PdeHCA2 affects biomass in Populus by regulating plant architecture, the transition from primary to secondary growth, and photosynthesis.

MAIN CONCLUSION: PdeHCA2 regulates the transition from primary to secondary growth, plant architecture, and affects photosynthesis by targeting PdeBRC1 and controlling the anatomy of the mesophyll, and intercellular space, respectively. Branching, secondary growth, and photosynthesis are vital developmental processes of woody plants that determine plant architecture and timber yield. However, the mechanisms underlying these processes are unknown. Here, we report that the Populus transcription factor High Cambium Activity 2 (PdeHCA2) plays a role in the transition from primary to secondary growth, vascular development, and branching. In Populus, PdeHCA2 is expressed in undifferentiated provascular cells during primary growth, in phloem cells during secondary growth, and in leaf veins, which is different from the expression pattern of its homolog in Arabidopsis. Overexpression of PdeHCA2 has pleiotropic effects on shoot and leaf development; overexpression lines showed delayed growth of shoots and leaves, reduced photosynthesis, and abnormal shoot branching. In addition, auxin-, cytokinin-, and photosynthesis-related genes were differentially regulated in these lines. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays and transcriptome analysis indicated that PdeHCA2 directly up-regulates the expression of BRANCHED1 and the MADS-box gene PdeAGL9, which regulate plant architecture, by binding to cis-elements in the promoters of these genes. Taken together, our findings suggest that HCA2 regulates several processes in woody plants including vascular development, photosynthesis, and branching by affecting the proliferation and differentiation of parenchyma cells.

Heparin-free after 3000 IU heparin loaded in veno-venous ECMO supported acute respiratory failure patients with hemorrhage risk: a novel anti-coagulation strategy.

BACKGROUND: The anti-coagulation protocol of patients with hemorrhage risk primary disease who need extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) supported is controversial. This study evaluated the feasibility of a new anti-coagulation strategy, that is heparin-free after 3000 IU heparin loaded in veno-venous ECMO (VV ECMO) supported acute respiratory failure patients with hemorrhage risk. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed in a series of hemorrhage risk patients supported with VV ECMO at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, between June 2012 to Sept 2020. A total of 70 patients received a low heparin bolus of 3000 units for cannulation but without subsequent, ongoing heparin administration. Patients were divided into survival (n = 25) and non-survival group (n = 45). Data of coagulation, hemolysis and membrane lung function were calculated and analyzed. The complications of patients were recorded. Finally, the binary Logistic regression was conducted. RESULTS: The longest heparin-free time was 216 h, and the mean heparin-free time was 102 h. Compared with survivors, the non-survivors were showed higher baseline SOFA score and lower platelet counts in 0.5 h, 24 h, 48 h and 96 h after ECMO applied. However, there was no significant differences between survivors and non-survivors in ACT, APTT, INR, D-dimer, fibrinogen, LDH, blood flow rate, Δp and Ppost-MLO2 (all p < 0.05) of all different time point. Moreover, only the baseline SOFA score was significantly associated with mortality (p < 0.001, OR(95%CI): 2.754 (1.486-5.103)) while the baseline levels of ACT, APTT, INR, platelet, D-dimer, fibrinogen and LDH have no association with mortality. The percentage of thrombosis complications was 54.3% (38/70) including 3 oxygenator changed but there was no significant difference of complications in survival and non-survival groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The anticoagulation protocol that no heparin after a 3000 units heparin bolus in VV ECMO supported acute respiratory failure patients with hemorrhage risk is feasible.

Prevalence of autism spectrum disorder diagnosis by birth weight, gestational age, and size for gestational age: a systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression.

We aimed to comprehensively pool the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis by birth weight, gestational age, and size for gestational age. PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Ovid PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library were searched up to December 22, 2021. We pooled data using the random-effects model and quantified heterogeneity using the I2 statistic. Of 66 643 records initially identified, 75 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence estimates of ASD diagnosis are as follows: very-low-birth weight, 3.1% (912 ASD/66,445 individuals); low-birth weight, 2.3% (5672 ASD/593,927 individuals); normal-birth weight, 0.5% (17,361 ASD/2,378,933 individuals); high-birth weight, 0.6% (4505 ASD/430,699 individuals); very preterm, 2.8% (2113 ASD/128,513 individuals); preterm, 2.1% (19 672 ASD/1 725 244 individuals); term, 0.6% (113,261 ASD/15,297,259 individuals); postterm, 0.6% (9419 ASD/1,138,215 individuals); small-for-gestational-age, 1.9% (6314 ASD/796,550 individuals); appropriate-for-gestational-age, 0.7% (21,026 ASD/5,936,704 individuals); and large-for-gestational-age, 0.6% (2607 ASD/635,666 individuals). Compared with the reference prevalence (those in normal-birth weight, term, and appropriate-for-gestational-age individuals), the prevalence estimates of ASD diagnosis in very-low-birth weight, low-birth weight, very preterm, preterm, and small-for-gestational-age individuals increased significantly, while those in high-birth weight, postterm, and large-for-gestational-age individuals did not change significantly. There were geographical differences in the prevalence estimates. This meta-analysis provided reliable estimates of the prevalence of ASD diagnosis by birth weight, gestational age, and size for gestational age, and suggested that low-birth weight (especially very-low-birth weight), preterm (especially very preterm), and small-for-gestational-age births, rather than high-birth weight, postterm, and large-for-gestational-age births, were associated with increased risk of ASD diagnosis. However, in view of marked between-study heterogeneity in most conditions, unknown effects of certain important confounders associated with ASD due to limited information in original articles, and included studies from a relatively small number of countries, the findings of this study should be interpreted with caution.

A Reliable Murine Model of Disseminated Infection Induced by Talaromyces Marneffei.

Talaromycosis (penicilliosis) caused by Talaromyces marneffei is one of the most important opportunistic infection diseases in tropical countries of South and Southeast Asia. Most infections occurred in individuals with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the primarily reason for the increase in the number of the cases is HIV pandemic. The pathogenesis of T. marneffei infection is unclear. There is still no ideal animal model for studying talaromycosis. In this study, we developed a stable, safe and maneuverable murine model that mimics human T. marneffei disseminated infection using T. marneffei yeast intraperitoneal injected to BALB/c nude mice. We successfully observed symptoms similar to those seen in clinical patients in this murine model, including skin lesions, hepatosplenomegaly, pulmonary infection and mesenteric lesions. We further studied the pathological changes of various tissues and organs in the infected animals to help better understand the severity of the infection. This model may provide a good tool for studying disseminated infection induced by T. marneffei.

[Iridoids of wine-processed Corni Fructus].

A new iridoid glycoside, cornushmf A(1) and nine known iridoids(2-10) were isolated from the water extract of the wine-processed Corni Fructus by various column chromatographies. Their chemical structures were identified by comprehensive spectroscopic methods as 7ß-O-(2″-formylfuran-5″-methylene)-morroniside(1), 7-dehydrologanin(2), sweroside(3), 7ß-O-methylmorroniside(4), 7α-O-methylmorroniside(5), 7ß-O-ethylmorroniside(6), 7α-O-ethylmorroniside(7), cornuside(8), sarracenin(9), and loganin(10).

Comprehensive analysis of the transcriptional expressions and prognostic value of S100A family in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a treatment-refractory malignancy with poor prognosis. It is urgent to identify novel and valid biomarkers to predict the progress and prognosis of PDAC. The S100A family have been identified as being involved in cell proliferation, migration and differentiation progression of various cancer types. However, the expression patterns and prognostic values of S100As in PDAC remain to be analyzed. METHODS: We investigated the transcriptional expressions, methylation level and prognostic value of S100As in PDAC patients from the Oncomine, GEPIA2, Linkedomics and cBioPortal databases. Real-time PCR was used to detect the expressions of S100A2/4/6/10/14/16 in four pancreatic cancer cell lines and pancreatic cancer tissues from PDAC patients undergoing surgery. To verify the results further, immunohistochemistry was used to measure the expression of S100A2/4/6/10/14/16 in 43 PDAC patients' tissue samples. The drug relations of S100As were analyzed by using the Drugbank database. RESULTS: The results suggested that, the expression levels of S100A2/4/6/10/14/16 were elevated to PDAC tissues than in normal pancreatic tissues, and the promoter methylation levels of S100A S100A2/4/6/10/14/16 in PDAC (n = 10) were lower compared with normal tissue (n = 184) (P < 0.05). In addition, their expressions were negatively correlated with PDAC patient survival. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, these results suggest that S100A2/4/6/10/14/16 might be served as prognostic biomarkers for survivals of PDAC patients.

Four New Gallate Derivatives from Wine-Processed Corni Fructus and Their Anti-Inflammatory Activities.

Four new gallate derivatives-ornusgallate A, ent-cornusgallate A, cornusgallate B and C (1a, 1b, 2, 3)-were isolated from the wine-processed fruit of Cornus officinalis. Among them, 1a and 1b are new natural compounds with novel skeletons. Their chemical structures were elucidated by comprehensive spectroscopy methods including NMR, IR, HRESIMS, UV, ECD spectra and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The in vitro anti-inflammatory activities of all compounds were assayed in RAW 264.7 cells by assessing LPS-induced NO production. As the result, all compounds exhibited anti-inflammatory activities at attested concentrations. Among the tested compounds, compound 2 exhibited the strongest anti- inflammatory activity.

Effect of Antifungal-Treated Host Macrophages on Candida glabrata.

OBJECTIVE: Candida glabrata (C. glabrata) causes infections associated with severe sepsis and high mortality. This study describes the effects of micafungin (MCF), itraconazole (ICZ), and amphotericin B (AmB) on the function of macrophages during C. glabrata infection. METHODS: RAW264.1 macrophages were treated with MCF, ICZ, or AmB and then challenged with C. glabrata. Cytokines from infected macrophage supernatants and the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in macrophages were measured at different time points after phagocytosis. RESULTS: The activity of SOD was significantly increased in RAW264.1 cells that phagocytized C. glabrata and reached a peak level at 6 hours (P < 0.05). ICZ and AmB did not affect the SOD activity in cells that phagocytized C. glabrata versus that in untreated macrophage. C. glabrata stimulated macrophages to secrete cytokines. Neither ICZ nor AmB affected the secretion of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), or tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) by C. glabrata-infected macrophages. However, MCF downregulated the secretion of TNF-α by infected macrophages and reduced the SOD activity of C. glabrata compared with those in untreated controls. CONCLUSION: Echinocandins may increase their antifungal efficacy by altering the innate immune response of macrophages and attenuating antioxidants of this organism.

Blood biomarker levels of methylation capacity in autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the peripheral blood levels of methionine (Met), S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), and the SAM/SAH ratio (the most core and predictive indices of cellular methylation ability) between patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and control subjects. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched from inception to August 2, 2019, without language restriction. The random-effects model was used to summarize effect sizes. RESULTS: We retrieved 1,493 records, of which 22 studies met inclusion criteria. Our overall analyses revealed that individuals with ASD had significantly decreased levels of Met (22 studies; Hedges' g = -0.62; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.89, -0.35), SAM (8 studies; Hedges' g = -0.60; 95% CI: -0.86, -0.34), and the SAM/SAH ratio (8 studies; Hedges' g = -0.98; 95% CI: -1.30, -0.66) and significantly increased levels of SAH (8 studies; Hedges' g = 0.69; 95% CI: 0.43, 0.94). The findings of the overall analyses were quite stable after being verified by sensitivity analyses and in agreement with the corresponding outcomes of subgroup analyses. Additionally, our results from meta-analytic techniques confirmed that the effect estimates of this meta-analysis did not originate from publication bias. CONCLUSION: Individuals with ASD have substantially aberrant peripheral blood levels of Met, SAM, SAH, and the SAM/SAH ratio, which supports the association between impaired methylation capacity and ASD. Therefore, further investigations into these indices as potential biomarkers for diagnosis and therapeutic targets of ASD are warranted.

Minimally invasive procedure for diagnosis and treatment of vallecular cysts in children: review of 156 cases.

PURPOSE: Vallecular cyst is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening disease. The aim of this study was to review the presentation, evaluation, and treatment of vallecular cysts in children. METHODS: Medical records of 156 patients treated for vallecular cysts between 2013 and 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into four age groups for comparison of clinical data: A, < 1 month; B, 1-6 months; C, 7-12 months; and D, > 1 year. RESULTS: The median age of all patients (98 males and 58 females) was 12.1 months (range 1 day-11 years), including 21, 86, 21, and 28 patients in group A, B, C, and D, respectively. A diagnosis of vallecular cysts was made for 135 patients using a combination of flexible laryngoscopy and ultrasound, and ten patients (all in group A) required pre-surgery ventilation support. The most common symptoms were wheezing (59.6%) and stridor (36.5%). Ten patients experienced difficulty with intubation. Endoscopic-assisted transoral coblation marsupialization was performed for all patients, combined with supraglottoplasty for 41 out of 68 patients with concurrent laryngomalacia. Patients in group D had a longer operation time and higher incidence of intraoperative bleeding, two of whom experienced post-operation recurrence, and symptoms resolved after a second operation in both cases. CONCLUSIONS: Flexible laryngoscopy and ultrasound are recommended for a diagnosis in suspected cases of vallecular cysts. Coblation marsupialization has advantages of minor damage, low recurrence rate, and suitability for all age groups.

Japanese Spotted Fever in Eastern China, 2013.

We isolated Rickettsia japonica from a febrile patient in Lu'an City, China, in 2013. Subsequently, we found an R. japonica seroprevalence of 54.8% (494/902) in the rural population of Anhui Province and an R. japonica prevalence in Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks of 0.5% (5/935). R. japonica and its tick vector exist in China.

Intermediate-Term Outcomes and Complications of Long Segment Urethroplasty with Lingual Mucosa Grafts.

PURPOSE: We evaluated outcomes and donor site complications in male patients with complex urethral strictures who underwent urethroplasty using with long strip oral mucosal grafts. We also analyzed whether a lingual mucosa graft is a good substitute for repairing long segment urethral strictures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was done in 81 male patients with complex urethral strictures who underwent oral mucosal graft urethroplasty. Patients with long segment (8 cm or greater) anterior urethral strictures who were considered candidates for long strip lingual mucosa graft urethroplasty were included in study. RESULTS: Oral mucosal graft urethroplasty was performed in 81 patients with complex urethral strictures between August 2006 and December 2014. Mean urethral stricture length was 12.1 cm (range 8 to 20). A single 9 to 12 cm long strip lingual mucosa graft was used in 52 patients, a lingual mucosa graft greater than 12 cm was placed in 17 and a lingual mucosa graft combined with a buccal mucosal graft was used in 12. Mean followup was 41 months (range 15 to 86) postoperatively. The overall urethroplasty success rate was 82.7%. Urethral complications developed in 14 patients (17.3%), including urethral strictures in 10 and urethrocutaneous fistulas in 4. At 12 months 5 patients (6.2%) reported minimal difficulty with fine motor movement of the tongue. CONCLUSIONS: Lingual mucosa harvested from the ventrolateral surface of the tongue can provide a wide and long graft that is an excellent urethral substitute. Donor site complications are primarily limited to postoperative year 1. Our study confirms that the lingual mucosa graft is a good substitute for urethral reconstruction and lingual mucosa graft urethroplasty is a valuable procedure to treat long anterior urethral strictures.

Epidemiological and molecular characteristics of emergent dengue virus in Yunnan Province near the China-Myanmar-Laos border, 2013-2015.

BACKGROUND: Yunnan Province is located in southwestern China and neighbors the Southeast Asian countries, all of which are dengue-endemic areas. In 2000-2013, sporadic imported cases of dengue fever (DF) were reported almost annually in Yunnan Province. During 2013-2015, we confirmed that a large-scale indigenous DF outbreak emerged in cities of Yunnan Province near the China-Myanmar-Laos border. METHODS: Epidemiological characteristics of DF in Yunnan Province during 2013-2015 were evaluated by retrospective analysis. A total of 232 dengue virus (DENV)-positive sera were randomly collected for sequence analysis of the capsid/premembrane region of DENV from patients with DF in Yunnan Province. The envelope gene of DENV isolates was also amplified and sequenced. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using the neighbor-joining method with the Tajima-Nei model. RESULTS: Phylogenetically, all DENV-positive samples could be classified into DENV-1 genotype I and DENV-2 Asian I genotype during 2013-2015 and DENV-4 genotype I in 2015 from Ruili City; and DENV-3 genotype II in 2013 and DENV-2 Cosmopolitan genotype in 2015 from Xishuangbanna Prefecture. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that imported DF from patients from Laos and Myanmar was the primary cause of the DF epidemic in Yunnan Province. Additionally, DENV strains of all four serotypes were identified in indigenous cases in Yunnan Province during the same time period, while the dengue epidemic pattern observed in southwestern Yunnan showed characteristics of a hypoendemic nature: circulation of DENV-1 and DENV-2 over consecutive years.

Comparison of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F with methotrexate in the treatment of active rheumatoid arthritis (TRIFRA): a randomised, controlled clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy and safety of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TwHF) with methotrexate (MTX) in the treatment of active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Design: a multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial. All patients were assessed by trained investigators who were unaware of the therapeutic regimen. INTERVENTION: 207 patients with active RA were randomly allocated (1:1:1) to treatment with MTX 12.5 mg once a week, or TwHF 20 mg three times a day, or the two in combination. At week 12, if reduction of the 28-joint count Disease Activity Score (DAS28) was <30% in the monotherapy groups, the patient was switched to MTX+TwHF. The primary efficacy point was the proportion of patients achieving an American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 50 response at week 24. RESULTS: 174/207 (84.1%) patients completed 24 weeks of the trial. In an intention-to-treat analysis, the proportion of patients reaching the ACR50 response criteria was 46.4% (32/69), 55.1% (38/69) and 76.8% (53/69), respectively, in the MTX, TwHF and MTX+TwHF groups (TwHF vs MTX monotherapy, p=0.014; MTX+TwHF vs MTX monotherapy, p<0.001). Similar statistically significant patterns at week 24 were found for ACR20, ACR70, clinical Disease Activity Index good responses, EULAR good response, remission rate and low disease activity rate. Significant improvement in the Health Assessment Questionnaire and 36-item Short-Form Health Survey questionnaire scores from baseline to week 24 was seen in each treatment arm (p<0.05), though no significant difference was found among the treatment arms (p>0.05). The result of per-protocol analysis agreed with that seen in the intention-to-treat analysis. Seven, three and five women in the TwHF, MTX and combination groups, respectively, developed irregular menstruation (TwHF vs MTX monotherapy, p=0.216). CONCLUSIONS: TwHF monotherapy was not inferior to, and MTX+TwHF was better than, MTX monotherapy in controlling disease activity in patients with active RA. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01613079.

Electrocautery-induced cavernous nerve injury in rats that mimics radical prostatectomy in humans.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the early and delayed effects of cavernous nerve electrocautery injury (CNEI) in a rat model, with the expectation that this model could be used to test rehabilitation therapies for erectile dysfunction (ED) after radical prostatectomy (RP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In all, 30 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided equally into two groups (15 per group). The control group received CNs exposure surgery only and the experimental group received bilateral CNEI. At 1, 4 and 16 weeks after surgery (five rats at each time point), the ratio of maximal intracavernosal pressure (ICP) to mean arterial pressure (MAP) was measured in the two groups. Neurofilament expression in the dorsal penile nerves was assessed by immunofluorescent staining and Masson's trichrome staining was used to assess the smooth muscle to collagen ratio in both groups. RESULTS: At the 1-week follow-up, the mean ICP/MAP was significantly lower in the CNEI group compared with the control group, at 9.94% vs 70.06% (P < 0.05). The mean ICP/MAP in the CNEI group was substantially increased at the 4- (35.97%) and 16-week (37.11%) follow-ups compared with the 1-week follow-up (P < 0.05). At all three follow-up time points, the CNEI group had significantly decreased neurofilament staining compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Also, neurofilament expressions in the CNEI group at both 4 and 16 weeks were significantly higher than that at 1 week (P < 0.05), but there was no difference between 4 and 16 weeks (P > 0.05). The smooth muscle to collagen ratio in the CNEI group was significantly lower than in the control group at the 4- and 16-week follow-ups (P < 0.05), and the ratio at 16 weeks was further reduced compared with that at 4 weeks (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In the CNEI rat model, we found the damaging effects of CNEI were accompanied by a decline in ICP, reduced numbers of nerve fibres in the dorsal penile nerve, and exacerbated fibrosis in the corpus cavernosum. This may provide a basis for studying potential preventative measures or treatment strategies to ameliorate ED caused by CNEI during RP.

[Identification of mammalian blood meals in anopheline mosquitoes from four counties of Yunnan Province by multiple PCR].

From June to August 2012, the blood-sucking mosquitoes were captured around cattle-sheds and human houses in Yuanjiang County, Qiaojia County, Yongshan County, and Jinghong City of Yunan Province. Blood samples from mosquitoes were collected on filter paper. Multiplex PCR assay was used to detect the blood meal samples. Among the 145 mosquitoes captured, 123 were Anopheles sinensis (84.8%) and 22 A. minimus (15.2%). Among the blood samples, corresponding bands were amplified in 134 samples. The result showed that the blood meals were from pigs (n = 104), cows (n = 22), dogs (n = 4), human (n=2), cow and pig (n = 1), pig and human (n = 1). Human blood index of A. sinensis and A. minimus was 0.018 and 0.045, respectively.

Application and perspective of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology in human diseases modeling and gene therapy.

The Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR) mediated Cas9 nuclease system has been extensively used for genome editing and gene modification in eukaryotic cells. CRISPR/Cas9 technology holds great potential for various applications, including the correction of genetic defects or mutations within the human genome. The application of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing system in human disease research is anticipated to solve a multitude of intricate molecular biology challenges encountered in life science research. Here, we review the fundamental principles underlying CRISPR/Cas9 technology and its recent application in neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune related diseases, and cancer, focusing on the disease modeling and gene therapy potential of CRISPR/Cas9 in these diseases. Finally, we provide an overview of the limitations and future prospects associated with employing CRISPR/Cas9 technology for diseases study and treatment.

Lipid-lowering Therapies and Long-term Stroke Prevention in East Asians: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND: Stroke prevention is a pressing global health priority, with reducing elevated lipids recognized as a key strategy. East Asians, constituting over 1.6 billion individuals and the largest racial group worldwide, are a key demographic in this effort. Yet, the effectiveness of lipid-lowering therapies for stroke prevention in this population remains uncertain. AIMS AND METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of large-scale randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with at least 3 years of follow-up to evaluate the long-term impact of lipid-lowering therapies on stroke incidence in East Asians. We systematically searched four electronic databases up to January 11, 2024. The association was quantified using relative risk (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI), and between-study heterogeneity was evaluated using the I2 statistic. Additionally, we utilized the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool to assess the risk of bias in each included RCT and applied the GRADE approach to evaluate the certainty of the evidence. RESULTS: This study incorporated data from 9 large-scale RCTs involving 54,354 participants. Our findings of overall analyses revealed that lipid-lowering therapies did not significantly affect the long-term incidence of all strokes (9 RCTs; 54,354 participants; RR, 0.98 [95% CI, 0.87-1.10]; P = 0.75), ischemic stroke (7 RCTs; 52,059 participants; RR, 0.91 [95% CI, 0.79-1.04]; P = 0.16), or hemorrhage stroke (7 RCTs; 52,059 participants; RR, 1.24 [95% CI, 0.97-1.59]; P = 0.09) in East Asians. Notably, there was no evidence of heterogeneity or publication bias, and the quality of evidence assessed using GRADE methodologies was rated as high. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of our results, with no single study significantly affecting the overall findings. Furthermore, subgroup analyses consistently supported the conclusions, further bolstering the reliability of our study. CONCLUSIONS: Lipid-lowering therapies did not demonstrate any beneficial effects on long-term stroke prevention among East Asians.

Investigation on Mechanism of Microstructure Evolution during Multi-Process Hot Forming of GH4169 Superalloy Forging.

Typically, in the manufacturing of GH4169 superalloy forgings, the multi-process hot forming that consists of pre-deformation, heat treatment and final deformation is required. This study focuses on the microstructural evolution throughout hot working processes. Considering that δ phase can promote nucleation and limit the growth of grains, a process route was designed, including pre-deformation, aging treatment (AT) to precipitate sufficient δ phases, high temperature holding (HTH) to uniformly heat the forging, and final deformation. The results show that the uneven strain distribution after pre-deformation has a significant impact on the subsequent refinement of the grain microstructure due to the complex coupling relationship between the evolution of the δ phase and recrystallization behavior. After the final deformation, the fine-grain microstructure with short rod-like δ phases as boundaries is easy to form in the region with a large strain of the pre-forging. However, necklace-like mixed grain microstructure is formed in the region with a small strain of the pre-forging. In addition, when the microstructure before final deformation consists of mixed grains, dynamic recrystallization (DRX) nucleation behavior preferentially depends on kernel average misorientation (KAM) values. A large KAM can promote the formation of DRX nuclei. When the KAM values are close, a smaller average grain size of mixed-grain microstructure is more conductive to promote the DRX nucleation. Finally, the interaction mechanisms between δ phase and DRX nucleation are revealed.

BML-111 attenuates hemorrhagic shock-induced acute lung injury through inhibiting activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in rats.

BACKGROUND: Hemorrhagic shock activates cellular stress signals and can lead to systemic inflammatory response, organ injury, and death. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) acts as a sensor of tissue injury in models of ischemia-reperfusion injury. Lipoxins are endogenous lipid mediators with potent anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving actions. We hypothesized that BML-111 (a lipoxin A4-receptor agonist) attenuates hemorrhagic shock-induced acute lung injury (ALI) through inhibiting activation of the MAPK pathway. METHODS: We randomized Sprague-Dawley rats into four groups: sham, hemorrhagic shock-resuscitation (HS), HS plus BML-111 (BML-111), and HS plus BML-111 and BOC-2 (BOC-2). Two hours after resuscitation, we collected samples of lung. We obtained bronchoalveolar lavage fluid for neutrophil count. We performed optical microscopy to examine pathologic changes in lungs. Wet/dry ratios, myeloperoxidase expression, interleukin (IL)-1ß and IL-6 levels in lung were measured. We evaluated MAPK activation and the DNA binding activity of activator protein-1 in lung. RESULTS: Treatment with BML-111 reduced the lung damage and wet/dry ratio, neutrophil count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, expression of myeloperoxidase, and production of IL-1ß and IL-6 in lung. Phosphorylation of MAPK was also decreased by BML-111 in lung. Furthermore, the DNA binding activity of activator protein-1 was blocked by BML-111. An antagonist of the lipoxin A4-receptor, BOC-2, reversed the protective effect of BML-111 on ALI induced by hemorrhagic shock. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that BML-111 attenuated hemorrhagic shock-induced ALI via the MAPK/activator protein-1 signaling pathway. Therefore, BML-111 may have therapeutic potential for hemorrhagic shock-induced ALI.