Structural and functional imaging of psoriasis for severity assessment and quantitative monitoring of treatment response using high-resolution optoacoustic imaging.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, characterized by thick scaly plaques. It imposes a notable disease burden with varying levels of severity affecting the quality of life significantly. Current disease severity assessment relies on semi-objective visual inspection based on the Psoriasis Area and Severity index (PASI) score that might not be sensitive to sub-clinical changes. Histology of psoriasis skin lesions necessitate invasive skin biopsies. This indicates an unmet need for a non-invasive, objective and quantitative approach to assess disease severity serially. Herein, we employ multispectral Raster-Scanning Optoacoustic Mesoscopy (ms-RSOM) derived structural and microvascular functional imaging metrics to examine the lesional and non-lesional skin in psoriasis subjects across different severities and also evaluate the treatment outcome in a subject with topical steroids and biologics, such as adalimumab. ms-RSOM derived structural metrics like epidermal thickness and total blood volume (TBV) and microvascular functional information such as oxygen saturation (sO2) are evaluated by spectrally resolving the endogenous chromophores like melanin, oxy-, and deoxy-hemoglobin. Initial findings reveal an elevated sO2 and TBV with severity in lesional and non-lesional psoriasis skin, thus representing increasing inflammation. An increase in epidermal thickness is also noted with the degree of severity, corresponding to the inflammation and increased abnormal cell growth. As a marker to evaluate the treatment response, we observed a decrease in epidermal thickness, sO2, and TBV in a psoriasis patient post-treatment, which is consistent with the decrease in the PASI score from 4.1 to 1.9. We envision that ms-RSOM has a huge potential to be translated into routine clinical setting for the diagnosis of severity and assessment of treatment monitoring in psoriasis subjects.

Long-term 4-nonylphenol exposure drives cervical cell malignancy through MAPK-mediated ferroptosis inhibition.

4-NP (4-nonylphenol), a prevalent environmental endocrine disruptor with estrogenic properties, is commonly detected in drinking water and food sources. It poses a significant risk of endocrine disruption, thereby influencing the onset and progression of diverse diseases, including tumorigenesis. However, its specific impact on cervical cancer remains to be fully elucidated. Our study focused on the biological effects of sustained exposure to low-dose 4-NP on human normal cervical epithelial cells (HcerEpic). After a continuous 30-week exposure to 4-NP, the treated cells exhibited a significant malignant transformation, whereas the solvent control group showed limited malignant phenotypes. Subsequent analyses of the metabolomic profiles of the transformed cells unveiled marked irregularities in glutathione metabolism and unsaturated fatty acid metabolism. Analyses of transcriptomic profiles revealed significant activation of the MAPK signaling pathway and suppression of ferroptosis processes in these cells. Furthermore, the expression of MT2A was significantly upregulated following 4-NP exposure. Knockdown of MT2A restored the aberrant activation of the MAPK signaling pathway, elevated antioxidant capacity, ferroptosis inhibition, and ultimately the development of malignant phenotypes that induced by 4-NP in the transformed cells. Mechanistically, MT2A increased cellular antioxidant capabilities and facilitated the removal of toxic iron ions by enhancing the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and JNK MAPK pathways. The administration of activators and inhibitors of the MAPK pathway confirmed that the MAPK pathway mediated the 4-NP-induced suppression of ferroptosis and, ultimately, the malignant transformation of cervical epithelial cells. Overall, our findings elucidated a dynamic molecular transformation induced by prolonged exposure to 4-NP, and delineated comprehensive biological perspectives underlying 4-NP-induced cervical carcinogenesis. This offers novel theoretical underpinnings for the assessment of the carcinogenic risks associated with 4-NP.

Caproicibacter sp. BJN0012, a potential new species isolated from cellar mud for caproic acid production from glucose.

Acids play a crucial role in enhancing the flavor of strong-aroma Baijiu, and among them, caproic acid holds significant importance in determining the flavor of the final product. However, the metabolic synthesis of caproic acid during the production process of Baijiu has received limited attention, resulting in fluctuations in caproic acid content among fermentation batches and generating production instability. Acid-producing bacteria found in the cellar mud are the primary microorganisms responsible for caproic acid synthesis, but there is a lack of research on the related microbial resources and their metabolic properties. Therefore, it is essential to identify and investigate these acid-producing microorganisms from cellar mud to ensure stable caproic acid synthesis. In this study, a unique strain was isolated from the cellar mud, exhibiting a 98.12 % similarity in its 16 S rRNA sequence and an average nucleotide identity of 79.57 % with the reference specie, together with the DNA-DNA hybridization of 23.20 % similarity, confirming the distinct species boundaries. The strain was able to produce 1.22 ± 0.55 g/L caproic acid from glucose. Through genome sequencing, annotation, and bioinformatics analysis, the complete pathway of caproic acid synthesis from glucose was elucidated, and the catalytic mechanism of the key thiolase for caproic acid synthesis was investigated. These findings provide useful fundamental data for revealing the metabolic properties of caproic acid-producing bacteria found in cellar mud.

A comprehensive review of m6A research in cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer (CC) remains one of the most common malignancies among women worldwide, posing a serious threat to women's health. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification, as the most abundant type of RNA methylation modification, and has been found to play a crucial role in various cancers. Current research suggests a close association between RNA m6A modification and the occurrence and progression of CC, encompassing disruptions in m6A levels and its regulatory machinery. This review summarizes the current status of m6A modification research in CC, explores the mechanisms underlying m6A levels and regulators (methyltransferases, demethylases, reader proteins) in CC and examines the application of small-molecule inhibitors of m6A regulators in disease treatment. The findings provide new insights into the future treatment of CC.

Robust, Self-Healing, and Multi-Use Poly(Urethane-Urea-Imide) Elastomer as a Durable Adhesive for Thermal Interface Materials.

Currently, research on thermal interface materials (TIMs) is primarily focused on enhancing thermal conductivity. However, strong adhesion and multifunctionality are also important characteristics for TIMs when pursing more stable interface heat conduction. Herein, a novel poly(urethane-urea-imide) (PUUI) elastomer containing abundant dynamic hydrogen bonds network and reversible disulfide linkages is successfully synthesized for application as a TIM matrix. The PUUI can self-adapt to the metal substrate surface at moderate temperatures (80 °C) and demonstrates a high adhesion strength of up to 7.39 MPa on aluminum substrates attributed its noncovalent interactions and strong intrinsic cohesion. Additionally, the PUUI displays efficient self-healing capability, which can restore 94% of its original mechanical properties after self-healing for 6 h at room temperature. Furthermore, PUUI composited with aluminum nitride and liquid metal hybrid fillers demonstrates a high thermal conductivity of 3.87 W m-1 K-1 while maintaining remarkable self-healing capability and adhesion. When used as an adhesive-type TIM, it achieves a low thermal contact resistance of 22.1 mm2 K W-1 at zero pressure, only 16.7% of that of commercial thermal pads. This study is expected to break the current research paradigm of TIMs and offers new insights for the development of advanced, reliable, and sustainable TIMs.

Improvement of thermostability and catalytic efficiency of xylanase from Myceliophthora thermophilar by N-terminal and C-terminal truncation.

Introduction: Extracting xylanase from thermophilic filamentous fungi is a feasible way to obtain xylanase with good thermal stability. Methods: The transcriptomic data of Myceliophthora thermophilic destructive ATCC42464 were differentially expressed and enriched. By comparing the sequences of Mtxylan2 and more than 10 xylanases, the N-terminal and C-terminal of Mtxylan2 were truncated, and three mutants 28N, 28C and 28NC were constructed. Results and discussion: GH11 xylan Mtxylan2 was identified by transcriptomic analysis, the specific enzyme activity of Mtxylan2 was 104.67 U/mg, and the optimal temperature was 65°C. Molecular modification of Mtxylan2 showed that the catalytic activity of the mutants was enhanced. Among them, the catalytic activity of 28C was increased by 9.3 times, the optimal temperature was increased by 5°C, and the residual enzyme activity remained above 80% after 30 min at 50-65°C, indicating that redundant C-terminal truncation can improve the thermal stability and catalytic performance of GH11 xylanase.

Analysis of ester-producing performance in high-yield ethyl hexanoate yeast and the effect on metabolites in bio- enhanced Daqu, the starter for Baijiu and other traditional fermented foods.

AIMS: Ethyl hexanoate, one of the key flavor compounds in strong-flavor Baijiu. To improve the content of ethyl hexanoate in strong-flavor Baijiu, a functional strain with high yield of ethyl hexanoate was screened and its ester-producing performance was studied. METHODS AND RESULTS: Upon identification, the strain was classified as Candida sp. and designated as ZY002. Under optimal fermentation conditions, the content of ethyl hexanoate synthesized by ZY002 can be as high as 170.56 mg L-1. A fermentation test was carried out using the ZY002 strain bioaugmented Daqu to verify the role of the strain applied to Baijiu brewing. It was found that strain ZY002 could not only improve the moisture and alcohol contents of fermented grains but also diminish the presence of reducing sugar and crude starch. Furthermore, it notably amplified the abundance of flavor compounds. CONCLUSION: In this study, Candida sp. ZY002 with a high yield of ethyl hexanoate provided high-quality strain resources for the actual industrial production of Baijiu.

Application of Situational Simulation Teaching Method in Respiratory and Cardiac Arrest Induced by Aspiration in Elderly Patients.

Background: Elderly hospitalized patients often have dysphagia, which can cause a variety of complications, the most common being aspiration. Early detection and timely treatment by nurses are needed in the clinic. Objective: To assess the effect of the situational simulation teaching method in respiratory and cardiac arrest induced by aspiration in elderly patients. Design: This was a retrospective study. Setting: This study was performed in the Department of Geriatrics, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University. Participants: Fifty patients with aspiration-induced respiratory and cardiac arrest who were hospitalized in our hospital were chosen and divided into 2 groups according to the composition of rescue nursing staff, and each group had 25 cases. Interventions: The patients who were rescued by nurses without scenario simulation training were the control group (routine emergency nursing group). The patients who were rescued by nurses trained via the scenario simulation teaching method were the experimental group. Primary Outcome Measures: (1) Emergency rescue time, (2) survival rate, (3) duration of adverse events, and (4) nursing satisfaction of patients. Results: Compared to the control group, the emergency rescue time, the duration of asphyxia, duration of respiratory and cardiac arrest, and the duration of malignant arrhythmias caused by cardiac arrest in the experimental group was lower (P < .05), while the survival rate and nursing satisfaction of patients in the experimental group was higher (P < .05). Conclusion: The application of situational simulation teaching method in the rescue of patients with respiratory and cardiac arrest has outstanding effects, which can effectively improve the efficiency of first aid, significantly improve the efficiency and standardization of first aid, and control or prevent the occurrence of poor prognosis, which is worth popularizing.

Application study of multidisciplinary collaboration (MDT) integrated management model in perioperative management of patients with infectious nonunion.

Objective: To explore the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary treatment (MDT) integrated intervention model in the perioperative management of patients with infectious nonunion. Methods: 80 patients with infectious bone defects treated in our hospital from January 2020 to January 2023 were selected. They were classified into MDT-integrated perioperative group (study group) and conventional control group according to the different management patterns, with 40 cases each. The incidence of wound infection, pin tract infection, delayed bone healing, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), joint stiffness, and nutritional indicators were compared between the two groups. Results: The rates of wound infection (P = 0.042), pin tract infection of Grade II or above (P = 0.006), delayed bone healing (P = 0.006), DVT (P = 0.033), and joint stiffness (P = 0.023) in the MDT integrated perioperative (study) group were significantly lower than those in the conventional care group (P < 0.05). With the extension of intervention time, the changes in body weight, levels of serum albumin (ALB), pre-albumin (PA), hemoglobin (Hb), and serum sodium (Na) in the study group were higher than those in the conventional care group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The application of the MDT integrated intervention model in the perioperative period of patients with infectious nonunion is beneficial in reducing the risks of wound infection and pin tract infection of Grade II or above, lowering the incidence rates of lower limb DVT and joint stiffness, and reducing the risk of malnutrition, demonstrating high clinical application value.

Temporal Profile of the Microbial Community and Volatile Compounds in the Third-Round Fermentation of Sauce-Flavor baijiu in the Beijing Region.

Sauce-flavor baijiu produced in the Beijing and Guizhou regions has regional characteristic flavors, but the differences in flavor compounds and reasons for their formation remain unclear. The sauce-flavor baijiu brewing process involves several rounds of fermentation. In this study, we investigated the temporal distribution of microbial communities and flavor substances during the third round of sauce-flavor baijiu fermentation in the Beijing region, and we then compared and analyzed the differences of flavor substances and microorganisms in the fermented grains of sauce-flavor baijiu in the Beijing and Guizhou regions. It was found that 10 bacterial genera and 10 fungal genera were dominant in the fermented grains. The acidity of the fermented grains had a significant driving effect on the microbial community succession. A total of 81 volatile compounds were identified and quantified in the fermented grains, of which esters and alcohols were relatively abundant. The differences in 30 microbial community compositions and their resulting differences in terms of the fermentation parameters of fermented grains are responsible for the differences in the profiles of flavor compounds between sauce-flavor baijiu produced in the Beijing and Guizhou regions.

Evolution of fermented grain yeast communities in strong-flavored baijiu and functional validation of yeasts that produce superior-flavored substances.

BACKGROUND: Baijiu is a well-known alcoholic beverage in China and the quality is determined by various microorganisms during the fermentation process. Yeast is one of the most important microorganisms in the fermentation of baijiu. It has a strong esterification capacity and also affects the aroma. RESULTS: High-throughput sequencing results showed that the fermented grains (jiupei) during baijiu production were mainly composed of eight highly abundant yeast species. The species and abundance of yeasts changed significantly with the fermentation process. The flavor of 30 yeast strains in the jiupei was determined by a sniffing test and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The strain with the highest flavor substance content (2.34 mg L-1 ), named YX3205, was identified as Clavispora lusitaniae. Tolerance results showed that C. lusitaniae YX3205 can tolerate up to 15% (v v-1 ) ethanol. In a solid-state simulated fermentation experiment, the content of 24 flavor substances was significantly increased in the fortified group, and the total ester content reached 4240.73 µg kg-1 , which was 2.8 times higher than that of the control group. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated the potential of C. lusitaniae YX3205 to enhance the flavor of baijiu, thereby serving as a valuable strain for the improvement of the flavor quality of baijiu. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Analysis of differences in microorganisms and aroma profiles between normal and off-flavor pit mud in Chinese strong-flavor Baijiu.

The unique cellar fermentation process of Chinese strong-flavor Baijiu is the reason for its characteristic cellar aroma flavor. The types, abundance, community structure and metabolic activity of microorganisms in the pit mud directly affect the microbial balance in the white spirit production environment, promoting the formation of typical aromas and influencing the quality of CFSB. During the production process, the production of off-flavor in the cellar may occur. The aim of this study is to elucidate the differences in microbiota and flavor between normal pit mud and abnormal pit mud (pit mud with off-flavor). A total of 46 major volatile compounds were identified, and 24 bacterial genera and 21 fungal genera were screened. The esters, acids, and alcohols in the abnormal pit mud were lower than those in the normal pit mud, while the aldehydes were higher. 3-Methyl indole, which has been proven to be responsible for the muddy and musty flavors, was detected in both types of pit mud, and for the first time, high levels of 4-methylanisole was detected in the pit mud. The microbial composition of the two types of pit mud showed significant differences in the bacterial genera of Sporosarcina, Lactobacillus, Garciella, Anaerosalibacter, Lentimicrobium, HN-HF0106, Petrimonas, Clostridium_sensu_stricto_12 and Bacillus, and the fungal genera of Millerozyma, Penicillium, Mortierella, Monascus, Saccharomyces, Issatchenkia, Pithoascus, Pseudallescheria, and Wickerhamomyces. Additionally, we speculate that Sporosarcina is the predominant bacterial genus responsible for the imbalance of microbiota in pit mud.

Comprehensive Analysis of the SUMO-related Signature: Implication for Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Immune Therapeutic Approaches in Cervical Cancer.

SUMOylation, an important post-translational protein modification, plays a critical role in cancer development and immune processes. This study aimed to construct diagnostic and prognostic models for cervical cancer (CC) using SUMOylation-related genes (SRGs) and explore their implications for novel clinical therapies. We analyzed the expression profiles of SRGs in CC patients and identified 15 SRGs associated with CC occurrence. After the subsequent qPCR verification of 20 cases of cancer and adjacent tissues, 13 of the 15 SRGs were differentially expressed in cancer tissues. Additionally, we identified molecular markers associated with the prognosis and recurrence of CC patients, based on SRGs. Next, a SUMOScore, based on SRG expression patterns, was generated to stratify patients into different subgroups. The SUMOScore showed significant associations with the tumor microenvironment, immune function features, immune checkpoint expression, and immune evasion score in CC patients, highlighting the strong connection between SUMOylation factors and immune processes. In terms of immune therapy, our analysis identified specific chemotherapy drugs with higher sensitivity in the subgroups characterized by high and low SUMOScore, indicating potential treatment options. Furthermore, we conducted drug sensitivity analysis to evaluate the response of different patient subgroups to conventional chemotherapy drugs. Our findings revealed enrichment of immune-related pathways in the low-risk subgroup identified by the prognostic model. In conclusion, this study presents diagnostic and prognostic models based on SRGs, accompanied by a comprehensive index derived from SRGs expression patterns. These findings offer valuable insights for CC diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and immune-related analysis.

Complete genome sequence of Acinetobacter indicus and identification of the hydrolases provides direct insights into phthalate ester degradation.

A strain designated Acinetobacter indicus WMB-7 with the ability to hydrolyze phthalate esters (PAEs) was isolated from the fermented grains of Baijiu. The genome of the strain was sequenced with a length of 3,256,420 bp and annotated with 3183 genes, of which 36 hydrolases encoding genes were identified. The hydrolases were analyzed by protein structure modeling and molecular docking, and 14 enzymes were docked to the ligand di-butyl phthalate with the catalytic active regions, and showed binding affinity. The 14 enzymes were expressed in E. coli and 5 of them showed the ability for PAEs hydrolysis. Enzyme GK020_RS15665 showed high efficiency for PAEs hydrolysis and could efficiently hydrolyze di-butyl phthalate under an initial concentration of 1000 mg/L with a half-life of 4.24 h. This work combined a series of methods for identifying PAEs hydrolases and offered a molecular basis for PAEs degradation of A. indicus strains from Baijiu. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10068-023-01334-w.

Expression patterns and pathogenesis of Semaphorin class 4 subfamily proteins in solid tumors.

Semaphorins are originally described as regulators of nervous system development. Besides, members of the semaphorin family play important roles in the growth, metastasis, and angiogenesis of solid tumors. In contrast to the other semaphorin subclasses, semaphorin class 4 has both membrane-bound and active soluble forms. Soluble class 4 semaphorins in body fluids (blood and saliva) may serve as potential biomarkers for early diagnosis and prognosis prediction of specific cancers. The class 4 semaphorins also transduce signal in cancer cells in a cell membrane-bound form, thereby regulating cancer progression. In solid tumors, class 4 semaphorins can act as ligands in active soluble forms, regulating cancer progression via autocrine and paracrine to activate signal transduction in cancer cells or endothelial cells in the tumor microenvironment. Targeting class 4 semaphorins may be a novel strategy for specific cancer therapy. However, the expression of class 4 semaphorins in solid tumors and the responsive pathogenesis are still controversial. Therefore, this review summarizes the specific expression regulation of class 4 semaphorin members in different types of solid tumors and the mechanisms involved in cancer progression.

Insight investigation into the response pattern of microbial assembly succession and volatile profiles during the brewing of sauce-flavor baijiu based on bioaugmentation.

To improve the flavor profile and sensory quality of baijiu, the utilization of bioaugmented fermentation inoculated with functional microbiota normally serves as an effective method for directional regulation during the baijiu fermentation process. In this study, a systematic analysis of the succession patterns and volatile flavor compound profiles of microbial communities was carried out by high-throughput sequencing and solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, respectively. The results demonstrated that the Saccharomyces cerevisiae YS222-related bioaugmentation clearly altered the microbial composition, particularly the assembly of bacteria, and promoted the quantity of the most volatile flavoring compounds, including alcohols, esters, and pyrazines. In addition, the correlation analysis showed that Saccharomyces and Lactobacillus in the augmented group were the main biomarkers associated with the dynamics of microbial community and greatly contributed to the brewing of sauce-flavor baijiu, which congruent with the outcomes of the enrichment analysis of integrated metabolic pathway. Thus, this work is beneficial for promoting the quality of baijiu and will serve as a useful reference for clarifying the possible mechanism of augmented fermentation on flavor development.

Hybrid Photoacoustic Ultrasound Imaging System for Cold-Induced Vasoconstriction and Vasodilation Monitoring.

Lewis hunting reaction refers to the alternating cold-induced vasoconstriction and dilation in extremities, whose underlying mechanism is complex. While numerous studies reported this intriguing phenomenon by measuring cutaneous temperature fluctuation under cold exposure, few of them tracked peripheral vascular responses in real-time, lacking a non-invasive and quantitative imaging tool. To better monitor hunting reaction and diagnose relevant diseases, we developed a hybrid photoacoustic ultrasound (PAUS) tomography system to monitor finger vessels' dynamic response to cold, together with simultaneous temperature measurement. We also came out a standard workflow for image analysis with self-defined indices. In the small cohort observational study, vascular changes in the first cycle of hunting reaction were successfully captured by the image series and quantified. Time difference between vasodilation and temperature recovery was noticed and reported for the first time, thanks to the unique capability of the PAUS imaging system in real-time and continuous vascular monitoring. The developed imaging system and indices enabled more objective and quantitative monitoring of peripheral vascular activities, indicating its great potential in numerous clinical applications.

Digital economy: an effective path for promoting residents' health in China.

The primary prerequisite for socioeconomic growth is good health, hence promoting residents' health is a vital objective of public policies. It is yet up for debate whether or not the digital economy (DE), which will be crucial to future economic growth, will eventually result in improvements in residents' health. Utilizing the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) data in 2020, we explore how the DE affects residents' health. The findings reveal that residents' health is greatly enhanced by the DE. The eastern region sees a more dramatic improvement in residents' health as a result of the DE. Additionally, the DE can improve residents' health through the promotion of regional green development. The study's findings add to our knowledge of how the DE impacts residents' health while also offering recommendations for achieving universal health.

Spatial heterogeneity of microbiota and flavor across different rounds of sauce-flavor baijiu in Northern China.

Sauce-flavor baijiu (SFB) is a traditional Chinese distilled liquor crafted through a distinctive brewing process, involving seven rounds of stack fermentation (SF) and pit fermentation (PF). To date, there remains a knowledge gap regarding the microbial succession and flavor throughout all rounds of SFB with distinctive northern characteristics. Through LEfSe analysis, Saccharopolyspora, Virgibacillus, Thermoascus and Thermomyces, and Lactobacillus and Issatchenkia were found to be the most differentially representative genera in SF and PF, respectively. A total of 93 volatile flavor compounds were found in base baijius through the gas-chromatography mass spectrometry. Moreover, 29 volatile flavor substances with significant difference in base baijius of different rounds were revealed using the OPLS-DA model and VIP values and Spearman correlation analysis shows that bacteria have a greater impact on differential flavor compounds than fungi. This study provides a new perspective and insight into the brewing of northern SFB.

Machine discovery of partial differential equations from spatiotemporal data: A sparse Bayesian learning framework.

This study presents a general framework, namely, Sparse Spatiotemporal System Discovery (S3d), for discovering dynamical models given by Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) from spatiotemporal data. S3d is built on the recent development of sparse Bayesian learning, which enforces sparsity in the estimated PDEs. This approach enables a balance between model complexity and fitting error with theoretical guarantees. The proposed framework integrates Bayesian inference and a sparse priori distribution with the sparse regression method. It also introduces a principled iterative re-weighted algorithm to select dominant features in PDEs and solve for the sparse coefficients. We have demonstrated the discovery of the complex Ginzburg-Landau equation from a traveling-wave convection experiment, as well as several other PDEs, including the important cases of Navier-Stokes and sine-Gordon equations, from simulated data.