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Specificity and efficiency of plant virus transmission depend largely on protein-protein interactions of vectors and viruses. Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV), transmitted specifically by tobacco whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, in a semi-persistent manner, has caused serious damage on cucurbit and vegetable crops around the world. However, the molecular mechanism of interaction during CCYV retention and transmission are still lacking. CCYV was proven to bind particularly to the whitefly foregut, and here, we confirmed that the minor coat protein (CPm) of CCYV is participated in the interaction with the vector. In order to identify proteins of B. tabaci that interact directly with CPm of CCYV, the immunoprecipitation (IP) assay and DUALmembrane cDNA library screening technology were applied. The cytochrome c oxidase subunit 5A (COX), tubulin beta chain (TUB) and keratin, type I cytoskeletal 9-like (KRT) of B. tabaci shown strong interactions with CPm and are closely associated with the retention within the vector and transmission of CCYV. These findings on whitefly protein-CCYV CPm interactions are crucial for a much better understanding the mechanism of semi-persistent plant virus transmission by insect vectors, as well as for implement new strategies for effective management of plant viruses and their vector insects.

To investigate the relationship between systemic inflammatory response and short-term mortality in patients with non-cirrhotic chronic severe hepatitis (CSH) by using several indicators of inflammation including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), neutrophil (NEU), white blood cell (WBC), platelet-to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR).Data were collected from two prospectively enrolled CATCH-LIFE noncirrhotic cohorts. Cox regression analysis was used to investigate the association between systemic inflammatory biomarkers and 90-day liver transplant (LT)-free mortality. A generalized additive model (GAM) was used to illustrate the quantitative curve relationship between NLR and 90-day LT-free mortality. Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the 90-year LT-free survival.The prevalence of CSH was 20.5% (226/1103). The 28-day and 90-day LT-free mortality rates were 17.7% and 26.1%, respectively, for patients with non-cirrhotic CSH. Patients with no infection accounted for 75.0% of all CSH patients, and NLR was independently associated with 90-day LT-free mortality. NLR of 2.9 might be related to disease deterioration in CSH patients without infection.NLR may be an independent risk factor for 90-day LT-free mortality in patients with non-cirrhotic chronic liver disease. A NLR of 2.9 as the cut-off value can be used to predict disease aggravation in CSH patients without infection.

Background Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common cancers in the worldwide and is the leading cause of death in patients. Despite significant advances in treatment, the 5-year survival rate remains low. Therefore, the discovery of tumor markers that can predict gastric cancer and estimate its prognosis will improve this situation. Methods In this study, TIMER2, Kaplan–Meier plotter and GEPIA databases were used to analyze the expression of COL6 family gene in gastric cancer tissues, and analyzed their relationship with different pathological stages and tumor prognosis. Meanwhile, we analyzed the Genetic Alteration, Co-expression, Neighbor Gene Network, Interaction Analyses, enrichment analysis and immune infiltration analysis of COL6 in Patients with GC in cBioPortal, STRING databases and XIANTAO platform. Results We found that the COL6 family (COL6A1, COL1A2, COL6A3, COL6A4P1, COL6A4P2, COL6A5 and COL6A6) genes were significantly up-regulated in gastric adenocarcinoma relative to normal tissue adjacent to the cancer. A significant correlation was found between the expression of COL6A1/2/3 and the pathological stage of GC patients. GC patients with high COL6A1/2/3/5/6 expression were all associated with poor survival, while COL6A4P1/P2/6 were significantly associated with metastasis or recurrence in patients. Subsequently, we performed functional enrichment analysis and found that its cellular function was associated with Focal adhesion, ECM-receptor interaction. Our data also showed that COL6A1/2/3/5/6 were positively with immune infiltration, while a negative correlation was found between COL6A/4P1/4P2 and immune cells infiltration, which may be associated with poorer relapse-free survival (RFS). Conclusion Our findings suggest that the COL6 family (COL6A1/2/3/4P1/4P2/5/6) is a potential biomarker for determining the prognosis of gastric cancer and It also provides theoretical basis for immunotherapy.

Mortality from hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is high. Severe infection is the most important complication that affects the outcomes of ACLF patients. Thymosin α1 (Tα1) can improve immune imbalance and this study aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of Tα1 treatment for HBV-related ACLF.From 2017 to 2019, 120 patients with HBV-related ACLF were enrolled in this open-label, randomized, and controlled clinical trial (ClinicalTrial ID: NCT03082885). The control group (N = 58) was treated with standard medical therapy (SMT) only. The experimental group (N = 56) was subcutaneously injected with 1.6 mg of Tα1 once a day for the first week and then twice a week from week 2 to week 12.The 90-day cumulated liver transplantation free survival rate of the Tα1 group was 75.0% (95% confidence interval 63.2-86.8%) versus 53.4% (95% confidence interval 39.7-67.1%) for the SMT group (p = 0.030). No significant difference was found in the survival using competitive risk analysis. The incidences of new infection and hepatic encephalopathy in the Tα1 group were much lower than those in the SMT group (32.1% vs 58.6%, p = 0.005; 8.9% vs 24.1%, p = 0.029, respectively). Mortality from severe infection in the SMT group was higher than in the Tα1 group (24.1% vs 8.9%, p = 0.029).Tα1 is safe for patients with HBV-related ACLF and significantly improves the 90-day liver transplantation-free survival rate. There may be a subgroup which may benefit from Tα1 therapy by the mechanism of preventing infection.

This study sought to investigate whether repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) could alleviate cognitive dysfunction in SAMP8 mice by reducing cell apoptosis and activating the cAMP/PKA/CREB signalling pathway. A total of 40 SAMP8 mice were randomly assigned to the SAMP8 group (n=20), and rTMS treatment group (rTMS+SAMP8, n=20); additionally, 20 homologous and normal aged SAMR1 mice were used as the control group(n=20). The Morris water maze and Y maze tests were applied to evaluate spatial learning and memory ability. Haematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and terminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labelling (TUNEL) were used to observe the changes in neurons in the cortex and hippocampus. Western blotting and RT-PCR were used to detect signalling related proteins. rTMS significantly improved spatial learning and memory deficits and morphological abnormalities in the hippocampus region of the hippocampus. In addition, rTMS reduced apoptosis of neurons caused by AD and the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins (Caspase-3 and Bax) and increased the expression of an antiapoptotic protein (Bcl-2). Furthermore, rTMS activated the cAMP/PKA/CREB signalling pathway. These results showed that rTMS could ameliorate cognitive deficits in AD mice by inhibiting apoptosis via activation the cAMP/PKA/CREB signalling pathway.

Clonorchis sinensis was a food-borne zoonotic parasite in the worldwide and also an important risk factor of hepatic fibrosis. Excretory/secretion products of C. sinensis (CsESPs) are involved in parasite-host interactions and contribute to the development of hepatic damage. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether CsESPs and CsTP (adult protein) could induce autophagy of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and further activate HSCs so as to participate in the pathogenesis of hepatic fibrosis. The human hepatic stellate cell line LX-2 was stimulated by CsESPs and CsTP. CsESPs showed the effect on cell proliferation in methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay while CsTP failed. Autophagosomes and autolysosomes were observed after the transmission mRFP-EGFP-LC3 plasmid into the LX-2 cells. CsESPs had more powerful to induce the accumulation of autophagosomes and autolysosomes to enhance autophagic flux compared with CsTP. Western-blotting analysis confirmed that the ratio of LC3-II/I in LX-2 cells was up-regulated after CsESPs treatment for 6 h, which further proved that CsESPs could induce autophagy in LX-2 cells. Meanwhile, q-PCR results showed that the mRNA levels of collagen I, collagen III and α-SMA decreased in LX-2 cells after treatment with autophagy inhibitor chloroquine, whereas they increased when combination with CsESPs. These results suggested that CsESPs-induced autophagy might be involved in the activation of HSCs, and consequently participate in the pathogenesis of hepatic fibrosis caused by C. sinensis infection.

Objective. To identify markers that predict the progression to hepatitis B virus-associated acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF). Methods. We recruited 125 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) between September 2013 and March 2017. During hospitalization, 25 patients progressed to LF and were classified as the LF group, while the remaining 100 patients were classified as the non-LF (NLF) group. We compared the kinetic changes in clinical and immune indicators including age, total bilirubin level, prothrombin time, model for end-stage liver disease score, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and IL-10 cytokine levels, and number of T helper 17 and regulatory T cells between groups to determine their association with progression to HBV-ACLF. The prognostic value of clinical and immune indicators was determined using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) value. Results. Cox regression analysis suggested that the plasma IL-6 level could predict CHB progression to HBV-ACLF (relative risk = 1.082, 95% confidence interval: 1.006–1.164; P = 0.034 ). The AUC value, sensitivity, and specificity of baseline IL-6 level for predicting HBV-ACLF were 82.63%, 83.3%, and 82.9%, respectively ( P = 0.001 ). Conclusion. A high plasma IL-6 level in CHB patients could be an early biomarker for HBV-ACLF.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), a common devastating cerebrovascular accident, is a great threat to human health and life. Exploration of the potential therapeutic target of SAH is urgently needed. Previous studies showed that long noncoding RNA metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) promotes cell apoptosis in various diseases, while its role in SAH remains unclear. In our study, we established a mouse model of SAH and used the oxyhemoglobin (OxyHb) to induce neuronal injury in vitro. Interestingly, MALAT1 was found upregulated in brain tissues of SAH mice and OxyHb-stimulated neurons. In addition, knockdown of MALAT1 attenuated apoptosis and decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in OxyHb-stimulated neurons. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that MALAT1 bound with miR-499-5p. Furthermore, our findings indicated that miR-499-5p bound to SOX6 3' untranslated region (UTR) and negatively regulated SOX6 mRNA and protein levels. Rescue assays suggested that SOX6 overexpression counteracted the effects of MALAT1 knockdown on neurocyte apoptosis, and ROS production in OxyHb-stimulated neurons. The in vivo assays indicated that knockdown of MALAT1 improved brain injury of SAH mice. Our study demonstrates that silencing of MALAT1 alleviates neurocyte apoptosis and reduces ROS production through the miR-499-5p/SOX6 axis after SAH injury.

Early brain injury, characterized by massive cell apoptosis or death, is identified as a critical pathophysiological process during subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Ferroptosis, a class of autophagy-dependent cell death discovered in 2012, is induced by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation accumulation. The present study was designed to study the role of baicalin in autophagy-dependent ferroptosis in early brain injury after SAH. Neurological scores and brain water content were measured to evaluate brain injury. Measurement of iron ion, malondialdehyde (MDA), lipid reactive oxygen species was conducted for ferroptosis evaluation. Immunofluorescence staining, western blotting, and flow cytometry analysis were used to evaluate autophagy and apoptosis. First, we observed that, compared with sham rats, SAH rats had lower neurobehavioral scores. Next, baicalin was proven to decrease the Fe2+, malondialdehyde, and ROS levels in the brain tissues of rats. Also, baicalin was confirmed to suppress the beclin1, LC3-II, and LC3-I protein levels in rat brain tissues. Moreover, we found that baicalin inhibited neuronal apoptosis. Finally, the effects of baicalin on brain injury in the SAH rats were verified. Overall, our results demonstrated that baicalin suppressed autophagy-dependent ferroptosis in EBI after SAH.

Background Sepsis is a serious infection-induced response in the host, which can result in life-threatening organ dysfunction. It is of great importance to unravel the relationship between sepsis and host immune response and its mechanisms of action. Liver is one of the most vulnerable organs in sepsis, however, the specific pathogenesis of septic liver injury has not been well understood at the protein level. Methods A total of 12 healthy Sprague–Dawley (SD) male rats aged from 6 to 8 weeks were adaptively housed in individual cages in the specific pathogen free animal room. These lab rats were grouped into two groups: treatment (N = 9) and control (N = 3) groups; only three mice from the treatment group survived and were used for subsequent experiments. A TMT-based proteomic analysis for liver tissue was performed in the septic rat model. Results A total of 37,012 unique peptides were identified, and then 6,166 proteins were determined, among which 5,701 were quantifiable. Compared to the healthy control group, the septic rat group exhibited 162 upregulated and 103 downregulated differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). The upregulated and downregulated DEPs were the most significantly enriched into the complement and coagulation cascades and metabolic pathways. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis further revealed that the upregulated and downregulated DEPs each clustered in a PPI network. Several highly connected upregulated and downregulated DEPs were also enriched into the complement and coagulation cascades pathways and metabolic pathways, respectively. The parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) results of the selected DEPs were consistent with the results of the TMT analysis, supporting the proteomic data. Conclusion Our findings highlight the roles of complement and coagulation cascades and metabolic pathways that may play vital roles in the host immune response. The DEPs may serve as clinically potential treatment targets for septic liver injury.

Microbial bioremediation offers a solution to the problem of residual antibiotics in wastewater associated with animal farms. Efficient degradation of antibiotic residues depends upon the genetic make-up of microbial degraders, which requires a comprehensive understanding of the degradation mechanisms. In this study, a novel, efficient tylosin (TYL)-degrading bacterium, Providencia stuartii TYL-Y13 (Y13) was isolated, which could completely degrade 100 mg/L TYL within 15 h under optimal operating conditions at 40 ℃, pH 7.0 %, and 1 % (v/v) bacterial inoculation rate. Whole genome sequencing revealed that strain Y13 consists of a circular chromosome and two plasmids. A new biodegradation pathway of TYL including desugarification, hydrolysis, and reduction reactions was proposed through the analysis of biodegradation products. It was demonstrated that strain Y13 gradually decreased the biotoxicity of TYL and its metabolites based on the results of the ecological structural activity relationships (ECOSAR) model analysis and toxicity assessment. Moreover, Y13 promoted the reduction of the target macrolide resistance genes in wastewater and disappeared within 84 h. These results shed new light on the mechanism of TYL biodegradation and better utilization of microbes to remediate TYL contamination.

Tylosin is widely used in livestock; however, the release of tylosin through animal manure can cause serious environmental problems. In this study, a new tylosin-degrading strain, TYL-T1, was isolated. Its phylogenetic similarity to Klebsiella oxytoca was found to be 99.17 %. TYL-T1 maintained good growth at 40 °C over a broad pH range (4.0-10). TYL-T1 degraded 99.34 % of tylosin in 36 h under optimal conditions (tylosin initial concentration: 25 mg/L, pH: 7.0, and temperature: 35 °C). After LC-MS-MS analysis, a new degradation pathway for tylosin was proposed, including ester bond breaking of the macrolide lactone ring, redox reaction, and loss of mycinose and mycarose. Based on a transcriptome analysis, 164 genes essential for degradation were upregulated through hydrolysis and redox of tylosin. Among various transferases, lipopolysaccharide methyltransferase, glycogen glucosyltransferase, and fructotransferase were responsible for tylosin degradation. The present study revealed the degradation mechanism of tylosin and highlighted the potential of Klebsiella oxytoca TYL-T1 to remove tylosin from the environment.

Autoimmune liver disease (AILD) has been considered a relatively uncommon disease in China, epidemiological data for AILD in patients with cirrhosis and acute decompensation (AD) is sparse.To investigate the prevalence, outcome and risk factors for AILD in cirrhotic patients complicated with AD in China.We collected data from patients with cirrhosis and AD from two prospective, multicenter cohorts in hepatitis B virus endemic areas. Patients were regularly followed up at the end of 28-d, 90-d and 365-d, or until death or liver transplantation (LT). The primary outcome in this study was 90-d LT-free mortality. Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) was assessed on admission and during 28-d hospitalization, according to the diagnostic criteria of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL). Risk factors for death were analyzed with logistic regression model.In patients with cirrhosis and AD, the overall prevalence of AILD was 9.3% (242/2597). Prevalence of ACLF was significantly lower in AILD cases (14%) than those with all etiology groups with cirrhosis and AD (22.8%) (AILD was not rare in hospitalized patients with cirrhosis and AD in China, among which PBC was the most common etiology. 90-d LT-free mortality were independently associated with TB, HE and BUN.

Background Bioassessment and biomonitoring of meat products are aimed at identifying and quantifying adulterants and contaminants, such as meat from unexpected sources and microbes. Several methods for determining the biological composition of mixed samples have been used, including metabarcoding, metagenomics and mitochondrial metagenomics. In this study, we aimed to develop a method based on next-generation DNA sequencing to estimate samples that might contain meat from 15 mammalian and avian species that are commonly related to meat bioassessment and biomonitoring. Results In this project, we found the meat composition from 15 species could not be identified with the metabarcoding approach because of the lack of universal primers or insufficient discrimination power. Consequently, we developed and evaluated a meat mitochondrial metagenomics (3MG) method. The 3MG method has four steps: (1) extraction of sequencing reads from mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes); (2) assembly of mitogenomes; (3) mapping of mitochondrial reads to the assembled mitogenomes; and (4) biomass estimation based on the number of uniquely mapped reads. The method was implemented in a python script called 3MG. The analysis of simulated datasets showed that the method can determine contaminant composition at a proportion of 2% and the relative error was Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate the potential of the non-targeted 3MG method as a tool for accurately estimating biomass in meat mix samples. The method has potential broad applications in meat product safety.

Additional file 1: Table S1. The primer sequences used for the LAMP experiments. Table S2. Analysis of universal primers for COX1, 16S rRNA, and 18S rRNA genes. Table S3. Summary of reads mapped to the mitogenomes of S. scrofa domesticus and G. gallus. Fig. S1. The distribution of universal primers on 16 s rRNA sequences. Fig. S2. The distribution of universal primers on 18 s rRNA sequences. Fig. S3. The pairwise p-distance of the 15 mitogenomes sequences. Fig. S4. Alignment of reassembled sequences of mitogenomes and those downloaded from GenBank for 15 species. The prefix ���A��� and ���R��� represent the assembled and reference mitogenomes, respectively.

BACKGROUND Hepatic inflammation resulted in hepatocyte necrosis and microcirculatory dysfunction in acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF) with cirrhosis or not. The influence of effective hepatic blood flow (EHBF) on the severity of liver failure has not been fully elucidated. AIM The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between the EHBF and the severity and the prediction of 90-day mortality rate of hepatitis B virus-related ACLF (HBV-ACLF). METHODS In this retrospective study, patients hospitalized for HBV-ACLF or decompensated cirrhosis and who underwent an indocyanine green (ICG) clearance test between June 2016 and July 2018 were enrolled. EHBF was measured by the ICG clearance test and patients were categorized into the ACLF without cirrhosis (HBV-ACLF-no-Cir), ACLF with cirrhosis (HBV-ACLF-Cir) and decompensated cirrhosis (HBV-De-Cir). RESULTS A total of 522 patients (HBV-ACLF-no-Cir: 84, HBV-ACLF-Cir: 111 and HBV-De-Cir: 327) were enrolled. The mean EHBF in the HBV-De-Cir was significantly higher than that in the HBV-ACLF-no-Cir and HBV-ACLF-Cir (0.36 vs. 0.21 vs. 0.20 L/min, P

Data from in vitro and animal studies support the preventive effect of tea (Camellia sinensis) against colorectal cancer. Further, many epidemiologic studies evaluated the association between tea consumption and colorectal cancer risk, but the results were inconsistent. We conducted a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies to systematically assess the association between tea consumption and colorectal cancer risk. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify the related articles by searching PubMed and Embase up to June, 2019. Summary relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a fixed effect model. Twenty cohort articles were included in the present meta-analysis involving 2,068,137 participants and 21,437 cases. The combined RR of colorectal cancer for the highest vs. lowest tea consumption was determined to 0.97 (95% CI 0.94–1.01) with marginal heterogeneity (I2 = 24.0%, P = 0.093) among all studies. This indicated that tea consumption had no significant association with colorectal cancer risk. Stratified analysis showed that no significant differences were found in all subgroups. We further conducted the gender-specific meta-analysis for deriving a more precise estimation. No significant association was observed between tea consumption and colorectal cancer risk in male (combined RR = 0.97; 95% CI 0.90–1.04). However, tea consumption had a marginal significant inverse impact on colorectal cancer risk in female (combined RR = 0.93; 95% CI 0.86–1.00). Further, we found a stronger inverse association between tea consumption and risk of colorectal cancer among the female studies with no adjustment of coffee intake (RR: 0.90; 95% CI 0.82–1.00, P 0.05). Our finding indicates that tea consumption has no significant impact on the colorectal cancer risk in both genders combined, but gender-specific meta-analysis shows that tea consumption has a marginal significant inverse impact on colorectal cancer risk in female.

When the direction-of-arrival estimation is made by a single platform, the localization accuracy decreases with increases in the distance from the radiation source, which means the localization accuracy of the azimuth of the radiation source at long distances must be improved. To address this problem, we propose a radiation-source localization algorithm based on a long synthetic aperture. This algorithm introduces the use of synthetic aperture imaging to the passive localization of radiation sources. A long virtual aperture is obtained by movement of the platform, and received data is processed in the form of synthetic aperture radar to obtain high azimuth localization accuracy. For a single-frequency radiation source, the received signal is equivalent to a linear frequency-modulation signal in the azimuth domain, and its chirp rate is inversely proportional to the distance from the radiation source. A range search and azimuth-focusing method are used to perform signal focusing in the range–azimuth domain, and the localization of the radiation source is obtained directly by two-dimensional imaging. Moreover, with respect to the characteristics of wide-beam reconnaissance, we analyzed the range–azimuth coupling relationship of the chirp rate at a low sampling frequency. On this basis, methods for direction-of-arrival estimation and two-dimensional imaging localization are proposed. Our theoretical derivation and experimental data processing results verify the validity of this algorithm.

BACKGROUND: With the increasing incidence of gynecological ovarian tumors, the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant ovarian tumors is of great significance for subsequent treatment. Currently, ovarian examinations commonly use computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This study sought to compare the value of CT and MRI in differentiating between benign and malignant ovarian tumors. METHODS: The PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, and Weipu databases were searched for published articles using the following terms “CT” or “Computed Tomography” or “MRI” or “Magnetic Resonance imaging” and “ovarian cancer” or “ovarian tumor” or “ovarian neoplasm” or “adnexal mass” or “adnexal lesion”. The articles were screened and the data were extracted based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 recommended by the Cochrane Collaboration was used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies, and the network meta-analysis was performed by Stata 15.0. RESULTS: The results showed that the overall sensitivity and specificity of CT were 0.79 [95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.70–0.87] and 0.87 (95% CI: 0.80–0.92), respectively. The overall sensitivity and specificity of MRI were 0.94 (95% CI: 0.91–0.95) and 0.91 (95% CI: 0.90–0.93), respectively. The area under the curve of the CT and MRI summary receiver operating characteristics were 0.9016 and 0.9764, respectively. The positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio of CT were 5.26 (95% CI: 2.78–9.93), 0.26 (95% CI: 0.13–0.50), and 22.19 (95% CI: 7.54–65.30), respectively. The positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio of MRI were 8.69 (95% CI: 5.06–14.92), 0.07 (95% CI: 0.04–0.13), and 146.19 (95% CI: 68.88–310.24), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to CT, MRI has a stronger ability to differentiate between benign and malignant ovarian tumors. It’s a promising non-radiological imaging technique and a more favorable choice for patients with ovarian tumors. However, in the future, large-sample, multi-center prospective studies need to be conducted to compare the performance of MRI and CT in distinguishing between benign and malignant ovarian tumors.

Background HIF-1α is relevant to inflammation and fibrosis in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related liver diseases. Thus, we designed a predictive model for decompensated cirrhosis. Methods Peripheral plasma HIF-1α levels were measured in 52 subjects, including 20 patients with HBV-related-compensated-cirrhosis (HBV-CC), 20 patients with HBV-related-decompensated-cirrhosis (HBV-DC) that underwent transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS), and 12 healthy controls (HC). Portal plasma HIF-1α levels were detected in HBV-DC patients. The correlation between clinical data and HIF-1α levels was assessed, logistic regression and nomogram were used to develop prediction model. Results Plasma HIF-1α levels were significantly higher in HBV-DC patients than that in HBV-CC patients and healthy controls (DC: 656.34±417.96, CC: 294.23±138.03, HC: 194.63±54.14, pg/ml; P = 0.0004). Plasma HIF-1α levels were positively correlated with total bile acid, total bilirubin, APRI, FIB-4, and MELD scores, and negatively correlated with albumin and platelets. Multivariate logistic regression manifested that total bilirubin (OR = 19.439; 95% CI: 1.486–254.320, P = 0.024), spleen thickness (OR = 75.144; 95% CI: 4.157–1358.440, P = 0.003) and HIF-1α concentrations above 341.78 pg/ml (OR = 23.580; 95% CI: 1.842–301.781, P = 0.015) were markedly associated with HBV-DC and thus included in the nomogram. The terrific cut-off value for the probability of HBV-DC was > 45%, and area under the curve was 0.954 (P < 0.001), with 95% sensitivity and specificity. Conclusions HIF-1α is related to biochemical liver parameters, cirrhosis grade, and progression to HBV-DC. Our model has preferable predictive value for HBV-DC.

Vibrio vulnificus is an important zoonotic and aquatic pathogen and can cause vibriosis in humans and aquatic animals (especially farmed fish and shrimp species). Rapid and sensitive detection methods for V. vulnificus are still required to diagnose human vibriosis early and reduce aquaculture losses. Herein, we developed a rapid and sensitive diagnostic method comprising a recombinase-aided amplification (RAA) assay and the CRISPR/Cas12a system (named RAA-CRISPR/Cas12a) to detect V. vulnificus. The RAA-CRISPR/Cas12a method allows rapid and sensitive detection of V. vulnificus in 40 min without a sophisticated instrument, and the limit of detection is two copies of V. vulnificus genomic DNA per reaction. Meanwhile, the method shows satisfactory specificity toward non-target bacteria and high accuracy in the spiked blood, stool, and shrimp samples. Therefore, our proposed rapid and sensitive V. vulnificus detection method, RAA-CRISPR/Cas12a, has great potential for early diagnosis of human vibriosis and on-site V. vulnificus detection in aquaculture and food safety control.

Shellfish waste is a primary source for making N-acetyl-D-glucosamine. Thus, establishing a high-efficiency and low-cost bioconversion method to produce N-acetyl-D-glucosamine directly from shellfish waste was promising.A mutant C81 was obtained from Chitinolyticbacter meiyuanensis SYBC-H1 viaThis study demonstrated that the mutant C81 is suitable for converting crayfish shell powder into GlcNAc in an aqueous-organic system.

Toxoplasmosis, caused by the intracellular protozoon Toxoplasma gondii, is a significant parasitic zoonosis with a world-wide distribution. As a main transmission route, human infection can be acquired by the ingestion of T. gondii oocysts from the environment (e.g., soil, water, fruits and vegetables). Regarding the detection of T. gondii oocysts in environmental samples, the development of a time-saving, cost-effective and highly sensitive technique is crucial for the surveillance, prevention and control of toxoplasmosis. In this study, we developed a new method by combining recombinase-aided amplification (RAA) with CRISPR-Cas12a, designated as the RAA-Cas12a-Tg system. Here, we compared this system targeting the 529 bp repeat element (529 bp-RE) with the routine PCR targeting both 529 bp-RE and ITS-1 gene, respectively, to assess its ability to detect T. gondii oocysts in soil samples. Our results indicated that the 529 bp RE-based RAA-Cas12a-Tg system was able to detect T. gondii successfully in nearly an hour at body temperature and was more sensitive than the routine PCR assay. The sensitivity of this system reached as low as 1 fM with high specificity. Thus, RAA-Cas12a-Tg system provided a rapid, sensitive and easily operable method for point-of-care detection of T. gondii oocysts in soil, which will facilitate the control of T. gondii infection in humans and animals.

Objective To explore the function and mechanism of related genes in the occurrence and development of liver cancer, and the possibility of key genes as potential biomarkers and prognostic indicators for the treatment of liver cancer.Methods We selected 4 datasets(GSE57957, GSE121248, GSE36376 and GSE14520)from the GEO database.With

Toxoplasmosis, caused by the intracellular protozoon Toxoplasma gondii, is a significant parasitic zoonosis with a world-wide distribution. As a main transmission route, human infection can be acquired by the ingestion of T. gondii oocysts from the environment (e.g., soil, water, fruits and vegetables). Regarding the detection of T. gondii oocysts in environmental samples, the development of a time-saving, cost-effective and highly sensitive technique is crucial for the surveillance, prevention and control of toxoplasmosis. In this study, we developed a new method by combining recombinase-aided amplification (RAA) with CRISPR-Cas12a, designated as the RAA-Cas12a-Tg system. Here, we compared this system targeting the 529 bp repeat element (529 bp-RE) with the routine PCR targeting both 529 bp-RE and ITS-1 gene, respectively, to assess its ability to detect T. gondii oocysts in soil samples. Our results indicated that the 529 bp RE-based RAA-Cas12a-Tg system was able to detect T. gondii successfully in nearly an hour at body temperature and was more sensitive than the routine PCR assay. The sensitivity of this system reached as low as 1 fM with high specificity. Thus, RAA-Cas12a-Tg system provided a rapid, sensitive and easily operable method for point-of-care detection of T. gondii oocysts in soil, which will facilitate the control of T. gondii infection in humans and animals.

A novel ruthenium(II) complex of [Ru(bpy)2(BIPP-DNBS)](ClO4)2 (Ru-BIPP-DNBS) {bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine, BIPP-DNBS = 4-bromo-2-(1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthrolin-2-yl)phenyl 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonate} has been designed and synthesized as a fast-response turn-on phosphorescent probe for the detection of biothiols. The ruthenium(II) polypyridine complex was used as a phosphorescence reporter and 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonate (DNBS) was used as both a recognition unit and phosphorescence quencher. Ru-BIPP-DNBS was weakly phosphorescent owing to the effectual photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from the ruthenium(II) luminophore to the sensing group DNBS. Upon treatment with biothiols, the 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonyl group of Ru-BIPP-DNBS was cleaved, and the phosphorescence was “turned on”, as a result of the formation of Ru-BIPP. The favorable steric interactions between the 1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline group and ortho-2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonate highly ameliorated the response rate of Ru-BIPP-DNBS toward biothiols, resulting in a rapid thiol-induced SNAr substitution reaction. This probe also exhibited good linearity ranges with detection limits of 0.47 μM for cysteine and 0.27 μM for glutathione. Furthermore, application of Ru-BIPP-DNBS for the imaging of endogenous biothiols in glioma cell samples was successfully demonstrated.

Protein and protein interactions play important roles in many biological processes and are responsible for carrying out the function of biological regulatory network in living organisms. Previous study indicated that Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) coat protein (CP) interacted with BBTV nuclear shuttle protein (NSP). However, the protein and protein interaction and the binding affinity of CP and NSP in Babuvirus are remaining unclear. In this study, the CPs and NSPs proteins of BBTV, Abaca bunchy top virus (ABTV) and Cardamom bushy dwarf virus (CBDV) were used for bioinformatic analysis. The binding free energy and the dissociation constant of the possible interaction proteins were tested in PPA-Pred2, and the results confirmed CP interaction with NSP in Babuvirus. The study will help us to understand the interaction between viral protein and viral protein, and the pathogenesis mechanism of Babuvirus in host plants.

This paper proposes an energy trading framework for a combined heat and power (CHP) microgrid (MG) integrated with a Photovoltaic (PV) generation system. The parties involved in the CHP-MG energy market are a single MG operator (MGO) and multiple users with electric and thermal demand response (DR). The energy trading process between the MGO and users is formulated as a Nash bargaining game, where the users can bargain with the MGO regarding trading volumes and the prices of electricity and heat. The relationship between the Nash bargaining solution (NBS) and social welfare maximum is studied. A distributed optimization algorithm based on the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) is adopted to achieve NBS. Case studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed trading framework, and show the promotion of economic benefits.

The clinical treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC) is limited. A traditional Chinese medicinal formula, Huangqin decoction (HQD), is chronicled in Shang Han Lun and is widely used to ameliorate gastrointestinal disorders, such as UC; however, its mechanism is yet to be clarified.The present study aimed to investigate the effect of HQD on 7-day colitis induced by 3% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in mice and further explore the inhibitory effect of metabolites on DSS-damaged FHC cells.The therapeutic efficacy of HQD was evaluated in a well-established DSS-induced colitis mice model. The clinical symptoms were analyzed, and biological samples were collected for microscopic examination, metabolomics, metagenomics, and the evaluation of the epithelial barrier function. The mechanism of metabolites regulated by HQD was evaluated in the DSS-induced FHC cell damage model. The samples were collected to detect the physiological functions of the cells.HQD suppressed the inflammation of DSS-induced colitis in vivo, attenuated DSS-induced clinical manifestations, reversed colon length reduction, and reduced histological injury. After HQD treatment, the DSS-induced gut dysbiosis was modulated, and the gut microbiota achieved a new equilibrium state. In addition, HQD activated the mTOR signaling pathway by upregulating amino acid metabolism. Significant phosphorylation of S6 and 4E-BP1 ameliorated intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction. Moreover, HQD-regulated metabolites protected the epithelial barrier integrity by inhibiting DSS-induced apoptosis of FHC cells and regulating the proteins affecting apoptosis and cell-cell junction.These findings indicated that the mechanism of HQD was related to regulating the gut microbiota and amino acid metabolism, activating the mTOR signaling pathway, and protecting the intestinal mucosal barrier integrity.

Objective: There is no consensus on the diagnostic criteria for acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) caused by combination of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and alcohol. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of deaths occurring in patients with this condition, and then to evaluate the efficacy of different diagnostic criteria for ACLF caused by combination of HBV infection and alcohol. Design: Subjects were sourced from two multi-centre prospective Chinese cohorts (CATCH-LIFE investigation & validation cohorts). Patients with acute-on-chronic liver disease (AoCLD) whose etiology were identified as HBV (HBV-AoCLD), alcohol (alcohol-AoCLD), or combination of HBV and alcohol were included. Results Out of 2898 enrolled patients, 2225 had HBV-AoCLD, 339 had alcohol-AoCLD, and 334 had AoCLD caused by combination of HBV and alcohol. Patients who died in HBV-AoCLD and HBV/alcohol combination groups had similar admission characteristics. Age, total bilirubin, international normalised ratio, albumin, hepatic encephalopathy and ascites were independent risk factors for 28-day mortality in AoCLD caused by HBV and alcohol. For ACLF caused by HBV and alcohol, the COSSH ACLF criteria outperformed the EASL-CLIF ACLF criteria and APASL ACLF criteria in predicting 28-/90-/365-day mortality with significantly higher sensitivity and negative predictive value. Regardless of occurrence of liver cirrhosis or decompensated cirrhosis, occurrence of liver failure with concomitant failure of extrahepatic organ was associated with short-term mortality; the 28-day cumulative mortality rate exceeded 33%. Conclusions: Similar with HBV-AoCLD, the short-term mortality of AoCLD caused by combination of HBV and alcohol is mainly attributable to acute liver damage or liver plus coagulation system failure. Our results suggest that the COSSH standard can be used as diagnostic criteria for ACLF caused by combination of HBV and alcohol. Trial Registration: This study was registered it at www.clinicaltrials.org (NCT02457637, NCT03641872). Funding: This work was sponsored by the National Science and Technology Major Project (2018ZX10723203 and 2018ZX100302), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grants No. 81972265, 81900579)，the National Natural Science Foundation of Jilin Province (20200201324JC, 20200201532JC), and the Chongqing Natural Science Foundation (CSTC2019jcyj-zdxmX0004). Declaration of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest. Ethical Approval: The ethics committee of the Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University (China) approved the study.

Background Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a severe digestive system condition, characterized by chronic and relapsing inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Huangqin, HQ) and Paeonia lactiflora Pall (Baishao, BS) from a typical herbal synergic pair in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for IBD treatments. However, the mechanisms of action for the synergy are still unclear. Therefore, this paper aimed to predict the anti-IBD targets and the main active ingredients of the HQ-BS herbal pair. Methods A systems pharmacology approach was used to identify the bioactive compounds and to delineate the molecular targets and potential pathways of HQ-BS herbal pair. Then, the characteristics of the candidates were analyzed according to their oral bioavailability and drug-likeness indices. Finally, gene enrichment analysis with DAVID Bioinformatics Resources was performed to identify the potential pathways associated with the candidate targets. Results The results showed that, a total of 38 active compounds were obtained from HQ-BS herbal pair, and 54 targets associated with IBD were identified. Gene Ontology and pathway enrichment analysis yielded the top 20 significant results with 54 targets. Furthermore, the integrated IBD pathway revealed that the HQ-BS herbal pair probably acted in patients with IBD through multiple mechanisms of regulation of the nitric oxide biosynthetic process and anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, cell experiments were carried out to verify that the HQ-BS herbal pair and their Q-markers could attenuate the levels of nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated THP-1-derived macrophage inflammation. In particular, the crude materials exerted a much better anti-inflammatory effect than their Q-markers, which might be due to their synergistic effect. Conclusion This study provides novel insight into the molecular pathways involved in the mechanisms of the HQ-BS herbal pair acting on IBD.

Background The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has aroused global public health concerns. Multiple clinical features relating to host profile but not for virus have been identified as the risk factors for illness severity and/or the outcomes in COVID-19. Methods The clinical features obtained from a cohort of 195 laboratory-confirmed, nasopharynx-sampled patients with COVID-19 in Guangdong, China from January 13 to February 29, 2020 were enrolled to this study. The differences in clinical features among 4 groups (mild, moderate, severe, and critical) and between 2 groups (severe vs nonsevere) were compared using one-way analysis of variance and Student’s t test, respectively. Principal component analysis and correlation analysis were performed to identify the major factors that account for illness severity. Results In addition to the previously described clinical illness severity-related factors, including older age, underlying diseases, higher level of C-reactive protein, D-dimer and aspartate aminotransferase, longer fever days and higher maximum body temperature, larger number of white blood cells and neutrophils but relative less lymphocytes, and higher ratio of neutrophil to lymphocytes, we found that the initial viral load is an independent factor that accounts for illness severity in COVID-19 patients. Conclusions The initial viral load of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is a novel virological predictor for illness severity of COVID-19.

Opening up a band gap without lowering high carrier mobility in germanene and finding suitable substrate materials to form van der Waals heterostructures have recently emerged as an intriguing way of designing a new type of electronic devices. By using first-principles calculations, here, we systematically investigate the effect of the GaGeTe substrate on the electronic properties of monolayer germanene. Linear dichroism of the Dirac-cone like band dispersion and higher carrier mobility (9.7 × 103 cm2 V−1 s−1) in the Ge/GaGeTe heterostructure (HTS) are found to be preserved compared to that of free-standing germanene. Remarkably, the band structure of HTS can be flexibly modulated by applying bias voltage or strain. A prototype data storage device FET based on Ge/GaGeTe HTS is proposed, which presents a promising high performance platform with a tunable band gap and high carrier mobility.

Two novel Cd-based coordination polymers Cd(H2BCP)2(phen)2 1 and {[Cd6(BCP)4(phen)3]·2H2O}n 2 (Phen=1,10-phenanthroline) have been hydrothermally synthesized from a combination of 4-(phosphonomethyl) benzoic acid 4-HOOCC6H4CH2PO3H2 (H3BCP) and 1,10-phenanthroline. The X-ray crystal structure analyses revealed that 1 is a 0D mononuclear molecular structure and 2 is a 3D structure existing the novel Cd6 cluster unit. It is worth mentioning that 1 and 2 have the same constitutional units, namely the Cd ion, H3BCP ligand and second ligand- Phen. However, their structures are different and it results from the different solution pH value. In order to explore the structural characteristics, FTIR, photo-luminescent and solid UV-Vis spectra are employed. Synthesis and properties of two novel Cd-based coordination polymers Cd(H2BCP)2(phen)2 1 and {[Cd6(BCP)4(phen)3]·2H2O}n 2 are reported. It is worth mentioning that 1 is zero-dimensional structure and forms super-molecular layers via O–H···O under the condition of solution pH = 2.1, 2 is a three-dimensional framework and contains the novel Cd6 cluster unit under the condition of solution pH = 5. So controlling the pH of the solution plays an important role in the structure of the compound.

Objective Huangqin Decoction (HQD), a classical traditional Chinese medicinal formula, has been commonly used to treat gastrointestinal diseases over thousands of years. We investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of HQD on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis and underlying mechanisms involved. Methods The experimental mice with 3% DSS were given HQD (2.275g/kg, 4.55g/kg and 9.1g/kg) and Mesalazine (ME, 200 mg/kg) via oral administration for 7 days. The body weight loss, disease activity index (DAI), colon length, histological analysis and levels of inflammatory cytokines were determined to evaluate the effects of HQD on colitis. The effects of HQD on Ras-PI3K-Akt-HIF-1α and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathways were evaluated by western blot analysis. In addition, the gut microbiota was characterized by high-throughput Illumina MiSeq sequencing. Results The results revealed that HQD significantly ameliorated the body weight loss and DAI, restored the colon length and improved the intestinal epithelial cell barrier in DSS-induced colitis. The decreased mRNA expression levels of inflammatory mediators were observed after HQD treatment. Besides, the activation of Ras-PI3K-Akt-HIF-1α pathway and NF-κB pathway were significantly inhibited by HQD. Furthermore, HQD recovered the diversity of gut microbiota and regulated the gut microbiota. Conclusions HQD ameliorates DSS-induced colitis by regulating the gut microbiota, suppressing Ras-PI3K-Akt-HIF-1α pathway and downstream NF-κB pathway. Our investigation provides experimental evidences that HQD is a potential candidate in treatment of UC.

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) plays an essential role in mediating organ injury in acute liver failure (ALF) and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). Herein, we assess whether inhibiting TLR4 signaling can ameliorate liver failure and serve as a potential treatment.Circulating TLR4 ligands and hepatic TLR4 expression were measured in plasma samples and liver biopsies from patients with cirrhosis. TAK-242 (TLR4 inhibitor) was tested in vivo (10 mg/kg intraperitoneally) in rodent models of ACLF (bile duct ligation + lipopolysaccharide [LPS]; carbon tetrachloride + LPS) and ALF (galactosamine + LPS) and in vitro on immortalized human monocytes (THP-1) and hepatocytes (HHL5). The in vivo therapeutic effect was assessed by coma-free survival, organ injury and cytokine release and in vitro by measuring IL-6, IL-1β or cell injury (TUNEL), respectively.In patients with cirrhosis, hepatic TLR4 expression was upregulated and circulating TLR4 ligands were increased (p0.001). ACLF in rodents was associated with a switch from apoptotic cell death in ALF to non-apoptotic forms of cell death. TAK-242 reduced LPS-induced cytokine secretion and cell death (p = 0.002) in hepatocytes and monocytes in vitro. In rodent models of ACLF, TAK-242 administration improved coma-free survival, reduced the degree of hepatocyte cell death in the liver (p0.001) and kidneys (p = 0.048) and reduced circulating cytokine levels (IL-1β, p0.001). In a rodent model of ALF, TAK-242 prevented organ injury (p0.001) and systemic inflammation (IL-1β, p0.001).This study shows that TLR4 signaling is a key factor in the development of both ACLF and ALF; its inhibition reduces the severity of organ injury and improves outcome. TAK-242 may be of therapeutic relevance in patients with liver failure.Toll-like receptor 4 (or TLR4) mediates endotoxin-induced tissue injury in liver failure and cirrhosis. This receptor sensitizes cells to endotoxins, which are produced by gram-negative bacteria. Thus, inhibiting TLR4 signaling with an inhibitor (TAK-242) ameliorates organ injury and systemic inflammation in rodent models of acute and acute-on-chronic liver failure.

Background: Acetylshikonin, a major constituent isolated from Arnebia euchroma, is a potential candidate for anti-colorectal cancer drugs. However, the potential activity and underlying mechanism of Acetylshikonin against colorectal cancer remain unclear. Methods: In this study, Acetylshikonin was isolated from the active CHCl3 extract of Arnebia euchroma using activity-guided screening, and elucidated by the extensive spectroscopic analysis and comparison with literature data. Human colorectal cancer cells HT29, DLD-1, HCT116 or Caco-2 were exposed to different concentrations of Acetylshikonin (6.25 - 100 μg/mL) for 24 or 48 h. Cell viability, cell apoptosis and cell cycle distribution were detected. The activity of Acetylshikonin and potential mechanism of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway were evaluated in vitro and vivo. Results: We found that Acetylshikonin exhibited remarkable anti-proliferative activity in a dose-dependent manner against HT29 cells with the IC50 values of 60.82 μg/ml and 30.78 μg/ml at 24, 48 h, respectively. Moreover, Acetylshikonin induced cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase and early apoptosis through inhibition of PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. Furthermore, the assays of cell inhibition, early apoptosis and G0/G1 phase distribution showed that suppression of the PI3K/Akt pathway using LY294002 enhanced the anti-cancer effect of Acetylshikonin. Similarly, Acetylshikonin also decreased the growth of tumour in colorectal cancer xenografts in mice through PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. Conclusions: To sum up, these new findings provided a framework for further exploration of Acetylshikonin which possessed the potential antitumor activity by inhibiting PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

Two new ruthenium(II) complexes of [Ru(bpy)2(L1)](ClO4)2 (RuL1) and [Ru2(bpy)4(L2)](ClO4)4 (RuL2) {bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine, L1 = 4-hydroxy-3-(1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthrolin-2-yl)benzaldehyde and L2 = 2,4-bis(1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthrolin-2-yl)phenol} were synthesized and characterized using IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, ESI–MS, and elementary analysis. The uncoordinated 2-hydroxyphenyl imidazo moiety in RuL1 and RuL2 could specifically bind with Cu2+, leading to luminescence quenching of the two sensor instantaneously in aqueous buffered solution (20 mM HEPES, pH = 7.2) containing 1% (v/v) CH3CN. The forming RuL1–Cu2+ and RuL2–Cu2+ ensembles could sensitively and selectively detect a low concentration of cyanide ions in 99% aqueous solutions by a “turn-on” fluorescent response. The detection limits for cyanide ions (0.36 μM for RuL1–Cu2+ and 0.87 μM for RuL2–Cu2+) were lower than World Health Organization guideline value for a maximum allowable concentration of 1.90 μM in drinking water. The 2-hydroxyphenyl imidazo appended ruthenium complex-based ensemble systems were expected to be a potential and efficient way for the detection of submicromolar concentrations of cyanide ions in nearly 100% aqueous solutions.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Huangqin Decoction (HQD), a traditional Chinese medicinal (TCM) formula chronicled in Shang Han Lun, has been used to treat gastrointestinal diseases for nearly 1800 years. Objective To investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of HQD on ulcerative colitis (UC). Methods The bioactive compounds in HQD were obtained from the traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database. Then, the HQD and UC-related targets were analyzed by establishing HQD-Compounds-Targets (H–C-T) and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. Enrichment analysis was used for further study. The candidate targets for the effects of HQD on UC were validated using a dextran sulfate sodium-induced UC mouse experiment. Results The results showed that 51 key targets were gained by matching 284 HQD-related targets and 837 UC-related targets. Combined with H–C-T and PPI network analyses, the key targets were divided into endothelial growth, inflammation and signal transcription-related targets. Further experimental validation showed that HQD targeted estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) and endothelial growth factor receptors to relieve endothelial dysfunction, thereby improving intestinal barrier function. The expression of inflammatory cytokines and signal transducers was suppressed by HQD treatment and inflammation was inhibited. Conclusions HQD may acts on UC via the regulation of targets and pathways related to improving the intestinal mucosal barrier and ameliorating endothelial dysfunction. Additionally, ERS1 may be a new target to explore the mechanisms of UC.

Giant intracranial aneurysms, especially giant aneurysms of the distal posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA), remain the most difficult and challenging cerebrovascular lesions for neurosurgeons to treat. The morbidity and mortality rates of microsurgical clipping are relatively high, and endovascular embolization is also associated with many complications. In the present report, the case of a 46-year-old female patient who presented with headache and dizziness for 3 years, which was aggravated and combined with limb weakness for 1 day, is presented. A CT scan showed a lesion occupying the fourth ventricle, with slight bleeding. A MR scan also revealed a lesion occupying the fourth ventricle and compressing the brainstem, and there was distortion of the cisterns around the brainstem. CT angiography examination showed a giant irregular aneurysm located in the PICA. After evaluation, the PICA aneurysm was removed, and the PICA was clipped via a microsurgical technique without ischemia or neurological sequelae. Long-term follow-up demonstrated that the symptoms of headache and dizziness disappeared without relapse. Based on a review of the literature, this method may represent an alternative strategy for the treatment of giant PICA aneurysms, especially for aneurysms not suitable for direct clipping or endovascular embolization.

The aim of this paper was to investigate the effect of Shaoyao Tang on ulcerative colitis(UC) in rats via regulation of TLR4/NF-κB signal pathway. A total of 56 Wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: normal control group(double distilled water), model group(double distilled water), mesalazine group(10 mL·kg~(-1)), high dose, middle dose and low dose Shaoyao Tang groups(2.4, 1.2, and 0.6 g·mL~(-1)). After UC rat models were established by 2, 4-dinitrochlorobenzene(DNCB)/ethanol enema, the rats received double distilled water or corresponding drugs twice a day for 7 days. After the treatment cycle, the general performance and disease activity index(DAI) of rats were observed on the next day. Then the rats were sacrificed. The length of colon was measured. Macroscopic and histological score of colon were evaluated. Histopathological changes of colon were observed by HE staining. Ultraviolet spectrophotometry detection was used to detect the content of myeloperoxidase(MPO) in blood and colon tissues. The levels of P-selectin, macrophage migration inhibitory factor(MIF) and thromboxane B_2(TXB_2) in blood and colon tissues were determined by ELISA. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis were performed to detect the protein expressions of TLR4 and NF-κB in colon tissues. The results showed that as compared with the model group, Shaoyao Tang of different doses improved the general performance of UC rats. Moreover, high-dose Shaoyao Tang group showed the most obvious effect in scoring of disease activity index(P0.001); both medium and high doses of Shaoyao Tang significantly inhibited the colon shortening and pathological injury, with significantly decreased expression levels of MPO, P-selectin, MIF and TXB_(2 )in serum and colon tissues of UC rats(P0.001). Immunohistochemistry and Western blot assay showed that the levels of TLR4 and NF-κB protein expression in the colon tissues of Shaoyao Tang high-dose group were remarkably lower than that in the model group(P0.001). This study shows that Shaoyao Tang has protective and repairing effects on UC, and its possible mechanism is achieved probably by regulating the TLR4/NF-κB pathway and inhibiting the expressions of MPO, P-selectin, MIF and TXB_2.

Singapore grouper iridovirus (SGIV) is the main grouper-infecting virus in southern China that causes serious economic losses. However, there is no effective way to control this viral disease. In this study, SGIV ORF19R (SGIV-19R) encoding a viral membrane protein was constructed into pcDNA3.1-HA and then was used to evaluate the immune protective effects in grouper Epinephelus coioides. Subcellular localization showed that SGIV-19R distributed in the cytoplasm and co-localization analysis indicated the protein partially co-localized with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). RT-PCR and Western blot analyses confirmed the expression of the vaccine plasmids in grouper muscle tissues. Moreover, the transcription levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), myxovirus resistance 1 (Mx1) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) genes were significantly up-regulated in the spleen, liver and kidney of vaccinated groupers. SGIV challenge experiments showed the relative percent survival (RPS) was significantly enhanced in fish with 49.9% at the DNA dose of 45 μg pcDNA3.1–19R, while 75.0% RPS when using 90 μg pcDNA3.1–19R. Meanwhile, vaccination with pcDNA3.1–19R significantly reduced the virus replication, evidenced by a low viral load in the spleen of survivals groupers after SGIV challenge. These results imply that pcDNA3.1–19R could induce protective immunity in grouper, and might be a potential vaccine candidate for controlling SGIV disease.

Background: Patients with HBV-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) are characterized by immune paralysis and susceptibility to infections. Macrophages are reported to polarize to proinflammatory or anti-inflammatory functional states in different morbid states. However, the molecular mechanisms of macrophage polarization in the disease progression of HBV-ACLF have not yet been elucidated. Aims: To investigate the dynamic macrophage polarization changes in different stages of HBV-related liver disease and explore the potential mechanism of macrophage polarization during HBV-ACLF. Methods: The functional status of peripheral blood mononuclear cells derived from macrophages from patients with mild chronic hepatitis B, HBV-related compensated liver cirrhosis, HBV-related decompensated liver cirrhosis, HBV-ACLF and healthy controls was determined. A transcriptome sequencing analysis was performed to investigate the pathways involved in macrophage polarization in HBV-ACLF. The chloride intracellular channel-3 (CLIC3) gene expression was suppressed in the human monocytic THP-1-derived macrophages to study its role in macrophage polarization. Results: Macrophages exhibited different functional statuses in different stages of HBV-related liver disease. Macrophages were mainly exhibiting an anti-inflammatory phenotype and functional characteristics in patients with HBV-ACLF, which was predictive of a poor clinical outcome. The expression of CLIC3, which is involved in immunological diseases, was reduced in HBV-ACLF patients, indicating a poor prognosis. In addition, CLIC3 could regulate proinflammatory macrophage polarization through the NF-κB and Akt pathways. Conclusion: Macrophage polarization changes dynamically in HBV-related liver diseases. CLIC3 suppression-mediated anti-inflammatory macrophage polarization plays an important role in the progression of HBV-ACLF, and CLIC3 expression is a potential indicator of the prognosis of HBV-ACLF patients. Funding Statement: Supported by the Guangzhou City Science and Technology Project (No. 201607010064), the Natural Fund of Guangdong Province (No. 2016A030313237), the National Science and Technology Major Project (2018ZX10302204) and The National Natural Science Foundation of China (81672701). Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: This study was approved by the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University Ethics Committee ([2018]02-432-01). If patients were unable to provide consent, informed consent was obtained from the next of kin.

Considering the excellent photochemical properties of ruthenium(II) complexes, two new ruthenium(II) complexes, RuL1-DNBS and RuL2-DNBS, have been developed as phosphorescence probes for detection of biothiols in 100:1 (v/v) Hepes buffer (20 mM, pH = 7.2)/CH3CN solution. The response rate was highly improved of these two probes toward biothiols because the steric interactions between 1H-imidazo [4, 5-f] [ 1 , 10 ] phenanthroline group and ortho-2, 4-dinitrobenzensulfonate resulted in a relatively rapid thiol-induced SNAr substitution reaction. RuL1-DNBS and RuL2-DNBS were weakly phosphorescent owing to the effectual photoinduced electron transfer from ruthenium(II) luminophore to the sensing group, 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonyl. After reacting with biothiols, the 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonyl group of RuL1-DNBS and RuL2-DNBS were cleavaged and the RuL1 and RuL2 were obtained. Meanwhile, the phosphorescence were “turn-on”. Both of these two probes can detect biothiols sensitively and selectively under physiological conditions with submicromolar detection limits. Furthermore, application of RuL2-DNBS for detecting of intracellular biothiols has been successfully performed in living Glioma cells.

3-(3-Carboxypropoxy)benzoic acid (H2cpba) and its four luminescent Zn(II) coordination polymers with different N-heterocyclic ancillary ligands, namely, [Zn(cpba)(bimb)]n 1, [Zn(cpba)(bpy)]n 2, [Zn(cpba)(phen)]n 3 and [Zn2(cpba)(cdppy)2·5H2O]n 4, have been hydrothermally synthesized and fully characterized (bimb = 1,4-bis(imidazol-1-yl-methyl)benzene, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine, and Hcdppy = 4-carboxy-2,6-dipyrazin-2-ylpyridine). X-ray single crystal test results showed that complexes 1 and 4 show one-dimensional ladder-like structures, while complexes 2 and 3 are one-dimensional chain structures. These Zn(II) complexes displayed the differences not only in coordination geometries and ligand binding modes but also the luminescent properties in the solid state. Additionally, the luminescence sensing properties revealed that complex 4 can identify picric acid efficiently through fluorescence quenching.

With the accelerated pace of urbanization and the increasing number of power users in urban areas, increased the amount of business of urban power communication system. At the same time, the distribution of users in remote areas, such as rural areas has been reduced, which means that the business needs of power communications reduced. For the situation, We proposed a power system communication architecture based on the number of terminal equipment. The scheme will effectively improve the current situation of electric power communication terminal access network, and improve the efficiency of information transmission.