Overexpression of Homeobox A1 Relieves Ovalbumin-Induced Asthma in Mice and Is Associated with Blocking of the NF-κB Signaling Pathway.

Homeobox A1 (HOXA1) is a protein coding gene involved in regulating immunity signaling. This study aims to explore the function and mechanism of HOXA1 in asthma. An asthma mouse model was established via ovalbumin (OVA) induction. Airway hyperresponsiveness was evaluated by the value of pause enhancement (Penh). Inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were detected by Trypan blue and Wright staining. The pathological morphology of lung tissues was assessed by H&E staining. The IgE and inflammatory biomarkers (IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-17, and TNF-α) in BALF and lung tissues were measured by ELISA. Western blot was performed to detect the expression of NF-κB pathway-related proteins. HOXA1 was down-regulated in OVA-induced asthmatic mice. Overexpression of HOXA1 decreased Penh and relieved pathological injury of lung tissues in OVA-induced mice. Overexpression of HOXA1 also reduced the numbers of total cells, leukocytes, eosinophils, neutrophils, macrophages, and lymphocytes, as well as the levels of IgE, IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-17, and TNF-α in BALF of OVA-induced mice. The inflammatory biomarkers were also decreased in lung tissues by HOXA1 overexpression. In addition, HOXA1 overexpression blocked the NF-κB signaling pathway in OVA-induced mice. Overexpression of HOXA1 relieved OVA-induced asthma in female mice, which is associated with the blocking of the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on the electromyographic activity of human masticatory muscles in young people with normal occlusion.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has been used in several clinical areas. However, the effect of TENS on the masticatory muscles of young individuals with normal occlusion remains unclear. PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to assess the effect of TENS on the surface electromyographic (sEMG) activity of masticatory muscles in a young population with normal occlusion. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty residents (5 men and 15 women, mean 24.27 ±2.59 years) of Dalian Stomatological Hospital were enrolled as the study participants. A trained operator collected the required information from the participants. The experiment was divided into 3 stages: pre-TENS acquisition, TENS application, and post-TENS acquisition. The pre-TENS stage was performed using surface electromyography (sEMG) (Myotronics Inc) to acquire the potential values of masticatory muscles in the following 3 states 5 times each: resting, intercuspal occlusion (ICO), and maximum voluntary clench (clenching). The potential values of the anterior of temporalis (TA), the masseter (MM), the sternocleidomastoid (SCM), and the anterior digastric (DA) muscles were collected in the resting state, and TA and MM were collected in the ICO and clenching states. During the TENS application phase, a TENS Unit device (J5 Myomonitor) (J5) was used on each participant for 45 minutes. The post-TENS acquisition phase involved the same procedure as the pre-TENS phase. The experimental data were recorded, and the normality of each group was analyzed using the Shapiro-Wilk test in a statistical software program (IBM SPSS Statistics, v26.0). The paired-sample t test was used to compare the differences in the mean values of sEMG and the asymmetry index (As); the independent-sample t test was used to compare the activity index (Ac) and torque index (To) (α=.05). RESULTS: Significant differences were observed in the mean potential values of TA, MM, LSCM, and RDA before and after TENS in the resting state and RTA, LMM, and RMM before and after TENS in the clenching state (P<.05). Moreover, although AsDA values showed a significant difference (P=.027) before and after TENS in the resting state, the differences in As values for the other muscles in the resting state were statistically similar. Furthermore, in each state, the mean values of Ac and To after TENS showed no significant differences before and after TENS (P>.05). CONCLUSIONS: The resting EMG values of the TA and MM differed significantly before and after TENS. After TENS, the resting EMG activity decreased, whereas the functional EMG activity tended to increase.

miR-433-3p Targets AJUBA to Inhibit Malignant Progression of Glioma.

INTRODUCTION: Glioma is the most aggressive and malignant type of tumors among primary intracranial tumors. miR-433-3p has been verified to be correlated with the formation and progression of many types of cancers. METHODS: In this study, the effects of miR-433-3p and AJUBA on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of glioma and the molecular mechanisms were investigated. We analyzed bioinformatics databases and conducted cell biology experiments to determine that compared with adjacent tissue and normal cells, the expression level of miR-433-3p in glioma tissue and cells was lower, while the expression level of AJUBA was higher. Overexpressing miR-433-3p could significantly inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of glioma cells and promote cell apoptosis. RESULTS: In addition, after overexpressing miR-433-3p and AJUBA, it was found that overexpressing AJUBA could attenuate the inhibitory effect of overexpressing miR-433-3p on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of glioma cells, which suggested that miR-433-3p regulated the biological function of glioma by downregulating AJUBA expression. CONCLUSION: These results proved that miR-433-3p could target to inhibit the expression of AJUBA, thus inhibiting the biological function and malignant progression of glioma.

Insight into the Potential of Meehania fargesii var. Radicans against Hp-Induced Gastric Carcinoma Based on Phytochemical and Molecular Docking Studies.

We used UV-guided method to isolate and identify 12 secondary metabolites from Meehania fargesii var. Radicans for the first time, including eight triterpenoids (1-8), two phenylpropanoid derivatives (9-10) and two flavone glycosides (11-12). Their structures were identified by NMR spectroscopic methods, as well as literature comparison. The identified compounds and positive drugs (amoxicillin, omeprazole and clarithromycin) were further analyzed for their in silico docking interactions with HtrA using igemdock. Docking studies revealed the high binding affinity of phytochemicals at significant sites with HtrA, compounds 11 and 12 exhibiting stronger binding ability than standard drug, 1 and 3-10 demonstrating comparable docking capacity to standard drugs. The chemotaxonomic relationships were carried out to exploring the possibilities of other medicinal plants against Hp-induced gastric carcinoma. The results demonstrated there are closely chemotaxonomic similarity among several genera of the Lamiaceae family as well as among Lamiaceae, Actinidiaceae and Rosaceae families, indicating a similar chemical compositions and anti-Hp-induces gastric carcinoma activity among them.

Laser Shock Fabrication of Nitrogen Doped Inverse Spinel Fe3O4/Carbon Nanosheet Film Electrodes towards Hydrogen Evolution Reactions in Alkaline Media.

The reliable and cost-effective production of high-performance film electrodes for hydrogen evolution reactions remains a challenge for the laser surface modification community. In this study, prior to a thermal imidization reaction, a small number of Fe3O4 nanoparticles were vortexed into a poly(amic acid) (PAA) prepolymer, and the achieved flat composite film was then ablated by a 1064 nm fiber laser. After laser irradiation, the hierarchical architectures of carbon nanosheets decorated with Fe3O4 nanoparticles were generated. Although pure polyimide (PI) film and laser carbonized PI film, as well as bare Fe3O4, showcase poor intrinsic catalytic activity toward alkaline hydrogen evolution reactions, our laser-derived Fe3O4/carbon nanosheet hybrid film demonstrated enhanced electrocatalytic activity and stability in 1 M KOH electrolyte; the overpotential(η10) reached 247 mV when the current density was 10 mA cm-2 with a slight current decay in the chronoamperometric examination of 12 h. Finally, we proposed that the substitution of N to O in Fe-O sites of trans spinel structured magnetite would be able to modulate the free energy of hydrogen adsorption (ΔGH*) and accelerate water dissociation.

Genetic mapping and molecular marker development for Pi65(t), a novel broad-spectrum resistance gene to rice blast using next-generation sequencing.

KEY MESSAGE: A novel R gene was mapped to a locus on chromosome 11 from 30.42 to 30.85 Mb, which was proven to be efficient in the improvement of rice blast resistance. Rice blast is a devastating fungal disease worldwide. The use of blast resistance (R) genes is the most important approach to control the disease in rice breeding. In the present study, we finely mapped a novel resistance gene Pi65(t), conferring a broad-spectrum resistance to the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, using bulked segregant analysis in combination with next-generation sequencing technology. Segregation in a doubled haploid (DH) population and a BC1F2 population suggested that resistance to blast in Gangyu129 was likely conferred by a single dominant gene, designated Pi65(t); it was located on chromosome 11 from 30.20 to 31.20 Mb using next-generation sequencing. After screening recombinants with newly developed molecular markers, the region was narrowed down to 0.43 Mb, flanked by SNP-2 and SNP-8 at the physical location from 30.42 to 30.85 Mb based on the Nipponbare reference database in build 5. Using the software QTL IciMapping, Pi65(t) was further mapped to a locus between InDel-1 and SNP-4 with genetic distances of 0.11 and 0.98 cM, respectively. Within this region, 4 predicted R genes were found with nucleotide binding site and leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR) domains. We developed molecular markers to genotype 305 DH lines and found that InDel-1 was closely linked with Pi65(t). Using InDel-1, a new rice variety Chuangxin1 containing Pi65(t) was developed, and it is highly resistant to rice blast and produces a high yield in Liaoning province of China. This indicated that Pi65(t) could play a key role in the improvement of rice blast resistance.

A Hybrid Scaffold Induces Chondrogenic Differentiation and Enhances In Vivo Cartilage Regeneration.

Extensively researched tissue engineering strategies involve incorporating cells into suitable biomaterials, offering promising alternatives to boost tissue repair. In this study, a hybrid scaffold, Gel-DCM, which integrates a photoreactive gelatin-hyaluronic acid hydrogel (Gel) with an oriented porous decellularized cartilage matrix (DCM), was designed to facilitate chondrogenic differentiation and cartilage repair. The Gel-DCM exhibited excellent biocompatibility in vitro, promoting favorable survival and growth of human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) and articular chondrocytes (hACs). Gene expression analysis indicated that the hACs expanded within the Gel-DCM exhibited enhanced chondrogenic phenotype. In addition, Gel-DCM promoted chondrogenesis of hADSCs without the supplementation of exogenous growth factors. Following this, in vivo experiments were conducted where empty Gel-DCM or Gel-DCM loaded with hACs/hADSCs were used and implanted to repair osteochondral defects in a rat model. In the control group, no implants were delivered to the injury site. Interestingly, macroscopic, histological, and microcomputed tomography scanning results revealed superior cartilage restoration and subchondral bone reconstruction in the empty Gel-DCM group compared with the control group. Moreover, both hACs-loaded and hADSCs-loaded Gel-DCM implants exhibited superior repair of hyaline cartilage and successful reconstruction of subchondral bone, whereas defects in the control groups were predominantly filled with fibrous tissue. These observations suggest that the Gel-DCM can provide an appropriate three-dimensional chondrogenic microenvironment, and its combination with reparative cell sources, ACs or ADSCs, holds great potential for facilitating cartilage regeneration.

A rare case report of a primary lung cancer comprising adenocarcinoma and atypical carcinoid tumor, with the carcinoid component harboring EML4-ALK rearrangement.

Background: The occurrence of pulmonary adenocarcinoma coexisting with atypical carcinoid tumors is a rare phenomenon. The presence of EML4-ALK fusion in an atypical carcinoid component of a histologically mixed tumor is even more uncommon. Due to their infrequency, the origin and pathogenesis of these mixed tumors remain largely unknown. The advances of therapy development in such patients are still limited and there is no standard treatment. We present a case of collision tumor in the lung consisting of atypical carcinoid and adenocarcinoma to better understand the clinical characteristics of this disease. Case Description: We report an extremely rare case of EML4-ALK rearrangement in a pulmonary atypical carcinoid tumor that coexisting with adenocarcinoma. A 58-year-old woman, who was asymptomatic, underwent pulmonary lobectomy due to the detection of a gradually enlarging solitary pulmonary nodule in the right upper lung. Histological examination of the resected tumor revealed the presence of both atypical carcinoid (approximately 80%) and adenocarcinoma (approximately 20%) components. Metastases by the carcinoid component were observed in mediastinal lymph nodes (station 2R and 4R) and in the primary tumor. Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangement was detected in both the primary and metastatic lesions of the carcinoid tumor. Four cycles of chemotherapy with etoposide and carboplatin were dispensed after surgery. Conclusions: This is the first reported case of coexisting pulmonary adenocarcinoma and atypical carcinoid tumor with an ALK fusion only detected in the carcinoid component. The presence of ALK rearrangement in pulmonary carcinoid tumor is very uncommon, and there is currently no standard treatment for advanced stages. Therefore, comprehensive molecular testing, including ALK rearrangement analysis, should be recommended for mixed tumors exhibiting features of atypical carcinoid. ALK inhibitors could represent a potential treatment strategy for selected patients.

Chemical constituents from the leaves of psidium guajava linn. and their chemotaxonomic significance.

The phytochemical investigation on the leaves of Psidium guajava Linn. led to the isolation and identification of 18 compounds, including six guavinoside (1-6), four flavonoids (7-10), eight triterpenoids (11-17) and one lignans (18). All chemical structures were elucidated via NMR spectroscopic methods, and further supported by comparison with literature data. Compounds 12, 14, 16 and 18 was isolated from the Myrtaceae family for the first time. The chemotaxonomic significance of these compounds was also discussed based on their structure types, as well as compounds-genus/family network analysis. The results showed that there were close chemotaxonomic relationships among the Myrtaceae, Asteraceae, and Lamiaceae families. Guavinosides A-F could be considered as valuable chemotaxonomic markers of Myrtaceae family, while guavinosides C-F might serve as chemotaxonomic markers for distinguishing the P. guajava.

Clinopodium chinense Kuntze ameliorates dextran sulfate sodium-induced ulcerative colitis in mice by reducing systematic inflammation and regulating metabolism.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Clinopodium chinense Kuntze (CC), traditional Chinese medicine with anti-inflammatory, anti-diarrheal, and hemostatic activities, has been used to treat dysentery and bleeding diseases for thousands of years, which are similar to the symptoms of ulcerative colitis (UC). AIM OF THE STUDY: To obtain a novel treatment for UC, an integrated strategy was developed in this study to investigate the effect and mechanism of CC against UC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The chemical characterization of CC was scanned by UPLC-MS/MS. Network pharmacology analysis was performed to predict the active ingredients and pharmacological mechanisms of CC against UC. Further, the results of network pharmacology were validated using LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells and DSS-induced UC mice. The production of pro-inflammatory mediators and biochemical parameters was tested using the ELISA kits. The expression of NF-κB, COX-2, and iNOS proteins was evaluated using Western blot analysis. Body weight, disease activity index, colon length, histopathological examination, and metabolomics analysis in colon tissues were carried out to confirm the effect and mechanism of CC. RESULTS: Based on the chemical characterization and literature collection, a rich database of ingredients in CC was constructed. Network pharmacology analysis provided five core components as well as revealed that the mechanism of CC against UC was highly related to inflammation, especially the NF-κB signaling pathway. In vitro experiments showed CC could inhibit inflammation by LPS-TLR4-NF-κB-iNOS/COX-2 signaling pathway in RAW264.7 cells. Meanwhile, in vivo experimental results proved that CC significantly alleviated pathological features with increased body weight and colonic length, decreased DAI and oxidative damage, as well as mediated inflammatory factors like NO, PGE2, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-ɑ. In addition, colon metabolomics analysis revealed CC could restore the abnormal endogenous metabolite levels in UC. 18 screened biomarkers were further enriched in four pathways including Arachidonic acid metabolism, Histidine metabolism, Alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism as well as the Pentose phosphate pathway. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that CC could alleviate UC by reducing systematic inflammation and regulating metabolism, which is beneficial for providing scientific data for the development of UC treatment.

Therapeutic responses to chemotherapy or immunotherapy by molecular subtype in bladder cancer patients: A meta-analysis and systematic review.

To systematically evaluate the differences in therapeutic response to chemotherapy or immunotherapy between different molecular subtypes of bladder cancer (BC). A comprehensive literature search was performed up to December 2021. Consensus clusters 1 (CC1), CC2 and CC3 molecular subtypes were used to perform meta-analysis. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the therapeutic response by fix-effect modeling. Eight studies involving 1,463 patients were included. For immunotherapy, CC3 showed the highest response rate (CC1 vs. CC3: OR=0.52, 95% CI=0.34-0.78, p=0.002; CC2 vs. CC3: OR=0.42, 95% CI=0.28-0.62, p<0.001), which was mainly reflected in the highest response rate to atezolizumab (CC1 vs. CC3: OR=0.47, 95% CI=0.29-0.75, p=0.002; CC2 vs. CC3: OR=0.38, 95% CI=0.24-0.59, p<0.001). For chemotherapy, CC3 had the lowest response rate to the overall chemotherapy (CC1 vs. CC3: OR=2.05, 95% CI=1.23-3.41, p=0.006; CC2 vs. CC3: OR=2.48, 95% CI=1.50-4.10, p<0.001). Compared with CC2, CC3 responded poorly to both neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) (OR=1.93, 95% CI=1.09-3.41, p=0.020) and chemoradiation therapy (CRT) (OR=6.07, 95% CI=1.87-19.71, p<0.001). Compared with CC1, CC3 only showed a poorer response to CRT (OR=4.53, 95% CI=1.26-16.27, p=0.020), and no difference in NAC. Our study suggested that molecular classifications are important predictors of cancer treatment outcomes of BC patients and could identify subgroup patients who are most likely to benefit from specific cancer treatments.

Observation of black carbon in Northern China in winter of 2018-2020 and its implications for black carbon mitigation.

Enhanced observations of BC in hotspot regions with a high temporal resolution are critical to refining our BC mitigation strategies, which are co-directed by air-quality and climate goals. In this work, the temporal variation and emission sources of BC in Shijiazhuang, Northern China, during the winter of 2018-2020 were investigated on the basis of multi-wavelength Aethalometer BC observations. The average BC concentrations decreased from 9.13 ± 6.63 µg/m3 in the winter of 2018 to 3.51 ± 2.48 µg/m3 in the winter of 2020. The BC source attributions derived from the Aethalometer model showed that the BC concentrations in Shijiazhuang in the winter of 2018 were mainly contributed by biomass burning (53 %). In contrast, during the winter of 2019 and 2020, fossil fuel combustion (BCff) exhibited higher contributions, and higher BC concentrations attributed to greater BCff contributions. Potential source contribution function (PSCF) analysis suggested that local emissions in Shijiazhuang and transport from highly industrialized regions like central Shanxi and southern Hebei contributed significantly to BC in Shijiazhuang. Concentration weighted trajectory (CWT) analysis revealed that the BC contributions from source regions decreased successively from the winter of 2018 to the winter of 2020. Our results also implied an air quality/climate co-benefit effect of enforcing multi-scale air-quality improvement regulations. Yet, it is still worth noting that some of the measures in favor of reducing BC emissions contradict the measures for reducing CO2. The synergies of BC to air quality and climate should be considered and addressed by policymakers with the aim of realizing a sustainable environment.

Tendon Stem/Progenitor Cell-Laden Nanofiber Hydrogel Enhanced Functional Repair of Patellar Tendon.

Functional repair of tendons remains a challenge to be overcome for both clinicians and scientists. We have previously reported a three-dimensional RADA peptide hydrogel that provides a suitable microenvironment for human tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs) survival and tenogenesis. In this study, we explore the potential of in vivo patellar tendon repair by human TSPC-laden RADA hydrogel in rats, which were sacrificed at 4 and 8 weeks after operation. Hind limb function test, macroscopical and histological examination, tendon cell amount and alignment analysis, and radiographic assessments were performed at several time points. Our results demonstrated that human TSPC-laden RADA hydrogel (RADA+TSPC group) boosted in vivo patellar tendon repair with better ambulatory function recovery compared with the control groups, in which tendon defects were untreated (Defect group) or treated with RADA hydrogel alone (RADA group). In addition, better macroscopic appearance and improved matrix organization in the repaired tendon with less cell amount and reduced adipocyte accumulation and blood vessel formation were observed in the RADA+TSPC group. Moreover, tendon defect treated with TSPC-laden RADA hydrogel resulted in diminished heterotopic ossification (HO) at 8 weeks postoperation, which was indicated by both X-ray examination and micro-computed tomography scan. Taken together, the combination of TSPC and nanofiber hydrogel provide an optimistic alternative method to accelerate functional tendon repair with reduced HO. Impact statement Our study clearly demonstrates the combination of tendon stem/progenitor cell and nanofiber hydrogel provide a new and optimistic tissue engineering strategy to treat tendon injury by accelerating functional tendon repair with reduced heterotopic ossification. The clinical translation is also very promising, which can provide a minimally invasive, nonsurgical, or complementary treatment methods to treat human tendon injury.

Stem Cell Applications and Tenogenic Differentiation Strategies for Tendon Repair.

Tendons are associated with a high injury risk because of their overuse and age-related tissue degeneration. Thus, tendon injuries pose great clinical and economic challenges to the society. Unfortunately, the natural healing capacity of tendons is far from perfect, and they respond poorly to conventional treatments when injured. Consequently, tendons require a long period of healing and recovery, and the initial strength and function of a repaired tendon cannot be completely restored as it is prone to a high rate of rerupture. Nowadays, the application of various stem cell sources, including mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and embryonic stem cells (ESCs), for tendon repair has shown great potential, because these cells can differentiate into a tendon lineage and promote functional tendon repair. However, the mechanism underlying tenogenic differentiation remains unclear. Moreover, no widely adopted protocol has been established for effective and reproducible tenogenic differentiation because of the lack of definitive biomarkers for identifying the tendon differentiation cascades. This work is aimed at reviewing the literature over the past decade and providing an overview of background information on the clinical relevance of tendons and the urgent need to improve tendon repair; the advantages and disadvantages of different stem cell types used for boosting tendon repair; and the unique advantages of reported strategies for tenogenic differentiation, including growth factors, gene modification, biomaterials, and mechanical stimulation.

Bonding to NaOCl-treated dentin: effect of pretreatment with sodium toluene sulfinic acid.

PURPOSE: The use of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) can decrease the bond strength of 4-META/MMA-TBB resin cement to root dentin. The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effect of sodium toluene sulfinic acid (SA) as a pretreatment to increase bond strength to NaOCl-treated dentin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The root canal dentin of bovine teeth was treated with 6 methods: group 10-3 (10% citric acid/3% ferric chloride; control); group SA; group NC (sodium hypochlorite/10-3 solution); group NS-10-3 (NaOCl + sulfinic acid + 10-3 solution); group HSA-10-3 (NaOCl +H2O2 +NaOCl + sulfinic acid + 10-3 solution); group HO-10-3 (NaOCl + H2O2 + NaOCl +10-3 solution). The roots were then filled with Super-Bond C&B (SB) or Super-Bond sealer (SBS). Samples were stored in distilled water for 24 h at 37°C and then cross sectioned into five slabs (0.8 mm thick) that were subjected to "trimming" microtensile bond strength testing. All treated dentin surfaces and resin/dentin bond interfaces were analyzed under SEM. RESULTS: Compared with the control, NaOCl treatment significantly decreased the resin/dentin bond strengths. However, SA treatment following NaOCl irrigation resulted in no significant differences of bond strength values. CONCLUSION: Sulfinic acid was effective in restoring 4-META/MMA-TBB resin cement bond strength after NaOCl irrigation.

Comparison of accuracy between digital and conventional implant impressions: two and three dimensional evaluations.

PURPOSE: The present study compared the accuracy between digital and conventional implant impressions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The experimental models were divided into six groups depending on the implant location and the scanning span. Digital impressions were captured using the intraoral optical scanner TRIOS (3Shape, Copenhagen, Denmark). Conventional impressions were taken with the monophase impression material based on addition-cured silicones, Honigum-Mono (DMG, Hamburg, Germany). A high-precision laboratory scanner D900 (3Shape, Copenhagen, Denmark) was used to obtain digital data of resin models and stone casts. Surface tessellation language (STL) datasets from scanner were imported into the analysis software Geomagic Qualify 14 (3D Systems, Rock Hill, SC, USA), and scan body deviations were determined through two-dimensional and three-dimensional analyses. Each scan body was measured five times. The Sidak t test was used to analyze the experimental data. RESULTS: Implant position and scanning distance affected the impression accuracy. For a unilateral arch implant and the mandible models with two implants, no significant difference was observed in the accuracy between the digital and conventional implant impressions on scan bodies; however, the corresponding differences for trans-arch implants and mandible with six implants were extremely significant (P<.001). CONCLUSION: For short-span scanning, the accuracy of digital and conventional implant impressions did not differ significantly. For long-span scanning, the precision of digital impressions was significantly inferior to that of the traditional impressions.

Barrigenol-like triterpenoid saponins from the husks of Xanthoceras sorbifolia bunge and their anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting COX-2 and iNOS expression.

The husks of Xanthoceras sorbifolia Bunge were explored resulting in the isolation of nine undescribed compounds and seven known compounds. Their structures were defined by NMR spectroscopic techniques, HRESIMS analyses and DP4+ possibility analysis. Three of them showed evident inhibition on NO productions in LPS-induced BV-2 cells by controlling the expression of the nuclear factor-kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Furthermore, they also markedly decreased the expression of the proteins COX-2 and iNOS. In addition, most compounds showed no cytotoxicity against Hep 3B, A549, HCT 116, AGS, MCF-7 cell lines. These findings showed that the husks of X. sorbifolia might have considerable potential for the prevention of inflammation-related neurodegenerative disorders.

Xanthoceraside exerts anti-Alzheimer's disease effect by remodeling gut microbiota and modulating microbial-derived metabolites level in rats.

BACKGROUND: Microbial-derived metabolites play important roles in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology, yet how intestinal microbes influence AD progression remains uncertain. Xanthoceraside (XAN), a triterpenoid saponin with anti-AD activity, was extracted from the husks of Xanthoceras sorbifolia Bunge. However, it is still unclear that how XAN modulates the gut microbiota community to regulate AD progression through changing the levels of microbial-derived metabolites. PURPOSE: In this study, we investigated the mechanism underlying the anti-AD effect of XAN. METHODS: The current combination studies of multiple-targeted metabolomics, natural product chemistry and pharmacology revealed that oral XAN mediated intestinal microbiota to ameliorate Aß1-42-induced learning and memory deficits in rats, which were confirmed through antibiotic treatments and fecal microbiota transplantation. RESULTS: As a poor water solubility and low permeability compound that hardly be absorbed into blood-brain barrier, XAN significantly regulated Aß1-42-induced metabolism disorders directly or indirectly in gut, including neurotransmitters, amino acids, bile acids and SCFAs metabolism that were detected by UHPLC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS. In particularly, the in vitro evaluation of XAN on SCFAs production not only found a striking increase in the production of SCFAs after fermentation, but revealed the inner relationship among XAN, gut microbiota and SCFAs in vivo. All results demonstrated that XAN could improve AD rats' learning and memory deficits by modulating the community of gut microbiota which was connected through 16S rRNA sequencing and CCA analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provided a novel mechanism for developing XAN as a potential anti-AD drug and revealed that the gut microbiota might be a potential target for AD treatment .

PuWRKY31 affects ethylene production in response to sucrose signal in pear fruit.

The ripening of climacteric fruits is mainly controlled by the plant hormone ethylene. The regulatory effect of sucrose on ethylene biosynthesis in fruits remains unclear. Here we examined ethylene production in two Ussurian pear (Pyrus ussuriensis) varieties, 'Nanguo' (NG) pear and its bud sport variety (BNG), which has a higher sucrose content. We found that the peak of ethylene release occurred earlier in BNG fruit than in NG fruit during ripening. The expression of the transcription factor PuWRKY31 was higher in BNG fruit than in NG fruit, and was induced by sucrose treatment. Furthermore, PuWRKY31 bound to the promoters of ethylene biosynthetic genes and upregulated their transcription. Our findings suggest a mechanism by which sucrose regulates ethylene biosynthesis in pears.

A New Model for Predicting Nonsentinel Lymph Node Metastasis in Early-Stage Breast Cancer Using MMP15.

Background: In early-stage breast cancer (BC) patients, 40-70% of lymph node metastases are limited to the sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs). Patients at low risk for nonsentinel lymph node (NSLN) metastasis should be exempt from axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) or regional lymph node radiotherapy (RNI). Methods: The present study included 237 female early-stage BC patients with positive SLNs who received ALND. Based on the clinicopathological factors of the 158 patients in the training cohort, multivariate analysis was used to determine the independent risk factors for NSLN metastasis, which were used to establish the NSLN metastasis prediction model. The calibration and discrimination of this model were tested with the training and validation cohorts and compared to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) model. Results: Tumor size, neural invasion, lymphovascular invasion, expression of matrix metalloproteinase 15 (MMP15) in the cytoplasm, and the number of positive SLNs were statistically significant by multivariate analysis (P < 0.05), which were used to establish the new model. The MSKCC model was verified by the training cohort, and the area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.733 (95% CI: 0.650-0.816), which was less than that of the new model (0.824; 95% CI: 0.760-0.889). The area under the ROC curve in the validation cohort for the new model was 0.773 (95% CI: 0.669-0.877), and the calibration performed well. The false-negative rates were 3.2%, 6.5%, and 14.5% for the predicted probability cut-offs of 50%, 60%, and 70%, respectively. Conclusions: The new model included five variables: tumor size, neural invasion, lymphovascular invasion, cytoplasmic MMP15 expression, and the number of positive SLNs. The model with a cut-off of 60% could accurately identify low-risk patients with NSLN metastasis.