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Background and Objective: This study focuses on investigating the role of CDKN1A in cisplatin-induced AKI (acute kidney injury, AKI) and its potential as a biomarker for early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention by integrating bioinformatics analysis, machine learning, and experimental validation., Methods: We analyzed the GSE85957 dataset to find genes that changed between control and cisplatin-treated rats. Using bioinformatics and machine learning, we found 13 important genes related to ferroptosis and the P53 pathway. The key gene, CDKN1A, was identified using various algorithms. We then tested how reducing CDKN1A in human kidney cells affected cell health, ROS, and iron levels. We also checked how CDKN1A changes the levels of proteins linked to ferroptosis using Q-PCR and Western Blot., Results: CDKN1A was found to negatively regulate the G1/S phase transition and was associated with ferroptosis in p53 signaling. Experiments in human renal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) and rat NRK-52E cells showed that CDKN1A knockdown mitigated cisplatin-induced cell injury by reducing oxidative stress and ferroptosis., Conclusion: Our integrated approach identified CDKN1A as a biomarker for cisplatin-induced AKI. Its regulation could be key in AKI pathogenesis, offering new therapeutic insights and aiding in early diagnosis and intervention., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We declare that we have no financial and personal relationships with other people of organizations that can inappropriately influence our work., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Plants encounter numerous adversities during growth, necessitating the identification of common stress activators to bolster their resistance. However, the current understanding of these activators' mechanisms remains limited. This study identified three anti-stress activators applicable to apple trees, all of which elevate plant proline content to enhance resistance against various adversities. The results showed that the application of these sugar substitutes increased apple proline content by two to three times compared to the untreated group. Even at a lower concentration, these activators triggered plant stress resistance without compromising apple fruit quality. Therefore, these three sugar substitutes can be exogenously sprayed on apple trees to augment proline content and fortify stress resistance. Given their effectiveness and low production cost, these activators possess significant application value. Since they have been widely used in the food industry, they hold potential for broader application in plants, fostering apple industry development.

Seven new 4-hydroxy-6-phenyl-2 H -pyran-2-one (HPPO) derived meroterpenoids, 1-methyl-12a,12b-epoxyarisugacin M ( 1 ), 1-methyl-4a,12b-epoxyarisugacin M ( 2 ), 2,3-dihydroxy-3,4a-epoxy-12a-dehydroxyisoterreulactone A ( 3 ), 2-hydroxy-12a-dehydroxyisoterreulactone A ( 4 ), 3'-demethoxyterritrems B' ( 5 ), 4a-hydroxyarisugacin P ( 6 ), and 1-epi-arisugacin H ( 7 ), together with two known analogues ( 8 and 9 ), were isolated from the marine-derived fungal strain Penicillium sp. SCSIO 41691. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, and the absolute configurations of compounds 1 and 3 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Among them, 1 and 2 had a unique methyl migration in the basic meroterpenoid skeleton with a 12a,12b-epoxy or 4a,12b-epoxy group, and 3 was a highly oxygenated HPPO-derived meroterpenoid featuring a rare 6/5/6/6/6/6 hexacyclic system with a 3,4a-epoxy group. Biologically, 5 exhibited inhibitory activity against lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 cells with an IC 50 value of 21 μM, more potent than the positive control indomethacin.

Sleep deprivation (SD) has led to a rise in cognitive impairment (CI) cases. Kaempferol (KMP), known for its anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic properties, holds promise in countering SD-induced CI. Experimental validation using a sleep-deprived CI model confirmed KMP's efficacy in mitigating CI. Immunofluorescence investigations emphasized diminished activation of astrocytes and reduced the proliferation of microglia in the hippocampus of mice subjected to SD. Subsequently, network pharmacological analyses were conducted and found that KMP may be closely related to the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in SD-induced CI. The influence of KMP on the MAPK pathway was verified by the observed decrease in the expression of phosphorylated JNK (p-JNK) and p38 (p-p38). Analyzing hippocampal AMPARS and NMDARS expression indicated KMP's ability to enhance GluA1 phosphorylation (Ser831 and Ser845) and GluN2A levels. Patch clamp assays demonstrated heightened excitatory transmitter transmission in the hippocampus, suggesting KMP's positive influence. Overall, KMP combats neuroinflammation via MAPK inhibition, augments synaptic function, and addresses learning and memory dysfunction in sleep-deprived mice., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2023 American Chemical Society.)

Six new thiodiketopiperazine-class alkaloids lecanicilliums A-F were isolated from the mangrove sediment-derived fungus Lecanicillium kalimantanense SCSIO41702, together with thirteen known analogues. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis. The absolute configurations were determined by quantum chemical calculations. Electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra and the structure of Lecanicillium C were further confirmed by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Lecanicillium A contained an unprecedented 6/5/6/5/7/6 cyclic system with a spirocyclic center at C-2'. Biologically, lecanicillium E, emethacin B, and versicolor A displayed significant cytotoxicity against human lung adenocarcinoma cell line H1975, with IC 50 values of 7.2~16.9 μM, and lecanicillium E also showed antibacterial activity against four pathogens with MIC values of 10~40 μg/mL. Their structure-activity relationship is also discussed.

Aim: To explore the hotspots and frontiers of genetic research on pediatric cataracts., Methods: Global publications from 2013 to 2022 related to genes in pediatric cataracts were extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection, and were analyzed in terms of the publication counts, countries, journals, authors, keywords, cited references, subject categories, and the underlying hotspots and frontiers., Results: Totally 699 publications were included in the final analysis. The predominant actors were identified, with China ( n =240) and PLoS One ( n =33) being the most productive country and journal respectively. The research hotspots extracted from keywords were crystallin gene mutations, pathogenicity evaluation, phenotypes of ocular and neurodevelopmental abnormalities, genes encoding membrane proteins, and diagnosis of multisystemic disorders. The co-cited articles formed 10 clusters of research topics, including FYCO1 (56 items), mutation screening (43 items), gap junction (29 items), the Warburg Micro syndrome (29 items), ephrin-A5 (28 items), novel mutation (24 items), eye development and function (22 items), cholestanol (7 items), OCRL (6 items), and pathogenicity prediction (3 items). The research frontiers were FYCO1 , ephrin-A5, and cholestanol. Cell biology showed the strongest bridging effects among different disciplines in the field (betweenness centrality=0.44)., Conclusion: With the progress in next-generation sequencing and multidisciplinary collaboration, genetic research on pediatric cataracts broadens the knowledge scope of the crystalline lens, as well as other organs and systems, shedding light on the molecular mechanisms of systemic diseases. Cell biology may integrate multidisciplinary content to address cutting-edge issues in the field., (International Journal of Ophthalmology Press.)

Liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) is a major malignant tumor of the digestive system with a high incidence rate and poor early diagnosis. Coiled-coil domain-containing protein 115 (CCDC115), an accessory component of vacuolar-ATPase with dramatically abnormal expression, is associated with survival outcomes of cancer patients. However, the role of CCDC115 in LIHC remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to determine the functional role of CCDC115 in LIHC by examining CCDC115 expression, and its influence on LIHC prognosis. Through extensive statistical analyses, using LIHC patient databases, we observed that CCDC115 expression significantly increased in tumor tissues of LIHC patients. In addition, CCDC115 expression correlated with the poor prognosis. Additionally, CCDC115 was found to be involved in several cancer-related pathways, specifically the PI3K-Akt pathway. The expression of CCDC115 was positively correlated with human leukocyte antigen molecules as well as with immune checkpoint molecules in LIHC patients. We performed in vitro experiments and confirmed that the expression of CCDC115 significantly affects the proliferation potential, metastasis and sorafenib resistance of liver cancer cells, as well as some key protein expression in PI3K-Akt pathway. These results indicate that CCDC115 could serve as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker of LIHC, and targeting CCDC115 may provide a potential strategy to enhance the efficacy of liver cancer therapy., Competing Interests: 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., (© 2023 The Authors.)

A preliminary study was conducted of the chemical, structural properties and immunomodulatory activities of fucoidan isolated from Sargassum Zhangii (SZ). Sargassum Zhangii fucoidan (SZF) was determined to have a sulfate content of 19.74 ± 0.01% (w/w) and an average molecular weight of 111.28 kDa. SZF possessed a backbone structure of (1,4)-α-d-linked-galactose, (3,4)-α-l-fucose, (1,3)-α-d-linked-xylose, β-d-linked-mannose and a terminal (1,4)-α-d-linked-glucose. The main monosaccharide composition was determined as (w/w) 36.10% galactose, 20.13% fucose, 8.86% xylose, 7.36% glucose, 5.62% mannose, and 18.07% uronic acids, respectively. An immunostimulatory assay showed that SZF, compared to commercial fucoidans ( Undaria pitnnaifida and Fucus vesiculosus sources), significantly elevated nitric oxide production via up-regulation of cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase at both gene and protein levels. These results suggest that SZ has the potential to be a source of fucoidan with enhanced properties that may act as a useful ingredient for functional foods, nutritional supplements, and immune enhancers., Competing Interests: 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., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

'On Water'-promoted the three-component tandem Michael addition/D-A cycloaddition reaction in 80 °C at 3 h has been developed without employing any catalyst and organic solvent. The process allows facile access to polycyclic N-heterocycles derivatives contain indole and maleimide from easily accessible starting materials in moderate to high yields (up to 91 %). Compared with conventional reaction conditions, this reaction not only improves the reaction efficiency and rate but also minimizes the side reaction., (© 2023 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Objectives: As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to spread worldwide, nucleic acid detection is a key step in controlling it. Psychological issues and job burnout of nurses working in nucleic acid sampling roles for long periods have become apparent. This study aimed to explore the effects of mindfulness decompression therapy on mental health and job burnout in front-line nurses working in nucleic acid sampling during the pandemic., Methods: Nucleic acid sampling frontline nurses who were positive for burnout on both the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Scale (MBI-GS) were selected as the participants. Frontline nurses in the nucleic acid testing area who received routine psychological nursing intervention from June 2020 to April 2021 were used as the control group. Nurses who received both routine psychological nursing and mindfulness decompression therapy from May 2021 to December 2021 formed the "mindfulness" subject group. We compared the two groups' primary outcome measures of SCL-90 and MBI-GS scores., Results: Before the intervention, there were no significant differences between the two groups in general data, SCL-90 scores, and MBI-GS scores. After the mindfulness decompression therapy, according to SCL-90 and MBI-GS scales, psychological distress and job burnout of nurses in the mindfulness group were significantly better than those in the control group., Conclusion: Mindfulness decompression therapy can effectively improve mental health and relieve job burnout in frontline nurses in nucleic acid sampling areas, which is worthy of clinical application. Randomized controlled trials are still needed, however, to fully confirm the effects of mindfulness decompression therapy., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Occupational Health published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of The Japan Society for Occupational Health.)

Fucoidan is a sulfated algal polyanionic polysaccharide that possesses many biological activities. In this paper, a fucoidan (SHF) polysaccharide was extracted from Sargassum hemiphyllum collected in the South China Sea. The SHF, with a molecular weight of 1166.48 kDa (44.06%, w / w ), consisted of glucose (32.68%, w / w ), galactose (24.81%, w / w ), fucose (20.75%, w / w ), xylose (6.98%, w / w ), mannose (2.76%, w / w ), other neutral monosaccharides, and three uronic acids, including glucuronic acid (5.39%, w / w ), mannuronic acid (1.76%, w / w ), and guronuronic acid (1.76%, w / w ). The SHF exhibited excellent immunostimulatory activity. An immunostimulating assay showed that SHF could significantly increase NO secretion in macrophage RAW 264.7 cells via upregulation of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) levels based on both gene expression and protein abundance. These results suggest that SHF isolated from Sargassum hemiphyllum has great potential to act as a health-boosting ingredient in the pharmaceutical and functional-food fields.

The capsular tension ring (CTR) can stabilize the capsule, support the lax zonules, and inhibit the proliferation and migration of lens epithelial cells. Clinically, CTR is mostly used in patients with zonular weakness, which can improve the stability of intraocular lens (IOL) and reduce the incidence of posterior capsular opacity (PCO). The relatively large capsular bag volume, zonular weakness in cataract patients with high myopia may increase the instability of IOL and PCO. Therefore, many clinicians have implanted CTR in cataract patients with high myopia. In this review, we summarized the application of CTR in cataract patients with high myopia.

Phospholipid peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids at the bis-allylic position drives ferroptosis. Here we identify a novel role for phospholipid peroxidation in the inhibition of autophagy. Using in vitro and in vivo models, we report that phospholipid peroxidation induced by glutathione peroxidase-4 inhibition and arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase overexpression leads to overload of peroxidized phospholipids and culminate in inhibition of autophagy. Functional and lipidomics analysis further demonstrated that inhibition of autophagy was associated with an increase of peroxidized phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) conjugated LC3. We further demonstrate that autophagy inhibition occurred due to preferential cleavage of peroxidized LC3-PE by ATG4B to yield delipidated LC3. Mouse models of phospholipid peroxidation and autophagy additionally supported a role for peroxidized PE in autophagy inhibition. Our results agree with the recognized role of endoplasmic reticulum as the primary source for autophagosomal membranes. In summary, our studies demonstrated that phospholipid peroxidation inhibited autophagy via stimulating the ATG4B-mediated delipidation of peroxidized LC3-PE., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Seven new decahydrofluorene-class alkaloids, pyrrospirones K-Q ( 1 - 7 ), together with six known analogues ( 8 - 13 ) were isolated from the marine-derived fungal strain Penicillium sp. SCSIO 41512. Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis, and their absolute configurations were established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and quantum chemical calculations of electronic circular dichroism spectra. Compounds 1 and 3 possess a novel decahydrofluorene-class alkaloid skeleton with a 6/5/6/8/5/6/13 and a 6/5/6/5/6/13 polycyclic system, respectively. Biologically, 13 displayed significant inhibitory activity against protein tyrosine phosphatases CD45, TCPTP, SHP1, and PTP1B with IC 50 values of 8.1-17.8 μM, and 1 , 2 , 5 , 8 - 10 , 12 , and 13 showed antibacterial activity against six pathogens. Their structure-activity relationship is also discussed.

Nano-prodrug, one of the most widely used nano-formulation at present, has excellent efficacies in tumor treatment with high potential and clinical value. Camptothecin and its derivatives have broad prospects in the preparation of prodrugs for the treatment of tumors. Given the special microenvironment of tumors, including partial acidity, high concentration of reactive oxygen species, high concentration of glutathione and enzyme concentration, a large number of tumor microenvironment-responsive camptothecin and its derivative prodrugs were prepared. This paper classified them from the microenvironment response types and drug release characteristics, reviewed the research progress of camptothecin and its derivative prodrugs based on safety and clinical trials, and analyzed the existing problems and deficiencies, hoping to provide references for the development of camptothecin and its derivatives.

Puniceusines A-N ( 1 - 14 ), 14 new isoquinoline alkaloids, were isolated from the extracts of a deep-sea-derived fungus, Aspergillus puniceus SCSIO z021. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses. The absolute configuration of 9 was determined by ECD calculations, and the structures of 6 and 12 were further confirmed by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Compounds 3 - 5 and 8 - 13 unprecedentedly contained an isoquinolinyl, a polysubstituted benzyl or a pyronyl at position C-7 of isoquinoline nucleus. Compounds 3 and 4 showed selective inhibitory activity against protein tyrosine phosphatase CD45 with IC 50 values of 8.4 and 5.6 µM, respectively, 4 also had a moderate cytotoxicity towards human lung adenocarcinoma cell line H1975 with an IC 50 value of 11.0 µM, and 14 , which contained an active center, -C=N + , exhibited antibacterial activity. An analysis of the relationship between the structures, enzyme inhibitory activity and cytotoxicity of 1 - 14 revealed that the substituents at C-7 of the isoquinoline nucleus could greatly affect their bioactivity.

Objective: To explore the application of the first ventilatory threshold (VT1) and the second ventilatory threshold (VT2) in the classification of physical workload for plateau workers, to provide reference for formulating the classification in plateau. Methods: In August 2018, 88 male workers from substations at different altitudes (500 m, 2000 m, 3000 m and 4000 m) of a company were selected as study subjects by cluster sampling. They were divided into plain group and plateau groups.The intensities of workload were simulated by power bicycle, and physiologic parameters, including VO(2), heart rate (HR) and energy metabolic rate per body surface area (E/BSA) , were recorded in test system when reaching VT1, VT2 and peak oxygen uptake (VO(2)Peak) . The ratios of VT1, VT2 and VO(2)Peak to the quiet and work potential at different altitudes were compared. Results: In a quiet state, compared with the plain group, the HR and E/BSA of the workers in the 2000 m and 3000 m groups increased, and the differences were statistically significant ( P <0.05) . At VT2, compared with the plain group, the HR of the workers in the 4000 m group decreased, the difference was statistically significant ( P <0.05) . VO(2) and E/BSA of workers in each plateau group were lower than those in the plain group at VO(2)Peak, and the differences were statistically significant ( P <0.05) . At VT2 and VO(2)Peak, the ratios of VO(2), HR, and E/BSA relative to the quiet state of the workers in each plateau group were lower than those of the plain group, and the differences were statistically significant ( P <0.05) . In the quiet state and VT1, compared with the plain group, the remaining percentages of VO(2) and E/BSA of workers in each plateau group decreased, and the differences were statistically significant ( P <0.05) . Taking VT1, VT2 and VO(2)Peak as cut-off points and VO(2), HR and E/BSA as indicators, the physical workload in plateau could be divided into four levels, namely medium, heavy, extremely heavy and extreme physical workload. Conclusion: It is practicable to use ventilatory threshold to classification of physical workload. VT1 and VT2 can be applied to the classification in plateau to supplement and optimize current national standard of physical workload.

Chiral cholesteric molecular tweezer 7a was synthesized, and its recognition properties for Ag + , Al 3+ , Ca 2+ etc., were investigated by UV and fluorescence spectra. The results showed that in ethanol/Tris (1/1, v / v , pH 7.0) buffer solution, the host molecular tweezer 7a had a specific recognition ability for Ag + , the detection limit was up to 1 × 10 -6 mol/L, and other metal ions had little effect on Ag + recognition. At the same time, the naked-eye detection of Ag + was realized by the light red color of the complex solution. Furthermore, the mechanism of recognition of Ag + by molecular tweezer 7a was studied by a nuclear magnetic titration test and computer molecular simulation, and a rapid detection method of Ag + using host molecular tweezer 7a was established. Through the determination of Ag + in milk powder, quinoa and other food samples, it was proved that this novel method had a good application prospect for the detection of Ag + in food.

Sepsis is an infectious disease that seriously endangers human health. It usually leads to myocardial injury which seriously endangers to the health of human beings. H19 has been confirmed to play key roles in various diseases, including sepsis. However, its function in the progression of sepsis-induced myocardial injury remains largely unknown. H9C2 cells were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to mimic sepsis-induced myocardial injury in vitro. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were detected by MTT assay and flow cytometry, respectively. In addition, gene and protein expression levels in H9C2 cells were measured by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting. The levels of inflammatory cytokines in H9C2 cell supernatants were tested by ELISA. JC-1 staining was performed to observe the mitochondrial membrane potential level in H9C2 cells. H19 and SORBS2 were downregulated in H9C2 cells following LPS treatment, while miR-93-5p was upregulated. Moreover, LPS-induced cell growth inhibition and mitochondrial damage were significantly reversed by overexpression of H19. In addition, H19 upregulation notably suppressed LPS-induced inflammatory responses in H9C2 cells. Moreover, H19 sponged miR-93-5p to promote SORBS2 expression. Overall, H19 suppressed sepsis-induced myocardial injury via regulation of the miR-93-5p/SORBS2 axis. H19 attenuated the development of sepsis-induced myocardial injury in vitro via modulation of the miR-93-5p/SORBS2 axis. Thus, H19 could serve as a potential target for the treatment of sepsis-induced myocardial injury.

Milky tea is popular in many countries and its color is an important sensory property. The effects of black tea infusion on the color of milky tea prepared with non-dairy creamer were investigated. The results showed that the redder black tea infusion produced milky tea with more redness, and the color of milky tea was a pleasant pink when the a* value (redness indicator) was in the range of 6.0-7.0. Correlation analysis revealed that the respective theaflavins (TFs), thearubigins (TRs), thearubigins (TBs), (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and chlorogenic acid contents significantly correlated with the a* values of milky tea. A series of complementary experiments were performed to elucidate that TFs and EGCG contributed to the redness of milky tea. The color formation was mainly associated with the binding of phenols to the proteins in the non-dairy creamer. These results contribute to understand the mechanism of color formation in milky tea., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ferula ferulaeoides (Steud.) Korov. is a perennial herb that belongs to Umbelliferae (Apiaceae). Its resin and roots have extensive commercial and medicinal value in the Xinjiang region. However, the resin-secreting resin ducts (RDs) of F. ferulaeoides have not been studied in detail. This study used optical and transmission electron microscopy to explore the anatomical features, including the distribution, size, and structure, of the RDs among different organs of F. ferulaeoides. The microstructure data revealed that the RDs consisted of a round lumen, a layer of secretory cells, and multiple layers of sheath cells. Notably, the RDs in stem were arranged alternatively in a multilayered ring with vascular bundles of three distinct sizes. The ultrastructural analysis revealed that organelles in the secretory cells potentially play important roles in resin secretion. Those data may be of great significance to understanding the anatomy of the RDs in Ferula L. and Umbelliferae., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Oncogenic KRAS is considered a promising target for anti-cancer therapy. However, direct pharmacological strategies targeting KRAS-driven cancers remained unavailable. The prenyl-binding protein PDEδ, a transporter of KRAS, has been identified as a potential target for pharmacological inhibitor by selectively binding to its prenyl-binding pocket, impairing oncogenic KRAS signaling pathway. Here, we discovered a novel PDEδ inhibitor (E)-N'-((3-(tert-butyl)-2-hydroxy-6,7,8,9-tetrahydrodibenzo[b,dfuran-1-yl)methylene)-2,4-dihydroxybenzohydrazide(NHTD) by using a high-throughput docking-based virtual screening approach. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that NHTD suppressed proliferation, induced apoptosis and inhibited oncogenic K-RAS signaling pathways by disrupting KRAS-PDEδ interaction in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring KRAS mutations. NHTD redistributed the localization of KRAS to endomembranes by targeting the prenyl-binding pocket of PDEδ and exhibited the suppression of abnormal KRAS function. Importantly, NHTD prevented tumor growth in xenograft and KRAS mutant mouse model, which presents an effective strategy targeting KRAS-driven cancer., (© 2019 UICC.)

Aim: To evaluate the effect of different lens constant optimization methods on the accuracy of intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation formulas for highly myopic eyes., Methods: This study comprised 108 eyes of 94 consecutive patients with axial length (AL) over 26 mm undergoing phacoemulsification and implantation of a Rayner (Hove, UK) 920H IOL. Formulas were evaluated using the following lens constants: manufacturer's lens constant, User Group for Laser Interference Biometry (ULIB) constant, and optimized constant for long eyes. Results were compared with Barrett Universal II formula, original Wang-Koch AL adjustment method, and modified Wang-Koch AL adjustment method. The outcomes assessed were mean absolute error (MAE) and percentage of eyes with IOL prediction errors within ±0.25, ±0.50, and ±1.0 diopter (D). The nonparametric method, Friedman test, was used to compare MAE performance among constants., Results: Optimized constants could significantly reduce the MAE of SRK/T, Hoffer Q, and Holladay 1 formulas compared with manufacturer's lens constant, whereas the percentage of eyes with IOL prediction errors within ±0.25, ±0.50, and ±1.0 D had no statistically significant differences. Optimized lens constant for long eyes alone showed non-significant refractive advantages over the ULIB constant. Barrett Universal II formula and formulas with AL adjustment showed significantly higher accuracy in highly myopic eyes ( P <0.001)., Conclusion: Lens constant optimization for the subset of long eyes reduces the refractive error only to a limited extent for highly myopic eyes.

Lung cancer is the number one cancer in terms of both mortality and incidence. Cancer cells differ from normal cells in that they can reprogram their metabolism to support a rapid proliferation rate and alter oxidative phosphorylation processes toward lactic acid fermentation, even under aerobic conditions. Therefore, we aimed to identify new compounds that might act as pyruvate kinase M2 isoform (PKM2) activators and to investigate their anti-cancer efficacy in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. The molecular docking method was applied to screen PKM2 activators from our virtual natural products library. Then, compounds with promising docking scores were examined for cytotoxic effects in a panel of NSCLC cells using the MTT assay. Functional effects and therapeutic mechanisms were investigated by in vitro enzyme assays, western blotting (WB), and flow cytometry. Molecular docking showed that 0089-0022 acts as a potential PKM2 activator by binding to the kinase pocket. An in vitro enzyme activity assay showed that 0089-0022 is a direct PKM2 activator and that it effectively induces apoptosis in A549 and H1975 cells through inhibition of AKT phosphorylation. Our results suggest that 0089-0022 activates PKM2 and thus is a promising anti-cancer therapeutic candidate in NSCLC., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S.)

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the predominant histological type of lung cancer and is characterized by the highest mortality and incidence rates among these types of malignancies. Cardiac glycosides, a class of natural products, have been identified as a potential type of chemotherapeutic agent. This study aims to investigate the anti-cancer effects and the mechanisms of action of Proscillaridin A (P.A) in NSCLC cells. In vitro sodium-potassium pump (Na + /K + ATPase) enzyme assays indicated that P.A is a direct Na + /K + ATPase inhibitor. P.A showed potent cytotoxic effects in NSCLC cells at nanomolar levels. Treatment mechanism studies indicated that P.A elevated Ca 2+ levels, activated the AMPK pathway and downregulated phosphorylation of ACC and mTOR. Subsequently, P.A increased death receptor 4 (DR4) expression and downregulated NF-κB. Interestingly, P.A selectively suppressed EGFR activation in EGFR mutant cells but not in EGFR wild-type cells. In vivo, P.A significantly suppressed tumor growth in nude mice compared to vehicle-treated mice. Compared with the Afatinib treatment group, P.A displayed less pharmaceutical toxicity, as the body weight of mice treated with P.A did not decrease as much as those treated with Afatinib. Consistent changes in protein levels were obtained from western blotting analysis of tumors and cell lines. Immunohistochemistry analysis of the tumors from P.A-treated mice showed a significant suppression of EGFR phosphorylation (Tyr 1173) and reduction of the cell proliferation marker Ki-67. Taken together, our results suggest that P.A is a promising anti-cancer therapeutic candidate for NSCLC.

Honokiol is a natural compound with small molecular structure and extracted from bark of magnolia trees. The biological activities of honokiol include anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation as well as anti-tumor. However, their mechanism remains unknown. In this study, A549 cell line and EGFR-mutant cell line PC-9 with higher expression level of Lyn than A549 cells were used to assess the anti-tumor effects of honokiol. As shown in this study, honokiol is an effective drug on inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis depended on Lyn and EGFR signal pathway regulated by Lyn, and its efficacy is stronger in PC-9 cells than A549 cells. In addition, this anti-tumor effect in PC-9 cells was weakened by Lyn-knockdown. Taken together, this study indicated the mechanism of honokiol on lung adenocarcinoma and provides a possibility of honokiol as an effective anti-tumor medicine.

Deltarasin is a recently identified small molecule that can inhibit KRAS-PDEδ interactions by binding to a hydrophobic pocket on PDEδ, resulting in the impairment of cell growth, KRAS activity, and RAS/RAF signaling in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cell lines. Since KRAS mutations are the most common oncogene mutations in lung adenocarcinomas, implicated in over 30% of all lung cancer cases, we examined the ability of deltarasin to inhibit KRAS-dependent lung cancer cell growth. Here, for the first time, we document that deltarasin produces both apoptosis and autophagy in KRAS-dependent lung cancer cells in vitro and inhibits lung tumor growth in vivo. Deltarasin induces apoptosis by inhibiting the interaction of with PDEδ and its downstream signaling pathways, while it induces autophagy through the AMPK-mTOR signaling pathway. Importantly, the autophagy inhibitor, 3-methyl adenine (3-MA) markedly enhances deltarasin-induced apoptosis via elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In contrast, inhibition of ROS by N-acetylcysteine (NAC) significantly attenuated deltarasin-induced cell death. Collectively, these observations suggest that the anti-cancer cell activity of deltarasin can be enhanced by simultaneously blocking "tumor protective" autophagy, but inhibited if combined with an anti-oxidant.

Aims: Systemic diseases often have common characteristics. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of targeting common pathological metabolism to inhibit the progression of malignant and proliferative diseases., Results: Gefitinib-resistant (G-R) nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were studied as conditions representative of malignant and proliferative diseases, respectively. Strong lipogenic activity and high expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1) were found in both G-R NSCLC cells and synovial fibroblasts from RA patients (RASFs). Berberine (BBR), an effective suppressor of SREBP1 and lipogenesis regulated through reactive oxygen species (ROS)/AMPK pathway, selectively inhibited the growth of G-R NSCLC cells and RASFs but not that of normal cells. It effectively caused mitochondrial dysfunction, activated ROS/AMPK pathway, and finally suppressed cellular lipogenesis and cell proliferation. Addition of ROS blocker, AMPK inhibitor, and palmitic acid significantly reduced the effect of BBR. In an in vivo study, treatment of BBR led to significant inhibition of mouse tumor xenograft growth and remarkably slowed down the development of adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats. Innovation and Conclusion: Targeting ROS/AMPK/lipogenesis signaling pathway selectively inhibited the growth of G-R NSCLC cells and the progress of RASFs in vitro and in vivo, which provides a new avenue for treating malignancies and proliferative diseases. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 28, 339-357.

Aim: To compare visual prognoses and postoperative adverse events of congenital cataract surgery performed at different times and using different surgical approaches., Methods: In this prospective, randomized controlled trial, we recruited congenital cataract patients aged 3mo or younger before cataract surgery. Sixty-one eligible patients were randomly assigned to two groups according to surgical timing: a 3-month-old group and a 6-month-old group. Each eye underwent one of three randomly assigned surgical procedures, as follows: surgery A, lens aspiration (I/A); surgery B, lens aspiration with posterior continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (I/A+PCCC); and surgery C, lens aspiration with posterior continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis and anterior vitrectomy (I/A+PCCC+A-Vit). The long-term best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and the incidence of complications in the different groups were compared and analyzed., Results: A total of 57 participants (114 eyes) with a mean follow-up period of 48.7mo were included in the final analysis. The overall logMAR BCVA in the 6-month-old group was better than that in the 3-month-old group (0.81±0.28 vs 0.96±0.30; P =0.02). The overall logMAR BCVA scores in the surgery B group were lower than the scores in the A and C groups (A: 0.80±0.29, B: 1.02±0.28, and C: 0.84±0.28; P =0.007). A multivariate linear regression revealed no significant relationships between the incidence of complications and long-term BCVA., Conclusion: It might be safer and more beneficial for bilateral total congenital cataract patients to undergo surgery at 6mo of age than 3mo. Moreover, with rigorous follow-up and timely intervention, the postoperative complications in these patients are treatable and do not compromise visual outcomes.

ALK-fusion proteins play a fundamental role in the development of about 5% of non-small cell lung cancers. Herein, we identified the compound 5067-0952 as a potent ALK inhibitor, which inhibited cell growth, induced apoptosis, and suppressed the phosphorylation of ALK, subsequently blocking its downstream signaling pathway.

Aberrant signaling transduction induced by mutant KRAS proteins occurs in 20∼30% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), however, a direct and effective pharmacological inhibitor targeting KRAS has not yet reached the clinic to date. Honokiol, a small molecular polyphenol natural biophenolic compound derived from the bark of magnolia trees, exerts anticancer activity, however, its mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we sought to investigate the in vitro effects of honokiol on NSCLC cell lines harboring KRAS mutations. Honokiol was shown to induce G1 arrest and apoptosis to inhibit the growth of KRAS mutant lung cancer cells, which was weakened by an autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA), suggesting a pro-apoptotic role of honokiol-induced autophagy that was dependent on AMPK-mTOR signaling pathway. In addition, we also discovered that Sirt3 was significantly up-regulated in honokiol treated KRAS mutant lung cancer cells, leading to destabilization of its target gene Hif-1α, which indicated that the anticancer property of honokiol maybe regulated via a novel mechanism associated with the Sirt3/Hif-1α. Taken together, these results broaden our understanding of the mechanisms on honokiol effects in lung cancer, and reinforce the possibility of its potential anticancer benefit as a popular Chinese herbal medicine (CHM).

Mitoxantrone, an FDA-approved drug for multiple sclerosis and hormone refractory prostate cancer, is identified as a potent inhibitor of ROS1 fusion protein by in silico screening in non-small cell lung cancer cells. Mitoxantrone can suppress the phosphorylation of ROS1 and subsequently inhibit its downstream signaling pathway and thus induce cell apoptosis.

Objective: To study the effect of topiramate or carbamazepine treatment on the quality of life (QOL) in patients with vestibular paroxysmia(VP). Method: Thirty-five cases diagnosed as VP from September 2012 to September 2015 were retrospectively studied. Medical outcomes study short form(SF-36)and the dizziness handicap inventory(DHI) were used to analyze the QOL. Result: After topiramate or carbamazepine treatment for one month, the scores of physical function, role physical, general health, vitality, social functioning, role emotional in SF-36 were significantly increased than pre-treatment( P < 0.01); and the scores of emotion, function and physiology in DHI were significantly decreased than pre-treatment( P < 0.01). Conclusion: Topiramate and carbamazepine may obviously improve the QOL of VP patients.The SF-36 and DHI scales could reflect the change of QOL in VP patients., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.)

Background: Since it was first reported in 1935, Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) has become a serious pathogen in a range of cucurbit crops. The virus is generally transmitted by propagation materials, and to date no effective chemical or cultural methods of control have been developed to combat its spread. The current study presents a preliminary analysis of the pathogenic mechanisms from the perspective of protein expression levels in an infected cucumber host, with the objective of elucidating the infection process and potential strategies to reduce both the economic and yield losses associated with CGMMV., Methods: Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) technology coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) were used to identify the differentially expressed proteins in cucumber plants infected with CGMMV compared with mock-inoculated plants. The functions of the proteins were deduced by functional annotation and their involvement in metabolic processes explored by KEGG pathway analysis to identify their interactions during CGMMV infection, while their in vivo expression was further verified by qPCR., Results: Infection by CGMMV altered both the expression level and absolute quantity of 38 proteins (fold change >0.6) in cucumber hosts. Of these, 23 were found to be up-regulated, while 15 were down-regulated. Gene ontology (GO) analysis revealed that 22 of the proteins had a combined function and were associated with molecular function (MF), biological process (BP) and cellular component (CC). Several other proteins had a dual function with 1, 7, and 2 proteins being associated with BP/CC, BP/MF, CC/MF, respectively. The remaining 3 proteins were only involved in MF. In addition, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis identified 18 proteins that were involved in 13 separate metabolic pathways. These pathways were subsequently merged to generate three network diagrams illustrating the interactions between the different pathways, while qPCR was used to track the changes in expression levels of the proteins identified at 3 time points during CGMMV infection. Taken together these results greatly expand our understanding of the relationships between CGMMV and cucumber hosts., Conclusions: The results of the study indicate that CGMMV infection significantly changes the physiology of cucumbers, affecting the expression levels of individual proteins as well as entire metabolic pathways. The bioinformatic analysis also identified several pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins that could be useful in the development of disease-resistant plants.

Objective: To explore the relationship between the hepatobiliary pathological changes under B-ultrasound examinations and Clonorchis sinensis infection, so as to provide the evidence for further prevention and control., Methods: The stool test and ELISA were applied to test the pathogeny and antibody to C. sinensis of the suspicious patients who had the hepatobiliary pathological changes under B-ultrasound examinations in People's Hospital of Wuxuan County from Jan. 2010 to Dec. 2013., Results: Totally 113 suspicious patients of C. sinensis infection were investigated, and the positive rates of egg and serum antibody were 64.60% (73 cases) and 66.37% (75 cases) respectively. The positive rates of the male and those aged ≥ 50 years were significantly higher than those of the female and the cases younger than 50 years respectively (χ² = 3.554, 6.267, both P < 0.05). In the C. sinensis infected patients, the degree of pathological changes of hepatobiliary was positively correlated with the infectiosity of C. sinensis (χ² = 64.952, P < 0.01)., Conclusion: The hepatobiliary pathological changes under B-ultrasound examinations may be resulted from the infection of C. sinensis, and the patients with the changes should be further investigated for the pathogen and antibody to C. sinensis.

Seedlings of Cucumis sativus L. (cv. 'Zhongnong 16') were artificially inoculated with Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) at the three-true-leaf stage. Leaf and flower samples were collected at different time points post-inoculation (10, 30 and 50 d), and processed by high throughput sequencing analysis to identify candidate miRNA sequences. Bioinformatic analysis using screening criteria, and secondary structure prediction, indicated that 8 novel and 23 known miRNAs (including 15 miRNAs described for the first time in vivo) were produced by cucumber plants in response to CGMMV infection. Moreover, gene expression profiles (p-value <0.01) validated the expression of 3 of the novel miRNAs and 3 of the putative candidate miRNAs and identified a further 82 conserved miRNAs in CGMMV-infected cucumbers. Gene ontology (GO) analysis revealed that the predicted target genes of these 88 miRNAs, which were screened using the psRNATarget and miRanda algorithms, were involved in three functional categories: 2265 in molecular function, 1362 as cellular components and 276 in biological process. The subsequent Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis revealed that the predicted target genes were frequently involved in metabolic processes (166 pathways) and genetic information processes (40 pathways) and to a lesser degree the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites (12 pathways). These results could provide useful clues to help elucidate host-pathogen interactions in CGMMV and cucumber, as well as for the screening of resistance genes.

Vinegar is one of the oldest acetic acid-diluted solution products in the world. It is produced from any fermentable sugary substrate by various fermentation methods. The final vinegar products possess unique functions, which are endowed with many kinds of compounds formed in the fermentation process. The quality of vinegar is determined by many factors, especially by the raw materials and microbial diversity involved in vinegar fermentation. Given that metabolic products from the fermenting strains are directly related to the quality of the final products of vinegar, the microbial diversity and features of the dominant strains involved in different fermentation stages should be analyzed to improve the strains and stabilize fermentation. Moreover, although numerous microbiological studies have been conducted to examine the process of vinegar fermentation, knowledge about microbial diversity and their roles involved in fermentation is still fragmentary and not systematic enough. Therefore, in this review, the dominant microorganism species involved in the stages of alcoholic fermentation and acetic acid fermentation of dissimilar vinegars were summarized. We also summarized various physicochemical properties and crucial compounds in disparate types of vinegar. Furthermore, the merits and drawbacks of vital fermentation methods were generalized. Finally, we described in detail the relationships among microbial diversity, raw materials, fermentation methods, physicochemical properties, compounds, functionality, and final quality of vinegar. The integration of this information can provide us a detailed map about the microbial diversity and function involved in vinegar fermentation.

Background: Postoperative pancreatic fistula associated with mortality and morbidity remains an intractable problem after pancreaticoduodenectomy. To date it still carries a notable incidence of roughly 10% to 30% in large series in spite of numerous pharmacological and technical methods that have been proposed to achieve a leakproof pancreatic remnant., Methods: In order to perform a safe anastomosis to pancreatic remnant with less sophisticated sutures and shorter operative duration, a fast and simple technique of end-to-end invaginated pancreaticojejunostomy with three overlapping U-sutures was devised in our institution., Results: Between April 2011 and July 2013, end-to-end invaginated pancreaticojejunostomy with three overlapping U-sutures technique was used in 23 consecutive cases that underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy in our institute. The median operative time for pancreaticojejunostomy was 12 min. The incidence of pancreatic fistula was 8.7% (n = 2) and both cases were grade A fistula with no clinical impact or delayed hospital discharge. Neither relaparotomy nor postoperative mortality was observed., Conclusions: The technique of using three overlapping U-sutures in an end-to-end invaginated pancreaticojejunostomy represents a simple management of pancreaticoenteric anastomosis with reliability and applicability, and provides an alternative choice for pancreaticojejunostomy to senior pancreatic surgeons as well as those without experience.

Background: Opinions on the suitability of repeat hepatectomy for patients with recurrent colorectal liver metastases (CRLMs) vary among studies. We conducted a meta-analysis to establish the criteria for selecting the best candidates for a second hepatectomy., Methods: Database and manual searches were performed to identify comparative or prognostic studies published up to October 2013. Outcomes of interest included disease characteristics, perioperative outcomes, and long-term survival after initial and second hepatectomies for patients with CRLM. Study quality was appraised using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale and a modified Hayden's score., Results: A total of 7226 patients from 27 studies were included. Recurrent CRLMs after initial hepatectomy were more likely to be solitary (RR = 0.86, P = 0.045), unilobar (RR = 0.60, P < 0.001), and smaller (WMD = -0.66, P < 0.001). Postoperative morbidity and mortality were comparable between initial and second hepatectomies (RR = 1.10, P = 0.191; RR = 0.78, P = 0.678, respectively). In high-quality studies, patients showed better survival after a second hepatectomy than those after a single hepatectomy (HR = 0.68, P = 0.022). Patients meeting the following six predictors survived longer after second hepatectomy: disease-free survival after initial hepatectomy >1 y (P = 0.034); solitary CRLM at second hepatectomy (P < 0.001); unilobar CRLM at second hepatectomy (P = 0.009); maximal size of CRLM at second hepatectomy ≤ 5 cm (P = 0.035); lack of extrahepatic metastases at second hepatectomy (P < 0.001); and R0 resection at second hepatectomy (P < 0.001)., Conclusions: Second hepatectomy is a safe and feasible procedure for patients with recurrent CRLM. In fact, in well-selected patients it improves overall survival. The established criteria can help clinicians to select the best candidates for second hepatectomy and to achieve better long-term outcomes after resection., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A complementary DNA (cDNA) of nitrate reductase (NR) from Dunaliella bardawil was isolated using RT-PCR and RACEs techniques. The full-length D. bardawil NR (DbNR) cDNA is 3,107 bp containing a putative open reading frame of 2,670 bp in length which encodes 889 amino acids with a calculated molecular weight (MW) of 98.37 kDa, a 34-bp 5'-untranslated region, and a 3'-untranslated region of 403 bp with a poly (A) tail. BLAST search showed that the nucleotide and putative protein sequence exhibit sequence identities of 92 and 79% with the corresponding gene from Dunaliella tertiolecta, respectively. Protein structural analysis showed a typical NR structure of DbNR with five structural distinctive domains which form three common subparts of eukaryotic NR (Euk-NR). Phylogenetic analysis based on the holo-DbNR and sulfite oxidase (SO) and cytochrome b reductase (CbR) subparts manifested that (1) DbNR has a closer relationship with those counterparts from algae and higher plants than from other species and (2) DbNR might have evolved from ancient SO and CbR in a "domain shuffling" pattern. The glycerol contents and transcriptional expression patterns of DbNR under salt stress and dilution shock treatments were also traced. The results implied an indirect role of NaCl on the induction of DbNR through an osmoregulation pathway.