Transarterial Embolization Enhances Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1 Expression and Influences CD8+T Lymphocytes Cytotoxicity in an Orthotopic Hepatocellular Carcinoma Rat Model.

PURPOSE: To investigate the influence of transarterial embolization (TAE) on programmed cell death-ligand 1(PD-L1) expression and CD8+T tumour infiltrative lymphocyte cytotoxicity in the Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat model of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: An orthotopic HCC model was established in twenty SD rats treated with TAE (lipiodol, n = 10) or sham (normal saline, n = 10) using homologous N1S1 hepatoma cells. Rats were euthanized 1 week after embolization. Flow cytometry was used to assess the proportion of CD4+T, CD8+T and programmed cell death-1+(PD-1+) CD8+T lymphocytes in the spleens and tumours. Distribution of CD8+T, granzyme-B+CD8+T lymphocytes and PD-L1+ cells was assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) or multiplex IHC. p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The CD4/CD8 ratio and PD-1+CD8+ T lymphocytes exhibited higher values in TAE-treated tumours compared to sham-treated tumours (p = 0.021 and p = 0.071, respectively). Conversely, the number of CD8+T lymphocytes was decreased in TAE-treated tumours (p = 0.043), especially in the central region (p = 0.045). However, more CD8+T lymphocytes were found infiltrating the marginal region than central region in TAE-treated tumours (p = 0.046). The proportion of granzyme-B+CD8+T lymphocytes and the PD-L1 positive areas was elevated in tumours that treated with TAE (p all < 0.05). There was a negative correlation between PD-L1 expression and the number of infiltration of CD8+ T lymphocytes (p = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: Immune cells are distributed unevenly in the tumours after TAE. The intrinsic induction state of the tumour after embolization may be insufficient to elicit a maximal response to PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors.

Identification of novel Tet(X6)-Tet(X2) recombinant variant in Elizabethkingia meningoseptica from a bullfrog farm and downstream river in China.

Introduction: The dissemination of strains producing tetracyclines monooxygenase Tet(X) from breeding farms to the natural environment poses a potential threat to public health. Methods: Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and WGS were performed to identify resistance phenotypes and genotypes. Cloning experiments, sequence alignment, and homology modeling were used to characterize the function and formation mechanisms of the recombinant variant. The mobilization potential of Tet(X) was assessed by collinearity analysis, conjugation experiments, and phylogenetic analysis. Results: Three tet(X)-producing Elizabethkingia meningoseptica strains were isolated from bullfrog breeding ponds, the sewage outlet, and downstream river in Zhejiang Province, China. These strains carry a novel Tet(X) variant, differing from Tet(X6) by seven residues, and possess the ability to degrade tetracyclines. Interestingly, the novel Tet(X) is a recombinant variant formed by homologous recombination of Tet(X6) and the C-terminal of Tet(X2). Further analysis revealed that Tet(X6) formed several Tet(X) variants, including Tet(X5), through homologous recombination. The novel tet(X) gene is located on a circularizable integrative and conjugative element (ICEEmeChn3), with ISwz1 participating in the recombination of its multi-drug resistance region, potentially facilitating the mobilization and recombination of tet(X) in early hosts. These three strains were clonally transmitted and shared a close genetic relationship (SNP < 62) with a clinically-sourced strain isolated from the same province. Discussion: To our knowledge, this is the first report of homologous recombination between Tet(X) variants with differing activities. These clonal strains provide evidence of the transmission of tet(X)-positive strains from aquaculture sewage to the natural environment, highlighting the need to strengthen the monitoring and management of this emerging farming model.

Exploring the recycled water acceptance based on the technological perspective of UTAUT2: a hybrid analytical approach.

Introduction: The development of advanced sewage technologies empowers the industry to produce high-quality recycled water, which greatly influences human's life and health. Thus, this study investigates the mechanism of individuals' adoption of recycled water from the technology adoption perspective. Methods: Employing the mixed method of structural equation modeling and artificial neural network analysis, we examined a research model developed from the extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) framework. To examine the research model, this study employs a leading web-survey company (Sojump) to collect 308 valid samples from the residents in mainland China. Results: The structural equation modeling results verified the associations between the six predictors (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, environmental motivation, and price value), individuals' cognitive and emotional attitudes, and acceptance intention. The artificial neural network analysis validates and complements the structural equation modeling results by unveiling the importance rank of the significant determinants of the acceptance decisions. Discussion: The study provides theoretical implications for recycled water research and useful insights for practitioners and policymakers to reduce the environmental hazards of water scarcity.

Study on temperature field in the process of induction heat treatment with current assisted weld double side method.

At present, in the process of weld induction heat treatment, the common method is to carry out centralized induction heating in the weld area, which will lead to large radial temperature difference of the weld, poor controllability of temperature distribution and easy to cause the defects of residual stress concentration in the weld area. To solve the above problems, this paper adopts the two-sided method to conduct induction heating on both sides of the weld, and at the same time, the auxiliary pulse current is passed into the weld to improve the quality of the weld. ANSYS finite element software is used to establish a multi-field coupling prediction model of electric-magnetic-thermal structure, and explore the distribution law of the auxiliary pulse current and the temperature field of the weld. Finally, an experimental study of pulsed current assisted two-sided induction heating is carried out. Temperature test and metallographic test were carried out respectively to verify the effectiveness of pulsed current assisted induction heating technology.

Redox/pH Dual-Responsive Fluorescent Nanoparticles for Intelligent Pesticide Release and Visualization in Gray Mold Disease Synergistic Control.

An intelligent delivery nanoformulation could enhance the utilization efficacy, uptake, and translocation of pesticides in plants. Herein, a redox/pH-triggered and fluorescent smart delivery nanoformulation was designed and constructed by using hollow mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (HMONs) and ZnO quantum dots as the nanocarrier and capping agent, respectively. Boscalid was further loaded to generate Boscalid@HMONs@ZnO with a loading rate of 9.8% for controlling Botrytis cinerea (B. cinerea). The quantity of boscalid released by Boscalid@HMONs@ZnO in a glutathione environment or at pH 3.0 was 1.3-fold and 1.9-fold higher than that in a neutral condition. Boscalid@HMONs@ZnO has 1.7-fold the toxicity index of boscalid technical against B. cinerea in antifungal experiments. Pot experiments revealed that the efficacy of Boscalid@HMONs@ZnO was significantly enhanced more than 1.27-fold compared to commercially available water-dispersible granules of boscalid. Due to the fluorescence properties of Boscalid@HMONs@ZnO, pesticide transport's real-time monitoring of pesticide translocation in tomato plants could be observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Fluorescence images revealed that HMONs@ZnO had been effectively transported via treated leaves or roots in tomato plants. This research showed the successful application of HMONs@ZnO as a nanocarrier for controlling disease and offered an effective avenue to explore the real-time tracking of pesticide translocation in plants.

Shear Mechanism of a Novel SFCBs-Reinforced Composite Shear Connector: Experimental, Theoretical Investigations and Numerical Model.

Traditional stud and perfobond leiste (PBL) shear connectors are commonly used as load-transferring components in steel-concrete composite structures. Composite shear connectors fully utilize the advantages of traditional stud and PBL shear connectors. In order to maximize the advantages of composite shear connectors, a novel shear connector for complex environments was proposed. The steel-FRP composite bars (SFCBs) with excellent fatigue resistance and corrosion resistance were introduced to replace the steel bars. This study discussed the failure modes, load-slip curves, and load-strain curves of the composite shear connector. In addition, a finite element analysis (FEA) model was developed to analyze the influence of various factors on its shear behavior. Results showed that compared with traditional composite shear connectors, the introduction of SFCB resulted in a promotion of 7.85% in shear stiffness, and it also led to a significant increase of 63.61% in ductility, further enhancing the mechanical performance. Meanwhile, FEA models were well fitted to the test results, and parametric analysis showed variate effects on shear bearing capacity. In the end, an equation was established to calculate the shear capacity of composite shear connectors, which could provide a reference for further research and engineering applications.

Interhemispheric Connectivity of the Human Temporal Lobes.

Much is known regarding the major white matter pathways connecting the right and left temporal lobes, which project through the posterior corpus callosum, the anterior commissure, and the dorsal hippocampal commissure. However, details about the spatial location of these tracts are unclear, including their exact course and proximity to cortical and subcortical structures, the spatial relations between corpus callosum and anterior commissure projections, and the caudal extent of transcallosal connections within the splenium. We present an atlas of these tracts derived from high angular resolution diffusion tractography maps, providing improved visualization of the spatial relationships of these tracts. The data show several new details, including branching of the transcallosal pathway into medial and lateral divisions, projections of the transcallosal pathway into the external capsule and claustrum, complex patterns of overlap and interdigitation of the transcallosal and anterior commissure tracts, distinct dorsal and ventral regions of the splenium with high tract densities, and absence of temporal lobe projections in the caudal third of the splenium. Intersection of individual tract probability maps with individual cortical surfaces were used to identify likely regions with relatively higher cortical termination densities. These data should be useful for planning surgical approaches involving the temporal lobe and for developing functional-anatomical models of processes that depend on interhemispheric temporal lobe integration, including speech perception, semantic memory, and social cognition. Highlights: Interhemispheric connections of the human temporal lobes were visualized using high angular resolution diffusion tensor imaging tractography.Results are displayed on serial orthogonal sections to reveal detailed spatial relationships.Corpus callosum projections through the splenium form distinct dorsal and ventral bundles and are absent from the caudal splenium.The transcallosal pathway consists of distinct medial and lateral divisions.The results reveal projections to the external capsule and claustrum not previously described.Transcallosal and anterior commissural pathways show complex patterns of overlap and interdigitation.Surface mapping revealed areas with relatively high density of projections to the cortical surface.

The neural representation of body part concepts.

Neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies provide evidence for a degree of category-related organization of conceptual knowledge in the brain. Some of this evidence indicates that body part concepts are distinctly represented from other categories; yet, the neural correlates and mechanisms underlying these dissociations are unclear. We expand on the limited prior data by measuring functional magnetic resonance imaging responses induced by body part words and performing a series of analyses investigating the cortical representation of this semantic category. Across voxel-level contrasts, pattern classification, representational similarity analysis, and vertex-wise encoding analyses, we find converging evidence that the posterior middle temporal gyrus, the supramarginal gyrus, and the ventral premotor cortex in the left hemisphere play important roles in the preferential representation of this category compared to other concrete objects.

Biosafety assessments of hexafluoropropylene trimer derivative as a fluorinated cooling fluid for electronics.

The Internet Data Center (IDC) is one of the most important infrastructures in the field of information technology. The cooling system for heat dissipation of IDC is indispensable due to it generates a large amount of heat during its calculation process, which may potentially harm its normal operation. Electronic fluorinated fluids have been widely used in cooling systems of IDC with stable physical and chemical properties. However, the biological toxicity of electronic fluorinated fluids has not been fully evaluated and there is a lack of unified safety standards, which may pose potential risks to the environment and human health. Here, hexafluoropropylene terpolymer (HFPT) as an example has been systematically studied, fully considering the application scenarios of data centers. Also, the emergency effects of fluorinated coolants in mammalian models from the perspectives of inhalation, skin contact, accidental entry into eyes, accidental ingestion, and chronic toxicity, are evaluated. Multiple in vivo experiments have proven that HFPT not only has stable physical and chemical properties, that can maintain the safe operation of IDC, but also has low physiological toxicity to mammals and can provide health benefits to data center staff and the assurance of surrounding environment. This study proves the good biological safety of electronic fluorinated fluids and provides a reference for environmental assessment and risk management of liquid cooling technology in IDC. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43188-024-00234-3.

[Transdermal diffusion research on functional substances of Jingu Zhitong Gel].

This study systematically explored the transdermal diffusion law of functional substances of Jingu Zhitong Gel(JGZTG). The transdermal diffusion research methods of JGZTG were investigated by single factor trial with the automated transdermal(dry-heat) sampling system. High performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) content determination method was established to determine the contents of ferulic acid, senkyunolide I, cinnamic acid, hydroxy-ε-xanthoxylin, hydroxy-α-xanthoxylin, and hydroxy-ß-xanthoxylin in the transdermal diffusion solution of JGZTG. The transdermal diffusion law of the components within 16 h was investigated. The results showed that the optimal transdermal diffusion method of JGZTG was as follows: Rat skin was used as the transdermal barrier; normal saline was used as the receiving medium; the dosage of JGZTG was 0.3 g, and the receiving solution was extracted by ethyl acetate. The results of transdermal diffusion showed that the release of ferulic acid, cinnamic acid, and senkyunolide I increased significantly at 0-8 h and slowed down at 8-16 h. The drug release was a synergic process of diffusion and dissolution, in which ferulic acid and cinnamic acid followed Higuchi and Ritger-Peppas equations, and liguolactone I followed Higuchi equation. The transdermal diffusion curves of hydroxy-ε-zanthoxylin, hydroxy-α-zanthoxylin, and hydroxy-ß-zanthoxylin showed continuous release within 16 h, and the drug release was skeleton dissolution. The diffusion law followed zero-order equation, first-order equation, and Ritger-Peppas equation. In clonclusion, it is a controlled release of ferulic acid, ligustrone I, cinnamic acid, hydroxy-ε-pyrroxylin, hydroxy-α-pyrroxylin, and hydroxy-ß-pyrroxylin in JGZTG, which can maintain stable blood drug concentration with 16 h, and the cumulative transmittance of each component with 12 h can reach 80% of cumulative transmittance with 24 h, which is in line with the clinical drug use law of bis in die.

In-situ precipitation zero-valent Co on Co2VO4 to activate oxygen vacancies and enhance bimetallic ions redox for efficient detection toward Hg(II).

Despite the widespread utilization of variable valence metals in electrochemistry, it is still a formidable challenge to enhance the valence conversion efficiency to achieve excellent catalytic activity without introducing heterophase elements. Herein, the in-situ precipitation of Co particles on Co2VO4 not only enhanced the concentration of oxygen vacancies (Ov) but also generated a greater number of low-valence metals, thereby enabling efficient reduction towards Hg(II). The electroanalysis results demonstrate that the sensitivity of Co/Co2VO4 towards Hg(II) was measured at an impressive value of 1987.74 µA µM-1 cm-2, significantly surpassing previously reported results. Further research reveals that Ov acted as the main adsorption site to capture Hg(II). The redox reactions of Co2+/Co3+ and V3+/V4+ played a synergistic role in the reduction of Hg(II), accompanied by the continuous supply of electrons from zero-valent Co to expedite the valence cycle. The Co/Co2VO4/GCE presented remarkable selectivity towards Hg(II), with excellent stability, reproducibility, and anti-interference capability. The electrode also exhibited minimal sensitivity fluctuations towards Hg(II) in real water samples, underscoring its practicality for environmental applications. This study elucidates the mechanism underlying the surface redox reaction of metal oxides facilitated by zero-valent metals, providing us with new strategies for further design of efficient and practical sensors.

Integrating deep learning with non-destructive thermal imaging for precision guava ripeness determination.

BACKGROUND: To mitigate post-harvest losses and inform harvesting decisions at the same time as ensuring fruit quality, precise ripeness determination is essential. The complexity arises in assessing guava ripeness as a result of subtle alterations in some varieties during the ripening process, making visual assessment less reliable. The present study proposes a non-destructive method employing thermal imaging for guava ripeness assessment, involving obtaining thermal images of guava samples at different ripeness stages, followed by data pre-processing. Five deep learning models (AlexNet, Inception-v3, GoogLeNet, ResNet-50 and VGGNet-16) were applied, and their performances were systematically evaluated and compared. RESULTS: VGGNet-16 demonstrated outstanding performance, achieving average precision of 0.92, average sensitivity of 0.93, average specificity of 0.96, average F1-score of 0.92 and accuracy of 0.92 within a training duration of 484 s. CONCLUSION: The present study presents a scalable and non-destructive approach for guava ripeness determination, contributing to waste reduction and enhancing efficiency in supply chains and fruit production. These initiatives align with environmentally friendly practices in agriculture. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Prevotella histicola ameliorates DSS-induced colitis by inhibiting IRE1α-JNK pathway of ER stress and NF-κB signaling.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic and recurrent gastrointestinal inflammation regulated by intricate mechanisms. Recently, prebiotics is considered as promising nutritional strategy for the prevention and treatment of IBD. Prevotella histicola (P. histicola), an emerging probiotic, possesses apparently anti-inflammatory bioactivity. However, the role and underlying mechanism of P. histicola on IBD remain unclear. Hence, we probe into the effect of P. histicola on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis and clarified the potential mechanism. Our results revealed that DSS-induced colonic inflammatory response and damaged epithelial barrier in mice were attenuated by oral administration of P. histicola. Moreover, supplementary P. histicola significantly enriched short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria (Lactobacillus, and Bacillus) and reduced pathogenic bacteria (Erysipelotrichaceae, Clostridium, Bacteroides) in DSS-induced colitis. Notably, In DSS-treated mice, endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) was persistently activated in colonic tissue. Conversely, P. histicola gavage suppressed expansion of endoplasmic reticulum, downregulated PERK-ATF4-CHOP and IRE1α-JNK pathway. In vitro, the P. histicola supernatant eliminated LPS-induced higher production of pro-inflammatory cytokines regulated by NF-κB and impairment of epithelial barrier by inhibiting IRE1α-JNK signaling in Caco-2 cell. In summary, our study indicated that P. histicola mitigated DSS-induced chronic colitis via inhibiting IRE1α-JNK pathway and NF-κB signaling. These findings provide the new insights into the promotion of gut homeostasis and the application potential of P. histicola as a prebiotic for IBD in the future.

Identification of odorant-binding proteins and functional analysis of antenna-specific BhorOBP28 in Batocera horsfieldi (Hope).

BACKGROUND: The important wood-boring pest Batocera horsfieldi has evolved a sensitive olfactory system to locate host plants. Odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) are thought to play key roles in olfactory recognition. Therefore, exploring the physiological function of OBPs could facilitate a better understanding of insect chemical communications. RESULTS: In this research, 36 BhorOBPs genes were identified via transcriptome sequencing of adults' antennae from B. horsfieldi, and most BhorOBPs were predominantly expressed in chemosensory body parts. Through fluorescence competitive binding and fluorescence quenching assays, the antenna-specific BhorOBP28 was investigated and displayed strong binding affinities forming stable complexes with five volatiles, including (+)-α-Pinene, (+)-Limonene, ß-Pinene, (-)-Limonene, and (+)-Longifolene, which could also elicit conformation changes when they were interacting with BhorOBP28. Batocera horsfieldi females exhibited a preference for (-)-Limonene, and a repellent response to (+)-Longifolene. Feeding dsOBP19 produced by a bacteria-expressed system with a newly constructed vector could lead to the knockdown of BhorOBP28, and could further impair B. horsfieldi attraction to (-)-Limonene and repellent activity of (+)-Longifolene. The analysis of site-directed mutagenesis revealed that Leu7, Leu72, and Phe121 play a vital role in selectively binding properties of BhorOBP28. CONCLUSION: By modeling the molecular mechanism of olfactory recognition, these results demonstrate that BhorOBP28 is involved in the chemoreception of B. horsfieldi. The bacterial-expressed dsRNA delivery system gains new insights into potential population management strategies. Through the olfactory process concluded that discovering novel behavioral regulation and environmentally friendly control options for B. horsfieldi in the future. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Success rate of current human-derived gastric cancer organoids establishment and influencing factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Human-derived gastric cancer organoids (GCOs) are widely used in gastric cancer research; however, the culture success rate is generally low. AIM: To explore the potential influencing factors, and the literature on successful culture rates of GCOs was reviewed using meta-analysis. METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE were searched for studies. Two trained researchers selected the studies and extracted data. STATA 17.0 software was used for meta-analysis of the incidence of each outcome event. The adjusted Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies scale was used to assess the quality of the included studies. Funnel plots and Egger's test were used to detect publication bias. Subgroup analyses were conducted for sex, tissue source, histological classification, and the pathological tumor-node-metastasis (pTNM) cancer staging system. RESULTS: Eight studies with a pooled success rate of 66.6% were included. GCOs derived from women and men had success rates of 67% and 46.7%, respectively. GCOs from surgery or biopsy/endoscopic submucosal dissection showed success rates of 70.9% and 53.7%, respectively. GCOs of poorly-differentiated, moderately-differentiated and signet-ring cell cancer showed success rates of 64.6%, 31%, and 32.7%, respectively. GCOs with pTNM stages I-II and III-IV showed success rates of 38.3% and 65.2%, respectively. Y-27632 and non-Y-27632 use showed success rates of 58.2% and 70%, respectively. GCOs generated with collagenase were more successful than those constructed with Liberase TH and TrypLE (72.1% vs 71%, respectively). EDTA digestion showed a 50% lower success rate than other methods (P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: GCO establishment rate is low and varies by sex, tissue source, histological type, and pTNM stage. Omitting Y-27632, and using Liberase TH, TrypLE, or collagenase yields greater success than EDTA.

Size and fixation options of dorsoulnar fragments in distal radius fractures.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the influence of size and fixation options of dorsoulnar fragments on the clinical outcomes of distal radius fractures (DRFs). METHODS: This retrospective analysis was performed on 94 patients with DFR accompanied by dorsoulnar fragments, spanning the period from October 2018 to November 2022. Mean follow-up was 15.5 (range, 12-20) months. Patients were divided into small- (<5 %, n = 28), middle- (5-15 %, n = 50), and large- (>15 %, n = 16) sized groups according to articular involvement of dorsoulnar fragments determined by three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) modeling. Subdivision also took place for the presence of postoperative fragment displacement (>2 mm) and fixation methods including volar locking plate (VLP), VLP combined with dorsal hollow compression screw (VDS), and VLP combined with dorsal low-profile mini plate (VDP). The radiographic parameters (volar tilt, radial inclination, and radial height) and functional outcome measures of wrist range of motion, wrist function (DASH, PRWE), and wrist pain (VAS) were evaluated and compared between groups. RESULTS: Fracture healing was observed in all patients at final follow-up. No instances of dorsoulnar fragment displacement were observed in patients undergoing VDS and VDP treatment and the incidence of the dorsoulnar fragment displacement was 35 % (n = 8) in small-sized group, 21 % (n = 7) in middle-sized group, and 7 % (n = 1) in large-sized group when patients were treated with VLP. In small-sized group, no significant differences were found between patients with and without dorsoulnar fragment displacement in dorsiflexion restriction (10.6 ± 2.8°, 9.1 ± 2.3°, P = 0.159), pronosupination restriction (9.6 ± 2.1°, 8.6 ± 1.7°, P = 0.188), DASH (11.5 ± 4.1, 10.7 ± 3.2, P = 0.562), PRWE (11.9 ± 4.2, 10.6 ± 3.6, P = 0.425), and VAS (1.1 ± 1.1, 0.9 ± 1.0, P = 0.528). In middle-sized combined with large-sized group, the functional outcome measures of dorsiflexion restriction (12.5 ± 3.7°, 9.8 ± 2.9°, P = 0.022), DASH (14.6 ± 5.2, 11.4 ± 3.7, P = 0.030), and PRWE (15.0 ± 4.5, 11.3 ± 3.9, P = 0.016) were superior in patients without dorsoulnar fragment displacement. In patients treated with VLPs, no significant differences were found in dorsiflexion restriction (9.8 ± 2.5°, 10.8 ± 3.5°, 9.4 ± 2.5°, P = 0.299), pronosupination restriction (9.2 ± 1.9°, 10.1 ± 2.8°, 8.9 ± 1.5°, P = 0.200), DASH (11.1 ± 3.5, 12.9 ± 4.3, 11.1 ± 3.6, P = 0.162), PRWE (11.1 ± 3.9, 12.8 ± 4.2, 10.8 ± 3.9, P = 0.188), and VAS (1.0 ± 1.0, 1.4 ± 1.1, 0.9 ± 0.9, P = 0.151) between small-sized, middle-sized, and large-sized groups. In middle-sized group, no significant differences were found in dorsiflexion restriction (10.8 ± 3.5°, 9.4 ± 2.2°, 9.4 ± 2.4°, P = 0.316); pronosupination restriction (10.1 ± 2.8°, 8.8 ± 1.9°, 9.0 ± 2.5°, P = 0.314), DASH (12.9 ± 4.3, 10.3 ± 3.7, 10.5 ± 3.7, P = 0.133), PRWE (12.8 ± 4.2, 10.4 ± 3.8, 10.6 ± 4.1, P = 0.199), and VAS (1.4 ± 1.1, 0.8 ± 0.7, 1.0 ± 1.1, P = 0.201) between subgroups of VLP, VDS, and VDP. No significant differences were found in radiographic parameters between all groups compared. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that the strict reduction and fixation of a dorsoulnar fragment might be not essential when its articular involvement was less than 5 %. The volar locking plate (VLP) fixation was commonly effective in treating distal radius fractures accompanied by a dorsoulnar fragment involving over 15 % of the articular surface. Additionally, the use of an additional dorsal hollow compression screw or a dorsal low-profile mini plate can get good wrist function in the early-term follow-up when the dorsoulnar fragment involve 5-15 % of the articular surface.

[Advances on cyclopeptides of plants].

Cyclopeptides isolated from a variety of plants are a class of cyclic nitrogen-containing compounds, and they are primarily formed by peptide bonds between amino acids, generally containing 2 to 37 L-configuration encoded or non-encoded amino acid residues. Cyclopeptides have significant values in scientific research as natural small-molecule metabolites produced by plants. The available studies have revealed that such natural products are ubiquitous in plants, which mainly include cyclic dipeptides, cyclic tetrapeptides, cyclic pentapeptides, cyclic hexapeptides, cyclic heptapeptides, cyclic octapeptides, cyclic nonapeptides, and cyclic decapeptides. Among them, cyclic dipeptides, cyclic hexapeptides, and cyclic octapeptides are the major active compounds. It has been reported that plant cyclopeptides have novel and unique chemical structures. They possess diverse pharmacological activities, such as antineoplastic, antimicrobial, antimalarial, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral activities. This paper summarizes the research achievements of plant cyclopeptides since 2006, aiming to provide theoretical reference for the research and application of plant cyclopeptides in medicine, health, and agriculture fields.

Transcriptome profiling of longissimus dorsi during different prenatal stages to identify genes involved in intramuscular fat deposition in lean and obese pig breeds.

BACKGROUND: There was significant difference in muscle development between fat-type and lean-type pig breeds. METHODS AND RESULTS: In current study, transcriptome analysis and bioinformatics analysis were used to compare the difference in longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle at three time-points (38 days post coitus (dpc), 58 dpc, and 78 dpc ) between Huainan (HN) and Large white (LW) pig breeds. A total of 24500 transcripts were obtained in 18 samples, and 2319, 2799, and 3713 differently expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between these two breeds at 38 dpc, 58 dpc, and 78 dpc, respectively. And the number and foldchange of DEGs were increased, the alternative splice also increased. The cluster analysis of DEGs indicated the embryonic development progress of LD muscle between these two breeds was different. There were 539 shared DEGs between HN and LW at three stages, and the top-shared DEGs were associated with muscle development and lipid deposition, such as KLF4, NR4A1, HSP70, ZBTB16 and so on. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed DEGs between Huainan (HN) and Large white (LW) pig breeds, and contributed to the understanding the muscle development difference between HN and LW, and provided basic materials for improvement of meat quality.

Preoperative glucose-to-lymphocyte ratio predicts survival in cancer.

Background: Systemic inflammation and glucose metabolism have been closely related to the survival of cancer patients. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate whether preoperative glucose-to-lymphocyte ratio (GLR) can be used to predict the survival of cancer patients. Methods: We retrospectively examined 2172 cancer patients who underwent surgery from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2016. There were 240 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), 378 patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), 221 patients with breast cancer (BC), 335 patients with gastric cancer (GC), 270 patients with liver cancer, 233 patients with esophageal cancer (EC), 295 patients with renal cancer, and 200 patients with melanoma. The formula for preoperative GLR calculation was as follows: GLR=glucose/lymphocyte count. The overall survival (OS) was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The predictive factors for OS were determined using multivariate analysis. Results: The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the median survival time in the high-GLR group was much shorter than that of those in the low-GLR group for different cancers. Cox multivariate regression analysis reveals that preoperative GLR was an independent factor for predicting overall survival in different tumor types. Conclusion: Elevated preoperative GLR was remarkably associated with a poorer prognosis in patients with NSCLC, CRC, breast cancer, gastric cancer, kidney cancer, liver cancer, esophageal cancer, and melanoma. Preoperative GLR promises to be an essential predictor of survival for cancer patients.

[Effects of salt stress on bacterial community composition and diversity in rhizosphere soil of Bletilla striata]. / ç›èƒè¿«å¯¹ç™½åŠæ ¹é™ ç»†èŒç¾¤è½ç»„æˆåŠå¤šæ ·æ€§çš„å½±å“.

Salinization environment affects the normal growth and development of plants, as well as the microbial community in the rhizosphere. To explore the succession dynamics of bacterial communities in the rhizosphere soil of Bletilla striata under salt stress condition, we performed 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing to determine the bacterial community composition and diversity of B. striata in the rhizosphere under different salt stress concentrations, measured the effects of salt stress on the growth and development of B. striata and soil physicochemical pro-perties, and analyzed the correlation between community composition of rhizosphere bacteria and the soil environmental factors. The results showed that compared with the control, salt stress reduced growth rate and health degree of B. striata, and significantly decreased the content of soil organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus. Under the salt stress treatment, species diversity and evenness of the bacterial communities in the rhizosphere of B. striata showed a trend of first decreasing and then increasing. There were significant differences in the relative abundance and variation trends of the dominant bacterial taxa in the rhizosphere soil of B. striata at the phylum and class levels between the control and the salt stress treatments. Salt stress intensity and duration were important factors affecting bacterial community composition in the rhizosphere soil of B. striata. Soil organic matter, available nitrogen, and total phosphorus content were key environmental factors affecting the structure of rhizosphere bacterial community composition. Functional genes related to cytoskeleton, cell motility, substance metabolism and signal transduction mechanisms may be involved in the adaptation and stress response of bacterial communities to salt stress. This study would provide theoretical basis and reference for the cultivation management of B. striatain saline area.