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Panax ginseng is a precious Chinese medicinal plant with a long growth cycle and high medicinal value. Therefore, it is of great significance to explore effective ways to increase its yield and main active substance content to reduce the cost of ginseng, which is widely used in food and clinical applications. Here, we review the key roles of microorganisms in the biological control of ginseng diseases, enhancement of ginseng yield, biotransformation of ginsenosides, and augmentation of ginsenoside bioactivity. The application of microorganisms in P. ginseng faces multiple challenges, including the need for further exploration of efficient microbial strain resources used in the cultivation of ginseng and biotransformation of ginsenosides, lack of microbial application in large-scale field cultivation of ginseng, and unclear mechanism of microbial transformation of ginsenosides. This review provides a deeper understanding of the applications of microorganisms in P. ginseng., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

A gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor is one of the most promising materials integrated into biomedical devices to play the roles of connecting, monitoring, and manipulating the activity of biological components, due to its excellent photoelectric properties, chemical stability, and biocompatibility. In this work, it was found that the photogenerated free charge carriers of the GaN substrate, as an exogenous stimulus, served to promote neural stem cells (NSCs) to differentiate into neurons. This was observed through the systematic investigation of the effect of the persistent photoconductivity (PPC) of GaN on the differentiation of primary NSCs from the embryonic rat cerebral cortex. NSCs were directly cultured on the GaN surface with and without ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, with a control sample consisting of tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) in the presence of fetal bovine serum (FBS) medium. Through optical microscopy, the morphology showed a greater number of neurons with the branching structures of axons and dendrites on GaN with UV irradiation. The immunocytochemical results demonstrated that GaN with UV irradiation could promote the NSCs to differentiate into neurons. Western blot analysis showed that GaN with UV irradiation significantly upregulated the expression of two neuron-related markers, βIII-tubulin (Tuj-1) and microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP-2), suggesting that neurite formation and the proliferation of NSCs during differentiation were enhanced by GaN with UV irradiation. Finally, the results of the Kelvin probe force microscope (KPFM) experiments showed that the NSCs cultured on GaN with UV irradiation displayed about 50 mV higher potential than those cultured on GaN without irradiation. The increase in cell membrane potential may have been due to the larger number of photogenerated free charges on the GaN surface with UV irradiation. These results could benefit topical research and the application of GaN as a biomedical material integrated into neural interface systems or other bioelectronic devices.

Low-cost, efficient catalyst high-throughput screening is crucial for future renewable energy technology. Interpretable machine learning is a powerful method for accelerating catalyst design by extracting physical meaning but faces huge challenges. This paper describes an interpretable descriptor model to unify activity and selectivity prediction for multiple electrocatalytic reactions (i.e., O 2 /CO 2 /N 2 reduction and O 2 evolution reactions), utilizing only easily accessible intrinsic properties. This descriptor, named ARSC, successfully decouples the atomic property (A), reactant (R), synergistic (S), and coordination effects (C) on the d-band shape of dual-atom sites, which is built upon our developed physically meaningful feature engineering and feature selection/sparsification (PFESS) method. Driven by this descriptor, we can rapidly locate optimal catalysts for various products instead of over 50,000 density functional theory calculations. The model's universality has been validated by abundant reported works and subsequent experiments, where Co-Co/Ir-Qv3 are identified as optimal bifunctional oxygen reduction and evolution electrocatalysts. This work opens the avenue for intelligent catalyst design in high-dimensional systems linked with physical insights., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Abstract: This review summarizes the multiple roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the prediction and treatment of heart failure (HF), including the molecular mechanisms regulating cell apoptosis, myocardial fibrosis, cardiac hypertrophy, and ventricular remodeling, and highlights the importance of miRNAs in the prognosis of HF. In addition, the strategies for alleviating HF with miRNA intervention are discussed. On the basis of the challenges and emerging directions in the research and clinical practice of HF miRNAs, it is proposed that miRNA-based therapy could be a new approach for prevention and treatment of HF., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The genus Dioscorea, a member of the Dioscoreaceae family, comprises approximately 600 species and is widely distributed across temperate and tropical regions such as Asia, South Africa, and North America. The traditional medicinal uses of Dioscorea have been documented in Asian and African pharmacological systems. In Asia, this genus is traditionally used to treat respiratory illnesses, rheumatism, diabetes, diarrhea, dysentery, and other conditions. In Africa, this genus has been used to treat human immunodeficiency virus and ring worms. However, the traditional medicinal practices in North America rarely mention the use of this genus., Aim of the Study: The aim of this review is to comprehensively review the genus Dioscorea, focusing on its traditional uses, phytochemical constituents, pharmacological activities, and potential toxicities. The research also aims to highlight the valuable bioactive compounds within Dioscorea and emphasize the need for further investigations into acute and chronic toxicity, activity mechanisms, molecular markers, and other relevant factors to contribute to the discovery of novel pharmaceuticals., Materials and Methods: A search for available information on Dioscorea was conducted using scientific databases, including PubMed, ISI-WOS, Scopus, and Google Scholar, as well as recent academic publications from reputable publishers and other literature sources. The search was not limited by language and spanned the literature published between 1950 and 2022., Results: This article provides a comprehensive review of the Dioscorea genus, focusing on its traditional uses, phytochemical constituents, pharmacological activities, and potential toxicities. Extensive research has been conducted on this genus, resulting in the isolation and examination of over 1000 compounds, including steroids, terpenoids, and flavonoids, to determine their biological activities. These activities include anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, neuroprotective, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic effects. However, some studies have indicated the potential toxicity of high doses of Dioscorea, highlighting the need for further investigations to assess the safety of this genus. Additionally, this review explores potential avenues for future research and discusses the challenges associated with a comprehensive understanding of the Dioscorea genus., Conclusions: Based on the existing literature, it can be concluded that Dioscorea is a valuable source of bioactive compounds that have the potential to treat various disorders. Future research should prioritize the investigation of acute and chronic toxicity, activity mechanisms, molecular markers, and other relevant factors. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the Dioscorea genus, emphasizing its potential to enable a deeper exploration of the biological activity mechanisms of these plants and contribute to the discovery of novel pharmaceuticals., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Electrochemical CO 2 reduction to value-added chemicals by renewable energy sources is a promising way to implement the artificial carbon cycle. During the reaction, especially at high current densities for practical applications, the complex interaction between the key intermediates and the active sites would affect the selectivity, while the reconfiguration of electrocatalysts could restrict the stability. This paper describes the fabrication of Ag/C catalysts with a well-engineered interfacial structure, in which Ag nanoparticles are partially encapsulated by C supports. The obtained electrocatalyst exhibits CO Faradaic efficiencies (FEs) of over 90 % at current densities even as high as 1.1 A/cm 2 . The strong interfacial interaction between Ag and C leads to highly localized electron density that promotes the rate-determining electron transfer step by enhancing the adsorption and the stabilization of the key *COO - intermediate. In addition, the partially encapsulated structure prevents the reconfiguration of Ag during the reaction. Stable performance for over 600 h at 500 mA/cm 2 is achieved with CO FE maintaining over 95 %, which is among the best stability with such a high selectivity and current density. This work provides a novel catalyst design showing the potential for the practical application of electrochemical reduction of CO 2 ., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Introduction: Valeriana amurensis , a tall herbaceous plant, has been traditionally utilized as a herbal remedy both in China and Russia., Methods: This study was set to explore how to cultivate high quality seedlings, considering factors such as seedling time, seeding density, shading, and plastic film mulching. In addition, we investigated the impact of topping and fertilizer on the growth and quality of V. amurensis ., Results: According to the percentage of seed germination, the seeds of V. amurensis were sowed with 0.88 g m -2 density using plastic film mulching from late April to mid-May (germination percentage was more than 30%). The optimal Transplanting time was identified as late September, ensuring a high survival rate of 98%. Generally, topping showed the most improved growth indices in late fruit period (21.87 for number of radical leaves) and withering period (6.50 for number of buds and 234.81 for number of roots). Topping increased the yields of valtrate (10.91 mg per plant), valepotriates (809.51 mg per plant) and essential oil (395.64 mg per plant) in withering period. Nitrogen fertilizer promoted maximum root growth and increased the biomass of V. amurensis . Meanwhile, N fertilizer significantly increased the yields of valtrate to 10.46 mg per plant and valepotriates to 772.32 mg per plant among three types of fertilizers. Seedlings are obtained according to rational sowing factors and transplanting time. Topping and nitrogen fertilization emerge as superior strategies to enhance the growth and medicinal quality of this valuable plant., Discussion: This study provides actionable insights for the cultivation V. amurensis ., Competing Interests: Author RZ was employed by Zhenbaodao Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wu, Leng, Huo, Zhang and Du.)

The fluorescent detection of neutral and volatile carbonyl halogenated compounds had not been studied before. We describe here a simple and sensitive turn-on rhodamin fluorescent probe for the selective detection of fluorinated/brominated/chlorinated/iodinated carbonyl compounds. A wide range of linear or cyclic volatile organic halides was detected with a limit of detection as low as 45.6 nM within 1 min. Mechanistic experiments and DFT calculations indicate the reversible formation of a 1:1 complex of sensor and analyst through non-bonding interaction., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Super-enhancers (SEs) exerted a crucial role in regulating the transcription of oncogenes across various malignancies while the roles of SEs driven genes and the core regulatory elements remain elusive in LUAD. In this study, cancer-specific-SE-genes of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) were profiled through H3K27ac ChIP-seq data of cancer cell lines and normal lung tissues, which enriched in in biological processes and pathways integral to the pathophysiology of LUAD. Based on this study, LUAD cells were susceptible to SEs inhibitors, with a reduction of cell proliferation as well as an elevation of apoptosis upon JQ1 or THZ1 intervention. Moreover, the integration of SEs landscapes, CRISPRi, ChIP-PCR, Hi-C data analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assays revealed that myeloma overexpressed gene (MYEOV) was aberrantly overexpressed in LUAD via transcriptional activation by the core SE elements. Functionally, the knockdown of MYEOV undermined cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. In addition, the knockdown of MYEOV generated a prominent ferroptotic phenotype, characterized by elevation of intracellular ferrous iron, reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation, together with alteration in marker proteins (SLC7A11, GPX4, FTH1, and ACSL4). Instead, the overexpression of MYEOV accelerated cell proliferation and abrogated ferroptosis. Clinically, the overexpression of MYEOV was observed in LUAD tissues indicating a poor prognosis in patients with LUAD. Mechanistically, SMPD1-induced autophagic degradation of GPX4 assumed a crucial role in the process of ferroptosis triggered by MYEOV knockdown. Serving as an oncogene repressing ferroptosis, promoting proliferation as well as shortening survival in LUAD, SEs-mediated activation of MYEOV might distinguish as a promising therapeutic target., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:Xianhe Xie reports financial support was provided by Department of Science and Technology of Fujian Province, China. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The objective of this study was to determine whether a sex difference exists in the prevalence of post-stroke depressive symptoms (PSDS) at entry to cardiac rehabilitation (CR) and to determine the correlates of PSDS in all patients, and in women and men separately., Methods: People post-stroke at entry to CR from database records (2006-2017) were included. Bivariate analyses identified PSDS correlates (≥16 on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale) in all patients and women and men separately., Results: Patients (n = 1308, 28.9% women), mean age of 63.9 ± 12.9 yr, were 24.2 ± 9.9 mo post-stroke at CR entry. Among all patients, 30.0% had PSDS. A greater proportion of women than men had PSDS (38.6 vs 26.6%; P < .001). Correlates of PSDS in all patients were sex (women) (OR = 1.6: 95% CI, 1.14-2.12), being unemployed, ≤60 yr old, prescribed antidepressant medication, having lower cardiorespiratory fitness (peak oxygen uptake [V̇ o2peak ]), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), higher body mass index (BMI), no transient ischemic attack, and longer time from stroke to CR entry (>12 mo). Correlates in women were being obese (BMI ≥ 30), 51-70 yr old, prescribed antidepressant medication, and not married. Correlates in men were being ≤60 yr old, unemployed, prescribed antidepressant medication, having lower V̇ o2peak , sleep apnea, COPD, and no hypertension., Conclusion: Women were disproportionately affected by PSDS at entry to CR in bivariate and multivariable analyses. Women and men had mostly unique correlates of PSDS, indicating tailored strategies to address PSDS are required. PSDS disproportionately affected patients with longer delay to CR entry, suggesting efforts should target timely referral to facilitate earlier and repeated assessments and management., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

In recent years, semiconductors have aroused great interest in connecting, observing and influencing the behavior of biological elements, and it is possible to use semiconductor-cell compound interfaces to discover new signal transduction in the biological field. Among them, III-V nitride semiconductors, represented by gallium nitride (GaN), are used as substrates to form semiconductor-biology interfaces with cells, providing a platform for studying the effects of semiconductors on cell behavior. The interfaces between GaN substrate and cells play an important role in detecting and manipulating cell behaviors and provide a new opportunity for studying cell behavior and developing diagnostic systems. Hence, it is necessary to understand how the properties of the GaN substrate directly influence the behavior of biological tissues, and to create editable biological interfaces according to the needs. This paper reviews the synergism between GaN semiconductors and biological cells. The electrical properties, persistent photoconductivity (PPC), nanostructures, and chemical functionalization of GaN on the promotion of cell behaviors, such as growth, adhesion, differentiation, and signal transduction, are emphatically introduced. The purpose of this study is to provide guidance to explore the detection and regulation methods of cell behavior based on semiconductors and promote the application of them in the field of bioelectronics, such as biochips, biosensors, and implantable systems., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) mediate the transport of reactants, products and electrons for the electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) in membrane electrode assemblies. The random distribution of ionomer, added by the traditional physical mixing method, in the catalyst layer of GDEs affects the transport of ions and CO 2 . Such a phenomenon results in elevated cell voltage and decaying selectivity at high current densities. This paper describes a pre-confinement method to construct GDEs with homogeneously distributed ionomer, which enhances mass transfer locally at the active centers. The optimized GDE exhibited comparatively low cell voltages and high CO Faradaic efficiencies (FE > 90%) at a wide range of current densities. It can also operate stably for over 220 h with the cell voltage staying almost unchanged. This good performance can be preserved even with diluted CO 2 feeds, which is essential for pursuing a high single-pass conversion rate. This study provides a new approach to building efficient mass transfer pathways for ions and reactants in GDEs to promote the electrocatalytic CO 2 RR for practical applications., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of China Science Publishing & Media Ltd.)

Transcriptional dysregulation caused by genomic and epigenetic alterations in cancer is called "transcriptional addiction". Transcriptional addiction is an important pathogenic factor of tumor malignancy. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) genomes are highly heterogeneous, with many dysregulated genes. Our study analyzed the possibility that transcriptional addiction-related genes play a significant role in HCC. All data sources for conducting this study were public cancer databases and tissue microarrays. We identified 38 transcriptional addiction genes, and most were differentially expressed genes. Among patients of different groups, there were significant differences in overall survival rates. Both nomogram and risk score were independent predictors of HCC outcomes. Transcriptional addiction gene expression characteristics determine the sensitivity of patients to immunotherapy, cisplatin, and sorafenib. Besides, HDAC2 was identified as an oncogene, and its expression was correlated with patient survival time. Our study conclusively demonstrated that transcriptional addiction is crucial in HCC. We provided biomarkers for predicting the prognosis of HCC patients, which can more precisely guide the patient's treatment.

Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) are widely expressed in various types of tumor and cancer cells, and Na V 1.5 is overexpressed in highly metastatic breast cancer cells. There may be positive relations between the expression levels of Na V 1.5 and breast cancer recurrence and metastasis. Herein, Na V 1.5 was detected and localized on the surfaces of normal and cancer breast cells by the single molecule recognition imaging (SMRI) mode of atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results reveal that Na V 1.5 was irregularly distributed on the surfaces of normal and cancer breast cells. The Na V 1.5 has an area percentage of 0.6% and 7.2% on normal and cancer breast cells, respectively, which indicates that there is more Na V 1.5 on cancer cells than on normal cells. The specific interaction forces and binding kinetics in the Na V 1.5-antibody complex system were investigated with the single molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) mode of AFM, indicating that the stability of the Na V 1.5-antibody on normal breast cells is higher than that on cancer breast cells. All these results will be useful to study the interactions of other ion channel-antibody systems, and will also be useful to understand the role of sodium channels in tumor metastasis and invasion.

Bupleurum scorzonerifolium Willd. is a medicinal herb. Its root has a high content of volatile oil (BSVO), which shows a variety of biological activities. Currently, BSVO in the injectable form is used for treating fever in humans and livestock. The yield and quality of volatile oils depends on the developmental stages of plants. However, the changes in BSVO yield and quality during root development in Bupleurum scorzonerifolium and the underlying molecular regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. This knowledge gap is limiting the improvement in the quality of BSVO. In the present study, B. scorzonerifolium root was collected at germinative, vegetative, florescence, fruiting and defoliating stages. The yield of BSVO, metabolic profile of volatile components and transcriptome of root samples at various developmental stages were comprehensively determined and compared. BSVO continuously accumulated from the germinative to fruiting stages, and its level slightly decreased from the fruiting to defoliating stages. A total of 82 volatile components were detected from B. scorzonerifolium root, of which 22 volatiles were identified as differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) during the root development. Of these volatiles, fatty acids and their derivatives accounted for the largest proportion. The contents of most major volatiles were highest at the fruiting stage. A large number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected during B. scorzonerifolium root development, of which 65 DEGs encoded various enzymes and transcription factors regulating the biosynthesis of fatty acids and their derivatives. In further analysis, 42 DEGs were identified to be significantly correlated with DAMs, and these DEGs may be the key genes for the biosynthesis of volatiles. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to comprehensively report the changes in the composition and content of volatiles and underlying mechanism during B. scorzonerifolium root development. This study provided important reference for future studies to determine the harvest time of B. scorzonerifolium roots and improve the quality of BSVO., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Yu, Wang, Huo, Zhuang, Chen and Du.)

Paridis Rhizoma is a natural medicine with strong anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory activities. Our previous research have found that Fusarium sp. C39, an endophytic fungus isolated from Dioscorea nipponica which contains the similar chemical components, significantly increased the steroidal saponins content of Paridis Rhizoma by fermentation. In this study, the inhibitory effects of fermentated Paridis Rhizoma extract (PRE) on liver cancer cells (Hepal-6), cervical cancer cells (Hela), and lung cancer cells (A549) were determined to be stronger than that of the unfermented extract. For discovering the fermentation mechanism of PRE with Fusarium sp. C39, 36 components with obviously quantitative variations were screened out by UPLC-Q/TOF-MS and 53 key genes involved in the metabolic pathways of steroidal saponins were identified by transcriptome. On the basis of comprehensively analyzing information from the metabonomics and transcriptome, it can be speculated that the increase of spirostanol saponins and nuatigenin-type saponins enhanced the inhibitory effect of fermented PRE on cancer cell proliferation. Under the action of glycosidase, glycosyltransferase, oxidoreductases, and genes involved in sterol synthesis, strain C39 achieved the synthesis of diosgenin and the alteration of configurations, sugar chain and substituent of steroidal saponins. The research suggested a microbial transformation approach to increase the resource utilization and activity of Paris polyphylla ., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Chen, Yu, Huo, Huang, Zhang and Du.)

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought more attention to the immune system, the body's defense against infectious diseases. The immunomodulatory ability of traditional herbal medicine has been confirmed through clinical trial research, and has obvious advantages over prescription drugs due to its high number of potential targets and low toxicity. The active compounds of herbal drugs primarily include polysaccharides, saponins, flavonoids, and phenolics and can be modified to produce new active compounds after lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation. LAB, primary source of probiotics, can produce additional immunomodulatory metabolites such as exopolysaccharides, short-chain fatty acids, and bacteriocins. Moreover, several compounds from herbal medicines can promote the growth and production of LAB-based immune active metabolites. Thus, LAB-mediated fermentation of herbal medicines has become a novel strategy for regulating human immune responses. The current review discusses the immunomodulatory properties and active compounds of LAB fermented herbal drugs, the interaction between LAB and herbal medicines, and changes in immunoregulatory components that occur during fermentation. This study also discusses the mechanisms by which LAB-fermented herbal medicines regulate the immune response, including activation of the innate or adaptive immune system and the maintenance of intestinal immune homeostasis., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Zhu, Guo, Yu and Du.)

Previous research mostly used simplistic measures and limited linguistic features (e.g., personal pronouns, absolutist words, and sentiment words) in a text to identify its author's psychological states. In this study, we proposed using additional linguistic features, that is, sentiments polarities and emotions, to classify texts of various psychological states. A large dataset of forum posts including texts of anxiety, depression, suicide ideation, and normal states were experimented with machine-learning algorithms. The results showed that the proposed linguistic features with machine-learning algorithms, namely Support Vector Machine and Deep Learning achieved a high level of performance in the detection of psychological state. The study represents one of the first attempts that uses sentiment polarities and emotions to detect texts of psychological states, and the findings may contribute to our understanding of how accuracy may be enhanced in the detection of various psychological states. Significance and suggestions of the study are also offered., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Du and Sun.)

Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed malignant cancers that threatens the health of women severely. The pathogenesis has not been revealed exhaustively due to the complex mechanisms. Evidences suggest that electrical conductivity properties play critical roles in cellular functions and activities. But the roles of electrical conductivity in pathogenesis of breast cancer cells have not been studied clearly at the nanometer level yet. In the present work, the electrical conductivity and electron transport of two normal and one cancer breast cell lines were investigated and compared at nanometer spatial level and picoampere current level by Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy (CAFM). The cell bodies of normal and cancer breast cells show the typical capacitor behaviors with little conductivity capability for electricity. The capacitance of cell bodies of the cancer breast cells is less than the normal breast cells. The conductivity of the processes of normal and cancer breast cells has also been investigated. The processes of the normal breast cells also exhibit the capacitor behavior. While the processes of the breast cells are electrically conductive along micrometer length scales, and show the semiconductor like conductive characteristics with Schottky barrier of 0.8391 V. All these demonstrate that the electrical conductivity of the cancer breast cells is better than the normal breast cells. This work will be helpful in the further investigations of electrical conductivity of normal and cancer cells at nanometer level, and will also pave new way in the distinguishing the cancer cells and tissues from the normal cells and tissues., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

This study conducted the solid fermentation process of Dioscorea nipponica using endophytic fungi C39 to determine the changes in the diosgenin concentration. The results revealed that endophytic fungi C39 could effectively biotransform the saponin components in D. nipponica . Moreover, the maximum increase in the diosgenin concentration reached 62.67% in 15 days of solid fermentation. MTT assay results demonstrated that the inhibitory effects of the fermentation drugs on four types of cancer cells (liver cancer cells (HepG2), stomach cancer cells (BGC823), cervical cancer cells (HeLa), and lung cancer cells (A549)) were better than those of the crude drugs obtained from D. nipponica . The chemical composition of the samples obtained before and after the biotransformation of D. nipponica was analyzed by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. A total of 32 compounds were identified, 21 of which have been reported in Dioscorea saponins and the ChemSpider database and 11 compounds were identified for the first time in D. nipponica . The biotransformation process was inferred based on the variation trend of saponins, which included transformation pathways pertaining to glycolytic metabolism, ring closure reaction, dehydrogenation, and carbonylation. The cumulative findings provide the basis for the rapid qualitative analysis of the saponin components of D. nipponica before and after biotransformation. The 11 metabolites obtained from biotransformation are potential active ingredients obtained from D. nipponica , which can be used to further identify pharmacodynamically active substances., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Nannan Huang et al.)

Fusarium sp. C39 is an endophytic fungus of Dioscorea nipponica Makino. Symbiosis of Fusarium sp. C39 with Rhizoma Dioscoreae Nipponicae (RDN) can significantly increase the content of saponin, which provides a new approach for saponin production and reduces the pressure on natural sources of saponins. However, the underlying mechanism is not clear, limiting its application. In this study, the genome of Fusarium sp. C39 was sequenced, the gene functions were predicted via gene annotation, and the genome was compared to the genomes of four related species. Fusarium sp. C39 is predicted to encode many key enzyme genes involved in saponin synthesis, which could transform the mevalonate, isopentenyl pyrophosphate, and various intermediate compounds present in the RDN extract into saponins. The Fusarium sp. C39 genome contains specific genes that are conducive to its endophytic lifestyle and can provide abundant raw materials for saponin synthesis. Based on the genomic analysis, we proposed the mechanism by which Fusarium sp. C39 generates saponins and provides a theoretical basis for rapid, efficient, low-cost production of saponins., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Purpose: Disulfiram (DSF) is an approved drug for the treatment of alcohol dependence. Accumulating evidence indicates that DSF, alone or in combination with copper (Cu), possesses strong antitumor activity in various malignancies. This study investigated the effects of DSF on gastric cancer (GC) and the potential mechanisms involved., Methods: GC cell proliferation and apoptosis upon treatment with DSF with or without copper were analyzed using CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, and flow cytometry. Glucose metabolism was investigated using glucose consumption and lactate production assays. The expression of caspase-3, Bcl-2, LC-3, P62, S6K1, c-Myc, GLUT1, PKM2, and LDHA was analyzed using western blot assay. In vivo nude mice studies were performed to verify the findings from in vitro analyses., Results: Our study showed that DSF was highly toxic to GC cells in a Cu-dependent manner. Nontoxic concentrations of Cu enhanced the inhibitory effects of DSF on cell viability and colony formation. DSF also induced apoptotic and autophagic cell death in the presence of Cu. In addition, DSF/Cu inhibited glycolysis and xenograft growth of GC cells by suppressing the expression of S6K1, c-Myc, and their downstream molecules, including GLUT1, PKM2, and LDHA., Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that DSF/Cu exerted antitumor activity against GC cells both in vitro and in vivo. DSF/Cu may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of GC., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This study investigated the relation between psychological states and linguistic features with the case of Virginia Woolf. We analyzed the data from The Diary of Virginia Woolf and Virginia Woolf: Biography by automatic text analysis and statistical analysis, including stepwise multiple regression and Deep Learning algorithm. The results suggested that the significant linguistic features can jointly predict the psychological states of Virginia Woolf, including the emotional value of anger , the absolutist word " everything ," and the total of first-person plural pronouns. In addition, we found that the total use of first-person plural pronouns and the emotional value of anger were negatively related to mental health of Virginia Woolf. While the use of the absolutist word " everything " was positively related to mental health of Virginia Woolf. Meanwhile, we developed a model that can predict the psychological states of Virginia Woolf, with 86.9% accuracy. We discussed the findings and enumerated the limitations of this study at the end of the paper. The results not only complemented previous studies in the understanding of the relation between language and psychological health, but also facilitated timely identification, intervention, and prevention of mental disorders., Competing Interests: The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Du.)

Main Conclusion: This work reviews recent advances in the pathways and key enzymes of steroidal saponins biosynthesis and sets the foundation for the biotechnological production of these useful compounds through transformation of microorganisms. Steroidal saponins, due to their specific chemical structures and active effects, have long been important natural products and that are irreplaceable in hormone production and other pharmaceutical industries. This article comprehensively reviewed the previous and current research progress and summarized the biosynthesis pathways and key biosynthetic enzymes of steroidal saponins that have been discovered in plants and microoganisms. On the basis of the general biosynthetic pathway in plants, it was found that the starting components, intermediates and catalysing enzymes were diverse between plants and microorganisms; however, the functions of their related enzymes tended to be similar. The biosynthesis pathways of steroidal saponins in microorganisms and marine organisms have not been revealed as clearly as those in plants and need further investigation. The elucidation of biosynthetic pathways and key enzymes is essential for understanding the synthetic mechanisms of these compounds and provides researchers with important information to further develop and implement the massive production of steroidal saponins by biotechnological approaches and methodologies., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Rhodopsin-like G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), widely distributed in microorganisms, invertebrates, and vertebrates, are the largest class in GPCRs, and are involved in many important physiological and pathological processes, including the photosensitivity, regulation of behavior and emotion, and so on. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a powerful and multifunctional toolkit in bionanotechnology, as it can image the morphology of membrane proteins at subnanometer spatial resolution and detect forces related with membrane proteins down to piconewton level by single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) mode under physiological conditions. Herein, the achievements of AFM in the study of rhodopsin-like GPCRs, including observing the high-resolution topography and structural changes, revealing the interaction forces, binding kinetics, and mechanical properties (such as modulus), are reviewed and summarized. Finally, the challenges, outlook, and prospects of AFM in the study of rhodopsin-like GPCRs are discussed., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor with high mortality and heterogeneity. Genetic mutations caused by driver genes are important contributors to the formation of the tumor microenvironment. The purpose of this study is to discuss the expression of cancer driver genes in tumor tissues and their clinical value in predicting the prognosis of HCC. Methods: All data were sourced from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC), and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) public databases. Differentially expressed and prognostic genes were screened by the expression distribution of the cancer driver genes and their relationship with survival. Candidate genes were subjected to functional enrichment and transcription factor regulatory network. We further constructed a prognostic signature and analyzed the survival outcomes and immune status between different risk groups. Results: Most cancer driver genes are specifically expressed in cancer tissues. Driver genes may influence HCC progression through processes such as transcription, cell cycle, and T-cell receptor-related pathways. Patients in different risk groups had significant survival differences ( p < 0.05), and risk scores showed high predictive efficacy (AUC>0.69). Besides, risk subgroups were also associated with multiple immune functions and immune cell content. Conclusion: We confirmed the critical role of cancer driver genes in mediating HCC progression and the immune microenvironment. Risk subgroups contribute to the assessment of prognostic value in different patients and explain the heterogeneity of HCC., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Li, Du, Wu, Wu, Zhang, Xu, Wang and Chen.)

Participation in and opportunities for physical activity (PA) and sports (PA inclusively hereafter) are known to vary across individuals with different social positions. Intersectionality theory may help us to better understand the complex processes of multiple interlocking systems of oppression and privilege shaped by intersections of individuals' social categories. The objectives of this systematic scoping review were (1) to summarize the findings of articles examining PA claimed operationalization of intersectionality and (2) to identify the scope and gaps pertaining to the operationalization of intersectionality in PA research. A search was conducted in September 2019 in seven electronic databases (e.g., SPORTDiscus, Scopus, Web of Science) for relevant research articles written in English. Key search terms included "intersectionality" AND "physical activity" OR "sport". Database searches, data screening and extraction, and narrative synthesis were conducted between September 2019 and May 2020. Of 16564 articles identified, 45 articles were included in this review. The majority of included articles used qualitative methods (n = 41), with two quantitative and two mixed-methods articles. The most frequently observed intersectional social position was sex/gender + race/ethnicity (n = 11), followed by sex/gender + race/ethnicity + sexuality (n = 6) and sex/gender + race/ethnicity + religion (n = 6). Most qualitative studies (n = 38) explicitly claimed operationalization of intersectionality as a key theoretical framework, and over half of these studies (n = 27) implicitly used intra-categorical intersectionality. Two quantitative studies were identified which examined a number of intersections simultaneously using inter-categorical intersectionality. Complex processes of individual and social-structural level factors that drive inequalities in PA opportunities and participation could be better elucidated with the operationalization of intersectionality theory. Intersectionality theory may serve as a useful framework in both qualitative and quantitative investigations. Advancement in quantitative intersectionality is critical in order to produce knowledge that could inform more inclusive PA promotion efforts., Competing Interests: None., (© 2021 The Author(s).)

Purpose: Increasing evidence suggests that many adipokines are involved in cancer-related anorexia and cachexia syndrome (CACS), although the underlying mechanism remains to be clarify. Asprosin is a new peptide hormone mainly secreted by white adipose tissues that can increase appetite and body weight. In this cross-sectional study, we tested whether asprosin may intervene in the development of CACS., Methods: The fasting plasma asprosin levels were determined via enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay. Anorexia was determined using the anorexia/cachexia subscale (A/CS) of the functional assessment of anorexia/cachexia therapy (FAACT) questionnaire. The body composition was assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis. The association of plasma asprosin with anorexia, cachexia, and nutritional status was analyzed., Results: One hundred twenty treatment-naïve patients with pathological confirmed gastrointestinal or lung cancer and 14 mild gastritis patients were recruited. We found no significant difference in asprosin levels between subgroups of patients by age, sex, cancer types or stage. Correlation analysis suggested that asprosin levels were positively associated with body fat mass (r = 0.248, p = 0.043). No correlations were found between asprosin levels and hemoglobin, white blood cell count, blood platelet count, albumin, C-reactive protein, glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, body mass index, body fat percentage, protein, skeletal muscle, muscle mass, lean body mass, and basal metabolic rate. Furthermore, asprosin levels were not significantly different between patients with or without cachexia. However, patients with anorexia had significantly lower asprosin levels compared with patients without anorexia. No significant difference in asprosin levels between gastritis and gastric cancer patients. Similarly, no significant change of asprosin levels occurred postoperatively in 10 gastric cancer patients., Conclusions: Patients with anorexia had significantly lower asprosin levels compared with patients without anorexia. We therefore speculated that asprosin might intervene in the development of cancer anorexia and serve as a potential therapeutic target.

High-throughput amplicon sequencing is a critical tool for studying microbiota; however, it results only in relative abundance data. Thus, changes in absolute abundance of microbiota cannot be determined, which hinders further microbiology research. We have therefore established a gradient internal standard absolute quantification (GIS-AQ) method to overcome this issue, which can simultaneously obtain the absolute abundances of bacteria and fungi. Deviations from the quantitative equations of microbes and internal standards were eliminated through calibration. Compared with traditional quantitative real-time PCR and microscopy quantifications, this method is reliable ( R 2 average = 0.998; P <  0.001) and accurate ( P internals versus microscopy > 0.05). The GIS-AQ method can be adapted to any amplicon primer choice (e.g., 336F/806R and ITS3/ITS4), rendering it applicable to ecosystem studies including food, soil, and water samples. Crucially, when using solid-state fermentation samples from various temporal dimensions, the results obtained from the relative and absolute abundance are different. The absolute abundance can be used to study the difference in communities between different samples, and the GIS-AQ method allows this to be done rapidly. Therefore, combining the absolute abundance with relative abundance can accurately reflect the microbiota composition. IMPORTANCE To solve the problem of amplicon sequencing cannot discern the microbiota absolute abundance, we proposed a gradient internal standard absolute quantification method. We used Chinese liquor fermentation as a model system to demonstrate the reliability and accuracy of the method. By comparing the relative and absolute abundances of microbiota in various temporal dimensions, we found dynamic changes in the absolute abundance of communities under various temporal dimensions from the relative abundance. Based on its design principle, this method can be widely applied to different ecosystems. Therefore, we believe that the GIS-AQ method can play an immeasurably useful role in microbiological research., (Copyright © 2021 Wang et al.)

Background: N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) methylation is a common class of RNA modification. Similar to DNA methylation, m 6 A methylation regulates most mRNA expressions. At present, most research has found that m 6 A methylation is related to tumorigenesis and development; however, there are few studies about hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to analyze the expression level of m 6 A methylation regulators and their correlation on the clinical features in HCC., Methods: A total of 13 m 6 A methylation regulators were evaluated. mRNA data and clinical information were obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The Wilcoxon test was utilized to analyze the differences between m 6 A RNA methylation regulators, and Pearson's test was used to test the correlation between them. We constructed a tumor subgroup model based on the 13 molecules used for the analysis of the correlations with the clinical features. Two genes ( ZC3H13 and YTHDF2 ) screened by Cox and LASSO regression were used to construct a tumor risk model for analyzing the correlations with clinical features. Finally, we verified the expression of the two molecules in liver cancer and adjacent tissues by Western blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (n=6). P<0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: Eleven of the 13 molecules were higher in the liver cancer tissues than the adjacent tissues (P<0.05), and most were significantly positively related. Two subgroup models were constructed. Subgroup 2 patients had higher levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), while grade and the three-year survival were lower than subgroup 1 (49% vs. 77%) with significant differences (P<0.05). The risk model suggested that patients in the high-risk group showed high AFP levels, and the 3- and 5-year survival rates were lower than the low-risk group (3-year survival rate: 19% vs. 31%, 5-year survival rate: 12% vs. 17%). The Western blot test showed that the expression of YTHDF2 in the liver cancer tissues was greater than that in the precancerous tissues (P<0.05), while the expression of ZC3H13 was not significant. Real-time PCR showed that the expression of YTHDF2 mRNA in liver cancer tissues were higher than that in adjacent tissues (7.64±0.44 vs. 4.99±0.61, P=0.006), while the expression of ZC3H13 mRNA had no statistical difference (5.56±0.18 vs. 5.42±0.33, P>0.05). The results of the in vitro experiment were consistent with bioinformatic analysis., Conclusions: The abnormal expression of m 6 A methylation regulators in the liver tissues suggest that m 6 A may play an important role in the development of HCC. Tumor models we constructed that could effectively predict the prognosis of patients, and the clinical correlation results were consistent with clinical practices. Our research is expected to provide a reference for the prognostic stratification and treatment strategy development of HCC., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/tcr.2019.12.84). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2020 Translational Cancer Research. All rights reserved.)

Knowledge gaps exist in how we implement aerobic exercise programs during the early phases post-stroke. Therefore, the objective of this review was to provide evidence-based guidelines for pre-participation screening, mobilization, and aerobic exercise training in the hyper-acute and acute phases post-stroke. In reviewing the literature to determine safe timelines of when to initiate exercise and mobilization we considered the following factors: arterial blood pressure dysregulation, cardiac complications, blood-brain barrier disruption, hemorrhagic stroke transformation, and ischemic penumbra viability. These stroke-related impairments could intensify with inappropriate mobilization/aerobic exercise, hence we deemed the integrity of cerebral autoregulation to be an essential physiological consideration to protect the brain when progressing exercise intensity. Pre-participation screening criteria are proposed and countermeasures to protect the brain from potentially adverse circulatory effects before, during, and following mobilization/exercise sessions are introduced. For example, prolonged periods of standing and static postures before and after mobilization/aerobic exercise may elicit blood pooling and/or trigger coagulation cascades and/or cerebral hypoperfusion. Countermeasures such as avoiding prolonged standing or incorporating periodic lower limb movement to activate the venous muscle pump could counteract blood pooling after an exercise session, minimize activation of the coagulation cascade, and mitigate potential cerebral hypoperfusion. We discuss patient safety in light of the complex nature of stroke presentations (i.e., type, severity, and etiology), medical history, comorbidities such as diabetes, cardiac manifestations, medications, and complications such as anemia and dehydration. The guidelines are easily incorporated into the care model, are low-risk, and use minimal resources. These and other strategies represent opportunities for improving the safety of the activity regimen offered to those in the early phases post-stroke. The timeline for initiating and progressing exercise/mobilization parameters are contingent on recovery stages both from neurobiological and cardiovascular perspectives, which to this point have not been specifically considered in practice. This review includes tailored exercise and mobilization prescription strategies and precautions that are not resource intensive and prioritize safety in stroke recovery., (Copyright © 2019 Marzolini, Robertson, Oh, Goodman, Corbett, Du and MacIntosh.)

Objective. To improve students' learning and develop their learning skills in pharmacy education. Methods. A novel teaching method composed of Self-study, Test, Question and Discussion (STQD) sessions uses self-, peer-, co-learning, active learning, inductive teaching, and formative assessment to promote student-centered teaching in pharmacy education. STQD has been implemented within courses focusing on instrumental analysis and analytical chemistry. In a four-year study, qualitative and quantitative approaches were used to evaluate the effectiveness of STQD in facilitating students' learning. Results. Students positively evaluated their experience in STQD class with an overall mean and standard deviation of 4.35 (0.64) in a 5-point Likert scale, where a score of 1 is "strongly disagree" and a score of 5 is "strongly agree." The final examination results showed students' average score in an STQD class was higher than students' average score in a traditional class. Most students indicated that the STQD improved their learning ability, communication ability and facilitated their learning. Conclusion. The use of STQD in an integrated basic science curriculum has the potential to develop students' learning skills and improve their learning in pharmacy education.

D-dimer is a promising biomarker for identification of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with stroke. The purpose of our study is to evaluate the diagnostic value of D-dimer as a promising biomarker for VTE in patients after stroke. We performed an exhaustive search of leading databases including Pubmed, Embase, the Cochrane library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and China Biology Medicine disc (CBM) from inception to Oct 13, 2017. We included studies written in English and Chinese. We included studies that appraised the diagnostic value of D-dimer with reference standard for VTE diagnosis in patients after stroke. We concurrently constructed a 2 × 2 table with data extracted from included studies. We identified 8 studies that included 1490 patients after stroke from our database searches. The pooled result from limited evidence showed a sensitivity of 0.85 (95% CI 0.76-0.90) and a specificity of 0.77 (95% CI 0.73-0.81). The area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.85(95% CI 0.81-0.88). The positive likelihood ratio (LR+) and the negative likelihood ratio (LR-) were 3.8 (95% CI 3.1-4.4) and 0.20(95% CI 0.12-0.31), respectively. In patients after stroke suspected of venous thromboembolism, D-dimer is a beneficial biomarker for diagnosis of VTE. For stroke patients with low probability of VTE, a normal D-dimer test can be used to rule-out VTE. However, we do not recommend using D-dimer as the single definitive test for VTE diagnosis. We recommend diagnosing VTE using multi-branch diagnostic strategy., (Copyright © 2018 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We demonstrated a fast switchable dual-model grating based on a polymer-stabilized sphere phase liquid crystal. To form binary periodicity layers, the polymer-stabilized sphere phase liquid crystal precursor was sequence ultraviolet cured at an isotropic and sphere phase. This grating jointly modulated both the phase and the amplitude, had six times the diffraction efficiency of that fabricated with polymer-stabilized blue phase liquid crystal. Moreover, the dual-model tunable grating shown polarization-independent and submillisecond response time, which may hold a great potential application in diffractive optics.

Increasing evidence confirms the involvement of virus infection and miRNA, such as miR-146a, in neuroinflammation-associated epilepsy. In the present study, we investigated the upregulation of miR-146a with RT-qPCR and in situ hybridization methods in a mice infection model of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and in vitro. Subsequently we investigated the involvement of miR-146a in modulating JEV-induced neuroinflammation. It was demonstrated that JEV infection promoted miR-146a production in BALB/c mice brain and in cultured mouse microglial C8-B4 cells, along with pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-β and IFN-α. We also found that miR-146a exerted negative regulatory effects upon IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-β and IFN-α in C8-B4 cells. Accordingly, miR-146a downregulation with a miR-146a inhibitor promoted the upregulation of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-β and IFN-α, whereas miR-146a upregulation with miR-146a mimics reduced the upregulation of these cytokines. Moreover, miR-146a exerted no regulation upon JEV growth in C8-B4 cells. In conclusion, JEV infection upregulated miR-146a and pro-inflammatory cytokine production, in mice brain and in cultured C8-B4 cells. Furthermore, miR-146a negatively regulated the production of JEV-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines, in virus growth independent fashion, identifying miR-146a as a negative feedback regulator in JEV-induced neuroinflammation, and possibly in epilepsy.

The processing of Juglans mandshurica Maxim. is important to reduce its toxicity and enhance its efficacy. Simple, efficient, and sensitive ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with a time-of-flight mass spectrometry based chemical profiling approach was proposed to rapidly evaluate the chemical difference between fresh and dry samples. Under the optimized ultra-high performance liquid chromatography and quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry conditions, 81 significantly different compounds were rapidly discovered using principal component analysis, and then tentatively identified by comparison with reference substances or inferred through mass spectral fragment ion analysis and literature data. These compounds included 35 naphthoquinones, 11 diarylheptanoids, nine flavonoids, eight triterpenes, 12 phenolic acids, and six aliphatics. The results demonstrated that chemical reactions occurring during processing could be used to elucidate the processing mechanism of Juglans mandshurica Maxim. This study provides a novel approach to identifying complicated components of various complex mixtures in fresh-raw and dry-processed traditional Chinese medicines, which could be used as a valid analytical method to further understand the processing mechanisms of these medicines, as well as providing intrinsic quality control of the medicines and their processed products., (© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Developing novel strategies against glioma remains a significant challenge. Long non-coding RNA nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1) significantly contributes to the progression of many human cancers, while glioma stem cells (GSCs) are believed to be responsible for tumor progression. However, whether NEAT1 alters the stem-like properties of GSC cells remains unknown. Using microbeads, CD133+ cells were isolated and were found to possess glioma stem cell properties. Using siRNA, NEAT1 was knocked down in the sorted CD133+ U87 glioma cells. We found higher NEAT1 RNA expression in CD133+ human glioma primary culture stem cells and CD133+ U87 cells via RT-PCR. Moreover, NEAT1 knockdown in the CD133+ U87 cells resulted in decreased colony formation, increased G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. In addition, these effects were accompanied by miR-107 activation and inactivation of CDK6 protein. These results strongly suggest that NEAT1 knockdown suppresses stem-like properties in glioma cells by modulating the miR‑107CDK6 pathway. Targeting NEAT1 may provide a novel therapeutic opportunity for developing a relapse-free treatment of glioma patients.

Based on traditional Chinese medicinal theories on gouty arthritis, Zisheng Shenqi decoction (ZSD), a novel Chinese medicinal formula, was developed due to its multiple functions, including reinforcing renal function, promoting blood circulation and relieving pain. In the present study, the effect of ZSD on monosodium urate (MSU) crystal-induced gouty arthritis in rats was investigated and the underlying mechanisms were examined. The data from these investigations showed that the injection of MSU crystals into the ankle joint cavity caused significant elevations in ankle swelling and inflammatory cell infiltration into the synovium, whereas these abnormal changes were markedly suppressed by oral administration of ZSD (40 mg/kg) for 7 days. Mechanically, ZSD treatment prevented MSU crystal‑induced inflammatory responses, as evidenced by downregulation in the expression levels of NACHT domain, leucine‑rich repeat and pyrin domain containing protein (NALP) 1 and NALP6 inflammasomes, decreased serum levels of tumor necrosis factor‑α and interleukin‑1β, and inhibited activation of nuclear factor‑κB. In addition, ZSD administration markedly enhanced the anti-oxidant status in MSU crystal‑induced rats by the increase in the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, and the levels of reduced glutathione. These results indicated that ZSD effectively prevented MSU crystal-induced gouty arthritis via modulating multiple anti‑oxidative and anti‑inflammatory pathways, suggesting a promising herbal formula for the prevention and treatment of gouty arthritis.

We demonstrate a method to fabricate graphene microelectrode arrays (MEAs) using a simple and inexpensive method to solve the problem of opaque electrode positions in traditional MEAs, while keeping good biocompatibility. To study the interface differences between graphene-electrolyte and gold-electrolyte, graphene and gold electrodes with a large area were fabricated. According to the simulation results of electrochemical impedances, the gold-electrolyte interface can be described as a classical double-layer structure, while the graphene-electrolyte interface can be explained by a modified double-layer theory. Furthermore, using graphene MEAs, we detected the neural activities of neurons dissociated from Wistar rats (embryonic day 18). The signal-to-noise ratio of the detected signal was 10.31 ± 1.2, which is comparable to those of MEAs made with other materials. The long-term stability of the MEAs is demonstrated by comparing differences in Bode diagrams taken before and after cell culturing.

Purpose: to observe whether weight reduction through aerobic exercise is more effective with the intervention of electromagnetic pulse (EMP) Acupoint stimulation., Method: based on the need of this study, we choose 48 young and middle-aged obese patients and randomly divide them into Experimental Group and Control Group with each group consisting of 24 of them. The Control Group has an aerobic endurance running each day with each running lasting for about 45 minutes and covering about 6 KM; the Experimental Group has the same exercise as the CG, but, after their running, stimulation by electromagnetic pulse meter is given to their Sanyinjiao Acupoint and Zushanli Acupoint. Then the content of body fat and the lipid indexes of the two groups before the treatment are compared with their counterparts after the said treatment., Result: after 6 weeks of treatment, the various indexes of the two groups are improved to different degrees (P<0.05); the effect on lipid indexes of the Experimental Group is obviously better than that of the Control Group (P<0.05), but the content of their body fat shows no conspicuous difference (P>0.05)., Conclusion: after 6 weeks of treatment, the intervention of EMP acupoint stimulation can more evidently improve the lipid indexes than it has done to the group only having aerobic exercise; but it has little effect in terms of the improvement of the body fat content, which may be because of the short time of such intervention.

Background/aims: The present study aims to explore the protective role and mechanism of ginsenoside Rg1 combined with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) transplantation for cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury (CIRI) in rat brain., Methods: One hundred twenty male SD rats were randomly divided into a sham group, an Ischemia Reperfusion (IR) group, an IR group treated with BMSC transplantation (IR+BMSCs), an IR group treated with Rg1 (IR+Rg1), and an IR group treated with BMSC transplantation and Rg1 (IR+Rg1+BMSCs). To establish a CIRI model, right middle cerebral artery embolization was used. The neurological score, 2,3,5-triphenyltet-razolium chloride monohydrate (TTC) staining and brain water content were detected to assess the treatment efficiency. HE staining and TUNEL were used to explore the pathologic changes and apoptosis. To explore the protein levels of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), immunofluoresence was utilized. Western blotting was used to explore apoptosis-related proteins such as Bcl-2 and Bax., Results: Compared with the sham group, the IR group demonstrated obvious ischemic changes, such as significant neurologic defects and enhanced brain water content. The Rg1 treatment resulted in an obvious decrease in cell apoptosis and improved ischemic conditions. By BMSC transplantation, the transplanted cells could be differentiated into neurons and glial cells, which also improved cerebral ischemia. More importantly, the IR+Rg1+BMSCs group showed the best treatment efficiency with reduced cell apoptosis and better cerebral recovery., Conclusions: The Rg1 treatment resulted in an obvious decrease in cell apoptosis, while the transplanted cells could be differentiated into neurons and glial cells, which also improved cerebral ischemia., (© 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Increasing evidence demonstrates that different opioids, while acting μ opioid receptors, can activate distinct downstream responses, a phenomenon termed functional selectivity or biased agonism. The present study designed experiments to test whether the μ receptor agonist morphine and D-Ala(2), N-Me-Phe(4), Gly(5)-ol-enkephalin (DAMGO) had a different effect on presynaptic glutamate release in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and whether this difference was due to their biased agonism at μ receptors. The results showed that DAMGO markedly decreased the frequency of sEPSCs in pyramidal cells of BLA. The concentration-dependence experiment showed that DAMGO dose-dependently decreased the frequency of sEPSCs. Morphine markedly increased the frequency of sEPSCs in pyramidal cells of BLA. The concentration-dependence experiment showed that morphine dose-dependently increased the frequency of sEPSCs. We also used PPF of EPSC as another indicator of presynaptic glutamate release to confirm the opposite effect of morphine and DAMGO on the glutamate release. Further mechanism studies showed that the opposite effect of morphine and DAMGO on the glutamate release was via the activation of μ receptors, but the downstream signaling pathways of μ receptors were different: DAMGO inhibited the glutamate release via μ receptor-Gi protein- PLA2-AA signaling pathway, whereas morphine promoted the glutamate release via μ receptor-Gi protein-PKC-ERK1/2-synapsin I signaling pathway., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A new caryophyllane derivative, caryophyllenol A, and a new germacrane derivative, isovolvalerenal D, together with 11 known sesquiterpenoids, were isolated from a petroleum ether partition of the roots and rhizomes of Valeriana amurensis. Structure elucidation of caryophyllenol A and isovolvalerenal D was accomplished on the basis of various spectroscopic techniques including HRESIMS and 2D NMR analyses. The structure of caryophyllenol A was further confirmed by X-ray crystallography and using quantum-chemical ECD calculation adopting TDDFT method. Caryophyllenol A and other eight sesquiterpenoids were evaluated for sedative activity with the model of Drosophila melanogaster, and eight of them showed the effect of prolonging the total sleeping time (TST) of D. melanogaster, displaying significant sedative action., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The ability to culture individual neurons and direct their connections on functional interfaces provides a platform for investigating information processing in neuronal networks. Numerous methods have been used to design ordered neuronal networks on microelectrode arrays (MEAs) for neuronal electrical activities recording. However, so far, no method has been implemented, which simultaneously provides high-resolution neuronal patterns and low-impedance microelectrode. To achieve this goal, we employed a chemical vapor-deposited, non-fouling poly (ethylene) glycol (PEG) self-assembled monolayer to provide a cell repellant background on the MEAs. Photolithography, together with plasma etching of the PEG monolayer, was used to fabricate different patterns on MEAs. No electrode performance degradation was observed after the whole process. Dissociated cortical neurons were cultured on the modified MEAs, and the patterns were maintained for more than 3 weeks. Spontaneous and evoked neuronal activities were recorded. All of the results demonstrate this surface engineering strategy allows successful patterning of neurons on MEAs, and is useful for future studies of information processing in defined neuronal networks on a chip., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Diverse Streptomyces species act as geosmin producers in the Chinese liquor-making process. In this paper, the ecology of these Streptomyces species was analyzed using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of amplified Actinobacteria -specified rDNA. The result showed that Streptomyces were widely distributed during Daqu incubation, and multiple processing, geographic, and climate factors can affect their distribution and diversity. The genes associated with geosmin production were characterized in four geosmin-producing Streptomyces strains, all of which were isolated from geosmin-contaminated Daqu. On the basis of this information, a real-time PCR method was developed, enabling the detection of traces of Streptomyces in complex solid-state matrices. The primer was targeted at the gene coding for geosmin synthase (geoA). The real-time PCR method was found to be specific for geosmin-producing Streptomyces and did not show any cross-reactivity with geosmin-negative isolates, which are frequently present in the Chinese liquor-brewing process. Quantification of geoA in the Chinese liquor-making process could permit the monitoring of the level of geosmin producers prior to the occurrence of geosmin production. Comparison of the qPCR results based on the gene encoding geosmin synthase and Actinobacteria-specified rDNA showed that about 1-10% of the Actinobacteria carry the geosmin synthesis gene.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of extracts from Fructus Gardeniae led to analysis of its bioactive natural products. After infection by influenza virus strain A/FM/1/47-MA in vivo, antiviral activity of the extracts were investigated. The target fraction was orally administered to rats and blood was collected. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photo diode array detector and electrospray ion trap multiple-stage tandem mass spectrometry was applied to screen the compounds absorbed into the blood. A structural characterization based on the retention time, ultraviolet spectra, parent ions and fragmentation ions was performed. Thirteen compounds were confirmed or tentatively identified. This provides an accurate profile of the composition of bioactive compounds responsible for the anti-influenza properties.