Dysbiosis, departure of the gut microbiome from a healthy state, has been suggested to be a powerful biomarker of disease incidence and progression
. Diagnostic applications have been proposed for ...inflammatory bowel disease diagnosis and prognosis
, colorectal cancer prescreening
and therapeutic choices in melanoma
. Noninvasive sampling could facilitate large-scale public health applications, including early diagnosis and risk assessment in metabolic
and cardiovascular diseases
. To understand the generalizability of microbiota-based diagnostic models of metabolic disease, we characterized the gut microbiota of 7,009 individuals from 14 districts within 1 province in China. Among phenotypes, host location showed the strongest associations with microbiota variations. Microbiota-based metabolic disease models developed in one location failed when used elsewhere, suggesting that such models cannot be extrapolated. Interpolated models performed much better, especially in diseases with obvious microbiota-related characteristics. Interpolation efficiency decreased as geographic scale increased, indicating a need to build localized baseline and disease models to predict metabolic risks.
Background
Myocardial T1 and extracellular volume (ECV) fraction values have important roles in the prognostication of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, the traditional ...mean quantification of intensity levels is not sufficient.
Purpose
To evaluate a T1 map‐based radiomic nomogram as a long‐term prognosticator for HFpEF in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients.
Study Type
Prospective.
Population
A total of 115 SLE patients and 50 age‐ and gender‐matched controls.
Field Strength/Sequence
A 3.0 T scanner; cine imaging, precontrast and post‐contrast T1 mapping and T2 mapping sequences.
Assessment
A radiomic nomogram was developed based on precontrast T1 mapping. Three independent readers assessed and compared the ECV value and the value of the radiomic nomogram for predicting HFpEF in SLE patients.
Statistical Test
Cox proportional hazard models, Youden index for determining cut‐off values for high HFpEF risk vs. low HFpEF risk classification, Kaplan–Meier analysis, intraclass correlation (ICC), and Uno C statistic test.
Results
During a median follow‐up of 27 (interquartile range, 19–37) months, 31 SLE patients developed HFpEF. Patients with elevated ECV (≥31%) and a higher output (≥42.7) from the radiomic feature “S_33_sum average” of the precontrast T1 map had a significantly higher risk of developing HFpEF than those who had lower ECV (<31%) and an output <42.7. Patients with a higher “S_33_sum average” value on precontrast T1 map had a significantly increased risk for HFpEF (hazard ratio, 1.363, 95% CI, 1.130–1.645), after adjusting for covariates including ECV and LVEF. Finally, “S_33_sum average” from precontrast T1 mapping had modest but significantly incremental prognostic value over the mean ECV value (Uno C statistic comparing models, 0.860 vs. 0.835).
Data Conclusion
The precontrast T1 map‐based radiomic nomogram, as a measure of diffuse myocardial fibrosis was associated with HFpEF and provided modest prognostic value for predicting HFpEF in SLE patients.
Evidence Level
1
Technical Efficacy
Stage 2
The metabolic syndrome (MetS) epidemic is associated with economic development, lifestyle transition and dysbiosis of gut microbiota, but these associations are rarely studied at the population ...scale. Here, we utilised the Guangdong Gut Microbiome Project (GGMP), the largest Eastern population-based gut microbiome dataset covering individuals with different economic statuses, to investigate the relationships between the gut microbiome and host physiology, diet, geography, physical activity and socioeconomic status.
At the population level, 529 OTUs were significantly associated with MetS. OTUs from Proteobacteria and Firmicutes (other than Ruminococcaceae) were mainly positively associated with MetS, whereas those from Bacteroidetes and Ruminococcaceae were negatively associated with MetS. Two hundred fourteen OTUs were significantly associated with host economic status (140 positive and 74 negative associations), and 157 of these OTUs were also MetS associated. A microbial MetS index was formulated to represent the overall gut dysbiosis of MetS. The values of this index were significantly higher in MetS subjects regardless of their economic status or geographical location. The index values did not increase with increasing personal economic status, although the prevalence of MetS was significantly higher in people of higher economic status. With increased economic status, the study population tended to consume more fruits and vegetables and fewer grains, whereas meat consumption was unchanged. Sedentary time was significantly and positively associated with higher economic status. The MetS index showed an additive effect with sedentary lifestyle, as the prevalence of MetS in individuals with high MetS index values and unhealthy lifestyles was significantly higher than that in the rest of the population.
The gut microbiome is associated with MetS and economic status. A prolonged sedentary lifestyle, rather than Westernised dietary patterns, was the most notable lifestyle change in our Eastern population along with economic development. Moreover, gut dysbiosis and a Western lifestyle had an additive effect on increasing MetS prevalence.
The present study explored the modulating apoptosis effect of hydrogen sulfide (H
2
S) in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) rats and its exact mechanism. A rat SAH model established by intravascular ...puncturing was used for the present study. After giving NaHS (donor of H
2
S), an L-type calcium channel opener (Bay K8644), or a calcium channel agonist (nifedipine), the neurological function of the rats, associated pathological changes, and expression of apoptosis-related proteins (Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase-3) and microtubule-associated protein (MAP-2) were examined. The concentration of H
2
S and expression of cystathionine beta synthase in the hippocampus changed upon early brain injury (EBI) after SAH. Compared with the SAH group, the neurological function of the rats and microstructure observed by electron microscopy were better in the SAH + NaHS group and SAH + Bay K8644 group. It was observed that apoptosis was more obvious in the SAH group than in the control group and was alleviated in the SAH + NaHS group. Furthermore, the alleviating effect of NaHS was partially weakened by nifedipine, indicating that the effect of anti-apoptosis in H
2
S might be correlated with the calcium channel. The expression of Bax and caspase-3 was elevated, while the expression of Bcl-2 decreased in the SAH group but improved in the SAH + NaHS and SAH + Bay K8644 group. Compared with the SAH + NaHS group, the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins was higher in the SAH + NaHS + nifedipine group. Therefore, upon EBI following SAH, the H
2
S system plays an important neurological protective effect by modulating the function of the L-type calcium channel and inhibiting apoptosis.
The effect of inoculated or co-cultured halophilic lactic bacteria (Tetragenococcus halophilus) and yeasts (Zygosaccharomyces rouxii and Candida versatilis) on the quality of soy sauce moromi was ...investigated. Results showed no significant change in the major physicochemical properties of soy sauce moromi such as amino nitrogen, total acid, and reducing sugar at the end of fermentation, whereas the composition of free amino acids slightly changed with different fermentation patterns. In the sample inoculated with T. halophilus, the concentration of proline and tryptophan decreased by 18.83 and 50.87 % compared with the blank sample, whereas tyrosine and histidine increased by 32.41 and 27.04 %. In the sample inoculated with Z. rouxii and C. versatilis, the concentration of bitter-tasting lysine, tyrosine, and phenylalanine increased by more than 20 %, and the concentration of tryptophan decreased by 56.71 %. The proportion of amino acids with sweet taste increased by 0.8 % through the co-culture of the three strains. Meanwhile, the total amount of volatile compounds increased by 117.66, 23.28, and 216.88 % in the T. halophilus inoculated sample, two yeast strain inoculated sample, and three strain inoculated sample, respectively. Increased odour activity values of the nine compounds that mainly contributed to the flavour of moromi ranged from 1 to 7.87 times in the three strain inoculated sample. These findings revealed that the co-culture of the three strains during moromi fermentation was beneficial to the improvement of flavour of soy sauce moromi.
Vein-type deposits, including the Xiangdong W–Sn and Dalong Pb–Zn deposits, occur in or near the Dengfuxian composite granite pluton, comprising predominantly Triassic and minor Jurassic intrusions. ...Liquid-rich NaCl-aqueous inclusions, vapor-rich NaCl-aqueous inclusions, liquid-rich CaCl
2
-NaCl-aqueous inclusions, two-phase CH
4
-rich inclusions, three-phase CO
2
-H
2
O inclusions, and three-phase calcite-bearing inclusions occur in the quartz veins at Xiangdong, whereas only liquid-rich NaCl-aqueous inclusions occur at Dalong. The Xiangdong veins formed at temperatures near 241 °C, from NaCl-CaCl
2
-H
2
O-CH
4
-CO
2
fluids averaging 11.4 wt% NaCl eq. The Dalong deposit formed at temperatures near 186 °C from NaCl-H
2
O(-CH
4
) fluids averaging 6.2 wt% NaCl eq. The ore-forming mechanisms at Xiangdong include fluid immiscibility during stage I, fluid mixing during stage II, and mixing with meteoric water accompanied by cooling during stage III. The ore-forming mechanisms at Dalong include cooling and mixing with meteoric water. Oxygen and hydrogen isotopes suggest that the ore-forming fluids from both deposits originated as mixtures of magmatic water with various amounts of meteoric water. Sulfur and strontium isotopes suggest an igneous origin for both deposits and possibly mixing with S and Sr from sedimentary rock for Dalong. Lead isotopes indicate that ore metals originated mainly from the upper crust with minor mantle contributions. Sphalerite from Dalong gives a Rb-Sr isochron age of 151.6 ± 7.1 Ma, consistent with the mineralization age of Xiangdong. Both the W–Sn and Pb–Zn ore-forming events are closely related to Late Jurassic magmatism, which occurred in an environment of lithospheric extension and thinning.
Osteoarthritis (OA) has been recognized as an age-related degenerative disease commonly seen in the elderly that affects the whole "organ" including cartilage, subchondral bone, synovium, and ...muscles. An increasing number of studies have suggested that the accumulation of senescent cells triggering by various stresses in the local joint contributes to the pathogenesis of age-related diseases including OA. In this review, we mainly focus on the role of the senescent skeletal cells (chondrocytes, osteoblasts, osteoclasts, osteocyte, and muscle cells) in initiating the development and progression of OA alone or through cross-talk with the macrophages/synovial cells. Accordingly, we summarize the current OA-targeted therapies based on the abovementioned theory, e.g., by eliminating senescent skeletal cells and/or inhibiting the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) that drives senescence. Furthermore, the existing animal models for the study of OA from the perspective of senescence are highlighted to fill the gap between basic research and clinical applications. Overall, in this review, we systematically assess the current understanding of cellular senescence in OA, which in turn might shed light on the stratified OA treatments.
In this paper, we investigate the jump spillover effects between oil prices and exchange rates. To identify the latent historical jumps for exchange rates and oil prices, we use a Bayesian MCMC ...approach to estimate the stochastic volatility model with correlated jumps in both returns and volatilities for each. We examine the simultaneous jump intensities and the conditional jump spillover probabilities between oil prices and exchange rates, finding strong evidence of jump spillover effects. Further analysis shows that the jump spillovers are mainly due to exogenous events such as financial crises and geopolitical events. Thus, the findings have important implications for financial risk management.
•The stochastic volatility with correlated jumps model is used to fit oil prices and exchange rates.•Strong evidence of jump spillover effects has been found.•Jumps in the oil market are more likely to spill over to the foreign currency market.•Jump spillovers are mainly due to many exogenous events such as financial crisis and geopolitical events.
The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the microbial community structures of eubacteria and archaea in the pit mud of Chinese Luzhou-flavor liquor from the wall (Cw) and bottom (Cb) of ...cellar through nested PCR–denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The Shannon–Wiener index (H) calculated from the DGGE profiles showed that the community diversities of eubacteria and archaea in samples from Cb were almost higher than that from Cw. In addition, cluster analysis of the DGGE profiles revealed that some differences were found in the microbial community structure in samples from different locations. The closely relative microorganisms of all eubacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences fell into four phyla (Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria), including 12 genera and 2 uncultured eubacteria. Moreover, 37.1 % eubacteria were affiliated with Clostridium. Particularly, genus Acinetobacter was absent in all samples from Cb but present in all samples from Cw. The closely relative microorganisms of all archaeal 16S rRNA gene sequences fell into four genera, which included Methanobrevibacter, Methanoculleus, Methanobacterium and Methanosaeta, while the dominant archaea in samples from Cw and Cb were similar. Results presented in this study provide further understanding of the spatial differences in microbial community structure in the pit mud, and is of great importance for the production and quality improvement of Luzhou-flavor liquor.
A novel intestinal-targeted carrier for pH-responsive protection of lactic acid bacteria in stomach and rapid release of lactic acid bacteria in small intestine is successfully developed. The ...proposed carrier is composed of a Ca-alginate/protamine (CAP) composite shell and a Lactobacillus-casei-encapsulated Ca-alginate (CA) core. The carriers are prepared simply by a coextrusion minifluidic and subsequent adsorption method. The CAP composite shell offers not only improved protection for Lactobacillus casei to guarantee the endurance and survival in the stomach but also satisfactory intestinal-targeted characteristics to guarantee the rapid release of Lactobacillus casei in the small intestine. In the stomach, where there is an acidic environment, the diffusion channels delineated by the CA networks in the CAP composite shell of the carriers are choked with protamine molecules; as a result, it is hard for the gastric acid to diffuse across the CAP composite shell and thus the encapsulated Lactobacillus casei inside carriers can be efficiently protected. However, when they come to the small intestine, where there is a neutral environment, the carriers dissolve rapidly because of the cooperation between protamine and trypsin; consequently, the encapsulated Lactobacillus casei can be quickly released. The proposed CAP composite carrier provides a novel mode for developing efficient protection systems, responsive controlled-release systems, and intestinal-targeted drug delivery systems.
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