MOG-ON) group. At the last follow-up after treatment, BCVA in the COVID-19 ON group significantly differed from the NMO-ON group (P < 0.001).ConclusionOptic neuritis associated with COVID-19 (COVID-19 ON) predominantly presents with bilateral onset and optic disk edema. Orbital magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrates that COVID-19 ON presents as long-segment enhancement without the involvement of the intracranial segment of the optic nerve in T1-enhanced images. Glucocorticoid therapy showed positive outcomes.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AF); however, it is unclear whether AF increases the risk of OSA. Furthermore, sex differences among patients with both AF and OSA remain unclear. We aimed to determine the association between an increased AF burden and OSA and investigate the differences in clinical characteristics between women and men with AF and OSA. Methods: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional analysis from a prospective cohort study. Patients with non-valvular AF were recruited from the cardiac electrophysiology clinic of a tertiary center; they underwent a home sleep apnea test and 14-day ambulatory electrocardiography. Moderate-to-severe OSA was defined as an apnea-hypopnea index of ≥15. Results: Of 320 patients with AF, 53.4% had moderate-to-severe OSA, and the mean body mass index (BMI) was 25.6 kg/m2. Less women (38.2%) had moderate-to-severe OSA than men (59.3%) (p

The prognostic power of circulating cardiac biomarkers, their utility, and pattern of release in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients have not been clearly defined. In this multicentered retrospective study, we enrolled 3219 patients with diagnosed COVID-19 admitted to 9 hospitals from December 31, 2019 to March 4, 2020, to estimate the associations and prognostic power of circulating cardiac injury markers with the poor outcomes of COVID-19. In the mixed-effects Cox model, after adjusting for age, sex, and comorbidities, the adjusted hazard ratio of 28-day mortality for hs-cTnI (high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I) was 7.12 ([95% CI, 4.60-11.03] P

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of 6 kinds of probiotics and their different adding ways on the production of rice wine. Methods: The probiotic rice wine was prepared by adding Lactobacillus rhamnosus BV-77, Lactobacillus fermentans TF-331, Lactobacillus saliva AP-32, Lactobacillus johnsoni MH-68, Lactobacillus acidophilus TYCA-06 and Lactobacillus casei CS-773. To compare the effects of saccharifying enzyme alone, saccharifying enzyme and yeast at the same time and adding methods （probiotic bran koji and probiotic powder） on alcohol content, reducing sugar, total acid and sensory quality of rice wine. Results: Yeast can promote the fermentation of probiotic rice wine and significantly improve the alcohol content and reducing sugar content of rice wine. The rice wine was fermented at 30 ℃ for 3 days by adding 200 U/g saccharifying enzyme and 0.04% yeast, with the highest alcohol content and reducing sugar content of 7.20%vol and 270.00 mg/mL, respectively, and the lowest total acid content of 8.40 mL/L. The rice wine is relatively rich in taste. Conclusion: Lactobacillus fermentans is the most suitable probiotics for rice wine brewing among 6 kinds of probiotics.

Objective To examine the attitude towards sexually transmitted disease and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (STD/AIDS) and the willingness to seek STD/AIDS-related health service in Chinese young people having sexual behavior through online dating. Methods Using snowball sampling and 4 online social network platforms, we recruited 15 – 24 years young people with online sex-seeking experience and conducted a voluntary survey via Sojum application from September to November, 2017. A self-designed questionnaire was adopted to collected respondents′ information about demographic characteristics, sexual high-risk behaviors and willingness to seek STD/AIDS-related health service. Descriptive statistics, univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the profile of willingness and its impact factors. Results Valid information were collected from 730 respondents. Of the 1 119 person-times of responses about intended options for seeking STD/AIDS-related health service, 45.9% (n = 514) reported the intention to visit public hospitals or center for disease control and prevention (CDC), followed by the intention to conduct self-testing or treatment (23.6%, n = 264) and to visit private clinic or to have online consultation (19.4%, n = 217); while, 11.1% (n = 124) of the responses reported the disregarding of related healthcare seeking or even the possibility of STD/AIDS infections. The proportion of reporting the intention to visit public hospital or CDC for seeking STD/AIDS-related health care or consultation was the highest among the respondents of various subgroups. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that the male respondents were more likely to report the disregarding of related healthcare seeking or even the possibility of STD/AIDS infections compared to the female respondents (P < 0.05) and the respondents having homosexual partners were more likely to report the intention to visit public hospitals or CDC for seeking STD/AIDS-related healthcare (P < 0.05). Conclusion Young people with online dating experience have a high demand for STD/AIDS-related healthcare service and different willingness/approach to seek the healthcare, suggesting that targeted health education on STD/AIDS prevention and treatment needs to be promoted among young populations and strategies of multi-sectoral cooperation are necessary to increase the access to youth-friendly STD/AIDS service.

ObjectiveCongenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) is a group of clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorders characterized by dysregulated insulin secretion. The aim of the study was to elucidate genetic etiologies of Taiwanese children with the most severe diazoxide-unresponsive CHI and analyze their genotype-phenotype correlations.MethodsWe combined Sanger with whole exome sequencing (WES) to analyze CHI-related genes. The allele frequency of the most common variant was estimated by single-nucleotide polymorphism haplotype analysis. The functional effects of the ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channel variants were assessed using patch clamp recording and Western blot.ResultsNine of 13 (69%) patients with ten different pathogenic variants (7 in ABCC8, 2 in KCNJ11 and 1 in GCK) were identified by the combined sequencing. The variant ABCC8 p.T1042QfsX75 identified in three probands was located in a specific haplotype. Functional study revealed the human SUR1 (hSUR1)-L366F KATP channels failed to respond to intracellular MgADP and diazoxide while hSUR1-R797Q and hSUR1-R1393C KATP channels were defective in trafficking. One patient had a de novo dominant mutation in the GCK gene (p.I211F), and WES revealed mosaicism of this variant from another patient.ConclusionPathogenic variants in KATP channels are the most common underlying cause of diazoxide-unresponsive CHI in the Taiwanese cohort. The p.T1042QfsX75 variant in the ABCC8 gene is highly suggestive of a founder effect. The I211F mutation in the GCK gene and three rare SUR1 variants associated with defective gating (p.L366F) or traffic (p.R797Q and p.R1393C) KATP channels are also associated with the diazoxide-unresponsive phenotype.