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Background: The impact method was used to make unilateral femoral comminuted fractures in tree shrews, which were then intravenously injected with lipopolysaccharide to create a traumatic systemic inflammatory response syndrome model. Methods: The treatment group was infused with tree shrew umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells via the tail vein. After 10 days of treatment, 6 tree shrews were killed in the control, model and treatment groups and pancreatic tissue was collected for metabonomic analysis. Result: The 25 differential metabolites in the normal, model and stem cell treatment groups showed a trend of first decreasing and then increasing and 11 metabolites showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing. These findings are in line with the recovery of the curative effect of the stem cell therapy model group.

Traditional fluorescent materials used in anti-counterfeiting field usually exhibit monochromatic luminescence at a single-wavelength excitation, which is easily be forged by sophisticated counterfeiters. In this work, Zn2GeO4:Mn, x%Li (x=0 and 20), Zn2GeO4­NaLiGe4O9:Mn, x%Li (x=50 and 70) and NaLiGe4O9:Mn micro-phosphors with the multi-chromatic and multi-mode luminescence have been successfully synthesized via a hydrothermal approach followed by an annealing treatment. As expected that these Li+ doped Zn2GeO4:Mn and NaLiGe4O9:Mn phosphors exhibit a double peak emission including a long green afterglow (~540 nm) and a red photoluminescence (∼668 nm). By tuning Li+ doping concentrations, a gradual colour output and a tuneable afterglow duration are achieved. Particularly, the Zn2GeO4:Mn,Li and NaLiGe4O9:Mn phosphors exhibit excellent performance as security inks for printing luminescent numbers and anti-counterfeiting patterns, which shows an afterglow time-dependent or excitation wavelength-dependent luminescence colour evolution. This work proves the feasibility of Li+ doping strategy in emission tuning, which can stimulate further studies on multi-mode luminescent materials in anti-counterfeiting applications.

For anti-counterfeiting and full-color display applications, adjusting the Yb3+ concentrations or excitation conditions is the basic and simple way to control luminescence color and intensity. However, this approach is significantly limited because the luminescence color is not very sensitive to the response of doped Yb3+ concentrations or excitation conditions. Herein, we have demonstrated that the as-synthesized NaLuF4:Yb/Er and their annealed counterpart LuOF:Yb/Er microrods exhibit upconversion/downshifting double-mode luminescence with complementary and rich colors from green, yellow to red under 980/365/488 nm excitation. The anti-counterfeiting patterns printed with these microrods inks have the ability of the color response to the excitation wavelength, excitation power and laser scanning speed, which make them be hard to duplicate. This study indicates that Yb/Er doping NaLuF4 and their complementary LuOF microrods have great potential in multilevel anti-counterfeiting application and display. In addition, heat treatment way also brings novel ideas to the synthesis of high efficient luminescence materials.

Background The ovaries are the core reproductive organs in women and are critical for maintaining normal reproductive function and endocrine system stability. An ageing C57 mouse model was used to evaluate the efficacy and mechanism of mouse umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (mUCMSCs) and to explore the mechanism by which mUCMSCs promote the antioxidant repair of mouse granulosa cells (mGCs). Results Eighteen-month-old C57 mice were randomly divided into a model group and a treatment group. At the same time, 2-month-old C57 mice were established as a young group (15 mice per group). The mice in the treatment group were injected via the tail vein with GFP-labelled mUCMSCs. The ovarian volume in ageing C57 mice was decreased, and there were no follicles at any stage. After mUCMSC transplantation, the mouse ovaries increased in size, follicles at various stages were observed in the cortex, and the antral follicle counts increased. The serum E2, AMH, and INH-B levels of mice in the treatment group were significantly higher than those of mice in the model control group (P Conclusions mUCMSCs play roles in promoting the repair of ageing ovaries by regulating immunity, anti-inflammatory responses and the PI3K-Akt signalling pathway.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) can shape tumor progression and chemoresistance. How specific circRNAs shape hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) chemoresistance, however, remains to be fully elucidated.In total, serum samples were collected from 202 HCC patients that had completed four sorafenib chemotherapy cycles. Serum hsa_circ_0000615 levels in these patients were quantified via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), with demographic details and survival outcomes being recorded for subsequent analyses.We found hsa_circ_0000615 to be significantly upregulated in chemoresistant HCC patients relative to chemosensitive patients, with such upregulation being positively correlated with disease stage. Moreover, the area under the curve (AUC) value for hsa_circ_0000615 was moderately good, and high levels of hsa_circ_0000615 expression were associated with shorter overall survival among chemoresistant HCC patients.Our results highlight hsa_circ_0000615 as a promising driver of sorafenib resistance in HCC patients, highlighting it as a promising target for the treatment of this deadly cancer type.

Shuai Zhou, Chao Zhu, Shi Lei Chen, Jin Ang Li, Kang Lin Qu, Hao Jing, Yong Wang, Qing Pang, Hui Chun Liu Department of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery, Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Anhui, 233000, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Hui Chun Liu; Qing PangDepartment of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery, Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Anhui, 233000, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail liuhcdoctor@126.com; portxiu2@126.comBackground: Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive malignant tumor of the digestive system and the fourth leading cause of tumor-related death. Intracavitary 125I seed irradiation has been recently developed as a therapy for locally advanced pancreatic head carcinoma. However, there are still many limitations, and more investigations are needed in order to optimize this new treatment method.Methods: Sixty-seven patients were included in our study; 41 cases treated by SEMS-CL-125I intracavular irradiation (SEMS-CL-125I group) and 26 cases treated by SEMS-CL-125I intracavular irradiation combined with 125I particle implantation in the tumor body (the combined group). Among the 67 patients, 43 were males and 24 were females, with an average age of 69.64± 8.84 years. Tumor site size was determined based on the MRI or CT imaging scans, and the number and radius of 125I particle placement were calculated according to a specific formula. 125I particles were inserted into the tumor with a radius of 1.5 cm and a row spacing of 1 cm. The main postoperative biochemical indexes, imaging analysis, postoperative analgesia degree, median survival time and rate of complications were compared between the two groups.Results: Jaundice and liver function improved in both groups after treatment for 6 months. The combined group did better. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that patients in the combined group had a significantly better overall survival than those in the SEMS-CL-125I group. Patients in the combined group had less complications than those in the SEMS-CL-125I group (23.1% vs 34.1%), and the postoperative pain status of the combined group was improved (26.8% vs 53.8%).Conclusion: Compared with the SEMS-CL-125I intracavular irradiation alone, the combination of 125I seed implantation with solid tumor 125I seed implantation had a better therapeutic effect in LAPHC patients, with improved biochemical indicators, survival prognosis, pain relief, and fewer complications.Keywords: locally advanced pancreatic cancer, 125I, metal biliary stent

Constructing highly active electrocatalysts towards hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in both alkaline and acidic media is essential for achieving a sustainable energy economy. Here, a facile ethylene glycol reduction strategy was employed to design the nickel-ruthenium nanocrystals (Ni-Ru NC) with an exposed highly active Ru (101) facet as an efficient electrocatalyst for HER. Testings show Ni-Ru NC outperforms the benchmark catalyst Pt/C by delivering extraordinarily low overpotentials of 21.1 and 70.9 mV to drive 10 mA cm

Ovarian senescence is a special type of organ senescence and the ovaries are the earliest aging organs. The ovaries have approximately 1 million to 2 million follicles at birth, but only approximately 1000 primordial follicles are left in menopause. Ovarian function also decreases with age. Women’s fertility also declines. The ovaries are the core female reproductive organs and are of great significance for maintaining reproductive system function and endocrine stability. Ovarian aging is also considered an indicator of female body aging, which drives the aging of many organs of the body. Therefore, how to prevent and treat ovarian aging has become a research question that has been widely studied by biomedical scientists and geriatric researchers in recent years. Recently, studies have shown that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) can prevent and treat ovarian aging. This article reviews the characteristics of ovarian aging, the advantages and disadvantages of various clinical treatment measures and the advantages of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell therapy, aiming to provide references for the prevention and treatment of ovarian aging. My article was written at the Basic Medical Laboratory of the 920th Hospital of the Joint Logistics Support Force of PLA and written from 2021 to 2022.

To explore the role of HS1-binding protein 3 (HS1BP3) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the potential mechanism.The effect of HS1BP3 in the prognosis of HCC was analyzed. The influence of HS1BP3 silence on proliferation, migration, cell cycle, and apoptosis of HCC cells (Huh-7 and Sun-449) were evaluated. The upstream transcription factors of HS1BP3 were further explored.The high expression of HS1BP3 in HCC was significantly associated with poor prognosis. The silencing of HS1BP3 inhibited proliferation, invasion, migration, and promoted G1 phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of HCC cells. Estrogen receptors 1 (ESR1) inhibited proliferation and improved the prognosis of HCC via fusion with HS1BP3 promoter.HS1BP3 may serve as a novel tumor-promoting factor transcriptionally regulated by ESR1.

Background: Protein extracts from chicken egg whites were prepared by utilizing different solvents and we studied the differences in proliferation. Methods: The egg white extract was prepared by using lysate, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), saline and pure water. The in vitro mixture experiment was carried out to observe the effect of different egg white preparations on the proliferation of cells. The samples were divided into the following groups: the control group with media, the original lysate group, the new lysate group, the PBS group, the saline group and the pure water group. Result: The study found that at final concentrations of 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50%, the differences among the six groups were statistically significant (P less than 0.01, F greater than 100). The results of pairwise comparison showed that the proliferative effect of chicken egg albumin extract prepared by PBS was significantly higher than that of the medium at final concentrations of 20%, 30% and 50% (P less than 0.05). When the fetal bovine serum concentration was only 8%, 7% and 5%, the cell proliferation effect was better than that of the control group with 10% fetal bovine serum, indicating that the chicken egg white extract promoted cell proliferation. This result indicated that the best chicken egg albumin extract was obtained through PBS addition. The quantity of expensive fetal bovine serum could be considerably reduced by supplementing the media with chicken egg albumin extract. Among the solvents tested, PBS was the best solvent for preparing chicken egg albumin extract.

Serotonin exerts important functions in several liver pathophysiological processes. In this study, we investigated the role of serotonin in concanavalin A (Con A)-induced liver fibrosis (LF) in mice and the underlying mechanisms. To establish the mouse model of LF, mice of wild-type (WT) and tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (Tph1) knockout (serotonin depletion) received Con A for 8 successive weeks. Degree of fibrosis was assessed by Sirius red staining, as well as the measurements of alpha smooth muscle actin (α- SMA), hydroxyproline (Hyp) and type I collagen in liver tissues. To elucidate the potential mechanisms, we assessed the effect of serotonin depletion on inflammatory, oxidative stress as well as TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway. We found that serotonin depletion significantly inhibited collagen deposition as evaluated by less collagenous fiber in Sirus Red staining and reduced contents of Hyp and type I collagen. In addition, the absence of serotonin significantly inhibited the release of several inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis-alpha (TNF-α), and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1). Oxidative stress was also largely mitigated in LF mice with serotonin deficiency as manifested by the decreases of oxidative stress markers (malonaldehyde (MDA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO)), as well as the increases of antioxidant stress indicators (glutathione (GSH), and GSH-px, catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD)) in liver tissues. Moreover, the lack of serotonin may provide an antifibrotic role by inhibiting the intrahepatic expressions of TGF-β1, phosphorylated-smad2 (p-smad2), and phosphorylated-smad3 (p-smad3). These results indicated that, serotonin depletion attenuates Con A-induced LF through the regulation of inflammatory response, oxidative stress injury, and TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway.

Malignant tumors are one of the main causes for human death and are tightly associated with overexpression of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in pathological processes. Therefore, in vivo monitoring of ROS, especially ONOO-, remains of great significance for diagnosis and therapy of tumors to improve the survival rate. Herein, we designed and constructed a reliable near-infrared (NIR) ratiometric fluorescent biosensor CDMS for monitoring the fluctuations of ONOO- in the process of tumor progression. CDMS featured outstanding stability to photoirradiation, substantial quantum yields, rapid response (

Based on the characteristics of modern weapon injury, a repetitive model of traumatic systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and an evaluation system were established. The models were treated with GFP-labeled tree shrew umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs). Forty out of 50 tree shrews were used to make a unilateral femoral comminuted fracture. Lipopolysaccharide was injected intravenously to create a traumatic SIRS model. The other 10 shrews were used as normal controls. After the model was established for 10 days, 20 tree shrews were injected intravenously with GFP-labeled UCMSCs, and 18 tree shrews were not injected as the model control group. The distribution of GFP-labeled cells in vivo was measured at 2 and 10 days after injection. Twenty days after treatment, the model group, the normal control group, and the treatment group were taken to observe the pathological changes in each tissue, and blood samples were taken for the changes in liver, renal, and heart function. Distribution of GFP-positive cells was observed in all tissues at 2 and 10 days after injection. After treatment, the HE staining results of the treatment group were close to those of the normal group, and the model group had a certain degree of lesions. The results of liver, renal, and heart function tests in the treatment group were returned to normal, and the results in the model group were abnormally increased. UCMSCs have a certain effect on the treatment of traumatic SIRS and provide a new technical solution for modern weapon trauma treatment.

Two InR (insulin receptor) genes have been identified in the Nilaparvata lugens. In this study, we used RNA interference (RNAi) to investigate the role of InR genes in the fecundity of N. lugens. The expression of NLInR1 and NLInR2 genes was simultaneously silenced with mixture of dsInR1 and dsInR2 (dsInRs) injection. Our results showed that larvae RNAi against both NLInR1 and NLInR2 reduced the number of eggs laid by N. lugens and some eggs as well as ovaries were abnormal. In addition, the relative expression of Vg (vitellogenin) and VgR (vitellogenin receptor) was significantly reduced on the 4th and 6th days after insects treated with larvae RNAi reached the adult stage. We also determined the relative expression levels of insulin/insulin-like signaling (IIS) related genes in RNAi-treated larvae and found that the expression levels of Chico (homologous receptor substrate), Akt (protein kinase B), PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase), and PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog) genes decreased whereas FOXO (forkhead box O) and GSK3 (glycogen synthase kinase-3) levels increased on the 4th and 6th days after insects reached the adult stage. These results indicate that silencing of NLInR1 and NLInR2 reduces the fecundity of N. lugens through the IIS pathway.

Background Platelet-albumin-bilirubin (PALBI) has been demonstrated to be superior to conventional Child-Pugh (C-P) grade in evaluating liver function and prognosis of HCC patients. However, both thrombocytosis and thrombocytopenia are unfavorable for HCC survival. The aim of this study was to preliminarily investigate the prognostic value of PALBI in HCC patients with thrombocytopenia and excluding thrombocytopenia. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, we reviewed 465 cases of HCC patients who underwent radical surgery. PALBI grade was calculated based on preoperative serological examinations. The primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS), which were assessed by Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression. The prognostic performances of PALBI and other models were estimated by using the concordance index (C-index). Results During a median follow-up time of 28 months, 31.6% (147/465) of patients died and 33.5% (156/465) experienced recurrence. Multivariate analyses revealed that both thrombocytosis and thrombocytopenia were independently associated with poor OS and RFS compared with normal platelet count (PLT) in HCC patients. Stratified analysis further revealed that PALBI was a significant predictor for HCC survival in patients excluding thrombocytopenia but not in patients with thrombocytopenia. In particular, in HCC patients excluding thrombocytopenia, the combination of tumor size with PALBI (C-index = 0.730, 95% CI: 0.674-0.786) may be superior to the classical Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) and Cancer of Liver Italian Program (CLIP) staging systems in predicting survival. Conclusion In conclusion, PALBI grade, in particular the combination with tumor size, is an effective model for discriminating survival in HCC patients excluding thrombocytopenia but not in thrombocytopenic HCC patients.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is causing huge impact on health, life, and global economy, which is characterized by rapid spreading of SARS-CoV-2, high number of confirmed cases and a fatality/case rate worldwide reported by WHO. The most effective intervention measure will be to develop safe and effective vaccines to protect the population from the disease and limit the spread of the virus. An inactivated, whole virus vaccine candidate of SARS-CoV-2 has been developed by Wuhan Institute of Biological Products and Wuhan Institute of Virology. The low toxicity, immunogenicity, and immune persistence were investigated in preclinical studies using seven different species of animals. The results showed that the vaccine candidate was well tolerated and stimulated high levels of specific IgG and neutralizing antibodies. Low or no toxicity in three species of animals was also demonstrated in preclinical study of the vaccine candidate. Biochemical analysis of structural proteins and purity analysis were performed. The inactivated, whole virion vaccine was characterized with safe double-inactivation, no use of DNases and high purity. Dosages, boosting times, adjuvants, and immunization schedules were shown to be important for stimulating a strong humoral immune response in animals tested. Preliminary observation in ongoing phase I and II clinical trials of the vaccine candidate in Wuzhi County, Henan Province, showed that the vaccine is well tolerant. The results were characterized by very low proportion and low degree of side effects, high levels of neutralizing antibodies, and seroconversion. These results consistent with the results obtained from preclinical data on the safety.

Background The tumorigenesis of infused umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) is being preclinically evaluated. Methods We observed tumor formation in NOD SCID mice after a single subcutaneous injection of hUC-MSCs and the effect of these cells on tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice. Three generations (P5, P7, and P10) of hUC-MSCs (1 × 107) from two donors (hUC-MSC1 and hUC-MSC2) were inoculated subcutaneously into NOD SCID mice. Subcutaneous transplantation models were established in NOD SCID mice with human cervical cancer HeLa cells (solid tumor) and human B cell lymphoma Raji cells (hematological tumor). Then, the animals were euthanized, gross dissection was performed, and tissues were collected. Various organs were observed microscopically to identify pathological changes and tumor metastasis. Results In the tumorigenesis experiment, no general anatomical abnormalities were observed. In the tumor promotion experiment, some animals in the HeLa groups experienced tumor rupture, and one animal died in each of the low- and medium-dose hUC-MSC groups. The results may have occurred due to the longer feeding time, and the tumor may have caused spontaneous infection and death. Pathological examination revealed no metastasis to distant organs in any group. In the Raji tumor model, some animals in each group experienced tumor rupture, and one animal in the medium-dose hUC-MSC group died, perhaps due to increased tumor malignancy. Thus, hUC-MSCs neither promoted nor inhibited tumor growth. No cancer cell metastasis was observed in the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys or other important organs, except that pulmonary venule metastasis was observed in 1 animal in the model group. Conclusions Injected hUC-MSCs were not tumorigenic and did not significantly promote or inhibit solid or hematological tumor growth or metastasis in NOD SCID mice.

Background: Stem cell protein chips can detect stem cell-associated proteins expressed in cells. Methods: We isolated and cultured rabbit peripheral blood mononuclear cells (R-PBMCs) in two bottles, one containing medium and one containing medium with 40% chicken egg white extract. Similarly, 293T cells were also divided into two vials: one vial contained medium and one vial contained medium with 40% chicken egg white extract. After 3 days of culture, proteins were extracted from the cells and used for the stem cell protein chip. Result: Protein chip detection showed that 10 stem cell-associated proteins were increased in the rabbit peripheral blood mononuclear cells induced by chicken egg white extract. There were also 4 stem cell-associated proteins increased in the 293T cells induced by chicken egg white extract. The results of KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that peripheral blood mononuclear cells of rabbits were involved in the regulation of stem cell pluripotency before and after induction. Moreover, 293T cells were involved in the regulation of stem cell pluripotency before and after induction.

Zanthoxylum nitidum(Roxb.) DC. (ZN), with strong effects of anti-inflammation and antioxidant activities is treated as a core herb in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation for treating stomachache, toothache, and rheumatoid arthritis. However, the active ingredients of ZN are not fully clarified due to its chemical complexity. In the present study, a double spectrum–effect analysis strategy was developed and applied to explore the bioactive components in herbs, and ZN was used as an example. Here, the chemical components in ZN were rapidly and comprehensively profiled based on the mass defect filtering-based structure classification (MDFSC) and diagnostic fragment-ion-based extension approaches. Furthermore, the fingerprints of 20 batches of ZN samples were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography, and the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of the 20 batches of ZN samples were studied. Finally, the partial least squares regression (PLSR), gray relational analysis models, and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (SRCC) were applied to discover the bioactive compounds in ZN. As a result, a total of 48 compounds were identified or tentatively characterized in ZN, including 35 alkaloids, seven coumarins, three phenolic acids, two flavonoids, and one lignan. The results achieved by three prediction models indicated that peaks4,12, and17were the potential anti-inflammatory compounds in ZN, whereas peaks3,5,7,12, and13were involved in the antioxidant activity. Among them, peaks4,5,7, and12were identified as nitidine, chelerythrine, hesperidin, and oxynitidine by comparison with the standards and other references. The data in the current study achieved by double spectrum–effect analysis strategy had great importance to improve the quality standardization of ZN, and the method might be an efficiency tool for the discovery of active components in a complex system, such as TCMs.

Background To study the effect of allogeneic umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation on the structure and function of the thymus in aged C57 mice and provide a new method for the treatment of senile thymic atrophy. Results The changes in the thymus cortex and medulla volume and the lymphocyte ratio were analyzed by immunofluorescence. For thymus tissue sections, immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect p16, p53, SOD, becline1, LC3b, p62, sirt1, and sirt3. Changes in CK5, CK8, CD4 and CD8 expression were observed. Treatment with mUCMSCs could promote hair regeneration in aging mice and regenerate the thymus structure. Conclusions mUCMSCs inhibited senescence of the thymus and promoted structural and functional thymus regeneration by downregulating the senescence genes p53 and p16 and upregulating the SOD, Sirt1 and Sirt3 genes, but the mechanism requires further research. Methods C57 mice were obtained and met the requirements of thymic aging. mUCMSCs were infused via the tail vein at a dose of 1×107 cells/kg twice per week for 3 weeks. Six weeks after the last transplantation, the thymus was weighed, and the thymus-to-body weight ratio was calculated. The thymus tissue was stained with HE.

Rare earth-doped upconversion (UC) micro/nanocrystals have important applications in varying fields including multilevel anti-counterfeiting, photonics, deep-tissue imaging, and therapeutics. However, one of the major hurdles is the weak luminescence associated with the constraints of conventional multi-peak emissions in achieving photoluminescence imaging with high spatial resolution and sensitivity. Herein, a technique for the heat treatment of a NaYF4 maternal lattice is presented for achieving porous one-dimensional NaYF4:Yb/Er@YOF:Yb/Er hybrid structures with excellent optical performance through in situ ion-exchange. In the course of detailed studies, an irreversible spatially confined recrystallization of maternal crystals to different phases is found, which preserves the crystal's original morphology and size. The enhanced single-band dark red luminescence emission has been achieved and the responding mechanisms are proposed based on the control of the UC path by phonon mediation. Particularly, these porous one-dimensional NaYF4:Yb/Er@YOF:Yb/Er hybrid structures have been used as potential security ink for writing, indicating immensely promising results for direct anti-counterfeiting applications. Our results demonstrate that the heat treatment technology opens the door for the synthesis of highly efficient single-band red phosphors with expanded applications.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a persistent and chronic disease that is characterized by destructive gastrointestinal (GI) inflammation. Researchers are trying to identify and develop new and more effective treatments with no side effects. Acute and chronic mouse models of IBD were established using dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) solution. To evaluate the efficacy and mechanism, umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs) were obtained from Kunming (KM) mice and humans. In the chronic IBD study, the survival rates of the normal control, model, mouse UCMSC (mUCMSC) and human UCMSC (hUCMSC) groups were 100%, 40%, 86.7%, and 100%, respectively. The histopathological scores of the normal control, intraperitoneal injection, intravenous treatment, and model groups were 0.5 ± 0.30, 5.9 ± 1.10, 8.7 ± 1.39, and 8.8 ± 1.33 (p = 0.021). UCMSCs promoted the expression of the intestinal tight junction protein occludin, downregulated the protein expression of the autophagy marker LC3A/B in colon tissue, and upregulated the expression of VEGF-A and VEGFR-1 at the injured site. This study provides an experimental model for elucidating the therapeutic effects of UCMSCs in IBD. We provide a theoretical basis and method for the clinical treatment of IBD using UCMSCs.

Traditional fluorescent materials used in the anti-counterfeiting field usually exhibit monochromatic luminescence at a single-wavelength excitation, which is easily forged by sophisticated counterfeiters. In this work, Zn

Background: Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell transplantation can treat metabolic syndrome, but the tracing of cells in the body after transplantation has always been a problem. Tree shrew umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were labeled with the dark red fluorescent dye DIR and a metabolic syndrome model in tree shrew was generated. The migration, distribution, colonization and survival of the cells were observed. Methods: Tree shrew umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were labeled with the dark red fluorescent dye DIR. Three days after the tree shrew model was generated, the pancreas, kidney and liver were placed in a small animal live imager to observe the distribution of the labeled cells. Result: The labeled cells showed deep red fluorescence in the live imager. After treatment with the transplanted cells, dark red fluorescent signals were observed in the liver, kidney and pancreas of the tree shrews but not in the untreated group and no dark red fluorescent signal was observed in the cell distribution.

Yindan Xinnaotong soft capsule (YDXNT) is a clinically effective herbal prescription used for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Since Chinese medicines (CMs) exert their effects via a "multiple-components and multiple-targets" mode, discovery of the active compounds with interactive effects may contribute to reveal their mechanisms of action.This study aimed to establish an image-based fingerprint-efficacy screening strategy to identify active compounds with interaction effects from CM prescription, using YDXNT to inhibit microglia-mediated neuroinflammation as an instance.A multi-component random content-oriented chemical library of YDXNT was constructed by uniform design, and their chemical fingerprint was profiled by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) methods. Then the neuroinflammation activities of chemical library members of YDXNT were determined by image-based dual phenotypic quantification. Subsequently, fingerprint-efficacy correlation and random forest analysis were applied to predict the potentially active compounds with interactive effects. Finally, the interactive effects among the active compounds were confirmed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and apoptosis analysis, and network pharmacology was applied to explore the possible mechanisms.Image-based fingerprint-efficacy correlation analysis revealed that six tanshinones (TNs) and four flavonoids (FAs) were potential anti-neuroinflammatory compounds. The inter-family of TNs and FAs possessed obvious interactive effects (combination index ≤ 0.825). Moreover, the combination of scutellarein and tanshinone I (2:1, w/w) was discovered as the possible interactive combinatorial components, which, comparing with individual scutellarein or tanshinone I, shown more powerful effects on anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BV2 cells. Network pharmacology showed that the active compounds might suppress microglia-mediated neuroinflammation via multiple targets in the T cell receptor, Jak-STAT, and Toll-like receptor signaling pathways.The image-based fingerprint-efficacy strategy simplifies the screening process of efficacious component combinations in CMs for complex diseases, which also offers a promising approach to explore the integrative therapeutic mechanisms of CMs.

Background Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is one of the deadliest cancers of the digestive tract. The prognosis of CCA is poor and the 5-year survival rate is low. Bioinformatic analysis showed that early mitotic inhibitor 2 (EMI2) was overexpressed in CCA but the underlying mechanism is not known. Methods The data on bile duct carcinoma from TCGA and GEO databases were used to detect the expression of EMI2. The transcription factors of EMI2 were predicted using JASPAR and PROMO databases. Among the predicted transcription factors, YY1 has been rarely reported in cholangiocarcinoma, and was verified using the luciferase reporter gene assay. RT-PCR was performed to predict the downstream pathway of EMI2, and PI3K/Akt was suspected to be associated with it. Subsequently, in vivo and in vitro experiments were conducted to verify the effects of silencing and overexpressing EMI2 and YY1 on the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of the bile duct cancer cells. Results EMI2 was highly expressed in CCA. Silencing EMI2 inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and migration of CCA cells, arrested cell cycle in the G1 phase, and promoted of apoptosis. The luciferase reporter gene assay showed that YY1 bound to the promoter region of EMI2, and after silencing YY1, the expression of EMI2 decreased and the progression of CCA was inhibited. Moreover, key proteins in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway decreased after silencing EMI2. Conclusion EMI2 may be one of the direct targets of YY1 and promotes the progression of CCA through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Shuangchi Liu,1 Zhiduan Xu,1 Zhuling Fang,2 Dengyong Zhang,1 Zhongqiang Qin,1 Longfei Fan,1 Jiakang Duan,1 Hongxiang Yin,1 Yigang Zhang,1 Qing Pang,1,3 Yi Tan1 1Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, 233000, Anhui, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Medical Laboratory, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui, 233000, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710061, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yi Tan; Qing PangDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, Anhui, 233000, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail doctortanyi2007@126.com; portxiu2@126.comBackground: Advanced liver fibrosis can lead to cirrhosis, portal hypertension and liver failure. Besides, advanced liver fibrosis and cirrhosis are the major risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Almost all patients with HCC also have liver cirrhosis. This study aims to predict the survival rate of hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by age, international standardized ratio, albumin and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (AIAG), an indicator measuring the degree of cirrhosis.Methods: A total of 501 hepatitis B-related HCC patients experiencing radical surgery were analyzed, retrospectively. General data about demographics and labs were collected at the date of diagnosis to calculate AIAG [age, international standardized ratio (INR), albumin and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)]. The Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox analysis were used to evaluate overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). The C-index was calculated in R software (version 4.0.3) to evaluate the accuracy of the prognostic model.Results: During a median follow-up period of 30 months, 31.1% (156/501) of the patients died, and 34.3% (172/501) experienced the recurrence of HCC. Compared with patients with lower AIAG score, patients with higher AIAG score had higher Child-Pugh grade and were at higher Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage (both P< 0.05). Multivariate analysis suggested that GGT, alpha fetoprotein (AFP), tumor size, BCLC stage and AIAG grade were independent predictors of OS and RFS. Furthermore, the combined use of tumor size, AFP and AIAG stage could predict survival significantly better (C-index=0.710, 95% CI: 0.669– 0.751) than BCLC stage.Conclusion: AIAG is significantly associated with survival of HCC patients, and provides additional prognostic information for patients with HCC. Our findings suggest that the combination of AIAG, tumor size and AFP stage has a better predictive value for the prognosis of patients with hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma. However, it is necessary for more external evidences to determine clinical utility.Keywords: AIAG, hepatocellular carcinoma, survival, prognosis

Discovering effective combinational components (ECCs) and quality control markers of TCMs is still facing challenges because the holistic healing system comprises hundreds of compounds. Here, taking Yindan Xinnaotong soft capsule (YDXNT), a TCMs preparation composed by 8 herbs, as a case, a strategy that integrated multiple chromatographic analysis and bioactivity assay was proposed for potential ECCs of neuroprotection discovery. Firstly, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were applied for comprehensive profiling of the chemical constituents in YDXNT. Given the fact that the complex matrix interference makes it more difficult to identify potentially active compounds, we proposed a structure-diagnostic ions-oriented strategy to remove interference ions from the raw UHPLC-MS data. The proposed strategy consisted of different filtering methods, including diagnostic fragment ions filtering (DFIF), mass defect filtering (MDF) and neutral loss (NL). Using this strategy, a total of 124 compounds were rapidly identified. Among them, 62 non-volatile and 5 volatile constituents in 30 batches of YDXNT were quantified by UHPLC tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (QQQ-MS) and GC-MS methods, respectively. In order to facilitate the quality control of YDXNT, candidate ECCs were selected based on the threshold setting of absolute -contents, and their neuroprotective effects were examined. Finally, a combination of 16 compounds, accounts for 2.80% (w/w) of original YDXNT, was identified as its potential ECCs, which could be considered for the improvement of quality standardization of YDXNT.

The relationship between bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and aging, as well as the antiaging effects of BMSCs, was observed. An aging macaque BMSC model was established. We isolated BMSCs from young and aged macaques and used RT-PCR and Western blot to confirm the aging-related mRNAs and their expression, revealing that TERT, SIRT1 and SIRT6 expression was decreased in the aged BMSCs. The morphology, immunophenotype, differentiation potential, proliferation potential, and antiaging effects of aged and young BMSCs on 293T cells were compared. The expression of aging-related genes and the difference between the secreted cytokines in natural aging and induced aging BMSCs were observed. The transcriptome of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from macaques was analyzed by high-throughput sequencing. Finally, the transcriptional characteristics and regulatory mechanisms of gene transcription in aging macaques were investigated.

The objective of this research is to integrate an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) reader into a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) to authorize or keep track of people carrying RFID tags. The objective was accomplished by integrating hardware and software. The hardware consisted of two WSN nodes – the RFID node connected to one of the WSN nodes, and a computer connected to the other WSN node. For the RFID equipment, we used the SM130-EK kit, which included the RFID reader and the RFID tags; and for the WSN, we used the Synapse Network Evaluation kit, which included the two sensor nodes. The software consisted of a program module developed in Python to control the microprocessors of the nodes; and a database controlled by a simple program to manage the tag IDs of people wearing them. The WSN and RFID nodes were connected through I2C interfacing. Also, the work of sending commands to the RFID node, to make it read a tag and send it back to the computer, was accomplished by the Python code developed which also controls the data signals. At the computer, the received tag ID is evaluated with other existing tag IDs on the database, to check if that tag has authorization or not to be in the covered area. Our research has the potential of being adapted for use with secure real-time access control applications involving WSN and RFID technologies.

Posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) is a life-threatening complication after liver resection, resulting in an increased morbidity and mortality. Epidemiological evidence of the association between preoperative albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score, a newly established model for assessing liver functional reserve, and the risk of PHLF and mortality remains controversial. A systematical search for relevant literature was performed in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases from December 2014 to September 2020. Odds ratio (OR) value and 95% confidence interval (CI) were extracted or calculated to synthetically estimate the association of preoperative ALBI score with PHLF and mortality. Meta-analyses were performed using a random-effects model. Twelve studies with a total of 21,348 patients were included in this meta-analysis. It was indicated that, compared to patients with a lower preoperative ALBI grade, patients with a higher grade had a significantly elevated risk of PHLF (6 studies, 18,291 patients; OR = 2.48, 95%CI: 2.00–3.07) and mortality (4 studies15, 139 patients; OR = 2.35, 95% CI: 1.38–4.00). In addition, when it was expressed as a continuous variable, ALBI was also a significant predictor of PHLF (6 studies, 3,833 patients; OR = 3.16, 95% CI: 2.07–4.81, per 1-point increase in ALBI score). No significant publication biases were detected as suggested by funnel plots inspection and Begg’s tests. The current meta-analysis demonstrates that preoperative elevated ALBI is associated with higher risk of PHLF and mortality after hepatectomy.

Background There is increasing evidence supporting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related coagulopathy. In the available literature, only 2 cases of superior mesenteric vein thrombosis have been described. Methods We present a peculiar case of high-grade small bowel obstruction in a patient with COVID-19 infection. Results Exploratory laparotomy revealed a congenital adhesion band with associated focal bowel ischemia contributed by superior mesenteric vein thrombosis and positive lupus anticoagulant. Conclusions It is important to consider the rare differential of mesenteric vein thrombosis and its related sequelae of mesenteric ischemia in a patient with COVID-19 who presents with abdominal pain.

A rapid ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QqQ MS/MS) approach with high sensitivity and selectivity was developed for the quantification of twenty compounds, including 9 saponins, 8 flavonoids, 2 oligosaccharide esters and 1 phenolic acid, in rat plasma and brain, which was administrated intragastrically with Jia-Wei-Qi-Fu-Yin (JWQFY), Mass spectrometric detection was operated under multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. All calibration curves possessed good linearity with correlation coefficients ( r2) higher than 0.9916 in their respective linear ranges. For intra- and inter-day precision, all the relative standard deviations (RSDs) at different levels were less than 14.68 %. Based on the UHPLC-QqQ MS/MS quantitative results, pharmacokinetic study and brain distribution of multiple components in JWQFY was then successfully performed. As a result, constituents with discrepancy structures showed diverse pharmacokinetic and distribution characteristics. For instance, ferulic acid (phenolic acid), 3, 6′-disinapoyl sucrose and tenuifoliside A (oligosaccharide esters) showed short Tmax ( 4 h). Besides, ferulic acid, epimedin C, icariin, glycyrrhizin, ginsenoside Rb1 and ginsenoside Rg1 were considered as the potential effective ingredients of JWQFY because of their relatively high exposure to blood and brain. Our study would provide relevant information for discovery of pharmacodynamic ingredients, as well as further action mechanisms investigations of JWQFY.

Aim: To explore the prognostic significance of Syt-7 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the potential mechanisms. Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the expression of Syt-7. Overall survival and disease-free survival were compared between Syt-7 positive and negative groups. The effects of Syt-7 knockdown on BEL-7404 cells were further evaluated. Results: Syt-7 expression was significantly higher in HCC tumorous tissues compared with paracancerous tissues. Syt-7 was closely associated with α-fetoprotein tumor size, vascular invasion, tumor node metastasis stage and tumor differentiation. Syt-7 was an independent risk factor for overall survival and disease-free survival. Additionally, Syt-7 knockdown inhibited proliferation and colony formation and induced cell cycle arrest in HCC cells. Conclusion: Syt-7 overexpression forecasts unfavorable prognosis and promotes cell proliferation in HCC.

To compare the efficacy and outcomes of self-expandable metallic stent combined with catheter-loaded iodine-125 seeds (SEMS-CL-125I) brachytherapy versus conventional palliative surgery (PS) in advanced extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (EHCC). The retrospective analysis consisted of 101 advanced EHCC patients who received SEMS-CL-125I (n = 67) or underwent PS (n = 34). The clinical characteristics, postoperative complications and overall survival (OS) were compared between the two groups. Serum levels of bilirubin, transaminase, and albumin (ALB) were significantly improved at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively in both groups (all P

As highly conserved non-coding RNAs of approximately 18–24 nucleotides, microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate the expression of target genes. Multiple studies have demonstrated that miRNAs participate in the regulation of human cancer. MircoRNA-217 (miR-217) participates in the regulation of various tumors by specifically binding target genes and post-transcriptional regulation. In recent years, there have been numerous reports about miR-217 in tumor progression. MiR-217 is known mainly as a tumor suppressor, although some studies have shown that it functions as an oncomiR. Here, we review the current research related to miR-217, including its role in tumor progression and the molecular mechanisms.