Serum untargeted metabolomics analysis of uremic pruritus in patients with various etiologies.

Uremic pruritus (UP) is a prevalent complication of uremia, severely affecting the quality of life of patients. The abnormal and accumulation of metabolites in the circulatory system of UP patients may constitute a significant inducer of pruritus. However, a systematic evaluation of the differences in serum metabolomic profiles among UP patients with different etiologies has yet to be reported.

A cyclic di-GMP-binding adaptor protein interacts with a N5-glutamine methyltransferase to regulate the pathogenesis in Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri.

The second messenger cyclic diguanylate monophosphate (c-di-GMP) regulates a wide range of bacterial behaviours through diverse mechanisms and binding receptors. Single-domain PilZ proteins, the most widespread and abundant known c-di-GMP receptors in bacteria, act as trans-acting adaptor proteins that enable c-di-GMP to control signalling pathways with high specificity. This study identifies a single-domain PilZ protein, XAC3402 (renamed N5MapZ), from the phytopathogen Xanthomonas citri subsp.

MRI-based radiomics signatures for preoperative prediction of Ki-67 index in primary central nervous system lymphoma.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop and validate radiomics signatures based on MRI for preoperative prediction of Ki-67 proliferative index (PI) expression in primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL).

Methods: A total of 341 patients with PCNSL were retrospectively analyzed, including 286 patients in one center as the training set and 55 patients in another two centers as the external validation set. Radiomics features were extracted and selected from preoperative contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images, fluid attenuation inversion recovery to build radiomics signatures according to the Ki-67 PI.

Hederagenin improves renal fibrosis in diabetic nephropathy by regulating Smad3/NOX4/SLC7A11 signaling-mediated tubular cell ferroptosis.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a common complication of diabetes, characterized by renal fibrosis and poor patient prognosis. Hederagenin (HDG) has shown promising improvement in chronic kidney disease (CKD) kidney fibrosis, but its mechanism in DN-induced kidney fibrosis remains unclear. In this study, a model of diabetic nephropathy (DN) in mice was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozocin (50 mg/kg), while in vitro, high glucose (25 mM) was used to induce HK2 cell damage, simulating tubular injury in DN kidneys.

A PilZ domain protein interacts with the transcriptional regulator HinK to regulate type VI secretion system in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Type VI secretion systems (T6SS) are bacterial macromolecular complexes that secrete effectors into target cells or the extracellular environment, leading to the demise of adjacent cells and providing a survival advantage. Although studies have shown that the T6SS in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is regulated by the Quorum Sensing system and second messenger c-di-GMP, the underlying molecular mechanism remains largely unknown. In this study, we discovered that the c-di-GMP-binding adaptor protein PA0012 has a repressive effect on the expression of the T6SS HSI-I genes in P.

FlgI Is a Sec-Dependent Effector of Liberibacter asiaticus That Can Be Blocked by Small Molecules Identified Using a Yeast Screen.

Huanglongbing (HLB) is one of the most devastating diseases of citrus worldwide. The phloem-restricted bacterium Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) is considered to be the main pathogen responsible for HLB. There is currently no effective practical strategy for the control of HLB.

Reducing the muscle activity of walking using a portable hip exoskeleton based on human-in-the-loop optimization.

Human-in-the-loop optimization has made great progress to improve the performance of wearable robotic devices and become an effective customized assistance strategy. However, a lengthy period (several hours) of continuous walking for iterative optimization for each individual makes it less practical, especially for disabled people, who may not endure this process. In this paper, we provide a muscle-activity-based human-in-the-loop optimization strategy that can reduce the time spent on collecting biosignals during each iteration from around 120 s to 25 s.

Transcriptome profile analysis of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) during seed germination reveals the drought stress-induced genes associated with energy, hormone, and phenylpropanoid pathways.

Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern and Coss) is an important oil and vegetable crop frequently affected by seasonal drought stress during seed germination, which retards plant growth and causes yield loss considerably. However, the gene networks regulating responses to drought stress in leafy Indian mustard remain elusive.

Hederagenin ameliorates renal fibrosis in chronic kidney disease through blocking ISG15 regulated JAK/STAT signaling.

Interstitial fibrosis is the key pathological characteristics of chronic kidney diseases (CKD). In this study, we reported that hederagenin (HDG) can effectively improve the renal interstitial fibrosis and its mechanism. We constructed CKD animal models of ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) and unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) respectively to observe the improvement effect of HDG on CKD.

Assessment of the Efficacy and Safety of 30% Supramolecular Salicylic Acid Peeling for Papulopustular Rosacea Treatment.

Background: Thirty per cent supramolecular salicylic acid (SSA) is a water-soluble, sustained release salicylic acid (SA) modality, which is well tolerated by sensitive skin. Anti-inflammatory therapy plays an important role in papulopustular rosacea (PPR) treatment. SSA at a 30% concentration has a natural antiinflammatory property.

Coronavirus RNA-dependent RNA polymerase interacts with the p50 regulatory subunit of host DNA polymerase delta and plays a synergistic role with RNA helicase in the induction of DNA damage response and cell cycle arrest in the S phase.

Disruption of the cell cycle is a common strategy shared by many viruses to create a conducible cellular microenvironment for their efficient replication. We have previously shown that infection of cells with gammacoronavirus infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) activated the theataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) Rad3-related (ATR)/checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) pathway and induced cell cycle arrest in S and G2/M phases, partially through the interaction of nonstructural protein 13 (nsp13) with the p125 catalytic subunit of DNA polymerase delta (pol δ). In this study, we show, by GST pulldown, co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescent staining, that IBV nsp12 directly interacts with the p50 regulatory subunit of pol δ in vitro and in cells overexpressing the two proteins as well as in cells infected with a recombinant IBV harbouring an HA-tagged nsp12.

Study of a QueryPNet Model for Accurate Detection and Segmentation of Goose Body Edge Contours.

With the rapid development of computer vision, the application of computer vision to precision farming in animal husbandry is currently a hot research topic. Due to the scale of goose breeding continuing to expand, there are higher requirements for the efficiency of goose farming. To achieve precision animal husbandry and to avoid human influence on breeding, real-time automated monitoring methods have been used in this area.

Different Prevalence of Neuropathic Pain and Risk Factors in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis at Stages of Outpatient, Awaiting and after Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Objective: Neuropathic pain (NP) plays an important role in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). However, the prevalence of NP at different treatment stages including outpatient, awaiting and after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) have not been compared. The understanding of this issue and identify risk factors can help physicians develop individualized strategies to manage the pain of KOA.

Current developments of robotic hip exoskeleton toward sensing, decision, and actuation: A review.

The aging population is now a global challenge, and impaired walking ability is a common feature in the elderly. In addition, some occupations such as military and relief workers require extra physical help to perform tasks efficiently. Robotic hip exoskeletons can support ambulatory functions in the elderly and augment human performance in healthy people during normal walking and loaded walking by providing assistive torque.

The Methyltransferase HemK Regulates the Virulence and Nutrient Utilization of the Phytopathogenic Bacterium Subsp. .

Citrus canker, caused by the bacterium subsp. (), seriously affects fruit quality and yield, leading to significant economic losses around the world. Understanding the mechanism of virulence is important for the effective control of infection.

Isolation of the Novel Strain F9 and Identification of Lipopeptide Extract Components Responsible for Activity against subsp. .

Citrus canker, caused by subsp. (), is a quarantine disease that seriously affects citrus production worldwide. The use of microorganisms and their products for biological control has been proven to be effective in controlling disease.

Machine-learning-based children's pathological gait classification with low-cost gait-recognition system.

Background: Pathological gaits of children may lead to terrible diseases, such as osteoarthritis or scoliosis. By monitoring the gait pattern of a child, proper therapeutic measures can be recommended to avoid the terrible consequence. However, low-cost systems for pathological gait recognition of children automatically have not been on market yet.

Molecular mechanisms underlying the extreme mechanical anisotropy of the flaviviral exoribonuclease-resistant RNAs (xrRNAs).

Mechanical anisotropy is an essential property for many biomolecules to assume their structures, functions and applications, however, the mechanisms for their direction-dependent mechanical responses remain elusive. Herein, by using a single-molecule nanopore sensing technique, we explore the mechanisms of directional mechanical stability of the xrRNA1 RNA from ZIKA virus (ZIKV), which forms a complex ring-like architecture. We reveal extreme mechanical anisotropy in ZIKV xrRNA1 which highly depends on Mg and the key tertiary interactions.

A Pseudomonas aeruginosa type VI secretion system regulated by CueR facilitates copper acquisition.

The type VI secretion system (T6SS) is widely distributed in Gram-negative bacteria, whose function is known to translocate substrates to eukaryotic and prokaryotic target cells to cause host damage or as a weapon for interbacterial competition. Pseudomonas aeruginosa encodes three distinct T6SS clusters (H1-, H2-, and H3-T6SS). The H1-T6SS-dependent substrates have been identified and well characterized; however, only limited information is available for the H2- and H3-T6SSs since relatively fewer substrates for them have yet been established.

Type VI secretion system is not required for virulence on rice but for inter-bacterial competition in Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola.

The type VI secretion system (T6SS), a multifunctional protein secretion device, plays very important roles in bacterial killing and/or virulence to eukaryotic cells. Although T6SS genes have been found in many Xanthomonas species, the biological function of T6SSs has not been elucidated in most xanthomonads. In this study, we identified two phylogenetically distinct T6SS clusters, T6SS1 and T6SS2, in a newly sequenced Chinese strain GX01 of Xanthomonas oryzea pv.

Putrescine Is an Intraspecies and Interkingdom Cell-Cell Communication Signal Modulating the Virulence of .

The infections caused by become a severe problem in recent years, but the regulatory mechanisms that govern the bacterial virulence remain to be fragmental. Here we report the investigation of potential involvement of polyamines in regulation of virulence. We showed that null mutation of encoding arginine decarboxylase dramatically decreased the bacterial swimming motility, swarming motility and biofilm formation, and exogenous addition of putrescine effectively rescues the defective phenotypes of .

Regulation of flagellar motor switching by c-di-GMP phosphodiesterases in .

The second messenger cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) plays a prominent role in regulating flagellum-dependent motility in the single-flagellated pathogenic bacterium The c-di-GMP-mediated signaling pathways and mechanisms that control flagellar output remain to be fully unveiled. Studying surface-tethered and free-swimming PAO1 cells, we found that the overexpression of an exogenous diguanylate cyclase (DGC) raises the global cellular c-di-GMP concentration and thereby inhibits flagellar motor switching and decreases motor speed, reducing swimming speed and reversal frequency, respectively. We noted that the inhibiting effect of c-di-GMP on flagellar motor switching, but not motor speed, is exerted through the c-di-GMP-binding adaptor protein MapZ and associated chemotactic pathways.

Unexpected Healability of an -Blocked Polybenzoxazine Resin.

Ring-opening polymerization of bifunctional benzoxazine has long been thought to produce a permanent network structure without reprocessing ability. Here, we demonstrate that surprising healability can be achieved by a controlled polymerization of an -blocked bifunctional benzoxazine poly(C-hda). The cured resin possesses a cross-linked structure, but can be deformed, remolded from crushed pieces or healed from mechanical damage.

The MapZ-Mediated Methylation of Chemoreceptors Contributes to Pathogenicity of .

The pathogenic bacterium is notorious for causing acute and chronic infections in humans. The ability to infect host by is dependent on a complex cellular signaling network, which includes a large number of chemosensory signaling pathways that rely on the methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs). We previously found that the second messenger c-di-GMP-binding adaptor MapZ modulates the methylation of an amino acid-detecting MCP by directly interacting with a chemotaxis methyltransferase CheR1.

Regulation of T helper cell responses during antigen presentation by norepinephrine-exposed endothelial cells.

Dermal blood vessels and regional lymph nodes are innervated by sympathetic nerves and, under stress, sympathetic nerves release norepinephrine (NE). Exposure of primary murine dermal microvascular endothelial cells (pDMECs) to NE followed by co-culture with Langerhans cells (LCs), responsive CD4 T-cells and antigen resulted in modulation of CD4 T-cell responses. NE-treatment of pDMECs induced increased production of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-17A while down-regulating interferon (IFN)-γ and IL-22 release.