Dynamics of epitranscriptomes uncover translational reprogramming directed by ac4C in rice during pathogen infection.

Messenger RNA modifications play pivotal roles in RNA biology, but comprehensive landscape changes of epitranscriptomes remain largely unknown in plant immune response. Here we report translational reprogramming directed by ac4C mRNA modification upon pathogen challenge. We first investigate the dynamics of translatomes and epitranscriptomes and uncover that the change in ac4C at single-base resolution promotes translational reprogramming upon Magnaporthe oryzae infection. Then by characterizing the specific distributions of m1A, 2'O-Nm, ac4C, m5C, m6A and m7G, we find that ac4Cs, unlike other modifications, are enriched at the 3rd position of codons, which stabilizes the Watson-Crick base pairing. Importantly, we demonstrate that upon pathogen infection, the increased expression of the ac4C writer OsNAT10/OsACYR (N-ACETYLTRANSFERASE FOR CYTIDINE IN RNA) promotes translation to facilitate rapid activation of immune responses, including the enhancement of jasmonic acid biosynthesis. Our study provides an atlas of mRNA modifications and insights into ac4C function in plant immunity.

Zeta class glutathione S-transferase is involved in phoxim tolerance and is potentially regulated by the transcription factor CncC in Agrotis ipsilon (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

The black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is an important agricultural pest. Phoxim is an organophosphate insecticide that has been widely used to control A. ipsilon. The extensive application of phoxim has resulted in a reduction in phoxim susceptibility in A. ipsilon. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying phoxim tolerance in A. ipsilon remain unclear. In this work, we report the involvement of AiGSTz1, a zeta class glutathione S-transferase, in phoxim tolerance in A. ipsilon. Exposure to a sublethal concentration (LC50) of phoxim dramatically upregulated the transcription level of the AiGSTz1 gene in A. ipsilon larvae, and this upregulation might be caused by phoxim-induced oxidative stress. The recombinant AiGSTz1 protein expressed in Escherichia coli was able to metabolize phoxim. Furthermore, AiGSTz1 displayed antioxidant activity to protect against oxidative stress. Knockdown of AiGSTz1 by RNA interference significantly increased the mortality rate of A. ipsilon larvae in response to phoxim. In addition, the transcription factor AiCncC can bind to the cap 'n' collar isoform C: muscle aponeurosis fibromatosis (CncC:Maf) binding site in the putative promoter of the AiGSTz1 gene. Silencing of AiCncC resulted in a dramatic downregulation of AiGSTz1. These results indicated that AiGSTz1 is involved in phoxim tolerance and is potentially regulated by AiCncC. These findings provide valuable insights into the defense mechanisms used by A. ipsilon against phoxim.

Melittin Alleviates Oxidative Stress Injury in Schwann Cells by Targeting Interleukin-1 Receptor Type 1 to Downregulate Nuclear Factor Kappa B-Mediated Inflammatory Response In Vitro.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In ancient China, bee venom was widely used to treat various diseases. Although using bee venom is not currently a mainstream medical method, some have applied it to treat certain conditions, including idiopathic facial paralysis (IFP). Recently, melittin (Mel), the main active component of bee venom, has been shown strong anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. However, how bee venom improves neurological dysfunction in facial paralysis remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the anti-neurotraumatic effect of Mel on Schwann cells (SCs), the main cells of the neuron sheath, injured by oxidative stress. METHODS: A model of hypoxic SCs was established, and CCK-8 assay, siRNA transfection, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, western blot, immunofluorescence, and cell ultrastructure analyses were conducted to investigate the mitigation of hypoxia-induced damage to SCs in vitro, revealing the effects of Mel on oxidative stress injury in SCs. RESULTS: The overexpression of HIF-1α in CoCl2-induced SCs (p < 0.05) indicated the establishment of an SCs hypoxia model. The proliferation and regeneration process of the hypoxic SCs enhanced in the Mel-treated group compared to the CoCl2 group has been proven through the CCK-8 experiment (p < 0.0001) and S-100 mRNA expression detection (p < 0.0001). The increased level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (p < 0.001) and decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels (p < 0.05) in the CoCl2-induced SCs indicated that Mel can alleviate the oxidative stress damage to SCs induced by CoCl2. Mel alleviated oxidative stress and inflammation in hypoxic SCs by reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1ß (p < 0.0001) and TNF-α (p < 0.0001). In addition, Mel augmented cellular vitality and regulated indicators related to oxygen metabolism, cell repair, neurometabolism, and vascular endothelial formation after hypoxia, such as C-JUN (p < 0.05), glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF; p < 0.001), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF; p < 0.05), hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α; p < 0.05), interleukin-1 receptor type 1 (IL-1R1; p < 0.05), enolase1 (ENO1; p < 0.05), aldose reductase (AR; p < 0.01), SOD (p < 0.05), nerve growth factor (NGF; p < 0.05), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS; p < 0.05). In terms of its mechanism, Mel inhibited the expression of proteins associated with the NF-κB pathway such as IKK (p < 0.01), p65 (p < 0.05), p60 (p < 0.001), IRAK1 (p < 0.05), and increased IKB-α (p < 0.0001). Moreover, knocking out of IL-1R1 in the si-IL-1R1 group enhanced the therapeutic effect of Mel compared to the Mel-treated group (all of which p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This research provided evidence of the substantial involvement of IL-1R1 in oxidative stress damage caused by hypoxia in SCs and proved that Mel alleviated oxidative stress injury in SCs by targeting IL-1R1 to downregulate the NF-κB-mediated inflammatory response. Mel could potentially serve as an innovative therapeutic approach for the treatment of IFP.

A Neural Network Potential Energy Surface and Quantum Dynamics Study of Ca(1S) + H2(v 0 = 0, j 0 = 0) → CaH + H Reaction.

The reactive collision between Ca and H2 molecules has attracted great interest experimentally due to the key role of the product CaH molecule in the field of astrophysics and cold molecules. However, quantum dynamics calculations for this system have not been reported due to the lack of a global potential energy surface (PES). Herein, a globally accurate PES of the ground-state CaH2 is developed by combining 11365 high-level ab initio points and permutation invariant polynomial neural network method. Based on the newly constructed PES, the state-to-state quantum dynamics calculations for the Ca(1S) + H2 (v 0 = 0, j 0 = 0) → CaH + H reaction are carried out using the time-dependent wave packet method. The dynamic results reveal that the reaction follows the complex-forming mechanism near the reactive threshold, whereas both the indirect insertion mechanism and direct abstraction mechanism have effects at higher collision energies. The newly constructed PES can be used to further study the influence of isotope substitution, rovibrational excitation, and spatial orientation of reactant molecules on reaction dynamics.

Stereodynamic control of nonadiabatic processes in low-energy Be+(2P) + H2 (v = 0, j = 2) collisions.

Controlling the relative arrangement of colliding molecules is crucial for determining the dynamical outcomes of chemical processes and has emerged as a hot spot of experimental research. Here, the quantum scattering calculations are conducted to investigate the stereodynamic control in collisions between Be+(2P) and H2 (v = 0, j = 2), which undergo nonadiabatic transitions to the electronic ground state. Stereodynamic preparation is achieved by controlling the initial alignment of the H2 bond axis relative to the scattering frame. For product BeH+ in the reactive process, the differential cross sections (DCSs) are significantly enhanced in the forward and sideways hemispheres when the alignment angle ß is 60°. For the product H2 in the quenching channel, the ß = 0° preparation can result in a more than one-fold increase in the DCS at a polar scattering angle of 0°. Furthermore, varying the alignment angle ß also has noteworthy effects on the rotational-state distributions of BeH+ products. Specifically, ß = 0° preparation can induce the disappearance of the bimodal distribution of rotational states at a collision energy of 0.05 eV.

SaccpaNet: A Separable Atrous Convolution-based Cascade Pyramid Attention Network to Estimate Body Landmarks Using Cross-modal Knowledge Transfer for Under-blanket Sleep Posture Classification.

The accuracy of sleep posture assessment in standard polysomnography might be compromised by the unfamiliar sleep lab environment. In this work, we aim to develop a depth camera-based sleep posture monitoring and classification system for home or community usage and tailor a deep learning model that can account for blanket interference. Our model included a joint coordinate estimation network (JCE) and sleep posture classification network (SPC). SaccpaNet (Separable Atrous Convolution-based Cascade Pyramid Attention Network) was developed using a combination of pyramidal structure of residual separable atrous convolution unit to reduce computational cost and enlarge receptive field. The Saccpa attention unit served as the core of JCE and SPC, while different backbones for SPC were also evaluated. The model was cross-modally pretrained by RGB images from the COCO whole body dataset and then trained/tested using dept image data collected from 150 participants performing seven sleep postures across four blanket conditions. Besides, we applied a data augmentation technique that used intra-class mix-up to synthesize blanket conditions; and an overlaid flip-cut to synthesize partially covered blanket conditions for a robustness that we referred to as the Post-hoc Data Augmentation Robustness Test (PhD-ART). Our model achieved an average precision of estimated joint coordinate (in terms of PCK@0.1) of 0.652 and demonstrated adequate robustness. The overall classification accuracy of sleep postures (F1-score) was 0.885 and 0.940, for 7- and 6-class classification, respectively. Our system was resistant to the interference of blanket, with a spread difference of 2.5%.

Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy, lenvatinib plus programmed cell death protein-1 inhibitors: A promising treatment approach for high-burden hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) has demonstrated remarkable local therapeutic efficacy in treating patients with large unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Additionally, the combination of lenvatinib and programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) inhibitors has demonstrated promising antitumor effects in unresectable HCC. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combining HAIC with lenvatinib and PD-1 inhibitors as a first-line therapeutic approach in high-burden HCC patients. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis on patients diagnosed with high-burden HCC who had major portal vein tumor thrombosis (Vp3 and Vp4) or tumor occupancy exceeding 50% of the liver. These patients received a first-line treatment consisting of HAIC with a combination of 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX), along with lenvatinib and PD-1 inhibitors between November 2020 and June 2023. The primary endpoints of this study included progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), while the secondary endpoints were objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). RESULTS: Ninety-one patients were enrolled in this study, with a median PFS of 8.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.75-11.78) and a median OS of 14.3 months (95% CI: 11.23-17.31). According to RECIST 1.1 criteria, the ORR was 52.7%, and DCR was 95.6%. According to the mRECIST criteria, the ORR was 72.5%, and the DCR was 96.5%. Among all patients, 86 (94.5%) experienced TRAEs, and there were no instances of treatment-related deaths. CONCLUSION: The combination of HAIC-FOLFOX with lenvatinib and PD-1 inhibitors as a first-line therapy has exhibited notable therapeutic efficacy and well-tolerated adverse events among patients with high-burden HCC.

Theoretical study on photoinduced charge transfer in one-photon and two-photon absorption of branching oligofluorenes.

Oligofluorenes have been identified as very promising two-photon absorption (TPA) materials and present great application potential for the fabrication of nonlinear optical devices, but the TPA mechanism and corresponding electron excitation properties have not been studied. Here, the photoinduced charge transfer characteristics of V-shaped and Y-shaped branching oligofluorenes that consist of two and three fluorene units in each branch during one-photon absorption (OPA) and TPA processes are analyzed theoretically using the density functional theory and visualization sum-over-states model. The calculated results show that the OPA intensity and TPA cross-section are significantly enhanced by increasing the branch length or changing the structure from V-shaped to Y-shaped. The long-distance charge transfer only occurs on the second transition of TPA at high excited states. Compared to Y-shaped molecules, V-shaped structures exhibit a stronger cooperative effect among the different branches.

Unveiling Quantum Interference in the D+ + H2 Nonadiabatic Reaction Dynamics at Low Collision Energies.

Fully converged nonadiabatic dynamics calculations of the D+ + H2 → H+ + HD reaction are performed at low temperatures using the time-dependent wave packet approach based on a set of precise 3 × 3 diabatic potential energy surfaces (PESs) ( Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2021, 23, 7735-7747, DOI: 10.1039/D0CP04100A). The D+ + H2 reaction is mediated by a dense manifold of resonances associated with the deep potential well on the ground-state PES. The calculated results show that the nonadiabatic coupling can affect the resonance positions, deviating from the expectation based solely on adiabatic considerations. Furthermore, significant forward-backward asymmetry in total differential cross sections (DCSs) is revealed, which is markedly influenced by nonadiabatic effects. The nonadiabatic effects not only affect the contribution of partial waves in the reaction but also make the interference patterns in the DCSs change significantly.

Unclassified glutathione-S-transferase AiGSTu1 confers chlorantraniliprole tolerance in Agrotis ipsilon.

BACKGROUND: Chlorantraniliprole (CAP) is a diamide insecticide with high efficacy against many pest insects, including the black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon. Agrotis ipsilon is a serious pest causing significant yield losses in crops. Glutathione-S-transferases (GSTs) belong to a family of metabolic enzymes that can detoxify a wide range of pesticides. However, little is known about the functions of GSTs in CAP tolerance in A. ipsilon. RESULTS: A cDNA sequence (designated AiGSTu1) encoding an unclassified GST was identified from A. ipsilon. AiGSTu1 is highly expressed during the 3rd -instar larval and the pupal stages. Most of the mRNA transcripts were found in larval Malpighian tubules. Exposure to CAP strongly enhanced AiGSTu1 expression, GST activity, hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) and malondialdehyde levels in larvae. H2 O2 treatment upregulated the transcription level of AiGSTu1, suggesting that CAP-induced oxidative stress may activate AiGSTu1 expression. The activity of recombinant AiGSTu1 was inhibited by CAP in a dose-dependent manner. Metabolism assay results demonstrated that AiGSTu1 is capable of depleting CAP. Overexpression of AiGSTu1 enhanced the tolerance of Escherichia coli cells to H2 O2 and the oxidative stress inducer, cumene hydroperoxide. Silencing of AiGSTu1 by RNA interference increased the susceptibility of A. ipsilon larvae to CAP. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the potential role of AiGSTu1 in CAP detoxification and will improve our understanding of CAP tolerance in A. ipsilon. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Application of Extracorporeal Suture Traction-assisted Two-port Laparoscopic Inner Ring Closure for Inguinal Hernia With Folded Peritoneum Around Orifice in Children / 中国微创外科杂志

Objective To investigate the safety and feasibility of two-port laparoscopic inner ring closure assisted by extracorporeal suture traction for indirect inguinal hernia with folded peritoneum around inner orifice in children.Methods Between October 2019 and February 2023,a total of 322 children with indirect inguinal hernia underwent two-port laparoscopic inner ring closure,in which 186 cases(292 sides)with folded peritoneum around inner ring orifice were given assistance by extracorporeal suture traction.Under laparoscopic vision in the umbilicus,a needle with a non-absorbable suture was inserted into the abdominal cavity through the outer lower edge of the inner ring,followed by inserted from the extraperitoneal space to the outer edge of the spermatic cord blood vessel.The needle was again inserted at the outer edge of the spermatic cord blood vessel,and the suture tail was gently pulled outside the body.Under direct laparoscopy,the retroperitoneal space near the insertion point was enlarged.Afterwards the suture was crossed the surface of the spermatic cord blood vessel in the retroperitoneal space.In the same way the extracorporeal suture traction was engaged to expand folded peritoneum and enlarge extraperitoneal space for convenience of needle passing through the Doom's triangle,as well as the vas deferens.The inner wall and upper wall peritoneal tissue of the inner ring were continuously sutured under direct visualization.The needle was removed and a knot was made at the initial insertion point,with the inner ring opening being closed.Results In 292 sides,after extracorporeal suture was used to stretch the folded peritoneum,the suture was able to smoothly cross the spermatic cord blood vessels,the Doom's triangle,and the surface of the vas deferens.The operating time for unilateral hernia was(18.5±3.2)min in80 cases and for bilateral hernia was(32.6±5.3)min in106 cases.No intraoperative complications were found and all the patients were discharged from hospital within 6 hours.A total of 122 cases were followed up for 3-18 months(mean,8.5 months)after surgery.No complications such as incision infection,iatrogenic cryptorchidism,or testicular atrophy were observed.There were no recurrent hernia or hydrocele.Conclusion For indirect hernia with folded peritoneum around inner ring orifice,extracorporeal suture traction effectively expands the folded peritoneum,and assists the needle with suture passing through the surface of spermatic cord blood vessels,the Doom's triangle,and the vas deferens in extraperitoneal space,and decreases the difficulty of surgery,presenting better safety and feasibility.

Transumbilical Approach Repair for Hernia of Linea Alba Within 3 cm Above the Umbilicus in Children / 中国微创外科杂志

Objective To investigate the safety and effectiveness of transumbilical repair for hernia of linea alba within 3 cm above the umbilicus.Methods Clinical data of 26 patients who underwent transumbilical approach hernia repair in our hospital from June 2016 to July 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.Color ultrasound examination showed that the distance from the lower edge of the hernia to the upper edge of the umbilicus was≤3 cm.The hernia repair was performed through the fascial space via the upper edge approach of the umbilical ring.There were 7 boys and 19 girls.The age was 7 months to 11 years old(median,3 years old).The distance from the lower edge of the hernia sac to the upper edge of the umbilicus was(1.46±0.66)cm,and the diameter of the hernia of linea alba was(1.16±0.57)cm.Results The surgery was completed smoothly.The operation time was(39.1±26.3)min.No complication was noted.All the patients were discharged one day after surgery.The follow-ups lasted for 1 year and 2 months to 7 years and 3 months(median,5 years and 1 month).No wound infection,bleeding or other complications occurred.No recurrence of hernia or formation of skin granulomas happened.Conclusion Transumbilical approach repair for hernia of linea alba within 3 cm above the umbilicus is safe and effective,with good cosmetic results.

Epsilon Class Glutathione S-Transferase Confers Phoxim Tolerance in the Black Cutworm Agrotis ipsilon (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

The black cutworm Agrotis ipsilon is a serious crop pest. Phoxim, an organophosphorus insecticide, has been widely used to control A. ipsilon. When phoxim is extensively applied, the susceptibility of A. ipsilon to insecticide is reduced. However, the mechanisms of tolerance of A. ipsilon to phoxim remain unclear. Herein, we report that an epsilon class glutathione S-transferase, AiGSTE1, confers phoxim tolerance in A. ipsilon. Exposure to a sublethal concentration (LC50) of phoxim caused oxidative stress and activated the transcription of AiGSTe1 genes in A. ipsilon larvae. Recombinant AiGSTE1 expressed in Escherichia coli could metabolize phoxim. Furthermore, E. coli cells overexpressing AiGSTE1 displayed significant tolerance to oxidative stress. Knockdown of AiGSTe1 by RNA interference significantly increased the mortality of A. ipsilon larvae to phoxim. These results demonstrate that AiGSTE1 confers phoxim tolerance in A. ipsilon by metabolizing the insecticide and preventing phoxim-induced oxidative stress.

Lenvatinib Plus PD-1 Inhibitors versus Regorafenib in Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma After the Failure of Sorafenib: A Retrospective Study.

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of lenvatinib plus PD-1 inhibitors (LP) and regorafenib (R) in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after sorafenib failure. Methods: From June 2018 to September 2021, 68 patients from a single center who received lenvatinib combined with PD-1 inhibitors or regorafenib after sorafenib treatment failure were analyzed. The tumor response and survival outcomes were compared between the LP group and R group. Prognostic factors for OS and PFS were determined using Cox proportional hazard regression models. Results: The ORR increased in the LP group (19.5% vs 7.4%, p =0.294), and the DCR was better in the R group (73.2% vs 44.4%, p =0.017). Additionally, median PFS and OS were not significantly different between the LP group and R two groups in survival analysis (PFS: 5.3 months vs 3.0 months, p =0.633; OS: 11.8 months vs 8.0 months, p =0.699). The common adverse events (≥grade 3) were hand-foot skin reactions (13.1%). In multivariate analyses, AFP≥400 ng/mL and ECOG PS 2 were independent risk factors for poor prognosis. Conclusion: The LP group appeared to have a trend of greater tumor response and a higher disease control rate than the R group among patients with sorafenib-resistant HCC, although PFS and OS did not differ significantly between the two groups.

Computational Biomechanics of Sleep: A Systematic Mapping Review.

Biomechanical studies play an important role in understanding the pathophysiology of sleep disorders and providing insights to maintain sleep health. Computational methods facilitate a versatile platform to analyze various biomechanical factors in silico, which would otherwise be difficult through in vivo experiments. The objective of this review is to examine and map the applications of computational biomechanics to sleep-related research topics, including sleep medicine and sleep ergonomics. A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Research gaps were identified through data synthesis on variants, outcomes, and highlighted features, as well as evidence maps on basic modeling considerations and modeling components of the eligible studies. Twenty-seven studies (n = 27) were categorized into sleep ergonomics (n = 2 on pillow; n = 3 on mattress), sleep-related breathing disorders (n = 19 on obstructive sleep apnea), and sleep-related movement disorders (n = 3 on sleep bruxism). The effects of pillow height and mattress stiffness on spinal curvature were explored. Stress on the temporomandibular joint, and therefore its disorder, was the primary focus of investigations on sleep bruxism. Using finite element morphometry and fluid-structure interaction, studies on obstructive sleep apnea investigated the effects of anatomical variations, muscle activation of the tongue and soft palate, and gravitational direction on the collapse and blockade of the upper airway, in addition to the airflow pressure distribution. Model validation has been one of the greatest hurdles, while single-subject design and surrogate techniques have led to concerns about external validity. Future research might endeavor to reconstruct patient-specific models with patient-specific loading profiles in a larger cohort. Studies on sleep ergonomics research may pave the way for determining ideal spine curvature, in addition to simulating side-lying sleep postures. Sleep bruxism studies may analyze the accumulated dental damage and wear. Research on OSA treatments using computational approaches warrants further investigation.

Sonoelastography for Testicular Tumor Identification: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Diagnostic Test Accuracy.

The objective of this review was to summarize the applications of sonoelastography in testicular tumor identification and inquire about their test performances. Two authors independently searched English journal articles and full conference papers from CINAHL, Embase, IEEE Xplore®, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception and organized them into a PIRO (patient, index test, reference test, outcome) framework. Eleven studies (n = 11) were eligible for data synthesis, nine of which (n = 9) utilized strain elastography and two (n = 2) employed shear-wave elastography. Meta-analyses were performed on the distinction between neoplasm (tumor) and non-neoplasm (non-tumor) from four study arms and between malignancy and benignity from seven study arms. The pooled sensitivity of classifying malignancy and benignity was 86.0% (95%CI, 79.7% to 90.6%). There was substantial heterogeneity in the classification of neoplasm and non-neoplasm and in the specificity of classifying malignancy and benignity, which could not be addressed by the subgroup analysis of sonoelastography techniques. Heterogeneity might be associated with the high risk of bias and applicability concern, including a wide spectrum of testicular pathologies and verification bias in the reference tests. Key technical obstacles in the index test were manual compression in strain elastography, qualitative observation of non-standardized color codes, and locating the Regions of Interest (ROI), in addition to decisions in feature extractions. Future research may focus on multiparametric sonoelastography using deep learning models and ensemble learning. A decision model on the benefits-risks of surgical exploration (reference test) could also be developed to direct the test-and-treat strategy for testicular tumors.

Ultrasound-Guided Quadratus Lumborum Block at the Lateral Supra-Arcuate Ligament versus Subcostal Transversus Abdominis Plane Block for Postoperative Analgesia Following Open Hepatectomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Purpose: Many studies confirmed that several approaches of quadratus lumborum block (QLB) were superior to transversus abdominis plane block (TAPB) in reducing opioid consumption during postoperative period. As a new QLB approach at the lateral supra-arcuate ligament (QLB-LSAL), the analgesic efficacy and safety in patients undergoing open hepatectomy are still unknown. This study aims to compare postoperative analgesia between the blocks in open hepatectomy. Patients and Methods: Sixty-two patients undergoing open hepatectomy were enrolled and randomly allocated into the QLB-LSAL group (group Q) and the subcostal TAPB group (group T). Preoperatively, patients received ultrasound-guided bilateral QLB-LSAL or subcostal TAPB with injection of 0.5% ropivacaine (a total volume of 40 mL). The primary outcome was cumulative total morphine equivalent consumption in the first postoperative 24 h. Other outcomes included numerical rating scale (NRS) scores at rest and coughing, cumulative total morphine equivalent consumption at 2, 6, 12, 48 h, Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) scores, time to first patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) request, time to first ambulation and adverse effects. Results: The cumulative total morphine equivalent consumption in group Q was decreased significantly at all postoperative time points (P < 0.01). The postoperative NRS scores at rest and coughing in group Q were lower than those in group T at all postoperative time points except 48 h (P < 0.05). A significant increase was also observed in the QoR-15 scores among patients in group Q. Time to first PCIA request was significantly prolonged in group Q than in group T, and time to first ambulation was shortened. Adverse effects showed no statistical significance between the two groups. Conclusion: Compared with subcostal TAPB, preoperative bilateral QLB-LSAL provided superior analgesic properties and promoted early postoperative recovery quality in patients undergoing open hepatectomy. Trial Registration: China Clinical Trials Registration Center (http://www.chictr.org.cn) ChiCTR2200063291, 3/9/2022.

Identification of 14 glutathione S-transferase genes from Lasioderma serricorne and characterization of LsGSTe1 involved in lambda-cyhalothrin detoxification.

In insects, glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) play a pivotal role in the detoxification of a wide range of pesticides. The cigarette beetle, Lasioderma serricorne, is an economically important pest insect of stored products. Recently, pyrethroid insecticides have been used to control this pest. However, little is known concerning the responses and functions of GSTs in L. serricorne under pyrethroid exposure. In this study, transcriptome sequencing was performed on L. serricorne, and a total of 14 GSTs were identified by retrieving the unigene dataset. Of these, 13 predicted GSTs fell into six cytosolic classes, namely, delta, epsilon, omega, sigma, theta, and zeta, and one was assigned to an "unclassified" group. The GST genes were differentially expressed in various larval tissues and at different developmental stages. Exposure to the pyrethroid insecticide lambda-cyhalothrin (LCT) caused oxidative stress in L. serricorne larvae and led to significantly elevated expression levels of six genes, among which LsGSTe1 was the most upregulated. Recombinant LsGSTE1 protein displayed LCT-metabolizing activity. Furthermore, LsGSTE1 protects cells against oxidative stress. Moreover, knockdown of LsGSTe1 by RNA interference dramatically increased the susceptibility of L. serricorne larvae to LCT treatment. The results from this study provide sequence resources and expression data for GST genes in L. serricorne. Our findings indicate that LsGSTE1 plays a dual role in LCT detoxification by metabolizing the pesticide and by preventing LCT-induced oxidative stress. Thus, the LsGSTe1 gene could be used as a potential target for sustainable management of the cigarette beetle.

Diagnostic accuracy of circulating exosomal circRNAs in malignances: A meta-analysis and systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Pathogenesis of malignant tumors are often accompanied by aberrant expression of circular RNAs (circRNAs), indicating the potential diagnostic value of circRNAs in tumors. CircRNAs have been found to be enriched, stable and ubiquitous in serum and plasma exosomes. The study aims at evaluating the diagnostic performance of circulating (plasma and serum) exosomal circRNA in different types of cancer by synthesis of published data. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Medline and the Web of Science databases to identify potentially eligible studies published before April 2021. We conducted the meta-analysis following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses recommendations. RESULTS: Eleven articles comprising 21 studies were included, and a total of 1609 cases and 1498 controls were evaluated. Six types of cancer were involved in these studies, including lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, multiple myeloma and osteosarcoma. The pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.72 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.62-0.81) and 0.83 (95% CI, 0.78-0.88), respectively. Summary receiver operating characteristic curve was constructed and the pooled value of area under curve was 0.86 (95% CI, 0.83-0.89), indicating a favorable diagnostic efficacy of circulating exosomal circRNAs in malignancies. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our study evaluated the diagnostic power of circulating exosomal circRNAs in 6 types of cancer by synthesis of published data comprising 21 studies from eleven articles. The pooled analysis provided the evidence supporting circulating exosomal circRNAs as a promising noninvasive diagnostic biomarkers for malignancies.

Efficacy of nasal irrigation and oral rinse with sodium bicarbonate solution on virus clearance for COVID-19 patients.

Background: Recent studies have shown that the infectivity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is reduced under alkaline conditions. The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of nasal irrigation and oral rinse with sodium bicarbonate solution on virus clearance among COVID-19 patients. Materials and methods: COVID-19 patients were recruited and randomly divided into two group, i.e., the experimental group and the control group. The experimental group received regular care plus nasal irrigation and oral rinse with 5% sodium bicarbonate solution, while the control group only received regular care. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab samples were collected daily for reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays. The negative conversion time and hospitalization time of the patients were recorded, and the results were statistically analyzed. Results: A total of 55 COVID-19 patients with mild or moderate symptoms were included in our study. There was no significant difference in gender, age and health status between the two groups. The average negative conversion time was 1.63 days after treatment with sodium bicarbonate, and the average hospitalization time of the control group and the experimental group were 12.53 and 7.7 days, respectively. Conclusions: Nasal irrigation and oral rinse with 5% sodium bicarbonate solution is effective in virus clearance for COVID-19 patients.