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Background: The high incidence of recurrence and malignant transformation of colorectal adenoma (CRA) are current issues that need to be addressed in clinical practice. Canmei Formula (CMF) has shown promising results in the prevention and treatment, however, it lacks effective clinical data support and its mechanism of action is not fully elucidated. Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of CMF in preventing and treating CRA, and to explore its effective chemical components and pharmacological mechanisms. Method: A randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted, with patients diagnosed with CRA within 6 months as the study subjects. After randomization, the patients were divided into a treatment group (receiving CMF granules) or a control group (receiving berberine hydrochloride tablets). The one-year recurrence rate of CRA was used as the key efficacy indicator to assess the effectiveness of CMF in preventing and treating CRA. The chemical components of CMF were identified using the UFLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS combined system. Data mining and the wSDTNBI algorithm were combined to construct a differential expression gene (DEG) - CMF prediction target interaction network for CRA. The core targets of CMF in CRA prevention and treatment were identified through topological analysis, and validated using molecular docking and in vitro experiments. Result: During the period from October 1 2021 to December 31 2023, a total of 228 participants were included in the study. After block randomization, 114 patients were assigned to each group. In the treatment group, 98 patients completed follow-up examinations, with 16 patients (14.0%) exhibiting shedding, Adenoma recurrence was identified in 24 (24.5%) patients through colonoscopy. In the control group, 99 cases completed the follow-up examination, while 15 cases (13.2%) were lost to follow-up. There were 45 cases (45.5%) experienced recurrence of adenomas. During the follow-up period, no cases of colorectal cancer or severe adverse reactions were reported. UFLC-QTOF-MS/MS identification was combined with traditional Chinese medicine database mining to obtain 192 active chemical components of Canmei Formula. Using the wSDTNBI algorithm, 1044 prediction targets were predicted, and 3308 differentially expressed genes of CRA were extracted from the TCGA database. Network topology analysis and bioinformatics analysis were performed on 164 intersecting core targets. Molecular docking and qPCR analysis revealed that CMF downregulates angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) and regulated interleukin-8 (CXCL8) and matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) within the REN/Ang II/AT1R axis of the renin-angiotensin signaling pathway, thereby preventing and treating CRA. Conclusion: This small-scale randomized controlled clinical trial showed that CMF granules can safely and effectively reduce the risk of CRA recurrence. CMF prevents and treats colorectal adenomas by modulating the renin-angiotensin signaling pathway and the inflammatory response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Semiaphis heraclei is an important economic pest affecting Caprifoliaceae and Apiaceae plants, and chemical control is still the main effective control method in the field. Afidopyropen is a new type of pyridine cyclopropyl insecticide, which can effectively control piercing-sucking mouthparts pests and is suitable for pest resistance management. However, the detoxification mechanism of S. heraclei to afidopyropen is still poorly cleared. Methods: The insecticidal activity of afidopyropen against S. heraclei and the enzyme activity assay and synergism bioassay were evaluated. The detoxification enzyme genes were obtained by transcriptome and validated by quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). Furthermore, RNA interference was used to study the functions of detoxification enzyme genes. Results: The activities of cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) and carboxylesterases (CarEs) were significantly increased under afidopyropen treatment. The toxicity of afidopyropen against S. heraclei was significantly increased after application the inhibitors of piperonyl butoxide and triphenyl phosphate. Sixteen P450 genes and three CarE genes were identified in the transcriptome of S. heraclei. The RT-qPCR results showed that eleven P450 genes and two CarE genes were significantly upregulated under afidopyropen treatment, and the expression of CYP6DA2 and CarFE4 was upregulated by more than 2.5 times. The expression pattern of CYP6DA2 and CarFE4 was further analyzed in different developmental stages of S. heraclei and knockdown of CYP6DA2 and CarFE4 significantly increased the susceptibility of S. heraclei to afidopyropen. Conclusion: The results of this study uncover the key functions of CYP6DA2 and CarFE4 in the detoxification mechanism of S. heraclei to afidopyropen, and provide a theoretical basis for the scientific use of afidopyropen in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: As a promising substitute for chemical insecticides, β-asarone has a broad application prospect in the field of crop protection. In order to improve the insecticidal activity of β-asarone, a series of derivatives were prepared by active substructure splicing strategy, and their insecticidal activities were evaluated. Compound 10, containing the 2-chloropyridine functional group, had the strongest insecticidal activity against the small brown planthopper (SBPH), Laodelphax striatellus (Fallén) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), which was 8.31 times higher than that of β-asarone. The ABC transporter gene MDR49 might be a candidate insecticidal target of compound 10. Furthermore, compound 10 showed excellent efficacy against Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) and Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduval) (Acarina: Tetranychidae). The small brown planthopper (SBPH), Laodelphax striatellus (Fallén) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), is an increasing threat to Gramineae crops, posing significant risks to both the environment and food safety. β-asarone, as a promising green alternative to chemical insecticides, possesses wide application prospects in the crop protection field. To enhance the insecticidal activity of β-asarone, a series of derivatives were prepared through an active substructure splicing strategy, and their insecticidal activities against SBPH were evaluated. Among the 7 commercial compounds with chemical structures similar to β-asarone and 12 structural derivatives of β-asarone, compound 10, which incorporates the 2-chloropyridine functional group from flupyrimin, exhibited the most potent insecticidal activity against SBPH, with an 8.31-fold increase in insecticidal activity compared to β-asarone. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis showed that among the selected genes that may play important roles in insecticidal activity, an ABC transporter gene, MDR49, was most significantly down-regulated. MDR49 was highly expressed in the 4th-instar nymphs, with the highest expression level in the fat body, midgut, and abdomen. RNA interference (RNAi) against MDR49 significantly reduced susceptibility to compound 10 in SBPH, which revealed that MDR49 may be the candidate insecticidal target of compound 10. Additionally, the insecticidal spectrum revealed that compound 10 showed excellent efficacy against Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) and Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduval) (Acarina: Tetranychidae). This study indicates that compound 10 could be further developed as a novel eco-friendly pesticide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lichen moth, Lyclene dharma dharma (Arctiidae, Lithosiinae), plays a significant role in forest ecosystem dynamics. A concise and novel method to synthesize the active sex pheromone components, (S)-14-methyloctadecan-2-one ((S)-1), (S)-6-methyloctadecan-2-one ((S)-2), and their enantiomers has been developed. Key steps in the synthesis include the use of Evans' chiral auxiliaries, Grignard cross-coupling reactions, hydroboration–oxidation, and Wacker oxidation. The synthesized sex pheromone components hold potential value for studies on communication mechanisms, species identification, and ecological management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rare earth extraction reactor with single-layer straight-blade stirrer and inclined-blade stirrer were self-designed. The fluid transport performance in the rare earth extraction reactor with straight-blade stirrer and inclined-blade stirrer were contrastively studied by numerical simulation method. The results show that the rare earth extraction reactor with inclined-blade stirrer has the optimized comprehensive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the influence of superabsorbent polymer (SAP) on the permeability and durability of concrete, by testing the content of chloride ions in concrete under salt water immersion-drying cycle and the carbonation depth under accelerated carbonation conditions, the effects of water pre-soaked SAP and 1% AgNO3 solution pre-soaked SAP gel-particles as internal curing agents on chloride ion invasion and carbonation property of the concrete specimens were investigated. Experiment results show that SAP and SAP-Ag particles play a role of water pump and chloride ion pump in concrete under the wet-dry cycle treatment to accelerate the accumulation and transport of Cl- in concrete, respectively. That is to say, SAP internal curing agent has a negative effect on the concrete resistance to chloride ion erosion under marine environment. On the other hand, by adding appropriate amount of SAP or SAP-Ag gel-particles, the capillary pores of concrete can be plugged to reduce the diffusion path of CO2, as the SAP gel-particles are swollen by moisture absorption, so that the carbonation resistance of concrete is improved to some extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polo-box domain of polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1-PBD) is proved to have crucial roles in cell proliferation. Designing PLK1-PBD inhibitors is challenging due to their poor cellular penetration. In this study, we applied a virtual screening workflow based on a combination of structure-based pharmacophore modeling with molecular docking screening techniques, so as to discover potent PLK1-PBD peptide inhibitors. The resulting 9 virtual screening peptides showed affinities for PLK1-PBD in a competitive binding assay. In particular, peptide 5 exhibited an approximately 100-fold increase in inhibitory activity (IC50 = 70 nM), as compared with the control poloboxtide. Moreover, cell cycle experiments indicated that peptide 5 effectively inhibited the expression of p-Cdc25C and cell cycle regulatory proteins by affecting the function of PLK1-PBD, thereby inducing mitotic arrest at the G2/M phase. Overall, peptide 5 can serve as a potent lead for further investigation as PLK1-PBD inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell type-specific labelling and manipulation using Cre-driver lines have become integral to analyses of neuronal circuits in the brain. To study how mitral cells of the olfactory bulb process olfactory information and how they contribute to behavior, an inducible Cre-driver line, Lbhd2-CreER T2 , can be used. In this chapter, we describe two methods for administering tamoxifen. The first method achieves a dense recombination pattern using tamoxifen-containing food, while the second method involving an intraperitoneal injection is suited for sparse labelling., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the expression of deubiquitylases USP29 in thymomas with myasthenia gravis (MG) and research associated immunological processes., Methods: 69 MG patients with thymomas, 21 thymoma patients without MG, and 31 healthy controls were classified into three groups (categories): group with MG-associated thymoma (MG-T), group with non-MG-associated thymoma (NMG-T), and group with healthy controls (HC). In thymomas, the mRNA and protein levels of RORγt and USP29 were examined by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (real-time RT-PCR) and western blotting. Th17 cell counts in MG patients with thymomas were investigated by flow cytometry., Results: In MG-related thymomas, the mRNA and protein levels of deubiquitylases USP29 were substantially elevated. USP29 post-transcriptionally regulated RORγt. In MG patients with thymomas, the expression of USP29 was positively linked to the RORγt expression and Th17 cell frequency., Conclusion: This work exhibited that the elevated USP29 enhanced RORγt expression, which in turn affected the Th17 cell growth in thymomatous MG. Our data suggest that USP29 might take part in the regulation of RORγt expression and Th17 cell generation and constitute an innovative regulatory function for USP29 in autoimmune disease., Competing Interests: None., (AJTR Copyright © 2022.)

A novel electrochemical tyrosinase biosensor based on ordered graphitized mesoporous carbon (GMC) was obtained, which was used as a platform for phenol detection. The accuracy of tyrosinase biosensor method was comparatively evaluated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). By entrapping tyrosinase molecules (6.5 nm x 9.8 nm x 5.5 nm) into the mesopores of GMC (diameter 10 nm, GMC10), the "interspace confinement effect" of GMC10 may improve the stability of tyrosinase in vitro. After 21-day storage, the GMC10-based tyrosinase biosensor retained more than 85% of its initial response. It is indicated that GMC10 with "interspace confinement effect" can significantly prolong the life of tyrosinase molecules in vitro. Furthermore, the GMC-based tyrosinase biosensor displayed excellent analytical performances for phenol detection, such as stability, repeatability, selectivity, sensitivity and limit of detection. The GMC-based tyrosinase biosensor demonstrated a linear response for phenol from 0. 1 to 10 µmol/L with a low detection limit of 20 nmol/L. The comparative study between HPLC and GMC-based tyrosinase biosensor showed that the detection of phenol in water sample by the GMC-based tyrosinase biosensor method is reliable, accurate and effective. The proposed GMC-based tyrosinase biosensor proved to be a very promising "pre-alarm" tool for rapid detecting phenol pollution in emergency accidents.