The research landscape of ferroptosis in neurodegenerative disease: a bibliometric analysis.

Background: Ferroptosis, a newly proposed concept of programmed cell death, has garnered significant attention in research across different diseases in the last decade. Despite thorough citation analyses in neuroscience, there is a scarcity of information on ferroptosis research specifically related to neurodegenerative diseases. Method: The Web of Science Core Collection database retrieved relevant articles and reviews. Data on publications, countries, institutions, authors, journals, citations, and keywords in the included studies were systematically analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2019 and CiteSpace 6.2.R7 software. Result: A comprehensive analysis and visualization of 563 research papers on ferroptosis in neurodegenerative diseases from 2014 to 2023 revealed emerging research hotspots and trends. The number of annual publications in this field of study has displayed a pattern of stabilization in the early years of the decade, followed by a notable increase in the later years and peaking in 2023 with 196 publications. Regarding publication volume and total citations, notable research contributions were observed from countries, institutions, and authors in North America, Western Europe, and China. Current research endeavors primarily focus on understanding the intervention mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases through the ferroptosis pathway and exploring and identifying potential therapeutic targets. Conclusion: The study highlights key areas of interest and emerging trends in ferroptosis research on neurodegenerative diseases, offering valuable insights for further exploration and potential directions for diagnosing and treating such conditions.

USP31 Activates the Wnt/ß-catenin Signaling Pathway and Promotes Gastric Cancer Cell Proliferation, Invasion and Migration.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer (GC) has a poor prognosis because it is highly aggressive, yet there are currently few effective therapies available. Although protein ubiquitination has been shown to play a complex role in the development of gastric cancer, to date, no efficient ubiquitinating enzymes have been identified as treatment targets for GC. METHODS: The TCGA database was used for bioinformatic investigation of ubiquitin-specific protease 31 (USP31) expression in GC, and experimental techniques, including Western blotting, qRT-PCR, and immunohistochemistry, were used to confirm the findings. We also analyzed the relationship between USP31 expression and clinical prognosis in patients with GC. We further investigated the effects of USP31 on the proliferation, invasion, migration, and glycolysis of GC cells in vitro and in vivo by using colony formation, CCK-8 assays, Transwell chamber assays, cell scratch assays, and cell-derived xenograft. Furthermore, we examined the molecular processes by which USP31 influences the biological development of GC. RESULTS: Patients with high USP31 expression have a poor prognosis because USP31 is abundantly expressed in GC. Therefore, USP31 reduces the level of ubiquitination of the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway by binding to ß-catenin, thereby activating glycolysis, which ultimately promotes GC proliferation and aggressive metastasis. CONCLUSION: USP31 inhibits ubiquitination of ß-catenin by binding to it, stimulates the Wnt/ß-- catenin pathway, activates glycolysis, and accelerates the biology of GCs, which are all demonstrated in this work.

Inhibiting Multidrug Resistance with Transferrin-Targeted Polymersomes through Optimization of Ligand Density.

Transferrin-conjugated polymersomes, transferrin-biotin/avidin/biotin-Pluronic F127-poly(lactic acid) (Tf-F127-PLA), were successfully prepared through a biotin-avidin bridging technique to study their ability to inhibit multidrug resistance of cancer cells. Hydrophilic doxorubicin (DOX) was selected as the model drug to be loaded into Tf-F127-PLA polymersomes. DOX loaded in Tf-F127-PLA polymersomes was released fast initially, followed by a slow release. The effect of the transferrin ligand density of Tf-F127-PLA/DOX polymersomes on their targeting properties was studied by both cytotoxicity and cellular uptake assays against A549 lung cancer cells. It was shown that Tf-F127-PLA/DOX polymersomes had better targeting ability than nontargeted drug-loaded polymersomes. Furthermore, Tf-F127-PLA/DOX polymersomes with 2% Tf molar content have more effective antitumor activity and a higher cellular uptake than those with 4 and 5% Tf molar content. 2% Tf-F127-PLA/DOX polymersomes also exhibited better anticancer ability in multidrug resistant cancer cells A549/ADR than nontargeted PLA-F127-PLA/DOX polymersomes. It was further proved that the endocytosis of polymersomes by A549/ADR cells was an energy-dependent endocytosis process, which was related to clathrin, macrocytosis, and caveolin. Also, the endocytosis of Tf-F127-PLA/DOX polymersomes was proven to be mediated by the transferrin receptor.

NRF2 Deficiency Attenuates Diabetic Kidney Disease in Db/Db Mice via Down-Regulation of Angiotensinogen, SGLT2, CD36, and FABP4 Expression and Lipid Accumulation in Renal Proximal Tubular Cells.

The role(s) of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) in diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is/are controversial. We hypothesized that Nrf2 deficiency in type 2 diabetes (T2D) db/db mice (db/dbNrf2 knockout (KO)) attenuates DKD progression through the down-regulation of angiotensinogen (AGT), sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2), scavenger receptor CD36, and fatty -acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4), and lipid accumulation in renal proximal tubular cells (RPTCs). Db/dbNrf2 KO mice were studied at 16 weeks of age. Human RPTCs (HK2) with NRF2 KO via CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing and kidneys from patients with or without T2D were examined. Compared with db/db mice, db/dbNrf2 KO mice had lower systolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, kidney hypertrophy, glomerular filtration rate, urinary albumin/creatinine ratio, tubular lipid droplet accumulation, and decreased expression of AGT, SGLT2, CD36, and FABP4 in RPTCs. Male and female mice had similar results. NRF2 KO attenuated the stimulatory effect of the Nrf2 activator, oltipraz, on AGT, SGLT2, and CD36 expression and high-glucose/free fatty acid (FFA)-stimulated lipid accumulation in HK2. Kidneys from T2D patients exhibited markedly higher levels of CD36 and FABP4 in RPTCs than kidneys from non-diabetic patients. These data suggest that NRF2 exacerbates DKD through the stimulation of AGT, SGLT2, CD36, and FABP4 expression and lipid accumulation in RPTCs of T2D.

Nomograms for postsurgical extrahepatic recurrence prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma based on presurgical circulating tumor cell status and clinicopathological factors.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Extrahepatic recurrence (EHR) is one of the major reasons for the poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The present study aimed to develop and assess the performance of predictive models by using a combination of presurgical circulating tumor cell (CTCs) data and clinicopathological features to screen patients at high risk of EHR to achieve precise decision-making. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 227 patients with recurrent HCC and preoperative CTC data from January 2014 to August 2019 were enrolled. All patients were randomly assigned to one of two cohorts: development or validation. Two preoperative and postoperative nomogram models for EHR prediction were developed and multi-dimensionally validated. RESULTS: Patients with EHR had generally lower recurrence-free survival (p < 0.001), and overall survival (p < 0.001), and significantly higher CTC counts (epithelial CTCs, epithelial/mesenchymal hybrid CTCs, and mesenchymal CTCs count, all p < 0.05) than those without EHR. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that EHR was associated with four risk factors in the development cohort: total CTC count (p = 0.014), tumor size (p = 0.028), node number (p = 0.045), and microvascular invasion (p = 0.035). These factors were incorporated into two nomogram models (preoperative and postoperative), which reliably predicted EHR through multidimensional verification (e.g., calibration plot, receiver operating characteristic analysis, decision curve analysis, and clinical impact curve analysis) in the development and validation cohorts, respectively. With threshold of scores of 100.3 and 176.8 before and after surgery respectively, both nomograms were able to stratify patients into two distinct prognostic subgroups (all p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The present study proposed two nomogram models integrating presurgical CTC counts and clinicopathological risks and showed relatively good predictive performance of EHR, which may be beneficial to the clinical practice of HCC recurrence. Further multicenter studies are needed to assess its general applicability.

[Acupuncture for glaucoma-induced optic atrophy: a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of acupuncture for glaucoma-induced optic atrophy. METHODS: A total of 70 patients (89 affected eyes) with glaucoma-induced optic atrophy were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 35 cases in each group. The control group was given basic western medicine treatment. In the observation group, on the basis of the treatment in the control group, acupuncture was applied at main acupoints i.e. Baihui (GV 20), Shangjingming (Extra), Chengqi (ST 1), Fengchi (GB 20), Zusanli (ST 36), combined with supplementary acupoints based on syndrome differentiation, once every three days, twice a week. The treatment for 3 months was required in both groups. Before treatment, after treatment and in follow-up of 6 months after treatment, the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), indexes of visual field (visual field index [VFI], mean deviation [MD], pattern standard deviation [PSD]) and mean thickness of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) were observed in the two groups. RESULTS: Compared before treatment, BCVA was decreased after treatment and in follow-up in the control group (P<0.05); in the follow-up, BCVA in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). On each time point before and after treatment, there was no significant difference within or between the two groups (P>0.05). After treatment and in the follow-up, the mean thickness of RNFL was larger than the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: On the basis of the basic western medicine treatment, acupuncture can delay the decline of vision and the thinning of retinal nerve fiber layer in patients with glaucoma-induced optic atrophy.

Prognostic factors and an innovative nomogram model for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with postoperative adjuvant transarterial chemoembolization.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to estimate the clinical efficacy and identify the best beneficiaries of postoperative adjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (PA-TACE) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 749 HCC patients who underwent surgical resection (380 underwent PA-TACE, 369 had resection only) with a high risk of recurrence were reviewed retrospectively. Patients receiving PA-TACE were randomly split into development and validation cohorts. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed in the development cohort. A novel model for PA-TACE-insensitivity prediction was built based on univariate and multivariate analysis and was multi-dimensionally validated in the validation set and all samples. RESULTS: After propensity score matching (PSM), in the early-recurrence group, no significant improvement in RFS was achieved with PA-TACE compared to radical hepatic resection alone. PA-TACE insensitive patients were considered as the PA-TACE non-benefit population and were associated with six clinicopathological factors: AFP, node number, tumor capsule, Ki-67 index, MVI, and complications in the development cohort. These factors were incorporated into a nomogram model, which reliably predicted PA-TACE insensitivity, with concordance indices of 0.874 and 0.897 for the development and validation cohort, respectively. In the overall sample, PA-TACE did not significantly improve patients' RFS and OS in the high-score group, while the low-score group had statistical significance. Recurrence pattern diversity was also found to be a factor leading to PA-TACE insensitivity. CONCLUSION: We constructed a new PA-TACE-insensitivity prediction model with potential clinical value. The good predictive performance and availability would allow this model to effectively screen PA-TACE beneficiaries.KEY MESSAGESThe independent influencing factors of PA-TACE insensitivity in patients who received PA-TACE were analyzed to construct a predictive model and its clinical application performance was verified with multi-dimensional methods.PA-TACE treatment should be avoided for patients with high scores according to this model, while it should be cautiously recommended for patients with low scores after multiple considerations.Compared with other related models, this model has obvious advantages in versatility and effectiveness. It can effectively screen the best benefit population of PA-TACE and provide a reliable reference for the selection of precise treatment plans for patients after radical resection of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Pyrotinib combined with trastuzumab and chemotherapy for the treatment of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive metastatic breast cancer: a single-arm exploratory phase II trial.

PURPOSE: A substantial need for effective and safe treatment options is still unmet for patients with heavily pre-treated human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Herein, we assessed the efficacy and safety of pyrotinib plus trastuzumab and chemotherapy in patients with heavily treated HER2-positive MBC. METHODS: In this single-arm exploratory phase II trial, patients with HER2-positive MBC previously treated with trastuzumab plus lapatinib or pertuzumab, received pyrotinib plus trastuzumab and chemotherapy. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS) in the total population (TP). Secondary end points included PFS in the subgroup with brain metastases (Sub-BrM), confirmed objective response rate (ORR), clinical benefit rate (CBR), disease control rate (DCR), exploration of predictive factors of PFS, and safety. RESULTS: Between November 1, 2018, and March 31, 2021, 40 patients were eligible for this study. The median PFS reached 7.5 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.7 to 9.9 months) and 9.4 months (95% CI 6.6 to 12.1 months) in the TP and Sub-BrM, respectively. ORR was 50.5% (20/40). CBR was 75.5% (30/40) and DCR reached 97.5% (39/40). Cox univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated that liver or/and lung metastases was the significant adverse prognostic factor for PFS (p = 0.018; p = 0.026; respectively). The most frequent grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events were diarrhea, neutropenia and leukopenia. No new safety signals were observed. CONCLUSION: Pyrotinib plus trastuzumab and chemotherapy offered a promising option with manageable safety profile for heavily pre-treated HER2-positive MBC, especially for those without liver or/and lung metastases.

[Temporal and spatial variations of carbon storage and carbon sink improvement strategy at the district and county level based on PLUS-InVEST model: Taking Yanqing District as an example]. / 基于PLUS-InVESTæ¨¡åž‹çš„åŒºåŽ¿ç¢³å‚¨é‡æ—¶ç©ºæ ¼å±€å˜åŒ–ä¸Žç¢³æ±‡æå‡ç­–ç•¥­­ä»¥å»¶åº†åŒºä¸ºä¾‹.

Under the background of the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, the evolution of the spatiotemporal pattern of carbon storage has recently emerged as a research hotspot. The change in land use and land cover (LULC) is the primary driver of carbon storage changes. Understanding the spatiotemporal variations of LULC and carbon storage at the small scale of district and county level and proposing strategies to improve carbon sink, will contribute to the ecological conservation, restoration and sustainable development of districts or counties. With Yanqing District in Beijing as an example, we calculated carbon storage from 1990 to 2020 based on the InVEST model and used the PLUS model to predict LULC type changes under three scenarios (natural growth, ecological conservation and economic development) from 2020 to 2050. We further predicted the carbon storage and proposed mea-sures to improve carbon sink. The results showed that the key LULC change in Yanqing between 1990 and 2020 were the conversion of 88.9% of grassland to forest, 50.1% of farmland to forest, and 39.5% of cropland to impervious surface. The total carbon storage showed an upward trend, with an increase of 3.34×106 Mg. The spatial distribution of carbon storage presented "high in the northeast, low in the southwest, and high in the mountainous areas, low in the riverine areas." The increase in forest and the decrease in grassland were the main reasons for the increase and decrease in carbon storage, respectively. Between 2020 and 2050, the ecological restoration efforts under the ecological protection scenario increased, and the probability of other LULCs transforming into forest increased, resulting in a 5.8% increase in carbon storage, which had the highest increase and carbon storage under the three scenarios. High-value carbon storage areas were concentrated in the northeast, northwest, and south of Yanqing District, basically corresponding to the mountainous regions of Yanqing with high forest coverage, and the low-value areas generally corresponded to the plains with high development intensity and low forest coverage. We could implement comprehensive ecological protection and restoration measures, including forest and grassland ecosystem protection, water environment ecological restoration, farmland ecological restoration, to promote sustainable development in Yanqing District and to achieve the "dual carbon" goal.

Clinical implications and biological features of a novel postoperative recurrent HCC classification: A multi-centre study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The multiplicity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence patterns is the most important determinant of patients' postsurgical survival. A systematic HCC recurrence classification is needed to help prevent and treat postoperative HCC recurrence in the era of precision medicine. METHODS: A total of 1319 patients with recurrent HCC from four hospitals were enrolled and divided into a development cohort (n = 916), internal validation cohort (n = 225) and external validation cohort (n = 178). A comprehensive study of patients' clinicopathological factors and biological features was conducted. RESULTS: Four subtypes of recurrence were identified, which integrated recurrence features, survival, effects on systemic and liver function and potential therapeutics after recurrence: type I (solitary-intrahepatic oligorecurrence); type II (multi-intrahepatic oligorecurrence); type III (progression recurrence) and type IV (hyper-progression recurrence). Type III~IV recurrence indicated exceptionally poor prognosis. Subsequently, two nomogram models were established for type III~IV recurrence prediction, and both demonstrated excellent predictive performance and applicability of pre and postoperative strategy formulation. Multiple biological analyses revealed that HCC cases with type III~IV recurrence were characterized by enrichment in p53 mutations, CCND1 amplification, high proliferation/metastasis potential, inactive metabolism and immune exhaustion features. Over-expression of high mobility group protein 2 (HMGA2) enhanced the highly malignant behaviour of HCC through multiple molecular pathways, making it a potential prognostic predictor and therapeutic target. CONCLUSIONS: This 'recurrent HCC classification' has important potential value in identifying patients with surgical benefit, predicting postsurgical survival and guiding treatment strategies. Multidimensional biological insights also increased knowledge of factors associated with HCC recurrence.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

BACKGROUND: The number of HIV-positive pregnant women accounted for about 10% of China's total over the past few years in Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan province in China. Although cost-effectiveness of the PMTCT of HIV have been evaluated in other previous studies, no specific study has been conducted in Liangshan prefecture, nor has the expenses paid individually by HIV-positive pregnant women been included. The purpose of this study was to evaluate both the short-term and long-term cost-effectiveness of PMTCT of HIV in Liangshan Prefecture from the social perspective. METHODS: From December 2018 to January 2019, individual expenses and the other costs were collected: individual expenses of 133 recruited HIV-positive pregnant women registered in the National Information System of Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Syphilis, and HBV, and the other costs from local maternal and child healthcare hospitals, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and general hospitals. The costs, the number of pediatric infections averted from being HIV infected were analyzed. And, Life years gained by pediatric infections averted were calculated by using a life table. Besides, Direct benefit was calculated through a Markov mode. Furthermore, One-way sensitivity analysis was conducted for key variables affecting the benefit-cost ratio. RESULTS: The estimated number of pediatric infections averted was 164.The total cost was USD 114.1 million, including direct medical costs, direct non-medical costs, and indirect costs, which were USD 54.2 million, USD 53.4 million, and USD 6.5 million, respectively. 630.6 person-years discounted to 2017 were gained at a 3% annual rate, and cost per life year gained was USD 1809.50. Direct benefits were USD 198.4 million, indirect benefits USD 82.5 million, and the benefit-cost ratio was 1.5. The sensitivity analysis showed that if PMTCT costs hypothetically ranged from USD 85.6 million to USD 142.6 million, benefit-cost ratio would vary from 1.0 to 2.3. CONCLUSIONS: PMTCT of HIV in Liangshan Prefecture was very cost-effective. It was a great economic burden of PMTCT on HIV-positive pregnant women and their families to take individual expenses. Therefore, it could be suggested that individual expenses should be covered as much as possible by different types of financing.

Leveraging autocatalytic reactions for chemical domain image classification.

Autocatalysis is fundamental to many biological processes, and kinetic models of autocatalytic reactions have mathematical forms similar to activation functions used in artificial neural networks. Inspired by these similarities, we use an autocatalytic reaction, the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition, to perform digital image recognition tasks. Images are encoded in the concentration of a catalyst across an array of liquid samples, and the classification is performed with a sequence of automated fluid transfers. The outputs of the operations are monitored using UV-vis spectroscopy. The growing interest in molecular information storage suggests that methods for computing in chemistry will become increasingly important for querying and manipulating molecular memory.

Perceptions among Muslims regarding fasting, medication use and provider engagement during Ramadan in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Muslims with chronic diseases tend to fast during Ramadan, although Islam allows them not to fast. Therefore, understanding their perceptions and how they manage their health, especially as a minority population, is very important. OBJECTIVE: To examine Muslims' (1) perceptions of fasting exemptions, (2) medication usage behaviour, (3) perceptions of relationships with healthcare providers and (4) factors impacting health management during Ramadan. METHOD: This was a qualitative study employing four focus groups (two groups of women and two groups of men). Adult Muslims (aged 18 years or more) with chronic diseases were invited to participate. Participants were asked open-ended questions about their fasting ability, medication usage behaviours, healthcare access and collaboration with providers during Ramadan. Trained researchers conducted the focus groups interviews in both English and Arabic. Each focus group was recorded, and three investigators independently transcribed the data and extracted themes and categories. Coding terminology issues were resolved through discussion. RESULTS: Twenty-five Muslims with chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, renal failure and anaemia) participated. The most prominent themes/subthemes were as follows: (1) fasting exemption (e.g., uncontrolled medical conditions), (2) fasting nonexemption (e.g., controlled medical conditions), (3) nonoral medication use during Ramadan, (4) healthcare provider involvement during Ramadan, and (5) factors impacting health management during Ramadan. CONCLUSION: Muslim patients perceive fasting as an important religious practice, so they tend to self-modify their medication-taking behaviours. Educating pharmacists and other healthcare providers about Muslim culture, especially their strong desire to fast, may lead to Muslims better managing their medications and viewing pharmacists and other healthcare providers as knowledgeable healthcare providers.

Levels of vaccination coverage among HIV-exposed children in China: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Vaccination is crucial for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-exposed children because of their increased risk of morbidity and mortality from various vaccine-preventable diseases. However, studies have shown that they are at high risk of incomplete vaccination. Although China has developed prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV programs substantially over the past decades, few studies have investigated the immunization levels of Chinese HIV-exposed children. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate vaccination coverage and its associated factors among HIV-exposed children in China during 2016‒2018. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort review of all cases of Chinese HIV-exposed children born between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2018 recorded in the Chinese information system on PMTCT. The vaccination coverage indicators refer to the percentage of children who received recommended basic vaccines, including Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), hepatitis B (HepB), polio, measles-containing vaccine (MCV), and diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis-containing (DTP) vaccine. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses expressed as crude odds ratios (cORs) and adjusted odds ratios (aORs), each with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), were performed to compare the proportional differences of factors associated with vaccine coverage. RESULTS: Among the enrolled 10 033 children, the vaccination rate was 54.1% for BCG, 84.5% for complete HepB vaccination, 54.5% for complete polio vaccination, 51.3% for MCV, and 59.5% for complete DTP vaccination. Children with perinatally acquired HIV (PHIV) were 2.46‒3.82 times less likely to be vaccinated than HIV-exposed uninfected children. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that children of Han ethnicity (aOR = 1.33‒2.04), children with early infant diagnosis (EID) of HIV (aOR = 1.86‒3.17), and children whose mothers had better education (college or above, aOR = 1.63‒2.51) had higher odds of being vaccinated. Most of the deceased children (aOR = 4.28‒21.55) missed vaccination, and PHIV (aOR = 2.46‒3.82) significantly affected immunization. CONCLUSIONS: Chinese HIV-exposed children had low vaccination coverage, which is a serious health challenge that needs to be addressed thoroughly. Interventions should be developed with a focus on minority HIV-exposed children whose mothers do not have formal education. Particularly, more attention should be paid to EID to increase access to immunization.

Improved stabilization of coix seed oil in a nanocage-coating framework based on gliadin-carboxymethyl chitosan-Ca2.

Coix seed oil (CSO) is easily suffered functional-loss by oxidation and hydrothermal-treatment. The environmental stable nanocage-coating-CSO particles (OGC-Ca) by the frameworks consist of gliadins, carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) and Ca2+ were investigated. Results showed Ca2+ was the key controller for fabricating this nanocage-coating-frameworks, bridging macromolecule-chains with electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonds, detected by FTIR, CD, DSC and XRD. SEM displayed new-formed velvet-like twigs after cross-linking CMCS to gliadins. Ca2+ assisted the nanocage-coating by significant down-sizing conversion OGC to OGC-Ca with consumption of twigs. OGC-Ca displayed a good stability towards heat (60-80 °C, 0-80 min), pH (3-8), NaCl (0-0.5 mM), storage (4/25 °C, 12 days), and a reduce of the pre-oxidation value of CSO in water and the improved controlled release of CSO in simulated GI tract. It illustrated GC-Ca frameworks would be a suitable delivery carrier for the CSO like pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals for the food or medical use.

Calculating the Number of Pregnant Women Receiving Standardized Services for PMTCT of HIV in Liangshan Prefecture, Based on the Equivalent Method.

OBJECTIVE: To calculate the number of pregnant women who receive standardized prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services for HIV annually. METHODS: HIV-positive pregnant women in six counties of Liangshan Prefecture in 2017 were selected as study subjects. The entire process, from when the subjects first received the PMTCT of HIV services to the end, was divided into four stages, which were further divided into 25 phases. The equivalent coefficient was used to indicate the weight of workload in each phase. Seven experts were invited to score the equivalent coefficient; the number of pregnant women who received standardized services to prevent the transmission of HIV was calculated. RESULTS: A total of 663 HIV-positive pregnant women were registered in six Liangshan Prefecture counties in 2017. This figure was converted into 7,780 person-months devoted to HIV-positive pregnant women, with 260 person-months (3.34%) spent on the first antenatal care, 1,510 person-months (19.41%) during pregnancy, 378 person-months (4.86%) on delivery, and 5,632 person-months (72.39%) on post-partum period. The equivalent coefficient calculation showed that 314 HIV-positive pregnant women received standardized PMTCT services. CONCLUSION: The number of pregnant women receiving standardized services for the PMTCT of HIV can be calculated accurately using the equivalent method to identify the gap between the level of PMTCT of HIV intervention services needed and the actual workload.

[Effect of moxibustion on IL-6/STAT3 signaling in frontal cortex of fatigue rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of moxibustion on interleukin-6(IL-6)/signal transduction and transcriptional activator 3(STAT3) signaling pathway in the frontal cortex of fatigue rats, so as to reveal its mechanisms underlying alleviation of fatigue. METHODS: Twenty-one male SD rats were randomly divided into normal control, model, and moxibustion groups (n＝7 rats in each group). The fatigue model was established by forcing the rats to have an exhausted swim under load condition, once daily for 21 days. Moxibustion was applied to bilateral "Zusanli"(ST36) for about 15 min, once every other day for 21 days. The level of IL-6 in the frontal cortex was detected by ELISA, and the expression of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), phosphorylated JAK2 (p-JAK2), signal transduction and transcriptional activator 3(STAT3) and phosphorylated STAT3 (p-STAT3) proteins in the frontal cortex was detected by Western blot. RESULTS: After modeling, the levels of IL-6 content and p-STAT3 protein expression and ratio of p-STAT3/STAT3 were significantly increased in the model group relevant to the normal control group (P<0.01). Follo-wing moxibustion, the duration of load swimming on the 21st day was significantly prolonged (P<0.01), content of IL-6 and levels of p-STAT3 protein expression and ratio of p-STAT3/STAT3 were significantly down-regulated in the moxibustion group compared with the model group (P<0.05). No significant differences were found between the model and control, and between moxibustion and model groups in the expression levels of JAK2, p-JAK2, STAT3 and p-JAK2/JAK2 (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Moxibustion intervention can relieve fatigue in fatigue rats, which is associated with its function in inhibiting IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway to reduce inflammatory injury.

[Effects of Different Routes in PMSC Transfusion on the Levels of Hematopoietic Regulatory Factors in Aplastic Anemia Rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of different routes in placental mesenchymal stem cells (PMSC) on serum expression levels of IL-4, IL-17, TNF-α and IFN-γ in aplastic anemia (AA) rats. METHODS: The rat model of aplastic anemia (AA rats) was established by 5-fluorouracil combined with busulfan. The rats was divided into four groups: control, experimental, PMSC-injected into the tail vein, and PMSC-injected into the medullary cavity. The general state of rats in each group was observed in detail before and after treatment. The serum levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4) , interleukin-17 (IL-17), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) at week 1, 3 and 5 after treatment. RESULTS: The serum levels of TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-17 in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group, while the level of IL-4 was significantly decreased (P＜0.05). The levels of TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-17 gradually decreased after treatment while the level of IL-4 increased. By the fifth week, the above indexes were closed to the control group (P＞0.05), and the levels of TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-17 in the group with PMSCs injected via the medullary cavity decrease more significantly than those group with PMSC injected via the tail vein, but level of IL-4 was not significantly different between two groups. CONCLUSION: The level of serum hematopoietic negative regulators increase significantly, and the level of hematopoietic promoting factors decreases significantly in aplastic anemia rats. PMSC can down-regulate the level of hematopoietic negative regulators and up-regulate the level of hematopoietic promoting factors in the rats with aplastic anemia, and the inhibition of hematopoietic negative regulators by intramedullary injection is more significant than that by caudal vein injection.

Principles of Information Storage in Small-Molecule Mixtures.

Molecular data systems have the potential to store information at dramatically higher density than existing electronic media. Some of the first experimental demonstrations of this idea have used DNA, but nature also uses a wide diversity of smaller non-polymeric molecules to preserve, process, and transmit information. In this paper, we present a general framework for quantifying chemical memory, which is not limited to polymers and extends to mixtures of molecules of all types. We show that the theoretical limit for molecular information is two orders of magnitude denser by mass than DNA, although this comes with different practical constraints on total capacity. We experimentally demonstrate kilobyte-scale information storage in mixtures of small synthetic molecules, and we consider some of the new perspectives that will be necessary to harness the information capacity available from the vast non-genomic chemical space.