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We analyzed travel-associated clinical isolates of Escherichia coli O104:H4, including 1 from the 2011 German outbreak and 1 from a patient who returned from the Philippines in 2010, by genome sequencing and optical mapping. Despite extensive genomic similarity between these strains, key differences included the distribution of toxin and antimicrobial drug-resistance determinants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-ĸB) plays a crucial role in both innate and adaptive immune systems, significantly influencing various physiological processes such as cell proliferation, migration, differentiation, survival, and stemness. The function of NF-ĸB in cancer progression and response to chemotherapy has gained increasing attention. This review highlights the role of NF-ĸB in inflammation control, biological mechanisms, and therapeutic implications in cancer treatment. NF-ĸB is instrumental in altering the release of inflammatory factors such as TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β, which are key in the regulation of carcinogenesis. Specifically, in conditions including colitis, NF-ĸB upregulation can intensify inflammation, potentially leading to the development of colorectal cancer. Its pivotal role extends to regulating the tumor microenvironment, impacting components such as macrophages, fibroblasts, T cells, and natural killer cells. This regulation influences tumorigenesis and can dampen anti-tumor immune responses. Additionally, NF-ĸB modulates cell death mechanisms, notably by inhibiting apoptosis and ferroptosis. It also has a dual role in stimulating or suppressing autophagy in various cancers. Beyond these functions, NF-ĸB plays a role in controlling cancer stem cells, fostering angiogenesis, increasing metastatic potential through EMT induction, and reducing tumor cell sensitivity to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Given its oncogenic capabilities, research has focused on natural products and small molecule compounds that can suppress NF-ĸB, offering promising avenues for cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Grain size and filling are two key determinants of grain thousand‐kernel weight (TKW) and crop yield, therefore they have undergone strong selection since cereal was domesticated. Genetic dissection of the two traits will improve yield potential in crops. A quantitative trait locus significantly associated with wheat grain TKW was detected on chromosome 7AS flanked by a simple sequence repeat marker of Wmc17 in Chinese wheat 262 mini‐core collection by genome‐wide association study. Combined with the bulked segregant RNA‐sequencing (BSR‐seq) analysis of an F2 genetic segregation population with extremely different TKW traits, a candidate trehalose‐6‐phosphate phosphatase gene located at 135.0 Mb (CS V1.0), designated as TaTPP‐7A, was identified. This gene was specifically expressed in developing grains and strongly influenced grain filling and size. Overexpression (OE) of TaTPP‐7A in wheat enhanced grain TKW and wheat yield greatly. Detailed analysis revealed that OE of TaTPP‐7A significantly increased the expression levels of starch synthesis‐ and senescence‐related genes involved in abscisic acid (ABA) and ethylene pathways. Moreover, most of the sucrose metabolism and starch regulation‐related genes were potentially regulated by SnRK1. In addition, TaTPP‐7A is a crucial domestication‐ and breeding‐targeted gene and it feedback regulates sucrose lysis, flux, and utilization in the grain endosperm mainly through the T6P‐SnRK1 pathway and sugar–ABA interaction. Thus, we confirmed the T6P signalling pathway as the central regulatory system for sucrose allocation and source–sink interactions in wheat grains and propose that the trehalose pathway components have great potential to increase yields in cereal crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(HGT or LGT) is the transmission of portions of genomic between organisms through a process decoupled from . In the presence of HGT events, different fragments of the are the result of different histories. This can therefore complicate the investigations of evolutionary relatedness of lineages and species. Also, as HGT can bring into genomes radically different from distant lineages, or even new bearing new functions, it is a major source of innovation and a mechanism of . For example, of particular relevance to human health is the lateral transfer of and determinants, leading to the emergence of pathogenic lineages []. identification of HGT events relies upon the investigation of sequence composition or evolutionary history of genes. Sequence composition-based ("parametric") methods search for deviations from the genomic average, whereas evolutionary history-based ("") approaches identify genes whose evolutionary history significantly differs from that of the host . The evaluation and benchmarking of HGT inference methods typically rely upon simulated genomes, for which the true history is known. On real data, different methods tend to infer different HGT events, and as a result it can be difficult to ascertain all but simple and clear-cut HGT events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of the most severe chronic microvascular complications of diabetes and the leading cause of end-stage kidney disease worldwide. The mechanism of inflammation underlying DKD has been attracting attention over recent years, but effective therapeutic strategies have remained elusive. Niaoduqing (NDQ) granules are one of the most commonly used drugs for the treatment of DKD in China, and it has therapeutic effects against inflammation in DKD. Therefore, the aim of the present analysis was to evaluate the inflammatory response outcomes and safety of NDQ granules for the treatment of DKD. The following databases were searched from their inception to 31st of May 2023 to obtain published accounts of relevant randomized controlled trials: China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal, Wanfang, The Chinese Biomedicine, PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library. The 'risk of bias' evaluation tool produced by the Cochrane Collaboration Handbook was used for evaluating the quality, whereas Revman software (version 5.3) was used for meta-analysis. In total, 16 studies were included into the present study according to criteria, with a total of 1,526 patients. Compared with those in the control group, the results of the meta-analysis revealed that the combination of conventional treatment and NDQ granules may further decrease C-reactive protein [standardized mean difference (SMD), -1.33; 95% confidence interval (CI), -1.76, -0.91; P<0.00001], TNF-α (SMD, -1.90; 95% CI, -2.35,-1.45; P<0.00001) and IL-6 (SMD, -1.72; 95% CI, -2.52,-0.91; P<0.0001) levels, whilst increasing the clinical effective rate (risk ratio, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.14,1.29; P<0.00001), in patients with DKD. In terms of safety, a total of 34 and 39 patients included in the intervention and in the control group, respectively, developed adverse reactions. Results from the present analysis suggest that NDQ granules may be beneficial in suppressing inflammation caused by DKD when used in combination with conventional treatment, potentially guiding future directions in clinical practice. However, further high-quality studies are needed to confirm the anti-inflammation response in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a list of members whom author wished thanking regards including members Tara Abraham, Damien Hinsinger and Stephanie Bajay.