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Harmine (HM), a β‐carboline alkaloid extracted from plants, is a crucial component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) known for its diverse pharmacological activities. Thrombocytopenia, a common and challenging hematological disorder, often coexists with serious illnesses. Previous research has shown a correlation between HM and thrombocytopenia, but the mechanism needs further elucidation. The aim of this study was to clarify the mechanisms underlying the effects of HM on thrombocytopenia and to develop new therapeutic strategies. Flow cytometry, Giemsa staining, and Phalloidin staining were used to assess HM's impact on Meg‐01 and HEL cell differentiation and maturation in vitro. A radiation‐induced thrombocytopenic mouse model was employed to evaluate HM's effect on platelet production in vivo. Network pharmacology, molecular docking, and protein blotting were utilized to investigate HM's targets and mechanisms. The results demonstrated that HM dose‐dependently promoted Meg‐01 and HEL cell differentiation and maturation in vitro and restored platelet levels in irradiated mice in vivo. Subsequently, HM was found to be involved in the biological process of platelet production by upregulating the expressions of Rac1, Cdc42, JNK, and 5‐HTR2A. Furthermore, the targeting of HM to 5‐HTR2A and its correlation with downstream Rac1/Cdc42/JNK were also confirmed. In conclusion, HM regulates megakaryocyte differentiation and thrombopoiesis through the 5‐HTR2A and Rac1/Cdc42/JNK pathways, providing a potential treatment strategy for thrombocytopenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physiological and environmental fluctuations in the oyster cold chain can lead to quality deterioration, highlighting the importance of monitoring and evaluating oyster freshness. In this study, an electronic nose was developed using ten partially selective metal oxide-based gas sensors for rapid freshness assessment. Simultaneous analyses, including GC-MS, TVBN, microorganism, texture, and sensory evaluations, were conducted to assess the quality status of oysters. Real-time electronic nose measurements were taken at various storage temperatures (4 °C, 12 °C, 20 °C, 28 °C) to thoroughly investigate quality changes under different storage conditions. Principal component analysis was utilized to reduce the 10-dimensional vectors to 3-dimensional vectors, enabling the clustering of samples into fresh, sub-fresh, and decayed categories. A GA-BP neural network model based on these three classes achieved a test data accuracy rate exceeding 93%. Expert input was solicited for performance analysis and optimization suggestions enhanced the efficiency and applicability of the established prediction system. The results demonstrate that combining an electronic nose with quality indices is an effective approach for diagnosing oyster spoilage and mitigating quality and safety risks in the oyster industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The eradication of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is crucial due to its rising prevalence and increasing resistance. Bismuth‐containing quadruple therapies (BcQTs) have been proposed as a viable treatment option; however, the optimal duration for it remains contentious. This systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to compare the clinical efficacy of short‐term BcQT (defined as 7 or 10 days) with a standard 14‐day course. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library was conducted for randomized controlled trials published in English until June 20, 2024. Eligibility criteria were applied to identify relevant studies. Summary risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for the included studies regarding eradication rates, adverse effects, and compliance. This systematic review and meta‐analysis was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) statement and was previously registered in PROSPERO under registration number CRD42024547773. Results: This meta‐analysis finally included 15 trials involving a total of 4505 patients. The eradication rates for short courses of BcQT were lower than those for the 14‐day course (RR 0.96, 95% CI 0.93–0.99). However, the eradication rate for the 10‐day therapy was comparable to that of the 14‐day therapy (RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.95–1.00). Subgroup analyses of antibiotic combinations indicated that tetracycline and metronidazole combinations yielded similar H. pylori eradication rates in the 7‐day versus the 14‐day BcQT (RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.84–1.02). In the potassium‐competitive acid blocker subgroup, the eradication rates remained similar across the 14‐day group and the short‐course treatment groups, whether evaluating the short‐term treatment groups as a whole or the 7‐ and 10‐day subgroups separately. Additionally, the adverse effects and compliance associated with the short course of BcQT were comparable to those of the 14‐day therapy. Conclusion: A 10‐day course of BcQT may represent the optimal treatment duration. Nevertheless, the choice of antibiotic combination should be guided by the regional antibiotic resistance patterns of H. pylori, as combinations with lower resistance rates are more effective. Trial Registration: PROSPERO number: CRD42024547773 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Control tissue is essential for ensuring the precision of semiquantitative analysis in back-table fluorescence imaging. However, there remains a lack of agreement on the appropriate selection of control tissues. To evaluate the back-table fluorescence imaging performance of different normal tissues and identify the optimal normal tissue, a cohort of 39 patients with orbital tumors were enrolled in the study. Prior to surgery, these patients received indocyanine green (ICG) and following resection, 43 normal control tissues (34 adipose tissues, 3 skin tissues, 3 periosteal tissues, and 3 muscle tissues) were examined using back-table fluorescence imaging. The skin tissue demonstrated significantly elevated fluorescence intensity in comparison to the diseased tissue, whereas the muscle tissue exhibited a broad range and standard deviation of fluorescence signal intensity. Conversely, the adipose and periosteum displayed weak fluorescence signals with a relatively consistent distribution. Additionally, no significant correlations were found between the signal-to-background ratio (SBR) of adipose tissue and patients' ages, genders, weights, disease duration, tumor origins, dosing of administration of ICG infusion, and the time interval between ICG infusion and surgery. However, a positive correlation was observed between the SBR of adipose tissue and its size, with larger adipose tissues (>1 cm) showing an average SBR 27% higher than smaller adipose tissues (≤1 cm). In conclusion, the findings of this study demonstrated that adipose tissue consistently exhibited homogeneous hypofluorescence during back-table fluorescence imaging, regardless of patient clinical variables or imaging parameters. The size of the adipose tissue was identified as the primary factor influencing its fluorescence imaging characteristics, supporting its utility as an ideal control tissue for back-table fluorescence imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background With the increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance, real-world data on the optimal empirical second-line therapy for Helicobacter pylori are still limited. Objectives To evaluate the real-world efficacy of various second-line therapies for H. pylori. Patients and methods This was a retrospective population-based cohort study of all H. pylori -infected patients who had received the second-line treatment after the failure of primary clarithromycin triple therapy in Hong Kong between 2003 and 2018. The retreatment success rates of different second-line therapies were evaluated. Results A total of 7591 patients who received second-line treatment were included. Notably, the most commonly prescribed regimen was still clarithromycin triple therapy, but the frequency of use had decreased from 59.5% in 2003–06 to 28.7% in 2015–18. Concomitant non-bismuth quadruple therapy had emerged as the commonest regimen (from 3.3% to 43.9%). In a validation analysis, the sensitivity and specificity of retreatment-inferred second-line treatment failure were 88.3% and 97.1%, respectively. The overall success rate of second-line therapies was 73.6%. Bismuth quadruple therapy had the highest success rate of 85.6%, while clarithromycin triple therapy had the lowest success rate of 63.5%. Specifically, bismuth/metronidazole/tetracycline quadruple, metronidazole/tetracycline triple, levofloxacin/metronidazole/tetracycline quadruple, rifabutin/amoxicillin triple and amoxicillin/levofloxacin triple therapies had relatively higher success rates over 80%. Age, treatment duration, baseline conditions and first-line treatment used were associated with success rate. Conclusions Bismuth quadruple therapy was the most effective second-line regimen for H. pylori in this real-world study. Despite a very low success rate, clarithromycin-containing triple therapies were still commonly used as second-line regimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]