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This study examined the heritability and genetic correlations of muscle proximate composition (including crude lipid, protein, moisture, and ash) in the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis. The results showed that the heritability of proximate composition traits, was 0.12 ± 0.07 for moisture, 0.04 ± 0.04 for crude fat, 0.07 ± 0.05 for crude protein and 0.03 ± 0.04 for ash, respectively. A positive genetic correlation (0.88) was observed between crude lipid and protein, whereas a negative correlation existed between crude lipid and moisture (−0.74), indicating that crude lipid content could be improved by moisture selection indirectly. The muscle-moisture trait has the highest heritability, and is the easiest parameter to measure among the four proximate composition traits. Our results provide fundamental information for the development of improved genetic-programmes utilizing quality traits of E. sinensis.

Introduction: Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea (SCSFR) is the most common type of cerebrospinal fluid leakage and may cause serious cerebral complications. The aim of this research was to investigate the relationship between the degree of pneumatization variants of the paranasal sinus and skull base and the incidence of SCSFR. Methods: In total, 131 patients with SCSFR were analyzed, and 50 patients suffering from the nasal septal deviation were selected as controls. The pneumatization of the paranasal sinus and skull base was observed by CT scan. Results: Among the 137 fistulas, 55 (40.15%) were found in the ethmoid sinus. The incidences of Onodi cells (27.27 vs. 8%) and type 3 lateral recess of the sphenoid sinus (LRSS, 70.37 vs. 22%) in the SCSFR subgroups were significantly higher than those in the control group (p < 0.05). Moreover, the occurrence of SCSFR was linearly correlated with the classification of Onodi cells and LRSS (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of frontal cells, anterior clinoid process pneumatization, and posterior clinoid process pneumatization between the SCSFR patients and the controls. Conclusion: The most common site of SCSFR is the ethmoid sinus. The excessive pneumatization of the Onodi cell and LRSS increases the risk for the occurrence of SCSFR in the ethmoid sinus and sphenoid sinus, respectively. The possible association between the paranasal sinus ontogeny and SCSFR pathophysiology needs further studies.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a disease with high morbidity, high mortality, and low cure rate. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is widely adopted in tissue engineering and drug delivery. 5-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)-3H-1, 2-dithiol-3-thione (ADT-OH) is one of commonly used H2S donors. In our previous study, HA-ADT was designed and synthesized via coupling of HA and ADT-OH. In this study, compared with sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS, a fast H2S-releasing donor) and morpholin-4-ium (4-methoxyphenyl)-morpholin-4-ylsulfanylidenesulfido-λ5-phosphane (GYY4137, a slow H2S-releasing donor), HA-ADT showed stronger inhibitory effect on the proliferation, migration, invasion, and cell cycle of human HCC cells. HA-ADT promoted apoptosis by suppressing the expressions of phospho (p)-protein kinase B (PKB/AKT), p‐glycogen synthase kinase‐3β (GSK-3β), p‐β‐catenin, and also inhibited autophagy via the downregulation of the protein levels of p‐Smad2, p‐Smad3, and transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) in human HCC cells. Moreover, HA-ADT inhibited HCC xenograft tumor growth more effectively than both NaHS and GYY4137. Therefore, HA-ADT can suppress the growth of HCC cells by blocking the AKT/GSK-3β/β-catenin and TGF‐β/Smad2/3 signaling pathways. HA-ADT and its derivatives may be developed as promising antitumor drugs.

Stem cell-based transplantation is a promising therapeutic approach for intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). Current limitations of stem cells include with their insufficient cell source, poor proliferation capacity, low nucleus pulposus (NP)-specific differentiation potential, and inability to avoid pyroptosis caused by the acidic IDD microenvironment after transplantation. To address these challenges, embryo-derived long-term expandable nucleus pulposus progenitor cells (NPPCs) and esterase-responsive ibuprofen nano-micelles (PEG-PIB) were prepared for synergistic transplantation. In this study, we propose a biomaterial pre-modification cell strategy; the PEG-PIB were endocytosed to pre-modify the NPPCs with adaptability in harsh IDD microenvironment through inhibiting pyroptosis. The results indicated that the PEG-PIB pre-modified NPPCs exhibited inhibition of pyroptosis

The high surface tension of liquid metal (LM) causes interface incompatibility and poor bonding strength with many substrates. Fine adjustment towards the properties of the surface area is sufficient to introduce strong bonding. Hence, we hypothesize that the interlocking structure using hydrophilic polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a "bridge" should be helpful for tight interfacial bonding of LM with polymeric substrates, thus achieving high-performance LM/polymer membranes, which have wide applications in the field of soft sensors and robotics.The bulk EGaIn was fabricated into LM nanoparticles (LMNPs@PVA) solution. Then, PVA molecules were "doped" into the surface crosslink of the plasma treated polymer substrate by an interfacial penetrating method. Afterward, the solution was evenly dropped on the surface of the treated substrate to obtain the LMNP/polymer membrane after the water evaporated. Photothermal actuators were fabricated based on the membranes.During the interlocking structure, PVA macromolecules could be doped and trapped onto the top surfaces of various polymer substrates as binding "bridges" between the LMNPs and the matrix materials. The achieved LMNP membrane exhibites satisfactory bonding strength, durability and water-assisted erase-reprint, which can be used as soft photothermal actuators with remote laser control.

H2O2 accumulation on the BiVO4 photoanode via PEC water oxidation was achieved with carbon quantum dots aqueous solution as an electrolyte. The development can hopefully draw more attention to catalytic media for tailoring PEC performance.

A dual-channel superstructured Ni single-atom catalyst with a unique axial oxygen coordination configuration was controllably constructed and affords a preeminent performance for convergent paired electrosynthesis of dimethyl carbonate from CO2.

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effects of traditional Chinese medicines Radix astragali (Huangqi, HQ), Ginseng (Renshen, RS), Radix puerariae (Gegen, GG), and Mulberry leaf (Sangye, SY) on diabetic cardiomyopathy (DC) based on bioinformatics and network pharmacology, through gene expression analysis of geo clinical samples, molecular docking of compounds and targets, and molecular dynamics simulation, and to discover new targets for prevention or treatment of DC, in order to facilitate and better serve the discovery of new drugs as well as their application in the clinic. Materials and Methods: For the initial selection of ingredients and targets using the TCMSP as a starting point, we performed a primary screening of ingredients and targets of the four herbs using tools including Cytoscape, Tbtools, R 4.0.2, Autodock Vina, PyMOL, and GROMACS. To further screen the effective ingredients and targets, we performed protein interaction network (PPI) analysis (gene = 12), gene expression analysis (n = 24) by clinical samples of DCs from the gse26887 dataset, biological process (BP) analysis (FDR ≤ 0.05, gene = 7), KEGG pathway analysis (FDR ≤ 0.05, gene = 7), and ingredient target pathway network analysis (gene = 7) by applying these targets from the screen, Biological processes, disease pathways regulated by targets and the relationship between each component target and pathway were obtained. We further screened the targets and visualized the docking results by precision molecular docking of ingredients and targets, after which we performed molecular dynamics simulation and consulted a large number of relevant literature for validation of the results. Results: Through screening, analysis and validation of the data, we finally confirmed the presence of 36 active ingredients in HQ, RS, GG, and SY, which mainly act on AKT1, ADRB2, GSK3B, PPARG, and BCL2 targets, and these five targets mainly regulate PI3K-Akt, Adrenergic signaling in cardiomyocytes, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, JAK-STAT, cGMP-PKG, AMPK, and mTOR signaling pathway exert preventive or therapeutic effects on DCM. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations revealed that the complex formed by Calycosin, Frutinone A, Puerarin, Inophyllum E, the four active components of HQ, RS, GG, and SY, and the four target proteins ADRB2, PPARG, AKT1, and GSK3B acting on DCS is able to exist in a very stable tertiary structure under human environment. Conclusion: Our study successfully explains the effective mechanism of HQ, RS, GG, and SY in ameliorating DC, while predicting the potential targets and active components of HQ, RS, GG, and SY in treating DC, which provides a new basis for investigating novel mechanisms of action at the network pharmacology level and a great support for subsequent DC research.

To identify the typical pattern of changes of vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) and explore the relationship between VEMPs and the anthropometry factors in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).Patients diagnosed as OSA after overnight polysomnography (PSG) tests were enrolled as the study group. Healthy volunteers were recruited as the control group. Anthropometry data of the body shape and VEMPs results were collected completely. The correlation analysis was conducted among those parameters.Forty-nine patients with OSA who were diagnosed in the Therapy Center of Sleep-disordered Breathing in our hospital and sex- and age-matched healthy controls as well. Significant changes in ocular and cervical VEMPs (oVEMP and cVEMP) in the study group were observed, which were reduced response rates, elevated thresholds, decreased amplitudes, and prolonged first wave latencies. In oVEMP, the first wave (n1) latency was significantly correlated with weight, body mass index (BMI), neck circumference, waist circumference, hip circumference, and apnea hypopnea index (AHI). In a tentative application, combined use of BMI and oVEMP n1 latency increased the detection rate during OSA screening prior to PSG.OSA can negatively affect function of otolithic organs and their pathways. The first wave latency of the VEMPs waveform may be another important parameter to define peripheral nervous system lesions caused by systemic diseases as OSA.