Immunomodulation in allergic rhinitis: Insights from Th2 cells and NLRP3/IL-18 pathway.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is characterized by nasal symptoms such as rubbing and sneezing, often triggered by allergen exposure. The purpose of this study is to dissect the roles of NLRP3-mediated immune modulation and macrophage pyroptosis in modulating T cell differentiation within the context of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced AR in mice. OVA-induced AR was established in mice, evaluating nasal symptoms, macrophage infiltration, cytokine levels, and T cell differentiation. Manipulations using NLRP3-/-, ASC-/- mice, clodronate liposome treatment, and NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 were performed to assess their impact on AR symptoms and immune responses. Following OVA stimulation, increased nasal symptoms were observed in the OVA group along with augmented GATA3 expression and elevated IL-4 and IL-1b levels, indicative of Th2 polarization and cellular pyroptosis involvement. NLRP3-/- and ASC-/- mice exhibited reduced CD3+ T cells post OVA induction, implicating cellular pyroptosis in AR. Macrophage depletion led to decreased IgE levels, highlighting their involvement in allergic responses. Further investigations revealed enhanced macrophage pyroptosis, influencing Th1/Th2 differentiation in AR models. IL-18 released through NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis induced Th2 differentiation, distinct from IL-1b. Additionally, MCC950 effectively mitigated AR symptoms by modulating Th2 responses and reducing macrophage infiltration. This comprehensive study unravels the pivotal role of NLRP3-mediated immune modulation and macrophage pyroptosis in Th1/Th2 balance regulation in OVA-induced AR. Targeting NLRP3 pathways with MCC950 emerged as a promising strategy to alleviate AR symptoms, providing insights for potential therapeutic interventions in AR management.

Natural compound So-2 suppresses triple-negative breast cancer through inducing ferroptosis via downregulating transcription factor E2F7.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), accounting for about 15∼18% of all breast cancers, is notorious for its poor prognosis, high rate of relapse and short overall survival. Because of lacking effective therapeutic targets or drugs, treatment of TNBC in clinical encounters great obstacle. Siegesbeckiaorientalis L. have been used as a traditional Chinese medicine "Xi-Xian-Cao" for centuries with multiple medicinal benefits including cancerous treatment. We have reported the isolation of twenty-seven germacranolides including So-2 from the aerial parts of S. orientalis with potent cytotoxicity against breast cancer cells. The studyaims to verified the anti-TNBC function of the natural compound So-2 both in vitro and vivo and uncover the underlying mechanism. The results showed that So-2 caused cell cycle arrest and suppress TNBC cell proliferation and migration. Also, So-2 was first identified to be a bona fide ferroptosis inducer in TNBC cells. So-2 effectively suppressed tumor growth of TNBC by using an orthotopic transplantation tumor model. We also characterized the oncogenic role of the transcription factor E2F7 in TNBC. E2F7 was demonstrated to be involved in the ferroptosis-inducing and tumor suppression effect of So-2. Altogether, So-2 exhibits inhibitory effect on TNBC both in vitro and vivo by inducing TNBC ferroptosis via downregulating the expression of E2F7. These findings provide valuable insight into the pathogenesis of TNBC. The natural compound So-2, isolated from Chinese traditional medicine, might be a prospective drug candidate in TNBC therapy.

Mechanistic insights into dissolved organic matter-driven protistan and bacterial community dynamics influenced by vegetation restoration.

Vegetation restoration projects can not only improve water quality by absorbing and transferring pollutants and nutrients from non-vegetation sources, but also protect biodiversity by providing habitat for biological growth. However, the mechanism of the protistan and bacterial assembly processes in the vegetation restoration project were rarely explored. To address this, based on 18 S rRNA and 16 S rRNA high-throughput sequencing, we investigated the mechanism of protistan and bacterial community assembly processes, environmental conditions, and microbial interactions in the rivers with (out) vegetation restoration. The results indicated that the deterministic process dominated the protistan and bacterial community assembly (94.29% and 92.38%), influenced by biotic and abiotic factors. For biotic factors, microbial network connectivity was higher in the vegetation zone (average degree = 20.34) than in the bare zone (average degree = 11.00). For abiotic factors, the concentration of dissolved organic carbon ([DOC]) was the most important environmental factor affecting the microbial community composition. [DOC] was lower significantly in vegetation zone (18.65 ± 6.34 mg/L) than in the bare zone (28.22 ± 4.82 mg/L). In overlying water, vegetation restoration upregulated the protein-like fluorescence components (C1 and C2) by 1.26 and 1.01-folds and downregulated the terrestrial humic-like fluorescence components (C3 and C4) by 0.54 and 0.55-folds, respectively. The different DOM components guided bacteria and protists to select different interactive relationships. The protein-like DOM components led to bacterial competition, whereas the humus-like DOM components resulted in protistan competition. Finally, the structural equation model was established to explain that DOM components can affect protistan and bacterial diversity by providing substrates, facilitating microbial interactions, and promoting nutrient input. In general, our study provides insights into the responses of vegetation restored ecosystems to the dynamics and interactives in the anthropogenically influenced river and evaluates the ecological restoration performance of vegetation restoration from a molecular biology perspective.

Effects of EZH2 on Invasion and Migration of Endometrial Stromal Cells in Endometriosis Patients by Regulating PCDH10 Gene H3K27 Methylation.

Context: Endometriosis refers to the appearance of ectopic endometrioid tissue outside the uterus. Low PCDH10 expression has been associated with enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), which catalyzes histone 3 (H3K27me3). H3K27me3 is an epigenetic marker associated with endometriosis. Objective: The study intended to explore the influence of protocadherin 10 (PCDH10) on the invasion and migration of endometrial stromal cells in endometriosis as well as its mechanism. Design: The research team designed a laboratory study using endometrial tissue. Setting: The study took place in Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at South University of Science and Technology Hospital in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. Participants: Participants were 10 patients with ovarian endometriosis (ovarian chocolate cysts) who were undergoing surgical treatment at the hospital between January and December 2019. The endometrial tissue of those participants became the endometriosis group. Other participants with normal endometrial tissue became the controls (n=10). Outcome Measures: The research team collected tissues from participants and used immunofluorescence, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and Western blot assay to determine the expression levels of PCDH10, enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), and histone H3 (H3K27me3). The team cultured endometrial stromal cells from participants primarily to detect the effects of silencing EZH2 on PCDH10 and H3K27me3 expression. The team used a Transwell assay and scratch test to examine the influence of silencing EZH2 on invasion and migration of endometrial stromal cells and applied chromatin immunoprecipitation to determine H3K27me3 enrichment in the PCDH10 gene promoter region. Results: PCDH10 in heterotopic endometrial tissues of endometriosis patients had low expression, while EZH2 and H3K27me3 were highly expressed. Silencing EZH2 inhibited EZH2 protein expression, increased PCDH10 expression, and inhibited invasion and migration of endometrial stromal cells by increasing PCDH10 expression. Silencing EZH2 also reduced H3K27me3 enrichment in PCDH10 promoter region. Conclusions: Low PCDH10 expression may be associated with high EZH2 expression and H3K27me3 enrichment in endometriosis patients, which promotes the migration and invasion of endometrial stromal cells. This connection provides a theoretical basis for the treatment of endometriosis.

Assessment of potential ecological risk based on the vertical characteristics of potential toxic elements in sediments from a high-density cage culture reservoir in China.

The pollution of sediments around Lu Ban Island is a serious environmental issue that is threatening human health. The concentration of As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn at 73 layer points were investigated, vertical distribution characteristics, correlation among potential toxic elements and potential ecological risks of sediments at different depth were analyzed. The following results were obtained, (1) the hypothesis that there was a linear relationship between concentration of potential toxic elements and the reciprocal of deep was reasonable. Based on hypothesis, the ultimate value of concentration by making depth go to infinity was regarded as the background concentration. The background concentration of As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn are respectively 4.94 mg/kg, 0.20 mg/kg, 15.48 mg/kg, 58.41 mg/kg, 0.062 mg/kg, 26.96 mg/kg, 20.29 mg/kg, and 53.31 mg/kg. (2) But correlation between Ni and As was relatively weak, high degree of correlation among other potential toxic elements were found. Based on their correlation, eight potential toxic elements were classified into three groups. First group included Ni and Cr, mainly releasing by coal burning; Cu, Pb, Zn, Hg, and Cd were grouped together, possibly due to their shared source of fish cage culture; Arsenic with relatively weak correlation with other potential toxic elements was classified as a separate class, which was usually one important mineral resource associated with phosphate. (3) Potential ecological risk index (PERI) of sediment above - 0.40 m belonged to moderate risk, the PERI of sediment in - 0.10 m, - 0.20 m, and - 0.40 m were 289.06, 254.33, and 201.44, respectively. Sediment below - 0.40 m belonged to low risk with average PERI value 112.82, with no significant changes in PERI values. The order of contribution to PERI was Hg > Cd > As > Cu > Pb > Ni > Cr > Zn. (4) According to result of cluster analysis and potential ecological risk, the potential ecological risk of sediment above - 0.40 m mainly contributed by potential toxic elements of Cu, Cd, Hg, Pb, and Zn sharing source of fish cage culture.

Identification and validation of necroptosis-related prognostic gene signature and tumor immune microenvironment infiltration characterization in esophageal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal carcinoma (ESCA) is a common malignancy with a poor prognosis. Previous research has suggested that necroptosis is involved in anti-tumor immunity and promotes oncogenesis and cancer metastasis, which in turn affects tumor prognosis. However, the role of necroptosis in ESCA is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between necroptosis-related genes (NRGs) and ESCA. METHODS AND RESULTS: The clinical data and gene expression profiles of ESCA patients were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and 159 NRGs were screened from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. We then identified 52 differentially expressed NRGs associated with ESCA and used them for further analysis. Gene ontology (GO) and KEGG functional enrichment analyses showed that these NRGs were mostly associated with the regulation of necroptosis, Influenza A, apoptosis, NOD-like receptor, and NF-Kappa B signaling pathway. Next, univariate and multivariate Cox regression and LASSO analysis were used to identify the correlation between NRGs and the prognosis of ESCA. We constructed a prognostic model to predict the prognosis of ESCA based on SLC25A5, PPIA, and TNFRSF10B; the model classified patients into high- and low-risk subgroups based on the patient's risk score. Furthermore, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted, and the model was affirmed to perform moderately well for prognostic predictions. In addition, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets were selected to validate the applicability and prognostic value of our predictive model. Based on different clinical variables, we compared the risk scores between the subgroups of different clinical features. We also analyzed the predictive value of this model for drug sensitivity. Moreover, Immunohistochemical (IHC) validation experiments explored that these three NRGs were expressed significantly higher in ESCA tissues than in adjacent non-tumor tissues. In addition, a significant correlation was observed between the three NRGs and immune-cell infiltration and immune checkpoints in ESCA. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, we successfully constructed and validated a novel necroptosis-related signature containing three genes (SLC25A5, PPIA, and TNFRSF10B) for predicting prognosis in patients with ESCA; these three genes might also play a crucial role in the progression and immune microenvironment of ESCA.

LPAR2 correlated with different prognosis and immune cell infiltration in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and kidney renal clear cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and its receptors play a key role in regulating cancer progression. Upregulation of LPA receptor 2 (LPAR2) plays a role in carcinogenesis; however, the exact role of LPAR2 in tumors remains elusive. This study aims to explore the correlation between LPAR2 expression with tumor prognosis and immune infiltration in pan-cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expression of LPAR2 in pan-cancers was analyzed using the Online Cancer Microarray Database (Oncomine), Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), and UALCAN databases. The effects of LPAR2 on the clinical prognosis in pan-cancer were examined using the Kaplan-Meier plotter (KM plotter) as well as Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), UALCAN, and Human Protein Atlas (HPA) databases. Moreover, the R software program was applied for validation of expression and prognostic value of LPAR2 in tumor patients in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The relationship between the expression level of LPAR2 and the clinical and molecular criteria of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) and kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) was analyzed using UALCAN, whereas the relationship between LPAR2 expression and prognosis in patients with HNSC and KIRC with different clinical characteristics was examined using the KM plotter. Furthermore, the correlation between LPAR2 expression and tumor immune infiltration was examined using TIMER. The correlation between LPAR2 expression and gene markers of tumor immune infiltrates was analyzed using TIMER and GEPIA. In addition, the cBioPortal for Cancer Genomics was used to calculate the mutations, methylations, and altered neighbor genes of LPAR2. RESULTS: The expression of LPAR2 was significantly correlated with the outcome of multiple types of cancer, especially HNSC and KIRC. Furthermore, high expression of LPAR2 was significantly associated with various immune markers in the immune cell subsets of HNSC and KIRC. CONCLUSIONS: High expression of LPAR2 plays significantly different prognostic roles in HNSC and KIRC possibly owing to its association with different immune markers. LPAR2 is correlated with tumor immune cell infiltration and is a valuable prognostic biomarker for HNSC and KIRC. However, further experiments are required to validate these findings.

Identification of a necroptosis-related prognostic gene signature associated with tumor immune microenvironment in cervical carcinoma and experimental verification.

Cervical carcinoma (CC) has been associated with high morbidity, poor prognosis, and high intratumor heterogeneity. Necroptosis is the significant cellular signal pathway in tumors which may overcome tumor cells' apoptosis resistance. To investigate the relationship between CC and necroptosis, we established a prognostic model based on necroptosis-related genes for predicting the overall survival (OS) of CC patients. The gene expression data and clinical information of cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma (CESC) patients were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We identified 43 differentially expressed necroptosis-related genes (NRGs) in CESC by examining differential gene expression between CESC tumors and normal tissues, and 159 NRGs from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. Gene ontology (GO) and KEGG enrichment analysis illustrated that the genes identified were mainly related to cell necrosis, extrinsic apoptosis, Influenza A, I - kappaB kinase/NF - kappaB, NOD - like receptor, and other signaling pathways. Subsequently, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to screen for NRGs that were correlated with patient prognosis. A prognostic signature that includes CAMK2A, CYBB, IL1A, IL1B, SLC25A5, and TICAM2 was established. Based on the prognostic model, patients were stratified into either the high-risk or low-risk subgroups with distinct survival. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to identify the predictive accuracy of the model. In relation to different clinical variables, stratification analyses were performed to demonstrate the associations between the expression levels of the six identified NRGs and the clinical variables in CESC. Immunohistochemical (IHC) validation experiments explored abnormal expressions of these six NRGs in CESC. We also explored the relationship between risk score of this necroptosis signature and expression levels of some driver genes in TCGA CESC database and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. Significant relationships between the six prognostic NRGs and immune-cell infiltration, chemokines, tumor mutation burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), and immune checkpoints in CESC were discovered. In conclusion, we successfully constructed and validated a novel NRG signature for predicting the prognosis of CC patients and might also play a crucial role in the progression and immune microenvironment in CC.

Evaluation of Danzhi Xiaoyao powder and amlodipine sustained-release tablets in follow-up treatment of the hypertensive crisis and the interleukin-6 gene expression.

Danzhi Xiaoyao powder (DXP) is an herbal formula with eight different herbs. This herbal medicine can play multiple roles in various disease treatments through its several components. In this study, the effect of DXP was evaluated on the treatment of hypertensive patients with and without amlodipine. For this purpose, 252 patients were studied with high blood pressure. The 126 patients received DXP, and the others received DXP + amlodipine for four weeks. Besides demographic and biochemical assessments (gender, BMI, age, SBP, DBP, etc.), the expression of the interleukin-6 gene was evaluated in these two groups. The results showed that the blood pressure decreased by DPX, and there was no significant difference in control of blood pressure by DPX and DXP + amlodipine. But it did not affect interleukin-6 gene expression. Therefore, it can be concluded that this drug probably uses a different mechanism than amlodipine to control blood pressure.

The association of rs2233679 in the PIN1 gene promoter with the risk of Coronary Artery Disease in Chinese female individuals.

BACKGROUNDS: Vascular atherosclerosis leads to various cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Nitric oxide (NO) promotes vasodilatation and prevents Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). Pin1 suppresses NO production by down-regulating the activity of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). Whether the genetic polymorphisms of the PIN1 gene (encoding Pin1) are implicated in CAD deserves investigations in human beings. METHODS: A total of 210 CAD patients and control individuals (all females) were enrolled, and their genotypes of rs2233679 (-667C/T, a key SNP in the promoter of PIN1 gene) were sequenced. T-test, chi-square test, odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated to evaluate Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, varied genetic distribution and relative CAD risk. RESULTS: The differences in age, BMI, triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density and high density cholesterol between the CAD and control groups were not significant (all P>0.05), and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was observed in the two groups (both P>0.05). The frequency of -667T allele in the CAD group was higher than that in the control group. The genotype -667TT elicited a higher hazardous risk of CAD compared to the genotype -667CC (OR=1.85, 95% CI: 0.75-4.53) as well as the genotypes CC+CT (OR=1.97, 95% CI: 0.86-4.49). CONCLUSIONS: We firstly show that the allele -667T in the PIN1 promoter may elicit a higher CAD-risk than -667C, and the -667TT genotype of PIN1 may be a new genetic biomarker for increased incidence of CAD. These novel observations put forward a new understanding of the PIN1-CAD genetic relationship in humans, potentially contributing to both cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disorders.

[Research progress on chemical compositions of Coptidis Rhizoma and pharmacological effects of berberine].

Coptidis Rhizoma was a commonly used antipyretic and dampening drug in clinic, which was first recorded in the Shennong's Herbal Classic of Materia Medica and which was listed as one of the highest grade herb in traditional Chinese medicine. Traditionally, Coptidis Rhizoma was used to treat dampness with distention and fullness, vomiting with acid regurgitation, acne, heartbum, etc. At present, a total of 133 chemical components have been isolated and identified from Coptidis Rhizoma, which can be divided into alkaloids(44 species), lignans(32 species), flavonoids(9 species), phenylpropionic acid and its derivatives(26 species) and other compounds(22 species) according to the differences in structure types. Modern studies have shown that berberine is one of the most important active composition of Coptidis Rhizoma, which not only has an effect on the antibacterial, antiviral and anti-gastric ulcer, but also plays a vital role in reducing blood sugar, lowering blood fat, anti-tumor and treating cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The chemical constituents of Coptidis Rhizoma and pharmacological effects of berberine were reviewed in this study, which was expected to provide references for the further research, development of and clinical application of Coptidis Rhizoma and berberine.

[Effect of Yixinshu Capsules on calcium regulatory protein in cardiac myocytes of rats with heart failure].

To explore the molecular mechanism of Yixinshu Capsules(YXS) in restoring cardiac function in rats with heart failure(HF) from the perspective of calmodulin in cardiac myocytes on the basis of determining the therapeutic effect of YXS on HF. The SD rats were subjected to the surgery of ligating the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery for 4 weeks to established myocardial ischemia-induced heart failure animal model. Then the rats were randomly divided into Sham operation group(Sham, saline), model group(HF, saline), high dose YXS group(HF+YXS-H, 1 600 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), low dose YXS group(HF+YXS-L, 800 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)) and positive drug valsartan group(HF+VST, 8 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)). After continuous intragastric administration for 6 weeks, the rats were sacrificed and myocardial tissue was collected. Real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) and Western blot were used to detect the expression of genes and proteins related to calcium regulation in cardiomyocytes. RESULTS:: showed that as compared with the model group, YXS increased the transcription level of Atp2 a2, Ryr2, CACNA1 C and PRKACA, and increased the expression levels of P-Ryr2, CACNA1 C and SERCA2 a, while decreased the level of NCX1.On the other hand, YXS treatment significantly decreased the RIP3 level and the phosphorylation of its substrate CaMKⅡ protein, and enhanced the phosphorylation expression of PLB. In summary, YXS therapy could regulate the expression of genes and proteins related to calcium regulation in cardiomyocytes, decrease RIP3 and the phosphorylation of CaMKⅡ protein, increase the phosphorylation of PLB at Ser16, and increase the expression of SERCA2 a protein, suggesting that YXS may regulate myocardial calcium homeostasis through CaMKⅡ/PLB/SERCA2 a pathway, to improve the ability of calcium uptake in sarcoplasmic reticulum and stabilize intracellular free Ca~(2+), so as to improve the cardiac function in rats with heart failure. Our study revealed the possible mechanism of YXS in the treatment of heart failure, especially from the perspective of intervention of calmodulin, promoting the clinical application of YXS.

[Quality evaluation of Gastrodiae Rhizoma standard decoction based on UPLC fingerprint and quantitative analysis multi-components method].

To establish the quantitative analysis multi-components with a single-marker(QAMS) method for six components and fingerprint of standard decoction of Gastrodiae Rhizoma, verify the accuracy and feasibility of the method, and evaluate the quality of standard decoction. Based on UPLC with gastrodin as the internal standard, relative correction factors of p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, parishin E, parishin B, parishin C, parishin A and gastrodin were determined by investigating the column temperature, flow rate, chromatographic columns and multi-point concentration correction. The total contents in 18 batches of standard decoction of Gastrodiae Rhizoma and the similarity were determined to calculate the similarity. The results of standard curve method, external standard one-point method and quantitative analysis multi-components with a single-marker(QAMS) were compared, and the results showed that there was no significant difference among these three methods. By analyzing the results of standard decoctions from different origins, it can be seen that the quality of Gastrodia standard decoctions derived from Anhui and Yunnan was better, followed by Shaanxi and Hubei, and relatively poor in Gansu, with similarities all above 0.90 in the fingerprints. Therefore, the QAMS method that can measure the contents of gastrodin, p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, parishin E, parishin B, parishin C and parishin A in standard decoction of Gastrodiae Rhizoma combined with fingerprint is accurate, feasible and fast, which can be used to evaluate the quality of standard decoction of Gastrodiae Rhizoma, and also provide a reference for the research on the quality standards of raw materials for Gastrodiae Rhizoma prepared slices and alike.

CircSAMD4A accelerates cell proliferation of osteosarcoma by sponging miR-1244 and regulating MDM2 mRNA expression.

Here, we firstly examined the proliferation and invasion capacities of different osteosarcoma (OS) cell lines, and analyzed the profiling of the differentially expressed circular RNAs(circRNAs). Then, we identified a novel circRNA(circ_101356/circ_0004846, we named circSAMD4 in the present study) and found it was highly expressed in the OS tissues compared to adjacent non-cancerous tissues. Furthermore, we indicated that circSAMD4A promoted OS proliferation in vivo and in vitro. In addition, we proved that circSAMD4A enhances osteosarcoma cells stemness features. In mechanism, circSAMD4A could sponge miR-1244 in OS cells. Moreover, we verified that MDM2 was a target of miR-1244. In conclusion, circSAMD4A/miR-1244/MDM2 regulatory loop might be a promising therapeutic target for OS treatment.

Relay optical function and pre-construction results of a Giant Steerable Science Mirror for a thirty meter telescope.

The Giant Steerable Science Mirror (GSSM) is the tertiary mirror system of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) that relays optical beams from the secondary mirror to active instruments on Nasmyth platforms. One of the key technologies involved in GSSM functions is the error budget allocation from the system engineering of TMT. A novel approach of error analysis and allocation with strong adaptability, which is based on normalized Point Source Sensitivity (PSSn), is proposed. The relay optical function including the quality of the wavefront, the rationality of the mechanism, and the stability of the light were achieved based on the proposed method. The experiments validate the proposed method.

Preparation of cadmium sulfide nanoparticles and their application for improving the properties of the electrochemical sensor for the determination of enrofloxacin in real samples.

An advanced electrochemical sensor for the detection of enrofloxacin (ENR) based on the use of a modified electrode containing cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoparticles (NPs) is reported. The CdS NPs were synthesized and characterized and then coated onto the electrode to fabricate a modified electrode that exhibited a lower limit of detection of 9.5 × 10-8  mol·L-1 . This detection limit compares with a traditional electrode that exhibited a concentration detection range of 1.0 × 10-2 to 1.0 × 10-7  mol·L-1 . This modified electrode demonstrated good selectivity, reproducibility, response time (<40 s), lifetime (up to 12 wk), and pH range (3.3-7.2) for the determination of ENR in real samples (eg, pig urine).

Efficacy of fingolimod combined with alteplase in acute ischemic stroke and rehabilitation nursing.

This paper aims to observe and analyze the safety and clinical efficacy of Fingolimod combined with alteplase intravenous thrombolysis in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. 90 patients with acute ischemic stroke were randomly divided into two groups. 45 patients in the control group were given alteplase intravenous thrombolysis for injection. 45 cases in the trial group were treated with Fingolimod combined with alteplase. There was no significant difference in NIHSS score, mRS score and BI index between the two groups 14 days after treatment, but 90 days after treatment, NIHSS score and mRS score of the experimental group were significantly lower than that of the control group, and BI index was significantly higher (P<0.05). 24 hours after oral administration of Fingolimod (0.5 mg), the circulating blood CD4 + T, CD8 + T, CD19 + B and CD56 + natural killer cells of the patients in the combined treatment group decreased steadily to varying degrees. The results confirm the pharmacological effect of Fingolimod: it changes lymphocyte migration, promotes lymphocyte to enter lymphoid tissue, prevents lymphocyte from leaving lymphoid tissue to enter the peripheral circulation, and thus prevents these immune cells from infiltrating the central nervous system. The results showed that Fingolimod combined with alteplase intravenous thrombolysis is safe for patients with acute ischemic stroke. .

Gut microbiome-based medical methodologies for early-stage disease prevention.

Recent advancements highlight the important role of gut microbiome in human health. However, a variety of endogenous and exogenous factors, such as genes, foods, drugs, environmental pollutions, oxidative stress, etc., may interfere with the gut microbiome in vivo and increase risks of digestive system diseases, cardiovascular diseases, neurological diseases, obesity, diabetes, cancers, and so on. Abundant discoveries listed in this work support that changes in the composition of the gut microbiome may be potentially used as sensitive early-stage diagnostic biomarkers and that the gut microbiome could be a promising therapeutic target for systemic prevention of multiple human diseases. Interestingly, the microbial culturomics revolution makes it possible to identify much more species and several new species in the gut microbiome. Several innovative articles published by Science and Nature in 2016 further put forward the feasibility of these perspectives, lay grounds for establishing standardized human gut microbiome compositions, and are particularly important for monitoring dysbiosis of the gut microbiome and for precisely reshaping a dysfunctional gut microbiome. Hypothetically, keeping and reconstructing an optimized gut microbiome would be essential to prevent the occurrence of various human diseases. Hence, these advancements have impressive clinical implications for predicting abnormal healthy status of human beings and for preventing the initiation of systemic disorders at an early stage.

[Analysis of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes in 159 German migraine patients].

Data mining method was adopted to collect 159 cases of German migraine patients who live in the TCM-Klinik Bad Kötzting Hospital from January 2013 to March 2015. The general case information was divided into age, gender, profession, characteristics of headache, degree of headache, accompanied symptoms and tongue pulse, and included in corresponding databases. Initial data was standardized and cleaned to get a data form suitable for analysis. SPSS system software was adopted to make a frequency statistics analysis for such variables as gender, age, profession, headache characteristic and accompanied symptoms. The results showed that German migraine cases feature a universality of age, long disease cycle and easy recurrence; And most of the patients were mental workers. There were two common clinical TCM symptoms, namely hyperactivity of liver Yang type and Qi deficiency & phlegm dampness. The common symptoms are forehead tingling, recurrent headache, vomiting and nausea, dark tongue, thin and white fur tongue, wiry pulse and slippery pulse. The disease is related to the pathology of stagnation of Qi, phlegm and blood stasis in liver, spleen, kidney and stomach.

Mfsd2a-based pharmacological strategies for drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) keeps the central nervous system (CNS) safe from various brain diseases, while the BBB makes it difficult for effective drugs to enter the CNS. Mfsd2a is specifically expressed on the cell membrane of brain-microvascular endothelial cell (BMEC) and is implicated in the delivery of some substances across the BBB. Mfsd2a is the first inhibitor of the transcytosis and the first transporter for lysophosphatidylcholine-docosahexaenoic acid (LPC-DHA) in BMECs. The crucial dual function of Mfsd2a puts forward two kinds of Mfsd2a-based strategies for carrying drugs from blood to the CNS. First, the reversible inhibition of Mfsd2a may temporarily induce a general disinhibition of the transcytosis in BMECs to transport macromolecular drugs across the BBB (Strategy One). Second, Mfsd2a could be used for the transport of some small-molecule drugs chemically coupled to LPC across the BBB (Strategy Two), which is quite similar to the carrier-mediated transport (CMT) via the glucose transporter (GluT1) and the L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1). We here analyze and discuss the clinical significance of the two Mfsd2a-based strategies, including therapeutic potential, available pharmaceuticals, side effects, administration procedures, and disease types. In summary, the regulatory role of Mfsd2a deepens our knowledge of the function of the BBB, potentially contributing to the effective drug delivery in the treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, brain tumors, and life-threatening infections in the CNS.