SALINITY-Induced Changes in Diversity, Stability, and Functional Profiles of Microbial Communities in Different Saline Lakes in Arid Areas.

Saline lakes, characterized by high salinity and limited nutrient availability, provide an ideal environment for studying extreme halophiles and their biogeochemical processes. The present study examined prokaryotic microbial communities and their ecological functions in lentic sediments (with the salinity gradient and time series) using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and a metagenomic approach. Our findings revealed a negative correlation between microbial diversity and salinity.

sp. nov., a novel bacterium isolated from the South China Sea.

Two Gram-stain-negative strains, designed SYSU M86414 and SYSU M84420, were isolated from marine sediment samples of the South China Sea (Sansha City, Hainan Province, PR China). These strains were aerobic and could grow at pH 6.0-8.

Stomatohabitans albus gen. nov., sp. nov., an oral living facultative anaerobic actinobacteria isolated form Steller sea lion, and proposal of Stomatohabitantaceae fam. nov. and Stomatohabitantales ord. nov.

Two novel actinobacteria, designated as SYSU M7M538 and SYSU M7M531, were isolated from oral of Eumetopias jubatus in Zhuhai Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, China. The cells of these microorganisms stained Gram-positive and were rod shaped. These strains were facultative anaerobic, and catalase-positive.

Aridity drives the variability of desert soil microbiomes across north-western China.

Dryland covers >35 % of the terrestrial surface and the global extent of dryland increases due to the forecasted increase in aridity driven by climate change. Due to the climate change-driven aridity ecosystems, deserts provide one of the most hostile environments for microbial life and survival. Therefore, a detailed study was carried out to explore the deserts with different aridity levels (exposed to severe climate change) influence on microbial (bacteria, fungi, and protist) diversity patterns, assembly processes, and co-occurrence.

Alsobacter ponti sp. nov., a novel denitrification and sulfate reduction bacterium isolated from Pearl River sediment.

A Gram-staining negative, aerobic, motile, and short rods strain, designated SYSU M60028, was isolated from a Pearl River sediment sample in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. The isolate could be able to grow at pH 6.0-8.

Gut microbiome responds compositionally and functionally to the seasonal diet variations in wild gibbons.

Wild animals may encounter multiple challenges especially food shortage and altered diet composition in their suboptimal ranges. Yet, how the gut microbiome responds to dietary changes remains poorly understood. Prior studies on wild animal microbiomes have typically leaned upon relatively coarse dietary records and individually unresolved fecal samples.

sp. nov., a novel bacterium isolated from Pearl River Estuary.

A Gram-staining-positive, aerobic, motile, and rod-shaped strain, designated SYSU M60031, was isolated from a Pearl River Estuary sediment sample, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. The isolate could grow at pH 5.0-8.

Genome-Wide Analysis of the RAV Gene Family in Wheat and Functional Identification of TaRAV1 in Salt Stress.

RAV transcription factors (TFs) are unique to higher plants and contain both B3 and APETALA2 (AP2) DNA binding domains. Although sets of RAV genes have been identified from several species, little is known about this family in wheat. In this study, 26 RAV genes were identified in the wheat genome.

Improved volume variable cluster model method for crystal-lattice optimization: effect on isotope fractionation factor.

The isotopic fractionation factor and element partition coefficient can be calculated only after the geometric optimization of the molecular clusters is completed. Optimization directly affects the accuracy of some parameters, such as the average bond length, molecular volume, harmonic vibrational frequency, and other thermodynamic parameters. Here, we used the improved volume variable cluster model (VVCM) method to optimize the molecular clusters of a typical oxide, quartz.

EncephalApp stroop test versus electronic number connection test-A for screening minimal hepatic encephalopathy in patients with liver cirrhosis: a comparative study.

Objectives: Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is a common neuropsychiatric complication of liver cirrhosis. Both EncephalApp Stroop test (EncephalApp) and electronic number connection test-A (eNCT-A) are novel computerised psychometric tests for MHE screening. We aimed to compare the efficiency, convenience, accessibility, and acceptability of EncephalApp with that of eNCT-A for MHE screening in cirrhotic patients.

gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel member of the family isolated from the Pearl River.

A novel actinobacterium, designated strain SYSU M44304, was isolated from freshwater samples in the Pearl River Estuary. The isolate was Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, coccus-shaped, oxidase-positive and motile. The cell wall contained -diaminopimelic acid as its diagnostic diamino acid.

Small blood stem cells for enhancing early osseointegration formation on dental implants: a human phase I safety study.

Background: Small blood stem cells (SB cells), isolated from human peripheral blood, demonstrated the ability to benefit bone regeneration and osseointegration. The primary goal of our study is to examine the safety and tolerability of SB cells in dental implantation for human patients with severe bone defects.

Methods: Nine patients were enrolled and divided into three groups with SB cell treatment doses of 1 × 10, 1 × 10, and 1 × 10 SB cells, and then evaluated by computed tomography (CT) scans to assess bone mineral density (BMD) by Hounsfield units (HU) scoring.

MYB77 regulates high-affinity potassium uptake by promoting expression of HAK5.

In Arabidopsis, the high-affinity K transporter HAK5 is the major pathway for root K uptake when below 100 µM; HAK5 responds to Low-K (LK) stress by strongly and rapidly increasing its expression during K -deficiency. Therefore, positive regulators of HAK5 expression have the potential to improve K uptake under LK. Here, we show that mutants of the transcription factor MYB77 share a LK-induced leaf chlorosis phenotype, lower K content, and lower Rb uptake of the hak5 mutant, but not the shorter root growth, and that overexpression of MYB77 enhanced K uptake and improved tolerance to LK stress.

Evaluation of the implant stability and the marginal bone level changes during the first three months of dental implant healing process: A prospective clinical study.

Achievement of adequate implant stability is one of the determinants for long-term successful osseointegration. Resonance frequency analysis was developed to monitor implant stability and is now a well-recognized, non-invasive tool for determining the appropriate time for functional loading. However, there have been few studies with continuous evaluation and comparison of implant stability and marginal bone level changes between two different macro designs and clinical situations during the implant healing process.

Cryo-EM Structures Delineate a pH-Dependent Switch that Mediates Endosomal Positioning of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Receptor-Binding Domains.

The SARS-CoV-2 spike employs mobile receptor-binding domains (RBDs) to engage the ACE2 receptor and to facilitate virus entry. Antibodies can engage RBD but some, such as CR3022, fail to inhibit entry despite nanomolar spike affinity. Here we show the SARS-CoV-2 spike to have low unfolding enthalpy at serological pH and up to 10-times more unfolding enthalpy at endosomal pH, where we observe significantly reduced CR3022 affinity.

Clinical application of Chinese Nanjing persistent vegetative state scale.

Background: It is a challenge to characterize the consciousness level of patients with severe disturbance of consciousness and predict their prognosis effectively for Chinese doctors. We aimed to investigate the psychometric property and the diagnostic practicality of severe disturbance of consciousness by Chinese Nanjing persistent vegetative state scale (CNPVSS) which was first set up in 1996 and modified in 2001 and 2011.

Methods: The concurrent validity, inter-rater consistency and diagnostic accuracy of CNPVSS and Chinese version of coma recovery scale-revised (CRS-R) were investigated by assessment of 380 patients with severe disorders of consciousness.

Adipose-derived Stem Cells Attenuates Diabetic Osteoarthritis via Inhibition of Glycation-mediated Inflammatory Cascade.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is well-known to exert complications such as retinopathy, cardiomyopathy and neuropathy. However, in recent years, an elevated osteoarthritis (OA) complaints among diabetics have been observed, portending the risk of diabetic OA. Since formation of advanced glycation end products (AGE) is believed to be the etiology of various diseases under hyperglycemic conditions, we firstly established that streptozotocin-induced DM could potentiate the development of OA in C57BL/6J mouse model, and further explored the intra-articularly administered adipose-derived stem cell (ADSC) therapy focusing on underlying AGE-associated mechanism.

Correlation between Diabetes Mellitus and Knee Osteoarthritis: A Dry-To-Wet Lab Approach.

Recent years have witnessed an increased prevalence of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) among diabetes mellitus (DM) patients-conditions which might share common risk factors such as obesity and advanced aging. Therefore, we conducted dry-to-wet lab research approaches to assess the correlation of type 1 DM (T1DM) and type 2 DM (T2DM) with KOA among all age and genders of Taiwanese population. The strength of association (odds ratio: OR) was analyzed using a phenome-wide association study portal.

NSC 95397 Suppresses Proliferation and Induces Apoptosis in Colon Cancer Cells through MKP-1 and the ERK1/2 Pathway.

NSC 95397, a quinone-based small molecule compound, has been identified as an inhibitor for dual-specificity phosphatases, including mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1). MKP-1 is known to inactivate mitogen-activated protein kinases by dephosphorylating both of their threonine and tyrosine residues. Moreover, owing to their participation in tumorigenesis and drug resistance in colon cancer cells, MKP-1 is an attractive therapeutic target for colon cancer treatment.

Combating Osteoarthritis through Stem Cell Therapies by Rejuvenating Cartilage: A Review.

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative disorder which could be distinguished by erosion of articular cartilage, pain, stiffness, and crepitus. Not only aging-associated alterations but also the metabolic factors such as hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and obesity affect articular tissues and may initiate or exacerbate the OA. The poor self-healing ability of articular cartilage due to limited regeneration in chondrocytes further adversely affects the osteoarthritic microenvironment.

Discordance Between Resident and Active Bacterioplankton in Free-Living and Particle-Associated Communities in Estuary Ecosystem.

Bacterioplankton are the major driving force for biogeochemical cycles in estuarine ecosystems, but the communities that mediate these processes are largely unexplored. We sampled in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) to examine potential differences in the taxonomic composition of resident (DNA-based) and active (RNA-based) bacterioplankton communities in free-living and particle-associated fractions. MiSeq sequencing data showed that the overall bacterial diversity in particle-associated fractions was higher than in free-living communities.

Dental Implant Surrounding Marginal Bone Level Evaluation: Platform Switching versus Platform Matching-One-Year Retrospective Study.

The benefits and feasibility of platform switching have been discussed in several studies, reporting lesser crestal bone loss in platform-switched implants than in platform-matched implants. The aim of the present study was to observe the changes in vertical and horizontal marginal bone levels in platform-switched and platform-matched dental implants. 51 patients received 60 dental implants in the present study over a 1-year period.

Enhancement of Osteoblastic-Like Cell Activity by Glow Discharge Plasma Surface Modified Hydroxyapatite/β-Tricalcium Phosphate Bone Substitute.

Glow discharge plasma (GDP) treatments of biomaterials, such as hydroxyapatite/β-tricalcium phosphate (HA/β-TCP) composites, produce surfaces with fewer contaminants and may facilitate cell attachment and enhance bone regeneration. Thus, in this study we used argon glow discharge plasma (Ar-GDP) treatments to modify HA/β-TCP particle surfaces and investigated the physical and chemical properties of the resulting particles (HA/β-TCP + Ar-GDP). The HA/β-TCP particles were treated with GDP for 15 min in argon gas at room temperature under the following conditions: power: 80 W; frequency: 13.