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Background: Esketamine (ESK), a noncompetitive antagonist of N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) receptors, modulates neurotransmitter signaling in the central nervous system. However, the specific mechanisms and therapeutic potential of ESK for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether ESK promotes nerve repair and improves neurological outcomes in an experimental model of ICH. Methods: ICH was induced in mice via collagenase injection into the striatum. Body weight, neurological impairment, and behavioral changes were assessed. ESK administration significantly improved several indicators of ICH. Comprehensive RNA transcriptome sequencing and network pharmacology analyses identified neurotrophin‐3 (NTF3) and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway as targets for ESK treatment. Western blotting and immunofluorescence detected the protein expression levels and cellular localization of NTF3. Results: After 28 days of adeno‐associated virus infection in the mouse striatum, ESK treatment significantly enhanced neuroprotection, indicating the crucial role of NTF3 in ESK‐mediated neuroprotection in ICH mice. Inhibition of the PI3K/AKT pathway using the PI3K‐specific inhibitor LY294002 significantly attenuated the therapeutic effects of ESK, suggesting that this pathway is involved in ESK‐mediated neurorepair in ICH mice. Conclusions: ESK treatment significantly improved functional outcomes and demonstrated neuroprotective effects in animal models of ICH. NTF3/PI3K/AKT pathway activation by ESK indicates its therapeutic potential in the treatment of ICH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing body of evidence indicates the existence of abnormal local and long‐range functional connection patterns in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD). However, it has yet to be established whether AUD is associated with abnormal interhemispheric and intrahemispheric functional connection patterns. In the present study, we analysed resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 55 individuals with AUD and 32 healthy nonalcohol users. For each subject, whole‐brain functional connectivity density (FCD) was decomposed into ipsilateral and contralateral parts. Correlation analysis was performed between abnormal FCD and a range of clinical measurements in the AUD group. Compared with healthy controls, the AUD group exhibited a reduced global FCD in the anterior and middle cingulate gyri, prefrontal cortex and thalamus, along with an enhanced global FCD in the temporal, parietal and occipital cortices. Abnormal interhemispheric and intrahemispheric FCD patterns were also detected in the AUD group. Furthermore, abnormal global, contralateral and ipsilateral FCD data were correlated with the mean amount of pure alcohol and the severity of alcohol addiction in the AUD group. Collectively, our findings indicate that global, interhemispheric and intrahemispheric FCD may represent a robust method to detect abnormal functional connection patterns in AUD; this may help us to identify the neural substrates and therapeutic targets of AUD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore the changes of the aspartate (Asp) level in the medial‐prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of subjects with nicotine addiction (nicotine addicts [NAs]) using the J‐edited 1H MR spectroscopy (MRS), which may provide a positive imaging evidence for intervention of NA. From March to August 2022, 45 males aged 40–60 years old were recruited from Henan Province, including 21 in NA and 24 in nonsmoker groups. All subjects underwent routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and J‐edited MRS scans on a 3.0 T MRI scanner. The Asp level in mPFC was quantified with reference to the total creatine (Asp/Cr) and water (Aspwater‐corr, with correction of the brain tissue composition) signals, respectively. Two‐tailed independent samples t‐test was used to analyze the differences in levels of Asp and other coquantified metabolites (including total N‐acetylaspartate [tNAA], total cholinine [tCho], total creatine [tCr], and myo‐Inositol [mI]) between the two groups. Finally, the correlations of the Asp level with clinical characteristic assessment scales were performed using the Spearman criteria. Compared with the control group (n = 22), NAs (n = 18) had higher levels of Asp (Asp/Cr: p =.005; Aspwater‐corr: p =.004) in the mPFC, and the level of Asp was positively correlated with the daily smoking amount (Asp/Cr: p <.001; Aspwater‐corr: p =.004). No significant correlation was found between the level of Asp and the years of nicotine use, Fagerstrom Nicotine Dependence (FTND), Russell Reason for Smoking Questionnaire (RRSQ), or Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS‐11) score. The elevated Asp level was observed in mPFC of NAs in contrast to nonsmokers, and the Asp level was positively correlated with the amount of daily smoking, which suggests that nicotine addiction may result in elevated Asp metabolism in the human brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nicotine addiction and overweight often co‐exist, but the neurobiological mechanism of their co‐morbidity remains to be clarified. In this study, we explore how nicotine addiction and overweight affect intrinsic neural activity and neurotransmitter activity. Methods: This study included 54 overweight people and 54 age‐, sex‐, and handedness‐matched normal‐weight individuals, who were further divided into four groups based on nicotine addiction. We used a two‐way factorial design to compare intrinsic neural activity (calculated by the fALFF method) in four groups based on resting‐state functional magnetic resonance images (rs‐fMRI). Furthermore, the correlation between fALFF values and PET‐ and SPECT‐derived maps to examine specific neurotransmitter system changes underlying nicotine addiction and overweight. Results: Nicotine addiction and overweight affect intrinsic neural activity by themselves. In combination, they showed antagonistic effects in the interactive brain regions (left insula and right precuneus). Cross‐modal correlations displayed that intrinsic neural activity changes in the interactive brain regions were related to the noradrenaline system (NAT). Conclusion: Due to the existence of interaction, nicotine partially restored the changes of spontaneous activity in the interactive brain regions of overweight people. Therefore, when studying one factor alone, the other should be used as a control variable. Besides, this work links the noradrenaline system with intrinsic neural activity in overweight nicotine addicts. By examining the interactions between nicotine addiction and overweight from neuroimaging and molecular perspectives, this study provides some ideas for the treatment of both co‐morbidities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multi‐scale characteristic of online car‐hailing traffic volume can reflect the implied distribution pattern, which is crucial for traffic management and even urban planning. Nevertheless, the spatio‐temporal heterogeneity of online car‐hailing traffic volume makes it challenging to analyze its multi‐scale characteristics effectively. Here, a method named multi‐scale characteristic analysis for online car‐hailing traffic volume with quantum walk (MCATV‐QW) is proposed. MCATV‐QW adopts quantum walks to generate multi‐scale probability patterns that online car‐hailing appears at different locations over time. Then stepwise regression is applied to screen the generated multi‐scale probability patterns, to further analyze the multi‐scale characteristic. We validate MCATV‐QW with online car‐hailing traffic volume in the northeast of Chengdu, China. MCATV‐QW not only achieves better simulation performance, but also reveals the distribution pattern that the influence degree of multi‐scale probability patterns weakens from southwest to northeast of study area. MCATV‐QW also reflects the traffic spatial pattern that is dominated by gradual traffic (48%), with both abrupt (26%) and uniform traffic (26%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tobacco addiction is a chronic, relapsing mental disorder characterized by compulsive tobacco seeking and smoking. Current evidence shows that tobacco addiction exerts their initial reinforcing effects by activating reward circuits in the brain, but the causal connectivity among reward circuits is still unclear. Therefore, it is vital to understand how the reward network works to lead to the compulsive smoking behaviour.Method: We applied dynamic causal modelling (DCM) to resting-state functional magnetic resonance (rs-fMRI) to characterize changes in effective connectivity (EC) among eight major hubs from reward network between 76 long-term male smokers and 55 nonsmoking volunteers (matched with age, gender and education).Results: Relative to the healthy controls, long-term smokers had stronger ECs from the right anterior insula to left ventral striatum, posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) to ventral tegmental area (VTA), PCC to left anterior insula, left anterior insula to VTA, and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) to PCC and weaker ECs from the VTA to left ventral striatum, right anterior insula to right ventral striatum, and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) to right anterior insula.Conclusions: Overall, our findings revealed disrupted neural causal interactions among parts of the reward network associated with tobacco addiction, expanding the growing evidence for the potential neurobiological mechanisms of tobacco addiction. We found abnormalities within the mesocorticolimbic system and a top-down regulation disorder in the dopamine-dependent process of response inhibition and salience attribution among long-term smokers, which may facilitate the development of effective therapies in tobacco addiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a newly recognized component of the transcriptome with critical roles in autoimmune diseases and viral pathogenesis. To address the importance of circRNA in RNA viral transcriptome, we systematically identified and characterized circRNAs encoded by the RNA genomes of betacoronaviruses using both bioinformatical and experimental approaches. We predicted 351, 224, and 2764 circRNAs derived from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), SARS‐CoV, and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, respectively. We experimentally identified 75 potential SARS‐CoV‐2 circRNAs from RNA samples extracted from SARS‐CoV‐2‐infected Vero E6 cells. A systematic comparison of viral and host circRNA features, including abundance, strand preference, length distribution, circular exon numbers, and breakpoint sequences, demonstrated that coronavirus‐derived circRNAs had a spliceosome‐independent origin. We further showed that back‐splice junctions (BSJs) captured by inverse reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction have different level of resistance to RNase R. Through northern blotting with a BSJ‐spanning probe targeting N gene, we identified three RNase R‐resistant bands that represent SARS‐CoV‐2 circRNAs that are detected cytoplasmic by single‐molecule and amplified fluorescence in situ hybridization assays. Lastly, analyses of 169 sequenced BSJs showed that both back‐splice and forward‐splice junctions were flanked by homologous and reverse complementary sequences, including but not limited to the canonical transcriptional regulatory sequences. Our findings highlight circRNAs as an important component of the coronavirus transcriptome, offer important evaluation of bioinformatic tools in the analysis of circRNAs from an RNA genome, and shed light on the mechanism of discontinuous RNA synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To explore and analyze the effects of acupuncture and medical treatment at different times on the gastrointestinal reaction and leukocyte count of patients with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Methods. Select 224 lung cancer chemotherapy patients admitted to our hospital and randomly divide them into three groups: control group (n = 76), study 1 group (n = 78), and study 2 group (n = 70). The control group was treated with tropisetron hydrochloride for 30 minutes before chemotherapy. Study 1 group was given tropisetron hydrochloride and acupuncture combination therapy 30 minutes before chemotherapy. Study 2 group was given tropisetron hydrochloride treatment 30 min before chemotherapy and acupuncture treatment 30 min after chemotherapy. Collect patients' general information and compare the three groups of white blood cell count, G-CSF, GM-CSF levels, quality of life and KPS score, platelets, neutrophils, hemoglobin levels, TCM symptom scores, and the degree of digestive tract reaction. Results. The data of the control group and study groups 1 and 2 are comparable in gender, age, pathological type, etc. (P > 0.05). Before treatment, the white blood cell counts of the three groups were not significantly different (P > 0.05), significantly reduced after treatment, but the difference between the groups was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The levels of G-CSF and GM-CSF in the three groups were not substantially different before treatment (P > 0.05). The levels of G-CSF and GM-CSF were considerably lowered in all three groups, although the drop in the study group was more significant (P > 0.05) when compared to that in the control group. Before treatment, the quality of life and KPS score of the three groups were not statistically different (P > 0.05). The three groups' quality of life and KPS scores fell after treatment, with the study 1 group experiencing the greatest reduction, followed by the study 2 group and the control group. The levels of platelets, neutrophils, and hemoglobin in all three groups declined dramatically, with the most noticeable reduction in the control group, followed by study 2 and study 1. The difference between the three groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The TCM symptom scores of the three groups showed an upward trend, but compared with those of the study 1 group and study 2 group, the TCM symptom scores of the control group increased significantly and the difference between the three groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The effective rates of the control group, study group 1, and study group 2 were 42.11%, 82.05%, and 62.86%, respectively; compared with that of the control group, the treatment efficiency of study groups 1 and 2 was higher and the difference between the three groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion. Tropisetron hydrochloride is an effective treatment for patients with lung cancer before chemotherapy, which can effectively improve the side effects of nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, reduce the white blood cell count, and improve the quality of life of patients; it plays an important role in the improvement of prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congenital vaginal atresia is a rare congenital reproductive tract abnormality. To assess the clinical manifestations and feasibility of preserving uterus for congenital complete vaginal atresia with cervical aplasia, nineteen cases who underwent surgical treatment in West China Second Hospital of Sichuan University were retrospectively studied. The cervical status, clinical manifestations, the rate of vaginal re‐stenosis and pelvic inflammation after surgery were assessed. Additional 101 similar cases searched through digital Pub Med were included to analyze the feasibility of preserving the uterus. Periodic abdominal pain, primary amenorrhea, and pelvic mass were the primary signs and symptoms. According to the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), all the uterine cavities expanded, and the atresia sites were above the inner urethral orifice. Data of the cases preserving uteri from both our hospital and the literature showed the rate of re‐stenosis in patients with external cervical obstruction was 15.9% while it was 40% in the other types of cervical aplasia (P =.026). The rate of recurrent pelvic inflammation and hysterectomy was 2.3% for cervical external os obstruction and 8% for the other cervical aplasia types(P =.296). In conclusion, vaginoplasty and cervicovaginal anastomosis could preserve the fertility for complete vaginal atresia with cervical external os obstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To compare total pelvic floor reconstruction with vaginal mesh (TVM) and laparoscopic uterus/sacrocolpopexy (LSC) for the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Methods: Six hundred and seventy patients with POP stage 3 and 4 underwent LSC (n = 350) or TVM (n = 320) at the West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University between January 2011 and December 2016. Retrospective analysis was done to compare the POP‐Q value before operation and 6 months, 5 years after operation, also compare the, patient global impression of change (PGI‐C), pelvic floor distress inventory (PFDI‐20) and pelvic floor impact questionnaire (PFIQ‐7). Patients were followed for a median 36 months. Thirty‐five patients in the LSC and 37 in the TVM groups were lost to follow‐up. Results: Preoperative POP value and disease course were similar (P = 0.075). The LSC group was younger (52.8 ± 6.8 vs. 63.9 ± 8.7 years, P = 0.037). Intraoperative bleeding was smaller in the LSC group (74.4 ± 33.2 vs. 150.4 ± 80.3 mL, P < 0.01), with longer operation time (130.0 ± 34.1 min vs 100.4 ± 40.4 min, P < 0.035). The patients were followed for 10–60 months (median, 36 months). Postoperative PISQ‐12 (P < 0.01) was better in the LSC group. PFDI‐20 and PFIQ‐7 were improved after operation in both groups. Objective satisfaction (94.9% vs 91.9%, P > 0.05) and recurrence rate (8.4% vs 5.1%, P = 0.064) were similar. No infection or fistula occurred after operation in both groups. The complication rate of intraoperative bladder injury and postoperative perineal pain in LSC group was lower than those in the TVM group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: LSC showed no serious adverse events and led to higher postoperative satisfaction than TVM in selected patients. Nevertheless, treatment should be selected in accordance with the willingness and condition of each patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of Co xTi catalysts with different Co/Ti molar ratios ( x=0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8) were prepared by the sol-gel method and used for N2O decomposition. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), TEM, temperature-programmed reduction with H2, temperature-programmed desorption of O2, diffuse reflectance UV/Vis, Raman spectra, and N2 adsorption-desorption measurements. The results indicate that the Co xTi catalysts possess high Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area, more surface Co3+, and even better structural stability than Co3O4 as a result of the strong interactions between Co and Ti oxide. Deactivation occurred over time for the Co3O4 catalyst, however, Co0.6Ti maintains nearly 100 % N2O conversion for at least 30 h. Moreover, the Co0.6Ti catalyst showed much stronger resistance against 1.5 vol. % O2, 2.4 vol. % H2O, or 1.6 vol. % NO in the feed compared with the Co3O4 catalyst. The excellent activity of the Co0.6Ti catalyst can be attributed to the higher amount of surface Co3+ derived from the interaction of the Co and Ti oxide in the Co xTi catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of carbon-based sulfonated solid acid (CS) catalysts can be prepared through a facile method of direct simultaneous carbonization and sulfonation of d-glucose with concentrated sulfuric acid without a hydrothermal process. Temperature is a key factor in obtaining CS catalysts with higher amounts of -SO3H acid sites. The transesterification of tributyrin with methanol and the dehydration of fructose to 5-hydroxymenthylfurfural (5-HMF) are investigated over the CS catalysts. The CS-150 catalyst, which is the CS catalyst prepared at 150 °C, shows much higher catalytic activity to give a tributyrin conversion of 99.4 %. The yield of methyl butyrate is 97.2 % and a remarkably high yield of 5-HMF (93 %) can be obtained efficiently; these yields result from the high acid density of -SO3H. Good linearity is displayed between the total acid density and yield of methyl butyrate/5-HMF. The CS-150 catalyst has high stability and good recyclability for the dehydration of fructose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalysts made of Pt nanoparticles dispersed on graphene ( X wt %Pt/G, X=2.0, 3.5, and 5.0) were prepared and characterized by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, BET surface area measurements, TEM, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and a 3.5 wt % Pt supported on Vulcan Carbon catalyst (3.5 wt %Pt/VC) was included as a reference. Although the mean Pt nanoparticle size is approximately 4.4 nm for all X wt %Pt/G and 3.5 wt %Pt/VC catalysts, cinnamal alcohol was produced with high selectivity only with the graphene-supported catalysts: 92 % conversion and 88 % selectivity toward cinnamal alcohol were obtained with 3.5 wt %Pt/G. This catalyst also showed good stability in recycling tests. The good selectivity observed with the graphene-based catalysts is attributed to the higher fraction of reduced surface Pt0 atoms seen on the surface of the Pt nanoparticles (determined by XPS). This interpretation is consistent with DFT calculations. Additional π-π interactions between cinnamaldehyde and graphene may also play a role in the selective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cu@C composite spheres with copper nanoparticles dispersed in the carbonaceous matter have been synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method by using different copper salts mixed with an aqueous glucose solution. The spheres have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Raman spectrocopy. The results show that Cu(NO3)2, CuSO4,and CuCl2 exhibit an accelerating effect on the size of the composite spheres, and microsized composites were obtained. However, a morphological change from irregular cubes and spheres to uniform spheres with a narrow size distribution of 340-400 nm was observed when cupric acetate [Cu(Ac)2] was used. Interestingly, Cu2O, generated in situ from Cu(ac)2, plays an important role in the size of the composite spheres. Moreover, a CuO@SiO2 core-shell structure has been synthesized by using the Cu@C composite spheres as a sacrificial template, and the CO + NO reaction was used as a probe reaction to evaluate its catalytic performance. CuO@SiO2 exhibits excellent catalytic performance in the CO + NO reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]