Characterization of the covalent binding of cyanidin-3-glucoside to bovine serum albumin and its inhibition mechanism for advanced nonenzymatic glycosylation reactions.

Nonenzymatic glycosylation of proteins can generate advanced glycosylation end products, which are closely associated with the pathogenesis of certain chronic physiological diseases and aging. In this study, we characterized the covalent binding of cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G) to bovine serum albumin (BSA) and investigated the mechanism by which this covalent binding inhibits the nonenzymatic glycosylation of BSA. The results indicated that the covalent interaction between C3G and BSA stabilized the protein's secondary structure. Through liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry analysis, we identified the covalent binding sites of C3G on BSA as lysine, arginine, asparagine, glutamine, and cysteine residues. This covalent interaction significantly suppressed the nonenzymatic glycosylation of BSA, consequently reducing the formation of nonenzymatic glycosylation products. C3G competitively binds to nonenzymatic glycosylation sites (e.g., lysine and arginine) on BSA, thereby impeding the glycosylation process and preventing the misfolding and structural alterations of BSA induced by fructose. Furthermore, the covalent attachment of C3G to BSA preserves the secondary structure of BSA and hinders subsequent nonenzymatic glycosylation events.

An Impressive Open-Circuit Voltage of 1.223 V and High Humidity Stability of Perovskite Solar Cells with MgO Buffer Layer Deposited by Low-Temperature Atomic Layer Deposition.

The performance of perovskite solar cells has been continuously improving. However, humidity stability has become a key problem that hinders its promotion in the process of commercialization. A buffer layer deposited by atomic layer deposition is a very helpful method to solve this problem. In this work, MgO film is deposited between Spiro-OMeTAD and electrode by low-temperature atomic layer deposition at 80 °C, which resists the erosion of water vapor, inhibits the migration of electrode metal ions and the decomposition products of perovskite, then finally improves the stability of the device. At the same time, the MgO buffer layer can passivate the defects of porous Spiro, thus enhancing carrier transport efficiency and device performance. The Cs0.05(FAPbI3)0.85(MAPbBr3)0.15 perovskite device with a MgO buffer layer has displayed PCE of 22.74%, also with a high Voc of 1.223 V which is an excellent performance in devices with same perovskite component. Moreover, the device with a MgO buffer layer can maintain 80% of the initial efficiency after 7200 h of storage at 35% relative humidity under room temperature. This is a major achievement for humidity stability in the world, providing more ideas for further improving the stability of perovskite devices.

Warning Function of Frank's Sign in Pre-Existing Cardiac Disease Patients: A Case Report.

Frank's sign (FS) refers to a diagonal skin fold between the tragus and the outer edge of the earlobe. FS has been identified as an independent variable in coronary artery disease (CAD). Young patients with FS and previous myocardial infarction are still rarely reported in clinical studies. We report the case of a 49-year-old male smoker and diabetic, with a history of myocardial infarction, who presented to the emergency department due to 2 h typical cardiac chest pain. His urgent electrocardiography (ECG) showed ST elevation, and cardiac biomarkers were elevated after admission. A diagonal earlobe crease (DELC) was observed in physical tests. The preliminary diagnosis considered acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Subsequently, acute coronary artery angiography demonstrated a slit-like contrast defect in the proximal right coronary artery (RCA), with stenosis and occlusion in the distal segment. The percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was performed immediately. The patient's chest pain symptoms were relieved significantly after intervention. Our case indicates that FS should be highly regarded as a routine cardiovascular clinical examination, which can be effortlessly applied and be easily interpreted for screening to suspect the presence of ischemic heart disease. This may set strategies for primary screening in a younger population and prompt early diagnosis and treatment.

Exploring explainable AI features in the vocal biomarkers of lung disease.

This review delves into the burgeoning field of explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) in the detection and analysis of lung diseases through vocal biomarkers. Lung diseases, often elusive in their early stages, pose a significant public health challenge. Recent advancements in AI have ushered in innovative methods for early detection, yet the black-box nature of many AI models limits their clinical applicability. XAI emerges as a pivotal tool, enhancing transparency and interpretability in AI-driven diagnostics. This review synthesizes current research on the application of XAI in analyzing vocal biomarkers for lung diseases, highlighting how these techniques elucidate the connections between specific vocal features and lung pathology. We critically examine the methodologies employed, the types of lung diseases studied, and the performance of various XAI models. The potential for XAI to aid in early detection, monitor disease progression, and personalize treatment strategies in pulmonary medicine is emphasized. Furthermore, this review identifies current challenges, including data heterogeneity and model generalizability, and proposes future directions for research. By offering a comprehensive analysis of explainable AI features in the context of lung disease detection, this review aims to bridge the gap between advanced computational approaches and clinical practice, paving the way for more transparent, reliable, and effective diagnostic tools.

Relationship between dietary fiber intake and chronic diarrhea in adults.

BACKGROUND: Dietary fiber is essential for human health and can help reduce the symptoms of constipation. However, the relationship between dietary fiber and diarrhea is, poorly understood. AIM: To evaluate the relationship between dietary fiber and chronic diarrhea. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted using data from the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted between 2005 and 2010. Participants over the age of 20 were included. To measure dietary fiber consumption, two 24-hour meal recall interviews were conducted. The independent relationship between the total amount of dietary fiber and chronic diarrhea was evaluated with multiple logistic regression and interaction analysis. RESULTS: Data from 12829 participants were analyzed. Participants without chronic diarrhea consumed more dietary fiber than participants with chronic diarrhea (29.7 vs 28.5, P = 0.004). Additionally, in participants with chronic diarrhea, a correlation between sex and dietary fiber intake was present: Women who consume more than 25 g of dietary fiber daily can reduce the occurrence of chronic diarrhea. CONCLUSION: Dietary fiber can reduce the occurrence of chronic diarrhea.

Efficient Design of Broadband and Low-Profile Multilayer Absorbing Materials on Cobalt-Iron Magnetic Alloy Doped with Rare Earth Element.

Magnetic metal absorbing materials have exhibited excellent absorptance performance. However, their applications are still limited in terms of light weight, low thickness and wide absorption bandwidth. To address this challenge, we design a broadband and low-profile multilayer absorber using cobalt-iron (CoFe) alloys doped with rare earth elements (REEs) lanthanum (La) and Neodymium (Nd). An improved estimation of distribution algorithm (IEDA) is employed in conjunction with a mathematical model of multilayer absorbing materials (MAMs) to optimize both the relative bandwidth with reflection loss (RL) below -10 dB and the thickness. Firstly, the absorption performance of CoFe alloys doped with La/Nd with different contents is analysed. Subsequently, IEDA is introduced based on a mathematical model to achieve an optimal MAM design that obtains a balance between absorption bandwidth and thickness. To validate the feasibility of our proposed method, a triple-layer MAM is designed and optimized to exhibit wide absorption bandwidth covering C, X, and Ku bands (6.16-12.82 GHz) and a total thickness of 2.39 mm. Then, the electromagnetic (EM) absorption mechanisms of the triple-layer MAMs are systematically investigated. Finally, the triple-layer sample is further fabricated and measured. The experimental result is in good agreement with the simulated result. This paper presents a rapid and efficient optimization method for designing MAMs, offering promising prospects in microwave applications, such as radar-stealth technology, EM shielding, and reduced EM pollution for electronic devices.

Is Aggressive Surgery Always Necessary for Suspected Early-Onset Surgical Site Infection after Lumbar Surgery? A 10-Year Retrospective Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Surgical site infection (SSI) after spinal surgery is still a persistent worldwide health concern as it is a worrying and devastating complication. The number of samples in previous studies is limited and the role of conservative antibiotic therapy has not been established. This study aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy and feasibility of empirical antibiotic treatment for suspected early-onset deep spinal SSI. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study to identify all cases with suspected early-onset deep SSI after lumbar instrumented surgery between January 2009 and December 2018. We evaluated the potential risks for antibiotic treatment, examined the antibiotic treatment failure rate, and applied logistic regression analysis to assess the risk factors for empirical antibiotic treatment failure. RESULTS: Over the past 10 years, 45 patients matched the inclusion criteria. The success rate of antibiotic treatment was 62.2% (28/45). Of the 17 patients who failed antibiotic treatment, 16 were cured after a debridement intervention and the remaining one required removal of the internal fixation before recovery. On univariate analysis, risk factors for antibiotic treatment failure included age, increasing or persisting back pain, wound dehiscence, localized swelling, and time to SSI (cut-off: 10 days). Multivariate analysis revealed that infection occurring 10 days after primary surgery and wound dehiscence were independent risk factors for antibiotic treatment failure. CONCLUSION: Appropriate antibiotic treatment is an alternative strategy for suspected early-onset deep SSI after lumbar instrumented surgery. Antibiotic treatment for suspected SSI occurring within 10 days after primary surgery may improve the success rate of antibiotic intervention. Patients with wound dehiscence have a significantly higher likelihood of requiring surgical intervention.

Gene Profiling of Circular RNAs in Keloid-prone Individuals and ceRNA Network Construction During Wound Healing.

Epigenetic alterations of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) are pivotal in the continuous activation and differentiation of fibroblasts in keloid. However, the epigenetic mechanism of circRNA in keloid is still not clear yet. In this study, we aimed to investigate the interplay among differentially expressed circRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs during wound healing in keloid-prone individuals, construct a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network, and gain an in-depth insight into the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying keloid development. Utilizing bioinformatic methods, we analyzed the expression profiles from the GSE113621 database. We identified 29 differentially expressed circRNAs (DEcircRNAs) in keloid-prone individuals during wound healing, from which we constructed 14 ceRNA networks. Subsequently, we validated the expression of predicted DEcircRNAs in keloid tissues and elucidated the ceRNA network involving circ_064002 and fibronectin-1 (FN1) through competing miR-30a/b-5p. Knocking down circ_064002 led to down-regulation of FN1 expression and various cellular functions in keloid-derived fibroblasts (KFs), including cell viability, migration, invasion, and repair capacity. Our study introduces a novel approach to explore the presence of DEcircRNAs and the ceRNA regulatory network during wound healing in keloid-prone individuals through in-depth mining of GEO data and also proves the epigenetic regulatory mechanism of circ_064002 in KFs. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO)-induced upregulation of flotillin-2 (FLOT2) contributes to cancer aggressiveness in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) via activating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signal pathway.

The role of fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO)-mediated N6-methyladenosine (m6A)-demethylation has been investigated in various types of cancers, but it is still unclear whether FTO participates in the progression of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Here, by conducting Real-Time qPCR and Western Blot analysis, we verified that FTO was especially enriched in the DLBCL cells (RCK-8, LY-3, DHL-6 and U2932) compared to normal WIL2S cells. Then, the overexpression and silencing vectors for FTO were delivered into the LY-3 and U2932 cells, and our functional experiments confirmed that silencing of FTO suppressed cell viability and division, and induced apoptotic cell death in the DLBCL cells, whereas FTO-overexpression exerted opposite effects. Further mechanical experiments showed that FTO demethylated m6A modifications in flotillin-2 (FLOT2) mRNA to sustain its stability for FLOT2 upregulation, and elevated FLOT2 subsequently increased the expression levels of phosphorylated PI3K (p-PI3K), p-Akt and p-mTOR to activate the tumor-initiating PI3K/Akt/mTOR signal pathway. Of note, FLOT2 also serve as an oncogene to enhance cancer malignancy in DLBCL, and the rescuing experiments showed that FTO-ablation induced suppressing effects on the malignant phenotypes in DLBCL were all abrogated by overexpressing FLOT2. Taken together, those data hinted that FTO-mediated m6A-demethylation upregulated FLOT2 to activate the downstream PI3K/Akt/mTOR signal pathway, leading to the aggressiveness of DLBCL, which potentially provided diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic biomarkers for DLBCL.

Intestinal microecological transplantation for a patient with chronic radiation enteritis: A case report.

BACKGROUND: The gut microbiota is strongly associated with radiation-induced gut damage. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of intestinal microecological transplantation for treating patients with chronic radiation enteritis. CASE SUMMARY: A 64-year-old female with cervical cancer developed abdominal pain, diarrhea, and blood in the stool 1 year after radiotherapy. An electronic colonoscopy was performed to diagnose chronic radiation enteritis. Two courses of intestinal microecological transplantation and full-length 16S rRNA microbiological analysis were performed. The patient experienced short- and long-term relief from symptoms without adverse effects. Whole 16S rRNA sequencing revealed significant differences in the intestinal flora's composition between patient and healthy donors. Pathogenic bacteria, such as Escherichia fergusonii and Romboutsia timonensis, were more in the patient. Beneficial bacteria such as Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Fusicatenibacter saccharivorans, Ruminococcus bromii, and Bifidobacterium longum were more in the healthy donors. Intestinal microbiota transplantation resulted in a significant change in the patient's intestinal flora composition. The composition converged with the donor's flora, with an increase in core beneficial intestinal bacteria, such as Eubacterium rectale, and a decrease in pathogenic bacteria. Changes in the intestinal flora corresponded with the patients' alleviating clinical symptoms. CONCLUSION: Intestinal microecological transplantation is an effective treatment for relieving the clinical symptoms of chronic radiation enteritis by altering the composition of the intestinal flora. This study provides a new approach for treating patients with chronic radiation enteritis.

Unveiling the Structure of Oxygen Vacancies in Bulk Ceria and the Physical Mechanisms behind Their Formation.

Understanding the structures of oxygen vacancies in bulk ceria is crucial as they significantly impact the material's catalytic and electronic properties. The complex interaction between oxygen vacancies and Ce3+ ions presents challenges in characterizing ceria's defect chemistry. We introduced a machine learning-assisted cluster-expansion model to predict the energetics of defective configurations accurately within bulk ceria. This model effectively samples configurational spaces, detailing oxygen vacancy structures across different temperatures and concentrations. At lower temperatures, vacancies tend to cluster, mediated by Ce3+ ions and electrostatic repulsion, while at higher temperatures, they distribute uniformly due to configurational entropy. Our analysis also reveals a correlation between thermodynamic stability and the band gap between occupied O 2p and unoccupied Ce 4f orbitals, with wider band gaps indicating higher stability. This work enhances our understanding of defect chemistry in oxide materials and lays the groundwork for further research into how these structural properties affect ceria's performance.

Therapeutic effect of Wendan Decoction combined with mosapride on gastroesophageal reflux disease after esophageal cancer surgery.

BACKGROUND: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common complication of esophageal cancer surgery that can affect quality of life and increase the risk of esophageal stricture and anastomotic leakage. Wendan Decoction (WDD) is a traditional Chinese herbal formula used to treat various gastrointestinal disorders, such as gastritis, functional dyspepsia, and irritable bowel syndrome. Mosapride, a prokinetic agent, functions as a selective 5-hydroxytryptamine 4 agonist, enhancing gastrointestinal motility. AIM: To evaluate the therapeutic effects of WDD combined with mosapride on GERD after esophageal cancer surgery. METHODS: Eighty patients with GERD were randomly divided into treatment (receiving WDD combined with mosapride) and control (receiving mosapride alone) groups. The treatment was conducted from January 2021 to January 2023. The primary outcome was improved GERD symptoms as measured using the reflux disease questionnaire (RDQ). The secondary outcomes were improved esophageal motility (measured using esophageal manometry), gastric emptying (measured using gastric scintigraphy), and quality of life [measured via the Short Form-36 (SF-36) Health Survey]. RESULTS: The treatment group showed a notably reduced RDQ score and improved esophageal motility parameters, such as lower esophageal sphincter pressure, peristaltic amplitude, and peristaltic velocity compared to the control group. The treatment group showed significantly higher gastric emptying rates and SF-36 scores (in both physical and mental domains) compared to the control group. No serious adverse effects were observed in either group. CONCLUSION: WDD combined with mosapride is an effective and safe therapy for GERD after esophageal cancer surgery. It can improve GERD symptoms, esophageal motility, gastric emptying, and the quality of life of patients. Further studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods are required to confirm these findings.

New-generation advanced PROTACs as potential therapeutic agents in cancer therapy.

Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) technology has garnered significant attention over the last 10 years, representing a burgeoning therapeutic approach with the potential to address pathogenic proteins that have historically posed challenges for traditional small-molecule inhibitors. PROTACs exploit the endogenous E3 ubiquitin ligases to facilitate degradation of the proteins of interest (POIs) through the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) in a cyclic catalytic manner. Despite recent endeavors to advance the utilization of PROTACs in clinical settings, the majority of PROTACs fail to progress beyond the preclinical phase of drug development. There are multiple factors impeding the market entry of PROTACs, with the insufficiently precise degradation of favorable POIs standing out as one of the most formidable obstacles. Recently, there has been exploration of new-generation advanced PROTACs, including small-molecule PROTAC prodrugs, biomacromolecule-PROTAC conjugates, and nano-PROTACs, to improve the in vivo efficacy of PROTACs. These improved PROTACs possess the capability to mitigate undesirable physicochemical characteristics inherent in traditional PROTACs, thereby enhancing their targetability and reducing off-target side effects. The new-generation of advanced PROTACs will mark a pivotal turning point in the realm of targeted protein degradation. In this comprehensive review, we have meticulously summarized the state-of-the-art advancements achieved by these cutting-edge PROTACs, elucidated their underlying design principles, deliberated upon the prevailing challenges encountered, and provided an insightful outlook on future prospects within this burgeoning field.

Vitamin D inhibits ferroptosis and mitigates the kidney injury of prediabetic mice by activating the Klotho/p53 signaling pathway.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a serious public health problem worldwide, and ferroptosis is deeply involved in the pathogenesis of DN. Prediabetes is a critical period in the prevention and control of diabetes and its complications, in which kidney injury occurs. This study aimed to explore whether ferroptosis would induce kidney injury in prediabetic mice, and whether vitamin D (VD) supplementation is capable of preventing kidney injury by inhibiting ferroptosis, while discussing the potential mechanisms. High-fat diet (HFD) fed KKAy mice and high glucose (HG) treated HK-2 cells were used as experimental subjects in the current study. Our results revealed that serious injury and ferroptosis take place in the kidney tissue of prediabetic mice; furthermore, VD intervention significantly improved the kidney structure and function in prediabetic mice and inhibited ferroptosis, showing ameliorated iron deposition, enhanced antioxidant capability, reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation accumulation. Meanwhile, VD up-regulated Klotho, solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) expression, and down-regulated p53, transferrin receptor 1 (TFR1) and Acyl-Coenzyme A synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4) expression. Moreover, we demonstrated that HG-induced ferroptosis is antagonized by treatment of VD and knockdown of Klotho attenuates the protective effect of VD on ferroptosis in vitro. In conclusion, ferroptosis occurs in the kidney of prediabetic mice and VD owns a protective effect on prediabetic kidney injury, possibly by via the Klotho/p53 pathway, thus inhibiting hyperglycemia-induced ferroptosis.

Small but powerful: RALF peptides in plant adaptive and developmental responses.

Plants live in a highly dynamic environment and require to rapidly respond to a plethora of environmental stimuli, so that to maintain their optimal growth and development. A small plant peptide, rapid alkalization factor (RALF), can rapidly increase the pH value of the extracellular matrix in plant cells. RALFs always function with its corresponding receptors. Mechanistically, effective amount of RALF is induced and released at the critical period of plant growth and development or under different external environmental factors. Recent studies also highlighted the role of RALF peptides as important regulators in plant intercellular communications, as well as their operation in signal perception and as ligands for different receptor kinases on the surface of the plasma membrane, to integrate various environmental cues. In this context, understanding the fine-print of above processes may be essential to solve the problems of crop adaptation to various harsh environments under current climate trends scenarios, by genetic means. This paper summarizes the current knowledge about the structure and diversity of RALF peptides and their roles in plant development and response to stresses, highlighting unanswered questions and problems to be solved.

The association between plasma IgG N-glycosylation and neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy: a case-control study.

Introduction: Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is one of severe neonatal brain injuries, resulting from inflammation and the immune response after perinatal hypoxia and ischemia. IgG N-glycosylation plays a crucial role in various inflammatory diseases through mediating the balance between anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory responses. This study aimed to explore the effect of IgG N-glycosylation on the development of HIE. Methods: This case-control study included 53 HIE patients and 57 control neonates. An ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) method was used to determine the features of the plasma IgG N-glycans, by which 24 initial glycan peaks (GPs) were quantified. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the association between initial glycans and HIE, by which the significant parameters were used to develop a diagnostic model. Though receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, area under the curve (AUC) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to assess the performance of the diagnostic model. Results: There were significant differences in 11 initial glycans between the patient and control groups. The levels of fucosylated and galactosylated glycans were significantly lower in HIE patients than in control individuals, while sialylated glycans were higher in HIE patients (p < 0.05). A prediction model was developed using three initial IgG N-glycans and fetal distress, low birth weight, and globulin. The ROC analysis showed that this model was able to discriminate between HIE patients and healthy individuals [AUC = 0.798, 95% CI: (0.716-0.880)]. Discussion: IgG N-glycosylation may play a role in the pathogenesis of HIE. Plasma IgG N-glycans are potential noninvasive biomarkers for screening individuals at high risk of HIE.

Vitamin D3 improves glucose metabolism and attenuates inflammation in prediabetic human and mice.

Prediabetes is a crucial stage for prevention and treatment of diabetes, and vitamin D (VD) has been found to be linked to the development of prediabetes and diabetes. Thus, we aimed to identify the effect of VD supplementation on glucose metabolism in prediabetic participants and mice. A 1:1 paired design of randomized, placebo-controlled trial with 1600 IU/day VD3 or placebo was administered to individuals with prediabetes, two-way repeated-measures ANCOVA was used to analyze glycolipid and inflammatory factors. A high-fat diet induced prediabetic KKay mice were utilized to evaluate the effects of VD3 with 16 weeks supplementation. Generalized estimation equation, one way ANOVA were used to analyze continuous monitoring indexes and terminal indexes, respectively. Exercise capacity, skeletal muscle pathological features and relevant proteins were examined. The clinical results showed that VD3 could improve insulin secretion and decrease inflammation. Results of KKay mice exhibited that VD3 not only ameliorate glycolipid metabolism and inflammatory indicators, but also regulated pathological changes of skeletal muscle and exercise capacity. Mechanistically, our results demonstrated that VD3 could inhibit the TLR4/NFκB and activate PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Collectively, the study indicated that VD3 exerts its beneficial effects by inhibiting TLR4/NFκB to decrease inflammatory response, and activating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to regulate glucose homeostasis.

Selective Adsorbent Design with Multifunctional Surfaces: Innovating Solutions for Heterogeneous Catalysis in Water.

Heterogeneous catalytic systems with water as the solvent often have the disadvantage of cross-contamination, while concerns about the purification and workup of the aqueous phase after reactions are rare in the lab or industry. In this context, designing and developing the functional selective solid adsorbent and revealing the adsorption mechanism can provide a new strategy and guidelines for constructing supported heterogeneous catalysts to address these issues. Herein, we report the stable composite adsorbent (Fe/ATP@PPy: magnetic Fe3O4/attapulgite with the polypyrrole shell) that features an integrated multifunctional surface, which can effectively tune the selective adsorption processes for Cu2+, Co2+, and Ni2+ ions and nitrobenzene via the cooperative chemisorption/physisorption in an aqueous system. The adsorption experiments showed that Fe/ATP@PPy displayed significantly higher adsorption selectivity for Ni2+ than Cu2+ and Co2+ ions, especially which exhibited an approximate 100.00% removal for both Ni2+ ions and nitrobenzene in the mixture system with a low concentration. Furthermore, combined tracking adsorption of Ni2+ ions and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterization confirmed that the effective adsorption occurs via ion transfer coordination; the pathway was further validated at the molecular level through theoretical modeling. In addition, the selective adsorption mechanism was proposed based on the adsorption experiment, characterization, and the corresponding density functional theory calculation.

Burdock miR8175 in diet improves insulin resistance induced by obesity in mice through food absorption.

The incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) induced by obesity is rapidly increasing. Although there are many synthetic drugs for treating T2DM, they have various side effects. Here, we report that miR8175, a plant miRNA from burdock root, has effective antidiabetic activity. After administration of burdock decoction or synthetic miR8175 by gavage, both burdock decoction and miR8175 can significantly improve the impaired glucose metabolism of diabetic mice induced by a high-fat diet (HFD). Our results demonstrate that burdock decoction and miR8175 enhance the insulin sensitivity of the hepatic insulin signaling pathway by targeting Ptprf and Ptp1b, which may be the reason for the improvement in metabolism. This study provides a theoretical basis for the main active component and molecular mechanism of burdock to improve insulin resistance. And the study also suggests that plant miRNA may be an indispensable nutrient for maintaining human health.

Endovascular Repair and Prognosis of Patients with Brucella abortus Infection-Induced Aorto-Iliac Aneurysm.

Objective: To establish the endovascular repair and prognosis of patients with aorto-iliac aneurysm and Brucella abortus infection. Methods: From September 2018 to September 2021, seven cases of Brucella abortus infection with aorto-iliac aneurysm were treated by the endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) procedure. Clinical and imaging data were collected to evaluate the therapeutic results, including body temperature, blood culture, imaging manifestations, stent patency and endoleak during the postoperative and follow-up periods. Results: Except for one patient who died of acute hematemesis and hematochezia just after the admission, seven patients were treated successfully. The aneurysms were completely excluded, and all stent grafts were patent. Patients were followed up for 12-32 months, with an average follow-up of 18.5 ± 9.1 months. There were no cases of endoleak, infection recurrence, gluteal muscle ischemia or spinal cord ischemia during the follow-up period. Conclusion: It is feasible to treat Brucella abortus-infected aneurysms with the EVAR procedure. The results were optimistic in the short and medium-term. The application of sensitive antibiotics before and after the operation is the cornerstone of endovascular therapy. However, the long-term results require further follow-up.