Higginssparks1770

6005 [4892] pg/mL, p = 0.014), but not cNEP (315 [107] vs. 318 [124] pg/mL, p = 0.818). Median cNEP activity was significantly lower in HF vs. controls (0.189 [0.223] vs. 0.257 [0.166] nmol/mL/min, p  less then  0.001). In ROC analyses, a multi-marker model combining clinical covariates, NT-proBNP, GDF-15, and cNEP activity demonstrated best discrimination of HF from controls (AUC = 0.902, 95% CI 0.857-0.947, p  less then  0.001 vs. base model AUC = 0.785). CONCLUSION We present novel comparative data on physiologically distinct circulating biomarkers for HF in patients on dialysis. cNEP activity but not concentration and GDF-15 provided incremental diagnostic information over clinical covariates and NT-proBNP and may aid in diagnosing HF in dialysis patients.BACKGROUND Loop diuretics are frequently prescribed to patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) for the treatment of congestion; however, they might hamper uptitration of inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin system. METHODS Loop diuretic dose at baseline was recorded in 2338 patients with HFrEF enrolled in BIOSTAT-CHF, an international study of HF patients on loop diuretic therapy who were eligible for uptitration of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi)/mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA). The association between loop diuretic dose and uptitration of ACEi/MRA to percentage of target dose was adjusted for a previously published model for likelihood of uptitration and a propensity score. RESULTS Baseline median loop diuretic dose was 40 [40-100] mg of furosemide or equivalent. Higher doses of loop diuretics were associated with higher NYHA class and higher levels of NT-proBNP, more severe signs and symptoms of congestion, more frequent MRA use, and lower doses of ACEi reached at 3 and 9 months (all P  less then  0.01). After propensity adjustment, higher doses of loop diuretics remained significantly associated with poorer uptitration of ACEi (Beta per log doubling of loop diuretic dose - 1.66, P = 0.021), but not with uptitration of MRAs (P = 0.758). Higher doses of loop diuretics were independently associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality or HF hospitalization [HR per doubling of loop diuretic dose 1.06 (1.01-1.12), P = 0.021]. CONCLUSIONS Higher doses of loop diuretics limited uptitration of ACEi in patients with HFrEF and were associated with a higher risk of death and/or HF hospitalization, independent of their lower likelihood of uptitration and higher baseline risk. This figure was created with images adapted from Servier Medical Art licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.BACKGROUND A brain-heart interaction has been proposed in Takotsubo syndrome (TTS). Structural changes in the limbic system and hypoconnectivity between certain brain areas in the chronic phase of the disease have been reported, but little is known concerning functional neuroimaging in the acute phase. We hypothesized anatomical and functional changes in the central nervous system and investigated whole-brain volumetric and functional connectivity alterations in the acute phase TTS patients compared to controls. METHODS Anatomical and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging were performed in postmenopausal females thirteen in the acute TTS phase and thirteen healthy controls without evidence of coronary artery disease. Voxel-based morphometry and graph theoretical analysis were applied to identify anatomical and functional differences between patients and controls. RESULTS Significantly lower gray matter volumes were found in TTS patients in the right middle frontal gyrus (p = 0.004) and right subcallosal cortex (p = 0.009) compared to healthy controls. When lower threshold was applied, volumetric changes were noted in the right insular cortex (p = 0.0113), the right paracingulate cortex (p = 0.012), left amygdala (p = 0.018), left central opercular cortex (p = 0.017), right (p = 0.013) and left thalamus (p = 0.017), and left cerebral cortex (p = 0.017). Graph analysis revealed significantly (p  less then  0.01) lower functional connectivity in TTS patients compared to healthy controls, particularly in the connections originating from the right insular cortex, temporal lobes, and precuneus. CONCLUSION In the acute phase of TTS volumetric changes in frontal regions and the central autonomic network (i.e. insula, anterior cingulate cortex, and amygdala) were noted. In particular, the right insula, associated with sympathetic autonomic tone, had both volumetric and functional changes.Laryngeal papillomas (LP) is a difficult disease to manage due to its frequent recurrence, airway compromise, and risk of cancer. Recently, growing evidence indicates the aberrant expression of OGFPD1, a stress granule protein, links closely to the development of tumorigenesis; however, little is known about its role in LP progression. Here, we investigated the tumor promoting action of OGFOD1 in LP. The transcriptional and translational levels of OGFOD1 were significantly up-regulated in LP tissues and cells. Moreover, OGFOD1 promoted viability and proliferation, and inhibited LP cells apoptosis. We further revealed that OGFOD1 was directly targeted by miR-1224-5p, which was significantly down-regulated in LP. Overexpression of the miR-1224-5p suppressed OGFOD1-induced cell proliferation and viability, and promoted apoptosis of LP. In accordance, knockdown of miR-1224-5p inversed the inhibitory effects. In confederation of the central involvement of OGFOD1 in LP progression, targeting the miR-1224-5p/OGFOD1 pathway might provide a novel strategy for LP treatment.INTRODUCTION Colorectal carcinomas represent the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths in Germany. Although the incidence is significantly higher in men compared with women and gender is a well-established crucial factor for outcome in other diseases, detailed gender comparisons for colon cancer are lacking. METHODS This retrospective population-based cohort study included all patients diagnosed with colon cancer in Germany between 2000 and 2016 who were included in the common dataset of colorectal cancer patients from the quality conference of the German Cancer Society. We compared clinical, histopathological, and therapeutic characteristics as well as overall and recurrence-free survival. RESULTS A total of 185,967 patients were included in the study, of which 85,685 were female (46.1%) and 100,282 were male (53.9%). The proportion of women diagnosed with colon cancer decreased from 2000 to 2016 (f 26.6 to 40.1%; m 24.9 to 41.9%; p  less then  0.001), and the proportion of very old patients was eld lead to an earlier diagnosis of colon cancer in women, and ways to increase the rate of chemotherapy in women should be evaluated. Furthermore, we recommend stratifying randomized trials by gender.Crude oil is a serious soil pollutant, requiring large-scale remediation efforts. Bacterial consortia in combination with rhamnolipids can be an effective bioremediation method. However, the underlying mechanisms and associated changes in soil bacterial composition remain uncharacterized. Therefore, this study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of rhamnolipids in petroleum hydrocarbon removal, and the associated bacterial community dynamics during bioremediation of petroleum-contaminated soils. Contaminated soils were subjected to natural attenuation, bioremediation with rhamnolipids, bioremediation with bacterial consortia, or bioremediation with bacterial consortia supplemented with rhamnolipids (BMR). High-throughput sequencing of bacterial sample partial 16S rRNA sequences was performed. Additionally, the n-alkanes and aromatic fractions were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. The results showed that rhamnolipid supplementation increased the rate and extent of total petroleum hydrocarbon biodegradation to a maximum of 81% within 35 days. Further, phylogenetic analysis revealed that the bacterial community was composed of 14 phylotypes (similarity level = 97%). Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria were the two core phyla in all samples, accounting for 63-89%, but Proteobacteria was the most dominant phylum in the BMR sample (~ 53%). Among the top 20 genera, Pseudomonas, Pseudoxanthomonas, Cavicella, Mycobacterium, Rhizobium, and Acinetobacter were more abundant in BMR samples compared to other samples. Predicted functional profiles revealed that rhamnolipid addition also induced changes in gene abundance related to hydrocarbon metabolic pathways. This study provided comprehensive insights into the synergistic effect of rhamnolipids and bacterial consortia for altering bacterial populations and specific functional traits, which may serve to improve bacteria-mediated petroleum hydrocarbon biodegradation in contaminated soils.Two moderately halophilic strains SBS 10T and SSO 06 were isolated from the saltern crystallizer ponds of the hypersaline Sambhar Salt Lake in India. Strains were aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, and rod shaped. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that two strains belong to the genus Halomonas in the Gammaproteobacteria, with highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities with Halomonas gudaonensis LMG 23610T (98.2% similarity) and Halomonas campaniensis 5AGT (99.0% similarity). Strains grew optimally at 37 °C, pH 7.5-8.0 in the presence of 5-8% (w/v) NaCl. The major fatty acids of the strain SBS 10T were C181ω7c (54.37%), C160 (25.69%), C161 × 7c/C161 × 6c (13.28%), and C120 (1.21%). The G+C content was 63.6 mol % (Tm). Phenotypic features, fatty acids profile, and DNA G+C content supported placement of the strain SBS 10T in the genus Halomonas having distinct characteristics with related strains. Analysis of the housekeeping genes gryB and rpoD and in silico DNA-DNA hybridization between the strain SBS 10T and its type strain Halomonas gudaonensis (LMG 23610T) further revealed the strain SBS 10T to be a distinct species. On the basis of the phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic analysis, the strain SBS 10T is considered to represent a novel species for which the name Halomonas sambharensis is proposed. The type strain is SBS 10T (= MTCC 12313T = LMG 30344T).Heat-stable antifungal factor (HSAF) is a broad-spectrum antifungal antibiotic produced by the biological control agent, Lysobacter enzymogenes. In our earlier works, we have applied HSAF to effectively control wheat and pear fungal disease. However, a major bottleneck in its practical application is the low HSAF production level; therefore, boosting its production is essential for its wide application. In the past, we find that c-di-GMP, a universal bacterial second messenger, is inhibitory to HSAF production. In this work, we further identified eight active diguanylate cyclases (DGCs) responsible for c-di-GMP synthesis in Lysobacter enzymogenes via both bioinformatics and genetic analyses. We generated a strain lacking seven active DGC genes and found that this DGC-modified strain, OH11LC, produced a higher HSAF amount in a c-di-GMP concentration-dependent manner. Subsequently, by employing OH11LC as the host fermentation strain, we could even produce a much higher HSAF amount (> 200-fold). After improving the HSAF production, we further developed a technique of seed coating method with HSAF, which turned out to be effective in fighting against the maize seed-borne filamentous pathogen, Pythium gramineacola.