Metabolomic analysis-identified 2-hydroxybutyric acid might be a key metabolite of severe preeclampsia.

This study set out to determine the key metabolite changes underlying the pathophysiology of severe preeclampsia (PE) using metabolic analysis. We collected sera from 10 patients with severe PE and from 10 healthy pregnant women of the same trimester and analyzed them using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. A total of 3,138 differential metabolites were screened, resulting in the identification of 124 differential metabolites. Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway analysis revealed that they were mainly enriched in the following metabolic pathways: central carbon metabolism in cancer; protein digestion and absorption; aminoacyl-transfer RNA biosynthesis; mineral absorption; alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism; and prostate cancer. After analysis of 124 differential metabolites, 2-hydroxybutyric acid was found to be the most critical differential metabolite, and its use allowed the differentiation of women with severe PE from healthy pregnant women. In summary, our analysis revealed that 2-hydroxybutyric acid is a potential key metabolite for distinguishing severe PE from healthy controls and is also a marker for the early diagnosis of severe PE, thus allowing early intervention.

What Drives Internet Entrepreneurial Intention to Use Technology Products? An Investigation of Technology Product Imagination Disposition, Social Support, and Motivation.

Technological products such as computer, communication, and consumer electronic products, apps, smart wearables, and streaming services have become inseparable from people's lives. In technological fields of practice, imagination, creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship may influence one another. A vivid imagination can generate creativity and trigger the entrepreneurial intention to "bring new things to the market." This study aims to understand the formation of internet entrepreneurial intention to use technology products. Drawing on social cognitive theory, this study explores and empirically tests how technology product imagination disposition and social support impact internet entrepreneurial intention to use technology products. Drawing from self-determination theory, this study proposes and examines the mediating role of intrinsic (challenge and enjoyment) and extrinsic motivation (compensation and outward motivation) in the relationship between technology product imagination disposition and internet entrepreneurial intention, as well as the relationship between social support and internet entrepreneurial intention. We conducted a survey of 568 adults in Taiwan and used partial least squares to test our hypotheses. The results show the following: (1) Technology product imagination disposition is positively associated with challenge, enjoyment, compensation, and outward motivation. (2) Social support is positively associated with challenge, enjoyment, compensation, and outward motivation. (3) Challenge, enjoyment, and outward motivation are positively associated with internet entrepreneurial intention to use technology products. (4) Technology product imagination disposition intensifies internet entrepreneurial intention to use technology products by strengthening challenge, enjoyment, and outward motivation. Social support intensifies internet entrepreneurial intention by increasing challenge, enjoyment, and outward motivation. The partial mediation model represents a significant improvement in the total effect over the direct effect. We discuss the implications of these results for research and internet entrepreneurship practices.

Structural Covariance of the Ipsilesional Primary Motor Cortex in Subcortical Stroke Patients with Motor Deficits.

The analysis of structural covariance has emerged as a powerful tool to explore the morphometric correlations among broadly distributed brain regions. However, little is known about the interactions between the damaged primary motor cortex (M1) and other brain regions in stroke patients with motor deficits. This study is aimed at investigating the structural covariance pattern of the ipsilesional M1 in chronic subcortical stroke patients with motor deficits. High-resolution T1-weighted brain images were acquired from 58 chronic subcortical stroke patients with motor deficits (29 with left-sided lesions and 29 with right-sided lesions) and 50 healthy controls. Structural covariance patterns were identified by a seed-based structural covariance method based on gray matter (GM) volume. Group comparisons between stroke patients (left-sided or right-sided groups) and healthy controls were determined by a permutation test. The association between alterations in the regional GM volume and motor recovery after stroke was investigated by a multivariate regression approach. Structural covariance analysis revealed an extensive increase in the structural interactions between the ipsilesional M1 and other brain regions in stroke patients, involving not only motor-related brain regions but also non-motor-related brain regions. We also identified a slightly different pattern of structural covariance between the left-sided stroke group and the right-sided stroke group, thus indicating a lesion-side effect of cortical reorganization after stroke. Moreover, alterations in the GM volume of structural covariance brain regions were significantly correlated to the motor function scores in stroke patients. These findings indicated that the structural covariance patterns of the ipsilesional M1 in chronic subcortical stroke patients were induced by motor-related plasticity. Our findings may help us to better understand the neurobiological mechanisms of motor impairment and recovery in patients with subcortical stroke from different perspectives.

Root Extract of Lindera aggregata (Sims) Kosterm. Modulates the Th17/Treg Balance to Attenuate DSS-Induced Colitis in Mice by IL-6/STAT3 Signaling Pathway.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic, idiopathic and relapsing inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract that has a prolonged disease duration. Lindera aggregata (Sims) Kosterm. is a traditional Chinese herb which has been used to treat gastrointestinal diseases for thousand years. However, there are few reports about the application of L. aggregata in the treatment of UC at present. Herein, we investigated the therapeutic effect of the root extract of L. aggregata (LREE) against UC and explored its underlying mechanisms based on IL-6 signaling pathway and the balance of T helper (Th) 17 and regulatory T (Treg) cells. Results showed that LREE could not only decrease the production and secretion of IL-6, but also could inhibit the signal transduction of IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway. Moreover, LREE could significantly inhibit the differentiation of CD4+ T cells to Th17 cells in vitro and decrease the proportion of Th17 cells in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) of model mice in vivo. Besides, LREE could also alleviate the disease symptoms, reduce intestinal permeability and improve histopathological changes of colitis model mice. Together, LREE can significantly inhibit the production and secretion of IL-6, regulate IL-6/STAT3 signal transduction, and modulate the balance of Th17 and Treg cells and effectively attenuate UC.

Pregestational screening of hereditary deafness genes carriers in 10,684 normal pregnant women in Zhuzhou, China.

BACKGROUND: Mutations in genes associated with deafness differ between ethnic groups and regions in China. In this study, we investigated the genes associated with deafness in pregnant women to analyze the distribution of mutations leading to deafness in Zhuzhou, China. METHODS: A total of 10,684 pregnant women were enrolled in this study. DNA samples were collected to detect the 14 common mutations in deafness genes (at 108 sites). RESULTS: Prevalence of mutations in deafness genes in pregnant women with normal hearing in Zhuzhou was 4.92% (526/10,684). Among these 526 pregnant women with deafness gene mutations, the frequencies of mutated GJB2, GJB3, SLC26A4, and mtDNA 12S rRNA were 40.11, 7.22, 40.68, and 11.98%, respectively. The hotspots for mutations in the deafness genes were: c.235delC in GJB2 (31.18%), c.919-2A > G in SLC26A4 (18.44%), c.299_300delAT in GJB2 (5.70%), m.7444G > A in mtDNA 12S rRNA (5.70%), c.1229C > T in SLC26A4 (5.51%), m.1555A > G in mtDNA 12S rRNA (5.32%), accounting for 71.85%. Moreover, husbands of the 526 pregnant women who carried the deafness gene mutations were also included in the analysis to detect deafness gene mutations. Among the 526 husbands, 23 husbands carried mutations in deafness genes, accounting for 4.37%. The deafness gene mutations of the husbands and pregnant wives were not the same. In addition, the results of the neonatal follow-up hearing tests were all normal. CONCLUSION: Our study identified the prevalence of mutations in GJB2, SLC26A4, mtDNA 12S rRNA, and GJB3 genes in pregnant women from Zhuzhou, China.

Application of a DSS colitis model in toxicologically assessing norisoboldine.

In standard nonclinical drug safety evaluation studies, limitations exist in predicting the clinical risk of a drug based only on data from healthy animals. To obtain more comprehensive toxicological information on norisoboldine (NOR), we conducted an exploratory study using C57BL/6 mice in addition to healthy mice as models of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) colitis to evaluate the safety of NOR. The healthy mice and DSS colitis mice were exposed to 30 or 90 mg NOR/kg body weight or water for 15 days. Compared with the model control group, 90 mg/kg of NOR aggravated the symptoms and colonic lesions of the DSS colitis mice and even caused death in two animals. No significant adverse effects were observed in the healthy mice. These different toxic reactions to NOR in the healthy and DSS colitis mice indicate that NOR toxicity varies by status among animals and suggests that the DSS colitis mouse model may be more susceptible, accurate and comprehensive in evaluating the safety of NOR. In conclusion, 90 mg/kg of NOR may be safe for healthy mice but not for DSS colitis mice. The DSS colitis mouse model, with many features similar to those of human colitis patients, may be a novel choice to counteract the deficiencies of using healthy mice to evaluate the safety of anti-inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) drugs, and further research is required.

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Benzofuran-3(2H)-ones.

A new method for synthesis of benzofuran-3(2H)-one under microwave condition was investigated. The reaction conditon was screened and the eligible scope of benzoate substrates was also examined. It showed that this method could provide a short and facile way to obtain these important dihydrobenzofuranones in yield 43% to 58%.

An Extended Expectation-Confirmation Model for Mobile Nursing Information System Continuance.

Nursing is critical in health care systems and comprises the planning, execution, and documentation of nursing care. To better manage health care information during patient care, the use of a mobile nursing information system (MNIS) provides more time to care for inpatients by reducing time-consuming and redundant paperwork. The purpose of this study was to extend the expectation-confirmation model and explore the roles of nursing professional competency (skill in use), habit (customary use), satisfaction (with use), and frequency of prior use in the context of MNIS continuance usage. We randomly chose 3 hospitals from among 14 hospitals in Taiwan that had indicated they used an MNIS. We conducted a field survey of nurses who had experience using the MNIS. We used a valid sample of 90 nurses to test the research model, using structural equation modeling with the partial least squares method. The results show that habit and frequency of prior use had a significant impact on MNIS continuance usage. Satisfaction and frequency of prior use had a significant impact on habit. Nurses' professional competence is crucial to perceived usefulness and, thus, is relevant in the context of MNIS continuance usage. When habit weakens over time, the continuance intention predicts continuance usage. This study showed that the extended expectation-confirmation model effectively predicts nurses' MNIS continuance usage and provides implications. Academics and practitioners should understand how nurses' habits form and how they affect continued MNIS use. Understanding the antecedents of habits can help nursing managers identify and manipulate habit formation.

High-level managers' considerations for RFID adoption in hospitals: an empirical study in Taiwan.

Prior researches have indicated that an appropriate adoption of information technology (IT) can help hospitals significantly improve services and operations. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is believed to be the next generation innovation technology for automatic data collection and asset/people tracking. Based on the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework, this study investigated high-level managers' considerations for RFID adoption in hospitals. This research reviewed literature related IT adoption in business and followed the results of a preliminary survey with 37 practical experts in hospitals to theorize a model for the RFID adoption in hospitals. Through a field survey of 102 hospitals and hypotheses testing, this research identified key factors influencing RFID adoption. Follow-up in-depth interviews with three high-level managers of IS department from three case hospitals respectively also presented an insight into the decision of RFID's adoption. Based on the research findings, cost, ubiquity, compatibility, security and privacy risk, top management support, hospital scale, financial readiness and government policy were concluded to be the key factors influencing RFID adoption in hospitals. For practitioners, this study provided a comprehensive overview of government policies able to promote the technology, while helping the RFID solution providers understand how to reduce the IT barriers in order to enhance hospitals' willingness to adopt RFID.