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Alcohol use disorder is highly prevalent worldwide, with characteristically severe pain sensitivity during withdrawal. Here, we established a mouse model of hyperalgesia during ethanol withdrawal (EW) before addiction to investigate the window for onset and underlying mechanisms. Viral tracing with in vivo microendoscopic and two-photon calcium imaging identified a circuit pathway from dorsal hippocampal CA1 glutamatergic neurons (dCA1 Glu ) to anterior cingulate cortex glutamatergic neurons (ACC Glu ) activated in EW mice with hyperalgesia. Chemogenetic inhibition of this pathway can alleviate hyperalgesia in EW mice, whereas artificial activation recapitulates EW-induced hyperalgesia in naïve mice. These findings demonstrate that the dCA1 Glu → ACC Glu neuronal pathway participates in driving EW-induced hyperalgesia before ethanol dependence in mice.

An epidemic of sleep loss currently affects modern societies worldwide and is implicated in numerous physiological disorders, including pain sensitization, although few studies have explored the brain pathways affected by active sleep deprivation (ASD; e.g., due to recreation). Here, we describe a neural circuit responsible for pain sensitization in mice treated with 9-h non-stress ASD. Using a combination of advanced neuroscience methods, we found that ASD stimulates noradrenergic inputs from locus coeruleus (LC NA ) to glutamatergic neurons of the hindlimb primary somatosensory cortex (S1HL Glu ). Moreover, artificial inhibition of this LC NA →S1HL Glu pathway alleviates ASD-induced pain sensitization in mice, while chemogenetic activation of this pathway recapitulates the pain sensitization observed following ASD. Our study thus implicates activation of the LC NA →S1HL Glu pathway in ASD-induced pain sensitization, expanding our fundamental understanding of the multisystem interplay involved in pain processing., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Anxiety is a remarkably common condition among patients with pharyngitis, but the relationship between these disorders has received little research attention, and the underlying neural mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we show that the densely innervated pharynx transmits signals induced by pharyngeal inflammation to glossopharyngeal and vagal sensory neurons of the nodose/jugular/petrosal (NJP) superganglia in mice. Specifically, the NJP superganglia project to norepinephrinergic neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS NE ). These NTS NE neurons project to the ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (vBNST) that induces anxiety-like behaviors in a murine model of pharyngeal inflammation. Inhibiting this pharynx→NJP→NTS NE →vBNST circuit can alleviate anxiety-like behaviors associated with pharyngeal inflammation. This study thus defines a pharynx-to-brain axis that mechanistically links pharyngeal inflammation and emotional response., Competing Interests: Competing interests statement:The authors declare no competing interest.

Aerobic methane oxidation coupled with denitrification (AME-D) has garnered significant attention as a promising technology for nitrogen removal from water. Effective biofilm management on the membrane surface is essential to enhance the efficiency of nitrate removal in AME-D systems. In this study, we introduce a novel and scalable layer-structured membrane (LSM) developed using a meticulously designed polyurethane sponge. The application of the LSM in advanced biofilm management for AME-D resulted in a substantial enhancement of denitrification performance. Our experimental results demonstrated remarkable improvements in nitrate-removal flux (92.8 mmol-N m -2 d -1 ) and methane-oxidation rate (325.6 mmol m -2 d -1 ) when using an LSM in a membrane biofilm reactor (L-MBfR) compared with a conventional membrane reactor (C-MBfR). The l-MBfR exhibited 12.4-, 6.8- and 3.4-fold increases in nitrate-removal rate, biomass-retention capacity, and methane-oxidation rate, respectively, relative to the control C-MBfR. Notably, the l-MBfR demonstrated a 3.5-fold higher abundance of denitrifying bacteria, including Xanthomonadaceae, Rhodocyclaceae, and Methylophilaceae. In addition, the denitrification-related enzyme activity was twice as high in the l-MBfR than in the C-MBfR. These findings underscore the LSM's ability to create anoxic/anaerobic microenvironments conducive to biofilm formation and denitrification. Furthermore, the LSM exhibited a unique advantage in shaping microbial community structures and facilitating cross-feeding interactions between denitrifying bacteria and aerobic methanotrophs. The results of this study hold great promise for advancing the application of MBfRs in achieving efficient and reliable nitrate removal through the AME-D pathway, facilitated by effective biofilm management., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Pain involves neuroimmune crosstalk, but the mechanisms of this remain unclear. Here we showed that the splenic T helper 2 (T H 2) immune cell response is differentially regulated in male mice with acute versus chronic neuropathic pain and that acetylcholinergic neurons in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (ACh DMV ) directly innervate the spleen. Combined in vivo recording and immune cell profiling revealed the following two distinct circuits involved in pain-mediated peripheral T H 2 immune response: glutamatergic neurons in the primary somatosensory cortex (Glu S1HL )→ACh DMV →spleen circuit and GABAergic neurons in the central nucleus of the amygdala (GABA CeA )→ACh DMV →spleen circuit. The acute pain condition elicits increased excitation from Glu S1HL neurons to spleen-projecting ACh DMV neurons and increased the proportion of splenic T H 2 immune cells. The chronic pain condition increased inhibition from GABA CeA neurons to spleen-projecting ACh DMV neurons and decreased splenic T H 2 immune cells. Our study thus demonstrates how the brain encodes pain-state-specific immune responses in the spleen., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature America, Inc.)

Objective: To assess the association between body mass index (BMI) and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) among patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods: This was a multicenter prospective cohort study, which was based on the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China (CCC) project. The hospitalized patients with ACS aged between 18 and 80 years, registered in CCC project from November 1, 2014 to December 31, 2019 were included. The included patients were categorized into four groups based on their BMI at the time of admission: underweight (BMI<18.5 kg/m 2 ), normal weight (BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m 2 ), overweight (BMI between 25.0 and 29.9 kg/m 2 ), and obese (BMI≥30.0 kg/m 2 ). Multivariate logistic regression models was used to analyze the relationship between BMI and the risk of in-hospital MACCE. Results: A total of 71 681 ACS inpatients were included in the study. The age was (63.4±14.7) years, and 26.5% (18 979/71 681) were female. And the incidence of MACCE for the underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese groups were 14.9% (322/2 154), 9.5% (3 997/41 960), 7.9% (1 908/24 140) and 7.0% (240/3 427), respectively ( P< 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed a higher incidence of MACCE in the underweight group compared to the normal weight group ( OR =1.30, 95% CI 1.13-1.49, P <0.001), while the overweight and obese groups exhibited no statistically significant difference in the incidence of MACCE compared to the normal weight group (both P >0.05). Conclusion: ACS patients with BMI below normal have a higher risk of in-hospital MACCE, suggesting that BMI may be an indicator for evaluating short-term prognosis in ACS patients.

Introduction: Renovascular disease and hyperthyroidism are secondary hypertension. Takayasu arteritis (TAK) is a chronic, progressive, nonspecific great vasculitis involving the aorta and its major branches. It is one of the causes of renal artery stenosis. Hyperthyroidism is an endocrine disease caused by improper continuous synthesis and secretion of excessive thyroid hormone by the thyroid gland. Both diseases can raise blood pressure (BP)., Case Presentation: we present a case of 18-year-old. Female, after exercise, fatigue palpitations. The maximum BP was 190/87 mm Hg, ankle-brachial index was <0.9. C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were elevated. Imaging revealed multiple vascular stenosis. Triiodothyronine, tetraiodothyroxine, serum-free triiodothyronine, serum-free thyroxine, thyroid peroxidase antibody and thyroid stimulating receptor antibody were elevated. TSH reduced. She was diagnosed with TAK and hyperthyroidism. After treatment, the BP was normal, the thyroid function gradually returned to normal, and the symptoms improved., Conclusion: It is suggested that the BP of both upper limbs should be measured in newly diagnostic hypertension. If BP is not measured in both upper limbs, it is likely to be missed diagnosis. The cause of vascular stenosis needs to be identified, otherwise interventional treatment may lead to aggravation of the condition. Few cases of TAK complicated with hyperthyroidism have been reported. Both diseases are related to the immune system, whether there is any correlation between the 2 diseases, further research is needed. Early diagnosis, early treatment, the earlier intervention, the better prognosis., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Psychological and physical stressors have been implicated in gastric disorders in humans. The mechanism coupling the brain to the stomach underlying stress-induced gastric dysfunction has remained elusive. Here, we show that the stomach directly receives acetylcholinergic inputs from the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (ACh DMV ), which are innervated by serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (5-HT DRN ). Microendoscopic calcium imaging and multi-tetrode electrophysiological recordings reveal that the 5-HT DRN  → ACh DMV  → stomach circuit is inhibited with chronic stress accompanied by hypoactivate gastric function. Artificial activation of this circuit reverses the gastric dysfunction induced by chronic stress in both male and female mice. Our study demonstrates that this 5-HT DRN  → ACh DMV  → stomach axis drives gastric dysfunction associated with stress, thus providing insights into the circuit basis for brain regulation of the stomach., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Purpose: Current evidence suggests a high co-prevalence of hypertension and cervical cancer. Accordingly, blood pressure control is indicated during anti-tumor drug therapy in this patient population. Over the past few years, immunotherapy has made great strides in treating different cancers. However, the role and clinical significance of verapamil as a first-line anti-hypertensive drug during immunotherapy remain poorly understood, emphasizing the need for further studies., Methods: Murine cervical cancer models were employed to assess the effect of verapamil monotherapy and combination with PD1ab. Immunohistochemistry was conducted to quantify the abundance of CD8+ T cell and Ki67+ cells. Several in-vitro and in-vivo assays were used to study the effects of verapamil and explore the preliminary mechanism., Results: Monotherapy with verapamil or PD1ab immune checkpoint inhibitor significantly suppressed the growth of subcutaneously grafted U14 cells in WT BABL/c mice, respectively, with increased survival time of mice. Consistent results were observed in the melanoma model. Furthermore, we substantiated that verapamil significantly impaired tumor proliferation and migration of SiHa human cervical cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. In silico analysis using TCGA data revealed that NFAT2 expression negatively correlated with patient survival. The CCK8 assay revealed that verapamil abrogated the stimulatory effect of NFAT2 after knockdown of NFAT2., Conclusions: Our results suggest that verapamil inhibits tumor growth by modulating NFAT2 expression and enhancing tumor immune responses to PD1ab, which can be harnessed for cervical cancer therapy, especially for patients with comorbid hypertension. Indeed, further clinical trials are warranted to increase the robustness of our findings.

Light has been shown to relieve pain, but the underlying neural mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we show that low-intensity (200 lux) green light treatment exerts antinociceptive effects through a neural circuit from the visual cortex projecting to the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in mice. Specifically, viral tracing, in vivo two-photon calcium imaging, and fiber photometry recordings show that green light activated glutamatergic projections from the medial part of the secondary visual cortex (V2M Glu ) to GABAergic neurons in the ACC, which drives inhibition of local glutamatergic neurons (V2M Glu →ACC GABA→Glu ). Optogenetic or chemogenetic activation of the V2M Glu →ACC GABA→Glu circuit mimics green-light-induced antinociception in both neuropathic and inflammatory pain model mice. Artificial inhibition of ACC-projecting V2M Glu neurons abolishes the antinociception induced by green light. Taken together, our study shows the V2M-ACC circuit as a potential candidate mediating green-light-induced antinociceptive effects., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To explore the regulating mechanism of the Chinese medicinal compound Qianliexin Capsules (QLX) in the treatment of chronic nonbacterial prostatitis (CNP)., Methods: We randomly divided 18 SPF SD male rats into a normal control (n = 6), a model control (n = 6) and a QLX group (n = 6). After successful establishment of a CNP model in the latter two groups by injecting 50 μl 1% carrageenan bilaterally into the prostate, we treated the rats in the QLX group by intragastrical administration of QLX at 4 g/kg, tid, and those in the normal and model control groups with the same volume of pure water, all for 45 days. Then, we examined the possible lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) of CNP by detecting the prostate indexes, expression of the tissue inflammatory factor IL-1 β, 24-hour urine volume and pain threshold reaction (PTR) time, and conducted a metabonomics analysis of the urine and plasma samples., Results: Compared with the normal controls, the CNP model rats showed dramatically increased prostate coefficient (［0.75 ± 0.09］ ‰ vs ［1.60 ± 0.35］ ‰, P < 0.01) and the expression of IL-1β (［22.61 ± 2.77］ vs ［55.12 ± 4.94］ ng/ml, P < 0.01), which were both decreased in the QLX group (［0.97 ± 0.10］ ‰ and ［36.64 ± 7.25］ ng/ml) in comparison with those in the model controls (P < 0.01). The urine volume was remarkably reduced in the model control group compared with that in the normal controls (4 ml vs 16.38 ml, P < 0.01), and so was the PTR time (［13.83 ± 5.67］ vs ［23.73 ± 2.52］ s, P < 0.01), while the levels of urea nitrogen (［23.06 ± 3.71］ vs ［17.92 ± 1.41］ mg/dL, P < 0.01), creatinine (［48.08 ± 9.31］ vs ［40.31 ± 3.53］ μmol/L, P < 0.01) and uric acid (［181.36 ± 64.06］ vs ［84.33 ± 21.40］ μmol/L, P < 0.01) increased significantly. The animals in the QLX group exhibited significant improvement in the urine volume (［13.44 ± 2.26］ ml), PTR time (［31.45 ± 2.96］ s), urea nitrogen (［16.49 ± 1.86］ mg/dL), creatinine (［36.88 ± 7.98］ μmol/L) and uric acid (［117.47 ± 40.09］ μmol/L) in comparison with the model controls (P < 0.01). Metabonomics analysis revealed a reversing effect of QLX on the carrageenin-induced alteration in a variety of metabolites in the urine and serum, restoring the ratios of such metabolites as glycine, cysteine, ketoimine quinolinic acid, aminobutyraldehyde and triphosphate to almost normal. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that the main metabolic pathways were aspartate and glutamate pathways. The ratios of such metabolites as neuroside, adipic acid, diacylglycerol, choline lecithin and so on in the plasma sample were dramatically improved in the QLX group compared with those in the model controls (P < 0.01)., Conclusion: QLX significantly improves the symptoms of CNP and has a definite effect on amino acids, phosphatidyl and other biomarkers through the tricarboxylic acid cycle, amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism and other related pathways.

In humans, persistent pain often leads to decreased appetite. However, the neural circuits underlying this behaviour remain unclear. Here, we show that a circuit arising from glutamatergic neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex (Glu ACC ) projects to glutamatergic neurons in the lateral hypothalamic area (Glu LHA ) to blunt food intake in a mouse model of persistent pain. In turn, these Glu LHA neurons project to pro-opiomelanocortin neurons in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (POMC Arc ), a well-known neuronal population involved in decreasing food intake. In vivo calcium imaging and multi-tetrode electrophysiological recordings reveal that the Glu ACC  → Glu LHA  → Arc circuit is activated in mouse models of persistent pain and is accompanied by decreased feeding behaviour in both males and females. Inhibition of this circuit using chemogenetics can alleviate the feeding suppression symptoms. Our study indicates that the Glu ACC  → Glu LHA  → Arc circuit is involved in driving the suppression of feeding under persistent pain through POMC neuronal activity. This previously unrecognized pathway could be explored as a potential target for pain-associated diseases., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Based on mainland China's provincial OFDI and carbon emissions data from 2003 to 2018, this paper applied a panel fixed-effects model and spatial econometric model to empirically test whether China's OFDI can be a powerful tool to achieve the "carbon neutrality" target. The empirical results indicate that China's OFDI significantly increases carbon emissions, but this effect has temporal and spatial differences. After incorporating spatial factors into the analysis, the impact of OFDI on carbon emissions differs when modelled by different spatial weight matrices. The green effect of OFDI has the problem of poor channels. It is impossible to achieve energy savings and emission reduction by promoting green technology innovation, improving the rationalization of the industrial structure or reducing energy consumption. The test results of the moderating effect indicate that the development of green finance can weaken the positive effect of OFDI on emissions., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Aerobic methane oxidation coupled with denitrification (AME-D) executed in membrane biofilm bioreactors (MBfRs) provides a high promise for simultaneously mitigating methane (CH 4 ) emissions and removing nitrate in wastewater. However, systematically experimental investigation on how oxygen partial pressure affects the development and characteristics of counter-diffusional biofilm, as well as its spatial stratification profiles, and the cooperative interaction of the biofilm microbes, is still absent. In this study, we combined Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) with Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM) to in-situ characterize the development of counter-diffusion biofilm in the MBfR for the first time. It was revealed that oxygen partial pressure onto the MBfR was capable of manipulating biofilm thickness and spatial stratification, and then managing the distribution of functional microbes. With the optimized oxygen partial pressure of 5.5 psig (25% oxygen content), the manipulated counter-diffusional biofilm in the AME-D process obtained the highest denitrification efficiency, due mainly to that this biofilm had the proper dynamic balance between the aerobic-layer and anoxic-layer where suitable O 2 gradient and sufficient aerobic methanotrophs were achieved in aerobic-layer to favor methane oxidation, and complete O 2 depletion and accessible organic sources were kept to avoid constraining denitrification activity in anoxic-layer. By using metagenome analysis and Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) staining, the spatial distribution of the functional microbes within counter-diffused biofilm was successfully evidenced, and Rhodocyclaceae, one typical aerobic denitrifier, was found to survive and gradually enriched in the aerobic layer and played a key role in denitrification aerobically. This in-situ biofilm visualization and characterization evidenced directly for the first time the cooperative path of denitrification for AME-D in the counter-diffused biofilm, which involved aerobic methanotrophs, heterotrophic aerobic denitrifiers, and heterotrophic anoxic denitrifiers., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

In order to improve the mechanical strength and imprinting efficiency, a novel bovine serum albumin (BSA) molecularly imprinted poly(ionic liquid)/calcium alginate composite cryogel membrane (MICM) was prepared. The results of the tensile test indicated that the MICM had excellent mechanical strength which could reach up to 90.00 KPa, 30.30 times higher than the poly (ionic liquid) membrane without calcium alginate; the elongation of it could reach up to 93.70%, 8.28 times higher than the poly (ionic liquid) membrane without calcium alginate. The MICM had a very high welling ratio of 1026.56% and macropore porosity of 62.29%, which can provide effective mass transport of proteins. More remarkably, it had a very high adsorption capacity of 485.87 mg g -1 at 20 °C and 0.66 mg mL -1 of the initial concentration of BSA. Moreover, MICM also had good selective and competitive recognition toward BSA, exhibiting potential utility in protein separation. This work can provide a potential method to prepare the protein-imprinted cryogel membrane with both high mechanical strength and imprinting efficiency.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection is usually self-limited, with a short duration for viral shedding within several weeks. However, prolonged viral shedding has been observed in severe or immune-compromised coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases. Here, we reported that three young adult cases of COVID-19 patients, who were either immunosuppressed nor severe, showed prolonged viral RNA shedding from the upper respiratory tract for 58, 81, and 137 days since initial diagnosis. To our knowledge, this is the longest duration of viral shedding reported to date in young adult patients. Further studies on factors relevant to prolonged viral positivity, as well as the correlation between viral positivity and transmission risk are needed for the optimal management of COVID-19 patients with prolonged nucleic acid positive., (Copyright © 2022 The Chinese Medical Association, published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

The wheat aphid Sitobion miscanthi (CWA) is an important harmful pest in wheat fields. Insecticide application is the main method to effectively control wheat aphids. However, CWA has developed resistance to some insecticides due to its extensive application, and understanding resistance mechanisms is crucial for the management of CWA. In our study, a new P450 gene, CYP4CJ6 , was identified from CWA and showed a positive response to imidacloprid and thiamethoxam. Transcription of CYP4CJ6 was significantly induced by both imidacloprid and thiamethoxam, and overexpression of CYP4CJ6 in the imidacloprid-resistant strain was also observed. The sensitivity of CWA to these two insecticides was increased after the knockdown of CYP4CJ6 . These results indicated that CYP4CJ6 could be associated with CWA resistance to imidacloprid and thiamethoxam. Subsequently, the posttranscriptional regulatory mechanism was assessed, and miR-316 was confirmed to participate in the posttranscriptional regulation of CYP4CJ6 . These results are crucial for clarifying the roles of P450 in the resistance of CWA to insecticides.

The superfamily Cercopoidea is commonly named as "spittlebugs", as its nymphs produce a spittle mass to protect themselves. Cosmoscartini (Cercopoidea: Cercopidae) is a large and brightly colored Old World tropical tribe, including 11 genera. A new genus Nangamostethos gen. nov. (type species: Nangamostethos tibetense sp. nov.) of Cosmoscartini is described from Niubao Formation, the late Eocene of central Tibetan Plateau (TP), China. Its placement is ensured by comparison with all the extant genera of the tribe Cosmoscartini. The new fossil represents one of few fossil Cercopidae species described from Asia. It is likely that Nangamostethos was extinct from the TP due to the regional aridification and an overturn of plant taxa in the late Paleogene.

Objective: To investigate the anti-fatigue effects of composition of Moringa oleifera leaves and Polygonatum polysaccharide, and to explore the mechanisms. Methods: Thirty male Kunming mice were randomly divided into control (C) and composition of Moringa oleifera leaves and Polygonatum polysaccharide group (MP). There were 15 mice in each group. Group C was given distilled water and the group MP was given composition intragastriclly every day. The volume was 0.5 ml. After 14 days of treatment, weight-bearing swimming experiment was conducted, and exhaustive swimming time was recorded. The bearing weight was 3% of the body weight. In another experiment, 48 male Kunming mice were randomly divided into quiet control group (QC), swimming control group (SC) and composition group (MP). There were 16 mice in each group. The QC and SC groups were given distilled water intragastrically, and the group MP was treated with composition every day for 14 days. The volume was 0.5 ml. On the day 15, 30 minutes after intragastriclly administration of distilled water, blood, liver and hind leg muscle of the QC group were collected immediately. The SC and MP groups were subjected non-weight-bearing swimming experiment, and blood, liver and hind leg muscle were collected after swimming. The fatigue related indexes, oxidant/antioxidant parameters and energy metabolism indicators in serum and tissues were determined by commercial kits. Results: The exhaustive swimming time of mice in MP group was significantly longer than that in the C group (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, non-weight-bearing swimming decreased the contents of serum glucose and GSH, the contents of hepatic glycogen and ATP, the hepatic activities of SOD, LDH and ATPase, and muscle activity of GSH-Px (P< 0.05). However, serum levels of BUN and MDA were increased (P<0.05). Compared with the SC group, the composition remarkably increased the contents of serum glucose and hepatic glycogen, increased serum content of GSH, enhanced hepatic activities of SOD, LDH and ATPase and muscle activity of GSH-Px, and increased the hepatic content of ATP (P<0.05). However, the serum level of BUN was decreased (P<0.05). Conclusion: The Moringa oleifera leaves and Polygonatum polysaccharide composition possesses anti-fatigue effects. Anti-oxidant and improving energy metabolism could be the important mechanisms.

Objective: To investigate the effects of a self-designed nutritional preparation on hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis function and energy metabolism in female SD rats exposed to intermittent cold. Methods: Female SD rats were divided into control group, cold exposure group and nutritional preparation group. The control group and cold exposure group were given distilled water by daily gavage, and the nutritional preparation group was given nutritional preparation intragastrically. After the treatment, the cold exposure group and nutritional preparation group were exposed to -10℃ in a cabin for 4 h every day. After being treated for 14 days, the serum, uterus and ovary of rats were collected. The serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and other hormone indicators were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and colorimetry was used to detect ATPase and other energy metabolism related indicators. Results: Compared with the control group, cold exposure significantly up-regulated the protein expressions of FSHR and LHR, and notably enhanced the activity of Na + -K + -ATPase and Ca 2+ -Mg 2+ -ATPase in ovary and uterus (P<0.05). Nutritional preparation down-regulated the protein expressions of FSHR and LHR, and inhibited the activity of ATPase in ovary and uterus (P<0.05) compared with the cold exposure group. Conclusion: Nutritional preparations can effectively improve the expressions of HPO axis related receptors and abnormal energy metabolism in uterus and ovary caused by intermittent cold exposure.

Abstract: Activation of adventitial fibroblasts (AFs) on vascular injury contributes to vascular remodeling. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a gaseous signal molecule, modulates various cardiovascular functions. The aim of this study was to explore whether exogenous H2S ameliorates transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)-induced activation of AFs and, if so, to determine the underlying molecular mechanisms. Immunofluorescent staining and western blot were used to determine the expression of collagen I and α-smooth muscle actin. The proliferation and migration of AFs were performed by using cell counting Kit-8 and transwell assay, respectively. The mitochondrial morphology was assessed by using MitoTracker Red staining. The activation of signaling pathway was evaluated by western blot. The mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial membrane potential were determined by MitoSOX and JC-1 (5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1,3,3'-tetraethylbenzimidazolyl carbocyanine iodide) staining. Our study demonstrated exogenous H2S treatment dramatically suppressed TGF-β1-induced AF proliferation, migration, and phenotypic transition by blockage of dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1)-mediated mitochondrial fission and regulated mitochondrial reactive oxygen species generation. Moreover, exogenous H2S reversed TGF-β1-induced mitochondrial fission and AF activation by modulating Rho-associated protein kinase 1-dependent phosphorylation of Drp1. In conclusion, our results suggested that exogenous H2S attenuates TGF-β1-induced AF activation through suppression of Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission in a Rho-associated protein kinase 1-dependent fashion., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

The olfactory sensing system of the syrphid fly Eupeodes corollae is essential in pollination and prey localization, but little is known about the ultrastructural organization of their olfactory organs. In this study, the morphology, distribution, and ultrastructural organization of antennal sensilla of E. corollae in both sexes were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Neuronal responses of a subtype of sensilla basiconica to floral scent compounds were recorded by single sensillum recording (SSR). Ten morphological types, including Böhm bristles, sensilla chaetica, microtrichiae, sensilla trichodea, sensilla basiconica, sensilla clavate, sensilla coeloconica, sensilla styloconica, sensilla placodea, and sensory pit, were identified. Except for Böhm bristles and sensilla chaetica, which were distributed on the scape and pedicel of E. corollae antennae, innervated sensilla were densely distributed on the flagellum, a vital sensory organ. Further, observing ultrastructural organization showed that the sensilla trichodea, basiconica, and clavate are single-walled with multiple nanoscale pores perforating the cuticle. Sensilla coeloconica are double-walled and have no wall pores, but instead, have longitudinal grooves along with the pegs. Sensilla chaetica, Böhm bristles, and microtrichiae did not have wall pores on the cuticle or sensory cells at the base. The SSR results indicated that neuron B housed in the subtype of sensilla basiconica I (SBI) mainly responded to methyl eugenol and other aromatic compounds. Overall, our results provide valuable information to understand the morphology and ultrastructure of antennal sensilla from E. corollae . These findings are beneficial for the studies of the neuronal function map of olfactory sensilla and for determining evolutionary relationships in Diptera., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Dong, Wang and Wang.)

Recent paleobotanical investigations in Vietnam provide a good opportunity to improve our understanding of the biodiversity and paleoclimatic conditions in the geological past of Southeast Asia. Palms (Arecaceae) are a diverse family of typical thermophilous plants with a relatively low tolerance for freezing. In this study, we describe well-preserved fossil palm leaves from the Oligocene Dong Ho Formation of Hoanh Bo Basin, northern Vietnam. Characters of the fossil leaves, such as a fan-shaped costapalmate lamina, an unarmed petiole, a costa slightly enlarged at the base that then tapers distally into the blade, and well-preserved amphistomatic leaves with cuticles, suggest that they represent a new fossil species, which we herein designate Sabalites colaniae A. Song, T. Su, T. V. Do et Z.K. Zhou sp. nov. Together with other paleontological and palaeoclimatic evidence, we conclude that a warm climate prevailed in northern Vietnam and nearby areas during the Oligocene., Competing Interests: We have no competing interest., (© 2021 Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.)

Imidacloprid is a neonicotinoid that targets sucking pests, such as aphids and the green leaf bug and has been widely applied in wheat fields to control wheat aphids in China. To investigate the involvement of miRNAs in imidacloprid resistance, we sequenced small RNA libraries of Sitobion miscanthi Fabricius, across two different treatments using Illumina short-read sequencing technology. As a result, 265 microRNAs (miRNAs), of which 242 were known and 23 were novel, were identified. Quantitative analysis of miRNA levels showed that 23 miRNAs were significantly up-regulated, and 54 miRNAs were significantly down-regulated in the nymphs of S. miscanthi treated with imidacloprid in comparison with those of the control. Modulation of the abundances of differentially expressed miRNAs, smi-miR-316, smi-miR-1000, and smi-miR-iab-4 by the addition of the corresponding antagomir/inhibitor to the artificial diet significantly changed the susceptibility of S. miscanthi to imidacloprid. Subsequently, the post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism was conducted, smi-miR-278 and smi-miR-316 were confirmed to be participated in the post-transcriptional regulation of nAChRα1A and CYP4CJ6, respectively. The results suggested that miRNAs differentially expressed in response to imidacloprid could play a critical regulatory role in the metabolism of S. miscanthi to imidacloprid., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) increases the incidence of allergic rhinitis (AR). microRNA (miRNA) can regulate cell proliferation, invasion and apoptosis. However, the mechanism of miR-338-3p in mediating PM2.5-induced autophagy in AR animal models remains unknown. To explore the mechanism of miR-338-3p in PM2.5-induced autophagy in AR, the human nasal epithelium cells and AR model exposed to PM2.5 were deployed. The results showed that miR-338-3p was down-regulated in both nasal mucosa of PM2.5-exacerbated AR rat models and PM2.5-treated RPMI-2650 cells. Forced expression of miR-338-3p could inhibit autophagy in vitro. miR-338-3p specifically bound to UBE2Q1 3'-untranslated region (3' UTR) and negatively regulated its expression. Overexpression of UBE2Q1 attenuated the inhibitory effects of miR-338-3p on PM2.5-induced autophagy of RPMI-2650 cells through AKT/mTOR pathway. Moreover, our in vivo study found that after administration of agomiR-338-3p in AR rats model, the expression of autophagy-related proteins decreased and nasal symptoms alleviated. In conclusion, this study revealed that miR-338-3p acts as an autophagy suppressor in PM2.5-exacerbated AR by directly targeting UBE2Q1 and affecting AKT/mTOR pathway., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Most individuals chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) are asymptomatic during the initial stages of infection and therefore the precise timing of infection is often unknown. Retrospective estimation of infection duration would improve existing surveillance data and help guide treatment. While intra-host viral diversity quantifications such as Shannon entropy have previously been utilized for estimating duration of infection, these studies characterize the viral population from only a relatively short segment of the HCV genome. In this study intra-host diversities were examined across the HCV genome in order to identify the region most reflective of time and the degree to which these estimates are influenced by high-risk activities including those associated with HCV acquisition. Shannon diversities were calculated for all regions of HCV from 78 longitudinally sampled individuals with known seroconversion timeframes. While the region of the HCV genome most accurately reflecting time resided within the NS3 gene, the gene region with the highest capacity to differentiate acute from chronic infections was identified within the NS5b region. Multivariate models predicting duration of infection from viral diversity significantly improved upon incorporation of variables associated with recent public, unsupervised drug use. These results could assist the development of strategic population treatment guidelines for high-risk individuals infected with HCV and offer insights into variables associated with a likelihood of transmission.

As carbon sources for the denitrification process, agricultural wastes have some problems, such as excess release of organic carbon; unclear release characteristics of nitrogen, phosphorus, and colorimetric substances; and unclear components, release mechanisms, and potential effects of the released dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the start-up period. To resolve those problems, rice straw, wheat straw, corn stalk, corncob, soybean stalk, and soybean hull were selected as denitrification carbon sources to investigate the release mechanisms and potential influences of the organic matter, secondary pollutants, and DOM. The results showed that the six agricultural wastes could be used as the denitrification carbon source. The carbon content in the wheat straw was the highest and the secondary pollution risk from the corncob was the lowest. For the six carbon sources, the second-order kinetic equation and Ritger-Peppas equation were followed during the 1-120 h carbon release process. The fitting results demonstrated that corncob was more suitable for use as the denitrification carbon source because of its moderate c m value and longer t 1/2 value, and the release mechanisms of the six types of carbon sources were mainly controlled by the diffusion process. The NH 4 + -N, TN, and TP contents in the immersion water of the rice straw were higher than those of the five other agricultural wastes, and there was heavy chromaticity in the immersion water of the wheat straw and corn stalk. The amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and chromatic substances released from the corncob were the lowest. The leachates of the corncob and soybean hull had higher biodegradability and lower risks of secondary pollution than those of the other sources. The aromaticity and molecular weight of DOM increased as the reaction time increased, and the humification of DOM was low. Five components were identified by PARAFAC. The main component was protein-like matter, which was mainly composed of tyrosine-like and tryptophan-like substances. There was less humic acid-like matter in the immersion water. The component characteristics of DOM might have had an adverse effect on the subsequent water treatment process. These results could provide theoretical support for the impact on effluent water quality and risk assessment when the agricultural wastes are used as an additional denitrification carbon source at the start-up stage.

In humans, tissue injury and depression can both cause pain hypersensitivity, but whether this involves distinct circuits remains unknown. Here, we identify two discrete glutamatergic neuronal circuits in male mice: a projection from the posterior thalamic nucleus (PO Glu ) to primary somatosensory cortex glutamatergic neurons (S1 Glu ) mediates allodynia from tissue injury, whereas a pathway from the parafascicular thalamic nucleus (PF Glu ) to anterior cingulate cortex GABA-containing neurons to glutamatergic neurons (ACC GABA→Glu ) mediates allodynia associated with a depression-like state. In vivo calcium imaging and multi-tetrode electrophysiological recordings reveal that PO Glu and PF Glu populations undergo different adaptations in the two conditions. Artificial manipulation of each circuit affects allodynia resulting from either tissue injury or depression-like states, but not both. Our study demonstrates that the distinct thalamocortical circuits PO Glu →S1 Glu and PF Glu →ACC GABA→Glu subserve allodynia associated with tissue injury and depression-like states, respectively, thus providing insights into the circuit basis of pathological pain resulting from different etiologies.

Objective: Dietary salt intake may vary depending on different lifestyles. We aimed to estimate the different salt intakes and evaluate the knowledge and self-awareness about salt among people speaking the Teochew, Teochew-Hakka and Hakka dialects in the Chaoshan region of southern China., Design: The study followed a cluster sampling of residents in Chaoshan region. General characteristics, lifestyles, health status as well as knowledge and self-awareness related to salt intake were investigated using a questionnaire. Anthropometric variables as well as Na and K excretion in a 24-h urine collection were measured., Setting: Chaoshan region of China., Participants: Four hundred fifteen adults who spoke only one of these three dialects., Results: The salt intake of adults who spoke the Teochew, Teochew-Hakka and Hakka dialects was 7·19 (interquartile range (IQR) 5·29-10·17), 9·03 (IQR 6·62-11·54) and 10·12 (IQR 7·61-12·82) g/d, respectively, with significant differences between Teochew and Teochew-Hakka speakers and between Teochew and Hakka speakers (both P < 0·05). The Na:K ratio for adults who spoke the three dialects was 3·00 (IQR 2·00-4·11), 3·50 (IQR 2·64-4·82) and 4·52 (IQR 3·35-5·97), respectively, and differed significantly among the groups (all P < 0·05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed increased Na:K ratio associated with hypertension (β = 0·71, P = 0·043) in Hakka speakers. Knowledge and self-awareness about salt intake were poor in this population., Conclusions: Salt intake was closely related to lifestyles and was higher than the upper limit (5 g/d) recommended by the WHO in adults of Chaoshan, especially those speaking the Hakka dialect.

The growth of the Tibetan Plateau throughout the past 66 million years has profoundly affected the Asian climate, but how this unparalleled orogenesis might have driven vegetation and plant diversity changes in eastern Asia is poorly understood. We approach this question by integrating modeling results and fossil data. We show that growth of north and northeastern Tibet affects vegetation and, crucially, plant diversity in eastern Asia by altering the monsoon system. This northern Tibetan orographic change induces a precipitation increase, especially in the dry (winter) season, resulting in a transition from deciduous broadleaf vegetation to evergreen broadleaf vegetation and plant diversity increases across southeastern Asia. Further quantifying the complexity of Tibetan orographic change is critical for understanding the finer details of Asian vegetation and plant diversity evolution., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License 4.0 (CC BY-NC).)

Tibet's ancient topography and its role in climatic and biotic evolution remain speculative due to a paucity of quantitative surface-height measurements through time and space, and sparse fossil records. However, newly discovered fossils from a present elevation of ∼4,850 m in central Tibet improve substantially our knowledge of the ancient Tibetan environment. The 70 plant fossil taxa so far recovered include the first occurrences of several modern Asian lineages and represent a Middle Eocene (∼47 Mya) humid subtropical ecosystem. The fossils not only record the diverse composition of the ancient Tibetan biota, but also allow us to constrain the Middle Eocene land surface height in central Tibet to ∼1,500 ± 900 m, and quantify the prevailing thermal and hydrological regime. This "Shangri-La"-like ecosystem experienced monsoon seasonality with a mean annual temperature of ∼19 °C, and frosts were rare. It contained few Gondwanan taxa, yet was compositionally similar to contemporaneous floras in both North America and Europe. Our discovery quantifies a key part of Tibetan Paleogene topography and climate, and highlights the importance of Tibet in regard to the origin of modern Asian plant species and the evolution of global biodiversity., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interest., (Copyright © 2020 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.)

The alligator weed flea beetle, Agasicles hygrophila is a monophagous natural enemy of the invasive alligator weed Alternanthera philoxeroides. Oogenesis plays a vital role in the process of individual development and population continuation of oviparous insects. Sox is an ancient and ubiquitous metazoan gene family that plays a key regulatory role in various physiological processes, including oogenesis, which is closely related to fecundity. In this study, two Sox genes AhDichaete and AhSox3 were cloned and characterized, and then the expression profiles of AhDichaete and AhSox3 were qualified by a quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The result showed that these two Sox genes were expressed significantly higher in ovary, especially in the adult developmental stage. Furthermore, the functions of AhDichaete and AhSox3 in A. hygrophila females were studied using RNA interference (RNAi). Fewer offsprings were produced when AhDichaete and AhSox3 RNAi females mated with wild-type males. Moreover, dsAhSox3 injection reduced the hatching rate of eggs but injection with dsAhDichaete did not. Further study of the reproductive system of AhDichaete and AhSox3 RNAi females showed that yolk protein deposition reduction in the ovarioles, then the expression of vitellogenin gene AhVg2 in ovaries was decreased. These results indicate that AhDichaete and AhSox3 play an important regulatory role in the process of ovarian development and oogenesis by affecting yolk synthesis in the ovary of A. hygrophila., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The chemical components of an edible spice, sweet ginger (Alpinia coriandriodora D. Fang) essential oil (AEO) were identified by an ultra-fast gas chromatography electronic nose (E-nose) and the main components were β-pinene (27.9%), 1,8-cineole (17.3%), p-cymene (13.5%), camphene (7.3%), myrcene (5.4%), and pseudolimonene (4.3%). The antioxidant activity of each component was evaluated and the mechanisms of scavenging free radical were studied by E-nose combined with chemical methodology. Decanal and α-copaene in AEO showed strong scavenging activities against DPPH radical, and the scavenging rates were over 85%. Decanal had a strong scavenging activity for ABTS radical and the scavenging rate was more than 60%. Similarly, terpinen-4-ol and eugenol had strong scavenging abilities to OH radical and the scavenging rates were more than 50%. Gas chromatography-mass spectrography results showed that it was feasible to identify the chemical components of essential oil by E-nose, and the similarity reached 88.9%. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Many essential oils have antioxidant activities and can be used in functional foods. In the present work, the antioxidant active components in AEO were identified and screened by ultra-fast GC E-nose. We aimed to target the components with strong antioxidant activity quickly and efficiently through the analysis of the reaction process of DPPH, ABTS and OH radicals with a high scavenging rate in a short time. These results indicate that ultra-fast GC E-nose can be used to screen the antioxidant active components in the essential oil., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) refers to particulate matter with aerodynamic equivalent diameter less than or equal to 2.5 µm, which is an important component of air pollution. PM2.5 aggravates allergic rhinitis (AR) and promotes AR nasal mucosa inflammation. Therefore, the influence of PM2.5 inhalation exposure on microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles and function in the nasal mucosa of AR rats was investigated., Methods: Female Sprague Dawley rats were distributed randomly to 2 groups: AR model PM2.5 exposure group (ARE group) and AR model PM2.5-unexposed control group (ARC group). The rats of ARE group were made to inhale PM2.5 at a concentration of 200 µg/m 3 , 3 h/day, for 30 days. miRNA expression profiles of the nasal mucosa from both groups were determined using an miRNA gene chip and were verified by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Gene function enrichment analysis was performed using bioinformatics analysis., Results: The ARE group revealed 20 significantly differentially expressed miRNAs, including 4 upregulated and 16 downregulated miRNAs (fold change > 1.5 or < 0.66, P  < .05). Of these, 9 selected miRNAs were verified by qRT-PCR, and the results of 8 miRNAs were in accordance with the miRNA gene chip results, with highly positive correlation ( r  = .8583, P  = .0031). Numerous target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs were functionally enriched in high-affinity immunoglobulin E receptor signaling, ErbB signaling, mucin O-glycans biosynthesis, transforming growth factor β signaling, mitogen-activated protein kinase signal transduction, phosphatidylinositol signaling, mucopolysaccharide biosynthesis, mammalian target of rapamycin signaling, T cell receptor signaling, Wnt signaling, chemokine signal transduction, and natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity pathways., Conclusions: PM2.5 causes significant changes in miRNA expression in the nasal mucosa of AR rats. miRNA plays an important role in regulating PM2.5 effects in AR rat biological behavior and mucosal inflammation. This study provides a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of AR from the effects of environmental pollution on the gene regulation mechanism.

Deformation behavior and precipitation features of an Al-Cu alloy are investigated using uniaxial tensile tests at intermediate temperatures. It is found that the true stress drops with the decreased strain rate or the increased deformation temperature. The number of substructures and the degree of grain elongation decrease with the raised temperature or the decreased strain rate. At high temperatures or low strain rates, some dynamic recrystallized grains can be found. The type of precipitates is influenced by the heating process before hot tensile deformation. The content and size of precipitates increase during tensile deformation at intermediate temperatures. As the temperature increases over 200 °C, the precipitation process (Guinier Preston zone (G.P. zones)→θ'' phase→θ' phase) is enhanced, resulting in increased contents of θ'' and θ' phases. However, θ'' and θ' phases prefer to precipitate along the {020} Al direction, resulting in an uneven distribution of phases. Considering the flow softening degree and the excessive heterogeneous precipitation of θ'' and θ' phases during hot deformation, the reasonable strain rate and temperature are about 0.0003 s -1 and 150 °C, respectively.

When low-concentration rural sewage is treated biologically, the effluent total nitrogen (TN) concentration often does not meet the discharge limit because of its low carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C/N). To solve this problem, a laboratory-scale anoxic/oxic (A/O) biofilter packed with Arundo donax and activated carbon as the anoxic and aerobic column fillers (No. 2) was operated for treatment of simulated rural sewage and advanced nitrogen removal, while an ordinary gravel-packing A/O biofilter (No. 1) was set up as the control group. The results were as follows. When the influent chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen (NH 4 + -N), and TN concentrations were (79.47±14.21), (34.49±2.08), and (34.73±3.87) mg·L -1 , respectively, the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors achieved removal efficiencies of (88.00±7.00)% and (89.00±10.00)%, (90.00±2.00)% and (97.00±7.00)%, and (37±15)% and (68±7)%, respectively. The results revealed that using Arundo donax and activated carbon new fillers could significantly enhance NH 4 + -N and TN removal. High-throughput sequencing results indicated that the microorganisms involved in the nitrification process in the No. 1 reactor mainly belong to Proteobacteria, whereas those in the No. 2 reactor belong to Proteobacteria and Nitrospirae. In addition, the main denitrification bacterial phyla in the anoxic column of the No. 1 reactor were Chloroflexi, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Planctomycetes, whereas those in the anoxic column of the No. 2 reactor were primarily Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Patescibacteria. Quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) results showed that the microbial nitrification ( amoA and Nitrospira 16S rDNA), denitrification ( narG , nosZ , nirS , and nirK ), and anaerobic ammonium oxidation functional genes (ANAMMOX) in the No. 2 reactor were significantly higher than those in the No. 1 reactor. All the genes, except for the narG and nosZ genes, had one to two orders of magnitude of improvement in the No. 2 reactor compared to those in the No. 1 reactor.

Background and Aims: Argon plasma coagulation (APC) of gastrojejunal anastomosis (GJA) is effective in treating weight regain after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). This study aims to compare the efficacy of different APC settings for treating weight regain., Methods: This was a single-center retrospective study of patients who had undergone RYGB and then underwent APC from 2014 to 2018 for weight regain. Patients receiving only low-dose APC (45-55 W) or high-dose APC (70-80 W) were compared. The primary outcome was the difference in percentage total weight loss (% TWL) between the groups at 6 and 12 months after the last treatment. Secondary outcomes were technical success, adverse events (AEs), and predictors of weight loss at 12 months., Results: Two hundred seventeen patients met the inclusion criteria and underwent 411 APC sessions. Of these, 116 (53.5%) patients underwent 267 low-dose APC sessions (2.4 ± 1.5 sessions/patient) and 101 (46.5%) patients underwent 144 high-dose APC sessions (1.4 ± 0.7 sessions/patient). Follow-up rates were 82.9% and 75.3% at 6 and 12 months. At 6 months, the low- and high-dose groups experienced 7.3% ± 6.6% and 8.1% ± 7.4% TWL, respectively (P = .41). At 12 months, the low- and high-dose groups experienced 5.1% ± 8.5% and 9.7% ± 10.0% TWL, respectively (P = .008). Technical success was 100%. The overall AE rate was 8.0%; the most common AE was GJA stenosis (4.6%). The GJA stenosis rate was similar for the low- and high-dose groups (3.0% vs 7.6%, P = .06). High-dose APC remained a significant predictor of greater weight loss at 1 year after controlling for confounders., Conclusion: APC is effective at treating weight regain after RYGB, and higher-watt APC was associated with greater weight loss., (Copyright © 2020 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This longitudinal study investigated how different mediums of word explanation affected the use of English vocabulary strategies among Chinese Grade-7 students. 170 students were tested on their English receptive vocabulary size and vocabulary strategy application before and after an 8.33-month intervention. Students were divided into three experimental groups and one control group. The three experimental groups were provided with learning materials that explained the target vocabulary in three mediums, respectively: English-only, English-and-Chinese, and Chinese-only. Results showed that, after the intervention, receptive vocabulary size did not have any direct significant impact on vocabulary strategy development, whereas mediums of word explanation materials impacted students' application of vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) in different ways. Our findings showed that the English-only mediums significantly enhanced students' use of metacognition, cognition, and memorization strategies, but decreased social strategy development. Chinese-only mediums significantly facilitated cognition and memorization strategy development. Implications for L2 vocabulary education are discussed., (Copyright © 2020 Dong, Tang, Wu, Dong and Li.)

Background and Aims: Treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is challenging, because suppressing fibrotic progression has not been achieved consistently by drug candidates currently in clinical trials. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular interplays underlying NASH-associated fibrosis in a mouse NASH model and human specimens., Methods: Mice were divided into 4 groups: Controls; NASH (high fat/Calorie diet plus high fructose and glucose in drinking water, HFCD-HF/G) for 16 weeks; HFCD-HF/G plus docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for 16 or 8 weeks., Results: Along with NASH progression, fibrotic deposition was documented in HFCD-HF/G-fed mice. Liver succinate content was significantly increased along with decreased expression of succinate dehydrogenase-A (SDH-A) in these mice; whereas, GPR-91 receptor expression was much enhanced in histology compared to control mice, and co-localized histologically with hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Succinate content was increased in fatty acid-overloaded primary hepatocytes with significant oxidant stress and lipotoxicity. Exposure to succinate led to up-regulation of GPR-91 receptor in primary and immortalized HSCs. In contrast, suppression of GPR-91 receptor expression abolished succinate stimulatory role in GPR-91 expression and extracellular matrix production in HSCs. All these changes were minimized or abrogated by DHA supplementation in vivo or in vitro. Moreover, GPR-91 receptor expression correlates with severity of fibrosis in human NASH biopsy specimens., Conclusion: Succinate accumulation in steatotoic hepatocytes may result in HSC activation through GPR-91 receptor signalling in NASH progression, and the cross-talk between hepatocytes and HSC through GPR-91 signalling is most likely to be the molecular basis of fibrogenesis in NASH., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

This study assesses the spatial distribution characteristics and ecological risk of phthalate esters (PAEs) in the surface sediments of the mainstream and tributaries of the Songhua River, China, using concentrations and composition of six PAEs, which were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometery (GC-MS). We assess the ∑ 6 PAEs ecological risk using the hazard quotient (HQ) method and environmental risk levels (ERL). The results were as follows. ① It was found that the total concentrations of ∑ 6 PAEs ranged from 6832.5 to 36298.9 ng·g -1 dry weight (average 18388.6 ng·g -1 ), with the main contributions coming from di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP). The difference between the main stream ∑ 6 PAEs (6832.5-36298.9 ng·g -1 , average 18616.9 ng·g -1 ) and the tributary ∑ 6 PAEs (10367.6-26593.3 ng·g -1 , average 18264.1 ng·g -1 ) was not significant ( P >0.05). The mean concentrations of individual PAEs in the tributary stream differed little from that of the main stream. The ∑ 6 PAEs concentration of the Songhua River decreased initially but then increased from the upstream to the downstream. The average ∑ 6 PAEs concentration in natural agricultural areas (18677.5 ng·g -1 ) was similar to that found in urban industrial areas (18063.7 ng·g -1 ), and DBP and DEHP contributed 98% of ∑ 6 PAEs. ② The main sources of ∑ 6 PAEs were domestic, agricultural production, and industrial production using plasticizers. ③ The ecological risk assessment indicated that DMP and BBP in the surface sediments of the Songhua River did not pose an ecological risk for aquatic organisms, and that DEP was associated with a low ecological risk, whereas DEHP and DBP posed a high ecological risk for aquatic organisms.

Objective: To explore the role of autophagy in PM2.5-induced inflammation in human nasal epithelial cells and related mechanism. Methods: Human nasal epithelial cells were exposed to different concentration of PM2.5 for different times, and the expression levels of microtubule-associated protein-1 light chain-3 Ⅱ (LC3 Ⅱ) and Beclin1 proteins were measured by Western blot. The typical autophagosome and autolysosome were observed by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). To observe autophagic flux, mRFP-GFP-LC3 plasmid was transfected to nasal epithelial cells and the punctate staining of mRFP-GFP-LC3 were determined by confocal laser scanning microscope. The expression of inflammatory cytokines interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in cell culture supernatant were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). To assess the role of autophagy in PM2.5-mediated inflammation, autophagy related gene Atg5 and Beclin-1 were silenced by siRNA knockdown, and inflammatory cytokines were analyzed.GraphPad Prism 6.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results: PM2.5 exposure increased the expression of LC3 Ⅱ and Beclin-1 proteins in a dose- (in PM2.5 group with concentration of 0, 15, 30, 60, 120 μg/ml, the expression of LC3 Ⅱ was 0.021±0.001( x ± s ), 0.037±0.002, 0.058±0.005, 0.075±0.006, 0.085±0.004, respectively, F= 126.8, P< 0.05; the expression of Beclin-1 was 0.002±0.000, 0.003±0.000, 0.005±0.000, 0.007±0.001, 0.008±0.001, respectively, F= 137.3, P< 0.05) and time-dependent manner (in PM2.5 group with exposure time of 0, 3, 6, 12, 24 h, the expression of LC3Ⅱ was 0.160±0.007, 0.222±0.003, 0.251±0.015, 0.483±0.029, 0.585±0.035, respectively, F= 215.3, P< 0.05; the expression of Beclin-1 was 0.059±0.002, 0.080±0.002, 0.087±0.002, 0.183±0.007, 0.228±0.005, respectively, F= 137.3, P< 0.05) in human nasal epithelial cells. TEM analysis showed typical autophagosome and autolysosome in cells after PM2.5 exposure for 24 h. PM2.5 significantly increased the number of yellow and red dots representing autophagosomes and autolysosomes respectively, indicating autophagic flux was elevated. Moreover, PM2.5 enhanced the secretion of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and TNF-α, which was dramatically prevented by Atg5-siRNA and Beclin-1-siRNA. Conclusion: Autophagy plays an important role in PM2.5-caused inflammation response in nasal epithelial cells, which can induce release of inflammatory factors such as IL-6 and TNF-α and advance the inflammatory reaction.

Objective: To investigate the effect of PM2.5 exposure on nasal inflammatory cytokines and nasal mucosal pathology in a rat model of allergic rhinitis (AR). Methods: Twenty-four healthy female SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups by random number table method, with 8 rats in each group: normal control group (NC group), ovalbumin (OVA) induced AR model (AR group), and AR model group inhaled to PM2.5 at 200 μg/m(3), 3 h/d, for 30 d (ARE group). Nasal symptoms including sneezing, nasal rubs and nasal secretion were recorded. Levels of OVA specific IgE in serum, interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-ɑ (TNF-ɑ) in nasal irrigating solution were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The histopathological changes of nasal mucosa were observed by HE staining. SPSS 17.0 software was used to analyze the data. Results: The number of sneezing, nasal rubs and the amount of nasal secretion in the ARE group were significantly higher than that in the AR group and the NC group (number of sneezing (15.38±1.68) times/15 min vs (11.63±1.13) times/15 min vs (1.75±0.71) times/15 min, number of nasal rubs (27.75±2.12) times/15 min vs (21.25±2.96) times/15 min vs (5.25±1.04) times/15 min, amount of nasal secretion (18.90±2.07) mg vs (13.83±1.81) mg vs (3.78±0.41) mg, F values was 236.089, 224.139, 183.971, respectively, all P< 0.001). Statistically significant differences in OVA specific IgE, IL-6 and TNF-ɑ levels were observed in ARE group exceeded AR group and NC group (OVA specific IgE (25.42±2.51) ng/ml vs (18.07±1.07) ng/ml vs (1.47±0.26) ng/ml, IL-6 (123.30±18.86) pg/ml vs (63.49±11.29) pg/ml vs (16.87±3.29) pg/ml, TNF-ɑ (162.50±38.15) pg/ml vs (72.96±11.28) pg/ml vs (27.52±4.15) pg/ml, F values was 481.604, 138.277, 63.938, respectively, all P< 0.001). HE staining showed that the nasal epithelial cells of NC group were intact and neatly arranged. Nasal mucosa epithelial cells were arranged in disorder in AR group, with tissue structure swelling. Partial shedding of nasal epithelial cells, mucosal basement membrane thickening, submucosal tissue interstitial edema, vasodilation and gland hyperplasia were found in ARE group. Conclusion: An increase inflammatory factors level such as IL-6 and TNF-ɑ aggravates pathological damage of nasal mucosa in a rat model of AR by exposure to PM2.5.

The uplift history of south-eastern Tibet is crucial to understanding processes driving the tectonic evolution of the Tibetan Plateau and surrounding areas. Underpinning existing palaeoaltimetric studies has been regional mapping based in large part on biostratigraphy that assumes a Neogene modernization of the highly diverse, but threatened, Asian biota. Here, with new radiometric dating and newly collected plant-fossil archives, we quantify the surface height of part of the south-eastern margin of Tibet in the latest Eocene (∼34 Ma) to be ∼3 km and rising, possibly attaining its present elevation (3.9 km) in the early Oligocene. We also find that the Eocene-Oligocene transition in south-eastern Tibet witnessed leaf-size diminution and a floral composition change from sub-tropical/warm temperate to cool temperate, likely reflective of both uplift and secular climate change, and that, by the latest Eocene, floral modernization on Tibet had already taken place, implying modernization was deeply rooted in the Palaeogene., (© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of China Science Publishing & Media Ltd.)

Background: Traditionally, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is diagnosed when there is an early peak in breath hydrogen or methane. Given unclear intestinal transit time in Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) patients, it is unknown if the traditional approach at diagnosing SIBO is adequate in this patient population., Aim: To assess oral-cecal transit time (OCTT) and its impact on the interpretation of breath tests in the diagnosis of SIBO in patients with RYGB., Methods: This study was a retrospective review of prospectively collected data on RYGB patients who underwent testing for SIBO using lactulose breath test (LBT) with or without small bowel follow-through (SBFT) to assess OCTT. Outcomes of SIBO test based on LBT alone versus LBT with OCTT were compared using a chi-squared test., Results: Sixty-two of the 151 RYGB patients who underwent LBT underwent an additional SBFT to assess OCTT. Median OCTT was 60 min. Of these, 59.7% had OCTT shorter than 90 min. Based on LBT alone, 36/62 patients (58.1%) were classified as positive SIBO. When LBT results were combined with OCTT, 26/36 patients (72.2%) had hydrogen or methane rise within OCTT, suggesting 27.8% false positive rate. Patients with true positive SIBO based on LBT and OCTT had a higher response rate to antibiotics compared to those with false positive SIBO (78.3% vs. 33.3%, p = 0.03)., Conclusion: A personalized approach of combining LBT with SBFT to assess OCTT may improve the accuracy of SIBO testing and enhance clinical outcomes in patients with RYGB.

Infertility is a serious public health problem worldwide. Molybdenum (Mo) plays an important role in maintaining normal metabolism. To explore the therapeutic efficacy of molybdenum (Mo) on male infertility, 90 mice were randomly divided into control, busulfan and busulfan + Mo groups. The male mice in the busulfan and busulfan + Mo groups were exposed to busulfan (20 mg/kg body weight) with a single intraperitoneal injection to establish the infertility model. The sterile mice were successfully obtained 30 days after busulfan exposure. Then, the male mice in the busulfan + Mo group were given drinking water containing 20 mg/L Mo continuously for 42 days. At 72 Day after treatment, 30 mice in the three groups were tested for various indices, and 60 mice were mated with females in spontaneous estrus. Mo significantly reversed the thinner seminiferous tubules and disappeared tubule and germ cells. Mo also normalized previously abnormal levels of testosterone, estradiol, luteinizing hormone, superoxide dismutase, lactate dehydrogenase, malondialdehyde. Furthermore, expression levels expression of Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3 and caspase-9 returned to control levels; and finally, Mo-treated sterile mice obtained offspring with normal number and gender ratio. These results suggested that Mo at 20 mg/L had a significant therapeutic effect on reproductive dysfunction in sterile mice. Its mechanism could via repair of damaged testicular structures, regulation of abnormal reproductive hormone levels, decreased oxidative stress or and resistance to cell apoptosis. Mo may be a new candidate medicine for treatment of male infertility., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The aim of this study is to the roles of nasal lavage fluid levels of MUC5AC, goblet cell hyperplasia and ultrastructure of nasal mucosa following ambient PM2.5 exposure in a rat model of allergic rhinitis(AR). Method: Female Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned randomly into 3 groups: a negative control group(NC group),an ovalbumin(OVA)-induced AR model group(AR group), and AR model group(ARE group) inhaled to PM2.5 at 200 μg/m³, 3 h/d, for 30 days. Nasal symptoms, levels of MUC5AC in nasal lavage fluid(NLF), were measured in each individual rat.Goblet cell hyperplasia were examined histologically with PAS-stained. Nasal mucosa tissue ultrastructure were observed by scanning electron microscope. Result: PM2.5 significantly increased the number of sneezes, nasal rubs and the amount of nasal secretion in rats with AR.Statistically significant differences in MUC5AC levels and goblet cell hyperplasia were observed between the AR model exposure to PM2.5 and the AR model group.The nasal mucosa of AR model exposure to PM2.5 was disordered,lodged,assembled and twisted. Conclusion: Our data indicate that an increase MUC5AC level in NLF and the development of nasal goblet cell hyperplasia may provide some clues for determining the pathogenic mechanisms of AR by exposure to PM2.5., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.)

The authors analyzed the association between the standard deviation or the coefficient of variation in the glucose value, strong independent indexes for determining glycemic variability, and the prognosis of intracerebral hemorrhage. They found that glycemic variability may be associated with a poor outcome in intracerebral hemorrhage.

Interleukin (IL)-22 regulates tissue inflammation and repair. Here we report participation of the liver in IL-22-mediated cardiac repair after acute myocardial infarction (MI). Methods: We induced experimental MI in mice by ligation of the left ascending artery and evaluated the effect of IL-22 on post-MI cardiac function and ventricular remodeling. Results: Daily subcutaneous injection of 100 µg/kg mouse recombinant IL-22 for seven days attenuated adverse ventricular remodeling and improved cardiac function in mice at 28 days after left anterior descending coronary artery ligation-induced MI. Pharmacological inhibition of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT3) muted these IL-22 activities. While cardiomyocyte-selective depletion of STAT3 did not affect IL-22 activities in protecting post-MI cardiac injury, hepatocyte-specific depletion of STAT3 fully muted these IL-22 cardioprotective activities. Hepatocyte-derived fibroblast growth factor (FGF21) was markedly increased in a STAT3-dependent manner following IL-22 administration and accounted for the cardioprotective benefit of IL-22. Microarray analyses revealed that FGF21 controlled the expression of cardiomyocyte genes that are involved in cholesterol homeostasis, DNA repair, peroxisome, oxidative phosphorylation, glycolysis, apoptosis, and steroid responses, all of which are responsible for cardiomyocyte survival. Conclusions: Supplementation of IL-22 in the first week after acute MI effectively prevented left ventricular dysfunction and heart failure. This activity of IL-22 involved crosstalk between the liver and heart after demonstrating a role of the hepatic STAT3-FGF21 axis in IL-22-induced post-MI cardiac protection., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: Recombinant mouse IL-22 was provided by Generon (Shanghai, China) Corporation Ltd in the present study.

Background: Exposure to fine particulate matter (particulate matter ≤2.5 μm [PM2.5]) increases the risk of allergic rhinitis (AR), but the underlying mechanisms remains unclear. Thus, we investigated the roles of T-helper (Th)1-Th2 cytokines and nasal remodeling after ambient PM2.5 exposure in a rat model of AR., Methods: Female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into six groups: a negative control group, a group of healthy rats exposed to 3000 μg/m3 PM2.5, an ovalbumin (OVA) induced AR model, and three PM2.5-exacerbated AR groups exposed to three different concentrations (200, 1000, and 3000 μg/m3) of PM2.5 for 30 days via inhalation. Nasal symptoms, levels of Th1-Th2 cytokines, the degree of eosinophilia in nasal lavage fluid (NLF), and the messenger RNA (mRNA) expressions of transcription factors GATA-3 and T-bet in the nasal mucosa were measured in each individual rat. Hyperplasia of globet cells and collagen deposition were examined by histology., Results: PM2.5 significantly increased the number of sneezes and nasal rubs in rats with AR. PM2.5 also significantly decreased interferon gamma and increased interleukin (IL) 4 and IL-13 expressions as well as the number of eosinophils in NLF. The mRNA expression of GATA-3 in the nasal mucosa of rats with AR was upregulated by PM2.5, whereas T-bet was significantly downregulated. Statistically significant differences in OVA-specific serum immunoglobulin E, goblet cell hyperplasia, collagen deposition, and transforming growth factor beta 1 levels were observed between the PM2.5-exacerbated AR groups and the AR model group., Conclusion: Analysis of our data indicated that an increase in the immune response with Th2 polarization and the development of nasal remodeling may be the immunotoxic mechanisms behind the exacerbation of AR after exposure to PM2.5.