Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (HvKP), which causes highly fatal infections, is a new threat to human health. In an attempt to investigate the underlying mechanisms of resistance to neutrophil-mediated killing and hence expression of high-level virulence by HvKP, we tested the binding affinity of HvKP strains to various types of human cells. Our data showed that HvKP exhibited weaker binding to both lung epithelial cells, intestinal Caco-2 cells and macrophages when compared to the classic, non-hypervirulent...

Background:Type A acute aortic dissection (TAAAD) is a destructive cardiovascular disease, with high morbidity and mortality rates. Identifying the high-risk TAAAD patients at an early stage is urgently necessary.Methods:A retrospective study of 160 patients was carried out. The admission data were retrospectively gathered. Logistic regression analysis and receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) was utilized.Results:Compared with the survivor group, the nonsurvivor group was older, had higher D-dimer levels, red blood cell distribution width (RDW) levels and...

Background:Type A acute aortic dissection (TAAAD) is a destructive cardiovascular disease, with high morbidity and mortality rates. Identifying the high-risk TAAAD patients at an early stage is urgently necessary.Methods:A retrospective study of 160 patients was carried out. The admission data were retrospectively gathered. Logistic regression analysis and receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) was utilized.Results:Compared with the survivor group, the nonsurvivor group was older, had higher D-dimer levels, red blood cell distribution width (RDW) levels and...

Patients with depression have a high prevalence of developing dyslipidemia. In this study, we aim to investigate the difference of serum lipids, including total cholesterol (TCH), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglycerides (TG), between the depressed patients and healthy controls. Sex differences in lipids and their psychological correlations were also included. The study included 56 healthy controls (males/females =26/30) and 110 first-diagnosed drug-naïve outpatients (males/females =35/75). A total of 42 patients...

Users rely heavily on mobile phones as multi-purpose devices to support all kinds of tasks. This study conceptualises mobile phone deep structure use and aims at unveiling such behaviour. Towards this end, this study goes beyond the traditional technology usage theories based on rationality and instrumentality. It is replaced by a relationship-based theory, the attachment theory, to investigate how users’ attachment to mobile phones is formed and how such attachment influences mobile phone deep structure...

Targeting the immunological checkpoint PD-1/PD-L1 with antibodies has shown opportunities to improve cancer treatment in recent years. However, antibody therapy is a double-edged sword with high cost, low patient tolerance, lack of oral bioavailability, and a reaction to most solid tumors that prevents the adoption of antibodies. Advancement of small-molecule PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors that could overwhelm these drawbacks is sluggish because of the poor pharmacodynamic properties and shallow pocket of the PD-1/PD-L1 binding interface. Recently, a...

A growing body of evidence suggests the pivotal role of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in influenza virus infection. Based on next-generation sequencing, we previously demonstrated that Lnc45 was distinctively stimulated by H5N1 influenza virus in mice. In this study, we systematically investigated the specific role of Lnc45 during influenza A virus (IAV) infection. Through qRT-PCR, we first demonstrated that Lnc45 is highly up-regulated by different subtypes of IAV strains, including H5N1, H7N9, and H1N1 viruses....

The Liaodong gold province includes voluminous gold deposits, which occur in an Archean gneiss complex, Paleoproterozoic metamorphic rocks, and Mesozoic granite. However, the ore-forming age, the genesis, and the geodynamic setting of the gold deposits are not well constrained. In this study, we have summarized previous geochronology data, H-O-S-Pb isotopes, and He-Ar isotopic compositions of the gold deposits. Based on geochronology data, the gold mineralization was divided into Late Triassic, Early Jurassic, and Early Cretaceous....

Recovering phosphorus (P) from excess sludge of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has attracted considerable attention. An efficient P release method is undoubtedly critical for a satisfactory recovery performance. In this study, the effectiveness of three sludge pretreatment methods, i.e. anaerobic digestion (AD), EDTA-anaerobic digestion (EA) and ultrasound combined with EA (U-EA), on P release and struvite recovery from excess sludge was investigated. The results showed that different pretreatment methods resulted in the different characteristics of...

Recovering phosphorus (P) from excess sludge of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has attracted considerable attention. An efficient P release method is undoubtedly critical for a satisfactory recovery performance. In this study, the effectiveness of three sludge pretreatment methods, i.e. anaerobic digestion (AD), EDTA-anaerobic digestion (EA) and ultrasound combined with EA (U-EA), on P release and struvite recovery from excess sludge was investigated. The results showed that different pretreatment methods resulted in the different characteristics of...

The Bakoshi-Gadanya area, with widespread Neoproterozoic granites, is located within the Pan-African Trans-Sahara Belt, sandwiched between the West African and the Sahara metacraton. The whole-rock geochemistry, Sr-Nd isotope systematics and LA-(MC)-ICP-MS U-Pb-Hf isotopes of zircon were analysed to shed light on the age and genesis of the Bakoshi-Gadanya granites in the Precambrian basement of the northern western Nigeria shield. The granites are silicic (SiO2: 72.8–77.2 wt.%), ferroan, high-K, calc-alkalic to alkali-calcic in composition, with A-type...

Despite attempts by social media companies to curb the spread of fake news with warnings flagging news credibility, the effectiveness of such measures remains unclear. Through the lens of the cognitive dissonance theory and individuals’ trust in the news, this study develops a theoretical model that explains why and how warnings affect an individual’s intention to share fake news. The study empirically assesses the predicted relationships using experimental survey data from 382 individuals. The findings...

Despite attempts by social media companies to curb the spread of fake news with warnings flagging news credibility, the effectiveness of such measures remains unclear. Through the lens of the cognitive dissonance theory and individuals’ trust in the news, this study develops a theoretical model that explains why and how warnings affect an individual’s intention to share fake news. The study empirically assesses the predicted relationships using experimental survey data from 382 individuals. The findings...

Abstract Background The benefits of mother’s own milk (MOM) for preterm infants have been widely recognized. Many studies have shown that the rate of breastfeeding of premature infants remains very low. Although many studies use measures to promote breastfeeding, few high-quality cluster randomized controlled studies have evaluated the effectiveness of these measures. WeChat is an instant messaging software for smart terminals, and WeChat mini-programs have been widely used to promote health and self-management in China....

The circRNAs sequencing results vary due to the different enrichment methods and their performance is needed to systematic comparison. This study investigated the effects of different circRNA enrichment methods on sequencing results, including abundance and species of circRNAs, as well as the sensitivity and precision. This experiment was carried out by following four common circRNA enrichment methods: including ribosomal RNA depletion (rRNA–), polyadenylation and poly (A+) RNA depletion followed by RNase R treatment (polyA+RNase R),...

Duck Tembusu virus (DTMUV), an emergent flavivirus, causes domestic waterfowls to suffer from severe egg-drop syndrome and fatal encephalitis, greatly threatens duck production globally. Like other mosquito-borne flaviviruses, the envelope (E) protein of all DTMUV strains was N-glycosylated at the amino acid position 154. Thus far, the biological roles of DTMUV E glycosylation have remained largely unexplored. Herein, we demonstrated the key roles of E glycosylation in the replication and pathogenicity of DTMUV in ducks...

Mafic microgranular enclaves (MMEs) are hosted by the Early Cretaceous granitic plutons from the Jiaodong Peninsula and are crucial for constraining the petrogenesis of these plutons and understanding the lithospheric evolution in the eastern North China Craton (NCC). This paper presents new geochronological, bulk-rock geochemistry, and Sr-Nd-Hf isotope data for Yashan granodiorite and its MMEs in an effort to build an integrated model of the geodynamic setting during the Early Cretaceous. Zircon U–Pb dating indicates...

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy of the gastrointestinal tract, which has the second highest incidence among gastrointestinal tumors. At present, due to the limitations of current CRC treatment strategies, there is an urgent need for developing more effective therapies. B7 family member H4 (B7-H4) is associated with the progression of a wide spectrum of cancers, but its functional role in CRC is unknown. The purpose of this study is to clarify the role...

A novel beer-spoilage bacterium, Lactobacillus acetotolerans, has frequently been encountered in south China beer breweries, imparting an undesirable and unpalatable “buttery” taste and oily mouthfeel to beer. Understanding the genetic basis of spoilage bacterial adaptability to the beer microenvironment is crucial for the proper control of bacteria such as L. acetotolerans CN247 at an industrial scale. In this study, the complete genome of L. acetotolerans CN247 was sequenced using the PacBio and Illumina Miseq high-throughput...

Additional file 2.

A new dihydroflavone, 2(S)-isookanin-4′-methoxy-8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (1), and a new polyacetylene glucoside, (10S)-tridecane-2E-ene-4,6,8-triyne-1-ol-10-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (2), along with seven known compounds (3–9), were isolated from the herb of Bidens parviflora Willd. The structures of all the extracted compounds were elucidated by HR-ESI-MS, 1 D and 2 D NMR spectra, as well as circular dichroism (CD).

No clear consensus has been reached about the clinical features in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) patients. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the clinical characteristics and prognosis of NHL patients with chronic HBV infection (HBsAg+). Seven electronic databases were searched for relevant studies up to 31 January 2021. Hazard ratio (HR) or odds ratio (OR) corresponding to 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to estimate the outcomes. The primary...

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common extra-cranial solid tumour in early childhood. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been implicated in the development of NB. The purpose of the current study was to explore the molecular action of circRNA phosphodiesterase 5 A (circPDE5A) in NB malignant progression. The expression levels of circPDE5A, miR-362-5p and nucleolar protein 4 like (NOL4L) were assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot. Cell proliferation was detected by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium...

In males, aging is accompanied by decline in serum testosterone levels due to impairment of testicular Leydig cells. The polycomb protein BMI1 has recently been identified as an anti-aging factor. In our previous study, BMI1 null mice showed decreased serum testosterone and Leydig cell population, excessive oxidative stress and p16/p19 signaling activation. However, a cause-and-effect relationship between phenotypes and pathways was not investigated. Here, we used the rescue approach to study the role of oxidative...

Insulin resistance (IR) is a complex pathological condition resulting from the dysregulation of cellular response to insulin hormone in insulin-dependent cells and is recognized as a pathogenic hallmark and strong risk factor for metabolic syndrome. The present study aims to elucidate the molecular mechanism of the pathogenesis of IR. Here, we used human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to establish the IR cell model induced by 1 × 10−6 mmol/L insulin. After 48 h, reactive...