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Ai-Hua Zhang,1 Guang-Xia Dai,2 Qi-Dong Zhang,1 Hong-Dong Huang,1 Wen-Hu Liu1 1Nephrology Department, Capital Medical University Affiliated Beijing Friendship Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Endocrinology Department, Beijing Nanyuan Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Hong-Dong Huang; Wen-Hu Liu, Nephrology Department, Capital Medical University Affiliated Beijing Friendship Hospital, No. 95 Yong An Road, Xi Cheng District, Beijing, 100050, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-10 63138579, Fax +86-10 63139144, Email huangHD201902@163.com; l13901163354@163.comBackground: Primary membranous nephropathy (PMN) is a common cause of nephrotic syndrome in adults. Forty percent of the patients continue to progress and eventually develop into chronic renal failure. Although phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) is the major antigen of PMN, the clinical features do not often parallel with the antibody titers. Therefore, it is significant to find relative credible markers to predict the treatment response.Methods: One hundred and eighteen PMN patients were recruited. The response to treatment was defined as ALB≥ 30g/L at 6 months and complete remission (CR) or not at the end of the follow-up. Renal outcome endpoint was defined as 50% or more Cr increase at the end.Results: The patients with poor treatment effects had numerically higher platelet-lymphocytes ratio (PLR). For patients with CR or not, the difference was near to statistic significant (P=0.095). When analyzing CR or not, the fitting of the binary logistic regression model including both PLA2R Ab titer and PLR (Hosmer–Lemeshow test: χ2=8.328, P = 0.402; OR (PLA2R Ab titer) = 1.002 (95% CI 1.000– 1.004, P = 0.042); OR (PLR) = 1.006 (95% CI 0.999– 1.013, P = 0.098)) was markedly better than that with only PLA2R Ab titer (Hosmer–Lemeshow test: χ2=13.885, P = 0.016). The patients with renal function deterioration showed significantly higher monocyte-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) (0.26 (0.22– 0.31) vs 0.18 (0.13– 0.22), P = 0.012).Conclusion: PMN patients with poor treatment response tended to have higher PLR at the time of renal biopsy, and a higher MLR was associated with poor renal outcomes. Our findings suggested that PLR and MLR might be used to predict treatment efficacy and prognosis for PMN patients, respectively.Keywords: membranous nephropathy, peripheral blood cell ratios, platelet-lymphocytes ratio, monocyte–lymphocyte ratio, treatment response, outcome

Guanghong Yang,1 Zhiwei Zhou,2 Yanli Cen,1 Xiaolin Gui,1 Qibing Zeng,1 Yunxia Ao,1 Qian Li,1 Shiran Wang,1 Jun Li,1 Aihua Zhang1 1Key Laboratory of Environment Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Guiyang Medical University, 2Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering Research Center and Sino-US Joint Laboratory for Medical Sciences, Guiyang Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Persistent organic pollutants in drinking water impose a substantial risk to the health of human beings, but the evidence for liver toxic effect and the underlying mechanism is scarce. This study aimed to examine the liver toxicity and elucidate the molecular mechanism of organic pollutants in drinking water in normal human liver cell line L02 cells and rats. The data showed that organic extraction from drinking water remarkably impaired rat liver function, evident from the increase in the serum level of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and cholinesterase, and decrease in the serum level of total protein and albumin. Organic extraction dose-dependently induced apoptotic cell death in rat liver and L02 cells. Administration of rats with organic extraction promoted death receptor signaling pathway through the increase in gene and protein expression level of Fas and FasL. Treatment of rats with organic extraction also induced mitochondria-mediated apoptosis via increasing the expression level of proapoptotic protein, Bax, but decreasing the expression level of antiapoptotic protein, Bcl-2, resulting in an upregulation of cytochrome c and activation of caspase cascade at both transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. Moreover, organic extraction enhanced rat liver glutathione S-transferases activity and reactive oxygen species generation, and upregulated aryl hydrocarbon receptor and glutathione S-transferase A1 at both transcriptional and translational levels. Collectively, the results indicate that organic extraction from drinking water impairs liver function, with the involvement of death receptor and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in rats. The results provide evidence and molecular mechanisms for organic pollutants in drinking water-induced liver dysfunction, which may help prevent and treat organic extraction-induced liver injury. Keywords: Fas/FasL pathway, mitochondrial pathway, liver injury

Qiong Bai, Xuan Lai, Ai-Hua Zhang, Xin-Hong Lu, Shun-Li Tian, Min-Hua Fan, Yue Wang, Tao WangDivision of Nephrology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of ChinaBackground: Cardiovascular disease is more common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) than in the general population. Endothelial dysfunction is an early predictor of cardiovascular events.Objective: We conducted a cross-sectional study in CKD patients to explore the association of metabolic syndrome (MetS) components with endothelial cell function.Methods: We evaluated clinical and laboratory data in 161 CKD patients from stage 1 to stage 5. Endothelial function was estimated by flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery and expressed as percentage change relative to baseline diameter. MetS was defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III criteria.Results: Patients were grouped into two groups according to whether or not they had MetS. FMD was significantly lower in the MetS group than in the group without MetS (P = 0.012). In a Pearson's correlation analysis, FMD was significantly negatively correlated with waist circumference in women (r = –0.223, P = 0.03) and fasting blood glucose (r = –0.186, P = 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that fasting blood glucose was an independently associated factor for FMD.Conclusion: MetS and some components of MetS (waist circumference in women and fasting blood glucose) are closely associated with a decreased FMD in CKD patients.Keywords: metabolic syndrome, endothelial dysfunction, flow-mediated dilatation, chronic kidney disease

Background: With the adjustment of China's birth policy, the repeat cesarean sections raises concerns about potential gastrointestinal mechanical injuries and disturbances in gastrointestinal neurohormonal regulation, affecting the postoperative recovery of gastrointestinal function. These affect maternal nutritional status, prolong recovery, extend hospitalization, increase medical costs, and lead to neonatal care challenges.This study is to examine the effects of different postoperative feeding protocols on the restoration of gastrointestinal function in women undergoing repeat cesarean section., Methods: A total of 103 women were randomly assigned to three groups: experimental group A (n = 35), experimental group B (n = 34), and a control group (n = 34). In group A, women without choking symptoms received a clear fluid diet postoperatively, followed by a pureed diet after 6 h, and a regular soft diet after passing flatus. In group B, women chewed gum postoperatively, followed by a clear fluid diet after 2 h, a pureed diet after 6 h, and a regular soft diet after passing flatus. The control group received a clear fluid diet, a pureed diet after passing flatus, and a regular soft diet after defecation. Outcomes measured included recovery of gastrointestinal function, blood biochemical markers, comfort level, exclusive breastfeeding rate, and newborn weight loss., Results: The baseline maternal data across the three groups demonstrated no significant differences (P > 0.05). Both experimental groups A and B showed earlier recovery of postoperative gastrointestinal function compared to the control group, though there was no significant difference between the two experimental groups (P > 0.05). Additionally, postoperative comfort levels were significantly higher in both experimental groups than in the control group (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: Early feeding is safe and effective for women who underwent repeat cesarean sections.It has been shown to accelerate gastrointestinal recovery, significantly improve maternal comfort and satisfaction.In cases where immediate postoperative oral intake is not feasible, chewing gum demonstrates a comparable promotive effect, providing a viable substitute in facilitating recovery., Trial Registration: This trial has been prospectively registered at Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200065825) and the first registration date was 11/16/2022., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was conducted with approval from the Ethics Committee of Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine Zheijiang University (NO: IRB-20210327-R), and registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Register website ( www.chictr.org.cn , ChiCTR2200065825) and the registration date was 11/16/2022. This study was conducted in accordance with the declaration of Helsinki. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objectives : Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by joint damage and commonly linked to symptoms such as inflammation, swelling, and pain. Traditional Chinese Medicine offers complementary and integrative approaches in the management of rheumatoid arthritis, potentially providing additional options that may help address treatment challenges and enhance overall patient care. This paper explores the mechanism of action of berberine from the perspective of cellular exosomes by mediating exosomal contents and thus treating RA. Methods : With the help of flow cytometry and confocal laser scanning microscope, it was determined that berberine promotes apoptosis in RA-FLS cells, and then lipid metabolomics technology was applied to screen and characterize the exosomes of RA-FLS cells to identify lipid core biomarkers closely related to RA, which were then projected into various databases for comprehensive analysis. Results : The data analysis showed that berberine could call back 11 lipid core biomarkers closely associated with RA, and interactive visualization of the database revealed that these markers were mainly focused on lipid metabolism aspects such as fatty acid elongation, degradation, and biosynthesis, as well as the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids or PPARA activation of gene expression, PPARα's role in lipid metabolism regulation, glycerophospholipid metabolism, mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation disorders, and organelle biogenesis and maintenance. Conclusions : Berberine exerts its therapeutic effect on RA by mediating exosomal contents and thus regulating multiple lipid-related biological pathways, affecting the PPARγ-NF-κB complex binding rate, CREB and EGR-1 expression, cellular phagocytosis, and other aspects needed to inhibit proliferation and inflammatory responses in RA-FLS. This study offers a research foundation for exploring the mechanism of action of berberine in the treatment of RA.

Although enrofloxacin (ENR) is a widely used broad-spectrum antibiotic in veterinary medicine, its residues in animals can pose a risk to human health. Thus, we developed a new method for detecting ENR based on aptamers and AuNPs. In the absence of ENR, the aptamers attached to the surface of the AuNPs via electrostatic interactions to protect the AuNPs from NaCl, and the solution remained red. Conversely, the aptamer bonded with ENR, leading the aptamer to detach from the AuNP surface, and the color of the solution changed from red to blue. Based on this principle, ENR can be qualitatively detected by the naked eye and quantitatively detected by measuring the absorbance ratio at 650 nm and 530 nm. The experimental results showed a good linear relationship within the ENR concentration range of 0-400 nM, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.72 nM, which is satisfactory for detection in food safety. Additionally, this method has also been successfully applied to the detection of ENR in tap water, river water, milk, serum and urine, with good recovery rates and RSD values of less than 7%, indicating its great potential for ENR detection in environmental water samples. More importantly, the combination of this method with a smartphone platform provided great convenience for on-site and visual detection of ENR, offering promising applicability prospects.

A Gram-staining negative, non-motile, rod-shaped, oxidase negative and catalase positive strain WL0021 T was isolated from cricket (Gryllus chinensis) living in the campus of Hohai University. Strain WL0021 T was characterized utilizing a polyphasic taxonomy approach. The major fatty acids (> 5%) for strain WL0021 T were C 16:0 and summed feature 8, and the major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phospholipid, two aminolipids, and an unidentified polar lipid. Ubiquinone-10 was detected as the predominant respiratory quinone. The results of 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic analyses revealed that strain WL0021 T had the highest sequence similarity of 95.3% to Microvirga flavescens c27j1 T and strain WL0021 T formed a distinct linage within the family Methylobacteriaceae in the phylogenetic trees. Whole genomic DNA G+C content was 48.3%. Combined with the results from this study, strain WL0021 T should represent a novel genus in the family Methylobacteriaceae, for which the name Hohaiivirga grylli gen. nov., sp. nov. (type strain WL0021 T =GDMCC 1.2420 T  =JCM 34655 T =MCCC 1K05886 T ) is proposed., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Liver disease caused by Fasciola is a significant zoonotic and parasitic disease with substantial economic impacts on humans and animals. Many studies have looked at the prevalence of fasciolis worldwide, yet the overall prevalence and risk factors in cattle, ruminants, and humans remains unknown., Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the global prevalence and risk factors of fascioliasis in humans and domestic ruminants. With this aim, we searched PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Scopus from inception to 8 December 2022 for studies reporting the prevalence of fascioliasis in humans or domestic ruminants post-2000. We then used random effects models to describe the prevalence of fascioliasis; trim-and-fill analysis and Egger's test to assess publication bias; and meta-regression and sensitivity analyses to examine the risk factors for prevalence and heterogeneity., Results: We retrieved 4422 articles, with 371 being included in the analysis, as they concerned fascioliasis in humans and ruminants globally. The pooled prevalence of bovine fasciolosis was 17%, while ovine fasciolosis and human fascioliasis had pooled prevalences of 13% and 5%, respectively. We also conducted subgroup analyses by continents, countries, Fasciola species, sampling years, altitude, rainfall, temperature, humidity, age, sex, feeding mode, and residence. Here, altitude and age emerged as risk factors associated with an increased prevalence of fascioliasis. Both the trim-and-fill analysis and Egger's test confirmed the presence of publication bias, while the sensitivity analysis showed that the omission of any single study did not significantly influence the combined pooled prevalence., Conclusions: Fascioliasis is a widely prevalent zoonosis among humans and livestock worldwide. Strategies targeting risk factors such as altitude and age are urgently needed for prevention and control of this disease, which will consequently reduce Fasciola infection. Additionally, given the inadequacy or absence of data in some countries, greater attention should be paid to Fasciola infection, with further epidemiological studies focussing on improving data quality., Competing Interests: Disclosure of interest: The authors completed the ICMJE Disclosure of Interest Form (available upon request from the corresponding author) and disclose no relevant interests., (Copyright © 2024 by the Journal of Global Health. All rights reserved.)

We designed and developed the probe W-3 for detection of Cu 2+ . The results showed probe can selectively detect Cu 2+ , accompanied by noticeable color change. The probe can detect the Cu 2+ in water samples and drinks based on absorption detection. In addition, the combination of portable test paper and the smartphone platform obtained great convenience for on-site and visual detection of Cu 2+ , with satisfactory sensitivity and reliability. More importantly, the fluorescence probe W-3 can be used for the detection of Cu 2+ in cells and mice. Therefore, the W-3 provided potential chemical tools for detecting Cu 2+ in vitro and vivo., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Diabetes has become one of the most common endocrine and metabolic diseases threatening human health, which can induce mitochondrial dysfunction and exacerbate the excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Among them, ONOO - level fluctuation was closely related to diabetes. Hence, it is of great significance to develop a near-infrared fluorescence probe for visualizing ONOO - level fluctuations in diabetes. In this paper, we constructed a fluorescence probe YBL with dicyano-isophorone derivative as fluorophore and diphenyl phosphate as ONOO - response site, which can detect ONOO - with the low detection limit (39.8 nM) and exhibit excellent selectivity and sensitivity. The probe YBL has been applied to monitor intracellular ONOO - level fluctuations. Meanwhile, the image results showed that high sugar promoted the increase of ONOO - level in cells. More important, the probe YBL can be used for imaging in mice, and the results showed that content of ONOO - was increased in diabetic mice. Therefore, the probe YBL provided a tool for understanding diabetes progression by imaging ONOO - ., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Vascular calcification (VC) is highly prevalent and predicts cardiovascular mortality in dialysis patients. The mechanisms are still unclear. Inflammation is a well-known inducer of VC. YKL-40 has been suggested as a novel biomarker of inflammation and has been demonstrated to be associated with cardiovascular mortality in hemodialysis patients. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between serum YKL-40 and VC in hemodialysis (HD) patients., Methods: A total of 109 HD patients and 31 healthy controls were enrolled in the study from September 2014 to December 2014. We evaluated the abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) score by plain X-ray films of the abdomen and measured serum YKL-40 concentrations using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We also examined the relationship between YKL-40 levels and AAC scores in HD patients., Results: Serum YKL-40 levels in HD patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls [199.8 (144.8, 288.7) vs. 71.9 (52.8, 89.3) ng/ml; P < 0.001]. There was a tendency that YKL-40 levels in diabetic hemodialysis patients were higher than those in nondiabetic patients [217.8 (155.3, 335.8) vs. 192.9 (135.9, 274.4) ng/ml; P = 0.093]. A significant positive correlation was found between serum YKL-40 level and AAC score in these patients (r = 0.410, P = 0.003). Multiple regression analysis showed that Ln(YKL-40) was independently associated with AAC score in HD patients (P = 0.044)., Conclusion: This study showed high serum YKL-40 concentrations in chronic HD patients and that YKL-40 was independently associated with increased AAC in hemodialysis patients., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

The global prevalence of diabetes is steadily rising, with an estimated 537 million adults affected by diabetes in 2021, projected to reach 783 million by 2045. A severe consequence of diabetes is the development of painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN), afflicting approximately one in every three diabetic patients and significantly compromising their quality of life. Current pharmacotherapies for PDN provide inadequate pain relief for many patients, underscoring the need for novel treatments that are both safe and effective. The Sigma 1 Receptor (S1R) is a ligand-operated chaperone protein that resides at the mitochondria-associated membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum. The S1R has been shown to play crucial roles in regulating cellular processes implicated in pain modulation. This study explores the potential of PW507, a novel S1R antagonist, as a therapeutic candidate for PDN. PW507 exhibited promising in vitro and in vivo properties in terms of ADME, toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and safety. In preclinical rat models of Streptozotocin-induced diabetic neuropathy, PW507 demonstrated significant efficacy in alleviating mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia following both acute and chronic (2-week) administration, without inducing tolerance and visual evidence of toxicity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to evaluate an S1R antagonist in STZ-induced diabetic rats following both acute and 2-week chronic administration, offering compelling preclinical evidence for the potential use of PW507 as a promising therapeutic option for PDN., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following competing financial interest(s): YP and WJW are inventors on PCT/US2019/066048, which describes PW507 and its analogs as novel S1R ligands., (© 2024 American Chemical Society.)

Objectives: To study the diagnosis, treatment, and complications of hypophosphatemic rickets (HR) in children, explore effectiveness evaluation indicators for the disease, and understand the pattern in height growth among these patients., Methods: A retrospective analysis of the initial clinical data and five-year follow-up data of 85 children with HR treated at Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2008 to December 2022., Results: Among the 85 children with HR, there were 46 males (54%) and 39 females (46%). The age at initial diagnosis ranged from 6 months to 13 years and 9 months, with a median age of 2.75 years. The average height standard deviation score was -2.0±1.1. At initial diagnosis, children exhibited reduced blood phosphate levels and elevated alkaline phosphatase (ALP), with 99% (84/85) presenting with lower limb deformities. The positive rate for PHEX gene mutations was 93% (55/59). One year post-treatment, there was a significant reduction in ALP levels and the gap between the lower limbs ( P <0.05). The fastest height growth occurred in the first year after treatment, at 8.23 cm/year, with a peak height velocity (PHV) phase lasting about two years during puberty. The height increased by 9-20 cm in male children during the PHV stage and 10-15 cm in female children. Major complications included nephrocalcinosis and hyperparathyroidism. The incidence rate of nephrocalcinosis in the first year after treatment was 55% (22/40), which increased with the duration of the disease ( P <0.001); an increased urinary phosphate/creatinine ratio was positively associated with a higher risk of nephrocalcinosis ( OR =1.740, P <0.001). The incidence of hyperparathyroidism in the first year after treatment was 64% (27/42)., Conclusions: For children presenting with lower limb deformities, short stature, and slow growth, early testing for blood levels of phosphate, calcium, and ALP, along with imaging examinations of the lower limbs, can aid in the early diagnosis of HR. Genetic testing may be utilized for definitive confirmation when necessary. ALP combined with improvements in skeletal deformities and annual height growth can serve as indicators of therapeutic effectiveness for HR. Compared to normal children, children with HR demonstrate a lower height increase during the PHV phase, necessitating close follow-up and timely adjustment of treatment plans Citation:Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics, 2024, 26(7): 677-682 .

We designed and prepared probe W-1 for the detection of H 2 O 2 . W-1 showed excellent selectivity for H 2 O 2 and was accompanied by colorimetric signal changes. The excellent linear relationship between fluorescence intensity and H 2 O 2 concentration (0-100 μM) provided favorable conditions for its quantitative detection. In addition, the combination of portable test strips with a smartphone platform provided great convenience for on-site visual detection of H 2 O 2 . Moreover, W-1 possessed targeting mitochondria property and could be applied to image the exogenous and endogenous H 2 O 2 in cells to distinguish normal cells and cancer cells. Lastly, W-1 was used for monitoring the H 2 O 2 fluctuation of the diabetic process in mice, and the results showed an increase in H 2 O 2 levels in diabetes. Therefore, the probe provided a tool for understanding the pathological and physiological mechanisms of diabetes by imaging H 2 O 2 .

Intracellular microenvironment (viscosity and polarity) and peroxynitrite ions (ONOO - ) are involved in maintaining cell morphology, cell function, and signaling so that it is crucial to explore their level changes in vitro and vivo. In this work, we designed and synthesized a mitochondria-targeted fluorescence probe XBL for monitoring the dynamic changes of viscosity, polarity, and ONOO - based on TICT and ICT mechanism. The fluorescence spectra showed obvious changes for polarity at 500 nm as well as ONOO - and viscosity at 660 nm, respectively. The XBL can image simultaneously viscosity, polarity, and ONOO - in cells, and the results showed excess ONOO - leaded to the increase of viscosity in mitochondrial. The ferroptosis process was accompanied by increase of intracellular viscosity and ONOO - levels (or decrease of polarity), which allowed us to better understand the relevant physiological and pathological processes. The XBL can distinguish normal cells and cancerous cells by the fluorescence intensity changes in green and red channels, and image viscosity in inflamed mice. Thus, XBL can provided the chemical tool to understand the physiological and pathological mechanisms of disease by simultaneous detection of viscosity, polarity and ONOO - ., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: This study aims to explore the clinical value of low disease activity state (LDAS) in the treat-to-target strategy of pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus (pSLE) and find the risk factors for never reaching LDAS., Methods: A total of 272 children with SLE who were diagnosed and followed up in two tertiary hospitals in China during the period from January 2012 to December 2019 were involved in this study, and the clinical presentation, pathology, and treatment were retrospectively studied., Results: The male-to-female ratio was 1:5.2, the age at diagnosis was 11.1 years (IQR, 9.8-13.1 years), the disease duration was 1.0 month (IQR, 0.5-2.0 months), and follow-up was 36.5 months (IQR, 25.7-50.9 months). During follow-up, 230 children achieved LDAS, and 42 were never been in. Male ( P = 0.018), mucosal ulcer ( P = 0.048), liver function damage ( P = 0.026), cardiac effusion ( P = 0.034), anemia ( P = 0.048), urine red blood cells ( P = 0.017), urinary leukocytes ( P = 0.032), and endothelial cell proliferation in renal biopsy ( P = 0.004)-these indexes have statistical differences between the two groups in the baseline. At baseline, endothelial cell proliferation ( P = 0.02) is an independent risk factor for never achieving LDAS by multivariate logistic analysis. During follow-up, non-compliance was a risk factor for never achieving LDAS by comparing between groups. Children with biologics achieved LDAS at a higher rate than children without biologics ( P = 0.038). The proportion of organ damage in patients never been in LDAS was significantly higher than that in patients who achieved LDAS ( P < 0.001)., Conclusion: Endothelial cell proliferation in renal biopsy and non-compliance during follow-up were independent risk factors for never achieving LDAS. At the end of the follow-up, the organ damage in the remission group was similar to that in the LDAS group, indicating that LDAS can be used as a target for pSLE treatment., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Yu, Deng, Chen, Qiu, Jiang, Wu, Yang, Zhang, Yang, Zhao, Li, Zhang and Wang.)

Background: Cognitive impairment and brain atrophy are common in chronic kidney disease patients. It remains unclear whether differences in renal function, even within normal levels, influence hippocampal volume (HCV) and cognition. We aimed to investigate the association between estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), HCV and cognition in outpatients., Methods: This single-center retrospective study enrolled 544 nonrenal outpatients from our hospital. All participants underwent renal function assessment and 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the same year. HCV was also measured, and cognitive assessments were obtained. The correlations between eGFR, HCV, and cognitive function were analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the risk factors for hippocampal atrophy and cognitive impairment. Receiver-operator curves (ROCs) were performed to find the cut-off value of HCV that predicts cognitive impairment., Results: The mean age of all participants was 66.5 ± 10.9 years. The mean eGFR of all participants was 88.5 ± 15.1 mL/min/1.73 m 2 . eGFR was positively correlated with HCV and with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed Age ≥ 65 years, eGFR < 75 mL/min/1.73 m 2 , Glucose ≥6.1 mmol/L and combined cerebral microvascular diseases were independent risk factors for hippocampal atrophy and Age ≥ 65 years, left hippocampal volume (LHCV) <2,654 mm 3 were independent risk factors for cognitive impairment in outpatients. Although initial unadjusted logistic regression analysis indicated that a lower eGFR (eGFR < 75 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ) was associated with poorer cognitive function, this association was lost after adjusting for confounding variables. ROC curve analysis demonstrated that LHCV <2,654 mm 3 had the highest AUROC [(0.842, 95% CI: 0.808-0.871)], indicating that LHCV had a credible prognostic value with a high sensitivity and specificity for predicting cognitive impairment compared with age in outpatients., Conclusion: Higher eGFR was associated with higher HCV and better cognitive function. eGFR < 75 mL/min/1.73 m 2 was an independent risk factor for hippocampal atrophy after adjusting for age. It is suggested that even eGFR < 75 mL/min/1.73 m 2 , lower eGFR may still be associated with hippocampal atrophy, which is further associated with cognitive impairment. LHCV was a favorable prognostic marker for predicting cognitive impairment rather than age., Competing Interests: The authors declare that this study was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be interpreted as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2024 Wu, Lu, Zheng, Cui, Lu and Zhang.)

This study utilized a prospective, large-sample, multi-center, and registered key specialty approach of hospitals to monitor the application of Reduning Injection. A total of 100 249 adolescent patients aged 14 years and below who received Reduning Injection were monitored, resulting in 83 cases of adverse events, with 76 of them being classified as adverse drug reaction(ADR). The calculated incidence rate of ADR for Reduning Injection was 0.076%, indicating a very rare ADR. The main symptoms of ADR were pruritus, diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, high fever, dyspnea, convulsion, and chills. All ADR cases were reported for the first time, including three new ADR cases and 73 known ADR cases. The categories of ADR was general ADR. All ADR was mild in severity. There were more males than females in ADR patients. One patient had a history of ADR, and the drug causing ADR was buprofen. The largest number of ADR cases occurred when the dosage of Reduning injection was 5-10 mL. The dropping speed was 30 drops or less per min, and the solvent type was 5% glucose injection. The most common manifestation of ADR patients was pruritus, followed by diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, high fever, dyspnea, convulsions, and chills. 72 patients(94.74% of ADR patients) discontinued the drug, and three patients(3.95% of ADR patients) were given oxygen inhalation. 47 cases(61.84% of ADR patients) were treated with medication, of which dexamethasone was the most used(24 cases, 46.15% of ADR patients). 76 ADR patients were cured or improved. ADRs are more likely to occur when diagnosed with acute bronchitis by western medicine and cough by traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), TCM syndrome type is wind heat syndrome, and the combination medicine is ambroxol hydrochloride and bromhexine hydrochloride injection, ascorbic acid/vitamin C injection. This result provides an evidence-based safety basis for active pharmacovigilance of Reduning Injection in adolescents aged 14 years and below.

Crytosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis , and Enterocytozoon bieneusi are important diarrheal pathogens with a global distribution that threatens the health of humans and animals. Despite cattle being potential transmission hosts of these protozoans, the associated risks to public health have been neglected. In the present study, a total of 1155 cattle fecal samples were collected from 13 administrative regions of Heilongjiang Province. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp., G. duodenalis , and E. bieneusi were 5.5% (64/1155; 95% CI: 4.2-6.9), 3.8% (44/1155; 95% CI: 2.7-4.9), and 6.5% (75/1155; 95% CI: 5.1-7.9), respectively. Among these positive fecal samples, five Cryptosporidium species ( C. andersoni , C. bovis , C. ryanae , C. parvum , and C. occultus ), two G. duodenalis assemblages (E and A), and eight E. bieneusi genotypes (BEB4, BEB6, BEB8, J, I, CHS7, CHS8, and COS-I) were identified. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all eight genotypes of E. bieneusi identified in the present study belonged to group 2. It is worth noting that some species/genotypes of these intestinal protozoans are zoonotic, suggesting a risk of zoonotic disease transmission in endemic areas. The findings expanded our understanding of the genetic composition and zoonotic potential of Cryptosporidium spp., G. duodenalis , and E. bieneusi in cattle in Heilongjiang Province.

Background: Pediatric antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a life-threatening systemic vasculitis featured by liability to renal involvement. However, there are few studies on the risk factors and predictive models for renal outcomes of AAV in children., Methods: Data from 179 AAV children in multiple centers between January 2012 and March 2020 were collected retrospectively. The risk factors and predictive model of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in AAV were explored., Results: Renal involvement was the most typical manifestation (95.5%), and the crescent was the predominant pathological lesion (84.9%). The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was evaluated in 114 patients, of whom 59.6% developed ESRD, and the median time to ESRD was 3.20 months. The eGFR [P = 0.006, odds ratio (OR) = 0.955, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.924-0.987] and the percentages of global glomerulosclerosis (pGGS; P = 0.018, OR = 1.060, 95% CI = 1.010-1.112) were independent risk factors for ESRD of renal biopsy. Based on the pGGS and eGFR at renal biopsy, we developed three risk grades of ESRD and one predictive model. The Kaplan‒Meier curve indicated that renal outcomes were significantly different in different risk grades (P < 0.001). Compared with serum creatinine at baseline, the predictive model had higher accuracy (0.86 versus 0.58, P < 0.001) and a lower coefficient of variation (0.07 versus 0.92) in external validation., Conclusions: Renal involvement is the most common manifestation of pediatric AAV in China, of which more than half deteriorates into ESRD. The predictive model based on eGFR at renal biopsy and the pGGS may be stable and accurate in speculating the risk of ESRD in AAV children. Supplementary file 2 (MP4 18937 KB)., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Solid cancers Myeloid cells are prevalent in solid cancers, but they frequently exhibit an anti-inflammatory pro-tumor phenotype that contribute to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), which hinders the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies. Myeloid cells' natural ability of tumor trafficking makes engineered myeloid cell therapy an intriguing approach to tackle the challenges posed by solid cancers, including tumor infiltration, tumor cell heterogenicity and the immunosuppressive TME. One such engineering approach is to target the checkpoint molecule PD-L1, which is often upregulated by solid cancers to evade immune responses., Method: Here we devised an adoptive cell therapy strategy based on myeloid cells expressing a Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-like immune receptor (CARIR). The extracellular domain of CARIR is derived from the natural inhibitory receptor PD-1, while the intracellular domain(s) are derived from CD40 and/or CD3ζ. To assess the efficacy of CARIR-engineered myeloid cells, we conducted proof-of-principle experiments using co-culture and flow cytometry-based phagocytosis assays in vitro. Additionally, we employed a fully immune-competent syngeneic tumor mouse model to evaluate the strategy's effectiveness in vivo., Result: Co-culturing CARIR-expressing human monocytic THP-1 cells with PD-L1 expressing target cells lead to upregulation of the costimulatory molecule CD86 along with expression of proinflammatory cytokines TNF-1α and IL-1β. Moreover, CARIR expression significantly enhanced phagocytosis of multiple PD-L1 expressing cancer cell lines in vitro. Similar outcomes were observed with CARIR-expressing human primary macrophages. In experiments conducted in syngeneic BALB/c mice bearing 4T1 mammary tumors, infusing murine myeloid cells that express a murine version of CARIR significantly slowed tumor growth and prolonged survival., Conclusion: Taken together, these results demonstrate that adoptive transfer of PD-1 CARIR-engineered myeloid cells represents a promising strategy for treating PD-L1 positive solid cancers., Competing Interests: Authors KC, DG, BG, SV, MM, A-HZ, and PA are employees and/or shareholders of Vita Therapeutics, Inc. A-HZ, PA, KC, and DG are inventors of pending patents involving the generation and use of CARIR-modified myeloid cells for treating cancer., (Copyright © 2024 Myers Chen, Grun, Gautier, Venkatesha, Maddox, Zhang and Andersen.)

A novel bacterial strain, designated WL0086 T , was isolated from a marine sediment sample collected in Lianyungang city, Jiangsu province, PR China. This strain showed the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Geminisphaera colitermitum TAV2 T (92.7 %) of the family Opitutaceae , and all the unclassified cultured and uncultured isolates with similarities >95 % were from marine environments. Cells were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile cocci with a size of 0.6-0.8 µm in diameter. Strain WL0086 T was positive for both oxidase and catalase, and grew at 20-37 °C (optimum, 28 °C), with 1.5-11.0 % NaCl (w/v; optimum, 2.5-4.0 %) and at pH 5.0-9.0 (optimum, pH 7.0). The major polar lipid profile of strain WL0086 T consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, and phosphatidylcholine. The major isoprenoid quinone was menaquinone-7 and the predominant fatty acids were iso-C 14 : 0 , anteiso-C 15 : 0 , C 16 : 0 and C 16 : 1  ω 9 c . The complete genome consisted of a chromosome with 6 109 182 bp. The G+C content of genomic DNA was 64.0%. Results of phylogenomic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence and the whole genome suggested that strain WL0086 T formed a distinct clade closely neighbouring the members of the family Opitutaceae . On the basis of phylogenetic, phenotypic, and chemotaxonomic evidences, strain WL0086 T should represent a novel genus of the family Opitutaceae , for which the name Actomonas aquatica gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is WL0086 T (=MCCC 1K05844 T =JCM 34677 T =GDMCC 1.2411 T ).

Two novel Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile and rod-shaped bacteria, designated as WL0004 T and XHP0148 T , were isolated from seawater samples collected from the coastal areas of Nantong and Lianyungang, PR China, respectively. Both strains were found to grow at 10-42 °C (optimum, 37 °C) and with 2.0-5.0 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 3.0 %). Strain WL0004 T grew at pH 6.0-9.0 (optimum, pH 7.0-8.0), while XHP0148 T grew at pH 6.0-10.0 (optimum, pH 7.0-8.0). The major cellular fatty acids (>10 %) of both strains included summed feature 8 (C 18 : 1  ω 6 c and/or C 18 : 1  ω 7 c ). In addition, strain WL0004 T contained 11-methyl C 18 : 1  ω 7 c and strain XHP0148 T contained C 12 : 0 3-OH. The respiratory quinone of both strains was ubiquinone-10. The G+C content of genomic DNA of strains WL0004 T and XHP0148 T were 62.5 and 63.0 mol%, respectively. Strains WL0004 T and XHP0148 T showed the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Ruegeria pomeroyi DSS-3 T (99.4 and 99.0 %, respectively), and the 16S rRNA gene-based phylogenetic analysis indicated that the two strains were closely related to members of the genus Ruegeria . The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values among the two strains and type strains of the genus Ruegeria were all below 95 and 70 %, respectively, and the phylogenetic tree reconstructed from the bac120 gene set indicated that the two strains are distinct from each other and the members of the genus Ruegeria . Based on this phenotypic and genotypic characterization, strains WL0004 T (=MCCC 1K07523 T =JCM 35565 T =GDMCC 1.3083 T ) and XHP0148 T (=MCCC 1K07543 T =JCM 35569 T =GDMCC 1.3089 T ) should be recognized as representing two novel species of the genus Ruegeria and the names Ruegeria marisflavi sp. nov. and Ruegeria aquimaris sp. nov. are proposed, respectively.

Phycoerythrin and polysaccharides have significant commercial value in medicine, cosmetics, and food industries due to their excellent bioactive functions. To maximize the production of biomass, phycoerythrin, and polysaccharides in Porphyridium purpureum , culture media were supplemented with calcium gluconate (CG), magnesium gluconate (MG) and polypeptides (BT), and their optimal amounts were determined using the response surface methodology (RSM) based on three single-factor experiments. The optimal concentrations of CG, MG, and BT were determined to be 4, 12, and 2 g L -1 , respectively. The RSM-based models indicated that biomass and phycoerythrin production were significantly affected only by MG and BT, respectively. However, polysaccharide production was significantly affected by the interactions between CG and BT and those between MG and BT, with no significant effect from BT alone. Using the optimized culture conditions, the maximum biomass (5.97 g L -1 ), phycoerythrin (102.95 mg L -1 ), and polysaccharide (1.42 g L -1 ) concentrations met and even surpassed the model-predicted maximums. After optimization, biomass, phycoerythrin, and polysaccharides concentrations increased by 132.3%, 27.97%, and 136.67%, respectively, compared to the control. Overall, this study establishes a strong foundation for the highly efficient production of phycoerythrin and polysaccharides using P. purpureum .

Prosthogonimiasis poses a threat to the reproductive system of poultry and wild birds, which are the definitive hosts of the parasite causing this disease. However, the parasite infection of the second intermediate host (dragonfly), the primary vector of this pathogen, is rarely reported. In this study, the prevalence of Prosthogonimus infection in dragonflies was investigated from June 2019 to October 2022 in Heilongjiang Province, northeast China. The species of metacercariae isolated from dragonfly were identified by morphological characteristics, molecular biology techniques, and animal infection experiments. The results showed that 11 species of dragonflies and one damselfly were identified and among six of the dragonflies infected by Prosthogonimus metacercariae, Sympetrum depressiusculum (28.53%) had the highest infection rate among all positive dragonflies, followed by Sympetrum vulgatum (27.86%) and Sympetrum frequens (20.99%), which are preferred hosts, and the total prevalence was 20.39% (2061/10,110) in Heilongjiang Province. Three species of Prosthogoniumus metacercariae were isolated, including Prosthogonimus cuneatus, Prosthogonimus pullucidus, and Prosthogonimus sp., among which P. cuneatus was the dominant species in dragonflies in Heilongjiang Province. This is the first report on the prevalence of Prosthogonimus in dragonflies in China, which provides baseline data for the control of prosthogonimiasis in Heilongjiang Province and a reference for the prevention of prosthogonimiasis in other areas of China., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: Vascular calcification (VC) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular mortality in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. The pathogenesis of VC is complicated and unclear. Uremic toxins produced by gut microbiota can promote VC. This study aims to identify the differences in gut microbiota between the different VC groups and the main bacteria associated with VC in hemodialysis (HD) patients in an attempt to open up new preventive and therapeutic approaches and define the probable mechanism for VC in HD patients in the future., Methods: A total of 73 maintenance HD patients were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. According to the abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) scores, the participants were divided into the high AAC score group and the low AAC score group. High-throughput sequencing of the gut microbiota was performed and the results were evaluated by alpha diversity, beta diversity, species correlation, and model predictive analyses., Results: The prevalence of VC was 54.79% (40/73) in the study. The majority of phyla in the two groups were the same, including Firmicutes , Actinobacteriota , Proteobacteria , and Bacteroidota . The microbial diversity in the high AAC score group had a decreasing trend ( p = 0.050), and the species abundance was significantly lower ( p  = 0.044) than that in the low AAC score group. The HD patients with high AAC scores showed an increased abundance of Proteobacteria and decreased abundances of Bacteroidota and Synergistota at the phylum level; increased abundances of Escherichia-Shigella, Ruminococcus&#95;gnavus&#95;group, and Lactobacillus; and decreased abundances of Ruminococcus and Lachnospiraceae&#95;NK4A136&#95;group at the genus level ( p< 0.05). Escherichia-Shigella and Ruminococcus&#95;gnavus&#95;group were positively correlated with VC, and Ruminococcus, Adlercreutzia , Alistipes, and norank&#95;f&#95;&#95;Ruminococcaceae were negatively correlated with VC. Escherichia-Shigella had the greatest influence on VC in HD patients, followed by Ruminococcus and Butyricimonas., Conclusions: Our results provide clinical evidence that there was a difference in gut microbiota between the different VC groups in HD patients. Escherichia-Shigella, a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-producing bacterium, was positively correlated with VC and had the greatest influence on VC. Ruminococcus, a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacterium, was negatively correlated with VC and had the second strongest influence on VC in HD patients. The underlying mechanism is worth studying. These findings hint at a new therapeutic target.

Elevated blood pressure is highly prevalent among dialysis patients and is associated with high mortality. Irisin is a newly found myokine that has been indicated to be related to blood pressure regulation in animal experiments. Data regarding the effect of serum irisin levels on blood pressure in dialysis patients are limited. To identify the association between serum irisin levels and blood pressure and examine determinant factors of systolic blood pressure in dialysis patients, we recruited 300 dialysis patients at Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University. Serum irisin levels were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Blood pressure was self-measured on 7 consecutive days by an automated sphygmomanometer. The Pearson correlation test showed that the natural logarithm of irisin was negatively correlated with systolic blood pressure (r = -0.462, P < 0.001) and pulse pressure (r = -0.487, P < 0.001), but not correlated with diastolic blood pressure (r = -0.022, P = 0.709). Multivariate analysis revealed that the natural logarithm of irisin (β = -0.336, P < 0.001), lean tissue mass (β = 0.164, P = 0.005), diabetes mellitus (β = 0.165, P = 0.003) and serum calcium (β = -0.135, P = 0.019) were significant determinant factors for systolic blood pressure. This study is the first to demonstrate that serum irisin levels are significantly negatively associated with blood pressure in dialysis patients. Further studies are needed to provide possible mechanisms. We demonstrated that serum irisin levels were negatively associated with blood pressure in dialysis patients, which may provide a new target for antihypertensive treatment., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Japanese Society of Hypertension.)

A Gram-stain-negative, yellow-pigmented, non-motile, rod-shaped, catalase-positive, strictly aerobic marine bacterium, designated XHP0103 T , was isolated from seawater collected from the southern Yellow Sea, PR China (34° 45' 53″ N 119° 25' 30″ E). Strain XHP0103 T grew optimally at 28 °C, pH 7.5 and in 1.0-3.0 % (w/v) sea salt. MK-6 was the major respiratory quinone. The major cellular fatty acids (>10%) were iso-C 15 : 0 , iso-C 15 : 1 G and iso-C 17 : 0 3-OH. The polar lipid profile contained phosphatidylethanolamine, an unidentified aminolipid, an unidentified glycolipid and an unidentified lipid. Results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain XHP0103 T displayed highest sequence similarity to Aestuariibaculum marinum IP7 T (94.1 %). However, the phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences suggested that strain XHP0103 T clustered with Tamlana crocina HST1-43 T (93.4 % sequence similarity) and Aestuariivivens insulae AH-MY3 T (93.5 %). Genome sequencing revealed that strain XHP0103 T comprised 3 134 388 bp with 2770 protein-coding genes, and the DNA G+C content was 35.5 %. The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain XHP0103 T and T. crocina HST1-43 T were 73.6 and 17.3 %, respectively. Based on phylogenetic, phenotypic, genomic and chemotaxonomic evidence, strain XHP0103 T represents a novel genus in the family Flavobacteriaceae , for which the name Marixanthotalea marina gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is XHP0103 T (=MCCC 1K06060 T =JCM 34682 T ).

Objective: This study aimed to provide a realistic observation of survival by major site for 48,866 cancer patients treated at a tertiary cancer hospital in a rural area of China., Methods: Patients with cancer registered between 2007 and 2017 in the Nantong rural area were followed up. The starting date for survival calculation was the date of the first diagnosis of cancer at the Nantong Tumor Hospital, and the closing date was December 31, 2020. Observed survival (OS) was analyzed according to ICD-10 site, sex, age, region, and hospitalization period using the life table method and compared using the Wilcoxon (Gehan) statistic., Results: The overall 5-year OS rate was 40.48% for all 48,866 patients, 30.19% for males, and 51.90% for females. The top five cancer sites, accounting for 60.51% of the total cases, were the esophagus, lung, stomach, liver, and cervix, with 5-year OS rates of 33.72%, 18.64%, 32.10%, 19.04%, and 71.51%, respectively. The highest 5-year OS was observed in the thyroid (87.52%) and the lowest was in the pancreas (6.37%). Survival was significantly higher in younger patients than in older patients, with 5-year OSs of 69.26% and 19.84% in those aged 20-29 and 90-99 years, respectively. Five-year OSs improved significantly from 39.35% in 2007-2011 to 41.26% in 2012-2017., Conclusion: Overall survival improved over the years, although the improvement at some sites was not significant. The observed survival varies from region to region, reflecting differences in the patterns of major sites, disparities in proportions of hospitalization, and demographic characteristics., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wang, Xu, Chen, Chen, Ni, Fan, Zhang, Xu, Qian, Cai and Chen.)

Objectives: To study the value of serum fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) in the diagnosis of hypophosphatemic rickets in children., Methods: A total of 28 children who were diagnosed with hypophosphatemic rickets in Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2016 to June 2021 were included as the rickets group. Forty healthy children, matched for sex and age, who attended the Department of Child Healthcare of the hospital were included as the healthy control group. The serum level of FGF23 was compared between the two groups, and the correlations of the serum FGF23 level with clinical characteristics and laboratory test results were analyzed. The value of serum FGF23 in the diagnosis of hypophosphatemic rickets was assessed., Results: The rickets group had a significantly higher serum level of FGF23 than the healthy control group ( P <0.05). In the rickets group, the serum FGF23 level was positively correlated with the serum alkaline phosphatase level ( r s =0.38, P <0.05) and was negatively correlated with maximum renal tubular phosphorus uptake/glomerular filtration rate ( r s =-0.64, P <0.05), while it was not correlated with age, height Z-score, sex, and parathyroid hormone ( P >0.05). Serum FGF23 had a sensitivity of 0.821, a specificity of 0.925, an optimal cut-off value of 55.77 pg/mL, and an area under the curve of 0.874 in the diagnosis of hypophosphatemic rickets ( P <0.05)., Conclusions: Serum FGF23 is of valuable in the diagnosis of hypophosphatemic rickets in children, which providing a theoretical basis for early diagnosis of this disease in clinical practice.

Trematodes of the genus Ogmocotyle are intestinal flukes that can infect a variety of definitive hosts, resulting in significant economic losses worldwide. However, there are few studies on molecular data of these trematodes. In this study, the mitochondrial (mt) genome of Ogmocotyle ailuri isolated from red panda ( Ailurus fulgens ) was determined and compared with those from Pronocephalata to investigate the mt genome content, genetic distance, gene rearrangements and phylogeny. The complete mt genome of O. ailuri is a typical closed circular molecule of 14 642 base pairs, comprising 12 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes and 2 non-coding regions. All genes are transcribed in the same direction. In addition, 23 intergenic spacers and 2 locations with gene overlaps were determined. Sequence identities and sliding window analysis indicated that cox 1 is the most conserved gene among 12 PCGs in O. ailuri mt genome. The sequenced mt genomes of the 48 Plagiorchiida trematodes showed 5 types of gene arrangement based on all mt genome genes, with the gene arrangement of O. ailuri being type I. Phylogenetic analysis using concatenated amino acid sequences of 12 PCGs revealed that O. ailuri was closer to Ogmocotyle sikae than to Notocotylus intestinalis . These data enhance the Ogmocotyle mt genome database and provide molecular resources for further studies of Pronocephalata taxonomy, population genetics and systematics.

Thin structural elements such as large-scale covering plates of aerospace protection structures and vertical stabilizers of aircraft are strongly influenced by gravity (and/or acceleration); thus, exploring how the mechanical behaviors of such structures are affected by gravitational field is necessary. Built upon a zigzag displacement model, this study establishes a three-dimensional vibration theory for ultralight cellular-cored sandwich plates subjected to linearly varying in-plane distributed loads (due to, e.g., hyper gravity or acceleration), with the cross-section rotation angle induced by face sheet shearing accounted for. For selected boundary conditions, the theory enables quantifying the influence of core type (e.g., close-celled metal foams, triangular corrugated metal plates, and metal hexagonal honeycombs) on fundamental frequencies of the sandwich plates. For validation, three-dimensional finite element simulations are carried out, with good agreement achieved between theoretical predictions and simulation results. The validated theory is subsequently employed to evaluate how the geometric parameters of metal sandwich core and the mixture of metal cores and composite face sheets influence the fundamental frequencies. Triangular corrugated sandwich plate possesses the highest fundamental frequency, irrespective of boundary conditions. For each type of sandwich plate considered, the presence of in-plane distributed loads significantly affects its fundamental frequencies and modal shapes.

Background: Previous studies have proved that irisin is related to the development of chronic kidney disease. In this study, we aimed to compare serum irisin level in patients treated with peritoneal dialysis (PD) and hemodialysis (HD)., Methods: Two hundred and fifty-two dialysis patients (146 PD patients and 106 HD patients) were included in the study. Levels of serum irisin and other parameters were compared between the two groups' patients., Results: There were higher serum irisin levels in PD patients than those in HD patients [113.10 (106.15 ~ 119.15) ng/ml vs. 45.72(21.67 ~ 79.71) ng/ml, P < 0.001]. Moreover, body fat mass, percent body fat, serum calcium, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, carbon dioxide combining power (CO 2 CP) and residual renal function were higher in patients on PD than that in those on HD, whereas levels of lean body mass, systolic blood pressure, albumin, serum uric acid, potassium, and phosphorus（It should be "were" replace are) are higher in HD patients in comparison to PD patients. Dialysis modality (PD/HD), serum CO 2 CP level, lean body mass, and percent body fat independently positively correlated with natural logarithm of irisin (lnirisin) by multivariate linear regression analysis., Conclusions: In this study, we prove that serum irisin level is significantly higher in patients treated with peritoneal dialysis than that with hemodialysis. As well as, increasing skeletal muscle mass and fat body percent, and correcting metabolic acidosis may increase serum irisin levels., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Microbial oils produced by Yarrowia lipolytica offer an environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative to petroleum as well as traditional lipids from animals and plants. The accurate measurement of fermentation parameters, including the substrate concentration, dry cell weight, and lipid accumulation, is the foundation of process control, which is indispensable for industrial lipid production. However, it remains a great challenge to measure the complex parameters online during the lipid fermentation process, which is nonlinear, multivariate, and characterized by strong coupling. As a type of AI technology, the artificial neural network model is a powerful tool for handling extremely complex problems, and it can be employed to develop a soft sensor to monitor the microbial lipid fermentation process of Y. lipolytica. In this study, we first analyzed and emphasized the volume of sodium hydroxide and dissolved oxygen concentration as central parameters of the fermentation process. Then, a soft sensor based on a four-input artificial neural network model was developed, in which the input variables were fermentation time, dissolved oxygen concentration, initial glucose concentration, and additional volume of sodium hydroxide. This provides the possibility of online monitoring of dry cell weight, glucose concentration, and lipid production with high accuracy, which can be extended to similar fermentation processes characterized by the addition of bases or acids, as well as changes of the dissolved oxygen concentration., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Macrocyclisation of proteins and peptides results in a remarkable increase in structural stability, making cyclic peptides and proteins of great interest in drug discovery-either directly as drug leads or as in the case of cyclised nanodiscs (cNDs), as tools for studies of trans-membrane receptors and membrane-active peptides. Various biological methods have been developed that are capable of yielding head-to-tail macrocyclised products. Recent advances in enzyme-catalysed macrocyclisation include discovery of new enzymes or design of new engineered enzymes. Here, we describe the engineering of a self-cyclising "autocyclase" protein, capable of performing a controllable unimolecular reaction for generation of cyclic biomolecules in high yield. We characterise the self-cyclisation reaction mechanism, and demonstrate how the unimolecular reaction path provides alternative avenues for addressing existing challenges in enzymatic cyclisation. We use the method to produce several notable cyclic peptides and proteins, demonstrating how autocyclases offer a simple, alternative way to access a vast diversity of macrocyclic biomolecules., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Evidence shows that herbal medicine (HM) could be beneficial for the treatment of various diseases. However, complexities present in HM due to the unclear bioactive compounds, mechanisms of action, undetermined targets for therapy, and nonspecific features for metabolism, are currently an obstacle for the progression of novel drug discovery. Metabolomics could be a potential tool to overcome these issues and for the understanding of HM from a small-molecule metabolism level. The chinmedomics-based metabolomics method assesses the overall metabolism of organisms with a holistic view and shows great potential for understanding metabolic pathways, evaluating curative effects, clarifying mechanisms, discovering active ingredients, and precision medicine. This review focuses on the efficacy evaluation, active ingredient discovery, and target exploration of HM based on metabolomics and chinmedomics., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors have no interests to declare. Author Contributions J.R. and A.-H.Z. contributed to the framework design of the manuscript. J.R., L.Y., S.Q., A.-H.Z., and X.-J.W. were responsible for the analysis and interpretation of the manuscript; J.R. and A.-H.Z. wrote, reviewed, and/or revised the manuscript; J.R. prepared the figures; A.-H.Z. communicated with the editors., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile and coccoid bacterial strain, designated XHP0099 T , was isolated from the coastal water of the Yellow Sea, China. Growth occurred at 20-37 ℃ (optimum, 28 ℃), pH 5.0-9.0 (optimum, pH 7.0-8.0), and with 0-7.0% NaCl (optimum, 2.0-3.0%). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain XHP0099 T was related to members of the genus Paracoccus and shared the highest sequence similarity with "P. siganidrum" M26 (98.2%), followed by P. alkanivorans 4-2  T (97.6%) and P. alkenifer DSM 11593  T (97.4%). The average nucleotide identity, amino acid identity, and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values of strain XHP0099 T against related members in the genus Paracoccus were below the cut-off points proposed for the delineation of a novel species. The major cellular fatty acids (> 10%) were summed feature 8 (C 18:1 ω7c/C 18:1 ω6c), and C 18:0 . The major isoprenoid quinone was Q-10 and the polar lipids contained diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylcholine (PC), aminolipid (AL) and unidentified polar lipids (L). The G + C content of the genomic DNA of strain XHP0099 T was 66.0%. Genomic analysis suggested that strain XHP0099 T harbored gene clusters for formaldehyde and the XoxF-type methanol oxidation and type 1 Calvin cycle, which could confer the methylotrophy pathway. Based on the phenotypic, phylogenetic, biochemical and chemotaxonomic analysis, strain XHP0099 T represents a novel species of the genus Paracoccus, for which the name Paracoccus marinaquae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is XHP0099 T (= JCM 34661  T  = GDMCC 1.2414  T  = MCCC 1K05846 T )., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

A Gram-staining-positive, non-motile, aerobic, spherical actinobacterium, designated WL0053 T , was isolated from the coastal sediment of Nantong City, Jiangsu Province, China. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain WL0053 T exhibited the highest similarities to Nocardioides mesophilus MSL-22 T (98.0%), N. massiliensis GD12 T (97.8%), Marmoricola bigeumensis MSL-05 T (97.6%), and N. jensenii DSM 20641 T (97.3%). The polyphasic taxonomic approach was used for the identification of strain WL0053 T . This strain formed white, round, and smooth colonies and grew in the presence of 0-18% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0-4.0%), at pH 6.0-9.0 (optimum, pH 7.0) and at 20-37 °C (optimum, 28 °C). The main cellular fatty acids comprised of C 17:1 ω8c, C 18:1 ω9c, and iso-C 16:0 . The genomic DNA G + C content was 71.9%. The predominant quinone was MK-8(H 4 ), and the major polar lipid consisted of phosphatidylcholine, glycolipid, phosphatidylethanolamine, and two unidentified phospholipids. Phylogenetic trees of 16S rRNA gene and bac120 gene set indicted that strain WL0053 T was closely related to the species N. iriomotensis and N. mesophilus, while these two species clustered in a separate clade together with M. caldifontis YIM 730233 T in the bac120 tree. Combined with the analysis of average nucleotide identity (ANI), average amino acid identity (AAI), and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH), it can be considered that the strain WL0053 T is a new member of the genus Nocardioides and is proposed to be named as Nocardioides jiangsuensis sp. nov.. The type strain is WL0053 T (=MCCC 1K05897 T =JCM 34671 T =GDMCC 4.192 T ). Furthermore, based on the fact that the genera Nocardioides and Marmoricola both appeared polyphyletic with no significant difference on phenotypic and chemotaxonomic traits, we proposed to reclassify the genus Marmoricola as Nocardioides., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Vascular calcification is an active and complex pathological process regulated by several factors. Vascular calcification is closely related to the incidence and mortality of the cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and other diseases, which affects multiple organs and systems, thus affecting people's health. Therefore, more and more attention is paid to vascular calcification. At present, the pathogenesis and clinical practice of vascular calcification have been continuously improved, which mainly includes calcium and phosphorus imbalance theory, vascular smooth muscle cell transdifferentiation theory, bone homeostasis imbalance theory, epigenetic regulation theory, inflammation theory, extracellular matrix theory, new cell fate theory and so on. However, there are still many unsolved problems. Since the occurrence and development of vascular calcification affect multiple organs and systems, this expert consensus gathered clinicians and basic research experts engaged in the study of vascular calcification in order to summarize the progress of various disciplines related to vascular calcification in recent years. The purpose of this consensus is to systematically summarize the latest research progress, treatment consensus and controversy of vascular calcification from the aspects of epidemiology, pathogenesis, prevention and treatment, so as to provide theoretical basis and clinical enlightenment for in-depth research in this field.