Correction: Water-floating nanohybrid films of layered titanate–graphene for sanitization of algae without secondary pollution

Correction for ‘Water-floating nanohybrid films of layered titanate–graphene for sanitization of algae without secondary pollution’ by In Young Kim et al., RSC Adv., 2016, 6, 98528–98535.

In the published paper, the affiliations of Eui-Ho Hwang and Woo-Bin Jin were wrongly designated, and the corrected version is shown below.The Royal Society of Chemistry apologises for these errors and any consequent inconvenience to authors and readers.     

Detection of Sialic Acid-Utilising Bacteria in a Caecal Community Batch Culture Using RNA-Based Stable Isotope Probing

Sialic acids are monosaccharides typically found on cell surfaces and attached to soluble proteins, or as essential components of ganglioside structures that play a critical role in brain development and neural transmission. Human milk also contains sialic acid conjugated to oligosaccharides, glycolipids, and glycoproteins. These nutrients can reach the large bowel where they may be metabolised by the microbiota. However, little is known about the members of the microbiota involved in this function. To identify intestinal bacteria that utilise sialic acid within a complex intestinal community, we cultured the caecal microbiota from piglets in the presence of ¹³C-labelled sialic acid. Using RNA-based stable isotope probing, we identified bacteria that consumed ¹³C-sialic acid by fractionating total RNA in isopycnic buoyant density gradients followed by 16S rRNA gene analysis. Addition of sialic acid caused significant microbial community changes. A relative rise in Prevotella and Lactobacillus species was accompanied by a corresponding reduction in the genera Escherichia/Shigella, Ruminococcus and Eubacterium. Inspection of isotopically labelled RNA sequences suggests that the labelled sialic acid was consumed by a wide range of bacteria. However, species affiliated with the genus Prevotella were clearly identified as the most prolific users, as solely their RNA showed significantly higher relative shares among the most labelled RNA species. Given the relevance of sialic acid in nutrition, this study contributes to a better understanding of their microbial transformation in the intestinal tract with potential implications for human health.     

Methamphetamine Exposure Combined with HIV-1 Disease or gp120 Expression: Comparison of Learning and Executive Functions in Humans and Mice

Methamphetamine dependence is a common comorbid condition among people living with HIV, and may exacerbate HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. Animal models of neuroAIDS suggest that the gp120 protein may also cause cognitive impairment. The present work evaluated the separate and combined effects of HIV/gp120 and methamphetamine on learning and executive functions in both humans and transgenic mice. Human participants were grouped by HIV serostatus (HIV+ or HIV−) and lifetime methamphetamine dependence (METH+ or METH−). A neurocognitive test battery included domain-specific assessments of learning and executive functions. Mice (gp120+ and gp120−) were exposed to either a methamphetamine binge (METH+) or saline (METH−), then tested in the attentional-set-shifting task to assess learning and executive functions. In humans, HIV status was associated with significant impairments in learning, but less so for executive functions. The frequency of learning impairments varied between groups, with the greatest impairment observed in the HIV+/METH+ group. In mice, gp120 expression was associated with impairments in learning but not reversal learning (executive component). The greatest proportion of mice that failed to complete the task was observed in the gp120+/METH+ group, suggesting greater learning impairments. Our cross-species study demonstrated that HIV in humans and gp120 in mice impaired learning, and that a history of methamphetamine exposure increased the susceptibility to HIV-associated neurocognitive deficits in both species. Finally, the similar pattern of results in both species suggest that the gp120 protein may contribute to HIV-associated learning deficits in humans.     

The GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Liraglutide Increases Myocardial Glucose Oxidation Rates via Indirect Mechanisms and Mitigates Experimental Diabetic Cardiomyopathy

BackgroundType 2 diabetes (T2D) increases risk for cardiovascular disease. Of interest, liraglutide, a therapy for T2D that activates the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor to augment insulin secretion, reduces cardiovascular-related death in people with T2D, though it remains unknown how liraglutide produces these actions. Notably, the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor is not expressed in ventricular cardiac myocytes, making it likely that ventricular myocardium-independent actions are involved. We hypothesized that augmented insulin secretion may explain how liraglutide indirectly mediates cardioprotection, which thereby increases myocardial glucose oxidation.MethodsC57BL/6J male mice were fed either a low-fat diet (lean) or were subjected to experimental T2D and treated with either saline or liraglutide 3× over a 24-hour period. Mice were subsequently euthanized and had their hearts perfused in the working mode to assess energy metabolism. A separate cohort of mice with T2D were treated with either vehicle control or liraglutide for 2 weeks for the assessment of cardiac function via ultrasound echocardiography.ResultsTreatment of lean mice with liraglutide increased myocardial glucose oxidation without affecting glycolysis. Conversely, direct treatment of the isolated working heart with liraglutide had no effect on glucose oxidation. These findings were recapitulated in mice with T2D and associated with increased circulating insulin levels. Furthermore, liraglutide treatment alleviated diastolic dysfunction in mice with T2D, which was associated with enhanced pyruvate dehydrogenase activity, the rate-limiting enzyme of glucose oxidation.ConclusionsOur data demonstrate that liraglutide augments myocardial glucose oxidation via indirect mechanisms, which may contribute to how liraglutide improves cardiovascular outcomes in people with T2D.     

COVID-19 associated coagulopathy in critically ill patients: A hypercoagulable state demonstrated by parameters of haemostasis and clot waveform analysis

Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis - Patients with COVID-19 are known to be at risk of developing both venous, arterial and microvascular thrombosis, due to an excessive immuno-thrombogenic...     

Growth hormone alters gross anatomy and morphology of the small and large intestines in age- and sex-dependent manners

Pituitary - Growth hormone (GH) has an important role in intestinal barrier function, and abnormalities in GH action have been associated with intestinal complications. Yet, the impact of altered...