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The Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) was formed by the aggregation and collage of numerous Paleozoic subduction‐accretion assemblages and Precambrian microcontinental blocks. However, the tectonic nature of the southeastern CAOB remains controversial, which complicates the reconstruction of the Paleo‐Asian Ocean. To address this issue, a deep seismic reflection survey was initiated across the southeastern CAOB and reveals broad gentle sub‐horizontal reflectors in the middle‐lower crust and a relatively transparent zone in the upper crust. Combining with the Precambrian geological outcrops and other geophysical features, we support a microcontinental block, the Xilinhot Block, existed in the Paleo‐Asian domain. Thus, the Paleo‐Asian Ocean was separated into two branches that underwent north‐dipping and double‐dipping oceanic plate subduction, respectively, to form the Hegenshan‐Heihe and Solonker sutures. Multiple relics beneath Hegenshan‐Heihe Suture indicate that multiple sets of unidirectional oceanic subduction‐accretion and magmatism were important mechanisms of continental growth. Plain Language Summary: During the consumption of the Paleo‐Asian Ocean, a great number of Paleozoic subduction‐related accretionary complexes were developed and combined with pre‐existing Precambrian continental fragments to form the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). However, research on the tectonic evolution of this area has been limited, and the tectonic nature of the southeastern CAOB remains controversial. A deep seismic reflection survey along the southeastern CAOB shows the crustal architecture in detail. The broad gentle sub‐horizontal reflectors and a relatively transparent zone in the profile reveal a Precambrian continental fragment existed in the North Orogenic Belt of CAOB. The Paleo‐Asian Ocean was further separated into two parts, the fossil subduction zones of which show northward and bidirectional dipping characteristics beneath the Hegenshan‐Heihe and Solonker sutures, respectively. Several relics of the unidirectional subduction beneath the Hegenshan‐Heihe Suture indicate that multiple sets of unidirectional oceanic subduction‐accretion and magmatism were important mechanisms of continental growth. Key Points: A preserved microcontinental block has been revealed in the North Orogenic Belt of Central Asian Orogenic BeltThe Paleo‐Asian Ocean was separated into two branches, which were closed respectively by north‐dipping and double‐dipping subductionMultiple unidirectional subduction‐accretion and oceanic magmatism may contribute to continental growth [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the demographic and disease-related factors associated with acupuncture response in patients with chronic tension-type headache (CTTH). Methods: Using data from a randomized clinical trial (218 cases) consisting of 4 weeks of baseline assessment, 8 weeks of treatment, and 24 weeks of follow-up, participants were regrouped into responders (at least a 50% reduction in monthly headache days at week 16 compared with baseline) and non-responders. Twenty-three demographic and disease-related factors associated with acupuncture response in 183 participants were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression. Results: One hundred and nineteen (65.0%) participants were classified as responders. Four factors were significantly independently associated with acupuncture response, including treatment assignment, headache intensity at baseline, and 2 domains [general health (GH) and social functioning (SF)] from the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey quality of life questionnaire. Treatment assignment was associated with non-response: participants receiving true acupuncture were 3-time more likely to achieve a CTTH response than those receiving superficial acupuncture [odds ratio (OR) 0.322, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.162 to 0.625, P=0.001]. Compared with patients with mild-intensity headache, patients with moderate-intensity headache were twice as likely to respond to acupuncture (OR 2.001, 95% CI 1.020 to 4.011, P=0.046). The likelihood of non-response increased by 4.5% with each unit increase in the GH grade (OR 0.955, 95% CI 0.917 to 0.993, P=0.024) while decreased by 3.8% with each unit increase in the SF grade (OR 1.038, 95% CI 1.009 to 1.069, P=0.011). Conclusions: Greater headache intensity, lower GH score, and higher SF score were associated with better acupuncture responses in CTTH patients. These 3 factors require independent validation as predictors of acupuncture effectiveness in CTTH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After a coal seam is mined, the oxidized coal left in its goaf is prone to water immersion, and spontaneous combustion accidents involving water-immersed coal may easily occur when mining the underlying coal seam. Using scanning electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption experimental methods, the physical structure of high-temperature pre-oxidized water-immersed coal samples was characterized. By means of infrared spectroscopy, electron spin resonance (ESR) and simultaneous thermal analysis, the microscopic characteristics of the coal samples and the endothermic and exothermic characteristics of the oxidative combustion process were studied. The results showed that a specific pre-oxidation soaking time generated more oxidation pores in the coal sample, causing more water to become trapped in the pores and increasing the secondary oxidation heat absorption. High-temperature oxidation promoted the conversion of coal sample functional groups (FG) and free radical active sites, Water immersion led to the formation and loss of FG, and the longer the water immersion time was, the greater the loss. The larger average pore size of the pre-oxidized water-immersed coal sample provided more coal-oxygen contact sites, and the breaking of chemical bonds in the FG during the secondary oxidation process accelerated the heat release and promoted the oxidative re-ignition of the coal sample. The spontaneous combustion of water-immersed coal in the goaf can be prevented by controlling the high oxidation temperature and water immersion time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The present study aimed to dissect the cellular complexity of Crohn's disease (CD) using single‐cell RNA sequencing, focusing on identifying key cell populations and their transcriptional profiles in inflamed tissue. Methods: We applied scRNA‐sequencing to compare the cellular composition of CD patients with healthy controls, utilizing Seurat for clustering and annotation. Differential gene expression analysis and protein–protein interaction networks were constructed to identify crucial genes and pathways. Results: Our study identified eight distinct cell types in CD, highlighting crucial fibroblast and T cell interactions. The analysis revealed key cellular communications and identified significant genes and pathways involved in the disease's pathology. The role of fibroblasts was underscored by elevated expression in diseased samples, offering insights into disease mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets, including responses to ustekinumab treatment, thus enriching our understanding of CD at a molecular level. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the complex cellular and molecular interplay in CD, suggesting new biomarkers and therapeutic targets, offering insights into disease mechanisms and treatment implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intestinal macrophages play crucial roles in both intestinal inflammation and immune homeostasis. They can adopt two distinct phenotypes, primarily determined by environmental cues. These phenotypes encompass the classically activated pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype, as well as the alternatively activated anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype. In regular conditions, intestinal macrophages serve to shield the gut from inflammatory harm. However, when a combination of genetic and environmental elements influences the polarization of these macrophages, it can result in an M1/M2 macrophage activation imbalance, subsequently leading to a loss of control over intestinal inflammation. This shift transforms normal inflammatory responses into pathological damage within the intestines. In patients with ulcerative colitis-associated colorectal cancer (UC-CRC), disorders related to intestinal inflammation are closely correlated with an imbalance in the polarization of intestinal M1/M2 macrophages. Therefore, reinstating the equilibrium in M1/M2 macrophage polarization could potentially serve as an effective approach to the prevention and treatment of UC-CRC. This paper aims to scrutinize the clinical evidence regarding Chinese medicine (CM) in the treatment of UC-CRC, the pivotal role of macrophage polarization in UC-CRC pathogenesis, and the potential mechanisms through which CM regulates macrophage polarization to address UC-CRC. Our objective is to offer fresh perspectives for clinical application, fundamental research, and pharmaceutical advancement in UC-CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mammalian central nervous system consists of a large number of cells, which contain not only different types of neurons, but also a large number of glial cells, such as astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia. These cells are capable of performing highly refined electrophysiological activities and providing the brain with functions such as nutritional support, information transmission and pathogen defense. The diversity of cell types and individual differences between cells have brought inspiration to the study of the mechanism of central nervous system diseases. In order to explore the role of different cells, a new technology, single-cell sequencing technology has emerged to perform specific analysis of high-throughput cell populations, and has been continuously developed. Single-cell sequencing technology can accurately analyze single-cell expression in mixed-cell populations and collect cells from different spatial locations, time stages and types. By using single-cell sequencing technology to compare gene expression profiles of normal and diseased cells, it is possible to discover cell subsets associated with specific diseases and their associated genes. Therefore, scientists can understand the development process, related functions and disease state of the nervous system from an unprecedented depth. In conclusion, single-cell sequencing technology provides a powerful technology for the discovery of novel therapeutic targets for central nervous system diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caoyuanheimo-1 (Agaricus sp.) is a delectable mushroom native to Inner Mongolia, China, belonging to the Agaricus genus and valued for both its edible and medicinal properties. Although it has been cultivated to a certain extent, the molecular mechanisms regulating its development remain poorly understood. Building on our understanding of its growth and development conditions at various stages, we conducted transcriptomic and metabolomic studies to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and metabolites throughout its growth cycle. Simultaneously, we analyzed the synthesis pathways and identified several key genes involved in the production of terpenoids, which are secondary metabolites with medicinal value widely found in mushrooms. A total of 6843 unigenes were annotated, and 449 metabolites were detected in our study. Many of these metabolites and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) are involved in the synthesis and metabolism of amino acids, such as arginine, cysteine, methionine, and other amino acids, which indicates that the genes related to amino acid metabolism may play an important role in the fruiting body development of Caoyuanheimo-1. Succinic acid also showed a significant positive correlation with the transcriptional level changes of nine genes, including laccase-1 (TRINITY_DN5510_c0_g1), fruiting body protein SC3 (TRINITY_DN3577_c0_g1), and zinc-binding dihydrogenase (TRINITY_DN2099_c0_g1), etc. Additionally, seventeen terpenoids and terpenoid-related substances were identified, comprising five terpenoid glycosides, three monoterpenoids, two diterpenoids, one sesquiterpenoid, one sesterterpenoid, two terpenoid lactones, and three triterpenoids. The expression levels of the genes related to terpenoid synthesis varied across the three developmental stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the metal ion chelating agent (DL‐malic acid) inhibiting oxidation characteristics of residual coal in goaf, the microscopic thermal transformation characteristics of the treated coal samples were obtained using apparent morphology, infrared spectroscopy, free radical testing, and thermal analysis. The results demonstrate that after the addition of malic acid, the sphericity and roundness of the coal samples decrease, and the small fractured particles accumulate in the pores of the oxidized coal samples and, thereby, reduce the number of coal–oxygen contact sites. The addition of 10% malic acid promotes the conversion of functional groups (FG) and free radicals in pre‐oxidized coal, inhibits the catalytic effect of metal ions, generates more active sites, and increases the total heat release during the combustion process. There are strong endothermic points in the malic acid‐treated coal samples, and the free water evaporation blocked by small particles in the holes delays the initial heat release temperature of the coal samples. Pre‐oxidation can promote changes in the valence state of metal ions in coal, increase the adhesion between broken pre‐oxidized coal particles via malic acid chelation, and lose the catalytic effect of metal ions; this inhibits the process of oxidative re‐ignition of coal samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the gradual expansion of aquaculture industry in China, the frequent occurrence of diseases in aquatic animal aquaculture and the pollution of aquatic water are becoming more and more serious. The long-term use of antibiotics and traditional vaccines in aquaculture has caused water pollution, drug-resistant strains, antibiotic residues, and other problems, which restricts the healthy development of aquaculture industry. Plant polysaccharides play an important role in replacing antibiotics. Plant polysaccharides exist in the leaves, flowers, roots, stems, and fruits of plants. They are macromolecular polymers that connect various monosaccharides by glycosidic bonds. Plant polysaccharides have the advantages of safety, high efficiency, low residue and no drug resistance. Plant polysaccharides have many biological functions, such as regulating immunity, anti-oxidation, lowering blood sugar, anti-tumor, and improving intestinal health. The application of plant polysaccharides in animal production can improve body health, enhance immunity and antioxidant capacity, and improve production performance. Therefore, this paper mainly reviewed the physicochemical properties, biological functions of plant polysaccharides and their application in aquaculture, so as to provide a reference for their further promotion and application in aquaculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food quality and safety oversight now urgently require the identification of similar food samples. Using infant rice cereals as an example, this study collected the Raman spectra of samples from various brands and used a statistical control chart method to reveal that samples from the same brand have controllable quality fluctuations. Additionally, samples from different brands also fall within the control limit, indicating a high degree of similarity between the samples. Under conditions of raw data, the extreme learning machine algorithm and Raman spectroscopy for sample identification demonstrated a recognition rate of 77.6%, suggesting that the machine learning algorithm has some identification effect. After optimizing the conditions, it was found that the recognition accuracy was significantly improved, reaching 99.9%, based on coif3 wavelet denoising and 0~0.1 normalization processing. During the experiment, it took 100 seconds to collect the Raman spectrum signal of a single sample and running the intelligent algorithm only took less than one second to obtain the calculation results. The optimization and identification methods proposed in this work have the advantages of efficiency and accuracy, which can provide a reference for the identification of similar samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Previous studies of maternal iron and birth outcomes have been limited to single indicators that do not reflect the comprehensive relationship with birth outcomes. We aimed to investigate the relationship between maternal iron metabolism and neonatal anthropometric indicators using comprehensive iron-related indicators. Methods: A total of 914 Chinese mother-child dyads were enrolled in this prospective study. Subjects' blood samples were collected at ≤ 14 weeks of gestation. Serum concentrations of iron-related indicators were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Femur length was measured by B-ultrasound nearest delivery. Neonatal anthropometric indicators were collected from medical records. Results: After adjustment for potential covariates, higher iron (per one standard deviation, SD increase) was detrimentally associated with − 0.22 mm lower femur length, whereas higher transferrin (per one SD increase) was associated with 0.20 mm higher femur length. Compared with normal subjects (10th-90th percentiles), subjects with extremely high (> 90th percentile) iron concentration were detrimentally associated with lower femur length, birth weight, and chest circumference, and a higher risk of low birth weight, LBW (HR: 3.92, 95%CI: 1.28, 12.0). Subjects with high concentration of soluble transferrin receptor, sTFR and transferrin (> 90th percentile) were associated with higher femur length. Subjects with low concentration of iron and ferritin concentrations (< 10th percentile) were associated with a higher risk of LBW (HR: 4.10, 95%CI: 1.17, 14.3) and macrosomia (HR: 2.79, 95%CI: 1.06, 7.35), respectively. Conclusions: Maternal iron overload in early pregnancy may be detrimentally associated with neonatal anthropometric indicators and adverse birth outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STUDY QUESTION What is the mechanism behind cryoinjury in human sperm, particularly concerning the interplay between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and autophagy, and how does it subsequently affect sperm fate? SUMMARY ANSWER The freeze-thaw operation induces oxidative stress by generating abundant ROS, which impairs sperm motility and activates autophagy, ultimately guiding the sperm toward programmed cell death such as apoptosis and necrosis, as well as triggering premature capacitation. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Both ROS-induced oxidative stress and autophagy are thought to exert an influence on the quality of frozen-thawed sperm. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Overall, 84 semen specimens were collected from young healthy fertile males, with careful quality evaluation. The specimens were split into three groups to investigate the ROS-induced cryoinjury: normal control without any treatment, sperm treated with 0.5 mM hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for 1 h, and sperm thawed following cryopreservation. Samples from 48 individuals underwent computer-assisted human sperm analysis (CASA) to evaluate sperm quality in response to the treatments. Semen samples from three donors were analyzed for changes in the sperm proteome after H2O2 treatment, and another set of samples from three donors were analyzed for changes following the freeze-thaw process. The other 30 samples were used for fluorescence-staining and western blotting. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Sperm motility parameters, including progressive motility (PR %) and total motility (PR + NP %), were evaluated using the CASA system on a minimum of 200 spermatozoa. The proteomic profiles were determined with label-free mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and protein identification was performed via ion search against the NCBI human database. Subsequently, comprehensive bioinformatics was applied to detect significant proteomic changes and functional enrichment. Fluorescence-staining and western blot analyses were also conducted to confirm the proteomic changes on selected key proteins. The ROS level was measured using 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate labeling and the abundance of bioactive mitochondria was determined by evaluating the inner mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) level. Molecular behaviors of sequestosome-1 (p62 or SQSTM1) and microtubule-associated proteins 1A/1B light chain 3 (LC3) were monitored to evaluate the state of apoptosis in human sperm. Fluorescent probes oxazole yellow (YO-PRO-1) and propidium iodide (PI) were utilized to monitor programmed cell death, namely apoptosis and necrosis. Additionally, gradient concentrations of antioxidant coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) were introduced to suppress ROS impacts on sperm. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE The CASA analysis revealed a significant decrease in sperm motility for both the H2O2-treatment and freeze-thaw groups. Fluorescence staining showed that high ROS levels were produced in the treated sperm and the MMPs were largely reduced. The introduction of CoQ10 at concentrations of 20 and 30 μM resulted in a significant rescue of progressive motility (P  < 0.05). The result suggested that excessive ROS could be the major cause of sperm motility impairment, likely by damaging mitochondrial energy generation. Autophagy was significantly activated in sperm when they were under oxidative stress, as evidenced by the upregulation of p62 and the increased conversion of LC3 as well as the upregulation of several autophagy-related proteins, such as charged multivesicular body protein 2a, mitochondrial import receptor subunit TOM22 homolog, and WD repeat domain phosphoinositide-interacting protein 2. Additionally, fluorescent staining indicated the occurrence of apoptosis and necrosis in both H2O2-treated sperm and post-thaw sperm. The cell death process can be suppressed when CoQ10 is introduced, which consolidates the view that ROS could be the major contributor to sperm cryoinjury. The freeze-thaw process could also initiate sperm premature capacitation, demonstrated by the prominent increase in tyrosine phosphorylated proteins, verified with anti-phosphotyrosine antibody and immunofluorescence assays. The upregulation of capacitation-related proteins, such as hyaluronidase 3 and Folate receptor alpha, supported this finding. LARGE SCALE DATA The data underlying this article are available in the article and its online supplementary material. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The semen samples were obtained exclusively from young, healthy, and fertile males with progressive motility exceeding 60%, which might overemphasize the positive effects while possibly neglecting the negative impacts of cryoinjury. Additionally, the H2O2 treatment conditions in this study may not precisely mimic the oxidative stress experienced by sperm after thawing from cryopreservation, potentially resulting in the omission of certain molecular alterations. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS This study provides substantial proteomic data for a comprehensive and deeper understanding of the impact of cryopreservation on sperm quality. It will facilitate the design of optimal protocols for utilizing cryopreserved sperm to improve applications, such as ART, and help resolve various adverse situations caused by chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This work was supported by grants from the Major Innovation Project of Research Institute of National Health Commission (#2022GJZD01-3) and the National Key R&D Program of China (#2018YFC1003600). All authors declare no competing interests. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoreceptor cell death, primarily through apoptosis, related to retinal disorders like retinitis pigmentosa (RP), would result in vision loss. The pathological processes and crucial mutant conditions preceding photoreceptor cell demise are not well understood. This study aims to conduct an in-depth examination of early-stage changes in the widely utilized Pde6brd1/rd1 (rd1) mouse model, which has Pde6b gene mutations representing autosomal recessive RP disorder. We investigated the morphology and ultrastructure of retinal cells, including second-order neurons, during the initial phase of disease progression. Our findings revealed that mitochondrial alterations in rod photoreceptors were present as a predeath mutant state as early as postnatal day 3 (P3). The bipolar and horizontal cells from the rd1 mouse retina exhibited significant morphological changes in response to loss of photoreceptor cells, indicating that second-order neurons rely on these cells for their structures. Subsequent oral administration of idebenone, a mitochondria-protective agent, enhanced retinal function and promoted both photoreceptor cell survival and inner retinal second-order synaptogenesis in rd1 mice at P14. Our findings offer a mechanistic framework, suggesting that mitochondrial damage acts as an early driver for photoreceptor cell death in retinal degeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects arteries and is the main cause of cardiovascular disease. Atherosclerotic plaque formation is usually asymptomatic and does not manifest until the occurrence of clinical events. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment of atherosclerotic plaques is particularly important. Here, a series of NIR‐II fluorescent dyes (RBT‐NH) are developed for three photoresponsive NO prodrugs (RBT‐NO), which can be controllably triggered by 808 nm laser to release NO and turn on the NIR‐II emission in the clinical medicine "therapeutic window". Notably, RBT3‐NO is selected for its exhibited high NO releasing efficiency and superior fluorescence signal enhancement. Subsequently, a platelet‐mimicking nano‐prodrug system (RBT3‐NO‐PEG@PM) is constructed by DSPE‐mPEG5k and platelet membrane (PM) for effectively targeted diagnosis and therapy of atherosclerosis in mice. The results indicate that this platelet‐mimicking NO nano‐prodrug system can reduce the accumulation of lipids at the sites of atherosclerotic plaques, improve the inflammatory response at the lesion sites, and promote endothelial cell migration, thereby slowing the progression of plaques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, symmetrical α,α′,δ,δ′-tetramethyl-cucurbit[6]uril (TMeQ[6]) has attracted much attention from many researchers due to its interesting assembly pattern. Herein, we have investigated the host–guest interactions pattern of the symmetric TMeQ[6] with (E)-1-(5-carboxypentyl)-4-(2-(pyridin-4-yl)vinyl)pyridin-1-ium. (ECPP). Furthermore, their binding behaviors were investigated by 1H NMR spectroscopy, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, isothermal titration calorimeter, fluorescence, and UV–vis spectrum. The results indicate that TMeQ[6] and ECPP form host–guest complexes in a host/guest molar ratio of 1:1. TMeQ[6] is bound with the vinylpyridine group of ECPP. In addition, TMeQ[6]-ECPP exhibits a high association constant Ka = (1.520 ± 0.58) × 106 M−1, ΔH = − 53.40 kJ/mol, ΔS = − 60 J/mol·K. which provides a promising foundation for potential studies of the assemblies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is associated with quality of life and all-cause mortality in the end-stage renal disease population. This study aims to identify biomarkers and reveal the underlying mechanisms of EDS in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. A total of 48 nondiabetic continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients were assigned to the EDS group and the non-EDS group according to the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS) was used to identify the differential metabolites. Twenty-seven (male/female, 15/12; age, 60.1 ± 16.2 years) PD patients with ESS ≥ 10 were assigned to the EDS group, while twenty-one (male/female, 13/8; age, 57.9 ± 10.1 years) PD patients with ESS < 10 were defined as the non-EDS group. With UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS, 39 metabolites with significant differences between the two groups were found, 9 of which had good correlations with disease severity and were further classified into amino acid, lipid and organic acid metabolism. A total of 103 overlapping target proteins of the differential metabolites and EDS were found. Then, the EDS–metabolite–target network and the protein–protein interaction network were constructed. The metabolomics approach integrated with network pharmacology provides new insights into the early diagnosis and mechanisms of EDS in PD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular RNAs have been extensively studied in eukaryotes, but their presence and/or biological functionality in bacteria are unclear. Here, we show that a regulatory noncoding RNA (DucS) exists in both linear and circular conformation in Bacillus altitudinis. The linear forms promote B. altitudinis tolerance to H2O2 stress, partly through increased translation of a stress-responsive gene, htrA. The 3′ end sequences of the linear forms are crucial for RNA circularization, and formation of circular forms can decrease the levels of the regulatory linear cognates. Bioinformatic analysis of available RNA-seq datasets from 30 bacterial species revealed multiple circular RNA candidates, distinct from DucS, for all the examined species. Experiments testing for the presence of selected circular RNA candidates in four species successfully validated 7 out of 9 candidates from B. altitudinis and 4 out of 5 candidates from Bacillus paralicheniformis; However, none of the candidates tested for Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli were detected. Our work identifies a dual-conformation regulatory RNA in B. altitutidinis, and indicates that circular RNAs exist in diverse bacteria. However, circularization of specific RNAs does not seem to be conserved across species, and the circularization mechanisms and biological functionality of the circular forms remain unclear. The presence and/or biological functionality of circular RNAs in bacteria are unclear. Here, the authors identify a dual-conformation (linear and circular) noncoding RNA that promotes tolerance to oxidative stress in Bacillus altitutidinis, and provide evidence for the existence of other circular RNAs in diverse bacterial species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) is the most significant accretionary orogenic belt since the Phanerozoic and the most ideal site for studying continental growth evolution processes. A 460‐km‐long high‐resolution crustal‐scale seismic reflection study was conducted across the eastern CAOB in North‐Central China to constrain the closure mode and location of the Paleo‐Asian Ocean, that is, the previous ocean of the CAOB. The resultant seismic reflection profile revealed opposite‐dipping reflectors in the northern and southern parts of the profile, which converge at the profile center to form an inverted U‐shaped reflector pattern near the crust–mantle transition zone beneath the Solonker Suture. The dipping reflectors represent bidirectional fossil subduction zones sloping to the north and south, and the convergence reflector pattern represents the ocean closure location. Integration of these results with available geological data facilitated model construction whereby Paleo‐Asian Ocean closure was accomplished by divergent subduction of the Paleo‐Asian oceanic plate, with northward subduction beneath the southern margin of the Mongolian Block and southward subduction beneath the northern margin of the North China Craton. The oceanic lithosphere contracted and deformed, yielding the observed inverted U‐shaped reflector pattern, representing Paleo‐Asian Ocean closure. This subsurface location lies beneath the Solonker Suture surface exposure, suggesting that this suture marks the ocean closure location, rather than the previously proposed Hegenshan–Heihe Suture to the north or Xar Moron Suture to the south. Our study suggests that divergently dipping subduction and associated accretion and magmatism may constitute the primary continental growth mode for accretionary‐type orogens. Plain Language Summary: The Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) is Earth's largest Phanerozoic accretionary orogenic belt, but its tectonic history remains uncertain, including the Paleo‐Asian Ocean closure location and mode. Here, we present a 460‐km‐long crustal‐scale seismic reflection survey across the eastern CAOB. According to the generated seismic profile, near‐symmetrical north‐ and south‐dipping reflectors occur in the crust–mantle transition zone, which are interpreted combined with published geological data to reveal that the Paleo‐Asian oceanic plate underwent divergent subduction beneath the South Mongolian Block and North China Craton. The inferred Paleo‐Asian Ocean closure location, the Solonker Suture, is identified by converging seismic reflectors in the central part of the profile. During oceanic subduction, newly formed accretionary complexes experienced soft collision with preexisting continental fragments. Therefore, we suggest that the eastern CAOB mainly comprises Paleozoic accretionary complexes with incorporated Precambrian fragments. We consider that divergently dipping oceanic subduction and associated accretion and magmatism constitute the main mode of CAOB continental growth and possibly of accretionary orogenic belts in general. Key Points: A crustal‐scale seismic profile reveals that the Paleo‐Asian Ocean was closed by double‐dipping subduction in the eastern Central Asian Orogenic BeltThe closure location of the ocean occurs between the Xar Moron and Hegenshan–Heihe sutures and extends eastward to central SongliaoOceanic double‐dipping subduction–accretion and magmatism are important mechanisms for accretionary orogens [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effects of attentional resources (ARs) and emotional reactivity (ER) on emotional memory enhancement (EME) in adolescents and adults. Experiment 1 examined the effects of AR judgment tasks on EME in adolescents and adults by using the allocation–attention and learning–recognition paradigms. Experiment 2 examined the effects of ER on EME in individuals at different ages by using the learning–recognition paradigm. Age and AR interactions affected EME. EME was higher in the adult group than it was in the adolescent group, and it was higher in the sufficient than it was in the insufficient AR task. Negative emotion was significantly higher than positive and neutral emotions were, and positive emotion was significantly higher than neutral emotion was. ER and age had interaction effects on EME. Both the adolescent and adult groups with high ER showed significantly higher negative emotion than they did positive and neutral emotions. EME was moderated by ARs in the encoding process and ER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondria are a crucial energy source for maintaining neuronal growth and synaptic function. Neurons possess unique morphological characteristics, which make the proper regulation of mitochondrial transport essential for meeting their energy demands. Syntaphilin (SNPH) is capable of specifically targeting the outer membrane of axonal mitochondria, anchoring them to microtubules, and thereby preventing their transport. SNPH also interacts with other mitochondrial proteins to regulate mitochondrial transport. The regulation of mitochondrial transport and anchoring mediated by SNPH is indispensable for axonal growth during neuronal development, maintenance of ATP levels during neuronal synaptic activity, and regeneration of mature neurons following damage. Precise blocking of SNPH may be an effective therapeutic strategy for neurodegenerative diseases and related mental disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature and humidity (TH) post‐treatment is a relatively mild way to change the silk fibroin (SF) secondary structure. Here, urease is immobilized in SF scaffold (SFS) by TH post‐treatment, and the effects of annealing on the immobilized urease activity are examined. Fourier transform infrared indicates that the SFS secondary structure started to transform when the scaffold is annealed at 35 °C with 100% relative humidity for 20 min. The higher the temperature, the lower the treatment time is required to change SFS structure. Compared to methanol annealing, TH post‐treatment maintains the original form of the sample, and the scaffold shows better water‐binding abilities. The maximum recovery ratio of immobilized urease is 98.4 ± 7.0%, which is obtained after the scaffold is postprocessed at 35 °C for 60 min, and the relative recovery ratio of the urease activity is still as high as 80.6 ± 12.1% after repeatedly measuring 10 times. In addition, the relative recovery ratio of urease is not significantly decrease within 4 weeks of storage. Therefore, TH annealing is a relatively mild and effective way to immobilize urease in SFS. The urease‐immobilized SFS with hydrophilic properties and prolonged enzyme activity may be used for peritoneal dialysate regeneration systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Acrophialophora belongs to the family Chaetomiaceae. With the addition of new species and transferred species from other genera, the genus Acrophialophora has expanded. In this study, eight new species related to Acrophialophora were isolated from soil samples in China. Using muti-locus phylogenetic (ITS, LSU, tub2 and RPB2) analysis combined with morphological characteristics, eight new species (Acrophialophora curvata, A. fujianensis, A. guangdongensis, A. longicatenata, A. minuta, A. multiforma, A. rhombica, and A. yunnanensis) are described. Descriptions, illustrations, and notes of the new species are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is regularly observed in patients postsurgery due to the usage of anesthetics, including Sevoflurane. Research has confirmed the participation of oxidative stress (OS) and inflammation in the pathogenesis of POCD. Recently, the potential therapeutic function of miR‐190a‐3p against cognitive dysfunction has been reported. However, its role and mechanism in POCD are unclear. Our study will focus on the protective property and mechanism of miR‐190a‐3p on POCD to seek potential biomarkers and treatment targets for POCD. The animal model of POCD was constructed by the injection of Sevoflurane, followed by the administration of mimic negative control and miR‐190a‐3p. MiR‐190a‐3p was found to be downregulated in POCD rats. Declined time to explore the platform, swimming distance, and times that rats crossed the platform were observed in POCD rats, accompanied by increased secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, elevated malondialdehyde levels, repressed superoxide dismutase activity, and decreased levels of reduced glutathione, all of which were dramatically reversed by miR‐190a‐3p. Furthermore, the downregulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) and activation of toll‐like receptor 4/nuclear factor‐κB signaling were observed in POCD rats, which were greatly rescued by miR‐190a‐3p. Lastly, the Nrf2 luciferase activity and Nrf2 levels in HT22 cells were extremely improved by miR‐190a‐3p. Collectively, miR‐190a‐3p alleviated Sevoflurane‐induced POCD in rats by repressing OS and inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulties with emotion recognition and a number of interventions have been designed to address this problem. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of video-based intervention (The Transporters) on emotion recognition in four children (aged 4–8 years old) with ASD who have limited speech in China. This study employed a multiple baseline across participants. The results indicated that the video-based intervention effectively improved emotion recognition in all children with limited speech. However, there was a limited effect in the generalization phase after 7 and 15 days completing the intervention phase. Results of this study have important implications for early intervention educators working with children with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Thermal therapy induces an immune response in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the dynamic characteristics of the natural killer (NK) cell immune response post-thermal ablation remain unclear. We conducted a prospective longitudinal cohort study to observe the dynamic changes of phenotype and function of NK cells in peripheral blood before and after thermal ablation of hepatitis B-associated HCC and their correlation with tumor recurrence. Methods: Fifty-six patients clinically and pathologically confirmed with hepatitis B-associated HCC were selected for thermal ablation. Peripheral blood was collected on day 0, day 7, and month 1. NK cell subsets, receptors, and killing function were detected by flow cytometry, and the LDH levels were examined. Overall recurrence and associated variables were estimated using Kaplan–Meier, log-rank, and Cox proportional-hazards analyses. Results: The frequency of CD3−CD56+ cells was increased on day 7 (P < 0.01) without significant differences between D0 and M1. NKG2D, NKp44, NKp30, CD159a, and CD158a expression was increased on M1 (all P < 0.05). The granzyme B and IFN-γ expression in NK cells were higher on M1 vs. D0 (P < 0.05). On day 7, the NK cell lysis activity of the target K562 cells was increased (P < 0.01) but decreased on M1 (P < 0.05). Survival analysis showed that CD158a expression and IFN-γ and perforin release on day 0 were associated with the risk of HCC recurrence. Cox regression analysis showed that the expression changes in CD56, NKp46, granzyme B, and perforin (D7-D0) induced by thermal ablation were associated with recurrence-free survival (RFS) of patients with HCC. Conclusion: Thermal ablation increased the frequency and function of CD3−CD56+ NK cells in the peripheral blood of patients with HCC. These cells tended to be more differentiated and activated. Notably, expression levels of NK cell receptors NKp46, perforin, and granzyme B were associated with RFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is critical to understand factors associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) metastasis. To track the evolutionary route of metastasis, here we perform an integrative genomic analysis of 163 matched blood and primary, regional lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis tumour samples, combined with single-cell RNA-seq on 11 samples from two patients. The mutation burden, gene mutation frequency, mutation signature, and copy number frequency are similar between metastatic tumours and primary and regional lymph node tumours. There are two distinct evolutionary routes of metastasis, including metastases evolved from regional lymph nodes (lymphatic route, 61.5%, 8/13) and from primary tumours (hematogenous route, 38.5%, 5/13). The hematogenous route is characterised by higher IFN-γ response gene expression and a higher fraction of exhausted CD8+ T cells. Based on a radiomics model, we find that the hematogenous group has significantly better progression-free survival and PD-1 immunotherapy response, while the lymphatic group has a better response to locoregional radiotherapy. It is critical to understand the factors that are associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) progression, metastasis and response to therapy. Here, the authors analyse primary and metastatic NPC samples using bulk and single-cell sequencing, and find two distinct evolutionary routes that lead to metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water immersion residual coal tend to happen spontaneous combustion accidents after mining the coal seam. For exploring the oxidative re-ignition properties of high-temperature oxidized water-impregnated long-flame coal, the thermal evolution law toward each pre-oxidized coal soaked in water under varying heating rates (Rh) (5, 10, 15°C/min) has been analyzed by thermogravimetric differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC). The findings are as follows: the DTG at the critical temperature (T1) and maximum weight loss temperature (T5) increases, the activation energy (E) decreases, and the heat output increases (maximum 6391J/g) with the rising Rh. The violent oxidated reaction process of coal samples has been delayed as the Rh was 10°C/min. The water-immersed coal sample (I200) contains more free water on the surface, and the maximum (0.45 mW/mg) and total (178.8 J/g) heat absorption of are higher. Oxidation at 200°C and soaking in water (O200I200) reduced the ignition point temperature (minimum 399°C) and E (minimum 18.5 kJ/mol), and increased the total heat release (maximum 323 J/g) making it easier to oxidize and re-ignite. Under the same Rh, the oxidation and combustion traits of each pre-oxidized water-immersed coal (PWIC) remained unchanged. Reducing the Rh can effectively prevent spontaneous combustion of high-temperature oxidized water-soaked coal in shallow-buried and short-distance coal seams in northwest of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residual coal is easily submerged and damaged by groundwater. In the course of mining underlying coal seam, coal belonging to the overlying gob area tends to spontaneously combust during draining water. To explore the effect of micro-functional group transformation in immersed coal on the coal spontaneous combustion (CSC) traits during the low-temperature oxidation process (LTO), the migrant law of special functional groups under varying oxygen concentration (Co) of immersed coal was discussed by infrared spectroscopy. The endothermal and exothermal properties of the function group inside of coal were studied via thermal analysis. It is shown that the higher Co, the more oxygenic function groups on the soaked, and by contrasted with the Co of 18% the 14% has a small increase and the chain length is shortened. The temperature increment together with the Co content determines the functional group content, the pyrolysis process produces some function group. The lower the Co, endothermic coefficient decreases and endothermic temperature increases, the higher the ignition temperature of coal oxy-combustion, the lower the total heat release. And the speed of the oxygen-absorbing weight gain and the conversion of the functional group would be improved followed by the burnout temperature rising. Below 14% Co, the oxidative combustion process will be greatly inhibited. Those findings complement a theoretical basis for preventing long-term water-soaked coal oxidative spontaneous combusting in shallow buried coal seams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) have inspired the potential for widespread use in energy storage owing to the advantages of abundant resources and low cost. Benefiting from the layered structure, 2D‐layered materials enable fast interlayer transport of sodium ions and thus are considered promising candidates as anodes for SIBs. Herein, a strategy of adjusting crystal orientation is proposed via a solvothermal method to improve sodium‐ion transport at the edge of the interlayers in 2D‐layered materials. By introducing surfactants and templates, the 2D‐layered V5S8 nanosheets are controlled to align the interlayer diffusion channels vertically to the surface, which promotes the fast transport of Na+ at the edge of the interlayers as revealed by experimental methods and ab initio calculations. Benefiting from the aligned crystal orientation and rGO coating, the vertical‐V5S8@rGO hybrid delivers a high initial discharge capacity of 350.6 mAh g−1 at a high current density of 15 A g−1. This work provides a strategy for the structural design of 2D‐layered anode materials by adjusting crystal orientation, which demonstrates the promise for applications in fast‐charging alkaline‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Natural killer (NK) cells are critical innate effectors that respond to viral infections and contribute to immunopathology. Here, we aimed to investigate the role of NK cells in hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) and elucidate the underlying mechanism by examining their phenotypic and functional profiles. Methods: We included patients with HBV-ACLF (n = 37) and chronic hepatitis B (n = 19), and healthy controls (n = 13) in our study. We examined the phenotype and function of different subsets of peripheral NK cells using flow cytometry and RNA-sequencing analysis, and screened liver NK cells using immunohistochemistry. We detected inflammatory cytokines using a Luminex assay. In addition, we analyzed the relationships between these parameters and disease severity. Results: Peripheral NK cells were decreased and characterized by high expression of caspase-3, Ki67, CXCR3, NKG2D, NKp46, CD107a, and GM-CSF, and typified by higher cell migration and immune response by RNA-sequencing analysis in patients with HBV-ACLF than in those with chronic hepatitis B. Accumulations of CXCL-10 and NK cells were found in the liver, and excessive production of CXCL-10 in the peripheral blood contributed to the apoptosis of NK cells in vitro. The decrease in NK cells was associated with the level of HBV DNA and disease severity and had good prognostic performance in predicting the outcome of patients with HBV-ACLF through AUROC analysis. Conclusion: NK cells were significantly decreased and showed dysfunction of phenotypic and functional profiles across distinct subsets in the peripheral blood of patients with ACLF. Crosstalk between CXCL-10 and NK cells may mediate the unbalanced distribution of NK cells. Understanding the dysfunction and decrease in NK cells may provide new insights into ACLF pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deficiency of decidual NK (dNK) cell number and function has been widely regarded as an important cause of spontaneous abortion. However, the metabolic mechanism underlying the crosstalk between dNK cells and embryonic trophoblasts during early pregnancy remains largely unknown. Here, we observed that enriched glutamine and activated glutaminolysis in dNK cells contribute to trophoblast invasion and embryo growth by insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) secretion. Mechanistically, these processes are dependent on the downregulation of EGLN1-HIF-1α mediated by α-ketoglutarate (α-KG). Blocking glutaminolysis with the GLS inhibitor BPTES or the glutamate dehydrogenase inhibitor EGCG leads to early embryo implantation failure, spontaneous abortion and/or fetal growth restriction in pregnant mice with impaired trophoblast invasion. Additionally, α-KG supplementation significantly alleviated pregnancy loss mediated by defective glutaminolysis in vivo, suggesting that inactivated glutamine/α-ketoglutarate metabolism in dNK cells impaired trophoblast invasion and induced pregnancy loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rational utilization of the rich light‐bio‐matter interplay taking place in single‐cell analysis represents a new technological direction in the field. The light‐fueled operation is expected to achieve advanced photoelectrochemical (PEC) single‐cell analysis with unknown possibilities. Here, a PEC nanoreactor capable of single‐cell sampling and near zero‐background Faradaic detection of intracellular microRNA (miR) is devised by the construction of a small reaction chamber accommodating the target‐triggered hybridization chain reaction for binding the metallointercalator of [Ru(bpy)2(dppz)]2+ as the signal reporter. Light stimulation of the dsDNA/metallointercalator adduct will induce the generation of photocurrents, underpinning a zero‐biased and near zero‐background PEC method toward Faradaic detection of non‐electrogenic miR at the single‐cell level. Using this nanotool, lower miR concentration in the near‐nucleus region than that in the main cytosol was revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rational utilization of the rich light‐bio‐matter interplay taking place in single‐cell analysis represents a new technological direction in the field. The light‐fueled operation is expected to achieve advanced photoelectrochemical (PEC) single‐cell analysis with unknown possibilities. Here, a PEC nanoreactor capable of single‐cell sampling and near zero‐background Faradaic detection of intracellular microRNA (miR) is devised by the construction of a small reaction chamber accommodating the target‐triggered hybridization chain reaction for binding the metallointercalator of [Ru(bpy)2(dppz)]2+ as the signal reporter. Light stimulation of the dsDNA/metallointercalator adduct will induce the generation of photocurrents, underpinning a zero‐biased and near zero‐background PEC method toward Faradaic detection of non‐electrogenic miR at the single‐cell level. Using this nanotool, lower miR concentration in the near‐nucleus region than that in the main cytosol was revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Liver injury (LI) has been frequently observed in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), whereas its prognostic value remains blurry. We attempted to appraise the prognostic effect of LI in patients with DCM. Methods: This retrospective study included 523 patients with DCM. LI was defined as a threefold increase in aspartate transaminase (≥ 135 U/L) or alanine transaminase (≥ 180 U/L) or a twofold increase in total bilirubin (≥ 41 umol/L) during hospitalization. The population was segmented into non-liver injury (NLI) group and LI group based on liver function test data. To balance differences in covariates at baseline, 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) was performed. Results: Patients with LI had lower survival rate, compared with those with NLI (44.6% vs. 73.8%, P < 0.001). Similar results were also found in age (age > 50, 39.6% vs. 70.9%, P < 0.001; age ≤ 50, 51.3% vs. 79.5%, P < 0.001) and gender stratified analysis (male, 46.2% vs. 74.4%, P < 0.001; female 35.7% vs. 72.0%, P = 0.001). After PSM, the survival rate of patients with LI remained lower than those with NLI (44.6% vs. 64.1%, P = 0.019). Multivariable Cox regression analysis manifested that LI (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.692, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.194–2.398, P = 0.003; HR: 1.675, 95% CI 1.078–2.604, P = 0.022, respectively) showed potent predictive effect on all-cause mortality in patients with DCM, both before and after PSM. Conclusions: The occurrence of LI herald adverse outcomes in patients with DCM and attention to LI may be conducive to risk stratification and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sishen pill (SSP) is an old Chinese medicine used to treat colitis with spleen-kidney-yang deficiency (SKYD) syndromes. However, its exact mechanism of action has not yet been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects and potential mechanisms of SSP on colitis with SKYD syndromes in mice. Colitis with SKYD syndromes was induced by rhubarb, hydrocortisone, and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), and treatment was provided with SSP. Flow cytometry was performed to examine the inflammatory dendritic cell (infDC) regulations of SSP. The changes in the gut microbiota (GM) and fecal metabolites post-SSP treatment were investigated using the combination of 16S rRNA sequencing and untargeted metabolomics. Additionally, we also examined whether SSPs could regulate the infDCs by modifying TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathways. Compared with the DSS group, the disease activity index, colonic weight, index of colonic weight, and colonic injury scores, as well as the levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and IL-12p70 decreased significantly in the DSS + SSP group, while free triiodothyronine (FT3), free tetraiodothyronine (FT4), testosterone (TESTO), body weight change, colonic length, and the levels of IL-10 increased. Also, SSP decreased the amounts of CD103+CD11c+iNOS+, CD103+CD11c+TNF-α+, CD11c+CD103+CD324+, CD103+CD11c+MHC-II+, and CD103+CD11c+CD115+. Interestingly, 16S rRNA sequencing and untargeted metabolomics showed that SSP treatment restored the dysbiosis of GM and improved the dysfunction in fecal metabolism in colitis mice with SKYD syndromes. Correlation analysis indicated that the modulatory effects of SSP on FT3, FT4, IL-10, colonic weight index, CD103+CD11c+TNF-α+, CD103+CD11c+MHC-II+, and 13 common differential metabolites were related to alterations in the abundance of Parvibacter, Aerococcus, norank_f_Lachnospiraceae, Lachnospiraceae_UCG-006, Akkermansia, and Rhodococcus in the GM. In addition, SSP markedly inhibited the activation of the TLR4, MyD88, TRAF6, TAB2, and NF-κBp65 proteins and activated IκB. These results indicate that SSP can effectively alleviate colitis mice with SKYD syndrome by regulating infDCs, GM, fecal metabolites, and TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raman spectroscopy can characterize the rich molecular vibration information of soybean milk powder samples, but difficulties arise in its direct use for sample classification and identification. Therefore, it is urgent to develop an intelligent identification technology based on Raman spectroscopy. For brand identification of soybean milk powder, this work investigates and discusses a variety of spectral processing technologies including wavelet denoising, normalization, principal component analysis, and the results show that appropriate spectral processing can improve the recognition accuracy of the random forest algorithm. Under the optimal conditions (db2 wavelet, normalization, principal component analysis, 30 decision trees), the best recognition effect of soybean milk brand identification can be achieved. The Raman spectral signal acquisition time of each sample is 40 s, and the spectra pretreatment and identification operation time only takes a few minutes. The analytical approach established in this paper has the advantages of convenient and fast Raman spectra acquisition, fast and accurate model identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dysphagia, a serious health issue, is common in healthcare residents and the elderly. Food thickening agents, including starch- and gum-based thickeners, have been widely used in the treatment and nursing of patients with dysphagia and can effectively reduce the risk of aspiration. In order to provide a reference for medical staff in clinical use, the dietary grades of eating disorders in multiple countries, the rheological parameters, types, characteristics and the latest research of common food thickeners were summarized in this review. Furthermore, the sensory attributes, rheological properties, dysphagic patients' preference and risks of accidental aspiration were also compared between starch- and gum-thickened foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we conducted a retrospective single-centre study of 1664 singleton pregnancies derived from frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer between January 2017 and December 2018. Analysis showed that there were 596 early pregnancy losses and 1068 ongoing pregnancies. We compared serum HCG (human chorionic gonadotophin) concentrations on days 12, 14, 19, and 21, between the pregnancy loss group and the ongoing pregnancy group. The cut-off level of HCG at each time point was calculated to predict pregnancy outcome. Joint analysis of two single HCG levels taken one week apart was carried out to improve predictive accuracy. The levels of HCG at four time points were significantly lower in the early pregnancy loss group than in the ongoing pregnancy group. According to the area under ROC (receiver operating characteristic curve) curves, all levels of HCG taken at four time points showed good ability to predict the outcome of pregnancy. The joint analysis of two single HCG levels taken one week apart further improved the accuracy of prediction. What is already known on this subject? Multiple studies have shown that the maternal level of serum HCG is the best parameter for predicting the course of pregnancy. What do the results of this study add? The levels of HCG on days 12, 14, 19 and 21 were significantly lower in the early pregnancy loss group than in the group of ongoing pregnancies. According to the area under ROC curves, all levels of HCG taken at four time points showed a good ability to predict the outcome of pregnancy. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? The joint analysis of two single HCG levels, taken one week apart, further improved the accuracy of prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting the chances mortality within 1 year in non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy patients can be very useful in clinical decision-making. This study has developed and validated a risk-prediction model for identifying factors contributing to mortality within 1 year in such patients. The predictive nomogram was constructed using a retrospective cohort study, with 615 of patients hospitalized in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University between October 2012 and May 2020. A variety of factors, including presence of comorbidities, demographics, results of laboratory tests, echocardiography data, medication strategies, and instances of heart transplant or death were collected from electronic medical records and follow-up telephonic consultations. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and logistic regression analyses were used to identify the critical clinical factors for constructing the nomogram. Calibration, discrimination, and clinical usefulness of the predictive model were assessed using the calibration plot, C-index and decision curve analysis. Internal validation was assessed with bootstrapping validation. Among the patients from whom follow-up data were obtained, the incidence of an end event (deaths or heart transplantation within 1 year) was 171 cases per 1000 person-years (105 out of 615). The main predictors included in the nomogram were pulse pressure, red blood cell count, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension, levels of N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide, medical history, in-hospital worsening heart failure, and use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers. The model showed excellent discrimination with a C-index of 0.839 (95% CI 0.799–0.879), and the calibration curve demonstrated good agreement. The C-index of internal validation was 0.826, which demonstrated that the model was quite efficacious. A decision curve analysis confirmed that our nomogram was clinically useful. In this study, we have developed a nomogram that can predict the risk of death within 1 year in patients with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy. This will be useful in the early identification of patients in the terminal stages for better individualized clinical decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium‐ion batteries capable of operating at rate and temperature extremes are highly desirable, but elusive due to the dynamics and thermodynamics limitations. Herein, a strategy of electrode–electrolyte interfacial chemistry modulation is proposed. The commercial hard carbon demonstrates superior rate performance with 212 mAh g−1 at an ultra‐high current density of 5 A g−1 in the electrolyte with weak ion solvation/desolvation, which is much higher than those in common electrolytes (nearly no capacity in carbonate‐based electrolytes). Even at −20 °C, a high capacity of 175 mAh g−1 (74 % of its room‐temperature capacity) can be maintained at 2 A g−1. Such an electrode retains 90 % of its initial capacity after 1000 cycles. As proven, weak ion solvation/desolvation of tetrahydrofuran greatly facilitates fast‐ion diffusion at the SEI/electrolyte interface and homogeneous SEI with well‐distributed NaF and organic components ensures fast Na+ diffusion through the SEI layer and a stable interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium‐ion batteries capable of operating at rate and temperature extremes are highly desirable, but elusive due to the dynamics and thermodynamics limitations. Herein, a strategy of electrode–electrolyte interfacial chemistry modulation is proposed. The commercial hard carbon demonstrates superior rate performance with 212 mAh g−1 at an ultra‐high current density of 5 A g−1 in the electrolyte with weak ion solvation/desolvation, which is much higher than those in common electrolytes (nearly no capacity in carbonate‐based electrolytes). Even at −20 °C, a high capacity of 175 mAh g−1 (74 % of its room‐temperature capacity) can be maintained at 2 A g−1. Such an electrode retains 90 % of its initial capacity after 1000 cycles. As proven, weak ion solvation/desolvation of tetrahydrofuran greatly facilitates fast‐ion diffusion at the SEI/electrolyte interface and homogeneous SEI with well‐distributed NaF and organic components ensures fast Na+ diffusion through the SEI layer and a stable interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature and humidity (TH) are highly important factors that can control the secondary structure and characterization of silk fibroin (SF) biomaterials. In this study, the water stability, secondary structure, mechanical properties, surface morphology, and degradation of silk fibroin films (SFFs) with post‐processing in different TH were investigated. Fourier transform infrared indicated that the SFF secondary structure did not change under low‐relative humidity (RH) despite temperatures up to 180°C, while it transformed at 40°C with 100% RH in 10 min. A film with a higher tensile strength (42.1 ± 8.2 MPa) could be obtained after post‐processing at 90°C/100% RH for 10 min. While a film with higher ductility (elongation at break: 198.8 ± 31.8%) was generated after post‐processing at 40°C/100% RH for 10 min. Scanning electron microscope showed that the film presented a network structure of nanoparticles in series under certain TH post‐treatment. Enzymatic hydrolysis proved that the SFFs containing a higher content of silk II structure degraded more slowly. Therefore, TH post‐treatment is a relatively mild way to change the secondary structure and properties of SFFs, which can be widely used in loading drugs and maintaining the activity of drugs in SF biomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the prescription patterns of different dosage forms of Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and their effects on immune-inflammatory indices. Methods: Clinical data were collected from patients with RA in 4 hospitals (3 Class A comprehensive hospitals and 1 Class B comprehensive hospital) in Anhui Province, China, from August 2012 to June 2018 via the electronic medical record gathering system. Following extraction of prescription information, each prescribed herb was quantified and standardized according to the knowledge base to establish a database of RA treatment formulae. The medical records were divided into the granules group and decoction pieces group. Core herbs and their combination patterns were obtained from the two groups of cases using Liquorice software. Changes in immune-inflammatory and hepatic and renal function indices were compared between the two groups using SPSS 23.0 software. The Aprior module of SPSS Clementine 11.1 software was applied to analyse the correlation between CHMs and improvement in indices. Finally, the ORACLE 10 g tool was used to evaluate the random walk model of the immune-inflammatory indices between the two groups. Results: (1) We retrospectively analysed 35,898 prescriptions for 6,829 patients with RA who received CHM treatment. There were 3,816 patients in the granules group and 3,013 in the decoction pieces group. (2) The core herbs were Pi (Spleen)-strengthening and dampness-resolving drugs, blood-activating and stasis-resolving drugs, wind/dampness-dispelling drugs and heat-clearing and detoxifying drugs. (3) Both dosage forms could improve immune-inflammatory indices in RA patients, with similar efficacy and no influence on hepatic or renal function. (4) Herba Siegesbeckiae and Oldenlandia had a stronger association with immune-inflammatory indices in the two groups. (5) The immune-inflammatory indices showed obvious improvement after treatment with granules and decoction pieces of CHMs, and there were long range correlations between the comprehensive evaluation indices and interventions. Conclusions: The principal CHM treatment methods for RA in four hospitals in Anhui Province are strengthening Pi and resolving dampness, activating blood and resolving stasis, dispelling wind/dampness and clearing heat. Granules and decoction pieces of CHMs have similar efficacy in improving immune-inflammatory indices in RA patients and could be used as treatment options for RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the dielectric properties and the thermal conductivity of the PVDF-based composites, the BaTiO3@super-short MWCNT (BT@SSCNT) particles were modulated by a SSCNT shell fabricated by MWCNT with the different types (S-MWCNT-1020, S-MWCNT-2040). The average size of these particles is about 300 nm. With the increase in the external diameter of MWCNT, the SSCNT content of the BT@SSCNT particles decreases. However, the sum proportions of which the diameter of the particles is not less than 295 nm have a distinct growth leading to that the distance between the neighboring particles shortens. The dielectric constants of the composites are more than 355 and 1500 (103 Hz) at 10 wt% and 60 wt% filler loading, respectively. Compared with the BT@SSCNT/PVDF-1020 composites, the dielectric constants of the BT@SSCNT/PVDF-2040 composites have a more stable frequency dependency in the range of 102 to 106 Hz. The value of the composite with 10 wt% BT@SSCNT loading maintains more than 250 at 106 Hz. The introduction of the shell of SSCNT with larger external diameter can offer the composites a more desirable combined action of dielectric mechanisms, including interfacial polarization and micro-capacitor effect. In addition, the varying SSCNT shells also have evident influence on dielectric loss, breakdown strength, and thermal conductivity. It is worth mentioning that the values of the BT@SSCNT/PVDF-2040 composites are 334 and 0.16 (104 Hz), 229 kV mm−1, and 1.13 W (m K)−1 at 10 wt% filler loading, respectively. This work could extend the strategies for building the core–shell particles to develop dielectric nanocomposites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Follicular helper T cells (Tfh) regulate the differentiation of germinal center B cells and maintain humoral immunity. Notably, imbalances in Tfh differentiation often lead to the development of autoimmune diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Curcumin, a natural product derived from Curcuma longa, is effective in relieving IBD in humans and animals, and its mechanisms of immune regulation need further elaboration. In this study, dextran sodium sulfate induced ulcerative colitis in BALB/c mice, and curcumin was administered simultaneously for 7 days. Curcumin effectively upregulated the change rate of mouse weight, colonic length, down-regulated colonic weight, index of colonic weight, colonic damage score and the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-12, IL-23 and TGF- β 1 in colonic tissues of colitis mice. Importantly, curcumin regulated the differentiation balance of Tfh and their subpopulation in colitis mice; the percentages of Tfh (CD4 + CXCR5 + BCL-6 + , CD4 + CXCR5 + PD-1 + , CD4 + CXCR5 + PD-L1 + , CD4 + CXCR5 + ICOS +) , Tfh17 and Tem-Tfh were downregulated significantly, while CD4 + CXCR5 + Blimp-1 + , Tfh1, Tfh10, Tfh21, Tfr, Tcm-Tfh and Tem-GC Tfh were upregulated. In addition, curcumin inhibited the expression of Tfh-related transcription factors BCL-6, p-STAT3, Foxp1, Roquin-1, Roquin-2 and SAP, and significantly upregulated the protein levels of Blimp-1 and STAT3 in colon tissue. In conclusion, curcumin may be effective in alleviating dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis by regulating Tfh differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sishen Pill (SSP) is a classical prescription of traditional Chinese medicine and often used to treat gastrointestinal diseases, including ulcerative colitis (UC). However, its mechanism is still unclear. We aimed to determine the mechanism of SSP in the treatment of UC by investigating if it maintains the integrity of the intestinal mucosal barrier via the Rho A/Rho kinase (ROCK) signaling pathway. Administration of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) successfully induced chronic UC in rats, while the treatment effect of SSP was evaluated by body weight change, colonic length, colonic weight, colonic weight index, histological injury score, and pathological injury score after colitis rats were treated for 7 days. TNF-α and IL-1β levels were analyzed by ELISA, and the proteins of PI3K/Akt and RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway and junction proteins expression were measured by western blotting assay, and the distribution of Claudin 5 was shown by immunofluorescence. SSP significantly improved the clinical symptoms of colitis in rats and reduced the expression of p-RhoA, ROCK1, PI3K, and Akt in the colon mucosa, while it increased the expression of p-Rac and related proteins (Claudin-5, JAM1, VE-cadherin, and Connexin 43). In addition, SSP increased p-AMPKα and PTEN proteins expression, decreased Notch1 level, and hinted that activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was inhibited. In conclusion, SSP effectively treated chronic colitis induced by TNBS, which may have been achieved by inhibiting PI3K/Akt signal to suppress activation of the Rho/ROCK signaling pathway to finally maintain the integrity of the intestinal mucosal barrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]