VapC toxins promote the pathogenesis of Rickettsia heilongjiangensis by cleaving essential RNAs from both Rickettsia and its host.

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) modules enable bacteria to persist under stressful environments. However, they are typically absent from host-associated prokaryotes due to their potential host toxicity. Here, the obligate intracellular bacterium spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsiae, which causes mild to severe human illness, was shown to harbor two vapBC TA modules.

Heterogeneity of lymphoid cells in PBMCs in the acute phase of SFTS: single-cell transcriptome profiling.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), caused by (DBV), triggers aberrant immune activation and cytokine storm, contributing to poor prognosis, yet its immune dysfunction mechanism remains unclear. Current treatments rely on symptomatic treatment and glucocorticoids without a standardized guideline. This study investigated the mechanism of abnormal lymphocyte function in acute-phase SFTS and glucocorticoid-induced alterations in lymphoid cells using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and bioinformatics analysis.

CXCL10 modulates airway inflammation in asthma via Sirt3-dependent macrophage homeostasis.

Background: In recent years, it has been found that Th1 inflammation characterized by elevated levels of IFN-γ can be observed in the airways of patients with severe asthma, accompanied by polarization of M1 macrophages. However, the specific pathogenic role of M1 macrophages and their intrinsic regulatory factors in the development of asthma is still unclear.

Objective: We sought to investigate whether CXCL10 regulates M1 macrophage polarization through Sirt3.

Comparison of microbial community structures in rhizosphere soils of different plants in riverine wetland.

Bacterial communities play an important role in nutrient cycling in riverine wetland ecosystems, and the study of rhizosphere microbial community composition of different plants is of great scientific significance in revealing the relationship between microorganisms and plant interactions in riverine wetlands. In this study, samples were collected from four plant congeries dominated by Artemisia argyi (AH), Acorus calamus (CP), Miscanthus sacchariflorus (DC), and Paspalum distichum (QB), respectively. High-throughput sequencing technology was employed to investigate the rhizosphere microbial community structures associated with these distinct plant species.

Discovery of Small Molecules Against Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Replication by Targeting 2C Helicase Activity.

Background: The 2C protein of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), a member of helicase superfamily 3 (SF3), drives viral genome replication and serves as a critical target for antiviral drug development.

Methods: A fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based high-throughput screening (HTS) platform was developed to identify 2C helicase inhibitors. Primary screening evaluated 4424 compounds for helicase inhibition.

Probabilistic refunds increase beverage container recycling behaviour in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada.

Of the two trillion beverage containers produced globally every year, most are not recycled. To increase recycling rates, the bottle deposit refund system has been proposed and implemented in some regions of the world with varying degrees of success. To improve the refund system, we leverage a classic decision-making phenomenon where low-probability high rewards are preferred over small certain rewards with the same expected payoff.

Multiplex quantitative PCR assay for porcine circoviruses 2 and 3 and its application for measuring infection rates at different stages of pig production.

Porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) and porcine circovirus 3 (PCV3) are considered a threat to the pig industry due to their association with growth retardation and reproductive disorders. In this study, we developed a multiplex real-time PCR (qPCR) assay for simultaneous detection of PCV2 and PCV3 and used it to investigate the epidemiology of PCV2 and PCV3 at different stages of pig production. The sensitivity of the multiplex qPCR was 4.

Usage, anti-inflammatory effect and safety of adjunctive acupuncture for cerebral infarction: an Apriori algorithm-based data mining and meta-analysis.

Background Purpose: The adjunctive effect of acupuncture for cerebral infarction (CI) remains inconsistent. We aimed to determine its anti-inflammatory effect, assess safety, and summarize the adjunctive use of acupuncture for CI.

Methods: We identified qualified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from eight literature databases.

LRP1 regulates asthmatic airway smooth muscle proliferation through FGF2/ERK signaling.

Airway smooth muscle (ASM) hyperplasia is a hallmark of airway remodeling in asthma, which still lacks an effective treatment. Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) is involved in regulating the proliferation of various cell types, and the intracellular domain of LRP1 (LRP1-ICD) also exhibits unique biological functions. However, the role of LRP1 in asthma airway remodeling remains unclear.

Macrophage response to fibrin structure mediated by Tgm2-dependent mitochondrial mechanosensing.

Following an injury at the implantation position, blood-material interactions form a fibrin architecture, which serves as the initial activator of foreign body response (FBR). However, there is limited knowledge regarding how the topography of fibrin architectures regulates macrophage behavior in mitigating FBR. Mechanical cues of the microenvironment have been reported to shape immune cell functions.

[Electroacupuncture improves synaptic plasticity and cognitive dysfunction via down-regulating HDAC3 in mice of Alzheimer's disease].

Objectives: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture(EA) on histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3), synaptic plasticity and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the hippocampus of mice with Alzheimer's disease(AD), so as to explore the underlying mechanism of EA in treatment of AD.

Methods: 5XFAD mice were randomly divided into EA group, model group and sham-acupuncture group, with 13 mice in both the EA group and the model group, and 7 mice in the sham-acupuncture group. Thirteen wild-type mice from the same litter were taken as the normal control group.

Identification of early prediction biomarkers of severity in patients with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome based on plasma proteomics.

Background: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a newly emerging infectious disease. Given its rapid disease progression and high mortality rate, early warning is crucial in improving the outcomes, However, to date, relevant comprehensive predictors or an effective prediction model are still poorly explored.

Methods: A plasma proteomic profile was performed at early stages in patients with SFTS.

Tectorigenin Reduces Dabie bandavirus-Induced Cytokine Storm by Regulating Toll-Like Receptor 7/Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Pathway.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a severe emerging infectious disease caused by Dabie bandavirus (DBV). Tectorigenin has been demonstrated to exert anti-inflammatory effect. Here, we aimed to investigate the effects of tectorigenin on DBV-induced cytokine storm.

Panobinostat Attenuates Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis in Mice via Suppressing Oxidative Stress-Related Neuroinflammation and Mitochondrial Dysfunction.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease mediated by T helper cells, which is characterized by neuroinflammation, axonal or neuronal loss, demyelination, and astrocytic gliosis. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) are noted for their roles in easing inflammatory conditions and suppressing the immune response. Panobinostat, an HDACi, is now being used in treating multiple myeloma.

Using salience and availability to promote sustainable and healthy food choices in hospital cafeterias.

Sustainable diets can achieve considerable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and improvements in human health, but changing dietary behavior remains a challenge. We assessed the impacts of two behavioral insights strategies on bridging the intention-action gap related to sustainable and healthy food choices amongst hospital cafeteria patrons. In a pilot survey of hospital staff (N = 1,165), 56% identified limited awareness and availability of sustainable food as barriers to purchasing, although 46% were extremely willing to try sustainable dishes.

Evaluating peritumoral and intratumoral radiomics signatures for predicting lymph node metastasis in surgically resectable non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Whether lymph node metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer is critical to clinical decision-making. This study was to develop a non-invasive predictive model for preoperative assessing lymph node metastasis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using radiomic features from chest CT images.

Materials & Methods: In this retrospective study, 247 patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were enrolled.

STING regulates aging-related osteoporosis by mediating the Hk2-Vdac1 mitochondrial axis.

Metabolic abnormalities and mild inflammation are hallmarks of aging and major driving factors for aging-related damage and bone metabolic diseases. Mitochondria are crucial links in energy metabolism and immune homeostasis regulation. Mitochondrial dysfunction is considered one of the pathogenic factors of aging-related osteoporosis, but its mechanism of action needs further research.

An Engineered Hierarchical Hydrogel with Immune Responsiveness and Targeted Mitochondrial Transfer to Augmented Bone Regeneration.

Coordinating the immune response and bioenergy metabolism in bone defect environments is essential for promoting bone regeneration. Mitochondria are important organelles that control internal balance and metabolism. Repairing dysfunctional mitochondria has been proposed as a therapeutic approach for disease intervention.

BANMF-S: a blockwise accelerated non-negative matrix factorization framework with structural network constraints for single cell imputation.

Motivation: Single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technique enables the transcriptome profiling of hundreds to ten thousands of cells at the unprecedented individual level and provides new insights to study cell heterogeneity. However, its advantages are hampered by dropout events. To address this problem, we propose a Blockwise Accelerated Non-negative Matrix Factorization framework with Structural network constraints (BANMF-S) to impute those technical zeros.

Precise antibiotic delivery to the lung infection microenvironment boosts the treatment of pneumonia with decreased gut dysbiosis.

Bacterial pneumonia is a common disease with significant health risks. However, the overuse antibiotics in clinics face challenges such as inadequate targeting and limited drug utilization, leading to drug resistance and gut dysbiosis. Herein, a dual-responsive lung inflammatory tissue targeted nanoparticle (LITTN), designed for targeting lung tissue and bacteria, is screened from a series of prepared nanoparticles consisting of permanent cationic lipids, acid-responsive lipids, and reactive oxygen species-responsive and phenylboronic acid-modified lipids with different surface properties.

Advances in understanding and mitigating Atrazine's environmental and health impact: A comprehensive review.

Atrazine is a widely used herbicide in agriculture, and it has garnered significant attention because of its potential risks to the environment and human health. The extensive utilization of atrazine, alongside its persistence in water and soil, underscores the critical need to develop safe and efficient removal strategies. This comprehensive review aims to spotlight atrazine's potential impact on ecosystems and public health, particularly its enduring presence in soil, water, and plants.

Regulation of YAP translocation by myeloid Pten deficiency alleviates acute lung injury via inhibition of oxidative stress and inflammation.

Background: Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) is intricately involved in modulating the inflammatory response in acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Nevertheless, the myeloid PTEN governing Hippo-YAP pathway mediated oxidative stress and inflammation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI remains to be elucidate.

Methods: The floxed Pten (Pten) and myeloid-specific Pten knockout (Pten) mice were intratracheal instill LPS (5 mg/kg) to establish ALI, then Yap siRNA mix with the mannose-conjugated polymers was used to knockdown endogenous macrophage YAP in some Pten mice before LPS challenged.

Evaluating Patient Experience with Food in a Hospital-Wide Survey.

Patient dissatisfaction with hospital food is an important driver of poor food intake in hospitals. The objective of this study was to examine patient satisfaction with current menu offerings and explore patient preferences and values, in order to inform a patient-centred menu redesign. Between July and September 2021, a cross-sectional survey was distributed to inpatients receiving a lunch tray at Vancouver General Hospital, a large tertiary care centre in Vancouver, Canada.