A novel strategy for improving bowel preparation based on social software-enhanced education: A prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The compliance and timeliness of oral laxatives have always been the key factors restricting bowel preparation (BP). We have constructed a novel enhanced-educational content and process based on social software (SS) for BP to optimize these issues. METHODS: A multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled study was conducted at 13 hospitals in China from December 2019 to December 2020. A total of 1774 enrollees received standard instructions for BP and were randomly assigned (1:1) to the SS group (SSG) that received a smartphone-based enhanced-education strategy starting 4 h before colonoscopy or the control group (CG). RESULTS: A total of 3034 consecutive outpatient colonoscopy patients were assessed for eligibility, and 1774 were enrolled and randomly assigned. Ultimately, data from 1747 (SSG vs CG: 875 vs 872) enrollees were collected. The BP adequacy rate was 92.22% (95% CI: 90.46-93.98) in the SSG vs 88.05% (95% CI: 85.91-90.18) in the CG (P = 0.005), and the total Boston Bowel Preparation Scale scores (6.89 ± 1.15 vs 6.67 ± 1.15, P < 0.001) of those in the SSG were significantly higher than those in the CG. The average number of polyps detected in the SSG was considerably higher than that in the CG (0.84 ± 2.00 vs 0.53 ± 1.19, P = 0.037), and the average diameter of the polyps was significantly lower than that of the control group (4.0 ± 2.5 vs 4.9 ± 3.7, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This SS-enhanced education strategy can improve the BP adequacy rate and increase the average number of polyps detected, especially those of small diameter.

The Inflammatory Response and Long-Term Outcomes Between Open and Laparoscopic Pancreatoduodenectomy:A Propensity-Matched Single-Institution Study.

Background: In recent years, although laparoscopic pancreatoduodenectomy (LPD) has experienced rapid development both domestically and internationally, however, there are still varying opinions toward LPD. Methods: From January 2020 to July 2022, the data were collected. We compared the inflammatory response at various postoperative time points and evaluated long-term outcomes between the two groups. Results: In the early stage, the LPD group exhibited lower values of white blood cells, C-reactive protein, neutrophils, and platelets after surgery compared with open pancreatoduodenectomy (OPD) (P all<0.05). However, no statistically significant differences were observed in terms of procalcitonin, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio. Before propensity score matching, no statistical significance was observed between two groups, whether in terms of disease-free survival (DFS) (P = .406) or overall survival (OS) (P = .851). However, to further control for confounding factors, propensity score matching was used. The analysis revealed that DFS still showed no significant difference (P = .928), but, in the term of OS, a statistical significance was observed between the two groups. Conclusion: LPD demonstrates a comparable long-term outcomes to OPD and even slightly superior OS. Moreover, the LPD group exhibits a lower inflammatory response during early postoperative period.

[Research progress in targeting DNA G-quadruplexes using natural products].

DNA G-quadruplex(G4) is a guanine-rich single-stranded DNA sequence that spontaneously folds into a spherical four-stranded DNA secondary structure in oncogene promoter sequences and telomeres. G4s are highly associated with the occurrence and development of cancer and have emerged as promising anticancer targets. Natural products have long been important sources of anticancer drug development. In recent years, significant progress has been made in the discovery of natural drugs targeting DNA G4s, with many DNA G4s have been confirmed as promising targets of natural products, including MYC-G4, KRAS-G4, PDGFR-ß-G4, BCL-2-G4, VEGF-G4, and telomeric G4. This review summarizes the research progress in discovering natural small molecules that target DNA G4s and their binding mechanisms. It also discusses the opportunities of and challenges in developing drugs targeting DNA G4s. This review will serve as a valuable reference for the research on natural products, particularly in the development of novel antitumor medications.

Impaired embryo development potential associated with thyroid autoimmunity in euthyroid infertile women with diminished ovarian reserve.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations of thyroid autoimmunity (TAI) with the number of oocytes retrieved (NOR), fertilization rate (FR), and embryo quality (EQ) in euthyroid women with infertility and diminished ovarian reserve (DOR). Methods: This retrospective cohort study involved 1,172 euthyroid women aged 20-40 years with infertility and DOR who underwent an oocyte retrieval cycle. TAI was diagnosed in the presence of serum thyroperoxidase antibody (TPOAb) concentrations higher than 34 IU/ml and/or serum thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) concentrations exceeding 115.0 IU/ml. Among these women, 147 patients with TAI were classified as the TAI-positive group, while 1,025 patients without TAI were classified as the TAI-negative group. Using generalized linear models (GLMs) adjusted for confounding factors, we evaluated the associations of TAI and the serum TPOAb and TgAb concentrations and NOR, FR, and EQ in this study's subjects. The TPOAb and TGAb values were subjected to log10 transformation to reduce skewness. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the effects of TPOAb and TgAb concentrations on the probabilities of achieving a high NOR (≥7) and high FR (>60%). Results: For the whole study population, women with TAI had a significantly lower NOR and poorer EQ than women without TAI (P < 0.001 for both). Interestingly, in the TSH ≤2.5 subgroup, the TAI-positive group also had a significantly lower NOR and poorer EQ than the TAI-negative group (P < 0.001 for both). Furthermore, negative associations were observed between log10(TPOAb) concentrations and NOR and the number of high-quality embryos and available embryos (P < 0.05 for all). The log10(TgAb) concentrations were inversely associated with NOR and the number of high-quality embryos (P < 0.05 for all). In the regression analysis, the log10(TPOAb) concentrations had lower probabilities of achieving a high NOR [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 0.56; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.37, 0.85; P = 0.007]. Conclusions: TAI and higher TPOAb and TgAb concentrations were shown to be associated with reductions in the NOR and EQ in the study population. Our findings provide further evidence to support systematic screening and treatment for TAI in euthyroid women with infertility and DOR.

RBP4 promotes denervation-induced muscle atrophy through STRA6-dependent pathway.

BACKGROUNDS: Fat infiltration of skeletal muscle has been recognized as a common feature of many degenerative muscle disorders. Retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) is an adipokine that has been demonstrated to be correlated with the presence and severity of sarcopenia in the elderly. However, the exact role and the underlying mechanism of RBP4 in muscle atrophy remains unclear. METHODS: Denervation-induced muscle atrophy model was constructed in wild-type and RBP4 knockout mice. To modify the expression of RBP4, mice were received intramuscular injection of retinol-free RBP4 (apo-RBP4), retinol-bound RBP4 (holo-RBP4) or oral gavage of RBP4 inhibitor A1120. Holo-RBP4-stimulated C2C12 myotubes were treated with siRNAs or specific inhibitors targeting signalling receptor and transporter of retinol 6 (STRA6)/Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway. Fat accumulation, myofibre cross-sectional area, myotube diameter and the expression of muscle atrophy markers and myogenesis markers were analysed. RESULTS: The expression levels of RBP4 in skeletal muscles were significantly up-regulated more than 2-fold from 7 days and sustained for 28 days after denervation. Immunofluorescence analysis indicated that increased RBP4 was localized in the infiltrated fatty region in denervated skeletal muscles. Knockout of RBP4 alleviated denervation-induced fatty infiltration and muscle atrophy together with decreased expression of atrophy marker Atrogin-1 and MuRF1 as well as increased expression of myogenesis regulators MyoD and MyoG. By contrast, injection of retinol-bound holo-RBP4 aggregated denervation-induced ectopic fat accumulation and muscle atrophy. Consistently, holo-RBP4 stimulation also had a dose-dependent effect on the reduction of C2C12 myotube diameter and myofibre cross-sectional area, as well as on the increase of Atrogin-1and MuRF1 expression and decrease of MyoD and MyoG expression. Mechanistically, holo-RBP4 treatment increased the expression of its membrane receptor STRA6 (>3-fold) and promoted the phosphorylation of downstream JAK2 and STAT3. Inhibition of STRA6/JAK2/STAT3 pathway either by specific siRNAs or inhibitors could decrease the expression of Atrogin-1 and MuRF1 (>50%) and decrease the expression of MyoD and MyoG (>3-fold) in holo-RBP4-treated C2C12 myotube. RBP4 specific pharmacological antagonist A1120 significantly inhibited the activation of STRA6/JAK2/STAT3 pathway, ameliorated ectopic fat infiltration and protected against denervation-induced muscle atrophy (30% increased myofibre cross-sectional area) in mice. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our data reveal that RBP4 promotes fat infiltration and muscle atrophy through a STRA6-dependent and JAK2/STAT3 pathway-mediated mechanism in denervated skeletal muscle. Our results suggest that lowering RBP4 levels might serve as a promising therapeutic approach for prevention and treatment of muscle atrophy.

Neural Progenitor Cell-Mediated Magnetic Nanoparticles for Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Photothermal Therapy of Glioma.

Glioma is the most common primary malignant tumor in the brain. The diagnostic accuracy and treatment efficiency of glioma are facing great challenges due to the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the high infiltration of glioma. There is an urgent need to explore the combination of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to achieve a more accurate diagnosis, as well as guidance before and after surgery. In this work, we induced human induction of pluripotent stem cell into neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and synthesized nanoprobes labeled with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP, abbreviated as MFe3O4-labeled EGFP-NPCs) for photothermal therapy. Nanoprobes carried by NPCs can effectively penetrate the BBB and target glioma for the purpose of magnetic resonance imaging and guiding surgery. More importantly, MFe3O4-labeled EGFP-NPCs can effectively induce local photothermal therapy, conduct preoperative tumor therapy, and inhibit the recurrence of postoperative glioma. This work shows that MFe3O4-labeled EGFP-NPCs is a promising nanoplatform for glioma diagnosis, accurate imaging-guided surgery, and effective photothermal therapy.

Excited-State Dynamics of a CRABPII-Based Microbial Rhodopsin Mimic.

Microbial rhodopsin, a pivotal photoreceptor protein, has garnered widespread application in diverse fields such as optogenetics, biotechnology, biodevices, etc. However, current microbial rhodopsins are all transmembrane proteins, which both complicates the investigation on the photoreaction mechanism and limits their further applications. Therefore, a specific mimic for microbial rhodopsin can not only provide a better model for understanding the mechanism but also can extend the applications. The human protein CRABPII turns out to be a good template for design mimics on rhodopsin due to the convenience in synthesis and the stability after mutations. Recently, Geiger et al. designed a new CRABPII-based mimic M1-L121E on microbial rhodopsin with the 13-cis, syn (13C) isomerization after irradiation. However, it still remains a question as to how similar it is compared with the natural microbial rhodopsin, in particular, in the aspect of the photoreaction dynamics. In this article, we investigate the excited-state dynamics of this mimic by measuring its transient absorption spectra. Our results reveal that there are two components in the solution of mimic M1-L121E at pH 8, known as protonated Schiff base (PSB) and unprotonated Schiff base (USB) states. In both states, the photoreaction process from 13-cis, syn(13C) to all-trans,anti (AT) is faster than that from the inverse direction. In addition, the photoreaction process in the PSB state is faster than that in the USB state. We compared the isomerization time of the PSB state to that of microbial rhodopsin. Our findings indicate that M1-L121E exhibits behaviors similar to those of microbial rhodopsins in the general pattern of PSB isomerization, where the isomerization from 13C to AT is much faster than its inverse direction. However, our results also reveal significant differences in the excited-state dynamics of the mimic relative to the native microbial rhodopsin, including the slower PSB isomerization rates as well as the unusual USB photoreaction dynamics at pH = 8. By elucidating the distinctive characteristics of mimics M1-L121E, this study enhances our understanding of microbial rhodopsin mimics and their potential applications.

Safety and effectiveness of tunneled peripherally inserted central catheters versus conventional PICC in adult cancer patients.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the safety and effectiveness of tunneled peripherally inserted central catheters (T-PICC) vs. conventional PICCs (C-PICC) in adult cancer patients. METHODS: A multicentre randomized controlled trial was conducted between April 2021 and January 2022 in seven hospitals in China. 564 participants were randomly assigned to T-PICC or C-PICC. These data were collected and compared: the baseline characteristics and catheterization-related characteristics, periprocedural complications, and long-term complications. RESULTS: Five-hundred fifty-three participants (aged, 52.6 ± 12.3 years; female, 39.1%) were ultimately analyzed. No significant differences in periprocedural complications were found between the T-PICC and C-PICC groups (all p > 0.05). Compared with C-PICC, T-PICC significantly reduced the incidence of long-term complications (26.4% vs. 39.9%, p < 0.001). Specifically, reduced complications were found in central line-associated bloodstream infection (1.8% vs. 5.1%, p = 0.04), thrombosis (1.1% vs. 4.0%, p = 0.03), catheter dislodgement (4.7% vs. 10.1%, p = 0.01), non-infectious oozing (17.3% vs. 28.6%, p = 0.002), local infection (3.6% vs. 7.6%, p = 0.04), skin irritation (6.1% vs. 10.9%, p = 0.046), and reduced unplanned catheter removal (2.2% vs. 7.2%, p = 0.005). No significant differences were found between T-PICC and C-PICC regarding catheter occlusion (6.5% vs. 5.8%, p = 0.73) or skin damage (2.2% vs. 2.9%, p = 0.58). CONCLUSION: T-PICC is safe and effectively reduces long-term complications. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: The tunneled technique is effective in reducing PICC-related long-term complications. Thus, it is recommended for cancer patients at high risk of PICC-related complications. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The registration number on https://www.chictr.org.cn/ is ChiCTR2100044632. The name of the trial registry is "A multicenter randomized controlled study of clinical use of tunneled vs. non-tunneled PICC". KEY POINTS: Cather-related complications are associated with the technique of catheterization. Compared with conventional PICC, tunneled PICC reduced catheter-related long-term complications. Tunneled PICC placement provides an alternative catheterization method for cancer patients.

Genome-wide association study and candidate gene identification for agronomic traits in 182 upward-growing fruits of C. frutescens and C. annuum.

Pepper agronomic traits serve as pivotal indicators for characterizing germplasm attributes and correlations. It is important to study differential genotypic variation through phenotypic differences of target traits. Whole genome resequencing was used to sequence the whole genome among different individuals of species with known reference genomes and annotations, and based on this, differential analyses of individuals or populations were carried out to identify SNPs for agronomic traits related to pepper. This study conducted a genome-wide association study encompassing 26 key agronomic traits in 182 upward-growing fruits of C. frutescens and C. annuum. The population structure (phylogenetics, population structure, population principal component analysis, genetic relationship) and linkage disequilibrium analysis were realized to ensure the accuracy and reliability of GWAS results, and the optimal statistical model was determined. A total of 929 SNPs significantly associated with 26 agronomic traits, were identified, alongside the detection of 519 candidate genes within 100 kb region adjacent to these SNPs. Additionally, through gene annotation and expression pattern scrutiny, genes such as GAUT1, COP10, and DDB1 correlated with fruit traits in Capsicum frutescens and Capsicum annuum were validated via qRT-PCR. In the CH20 (Capsicum annuum) and YB-4 (Capsicum frutescens) cultivars, GAUT1 and COP10 were cloned with cDNA lengths of 1065 bp and 561 bp, respectively, exhibiting only a small number of single nucleotide variations and nucleotide deletions. This validation provides a robust reference for molecular marker-assisted breeding of pepper agronomic traits, offering both genetic resources and theoretical foundations for future endeavors in molecular marker-assisted breeding for pepper.

Novel strategy of S. mutans gcrR gene over-expression plus antibacterial dimethylaminohexadecyl methacrylate suppresses biofilm acids and reduces dental caries in rats.

OBJECTIVE: Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) is a major contributor to dental caries, with its ability to synthesize extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) and biofilms. The gcrR gene is a regulator of EPS synthesis and biofilm formation. The objectives of this study were to investigate a novel strategy of combining gcrR gene over-expression with dimethylaminohexadecyl methacrylate (DMAHDM), and to determine their in vivo efficacy in reducing caries in rats for the first time. METHODS: Two types of S. mutans were tested: Parent S. mutans; and gcrR gene over-expressed S. mutans (gcrR OE S. mutans). Bacterial minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) were measured with DMAHDM and chlorhexidine (CHX). Biofilm biomass, polysaccharide, lactic acid production, live/dead staining, colony-forming units (CFUs), and metabolic activity (MTT) were evaluated. A Sprague-Dawley rat model was used with parent S. mutans and gcrR OE S. mutans colonization to determine caries-inhibition in vivo. RESULTS: Drug-susceptibility of gcrR OE S. mutans to DMAHDM or CHX was 2-fold higher than that of parent S. mutans. DMAHDM reduced biofilm CFU by 3-4 logs. Importantly, the combined gcrR OE S. mutans+ DMAHDM dual strategy reduced biofilm CFU by 5 logs. In the rat model, the parent S. mutans group had a higher cariogenicity in dentinal (Dm) and extensive dentinal (Dx) regions. The DMAHDM + gcrR OE group reduced the Dm and Dx caries to only 20 % and 0 %, those of parent S. mutans + PBS control group (p < 0.05). The total caries severity of gcrR OE + DMAHDM group was decreased to 51 % that of parent S. mutans control (p < 0.05). SIGNIFICANCE: The strategy of combining S. mutans gcrR over-expression with antibacterial monomer reducing biofilm acids by 97 %, and reduced in vivo total caries in rats by 48 %. The gcrR over-expression + DMAHDM strategy is promising for a wide range of dental applications to inhibit caries and protect tooth structures.

MorphBungee: A 65-nm 7.2-mm2 27-µJ/image Digital Edge Neuromorphic Chip with On-Chip 802-frame/s Multi-Layer Spiking Neural Network Learning.

This paper presents a digital edge neuromorphic spiking neural network (SNN) processor chip for a variety of edge intelligent cognitive applications. This processor allows high-speed, high-accuracy and fully on-chip spike-timing-based multi-layer SNN learning. It is characteristic of hierarchical multi-core architecture, event-driven processing paradigm, meta-crossbar for efficient spike communication, and hybrid and reconfigurable parallelism. A prototype chip occupying an active silicon area of 7.2 mm2 was fabricated using a 65-nm 1P9M CMOS process. when running a 256-256-256-256-200 4-layer fully-connected SNN on downscaled 16 × 16 MNIST images. it typically achieved a high-speed throughput of 802 and 2270 frames/s for on-chip learning and inference, respectively, with a relatively low power dissipation of around 61 mW at a 100 MHz clock rate under a 1.0V core power supply, Our on-chip learning results in comparably high visual recognition accuracies of 96.06%, 83.38%, 84.53%, 99.22% and 100% on the MNIST, Fashion-MNIST, ETH-80, Yale-10 and ORL-10 datasets, respectively. In addition, we have successfully applied our neuromorphic chip to demonstrate high-resolution satellite cloud image segmentation and non-visual tasks including olfactory classification and textural news categorization. These results indicate that our neuromorphic chip is suitable for various intelligent edge systems under restricted cost, energy and latency budgets while requiring in-situ self-adaptative learning capability.

Target engagement and immunogenicity of an active immunotherapeutic targeting pathological α-synuclein: a phase 1 placebo-controlled trial.

Investigational therapeutics that target toxic species of α-synuclein (αSyn) aim to slow down or halt disease progression in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Here this 44-week, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, single-center phase 1 study investigated safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of UB-312, an active immunotherapeutic targeting pathological αSyn, in patients with PD. The primary outcome measures were adverse event frequency and change in anti-αSyn antibody titers in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Exploratory outcomes were changes in clinical scales and biomarker-based target engagement as measured by seed amplification assays. Twenty patients were randomized 7:3 (UB-312:placebo) into 300/100/100 µg or 300/300/300 µg (weeks 1, 5 and 13) intramuscular prime-boost dose groups. Safety was similar across groups; adverse events were mostly mild and transient. Two patients experienced three serious adverse events in total, one possibly treatment related; all resolved without sequalae. Anti-αSyn antibodies in serum from 12/13 and CSF from 5/13 patients who received three UB-312 doses confirmed immunogenicity. Mean serum titers (in log-dilution factor) increased from baseline by 1.398 and 1.354, and peaked at week 29 at 2.520 and 2.133, for 300/100/100 µg and 300/300/300 µg, respectively. CSF titers were 0 at baseline and were 0.182 and 0.032 at week 21, respectively. Exploratory analyses showed no statistical differences in clinical scales but a significant reduction of αSyn seeds in CSF of a subset of UB-312-treated patients. These data support further UB-312 development. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04075318 .

Clinical Features and Analysis in Pituitary Stalk Interruption Syndrome.

Objective: Pituitary stalk interruption syndrome (PSIS) is characterized by the absence of pituitary stalk, pituitary hypoplasia, and ectopic posterior pituitary. Because the etiology and clinical cognition of PSIS remain elusive, we analyzed the clinical features of PSIS in Chinese patients. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical presentation, laboratory data, imaging examination, and management of 24 PSIS inpatients from our center over 10 years. Results: Among the 24 PSIS patients, there were 22 males (91.7%) and 2 females (8.3%). Growth hormone deficiency was present in all 24 cases (100%), hypogonadism in 24 cases (100%), secondary adrenal insufficiency in 22 cases (91.2%), and hypothyroidism in 21 cases (87.5%). 20 cases (83.3%) of PSIS patients exhibited deficiencies in four anterior pituitary hormones, 3 cases (12.5%) exhibited deficiencies in three anterior pituitary hormones, and 1 case (4.2%) exhibited deficiencies in two anterior pituitary hormones, with none exhibiting deficiencies in posterior pituitary hormones. Among the 24 PSIS patients, 12 had a history of growth hormone therapy before admission, and 12 had no such history. Additionally, 19 cases (79.2%) with PSIS were complicated by dyslipidemia, 15 cases (62.5%) were complicated by nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and 9 cases (37.5%) were complicated by hyperuricemia. Conclusions: PSIS often presents with growth retardation and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, but in some cases, short stature is not exhibited. PSIS is prone to complications such as dyslipidemia, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and hyperuricemia, increasing the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. In clinical practice, the diagnostic ability of PSIS should be improved, and pituitary function and complications should be evaluated in a timely manner to avoid delayed treatment.

Antidote-controlled DNA aptamer modulates human factor IXa activity.

Thrombosis leads to elevated mortality rates and substantial medical expenses worldwide. Human factor IXa (HFIXa) protease is pivotal in tissue factor (TF)-mediated thrombin generation, and represents a promising target for anticoagulant therapy. We herein isolated novel DNA aptamers that specifically bind to HFIXa through systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) method. We identified two distinct aptamers, seq 5 and seq 11, which demonstrated high binding affinity to HFIXa (Kd = 74.07 ± 2.53 nM, and 4.93 ± 0.15 nM, respectively). Computer software was used for conformational simulation and kinetic analysis of DNA aptamers and HFIXa binding. These aptamers dose-dependently prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) in plasma. We further rationally optimized the aptamers by truncation and site-directed mutation, and generated the truncated forms (Seq 5-1t, Seq 11-1t) and truncated-mutated forms (Seq 5-2tm, Seq 11-2tm). They also showed good anticoagulant effects. The rationally and structurally designed antidotes (seq 5-2b and seq 11-2b) were competitively bound to the DNA aptamers and effectively reversed the anticoagulant effect. This strategy provides DNA aptamer drug-antidote pair with effective anticoagulation and rapid reversal, developing advanced therapies by safe, regulatable aptamer drug-antidote pair.

Improving the estimation of rice above-ground biomass based on spatio-temporal UAV imagery and phenological stages.

Introduction: Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with visible and multispectral cameras provide reliable and efficient methods for remote crop monitoring and above-ground biomass (AGB) estimation in rice fields. However, existing research predominantly focuses on AGB estimation based on canopy spectral features or by incorporating plant height (PH) as a parameter. Insufficient consideration has been given to the spatial structure and the phenological stages of rice in these studies. In this study, a novel method was introduced by fully considering the three-dimensional growth dynamics of rice, integrating both horizontal (canopy cover, CC) and vertical (PH) aspects of canopy development, and accounting for the growing days of rice. Methods: To investigate the synergistic effects of combining spectral, spatial and temporal parameters, both small-scale plot experiments and large-scale field testing were conducted in Jiangsu Province, China from 2021 to 2022. Twenty vegetation indices (VIs) were used as spectral features, PH and CC as spatial parameters, and days after transplanting (DAT) as a temporal parameter. AGB estimation models were built with five regression methods (MSR, ENet, PLSR, RF and SVR), using the derived data from six feature combinations (VIs, PH+CC, PH+CC+DAT, VIs+PH +CC, VIs+DAT, VIs+PH+CC+DAT). Results: The results showed a strong correlation between extracted and ground-measured PH (R2 = 0.89, RMSE=5.08 cm). Furthermore, VIs, PH and CC exhibit strong correlations with AGB during the mid-tillering to flowering stages. The optimal AGB estimation results during the mid-tillering to flowering stages on plot data were from the PLSR model with VIs and DAT as inputs (R 2 = 0.88, RMSE=1111kg/ha, NRMSE=9.76%), and with VIs, PH, CC, and DAT all as inputs (R 2 = 0.88, RMSE=1131 kg/ha, NRMSE=9.94%). For the field sampling data, the ENet model combined with different feature inputs had the best estimation results (%error=0.6%-13.5%), demonstrating excellent practical applicability. Discussion: Model evaluation and feature importance ranking demonstrated that augmenting VIs with temporal and spatial parameters significantly enhanced the AGB estimation accuracy. In summary, the fusion of spectral and spatio-temporal features enhanced the actual physical significance of the AGB estimation models and showed great potential for accurate rice AGB estimation during the main phenological stages.

Dose-response study of propofol combined with two different doses of esketamine for laryngeal mask airway insertion in women undergoing hysteroscopy.

Objective: To prospectively determine the median effective dose (ED50) of propofol for inhibiting a response to laryngeal mask airway (LMA) insertion when combined with different doses of esketamine in female patients. Methods: A total of 58 female patients (aged 20-60 years, ASAⅠ-Ⅱ) scheduled for elective hysteroscopy were enrolled and randomly divided into 2 groups, one of which was administered 0.2 mg/kg of esketamine (K1 group, n = 28) and the other 0.3 mg/kg of esketamine (K2 group, n = 30). The 2 groups received the corresponding doses of esketamine intravenously, followed by an intravenous injection of propofol (injection time was 30 s). The initial dose of propofol was 2 mg/kg, and the dose ratio of propofol in the adjacent patients was 0.9. If a positive reaction occurred due to LMA insertion, the dose ratio in the next patient was increased by 1 gradient; if not, the dose ratio was decreased by 1 gradient. The ED50, 95 % effective dose (ED95) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) of propofol for inhibiting a response to LMA insertion in the 2 esketamine groups were calculated using probit analysis. Results: The ED50 of propofol for inhibiting a response to LMA insertion in female patients was 1.95 mg/kg (95 % CI, 1.82-2.08 mg/kg) in the K1 group and 1.60 mg/kg (95 % CI, 1.18-1.83 mg/kg) in the K2 group. The ED95 of propofol for inhibiting a response to LMA insertion in female patients was 2.22 mg/kg (95 % CI, 2.09-2.86 mg/kg) in the K1 group and 2.15 mg/kg (95 % CI, 1.88-3.09 mg/kg) in the K2 group. Conclusion: Propofol combined with 0.3 mg/kg of esketamine has low ED50 and ED95 effective doses for inhibiting an LMA insertion response in female patients undergoing hysteroscopy and surgery. There were no significant adverse effects, but the additional dose of propofol and airway pressure were significantly higher than those in the group administered 0.2 mg/kg of esketamine. Based on the results, we recommend the combination of propofol with 0.2 mg/kg esketamine for optimal conditions during LMA insertion in women undergoing hysteroscopy.

Focus on brain-lung crosstalk: Preventing or treating the pathological vicious circle between the brain and the lung.

Recently, there has been increasing attention to bidirectional information exchange between the brain and lungs. Typical physiological data is communicated by channels like the circulation and sympathetic nervous system. However, communication between the brain and lungs can also occur in pathological conditions. Studies have shown that severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), cerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), and other brain diseases can lead to lung damage. Conversely, severe lung diseases such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), pneumonia, and respiratory failure can exacerbate neuroinflammatory responses, aggravate brain damage, deteriorate neurological function, and result in poor prognosis. A brain or lung injury can have adverse effects on another organ through various pathways, including inflammation, immunity, oxidative stress, neurosecretory factors, microbiome and oxygen. Researchers have increasingly concentrated on possible links between the brain and lungs. However, there has been little attention given to how the interaction between the brain and lungs affects the development of brain or lung disorders, which can lead to clinical states that are susceptible to alterations and can directly affect treatment results. This review described the relationships between the brain and lung in both physiological and pathological conditions, detailing the various pathways of communication such as neurological, inflammatory, immunological, endocrine, and microbiological pathways. Meanwhile, this review provides a comprehensive summary of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for diseases related to the brain and lungs. It aims to support clinical endeavors in preventing and treating such ailments and serve as a reference for the development of relevant medications.

Intervention of hypertension by acupuncture-related therapies: A network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of essential hypertension contributed significantly to morbidity and mortality rates. Acupuncture-related therapies were commonly employed in hypertension treatment. Nevertheless, a lack of conclusive evidence left uncertainties regarding the optimal strategies for managing hypertensive populations. OBJECTIVES: Conduct a comprehensive systematic review to evaluate the existing clinical evidence about the effectiveness of acupuncture and moxibustion-related therapies in managing hypertension, by employing network meta-analysis techniques. METHODS: A comprehensive electronic search was conducted across n of databases. This search covered studies available up to October 2022. Randomized controlled trials assessing acupuncture and moxibustion-related therapies in managing hypertension based on traditional Chinese medicine were screened. Primary outcome measures included the antihypertensive effectiveness rate, variations in blood pressure and the incorporation of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome manifestations. The review follows the guidelines outlined in the PRISMA statement. RESULTS: We identified a total of 24 trials with 1867 patients, which evaluated the efficacy of various acupuncture-related therapies for hypertension management. Network meta-analysis showed that moxibustion and auricular point sticking combined with medication therapy had the best effect in terms of antihypertensive effective rate (medication + moxibustion + auricular pressure vs. medication = 1.29 [1.09, 1.54]; sucra = 85.9, p < .05) and hypertension symptom improvement (medication + moxibustion + auricular pressure vs. medication = -1.55 [-2.98, -0.13]; sucra = 96.1, p < .05). Acupuncture combined with moxibustion combined with medication therapy had the best effect in reducing systolic pressure (medication + moxibustion + acupuncture vs. medication = -8.50 [-10.19, -6.80]; sucra = 100, p < .05) and diastolic blood pressure (medication + moxibustion + acupuncture versus medication = -4.72 [-6.71, -2.72]; sucra = 99.71, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Network meta-analysis suggested that the combined use of moxibustion and auricular point application in conjunction with drug therapy showed the highest likelihood of being the most effective treatment in terms of antihypertensive efficiency rates and improvement in hypertension symptoms. Furthermore, the combination of acupuncture and moxibustion alongside drug treatment emerged as the most promising approach for reducing systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. Limited by the methodological quality and quantity of the included studies, the results need to be interpreted with caution. It is necessary to conduct more high-quality randomized controlled trials of acupuncture-related therapies for the adjuvant treatment of hypertension in the future. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Clinicians can use acupuncture-related therapies to inform their treatment decisions and potentially incorporate acupuncture-related therapies into their hypertension management protocols.

DNMT1-targeting remodeling global DNA hypomethylation for enhanced tumor suppression and circumvented toxicity in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The faithful maintenance of DNA methylation homeostasis indispensably requires DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) in cancer progression. We previously identified DNMT1 as a potential candidate target for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). However, how the DNMT1- associated global DNA methylation is exploited to regulate OSCC remains unclear. METHODS: The shRNA-specific DNMT1 knockdown was employed to target DNMT1 on oral cancer cells in vitro, as was the use of DNMT1 inhibitors. A xenografted OSCC mouse model was established to determine the effect on tumor suppression. High-throughput microarrays of DNA methylation, bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing analysis, multiplex immunohistochemistry, functional sphere formation and protein immunoblotting were utilized to explore the molecular mechanism involved. Analysis of human samples revealed associations between DNMT1 expression, global DNA methylation and collaborative molecular signaling with oral malignant transformation. RESULTS: We investigated DNMT1 expression boosted steadily during oral malignant transformation in human samples, and its inhibition considerably minimized the tumorigenicity in vitro and in a xenografted OSCC model. DNMT1 overexpression was accompanied by the accumulation of cancer-specific DNA hypomethylation during oral carcinogenesis; conversely, DNMT1 knockdown caused atypically extensive genome-wide DNA hypomethylation in cancer cells and xenografted tumors. This novel DNMT1-remodeled DNA hypomethylation pattern hampered the dual activation of PI3K-AKT and CDK2-Rb and inactivated GSK3ß collaboratively. When treating OSCC mice, targeting DNMT1 achieved greater anticancer efficacy than the PI3K inhibitor, and reduced the toxicity of blood glucose changes caused by the PI3K inhibitor or combination of PI3K and CDK inhibitors as well as adverse insulin feedback. CONCLUSIONS: Targeting DNMT1 remodels a novel global DNA hypomethylation pattern to facilitate anticancer efficacy and minimize potential toxic effects via balanced signaling synergia. Our study suggests DNMT1 is a crucial gatekeeper regarding OSCC destiny and treatment outcome.

Performance and protein conformation of thermally treated silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and scallop (Argopecten irradians) blended gels.

BACKGROUND: The quality of surimi-based products can be improved by combining the flesh of different aquatic organisms. The present study investigated the effects of incorporating diverse ratios of unwashed silver carp (H) and scallop (A) and using various thermal treatments on the moisture, texture, microstructure, and conformation of the blended gels and myofibrillar protein of surimi. RESULTS: A mixture ratio of A:H = 1:3 yielded the highest gel strength, which was 60.4% higher than that of scallop gel. The cooking losses of high-pressure heating and water-bath microwaving were significantly higher than those of other methods (P < 0.05). Moreover, the two-step water bath and water-bath microwaving samples exhibited a more regular spatial network structure compared to other samples. The mixed samples exhibited a microstructure with a uniform and ordered spatial network, allowing more free water to be trapped by the internal structure, resulting in more favorable gel properties. The thermal treatments comprehensively modified the tertiary and quaternary structures of proteins in unwashed mixed gel promoted protein unfurling, provided more hydrophobic interactions, enhanced protein aggregation and improved the gel performance. CONCLUSION: The findings of the present study improve our understanding of the interactions between proteins from different sources. We propose a new method for modifying surimi's gel properties, facilitating the development of mixed surimi products, as well as enhancing the efficient utilization of aquatic resources. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.