Genome-wide identification, stress- and hormone-responsive expression characteristics, and regulatory pattern analysis of Scutellaria baicalensis SbSPLs.

SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKEs (SPLs) encode plant-specific transcription factors that regulate plant growth and development, stress response, and metabolite accumulation. However, there is limited information on Scutellaria baicalensis SPLs. In this study, 14 SbSPLs were identified and divided into 8 groups based on phylogenetic relationships. SbSPLs in the same group had similar structures. Abscisic acid-responsive (ABRE) and MYB binding site (MBS) cis-acting elements were found in the promoters of 8 and 6 SbSPLs. Segmental duplications and transposable duplications were the main causes of SbSPL expansion. Expression analysis based on transcriptional profiling showed that SbSPL1, SbSPL10, and SbSPL13 were highly expressed in roots, stems, and flowers, respectively. Expression analysis based on quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT‒qPCR) showed that most SbSPLs responded to low temperature, drought, abscisic acid (ABA) and salicylic acid (SA), among which the expression levels of SbSPL7/9/10/12 were significantly upregulated in response to abiotic stress. These results indicate that SbSPLs are involved in the growth, development and stress response of S. baicalensis. In addition, 8 Sba-miR156/157 s were identified, and SbSPL1-5 was a potential target of Sba-miR156/157 s. The results of target gene prediction and coexpression analysis together indicated that SbSPLs may be involved in the regulation of L-phenylalanine (L-Phe), lignin and jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis. In summary, the identification and characterization of the SbSPL gene family lays the foundation for functional research and provides a reference for improved breeding of S. baicalensis stress resistance and quality traits.

Opportunities and barriers in omics-based biomarker discovery for steatotic liver diseases.

The rising prevalence of liver diseases related to obesity and excessive use of alcohol is fuelling an increasing demand for accurate biomarkers aimed at community screening, diagnosis of steatohepatitis and significant fibrosis, monitoring, prognostication and prediction of treatment efficacy. Breakthroughs in omics methodologies and the power of bioinformatics have created an excellent opportunity to apply technological advances to clinical needs, for instance in the development of precision biomarkers for personalised medicine. Via omics technologies, biological processes from the genes to circulating protein, as well as the microbiome - including bacteria, viruses and fungi, can be investigated on an axis. However, there are important barriers to omics-based biomarker discovery and validation, including the use of semi-quantitative measurements from untargeted platforms, which may exhibit high analytical, inter- and intra-individual variance. Standardising methods and the need to validate them across diverse populations presents a challenge, partly due to disease complexity and the dynamic nature of biomarker expression at different disease stages. Lack of validity causes lost opportunities when studies fail to provide the knowledge needed for regulatory approvals, all of which contributes to a delayed translation of these discoveries into clinical practice. While no omics-based biomarkers have matured to clinical implementation, the extent of data generated has enabled the hypothesis-free discovery of a plethora of candidate biomarkers that warrant further validation. To explore the many opportunities of omics technologies, hepatologists need detailed knowledge of commonalities and differences between the various omics layers, and both the barriers to and advantages of these approaches.

Highly Active Coreactant-Capped and Water-Stable 3D@2D Core-Shell Perovskite Quantum Dots as a Novel and Strong Self-Enhanced Electrochemiluminescence Probe.

Self-enhanced electrochemiluminescence (ECL) probes have attracted more and more attention in analytical chemistry for their significant simplification of the ECL sensing operation while improving the ECL sensing sensitivity. However, the development and applications of self-enhanced ECL probes are still in their infancy and mainly suffer from the requirement of a complicated synthesis strategy and relatively low self-enhanced ECL activity. In this work, we took advantage of the recently emerged perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) with high optical quantum yields and easy surface engineering to develop a new type of PQD-based self-enhanced ECL system. The long alkyl chain (C18) diethanolamine (i.e., N-octadecyldiethanolamine (ODA)) with high ECL coreactant activity was selected as a capping ligand to synthesize an ODA-capped PQD self-enhanced ECL probe. The preparation of the coreactant-capped PQDs is as simple as for the ordinary oleylamine (OAm)-capped PQDs, and the obtained ODA-capped PQDs exhibit very strong self-enhanced ECL activity, 82.5 times higher than that of traditional OAm-capped PQDs. Furthermore, the prepared ODA-PQDs have a unique nanostructure (ODA-CsPbBr3@CsPb2Br5), with the highly emissive 3D CsPbBr3 PQD as the core and the water-stable 2D CsPb2Br5 as the shell, which allows ODA-PQDs to be very stable in aqueous media. It is envisioned that the prepared ODA-3D@2D PQDs with the easy preparation method, strong self-enhanced ECL, and excellent water stability have promising applications in ECL sensing.

Rapid and Precise Differentiation and Authentication of Agricultural Products via Deep Learning-Assisted Multiplex SERS Fingerprinting.

Accurate and rapid differentiation and authentication of agricultural products based on their origin and quality are crucial to ensuring food safety and quality control. However, similar chemical compositions and complex matrices often hinder precise identification, particularly for adulterated samples. Herein, we propose a novel method combining multiplex surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) fingerprinting with a one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN), which enables the effective differentiation of the category, origin, and grade of agricultural products. This strategy leverages three different SERS-active nanoparticles as multiplex sensors, each tailored to selectively amplify the signals of preferentially adsorbed chemicals within the sample. By strategically combining SERS spectra from different NPs, a 'SERS super-fingerprint' is constructed, offering a more comprehensive representation of the characteristic information on agricultural products. Subsequently, utilizing a custom-designed 1D-CNN model for feature extraction from the 'super-fingerprint' significantly enhances the predictive accuracy for agricultural products. This strategy successfully identified various agricultural products and simulated adulterated samples with exceptional accuracy, reaching 97.7% and 94.8%, respectively. Notably, the entire identification process, encompassing sample preparation, SERS measurement, and deep learning analysis, takes only 35 min. This development of deep learning-assisted multiplex SERS fingerprinting establishes a rapid and reliable method for the identification and authentication of agricultural products.

Photochromic Perovskite Nanocrystals for Ultraviolet Dosimetry.

Excessive ultraviolet (UV) radiation has serious damage to human's health, therefore the development of visible, portable, and wearable sensor for monitoring UV radiation, especially the cumulative UV dosage, is highly desired but full of challenges. Herein, a wearable and flexible UV dosimeter based on photochromic perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) is designed. The obtained CsPbCl3 PNCs dispersed in dibromomethane (PNCs-DBM) undergo continuous, vivid, and multiple (from very weak purple to blue, cyan, and finally strong green) color change in response to UV radiation. It is demonstrated that the UV-induced degradation of DBM and subsequent anion-exchange reaction between CsPbCl3 and Br-, play a crucial role in the color change of PNCs-DBM. The properties of continuous fluorescence color change and enhanced fluorescence intensity enable the construction of sensitive and visible UV dosimeter. Furthermore, by integrated photochromic PNCs with flexible bracelet or PDMS substrate, a wearable UV sensor or a multi-indicator array for the detection of solar UV dosage is developed. This work may advance the fundamental understanding about photochromic perovskite, and show promising application of perovskite nanomaterials in easily fabricated, low-cost, visualized, and wearable solar UV dosimeter.

NH4 + Pre-Intercalation and Mo Doping VS2 to Regulate Nanostructure and Electronic Properties for High Efficiency Sodium Storage.

Sodium-ion hybrid capacitors (SIHCs) have attracted much attention due to integrating the high energy density of battery and high out power of supercapacitors. However, rapid Na+ diffusion kinetics in cathode is counterbalanced with sluggish anode, hindering the further advancement and commercialization of SIHCs. Here, aiming at conversion-type metal sulfide anode, taking typical VS2 as an example, a comprehensive regulation of nanostructure and electronic properties through NH4 + pre-intercalation and Mo-doping VS2 (Mo-NVS2) is reported. It is demonstrated that NH4 + pre-intercalation can enlarge the interplanar spacing and Mo-doping can induce interlayer defects and sulfur vacancies that are favorable to construct new ion transport channels, thus resulting in significantly enhanced Na+ diffusion kinetics and pseudocapacitance. Density functional theory calculations further reveal that the introduction of NH4 + and Mo-doping enhances the electronic conductivity, lowers the diffusion energy barrier of Na+, and produces stronger d-p hybridization to promote conversion kinetics of Na+ intercalation intermediates. Consequently, Mo-NVS2 delivers a record-high reversible capacity of 453 mAh g-1 at 3 A g-1 and an ultra-stable cycle life of over 20 000 cycles. The assembled SIHCs achieve impressive energy density/power density of 98 Wh kg-1/11.84 kW kg-1, ultralong cycling life of over 15000 cycles, and very low self-discharge rate (0.84 mV h-1).

Mitigating Zn Dendrite Growth and Enhancing the Utilization of Zn Electrode in Aqueous Zn-Ion Batteries.

In spite of extensive research and appreciable progress, in aqueous zinc-ion batteries, Zn metal anode is struggling with low Zn utility and poor cycling stability. In this study, a 3D "electrochemical welding" composite electrode is designed by introduction of ZnO/C nanofibers film to copper foils as an anode according to pre-electrodeposition active Zn (Zn@ZnO/C-Cu). The flow of Zn2+ through carbon fiber layer is regulated by zincophilic ZnO, promoting homogeneous diffusion of Zn2+ to Cu foil. In subsequent Zn deposition/stripping processes, the hydrophobicity of ZnO/C fiber layer reduces water at the interface of Zn@ZnO/C-Cu and results in uniform electric field significant suppressing growth of Zn dendritic and side reactions. Thus, pre-electrodeposition active Zn electrochemical welds ZnO/C nanofibers and Cu foil collectively provide stable charge/electron transfer and stripping/plating of Zn with low polarization and excellent cycling performance. The assembled symmetrical batteries exhibit stable cycling performance for over 470 h under 20% utilization of Zn at 5 mA cm-2, and an average coulombic efficiency of 99.9% at low negative/positive capacity ratio (N/P = 1) after 1000 cycles in the Zn@ZnO/C-Cu||Na2V6O16·1.5H2O full cell.

Factors associated with long-term opioid use among patients with axial spondyloarthritis or psoriatic arthritis who initiated opioids.

OBJECTIVE: Up to one in five patients with axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA) or psoriatic arthritis (PsA) newly initiated on opioids transition to long-term use within the first year. This study aimed to investigate individual factors associated with long-term opioid use among opioid new users with AxSpA/PsA. METHODS: Adult patients with AxSpA/PsA and without prior cancer who initiated opioids between 2006-2021 were included from Clinical Practice Research Datalink Gold, a national UK primary care database. Long-term opioid use was defined as having ≥3 opioid prescriptions issued within 90 days, or ≥ 90 days of opioid supply, in the first year of follow-up. Individual factors assessed included sociodemographic, lifestyle factors, medication use and comorbidities. A mixed-effects logistic regression model with patient-level random intercept was used to examine the association of individual characteristics with the odds of long-term opioid use. RESULTS: In total 10 300 opioid initiations were identified from 8,212 patients (3037 AxSpA; 5175 PsA). The following factors were associated with long-term opioid use: being a current smoker (OR : 1.62; 95%CI : 1.38,1.90), substance use disorder (OR : 2.34, 95%CI : 1.05,5.21), history of suicide/self-harm (OR : 1.84; 95%CI : 1.13,2.99), co-existing fibromyalgia (OR : 1.62; 95%CI : 1.11,2.37), higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (OR : 3.61; 95%CI : 1.69,7.71 for high scores), high MME/day at initiation (OR : 1.03; 95%CI : 1.02,1.03) and gabapentinoid (OR : 2.35; 95%CI : 1.75,3.16) and antidepressant use (OR : 1.69; 95%CI : 1.45,1.98). CONCLUSIONS: In AxSpA/PsA patients requiring pain relief, awareness of lifestyle, sociodemographic and prescribing characteristics associated with higher risk of long-term opioid use can prompt timely interventions such as structured medication reviews and smoking cessation to promote safer prescribing and better patient outcomes.

Arc discharge method to fabricate large concave structures for open-access fiber Fabry-Pérot cavities.

We present a novel micro-fabrication technique for creating concave surfaces on the endfacets of photonic crystal fibers. A fiber fusion splicer is used to generate arc discharges to melt and reshape the fiber endfacet. This technique can produce large spherical concave surfaces with roughness as low as 0.12 nm in various types of photonic crystal fibers. The deviation of fabricated surface and a spherical profile in the region of 70 µm in diameter is less than 50 nm. The center of the concave surface and the fiber mode field are highly coincident with a deviation less than 500 nm. Finesse measurements have shown that a Fabry-Pérot cavity composed of the fiber fabricated using this method and a plane mirror maintains finesse of 20000. This method is easy to replicate, making it a practical and efficient approach to fabricate concave surface on fibers for open-access fiber Fabry-Pérot cavities.

Protein kinase FaSnRK2.6 phosphorylates transcription factor FabHLH3 to regulate anthocyanin homeostasis during strawberry fruit ripening.

Strawberry (Fragaria×ananassa) is a model plant for studying non-climacteric fruit ripening regulated by abscisic acid (ABA). However, the signaling of ABA in the regulation of fruit coloration is not fully understood. Here, a transcription factor FabHLH3 key to fruit coloration is identified by yeast two hybrid library screening using FaSnRK2.6 as a bait, an ABA core signaling component negative to ripening. Indeed, this interaction is also confirmed by firefly luciferase complementation assay and pull-down assay. RT-qPCR and Western blotting analysis confirm FabHLH3 is expressed ubiquitously in strawberry and stably during fruit development. Manipulating both FabHLH3 and FaSnRK2.6 expression by overexpression and interference demonstrates that FabHLH3 and FaSnRK2.6 promote and inhibit strawberry fruit coloration, respectively, using the marker gene FaUFGT, key to anthocyanin biosynthesis. FaSnRK2.6 can phosphorylate FabHLH3, which promotes FaUFGT expression by the directly binding to its promoter. The phosphorylation inhibits the binding of FabHLH3 to FaUFGT promoter, consequently suppressing FaUFGT expression. Altogether, FaSnRK2.6, a negative kinase in ripening, interacts with and phosphorylates FabHLH3 to suppress FaUFGT expression. With the increase of ABA content in strawberry fruit ripening, the expression of FaSnRK2.6 decreased, which released FabHLH3 transcription activity and enhanced FaUFGT expression, finally promoting the coloration. Thus, our findings fill a gap how FaSnRK2.6 negatively regulates strawberry fruit coloration and ripening by FabHLH3.

Experimental Demonstration of Input-Output Indefiniteness in a Single Quantum Device.

Quantum theory allows information to flow through a single device in a coherent superposition of two opposite directions, resulting into situations where the input-output direction is indefinite. Here we introduce a theoretical method to witness input-output indefiniteness in a single quantum device, and we experimentally demonstrate it by constructing a photonic setup that exhibits input-output indefiniteness with a statistical significance exceeding 69 standard deviations. Our results provide a way to characterize input-output indefiniteness as a resource for quantum information and photonic quantum technologies and enable tabletop simulations of hypothetical scenarios exhibiting quantum indefiniteness in the direction of time.

Impact of different CEBPA mutations on therapeutic outcome in acute myeloid leukemia.

Biallelic mutations of the CEBPA gene (CEBPAbi) are generally associated with favorable prognosis in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Monoallelic mutations of the CEBPA gene in carboxy-terminal DNA-binding region (CEBPAsmbZIP) and amino-terminal transactivation domains (CEBPAsmTAD) indicate distinct clinical characteristics and therapeutic outcomes. However, further investigation is required to fully understand these differences. In this retrospective study, we enrolled 77 AML patients with CEBPA mutations, including 53 with CEBPAbi, 12 with CEBPAsmbZIP and 12 with CEBPAsmTAD. The clinical characteristics of the three CEBPAmut groups presented significant differences in age, FAB classification, hemoglobin level and platelet count at diagnosis. The CEBPAsmTAD group exhibited shorter 2-year overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) compared to the CEBPAbi group and CEBPAsmbZIP group in AML patients. The most common co-mutations observed in CEBPAmut AML patients were TET2 and GATA2, which had no effect on prognosis. 2-year RFS of 27 CEBPAmut AML patients who underwent allo-HSCT was better than those who did not. MRD3 positive was identified as an influencing factor for 2-year OS and RFS. Allo-HSCT was found to improve the prognosis of CEPBAmut AML patients with positive MRD3 and adverse co-mutations.

Concomitant targeting of FLT3 and SPHK1 exerts synergistic cytotoxicity in FLT3-ITD+ acute myeloid leukemia by inhibiting ß-catenin activity via the PP2A-GSK3ß axis.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 25-30% of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have FMS-like receptor tyrosine kinase-3 (FLT3) mutations that contribute to disease progression and poor prognosis. Prolonged exposure to FLT3 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) often results in limited clinical responses due to diverse compensatory survival signals. Therefore, there is an urgent need to elucidate the mechanisms underlying FLT3 TKI resistance. Dysregulated sphingolipid metabolism frequently contributes to cancer progression and a poor therapeutic response. However, its relationship with TKI sensitivity in FLT3-mutated AML remains unknown. Thus, we aimed to assess mechanisms of FLT3 TKI resistance in AML. METHODS: We performed lipidomics profiling, RNA-seq, qRT-PCR, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to determine potential drivers of sorafenib resistance. FLT3 signaling was inhibited by sorafenib or quizartinib, and SPHK1 was inhibited by using an antagonist or via knockdown. Cell growth and apoptosis were assessed in FLT3-mutated and wild-type AML cell lines via Cell counting kit-8, PI staining, and Annexin-V/7AAD assays. Western blotting and immunofluorescence assays were employed to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms through rescue experiments using SPHK1 overexpression and exogenous S1P, as well as inhibitors of S1P2, ß-catenin, PP2A, and GSK3ß. Xenograft murine model, patient samples, and publicly available data were analyzed to corroborate our in vitro results. RESULTS: We demonstrate that long-term sorafenib treatment upregulates SPHK1/sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) signaling, which in turn positively modulates ß-catenin signaling to counteract TKI-mediated suppression of FLT3-mutated AML cells via the S1P2 receptor. Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of SPHK1 potently enhanced the TKI-mediated inhibition of proliferation and apoptosis induction in FLT3-mutated AML cells in vitro. SPHK1 knockdown enhanced sorafenib efficacy and improved survival of AML-xenografted mice. Mechanistically, targeting the SPHK1/S1P/S1P2 signaling synergizes with FLT3 TKIs to inhibit ß-catenin activity by activating the protein phosphatase 2 A (PP2A)-glycogen synthase kinase 3ß (GSK3ß) pathway. CONCLUSIONS: These findings establish the sphingolipid metabolic enzyme SPHK1 as a regulator of TKI sensitivity and suggest that combining SPHK1 inhibition with TKIs could be an effective approach for treating FLT3-mutated AML.

Vitronectin promotes insulin resistance in trophoblast cells by activating JNK in gestational diabetes mellitus.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common disorder in the clinic, which may lead to severe detrimental outcomes both for mothers and infants. However, the underlying mechanisms for GDM are still not clear. In the present study, we performed label-free proteomics using placentas from GDM patients and normal controls. Vitronectin caused our attention among differentially expressed proteins due to its potential role in the pathological progression of GDM. Vitronectin was increased in the placentas of GDM patients, which was confirmed by Western blot analysis. Vitronectin represses insulin signal transduction in trophoblast cells, whereas the knockdown of vitronectin further potentiates insulin-evoked events. Neutralization of CD51/61 abolishes the repressed insulin signal transduction in vitronectin-treated trophoblast cells. Moreover, vitronectin activates JNK in a CD51/61-depedent manner. Inhibition of JNK rescues impaired insulin signal transduction induced by vitronectin. Overall, our data indicate that vitronectin binds CD51/61 in trophoblast cells to activate JNK, and thus induces insulin resistance. In this regard, increased expression of vitronectin is likely a risk factor for the pathological progression of GDM. Moreover, blockade of vitronectin production or its receptors (CD51/61) may have therapeutic potential for dealing with GDM.

Cost-Effectiveness of New Quadruple Therapy Compared With Standard Treatment for Patients With Heart Failure in China.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to compare the cost-effectiveness of the new quadruple therapy regimen of adding sodium-glucose-linked transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, with standard treatment for patients with heart failure (HF) in China. From the payer's perspective, the dates of cardiovascular event recurrences were extracted from a meta-analysis including 6 trials, combined with the treatment cost for patients with HF in China to construct a Markov model. The outcomes included per capita medical costs and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, using quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) data. Single-factor, probability sensitivity analysis, and scenario analysis were used to explore the potential uncertainties of the model. The per capita costs of the new quadruple therapy regimen and standard treatment were $87441.26 and $87087.54, respectively. The new regimen was associated with a mean of 21.44 QALYs gained, compared with 18.60 QALYs gained with the standard treatment. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $124.03 per QALY gained. The sensitivity analysis revealed that changes in the parameters within the set range did not affect the model results. In China, compared with standard treatment, the new quadruple therapy regimen with SGLT2 inhibitors reduce the frequency of cardiovascular events among patients with HF, and it has economic advantages.

Encapsulation of Pure Water-Stable Perovskite Nanocrystals (PNCs) into Biological Environment-Stable PNCs for Cell Imaging.

Recently emerging perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) are very attractive fluorescence nanomaterials due to their very narrow emission peak, tunable wavelength, and extremely high quantum yield, but their chemosensing, biosensing and bioimaging applications suffer from the poor stability of ordinary PNCs in aqueous media, especially in biological matrices. Recently developed water-stable 2D CsPb2Br5-encapsulated 3D CsPbBr3 PNCs (i.e., CsPbBr3/CsPb2Br5 PNCs) show extremely stable light emission in pure water, but their fluorescence is seriously quenched in aqueous media containing biological molecules due to their chemical reactions. In this work, we used a facile method to encapsulate pure water-stable CsPbBr3/CsPb2Br5 PNCs in water with SiO2 and polyethylene glycol hexadecyl ether (Brij58) into a new kind of biological environment-stable PNCs (CsPbBr3/CsPb2Br5@SiO2-Brij58). The synthesis of the target PNCs can be accomplished in a fast, easy, and green way. The obtained CsPbBr3/CsPb2Br5@SiO2-Brij58 PNCs maintain strong fluorescence emission for a long time, all in pH 7.4 PBS, BSA, and minimum essential medium, exhibiting excellent biological environment stability. Moreover, the developed biological environment-stable PNCs show good biocompatibility and have been successfully used in cell imaging. Overall, the work provides an easy, low-cost, and efficient application of PNCs in bioimaging.

Temperature-controlled microalgal biofilm detachment and harvesting assisted by ultrasonic from 3D porous substrates grafted with thermosensitive gels.

Microalgae have been renowned as the most promising energy organism with significant potential in carbon fixation. In the large-scale cultivation of microalgae, the 3D porous substrate with higher specific surface area is favorable to microalgae adsorption and biofilm formation, whereas difficult for biofilm detachment and microalgae harvesting. To solve this contradiction, N-isopropylacrylamide, a temperature-responsive gels material, was grafted onto the inner surface of the 3D porous substrate to form temperature-controllable interface wettability. The interfacial free energy between microalgae biofilm and the substrates increased from -63.02 mJ/m2 to -31.89 mJ/m2 when temperature was lowered from 32 °C to 17 °C, weakening the adsorption capacity of cells to the surface, and making the biofilm detachment ratio increased to 50.8%. When further cooling the environmental temperature to 4 °C, the detachment capability of microalgae biofilm kept growing. 91.6% of the cells in the biofilm were harvesting from the 3D porous substrate. And the biofilm detached rate was up to 19.84 g/m2/h, realizing the temperature-controlled microalgae biofilm harvesting. But, microalgae growth results in the secretion of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which enhanced biofilm adhesion and made cell detachment more difficult. Thus, ultrasonic vibration was used to reinforce biofilm detachment. With the help of ultrasonic vibration, microalgae biofilm detached rate increased by 143.45% to 41.07 g/m2/h. These findings provide a solid foundation for further development of microalgae biofilm detachment and harvesting technology.

Protective Effects of an Oligo-Fucoidan-Based Formula against Osteoarthritis Development via iNOS and COX-2 Suppression following Monosodium Iodoacetate Injection.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating joint disorder characterized by cartilage degradation and chronic inflammation, accompanied by high oxidative stress. In this study, we utilized the monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced OA model to investigate the efficacy of oligo-fucoidan-based formula (FF) intervention in mitigating OA progression. Through its capacity to alleviate joint bearing function and inflammation, improvements in cartilage integrity following oligo-fucoidan-based formula intervention were observed, highlighting its protective effects against cartilage degeneration and structural damage. Furthermore, the oligo-fucoidan-based formula modulated the p38 signaling pathway, along with downregulating cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression, contributing to its beneficial effects. Our study provides valuable insights into targeted interventions for OA management and calls for further clinical investigations to validate these preclinical findings and to explore the translational potential of an oligo-fucoidan-based formula in human OA patients.

Potential damage to ovarian reserve from laparoscopic electrocoagulation in endometriomas and benign ovarian cysts: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic cystectomy for ovarian endometriomas and benign ovarian cysts is often conducted through hemostatic methods, with bipolar electrocoagulation as a common approach. This study evaluated the impact of electrocoagulation, primarily through bipolar energy, versus nonthermal hemostatic methods on ovarian reserve in patients undergoing laparoscopic cystectomy for ovarian endometriomas and benign ovarian cysts. METHODS: A systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted by searching the Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the impact of nonthermal hemostatic methods and electrocoagulation on the ovarian reserve during laparoscopic cystectomy were included. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for Randomized Controlled Trials (ROB 2.0) was utilized to assess the quality of the included studies. The meta-analysis included 13 RCTs involving 1043 patients. Postoperative serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels and antral follicle counts (AFCs) were analyzed using Review Manager ver. 5.4. RESULTS: Compared with the bipolar group, patients with endometriomas in the nonthermal hemostatic group exhibited significantly higher postoperative AMH levels at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. Conversely, no significant differences in AMH levels were observed in patients with benign ovarian cysts. Similarly, AFCs showed no significant differences, except for lower postoperative AFCs in patients with endometrioma in the electrocoagulation group. CONCLUSION: Nonthermal hemostatic methods are associated with more effective preservation of the ovarian reserve compared with bipolar electrocoagulation in laparoscopic cystectomy for ovarian endometriomas. However, no significant impact of bipolar electrocoagulation on the ovarian reserve was observed in patients with benign ovarian cysts. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered in PROSPERO on April 10, 2023; ID # CRD42023413158.

Identification of insect cuticular protein genes LCP17 and SgAbd5 from Helicoverpa armigera and evaluation their roles in fenvalerate resistance.

Insect cuticular protein (ICP) plays an important role in insect growth and development. However, research on the role of ICP in insecticide resistance is very limited. In this study, insect cuticular protein genes LCP17 and SgAbd5 were cloned and characterized in Helicoverpa armigera based on previous transcriptome data. The functions of LCP17 and SgAbd5 genes in fenvalerate resistance were assessed by RNA interference (RNAi), and their response to fenvalerate was further detected. The results showed that LCP17 and SgAbd5 were overexpressed in the fenvalerate-resistant strain comparing with a susceptible strain. The open reading frames of LCP17 and SgAbd5 genes were 423 bp and 369 bp, encoding 141 and 123 amino acids, respectively. LCP17 and SgAbd5 genes were highly expressed in the larval stage, but less expressed in the adult and pupal stages. The expression level of LCP17 and SgAbd5 genes increased significantly after fenvalerate treatment at 24 h. When the cotton bollworms larvae were exposed to fenvalerate at LD50 level, RNAi-mediated silencing of LCP17 and SgAbd5 genes increased the mortality from 50.68% to 68.67% and 63.89%, respectively; the mortality increased to even higher level, which was 73.61%, when these two genes were co-silenced. Moreover, silencing of these two genes caused the cuticle lamellar structure to become loose, which led to increased penetration of fenvalerate into the larvae. The results suggested that LCP17 and SgAbd5 may be involved in the resistance of cotton bollworm to fenvalerate, and LCP17 and SgAbd5 could serve as potential targets for H. armigera control.