GeSUT4 mediates sucrose import at the symbiotic interface for carbon allocation of heterotrophic Gastrodia elata (Orchidaceae).

Gastrodia elata, a fully mycoheterotrophic orchid without photosynthetic ability, only grows symbiotically with the fungus Armillaria. The mechanism of carbon distribution in this mycoheterotrophy is unknown. We detected high sucrose concentrations in all stages of Gastrodia tubers, suggesting sucrose may be the major sugar transported between fungus and orchid. Thick symplasm-isolated wall interfaces in colonized and adjacent large cells implied involvement of sucrose importers. Two sucrose transporter (SUT)-like genes, GeSUT4 and GeSUT3, were identified that were highly expressed in young Armillaria-colonized tubers. Yeast complementation and isotope tracer experiments confirmed that GeSUT4 functioned as a high-affinity sucrose-specific proton-dependent importer. Plasma-membrane/tonoplast localization of GeSUT4-GFP fusions and high RNA expression of GeSUT4 in symbiotic and large cells indicated that GeSUT4 likely functions in active sucrose transport for intercellular allocation and intracellular homeostasis. Transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing GeSUT4 had larger leaves but were sensitive to excess sucrose and roots were colonized with fewer mutualistic Bacillus, supporting the role of GeSUT4 in regulating sugar allocation. This is not only the first documented carbon import system in a mycoheterotrophic interaction but also highlights the evolutionary importance of sucrose transporters for regulation of carbon flow in all types of plant-microbe interactions.

One pair of new enantiomeric trinorsesquiterpenes from the aerial parts of Justicia gendarussa.

A pair of new enantiomeric trinorsesquiterpenes, (+)-genpenterpene A (1a) and (-)-genpenterpene A (1b), together with seven known compounds (2-8), were isolated from the aerial parts of Justicia gendarussa Burm.f.. All of these known compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time. Racemic genpenterpene A was separated by chiral HPLC column. Their chemical structures were elucidated based on extensive spectroscopic analysis, single crystal X-ray diffraction, and ECD calculations. (+)-genpenterpene A (1a) exhibited potent inhibitory effect against nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-activated RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage cells with an IC50 value of 9.54 ± 1.02 µM.

Uptake and Depuration Kinetics of Pacific Ciguatoxins in Orange-Spotted Grouper (Epinephelus coioides).

Ciguatoxins (CTXs), produced by toxic benthic dinoflagellates, can bioaccumulate in marine organisms at higher trophic levels. The current study evaluated the uptake and depuration kinetics of some of the most potent CTXs, Pacific CTX-1, -2, and -3 (P-CTX-1, -2, and -3), in orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) exposed to 1 ng P-CTXs g-1 fish daily. Over a 30 d exposure, P-CTX-1, -2, and -3 were consistently detected in various tissues of exposed fish, and the concentrations of the total P-CTXs in tissues generally ranked following the order of liver, intestine, gill, skin, brain, and muscle. Relatively higher uptake rates of P-CTX-1 in the groupers were observed compared with those of P-CTX-2 and -3. The depuration rate constants of P-CTX-1, -2, and -3 in different tissues were (0.996-16.5) × 10-2, (1.51-16.1) × 10-2, and (0.557-10.6) × 10-2 d-1, respectively. The accumulation efficiencies of P-CTX-1, -2, and -3 in whole groupers were 6.13%, 2.61%, and 1.15%, respectively. The increasing proportion of P-CTX-1 and the decreasing proportion of P-CTX-2 and -3 over the exposure phase suggest a likely biotransformation of P-CTX-2 and -3 to P-CTX-1, leading to higher levels of P-CTX-1 in fish and possibly a higher risk of CTXs in long-term exposed fish.

[Chemical constituents from Xanthii Fructus].

This study was carried out to investigate the chemical constituents from Xanthii Fructus(the fruits of Xanthium sibiricum). The compounds were separated and purified by silica gel column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20 and ODS chromatography and semi-preparative HPLC. Base on HR-ESI-MS, NMR and other spectral data, their structures were identified. The anti-inflammatory activity of the isolated compounds was evaluated by lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced macrophage RAW264.7 as a screening model. A total of twenty-one compounds were isolated from the EtOAc fraction of 95% ethanol extract and identified as uracil(1), thymine(2), uridine(3), indole-3-carbaldehyde(4), indole-3-carboxylic acid(5), 2'-O-methyluridine(6), guanosine(7), 2,4(1H,3H)-quinazolinedione(8), 3-hydroxy-3-(2-hydroxyethyl)indolin-2-one(9), nicotinamide(10), N-acetyl-L-phenylalaninol(11), heliolactam(12), terresoxazine(13), caudatin(14), qingyangshengenin(15), caudatin-3-O-ß-D-oleandropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-cymaropyranoside(16), caudatin-3-O-ß-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-oleandropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-cymaropyranoside(17), caudatin-3-O-α-L-cymaropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1→4)-α-L-cymaropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-oleandropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-cymaropyranoside(18), qinyangshengenin-3-O-ß-D-oleandropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-oleandropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-cymaropyranoside(19), qinyangshengenin-3-O-ß-D-oleandropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-digitoxopyranoside(20), rostratamine-3-O-ß-D-oleandropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1→4)-ß-D-cymaropyranoside(21). Compounds 5-21 are obtained from genus Xanthium for the first time. Compounds 12 and 13 indirectly exhibited anti-inflammatory activity by suppressing LPS-induced NO production in RAW264.7 cells with IC_(50) values of(15.45±0.56) and(20.14±0.78) µmol·L~(-1), respectively.

Aestuariivirga litoralis gen. nov., sp. nov., a proteobacterium isolated from a water sample, and proposal of Aestuariivirgaceae fam. nov.

A Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, short rod and aerobic bacterium, designated strain SYSU M10001T, was isolated from a water sample collected from the coastal region of Pearl River Estuary, Guangdong Province, PR China. Strain SYSU M10001T showed optimal growth at 28 °C, pH 7.0 and in the absence of NaCl. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and concatenation of 20 protein markers revealed a distinct lineage for strain SYSU M10001T in the order Rhizobiales. Strain SYSU M10001T showed highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to Hyphomicrobium nitrativorans NL23T (91.1 %) and Hyphomicrobium hollandicum IFAM KB-677T (91.1 %). The respiratory ubiquinone was Q-8. The polar lipids of the strain comprised diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, an unidentified aminophospholipid, two unidentified phospholipids and three unidentified lipids. The predominant cellular fatty acids identified were C19 : 0cyclo ω8c, summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω7c and/or C18 : 1ω6c) and C16 : 0. The G+C content was determined to be 65.5 % (genome). On the basis of differences in the phenotypic, physiological and biochemical characteristics, and results of the phylogenetic analyses, strain SYSU M10001T is proposed to represent a novel species in a novel genus for which the name Aestuariivirga litoralis gen. nov., sp. nov. The type strain of the type species Aestuariivirga litoralis is SYSU M10001T (=NBRC 112960T=KCTC 52945T). Besides, the distinct phylogenetic lineage and the distinct chemotaxonomic profile among the families in the order Rhizobiales indicated that strain SYSU M10001T should represent a new family for which the name Aestuariivirgaceae fam. nov. is proposed.

Dongshaea marina gen. nov., sp. nov., a facultatively anaerobic marine bacterium that ferments glucose with gas production.

Two isolates of heterotrophic, facultatively anaerobic, marine bacteria, designated DM1 and DM2T, were recovered from a lagoon sediment sample of Dongsha Island, Taiwan. Cells were Gram-reaction-negative rods. Nearly all of the cells were non-motile and non-flagellated during the late exponential to early stationary phase of growth, while a few of the cells exhibited motility with monotrichous flagellation. The two isolates required NaCl for growth and grew optimally at about 30 °C, 2-3 % NaCl and pH 7-8. They grew aerobically and could achieve anaerobic growth by fermenting d-glucose or other carbohydrates with production of acids and the gases, including CO2 and H2. Ubiquinone Q-8 was the only respiratory quinone. Cellular fatty acids were predominated by C16 : 0, C18 : 1ω7c and C16 : 1ω7c. The major polar lipid was phosphatidylethanolamine. Strains DM1 and DM2T had DNA G+C contents of 52.0 and 51.8 mol%, respectively, as determined by HPLC analysis. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences clearly indicated that the two isolates formed a distinct genus-level lineage in the family Aeromonadaceae of the class Gammaproteobacteria and was an outgroup with respect to a stable supragenic clade comprising species of the genera Oceanimonas, Oceanisphaera and Zobellella. The phylogenetic data and those from chemotaxonomic, physiological and morphological characterizations support the establishment of a novel species and genus inside the family Aeromonadaceae, for which the name Dongshaea marina gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DM2T (=BCRC 81069T=JCM 32096T).

Extracorporeal Shock Waves Versus Botulinum Toxin Type A in the Treatment of Poststroke Upper Limb Spasticity: A Randomized Noninferiority Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is noninferior to botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) for the treatment of poststroke upper limb spasticity. DESIGN: Randomized noninferiority trial. SETTING: Referral medical center. PARTICIPANTS: Patients (N=42) with chronic stroke (28 men; mean age, 61.0±10.6y). INTERVENTIONS: Patients received either ESWT or BoNT-A. During the study period, all patients continued their regular rehabilitation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Assessments were performed at baseline and at 1, 4, and 8 weeks after the intervention. The primary outcome was the change from baseline of the modified Ashworth scale (MAS) score of the wrist flexors at week 4. Secondary outcomes included the change of the MAS scores, Tardieu angles of the wrist and elbow flexors, wrist and elbow passive range of motion (PROM), and upper extremity Fugl-Meyer Assessment (UE-FMA) score during the study period, as well as the treatment response rate. RESULTS: The primary outcome result in the ESWT group (-0.80±0.41) was similar to that in the BoNT-A group (-0.90±0.44), with a higher confidence limit (0.4) for the difference between groups within the prespecified margin of 0.5, indicating the noninferiority of ESWT to BoNT-A. The response rate was not significantly different between the 2 groups. Both groups showed significant improvement in secondary outcomes relative to baseline; however, the ESWT group yielded greater improvement in wrist and elbow PROM and UE-FMA score. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that ESWT is a noninferior treatment alternative to BoNT-A for poststroke upper limb spasticity. ESWT and BoNT-A caused similar reduction in spasticity of the wrist and elbow flexors; however, ESWT yielded greater improvement in wrist and elbow PROM and UE-FMA score.

Statin Use and the Risk of Dementia in Patients with Stroke: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with stroke have an increased risk of dementia. Some studies have found that statin use might lower the risk of incident dementia; however, there is still a lack of data from patients with stroke. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate the impact of statin use on the risk of dementia in patients with stroke. METHODS: We used the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan to identify 14,807 patients diagnosed with stroke from 1997 to 2005. These patients were classified as statin users and nonusers. Propensity score matching was performed to balance selected confounders between the statin users and nonusers. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to evaluate the association between statin use and the risk of dementia. RESULTS: During the follow-up period (median, 7.5 years), 1895 patients were diagnosed with incident dementia. Statin use was associated with a significantly lower incidence of dementia (adjusted hazard ratio, .81; 95% confidence interval, .73-.89) than nonuse was. In particular, lipophilic and high-potency statins were associated with lower risk of dementia. Statin exposure duration was inversely related to the risk of dementia (P < .001 for the trend). No significant effect modification for the relationship between statin use and the risk of dementia was found for either age or sex. CONCLUSION: In this nationwide cohort study, statin use was associated with decreased risk of dementia among patients with stroke. The use of high-potency statins, lipophilic statins, and prolonged exposure to statins may be associated with greater benefits.

Trauma care construction under the guidance of county-level trauma centers.

Severe trauma has the characteristics of complicated condition, multiple organs involved, limited auxiliary examinations, and difficulty in treatment. Most of the trauma patients were sent to primary hospitals to receive treatments. But the traditional mode of separate discipline management can easily lead to delayed treatment, missed or wrong diagnosis and high disability, which causes a high mortality in severe trauma patients. Therefore, if the primary hospitals, especially county-level hospitals (usually the top general hospital within the administrative region of a county), can establish a scientific and comprehensive trauma care system, the success rate of trauma rescue in this region can be greatly improved. On March 1st, 2013, Tiantai People's Hospital of Zhejiang Province, China set up a trauma care center, which integrated the pre-hospital and in-hospital trauma treatment procedures, and has achieved good economic and social benefits. Till March 1st, 2017, 1265 severe trauma patients (injury severity score >16) have been treated in this trauma center. The rescue success rate reached 95% and the delayed and/or missed diagnosis rate was less than 5%. Totally 86 severe cases of pelvic fractures with unstable hemodynamics were treated, and the success rate was 92%. The in-hospital emergency rescue response time is less than 3 min, and the time from definite diagnosis to surgery is within 35 min.

Coronary Heart Disease Preoperative Gesture Interactive Diagnostic System Based on Augmented Reality.

Coronary heart disease preoperative diagnosis plays an important role in the treatment of vascular interventional surgery. Actually, most doctors are used to diagnosing the position of the vascular stenosis and then empirically estimating vascular stenosis by selective coronary angiography images instead of using mouse, keyboard and computer during preoperative diagnosis. The invasive diagnostic modality is short of intuitive and natural interaction and the results are not accurate enough. Aiming at above problems, the coronary heart disease preoperative gesture interactive diagnostic system based on Augmented Reality is proposed. The system uses Leap Motion Controller to capture hand gesture video sequences and extract the features which that are the position and orientation vector of the gesture motion trajectory and the change of the hand shape. The training planet is determined by K-means algorithm and then the effect of gesture training is improved by multi-features and multi-observation sequences for gesture training. The reusability of gesture is improved by establishing the state transition model. The algorithm efficiency is improved by gesture prejudgment which is used by threshold discriminating before recognition. The integrity of the trajectory is preserved and the gesture motion space is extended by employing space rotation transformation of gesture manipulation plane. Ultimately, the gesture recognition based on SRT-HMM is realized. The diagnosis and measurement of the vascular stenosis are intuitively and naturally realized by operating and measuring the coronary artery model with augmented reality and gesture interaction techniques. All of the gesture recognition experiments show the distinguish ability and generalization ability of the algorithm and gesture interaction experiments prove the availability and reliability of the system.

Ecological genomics in Xanthomonas: the nature of genetic adaptation with homologous recombination and host shifts.

BACKGROUND: Comparative genomics provides insights into the diversification of bacterial species. Bacterial speciation usually takes place with lasting homologous recombination, which not only acts as a cohering force between diverging lineages but brings advantageous alleles favored by natural selection, and results in ecologically distinct species, e.g., frequent host shift in Xanthomonas pathogenic to various plants. RESULTS: Using whole-genome sequences, we examined the genetic divergence in Xanthomonas campestris that infected Brassicaceae, and X. citri, pathogenic to a wider host range. Genetic differentiation between two incipient races of X. citri pv. mangiferaeindicae was attributable to a DNA fragment introduced by phages. In contrast to most portions of the genome that had nearly equivalent levels of genetic divergence between subspecies as a result of the accumulation of point mutations, 10% of the core genome involving with homologous recombination contributed to the diversification in Xanthomonas, as revealed by the correlation between homologous recombination and genomic divergence. Interestingly, 179 genes were under positive selection; 98 (54.7%) of these genes were involved in homologous recombination, indicating that foreign genetic fragments may have caused the adaptive diversification, especially in lineages with nutritional transitions. Homologous recombination may have provided genetic materials for the natural selection, and host shifts likely triggered ecological adaptation in Xanthomonas. To a certain extent, we observed positive selection nevertheless contributed to ecological divergence beyond host shifting. CONCLUSION: Altogether, mediated with lasting gene flow, species formation in Xanthomonas was likely governed by natural selection that played a key role in helping the deviating populations to explore novel niches (hosts) or respond to environmental cues, subsequently triggering species diversification.

Three-Dimensional Path Planning and Guidance of Leg Vascular Based on Improved Ant Colony Algorithm in Augmented Reality.

Preoperative path planning plays a critical role in vascular access surgery. Vascular access surgery has superior difficulties and requires long training periods as well as precise operation. Yet doctors are on different leves, thus bulky size of blood vessels is usually chosen to undergo surgery and other possible optimal path is not considered. Moreover, patients and surgeons will suffer from X-ray radiation during the surgical procedure. The study proposed an improved ant colony algorithm to plan a vascular optimal three-dimensional path with overall consideration of factors such as catheter diameter, vascular length, diameter as well as the curvature and torsion. To protect the doctor and patient from exposing to X-ray long-term, the paper adopted augmented reality technology to register the reconstructed vascular model and physical model meanwhile, locate catheter by the electromagnetic tracking system and used Head Mounted Display to show the planning path in real time and monitor catheter push procedure. The experiment manifests reasonableness of preoperative path planning and proves the reliability of the algorithm. The augmented reality experiment real time and accurately displays the vascular phantom model, planning path and the catheter trajectory and proves the feasibility of this method. The paper presented a useful and feasible surgical scheme which was based on the improved ant colony algorithm to plan vascular three-dimensional path in augmented reality. The study possessed practical guiding significance in preoperative path planning, intraoperative catheter guiding and surgical training, which provided a theoretical method of path planning for vascular access surgery. It was a safe and reliable path planning approach and possessed practical reference value.

[Micropump infusion of gonadorelin in the treatment of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in patients with pituitary stalk interruption syndrome: cases analysis and literature review].

Two cases of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism caused by pituitary stalk interruption syndrome treated by pulse infusion of gonadorelin via micropump were reported, and their clinical features and the treatment process of pulse infusion of gonadorelin via micropump summarized. Both of the 2 patients were presented primarily with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. After the treatment with pulse infusion of gonadorelin via micropump, their syndrome of androgen deficiency improved and the gonadotropin levels promoted at the end of 12 weeks' follow-up. Pulse infusion of gonadorelin via micropump is an alternative to treat hypogonadotropic hypogonadism caused by pituitary stalk interruption syndrome.

Immune-Mediated Necrotizing Myopathy Associated With Anti-signal Recognition Particle Antibody Complicated With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Report of Two Cases.

Immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM) represents a rare category of inflammatory myopathies characterized by more severe and rapid progression of symmetrical proximal muscle weakness. It is also marked by notably elevated serum muscle enzyme levels and distinct histological features, setting it apart from other types of myositis. Moreover, acute chronic lung respiratory dysfunction is a major comorbidity of great concern. We herein present two cases of IMNM associated with anti-signal recognition particle antibodies complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome.

[Orthopaedic robot assisted femoral neck dynamic cross fixation system for the treatment of femoral neck fractures].

OBJECTIVE: To explore and compare the clinical efficacy of orthopedic robot assisted femoral neck system （FNS） and traditional manual FNS in the treatment of femoral neck fractures in middle-aged and young people. METHODS: The clinical data of 62 consecutive patients with femoral neck fracture and age less than 65 years old admitted to the Intelligent Orthopaedic Department of Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from June 2021 to June 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. According to whether orthopedic robot-assisted surgery the patients were divided into two groups：30 patients aged 34 to 56 years old were treated with orthopedic robot assisted FNS internal fixation after closed or limited open reduction（experimental group）； 32 patients aged 33 to 54 years old underwent FNS internal fixation after closed or limited open reduction（control group）. The age, gender, time from injury to admission, average hospital stay, surgical duration, intraoperative bleeding volume, and intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency of two groups of patients were analyzed and compared. The hip joint function in both groups of patients was evaluated using the Harris hip joint scoring standard at 6 months after surgery. RESULTS: All 62 patients with femoral neck fractures successfully completed the surgery. There was no significant difference（P>0.05） between the experimental group and the control group in terms of baseline data such as age, gender, time from injury to admission, time from admission to surgery and the intraoperative bleeding. The surgical duration of the experimental group was significantly shorter than that of the control group [42.1（28.5, 50.7）min vs. 53.4（36.9, 62.5） min, Z=-2.338, P=0.019]. The intraoperative X-ray fluoroscopy frequency of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group[8.0 （6.0, 11.0） times vs. 15.0（13.0, 17.0） times, Z=-5.960, P<0.001]. In terms of postoperative hip joint function, there was no significant difference in Harris score between the two groups of patients at 6-month follow-up（P>0.05）. CONCLUSION: Compared with manual operation of FNS, orthopedic robot assisted FNS in the treatment of femoral neck fractures can help shorten surgical time, reduce intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency, and have similar therapeutic effects on long-term hip joint function recovery.

[Analysis of the efficacy of high tibial osteotomy combined with medial meniscus centralization in knee osteoarthritis].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacy of high tibial osteotomy （HTO） combined with medial meniscus centralization in knee osteoarthritis. METHODS: A total of 26 patients who underwent surgery from October 2018 to October 2020 were reviewed. Among them, 14 patients underwent high tibial osteotomy combined with arthroscopic meniscus centralization surgery were centralized group, including 8 males and 6 females, with an average age of （50.2±1.4） years old and follow-up time of （16.8±4.0） months. Twelve patients with high tibial osteotomy were in the control group, including 6 males and 6 females, with an average age of （50.9±1.8） years and follow-up time of （19.0±4.8） months. Operation time, the knee Lysholm score, knee 2000 IKDC score, MRI, femoral tibial angle（FTA）, hip knee ankle angle （HKA）, and intraoperative and postoperative complications were recorded. RESULTS: All the incisions healed without any complication. The operation time in the centralized group was longer than that in the control group[（65.0±2.1）min vs（52.0±2.1）min, P<0.05]. The medial meniscus extrusion reduction value in the centralized group was significantly reduced compared with the control group[（2.8±1.4） mm vs （1.1±2.2） mm, P<0.05]. The FTA, HKA, knee Lyshlom score, and 2000 IKDC score between two groups were no significantly （P>0.05）. Postoperative knee Lyshlom score and knee 2000 IKDC score improved in both groups（P<0.05）. CONCLUSION: HTO combined with centralization of medial meniscus can improve the reduction of medial meniscus and improve knee function. The medium and long-term curative effect still needs long-term follow-up of more cases.

Development of a nomogram to predict 30-day mortality of sepsis patients with gastrointestinal bleeding: An analysis of the MIMIC-IV database.

Background: We aimed to establish and validate a prognostic nomogram model for improving the prediction of 30-day mortality of gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) in critically ill patients with severe sepsis. Methods: In this retrospective study, the current retrospective cohort study extracted data from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database, then partitioned the cohort randomly into training and validation subsets. The cohort was partitioned into training and validation subsets randomly. Our primary endpoint was 30-day all-cause mortality. To reduce data dimensionality and identify predictive variables, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was employed. A prediction model was constructed by multivariate logistic regression. Model performance was evaluated using the concordance index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results: The analysis included 1435 total patients, comprising 1005 in the training cohort and 430 in the validation cohort. We found that age, smoking status, glucose, (BUN), lactate, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, mechanical ventilation≥48h (MV), parenteral nutrition (PN), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) independently influenced mortality in sepsis patients with concomitant GIB. The C-indices were 0.746 (0.700-0.792) and 0.716 (0.663-0.769) in the training and validation sets, respectively. Based on the area under the curve (AUC) and DCA, the nomogram exhibited good discrimination for 30-day all-cause mortality in sepsis with GIB. Conclusions: For sepsis patients complicated with GIB, we created a unique nomogram model to predict the 30-day all-cause mortality. This model could be a significant therapeutic tool for clinicians in terms of personalized treatment and prognosis prediction.

Integrative Chinese-Western medicine strategy to overcome docetaxel resistance in prostate cancer.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) have emerged as a promising complementary therapy in the management of prostate cancer (PCa), particularly in addressing resistance to Docetaxel (DTX) chemotherapy. AIM OF THE REVIEW: This review aims to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the development of resistance to DTX in PCa and explore the innovative approach of integrating TCMs in PCa treatment to overcome this resistance. Key areas of investigation include alterations in microtubule proteins, androgen receptor and androgen receptor splice variant 7, ERG rearrangement, drug efflux mechanisms, cancer stem cells, centrosome clustering, upregulation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, enhanced DNA damage repair capability, and the involvement of neurotrophin receptor 1/protein kinase C. MATERIALS AND METHODS: With "Prostate cancer", "Docetaxel", "Docetaxel resistance", "Natural compounds", "Traditional Chinese medicine", "Traditional Chinese medicine compound", "Medicinal plants" as the main keywords, PubMed, Web of Science and other online search engines were used for literature retrieval. RESULTS: Our findings underscore the intricate interplay of molecular alterations that collectively contribute to the resistance of PCa cells to DTX. Moreover, we highlight the potential of TCMs as a promising complementary therapy, showcasing their ability to counteract DTX resistance and enhance therapeutic efficacy. CONCLUSION: The integration of TCMs in PCa treatment emerges as an innovative approach with significant potential to overcome DTX resistance. This review not only provides insights into the mechanisms of resistance but also presents new prospects for improving the clinical outcomes of patients with PCa undergoing DTX therapy. The comprehensive understanding of these mechanisms lays the foundation for future research and the development of more effective therapeutic interventions.

Transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and post-translational regulation of polyunsaturated fatty acid synthase genes in Aurantiochytrium limacinum strain BL10: Responses to nitrogen starvation.

Under nitrogen deficient conditions, the Aurantiochytrium limacinum strain BL10 greatly increases the production of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and n-6 docosapentaenoic acid. Researchers have yet to elucidate the mechanism by which BL10 promotes the activity of polyunsaturated fatty acid synthase (Pfa), which plays a key role in the synthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). Analysis in the current study revealed that in nitrogen-depleted environments, BL10 boosts the transcription and synthesis of proteins by facilitating the expression of pfa genes via transcriptional regulation. It was also determined that BL10 adjusts the lengths of the 5'- and 3'-untranslated regions (suggesting post-transcriptional regulation) and modifies the ratio of two Pfa1 isoforms to favor PUFA production via post-translational regulation (ubiquitination). These findings clarify the exceptional DHA production of BL10 and provide additional insights into the regulatory mechanisms of PUFA biosynthesis in Aurantiochytrium.

Synthesis of a disulfide cross-linked polygalacturonic acid hydrogel for biomedical applications.

Polygalacturonic acid (PGA) hydrogel cross-linked via disulfide bonds was synthesized using a thiol oxidation reaction. PGA was grafted with cysteine to yield thiolated PGA (denoted PGAcys). Per gram, PGA-conjugated cysteine was 725 ± 77 µmol, and the degree of modification was 16.24 %. A PGAcys hydrogel film was fabricated under physiological conditions, with gel content 91.6 % and water content 43.3 %. The PGAcys hydrogel was used as a drug carrier for rosmarinic acid (RA) (denoted PGAcys/RA) and to prevent postsurgical adhesion. The in vitro dynamic release behavior of RA from the PGAcys hydrogel was analyzed. The profiles showed that 80 % of the total RA was released from the hydrogel within 15 min, followed by zero-order kinetic release. Animal implant studies showed that PGAcys and PGAcys/RA hydrogel films reduced adhesion incidence by over 90 %, significantly higher than did Hyaluronate/Carboxymethylcellulose (analogous Seprafilm™) (42 %). The PGAcys/RA hydrogel film also reduced the early inflammatory reaction.