Search

Cong-Cong He, Dong-Mei Lin, Hui-Zhen Liu, Fei-Fei Wang, Xiu-Fang Guo, Xiao-Bo Zhang, Yi-Qin Ai, Li-Min Meng School of Nursing, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Li-Min Meng, School of Nursing, Gannan Medical University, No. 1 Medical Road, Ganzhou, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 15970987999, Email 278646437@qq.comBackground: The pain-fatigue-sleep disturbance symptom cluster is commonly experienced by breast cancer patients, and a variety of nonpharmacological interventions are used to treat this symptom cluster.Objective: To compare the efficacy of nonpharmacological interventions in improving the symptoms of the pain-fatigue-sleep disturbance symptom cluster in breast cancer patients.Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, CNKI, and Wanfang databases to identify randomized controlled studies from database inception to May 2022. Two reviewers independently performed data retrieval and risk of bias assessments. The consistency model was used to conduct network meta-analyses (NMA) based on the frequentist framework to assess the interventions, which were ranked by the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA). Finally, the CINeMA application was used to evaluate the results of the NMA and the evidence of quality. The results Twenty-three eligible studies assessing 14 interventions were included. According to SUCRA values, among the management effects of the three symptoms, the effect of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) ranked first, followed by mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). The overall evidence quality of our study ranges from very low to moderate.Conclusion: PMR and MBSR were effective interventions for the pain-fatigue-sleep disturbance symptom cluster in breast cancer patients. Clinical recommendations prioritize PMR for symptom management, followed by MBSR. However, this should be interpreted cautiously, as the confidence in the evidence was not high.Keywords: breast cancer, pain-fatigue-sleep disturbance symptom cluster, nonpharmacological intervention, systematic review, network meta-analysis

Meng-Qi Chen,1 Wen-Rui Shi,1 Hao-Yu Wang,2 Zhao Li,1 Xiao-Fan Guo,1 Ying-Xian Sun1 1Department of Cardiology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Cardiology, Coronary Heart Disease Center, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100037, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Ying-Xian SunDepartment of Cardiology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, 155 Nanjing, North Street, Heping District, Shenyang, 110001, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail yxsun_cmu@outlook.comPurpose: Some studies have established an association between hypertension or obesity and the risk of diabetes. This study aimed to examine the interaction of hypertension and obesity on diabetes.Participants and Methods: The data of 11,731 Chinese men and women were analyzed from the 2012– 2013 Northeast China Rural Cardiovascular Health Study. The interaction was examined by both additive and multiplicative scales. General obesity was measured by body mass index (BMI); central obesity was defined by waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHpR).Results: After controlling for potential confounders, the odds ratios for diabetes were 3.864 (3.205– 4.660), 4.500 (3.673– 5.514), 4.932 (3.888– 6.255) and 4.701 (3.817– 5.788) for the combinations of hypertension and BMI, WC, WHtR or WHpR, respectively, which had the highest risk of diabetes among the four combinations. Notwithstanding the multiplicative interactions showed statistically significant in all analyses, the results of additive interactions were not consistent, suggesting the diabetes risk from female BMI (relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI): 1.136, 95% CI: 0.127– 2.146, attributable proportion due to interaction (AP): 0.267, 95% CI: 0.057– 0.477, synergy index (S):1.536, 95% CI: 1.017– 2.321) or female WHpR (RERI: 1.076, 95% CI: 0.150– 2.002, AP:0.205, 95% CI: 0.037– 0.374, S:1.340, 95% CI: 1.012– 1.775) was additive to the risk from hypertension.Conclusion: The findings suggest that high BMI and high WHpR have synergistic interactions with hypertension on the risk of diabetes for females. The results of this study also suggest that BMI and WHpR, rather than WC, should be used for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome in Chinese population.Keywords: interaction, diabetes, hypertension, general obesity, central obesity

Introduction: Retrieval and repositioning of a stent deployed beyond its intended target region may be a difficult technical challenge. Materials and Methods: A balloon-mounted snare technique, a variant of the coaxial loop snare technique, is described. Results: The technique is described for the repositioning of a covered transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt stent and a covered biliary stent. Conclusion: The balloon-mounted snare technique is a useful technique for retrieval of migrated stents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The colon cancer prognosis is influenced by multiple factors, including clinical, pathological, and non-biological factors. However, only a few studies have focused on computed tomography (CT) imaging features. Therefore, this study aims to predict the prognosis of patients with colon cancer by combining CT imaging features with clinical and pathological characteristics, and establishes a nomogram to provide critical guidance for the individualized treatment., Aim: To establish and validate a nomogram to predict the overall survival (OS) of patients with colon cancer., Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the survival data of 249 patients with colon cancer confirmed by surgical pathology between January 2017 and December 2021. The patients were randomly divided into training and testing groups at a 1:1 ratio. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the independent risk factors associated with OS, and a nomogram model was constructed for the training group. Survival curves were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The concordance index (C-index) and calibration curve were used to evaluate the nomogram model in the training and testing groups., Results: Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that lymph node metastasis on CT, perineural invasion, and tumor classification were independent prognostic factors. A nomogram incorporating these variables was constructed, and the C-index of the training and testing groups was 0.804 and 0.692, respectively. The calibration curves demonstrated good consistency between the actual values and predicted probabilities of OS., Conclusion: A nomogram combining CT imaging characteristics and clinicopathological factors exhibited good discrimination and reliability. It can aid clinicians in risk stratification and postoperative monitoring and provide important guidance for the individualized treatment of patients with colon cancer., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the perioperative safety and survival benefits of two-stage operation in the treatment of esophageal malignancies. Methods: This is a retrospective case series study. The clinical data of 70 patients who underwent two-stage operation for esophageal malignancies from January 2015 to January 2023 in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine were retrospectively analyzed. There were 58 males and 12 females. The age ( M (IQR)) was 61 (22) years (range: 9 to 79 years), and 51.4% (36/70) of the patients were older than 65 years. All patients underwent the first operation to remove esophageal tumor and the second operation to complete digestive tract reconstruction. The reasons for two-stage operation were summarized, complications and treatment results were recorded, and the prognosis was calculated using Kaplan-Meier curve. Results: The median interval between the two stages was 49 (35) days (range: 32 to 82 days). The 30-day fatality rate after the first operation was 4.3% (3/70) and the 30-day fatality rate after the second operation was 0(0/63). The total complication rate of first operation was 55.7% (39/70), the respiratory complication rate was 10.0% (7/70) and the cardiovascular complication rate was 5.7% (4/70) The incidence of anastomotic leakage was 11.1% (9/63). The overall survival rate at 2, 3 and 5 years was 35.7%, 30.0% and 15.7%, respectively. Conclusion: Two-stage operation in the treatment of complex esophageal malignancies is feasible and yields satisfaetory results.

Mutations in the well-known Myostatin ( MSTN ) produce a 'double-muscle' phenotype, which makes it commercially invaluable for improving livestock meat production and providing high-quality protein for humans. However, mutations at different loci of the MSTN often produce a variety of different phenotypes. In the current study, we increased the delivery ratio of Cas9 mRNA to sgRNA from the traditional 1:2 to 1:10, which improves the efficiency of the homozygous mutation of biallelic gene. Here, a MSTN Del73C mutation with FGF5 knockout sheep, in which the MSTN and FGF5 dual-gene biallelic homozygous mutations were produced via the deletion of 3-base pairs of AGC in the third exon of MSTN , resulting in cysteine-depleted at amino acid position 73, and the FGF5 double allele mutation led to inactivation of FGF5 gene. The MSTN Del73C mutation with FGF5 knockout sheep highlights a dominant 'double-muscle' phenotype, which can be stably inherited. Both F0 and F1 generation mutants highlight the excellent trait of high-yield meat with a smaller cross-sectional area and higher number of muscle fibers per unit area. Mechanistically, the MSTN Del73C mutation with FGF5 knockout mediated the activation of FOSL1 via the MEK-ERK-FOSL1 axis. The activated FOSL1 promotes skeletal muscle satellite cell proliferation and inhibits myogenic differentiation by inhibiting the expression of MyoD1, and resulting in smaller myotubes. In addition, activated ERK1/2 may inhibit the secondary fusion of myotubes by Ca 2+ -dependent CaMKII activation pathway, leading to myoblasts fusion to form smaller myotubes., Competing Interests: MC, YZ, KY, XX, XZ, JZ, SW, ZL, YY, XG, SQ, GY, SW, HL, AW, GL, SD, HH, FL, DL, ZL No competing interests declared, (© 2023, Chen, Zhao, Yu et al.)

The flavonoid contents of different bamboo-leaf extracts and their relationships to antioxidant activity were investigated in this study by preparing nine samples using two commercially available bamboo-leaf extract products and seven bamboo-leaf extracts such as Phyllostachys edulis . A high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was established to determine seven flavonoid components (orientin, isoorientin, vitexin, isovitexin, tricin, luteolin and luteoloside) in these samples, which were separated using a SymmetryShield TM RP8 column (250 mm×4.6 mm, 5 μm) under gradient-elution conditions using acetonitrile as mobile phase A and 0.5% (v/v) acetic acid aqueous solution as mobile phase B. The antioxidant activities of the samples were evaluated using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radical-scavenging assays, with half inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) as an indicator and the butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and tert -butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) antioxidants as positive controls. Pearson correlation was then used to analyze the relationship between flavonoid content and antioxidant activity. The HPLC method was found to be accurate and reliable for determining the flavonoid contents of the bamboo-leaf extracts. The seven flavonoids were well separated, and good linear relationships were exhibited (correlation coefficients ( R 2 )≥0.9990). Furthermore, the contents of the seven flavonoids in the bamboo-leaf extracts ranged from 14.97 to 183.94 mg/g, with the highest content of 183.94 mg/g recorded for Phyllostachys edulis . The bamboo species exhibited significantly different flavonoid contents, with Phyllostachys edulis showing the highest orientin, isoorientin, and vitexin levels of 38.45, 101.30, and 9.42 mg/g, respectively. Moreover, the bamboo-leaf extracts exhibited IC 50 values of 78.23-179.41 mg/L for DPPH-radical-scavenging, while values of 203.48-1250.81 mg/L were recorded for hydroxyl radicals. The Phyllostachys edulis leaf extract exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity, with the lowest IC 50 values of 78.23 and 203.48 mg/L for DPPH and hydroxyl, respectively; it showed greatly significant for the further development and application of Phyllostachys edulis . Finally, the relationships between flavonoid content and the DPPH- and hydroxyl-radical-scavenging activities (based on the IC 50 values) were correlated, which revealed that the orientin and isoorientin contents are closely related to the antioxidant activities of the bamboo-leaf extracts. Consequently, the orientin and isoorientin contents can be used as indicators for evaluating the antioxidant activities of bamboo-leaf extracts.

Bamboo leaf extract (BLE) is a pale brown powder extracted from bamboo leaves, and it is listed in the Chinese Standard GB-2760 as a legal and safe food additive. The present study aims to identify and characterize the major flavonoids in BLE. The identification of major flavonoids was carried out using ultra performance liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization quadruple time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-QTOF-MS/MS). A total of 31 flavonoid compounds were identified and tentatively characterized base on reference standards and MS dissociation mechanisms. HPLC/ESI-QTOF-MS can serve as an important analytical platform to identification structure of bamboo leaf flavonoids (BLF).

In this study, we analyzed the clinical efficacy of Zishen Yutai pills (ZSYTP) combined with metformin hydrochloride on infertile women diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) undergoing in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). Patients were assigned into 3 groups: the ZSYTP group (n = 50), the metformin group (n = 50), and the combination group (ZSYTP combined with metformin hydrochloride, n = 50), based on their respective and the indicated treatments before undergoing IVF-ET. Then, their glucose metabolism indices, sex hormone indices, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, and outcomes of IVF-ET were compared. Baseline characteristics were not significantly different between the 2 groups. After treatment, various parameters such as body mass index (BMI), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), fasting insulin (FIN), homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol (E2), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone (T) levels, and TCM syndrome scores were found to be reduced compared to pretreatment levels in both groups. Moreover, the improvement observed in the treatment group exceeded that of the control group. Specifically, the observation group displayed significantly lower gonadotropin (Gn) dosage and duration, as well as a reduced abortion rate compared to the control group. Furthermore, the observation group had higher numbers of obtained eggs, high-quality embryos, eggs obtained through IVF-ET, average transferred embryos, clinical pregnancy rate, and embryo implantation rate compared to the control group. Pretreatment with ZSYTP combined with metformin before IVF-ET in PCOS patients improves the outcome of IVF-ET., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Exploring the responses of carbon component accumulation and allocation to arbuscular mycocorrhizal fungi (AM) and earthworm inoculation can provide reference for improving carbon sequestration potential and bioremediation efficiency in rocky desertification soils. In this study, we chose Fraxinus malacophylla as the host plant to inoculate with Funneliformis mosseae (FM), earthworm (E), and E+FM, using no earthworm and mycorrhizae addition as CK to examine the spatiotemporal variations in soil carbon components (i.e., total organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, easily oxidized organic carbon, and recalcitrant organic carbon) and their allocation (i.e., microbial biomass carbon/total organic carbon, easily oxidized organic carbon/total organic carbon, and recalcitrant organic carbon/total organic carbon). The results showed that 1) The respective and interactive inoculation of E and AM significantly promoted the accumulation of each carbon component. In contrast with the control, the average carbon component levels under three inoculation treatments were ranked as E+FM>E>FM. The three inoculation treatments significantly promoted soil microbial carbon/total organic carbon (30.5%-68.5%) and easily oxidized carbon/total organic carbon (31.2%-39.2%), but decreased recalcitrant organic carbon/total organic carbon (2.9%-16.2%). 2) The spatiotemporal variation in accumulation and allocation of soil carbon components varied between the inoculation treatments. The maximum value of each carbon component occurred in June. The increase in each carbon component was significantly higher in E+FM (33.0%-122.1%) than that in E (31.2%-95.4%) and FM (9.2%-41.3%). The maximum value of microbial biomass carbon/total organic carbon and easily oxidized organic carbon/total organic carbon was observed in June, while that of recalcitrant organic carbon/total organic carbon was recorded in December. In contrast with CK, the amplitude of variation in the proportion of carbon components in total organic carbon under the three inoculation treatments was ranked as E+FM>E>FM. The accumulation and allocation of all carbon components decreased (9.7%-146.2%) along the soil profile. The level of carbon components in the E treatment decreased the smallest. The microbial biomass carbon/total organic carbon and easily oxidized carbon/total organic carbon decreased the least and the recalcitrant organic carbon/total organic carbon decreased the greatest under the E+FM treatment. 3) Changes in soil physicochemical properties under the three inoculation treatments significantly affected the accumulation and allocation of organic carbon components. Soil pH was negatively correlated with carbon component accumulation and allocation, whereas other soil variables were positively correlated with them. 4) The results of principal component analysis showed that soil water content, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus were the main factors driving carbon component accumulation, while soil water content, total phosphorus, and pH were the main factors controlling carbon component allocation. Therefore, we concluded that the earthworms, AM fungi and their interaction affected the accumulation and allocation of carbon components in Yunnan rocky desertification soils, which would primarily depend on the changes of soil water content, acid-base property, as well as nitrogen and phosphorus conditions.

The hippocampus is one of the most commonly studied brain regions in the context of depression. The volume of the hippocampus is significantly reduced in patients with depression, which severely disrupts hippocampal neuroplasticity. However, antidepressant therapies that target hippocampal neuroplasticity have not been identified as yet. Chinese medicine (CM) can slow the progression of depression, potentially by modulating hippocampal neuroplasticity. Xiaoyaosan (XYS) is a CM formula that has been clinically used for the treatment of depression. It is known to protect Gan (Liver) and Pi (Spleen) function, and may exert its antidepressant effects by regulating hippocampal neuroplasticity. In this review, we have summarized the association between depression and aberrant hippocampal neuroplasticity. Furthermore, we have discussed the researches published in the last 30 years on the effects of XYS on hippocampal neuroplasticity in order to elucidate the possible mechanisms underlying its therapeutic action against depression. The results of this review can aid future research on XYS for the treatment of depression., (© 2024. The Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Cardiac fibrosis is a pathological scarring process that impairs cardiac function. N-acetyltransferase 10 (Nat10) is recently identified as the key enzyme for the N4-acetylcytidine (ac4C) modification of mRNAs. In this study, we investigated the role of Nat10 in cardiac fibrosis following myocardial infarction (MI) and the related mechanisms. MI was induced in mice by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery; cardiac function was assessed with echocardiography. We showed that both the mRNA and protein expression levels of Nat10 were significantly increased in the infarct zone and border zone 4 weeks post-MI, and the expression of Nat10 in cardiac fibroblasts was significantly higher compared with that in cardiomyocytes after MI. Fibroblast-specific overexpression of Nat10 promoted collagen deposition and induced cardiac systolic dysfunction post-MI in mice. Conversely, fibroblast-specific knockout of Nat10 markedly relieved cardiac function impairment and extracellular matrix remodeling following MI. We then conducted ac4C-RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation-sequencing (RIP-seq) in cardiac fibroblasts transfected with Nat10 siRNA, and revealed that angiomotin-like 1 (Amotl1), an upstream regulator of the Hippo signaling pathway, was the target gene of Nat10. We demonstrated that Nat10-mediated ac4C modification of Amotl1 increased its mRNA stability and translation in neonatal cardiac fibroblasts, thereby increasing the interaction of Amotl1 with yes-associated protein 1 (Yap) and facilitating Yap translocation into the nucleus. Intriguingly, silencing of Amotl1 or Yap, as well as treatment with verteporfin, a selective and potent Yap inhibitor, attenuated the Nat10 overexpression-induced proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts and prevented their differentiation into myofibroblasts in vitro. In conclusion, this study highlights Nat10 as a crucial regulator of myocardial fibrosis following MI injury through ac4C modification of upstream activators within the Hippo/Yap signaling pathway., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Pharmacological Society.)

Background: Hypercoagulability emerges as a central pathological feature and clinical complication in nephrotic syndrome. Increased platelet activation and aggregability are closely related to hypercoagulability in nephrotic syndrome. Monocyte-platelet aggregates (MPAs) have been proposed to represent a robust biomarker of platelet activation. The aim of this study was to investigate levels of the circulating MPAs and MPAs with the different monocyte subsets to evaluate the association of MPAs with hypercoagulability in nephrotic syndrome., Methods: Thirty-two patients with nephrotic syndrome were enrolled. In addition, thirty-two healthy age and sex matched adult volunteers served as healthy controls. MPAs were identified by CD14 monocytes positive for CD41a platelets. The classical (CD14 + + CD16-, CM), the intermediate (CD14 + + CD16+, IM) and the non-classical (CD14 + CD16++, NCM) monocytes, as well as subset specific MPAs, were measured by flow cytometry., Results: Patients with nephrotic syndrome showed a higher percentage of circulating MPAs as compared with healthy controls (p < 0.001). The percentages of MPAs with CM, IM, and NCM were higher than those of healthy controls (p = 0.012, p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). Circulating MPAs showed correlations with hypoalbuminemia (r=-0.85; p < 0.001), hypercholesterolemia (r = 0.54; p < 0.001), fibrinogen (r = 0.70; p < 0.001) and D-dimer (r = 0.37; p = 0.003), but not with hypertriglyceridemia in nephrotic syndrome. The AUC for the prediction of hypercoagulability in nephrotic syndrome using MPAs was 0.79 (95% CI 0.68-0.90, p < 0.001). The sensitivity of MPAs in predicting hypercoagulability was 0.71, and the specificity was 0.78., Conclusion: Increased MPAs were correlated with hypercoagulability in nephrotic syndrome. MPAs may serve as a potential biomarker for thrombophilic or hypercoagulable state and provide novel insight into the mechanisms of anticoagulation in nephrotic syndrome., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Hemoglobinopathies are one of the most common single-gene genetic disorders globally, with approximately 1% to 5% of the global population carrying the mutated gene for thalassemia. Thalassemia are classified into transfusion-dependent thalassemia and non-transfusion-dependent thalassemia based on the need for blood transfusion. Traditional treatment modalities include blood transfusion, splenectomy, hydroxyurea therapy, and iron chelation therapy, which are now widely used for clinical treatment and constitute the main methods recommended in the β-thalassemia treatment guidelines. However, there are multiple barriers and limitations to the application of these approaches, and there is an urgent need to explore new therapeutic approaches. With the in-depth study of the pathophysiological process of β-thalassemia, a deeper understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease has been gained. It has been demonstrated that the pathogenesis of thalassemia is closely related to ineffective erythropoiesis (IE), imbalance in the ratio of α/β-globin protein chains and iron overload. New therapeutic approaches are emerging for different pathogenic mechanisms. Among them, new drugs for the treatment of IE mainly include activin receptor II trap ligands, Janus kinase 2 inhibitors, pyruvate kinase activators, and glycine transporter protein 1 inhibitors. Correcting the imbalance in the hemoglobin chain is mainly due to emerging technologies such as bone marrow transplantation and gene editing. Measures in reducing iron overload are associated with inhibiting the activity of transferrin and hepcidin. These new approaches provide new ideas and options for the treatment and management of β-thalassemia.

Abortive transcript (AT) is a 2-19 nt long non-coding RNA that is produced in the abortive initiation stage. Abortive initiation was found to be closely related to RNA polymerase through in vitro experiments. Therefore, the distribution of AT length and the scale of abortive initiation are correlated to the promoter, discriminator, and transcription initiation sequence, and can be affected by transcription elongation factors. AT plays an important role in the occurrence and development of various diseases. Here we summarize the discovery of AT, the factors responsible for AT formation, the detection methods and biological functions of AT, to provide new clues for finding potential targets in the early diagnosis and treatment of cancers., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Ant nests can affect the process and seasonal dynamics of forest soil methane emissions through mediating methane oxidation/reduction microorganisms and physicochemical environments. To explore the process and mechanism by which ant nests affect soil methane emissions from Hevea brasiliensis plantation in Xishuangbanna, we measured the seasonal dynamics of methane emissions from ant nest and non-nest soils by using static chamber-gas chromatography method, and analyzed the effect of ant nesting on the changes in functional microbial diversity, microhabitats, and soil nutrients in the plantations. The results showed that: 1) Ant nests significantly affected the mean annual soil methane emissions in tropical plantation. Methane emissions in ant nest were decreased by 59.9% than the non-nest soil. In the dry season, ant nest soil was a methane sink (-1.770 μg·m -2 ·h -1 ), which decreased by 87.2% compared with the non-nest soil, while it was a methane source (0.703 μg·m -2 ·h -1 ) that increased by 152.7% in the wet season. 2) Ant nesting affected methane emissions via changing soil temperature, humidity, carbon and nitrogen concentrations. In contrast to the control, the mean annual temperature, humidity, and carbon and nitrogen content increased by 4.9%-138.5% in ant nest soils, which explained 90.1%, 97.3%, 27.3%-90.0% of the variation in methane emissions, respectively. 3) Ant nesting affected the emission dynamics through changing the diversity and community structure of methane functional microbe. Compared with the control, the average annual methanogen diversity (Ace, Chao1, Shannon, and Simpson indices) in the ant nest ranged from -9.9% to 61.2%, which were higher than those (-8.7%-31.2%) of the methane-oxidising bacterial communities. The relative abundance fluctuations of methanogens and methanotrophic bacteria were 46.76% and -6.33%, respectively. The explaining rate of methanogen diversity to methane emissions (78.4%) was higher than that of oxidizing bacterial diversity (54.5%), the relative abundance explained by the dominant genus of methanogens was 68.9%. 4) The structural equation model showed that methanogen diversity, methanotroph diversity, and soil moisture were the main factors controlling methane emissions, contributing 95.6%, 95.0%, and 91.2% to the variations of emissions, respectively. The contribution (73.1%-87.7%) of soil temperature and carbon and nitrogen components to the emission dynamics was ranked the second. Our results suggest that ant nesting mediates the seasonal dynamics of soil methane emissions, primarily through changing the diversity of methane-function microorganisms and soil water conditions. The research results deepen the understanding of the mechanism of biological regulation of methane emission in tropical forest soil.

Herein, we present a unified chemical synthesis of three subgroups of cephalotaxus diterpenoids. Key to the success lies in adopting a synthetic strategy that is inspired by biosynthesis but is opposite in nature. By employing selective one-carbon introduction and ring expansion operations, we have successfully converted cephalotane-type C 18 dinorditerpenoids (using cephanolide B as a starting material) into troponoid-type C 19 norditerpenoids and intact cephalotane-type C 20 diterpenoids. This synthetic approach has enabled us to synthesize cephinoid H, 13-oxo-cephinoid H, 7-oxo-cephinoid H, fortalpinoid C, 7-epi-fortalpinoid C, cephanolide E, and 13-epi-cephanolide E. Furthermore, through the development of an intermolecular asymmetric Michael reaction between β-oxo esters and β-substituted enones, we have achieved the enantioselective synthesis of advanced intermediates within our synthetic sequence, thus formally realizing the asymmetric total synthesis of the cephalotaxus diterpenoids family., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Herein, we present the first racemic total synthesis of the structurally complex monoterpene indole alkaloids rhynchines A-E, starting from commercially available methyl nicotinate and 3-(2-bromoethyl)-1 H -indole. The success of our synthesis is attributed to the utilization of a bioinspired synthetic strategy, which facilitated the rapid construction of the pentacyclic core skeleton of the target molecules through biomimetic skeletal rearrangement and late-stage C-H oxidative cyclization. Additionally, silica-gel-promoted tautomerization played a crucial role as a strategic element in the chemical synthesis of rhynchines A and B.

Scope: Endocannabinoid signaling regulates energy homeostasis, and is tightly associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The study previously finds that supplementation of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has superior function to ameliorate NAFLD compared with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), however, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. The present study aims to investigate whether DHA intervention alleviates NAFLD via endocannabinoid system., Methods and Results: In a case-control study, the serum endocannabinoid ligands in 60 NAFLD and 60 healthy subjects are measured. Meanwhile, NAFLD model is established in mice fed a high-fat and -cholesterol diet (HFD) for 9 weeks. DHA or EPA is administrated for additional 9 weeks. Serum primary endocannabinoid ligands, namely anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidoniylglycerol (2-AG), are significantly higher in individuals with NAFLD compared with healthy controls. NAFLD model shows that serum 2-AG concentrations and adipocyte cannabinoid receptor 1 expression levels are significantly lower in DHA group compared with HFD group. Lipidomic and targeted ceramide analyses further confirm that endocannabinoid signaling inhibition has exerted deletion of hepatic C16:0-ceramide contents, resulting in down-regulation of de novo fatty acid synthesis and up-regulation of fatty acid β-oxidation related protein expression levels., Conclusions: This work elucidates that DHA has improved NAFLD by suppressing endocannabinoid system., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Exploring the effects of ant nests on soil CH 4 emissions in the secondary tropical forests is of great scientific significance to understand the contribution of soil faunal activities to greenhouse gas emissions. With static chamber-gas chromatography method, we measured the dry-wet seasonal dynamics of CH 4 emissions from ant nests and control soils in the secondary forest of Syzygium oblatum communities in Xishuangbanna. We also examined the linkages of ant-mediated changes in functional microbial diversity and soil physicochemical properties with CH 4 emissions. The results showed that: 1) Ant nests significantly accelerated soil CH 4 emissions, with average CH 4 emissions in the ant nests being 2.6-fold of that in the control soils. 2) The CH 4 emissions had significant dry-wet seasonal variations, which was a carbon sink in the dry seasons (from -0.29±0.03 to -0.53±0.02 μg·m -2 ·h -1 ) and a carbon source in the wet seasons (from 0.098±0.02 to 0.041±0.009 μg·m -2 ·h -1 ). The CH 4 emissions were significantly higher in ant nests than in control soils. The CH 4 emissions from the ant nests had smaller dry-wet seasonal variation (from -0.38±0.01 to 0.12±0.02 μg·m -2 ·h -1 ) than those in the control soils (from -0.65±0.04 to 0.058±0.006 μg·m -2 ·h -1 ). 3) Ant nests significantly increased the values (6.2%-37.8%) of soil methanogen diversity ( i.e ., Ace and Shannon indices), temperature and humidity, carbon pools ( i.e ., total, easily oxidizable, and microbial carbon), and nitrogen pools ( i.e ., total, hydrolyzed, ammonium, and microbial biomass nitrogen), but decreased the diversity ( i.e ., Ace and Chao1 indices) of methane-oxidizing bacteria by 21.9%-23.8%. 4) Results of the structural equation modeling showed that CH 4 emissions were promoted by soil methanogen diversity, temperature and humidity, and C and N pools, but inhibited by soil methane-oxidizing bacterial diversity. The explained extents of soil temperature, humidity, carbon pool, nitrogen pool, methanogen diversity, and methane-oxidizing bacterial diversity for the CH 4 emission changes were 6.9%, 21.6%, 18.4%, 15.2%, 14.0%, and 10.8%, respectively. Therefore, ant nests regulated soil CH 4 emission dynamics through altering soil functional bacterial diversities, micro-habitat, and carbon and nitrogen pools in the secondary tropical forests.

We previously reported that fish oil plus vitamin D 3 (FO + D) could ameliorate nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, it is unclear whether the beneficial effects of FO + D on NAFLD are associated with gut microbiota and fecal metabolites. In this study, we investigated the effects of dietary supplementation of FO + D on gut microbiota and fecal metabolites and their correlation with NAFLD risk factors. Methods : A total of 61 subjects were randomly divided into three groups: FO + D group (2.34 g day -1 of eicosatetraenoic acid (EPA) + docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) + 1680 IU vitamin D 3 ), FO group (2.34 g day -1 of EPA + DHA), and corn oil (CO) group (1.70 g d -1 linoleic acid). Blood and fecal samples were collected at the baseline and day 90. Gut microbiota were analyzed through 16S rRNA PCR analysis, and fecal co-metabolites were determined via untargeted ultraperformance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). Results : The relative abundance of Eubacterium ( p = 0.03) and Lactobacillus ( p = 0.05) increased, whereas that of Streptococcus ( p = 0.02) and Dialister ( p = 0.04) decreased in the FO + D group compared with the CO group. Besides, changes in tetracosahexaenoic acid (THA, C24:6 n-3) ( p = 0.03) levels were significantly enhanced, whereas 8,9-DiHETrE levels ( p < 0.05) were reduced in the FO + D group compared with the CO group. The changes in 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 levels in the fecal samples were inversely associated with insulin resistance, which was determined using the homeostatic model assessment model (HOMA-IR, r = -0.29, p = 0.02), and changes in 8,9-DiHETrE levels were positively associated with adiponectin levels ( r = -0.43, p < 0.05). Conclusion : The present results indicate that the beneficial effects of FO + D on NAFLD may be partially attributed to the impact on gut microbiota and fecal metabolites.

Objective: To explore the clinical manifestations and genotype of an infant with hyperuricemia, pulmonary hypertension, renal failure in infancy, and alkalosis syndrome (HUPRAS). Methods: Clinical data of the patient were collected. Peripheral blood samples from the patient and his parents were acquainted for whole exome sequencing. The filtrated variants were verified by Sanger sequencing. The pathogenicity of the variants was predicted by bioinformatic tools. Results: The patient is a male infant of 6 months old, carrying two missense variants in the SARS2 allele: a paternal inherited c.1205G>A (p. Arg402His) and a maternal inherited c.680G>A (p. Arg227Gln). The two variants were in extremely low population frequencies. The pathogenetic prediction tools categorized them as deleterious. Arg402 and Arg227 were highly conserved in evolution. The variants led to changes in the hydrogen bonds and hydrophobicity of seryl-tRNA synthetase encoded by SARS2. Conclusions: c.1205G>A (p. Arg402His) and c.680G>A (p. Arg227Gln) are the possible causative variants of the HUPRA syndrome.

Background: B56ε is a regulatory subunit of the serine/threonine protein phosphatase 2A, which is abnormally expressed in tumors and regulates various tumor cell functions. At present, the application of B56ε in pan-cancer lacks a comprehensive analysis, and its role and mechanism in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are still unclear., Aim: To analyze B56ε in pan-cancer, and explore its role and mechanism in HCC., Methods: The Cancer Genome Atlas, Genotype-Tissue Expression, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis, and Tumor Immune Estimation Resource databases were used to analyze B56ε expression, prognostic mutations, somatic copy number alterations, and tumor immune characteristics in 33 tumors. The relationships between B56ε expression levels and drug sensitivity, immunotherapy, immune checkpoints, and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-related genes were further analyzed. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was performed to reveal the role of B56ε in HCC. The Cell Counting Kit-8, plate cloning, wound healing, and transwell assays were conducted to assess the effects of B56ε interference on the malignant behavior of HCC cells., Results: In most tumors, B56ε expression was upregulated, and high B56ε expression was a risk factor for adrenocortical cancer, HCC, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (all P < 0.05). B56ε expression levels were correlated with a variety of immune cells, such as T helper 17 cells, B cells, and macrophages. There was a positive correlation between B56ε expression levels with immune checkpoint genes and HLA-related genes (all P < 0.05). The expression of B56ε was negatively correlated with the sensitivity of most chemotherapy drugs, but a small number showed a positive correlation (all P < 0.05). GSEA analysis showed that B56ε expression was related to the cancer pathway, p53 downstream pathway, and interleukin-mediated signaling in HCC. Knockdown of B56ε expression in HCC cells inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion capacity of tumor cells., Conclusion: B56ε is associated with the microenvironment, immune evasion, and immune cell infiltration of multiple tumors. B56ε plays an important role in HCC progression, supporting it as a prognostic marker and potential therapeutic target for HCC., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Achieving separation of lithium and magnesium with similar radii is crucial for the current lithium extraction technology from salt lakes, which usually possess a high lithium-to-magnesium ratio. Herein, we proposed the facile sequential interfacial polymerization (SIP) approach to construct electronanofiltration membranes (ENFMs) with a bilayer charged structure consisting of a high positively charged surface and a negatively charged sublayer. The trimesoyl chloride (TMC) concentration was adjusted to enhance the -COOH content and negative charge of the polyamide sublayer to promote Li + migration, and then the quaternized polyethylenimine was introduced to the membrane surface by the SIP process to increase the positive charge density on the surface of the ENFMs, which would block the migration of Mg 2+ and enhance the Li + /Mg 2+ selectivity of the ENFMs. The optimal quaternary-modified ENFMs achieved outstanding selectivity for Li + /Mg 2+ (49.85) and high Li + flux (4.10 × 10 -8 mol cm -2 s -1 ) at a current density of 10 mA cm -2 . Moreover, in simulated brines with low lithium concentration and high Mg 2+ /Li + ratio, the optimal ENFMs also displayed elevated Li + /Mg 2+ selectivity (>45), highlighting the substantial promise of the membranes for practical applications.

D-π-A dyes are an ideal strategy for building near-infrared fluorescent probes that have a large Stokes shift due to their excellent properties of adjustable emission wavelength and Stokes shift. Developing a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe (JTPQ-Cys) capable of detecting cysteine (Cys) was the aim of this study. In JTPQ-Cys, julolidine served as the electron donor (D) and quinoline as the electron acceptor (A), with 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene as the π-bridge. The π-conjugation and vibrational/rotational activity of the molecule were increased by the introduction of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene, causing the molecule to exhibit NIR emission and a large Stokes shift. When JTPQ-Cys was used to detect Cys, a clear fluorescence turn-on signal was observed at 741 nm, together with a Stokes shift of 268 nm. The limit of detection of JTPQ-Cys for Cys is 24 nM. Moreover, JTPQ-Cys has been utilized successfully for imaging studies of Cys in cells and zebrafish because it has good photostability, low cytotoxicity, and a high signal-to-noise ratio. Overall, our findings demonstrate the potential of JTPQ-Cys to be one of the best choices for detecting Cys in biological systems, and JTPQ is an ideal fluorophore to construct fluorescence dyes for bioimaging., 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 © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have shown to exert beneficial effects in the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Supplements of n-3 PUFA occur in either phospholipid or triacylglycerol form. The present study aimed to compare whether the different n-3 PUFA of marine-origin, namely krill oil, DHA/EPA-phospholipid (PL), and EPA/DHA-triacylglycerol (TAG) forms had differential abilities to ameliorate NAFLD. The NAFLD model was established in mice fed a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet (HFD). The mice showed evidence of weight gain, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis after 9 weeks of HFD, while the three forms of the n-3 PUFA reduced hepatic TAG accumulation, fatty liver and improved insulin instance, and hepatic biomarkers after 9 weeks of intervention. Of these, krill oil intervention significantly reduced adipocyte hypertrophy and hepatic steatosis in comparison with DHA/EPA-PL and EPA/DHA-TAG groups. Importantly, only krill oil intervention significantly reduced serum alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase concentrations and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, compared with the HFD group. Supplemental n-3 PUFA lowered circulating anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) concentrations, compared with the HFD group, which was associated with down-regulating CB1 and upregulating adiponectin expressions in adipose tissue. Besides, targeted lipidomic analyses indicated that the increased adiponectin levels were accompanied by reductions in hepatic ceramide levels. The reduced ceramide levels were associated with inhibiting lipid synthesis and increasing fatty acid β-oxidation, finally inhibiting TAG accumulation in the liver. Through mediating CB1/adiponectin/ceramide pathway, the present study suggested that administration of krill oil had superior health effects in the therapy of NAFLD in comparison with DHA/EPA-PL and EPA/DHA-TAG., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The author(s) declared that there were no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To explore the clinical efficacy of antibiotic bone cement combined with vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) in treating diabetes mellitus complicated with necrotizing fasciitis. Methods: The retrospective observational study approach was used. From January 2020 to March 2022, 12 patients with type 2 diabetes complicated with necrotizing fasciitis who met the inclusion criteria were admitted to Wuxi Ninth People's Hospital, including 7 males and 5 females, aged 27 to 76 years. The initial diagnosis of lesions was in the lower limbs. After admission, bedside incision and drainage were performed timely, and a sample of wound exudate was collected for microbial cultivation. At the same time, the comprehensive supportive treatment was performed. At stage Ⅰ, debridement was performed, and the skin and soft tissue defect area was 40 cm×15 cm to 80 cm×25 cm after debridement. The dead space was filled with bone cement containing gentamicin and vancomycin and VSD was performed. After there was no obvious infection on the wound, the antibiotic bone cement was removed and wound repair surgery was performed at stage Ⅱ. The times of debridement, amputation, infection control, wound treatment method and wound healing at stage Ⅱ, total hospitalization day, and recurrence of necrotizing fasciitis during follow-up after the stage Ⅱ surgery. At the last follow-up, the walking function of patients was evaluated according to the scoring standards of American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Association (AOFAS). Results: Eleven patients had wound infection control with one debridement surgery and did not undergo amputation surgery; one patient had significant foot gangrene, and the infection was controlled after one debridement and amputation of the gangrenous limb. Blood routine and infection indicators gradually returned to normal within 7 days after surgery. At stage Ⅱ, the wounds in 4 patients were sutured directly, the wounds in 6 patients were repaired with full-thickness inguinal skin graft, while the wounds in 2 patients were repaired with pedicled or tongue-shaped flaps at the wound edge. The wounds healed well after surgery, with no ulceration. The total hospitalization day of patients was 20 to 45 days. Follow-up for 3 to 24 months after stage Ⅱ surgery showed no recurrence of necrotizing fasciitis in any patient. At the last follow-up, the walking function was evaluated as excellent in 10 cases and good in 2 cases according to the AOFAS scoring standard. Conclusions: Antibiotic bone cement combined with VSD used in treating type 2 diabetes complicated with necrotizing fasciitis can effectively control infection and reduce the times of debridement, with good wound healing and walking function after surgery.

Objective: This study aimed to compare robotic pancreatoduodenectomy (RPD) with laparoscopic pancreatoduodenectomy (LPD) in operative and oncologic outcomes., Background: Previous studies comparing RPD with LPD have only been carried out in small, single-center studies with variable quality., Methods: Consecutive patients from nine centers in China who underwent RPD or LPD between 2015 and 2022 were included. A 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) was used to minimize bias., Results: Of the 2,255 patients, 1158 underwent RPD and 1097 underwent LPD. Following PSM, 1006 patients were enrolled in each group. The RPD group had significantly shorter operative time (270.0 vs. 305.0 minutes, P<0.001), lower intraoperative blood transfusion rate (5.9% vs. 12.0%, P<0.001), lower conversion rate (3.8% vs. 6.7%, P=0.004), and higher vascular reconstruction rate (7.9% vs. 5.6%, P=0.040) than the LPD group. There were no significant differences in estimated blood loss, postoperative length of stay, perioperative complications, and 90-day mortality. Patients who underwent vascular reconstruction had similar outcomes between the two groups, although they had significantly lower estimated blood loss (300.0 vs. 360.0 mL; P=0.021) in the RPD group. Subgroup analysis on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) found no significant differences between the two groups in median recurrence-free survival (14.3 vs. 15.3 mo, P=0.573) and overall survival (24.1 vs. 23.7 mo, P=0.710)., Conclusions: In experienced hands, both RPD and LPD are safe and feasible procedures with similar surgical outcomes. RPD had the perioperative advantage over LPD especially in vascular reconstruction. For PDAC patients, RPD resulted in similar oncological and survival outcomes as LPD., Competing Interests: Disclosures: The authors report no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a clinically common, progressive, devastating, chronic inflammatory disease of the intestine that is recurrent and difficult to treat. Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) is a protein complex composed of multiple proteins whose formation activates cysteine aspartate protease-1 (caspase-1) to induce the maturation and secretion of inflammatory mediators such as interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18, promoting the development of inflammatory responses. Recent studies have shown that NLRP3 is associated with UC susceptibility, and that it maintains a stable intestinal environment by responding to a wide range of pathogenic microorganisms. The mainstay of treatment for UC is to control inflammation and relieve symptoms. Despite a certain curative effect, there are problems such as easy recurrence after drug withdrawal and many side effects associated with long-term medication. NLRP3 serves as a core link in the inflammatory response. If the relationship between NLRP3 and gut microbes and inflammation-associated factors can be analyzed concerning its related inflammatory signaling pathways, its expression status as well as specific mechanism in the course of IBD can be elucidated and further considered for clinical diagnosis and treatment of IBD, it is expected that the development of lead compounds targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome can be developed for the treatment of IBD. Research into the prevention and treatment of UC, which has become a hotbed of research in recent years, has shown that natural products are rich in therapeutic means, and multi-targets, with fewer adverse effects. Natural products have shown promise in treating UC in numerous basic and clinical trials over the past few years. This paper describes the regulatory role of the NLRP3 inflammasome in UC and the mechanism of recent natural products targeting NLRP3 against UC, which provides a reference for the clinical treatment of this disease., 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 © 2023 Xue, Yuan, Hou, Meng, Liu, Cheng, Zhao, Li, Guo, Di, Li and Zhang.)

Integrated traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine (WM) is a new medical science grounded in the knowledge bases of both TCM and WM, which then forms a unique modern medical system in China. Integrated TCM and WM has a long history in China, and has made important achievements in the process of clinical diagnosis and treatment. However, the methodological defects in currently published clinical practice guidelines limit its development. The organic integration of TCM and WM is a deeper integration of TCM and WM. To realize the progression of "integration" to "organic integration", a targeted and standardized guideline development methodology is needed. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to establish a standardized development procedure for clinical practice guidelines for the organic integration of TCM and WM to promote the systematic integration of TCM and WM research results into clinical practice guidelines in order to achieve optimal results as the whole is greater than the sum of the parts., (© 2023. People´s Military Medical Press.)

Rabies kills more than 59,000 people annually, mainly in developing countries. Previous studies on the evolution and distribution of rabies viruses (RABVs) were scattered. Here, we explore the evolution and distribution of this deadly virus from a novel panorama view. Multiple bioinformatic software tools were employed to analyze the phylogenetic diversity, evolution, spatiotemporal, and distribution of RABVs. The analyses were based on 1,202 qualified full-length genomes of RABVs and numerous literatures. Of the 10 distinct phylogenetic clades of RABV that we identified, more frequent intra- and inter-clade recombination occurs in the sequences of Asian-SEA, Arctic, and Cosmopolitan clades isolated from China, while according to existing sequence information, RABV might originate from bats (posterior probability, PP = 0.75, PP = 0.60 inferred from N and L genes, separately) in North America (PP = 0.57, PP = 0.62 inferred from N and L genes, separately). Due to the difference in evolutionary rate of N (2.22 × 10 -4 subs/site/year, 95% HPD 1.99-2.47 × 10 -4 subs/site/year) and L genes (1.67 × 10 -4 subs/site/year, 95% HPD 1.59-1.74 × 10 -4 subs/site/year), the root age was 1,406.6 (95% HPD 1,291.2-1,518.2) and 1,122.7 (95% HPD 1,052.4-1,193.9) inferred from N and L genes, separately. Among other findings, Mephitidae plays an important role in the interspecific transmission and communication of RABV, which we found tends to spread to populations genetically proximate to the host. We also identified amino acids under positive selection in different genes of different clades as well as single nucleotide variation sites important for different lineages. IMPORTANCE Rabies virus is widely distributed all over the world, and wild animals are its largest potential reservoir. Our study offers a panorama view about evolution and distribution of rabies viruses and emphasizes the need to monitor the transmission dynamics of animal rabies.

Objective: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first discovered in December 2019, and since then rapidly spread worldwide. Our study aimed to investigate the early indicators of death in patients suffering from severe and critical COVID-19., Patients and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients with severe and critical COVID-19, admitted to the Seventh Hospital of Wuhan. Clinical information was collected from electronic medical records according to standardized data collection tables. Patients were divided into non-survival and survival groups based on the disease outcome. Using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis, and calculating odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), independent risk factors for death in severe and critically ill COVID-19 patients were identified., Results: The median age of 162 patients (57.4% males) was 67.5 years old. Patients in the non-survival group had significantly higher white blood cell count, decreased lymphocyte count, anemia and thrombocytopenia compared to patients in the survival group (p < 0.05). A 28-day mortality rate of the study cohort was 31.5%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that underlying heart disease, lymphocyte count < 1.0 × 109/L, glomerular filtration rate < 66, lactate > 2.2 mmol/L, higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, lower oxygenation index (OR 1.748; 95% CI 1.024-2.984; p=0.041) and higher "multi-lobar infiltration, hypo lymphocytosis, bacterial co-infection, smoking history, hypertension and age" (MuLBSTA) score (OR 1.601; 95% CI 1.062-2.415; p=0.025) were risk factors associated with death in patients with severe and critical COVID-19., Conclusions: Underlying heart disease, lymphocyte count, glomerular filtration rate, lactate, oxygenation index, SOFA score, and MuLBSTA score were associated with the risk of death in severe and critical COVID-19 patients.

Yellow fluorescent silicon quantum dots (y-SiQDs) with 22.2% fluorescence quantum yield were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method using 3-glycidoxypropyl triethoxysilane (GOTS) and m-aminophenol. The excitation wavelength is 550 nm with an emission wavelength of 574 nm, which effectively avoids the interference of biological autofluorescence. Notably, the synthesis approach does not require any post-modification and the y-SiQDs can be directly used for hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) quantification due to static quenching. It exhibits high sensitivity and excellent selectivity for H 2 S with a 0.2-10 μM (R 2  = 0.9953) linear range and detection limit of 54 nM. y-SiQDs have excellent stability and biocompatibility and can be used for H 2 S imaging in living cells and onion tissues., 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 © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD), a rare group of non-congenital inherited muscle diseases, is characterized by a progressive reduction in muscle tone and force of the proximal limbs. The clinical manifestations and genetic patterns of LGMD are heterogeneous. This study reported on a 10-year-old male patient with LGMD type 2U who experienced muscle weakness in the lower limbs after exercise. Upon admission, the patient's creatine kinase levels were significantly elevated, and hydration and alkalinization therapy were ineffective. Using high-throughput sequencing, muscular dystrophy-related genes were tested in the patient, his parents, and his sister. The patient was found to have a heterozygous deletion of exon 9 of the ISPD gene and a heterozygous missense mutation c.1231C>T (p.Leu411Phe). The patient's father carried the heterozygous missense mutation c.1231C>T (p.Leu411Phe) of the ISPD gene, while his mother and sister carried a heterozygous deletion of exon 9 of the ISPD gene. These mutations have not been reported in existing databases or literature. Conservation and protein structure prediction analyses of the mutation sites indicated that they are highly conserved and located in the C-terminal domain of the ISPD protein, which may affect protein function. Based on the above results and relevant clinical data, the patient was definitively diagnosed with LGMD type 2U. This study enriched the spectrum of ISPD gene mutations by summarizing the patient's clinical characteristics and analyzing new ISPD gene variations. This can aid in the early diagnosis and genetic counseling of the disease.

Objective: To explore the effects of pedicled flap combined with membrane induction technique in repairing foot and ankle wounds in diabetic patients. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted. From March 2019 to July 2021, 12 patients with diabetic foot and ankle wounds who met the inclusion criteria were admitted to Wuxi Ninth People's Hospital, including 7 males and 5 females, aged 20 to 92 years. The wound area before debridement was 4.0 cm×2.5 cm to 16.0 cm×12.5 cm. The patients underwent debridement+antibiotic cement tamponade in stage Ⅰ; according to the wound site, peroneal artery perforator flap or posterior tibial artery perforator flap was chosen to repair the wound in stage Ⅱ, with the area of the resected flap ranging from 4.5 cm×3.0 cm to 18.5 cm×14.0 cm. The donor site was directly closed in 4 patients or covered by full-thickness inguinal skin graft in 8 patients. After the operation of stage Ⅱ, the survival of flap and skin graft, the scar in donor and recipient sites of flap, the appearance of flap, and the function of ankle joint of affected extremity were followed up. The recovery of foot and ankle function was evaluated and rated by the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle-Hindfoot Scoring System at the last follow-up. Results: During the follow-up of 4 to 15 months after the operation of stage Ⅱ, both the flap and skin graft survived, without obvious infection recurrence. Linear scars were left in donor and recipient sites of flap, with good appearance in flap. The function of ankle joint in the affected extremity was nearly normal. At the last follow-up, the AOFAS scores of patients were 79 to 93, with excellent in 8 cases and good in 4 cases. Conclusions: The pedicled flap combined with membrane induction technique for repairing foot and ankle wounds in diabetic patients has the advantage of simple operation, preserved ankle joint function, and less postoperative infection recurrence, which is worth popularizing in clinical practice.

Background: Red-tail catfish (Hemibagrus wyckioides) is an important commercially farmed catfish in southern China. Males of red-tail catfish grow faster than females, suggesting that all-male catfish will produce more significant economic benefits in aquaculture practice. However, little research has been reported on sex determination and gonadal development in red-tail catfish., Results: In this study, we performed the first transcriptomic analysis of male and female gonads at four developmental stages at 10, 18, 30, and 48 days post hatching (dph) using RNA-seq technology. A total of 23,588 genes were screened in 24 sequenced samples, of which 28, 213, 636, and 1381 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected at four developmental stages, respectively. Seven candidate genes of sex determination and differentiation were further identified. Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) further confirmed that anti-Mullerian hormone (amh), growth differentiation factor 6a (gdf6a), testis-specific gene antigen 10 (tsga10), and cytochrome P450 family 17 subfamily A (cyp17a) were highly expressed mainly in the male, while cytochrome P450 family 19 subfamily A polypeptide 1b (cyp19a1b), forkhead box L2 (foxl2), and hydroxysteroid 17-beta dehydrogenase 1 (hsd17b1) were highly expressed in the female. The KEGG pathway enrichment data showed that these identified DEGs were mainly involved in steroid hormone biosynthesis and TGF-β signaling pathways., Conclusions: Based on RNA-seq data of gonads at the early developmental stages, seven DEGs shared by the four developmental stages were identified, among which amh and gdf6a may be the male-biased expression genes, while foxl2, cyp19a1b and hsd17b1 may be the female-biased expression genes in red-tail catfish. Our study will provide crucial genetic information for the research on sex control in red-tail catfish, as well as for exploring the evolutionary processes of sex determination mechanisms in fish., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Catfish (Siluriformes) are one of the most diverse vertebrate orders and are characterized by whisker-like barbels, which are important sensory organs in most of teleosts. However, their specific biological functions are still unclear. Red-tail catfish (Hemibagrus wyckioides) is well-known catfish species with four pairs of barbels, of which the maxillary barbels reach two-thirds of the body length. In this study, a 776.58 Mb high-quality chromosome-level genome was assembled into 29 chromosomes. Comparative genome data indicated that the barbeled regeneration gene ccl33 has expanded into 11 tandemly duplicated copies. Transcriptome data revealed the functional differentiation of different barbels and suggested that the maxillary barbel might be necessary for water temperature perception. Taste receptor genes were also characterized in teleosts with different food habits. Selection pressures were revealed to affect the sugar-based solute transport domain of the sweet taste receptor gene t1r2 in carnivorous fishes. In addition, the bitter taste receptor gene t2r200 was found to be lost from the genomes of four catfish species. Therefore, our study provides a genomic foundation for understanding the regeneration and functional differentiation of barbels in red-tail catfish and also reveals novel insights into the feeding evolution of fish species with different feeding habits., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objective: To assess the feasibility of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in children. Methods: Clinical data and follow-up information of 4 AIS children who received EVT in the Department of Intervention & Hemangioma at the Children's Hospital of the Capital Institute of Pediatrics from December 2020 to June 2021 were collected retrospectively. The vascular recanalization after EVT was assessed by the modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (mTICI) score. Efficacy outcomes were assessed with initial and postprocedural Pediatric National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (PedNIHSS) score, and the modified Rankin scale (mRS) score at 3 and 6 months after treatment. Safety assessments included perioperative complications and intracranial hemorrhage post-treatment. Results: A total of 5 EVT treatment were performed on 4 children with AIS, of whom 3 were male. The age of onset was 4.6, 13.8, 7.8, 8.0, 8.9 years, respectively. The time from symptom onset to initiation of EVT was 19.0, 25.0, 22.0, 4.0, 16.5 hours, respectively and all patients achieved successful recanalization of the vessel after EVT (mTICI≥2b). The PedNIHSS score was 39, 14, 25, 39, 24 before treatment and decreased to 8, 1, 12, 39, 5 at discharge. All the procedures were performed with no perioperative complications. Only 1 patient with congenital heart disease had a recurrent AIS with malignant brain oedema and brain hernia. Although the occluded vessels were successfully recanalized,the symptoms were not improved and this patient died after treatment abandonment. The other 3 patients achieved good recovery at 6 months postoperatively. The mRS score of 3 patients was 3, 1, 2 at 3 months after EVT and decreased to 2, 1, 1 at 6 months. Conclusion: EVT treatment may be feasible and safe for pediatric AIS due to large vessel occlusion even when the treatment was initiated 6 hours post stroke, but children with heart disease may have a dismal prognosis.

As a common reactive metabolite in living organisms, abnormal levels of formaldehyde may cause diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, it is important to develop a sensitive and efficient method to understand the role of formaldehyde in physiology and pathology. Herein, a new fluorescent probe 4-phenyl-2-(trifluoromethyl) quinolin-7-hydrazino (QH-FA) was prepared for the detection of formaldehyde in near-total aqueous media with hydrazine as the reaction site and quinoline derivatives as the fluorophore. After reacting with formaldehyde, the hydrazine group formed methylenehydrazine and the fluorescence was significantly enhanced (223-fold) with large Stokes shift of 140 nm. Furthermore, the response of QH-FA to formaldehyde could be finished with in only 10 min with good selectivity, and can distinguish formaldehyde from other aldehydes. More remarkably, the estimated limit of detection of QH-FA is 8.1 nM, which is superior to those of previously reported formaldehyde fluorescent probes. At the end, we detected formaldehyde in cells and zebrafish using QH-FA in a near-total aqueous system and obtained fluorescence images by confocal microscopy., 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 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To compare fetal tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion(TAPSE）Z-scores and mitral annular plane systolic excursion(MAPSE) Z-scores between fetuses with heart failure (HF) and normal fetuses, and to analysis the correlation between CVPS and annular plane systolic excursion(APSE) Z-score(sum of the TAPSE and MAPSE Z-score) in order to evaluate the ventricle systolic function and severity in fetuses with HF., Methods: A total of 1012 normal fetuses and 24 fetuses with heart failure were involved. TAPSE and MAPSE were measured by free angle M-mode(FAM) echocardiography. Normal FAM-TAPSE and FAM-MAPSE Z-score models based on GA were constructed by performing a standard regression analysis followed by weighted regression of absolute residual values . Tei indexes were calculated in all fetuses with heart failure and all of them were divided into left heart failure (LHF)group and right heart failure（RHF)group by Tei index. Subsequently, FAM-MAPSE Z-scores were compared between the normal and LHF groups, FAM-TAPSE Z-scores were compared between the normal and RHF groups．FAM-APSE Z-scores (sum of the FAM-TAPSE and FAM-MAPSE Z-score) and the cardiovascular profile scores (CVPS) in 24 fetuses were calculated, the correlation was analyzed among them., Results: The models used to calculate Z-score for FAM-TAPSE and FAM-MAPSE were constructed, and GA had significant correlation with them ( r  = 0.949, p  < 0.001for all)．Compared with normal fetuses, the mean Z-scores of FAM-TAPSE and FAM-MAPSE were statistically significantly different in fetuses with HF．In the HF groups, all FAM-TAPSE and FAM-MAPSE Z-scores(22/22) were <-2. CVPS ranged from 3 to 8 (mean 5.25 out of 10) and correlated positively with FAM-APSE Z-score ( r  = 0.762)., Conclusions: The FAM-TAPSE and FAM-MAPSE Z-scores declined in fetuses with HF and they can provide quantitative evidence in evaluation of heart systolic function, FAM-APSE Z-score correlated positively with CVPS. FAM-TAPSE, FAM-MAPSE and FAM-APSE Z-scores would be markers for assessing heart systolic function and severity in fetuses with HF.

Background: Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf or Fuling is one of the top 10 most frequently prescribed herbs in China for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)., Objective: The purpose of this systematic review is to determine the additional benefit of Fuling formulae use in addition to hypoglycaemic agents for T2DM in randomised clinical trials., Methods: English (5) and Chinese (4) medical databases were searched from their inception to August 2021. RCTs that included Fuling in herbal formulae for T2DM were included. Risk of bias were assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's procedures. Stata software (13.0) was used for data analysis., Results: Seventy-three RCTs (6,489 participants) with herbal formulae containing Fuling were included. Most studies were at risk of bias and strength of the evidence were low to moderate. Meta-analysis findings showed that the addition of formulae containing Fuling to hypoglycaemic agent-treatments could benefit people with T2DM by reducing fasting blood glucose (MD -0.82 [-0.93, -0.71]; I2 = 79.6%, P = 0.00), 2-hour postprandial blood glucose (MD-1.15 [-1.31, -0.98], I2 = 80%, P = 0.00) and haemoglobin A1c (MD-0.64 [-0.75, -0.53], I2 = 84.7%, P = 0.00). Adverse events were also significantly lower in the integrative group than in the hypoglycaemic alone group (RR 0.99 [0.93, 1.06], P = 0.87)., Conclusion: Evidence from this study supports the use of Fuling formulae combined with hypoglycaemic agents for T2DM. The combined therapies appear to be well tolerated., Trail Registration: This review is registered with the PROSPERO international prospective register of systematic reviews (CRD42020214635)., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2022 Di et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between the changes of serum lipid metabolites and the risk factors of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) after fish oil (FO) or fish oil plus vitamin D (FO + D) intervention in Chinese NAFLD subjects. Seventy-four NAFLD subjects, aged 55.2 ± 15.9 years, were randomized to consume FO + D ( n = 23), FO ( n = 27) or corn oil (CO, n = 24) capsules for a 3-month intervention. Serum lipid-related metabolites were measured with ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS)-based metabolomics approach together with multivariate data analysis. The differential metabolites were screened and identified with variable importance in projection (VIP) scores based on orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis models. Serum phosphatidylcholine (PC) (16:1/22:6) levels had the highest and second highest VIP scores following FO + D and FO interventions, respectively. Serum PC (16:1/22:6) levels were negatively correlated with circulating alanine transaminase (ALT) ( r = -0.268, p = 0.021), triacylglycerol (TAG) ( r = -0.236, p = 0.042), interleukin (IL)-1β ( r = -0.401, p < 0.001) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α ( r = -0.322, p = 0.005) concentrations, and were positively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ( r = 0.272, p = 0.019) concentrations. The present study was the first to report that serum PC (16:1/22:6) levels were highly correlated with ALT, TAG, HDL-C, IL-1β and TNF-α concentrations, indicating that PC (16:1/22:6) might ameliorate lipid metabolism and inflammation in NAFLD subjects.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) from mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have previously been shown to protect against brain injury caused by hypoxia-ischemia (HI). The neuroprotective effects have been found to relate to the anti-inflammatory effects of EVs. However, the underlying mechanisms have not previously been determined. In this study, we induced oxygen-glucose deprivation in BV-2 cells (a microglia cell line), which mimics HI in vitro, and found that treatment with MSCs-EVs increased the cell viability. The treatment was also found to reduce the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, induce the polarization of microglia towards the M2 phenotype, and suppress the phosphorylation of selective signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in the microglia. These results were also obtained in vivo using neonatal mice with induced HI. We investigated the potential role of miR-21a-5p in mediating these effects, as it is the most highly expressed miRNA in MSCs-EVs and interacts with the STAT3 pathway. We found that treatment with MSCs-EVs increased the levels of miR-21a-5p in BV-2 cells, which had been lowered following oxygen-glucose deprivation. When the level of miR-21a-5p in the MSCs-EVs was reduced, the effects on microglial polarization and STAT3 phosphorylation were reduced, for both the in vitro and in vivo HI models. These results indicate that MSCs-EVs attenuate HI brain injury in neonatal mice by shuttling miR-21a-5p, which induces microglial M2 polarization by targeting STAT3., Competing Interests: None

We measured the morphological index, nutritional composition and the expression analysis of key genes during grain development of Paeonia suffruticosa cv. 'Fengdan' grown at altitudes of 100, 650 and 1010 m in Luo-yang. The aim of this study was to examine differences in grain yield traits and the transformation of soluble sugar, starch, soluble protein and fatty acid contents, as well as the related enzyme activity and differential expression of key genes in oil metabolism. The results showed that grain yield traits increased with altitudes and that the growth period of grain at the higher altitudes was longer than that at low and mid altitudes. The soluble sugar and starch in mature grains increased with altitudes, while soluble protein and crude fat did not change. During grain development, the activities of sucrose synthase (SS) and sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) first decreased and then increased, with the lowest occurred at 90 d after flowering. The activities of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT) and glutamic-oxalacetic transaminease (GOT) increased rapidly during 50-90 d after flowering and peaked at 90 d. The relative expression of acetyl-CoA carboxylase ( ACCase ) and stearoyl-ACP desaturase ( SAD ) peaked at 50 d after flowering, and ω-6 fatty acid desaturase 2 ( FAD 2) peaked at 90 d, in oil tree peony grain at different altitudes. There was a negative correlation of soluble sugar and starch with the accumulation of soluble protein and crude fat. SPS activity was positively correlated with the contents of soluble sugar and starch, and negatively correlated with the contents of soluble protein and crude fat during grain development. Activities of GPT and GOT were negatively associated with the content of soluble sugar and the content of starch, and had a highly significant positive correlation with the contents of soluble protein and crude fat. Activity of PDH was positively correlated with the content of soluble proteins and activities of GPT and GOT, and negatively correlated with the contents of soluble sugar and starch. It suggested that nutrient accumulation in the process of grain development of tree peony was transformed from sugar to crude fat and protein, and that metabolic enzymes, such as SPS, PDH, GPT and GOT, played an important role in this process. Palmitate acid, stearic acid and linoleic acid were negatively correlated with the relative increment of α-linolenic acid, indicating that fatty acid desaturation process in the grain development of tree peony was towards the direction of α-linolenic acid synthesis. The relative expression of ACCase , SAD , and FAD 2 was positively correlated with the relative increment of α-linolenic acid accumulation, which played an important role in α-linolenic acid synthesis. The oil quality of tree peony grain was relatively stable at different altitudes, but grain production increased with altitude. Planting oil tree peony at mid to high altitudes could be an important strategy for the efficient use of marginal land in Luoyang.