Early detection of left atrial function alterations across the heart failure spectrum by feature tracking-cardiac magnetic resonance.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess left atrial (LA) structure and phasic function in patients with heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), HF with mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrEF), and HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) as well as to explore abnormal atrioventricular interaction in HF patients.

Methods: The LA structure and function of 49 controls without HF (24 males, mean age, 57 ± 7 years) and 142 HF patients (98 males, mean age, 59 ± 13 years) were evaluated by LA volumetric and strain analysis using cardiac magnetic resonance, complemented by T1 and left ventricular (LV) strain measurements. Reservoir, conduit, and booster pump LA function was analyzed by LA strain, strain rate, and emptying fraction.

Myocardial mechanical function measured by cardiovascular magnetic resonance in patients with heart failure.

Background: Strain analysis offers a valuable tool to assess myocardial mechanics, allowing for the detection of impairments in heart function. This study aims to evaluate the pattern of myocardial strain in patients with heart failure (HF).

Methods: In the present study, myocardial strain was measured by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging feature tracking in 35 control subjects without HF and 195 HF patients.

Microbial synthesis of sedoheptulose from glucose by metabolically engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum.

Background: Seven-carbon sugars, which rarely exist in nature, are the key constitutional unit of septacidin and hygromycin B in bacteria. These sugars exhibit a potential therapeutic effect for hypoglycaemia and cancer and serve as building blocks for the synthesis of C-glycosides and novel antibiotics. However, chemical and enzymatic approaches for the synthesis of seven-carbon sugars have faced challenges, such as complex reaction steps, low overall yields and high-cost feedstock, limiting their industrial-scale production.

A citric acid cycle-deficient Escherichia coli as an efficient chassis for aerobic fermentations.

Tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle) plays an important role for aerobic growth of heterotrophic bacteria. Theoretically, eliminating TCA cycle would decrease carbon dissipation and facilitate chemicals biosynthesis. Here, we construct an E.

Feasibility study of using low-kilovoltage, prospective gating, high-pitch, dual-source computed tomography prior to transcatheter aortic valve replacement: analysis of image quality and radiation dose.

Background: Computed tomography (CT) scans before transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are used to evaluate the aortic valve and guide the selection of appropriate valve stents. Accurate imaging evaluation can ensure the success rate of surgery while reducing the incidence of complications. Multiple studies have adopted a protocol of coronary artery, aortic valve, and total aortic scan, with the patients receiving higher radiation doses.

CRISPR-Cas9 assisted non-homologous end joining genome editing system of Halomonas bluephagenesis for large DNA fragment deletion.

Background: Halophiles possess several unique properties and have broad biotechnological applications including industrial biotechnology production. Halomonas spp., especially Halomonas bluephagenesis, have been engineered to produce various biopolyesters such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), some proteins, small molecular compounds, organic acids, and has the potential to become a chassis cell for the next-generation of industrial biotechnology (NGIB) owing to its simple culture, fast growth, contamination-resistant, low production cost, and high production value.

Construction of an artificial phosphoketolase pathway that efficiently catabolizes multiple carbon sources to acetyl-CoA.

The canonical glycolysis pathway is responsible for converting glucose into 2 molecules of acetyl-coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) through a cascade of 11 biochemical reactions. Here, we have designed and constructed an artificial phosphoketolase (APK) pathway, which consists of only 3 types of biochemical reactions. The core enzyme in this pathway is phosphoketolase, while phosphatase and isomerase act as auxiliary enzymes.

[Artificial bioconversion of carbon dioxide].

Utilization of carbon dioxide (CO) is a huge challenge for global sustainable development. Biological carbon fixation occurs in nature, but the low energy efficiency and slow speed hamper its commercialization. Physical-chemical carbon fixation is efficient, but relies on high energy consumption and often generates unwanted by-products.

[Preface to the special issue on the 10th anniversary of Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences].

Industrial biotechnology offers great promises to the development of a green, low-carbon and sustainable economy. The Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, which was formally established ten years ago, is an important powerhouse in the field of industrial biotechnology. To date, the Institute has developed a scientific and technological innovation chain, covering from basic research in life sciences to industrial application of biotechnology.

De novo artificial synthesis of hexoses from carbon dioxide.

Developing artificial "CO-sugar" platforms is meaningful for addressing challenges posed by land scarcity and climate change to the supply of dietary sugar. However, upcycling CO into complex polyoxygenated carbohydrates involves several major challenges, including achieving enantioselective and thermodynamically driven transformation and expanding product repertoires while reducing energy consumption. We present a versatile chemoenzymatic roadmap based on aldol condensation, iso/epimerization, and dephosphorylation reactions for asymmetric CO and H assembly into sugars with perfect stereocontrol.

Preoperative CT-guided localization of pulmonary nodules with low-dose radiation.

Background: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has been widely accepted for the treatment of pulmonary nodules. Prior to VATS, pulmonary nodules can be labeled by computed tomography (CT)-guided hook wire localization, but multiple scans are required, which increases the total radiation dose. We aimed to assess the effectiveness and risks of using low-dose radiation CT to locate lung nodules prior to VATS.

Functional Analysis of Novel Genes Encoding Long-Chain -Alkane Hydroxylases in sp. Strain CH91.

sp. strain CH91 is capable of utilizing long-chain -alkanes as the sole carbon source. Two new genes ( and ) encoding AlkB-type alkane hydroxylase were predicted by its whole-genome sequence analysis.

A comparison of computed tomography imaging with histopathology in the sensitivity and correlation of evaluating coronary arterial calcification.

Background: The sensitivity and correlation of coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) as compared with histopathology are unknown in evaluating coronary arterial calcification. In this study, we retrospectively evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively the sensitivity and correlation of coronary CTA compared with histopathology in assessing coronary arterial calcification.

Methods: This study was conducted on 12 randomly selected cadavers aged over 40 years at the time of death, and 53 segments of coronary arteries from these 12 cadavers were obtained from the Human Anatomy Laboratory of Tianjin Medical University.

The differences between broad bean koji fermented in laboratory and factory conditions by an efficient .

Broad bean paste-meju was fermented by a mixture of broad bean koji and saline; koji fermentation is an essential process for the production of broad bean paste-meju. was the most widely used in sauce fermentation. The purpose of this study was to research the factory adaptability of the highly efficient PNM003 and further evaluate the effect of fermentation conditions and fermentation strains on koji.

A bioflocculant from and its application in acid mine wastewater treatment.

Although many microorganisms have been found to produce bioflocculants, and bioflocculants have been considered as attractive alternatives to chemical flocculants in wastewater treatment, there are few reports on bioflocculants from the safe strain , and the application of bioflocculants in acid wastewater treatment is also rare attributed to the high content of metal ions and high acidity of the water. In this study, a novel bioflocculant produced by Cg1-P30 was investigated. An optimal production of this bioflocculant with a yield of 0.

Biosynthesis of artificial starch and microbial protein from agricultural residue.

Growing populations and climate change pose great challenges to food security. Humankind is confronting a serious question: how will we feed the world in the near future? This study presents an out-of-the-box solution involving the highly efficient biosynthesis of artificial starch and microbial proteins from available and abundant agricultural residue as new feed and food sources. A one-pot biotransformation using an in vitro coenzyme-free synthetic enzymatic pathway and baker's yeast can simultaneously convert dilute sulfuric acid-pretreated corn stover to artificial starch and microbial protein under aerobic conditions.

Structure of an Alkaline Pectate Lyase and Rational Engineering with Improved Thermo-Alkaline Stability for Efficient Ramie Degumming.

Alkaline pectate lyases have biotechnological applications in plant fiber processing, such as ramie degumming. Previously, we characterized an alkaline pectate lyase from S10, named BacPelA, which showed potential for enzymatic ramie degumming because of its high cleavage activity toward methylated pectins in alkaline conditions. However, BacPelA displayed poor thermo-alkaline stability.

Microbial ()-4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-enyl pyrophosphate reductase (IspH) and its biotechnological potential: A mini review.

()-4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-enyl pyrophosphate (HMBPP) reductase (IspH) is a [4Fe-4S] cluster-containing enzyme, involved in isoprenoid biosynthesis as the final enzyme of the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway found in many bacteria and malaria parasites. In recent years, many studies have revealed that isoprenoid compounds are an alternative to petroleum-derived fuels. Thus, ecofriendly methods harnessing the methylerythritol phosphate pathway in microbes to synthesize isoprenoid compounds and IspH itself have received notable attention from researchers.

An efficient CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing system for alkaliphilic Bacillus sp. N16-5 and application in engineering xylose utilization for D-lactic acid production.

Alkaliphiles are considered more suitable chassis than traditional neutrophiles due to their excellent resistance to microbial contamination. Alkaliphilic Bacillus sp. N16-5, an industrially interesting strain with great potential for the production of lactic acid and alkaline polysaccharide hydrolases, can only be engineered genetically by the laborious and time-consuming homologous recombination.

Asymmetric Synthesis of Fused-Ring Tetrahydroisoquinolines and Tetrahydro-β-carbolines from 2-Arylethylamines via a Chemoenzymatic Approach.

While chiral fused-ring tetrahydroisoquinoline (THIQ) and tetrahydro-β-carboline (THβC) scaffolds have attracted considerable interest due to their wide spectrum of biological activities, the synthesis of optically pure chiral fused-ring THIQs and THβCs remains a challenging task. Herein, a group of active imine reductases were identified to convert the imine precursors into the corresponding enantiocomplementary fused-ring THIQs and THβCs with high enantioselectivity and conversion, establishing an efficient and green chemoenzymatic approach to fused-ring alkaloids from 2-arylethylamines.

Engineering substrate specificity of HAD phosphatases and multienzyme systems development for the thermodynamic-driven manufacturing sugars.

Naturally, haloacid dehalogenase superfamily phosphatases have been evolved with broad substrate promiscuity; however, strong specificity to a particular substrate is required for developing thermodynamically driven routes for manufacturing sugars. How to alter the intrinsic substrate promiscuity of phosphatases and fit the "one enzyme-one substrate" model remains a challenge. Herein, we report the structure-guided engineering of a phosphatase, and successfully provide variants with tailor-made preference for three widespread phosphorylated sugars, namely, glucose 6-phosphate, fructose 6-phosphate, and mannose 6-phosphate, while simultaneously enhancement in catalytic efficiency.

Data-Driven Synthetic Cell Factories Development for Industrial Biomanufacturing.

Revolutionary breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have had a profound impact on a wide range of scientific disciplines, including the development of artificial cell factories for biomanufacturing. In this paper, we review the latest studies on the application of data-driven methods for the design of new proteins, pathways, and strains. We first briefly introduce the various types of data and databases relevant to industrial biomanufacturing, which are the basis for data-driven research.