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Background: Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA) has a high incidence rate, but its pathogenesis remains unclear. Circadian rhythm is an important oscillation in the human body and influences various biological activities. However, it is still unclear whether circadian rhythm affects the onset and development of TMJOA. Methods: We disrupted the normal rhythm of rats and examined the expression of core clock genes in the mandibular condylar cartilage of the jaw and histological changes in condyles. After isolating rat mandibular condylar chondrocytes, we upregulated or downregulated the clock gene Per1, examined the expression of cartilage matrix-degrading enzymes, tested the activation of the GSK3β/β-CATENIN pathway and verified it using agonists and inhibitors. Finally, after downregulating the expression of Per1 in the mandibular condylar cartilage of rats with jet lag, we examined the expression of cartilage matrix-degrading enzymes and histological changes in condyles. Results: Jet lag led to TMJOA-like lesions in the rat mandibular condyles, and the expression of the clock gene Per1 and cartilage matrix-degrading enzymes increased in the condylar cartilage of rats. When Per1 was downregulated or upregulated in mandibular condylar chondrocytes, the GSK3β/β-CATENIN pathway was inhibited or activated, and the expression of cartilage matrix-degrading enzymes decreased or increased, which can be rescued by activator and inhibitor of the GSK3β/β-CATENIN pathway. Moreover, after down-regulation of Per1 in mandibular condylar cartilage in vivo, significant alleviation of cartilage degradation, cartilage loss, subchondral bone loss induced by jet lag, and inhibition of the GSK3β/β-CATENIN signaling pathway were observed. Circadian rhythm disruption can lead to TMJOA. The clock gene Per1 can promote the occurrence of TMJOA by activating the GSK3β/β-CATENIN pathway and promoting the expression of cartilage matrix-degrading enzymes. The clock gene Per1 is a target for the prevention and treatment of TMJOA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: In this study, we aimed to establish a rat tooth movement model to assess miR-20's ability in enhancing the BMP2 signaling pathway and facilitate alveolar bone remodeling. Method: 60 male SD rats had nickel titanium spring devices placed between their left upper first molars and incisors, with the right side serving as the control. Forces were applied at varying durations (18h, 24h, 30h, 36h, 42h, 1d, 3d, 5d, 7d, 14d), and their bilateral maxillary molars and surrounding alveolar bones were retrieved for analysis. Fluorescent quantitative PCR was conducted to assess miR-20a, BMP2, Runx2, Bambi and Smad6 gene expression in alveolar bone, and western blot was performed to determine the protein levels of BMP2, Runx2, Bambi, and Smad6 after mechanical loading. Result: We successfully established an orthodontic tooth movement model in SD rats and revealed upregulated miR-20a expression and significantly increased BMP2 and Runx2 gene expression and protein synthesis in alveolar bone during molar tooth movement. Although Bambi and Smad6 gene expression did not significantly increase, their protein synthesis was found to decrease significantly. Conclusion: MiR-20a was found to be involved in rat tooth movement model alveolar bone remodeling, wherein it promoted remodeling by reducing Bambi and Smad6 protein synthesis through the BMP2 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polarization has opened a new physics chapter in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. Since the first prediction and experimental observation of global spin polarization, a lot of progress has been made in understanding its features, both at experimental and theoretical levels. In this paper, we give an overview on the recent advances in this field. The covered topics include a review of measurements of global and local spin polarization of hyperons and the global spin alignment of vector meson's. We account for the basic theoretical framework to describe spin polarization in a relativistic fluid such as the Quark–Gluon Plasma, including statistical quantum field theory and local thermodynamic equilibrium, spin hydrodynamics, relativistic kinetic theory with spin and coalescence models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It was reported that the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway is involved in the regulation of aerobic glycolysis and that brain glycolytic dysfunction results in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Icariin (ICA), an active component extracted from Epimedii Folium, has been reported to produce neuroprotective effects in multiple models of AD, but its underlying mechanism remains to be fully described. We aimed to investigate the protective effects of ICA on animal and cell models of AD and confirm whether the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway has functions in the neuroprotective function of ICA. The 3 × Tg‐AD mice were treated with ICA. HT22 cells, the Aβ25‐35 peptide and Dickkopf‐1 (DKK1) agent (a specific inhibitor of the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway) were used to further explore the underlying mechanism of ICA that produces anti‐AD effects. Behavioral examination, western blotting assay, staining analysis, biochemical test, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays were applied. We first demonstrated that ICA significantly improved cognitive function and autonomous behavior, reduced neuronal damage, and reversed the protein levels and activities of glycolytic key enzymes, and expression of protein molecules of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway, in 3 × Tg‐AD mice back to wild‐type levels. Next, we further found that ICA increased cell viability and effectively improved the dysfunctional glycolysis in HT22 cells injured by Aβ25‐35. However, when canonical Wnt signaling was inhibited by DKK1, the above effects of ICA on glycolysis were abolished. In summary, ICA exerts neuroprotective effects in 3 × Tg‐AD animals and AD cellular models by enhancing the function of glycolysis through activation of the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Solid cancers Myeloid cells are prevalent in solid cancers, but they frequently exhibit an anti-inflammatory pro-tumor phenotype that contribute to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), which hinders the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies. Myeloid cells’ natural ability of tumor trafficking makes engineered myeloid cell therapy an intriguing approach to tackle the challenges posed by solid cancers, including tumor infiltration, tumor cell heterogenicity and the immunosuppressive TME. One such engineering approach is to target the checkpoint molecule PD-L1, which is often upregulated by solid cancers to evade immune responses. Method: Here we devised an adoptive cell therapy strategy based on myeloid cells expressing a Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-like immune receptor (CARIR). The extracellular domain of CARIR is derived from the natural inhibitory receptor PD-1, while the intracellular domain(s) are derived from CD40 and/or CD3ζ. To assess the efficacy of CARIR-engineered myeloid cells, we conducted proof-of-principle experiments using co-culture and flow cytometry-based phagocytosis assays in vitro. Additionally, we employed a fully immune-competent syngeneic tumor mouse model to evaluate the strategy’s effectiveness in vivo. Result: Co-culturing CARIR-expressing human monocytic THP-1 cells with PD-L1 expressing target cells lead to upregulation of the costimulatory molecule CD86 along with expression of proinflammatory cytokines TNF-1α and IL-1β. Moreover, CARIR expression significantly enhanced phagocytosis of multiple PD-L1 expressing cancer cell lines in vitro. Similar outcomes were observed with CARIR-expressing human primary macrophages. In experiments conducted in syngeneic BALB/c mice bearing 4T1 mammary tumors, infusing murine myeloid cells that express a murine version of CARIR significantly slowed tumor growth and prolonged survival. Conclusion: Taken together, these results demonstrate that adoptive transfer of PD-1 CARIR-engineered myeloid cells represents a promising strategy for treating PD-L1 positive solid cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the significant iron-based material, hydroxyl-functionalized ball-milled zero-valent iron/Fe3O4 (HFB-ZVI/Fe3O4) was employed for the experiments. The performance of the Electro + HFB-ZVI/Fe3O4 + Oxone system for the degradation of chemical oxygen demand (COD) in antibiotic wastewater was investigated. A direct current was applied between a graphite plate anode and two iron plate cathodes, and a series of operational parameters, such as applied electric current, the dosage of HFB-ZVI/Fe3O4 composite, the dosage of Oxone, and initial solution pH, were explored to evaluate the oxidation process. The application of electric current enhanced the gradual degradation of COD and the increase of current intensity accelerated COD degradation. The neutral condition was favourable for the rapid degradation of COD in a short reaction time by the Electro + HFB-ZVI/Fe3O4 + Oxone process and promoted the degradation efficiency of COD. An increase of electric current gradually decreased the reaction solution pH, the larger the electric current applied in the reaction process, the lower the final pH of the reaction solution. Under the optimal experimental conditions (1 g/L HFB-ZVI/Fe3O4 composite, 0.3 g/L Oxone, current intensity = 500 mA, initial solution pH = 7.85), Electro + HFB-ZVI/Fe3O4 + Oxone achieved 99% COD degradation in antibiotic wastewater. Radicals quenching experiments indicated the contribution to COD degradation by hydroxyl radicals (HO•), sulphate radicals (SO4•–) and other oxidants were 66.03%, 24.014% and 9.756%, respectively. The possible mechanism of COD degradation in the Electro + HFB-ZVI/Fe3O4 + Oxone system was also discussed in this study. The findings in this work provided useful information for the treatment of wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: With an incidence rate as high as 46%-58%, hypoglycemia is a common complication of glycemic management among those suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM). According to preclinical research, hypoglycemia episodes may impair cognition by harming neurons. However, there is still controversy regarding the clinical evidence for the relationship between hypoglycemic events and the likelihood of cognitive impairment. Furthermore, little research has been done on the dose-response association between hypoglycemia incidents and the possibility of cognitive impairment. To address these knowledge gaps, the present research intends to update the comprehension of the association among hypoglycemic events and the risk of cognitive impairment and to clarify the correlation between dose and response by incorporating the most recent investigations. Method and analysis: This work has developed a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis that will examine, via a well-organized assessment of several databases, the relationship between the incidence of hypoglycemia and the probability of cognitive impairment. Observational studies investigating the connection between hypoglycemia episodes and cognitive impairment will be included. The databases that will be searched are PubMed, Web of Science, the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), Cochrane Library, Embase, the China National Knowledge (CNKI), Wan Fang, the Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP), and Du Xiu. Literature from the establishment of each database to December 2023 will be included in the search. Two researchers will independently screen the studies that satisfy the requirements for both inclusion and exclusion. A third researcher will be asked to mediate any disputes. The methodological caliber of the studies included will be assessed utilizing the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) or the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal method. With regard to GRADE, which stands for Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation, the quality of the evidence will be evaluated. ROBIS Tool will be used to evaluate the risk of bias in the development of the systematic review. If the data is accessible, meta-analysis and dose-response curve analysis will be employed by Stata software. However, if the data does not allow for such analysis, a descriptive review will be performed. Discussion and conclusion: Hypoglycemic episodes may raise the likelihood of cognitive impairment, according to earlier investigations. This study will update the relevant evidence and explore the dose-response connection between hypoglycemic episodes and cognitive impairment. The results of this review will have significant effects on decision-making by individuals with diabetes, healthcare providers, and government policy institutions. Trial registration: Prospero registration number:CRD42023432352. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variation of multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) data presentation in existing scientific publications is a challenge for eye care practitioners to apply the scientific information for evidence-based practice in patient management. This review offers an overview of the mfERG data presentation types. Eight types of data presentation in the form of a table, scatter plot, line graph, bar graph/box plot, single waveform/a group of waveforms, trace array topography, three-dimensional topography, and two-dimensional topography are identified. The table format is used to provide the exact values. Line graphs, scatter, and box plots offer information about the relationship of mfERG values. Waveforms are helpful for comparison between groups or conditions. Topographies outline the retinal, especially the specific localized retinal abnormalities. An infographic of fundamental mfERG electrical response with definitions and clinical indications is provided to bridge the gap between researchers and clinicians to facilitate efficient clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA) is a common disease that negatively affects the life quality of human beings. Circadian rhythm acts an important role in life activities. However, whether the clock genes are rhythmic expressed in mandibular condylar chondrocytes, or the clock genes have an effect on the progression of TMJOA remains unknown. In this study, we aim to explore expression of clock genes and regulatory mechanism of TMJOA in rat mandibular condylar chondrocytes. Methods: After synchronized by dexamethasone, the expression of core clock genes Per1, Per2, Clock, Cry1, Cry2 and Bmal1 and cartilage matrix degrading factor gene Mmp13 were analyzed in mandibular condylar chondrocytes every 4 h with RT-qPCR. The mandibular condylar chondrocytes were stimulated with IL-1β, and expression of Per1, Mmp13, P65 and p-P65 was assessed by RT-qPCR and Western blot. Sh-Per1 lentivirus was used to assess the effect of clock gene Per1 in IL-1β-induced chondrocytes, and expression of Mmp13, P65 and p-P65 was measured. After establishing a rat TMJOA model using unilateral anterior crossbite (UAC), micro-CT, H & E, Alcian Blue & Nuclear Fast Red and Safranin O & Fast Green, cartilage thickness was utilized to assess the damage of cartilage and subchondral bone. Immunohistochemistry of PER1, MMP13 and P65 was performed in condylar sections. Results: All core clock genes and Mmp13 were rhythmically expressed. And Mmp13 expression curve was closed in phase and amplitude with Per1. After stimulation with IL-1β, the expression of MMP13, PER1 and P65 and ratio of p-P65/P65 increased in condylar chondrocytes. After Per1 was down-regulated in condylar chondrocytes, the expression of MMP13 and P65 and ratio of p-P65/P65 decreased. Compared with the condyles of Sham group, the bony parameters of UAC group were significantly worse. The thickness of cartilage in UAC group significantly reduced. The modified Mankin scores and the expression of PER1, MMP13 and P65 in cartilage of UAC group significantly increased compared with Sham group. Conclusion: Core clock genes and Mmp13 are rhythmic expressed in rat mandibular condylar chondrocytes. PER1 can regulate the expression of MMP13 through NF-κB pathway in IL-1β-induced mandibular condylar chondrocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of terpenoids (1–17), comprising six new compounds designated bipolariterpenes A-F (1–6) and eleven recognized compounds (7–17), were isolated from the wheat culture of the potato endophytic fungus Bipolariseleusines. Their structures and stereochemistry were clarified by HRESIMS, NMR, DP4 + probability analyses, and computations for electronic circular dichroism (ECD). All compounds are made up of six meroterpenoids, four sesterterpenes and seven sesquiterpenes. Among them, four sesterterpenes (4, 5, 10, 11) were investigated for their antifungal, antibacterial and cytotoxic properties, and six meroterpenoids (1–3, 7–9) were evaluated for their antifungal properties. The compounds 7, 9, and 10 had substantial antifungal activity against Epidermophytonfloccosum at a concentration of 100 µM. No antibacterial and cytotoxic activities were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the influence of chronotype on the prevalence of temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) and the morphology of temporomandibular joint (TMJ). According to the Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire-Self-Assessment, the participants were divided into morning group (n = 30), intermediate group (n = 83), and evening group (n = 30). Thirty participants were randomly selected from the intermediate group for subsequent examination and measurements. The morphology of TMJs was investigated using questionnaire and clinical examination form in Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorder. Meanwhile, the morphological results of TMJs were measured from cone-beam computed tomography images. The prevalence rate of TMD in the morning group (23%) was significantly lower than that in the intermediate group (56.7%), while there was no difference between the evening (53.4%) and intermediate groups. As to morphological measurements, there was no significant difference among three groups in mediolateral width of condylar process, anteroposterior width of condylar process, radius of condyle, medial joint space, lateral joint space, condylar stress angle, horizontal condylar inclination, width of glenoid fossa, depth of glenoid fossa, and posterior joint space, while there was a significant difference in horizontal condylar angle (p = 0.00490), articular eminence inclination (p <.0001), anterior joint space (p = 0.0163), and superior joint space (p = 0.0004). The morphology of TMJ in the morning group was better than that in the evening and intermediate groups. An association was found between TMD prevalence, temporomandibular morphology, and chronotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Mycotic subclavian artery aneurysms (SAAs) are a very rare disorder. Aim: To provide an overview of current knowledge on clinical features, management strategies and outcome evaluations of mycotic SAAs. Material and methods: The study materials were based on comprehensive literature retrieval of publications of mycotic SAAs published between 2000 and 2023. Results: Contaminated mechanical injuries and abscess erosions of the arterial walls are mechanisms of mycotic SAAs. The diagnosis relies on detection of pathogenic microorganisms by cultures or microbiological investigations of blood, other fluids and infected tissues as well as medical imaging visualization. The indications for an interventional therapy were poor general condition, high surgical risk, and rescue exclusion for a ruptured pseudoaneurysm. Three (9.1%) pre-treatment deaths were a result of sudden rupture of the mycotic SAAs and thus they lost the opportunity of treatment. All post-treatment deaths occurred in the interventional patient group, whereas the causes of death seemed to be unrelated to mycotic SAAs per se or to treatments of choice. Patient outcome evaluations revealed no significant difference between different treatments of choice. No significant predictive risk factors were responsible for patient outcomes. Conclusions: Once a diagnosis of mycotic SAA is made, sensitive antibacterial drugs are applied immediately to control the infection and control aneurysmal progression. Early treatment is conducted as soon as possible to avoid aneurysmal rupture. A decision on treatment of choice is made based on the patient’s specific condition. Antibacterial drug use is continued for about 6 weeks after surgical or interventional therapy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the mechanism of RNA-binding protein hnRNP A1 in mouse hippocampal neurons (HT22) on glycolysis. Methods: RIP and CLIP-qPCR were performed by HT22 in vitro to observe the mechanism of hnRNP A1 regulating the expression of key proteins in glycolysis. The RNA binding domain of hnRNP A1 protein in HT22 was inhibited by VPC-80051, and the effect of hnRNP A1 on glycolysis of HT22 was observed. Lentivirus overexpression of hnRNP A1 was used to observe the effect of overexpression of hnRNP A1 on glycolysis of Aβ25-35-injured HT22. The expression of hnRNP A1 in brain tissues of wild-type mice and triple-transgenic (APP/PS1/Tau) AD mice at different ages was studied by Western blot assay. Results: The results of RIP experiment showed that hnRNP A1 and HK1 mRNA were significantly bound. The results of CLIP-qPCR showed that hnRNP A1 directly bound to the 2605-2821 region of HK1 mRNA. hnRNP A1 inhibitor can down-regulate the expression of HK1 mRNA and HK1 protein in HT22 cells. Overexpression of hnRNP A1 can significantly reduce the toxic effect of Aβ25-35 on neurons via the hnRNP A1/HK1/pyruvate pathway. In addition, inhibition of hnRNP A1 binding to amyloid precursor protein (APP) RNA was found to increase A25-35 expression, while Aβ25-35 also down-regulated hnRNP A1 expression by enhancing phosphorylation of p38 MAPK in HT22. They interact to form bidirectional regulation, further down-regulating the expression of hnRNP A1, and ultimately aggravating glycolytic dysfunction. Protein immunoblotting showed that hnRNP A1 decreased with age in mouse brain tissue, and the decrease was greater in AD mice, suggesting that the decrease of hnRNP A1 may be a predisposed factor in the pathogenesis of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to provide a realistic observation of survival by major site for 48,866 cancer patients treated at a tertiary cancer hospital in a rural area of China. Methods: Patients with cancer registered between 2007 and 2017 in the Nantong rural area were followed up. The starting date for survival calculation was the date of the first diagnosis of cancer at the Nantong Tumor Hospital, and the closing date was December 31, 2020. Observed survival (OS) was analyzed according to ICD-10 site, sex, age, region, and hospitalization period using the life table method and compared using the Wilcoxon (Gehan) statistic. Results: The overall 5-year OS rate was 40.48% for all 48,866 patients, 30.19% for males, and 51.90% for females. The top five cancer sites, accounting for 60.51% of the total cases, were the esophagus, lung, stomach, liver, and cervix, with 5-year OS rates of 33.72%, 18.64%, 32.10%, 19.04%, and 71.51%, respectively. The highest 5-year OS was observed in the thyroid (87.52%) and the lowest was in the pancreas (6.37%). Survival was significantly higher in younger patients than in older patients, with 5-year OSs of 69.26% and 19.84% in those aged 20-29 and 90-99 years, respectively. Five-year OSs improved significantly from 39.35% in 2007-2011 to 41.26% in 2012-2017. Conclusion: Overall survival improved over the years, although the improvement at some sites was not significant. The observed survival varies from region to region, reflecting differences in the patterns of major sites, disparities in proportions of hospitalization, and demographic characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are an integral antitumor therapy for many malignancies. Most patients show very good tolerability to ICIs; however, serious immune-related adverse events (irAEs) with ICIs have been well documented and prevent some patients from continuing ICIs or even become the direct cause of patient death. Cytopenia is a rare irAE but can be life-threatening. Here, we present the case of a 66-year-old male patient with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma who received two doses of chemotherapy + PD-1 antibody tislelizumab and developed pancytopenia after each dose. Although the first episode of pancytopenia resolved with a treatment regimen of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), thrombopoietin (TPO), and red blood cell and platelet transfusion, the second episode showed extreme resistance to these treatments and improved only after the administration of steroids. His second pancytopenia episode resolved after a long course of treatment with methylprednisolone, G-CSF, TPO, hetrombopag and multiple red blood cell and platelet transfusions. However, he suffered a cerebral infarction when his platelet count was in the normal range and gradually recovered 1 week later. This case highlights the importance of the early recognition and management of hematological irAEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is the treatment of choice for patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis. Aim: To evaluate the neurological event and mortality rates of TAVI in comparison with those of surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). Material and methods: A systematic literature search identified pertinent full-text journal articles published from 2000 to 2022 that were taken as the study materials. Results: Patients were at the age of 79.3 ±2.8 years and 79.9 ±2.9 years at the time of intervention/open surgery in the TAVI and SAVR groups, respectively. Patients' age and preoperative comorbidity rates were similar in both groups. A self-expanding valve prosthesis and a percutaneous transfemoral route were the most commonly used in patients receiving TAVI. The duration of the procedure and the hospital stay were much shorter, and the number of transfused blood units was much lower in the TAVI group than in the SAVR group. No significant intergroup difference was found in the prevalence of postoperative stroke, 1-month all-cause mortality, and 1-month and 1-year cardiovascular mortality rates. However, 1-year all-cause mortality was much lower in the TAVI than the SAVR group. The subgroups of risk stratification showed better outcomes for non-high-risk patients compared with high-risk patients. Conclusions: Irrespective of other postoperative complications of TAVI, this study emphasizes the postoperative major neurological events and mortality. TAVI appears to be superior to SAVR with regard to 1-year all-cause mortality. TAVI is thus recommended for elderly patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis at very high surgical risk contraindicated for SAVR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy is the foundation for treatment of advanced bladder cancer (BlCa), but many patients develop chemoresistance mediated by increased Akt and ERK phosphorylation. However, the mechanism by which cisplatin induces this increase has not been elucidated. Among six patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of BlCa, we observed that the cisplatin-resistant BL0269 express high epidermal growth factor receptor, ErbB2/HER2 and ErbB3/HER3. Cisplatin treatment transiently increased phospho-ErbB3 (Y1328), phospho-ERK (T202/Y204) and phospho-Akt (S473), and analysis of radical cystectomy tissues from patients with BlCa showed correlation between ErbB3 and ERK phosphorylation, likely due to the activation of ERK via the ErbB3 pathway. In vitro analysis revealed a role for the ErbB3 ligand heregulin1-β1 (HRG1/NRG1), which is higher in chemoresistant lines compared to cisplatin-sensitive cells. Additionally, cisplatin treatment, both in PDX and cell models, increased HRG1 levels. The monoclonal antibody seribantumab, that obstructs ErbB3 ligand-binding, suppressed HRG1-induced ErbB3, Akt and ERK phosphorylation. Seribantumab also prevented tumor growth in both the chemosensitive BL0440 and chemoresistant BL0269 models. Our data demonstrate that cisplatin-associated increases in Akt and ERK phosphorylation is mediated by an elevation in HRG1, suggesting that inhibition of ErbB3 phosphorylation may be a useful therapeutic strategy in BlCa with high phospho-ErbB3 and HRG1 levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compared urban and rural referrals from a community-based eye health screening program named 'Jom Check Mata Malaysia (JCMM)'. The program was carried out in nine different states in Peninsular Malaysia—a total of 18 screening locations with a mix of urban and rural. Two mobile eye clinics were mobilised for community-based eye health screenings. This study involved 3,139 participants (1,158 and 1,981 participants from rural and urban, respectively). Visual complaints were collected via interviews using an ocular symptom checklist. The visual acuity was screened using a Snellen Chart. Ocular health screening, including anterior and posterior eye segments, was screened using slit-lamp bio-microscopy and fundus camera. Overall referrals were 2,139 (68%), 846 (27%) and 362 (12%) based on visual complaints, visual acuity and ocular health screening, respectively. Rural locations had significantly higher referral rates for visual complaint screening (χ2 = 422.53, p<0.05), visual acuity screening (χ² = 20.20, p<0.05) as well as ocular health screening (χ² = 64.70, p<0.05) compared to the urban locations. There was a consistent pattern of higher rural referrals for all types of vision screening. Information from our three-category screening analysis could help to design a vision screening for our rural and urban populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD) are considered whole‐brain disorders with some common clinical and neurobiological features. It is important to investigate neural mechanisms to distinguish between the two disorders. However, few studies have explored the functional dysconnectivity between the two disorders from the whole brain level. Methods: In this study, 117 patients with MDD, 65 patients with BD, and 116 healthy controls completed resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (R‐fMRI) scans. Both edge‐based network construction and large‐scale network analyses were applied. Results: Results found that both the BD and MDD groups showed decreased FC in the whole brain network. The shared aberrant network across patients involves the visual network (VN), sensorimotor network (SMN), dorsal attention network (DAN), and ventral attention network (VAN), which is related to the processing of external stimuli. The default mode network (DMN) and the limbic network (LN) abnormalities were only found in patients with MDD. Furthermore, results showed the highest decrease in edges of patients with MDD in between‐network FC in SMN–VN, whereas in VAN–VN of patients with BD. Conclusions: Our findings indicated that both MDD and BD are extensive abnormal brain network diseases, mainly aberrant in those brain networks correlated to the processing of external stimuli, especially the attention network. Specific altered functional connectivity also was found in MDD and BD groups, respectively. These results may provide possible trait markers to distinguish the two disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal harvesting and storage using phase change materials (PCMs) plays a critical role in thermal management and solar energy utilization. However, the intrinsically low thermal conductivity, solid–liquid leakage, and poor solar-thermoelectric conversion capacity are significant challenges for applications of PCMs in these fields. Herein, we report a green, robust, and versatile carboxymethyl cellulose/boron nitride nanosheet unidirectional aerogel (CBNA) with extraordinary mechanical properties to encapsulate lauric acid (LA). The obtained LA@CBNA composite PCM (CPCM) exhibits an ultrahigh latent heat of 190.4 J g−1, which is up to 98.1% that of LA. Compared with LA, the thermal conductivity of LA@CBNA is significantly increased from 0.2011 to 1.1425 W m−1 K−1. The preeminent thermophysical properties endow this CPCM with an extraordinary thermal management performance in electronic devices. The thermal management tests show that the temperature of a working chip can be reduced by 36.1 °C at 2.5 W. The addition of a small trace of graphene (10% of boron nitride nanosheets) can endow the CPCM with an excellent solar-thermal conversion efficiency of 88.89%, while the thermal conductivity is further improved to 1.2856 W m−1 K−1. Meanwhile, a solar-thermal energy conversion and storage system integrated with a thermoelectric generator can achieve 54.56% solar-thermoelectric conversion efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To analyze and compare the effects of different clinical characteristics on the negative conversion time of nucleic acid detection after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant infection, and to provide a scientific basis for the isolation and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods The epidemiological and clinical data of 228 mild SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infected patients diagnosed in Shanghai were retrospectively collected from April 27, 2022 to June 8, 2022 in Wujiaochang designated Hospital, Yangpu District, Shanghai. The negative conversion time of nucleic acid detection was used as the outcome variable, and the patients were divided into A (≤ 18 days) and B (>18 days). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the influencing factors of the negative conversion time of nucleic acid detection. Results The mean nucleic acid conversion time of 228 patients was (18.7±12.1) d, with the median time of 18 (2-46) d. Among them, 120 patients in group A had an average nucleic acid conversion time of (13.2±2.0) d, and 108 cases in group B had an average nucleic acid conversion time of (20.8±1.3) d. Univariate analysis showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the effects of hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypokalemia, malignant tumors, neuropsychiatric diseases, chronic digestive diseases on the negative nucleic acid conversion time (P>0.05); however, there were significant differences in the effects of combined cerebrovascular disease, leukopenia, chronic respiratory system diseases and vaccination on the negative nucleic acid conversion time (P<0.05). Further multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the combination of chronic respiratory diseases and non-vaccination were significant risk factors for prolongation of negative nucleic acid conversion time (P<0.05). Conclusions The results of this study show that gender, age and whether hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, hypokalemia, malignant tumor, neuropsychiatric disease and chronic digestive disease have no significant effect on the nucleic acid conversion time, whereas chronic respiratory disease and no vaccination are significantly correlated with the prolongation of nucleic acid conversion time in SARS-CoV-2 Omicron-infected patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming may result in increased polar amplification, but future temperature changes under different climate change scenarios have not been systematically investigated over Antarctica. An index of Antarctic amplification (AnA) is defined, and the annual and seasonal variations of Antarctic mean temperature are examined from projections of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) under scenarios SSP119, SSP126, SSP245, SSP370 and SSP585. AnA occurs under all scenarios, and is strongest in the austral summer and autumn, with an AnA index greater than 1.40. Although the warming over Antarctica accelerates with increased anthropogenic forcing, the magnitude of AnA is greatest in SSP126 instead of in SSP585, which may be affected by strong ocean heat uptake in high forcing scenario. Moreover, future AnA shows seasonal difference and regional difference. AnA is most conspicuous in the East Antarctic sector, with the amplification occurring under all scenarios and in all seasons, especially in austral summer when the AnA index is greater than 1.50, and the weakest signal appears in austral winter. Differently, the AnA over West Antarctica is strongest in austral autumn. Under SSP585, the temperature increase over the Antarctic Peninsula exceeds 0.5°C when the global average warming increases from 1.5°C to 2.0°C above pre-industrial levels, except in the austral summer, and the AnA index in this region is strong in the austral autumn and winter. The projections suggest that the warming rate under different scenarios might make a large difference to the future AnA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) are considered ideal cell sources for the regeneration of periodontal and alveolar bone tissue. Cytoskeleton Regulator RNA (CYTOR), a newly discovered long noncoding RNA, has been reported to function as competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) and to be involved in many biological processes. However, its roles in PDLSC osteogenic differentiation remain unclear. Here, we firstly found CYTOR was mainly sublocalized in the cytoplasm of PDLSCs and CYTOR expression was increased during osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs. By employing gain- and loss-of-function approaches, we then identified CYTOR overexpression promoted osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs while CYTOR knockdown inhibited this process. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis was utilized to show that both CYTOR and SOX11 mRNA contained the same seed sites for miR-6512-3p, which was further confirmed by dual luciferase reporter assay and RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation. Notably, CYTOR conferred its functions by directly binding to miR-6512-3p and an inverse correlation between CYTOR and miR-6512-3p on the level on SOX11 and osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs was obtained. Additionally, miR-6512-3p could bind to SOX11 mRNA 3 ′ UTR and repressed SOX11 expression. Moreover, level of SOX11 was significantly increased during osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs. Knockdown of SOX11 attenuated the increasing effect of CYTOR overexpression on osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs. Collectively, these data supported that CYTOR positively modulated the expression of SOX11 through competitively binding to miR-6512-3p, thus promoting osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs. The CYTOR/miR-6512-3p/SOX11 axis could be a novel therapeutic target for periodontal regeneration medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) has been widely used in rail transportation, new energy sources and other fields. Its reliability research is currently a hot topic for scholars. Aiming at the reliability analysis of IGBT, this paper proposes a deep learning model based on long and short-term memory network and convolutional neural network (LSTM-CNN) as the backbone network for IGBT failure prediction. In the model, the introduced attention mechanism gives a higher weight of dominant factors to the features of different dimensions so as to strengthen the influence of important information. At the same time, cross-connection of the network structure fully extracts the features of different levels. The fused multi-level features improve the generalization and robustness of the model. This method is validated on IGBT accelerated aging dataset of National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The experimental results show that, compared with the current mainstream models, the root-mean-square error of the prediction accuracy of the attention mechanism and cross-connection improves by 1.27% and 0.78% respectively. Based on this, a network model based on the fusion of attention mechanism and LSTM-CNN with jump structures is further proposed, and its root-mean-square error of the prediction accuracy increases by 2. 68%. It can be concluded that in the failure prediction of IGBT, attention mechanism and cross-connection improve the generalization and robustness of the model from different perspectives, which fully indicates the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new pyrrole alkaloids albifipyrrols A–C (1–3), were isolated from the endophytic fungus Albifimbria viridis collected from the Chinese medicinal plant. Their structures were elucidated by extensive NMR and HRESIMS spectrometric analyses. All compounds were evaluated for immunosuppressive activity. Fortunately, compound 2 exhibits certain inhibition specifically against the LPS-induced proliferation of B lymphocyte cells with IC50 value 16.16 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pimarane diterpenes are a kind of tricyclic diterpene, generally isolated from plant and fungi. In nature, fungi distribute widely and there are nearly two to three million species. They provide many secondary metabolites, including pimarane diterpenes, with novel skeletons and bioactivities. These natural products from fungi have the potential to be developed into clinical medicines. Herein, the structures and bioactivities of 197 pimarane diterpenes are summarized and the biosynthesis and pharmacological researches of pimarane diterpenes are introduced. This review may be useful improving the understanding of pimarane diterpenes from fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the common problems, such as noise pollution, low contrast, and color distortion in underwater images, and the characteristics of holothurian recognition, such as morphological ambiguity, high similarity with the background, and coexistence of special ecological scenes, this paper proposes an underwater holothurian target-detection algorithm (FA-CenterNet), based on improved CenterNet and scene feature fusion. First, to reduce the model's occupancy of embedded device resources, we use EfficientNet-B3 as the backbone network to reduce the model's Params and FLOPs. At the same time, EfficientNet-B3 increases the depth and width of the model, which improves the accuracy of the model. Then, we design an effective FPT (feature pyramid transformer) combination module to fully focus and mine the information on holothurian ecological scenarios of different scales and spaces (e.g., holothurian spines, reefs, and waterweeds are often present in the same scenario as holothurians). The co-existing scene information can be used as auxiliary features to detect holothurians, which can improve the detection ability of fuzzy and small-sized holothurians. Finally, we add the AFF module to realize the deep fusion of the shallow-detail and high-level semantic features of holothurians. The results show that the method presented in this paper yields better results on the 2020 CURPC underwater target-detection image dataset with an AP50 of 83.43%, Params of 15.90 M, and FLOPs of 25.12 G compared to other methods. In the underwater holothurian-detection task, this method improves the accuracy of detecting holothurians with fuzzy features, a small size, and dense scene. It also achieves a good balance between detection accuracy, Params, and FLOPs, and is suitable for underwater holothurian detection in most situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several echocardiographic methods to estimate pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) have been proposed. So far, most studies have focused on relatively low PVR in patients with a nonspecific type of pulmonary hypertension. We aimed to clarify the clinical usefulness of a new echocardiographic index for evaluating markedly elevated PVR in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). We studied 127 CTEPH patients. We estimated the systolic and mean pulmonary artery pressure using echocardiography (sPAPEcho, mPAPEcho) and measured the left ventricular internal diameter at end diastole (LVIDd). sPAPEcho/LVIDd and mPAPEcho/LVIDd were then correlated with invasive PVR. Using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, a cutoff value for the index was generated to identify patients with PVR > 1000 dyn·s·cm−5. We analyzed pre‐ and postoperative hemodynamics and echocardiographic data in 49 patients who underwent pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA). In this study, mPAPEcho/LVIDd moderately correlated with PVR (r = 0.51, p < 0.0001). There was a better correlation between PVR and sPAPEcho/LVIDd (r = 0.61, p < 0.0001). sPAPEcho/LVIDd ≥ 1.94 had an 77.1% sensitivity and 75.4% specificity to determine PVR > 1000 dyn·s·cm−5 (area under curve = 0.804, p < 0.0001, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.66–0.90). DeLong's method showed there was a statistically significant difference between sPAPEcho/LVIDd with tricuspid regurgitation velocity2/velocity–time integral of the right ventricular outflow tract (difference between areas 0.14, 95% CI, 0.00–0.27). The sPAPEcho/LVIDd and mPAPEcho/LVIDd significantly decreased after PEA (both p < 0.0001). The sPAPEcho/LVIDd and mPAPEcho/LVIDd reduction rate (ΔsPAPEcho/LVIDd and ΔmPAPEcho/LVIDd) was significantly correlated with PVR reduction rate (ΔPVR), respectively (r = 0.58, p < 0.01; r = 0.69, p < 0.05). In conclusion, the index of sPAPEcho/LVIDd could be a simpler and reliable method in estimating CTEPH with markedly elevated PVR and also be a convenient method of estimating PVR both before and after PEA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Both coil and hook-wire localization techniques are commonly employed prior to video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) resection in patients with lung nodules (LNs), but the relative advantages of each remain uncertain. Aim: This meta-analysis was performed to explore the relative safety and efficacy of coil localization (CL) and hookwire localization (HWL) for patients with LNs. Material and methods: The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Wanfang, and CINK databases were searched to identify relevant studies published as of February 2022, after which pooled analyses of study outcomes were conducted. Results: In total, 8 studies met the inclusion criteria for the present meta-analysis. Successful localization rates were higher for the CL group relative to the HWL group (p = 0.0001). The CL group additionally exhibited significantly lower pooled total complication, pneumothorax, and lung hemorrhage rates relative to the HWL group (p = 0.01, p = 0.0001, p = 0.0009). Pooled duration of localization, VATS procedure duration, and wedge resection duration values were comparable in both groups (p = 0.69, p = 0.16, p = 0.76), as were chest pain scores (p = 0.06). When specifically analyzing the subset of patients with ground-glass LNs, pooled pneumothorax rates were significantly lower in the CL group relative to the HWL group (p = 0.03). Significant publication bias was detected with respect to rates of lung hemorrhage (Egger test, p = 0.029), but was not evident for other analyzed variables. Conclusions: These results suggest that the coil-based localization of LNs before VATS resection is safer and more effective than hook-wire localization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nervous system is critically involved in bone homeostasis and osteogenesis. Dopamine, a pivotal neurotransmitter, plays a crucial role in sympathetic regulation, hormone secretion, immune activation, and blood pressure regulation. However, the role of dopamine on osteogenic differentiation of rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs) remains poorly understood. In this study, we firstly investigated the effect of dopamine on the apoptosis, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation of rBMSCs. Dopamine did not, however, interfere with the apoptosis and proliferation of rBMSCs. Interestingly, dopamine suppressed the osteogenic differentiation of rBMSCs, as characterized by reduced ALP staining, ALP activity, mineralized nodule formation, and the mRNA and protein levels of osteogenesis-related genes (Col1a1, Alp, Runx2, Opn, and Ocn). Furthermore, dopamine inactivated AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway. Treatment of LiCl (GSK-3β inhibitor) rescued the inhibitory effects of dopamine on osteogenic differentiation of rBMSCs. LY294002 (AKT inhibitor) administration exacerbated the inhibitory effects of dopamine on osteogenic differentiation of rBMSCs. Taken together, these findings indicate that dopamine suppresses osteogenic differentiation of rBMSCs via AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway. Our study provides new insights into the role of neurotransmitters in bone homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malignant tumors seriously threaten people's health and life worldwide. Natural products, with definite pharmacological effects and known chemical structures, present dual advantages of Chinese herbs and chemotherapeutic drug. Some of them exhibit favorable anti-cancer activity. Natural products were categorized into eight classes according to their chemical structures, including alkaloids, terpenoids and volatile oils, inorganic salts, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids and isoflavones, quinone, saponins and polysaccharides. The review focused on the latest advances in anti-cancer activity of representative natural products for every class. Additionally, anti-cancer molecular mechanism and derivatization of natural products were summarized in detail, which would provide new core structures and new insights for anti-cancer new drug development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four new eremophilane-type sesquiterpenes, boeremialanes A–D (1–4) were obtained from solid substrate cultures of Boeremia exigua (Didymellaceae), an endophytic fungus isolated from Fritillaria hupehensis (Liliaceae). Boeremialanes A–C (1–3) are highly oxygenated eremophilanes with a benzoate unit attached at the C-13 position and are rarely found in nature. Their structures and absolute configurations were determined by extensive spectroscopic methods, electronic circular dichroism (ECD), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) calculations with DP4+ analysis. Boeremialane D (4) potently inhibited nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-treated RAW264.7 macrophages with an IC50 of 8.62 μM and was more potent than the positive control, pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (IC50 = 23.1 μM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous works have shown that zearalenone (ZEA), as an estrogenic pollutant, has adverse effects on mammalian folliculogenesis. In the present study, we found that prolonged exposure of female mice to ZEA around the end of pregnancy caused severe impairment of primordial follicle formation in the ovaries of newborn mice and altered the expression of many genes in oocytes as revealed by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). These changes were associated with morphological and molecular alterations of mitochondria, increased autophagic markers in oocytes, and epigenetic changes in the ovaries of newborn mice from ZEA-exposed mothers. The latter increased expression of HDAC2 deacetylases was leading to decreased levels of H3K9ac and H4K12ac. Most of these modifications were relieved when the expression of Hdac2 in newborn ovaries was reduced by RNA interference during in vitro culture in the presence of ZEA. Such changes were also alleviated in offspring ovaries from mothers treated with both ZEA and the coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), which is known to be able to restore mitochondrial activities. We concluded that impaired mitochondrial activities in oocytes caused by ZEA are at the origin of metabolic alterations that modify the expression of genes controlling autophagy and primordial follicle assembly through changes in epigenetic histones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scale-up applications of phase change materials (PCMs) are hindered by their solid–liquid leakage, low thermal conductivity, and poor solar-thermal conversion capacity. In this work, a novel reduced graphene oxide aerogel (rGAA) encapsulated PCM is reported by introducing a high aspect ratio of silver nanowires (AgNWs) to a reduced graphene oxide aerogel (rGA). The AgNWs pass through the pores of the aerogel and significantly improve the thermal conductivity of the lauric acid (LA) PCM. The obtained LA@rGA and LA@rGAA-2 show an ultrahigh latent heat of 185.8 J g−1 and 176.5 J g−1, respectively, which is 95.4% and 90.9% that of pure LA. In contrast to the penalty of a 4.5% decrease in the latent heat capacity, the thermal conductivity is significantly increased from 0.435 W m−1 K−1 for LA@rGA to 0.856 W m−1 K−1 for LA@rGAA-2, which is 1.63 and 3.21 times that of pure LA. The LA@rGAA-2 can effectively maintain a stable temperature by absorbing large amounts of latent heat from the surroundings during the heating process and dissipating the heat quickly to the environment during the cooling process. Furthermore, the novel LA@rGAA can realize an efficient solar-thermal conversion. Both LA@rGA and LA@rGAA display superhigh sunlight absorption capacities with average values exceeding 90% over the UV-Vis-NIR region, while the solar-thermal conversion efficiency is increased from 70.21% for LA@rGA to 94.54% for LA@rGAA-2. The significant enhancement in the solar-thermal conversion efficiency is ascribed to the successful construction of a 3D thermal conductive network by rGO and AgNW. Therefore, the novel LA@rGAA is believed to have significant potential in fields such as waste heat recovery, intelligent thermal management material for electronics, and solar energy utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the impact of color and polarity in predicting the changes of visual resolution for different text backgrounds with increasing contrast ratios. Methods: Text-background designs of eight contrast ratios (0.15, 0.30, 0.47, 0.52, 0.57, 0.60, 0.70, and 0.78) and two text polarities (positive; black text and negative; white text) were compared with and without the presence of background color (blue, green, orange, and red). The visual resolution was measured in logMAR using Landolt C. The rate of changes in visual resolution measurements was analyzed using linear regression as contrast ratios increased with and without background color. Results: Visual resolution varied significantly with and without the background color element under both polarity investigations (P < 0.05). Contrast ratio accounts for 77.4% of the variation within the visual resolution measurement with a color background [F(1,6) = 20.76, P <0.01]. Contrast ratio accounts for 97.16% of the variation in visual resolution measurements without a color background [F(1,6) = 205.63, P <0.01]. Conclusion: As contrast decreases, color plays a more significant role than the non-color factor in the resolution of fine details in both polarities as it influences the visual resolution outcome which is reflected in the measurements in logMAR units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Revealing the effects of maternal di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate exposure on the progression of early meiosis in female foetal germ cells at single-cell resolution Taken together with its aberrant distribution in the UMAP plot, we, therefore, designated them as abnormal leptotene cell clusters induced by maternal DEHP exposure, which was supported by the higher proportion of abnormal leptotene cells to overall leptotene cells in the DEHP group (Figure S2E). Besides, chromosome spread analysis showed that the percentages of RAD51-positive cells after DEHP treatment were significantly higher in both zygotene and pachytene cells (Figure 3E,G). [Extracted from the article]

Mayer–Rokitansky–Küster–Hauser (MRKH) syndrome, also known as Müllerian agenesis, is characterized by uterovaginal aplasia in an otherwise phenotypically normal female with a normal 46,XX karyotype. Previous studies have associated sequence variants of PAX8, TBX6, GEN1, WNT4, WNT9B, BMP4, BMP7, HOXA10, EMX2, LHX1, GREB1L, LAMC1, and other genes with MRKH syndrome. The purpose of this study was to identify the novel genetic causes of MRKH syndrome. Ten patients with MRKH syndrome were recruited at Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. Whole-exome sequencing was performed for each patient. Sanger sequencing confirmed the potential causative genetic variants in each patient. In silico analysis and American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) guidelines helped to classify the pathogenicity of each variant. The Robetta online protein structure prediction tool determined whether the variants affected protein structures. Eleven variants were identified in 90% (9/10) of the patients and were considered a molecular genetic diagnosis of MRKH syndrome. These 11 variants were related to nine genes: TBC1D1, KMT2D, HOXD3, DLG5, GLI3, HIRA, GATA3, LIFR, and CLIP1. Sequence variants of TBC1D1 were found in two unrelated patients. All variants were heterozygous. These changes included one frameshift variant, one stop-codon variant, and nine missense variants. All identified variants were absent or rare in gnomAD East Asian populations. Two of the 11 variants (18.2%) were classified as pathogenic according to the ACMG guidelines, and the remaining nine (81.8%) were classified as variants of uncertain significance. Robetta online protein structure prediction analysis suggested that missense variants in TBC1D1 (p.E357Q), HOXD3 (p.P192R), and GLI3 (p.L299V) proteins caused significant structural changes compared to those in wild-type proteins, which in turn may lead to changes in protein function. This study identified many novel genes, especially TBC1D1, related to the pathogenesis of MRKH syndrome. The identification of these variants provides new insights into the etiology of MRKH syndrome and a new molecular genetic reference for the development of the reproductive tract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory and destructive disease caused by periodontal microbial infection and mediated by host immune response. As the main cause of loosening and loss of teeth in adults, it is considered to be one of the most common and serious oral diseases in the world. The co-existence of periodontitis and systemic chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes and so on is very common. It has been found that interleukin-17A (IL-17A) secreted by various innate and adaptive immune cells can activate a series of inflammatory cascade reactions, which mediates the occurrence and development of periodontitis and related systemic chronic inflammatory diseases. In this work, we review the role of IL-17A in the pathomechanisms of periodontitis and related systemic chronic inflammatory diseases, and briefly discuss the therapeutic potential of cytokine targeted agents that modulate the IL-17A signaling. A deep understanding of the possible molecular mechanisms in the relationship between periodontitis and systemic diseases will help dentists and physicians update their clinical diagnosis and treatment ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The family Lucanidae Latreille, 1804, has long been considered to be one of the most archaic groups in the superfamily Scarabaeoidea and contains more than 110 genera and about 1300 extant species. Most adult lucanids display obvious sexual dimorphism as males are often larger and possess well-developed and variable mandibles used to compete with other males. For a long period of time, researchers of stag beetles have had problems and disputes, because many views are only speculation and cannot be supported by the evidence of fossil specimens. In this paper, we describe and illustrate a new fossil species from the Early Cretaceous of northeastern China: Prolucanus beipiaoensis gen. et sp. nov. Based on this well-preserved specimen, a new genus is established, representing the first record of the fossil Lucaninae in China and the oldest reliable record of the subfamily. A new stag beetle fossil is described from the Yixian Formation in northeastern China. A new genus is established based on this well-preserved specimen. Prolucanus beipiaoensis gen. et sp. nov. is firmly placed in the extant lucanid subfamily Lucaninae based on its broad prosternal process and geniculate antennae. Our discovery represents the first fossil record of Lucaninae from the Late Mesozoic of China and the oldest reliable record belonging to the subfamily. We also summarize the fossil species of stag beetles found in China and the described fossil species of the subfamily Lucaninae found in the world. A key to all fossil genera of Lucanidae from China is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental influence is one of the attributing factors for health status. Chronic interaction with electronic display technology and lack of outdoor activities might lead to health issues. Given the concerns about the digital impact on lifestyle and health challenges, we aimed to investigate the daily activity inclination and health complaints among the Malaysian youth. A self-administered questionnaire covering lifestyle and health challenges was completed by 220 youths aged between 16 and 25. There were a total of 22 questions. Seven questions inspected the patterns of indoor and outdoor activities. Fifteen questions focused on the visual and musculoskeletal symptoms linked to both mental and physical health. The total time spent indoors (15.0 ± 5.4 hours/day) was significantly higher than that spent outdoors (2.5 ± 2.6 hours/day) (t = 39.01, p < 0.05). Total time engrossed in sedentary activities (13.0 ± 4.5 hours/day) was significantly higher than that in nonsedentary activities (4.5 ± 3.8 hours/day) comprised of indoor sports and any outdoor engagements (t = 27.10, p < 0.05). The total time spent on electronic related activities (9.5 ± 3.7 hours/day) was were higher than time spent on printed materials (3.4 ± 1.6 hours/day) (t = 26.01, p < 0.05). The association of sedentary activities was positive in relation to tired eyes (χ2 = 17.58, p < 0.05), sensitivity to bright light (χ2 = 12.10, p < 0.05), and neck pain (χ2 = 17.27, p < 0.05) but negative in relation to lower back pain (χ2 = 8.81, p < 0.05). Our youth spent more time in building and engaged in sedentary activities, predominantly electronic usage. The health-related symptoms, both visual and musculoskeletal symptoms, displayed a positive association with a sedentary lifestyle and a negative association with in-building time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, various models for single gully debris flow assessment have been proposed. Due to various factors affecting the mechanisms of debris flows, these models face many problems during the prediction process. Based on the debris flow data of Yunnan, Yellow River Jishixia Reservoir Area, Beichuan County of Sichuan Province, two typical debris flow evaluation models, gray relation analysis and support vector machine, are used as examples to investigate the problems of parameter selection, sample data imbalance, generalization ability, spatial variability of the debris flow system, and the sample size. Relevant solutions are given to provide guidance for the future application of various single gully debris flow assessment models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]