Glutathione-activated biotin-targeted dual-modal imaging probe with improved PDT/PTT synergistic therapy.

BACKGROUND: Glutathione (GSH), a highly abundant thiol compound within cells, plays a critical role in physiological processes and exhibits close correlation with cancer. Among molecular imaging technologies, most probes have relatively short emission wavelengths and lack photoacoustic imaging (PA) capability, resulting in the inability to obtain tissue images with high penetration depth. The presence of GSH in the tumor microenvironment neutralizes ROS, diminishing the therapeutic effect of PDT, thus resulting in often unsatisfactory therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, it is imperative to develop a dual-modal probe for the detection of GSH and the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. RESULTS: In this study, we synthesized a novel dual-modal probe, Cy-Bio-GSH, utilizing near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) and photoacoustic (PA) imaging techniques for GSH detection. The probe integrates cyanine dye as the fluorophore, nitroazobenzene as the recognition moiety, and biotin as the tumor-targeting moiety. Upon reacting with GSH, the probe emits NIR fluorescence at 820 nm and generates a PA signal. Significantly, this reaction activates the photodynamic and photothermal properties of the probe. By depleting GSH and employing a synergistic photothermal therapy (PTT) treatment, the therapeutic efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) is remarkably enhanced. In-vivo experiments confirm the capability of the probe to detect GSH via NIRF and PA imaging. Notably, the combined tumor-targeting ability and PDT/PTT synergistic therapy enhance therapeutic outcomes for tumors and facilitate their ablation. SIGNIFICANCE: A novel tumor-targeting and dual-modal imaging probe (Cy-Bio-GSH) is synthesized, exhibiting remarkable sensitivity and selectivity to GSH, enabling the visualization of GSH in cells and the differentiation between normal and cancer cells. Cy-Bio-GSH enhances PDT/PTT with effective killing of cancer cells and makes the ablation of tumors in mice. This work represents the first tumor-targeting probe for GSH detection, and provides crucial tool for cancer diagnosis and treatment by dual-modal imaging with improved PDT/PTT synergistic therapy.

A near-infrared fluorescent probe for imaging peroxynitrite levels in paw edema mice and drug evaluation.

A near-infrared fluorescent probe (TX-P) for detecting peroxynitrite is constructed. The probe has a near-infrared emission (725 nm), large Stokes shift (125 nm) and excellent sensitivity and selectivity. In addition, TX-P can be used to visualize ONOO- in living cells, image ONOO- in paw edema mice and evaluate anti-inflammatory drugs.

Lacticaseibacillus salsurivasis sp. nov. and Companilactobacillus muriivasis sp. nov., Isolated from Traditional Chinese Pickle.

Three Gram-stain-positive bacterial strains were isolated from traditional Chinese pickle and characterized using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain 74-4T was most closely related to the type strains of Lacticaseibacillus suibinensis and Lacticaseibacillus suilingensis, having 99.9% and 100% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities, respectively, and that strains 419-1.2T and 262-4 were most closely related to the type strains of Companilactobacillus heilongjiangensis, Companilactobacillus nantensis, Companilactobacillus huachuanensis, and Companilactobacillus nuruki, having 98.5-99.7% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities. The phylogenomic trees indicated that strain 74-4T was related to the type strains of L. suibinensis and L. suilingensis, and that strains 419-1.2T and 262-4 were related to the type strains of C. heilongjiangensis, C. nantensis, C. huachuanensis, and Companilactobacillus zhachilii. The ANI and dDDH values between strain 74-4T and type strains of phylogenetically related species were less than 92.7% and 49.9%, respectively. The ANI and dDDH values between strains 419-1.2T and 262-4 and type strains of phylogenetically related species were less than 93.4% and 51.7%, respectively. Based upon the data of polyphasic characterization obtained in the present study, two novel species, Lacticaseibacillus salsurivasis sp. nov. and Companilactobacillus muriivasis sp. nov., are proposed and the type strains are 74-4T (= JCM 35890T = CCTCC AB 2022414T) and 419-1.2T (= JCM 35891T = CCTCC AB 2022413T), respectively.

A Tumor-Targeting Dual-Modal imaging probe for nitroreductase in vivo.

Nitroreductase (NTR) overexpression often occurs in tumors, highlighting the significance of effective NTR detection. Despite the utilization of various optical methods for this purpose, the absence of an efficient tumor-targeting optical probe for NTR detection remains a challenge. In this research, a novel tumor-targeting probe (Cy-Bio-NO2) is developed to perform dual-modal NTR detection using near-infrared fluorescence and photoacoustic techniques. This probe exhibits exceptional sensitivity and selectivity to NTR. Upon the reaction with NTR, Cy-Bio-NO2 demonstrates a distinct fluorescence "off-on" response at 800 nm, with an impressive detection limit of 12 ng/mL. Furthermore, the probe shows on-off photoacoustic signal with NTR. Cy-Bio-NO2 has been successfully employed for dual-modal NTR detection in living cells, specifically targeting biotin receptor-positive cancer cells for imaging purposes. Notably, this probe effectively detects tumor hypoxia through dual-modal imaging in tumor-bearing mice. The strategy of biotin incorporation markedly enhances the probe's tumor-targeting capability, facilitating its engagement in dual-modal imaging at tumor sites. This imaging capacity holds substantial promise as an accurate tool for cancer diagnosis.

The Type Strain of Bifidobacterium indicum Scardovi and Trovatelli 1969 (Approved Lists 1980) is ATCC 25912, not DSM 20214, and Rejection to Reclassify Bifidobacterium coryneforme as Bifidobacterium indicum.

In 2018, Nouioui et al. proposed that Bifidobacterium coryneforme was a later synonym of Bifidobacterium indicum on the basis of the digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) value (85.0%) between B. coryneforme LMG 18911T and B. indicum LMG 11587T. However, in the study of Scardovi et al. (1970), the type strains of B. indicum and B. coryneforme only exhibited 60% DNA-DNA hybridization value. In the present study, the genomes of B. coryneforme CGMCC 1.2279T, B. coryneforme JCM 5819T, B. indicum JCM 1302T, B. indicum CGMCC 1.2275T, B. indicum DSM 20214T, B. indicum LMG 27437T, B. indicum ATCC 25912T, B. indicum KCTC 3230T, B. indicum CCUG 34985T, were sequenced, and the taxonomic relationship between B. coryneforme and B. indicum was re-evaluated. On the basis of the results presented here, (i) ATCC 25912 and DSM 20214 deposited by Vittorio Scardovi are two different strains; (ii) the type strain of B. indicum is ATCC 25912T (= JCM 1302T = LMG 27437T = CGMCC 1.2275T = KCTC 3230T), and not DSM 20214 (= BCRC 14674 = CCUG 34985 = LMG 11587); (iii) B. coryneforme and B. indicum represent two different species of the genus Bifidobacterium; (iv) strain DSM 20214 (= BCRC 14674 = CCUG 34985 = LMG 11587) belongs to B. coryneforme.

Near-infrared fluorescent probe for the imaging of viscosity in fatty liver mice and valuation of drug efficacy.

Fatty liver disease affects at least 25 percent of the population worldwide and is a severe metabolic syndrome. Viscosity is closely related to fatty liver disease, so it is urgent to develop an effective tool for monitoring viscosity. Herein, a NIR fluorescent probe called MBC-V is developed for imaging viscosity, consisting of dimethylaniline and malonitrile-benzopyran. MBC-V is non-fluorescent in low viscosity solutions due to intramolecular rotation. In high viscosity solution, the intramolecular rotation of MBC-V is suppressed and the fluorescence is triggered. MBC-V has long emission wavelength at 720 nm and large Stokes shift about 160 nm. Moreover, MBC-V can detect changes in cell viscosity in fatty liver cells, and can image the therapeutic effects of drug in fatty liver cells. By taking advantage of NIR emission, MBC-V can be used as an imaging tool for fatty liver disease and a way to evaluate the therapeutic effect of drug for fatty liver disease.

Present situation of minimally invasive surgical treatment for early gastric cancer.

Minimally invasive surgery is a kind of surgical operation, which is performed by using professional surgical instruments and equipment to inactivate, resect, repair or reconstruct the pathological changes, deformities and wounds in human body through micro-trauma or micro-approach, in order to achieve the goal of treatment, its surgical effect is equivalent to the traditional open surgery, while avoiding the morbidity of conventional surgical wounds. In addition, it also has the advantages of less trauma, less blood loss during operation, less psychological burden and quick recovery on patients, and these minimally invasive techniques provide unique value for the examination and treatment of gastric cancer patients. Surgical minimally invasive surgical techniques have developed rapidly and offer numerous options for the treatment of early gastric cancer (EGC): endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), underwater EMR (UEMR), endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR), endoscopic submucosal excavation (ESE), submucosal tunnel endoscopic resection), laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery (LECS); Among them, EMR, EFTR and LECS technologies have a wide range of applications and different modifications have been derived from their respective surgical operations, such as band-assisted EMR (BA-EMR), conventional EMR (CEMR), over-the-scope clip-assisted EFTR, no-touch EFTR, the inverted LECS, closed LECS, and so on. These new and improved minimally invasive surgeries are more precise, specific and effective in treating different types of EGC.

Bifidobacterium apis sp. nov., isolated from the gut of honeybee (Apis mellifera).

A novel bifidobacterium (designated F753-1T) was isolated from the gut of honeybee (Apis mellifera). Strain F753-1T was characterized using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Strain F753-1T was phylogenetically related to the type strains of Bifidobacterium mizhiensis, Bifidobacterium asteroides, Bifidobacterium choladohabitans, Bifidobacterium mellis, Bifidobacterium apousia and Bifidobacterium polysaccharolyticum, having 98.4-99.8 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities. The phylogenomic tree indicated that strain F753-1T was most closely related to the type strains of B. mellis and B. choladohabitans. Strain F753-1T had the highest average nucleotide identity (94.1-94.5 %) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (56.3 %) values with B. mellis Bin7NT. Acid production from amygdalin, d-fructose, gentiobiose, d-mannose, maltose, sucrose and d-xylose, activity of α-galactosidase, pyruvate utilization and hydrolysis of hippurate could differentiate strain F753-1T from B. mellis CCUG 66113T and B. choladohabitans JCM 34586T. Based upon the data obtained in the present study, a novel species, Bifidobacterium apis sp. nov., is proposed, and the type strain is F753-1T (=CCTCC AB 2023227T=JCM 36562T=LMG 33388T).

Establishment of a forward primers-superposed amplification analysis for accurate aspirin pharmacogenomic measurement.

Genotyping of gDNA rs12041331 (PEAR1), rs6065 (GP1BA), and rs730012 (LTC4S) can provide systematic guidance on the use of aspirin. However, an accurate, reliable and economical approach to simultaneous detection of the above single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) is not reported. Herein, we designed and substantiated an allele-specific (AS) forward primer-superposed amplification analysis for measurement of the SNPs in PEAR1, GP1BA and LTC4S genes, in which the values of ∆Cq (differences in threshold cycles between the wild-type forward primer-based assay and the mutated-type forward primer-based assay) were employed to decide genotype. Mismatch AS forward primers were screened with the singleplex amplification analysis. Moreover, Cq extension optimized by AS forward primer superposition was observed in the selected forward primer-based triplex analysis. Further, robustness assessment of the triplex analysis showed the amplification efficiency ranging from 0.9 to 1.1. Precision test demonstrated the coefficient of variation of less than 2%. And the detective results of 189 DNA samples was completely concordant with that of commercial Sanger sequencing. In summary, we developed a simple, accurate and economical approach to genotyping of rs12041331 (PEAR1), rs6065 (GP1BA) and rs730012 (LTC4S) to provide a valuable pharmacogenomics tool for guidance of aspirin delivery.

[Source Appointment and Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution in Surface Dust in the Main District Bus Stops of Tianshui City].

In this study, a PMF model was used to identify the sources and pollution level of heavy metals in the surface dust of a bus station. On the basis of the traditional heavy metal pollution evaluation methods, the Hakanson toxicity response coefficient was used to modify the traditional weight. The matter-element extension theory was introduced to reflect the toxicological properties and hazard degree of the heavy metals, and the matter-element extension model was established to evaluate the pollution level of heavy metals in the surface dust of the study area. The results were compared with Igeo, PN, and RI. ① Except for Co and V, the other heavy metals were higher than the Gansu soil background values by 1.29-9.30 times. The points of Cu and Pb exceeded the rate by 100%, and Cr, Ni, and As exceeded the rate by 96.15%, 94.23%, and 96.15%, respectively. ② PMF showed that source 1 was a natural source, and its contribution rate to V was 32.12%. Source 2 was natural-traffic pollution sources, contributing 51.50% and 33.37% to Cu and Co, respectively. Source 3 was a construction waste pollution source, with contribution rates of 45.06% and 44.70% for Cr and Ni, respectively, and source 4 was a coal-traffic mixed source, with contribution rates of 49.89% and 75.25% for As and Pb, respectively. ③ The matter-element evaluation results showed that the surface dust of the bus stops was mainly class IV (moderately polluted), and 13% of sample points were still clean, 37% were moderately polluted, and 25% were slightly and heavily polluted. The results of this method were quite different from the PN results and were more consistent with the RI results, indicating that its evaluation results were more sensitive and can be used for heavy metal pollution assessment.

A novel entire traction method with clip-anchored nylon ring facilitating endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) of early gastric cancer.

A 48-year-old woman with a high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia of the gastric antrum was referred for ESD treatment.The difficulty of ESD is to expose the submucosa,especially in difficult sites and lesions with severe fibrosis.Adequate submucosal exposure is the most critical technology to reduce complications and improving efficiency.Here we report a novel entire traction method to facilitate safe and efficient ESD.

A near-infrared fluorescent probe for viscosity: Differentiating cancer cells from normal cells and dual-modal imaging in tumor mice.

As a basic parameter of the intracellular microenvironment, viscosity is closely related to the development of cancer. Thus, it is necessary to utilize a sensitive tool to visualize the viscosity in tumor cells and mice, which is helpful for the diagnosis of cancer. Herein, a novel dual-modal probe (IX-V) that has a near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) and photoacoustic (PA) response to viscosity is synthesized. In low viscosity media, the probe has no fluorescence. With the increase of viscosity, the fluorescence is produced in the near-infrared region due to the inhibition of the TICT process. At the same time, the probe shows different photoacoustic (PA) signals in different viscosity media. Most notably, the viscosity in tumor cells has been imaged successfully by the application of IX-V, and the probe can effectively distinguish cancer cells from normal cells co-cultured in one dish by the difference of fluorescence intensity. In addition, the probe has been used for dual-modal imaging (NIRF and PA) of viscosity in tumor mice, which provides a tool for exploring the relationship between viscosity and diseases. That is to say, IX-V can achieve complementary imaging effects and has great application prospects in the tumor diagnosis.

Common domains of nurses' competencies in public health emergencies: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: A public health emergency can cause large numbers of deaths in a short period, with devastating social, economic and health consequences. Nurses are the main healthcare providers during such emergencies, and their competencies affect the control and outcomes of the situation. Studies on nurses' competencies in public health emergencies vary between countries and healthcare systems. Therefore, we conducted a scoping review to identify the common domains of nurses' competencies in public health emergencies worldwide. METHODS: We searched the PubMed, CINHAL, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, Embase, Cochrane Library, WanFang and ECRI databases from their inception to 2023. All published articles on nurses' competencies in public health emergencies that were published in English and Chinese were included. We mainly analyzed and synthesized nurses' competencies, assessment instruments and the training described in the included studies. RESULTS: A total of 27 competency domains were identified following an analysis and summary. The most frequently cited domains were communication skills, self-protection skills, basic knowledge of a public health emergency, laws and ethics and the capacity for organizational collaboration. The Disaster Preparedness Evaluation Tool and the Emergency Preparedness Information Questionnaire were the most commonly used tools for assessing competencies. Most training was conducted online and the content that was covered varied by country. CONCLUSIONS: Given the significant roles and responsibilities of nurses in public health emergencies, knowing the domains of their competencies is essential to evaluating, developing, and conducting clinical training.

Long-Term Imaging of Cys in Cells and Tumor Mice by a Solid-State Fluorescence Probe.

Cysteine is an important biological thiol and is closely related to cancer. It remains a challenge to develop a probe that can provide long-term fluorescence detection and imaging of Cys in cells as well as in living organisms. Here, a solid-state fluorophore HTPQ is combined with an acrylate group to construct a solid-state fluorescent probe HTPQC for Cys recognition. The fluorescence of the probe is quenched when the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) process is turned on and the excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process is turned off. In the presence of Cys, an obvious solid-state fluorescence signal can be observed. The double quenching mechanism makes the probe HTPQC have the advantages of high sensitivity, good selectivity, and high contrast of biological imaging. Due to low cytotoxicity, the probe HTPQC can be used to detect exogenous and endogenous Cys in living cells and is capable of imaging over long periods of time. By making full use of long wavelengths, the probe can be applied for the detection of Cys levels in tumor mice and equipped with the ability to conduct long-term imaging in vivo.

Managing depression with complementary and alternative medicine therapies: a scientometric analysis and visualization of research activities.

Background: Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) interventions may prove to be an attractive option for the treatment of depression. The aim of this scientometric analysis is to determine the global scientific output of research regarding managing depression with CAM and identify the hotspots and frontiers within this theme. Methods: Publications regarding the utilization of CAM for treating depression were collected from the Web of Science Core Collection from 1993 to 2022, and analyzed and visualized by Bibliometrix R-package, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace. Results: A total of 1,710 publications were acquired. The number of annual publications showed an overall rapid upward trend, with the figure peaking at 179 in 2021. The USA was the leading research center. Totally 2,323 distinct institutions involving 7,638 scholars contributed to the research theme. However, most of the cooperation was limited to within the same country, institution or research team. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine was the most productive periodical. The CAM therapies of most interest to researchers were acupuncture and body-mind techniques, such as yoga, meditation and mindfulness. Systematic review and meta-analysis are commonly used methods. "Inflammation," "rating scale" and "psychological stress" were identified as the most studied trend topics recently. Conclusion: Managing depression with evidence-based CAM treatment is gaining attention globally. Body-mind techniques and acupuncture are growing research hotspots or emerging trending topics. Future studies are predicted to potentially investigate the possible mechanisms of action underlying CAM treatments in reducing depression in terms of modulation of psychological stress and inflammation levels. Cross-countries/institutes/team research collaborations should be encouraged and further enhanced.

Exploring the conformational dynamics and thermodynamics of EGFR S768I and G719X + S768I mutations in non-small cell lung cancer: An in silico approaches.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is often driven by mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene. However, rare mutations such as G719X and S768I lack standard anti-EGFR targeted therapies. Understanding the structural differences between wild-type EGFR and these rare mutants is crucial for developing EGFR-targeted drugs. We performed a systematic analysis using molecular dynamics simulations, essential dynamics (ED), molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area, and free energy calculation methods to compare the kinetic properties, molecular motion, and free energy distribution between wild-type EGFR and the rare mutants' structures G719X-EGFR, S768I-EGFR, and G719X + S768I-EGFR. Our results showed that S768I-EGFR and G719X + S768I-EGFR have higher global and local conformational flexibility and lower thermal and global structural stability than WT-EGFR. ED analysis revealed different molecular motion patterns between S768I-EGFR, G719X + S768I-EGFR, and WT-EGFR. The A-loop and αC-helix, crucial structural elements related to the active state, showed a tendency toward active state development, providing a molecular mechanism explanation for NSCLC caused by EGFR S768I and EGFR G719C + S768I mutations. The present study may be helpful in the development of new EGFR-targeted drugs based on the structure of rare mutations. Our findings may aid in developing new targeted treatments for patients with EGFR S768I and EGFR G719X + S768I mutations.

A near-infrared fluorescent probe for detecting hydrogen sulfide with high selectivity in cells and ulcerative colitis in mice.

Although hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a well-known toxic gas, its vital role as a gas transmitter in various physiological and pathological processes of living systems cannot be ignored. Relevant investigations indicate that endogenous H2S is involved in the development of ulcerative colitis pathology and is overexpressed in ulcerative colitis, and hence can be considered as an ulcerative colitis biomarker. Herein, an isophorone-xanthene-based NIR fluorescent probe (IX-H2S) was constructed to image H2S. Owing to its large conjugated structure, the probe exhibits a near-infrared emission wavelength of 770 nm with a large Stokes shift (186 nm). Moreover, IX-H2S has excellent selectivity for the detection of H2S without interference from other analytes including thiols. In addition, the probe has been successfully applied not only in fluorescence imaging of endogenous and exogenous H2S in living cells, but also in imaging of H2S in normal and ulcerative colitis mice. Encouraged by the eminent performance, IX-H2S is expected to be a potent "assistant" for the diagnosis of ulcerative colitis.

Insomnia Burden among Informal Caregivers of Hospitalized Lung Cancer Patients and Its Influencing Factors.

Objective: This study aimed to reveal the insomnia burden and relevant influencing factors among informal caregivers (ICs) of hospitalized patients with lung cancer. Methods: A cross-sectional study on ICs of hospitalized patients with lung cancer was conducted from December 31, 2020 to December 31, 2021. ICs' burden was assessed using the Caregiver Reaction Assessment (CRA), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Linear and logistic regression models were used to identify the influencing factors. Results: Among 289 ICs of hospitalized patients with lung cancer, 83 (28.72%), 53 (18.34%), and 14 (4.84%) ICs experienced mild, moderate, and severe insomnia, respectively. The scores concerning self-esteem, lack of family support, financial problems, disturbed schedule, and health problems were 4.32 ± 0.53, 2.24 ± 0.79, 2.84 ± 1.14, 3.63 ± 0.77, and 2.44 ± 0.95, respectively. ICs with higher Activities of Daily Living Scale (ADLS) scores were associated with a lower risk of insomnia, with an odd ratio ( OR) and 95% confidence interval ( CI) of 0.940 (0.898-0.983). Among the ICs, female gender ( OR = 2.597), alcohol consumption ( OR = 3.745), underlying medical conditions ( OR = 11.765), long-term caregiving experience ( OR = 37.037), and higher monthly expenses ( OR = 5.714) were associated with a high risk of insomnia. Conclusion: Of the hospitalized patients with lung cancer, 51.9% experienced insomnia. Patients' ADL, ICs gender, alcohol consumption, underlying medical conditions, caregiving duration, and monthly expenses were influencing factors. Therefore, prompt screening and early intervention for ICs of patients with lung cancer is necessary.

Dual Key-Activated Nir-I/II Fluorescence Probe for Monitoring Photodynamic and Photothermal Synergistic Therapy Efficacy.

As cancer markers, hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) and viscosity play an essential role in the development of tumors. Meanwhile, based on the performance of near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging and the high efficiency of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) synergistic therapy, it is urgent to develop a dual-key (H2 O2 and viscosity) activated fluorescence probe for cancer phototherapy. Herein, a NIR-I/II fluorescence probe named BX-B is reported. In the presence of both H2 O2 and viscosity, the fluorescence signal of NIR-I (810 nm) and NIR-II (945 nm) can be released. In the presence of H2 O2 , the PDT and PTT effects are observed. BX-B is used to monitor its therapeutic effects in cancer cells and tumor-bearing mice due to the increased viscosity caused by PDT and PTT. In addition, the tumors of mice treated with BX-B are almost completely ablated after the laser irradiation based on its PDT and PTT synergistic therapy. This work provides a reliable platform for effective cancer treatment and immediate evaluation of therapeutic effects.