Search

Jing-Xu Chen,1,* Lu Yin,1,* Hai-Ting Xu,1 Suo-Yuan Zhang,1 Wen-Qian Huang,1 Hong-Juan Li,1 Bin-Bin Li,1 Ke-Bing Yang,1 Qian Li,2 Michael Berk,3 Yun-Ai Su2 1Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University HuiLongGuan Clinical Medical School, Beijing, 100096, People’s Republic of China; 2Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, 100083, People’s Republic of China; 3Deakin University, IMPACT Strategic Research Centre, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Geelong, Vic., Australia*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yun-Ai Su Email suyunai@163.comIntroduction: Unlike unipolar depression, depressive episode of bipolar disorder is often associated with clinical characteristics, such as atypical and mixed symptoms. However, there are currently no valid and reliable specific tools available to assess the specific psychiatric symptomatology of depressive episode of bipolar disorder in China. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Bipolar Depression Rating Scale (BDRS) in Chinese patients with bipolar disorder.Methods: The sample of this study included 111 patients with bipolar disorder (30 male, 81 female). All participants were interviewed with the Chinese version of the BDRS (BDRS-C), the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17), the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS). A psychometric analysis of the BDRS was conducted.Results: The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the BDRS-C reached a value of 0.869. The BDRS-C score and scores for the HAMD-17 (r = 0.819, p < 0.01), the MADRS (r = 0.882, p < 0.01) and the YMRS (r = 0.355, p < 0.01) exhibited significant positive correlations. Close correlations were observed between the mixed subscale score of the BDRS-C and the YMRS score (r = 0.784, p < 0.01). Exploratory factor analysis resulted in three factors: a primary depressive symptoms cluster, a secondary depressive symptoms cluster, and a mixed symptoms cluster.Conclusion: The Chinese version of the BDRS has satisfactory psychometric properties. This is a valid and reliable instrument to assess depressive symptomatology in patients with bipolar disorder.Keywords: bipolar disorder, mania, depression, psychometrics, depressive episode, rating scale, psychiatry

Jun-ying Guo,1,* Jie-yu Fang,1,* San-rong Xu,2 Ming Wei,1 Wen-qi Huang1 1Department of Anesthesia, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 2Department of Anesthesia, Zhangzhou Municipal Hospital of Fujian Province, Zhangzhou, Fujian, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: Postoperative neurocognitive dysfunction induced by anesthetics, particularly in elderly patients with impaired oxygenation, is a common complication of surgery and is eliciting increased interest in clinical practice. To investigate the effects of anesthetics on neurocognition, we compared the effects of propofol versus sevoflurane on cerebral oxygenation and cognitive outcome in patients with impaired cerebral oxygenation undergoing general anesthesia. Methods: Sixty-three patients with impaired cerebral oxygenation (jugular venous bulb oxygen saturation [SjvO2]

OBJECTIVE: : The mortality of critically ill patients associated with intestinal ischemia/reperfusion remains very high, which results from multiorgan dysfunction or failure due to intestinal injury induced by intestinal ischemia/reperfusion. This study was carried out to investigate whether intestinal ischemia/reperfusion can cause cerebral injury and concomitant memory dysfunction, and explore the potential mechanisms. DESIGN: : Prospective, controlled, and randomized animal study. SETTING: : University research laboratory. SUBJECTS: : Male, adult Sprague-Dawley rats (weighing 250-300 g). INTERVENTIONS: : Intestinal ischemia/reperfusion was established by clamping the superior mesenteric artery for 90 mins followed by different reperfusion durations (2, 6, 12, 24, or 48 hrs). The sham surgical preparation including isolation of the superior mesenteric artery without occlusion was performed as control. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: : In comparison with sham control, intestinal ischemia/reperfusion caused severe intestinal injury, accompanied by notable cerebral damage evidenced by increased wet-to-dry brain weight ratio reflecting brain edema and neuronal cell apoptosis manifested by increased apoptotic cell number and cleaved caspase-3 protein expressions. All these changes were concomitant with reduced survival rates as well as impaired memory function determined by Morris water maze test at 24 and 48 hrs after reperfusion. In addition, intestinal ischemia/reperfusion resultedin significant increases in the levels of tumor necrosis factor-[alpha] and interleukin-6 both in the serum and in cortices and hippocampal Cornu Ammonis area 1 regions, concomitant with the activation of microglia, a key cellular mediator involved in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration, which was evidenced by increased protein expressions of ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1. Furthermore, the releases of reactive oxygen species evidenced by increased malondialdehyde levels and decreased superoxide dismutase activities in cortices and hippocampal Cornu Ammonis area 1 regions were found after reperfusion. CONCLUSIONS: : These findings indicate that intestinal ischemia/reperfusion-induced intestinal injury can lead to cerebral damage and memory dysfunction partly via microglia activation which further facilitates oxidative injury, inflammatory response, and neuronal cell apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of free transplantation of denervated muscles and vessels in the treatment of long-standing facial paralysis.Methods: A total of 26 patients with facial paralysis (10 males and 16 females, aged 16-65 years, mean: 47 years) were enrolled in this study to receive transplantation of denervated extensor digitorum brevis (EDB) and extensor hallusis brevis (EHB). The muscle tendon was slung to the ala nasi, the middle point of the nasolabial sulcus, the angulus oris and the chin to correct the nasal and oral deformity. The muscle belly was buried around the nerves that innervated the masseter muscle. Microsurgery was applied to anastomosing the tarsus lateral vessels to the superficial temporalis vessels.Results: After operation, all the patients immediately obtained satisfied static appearance. The movement of the paralyzed corner of the mouth could be obtained one month later and the smile of the paralyzed side could be restored after 3 months of training. And 88% patients achieved perfect results, 8% obtained satisfactory results, and 4% got improvement 6 months after operation according to Stennert's paresis scoring system.Conclusions: Free transplantation of denervated muscles and vessels for the treatment of long-standing facial paralysis, which seldom causes atrophy or liquefaction of the transferred muscles, can maintain muscle viability and induce reliable nerve regeneration. Therefore, it is a safe and efficient treatment method for the patients suffering from facial paralysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the problem of packing unequal circles into a two-dimensional rectangular container. We solve this problem by proposing two greedy algorithms. The first algorithm, denoted by B 1.0, selects the next circle to place according to the maximum-hole degree rule, that is inspired from human activity in packing. The second algorithm, denoted by B 1.5, improves B 1.0 with a self look-ahead search strategy. The comparisons with the published methods on several instances taken from the literature show the good performance of our approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Explore the associations between dietary choline intake and the incidence of dementia, Alzheimer's disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and current cognitive performance in the UK Biobank cohort., Methods: Dietary choline intake was categorized into quartiles of consumption based on 24-hour dietary recalls, with units expressed as milligrams per day. Diagnoses of dementia, AD, and MCI were identified using ICD-9/10 codes. Current cognitive performance was assessed via the computerized touchscreen interface. After adjusting for sociodemographic factors, dietary and lifestyle behaviors, and comorbid conditions, Cox proportional hazards regression, logistic regression, and restricted cubic splines were used to analyze the association between choline intake and dementia or cognitive performance., Results: Among 125,594 participants (55.8% female), with a mean age of 56.1 years (range: 40 to 70 years) at baseline, and a median follow-up of 11.8 years, 1,103 cases of dementia (including 385 AD) and 87 cases of MCI were recorded. U-shaped associations were observed between choline intake and dementia and AD. Participants in the 2 nd quartile of total choline intake had lower risks compared to those in the lowest quartile, with HR of 0.80 (95% CI: 0.67, 0.96) for dementia and 0.76 (0.58, 1.00) for AD. Moderate intake of choline derivative, including free choline (HR, 0.77; 95%CI, 0.65, 0.92), phosphatidylcholine (0.82; 0.68, 0.98), sphingomyelin (0.82; 0.69, 0.98) and glycerophosphocholine (0.83; 0.70, 1.00), were associated with a 17% to 23% lower odds of dementia. Additionally, moderate total choline intake was associated with an 8% to 13% lower odds of poor cognitive performance in visual attention (OR, 0.92; 95%CI, 0.86, 0.99), fluid intelligence (0.87; 0.82, 0.92), and complex processing speed (0.90; 0.84, 0.95)., Conclusions: In conclusion, our findings suggest that moderate dietary choline intake, ranging from 332.89 mg/d to 353.93 mg/d, is associated with lower odds of dementia and better cognitive performance., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest ☒ The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:Dan Liu reports financial support was provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China. Dan Liu reports financial support was provided by the Guangzhou Science and Technology Project. Dan Liu reports financial support was provided by Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program by CAST. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 American Society for Nutrition. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-secreted particles conceived as natural vehicles for intercellular communication. The capacity to entrap heterogeneous molecular cargoes and target specific cell populations through EV functionalization promises advancements in biomedical applications. However, the efficiency of the obtained EVs, the contribution of cell-exposed receptors to EV interactions, and the predictability of functional cargo release with potential sharing of high molecular weight recombinant mRNAs are crucial for advancing heterologous EVs in targeted therapy applications., Methods: In this work, we selected the popular EV marker CD81 as a transmembrane guide for fusion proteins with a C-terminal GFP reporter encompassing or not Trastuzumab light chains targeting the HER2 receptor. We performed high-content imaging analyses to track EV-cell interactions, including isogenic breast cancer cells with manipulated HER2 expression. We validated the functional cargo delivery of recombinant EVs carrying doxorubicin upon EV-donor cell treatment. Then, we performed an in vivo study using JIMT-1 cells commonly used as HER2-refractory, trastuzumab-resistant model to detect a more than 2000 nt length recombinant mRNA in engrafted tumors., Results: Fusion proteins participated in vesicular trafficking dynamics and accumulated on secreted EVs according to their expression levels in HEK293T cells. Despite the presence of GFP, secreted EV populations retained a HER2 receptor-binding capacity and were used to track EV-cell interactions. In time-frames where the global EV distribution did not change between HER2-positive (SK-BR-3) or -negative (MDA-MB-231) breast cancer cell lines, the HER2 exposure in isogenic cells remarkably affected the tropism of heterologous EVs, demonstrating the specificity of antiHER2 EVs representing about 20% of secreted bulk vesicles. The specific interaction strongly correlated with improved cell-killing activity of doxorubicin-EVs in MDA-MB-231 ectopically expressing HER2 and reduced toxicity in SK-BR-3 with a knocked-out HER2 receptor, overcoming the effects of the free drug. Interestingly, the fusion protein-corresponding transcripts present as full-length mRNAs in recombinant EVs could reach orthotopic breast tumors in JIMT-1-xenografted mice, improving our sensitivity in detecting penetrant cargoes in tissue biopsies., Conclusions: This study highlights the quantitative aspects underlying the creation of a platform for secreted heterologous EVs and shows the limits of single receptor-ligand interactions behind EV-cell engagement mechanisms, which now become the pivotal step to predict functional tropism and design new generations of EV-based nanovehicles., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Automatic pavement disease detection aims to address the inefficiency in practical detection. However, traditional methods heavily rely on low-level image analysis, handcrafted features, and classical classifiers, leading to limited effectiveness and poor generalization in complex scenarios. Although significant progress has been made with deep learning methods, challenges persist in handling high-resolution images and diverse disease types. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel approach based on the lightweight Transformer Patch Labeling Network (LTPLN) to enhance the efficiency of automatic pavement disease detection and overcome the limitations of existing methods. Firstly, the input images undergo histogram equalization preprocessing to enhance image quality. Subsequently, the images are evenly partitioned into small patch blocks, serving as inputs to the enhanced Transformer model. This enhancement strategy involves integrating feature map labels at each layer of the model to reduce computational complexity and enhance model lightweightness. Furthermore, a depthwise separable convolution module is introduced into the Transformer architecture to introduce convolutional bias and reduce the model's dependence on large amounts of data. Finally, an iterative training process utilizing the label distillation strategy based on expectation maximization is employed to update the labels of patch blocks and roughly locate the positions of pavement diseases under weak supervision. Experimental results demonstrate that compared to the baseline model, the proposed enhanced model achieves a reduction of 2.5G Flops computational complexity and a 16% speed improvement on a private pavement disease dataset, with only a 1.2 percentage point decrease in AUC accuracy. Moreover, compared to other mainstream image classification models, this model exhibits more balanced performance on a public dataset, with improved accuracy and speed that better align with the practical requirements of pavement inspection. These findings highlight the significant performance advantages of the LTPLN model in automatic pavement disease detection tasks, making it more efficiently applicable in real-world scenarios., Competing Interests: All authors disclosed no relevant relationships., (Copyright: © 2024 Huang 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.)

Objective:  This study aimed to compare the gender differences in isolated mitral regurgitation (MR) repair., Methods:  Of 381 adults aged 54.8 ± 12.3 years undergoing mitral valve repair (MVP) for isolated MR from January 2019 to December 2022, the baseline and operative data, and outcomes were compared between 161 women (42.3%) and 220 men (57.7%)., Results:  Women tended to be nonsmokers (98.1 vs. 45%, p <  0.001), and have more cerebrovascular accidents (38.5% vs. 24.1%, p  = 0.004) and isolated annular dilatation (19.3 vs. 9.1%, p  = 0.010), lower creatinine (70.0 ± 19.5 vs. 86.3 ± 19.9 μmol/dL, p <  0.001), and smaller left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD; 54.4 ± 6.7 vs. 57.8 ± 6.6 mm, p <  0.001). One female died of stroke at 2 days (0.3%). Another female (0.3%) underwent mitral valve replacement for failed repair. Stroke occurred in 4 (1.0%). Two underwent reexploration for bleeding (0.5%). Women were more likely to have less 24-hour drainage (290 ± 143 vs. 385 ± 196 mL, p <  0.001). Over a mean follow-up of 2.1 ± 1.1 years (100% complete), 1 woman died and 1 man underwent a reoperation; 28 had moderate MR, and 9 had severe MR. Neither did early and late mortality and reoperation, nor freedom from late moderate or severe MR (71.6 vs. 71.4% at 5 years; p  = 0.992) differ significantly between the two genders. Predictors for late moderate or severe MR were anterior leaflet prolapse (hazard ratio [HR] 4.45; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18-16.72; p  = 0.027) and isolated annular dilation (HR 5.47, 95% CI 1.29-23.25; p  = 0.021)., Conclusion:  In this series of patients undergoing isolated MR repair, despite significant differences in smoking, cerebrovascular accidents, creatinine, LVEDD, and isolated annular dilatation at baseline, and 24-hour drainage postoperatively, women and men did not show significant differences in early and late survival, reoperation, and freedom from late moderate or severe MR., Competing Interests: None declared., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

The human gut microbiota significantly impacts health, including liver conditions like liver cirrhosis (LC) and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). Immunoglobulin A (IgA) plays a central role in maintaining gut microbial balance. Understanding IgA's interplay with gut microbiota and liver health is crucial. This study explores the relationship between fecal IgA levels, gut microbiota, and liver injury severity. A total of 69 LC patients and 30 healthy controls were studied. Fecal IgA levels were measured using ELISA, and IgA-coated bacteria were quantified via flow cytometry. Microbiota diversity and composition were assessed through 16S rRNA sequencing. Liver injury severity was graded using the Child-Pugh score. Statistical analyses determined correlations. LC patients had higher fecal IgA levels than controls, correlating positively with liver injury severity. Microbiota diversity decreased with severity, accompanied by shifts in composition favoring pro-inflammatory species. Ralstonia abundance positively correlated with liver injury, whereas Faecalibacterium showed a negative correlation. Specific microbial markers for SBP were identified. Functional profiling revealed altered microbial functionalities in LC and SBP. Elevated fecal IgA levels, coupled with microbiota alterations, correlate with liver injury severity in LC patients. Modulating gut microbiota could be a promising strategy for managing liver-related conditions. Further research is needed to understand underlying mechanisms and translate findings into clinical practice, potentially improving patient outcomes., (© 2024 The Author(s). The Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Kaohsiung Medical University.)

Leucaena leucocephala (Leucaena) is a leguminous tree widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions due to its strong environmental suitability for abiotic stresses, especially drought. However, the molecular mechanisms and key pathways involved in Leucaena's drought response require further elucidation. Here, we comparatively analyzed the physiological and early transcriptional responses of Leucaena leaves and roots under drought stress simulated by polyethylene glycol (PEG) treatments. Drought stress induced physiological changes in Leucaena seedlings, including decreases in relative water content (RWC) and increases in relative electrolyte leakage (REL), malondialdehyde (MDA), proline contents as well as antioxidant enzyme activities. In response to drought stress, 6461 and 8295 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the leaves and roots, respectively. In both tissues, the signaling transduction pathway of plant hormones was notably the most enriched. Specifically, abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis and signaling related genes (NCED, PP2C, SnRK2 and ABF) were strongly upregulated particularly in leaves. The circadian rhythm, DNA replication, alpha-linolenic acid metabolism, and secondary metabolites biosynthesis related pathways were repressed in leaves, while the glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and alpha-linolenic acid metabolism and amino acid biosynthesis processes were promoted in roots. Furthermore, heterologous overexpression of Leucaena drought-inducible genes (PYL5, PP2CA, bHLH130, HSP70 and AUX22D) individually in yeast increased the tolerance to drought and heat stresses. Overall, these results deepen our understanding of the tissue-specific mechanisms of Leucaena in response to drought and provide target genes for future drought-tolerance breeding engineering in crops., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.. All rights reserved.)

The controllable construction of complex metal-organic coordination polymers (CPs) merits untold scientific and technological potential, yet remains a grand challenge of one-step construction and modulating simultaneously valence states of metals and topological morphology. Here, a thiocyanuric acid (TCA)-triggered strategy is presented to one-step rapid synthesis a double-crystalline Prussian blue analogue hetero-superstructure (PBA-hs) that comprises a Co 3 [Fe(CN) 6 ] 2 cube overcoated with a KCo[Fe(CN) 6 ] shell, followed by eight self-assembled small cubes on vertices. Unlike common directing surfactants, TCA not only acts as a trigger for the fast growth of KCo[Fe(CN) 6 ] on the Co 3 [Fe(CN) 6 ] 2 phase resulting in a PBA-on-PBA hetero-superstructure, but also serves as a flange-like bridge between them. By combining experiments with simulations, a deprotonation-induced electron transfer (DIET) mechanism is proposed for formation of second phase in PBA-hs, differing from thermally and photo-induced electron transfer processes. To prove utility, the calcined PBA-hs exhibits enhanced oxygen evolution reaction performance. This work provides a new method to design of novel CPs for enriching chemistry and material science. This work offers a practical approach to design novel CPs for enriching chemistry and material science., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Background: The comparative effectiveness of volatile anaesthesia and total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) in terms of patient outcomes after cardiac surgery remains a topic of debate., Methods: Multicentre randomised trial in 16 tertiary hospitals in China. Adult patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery were randomised in a 1:1 ratio to receive volatile anaesthesia (sevoflurane or desflurane) or propofol-based TIVA. The primary outcome was a composite of predefined major complications during hospitalisation and mortality 30 days after surgery., Results: Of the 3123 randomised patients, 3083 (98.7%; mean age 55 yr; 1419 [46.0%] women) were included in the modified intention-to-treat analysis. The composite primary outcome was met by a similar number of patients in both groups (volatile group: 517 of 1531 (33.8%) patients vs TIVA group: 515 of 1552 (33.2%) patients; relative risk 1.02 [0.92-1.12]; P=0.76; adjusted odds ratio 1.05 [0.90-1.22]; P=0.57). Secondary outcomes including 6-month and 1-yr mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation, length of ICU and hospital stay, and healthcare costs, were also similar for the two groups., Conclusions: Among adults undergoing cardiac surgery, we found no difference in the clinical effectiveness of volatile anaesthesia and propofol-based TIVA., Clinical Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-IOR-17013578)., (Copyright © 2024 British Journal of Anaesthesia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The construction of high-asymmetrical structures demonstrates significant potential in improving the functionality and distinctness of nanomaterials, but remains a considerable challenge. Herein, we develop a one-pot method to fabricate regioselective super-assembly of Prussian blue analogue (PBA) -- a PBA anisotropic structure (PBA-AS) decorated with epitaxial modules--using a step-by-step epitaxial growth on a rapidly self-assembled cubic substrate guided by thiocyanuric acid (TCA) molecules. The epitaxial growth units manifest as diverse geometric shapes, which are predominantly concentrated on the {100}, {111}, or {100}+{111} crystal plane of the cubic substrate. The crystal plane and morphology of epitaxial module can be regulated by changing the TCA concentration and reaction temperature, enabling a high level of controllability over specific assembly sites and structures. To illustrate the advantage of the asymmetrical structure, phosphated PBA-AS demonstrates improved performance in the oxygen evolution reaction compared to simple phosphated PBA nanocube. This method offers valuable insights for designing asymmetrical nanomaterials with intricate architectures and versatile functionalities., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

External stimuli triggering chemical reactions in cancer cells to generate highly reactive chemical species are very appealing for cancer therapy, in which external irradiation activating sensitizers to transfer energy or electrons to surrounding oxygen or other molecules is critical for generating cytotoxic reactive species. However, poor light penetration into tissue, low activity of sensitizers, and reliance on oxygen supply restrict the generation of cytotoxic chemical species in hypoxic tumors, which lowers the therapeutic efficacy. Here, this work presents galvanic cell nanomaterials that can directly release highly reactive electrons in tumors without external irradiation or photosensitizers. The released reactive electrons directly react with surrounding biomolecules such as proteins and DNA within tumors to destroy them or react with other surrounding (bio)molecules to yield cytotoxic chemical species to eliminate tumors independent of oxygen. Administering these nanogalvanic cells to mice results in almost complete remission of subcutaneous solid tumors and deep metastatic tumors. The results demonstrate that this strategy can further arouse an immune response even in a hypoxic environment. This method offers a promising approach to effectively eliminate tumors, similar to photodynamic therapy, but does not require oxygen or irradiation to activate photosensitizers., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Peatlands deliver a variety of beneficial ecosystem services, particularly serving as habitats for a diverse array of species. Hynobius amjiensis is a critically endangered amphibian initially discovered in a Sphagnum -dominated peatland in Anji, China. The unique habitat requirements of H. amjiensis make it highly vulnerable to environmental changes. Here, we investigated the different breeding pools of H. amjiensis in the Sphagnum -dominated peatland (the type locality) for a one-year period to evaluate the interactions among the egg sacs present, water quality, and microbial communities (16S and 18S rRNA gene amplicon). The numbers of egg sacs were higher in the breeding pools located at the marginal area than those at the core area of the peatland. Similarly, the α-diversity of bacteria, fungi, and protists were lower in the core region compared to those at the edge of the peatland, perhaps due to water eutrophication. The microbial communities and water quality differed significantly among breeding pools and sampling months. The simpler microbial networks of the breeding pools in the core wetland may impact the numbers and health of the egg sacs. This study contributes to a better understanding of the effect of water quality on biodiversity in peatlands, and it can also guide regulations for wetland conservation and the protection of endangered species.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a malignant cardiovascular disease. Eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) plays an important role in the proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) in hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (HPH) rats. However, the regulatory mechanism of eIF2α remains poorly understood in PAH rats. Here, we discover eIF2α is markedly upregulated in monocrotaline (MCT)-induced PAH rats, eIF2α can be upregulated by mRNA methylation, and upregulated eIF2α can promote PASMC proliferation in MCT-PAH rats. GSK2606414, eIF2α inhibitor, can downregulate the expression of eIF2α and alleviate PASMC proliferation in MCT-PAH rats. And we further discover the mRNA of eIF2α has a common sequence with N 6-methyladenosine (m 6 A) modification by bioinformatics analysis, and the expression of METTL3, WTAP, and YTHDF1 is upregulated in MCT-PAH rats. These findings suggest a potentially novel mechanism by which eIF2α is upregulated by m 6 A modification in MCT-PAH rats, which is involved in the pathogenesis of PAH., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background and Purpose: The need for dose adjustment of caspofungin in patients with hepatic impairment is controversial, especially for those with Child-Pugh B or C cirrhosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of standard-dose caspofungin administration in Child-Pugh B and C cirrhotic patients in a real-world clinical setting., Patients and Methods: The electronic medical records of 258 cirrhotic patients, including 67 Child-Pugh B patients and 191 Child-Pugh C patients, who were treated with standard-dose of caspofungin at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, China, from March 2018 to June 2023 were reviewed retrospectively. The white blood cells (WBC), hepatic, renal and coagulation function results before administration and post administration on days 7, 14 and 21 were collected, and the efficacy was assessed in all patients at the end of caspofungin therapy., Results: Favorable responses were achieved in 137 (53.1%) patients while 34 (13.2%) patients died. We observed that some patients experienced an increase of prothrombin time (PT) or international normalized ratio (INR), or a decrease of WBC, but no exacerbation of hepatic or renal dysfunction were identified and no patient required dose interruption or adjustment because of an adverse drug reaction during treatment with caspofungin., Conclusions: Standard-dose of caspofungin can be safely and effectively used in patients with Child-Pugh B or C cirrhosis, and we appealed to re-assess the most suitable dosing regimen in this population to avoid a potential subtherapeutic exposure., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Leukoaraiosis (LA) manifests as cerebral white matter hyperintensities on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans and corresponds to white matter lesions or abnormalities in brain tissue. Clinically, it is generally detected in the early 40s and is highly prevalent globally in individuals aged >60 years. From the imaging perspective, LA can present as several heterogeneous forms, including punctate and patchy lesions in deep or subcortical white matter; lesions with periventricular caps, a pencil-thin lining, and smooth halo; as well as irregular lesions, which are not always benign. Given its potential of having deleterious effects on normal brain function and the resulting increase in public health burden, considerable effort has been focused on investigating the associations between various risk factors and LA risk, and developing its associated clinical interventions. However, study results have been inconsistent, most likely due to potential differences in study designs, neuroimaging methods, and sample sizes as well as the inherent neuroimaging heterogeneity and multi-factorial nature of LA. In this article, we provided an overview of LA and summarized the current knowledge regarding its epidemiology, neuroimaging classification, pathological characteristics, risk factors, and potential intervention strategies.

In mammals, thick axonal calibers wrapped with heavy myelin sheaths are prevalent in the auditory nervous system. These features are crucial for fast traveling of nerve impulses with minimal attenuation required for sound signal transmission. In particular, the long-range projections from the cochlear nucleus - the axons of globular bush cells (GBCs) - to the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) are tonotopically organized. However, it remains controversial in gerbils and mice whether structural and functional adaptations are present among the GBC axons targeting different MNTB frequency regions. By means of high-throughput volume electron microscopy, we compared the GBC axons in full-tonotopy-ranged MNTB slices from the C57BL/6 mice at different ages. Our quantification reveals distinct caliber diameter and myelin profile of the GBC axons with endings at lateral and medial MNTB, arguing for modulation of functionally heterogeneous axon subgroups. In addition, we reported axon-specific differences in axon caliber, node of Ranvier, and myelin sheath among juvenile, adult, and old mice, indicating the age-related changes of GBC axon morphology over time. These findings provide structural insight into the maturation and degeneration of GBC axons with frequency tuning across the lifespan of mice., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To establish the finite element model of spinal canal reconstruction and internal fixation,analysis influence of spinal canal reconstruction and internal fixation on spinal stability,and verify the effectiveness and reliability of spinal canal reconstruction and internal fixation in spinal canal surgery., Methods: A 30-year-old male healthy volunteer with a height of 172 cm and weight of 75 kg was selected and his lumbar CT data were collected to establish a finite element model of normal lumbar L 3 -L 5 ,and the results were compared with in vitro solid results and published finite element analysis results to verify the validity of the model. They were divided into normal group,laminectomy group and spinal canal reconstruction group according to different treatment methods. Under the same boundary fixation and physiological load conditions,six kinds of activities were performed,including forward bending,backward extension,left bending,right bending,left rotation and right rotation,and the changes of range of motion (ROM) of L 3 -L 4 ,L 4 -L 5 segments and overall maximum ROM of L 3 -L 5 were analyzed under the six conditions., Results: The ROM displacement range of each segment of the constructed L 3 -L 5 finite element model was consistent with the in vitro solid results and previous literature data,which confirms the validity of the model. In L 3 -L 4 ,ROM of spinal canal reconstruction group was slightly increased than that of normal group during posterior extension(>5% difference),and ROM of other conditions was similar to that of normal group(<5% difference). ROM in laminectomy group was significantly increase than that in normal group and spinal canal reconstruction group under the condition of flexion,extension,left and right rotation. In L 4 -L 5 ,ROM in spinal canal reconstruction group was similar to that in normal group(<5% difference),while ROM in laminectomy group was significantly higher than that in normal group and spinal canal reconstruction group(>5% difference). In the overall maximum ROM of L 3 -L 5 ,spinal canal reconstruction group was only slightly higher than normal group under the condition of posterior extension(>5% difference),while laminectomy was significantly higher than normal group and spinal canal reconstruction group under the condition of anterior flexion,posterior extension,left and right rotation(>5% difference). The changes of each segment ROM and overall ROM of L 3 -L 5 showed laminectomy group>spinal canal reconstruction group>normal group., Conclusion: Laminectomy could seriously affect biomechanical stability of the spine,but application of spinal canal reconstruction and internal fixation could effectively reduce ROM displacement of the responsible segment of spine and maintain its biomechanical stability.

Following the global outbreak of COVID-19, many patients have suffered from multi-system complications and long-term sequelae caused by the virus. Diaphragm dysfunction is an obscure post-COVID-19 symptom. Although a few cases of diaphragm dysfunction caused by COVID-19 infection have been reported abroad, there are no relevant reports in China. Herein, we present two cases of patients with respiratory distress after COVID-19 infection. On admission, dynamic chest radiographs revealed diaphragm dysfunction in these patients. Further investigations including diaphragm ultrasound, neurophysiological examinations, transdiaphragmatic pressure measurements cranial MRI, and antibody testing for autoimmune diseases, were conducted. The final diagnoses were severe myasthenia gravis induced by COVID-19 infection and diaphragmatic nerve and muscle involvement caused by COVID-19 infection. Both patients showed improvement in symptoms after treatment. Therefore, we summarized our case, with a review of the relevant literature to improve the understanding of the disease and to provide clinical evidence for future diagnosis and treatment.

Catalytic performance of single-atom catalysts (SACs) relies fundamentally on the electronic nature and local coordination environment of the active site. Here, based on a machine-learning (ML)-aided density functional theory (DFT) method, we reveal that the intrinsic dipole in Janus materials has a significant impact on the catalytic activity of SACs, using 2D γ-phosphorus carbide (γ-PC) as a model system. Specifically, a local dipole around the active site is a key degree to tune the catalytic activity and can be used as an important descriptor with a high feature importance of 17.1% in predicting the difference of adsorption free energy ( ΔG O* - ΔG OH* ) to assess the activity of the oxygen evolution reaction. As a result, the catalytic performance of SACs can be tuned by an intrinsic dipole, in stark contrast to those external stimuli strategies previously used. These results suggest that dipole engineering and the revolutionary DFT-ML hybrid scheme are novel approaches for designing high-performance catalysts.

Objective: To study the effect of a modified behavioral treatment (MBT) on functional anejaculation and analyze the factors influencing the therapeutic efficacy., Methods: We enrolled in this study 59 men aged 24－45 years visiting the Andrology Clinic of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital from August 2019 to May 2021 and complaining of aejaculation in sexual intercourse but normally ejaculating during masturbation. Thirty-nine of the patients underwent conventional behavioral treatment (the CBT group) and the other 20 received MBT, namely, changing the masturbation method combined with audiovisual stimulation during sexual intercourse (the MBT group). We compared the therapeutic effects between the two groups of patients, and analyzed the correlation of the outcomes of MBT with age, abstinence duration, use of audiovisual stimulation, change of the sexual position, mean bilateral testis volume and sex hormone levels., Results: After treatment, 22 (37.29%) of the patients achieved successful ejaculation at least once in sexual intercourse, 11 (55.00%) in the MBT group, and the other 11 (28.21) in the CBT group, with a significantly higher effectiveness rate in the former than in the latter (P<0.05). The effectiveness rate was significantly correlated to the method of standing-position masturbation plus sexual intercourse and reduction in the frequency of masturbation among various strategies of behavioral treatment (P<0.05)., Conclusion: MBT has a certain effect on functional anejaculation, and targeting the previous events of the patient is the key to the therapeutic efficacy. Further exploration of more effective strategies of behavioral treatment will become the trend of development in the management of functional anejaculation.

Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is an agricultural pest threatening various horticultural crops worldwide. Inducing plant resistance is an ecologically beneficial and potentially effective method for controlling F. occidentalis. As an essential nutrient element, exogenous calcium enhances plant-induced resistance. This study investigated the effects of CaCl2 on the secondary metabolites of kidney bean plants and detoxifying and digestive enzymes in F. occidentalis. We found that treatment of plants and treatment time and also the interactions of the 2 factors significantly affected secondary metabolites contents (tannin, flavonoids, total phenol, alkaloid, and lignin) of kidney bean leaves, which indicated that that the effect of treatment of plants on secondary metabolites varied with treatment time. Moreover, when thrips fed on CaCl2-treated plants, the activities of detoxifying enzymes, enzymes glutathione S-transferase and cytochrome P450 substantially increased compared to those in which thrips fed on control plants. However, the activity of carboxylesterase significantly decreased. The detoxifying enzyme genes CL992.contig6, CYP4PN1, and CYP4PJ2 were significantly upregulated at 24 and 48 h. The activities of digestive enzymes (α-amylase, chymotrypsin, and lipase) increased substantially in F. occidentalis. The digestive enzyme gene, FoAMY-1, was significantly upregulated at 24 and 48 h after treatment. The pupation rate and pupal weight of F. occidentalis were significantly reduced. The results indicated that exogenous CaCl2-induced metabolic changes in kidney bean plants and altered the enzymatic activity and development of F. occidentalis that fed upon them., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Purpose: This paper explores the causes of paediatric inguinal hernia (PIH) recurrence after single-port laparoscopic percutaneous extraperitoneal closure (SPLPEC)., Method: From January 2015 to December 2020, the clinical data of 3480 children with PIHs who underwent SPLPEC were retrospectively reviewed, including 644 children who underwent SPLPEC with a homemade single-hook hernia needle from January 2015 to December 2016 and 2836 children who underwent the SPLPEC with a double-hook hernia needle and hydrodissection from January 2017 to December 2020. There were 39 recurrences (including communicating hydrocele) during the 2-5 years of follow-up. The findings of redo-laparoscopy were recorded and correlated with the revised video of the first operation to analyse the causes of recurrence., Result: Thirty-three males and 6 females experienced recurrence, and 8 patients had a unilateral communicating hydrocele. The median time to recurrence was 7.1 months (0-38). There were 20 cases (3.11%) in the single-hook group and 19 cases (0.67%) in the double-hook group. Based on laparoscopic findings, recurrence most probably resulted from multiple factors, including uneven tension of the ligation (10 cases), missing part of the peritoneum (14 cases), loose ligation (8 cases), broken knot (5 cases), and knot reaction (2 cases). All children who underwent repeat SPLPEC were cured by double ligations or reinforcement with medial umbilical ligament., Conclusion: The main cause of recurrence is improper ligation. Tension-free and complete PIH ligation are critical to the success of surgery, which requires avoiding the peritoneum skip area and the subcutaneous and muscular tissues. Redo-laparoscopic surgery was suitable for the treatment of recurrent inguinal hernia (RIH). For giant hernias, direct ligation of the internal ring incorporating the medial umbilical ligament (DIRIM) may be needed., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: To understand the current antiviral treatment status and various clinical types of treatment plans in Xiamen City so as to explore ways to improve and optimize the diagnosis and treatment standards for chronic hepatitis B. Methods: A cross-sectional survey method was used to study the antiviral treatment status and treatment plans for chronic hepatitis B patients who visited and were diagnosed in the Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology of all tertiary hospitals in Xiamen City at 0:00~23:59 on May 25, 2022. Results: A total of 665 cases were surveyed in this study, with an antiviral treatment rate of 81.2%(540/665). The antiviral treatment rate of patients who accorded with the current guidelines for antiviral treatment indications was 85.8%(507/591). The antiviral treatment rate for 362 outpatients was 72.9%(264/362). Among them, the antiviral treatment rates were 80.1%, 89.3%, and 25.0%(226/282, 25/28, 13/52), respectively, for patients diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B, hepatitis B cirrhosis, and hepatitis B surface antigen-carrying status. The treatment plan for all outpatient patients was mainly oral nucleos(t)ide analogues, accounting for 59.1%(214/362). The antiviral treatment rate for 303 inpatients was 91.1%(276/303). The various clinical types of antiviral therapy rates among all patients were 70%~95%. The antiviral treatment plan for inpatients was mainly based on pegylated interferon alpha treatment, accounting for 72.6%(220/303). Conclusion: Antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis B in Xiamen City can still be strengthened to meet the current demand for expanding antiviral treatment indications. Antiviral treatment rates and various types of treatment plans differ between outpatients and inpatients; thus, further awareness and acceptance of the goal of improving antiviral therapy, especially in outpatients, and the possibility for a clinical cure based on pegylated interferon alpha treatment are needed to maximize the benefit to more patients.

Purpose: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine-metabolic condition affecting 5-10% of reproductive-aged women and characterized by hyperandrogenism, insulin resistance (IR), and hyperinsulinemia. CFTR is known to be regulated by steroid hormones, and our previous study has demonstrated an essential role of CFTR in β-cell function. This study aims to investigate the contribution of androgen and CFTR to hypersecretion of insulin in PCOS and the underlying mechanism., Methods: We established a rat PCOS model by subcutaneously implanting silicon tubing containing Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Glucose tolerance test with insulin levels was performed at 9 weeks after implantation. A rat β-cell line RINm5F, a mouse β-cell line β-TC-6, and mouse islets were treated with DHT, and with or without the androgen antagonist flutamide for CFTR and insulin secretion-related functional assays or mRNA/protein expression measurement. The effect of CFTR inhibitors on DHT-promoted membrane depolarization, glucose-stimulated intracellular Ca 2+ oscillation and insulin secretion were examined by membrane potential imaging, calcium imaging and ELISA, respectively., Results: The DHT-induced PCOS model showed increased body weight, impaired glucose tolerance, and higher blood glucose and insulin levels after glucose stimulation. CFTR was upregulated in islets of PCOS model and DHT-treated cells, which was reversed by flutamide. The androgen receptor (AR) could bind to the CFTR promoter region, which was enhanced by DHT. Furthermore, DHT-induced membrane depolarization, enhanced glucose-stimulated Ca 2+ oscillations and insulin secretion, which could be abolished by CFTR inhibitors., Conclusions: Excessive androgen enhances glucose-stimulating insulin secretion through upregulation of CFTR, which may contribute to hyperinsulinemia in PCOS., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The rational design of electrocatalysts with well-designed compositions and structures for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is promising and challenging. Herein, we developed a novel strategy - a one-step double-cation etching sedimentation equilibrium strategy - to synthesize amorphous hollow Fe-Co-Ni layered double hydroxide nanocages with an outer surface of vertically interconnected ultrathin nanosheets (Fe-Co-Ni-LDH), which primarily depends on the in situ etching sedimentation equilibrium of the template interface. This unique vertical nanosheet-shell hierarchical nanostructure possesses enhanced charge transfer, increased active sites, and favorable kinetics during electrolysis, resulting in superb electrocatalytic performance for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Specifically, the Fe-Co-Ni-LDH nanocages exhibited remarkable OER activity in alkaline electrolytes and achieved a current density of 100 mA cm -2 at a low overpotential of 272 mV with excellent stability. This powerful strategy provides a profound molecular-level insight into the control of the morphology and composition of 2D layered materials., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Heteroatom incorporation can effectively suppress the phase transition of layered sodium-ion battery cathode, but heteroatom behaviors during operating conditions are not completely understood at the atomic scale. Here, density functional theory calculations are combined with experiments to explore the mitigation behavior of Mg dopant and its mechanisms under operating conditions in P2-Na 0.67 Ni 0.33 Mn 0.67 O 2 . The void formed by Na extraction will pump some Mg dopants into Na layers from TM layers, and the collective diffusion of more than one Mg ion most likely occurs when the Mg content is relatively high in the TM layer, finally aggregating to form Mg-enrich regions (i.e., Mg segregation) apart from Ni vacancies. The void-pump-effect -induced Mg segregation effectively suppresses the P2-O2 phase transition owing to the stronger Mg-O electrostatic attraction that enhances the integrate of two adjacent oxygen layers and prevents the crack growth by mitigating the lattice volume variation under high-voltage cycling. Our work provides a fundamental understanding of heteroatom mitigation behavior in layered cathodes at the atomic level for next-generation energy storage technologies.

Widening the photoresponse range while enhancing the electrical properties of semiconductors could reduce the complexity and cost of photodetectors or increase the power conversion efficiency of solar cells. Surface doping through charge transfer with organic species is one of the most effective and widely used approaches to achieve this aim. It usually features easier preparation over other doping methods but is still limited by the low physicochemical stability and high cost of the used organic species or low improvement of electrical properties. This work shows unprecedented surface doping of semiconductors with highly stable, easily obtained, and strong electron-accepting viologen components, realizing the significant improvement of both the photoresponse range and conductivity. Coating the chalcogenide semiconductor KGaS 2 with dimethyl viologen dichloride (MV) yields a charge-transfer complex (CTC) on the surface, which broadens the photoresponse range by nearly 300 nm and improves the conductivity by 5 orders of magnitude. The latter value surpasses all records obtained by surface doping through charge transfer with organic species.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Agomelatine in improving symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), providing more scientific evidence for the treatment of depression, and offering more effective therapeutic options for patients., Methods: A total of 180 MDD patients in acute phase from 10 psychiatric hospitals of Grade three in Zhejiang Province were enrolled in this 12-week study with the competitive and consecutive pattern, and they were randomized into two different groups treated with flexible-dosage antidepressants of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) or agomelatine, respectively. The subjects were evaluated with psychological scales of HAMD -17 , HAMA, SHAPS for anhedonia, MFI-20 for fatigue, PQSI for sleep quality and MEQ for disturbances in chronobiologic rhythms at baseline, 2, 4, 8 and 12-weekend points, and TESS was used for side-effect. The results were analyzed with repeated measurement analysis of variance., Results: The two groups each had 90 participants, and there were no significant differences at baseline. The scores of various assessment scales showed statistically significant time main effects during the visits (P < 0.01). The Agomelatine group demonstrated faster efficacy within 2 weeks, with better improvement in SHAPS, MEQ, and PSQI compared to the SSRIs group. However, the remission rate at 12 weeks was lower in the Agomelatine group than in the SSRIs group (63.3% and 72.2%), but the difference between the groups was not statistically significant. The Agomelatine group had fewer adverse reactions (14.4% and 16.7%), but there was a slightly higher incidence of liver function impairment (6.7% and 4.4%), with no statistically significant difference between the groups., Conclusion: Agomelatine, as a novel antidepressant, shows certain advantages in improving depression and anxiety symptoms and is comparable to SSRIs in terms of safety. However, its long-term efficacy and safety on MDD or other depressive subtypes still require further observation and research., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Purpose: To determine whether using robots in spine surgery results in more clinical advantages and fewer adverse consequences., Methods: Between October 1990 and October 2022, a computer-based search was conducted through the databases of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Biology Medicine, VIP databases, and WAN FANG. The study only included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the clinical efficacy and safety of robot-assisted surgery with those of conventional spine surgery. The review was conducted following PRISMA 2020, and AMSTAR-2 was used to evaluate the methodological quality. R version 4.2.1 was used in the meta-analysis. The Cochrane Collaboration Tool was used for evaluating the risk of bias., Results: This study analyzed 954 participants from 20 RCTs involving cervical spondylosis, lumbar degenerative disease, scoliosis, etc. The robot-assisted group outperformed the freehand group in terms of intraoperative blood loss, number of screws in grade A position, grade A + B position, radiation dose, and hospital stay. Operation duration, visual analog scale scores of low back pain, Oswestry disability index, and radiation exposure time did not significantly differ between the two groups., Conclusions: Although robotic spine surgery is more accurate in pedicle screw placement than conventional methods, the robot group did not demonstrate an advantage in terms of clinical efficacy. Studies of complications and cost-effectiveness are still very rare.

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity of transition metal (TM)-based (oxy)hydroxide is dominated by the number and nature of surface active sites, which are generally considered to be TM atoms occupying less than half of surface sites, with most being inactive oxygen atoms. Herein, based on an in situ competing growth strategy of bimetallic ions and OH - ions, a facile one-step method is proposed to modulate oxygen defects in NiFe-layered double hydroxide (NiFe-LDH)/FeOOH heterostructure, which may trigger the single lattice oxygen mechanism (sLOM). Interestingly, by only varying the addition of H 2 O 2 , one can simultaneously regulate the concentration of oxygen defects, the valence of metal sites, and the ratio of components. The proper oxygen defects promote synergy between the adsorbate evolution mechanism (AEM, metal redox chemistry) and sLOM (oxygen redox chemistry) of OER in NiFe-based (oxy)hydroxide, practically maximizing the use of surface TM and oxygen atoms as active sites. Consequently, the optimal NiFe-LDH/FeOOH heterostructure outperforms the reported non-noble OER catalysts in electrocatalytic activity, with an overpotential of 177 mV to deliver a current density of 20 mA cm -2 and high stability. The novel strategy exemplifies a facile and versatile approach to designing highly active TM-LDH-based OER electrocatalysts for energy and environmental applications., (© 2023 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background: Myocardial infarction is a common perioperative complication, and blood flow restoration causes ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI). Dexmedetomidine (DEX) pretreatment can protect against cardiac IRI, but the mechanism is still insufficiently understood., Methods: In vivo, myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (30 minutes/120 minutes) was induced via ligation and then reperfusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) in mice. Intravenous infusion of 10 μg/kg DEX was performed 20 minutes before ligation. Moreover, the α2-adrenoreceptor antagonist Yohimbine and STAT3 inhibitor Stattic were applied 30 minutes ahead of DEX infusion. In vitro, hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) with DEX pretreatment for 1 hour was performed in isolated neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. In addition, Stattic was applied before DEX pretreatment., Results: In the mouse cardiac ischemia/reperfusion model, DEX pretreatment lowered the serum creatine kinase-MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) levels (2.47 ± 0.165 vs 1.55 ± 0.183; P < .0001), downregulated the inflammatory response ( P ≤ .0303), decreased 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) production and cell apoptosis ( P = .0074), and promoted the phosphorylation of STAT3 (4.94 ± 0.690 vs 6.68 ± 0.710, P = .0001), which could be blunted by Yohimbine and Stattic. The bioinformatic analysis of differentially expressed mRNAs further confirmed that STAT3 signaling might be involved in the cardioprotection of DEX. Upon H/R treatment in isolated neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, 5 μM DEX pretreatment improved cell viability ( P = .0005), inhibited reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and calcium overload (both P ≤ .0040), decreased cell apoptosis ( P = .0470), and promoted STAT3 phosphorylation at Tyr705 (0.102 ± 0.0224 vs 0.297 ± 0.0937; P < .0001) and Ser727 (0.586 ± 0.177 vs 0.886 ± 0.0546; P = .0157), which could be abolished by Stattic., Conclusions: DEX pretreatment protects against myocardial IRI, presumably by promoting STAT3 phosphorylation via the α2-adrenoreceptor in vivo and in vitro., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the International Anesthesia Research Society.)

Purpose: Available evidence indicates that dipyridamole enhances the anti-thrombotic effects of aspirin for the prevention of secondary strokes. Aspirin is a well-known non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug. This anti-inflammatory property has turned aspirin into a potential drug for inflammation-related cancers such as colorectal cancer (CRC). Here, we aimed to explore whether the anti-cancer effect of aspirin against CRC could be improved by combined administration with dipyridamole., Methods: Population-based clinical data analysis was conducted to assess a possible therapeutic effect of combined dipyridamole and aspirin treatment in inhibiting CRC compared with either monotherapy. This therapeutic effect was further verified in different CRC mouse models, i.e. an orthotopic xenograft mouse model, an AOM/DSS mouse model, an Apc min/+ mouse model and a patient derived xenograft (PDX) mouse model. The in vitro effects of the drugs on CRC cells were tested using CCK8 and flow cytometry assays. RNA-Seq, Western blotting, qRT-PCR and flow cytometry were used to identify the underlying molecular mechanisms., Results: We found that dipyridamole combined with aspirin had a better inhibitory effect on CRC than either monotherapy alone. The enhanced anti-cancer effect of the combined use of dipyridamole with aspirin was found to rely on the induction of an overwhelmed endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and subsequent pro-apoptotic unfolded protein response (UPR), which was different from the anti-platelet effect., Conclusions: Our data indicate that the anti-cancer effect of aspirin against CRC may be enhanced by combined administration with dipyridamole. In case further clinical studies confirm our findings, these may be repurposed as adjuvant agents., (© 2023. Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Objective: To investigate the effects and clinical significance of NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activated by interleukin (IL)-17A in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). Methods: Patients underwent nasal endoscopic surgery in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from January 2020 to December 2021 were collected, including 28 CRSwNP (including 19 males and 9 females, aged 19 to 67 years), 22 chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps (CRSsNP) and 22 controls. qRT-PCR was used to detect the expressions of IL-17A, NLRP3, IL-1β and IL-18 in the three groups, and their correlations were analyzed. The positions of IL-17A, NLRP3 and IL-18 in nasal polys were analyzed by immunofluorescence. Western Blotting and ELISA were employed to detect the expression of NLRP3, IL-1β and IL-18 in the human nasal epithelial cells after using IL-17A stimulation or IL-17A receptor inhibitor. Immunofluorescence was used to observe the NLRP3, IL-1β, and IL-18 protein expression after IL-17A stimulating human nasal epithelial cells, and after the use of IL-17A receptor inhibitor and NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950. The correlations between NLRP3, IL-1β, IL-18 and CT scores, nasal endoscopic scores, visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, and sino-nasal outcome test (SNOT) 22 scores of CRSwNP patients were analyzed. SPSS 20.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: The expressions of IL-17A, NLRP3, IL-1β and IL-18 in the tissues of CRSwNP patients were significantly higher than those in CRSsNP group( P =0.018, P <0.001, P =0.005, P =0.016) and the control group(all P <0.001). IL-17A was positively correlated with the expression of NLRP3, IL-1β, and IL-18( r ralue was 0.643,0.650,0.629,respectively, all P <0.05). IL-17A, NLRP3, and IL-18 were co-localized in the epithelial propria of polyp tissue. IL-17A stimulated the expressions of NLRP3, IL-1β, and IL-18 in human nasal epithelial cells. After the use of IL-17A receptor inhibitor, the expressions of NLRP3, IL-1β, and IL-18 were significantly down-regulated. After the use of NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950, IL-17A was significantly down-regulated to promote the expression of NLRP3, IL-1β, and IL-18. The expressions of NLRP3, IL-1β and IL-18 were positively correlated with CT, nasal endoscopy, VAS, and SNOT22 scores in patients with CRSwNP. Conclusions: IL-17A promotes the release of IL-1β and IL-18 by activating the NLRP3 inflammasome and aggravates the severity of the disease in CRSwNP.

The hollow sandwich core-shell micro-nanomaterials are widely used in materials, chemistry, and medicine, but their fabrication, particularly for transition metal phosphides (TMPs), remains a great challenge. Herein, a general synthesis strategy is presented for binary TMPs hollow sandwich heterostructures with vertically interconnected nanosheets on the inside and outside surfaces of polyhedron FeCoP x /C, demonstrated by a variety of transition metals (including Co, Fe, Cd, Mn, Cu, Cr, and Ni). Density functional theory (DFT) calculation reveals the process and universal mechanism of layered double hydroxide (LDH) growth on Prussian blue analog (PBA) surface in detail for the first time, which provides the theoretical foundations for feasibility and rationality of the synthesis strategy. This unique structure exhibits a vertical nanosheet-shell-vertical nanosheet configuration combining the advantages of sandwich, hollow and vertical heterostructures, effectively achieving their synergistic effect. As a proof-of-concept of their applications, the CoNiP x @FeCoP x /C@CoNiP x hollow sandwich polyhedron architectures (representative samples) show excellent catalytic performance for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline electrolytes. This work provides a general method for constructing hollow-sandwich micro-nanostructures, which provides more ideas and directions for design of micro-nano materials with special geometric topology., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)