Predictive models for sensory score and physicochemical composition of Yuezhou Longjing tea using near-infrared spectroscopy and data fusion.

In this study, NIR quantitative prediction model was established for sensory score and physicochemical components of different varieties and quality grades of Yuezhou Longjing tea. Firstly, L, a, b color factors and diffuse reflection spectral data are collected for each sample. Subsequently, the original spectrum is preprocessed. Three techniques for selecting variables, CARS, BOSS, and SPA, were utilized to extract optimal feature bands. Finally, the spectral data extracted from feature bands were fused with L, a and b color factors to build SVR and PLSR prediction models. enabling the rapid non-destructive discrimination of different varieties and grades of Yuezhou Longjing tea. The outcomes demonstrated that BOSS was the best variable selection technique for sensory score and the distinctive caffeine wavelengths, CARS, however, was the best variable selection technique for catechins distinctive wavelengths. Additionally, the middle-level data fusion-based non-linear prediction models greatly outperformed the linear prediction models. For the prediction models of sensory score, catechins, and caffeine, the relative percent deviation (RPD) values were 2.8, 1.6, and 2.6, respectively, suggesting the good predictive ability of the models. In conclusion, evaluating the quality of the five Yuezhou Longjing tea varieties using near-infrared spectroscopy and data fusion have proved as feasible.

Analysis of physiological response and differential protein expression of Paramichelia baillonii saplings under phosphorus deficiency.

Paramichelia baillonii is a rare and fast-growing tree species in subtropical China. The acidic red soil in southern China severely limits its growth as it lacks sufficient available phosphorus (P), resulting in declining soil fertility and nutrient availability. The effect of P deficiency on P. Baillonii growth, root attributes, and physiological response has not yet been reported. Understanding the adaptability of P. baillonii to low-P conditions can improve afforestation and soil management in southern China. Therefore, we conducted a pot experiment on 2-year-old saplings and treated them with different P levels. Results showed that P deficiency (0-5 mg L-1 ) decreased growth attributes, root morphological traits, and nutrient uptake of P. baillonii saplings compared to control (CK). Similarly, reduction in chlorophyll a, b, total chlorophyll, net photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr), and Gs were seen in low P treatment saplings compared to CK. Whereas superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, malondialdehyde, acid phosphatase activity, and soluble protein content increased with increasing P-deficiency up to 5 mg L-1 , and soluble sugar showed oppsite trend. Moreover, the proteomics analysis identified 2721 proteins, 196 showing differential expression, with 90 up- and 106 down-regulated. Importantly, the metabolic activities increased in the pentose phosphate pathway, starch and sucrose metabolism, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathways to sustain regular plant growth under P deficiency. This study delves into the dynamic morpho-physiological and proteomic changes in response to P deficiency. Overall, growth and nutrient uptake were reduced, countered by adaptive biochemical and proteomic shifts, including heightened antioxidant activities and modifications in metabolic pathways, highlighting the resilient strategies of P. baillonii saplings under P deficiency.

Systematic Pharmacology and Experimental Validation to Reveal the Alleviation of Astragalus membranaceus Regulating Ferroptosis in Osteoarthritis.

Background: Astragalus membranaceus (AM) shows promise as a therapeutic agent for osteoarthritis (OA), a debilitating condition with high disability rates. OA exacerbation is linked to chondrocyte ferroptosis, yet the precise pharmacological mechanisms of AM remain unclear. Methods: We validated AM's protective efficacy in an anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) mouse model of OA. The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) database was utilized to identify AM's active components and their targets. FerrDb (a database for regulators and markers of ferroptosis and ferroptosis-disease associations) pinpointed ferroptosis-related targets, while GeneCards, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), Pharmacogenomics Knowledgebase (PharmGKB), Therapeutic Target Database (TTD), and DrugBank sourced OA-related genes. Molecular docking analysis further validated these targets. Ultimately, the validation of the results was accomplished through in vitro experiments. Results: AM exhibited anabolic effects and suppressed catabolism in OA chondrocytes. Network pharmacology identified 19 common genes, and molecular docking suggested quercetin, an AM constituent, interacts with key proteins like HO-1 and NRF2 to inhibit chondrocyte ferroptosis. In vitro experiments confirmed AM's ability to modulate the NRF2/HO-1 pathway via quercetin, mitigating chondrocyte ferroptosis. Conclusion: This study elucidates how AM regulates chondrocyte ferroptosis, impacting OA progression, providing a theoretical basis and experimental support for AM's scientific application.

Research Progress in Modifications, Bioactivities, and Applications of Medicine and Food Homologous Plant Starch.

Starchy foods are an essential part of people's daily diet. Starch is the primary substance used by plants to store carbohydrates, and it is the primary source of energy for humans and animals. In China, a variety of plants, including edible medicinal plants, such as Pueraria root, yam tuber and coix seed, are rich in starch. However, limited by their inherent properties, kudzu starch and other starches are not suitable for the modern food industry. Natural starch is frequently altered by physical, chemical, or biological means to give it superior qualities to natural starch as it frequently cannot satisfy the demands of industrial manufacturing. Therefore, the deep processing market of modified starch and its products has a great potential. This paper reviews the modification methods which can provide excellent functional, rheological, and processing characteristics for these starches that can be used to improve the physical and chemical properties, texture properties, and edible qualities. This will provide a comprehensive reference for the modification and application of starch from medicinal and edible plants.

Multiclass classification of motor imagery tasks based on multi-branch convolutional neural network and temporal convolutional network model.

Motor imagery (MI) is a cognitive process wherein an individual mentally rehearses a specific movement without physically executing it. Recently, MI-based brain-computer interface (BCI) has attracted widespread attention. However, accurate decoding of MI and understanding of neural mechanisms still face huge challenges. These seriously hinder the clinical application and development of BCI systems based on MI. Thus, it is very necessary to develop new methods to decode MI tasks. In this work, we propose a multi-branch convolutional neural network (MBCNN) with a temporal convolutional network (TCN), an end-to-end deep learning framework to decode multi-class MI tasks. We first used MBCNN to capture the MI electroencephalography signals information on temporal and spectral domains through different convolutional kernels. Then, we introduce TCN to extract more discriminative features. The within-subject cross-session strategy is used to validate the classification performance on the dataset of BCI Competition IV-2a. The results showed that we achieved 75.08% average accuracy for 4-class MI task classification, outperforming several state-of-the-art approaches. The proposed MBCNN-TCN-Net framework successfully captures discriminative features and decodes MI tasks effectively, improving the performance of MI-BCIs. Our findings could provide significant potential for improving the clinical application and development of MI-based BCI systems.

Efficacy of Qingpeng ointment (a Tibetan medicine) for acute gouty arthritis: a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to assess the efficacy and safety of Qingpeng ointment (QPO), a Tibetan medicine for alleviating symptoms in individuals with acute gouty arthritis (AGA). METHODS: This study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that involved individuals with AGA whose joint pain, as measured on a visual analog scale (VAS) from 0 to 10, was equal to or greater than 3. The participants were randomly assigned to either the QPO or the placebo group and received their respective treatments twice daily for seven consecutive days. In case of intolerable pain, the participants were allowed to use diclofenac sodium sustained-release tablets as a rescue medicine. The primary outcomes measured were joint pain and swelling, while the secondary outcomes included joint mobility, redness, serum uric acid levels, C-reactive protein levels, and the amount of remaining rescue medicine. Any adverse events that occurred during the trial were also recorded. RESULTS: A total of 203 cases were divided into two groups, with balanced baselines: 102 in the QPO group and 101 in the placebo group. For joint pain, differences between the groups were notable in the VAS scores [1.75 (0, 3.00) versus 2.00 (1.00, 3.50); P = 0.038], changes in VAS [5.00 (3.00, 6.00) versus 4.00 (2.00, 6.00); P = 0.036], and disappearance rate [26.47% compared to 15.84%; P = 0.046] after treatment. Concerning joint swelling, significant between-group differences were observed in the VAS scores [1.00 (0, 2.30) versus 2.00 (0.70, 3.00); P = 0.032] and disappearance rate [33.33% compared to 21.78%; P = 0.046] at treatment completion. The QPO group exhibited a statistically significant mobility improvement compared to the placebo group (P = 0.004). No significant differences were found in other secondary outcomes. Five patients, four from the QPO group and one from the other, encountered mild adverse events, primarily skin irritation. All of these cases were resolved after dosage reduction or discontinuation of the medication. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to the placebo, QPO exhibits positive effects on AGA by alleviating pain, reducing swelling, and enhancing joint mobility, without causing significant adverse effects. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN34355813. Registered on 25/01/2021.

Trophic relationships between protists and bacteria and fungi drive the biogeography of rhizosphere soil microbial community and impact plant physiological and ecological functions.

Rhizosphere microorganisms play a vital role in enhancing plant health, productivity, and the accumulation of secondary metabolites. Currently, there is a limited understanding of the ecological processes that control the assembly of community. To address the role of microbial interactions in assembly and for functioning of the rhizosphere soil microbiota, we collected rhizosphere soil samples from Anisodus tanguticus on the Tibetan Plateau spanning 1500 kilometers, and sequenced the bacteria, fungi, archaea, and protist communities. We observed a significant but weak distance-decay relationship in the microbial communities of rhizosphere soil. Our comprehensive analysis of spatial, abiotic, and biotic factors showed that trophic relationships between protists and bacteria and fungi predominantly influenced the alpha and beta diversity of bacterial, fungal, and protistan communities, while abiotic factors had a greater impact on archaeal communities, including soil pH, available phosphorus, total phosphorus and mean annual temperature. Importantly, microbial interactions had a more significant influence on Anisodus tanguticus physiological and ecological functions compared to individual microorganisms. Network analyses revealed that bacteria occupy a central position of the co-occurrence network and play a crucial role of connector within this community. The addition of protists increased the stability of bacterial, fungal, and archaeal networks. Overall, our findings indicate that trophic relationships play an important role in assembly and for functioning of the rhizosphere soil microbiota. Bacterial communities serve as a crucial link between different kingdoms of microorganisms in the rhizosphere community. These findings help us to fully harness the beneficial functions of rhizosphere microorganisms for plants and achieve sustainable use of biological resources.

The Effects of Photobiomodulation on Knee Function, Pain, and Exercise Tolerance in Older Adults: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) enhances the benefits of exercise in older adults. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Scopus, Medline, and Web of Science, dated to February 2023. STUDY SELECTION: All included studies were randomized controlled trials of PBMT combined with exercise co-intervention in persons 60 years and older. OUTCOME MEASURES: Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC-total, pain, stiffness and function), perceived pain intensity, timed Up and Go (TUG) Test, 6-min walk test (6MWT), muscle strength, and knee range of motion were included. DATA EXTRACTION: Two researchers independently performed data extraction. Article data were extracted in Excel and summarized by a third researcher. DATA SYNTHESIS: The meta-analysis included 14 of the 1864 studies searched in the database. No statistical differences were found between the treatment and control groups in terms of WOMAC-stiffness (mean difference [MD]=-0.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.64 to 0.03), TUG (MD=-0.17, 95% CI -0.71 to 0.38), 6MWT (MD=32.2, 95% CI -44.62 to 109.01), or muscle strength (standardized mean difference=0.24, 95% CI -0.02 to 0.50). However, statistically significant differences were found for WOMAC-total (MD=-6.83, 95% CI -12.3 to -1.37), WOMAC-pain (MD=-2.03, 95% CI -4.06 to -0.01), WOMAC-function (MD=-5.03, 95% CI -9.11 to -0.96), visual analog scale/numeric pain rating scale (MD=-1.24, 95% CI -2.43 to -0.06), and knee range of motion (MD=1.47, 95% CI 0.07 to 2.88). CONCLUSIONS: In older adults who exercise regularly, PBMT can potentially provide additional pain relief, improve knee joint function, and increase knee joint range of motion.

Properties of konjac glucomannan/curdlan-based emulsion films incorporating camellia oil and the preservation effect as coatings on 'Kyoho' grapes.

The strategy of emulsion coating was used for grape preservation. Camellia oil (CO) was incorporated with KGM/curdlan (KC) to fabricate KC-CO emulsion systems. KC-CO emulsions were analyzed by droplet size distribution and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and KC-CO films were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), mechanical properties, dissolution, gas permeability, water contact angle (WCA). KC-CO coating was used for preservation of 'Kyoho' grapes. The results indicated that the addition of CO had a positive effect on KC system. CO could form a uniform emulsion with KC, and the droplets were evenly dispersed in the KC matrix. KC-CO films displayed a continuous microstructure, and elongation at break (EAB) was improved, while tensile strength decreased. The dissolution, water vapor permeability (WVP), and WCA were significantly enhanced, while the permeability of oxygen and carbon dioxide exhibited no advantage compared with KC film. KC-CO-10 possessed optimal properties and was selected as an emulsion coating for preservation. The results suggested that KC-CO-10 significantly maintained the appearance, total solid and acid content of 'Kyoho' grapes, and delayed the weight loss and firmness decrease. This study contributed to the understanding of polysaccharide-lipid emulsion system and the applications.

A biomimetic cuproptosis amplifier for targeted NIR-II fluorescence/photoacoustic imaging-guided synergistic NIR-II photothermal immunotherapy.

The therapeutic efficacy of cuproptosis combined with phototheranostics is still hindered by easy copper efflux, nonspecific accumulation and limited light penetration depth. Here, a high-performance NIR-II semiconductor polymer was first synthesized through dual-donor engineering. Then a biomimetic cuproptosis amplifier (PCD@CM) was prepared by Cu(II)-mediated coordinative self-assembly of NIR-II ultrasmall polymer dots and the chemotherapeutic drug DOX, followed by camouflaging of tumor cell membranes. After homologous targeting delivery to tumor cells, overexpressed GSH in the tumor microenvironment (TME) triggers the disassembly of the amplifier and the release of therapeutic components through the reduction of Cu(II) to Cu(I), which enable NIR-II fluorescence/photoacoustic imaging-guided NIR-II photothermal therapy (PTT) and chemotherapy. The released Cu(I) induces the aggregation of lipoylated mitochondrial proteins accompanied by the loss of iron-sulfur proteins, leading to severe proteotoxic stress and eventually cuproptosis. NIR-II PTT and GSH depletion render tumor cells more sensitive to cuproptosis. The amplified cuproptosis sensitization provokes significant immune surveillance, triggering the immunogenic cell death (ICD) to promote cytotoxic T lymphocyte infiltration together with aPD-L1-mediated immune checkpoint blockade. This work proposes a new strategy to develop cuproptosis sensitization systems enhanced by NIR-II phototheranostics with homologous targeting and anti-tumor immune response capabilities.

A Mitochondria-Targeted NIR-II Molecule Fluorophore for Precise Cancer Phototheranostics.

Subcellular organelle mitochondria are becoming a key player and a driver of cancer. Mitochondrial targeting phototheranostics has attracted increasing attention for precise cancer therapy. However, those phototheranostic systems still face great challenges, including complex and multiple components, light scattering, and insufficient therapeutic efficacy. Herein, a molecular fluorophore IR-TPP-1100 was tactfully designed by molecular engineering for mitochondria-targeted fluorescence imaging-guided phototherapy in the second near-infrared window (NIR-II). IR-TPP-1100 not only exhibited prominent photophysical properties and high photothermal conversion efficiency but also achieved excellent mitochondria-targeting ability. The mitochondria-targeting IR-TPP-1100 enabled NIR-II fluorescence and photoacoustic dual-modality imaging of mitochondria at the organism level. Moreover, it integrated photothermal and photodynamic therapy, obtaining remarkable tumor therapeutic efficacy by inducing mitochondrial apoptosis. These results indicate that IR-TPP-1100 has great potential for precise cancer therapy and provides a promising strategy for developing mitochondria-targeting NIR-II phototheranostic agents.

[Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of different parts of Prunella vulgaris by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS and UPLC].

Prunellae Spica is the dried spica of Prunella vulgaris belonging to Labiatae and it is widely used in pharmaceutical and general health fields. As a traditional Chinese medicine cultivated on a large scale, it produces a large amount of non-medicinal parts, which are discarded because they are not effectively used. To analyze the chemical constituents in the different samples from spica, seed, stem, and leaf of P. vulgaris, and explore the application value and development prospect of these parts, this study used ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupoles time of flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) to detect chemical constituents in different parts of P. vulgaris. As a result, 117 compounds were detected. Among them, 87 compounds were identified, including 32 phenolic acids, 8 flavonoids, and 45 triterpenoid saponins. Some new triterpenoid saponins containing the sugar chain with 4-6 sugar units were found. Further, multivariate statistical analysis was conducted on BPI chromatographic peaks of multiple batches of different parts, and the results showed that spica had the most abundant chemical constituents, including salviaflaside and linolenic acid highly contained in the seed and phenolic acids, flavonoids, and triterpenoid saponins in the stem and leaf. In general, the constituents in the spica were composed of those in the seed, stem, and leaf. UPLC was used to determine the content of 6 phenolic acids(danshensu, protocatechuic acid, protocatechuic aldehyde, caffeic acid, salviaflaside, and rosmarinic acid) in different parts. The content of other phenolic acids in the seed was generally lower than that in the spica except that of salviaflaside. The content of salviaflaside in the spica was higher than that in the stem and leaf, but the content of other phenolic acids in the spica was not significantly different from that in the stem. The content of protocatechuic aldehyde and caffeic acid in the spica was lower than that in the leaf. DPPH free radical scavenging method was used to detect the antioxidant activity of four parts, and there was no significant difference in the antioxidant activity between the spica and the stem and leaf, but that was significantly higher than the seed. Moreover, the antioxidant activity of these parts was correlated with the content of total phenolic acids. Based on the above findings, the stem and leaf of P. vulgaris have potential application value. Considering the traditional medication rule, it is feasible to use the whole plant as a medicine. Alternatively, salviaflaside, occurring in the seed, can be used as a marker compound for the quality evaluation of Prunellae Spica, if only using spica as the medicinal part of P. vulgaris, as described in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition).

CMOS backend-of-line compatible memory array and logic circuitries enabled by high performance atomic layer deposited ZnO thin-film transistor.

The development of high-performance oxide-based transistors is critical to enable very large-scale integration (VLSI) of monolithic 3-D integrated circuit (IC) in complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) backend-of-line (BEOL). Atomic layer deposition (ALD) deposited ZnO is an attractive candidate due to its excellent electrical properties, low processing temperature below copper interconnect thermal budget, and conformal sidewall deposition for novel 3D architecture. An optimized ALD deposited ZnO thin-film transistor achieving a record field-effect and intrinsic mobility (µFE /µo) of 85/140 cm2/V·s is presented here. The ZnO TFT was integrated with HfO2 RRAM in a 1 kbit (32 × 32) 1T1R array, demonstrating functionalities in RRAM switching. In order to co-design for future technology requiring high performance BEOL circuitries implementation, a spice-compatible model of the ZnO TFTs was developed. We then present designs of various ZnO TFT-based inverters, and 5-stage ring oscillators through simulations and experiments with working frequency exceeding 10's of MHz.

Banxia Xiexin Decoction Prevents HT22 Cells From High Glucose-Induced Neurotoxicity via JNK/SIRT1/Foxo3a Signaling Pathway.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes-associated cognitive dysfunction (DCD) is a chronic complication of diabetes that has gained international attention. The medicinal compound Banxia Xiexin Decoction (BXXXD) from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has shown potential in improving insulin resistance, regulating endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), and inhibiting cell apoptosis through various pathways. However, the specific mechanism of action and medical value of BXXXD remain unclear. METHODS: We utilized TCMSP databases to screen the chemical constituents of BXXXD and identified DCD disease targets through relevant databases. By using Stitch and String databases, we imported the data into Cytoscape 3.8.0 software to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and subsequently identified core targets through network topology analysis. The core targets were subjected to Gene Ontology (GO) functional enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses. The results were further validated through in vitro experiments. RESULTS: Network pharmacology analysis revealed the screening of 1490 DCD-related targets and 190 agents present in BXXXD. The topological analysis and enrichment analysis conducted using Cytoscape software identified 34 core targets. Additionally, GO and KEGG pathway analyses yielded 104 biological targets and 97 pathways, respectively. BXXXD exhibited its potential in treating DCD by controlling synaptic plasticity and conduction, suppressing apoptosis, reducing inflammation, and acting as an antioxidant. In a high glucose (HG) environment, the expression of JNK, Foxo3a, SIRT1, ATG7, Lamp2, and LC3 was downregulated. BXXXD intervention on HT22 cells potentially involved inhibiting excessive oxidative stress, promoting neuronal autophagy, and increasing the expression levels of JNK, SIRT1, Foxo3a, ATG7, Lamp2, and LC3. Furthermore, the neuroprotective effect of BXXXD was partially blocked by SP600125, while quercetin enhanced the favorable role of BXXXD in the HG environment. CONCLUSION: BXXXD exerts its effects on DCD through multiple components, targets, levels, and pathways. It modulates the JNK/SIRT1/Foxo3a signaling pathway to mitigate autophagy inhibition and apoptotic damage in HT22 cells induced by HG. These findings provide valuable perspectives and concepts for future clinical trials and fundamental research.

[Acupoint catgut embedding relieves colonic inflammatory injury by down-regulating NLRP3/Caspase-1 signaling pathway in rats with ulcerative colitis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupoint catgut embedding (CE) on Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3)/Caspase-1 signaling pathway in "deficiency-stasis" syndrome type ulcerative colitis (UC) rats, so as to explore its mechanisms underlying improvement of UC. METHODS: A total of 58 male SD rats were randomly divided into control group (10 rats) and model group (48 rats). The "deficiency-stasis" type UC model was established by gavage of adenine and folium sennae solution for 4 weeks, followed by clycter of mixture solution of 5% trinitro-benzene-sulfonic acid and 50% ethanol. A total of 44 UC rats were randomized into model, salicylazosulfapyridine (SASP), non-acupoint CE, and acupoint CE groups (11 rats in each group). The catgut embedment was applied to bilateral "Zusanli"(ST36), "Shenshu"(BL23), "Pishu"(BL20), "Dachangshu"(BL25), "Geshu" (BL17) and "Tianshu"(ST25), or non-acupoints (the fat muscles of the buttocks), separately, once every two weeks, 3 times altogether. Rats of the SASP group received gavage of SASP solution, and those of the other groups received gavage of same amount of normal saline, once daily for 42 days. The rat's general conditions and the colon length were recorded, the disease activity index (DAI, 0 to 4 points) and colonic mucosal damage index (CMDI, 0 to 5 points) were calculated. Histopathological changes of the colonic mucosa tissue were observed after HE staining, and the tissue damage index (TDI, 0 to 6 points) was given. The levels of serum NLRP3, interleukin (IL)-1ß and IL-18 were measured by ELISA, and the expression levels of NLRP3, Caspase-1, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC), IL-1ß and IL-18 mRNAs were measured by fluorescence quantitative PCR. The expression levels of NLRP3 and Caspase-1 proteins in the colon tissues were measured by Western blot, and the immunoactivity of colonic ASC was detected by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the rats' body mass and colonic length were significantly decreased (P<0.01), and DAI score, CMDI score, TDI score, contents of serum NLRP3, IL-1ß and IL-18, expression levels of colonic NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, IL-1ß and IL-18 mRNAs, and NLRP3 and Caspase -1 proteins as well as colonic ASC immunoactivity were significantly up-regulated in the model group (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, both SASP and acupoint CE groups had a significant increase in body mass and colonic length (P<0.01), and a marked decrease in DAI score, CMDI score, TDI score, contents of serum NLRP3, IL-1ß and IL-18, expression levels of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, IL-1ß and IL-18 mRNAs and NLRP3 and Caspase-1 proteins and ASC immunoactivity (P<0.01). The above indexes were improved in the acupoint CE group in relevant to those of the non-acupoint CE group (P<0.01). HE staining of colonic mucosal tissue showed obvious ulcerative surface, destroyed recess, disordered arrangement of glands, mucosal edema and congestion, infiltration of a large number of inflammatory cells in the model group, which was obviously milder in both SASP and acupoint CE groups. CONCLUSION: Acupoint embedding can alleviate colonic injury and inhibit inflammatory reaction in rats with "deficiency-stasis" type UC by down-regulating colonic NLRP3/Caspase-1 signaling.

Efficacy and safety of Xian-Lian-Jie-Du optimization decoction as an adjuvant treatment for prevention of recurrence in patients with stage IIIB/IIIC colon cancer: study protocol for a multicentre, randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Colon cancer remains one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide. Unfortunately, there are no recognized and effective therapeutic strategies to prevent tumor recurrence after radical resection and chemotherapy, and the disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with stage IIIB or IIIC disease remains unsatisfactory. Xian-Lian-Jie-Du optimization decoction (XLJDOD) is a Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) empirical prescription, which has been validated experimentally and clinically that could inhibit the progression of colorectal cancer and ameliorate the symptoms. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of XLJDOD in prevention of recurrence of colon cancer. METHODS: This study is a multi-center, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial conducted at 13 hospitals of China. Following the completion of surgery and adjuvant 5- fluorouracil-based chemotherapy, a total of 730 subjects with stage IIIB or IIIC colon cancer will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to an intervention group (n = 365; XLJDOD compound granule) and a control group (n = 365; Placebo). Patients will receive 6-month treatments and be followed up with 3 monthly assessments for 2 years. The primary outcome is 2-year DFS rate and the secondary outcomes are 1, 2-year relapse rate (RR), overall survival (OS) and quality of life (QoL). Safety outcomes such as adverse events will be also assessed. A small number of subgroup analysis will be carried out to explore the heterogeneity of effects of XLJDOD. DISCUSSION: The outcomes from this randomized controlled trial will provide objective evidences to evaluate XLJDOD's role as an adjuvant treatment in colon cancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION: www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov , identifier: NCT05709249. Registered on 31 Jan 2023.

The intention of utilization and experience toward traditional Chinese medicine among breast cancer patients in the early and late stages: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: In Taiwan, breast cancer patients usually take conventional medicine and traditional Chinese medicine simultaneously. The utilization of traditional Chinese medicine among breast cancer patients at various stages has not been examined. This study aims to compare the intention of utilization and experience toward traditional Chinese medicine among early- and late-stage breast cancer patients. METHOD: This qualitative research collected data from breast cancer patients through focus groups interview by convenience sampling. Conducted in 2 branches of Taipei City Hospital, a public hospital managed by the Taipei City government. Breast cancer patients > 20 years old and had used TCM for breast cancer therapy for at least 3 months were included in the interview. A semi-structured interview guide was adopted in each focus group interview. In the following data analysis, stages I and II were considered early-stage, and stages III and IV were late-stage. For analyzing the data and reporting the results, we used qualitative content analysis as the approach for data analysis, assisted by NVivo 12. Categories and subcategories were identified through content analysis. RESULTS: Twelve and seven early- and late-stage breast cancer patients were included in this study, respectively. The side effects were the main intention of utilizing traditional Chinese medicine. Improving side effects and constitution was the main benefit for patients in both stages. Additionally, early-stage breast cancer patients used traditional Chinese medicine to prevent recurrence or metastasis. Late-stage breast cancer patients responded more frequently to the use of traditional Chinese medicine due to the side effects of western medicine. However, some of their symptoms were not fully relieved. CONCLUSIONS: Breast cancer staging may influence the intention and utilization of traditional Chinese medicine. Health policymakers should consider the results of this research and the evidence-based illustrations to establish guidelines for integrating traditional Chinese medicine among various stages of breast cancer to improve the outcome and quality of care for cancer patients.

RETRACTED: Tangzhiqing-mediated NRF2 reduces autophagy-dependent ferroptosis to mitigate diabetes-related cognitive impairment neuronal damage.

The publisher of Rejuvenation Research officially retracts the article entitled, "Tangzhiqing-mediated NRF2 reduces autophagy-dependent ferroptosis to mitigate diabetes-related cognitive impairment neuronal damage," by Lingyan Qiu, Mr. Kai Chen, Prof. Xu Wang, and Ms. Yun Zhao. (Rejuvenation Res 2023; epub 6 Jun; doi: 10.1089/rej.2023.0013). After the acceptance and Instant Online publication of the paper, the authors were contacted repeatedly regarding their page proofs, and for further clarification of unresolved issues within the paper. All attempts to reach the authors were unsuccessful. Concurrently, the publisher identified a problematic overlap with a paper published in 2023 in Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets.1 This paper was subsequently withdrawn. These troubling details have led the editorial leadership of Rejuvenation Research to lose confidence in the validity of the submission and to retract the paper. All authors were notified of the decision to retract the paper via email. The lead author, Lingyan Qiu, and the corresponding author, Xu Wang, quickly responded and appealed the decision to retract. The appeal was denied. Reference 1. https://www.eurekaselect.com/article/132631. Withdrawn: Experimental study on NRF2 mediated by Chinese medicine tangzhiqing to reduce autophagy-dependent ferroptosis and alleviate neuron damage in HT22 mice with diabetes-related cognitive disorder. 22 June, 2023; DOI: 10.2174/1871530323666230622151649 Diabetes is a chronic condition defined by the body's inability to process glucose. The most common form, diabetes mellitus, reflects the body's insulin resistance, which leads to long-term raised glucose blood levels. These levels can cause oxidative damage, cell stress, and excessive autophagy throughout the body, including the nervous system. Diabetes-related cognitive impairment (DCI) results from chronic elevation of blood glucose, and as diabetes cases continue to rise, so too do comorbidities such as DCI. Although there are medications to address high blood glucose, there are few that can inhibit excessive autophagy and cell death. Therefore, we investigated if the Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tangzhiqing (TZQ), can reduce the impact of DCI in a high-glucose cell model. We used commercially available kits to evaluate cell viability, mitochondrial activity, and oxidative stress. We found that TZQ treatment increased cell viability, ensured continued mitochondrial activity, and reduced reactive oxygen species. We also found that TZQ functions by increasing NRF2 activity, which decreases the ferroptotic-associated pathways that involve p62, HO-1, and GPX4. Therefore, TZQ should be further investigated for its role in reducing DCI.

Efficacy and safety of Gushen Antai Pills combined with dydrogesterone in the treatment of threatened miscarriage: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Despite some progress has been made in the pathogenesis and treatment of threatened miscarriage (TM), conventional treatment remains suboptimal. Thus, complementary medicine gradually become a new treatment option for treating threatened miscarriage. Gushen Antai Pills (GAP), a classic prescription of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has became a popular complementary therapy to conventional western medicine (dydrogesterone) in treating threatened miscarriage in recent years. However, a systematic summary and analysis for its therapeutic effects is lacking. This meta-analysis aimed to systematically evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Gushen Antai Pills combined with dydrogesterone in the treatment of threatened miscarriage. Methods: A systematic search across seven electronic databases was conducted from inception to 17 September 2022. Studies were included if they were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effect of integrating Gushen Antai Pills and dydrogesterone in patients with threatened miscarriage, and reported the outcomes of interest. All statistical analyses were conducted using the Revman5.3 and Stata 13 software. The GRADE system was used to evaluate the quality of evidence. Results: Ten eligible randomized controlled trials involving 950 participants were contained in this meta-analysis. The pooled analysis showed that Gushen Antai Pills combined with dydrogesterone can significantly reduce the incidence of early pregnancy loss (RR: 0.29; 95% CI: 0.19-0.42; p < 0.00001) and alleviate clinical symptoms (RR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.22-1.59; p < 0.00001), compared with treatment of dydrogesterone alone. Also, meta-analysis indicated that integrating Gushen Antai Pills and dydrogesterone is more effective than using dydrogesterone alone in improving hormone levels (serum levels of progesterone, ß-HCG and estradiol) for women with threatened miscarriage (all p < 0.00001). Meanwhile, the combined effects with significant heterogeneity also showed favorable consistency in the sensitivity analyses, indicating a good stability of present results. Moreover, no significant differences between Gushen Antai Pills combined with dydrogesterone and control group on adverse events was identified. The overall GRADE qualities were low to moderate. Conclusion: The overall available evidence suggested that Gushen Antai Pills combined with dydrogesterone had significant effects in improving pregnancy success rate, clinical symptoms and hormone levels for women with threatened miscarriage, with considerable safety and reliability. However, due to the partial heterogeneity, suboptimal quality and high risk of bias of some included studies, further rigorously designed randomized controlled trials are required. Systematic Review Registration: identifier https://INPLASY2022120035, https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2022-12-0035/.

Self-delivery of metal-coordinated NIR-II nanoadjuvants for multimodal imaging-guided photothermal-chemodynamic amplified immunotherapy.

The effectiveness of phototheranostics induced immunotherapy is still hampered by limited light penetration depth, the complex immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and the low efficiency of immunomodulator drug delivery. Herein, self-delivery and TME responsive NIR-II phototheranostic nanoadjuvants (NAs) were fabricated to suppress the growth and metastasis of melanoma through the integration of photothermal-chemodynamic therapy (PTT-CDT) and immune remodeling. The NAs were constructed by the self-assembly of ultrasmall NIR-II semiconducting polymer dots and the toll-like receptor agonist resiquimod (R848) utilizing manganese ions (Mn2+) as coordination nodes. Under acidic TME, the NAs responsively disintegrated and released therapeutic components, which enable NIR-II fluorescence/photoacoustic/magnetic resonance imaging-guided tumor PTT-CDT. Moreover, the synergistic treatment of PTT-CDT could induce significant tumor immunogenic cell death and evoke highly efficacious cancer immunosurveillance. The released R848 stimulated the maturation of dendritic cells, which both amplified the antitumor immune response by modulating and remodeling the TME. The NAs present a promising integration strategy of polymer dot-metal ion coordination and immune adjuvants for precise diagnosis and amplified anti-tumor immunotherapy against deep-seated tumors. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The efficiency of phototheranostics induced immunotherapy is still limited by insufficient light penetration depth, low immune response and the complex immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). In order to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy, self-delivery NIR-II phototheranostic nanoadjuvants (PMR NAs) were successfully fabricated via the facile coordination self-assembly of ultra-small NIR-II semiconducting polymer dots and toll-like receptor agonist resiquimod (R848) utilizing manganese ions (Mn2+) as coordination nodes. PMR NAs not only enable TME responsive cargo release and NIR-II fluorescence/photoacoustic/magnetic resonance imaging mediated precise localization of tumors, but also achieve synergistic photothermal-chemodynamic therapy, evoking an effective anti-tumor immune response by ICD effect. The responsively released R848 could further amplify the efficiency of immunotherapy by reversing and remodeling the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, thereby effectively inhibiting tumor growth and lung metastasis.