Exploring morphological similarity and randomness in Alzheimer's disease using adjacent grey matter voxel-based structural analysis.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease is characterized by large-scale structural changes in a specific pattern. Recent studies developed morphological similarity networks constructed by brain regions similar in structural features to represent brain structural organization. However, few studies have used local morphological properties to explore inter-regional structural similarity in Alzheimer's disease. METHODS: Here, we sourced T1-weighted MRI images of 342 cognitively normal participants and 276 individuals with Alzheimer's disease from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative database. The relationships of grey matter intensity between adjacent voxels were defined and converted to the structural pattern indices. We conducted the information-based similarity method to evaluate the structural similarity of structural pattern organization between brain regions. Besides, we examined the structural randomness on brain regions. Finally, the relationship between the structural randomness and cognitive performance of individuals with Alzheimer's disease was assessed by stepwise regression. RESULTS: Compared to cognitively normal participants, individuals with Alzheimer's disease showed significant structural pattern changes in the bilateral posterior cingulate gyrus, hippocampus, and olfactory cortex. Additionally, individuals with Alzheimer's disease showed that the bilateral insula had decreased inter-regional structural similarity with frontal regions, while the bilateral hippocampus had increased inter-regional structural similarity with temporal and subcortical regions. For the structural randomness, we found significant decreases in the temporal and subcortical areas and significant increases in the occipital and frontal regions. The regression analysis showed that the structural randomness of five brain regions was correlated with the Mini-Mental State Examination scores of individuals with Alzheimer's disease. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that individuals with Alzheimer's disease alter micro-structural patterns and morphological similarity with the insula and hippocampus. Structural randomness of individuals with Alzheimer's disease changed in temporal, frontal, and occipital brain regions. Morphological similarity and randomness provide valuable insight into brain structural organization in Alzheimer's disease.

Nanotube ferroelectric tunnel junctions with an ultrahigh tunneling electroresistance ratio.

Low-dimensional ferroelectric tunnel junctions are appealing for the realization of nanoscale nonvolatile memory devices due to their inherent advantages of device miniaturization. Those based on current mechanisms have limitations, including low tunneling electroresistance (TER) effects and complex heterostructures. Here, we introduce an entirely new TER mechanism to construct a nanotube ferroelectric tunnel junction with ferroelectric nanotubes as the tunneling region. When rolling a ferroelectric monolayer into a nanotube, due to the coexistence of its intrinsic ferroelectric polarization with the flexoelectric polarization induced by bending, a metal-insulator transition occurs depending on the radiative polarization states. For the pristine monolayer, its out-of-plane polarization is tunable by an in-plane electric field, and the conducting states of the ferroelectric nanotube can thus be tuned between metallic and insulating states via axial electric means. Using α-In2Se3 as an example, our first-principles density functional theory calculations and nonequilibrium Green's function formalism confirm the feasibility of the TER mechanism and indicate an ultrahigh TER ratio that exceeds 9.9 × 1010% of the proposed nanotube ferroelectric tunnel junctions. Our findings provide a promising approach based on simple homogeneous structures for high density ferroelectric microelectric devices with excellent ON/OFF performance.

Effects of β-glucan on biological functions of mouse bone marrow-dendritic cells induced under different conditions / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effects of β-glucan on the activation and functions of mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) induced under different conditions.Methods:Mouse bone marrow from the tibia and fibula was in vitro induced into FL-DCs and GM-DCs by FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (Flt-3L) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in combination with IL-4 into, respectively. These cells were stimulated with whole glucan particles (WGP) and flow cytometry was performed to detect the expression of surface molecules such as CD40, CD80, MHCⅠ, MHCⅡ, CD8α, and CD11b on them. ELISA was used to detect the levels of IL-12p40, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 in cell culture supernatants. The expression of each cytokine and chemokine receptor at the mRNA level was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. CD8 + and CD4 + T cells in OT-Ⅰ and OT-Ⅱ mice were sorted out by magnetic bead sorting kit and co-cultured with FL-DCs and GM-DCs in the presence of ovalbumin (OVA). And then, the proliferation and differentiation of T cells were detected by flow cytometry. Results:WGP significantly promoted the expression of CD40, CD80, MHCⅠ, MHCⅡ and CD8α on FL-DCs and GM-DCs ( P<0.05). The secretion of IL-12p40 and TNF-α by FL-DCs and GM-DCs was significantly enhanced after WGP treatment ( P<0.05), while there are significant differences in the secretion of IL-6 and IL-10 between FL-DCs and GM-DCs. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR showed that WGP promoted the expression of chemokine receptors CXCR5 and CCR7 by GM-DCs ( P<0.001 and P<0.01), and the expression of CCR7 by FL-DCs ( P<0.0001). WGP promoted CD4 + T cells to secrete more IFN-γ and IL-17α when they were co-cultured with FL-DCs or GM-DCs ( P<0.05). Conclusions:WGP induces the maturation of BMDCs and improves the ability of BMDCs to activate effector T cells. Besides, WGP prompts the differentiation of BMDCs that are induced under different conditions to different Th cells.

Investigating brain aging trajectory deviations in different brain regions of individuals with schizophrenia using multimodal magnetic resonance imaging and brain-age prediction: a multicenter study.

Although many studies on brain-age prediction in patients with schizophrenia have been reported recently, none has predicted brain age based on different neuroimaging modalities and different brain regions in these patients. Here, we constructed brain-age prediction models with multimodal MRI and examined the deviations of aging trajectories in different brain regions of participants with schizophrenia recruited from multiple centers. The data of 230 healthy controls (HCs) were used for model training. Next, we investigated the differences in brain age gaps between participants with schizophrenia and HCs from two independent cohorts. A Gaussian process regression algorithm with fivefold cross-validation was used to train 90, 90, and 48 models for gray matter (GM), functional connectivity (FC), and fractional anisotropy (FA) maps in the training dataset, respectively. The brain age gaps in different brain regions for all participants were calculated, and the differences in brain age gaps between the two groups were examined. Our results showed that most GM regions in participants with schizophrenia in both cohorts exhibited accelerated aging, particularly in the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, and insula. The parts of the white matter tracts, including the cerebrum and cerebellum, indicated deviations in aging trajectories in participants with schizophrenia. However, no accelerated brain aging was noted in the FC maps. The accelerated aging in 22 GM regions and 10 white matter tracts in schizophrenia potentially exacerbates with disease progression. In individuals with schizophrenia, different brain regions demonstrate dynamic deviations of brain aging trajectories. Our findings provided more insights into schizophrenia neuropathology.

Predicting aging trajectories of decline in brain volume, cortical thickness and fractional anisotropy in schizophrenia.

Brain-age prediction is a novel approach to assessing deviated brain aging trajectories in different diseases. However, most studies have used an average brain age gap (BAG) of individuals with schizophrenia of different illness durations for comparison with healthy participants. Therefore, this study investigated whether declined brain structures as reflected by BAGs may be present in schizophrenia in terms of brain volume, cortical thickness, and fractional anisotropy across different illness durations. We used brain volume, cortical thickness, and fractional anisotropy as features to train three models from the training dataset. Three models were applied to predict brain ages in the hold-out test and schizophrenia datasets and calculate BAGs. We divided the schizophrenia dataset into multiple groups based on the illness duration using a sliding time window approach for ANCOVA analysis. The brain volume and cortical thickness models revealed that, in comparison with healthy controls, individuals with schizophrenia had larger BAGs across different illness durations, whereas the BAG in terms of fractional anisotropy did not differ from that of healthy controls after disease onset. Moreover, the BAG at the initial stage of schizophrenia was the largest in the cortical thickness model. In contrast, the BAG from approximately two decades after disease onset was the largest in the brain volume model. Our findings suggest that schizophrenia differentially affects the decline of different brain structures during the disease course. Moreover, different trends of decline in thickness and volume-based measures suggest a differential decline in dimensions of brain structure throughout the course of schizophrenia.

Surgical treatment for obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a five-year single-center experience of 421 cases / 中华外科杂志

Objectives: To examine the short-term and mid-term effects of surgical treatment of obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in one center. Methods: The perioperative data and short-term follow-up outcomes of 421 patients with obstructive HCM who received surgical treatment at Department of Cardiac Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University from January 2017 to December 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. There were 207 males and 214 females, aged (56.5±11.7) years (range: 19 to 78 years). Preoperative New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification included 45 cases of class Ⅱ, 328 cases in class Ⅲ, and 48 cases in class Ⅳ. Fifty-eight patients were diagnosed with latent obstructive HCM and 257 patients had moderate or more mitral regurgitation with 56 patients suffering from intrinsic mitral valve diseases. All procedures were completed by a multidisciplinary team, including professional echocardiologists involving in preoperative planning for proper mitral valve management strategies and intraoperative monitoring. A total of 338 patients underwent septal myectomy alone, and 59 patients underwent mitral valve surgery along with myectomy. A single transaortic approach was used in 355 patients, and a right atrial-atrial septal/atrial sulcus approach was used in 51 other patients. Long-handled minimally invasive surgical instruments were used for the procedures. Student t test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, χ2 test or Fisher exact test were used to compare the data before and after surgery. Results: The aortic cross-clamping time of septal myectomy alone was (34.3±8.5) minutes (range: 21 to 94 minutes). Eighteen patients had intraoperative adverse events and underwent immediate reoperation, including residual obstruction (10 patients), left ventricular free wall rupture (4 patients), ventricular septal perforation (3 patients), and aortic valve perforation (1 patient). Four patients died during hospitalization, and 11 patients developed complete atrioventricular block requiring permanent pacemaker implantation. After discharge, 384 (92.1%) patients received a follow-up visit with a median duration of 9 months. All follow-up patients survived with significantly improved NYHA classifications: 216 patients in class Ⅰ and 168 patients in class Ⅱ (χ2=662.73, P<0.01 as compared to baseline). At 6 months after surgery, follow-up echocardiography showed that the thickness of the ventricular septum ((13.6±2.5) mm vs. (18.2±3.0) mm, t=23.51, P<0.01) and the peak left ventricular outflow tract gradient ((12.0±6.3) mmHg vs. (93.4±19.8) mmHg, 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa, t=78.29, P<0.01) were both significantly lower than baseline values. Conclusion: The construction of the surgical team (including echocardiography experts), proper mitral valve management strategies, identification and management of sub-mitral-valve abnormalities, and application of long-handled minimally invasive surgical instruments are important for the successful implementation of septal myectomy with satisfactory short-and medium-term outcomes.

Effects of orlistat on the viability of human gallbladder cancer cells / 中华消化外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the effects of orlistat on the viability of human gall-bladder cancer (GBC) cells.Methods:The experimental study was conducted. The human GBC NOZ cells with high expression of FSAN was screened out through in vitro cultivating human GBC-SD, SGC-996 and NOZ cells. The cell proliferation assay, clone formation assay and protein detection experiment were used to analysis of the effects of orlistat on the viability of human GBC cells. Cell grouping: NOZ cells cultured with medium were set as the control group, cultured with medium + 10 μmol/L orlistat were set as the low-dose orlistat group, cultured with medium + 100 μmol/L orlistat were set as the high-dose orlistat group, respectively. Observation indicators: (1) expression of FASN protein in human GBC cells; (2) effects of orlistat on the proliferation of human GBC NOZ cells; (3) effects of orlistat on apoptosis of human GBC NOZ cells. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, the ANOVA test was used for comparison between groups and the least significant difference method was used for pairwise comparison. Results:(1) Expression of FASN protein in human GBC cells. Results of western blot showed that the relative expression of FASN protein in human GBC NOZ, GBC-SD and SGC-996 cells was 0.57±0.06, 0.12±0.04 and 0.10±0.02, respectively, showing a significant difference among them ( F=115.67, P<0.05). There were significant differences between the NOZ cells and the GBC-SD or the SGC-996 cells ( P<0.05), and there was no significant difference between the GBC-SD cells and the SGC-996 cells ( P>0.05). (2) Effects of orlistat on the proliferation of human GBC NOZ cells. ① Results of cell proliferation assay showed that the absorbance value of NOZ cells was 2.34±0.12, 1.57±0.08 and 1.07±0.13 in the control group, low-dose orlistat group and high-dose orlistat group, respectively, showing a significant difference among them ( F=205.88, P<0.05). ② Results of clone formation assay showed that the number of NOZ cells clones was 257±23, 153±11 and 83±11 in the control group, low-dose orlistat group and high-dose orlistat group, respectively, showing a significant difference among them ( F=92.64, P<0.05). ③Results of western blot showed that the relative expression of Cyclin-D1 protein of NOZ cells was 2.31±0.10, 1.52±0.05 and 1.23±0.11 in the control group, low-dose orlistat group and high-dose orlistat group, respectively, showing a significant difference among them ( F=120.73, P<0.05). The relative expression of CDK-4 protein of NOZ cells was 1.58±0.04, 1.21±0.02 and 1.19±0.04 in the control group, low-dose orlistat group and high-dose orlistat group, respectively, showing a signifi-cant difference among them ( F=110.45, P<0.05). (3) Effects of orlistat on apoptosis of human GBC NOZ cells. Results of western blot showed that the relative expression of Bcl-2 protein of NOZ cells was 1.07±0.03, 0.36±0.03 and 0.15±0.02 in the control group, low-dose orlistat group and high-dose orlistat group, respectively, showing a significant difference among them ( F=1 242.93, P<0.05). The relative expression of Bax protein of NOZ cells was 0.51±0.03, 0.38±0.05 and 1.38±0.04 in the control group, low-dose orlistat group and high-dose orlistat group, respectively, showing a signifi-cant difference among them ( F=583.51, P<0.05). Conclusion:Orlistat can inhibit the growth of human GBC NOZ cells and promote their apoptosis.

Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of exposure and response prevention for obsessive compulsive disorder / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective:To systematically evaluate the intervention effect of exposure and response prevention (ERP) on obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).Methods:PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, EBSCO, Cochrane Library, Embase, Science Direct, Wanfang Data, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and VIP-CSTJ were used to collect randomized controlled studies related to ERP for OCD.Randomized controlled studies that met the criteria were included, with the score of Yale-Brown obsessive-compulsive scale as the primary outcome indicator and the scores of anxiety and depression scale as secondary outcome indicators, while the included literatures were evaluated for literature quality and data extraction.Review Manager 5.3 and Stata 16.0 softwares were used to conduct Meta-analysis on the extracted data.Results:Twenty-seven studies with a total of 1 239 patients were included, and 599 cases in the ERP group and 640 cases in the control group.Meta-analysis results showed that the efficacy of ERP group was significantly better than that of blank control group(MD=-6.55, 95% CI: -8.75--4.35, P<0.001) and significantly better than chlorpromazine control group treatment (MD=-5.88, 95% CI: -8.20--3.56, P<0.001) for improving patients' obsessive-compulsive symptoms, but not significantly different from CBT intervention (MD=0.21, 95% CI: -1.62-2.04, P=0.82), and the efficacy of ERP and CBT had no significant during the post-intervention follow-up period (MD=0.41, 95% CI: -2.45-3.27, P=0.78). For improving patients' depressed mood, ERP was effective in improving patients' depressed mood (SMD=-0.45, 95% CI: -0.74--0.17, P=0.002), but not significantly different from CBT (SMD=-0.05, 95% CI: -0.27-0.16, P=0.62). For improving anxiety, the efficacy of ERP group was not different from that of control group (SMD=-0.17, 95% CI: -0.56-0.23, P=0.41). Conclusion:ERP has good feasibility in improving obsessive-compulsive symptoms and depression in patients with OCD.However, long-term efficacy was not verified for improving anxiety and maintaining long-term efficacy during the follow-up period.

Role of tripartite motif-containing 23 in the differentiation and maturation of dendritic cells / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of tripartite motif-containing 23 (Trim23) on the differentiation and maturation of dendritic cells and the possible mechanism.Methods:Mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) were prepared from bone marrow cells of C57BL/6 mice with the presence of Flt3L. Real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot were used to detect the expression of Trim23 in BMDCs after LPS stimulation. An overexpression vector for full-length Trim23 (Trim23 OE) was constructed and transfected into BMDCs, and the pcDNA3.1 empty vector was used as control. Flow cytometry was used to detect the expression of CD80, CD86, CD40 and MHCⅡ on the surface of vector-transfected BMDCs after LPS stimulation and ELISA was used to detect the secretion of IL-12p40, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10 by these cells. CD8 + and CD4 + T cells were isolated from spleen and lymph nodes of OT-Ⅰ and OT-Ⅱ mice by magnetic beads and co-cultured with LPS-treated BMDCs in the presence of ovalbumin (OVA). Flow cytometry was used to detect the proliferation and differentiation of CD8 + and CD4 + T cells. Western blot was performed to analyze the phosphorylation of p38, ERK1/2 and AKT in BMDCs. Two overexpression vectors for Trim23 mutants lacking RING or ARF domain (Trim23 ΔRING and Trim23 ΔARF) were constructed and transfected into BMDCs. Then flow cytometry and ELISA were used to detect the expression of surface molecules and cytokines. Results:The expression of Trim23 in BMDCs was significantly down-regulated after LPS stimulation. The expression of MHCⅡ, CD86 and CD80 and the secretion of TNF-α and IL-6 decreased significantly in BMDCs overexpressing Trim23. Furthermore, overexpression of Trim23 inhibited the ability of BMDCs to induce the proliferation and differentiation of CD4 + T cells and the proliferation of CD8 + T cells. Western blot showed that the phosphorylation of p38 and ERK1/2 decreased significantly in Trim23-overexpressing BMDCs. Compared with wildtype Trim23, overexpression of Trim23 ΔRING had no significant influence on the expression of surface molecules (MHCⅡ and CD86) and the secretion of cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6) in BMDCs stimulated by LPS. Conclusions:Trim23 overexpression inhibited the maturation and immune activation of BMDCs via MAPK signal pathway and its RING domain. This study provided reference for targeting Trim23 to improve the immune response of dendritic cell-based tumor vaccines.

Effects of transurethral en-blocresection of bladder tumor on urination function,serum chitin enzymes protein-40,bladder cancer specific antigen-1,recombinant paraoxonase-1 Levels in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer / 临床外科杂志

Objective To explore the effects of transurethral en-blocresection of bladder tumor(TeURBT)on urination function,serum chitinase protein 40(YKL-40),bladder specific nuclear matrix protein-1(BLCA-1),and p-oxyfossase-1(PON-1)levels in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer(NMIBC).Methods 74 patients with NMIBC admitted to our Hospital from January 2019 to May 2022 were divided into TeURBT group and transurethral resection of bladder tumor(TURBT)group by random lottery,with 37 cases in each group.The effective tumor clearance rate,surgery and urination function indexes were compared between the two groups.Blood samples were collected before surgery,3 months,6 months and 12 months after surgery to determine the levels of serum YKL-40,BLCA-1 and PON-1,and the recurrence rate was analyzed at 12 months of follow-up.Results The effective resection rate of bladder tumor was 100.00％in both groups.The operative time in TeURBT group was significantly longer than that in TURBT group(P＜0.05),and the intraoperative blood loss,catheter indwelling/bladder irrigation/hospitalization time in TeURBT group were significantly less than those in TURBT group(P＜0.05).Urinary output and maximum urinary flow per second in both groups significantly increased on postoperative day 14(P＜0.05),but there was no statistically significant difference in the above indexes between the two groups on postoperative day 14(P＞0.05).The levels of serum YKL-40 and BLCA-1 in the two groups at 3,6 and 12 months after surgery significantly decreased(P＜0.05),while the level of PON-1 significantly increased(P＜0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in serum YKL-40 and PON-1 levels between the two groups at 3 and 6 months after surgery(P＞0.05),while serum YKL-40 and BLCA-1 levels in the TeURBT group were significantly lower than those in the TURBT group at 12 months after surgery(P＜0.05),and PON-1 levels were significantly higher than those in the TURBT group(P＜0.05).The stages in the TeURBT group could be accurately diagnosed after operation,and the postoperative pathological stages were Ta stage in 24 cases and T1 stage in 13 cases.The total incidence of postoperative complications in TeURBT group and cumulative incidence of recurrence in 1-year follow-up were 5.40％,which was significantly lower than 24.32％and 21.62％in TURBT group(P＜0.05).Conclusion The effective resection rate of TeURBT and TURBT in the treatment of NMIBC tumor is similar,which can effectively improve the urination function of patients,downregulation of serum YKL-40 and BLCA-1 levels,and up-regulation of PON-1 levels.Compared with TURBT,TeURBT has advantages of less intraoperative blood loss,fewer postoperative complications,faster recovery,and lower recurrence rate.

Clinical value of non-invasive pressure-strain loop in assessing left ventricular myocardial work in patients with primary hypertension / 中华健康管理学杂志

Objective:To analyze the clinical value of noninvasive pressure strain loop (PSL) in assessing left ventricular myocardial work in patients with essential hypertension.Methods:In this cross-sectional study, 66 patients with essential hypertension who were admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University from August to December 2020 were continuously enrolled. According to left ventricular mass index (LVMI) >95 g/m 2 in women and >115 g/m 2 in men,≤95 g/m 2 in women and ≤115 g/m 2 in men, the 66 patients were divided into left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) group (14 cases) and non-left ventricular hypertrophy (NLVH) group (52 cases). Furthermore, the NLVH group was divided into a mild group (30 cases) and a moderate/severe group (22 cases) according to the systolic blood pressure of 140~159 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) and ≥160 mmHg. Another 25 healthy adults who underwent physical examination during the same period were included as healthy control group. The height, weight and blood pressure were measured in all the subjects, and routine echocardiography and speckle tracking imaging analysis were performed. PSL results were obtained by combining the results of speckle tracking imaging analysis with systolic blood pressure. The differences of general clinical data, basic parameters of two-dimensional ultrasound and myocardial work parameters of PSL (global work index, global effective work, global wasted work, and global work efficiency) were compared among the groups, and the clinical value of PSL in assessing left ventricular myocardial work in patients with essential hypertension was analyzed. Results:There was no significant difference in left ventricular ejection fraction among all groups (all P>0.05). The global work index of moderate/severe NLVH group was significantly higher than that of mild NLVH group, LVH group and healthy control group [(2 630±231) vs (2 254±179), (1 847±261), (1 724±209) mmHg%]. The global effective work of moderate/severe NLVH group was significantly higher than that of LVH group and healthy control group [(2 965±261) vs (2 330±258) and (2 121±163) mmHg%] (all P<0.05). The global wasted work of LVH group was significantly higher than that of moderate/severe NLVH group, mild NLVH group and healthy control group [(248±107) vs (141±57), (116±57), (83±58) mmHg%] (all P<0.05). The global work efficiency was significantly lower than that of moderate/severe NLVH group, mild NLVH group and healthy control group (89.1%±3.9% vs 94.3%±1.9%, 95.0%±1.8%, 95.8%±2.3%) (all P<0.05). With the increase of blood pressure, the PSL decreased in the LVH group and increased in the other three groups. The bull′s eye diagram of myocardial work in the healthy control group was uniform green (normal effective work area), red began to appear in the mild NLVH group (high intensity myocardial work area), red area increased in the moderate/severe NLVH group, and blue appeared in the LVH group (ineffective work area). Conclusions:PSL has good clinical value in assessing left ventricular myocardial work in patients with primary hypertension. The parameters derived from PSL data can sensitively identify impaired systolic function in individuals with normal left ventricular ejection fraction.

The chemical constituents and hypoglycemic activity of alcoholic extract of sea buckthorn leaves / 药学学报

The purpose of this research is to identify the chemical constituents of sea buckthorn leaves extract (SBLE) and explore its hypoglycemic biological activity. SBLE was prepared by hot reflux extraction with 65% ethanol, and its chemical composition was analyzed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (UHPLC-PDA-MS/MS) system. The animal experiments were compliant with ethical principles for animal use and had been approved by the Animal Experiment Ethics Committee of Jinan University. Mice were injected with streptozocin (STZ) to establish a hyperglycemic animal model, and SBLE (1.5 g·kg-1) was administered by gavage for 5 weeks. The fasting blood glucose (FBG) and oral glucose tolerance were detected. Normal mice were given SBLE (1.5 g·kg-1) by intragastric administration for 10 days, and blood was collected from the tail vein to detect the changes in blood glucose within 120 min after sucrose or starch loading. The mucous membrane of the small intestine of mice was taken to detect the activity of α-glucosidase (AG), and the activity of yeast-derived AG incubated with SBLE was evaluated. The glucose uptake by Caco-2 cells treated with SBLE was detected by fluorescence microscopy and cytometry, and the gene expression of sodium-dependent glucose transporter 1 (SGLT1) and glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2) in Caco-2 cells were detected by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR). A total of 18 compounds were identified, mainly including tannins and flavonoids. SBLE reduced FBG and increased oral glucose tolerance in STZ hyperglycemic mice. SBLE effectively inhibited the increase of blood glucose caused by starch intake in normal mice. SBLE exerted good inhibitory activity on yeast-derived AG (IC50 = 16.94 μg·mL-1) and small intestinal mucosa AG with an inhibition rate of 15.48%. SBLE (25-100 μg·mL-1) dose-dependently inhibited glucose uptake by Caco-2 cells, and SBLE significantly reduced the mRNA level of SGLT1 without changing the expression of GLUT2. In conclusion, the UHPLC characteristic fingerprint of SBLE is established with 18 chemical components identified by mass spectrometry, and SBLE exerts hypoglycemic effect by inhibiting the activity of AG and the absorption of glucose by intestinal epithelial cells.

Functional MRI and ApoE4 genotype for predicting cognitive decline in amyloid-positive individuals.

Background: In light of advancements in machine learning techniques, many studies have implemented machine learning approaches combined with data measures to predict and classify Alzheimer's disease. Studies that predicted cognitive status with longitudinal follow-up of amyloid-positive individuals remain scarce, however. Objective: We developed models based on voxel-wise functional connectivity (FC) density mapping and the presence of the ApoE4 genotype to predict whether amyloid-positive individuals would experience cognitive decline after 1 year. Methods: We divided 122 participants into cognitive decline and stable cognition groups based on the participants' change rates in Mini-Mental State Examination scores. In addition, we included 68 participants from Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database as an external validation data set. Subsequently, we developed two classification models: the first model included 99 voxels, and the second model included 99 voxels and the ApoE4 genotype as features to train the models by Wide Neural Network algorithm with fivefold cross-validation and to predict the classes in the hold-out test and ADNI data sets. Results: The results revealed that both models demonstrated high accuracy in classifying the two groups in the hold-out test data set. The model for FC demonstrated good performance, with a mean F 1-score of 0.86. The model for FC combined with the ApoE4 genotype achieved superior performance, with a mean F 1-score of 0.90. In the ADNI data set, the two models demonstrated stable performances, with mean F 1-scores of 0.77 in the first and second models. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the proposed models exhibited promising accuracy for predicting cognitive status after 1 year in amyloid-positive individuals. Notably, the combination of FC and the ApoE4 genotype increased prediction accuracy. These findings can assist clinicians in predicting changes in cognitive status in individuals with a high risk of Alzheimer's disease and can assist future studies in developing precise treatment and prevention strategies.

Antiferroelectric PbSnO3 Epitaxial Thin Films.

In condensed matter physics, oxide materials show various intriguing physical properties. Therefore, many efforts are made in this field to develop functional oxides. Due to the excellent potential for tin-based perovskite oxides, an expansion of new related functional compounds is crucial. This work uses a heteroepitaxial approach supported by theoretical calculation to stabilize PbSnO3 thin films with different orientations. The analyses of X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy unveil the structural information. A typical antiferroelectric feature with double hysteresis and butterfly loops is observed through electrical characterizations consistent with the theoretical prediction. The phase transition is monitored, and the transition temperatures are determined based on temperature-dependent structural and electrical characterizations. Furthermore, the microscopic antiferroelectric order is noticed under atomic resolution images via scanning transmission electron microscopy. This work offers a breakthrough in synthesizing epitaxial PbSnO3 thin films and comprehensively understanding its anisotropic antiferroelectric behavior.

Heterologous boost with mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 Delta/Omicron variants following an inactivated whole-virus vaccine

The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has mutated quickly and caused significant global damage. This study characterizes two mRNA vaccines ZSVG-02 (Delta) and ZSVG-02-O (Omicron BA.1), and associating heterologous prime-boost strategy following the prime of a most widely administrated inactivated whole-virus vaccine (BBIBP-CorV). The ZSVG-02-O induces neutralizing antibodies that effectively cross-react with Omicron subvariants following an order of BA.1>BA.2>BA.4/5. In naive animals, ZSVG-02 or ZSVG-02-O induce humoral responses skewed to the vaccines targeting strains, but cellular immune responses cross-react to all variants of concern (VOCs) tested. Following heterologous prime-boost regimes, animals present comparable neutralizing antibody levels and superior protection across all VOCs. Single-boost only generated ancestral and omicron dual-responsive antibodies, probably by "recall" and "reshape" the prime immunity. New Omicron-specific antibody populations, however, appeared only following the second boost with ZSVG-02-O. Overall, our results support a heterologous boost with ZSVG-02-O, providing the best protection against current VOCs in inactivated virus vaccine- primed populations.

Effectiveness of Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in Young People: Preliminary Findings from Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Various forms of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-i) have been developed to improve its scalability and accessibility for insomnia management in young people, but the efficacy of digitally-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (dCBT-i) remains uncertain. This study systematically reviewed and evaluated the effectiveness of dCBT-i among young individuals with insomnia. We conducted comprehensive searches using four electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, and Embase; until October 2021) and examined eligible records. The search strategy comprised the following three main concepts: (1) participants were adolescents or active college students; (2) dCBT-I was employed; (3) standardized tools were used for outcome measurement. Four randomized controlled trials qualified for meta-analysis. A significant improvement in self-reported sleep quality with a medium-to-large effect size after treatment (Hedges's g = -0.58~-0.80) was noted. However, a limited effect was detected regarding objective sleep quality improvement (total sleep time and sleep efficiency measured using actigraphy). These preliminary findings from the meta-analysis suggest that dCBT-i is a moderately effective treatment in managing insomnia in younger age groups, and CBT-i delivered through the web or a mobile application is an acceptable approach for promoting sleep health in young people.

Ferroelectric control of pseudospin texture in CuInP2S6monolayer.

Spin-orbit coupling (SOC) plays an important role in condensed matter physics and has potential applications in spintronics devices. In this paper, we study the electronic properties of ferroelectric CuInP2S6(CIPS) monolayer through first-principles calculations. The result shows that CIPS monolayer is a potential for valleytronics material and we find that the in-plane helical and nonhelical pseudospin texture are induced by the Rashba and Dresselhaus effect, respectively. The chirality of helical pseudospin texture is coupled to the out-of-plane ferroelectric polarization. Furthermore, a large spin splitting due to the SOC effect can be found atKvalley, which can be regarded as the Zeeman effect under a valley-dependent pseudomagnetic field. The CIPS monolayer with Rashbaet aleffects provides a good platform for electrically controlled spin polarization physics.

Association of asymmetric dimethylarginine with the pathological process of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the change in asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) in the circulation system of full-term infants with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) and its association with treatment response, as well as the possibility of ADMA as a therapeutic target and a marker for treatment response.@*METHODS@#A prospective study was performed. A total of 30 full-term neonates who were diagnosed with PPHN within 3 days after birth were enrolled as the PPHN group, and the neonates without PPHN, matched for gestational age and age, who were treated or observed in the department of neonatology were enrolled as the control group. Serum samples were collected on days 1, 7, and 14 of treatment. The high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to measure the serum concentrations of L-arginine, ADMA, and its isomer symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA).@*RESULTS@#For the neonates in the control group, the serum concentrations of ADMA and L-arginine continuously increased and the serum concentration of SDMA continuously decreased within the first 14 days of treatment. On days 1 and 14, there was no significant difference in the serum concentration of ADMA between the control and PPHN groups (P>0.05). On day 7, the PPHN group had a significantly higher serum concentration of ADMA than the control group (P<0.05), while there were no significant differences in serum concentrations of SDMA or L-arginine (P>0.05). Moreover, after 7 days of treatment, the PPHN neonates with a systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (sPAP) of >35 mmHg had a significantly higher serum concentration of ADMA than those with an sPAP of ≤35 mm Hg.@*CONCLUSIONS@#There are continuous increases in the ADMA concentration and the ADMA/SDMA ratio in the circulation system of full-term infants within the first 2 weeks after birth, and this process is accelerated by the pathological process of PPHN, suggesting that ADMA may be involved in the pathologic process of PPHN. A high level of ADMA is associated with the resistance to PPHN treatment, suggesting that inhibition of ADMA might be a potential target of drug intervention to improve the treatment response of PPHN.

Investigation on prevalence of Schistosoma japonicum infections in wild mice in Shitai County, Anhui Province, 2018 / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To investigate the prevalence of Schistosoma japonicum infection in wild mice in Shitai County, Anhui Province, so as to provide insights into precise control of the source of S. japonicum infections. Methods Wild mice were captured using the trapping method for three successive nights at snail-infested settings from Jitan Village of Jitan Township, and Shiquan Village and Xibai Village of Dingxiang Township, Shitai County, Anhui Province in June and October, 2018. All trapped wild mice were sacrificed and liver and mesenteric vein specimens were collected for detection of S. japonicum eggs using microscopy, while the fecal samples in mouse intestines were collected for identification of S. japonicum infections using Kato-Katz technique. In addition, the population density of trapped wild mice was estimated and the prevalence of S. japonicum infection was calculated in trapped wild mice. Results A total of 376 wild mice were trapped from three villages in Shitai County. The population density of trapped wild mice was 9.1% (376/4 124), and the prevalence of S. japonicum infection was 24.2% (91/376) in trapped wild mice. The highest prevalence of S. japonicum infection was detected in Shiquan Village of Dingxiang Township (30.1%), and the lowest prevalence was seen in Xibai Village of Dingxiang Township; however, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of S. japonicum infection in trapped wild mice among three villages (χ2= 4.111, P > 0.05). In addition, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of S. japonicum infection in wild mice captured between on June (26.8%, 34/127) and October (22.9%, 57/249) (χ2 = 0.690, P = 0.406). The trapped wild mice included 6 species, including Rattus norvegicus, Niviventer niviventer, R. losea, Apodemus agrarius, Mus musculus and N. coning, and the two highest prevalence of S. japonicum infection was detected in R. losea (34.9%, 22/63) and R. norvegicus (31.2%, 44/141). Conclusions The prevalence of S. japonicum infections is high in wild mice in Shitai County, and there is a natural focus of schistosomiasis transmission in Shitai County.

Research progress of circadian clock genes in hepatocellular carcinoma / 国际外科学杂志

Circadian rhythm is mainly regulated by circadian clock genes, which is the result of biological evolution and plays an important role in maintaining the normal structure and function of organisms. When the circadian rhythm is disturbed or out of balance, it will have adverse health consequences. In addition to studies on diseases of nervous system, endocrine system or cardiovascular system, it has been found that circadian rhythm disorder mediated by circadian clock gene also plays a key regulatory role in the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma, which is a potential diagnostic marker and therapeutic target. In this paper, the research on the role of circadian clock gene in hepatocellular carcinoma in recent years is reviewed, and the research progresis and existing problems of targeting circadian clock gene in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma are discussed.