Transthoracic single-port-assisted laparoscopic gastrectomy versus laparoscopic transhiatal approach for Siewert type II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction: a single-center retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The surgical approach for patients with Siewert type II AEG remains controversial. Several studies have described a new laparoscopic radical resection approach of Siewert type II AEG through the left diaphragm. However, the technical safety and feasibility of the new surgical approach compared with the transhiatal approach have not yet been tested. STUDY DESIGN: We retrospectively reviewed patients with AEG who underwent TSLG and LTH operations in the Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine between January 2017 and April 2021. Histologically confirmed AEG and D2 lymphadenectomy with curative R0 patients were included, and patients with Siewert I/III AEG or distant metastasis were excluded. Blood loss, the amount of harvested lymph node, and complications related to surgery were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 99 patients with Siewert type II AEG were analyzed, 44 in the TSLG group and 55 in the LTH group. There was no difference in clinicopathological features between the two groups. The more harvested lymph node (23.33 ± 11.41 vs. 32.18 ± 12.85, p < 0.01), lower mediastinal lymph node (1.07 ± 2.08 vs. 3.25 ± 3.31, p < 0.01), and longer proximal margin length (3.08 ± 1.19 vs. 4.47 ± 0.95 cm, p < 0.01) were observed in the TSLG group. The rate of cure (R0 gastrectomy) in the TSLG group was higher than that in the LTH group (100% vs. 89.09%, p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: The TSLG approach is associated with improved surgical views, simplified lymphatic dissection in the inferior mediastinum, and more reliable margins. TSLG surgery may be an effective addition to LTH surgery, particularly when lower mediastinal lymph node metastases are suspected.

Glucocorticoid-induced activation of NOX/ROS/NF-κB signaling in MSCs contributes to the development of GONFH.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the pathogenic factors of glucocorticoids (GCs)-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (GONFH) and its underlying pathogenesis in vivo and in vitro. METHODS: Radiographical (µCT) scanning, histopathological, immunohistochemical, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and tunel staining were conducted on GONFH patients and rats. ROS, tunel, flow cytometry, alkaline phosphatase, Oil red O staining, reverse transcription­quantitative PCR and western blotting were applied to elucidate the exact pathogenesis mechanism. RESULTS: Clinical and animal studies demonstrated increased levels of ROS, aggravated oxidative stress (OS) microenvironment, augmented apoptosis and imbalance in osteogenic/lipogenic in the GONFH group compared to the control group. The fate of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) directed by GCs is a crucial factor in determining GONFH. In vitro studies further revealed that GCs promote excessive ROS production through the expression of NOX family proteins, leading to a deterioration of the OS microenvironment in MSCs, ultimately resulting in apoptosis and imbalance in osteogenic/lipogenic differentiation. Furthermore, our results confirmed that the NOX inhibitor-diphenyleneiodonium chloride and the NF-κB inhibitor-BAY 11-7082 ameliorated apoptosis and osteogenic/lipogenic differentiation imbalance of MSCs induced by an excess of GCs. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated for the first time that the aggravation of the OS microenvironment in MSCs caused by high doses of GCs leading to apoptosis and differentiation imbalance is a crucial factor in the pathogenesis of GONFH, mediated through activating the NOX/ROS/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Pharmacologic inhibition of IL11/STAT3 signaling increases MHC-I expression and T cell infiltration.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have discovered an emerging role of IL11 in various colitis-associated cancers, suggesting that IL11 mainly promotes tumor cell survival and proliferation in regulating tumorigenesis. Herein we aimed to reveal a novel function of IL-11 through STAT3 signaling in regulating tumor immune evasion. METHODS: AOM/DSS model in Il11-/- and Apcmin/+/Il11-/- mice were used to detect tumor growth and CD8+ T infiltration. STAT1/3 phosphorylation and MHC-I, CXCL9, H2-K1 and H2-D1 expression were detected in MC38 cells and intestine organoids treated with/without recombinant IL11 to explore effect of IL11/STAT3 signaling, with IL11 mutein used to competitively inhibit IL11 and rescue inhibited STAT1 activation. Correlation between IL11 and CD8+ T infiltration was analyzed using TIMER2.0 website. IL11 expression and survival prognosis was analyzed in clinical data of patient cohort from Nanfang Hospital. RESULTS: IL11 is highly expressed in CRC and indicates unfavorable prognosis. IL11 knockout increased CD8+ T cell infiltration and reduced intestinal and colon formation. Tumors were significantly suppressed while MHC-I and CXCL9 expression for CD8+ T infiltration were remarkably increased in the tumor tissues of Apcmin/+/Il11-/- mice or Il11-/- mice induced by AOM/DSS. IL11/STAT3 signaling downregulated MHC-I and CXCL9 by inhibiting IFNγ-induced STAT1 phosphorylation. IL11 mutein competitively inhibit IL11 to upregulate CXCL9 and MHC-I in tumor and attenuated tumor growth. CONCLUSIONS: This study ascribes for a new immunomodulatory role for IL11 during tumor development that is amenable to anti-cytokine based therapy of colon cancer.

FXR1 facilitates axitinib resistance in clear cell renal cell carcinoma via regulating KEAP1/Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Axitinib is emerging as a first-line combination treatment drug for metastatic renal cell carcinoma, but the acquired resistance significantly bothers the treatment efficacy. This article is to investigate the impact of fragile X mental retardation autosomal homolog 1 (FXR1) and its mechanistic involvement with Kelch-like epoxy chloropropan-associated protein 1 (KEAP1)/NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway on cell resistance to axitinib in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Establishment of axitinib resistance cells (786-O, Caki-1, 786-O/axitinib, or Caki-1/axitinib) was made, and the cells were then transfected with sh-FXR1, or co-transfected with sh-FXR1 and sh-KEAP1. The quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blotting assays were employed to measure the expression of FXR1, KEAP1, Nrf2, LC3 II/I, Beclin 1, p62, MDR-1, and MRP-1. In addition, the binding between FXR1 and KEAP1 was verified by RNA-immunoprecipitation and RNA pull-down assays, and FXR1-dependent KEAP1 mRNA degradation was determined. Herein, FXR1 was demonstrated to be overexpressed in ccRCC cells, and showed higher expression in 786-O/axitinib and Caki-1/axitinib cells. Mechanistically, FXR1 enriched KEAP1 mRNA, and pulled downed by biotinylated KEAP1 probes. Results of RNA stability assay reveled that KEAP mRNA stability was suppressed by FXR1. Furthermore, knockdown of FXR1 promoted cell apoptosis and showed a restrained feature on cell resistance to axitinib. Of note, KEAP1 knockdown suppressed cell autophagy, oxidative stress, resistance to axitinib, and promoted apoptosis, despite FXR1 was downregulated in ccRCC cells. In conclusion, FXR1 played an encouraging role in ccRCC cell resistance to axitinib by modulating KEAP/Nrf2 pathway.

Acupuncture treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy: An overview of systematic reviews.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture through a review and analysis of systematic reviews of acupuncture for the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. METHODS: Systematic reviews of acupuncture treatment for diabetic peripheral neuropathy were collected by searching CNKI, VIP, Wanfang database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), PubMed, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library. The retrieval period was from the establishment of the database to February 14, 2020. After literature selection and extraction, included reports were evaluated in terms of the quality of the methodology and of the report using criteria from the AMSTAR2 scale and the PRISMA statement. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Eighty eight reviews were retrieved. The inclusion criteria were a published systematic evaluation/meta-analysis/systematic review of acupuncture treatment for diabetic peripheral neuropathy, which included subjects meeting the diagnostic criteria for diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and which compared acupuncture treatment with non-acupuncture treatment. After the inclusion criteria had been applied, 18 reviews were finally included. According to the PRISMA statement, 3 reports were relatively complete, 12 reports had certain defects, 3 reports had considerable information missing, and 18 reports had extremely low methodological quality according to the AMSTAR2 scale. Current evidence shows that acupuncture improves diabetic peripheral neuropathy and increases nerve conduction velocity. However, the methodological quality of the reviews is generally extremely low, and most of the reviews had certain defects, showing that there is still much room for improvement in terms of the methodology and quality of the research reports. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: Acupuncture appears to have an effect on DPN, effectively improving nerve conduction and clinical symptoms. Although the methodological quality of the included studies was generally very low and defects were frequent, our study highlights areas where improvement in methodology is required. There is a need for further study of the pathogenesis of DPN, and for developing a unified standard for methods of acupuncture treatment, acupoint selection, and adverse reactions reporting. Traditional Chinese medical practices such as acupuncture should adopt an evidence-based approach to provide greater confidence in their use.

Differences in laboratory reporting standards leading to a difficult prenatal diagnosis for a patient with suspected 4p duplication.

Not all obstetric care facilities offer sufficient genetic counseling in Japan. When necessary, patients are referred to tertiary perinatal care centers for genetic counseling and further testing. Because each facility typically has an exclusive contract with a laboratory, the additional testing required may be performed at a different laboratory. With no reporting standards for normal chromosomal variants, differences between laboratories impede result interpretation, and clinical errors may occur. We present a case of a patient diagnosed with 46,XX,?dup (4)(p12p12) variant over two pregnancies. During the first pregnancy, the variant was determined to be a de novo, leading the parents to terminate the pregnancy. During the second pregnancy, further analysis revealed no 4p duplication, and we diagnosed as a normal variant, 4cenh+, inherited from the mother. Differences in reporting standards for a normal variant made evaluation of this patient difficult. Medical staff should be aware of this issue, and reporting standards should be standardized.

Microfluidic-enabled self-organized tumor model for in vitro cytotoxicity assessment of doxorubicin.

The advent of microfluidic technologies has enabled a better recapitulation of in vitro tumor model with higher biological relevance over conventional monolayer assays. This work built upon a microfluidic system that supported the spontaneous aggregate formation of tumoral cells under flow-induced dynamic physical forces in a confined microchamber without additional matrix materials. Our findings indicated that fluidic streams significantly modulated the biological and architectural features of human breast adenocarcinoma cell (MCF-7), human hepatocarcinoma cell (HepG2), and human cervix adenocarcinoma cell (HeLa) with cell-type-dependent variation. The microfluidic platform was further integrated with a fluorescence detection and imaging system, allowing for non-invasive monitoring of cellular accumulation and spatial distribution of a chemotherapeutic agent, doxorubicin (DOX). The cytotoxic effects of DOX of various concentrations were determined and compared in MCF-7 cells in conventional two-dimensional (2D) static and microfluidic culture conditions. Dose-dependent response to DOX was noticed in both cultures, whereas tumor micronodules grown in microfluidic devices demonstrated significantly lower sensitivity to DOX at increased concentration. Our platform owns promising potentials as a universal modality for bridging traditional 2D cell cultures and in vivo experimentation for preclinical anticancer drug screening.

Long noncoding RNA HAGLROS regulates apoptosis and autophagy in colorectal cancer cells via sponging miR-100 to target ATG5 expression.

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between the expression of HOXD antisense growth-associated long noncoding RNA (HAGLROS) and prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), as well as the roles and regulatory mechanism of HAGLROS in CRC development. The HAGLROS expression in CRC tissues and cells was detected. The correlation between HAGLROS expression and survival time of CRC patients was investigated. Moreover, HAGLROS was overexpressed and suppressed in HCT-116 cells, followed by detection of cell viability, apoptosis, and the expression of apoptosis-related proteins and autophagy markers. Furthermore, the association between HAGLROS and miR-100 and the potential targets of miR-100 were investigated. Besides, the regulatory relationship between HAGLROS and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway was elucidated. The results showed that HAGLROS was highly expressed in CRC tissues and cells. Highly expression of HAGLROS correlated with a shorter survival time of CRC patients. Moreover, knockdown of HAGLROS in HCT-116 cells induced apoptosis by increasing the expression of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, cleaved-caspase-3, and cleaved-caspase-9, and inhibited autophagy by decreasing the expression of LC3II/LC3I and Beclin-1 and increasing P62 expression. Furthermore, HAGLROS negatively regulated the expression of miR-100, and HAGLROS controlled HCT-116 cell apoptosis and autophagy through negatively regulation of miR-100. Autophagy related 5 (ATG5) was verified as a functional target of miR-100 and miR-100 regulated HCT-116 cell apoptosis and autophagy through targeting ATG5. Besides, HAGLROS overexpression activated phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) pathway. In conclusion, a highly expression of HAGLROS correlated with shorter survival time of CRC patients. Downregulation of HAGLROS may induce apoptosis and inhibit autophagy in CRC cells by regulation of miR-100/ATG5 axis and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

Halobacillus andaensis sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium isolated from saline and alkaline soil.

A Gram-stain-positive, endospore-forming, moderately halophilic bacterial strain, NEAU-ST10-40T, was isolated from a saline and alkaline soil in Anda City, China. It was strictly aerobic, rod-shaped and motile by peritrichous flagella. It formed light yellow colonies and grew at NaCl concentrations of 3-15 % (w/v) (optimum, 8 %, w/v), at pH 7.0-9.0 (optimum, pH 8.0) and at 4-60 °C (optimum, 30 °C). It contained meso-diaminopimelic acid in the cell-wall peptidoglycan. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that it belonged to the genus Halobacillus. Levels of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity between strain NEAU-ST10-40T and the type strains of related species of the genus Halobacillus ranged from 98.8 % (Halobacillus alkaliphilus FP5T) to 97.1 % (Halobacillus kuroshimensis IS-Hb7T). DNA-DNA hybridization relatedness values between strain NEAU-ST10-40T and H. alkaliphilus DSM 18525T, Halobacillus campisalis KCTC 13144T, Halobacillus yeomjeoni DSM 17110T, Halobacillus halophilus DSM 2266T, Halobacillus litoralis DSM 10405T, Halobacillus dabanensis DSM 18199T, Halobacillus salinus DSM 18897T, Halobacillus naozhouensis DSM 21183T, Halobacillus trueperi DSM 10404T and Halobacillus salsuginis DSM 21185T were from 43 ± 1 to 19 ± 1 % (mean ± sd). The DNA G+C content was 39.3 mol%. The major fatty acids (>10 %) were anteiso-C15:0, anteiso-C17:0 and iso-C16:0, the only respiratory quinone detected was MK-7, and polar lipids consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, two unknown phospholipids and three unknown lipids. On the basis of the data presented, strain NEAU-ST10-40T is considered to represent a novel species, for which the name Halobacillus andaensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NEAU-ST10-40T ( = CGMCC 1.12153T = DSM 25866T).

Kocuria dechangensis sp. nov., an actinobacterium isolated from saline and alkaline soils.

A Gram-stain positive, strictly aerobic, non-motile and coccus-shaped actinobacterium, designated strain NEAU-ST5-33(T), was isolated from saline and alkaline soils in Dechang Township, Zhaodong City, PR China. It formed beige-yellow colonies and grew at NaCl concentrations of 0-5% (w/v) (optimum 0%), at pH 6.0-9.0 (optimum pH 7.0) and over a temperature range of 4-50 °C (optimum 35 °C). Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain NEAU-ST5-33(T) was phylogenetically closely related to the type strains of species of the genus Kocuria, Kocuria polaris CMS 76or(T), Kocuria rosea DSM 20447(T), Kocuria turfanensis HO-9042(T), Kocuria aegyptia YIM 70003(T), Kocuria himachalensis K07-05(T) and Kocuria flava HO-9041(T), with respective sequence similarities of 98.8%, 98.8%, 98.3%, 98.1%, 98.1% and 97.9%. DNA-DNA hybridization relatedness values of strain NEAU-ST5-33(T) with type strains of the closely related species ranged from 54 ± 1% to 34 ± 1%. The DNA G+C content was 61.2 mol%. The major fatty acids (>5%) were C15 : 0 anteiso, C15 : 0 iso and C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c. The major menaquinone detected was MK-8 (H2), and the polar lipids consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, one unknown aminolipid and one unknown lipid. On the basis of the genotypic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic data, we propose that strain NEAU-ST5-33(T) represents a novel species of the genus Kocuria, with the name Kocuria dechangensis sp. nov. The type strain is NEAU-ST5-33(T) ( = CGMCC 1.12187(T) = DSM 25872(T)).

Planococcus dechangensis sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium isolated from saline and alkaline soils in Dechang Township, Zhaodong City, China.

Strain NEAU-ST10-9(T) is a moderately halophilic, coccoid and non-motile bacterium isolated from saline and alkaline soils in the Dechang Township, Zhaodong City, China. The bacterium was found to be aerobic and Gram-stain positive. It forms orange colonies and grows at NaCl concentrations of 2-10 % (w/v) (optimum, 4 % w/v), at 4-50 °C (optimum, 30 °C) and at pH 6.0-10.0 (optimum, pH 7.0). Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that it belongs to the genus Planococcus within the family Planococcaceae. The most closely related species was Planococcus maritimus, whose type strain (TF-9(T)) showed gene sequence similarities of 99.1 % for 16S rRNA, 83.7 % for gyrB and 87.0 % for rpoB with those of strain NEAU-ST10-9(T), respectively. DNA-DNA hybridization relatedness values between strain NEAU-ST10-9(T) and type strains P. maritimus DSM 17275(T) , P. rifietoensis DSM 15069(T) , P. plakortidis DSM 23997(T), P. citreus DSM 20549(T), P. maitriensis DSM 15305(T), P. salinarum KCTC 13584(T) and P. columbae DSM 17517(T) were from 55 ± 1 to 32 ± 2 %. The DNA G+C content was found to be 45.2 mol %. The major fatty acids (>5 %) were determined as C15:0 anteiso, C16:1 ω7c alcohol, C17:1 ω9c and C17:0 anteiso. The major menaquinones of strain NEAU-ST10-9(T) were identified as MK-7 and MK-8. The polar lipids were found to contain of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphocholine and two unknown lipids. The genotypic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic analysis indicated that strain NEAU-ST10-9(T) represents a novel species of the genus Planococcus, for which we proposed the name Planococcus dechangensis sp. nov. The type strain is NEAU-ST10-9(T) (=CGMCC 1.12151(T)=DSM 25871(T)).

Halomonas songnenensis sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium isolated from saline and alkaline soils.

A moderately halophilic bacterium (strain NEAU-ST10-39T) was isolated from saline and alkaline soils in the oilfield of Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province, China. The strain was strictly aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped and motile by peritrichous flagella. Its colonies were yellow. It grew at NaCl concentrations of 0.2-15% (w/v) (optimum 4%, w/v), at temperatures of 4-40 °C (optimum 35 °C) and at pH 5-10 (optimum pH 7). It did not produce acids from sugars or alcohols. Its DNA G+C content was 57.4 mol%. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and concatenated 16S rRNA, gyrB and rpoD gene sequences indicated that it belonged to the genus Halomonas in the class Gammaproteobacteria. The most phylogenetically related species were Halomonas axialensis, Halomonas meridiana and Halomonas aquamarina, whose types shared 98.3% (16S rRNA), 82.7% (gyrB) and 83.9-84.5% (rpoD) sequence similarity with strain NEAU-ST10-39T. The results of DNA-DNA hybridization assays showed 20±2%-50±1 % relatedness between strain NEAU-ST10-39T and the most closely related species including Halomonas axialensis DSM 15723T, Halomonas meridiana DSM 5425T, Halomonas aquamarina DSM 30161(T), Halomonas johnsoniae DSM 21197T, Halomonas stevensii DSM 21198T, Halomonas nanhaiensis CCTCC AB 2012911(T), Halomonas hamiltonii DSM 21196T and Halomonas arcis CGMCC 1.6494T. The major fatty acids were C18 : 1ω7c (47.2%), C16:1ω7c and/or C16:1ω6c (18.9%) and C16:0 (16.3%), the only respiratory quinone detected was ubiquinone 9 and polar lipids consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, two unknown phospholipids and three unknown lipids. The new isolate is proposed to represent a novel species with the name Halomonas songnenensis sp. nov., NEAU-ST10-39T (=CGMCC 1.12152T=DSM 25870T) being the type strain.

Cloning and identification of Group 1 mrp operon encoding a novel monovalent cation/proton antiporter system from the moderate halophile Halomonas zhaodongensis.

The novel species Halomonas zhaodongensis NEAU-ST10-25(T) recently identified by our group is a moderate halophile which can grow at the range of 0-2.5 M NaCl (optimum 0.5 M) and pH 6-12 (optimum pH 9). To explore its halo-alkaline tolerant mechanism, genomic DNA was screened from NEAU-ST10-25(T) in this study for Na(+)(Li(+))/H(+) antiporter genes by selection in Escherichia coli KNabc lacking three major Na(+)(Li(+))/H(+) antiporters. One mrp operon could confer tolerance of E. coli KNabc to 0.8 M NaCl and 100 mM LiCl, and an alkaline pH. This operon was previously mainly designated mrp (also mnh, pha or sha) due to its multiple resistance and pH-related activity. Here, we will also use mrp to designate the homolog from H. zhaodongensis (Hz_mrp). Sequence analysis and protein alignment showed that Hz_mrp should belong to Group 1 mrp operons. Further phylogenetic analysis reveals that Hz_Mrp system should represent a novel sub-class of Group 1 Mrp systems. This was confirmed by a significant difference in pH-dependent activity profile or the specificity and affinity for the transported monovalent cations between Hz_Mrp system and all the known Mrp systems. Therefore, we propose that Hz_Mrp should be categorized as a novel Group 1 Mrp system.

Metabolomics of Mice with Type 2 Diabetes and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Treated by Acupuncture.

Introduction: To investigate the effects of acupuncture on endogenous metabolites in the liver of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) mice-based metabolomics. Methods: Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) metabolomics combined with multivariate statistical analysis and univariate analysis were used to analyze the changes of endogenous metabolites in the liver of mice in each group and to provide new clinical ideas for acupuncture in the treatment of glycolipid metabolism disorders caused by T2DM and NAFLD. Results: After 4 weeks of continuous treatment, fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin (INS), total cholesterol (TC), and triglyceride (TG) decreased significantly in mice in the acupuncture treatment group (ATG), and the content of liver glycogen increased significantly. Based on 1H-NMR metabolomic analysis, a total of 47 metabolites were identified in the liver of T2DM with NAFLD mice, of which eight metabolites: UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, adenosine, glutamate, isoleucine, ATP, 3-hydroxybutyric acid, NADP+, and leucine were significantly altered by acupuncture treatment. Through the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, it is found that acupuncture has an intervention effect on five metabolic pathways, mainly involving amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism, and oxidative stress. Conclusion: Our study shows that acupuncture can regulate the liver metabolism mode of T2DM in NAFLD mice. It can reduce blood glucose and lipid accumulation in the liver, and these findings provide a new idea and theoretical basis for acupuncture in the treatment of diseases related to glucose and lipid metabolism.

Electron transfer and microbial mechanism of synergistic degradation of lignocellulose by hydrochar and aerobic fermentation.

In response to the problem of asynchronous fermentation between lignocellulose and perishable materials in compost, the combined technology of low-temperature hydrochar and compost has been studied. Hydrochar was prepared through low-temperature hydrothermal reactions and applied to aerobic fermentation. The response relationship between lignocellulose content, electron transfer capability, and microbes was explored. The results showed that a pore structure with oxygen-containing functional groups was formed in hydrochar, promoting electron transfer during composting. With the rapid increase in composting temperature, the lignocellulose content decreased by 64.36 mg/g. Oceanobacillus, Cerasibacillus, Marinimicrobium, and Gracilibacillus promoted the degradation of lignocellulose and the carbon/nitrogen cycle during aerobic fermentation, and there was a significant response relationship between electron transfer capability and functional microbes. The combined application of hydrochar and aerobic fermentation accelerated the degradation of lignocellulose. This study provides technical support for the treatment of heterogeneous organic waste.

Fiber optic-based integrated system for in vivo multiscale pharmacokinetic monitoring.

This paper presents the development of a fiber-optic-based fluorescence detection system for multi-scale monitoring of drug distribution in living animals. The integrated system utilized dual laser sources at the wavelengths of 488 nm and 650 nm and three photomultiplier channels for multi-color fluorescence detection. The emission spectra of fluorescent substances were tracked using the time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy module to continuously monitor their blood kinetics. The fiber bundle, consisting of 30,000 optic filaments, was designed for wide-field mesoscopic imaging of the drug's interactions within organs. The inclusion of a gradient refractive index (GRIN) lens within the setup enabled fluorescence confocal laser scanning microscopy to visualize the drug distribution at the cellular level. The system performance was verified by imaging hepatic and renal tissues in mice using cadmium telluride quantum dots (CdTe QDs) and R3. By acquiring multi-level images and real-time data, our integrated system underscores its potential as a potent tool for drug assessment, specifically within the realms of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic investigations.

Objectivization study of acupuncture Deqi and brain modulation mechanisms: a review.

Deqi is an important prerequisite for acupuncture to achieve optimal efficacy. Chinese medicine has long been concerned with the relationship between Deqi and the clinical efficacy of acupuncture. However, the underlying mechanisms of Deqi are complex and there is a lack of systematic summaries of objective quantitative studies of Deqi. Acupuncture Deqi can achieve the purpose of treating diseases by regulating the interaction of local and neighboring acupoints, brain centers, and target organs. At local and neighboring acupoints, Deqi can change their tissue structure, temperature, blood perfusion, energy metabolism, and electrophysiological indicators. At the central brain level, Deqi can activate the brain regions of the thalamus, parahippocampal gyrus, postcentral gyrus, insular, middle temporal gyrus, cingulate gyrus, etc. It also has extensive effects on the limbic-paralimbic-neocortical-network and default mode network. The brain mechanisms of Deqi vary depending on the acupuncture techniques and points chosen. In addition, Deqi 's mechanism of action involves correcting abnormalities in target organs. The mechanisms of acupuncture Deqi are multi-targeted and multi-layered. The biological mechanisms of Deqi are closely related to brain centers. This study will help to explore the mechanism of Deqi from a local-central-target-organ perspective and provide information for future clinical decision-making.

Halomonas zhaodongensis sp. nov., a slightly halophilic bacterium isolated from saline-alkaline soils in Zhaodong, China.

A slightly halophilic bacterium (strain NEAU-ST10-25(T)) was isolated from saline-alkaline soils in Zhaodong City, Heilongjiang Province, China. The strain is a Gram-negative, aerobic motile rod. It accumulates poly-ß-hydroxyalkanoate and produces exopolysaccharide. It produces beige-yellow colonies. Growth occurs at NaCl concentrations (w/v) of 0-15 % (optimum 3 %), at temperatures of 4-60 °C (optimum 35 °C) and at pH 6-12 (optimum pH 9). Its G+C content is 53.8 mol%. Phylogenetic analyses based on the separate 16S rRNA gene and concatenation of the 16S rRNA, gyrB and rpoD genes indicate that it belongs to the genus Halomonas in the class Gammaproteobacteria. The most phylogenetically related species is Halomonas alkaliphila DSM 16354(T), with which strain NEAU-ST10-25(T) showed 16S rRNA, gyrB and rpoD gene sequence similarities of 99.2, 82.3 and 88.2 %, respectively. The results of DNA-DNA hybridization assays showed 60.47 ± 0.69 % DNA relatedness between strain NEAU-ST10-25(T) and H. alkaliphila DSM 16354(T), 42.43 ± 0.37 % between strain NEAU-ST10-25(T) and Halomonas venusta DSM 4743(T) and 30.62 ± 0.43 % between strain NEAU-ST10-25(T) and Halomonas hydrothermalis DSM 15725(T). The major fatty acids are C18:1 ω7c (62.3 %), C16:0 (17.6 %), C16:1 ω7c/C16:1 ω6c (7.7 %), C14:0 (2.9 %), C12:0 3-OH (2.8 %), C10:0 (2.1 %) and C18:1 ω9c (1.6 %) and the predominant respiratory quinone is ubiquinone 9 (Q-9). The proposed name is Halomonas zhaodongensis, NEAU-ST10-25(T) (=CGMCC 1.12286(T) = DSM 25869(T)) being the type strain.

Polystyrene microplastics trigger adiposity in mice by remodeling gut microbiota and boosting fatty acid synthesis.

Microplastic (MP) pollution has become a global environmental problem, with particular concerns for its harmful effects on human health. Several studies have demonstrated that MP can penetrate animals and humans resulting in tissue dysfunction, but their influences on metabolism remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the impact of MP exposure on metabolism and the results showed that different treatment doses produce a bidirectional modulatory effects on mice. When exposed to high concentrations of MP, mice lost significant weight, while those in the lowest concentration treatment group showed little change, but those treated at relatively low concentrations became overweight. There was excessive lipid accumulation in these heavier mice, with a better appetite and lower activity level. Transcriptome sequencing revealed that MPs increased fatty acid synthesis in the liver. In addition, the gut microbiota composition of the MPs-induced obese mice was remodeled, which would enhance the nutrient absorption capacity of the intestine. Our results uncovered an MP dose-dependent lipid metabolism in mice and a non-unidirectional model of the physiological responses to different MP concentrations was proposed. These results provided new insights into the seemingly contradictory effects of MP on metabolism in the previous study.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for post-stroke depression: An overview of systematic reviews.

Objective: There is conflicting published research about the clinical effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for the treatment of post-stroke depression (PSD). In order to provide trustworthy information for upcoming therapeutic treatments, this review attempts to compile and assess the data from pertinent systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Methods: The systematic evaluation of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for post-stroke depression was collected by searching CNKI, VIP, Wanfang Database, CBM, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. The retrieval time is from database construction to September 2022. After selection, the included literature was evaluated for methodological quality, reporting quality, and evidence quality using AMSTAR2, PRISMA statements, and the GRADE system. Results: There were a total of 13 studies included, with three having generally comprehensive reporting according to the PRISMA statement, eight having some reporting issues, two having pretty substantial information issues, and 13 having extremely poor methodological quality according to the AMSTAR2. The GRADE was used to grade the quality of the evidence, and the included literature had 0 high-level evidence, eight medium-level evidence, 12 low-level evidence, and 22 very low-level evidence. Limitations: The results of this study are from researchers' subjective evaluation and only qualitative analysis, not quantitative evaluation. Although repeated cross-evaluation of researchers is carried out, the results will be personal. The interventions included in the study were complex, and it was impossible to analyze their effect values quantitatively. Conclusion: Patients with post-stroke depression may benefit from repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. However, in terms of the quality of the reports, the methodology, and the quality of the evidence, published systematic evaluations/meta-analyses are of low quality. We list the drawbacks of the current clinical trials of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for post-stroke depression as well as potential therapeutic mechanisms. This information may serve as a guide for future clinical trials aiming to establish a solid foundation for the clinical efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in the treatment of post-stroke depression.