Family Function and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children and Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis

Family function reflects the operating status of the family system, which plays a vital role in children's mental health. The current meta-analysis examined the association between family function and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children and adolescents for the first time. Studies published from 1980 to 2021 were identified via searching and screening. We identified 31 studies (91 unique effects) with 8,684 children. A three-level meta-analysis revealed that overall family function was negatively associated with PTSD (r = -0.205). Among elements of family function, family affect (r = -0.251), communication (r = -0.221), and cohesion (r = -0.184) were associated with less PTSD, whereas family conflict (r = 0.228) was associated with more PTSD in children. Family flexibility (r = -0.103) was not associated with PTSD. Moderator analyses revealed differences between various types of trauma events and family function scales. The findings highlight the differences in the roles of the elements of family function and suggest that interventions should be focused on targeting specific elements of family function.

A Remineralizing and Antibacterial Coating for Arresting Caries

Dental caries is a dynamic disease induced by the unbalance between demineralization of dental hard tissues caused by biofilm and remineralization of them; however, although various effective remineralization methods have been well documented, it is a challenge to reestablish the balance by enhancing remineralization alone while ignoring the antibacterial therapy. Therefore, the integration of remineralizing and antibacterial technologies offers a promising strategy to halt natural caries progression in clinical practice. Here, the conception of interrupting dental caries (IDC) was proposed based on the development of dual-functional coating with remineralizing and antibacterial properties. In this study, bovine serum albumin (BSA) loaded octenidine (OCT) successfully to form a BSA-OCT composite. Subsequently, through fast amyloid-like aggregation, the phase-transited BSA-OCT (PTB-OCT) coating can be covered on teeth, resin composite, or sealant surfaces in 30 min by a simple smearing process. The PTB-OCT coating showed satisfactory effects in promoting the remineralization of demineralized enamel and dentin in vitro. Moreover, this coating also exerted significant acid-resistance stability and anti-biofilm properties. Equally importantly, this coating exhibited promising abilities in reducing the microleakage between the tooth and resin composite in vitro and preventing primary and secondary caries in vivo. In conclusion, this novel dual-functional PTB-OCT coating could reestablish the balance between demineralization and remineralization in the process of caries, thereby potentially preventing or arresting caries.

Current progress on fluoride occurrence in the soil environment: Sources, transformation, regulations and remediation

Fluorine is a halogen element widely distributed in nature, but due to excessive emissions from industrial manufacturing and agricultural production, etc., the soil is over-enriched with fluoride and the normal growth of plants is under stress, and it also poses a great threat to human health. In this review, we summarized the sources of fluoride in soil, and then analyzed the potential mechanisms of fluoride uptake in soil-plant systems. In addition, the main influences of soil ecosystems on plant fluoride uptake were discussed, soil management options to mitigate fluoride accumulation in plants were also summarized. The bioremediation techniques were found to be a developmental direction to improve fluoride pollution. Finally, we proposed other research directions, including fluoride uptake mechanisms in soil-plant systems at the molecular expression levels, development of visualization techniques for fluoride transport in plants, interactions mechanisms between soil microhabitats and plant metabolism affecting fluoride uptake, as well as combining abiotic additives, nanotechnology and biotechnology to remediate fluoride contamination problems.

Management and clinical outcomes of follicular lymphoma across continuous lines of treatments: a retrospective analysis in China

Background

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is characterized by an incurable course that frequently necessitates multiple lines of treatment. While a range of new approaches have broadened therapeutic options for patients in later lines, data regarding treatment patterns and outcomes of Chinese patients with relapsed/refractory(R/R) FL was scarcely reported.

Methods

This retrospective single-center study included patients diagnosed with FL grades 1-3a at our institution between January 2002 and December 2019. Endpoints of interest were analyzed according to lines and types of interventions. The endpoints mainly included overall response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS).

Results

The study enrolled 566 biopsy-proven patients. Among them, 544 patients initiated the first line of treatment, followed by 240 initiating the second line, 146 initiating the third line, 88 initiating the fourth line, 47 initiating the fifth line, and 28 initiating the sixth line. In terms of treatment patterns, anti-CD20 chemotherapy was a major modality in the first and second lines. However, for patients in the third line and subsequent lines, treatment approaches were diverse, and participation in clinical trials for new medications was common, which correlated with a survival benefit. The study also revealed that clinical indicators (such as ORR, PFS, and OS) gradually decreased with each subsequent line of treatment. The ORR at the first line was 86.6%, but decreased to 48.6% at the third line and 40.4% at the sixth line, respectively. Similarly, median OS and PFS decreased to 88.8 and 7.1 months at the third line and further reduced to 21.7 and 2.8 months at the sixth line, respectively. A total of 133 patients developed progression within 24 months from the initiation of first line anti-CD20 chemotherapy (POD24), and these patients exhibited poorer response rates and outcomes in subsequent lines of therapycompared to the non-POD24 group.

Conclusion

This study revealed the clinical routine practices and prognosis of R/R FL patients within the Chinese population. It underscored the unmet need for optimal strategies to improve survival and also served as a benchmark for future trials.

The characterization and genome analysis of a novel phage phiA034 targeting multiple species of Aeromonas

Aeromonas is one of the most serious pathogens in freshwater aquaculture. Overuse of antibiotics for the treatment of fish diseases has led to the frequent occurrence of drug-resistant strains. Phage therapy is an alternative approach to overcoming the multi-drug resistance associated with antibiotics. In this study, a novel phage phiA034 targeting the host A. veronii A034 was isolated. The phage could infect 14 strains of 4 species Aeromonas. The phage phiA034 displayed head-tail structure with an icosahedral head in the TEM image. At the optimal MOI of 1, it had a latent period of nearly 20 minutes and a burst size of 286 PFU/cell. Besides, the phage phiA034 exhibited high tolerance to a wide range of temperature (30-70 °C) and acid-base (pH 6.0-10.0). The whole genome of phage phiA034 was sequenced with a size of 61,443 bp and annotated with 82 ORFs, mainly related to structure, DNA replication, and lysis. Based on the analysis and comparison of the genomes and proteomes, phage phiA034 could be classified as a novel species of an existing genus Duplodnaviria Heunggongvirae, Uroviricota, Caudoviricetes, Casjensviridae, Sharonstreetvirus. These findings have expanded the species bank and genomes library of bacterial virus and will promote the application of phage therapy in Aeromonas disease.

[The epidemiology and pathogeny investigation of two clusters of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome disease outbreaking in Henan Province, 2022]

To investigate two clusters of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) in Xinyang City, Henan Province, in 2022, and analyze their causes, transmission route, risk factors, and the characteristics of virus genetic variation. Case search and case investigation were carried out according to the case definition. Blood samples from cases, family members and neighbors and samples of biological vectors were collected for RT-PCR to detect SFTSV. The whole genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were performed on the collected positive samples. A total of two clustered outbreaks occurred, involving two initial cases and ten secondary cases, all of which were family recurrent cases. Among them, nine secondary cases had close contact with the blood of the initial case, and it was determined that close contact with blood was the main risk factor for the two clustered outbreaks. After genome sequencing analysis, we found that the SFTSV genotype in two cases was type A, which was closely related to previous endemic strains in Xinyang. The nucleotide sequence of the SFTSV in the case was highly homologous, with a total of nine amino acid mutation sites in the coding region. It was not ruled out that its mutation sites might have an impact on the outbreak of the epidemic.

Insights into the Deep Phylogeny and Novel Gene Rearrangement of Mytiloidea from Complete Mitochondrial Genome

The extant marine mussels which belong to the Mytiloidea are widespread species inhabiting mostly coastal waters, with some distributed in the deep sea. To clarify the classification systems and phylogenetic relationships range from genus to family level within Mytiloidea, new sequence was used in a phylogenetic analysis including all the available Mytiloidea mitochondrial genomes. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of Vignadula atrata is 15,624 bp in length and contains 12 protein-coding genes (PCGs, atp8 is absent), two ribosomal RNA genes, and 22 transfer RNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis based on 12 PCGs showed that it has a close relationship to Bathymodiolus. The analysis of gene rearrangements in the Pteriomorphia showed that the arrangements are highly variable across species, novel gene rearrangements were found within Mytiloidea. The V. atrata mitogenome was provided in detail, with notes on the sequence and a key to the species of Vignadula. This study provides a perspective on the taxonomic histories of the marine mussels and refines the unclear relationship between the origin and evolution of species in Mytiloidea within Bivalvia.

[Maternal nutritional factors and environmental exposure in early life and childhood atopic dermatitis]

Atopic dermatitis(AD)is a chronic, recurrent, inflammatory skin disease in children. The disease is characterized by dryness, chronic eczema-like lesions and obvious itching, seriously affecting the quality of life of children and their families. The pathogenesis of AD is not yet to be clear, and it might be the interaction of genetic susceptibility and environmental exposure to induce skin barrier impairment and immune system dysfunction. In recent years, the role of maternal factors or intrauterine environment exposure on childhood allergic diseases has been attracted attention, and the hypothesis that allergic diseases originate from the fetal period has been postulated. Maternal exposures called "early life exposure", such as nutritional factors during pregnancy (folate, vitamin D, vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acid) and tobacco exposure, home environmental exposure may be related with childhood atopic dermatitis. This article would focus on the recent research about maternal nutritional factors and family environmental exposure during pregnancy on offspring's atopic dermatitis.

Genetic Diversity, Population Structure, and Environmental Adaptation Signatures of Chinese Coastal Hard-Shell Mussel Mytilus coruscus Revealed by Whole-Genome Sequencing

The hard-shell mussel (Mytilus coruscus) is widespread in the temperate coastal areas of the northwest Pacific and holds a significant position in the shellfish aquaculture market in China. However, the natural resources of this species have been declining, and population genetic studies of M. coruscus are also lacking. In this study, we conducted whole-genome resequencing (WGR) of M. coruscus from eight different latitudes along the Chinese coast and identified a total of 25,859,986 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. Our findings indicated that the genetic diversity of M. coruscus from the Zhoushan region was lower compared with populations from other regions. Furthermore, we observed that the evolutionary tree clustered into two primary branches, and the Zhangzhou (ZZ) population was in a separate branch. The ZZ population was partly isolated from populations in other regions, but the distribution of branches was not geographically homogeneous, and a nested pattern emerged, consistent with the population differentiation index (FST) results. To investigate the selection characteristics, we utilized the northern M. coruscus populations (Dalian and Qingdao) and the central populations (Zhoushan and Xiangshan) as reference populations and the southern ZZ population as the target population. Our selection scan analysis identified several genes associated with thermal responses, including Hsp70 and CYP450. These genes may play important roles in the adaptation of M. coruscus to different living environments. Overall, our study provides a comprehensive understanding of the genomic diversity of coastal M. coruscus in China and is a valuable resource for future studies on genetic breeding and the evolutionary adaptation of this species.

Comparison of Mitochondrial Genome Sequences between Two Palaemon Species of the Family Palaemonidae (Decapoda: Caridea): Gene Rearrangement and Phylogenetic Implications

To further understand the origin and evolution of Palaemonidae (Decapoda: Caridea), we determined the mitochondrial genome sequence of Palaemon macrodactylus and Palaemon tenuidactylus. The entire mitochondrial genome sequences of these two Palaemon species encompassed 37 typical genes, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), and 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), and a control region (CR). The lengths of their mitochondrial genomes were 15,744 bp (P. macrodactylus) and 15,735 bp (P. tenuidactylus), respectively. We analyzed their genomic features and structural functions. In comparison with the ancestral Decapoda, these two newly sequenced Palaemon species exhibited a translocation event, where the gene order was trnK-trnD instead of trnD-trnK. Based on phylogenetic analysis constructed from 13 PCGs, the 12 families from Caridea can be divided into four major clades. Furthermore, it was revealed that Alpheidae and Palaemonidae formed sister groups, supporting the monophyly of various families within Caridea. These findings highlight the significant gene rearrangements within Palaemonidae and provide valuable evidence for the phylogenetic relationships within Caridea.

Assessing the Impact of Microplastic Filaments Contaminated with PAHs on Mytilus coruscus Larvae through Surface Contact

In recent years, microplastics have been of great concern in environmental and health research. In field surgeries and laboratory investigations, research interests were focused on the retention of microplastics inside of animals by ingestion and the series of negative effects after that. However, such large plastic debris and filaments are hardly eaten by small animals, like zooplankton, planktonic larvae, etc. In this study, the surface contact between plastic filaments contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and mussel pediveliger larvae has been investigated to figure out the effects of "non-digestive tract route of exposure" on subject animals. In a 1600 mL artificial seawater medium, high mortalities of mussel larvae were recorded after being exposed to two PAHs-contaminated (benzo[α]pyrene (BaP) and phenanthrene (Phe)) filaments for 5 days, 68.63% for BaP and 56.45% for Phe on average. We suggest that the surface contact was the dominant pathway to transfer PAHs from contaminated filaments to larvae and that the risk of contaminated plastic ropes transferring hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) to larvae in mussel aquaculture should be taken seriously.

Compost with spent mushroom substrate and chicken manure enhances rice seedling quality and reduces soil-borne pathogens

Using cultivated soils for rice seedlings can reduce the sustainability of arable land and thus giving negative impacts to food production. As a substitute, spent mushroom compost (SMC), which has high water-holding capacity and nutrient content, shows great potentials. To determine the impacts of the proportion of SMC and paddy soil on seedling quality, rhizosphere microbial characteristics, and fungal pathogens in rice seedling substrates, we conducted a 21-day pot experiment for rice seedling under five treatments: CK, 100% paddy soil; R1, 20% SMC and 80% paddy soil; R2, 50% SMC and 50% paddy soil; R3, 80% SMC and 20% paddy soil; and R4, 100% SMC. The results showed that incorporating SMC into the substrate, especially at 50% volume (R2), increased seedling growth and vitality at the seedling growth stage without external fertilization. Moreover, the SMC amendment increased microbial activity and promoted rice seedling recruitment of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and fungi (PGPF). In addition, using SMC significantly reduced the abundance of pathogenic fungi, especially Magnaporthe grisea. Overall, the multi-faceted benefits exhibit the strong possibilities of using SMC in sustainable rice productions.

Genetic Diversity and Structure Revealed by Genomic Microsatellite Markers of Mytilus unguiculatus in the Coast of China Sea

The hard-shelled mussel Mytilus unguiculatus plays an important role in mussel aquaculture in China due to its characteristic and nutritive value. In this study, 10 microsatellite loci are used to study the genetic diversity and genetic structure of seven location populations of M. unguiculatus in coastal areas of China. The results of amplification and genotyping show that the observed heterozygosity (H_o) and the expected heterozygosity (H_e) are 0.61~0.71 and 0.72~0.83, respectively. M. unguiculatus has high genetic diversity. The inbreeding index (F_IS) of M. unguiculatus is significantly positive (F_IS: 0.14~0.19), indicating that inbreeding might exist within populations. The genetic structure of M. unguiculatus is weak within populations from the East China Sea All results showed that genetic differences existed between the Qingdao population from the Yellow Sea and other populations from the East China Sea. It does not detect a population bottleneck event or expansion event in the populations. The results from this study can be used to provide important insights in genetic management units and sustainable utilization of M. unguiculatus resources and provide a better understand of genetic structure of marine bivalve with similar planktonic larval stage in the China Sea.

The Complete Mitochondrial Genome of Mytilisepta virgata (Mollusca: Bivalvia), Novel Gene Rearrangements, and the Phylogenetic Relationships of Mytilidae

The circular mitochondrial genome of Mytilisepta virgata spans 14,713 bp, which contains 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and 22 transfer RNA genes. Analysis of the 13 PCGs reveals that the mitochondrial gene arrangement of Mytilisepta is relatively conserved at the genus level. The location of the atp8 gene in Mytilisepta keenae differs from that of other species. However, compared with the putative molluscan ancestral gene order, M. virgata exhibits a high level of rearrangement. We constructed phylogenetic trees based on concatenated 12 PCGs from Mytilidae. As a result, we found that M. virgata is in the same clade as other Mytilisepta spp. The result of estimated divergence times revealed that M. virgata and M. keenae diverged around the early Paleogene period, although the oldest Mytilisepta fossil was from the late or upper Eocene period. Our results provide robust statistical evidence for a sister-group relationship within Mytilida. The findings not only confirm previous results, but also provide valuable insights into the evolutionary history of Mytilidae.

Bacterial antibiotic resistance among cancer inpatients in China: 2016-20

BACKGROUND

The incidence of infections among cancer patients is as high as 23.2-33.2% in China. However, the lack of information and data on the number of antibiotics used by cancer patients is an obstacle to implementing antibiotic management plans.

AIM

This study aimed to investigate bacterial infections and antibiotic resistance in Chinese cancer patients to provide a reference for the rational use of antibiotics.

DESIGN

This was a 5-year retrospective study on the antibiotic resistance of cancer patients.

METHODS

In this 5-year surveillance study, we collected bacterial and antibiotic resistance data from 20 provincial cancer diagnosis and treatment centers and three specialized cancer hospitals in China. We analyzed the resistance of common bacteria to antibiotics, compared to common clinical drug-resistant bacteria, evaluated the evolution of critical drug-resistant bacteria and conducted data analysis.

FINDINGS

Between 2016 and 2020, 216 219 bacterial strains were clinically isolated. The resistance trend of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae to amikacin, ciprofloxacin, cefotaxime, piperacillin/tazobactam and imipenem was relatively stable and did not significantly increase over time. The resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains to all antibiotics tested, including imipenem and meropenem, decreased over time. In contrast, the resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii strains to carbapenems increased from 4.7% to 14.7%. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) significantly decreased from 65.2% in 2016 to 48.9% in 2020.

CONCLUSIONS

The bacterial prevalence and antibiotic resistance rates of E. coli, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, A. baumannii, S. aureus and MRSA were significantly lower than the national average.

[Latent period and incubation period with associated factors of COVID-19 caused by Omicron variant]

Objective: To estimate the latent period and incubation period of Omicron variant infections and analyze associated factors. Methods: From January 1 to June 30, 2022, 467 infected persons and 335 confirmed cases in five local Omicron variant outbreaks in China were selected as the study subjects. The latent period and incubation period were estimated by using log-normal distribution and gamma distribution models, and the associated factors were analyzed by using the accelerated failure time model (AFT). Results: The median (Q₁, Q₃) age of 467 Omicron infections including 253 males (54.18%) was 26 (20, 39) years old. There were 132 asymptomatic infections (28.27%) and 335 (71.73%) symptomatic infections. The mean latent period of 467 Omicron infections was 2.65 (95%CI: 2.53-2.78) days, and 98% of infections were positive for nucleic acid detection within 6.37 (95%CI: 5.86-6.82) days after infection. The mean incubation period of 335 symptomatic infections was 3.40 (95%CI: 3.25-3.57) days, and 97% of them developed clinical symptoms within 6.80 (95%CI: 6.34-7.22) days after infection. The results of the AFT model analysis showed that compared with the group aged 18~49 years old, the latent period [exp(β)=1.36 (95%CI: 1.16-1.60), P<0.001] and incubation period [exp(β)=1.24 (95%CI: 1.07-1.45), P=0.006] of infections aged 0~17 year old were also prolonged. The latent period [exp(β)=1.38 (95%CI: 1.17-1.63), P<0.001] and the incubation period [exp(β)=1.26 (95%CI: 1.06-1.48), P=0.007] of infections aged 50 years old and above were also prolonged. Conclusion: The latent period and incubation period of most Omicron infections are within 7 days, and age may be the influencing factor of the latent period and incubation period.

[Intravesical instillation of bacillus Calmette-Guerin for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer: outcomes of 421 patients in a single center]

OBJECTIVE

To assess the therapeutic effect and adverse effect of intravesical instillation of bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) for treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and analyze the independent predictors of patient survival.

METHODS

We retrospectively collected the clinical data from 421 patients (mean age 61.79±11.51 years) with NMIBC, who received intravesical instillation of BCG after surgery in Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from September, 2015 to September, 2021. Recurrence-free survival (RFS), progression-free survival (PFS), and disease specific survival (DSS) of the patients were analyzed, and the adverse effects were assessed using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events 5.0. Kaplan-Meier analysis, univariate and multivariate COX regression analyses were used to identify the independent predictors of the patients' survival outcomes.

RESULTS

The median follow-up of the patients was 17 months, during which 88 (20.9%) patients experienced recurrence (median time to recurrence of 10 months, range 3-58 months); 40 (9.5%) patients showed tumor progression (median time to progression of 18 months, range 3-50 months); and 14 (3.3%) patients died (median survival time of 30 months, range 8-52 months). Adverse events of grade 1, 2, and 3 occurred in 69, 110, and 23 of the patients, respectively. Survival analysis indicated that an age below 67.5 years (P=0.013), first tumor onset (P < 0.001), solitary tumor (P= 0.010), time to recurrence over one year (P=0.042), low levels of neutrophils (P=0.005), monocytes (P=0.005) and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR; P=0.014), and cytokeratin 19 fragment 21-1 (CyFra21-1; P=0.002) were all associated with a higher PFS rate. Multivariate COX analysis suggested that the time of tumor recurrence (P=0.007, HR=2.669, 95% CI: 1.316-5.414), monocyte counts (P=0.015, HR=0.376, 95% CI: 0.171-0.829), and serum CyFra21-1 level (P=0.002, HR=0.312, 95% CI: 0.151-0.647) were independent predictors of RFS; primary tumor or tumor relapse (P=0.003, HR=0.301, 95% CI: 0.138-0.660), neutrophil counts (P=0.028, HR=0.302, 95% CI: 0.103-0.882), and CyFra21-1 level (P=0.029, HR=0.358, 95% CI: 0.142-0.903) were independent predictors of PFS following BCG instillation.

CONCLUSION

Intravesical instillation of BCG is effective for treatment of intermediate or high-risk NMIBC, and the adverse effects are tolerable in most cases. The time of tumor recurrence, monocyte counts, and serum CyFra21-1 level are independent predictors of RFS, and primary tumor or tumor relapse, neutrophil counts, and CyFra21-1 level are independent predictors of PFS.

[Establishment and evaluation of a method for extracting exogenous short DNA fragments of Schistosoma japonicum from urine samples]

OBJECTIVE

To establish the method for extracting exogenous short DNA fragments of Schistosoma japonicum from urine samples, and to evaluate the efficiency of this method for extraction from urine samples treated with various methods.

METHODS

The S. japonicum SjG28 gene fragment was selected as a target sequence, and the 81 bp short DNA fragment was amplified on the target sequence using PCR assay. Following characterization using sequencing, the short DNA fragment was added into the urine samples as an exogenous short DNA fragment. Primers and probes were designed with SjG28 as a target gene, to establish the real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay. The sensitivity of this qPCR assay was evaluated with exogenous short DNA fragments that were diluted at a 1:10 dilution ratio as the DNA template, and the specificity of the qPCR assay was evaluated with the genomic DNA of S. mansoni, S. haematobium, Babesia, Ancyiostoma duodenaie, Cionorchis sinensis, and Paragonimus westermani as DNA templates. Exogenous short DNA fragments were added into artificial and healthy volunteers' urine samples, followed by pH adjustment, centrifugation and concentration, and the efficiency of extracting exogenous short DNA fragments from urine samples was compared with the QIAmp Viral RNA Mini Kit (Qiagen kit) and BIOG cfDNA easy kit (BIOG kit).

RESULTS

An 81 bp small DNA fragment of S. japonicum was successfully prepared, and the lowest detection limit of the established qPCR assay was 100 copies/μL of the 81 bp small DNA fragment of S. japonicum. If the genomic DNA of S. japonicum, S. mansoni, S. haematobium, Babesia, A. duodenaie, C. sinensis, and P. westermani served as DNA templates, the qPCR assay only detected fluorescent signals with S. japonicum genomic DNA as the DNA template. If the pH values of artificial urine samples were adjusted to 5, 6, 7 and 8, the recovery rates were (49.12 ± 2.09)%, (84.52 ± 4.96)%, (89.38 ± 3.32)% and (87.82 ± 3.90)% for extracting the exogenous short DNA fragment of S. japonicum with the Qiagen kit, and were (2.30 ± 0.07)%, (8.11% ± 0.26)%, (13.35 ± 0.61)% and (20.82 ± 0.68)% with the BIOG kit, respectively (t = 38.702, 26.955, 39.042 and 29.571; all P values < 0.01). If the Qiagen kit was used for extracting the exogenous short DNA fragment from artificial urine samples, the lowest recovery rate was seen from urine samples with a pH value of 5 (all P values < 0.05), and there were no significant differences in the recovery rate from urine samples with pH values of 6, 7 and 8 (all P values > 0.05). Following centrifugation of artificial [(64.30 ± 1.00)% vs. (58.87 ± 0.26)%; t = 12.033, P < 0.05] and healthy volunteers' urine samples [(31 165 ± 1 017) copies/μL vs. (28 471 ± 818) copies/μL; t = 23.164, P < 0.05]. In addition, concentration of artificial urine samples with the 10 kDa Centrifugal Filter and concentration of healthy volunteers' urine samples with the 100 kDa Centrifugal Filter were both effective to increase the recovery of the Qiagen kit for extracting the exogenous short DNA fragment of S. japonicum (both P values < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

A method for extracting exogenous short DNA fragments of S. japonicum from urine samples has been successfully established, and the Qiagen kit has a high extraction efficiency. Adjustment of urine pH to 6 to 8 and concentration of healthy volunteers' urine samples with the 100 kDa Centrifugal Filter are both effective to increase the efficiency of extracting exogenous short DNA fragments of S. japonicum.

Novel gene re-arrangement in the mitochondrial genome of Pisidiaserratifrons (Anomura, Galatheoidea, Porcellanidae) and phylogenetic associations in Anomura

To improve the taxonomy and systematics of Porcellanidae within the evolution of Anomura, we describe the complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) sequence of Pisidiaserratifrons, which is 15,344 bp in size, contains the entire set of 37 genes and has an AT-rich region. Compared with the pancrustacean ground pattern, at least five gene clusters (or genes) are significantly different with the typical genes, involving eleven tRNA genes and four PCGs and the tandem duplication/random loss and recombination models were used to explain the observed large-scale gene re-arrangements. The phylogenetic results showed that all Porcellanidae species clustered together as a group with well nodal support. Most Anomura superfamilies were found to be monophyletic, except Paguroidea. Divergence time estimation implies that the age of Anomura is over 225 MYA, dating back to at least the late Triassic. Most of the extant superfamilies and families arose during the late Cretaceous to early Tertiary. In general, the results obtained in this study will contribute to a better understanding of gene re-arrangements in Porcellanidae mitogenomes and provide new insights into the phylogeny of Anomura.

Bedrock outcrops weakly promote rather than inhibit soil carbon sequestration after vegetation restoration

Vegetation restoration can increase soil carbon (C) content in karst regions characterized by highly exposed carbonate rocks; however, it remains unclear whether and how bedrock outcrops contribute to soil C-accumulation after vegetation restoration. We aimed to investigate the magnitude and mechanisms of bedrock outcrops on soil C-accumulation after vegetation restoration. Here, we selected 362 fixed locations to investigate changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) content and density before and after cropland restoration in a karst catchment with varying bedrock exposure ratios and initial soil C pools prior to restoration. Active vegetation restoration (i.e., cropland converted to forage grass, plantation forest, and a combination of grass and forest) and natural regeneration (cropland abandoned) were compared, with croplands maintained with no change as the control. Compared to croplands maintained with no change, SOC density significantly increased in the four vegetation restoration types. The SOC accumulation rate was higher for natural regeneration (39 g C m^-2 yr^-1) than for the three active restoration strategies (18-27 g C m^-2 yr^-1). SOC accumulation decreased with a higher initial pool size of soil C but increased with nitrogen accumulation and soil exchangeable calcium (Ca²⁺) concentration. Higher bedrock outcrops reduced soil volume but increased SOC content through their indirect effects on the initial pool size of soil C, external nitrogen inputs, and soil Ca²⁺ concentration. This weakly promoted rather than inhibited SOC sequestration. Our findings highlight the effectiveness of various restoration strategies in promoting SOC accumulation in karst areas, as well as the need to take bedrock outcrops and initial soil C pools into consideration when modeling SOC dynamics and maximizing C sinks for vegetation restoration.

Graphene oxide as a multi-functional additive for compatilizer, enhancer, and barrier in ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer/aramid pulp composites

To improve the thermal, mechanical, and barrier properties of ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH)/aramid pulp (AP), graphene oxide (GO) was used as a compatilizer, enhancer, and barrier to fabricate EVOH-based composites. The results showed that graphene oxide serves as an ideal compatilizer to reinforce the interfacial action between the EVOH matrix and aramid pulp. The EVOH/AP/GO composite presented the best combination of thermal stability, tensile strength, oxygen barrier, and heat deformation temperature by adding only 1 wt% graphene oxide, compared to those of pure EVOH. Moreover, both scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and polarized optical microscopy (POM) photographs demonstrated that the aramid pulp dispersed homogeneously into the EVOH resin with the addition of 1 wt% graphene oxide. Our work provides a novel and facile way for producing a prominent EVOH-based composite, which can be potentially used in packaging fields in the future.

School bullying victimization and post-traumatic stress symptoms in adolescents: the mediating roles of feelings of insecurity and self-disclosure

BACKGROUND

Posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSSs) is known to be a typical problem for school bullying victims. However, the underlying mechanism between school bullying victimization and PTSSs remains unknown. This study examined the mediating roles of feelings of insecurity and self-disclosure in the relationship between school bullying victimization and PTSSs in adolescents.

METHODS

Self-report questionnaires were used to assess 5013 adolescents; 443 of them with school bullying experiences were selected to carry out this study.

RESULTS

The results found that school bullying victimization was directly related to more PTSSs, indirectly associated with more PTSSs through feelings of insecurity, and through the path from feelings of insecurity to self-disclosure. However, school bullying victimization did not exert an indirect effect on PTSSs through one step effect of self-disclosure.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicated that feelings of insecurity and self-disclosure mediated the relationship between school bullying victimization and PTSSs. The psychological service should reduce adolescents' feelings of insecurity and give them more chances to disclose their bullying experiences.

Niche stiffness sustains cancer stemness via TAZ and NANOG phase separation

Emerging evidence shows that the biomechanical environment is required to support cancer stem cells (CSCs), which play a crucial role in drug resistance. However, how mechanotransduction signals regulate CSCs and its clinical significance has remained unclear. Using clinical-practice ultrasound elastography for patients' lesions and atomic force microscopy for surgical samples, we reveal that increased matrix stiffness is associated with poor responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, worse prognosis, and CSC enrichment in patients with breast cancer. Mechanically, TAZ activated by biomechanics enhances CSC properties via phase separation with NANOG. TAZ-NANOG phase separation, which is dependent on acidic residues in the N-terminal activation domain of NANOG, promotes the transcription of SOX2 and OCT4. Therapeutically, targeting NANOG or TAZ reduces CSCs and enhances the chemosensitivity in vivo. Collectively, this study demonstrated that the phase separation of a pluripotency transcription factor links mechanical cues in the niche to the fate of CSCs.