A universe of human gut-derived bacterial prophages: unveiling the hidden viral players in intestinal microecology.

Prophages, which are an existing form of temperate phages that integrate into host genomes, have been found extensively present in diverse bacterial species. The human gut microbiome, characterized by its complexity, dynamism, and interconnectivity among multiple species, remains inadequately understood in terms of the global landscape of bacterial prophages. Here, we analyzed 43,942 human gut-derived bacterial genomes (439 species of 12 phyla) and identified 105,613 prophage regions in ~ 92% of them.

Gut microbiota metabolism of branched-chain amino acids and their metabolites can improve the physiological function of aging mice.

The metabolism of branched-chain amino acids by gut microbiota can improve overall health and may reverse aging. In this study, we investigated Parabacteroides merdae, a gut microbe that is known to catabolise branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). Three metabolites of BCAAs isovalerate, 2-methylbutyrate, and isobutyrate were used to treat D-gal induced aging mice.

Effect of Mixed Probiotics on Alleviating H1N1 Influenza Infection and Regulating Gut Microbiota.

Influenza and other respiratory infections cause annual epidemics worldwide, with high incidence and mortality rates reported among immunocompromised infants and elderly individuals. Probiotics can modulate the immune system through their bacterial compositions and metabolites, affecting influenza infections and effectively responding to viral mutations. Therefore, we evaluated the anti-influenza effects of mixed probiotics administered orally before and after influenza infection.

Key Synchronization Method Based on Negative Databases and Physical Channel State Characteristics of Wireless Sensor Network.

Due to their inherent openness, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are vulnerable to eavesdropping attacks. Addressing the issue of secure Internet Key Exchange (IKE) in the absence of reliable third parties like CA/PKI (Certificate Authority/Public Key Infrastructure) in WSNs, a novel key synchronization method named NDPCS-KS is proposed in the paper. Firstly, through an initial negotiation process, both ends of the main channels generate the same initial key seeds using the Channel State Information (CSI).

Lying or Standing of Thiophene on a Surface Determines the Reaction Difference.

Adsorption configurations of molecules on a surface play an important role in the on-surface reaction. In the on-surface synthesis reaction, most of the molecules prefer the lying adsorption configuration to maximize the interaction between the molecule and substrate. In this work, we report an on-surface study of 2,3,4,5-tetrabromothiophene by scanning tunneling microscopy, density functional theory, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Defect Engineering in CuS Nanoflowers Enables Low-Overpotential and Long-Cycle-Life of Lithium-Oxygen Batteries.

The defect engineering is essential for the development of efficient cathode catalysts for lithium-oxygen batteries. Herein, CuS nanoflowers are fabricated by microwave hydrothermal method. Through theoretical and experimental analysis, the S vacancies are observed, which result in augmented charge around Cu, improved adsorption of LiO and reduced overpotential.

Neuregulin-4 protects cardiomyocytes against high-glucose-induced ferroptosis via the AMPK/NRF2 signalling pathway.

Background: High glucose levels are key factors and key contributors to several cardiovascular diseases associated with cardiomyocyte injury. Ferroptosis, which was identified in recent years, is a mode of cell death caused by the iron-mediated accumulation of lipid peroxides. Neuregulin-4 (Nrg4) is an adipokine that has protective effects against metabolic disorders and insulin resistance.

Construction and characterization of stable multi-species biofilms formed by nine core gut bacteria on wheat fiber.

Microbial aggregation mainly occurs on the intestinal epithelium, mucosal layer and undigested food particles in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Undigested food particles are usually insoluble dietary fiber (IDF), which can be easily obtained through daily diet, but there are few studies investigating whether the gut bacteria adhering to undigested food particles can form multi-species biofilms. In this study, we prepared mono- and multi-species biofilms using 18 core gut bacteria a dynamic fermentation method, and it was found that multi-species composed of nine core gut bacteria (M9) showed the best biofilm formation ability.

Characterize and Mediate Assembly of Triptycenes on Au(111) Surface.

Herein, we report the assembly behavior of triptycenes with aldehyde (Trip-) and amino (Trip-) groups on pristine and iodine-passivated Au(111) surfaces by a combination of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, and density functional theory (DFT) calculation. On Au(111) surface, Trip- forms long trimer chains and two-dimensional islands via aldehyde-aldehyde hydrogen bonding in one dimension and π-π stacking of adjacent benzene rings in the other dimension. In contrast, Trip- lies as individuals or in disorderly stacked islands.

Vacancy Suppression and Resonant Level Rendering Extraordinary Power Factor in SnInTe/Tourmaline Composite.

SnTe, as a potential medium-temperature thermoelectric material, reaches a maximum power factor (PF) usually above 750 K, which is not conducive to continuous high-power output in practical applications. In this study, PF is maintained at high values between 18.5 and 25 µW cmK for SnInTe-x wt% tourmaline samples within the temperature range of 323 to 873 K, driving the highest PF of 1.

Gut Microbiota-Derived Tryptophan Metabolites Alleviate Allergic Asthma Inflammation in Ovalbumin-Induced Mice.

Asthma is a prevalent respiratory disease. The present study is designed to determine whether gut microbiota-derived tryptophan metabolites alleviate allergic asthma inflammation in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced mice and explore the effect and potential mechanism therein. Asthma model mice were constructed by OVA treatment, and kynurenine (KYN), indole-3-lactic acid (ILA), in-dole-3-carbaldehyde (I3C), and indole acetic acid (IAA) were administered by intraperitoneal injection.

Collaborative Multiple Players to Address Label Sparsity in Quality Prediction of Batch Processes.

For decades, soft sensors have been extensively renowned for their efficiency in real-time tracking of expensive variables for advanced process control. However, despite the diverse efforts lavished on enhancing their models, the issue of label sparsity when modeling the soft sensors has always posed challenges across various processes. In this paper, a fledgling technique, called co-training, is studied for leveraging only a small ratio of labeled data, to hone and formulate a more advantageous framework in soft sensor modeling.

Integrative analysis with microbial modelling and machine learning uncovers potential alleviators for ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a challenging form of inflammatory bowel disease, and its etiology is intricately linked to disturbances in the gut microbiome. To identify the potential alleviators of UC, we employed an integrative analysis combining microbial community modeling with advanced machine learning techniques. Using metagenomics data sourced from the Integrated Human Microbiome Project, we constructed individualized microbiome community models for each participant.

Visualizing the Habenula Using 3T High-Resolution MP2RAGE and QSM: A Preliminary Study.

Background And Purpose: The habenula is a key node in the regulation of emotion-related behavior. Accurate visualization of the habenula and its reliable quantitative analysis is vital for the assessment of psychiatric disorders. To obtain high-contrast habenula images and allow them to be compatible with clinical applications, this preliminary study compared 3T MP2RAGE and quantitative susceptibility mapping with MPRAGE by evaluating the habenula segmentation performance.

Interspecific differences and mechanisms of Lactobacillus-derived anti-inflammatory exopolysaccharides.

Accumulating evidence has revealed the anti-inflammatory properties of Lactobacillus-derived exopolysaccharides (EPSs). However, interspecific differences among these Lactobacillus-derived anti-inflammatory EPSs have not been investigated. Cell experiments showed that Limosilactobacillus fermentum, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum-derived EPSs exhibited excellent anti-inflammatory efficacy in vitro.

A gut aging clock using microbiome multi-view profiles is associated with health and frail risk.

Age-related changes in the microbiome have been reported in previous studies; however, direct evidence for their association with frailty is lacking. Here, we introduce biological age based on gut microbiota (gAge), an integrated prediction model that integrates gut microbiota data from different perspectives with potential background factors for aging assessment. Simulation results show that, compared with a single model, the ensemble model can not only significantly improve the prediction accuracy, but also make full use of the data in unpaired samples.

High-valence metal sites induced by heterostructure engineering for promoting 5-hydroxymethylfurfural electrooxidation and hydrogen generation.

The electrocatalytic 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) oxidation reaction coupling with hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) serves as a promising strategy to generate both high-value-added products and clean energy, which is limited by the poor catalytic efficiency of bifunctional electrocatalysts and unclear electrocatalytic mechanism for HMF oxidation reaction. Herein, we fabricate a bifunctional NiSe-NiMoO heterostructure nanowire electrocatalyst for the conversion of HMF to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and simultaneous H production. As expected, the NiSe-NiMoO exhibits outstanding activity and selectivity toward HMF oxidation reaction.

The therapeutic potential of dietary intervention: based on the mechanism of a tryptophan derivative-indole propionic acid on metabolic disorders.

Tryptophan (TRP) contributes to individual immune homeostasis and good condition three complex metabolism pathways (5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), kynurenine (KP), and gut microbiota pathway). Indole propionic acid (IPA), one of the TRP derivatives of the microbiota pathway, has raised more attention because of its impact on metabolic disorders. Here, we retrospect increasing evidence that TRP metabolites/IPA derived from its proteolysis impact host health and disease.

PCSK9 Inhibitors in Multi-Branch Lesions in Coronary Artery Disease with Substandard Lipid-Lowering Effects.

Objective: This study was carried out to evaluate the clinical efficacy of proprotein convertase chymotrypsin 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors in multi-branch lesions in coronary artery disease with substandard lipid-lowering effects.

Methods: This retrospective study collected the clinical data of 100 patients with multiple coronary artery diseases admitted to our hospital between May 2020 and August 2022 for analysis. The eligible patients were assigned to either a PCSK9 inhibitor group or a control group at a ratio of 1:1 by their dosing regimens, with 50 cases in each group.

Multi-omics analysis reveals genes and metabolites involved in biofilm formation.

Bacterial biofilm is an emerging form of life that involves cell populations living embedded in a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Currently, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of biofilm formation. We used the biofilm fermentation system to preparation of biofilms on wheat fibers, and multi-omics analysis of both biofilms and planktonic cells were performed to identify genes and metabolites involved in biofilm formation.

Strain CCFM1299 Reduces Obesity via Increasing Energy Expenditure and Modulating Host Bile Acid Metabolism.

is a butyrate-producing microorganism which has beneficial effects on various diseases, including obesity. In our previous study, the anti-obesity strain CCFM1299 (C20_1_1) was selected, but its anti-obesity mechanism was not clarified. Herein, CCFM1299 was orally administrated to high-fat-diet-treated C57BL/6J mice for 12 weeks to uncover the way the strain alleviates obesity.