Characteristics and efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine in the therapeutic strategy of chronic coronary syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) has always been controversial in its therapeutic strategy. Although invasive treatment and optimal medication therapy (OMT) are the most commonly used treatments, doctors continue to debate the best strategy. However, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for CCS is effective clinically. METHODS: To identify potentially eligible observational and experimental studies, we searched Pubmed, the Web of Science, and the China National Knowledge Internet. To be eligible, studies had to report with end-of treatment outcomes, such as major adverse cardiac events (MACE), deaths from myocardial infarctions (MI), all-cause mortality, angina, cardiac mortality, the effectiveness rate of electrocardiographs, and the reduction rate of the Nitroglycerin tablets. Risk differences (RDs) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs) were calculated based on random-effects models or fixed-effects models. Citation screening, data abstraction, risk assessment, and strength-of-evidence grading were completed by 2 independent reviewers. RESULTS: In Section 1 (13 studies, involving 17,287 patients), showed no significant difference between invasive treatment and medication treatment in MACE (RD = -0.04, 95% CI = -0.08 to 0.00, I2 = 76.4 %), all-cause mortality (RD = -0.01, 95%CI = -0.022 to 0.01, I2 = 73.44 %), MI (RD = 0.00, 95%CI = -0.00 to 0.01, I2 = 0.00 %) and cardiac mortality (RD = 0.00, 95 %CI = -0.01 to 0.01, I2 = 34.9 %). In Section 2 (21 studies, including 1820 patients), compared with WM treatment, TCM + WM treatment increased ECG effectiveness by 18 %, angina effectiveness by 20 %, and stopping or reducing Nitroglycerin tablets by 20 %. In Section 3 (25 studies, including 2859 patients) showed that TCM revealed a better electrocardiogram effective rate (RD = 0.10, 95 %CI = 0.05 to 0.14, I2 = 44.7 %) and angina effective rate (RD = 0.12, 95 %CI = 0.09 to 0.15, I2 = 44.9 %). We identified that TCM treatment properties of "Circulating blood and transforming stasis" and application of warm/heat-properties medicines were frequently used in CCS treatment. CONCLUSIONS: TCM treatment has shown superior beneficial cardioprotective in CCS therapy strategy, among which "Circulating blood and transforming stasis" and the application of warm/heat-properties medicine are its characteristics.

Acyl-CoA synthetase 1 plays an important role on pollen development and male fertility in tomato.

The development of pollen is critical to male reproduction in flowering plants. Acyl-CoA synthetase (ACOS) genes play conserved functions in regulating pollen development in various plants. Our previous work found that knockout of the SlACOS1 gene in tomato might decrease fruit setting. The current study further revealed that SlACOS1 was important to pollen development and male fertility. The SlACOS1 gene was preferentially expressed in the stamen of the flower with the highest expression at the tetrad stage of anther development. Mutation of the SlACOS1 gene by the CRISPR/Cas9-editing system reduced pollen number and viability as well as fruit setting. The tapetum layer exhibited premature degradation and the pollen showed abnormal development appearing irregular, shriveled, or anucleate in Slacos1 mutants at the tetrad stage. The fatty acid metabolism in anthers was significantly impacted by mutation of the SlACOS1 gene. Furthermore, targeted fatty acids profiling using GC-MS found that contents of most fatty acids except C18:1 and C18:2 were reduced. Yeast complementation assay demonstrated that the substrate preferences of SlACOS1 were C16:0 and C18:0 fatty acids. Male fertility of Slacos1 mutant could be slightly restored by applying exogenous palmitic acid, a type of C16:0 fatty acid. Taken together, SlACOS1 played important roles on pollen development and male fertility by regulating the fatty acid metabolism and the development of tapetum and tetrad. Our findings will facilitate unraveling the mechanism of pollen development and male fertility in tomato.

Association of vitamins B1 and B2 intake with early-onset sarcopenia in the general adult population of the US: a cross-sectional study of NHANES data from 2011 to 2018.

Background: Early-onset sarcopenia refers to the progressive loss of muscle mass and function that occurs at an early age. This condition perpetuates the vicious cycle of muscle loss and is associated with adverse outcomes. It is important to identify the contributing factors for early intervention and prevention. While diet is known to impact muscle mass, the association of B vitamins with early-onset sarcopenia remains unexplored. Objectives: To investigate the association of B vitamins intake with early-onset sarcopenia risk in a cross-sectional study. Methods: We conducted data analysis on a total of 8,711 participants aged between 20 and 59 years who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2011 to 2018. Early-onset sarcopenia was defined as a SMI measured by DXA that was one standard deviation below the sex-specific mean of the reference population. B vitamins intake (B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, and B12) was assessed by 24-h dietary recall. We used weighted multiple logistic regression and RCS models to estimate the OR and 95% CI of sarcopenia by B vitamins intake, adjusting for demographic, physical, lifestyle, comorbidities, and nutritional covariates. Results: Higher intake of vitamin B1 was associated with a 22% lower sarcopenia risk (OR = 0.78, CI = 0.63-0.97, p = 0.022), and higher intake of vitamin B2 with a 16% lower risk (OR = 0.84, CI = 0.74-0.97, p = 0.012) in both genders. Gender-specific analyses showed a 28% reduction in sarcopenia risk among males with each additional mg of vitamin B1 intake (OR = 0.72, CI = 0.52-0.97, p = 0.038), and a 26% decrease among females with each additional mg of vitamin B2 intake (OR = 0.74, CI = 0.57-0.96, p = 0.021). No significant differences were found between vitamin B2 and males, or between vitamin B1 and females. The RCS model suggested a nonlinear relationship between vitamin B2 intake and sarcopenia risk (POverall = 0.001, PNonlinear = 0.033), with a plateau effect above 3 mg/d. Conclusion: Higher intake of vitamin B1 and B2 may lower the risk of early-onset sarcopenia, with gender differences. This suggests the potential of nutritional intervention by increasing these vitamins intake through diet and supplements. Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms and design targeted interventions.

Two-dimensional correlation infrared spectroscopy elucidated the volatilization process of the microemulsion composed of peppermint essential oil and composite herbal extract.

Microemulsion is usually a transparent and isotropic liquid mixture composed of oil phase, water phase, surfactant and cosurfactant. The surfactant-framed nanoscale droplets in the microemulsion can penetrate into the skin surface to reduce its barrier function. This makes microemulsion an ideal preparation for the transdermal drug delivery. The permeability of microemulsion may be further enhanced when botanical essential oils that can dissolve the stratum corneum are used as the oil phase. However, the volatility of essential oils is possible to shorten the retention time of the microemulsion on the skin surface. Therefore, analytical methods are required to understand the volatilization process of the microemulsion composed of essential oils to develop the reasonable topical drug carrier system. In this research, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy with an attenuated total reflection (ATR) accessory cooperated with two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2DCOS) to elucidate the volatilization processes of some microemulsions composed of peppermint essential oil. Principal component analysis (PCA) and moving-window two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (MW2DCOS) revealed the multiple stages of the volatilization processes of the microemulsions. Synchronous 2D correlation infrared spectra indicated the compositional changes during each stage. It was found that the successive volatilizations of ethanol, water and menthone were the major events during the volatilization process of the microemulsion composed of peppermint essential oil. Ethanol can accelerate the volatilization of water, while the composite herbal extract seemed to not influence the volatilization of the other ingredients. After a 20-min-long volatilization process, the remaining microemulsion still contained considerable peppermint essential oil to affect the skin. The above results showed the feasibility of developing the microemulsion composed of peppermint essential oil for the transdermal drug delivery of composite herbal extract. This research also proved that the combination of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and 2DCOS was valuable to study the volatilization process of the microemulsion.

Seizing the fate of lymph nodes in immunotherapy: To preserve or not?

Lymph node dissection has been a long-standing diagnostic and therapeutic strategy for metastatic cancers. However, questions over myriad related complications and survival outcomes are continuously debated. Immunotherapy, particularly neoadjuvant immunotherapy, has revolutionized the conventional paradigm of cancer treatment, yet has benefited only a fraction of patients. Emerging evidence has unveiled the role of lymph nodes as pivotal responders to immunotherapy, whose absence may contribute to drastic impairment in treatment efficacy, again posing challenges over excessive lymph node dissection. Hence, centering around this theme, we concentrate on the mechanisms of immune activation in lymph nodes and provide an overview of minimally invasive lymph node metastasis diagnosis, current best practices for activating lymph nodes, and the prognostic outcomes of omitting lymph node dissection. In particular, we discuss the potential for future comprehensive cancer treatment with effective activation of immunotherapy driven by lymph node preservation and highlight the challenges ahead to achieve this goal.

Effects of storm runoff on the spatial-temporal variation and stratified water quality in Biliuhe Reservoir, a drinking water reservoir.

Stormflow runoff is an important non-point source of pollution in drinking water reservoirs. Storm runoff is usually very turbid and contains a high concentration of organic matter, therefore affecting water quality when it enters reservoirs. In order to investigate the impact of storm runoff on spatial-temporal variation and stratification of water quality during this rainstorm event, the inflow process of the storm runoff was studied through a combination of field investigation and simulation using the Delft3D-Flow model. Water samples were collected from Biliuhe Reservoir at four different periods: before storm runoff, storm runoff flood peak period, 1 week after storm runoff, and 5 weeks after storm runoff. The results showed that the input of storm runoff resulted in a significant increase in the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in the reservoir water, especially in the reservoir entrance. The concentrations of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) gradually decreased after the flood peak period; however, the average concentrations of TN and TP in the entire reservoir remained higher than those before the storm runoff levels for an extended duration. The storm runoff will greatly contribute to the contamination of water quality in a reservoir, and the water quality cannot be quickly restored by self-purification in the short term. During the flood peak period, under the influence of density current, the electrical conductivity (EC) and turbidity increased significantly in the water depth of 10-15 m, so that the reservoir water had obvious stratification between 10 and 15 m. The form of pollutants in storm runoff was mostly in particle phosphorus. Total particulate phosphorus (TPP) concentration was 0.015 ± 0.011 mg/L, accounting for 44.12% of total phosphorus (TP) concentration in storm runoff flood peak period. The process of a rainstorm caused runoff, which carried high levels of turbidity, particulate phosphorus, and organic matter. The storm runoff disrupts the stratification of the reservoir water. In terms of vertical distribution, the turbidity in the reservoir area increased to 73.75 NTU. Therefore, the occurrence of significant turbidity density flow in the reservoir is frequently accompanied by intense rainfall events. Gaining insights into the impact of storm runoff on the vertical distribution of reservoir turbidity can help managers in selecting an appropriate inlet height to mitigate high turbidity outflow.

Imaging diagnosis and differential diagnosis of extraskeletal osteosarcoma.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical, imaging and pathological features of extraskeletal osteosarcoma (EOS) and to improve the understanding of this disease and other similar lesions. METHODS: The data for 11 patients with pathologically confirmed extraosseous osteosarcoma, including tumour site and size and imaging and clinical manifestations, were analysed retrospectively. RESULTS: Six patients were male (60%), and 5 were female (40%); patient age ranged from 23 to 76 years (average age 47.1 years). Among the 11 patients, 7 had clear calcifications or ossification with different morphologies, and 2 patients showed a massive mature bone tumour. MRI showed a mixed-signal mass with slightly longer T1 and T2 signals in the tumour parenchyma. Enhanced CT and MRI scans showed enhancement in the parenchyma. Ten patients had different degrees of necrosis and cystic degeneration in the mass, 2 of whom were complicated with haemorrhage, and MRI showed "fluid‒fluid level" signs. Of the 11 patients, five patients survived after surgery, and no obvious recurrence or metastasis was found on imaging examination. One patient died of lung metastasis after surgery, and 2 patients with open biopsy died of disease progression. One patient died of respiratory failure 2 months after operation. 2 patients had positive surgical margins, and 1 had lung metastasis 6 months after operation and died 19 months after operation. Another patient had recurrence 2 months after surgery. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of EOS requires a combination of clinical, imaging and histological examinations. Cystic degeneration and necrosis; mineralization is common, especially thick and lumpy mineralization. Extended resection is still the first choice for localized lesions. For patients with positive surgical margins or metastases, adjuvant chemoradiotherapy is needed.

Berberine ameliorates contrast-induced acute kidney injury by regulating HDAC4-FoxO3a axis-induced autophagy: In vivo and in vitro.

In hospitals, contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is a major cause of renal failure. This study evaluates berberine's (BBR) renal protection and its potential HDAC4 mechanism. CI-AKI in rats was induced with 10 mL kg-1 ioversol. Rats were divided into five groups: Ctrl, BBR, CI-AKI, CI-AKI + BBR, and CI-AKI + Tasq. The renal function of CI-AKI rats was determined by measuring serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen. Histopathological changes and apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells were observed by HE and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdTase)-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe autophagic structures. In vitro, a CI-AKI cell model was created with ioversol-treated HK-2 cells. Treatments included BBR, Rapa, HCQ, and Tasq. Analyses focused on proteins and genes associated with kidney injury, apoptosis, autophagy, and the HDAC4-FoxO3a axis. BBR showed significant protective effects against CI-AKI both in vivo and in vitro. It inhibited apoptosis by increasing Bcl-2 protein levels and decreasing Bax levels. BBR also activated autophagy, as indicated by changes in autophagy-related proteins and autophagic flux. The study further revealed that the contrast agent ioversol increased the expression of HDAC4, which led to elevated levels of phosphorylated FoxO3a (p-FoxO3a) and acetylated FoxO3a (Ac-FoxO3a). However, BBR inhibited HDAC4 expression, resulting in decreased levels of p-FoxO3a and Ac-FoxO3a. This activation of autophagy-related genes, regulated by the transcription factor FoxO3a, played a role in BBR's protective effects. BBR, a traditional Chinese medicine, shows promise against CI-AKI. It may counteract CI-AKI by modulating HDAC4 and FoxO3a, enhancing autophagy, and limiting apoptosis.

Acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention for post-COVID-19 vaccination urticaria: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic persisted for over 3 years since its onset in December 2019, posing an ongoing global threat to human health. In the absence of specific antiviral medications for COVID-19, vaccination has emerged as a popular preventive measure adopted by the general public. However, an undesirable consequence of COVID-19 vaccination has been the frequent incidence of urticaria, a type of adverse skin manifestations. Despite the prevalence of this issue, there is currently a lack of clinical evidence exploring the potential utility of acupuncture as a therapeutic approach to managing urticaria arising after COVID-19 vaccination. To address this knowledge gap, this study aims to comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention for treating urticaria in the general population following COVID-19 vaccination. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The retrieval strategies employed in this study involve obtaining all relevant articles published from December 2019 to October 2023. These articles will be obtained from databases including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (SinoMed), VIP database and the WanFang database. Subsequently, the collected articles will undergo a thorough screening process based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Additionally, study quality will be evaluated using the Cochrane risk bias assessment tool. To conduct the meta-analysis, we will employ the Review Manager software (RevMan V.5.3). Finally, the study findings will be evaluated for their level of evidence. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: As this is a secondary review of published clinical data, this study does not involve direct contact with human subjects, and therefore, ethical approval and consent are not required. The findings of the study will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed journal, ensuring that the results undergo rigorous evaluation by experts in the field. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42022377343.

Effect of Soil Acidification on the Production of Se-Rich Tea.

Selenium (Se)-enriched tea is a well-regarded natural beverage that is often consumed for its Se supplementation benefits. However, the production of this tea, particularly in Se-abundant tea plantations, is challenging due to soil acidification. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of changes in Se under acidified soil conditions. Eight tea plantation soil monitoring sites in Southern Jiangsu were first selected. Simulated acid rain experiments and experiments with different acidification methods were designed and soil pH, as well as various Al-ion and Se-ion concentrations were systematically determined. The data were analyzed using R statistical software, and a correlation analysis was carried out. The results indicated that as the pH value dropped, exchangeable selenium (Exc-Se) and residual selenium (Res-Se) were transformed into acid-soluble selenium (Fmo-Se) and manganese oxide selenium (Om-Se). As the pH increased, exchange state aluminum (Alex) and water-soluble aluminum (Alw) decreased, Fmo-Se and Om-Se declined, and Exc-Se and Res-Se increased, a phenomenon attributed to the weakened substitution of Se ions by Al ions. In the simulated acid rain experiment, P1 compared to the control (CK), the pH value of the YJW tea plantation decreased by 0.13, Exc-Se decreased by 4 ug mg-1, Res-Se decreased by 54.65 ug kg-1, Fmo-Se increased by 2.78 ug mg-1, and Om-Se increased by 5.94 ug mg-1 while Alex increased by 28.53 mg kg-1. The decrease in pH led to an increase in the content of Alex and Alw, which further resulted in the conversion of Exc-Se to Fmo-Se and Om-Se. In various acidification experiments, compared with CK, the pH value of T6 decreased by 0.23, Exc-Se content decreased by 8.35 ug kg-1, Res-Se content decreased by 40.62 ug kg-1, and Fmo-Se content increased by 15.52 ug kg-1 while Alex increased by 33.67 mg kg-1, Alw increased by 1.7 mg kg-1, and Alh decreased by 573.89 mg kg-1. Acidification can trigger the conversion of Exc-Se to Fmo-Se and Om-Se, while the content of available Se may decrease due to the complexation interplay between Alex and Exc-Se. This study provides a theoretical basis for solving the problem of Se-enriched in tea caused by soil acidification.

Study on the dynamic metabolic characteristic of main active ingredients in Danggui Buxue Decoction by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry based on in situ sequential metabolism strategy.

Danggui Buxue Decoction is a classic formula for replenishing qi and nourishing blood. Despite its widespread use, its dynamic metabolism involved remains unclear. Based on the sequential metabolism strategy, blood samples from different metabolic sites were obtained via in situ closed intestine ring integrated with a jugular venous continuous blood supply technique. An ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-linear triple quadruple-Orbitrap-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed for the identification of prototypes and metabolites in rat plasma. The dynamic absorption and metabolic landscape of flavonoids, saponins, and phthalides were characterized. Flavonoids could be deglycosylated, deacetylated, demethylated, dehydroxylated, and glucuronicated in the gut and then absorbed for further metabolism. Jejunum is an important metabolic site for saponins biotransformation. Saponins that are substituted by Acetyl groups tend to lose their acetyl groups and convert to Astragaloside IV in the jejunum. Phthalides could be hydroxylated and glucuronidated in the gut and then absorbed for further metabolism. Seven components serve as crucial joints in the metabolic network and are potential candidates for the quality control of Danggui Buxue Decoction. The sequential metabolism strategy described in this study could be useful for characterizing the metabolic pathways of Chinese medicine and natural products in the digestive system.

Association between the Triglyceride Glucose Index and Hyperuricemia in Patients with Primary Hypertension: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index and hyperuricemia (HUA) in patients with grades 1-3 hypertension. Study Design. This is a cross-sectional study. A total of 1,707 patients from the cardiovascular department of Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine were studied. In this study, 899 patients with grades 1-2 hypertension were included, of which 151 had HUA; additionally, 808 patients with grade 3 hypertension were included, of which 162 patients had HUA. This study obtained all patient data from the electronic medical record system of the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The TyG index was calculated as Ln (triglycerides × fasting glucose/2). Hyperuricemia was defined as uric acid ≥420 µmol/L (7 mg/dL). Multivariate logistic regression, penalized spline regression, and generalized additive models were used to evaluate the association between the TyG index and HUA. Stratified analyses were performed to assess the association in populations with different grades of hypertension. Results: The average TyG index was 8.71 ± 0.58. After adjusting for correlated variables, the logistic regression analysis revealed a positive correlation between the TyG index and HUA (OR = 1.83; 95% CI: 1.40-2.39). Smooth curve fitting showed that this correlation was linear in the whole range of the TyG index. In the subgroup analysis, the TyG index more strongly associated with HUA in the grades 1-2 hypertension group (OR = 2.22; 95% CI: 1.44-3.42) compared to that in the grade 3 hypertension group (OR = 1.58; 95% CI: 1.11-2.24; P for interaction = 0.03). In addition, this association was consistent in all models. Conclusion: The TyG index was positively associated with HUA in patients with hypertension, and the association was more strongly confirmed in those with grades 1-2 hypertension rather than in those with grade 3 hypertension.

Design, synthesis and anti-inflammatory activity of diterpenoid alkaloids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug hybrids based on molecular hybridization strategy.

Molecular hybridization is a widely employed approach in pharmaceutical chemistry for modifying drugs with the aim of improving pharmacological efficacy and reducing adverse effects. A prime example of this is the case of benorylate, which was created by combining aspirin and acetaminophen, two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Diterpenoid alkaloids, which exhibit potent anti-inflammatory activity, have limitations in their application due to their toxicity and side effects. Thus, we aimed to design new anti-inflammatory lead compounds through the molecular hybridization of the anti-inflammatory active skeletons (lappaconitine, aconorine, and bulleyaconitine A) of diterpenoid alkaloids with classical NSAIDs. In this study, we synthesized 25 diterpenoid alkaloid derivatives with NSAIDs, organized into four series. Among these derivatives, lappaconitine derivative 1e demonstrated the strongest inhibition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 cells with minimal cytotoxicity. Additionally, 1e effectively suppressed the inflammatory response induced by carrageenan in vivo, with a swelling rate of only 1%. This anti-inflammatory potency was found to be significantly superior to that of naproxen. The molecular docking analysis revealed that the binding affinity of 1e was scored as -10.3 kcal/mol, suggesting that it forms a stable complex with cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Therefore, compound 1e holds potential as a lead anti-inflammatory compound that could be further developed.

Myricetin possesses the potency against SARS-CoV-2 infection through blocking viral-entry facilitators and suppressing inflammation in rats and mice.

BACKGROUND: Myricetin (3,5,7-trihydroxy-2-(3,4,5-tri hydroxyphenyl)-4-benzopyrone) is a common flavonol extracted from many natural plants and Chinese herb medicines and has been demonstrated to have multiple pharmacological activities, such as anti-microbial, anti-thrombotic, neuroprotective, and anti-inflammatory effects. Previously, myricetin was reported to target Mpro and 3CL-Pro-enzymatic activity to SARS-CoV-2. However, the protective value of myricetin on SARS-Cov-2 infection through viral-entry facilitators has not yet been comprehensively understood. PURPOSE: The aim of the current study was to evaluate the pharmacological efficacy and the mechanisms of action of myricetin against SARS-CoV-2 infection both in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: The inhibitory effects of myricetin on SARS-CoV-2 infection and replication were assessed on Vero E6 cells. Molecular docking analysis and bilayer interferometry (BLI) assays, immunocytochemistry (ICC), and pseudoviruses assays were performed to evaluate the roles of myricetin in the intermolecular interaction between the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The anti-inflammatory potency and mechanisms of myricetin were examined in THP1 macrophages in vitro, as well as in carrageenan-induced paw edema, delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) induced auricle edema, and LPS-induced acute lung injury (ALI) animal models. RESULTS: The results showed that myricetin was able to inhibit binding between the RBD of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein and ACE2 through molecular docking analysis and BLI assay, demonstrating its potential as a viral-entry facilitator blocker. Myricetin could also significantly inhibit SASR-CoV-2 infection and replication in Vero E6 cells (EC50 55.18 µM), which was further validated with pseudoviruses containing the RBD (wild-type, N501Y, N439K, Y453F) and an S1 glycoprotein mutant (S-D614G). Moreover, myricetin exhibited a marked suppressive action on the receptor-interacting serine/threonine protein kinase 1 (RIPK1)-driven inflammation and NF-kappa B signaling in THP1 macrophages. In animal model studies, myricetin notably ameliorated carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats, DTH induced auricle edema in mice, and LPS-induced ALI in mice. CONCLUSION: Our findings showed that myricetin inhibited HCoV-229E and SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro, blocked SARS-CoV-2 virus entry facilitators and relieved inflammation through the RIPK1/NF-κB pathway, suggesting that this flavonol has the potential to be developed as a therapeutic agent against COVID-19.

Prussian Blue Analogues with Optimized Crystal Plane Orientation and Low Crystal Defects toward 450†Wh kg-1 Alkali-Ion Batteries.

Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) have been regarded as promising cathode materials for alkali-ion batteries owing to their high theoretical energy density and low cost. However, the high water and vacancy content of PBAs lower their energy density and bring safety issues, impeding their large-scale application. Herein, a facile "potassium-ions assisted" strategy is proposed to synthesize highly crystallized PBAs. By manipulating the dominant crystal plane and suppressing vacancies, the as-prepared PBAs exhibit increased redox potential resulting in high energy density up to ≈450 Wh kg-1 , which is at the same level of the well-known LiFePO4 cathodes for lithium-ion batteries. Remarkably, unconventional highly-reversible phase evolution and redox-active pairs were identified by multiple in situ techniques for the first time. The preferred guest-ion storage sites and migration mechanism were systematically analysed through theoretical calculations. We believe these results could inspire the design of safe with high energy density.

Acupuncture for swallowing disorder after recovery from COVID-19: A protocol for systematic review and meta analysis.

BACKGROUND: Swallowing disorder is a common sequela after recovery from COVID-19. Acupuncture is an important traditional therapy for treating swallowing disorder. However, the efficacy of acupuncture for swallowing disorder after recovery from COVID-19 lacks evidence-based medicine. METHODS: All randomized controlled trials of acupuncture for swallowing disorder after recovery from COVID-19 will be retrieved and collected from December 2019 to November 2022 with no language restrictions. PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Chinese Biomedical Database, Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), and the Wanfang Database will be searched. Two researchers will independently select studies, extract data, and evaluate study quality. The Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials will be used to assess the risk of bias in the included studies. Statistical analyses will be performed using Review Manager version 5.3. RESULTS: This study will provide a high-quality and convincing assessment of the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for swallowing disorder after recovery from COVID-19 and will be published in peer-reviewed journals. CONCLUSION: Our findings will provide a reference for future clinical decisions and guidance development.

Two-phase effects of environmentally relevant lanthanum on life-history traits of Daphnia magna and transgenerational bioenergetic profiles: Implications for nutritional and environmental consequences.

The versatile applicability of rare earth elements (REEs) especially lanthanum (La) in diverse fields, has led to large-scale mineral exploitation globally, inevitably resulting in substantial release of La into environment. As emerging anthropogenic environmental contaminant, La-induced toxicological effects and potential ecotoxicological implications in relation to realistic levels of La in aquatic ecosystems are becoming major concerns. To address these issues, Daphnia magna was selected as a prototype, and toxicity tests were conducted to explore the effects of La exposure on life-history characteristics and fecundity fitness, as showcased by quantitative variations from the individual level to population scale. In parallel, to further denote transgenerational caloric impacts of parental La exposure, bioenergetic profiles on newborn neonates were concurrently determined by measuring macromolecule forms in terms of proteins, glycogens and lipids to quantify nutritional alterations at progeny level. The results revealed that low-dose La exposure slightly stimulated the demographic potential and nutritional responses, exhibiting dose-dependent hormesis-like effects and promising non-toxicological potential to Daphnia, whereas high-dose La exposure of greater than 59.2 µg La L - 1, conspicuously imposed detrimental effects on quantity and quality of offspring, i.e. not only reducing body size, lifespan expectancy and reproductive output in a concentration-dependent way and resulting in lower population fitness by a dynamic life-table analysis, but eventually leading to the decrease of nutritional qualities and caloric contents on neonates. Taken together, these two-phase findings regarding the dose-related shift from hormesis to inhibition not only provided valuable insights into the complicated biological outcomes of La effects on environmentally-relevant organisms, but experimentally highlighted the significant implications of considering environmental and nutritional consequences in ecologically assessing the La-triggered risk at environmentally realistic occurrences, particularly on gradient scenarios crossing upstream and downstream of highly complex mining watersheds.

High-quality Fagopyrum esculentum genome provides insights into the flavonoid accumulation among different tissues and self-incompatibility.

Common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) and Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum), the two most widely cultivated buckwheat species, differ greatly in flavonoid content and reproductive mode. Here, we report the first high-quality and chromosome-level genome assembly of common buckwheat with 1.2 Gb. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that common buckwheat underwent a burst of long terminal repeat retrotransposons insertion accompanied by numerous large chromosome rearrangements after divergence from Tartary buckwheat. Moreover, multiple gene families involved in stress tolerance and flavonoid biosynthesis such as multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) and chalcone synthase (CHS) underwent significant expansion in buckwheat, especially in common buckwheat. Integrated multi-omics analysis identified high expression of catechin biosynthesis-related genes in flower and seed in common buckwheat and high expression of rutin biosynthesis-related genes in seed in Tartary buckwheat as being important for the differences in flavonoid type and content between these buckwheat species. We also identified a candidate key rutin-degrading enzyme gene (Ft8.2377) that was highly expressed in Tartary buckwheat seed. In addition, we identified a haplotype-resolved candidate locus containing many genes reportedly associated with the development of flower and pollen, which was potentially related to self-incompatibility in common buckwheat. Our study provides important resources facilitating future functional genomics-related research of flavonoid biosynthesis and self-incompatibility in buckwheat.

Exploring the RNA Editing Events and Their Potential Regulatory Roles in Tea Plant (Camellia sinensis L.).

RNA editing is a post-transcriptional modification process that alters the RNA sequence relative to the genomic blueprint. In plant organelles (namely, mitochondria and chloroplasts), the most common type is C-to-U, and the absence of C-to-U RNA editing results in abnormal plant development, such as etiolation and albino leaves, aborted embryonic development and retarded seedling growth. Here, through PREP, RES-Scanner, PCR and RT-PCR analyses, 38 and 139 RNA editing sites were identified from the chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes of Camellia sinensis, respectively. Analysis of the base preference around the RNA editing sites showed that in the -1 position of the edited C had more frequent occurrences of T whereas rare occurrences of G. Three conserved motifs were identified at 25 bases upstream of the RNA editing site. Structural analyses indicated that the RNA secondary structure of 32 genes, protein secondary structure of 37 genes and the three-dimensional structure of 5 proteins were altered due to RNA editing. The editing level analysis of matK and ndhD in six tea cultivars indicated that matK-701 might be involved in the color change of tea leaves. Furthermore, 218 PLS-CsPPR proteins were predicted to interact with the identified RNA editing sites. In conclusion, this study provides comprehensive insight into RNA editing events, which will facilitate further study of the RNA editing phenomenon of the tea plant.

Acupuncture for dry eye disease after recovery from COVID-19: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Dry eye disease (DED) is a condition occurring worldwide. Studies have found that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients may have persistent dry eye symptoms for weeks and months after recovery, and the prevalence of dry eye is higher in COVID-19 patients than in people without COVID-19 infection. As one of the common ophthalmic diseases, the clinical application of acupuncture in the treatment of DED is not widely used nowadays. METHODS: According to the retrieval strategies, randomized controlled trials (RCT) on the acupuncture for DED after recovery from COVID-19 were obtained from Embase, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure database, Chinese Biomedical Database, Chinese Science and Technology Periodical database, The WanFang database. Studies were screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the Cochrane risk bias assessment tool was used to evaluate the quality of the studies. The meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager (RevMan 5.3) and STATA 14.2 software. Ultimately, the evidentiary grade for the results will be evaluated. RESULTS: The study will provide a high-quality and convincing assessment of the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for DED after recovery from COVID-19 and will be published in peer-reviewed journals. CONCLUSION: Our findings will provide references for future clinical decision and guidance development.