Search

Coherent Rayleigh scattering‐based distributed fibre optic sensing technology enables real‐time acquisition of vibration and acoustic information along the optical fibres. However, the complexity of monitoring environments often leads to false alarms and missed detections during the process of information source identification with distributed acoustic sensing (DAS). Therefore, it becomes crucial to effectively extract meaningful signal features and perform accurate pattern recognition in the presence of external noise disturbance. The authors provide a comprehensive review of signal feature extraction and pattern recognition techniques applied in DAS technology. After introducing the fundamentals of DAS, specific applications are considered, and the following techniques have been analysed and compared: feature extraction algorithms based on wavelet decomposition, feature extraction schemes utilising other decomposition models, traditional recognition classifiers, and neural network‐based recognition classifiers using deep learning. The advantages and limitations of each scheme are discussed, along with their potential applications in various scenarios. The aim is to provide insights into the latest technologies in signal processing and pattern recognition for DAS, fostering further advancements in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 pandemic of 2019 was a global public health emergency, resulting in millions of deaths worldwide. The origin of pandemic was in China, where the disease was first reported in 2019 and in 2020, it became a global pandemic. Because of the economic and social effects caused by COVID-19, changes were made to China's economic model. The Chinese government wanted to protect their economy and people from the virus, so they invested a lot of money into combating the pandemic. Economic development is when a country's economy becomes more advanced than other countries. If it has good infrastructure and employment opportunities, it will become richer (McBryde et al., 2020). An economy can advance quickly through technological advancement, education, and increasing demand for goods and services. When China first experienced the pandemic, it had a rich economy and grew quickly. China was rapidly developing in terms of technology, education, and infrastructure. China's economic model took a turn for the worse when the COVID-19 pandemic hit it. The virus spread quickly, causing millions of deaths in China (Dhar, 2020). The Chinese government was forced to invest billions of RMB into research and to treat those affected by the virus. After COVID-19, China's economy fell into a slight recession. This could have been caused by a drop in exports, an increased mortality rate, and the government spending billions on stopping the pandemic. This paper will first give an overview of previous economic models that China used, then it will discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic changed China's economic model, and finally, this paper will look at the impact that COVID-19 had on China's economy.

Simple Summary: The cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis, native to the USA, is a globally invasive quarantine pest. This pest has now spread to more than 43 countries and covered all continents except Antarctica, posing a serious threat to agricultural and forestry production, as well as biosecurity. The niche conservatism hypothesis states a tendency for species to maintain their original ecological niches in time and space and has been widely debated. In this study, based on the multidimensional hypervolume analysis and species distribution model, we identified the niche dynamics of this pest and further assessed its global invasion risk. The results indicated that the niche hypervolume in invasive ranges was significantly larger than that in native ranges, with 99.45% of the niche differentiation contributed by niche expansion rather than spatial replacement. Niche expansion was especially evident in Oceania and Eurasia. Compared to 2017, the current area of suitable habitats had increased significantly and this pest would expand northwards from the south in future climate change scenarios. The invasion risk in North Africa, northern China, areas along the Mediterranean, and northern Europe should not be ignored. As a globally invasive quarantine pest, the cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis, is spreading rapidly, posing serious threats against agricultural and forestry production and biosecurity. In recent years, the niche conservatism hypothesis has been widely debated, which is particularly evident in invasive biology research. Identifying the niche dynamics of P. solenopsis, as well as assessing its global invasion risk, is of both theoretical and practical importance. Based on 462 occurrence points and 19 bioclimatic variables, we used n-dimensional hypervolume analysis to quantify the multidimensional climatic niche of this pest in both its native and invasive ranges. We examined niche conservatism and further optimized the MaxEnt model parameters to predict the global invasion risk of P. solenopsis under both current and future climate conditions. Our findings indicated that the niche hypervolume of this pest in invasive ranges was significantly larger than that in its native ranges, with 99.45% of the niche differentiation contributed by niche expansion, with the remaining less than 1% explained by space replacement. Niche expansion was most evident in Oceania and Eurasia. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.83) and true skill statistic (0.62) indicated the model's robust performance. The areas of suitable habitats for P. solenopsis are increasing significantly and the northward spread is obvious in future climate change scenarios. North Africa, northern China, Mediterranean regions, and northern Europe had an increased invasion risk of P. solenopsis. This study provided scientific support for the early warning and control of P. solenopsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is a critical abiotic stress which leads to crop yield and a decrease in quality. Annexins belong to a multi-gene family of calcium- and lipid-binding proteins and play diverse roles in plant growth and development. Herein, we report a rice annexin protein, OsANN9, which in addition to regular annexin repeats and type-II Ca2+ binding sites, also consists of a C2H2-type zinc-finger domain. We found that the expression of OsANN9 was upregulated by polyethylene glycol (PEG) or water-deficient treatment. Moreover, plants that overexpressed OsANN9 had increased survival rates under drought stress, while both OsANN9-RNAi and osann9 mutants showed sensitivity to drought. In addition, the overexpression of OsANN9 increased superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activities, which regulate reactive oxygen species homeostasis. Collectively, these findings indicate that OsANN9 may function as a positive regulator in response to drought stress by modulating antioxidant accumulation. Interestingly, the setting rates of osann9 mutant rice plants significantly decreased in comparison to wild-type plants, suggesting that OsANN9 might be involved in other molecular mechanisms in the rice seed development stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cells are the basic unit of human organs that are not fully understood. The revolutionary advancements of optical imaging allowed us to observe single cells in whole organs, revealing the complicated composition of cells with spatial information. Therefore, in this review, we revisit the principles of optical contrast related to those biomolecules and the optical techniques that transform optical contrast into detectable optical signals. Then, we describe optical imaging to achieve three-dimensional spatial discrimination for biological tissues. Due to the milky appearance of tissues, the spatial information blurred deep in the whole organ. Fortunately, strategies developed in the last decade could circumvent this issue and lead us into a new era of investigation of the cells with their original spatial information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) filled with metals can be used in capacitors, sensors, rechargeable batteries, and so on. Atomic arrangement of the metals has an important role in the function of the composites. The tips of CNTs were opened, and then nickel was filled by means of hydrothermal oxidation/ultrasonic vibration method. The tests of TEM, HREM, and EDX (energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) analysis showed that Ni was filled in CNTs successfully. The atomic arrangement of nickel filled into single wall carbon nanotubes was investigated by molecular dynamics simulation. The radial distribution function and bond orientation order were established to analyze the atomic arrangement of nickel filled in carbon nanotubes during the cooling process. The results show that nickel atoms became in order gradually and preferably crystallized on the inner wall of carbon nanotubes when the temperature decreased from 1600 K. After it cooled to 100 K, the arrangement of nickel atoms in outermost circle was regular and dense, but there were many defects far from the wall of CNTs. According to the calculation of bond orientation order parameters Q6 and its visualization, the structure of nickel is Face-centered cube (f.c.c). (1,1,1)Ni was close on the inner surface of carbon nanotubes. Radial direction of CNTs was [1,1,1] crystal orientation. Axial direction of CNTs, namely, filling direction, was [1, 1 ,2] crystal orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) filled with metals can be used in capacitors, sensors, rechargeable batteries and so on. In this study, the process of Nickel filling into single wall CNTs was studied by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Three models consisting of Nickel atoms and CNTs were established. These models were cooled from 1500 K to 100 K to analyze the factors that influence the filling height, such as temperature, the force between Carbon and Nickel atoms, as well as CNTs diameter. The results showed that filling height increased as the temperature and the force between Carbon-Nickel atoms rised. Filling height reduced with the increasing diameter of CNTs. The process of Nickel filling into single wall carbon nanotubes was studied by molecular dynamics simulation (MD). The models were cooled from above 1500 K to 100 K, to analyze the factors that influence the filling height, such as temperature, the force between Carbon and Nickel atoms, as well as CNTs diameter. The results showed that filling height increased as the temperature and the force between Carbon-Nickel atoms rised. Filling height reduced with the increasing in the diameter of CNTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignocellulosic biomass is a geographically abundant source of renewable energy, showing enormous potential to contribute to escalating energy demands. Improving the industrial economics of cellulase production remains a significant hurdle, thus enhancing the yield of cellulase production and the catalytic efficiency of cellulases would be the key targets for research and development. The isolation of Trichoderma reesei in the 1940s marked the beginning of cellulase research. Subsequently, fungal cellulases have been extensively studied to understand the mechanisms of cellulose degradation. Over the years, continuous efforts have been devoted to discovering novel cellulases with diverse physiochemical properties. The attention has been gradually shifted to bacterial sources due to its high specific activity and heterologous production efficiency. Recently, cellulases identified from archaea are considered promising candidates for industrial applications under harsh conditions. As sequencing technology develops, the approaches to discover cellulases have gone through rapid changes. In this review, we show the sequence and structural diversity of non-homologous cellulases and summarize cellulolytic enzyme systems used by cellulose degrading microorganisms. We also discuss recent progress in culture-independent metagenomic approaches as a powerful tool for the bioprospecting of novel cellulases, as well as the advantages and limitations of these methods. • Cellulases are highly diverse in sequence, structure and function. • Distribution of microbial cellulases is widespread but dispersed in specific lineages. • Metagenomics has been and will remain a powerful tool to discover novel cellulases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing evidence suggests that the gut microbiota plays vital roles in metabolic diseases. Polygonatum odoratum extract alleviates hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study investigated the effects of P. odoratum polysaccharides (POPs) on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity in rats and whether these effects were related to modulation of gut microbiota. POP treatment attenuated weight gain, fat accumulation, epididymal adipocyte size, liver triglycerides, and total liver cholesterol content in HFD-fed rats. POP administration also increased short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), including isobutyric acid, butyric acid, and valeric acid. POP upregulated the expression of genes involved in adipocyte differentiation (Pparg, Cebpa, Cebpb) and lipolysis (Ppara, Atgl), and downregulated those related to lipid synthesis (Srebpf1, Fabp4, Fas), with corresponding changes in PPARγ and FABP4 protein expression. Finally, POP enhanced species richness and improved the gut microbiota community structure, reducing the relative abundances of Clostridium, Enterococcus, Coprobacillus, Lactococcus, and Sutterella. Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) revealed a clear separation between HFD-fed rats and all other treatment groups. Correlation analysis identified negative and positive associations between obesity phenotypes and 28 POP-influenced operational taxonomic units (OTUs), including putative SCFA-producing bacteria. Our data suggest that POP supplementation may attenuate features of obesity in HFD-fed rats in association with the modulation of gut microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bathyarchaeia represent a class of archaea common and abundant in sedimentary ecosystems. Here we report 56 metagenome-assembled genomes of Bathyarchaeia viruses identified in metagenomes from different environments. Gene sharing network and phylogenomic analyses led to the proposal of four virus families, including viruses of the realms Duplodnaviria and Adnaviria , and archaea-specific spindle-shaped viruses. Genomic analyses uncovered diverse CRISPR elements in these viruses. Viruses of the proposed family " Fuxiviridae " harbor an atypical Type IV-B CRISPR-Cas system and a Cas4 protein that might interfere with host immunity. Viruses of the family " Chiyouviridae " encode a Cas2-like endonuclease and two mini-CRISPR arrays, one with a repeat identical to that in the host CRISPR array, potentially allowing the virus to recruit the host CRISPR adaptation machinery to acquire spacers that could contribute to competition with other mobile genetic elements or to inhibit host defenses. These findings present an outline of the Bathyarchaeia virome and offer a glimpse into their counter-defense mechanisms., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Society for Microbial Ecology.)

To investigate the overall survival of post-resection leiomyosarcoma (LMS) patients with lung metastasis, data of post-resection LMS patients with lung metastasis between 2010 and 2016 were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The clinical characteristics and survival data for post-resection LMS patients with lung metastasis at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital & Institute (TJMUCH) between October 2010 and July 2018 were collected. Patients derived from the SEER database and TJMUCH were divided into training and validation cohorts, respectively. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed and a nomogram was established. The area under the curve (AUC) and the calibration curve were used to evaluate the nomogram. A web-based nomogram was developed based on the established nomogram. Eventually, 226 patients from the SEER database who were diagnosed with LMS and underwent primary lesion resection combined with lung metastasis were enrolled in the training cohort, and 17 patients from TJMUCH were enrolled in the validation cohort. Sex, race, grade, tumor size, chemotherapy, and bone metastasis were correlated with overall survival in patients with LMS. The C-index were 0.65 and 0.75 in the SEER and Chinese set, respectively. Furthermore, the applicable AUC values of the ROC curve in the SEER cohort to predict the 1-, 3-, 5- years survival rate were 0.646, 0.682, and 0.689, respectively. The corresponding AUC values in the Chinese cohort were 0.970, 0.913, and 0.881, respectively. The calibration curve showed that the nomogram performed well in predicting the overall survival in post-resection LMS patients with lung metastasis. A web-based nomogram (https://weijunqiang.shinyapps.io/survival_lms_lungmet/) was established. The web-based nomogram (https://weijunqiang.shinyapps.io/survival_lms_lungmet/) is an accurate and personalized tool for predicting the overall survival of post-resection LMS with lung metastasis., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Korarchaeota, due to its rarity in common environments, is one of the archaeal phyla that has received the least attention from researchers. It was previously thought to consist solely of strict thermophiles. However, our study provides genetic evidence for the presence of korarchaeal members in temperate subsurface seawater. Furthermore, a systematic reclassification of the Korarchaeota based on 16S rRNA genes and genomes has revealed three novel marine groups (Kor-6 to Kor-8) at the root of the Korarchaeota branch. Kor-6 contains microbes that are present in moderate temperatures. All three novel marine phyla possess genes for the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway, and Kor-7 and Kor-8 possess fewer genes encoding oxygen resistance traits than other korarchaeal groups, suggesting a distinct lifestyle for these novel phyla. Our results, together with estimations of Korarchaeota divergence times, suggest that oxygen availability may be one of the important factors that have influenced the evolution of Korarchaeota. IMPORTANCE Korarchaeota were previously thought to inhabit exclusively high-temperature environments. However, our study provides genetic evidence for their unexpected presence in temperate marine waters. Through analysis of publicly available korarchaeal reference data, we have systematically reclassified Korarchaeota and identified the existence of three previously unknown marine groups (Kor-6, Kor-7, and Kor-8) at the root of the Korarchaeota branch. Comparative analysis of their gene content revealed that these novel groups exhibit a lifestyle distinct from other Korarchaeota. Specifically, they have the ability to fix carbon exclusively via the Wood-Ljungdahl (WL) pathway, and the genomes within Kor-7 and Kor-8 contain few genes encoding antioxidant enzymes, indicating their strictly anaerobic lifestyle. Further studies suggest that the genes related to methane metabolism and the WL pathway may have been inherited from a common ancestor of the Korarchaeota and that oxygen availability may be one of the important evolutionary factors that shaped the diversification of this archaeal phylum., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

A Gram-stain-negative, facultatively aerobic, motile and ovoid- to rod-shaped bacterium, designated as FT324 T , was isolated from a surface mangrove sediment sample from Shenzhen, PR China. The taxonomic position of strain FT324 T was determined by a combination of phylogenetic, physiological, biochemical and chemotaxonomic analyses. Strain FT324 T grew at 20-40 °C (optimum, 30-37 °C), pH 5.0-9.0 (optimum, pH 8.0) and in the presence of 0-3 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 1 %). Its full-length 16S rRNA gene sequence was the most similar to Frigidibacter oleivorans XJ4 T (97.4 %), followed by Defluviimonas denitrificans DSM 18921 T (96.62 %), Pseudothioclava arenosa CAU 1312 T (96.54 %) and Defluviimonas nitratireducens DL5-4 T (96.47 %). The major fatty acids (>10 %) of FT324 T were C 19 : 0 cyclo ω 8 c (51.9 %) and summed feature 8(29.6 %). The predominant respiratory quinone was Q-10. Its polar lipid profile contained phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmethylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified aminolipid, one unidentified lipid and two unidentified phospholipids. Its estimated genome size was 4 294 115 bp and the genomic DNA G+C content was 69.6 mol%. Based on its distinct phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic characteristics, strain FT324 T should represent a novel species of the genus Defluviimonas , for which the name Defluviimonas sediminis sp. nov. is proposed (=MCCC 1K07685 T =KCTC 92477 T ).

Mangrove microorganisms are a major part of the coastal ecosystem and are directly associated with nutrient cycling. Despite their ecological significance, the collection of culturable mangrove microbes is limited due to difficulties in isolation and cultivation. Here, we report the isolation and genome sequence of strain FT118 T , the first cultured representative of a previously uncultivated order UBA8317 within Alphaproteobacteria , based on the combined results of 16S rRNA gene similarity, phylogenomic, and average amino acid identity analyses. We propose Futianiales ord. nov. and Futianiaceae fam. nov. with Futiania as the type genus, and FT118 T represents the type species with the name Futiania mangrovii gen. nov, sp. nov. The 16S rRNA gene sequence comparison reveals that this novel order is a rare member but has a ubiquitous distribution across various habitats worldwide, which is corroborated by the experimental confirmation that this isolate can physiologically adapt to a wide range of oxygen levels, temperatures, pH and salinity levels. Biochemical characterization, genomic annotation, and metatranscriptomic analysis of FT118 T demonstrate that it is metabolically versatile and active in situ . Genomic analysis reveals adaptive features of Futianiales to fluctuating mangrove environments, including the presence of high- and low-affinity terminal oxidases, N-type ATPase, and the genomic capability of producing various compatible solutes and polyhydroxybutyrate, which possibly allow for the persistence of this novel order across various habitats. Collectively, these results expand the current culture collection of mangrove microorganisms, providing genomic insights of how this novel taxon adapts to fluctuating environments and the culture reference to unravel possible microbe-environment interactions. IMPORTANCE The rare biosphere constitutes an essential part of the microbial community and may drive nutrient cycling and other geochemical processes. However, the difficulty in microbial isolation and cultivation has hampered our understanding of the physiology and ecology of uncultured rare lineages. In this study, we successfully isolated a novel alphaproteobacterium, designated as FT118 T , and performed a combination of phenotypic, phylogenetic, and phylogenomic analyses, confirming that this isolate represents the first cultured member of a previously uncultivated order UBA8317 within Alphaproteobacteria . It is a rare species with a ubiquitous distribution across different habitats. Genomic and metatranscriptomic analyses demonstrate that it is metabolically versatile and active in situ , suggesting its potential role in nutrient cycling despite being scarce. This work not only expands the current phylogeny of isolated Alphaproteobacteria but also provides genomic and culture reference to unravel microbial adaptation strategies in mangrove sediments and possible microbe-environment interactions.

A Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, motile, rod-shaped bacterium, FT117 T , was isolated from mangrove sediment collected in Shenzhen, Guangdong, PR China. Growth occurred at 20-45 °C (optimum, 40 °C), pH 6-10 (optimum, 8) and in the presence of 0-5 % NaCl (optimum, 0 %). The results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that the identity between FT117 T and Zeimonas arvi CC-CFT501 T was the highest (98.7 %), followed by Quisquiliibacterium transsilvanicum JCM 31785 T (93.6 %), Lautropia mirabilis CCUG 34794 T (93.6 %) and Pandoraea eparura LMG 31012 T (93.5 %). The main fatty acids (>10 %) were C 16 : 0 (35.8 %), cyclo-C 17 : 0 (18.5 %) and summed feature 3 (18.1 %). The polar lipids contained phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, two unidentified phospholipids, two unidentified aminophospholipids and one unidentified lipid. The sole respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-8 (Q-8). Its DNA G+C content was 70.6 % (data from the genome sequence) and the estimated genome size was 3.860 Mb. The average nucleotide identity values between the FT117 T genome and the genomes of Z. arvi CC-CFT501 T , Q. transsilvanicum JCM 31785 T , L. mirabilis CCUG 34794 T and Paraburkholderia strydomiana LMG 31012 T were 85.4 %, 76.4 %, 73.0 % and 71.3 %, and the digital DNA-DNA hybridization values were 29.1 %, 21.0 %, 20.3 % and 19.1 %, respectively. The phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic differences between FT117 T and its phylogenetic relatives indicate that FT117 T should be regarded as representing a novel species within the genus Zeimonas , for which the name Zeimonas sediminis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is FT117 T (=KCTC 92314 T = MCCC 1K07396 T ).

Background: Tumorigenesis and progression are intimately associated with inflammation. However, the inflammatory landscape in soft tissue sarcoma (STS) and its clinical consequences are yet unknown, and more investigation is needed., Methods: RNA-seq expression data for STS and corresponding normal tissues were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database and the Genotype-Tissue Expression Portal. Differential and prognostic analyses were performed based on known inflammatory response genes from Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). We utilized LASSO-Cox analysis to determine hub genes and built an inflammatory score (INFscore) and risk stratification model. Furthermore, a nomogram, including the risk stratification model, was established to predict the prognosis. We further elucidated the characteristics among different risk STS patients by GSEA, gene set variation analysis, and detailed immune infiltration analysis. Finally, the INFscore and risk stratification model in predicting prognosis and depicting immune microenvironment status were verified by pan-cancer analysis., Results: Five hub genes (HAS2, IL1R1, NMI, SERPINE1, and TACR1) were identified and were used to develop the INFscore. The risk stratification model distinguished the immune microenvironment status and evaluated the efficacy of immunotherapy and chemotherapy in STS. The novel nomogram had good efficacy in predicting the prognosis of STS patients. Finally, a pan-cancer investigation verified the association of INFscore with prognosis and immunity., Conclusions: According to the present study, the risk stratification model can be used to evaluate STS prognosis, tumor microenvironment status, immunotherapy, and chemotherapy efficacy. The novel nomogram has an excellent predictive value. Thus, the INFscore and risk stratification model has potential value in assessing the prognosis and immune status of multiple malignancies., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Li, Zheng, Liu, Fen, Cao, Yang and Wei.)

A Gram-stain-negative, cream-coloured, aerobic, motile and ovoid- to rod-shaped bacterium, designated as FT325 T , was isolated from mangrove sediment collected in Shenzhen, PR China. The taxonomic position of strain FT325 T was established by phylogenetic, physiological, biochemical and chemotaxonomic analyses. Strain FT325 T grew optimally at 37-40 °C and pH 6.0 in the presence of 0 % (w/v) NaCl. Results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain FT325 T was most similarly related to Limibaculum halophilum CAU 1123 T (96.2 %), Phaeovulum vinaykumarii DSM 18714 T (93.9%) and Amaricoccus solimangrovi HB 172011 T (93.7 %). The major fatty acids (>10 %) were C 18 : 1  ω 7 c (60.0 %) and 11-methyl C 18 : 1  ω 7 c (16.7 %). The sole respiratory quinone was Q-10. The polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified glycolipid, three unidentified aminolipids and three unidentified phospholipids. Its estimated genome size was 4 318 768 bp and the genomic DNA G+C content was 69.6 mol%. Based on its distinct phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic characteristics, strain FT325 T represents a novel species of the genus Limibaculum , for which the name Limibaculum sediminis sp. nov. is proposed (=MCCC 1K07397 T =KCTC 92313 T ).

Background: To evaluate the risk factors of primary nephrotic syndrome (PNS) with urinary tract infection (UTI) in children., Methods: Multiple databases including PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), Web of Science (WOS), the Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were used to search for relevant studies, which were full-text articles involved in the evaluation of differences between PNS with UTI and without UTI. All included articles were assessed for quality and the data analyses were conducted with Review Manager (5.4). Forest plots, sensitivity analysis, and bias analysis were also performed on the included articles., Results: Eight studies were included in this meta-analysis, with a total of 3,274 patients. Meta-analysis showed that a low level of serum albumin [mean difference (MD): -0.32 g/dL; 95% confidence interval (CI): (-0.55, -0.08); P=0.008], a low level of serum total protein [MD: -0.16 g/dL; 95% CI: (-0.20, -0.12); P<0.00001], a high level of urinary protein [MD: 5.09 mg/d; 95% CI: (3.13, 7.05); P<0.00001], a lower level of serum urea nitrogen [MD: -0.10 mg/dL; 95% CI: (-0.18, -0.02); P=0.01], and a higher level of serum cholesterol [MD: 2.26 mg/dL; 95% CI: (0.74, 3.78)] had a higher risk of PNS with UTI. There was no obvious publication bias among included studies., Discussion: Our research demonstrated that a low level of serum albumin, a low level of serum total protein, a high level of urinary protein, a low level of serum urea nitrogen, and a high level of serum cholesterol were the risk factors of PNS with UTI in children., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://dx.doi.org/10.21037/tp-21-468). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2021 Translational Pediatrics. All rights reserved.)

We report here the complete genome sequence of Klebsiella pneumoniae strain HKUOPLC, isolated from a giant panda fecal sample collected from Ocean Park, Hong Kong. The complete genome of this bacterium may contribute to the discovery of efficient cellulose-degrading pathways., (Copyright © 2015 Lu et al.)

We report here the complete genome sequence of Klebsiella variicola strain HKUOPLA, isolated from a giant panda feces sample collected from Ocean Park, Hong Kong. The complete genome of this bacterium may contribute toward the discovery of efficient cellulose-degrading pathways., (Copyright © 2015 Lu et al.)

Hypoxia preconditioning has been confirmed as an effective strategy to enhance the therapeutic potentials of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), such as for myocardial ischemia. However, whether hypoxia preconditioning would produce beneficial effects on MSC-based renal repair has not been demonstrated. In the study, we aimed to determine the feasibility and efficacy of hypoxia preconditioning to enhance MSC-based therapy of acute kidney injury (AKI). MSCs were isolated from human adipose tissues. The paracrine effects of MSCs under normoxia and hypoxia were determined in vitro. Rats of AKI were induced by kidney I/R surgery and randomly divided into three groups: I/R control receiving PBS injection; MSC group receiving normal MSC injection; hypoMSC group receiving hypoxia-preconditioned MSC injection. It was demonstrated in vitro that paracrine effects of MSCs were significantly enhanced, especially angiogenic factors. Dihydroethidium (DHE) staining showed that antioxidative activities of MSCs were significantly enhanced by hypoxia stimulation. Vascularization, apoptosis, and histological injury were all significantly improved in hypoMSC injected group compared with that in control and MSC injected groups. Finally, the renal function was also significantly improved in hypoMSC injected group compared with that in the other two groups as assessed by the serum creatinine and BUN levels.