Mitochondria house anabolic and catabolic processes that must be balanced and adjusted to meet cellular demands. The RNA-binding protein CLUH (clustered mitochondria homolog) binds mRNAs of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins and is highly expressed in the liver, where it regulates metabolic plasticity. Here, we show that in primary hepatocytes, CLUH coalesces in specific ribonucleoprotein particles that define the translational fate of target mRNAs, such as Pcx, Hadha, and Hmgcs2, to match nutrient availability. Moreover, CLUH granules play signaling roles, by recruiting mTOR kinase and the RNA-binding proteins G3BP1 and G3BP2. Upon starvation, CLUH regulates translation of Hmgcs2, involved in ketogenesis, inhibits mTORC1 activation and mitochondrial anabolic pathways, and promotes mitochondrial turnover, thus allowing efficient reprograming of metabolic function. In the absence of CLUH, a mitophagy block causes mitochondrial clustering that is rescued by rapamycin treatment or depletion of G3BP1 and G3BP2. Our data demonstrate that metabolic adaptation of liver mitochondria to nutrient availability depends on a compartmentalized CLUH-dependent post-transcriptional mechanism that controls both mTORC1 and G3BP signaling and ensures survival.

Glioblastomas are the most aggressive type of brain tumour, with poor prognosis even after standard treatment such as surgical resection, temozolomide and radiation therapy. The overexpression of the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) in glioblastomas is recognized as an important treatment target. Thus, an urgent need regarding glioblastomas is the development of a new, suitable agent that may show potential for the inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/NF-κB-mediated glioblastoma progression. Imipramine, a tricyclic antidepressant, has anti-inflammatory actions against inflamed glial cells; additionally, imipramine can induce glioblastoma toxicity via the activation of autophagy. However, whether imipramine can suppress glioblastoma progression via the induction of apoptosis and blockage of ERK/NF-κB signalling remains unclear. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of imipramine on apoptotic signalling and ERK/NF-κB-mediated glioblastoma progression by using cell proliferation (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide [MTT] assay), flow cytometry, Western blotting, and cell invasion/migration assay analysis in vitro. The ERK and NF-κB inhibitory capacity of imipramine is detected by NF-κB reporter gene assay and Western blotting. Additionally, a glioblastoma-bearing animal model was used to validate the therapeutic efficacy and general toxicity of imipramine. Our results demonstrated that imipramine successfully triggered apoptosis through extrinsic/intrinsic pathways and suppressed the invasion/migration ability of glioblastoma cells. Furthermore, imipramine effectively suppressed glioblastoma progression in vivo via the inhibition of the ERK/NF-κB pathway. In summary, imipramine is a potential anti-glioblastoma drug which induces apoptosis and has the capacity to inhibit ERK/NF-κB signalling.

Linezolid-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (LREfs) carrying optrA are increasingly reported globally from multiple sources, but we lack a comprehensive analysis of human and animal optrA-LREfs strains. To assess if optrA is dispersed in isolates with varied genetic backgrounds or with common genetic features, we investigated the phylogenetic structure, genetic content [antimicrobial resistance (AMR), virulence, prophages, plasmidome] and optrA-containing platforms of 27 publicly available optrA-positive E. faecalis genomes from different hosts in seven countries. At the genome-level analysis, an in-house database with 64 virulence genes was tested for the first time. Our analysis showed a diversity of clones and adaptive gene sequences related to a wide range of genera from Firmicutes. Phylogenies of core and accessory genomes were not congruent, and at least PAI-associated and prophage genes contribute to such differences. Epidemiologically unrelated clones (ST21, ST476-like and ST489) obtained from human clinical and animal hosts in different continents over eight years (2010-2017) could be phylogenetically related (3-126 SNPs difference). optrA was located on the chromosome within a Tn6674-like element (n=10) or on medium-size plasmids (30-60 kb; n=14) belonging to main plasmid families (RepA_N/Inc18/Rep_3). In most cases, the immediate gene vicinity of optrA was generally identical in chromosomal (Tn6674) or plasmid (impB-fexA-optrA) backbones. Tn6674 was always inserted into the same ∆radC integration site and embedded in a 32 kb chromosomal platform common to strains from different origins (patients, healthy humans, and animals) in Europe, Africa, and Asia during 2012-2017. This platform is conserved among hundreds of E. faecalis genomes and proposed as a chromosomal hotspot for optrA integration. The finding of optrA in strains sharing common adaptive features and genetic backgrounds across different hosts and countries suggests the occurrence of common and independent genetic events occurring in distant regions and might explain the easy de novo generation of optrA-positive strains. It also anticipates a dramatic increase of optrA carriage and spread with a serious impact on the efficacy of linezolid for the treatment of Gram-positive infections.

Proliferating cells must coordinate central metabolism with the cell cycle. How central energy metabolism regulates bacterial cell cycle functions is not well understood. Our forward genetic selection unearthed the Krebs cycle enzyme citrate synthase (CitA) as a checkpoint regulator controlling the G1→S transition in the polarized alpha-proteobacterium Caulobacter crescentus, a model for cell cycle regulation and asymmetric cell division. We find that loss of CitA promotes the accumulation of active CtrA, an essential cell cycle transcriptional regulator that maintains cells in G1-phase, provided that the (p)ppGpp alarmone is present. The enzymatic activity of CitA is dispensable for CtrA control, and functional citrate synthase paralogs cannot replace CitA in promoting S-phase entry. Our evidence suggests that CitA was appropriated specifically to function as a moonlighting enzyme to link central energy metabolism with S-phase entry. Control of the G1-phase by a central metabolic enzyme may be a common mechanism of cellular regulation.

Doctors' interactions with and attitudes toward e-patients have an overall impact on health care delivery.

Nocebo hyperalgesia is a clinically relevant phenomenon and may be formed as a result of associative learning, implemented by classical conditioning. This study explored for the first time distinct nocebo conditioning methods and their consequences for nocebo attenuation methods. Healthy participants (N = 140) were recruited and randomized to the following nocebo hyperalgesia induction groups: conditioning with continuous reinforcement (CRF), conditioning with partial reinforcement (PRF), and a sham-conditioning control group. In the attenuation phase, counterconditioning was compared with extinction. During induction, participants experienced increased thermal pain in 100% of nocebo trials in the CRF groups, while in only 70% of nocebo trials in the PRF groups. During evocation, pain stimulation was equivalent across all trials. During attenuation, pain stimulation was decreased on nocebo trials relative to control trials for the counterconditioning groups, while pain remained equivalent across all trials for the extinction groups. Results showed that both PRF and CRF significantly induced nocebo hyperalgesia, but CRF was a more potent nocebo induction method, as compared to PRF. Counterconditioning was more effective than extinction in attenuating nocebo hyperalgesia. Neither CRF nor PRF resulted in resistance to extinction. However, compared with CRF, conditioning with PRF resulted in more resistance to counterconditioning. These findings demonstrate that the more ambiguous learning method of PRF can induce nocebo hyperalgesia and may potentially explain the treatment resistance and chronification seen in clinical practice. Further research is required to establish whether attenuation with counterconditioning is generalizable to clinical settings.

Neuroblastoma is the most prevalent malignancy in infants characterized by heterogeneous prognosis. It is critical to stratify the risks for patients with neuroblastoma. To stratify the risks for neuroblastoma, clinical characteristics of neuroblastoma patients were retrieved from the Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatment program. All patients were randomly sampled into the development and validation sets. Cox regression was used to construct a prediction nomogram. The discrimination and calibration capacity of the nomogram was assessed. Prognostic index (PI) was calculated and tested to evaluate the performance of the nomogram. This nomogram demonstrated reasonable discrimination and calibration capacity. The nomogram derived PI exhibited acceptable accuracy in predicting the prognosis for neuroblastoma patients. The overall survival rate was significantly different between the PI discriminated high and low-risk patient subgroups. In conclusion, besides traditional staging systems, some newly defined risk factors could be involved in risk stratification for patients with neuroblastoma. Our nomogram may aid the risk stratification for neuroblastoma patients.

A systemic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was performed to compare the efficacy, toxicity and safety of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with or without induction chemotherapy (IC) for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Perimenopause is a period that every woman must go through, most people are more or less affected by perimenopausal symptoms, it to affect women's health, work, life, and economy. As acupuncture treatment is more and more increasing in perimenopausal symptoms, there have also been many clinical trials about it. But the results of the trials are inconsistent. Therefore, we will conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the safety and efficacy of perimenopausal symptoms treated with acupuncture.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major public health problem that severely affects the quality of life of patients and may even endanger their lives. Although modern medicine has achieved significant results in relieving the clinical manifestations of COPD, it is difficult to prevent its progression and acute exacerbation entirely. As one of the classic aspects of acupuncture and moxibustion therapy, acupoint application of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can improve the clinical efficacy of western medicine in treating COPD. To date, however,there is no high-quality clinical trial to assess the effectiveness of TCM acupoint application directly in preventing acute exacerbation of stable COPD.

The association of resting heart rate (RHR) and hypertension in adults is unclear. We aimed to perform a meta-analysis of cohort studies to clarify the association.

Familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia type 1 (FHH1) is caused by loss-of-function mutations of the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) and is considered a benign condition associated with mild-to-moderate hypercalcemia. However, the children of parents with FHH1 can develop a variety of disorders of calcium homeostasis in infancy.

To evaluate the pattern, impact on quality of life and management of common functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) and related signs and symptoms in infants below 1 year of age in Africa.

Germany is considered to be a low prevalence country for viral Hepatitis B, C and D (HBV, HCV, HDV). However, the burden of disease can be high among subpopulations. To meet the world Health Organization (WHO) viral hepatitis (VH) elimination goals, a national strategy was developed by the German government in 2016. We performed a scoping review to understand the baseline epidemiological situation in Germany regarding burden of disease, sequelae and care of HBV, HCV and HDV as a reference to monitor the progress of the national VH elimination and to identify further knowledge gaps and research needs.

To gain better insight into the regulatory networks of anthocyanin biosynthesis, an integrated analysis of the metabolome and transcriptome in purple and green leaves of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum was conducted. Transcript and metabolite profiles were archived by RNA-sequencing data analysis and LC-ESI-MS/MS, respectively. There were 209 metabolites and 4211 transcripts that were differentially expressed between purple and green leaves. Correlation tests of anthocyanin contents and transcriptional changes showed 141 significant correlations (Pearson correlation coefficient >0.8) between 16 compounds and 14 transcripts involved in the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway. Some novel genes and metabolites were discovered as potential candidate targets for the improvement of anthocyanin content and superior cultivars.

Probiotic bacteria have the ability to modulate host immune responses and have potent therapeutic functional effects against several diseases, including inflammatory diseases. However, beneficial effects of probiotics are strain specific and their interactions with host immune cells to modulate inflammatory response are largely unknown. Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs), which are the first line of defense against invading pathogens, and connects between commensals/probiotics and immune system; therefore, in this study, we used human IECs to assess the probiotic effects of three selected Lactobacillus strains in vitro. An HT-29 colonic epithelial cell and HT-29/blood mononuclear cells co-culture system were stimulated with Lactobacillus followed by Salmonella for different hours, after which the mRNA level of cytokines, β-defensin-2 and negative regulators for TLR signaling and protein levels of ZO-1 and IκB-α were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. L. brevis decreased Salmonella induced IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1 and IL-1β levels, whereas L. pentosus suppressed IL-6 and MCP-1 in HT-29 cells. Moreover, L. brevis was able to increase the mRNA levels of A20, Tollip, SIGIRR and IRAKM, while L. pentosus reduced the levels of A20, and IRAKM in response to Salmonella. In addition, decrease in protein level of TNF-α and increase in mRNA level of IL-10 was observed in L. brevis and L. pentosus treated HT-29 cells. Lactobacillus strains were differentially modulated ZO-1 and p-IκB-α in HT-29 cells treated with Salmonella. Overall, the results of this study indicate that Lactobacillus strains attenuate Salmonella induced inflammatory responses through beneficial modulation of TLR negative regulators and the NF-κB pathway.

Therapy regimens for Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) commonly include chemotherapy and immunotherapy, which act through complement-mediated-cytotoxicity (CDC) and other mechanisms. CDC depends on several factors, including the availability and activity of the complement classical pathway (CP). Recently, a significant decrease in CP activity was shown to be associated with an immunoglobulin-C5a complex (Ig-C5a) and other markers of chronic CP activation in 40% of the patients. The study focused on the involvement of IgG-hexamers, an established CP activator, in the mechanism of chronic CP activation in CLL. Sera from 51 naïve CLL patients and 20 normal controls were collected. CP and alternative pathway (AP) activities were followed by the complement activity marker sC5b-9. Serum high molecular weight (HMW) proteins were collected by gel-filtration chromatography and their complement activation capacity was assessed. The levels of IgM, another established CP activator, were measured. Data were associated with the presence of Ig-C5a. Baseline levels of activation markers negatively correlated with CP and the AP activities, supporting chronic complement activation. In patients with Ig-C5a, HMW proteins that are not IgM, activated the complement. HMW proteins were identified as IgG-aggregates by affinity binding assays and Western blot analysis. The data indicate chronic CP activation, mediated by cell-free IgG-hexamers as a cause of decreased CP activity in part of the CLL population. This mechanism may affect immunotherapy outcomes due to compromised CP activity and CDC.

Disruption of the intestinal microbiota caused by intensive chemotherapy, irradiation and antibiotics can result in development of severe gut graft-versus-host disease and infectious complications, leading to poorer outcomes among allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) recipients. Although the oral cavity is also densely colonized by indigenous microorganisms, the bacterial composition in allo-HSCT recipients remains unclear. We determined the tongue microbiota composition of 45 patients with hematological disorders on the day of transplantation and compared them to 164 community-dwelling adults. The V1-V2 regions of the 16S rRNA gene sequences demonstrated that the allo-HSCT recipients had less diverse and distinct microbiota from that of community-dwelling adults. The full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences identified 146 bacterial taxa in the microbiota of allo-HSCT recipients, of which 34 bacterial taxa did not correspond to bacteria primarily inhabiting the oral cavity deposited in the expanded Human Oral Microbiome Database. Notably, the detection of Staphylococcus haemolyticus and/or Ralstonia pickettii was significantly associated with a higher risk of mortality during the follow-up period. These results demonstrate that the oral cavity of allo-HSCT recipients is colonized by a disrupted microbiota on the day of transplantation and suggest that detection of specific nonindigenous taxa could be a predictor of transplant outcome.

The evolutionary changes in immune profiles of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) are not well understood, although it is known that immune checkpoint inhibitors have diminished activity in heavily pre-treated TNBC patients. This study was designed to characterize immune profile changes of longitudinal tumor specimens by studying immune subsets of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in paired primary and metastatic TNBC in a cohort of "poor outcome" (relapsed within 5 years) patients. Immune profiles of TNBCs in a cohort of "good outcome" (no relapse within 5 years) patients were also analyzed. Immune subsets were characterized for CD4, CD8, FOXP3, CD20, CD33, and PD1 using immuno-fluorescence staining in stroma, tumor, and combined stroma and tumor tissue. TIL subsets in "good outcome" versus "poor outcome" patients were also analyzed. Compared with primary, metastatic TNBCs had significantly lower TILs by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Stromal TILs (sTILs), but not tumoral TILs (tTILs) had significantly reduced cytotoxic CD8+ T cells (CTLs), PD1+ CTLs, and total PD1+ TILs in metastatic compared with matched primary TNBCs. Higher PD1+ CTLs, PD1+CD4+ helper T cells (PD1+TCONV) and all PD1+ T cells in sTILs, tTILs and total stromal and tumor TILS (s+tTIL) were all associated with better prognosis. In summary, TIL subsets decrease significantly in metastatic TNBCs compared with matched primary. Higher PD1+ TILs are associated with better prognosis in early stage TNBCs. This finding supports the application of immune checkpoint inhibitors early in the treatment of TNBCs.

Diarrheic Shellfish Poisoning toxins (DST) are a severe health risk to shellfish consumers and can be a major problem for the shellfish industry. Bivalve molluscs can accumulate DST via ingestion of toxic dinoflagellates like Dinophysis spp., which are the most prominent producers of DST. The effects of DST-containing dinoflagellate Dinophysis acuta on bivalve clearance and respiration rate were investigated in the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) exposed to different algal densities in a controlled laboratory study. Results showed that M. edulis exposed to D. acuta displayed a reduced clearance rate compared to M. edulis exposed to equivalent bio-volumes of the non-toxic cryptophyte Rhodomonas salina. Furthermore, M. edulis ceased to feed on D. acuta after 1 to 4 h, depending on D. acuta densities. The quickest response was observed at the highest densities of D. acuta. The estimated total amount of DST accumulated in the M. edulis exceeded the regulatory limit for human consumption and furthermore, intoxication of the M. edulis seemed to occur faster at high cell toxicity rather than at high cell density. However, respiration rates were, similar, irrespective of whether M. edulis were fed single diets of R. salina, D. acuta or a mixed diet of both algal species. In conclusion, the DST-containing D. acuta had a severe negative effect on the clearance of M. edulis, which can affect the conditions of the M. edulis negatively. Hence, DST may cause low quality M. edulis, due to reduced feeding when exposed to DST-containing D. acuta.