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A novel photoelectrochemical sensor, employing an S-scheme heterojunction of phthalocyanine and TiO 2 nanoparticles, has been developed to enable highly sensitive determination of glutathione. By integrating the favorable stability, environmental benignity, and electronic properties of the TiO 2 matrix with the unique photoactivity of phthalocyanine species, the designed sensor presents a substantial linear dynamic range and a low detection limit for the quantification of glutathione. The sensitivity is attributed to efficient charge transfer and separation across the staggered heterojunction energy levels, which generates measurable photocurrent signals. Systematic variation of phthalocyanine content reveals an optimal composition that balances light harvesting capacity and electron-hole recombination rates. The incorporation of phosphotungstic acid (PTA) in sample preparation effectively minimizes interference from compounds like L-cysteine and others. Consequently, this leads to an improvement in accuracy through the reduction of impurity levels. Appreciable photocurrent enhancements are observed upon introduction of both oxidized and reduced glutathione at the optimized composite photoanode. Coupled with advantageous features of photoelectrochemical transduction such as simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and resistance to fouling, this sensor holds great promise for practical applications in complex biological media., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a poor long-term prognosis. The competition of circular RNAs (circRNAs) with endogenous RNA is a novel tool for predicting HCC prognosis. Based on the alterations of circRNA regulatory networks, the analysis of gene modules related to HCC is feasible., Methods: Multiple expression datasets and RNA element targeting prediction tools were used to construct a circRNA-microRNA-mRNA network in HCC. Gene function, pathway, and protein interaction analyses were performed for the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in this regulatory network. In the protein-protein interaction network, hub genes were identified and subjected to regression analysis, producing an optimized four-gene signature for prognostic risk stratification in HCC patients. Anti-HCC drugs were excavated by assessing the DEGs between the low- and high-risk groups. A circRNA-microRNA-hub gene subnetwork was constructed, in which three hallmark genes, KIF4A, CCNA2, and PBK, were subjected to functional enrichment analysis., Results: A four-gene signature (KIF4A, CCNA2, PBK, and ZWINT) that effectively estimated the overall survival and aided in prognostic risk assessment in the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) cohort was developed. CDK inhibitors, PI3K inhibitors, HDAC inhibitors, and EGFR inhibitors were predicted as four potential mechanisms of drug action (MOA) in high-risk HCC patients. Subsequent analysis has revealed that PBK, CCNA2, and KIF4A play a crucial role in regulating the tumor microenvironment by promoting immune cell invasion, regulating microsatellite instability (MSI), and exerting an impact on HCC progression., Conclusions: The present study highlights the role of the circRNA-related regulatory network, identifies a four-gene prognostic signature and biomarkers, and further identifies novel therapy for HCC., (Copyright © 2023 First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Human brain demonstrates amazing readiness for speech and language learning at birth, but the auditory development preceding such readiness remains unknown. Cochlear implanted (CI) children (n = 67; mean age 2.77 year ± 1.31 SD; 28 females) with prelingual deafness provide a unique opportunity to study this stage. Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, it was revealed that the brain of CI children was irresponsive to sounds at CI hearing onset. With increasing CI experiences up to 32 months, the brain demonstrated function, region and hemisphere specific development. Most strikingly, the left anterior temporal lobe showed an oscillatory trajectory, changing in opposite phases for speech and noise. The study provides the first longitudinal brain imaging evidence for early auditory development preceding speech acquisition., (© 2024 The Authors. Child Development published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Research in Child Development.)

Helicobacter pylori is a highly successful pathogen that poses a substantial threat to human health. However, the dynamic interaction between H. pylori and the human gastric epithelium has not been fully investigated. In this study, using dual RNA sequencing technology, we characterized a cytotoxin-associated gene A ( cagA )-modulated bacterial adaption strategy by enhancing the expression of ATP-binding cassette transporter-related genes, metQ and HP_0888 , upon coculturing with human gastric epithelial cells. We observed a general repression of electron transport-associated genes by cagA , leading to the activation of oxidative phosphorylation. Temporal profiling of host mRNA signatures revealed the downregulation of multiple splicing regulators due to bacterial infection, resulting in aberrant pre-mRNA splicing of functional genes involved in the cell cycle process in response to H. pylori infection. Moreover, we demonstrated a protective effect of gastric H. pylori colonization against chronic dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. Mechanistically, we identified a cluster of propionic and butyric acid-producing bacteria, Muribaculaceae , selectively enriched in the colons of H. pylori -pre-colonized mice, which may contribute to the restoration of intestinal barrier function damaged by DSS treatment. Collectively, this study presents the first dual-transcriptome analysis of H. pylori during its dynamic interaction with gastric epithelial cells and provides new insights into strategies through which H. pylori promotes infection and pathogenesis in the human gastric epithelium., Importance: Simultaneous profiling of the dynamic interaction between Helicobacter pylori and the human gastric epithelium represents a novel strategy for identifying regulatory responses that drive pathogenesis. This study presents the first dual-transcriptome analysis of H. pylori when cocultured with gastric epithelial cells, revealing a bacterial adaptation strategy and a general repression of electron transportation-associated genes, both of which were modulated by cytotoxin-associated gene A ( cagA ). Temporal profiling of host mRNA signatures dissected the aberrant pre-mRNA splicing of functional genes involved in the cell cycle process in response to H. pylori infection. We demonstrated a protective effect of gastric H. pylori colonization against chronic DSS-induced colitis through both in vitro and in vivo experiments. These findings significantly enhance our understanding of how H. pylori promotes infection and pathogenesis in the human gastric epithelium and provide evidence to identify targets for antimicrobial therapies., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Two yeast strains, designated as 19-39-3 and 19-40-2, obtained from the fruiting bodies of Trametes versicolor and Marasmius siccus collected in Yunwu Mountain Forest Park, PR China, have been identified as representing a novel asexual ascomycetous yeast species. From the results of phylogenetic analyses of the sequences of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA, small subunit (SSU) rRNA and translation elongation factor 1-α ( TEF1 ) genes, it was determined that these strains represent a member of the genus Wickerhamomyces, with Wickerhamomyces alni and Candida ulmi as the closest relatives. The novel species exhibited 6.6 and 6.7% differences in the D1/D2 domains compared with W. alni and C. ulmi , respectively. Additionally, distinct biochemical and physiological differences were observed between the novel species and its related counterparts. No sexual reproduction was observed in these strains, leading to the proposal of the name Wickerhamomyces corioli f.a., sp. nov. for this newly discovered species.

Two yeast strains designated as 20-27-1 and 20-28 were isolated from the fruiting bodies of Tricholoma gambosum and Marasmius maximus, respectively, which were collected in Wudaogou, Weichang county, Chengde area, Hebei Province, China. The multi-locus analysis of the sequences of the rDNA ITS, D1/D2 LSU, and SSU regions, together with partial sequences of two protein-coding genes RPB1 and TEF1 indicates that the two strains are closely related to Nakazawaea ernobii and Nakazawaea holstii, showing the similarity values of 99.3-98.7%, 97.2-97.1%, 91.9-92.5%, and 84.6% in D1/D2 LSU, ITS, TEF1, and RPB1, respectively. Physiologically, the two strains are different from N. ernobii and N. holstii in the assimilation of melibiose, inulin, and DL-lactic acid. Both the phenotypic and phylogenetic analyses indicate that those two strains represent a novel species in the genus Nakazawaea, for which the name Nakazawaea tricholomae f.a., sp. nov. (Fungal Names: FN 571492) is proposed., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Developing novel porous adsorbents for efficient wastewater treatment is significant to the environment protection. Herein, three porous polycalix[ n ]arenes ( n = 4, 6, and 8) which had varying cavity sizes of the macrocycle (Azo-CX4P, Azo-CX6P, and Azo-CX8P) were prepared under mild conditions and tested for their potential application in water purification. Azo-CX8P with a larger cavity size of the macrocycle outperformed Azo-CX4P and Azo-CX6P in screening studies involving a range of organic micropollutants. It was proved that Azo-CX8P was especially efficient in the removal of cationic dyes because of its high negative surface charge. In terms of the adsorption of Rhodamine B with Azo-CX8P, the pseudo-second-order rate constant reaches 5.025 g·mg -1 ·min -1 with the maximum adsorption capacity being 1345 mg·g -1 . These values are significantly higher compared with those recorded for most adsorbents. In addition, the easily prepared Azo-CX8P can be reused at least six times without a loss of the adsorption efficiency, demonstrating its potential use in water purification.

This study retrieved Croci Stigma related literature from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and Web of Science database, and used bibliometrics and CiteSpace 6.1.R2 software to analyze the published Croci Stigma related articles in Chinese and English from 2000 to 2022. The authors, research institutions, and keywords were visualized and analyzed, and the current status and development trend of Croci Stigma research was summarized by combining the information extraction methods. A total of 1 846 Chinese articles and 2 703 English articles were screened out and included. The results showed a generally steady increase in the number of Croci Stigma related articles. The results of the visualization analysis showed that there were more collaborations between researcher teams and major research institutions in English articles than Chinese articles. The Chinese articles was mainly published by China Pharmaceutical University, and most of the inter-institutional collaborations occurred in neighboring regions. The English articles was mainly published by Iranian institutions, and most of the cooperation occurred within the country, with less transnational cooperation. Keywords analysis showed that the research on Croci Stigma was mainly focused on chemical compositions, pharmacological effects, mechanisms, quality control, etc. It was predicted that the future research hotspots of Croci Stigma would mainly focus on pharmacological mechanism and clinical efficacy. The current research related to Croci Stigma still needs to be developed, cooperation should be strengthened, and more in-depth research should be conducted.

The strategies for eliminating excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) or suppressing inflammatory responses on the wound bed have proven effective for diabetic wound healing. In this work, a zinc-based nanoscale metal-organic framework (NMOF) functions as a carrier to deliver natural product berberine (BR) to form BR@Zn-BTB nanoparticles, which was, in turn, further encapsulated by hydrogel with ROS scavenging ability to yield a composite system of BR@Zn-BTB/Gel (denoted as BZ-Gel). The results show that BZ-Gel exhibited the controlled release of Zn 2+ and BR in simulated physiological media to efficiently eliminated ROS and inhibited inflammation and resulted in a promising antibacterial effect. In vivo experiments further proved that BZ-Gel significantly inhibited the inflammatory response and enhanced collagen deposition, as well as to re-epithelialize the skin wound to ultimately promote wound healing in diabetic mice. Our results indicate that the ROS-responsive hydrogel coupled with BR@Zn-BTB synergistically promotes diabetic wound healing., Competing Interests: The authors of this study declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© 2023.)

Objectives: To study the association of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the adenylyl cyclase IX ( ADCY9 ) gene at rs1967309, rs2230739, rs2601814, rs2601825, rs2601796, and rs2283497 loci and gene-environment interaction with childhood bronchial asthma (asthma for short)., Methods: A total of 123 children with asthma who attended the hospital from March 2019 to September 2021 were enrolled as the asthma group, among whom 84 (68.3%) had mild-to-moderate attacks and 39 (31.7%) had severe attacks. A total of 124 healthy children were enrolled as the control group. The association of the SNPs and haplotypes of the ADCY9 gene at the above 6 loci with the susceptibility to childhood asthma was evaluated. The method of generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction was used to analyze gene-environment interaction., Results: Polymorphisms were observed for the ADCY9 gene at the above six loci in both the asthma and control groups, and there were significant differences in genotype and allele frequencies at the rs1967309 locus between the two groups ( P <0.05). There was no significant difference in the distribution frequency of haplotypes TA and GG between the asthma and control groups ( P >0.05). The generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction analysis showed interaction between rs1967309 locus and allergen contact ( P <0.05), which increased the risk of asthma ( OR =1.585, P <0.05)., Conclusions: The rs1967309 locus of the ADCY9 gene is associated with the susceptibility to childhood asthma, and the locus and allergen contact have a synergistic effect on the development of asthma.

With continuous development of pesticide dosage forms, emulsifiable concentrates using large amounts of organic solvents are gradually obsoleted. Nanoemulsions with high water content have been developed and the preparation processes also evolved, but these processes still exist some problems, such as poor controllability and high energy consumption. Microfluidic is a controllable nanoemulsion preparation system which mainly applied to pharmaceutical synthesis. In this study, the pesticide phoxim nanoemulsion was prepared by microfluidic technology. The optimized formulation of phoxim nanoemulsion was composed of Tween 80 and pesticide emulsifier 500 as surfactant, hexyl acetate as oil, and n-propanol as co-surfactant. Moreover, when the flow rates of water and oil in the microfluidic system were adjusted to 5 μL/min and 20 μL/min, phoxim nanoemulsion was obtained with a cloud point/boiling point of 109 °C, a particle size of 21.5 ± 0.8 nm and a potential value of - 18.7 ± 0.6 mV. Furthermore, the nanoemulsion had a rapid release effect in vitro which could be fitted by the Ritger-Peppas model. The feeding toxicity of the phoxim nanoemulsion was higher than that of commercial formulation while the contact killing effect was higher than that of the active ingredient. Therefore, pesticide dosage was reduced and the insecticidal effect was enhanced by using phoxim nanoemulsions. These results also confirm the potential of microfluidics as a green process to produce pesticide nanoemulsions., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: To explore the sagittal radiological parameters related to clinical recovery of patients with acute traumatic central cord syndrome (ATCCS) and determine the diagnostic value of related variables., Methods: A retrospective review was performed of 104 patients with ATCCS. Six cervical sagittal balance parameters were collected: Cobb angle, T1 slope, neck tilt, thoracic inlet angle (TIA), C2-C7 sagittal vertex axis, T1 slope - C2-C7 Cobb angle. The patients were assigned to an ideal improvement group and poor improvement group according to their recovery rate. Receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the curve were used to evaluate the significant results of logistic regression and the optimal diagnostic value., Results: Preoperative and postoperative Japanese Orthopaedic Association scores indicated a good recovery after surgical intervention. Radiological findings revealed that neck tilt and TIA were risk factors for poor neurological improvement of patients with ATCCS. Area under the curve (95% confidence interval) values of neck tilt and TIA were 0.763 (0.660-0.866) and 0.749 (0.643-0.855), and cutoff values were 39.1° and 65.6°, respectively., Conclusions: Lower neck tilt and TIA are risk factors for poor outcomes in patients with ATCCS after surgery. Neck tilt <39° and TIA <66° had significant diagnostic value for poor prognosis., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the location characteristics of cystic lesions in a three-dimensional context and discuss the mechanism of formation., Methods: A total of 155 femoral head computed tomography images from 94 patients diagnosed with stage II and III osteonecrosis of the femoral head were retrospectively reviewed. Three-dimensional structures of the femoral head including the cystic lesions and necrotic area were reconstructed. We divided each femoral head into eight regions to observe the positional relationship of the cystic lesions, normal areas, and necrotic areas., Results: The regional distribution revealed 14 (13%), 35 (32%), 9 (8%), 25 (23%), 6 (6%), 15 (14%), 4 (4%), and 0 (0%) cystic lesions in regions Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ, Ⅴ, Ⅵ, Ⅶ, and Ⅷ, respectively. The anteromedial zone, A (Ⅰ ​+ ​Ⅲ), contained 22% of the lesions, anterolateral zone, B (Ⅱ ​+ ​Ⅳ), contained 54%, posteromedial zone, C (Ⅴ +Ⅶ), contained 9% of the lesions, and posterolateral zone, D (Ⅵ ​+ ​Ⅷ), contained 15% of the lesions. Most of the cystic lesions (78%) were located between the normal and necrotic areas; 18% of cystic lesions were in the necrotic area ​and 4% were in the normal area., Conclusions: Cystic lesions most often occur at the junction of the necrotic ​and normal areas and are most commonly located in the anterolateral femoral head, which is similar to the distribution of the stress concentration region., The Translational Potential of This Article: The study showed the location characteristics of cystic lesions in osteonecrosis of femoral head, which suggested that the formation of cystic lesions may be related to stress and could accelerate the collapse of femoral head. The results can support further research on cystic lesions and provide a reference for doctors' treatment strategies for patients with osteonecrosis of femoral head., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose in relation to this article., (© 2019 The Authors.)

This paper is devoted to exploring a diffusive predator-prey system with prey refuge and predator cannibalism. We investigate dynamics of this system, including dissipation and persistence, local and global stability of constant steady states, Turing instability, and nonexistence and existence of nonconstant steady state solutions. The influence of prey refuge and predator cannibalism on predator and prey biomass density is also considered by using a systematic sensitivity analysis. Our studies suggest that appropriate predator cannibalism has a positive effect on predator biomass density, and then high predator cannibalism may stabilize the predator-prey ecosystem and prevent the paradox of enrichment.

Pulmonary hypertension is characterized by extensive vascular remodelling, leading to increased pulmonary vascular resistance and eventual death due to right heart failure. The pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension involves vascular endothelial dysfunction and disordered vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation and migration, but the exact processes remain unknown. Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) is a bioactive lysophospholipid involved in a wide spectrum of biological processes. S1P has been shown to regulate VSMC proliferation and migration and vascular tension via a family of five S1P G-protein-coupled receptors (S1P1-SIP5). S1P has been shown to have both a vasoconstrictive and vasodilating effect. The S1P receptors S1P1 and S1P3 promote, while S1P2 inhibits VSMC proliferation and migration in vitro in response to S1P. Moreover, it has been reported recently that sphingosine kinase 1 and S1P2 inhibitors might be useful therapeutic agents in the treatment of empirical pulmonary hypertension. The sphingosine kinase 1/S1P signalling pathways may play a role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension. Modulation of this pathway may offer novel therapeutic strategies.

Objective: To investigate the off-label use of oral glucocorticoids in outpatients., Methods: The information of outpatient glucocorticoids prescriptions from January 1st to June 30th in 2012 were collected from the information system in our hospital, then the software of Excel was employed to statistically analyze the data including the amount of drugs used in different departments,as well as the age, sex, and diagnosis of the patients. The diagnoses were compared with those included in the labels approved by China Food and Drug Administration and US Food and Drug Administration and domestic and foreign guidelines., Results: It was found that 16.53% of the cases were off-label use,and dexamethasone had the highest proportion (60.50%) of off-label use. Most of the off-label use had evidence support, such as multiple myeloma and myasthenia gravis, while some cases did not, such as epilepsy and sudden deafness., Conclusion: The management of off-label use should be further strengthened to promote the safe and rational use of glucocorticoids.

Mesoporous activated carbons containing acidic groups were prepared with cotton stalk based fiber as raw materials and H3PO4 as activating agent by one step carbonization method. Effects of impregnation ratio, carbonization temperature and heat preservation time on the yield, elemental composition, oxygen-containing acid functional groups and adsorptive capacity of activated carbon were studied. The adsorption capacity of the prepared activated carbon AC-01 for p-nitroaniline and Pb(II) was studied, and the adsorption mechanism was also suggested according to the equilibrium experimental results. The maximum yield of activated carbons prepared from cotton stalk fiber reached 35.5% when the maximum mesoporous volume and BET surface area were 1.39 cm3 x g(-1) and 1 731 m2 x g(-1), respectively. The activated carbon AC-01 prepared under a H3 PO4/precursor ratio of 3:2 and activated at 900 degrees C for 90 min had a total pore volume of 1.02 cm3 x g(-1), a micoporous ratio of 31%, and a mesoporous ratio of 65%. The pore diameter of the mesoporous activated carbon was mainly distributed in the range of 2-5 nm. The Langmuir maximum adsorption capacities of Pb(II) and p-nitroaniline on cotton stalk fiber activated carbon were 123 mg x g(-1) and 427 mg x g(-1), respectively, which were both higher than those for commercial activated carbon fiber ACF-CK. The equilibrium adsorption experimental data showed that mesopore and oxygen-containing acid functional groups played an important role in the adsorption.