Activation of N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor contributed to the ultrasonic modulation of neurons in vitro.

Ultrasound stimulation is increasingly used to investigate brain function and treat brain diseases due to its high level of safety and precise spatiotemporal resolution. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the underlying mechanisms involved in ultrasound brain stimulation. In this study, we investigate the role of NMDA receptors in mediating the effects of ultrasound on primary hippocampal neurons in mice. Our results show that ultrasound alone can activate heterologous NMDA receptor subunits, including NR1A, NR2A, and NR2B, in 293T cells, as well as endogenous NMDA receptors in primary neurons. This activation leads to an influx of calcium and an increase in nuclear c-Fos expression in primary neurons that have not been pre-treated with an NMDA receptor inhibitor. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that NMDA receptors contribute to neuronal activation by ultrasound stimulation in vitro, providing insight into the molecular mechanisms of ultrasound neuromodulation and a new mediator for the sonogenetics technique.

Single-cell transcriptomic characterization of sheep conceptus elongation and implantation.

Bidirectional communication between the developing conceptus and endometrium is essential for pregnancy recognition and establishment in ruminants. We dissect the transcriptomic dynamics of sheep conceptus and corresponding endometrium at pre- and peri-implantation stages using single-cell RNA sequencing. Spherical blastocysts contain five cell types, with 68.62% trophectoderm cells. Strikingly, elongated conceptuses differentiate into 17 cell types, indicating dramatic cell fate specifications. Cell-type-specific gene expression delineates the features of distinctive trophectoderm lineages and indicates that the transition from polar trophectoderm to trophoblast increases interferon-tau expression and likely drives elongation initiation. We identify 13 endometrium-derived cell types and elucidate their molecular responses to conceptus development. Integrated analyses uncover multiple paired transcripts mediating the dialogues between extraembryonic membrane and endometrium, including IGF2-IGF1R, FGF19-FGFR1, NPY-NPY1R, PROS1-AXL, and ADGRE5-CD55. These data provide insight into the molecular regulation of conceptus elongation and represent a valuable resource for functional investigations of pre- and peri-implantation ruminant development.

[Clinical application of virtual surgery combined with guide plate in reduction and fixation of condylar neck fracture in 7 patients].

PURPOSE: To explore the value of virtual surgery and 3D printing model combined with guide plate in treatment of mandibular condylar neck fracture. METHODS: Seven patients with mandibular condylar neck fracture were scanned by CT for original data. The data were exported in DICOM format. A three-dimensional model was reconstructed using software, the fracture was reduced by virtual surgery, and the 3D model was printed by a 3D printer. A prebent titanium plate was used to fabricate the guide plate, which was used for reduction and fixation of the fracture block during surgery. RESULTS: All the postoperative incisions revealed no signs of infection, the wounds were hidden and beautiful. The implanted titanium plates were highly compatible with the reduced fracture segments. The patients were followed up for 6 months after surgery, the condylar fracture healed well and there was no obvious displacement. The patient developed no mandibular deviation with a stable occlusion, and no occlusal pain was reported. No obvious temporomandibular joint disorder was present. CONCLUSIONS: Virtual surgery and 3D printing model combined with guide plate can ensure an accurate reduction of condylar neck fracture and simplify the operation process, which can be used as an accurate, efficient and predictable auxiliary method.

Short-term efficacy assessment of transarterial chemoembolization combined with radioactive iodine therapy in primary hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is an effective treatment for primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC). Radioactive iodine therapy has been used in the treatment of advanced PHC, especially in patients with portal vein tumor thrombosis. However, data on the therapeutic effect of TACE combined with radioactive iodine therapy in PHC are scarce. AIM: To investigate the clinical efficacy of TACE combined with radioactive iodine implantation therapy in advanced PHC via perfusion computed tomography (CT). METHODS: For this study, 98 advanced PHC patients were recruited and divided randomly into the study and control groups. Patients in the study group were treated with TACE combined radioactive iodine implantation therapy. Patients in the control group were treated with only TACE. The tumor lesion length, clinical effect, serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and CT perfusion parameters were compared before and after therapy, and statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in tumor length and serum AFP between the study and control groups (P > 0.05) before treatment. However, the tumor length and serum AFP in the study group were lower than those in the control group 1 mo and 3 mo after therapy. After 3 mo of treatment, the complete and partial remission rate of the study group was 93.88%, which was significantly higher than the control group (77.55%) (P < 0.05). Before treatment, there were no significant differences between the two groups on the perfusion CT variables, including the lesion blood volume, permeability surface, blood flow, hepatic artery flow and mean transit time (P > 0.05). After 3 mo of treatment, all perfusion CT variables were lower in the study group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). The survival time of patients in the study group was 22 mo compared to 18 mo in the control group, which was significantly different [log rank (Mantel-Cox) = 4.318, P = 0.038]. CONCLUSION: TACE combined with radioactive iodine implantation in the treatment of advanced PHC can inhibit the formation of blood vessels in tumor tissue and reduce the perfusion level of tumor lesions, thereby improving the clinical efficacy and prolonging the survival time of patients.

Vision loss due to uncommon "red eye": A case report.

RATIONALE: Phacolytic glaucoma is a rare complication induced by hypermature cataracts and may occasionally be encountered in some rural areas. It tends to be misdiagnosed and induces a risk of permanent vision impairment. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 63-year-old Uighur woman complained of redness and decreased vision in her right eye and was treated for endophthalmitis at a primary hospital before being referred to our hospital. DIAGNOSIS: On admission, the patient had weak light perception in the right eye, an intraocular pressure of 65 mmHg, and slit-lamp examination revealed swelling of the eyelids and significant injection of conjunctiva. The entire cornea was cloudy and edematous, whereas the aqueous humor was milky turbid. Cytological examination of the aqueous liquid confirmed the presence of lens protein-laden macrophages. A Morgagnian cataract was observed after anterior chamber irrigation. So the final diagnosis was phacolytic glaucoma. INTERVENTIONS: The patient received anterior chamber irrigation and extracapsular cataract extraction with intraocular lens implantation successively. OUTCOMES: Final visual acuity was limited to 6/120 due to secondary optic nerve damage. LESSONS: Phacolytic glaucoma can mimic endophthalmitis and tend to be misdiagnosed, causing permanent vision impairment. Improving awareness of phacolytic glaucoma and enhancing public health education regarding cataracts are ways to prevent phacolytic glaucoma and phacolytic glaucoma-related vision loss.

L007-0069 kills Staphylococcus aureus in high resistant phenotypes.

Staphylococcus aureus, a common gram-positive pathogenic bacterium, is a main cause of hospital infection. The prevalence rate of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) has made its treatment difficult in recent decades. Moreover, S. aureus in the highly tolerant format of biofilm or persister often renders infections refractory. Thus, developing new active compounds against resistant S. aureus is urgently needed. In this study, by a high-throughput screening assay, we identified a small molecule, L007-0069, that exhibited strong and effective bactericidal activity against S. aureus and its high resistance patterns, such as biofilms and persisters, with a low probability of inducing resistance. By molecular dynamics and fluorescent probe analysis, mechanistic studies revealed that the bactericidal activity of L007-0069 was mainly mediated by membrane disruption and metabolic disorder induction. Furthermore, L007-0069 showed effective anti-MRSA effects in vivo in both a wound infection model and a peritonitis-sepsis model, with no detectable toxicity observed at the therapeutic dosage. In conclusion, L007-0069 has the potential to become an alternative for the treatment of highly resistant S. aureus-related infections.

Study on antibacterial effect of halicin (SU3327) against Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium.

Enterococci are important pathogens of nosocomial infections and are increasingly difficult to treat due to their intrinsic and acquired resistance to a range of antibiotics. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel antibacterial agents, while drug repurposing is a promising approach to address this issue. Our study aimed to determine the antimicrobial efficacy of halicin against enterococci and found that the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of halicin against different strains of Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium ranged from 4 to 8 µg/ml. In addition, the synergistic antibacterial effect between halicin and doxycycline (DOX) against Enterococcus was observed through the checkerboard method, and it was observed that halicin and DOX could significantly synergistically inhibit biofilm formation and eradicate preformed biofilms at sub-MICs. Moreover, the electron microscope results revealed that halicin could also disrupt the bacterial cell membrane at high concentrations. Furthermore, it is also confirmed that the combination of halicin and DOX has no significant cytotoxic effect on erythrocytes and other human-derived cells. In addition, the mouse subcutaneous model and H&E staining showed that the combination of halicin and DOX could effectively reduce the bacterial load and inflammatory infiltration without obvious side effects. In nutshell, these results demonstrate the potential of halicin in combination with DOX as a novel therapy against infections by Enterococcus.

WITHDRAWN: Design and Evaluation of Floating Micro-Carriers for Effective Delivery of a Hydrophobic Drug

The article has been withdrawn at the request of the authors of the journal "Current Drug Delivery",Bentham Science apologizes to the readers of the journal for any inconvenience this may have caused.The Bentham Editorial Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at https://benthamscience.com/editorial-policies-main.php. BENTHAM SCIENCE DISCLAIMER: It is a condition of publication that manuscripts submitted to this journal have not been published and will not be simultaneously submitted or published elsewhere. Furthermore, any data, illustration, structure or table that has been published elsewhere must be reported, and copyright permission for reproduction must be obtained. Plagiarism is strictly forbidden, and by submitting the article for publication the authors agree that the publishers have the legal right to take appropriate action against the authors, if plagiarism or fabricated information is discovered. By submitting a manuscript the authors agree that the copyright of their article is transferred to the publishers if and when the article is accepted for publication.

Complete mitogenome of Treron sphenurus (Aves, Columbiformes): the first representative from the genus Treron, genomic comparisons and phylogenetic analysis of Columbidae.

The wedge-tailed green pigeon (Treron sphenurus) has a protective value in the evolution of the family Columbidae. In this study, the complete mitogenome of T. sphenurus from Baise City, China, which represents the first sequenced species of the genus Treron in Tribe Treronini, is reported. This was accomplished using PCR-based methods and a primer-walking sequencing strategy with genus-specific primers. The mitogenome was found to be 18,919 bp in length comprising 37 genes, including 13 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and one control region. In terms of structure and composition, many similarities were found between the T. sphenurus and Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae (New Zealand pigeon) mitogenomes. This was further supported by phylogenetic analysis showing that T. sphenurus has a close evolutionary relationship with H. novaeseelandiae. The complete mitogenome of T. sphenurus reported here is expected to provide valuable molecular information for further studies on the phylogeny of the genus Treron and for analyses of the taxonomic status of the family Columbidae.

MiR-483-5p downregulation contributed to cell proliferation, metastasis, and inflammation of clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Inflammation status are especially for tumor growth, and microRNAs (miRNAs) confirmed to participate in cancer occurrence and progression. However, the role of miR-483-5p and the relation with inflammation have not been elucidated in renal cell cancer (RCC). In this study, we intended to explore miR-483-5p expression and the relationship of inflammation status in clear cell renal cell cancer (ccRCC). Using microarray and qRT-PCR (Quantitative Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction), we investigated the miR-483-5p expression in plasma and ccRCC cancer tissues. Then, we analyzed the correlation of miR-483-5p with clinicopathological parameters and inflammation status in ccRCC. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves analysis was used to analyze the discrimination efficiency of miR-483-5p. in vitro experiments explored the biological role of miR-483-5p in renal cancer cells. miR-483-5p expression was upregulated in plasma of 5 patients with microarray and 12 patients with qRT-PCR in ccRCC at day 7 postoperatively. In addition, low expression of miR-483-5p was found in 58 ccRCC cancer tissues when compared with non-cancerous tissues. miR-483-5p could sufficiently discriminate ccRCC with the area under the curve (AUC) of 0.739 (P < .0001) from normal tissues. Higher expression of miR-483-5p was positively related to lower tumor stage and higher relative expression of miR-483-5p was inversely related to neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (P = .03) and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) (P = .026). Overexpression of miR-483-5p lead to reverse epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, restrain cell proliferation and metastasis of renal cancer cells. Our findings suggest that miR-483-5p expression is negatively correlation with inflammation status and may be a potential plasma biomarker for ccRCC.

Explore functional brain changes in bipolar disorder: A whole brain ALE meta-analysis

ABSTRACT Background: Previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies showed inconsistent results for comparison between bipolar disorder (BD) and healthy controls (HC). Methods: An anatomic likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis was used to explore the key regions of brain pathology in BD with different current mood states. Results: Depressed BD patients showed reduced regional homogeneity (ReHo) in the left claustrum and the left middle frontal gyrus (MFG), compared to HC. BD patients with mixed mood status showed decreased fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (fALFF) in the right cerebellar tonsil, the bilateral MFG and the right superior frontal gyrus, compared to HC. Additionally, BD patients with mixed mood status showed increased fALFF in the right inferior occipital gyrus, the right culmen and the left lentiform nucleus, compared to HC. BD patients with mixed mood status showed decreased functional connectivity (FC) in the bilateral cerebellar tonsil, compared to HC. Conclusion: In the present study, key regions undergoing functional deficits in BD patients with different current mood states were obtained with the ALE meta-analysis. In addition, deficits in these regions in fMRI studies might work as biomarkers for early diagnosis of BD.

Total bile acid-to-cholesterol ratio as a novel noninvasive marker for significant liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in patients with non-cholestatic chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

Although serum bile acids and total cholesterol (TC) are closely related to liver cirrhosis, the potential diagnostic value of total bile acid-to-cholesterol ratio (TBA/TC) for liver fibrosis is unclear. The present study aimed to evaluate the value of TBA/TC in the diagnosis of cirrhosis and the relationship between TBA/TC and significant liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infected patients without cholestasis.667 patients with alkaline phosphatase (ALP) ≤ 1.5 upper limit of normal (ULN) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) ≤ 3 ULN were rigorously included in this cross-sectional study. Liver biopsy was performed in 32 patients and METAVIR scoring system was used to evaluate liver fibrosis stage. Liver ultrasound elastography was performed in 138 patients, significant fibrosis was defined as fibrosis ≥ F2. Multiple logistic regression as well as receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves analyses were performed.Compared to patients with non-cirrhosis, TBA and TBA/TC were significantly higher in cirrhosis while TC was significantly lower (all P < .001). In multivariate analysis, TBA/TC was also independently associated with cirrhosis [odds ratio (OR) = 1.102, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.085-1.166]. The area under the curve (AUC) of TBA/TC (0.87) was almost equivalent to the aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI, AUC = 0.84) and fibrosis 4 score (FIB-4, AUC = 0.80), and the optimal cut-off value for TBA/TC to diagnose cirrhosis was 2.70. Among the patients performed liver biopsy, TBA/TC were significantly higher both in significant fibrosis and cirrhosis as well as significantly correlated with fibrosis stage (all P < .001). Furthermore, In patients performed liver ultrasound elastography, TBA/TC was also independently associated with significant fibrosis (OR = 1.040, 95% CI: 1.001-1.078).Assessment of TBA/TC could serve as an additional marker of significant liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in non-cholestatic chronic HBV infection.

One-Pot Hydrothermal Synthesis of g-C3N4/BiPO4 Nanocomposites with Significant Photocatalytic Activity.

The g-C3N4/BiPO4 composites have been successfully synthesized via a one-pot hydrothermal process, which can be used to degrade the organic dyes (rhodamine B and methylene blue) under simulated sunlight irradiation. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy have been employed to characterize the samples. The g-C3N4/BiPO4 composites exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than pure BiPO4. And the optimum photocatalyst shows the outstanding photocatalytic activity, which exhibited 99.0% and 86.6% decolorization rate of RhB and MB, respectively.

Combination therapy: Meta-analysis of the effects of TACE and cryoablation on hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: This study systematically reviews the data for transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) alone or combined TACE and cryoablation therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma, aiming to provide clinical choice references for treatment of cancer. METHODS: Electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Google Scholar) were systematically searched to include relevant studies published in English and Chinese between Jan 1, 2000, to July 31, 2017. The analysis was conducted in RevMan 5.3 based on random effects models. RESULTS: Nineteen trials (n = 1427) were included. Combined TACE and cryoablation therapy had higher survival rate (1-year survival [RR 1.37; 95%-CI 1.26,1.49], 2-year survival [RR 1.50; 95%-CI 1.25,1.79], 3-year survival [RR 1.67; 95%-CI 1.16,2.40]), complete necrosis [RR 2.53; 95%-CI 2.07,3.10] and tumor control [RR 1.57; 95%-CI 1.40,1.75], which is more favorable for long-term efficacy of non-surgical hepatocellular carcinoma. Tumor recurrence of control group was above combination therapy [RR 0.27; 95%-CI 0.17, 0.43]. Compared with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, effect of combination therapy occurred mainly in the survival, complete necrosis, tumor control, and recurrence. Taking combination therapy was generally more effective than taking TACE only. CONCLUSION: Compared with TACE only used to treat cancer, combination therapy had the best effect profile in general, and it had better survival in HCC when taking an integrated approach. The prognosis of treatments based on combination therapy is modulated by cryoablation.

Aldosterone stimulation mediates cardiac metabolism remodeling via Sirt1/AMPK signaling in canine model.

Aldosterone (Aldo), a pivotal hormone that is ubiquitously expressed in systemic tissues of mammals, is a crucial factor in the pathogenesis of cardiac disease. Accumulating evidence suggests that disturbances in cell energy metabolism are involved in increasing aldosterone levels. However, the precise mechanism underlying the impact of cardiac metabolic remodeling underlying aldosterone stimulation remains limited. In this work, we evaluated the underlying effect of aldosterone on regulating cardiac metabolism remodeling in a canine model. Fifteen beagle dogs were divided into a control group (n = 5), Aldo group (n = 5), and a group treated with spironolactone (SP), a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (n = 5), for 4 weeks. Blood pressure, electrocardiogram and respiratory parameters, H&E, Masson staining, ultrastructural changes, the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and free fatty acid (FFA) levels of ventricular tissues, the level of mRNA, and the protein expression of key metabolic factors and regulators were assessed. The Sirt1/AMPK signaling pathway was significantly inhibited in the canine model of aldosterone stimulation, resulting in a reduction of the key downstream metabolic factors involved in glucose and fatty acid oxidation. The dysregulation of expression of key factors in glycogen metabolism led to glycogen deposition, an increase in FFA levels, a reduction in ATP levels, apoptosis, inflammatory cell infiltration, and mitochondrial damage in the ventricular myocardium. These effects were significantly restored by spironolactone. Aldosterone stimulation induced cardiac metabolic remodeling in ventricular cardiomyocytes possibly through the Sirt1/AMPK signaling pathway, implying that this pathway may provide a novel therapeutic target for cardiac metabolic remodeling.

Formation of CO2 bubbles in epoxy resin coatings: A DFT study.

The epoxy resin coating is a fundamental species with epoxy resins used as main components to form the final film. Unexpectedly, bulky CO2 bubbles that occasionally appeared during the curing process of epoxy resin coatings might destroy the final film properties. With an attempt to thoroughly understand the formation mechanism of CO2 bubbles and further propose countermeasures to control them, Density Function Theory (DFT) in this paper was employed to calculate the absorption process, the curing reaction and the formation mechanism of CO2 bubbles. The gas phase basicity (GB) values and pKa values of common amine curing agents were calculated. The total Gibbs free energies difference of the curing reactions between polluted curing agents and epoxy resins were calculated according to a thermodynamic cycle. Whether in gas phase or resin phase, the energetically negative ΔGsolv indicated that the curing reactions might occur spontaneously and CO2 molecules would be separated and released from amine molecules. The total Gibbs free energy calculations also revealed that the re-absorption of CO2 by the curing system was energetically unfavorable. Thus, the formation mechanism of CO2 bubbles of epoxy resin coatings could be summarize in three steps: (1) Carbon dioxide pollutes accidentally the curing agents. (2) CO2 molecules are gradually released as the curing process occurs. (3) CO2 molecules are collected to form big bubbles which can lead to seriously surface and/or internal defects. Finally, based on practical experiences three tips were proposed to control CO2 bubbles. The present results not only evidenced the nature of the unexpected bubbles of epoxy resin coatings, but also additionally paved to the way to full utilization of the formation mechanism to improve the epoxy coatings' properties.

Genetic diversity analysis of Peking gecko (Gekko swinhonis) in mid-Eastern China based on mitochondrial COI and Cyt b gene sequences.

To understand the genetic diversity of Peking gecko (Gekko swinhonis) populations in its endemic region, 60 individuals were sampled from Lushan, Qi, and Linying counties in Henan Province, China. Through PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing, 120 sequences with lengths of 652 bp (COI) and 739 bp (Cyt b) were obtained, and nine haplotypes were detected for each gene. Overall, results indicated that Peking gecko populations in China have high genetic diversity and significant genetic differentiation. This study provides necessary scientific basis for the protection of Peking gecko germplasm resources.

Complete mitochondrial genome sequence of nanday conure, Aratinga nenday (Psittaciformes: Psittacidae).

Here, we report the complete mitochondrial genome of Aratinga nenday. It was found to be a closed circular molecule of 16,983 bp, containing 22 transfer RNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and 1 non-coding control region. The overall base composition was 54.03% A + T and 45.973% G + C contents. The complete mtDNA of A. nenday and other 14 species were subjected to phylogenetic analysis by the neighbour-joining method and the Kimura 2-parameter model, which showed A. nenday to be a sister to the congeneric Aratinga solstitialis.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Agapornis lilianae (Psittaciformes: Psittacidae), with its phylogenetic analysis.

In this paper, we reported the complete mitogenome of Agapornis lilianae. A. lilianae mitogenome is 16,720bp base pairs long. The overall base compositions of complete mitogenomes of A. lilianae is 29.66% A, 21.5% T, 34.59% C, 14.25% G. All genes exhibit the typical mitochondrial gene arrangement and transcribing directions. The phylogenetic analysis based on 21 mitochondrial sequence data suggested that A. lilianae are closely related to the same genus specie Agapornis roseicollis. The results obtained here would be useful for the conservation and phylogeny of A. lilianae.