Artificial trans-encoded small non-coding RNAs specifically silence the selected gene expression in bacteria

Recently, many small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) with important regulatory roles have been identified in bacteria. As their eukaryotic counterparts, a major class of bacterial trans-encoded sRNAs acts by basepairing with target mRNAs, resulting in changes in translation and stability of the mRNA. RNA interference (RNAi) has become a powerful gene silencing tool in eukaryotes. However, such an effective RNA silencing tool remains to be developed for prokaryotes. In this study, we described first the use of artificial trans-encoded sRNAs (atsRNAs) for specific gene silencing in bacteria. Based on the common structural characteristics of natural sRNAs in Gram-negative bacteria, we developed the designing principle of atsRNA. Most of the atsRNAs effectively suppressed the expression of exogenous EGFP gene and endogenous uidA gene in Escherichia coli. Further studies demonstrated that the mRNA base pairing region and AU rich Hfq binding site were crucial for the activity of atsRNA. The atsRNA-mediated gene silencing was Hfq dependent. The atsRNAs led to gene silencing and RNase E dependent degradation of target mRNA. We also designed a series of atsRNAs which targeted the toxic genes in Staphyloccocus aureus, but found no significant interfering effect. We established an effective method for specific gene silencing in Gram-negative bacteria

A Field Study on Thermal Comfort in Multi-Storey Residential Buildings in the Karst Area of Guilin

It is important to consider reducing energy use while improving occupants’ indoor thermal comfort. The actual thermal comfort needs and demands should be considered to determine the indoor thermal environment design. In previous studies, research has not been carried out on thermal comfort in karst areas. Thus, a long-term field investigation was carried out on multi-storey residential buildings in the karst area of Guilin city centre during summer (from August 2019 to September 2019) and winter (from December 2019 to January 2020). In this study, the indoor thermal environments of three categories of dwellings were analysed. A total of 77 residential buildings with 144 households were randomly selected, and 223 occupants from 18 to 80 years old participated. A total of 414 effective questionnaires were collected from the subjects. The results show that there was an obvious conflict between the predicted mean vote (PMV) and the thermal sensation vote (TSV). The neutrality temperatures calculated by the regression method were 24.2 °C in summer and 16.2 °C in winter. The thermal comfort range was observed at operative temperatures of 20.9–27.5 °C in summer and 12.2–20.1 °C in winter. The desired thermal sensation for people in the Guilin karst area was not always reflected in the thermal neutrality range. A preference for warmness was identified in the survey

Pectic Bee Pollen Polysaccharide from Rosa rugosa Alleviates Diet-Induced Hepatic Steatosis and Insulin Resistance via Induction of AMPK/mTOR-Mediated Autophagy

Despite it is used as a nutraceutical against diabetes and obesity, the mechanism of action of bee pollen is still unclear. Pectic bee pollen polysaccharide (RBPP-P) was isolated from Rosa rugosa, and its structure was characterized by 13C-NMR and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Using high glucose and fatty acids-treated HepG2 cells and high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity mice, we detected its effect on insulin function and lipid metabolism based on autophagy. RBPP-P contained arabinogalactan, rhamnogalacturonan I, and homogalacturonan domains. In vivo studies demonstrated that RBPP-P markedly ameliorated insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and liver steatosis in obese mice. The suppressive effects of RBPP-P on liver steatosis and triglyceride content were mediated by increased autophagy and lipase expression in liver. In AMPK knockdown cells (prkaa 1/2−/− MEF) and HFD-fed mice tissues (liver, gonadal white adipose, and inguinal white adipose), RBPP-P enhanced autophagy in AMPK/mTOR-dependent way in liver, but not in adipose tissue. These findings demonstrated that bee pollen polysaccharide alleviated liver steatosis and insulin resistance by promoting autophagy via an AMPK/mTOR-mediated signaling pathway, suggesting that RBPP-P could be a novel therapeutic agent used for the treatment of obesity and diabetes

Radiogenomic analysis of ultrasound phenotypic features coupled to proteomes predicts metastatic risk in primary prostate cancer

Abstract Background Primary prostate cancer with metastasis has a poor prognosis, so assessing its risk of metastasis is essential. Methods This study combined comprehensive ultrasound features with tissue proteomic analysis to obtain biomarkers and practical diagnostic image features that signify prostate cancer metastasis. Results In this study, 17 ultrasound image features of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), primary prostate cancer without metastasis (PPCWOM), and primary prostate cancer with metastasis (PPCWM) were comprehensively analyzed and combined with the corresponding tissue proteome data to perform weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), which resulted in two modules highly correlated with the ultrasound phenotype. We screened proteins with temporal expression trends based on the progression of the disease from BPH to PPCWOM and ultimately to PPCWM from two modules and obtained a protein that can promote prostate cancer metastasis. Subsequently, four ultrasound image features significantly associated with the metastatic biomarker HNRNPC (Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein C) were identified by analyzing the correlation between the protein and ultrasound image features. The biomarker HNRNPC showed a significant difference in the five-year survival rate of prostate cancer patients (p < 0.0053). On the other hand, we validated the diagnostic efficiency of the four ultrasound image features in clinical data from 112 patients with PPCWOM and 150 patients with PPCWM, obtaining a combined diagnostic AUC of 0.904. In summary, using ultrasound imaging features for predicting whether prostate cancer is metastatic has many applications. Conclusion The above study reveals noninvasive ultrasound image biomarkers and their underlying biological significance, which provide a basis for early diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of primary prostate cancer with metastasis