A fluorescent terbium-metal-organic framework material for high-sensitivity detection of vomitoxin and oxytetracycline hydrochloride in water.

A unique luminescent lanthanide metal-organic framework (LnMOF)-based fluorescence detection platform was utilized to achieve sensitive detection of vomitoxin (VT) and oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC-HCL) without the use of antibodies or biomolecular modifications. The sensor had a fluorescence quenching constant of 9.74 × 106 M-1 and a low detection limit of 0.68 nM for vomitoxin. Notably, this is the first example of a Tb-MOF sensor for fluorescence detection of vomitoxin. We further investigated its response to two mycotoxins, aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A, and found that their Stern-Volmer fluorescence quenching constants were lower than those of VT. In addition, the fluorescence sensor realized sensitive detection of OTC-HCL with a detection limit of 0.039 µM. In conclusion, the method has great potential as a sensitive and simple technique to detect VT and OTC-HCL in water.

[Modeling of Abdominal Wall-Cecum Injury Adhesion and the Anti-adhesion Mechanism of mXG].

OBJECTIVE: To construct the adhesion model of abdominal wall-cecum injury and explore the prevention and treatment effect of modified xyloglucan (mXG) thermosensitive hydrogel on abdominal wall-cecal injury adhesion. METHODS: SD rats were used to construct the abdominal wall-cecal injury adhesion model. Model mice were randomly divided into blank control group (Control), commercial chitosan membrane Control group (Film) and mXG thermosensitive hydrogel group (Hydrogel), each group contained 16 rats.In the Hydrogel group, 1 mL 4% (m/V) mXG solution was smeared on the wound surface of abdominal wall and the cecum, then closed the abdomen after gel was formed (3 min).In the Film group, 2 cm×3 cm chitosan anti-adhesion Film was applied onto the wound surface of the abdominal wall before abdominal closure.In the Control group, 1 mL normal saline was applied onto the wound surface of abdominal wall and the cecum before abdominal closure.On 7 and 14 d after the operation, rats'abdominal cavity was opened by surgery to examine and score the adhesion grade between the abdominal wall and the cecum, with double-blind design.Meanwhile, the adhesion tissue or wound tissue was taken and stained by HE, Masson and Van Gieson to histological evaluate the anti-adhesion effect.The expression of transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) was determined by immunohistochemical staining as well. Another group of 12 SD rat models were subjected to mXG thermosensitive hydrogel intervention.At the 1 and 6 weeks postoperation, rats main organs such as heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidney were taken for histological examination with HE staining for the purpose of evaluation the toxicity of mXG in vivo. RESULTS: Adhesion grade evaluation results showed that Film group rats occurred mild adhesion, Control group rats occurred severe adhesion, while in Hydrogel group hardly rats occured adhesion, and the differences were statistically significant(P < 0.05). Histological results showed that the Hydrogel group rats recovered well at 7 d after surgery.In healing wound tissue, no mutated tissue was observed, but a certain degree of inflammatory cell infiltration was still existed. At 14 d after surgery, the inflammation cells in the wound were significantly reduced, and the healing tissue containing only a small amount of collagen fibers under the neonatal mesothelial layer.But the other two groups showed different degrees of adhesion at the 7 and 14 d post surgery.Immunohistochemical staining showed that the expression of TGF-ß1 and CTGF in the Hydrogel group were both weaker than those in the other groups, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). In vivo toxicity tests did not show significant changes in the structure of the organs of mXG gel intervention rats at different time points. CONCLUSION: mXG thermosensitive hydrogel plays a good role in physical isolation during the key period of adhesion formation and effectively prevent the occurrence of cecum-abdominal adhesion.

Signaling protein signature predicts clinical outcome of non-small-cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is characterized by abnormalities of numerous signaling proteins that play pivotal roles in cancer development and progression. Many of these proteins have been reported to be correlated with clinical outcomes of NSCLC. However, none of them could provide adequate accuracy of prognosis prediction in clinical application. METHODS: A total of 384 resected NSCLC specimens from two hospitals in Beijing (BJ) and Chongqing (CQ) were collected. Using immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining on stored formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) surgical samples, we examined the expression levels of 75 critical proteins on BJ samples. Random forest algorithm (RFA) and support vector machines (SVM) computation were applied to identify protein signatures on 2/3 randomly assigned BJ samples. The identified signatures were tested on the remaining BJ samples, and were further validated with CQ independent cohort. RESULTS: A 6-protein signature for adenocarcinoma (ADC) and a 5-protein signature for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) were identified from training sets and tested in testing sets. In independent validation with CQ cohort, patients can also be divided into high- and low-risk groups with significantly different median overall survivals by Kaplan-Meier analysis, both in ADC (31 months vs. 87 months, HR 2.81; P <  0.001) and SCC patients (27 months vs. not reached, HR 9.97; P <  0.001). Cox regression analysis showed that both signatures are independent prognostic indicators and outperformed TNM staging (ADC: adjusted HR 3.07 vs. 2.43, SCC: adjusted HR 7.84 vs. 2.24). Particularly, we found that only the ADC patients in high-risk group significantly benefited from adjuvant chemotherapy (P = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS: Both ADC and SCC protein signatures could effectively stratify the prognosis of NSCLC patients, and may support patient selection for adjuvant chemotherapy.

Schisandra Chinensis Lignans Suppresses the Production of Inflammatory Mediators Regulated by NF-κB, AP-1, and IRF3 in Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated RAW264.7 Cells.

Schisandra Fructus (SF) is a traditional Chinese herb used in the treatment of inflammatory disorders like hepatitis. One of the main anti-inflammatory components of SF is the lignans. However, the underlying anti-inflammatory mechanism of Schisandra Chinensis lignans (SCL) remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of SCL on inflammatory mediators in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 cells and explore the underlying mechanism. The production of nitric oxide (NO) was determined by Griess reaction. ELISA was used to determine cytokine levels and chemokines secretion. To estimate protein levels and enzyme activities, we employed Western blotting. Nuclear localization of NF-κB, AP-1, and IRF3 was detected using immunofluorescence analyses. The results showed that SCL significantly reduced the release of inflammatory mediators, including NO and PGE2, which may be related to down-regulation of iNOS and COX-2 expression. The production of cytokines and chemokines was suppressed by SCL treatment. SCL also decreased the phosphorylation of IKKα/ß, IκB-α, Akt, TBK1, ERK, p38, JNK, NF-κB (p65), AP-1 (c-Jun), and IRF3 in RAW264.7 macrophages activated with LPS. The nuclear protein levels and nuclear translocation of AP-1, NF-κB and IRF3 were suppressed by SCL. These results indicated that SCL suppressed the IKKα/ß/NF-κB, MAPKs/AP-1 and TBK1/IRF3 signaling pathways in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages.

[Study on intersection and regulation mechanism of "efficacy-toxicity network" of aconite in combination environment of Sini decoction].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the intersection and regulation mechanism of "efficacy-toxicity network" of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Zingiberis Rhizoma and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata's action gene in the combination environment of Sini decoction with the network pharmacological method. METHOD: The gene interaction network of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Zingiberis Rhizoma were mined and established with Cytoscape software and Agilent literature search plug-in. The "efficiency-toxicity network" intersection of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata was formed according to its effects in anti-heart failure, neurotoxicity and cardiotoxicity. The target genes were clustered with Clusterviz plug-in. And the possible pathways of the "efficacy-tox- icity network" intersection of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Zingiberis Rhizoma and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata were forecasted in DAVID database. RESULT: There were five genes related to neurotoxicity, cardiotoxicity and anti-heart failure function of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata, namely AKT1, BAX, HCC, IL6 and IL8, which formed 47 nodes genes in the "efficiency-toxicity network" intersection of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata. There were 29 and 27 coincident genes in the "efficiency-toxicity network" of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Zingiberis Rhizoma and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata. There were 23 and 17 possible regulatory pathways. CONCLUSION: In the combination environment of Sini decoction, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and Zingiberis Rhizoma may regulate the efficiency-toxicity network of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata by influencing immune-inflammatory signaling pathway, apoptosis-autophagy signaling pathway, nerve cell and myocardial ischemia and hypoxia protection signaling pathways.

Differences in clinical characteristics and prognosis between breast neuroendocrine carcinoma and breast invasive ductal carcinoma: A multicentre population-based study from China.

AIM: We constructed a multicentre cohort in China to analyse the differences in clinical characteristics, treatment strategies and prognoses between breast neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of the breast. METHODS: All patients with early-stage breast cancer who attended three hospitals in Beijing from 2000 to 2018 were included in the study. We used propensity score matching to make a 1:3 match between NEC and IDC. RESULTS: After propensity score matching, 153 patients with IDC and 51 patients with NEC were analysed. Multivariate Cox regression showed that compared to patients with IDC, patients with NEC had a worse disease-free survival (HR = 2.94, 95% CI: 1.69-5.12, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: NEC patients have a worse disease-free survival than IDC patients.

Sichen Formula Ameliorates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Lung Injury via Blocking the TLR4 Signaling Pathways.

Purpose: Sichen (SC) formula is a classic prescription of Tibetan medicine. Due to its potential anti-inflammatory effect, the SC formula has been clinically used to treat respiratory diseases for many years in the Chinese Tibet region. The present study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of SC and explore the underlying mechanisms. Methods: SC formula was characterized by HPLC analysis. The acute lung injury (ALI) mouse model was induced by direct intratracheal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) instillation, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissues were collected. Meanwhile, RAW264.7 macrophages were stimulated by LPS. The contents of inflammatory mediators in the culture medium were determined by ELISA. Protein levels were determined by immunohistochemical staining or Western blotting. Nuclear localization of NF-κB, AP-1, and IRF3 was performed using immunofluorescence and Western blotting. Results: In the LPS-induced ALI mouse model, SC treatment suppressed the secretion of inflammatory mediators (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1ß, MCP-1, MIP-1α, and RANTES) in BALF. SC treatment hindered the recruitment of macrophages. SC treatment also inhibited the expression of CD68, p-p65, and TLR4 in the lung tissue. In the LPS-exposed RAW264.7 cells, the cell viability was not changed up to 400 µg/mL of SC. SC concentration-dependently suppressed the production of nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2, TNF-α, IL-6, MCP-1, MIP-1α, and RANTES in LPS-challenged RAW264.7 cells. The expression levels of iNOS, COX-2, p-p38, p-JNK, p-ERK, p-TBK1, p-IKKα/ß, p-IκB, p-p65, p-c-Jun, and p-IRF3 were decreased after SC treatment. Moreover, the nuclear translocation of p65, c-Jun, and IRF3 was also blocked by SC treatment. Conclusion: SC treatment inhibited the inflammatory responses in LPS-induced ALI mouse model/RAW264.7 macrophages. The underlying mechanism of this action may be closely associated with the suppression of TLR4 signaling pathways. These research findings provide further pharmacological justifications for the medicinal use of SC in the management of respiratory diseases.

Xuelian injection ameliorates complete Freund's adjuvant-induced acute arthritis in rats via inhibiting TLR4 signaling.

Background: Xuelian injection (XI), a classic preparation extracted from Saussureae Involucratae Herba, has been clinically used to manage rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for nearly twenty years in China. However, the underlying anti-RA mechanism of XI remains unclear. In this study, complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced acute arthritic model was used to examine the anti-RA effects of XI in vivo. The molecular mechanisms of this action were further investigated using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Methods: XI and XI freeze dried powder were characterized by UPLC analysis. CD68 and TLR4 expression in the ankle joints was measured by immunohistochemistry. The secretion of inflammatory mediators was detected by ELISA. The expression levels of TLR4 involved components were measured by Western blotting. The localization of transcription factors was measured by immunofluorescence assay. Results: XI treatment ameliorated arthritic symptoms induced by CFA in the ankle joints of rats. The serum levels of inflammatory mediators, including TNF-α, MCP-1, and Rantes were decreased by XI treatment. The elevation of CD68 and TLR4 levels in ankle joints caused by CFA was suppressed by XI treatment. Moreover, XI treatment inhibited the secretion of nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2 in LPS-treated RAW264.7 macrophages. The expression of their enzymes iNOS and COX-2 was also decreased after XI treatment. The production of inflammatory mediators, including TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1ß, MCP-1, MIP-1α, and Rantes was reduced by XI treatment in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. The phosphorylation of p38, JNK, ERK, TBK1, IKKα/ß, IκB, p65, c-Jun, and IRF3 was reduced after XI treatment. Additionally, the expression levels of nuclear proteins of p65, c-Jun, and IRF3 were inhibited by XI treatment. Conclusions: Taken together, XI possesses potential anti-RA effect and the underlying mechanism may be closely associated with the inhibition of TLR4 signaling. Our findings provide further pharmacological justifications for the clinical use of XI in RA treatment.

Predictive value of indirect bilirubin before neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in evaluating prognosis of local advanced rectal cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Many biomarkers have predictive value for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in tumor patients. However, the role of indirect bilirubin (IBIL) in local advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) has not been studied. AIM: To explore the predictive value of IBIL before nCRT (pre-IBIL) for the OS and DFS of LARC patients treated with nCRT. METHODS: A total of 324 LARC patients undergoing nCRT with total mesorectal excision (TME) were enrolled. Preoperative clinical features and postoperative pathological characteristics were collected. Cox regression analysis was performed, and a Cox-based nomogram was developed to predict OS and DFS. We also assessed the predictive performance of the nomogram with calibration plots and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: Among 324 patients, the median pre-IBIL was 6.2 µmol/L (interquartile range: 4.6 µmol/L-8.4 µmol/L). In the Cox multivariate regression analysis, we found that pre-IBIL, smoking history, tumor regression grade (TRG), vascular invasion, and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 before nCRT (pre-CA19-9) were predictors of OS. Additionally, pre-IBIL, body mass index (BMI), nCRT with surgery interval, TRG, and vascular invasion were predictors of DFS. Predictive nomograms were developed to predict 5-year OS and 5-year DFS with area under the ROC curve values of 0.7518 and 0.7355, respectively. Good statistical performance on internal validation was shown by calibration plots and ROC curves. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that pre-IBIL was an independent prognostic factor for OS and DFS in LARC patients treated with nCRT followed by TME. Nomograms incorporating pre-IBIL, BMI, smoking history, nCRT with surgery interval, TRG, vascular invasion, and pre-CA19-9 could be helpful to predict OS and DFS.

Diabetes and Colorectal Cancer Risk: Clinical and Therapeutic Implications.

Several epidemiological studies have identified diabetes as a risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC). The potential pathophysiological mechanisms of this association include hyperinsulinemia, insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis, hyperglycemia, inflammation induced by adipose tissue dysfunction, gastrointestinal motility disorder, and impaired immunological surveillance. Several studies have shown that underlying diabetes adversely affects the prognosis of patients with CRC. This review explores the novel anticancer agents targeting IGF-1R and receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), both of which play a vital role in diabetes-induced colorectal tumorigenesis. Inhibitors of IGF-1R and RAGE are expected to become promising therapeutic choices, particularly for CRC patients with diabetes. Furthermore, hypoglycemic therapy is associated with the incidence of CRC. Selection of appropriate hypoglycemic agents, which can reduce the risk of CRC in diabetic patients, is an unmet issue. Therefore, this review mainly summarizes the current studies concerning the connections among diabetes, hypoglycemic therapy, and CRC as well as provides a synthesis of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. Our synthesis provides a theoretical basis for rational use of hypoglycemic therapies and early diagnosis and treatment of diabetes-related CRC.

Schisandrin B mitigates hepatic steatosis and promotes fatty acid oxidation by inducing autophagy through AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Schisandrin B (Sch B), which inhibits hepatic steatosis caused by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is one of the most active dibenzocyclooctadienes isolated from Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill with various pharmacological activities. In this study, the role of Sch B-induced autophagy in lipid-lowering activities of Sch B was examined and the underlying mechanisms were elucidated. METHODS: Free fatty acid (FFA)-stimulated HepG2 cells and mouse primary hepatocytes (MPHs) and high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice were used as NAFLD models. The role of Sch B-induced autophagy in lipid-lowering effects of Sch B was assessed using ATG5/TFEB-deficient cells and 3-methyladenine (3-MA)-treated hepatocytes and mice. RESULTS: Sch B simultaneously active autophagy through AMPK/mTOR pathway and decreased the number of lipid droplets in FFA-treated HepG2 cells and MPHs. Additionally, siATG5/siTFEB transfection or 3-MA treatment mitigated Sch B-induced autophagy and activation of fatty acid oxidation (FAO) and ketogenesis in FFA-treated HepG2 cells and MPHs. Sch B markedly decreased hepatic lipid content and activated the autophagy through AMPK/mTOR pathway in HFD-fed mice. However, the activities of Sch B were suppressed upon 3-MA treatment. Sch B upregulated the expression of key enzymes involved in FAO and ketogenesis, which was mitigated upon 3-MA treatment. Moreover, changes in hepatic lipid components and amino acids may be related to the Sch B-induced autophagy pathway. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that Sch B inhibited hepatic steatosis and promoted FAO by activation of autophagy through AMPK/mTOR pathway. Our study provides novel insights into the hepatic lipophagic activity of Sch B and its potential application in the management of NAFLD.

[Effects of Herba Ephedra Sinicae and Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis on pathology of rats with bleomycin A(5)-induced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the different effects between Mahuang (Herba Ephedra Sinicae) and Wuweizi (Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis) on the pathological changes of rats with bleomycin A(5)-induced pulmonary fibrosis. METHODS: Ninety Wistar rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, model group, hydrocortisone group, Herba Ephedra Sinicae group, Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis group and Herba Ephedra Sinicae plus Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis group. There were 16 rats in each group except the sham operation group (10 rats). Pulmonary fibrosis was induced by a single intratracheal injection of bleomycin A5. Hematoxylin and eosin straining and immunohistochemical method were used after 7- and 28-day treatment to observe the pathology of lung injury, measure the inner diameter of pulmonary arterioles and the density of nuclear membrane. RESULTS: Compared with the sham operation group at 7 and 28 d, alveolar inflammation level was significantly increased in the model group (P<0.01). Alveolar inflammation level was decreased obviously in the hydrocortisone group (P<0.05) after 7- and 28-day treatment as compared with the model group, and that in Herba Ephedra Sinicae plus Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis group was also decreased obviously (P<0.05) at 28 d. Compared with the sham operation group, nuclear density of the model group was increased, while its inner diameter was decreased (P<0.05). In the Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis group, Herba Ephedra Sinicae plus Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis group and hydrocortisone group, the nuclear density was decreased (P<0.05) as compared with the model group. Inner diameter in the Herba Ephedra Sinicae group, Herba Ephedra Sinicae plus Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis group and hydrocortisone group was higher than that in the model group (P<0.05). Microvessel density of the model group was obviously higher than that of the sham operation group (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, Herba Ephedra Sinicae plus Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis group and hydrocortisone group had lower microvessel density (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Herba Ephedra Sinicae combined with Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis can restrain pulmonary artery injury. The nuclear density and microvessel density can be reduced by Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis, while Herba Ephedra Sinicae can increase the inner diameter.

Chinese Herbal Medicine Alleviates Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury by Regulating Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress.

Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury is the main cause of increased mortality and disability in cardiovascular diseases. The injury involves many pathological processes, such as oxidative stress, calcium homeostasis imbalance, inflammation, and energy metabolism disorders, and these pathological stimuli can activate endoplasmic reticulum stress. In the early stage of ischemia, endoplasmic reticulum stress alleviates the injury as an adaptive survival response, but the long-term stress on endoplasmic reticulum amplifies oxidative stress, inflammation, and calcium overload to accelerate cell damage and apoptosis. Therefore, regulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress may be a mechanism to improve ischemia/reperfusion injury. Chinese herbal medicine has a long history of clinical application and unique advantages in the treatment of ischemic heart diseases. This review focuses on the effect of Chinese herbal medicine on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury from the perspective of regulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Tibetan Medicine for Diabetes Mellitus: Overview of Pharmacological Perspectives.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) and its complications pose a major public health threat which is approaching epidemic proportions globally. Current drug options may not provide good efficacy and even cause serious adverse effects. Seeking safe and effective agents for DM treatment has been an area of intensive interest. As a healing system originating in Tibet, Traditional Tibetan Medicine (TTM) has been widely used by Tibetan people for the prevention and treatment of DM and its complications for hundreds of years. Tibetan Materia Medica (TMM) including the flower of Edgeworthia gardneri (Wall.) Meisn., Phyllanthi Fructus, Chebulae Fructus, Huidouba, and Berberidis Cortex are most frequently used and studied. These TMMs possess hypoglycemic, anti-insulin resistant, anti-glycation, lipid lowering, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidative effects. The underlying mechanisms of these actions may be related to their α-glucosidase inhibitory, insulin signaling promoting, PPARs-activating, gut microbiota modulation, islet ß cell-preserving, and TNF-α signaling suppressive properties. This review presents a comprehensive overview of the mode and mechanisms of action of various active constituents, extracts, preparations, and formulas from TMM. The dynamic beneficial effects of the products prepared from TMM for the management of DM and its complications are summarized. These TMMs are valuable materia medica which have the potential to be developed as safe and effective anti-DM agents.

In Silico Structure-Based Design of Antiviral Peptides Targeting the Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus Glycoprotein Gn.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) is an emerging tick-borne bunyavirus in Asia that causes severe disease. Despite its clinical importance, treatment options for SFTSV infection remains limited. The SFTSV glycoprotein Gn plays a major role in mediating virus entry into host cells and is therefore a potential antiviral target. In this study, we employed an in silico structure-based strategy to design novel cyclic antiviral peptides that target the SFTSV glycoprotein Gn. Among the cyclic peptides, HKU-P1 potently neutralizes the SFTSV virion. Combinatorial treatment with HKU-P1 and the broad-spectrum viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase inhibitor favipiravir exhibited synergistic antiviral effects in vitro. The in silico peptide design platform in this study may facilitate the generation of novel antiviral peptides for other emerging viruses.

The mitochondrial genome sequence of a satyrid butterfly, Lethe confuse (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae).

The nearly complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Lethe confuse was sequenced and analyzed. This mitogenome is 14,945 bp in size and encodes 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes. The most common start codon is ATN (ATA, ATG, and ATT), and the most common termination codon is TAA. In addition, three PCGs have incomplete termination codon T. The overall nucleotide composition is 38.0% of A, 7.8% of G, 42.4% of T, and 11.8% of C. The data will increase the basic information of Satyrinae phylogenetic research and can help to better understand the phylogenetic status of L. confuse in Nymphalidae.

Zirconia-Pillaring in Layered HNb3 O8 and HNbMoO6.

In this work, the pillaring of two layered niobium-based oxides (HNb3 O8 and HNbMoO6 ) with zirconia was investigated in detail. Two novel zirconia-pillared layered metal oxides, zirconia-pillared layered HNb3 O8 and zirconia-pillared layered HNbMoO6 , have been successfully prepared. Both pillared products exhibited a higher thermal stability exceeding 673 K. For the pillaring of layered HNb3 O8 , two different pre-expanding agents, 1-dodecanamine and 1,12-dodecanediamine, were alternatively used, and two kinds of zirconium-pillaring solutions containing zirconium(IV) polyoxocations obtained through two different ways were employed. The 1,12-dodecanediamine-pre-expanded layered intermediate was applicable and 1-dodecanamine-pre-expanded one was not applicable to the intercalation of zirconium(IV) polyoxocations in interlayer regions of the layered niobium-based oxides. More interestingly, the zirconium-pillaring solutions prepared by using an appropriate amount of diethylene glycol as stabilizing agent was advantage for constructing the ordered zirconia-pillared product, whereas the zirconium-pillaring solutions obtained in the case of absence of diethylene glycol seemed not to conduct well an ions-exchange reaction with the alkylamine-pre-expanded layered intermediates. The order degree of zirconia-pillared layered transition metal oxides was closely related to the host sheets. The zirconia-pillared layered HNb3 O8 contained more defects, while the zirconia-pillared layered HNbMoO6 had fewer defects.

Microdetermination of proteins by resonance light scattering technique based on aggregation of ferric nanoparticles.

A new method for protein determination is presented that allows measurement of proteins at nanogram levels with simple procedure. The method applies a resonance light scattering (RLS) technique, but based on aggregation of ferric nanoparticles on protein template instead of the usual interaction of organic days with proteins. By mixing ferric colloid with sodium cacodylate buffer solution, ferric nanoparticles can be obtained in the size of about 5nm and kept their positive charges in a wide range of pH 1.8-7.6. The ferric nanoparticles can interact with proteins to form particular aggregates and thus result in strong and stable RLS. Under optimal conditions (wavelength of 451nm and pH 7.4), few substances interfere with this assay. The detection limitation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) is 6.6ng/mL and the linear range is 20-700ng/mL. This method gives almost identical responses for BSA, human serum albumin (HSA) and gamma-globulin (gamma-G), and can be used for the determination of total proteins in human serum with satisfactory results.

Value of mean platelet volume combined with thromboelastography in predicting thrombosis after total knee arthroplasty / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:Thromboelastography plays an important role in identifying the hypercoagulable state of blood and thrombosis in humans.Recent studies have shown a correlation between an increase in mean platelet volume and thrombosis.We can therefore ask whether the combined diagnosis of thromboelastography and mean platelet volume is a more accurate predictor of thrombosis. OBJECTIVE:To predict the status of blood and the occurrence of thrombosis after total knee arthroplasty by means of mean platelet volume combined with thromboelastography. METHODS:One hundred and twenty patients who underwent unilateral total knee arthroplasty between May 2015 and March 2022 were collected.Patients were divided into 60 patients in the thrombosis group and 60 patients in the control group based on ultrasound findings on postoperative day 7.Whole blood cell and thromboelastography were performed 1 day before,1 and 7 days after surgery,respectively.Multifactorial analysis was used to investigate independent predictors of thrombosis after total knee arthroplasty.The receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the curve were measured in the subjects. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Mean platelet volume correlated most strongly with maximum amplitude,followed by coagulation angle.Mean platelet volume and coagulation angle on postoperative day 1 were independent predictors of thrombosis.Mean platelet volume tended to rise and then fall in patients with thrombosis.The best critical value for mean platelet volume to predict thrombosis was 10.73 fL.The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of subjects was 0.665(95%CI:0.568-0.762,P<0.05];whereas the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for subjects using mean platelet volume combined with coagulation angle was 0.815(95%CI:0.750-0.879,P<0.05).In addition,the maximum amplitude,coagulation angle,coagulation index and mean platelet volume were significantly higher in the thrombosis group than in the control group postoperatively(P<0.05).The results suggest that the mean platelet volume can reflect the hypercoagulable state of blood after surgery,and the combination of mean platelet volume and coagulation angle on day 1 after total knee arthroplasty can improve the prediction of thrombosis.

Effect of varus and valgus angles of tibial prosthesis on short-term outcome of fixed bearing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:Previous studies on the effects of valgus and varus angles of tibial component on short-term postoperative outcomes after mobile bearing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty have been reported in and outside China.However,there are few reports on the effect of the valgus and varus angles of tibial component on short-term postoperative outcomes after fixed bearing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of valgus and varus angles of tibial component on short-term clinical outcomes in patients with medial knee osteoarthritis undergoing fixed bearing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. METHODS:120 patients(122 knees)who underwent fixed bearing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty for medial knee osteoarthritis in Department of Orthopedic Surgery,Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from August 2020 to January 2023 were selected as the study subjects.Two physicians measured the varus angle of femoral prosthesis,valgus and varus angles of tibial prosthesis,flexion and extension angles of femoral prosthesis,and posterior inclination angle of tibial prosthesis after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty based on postoperative X-ray.After excluding the influence of the other three angles,the measurement results of the tibial component varus angle were divided into three groups:<-2°,-2° to 2°,>2°,which were denoted as groups 1,2,and 3,respectively.The range of knee motion,the hospital for special surgery knee score,the American knee society score,and forgotten joint score were recorded and compared before and after the operation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)A total of 120 patients(122 knees)were enrolled in this study.They were divided into three groups according to the size of the valgus and varus angles of the tibial prosthesis after operation:37 patients in the first group,60 patients in the second group,and 23 patients in the third group.There was no significant difference between the three groups in terms of baseline information such as age,gender,and side of surgery(P>0.05).(2)Patients were followed up for 3-30 months after arthroplasty.(3)The hospital for special surgery knee score of the second group was higher than that of the first group(P=0.015)and the third group(P=0.012).The American knee society score of the second group was significantly higher than that of the first group(P=0.014)and the third group(P<0.001).The forgotten joint score of the second group was higher than that of the first group(P=0.033)and the third group(P=0.016).(4)After fixed bearing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty,when the valgus angle of tibial prosthesis was-2° to 2°,which can achieve better short-term clinical results,the degree of prosthesis self-realization is higher.