Corrigendum: Criteria for differentiating left bundle branch pacing and left ventricular septal pacing: a systematic review.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.1006966.].

Microencapsulation of fish oil by spray drying, spray freeze-drying, freeze-drying, and microwave freeze-drying: Microcapsule characterization and storage stability.

The objective of this paper was to evaluate the effect of spray drying (SD), spray freeze-drying (SFD), freeze-drying (FD), and microwave freeze-drying (MFD) on the characteristics of fish oil (FO) microcapsules. The physicochemical properties, morphology, fatty acid composition, and stability of the microcapsules were analyzed. The encapsulation efficiencies of microcapsules dried by SD, SFD, FD, and MFD were 86.98%, 77.79%, 63.29%, and 57.89%, respectively. SD microcapsules exhibited superior properties in terms of effective loading capacity, color, and flowability. Conversely, SFD microcapsules demonstrated improved solubility. Microencapsulation positively affected the thermal stability of FO, but the content of unsaturated fatty acids decreased. The findings from the storage experiment indicated that the oxidative stability of SD fish oil microcapsules was marginally lower compared to microcapsules produced through three alternative drying techniques, all of which were based on the FD concept. The comparison of various drying methods and their effects on the quality of FO microcapsules offers valuable insights that can serve as a foundation for the industrial production of high-quality microcapsules.

Clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated gastric cancer (EBVaGC) is a distinct molecular subtype of gastric cancer (GC). At present, the clinical characteristics and prognostic implications of EBV infection and the potential clinical benefits of immune checkpoint blockade in GC remain to be clarified. Hence, this study was designed to analyze the clinical and pathological characteristics of GC patients with varying EBV infection states and compare their overall survival (OS). METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on 1031 consecutive GC patients who underwent gastrectomy at the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from February 2018 to November 2022. EBV-encoded RNA (EBER) in situ hybridization (ISH) was used for EBV assessment, and immunohistochemical staining was used for evaluation of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), and Ki67 expression. EBVaGC was defined as tumors with EBV positivity. In addition, EBV-negative GC (EBVnGC) patients were matched with EBVaGC patients based on seven clinicopathological parameters (age, gender, anatomic subsite, tumor size, Lauren classification, degree of differentiation, and tumor-node-metastasis [TNM] stage). The correlations of clinical features with HER2, PD-L1, and Ki67 expression were evaluated statistically. The survival of patients was assessed through medical records, telephone, or WeChat communication, and prognostic analysis was performed using the logrank test as well as univariable and multivariable regression analysis. RESULTS: Out of 1031 GC patients tested, 35 (3.4%) were diagnosed with EBVaGC. Notably, the EBVaGC group exhibited a distinct predominance of males and younger patients, significantly higher Ki67 and PD-L1 expression levels, and a lower prevalence of pericancerous nerve invasion than the EBVnGC group (P < 0.01). In the 35 EBVaGC cases, Ki67 expression was negatively correlated with age (P < 0.05), suggesting that a younger onset age was associated with higher Ki67 expression. In addition, PD-L1 expression was correlated with the degree of differentiation, T-stage, and clinical stage of the patient. Furthermore, PD-L1 expression was elevated in tumors with lower differentiation or at later stages (P < 0.05). Using univariate analysis, Ki67, PD-L1, and clinical stage were identified as significant factors influencing the overall survival (OS) of EBVaGC patients (P < 0.05). Moreover, multivariate survival analysis revealed that clinical stage and Ki67 expression were independent risk factors for the OS of the patients (P < 0.05), and the three-year OS rate of EBVaGC patients was 64.2%. CONCLUSION: EBV-ISH is a practical and valuable method to identify EBVaGC. Owing to its unique etiological, pathological, and clinical characteristics, patients with EBVaGC might benefit from immune checkpoint blockade therapy.

Case report: The effect of second-line vebreltinib treatment on a patient with advanced NSCLC harboring the MET exon 14 skipping mutation after tepotinib treatment.

Background: Highly selective type Ib mesenchymal-epithelial transition gene (MET) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are the standard-of-care (SOC) therapy for previously untreated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring MET exon 14 (METex14) skipping mutations. However, there are rare reports describing effective regimens for patients who fail SOC without identifying resistant mutations or tissue transformation. Case report: We report the first case of a 74-year-old woman with lung adenocarcinoma (cT1cNxM0) harboring METex14 splice region mutation, which was identified by a next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based assay. The patient was administered two treatments, including first-line tepotinib and second-line vebreltinib. The patient achieved progression-free survival (PFS) of 7.6 months, and then disease progression of tepotinib was observed. A re-biopsy was performed for NGS, which revealed the same mutations as before, with no new gene mutations detected. The woman received subsequent vebreltinib therapy and experienced durable clinical benefits. In the first 6.8 months, chest computed tomography demonstrated stable disease. Then, she achieved partial response (PR). The durable PR lasted for more than 13 months, and the PFS is currently over 20 months, exceeding the prior treatment. Conclusion: This case highlights the importance of considering re-biopsy and reanalysis of genetic profiles in NSCLC patients harboring METex14 skipping mutations after progressive disease in MET TKI treatment. This raises the possibility that vebreltinib may have long-term survival benefits for patients without mutations conferring resistance (funded by Beijing Pearl Biotechnology Co., Ltd; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04258033).

Nonlinear Relationship Between Homocysteine and Mild Cognitive Impairment in Early Parkinson's Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Cognitive impairment, a prevalent non-motor symptom in advanced Parkinson's disease (PD), has been associated with hyperhomocysteinemia, an important risk factor for PD progression and cognitive decline in PD. However, evidence regarding the association between homocysteine (Hcy) and cognitive function during early PD remains insufficient. Therefore, this study aims to examine the correlation between Hcy levels and cognitive function in the early stage of PD. Methods: The study included 218 individuals in the early stages of PD who were consecutively admitted to the Suining Central Hospital Neurology Department. All the individuals completed the Parkinson's Disease Cognitive Rating Scale (PD-CDR). The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part III (UPDRS-III) was employed for measuring the severity of motor symptoms, while the Hoehn-Yahr scale was used to measure the clinical symptom stage. Fasting venous blood samples were also drawn to measure the Hcy concentration, red blood cell folate, and vitamin B12. Results: In this cross-sectional study, 47 (21.5%) patients with PD showed cognitive dysfunction. The serum Hcy levels were significantly higher in the cognitive impairment PD (PDCI) group compared with the cognitive normal PD group (P<0.001). The Generalized Additive Model (GAM) analysis revealed a nonlinear relationship between Hcy and the risk of PDCI. Multiple logistic regression analyses demonstrated a positive relationship between elevated Hcy and the risk of PDCI in the fully adjusted model ([OR]:3.1, 95% CI, 1.1-8.5, P=0.028). Segmented linear regression analysis showed that when Hcy levels were above 17.7 umol/l, the risk of PDCI increased by 1.6 times for every 1 unit elevated in Hcy (95% CI:1.1-2.2, P=0.008). Conclusion: This study revealed a nonlinear positive correlation between the risk of PDCI and elevated serum Hcy levels in early PD patients, suggesting hyperhomocysteinemia as one of the treatable factors for cognitive impairment in the early stages of PD.

A Zero-Voltage-Writing Artificial Nervous System Based on Biosensor Integrated on Ferroelectric Tunnel Junction.

The artificial nervous system proves the great potential for the emulation of complex neural signal transduction. However, a more bionic system design for bio-signal transduction still lags behind that of physical signals, and relies on additional external sources. Here, we present a zero-voltage-writing artificial nervous system (ZANS) that integrates a bio-source-sensing device (BSSD) for ion-based sensing and power generation with a hafnium-zirconium oxide-ferroelectric tunnel junction (HZO-FTJ) for the continuously adjustable resistance state. The BSSD can use ion bio-source as both perception and energy source, and then output voltage signals varied with the change of ion concentrations to the HZO-FTJ, which completes the zero-voltage-writing neuromorphic bio-signal modulation. In view of in-/ex-vivo biocompatibility, we show the precise muscle control of a rabbit leg by integrating the ZANS with a flexible nerve stimulation electrode. The independence on external source enhances the application potential of ZANS in robotics and prosthetics. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Accurate parameter identification method for coupled sub/super-synchronous oscillations for high penetration wind power systems.

As the penetration of renewable energy increases to a large scale and power electronic devices become widespread, power systems are becoming prone to synchronous oscillations (SO). This event has a major impact on the stability of the power grid. The recent research has been mainly concentrated on identifying the parameters of sub-synchronous oscillation. Sub/Super synchronous oscillations (Sub/Sup-SO) simultaneously occur, increasing the difficulty in accurately identify the parameters of SO. This work presents a novel method for parameter identification that effectively handles the Sub/Sup-SO components by utilizing the Rife-Vincent window and discrete Fourier transform (DFT) simultaneously. To mitigate the impact of spectral leakage and the fence effect of DFT, we integrate the tri-spectral interpolation algorithm with the Rife-Vincent window. We use the instantaneous data of the phasor measurement unit (PMU) to identify Sub/Sup-SO-related parameters (Sub/Sup-SO damping ratio, frequency, amplitude and phase). First, the spectrum of the Sub/Sup-SO signals is analyzed after incorporating the Rife-Vincent window, and the characteristics of the Sub/Sup-SO signal are determined. Then, the signal spectrum is identified using a three-point interpolation algorithm, and the damping ratio, amplitude, frequency, and phase of the Sub/Sup-SO signals are obtained. In addition, we consider the identification accuracy of the algorithm under various complex conditions, such as the effect of Sub/Sup-SO parameter variations on parameter identification in the presence of a non-nominal frequency and noise. The proposed algorithm accurately identifies the parameters of multiple Sub/Sup-SO components and two Sub-SO components that are in close proximity. Testing with synthetic and real data demonstrates that the proposed algorithm outperforms existing methods in terms of identification accuracy, identification bandwidth, and adaptability.

A novel discriminant algorithm for differential diagnosis of mild to moderate thalassemia and iron deficiency anemia.

BACKGROUND: Mild to moderate thalassemia trait (TT) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) are the most common conditions of microcytic hypochromic anemia (MHA) and they exhibit highly similar clinical and laboratory features. It is sometimes difficult to make a differential diagnosis between TT and IDA in clinical practice. Therefore, a simple, effective, and reliable index is needed to discriminate between TT and IDA. METHODS: Data of 598 patients (320 for TT and 278 for IDA) were enrolled and randomly assigned to training set (278 of 598, 70%) and validation set (320 of 598, 30%). Stepwise discriminant analysis was used to define the best diagnostic formula for the discrimination between TT and IDA in training set. The accuracy and diagnostic performance of formula was tested and verified by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis in validation set and its diagnostic performance was compared with other published indices. RESULTS: A novel formula, Thalassemia and IDA Discrimination Index (TIDI) = -13.932 + 0.434 × RBC + 0.033 × Hb + 0.025 ×MCHC + 53.593 × RET%, was developed to discriminate TT from IDA. TIDI showed a high discrimination performance in ROC analysis, with the Area Under the Curve (AUC) = 0.936, Youden' s index = 78.7%, sensitivity = 89.5%, specificity = 89.2%, respectively. Furthermore, the formula index also obtained a good classification performance in distinguishing 5 common genotypes of TT from IDA (AUC from 0.854-0.987). CONCLUSION: The new, simple algorithm can be used as an effective and robust tool for the differential diagnosis of mild to moderate TT and IDA in Guangxi region, China.

A clinical update of compound heterozygosity for hemoglobin Hekinan II [a27(B8)Glu-Asp; HBA1: c.84G>T] variant in China.

BACKGROUND: Hemoglobin (Hb) Hekinan II (A27; Glu-Asp) is an α-chain variant, and its interaction with the common Southeast Asian (--SEA/) α-thalassemia (α-thal) deletion is rarely reported. This study provides a clinical update of Hb Hekinan II associated with (--SEA/) α-thal. METHODS: A total of 11 simple heterozygotes and 20 composite heterozygotes for Hb Hekinan II and (--SEA/) α-thal were included based on molecular diagnosis. RESULTS: Hb Hekinan II exhibited a significant increase in hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin content, but a decrease in red blood cell level compared with α+ thalassemia deletion. Compared with (--SEA/) α-thal, composite heterozygotes for Hb Hekinan II and (--SEA/) α-thal showed similar erythrocyte parameters. Both heterozygotes with and without (--SEA/) α-thal showed low Hb A2 level. Hb Hekinan II showed abnormal performance in high-performance liquid chromatography but not in capillary electrophoresis. CONCLUSION: Hb Hekinan II is a benign Hb variant. The heterozygotes exhibit clinically asymptomatic coinheritance with (--SEA/) α-thal having comparable hematological phenotype to simple (--SEA/) α-thal. The combination of hematological and molecular analysis helped to improve the detection rate of this rare variant.

Manganese Dioxide Coated Piezoelectric Nanosonosensitizer for Cancer Therapy with Tumor Microenvironment Remodeling and Multienzyme-Like Catalysis.

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) as an emerging method for cancer therapy has encountered difficulty in insufficient production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), especially in tumor microenvironment (TME) with elevated antioxidants and hypoxic conditions. In this work, the authors have fabricated heterostructured manganese dioxide (MnO2)-coated BaTiO3 nanoparticles (BTO@M NPs) as a piezoelectric sonosensitizer, which exhibits the capacity of remodeling TME and multienzyme-like catalysis for boosting SDT. Benefitting from the piezotronic effect, the formation of a p-n junction between MnO2 and piezoelectric BTO with a built-in electric field and band bending efficiently promotes the separation of charge carriers, facilitating the generation of superoxide anion (•O2 -) and hydroxyl radical (•OH) under ultrasound (US) stimulation. Moreover, BTO@M NPs can catalyze the overexpressed hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in TME to produce oxygen for replenishing the gas source in SDT, and also deplete antioxidant glutathione (GSH), realizing TME remodeling. During this process, the reduced Mn(II) can convert H2O2 into •OH, further amplifying cellular oxidative damage. With these combination effects, the versatile BTO@M NPs exhibit prominent cytotoxicity and tumor growth inhibition against 4T1 breast cancer. This work provides a feasible strategy for constructing high-efficiency sonosensitizers for cancer SDT.

Comparison of progestin-primed ovarian stimulation regimen and antagonist regimen in women aged 35 years or older with diminished ovarian reserve: A propensity score-matched study.

OBJECTIVE: Diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) has been a major challenge in infertility treatment. The present study aimed to compare the efficacy of progestin-primed ovarian stimulation (PPOS) regimen and antagonist regimen in infertile patients aged 35 years or older with DOR. METHODS: A retrospective study of 289 in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles from April 2016 to June 2022 was performed. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance the baseline characteristics between the two groups at a ratio of 1:1. RESULTS: After matching, there were 87 cycles in the PPOS group and 87 cycles in the antagonist group. The primary outcome measures included the incidence of premature LH surge, the number of retrieved oocytes, and the number of mature oocytes, which were comparable between the two groups (all P values >0.05). There were no significant differences in laboratory indicators and final clinical outcomes between the two groups (all P values >0.05). CONCLUSIONS: For DOR patients aged 35 years or older, the number of retrieved oocytes and the number of mature oocytes were comparable between the PPOS and antagonist groups. Moreover, the two regimens showed no difference in the inhibition of premature LH surge.

Association of short-chain fatty acids and the gut microbiome with type 2 diabetes: Evidence from the Henan Rural Cohort.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Human studies about short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), the gut microbiome, and Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are limited. Here we explored the association between SCFAs and T2DM and the effects of gut microbial diversity on glucose status in rural populations. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed a cross-sectional study from the Henan Rural Cohort and collected stool samples. Gut microbiota composition and faecal SCFA concentrations were measured by 16S rRNA and GC-MS. The population was divided based on the tertiles of SCFAs, and logistic regression models assessed the relationship between SCFAs and T2DM. Generalized linear models tested the interactions between SCFAs and gut microbial diversity on glucose indicators (glucose, HbAlc and insulin). Compared to the lowest tertile of total SCFA, acetate and butyrate, the highest tertile exhibited lower T2DM prevalence, with ORs and 95% CIs of 0.291 (0.085-0.991), 0.160 (0.044-0.574) and 0.171 (0.047-0.620), respectively. Restricted cubic spline demonstrated an approximately inverse S-shaped association. We also noted interactions of the ACE index with the highest tertile of valerate on glucose levels (P-interaction = 0.022) and the Shannon index with the middle tertile of butyrate on insulin levels (P-interaction = 0.034). Genus Prevotella_9 and Odoribacter were inversely correlated with T2DM, and the genus Blautia was positively associated with T2DM. These bacteria are common SCFA-producing members. CONCLUSIONS: Inverse S-shaped associations between SCFAs (total SCFA, acetate, and butyrate) and T2DM were observed. Valerate and butyrate modify glucose status with increasing gut microbial diversity.

A critical review of characteristics of domestic wastewater and key treatment techniques in Chinese villages.

As of 2022, China's rural sewage treatment rate is only approximately 31 %. Rapid rural development has led to higher demand. However, China's rural areas are complex and face many problems, such as uneven economic development, population distribution, and water availability. Long-lasting and low-cost wastewater treatment measures are needed for application in rural areas. The quantity and quality of rural domestic wastewater in China were characterized first. Next, the hot topic of domestic wastewater in Chinese villages was confirmed via bibliometric analysis using CiteSpace, and the treatment technologies for rural domestic wastewater were compared. Specifically, the technical status and challenges of the most common technology in rural domestic wastewater treatment, constructed wetlands, were summarized.

A robust transformer-based pipeline of 3D cell alignment, denoise and instance segmentation on electron microscopy sequence images.

Germline cells are critical for transmitting genetic information to subsequent generations in biological organisms. While their differentiation from somatic cells during embryonic development is well-documented in most animals, the regulatory mechanisms initiating plant germline cells are not well understood. To thoroughly investigate the complex morphological transformations of their ultrastructure over developmental time, nanoscale 3D reconstruction of entire plant tissues is necessary, achievable exclusively through electron microscopy imaging. This paper presents a full-process framework designed for reconstructing large-volume plant tissue from serial electron microscopy images. The framework ensures end-to-end direct output of reconstruction results, including topological networks and morphological analysis. The proposed 3D cell alignment, denoise, and instance segmentation pipeline (3DCADS) leverages deep learning to provide a cell instance segmentation workflow for electron microscopy image series, ensuring accurate and robust 3D cell reconstructions with high computational efficiency. The pipeline involves five stages: the registration of electron microscopy serial images; image enhancement and denoising; semantic segmentation using a Transformer-based neural network; instance segmentation through a supervoxel-based clustering algorithm; and an automated analysis and statistical assessment of the reconstruction results, with the mapping of topological connections. The 3DCADS model's precision was validated on a plant tissue ground-truth dataset, outperforming traditional baseline models and deep learning baselines in overall accuracy. The framework was applied to the reconstruction of early meiosis stages in the anthers of Arabidopsis thaliana, resulting in a topological connectivity network and analysis of morphological parameters and characteristics of cell distribution. The experiment underscores the 3DCADS model's potential for biological tissue identification and its significance in quantitative analysis of plant cell development, crucial for examining samples across different genetic phenotypes and mutations in plant development. Additionally, the paper discusses the regulatory mechanisms of Arabidopsis thaliana's germline cells and the development of stamen cells before meiosis, offering new insights into the transition from somatic to germline cell fate in plants.

Comparison of novel PSMA-targeting [177Lu]Lu-P17-087 with its albumin binding derivative [177Lu]Lu-P17-088 in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients: a first-in-human study.

PURPOSE: Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a promising target for diagnosis and radioligand therapy (RLT) of prostate cancer. Two novel PSMA-targeting radionuclide therapy agents, [177Lu]Lu-P17-087, and its albumin binder modified derivative, [177Lu]Lu-P17-088, were evaluated in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients. The primary endpoint was dosimetry evaluation, the second endpoint was radiation toxicity assessment (CTCAE 5.0) and PSA response (PCWG3). METHODS: Patients with PSMA-positive tumors were enrolled after [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT scan. Five mCRPC patients received [177Lu]Lu-P17-087 and four other patients received [177Lu]Lu-P17-088 (1.2 GBq/patient). Multiple whole body planar scintigraphy was performed at 1.5, 4, 24, 48, 72, 120 and 168 h after injection and one SPECT/CT imaging was performed at 24 h post-injection for each patient. Dosimetry evaluation was compared in both patient groups. RESULTS: Patients showed no major clinical side-effects under this low dose treatment. As expected [177Lu]Lu-P17-088 with longer blood circulation (due to its albumin binding) exhibited higher effective doses than [177Lu]Lu-P17-087 (0.151 ± 0.036 vs. 0.056 ± 0.019 mGy/MBq, P = 0.001). Similarly, red marrow received 0.119 ± 0.068 and 0.048 ± 0.020 mGy/MBq, while kidney doses were 0.119 ± 0.068 and 0.046 ± 0.022 mGy/MBq, respectively. [177Lu]Lu-P17-087 demonstrated excellent tumor uptake and faster kinetics; while [177Lu]Lu-P17-088 displayed a slower washout and higher average dose (7.75 ± 4.18 vs. 4.72 ± 2.29 mGy/MBq, P = 0.018). After administration of [177Lu]Lu-P17-087 and [177Lu]Lu-P17-088, 3/5 and 3/4 patients showed reducing PSA values, respectively. CONCLUSION: [177Lu]Lu-P17-088 and [177Lu]Lu-P17-087 displayed different pharmacokinetics but excellent PSMA-targeting dose delivery in mCRPC patients. These two agents are promising RLT agents for personalized treatment of mCRPC. Further studies with increased dose and frequency of RLT are warranted to evaluate the potential therapeutic efficacy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: 177Lu-P17-087/177Lu-P17-088 in Patients with Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer (NCT05603559, Registered at 25 October, 2022). URL OF REGISTRY: https://classic. CLINICALTRIALS: gov/ct2/show/NCT05603559 .

Huanglian Decoction treats Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis by inhibiting NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway and reducing renal IgA deposition.

Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis (HSPN) is a systemic vascular inflammatory disease. Huanglian Decoction (HLD) ameliorates renal injury in nephritis; however, the mechanism of action of HLD on HSPN has not been investigated. This study aimed to investigate the protective mechanism of HLD treatment in HSPN. The effects of HLD on HSPN biochemical indices, kidney injury and NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway were analyzed by biochemical analysis, ELISA, HE and PAS staining, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and Western Blot. In addition, the effects of HLD on HSPN cells were analyzed. We found that HLD treatment significantly reduced renal tissue damage, decreased the levels of IL-17, IL-18, TNF-α, and IL-1ß, and increased the levels of TP and ALB in HSPN mice. It also inhibited the deposition of IgA, IgG, and C3 in kidney tissues and significantly decreased the expression of IκBα, p-IκBα, NLRP3, caspase-1, and IL-1ß in kidney tissues and cells. In addition, PMA treatment inhibited the above-mentioned effects of HLD. These results suggested that HLD attenuates renal injury, IgA deposition, and inflammation in HSPN mice and its mechanism of action may be related to the inhibition of the NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway.

Salidroside promotes angiogenesis after cerebral ischemia in mice through Shh signaling pathway.

AIMS: The purpose of this study was to explore the impacts of salidroside on vascular regeneration, vascular structural changes and long-term neurological recuperation following cerebral ischemia and its possible mechanism. MAIN METHODS: From Day 1 to Day 28, young male mice with middle cerebral artery blockage received daily doses of salidroside and measured neurological deficits. On the 7th day after stroke, the volume of cerebral infarction was determined using TTC and HE staining. Microvascular density, astrocyte coverage, angiogenesis and the expression of the Shh signaling pathway were detected by IF, qRTPCR and WB at 7, 14 and 28 days after stroke. Changes in blood flow, blood vessel density and diameter from stroke to 28 days were measured by the LSCI and TPMI. KEY FINDINGS: Compared with the dMACO group, the salidroside treatment group significantly promoted the recovery of neurological function. Salidroside was found to enhance cerebral blood flow perfusion and reduce the infarct on the 7th day after stroke. From the 7th to the 28th day after stroke, salidroside treatment boosted the expression of CD31, CD31+/BrdU+, and GFAP in the cortex around the infarction site. On the 14th day after stroke, salidroside significantly enhanced the width and density of blood vessels. Salidroside increased the expression of histones and genes in the Shh signaling pathway during treatment, and this effect was weakened by the Shh inhibitor Cyclopamine. SIGNIFICANCE: Salidroside can restore nerve function, improve cerebral blood flow, reduce cerebral infarction volume, increase microvessel density and promote angiogenesis via the Shh signaling pathway.

Lateral lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid cancer: Is there a difference between PTC and PTMC?

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) are generally characterized as less invasive forms of thyroid cancer with favorable prognosis. However, once lateral cervical lymph node metastasis takes place, the prognosis may be significantly impacted. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether there is a difference in the pattern of lateral lymph node metastasis between PTC and PTMC. A retrospective analysis was performed for PTC and PTMC patients that underwent central area dissection and unilateral lateral neck lymph node dissection (II-V area) between January 2020 and December 2021. Compared with PTMC group, the PTC group exhibited higher incidence of capsule invasion, extrathyroid invasion and lymphatic vessel invasion. Both the number and rate of central lymph nodes metastasis were elevated in the PTC group. While the number of lateral cervical lymph node metastasis was higher, the metastasis rate did not demonstrate significant difference. No significant differences were identified in the lymph node metastasis patterns between the 2 groups. The determination of the extent of lateral neck lymph node dissection solely based on the tumor size may be unreliable, as PTC and PTMC showed no difference in the number and pattern of lateral neck metastasis. Additional clinical data are warranted to reinforce this conclusion. For patients categorized as unilateral, bilateral, or contralateral cervical lymph node metastasis (including level I, II, III, IV, or V) or retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis who require unilateral lateral neck dissection, the size of the primary tumor may not need to be a central consideration when assessing and deciding the extent of lateral neck dissection.

Effects of Freeze-Thaw Cycles on the Quality of a Novel Mixed Grain Composite Dough and Its Product (Potato-Oat Yu): Hybridization of Potatoes and Oats.

To provide a theoretical basis for the frozen storage of potato-oat composite dough and its products, this investigation examines changes in the quality of potato-oat composite dough and its resulting product during freeze-thaw cycles. The study measured key aspects such as moisture content, dynamic rheological properties, water state, protein secondary structure, color, and sensory assessment. The influence of these factors on the product's quality is analyzed. The findings revealed that the freeze-thaw treatment caused a reduction in water content, freezable water, and deeply bound water, as well as an increase in weakly bound water, ß-sheet, random coil, and α-helix, and a decreased ß-turn of the potato-oat composite dough. Additionally, the dough treated by freeze-thaw cycles resulted in darker color, and the sensory properties of the product were affected significantly after exceeding three freeze-thaw cycles. Moreover, an increase in the number of freeze-thaw cycles resulted in an upward trend of moisture content for the composite dough, whereas G' initially increased and then decreased. The G″ of the composite dough peaked after the third freeze-thaw cycle. Overall, the composite dough quality significantly deteriorated at the fourth freeze-thaw cycle. There was a significant increase in the freezable water content, the largest modulus of elasticity, and the smallest tan δ. Therefore, the usage of the potato-oat composite dough should not exceed three cycles.

Effects of Long-Term Cryopreservation on the Transcriptomes of Giant Grouper Sperm.

The giant grouper fish (Epinephelus lanceolatus), one of the largest and rarest groupers, is a fast-growing economic fish. Grouper sperm is often used for cross-breeding with other fish and therefore sperm cryopreservation is important. However, freezing damage cannot be avoided. Herein, we performed a transcriptome analysis to compare fresh and frozen sperm of the giant grouper with frozen storage times of 0, 23, 49, and 61 months. In total, 1911 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including 91 in El-0-vs-El-23 (40 upregulated and 51 downregulated), 251 in El-0-vs-El-49 (152 upregulated and 69 downregulated), and 1569 in El-0-vs-El-61 (984 upregulated and 585 downregulated), were obtained in the giant grouper sperm. DEGs were significantly increased at 61 months of cryopreservation (p < 0.05). GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of the DEGs revealed significant enrichment in the pilus assembly, metabolic process, MAPK signaling pathway, apoptosis, and P53 signaling pathway. Time-series expression profiling of the DEGs showed that consistently upregulated modules were also significantly enriched in signaling pathways associated with apoptosis. Four genes, scarb1, odf3, exoc8, and atp5f1d, were associated with mitochondria and flagella in a weighted correlation network analysis. These genes may play an important role in the response to sperm freezing. The experimental results show that long-term cryopreservation results in freezing damage to the giant grouper sperm. This study provides rich data for studies of the mechanism underlying frozen fish sperm damage as well as a technical reference and evaluation index for the long-term cryopreservation of fish sperm.