Preliminary investigation of nitric oxide release from upconverted nanoparticles excited at 808 nm near-infrared for brain tumors.

Upconverted UCNPs@mSiO2-NH2 nanoparticles were synthesized via thermal decomposition while employing the energy resonance transfer principle and the excellent near-infrared (NIR) light conversion property of up-conversion. The 808 nm NIR-excited photocontrolled nitric oxide (NO) release platform was successfully developed by electrostatically loading photosensitive NO donor Roussin's black salt (RBS) onto UCNPs@mSiO2-NH2, enabling the temporal, spatial, and dosimetric regulation of NO release for biological applications of NO. The release of NO ranged from 0.015⁓0.099 mM under the conditions of 2.0 W NIR excitation power, 20 min of irradiation time, and UCNPs@mSiO2-NH2&RBS concentration of 0.25⁓1.25 mg/mL. Therefore, this NO release platform has an anti-tumor effect. In vitro experiments showed that under the NIR light, at concentrations of 0.3 mg/mL and 0.8 mg/mL of UCNPs@mSiO2-NH2&RBS, the activity of glioma (U87) and chordoma (U-CH1) cells, as measured by CCK8 assay, was reduced to 50 %. Cell flow cytometry and Western Blot experiments showed that NO released from UCNPs@mSiO2-NH2&RBS under NIR light induced apoptosis in brain tumor cells. In vivo experiments employing glioma and chordoma xenograft mouse models revealed significant inhibition of tumor growth in the NIR and UCNPs@mSiO2-NH2&RBS group, with no observed significant side effects in the mice. Therefore, NO released by UCNPs@mSiO2-NH2&RBS under NIR irradiation can be used as a highly effective and safe strategy for brain tumor therapy.

Near-Infrared Light-Powered and DNA Nanocage-Confined Catalytic Hairpin Assembly Nanobiosensor with a Nucleic Acid Restriction Behavior and Reinforced Enzymatic Resistance for Robust Imaging Assay in Live Biosystems.

While DNA amplifier-built nanobiosensors featuring a DNA polymerase-free catalytic hairpin assembly (CHA) reaction have shown promise in fluorescence imaging assays within live biosystems, challenges persist due to unsatisfactory precision stemming from premature activation, insufficient sensitivity arising from low reaction kinetics, and poor biostability caused by endonuclease degradation. In this research, we aim to tackle these issues. One aspect involves inserting an analyte-binding unit with a photoinduced cleavage bond to enable a light-powered notion. By utilizing 808 nm near-infrared (NIR) light-excited upconversion luminescence as the ultraviolet source, we achieve entirely a controllable sensing event during the biodelivery phase. Another aspect refers to confining the CHA reaction within the finite space of a DNA self-assembled nanocage. Besides the accelerated kinetics (up to 10-fold enhancement) resulting from the nucleic acid restriction behavior, the DNA nanocage further provides a 3D rigid skeleton to reinforce enzymatic resistance. After selecting a short noncoding microRNA (miRNA-21) as the modeled low-abundance sensing analyte, we have verified that the innovative NIR light-powered and DNA nanocage-confined CHA nanobiosensor possesses remarkably high sensitivity and specificity. More importantly, our sensing system demonstrates a robust imaging capability for this cancer-related universal biomarker in live cells and tumor-bearing mouse bodies, showcasing its potential applications in disease analysis.

Four new steroidal glycosides from Lilium lancifolium Thunb. and their antitumor activity.

Four new steroidal glycosides (1-4), including two steroidal saponins named lililancifoloside B and C (1-2), one pregnane glycoside named lililancifoloside D (3), and one C22-steroidal lactone glycoside named lililancifoloside E (4), together with five known ones (5-9), were isolated from the bulbs of Lilium lancifolium Thunb. By using spectroscopic analysis, including 1D, 2D NMR, and HR-ESI-MS, the structures of 1-4 were elucidated. All isolates were tested for their cytotoxic potential against the MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, HepG2, and A549 cell lines. Compound 6 distinguished out among them, IC50 values of 3.31, 5.23, 1.78, and 1.49 µM against the four cell lines, respectively. Other compounds such as compound 3, 5, and 9 have also shown specific cytotoxic activity. Next, studies showed that compound 6 might cause HepG2 cells to undergo a cell cycle arrest during the G2/M phase and apoptosis.

A population-based study of Helicobacter pylori: Does asymptomatic infection mean no gastroscopic lesions?

OBJECTIVES: We determined the common clinical characteristics of patients infected with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and investigated the relationship between H. pylori infection, and clinical symptoms, and gastroscopic manifestations. Our focus was specifically on the clinical manifestations in asymptomatic patients. METHODS: We obtained the physical examination data of patients who underwent the 14C urea breath test between January 2018 and December 2020 at our Hospital. Basic demographic data, questionnaire data on clinical symptoms, and clinical examination data of the patients were also collected, and the correlation analysis was performed. RESULTS: A total of 2863 participants were included in the study. The overall H. pylori infection rate was 26.30%. The clinical symptoms between H. pylori-positive patients and H. pylori-negative patients did not differ significantly (P > .05). However, H. pylori-positive patients exhibited more severe gastroscopic manifestations (P < .001). The 14C urea breath test disintegrations per minute (DPM) values in H. pylori-positive patients correlated with their serum pepsinogen and gastrin-17 levels. With an increase in the DPM value, more combinations of clinical symptoms appeared in the patients. Among H. pylori-positive patients, DPM levels in asymptomatic patients were lower than those in symptomatic patients (P < .001). However, gastroscopic manifestations did not vary significantly between asymptomatic and symptomatic patients (P > .05). CONCLUSION: Patients infected with H. pylori showed no specific gastrointestinal symptoms. Patients with asymptomatic infection showed lower DPM levels, but their gastroscopic manifestations were similar to those of patients with symptomatic infection, and their lesions were more severe than H. pylori-negative people.

Light-Driven and Metal-Organic Framework Synergetic Loaded DNA Tetrahedral Amplifier for Exonuclease III-Powered All-in-One Biosensing and Chemotherapy in Live Biosystems.

As a result of inaccurate biosensing and difficult synergetic loading, it is challenging to further impel DNA amplifiers to perform therapeutic application. Herein, we introduce some innovative solutions. First, a smart light-driven biosensing concept based on embedding nucleic acid modules with a simple photocleavage-linker is proposed. In this system, the target identification component is exposed on irradiation with ultraviolet light, thus avoiding an always-on biosensing response during biological delivery. Further, in addition to providing controlled spatiotemporal behavior and precise biosensing information, a metal-organic framework is used for the synergetic loading of doxorubicin in the internal pores, whereafter a rigid DNA tetrahedron-sustained exonuclease III-powered biosensing system is attached to prevent drug leakage and enhance resistance to enzymatic degradation. By selecting a next-generation breast cancer correlative noncoding microRNA biomarker (miRNA-21) as a model low-abundance analyte, a highly sensitive in vitro detection ability even allowing to distinguish single-base mismatching is demonstrated. Moreover, the all-in-one DNA amplifier shows excellent bioimaging competence and good chemotherapy efficacy in live biosystems. These findings will drive research into the use of DNA amplifiers in diagnosis and therapy integrated fields.

[ST266 inhibits neointimal hyperplasia after arterial balloon injury in rats].

Objective    To examine the effect of Human Amnion-Derived Multipotent Progenitor (AMP) cells and their novel ST266 secretome on neointimal hyperplasia after arterial balloon injury in rats.Material and Methods    Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly divided into four groups (n=7): Control (PBS) group, systemic ST266 group, systemic AMP group and local AMP implant group. Neointimal hyperplasia was induced in the iliac using a 2F Fogarty embolectomy catheter. After surgery, the rats in the ST266 group were treated with 0.1, 0.5, or 1ml ST266 iv daily. In the systemic AMP groups, a single dose (SD) of 0.5 ×106 or 1×106 AMP cells was injected via the inferior vena cava after arterial balloon injury. In local AMP implant groups, 1×106, 5×106, or 20×106 AMP cells were implanted in 300 µl Matrigel (Mtgl) around the iliac artery after balloon injury. The iliac arteries were removed for histologic analysis at 28 days after the surgery. Re-endothelialization index was measured at 10 days after balloon injury.Results    ST266 (1 ml) group had a lower level of the Neointima / Neointima+Media ratio (N / N+M) 0.3±0.1 vs 0.5±0.1, p=0.004) and luminal stenosis (LS) percentage (18.2±1.9 % vs 39.2±5.8 %, p=0.008) compared with the control group. Single-dose AMP (1×106) decreased LS compared to the control group (19.5±5.4 % vs 39.2±5.8 %, p=0.033). Significant reduction in N / N+M were found between implanted AMPs (20×106) and the control group (0.4±0.1 vs 0.5±0.1, p=0.003) and the Mtgl-only group (0.5±0.1, p=0.007). Implanted AMPs (20×106) decreased the LS compared with both the control (39.2±5.8 %, p=0.001) and Mtgl-only group (37.5±8.6 %, p=0.016). ST266 (1 ml) significantly increased the re-endothelialization index compared to the control (0.4±0.1 vs 0.1±0.1, p=0.002).Conclusion    ST266 and AMP cells reduce neointimal formation and increase the re-endothelialization index after arterial balloon injury. ST266 is potentially a novel, therapeutic agent to prevent vascular restenosis in human.

Imaging Features and Risk Factors of Pancreatic Cystic Lesions Complicating Autoimmune Pancreatitis: A Retrospective Study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the imaging features and risk factors of PCLs complicating AIP, and investigate its prognosis through continuous imaging follow-up. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients who were diagnosed with AIP from January 2014 to December 2020 in our hospital were recruited. We analyzed the CT and MRI features of PCLs complicating AIP, and investigated its prognosis through imaging follow-up. We also compared subjects with and without PCLs using clinical, laboratory, and imaging data; the related risk factors associated with PCLs were investigated in a multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: In this group, 16 patients had PCLs and 86 did not. A total of 43 PCLs larger than 5mm were found in 15 patients. Among these PCLs, 35 showed homogeneous signal (density); one, bleeding; three, linear separation; and four, small focal low signal on T2WI. Eight patients with 23 PCLs appeared for the follow-up after steroid treatment. Short-term follow-up showed that 11 PCLs disappeared, nine reduced, one unchanged and two enlarged. Of the 12 PCLs that did not disappear, 10 PCLs disappeared at long-term follow-up, except for two reduced PCLs were not re-examined. Logistic regression analysis showed that drinking history was an independent risk factor, age ≥ 65 years was an independent protective factor for PCLs complicating AIP. CONCLUSION: The imaging features of PCLs complicating AIP are various, which can be single or multiple, most of them are homogeneous, and some lesions may be accompanied by hemorrhage, separation and necrosis. Age ≥ 65 years and avoiding drinking may help to reduce the occurrence of these lesions.

Metabolomics Reveal the Regulatory Effect of Polysaccharides from Fermented Barley Bran Extract on Lipid Accumulation in HepG2 Cells.

Barley bran has potential bioactivities due to its high content of polyphenols and dietary fiber, etc. Fermentation has been considered as an effective way to promote the functional activity of food raw materials. In this study, polysaccharides from barley bran extract fermented by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum dy-1 (FBBE-PS) were analyzed, and its effects on lipid accumulation and oxidative stress in high-fat HepG2 cells induced by sodium oleate were evaluated. The results showed that the molecular weight decreased and monosaccharide composition of polysaccharides changed significantly after fermentation. In addition, 50 µg/mL FBBE-PS could reduce the triglyceride (TG) content and reaction oxygen species (ROS) level in high-fat HepG2 cells by 21.62% and 30.01%, respectively, while increasing the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) represented by 64.87% and 22.93%, respectively. RT-qPCR analysis revealed that FBBE-PS could up-regulate the lipid metabolism-related genes such as ppar-α, acox-1 and cpt-1α, and oxidation-related genes such as nrf2, ho-1, nqo-1, sod1, cat, etc. The metabolomics analysis indicated that FBBE-PS could alleviate lipid deposition by inhibiting the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, which is consistent with the downregulation of scd-1 expression. It is demonstrated that fermentation can alter the properties and physiological activities of polysaccharides in barley bran, and FBBE-PS exhibited an alleviating effect on lipid deposition and oxidative stress in high-fat cells.

NIR Photocontrolled Fluorescent Nanosensor under a Six-Branched DNA Nanowheel-Induced Nucleic Acid Confinement Effect for High-Performance Bioimaging.

Although DNA nanotechnology is a promising option for fluorescent biosensors to perform bioimaging, the uncontrollable target identification during biological delivery and the spatially free molecular collision of nucleic acids may cause unsatisfactory imaging precision and sensitivity, respectively. Aiming at solving these challenges, we herein integrate some productive notions. On the one hand, the target recognition component is inserted with a photocleavage bond and a core-shell structured upconversion nanoparticle with a low thermal effect is further employed to act as the ultraviolet light generation source, under which a precise near-infrared photocontrolled sensing is achieved through a simple external 808 nm light irradiation. On the other hand, the collision of all of the hairpin nucleic acid reactants is confined by a DNA linker to form a six-branched DNA nanowheel, after which their local reaction concentrations are vastly enhanced (∼27.48 times) to induce a special nucleic acid confinement effect to guarantee highly sensitive detection. By selecting a lung cancer-associated short noncoding microRNA sequence (miRNA-155) as a model low-abundance analyte, it is demonstrated that the newly established fluorescent nanosensor not only presents good in vitro assay performance but also exhibits a high-performance bioimaging competence in live biosystems including cells and mouse body, propelling the progress of DNA nanotechnology in the biosensing field.

Percutaneous dilatation tracheotomy in patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation after cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: Current practices regarding percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy in adult patients treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) after cardiac surgery is not completely defined. This study aimed to evaluate the safety of the percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy in patients with ECMO after cardiac surgery. METHODS: Between July 2017 and May 2021, 371 ECMO procedures were performed in more than 35,000 adult patients who underwent cardiac surgery in our hospital. Sixty-two patients underwent percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) during or after ECMO. A retrospective analysis was performed comparing the incidence of complications and clinical outcomes of the two groups. RESULTS: Of the 371 patients treated with ECMO after adult cardiac surgery during the enrollment period, 22 (7.1%) and 40 (12.8%) underwent PDT during or after ECMO, respectively. The platelet count (PLT) of the day was significantly lower in the PDT during ECMO group (54 (34, 68) vs. 108 (69, 162) (thousands), p < 0.001)). The prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) of the day were longer in the PDT during ECMO group (15.8 (14.6, 19.9) vs. 13.8 (13.2, 15.2) seconds, p = 0.001, 43.8 (38.0, 49.4) vs. 35.2 (28.2, 40.9) seconds, p < 0.001, respectively). There was no significant difference in tracheotomy-related complications between the two groups. Significantly decreased ventilator time was observed in the PDT during ECMO group. CONCLUSIONS: Despite poor coagulation of the day, PDT during ECMO is safe and can appropriately reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation compared with PDT after ECMO weaning in adult patients who have undergone cardiac surgery.

Low molecular-weight polyguluronate phosphate: An immunostimulant by activating splenocyte/macrophage invitro and improving immune response invivo.

The substituents and backbones are two main factors affecting immune activities of polysaccharides. In the present study, we firstly evaluated the immunostimulating effects of phosphorylated, sulfated, H-phosphonated and nitrated derivatives of low-molecular-weight polymannuronate (LPM) and polyguluronate (LPG) on splenocytes and peritoneal macrophages in vitro. The results showed that the phosphate group was the best substituent to enhance the immune activities, and LPG phosphate (LPGP) had much better activity than LPM phosphate (LPMP). Further studies showed that LPGP not only promoted the proliferation of mouse splenocytes in the presence of either LPS or Con A, but also acted as an excellent peritoneal macrophage activator to enhance the cell phagocytosis, energy metabolism, cytokines release and activities of intracellular enzymes. The studies in RAW264.7 cells revealed that LPGP activated the TBK1-IκBα-NF-κB and the TBK1-IRF3 pathway. Moreover, LPGP rescued the immune response in the Cyclophosphamide-treated mice in vivo. In conclusion, LPGP is a potential alginate-based biological response modifier (BRM).

Protective effect of Astragalus membranaceus and Astragaloside IV in sepsis-induced acute kidney injury.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is the most common target organ damage in sepsis. Sepsis-associated AKI (SA-AKI) may be characterized by damage to the renal tubular epithelium. In this study, the pharmacological mechanisms of Astragalus membranaceus and its active monomer Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) were predicted based on a network pharmacology approach and validated both in vitro and in vivo using the SA-AKI model. METHOD: We constructed an in vivo sepsis model using a mouse cecum ligation puncture (CLP) and HK-2 cells were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to mimic Gram (-) induced sepsis to assess the renal-protective efficacy of Astragalus membranaceus and AS-IV. RESULTS: The findings demonstrated that Astragalus membranaceus and AS-IV attenuate renal tubular injury in mice with polymicrobial sepsis, including vacuolization, loss of brush border, mitochondrial ultrastructural changes, and increased staining of kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1). AS-IV protected human proximal tubular epithelial (HK-2) cells against LPS induced cell viability loss. Both Astragalus membranaceus and AS-IV activated the PI3K/AKT pathway both in vitro and in vivo, as shown by Western blot and immunohistochemistry analysis. CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrate that Astragalus membranaceus and AS-IV protect against sepsis-induced kidney tubular injury by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway.

Intra-aortic balloon pump impacts the regional haemodynamics of patients with cardiogenic shock treated with femoro-femoral veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

AIMS: To investigate the impact of intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) on the regional haemodynamics of patients with severe cardiogenic shock undergoing femoro-femoral veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). METHODS AND RESULTS: From July 2017 to April 2018, a total of 39 adult patients with cardiogenic shock receiving both IABP and ECMO for circulatory support were enrolled consecutively in a university-affiliated cardiac surgery intensive care unit. The blood flow rates (BFRs) of the bilateral femoral artery (IABP side: iFA, ECMO side: eFA) and carotid artery (left: LCA, right: RCA) and the velocity time integral (VTI) of aortic root were assessed by ultrasonography and compared when IABP was on and off. Seventeen of 39 (43.6%) patients survived to discharge, and 29 (74.4%) survived on ECMO. A total of 172 pairs of data (IABP on and off) were collected in this study, measured on the median of 2.0 (1.0, 4.5) days after patients received VA-ECMO. The BFR on both sides of FA (iFA: 176.4 ± 104.5 vs. 152.2 ± 139.8 mL/min, P < 0.01; eFA: 299.3 ± 279.9 vs. 242.4 ± 258.8 mL/min, P < 0.01) and the aortic VTI (10.1 ± 4.4 vs. 8.5 ± 4.4 cm, P < 0.01) decreased significantly when turning the IABP off, while the BFR on both sides of CA remained unchanged (LCA: 555.7 ± 326.9 vs. 578.6 ± 328.0 mL/min, P = 0.27; RCA: 550.0 ± 331.1 vs. 533.0 ± 303.5 mL/min, P = 0.30). The LCA BFR dramatically increased after turning the IABP off (296.8 ± 129.7 vs. 401.4 ± 278.1 mL/min, P = 0.02) in patients with cardiac stunning (defined as pulse pressure ≤ 5 mmHg). However, there was no significant difference in LCA BFR between IABP-On and IABD-Off (359.6 ± 105.4 mL/min vs. 389.6 ± 139.3 mL/min, P = 0.31) in patients with cardiac stunning receiving a higher ECMO blood flow (> 3.5 L/min). CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant IABP used in patients undergoing femoro-femoral VA-ECMO was associated with increased aortic VTI and BFR in bilateral FA. The change in CA BFR depended on cardiac function. A decreased LCA BFR was observed in patients with cardiac stunning when IABP was turned on, which might be compensated by a higher ECMO blood flow. Further study is needed to confirm the relationship between BFR and extremities and neurological complications.

Reactive Oxygen Species and Oxidative Stress in Vascular-Related Diseases.

Oxidative stress (OS) refers to the enhancement of oxidation and the decreased of related antioxidant enzymes activity under pathological conditions, resulting in relatively excess reactive oxygen species (ROS), causing cytotoxicity, which leads to tissue damage and is linked to neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers, and many other pathologies. As an important intracellular signaling molecule, ROS can regulate numerous physiological actions, such as vascular reactivity and neuronal function. According to several studies, the uncontrolled production of ROS is related to vascular injury. The growing evidence revealing how traditional risk factors translate into ROS and lead to vasculitis and other vascular diseases. In this review, we sought to mainly discuss the role of ROS and antioxidant mechanisms in vascular-related diseases, especially cardiovascular and common macrovascular diseases.

Upconversion Luminescence-Initiated and GSH-Responsive Self-Driven DNA Motor for Automatic Operation in Living Cells and In Vivo.

In light of the worthy design flexibility and the good signal amplification capacity, the recently developed DNA motor (especially the DNA walker)-based fluorescent biosensors can offer an admirable choice for realizing bioimaging. However, this attractive biosensing strategy not only has the disadvantage of uncontrollable initiation but also usually demands the supplement of exogenous driving forces. To handle the above obstacles, some rewarding solutions are proposed here. First, on the surface of an 808 nm near-infrared light-excited low-heat upconversion nanoparticle, a special ultraviolet upconversion luminescence-initiated three-dimensional (3D) walking behavior is performed by embedding a photocleavage linker into the sensing elements, and such light-controlled target recognition can perfectly overcome the pre-triggering of the biosensor during the biological delivery to significantly boost the sensing precision. After that, a peculiar self-driven walking pattern is constructed by employing MnO2 nanosheets as an additional nanovector to physically absorb the sensing frame, for which the reduction of the widespread glutathione in the biological medium can bring about sufficient self-supplied Mn2+ to guarantee the walking efficiency. By selecting an underlying next-generation broad-spectrum cancer biomarker (survivin messenger RNA) as the model target, we obtain that the newly formed autonomous 3D DNA motor shows a commendable sensitivity (where the limit of detection is down to 0.51 pM) and even an outstanding specificity for distinguishing single-base mismatching. Beyond this sound assay performance, our sensing approach is capable of working as a powerful imaging platform for accurately operating in various living specimens such as cells and bodies, showing a favorable diagnostic ability for cancer care.

Long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 115 (LINC00115) aggravates retinoblastoma progression by targeting microRNA miR-489-3p that downregulates 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 2 (PFKFB2).

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key regulators of cancer. However, the role of long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 115 (LINC00115) in the regulation of retinoblastoma (RB) has not yet been studied. The expression levels of LINC00115, microRNA (miR)-489-3p, and 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 2 (PFKFB2) in RB tissues or cells were detected by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The proliferation and migration of cells were detected by the cell counting kit-8 and Transwell assays. Luciferase reporter gene analysis and RNA immunoprecipitation assay were used to validate the target gene interactions predicted by starBase. A xenograft tumor experiment was conducted to validate the in vivo outcomes. The expression levels of LINC00115 and PFKFB2 in RB tissues were higher than those in normal tissues, while miR-489-3p showed the opposite trend. Silencing of LINC00115 inhibited the proliferation and migration of SO-RB50 and HXO-RB44 cells. An inhibitory or facilitated effect on RB tumorigenesis was observed following PFKFB2 silencing or miR-489-3p overexpression, respectively. Moreover, LINC00115 aggravated RB progression by targeting miR-489-3p, which downregulated PFKFB2. This finding improves our understanding of the relationship between LINC00115 and RB. Furthermore, miR-489-3p and PFKFB2 may be used as potential targets for RB prevention and treatment.

Selection of extraction solvents for edible oils from microalgae and improvement of the oxidative stability.

Microalgae are natural, green raw material and could be used for the development of edible oil for its abundant polyunsaturated fatty acids, with fast growth rate. The wet mud and dry powder of Scenedesmus dimorphus were applied to compare the extraction effects of different organic solvent systems in this study. The results displayed that, by using the ethanol/n-hexane (3:2, v/v) mixed solvent, the oil extraction rate from wet algal mud was 68.31 %, with 71.65 % of neutral lipid, and 1.87 % of vitamin E; the retention rates of protein, chlorophyll, and carbohydrates in the algal residue after oil extraction were 60.56 %, 53.27 %, and 80.20 %, respectively. Through the single solvent n-hexane, the oil extraction rate from dried algal powder was 71.52 %, with 75.86 % of neutral lipids, and 1.63 % of vitamin E. The retention rates of protein, chlorophyll, and carbohydrate were 55.92 %, 61.33 % and 78.35 %, respectively, suggesting the high rate of nutrient retention. In addition, the orthogonal experiments indicated that the compound of low concentration natural antioxidants with 0.010 % of tea polyphenols, 0.005 % of vitamin E, and 0.015 % of rosemary extract had the best effects on improvement of oxidative stability.

[Application and Progress of Convolutional Neural Network-based Pathological Diagnosis of Gastric Cancer].

The incidence of gastric cancer is the highest among all kinds of malignant tumors in China. Because gastric cancer is very hard to identify in its early stage, the early diagnosis rate of gastric cancer in China is relatively low. At present, the pathological diagnosis of gastric cancer mainly depends on the diagnosis of pathologists. However, the gradual improvement of people's living standards and the growing demand for medical and health care have exacerbated the shortage of medical resources, which has become a even more serious problem. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new technologies to help deal with this challenge. In recent years, with the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital pathology, AI-aided pathological diagnosis based on convolutional neural network (CNN) as the core technology is showing promises for improving the diagnostic efficiency of gastric cancer. It is also of great significance for the early diagnosis and treatment of the disease and the reduction of its high incidence and mortality. We herein summarize the application and progress of deep-learning CNN in pathological diagnosis of gastric cancer, as well as the existing problems and prospects of future development.

Structural characterization and effect on leukopenia of fucoidan from Durvillaea antarctica.

Fucoidans from brown seaweed shows various bioactive properties and promising prospects in biomedical field. Here, a novel fucoidan (F-4) was extracted and purified from Durvillaea antarctica. The structure of F-4 was characterized by HPLC, HPGPC, GC-MS, together with IR and NMR spectral analysis. F-4 is a sulfated polysaccharide mainly composed of fucose (Fuc), galactose (Gal), and glucose (Glc) in a molar ratio of 26.4: 7.1: 1.0. The backbone of F-4 is composed of (1→3) and (1→4)-linked-α-L-Fucp residues, which sulfated at C-4 or C-2 positions and branched with α-L-Fuc, ß-D-Gal, and ß-D-Glc residues. Furthermore, F-4 can effectively promote the growth of leukocyte in a mouse model induced by cyclophosphamide, possibly by activating hematopoietic progenitor cells and regulating the hematopoietic microenvironment of bone marrow. Our data provide useful information for further investigation of fucoidan in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced leukopenia.

Percutaneous coronary intervention in diabetic versus non-diabetic patients with prior coronary artery bypass grafting: a propensity score matching study.

BACKGROUND: The target of this study was to explore the outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in diabetic versus non-diabetic patients with prior coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. METHODS: Seven hundred and twenty four patients who had previously received CABG and had been treated using PCI combined with drug-eluting stents (DES) between 2009 and 2017 were selected for a retrospective study and allocated into either a diabetes mellitus (DM) or non-diabetes mellitus (No DM) group. A 1:1 propensity score-matched evaluation was conducted and risk adjusted for analysis. The primary outcomes were cardiac death, myocardial infarction, heart failure and revascularization, with a median follow-up duration of 5.13 years. RESULTS: After matching, two-, 5- and 8-year event rate of overall major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) were found to be higher in the DM group (No DM vs DM:15.3, 30.9, 38.5% vs 19.8, 37.8, 52.2%, respectively), although no significant difference was found in the event rate of overall MACEs (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.35; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00 to 1.83 for DM vs No DM; P = 0.052), cardiac death (HR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.45 to 1.95; P = 0.871), MI (HR: 1.49; 95% CI: 0.95 to 2.32; P = 0.080), HF (HR: 1.54; 95% CI: 0.90 to 2.63 for; P = 0.120) or revascularization (HR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.72 to 1.59; P = 0.747). Subgroup analysis of PCI in only the NCA showed MACEs (adjusted HR: 1.13; 95% CI: 0.85 to 1.49 for DM vs No DM; P = 0.325), cardiac death (adjusted HR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.41 to 1.78 for DM vs No DM; P = 0.781), MI (adjusted HR: 1.32; 95% CI: 0.84 to 2.01 for DM vs No DM; P = 0.069), HF (adjusted HR: 1.41; 95% CI: 0.87 to 2.27 for DM vs No DM; P = 0.211) or repeated revascularization (adjusted HR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.64 to 1.37 for DM vs No DM; P = 0.836). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with non-diabetic patients with prior CABG, subsequent implantation of DES in the native coronary artery of diabetic patients resulted in apparently similar outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was not registered in an open access database.