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Candida vulturna belongs to the Candida haemulonii species complex and is phylogenetically related to C. auris. We report a C. vulturna outbreak among persons in Shanxi Province, China, during 2019-2022. Isolates were resistant to multiple antifungal drugs and exhibited enhanced adhesion and biofilm formation properties.

In Xinjiang, China, a female corpse dating back to the Han Dynasty was discovered adorned in splendid attire crafted from wool fibers dyed in vibrant shades of red, blue, and light yellow. This study utilized fabric fragments as research specimens to analyze the dyes present, primarily employing time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), in conjunction with optical microscopy, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS) and a mercury vapor analyzer for precise characterization. The TOF-SIMS analysis revealed the presence of mercury isotopic ions (202Hg+ and 199Hg+), mercury-sulfur ions (HgS+, m/z 234), sulfur isotopic ions (32S− and 34S−) on the surface of the red fiber samples. These findings suggest the utilization of cinnabar (HgS), a naturally occurring inorganic mineral dye, in the red fibers. Moreover, mercury content measurements indicated a significant enrichment of mercury in the red fibers, with the Hg content of 84 ng/g, markedly higher than the average Hg content of other fibers, which stood at 31 ng/g. Analysis of the blue fiber samples detected the quasi-molecular ion m/z 263 ([M+H]+) and a series of reasonable fragment ions, such as m/z 235 (C15H11N2O+) and m/z 247 (C16H11N2O+), indicative of the presence of indigo, a natural plant-based organic dye. UPLC-HRMS analysis further confirmed the presence of indigo in the blue fabric samples, providing cross-validation of the dye used. The light yellow fiber samples did not yield detections of common organic dyes like turmeric or inorganic pigments such as iron-yellow (Fe2O3H2O). The yellow hue observed in these fibers may be attributed to the natural aging of the original white wool, remaining undyed. Additionally, granular water-soluble inorganic ions such as NaCl, carbonate, and sulfate were detected within the yellow fabric samples. This study underscores the efficacy of the TOF-SIMS method for in-situ microanalysis and ultra-high sensitivity detection, rendering it is suitable for the analysis of both organic dye and inorganic dye. Moreover, TOF-SIMS will be widely used in archaeological and museum collections related research.

HD-Zip (Homeodomain-Leucine Zipper) is a family of transcription factors unique to higher plants and plays a vital role in plant growth and development. Increasing research results show that HD-Zip transcription factors are widely involved in many life processes in plants. However, the HD-Zip transcription factor for cannabis, a valuable crop, has not yet been identified. The sequence characteristics, chromosome localization, system evolution, conservative motif, gene structure, and gene expression of the HD-Zip transcription factor in the cannabis genome were systematically studied. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to verify its function. The results showed that cannabis contained 33 HD-Zip gene members. The number of amino acids is 136–849aa, the isoelectric point is 4.54–9.04, and the molecular weight is 23264.32–93147.87Da. Many cis-acting elements are corresponding to hormone and abiotic stress in the HD-Zip family promoter area of cannabis. Sequencing of the transcriptome at 5 tissue sites of hemp, stems, leaves, bracts, and seeds showed similar levels of expression of 33 members of the HD-Zip gene family at 5 tissue sites. Bioinformatics results show that HD-Zip expression is tissue-specific and may be influenced by hormones and environmental factors. This lays a foundation for further research on the gene function of HD-Zip.

Candida vulturna, a fungal pathogen that is phylogenetically related to C. haemulonii and C. auris, was isolated from flowers in a taxonomic study of yeasts in 2016 (1,2). Since then, [...]

Abstract The mediation of maternal-embryonic cross-talk via nutrition and metabolism impacts greatly on offspring health. However, the underlying key interfaces remain elusive. Here, we determined that maternal high-fat diet during pregnancy in mice impaired preservation of the ovarian primordial follicle pool in female offspring, which was concomitant with mitochondrial dysfunction of germ cells. Furthermore, this occurred through a reduction in maternal gut microbiota-related vitamin B1 while the defects were restored via vitamin B1 supplementation. Intriguingly, vitamin B1 promoted acetyl-CoA metabolism in offspring ovaries, contributing to histone acetylation and chromatin accessibility at the promoters of cell cycle-related genes, enhancement of mitochondrial function, and improvement of granulosa cell proliferation. In humans, vitamin B1 is downregulated in the serum of women with gestational diabetes mellitus. In this work, these findings uncover the role of the non-gamete transmission of maternal high-fat diet in influencing offspring oogenic fate. Vitamin B1 could be a promising therapeutic approach for protecting offspring health.

Abstract Background This study aimed to explore the value of combined serum lipids with clinical symptoms to diagnose prostate cancer (PCa), and to develop and validate a Nomogram and prediction model to better select patients at risk of PCa for prostate biopsy. Methods Retrospective analysis of 548 patients who underwent prostate biopsies as a result of high serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels or irregular digital rectal examinations (DRE) was conducted. The enrolled patients were randomly assigned to the training groups (n = 384, 70%) and validation groups (n = 164, 30%). To identify independent variables for PCa, serum lipids (TC, TG, HDL, LDL, apoA-1, and apoB) were taken into account in the multivariable logistic regression analyses of the training group, and established predictive models. After that, we evaluated prediction models with clinical markers using decision curves and the area under the curve (AUC). Based on training group data, a Nomogram was developed to predict PCa. Results 210 (54.70%) of the patients in the training group were diagnosed with PCa. Multivariate regression analysis showed that total PSA, f/tPSA, PSA density (PSAD), TG, LDL, DRE, and TRUS were independent risk predictors of PCa. A prediction model utilizing a Nomogram was constructed with a cut-off value of 0.502. The training and validation groups achieved area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.846 and 0.814 respectively. According to the decision curve analysis (DCA), the prediction model yielded optimal overall net benefits in both the training and validation groups, which is better than the optimal net benefit of PSA alone. After comparing our developed prediction model with two domestic models and PCPT-RC, we found that our prediction model exhibited significantly superior predictive performance. Furthermore, in comparison with clinical indicators, our Nomogram’s ability to predict prostate cancer showed good estimation, suggesting its potential as a reliable tool for prognostication. Conclusions The prediction model and Nomogram, which utilize both blood lipid levels and clinical signs, demonstrated improved accuracy in predicting the risk of prostate cancer, and consequently can guide the selection of appropriate diagnostic strategies for each patient in a more personalized manner.

The ancient porcelain is the treasure of Chinese civilization. In this paper, multiple surface analysis tools were applied to characterize the attractive silvery bright spots on the glaze of black-glazed tea bowl fragment. The raindrop-shaped silver flecks covering the surface were symbols of North China oil spots. High-resolution time of flight-secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) data confirmed the main component of the oil spot was iron oxide. Positive ions were Fe+ (m/z 55.93), FeO+ (m/z 71.93), Fe2O+ (m/z 127.86), and negative ions were FeO- (m/z 71.93), FeO-2 (m/z 87.92). A series of peaks were detected by micro-Raman spectroscopy, such as 230, 294, 412, 502, 611, 1 337 cm-1. This suggested existence of hematite (α-Fe2O3) in the spot. Secondary ion imaging of TOF-SIMS indicated the oil spots (~120 μm) was formed by self-organization and dispersion of hundreds hexagonal hematite crystal (~2-10 μm). Hematite was spatially complementary to alkaline calcareous glaze that contains silicon, aluminum, calcium, and sodium. TOF-SIMS depth profiling of the spot suggested a more than 5 μm continuous hematite layer on the glaze of black-glazed tea bowl. The main mineral of α-Fe2O3 crystals was hematite, which was ochre usually. Specular hematite, a subspecies of hematite with silver or black color, was believed to play critical role in the formation of the oil spot. With the optical microscope observations, we believed that the silvery material on the surface of the oil spots should be a thin layer of specular hematite and the lower ochre layer was hematite. In fact, the oil spot appeared silvery-white and reflective when viewed from 15° to 165°, while it appeared ochre when the angles of gaze was not greater than 15° from the glazed surface of the specimen. The extraordinary visual property of color changing with different angle of gaze formed the charm of Song dynasty oil spot tea bowls. With these results, a hypothesis for the formation of the North China oil spots was enlightened. The molten phase of Fe-rich soy-black glaze gradually formed micron-sized hematite particulates at sealed kiln of high temperature (1 250 ℃). When the kiln was unsealed, the hot porcelain was exposed to cold air immediately. A thin layer of specular hematite was generated on top of hematite particulates.