IntroductionOral health is a fundamental component of well-being, and is closely associated with overall health and quality of life. Oral health may also affect the next generation. The children of ...mothers with poor oral health are likely to also have poor oral health as they go through life. We aim to investigate associations between maternal oral health and general health, pregnancy outcomes, offspring oral health and offspring general health.Methods and analysisThe Lifetime Impact of Oral Health study is a prospective, observational cohort study being done at a single centre in Chongqing, China. A total of 1000 pregnant women will be recruited in their first trimester (11–14 weeks gestation). After obtaining informed consent, general and oral health assessments will be undertaken. Maternal lifestyle, demographic data and biospecimens (blood, hair, urine, nail clippings, saliva, dental plaque, buccal, vaginal and anal swabs) will be collected. Pregnancy outcomes will be recorded at the time of delivery. Cord blood and placenta samples will be collected. The offspring will be followed up for general and oral health examinations, neurodevelopmental assessments and biospecimen (dental plaque, saliva, buccal swabs, exfoliated primary dentition, urine, hair, nail clippings) collection until they are 15 years old. Biological samples will undergo comprehensive metabolomic, microbiome and epigenome analyses. Associations between maternal oral health and general health, pregnancy outcomes, offspring oral health and offspring general health will be investigated and the underlying mechanisms explored.Ethics and disseminationThis project has been approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology of Chongqing Medical University (CQHS-REC-2021 LSNo.23). Participants will be required to provide informed consent to participate in the study. Dissemination of findings will take the form of publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at national and international conferences.Trial registration numberChiCTR2100046898.
Monolayer biphenylene is a new two-dimensional (2D) carbon allotrope, which has been experimentally synthesized and theoretically predicted to show superconductivity. In this work, we investigate ...functionalized biphenylene with the adsorption of Li. The superconducting critical temperature (
T
c
) can be pushed from 0.59 K up to 3.91 K after Li adsorption. Our calculations confirm that the adsorption pushes the peak showing a high electronic density of states closer to the Fermi level, which usually leads to a larger
T
c
. Furthermore, the application of biaxial tensile strain can soften phonons and further enhance the
T
c
up to 15.86 K in Li-deposited biphenylene. Interestingly, a pair of type-II Dirac cones below the Fermi level has been observed, expanding the range of Dirac materials. It suggests that monolayer biphenylene deposited with Li may be a material with potential applications and improves the understanding of Dirac-type superconductors.
The superconducting critical temperature
T
c
of biphenylene can be pushed from 0.59 K to 3.91 K after Li deposition. Biaxial tensile strain can soften phonons and further increase
T
c
up to 15.86 K at
= 12% tensile strain in Li-deposited biphenylene.
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a globally prevalent and highly disabling disease characterized by dysfunction of large-scale brain networks. Previous studies have found that static functional ...connectivity is not sufficient to reflect the complicated and time-varying properties of the brain. The underlying dynamic interactions between brain functional networks of MDD remain largely unknown, and it is also unclear whether neuroimaging-based dynamic properties are sufficiently robust to discriminate individuals with MDD from healthy controls since the diagnosis of MDD mainly depends on symptom-based criteria evaluated by clinical observation. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data of 221 MDD patients and 215 healthy controls were shared by REST-meta-MDD consortium. We investigated the spatial-temporal dynamics of MDD using co-activation pattern analysis and made individual diagnoses using support vector machine (SVM). We found that MDD patients exhibited aberrant dynamic properties (such as dwell time, occurrence rate, transition probability, and entropy of Markov trajectories) in some transient networks including subcortical network (SCN), activated default mode network (DMN), de-activated SCN-cerebellum network, a joint network, activated attention network (ATN), and de-activated DMN-ATN, where some dynamic properties were indicative of depressive symptoms. The trajectories of other networks to deactivated DMN-ATN were more accessible in MDD patients. Subgroup analyses also showed subtle dynamic changes in first-episode drug-naïve (FEDN) MDD patients. Finally, SVM achieved preferable accuracies of 84.69%, 76.77%, and 88.10% in discriminating patients with MDD, FEDN MDD, and recurrent MDD from healthy controls with their dynamic metrics. Our findings reveal that MDD is characterized by aberrant dynamic fluctuations of brain network and the feasibility of discriminating MDD patients using dynamic properties, which provide novel insights into the neural mechanism of MDD.
The pollen fertility of photoperiod/temperature sensitive genic male sterile (P/TGMS) wheat is controlled by light and/or temperature. Circular RNA (circRNA) and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) are ...known to participate in the development of anthers in plants, but their impact on male sterility in the P/TGMS line is not well understood. In this study, we carried out high-throughput sequencing to investigate the differential expression of lncRNAs and circRNAs and their biological functions in anthers of photo-thermosensitive genic male sterile (PTGMS) wheat line BS366-42L during the transition phase of male fertility under four different photoperiod and temperature treatments. Eight lncRNAs, 40 mRNAs and three circRNAs were screened out and thought as essential candidates that closely related to male sterility. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed to predict the potential functions of differentially expressed RNAs. The results indicated that carbohydrate-related metabolism was important for male sterility in the wheat PTGMS line BS366-42L. lncRNA/circRNA-mRNA-miRNA (ceRNA) integrate networks were constructed to reflect their complex inner association with male sterility. Our study provides a systematic perspective on the potential function of RNAs in male fertility in PTGMS lines of wheat.
Previous studies have found that probiotic supplements can ameliorate mental behavioral disorders. This study investigated the effects of
DMDL 9010 (LP9010) intake on the depression-like behavior ...induced by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) and its possible mechanism. Male C57BL/6N mice were fed with DSS to establish the model of ulcerative colitis. LP9010 intake reduced the DSS-induced inflammatory response, and repaired intestinal barrier damage, as well as lightened depression-like behavior. LP9010 supplementation also inhibited neuroinflammation by up-regulating the levels of neurotransmitters, especially 5-HT, NE, DA, and 5-HIAA. Moreover, the intake of LP9010 reorganized the gut microbiome by increasing the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, and decreasing the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia. Furthermore, treatment with LP9010 increased the levels of short-chain fatty acids, such as butyric acid and propionic acid. In conclusion, LP9010 intake was a promising probiotic intervention strategy for the prevention of colitis-induced behavioral disorders through the microbiota-gut-brain axis.
The authors describe an electrochemical and an optical method for the determination of As(V) by using iron oxyhydroxide (FeOOH) nanorods that display peroxidase-mimicking activity. The nanorods ...catalyze the oxidation of substrate ABTS by H
2
O
2
to form a green product with an absorption maximum at 418 nm. If, however, As(V) is electrostatically adsorbed on the nanorods, the oxidation is gradually inhibited. A colorimetric assay was worked out based on these findings. Response is linear in the 0 to 8 ppb and 8 to 200 ppb As(V) concentration range, and the detection limit is 0.1 ppb. Even higher sensitivity is achieved in an electrochemical method which is based on the excellent electrical conductivity of FeOOH nanorods. Electrochemical analysis of As(V) was achieved by first adsorbing As(V) on the nanorods. This inhibits the ABTS reduction current signal, best measured at a potential of 150 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl). The linear range extends from 0.04 to 200 ppb, and the detection limit is as low as 12 ppt.
Graphical abstract
Schematic representation of FeOOH nanorod-based colorimetric and electrochemical assays for arsenate (As(V)). As(V) adsorbed on FeOOH nanorods inhibits the peroxidase-mimicking activity of nanorods, and a colorimetric and electrochemical dual-signal assay was constructed to achieve sensitive determination of As(V).
In first-line treatment of Helicobacter pylori, we have previously shown that the eradication frequency was 83·7% (95% CI 80·4–86·6) for triple therapy for 14 days (T14; lansoprazole 30 mg, ...amoxicillin 1 g, and clarithromycin 500 mg, all given twice daily), 85·9% (82·7–88·6) for concomitant therapy for 10 days (C10; lansoprazole 30 mg, amoxicillin 1 g, clarithromycin 500 mg, and metronidazole 500 mg, all given twice daily), and 90·4% (87·6–92·6) for bismuth quadruple therapy for 10 days (BQ10; bismuth tripotassium dicitrate 300 mg four times a day, lansoprazole 30 mg twice daily, tetracycline 500 mg four times a day, and metronidazole 500 mg three times a day). In this follow-up study, we assess short-term and long-term effects of these therapies on the gut microbiota, antibiotic resistance, and metabolic parameters.
This was a multicentre, open-label, randomised trial done at nine medical centres in Taiwan. Adult patients (>20 years) with documented H pylori infection were randomly assigned (1:1:1, with block sizes of six) to receive T14, C10, or BQ10. We assessed long-term outcomes (reinfection frequency, changes in the gut microbiota, antibiotic resistance, and metabolic parameters) in patients with available data, excluding all protocol violators and those with unknown post-treatment H pylori status. Faecal samples were collected before treatment and 2 weeks, 2 months, and at least 1 year after eradication therapy. Amplification of the V3 and V4 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA was done followed by high-throughput sequencing. Susceptibility testing for faecal Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae was done. This trial is complete and registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01906879.
Between July 17, 2013, and April 20, 2016, 1620 participants were randomly assigned to the three treatment groups (540 33% per group). 1214 (75%) attended 1-year follow-up and are included in this analysis. Compared with baseline, alpha diversity was significantly reduced 2 weeks after T14 (p=0·0002), C10 (p<0·0001), and BQ10 (p<0·0001) treatment. Beta diversity was also significantly altered 2 weeks after T14 (p=0·0010), C10 (p=0·0001), and BQ10 (p=0·0001). Alpha diversity and beta diversity were restored at week 8 (p=0·14 and p=0·918, respectively) and 1 year (p=0·14 and p=0·918) after T14, but were not fully recovered at week 8 and after 1 year in patients treated with C10 (p=0·0001 and p=0·013 at week 8; p=0·019 and p=0·064 at 1 year) and BQ10 (p<0·0001 and p=0·0002; p=0·001 and p=0·029). A transient increase at week 2 after T14 and C10 of the resistance rates of E coli to ampicillin-sulbactam (12% 15/127 to 66% 38/58 for T14, 7% 10/135 to 64% 28/44 for C10), cefazolin (13% 16/127 to 43% 25/58 for T14, 10% 13/135 to 41% 18/44 for C10), cefmetazole (8% 10/127 to 26% 15/58 for T14, 4% 5/135 to 18% 8/44 for C10), levofloxacin (8% 10/127 to 35% 20/58 for T14, 7% 10/135 to 32% 14/44 for C10), gentamicin (13% 19/146 to 47% 27/58 for T14, 15% 22/149 to 45% 20/44 for C10), and trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole (33% 48/146 to 86% 50/58 for T14, 28% 42/148 to 86% 38/44 for C10; p<0·05 in paired samples in the above analyses) returned to basal state at week 8 and after 1 year. Although bodyweight and body-mass index slightly increased, there were significant improvements in metabolic parameters, with a decrease in insulin resistance, triglycerides, and LDL and an increase in HDL. Overall, there was no significant change in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome at week 8 and 1 year after T14, C10, and BQ10.
Eradication of H pylori infection has minimal disruption of the microbiota, no effect on antibiotic resistance of E coli, and some positive effects on metabolic parameters. Collectively, these results lend support to the long-term safety of H pylori eradication therapy.
National Taiwan University Hospital and Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan.
Deregulation of Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2T (UBE2T) contributes to the progression of human cancers. However, its clinical significance and role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. ...Here, we show that UBE2T is up-regulated in HCC and exerts oncogenic activities via ubiquitination of p53. High UBE2T expression was correlated with higher pathological grade, advanced TNM stage, tumor vascular invasion, and poor overall and disease-free survivals in two independent cohorts containing 827 patients with HCC. UBE2T was further identified as an independent factor for overall survival by multivariate analyses. Luciferase reporter assays confirmed that UBE2T was directly targeted by miR-543 which was down-regulated in HCC. In vitro experiments demonstrated that UBE2T overexpression promoted, whereas UBE2T knockdown inhibited HCC cell growth. Ectopic expression of UBE2T resulted in the decreases of p53, p21 and Noxa. Further studies revealed that UBE2T facilitated the degradation of p53 protein via enhancing its ubiquitination. Collectively, our findings suggest UBE2T serves as a promising prognostic factor for HCC and functions as an oncogene. The newly identified miR-543/UBE2T/p53 axis may represent a new potential therapeutic target for HCC intervention.
•UBE2T expression is increased in HCC and correlated with poor outcomes of 827 patients.•UBE2T is targeted by miR-543 in HCC cells.•UBE2T promotes HCC cell growth via facilitating the ubiquitination of p53.
Objective. To investigate the gut microbiota differences of obese children compared with the control healthy cohort to result in further understanding of the mechanism of obesity development. ...Methods. We evaluated the 16S rRNA gene, the enterotypes, and quantity of the gut microbiota among obese children and the control cohort and learned the differences of the gut microbiota during the process of weight reduction in obese children. Results. In the present study, we learned that the gut microbiota composition was significantly different between obese children and the healthy cohort. Next we found that functional changes, including the phosphotransferase system, ATP-binding cassette transporters, flagellar assembly, and bacterial chemotaxis were overrepresented, while glycan biosynthesis and metabolism were underrepresented in case samples. Moreover, we learned that the amount of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus increased among the obese children during the process of weight reduction. Conclusion. Our results might enrich the research between gut microbiota and obesity and further provide a clinical basis for therapy for obesity. We recommend that Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus might be used as indicators of healthy conditions among obese children, as well as a kind of prebiotic and probiotic supplement in the diet to be an auxiliary treatment for obesity.
HBV is strongly associated with HCC development and DEAD-box RNA helicase 17 (DDX17) is a very important member of the DEAD box family that plays key roles in HCC development by promoting cancer ...metastasis. However, the important role of DDX17 in the pathogenesis of HBV-related HCC remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of DDX17 in the replication of HBV and the development of HBV-associated HCC. Based on data from the GEO database and HBV-infected cells, we found that DDX17 was upregulated by the HBV viral protein X (HBx). Mechanistically, increased DDX17 expression promoted HBV replication and transcription by upregulating ZWINT. Further study showed that DDX17 could promote HBx-mediated HCC metastasis. Finally, the promotive effect of DDX17 on HBV and HBV-related HCC was confirmed
in vivo
. In summary, the results revealed the novel role of DDX17 in the replication of HBV and the metastasis of HBV-associated HCC.
PDF
