Spatiotemporal distribution and detection of spatial clusters of tuberculosis in Hubei Province, China using FleXScan (2017-2023).

Background: This study investigates the spatiotemporal distribution and spatial clustering of tuberculosis(TB) in 103 counties of Hubei Province, China, using spatial scan statistics. By identifying high-risk areas and temporal trends, the findings will provide a scientific foundation for targeted TB prevention and control strategies.

Methods: This study employed the FleXScan method to detect spatial clusters of pulmonary tuberculosis cases in Hubei Province and identify statistically significant high-risk areas.

Diagnosis of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis: Rapid Evaluation of Drug Susceptibility with Nanopore Targeted Sequencing.

Background: Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has limitations in clinical diagnostics due to host DNA interference and lower pathogen load in clinical samples compared to cultured isolates, which reduce the effective sequencing depth and compromise the detection of resistance-associated mutations. As our understanding of the relationship between genotypes and phenotypes improves, targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS) is emerging as a promising tool for predicting drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of nanopore targeted sequencing (NTS) in detecting drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Genetic diversity and transmission pattern of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis based on whole-genome sequencing in Wuhan, China.

Background: Investigating the molecular epidemiological characteristics of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in China's moderate-burden regions, such as Wuhan, is crucial for understanding and controlling disease transmission.

Materials And Methods: This study analyzed MDR-TB isolates from pulmonary tuberculosis cases registered at Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital in 2017. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was used to identify resistance-conferring mutations, examine their associations with specific lineages or sublineages, and assess clustering profiles.

Comparing circular and flexibly-shaped scan statistics for disease clustering detection.

The accuracy of spatial clustering detection is crucial for public health policy development and identifying etiological clues. Circular and flexibly-shaped scan statistics are widely used for disease cluster detection, but differences in results arise mainly due to parameter sensitivity and variations in the scanning window shapes. This study aims to analyze the impact of parameter settings on the results of these methods and compare their performance in disease clustering detection.

Macrophages overexpressing interleukin-10 target and prevent atherosclerosis: Regression of plaque formation and reduction in necrotic core.

Atherosclerosis, a slowly progressing inflammatory disease, is characterized by the presence of monocyte-derived macrophages. Interventions targeting the inflammatory characteristics of atherosclerosis hold promising potential. Although interleukin (IL)-10 is widely acknowledged for its anti-inflammatory effects, systemic administration of IL-10 has limitations due to its short half-life and significant systemic side effects.

[Construction of strains for bioconversion of steroid key intermediates and intelligent industrial production].

Steroidal hormone pharmaceuticals are the second largest class of medicines after antibiotics. At present, the initial materials of the steroidal industry have shifted from sapogenins, which were extracted from plants of the genus Dioscore to phytosterols. As a byproduct of soybean oil production, phytosterols are readily available and of low prices.

Identification of the novel markers of PPAR signalling affecting immune microenvironment and immunotherapy response of lung adenocarcinoma patients.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are essential for cellular physiological processes. However, there is less research on the PPAR-related genes in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Open-access data were get from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) and gene expression omnibus (GEO) databases.

Can the new adipokine asprosin be a metabolic troublemaker for cardiovascular diseases? A state-of-the-art review.

Adipokines play a significant role in cardiometabolic diseases. Asprosin, a newly discovered adipokine, was first identified as a glucose-raising protein hormone. Asprosin also stimulates appetite and regulates glucose and lipid metabolism.

The Effects of Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Selective Laser Melting 6061 Aluminum Alloy.

Selective laser melting technology can be used for forming curved panels of 6061 aluminum alloy thermal shield devices for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), in order to make the formed parts with better performance. This study proposes different heat treatment processes, including annealed treatment at 300 °C for 2 h, solution treatment at 535 °C and then aging at 175 °C over 2 h, to control the mechanical behavior of the 6061 aluminum alloy samples prepared by selective laser melting (SLM). The mechanical properties such as ductility, tensile strength, and hardness of SLM 6061 aluminum alloy were investigated, and the microstructure of the samples was analyzed.

Transmission of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Wuhan, China: A retrospective molecular epidemiological study.

How multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) spreads and expands in Wuhan population is not clear. The study aimed to determine the transmission patterns of MDR-TB in Wuhan city, China, including 149 patients with MDR-TB.Tuberculosis isolates were genotyped by deletion-targeted multiplex polymerase chain reaction, mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable number tandem repeat typing, and sequencing of drug resistance-associated genes.

Association of , a Gene Involved in Strigolactone Signaling, with Yield Contributing Traits in Wheat.

Tillering is a crucial agronomic trait of wheat; it determines yield and plant architecture. Strigolactones (SLs) have been reported to inhibit plant branching. D14, a receptor of SLs, has been described to affect tillering in rice, yet it has seldomly been studied in wheat.

Efficacy of Alprostadil in Preventing Contrast-Induced Nephropathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

This study aimed to determine the efficacy of alprostadil in preventing contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). Eligible studies were searched using the keywords through the databases of PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, China Biological Medicine Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Vanfun. Quality evaluation of the included studies was conducted according to international evidence evaluation and recommended Grades of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation standards.

Novel PGC-1/ATF5 Axis Partly Activates UPR and Mediates Cardioprotective Role of Tetrahydrocurcumin in Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy.

Mitochondrial unfolding protein response (UPR) effectively resists the pathological cardiac hypertrophy and improves the mitochondrial function. However, the specific activation mechanism and drugs that can effectively activate UPR in the cardiac muscle are yet to be elucidated. The aim of this study was to determine the regulation role of UPR on preventing pathological cardiac hypertrophy by tetrahydrocurcumin (THC) and explore its underlying molecular mechanism.

Melatonin suppresses ER stress-dependent proapoptotic effects via AMPK in bone mesenchymal stem cells during mitochondrial oxidative damage.

Background: Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have been used as important cell-based tools for clinical applications. Oxidative stress-induced apoptosis causes a low survival rate after transplantation, and the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria are vital organelles regulated by adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK), especially during oxidative stress injury.

Genome-wide Identification of WRKY transcription factor family members in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) moench).

WRKY transcription factors regulate diverse biological processes in plants, including abiotic and biotic stress responses, and constitute one of the largest transcription factor families in higher plants. Although the past decade has seen significant progress towards identifying and functionally characterizing WRKY genes in diverse species, little is known about the WRKY family in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) moench).

Clinical efficacy of glucocorticoid on the treatment of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia: A single-center experience.

The aim of the present study was to identify the clinical efficacy of glucocorticoid therapy on the treatment of patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. Clinical and laboratory parameters were collected from 308 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia from the fever clinic of Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital (Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China) between January 14, 2020 and February 9, 2020, of which 216 patients received low-dose (equivalent of methylprednisolone 0.75-1.

Shortening the sgRNA-DNA interface enables SpCas9 and eSpCas9(1.1) to nick the target DNA strand.

The length of the sgRNA-DNA complementary sequence is a key factor influencing the cleavage activity of Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9) and its variants. The detailed mechanism remains unknown. Here, based on in vitro cleavage assays and base editing analysis, we demonstrate that reducing the length of this complementary region can confer nickase activity on SpCas9 and eSpCas9(1.

The Role of Major Transcription Factors in Solanaceous Food Crops under Different Stress Conditions: Current and Future Perspectives.

Plant growth, development, and productivity are adversely affected by environmental stresses such as drought (osmotic stress), soil salinity, cold, oxidative stress, irradiation, and diverse diseases. These impacts are of increasing concern in light of climate change. Noticeably, plants have developed their adaptive mechanism to respond to environmental stresses by transcriptional activation of stress-responsive genes.

Transcription Factors Associated with Abiotic and Biotic Stress Tolerance and Their Potential for Crops Improvement.

In field conditions, crops are adversely affected by a wide range of abiotic stresses including drought, cold, salt, and heat, as well as biotic stresses including pests and pathogens. These stresses can have a marked effect on crop yield. The present and future effects of climate change necessitate the improvement of crop stress tolerance.

Transcription factors involved in abiotic stress responses in Maize ( L.) and their roles in enhanced productivity in the post genomics era.

Background: Maize ( L.) is a principal cereal crop cultivated worldwide for human food, animal feed, and more recently as a source of biofuel. However, as a direct consequence of water insufficiency and climate change, frequent occurrences of both biotic and abiotic stresses have been reported in various regions around the world, and recently, this has become a constant threat in increasing global maize yields.

C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein-3-engineered mesenchymal stromal cells attenuate cardiac impairment in mice with myocardial infarction.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) transplantation offers an attractive alternative in myocardial infarctive therapy. However, poor cell engraftment and survival limit their restorative capacity. C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein-3 (CTRP3) inhibits reverse remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI) and was found to be secreted by MSCs in our preliminary experiments.

C1q-TNF-related protein-3 attenuates pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy by suppressing the p38/CREB pathway and p38-induced ER stress.

C1q-tumor necrosis factor-related protein-3 (CTRP3) is an adipokine, which exerts protective function in ischemic or diabetic heart injury. However, the role of CTRP3 in cardiac hypertrophy remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the pharmacological effects of CTRP3 on pathological cardiac hypertrophy induced by hypertension.

Asprosin improves the survival of mesenchymal stromal cells in myocardial infarction by inhibiting apoptosis via the activated ERK1/2-SOD2 pathway.

Aims: Several adipokines have been proven to improve the therapeutic efficacy of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) when used to treat ischemic heart disease. Asprosin (ASP) is a newly-discovered adipokine. ASP might also predict the severity of coronary pathology.