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The present study is to investigate whether inflammatory cytokines inhibit ABCA1/ABCG1-mediated cholesterol efflux by regulating miR-33a-5P in THP-1 macrophages. We used interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the presence or absence of native low density lipoprotein (LDL) to stimulate THP-1 macrophages. THP-1 macrophages were infected by either control lentivirus vectors or lentivirus encoding miR-33a-5P or antisense miR-33a-5P. The effects of inflammatory cytokines, miR-33a-5P and antisense miR-33a-5P on intracellular lipids accumulation and intracellular cholesterol contents were assessed by oil red O staining and quantitative intracellular cholesterol assay. ApoA-I-mediated cholesterol efflux was examined using the fluorescent sterol (BODIPY-cholesterol). The gene and protein expressions of the molecules involved in cholesterol trafficking were examined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. Inflammatory cytokines or miR-33a-5P increased intracellular lipid accumulation and decreased apoA-I-mediated cholesterol efflux via decreasing the expression of ABCA1 and ABCG1 in the absence or presence of LDL in THP-1 macrophages. However, antisense miR-33a-5P reversed the effects of inflammatory cytokines on intracellular lipid accumulation, cholesterol efflux, and the expression of miR-33a-5P, ABCA1 and ABCG1 in the absence or presence of LDL in THP-1 macrophages. This study indicated that inflammatory cytokines inhibited ABCA1/ABCG1-mediated cholesterol efflux by up-regulating miR-33a-5P in THP-1 macrophages.

Bergmann’s rule states that, within species of endotherms, individuals tend to be larger in cooler environments, and has been reputed to apply to some ectotherms including amphibians. However, the validity of the rule has been debated, questioning whether Bergmann’s clines are generally present in anurans. In the view, we studied altitudinal variation in body size in the rice frog (Rana limnocharis) among populations from Sichuan province located at three altitudes to find if there exist any differences in a relatively small altitudinal range (290-375 m). The results showed that individuals from higher altitudes tended to be larger in body size than lower altitudes, which was consistent with Bergmann’s cline. Moreover, when the effect of age was removed, variation in body size of the frogs across altitudes still remained. Our findings suggested that age affected the pattern of variation in body size across the altitudinal cline, we also discussed that factors other than age also contributed to size differences among populations.

Recently, software application techniques have evolved from the initial manual coding to efficient parallel computing and have been widely used in cross-domain disciplines. Scene matching and recognition model are one of the typical applications of software technology in cross-domain subjects. However, the model cannot e fficiently handle large scene datasets. To address this problem, an efficient scene matching and recognition algorithm, ESMR-FFTCS, based on FFT convolution and Spark is proposed. First, a weight initialization strategy, Wl-TDEK, based on image two-dimensional entropy and K-Means is presented to use the feature values extracted by clustering as the initial weights of the convolution kernel, solving the problem of slour model training convergence. Next, a parallel convolution operation strategy, PC-FFTS, is designed to improve the performance of convolution by parallel processing of denoised image data through Spark and FFT method. Finally, a load balancing strategy, LB-AWO, based on adaptive whale optimization algorithm, is proposed to obtain the node load value at parameters merging by iterative merit seeking, solving the problem of low efficiency in parameters parallel merging. The experimental results show that the recognition accuracy of EMST algorithm is suitable for fast recognition of large-scale scene datasets and has high training efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the case of a 54-year-old healthy Han Chinese male presenting with fever, pallor, erythematous subcutaneous nodules on the limbs, and significant anemia as indicated by routine blood tests, with no response to antimicrobial therapy. Initial skin biopsy was inconclusive. The erythematous subcutaneous nodules on the limbs rapidly progressed to widespread subcutaneous nodules across the body, with worsening anemia. Bone marrow biopsy revealed multifocal fibroblastic proliferation with focal fibrosis, classified as MF-2, and positive for the JAK2V617F mutation alongside SRSF2 positivity. Whole-body PET-CT scans did not reveal any lymph nodes or suspect lesions with high SUV uptake. A subsequent skin biopsy identified the condition as nodular panniculitis (NP), leading to a final diagnosis of primary myelofibrosis(PMF)with NP. The patient initially received treatment with oral ruxolitinib and prednisone acetate, resulting in normalization of body temperature, resolution of erythematous nodules, and normalization of blood parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This retrospective cohort study aimed to investigate the composition and diversity of lung microbiota in patients with severe pneumonia and explore its association with short-term prognosis. Methods: A total of 301 patients diagnosed with severe pneumonia underwent bronchoalveolar lavage fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) testing from February 2022 to January 2024. After applying exclusion criteria, 236 patients were included in the study. Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were compared between survival and non-survival groups. Microbial composition and diversity were analyzed using alpha and beta diversity metrics. Additionally, LEfSe analysis and machine learning methods were employed to identify key pathogenic microorganism associated with short-term mortality. Microbial interaction modes were assessed through network co-occurrence analysis. Results: The overall 28-day mortality rate was 37.7% in severe pneumonia. Nonsurvival patients had a higher prevalence of hypertension and exhibited higher APACHE II and SOFA scores, higher procalcitonin (PCT), and shorter hospitalization duration. Microbial α and β diversity analysis showed no significant differences between the two groups. However, distinct species diversity patterns were observed, with the non-survival group showing a higher abundance of Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Enterococcus faecium, while the survival group had a higher prevalence of Corynebacterium striatum and Enterobacter. LEfSe analysis identified 29 distinct terms, with 10 potential markers in the non-survival group, including Pseudomonas sp. and Enterococcus durans. Machine learning models selected 16 key pathogenic bacteria, such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, significantly contributing to predicting short-term mortality. Network co-occurrence analysis revealed greater complexity in the non-survival group compared to the survival group, with differences in central genera. Conclusion: Our study highlights the potential significance of lung microbiota composition in predicting short-term prognosis in severe pneumonia patients. Differences in microbial diversity and composition, along with distinct microbial interaction modes, may contribute to variations in short-term outcomes. Further research is warranted to elucidate the clinical implications and underlying mechanisms of these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effect of Xingnao Kaiqiao acupuncture combined with modern rehabilitation therapy on cognitive dysfunction after acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Methods: Totally 140 patients with cognitive impairment after AIS admitted to Sichuan Provincial Rehabilitation Hospital from September 2016 to May 2021 were included in this prospective randomized controlled trial. After admission, patients were randomly divided into the trial group and the control group based on a computer-generated random number table. Patients in the trial group were treated with Xingnao Kaiqiao acupuncture combined with modern rehabilitation therapy, and those in the control group were treated with modern rehabilitation therapy alone. Before and after treatment, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Barthel index (BI) were used to evaluate the cognitive function and daily living activities, and event-related potentials (ERP) were also measured in both groups. Statistical analyses were performed to compare the results between the two groups. Results: Finally 135 patients were included, 67 in the trial group and 68 in the control group. After treatment, the MMSE score and BI were significantly improved in both groups as compared with those before treatment (both P < .001). In the trial group, the BI and the MMSE subscores in the domains of orientation, registration, recall, and language were significantly higher than those in the control group (all P < 0.05). The global MMSE score of the trial group was higher than that of the control group both after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment, and the differences were statistically significant (P = 0.000/0.001). In the analysis of time effect alone, time had significant effects on the MMSE score in both groups (P < 0.001). After treatment, the latencies of P3 waves were significantly shorter and the amplitudes of P3 waves were significantly higher in the trial group as compared with the control group (both P < 0.05). Conclusion: Xingnao Kaiqiao acupuncture combined with modern rehabilitation therapy may be associated with a better efficacy in treating cognitive dysfunction after AIS. The effect of Xingnao Kaiqiao acupuncture on ERP may play a role in the mechanism underlying such a therapeutic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five muscarinic acetylcholine (mACh) receptor subtypes are divided into two classes: the M1 class (M1, M3, and M5) and the M2 class (M2 and M4). The former is coupled to Gq proteins, while the latter is coupled to Gi/o proteins. Accumulating evidence indicates that mACh receptors play a significant role in the regulation of the Src family kinase (SFK), a subfamily of non-receptor tyrosine kinases. mACh receptors exert their roles in a subtype-dependent fashion and preferentially target Src and Fyn, two members of SFKs that are expressed in the brain and enriched at synaptic sites. While the M1 receptor positively modulates SFK activity, the M4 receptor inhibits it. By modulating SFKs, mACh receptors are actively involved in the regulation of expression and function of a variety of receptors, structural proteins, and signaling molecules. In particular, the M4 receptor and the dopamine D1 receptor are coexpressed in striatonigral projection neurons of the striatum. Gi/o-coupled M4 and Gq-coupled D1 receptors antagonistically regulate SFK activity, thereby forming a dynamic balance controlling glutamate receptor activity, excitability of neurons, and synaptic plasticity. In summary, mACh receptors play a crucial role in regulating SFK activity in heterologous cells and neurons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]