Berberine alleviates inflammation and suppresses PLA2-COX-2-PGE2-EP2 pathway through targeting gut microbiota in DSS-induced ulcerative colitis.

Berberine, isolated from Coptis chinensis and Phellodendron amurense, can attenuate colonic injury and modulate gut microbiota disorders in ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the mechanism and causal relationship between gut microbiota and the efficacy of Berberine on UC are still unclear, which were investigated by pseudo-germ-free (PGF) mice, 16S rRNA gene analysis and transcriptome analysis in this study. The results demonstrated that Berberine improved gut microbiota disorders, colon damage, tight-junction proteins, inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in DSS-induced colitis mice with intact gut microbiota but not in PGF mice. Besides, immune-related and inflammation-related pathways were closely related to the efficacy that Berberine alleviated colitis by regulating gut microbiota. Furthermore, Berberine reduced PGE2, PLA2, COX-2, Ptges, EP2 and p-Stat3 only in colitis mice with intact gut microbiota. In summary, our study confirms that Berberine inhibits PLA2-COX-2-PGE2-EP2 pathway in UC through gut microbiota, leading to the alleviation of inflammation in colon, which further elucidates the underlying mechanism and promotes the application of Berberine in UC.

Development and validation of a novel home-made bench-top training model for retrograde intrarenal surgery.

PURPOSE: To develop and validate a low-cost homemade bench-top training model to facilitate retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) training. METHODS: The RIRS training model (G-Model) was developed using a surgical glove and a recycled ureter access sheath. Fifteen participants including 10 residents and 5 urologists were enrolled. Designed training curriculum for residents was carried out. Face validity, content validity, construct validity and criterion validity evaluation of the G-Model were carried out. RESULTS: The global score of face and content validity was 4.15 ± 0.53 and 4.65 ± 0.29, respectively. For construct validity, the overall modified global rating scale (mGRS) score was significantly improved [12.5 (5.25) vs. 24.0 (5.25), p = 0.004], and the total task time was significantly shortened (39.5 ± 4.48 min vs. 24.1 ± 3.81 min, p < 0.001) within residents after G-Model training. The baseline mGRS score and total task time of residents were poorer than those of urologists [12.5 (5.25) vs. 32.0 (1.00), p < 0.001; 39.5 ± 4.48 min vs. 16.0 ± 1.58 min, p < 0.001]. Spearman correlation analysis revealed strong correlations between residents' G-Model and real patient performance. CONCLUSION: The current study presented a valid low-cost easily accessible RIRS bench-top training model which could facilitate skill acquisition and translate to real-life scenario.

Electrochemical microfluidic sensing platforms for biosecurity analysis.

Biosecurity encompasses the health and safety of humans, animals, plants, and the environment. In this article, "biosecurity" is defined as encompassing the comprehensive aspects of human, animal, plant, and environmental safety. Reliable biosecurity testing technology is the key point for effectively assessing biosecurity risks and ensuring biosecurity. Therefore, it is crucial to develop excellent detection technologies to detect risk factors that can affect biosecurity. An electrochemical microfluidic biosensing platform integrates fluid control, target recognition, signal transduction, and output and incorporates the advantages of electrochemical analysis technology and microfluidic technology. Thus, an electrochemical microfluidic biosensing platform, characterized by exceptional analytical sensitivity, portability, rapid analysis speed, low reagent consumption, and low risk of contamination, shows considerable promise for biosecurity detection compared to traditional, more complex, and time-consuming detection technologies. This review provides a concise introduction to electrochemical microfluidic biosensors and biosecurity. It highlights recent research advances in utilizing electrochemical microfluidic biosensing platforms to assess biosecurity risk factors. It includes the use of electrochemical microfluidic biosensors for the detection of risk factors directly endangering biosecurity (direct application: namely, risk factors directly endangering the health of human, animals, and plants) and for the detection of risk factors indirectly endangering biosecurity (indirect application: namely, risk factors endangering the safety of food and the environment). Finally, we outline the current challenges and future perspectives of electrochemical microfluidic biosensing platforms.

Treatment of landfill leachate by black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens L.) larvae and the changes of intestinal microbial community.

Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) (Hermetia illucens) are commonly used to treat organic waste. This work aims to evaluate the transformation effect, heavy metal migration, and alterations in the gut microbiota of BSFL in addition to treating landfill leachate (LL) with BSFL. We found that BSFL may grow in various landfill leachate concentrations without obvious toxicity and growth inhibition. In addition, the results indicated a significant increase in the content of ammonia nitrogen and the activity of urease and ß-glucosidase (ß-GC) in LL, increased from 2570.17 mg/L to 5853.67 mg/L, 1859.17 mg/(g·d) to 517,177.98 mg/(g·d), 313.73 µg/(g·h) to 441.91 µg/(g·h) respectively. Conversely, the content of total nitrogen (TN) and total organic carbon (TOC) decreased in LL, decreasing by 31.24% and 29.45% respectively. Heavy metals are accumulated in the leachate by the BSFL to differing degrees, the descending sequence of accumulation is Cd > As > Cu > Cr. As dropped by 26.0%, Cd increased by 22.6%, Cu reduced by 5.23%, and Cr increased by 317.1% in the remaining matrix. The concentration of heavy metals satisfies the organic fertilizers' limit index (NY/T1978). The diversity of intestinal microorganisms in BSFL decreased, from 2819 OTUs to 2338 OTUs, with Providencia and Morganella emerging as the core flora. The gene abundance of nitrogen metabolism in the microbiota increased significantly. The TOC, ß-GC, and Copper (Cu) content in BSFL correlated significantly with the gut microbiota. In Summary, this study revealed the treatment effect of BSFL on LL, the migration of heavy metals, and changes in the intestinal microorganisms of BSFL. The content of heavy metals in BSFL was found to be much lower than the upper limit of feed protein raw materials, demonstrating that BSFL is a sustainable method to treat LL.

Targeting the gut microbiota to alleviate chemotherapy-induced toxicity in cancer.

Despite ongoing breakthroughs in novel anticancer therapies, chemotherapy remains a mainstream therapeutic modality in different types of cancer. Unfortunately, chemotherapy-related toxicity (CRT) often leads to dose limitation, and even results in treatment termination. Over the past few years, accumulating evidence has indicated that the gut microbiota is extensively engaged in various toxicities initiated by chemotherapeutic drugs, either directly or indirectly. The gut microbiota can now be targeted to reduce the toxicity of chemotherapy. In the current review, we summarized the clinical relationship between the gut microbiota and CRT, as well as the critical role of the gut microbiota in the occurrence and development of CRT. We then summarized the key mechanisms by which the gut microbiota modulates CRT. Furthermore, currently available strategies to mitigate CRT by targeting the gut microbiota were summarized and discussed. This review offers a novel perspective for the mitigation of diverse chemotherapy-associated toxic reactions in cancer patients and the future development of innovative drugs or functional supplements to alleviate CRT via targeting the gut microbiota.

Reducing optical loss of dual-ion beam sputtered HfO2 films via optimization of coating and annealing parameters.

HfO2 films are widely used for optical coatings due to the high refractive index and low absorption, especially in the ultraviolet (UV) band. In this work, HfO2 film samples were prepared with the optimized assistant source power and deposition temperature by dual-ion beam sputtering (DIBS), followed by annealing treatments in vacuum and atmosphere, respectively. For samples with different annealing temperatures from 200 to 450 °C, the microstructure, morphology, film stress and optical properties from 200 to 1000 nm were systematically investigated. A monoclinic phase, a refractive index inhomogeneity along the film thickness and an absorption of shoulder-shape in the 250-300 nm band were found in the as-deposited samples. For samples annealed in vacuum, 400 °C annealing leaded to more oxygen defects, which in turn caused aggravated UV absorption. For samples annealed in atmosphere, the shoulder-shaped absorption weakened obviously above 300 °C annealing, which was suspected due to the reduction of oxygen defects during the crystallization process with sufficient oxygen. Scattering loss was investigated and found negligible for as-deposited and annealed samples. Additionally, film stress varied from compressive state to tensile state with increasing annealing temperature, and the zero-stress temperature is between 300-350 °C, which is due to the obvious crystallization behavior. Production methods and physical mechanisms for low absorption and scattering loss DIBS deposited HfO2 films were proposed and discussed in detail.

Mechanistic insights for regulating the site occupancy, valence states and optical transitions of Mn ions in yttrium-aluminum garnets via codoping.

The site-dependent photoluminescence of activators can be regulated by the sintering atmosphere, coexistence conditions, and especially cation codoping, which have been intensively studied for design and optimization of optical functional materials. Here, first-principles calculations are performed to determine the regulation of the site occupancy, valence states and optical transitions of Mn activators via codoping in yttrium aluminum garnets (YAGs), which contain three different cation sites. Without any codopants, Mnoct3+ dominates in defect concentration and photoluminescence, which can hardly be tuned by the sintering atmosphere or coexistence conditions of YAGs with other competing compounds. With the low formation energy of Ca2+, Be2+, Mg2+, and Sr2+ codopants and in an oxidation sintering atmosphere, the Fermi energy is lowered and the concentration and luminescence of Mnoct4+ are enhanced. Na+ and Li+ codopants with relatively high formation energy have little influence on tuning the Fermi energy. Then with the low formation energy of Ti4+, Si4+ codopants and in a reducing sintering atmosphere, the Fermi energy is lifted and the luminescence of Mndod2+ and Mnoct2+ is enhanced as a result of increased concentrations. The proposed first-principles scheme, with general applicability and encouraging predictive power, provides an effective approach for elucidating the effects of codoping impurities on the design and optimization of optical materials.

Early Warning Effect of CHR, NLR and U-HBP on SIRS in Patients with Upper Urinary Tract Calculus After Flexible Ureteroscopic Lithotripsy.

Objective: Rising upper urinary tract calculus (UUTC) cases demand effective treatment. FUL, while efficient, poses infection risks and SIRS. This study explores CHR, NLR, and U-HBP as potential SIRS predictors post-FUL in UUTC patients, aiming to improve early detection and enhance SIRS management. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on data from 216 UUTC patients who underwent FUL between April 2020 and April 2023. Occurrence of SIRS post-FUL was studied. Patients were categorized into SIRS and non-SIRS groups. CHR, NLR, and U-HBP levels were compared. Predictive value of CHR, NLR, and U-HBP for SIRS was assessed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses identified SIRS influencing factors. Results: In a study involving 216 patients undergoing Flexible Ureteroscopic Holmium Laser Lithotripsy (FUL), Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) occurred in 20.83% of cases. Patients with SIRS exhibited significantly elevated levels of C-reactive protein to High-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (CHR) (9.26 ± 2.17 vs. 3.89 ± 0.92), Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) (5.21 ± 0.98 vs. 2.62 ± 0.49), and Urinary Heparin Binding Protein (U-HBP) (3.01 ± 0.51 ng/L vs. 1.22 ± 0.19 ng/L) compared to the non-SIRS group. Multivariate analysis identified factors such as infected stones (OR = 3.294), stone size ≥ 30 mm (OR = 2.034), CHR ≥ 8.76 (OR = 4.554), NLR ≥ 3.74 (OR = 3.951), and U-HBP ≥ 1.55 ng/L (OR = 4.884) as significant predictors for SIRS. These findings emphasize the pivotal role of these biomarkers and stone characteristics in predicting inflammatory responses post-FUL surgery. Conclusion: This study establishes the predictive power of elevated C-reactive protein to High-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (CHR), Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), and Urinary Heparin Binding Protein (U-HBP) levels for Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) post Flexible Ureteroscopic Holmium Laser Lithotripsy (FUL) in upper urinary tract calculi patients. Stone characteristics, including infected stones and stone size ≥ 30 mm, are also key indicators of SIRS. These findings offer crucial insights for effective post-operative management, enhancing outcomes in urinary calculi treatment.

Enhanced Near-Infrared Ultra-Narrow Absorber Based on a Dielectric Nano-Resonant Ring for Refractive Index Sensing.

In this paper, a plasmon resonance-enhanced narrow-band absorber based on the nano-resonant ring array of transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) is proposed and verified numerically. Due to the unique properties of TCOs, the structure achieves an ultra-narrowband perfect absorption by exhibiting a near-field enhancement effect. Consequently, we achieve a peak absorption rate of 99.94% at 792.2 nm. The simulation results indicate that the Full Width Half Maximum (FWHM) can be limited to within 8.8 nm. As a refractive index sensor, the device reaches a sensitivity S of 300 nm/RIU and a Figure of Merit (FOM) value of 34.1 1/RIU. By analyzing the distribution characteristics of the electromagnetic field at the 792.2 nm, we find high absorption with a narrow FWHM of the ITO nano-resonant ring (INRR) owing to plasmon resonance excited by the free carriers at the interface between the metal and the interior of the ITO. Additionally, the device exhibits polarization independence and maintains absorption rates above 90% even when the incident formed by the axis perpendicular to the film is greater than 13°. This study opens a new prospective channel for research into TCOs, which will increase the potential of compact photoelectric devices, such as optical sensing, narrowband filtering, non-radiative data transmission and biomolecular manipulation.

Structural Analysis and Antioxidant and Immunoregulatory Activities of an Exopolysaccharide Isolated from Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum XZ01.

Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum XZ01 (BLSL1) is a new strain (isolated from the intestines of healthy people and deposited with the preservation number GDMCC 61618). An exopolysaccharide, S-EPS-1, was successfully isolated from the strain and then systematically investigated for the first time. Some structural features of S-EPS-1 were analyzed by chemical component, HPLC, ultraviolet, infrared, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum analyses. These analyses revealed that S-EPS-1 is a neutral heteropolysaccharide with an α-configuration. It contains mainly mannose and glucose, as well as small amounts of rhamnose and galactose. The molecular weight of S-EPS-1 was calculated to be 638 kDa. Several immunoregulatory activity assays indicated that S-EPS-1 could increase proliferation, phagocytosis, and NO production in vitro. In addition, S-EPS-1 could upregulate the expression of cytokines at the mRNA level through TLR4-mediated activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway in RAW 264.7 cells. Finally, S-EPS-1 was demonstrated to exhibit antioxidant activity by ABTS+• scavenging, DPPH• scavenging, and ferric-ion reducing power assays. Furthermore, S-EPS-1 can protect cells from oxidative stress and shows no cytotoxicity. These beneficial effects can be partly attributed to its antioxidant ability. Thus, the antioxidant S-EPS-1 may be applied as a functional food in the future.

Signal-On Electrochemical Detection for Drug-Resistant Hepatitis B Virus Mutants through Three-Way Junction Transduction and Exonuclease III-Assisted Catalyzed Hairpin Assembly.

The present detection method for hepatitis B virus (HBV) drug-resistant mutation has a high misdiagnosis rate and usually needs to meet stringent requirements for technology and equipment, leading to complex and time-consuming manipulation and drawback of high costs. Herein, with the purpose of developing cost-effective, highly efficient, and handy diagnosis for HBV drug-resistant mutants, we propose an electrochemical signal-on strategy through the three-way junction (3WJ) transduction and exonuclease III (Exo III)-assisted catalyzed hairpin assembly (CHA). To achieve single-copy gene detection, loop-mediated nucleic acid isothermal amplification (LAMP), one of the highly promising and compatible techniques to revolutionize point-of-care genetic detection, is first adopted for amplification. The rtN236T mutation, an error encoded by codon 236 of the reverse transcriptase region of HBV DNA, was employed as the model gene target. Under the optimized conditions, it allows end-point transduction from HBV drug-resistant mutants-genomic information to electrochemical signals with ultrahigh sensitivity, specificity, and signal-to-noise ratio, showing the lowest detection concentration down to 2 copies/µL. Such a method provides a possibly new principle for ideal in vitro diagnosis, supporting the construction of a clinic HBV diagnosis platform with high accuracy and generalization. Moreover, it is not restricted by specific nucleic acid sequences but can be applied to the detection of various disease genes, laying the foundation for multiple detection.

Anticancer Activity and Molecular Mechanism of Momordica cochinchinensis Seed Extract in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Cells.

Targeting Bcr-Abl is the key to the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia. Despite great progress in the treatment of patients with chronic CML, advanced CML patients are still unable to obtain effective and safe drugs. Momordica cochinchinensis seed is the dried ripe seed of Momordica cochinchinensis, which is a kind of fruit and consumed for dietary as well as medicinal uses. This study aimed to investigate the anticancer activity of Momordica cochinchinensis seed extract (MCSE) in CML cells. CML cells (KBM5 and KBM5-T315I) were treated with MCSE and analyzed for growth, apoptosis, and signal transduction. Nude mouse xenograft model was used to evaluate the antitumor activity of MCSE In Vivo. MCSE significantly reduced the cell viability of CML cells, triggered G0/G1 phase arrest in KBM5 cells and S phase arrest in KBM5-T315I cells. Concurrently, MCSE caused the activation of caspase-3, -8, -9, PARP and the degradation of Mcl-1, ultimately triggering endogenous and exogenous cell apoptosis. Meanwhile, MCSE downregulated Bcr-Abl levels and its downstream signaling pathways. Additionally, MCSE inhibited the growth of CML cells in nude mouse xenografts. Taken together, this study demonstrated the anticancer mechanism of MCSE, namely blocking Bcr-Abl and downregulating Mcl-1, and finally induced apoptosis of CML cells.

Circular RNA circ_0002984 Promotes Cell Proliferation and Migration by Regulating miR-181b-5p/Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Axis and PI3K-AKT Signaling Pathway in Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein-Treated Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells.

ABSTRACT: RNAs (circRNAs) play critical roles in many diseases, including atherosclerosis (AS). However, the role and underlying mechanism of circ_0002984 in AS remain unclear. Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) treated with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) were used as a AS cell model. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was conducted to detect the expression of circ_0002984, miR-181b-5p and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA). Cell proliferation was evaluated by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine assays. Cell migration was assessed using wound healing assay and transwell assay. All protein levels were analyzed by western blot assay. The interaction between miR-181b-5p and circ_0002984 or VEGFA was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter, RNA Immunoprecipitation, and RNA pull-down assays. Circ_0002984 and VEGFA were overexpressed, and miR-181b-5p was downregulated in serum of AS patients and ox-LDL-stimulated VSMCs. Circ_0002984 silencing inhibited ox-LDL-induced proliferation and migration in VSMCs. MiR-181b-5p was a target of circ_0002984, and miR-181b-5p inhibition counteracted the suppressing effects of circ_0002984 downregulation on proliferation and migration in ox-LDL-stimulated VSMCs. Additionally, VEGFA was a downstream target of miR-181b-5p and VEGFA upregulation abolished the suppressive influence of miR-181b-5p on proliferation and migration in ox-LDL-exposed VSMCs. Furthermore, circ_0002984 depletion blocked phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase-AKT signaling pathway by regulating miR-181b-5p and VEGFA. Circ_0002984 downregulation suppressed cell proliferation and migration by regulating miR-181b-5p/VEGFA axis and phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase-AKT pathway in ox-LDL-stimulated VEGFA, providing a new mechanism for AS pathogenesis.

Angular Jahn-Teller Effect and Photoluminescence of the Tetrahedral Coordinated Mn2+ Activators in Solids-A First-Principles Study.

First-principles calculations based on density functional theory have been performed to investigate the electronic structure, excited-state Jahn-Teller distortion, and photoluminescence of the multielectron d5 system of the strongly covalent tetrahedral coordinated Mn2+ activator in solids. The electronic structure of the 4T1 and 4A1/4E excited states is analyzed, and Slater's transition-state method and occupation matrix control methodology are applied to deal with the spin contamination in the lower-spin excited states, which is due to the mixing of the ground state of the same spin projection number. In a series of covalent tetrahedral coordinations, the 6A1 → 4T1 and 4A1/4E excitations and the 4T1 → 6A1 emission energies are obtained and compared to the reported experimental results. The nephelauxetic effect follows O2- < S2- ≈ Se2- < N3-, and the larger nephelauxetic effect and crystal field strength lead to the red-shifted emission of nitride phosphors. The Jahn-Teller distortion of the 4T1 states is dominated by the e-type angular distortion of the [MnL4] moiety (L being the ligand), which accounts for the small Stokes shift of tetrahedral coordinated Mn2+. The results show that the ground- and excited-state electronic and geometric structures and the luminescent property of tetrahedral coordinated Mn2+ can be reliably predicted. The method can be further explored to interpret and discriminate the luminescent properties of materials containing a variety of different Mn2+ sites and complexes and even other transition metals.

Experimental and Theoretical Studies of the Site Occupancy and Luminescence of Ce3+ in LiSr4(BO3)3 for Potential X-ray Detecting Applications.

Ce3+-doped LiSr4(BO3)3 phosphors have been prepared by a high-temperature solid-state reaction method, and structural refinement of the host compound has been performed. The excitation and emission spectra in the vacuum ultraviolet-ultraviolet-visible range at cryogenic temperatures reveal that Ce3+ ions preferentially occupy eight-coordinated Sr2+ sites in LiSr4(BO3)3. Such experimental attribution is well corroborated by the calculated 4f-5d transition energies and defect formation energies of Ce3+ ions at two distinct Sr2+ sites in the first-principles framework. In addition, the doping concentration-dependent luminescence and the temperature-dependent luminescence are systematically investigated by luminescence intensity and lifetime measurements, respectively. This shows that concentration quenching does not occur in the investigated doping range, but inhomogeneous broadening exists in the concentrated samples. With the estimated thermal quenching activation energy, the discussions on the thermal quenching mechanisms suggest that the thermal-ionization process of the 5d electron is a dominant channel for thermal quenching of Ce3+ luminescence, despite the fact that thermally activated concentration quenching cannot be excluded for the highly doped samples. Finally, the X-ray excited luminescence measurement demonstrates the promising applications of the phosphors in X-ray detection.

The photoluminescence of isolated and paired Bi3+ ions in layered LnOCl crystals: a first-principles study.

Luminescent ns2 centers have shown great potential for applications as phosphors and scintillators. First-principles calculations based on density functional theory are performed to systematically analyze the luminescent centers of isolated and paired Bi3+(6s2) ions in layered LnOCl (Ln = Y, Gd, La) crystals. The spin-orbit coupling and orbital hybridization both show important effects on the luminescence properties. The luminescence of the isolated Bi ion is confirmed as the interconfigurational transition of 3P0,1 → 1S0. For the Bi pair, the adiabatic potential energy surfaces are calculated and the charge transfer excited state is the most stable, which accounts for the visible emission of a large Stokes shift. Furthermore, the electron-hole pair separation, absorption, excitonic state and emission of the material with fully-concentrated Bi3+, BiOCl, are discussed. This study shows that the first-principles calculations can serve as an effective tool for the photoluminescence analysis and engineering of materials activated with isolated, paired and even fully-concentrated ns2 ions.

Comparing algorithms for characterizing treatment effect heterogeneity in randomized trials.

The identification and estimation of heterogeneous treatment effects in biomedical clinical trials are challenging, because trials are typically planned to assess the treatment effect in the overall trial population. Nevertheless, the identification of how the treatment effect may vary across subgroups is of major importance for drug development. In this work, we review some existing simulation work and perform a simulation study to evaluate recent methods for identifying and estimating the heterogeneous treatments effects using various metrics and scenarios relevant for drug development. Our focus is not only on a comparison of the methods in general, but on how well these methods perform in simulation scenarios that reflect real clinical trials. We provide the R package benchtm that can be used to simulate synthetic biomarker distributions based on real clinical trial data and to create interpretable scenarios to benchmark methods for identification and estimation of treatment effect heterogeneity.

Linking Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Brain Disease: Focusing on Bile Acid Signaling.

A metabolic illness known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), affects more than one-quarter of the world's population. Bile acids (BAs), as detergents involved in lipid digestion, show an abnormal metabolism in patients with NAFLD. However, BAs can affect other organs as well, such as the brain, where it has a neuroprotective effect. According to a series of studies, brain disorders may be extrahepatic manifestations of NAFLD, such as depression, changes to the cerebrovascular system, and worsening cognitive ability. Consequently, we propose that NAFLD affects the development of brain disease, through the bile acid signaling pathway. Through direct or indirect channels, BAs can send messages to the brain. Some BAs may operate directly on the central Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and the G protein bile acid-activated receptor 1 (GPBAR1) by overcoming the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Furthermore, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 19 are released from the intestine FXR and GPBAR1 receptors, upon activation, both of which send signals to the brain. Inflammatory, systemic metabolic disorders in the liver and brain are regulated by the bile acid-activated receptors FXR and GPBAR1, which are potential therapeutic targets. From a bile acid viewpoint, we examine the bile acid signaling changes in NAFLD and brain disease. We also recommend the development of dual GPBAR1/FXR ligands to reduce side effects and manage NAFLD and brain disease efficiently.

[Transcriptome-wide identification and expression pattern analysis for Dof gene family in Panax ginseng from Jilin].

Dof(DNA binding with one finger), a unique class of transcription factors in plants, play an important role in seed development, tissue differentiation, and metabolic regulation. To identify the number and function of Dof gene family members in Panax ginseng, this study identified the members of Dof gene family in P. ginseng and systematically analyzed their structures, evolution, functional differentiation, expression patterns, and interactions using bioinformatics methods at the transcriptome level. At the same time, the association analysis of Dof genes from P. ginseng with key enzyme genes for ginsenoside synthesis was carried out to screen the candidate PgDof genes involved in the regulation of ginsenoside biosynthesis. The results showed that there were 54 genes belonging to the Dof gene family in P. ginseng from Jilin. All PgDof genes had Zf-Dof conserved motifs, implying that they were evolutionarily conserved and could be divided into five groups. Expression pattern analysis confirmed that the expression of PgDof gene family members in different tissues, different year-old P. ginseng, and different farm varieties varied significantly. Simultaneously, as revealed by "gene-saponin content" and "gene-gene" linkage analysis, an important candidate PgDof14-1 gene involved in the regulation of ginsenoside biosynthesis was obtained. From the established genetic transformation system of this gene in the hairy roots of P. ginseng, a positive hairy root clone was determined. This study has laid a theoretical foundation for the study of Dof gene family in P. ginseng.

The Relationship between Exercise Behavior and Mental Health during the COVID-19 Epidemic: Research Based on the Weibo Exercise Behavior User Dictionary.

In the context of COVID-19, people face conditions of great stress and are susceptible to negative emotions such as worry, fear, and doubt. Therefore, the focus of epidemic prevention should be on mental health as well as physical health. It is important to pay attention to people's mental health while mitigating and controlling the epidemic. As an intervention to improve mental health, exercise behavior has attracted increasing attention from scholars due to its convenience and low cost. Therefore, the goal of this paper was to investigate the differences between characteristics related to linguistic expression and mental health indicators among different groups of Weibo users by constructing a Weibo exercise behavior user lexicon to explore the influence of exercise behavior on mental health. This study developed a user dictionary of exercise behavior, classified Sina Weibo users' exercise behavior, and established relevant systems to uncover the expressive characteristics of psychological vocabulary and behavioral vocabulary to explore the differences in expressive features related to psychological and behavioral vocabulary and mental health indicators among users who engage in different forms of exercise behavior during the period of COVID-19. As a result of an analysis of variance (ANOVA) conducted during the COVID-19 epidemic, (1) based on the constructed user lexicon of motion behavior in Weibo, the classification program exhibited good performance; (2) there were significant differences in the expressions of some lexical features among users who exhibited different motor behaviors; and (3) both nonphysical exercise and physical exercise behavior had positive relationships with some mental health indicators, but the mechanism associated with nonphysical exercise requires further exploration. This study provides a scientific online evaluation methodology and support for research concerning exercise and mental health during the COVID-19 epidemic.