Associations of cold-inducible RNA-binding protein with bacterial load, proinflammatory cytokines and mortality from pneumonia.

Cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRP) is a damage-associated molecular pattern that plays a critical role in triggering inflammatory responses. It remains unknown whether CIRP is strongly associated with bacterial load, inflammatory response, and mortality in sepsis model. Pneumonia was induced in specific pathogen-free 8-9-week old male rats by injecting bacteria via puncture of the tracheal cartilage. The expressions of CIRP and proinflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-1ß] in lung tissues, alveolar macrophages (AMs), plasma, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The numbers of bacteria recovered from the lungs were correlated with the bacterial loads injected and mortality. The expressions of CIRP increased sharply as the bacterial loads increased in the lung tissues and AMs. The amounts of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1ß proteins synthesized were dependent on the bacterial load in the lung tissues. Releases of CIRP, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1ß increased with the bacterial load in the blood plasma. The proteins confirmed similar patterns in the BALF. CIRP was strongly associated with the releases of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1ß in the lung tissues, blood plasma, and BALF, and showed a close correlation with mortality. CIRP demonstrated a strong association with bacterial load, which is new evidence, and close correlations with proinflammatory cytokines and mortality of pneumonia in rats, suggesting that it might be an interesting pneumonic biomarker for monitoring host response and predicting mortality, and a promising target for immunotherapy.

Effectiveness of conjunctival bleb scarring by knock-down of heat shock protein 47 in rat model.

AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of knock-down of heat shock protein 47 (HSP47) on conjunctival bleb scarring in a rat model and its possible mechanism. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used for glaucoma filtration surgery (GFS) and were treated with either phosphate buffered solution, shControl, mitomycin C, or sh-HSP47 using a microsyringe immediately after GFS. The morphology of filtering blebs was observed postoperatively. The levels of HSP47 were analyzed at 2, 5, 8, and 11d after GFS via real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot. The silencing effect of HSP47, the expression of collagen I and III, and the potential signaling pathways of HSP47 during scarification were explored 11d post GFS. The protein levels of transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1), phospho-Smad2 (pSmad2), phospho-Smad3 (p-Smad3), and phospho-p38 (p-p38) were also analyzed using Western blot. RESULTS: Sh-HSP47 treatment significantly prolonged the functional filtration bleb retention. The levels of HSP47 were increased significantly at 5, 8, and 11d postoperatively compared to the control group (P<0.05, P<0.01, and P<0.001). The levels of HSP47 protein at day 11 postoperatively were significantly down-regulated after HSP47 silencing using sh-HSP47 adenovirus transfection (P<0.01). Expression levels of collagen I and III within the blebs were significantly reduced in the absence of HSP47 (P<0.01). Moreover, the protein levels of TGF-ß1, p-Smad2/3, and p-p38 were dramatically inhibited after treatment with sh-HSP47 (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The inhibitory effects of HSP47 knock-down on scarring after GFS have the potential to be an efficacious therapeutic option for the treatment of conjunctival bleb scarring.

Mechanism of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons degradation in the rhizosphere of Phragmites australis: Organic acid co-metabolism, iron-driven, and microbial response.

Microbial co-metabolism is crucial for the efficient biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); however, their intrinsic mechanisms remain unclear. To explore the co-metabolic degradation of PAHs, root organic acids (ROAs) (phenolic ROAs: caffeic acid [CA] and ferulic acid [FA]; non-phenolic ROAs: oxalic acid [OA]) were exogenously added as co-metabolic substrates under high (HFe) and low (LFe) iron levels in this study. The results demonstrated that more than 90% of PAHs were eliminated from the rhizosphere of Phragmites australis. OA can promote the enrichment of unrelated degrading bacteria and non-specific dioxygenases. FA with a monohydroxy structure can activate hydroxylase; however, it relies on phytosiderophores released by plants (such as OA) to adapt to stress. Therefore, non-specific co-metabolism occurred in these units. The best performance for PAH removal was observed in the HFe-CA unit because: (a) HFe concentrations enriched the Fe-reducing and denitrifying bacteria and promoted the rate-limiting degradation for PAHs as the enzyme cofactor; (b) CA with a dihydroxyl structure enriched the related degrading bacteria, stimulated specific dioxygenase, and activated Fe to concentrate around the rhizosphere simultaneously to perform the specific co-metabolism. Understanding the co-metabolic degradation of PAHs will help improve the efficacy of rhizosphere-mediated remediation.

Etiology and clinical characteristics of primary epistaxis.

Background: Primary epistaxis (rupture of nasal artery vessels) is a common emergency, but the related factors are still controversial. This study collected the data on primary epistaxis patients and healthy people undergoing a physical examination at the same center to explore and classify primary epistaxis by its characteristics. Methods: Primary epistaxis was divided into septal epistaxis and non-septal epistaxis, and logistic regression was performed to determine the risk factors. Results: In total, 196 cases of septal epistaxis and 127 cases of non-septal epistaxis, and the control group was 182 healthy subjects. There were significant differences in sex, drinking history, hypertension history and hyperlipidemia between the bleeding group and the control group, but no correlation with smoking, diabetes, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, or anticoagulant drug use. In the age group of 26-40 years it was related to alcohol consumption and hypertension, for those aged 41-55 years it was related to hypertension, in the age group of 56-70 years it was related to hypertension, high triglyceride and high apolipoprotein B levels, and no related factors were found in the age group >70 years. The risk factors for non-septal cases were increased low-density lipoprotein (LDL) [P=0.035; odds ratio (OR), 2.450; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.067-5.624], male sex (P=0.002; OR, 3.136; 95% CI: 1.501-6.554), and younger age (P=0.000; OR, 0.941; 95%CI: 0.920-0.962). All patients with nosebleed underwent nasal endoscopy and the bleeding site was successfully located and treated with electrocoagulation. No further bleeding or serious complications occurred after 6 months of follow-up. Conclusions: Primary epistaxis is more common in males and is related to alcohol consumption, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. In the young age groups, male sex, and increased LDL were high risk factors for non-septal hemorrhage in winter and spring. Nasal endoscopy and electrocoagulation are safe and effective.

[The mediating effect of coping style between illness perception and fear of cancer recurrence in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mediating effect of coping style between illness perception and fear of cancer recurrence in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was carried out in 254 eligible patients who underwent radical prostatectomy in the urology department of two comprehensive tertiary hospitals in Wenzhou City from June 2022 to December 2022. The questionnaires include the general data questionnaire, brief illness perception questionnaire (BIPQ), Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire (MCMQ) and Fear of Progression Questionnaire-Short Form (FoP-Q-SF). A structural equation model was used to analyze the mediating effect of coping style between illness perception and fear of cancer recurrence. RESULTS: The score of fear of cancer recurrence in prostate cancer patients is (30.08 ± 10.11). Illness perception, avoidance, and surrender coping styles could forward prediction fear of cancer recurrence (P=0.001, P=0.019, P=0.001); facing coping styles can negatively predict fear of cancer recurrence (P=0.001). Coping style played a part of the mediating role between illness perception and fear of cancer recurrence, and the mediating effect is 0.150，which accounted for 47.62% of the total effect. CONCLUSION: Coping style is a mediator between illness perception and fear of cancer recurrence in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy. Doctors and nurses should reduce patients' negative perception, guide them to adopt positive coping strategies, and thereby reduce their fear of cancer recurrence.

The prognostic value and immune landscape of a cuproptosis-related lncRNA signature in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Cuproptosis has been recognized as a novel regulatory cell death, which has been confirmed to promote the occurrence and development of tumors. However, whether cuproptosis-related lncRNA has an impact on the prognosis of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) is still unclear. Methods: In total, 501 HNSCC tumor samples and 44 normal were downloaded from the TCGA database. Cuproptosis-related lncRNAs were obtained by co-expressed analysis. We got prognostic lncRNA that was associated with cuproptosis by using univariate Cox regression analysis and LASSO Cox regression. Then we constructed and validated the prognostic signature of HNSCC and analyzed the immune landscape of the signature. Results: The Prognostic Signature is based on 10 cuproptosis-related lncRNAs including AC090587.1, AC004943.2, TTN-AS1, AL162458.1, AC106820.5, AC012313.5, AL132800.1, WDFY3-AS2, CDKN2A-DT, and AL136419.3. The results of overall survival, risk score distribution, and survival status in the low-risk group were better than those in the high-risk group. In addition, all immune checkpoint genes involved were significantly different between the two risk groups (p < 0.05). The risk score was positively correlated with Eosinophils. M0 and M2 phenotype macrophages, mast cells activated, NK cells activated, and negatively related with B cells naive, mast cells resting, plasma cells, CD8T cells, T cells follicular helper, T cells regulatory (Tregs). Consensus clustering was identified in molecular subtypes of HNSC. More high-risk samples concentrated in Cluster1, which had a higher Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) score and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP) alternation than Cluster2. Conclusion: Our study elucidated the correlation between cuproptosis-related lncRNA with prognosis and immune landscape of HNSCC, which may provide references for further research on the exploration of the mechanism and functions of the prognosis for HNSCC.

Cellular signaling pathways of T cells in giant cell arteritis.

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a commonly occurring large vacuities characterized by angiopathy of medium and large-sized vessels. GCA granulomatous formation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of GCA. Analysis of T cell lineages and signaling pathways in GCA have revealed the essential role of T cells in the pathology of GCA. T cells are the dominant population present in GCA lesions. CD4+ T cell subtypes that are present include Th1, Th2, Th9, Th17, follicular helper T (Tfh) cells, and regulatory T (Treg) cells. CD8 T cells can primarily differentiate into cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocytes and Treg cells. The instrumental part of GCA is the interplay between dendritic cells, macrophages and endothelial cells, which can result in the vascular injury and the characteristics granulomatous infiltrates formation. During the inflammatory loop of GCA, several signaling pathways have been reported to play an essential role in recruiting, activating and differentiating T cells, including T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-Jagged-Notch signaling and the Janus kinase and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathway (JAK-STAT) pathway. In this review, we have focused on the role of T cells and their potential signaling mechanism (s) that are involved in the pathogenesis of GCA. A better understanding of the role of T cells mediated complicated orchestration during the homeostasis and the changes could possibly favor developments of novel treatment strategies against immunological disorders associated with GCA.

Nickel-Catalyzed Etherification of Phenols and Aryl Halides through Visible-Light-Induced Energy Transfer.

Notwithstanding some progress in nickel-catalyzed etherification of alkanols and arylhalides, the ability of such a Ni-catalyzed transformation employing phenols to diaryl ethers is unsuccessful due to phenolates with much lower reduction potentials, which suppress the oxidation of nickel(II) intermediates into requisite Ni(III) species. We herein report visible-light-initiated, nickel-catalyzed O-arylation of phenols with arylhalides using t-BuNH(i-Pr) as the base and thioxanthen-9-one as the photosensitizer under visible light. This photocoupling exhibits a broad substrate scope.

Application of different imaging methods for the localization of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea: a comparative study.

BACKGROUND: CSF rhinorrhea is a type of CSF leakage caused by an aseptic abnormal passage between the subarachnoid space and the adjacent sinus and nasal cavity due to a cranial dural defect. At present, the value of computed tomography cisternography (CTC) in locating CSF rhinorrhea has been widely recognized, and magnetic resonance hydrography (MRH), as a heavy T2-weighted water imaging, plays a pivotal role in showing the location of the leak. In this paper, we retrospectively summarize the imaging manifestations seen at our hospital of patients with clinically confirmed CSF rhinorrhea at the skull base and evaluate the diagnostic value of different imaging methods in the localization of CSF rhinorrhea by means of preoperative imaging analysis using CTC and MRH. METHODS: Fifty-five patients with CSF rhinorrhea admitted to our department from October 2016 to January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients' conventional CT, CTC, and MRH imaging data were compared, and the location of the leak determined preoperatively matched the location of the leak found during surgery. Moreover, there was no recurrence during the follow-up period of 4 months to 3 years. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences between the diagnostic positivity rate of CTC and spiral CT (χ2=16.755, P<0.00), and between the diagnostic positivity rate of cranial MRH and spiral CT (χ2=6.338, 6.338=0.01), and no statistically significant difference between the diagnostic positivity rate of CTC and cranial MRH (χ2=2.625, P=0.1). CONCLUSIONS: The combined use of imaging techniques has important practical significance for the proper treatment and prognostic evaluation of CSF rhinorrhea. CTC has the highest positive rate for the diagnosis of CSF rhinorrhea, followed by MRH, while spiral CT is safer. CTC and MRH can promote the diagnostic rate in determining the location of CSF rhinorrhea, and selective combined application can be an important guide to surgery.

Preliminary Investigation and Imaging Analysis of Early Lung Cancer Screening Among Petroleum Workers in North China.

BACKGROUND: The detection rate of lung nodules has increased significantly among petroleum workers in North China since the low-dose CT (LDCT) screening has been widely carried out. What's more, the number of confirmed early lung cancers is increasing continuously. Therefore, a great deal of concern for the high risk of lung cancer has been shown among petroleum workers. PURPOSE: To improve the screening efficiency and maximize the benefits of the subjects, the current situation of LDCT lung cancer screening should be understood and the imaging characteristics of early lung cancer should be analyzed for petroleum workers in North China. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Firstly, the dynamic changes of LDCT early lung cancer screening for petroleum workers in North China were analyzed in recent years. Then, the survey data of 3121 petroleum workers was compared with that of 1868 non-petroleum workers, which was analyzed. Finally, 91 patients (129 nodular lung cancer) confirmed by pathology were retrospectively analyzed, and the data of which was compared with the clinical features obtained from survey data above. The imaging characteristics and related factors of different subtypes of lung adenocarcinoma were discussed and analyzed. RESULTS: Lung nodules were found in 810 cases (25.95%) out of 3121 petroleum workers; and the surgery was chosen by 42 patients, 38 of whom were confirmed as lung cancer. Compared with the data of screened petroleum workers, there were more older people and more females as well as a higher proportion of people with family malignancy history, and a lower proportion of smoking people in 91 patients with lung cancer. As the pathological grade of tumor nodules increased, the volume and diameter of nodules gradually increased, and the mean density, maximum density and standard deviation of density also increased (p < 0.001). The volume and diameter of nodules were positively correlated with ages (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The occurrence of lung adenocarcinoma is closely related to the family history of malignant tumors, and the constituent ratio of young women without a history of smoking increased significantly. At the same time, the quantitative information obtained by using CT images has important value in predicting its pathological subtypes.

Effects of Outdoor Temperature on Blood Pressure in a Prospective Cohort of Northwest China.

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between outdoor temperature and blood pressure (BP) has been inconclusive. We analyzed data from a prospective cohort study in northwestern China to investigate the effect of outdoor temperature on BP and effect modification by season. METHODS: A total of 32,710 individuals who participated in both the baseline survey and the first follow-up in 2011-2015 were included in the study. A linear mixed-effect model and generalized additive mixed model (GAMM) were applied to estimate the association between outdoor temperature and BP after adjusting for confounding variables. RESULTS: The mean differences in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) between summer and winter were 3.5 mmHg and 2.75 mmHg, respectively. After adjusting for individual characteristics, meteorological factors and air pollutants, a significant increase in SBP and DBP was observed for lag 06 day and lag 04 day, a 0.28 mmHg (95% CI: 0.27-0.30) per 1 °C decrease in average temperature for SBP and a 0.16 mmHg (95% CI: 0.15-0.17) per 1 °C decrease in average temperature for DBP, respectively. The effects of the average temperature on both SBP and DBP were stronger in summer than in other seasons. The effects of the average temperature on BP were also greater if individuals were older, male, overweight or obese, a smoker or drinker, or had cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), hypertension, and diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated a significant negative association between outdoor temperature and BP in a high-altitude environment of northwest China. Moreover, BP showed a significant seasonal variation. The association between BP and temperature differed by season and individuals' demographic characteristics (age, gender, BMI), unhealthy behaviors (smoking and alcohol consumption), and chronic disease status (CVDs, hypertension, and diabetes).

Pentadecanoic acid promotes basal and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in C2C12 myotubes.

BACKGROUND: Saturated fatty acids (SFAs) generally have been thought to worsen insulin-resistance and increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Recently, accumulating evidence has revealed that SFAs are not a single homogeneous group, instead different SFAs are associated with T2DM in opposing directions. Pentadecanoic acid (C15:0, PA) is directly correlated with dairy products, and a negative association between circulating PA and metabolic disease risk was observed in epidemiological studies. Therefore, the role of PA in human health needs to be reinforced. Whether PA has a direct benefit on glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity needs further investigation. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to investigate the effect and potential mechanism of action of PA on basal and insulin stimulated glucose uptake in C2C12 myotubes. METHODS: Glucose uptake was determined using a 2-(N-[7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl] amino)-2-deoxyglucose (2-NBDG) uptake assay. Cell membrane proteins were isolated and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) protein was detected by western blotting to examine the translocation of GLUT4 to the plasma membrane. The phosphorylation levels of proteins involved in the insulin and 5'-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathways were examined by western blotting. RESULTS: We found that PA significantly promoted glucose uptake and GLUT4 translocation to the plasma membrane. PA had no effect on the insulin-dependent pathway involving insulin receptor substrate 1 (Tyr632) and protein kinase B (PKB/Akt), but increased phosphorylation of AMPK and Akt substrate of 160 kDa (AS160). Compound C (an AMPK inhibitor) blocked PA-induced AMPK activation and reversed PA-induced GLUT4 translocation, indicating that PA promotes glucose uptake via the AMPK pathway in vitro. Moreover, PA significantly promoted insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in myotubes. Under insulin stimulation, PA did not affect the insulin-dependent pathway, but still activated AMPK. CONCLUSION: PA, an odd-chain SFA, significantly stimulates glucose uptake via the AMPK-AS160 pathway and exhibits an insulin-sensitizing effect in myotubes.

Visible-Light-Induced Nickel-Catalyzed P(O)-C(sp2) Coupling Using Thioxanthen-9-one as a Photoredox Catalysis.

An efficient method has been developed for photocatalytic P(O)-C(sp2) coupling of (hetero)aryl halides with H-phosphine oxides or H-phosphites under the irradiation of visible light or sunlight. The thioxanthen-9-one/nickel dual catalysis mediates this phosphonylation to give arylphosphine oxides and arylphosphonates in moderate to excellent yields. This transformation is widely tolerant to a range of functional groups and proceeds efficiently on a gram scale.

Efficacy of high intensity focused ultrasound treatment for cystic adenomyosis: a report of four cases.

BACKGROUND: Cystic adenomyosis is a particular type of adenomyosis, High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), as a non-invasive method, has also been used to treat adenomyosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy, safety, and feasibility of HIFU for the treatment of cystic adenomyosis. METHODS: Diagnosis of cystic adenomyosis was obtained through trans-vaginal ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Ultrasound-guided HIFU ablation was performed under conscious sedation. The patients were evaluated by the comparison of pre-HIFU and post-HIFU imaging, as well as the Uterine Fibroid Symptom and Quality of Life (UFS-QOL) questionnaire subscales, consisting of Symptom Severity Score (SSS) and Heath Related Quality of Life (HRQL). RESULTS: HIFU was effective in treating cystic adenomyosis. No complications were observed in the four patients who were successfully treated with HIFU. Compared to preoperative symptoms and patient satisfaction, symptoms at the first follow-up observed significant improvements, with no dysmenorrhea and high health-related quality of life. During the outpatient follow-up of one month, three months, and six months postoperation, the four patients were still without dysmenorrhea and were highly satisfied with the HIFU ablation. CONCLUSIONS: HIFU, as a non-invasive treatment, supplies a safe and effective possibility for the treatment of cystic adenomyosis.

Carboxymethyl chitosan reduces inflammation and promotes osteogenesis in a rabbit knee replacement model.

BACKGROUND: The major causes of failure after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) include prosthesis loosening and infection. This study aimed to investigate the role of carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) in knee arthroplasty. METHODS: A total of 20 New Zealand white rabbits that were divided into two groups (10 in the control group and 10 in the chitosan group) were included in the study. They underwent TKA surgery, and all were implanted with titanium rod prostheses; the prosthesis in the chitosan group was coated with CMC. After 12 weeks, all rabbits were euthanized, and the following analyses of some specific surface membrane tissues around the prosthesis were performed: X-ray analysis; micro-computed tomography scan; haematoxylin and eosin, Van Gieson, and Von Kossa staining; reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; and Western Blotting. RESULTS: The result of CCK8 test showed CMC can promote cell proliferation and increase cell viability. Radiological result showed better amount of bone deposits and more bone formation in the chitosan group. HE staining result showed CMC reduces inflammation around the prosthesis. The VG and Von Kossa staining results showed CMC can promote bone deposition around prosthesis. And according to the results of PCR and WB, the OCN content was higher in the chitosan group, while the MMPs content was lower. The chitosan group has an increased OPG/RANKL ratio than the control group. CONCLUSION: CMC can effectively inhibit the inflammatory response around the prosthesis and osteoclast activation and promote osteogenesis by interfering with the osteoprotegerin/receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-Β ligand/receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-Β signalling pathway.

Comparison of Postoperative Effects between Medial Pivot Prosthesis and Posterior Stabilized Prosthesis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the postoperative inflammation and pain response between medial pivot (MP) and posterior stabilized (PS) prostheses among total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted from January 2019 to May 2019 at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University. The study included patients diagnosed with stage III or IV Kellgren-Lawrence knee osteoarthritis (KOA) who had failed conservative treatment, had undergone no previous knee surgeries, had varus substantial deformities (11°-20° deviation), and had received their first unilateral TKA. A total of 109 patients who underwent PS prosthesis TKA and 98 patients who underwent MP prosthesis TKA were continuously enrolled. Inflammation biomarkers, such as leukocyte (white blood cells), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP), together with hemoglobin (Hb), the visual analog pain score (VAS) and range of motion (ROM) were compared between the two groups. The Student t-test was applied to analyze continuous parameters, and the χ2 -test was used for categorical parameters. The linear mixed model was used for the repeated measurement data from the follow-up visits. Multivariate backward logistic and linear regression models were used to determine the factors potentially influencing prostheses and VAS scores. RESULTS: All these enrolled patients were followed up at 2, 4, 7, and 30 days after TKA. There were no significant differences between the PS group and the MP group in body mass index (BMI), gender, laterality, usage of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and opioids, and drain tube extubation time (P > 0.05). Compared with the PS group, the MP group were older (67.5 years vs 65.4 years), and had a higher mid-vastus approach rate (67.3% vs 26.6%), a shorter tourniquet duration (68.3 ± 10.2 h vs 73.9 ± 11.2 h), a larger prosthetic pad (10.8 ± 1.2 mm vs 10.4 ± 1.2 mm), and a lower drain tube diversion volume (187.6 ± 119.3 mL vs 234.0 ± 155.7 mL). In the linear mixed model, MP prostheses had less CRP and ESR elevation and less Hb decrease than PS prostheses (P for group × time < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the changing trends between MP and PS prostheses by time for VAS scores and ROM. In the multivariate logistic regression model, MP prostheses showed significant differences compared with PS prostheses in treatment approach (odds ratio [OR] = 3.371, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.953-7.127; P < 0.001), ultrasound treatment start time (OR = 2.669, 95% CI: 1.385-5.141; P = 0.003), and tourniquet duration (OR = 0.954, 95% CI: 0.925-0.984; P = 0.003). Higher VAS scores on the second day postoperatively were related to high VAS scores preoperatively, use of opioids, high drain tube diversion, long tourniquet duration, and long drain tube extubation (P < 0.05), respectively. CONCLUSION: The MP prostheses showed potential advantages compared with PS prostheses in TKA in inflammatory responses.

Combined Treatment With CCR1-Overexpressing Mesenchymal Stem Cells and CCL7 Enhances Engraftment and Promotes the Recovery of Simulated Birth Injury-Induced Stress Urinary Incontinence in Rats.

Objective: To observe whether urethral injection of chemokine (c-c motif) ligand 7 (CCL7) and overexpressing CC receptor 1 (CCR1) in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can promote their homing and engraftment to the injured tissue, and improve the recovery of simulated birth injury-induced stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in rats. Methods: Female rats underwent a dual injury consisting of vaginal distension (VD) and pudendal nerve crush (PNC) to induce SUI. Bone marrow-derived MSCs were transduced with lentivirus carrying CCR1 (MSC-CCR1) and green fluorescent protein (GFP). Forty virgin Sprague-Dawley rats were evenly distributed into four groups: sham SUI + MSC-CCR1+CCL7, SUI + MSCs, SUI + MSC-CCR1, and SUI + MSC-CCR1+CCL7 group. The engrafted MSCs in urethra were quantified. Another three groups of rats, including sham SUI + sham MSC-CCR1+CCL7 treatment, SUI + sham MSC-CCR1+CCL7 treatment, and SUI + MSC-CCR1+CCL7 treatment group, were used to evaluate the functional recovery by testing external urethral sphincter electromyography (EUS EMG), pudendal nerve motor branch potentials (PNMBP), and leak point pressure (LPP) 1 week after injury and injection. Urethra and vagina were harvested for histological examination. Results: The SUI + MSC-CCR1+CCL7 group received intravenous injection of CCR1-overexpressing MSCs and local injection of CCL7 after simulated birth injury had the most engraftment of MSCs to the injured tissues and best functional recovery from SUI compared to other groups. Histological examination showed a partial repair in the SUI + MSC-CCR1+CCL7 group. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated combined treatment with CCR1-overexpressing MSCs and CCL7 can increase engraftment of MSCs and promote the functional recovery of simulated birth trauma-induced SUI in rats, which could be a new therapeutic strategy for SUI.

Modulation of Gut Microbiota, Short-Chain Fatty Acid Production, and Inflammatory Cytokine Expression in the Cecum of Porcine Deltacoronavirus-Infected Chicks.

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is a novel swine enteropathogenic coronavirus that causes watery diarrhea and induces proinflammatory cytokine responses in piglets. Our previous research showed that the specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chicks exhibited mild diarrhea and low fecal viral shedding, along with cecum lesions after PDCoV infection. Disturbances in the homeostasis of the gut microbiota have been associated with various diseases. We aimed to explore the effects of PDCoV infection on chick gut microbiota, short-chain fatty acid (SCFAs) production, and inflammatory cytokine expression in chicks, and also to investigate the relationship between gut microbiota and SCFAs or inflammatory cytokine expression of the PDCoV-infected chicks. Results obtained using 16S rRNA sequencing showed that infection with PDCoV strain HNZK-02 significantly altered the composition of chick gut microbiota, with the reduced abundance of Eisenbergiella and Anaerotruncus genera at 5 days post-inoculation (dpi) (P < 0.05), and an increased abundance of Alistipes genus at 17 dpi (P < 0.05). The production of SCFAs in the cecum of PDCoV HNZK-02-infected chicks, including acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid, decreased in all cases. The expression of inflammatory cytokines (interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-10) was increased in the cecum tissue and serum of the PDCoV HNZK-02-infected chicks when detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Further analysis showed significant correlation between bacterial genera and SCFAs or inflammatory cytokines expression in cecum of the PDCoV infected chicks. These findings might provide new insight into the pathology and physiology of PDCoV in chicks.

Nickel-Catalyzed Sonogashira C(sp)-C(sp2) Coupling through Visible-Light Sensitization.

An efficient method for visible-light-initiated, nickel-catalyzed Sonogashira C(sp)-C(sp2) coupling has been developed via an energy-transfer mode. Thioxanthen-9-one as a photosensitizer could significantly accelerate the arylation of alkynes with a wide range of (hetero)aryl halides in high yields. The cross-coupling reaction undergoes the stepwise oxidative addition of an arylhalide to nickel(0), transmetalation of the resulting aryl-Ni(II) halide species with Zn(II) acetylide into aryl-Ni(II) acetylide species, energy transfer from the excited state of thioxanthen-9-one to aryl-Ni(II) acetylide, and reductive elimination to the aryl alkyne.

Genome-Wide Identification, Classification, and Expression Profiling Reveals R2R3-MYB Transcription Factors Related to Monoterpenoid Biosynthesis in Osmanthus fragrans.

Osmanthus fragrans is widely grown for the purpose of urban greening and the pleasant aroma emitted from its flowers. The floral scent is determined by several monoterpenoid volatiles, such as linalool and its oxides, which are a few of the most common volatiles and the main components of the essential oils in most sweet osmanthus cultivars. In addition, the relative contents of cis- and trans-linalool oxide (furan) may affect the aromas and quality of the essential oils. MYB proteins represent the largest family of transcription factors in plants and participate in regulating secondary metabolites. Several cis-elements, especially AC-rich regions, are known to be bound by 2R-MYBs and could be found in the promoter of the enzyme genes in the terpenoid metabolic pathway. However, there has to date been no investigation into the 2R-MYB family genes involved in regulating terpenoid biosynthesis in O. fragrans. Here, 243 non-redundant 2R-MYB proteins were grouped into 33 clusters based on the phylogeny and exon-intron distribution. These genes were unevenly distributed on 23 chromosomes. Ka/Ks analysis showed that the major mode of 2R-MYB gene evolution was purifying selection. Expression analysis indicated that 2R-MYB genes in O. fragrans exhibited varied expression patterns. A total of 35 OfMYBs representing the highest per kilobase per million mapped reads in the flower were selected for quantitative real-time PCR analysis. The correlation analysis between the expression level and the contents of fragrant compounds at different flowering stages suggested that OfMYB19/20 exhibited remarkably positive correlation with the accumulation of cis-linalool oxides. OfMYB51/65/88/121/137/144 showed significantly negative correlations with one or more linalool oxides. Characterization of these proteins revealed that OfMYB19 and OfMYB137 were localized in the nuclei, but did not show transcriptional activation in the yeast system, which suggested that they may be bound to other transcription factors to exert regulatory functions. These findings provide useful information for further functional investigation of the 2R-MYBs and offer a foundation for clarifying the 2R-MYB transcription factors involved in the molecular mechanism of the regulation of monoterpenoid biosynthesis in Osmanthus fragrans.