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Xiao-tian Nan,1,* Ma-chao Li,1,* Tong-yang Xiao,2,* Hai-can Liu,1,* Shi-qiang Lin,3 Wei Wang,1 Cheng Qian,4 Hao Hang,1 Gui-lian Li,1 Xiu-qin Zhao,1 Kang-Lin Wan,1 Li-li Zhao1 1National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 3College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, People’s Republic of China; 4Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100013, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Li-li Zhao, Email zhaolili@icdc.cnObjective: To explore the association between the variant mutations within embB and ubiA, and the degree of ethambutol (EMB) resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) isolates.Methods: A total of 146 M. tuberculosis isolates were used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of EMB with a 96-well microplate-based assay. The mutations within embB and ubiA among these isolates were identified with DNA sequencing. Moreover, a multivariate regression model and a computer model were established to assess the effects of mutations on EMB resistance.Results: Our data showed that overall 100 isolates exhibited 28 mutated patterns within the sequenced embB and ubiA. Statistical analysis indicated that embB mutations Met306Val, Met306Ile, Gly406Ala, and Gln497Arg, were strongly associated with EMB resistance. Of these mutations, Met306Val and Gln497Arg were significantly associated with high-level EMB resistance. Almost all multiple mutations occurred in high-level EMB-resistant isolates. Although the mutation within ubiA accompanied with embB mutation presented exclusively in EMB-resistant isolates, four single ubiA mutations (Ala39Glu, Ser173Ala, Trp175Cys, and Val283Leu) leading to protein instability were observed in EMB-susceptible isolates.Conclusion: This study highlighted the complexity of EMB resistance. Some individual mutations and multiple mutations within embB and ubiA contributed to the different levels of EMB resistance.Keywords: ethambutol, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, embB, ubiA, mutations, minimum inhibitory concentration

Ma-Chao Li,1,* Xiao-Yue Wang,1,* Tong-Yang Xiao,2,* Shi-Qiang Lin,3 Hai-Can Liu,1 Cheng Qian,4 Da Xu,1 Gui-Lian Li,1 Xiu-Qin Zhao,1 Zhi-Guang Liu,1 Li-Li Zhao,1 Kang-Lin Wan1 1State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, People’s Republic of China; 4Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Li-Li Zhao; Kang-Lin Wan, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, P.O. Box 5, Changping, Beijing, 102206, People’s Republic of China, Tel/Fax +86 10 58900779, Email zhaolili@icdc.cn; wankanglin@icdc.cnObjective: To assess the relationship between the variant rpoB mutations and the degree of rifampin (RIF)/rifabutin (RFB) resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis).Methods: We analyzed the whole rpoB gene in 177 M. tuberculosis clinical isolates and quantified their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) using microplate-based assays.Results: The results revealed that of the 177 isolates, 116 were resistant to both RIF and RFB. There were 38 mutated patterns within the sequenced whole rpoB gene of the 120 isolates. Statistical analysis indicated that mutations, S450L, H445D, H445Y, and H445R, were associated with RIF and RFB resistance. Of these mutations, S450L, H445D, and H445Y were associated with high-level RIF and RFB MIC. H445R was associated with high-level RIF MIC, but not high-level RFB MIC. D435V and L452P were associated with only RIF, but not RFB resistance. Q432K and Q432L were associated with high-level RFB MIC. Several single mutations without statistical association with rifamycin resistance, such as V170F, occurred exclusively in low-level RIF but high-level RFB resistant isolates. Additionally, although cross-resistance to RIF and RFB is common, 21 RIF-resistant/RFB-susceptible isolates were identified.Conclusion: This study highlighted the complexity of rifamycin resistance. Identification of the rpoB polymorphism will be helpful to diagnose the RIF-resistant tuberculosis that has the potential to benefit from a treatment regimen including RFB.Keywords: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, rifampin resistance, rifabutin resistance, mutation

Ming-Chieh Li1,2 1Department of Health Promotion and Health Education, College of Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan; 2Department of Public Health, College of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, TaiwanCorrespondence: Ming-Chieh Li, Department of Health Promotion and Health Education, College of Education, National Taiwan Normal University, 162, Section 1, Heping E. Rd, Taipei, 106, Taiwan, Tel +886277491698, Email mingchiehli@ntnu.edu.twIntroduction: We conducted a study to examine whether adherence to the Taiwan Daily Food Guide was associated with bone mineral density (BMD).Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted utilizing data from the Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (NAHSIT) 2013– 2016. A total of seven BMD sites were evaluated, including the head, arms, legs, trunk, ribs, pelvis, and spine BMD. Besides, we further examined the association between the Daily Food Guide adherence score and osteoporosis (T-score of ≤ − 2.5 standard deviation (SD) of a measured total BMD). A validated food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used for dietary assessment.Results: We included a total of 555 participants with osteoporosis and 1977 without osteoporosis in the final analysis. We found negative associations between levels of adherence to the Daily Food Guide and the risk of osteoporosis. The odds ratio (OR) for participants in the highest quartile of the adherence level was 0.61 (95% CI = 0.42– 0.88), compared with those in the lowest quartile. When participants had total servings of six food groups higher than the recommendation, the protective effect still existed (OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.42– 0.84).Conclusion: Better adherence to the Taiwan Daily Food Guide is associated with a lower risk of osteoporosis.Keywords: bone health, osteoporosis, Daily Food Guide, diet, vegetables

Hai-Ying Chen,1,&ast; Ming-Chao Li,2,&ast; Dan Liao,1 Chi Li,1 Qiu-Ming Ji,1 Ping Guo,1 Zou Su,1 Yu-Hong Yang,1 Wen-Hao Xiao,1 Wen-Hui Zhai1 1Department of Psychiatry, Wuhan Wudong Hospital, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Psychiatry, Wuhan Mental Health Center, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Dan Liao; Chi Li, Department of Psychiatry, Wuhan Wudong Hospital, No. 46 of Wudong Street, Qingshan District, Wuhan, 430084, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 27 5052 8367, Fax +86 27 8643 8247, Email danliaodr@21cn.comObjective: Our study aimed to investigate the effects of computer-assisted cognitive remediation therapy (CCRT) on cognitive function, social function and quality of life in patients with vascular dementia (VD).Methods: Ninety-eight patients with VD were treated with CCRT in four 45-minute sessions per week over a course of 40 sessions to exercise four cognitive functions, including flexibility, working memory, plan execution and social cognition. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Social Disability Screening Schedule (SDSS), Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP), and Generic Quality of Life Inventory-74 (GQOL-74) were used to assess before and after treatment.Results: (1) The scores of orientation (5.60 ± 1.35), calculation (2.20 ± 0.79), verbal ability (7.10 ± 0.36), spatial ability (0.78 ± 0.42), immediate memory (2.42 ± 0.53), short-term memory (1.17 ± 0.78) and MMSE (23.36 ± 2.98) were all improved after treatment (P < 0.05) compared with those before treatment; (2) The scores of SDSS, PSP and Activities of Daily Living (ADL) after treatment were 8.23 ± 0.94, 81.36 ± 14.23, and 32.7 ± 12.1, and all of which improved (P < 0.05); (3) The scores of physical health were 68.24 ± 7.44, mental health were 69.75 ± 7.15, social function were 69.08 ± 7.43, material life were 37.46 ± 4.85 and the total score were 230.79 ± 9.56, all of which improved (P < 0.05).Conclusion: For patients with VD, CCRT can improve their cognitive function, social function, daily life ability and quality of life.Keywords: computer-assisted cognitive remediation, vascular dementia, cognitive function, social function, daily life ability

Xuan Wang,1,&ast; Dan Liao,2,&ast; Qiu-Ming Ji,2 Yu-Hong Yang,2 Ming-Chao Li,3 Xian-Yun Yi,2 Chi Li,2 Yu Chen,2 Hong-Bo Tao,2 Wen-Hui Zhai2 1Institute of Burns, Wuhan Third Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430000, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Psychiatry, Wuhan Wudong Hospital, Wuhan, 430084, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Wuhan Mental Health Center, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University Science & Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Qiu-Ming Ji; Yu-Hong Yang, Department of Psychiatry, Wuhan Wudong Hospital, No. 46 of Wudong Street, Qingshan District, Wuhan, 430084, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 27 5052 8367, Fax +86 27 8643 8247, Email ji20210826@163.com; yinhua3355@163.comObjective: To examine the bactericidal effects of three different states of medical ozone (liquid, gas, and oil) against drug-resistant strains of common bacteria on burn wounds, which could as a clinical reference.Methods: Three multidrug-resistant strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, pan-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and ESBLs Klebsiella pneumoniae were identified from burn wounds. The colonies of the three varieties of bacteria were each carried out using the pour plate method prior to the start of the experiment. Then, depending on the state of ozone, different treatment procedures are applied. Group of ozone gas: in a closed glass jar, the bacterial liquid was injected into a single layer of sterile gauze, and the ozone gas concentration was held at 50 g/mL. The bacterial liquid was diluted and combined directly with ozone water in the ozone water group. Ozone is a type of oil: after the emulsifier was added to the oil group. The gas, water, and oil groups were rapidly neutralized and counted again after 5, 10, and 30 minutes.Results: Ozone gas and oil groups totally eliminated multidrug resistant bacteria in the above study within 30 minutes. (2) At 5 and 10 minutes, the difference in bactericidal effect between ozone gas group and ozone water and oil group was statistically significant (P< 0.05), and there was no significant difference between ozone water and oil groups (P> 0.05); at the time of 30 minutes, the effects of bactericidal effect between ozone water group and ozone gas and oil had no significance (P> 0.05).Conclusion: Ozone has the ability to kill bacteria, depending on the treatment time, different ozone types should be chosen for sterilization and disinfection in clinical application.Keywords: ozone, burn, wound treatment, multidrug resistant bacteria

Li-Li Zhao,*,1 Ming-Xiang Huang,*,2 Tong-Yang Xiao,1 Hai-Can Liu,1 Ma-Chao Li,1 Xiu-Qin Zhao,1 Zhi-Guang Liu,1 Yi Jiang,1 Kang-Lin Wan11State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, People’s Republic of China; 2Clinical Laboratory, Fuzhou Pulmonary Hospital, Fuzhou, 350008, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workObjectives: To explore the prevalence, risk and genetic characteristics of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) from a tertiary care TB hospital in China.Patients and methods: We carried out a retrospective study including isolates from 189 patients with pulmonary TB at Fuzhou Pulmonary Hospital. All isolates from these patients were subjected to drug susceptibility testing and genotyping. For drug-resistant isolates, DNA sequencing was used to investigate mutations in 12 loci, including katG, inhA, oxyR–ahpC, rpoB, rpsL, rrs1 (nucleotides 388–1084 of rrs), embB, tlyA, eis, rrs2 (nucleotides 1158–1674 of rrs), gyrA and gyrB.Results: Among 189 isolates, 28.6% were resistant to at least one of the seven anti-TB drugs, including isoniazid (INH), rifampin (RIF), streptomycin (STR), ethambutol (EMB), capreomycin (CAP), kanzmycin (KAN) and ofloxacin (OFX). The proportion of multidrug-resistant TB and extensively drug-resistant TB isolates was 9.5% and 1.1%, respectively. Patients in rural areas as well as previously treated patients showed a significantly increased risk of developing drug resistance. In addition, among these isolates, 111 (58.7%) were Beijing genotype strains, 84 (75.7%) of which belonged to modern Beijing sublineage. There was no association between genotype and drug resistance. The most common mutations were katG315, rpoB531 rpsL43, embB306, rrs1401 and gyrA94. Conclusion: These findings provided additional information of drug-resistant TB in China. Previously treated patients and patients in rural areas should receive greater attention owing to their higher risk of developing drug resistance.Keywords: drug-resistant tuberculosis, genotype, risk, mutation

Since 1996, 16 states and the District of Columbia in the United States have enacted legislation to decriminalize marijuana for medical use. Although marijuana is the most commonly detected nonalcohol drug in drivers, its role in crash causation remains unsettled. To assess the association between marijuana use and crash risk, the authors performed a meta-analysis of 9 epidemiologic studies published in English in the past 2 decades identified through a systematic search of bibliographic databases. Estimated odds ratios relating marijuana use to crash risk reported in these studies ranged from 0.85 to 7.16. Pooled analysis based on the random-effects model yielded a summary odds ratio of 2.66 (95% confidence interval: 2.07, 3.41). Analysis of individual studies indicated that the heightened risk of crash involvement associated with marijuana use persisted after adjustment for confounding variables and that the risk of crash involvement increased in a dose-response fashion with the concentration of 11-nor-9-carboxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol detected in the urine and the frequency of self-reported marijuana use. The results of this meta-analysis suggest that marijuana use by drivers is associated with a significantly increased risk of being involved in motor vehicle crashes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cholecystectomy, a type of surgery commonly performed globally, has possible mutual effects on the socioeconomic conditions of different countries due to various postoperative recovery times., Aims: This study evaluated the medical and socioeconomic factors affecting delayed return-to-work (RTW) time after elective cholecystectomy., Methods: This retrospective study analysed patients who underwent elective cholecystectomy for benign gallbladder diseases from January 2022 to April 2023. The patients' medical and socioeconomic data were collected to investigate the clinical and socioeconomic factors correlated with RTW time of >30 days after surgery., Results: This study included 180 consecutive patients. Significant correlations were found between delayed RTW time (>30 days) and age (odds ratio [OR]: 1.059, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.008-1.113, P = 0.024), lack of medical insurance (OR: 2.935, 95% CI 1.189-7.249, P = 0.02) and high-intensity labour jobs (OR: 3.649, 95% CI 1.495-8.909, P = 0.004). Patients without medical insurance (26.6 versus 18.9 days) and those with high-intensity labour jobs (23.9 versus 18.8 days) had a higher mean RTW time than those with insurance and a less-intense labour job (P < 0.001)., Conclusions: After cholecystectomy, older age, lack of medical insurance and high-intensity labour job were correlated with a delayed RTW time. Informing patients about their expected RTW time after surgery can help reduce costs., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: With poor prognosis and high mortality, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal malignancies. Standard of care therapies for PDAC have included gemcitabine for the past three decades, although resistance often develops within weeks of chemotherapy initiation through an array of possible mechanisms., Methods: We reanalyzed publicly available RNA-seq gene expression profiles of 28 PDAC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models before and after a 21-day gemcitabine treatment using our validated analysis pipeline to identify molecular markers of intrinsic and acquired resistance., Results: Using normalized RNA-seq quantification measurements, we first identified oxidative phosphorylation and interferon alpha pathways as the two most enriched cancer hallmark gene sets in the baseline gene expression profile associated with intrinsic gemcitabine resistance and sensitivity, respectively. Furthermore, we discovered strong correlations between drug-induced expression changes in glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation genes and response to gemcitabine, which suggests that these pathways may be associated with acquired gemcitabine resistance mechanisms. Thus, we developed prediction models using baseline gene expression profiles in those pathways and validated them in another dataset of 12 PDAC models from Novartis. We also developed prediction models based on drug-induced expression changes in genes from the Molecular Signatures Database (MSigDB)'s curated 50 cancer hallmark gene sets. Finally, pathogenic TP53 mutations correlated with treatment resistance., Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that concurrent upregulation of both glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation pathways occurs in vivo in PDAC PDXs following gemcitabine treatment and that pathogenic TP53 status had association with gemcitabine resistance in these models. Our findings may elucidate the molecular basis for gemcitabine resistance and provide insights for effective drug combination in PDAC chemotherapy., (© 2024. This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply.)

The success of any drilling activity mainly depends on the characteristics of the drilling fluid. Therefore, a high-performance drilling fluid is substantial for any drilling operation. During overbalance drilling operations, the drilling mud invades the permeable formations and causes the loss of circulation, which is responsible for nonproductive time events. Hence, the filtration characteristics of the drilling mud are an imperative property. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the filtration characteristics of water-based mud systems in the presence of polyanionic cellulose (PAC) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)/TiO 2 nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were synthesized by using the hydrothermal technique. For the first time, a composite of MWCNTs and TiO 2 has been utilized as a fluid loss control additive in the petroleum sector, marking a significant development in the field. The filtration properties of water-based mud were assessed at two concentrations (0.35 g and 3.5 g). Furthermore, based on the two levels (concentrations) and two factors (particles), the novel application of the central composite response surface design of experiment (CCD) was implemented. The results showed that the predicted model from CCD was in good agreement with the filter press experimental result with R 2 = 0.8446. Furthermore, based on the ANOVA analysis, the concentration of MWCNTs/TiO 2 nanoparticles was the most significant parameter with p -value < 0.05. In addition, 10 out of 13 experimental points fall under the ±10% error window, thus indicating a higher accuracy of the regression model. The 2D interactive plots further show that the concentration of PAC is insignificant and has no considerable influence on fluid loss control, which was also validated by p -value > 0.05. The performance of MWCNTs/TiO 2 nanoparticles is superior to PAC because these nanodimension particles plug the pore-spacing and block the permeation channels on the filter paper. However, the PAC, because of its long molecular chain, entangles around the pore spaces and plugs the microsize pores, which eventually reduces the filtration loss volume up to some extent. By observing the synergistic interaction between MWCNTs/TiO 2 nanoparticles and PAC, this study develops valuable insights that assist in improving the performance of drilling fluid and minimizes the wellbore instability issues in the oil and gas sector., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

A fungal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplifies conserved genes across diverse species, combined with the subsequent hybridization of amplicons using a specific oligonucleotide microarray, allowing for the rapid detection of pathogens at the species level. However, the performance of microarrays in diagnosing invasive mold infections (IMI) from infected tissue samples is rarely reported. During the 4-year study period, all biopsied tissue samples from patients with a suspected IMI sent for microarray assays were analyzed. A partial segment of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was amplified by nested PCR after DNA extraction. Amplicons were hybridized with specific probes for a variety of mold species using an in-house oligonucleotide microarray. A total of 80 clinical samples from 74 patients were tested. A diagnosis of an IMI was made in 10 patients (4 proven, 1 probable, 3 possible, 2 clinical suspicion). The PCR/microarray test was positive for three out of four proven IMIs, one probable IMI, and one out of three possible IMIs. Two patients with positive PCR/microarray findings were considered to have clinical suspicion of an IMI, and their responsible physicians initiated antifungal therapy despite the absence of supporting microbiological and histological evidence. Clinical diagnoses were categorized into non-IMI and IMI groups (including proven, probable, possible, and clinical suspicion). The sensitivity and specificity of the microarray in diagnosing the IMIs were 70% and 95.7%, respectively, while the sensitivity and specificity of the culture and histological findings were 10%/96.3% and 40.0%/100%, respectively. PCR-based methods provide supportive microbiological evidence when culture results are inconclusive. The combination of a microarray with fungal culture and histology promotes the precise diagnosis of IMIs in difficult-to-diagnose patients.

Background: Air pollution is associated with several inflammatory skin disorders. However, the association between air quality and rosacea remains unclear., Objective: To investigate the association between air quality index and incidence of rosacea., Methods: Overall, 21,709,479 participants without rosacea before 2008 were recruited from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. The long-term average air quality index (AQI) value for each participant was acquired from the Taiwan Air Quality Monitoring System Network and calculated from 2008/1/1 until the diagnosis of rosacea, withdrawal from the National Health Insurance, or December 31, 2018., Results: We observed a significant association between AQI and the incidence of rosacea, with each unit elevation in AQI increasing the risk of rosacea by 5 %. Compared with the Q1 group, the Q2, Q3, and Q4 cohorts exhibited 1.82-fold, 4.48-fold and 7.22-fold increased risk of rosacea, respectively. Additionally, exposure to PM2.5, SO2 and CO increased the risk of rosacea, whereas exposure to PM10 was associated with a lower risk., Conclusion: This study supported a significant dose-response relationship between AQI and the incidence of rosacea., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of British Association of Dermatologists. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Tuberculosis (TB) is still an urgent global public health problem. Notably, mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells play an important role in early anti-TB immune response. Targeted control of them may be an effective method to improve vaccine efficacy and TB treatment. However, the biology and signal regulation mechanisms of MAIT cells in TB patients are still poorly understood. Previous studies have been limited by the lack of reagents to specifically identify MAIT cells. In addition, the use of alternative markers may subsume non-MAIT cell into MAIT cell populations. In this study, the human MR1 tetramer which can specifically identify MAIT cells was used to further explore the effect and mechanism of MAIT cells in anti-TB immune response. Our results showed that the tetramer + MAIT cells in peripheral blood of TB patients were mainly CD8 + or CD4 - CD8 - cells, and very few were CD4 + cells. After BCG infecting autologous antigen-presenting cells, MAIT cells in patients produced significantly higher levels of cytokines, lysis and proliferation compared with healthy controls. After suppression of mTORC1 by the mTORC1-specific inhibitor rapamycin, the immune response of MAIT cells in patients was significantly reduced. This study demonstrates that peripheral blood tetramer + MAIT cells from TB patients have significant anti-TB immune effect, which is regulated by mTORC1. This could provide ideas and potential therapeutic targets for the development of novel anti-TB immunotherapy., (© 2024 The Author(s). Immunology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Emerging evidence suggested that S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) may be a better serum biomarker for cardiovascular disease than homocysteine (Hcy). However, the role of SAH in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prognosis remains unclear., Objectives: We aimed to prospectively explore the relationships between serum SAH and related metabolites [Hcy, S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)] with HCC survival, and to evaluate the effect modifications by gene polymorphisms in one-carbon metabolism key enzymes., Methods: We included 1080 newly diagnosed patients with HCC from the Guangdong Liver Cancer Cohort. Serum SAH, Hcy, and SAM were measured utilizing high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Gene polymorphisms in one-carbon metabolism key enzymes were identified using kompetitive allele-specific polymerase chain reaction. Primary outcomes were liver cancer-specific survival (LCSS) and overall survival (OS). Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed using multivariate Cox proportional hazards models., Results: After a median follow-up of 3.6 y, 601 deaths occurred, with 552 (92%) attributed to HCC. Multivariable analysis revealed that patients in the highest quartile of serum SAH concentrations were significantly associated with worse survival compared with those in the lowest quartile, with HRs of 1.58 (95% CI: 1.19, 2.10; P -trend = 0.002) for LCSS and 1.54 (95% CI: 1.18, 2.02; P -trend = 0.001) for OS. There were no significant interactions between serum SAH concentrations and genetic variants of one-carbon metabolism key enzymes. No significant associations were found between serum Hcy, SAM concentrations, and SAM/SAH ratio with LCSS or OS., Conclusions: Higher serum SAH concentrations, rather than Hcy, were independently associated with worse survival in patients with HCC, regardless of the genetic variants of one-carbon metabolism key enzymes. These findings suggest that SAH may be a novel metabolism-related prognostic biomarker for HCC., (Copyright © 2024 American Society for Nutrition. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A series of bifunctional compounds have been discovered for their dual functionality as MER/AXL inhibitors and immune modulators. The furanopyrimidine scaffold, renowned for its suitability in kinase inhibitor discovery, offers at least three distinct pharmacophore access points. Insights from molecular modeling studies guided hit-to-lead optimization, which revealed that the 1,3-diketone side chain hybridized with furanopyrimidine scaffold that respectively combined amino-type substituent and 1 H -pyrazol-4-yl substituent on the top and bottom of the aryl regions to produce 22 and 33 , exhibiting potent antitumor activities in various syngeneic and xenograft models. More importantly, 33 demonstrated remarkable immune-modulating activity by upregulating the expression of total T-cells, cytotoxic CD8 + T-cells, and helper CD4 + T-cells in the spleen. These findings underscored the bifunctional capabilities of 33 ( BPR5K230 ) with excellent oral bioavailability ( F = 54.6%), inhibiting both MER and AXL while modulating the tumor microenvironment and highlighting its diverse applicability for further studies to advance its therapeutic potential.

Early diagnosis and intervention are pivotal in reducing colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and enhancing patient outcomes. In this study, we focused on three genes, AQP8, GUCA2B, and SPIB, which exhibit high coexpression and play crucial roles in suppressing early-stage CRC. Our objective was to identify key miRNAs that can mitigate CRC tumorigenesis and modulate the coexpression network involving these genes. We conducted a comprehensive analysis using large-scale tissue mRNA data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Omnibus to validate the coexpression of AQP8, GUCA2B, and SPIB, and to assess their diagnostic and prognostic significance in CRC. The mRNA-miRNA interactions were examined using MiRNet and the Encyclopedia of RNA Interactomes. Furthermore, using various molecular techniques, we conducted miRNA inhibitor transfection experiments in HCT116 cells to evaluate their effects on cell growth, migration, and gene/protein expression. Our findings revealed that, compared with normal tissues, AQP8, GUCA2B, and SPIB exhibited high coexpression and were downregulated in CRC, particularly during tumorigenesis. OncoMirs, hsa-miR-182-5p, and hsa-miR-27a-3p, were predicted to regulate these genes. MiRNA inhibition experiments in HCT116 cells demonstrated the inhibitory effects of miR-27a-3p and miR-182-5p on GUCA2B mRNA and protein expression. These miRNAs promoted the proliferation of CRC cells, possibly through their involvement in the GUCA2B-GUCY2C axis, which is known to promote tumor growth. While the expressions of AQP8 and SPIB were barely detectable, their regulatory relationship with hsa-miR-182-5p remained inconclusive. Our study confirms that hsa-miR-27a-3p and hsa-miR-182-5p are oncomiRs in CRC. These miRNAs may contribute to GUCY2C dysregulation by downregulating GUCA2B, which encodes uroguanylin. Consequently, hsa-miR-182-5p and hsa-miR-27a-3p show promise as potential targets for early intervention and treatment in the early stages of CRC.

Background: Long COVID, an emerging public health issue, is characterized by persistent symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection. This study aims to explore the relationship between post-COVID-19 symptomatology and patient distress employing Latent Class Analysis to uncover symptom co-occurrence patterns and their association with distress., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey among 240 participants from a university and affiliated hospital of southern Taiwan. The survey quantified distress due to persistent symptoms and assessed the prevalence of Long COVID, symptom co-occurrence, and latent symptom classes. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) identified distinct symptom patterns, and multiple regression models evaluated associations between symptom patterns, distress, and demographic factors., Results: The study found that 80 % of participants experienced Long COVID, with symptoms persisting for over three months. Individuals with multiple COVID-19 infections showed a significant increase in general (β = 1.79), cardiovascular (β = 0.61), and neuropsychological symptoms (β = 2.18), and higher total distress scores (β = 6.35). Three distinct symptomatology classes were identified: "Diverse", "Mild", and "Severe" symptomatology. The "Mild Symptomatology" class was associated with lower distress (-10.61), while the "Severe Symptomatology" class showed a significantly higher distress due to symptoms (13.32)., Conclusion: The study highlights the significant impact of Long COVID on individuals, with distinct patterns of symptomatology and associated distress. It emphasizes the cumulative effect of multiple COVID-19 infections on symptom severity and the importance of tailored care strategies., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no competing interest to declare., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Astragaloside IV (AS), a key active ingredient obtained from Chinese herb Astragalus mongholicus Bunge, exerts potent neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects for treating neurodegenerative diseases. However, mechanisms of AS on improvement of ischemic brain tissue repair remain unclear., Aim of the Study: This research aims at using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to noninvasively determine whether AS facilitates brain tissue repair, and investigating whether AS exerts brain remodeling through adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) metabolic signaling regulating key glycolytic enzymes and energy transporters, thereby impacting microglia polarization., Materials and Methods: Ischemic stroke model in male Sprague-Dawley rats were induced through permanent occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCAO). Infarct volume, the alterations of brain microstructure and nerve fibers reorganization were examined by multi-parametric MRI. The pathological damages of myelinated axons and microglia polarization surrounding infarct tissue were detected using pathological techniques. Furthermore, M1/M2 microglia polarization associated protein, glycolytic rate-limiting enzymes, energy transporters and AMPK/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) signal were examined both in ischemic stroke rats and BV2 microglia treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) + interferon-γ (IFN-γ) by western blotting., Results: MRI revealed that AS obviously decreased infarct volume, relieved brain microstructure damage and improved nerve fibers reorganization in ischemic stroke rats. Histological tests supported MRI findings. Notably, AS promoted microglia M2 and reduced M1 polarization, induced the AMPK activation accompanied with decreased levels of phosphorylated mTOR and HIF-1α. Moreover, AS suppressed the expression of glycolytic rate-limiting enzymes and energy transporters in ischemic stroke rats and BV2 microglia. In contrast, these beneficial effects were greatly blocked by AMPK inhibitor compound C., Conclusion: Overall, these results collectively suggested that AS facilitated tissue remodeling that may be partially through modulating polarization of microglia in AMPK- dependent metabolic pathways after ischemic stroke., 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 B.V. All rights reserved.)

The application of cellulose derivatives including carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), polyanionic cellulose (PAC), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs), and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) has gained enormous interest, especially as environmentally friendly additives for water-based drilling fluids (WBDFs). This is due to their sustainable, biodegradable, and biocompatible nature. Furthermore, cellulose nanomaterials (CNMs), which include both CNFs and CNCs, possess unique properties such as nanoscale dimensions, a large surface area, as well as unique mechanical, thermal, and rheological performance that makes them stand out as compared to other additives used in WBDFs. The high surface hydration capacity, strong interaction with bentonite, and the presence of a complex network within the structure of CNMs enable them to act as efficient rheological modifiers in WBDFs. Moreover, the nano-size dimension and facilely tunable surface chemistry of CNMs make them suitable as effective fluid loss reducers as well as shale inhibitors as they have the ability to penetrate, absorb, and plug the nanopores within the exposed formation and prevent further penetration of water into the formation. This review provides an overview of recent progress in the application of cellulose derivatives, including CMC, PAC, HEC, CNFs, and CNCs, as additives in WBDFs. It begins with a discussion of the structure and synthesis of cellulose derivatives, followed by their specific application as rheological, fluid loss reducer, and shale inhibition additives in WBDFs. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives are outlined to guide further research and development in the effective utilization of cellulose derivatives as additives in WBDFs., 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 Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This work aims to examine the effect of self-assembly on the chiroptic responses of the achiral block copolymer (BCP) polystyrene- b -poly(ethylene oxide) (PS- b -PEO) associated with chiral luminophores, ( R )- or ( S )-1,1'-bi-2-naphthol (( R )- or ( S )-BINOL), through hydrogen bonding. With the formation of a well-ordered helical phase (H*), significantly induced circular dichroism (ICD) signals for the PEO block in the mixture can be found. Most interestingly, a remarkable amplification with an extremely large dissymmetry factor of luminescence ( g lum ) from 10 -3 to 0.3 (i.e., induced circular polarized luminescence (iCPL) behavior) for the chiral BINOLs in the mixture can be achieved by the formation of the helical phase (H*) via mesochiral self-assembly. As a result, by taking advantage of BCP for mesochiral self-assembly, it is feasible to create a nanostructured monolith with substantial optical activities, offering promising applications in the design of chiroptic devices.

Within dynamic agroecosystems, microbes can act as key intermediaries, facilitating spatiotemporal communication among plants. Future research could categorize key plant genes involved in plant-microbe interactions into microbiome-shaping genes (Ms genes) and microbiome-responsive genes (Mr genes), potentially leading to the construction of spatiotemporal molecular networks with microbes as intermediaries., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2024 The Authors. iMeta published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of iMeta Science.)

Background and Objectives: Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) is a hereditary ataxia that occurs worldwide. Clinical patterns were observed, including the one characterized by marked spastic paraplegia. This study investigated the clinical features, disease progression, and multiparametric imaging aspects of patients with SCA3., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 249 patients with SCA3 recruited from the Organization for Southeast China for cerebellar ataxia research between October 2014 and December 2020. Of the 249 patients, 145 were selected and assigned to 2 groups based on neurologic examination: SCA3 patients with spastic paraplegia (SCA3-SP) and SCA3 patients with nonspastic paraplegia (SCA3-NSP). Participants underwent 3.0-T brain MRI examinations, and voxel-wise and volume-of-interest-based approaches were used for the resulting images. A tract-based spatial statistical approach was used to investigate the white matter (WM) alterations using diffusion tensor imaging, neurite orientation dispersion, and density imaging metrics. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to compare the clinical and imaging parameters between the 2 groups. The longitudinal data were evaluated using a linear mixed-effects model., Results: Forty-three patients with SCA3-SP (mean age, 37.58years ± 11.72 [SD]; 18 women) and 102 patients with SCA3-NSP (mean age, 47.42years ± 12.50 [SD]; 39 women) were analyzed. Patients with SCA3-SP were younger and had a lower onset age but a larger cytosine-adenine-guanine repeat number, as well as higher clinical severity scores (all corrected p < 0.05). The estimated progression rates of the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) and International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale scores were higher in the SCA3-SP subgroup than in the SCA3-NSP subgroup (SARA, 2.136 vs 1.218 points; ICARS, 5.576 vs 3.480 points; both p < 0.001). In addition, patients with SCA3-SP showed gray matter volume loss in the precentral gyrus with a decreased neurite density index in the WM of the corticospinal tract and cerebellar peduncles compared with patients with SCA3-NSP., Discussion: SCA3-SP differs from SCA3-NSP in clinical features, multiparametric brain imaging findings, and longitudinal follow-up progression., Competing Interests: The authors report no relevant disclosures. Go to Neurology.org/NG for full disclosures., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American Academy of Neurology.)

Pickering foam is a type of foam stabilized by solid particles known as Pickering stabilizers. These solid stabilizers adsorb at the liquid-gas interface, providing superior stability to the foam. Because of its high stability, controllability, versatility, and minimal environmental impact, nanomaterial-stabilized Pickering foam has opened up new possibilities and development prospects for foam applications. This review provides an overview of the current state of development of Pickering foam stabilized by a wide range of nanomaterials, including cellulose nanomaterials, chitin nanomaterials, silica nanoparticles, protein nanoparticles, clay mineral, carbon nanotubes, calcium carbonate nanoparticles, MXene, and graphene oxide nanosheets. Particularly, the preparation and surface modification methods of various nanoparticles, the fundamental properties of nanomaterial-stabilized Pickering foam, and the synergistic effects between nanoparticles and surfactants, functional polymers, and other additives are systematically introduced. In addition, the latest progress in the application of nanomaterial-stabilized Pickering foam in the oil industry, food industry, porous functional material, and foam flotation field is highlighted. Finally, the future prospects of nanomaterial-stabilized Pickering foam in different fields, along with directions for further research and development directions, are outlined., 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. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Air pollutants may aggravate atopic dermatitis (AD). However, the association between Air Quality Index (AQI) and incidence of AD remains unknown., Objective: To investigate association between AQI and incidence of AD, using the nationwide cohort in the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD)., Methods: We included 21,278,938 participants from the NHIRD not diagnosed with AD before 2008. Long-term average AQI value, obtained from the Taiwan Air Quality Monitoring System Network, before AD diagnosis was calculated and linked for each participant., Results: 199,205 incident cases of AD were identified from 2008 to 2018. Participants were classified into 4 quantiles (Q) by AQI value. With the lowest quantile, Q1, as reference, the AD risk increased significantly in the Q2 group (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 1.29, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04-1.65), Q3 group (aHR: 4.71, 95% CI: 3.78-6.04), and was highest in the Q4 group (aHR: 13.20, 95% CI: 10.86-16.60). As AQI treated as a continuous variable, an increase of 1 unit of AQI value added 7% of AD risk (aHR, 1.07, 95% CI: 1.07-1.08)., Limitations: The NHIRD lacks detailed information on individual subjects., Conclusions: The results demonstrated a significant positive association between AQI and incidence of AD with a clear dose-response relationship., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest None declared., (Copyright © 2024 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We report the preparation of chiral silica using a linear polysiloxane main chain with a preferred-handed helical structure as the template. Poly(methylvinyl siloxane) (PMVS) with a cysteine derivative side chain designated as PMVS-Cys was prepared using anionic polymerization and an ene-thiol reaction. PMVS-Cys forms a helical conformation in both solution and film via hydrogen bonding between amide groups at side chains. The helical structure remains during the calcination process, resulting in silica with helical structure. The silica with a helical structure shows optical activity.

Objective: To investigate the effects of electroacupuncture combined with paliperidone palmitate long-acting injection (PP-LAI) on withdrawal symptoms and neurotransmitters in methamphetamine (MA) addicts., Materials and Methods: A total of 109 methamphetamine addicts, who were treated in the hospital from October 2021 to October 2022, were selected. According to the random number table, the patients were divided into the study group (n=54) and the control group (n=55), in which the control group was treated with PP-LAI and the study group was treated with electroacupuncture on the basis of the control group; the methamphetamine withdrawal symptom score scale was used to assess the therapeutic effect before treatment and within 12 months after treatment; the changes of brain neurotransmitters dopamine, γ-aminobutyric acid, serotonin, acetylcholine values were compared between the two groups., Results: 1) There was no statistical difference in MA withdrawal symptom scores between the two groups before treatment (p>0.05); 2) MA withdrawal symptom scores have a statistically significant difference between the study group and the control group after 3 and 6 months of treatment; 3) dopamine levels in the study group were significantly higher than those in the control group after 6 months of completion of treatment, and γ-aminobutyric acid values and 5- serotonin values in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group (p<0.05)., Conclusions: Electroacupuncture combined with PP-LAI can partially improve the withdrawal symptoms and anxiety of methamphetamine addicts. This is a potential treatment for preventing relapse of withdrawal symptoms.

With the increase of sustainable development goal, the bio-based adsorption materials with high and selective dye removal are important for water treatment in the dyeing industry. In this paper, a bio-based adsorption foam composed of metal-organic frameworks (MOF) and polyethyleneimine (PEI)-modified cellulose was prepared by a three-step process, i.e., PEI modification of cellulose fibers (PC), MOF decoration of PEI-modified cellulose (MIL-53@PC), and in-situ foaming with polyurethane. PEI modification provides cellulose fiber with more active sites for both dye adsorption and MOF bonding. We found that MIL-53 crystals were tightly bonded on the surface of PC through hydrogen bonding. Because of the abundant adsorption sites (e.g., amines, iron oxide group), the MIL-53@PC demonstrated high adsorption capacity and selectivity for anionic dye (e.g., 936.5 mg/g for methyl orange) through electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding. Finally, MIL-53@PC particles were blended with a waterborne polyurethane prepolymer to prepare a three-dimensional hydrophilic foam (MIL-53@PC/PUF), which not only maintained high adsorption capacity and selectivity of MIL-53@PC and also improved its recyclability and reusability. The MIL-53@PC/PUF offers a promising solution for dye wastewater treatment., 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.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BYHWD), one of the most commonly utilized traditional Chinese medicine prescription for treatment of cerebral ischemic stroke. However, the understanding of BYHWD on neurovascular repair following cerebral ischemia is so far limited., Aim of the Study: This research investigated the influence of BYHWD on neurovascular remodeling by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology and revealed the potential neurovascular repair mechanism underlying post-treatment with BYHWD after ischemic stroke., Materials and Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were utilized as an ischemic stroke model by permanent occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCAO). BYHWD was intragastrically administrated once daily for 30 days straight. Multimodal MRI was performed to detect brain tissue injuries, axonal microstructural damages, cerebral blood flow and intracranial vessels on the 30th day after BYHWD treatment. Proangiogenic factors, axonal/synaptic plasticity-related factors, energy transporters and adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signal pathway were evaluated using western blot. Double immunofluorescent staining and western blot were applied to evaluate astrocytes and microglia polarization., Results: Administration of BYHWD significantly alleviated infarct volume and brain tissue injuries and ameliorated microstructural damages, accompanied with improved axonal/synaptic plasticity-related factors, axonal growth guidance factors and decreased axonal growth inhibitors. Meanwhile, BYHWD remarkably improved cerebral blood flow, cerebral vascular signal and promoted the expression of proangiogenic factors. Particularly, treatment with BYHWD obviously suppressed astrocytes A1 and microglia M1 polarization accompanied with promoted astrocyte A2 and microglia M2 polarization. Furthermore, BYHWD effectively improved energy transporters. Especially, BYHWD markedly increased expression of phosphorylated AMPK, cyclic AMP-response element binding protein (CREB) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) accompanied by inactivation of the NF-κB., Conclusion: Taken together, these findings identified that the beneficial roles of BYHWD on neurovascular remodeling were related to AMPK pathways -mediated energy transporters and NFκB/CREB pathways., 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.)

Objectives: Ambulatory video-electroencephalography (video-EEG) represents a low-cost, convenient and accessible alternative to inpatient video-EEG monitoring, however few studies have examined their diagnostic yield. In this large-scale retrospective study conducted in Australia, we evaluated the efficacy of prolonged ambulatory video-EEG recordings in capturing diagnostic events and resolving the referring question., Methods: Sequential adult and paediatric ambulatory video-EEG reports from April 2020 to June 2021 were reviewed retrospectively. Data collection included patient demographics, clinical information, and details of events and EEG abnormalities. Clinical utility was assessed by examining i) time to first diagnostic event, and ii) ability to resolve the referring questions - seizure localisation, quantification, classification, and differentiation (differentiating seizures from non-epileptic events)., Results: Of the 600 reports analysed, 49 % captured at least one event, and 45 % captured interictal abnormalities (epileptiform or non-epileptiform). Seizures, probable psychogenic events (mostly non-convulsive), and other non-epileptic events occurred in 13 %, 23 % and 21 % of recordings respectively, with overlap. Unreported events were captured in 53 (9 %) recordings, and unreported seizures represented more than half of all seizures captured (51 %, 392/773). Nine percent of events were missing clinical, video or electrographic data. A diagnostic event occurred in 244 (41 %) recordings, of which 14 % were captured between the fifth and eighth day of recording. Reported event frequency ≥ 1/week was the only significant predictor of diagnostic event capture. In recordings with both seizures and psychogenic events, unrecognized seizures were frequent, and seizures may be missed if recording is terminated early. The referring question was resolved in 85 % of reports with at least one event, and 53 % of all reports. Specifically, this represented 46 % of reports (235/512) for differentiation of events, and 75 % of reports (27/36) for classification of seizures., Conclusion: Ambulatory video-EEG recordings are of high diagnostic value in capturing clinically relevant events and resolving the referring clinical questions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Michael Li reports administrative support was provided by Seer Medical Pty Ltd. Mark Cook & Ewan Nurse reports a relationship with Seer Medical Pty Ltd that includes: board membership. 1. Chief Medical Officer of Seer Medical - M.C. 2. Director of Epilepsy Research at Seer Medical - E.N. 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 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Fritillaria ussuriensis Maxim is one of the traditional Chinese valuable herbs, which is the dried bulb of Fritillaria, a plant of the lily family. The identification of authenticity about F. ussuriensis is still technically challenging. In this study, visual identification was performed by ring-mediated isothermal amplification and nucleic acid colloidal gold techniques. Firstly, multiple sequence comparative analysis was performed by DNAMAN to find the differential sites of F. ussuriensis and its mixed pseudo-products, and the specific identification primers of F. ussuriensis were designed. Genomic DNA was extracted by the modified CTAB method, and the reaction system and reaction conditions were optimized to construct LAMP for the visual detection of F. ussuriensis, meanwhile, the genuine product was cloned and the extracted plasmid was sequenced. The specificity and sensitivity were detected, and also verified by nucleic acid colloidal gold method, and 20 commercially available samples were tested. The extracted DNA met the requirements of the experiment, and the genuine F. ussuriensis PCR product titrated on a test strip showed two bands on the T and C lines, while the counterfeit and negative control showed only one band on the C line, which matched the LAMP results. The specificity was 100 %, and the sensitivity of LAMP assay was up to 0.01 ng μL -1 , while that of colloidal gold assay was 0.1 ng μL -1 , thus the LAMP assay had high sensitivity. 14 out of 20 commercially available samples of F. ussuriensis were qualified, and 6 were unqualified, and the results of the two methods of identification were consistent. In this study, the combined detection method of LAMP and colloidal gold for nucleic acid was established to be specific, rapid, precise and visualized, which can provide a new technical idea for the detection of F. ussuriensis., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing interest I am a student in the third year of research in Beihua University, this experiment has been completed by our group, everyone contributed a part, always like the journal, I think my content also meets the requirements of the journal, this article is the application of LAMP and colloidal gold techniques for the identification of the authenticity of the Chinese herbal medicine, Pingbeimu, with good specificity, high sensitivity, and visualization of the results. My manuscript is free from plagiarism, secondary publication and multiple submissions, so the authors all agree to commit to this journal, I hope that you can give your valuable comments on the article and I hope you have a good day., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a noninvasive neuroregulatory technique used to treat neurodegenerative diseases, holds promise for spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) treatment, although its efficacy and mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to observe the short-term impact of cerebellar rTMS on motor function in SCA3 patients and utilize resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) to assess potential therapeutic mechanisms. Twenty-two SCA3 patients were randomly assigned to receive actual rTMS (AC group, n = 11, three men and eight women; age 32-55 years) or sham rTMS (SH group, n = 11, three men and eight women; age 26-58 years). Both groups underwent cerebellar rTMS or sham rTMS daily for 15 days. The primary outcome measured was the ICARS scores and parameters for regional brain activity. Compared to baseline, ICARS scores decreased more significantly in the AC group than in the SH group after the 15-day intervention. Imaging indicators revealed increased Amplitude of Low Frequency Fluctuation (ALFF) values in the posterior cerebellar lobe and cerebellar tonsil following AC stimulation. This study suggests that rTMS enhances motor functions in SCA3 patients by modulating the excitability of specific brain regions and associated pathways, reinforcing the potential clinical utility of rTMS in SCA3 treatment. The Chinese Clinical Trial Registry identifier is ChiCTR1800020133., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Four common Patrinia species, including P. heterophylla, P. monandra, P. scabiosifolia and P. villosa, have been documented as herbal medicines with various clinical applications, such as anti-cancer, anti-diarrhea and sedative. However, the authentication of medicinal Patrinia species poses a problem, particularly with the processed herbal materials. This study aimed to systematically authenticate the four medicinal Patrinia species in the market using morphological and chemical characterization, as well as DNA markers. We found the species identity authenticated by traditional morphologies were in good agreement with both chemical and molecular results. The four species showed species-specific patterns in chromatographic profiles with distinct chemical markers. We also revealed the power of complete chloroplast genomes in species authentication. The sequences of targeted loci, namely atpB, petA, rpl2-rpl23 and psaI-ycf4, contained informative nucleotides for the species differentiation. Our results also facilitate authentication of medicinal Patrinia species using new DNA barcoding markers. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the application of morphology, chemical fingerprinting, complete chloroplast genomes and species-specific Insertion-Deletions (InDels) in differentiating Patrinia species. This study reported on the power of a systematic, multidisciplinary approach in authenticating medicinal Patrinia species., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Through experimental research on the biological function of GATA6-AS1, it was confirmed that GATA6-AS1 can inhibit the proliferation, invasion, and migration of gastric cancer cells, suggesting that GATA6-AS1 plays a role as an anti-oncogene in the occurrence and development of gastric cancer. Further experiments confirmed that the overexpression of fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) inhibited the expression of GATA6-AS1, thereby promoting the occurrence and development of gastric cancer., Aim: To investigate the effects of GATA6-AS1 on the proliferation, invasion and migration of gastric cancer cells and its mechanism of action., Methods: We used bioinformatics methods to analyze the Cancer Genome Atlas (https://portal.gdc.cancer.gov/. The Cancer Genome Atlas) and download expression data for GATA6-AS1 in gastric cancer tissue and normal tissue. We also constructed a GATA6-AS1 lentivirus overexpression vector which was transfected into gastric cancer cells to investigate its effects on proliferation, migration and invasion, and thereby clarify the expression of GATA6-AS1 in gastric cancer and its biological role in the genesis and development of gastric cancer. Next, we used a database (http://starbase.sysu.edu.cn/starbase2/) to analysis GATA6-AS1 whether by m6A methylation modify regulation and predict the methyltransferases that may methylate GATA6-AS1. Furthermore, RNA immunoprecipitation experiments confirmed that GATA6-AS1 was able to bind to the m6A methylation modification enzyme. These data allowed us to clarify the ability of m6A methylase to influence the action of GATA6-AS1 and its role in the occurrence and development of gastric cancer., Results: Low expression levels of GATA6-AS1 were detected in gastric cancer. We also determined the effects of GATA6-AS1 overexpression on the biological function of gastric cancer cells. GATA6-AS1 had strong binding ability with the m6A demethylase FTO, which was expressed at high levels in gastric cancer and negatively correlated with the expression of GATA6-AS1. Following transfection with siRNA to knock down the expression of FTO, the expression levels of GATA6-AS1 were up-regulated. Finally, the proliferation, migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells were all inhibited following the knockdown of FTO expression., Conclusion: During the occurrence and development of gastric cancer, the overexpression of FTO may inhibit the expression of GATA6-AS1, thus promoting the proliferation and metastasis of gastric cancer., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors have nothing to disclose., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Synthesis of benzo[ c ]cinnolinium salts by copper(II)-promoted or electrochemical oxidation of 2-azobiaryls is described. A variety of diversely functionalized benzo[ c ]cinnolinium salts were easily constructed by this strategy with excellent functional group tolerance and high efficiency. An interesting fluorescence centered at 571 nm is revealed by a benzo[ c ]cinnolinium salt with electron push-pull substitutions. The mechanism is proposed to go through single-electron transfer driven by oxidant and intramolecular cyclization via nucleophilic addition, followed by an anion exchange.