Twelfth thoracic vertebra erector spinae plane block for postoperative analgesia and early recovery after lumbar spine surgery in elderly patients: a single-blind randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Severe pain after lumbar spine surgery can delay recovery in elderly patients. We explored the efficacy of T12 erector spinal plane block (ESPB) in elderly patients who underwent lumbar spine surgery. METHODS: A total of 230 patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery were divided and randomly allocated to ultrasound-guided ESPB (n = 115) and control (n = 115) groups. The ESPB group received 20 mL of 0.4% ropivacaine bilaterally at the T12 level after intubation, whereas the control group did not receive a block. The primary outcome was the numeric rating scale (NRS) score at 12 h after surgery. Secondary outcomes included the NRS score and tramadol use within 72 h postoperatively, intraoperative remifentanil use, incidence of postoperative delirium (POD), complications of ESPB, ambulation time, and length of hospitalization after surgery. RESULTS: The12-hour NRS (median (IQR)) score was remarkably lower in the ESPB group than in the control group (2 (1-3) vs. 3 (2-4), p = 0.004), as well as NRS score within 48 h (P < 0.01). The ESPB group had less intraoperative remifentanil use (P < 0.001), and less tramadol use within 72 h postoperatively (P < 0.001). Seven patients (6.7%) developed POD in the ESPB group and ten patients (9.3%) in the control group, without any statistically significant difference (P > 0.05). The ambulation time and length of hospitalization after surgery were shorter in the ESPB group than in the control group (P < 0.05). No ESPB-related complications were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral T12 ESPB lowered the NRS score within 48 h after lumbar spine surgery, decreased perioperative opioid use and resulted in faster recovery in elderly patients but did not significantly reduce the incidence of POD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was retrospectively registered at www.chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR2100042037) on January 12, 2021.

m6A-Mediated PPARA Translational Suppression Contributes to Corticosterone-Induced Visceral Fat Deposition in Chickens.

Excess fat deposition in broilers leads to great economic losses and is harmful to consumers' health. Chronic stress in the life cycle of chickens could be an important trigger. However, the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, 30-day-old chickens were subcutaneously injected with 2 mg/kg corticosterone (CORT) twice a day for 14 days to simulate long-term stress. It was shown that chronic CORT exposure significantly increased plasma triglyceride concentrations and enlarged the adipocyte sizes in chickens. Meanwhile, chronic CORT administration significantly enlarged the adipocyte sizes, increased the protein contents of FASN and decreased HSL, ATGL, Beclin1 and PPARA protein levels. Moreover, global m6A methylations were significantly reduced and accompanied by downregulated METTL3 and YTHDF2 protein expression by CORT treatment. Interestingly, the significant differences of site-specific m6A demethylation were observed in exon7 of PPARA mRNA. Additionally, a mutation of the m6A site in the PPARA gene fused GFP and revealed that demethylated RRACH in PPARA CDS impaired protein translation in vitro. In conclusion, these results indicated that m6A-mediated PPARA translational suppression contributes to CORT-induced visceral fat deposition in chickens, which may provide a new target for the treatment of Cushing's syndrome.

A Novel Image Encryption Algorithm Based on Improved Arnold Transform and Chaotic Pulse-Coupled Neural Network.

Information security has become a focal topic in the information and digital age. How to realize secure transmission and the secure storage of image data is a major research focus of information security. Aiming at this hot topic, in order to improve the security of image data transmission, this paper proposes an image encryption algorithm based on improved Arnold transform and a chaotic pulse-coupled neural network. Firstly, the oscillatory reset voltage is introduced into the uncoupled impulse neural network, which makes the uncoupled impulse neural network exhibit chaotic characteristics. The chaotic sequence is generated by multiple iterations of the chaotic pulse-coupled neural network, and then the image is pre-encrypted by XOR operation with the generated chaotic sequence. Secondly, using the improved Arnold transform, the pre-encrypted image is scrambled to further improve the scrambling degree and encryption effect of the pre-encrypted image so as to obtain the final ciphertext image. Finally, the security analysis and experimental simulation of the encrypted image are carried out. The results of quantitative evaluation show that the proposed algorithm has a better encryption effect than the partial encryption algorithm. The algorithm is highly sensitive to keys and plaintexts, has a large key space, and can effectively resist differential attacks and attacks such as noise and clipping.

A Local TR-MUSIC Algorithm for Damage Imaging of Aircraft Structures.

Lamb wave-based damage imaging is a promising technique for aircraft structural health monitoring, as enhancing the resolution of damage detection is a persistent challenge. In this paper, a damage imaging technique based on the Time Reversal-MUltiple SIgnal Classification (TR-MUSIC) algorithm is developed to detect damage in plate-type structures. In the TR-MUSIC algorithm, a transfer matrix is first established by exciting and sensing signals. A TR operator is constructed for eigenvalue decomposition to divide the data space into signal and noise subspaces. The structural space spectrum of the algorithm is calculated based on the orthogonality of the two subspaces. A local TR-MUSIC algorithm is proposed to enhance the image quality of multiple damages by using a moving time window to establish the local space spectrum at different times or different distances. The multidamage detection capability of the proposed enhanced TR-MUSIC algorithm is verified by simulations and experiments. The results reveal that the local TR-MUSIC algorithm can not only effectively detect multiple damages in plate-type structures with good image quality but also has a superresolution ability for detecting damage with distances smaller than half the wavelength.

RACO-1 modulates Hippo signalling in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Oesophageal cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies worldwide, whereas the 5-year survival is less than 20%. Although the detailed carcinogenic mechanisms are not totally clear, recent genomic sequencing data showed dysregulation of Hippo signalling could be a critical factor for oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) progression. Therefore, understanding of the molecular mechanisms that control Hippo signalling activity is of great importance to improve ESCC diagnostics and therapeutics. Our current study revealed RACO-1 as an inhibitory protein for YAP/TEAD axis. Depletion of RACO-1 increases the protein level of YAP and expression of YAP/TEAD target gene. Besides, RACO-1 silencing could promote ESCC cell invasion and migration, which effect could be rescued by YAP depletion in ESCC cells. Immunoprecipitation showed that RACO-1 associated with YAP and promote ubiquitination and degradation of YAP at k48 poly-ubiquitination site. Our research discovered a new regulator of Hippo signalling via modulating YAP stability. RACO-1 could be a promising factor, which serves cancer diagnostics and therapeutics in ESCC patients.

RNF168 facilitates proliferation and invasion of esophageal carcinoma, possibly via stabilizing STAT1.

Oesophageal cancer ranks as one of the most common malignancy in China and worldwide. Although genome-wide association studies and molecular biology studies aim to elucidate the driver molecules in oesophageal cancer progression, the detailed mechanisms remain to be identified. Interestingly, RNF168 (RING finger protein 168) shows a high frequency of gene amplification in oesophageal cancer from TCGA database. Here, we report an important function for RNF168 protein in supporting oesophageal cancer growth and invasion by stabilizing STAT1 protein. RNF168 gene is amplified in oesophageal cancer samples, which tends to correlate with poor prognosis. Depletion RNF168 causes decreased cell proliferation and invasion in oesophageal cancer cells. Through unbiased RNA sequencing in RNF168 depleted oesophageal cancer cell, we identifies JAK-STAT pathway is dramatically decreased. Depletion RNF168 reduced JAK-STAT target genes, such as IRF1, IRF9 and IFITM1. Immuno-precipitation reveals that RNF168 associates with STAT1 in the nucleus, stabilizing STAT1 protein and inhibiting its poly-ubiquitination and degradation. Our study provides a novel mechanism that RNF168 promoting JAK-STAT signalling in supporting oesophageal cancer progression. It could be a promising strategy to target RNF168 for oesophageal cancer treatment.

Xanthine negatively regulates c-MYC through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and inhibits the proliferation, invasion, and migration of breast cancer cells.

BACKGROUND AIM: Breast cancer is a prevalent and aggressive malignancy associated with elevated mortality rates worldwide. Dysregulation of the c-MYC oncogene and aberrant activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway are common features in breast cancer progression, rendering them attractive therapeutic targets. Here, we assessed the effects of the plant derivative, xanthine, on breast cancer cells and explored the molecular mechanisms underlying its activity. METHODS: Breast cancer cell lines were treated with xanthine, followed by assessment of c-MYC expression levels. Cell proliferation, invasion, and migration were analyzed to assess the effects of xanthine treatment on breast cancer cell behavior. RESULTS: Xanthine treatment induced a decrease in c-MYC expression, resulting in significant inhibition of breast cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Mechanistic investigations revealed that these effects were mediated by suppression of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Xanthine shows great potential for breast cancer treatment by targeting c-MYC via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Our findings indicate that development of xanthine as a novel treatment option for breast cancer, which acts by influencing key oncogenic pathways involved in tumor progression, may be warranted.

Insights into chromium removal mechanism by Ca-based sorbents from flue gas.

Chromium is a typical toxic pollution in sewage sludge incineration flue gas. Cr removal from flue gas is a challenge due to the high toxicity and valence variability of chromium. Ca-based sorbents, including CG-CaO, CA-CaO, and CCi-CaO, were developed for Cr capture by calcining calcium D-gluconate monohydrate, calcium acetate hydrate, and calcium citrate tetrahydrate, respectively. CG-CaO, CA-CaO, and CCi-CaO exhibit better Cr removal performance than traditional CaO. CA-CaO shows superior Cr adsorption ability due to the large BET surface area and pore volume. The Cr adsorption efficiency of CA-CaO is up to 94.79 % at 1000 °C. XRD and XPS results reveal that the adsorbed Cr contains Cr(III) and Cr(VI), and exists in the form of CaCr2O4 and CaCrO4. Cr adsorption on Ca-based sorbents is mainly controlled by adsorption and oxidation mechanism. The adsorption process of Cr on different Ca-based sorbents was described by four typical adsorption kinetic models. For CaO and CG-CaO, pseudo-first order model and Elovich model are suitable for the description of Cr adsorption. For CA-CaO and CCi-CaO, pseudo-second order model, Elovich model and Weber and Morris model fit well with the experimental values of Cr adsorption, suggesting that Cr adsorption on CA-CaO and CCi-CaO is controlled by a combined mechanism of chemisorption and intraparticle diffusion. The saturated adsorption capacity of CaO, CG-CaO, CA-CaO and CCi-CaO are evaluated to be 39.77, 48.98, 102.22 and 104.52 mg/g, respectively. The effects of incineration flue gas components on Cr adsorption were also explored. O2 shows no obvious influence on Cr adsorption over CA-CaO. HCl, SO2, NO and CO2 can inhibit Cr adsorption because of the competitive adsorption, and the inhibitory effect of SO2 is the strongest.

Barnacle inspired strategy combined with solvent exchange for enhancing wet adhesion of hydrogels to promote seawater-immersed wound healing.

Hydrogels are promising materials for wound protection, but in wet, or underwater environments, the hydration layer and swelling of hydrogels can seriously reduce adhesion and limit their application. In this study, inspired by the structural characteristics of strong barnacle wet adhesion and combined with solvent exchange, a robust wet adhesive hydrogel (CP-Gel) based on chitosan and 2-phenoxyethyl acrylate was obtained by breaking the hydration layer and resisting swelling. As a result, CP-Gel exhibited strong wet adhesion to various interfaces even underwater, adapted to joint movement and skin twisting, resisted sustained rushing water, and sealed damaged organs. More importantly, on-demand detachment and controllable adhesion were achieved by promoting swelling. In addition, CP-Gel with good biosafety significantly promotes seawater-immersed wound healing and is promising for use in water-contact wound care, organ sealing, and marine emergency rescue.

Group arts therapies for patients with schizophrenia: a protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Schizophrenia, a chronic mental problem, significantly impacts cognition, emotion and social functioning. Conventional pharmacotherapy faces challenges including numerous side effects, low adherence to medication and substantial costs. In this context, group arts therapies (GATs) emerge as a promising complementary approach for symptom alleviation in schizophrenia patients. Nonetheless, the effectiveness and safety of GATs are yet to be firmly established. This study aims to systematically assess the therapeutic impact of all group-based artistic interventions as complementary treatments for schizophrenia, focusing on their potential benefits. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study will search four English-language databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Embase), two Chinese databases (Wanfang Data and China National Knowledge Infrastructure) and three Korean databases (RISS, Korean Citation Index and DBpia) from their inception until October 2023. It will include all randomised controlled trials that compare GATs for schizophrenia with standard rehabilitation methods. The primary outcome is the improvement in patients' positive and negative symptoms. Methodologies such as bias risk assessment, data synthesis, sensitivity analysis and subgroup analysis will be implemented using Review Manager V.5.4. Study results with high heterogeneity will be merged using a random-effects model (I 2>50% or p<0.1). In cases where meta-analysis is not viable due to significant clinical and methodological heterogeneity, a qualitative summary of the findings will be provided. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The data used in this systematic review are anonymised, devoid of any private information, eliminating the requirement for ethical approval. Dissemination of the research findings will be conducted via peer-reviewed publications. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42023471583.

The potential of arts therapies in Parkinson's disease rehabilitation: A comprehensive review.

Background and purpose: Parkinson's disease (PD) causes a decline in motor function, cognitive decline, and impacts the mental health of patients. Due to the high cost and side effects of conventional treatments, the medical community has begun to explore safer and more cost-effective alternative therapies. In this context, arts therapies have gained increasing attention as innovative treatments. This review plans to explore the role and potential of various arts therapies in the rehabilitation of PD patients by analyzing existing literature and case studies. Methods: This review comprehensively searched the literature in several databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure, to assess the effectiveness of different arts therapies in the rehabilitation of patients with PD. Results: From 3440 articles screened, 16 met the inclusion criteria. These studies included a variety of therapies, including music, meditation, yoga, art, dance, theatre, video games and play therapy. These different types of arts therapies had a positive impact on the motor, psychological and cognitive rehabilitation of PD patients, respectively. Conclusion: The existing literature highlights the great potential of arts therapies in the rehabilitation of people with PD, further confirming the efficacy of arts therapies in enhancing the motor, psychological and cognitive rehabilitation process of people with PD. In addition, this review identifies research gaps in the use of color therapy in PD rehabilitation and highlights the need for further exploration of various arts therapies modalities.

Study on the mechanisms of acupuncture combined with paroxetine in the treatment of mild to moderate depression based on DNA methylation analysis. / 基于DNA甲基化探讨针刺联合帕罗西汀治疗轻中度抑郁症的疗效机制.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the therapeutic effect of acupuncture combined with paroxetine for mild to moderate depression and the regulatory role of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in patients based on DNA methylation. METHODS: A total of 66 patients with mild to moderate depression who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomly divided into an observation (acupuncture+medication) group and a control (medication) group, with 33 patients in each group, and other 25 healthy volunteers were taken as the healthy group. The patients of the control group were treated by oral administration of paroxetine 20 mg/d for 4 weeks. The patients of the observation group were treated by acupuncture stimulation of Zhongwan (CV12), Qihai (CV6), Zusanli (ST36), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Shangxing (GV23), Shuigou (GV26), Shaoshang (LU11), Yinbai (SP1) and Daling (PC7) (for 20 min, 3 times a week for 4 weeks) on the basis of medication treatment (the same as that of the control group). Before treatment, 2 and 4 weeks of treatment, and 2 weeks of follow-up, the therapeutic effect was assessed using Hamilton Depression Scale 17 (HAMD-17). The SPSS25.0 software was used to form a randomized grouping and to randomly select 25 patients from the observation group and 25 patients from the control group for blood collecting and data analysis. The blood samples were taken for assaying serum BDNF content and the methylation degree of BDNF gene promotor I with ELISA and MassARRAY techniques, respectively. RESULTS: 1) In comparison with those before treatment, the total score of HAMD-17, sleep disorder factor score, and anxiety somatization factor score of both the observation and control groups were significantly decreased after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment, and 2 weeks of follow-up (P<0.05), except sleep disorder factor score in the control group after 2 weeks of the treatment. Compared with the same time-points of the control group, the HAMD-17 total score and sleep disorder factor score of the observation group were decreased after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment, and 2 weeks of follow-up (P<0.05), while the anxiety somatization factor score was evidently decreased after 2 weeks of treatment (P<0.05). 2) Following 2 weeks of treatment, the total effective rate and markedly effective rate of the observation group were 80%(24/30)and 36.67% (11/30), respectively, being significantly higher than those ï¼»(26.67% and 0 %)ï¼½ of the control group. After 4 weeks of treatment, the markedly effective rate of the observation group was 70.00% (21/30), being significantly higher than that 40% (12/30) of the control group (P<0.05), while the total effective rates of the observation and control groups were the same (100%). 3) Before the treatment, comparison among the healthy, observation and control groups showed no statistical significance in the methylation degree of each site (CpG1.2, CpG5.6, CpG8.9, CpG26, CpG27, CpG31, and CpG33.34) of BDNF gene promotor I, while after 4 weeks of the treatment, the methylation degree of CpG31 was considerably lower in the observation group than in the control group (P<0.05). 4) Before the treatment, the contents of serum BDNF of both observation and control group had no significant difference, but were evidently lower than that of the healthy group (P<0.05). Compared with that before treatment, the serum BDNF contents in both observation and control groups were significantly increased after the treatment (P<0.05), and was significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group (P<0.05). 5) The correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between the BDNF protein content and HAMD-17 score (correlation coefficient ρ=-0.686, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture may have an antidepressant role by decreasing CpG31 methylation of BDNF and increasing the serum content of BDNF protein in patients with depression. In addition, acupuncture combined with paroxetine has more advantages in treating mild to moderate depression than oral paroxetine alone, and can improve sleep disorders and anxiety somatization symptoms more quickly.

Partitioned Microneedle Patch Based on NO Release and HSP Inhibition for mPTT/GT Combination Treatment of Melanoma.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) shows promise in cancer treatments due to its good spatiotemporal selectivity and minimal invasiveness. However, PTT has some problems such as excessive heat damage to normal tissues, tumor thermo-resistance caused by heat shock proteins (HSPs), and limited efficacy of monotherapy. Here, we construct a patch named "partitioned microneedles" (PMN-SNAP/CuS), which separates the "catalyst" bovine serum albumin-based copper sulfide nanoparticles (CuS@BSA NPs) and the "reactant" S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) into different regions of microneedles, for enhancing mild PTT (mPTT) of melanoma. PMN-SNAP/CuS showed an excellent photothermal effect, Fenton-like catalytic activity, and nitric oxide (NO) generation ability. The combination of NO and reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by PMN-SNAP/CuS effectively blocked the synthesis of HSPs at the source and enhanced the efficacy of mPTT. Both in vitro and in vivo results proved that PMN-SNAP/CuS significantly enhanced the inhibition of melanoma under 808 nm laser irradiation. In conclusion, our partitioned microneedle strategy based on the combination of enhanced mPTT and gas therapy (GT) provides a promising approach to enhance the therapeutic effect on melanoma.

The role of arts therapies in mitigating Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders: a systematic review.

Introduction: Arts therapies offer effective non-pharmacological intervention for Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders (SIMDs), encompassing both passive and active modalities. This review assesses their effectiveness and ethical considerations, focusing on music therapy, meditation, and Tai Chi. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, a detailed search across PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and CNKI identified 17 relevant RCTs. Utilizing the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) quality criteria and the PICO(S) framework for data extraction ensured methodological integrity. Results: Analysis shows arts therapies significantly improve sleep quality. Music therapy and meditation yield immediate benefits, while Tai Chi and Qigong require longer commitment for significant outcomes. Discussion: The link between SIMDs and mental health issues like anxiety, stress, and depression suggests arts therapies not only enhance sleep quality but also address underlying mental health conditions. The evidence supports a wider adoption of arts therapies in treating SIMDs due to their dual benefits. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO, ID: CRD42024506393.

A Zn-MOF-GOx-based cascade nanoreactor promotes diabetic infected wound healing by NO release and microenvironment regulation.

Diabetic wound healing is a great clinical challenge due to the microenvironment of hyperglycemia and high pH value, bacterial infection and persistent inflammation. Here, we develop a cascade nanoreactor hydrogel (Arg@Zn-MOF-GOx Gel, AZG-Gel) with arginine (Arg) loaded Zinc metal organic framework (Zn-MOF) and glucose oxidase (GOx) based on chondroitin sulfate (CS) and Pluronic (F127) to accelerate diabetic infected wound healing. GOx in AZG-Gel was triggered by hyperglycemic environment to reduce local glucose and pH, and simultaneously produced hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to enable Arg-to release nitric oxide (NO) for inflammation regulation, providing a suitable microenvironment for wound healing. Zinc ions (Zn2+) released from acid-responsive Zn-MOF significantly inhibited the proliferation and biofilm formation of S.aureus and E.coli. AZG-Gel significantly accelerated diabetic infected wound healing by down-regulating pro-inflammatory tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6, up-regulating anti-inflammatory factor IL-4, promoting angiogenesis and collagen deposition in vivo. Collectively, our nanoreactor cascade strategy combining "endogenous improvement (reducing glucose and pH)" with "exogenous resistance (anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory)" provides a new idea for promoting diabetic infected wound healing by addressing both symptoms and root causes. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: A cascade nanoreactor (AZG-Gel) is constructed to solve three key problems in diabetic wound healing, namely, hyperglycemia and high pH microenvironment, bacterial infection and persistent inflammation. Local glucose and pH levels are reduced by GOx to provide a suitable microenvironment for wound healing. The release of Zn2+ significantly inhibits bacterial proliferation and biofilm formation, and NO reduces wound inflammation and promotes angiogenesis. The pH change when AZG-Gel is applied to wounds is expected to enable the visualization of wound healing to guide the treatment of diabetic wound. Our strategy of "endogenous improvement (reducing glucose and pH)" combined with "exogenous resistance (anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory)" provides a new way for promoting diabetic wound healing.

Impact of geochemistry and microbes on the methylmercury production in mangrove sediments.

Unraveling the geochemical and microbial controls on methylmercury (MeHg) dynamics in mangrove sediments is important, as MeHg can potentially pose risks to marine biota and people that rely on these ecosystems. While the important role of sulfate-reducing bacteria in MeHg formation has been examined in this ecologically important habitat, the contribution of non-Hg methylating communities on MeHg production remains particularly unclear. Here, we collected sediment samples from 13 mangrove forests in south China and examined the geochemical parameters and microbial communities related to the Hg methylation. MeHg concentrations were significantly correlated to the OM-related parameters such as organic carbon content, total nitrogen, and dissolved organic carbon concentrations, suggesting the importance of OM in the MeHg production. Sulfate-reducing bacteria were the major Hg-methylators in mangrove sediments. Desulfobacteraceae and Desulfobulbaceae dominated the Hg-methylating microbes. Classification random forest analysis detected strong co-occurrence between Hg methylators and putative non-Hg methylators, thus suggesting that both types of microorganisms contribute to the MeHg dynamics in the sediments. Our study provides an overview of MeHg contamination in south China and advances our understanding of Hg methylation in mangrove ecosystems.

α7nAChR Activation Combined with Endothelial Progenitor Cell Transplantation Attenuates Lung Injury in Diabetic Rats with Sepsis through the NF-κB Pathway.

Chronic diabetes mellitus compromises the vascular system, which causes organ injury, including in the lung. Due to the strong compensatory ability of the lung, patients always exhibit subclinical symptoms. Once sepsis occurs, the degree of lung injury is more severe under hyperglycemic conditions. The α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) plays an important role in regulating inflammation and metabolism and can improve endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) functions. In the present study, lung injury caused by sepsis was compared between diabetic rats and normal rats. We also examined whether α7nAChR activation combined with EPC transplantation could ameliorate lung injury in diabetic sepsis rats. A type 2 diabetic model was induced in rats via a high-fat diet and streptozotocin. Then, a rat model of septic lung injury was established by intraperitoneal injection combined with endotracheal instillation of LPS. The oxygenation indices, wet-to-dry ratios, and histopathological scores of the lungs were tested after PNU282987 treatment and EPC transplantation. IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, and IL-10 levels were measured. Caspase-3, Bax, Bcl-2, and phosphorylated NF-κB (p-NF-κB) levels were determined by blotting. Sepsis causes obvious lung injury, which is exacerbated by diabetic conditions. α7nAChR activation and endothelial progenitor cell transplantation reduced lung injury in diabetic sepsis rats, alleviating inflammation and decreasing apoptosis. This treatment was more effective when PNU282987 and endothelial progenitor cells were administered together. p-NF-κB levels decreased following treatment with PNU282987 and EPCs. In conclusion, α7nAChR activation combined with EPC transplantation can alleviate lung injury in diabetic sepsis rats through the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Emergence of Artificial Intelligence Art Therapies (AIATs) in Mental Health Care: A Systematic Review.

The application of artificial intelligence art therapies (AIATs) in mental health care represents an innovative merger between digital technology and the therapeutic potential of creative arts. This systematic review aimed to assess the effectiveness and ethical considerations of AIATs, incorporating robots, AI painting and AI Chatbots to augment traditional art therapies. Aligning with the Preferred Reporting Items for systematic reviews (PRISMA) guidelines, we meticulously searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and CNKI, resulting in 15 selected articles for detailed analysis. To ensure methodological quality, we applied the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) criteria for quality assessment and extracted data using the PICO(S) format, specifically targeting randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Our findings suggest that AIATs can profoundly enhance the therapeutic experience by providing new creative outlets and reinforcing existing methods, despite possible drawbacks and ethical challenges. This examination underscores AIATs' potential to enrich mental health therapies, emphasising the critical importance of ethical considerations and the responsible application of AI as the field evolves. With a focus on expanding treatment efficacy and patient expressiveness, the promise of AIATs in mental health care necessitates a careful balance between innovation and ethical responsibility. Trial Registration: PROSPERO: CRD42024504472.

Metaproteomic analysis of ratoon sugarcane rhizospheric soil.

BACKGROUND: The current study was undertaken to elucidate the mechanism of yield decline in ratoon sugarcane using soil metaproteomics combined with community level physiological profiles (CLPP) analysis. RESULTS: The available stalk number, stalk diameter, single stalk weight and theoretical yield of ratoon cane (RS) were found to be significantly lower than those of plant cane (NS). The activities of several carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus processing enzymes, including invertase, peroxidase, urease and phosphomonoesterase were found to be significantly lower in RS soil than in NS soil. BIOLOG analysis indicated a significant decline in average well-color development (AWCD), Shannon's diversity and evenness indices in RS soil as compared to NS soil. To profile the rhizospheric metaproteome, 109 soil protein spots with high resolution and repeatability were successfully identified. These proteins were found to be involved in carbohydrate/energy, amino acid, protein, nucleotide, auxin and secondary metabolisms, membrane transport, signal transduction and resistance, etc. Comparative metaproteomics analysis revealed that 38 proteins were differentially expressed in the RS soil as compared to the control soil or NS soil. Among these, most of the plant proteins related to carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism and stress response were up-regulated in RS soil. Furthermore, several microbial proteins related to membrane transport and signal transduction were up-regulated in RS soil. These proteins were speculated to function in root colonization by microbes. CONCLUSIONS: Our experiments revealed that sugarcane ratooning practice induced significant changes in the soil enzyme activities, the catabolic diversity of microbial community, and the expression level of soil proteins. They influenced the biochemical processes in the rhizosphere ecosystem and mediated the interactions between plants and soil microbes.

Chronic corticosterone exposure disrupts hepatic and intestinal bile acid metabolism in chicken.

Objective: Chronic stress leads to a high circulating level of glucocorticoids, which disrupts lipid metabolism and causes non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in mice and humans. Meanwhile, bile acid (BA), a class of metabolites initially synthesized in the liver and further metabolized by gut microbiota, plays a vital role in lipid metabolism. This study aimed to investigate the effects of glucocorticoids on BA metabolism and gut microbiota in chickens. Methods: In this study, 35-day-old chickens were injected with 4 mg/kg/day corticosterone (Cort) for 14 days to simulate chronic stress. Results: Cort treatment significantly increased the triglyceride contents in the plasma and the liver. HE and oil-red staining showed that Cort treatment induced fatty liver in chickens. Meanwhile, Cort exposure downregulated total bile acid (TBA) content in the liver while increasing the TBA in feces. UPLC-HRMS results showed that Cort exposure significantly decreased the hepatic levels of CDCA, T-alpha-MCA, and T-beta-MCA. Moreover, Cort exposure significantly reduced the expression of genes related to BA synthesis (CYP8B1 and CYP27A1), conjugation (BACS), and regulation (KLß and FGFR4). 16s sequencing results showed that Cort treatment significantly decreased the amount of Lachnospiraceae, Eisenbergiella, Blautia, and Eubacterium and increased the abundance of Barnesiella, Lactobacillus, and Helicobacter. Spearman correlation analysis showed a significant positive correlation between fecal TBA and the abundance of Lactobacillales, Lactobacillus, and Barnesiella. In comparison, TBA in the liver was positively correlated with Eubacterium, and negatively correlated with Helicobacter. Conclusion: In summary, chronic Cort exposure disrupts hepatic and intestinal bile acid metabolism inducing gut microbiome dysbiosis, which might associate with the development of fatty liver in chickens.