Background: The genus Rickettsia contains the lineages spotted fever group (SFG), typhus group (TG), and transitional group (TRG). The spotted fever group Rickettsia (SFGR) is transmitted by ticks. The tick species Dermacentor nuttalli is considered the main vector carrying SFGR in Inner Mongolia. Studying the genetic diversity and population structure of Rickettsia is essential for developing effective control strategies and predicting evolutionary trends of Rickettsia. Methods: In 2019 we collected 408 D. nuttalli in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, detected the percentage of Rickettsia-positive specimens, and characterized the haplotypes. From the Rickettsia-positive ticks, the gltA and ompA genes were extracted, amplified, and sequenced. Results: Ten haplotypes of the gltA gene and 22 haplotypes of the ompA gene were obtained. The phylogenetic analysis showed that the haplotypes G1–G7 and G9 of the gltA gene cluster with Rickettsia raoultii, while G8 and G10 cluster with Rickettsia sibirica. Haplotypes O1–O15, O18 and O20–O22 of the ompA gene cluster with R. raoultii, while O16 and O19 cluster with R. sibirica. The average haplotype diversity was 0.3 for gltA and 0.7 for ompA. The average nucleotide diversity was greater than 0.05. Neutrality tests were nonsignificant for Tajima’s D results and Fu’s Fs results. The fixation index values (F_ST) showed that the degree of genetic differentiation between most sampled populations was small (F_ST < 0.05), whereas some populations showed a medium (F_ST > 0.05) or large (F_ST > 0.15) degree of differentiation. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that the variation within populations was greater than that between populations. The mismatch analysis of Rickettsia showed double peaks. Conclusions: We found two Rickettsia spp. (R. raoultii and R. sibirica). The high genetic disparity of Rickettsia allows for easy adaption to different environments. Genetic differentiation between populations is small, and Rickettsia populations do not show a geographically differentiated structure. The high rates of retention and infection of Rickettsia in D. nuttalli together with the animal husbandry exchange in Inner Mongolia gradually led to the harmonization of genetic characteristics of Rickettsia across various regions. Overall, the significant genetic diversity and geographical structure of Rickettsia in D. nuttalli are critical for SFGR control. Graphical

Long non‑coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been generally considered to serve important roles in various types of cancer, including gastric cancer. However, a comprehensive understanding of lncRNAs in gastric cancer requires further study. The present study performed an in‑depth study revealed 50 differently expressed lncRNAs. The changed cellular pathways and biological process in gastric cancer were determined. To further confirm the functions of the differently expressed lncRNAs, co‑expression networks were constructed between the lncRNAs and mRNA; this lead to the identification of 6 modules, which participated in various cellular pathways. In addition, 2 lncRNAs were identified which were associated with clinical outcome. The biological analysis and experimental evidence suggested that LINC00982 inhibited, while LL22NC03‑N14H11.1 promoted the proliferation of gastric cancer cells. These lncRNAs may be considered as potential prognostic factor in gastric cancer.

Ticks can carry multiple pathogens, and Inner Mongolia’s animal husbandry provides excellent environmental conditions for ticks. This study characterized the microbiome of ticks from different geographical locations in Inner Mongolia; 905 Dermacentor nuttalli and 36 Ixodes persulcatus were collected from sheep in three main pasture areas and from bushes within the forested area. Mixed DNA samples were prepared from three specimens from each region and tick species. Microbial diversity was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing, and α and β diversity were determined. The predominant bacterial genera were Rickettsia (54.60%), including Rickettsiales bacterium Ac37b (19.33%) and other Rickettsia (35.27%), Arsenophonus (11.21%), Candidatus Lariskella (10.84%), and Acinetobacter (7.17%). Rickettsia bellii was identified in I. persulcatus, while Rickettsiales bacterium Ac37b was found in D. nuttalli from Ordos and Chifeng. Potential Rickettsia and Anaplasma coinfections were observed in the Ordos region. Tick microbial diversity analysis in Inner Mongolia suggests that sheep at the sampling sites were exposed to multiple pathogens.

Clinical study,genetic test,MassARRAY,Schizophrenia,secondgeneration antipsychotics

Ticks are important vectors of zoonotic diseases and play a major role in the circulation and transmission of many rickettsial species. The aim of this study was to investigate the carriage of Candidatus Rickettsia tarasevichiae (CRT) in a total of 1168 ticks collected in Inner Mongolia to elucidate the potential public health risk of this pathogen, provide a basis for infectious disease prevention, control and prediction and contribute diagnostic ideas for clinical diseases that present with fever in populations exposed to ticks. A total of four tick species, Haemaphysalis concinna (n = 21), Dermacentor nuttalli (n = 122), Hyalomma marginatum (n = 148), and Ixodes persulcatus (n = 877), were collected at nine sampling sites in Inner Mongolia, China, and identified by morphological and molecular biological methods. Reverse transcription PCR targeting the 16S ribosomal RNA (rrs), gltA, groEL, ompB and Sca4 genes was used to detect CRT DNA. Sequencing was used for pathogen species confirmation. The molecular epidemiological analysis showed that three species of ticks were infected with CRT, and the overall positive rate was as high as 42%. The positive rate of I. persulcatus collected in Hinggan League city was up to 96%, and that of I. persulcatus collected in Hulun Buir city was 50%. The pool positive rates of D. nuttalli and H. marginatum collected in Bayan Nur city and H. concinna collected in Hulun Buir city were 0%, 28% and 40%, respectively. This study revealed the high prevalence of CRT infection in ticks from Inner Mongolia and the first confirmation of CRT detected in H. marginatum in China. The wide host range and high infection rate in Inner Mongolia may dramatically increase the exposure of CRT to humans and other vertebrates. The role of H. marginatum in the transmission of rickettsiosis and its potential risk to public health should be further considered.

Background: Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness affecting 0.3% - 0.7% of people in the whole world. It is a classic quantitative genetic disease and is affected by a variety of common and rare genetic variants. Methods: To facilitate personalized and precise medicine for schizophrenia treatment, we designed a program by genotyping a panel of related genes, including cytochrome P450 genes CYP1A2, CYP2D6, CYP3A4, dopamine 2 receptor gene (DRD2), 5-Hydroxytryptamine Receptor 1A and 2C genes (HTR1A and HTR2C) as well as melanocortin4 receptor (MC4R) gene, for the schizophrenia patients using MassArray time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Results: The program is tested in an observational clinical study conducted at the Hulunbuir Mental Health Center of China. In the study, a total of 254 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia were recruited and genotyped. The genotyping results were used to generate reports listing where the 16 included antipsychotics should be placed: 'Use as directed', 'Use with caution' or 'Use with caution and with frequent blood concentration monitoring' columns. However, the medication would not change regardless. 72 of the patients completed the 24-week follow-up observation, during which their PANSS scores were assessed at eight time points. For all of them, the PANSS scores dropped significantly, showing the effectiveness of the treatments. The treatments for those cohorts initially in the 'Use with caution' or 'Use with caution and with frequent blood concentration monitoring' categories were more effective than those in the 'Use as directed' category in a shorter term sense, up to three months. However, in the longer term, it was still those who were initially in the 'Use as directed' column fared better, whose PANSS scores dropped more significantly. Conclusions: This research indicated that our pharmacogenomic-based program could be a suitable and effective tool to facilitate precise medicine in schizophrenia treatment.