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BackgroundChronic pain is often accompanied by emotional dysfunction. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been used for reducing pain, depressive and anxiety symptoms in chronic pain patients, but its therapeutic effect remains unknown.ObjectivesTo ascertain the treatment effect of tDCS on pain, depression, and anxiety symptoms of patients suffering from chronic pain, and potential factors that modulate the effectiveness of tDCS.MethodsLiterature search was performed on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library from inception to July 2022. Randomized controlled trials that reported the effects of tDCS on pain and depression and anxiety symptoms in patients with chronic pain were included.ResultsTwenty-two studies were included in this review. Overall pooled results indicated that the use of tDCS can effectively alleviate short-term pain intensity [standard mean difference (SMD): −0.43, 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.75 to −0.12, P = 0.007] and depressive symptoms (SMD: −0.31, 95% CI, −0.47 to −0.14, P < 0.001), middle-term depressive symptoms (SMD: −0.35, 95% CI: −0.58 to −0.11, P = 0.004), long-term depressive symptoms (ES: −0.38, 95% CI: −0.64 to −0.13, P = 0.003) and anxiety symptoms (SMD: −0.26, 95% CI: −0.51 to −0.02, P = 0.03) compared with the control group.ConclusiontDCS may be an effective short-term treatment for the improvement of pain intensity and concomitant depression and anxiety symptoms in chronic pain patients. Stimulation site, stimulation frequency, and type of chronic pain were significant influence factors for the therapeutic effect of tDCS.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=297693, identifier: CRD42022297693.

BackgroundThere were limited studies that directly compare the outcomes of various mind-body exercise (MBE) therapies on chronic non-specific low back pain (CNLBP).ObjectivesTo compare the efficacy of the four most popular MBE modes [Pilates, Yoga, Tai Chi (TC), and Qigong] in clinically CNLBP patients, we conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA).MethodsWe searched databases for eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (from origin to July 2022). RCTs were eligible if they included adults with CNLBP, and implemented one or more MBE intervention arms using Pilates, yoga, TC, and qigong. In addition, pain intensity and physical function were evaluated using validated questionnaires.ResultsNMA was carried out on 36 eligible RCTs involving 3,050 participants. The effect of exercise therapy on pain was in the following rankings: Pilates [Surface under cumulative ranking (SUCRA) = 86.6%], TC (SUCRA = 77.2%), yoga (SUCRA = 67.6%), and qigong (SUCRA = 64.6%). The effect of exercise therapy on function: Pilates (SUCRA = 98.4%), qigong (SUCRA = 61.6%,), TC (SUCRA = 59.5%) and yoga (SUCRA = 59.0%).ConclusionOur NMA shows that Pilates might be the best MBE therapy for CNLBP in pain intensity and physical function. TC is second only to Pilates in improving pain in patients with CNLBP and has the value of promotion. In the future, we need more high-quality, long-term follow-up RCTs to confirm our findings.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=306905, identifier: CRD42022306905.

Computer-assisted surgery (CAS) has occupied an important position in modern surgery, further stimulating the progress of methodology and technology. In recent years, a large number of computer vision-based methods have been widely used in surgical workflow recognition tasks. For training the models, a lot of annotated data are necessary. However, the annotation of surgical data requires expert knowledge and thus becomes difficult and time-consuming. In this paper, we focus on the problem of data deficiency and propose a knowledge transfer learning method based on artificial neural network to compensate a small amount of labeled training data. To solve this problem, we propose an unsupervised method for pre-training a Convolutional-De-Convolutional (CDC) neural network for sequencing surgical workflow frames, which performs neural convolution in space (for semantic abstraction) and neural de-convolution in time (for frame level resolution) simultaneously. Specifically, through neural convolution transfer learning, we only fine-tuned the CDC neural network to classify the surgical phase. We performed some experiments for validating the model, and it showed that the proposed model can effectively extract the surgical feature and determine the surgical phase. The accuracy (Acc), recall, precision (Pres) of our model reached 91.4, 78.9, and 82.5%, respectively.

BackgroundAging is a significant risk factor in chronic pain development with extensive disability and greater health care costs. Mind-body exercise (MBE) has been scientifically proven to affect the pain intensity and physical health.ObjectivesTo assess the effects of MBE modes (Tai Chi, yoga, and qigong) for treating chronic pain among middle-aged and old people, compared with nonactive and active treatment, as well as function, quality of life, and adverse events.MethodsWe searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database, and Chinese Scientific Journals Full-Text Database (VIP) till March 2022. No restrictions were chartered within the year and language of publication. We included randomized controlled trials of MBE treatment in middle-aged and elderly people with chronic pain. The overall certainty of evidence was evaluated by using the GRADE approach.ResultsA total of 17 studies (n = 1,332) were included in this review. There was low-certainty evidence indicating that MBE had a moderate effect on reducing pain compared with the nonactive and active control group (standard mean difference (SMD): −0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.86 to −0.42, P < 0.001). Very-low-certainty evidence showed that the pooled SMD for the functional improvement was −0.75 (95% CI: −1.13 to −0.37, P < 0.001). Low-certainty evidence presented that no influence was observed in physical component summary (SMD: 0.23, 95% CI: −0.16 to 0.62, P = 0.24) and mental component summary (SMD: −0.01, 95% CI −0.39 to 0.36, P = 0.95).ConclusionOur results indicated that MBE was an effective treatment for reducing symptoms of middle-aged and elderly people with chronic pain compared with nonactive and active control groups. TC and qigong had obvious benefits for knee osteoarthritis in self-reported function, but the efficacy of chronic low back pain was uncertain. No significant benefit of MBE on quality of life in older adults with chronic pain was found. More high-quality RCTs should be conducted to explore the efficacy and mechanism of MBE on chronic pain in middle-aged and elderly people from various dimensions, such as affective and cognitive dimensions.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=316591, identifier CRD42022316591.

A higher photosynthesis and lower energetic cost are recognized as important characteristics for invasive species, but whether these traits are also important for the ability of alien mangrove species to become invasive has seldom been reported. A microcosm study was conducted to compare the photosynthetic characteristics, energetic cost indices and other growth traits between two alien species (Sonneratia apetala and S. caseolaris) and four native mangrove species over four seasons in a subtropical mangrove nature reserve in Shenzhen, South China. The aim of the study was to evaluate the invasive potential of Sonneratia based on these physiological responses. The annual average net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs) and total carbon assimilation per unit leaf area (Atotal) of the two alien Sonneratia species were significantly higher than the values of the native mangroves. In contrast, the opposite results were obtained for the leaf construction cost (CC) per unit dry mass (CCM) and CC per unit area (CCA) values. The higher Atotal and lower CC values resulted in a 72% higher photosynthetic energy-use efficiency (PEUE) for Sonneratia compared to native mangroves, leading to a higher relative growth rate (RGR) of the biomass and height of Sonneratia with the respective values being 51% and 119% higher than those of the native species. Higher photosynthetic indices for Sonneratia compared to native species were found in all seasons except winter, whereas lower CC values were found in all four seasons. The present findings reveal that alien Sonneratia species may adapt well and become invasive in subtropical mangrove wetlands in Shenzhen due to their higher photosynthetic characteristics coupled with lower costs in energy use, leading to a higher PEUE. The comparison of these physiological responses between S. apetala and S. caseolaris reveal that the former species is more invasive than the latter one, thus requiring more attention in future.

Abstract Biosynthesis of paclitaxel (Taxol™) is a hot topic with extensive and durable interests for decades. However, it is severely hindered due to the very low titers of intermediates. In this study, Escherichia coli was employed to de novo synthesize a key intermediate of paclitaxel, taxadien-5α-yl-acetate (T5OAc). Plasmid-based pathway reconstruction and optimization were conducted for T5OAc production. The endogenous methylerythritol phosphate pathway was enhanced to increase the precursor supply. Three taxadien-5α-ol O-acetyltransferases were tested to obtain the best enzyme for the acetylation step. Metabolic burden was relieved to restore cell growth and promote production through optimizing the plasmid production system. In order to achieve metabolic balance, the biosynthesis pathway was regulated precisely by multivariate-modular metabolic engineering. Finally, in a 5-L bioreactor, the T5OAc titer was enhanced to reach 10.9 mg/L. This represents an approximately 272-fold increase in production compared to the original strain, marking the highest yield of T5OAc ever documented in E. coli, which is believed to be helpful for promoting the progress of paclitaxel biosynthesis.

Abstract Terpenoids are pervasive in nature and display an immense structural diversity. As the largest category of plant secondary metabolites, terpenoids have important socioeconomic value in the fields of pharmaceuticals, spices, and food manufacturing. The biosynthesis of terpenoid skeletons has made great progress, but the subsequent modifications of the terpenoid framework are poorly understood, especially for the functionalization of inert carbon skeleton usually catalyzed by hydroxylases. Hydroxylase is a class of enzymes that plays an important role in the modification of terpenoid backbone. This review article outlines the research progress in the identification, molecular modification, and functional expression of this class of enzymes in the past decade, which are profitable for the discovery, engineering, and application of more hydroxylases involved in the plant secondary metabolism. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids (THIQAs) are ubiquitous compounds with important pharmaceutical and biological activity. Their key N-heterocyclic structural motifs are synthesised via Pictet–Spengler (P–S) reaction by norcoclaurine synthases (NCS) in plants. The synthesis of 1-aryl-tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids has attracted increasing attention due to their antitumor and antivirus activities. Herein, the L68T/M97V mutant of NCS from Thalictrum flavum with improved activity was developed by semi-rational design. This mutant not only showed higher catalytic performance (> 96% conversion) toward benzaldehyde and dopamine over the wild-type enzyme, but also catalysed the P–S reaction of the bulky substrate 4-biphenylaldehyde and dopamine with high conversion (> 99%) for the effective synthesis of 1-aryl-THIQA. In terms of stereoselectivity, all products synthesised by the L68T/M97V mutant showed high optical purity (92–99% enantiomeric excess). Graphical Abstract

Abstract Background (−)-Limonene, one of cyclic monoterpenes, is an important renewable compound used widely as a key building block for the synthesis of new biologically active molecules and fine chemicals. (−)-Perillamine, as derived from (−)-limonene, is a highly useful synthon for constructing more complicated and functionally relevant chemicals. Aim We aimed to report a more sustainable and more efficient method for the regiospecific C–H amination of (−)-limonene into (−)-perillamine. Results Here, we report an artificial penta-enzymatic cascade system for the transformation of the cheap and easily available (−)-limonene into (−)-perillamine for the first time. This system is composed of cytochrome P450 monooxygenase, alcohol dehydrogenase and w-transaminase for the main reactions, as well as formate dehydrogenase and NADH oxidase for cofactor recycling. After optimization of the multi-enzymatic cascade system, 10 mM (−)-limonene was smoothly converted into 5.4 mM (−)-perillamine in a one-pot two-step biotransformation, indicating the feasibility of multi-enzymatic C7-regiospecific amination of the inert C–H bond of (−)-limonene. This method represents a concise and efficient route for the biocatalytic synthesis of derivatives from similar natural products.

Highlights We report a recombinant Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) strain for de novo production of taxadien-5α-ol, the key precursor of paclitaxel. Through screening of key enzymes and the fermentation condition optimization, the final production of total oxygenated taxanes was raised up to 27 mg L−1 in 50-mL flask cultivation, of which the yield of taxadien-5α-ol was 7.0 mg L−1, representing approximately a 12-fold and 23-fold improvements, respectively. It is believed that the strategy used in this study will guide in the synthesis of terpenoids.

Cladophora has a global distribution and provides a habitat and food for numerous organisms. However, the taxonomy of Cladophora is confusing and poorly defined. In this study, 69 freshwater and brackish-water Cladophora samples from inland China were collected, and both morphological and phylogenetic analyses of these samples were performed. The concatenated molecular phylogenies based on ribosomal DNA sequences showed that these inland samples belonged to two groups: freshwater Cladophora and non-freshwater Cladophora. The phylogenetic results showed that there were eight clades in the freshwater group. The results of morphological observation showed characteristic similarities among the clades, and the samples in each clade exhibited different degrees of phenotypic plasticity. The prediction model for internal transcribed spacer 2 secondary structure showed that freshwater Cladophora contain one ring structure with three main helices (helices I-III), in which the helix III-2 region was most variable. The high phenotypic plasticity and lack of diagnostic characteristics of the freshwater Cladophora group made delineating species difficult and challenging. Further sampling from a broader range in combination with more efficient molecular markers are necessary to clarify the taxonomy of Cladophora in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Terpenoids, formed by cyclization and/or permutation of isoprenes, are the most diverse and abundant class of natural products with a broad range of significant functions. One family of the critical enzymes involved in terpenoid biosynthesis is terpene cyclases (TCs), also known as terpene synthases (TSs), which are responsible for forming the ring structure as a backbone of functionally diverse terpenoids. With the recent advances in biotechnology, the researches on terpene cyclases have gradually shifted from the genomic mining of novel enzyme resources to the analysis of their structures and mechanisms. In this review, we summarize both the new methods for genomic mining and the structural mechanisms of some typical terpene cyclases, which are helpful for the discovery, engineering and application of more and new TCs.

Abstract. Background:. Although the use of expanded-criteria donors (ECDs) alleviates the problem of organ shortage, it significantly increases the incidence of delayed graft function (DGF). DGF is a common complication after kidney transplantation; however, the effect of DGF on graft loss is uncertain based on the published literature. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine the relationship between DGF and allograft survival. Methods:. We conducted a retrospective, multicenter, observation cohort study. A total of 284 deceased donors and 541 recipients between February 2012 and March 2017 were included. We used logistic regression analysis to verify the association between clinical parameters and DGF, and Cox proportional hazards models were applied to quantify the hazard ratios of DGF for kidney graft loss. Results:. Among the 284 deceased donors, 65 (22.8%) donors were ECD. Of the 541 recipients, 107 (19.8%) recipients developed DGF, and this rate was higher with ECD kidneys than with standard-criteria donor (SCD) kidneys (29.2% vs. 17.1%; P = 0.003). The 5-year graft survival rate was not significantly different between SCD kidney recipients with and without DGF (95.8% vs. 95.4%; P = 0.580). However, there was a significant difference between ECD kidney recipients with and without DGF (71.4% vs. 97.6%; P = 0.001), and the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for graft loss for recipients with DGF was 1.885 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.305–7.630; P = 0.024). Results showed that induction therapy with anti-thymocyte globulin was protective against DGF (odds ratio = 0.359; 95% CI = 0.197–0.652; P = 0.001) with all donor kidneys and a protective factor for graft survival (HR = 0.308; 95% CI = 0.130–0.728; P = 0.007) with ECD kidneys. Conclusion:. DGF is an independent risk factor for graft survival in recipients with ECD kidneys, but not SCD kidneys.

Specimens of the genus Stomatochroon (Trentepohliales, Ulvophyceae) were found in leaf stomata of the fruit tree Syzygium samarangense (Myrtaceae). Phylogenetic analysis based on 18S rDNA sequences showed that Stomatochroon was closely related to Cephaleuros. The specimens were identified as Stomatochroon reniformis based on the branched internal filamentous and ovoid gametangia. However, our specimens differed from the type by having larger basal and clavate cells, a noticeable stalked gametangium, and secondary growth of the sporangiate-laterals. Consequently our taxon was described as a new variety, S. reniformis var. chinensis var. nov. We found no physiological dysfunction or host tissue hyperplasia was caused by the algal infection. The waterlogged and dead host tissue was probably caused by plugged host stomata that resulted from growth of this alga. This interpretation means this alga was an endophyte, not a parasite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The colonization characteristics of benthic microalgae communities on artificial substrata were analyzed in four shallow lakes of different trophic status. Colonizations in lower nutrient lakes with macrophytes (Niuchao Lake and Langzi Lake) had longer lag phases, lower peak biomasses, and had longer times to community maturity than the higher nutrient lakes without macrophytes (Nanhu Lake and Donghu Lake). Hypereutrophic Nanhu Lake was dominated by filamentous green algae Oedogonium spp. and the diatom Gomphonema parvulum. The diatoms Melosira varians and Synedra spp. dominated the community in eutrophic Donghu Lake. Achnanthes minutissima was dominant in most colonization periods, and some filamentous green algae appeared with prolonged colonization time in the lower nutrient lakes. Succession rates were higher at sites with higher nutrient concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nostoc sphaeroides Kuetzing has been used as a traditional medicine in China to treat a variety of ailments. This research identified the antioxidant activities of polysaccharide extract from Nostoc sphaeroides. The extract, which contains 46.2% carbohydrates, exhibited an effective scavenging capability on superoxide radical, hydroxyl radicals in non site-specific as well as site-specific assays, and also performed lipid peroxidation inhibition in a dose-dependent manner. Polysaccharide extract had no 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging potential at all test concentrations. Activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase in human embryo kidney 293 cells were increased effectively when Nostoc sphaeroides extract was applied. These results suggested that the use of N. sphaeroides in treating ailments may be based on the antioxidant capacities of polysaccharide composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We extended the unconditionally stable associated Hermite (AH) FDTD method to the cylindrical coordinate system for analyzing the electromagnetic (EM) ground wave propagation. With AH domain differentiate operator technology and paralleling-in-order solution scheme, the cylindrical time-domain Maxwell equations with complex frequency shifted perfectly matched layer (CFS-PML) are transformed to AH domain generating a five-point banded equation, which also unified the formula from the central axis of cylinder. The numerical results represent the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method when comparing for the conventional FDTD method.