Non-syntrophic methanogenic hydrocarbon degradation by an archaeal species.

The methanogenic degradation of oil hydrocarbons can proceed through syntrophic partnerships of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria and methanogenic archaea1-3. However, recent culture-independent studies have suggested that the archaeon 'Candidatus Methanoliparum' alone can combine the degradation of long-chain alkanes with methanogenesis4,5. Here we cultured Ca. Methanoliparum from a subsurface oil reservoir. Molecular analyses revealed that Ca. Methanoliparum contains and overexpresses genes encoding alkyl-coenzyme M reductases and methyl-coenzyme M reductases, the marker genes for archaeal multicarbon alkane and methane metabolism. Incubation experiments with different substrates and mass spectrometric detection of coenzyme-M-bound intermediates confirm that Ca. Methanoliparum thrives not only on a variety of long-chain alkanes, but also on n-alkylcyclohexanes and n-alkylbenzenes with long n-alkyl (C≥13) moieties. By contrast, short-chain alkanes (such as ethane to octane) or aromatics with short alkyl chains (C≤12) were not consumed. The wide distribution of Ca. Methanoliparum4-6 in oil-rich environments indicates that this alkylotrophic methanogen may have a crucial role in the transformation of hydrocarbons into methane.

High efficiency of biosurfactants in stabilizing oil micro-droplets within the aging time scale of milliseconds: a microfluidic study.

Rapid adsorption of surfactants onto a freshly formed interface is vital for emulsification because emulsification is a competitive process occurring between the very short time span of interface formation and surfactant mass transport. The biosurfactant surfactin has been previously reported to reach adsorption equilibrium at the hydrophobic/hydrophilic interface within hundreds of milliseconds and rapidly reduce the interfacial tension compared to chemically synthesized surfactants. According to a prior study, surfactin is expected to exhibit good performance in stabilizing micro-droplets of oil within the aging time scale of milliseconds. Herein, the stabilities of micro-droplets of n-hexadecane in the presence of a biosurfactant, surfactin (C15-SFT), and a chemically synthesized surfactant, sodium cetyl benzene sulfonate (8-SCBS), were investigated using a microfluidic method. The coalescence frequency of micro-droplets, the evolution of micro-droplet size, and the coalescence time of micro-droplets were evaluated. The results indicated that C15-SFT exhibited superiority over 8-SCBS in stabilizing the micro-droplets of n-hexadecane. Biosurfactant C15-SFT effectively reduced the fusion probability between oil droplets and elongated the coalescence time compared to 8-SCBS, and these phenomena were obvious at a shorter aging time (150 ms) and lower surfactant concentration (0.1 × critical micelle concentration). The stabilities of micro-droplets increased with aging time and the bulk concentration of surfactants. Stable micro-droplets of n-hexadecane were formed in 1 × 10-4 mol L-1 C15-SFT solution at 600 ms aging time, and the bulk concentration was 1 × 10-3 mol L-1 in the case of 8-SCBS. The micro-droplets rarely coalesced in the presence of 1 × 10-4 mol L-1 C15-SFT after 600 ms aging time, but the micro-droplets in 1 × 10-4 mol L-1 8-SCBS coalesced frequently in the midstream and downstream of the coalescence chamber, and big droplets were dominant in the emulsion. The coalescence time of micro-droplets stabilized by C15-SFT was obviously longer than that of those stabilized by 8-SCBS under the same condition, indicating that the interfacial film formed by C15-SFT has much strength to resist coalescence during collisions. This work is helpful for understanding the activity of lipopeptides in the very short early stage of the emulsification process, laying the foundation for biosurfactant research in the fields of enhanced oil recovery, bioremediation of contaminated water or soil, etc.

Optimization and component identification of ultrasound-assisted extraction of functional compounds from waste blackberry (Rubus fruticosus Pollich) seeds.

BACKGROUND: Blackberry seeds, as a by-product of processing, have potential bioactive substances and activities. A response surface method was used to determine the optimal conditions of blackberry seed extracts (BSEs) with high 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). The composition and antioxidant capacity of BSEs were further analyzed. RESULTS: The optimal conditions were material-to-liquid ratio of 0.07 g mL-1, ethanol concentration of 56%, extraction temperature of 39 °C and ultrasonic power of 260 W. Using these conditions, the extraction yield and total polysaccharide, phenolic and anthocyanin contents in BSEs were 0.062 g g-1 and 633.91, 36.21 and 3.07 mg g-1, respectively. The Fourier transform infrared spectra of BSEs exhibited characteristic peaks associated with polysaccharide absorption. The antioxidant capacity, DPPH and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging activity, and ferric reducing antioxidant power of BSEs were 1533.19, 1021.93 and 1093.38 mmol Trolox equivalent g-1, respectively. The delphinidin-3-O-glucoside, paeoniflorin-3-O-glucoside and cyanidin-3-O-arabinoside contents in BSEs were 3.05,12.76 and 1895.90 ± 3.45 µg g-1. Five polyphenols including gallic acid, coumaric acid, ferulic acid, catechin and caffeic acid were identified and quantified in BSEs with its contents at 8850.43, 5053.26, 4984.65, 1846.91 and 192.40 µg g-1. CONCLUSION: These results provide a method for preparing BSE containing functional components such as polysaccharides, phenols and anthocyanins through UAE, and BSEs have potential application in food industries. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Comparing intracorporeal mechanical anastomosis vs. hand-sewn esophagojejunostomy after total laparoscopic gastrectomy for esophagogastric junction cancer: a single-center study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the effects of continuous hand-sewn esophagojejunostomy with barbed suture and mechanical anastomosis in total laparoscopic gastrectomy for esophagogastric junction cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The clinical data of 60 patients who underwent total laparoscopic total gastrectomy from January 2020 to October 2021 were collected retrospectively. Baseline data and short-term surgical results of patients in the hand-sewn anastomosis (n = 30) and mechanical anastomosis (n = 30) groups were analyzed. RESULTS: No significant differences were detected in the baseline data between groups. Meanwhile, the hand-sewn group had a shorter anastomosis time (21.2 ± 4.9 min vs. 27.9 ± 6.9 min, p < 0.001) and a decreased operation cost (CNY 70608.3 ± 8106.7 vs. CNY 76485.6 ± 3149.9, p = 0.001). The tumor margin distance in the hand-sewn group was longer than in the mechanical group (2.7 ± 0.4 cm vs. 2.2 ± 0.75 cm, p = 0.002). In esophagojejunostomy anastomosis, the distance between the jejunal opening and jejunal stump in the hand-sewn group was significantly shorter than that in the mechanical group (2.2 ± 0.54 cm vs. 5.7 ± 0.6 cm, p < 0.001). No significant difference was detected in the incidence of postoperative anastomotic complications. CONCLUSION: The continuous hand-sewn anastomosis with barbed suture in total laparoscopic gastrectomy for esophagogastric junction cancer is practical, safe, and cost-effective. It is also an effective supplementary technique for mechanical anastomosis.

BMRMI Reduces Depressive Rumination Possibly through Improving Abnormal FC of Dorsal ACC.

Rumination is a common symptom of major depressive disorder (MDD) and has been characterized as a vulnerability factor for the onset or recurrence of MDD. However, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying rumination and appropriate treatment strategies remain unclear. In the current study, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the effects of body-mind relaxation meditation induction (BMRMI) intervention in MDD with rumination. To this aim, we have recruited 25 MDD and 24 healthy controls (HCs). Changes in functional connectivity (FC) of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) subregion and the scores of clinical measurements were examined using correlation analysis. At baseline, MDD showed stronger FC between the right dorsal ACC (dACC) and right superior frontal gyrus than did the HC group. Compared to baseline, the HC group showed a significantly enhanced FC between the right dACC and right superior frontal gyrus, and the MDD group demonstrated a significantly weaker FC between the left dACC and right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) after the intervention. Furthermore, the FC between the right dACC and right superior frontal gyrus was positively associated with rumination scores across all participants at baseline. The above results indicate that BMRMI may regulate self-referential processing and cognitive function through modulating FC of the dACC in MDD with rumination.

Forensic Analysis of 9 Cases of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the case, scene and forensic pathological characteristics of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), to provide a practical basis for forensic identification. METHODS: A total of 9 autopsy cases of SUDEP were collected. The basic information of the cases, the scene characteristics, the forensic pathological changes, the common drugs and antiepileptic drug test results, and pericardial fluid biochemical test results were analyzed. RESULTS: All of the 9 cases were male epilepsy patients died during sleep at night, the age of death was (37.1±8.6) years, and the course of epilepsy was (21.3±5.6) years. Six corpses were in prone position and three in left lateral position. The hemorrhage of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, sternal thyroid muscle and sternohyoid muscle were found with 8 cases, 5 cases and 4 cases, respectively, all of them were unilateral. Six cases had bilateral hemorrhage of pectoralis minor muscle. Brain edema, phagocytosis of frontotemporal neurons and gliosis, cardiac fibers bend in wavy patterns and eosinophilic staining enhancement, pulmonary edema, pulmonary congestion, alveolar hemorrhage, pulmonary small bronchiole wall shrinking, tubular proteinuria and pancreatic parenchymal hemorrhage were the common histopathological changes. The biochemical test results of pericardial fluid indicated that there were myocardial ischemic damage. CONCLUSIONS: Young male, early onset, long course of disease, sleep in the prone position, poor drug compliance or combination, epileptic seizure may be the risk factors of SUDEP. Cardiac dysfunction and respiratory depression might be the main death mechanism of SUDEP.

{Cu8} Cluster-Sandwiched Polyoxotungstates and Their Polymers: Syntheses, Structures, and Properties.

Four inorganic-organic hybrid octa-Cu cluster sandwiched polyoxotungstates (POTs), [Cu8(H2O)2(en)4(B-α-H2SiW9O34)2] (1), [Cu8(H2O)2(en)4(B-α-H2GeW9O34)2] (2), K2[Cu8(en)4(B-α-HSiW9O34)2]·6H2O (3), and K2[Cu8(en)4(B-α-HGeW9O34)2]·2H2O (4) (en = ethylenediamine), were hydrothermally made and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, infrared spectra, powder X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis, respectively. Structure analysis reveals that the polyoxoanion of 1/2 is a discrete dimer built by two trivalent Keggin [B-α-XW9O34]10- (X = Si/Ge) fragments and one octa-Cu cluster, whereas 3 and 4 display a two-dimensional network built by octa-Cu-sandwiched POT units via substitution of coordinated water on polyanions of 1 and 2 and further expand into a three-dimensional framework via K cation bridges. Ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectra reveal that 1-4 are potential semiconductor materials. Moreover, its visible light-driven catalytic H2 evolution activity, electrochemical properties, catalysis for oxygenation reactions of thioethers, and magnetic behaviors have been investigated in detail.

Clinical effects and gut microbiota changes of using probiotics, prebiotics or synbiotics in inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Probiotics have been reported to be beneficial for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but the types, number of strains, dosage, and intervention time of probiotics used remain controversial. Furthermore, the changes of gut microbiota in IBD's patients are also intriguing. Thus, this meta-analysis was to explore the clinical effects and gut microbiota changes of using probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics in IBD. METHODS: The search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science and the Cochrane library from inception to April 2020. Qualified randomized controlled trials were included. IBD's remission rate, disease activity index and recurrence rate were extracted and analyzed. Changes in the gut microbiota of patients with IBD are comprehensively described. RESULTS: Thirty-eight articles were included. Probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics can induce/maintain IBD's remission and reduce ulcerative colitis (UC) disease activity index (RR = 1.13, 95% CI 1.02, 1.26, P < 0.05; SMD = 1.00, 95% CI 0.27, 1.73, P < 0.05). In subgroup analyses of IBD remission rate and UC disease activity index, we obtained some statistically significant results in some subgroup (P < 0.05). To some extent, probiotic supplements can increase the number of beneficial bacteria (especially Bifidobacteria) in the intestinal tract of patients with IBD. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the treatment of IBD (especially UC) with pro/pre/synbiotics, and synbiotics are more effective. Probiotic supplements that are based on Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium or more than one strain are more likely to be beneficial for IBD remission. The dose of 1010-1012 CFU/day may be a reference range for using probiotics to relieve IBD.

Characterization of antioxidant activity of sulfur compounds in black garlic.

Different types of sulfur compounds, namely S-allyl-L-cysteine (SAC), S-allyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide (ACSO) and a synthetic γ-L-glutamyl-S-allyl-L-cysteine (GSAC) were extracted from black garlic and their inhibition to the advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) were investigated. Upon addition of inhibitor, the amount of produced fructosamine was determined by UV visible spectroscopy. The change of pentosidine and fluorescent AGEs during reaction was detected by fluorescence method and the change of carboxymethyl lysine (CML) was detected by high performance liquid chromatography. It was found that the inhibitory effects of SAC and ACSO are stronger to the early and mid non-fluorescent products in glycosylation reaction, and GSAC has an obvious inhibitory effect on the later reaction products. All these three inhibitors can effectively inhibit advanced glycation reaction. Although their effects on glycation products are different due to different chemical structures, they have similar inhibitory effects on fluorescent products.

Anterior reduction and fusion for treatment of massive tear drop fracture of axis combining with inferior endplate serious traversed lesion: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Tear drop fracture of axis represents a very small percentage of injuries of the cervical spine, but there is controversy about the treatment method for tear drop fracture of axis, especially when a large avulsed fragment is significant displacement, which combined with the inferior endplate serious traversed lesion of axis. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical outcome of anterior reduction, graft fusion of C2-3 and plate fixation in the management of massive tear drop fracture of axis combining with inferior endplate serious traversed lesion of axis. METHODS: There were 7 patients with a massive tear drop fracture of axis combining with inferior endplate serious traversed lesion. The avulsed ratio of inferior endplate of axis was 46.8 ± 13.4%, the average angle of rotation of the avulsed fragment was 30.4 ± 11.7, and the average displacement was 7.7 ± 2.8 mm. The posterior displacement of axis body was observed with three patients. All patients underwent anterior reduction, graft fusion of C2-3 and plate fixation with high anterior cervical retropharyngeal approach. The follow-up ranges from 2 years to 5 years. RESULTS: In all cases, tear drop fracture was reduced completely, avulsed fragment got bony healing, and bone graft achieved bony fusion at C2-3. There were no local angle deformity and rotated deformity in all patients, and there were normal physiological lordosis and good stabilization of upper cervical spine. The neurological function of one patient with American Spine Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale type D was improved to type E postoperatively. Six patients without neurological lesion had no neurological syndrome after operation. CONCLUSIONS: Anterior surgical procedures would be an effective treatment of massive tear drop fracture of axis combining with inferior endplate serious traversed lesion. Complete reduction, sufficient stabilization and normal physiological lordosis of upper cervical spine could be achieved postoperatively.

Isolation and dynamic expression of four genes involving in shikimic acid pathway in Camellia sinensis 'Baicha 1' during periodic albinism.

Flavonoids are the main flavor components and functional ingredients in tea, and the shikimic acid pathway is considered as one of the most important pathways in flavonoid biosynthesis, but little was known about the function of regulatory genes in the metabolism phenolic compounds in tea plant (Camellia sinensis), especially related genes in shikimic acid pathway. The dynamic changes of catechin (predominant flavonoid) contents were analyzed in this study, and four genes (CsPPT, CsDAHPS, CsSDH and CsCS) involving in shikimic acid pathway in C. sinensis albino cultivar 'Baicha 1' were cloned and characterized. The full-length cDNA sequences of these genes were obtained using reverse transcription-PCR and rapid amplification of cDNA ends. At the albinistic stage, the amounts of all catechins decreased to the lowest levels, when epigallocatechin gallate was the highest, whereas gallocatechin-3-O-gallate the lowest. Gene expression patterns analyzed by qRT-PCR showed that CsPPT and CsDAHPS were highly expressed in flowers and buds, while CsSDH and CsCS showed high expression levels in buds and leaves. It was also found that the transcript abundance of shikimic acid biosynthetic genes followed a tightly regulated biphasic pattern, and was affected by albinism. The transcript levels of CsPPT and CsDAHPS were decreased at albinistic stage followed elevated expression, whereas CsSDH and CsCS were increased only at re-greening stage. Taken together, these findings suggested that these four genes in C. sinensis may play different roles in shikimic acid biosynthesis and these genes may have divergent functions.

PSO-SVM-Based Online Locomotion Mode Identification for Rehabilitation Robotic Exoskeletons.

Locomotion mode identification is essential for the control of a robotic rehabilitation exoskeletons. This paper proposes an online support vector machine (SVM) optimized by particle swarm optimization (PSO) to identify different locomotion modes to realize a smooth and automatic locomotion transition. A PSO algorithm is used to obtain the optimal parameters of SVM for a better overall performance. Signals measured by the foot pressure sensors integrated in the insoles of wearable shoes and the MEMS-based attitude and heading reference systems (AHRS) attached on the shoes and shanks of leg segments are fused together as the input information of SVM. Based on the chosen window whose size is 200 ms (with sampling frequency of 40 Hz), a three-layer wavelet packet analysis (WPA) is used for feature extraction, after which, the kernel principal component analysis (kPCA) is utilized to reduce the dimension of the feature set to reduce computation cost of the SVM. Since the signals are from two types of different sensors, the normalization is conducted to scale the input into the interval of [0, 1]. Five-fold cross validation is adapted to train the classifier, which prevents the classifier over-fitting. Based on the SVM model obtained offline in MATLAB, an online SVM algorithm is constructed for locomotion mode identification. Experiments are performed for different locomotion modes and experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm with an accuracy of 96.00% ± 2.45%. To improve its accuracy, majority vote algorithm (MVA) is used for post-processing, with which the identification accuracy is better than 98.35% ± 1.65%. The proposed algorithm can be extended and employed in the field of robotic rehabilitation and assistance.

Branched-chain amino acids attenuate early kidney injury in diabetic rats.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the most severe diabetic microvascular complication. The pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy is complex, and oxidative stress plays an important role in the development of diabetic nephropathy. Elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels activate various signaling pathways and influence the activities of transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), which contributes to glomerular hypertrophy. Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are widely used in clinical treatment, and BCAAs can reduce the oxidative stress associated with the diabetic pancreas and some liver diseases. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine whether BCAAs could attenuate oxidative stress in the kidneys of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats to prevent early diabetic kidney injury. Male Wistar rats were fed for two weeks with a normal chow diet or a high-fat diet in which 40% of calories were derived from fat. After this two-week period, the mice fed normal chow were injected with vehicle, while the high-fat diet group was injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with 40 mg/kg STZ. The STZ-treated group was randomly divided into four subgroups that were treated with different doses of BCAAs or vehicle for two months by oral gavage. Plasma glucose, plasma creatinine, urinary protein and JNK, TGF-ß, and MMP-9 mRNA and protein expression levels were measured in the rats. The ROS levels and proteinuria in the STZ-induced diabetic rats were significantly higher than those in the control groups. Moreover, early kidney injury occurred in the STZ-induced diabetic rats. However, BCAAs treatment decreased ROS levels, proteinuria and kidney injury. Moreover, JNK, TGF-ß and MMP-9 mRNA and protein levels were significantly increased in the diabetic rats when compared with the control rats, and BCAAs treatment reversed these changes. Our results suggest that BCAAs counter oxidative stress in the kidneys of diabetic rats and alleviate diabetic kidney injury via the JNK/TGF-ß/MMP-9 pathway.

[Yinxingye Capsule Intervened Vascular Endothelial Cell Apoptosis of Hyperhomocysteinemia Rats: an Experimental Study].

OBJECTIVE: To explore targets of Chinese herbal medicine at cellular and molecular leve1s through an experimental study on Yinxingye Capsule (YC) intervening vascular endothelial cell apoptoeis of hyperhornocysteinemia (HHcy) rats. METHODS: The HHcy model was prepared in male Wistar rats. Totally 42 rats were randomly divided into 4 groups, i.e., the control group (n =10), the model group (n = 11), the YC group (n =11), the folic acid group (n =10). Carboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) solution (1%) was administered to rats in the control group by gastrogavage.3% methionine suspension at 1. 5 g/kg was administered to rats in the model group by gastrogavage. 3% methionine suspension at 1. 5 g/kg and folic acid suspension at 0. 06 g/kg was administered to rats in the folic acid group by gastrogavage. 3% methionine suspension at 1. 5 g/kg and YC at 0. 02 g/kg was administered to rats in the YC group by gastrogavage. Morphological changes of aortic tissue were observed by hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining. The plasma homocysteine (Hcy) level was detected in each group. The endothelium-dependent diastolic functions of the thoracic aorta on different concentrations of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and acetylcholine (Ach) were detected. Gene expressions of Bcl-2-associated X protein (BAX), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), c-Fos, cellular inhibitor of apoptosis protein 2 (c-IAP2) were detected by real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: Pathological results showed that thickening aortic endothelium, swollen and desquamated endothelial cells. Few foam cells could be seen in the model group. Myoma-like proliferation of smooth muscle cells in tunica media could also be seen. These pathological changes were milder in the YC group and the folic acid group. Compared with the control group, plasma Hcy levels increased in the model group (P <0. 05). The endothelium-dependent diastolic rates at 10(-6) and 10(-4)mol/L Ach and 10(-7) -10(-3)mol/L SNP all decreased in the model group (P <0. 01, P <0. 05). Gene expressions of Bax, c-Fos, and iNOS increased, but c-IAP2 gene expressions decreased in the model group (all P <0. 05). Compared with the model group, plasma Hcy levels decreased in the YC group and the folic acid group (P <0. 05). The endothelium-dependent diastolic rates increased in the YC group and the folic acid group at various SNP concentrations except 10(-6) mol/L SNP in the folic acid group. The endothelium-dependent diastolic rates increased in the YC group and the folic acid group at 10(-6) and 10(-4)mol/L Ach (all P <0. 05). Gene expressions of Bax, c-Fos, and iNOS decreased in the YC group and the folic acid group, but c-IAP2 gene expression increased in the folic acid group (all P <0. 05). CONCLUSION: YC could reduce plasma Hcy levels, down-regulate gene expressions of Bax, c-Fos, and iNOS, thereby reducing apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells, improving vascular endothelial function, and delaying atherosclerotic process.

Low Resistance Thought Induction Sleep-regulating Technique (TIP3-2) combined with medication for primary insomnia: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is well-validated in the western countries. However, it has not been widely adopted or disseminated in China. One possibility is that therapeutic approaches drawn from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) will be more widely accepted. PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of medication in combination with a therapeutic approach drawn from TCM, Low Resistance Thought Induction Sleep-regulating Technique (TIP3-2), for acute treatment of insomnia. METHOD: A randomized controlled trial was conducted. Ninety primary insomnia patients were randomly assigned to receive TIP3-2 combined with medication (n = 45) or medication only (n = 45) for 4 weeks. Medication consisted of 1-2 mg Estazolam nightly. On the basis of taking Estazolam, TIP3-2 combined with medication group was given Low Resistance Thought Induction Sleep-regulating Technique (TIP3-2) treatment twice a week. Outcomes were assessed with the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and polysomnography (PSG) before and after treatment. RESULTS: Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in the PSQI and polysomnography indices. The TIP3-2+ medication group demonstrated a significant difference between the two groups in PSQI total score, sleep medication use, daytime dysfunction, subjective sleep quality, as well as polysomnography indices of sleep efficiency and awakening times (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Among patients with primary insomnia, the addition of TIP3-2 provided benefits above and beyond the role of medication alone.

Identification of prognostic biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma with vascular invasion.

OBJECTIVE: Vascular invasion (VI) profoundly impacts the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), yet the underlying biomarkers and mechanisms remain elusive. This study aimed to identify prognostic biomarkers for HCC patients with VI. METHODS: Transcriptome data from primary HCC tissues and HCC tissues with VI were obtained through the Genome Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the two types of tissues were analyzed using functional enrichment analysis to evaluate their biological functions. We examined the correlation between DEGs and prognosis by combining HCC transcriptome data and clinical information from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, along with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method were utilized to develop a prognostic model. The effectiveness of the model was assessed through time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration diagram, and decision curve analysis. RESULTS: In the GSE20017 and GSE5093 datasets, a total of 83 DEGs were identified. Gene Ontology analysis indicated that these DEGs were predominantly associated with xenobiotic stimulus, collagen-containing extracellular matrix, and oxygen binding. Additionally, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis revealed that the DEGs were primarily involved in immune defense and cellular signal transduction. Cox and LASSO regression further identified 7 genes (HSPA8, ABCF2, EAF1, MARCO, EPS8L3, PLA3G1B, C6), which were used to construct a predictive model in the training cohort. We used X-tile software to calculate the optimal cut-off value to stratify HCC patients into low-risk and high-risk groups. Notably, the high-risk group exhibited poorer prognosis than the low-risk group (P < 0.001). The model demonstrated area under the ROC curve (AUC) values of 0.815, 0.730, and 0.710 at 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year intervals in the training cohort, respectively. In the validation cohort, the corresponding AUC values were 0.701, 0.571, and 0.575, respectively. The C-index of the calibration curve for the training and validation cohorts were 0.716 and 0.665. Decision curve analysis revealed the model's efficacy in guiding clinical decision-making. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicates that 7 genes may be potential prognostic biomarkers and treatment targets for HCC patients with VI.

Prevalence and quantity of lymph nodes at mediastinal stations in patients with lung cancer: lessons from 181 bilateral mediastinal lymphadenectomies.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the prevalence and quantity of lymph nodes at particular stations of the mediastinum in patients with lung cancer. These data are important to radiologists, pathologists, and thoracic surgeons because they can serve as a benchmark when assessing the completeness of lymph node dissection. However, relevant data in the literature are scarce. METHODS: Data regarding the number of lymph nodes derived from two randomised trials of bilateral mediastinal lymph node dissection, the BML-1 and BML-2 study, were included in this analysis. Detectable nodes at particular stations of the mediastinum and the number of nodes at these stations were analysed. RESULTS: The mean number of removed nodes was 28.67 (range, 4-88). Detectable lymph nodes were present at stations 2R, 4R, and 7 in 93%, 98%, and 99% of patients, respectively. Nodes were rarely present at stations 9 L (33%), and 3 (35%). The largest number of nodes was observed at stations 7 and 4R (mean, 5 nodes). CONCLUSION: The number of mediastinal lymph nodes in patients with lung cancer may be greater than that in healthy individuals. Lymph nodes were observed at stations 2R, 4R, and 7 in more than 90% of patients with lung cancer. The largest number of nodes was observed at stations 4R and 7. Detectable nodes were rarely observed at stations 3 and 9 L. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN 86,637,908.

The Value of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Predicting Mortality After Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Placement.

Background and Aims: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) on the survival of cirrhotic patients with esophagogastric variceal bleeding (EGVB) treated with transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). Methods: A total of 293 patients treated with TIPS were included. The receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC) was used to calculate the optimal cut-off values of parameters such as NLR. The Kaplan-Meier curve and Cox proportional risk model were used to evaluate the effects of NLR and other variables on 2-year all-cause mortality. Results: The area under the ROC for NLR was 0.634, with an optimal cutoff value of 4.9. Two-year mortality rates for patients with high (≥4.9) and low (<4.9) NLR were 22.1% and 9.3%, respectively (Log rank test: P = 0.002). After correcting for confounders, multivariate analysis demonstrated that NLR ≥ 4.9 (HR = 2.741, 95% CI 1.467-5.121, P = 0.002), age ≥ 63 (HR = 3.403, 95% CI 1.835-6.310, P < 0.001), and gender (male) (HR = 2.842, 95% CI 1.366-5.912, P = 0.001) were independent risk factors for the mortality outcome. Considering the stratification of early and selective TIPS treatment, high NLR still significantly increased the risk of mortality for patients (Log rank test: P = 0.007, HR = 2.317, 95% CI 1.232-4.356). Conclusion: NLR can help to predict survival in EGVB patients after TIPS, and the type of TIPS should also be considered in practical applications.

Structural and compositional diversity of biosurfactants produced by a novel strain of Sporosarcina luteola ME44 from oil reservoir.

The urealytically active microorganism Sporosarcina luteola induces the precipitation of metals, which has attracted attention in biomineralization, bioremediation, and industrial waste recycling. Herein, we report a novel biosurfactant-producing strain of S. luteola ME44 isolated from Chinese Oilfield. The structure, composition, and surface activity of the biosurfactants produced by S. luteola ME44 were investigated by using a combination of the high-performance liquid chromatography, time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and surface tensiometer. The biosurfactant extracted by strain ME44 was identified as surfactin with five variants and the yield was 1010 ± 60 mg⋅L-1 . This is the first report on the structural composition and surface activity of biosurfactants isolated from the S. luteola. It extended our knowledge about the role of the species S. luteola in the ecosystem of extreme natural environments such as oil reservoir. In addition, S. luteola ME44 showed bioprecipitation properties for metal ions Cd(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), and Ag(I), which indicated the application potential of S. luteola in the field of bioremediation.