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Yang Zhao,1,* Yi-Han Wang,2,* Wei-Chao Tu,1 Da-Wei Wang,1 Mu-Jun Lu,3,4 Yuan Shao1 1Department of Urology, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, Shanghai, 201800, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Urology, Sixth People’s Hospital South Campus Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Urology and Andrology, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 4Shanghai Institute of Andrology, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Mu-Jun Lu; Yuan Shao, Email lumujun@163.com; shaoyuan10772@163.comBackground: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant worldwide health concern that leads to high mortality rates. The bioactive substance costunolide (CTD) has demonstrated several pharmacological effects and holds promise as a CKD treatment. This study aims to investigate the impact of CTD on CKD and delve into its mechanisms of action.Methods: Unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) methods and renal fibrosis mice models were created. Various concentrations of CTD were injected into UUO mice models to investigate the therapeutic effects of CTD on renal fibrosis of mice. Then, renal morphology, pathological changes, and the expression of genes related to fibrosis, inflammation and ferroptosis were analysed. RNA sequencing was utilized to identify the main biological processes and pathways involved in renal injury. Finally, both overexpression and inhibition of IKKβ were studied to examine their respective effects on fibrosis and inflammation in both in vitro and in vivo models.Results: CTD treatment was found to significantly alleviate fibrosis, inflammation and ferroptosis in UUO-induced renal fibrosis mice models. The results of RNA sequencing suggested that the IKKβ acted as key regulatory factor in renal injury and the expression of IKKβ was increased in vitro and in vivo renal fibrosis model. Functionally, down-regulated IKKβ expression inhibits ferroptosis, inflammatory cytokine production and collagen deposition. Conversely, IKKβ overexpression exacerbates progressive renal fibrosis. Mechanistically, CTD alleviated renal fibrosis and inflammation by inhibiting the expression of IKKβ and attenuating IKKβ/NF-κB pathway.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that CTD could mitigate renal fibrosis, ferroptosis and inflammation in CKD by modulating the IKKβ/NF-κB pathway, which indicates targeting IKKβ has an enormous potential for treating CKD. Keywords: chronic kidney disease, costunolide, renal fibrosis, IKKβ/NF-κB pathway

Sisi Zhang,1 Miao Yu,2 Yu Zhang,2 Conying Liang,2 Dayi Hu,1 Dao Wen Wang,1 Xiaoping Meng2 1Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Cardiology and Cardiac Rehabilitation, Affiliated Hospital of Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, 130000, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xiaoping Meng, Department of Cardiology and Cardiac Rehabilitation, Affiliated Hospital of Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, #1473 Gongnong Road, Chaoyang District, Changchun, 130000, People’s Republic of China, Email xiopingmeng@126.comPurpose: This study aimed to translate and cross-culturally adapt the cardiac rehabilitation barriers scale to the Chinese, and examine its reliability and validity among the older population.Methods: An approach comprising translation, cultural adaptation, reliability, and validity examination in the Chinese version was conducted in two hospitals in Jilin, China. The t-tests were used to compare the sex differences between each item. Participants included Chinese individuals > 60 who were eligible for the cardiac rehabilitation program.Results: In total, 325 participants completed the questionnaire with an average age of 61.23 ± 9.68 years. The item-total correlations were 0.432 to 0.678. Factor analysis of CRBS-C (Kaiser Meyer Olkin = 0.867, Bartlett’s test p = 0.000) revealed four factors: logistical factors, comorbidities/functional status, perceived need/healthcare factors, and work/time conflict. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) indicated a good model fit (χ 2/df = 1.84, RMSEA = 0.051, CFI = 0.953, TLI = 0.945, SRMR=0.046). Cronbach’s alpha was 0.88 for the scale, ranging from 0.801 to 0.88 for each item, which indicates the internal reliability was acceptable.Conclusion: The Chinese version of the CRRS has acceptable reliability and validity in the Chinese elderly population.Keywords: cardiac rehabilitation, internal reliability, cross-cultural adaptation, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis

Xin Xu,1,2,&ast; James Jiqi Wang,1,2,&ast; Hu Zhao,1,2 Kun Miao,1,2 Guanglin Cui,1,2 Yuxuan Zhang,1,2 Xiaoyun Yang,1,2 Luyun Wang,1,2 Junfang Wu,2 Dao Wen Wang1,2 1Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China; 2Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetics and Molecular Mechanism of Cardiological Disorders, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Dao Wen Wang; Junfang Wu, Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 1095# Jiefang Ave, Wuhan, 430030, People’s Republic of China, Tel/Fax +86-278366-3280, Email dwwang@tjh.tjmu.edu.cn; junfang.wu@tjh.tjmu.edu.cnBackground: Vasospastic angina (VSA) is caused by severe diffuse or segmental coronary artery spasms. Patients with variant angina have poor clinical outcomes, although nitrates and calcium blockers help improve patient symptoms because there is no understanding of the etiology and causal treatment. The present study investigated whether VSA is associated with inflammation of the heart.Patients and Methods: A total of 109 patients with VSA diagnosed by the presence of recurrent angina pectoris, typical electrocardiography, and coronary angiography were recruited, and 61 normal participants and 61 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and coronary artery stenosis were recruited as controls. The plasma levels of 24 cytokines were measured using a magnetic Luminex assay, and endothelin-1 and histamine levels tested using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and mass-spectrometry, respectively, for all participants. Furthermore, four patients with VSA underwent 18-fluorine fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT).Results: The plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-12p70, IL-13, PDL-1, IL-10, IL-6, IL-15, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, and MIP-1β in patients with VSA were significantly higher than those in both normal controls and patients with AMI (p< 0.001) but did not differ between normal controls and patients with AMI. 18F-FDG PET/CT showed that the left ventricle, coronary perivascular tissue volume, and coronary perivascular FDG uptake were significantly increased in all four patients.Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that VSA patients have significantly elevated plasma cytokine levels and myocardial and pericoronary inflammation, suggesting that VSA is associated with myocarditis. This study provides novel insights into the etiology and treatment of VSA.Keywords: variant angina, myocarditis, cytokines, inflammation

Xiao Ran,1 Dao Wen Wang,2 Zhen Yu,1 Rongxue Wu,3 Qin Zhang4 1Department of Emergency, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, People’s Republic of China; 2The Institute of Hypertension and Department of Internal Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Biological Sciences Division/ Cardiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA; 4Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Qin Zhang Email qzhang8@tjh.tjmu.cnAim: Tissue kallikrein (TK) exerts protective effects on cardiac cerebrovascular diseases (CCVDs). Changes in TK level in plasma are associated with ischemic stroke and coronary artery disease (CAD); however, a causal correlation could not be established. Therefore, we investigated the association between TK levels and CCVDs in a community-based cross-sectional study in China.Methods: A total of 6043 subjects (4242 men and 1801 women) were enrolled in this community-based cross-sectional study. Then, TK levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Multivariate linear regression model and logistic regression were used to assess the correlations between TK levels and CCVDs. Subsequently, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to assess the value of TK level in evaluating the risk of ischemic stroke. Finally, the influence of various medications was evaluated on TK levels.Results: The TK level was significantly lower in subjects with ischemic stroke (P < 0.001) and hypertension (P < 0.001) and negatively associated with ischemic stroke (P < 0.001) but not associated with hypertension, coronary heart disease, and diabetes compared to the traditional risk factors. The diagnostic accuracy for ischemic stroke, as quantified by the area under the curve, was 0.892 (95% CI, 0.884– 0.900) for TK level, deeming it as a promising assessment tool. Moreover, no appreciable influence of various drugs therapy was found in TK levels (P = 0.222) except for those taking antilipemic agents.Conclusion: TK is a strong and independent endogenous protective factor against ischemic stroke in the Chinese population and could be a promising biomarker for the risk of ischemic stroke.Keywords: tissue kallikrein, ischemic stroke, cardiac cerebral vascular disease, risk factor

Ming-Chao Wei,1 Yu-Min Wang,2 Da-Wei Wang3 1Department of Thoracic Surgery, Yantai Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University, Shandong, People’s Republic of China; 2Binzhou Medical University, Shandong, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Thoracic Surgery, Yantai Mountain Hospital, Shandong, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Da-Wei WangDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Yantai Mountain Hospital, Yantai, Shandong, 264001, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-0535-6602183Email gebizhizhang44557@163.comBackground: The role of microRNA (miR) in tumors has been reported in numerous articles. Previous studies have found that miR-130a is low expressed in lung cancer, but the related mechanism has not been fully elucidated. This study mainly explores the mechanism of miR-130a in lung cancer, so as to provide potential therapeutic targets for clinical applications.Methods: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression of miR-130a and KLF3 in the tissues of lung cancer patients. The miR-130a-mimics and miR-130a-inhibit were constructed. Cell proliferation, invasion, migration and apoptosis were determined by CCK-8, transwell, scratch test and flow cytometry. Western Blot was used to determine the expression of KLF3 protein in cells, and the dual-luciferase reporter to determine the relationship between KLF3 and miR-130a.Results: miR-130a shows low expression in NSCLC patients, while KLF3 shows high expression, exhibiting a negative correlation. The 5-year survival rate of patients with low miR-130a expression and high KLF3 expression was reduced. Cox regression analysis showed that miR-130a was an independent prognostic factor for NSCLC patients. The dual-luciferase reporter revealed that miR-130a bound to KLF3 in a targeted manner, and cell experiments showed that miR-130a could inhibit the growth of lung cancer cells by regulating the expression of KLF3.Conclusion: miR-130a shows low expression in lung cancer and predicts a poor prognosis. In addition, up-regulation of miR-130a can down-regulate KLF3 and inhibit the growth of lung cancer.Keywords: miR-130a, KLF3, lung cancer, prognosis

Yu Liu,1 Wen-Li Zhang,1 Ji-Qiang Bu,1 Jian-Jun Gu,1 Yong-Quan Sun,1 Hong-Zhan Cui,1 Da-Wei Wang,2 Zi-Ying Chen1 1Department of Cardiac Surgery, Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shi Jiazhuang, 050000, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Cardiac Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, 075000, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Zi-Ying ChenDepartment of Cardiac Surgery, Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, No. 215 of Heping West Road, XinHua District, Shijiazhuang, 050000, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 15803210520Fax +86 311 6600 2995Email chenziying258@163.comObjective: This study aims to investigate the value of thromboelastography (TEG) in predicting blood loss, and its relationship with blood transfusion demand, during the perioperative period in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG).Methods: The data of 398 patients undergoing OPCABG were retrospectively analyzed. Blood was drawn before anesthesia induction (T1) and at 10 minutes after heparin neutralization (T2) for further TEG detection. The patients were divided into two groups based on the results at T2: a TEG normal group and a TEG abnormal group. Logistic regression analysis was used to predict the related factors contributing to the significant increase in perioperative blood loss (more than 20% of the estimated blood volume).Results: There were 277 (69.6%) patients in the TEG normal group and 121 (30.4%) in the TEG abnormal group. Compared with the TEG normal group, the volume of blood loss, red blood cell count, and volume of plasma transfusion in the TEG abnormal group significantly increased within 24 hours after surgery. The results of the logistic regression analysis identified the use of clopidogrel, platelet count at T2, fibrinogen level at T2, and abnormality in TEG value as independent predictors for the significant increase in perioperative blood loss (P < 0.001).Conclusion: The abnormality in TEG value after heparin neutralization is correlated with massive hemorrhage and blood transfusion during the perioperative period in OPCABG. TEG detection can assist in clinical treatment and reduce the volume of blood lost in a hemorrhage and the volume of blood required in a transfusion during OPCABG.Keywords: thromboelastography, off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, perioperative period, blood loss, blood transfusion

Xiao-Ming Zhu1, Yi-Xiang J Wang1, Ken Cham-Fai Leung2,3, Siu-Fung Lee2, Feng Zhao1, Da-Wei Wang2, Josie MY Lai4, Chao Wan4, Christopher HK Cheng4, Anil T Ahuja11Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong SAR; 2Institute of Molecular Functional Materials and Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong SAR; 3Institute of Creativity and Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR; 4School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong KongPurpose: To compare the cellular uptake efficiency and cytotoxicity of aminosilane (SiO2-NH2)-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO@SiO2-NH2) nanoparticles with three other types of SPIO nanoparticles coated with SiO2 (SPIO@SiO2), dextran (SPIO@dextran), or bare SPIO in mammalian cell lines.Materials and methods: Four types of monodispersed SPIO nanoparticles with a SPIO core size of 7 nm and an overall size in a range of 7–15 nm were synthesized. The mammalian cell lines of MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, HT-29, RAW264.7, L929, HepG2, PC-3, U-87 MG, and mouse mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were incubated with four types of SPIO nanoparticles for 24 hours in the serum-free culture medium Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium (DMEM) with 4.5 µg/mL iron concentration. The cellular uptake efficiencies of SPIO nanoparticles were compared by Prussian blue staining and intracellular iron quantification. In vitro magnetic resonance imaging of MSC pellets after SPIO labeling was performed at 3 T. The effect of each SPIO nanoparticle on the cell viability of RAW 264.7 (mouse monocyte/macrophage) cells was also evaluated.Results: Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated surface coating with SiO2-NH2, SiO2, and dextran prevented SPIO nanoparticle aggregation in DMEM culture medium. MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and HT-29 cells failed to show notable iron uptake. For all the remaining six cell lines, Prussian blue staining and intracellular iron quantification demonstrated that SPIO@SiO2-NH2 nanoparticles had the highest cellular uptake efficiency. SPIO@SiO2-NH2, bare SPIO, and SPIO@dextran nanoparticles did not affect RAW 264.7 cell viability up to 200 µg Fe/mL, while SPIO@SiO2 reduced RAW 264.7 cell viability from 10 to 200 µg Fe/mL in a dose-dependent manner.Conclusion: Cellular uptake efficiency of SPIO nanoparticles depends on both the cell type and SPIO surface characteristics. Aminosilane surface coating enhanced the cellular uptake efficiency without inducing cytotoxicity in a number of cell lines.Keywords: magnetic nanoparticles, SPIO, iron oxide, surface coating, cellular uptake

Background and the purpose of the study: Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), which are cytochrome P450 epoxygenase metabolites of arachidonic acid, have anti-inflammatory effects, modulate smooth muscle proliferation, and inhibit smooth muscle migration. This study was designed to determine whether exogenous EETs have any effect on the cell proliferation and apoptosis of carcinoma cell as well as the possible signaling pathways of EETs in this regulation. Methods: The effects of EETs on the proliferation and anti-apoptosis of human carcinoma cells were measured by MTT assay and flowcytometric analysis, and the regulation of PPARγ, epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI3)-Kinase/AKT pathways was investigated by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot analysis. Results: Results of this study suggested that 14, 15-EET may activate the expression of PPARγ in Tca-8113 cells. 14,15-EET may stimulate cell proliferation, and increase the percentage of cells during S-G2-M phase in Tca-8113 cells significantly. The levels of EGFR, ERK, and PI3 kinase/AKT proteins were significantly induced by treatment of 14, 15-EET and 14,15-EET/ AUDA, but no significant changes were observed by addition of GW9662. Conclusion: These findings suggest that exogenous 14,15-EET has potent inhibitory effect on proliferation, and could induce apoptosis in Tca-8113 cell, and these changes are related to the expression of PPARγ, the activation of EGFR, ERK, and PI3 kinase/AKT proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of consumer scholarship must move beyond a mere counting of the number of "A"s on a researcher's CV to include at least some measure of impact. To facilitate a broader assessment of scholarship in consumer research, we provide detailed statistics on the productivity and citation impact of the field's 340 main gatekeepers: the editors, associate editors, and editorial board members of the Journal of Consumer Research and the Journal of Consumer Psychology. In addition, we introduce a new metric, called the p -index, which can be interpreted as an indicator of a researcher's propensity for thought leadership. Using this metric, we show that productivity and thought leadership do not necessarily go hand in hand in consumer research and that a combination of the two is a good predictor of the level of esteem that consumer scholars enjoy among their peers and of the receipt of major career awards. Our analyses provide greater transparency into how productivity, citation impact, and propensity for thought leadership are currently distributed among prominent consumer scholars. Furthermore, the detailed descriptive statistics reported can serve as useful benchmarks against which other consumer researchers' records may be meaningfully compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the effect of the exchange-correlation kernels of Dobson and Wang (DW) [Phys. Rev. B 62, 10038 (2000)] and Corradini, Del Sole, Onida, and Palummo (CDOP) [Phys. Rev. B 57, 14569 (1998)] in the framework of the adiabatic connection fluctuation-dissipation theorem. The original CDOP kernel was generalized to treat inhomogeneous systems, and an efficient numerical implementation was developed. We found that both kernels improve the correlation energy in bulk silicon as compared to that evaluated from the random phase approximation (RPA). In particular, the correlation energy from the CDOP kernel is in excellent agreement with the diffusion Monte Carlo result. In the case of the Kr dimer, while the DWkernel leads to stronger binding than RPA, the CDOP kernel does the opposite. The cause of this quite different behavior of the two kernels is discussed. Our study suggests that special attention needs to be paid to describe the effective interaction at the low density regions when developing model exchange-correlation kernels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Herz is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway (CAP) is a neurophysiological mechanism that regulates the immune system. The CAP inhibits inflammation by suppressing cytokine synthesis via release of acetylcholine in organs of the reticuloendothelial system, including the lungs, spleen, liver, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. Acetylcholine can interact with alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (alpha7 nAchR) expressed by macrophages and other cytokine producing cells, down-regulate pro-inflammatory cytokine synthesis and prevent tissue damage. Herein is a review of the neurophysiological mechanism in which the CAP regulates inflammatory response, as well as its potential interventional strategy for inflammatory diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 0.65Bi0.5Na0.25K0.25TiO3–0.35Bi0.2Sr0.7Ti1−xSnxO3 (BNKBST-xSn) ceramics were synthesized via a solid-phase reactive sintering technique. The effects of doping Sn4+ ions on the energy storage, dielectric, ferroelectric properties and microstructure characteristics for BNKBST ceramics were systematically studied. Remarkably, BNKBST-0.02Sn exhibits a superior dielectric temperature stability, manifested as the change rate for dielectric constant ∆ε/ε150°C is smaller than 15% during a very wide temperature range of 30–400 °C. In addition, BNKBST-0.02Sn ceramic achieves a high energy storage density Wrec = 0.81 J/cm3 (under the electric field 80 kV/cm) with an outstanding energy storage efficiency 89.5%, which make it reasonable to be applied in dielectric capacitors due to its excellent dielectric thermal stability and energy storage properties. The electrical conductivity behaviors of BNKBST-xSn were also analyzed with the assistance of impedance spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Subtalar bone-block distraction arthrodesis using structural autograft carries the risk of donor site morbidity. Recent reports suggest that structural allograft may be an attractive alternative to structural autograft in subtalar arthrodesis. This prospective study analyzes subtalar distraction arthrodesis using interpositional structural allograft. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 2000 and 2006, 22 patients (24 feet; mean age, 45.6 years) underwent subtalar arthrodesis with interpositional fresh-frozen femoral head structural allograft. Indications included subtalar arthrosis, loss of heel height, and anterior ankle impingement. Clinical outcome was assessed using the AOFAS ankle-hindfoot scoring system. Time to union was determined by previously reported clinical findings and radiographic evidence for bridging trabeculation between host bone and structural allograft. RESULTS: Mean followup was 35.8 months for 20 patients (21 feet) available for followup evaluation. Union was achieved in 19 of 21 patients (90%) at a mean of 15.5 (range, 11 to 19) weeks. Mean AOFAS hindfoot score improved from 21 to 71 points (p < 0.05). Radiographic analysis suggested significant (p < 0.05) improvement in all measurements. Complications included nonunion (2), varus malalignment (1), persistent subfibular impingement (1), sural neuralgia (1), and prominent hardware (2). Both patients with nonunions had avascular bone at the arthrodesis site and used tobacco products. CONCLUSION: This study supports recent publications that subtalar arthrodesis using interpositional structural allograft can have a favorable outcome. Our clinical and radiographic results suggest that restoration of hindfoot function and dimensions with structural allograft are comparable to results reported for the same procedure using structural autograft. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, prospective case series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Exposure of the posterolateral talar dome for osteochondral autograft transfer can be challenging. The purpose of this study is to compare surgical exposures for perpendicular access to the posterolateral talar dome using osteochondral transfer instrumentation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five surgical approaches were performed on each of eight cadaveric ankles. The sequence was: (1) Anterolateral arthrotomy with ATFL release, (2) Anterolateral tibial osteotomy, (3) Fibular osteotomy with ATFL intact, (4) Fibular osteotomy with ATFL release, and (5) Fibular osteotomy with ATFL/CFL release. (ATFL repaired between 1 and 2). While maintaining the orientation of the harvester perpendicular to the talar dome articular surface, osteochondral plugs were harvested as far posteriorly as possible using a 6-mm harvester. Distances from the anterior talar articular surface to the posterior aspect of the recipient site were measured. Statistical analysis used ANOVA and Fisher post hoc tests. RESULTS: Average AP exposure (mm) and percentage of AP talar dome dimensions exposed: (1) Anterolateral arthrotomy with ATFL release: 21.2 mm (43.3%), (2) Anterolateral tibial osteotomy: 33.7 mm (68.5%), (3) Fibular osteotomy(ATFL intact): 43.2 mm (87.8%), (4) Fibular osteotomy with ATFL release: 44.9 mm (91.2%), and (5) Fibular osteotomy with ATFL/CFL release: 46.6 mm (94.6%). All osteotomies provided greater exposure than anterolateral arthrotomy with ATFL release (p < 0.0001). A significant difference was obtained between each of the fibular osteotomies and tibial osteotomy (p < 0.0001). Differences between the fibular osteotomy approaches (3 to 5) were not significant. CONCLUSION: Fibular osteotomy provides the greatest perpendicular exposure to the posterolateral talar dome. Anterolateral tibial osteotomy provides greater exposure than arthrotomy alone. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study provides a guide for surgical exposures to the posterolateral talar dome for osteochondral autograft transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research / Zhongguo Zuzhi Gongcheng Yanjiu is the property of Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) is pivotal in tyrosine metabolism and essential for plant survival. Its inhibition leads to leaf bleaching and plant death. While current HPPD inhibitors are effective, they pose phytotoxicity risks and may contribute to herbicide resistance. Here, we investigated the inhibitory potential of sethoxydim and atovaquone, which traditionally target acetyl-CoA carboxylase and the cytochrome bc1 complex, respectively. Both atovaquone and the degradation product of sethoxydim exhibited moderate HPPD inhibitory activity. But the mechanism by which sethoxydim inhibited HPPD remained unclear. Therefore, we embarked on an investigation into the crystal structure of the complex, with the aim of elucidating its precise binding mode. Our findings revealed that sethoxydim degrades in solution, producing dealkoxy sethoxydim as the active component in HPPD inhibition. Structural analysis elucidated the binding modes of atovaquone and dealkoxy sethoxydim with HPPD. These binding motifs represent novel pharmacophores and offer promising leads for developing HPPD inhibitors with improved pesticidal profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aimed to achieve quantitative control of workpiece surface after robotic polishing and improve polishing efficiency, a two-step processing optimization method involves artificial intelligence algorithms is investigated. Firstly, based on XGBoost algorithm, a prediction model for polished workpiece surface depending on key parameters is proposed, and the accuracy of the model is verified by experiments. After that, by using the above model, the influence of each parameter on the roughness was evaluated quantitatively. Subsequently, target roughness-driven optimization of processing parameters was presented by combining the roughness prediction model with NSGA II-TOPSIS algorithm based on the influence of each parameter on the roughness. To verify the proposed processing optimization method, polishing experiments of mold steel samples were conducted. The experimental results show that the maximum absolute error between the predicted and experimental roughness is 0.035 μm, and the maximum relative error is <9%. At the same time, when the minimum is set as the optimization objective. With the same length of polishing path, the feed rate is increased from 0.25 mm/s to 0.37 mm/s, and the efficiency is improved to 48%. The NSGA II-TOPSIS algorithm can achieve quantitative control of mold steel surface roughness after robotic polishing to improve polishing efficiency, and provide a basis for reasonable selection of processing parameters, which have certain practical value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extant literature on measuring the performance of physicians' knowledge contribution in an online health community (OHC) is limited. To address this gap, this article aims to (1) develop a measurement model for physicians' knowledge contribution performance; (2) use BP neural network to assign reasonable weight to each indicator of the model; and (3) explore the status and differences of knowledge contribution performance among a group of physicians. Based on the sample of 5407 infectious disease physicians in a Chinese OHC, we propose the measurement model by integrating physicians' active knowledge contribution (AKC) and responsive knowledge contribution (RKC), covering 11 dimensions of contribution quantity and quality. We employ the BP neural network to optimise the model weights using the initial weight of the model obtained by the entropy method. The Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method is used to evaluate the performance of physicians' knowledge contribution in the OHC. The results show that it is feasible to use BP neural network to assign model weights. The distribution of physicians' knowledge contribution performance is uneven; only a few have a high-level knowledge contribution performance. Meanwhile, a significant positive correlation exists between a physician's title and respective knowledge contribution performance. Our research may contribute to related literature and practices by offering a fine-grained understanding of the performance of physicians' knowledge contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The current study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and pronounced gastro-protective activities of β- Citronellol using in vitro, in vivo assays and in silico approaches. Methods: In vitro assays, denaturation of bovine serum albumin, egg protein, and human Red Blood Cells (RBCs) membrane stabilization were performed, using Piroxicam as standard. For in vivo assessment, Histamine (0.1 ml from 1% w/v) and Formaldehyde (0.1 ml from 2% v/v) were used to mediate inflammation. In silico molecular docking and network pharmacology were employed to probe the possible target genes mediating gastroprotective effect of β-Citronellol at 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg, using indomethacin-induced (25 mg/kg i.p) gastric ulcer in rats. Moreover, Gastric tissues were evaluated for morphological, histopathological, and bio-chemical analysis of PGE2, COX-I, COX-II, 5-LOX, eNOS, ICAM-1, oxygen-free radical scavengers (SOD, CAT), and oxidative stress marker (MDA). Results: β-Citronellol prevented denaturation of proteins and RBCs membrane stabilization with maximum effect observed at 6,400 µg/mL. Citronellol decreased rat's paw edema. Network pharmacology and docking studies revealed gastro-protective potential of Citronellol possibly mediated through arachidonic acid pathways by targeting COX-I, COX-II, PGE2, and 5-LOX. Citronellol reduced the ulcer indices, and histopathological changes. Further, β-Citronellol (50 and 100 mg/kg) increased gastric PGE2, COX-1, and eNOS; while suppressing COX-2, 5-LOX and ICAM-1. Citronellol markedly enhanced the oxidative balance in isolated rat stomach tissues. Conclusions: The anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and gastro-protective effects of β-Citronellol against indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer model in rats through mediating COX-I, COX-II, PGE2, 5-LOX, eNOS, and ICAM-1 inflammatory markers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hybrid polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) exhibit excellent physical and chemical properties that cannot be achieved by the parent compounds. PNCs have fascinated important research interests due to their promising potential applications, such as environmental remediation, supercapacitor, sensor, catalysis, and safety and security systems. In this present work, hybrid composites based on PVA/PVP with various concentrations of NiO nanoflakes have been prepared by the solution casting method. The structural, dielectric, surface morphological, and electrochemical performances have been investigated. The crystalline nature of PNCs improves with increasing NiO concentration, and it is confirmed by powder XRD. The surface morphology of the PNCs has been revealed by the FESEM analysis. The performance of the dielectric nature of the material has been studied at various temperatures using an AC impedance analyzer. From the results, PVA/PVP/0.75 wt.% NiO has a high relative dielectric constant value of 411.85 and a higher relaxation time of 1.57 × 10−2 s. The asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) device has been fabricated with polymer nanocomposite as the positive electrode and activated carbon as the negative electrode. The higher specific capacitance value of the asymmetric supercapacitor device is 46.28 F/g for PVA/PVP/0.75 wt.% NiO, with an areal capacitance of 277.70 mF/cm2. Moreover, a high energy density of 1.11 Wh/kg and a power density of 83.33 W/kg has been achieved. After 5000 cycles, the capacitance of the device retains about 96% of its initial value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In mechanical equipment friction pairs, there are instances of varying friction radius (e.g., brake pads in trains), but the impact of variation in friction radius on friction-induced vibration noise (FIVN) has not yet been clearly understood and has drawn little attention. To address this, a series of tests under different friction radii were carried out using a CETR friction and wear tester, and a finite element model(FEM) based on the main structure of the tester was established to carry out complex modal and transient dynamic simulations. Furthermore, a two-degree-of-freedom (2-DOF) numerical model was proposed to analyze the stability and dynamic characteristics of the ball-disc friction system. Based on the FIVN simulation tests, finite element simulations, and numerical analysis results, the impact of variations in the friction radius on FIVN was discussed. The results indicate that the friction radius is a crucial factor impacting the intensity and evolution of FIVN. Under the experimental parameters employed in this study, the intensity of FIVN increases with the enlargement of the friction radius. Correspondingly, an increase in friction radius significantly increases the friction disc's wear. The scratches' width, depth, and wear volume increase. In the friction process, the increase in friction radius leads to an increase in the wear amount of the friction disk, which also results in a significant accumulation of wear debris actively engaging in the frictional process at the interface. Therefore, the degradation of the friction surface becomes increasingly severe and exhibits complex tribological behaviors. The increase in friction radius facilitates modal coupling phenomena in friction systems, inducing high-intensity unstable vibrations within this system. Furthermore, with a larger friction radius, the structure of the friction system is more prone to deform. As the friction ball moves more significantly along with the friction disk, the concentration of contact stress at the interface intensifies notably in the region adjacent to the cutting-in end, accompanied by an increase in the numerical value of the contact stress. In scenarios with a large friction radius, the concentration of contact stress on surfaces is the primary reason for the greater width, depth, and wear volume of the scratches on the friction disc. The 2-DOF numerical model of the ball-disc friction system we established effectively helped us discuss the impact of the friction radius and coefficient of friction (COF) on system stability. It is found that under a large friction radius and COF, the system exhibits modal coupling phenomena, with a state of vibrational instability. The intensity of friction-induced vibration (FIV) also increases with the friction radius. In conclusion, this study finds that the friction radius is a key factor affecting FIVN, and appropriate measures should be taken to improve the tribological behavior of the interface to suppress FIVN when encountered a large friction radius. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local intra-articular administration with minimal side effects and rapid efficacy is a promising strategy for treating osteoarthritis(OA). Most drugs are rapidly cleared from the joint space by capillaries and lymphatic vessels before free diffusion into cartilage. Ultrasound, as a non-invasive therapy, enhances molecular transport within cartilage through the mechanisms of microbubble cavitation and thermal effects. This study investigated the mass transfer behavior of solute molecules with different molecular weights (479 Da, 40 kDa, 150 kDa) within porcine articular cartilage under low-frequency ultrasound conditions of 40 kHz and ultrasound intensities of 0.189 W/cm2 and 0.359 W/cm2. The results revealed that under the conditions of 0.189 W/cm2 ultrasound intensity, the mass transfer concentration of solute molecules were higher compared to passive diffusion, and with an increase in ultrasound intensity to 0.359 W/cm2, the mass transfer effect within the cartilage was further enhanced. Ultrasound promotes molecular transport in different layers of cartilage. Under static conditions, after 2 h of mass transfer, the concentration of small molecules in the superficial layer is lower than that in the middle layer. After applying ultrasound at 0.189 W/cm2, the molecular concentration in the superficial layer significantly increases. Under conditions of 0.359 W/cm2, after 12 h of mass transfer, the concentration of medium and large molecules in the deep layer region increased by more than two times. In addition, this study conducted an assessment of damage to porcine articular cartilage under ultrasound exposure, revealing the significant potential of low-frequency, low-intensity ultrasound in drug delivery and treatment of OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The all-trans and all-cis polyenes homodisubstituted at the ends were calculated at the B3LYP/6-31G** level. The disubstitution gives rise to three end-types of the conformers: trans-trans, trans-cis, and cis-cis, denoted as EE, EZ, and ZZ. The symmetry of the EE or ZZ all-cis isomers depended on the double bond parity. Twelve substituents used: H, BeH, BH2, BF2, Br, CH3, Cl, CN, F, NH2, NO2, OH, and SiH3 were chosen to exhibit different σ- and π-electron donating and electron withdrawing properties. For polyenes composed up to ca. 20 C-atoms, the π-electron donating and withdrawing character of the end groups matters and differently acting substituents play significantly different roles. Unexpectedly, the intramolecular interactions between the substituents and the neighboring chain CH groups near appeared more decisive for the compound's stability than the substituent electron donating/withdrawing properties. The substituent-chain interplay was consonant in the all-trans and all-cis polyenes. Still, they were always more destabilizing in the latter than in all-trans isomers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infection is among the most common causes of death in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) after chemotherapy. The anti-tumor effect of the intestinal microbiota in patients with AML is increasingly being recognized. Tigecycline, a broad-spectrum antibiotics, plays a vital role in the anti-infection treatment of AML patients with neutropenia and accompanying infections. Previously, this group reported that long-term use of tigecycline caused coagulation dysfunction in patients with hematological malignancies, increasing the risk of casualties. RNA sequencing was performed on CHO cells before and after tigecycline treatment. Further, the combined analysis of AML prognostic differentially expressed genes revealed 13 genes affected by tigecycline and closely related to AML prognosis. These genes were used for modeling analysis, and the results showed that the prepared model significantly improved the prognostic prediction efficiency for AML patients. The model also explored the correlation between prognosis score and immune cells infiltrating tumors and immune therapy targets. Moreover, 16S sequencing was performed on fecal samples from AML patients before and after tigecycline treatment. The results revealed that tigecycline significantly altered the distribution of intestinal microbiota in AML patients - These changes in microbiota are related to chemotherapy resistance. This study emphasizes the importance of intestinal microbiota in AML prognosis. Thus, the findings of this study show that the long-term use of antibiotics can not only cause dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiota but also indirectly affect the sensitivity of chemotherapy drugs, affecting the prognosis of AML patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Respiratory viruses are linked to cardiovascular complications. We aim to compare cardiovascular complications due to COVID-19, influenza and RSV. Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from hospitalized children and young adults (≤ 20 years) from 2020 and 2021 using National Inpatient Sample (NIS). We included individuals hospitalized for COVID-19, RSV, and influenza, and weighted data were used to compare cardiovascular complications. Results: Of 212,655 respiratory virus admissions, 85,055 were from COVID-19, 103,185 were from RSV, and 24,415 were from influenza. Myocarditis was higher in COVID-19 [0.9%, n = 740] as compared to influenza [0.2%, n = 55] and RSV [0.1%, n = 65]. In the adjusted logistic regression, the odds of myocarditis was 61% lower in influenza [aOR = 0.39 (0.20–0.76), P = 0.006], and 85% lower in RSV [aOR = 0.15 (0.07–0.34) P < 0.001] as compared to COVID-19. Bradyarrhythmias/heart block was higher in COVID-19 [0.8%, n = 690] versus influenza [0.5%, n = 110] and RSV [0.2%, n = 205]. After adjusting for confounders for bradyarrhythmias/heart block, compared to COVID-19, the odds were 49% lower in RSV [aOR = 0.51 (0.33–0.80), P = 0.004] but no statistically significant difference in influenza [aOR = 0.79 (0.48–1.31), P = 0.374] was seen. Tachyarrhythmias, sudden cardiac arrest, and in-hospital mortality showed no differences after adjusting for covariates. Conclusion: Individuals with COVID-19 infection are more likely to develop cardiovascular complications compared to influenza and RSV, highlighting the need for higher index of suspicion and prompt treatment, as well as steps to limit infection and transmission of this virus in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Improving the microenvironment to augment endogenous regenerative potential has emerged as a fundamental concept for stimulating and expediting periodontal tissue repair and regeneration. Previous studies have demonstrated that TPPU, a soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitor (sEHi), mediates the suppression of inflammatory bone loss in periodontitis models. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely elusive. Methods: In this study, we constructed a human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) and periodontal ligament stem cell (PDLSC) coculture system in vitro and tested the anti-inflammatory effect of TPPU under inflammatory conditions. The roles of HIF-1α and Endomucin (EMCN) in the anti-inflammatory effects of TPPU were analyzed. The effects of TPPU on osteogenesis and osteoclastogenesis in cocultured cells were examined. The in vivo periodontitis model further verified the effects of TPPU on inhibiting neutrophil adhesion and inflammation and inhibiting osteoclasts. Results: Our in vitro experiments demonstrated that TPPU enhances the interaction between mesenchymal stem cells and vascular endothelial cells to enhance anti-inflammatory and osteogenic differentiation effects and revealed a new anti-inflammatory mechanism of TPPU involving the upregulation of EMCN in endothelial cells to prevent lymphocyte recruitment. We also confirmed that TPPU inhibits osteoclast activity. Our in vivo findings showed that TPPU inhibits osteoclast activity and neutrophil adhesion and enhances periodontal tissue repair and regeneration. Conclusions: TPPU promotes local regeneration in periodontitis by inhibiting inflammation and bone resorption. Thus, targeting soluble epoxide hydrolase represents an endogenous regenerative strategy for periodontitis treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), characterized by myocardial fibrosis, is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in diabetic patients; the inhibition of cardiac fibrosis is a fundamental strategy for treating DCM. Gastrodin (GAS), a compound extracted from Gastrodia elata protects against DCM, but the molecular mechanism underlying its antifibrotic effect has not been elucidated. Methods: In vivo, the effects of GAS were investigated using C57BL/6 mice with DCM, which was induced by administering a high-sugar, high-fat (HSF) diet and streptozotocin (STZ). We assessed the cardiac function in these mice and detected histopathological changes in their hearts and the degree of cardiac fibrosis. In vitro, neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) were transformed into myofibroblasts by exposing them to high glucose combined with high palmitic acid (HG-PA), and CFs were induced by pEX-1 (pGCMV/MCS/EGFP/Neo) plasmid-mediated overexpression of KLK8, which contains the rat KLK8 gene. The KLK8 siRNA was knocked down to study the effects of GAS on CF differentiation, collagen synthesis, and cell migration by specific mechanisms of action of GAS. Results: GAS attenuated pathological changes in the hearts of DCM mice, rescued impaired cardiac function, and attenuated cardiac fibrosis. Additionally, the results of molecular docking analysis showed that GAS binds to kinin-releasing enzyme-related peptidase 8 (KLK8) to inhibit the increase in protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR-1), thus attenuating myocardial fibrosis. Specifically, GAS attenuated the transformation of neonatal rat CFs to myofibroblasts exposed to HG-PA. Overexpressing KLK8 promoted CF differentiation, collagen synthesis, and cell migration, and KLK8 siRNA attenuated HG-PA-induced CF differentiation, collagen synthesis, and cell migration. Further studies revealed that a PAR-1 antagonist, but not a PAR-2 antagonist, could attenuate CF differentiation, collagen synthesis, and cell migration. Additionally, GAS inhibited KLK8 upregulation and PAR1 activation, thus blocking the differentiation, collagen synthesis, and cell migration of HG-PA-exposed CFs and triggering TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling. Conclusion: GAS alleviated pathological changes in the hearts of DCM model mice induced by an HSF diet combined with STZ. KLK8 mediated HG-PA-induced differentiation, collagen synthesis, and the migration of CFs. GAS attenuated the differentiation, collagen synthesis, and migration of CFs by inhibiting the KLK8-PAR1 signaling axis, a process in which TGF-β1 and Smad3 are involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tail effect is a unique phenomenon in immunotherapy characterized by the prolonged maintenance of therapeutic efficacy. It can be observable even after treatment cessation. Immunotherapy has gradually become a vital regimen for the treatment of advanced lung cancer patients, among which immune-combined therapies based on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been applied clinically and demonstrates considerable clinical efficacy. In this case report, the patient was pathologically diagnosed with pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma (PSC), a rare and highly aggressive subtype of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) known for its poor prognosis due to high invasiveness and metastatic potential. After developing resistance to chemotherapy, the patient was treated with a combined regimen of sintilimab and anlotinib, leading to initial clinical improvement. Following just three cycles of this regimen, treatment was discontinued, and the patient was discharged. Remarkably, over the subsequent months, the patient exhibited a significant tail effect, evidenced by sustained therapeutic stability, continuous tumor regression, stable low levels of serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and further improvement in clinical symptoms. Tail effect is a golden tail of immunotherapy. This case illustrates that the tail effect of immunotherapy can offer substantial survival benefits for patients with unresectable advanced lung cancer who have failed chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to explore group types of job stress in university teachers in China. Utilizing an indigenously developed university teachers' job stress scale in China alongside other tools, a survey was conducted on 1988 teachers from 22 Chinese higher education institutions from a person-oriented perspective. Stratified cluster random sampling and K-means clustering techniques were employed to derive a classification model for job stress among university educators. According to job stress characteristics, Chinese university teachers were classified into six significantly heterogeneous groups: relatively high stress, task-related stress, relatively low stress, interpersonal-related stress, extremely low stress, and extremely high stress. The average job burnout and job satisfaction scores of the different groups exhibited varying features. In general, the extremely high stress group should be the most concerned, whereas university teachers with mid-level stress merit less attention. But the medium-stress group was further subdivided. University teachers under task-related stress have more stress-related consequences than those of university teachers under interpersonal-related stress. There are significant differences in the distribution of university teachers' job stress group types across demographic groups defined by gender and university types. University administrators should focus on university teachers under task-related stress. This classification model offers direct references for the stress management and psychological aid of university teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we evaluated the impact of yeast cell wall prebiotics and multispecies probiotics on the gut microbiota, immune response, and growth performance of weaned piglets, as alternatives to antibiotics as growth promoters (AGPs). A randomized complete block design was employed, involving 160 piglets divided into four treatment groups during the nursery phase. The treatments applied throughout the experimental period were as follows: CONT+ = basal diet with halquinol (AGP); YCW = basal diet with yeast cell wall (cell wall of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast); SIM+ = basal diet with yeast cell wall + multispecies probiotic (Bacillus subtilis (2.0 x 109 CFU/g), Bacillus coagulans (5.0 x 108 CFU/g), Clostridium butyricum (5.0 x 107 CFU/g), and Bacillus licheniformis (2.0 x 109 CFU/g)); SIM- = basal diet with yeast cell wall + multispecies probiotic (half dose). The parameters assessed included daily feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR), diarrhea score, serum cytokine levels, and chemokine concentrations, as well as microbiota analysis. During the 21 to 63-day study period, only FCR differed significantly (p = 0.0076). CONT+ and PREB had superior FCRs of 1.543 and 1.585, while SIM- had the least favorable FCR at 1.654. At 35 days, IL-10 levels were greater in the SIM- group, showing a 271.25% increase over those in the other groups. By 49 days, the IL-8 concentration was lower in the PREB group than in the CONT+ group, with a reduction of 247%, while the IL-8 concentrations in the SIM+ and SIM- groups were not significantly different from those in the other groups. The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio in the CONT+ group was lower than that in the PREB, SIM+, and SIM- treatment groups. The Lactobacillaceae family was more abundant in the SIM+ treatment, followed by the SIM- and PREB treatments. The CONT+ treatment had the lowest abundance. The abundance of the genus Lactobacillus differed between the CONT+ group and the PREB, SIM+, and SIM- treatment groups. Prebiotics, used either alone or combined with probiotics, serve as effective substitutes for AGPs, boosting piglets' health and performance throughout the nursery phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are recently a rapidly increasing of interest as non-invasive biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Previous studies revealed that several miRNAs exhibited the capacity for diagnosis and prognosis of AMI, the reasons why these circulating miRNAs are concerned as targets for investigation are quite cryptogenic, presumably due to the lack of clues provided by global surveillance at the transcriptome level, and the current data for some miRNAs are controversial and inconsistent among independent studies. Methods: To comprehensively profiling the potential miRNAs for diagnosis and prognosis of AMI, we reported transcriptomes of circulating miRNAs in the plasma of 27 healthy controls, 64 AMI patients (37 STEMI and 27 NSTEMI) and 20 AMI patients who were subjected to reperfusion therapy. Meanwhile, the cTnI of AMI patients was parallel determined. Differentially-circulated miRNAs were analyzed between each group. All detected circulating miRNAs were examined by ROC analysis and then LASSO dimension reduction to obtain an optimal panel for diagnosis of AMI. A five-year period follow-up towards the AMI and reperfusion patients was performed, and the prognostic value of circulating miRNAs in these patients was estimated by using the Cox regression model, ROC and Kaplan-Meier curves. Results: Comprehensive global differences of miRNAs transcriptome among AMI, reperfusion patients and healthy controls were identified. A total of 40 miRNAs, called high diagnostic performance miRNAs, including several previous well-studied miRNAs with AUC greater than 0.85 were shown to discriminate AMI with healthy controls. In addition, 29 miRNAs were analyzed to be strongly correlated with the plasma cTnI level, of which 20 overlapped with high diagnostic performance miRNAs. These overlapped miRNAs are over-represented in the pathways which actually reflect the pathological cause of myocardial infarction, as well as the regulation of gene expression and energetic pathway of cellular response to hypoxia. Finally, two miRNAs were analyzed to be significantly correlated to all-cause mortality. Conclusion: This is the first time to survey plasma miRNAs for the development of AMI diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers at the transcriptome level. A subset of miRNAs exhibited potential diagnostic and prognostic merits for AMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]