A new UiO-66-NH2 MOF-based nano-immobilized DFR enzyme as a biocatalyst for the synthesis of anthocyanidins.

Anthocyanidins and anthocyanins are one subclass of flavonoids in plants with diverse biological functions and have health-promoting effects. Dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR) is one of the important enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of anthocyanidins and other flavonoids. Here, a new MOF-based nano-immobilized DFR enzyme acting as a nano-biocatalyst for the production of anthocyanidins in vitro was designed. We prepared UiO-66-NH2 MOF nano-carrier and recombinant DFR enzyme from genetic engineering and construct DFR@UiO-66-NH2 nano-immobilized enzyme based on covalent bonding under the optimum immobilization conditions of the enzyme/carrier ratio of 250 mg/g, 37 °C, pH 6.5 and fixation time of 10 min. DFR@UiO-66-NH2 was characterized and its catalytic function for the synthesis of anthocyanidins in vitro was testified using UPLC-QQQ-MS analysis. Compared with free DFR enzyme, the enzymatic reaction catalyzed by DFR@UiO-66-NH2 was more easily for manipulation in a wide range of reaction temperature and pH value. DFR@UiO-66-NH2 had better thermal stability, enhanced adaptability, longer-term storage, outstanding tolerances to the influences of several organic reagents and Zn2+, Cu2+ and Fe2+ ions, and relatively good reusability. This work developed a new MOF-based nano-immobilized biocatalyst that had a good prospect of application in the green synthesis of anthocyanins in the future.

Differentiating lung neuroendocrine neoplasms from tumor-like infection using CT in patients with ectopic ACTH syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: Pulmonary neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are the most frequent cause of ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone syndrome (EAS); lung infection is common in EAS. An imaging finding of infection in EAS patients can mimic NENs. This retrospective study investigated EAS-associated pulmonary imaging indicators. METHODS: Forty-five pulmonary NENs and 27 tumor-like infections from 59 EAS patients (45 NEN and 14 infection patients) were included. Clinical manifestations, CT features, 18F-FDG, or 68Ga-DOTATATE-PET/CT images and pathological results were collected. RESULTS: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (p < 0.001) and expectoration occurrence (p = 0.04) were higher, and finger oxygen saturation (p = 0.01) was lower in the infection group than the NENs group. Higher-grade NENs were underrepresented in our cohort. Pulmonary NENs were solitary primary tumors, 80% of which were peripheral tumors. Overlying vessel sign and airway involvement were more frequent in the NENs group (p < 0.001). Multifocal (p = 0.001) and peripheral (p = 0.02) lesions, cavity (p < 0.001), spiculation (p = 0.01), pleural retraction (p < 0.001), connection to pulmonary veins (p = 0.02), and distal atelectasis or inflammatory exudation (p = 0.001) were more frequent in the infection group. The median CT value increment between the non-contrast and arterial phases was significantly higher in NENs lesions (p < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated a moderate predictive ability at 48.3 HU of delta CT value (sensitivity, 95.0%; specificity, 54.1%). CONCLUSION: Chest CT scans are valuable for localizing and characterizing pulmonary lesions in rare EAS, thereby enabling prompt differential diagnosis and treatment. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Thin-slice CT images are valuable for the localization and identification of pulmonary ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone syndrome lesions, leading to prompt differential diagnosis and effective treatment. KEY POINTS: Lung tumor-like infections can mimic neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) in ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone syndrome (EAS) patients. NENs are solitary lesions, whereas infections are multiple peripheral pseudotumors each with identifying imaging findings. Typical CT signs aid in localization and creating an appropriate differential diagnosis.

Mitigation of uranium toxicity in rice by Sphingopyxis sp. YF1: Evidence from growth, ultrastructure, subcellular distribution, and physiological characteristics.

Uranium (U) contamination of rice is an urgent ecological and agricultural problem whose effective alleviation is in great demand. Sphingopyxis genus has been shown to remediate heavy metal-contaminated soils. Rare research delves into the mitigation of uranium (U) toxicity to rice by Sphingopyxis genus. In this study, we exposed rice seedlings for 7 days at U concentrations of 0, 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg L-1 with or without the Sphingopyxis sp. YF1 in the rice nutrient solution. Here, we firstly found YF1 colonized on the root of rice seedlings, significantly mitigated the growth inhibition, and counteracted the chlorophyll content reduction in leaves induced by U. When treated with 1.1 × 107 CFU mL-1 YF1 with the amendment of 10 mg L-1 U, the decrease of U accumulation in rice seedling roots and shoots was the largest among all treatments; reduced by 39.3% and 32.1%, respectively. This was associated with the redistribution of the U proportions in different organelle parts, leading to the alleviation of the U damage to the morphology and structure of rice root. Interestingly, we found YF1 significantly weakens the expression of antioxidant enzymes genes (CuZnSOD,CATA,POD), promotes the up-regulation of metal-transporters genes (OsHMA3 and OsHMA2), and reduces the lipid peroxidation damage induced by U in rice seedlings. In summary, YF1 is a plant-probiotic with potential applications for U-contaminated rice, benefiting producers and consumers.

Enhanced editing efficiency in Arabidopsis with a LbCas12a variant harboring D156R and E795L mutations.

Cas12a (Cpf1), a Class 2 Type V CRISPR/Cas nuclease, has several unique attributes for genome editing and may provide a valuable alternative to Cas9. However, a low editing efficiency due to temperature sensitivity and insufficient cleavage activity of the Cas12a nuclease are major obstacles to its broad application. In this report, we generated two variants, ttAsCas12 Ultra and ttLbCas12a Ultra harboring three (E174R, M537R, and F870L) or two (D156R and E795L) mutations, respectively, by combining the mutations from the temperature-tolerant variants ttAsCas12a (E174R) and ttLbCas12a (D156R), and those from the highly active variants AsCas12a Ultra (M537R and F870L) and LbCas12a Ultra (E795L). We compared editing efficiencies of the five resulting Cas12a variants (LbCas12a, ttLbCas12a, ttLbCas12a Ultra, AsCas12a Ultra, and ttAsCas12 Ultra) at six target sites of four genes in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). The variant ttLbCas12a Ultra, harboring the D156R and E795L mutations, exhibited the highest editing efficiency of all variants tested in Arabidopsis and can be used to generate homozygous or biallelic mutants in a single generation in Arabidopsis plants grown at 22 °C. In addition, optimization of ttLbCas12a Ultra, by varying nuclear localization signal sequences and codon usage, further greatly improved editing efficiency. Collectively, our results indicate that ttLbCas12a Ultra is a valuable alternative to Cas9 for editing genes or promoters in Arabidopsis. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42994-024-00144-w.

The Association Between the Impact of COVID-19 and Internalizing Problems Among Children and Adolescents with ADHD: The Moderating Role of Parental Anxiety.

Previous research has identified an increase in internalizing problems during the COVID-19 pandemic in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Additionally, it has been observed that parents of children with ADHD had elevated levels of anxiety during the pandemic. The current study aimed to longitudinally assess whether the impact of COVID-19 was associated with internalizing problems in children and adolescents with ADHD during the middle (Time 1-Spring 2021 [T1]) and end (Time 2-Fall/Winter 2022 [T2]) of the pandemic, and whether parental anxiety moderated this relationship over time. Canadian parents of youth with ADHD (aged 3-18 years old) completed online questionnaires assessing their child's depression and anxiety symptoms, their own anxiety symptoms, and the pandemic's impact on their child, both at T1 (N = 278) and T2 (N = 89). The results indicated that the impact of COVID-19 on children at T1 was a unique predictor of child internalizing problems at T1 but not at T2. While parental anxiety did not moderate this association cross-sectionally, it was a significant moderator longitudinally. More specifically, low parental anxiety at T1 positively moderated the association between the COVID-19 impact on children at T1 and child internalizing problems at T2. The results highlight the importance of providing on-going psychological support for children and adolescents with ADHD and emphasize the need to aid parents in effectively supporting their children during the process of pandemic recovery.

Genotype of pioneer plant Miscanthus is not a key factor in the structure of rhizosphere bacterial community in heavy metal polluted sites.

Miscanthus is a common pioneer plant with abundant genetic variation in abandoned mines in southern China. However, the extent to which genetic differentiation among species modulates rhizosphere bacterial communities remains unclear. Miscanthus samples were collected from 26 typical abandoned heavy-metal mines with different soil types in southern China, tested using 14 pairs of simple sequence repeats (SSR) primers, and classified into two genotypes based on Nei's genetic distance. The structure and diversity of rhizosphere bacterial communities were examined using 16 S rRNA sequencing. The results showed that among the factors affecting the rhizosphere bacterial community structure of Miscanthus samples, the role of genotype was not significant, and geographical conditions were the most important factors, followed by pH and total organic carbon (TOC). The process of rhizospheric community assembly varied among different genotypes; however, the recruited species and their abundances were similar. Collectively, we provided an approach based on genetic differentiation to quantify the relative contribution of genotypes to the rhizosphere bacterial community, demonstrating that genotypes contribute less than soil conditions. Our findings provide new insights into the role of host genetics in the ecological processes of plant rhizosphere bacterial communities in abandoned mines and provide theoretical support for microbe-assisted phytoremediation.

Physiological and molecular mechanisms of carbon quantum dots alleviating Cu2+ toxicity in Salvia miltiorrhiza bunge.

Excessive Cu2+ is toxic to plants. Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) exhibit certain chelating properties towards heavy metals, and they also demonstrate antioxidant activities. To explore the mechanism for alleviating the Cu2+ toxicity of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge mediated by CQDs, CQDs that contained CC, CO, H-O, C-N and C-O functional groups with particle size less than 10 nm and that emitted blue fluorescence were prepared. S. miltiorrhiza seedlings were treated with 200 µM of Cu2+ and 500 mg/L of CQDs to relieve stress. Exogenous CQDs effectively restored plant phenotype; reduced Cu2+, H2O2 and malondialdehyde contents and restored total superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase activities under Cu2+ toxicity. Simultaneously, an association network of Cu2+ transport-related and metabolic pathway genes of phenolic acids and terpenoids was established on the basis of cross-species transcriptome analysis. Combined with reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis, the potential molecular mechanism of CQDs, i.e. promoting phenolic acid biosynthesis to alleviate Cu2+ toxicity, was revealed by activating the expression of key enzyme genes of phenolic acid synthesis. This study provides a theoretical basis for Cu2+ pollution prevention and control in plants. It also laid a foundation for alleviating Cu stress by using CQDs in agricultural production.

First report of Corynespora cassiicola causing leaf spot on Nanhaia speciosa in China.

Nanhaia speciosa, commonly known as Niudali, is a medicinal woody vine belonging to the Leguminosae family. Valued for its culinary and medicinal properties, it is extensively cultivated, covering approximately 5,973 hm2 in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China. The edible tubers of this plant are reported to possess antibacterial and antioxidant effects (Luo et al., 2023; Shu et al., 2020). In July 2021, a Niudali plantation in Yulin, Guangxi, China (22°64'N; 110°29'E) exhibited leaf spot symptoms, with an incidence rate exceeding 40% across a 46,690 m2 area. Initially, small circular, pale yellow spots appeared on the leaves, which subsequently evolved into dark brown lesions surrounded by yellow halos, ultimately leading to foliage wilting. Leaves exhibiting typical symptoms were collected for pathogen investigation. The leaves were thoroughly washed with sterile water and small tissue fragments (5×5 mm) were excised from the lesion periphery. These fragments were surface-sterilized with 75% ethanol and 1% NaClO, rinsed three times with sterile water, and subsequently cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 28 °C in darkness for 7 days. Through single-spore isolation, seven isolates with similar morphological traits were obtained. After 7 days of incubation on PDA at 28 °C in dark, the colonies exhibited a white to grey coloration on the upper surface with abundant aerial hyphae, while the underside appeared dark black. The conidia, cylindrical or obclavate in shape, were straight, pale brown, and measured 30.1-128.9 µm × 4.8-15.0 µm (n=50). The morphological characteristics matched those of Corynespora sp.(Wang et al. 2021). For molecular identification, the isolate N5-2 underwent DNA sequence analysis using genomic DNA and primers ITS1/ITS4 and EF1-688F/EF1-1251R. The sequences (ITS: OP550425; TEF1-α: OQ117118) were deposited in GenBank, exhibiting 98% identity to C. cassiicola (OP981637) for TEF1-α and 99% homology to C. cassiicola (OP957070) for ITS. Based on the concatenated ITS and TEF1-α, a maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses using MEGA7.0 clustered the isolate with C. cassiicola. Consequently, the fungus was identified as C. cassiicola based on its morphological and molecular features. In the pathogenicity test on 1-year-old Nanhaia speciosa seedlings, leaves were gently scratched and inoculated with mycelial plugs (5 mm). Control seedlings received PDA plugs. Five leaves per plant and five plants per treatment were selected for assessment. All seedling were maintained in a greenhouse (12/12h light/dark cycle, 25 ± 2°C, 90% humidity). After a 7-day incubation period, all leaves subjected to fungal inoculation exhibited symptoms consistent with those observed in the field, while control plants remained symptom-free. The fungus was successfully reisolated from the infected leaves in three successive trials, fulfilling Koch's postulates. While C. cassiicola is well-documented for inducing leaf spots on various plant species, including Jasminum nudiflorum, Strobilanthes cusia, Acanthus ilicifolius, Syringa species (Hu et al., 2023; Liu et al., 2023; Xie et al., 2021; Wang et al., 2021), this study represents the first report of C. cassiicola causing leaf spots on Nanhaia speciosa in China. The identification of this pathogen in Nanhaia speciosa has significant implications for future epidemiological investigations and serves as a valuable reference for controlling leaf spot disease in Nanhaia speciosa.

Mapping glymphatic solute transportation through the perivascular space of hippocampal arterioles with 14 Tesla MRI.

The perivascular space (PVS) plays a crucial role in facilitating the clearance of waste products and the exchange of cerebrospinal fluid and interstitial fluid in the central nervous system. While optical imaging methods identify the glymphatic transport of fluorescent tracers through PVS of surface-diving arteries, their limited depth penetration impedes the study of glymphatic dynamics in deep brain regions. In this study, we introduced a novel high-resolution dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI mapping approach based on single-vessel multi-gradient-echo methods. This technique allowed the differentiation of penetrating arterioles and venules from adjacent parenchymal tissue voxels and enabled the detection of Gd-enhanced signals coupled to PVS of penetrating arterioles in the deep cortex and hippocampus. By directly infusing Gd into the lateral ventricle, we eliminated delays in cerebrospinal fluid flow and focused on PVS Gd transport through PVS of hippocampal arterioles. The study revealed significant PVS-specific Gd signal enhancements, shedding light on glymphatic function in deep brain regions. These findings advance our understanding of brain-wide glymphatic dynamics and hold potential implications for neurological conditions characterized by impaired waste clearance, warranting further exploration of their clinical relevance and therapeutic applications.

Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Based Therapies for Temporomandibular Joint Repair: A Systematic Review of Preclinical Studies.

Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are a heterogeneous group of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular conditions involving the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), masticatory muscles, and associated structures. Mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as a promising therapy for TMJ repair. This systematic review aims to consolidate findings from the preclinical animal studies evaluating MSC-based therapies, including MSCs, their secretome, and extracellular vesicles (EVs), for the treatment of TMJ cartilage/osteochondral defects and osteoarthritis (OA). Following the PRISMA guidelines, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for relevant studies. A total of 23 studies involving 125 mice, 149 rats, 470 rabbits, and 74 goats were identified. Compliance with the ARRIVE guidelines was evaluated for quality assessment, while the SYRCLE risk of bias tool was used to assess the risk of bias for the studies. Generally, MSC-based therapies demonstrated efficacy in TMJ repair across animal models of TMJ defects and OA. In most studies, animals treated with MSCs, their derived secretome, or EVs displayed improved morphological, histological, molecular, and behavioral pain outcomes, coupled with positive effects on cellular proliferation, migration, and matrix synthesis, as well as immunomodulation. However, unclear risk in bias and incomplete reporting highlight the need for standardized outcome measurements and reporting in future investigations.

Fabrication of close-contact S-scheme Cr2Bi3O11-Bi2O3/Fe3O4@porous carbon microspheres based on in-situ reaction: Enhanced photo-Fenton wastewater treatment.

Low photo-induced carrier recombination rate, exceptional light absorption, and advantageous recycling performance are crucial attributes of semiconductor photocatalyst for wastewater purification. Herein, based on in-situ reaction, close-contact S-scheme bismuth chromate/bismuth oxide/ferroferric oxide@porous carbon microspheres (Cr2Bi3O11-Bi2O3/Fe3O4@PCs) (F-CBFP) was fabricated using alginates as precursor. Due to the abundance of functional groups on the porous carbon (PCs), Bi2O3 and Cr2Bi3O11 nanoparticles (NPs) are in situ deposited onto the highly conductive 3D magnetic porous Fe3O4@PCs microsphere surface, which not only form tight interfacial contacts and reduces interfacial potential barriers but also prevent agglomeration or shedding of the NPs during photocatalytic reactions. Moreover, density functional theory (DFT) calculations further confirm that the formation of a robust built-in electric field (BIEF) within F-CBFP prompts photo-induced electrons in the conduction band (CB) of Bi2O3 to combine with holes in the valence band (VB) of Cr2Bi3O11, effectively constructing a S-scheme heterojunction system. Also, Fe3O4 can act as a Fenton catalyst, activating the H2O2 generated by Cr2Bi3O11 under illumination. In wastewater treatment, the obtained F-CBFP shows remarkable photo-Fenton degradation (towards methyl orange (97.8 %, 60 min) and tetracycline hydrochloride (95.3 %, 100 min)) and disinfection performance (100 % E. coli inactivation), and exceptional cyclic stability.

An optimized ligation-mediated PCR method for chromosome walking and fusion gene chromosomal breakpoints identification.

Molecular techniques that recover unknown sequences next to a known sequence region have been widely applied in various molecular studies, such as chromosome walking, identification of the insertion site of transposon mutagenesis, fusion gene partner, and chromosomal breakpoints, as well as targeted sequencing library preparation. Although various techniques have been introduced for efficiency enhancement, searching for relevant single molecular event present in a large-sized genome remains challenging. Here, the optimized ligation-mediated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was developed and successfully identified chromosomal breakpoints far away from the exon of the new exon junction without the need for nested PCR. In addition to recovering unknown sequences next to a known sequence region, the high efficiency of the method could also improve the performance of targeted  next-generation sequencing (NGS).

Chemical and chemoenzymatic syntheses of sialyl Lewisa tetrasaccharide antigen.

Sialyl Lewisa (sLea), also known as cancer antigen 19-9, is a tumor-associated carbohydrate antigen. In this article, chemical and chemoenzymatic syntheses of a tetrasaccharide glycan 1 structurally derived from sLea are reported. Challenges involved in the chemical synthesis include the highly stereoselective construction of 1,2-cis-α-L-fucoside and α-D-sialoside, as well as the assembly of the 3,4-disubstituted N-acetylglucosamine subunit. Perbenzylated thiofucoside and N-acetyl-5-N,4-O-oxazolidinone protected sialic acid thioglycoside were employed as glycosyl donors, respectively, for the efficient preparation of the desired α-fucoside and α-sialoside. The 3,4-branched glucosamine backbone was established through a 3-O and then 4-O glycosylation sequence in which the 3-hydroxyl group of the glucosamine moiety was glycosylated first and then the 4-hydroxyl. A facile chemoenzymatic approach was also exploited to synthesize the target molecule. The chemically obtained free disaccharide 30 was sequentially sialylated and fucosylated in an enzyme-catalyzed regio- and stereospecific manner to form 1 in high yields. The linker appended 1 can be covalently attached to a carrier protein for further immunological studies.

Magnetic Hyperporous Elastic Material with Excellent Fatigue Resistance and Oil Retention for Oil-Water Separation.

Oily wastewater has caused serious threats to the environment; thus, high-performance absorbing materials for effective oil-water separation technology have attracted increasing attention. Herein, we develop a magnetic, hydrophobic, and lipophilic hyperporous elastic material (HEM) templated by high internal phase emulsions (HIPE), in which free-radical polymerization of butyl acrylate (BA) and divinylbenzene (DVB) is employed in the presence of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), lecithin surfactant, and modified Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The adoption of the emulsion template with nanoparticles as both stabilizers and cross-linkers endows the HEM with biomimetic hierarchical open-cell micropores and elastic cross-linked networks, generating an oil absorbent with outstanding mechanical stability. Compressive fatigue resistance of the HEM is demonstrated to endure 2000 mechanical cycles without plastic deformation or strength degradation. By exploiting the synergistic effect of hierarchical structures and low-surface-energy components, the resulting HEM also possesses excellent and robust hydrophobicity (water contact angle of 164°) and good oil absorption capacity, in which Fe3O4 nanoparticles lead to convenient magnetically controlled oil recyclability as well. Notably, the unique biomimetic microporous structure demonstrates superior oil retention capacity (>95% at 1000 rpm and >60% at 10,000 rpm) over the state-of-the-art porous materials for a diverse variety of oils to reduce the risk of secondary oil leakage, along with good recoverability by squeezing owing to the excellent compression resilience. These excellent performances of our HEM provide broad prospects for practical applications in oil-water separation, energy conversion, and smart soft robotics.

Decoction derived from Allium ascalonicum L. bulbs and Sojae Semen Praeparatum alleviates wind-cold-type common cold via Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and modulation of Lactobacillus murinus level.

Background: Cong-Chi decoction (CCD) is made using Allium ascalonicum L. (shallot) bulbs and Sojae Semen Praeparatum (SSP). Shallot bulbs and SSP are both used regularly in traditional Chinese medicine; however, there are no recent pharmacological studies on their synergistic effects. Despite their roles in the treatment of the common cold for thousands of years, their pharmacological mechanisms of action against wind-cold-type common cold are yet to be explored comprehensively. Methods: A mouse model was standardized using wind-cold modeling equipment to study the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiapoptotic effects of CCD. Then, 16S rRNA sequencing was employed to analyze the association between Lactobacillus murinus and changes in body temperature. Additionally, the antipyretic effects of L. murinus were validated via animal experiments. Results: The results indicate that CCD improves the symptoms of wind-cold by reducing fever, levels of pro-inflammatory factors, and cellular apoptosis, as well as increasing the blood leukocyte and lymphocyte counts, thereby alleviating lung tissue damage. The effects of CCD are mediated by upregulation of pulmonary Nrf2 and HO-1 expressions, thereby reducing oxidative damage in the lungs, in addition to other anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Furthermore, CCD increases the abundance of L. murinus in the intestinal tract. The animal experiments confirm that L. murinus ameliorates fever in mice. Conclusion: CCD exhibits remarkable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties for effectively treating wind-cold-type common cold. Furthermore, its regulatory effects on L. murinus represent a novel mechanism for product development.

High Spatiotemporal Resolution Radial Encoding Single-Vessel fMRI.

High-field preclinical functional MRI (fMRI) is enabled the high spatial resolution mapping of vessel-specific hemodynamic responses, that is single-vessel fMRI. In contrast to investigating the neuronal sources of the fMRI signal, single-vessel fMRI focuses on elucidating its vascular origin, which can be readily implemented to identify vascular changes relevant to vascular dementia or cognitive impairment. However, the limited spatial and temporal resolution of fMRI is hindered hemodynamic mapping of intracortical microvessels. Here, the radial encoding MRI scheme is implemented to measure BOLD signals of individual vessels penetrating the rat somatosensory cortex. Radial encoding MRI is employed to map cortical activation with a focal field of view (FOV), allowing vessel-specific functional mapping with 50 × 50 µm2 in-plane resolution at a 1 to 2 Hz sampling rate. Besides detecting refined hemodynamic responses of intracortical micro-venules, the radial encoding-based single-vessel fMRI enables the distinction of fMRI signals from vessel and peri-vessel voxels due to the different contribution of intravascular and extravascular effects.

Corrigendum: Distinct characteristics and prognosis of IgA nephropathy patients with nephrotic syndrome: a propensity score-matched cohort study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1344219.].

High-Molecular-Weight Hyaluronic Acid Can Be Used as a Food Additive to Improve the Symptoms of Persistent Inflammation, Immunosuppression and Catabolism Syndrome (PICS).

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a new functional food additive which has the potential to ameliorate persistent inflammation, immunosuppression and catabolism syndrome (PICS), but the biological effects of HA with various molecular weights differ dramatically. To systematically investigate the efficacy of HA in altering PICS symptoms, medium-molecular-weight (MMW) HA was specifically selected to test its intervention effect on a PICS mouse model induced by CLP through oral administration, with high-molecular-weight (HMW) and low-molecular-weight (LMW) HA also participating in the experimental validation process. The results of pathological observations and gut flora showed that MMW HA rapidly alleviated lung lesions and intestinal structural changes in PICS mice in the short term. However, although long-term MMW HA administration significantly reduced the proportions of harmful bacteria in gut flora, inflammatory responses in the intestines and lungs of PICS mice were significantly higher in the MMW HA group than in the HMW HA and LMW HA groups. The use of HMW HA not only rapidly reduced the mortality rate of PICS mice but also improved their grip strength and the recovery of spleen and thymus indices. Furthermore, it consistently promoted the recovery of lung and intestinal tissues in PICS mice, and it also assisted in the sustained restoration of their gut microbiota. These effects were superior to those of LMW HA and MMW HA. The experimental results indicate that HMW weight HA has the greatest potential to be an adjunct in alleviating PICS as a food additive, while the safety of other HAs requires further attention.