Atherosclerosis is the primary cause of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. However, current anti-atherosclerosis drugs have shown conflicting therapeutic outcomes, thereby spurring the search for novel and effective treatments. Recent research indicates the crucial involvement of oral and gastrointestinal microbiota in atherosclerosis. While gut microbiota metabolites, such as choline derivatives, have been extensively studied and reviewed, emerging evidence suggests that bacterial extracellular vesicles (BEVs), which are membrane-derived lipid bilayers secreted by bacteria, also play a significant role in this process. However, the role of BEVs in host-microbiota interactions remains insufficiently explored. This review aims to elucidate the complex communication mediated by BEVs along the gut-heart axis. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on BEVs, with a specific focus on how pathogen-derived BEVs contribute to the promotion of atherosclerosis, as well as how BEVs from gut symbionts and probiotics may mitigate its progression. We also explore the potential and challenges associated with engineered BEVs in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis. Finally, we discuss the benefits and challenges of using BEVs in atherosclerosis diagnosis and treatment, and propose future research directions to address these issues.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder primarily characterized by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, leading to motor impairments such as tremors, bradykinesia, and postural instability. It also affects cognitive functions, contributing to difficulties in movement control and non-motor symptoms, including cognitive decline, sleep disturbances, and emotional dysregulation. Although pharmacological treatments provide symptomatic relief, there is limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions in improving both motor and cognitive outcomes. This case report details the physiotherapy management of a 72-year-old male patient with stage 3 PD, highlighting a structured 14-week physiotherapy program that targeted balance, coordination, and cognitive function. The intervention, which incorporated personalized exercises and cognitive training, resulted in significant improvements in tremor frequency, postural control, and cognitive function. Remarkably, the patient demonstrated a progression from Hoehn and Yahr stage 3 to stage 1, suggesting that intensive physiotherapy can have a profound impact on both motor control and overall quality of life (QOL). This case is notable for its novel approach in combining physical therapy with cognitive interventions in a PD patient, a strategy not widely reported in existing literature. Given the lack of curative treatments for PD, the findings underscore the critical role of non-pharmacological interventions, such as physiotherapy, in improving both motor and non-motor outcomes in PD patients. This report highlights the potential for intensive, individualized physiotherapy programs to promote neuroplasticity and significantly enhance patient outcomes, offering new insights into holistic PD management.

Precursors of microRNAs (pre-miRNAs) are less used in silico to mine miRNAs. This study developed PmiR-Select® based on covariance models (CMs) to identify new pre-miRNAs, detecting conserved secondary structural features across RNA sequences and eliminating the redundancy. The pipeline preceded PmiR-Select® filtered 20% plant pre-miRNAs (from 38589 to 8677) from miRBase. The second filter reduced pre-miRNAs by 7% (from 8677 to 8045) through length limit to pre-miRNAs (70-300 nt) and miRNAs (20-24 nt). The 80% redundancy threshold was statistically the best, eliminating 55% pre-miRNAs (from 8045 to 3608). Angiosperms retained the highest number of pre-miRNAs and their families (2981 and 2202), followed by gymnosperms (362 and 271), bryophytes (183 and 119), and algae (82 and 78). Thirty-seven conserved pre-miRNA families happened among plant land clades, but none with algae. The PmiR-Select® was applied to the rice genome, producing 8536 pre-miRNAs from 36 families. The 80% redundancy threshold retained 3% pre-miRNAs (n = 264) from 36 families, valuable experimental and computational research resources. 14% (n = 1216) of 8536 were new pre-miRNAs from 19 new families in rice. Only 16 new sequences from six families overlapped (39 to 54% identities) with rice pre-miRNAs and five species on miRBase. The validation against mature miRNAs identified 8086 pre-miRNAs from 13 families. Eleven ones have already been recorded, but two new and abundant pre-miRNAs [miR437 (n = 296) and miR1435 (n = 725)] scattered in all 12-rice chromosomes. PmiR-Select® identified pre-miRNAs, decreased the redundancy, and discovered new miRNAs. These findings pave the way to delineating benchtop and computational experiments.