High-Salt Diet Has a Certain Impact on Protein Digestion and Gut Microbiota: A Sequencing and Proteome Combined Study

High-salt diet has been considered to cause health problems, but it is still less known how high-salt diet affects gut microbiota, protein digestion, and passage in the digestive tract. In this study, C57BL/6J mice were fed low- or high-salt diets (0.25 vs. 3.15% NaCl) for 8 weeks, and then gut contents and feces were collected. Fecal microbiota was identified by sequencing the V4 region of 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Proteins and digested products of duodenal, jejunal, cecal, and colonic contents were identified by LC-MS-MS. The results indicated that the high-salt diet increased Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, the abundances of genera Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcus (P < 0.05), but decreased the abundance of Lactobacillus (P < 0.05). LC-MS-MS revealed a dynamic change of proteins from the diet, host, and gut microbiota alongside the digestive tract. For dietary proteins, high-salt diet seemed not influence its protein digestion and absorption. For host proteins, 20 proteins of lower abundance were identified in the high-salt diet group in duodenal contents, which were involved in digestive enzymes and pancreatic secretion. However, no significant differentially expressed proteins were detected in jejunal, cecal, and colonic contents. For bacterial proteins, proteins secreted by gut microbiota were involved in energy metabolism, sodium transport, and protein folding. Five proteins (cytidylate kinase, trigger factor, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, transporter, and undecaprenyl-diphosphatase) had a higher abundance in the high-salt diet group than those in the low-salt group, while two proteins (acetylglutamate kinase and PBSX phage manganese-containing catalase) were over-expressed in the low-salt diet group than in the high-salt group. Consequently, high-salt diet may alter the composition of gut microbiota and has a certain impact on protein digestion

Intraocular complement activation is related to retinal vascular and neuronal degeneration in myopic retinopathy

PurposeTo investigate the relationship between the intraocular levels of complement proteins and myopia-related retinal neuronal and vascular degeneration.MethodsAqueous humour from 147 myopic patients, including 60 low-myopia and 87 high-myopia were collected during Implantable Collamer Lens implantation surgery. All participants received comprehensive ophthalmic examinations, including logMAR best corrected visual acuity, axial length measurement, fundus photography and ocular B-scan ultrasonography. The myopic eyes were further classified into simple myopia (SM, n = 78), myopic posterior staphyloma (PS, n = 39) and PS with myopic chorioretinal atrophy (PS + CA, n = 30). Retinal thickness and vascular density in the macula (6 mm × 6 mm) and optic nerve head (4.5 mm × 4.5 mm) were measured using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA). The levels of complement proteins including C1q, C3, C3b/iC3b, C4, CFB, CFH, C2, C4b, C5, C5a, CFD, MBL and CFI in the aqueous humour were measured using the Luminex Multiplexing system. The real-time RT-PCR was conducted to examine the expression of complement genes (C1q, C2, C3, C4, CFI and CFD) in the guinea pig model of long-term form deprivation-induced myopic retinal degeneration.ResultsOCTA showed that retinal neuronal thickness and vascular density in superficial and deep layers of the macular zone as well as vascular density in the optic nerve head were progressively decreased from SM to PS and PS + CA (p < 0.05). The aqueous humour levels of C1q, C3, C3b/iC3b, C4, CFB, CFH, C2, C4b, C5 and CFI were significantly higher in high-myopic eyes compared to those in low-myopic eyes. Further subgroup analysis revealed the highest levels of complement components/fragments in the PS + CA group. The intraocular levels of complement factors particularly C3b/iC3b and C4 were negatively correlated with macular zone deep layer retinal thickness and vascular density and optic nerve head vascular density. The expression of C2, C3 and C4 genes was significantly higher in guinea pig eyes with myopic retinal degeneration compared to control eyes.ConclusionsThe intraocular classical pathway and alternative pathway of the complement system are partially activated in pathological myopia. Their activation is related to the degeneration of retinal neurons and the vasculature in the macula and the vasculature in the optic nerve head

Mobility, risk behavior and HIV/STI rates among female sex workers in Kaiyuan City, Yunnan Province, China

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The mobility of female sex workers (FSWs) is a factor in the geographic spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This study describes FSW mobility patterns in a high risk area of China to identify factors associated with increased mobility, and to study the incidence and prevalence of HIV/STIs in this group.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>270 FSWs recruited from a baseline cross-sectional study were invited to participate in a one-year monthly follow-up cohort study in Kaiyuan City, Yunnan Province, China from 2006 to 2007. Laboratory tests were conducted for HIV/STIs at baseline, 6 and 12 months.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 117 (43.3%) FSWs moved to another city during the year. Risk factors for increased mobility included being from another city within Yunnan (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] 1.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09-2.56), being from outside Yunnan (AHR 1.58, 95% CI 1.04-2.54), and working in lower risk entertainment establishments (AHR 1.55, 95% CI 1.03-2.35). HIV-positive subjects, drug users and FSWs in higher risk venue were less likely to change residence, less likely to use condoms with clients, and earned less per client, but had more working locations and more clients each month.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The least mobile FSWs were from Kaiyuan, worked in higher risk venues, were more likely to use drugs and be HIV-infected. Because FSWs characteristics differ according to the venue at which they work, future prevention work should tailor programs according to venue with a particular focus on FSWs in higher risk venues.</p

The Role of Income Structure Improvement in Helping Broaden the Rural Consumer Market

Too large urban-rural gap and weak rural consumption is the most significant problem in rural areas, and also an insurmountable barrier to the process of China's economic development. At the same time, the modernization of agriculture is proposed as the major policy for China to actively solve issues concerning agriculture, countryside and farmers. Using panel data model and taking into account the regional characteristics and time effects of the sample data, we conduct analysis of the farmers' income structure in the five provinces and one city of East China at the upper reaches of economy, and estimate the effects of farmers' income on farmers' consumer spending, in order to find the main channel for improving farmers' consumption. This paper emphasizes the great significance of farmers' consumption improvement to China's economic restructuring and solving the future economic development in the context of current financial crisis

Regulation of Iron Homeostasis and Related Diseases

The liver is the organ for iron storage and regulation; it senses circulating iron concentrations in the body through the BMP-SMAD pathway and regulates the iron intake from food and erythrocyte recovery into the bloodstream by secreting hepcidin. Under iron deficiency, hypoxia, and hemorrhage, the liver reduces the expression of hepcidin to ensure the erythropoiesis but increases the excretion of hepcidin during infection and inflammation to reduce the usage of iron by pathogens. Excessive iron causes system iron overload; it accumulates in never system and damages neurocyte leading to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s syndrome. When some gene mutations affect the perception of iron and iron regulation ability in the liver, then they decrease the expression of hepcidin, causing hereditary diseases such as hereditary hemochromatosis. This review summarizes the source and utilization of iron in the body, the liver regulates systemic iron homeostasis by sensing the circulating iron concentration, and the expression of hepcidin regulated by various signaling pathways, thereby understanding the pathogenesis of iron-related diseases

Mechanism Analysis and Suppression Strategy of Continuous High-Frequency Oscillation in MMC-HVDC System

The continuous high-frequency oscillation phenomenon of the MMC-HVDC system occurs frequently in practical engineering. How to design an effective oscillation suppression strategy based on the essential mechanism of continuous oscillation has not been sufficiently supported by theory. For this reason, this paper firstly analyzes the high-frequency oscillation characteristics of the MMC-HVDC system. On this basis, considering the influence of the control system time delay, the MMC high-frequency impedance model is established based on harmonic linearization. Thirdly, the dynamic interaction between the control system and the harmonic disturbance is analyzed, and the continuous oscillation mechanism of the MMC-HVDC system is revealed. Finally, a high-frequency oscillation suppression strategy is proposed, consisting of adding a nonlinear low-pass filter to the MMC voltage feedforward link and reducing the risk of oscillation in the 0&ndash;2000 Hz frequency band. The simplified impedance model and high-frequency oscillation suppression strategy are verified in time simulation

Mechanism Analysis and Suppression Strategy of Continuous High-Frequency Oscillation in MMC-HVDC System

The continuous high-frequency oscillation phenomenon of the MMC-HVDC system occurs frequently in practical engineering. How to design an effective oscillation suppression strategy based on the essential mechanism of continuous oscillation has not been sufficiently supported by theory. For this reason, this paper firstly analyzes the high-frequency oscillation characteristics of the MMC-HVDC system. On this basis, considering the influence of the control system time delay, the MMC high-frequency impedance model is established based on harmonic linearization. Thirdly, the dynamic interaction between the control system and the harmonic disturbance is analyzed, and the continuous oscillation mechanism of the MMC-HVDC system is revealed. Finally, a high-frequency oscillation suppression strategy is proposed, consisting of adding a nonlinear low-pass filter to the MMC voltage feedforward link and reducing the risk of oscillation in the 0–2000 Hz frequency band. The simplified impedance model and high-frequency oscillation suppression strategy are verified in time simulation

Identification of complex and cryptic chromosomal rearrangements by optical genome mapping

Abstract Background Optical genome mapping (OGM) has developed into a highly promising method for detecting structural variants (SVs) in human genomes. Complex chromosomal rearrangements (CCRs) and cryptic translocations are rare events that are considered difficult to detect by routine cytogenetic methods. In this study, OGM was applied to delineate the precise chromosomal rearrangements in three cases with uncertain or unconfirmed CCRs detected by conventional karyotyping and one case with a cryptic translocation suggested by fetal chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA). Results In the three cases with CCRs, OGM not only confirmed or revised the original karyotyping results but also refined the precise chromosomal structures. In the case with a suspected translocation not detected by karyotyping, OGM efficiently identified the cryptic translocation and defined the genomic breakpoints with relatively high accuracy. Conclusions Our study confirmed OGM as a robust alternative approach to karyotyping for the detection of chromosomal structural rearrangements, including CCRs and cryptic translocations