Integrated single-cell and bulk RNA-Seq analysis enhances prognostic accuracy of PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy response in lung adenocarcinoma through necroptotic anoikis gene signatures.

In addition to presenting significant diagnostic and treatment challenges, lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common form of lung cancer. Using scRNA-Seq and bulk RNA-Seq data, we identify three genes referred to as HMR, FAM83A, and KRT6A these genes are related to necroptotic anoikis-related gene expression. Initial validation, conducted on the GSE50081 dataset, demonstrated the model's ability to categorize LUAD patients into high-risk and low-risk groups with significant survival differences. This model was further applied to predict responses to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapies, utilizing the IMvigor210 and GSE78220 cohorts, and showed strong correlation with patient outcomes, highlighting its potential in personalized immunotherapy. Further, LUAD cell lines were analyzed using quantitative PCR (qPCR) and Western blot analysis to confirm their expression levels, further corroborating the model's relevance in LUAD pathophysiology. The mutation landscape of these genes was also explored, revealing their broad implication in various cancer types through a pan-cancer analysis. The study also delved into molecular subclustering, revealing distinct expression profiles and associations with different survival outcomes, emphasizing the model's utility in precision oncology. Moreover, the diversity of immune cell infiltration, analyzed in relation to the necroptotic anoikis signature, suggested significant implications for immune evasion mechanisms in LUAD. While the findings present a promising stride towards personalized LUAD treatment, especially in immunotherapy, limitations such as the retrospective nature of the datasets and the need for larger sample sizes are acknowledged. Prospective clinical trials and further experimental research are essential to validate these findings and enhance the clinical applicability of our prognostic model.

Development and Validation of the novel Cuproptosis- and Immune-related Signature for Predicting Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma often results in late-stage diagnosis, leading to decreased treatment success. To improve prognosis, this study integrates cuproptosis with immune risk scoring models for HCC patients. Method: We identified differentially expressed genes connected to cuproptosis and immune responses using Pearson correlation. A risk signature was then constructed via LASSO regression, and its robustness was validated in the International Cancer Genome Consortium dataset. Additionally, qPCR confirmed findings in tumor and normal tissues. Results: Eight genes emerged as key prognostic markers from the 110 differentially expressed genes linked to cuproptosis and immunity. A risk-scoring model was developed using gene expression, effectively categorizing patients into low- or high-risk groups. Validated in the ICGC dataset, high-risk patients had significantly reduced survival times. Multivariate Cox regression affirmed the risk signature's independent predictive capability. A clinical nomogram based on the risk signature was generated. Notably, low-risk patients might benefit more from immune checkpoint inhibitors. qPCR and western blotting results substantiated our bioinformatics findings. Conclusions: The genetic risk signature linked to cuproptosis and immunity holds potential as a vital prognostic biomarker for Hepatocellular carcinoma, providing avenues for tailored therapeutic strategies.

Combined SET7/9 and CDK4 inhibition act synergistically against osteosarcoma.

Osteosarcoma is the most common malignant bone tumor. It has a poor prognosis because of a lack of therapeutic targets and strategies. The SET domain-containing lysine-specific methyltransferase, SET7/9, has various functions in different cancer types in tissue-type and signaling context-dependent manners. The role of SET7/9 in osteosarcoma cells is currently controversial and its potential as a therapeutic candidate in osteosarcoma is unknown. In the present study, SET7/9 inhibition or ablation suppressed osteosarcoma cell proliferation by causing G1 arrest. Mechanistically, SET7/9 inhibition disrupted the interaction between cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) and cyclin D1, which affected CDK4-cyclin D1 complex function, leading to decreased phosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein. CDK4 was overexpressed in osteosarcoma tissues and was closely related to a poor prognosis in patients with osteosarcoma. We therefore hypothesized that SET7/9 inhibition might increase the sensitivity of osteosarcoma cells to CDK4 inhibitors, potentially decreasing the risk of adverse effects of CDK4 inhibitors. The combination of SET7/9 and CDK4 inhibition enabled dose reductions of both inhibitors and had a synergistic effect against osteosarcoma growth in vivo. Collectively, these findings indicate that SET7/9 plays an oncogenic role in osteosarcoma by regulating CDK4-cyclin D1 complex interaction and function. The combination of SET7/9 and CDK4 inhibition may thus provide a novel effective therapeutic strategy for osteosarcoma with no significant toxicity.

What affects how Chinese patients wish to be involved in health care delivery? Perspectives of the Chinese policy and institutional contexts.

INTRODUCTION: The benefits of involving patients and carers include improving health outcomes and safety, reducing costs and enhancing an open, accountable and equitable relationship between service providers and users. However, the willingness for involvement and participation is largely affected by a range of factors, including those at the micro, meso and macro levels. As the previous studies have given much attention to the factors at the individual level, it is worthwhile to explore the factors at the broader levels of the policy and institutional contexts. The objective of the research is to understand how the policy and institutional contexts in China affect how patients wish to be involved in their health care delivery. METHODS: An abductive research strategy was used to generate emergent hypotheses in the first stage of data construction. In the second stage of fieldwork, hypotheses were tested using the deductive approach. Three local hospitals in Shandong Province, China, were selected. The case study method was designed with qualitative methods of policy documents and interviews. Interviews included health professionals, health board managers, local administrators and service users. Thematic analysis and framework analysis were conducted. RESULTS: Four policy and institutional contexts were identified: insufficient policy support, the current institutional design of involving users, the heterogeneity of organisational autonomy and resources, as well as the demography of the population of service users. CONCLUSIONS: As a policy strategy at the state level, there is a lack of policy support for patient involvement and participation in the Chinese health system. The heterogeneity of the institutional context of health facilities plays a key role in affecting how patients wish to be involved in health care delivery.

Ligustilide-loaded liposome ameliorates mitochondrial impairments and improves cognitive function via the PKA/AKAP1 signaling pathway in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress is an early event in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and maybe a pivotal point of interaction governing AD pathogenesis; oxidative stress contributes to metabolism imbalance, protein misfolding, neuroinflammation and apoptosis. Excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) are a major contributor to oxidative stress. As vital sources of ROS, mitochondria are also the primary targets of ROS attack. Seeking effective avenues to reduce oxidative stress has attracted increasing attention for AD intervention. METHODS: We developed liposome-packaged Ligustilide (LIG) and investigated its effects on mitochondrial function and AD-like pathology in the APPswe/PS1dE9 (APP/PS1) mouse model of AD, and analyzed possible mechanisms. RESULTS: We observed that LIG-loaded liposome (LIG-LPs) treatment reduced oxidative stress and ß-amyloid (Aß) deposition and mitigated cognitive impairment in APP/PS1 mice. LIG management alleviated the destruction of the inner structure in the hippocampal mitochondria and ameliorated the imbalance between mitochondrial fission and fusion in the APP/PS1 mouse brain. We showed that the decline in cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) and A-kinase anchor protein 1 for PKA (AKAP1) was associated with oxidative stress and AD-like pathology. We confirmed that LIG-mediated antioxidant properties and neuroprotection were involved in upregulating the PKA/AKAP1 signaling in APPswe cells in vitro. CONCLUSION: Liposome packaging for LIG is relatively biosafe and can overcome the instability of LIG. LIG alleviates mitochondrial dysfunctions and cognitive impairment via the PKA/AKAP1 signaling pathway. Our results provide experimental evidence that LIG-LPs may be a promising agent for AD therapy.

Establishment and evaluation of a multiplex real-time RT-PCR for quantitative and differential detection of wild-type canine distemper virus from vaccine strains.

This study sought to establish a real-time reverse transcription (RT)-PCR method to differentially detect canine distemper virus (CDV) wild-type and vaccine strains. To this end, a pair of CDV universal primers and two specific minor groove binder (MGB) probes, harboring a T/C substitution in the hemagglutinin (H) gene, were designed. Using a recombinant plasmid expressing the H gene of the CDV wild-type or vaccine strain as standards, a sensitive and specific multiplex real-time RT-PCR was established for quantitative and differential detection of CDV wild-type and vaccine strains. The limit of detection for this multiplex assay was 22.5 copies/µL and 2.98 copies/µL of viral RNA for wild-type and vaccine strains, respectively. Importantly, the wild-type and vaccine MGB probes specifically hybridized different genotypes of wild-type CDV circulating in China as well as globally administered vaccine viruses, respectively, with no cross-reactivity observed with non-CDV viruses. Moreover, this method was successfully applied for the quantitative detection of CDV RNA in tissue samples of experimentally infected breeding foxes, raccoon dogs, and minks. Additionally, the multiplex real-time RT-PCR was able to detect the viral RNA in the whole blood samples as early as 3 days post-infection, 3 to 4 days prior to the onset of clinical signs in these CDV infection animals. Hence, the established multiplex real-time RT-PCR method is useful for differentiating wild-type CDV and vaccine strains in China, and for conducting canine distemper early diagnosis as well as dynamic mechanism of CDV replication studies in vivo.

Pseudo-2D Layered Organic-Inorganic Manganese Bromide with a Near-Unity Photoluminescence Quantum Yield for White Light-Emitting Diode and X-Ray Scintillator.

Eco-friendly lead-free organic-inorganic manganese halides (OIMHs) have attracted considerable attention in various optoelectronic applications because of their superior optical properties and flexible solution processibility. Herein, we report a novel pseudo-2D layered OIMH (MTP)2 MnBr4 (MTP: methyltriphenylphosphonium), which exhibits intense green emission under UV/blue or X-ray excitation, with a near-unity photoluminescence quantum yield, high resistance to thermal quenching (I150 °C =84.1 %) and good photochemical stability. These features enable (MTP)2 MnBr4 as an efficient green phosphor for blue-converted white light-emitting diodes, demonstrating a commercial-level luminous efficiency of 101 lm W-1 and a wide color gamut of 116 % NTSC. Moreover, these (MTP)2 MnBr4 crystals showcase outstanding X-ray scintillation properties, delivering a light yield of 67000 photon MeV-1 , a detection limit of 82.4 nGy s-1 , and a competitive spatial resolution of 6.2 lp mm-1 for X-ray imaging. This work presents a new avenue for the exploration of eco-friendly luminescent OIMHs towards multifunctional light-emitting applications.

DNA Vaccine Co-Expressing Hemagglutinin and IFN-γ Provides Partial Protection to Ferrets against Lethal Challenge with Canine Distemper Virus.

Canine distemper (CD), caused by canine distemper virus (CDV), is a highly contagious and lethal disease in domestic and wild carnivores. Although CDV live-attenuated vaccines have reduced the incidence of CD worldwide, low levels of protection are achieved in the presence of maternal antibodies in juvenile animals. Moreover, live-attenuated CDV vaccines may retain residual virulence in highly susceptible species and cause disease. Here, we generated several CDV DNA vaccine candidates based on the biscistronic vector (pIRES) co-expressing virus wild-type or codon-optimized hemagglutinin (H) and nucleocapsid (N) or ferret interferon (IFN)-γ, as a molecular adjuvant, respectively. Apparently, ferret (Mustela putorius furo)-specific codon optimization increased the expression of CDV H and N proteins. A ferret model of CDV was used to evaluate the protective immune response of the DNA vaccines. The results of the vaccinated ferrets showed that the DNA vaccine co-expressing the genes of codon-optimized H and ferret IFN-γ (poptiH-IRES-IFN) elicited the highest anti-CDV serum-neutralizing antibodies titer (1:14) and cytokine responses (upregulated TNF-α, IL-4, IL-2, and IFN-γ expression) after the third immunization. Following vaccination, the animals were challenged with a lethal CDV 5804Pe/H strain with a dose of 105.0 TCID50. Protective immune responses induced by the DNA vaccine alleviated clinical symptoms and pathological changes in CDV-infected ferrets. However, it cannot completely prevent virus replication and viremia in vivo as well as virus shedding due to the limited neutralizing antibody level, which eventually contributed to a survival rate of 75% (3/4) against CDV infection. Therefore, the improved strategies for the present DNA vaccines should be taken into consideration to develop more protective immunity, which includes increasing antigen expression or alternative delivery routes, such as gene gun injection.

Silk fibroin-based coating with pH-dependent controlled release of Cu2+ for removal of implant bacterial infections.

The implantation of medical devices is frequently accompanied by the invasion of bacteria, which may lead to implant failure. Therefore, an intelligent and responsive coating seems particularly essential in hindering implant-associated infections. Herein, a self-defensive antimicrobial coating, accompanied by silk fibroin as a valve, was successfully prepared on the titanium (Ti-Cu@SF) for pH-controlled release of Cu2+. The results showed that the layer could set free massive Cu2+ to strive against E. coli and S. aureus for self-defense when exposed to a slightly acidic condition. By contrary, a little Cu2+ was released in the physiological situation, which could avoid damage to the normal cells and showed excellent in vitro pH-dependent antibiosis. Besides, in vivo experiment confirmed that Ti-Cu@SF could work as an antibacterial material to kill S. aureus keenly and display negligible toxicity in vivo. Consequently, the design provided support for endowing the layer with outstanding biocompatibility and addressing the issue of bacterial infection during the implantation of Ti substrates.

A nitric oxide responsive AIE probe for detecting the progression of osteoarthritis.

Nitric oxide (NO) is reported to be elevated in osteoarthritis (OA) both in vitro and in vivo and may be adopted to develop fluorescent probes for detecting the progression of OA. Here we report a nitric oxide responsive aggregation induced emission (AIE) probe TPE-2NHCOCH2CH2-(PEG)24-NH-Diacerein, which is derived from tetraphenylethene (TPE) modified with the hydrophilic group long poly(ethylene glycol) chain and an anti-inflammatory drug diacerein. o-Phenylenediamine within its structure can react with NO to form benzotriazole and emit fluorescence. The results show that the NO-responsive AIE probe can smartly monitor the progression of OA with the change of fluorescence intensity in vitro and in vivo. This study may provide a new development direction for early OA monitoring in clinics.

Girls Are Better Students but Boys Will Be More Successful at Work: Discordance Between Academic and Career Gender Stereotypes in Middle Childhood.

Despite findings of female advantages at school, men still are higher achieving in the workplace. Only a small amount of research has simultaneously investigated stereotypes of these different domains. We investigated whether stereotypes about academic female superiority and paradoxical stereotypes about workplace male superiority coexist. Participants were 1144 Grades 1-6 students (Mage = 9.66) from Hong Kong. They completed measures of academic gender stereotypes and meta-stereotypes, career gender stereotypes, career-related motivation for school excellence, and school engagement. Teachers provided school exam scores. We examined (1) gender and age differences, (2) the relationship between the stereotypes, and (3) the moderating role of these stereotypes in gender differences in school engagement, exam scores, and career-related motivation. Both boys and girls perceived girls as better students but a belief in female superiority did not translate to the career domain. Although both boys and girls beginning primary school believed their gender was superior in both domains, those at the end of primary school believed that girls do better at school while men are more successful at work. Also, at the end of primary school, these two stereotypes were more discordant on the individual level, i.e., the tendency for children who believed that girls perform better at school to also believe that women perform better at work was weaker in older children. Academic gender stereotypes moderated gender differences in school engagement and exam scores. Understanding why children hold discordant beliefs about success in different arenas and combating both academic and career stereotypes early may help improve gender equality for both genders.

Development and validation of a risk prediction model for post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in patients with acute myocardial infarction in China.

BACKGROUND: At present, there are many influencing factors of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), but based on this, there are few studies on the risk prediction model of PTSD symptoms. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors of PTSD symptoms in patients with AMI and to construct a risk prediction model. METHODS: From April 2021 to March 2022, 287 patients were enrolled from a hospital in Shandong Province, China. According to the PTSD Checklist (PCL-C) scores 30 days after discharge, the participants were divided into a PTSD symptoms group (92 cases) and a non-PTSD symptoms group (195 cases). The demographic data, disease factors, treatment factors, and laboratory examination indicators were compared between the 2 groups; independent risk factors were screened out, and a risk prediction model was constructed by logistic regression. Area under the curve (AUC) was used as the internal verification of the model prediction. From April 2022 to June 2022, 72 patients with AMI in a hospital in Shandong Province were selected. PCL-C data were collected 30 days after discharge, and finally external validation of the model was performed. RESULTS: Five factors, including gender [odds ratio (OR) =3.325], diabetes history (OR =2.292), creatine kinase isozyme (OR =1.046), insomnia score (OR =2.045), and fear of disease progression score (OR =1.126) were included to construct the risk prediction model. According to the Hosmer-Lemeshow test, P=0.785. The AUC was 0.910, the maximum value of Youden index was 0.751, the sensitivity was 0.870, the specificity was 0.881, and the accuracy rate of practical application was 67.64%. CONCLUSIONS: The risk prediction model of PTSD symptoms in patients with AMI established in this study is consistent and effective. It can provide a reference for clinical assessment of PTSD symptoms risk in patients with AMI.

Toward high-power-density laser-driven lighting: enhancing heat dissipation in phosphor-in-glass film by introducing h-BN.

In this work,  hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanocrystals as functional additives in a phosphor-in-glass film are shown to substantially increase the luminous performance driven by a blue laser. Microstructural and spectroscopic studies reveal that h-BN particles distributed over the whole glass matrix build in situ a local heat conductive path which effectively accelerates heat dissipation and so greatly relieves the "thermal run-away effect". The developed composite material with fine thermal manipulation may be a promising phosphor color converter for high-power-density laser-driven lighting.

Duodenal microbiota makes an important impact in functional dyspepsia.

Duodenal microbiota may have impact in Functional Dyspepsia. The aim of this study was to explore the difference of microbiota on duodenal mucosa between patients with Functional Dyspepsia and normal subjects. The duodenal mucosa of the subjects were collected under upper gastrointestinal endoscope and the contents of the descending duodenal intestine were extracted with cell brushes in 20 patients with Functional Dyspepsia and 5 healthy subjects. The microbiome on duodenal was studied by 16SrDNA gene sequencing. The differences of duodenal flora were analyzed and compared by LEfSe, FAPROTAX, SPSS and other software. There were significant differences in ACE index, shannon index and observedspecies index between patients with functional dyspepsia and healthy people (P < 0.05). PCoA analysis of the structure of bacteria between two groups found that the duodenal microbiome showed a separate trend. In further study, Amova analysis showed a significant difference (P < 0.05). We found that the there are obvious differences in the composition of duodenal microbiome in functional dyspepsia and healthy people. At the genus level, there were significant differences in Alloprevotella, Peptostreptococcus,Sutterella, Corynebacteriurn,Catonella, Faecalibacterium,Staphylococcus,Eubacteriumnodatumgro-up, Lachnoclostridiurn and Lautropia between the two groups (P < 0.05). The prediction results of Microflora function from FAPROTAX showed that the urea decomposing (ureolysis) and fumaric acid respiratory (fumaraterespiration) function of duodenal bacteria in patients with functional dyspepsia were significantly different from those in healthy people (P < 0.05). In conclusion, there is a significant difference in mucosal microflora of duodenum between patients with functional dyspepsia and healthy groups. It includes greater microflora diversity, different microflora structure, different microflora composition, specific taxa and specific microbiome function. The disorder of duodenal microecology may be the formation mechanism of functional dyspepsia.

Microcliamte changes caused by black inter-row mulch decrease flavonoids concentrations in grapes and wines under semi-arid climate.

In this study, black geotextile inter-row mulch, a weed control practice, was applied under a semi-arid climate to attenuate solar reflection in 2015-2017, and it concurrently increased soil temperature and fruit-zone high temperature duration and decreased low temperature duration. Inter-row mulch decreased anthocyanins concentrations in grapes in 2015-2016, and consistently inhibited flavonols accumulation in 2015-2017. Correlation analysis between microclimate parameters and flavonoids concentrations reflected the importance of solar reflection, fruit-zone high and low temperature duration, heat accumulation and soil temperature to flavonoids accumulation. Basal leaf removal, a widely applied practice to increase fruit-zone light exposure, was applied to mulch-treated grapevines to investigate if increasing incident light could mitigate the impact of inter-row mulch on flavonoids, and it had limited influence on anthocyanins whereas compensated the loss of flavonols in grapes caused by inter-row mulch. Notably, inter-row mulch wines showed less red and more yellow color than controls because of lower anthocyanins concentrations.

Diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound superb microvascular imaging for focal liver lesions: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Superb microvascular imaging (SMI) is a new ultrasound vascular imaging technology, which uses a new Doppler algorithm, it has the characteristics of high sensitivity and high resolution to detect low velocity blood flow; it is easier to detect microvessels with low-velocity flow compared with color Doppler flow imaging in theory; and it can image the microvessels of the lesion without angiography.[1] Previous studies showed that SMI can detect tumor neovascularization to differentiate benign from malignant focal liver lessions (FLLs). However, the results of these studies have been contradictory with low sample sizes. This meta-analysis tested the hypothesis that SMI is accurate in distinguishing benign and malignant FLLs. METHODS: We will search PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Chinese biomedical databases from their inceptions to the November 30, 2020, without language restrictions. Two authors will independently carry out searching literature records, scanning titles and abstracts, full texts, collecting data, and assessing risk of bias. Review Manager 5.2 and Stata14.0 software will be used for data analysis. RESULTS: This systematic review will determine the accuracy of SMI in the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant FLLs. CONCLUSION: Its findings will provide helpful evidence for the accuracy of SMI in the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant FLLs. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: INPLASY2020120081.

Evaluation of contrast-enhanced ultrasound for activity of rheumatoid arthritis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) refers to a technique that uses contrast medium to strengthen the echo of backscatter, which can significantly improve the resolution, sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound diagnosis. As a quantitative imaging examination of blood flow signals, CEUS has allowed detection of synovial microvascularization in the joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the results of these studies have been contradictory. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the value of CEUS in the activity of RA disease. METHODS: We will search PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and CNKI from their inception to the December 20, 2020, without restrictions of language and publication status. Two investigators will independently carry out searching literature records, scanning titles and abstracts, full texts, collecting data, and assessing risk of bias. This study will only include high quality clinical cohort or case control studies. Statistical analysis was performed by using the Review Manager version 5.3 and the STATA version 14.0 (Stata Corp, College Station, TX, USA) softwares. RESULTS: This systematic review will determine the value of CEUS in RA activity scores. CONCLUSION: The results of this study will provide a useful basis for high-quality CEUS to evaluate RA activity score. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: INPLASY2020120125.

D-galacturonic acid ameliorates the intestinal mucosal permeability and inflammation of functional dyspepsia in rats.

BACKGROUND: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a gastrointestinal disease caused by imbalanced gastrointestinal function. Traditional treatments are deemed to be limited, and new therapeutic drugs are required. New study suggested that duodenal low-grade inflammation and increased intestinal permeability play an important role in the pathogenesis of FD. Previous studies have shown that polysaccharides containing D-galacturonic acid (GA) could modulate intestinal immune activity in vitro and in animal models. However, the ability of GA monomer to improve intestinal mucosal permeability and inflammation in FD has not been clearly elucidated. METHODS: A FD rat model was established using iodoacetamide (IA). FD Rats were administrated different doses of GA. Subsequently, the body weight and behavioral sensitivity of the rats were measured and evaluated; the permeability of the intestinal barrier was measured by determining D-lactose, lactulose/mannitol ratio (LMR), and permeability-related genes [desmocollin-2 (DSC2), TJP1, and OCLN] in FD rats. Also, inflammatory cells [cluster of differentiation (CD)3+ cells and mast cells] were assessed by immunohistochemistry, and the levels of immune-related factors, such as the Toll-like receptor-nuclear factor kappa B (TLR/NF-κB) pathway, were monitored by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) or western blot assays. RESULTS: Our results suggested that GA could markedly increase the body weight and attenuate the behavioral sensitivity of FD rats. Moreover, GA also has an obvious ameliorating effect on the intestinal mucosal permeability and inflammatory response of FD rats. Furthermore, we found that GA could markedly downregulate TLR2, TLR4, and NF-κB in FD rats. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that GA could significantly attenuate the intestinal mucosal permeability and inflammation FD rats. The effect of GA was partially mediated by the TLR/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Influence of attenuated reflected solar radiation from the vineyard floor on volatile compounds in Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and wines of the north foot of Mt. Tianshan.

In this study, fruit-zone microclimate was modified by three treatments, including inter-row mulch (M), the combination of leaf removal applied at the onset of veraison and inter-row mulch (MLR-BV), and the combination of leaf removal applied at complete veraison and inter-row mulch (MLR-EV), in a semi-arid climate in three consecutive years (2015-2017). M decreased fruit-zone reflected solar radiation from vineyard floor and low temperature (10-20 °C) duration, whereas it increased soil temperature and high temperature (> 30 °C) duration. MLR-BV and MLR-EV increased fruit-zone incident photosynthetically active radiation while decreased the duration of 20-25 °C compared to M. Notably, M significantly decreased grape total norisoprenoid concentrations in 2015-2017, and total terpenoid concentrations in 2015-2016. Applying leaf removal applied at the onset of veraison could compensate the decreases of total norisoprenoids and terpenoids caused by M when two treatments were applied together. Besides, M significantly increased grape total C6/C9 compound concentrations, besides, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol concentrations were significantly higher in grapes of M than those of MLR-BV in 2015-2017. Light exposure and high temperature duration after veraison had strong positive correlations with total norisoprenoids and terpenoids, besides, low temperature duration was positively correlated with total norisoprenoids. In addition, light exposure after veraison had strong negative correlations with total C6/C9 compounds. With respect to the volatile compounds in wines, M significantly decreased the concentrations of isopentanol and ethyl acetate, and the concentrations of ethyl cinnamate, phenylacetaldehyde, phenylethyl alcohol and 3-methylthio-1-propanol were significantly lower in MLR-BV and MLR-EV than in M. The outcome of this study can assist winegrowers to properly adjust vineyard managements to optimize the concentrations of desired volatile compounds in grapes and wines.

Amniotic constriction band syndrome resulting in amputation caused by septate uterus: a case report.

Amniotic band syndrome is an unusual congenital condition characterized by manifestations of disfigurement and disablement. Patients with this condition may experience an array of clinical deformities, including constriction rings, digital defects, and even visceral defects. Although this disease has been identified for centuries, its etiology is still unknown. The present male patient was born by cesarean section at 34 weeks and 4 days of gestation. At birth, an amniotic band that encircled and constricted his right upper limb was observed. Four hours after the amniotic band was cut off, amputation was performed because the right limb remained insensate. The patient suffered from amniotic band syndrome and presented with a gangrenous limb leading to amputation at birth, which is extremely rare. Moreover, the patient's mother suffered from a uterine septum, which has not been previously reported in this situation. Timely surgical treatment avoided further tissue necrosis threating the patient's life. This rare case of amniotic band syndrome provides new clinical evidence for the "extrinsic theory".