Structure and Defect Engineering of V3S4-xSex Quantum Dots Confined in a Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Framework for High-Performance Sodium-Ion Storage.

Constructing quantum dot-scale metal sulfides with defects and strongly coupled with carbon is significant for advanced sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Herein, Se substituted V3S4 quantum dots with anionic defects confined in nitrogen-doped carbon matrix (V3S4-xSex/NC) are fabricated. Introducing element Se into V3S4 crystal expands the interlayer distance of V3S4, and triggers anionic defects, which can facilitate Na+ diffusions and act as active sites for Na+ storage. Meanwhile, the quantum dots tightly encapsulated by conductive carbon framework improve the stability and conductivity of the electrode. Theoretical calculations also unveil that the presence of Se enhances the conductivity and Na+ adsorption ability of V3S4-xSex. These properties contribute to the V3S4-xSex/NC with high specific capacity of 447 mAh g-1 at 0.2 A g-1, and prominent rate and cyclic performance with 504 mAh g-1 after 1000 cycles at 10 A g-1. The sodium-ion hybrid capacitors (SIHCs) with V3S4-xSex/NC anode and activated carbon cathode can achieve high energy/power density (maximum 144 Wh kg-1/5960 W kg-1), capacity retention ratio of 71% after 4000 cycles at 2 A g-1. This work not only synthesizes V3S4-xSex/NC, but also provides a promising opportunity for designing quantum dots and utilizing defects to improve the electrochemical properties.

A Cytochrome P450 Enzyme Catalyses Oxetane Ring Formation in Paclitaxel Biosynthesis.

Oxetane synthase (TmCYP1), a novel cytochrome P450 enzyme from Taxus×media cell cultures, has been functionally characterized to efficiently catalyse the formation of the oxetane ring in tetracyclic taxoids. Transient expression of TmCYP1 in Nicotiana benthamiana using 2α,5α,7ß,9α,10ß,13α-hexaacetoxytaxa-4(20),11(12)-diene (1) as a substrate led to the production of a major oxetane derivative, 1ß-dehydroxybaccatin IV (1 a), and a minor 4ß,20-epoxide derivative, baccatin I (1 b). However, feeding the substrate decinnamoyltaxinine J (2), a 5-deacetylated derivative of 1, yielded only 5α-deacetylbaccatin I (2 b), a 4ß,20-epoxide. A possible reaction mechanism was proposed on the basis of substrate-feeding, 2H and 18O isotope labelling experiments, and density functional theory calculations. This reaction could be an intramolecular oxidation-acetoxyl rearrangement and the construction of the oxetane ring may occur through a concerted process; however, the 4ß,20-epoxide might be a shunt product. In this process, the C5-O-acetyl group in substrate is crucial for the oxetane ring formation but not for the 4(20)-epoxy ring formation by TmCYP1. These findings provide a better understanding of the enzymatic formation of the oxetane ring in paclitaxel biosynthesis.

TOD-CUP: a gene expression rank-based majority vote algorithm for tissue origin diagnosis of cancers of unknown primary.

Gene expression profiling holds great potential as a new approach to histological diagnosis and precision medicine of cancers of unknown primary (CUP). Batch effects and different data types greatly decrease the predictive performance of biomarker-based algorithms, and few methods have been widely applied to identify tissue origin of CUP up to now. To address this problem and assist in more precise diagnosis, we have developed a gene expression rank-based majority vote algorithm for tissue origin diagnosis of CUP (TOD-CUP) of most common cancer types. Based on massive tissue-specific RNA-seq data sets (10 553) found in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), 538 feature genes (biomarkers) were selected based on their gene expression ranks and used to predict tissue types. The top scoring pairs (TSPs) classifier of the tumor type was optimized by the TCGA training samples. To test the prediction accuracy of our TOD-CUP algorithm, we analyzed (1) two microarray data sets (1029 Agilent and 2277 Affymetrix/Illumina chips) and found 91% and 94% prediction accuracy, respectively, (2) RNA-seq data from five cancer types derived from 141 public metastatic cancer tumor samples and achieved 94% accuracy and (3) a total of 25 clinical cancer samples (including 14 metastatic cancer samples) were able to classify 24/25 samples correctly (96.0% accuracy). Taken together, the TOD-CUP algorithm provides a powerful and robust means to accurately identify the tissue origin of 24 cancer types across different data platforms. To make the TOD-CUP algorithm easily accessible for clinical application, we established a Web-based server for tumor tissue origin diagnosis (http://ibi. zju.edu.cn/todcup/).

An entorhinal-visual cortical circuit regulates depression-like behaviors.

Major depressive disorder is viewed as a 'circuitopathy'. The hippocampal-entorhinal network plays a pivotal role in regulation of depression, and its main sensory output, the visual cortex, is a promising target for stimulation therapy of depression. However, whether the entorhinal-visual cortical pathway mediates depression and the potential mechanism remains unknown. Here we report a cortical circuit linking entorhinal cortex layer Va neurons to the medial portion of secondary visual cortex (Ent→V2M) that bidirectionally regulates depression-like behaviors in mice. Analyses of brain-wide projections of Ent Va neurons and two-color retrograde tracing indicated that Ent Va→V2M projection neurons represented a unique population of neurons in Ent Va. Immunostaining of c-Fos revealed that activity in Ent Va neurons was decreased in mice under chronic social defeat stress (CSDS). Both chemogenetic inactivation of Ent→V2M projection neurons and optogenetic inactivation of the projection terminals induced social deficiency, anxiety- and despair-related behaviors in healthy mice. Chemogenetic inactivation of Ent→V2M projection neurons also aggravated these depression-like behaviors in CSDS-resilient mice. Optogenetic activation of Ent→V2M projection terminals rapidly ameliorated depression-like phenotypes. Optical recording using fiber photometry indicated that elevated neural activity in Ent→V2M projection terminals promoted antidepressant-like behaviors. Thus, the Ent→V2M circuit plays a crucial role in regulation of depression-like behaviors, and can function as a potential target for treating major depressive disorder.

Tectonic Implication of the 2022 MS 6.9 Earthquake in Menyuan, Qinghai, China: Analysis of Precise Earthquake Locations and InSAR.

Precise earthquake locations and InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) deformation observation are the major methods to understand the earthquake occurrence and disaster-causing process. This paper proposes a processing framework for analyzing strong earthquake mechanisms from one-dimensional velocity inversion to precise earthquake locations combined with InSAR deformation observation, and discusses earthquake-generating fault and dynamic mechanisms of tectonic deformation. We analyzed the Menyuan Ms 6.9 earthquake in 2022 and discuss the historical seismic activities and corresponding stress adjustment processes in the research region. To analyze and study the seismogenic structure and mechanism of the earthquake, we investigated the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of the Menyuan earthquake sequence and analyzed the InSAR coseismic deformation field. We obtained the precise locations of the main shock and aftershocks and the coseismic InSAR deformation field of the main shock. It was confirmed that the Ms 6.9 earthquake was a shallow sinistral strike-slip earthquake, which led to the sequential activation of the Tuolaishan and Lenglongling faults. The main seismogenic fault of the mainshock was the northwestern end of the Lenglongling fault, and the earthquake rupture was segmented. It can be inferred that the earthquake was a stress-adjusted event triggered in the Qilian-Haiyuan tectonic belt caused by the northeasterly push of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The risk of moderate to high earthquakes in the region remains high in the future, requiring enhanced seismic observations.

Functional Characterization and Cyclization Mechanism of a Diterpene Synthase Catalyzing the Skeleton Formation of Cephalotane-Type Diterpenoids.

CsCTS, a new diterpene synthase from Cephalotaxus sinensis responsible for forming cephalotene, the core skeleton of cephalotane-type diterpenoids with a highly rigid 6/6/5/7 tetracyclic ring system, was functionally characterized. The stepwise cyclization mechanism is proposed mainly based on structural investigation of its derailment products, and further demonstrated through isotopic labeling experiments and density functional theory calculations. Homology modeling and molecular dynamics simulation combined with site-directed mutagenesis revealed the critical amino acid residues for the unique carbocation-driven cascade cyclization mechanism of CsCTS. Altogether, this study reports the discovery of the diterpene synthase that catalyzes the first committed step of cephalotane-type diterpenoid biosynthesis and delineates its cyclization mechanism, laying the foundation to decipher and artificially construct the complete biosynthetic pathway of this type diterpenoids.

Clinical significance of intracavitary electrocardiographic localization in the prevention of PICC heterotopia in children with tumor.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical significance of intracavitary electrocardiogram positioning technology in preventing catheter ectopic position during peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) catheterization in children with tumors. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 62 children who required PICC catheterization was performed. The intracavitary electrocardiogram (ECG) positioning technology was used during the tube placement of the child patients. After the tube was successfully placed, the chest radiograph was taken. The ECG positioning result was compared with the chest radiograph positioning result after the tube was inserted, and the sensitivity and specificity of the ECG positioning were calculated. RESULTS: The intracavitary electrocardiogram results of 62 children with PICC catheters showed that 56 cases (90.32%) had characteristic P waves, and six cases (9.68%) had no characteristic P waves. The chest radiographs of 56 children with characteristic P wave showed that 33 cases (58.93%) of the catheter tip position was appropriate, 22 cases (39.29%) of the catheter tip was too deep, and 1 case was in a non-superior vena cava; six cases of chest radiographs of children with no characteristic P wave showed: one case was too deep at T8 level, one case was too shallow at T4 level, four cases were at non-superior vena cava, one case was contralateral internal jugular vein, two cases in the contralateral brachiocephalic vein, and one case was the contralateral subclavian vein. CONCLUSION: Intracavitary ECG positioning assisted catheter placement in infants can effectively improve the accuracy of catheter tip position.

ECG method for positioning the tip of peripherally inserted central catheters in patients with atrial fibrillation.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the changes of F waves on electrocardiograms (ECGs) in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation during the insertion of a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC), and to analyze the application effect of the ECG method (through F wave changes) for guiding PICC tip positioning. METHODS: Seventy-two patients who met the inclusion criteria and needed a PICC catheter were selected as the research subjects. We observed waveforms in the ECGs when the tip of the catheter reached a predetermined position. The chest X-ray results were used as the gold standard to calculate the sensitivity and specificity, and judge the safety and accuracy of ECG-guided PICC tip positioning in patients with atrial fibrillation. RESULTS: Of the 72 patients, there was no significant difference between the ECG method and chest X-ray results (χ2 = 0.2, p > 0.05). Sixty-one patients had F wave changes on ECG and 10 had no obvious changes (X-ray results confirmed that five patients had a tip position that was too shallow, two had ectopic tip positions, and three were located in the correct place). The sensitivity of the method was 95.7% and the specificity was 80%. CONCLUSION: As the ECG baselines of patients with persistent atrial fibrillation were difficult to judge and the F wave was irregular, we found that the F wave was significantly higher than before catheter insertion and fell back while withdrawing the catheter, so the catheter should be fed until the F wave significantly increased as the correct position of the catheter tip.

Clinical significance of different atlas of intracavitary electrocardiogram for PICC localization in 961 cases.

PURPOSE: To explore the application of ECG-guided localization technology in PICC catheterization and the clinical significance of different maps of intracavitary ECG in PICC tip localization. METHODS: In the process of catheter placement under the guidance of ultrasound, the technique of intracavitary ECG location was used. The length of the catheter was measured on the body's surface. The amplitude of the P-wave and the QRS-wave groups of electrocardiograms before and during catheter placement was recorded. Nine hundred sixty-one patients who underwent X-ray chest film examination after catheterization were imaged on the chest film at the tip of the catheter. RESULTS: Eight hundred four cases had a characteristic P wave, 83.66%, of which, 331 cases (50% < P/R ≤80%) had 99.09%; 425 cases (80% < P/R ≤100%) had 99.29%; 48 cases (P/R >100%) had 100%. One hundred eighteen cases of non-specific P wave accounted for 12.28% and 79.66% of chest radiographs, of which 72 cases of P/R <50% were 100%; 46 cases of unchanged P wave were 47.83%; 34 cases of special cases accounted for 3.54% and 55.88% of chest radiographs; five cases of interference wave accounted for 0.25%, and the chest radiographs were self-control. The in-place rate of the body contrast catheter was 80%. CONCLUSIONS: The accuracy of the ECG characteristic map in guiding the location of the PICC tip is higher than that of the non-characteristic P wave, and it has more clinical significance in locating the best position of the PICC tip.

Intracavitary electrocardiography for femorally inserted central catheter tip location in adult patients.

BACKGROUND: In this study, the intracavitary electrocardiogram (ECG) P-wave and QRS-wave changes during femorally inserted central catheter (FICC) placement in adults were observed with the aim of reducing malposition occurrence. The observed method provides venous access in patients who have limited upper limb venous catheterization potential and require medium-term and long-term infusions. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 34 adult patients who underwent FICC placement was conducted. After body surface measurements were taken, all patients were connected to an ECG during catheter placement, and the P-wave and QRS-wave changes were observed. Next, the catheter tip position was confirmed with an abdominal X-ray, and an analysis of the changes occurring during the procedure was conducted. RESULTS: In the 34 patients included in the present study, the catheter tips were located below the diaphragm level in the inferior vena cava. Of the patients, 18 showed negative P waves, biphasic P waves, and positive high-amplitude P waves with increasing the insertion depth. In 16 patients, no P-wave characteristic changes were observed during catheterization, and an abdominal X-ray confirmed that the catheter tip was positioned below the level of the first lumbar vertebra. CONCLUSION: Negative P waves, biphasic P waves, and positive high-amplitude P waves appeared during FICC placement in adults. Catheter withdrawal until the P wave reverted to normal indicated that a tip position close to the inferior vena cava above the diaphragm level was ideal.

Electrocardiographic localization of peripherally inserted central catheter tip position in critically ill patients with advanced cancer: An application study.

BACKGROUND: We compared the methods of electrocardiogram (ECG) and X-ray localization of the peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) tip position, in order to find a more convenient, practical, and safe method. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value of applying electrocardiographic localization of the PICC tip position in critically ill patients with advanced cancer in Hebei Province, China. METHOD: Enrolled 137 advanced cancers requiring PICC placement. The position of the catheter tip was localized with the bedside electrocardiogram in real time. Then, the localization was performed using a chest X-ray (the gold standard). The accuracy of electrocardiographic location was checked. RESULTS: Specific P waves were observed in 130 patients. No change in the P waves was observed for the remaining seven patients. The age of the latter group of patients was more advanced (87.29 [5.15] years), a significant difference to that of the 130 patients with specific P waves (71.58 [14.84] years) (t = -6.704, p < .001). Specific P waves not only involve ascendance in P waves but also ascendance in QRS waves. CONCLUSIONS: The use of an ECG to localize the PICC tip in critically ill patients with advanced cancer may replace the unnecessary use of chest X-rays. Specific P waves not only involve an increase in P waves but also an increase in QRS waves. If there is no change in the P wave, a chest X-ray film must be obtained. In elderly patients, because there is a possibility of catheter tip malposition, a comprehensive evaluation should be performed before surgery.

Chest CT tomography vs. intracavitary electrocardiogram guidance in predicting the length of PICC placement.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate chest computed tomography (CT) compared to intracavitary electrocardiogram (ECG) in predicting the length of peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) placement and analyzing the accuracy of the positioning methods. METHODS: This study included a total number of 436 patients who underwent PICC placement. The patients enrolled were randomly divided into two groups: ECG group (n = 218, received IC-ECG) and chest CT group (n = 218, received chest CT). The tip length of the catheter in the superior vena cava, the measured length of the catheter and the actual insertion length of the catheter were observed and recorded in the two groups. RESULTS: The best catheterization rate of tip positioning and the one-time placement rate of tip positioning in ECG group were significantly higher than that in the chest CT group (all P < 0.05). The comfort level and satisfaction rate in ECG group was significantly higher than that of chest CT group (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Accurate catheterization length could be achieved by both chest CT and intracavitary electrocardiogram guidance in the process of predicting PICC placement length. However, IC-ECG guided procedure was more worthy of promotion in clinic.

Effects of Sample Size on Plant Single-Cell RNA Profiling.

Single-cell RNA (scRNA) profiling or scRNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) makes it possible to parallelly investigate diverse molecular features of multiple types of cells in a given plant tissue and discover cell developmental processes. In this study, we evaluated the effects of sample size (i.e., cell number) on the outcome of single-cell transcriptome analysis by sampling different numbers of cells from a pool of ~57,000 Arabidopsis thaliana root cells integrated from five published studies. Our results indicated that the most significant principal components could be achieved when 20,000-30,000 cells were sampled, a relatively high reliability of cell clustering could be achieved by using ~20,000 cells with little further improvement by using more cells, 96% of the differentially expressed genes could be successfully identified with no more than 20,000 cells, and a relatively stable pseudotime could be estimated in the subsample with 5000 cells. Finally, our results provide a general guide for optimizing sample size to be used in plant scRNA-seq studies.

[Therapeutic effect of Astragalus and Angelica mixture on the renal function and TCM syndrome factors in treating stage 3 and 4 chronic kidney disease patients].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the therapeutic effect of Astragalus and Angelica Mixture (AAM) on treating CKD patients according to different CKD primary diseases, staging and TCM syndromes. METHODS: A multicentre, open-label, and self control clinical design was used, and thirty-two patients in line with inclusive criteria were recruited. Based on maintaining their previous basic CKD treatment, patients additionally took AAM (Astragalus and Angelica each 30 g), once a day, three months consisted of one therapeutic course. Serum creatinine (SCr), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eG- FR), 24 h urinary total protein (UTP), plasma albumin (ALB), hemoglobin (Hb), and changes of TCM syndrome factor integrals were compared before treatment, at the end of month 1, 2, and 3. The differences in the aforesaid indices were compared between CKD patients with different CKD primary diseases (chronic glomerulonephritis, chronic renal tubulointerstitial disease, hypertensive renal damage), different CKD stages (CKD 3 and CKD 4), and patients of qi-blood deficiency syndrome (QBDS) and non-QBDS. RESULTS: AAM could improve 78.12% (25/32) patients' renal function. Compared with before treatment, SCr decreased (12.08% +/- 10.11%), eGFR increased (21.14% +/- 18.55%), and ALB increased (2.76% +/- 1.97%) at the end of 3-month treatment (all P < 0.05). As for TCM syndrome factor integrals, compared with before treatment, the integrals for qi deficiency syndrome, blood deficiency syndrome, and yin deficiency syndrome decreased, while the integrals for dampness heat syndrome and turbid-toxin syndrome increased (all P < 0.05). There was no obvious difference in all indices except the integral for hypertensive renal damage patients of yin deficiency syndrome (P > 0.05). The SCr decreasing percent was 19.82% +/- 8.30% for patients of non-QBDS and 5.24% +/- 10.75% for patients of QBDS. The latter was higher with statistical difference (P < 0.05). As for TCM syndrome factor integrals, the integral differences of qi deficiency and blood deficiency were obviously higher in patients of QBDS, when compared with patients of non-QBDS (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: AAM could improve the renal function of CKD patients, elevate their ALB levels, and ameliorate associated qi deficiency syndrome, blood deficiency syndrome, and yin deficiency syndrome, especially for CKD patients of QBDS.

Effect of intracavitary electrocardiographic localization on the success rate and complications of PICC in infants.

BACKGROUND: Peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) is widely used in chemotherapy of children with malignant tumors because of its safe operation and long indwelling time. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of intracavitary electroencephalogram (CEEG) localization technique on the success rate and complications of PICC in infants. METHODS: A total of 180 children with PICC catheterization and maintenance at Shijiazhuang People's Hospital First Hospital from January 2017 to January 2020 were selected and divided into control group (n= 90 cases) and observation group (n= 90 cases). The control group observed the tip position of the fixed catheter through X-ray film and adjusted the catheter until its tip was located in the superior vena cava. The observation group used intracavitary electrocardiogram positioning technology. Comparison of the effects of two groups on the success rate and complications of PICC puncture in infants and young children. RESULTS: The success rate of one puncture in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P< 0.05). Within one month of catheterization, 13 cases had complications, with an incidence rate of 16.00% lower than the control group's 34.00% (27/80) (P< 0.05). The screening test results showed that the specificity, sensitivity, Youden index, accuracy, kappa coefficient, positive and negative predictive value were 88.89%, 97.56%, 0.86, 96.00%, 0.86, 0.86, respectively. The measured values were 97.56% and 88.89% respectively, and the cost and time of localization were lower than those of X-ray. CONCLUSION: The technique of intracavitary electrogram can be more accurate for infants to place the tip of central venous catheter through peripheral vein, which can effectively improve the success rate of one puncture with low cost, and has high reliability, accuracy and practicability, which is safe and effective.

V-set and immunoglobulin domain containing 4 inhibits oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation to attenuate Parkinson's disease progression by activating the JAK2/STAT3 pathway.

OBJECTIVE: V-set and immunoglobulin domain containing 4 (VSIG4) inhibits neurological dysfunction, microglial M1 polarization, and inflammation to participate in the progression of neurological disorders, but evidence regarding Parkinson's disease (PD) is scarce. The present study intended to investigate the engagement of VSIG4 in PD progression, and the potential mechanism. METHODS: BV-2 cells were treated with 1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) to establish PD model. MPP+ treated BV-2 cells were infected with VSIG4 overexpression adenovirus-associated virus (AAV) (oeVSIG4) and negative control AAV (oeNC), and AZD1480 (JAK2 inhibitor) was added to these cells. RESULTS: MPP+ reduced VSIG4 mRNA (P < 0.05) and protein (P < 0.05) in BV-2 cells. Interestingly, VSIG4 reduced malondialdehyde (P < 0.01), reactive oxygen species (P < 0.01), NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (P < 0.05), cleaved-caspase1 (P < 0.05), tumor necrosis factor-α (P < 0.05), and interleukin-1ß (P < 0.05), but increased glutathione (P < 0.05), mitochondrial membrane potential (P < 0.05), phosphorylation (p)-JAK2 (P < 0.05), and p-STAT3 (P < 0.01) in MPP+ treated BV-2 cells, which indicated that VSIG4 inhibited oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation, as well as activated the JAK2/STAT3 pathway in PD model. Moreover, AZD1480 inhibited the JAK2/STAT3 pathway and aggravated oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation in PD model (all P < 0.05). Importantly, AZD1480 attenuated the influence of VSIG4 on oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, and the JAK2/STAT3 pathway in PD model (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: VSIG4 suppresses oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation by activating the JAK2/STAT3 pathway, which may be helpful in attenuating PD progression.

Comparison of brain gray matter volume changes in peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis patients with chronic kidney disease: a VBM study.

Objective: This study aims to compare gray matter volume changes in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) and hemodialysis (HD) using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). Methods: A total of 27 PD patients, 25 HD patients, and 42 healthy controls were included. VBM analysis was performed, and cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA). The correlation between cognitive function and changes in brain gray matter volume was analyzed. Results: Both peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis patients had partial gray matter volume reduction compared to the controls, but the affected brain regions were not uniform. The hemodialysis patients had greater volume reduction in certain brain regions than the PD patients. The MMSE and MoCA scores were positively correlated with gray matter volume changes. Conclusion: Different dialysis modalities cause damage to specific areas of the brain, which can be detected using VBM. VBM, combined with cognitive function assessment, can help detect structural brain changes and cognitive impairment in patients with different dialysis modalities. The comprehensive application of VBM in the field of neurological function deserves further exploration.

Estimation of invasive coronary perfusion pressure using electrocardiogram and Photoplethysmography in a porcine model of cardiac arrest.

BACKGROUND: Coronary perfusion pressure (CPP) indicates spontaneous return of circulation and is recommended for high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This study aimed to investigate a method for non-invasive estimation of CPP using electrocardiography (ECG) and photoplethysmography (PPG) during CPR. METHODS: Nine pigs were used in this study. ECG, PPG, invasive arterial blood pressure (ABP), and right atrial pressure (RAP) signals were simultaneously recorded. The CPPs were estimated using three datasets: (a) ECG, (b) PPG, and (c) ECG and PPG, and were compared with invasively measured CPPs. Four machine-learning algorithms, namely support vector regression, random forest (RF), K-nearest neighbor, and gradient-boosted regression tree, were used for estimation of CPP. RESULTS: The RF model with a combined ECG and PPG dataset achieved better estimation of CPP than the other algorithms. Specifically, the mean absolute error was 4.49 mmHg, the root mean square error was 6.15 mm Hg, and the adjusted R2 was 0.75. A strong correlation was found between the non-invasive estimation and invasive measurement of CPP (r = 0.88), which supported our hypothesis that machine-learning-based analysis of ECG and PPG parameters can provide a non-invasive estimation of CPP for CPR. CONCLUSIONS: This study proposes a novel estimation of CPP using ECG and PPG with machine-learning-based algorithms. Non-invasively estimated CPP showed a high correlation with invasively measured CPP and may serve as an easy-to-use physiological indicator for high-quality CPR treatment.

Exploring the Antibacterial Potential and Underlying Mechanisms of Prunella vulgaris L. on Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Prunella vulgaris L. (PV) is a widely distributed plant species, known for its versatile applications in both traditional and contemporary medicine, as well as in functional food development. Despite its broad-spectrum antimicrobial utility, the specific mechanism of antibacterial action remains elusive. To fill this knowledge gap, the present study investigated the antibacterial properties of PV extracts against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and assessed their mechanistic impact on bacterial cells and cellular functions. The aqueous extract of PV demonstrated greater anti-MRSA activity compared to the ethanolic and methanolic extracts. UPLC-ESI-MS/MS tentatively identified 28 phytochemical components in the aqueous extract of PV. Exposure to an aqueous extract at ½ MIC and MIC for 5 h resulted in a significant release of intracellular nucleic acid (up to 6-fold) and protein (up to 10-fold) into the extracellular environment. Additionally, this treatment caused a notable decline in the activity of several crucial enzymes, including a 41.51% reduction in alkaline phosphatase (AKP), a 45.71% decrease in adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), and a 48.99% drop in superoxide dismutase (SOD). Furthermore, there was a decrease of 24.17% at ½ MIC and 27.17% at MIC in tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle activity and energy transfer. Collectively, these findings indicate that the anti-MRSA properties of PV may stem from its ability to disrupt membrane and cell wall integrity, interfere with enzymatic activity, and impede bacterial cell metabolism and the transmission of information and energy that is essential for bacterial growth, ultimately resulting in bacterial apoptosis. The diverse range of characteristics exhibited by PV positions it as a promising antimicrobial agent with broad applications for enhancing health and improving food safety and quality.