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Depression is a long-lasting mental disorder that affects more than 264 million people worldwide. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can be a safe and effective choice for the treatment of depression. Functional neuroimaging provides unique insights into the neuropsychiatric effects of antidepressant TMS. In this meta-analysis, we aimed to assess the functional activity of brain regions caused by TMS for depression. A literature search was conducted from inception to 5 January 2022. Studies were then selected according to predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Activation likelihood estimation was applied to analyze functional activation. Five articles were ultimately included after selection. The main analysis results indicated that TMS treatment for depression can alter the activity in the right precentral gyrus, right posterior cingulate, left inferior frontal gyrus and left middle frontal gyrus. In resting-state studies, increased activation was shown in the right precentral gyrus, right posterior cingulate, left inferior frontal gyrus and left superior frontal gyrus associated with TMS treatment. In task-related studies, clusters in the right middle frontal gyrus, left sub-gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus and left posterior cingulate were hyperactivated post-treatment. Our study offers an overview of brain activity changes in patients with depression after TMS treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fish is currently considered a primary protein in the human diet, and the high demand for fish will stimulate the growth of aquaculture. However, a lack of high-quality fish feed (fishmeal) has led to a decline in the quality and yield of aquatic products. Therefore, an alternative high-quality protein source for fish meal is required to sustain the industry. This study assessed the effects of incorporating Spirulina platensis (SP) dried powder as a partial replacement for fishmeal and supplementing with S. platensis purified polysaccharides (PSP) on the growth, nutritional value, and health status of the largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, to address the challenges of fishmeal scarcity and promote sustainable development in fish aquaculture. Juveniles were fed four isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets containing SP at 0% (SP0), 3% (SP3) and 6% (SP6) and PSP at 0.3% for 56 days. The results showed that both the SP3 and SP6 groups displayed significantly (P < 0.05) improved growth performance and lower hepatosomatic indices than the control diet (SP0). Whole-body crude protein and protein efficiency significantly increased in both the SP3 and SP6 groups compared with SP0 (P < 0.05). Conversely, crude lipid content notably (P < 0.05) decreased in SP3 (5.96%) and SP6 (5.41%) in contrast to SP0 (6.59%). The muscle amino acid composition of the PSP, SP3, and SP6 groups also improved significantly (P < 0.05) compared to that of the SP0. Liver SOD activity was significantly increased from 1.11 U/mg in SP0 to 1.22–1.24 U/mg in SP3 and SP6 (P < 0.05), while MDA levels declined accordingly. Serum triglyceride levels were significantly lower in SP3 than in SP0 (P < 0.05) but remained stable in the SP6 and PSP groups. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased significantly in the SP3 and SP6 groups, but no significant effect was observed in the PSP group. Alanine aminotransferase activity was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in the PSP, SP3, and SP6 groups than in SP0. Aspartate aminotransferase activity in PSP and SP3 was significantly lower than in SP0 (P < 0.05), but showed no significant difference with SP6 (P > 0.05). Intestinal trypsin and amylase activities significantly improved in the PSP, SP3, and SP6 groups (P < 0.05), and lipase activities in PSP and SP3 increased significantly compared to those in SP0 (P < 0.05). The intestinal microbiome displayed significantly higher Shannon index scores for SP3 (0.83) and SP6 (0.93) than for SP0 (0.61). The relative abundances of the phylum Fusobacteria and genus Cetobacterium were significantly increased, whereas Proteobacteria and Plesiomonas were significantly decreased in the PSP and SP3 groups compared with that in SP0 (P < 0.05). The present study indicated that the replacement of fishmeal with 3–6% SP and 0.3% PSP addition could improve the growth performance, protein efficiency, muscle nutritional value, liver health, antioxidant capacity, intestinal digestive enzyme activity, and intestinal microbiota diversity of the largemouth bass. Therefore, the partial replacement of SP or the addition of PSP has great potential in promoting healthy aquaculture of largemouth bass. • Effects of adding Spirulina dried powder (SP) and polysaccharide (PSP) to the diet of Micropterus salmoides were assessed. • Including 3% and 6% SP in the diet led to enhanced growth performance and improved protein efficiency. • Both SP and PSP resulted in reduced lipid deposition, enhanced liver health, and increased antioxidant capacity. • Both SP and PSP led to improvements in gut digestive enzymes and enhanced the nutritional value of fish muscle. • Both SP and PSP promoted greater biodiversity in gut microbiota and an increase in beneficial species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A glutathione (GSH)-sensitive supramolecular nitric oxide (NO) nanogenerator is developed as an all-rounder for enhanced photodynamic therapy (PDT). By integrating GSH-sensitive NO prodrug into the system via LEGO-like host-guest interaction, the nanocarrier could not only deplete intracellular GSH, but also relieve hypoxia at tumor sites through NO mediated blood vessel relaxation. Furthermore, reactive nitrogen species (RNS) with enhanced biocidal activity could be produced by the reaction between NO and reactive oxygen species (ROS), generated from α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) conjugated S-nitrosothiol and light-activated chlorin e6 (Ce6) respectively. Due to multiple combined effects between NO and PDT, the NO acts as the loaded gunpowder inside a 'grenade', 'explosively' amplifying the therapeutic effects that the light responsive 'fuse' Ce6 could exert. The present work may well serve as an inspiration for future creative approaches of photodynamic cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative therapy, which generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) via intracellular enzymatic reactions to achieve tumor ablation, is considered as an emerging approach to cancer treatment. Herein, nitric oxide (NO)-combined oxidative therapy is reported by integrating glutathione (GSH)-sensitive NO donor and pH-sensitive cinnamaldehyde (CA) prodrug into a mitochondria-targeted drug nanocarrier, which is prepared by the host-guest interaction between α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) and polyethylene glycol (PEG). After internalized by cancer cells, CA can be released in acidic endo/lysosome and finally induce ROS generation in mitochondria for oxidative therapy. At the same time, NO can be targeted delivered to mitochondria by a mitochondria-targeting strategy and then realize selective release of NO in mitochondria. NO can deplete intracellular predominant antioxidant GSH, which will enhance oxidative therapy of CA. Furthermore, peroxynitrite (ONOO−) with strong peroxidation and nitration capability can be produced in mitochondria by the reaction between NO and ROS for reactive nitrogen species (RNS)-mediated oxidative therapy. The generation of ONOO− in mitochondria is very effective in facilitating mitochondrial membrane permeabilization, which can cause mitochondrial dysfunction and finally induce mitochondrial apoptosis. The antitumor ability of mitochondria-targeted ONOO−-potentiated oxidative therapy is fully investigated on subcutaneous and orthotopic hepatoma model on nude mice. This innovative strategy for the selective generation of ONOO− in mitochondria may serve as an afflatus for future applications in cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isolated vertigo induced by posterior circulation ischemia (PCIV) can further progress into posterior circulation infarction. This study aimed to explore the diagnostic values of three-dimensional pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (3D-PCASL) combined with territorial arterial spin labeling (t-ASL) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) in visualizing and evaluating PCIV, seeking improved diagnostic tools for clinical guidance. 28 PCIVs (11 males, 17 females, aged from 55 to 83 years, mean age: 69.68 ± 9.01 years) and 28 healthy controls (HCs, 12 male, 16 female, aged from 56 to 87 years, mean age: 66.75 ± 9.86 years) underwent conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), MRA, 3D-PCASL, and t-ASL. We compared the incidence of anatomic variants of the posterior circle of Willis in MRA, cerebral blood flow (CBF) and anterior collateral blood flow on postprocessing maps obtained from 3D-PCASL and t-ASL sequence between PCIVs and HCs. Chi-square test and paired t -test were analyzed statistically with SPSS 24.0 software. 7 PCIVs (7/28, 25%) and 6 HCs (6/28, 21%) showed fetal posterior cerebral artery (FPCA) on MRA, including 1 HC, and 6 PCIVs with FPCA appeared hypoperfusion. 18 PCIVs (64%) and 2 HCs (7%) showed hypoperfusion in the posterior circulation (PC), including 1 HC and 7 PCIVs displayed anterior circulation collateral flow. Chi-square analyses demonstrated a difference in PC hypoperfusion between PCIVs and HCs, whether in the whole or FPCA-positive group assessment (P < 0.05). Paired t -test showed that the CBF values were significant difference for the bilateral PC asymmetrical perfusion in the PCIVs (P < 0.01). When compared to the bilateral PC symmetrical non-hypoperfusion area in the PCIVs and HCs, the CBF values were not significant (P > 0.05). The CBF values of the PC in PCIVs were lower than in HCs (P < 0.05). The reduction rate in the hypoperfusion side of the bilateral PC asymmetrical perfusion of the PCIVs ranged from 4% to 37%, while the HCs reduction rate was 7.7%. The average PC symmetrical perfusion average reduction rate of the PCIVs was 52.25%, while the HCs reduction rate was 42.75%. 3D-PCASL is a non-invasive and susceptible method for detecting hypoperfusion in PC, serving as a potential biomarker of PCIV. The suspected hypoperfusion in PC may be attributed to the emergence of FPCA and the manifestation of anterior collateral flow when combining t-ASL and MRA sequences. These findings demonstrated that 3D-PCASL combined with t-ASL and MRA sequences are the potential method to identify PCIV, leading to early diagnosis of PCIV and reducing the risk of progressing into infarction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of diets fermented with compound probiotics, namely Lactobacillus acidophilus, Limosilactobacillus reuteri and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, on the growth performance, physiological and biochemical indexes, fatty acid composition and intestinal health of juvenile largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) were investigated. Three hundred healthy juvenile M. salmoides (5.29 ± 0.02 g) were selected and randomly divided into two groups with triplicates for each. The basic diet was set as the control group (CON), and fermentation of the basic diet with a mixed bacterial solution (1.8 × 109 cfu/mL, L. acidophilus:L. reuteri:L. plantarum = 1:1:1) was set as the fermentation group (FER). Fish were hand fed to satiation for 56 days and two-thirds of the culture water was renewed every 3 days. The results showed that feed intake of fish in the FER group was significantly lowered, thereby increasing feed efficiency (FE) and protein efficiency (PER) (p < 0.05). Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity was significantly decreased, and catalase (CAT) activity was significantly increased in the FER group (p < 0.05). The liver superoxide dismutase activity (SOD) was significantly enhanced, and intestinal trypsin was significantly increased in the FER group (p < 0.05). Being fed with the fermentation diet significantly increased the content of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and the n-3/n-6 PUFAs ratios in the liver (p < 0.05). Intestinal histology showed that villus height and width of the intestine and the number of goblet cells were significantly increased in the FER group (p < 0.05). Those fed with fermentation diets had limited diversity of gut microbiota. Compared to the CON group, the relative abundance of Aeromonas decreased significantly (p < 0.05), while the relative abundance of Fusobacteria, Cetobacteria and Lactobacillusis in FER increased greatly in the gut microbiota of the FER group. In conclusion, fermented feed with the three probiotics effectively improved the feed utilization and antioxidant capacity, promoted digestion and absorption of dietary protein, improved the ability of synthesize DHA and n-3 PUFAs in the liver and reduced the abundance of pathogenic bacteria in the gut. Therefore, the present research provided a new way of co-fermented feed with three probiotics for the aquaculture of M. salmoides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microalgae exhibit diverse and high nutritional value, and therefore, have a huge potential application as a raw material for the preparation of aquafeeds. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of low-level replacement of dietary fishmeals by algal meals comprised of Schizochytrium limacinum (SL) and Nannochloropsis salina (NS) individually and in combination in the diet of juvenile largemouth bass (LMB, Micropterus salmoides). Five isonitrogenous, isolipidic, and isoenergetic diets with fishmeal-based diets as control, and four experimental diets with replacement by individual 4% SL (4SL), individual 4% NS (4NS), 2% SL combined with 2% NS (2SL + 2NS) and 4% SL combined with 4% NS (4SL + 4NS) were formulated. Five hundred juvenile fish (average weight 8.72 ± 0.10 g) were evenly distributed to five groups with quadruplicate each, in twenty fiberglass tanks and fed for eight weeks. Our results showed that there were no significant difference in weight gain, special gain rate, hepatosomatic index, viscerasomatic index, conditioning factor, and the whole-body composition among the five groups (p > 0.05). However, feed intake and feed conversion ratio in the 4NS treatment were significantly higher (p < 0.05) compared with the control. Further, lipid content and intraperitoneal fat ratio in the liver of the 4NS and 4NS + 4SL groups were significantly decreased, suggesting that NS may reduce visceral fat accumulation in LMB. The serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of LMB in the 4NS group was significantly increased compared with the control (p < 0.05). However, malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the liver of the 4NS group and intestine of the 4SL + 4NS group was significantly lower than that in the control (p < 0.05). Replacement with 4% SL significantly increased docosahexaenoic acid, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and n-3 PUFA proportions in the liver. Further, SL alone or in combination with NS increased the n-3 to n-6 ratio of PUFAs in the liver and muscle, creating more balanced unsaturated fatty acids. The fillet texture was significantly enhanced by taste and flavor. Nevertheless, the present study verified the successful addition of SL and NS algal meals to fish feed, which exhibited excellent potential to replace fishmeals and fishoil, respectively, as protein and lipid sources. • Effects of fishmeal replacement by algal meals on largemouth bass were evaluated. • Low-level substitution had no negative effect on growth or whole-body composition. • Fishmeal replacement (4%) with Nannochloropsis salina decreased lipid deposition. • Fishmeal replacement (4%) with Schizochytrium limacinum increased docosahexaenoic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The cationic Pep@Ce6 micelle was fabricated by supramolecular assembly. • The micelles possessed targeting ability and high photosensitizer-loading capacity. • The micelles enhanced the PDT efficiency against P. aeruginosa. • The micelles showed good ability to anti-infection and wound healing in vivo. Gram-negative bacterial infection remains an instant health threat in the world owing to the shortage of effective and biocompatible drugs. Recently, photodynamic therapy (PDT) has attracted considerable attention, capable of treating bacterial infections with little drug-resistance. However, it also has some limitations, such as the limited diffusion distance, the short lifetime of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and poor sensitivity to Gram-negative bacteria. Thus, PDT, as a local treatment method, is bound to be combined with the targeting technology to enhance its membrane-capturing ability. Herein, we fabricated new polymeric micelles with the bacteria-targeting ability, high adherence, and photosensitizer (PS)-loading capacity that can be adsorbed onto the bacterial membrane to enhance the PDT efficiency. In this paper, a novel photodynamic drug delivery system was obtained by the supramolecular assembly of chlorin e6 (Ce6)-conjugated α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) and polyethylene glycol (PEG)ylated polypeptide (Pep). These cationic Pep@Ce6 micelles showed great efficacy to eradicate biofilms and inactivate persister cells with negligible toxicity towards mammalian cells. Furthermore, in vivo therapeutic performance was identified by the prominent antibacterial ability and good wound healing capacity in a P. aeruginosa -infected skin knife injury model. This research is of great significance for the preparation of multifunctional nanomaterials and the treatment of bacterial infections, especially those caused by Gram-negative bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the potential clinical application of quantitative MRI in assessing the correlation between lumbar vertebrae bone marrow fat deposition and intervertebral disc degeneration. Materials and methods: A total of 104 chronic lower-back pain volunteers underwent 3.0-T MRI with T2-weighted imaging, T2 mapping, and iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetry and least squares estimation (IDEAL-IQ) between August 2018 and June 2019. Each disc was assessed with T2 value by T2 mapping, and the L1-S1 vertebral bone marrow fat fraction was assessed by IDEAL-IQ. The differences and relationship between T2 value and the adjacent vertebral bone marrow fat fraction values within the five Pfirrmann groups, five age groups, and five lumbar levels were statistically analyzed. Results: The vertebral bone marrow fat fraction had a significant negative correlation with T2 values of nucleus pulposus' T2 values (p < 0.001). However, the significant negative correlation was only found between T2 values of nucleus pulposus and adjacent vertebral bone marrow fat in Pfirrmann II–III, L1/2-L5/S1 level, and 40–49 years' age groups. Pfirrmann grades of the intervertebral disc were positively correlated with adjacent vertebrae bone marrow fat fraction (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Lumbar bone marrow fat deposition significantly increases during the early stages of intervertebral disc degeneration. Quantitative measurements of bone marrow fat deposition and water content of intervertebral discs have a predictive value and are an important supplement to the qualitative traditional classification strategies for the early stages of intervertebral disc degeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study determines whether antler extract (AE) possesses inhibitory effects in a prostate cancer (PC) xenograft model and explores the underlying mechanism. After therapeutic intervention for two weeks, AE significantly inhibited prostate cancer xenograft tumor growth by 65.08%, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and serum dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels. However, AE increased the serum testosterone level compared to the vehicle control group. Furthermore, our investigation of the inhibitory effects on angiogenesis and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related genes revealed that AE downregulated matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP)-2, (MMP)-9, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), zinc finger protein (SNAIL1), twist-related protein 1 (TWIST1), and zinc-finger E-box-binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) in vivo. In contrast, AE increased tissue inhibitor of MMP (TIMP)-1, (TIMP)-2, and E-cadherin. The results suggest that AE possesses potent anti-PC activity, and this is the first report on the anti-PC effect of AE in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upland cotton is a leading natural fiber crop; and an important source of vegetable oil and protein. The protein content and fatty acid composition are important nutritional indicators of cottonseed. In order to establish rapid, high throughout, nondestructive and low-cost method for cottonseed nutrition evaluation, phenotypic data of seed kernel protein, oil and fatty acid content were combined with preprocessed near-infrared spectra of shell-intact cottonseed from 179 upland cotton genotypes to establish calibration models for these cottonseed nutrients. A total of 17 kinds of fatty acids were stably detected and quantitatively determined using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) technology, including 7 kinds of fatty acids which were detected in cottonseed, to the best of our knowledge, for the first time. Finally, 19 NIR calibration models were established through partial least squares regression analysis, and evaluated by cross-validation and external verification. Results indicated that 16 models for seed protein, oil, and 14 fatty acids (capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, pentadecanoic acid, palmitic acid, heptadecanoic acid, linoleic acid, arachidic acid, cis-11-eicosenoic acid, linolenic acid, heneicosanoic acid, docosanoic acid, tridecanoic acid, and lignoceric acid) achieved acceptable or satisfactory prediction ability. Three calibration models for palmitoleic acid, stearic acid and oleic acid obtained moderate prediction ability with R 2 cal above 0.7 which could be used in rough screening. Nine fatty acids in cottonseed were modeled for the first time. These results broadened our understanding of the fatty acid profile of cottonseed oil and laid a foundation for fast, nondestructive evaluation of cottonseed nutrient quality for cotton breeding, processing and marketing. • 17 fatty acids, including 7 for the first time were stably detected in cottonseed. • NIR models for protein and oil content in cottonseed were established. • NIR calibration models for 17 fatty acids in cottonseed were constructed. • NIR models for 9 fatty acids were established for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xenon is found a wide range of applications in our modern life, and its purification and separation is of paramount importance in industry. For this goal, we have synthesized several porous organic frameworks (POFs) from the perspective of pore chemistry. The prepared materials (CTF-0, PAF-45, PAF-67) show almost identical pore size of ~5.0 Å, appreciable surface areas (528.4–1158.5 m2 g−1), substantial micropore volumes (0.158–0.3 cm3 g−1) and high stabilities (400–600 °C). Adsorption measurements demonstrate that the prepared materials have xenon uptakes in the range of 25.2–62.8 cm3 g−1 at 1.0 bar and 298 K, and Henry predictions reveal that they are selective for separating xenon from krypton with selectivities of 5.2–8.1. As a representative material, PAF-45 has been tested for xenon separation by the breakthrough experiment, and selectivity of 12.3 for xenon over krypton and xenon capacity of 92.4 mmol kg−1 are obtained. Image 1 • Organic polymers with ultramicroporosity were synthesized using short monomers. • These microporous materials exhibited selective separation of xenon over krypton. • The separation property was correlated well with pore chemistry of the materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abundant desmoplastic stroma, which typically exists in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), can act as a natural protective physical barrier rendering insufficient drug delivery and penetration. To address this issue, we herein report a two-step sequential delivery strategy for enhanced pancreatic cancer therapy. In this sequential strategy, the nitric oxide (NO) donor S-nitroso- N -acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) loaded liposomes (Lip-SNAP) were firstly delivered to pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) in tumor tissue to inhibit the production of dense stroma, by inhibiting the expression of TGF-β1 and its downstream profibrotic signal transduction. Therefore, the PSC-mediated desmoplastic reaction could be suppressed by inhibiting the expression of fibronectin, α-SMA and collagen. The gemcitabine (GEM) loaded liposomes (Lip-GEM) were administrated subsequently. The enhanced intratumoral penetration of Lip-GEM was then achieved due to the stromal disruption in consequence of NO treatment, thus significantly improving the drug delivery efficiency. The tumor growth inhibition of the two-step sequential delivery of Lip-SNAP and Lip-GEM was investigated on both subcutaneous and orthotopic tumor mouse models, to show the remarkably improved therapeutic efficacy of GEM. Such NO-induced stromal depletion provides a general strategy to overcome the blockage of desmoplastic stroma on other therapeutic agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is believed to be a potent method for biofilm treatments. However, undesired damage to normal cells may be caused due to the nonselective nature of PDT. Therefore, targeted PDT is preferred on one hand to enhance antimicrobial effects and on the other hand to reduce cytotoxicity to normal cells. For this purpose, novel bacteria‐targeted photosensitizer delivery micelles are fabricated, taking advantage of α‐cyclodextrin (α‐CD)/polyethylene glycol (PEG) supramolecular assembly. Hydrophilic antimicrobial peptide (AMP) Magainin I is covalently bound with PEG, working as a bacterial targeting group as well as the stabilizing shell of the supramolecular micelles. Photosensitizer Chlorin e6 (Ce6) is grafted onto α‐CD. The micelles exhibit excellent bacterial targeting effects. Compared to α‐CD‐Ce6, the supramolecular micelles possess enhanced biofilm killing ability against Gram (−) Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms and Gram (+) methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) biofilms while reducing cytotoxicity to NIH/3T3 model cells. A bacteria‐targeted supramolecular photosensitizer delivery vehicle is developed for biofilm ablation. Bacterial targeting ability is endowed by antimicrobial peptide (AMP) Magainin I, and the combination of AMP with photosensitizer is achieved by host–guest interaction between AMP‐PEG and α‐CD‐Ce6. The vehicle exhibits enhanced biofilm killing ability as well as reduced cytotoxicity to mammalian cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]