In this study, the genome sequence of a carotenoid-producing Paracoccus strain, PH1, isolated from a hot spring in Northern Thailand, was characterised. Functional analyses focused on stress tolerance, carotenoid production, micronutrient biosynthesis, probiotic properties, biofilm formation, and safety profiles. Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI) and phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene confirmed its taxonomic classification as Paracoccus bogoriensis. Genome annotation identified biosynthetic gene clusters for ectoine and carotenoids, along with stress tolerance genes, corroborating previously reported phenotypic characteristics. Furthermore, genome mining revealed putative functions for the biosynthesis of B-complex vitamins, short-chain fatty acids, and pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), as well as determinants associated with probiotic potential, including acid and bile tolerance, biofilm formation, and cellular adhesion. No antibiotic resistance determinants or virulence-associated genes were detected. These genomic findings highlight the multifaceted biotechnological potential of this hot spring-derived Paracoccus strain, warranting further functional evaluation in relevant application contexts.
Parental microbiome composition and nutritional and metabolic status have been studied in relation to in vitro fertilization (IVF), but their contribution to recurrent implantation failure (RIF) remains uncertain. This narrative review examines maternal and paternal microbial profiles, nutrition, inflammation, oxidative stress, and epigenetic regulation, distinguishing human observational and interventional findings from animal experiments, in vitro studies, and proposed mechanisms. The literature search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science, covering publications from 2000 to 2026. Search concepts included “in vitro fertilization”, “recurrent implantation failure”, “reproductive tract microbiota”, “gut microbiome”, “parental nutrition”, “oxidative stress”, and “sperm epigenetics”. Associations between reproductive-tract microbial profiles and pregnancy outcomes vary across populations and analytical methods. Endometrial findings require particular caution because low microbial biomass increases susceptibility to contamination. Evidence linking parental gut microbiota to epigenetic programming of human preimplantation embryos remains indirect, and paternal gut–testis mechanisms are supported predominantly by experimental research. Randomized probiotic studies have produced inconsistent results and have not established a reproducible improvement in implantation or live birth across IVF populations. Nutritional adequacy and management of relevant metabolic disorders belong within established preconception care, whereas microbiome testing, targeted microbial manipulation, and proposed epigenetic interventions remain investigational for RIF. The available evidence supports further study of these relationships but does not establish parental dysbiosis as a cause of RIF or demonstrate that microbiome modification prevents implantation failure.
Lead sulfide nanoparticles (PbS NPs) are promising materials for biomedical imaging. However, their safety during embryonic development remains inadequately explored. This study investigated for the first time the developmental toxicity, hepatic effects, angiogenic activity, and irritation potential of PbS NPs using the Chick Embryotoxicity Screening Test (CHEST) and the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. Fertilized chicken eggs were exposed to various concentrations of PbS NPs (6%, 10%, 12%, 20%, 25%, 50%, and 100%). Developmental toxicity was assessed by mortality rate, body and selected organ weights, malformations, liver histological alterations, and RT-qPCR of antioxidant-related genes. Vascular evaluation was quantitatively assessed using the CAM assay with the following irritation potential analysis. Embryonic exposure to PbS NPs resulted in concentration-dependent developmental effects, with embryo mortality reaching 56% at the highest concentration and the presence of developmental malformations in surviving embryos. No histological alterations were observed in the liver; however, higher concentrations altered α-smooth muscle actin and cell proliferation activity and modulated antioxidant gene expression. In the CAM assay, the highest concentrations of PbS NPs significantly reduced total vessel area, branching, and total vessel length while inducing only slight irritation, characterized by vascular dilatation. These findings demonstrate concentration-dependent developmental and vascular responses following direct embryonic exposure to PbS NPs under the experimental conditions. Only the highest concentrations caused significant morphological, angiogenic, and molecular alterations after short-time PbS NP exposure. This study provides a comprehensive safety evaluation of PbS NPs during chicken embryonic development and supports their potential for further investigation in biomedical imaging. Further, it indicates that the combination of CHEST and CAM assays as complementary models can be used for preclinical developmental nanotoxicity assessment.
Sleep disturbance is a prevalent health problem associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis, chronic inflammation, and neuronal dysfunction. Here, we show that Guipi Tang (GPT) combined with probiotics is associated with improvements in pentobarbital-induced sleep responses and hippocampal injury in mice. Compared with individual treatments, the combined intervention showed improvements in several measured outcomes and was associated with changes in gut microbial composition, inflammatory markers, and hippocampal injury. 16S rRNA (16S ribosomal RNA) sequencing (n = 5 per group) revealed alterations in gut microbial composition following sleep deprivation, while the combined treatment modulated the relative abundance of several bacterial taxa. Furthermore, serum levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-alpha) and IL-1β (interleukin-1 beta) differed significantly among groups (n = 5 per group; F (4,20) = 3.959, p = 0.0159 and F (4,20) = 10.26, p = 0.0001, respectively). Western blot analysis (n = 4 per group) revealed significant differences in the expression of autophagy-related markers, including ATG5 (F (4,15) = 8.319, p = 0.0032), Beclin-1 (F (4,15) = 13.62, p < 0.0001), the LC3-II (F (4,15) = 13.56, p < 0.0001), and p62 (F (4,15) = 5.870, p = 0.0048). Compared with the Model group, combined treatment significantly increased ATG5, LC3-II and Beclin-1 expression, while reducing p62 expression. In addition, the Bcl-2/Bax ratio increased significantly following combined treatment (n = 4 per group, p < 0.01 vs. Model), accompanied by a reduction in TUNEL-positive cells. Changes in Akt phosphorylation were also observed, although the relationship between Akt signaling and autophagy requires further investigation. Collectively, these findings suggest that GPT combined with probiotics is associated with improvements in pentobarbital-induced sleep responses and hippocampal injury in sleep-deprived mice, accompanied by changes in gut microbial composition, inflammatory markers, and Akt-associated autophagy-related signaling.
Carinal and tracheal sleeve resections represent the most technically demanding procedures in thoracic surgery, reserved for a highly selected subset of patients with primary tracheal tumours or bronchogenic carcinomas involving the tracheobronchial angle. Despite advances in anaesthetic management and surgical technique, these operations carry substantial perioperative risk; reported mortality rates range from 3% to 20% even in high-volume centres. This narrative review appraises current evidence on tracheal and carinal resection for oncological disease, focusing on surgical technique, anaesthetic strategies, including the expanding role of veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO), and oncological outcomes, and positions these findings against several closely related reviews published in 2025–2026. The principles of tracheal surgery are reviewed: tension-free anastomosis, preservation of segmental blood supply, and suture technique. We also present our institutional experience with complex carinal resections, including three left tracheal sleeve pneumonectomies performed through median sternotomy without cardiopulmonary bypass and other cases of major tracheobronchial surgery. Our institutional experience illustrates that, in expert hands, these operations can offer favourable long-term survival, particularly for adenoid cystic carcinoma and for patients with N0–N1 disease. VV-ECMO and apnoeic oxygenation may facilitate resections that would otherwise be technically prohibitive and have shown encouraging safety in selected expert-centre series, although this evidence remains limited to small, non-comparative cohorts.
