Neural response properties predict perceived contents and locations elicited by intracranial electrical stimulation of human auditory cortex.

Intracranial electrical stimulation (iES) of auditory cortex can elicit sound experiences with a variety of perceived contents (hallucination or illusion) and locations (contralateral or bilateral side), independent of actual acoustic inputs. However, the neural mechanisms underlying this elicitation heterogeneity remain undiscovered. Here, we collected subjective reports following iES at 3062 intracranial sites in 28 patients (both sexes) and identified 113 auditory cortical sites with iES-elicited sound experiences. We then decomposed the sound-induced intracranial electroencephalogram (iEEG) signals recorded from all 113 sites into time-frequency features. We found that the iES-elicited perceived contents can be predicted by the early high-γ features extracted from sound-induced iEEG. In contrast, the perceived locations elicited by stimulating hallucination sites and illusion sites are determined by the late high-γ and long-lasting α features, respectively. Our study unveils the crucial neural signatures of iES-elicited sound experiences in human and presents a new strategy to hearing restoration for individuals suffering from deafness.

Structural identification and combination mechanism of iron (II)-chelating Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) skin active peptides.

In order to utilize salmon skin for high value, and investigate the structural identification and combination mechanism of iron (II)-chelating peptides systemically, Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) skin, a by-product of Atlantic salmon processing, was treated by two-step enzymatic hydrolysis to obtain salmon skin active peptides (SSAP). Then they reacted with iron (II) to obtain iron (II)-chelating salmon skin active peptides (SSAP-Fe) with a high iron (II) chelating ability of 98.84%. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid ammonium salt hydrate (ANS) combined fluorescence measurement, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and full wavelength ultraviolet (UV) scanning showed that the structural characteristics of SSAP changed before and after chelating iron (II). Reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and mass spectrometry were used to identify and quantify the peptides in SSAP-Fe. Four peptide sequences (STEGGG, GIIKYGDDFMH, PGQPGIGYDGPAGPPGPPGPPGAP and QNQRESWTTCRSQSSLPDG) were identified. The content of PGQPGIGYDGPAGPPGPPGPPGAP was the highest, at 25.17 µg/mg. The pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of these four peptides were also investigated, and the results indicated that they have satisfactory predicted ADMET properties. Molecular docking technology was used to analyze the binding sites between iron (II) and SSAP, and it was found that PGQPGIGYDGPAGPPGPPGPPGAP had the lowest predicted binding energy with iron (II) and the most stable predicted binding energy with iron (II). This results showed that the stability of SSAP-Fe were closely related to the number of covalent bonds and the types of amino acids. This study revealed the structure and combination mechanism of SSAP-Fe, and indicated that SSAP-Fe prepared by chelation may be used as a Fe supplement that can be applied in functional foods or ingredients.

Comparative effectiveness of nonpharmacological interventions in reducing psychological symptoms among patients with chronic low back pain.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) can seriously impair the quality of life of patients and has a remarkable comorbidity with psychological symptoms, which, in turn, can further exacerbate the symptoms of CLBP. Psychological treatments are critical and nonnegligent for the management of CLBP, and thus, should attract sufficient attention. However, current evidence does not suggest the superiority and effectiveness of nonpharmacological interventions in reducing psychological symptoms among patients with CLBP.Thus, this study was designed to compare the effectiveness of nonpharmacological interventions for depression, anxiety, and mental health among patients with CLBP and to recommend preferred strategies for attenuating psychological symptoms in clinical practice. METHODS: In this systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA), PubMed, Embase Database, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched from database inception until March 2022. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that compare different nonpharmacological interventions for depression, anxiety, and mental health among patients with CLBP were eligible. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses statement was used. Four reviewers in pairs and divided into two groups independently performed literature selection, data extraction, and risk of bias, and certainty of evidence assessments. This NMA was conducted with a random effects model under a frequentist framework. The major outcomes were depression, anxiety, and mental health presented as the standardized mean difference (SMD) with the corresponding 95% CI. RESULTS: A total of 66 RCTs that randomized 4806 patients with CLBP met the inclusion criteria. The quality of evidence was typically low or some risks of bias (47 out of 66 trials, 71.3%), and the precision of summary estimates for effectiveness varied substantially. In addition, 7 categories of interventions with 26 specific treatments were evaluated. For depression, mind body therapy (pooled SMD = -1.20, 95% CI: -1.63 to -0.78), biopsychosocial approach (pooled SMD = -0.41, 95% CI: -0.70 to -0.12), and physical therapy (pooled SMD = -0.26, 95% CI: -0.50 to -0.02) exhibited remarkable effectiveness in reducing depression compared with the control group. For managing anxiety, mind body therapy (pooled SMD = -1.35, 95% CI: -1.90 to -0.80), multicomponent intervention (pooled SMD = -0.47, 95% CI: -0.88 to -0.06), and a biopsychosocial approach (pooled SMD = -0.46, 95% CI: -0.79 to -0.14) were substantially superior to the control group. For improving mental health, multicomponent intervention (pooled SMD = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.14 to 1.39), exercise (pooled SMD = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.08 to 1.11), and physical therapy (pooled SMD = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.02-0.92) demonstrated statistically substantial effectiveness compared with the control group. The rank probability indicated that mind body therapy achieved the highest effectiveness in reducing depression and anxiety among patients with CLBP. Besides, the combined results should be interpreted cautiously based on the results of analyses evaluating the inconsistency and certainty of the evidence. CONCLUSION: This systemic review and NMA suggested that nonpharmacological interventions show promise for reducing psychological symptoms among patients with CLBP. In particular, mind body therapy and a biopsychosocial approach show considerable promise, and mind body therapy can be considered a priority choice in reducing depression and anxiety. These findings can aid clinicians in assessing the potential risks and benefits of available treatments for CLBP comorbidity with psychological symptoms and provide evidence for selecting interventions in clinical practice. More RCTs involving different interventions with rigorous methodology and an adequate sample size should be conducted in future research.

Lignans from the leaves of Styrax japonicus and their anti-inflammatory activity.

Five novel lignans, namely styraxjaponica A-E (1-5), together with eight known compounds (6-13) were isolated from the leaves of Styrax japonicus Siebold & Zucc. Their chemical structures were characterized by extensive analysis of 1D and 2D NMR, UV, IR, HRESIMS spectroscopic analysis as well as by comparison to the literature. The absolute configurations of the new compounds were further determined by quantum chemical electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations powered by time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT). Moreover, the anti-inflammatory effects of compounds 1-5 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells were also evaluated by measuring nitric oxide (NO) concentrations. All compounds displayed significant anti-inflammatory activity without affecting cell viability in vitro.

Effects of Lianhuaqingwen Capsules in adults with mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease 2019: an international, multicenter, double-blind, randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: In a randomized trial, Lianhuaqingwen (LHQW) capsule was effective for accelerating symptom recovery among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the lack of blinding and limited sample sizes decreased the level of clinical evidence. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of LHQW capsule in adults with mild-to-moderate COVID-19. METHODS: We conducted a double-blind randomized controlled trial in adults with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 (17 sites from China, Thailand, Philippine and Vietnam). Patients received standard-of-care alone or plus LHQW capsules (4 capsules, thrice daily) for 14 days. The primary endpoint was the median time to sustained clinical improvement or resolution of nine major symptoms. RESULTS: The full-analysis set consisted of 410 patients in LHQW capsules and 405 in placebo group. LHQW significantly shortened the primary endpoint in the full-analysis set (4.0 vs. 6.7 days, hazards ratio: 1.63, 95% confidence interval: 1.39-1.90). LHQW capsules shortened the median time to sustained clinical improvement or resolution of stuffy or runny nose (2.8 vs. 3.7 days), sore throat (2.0 vs. 2.6 days), cough (3.2 vs. 4.9 days), feeling hot or feverish (1.0 vs. 1.3 days), low energy or tiredness (1.3 vs. 1.9 days), and myalgia (1.5 vs. 2.0 days). The duration to sustained clinical improvement or resolution of shortness of breath, headache, and chills or shivering did not differ significantly between the two groups. Safety was comparable between the two groups. No serious adverse events were reported. INTERPRETATION: LHQW capsules promote recovery of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 via accelerating symptom resolution and were well tolerated. Trial registration ChiCTR2200056727 .

Halophyte Elymus dahuricus colonization regulates microbial community succession by mediating saline-alkaline and biogenic organic matter in bauxite residue.

Alkalinity regulation and nutrient accumulation are critical factors in the construction of plant and microbial communities and soil formation in bauxite residue, and are extremely important for sustainable vegetation restoration in bauxite residue disposal areas. However, the establishment and succession of microbial communities driven by plant colonization-mediated improvements in the physicochemical properties of bauxite residues remain poorly understood. Thus, in this study, we determined the saline-alkali properties and dissolved organic matter (DOM) components under plant growth conditions and explored the microbial community diversity and structure using Illumina high-throughput sequencing. The planting of Elymus dahuricus (E. dahuricus) in the bauxite residue resulted in a significant decrease in total alkalinity (TA), exchangeable Na, and electrical conductivity (EC) as well as the release of more tryptophan-like protein compounds and low-molecular-weight humic substances associated with biological activities into the bauxite residue substrate. Taxonomical analysis revealed an initial-stage bacterial and fungal community dominated by alkaline-tolerant Actinobacteriota, Firmicutes, and Ascomycota, and an increase in the relative abundances of the phyla Bacteroidota, Cyanobacteria, Chloroflexi, and Gemmatimonadota. The biological activities of phylum Actinobacteriota, Bacteroidota, and Gemmatimonadota were significantly associated with protein-like and UVA-like humic substances. As eutrophic bacteria, Proteobacteria participate in the transformation of humic substances and can not only utilize small molecules of organic matter and convert them into humic substances but also promote the gradual conversion of humic acids into simple molecular compounds. Our results suggest that plant roots secrete organic matter and microbial metabolites as the main biogenic organic matter that participates in the establishment and succession of the microbial community in bauxite residues. Root length affects bacterial and fungal diversity by mediating the production of protein-like substances.

Differences in psychometric characteristics of outpatients with somatic symptom disorder from general hospital biomedical (neurology/gastroenterology), traditional Chinese medicine, and psychosomatic settings.

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the psychometric characteristics of outpatients diagnosed with somatic symptom disorder (SSD) in biomedical, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and psychosomatic settings. Materials and methods: A total of 697 participants who completed SCID-5 and questionnaires were presented in our former study, as 3 of them had missed questionnaire data, a total of 694 participants are presented in this study. A secondary analysis of the psychometric characteristics of Somatic Symptom Disorder-B Criteria Scale (SSD-12), Somatic Symptom Severity Scale of the Patient-Health Questionnaire (PHQ-15), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) is done to compare differences among outpatients from the three settings of medical specialties. Results: Based on the DSM-5 criteria, 90 out of 224 (40.2%) participants enrolled in biomedical departments (represented by neurology and gastroenterology departments), 44/231 (19.0%) in TCM departments, and 101/239 (42.3%) in the psychosomatic medicine departments were diagnosed with SSD. The scores of PHQ-15 in the biomedical, TCM and psychosomatic settings were 11.08 (± 4.54), 11.02 (± 5.27) and 13.26 (± 6.20); PHQ-9 were 10.43 (± 6.42), 11.20 (± 5.46) and 13.42 (± 7.32); GAD-7 were 8.52 (± 6.22), 9.57 (± 5.06) and 10.83 (± 6.24); SSD-12 were 22.26 (± 11.53), 22.98 (± 10.96) and 25.03 (± 11.54) respectively. The scores of PHQ-15, PHQ-9 and GAD-7 in SSD patients were significantly higher in psychosomatic departments than that in biomedical settings (p < 0.05). The cutoff point for SSD-12 was ≥16 in total patients; 16, 16, 17 in biomedical, TCM and psychosomatic settings, respectively. The cutoff point for PHQ-15 was found to be ≥8 in total patients; 8, 9, 11 in biomedical, TCM and psychosomatic settings, respectively. Conclusion: SSD patients from psychosomatic departments had higher level of somatic symptom severity, depression and anxiety than from TCM and biomedical settings. In our specific sample, a cutoff point of ≥16 for SSD-12 could be recommended in all three settings. But the cutoff point of PHQ-15 differs much between different settings, which was ≥8, 9, and 11 in biomedical, TCM, and psychosomatic settings, respectively.

Endophytic Bacillus subtilis H17-16 effectively inhibits Phytophthora infestans, the pathogen of potato late blight, and its potential application.

BACKGROUND: As a highly prevalent epidemic disease of potato, late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans poses a serious threat to potato yield and quality. At present, chemical fungicides are mainly used to control potato late blight, but long-term overuse of chemical fungicides may lead to environmental pollution and human health threats. Endophytes, natural resources for plant diseases control, can promote plant growth, enhance plant resistance, and secrete antifungal substances. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find some beneficial endophytes to control potato late blight. RESULTS: We isolated a strain of Bacillus subtilis H17-16 from potato healthy roots. It can significantly inhibit mycelial growth, sporangia germination and the pathogenicity of Phytophthora infestans, induce the resistance of potato to late blight, and promote potato growth. In addition, H17-16 has the ability to produce protease, volatile compounds (VOCs) and form biofilms. After H17-16 treatment, most of the genes involved in metabolism, virulence and drug resistance of Phytophthora infestans were down-regulated significantly, and the genes related to ribosome biogenesis were mainly up-regulated. Moreover, field and postharvest application of H17-16 can effectively reduce the occurrence of potato late blight, and the combination of H17-16 with chitosan or chemical fungicides had a better effect than single H17-16. CONCLUSION: Our results reveal that Bacillus subtilis H17-16 has great potential as a natural fungicide for controlling potato late blight, laying a theoretical basis for its development as a biological control agent. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Microvascularized tumor assembloids model for drug delivery evaluation in colorectal cancer-derived peritoneal metastasis.

Peritoneal metastasis (PM) is a fatal state of colorectal cancer, and only a few patients may benefit from systemic chemotherapy. Although hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) brings hope for affected patients, the drug development and preclinical evaluation of HIPEC are seriously lagging behind, mainly due to the lack of an ideal in vitro PM model that makes drug development over-reliant on expensive and inefficient animal experiments. This study developed an in vitro colorectal cancer PM model [microvascularized tumor assembloids (vTA)] based on an assembly strategy of endothelialized microvessels and tumor spheroids. Our data showed that the in vitro perfusion cultured vTA could maintain a similar gene expression pattern to their parental xenografts. Also, the drug penetration pattern of the in vitro HIPEC in vTA could mimic the drug delivery behavior in tumor nodules during in vivo HIPEC. More importantly, we further confirmed the feasibility of constructing a tumor burden-controlled PM animal model using vTA. In conclusion, we propose a simple and effective strategy to construct physiologically simulated PM models in vitro, thus providing a basis for PM-related drug development and preclinical evaluation of locoregional therapies. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: This study developed an in vitro colorectal cancer peritoneal metastasis (PM) model based on microvascularized tumor assembloids (vTA) for drug evaluation. With perfusion culture, vTA could maintain a similar gene expression pattern and tumor heterogeneity to their parental xenografts. And the drug penetration pattern in vTA was similar to the drug delivery behavior in tumor nodules under in vivo treatment. Moreover, vTA was more conducive to construct PM animal models with controllable tumor burden. In conclusion, the construction of vTA could provide a new strategy for the PM-related drug development and preclinical evaluation of locoregional therapies.

Quercetin serves as the major component of Xiang-lian Pill to ameliorate ulcerative colitis via tipping the balance of STAT1/PPARγ and dictating the alternative activation of macrophage.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The traditional Chinese herbal formula, Xiang-lian Pill (XLP), is commonly prescribed for ulcerative colitis (UC) patients to relieve their clinical symptom. Nonetheless, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of XLP's anti-UC effect remain incompletely understood. AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the therapeutic effect and elucidate the possible working mechanisms of XLP in UC treatment. The major active component of XLP was also characterized. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Colitis was induced in C57BL/6 mice with 3% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) dissolved in drinking water for 7 consecutive days. The UC mice were grouped and treated with XLP (3640 mg/kg) or vehicle orally during the procedure of DSS induction. Mouse body weight, disease activity index (DAI) score and colon length were recorded. Histopathological changes and inflammatory cell infiltration were evaluated by pathological staining and flow cytometric analysis (FACS). Network pharmacology, bioinformatic analysis, widely targeted and targeted metabolomics analysis were performed to screen the potential effective ingredients and key targets. Bone marrow derived macrophages (BMDMs), peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), RAW264.7 and THP-1 cells were used to dissect the anti-inflammatory effect of XLP. RESULTS: Oral administration of XLP ameliorated DSS induced mouse colitis, as evidenced by reduced DAI and colonic inflammatory destruction. FACS results demonstrated that XLP treatment effectively restored immune tolerance in colon, inhibited the generation of monocyte derived macrophages and skewed macrophage polarization into M2 phenotype. Network pharmacology analysis suggested that innate effector modules related to macrophage activation comprise the major targets of XLP, and the counter-regulatory STAT1/PPARγ signaling possibly serves as the critical downstream pathway. Subsequent experiments unveiled an imbalance of STAT1/PPARγ signaling in monocytes derived from UC patients, and validated that XLP suppressed LPS/IFN-γ induced macrophage activation (STAT1 mediated) but facilitated IL-4 induced macrophage M2 polarization (PPARγ dependent). Meanwhile, our data showed that quercetin served as the major component of XLP to recapitulate the regulatory effect on macrophages. CONCLUSION: Our findings revealed that quercetin serves as the major component of XLP that regulates macrophage alternative activation via tipping the balance of STAT1/PPARγ, which provides a mechanistic explanation for the therapeutic effect of XLP in UC treatment.

Berberine plays a cardioprotective role by inhibiting macrophage Wnt5a/ß-catenin pathway in the myocardium of mice after myocardial infarction.

Myocardial infarction (MI) is one of the diseases with high fatality rate. Berberine (BBR) is a monomer compound with various biological functions. And some studies have confirmed that BBR plays an important role in alleviating cardiomyocyte injury after MI. However, the specific mechanism is unclear. In this study, we induced a model of MI by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery and we surprisingly found that BBR significantly improved ventricular remodeling, with a minor inflammatory and oxidative stress injury, and stronger angiogenesis. Moreover, BBR inhibited the secretion of Wnt5a/ß-catenin pathway in macrophages after MI, thus promoting the differentiation of macrophages into M2 type. In summary, BBR effectively improved cardiac function of mice after MI, and the potential protective mechanism was associated with the regulation of inflammatory responses and the inhibition of macrophage Wnt5a/ß-catenin pathway in the infarcted heart tissues. Importantly, these findings supported BBR as an effective cardioprotective drug after MI.

[Clinical observational study on the treatment of oligozoospermia with Shizi Sanhua decoction combined with Nuoyu].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical therapeutic effect as well as drug effectiveness and safety of Shizi Sanhua decoction combined with Nuoyu in the treatment of oligozoospermia in men. METHODS: 102 patients with oligozoospermia diagnosed at Longhua Hospital of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from February 2022 to March 2023 were selected and randomly divided into 3 groups. The treatment group was treated with Shizi Sanhua Decoction + Nuoyu; the traditional Chinese medicine group was treated with Shizi Sanhua Decoction; and the Nuoyu nutrient group was treated with Nuoyu nutrient. A review assessment and record were made after one course of treatment (3 months). RESULTS: A total of 102 patients completed the trial due to the treatment process. There were 34 cases in each of the traditional Chinese medicine group, the Nuoyu nutrient group, and the treatment group. Clinical efficacy: total effective rate of 52.94% in the traditional Chinese medicine group; 58.82% in the Nuoyu nutrient group; 82.35% in the treatment group. The clinical efficacy of the treatment group was better than that of the traditional Chinese medicine group and the Nuoyu nutrient group (P<0.05), which was statistically significant. Semen routine: the treatment group was better than the traditional Chinese medicine group and Nuoyu nutrient group in improving the total number of sperm and sperm concentration. CONCLUSION: The semen concentration and forward sperm count of patients with oligozoospermia treated with Shizi Sanhua Decoction combined with Nuoyu improved more significantly, and the clinical efficacy was remarkable. And the clinical efficacy is not affected by age and disease duration. It can be popularized and applied as a treatment for oligozoospermia.

Astaxanthin Prevents Tuberculosis-Associated Inflammatory Injury by Inhibiting the Caspase 4/11-Gasdermin-Pyroptosis Pathway.

Pyroptosis is a programmed cell death caused by inflammation. Multiple studies have suggested that Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection causes tissue pyroptosis. However, there are currently no protective drugs against the inflammatory damage caused by pyroptosis. In this study, anti-pyroptotic effects of the natural compound astaxanthin (ASTA) were explored in a simulated pulmonary tuberculosis-associated inflammatory environment. The results showed that ASTA maintained the stability of MLE-12 lung epithelial cell numbers in the inflammatory environment established by lipopolysaccharide. The reason is not to promote cell proliferation but to inhibit lipopolysaccharide-induced pyroptosis. The results showed that ASTA significantly inhibited the expression of key proteins in the caspase 4/11-gasdermin D pathway and the release of pyroptosis-related inflammatory mediators. Therefore, ASTA inhibits inflammation-induced pyroptosis by inhibiting the caspase 4/11-gasdermin D pathway and has the potential to protect lung tissue from tuberculosis-related inflammatory injury. ASTA, a functional food component, is a promising candidate for protection against tuberculosis-associated inflammatory lung injury.

Validation of the Chinese version of the Somatic Symptom Scale-8 in patients from tertiary hospitals in China.

Objective: To validate the Chinese language version of the Somatic Symptom Scale-8 (SSS-8) in a sample of outpatients attending tertiary hospitals in China. Materials and methods: A Chinese language version of the SSS-8 was completed by outpatients (n = 699) from psychosomatic medicine, gastroenterology/neurology, and traditional Chinese medicine clinics of nine tertiary hospitals between September 2016 and January 2018 to test the reliability. The Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15), the Somatic Symptom Disorder-B Criteria Scale (SSD-12), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale, the Medical Outcome Study 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) and the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHO DAS 2.0) were rated to test construct validity. The criterion validity was tested by using the Semi-structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (Research Version) (SCID-5-RV) for somatic symptom disorder (SSD) as the diagnostic gold standard to explore the optimal cutoff score of the SSS-8. Results: The average age of the recruited participants was 43.08 (±14.47). 61.4% of them were female. The internal consistency derived from the sample was acceptable (Cronbach α = 0.78). Confirmatory factor analyses resulted in the replication of a three-factor model (cardiopulmonary symptoms, pain symptoms, gastrointestinal and fatigue symptoms) (comparative fit index = 0.95, Tucker-Lewis index = 0.92, root mean square error of approximation = 0.10, 90% confidence interval = 0.08-0.12). The SSS-8 sum score was highly associated with PHQ-15 (r = 0.74, p < 0.001), SSD-12 (r = 0.64, p < 0.001), GAD-7 (r = 0.59, p < 0.001), and PHQ-9 (r = 0.69, p < 0.001). The patients with more severe symptoms showed worse quality of life and disability The optimal cutoff score of SSS-8 was 9 (sensitivity = 0.67, specificity = 0.68). Conclusion: Our preliminary assessment suggests that the Chinese language version of the SSS-8 has reliability and validity sufficient to warrant testing further in research and clinical settings.

The Application Value of Three-Dimensional Power Doppler Ultrasound in Fetal Growth Restriction.

In this study, the application value of three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasound (3D-PDU) in fetal growth restriction (FGR) is explored. The retrospective cohort study enrolled pregnant women (with a gestational week of 11-13 + 6 weeks) who received routine health care in the obstetrics and gynecology clinic of our hospital from January 2020 to January 2021. The placentae were scanned using 3D-PDU, and the subjects were followed up until delivery. The fetuses were divided into the control group (n = 322) and FGR group (n = 44) according to their birth weight. There was no significant difference in nuchal translucency (NT), crown-rump length (CRL), and placental volume (PV) during the first trimester between the two groups (P > 0.05). Compared with the control group, the FGR group showed significantly lower levels of vascularisation index (VI), flow index (FI), and vascularisation flow index (VFI) and a higher incidence of fetal distress and neonatal asphyxia (P < 0.05). The FGR group showed a longer gestational week at birth, a higher probability of cesarean section, and a lower 5-minute Apgar score than the control group (P < 0.05). The VI, FI, and VFI of the control group were significantly higher than those of the FGR group. Pearson analysis showed that birth weight was positively correlated with VI and FI (P < 0.05). 3D-PDU assesses the blood perfusion of the fetus and placenta in the first trimester and predicts the pregnancy outcome, which shows great potential in the early diagnosis of FGR.

Accurate identification of key VOCs sources contributing to O3 formation along the Liaodong Bay based on emission inventories and ambient observations.

In order to achieve the precise control of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) species with high ozone (O3) formation contribution from key sources in Panjin and Yingkou, two coastal industrial cities with severe O3 pollution along the Liaodong Bay, northeast China, the ambient concentrations of 99 VOCs species were measured online at urban-petrochemical (XLT), suburban-industrial (PP), and rural (XRD) sites in July 2019, contemporary monthly anthropogenic VOCs emission inventories were developed. The source contribution of ambient VOCs resolved by positive matrix factorization (PMF) model was comparable with emission inventories, and the location of VOCs sources were speculated by potential source contribution function (PSCF). 17.5 Gg anthropogenic VOCs was emitted in Panjin and Yingkou in July 2019 with potential to form 54.7 Gg-O3 estimated by emission inventories. The average VOC mixing ratios of 47.1, 26.7, and 16.5 ppbv was observed at XLT, PP, and XRD sites, respectively. Petroleum industry (22 %), organic chemical industry (21 %), and mobile vehicle emission (19 %) were identified to be the main sources contributing to O3 formation at XLT site by PMF, while it is organic chemical industry (33 %) and solvent utilization (28 %) contributed the most at PP site. Taking the subdivided source contributions of emission inventories and source locations speculated by PSCF into full consideration, organic raw chemicals manufacturing, structural steel coating, petroleum refining process, petroleum products storage and transport, off-shore vessels, and passenger cars were identified as the key anthropogenic sources. High O3-formation contribution sources, organic chemical industry and solvent utilization were located in the industrial parks at the junction of the two cities and the southeast of Panjin, and petroleum industry distributed in the whole Panjin and offshore areas. These results identify the key VOCs species and sources and speculate the potential geographical location of sources for precisely controlling ground-level O3 along the Liaodong Bay.

Hesperetin, a Promising Treatment Option for Diabetes and Related Complications: A Literature Review.

The morbidity and mortality of diabetes have increased dramatically in recent decades. Novel strategies for treating diabetes and its complications with minimal side effects are in urgent need. New monomeric molecules extracted from herbal medicine, which is a form of alternative medicine, are being sought as drug candidates for the treatment of diabetes and its complications. Hesperetin (Hst), a citrus flavonoid, is of increasing interest in scientific studies recently due to its properties in combating diabetes and its complications, whereas existing studies are scattered and unsystematic. Here, we summarized the literature studies over the last 10 years to review the potential therapeutic role of Hst in the prevention and mitigation of diabetes and its complications, intending to provide promising strategies for the clinical management of diabetes and its complications.

Preclinical Pharmacokinetics and Bioavailability of Oxypeucedanin in Rats after Single Intravenous and Oral Administration.

Oxypeucedanin, a furanocoumarin extracted from many traditional Chinese herbal medicines, has a variety of pharmacological effects. However, the independent pharmacokinetic characteristics and bioavailability of this compound remains elusive. In this study, a rapid, sensitive, and selective method using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/MS/MS) was developed for evaluating the intravenous and oral pharmacokinetics of oxypeucedanin. After intravenous administration of oxypeucedanin (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg), and intragastric administration of oxypeucedanin (20 mg/kg), blood samples were collected periodically from the tail vein. The plasma concentration-time curves were plotted, and the pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using a non-compartmental model analysis. After intravenous administration of oxypeucedanin (single dosing at 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg) to rats, the pharmacokinetics fit the linear kinetics characteristics, which showed that some parameters including average elimination half-life (T1/2Z of 0.61~0.66 h), mean residence time (MRT of 0.62~0.80 h), apparent volume of distribution (VZ of 4.98~7.50 L/kg), and systemic clearance (CLZ of 5.64~8.55 L/kg/h) are dose-independent and the area under concentration-time curve (AUC) increased in a dose-proportional manner. Single oral administration of oxypeucedanin (20 mg/kg) showed poor and slow absorption with the mean time to reach the peak concentration (Tmax) of 3.38 h, MRT of 5.86 h, T1/2Z of 2.94 h, and a mean absolute bioavailability of 10.26% in rats. These results provide critical information for a better understanding of the pharmacological effect of oxypeucedanin, which will facilitate its research and development.

Molecular Mechanisms for Anti-aging of Low-Vacuum Cold Plasma Pretreatment in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Cold plasma pretreatment has the potential of anti-aging. However, its molecular mechanism is still not clear. Here, cold plasma pretreatment was firstly used to investigate the anti-aging effects of Caenorhabditis elegans using transcriptomic technique. It showed that the optimal parameters of discharge power, processing time, and working pressure for cold plasma pretreatment were separately 100 W, 15 s, and 135 Pa. The released 0.32 mJ/cm2 of the moderate apparent energy density was possibly beneficial to the strong positive interaction between plasma and C. elegans. The longest lifespan (13.67 ± 0.50 for 30 days) was obviously longer than the control (10.37 ± 0.46 for 23 days). Furthermore, compared with the control, frequencies of head thrashes with an increase of 26.01% and 37.31% and those of body bends with an increase of 33.37% and 34.51% on the fourth and eighth day, respectively, indicated movement behavior was improved. In addition, the variation of the enzyme activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and malondialdehyde (MDA) hinted that the cold plasma pretreatment contributed to the enhanced anti-aging effects in nematodes. Transcriptomics analysis revealed that cold plasma pretreatment resulted in specific gene expression. Anatomical structure morphogenesis, response to stress, regulation of biological quality, phosphate-containing compound metabolic process, and phosphorus metabolic process were the most enriched biological process for GO analysis. Cellular response to heat stress and HSF1-dependent transactivation were the two most enriched KEGG pathways. This work would provide the methodological basis using cold plasma pretreatment and the potential gene modification targets for anti-aging study.

Creating diverse glycosides of 2'-hydroxyflavone through microbial glycosylation.

Four new 2'-hydroxyflavone glycosides, namely hydroxyflavone-2'-O-ß-D-glucuronide (1), hydroxyflavone-2'-O-α-L-rhamnoside (2), hydroxyflavone-2'-O-ß-D-glucoside (3), and hydroxyflavone-2'-O-4″-O-methyl-ß-D-glucoside (4), were biosynthesized through microbial glycosylation using Streptomyces coeruleorubidus NRRL B-2569, Streptomyces toxytricini NRRL 15443, Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)/pWZ8, and Beauveria bassiana ATCC 7159, respectively. Compounds 1-4 were structurally characterized through extensive analysis of 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data. The water solubility of glycosylated products 1-4 were enhanced by 7 to 15 times compared to the substrate 2'-hydroxyflavone. Moreover, antioxidant assays revealed that compounds 1 and 2 exhibited stronger 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity than the substrate, decreasing the logIC50 by 68.7% and 80.7%, respectively. Therefore, this research provides several effective biocatalysts that can be used for structural modification of flavonoids for enhanced water solubility and biological activities.