Taxonomy, geographic distribution and molecular phylogeny of two freshwater Frontonia (Ciliophora, Peniculida), including a new cryptic species Frontonia paraleucas sp. nov.

The ciliate genus Frontonia, one of the most species-rich groups of the order Peniculida, is widely distributed across a variety of habitats. However, the definition and identification of isolates are challenging, as there are few reliable characters, and these may overlap among congeners. In the present study, we describe two easily confused species, including a new form F.

Deciphering the response mechanism of microorganisms to green tide outbreaks: Diversity, assembly processes, and co-occurrence patterns.

Green tide, a widespread coastal water environmental issue, significantly impacts the ecology of nearshore microorganisms. Despite extensive research on green tides, the dynamics of microbial communities and their assembly mechanisms throughout the development of these events are still not well understood. To elucidate these responses and underlying mechanisms, we conducted a comprehensive study examining the diversity, composition, and ecological dynamics of prokaryotic and microeukaryotic communities at various phases of green tide events by integrating high-throughput sequencing.

A multiregional multimodal machine learning model for predicting outcome of surgery for symptomatic hemorrhagic brainstem cavernous malformations.

Objective: Given that resection of brainstem cavernous malformations (BSCMs) ends hemorrhaging but carries a high risk of neurological deficits, it is necessary to develop and validate a model predicting surgical outcomes. This study aimed to construct a BSCM surgery outcome prediction model based on clinical characteristics and T2-weighted MRI-based radiomics.

Methods: Two separate cohorts of patients undergoing BSCM resection were included as discovery and validation sets.

Neural-activity-regulated and glia-mediated control of brain lymphatic development.

The nervous system regulates peripheral immune responses under physiological and pathological conditions, but the brain's impact on immune system development remains unknown. Meningeal mural lymphatic endothelial cells (muLECs), embedded in the leptomeninges, form an immune niche surrounding the brain that contributes to brain immunosurveillance. Here, we report that the brain controls the development of muLECs via a specialized glial subpopulation, slc6a11b+ radial astrocytes (RAs), a process modulated by neural activity in zebrafish.

ToIκB and ToIKK genes from golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus): Molecular characterization, expression, and association with tolerance to Streptococcus agalactiae infection.

Effective disease management is crucial for sustainable aquaculture, particularly for economically important species like golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus). Streptococcus agalactiae represents a major threat to this species, leading to severe health issues and significant economic losses. Understanding the immune mechanisms involved is essential to address this challenge.

Characteristics of isolated lactic acid bacteria at low temperature and their effects on the silage quality.

Native grasses possess rich diversity and contribute to enhancing the nutritional value of silage, promoting digestion and absorption, thus improving the health of livestock such as cattle and sheep. However, in northern China, the silage fermentation process occurs at relatively low temperatures, necessitating the use of cold-tolerant lactic acid bacteria (LAB). This study examined the effect of (L10), a strain selected for its low-temperature tolerance, added to native grass silage at 5°C (LT), 15°C (MT), and room temperature 25°C (CK) for 60 days.

Analysis of soil microbial community structure changes in the drainage field of the Shengli coalfield based on high-throughput sequencing.

Background: The study of soil environment in drainage fields is important for environmental management and ecological restoration, and there is currently a knowledge gap in understanding the impact of soil microbial communities in the Shengli coalfield drainage fields and the corresponding ecological effects. To investigate the changes in rhizosphere soil microbial communities of different dominant plants after years of restoration, this study examines the improvement effects of different dominant plants on the soil environment.

Results: This study is based on high-throughput sequencing to restore the slope of coal mine spoil after 15 years as the sampling site.

The association between benign and malignant prostatic hyperplastic diseases and blood and urine biomarkers: A Mendelian randomization study.

The identification of suitable biomarkers holds significant clinical importance for the early detection of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa). This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between BPH and blood and urine biomarkers (BUB), as well as PCa and BUB. Candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with BPH or PCa were derived from recent genome-wide association studies.

Linking multi-gene and morphological data in the subclass Scuticociliatia (Protista, Ciliophora) with establishment of the new family Homalogastridae fam. nov.

Unlabelled: Scuticociliatia is one of the most species-rich subclasses in the phylum Ciliophora. The evolutionary relationships among Scuticociliatia groups have long been very unclear due to the homogeneity of morphology and insufficiency of molecular data. With morphological and multi-gene-based molecular data presented here, the evolutionary phylogeny of several Scuticociliatia taxa that were hitherto especially poorly defined is analyzed and discussed.

DRAM2 inhibits white spot syndrome virus infection via activating autophagy in Penaeus vannamei.

The DNA damage-regulated autophagy modulators have been identified as key activators of autophagy, an emerging mechanism to combat viral infections. In this study, we cloned and characterized the DNA damage-regulated autophagy modulator 2 homolog from the shrimp Penaeus vannamei (designated as PvDRAM2) and investigated its potential roles during white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) infection. The predicted three-dimensional structure of PvDRAM2 consists of six β-fold regions, which exhibit conservation with similar structures in other species.

Effects of Moisture Content Gradient on Alfalfa Silage Quality, Odor, and Bacterial Community Revealed by Electronic Nose and GC-MS.

Better quality and odor of silage and normal microbial fermentation metabolism are mostly dependent on an appropriate moisture content. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of different moisture content gradients (50, 60, 70, and 80%) on the bacterial community, odor, and quality of alfalfa silage at 60 days by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and electronic nose, with six replicates per group. The results showed that there were significant differences in odor response intensity among all groups, among which the 80% group had the strongest reaction to terpenoids, sulfides, and nitrogen oxides.

Carotid Endarterectomy Ameliorates Cognitive Impairment in Clinical and Experimental Unilateral Carotid Artery Stenosis.

Background: Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is widely used to treat carotid artery stenosis (CAS). However, the effects of CEA on unilateral CAS-induced cognitive impairment and the underlying mechanism remain poorly understood.

Methods And Results: Thirteen patients diagnosed with unilateral severe CAS underwent pre- and post-CEA assessments, including fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging, cognitive assessments, and routine blood tests before and after CEA.

Phycocyanin Additives Regulate Bacterial Community Structure and Antioxidant Activity of Alfalfa Silage.

Phycocyanin is a water-soluble pigment protein extracted from prokaryotes such as cyanobacteria and has strong antioxidant activity. As a silage additive, it is expected to enhance the antioxidant activity and fermentation quality of alfalfa silage. This study revealed the effects of different proportions of phycocyanin (1%, 3%, 5%) on the quality, bacterial community and antioxidant capacity of alfalfa silage.

Genome wide analysis of the sox32 gene in germline maintenance and differentiation in leopard coral grouper (Plectropomus leopardus).

The Sox family genes, as a group of transcription factors, are widely expressed in vertebrates and play a critical role in reproduction and development. The present study reported that 26 sox genes were identified from the genome and transcriptome of P. leopardus.

PDGFR-α Mediated the Neuroinflammation and Autophagy via the JAK2/STAT3 Signaling Pathway Contributing to Depression-Like Behaviors in Myofascial Pain Syndrome Rats.

Depression often occurs in patients with additional co-morbidities, particularly in cases of chronic pain. Currently, there is a lack of research on the molecular mechanisms of depression under chronic pain conditions and suitable animal models. Due to the contradiction exhibited by platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGF/PDGFR) in neuroprotection, further investigation is required.

Volatile metabolomics and metagenomics reveal the effects of lactic acid bacteria on alfalfa silage quality, microbial communities, and volatile organic compounds.

Lactic acid bacteria metabolism affects the composition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in alfalfa silage, which results in differences of odor and quality. The aim of this study was to reveal the effects of commercial Lactobacillus plantarum (CL), screened Lactobacillus plantarum (LP), and screened Pediococcus pentosaceus (PP) on quality, microbial community, and VOCs of alfalfa silage based on volatile metabolomics and metagenomics. The results showed that the LP and PP groups had higher sensory and quality grades, and the dominant bacteria were Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Pediococcus pentosaceus.

Disentangling the role of biotic and abiotic factors in shaping microbial biogeographic patterns in the large spatial scale ocean.

Across large oceanic spatial scales, the mechanisms governing microbial community composition remain poorly understood, particularly regarding the influence of biotic factors. In this study, samples were collected over a 3772.55-km transect in the Western Pacific surface waters, with 16S and 18S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing employed to elucidate the assembly processes and drivers of microbial communities.

Effects of Different Additives and Ratios on Broom Sorghum Straw Silage Characteristics and Bacterial Communities.

As a large agricultural country, China produces a large number of agricultural and sideline products while harvesting agricultural products every year. Crop straw is one of them. Broom sorghum is a traditional crop in China, which produces a large amount of straw resources every year.

Synthesis of α-Bromo Arylethyl Sulfonyl Fluorides and β-Arylethenesulfonyl Fluorides via Copper-Catalyzed Meerwein Arylation.

A practical copper-catalyzed process for the synthesis of the β-arylethenesulfonyl fluorides is described. A series of α-bromo arylethyl sulfonyl fluorides was prepared via Meerwein reaction from arenediazonium tetrafluoroborates and ethenesulfonyl fluoride (ESF) under mild conditions. The following β-arylethenesulfonyl fluorides were further obtained through a β-elimination reaction.

Development and Validation of a Supplementary Grading Scale for Outcomes of Brainstem Cavernous Malformations.

Background: Surgical risk assessment is intriguing for clinical decision-making of brainstem cavernous malformation (BSCM) treatment. While the BSCM grading scale, encompassing size, developmental venous anomaly, crossing axial midpoint, age, and timing of intervention, is increasingly utilized, the clinical relevance of neurological fluctuation and recurrent hemorrhage has not been incorporated. This study aimed to propose a supplementary grading scale with enhanced predictive efficacy.

Findings on three endocommensal scuticociliates (Protista, Ciliophora) from freshwater mollusks, including their morphology and molecular phylogeny with descriptions of two new species.

Unlabelled: Species of the ciliate genera and are found as endocommensals of terrestrial and freshwater mollusks, respectively. So far, there have been few studies of these genera and morphological data for most members are often incomplete. In the present work, two new species, sp.

Stratified assessment of treatment approach for craniocervical junction arteriovenous fistulas: a multicenter cohort study and literature review.

Objective: Craniocervical junction arteriovenous fistulas (CCJ-AVFs) are complex vascular shunts that present a challenge for treatment. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of microsurgery and endovascular embolization for CCJ-AVFs and to determine whether the treatment approach affected the obliteration rate and neurological improvement.

Methods: The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of 64 patients who had undergone microsurgery or endovascular embolization for CCJ-AVF at one of two neurosurgical centers from January 2014 to February 2022.