Promoting Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia on Silver Nanocrystals Doped with Iron Series Elements.

Electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia (NRA) is a promising approach to remove environmental pollutants while producing green NH3 under ambient conditions. Ag-based nanomaterials have been used in NRA but their iron series elements (Fe, Co, Ni) doping has not been explored yet. Herein, an effective and versatile doping strategy of Ag nanocrystals by iron series elements for efficient NRA is presented. Experimental results show that doping with Fe, Co or Ni can improve the NRA activity. Among the catalysts, AgCo delivers the best performance with a Faraday efficiency (FE) of 88.3% and ammonia selectivity of 97.4% at -0.23 V vs. RHE, which is 1.9 and 6.2 times higher than that of plain Ag (46.4% FE and 15.8% selectivity), respectively. A highest NO3- conversion rate of AgCo (91.8%) is achieved, which maintains 16.4 ppm NO3--N in 4 hours, meeting the drinking water level (~15 ppm NO3--N). Moreover, the FE, selectivity, conversion rate of AgCo do not decay after the four consecutive cycles. It is found that Co doping can effectively induce the change of Ag d-band center for optimized NRA. This work reveals doping effects of iron series elements on Ag-based catalysts, and shows potential practical application in NRA.

Characterization of active alkaloids and metabolites in rats after oral administration of Zuojin Pill using UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS combined with bioinformatics and molecular docking analyses.

Zuojin Pill (ZJP), a traditional Chinese medicine prescription composed of Rhizoma Coptidis and Euodiae Fructus in the ratio of 6:1 (w/w), has been widely used for the treatment of gastric disorders. However, an in-depth understanding of in vivo metabolism and distribution profiles of protoberberine alkaloids (PBAs) and indole alkaloids (IDAs) in ZJP is lacking. In this study, a method using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadruple time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was developed to systematically screen the alkaloids and their metabolites in rat plasma and various tissues after oral administration of ZJP. Furthermore, bioinformatics and molecular docking analyses were conducted to elucidate the contribution of the alkaloids and metabolites enriched in the stomach to the therapeutic effect of ZJP on gastritis. A total of 33 compounds, including 7 prototype alkaloids and 26 metabolites, were chemically defined or tentatively identified in this work. The metabolic pathways of PBAs (hydroxylation, oxidation, reduction, demethylation, demethylenation, glucuronide conjugation, sulfate conjugation) and IDAs (hydroxylation, glucuronide conjugation) were revealed. Notably, 7 prototype alkaloids and 18 metabolites were detected in the stomach, indicating their propensity for gastric distribution. These alkaloids and metabolites showed strong affinities with the 7 hub targets associated with gastritis, such as CCR7, CXCR4, IL6, IFNG, CCL2, TNF, and PTPRC, and could be considered the potential active substances of ZJP for treating gastritis. In conclusion, this study clarified the gastric distribution propensity of PBAs and IDAs and their metabolites, as well as their favorable binding interactions with gastritis-related targets, which could provide essential data for the further study of the pharmacodynamic material basis and gastroprotective mechanism of ZJP.

Fall prediction, control, and recovery of quadruped robots.

When legged robots perform complex tasks in unstructured environments, falls are inevitable due to unknown external disturbances. However, current research mainly focuses on the locomotion control of legged robots without falling. This paper proposes a comprehensive decision-making and control framework to address the falling over of quadruped robots. First, a capturability-based fall prediction algorithm is derived for planar single-contact and 3D multi-contact locomotion with a predefined gait sequence. For safe fall control, a novel contact-implicit trajectory optimization method is proposed to generate both state and input trajectories and contact mode sequences. Specifically, incorporating uncertainty into the system and terrain models enables mitigating the non-smoothness of contact dynamics while improving the robustness of the resulting trajectories. Furthermore, a model-free deep reinforcement learning-based approach is presented to achieve fall recovery after the robot completes a fall. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed fall prediction algorithm accurately predicts robot falls with up to 95% accuracy approximately 395ms in advance. Compared to classical locomotion controllers, which often struggle to maintain balance under significant pushes or terrain perturbations, the presented framework can autonomously switch to the fall controller approximately 0.06s after the perturbation, effectively preventing falls or achieving recovery with a threefold reduction in touchdown impact velocity. These findings highlight the effectiveness of the proposed framework in enhancing the stability and safety of legged robots in unstructured environments.

Discriminative analysis of schizophrenia and major depressive disorder using fNIRS.

BACKGROUND: Research into the shared and distinct brain dysfunctions in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) and major depressive disorder (MDD) has been increasing. However, few studies have explored the application of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in investigating brain dysfunction and enhancing diagnostic methodologies in these two conditions. METHODS: A general linear model was used for analysis of brain activation following task-state fNIRS from 131 patients with SCZ, 132 patients with MDD and 130 healthy controls (HCs). Subsequently, seventy-seven time-frequency analysis methods were used to construct new features of fNIRS, followed by the implementation of five machine learning algorithms to develop a differential diagnosis model for the three groups. This model was evaluated by comparing it to both a diagnostic model relying on traditional fNIRS features and assessments made by two psychiatrists. RESULTS: Brain activation analysis revealed significantly lower activation in Broca's area, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and the middle temporal gyrus for both the SCZ and MDD groups compared to HCs. Additionally, the SCZ group exhibited notably lower activation in the superior temporal gyrus and the subcentral gyrus compared to the MDD group. When distinguishing among the three groups using independent validation datasets, the models utilizing new fNIRS features achieved an accuracy of 85.90 % (AUC = 0.95). In contrast, models based on traditional fNIRS features reached an accuracy of 52.56 % (AUC = 0.66). The accuracies of the two psychiatrists were 42.00 % (AUC = 0.60) and 38.00 % (AUC = 0.50), respectively. CONCLUSION: This investigation brings to light the shared and distinct neurobiological abnormalities present in SCZ and MDD, offering potential enhancements for extant diagnostic systems.

Reviving Cost-Effective Organic Cathodes in Halide-Based All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries.

The evolution of inorganic solid electrolytes has revolutionized the field of sustainable organic cathode materials, particularly by addressing the dissolution problems in traditional liquid electrolytes. However, current sulfide-based all-solid-state lithium-organic batteries still face challenges such as high working temperatures, high costs, and low voltages. Here, we design an all-solid-state lithium battery based on a cost-effective organic cathode material phenanthrenequinone (PQ) and a halide solid electrolyte Li2ZrCl6. Thanks to the good compatibility between PQ and Li2ZrCl6, the PQ cathode achieved a high specific capacity of 248 mAh g-1 (96 % of the theoretical capacity), a high average discharge voltage of 2.74 V (vs. Li+/Li), and a good capacity retention of 95 % after 100 cycles at room temperature (25 °C). Furthermore, the interactions between the high-voltage carbonyl PQ cathode and both sulfide and halide solid electrolytes, as well as the redox mechanism of the PQ cathode in all-solid-state batteries, were carefully studied by a variety of advanced characterizations. We believe such a design and the corresponding investigations into the underlying chemistry give insights for the further development of practical all-solid-state lithium-organic batteries.

Predefined-Time Output-Feedback Leader-Following Consensus of Pure-Feedback Multiagent Systems.

This article delves into the predefined-time output-feedback leader-following consensus problem of uncertain pure-feedback nonlinear multiagent systems for the first time. To streamline subsequent design, the original systems in pure-feedback form are first transformed into canonical systems. Following this, a distributed predefined-time extended state observer (ESO) and a local predefined-time ESO are developed to reconstruct the unknown states/lumped disturbance of the transformed leader system and follower systems, respectively. Based on the estimated states and utilizing a bounded regulation function, two nonsingular and nonconservative predefined-time control laws are formulated to achieve consensus tracking. The proposed method showcases the following advantages: 1) the actual convergence time rather than the upper bound of the convergence time (UBCT) of the tracking errors can be explicitly specified a priori regardless of the initial conditions in a bounded region, optimizing control energy usage and 2) the system overshoot could be effectively reduced by selecting appropriate parameters for the regulation function. Finally, numerical examples are conducted to verify the obtained results.

Lithium Metal-Compatible Antifluorite Electrolytes for Solid-State Batteries.

Lithium (Li) metal solid-state batteries feature high energy density and improved safety and thus are recognized as promising alternatives to traditional Li-ion batteries. In practice, using Li metal anodes remains challenging because of the lack of a superionic solid electrolyte that has good stability against reduction decomposition at the anode side. Here, we propose a new electrolyte design with an antistructure (compared to conventional inorganic structures) to achieve intrinsic thermodynamic stability with a Li metal anode. Li-rich antifluorite solid electrolytes are designed and synthesized, which give a high ionic conductivity of 2.1 × 10-4 S cm-1 at room temperature with three-dimensional fast Li-ion transport pathways and demonstrate high stability in Li-Li symmetric batteries. Reversible full cells with a Li metal anode and LiCoO2 cathode are also presented, showing the potential of Li-rich antifluorites as Li metal-compatible solid electrolytes for high-energy-density solid-state batteries.

Bridging the gap between academic research and industrial development in advanced all-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries.

The energy storage and vehicle industries are heavily investing in advancing all-solid-state batteries to overcome critical limitations in existing liquid electrolyte-based lithium-ion batteries, specifically focusing on mitigating fire hazards and improving energy density. All-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries (ASSLSBs), featuring earth-abundant sulfur cathodes, high-capacity metallic lithium anodes, and non-flammable solid electrolytes, hold significant promise. Despite these appealing advantages, persistent challenges like sluggish sulfur redox kinetics, lithium metal failure, solid electrolyte degradation, and manufacturing complexities hinder their practical use. To facilitate the transition of these technologies to an industrial scale, bridging the gap between fundamental scientific research and applied R&D activities is crucial. Our review will address the inherent challenges in cell chemistries within ASSLSBs, explore advanced characterization techniques, and delve into innovative cell structure designs. Furthermore, we will provide an overview of the recent trends in R&D and investment activities from both academia and industry. Building on the fundamental understandings and significant progress that has been made thus far, our objective is to motivate the battery community to advance ASSLSBs in a practical direction and propel the industrialized process.

Energy-Efficient Sleep Apnea Detection Using a Hyperdimensional Computing Framework Based on Wearable Bracelet Photoplethysmography.

OBJECTIVE: Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) is a common sleep disorder, which has been shown to be an important contributor to major neurocognitive and cardiovascular sequelae. Considering current diagnostic strategies are limited with bulky medical devices and high examination expenses, a large number of cases go undiagnosed. To enable large-scale screening for SAS, wearable photoplethysmography (PPG) technologies have been used as an early detection tool. However, existing algorithms are energy-intensive and require large amounts of memory resources, which are believed to be the major drawbacks for further promotion of wearable devices for SAS detection. METHODS: In this paper, an energy-efficient method of SAS detection based on hyperdimensional computing (HDC) is proposed. Inspired by the phenomenon of chunking in cognitive psychology as a memory mechanism for improving working memory efficiency, we proposed a one-dimensional block local binary pattern (1D-BlockLBP) encoding scheme combined with HDC to preserve dominant dynamical and temporal characteristics of pulse rate signals from wearable PPG devices. RESULTS: Our method achieved 70.17 % accuracy in sleep apnea segment detection, which is comparable with traditional machine learning methods. Additionally, our method achieves up to 67× lower memory footprint, 68× latency reduction, and 93× energy saving on the ARM Cortex-M4 processor. CONCLUSION: The simplicity of hypervector operations in HDC and the novel 1D-BlockLBP encoding effectively preserve pulse rate signal characteristics with high computational efficiency. SIGNIFICANCE: This work provides a scalable solution for long-term home-based monitoring of sleep apnea, enhancing the feasibility of consistent patient care.

Recent tobacco smoking, restaurant and in-car secondhand smoke exposure are associated with depressive symptoms among young adults: a population-based cross-sectional analysis.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between recent tobacco smoking, household secondhand smoke exposure, confined space secondhand smoke exposure and depressive symptoms in young adults after adjustments for each other. Data from NHANES 2013-2018 were extracted. A total of 4129 young adults age 18-35 years (mean age 26.11 ± 5.39 years, 2021 males and 2108 females) were included. Depressive symptoms were screened by PHQ-9. Recent tobacco smoking was assessed through question "smoked tobacco in the last 5 days?". Household secondhand smoke exposure was assessed through question "living with a smoker who smoked inside the house?". Confined space secondhand smoke exposure was assessed by SSEQ. Binary logistic regression models were performed to analyze the associations. Significant association were observed in recent tobacco smoking (OR = 1.593, 95% CI 1.318-1.926) and confined space secondhand smoke exposure (OR = 1.399, 95% CI 1.185-1.651), but not in household secondhand smoke exposure (P = 0.108). Among the different settings of confined space secondhand smoke exposure, restaurant (OR = 1.732, 95% CI 1.120-2.678) and in-car (OR = 1.350, 95% CI 1.102-1.652) exposure were significantly associated with depressive symptom after after fully adjustments.

Association between long-term sedentary behavior and depressive symptoms in U.S. adults.

The study aimed to investigate the association between long-term sedentary behavior (LTSB) and depressive symptoms within a representative sample of the U.S. adult population. Data from NHANES 2017-2018 were used, encompassing information on demographics, depressive symptoms, physical activity (PA), and LTSB. Depressive symptoms were identified using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), with "depressive symptoms" defined as a PHQ-9 score of ≥ 5, and "moderate to severe depressive symptoms (MSDS)" defined as a PHQ-9 score of ≥ 10. PA and LTSB were assessed through the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, where LTSB was interpreted as sedentary time ≥ 600 min. Restricted Cubic Spline (RCS) curves were utilized to observe potential nonlinear relationships. Binary Logistic regressions were conducted to analyze the associations. A total of 4728 participants (mean age 51.00 ± 17.49 years, 2310 males and 2418 females) were included in the study. Among these individuals, 1194 (25.25%) displayed depressive symptoms, with 417 (8.82%) exhibiting MSDS. RCS curves displayed increased risk of depressive symptoms with prolonged sedentary duration. Logistic regression models indicated significant associations between LTSB and depressive symptoms (OR 1.398, 95% CI 1.098-1.780), and LTSB and MSDS (OR 1.567, 95% CI 1.125-2.183), after adjusting for covariates. These findings suggest that LTSB may act as a potential risk factor for both depressive symptoms and MSDS in the studied population.

MKP1 may be involved in the occurrence of depression by regulating hippocampal autophagy in rats.

BACKGROUND: Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphatase-1 (MKP1) is upregulated in the hippocampus of patients with depression, while pharmacological inhibition of hippocampal MKP1 can mitigate depression-like behaviors in rodents. In addition, MAPK signaling regulates autophagy, and antidepressants were recently shown to target autophagic signaling pathways. We speculated that MKP1 contributes to depression by enhancing hippocampal autophagy through dephosphorylation of the MAPK isoform ERK1/2. METHODS: We established a rat depression model by exposure to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), and then examined depression-like behaviors in the sucrose preference test (SPT) and forced swimming test (FST) as well as expression changes in hippocampal MKP1, ERK1/2, phosphorylated ERK1/2, and autophagy-related proteins LC3II by Western blotting and immunostaining. These same measurements were repeated in rats exposed to CUMS following hippocampal infusion of a MKP1-targeted shRNA. Finally, the effects of MKP1 expression level on autophagy we examined in rat GMI-R1 microglia. RESULTS: CUMS-exposed rats demonstrated anhedonia in the SPT and helplessness in the FST, two core depression-like behaviors. Expression levels of MKP1 and LC3II were upregulated in the hippocampus of CUMS rats, suggesting enhanced autophagy, while pERK/ERK was downregulated. Knockdown of hippocampal MKP1 mitigated depression-like behaviors, downregulated hippocampal LC3II expression, and upregulated hippocampal pERK/ERK. Similarly, MKP1 knockdown in GMI-R1 cells upregulated pERK/ERK and reduced the number of LC3II autophagosomes, while MKP1 overexpression had the opposite effects. CONCLUSION: Enhanced hippocampal autophagy via MKP1-mediated ERK dephosphorylation may contribute to the development of depression.

Deciphering the critical role of interstitial volume in glassy sulfide superionic conductors.

Sulfide electrolytes represent a crucial category of superionic conductors for all-solid-state lithium metal batteries. Among sulfide electrolytes, glassy sulfide is highly promising due to its long-range disorder and grain-boundary-free nature. However, the lack of comprehension regarding glass formation chemistry has hindered their progress. Herein, we propose interstitial volume as the decisive factor influencing halogen dopant solubility within a glass matrix. We engineer a Li3PS4-Li4SiS4 complex structure within the sulfide glassy network to facilitate the release of interstitial volume. Consequently, we increase the dissolution capacity of LiI to 40 mol% in 75Li2S-25P2S5 glass. The synthesized glass exhibits one of the highest ionic conductivities among reported glass sulfides. Furthermore, we develop a glassy/crystalline composite electrolyte to mitigate the shortcomings of argyrodite-type sulfides by utilizing our synthesized glass as the filler. The composite electrolytes effectively mitigate Li intrusion. This work unveils a protocol for the dissolution of halogen dopants in glass electrolytes.

Protoberberine alkaloids: A review of the gastroprotective effects, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity.

BACKGROUND: Stomach diseases have become global health concerns. Protoberberine alkaloids (PBAs) are a group of quaternary isoquinoline alkaloids from abundant natural sources and have been shown to improve gastric disorders in preclinical and clinical studies. The finding that PBAs exhibit low oral bioavailability but potent pharmacological activity has attracted great interest. PURPOSE: This review aims to provide a systematic review of the molecular mechanisms of PBAs in the treatment of gastric disorders and to discuss the current understanding of the pharmacokinetics and toxicity of PBAs. METHODS: The articles related to PBAs were collected from the Web of Science, Pubmed, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases using relevant keywords. The collected articles were screened and categorized according to their research content to focus on the gastroprotective effects, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity of PBAs. RESULTS: Based on the results of preclinical studies, PBAs have demonstrated therapeutic effects on chronic atrophic gastritis and gastric cancer by activating interleukin-4 (IL-4)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) pathway and suppressing transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-ß1)/phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), Janus kinase-2 (JAK2)/signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. The major PBAs exhibit similar pharmacokinetic properties, including rapid absorption, slow elimination, and low bioavailability. Notably, the natural organ-targeting property of PBAs may account for the finding of their low blood levels and high pharmacological activity. PBAs interact with other compounds, including conventional drugs and natural products, by modulation of metabolic enzymes and transporters. The potential tissue toxicity of PBAs should be emphasized due to their high tissue accumulation. CONCLUSION: This review highlights the gastroprotective effects, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity of PBAs and will contribute to the evaluation of drug properties and clinical translational studies of PBAs, accelerating their transfer from the laboratory to the bedside.

Comprehensive review of the phytochemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and toxicology of alkamides (2016-2022).

Alkamides refer to a class of natural active small-molecule products composed of fatty acids and amine groups. These compounds are widely distributed in plants, and their unique structures and various pharmacological activities have caught the attention of scholars. This review provides a collection of literatures related to the phytochemistry, pharmacological effects, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity of alkamides published in 2016-2022 and their summary to provide references for further development of this class of ingredients. A total of 234 components (including chiral isomers) were summarized, pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antidiabetic, analgesic, neuroprotective, insecticidal, antioxidant, and antibacterial, and miscellaneous properties of alkamides were discussed. In addition, the pharmacokinetic characteristics and toxicity of alkamides were reviewed. However, information on the pharmacological mechanisms of the action, drug safety, and pharmacokinetics of alkamides is limited and thus requires further investigation and evaluation.

Down-regulation of MKP-1 in hippocampus protects against stress-induced depression-like behaviors and neuroinflammation.

Chronic stress is the primary environmental risk factor for major depressive disorder (MDD), and there is compelling evidence that neuroinflammation is the major pathomechanism linking chronic stress to MDD. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) is a negative regulator of MAPK signaling pathways involved in cellular stress responses, survival, and neuroinflammation. We examined the possible contributions of MKP-1 to stress-induced MDD by comparing depression-like behaviors (anhedonia, motor retardation, behavioral despair), neuroinflammatory marker expression, and MAPK signaling pathways among rats exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), overexpressing MKP-1 in the hippocampus, and CUMS-exposed rats underexpressing MKP-1 in the hippocampus. Rats exposed to CUMS exhibited MKP-1 overexpression, greater numbers of activated microglia, and enhanced expressions of neuroinflammatory markers (interleukin [IL]-6, [IL]-1ß, tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-ɑ, and decreased phosphorylation levels of ERK and p38 in the hippocampus as well as anhedonia in the sucrose preference test, motor retardation in the open field, and greater immobility (despair) in the forced swimming tests. These signs of neuroinflammation and depression-like behaviors and phosphorylation levels of ERK and p38 were also observed in rats overexpressing MKP-1 without CUMS exposure, while CUMS-induced neuroinflammation, microglial activation, phosphorylation levels of ERK and p38, and depression-like behaviors were significantly reversed by MKP-1 knockdown. Moreover, MKP-1 knockdown promoted the activation of the MAPK isoform ERK, implying that the antidepressant-like effects of MKP-1 knockdown may be mediated by the ERK pathway disinhibition. These findings suggested that hippocampal MKP-1 is an essential regulator of stress-induced neuroinflammation and a promising target for antidepressant development.

Immediate Pose Recovery Method for Untracked Frames in Feature-Based SLAM.

In challenging environments, feature-based visual SLAM encounters frequent failures in frame tracking, introducing unknown poses to robotic applications. This paper introduces an immediate approach for recovering untracked camera poses. Through the retrieval of key information from elapsed untracked frames, lost poses are efficiently restored with a short time consumption. Taking account of reconstructed poses and map points during local optimizing, a denser local map is constructed around ambiguous frames to enhance the further SLAM procedure. The proposed method is implemented in a SLAM system, and monocular experiments are conducted on datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that our method can reconstruct the untracked frames in nearly real time, effectively complementing missing segments of the trajectory. Concurrently, the accuracy and robustness for subsequent tracking are improved through the integration of recovered poses and map points.

Dietary gallic acid as an antioxidant: A review of its food industry applications, health benefits, bioavailability, nano-delivery systems, and drug interactions.

Gallic acid (GA), a dietary phenolic acid with potent antioxidant activity, is widely distributed in edible plants. GA has been applied in the food industry as an antimicrobial agent, food fresh-keeping agent, oil stabilizer, active food wrap material, and food processing stabilizer. GA is a potential dietary supplement due to its health benefits on various functional disorders associated with oxidative stress, including renal, neurological, hepatic, pulmonary, reproductive, and cardiovascular diseases. GA is rapidly absorbed and metabolized after oral administration, resulting in low bioavailability, which is susceptible to various factors, such as intestinal microbiota, transporters, and metabolism of galloyl derivatives. GA exhibits a tendency to distribute primarily to the kidney, liver, heart, and brain. A total of 37 metabolites of GA has been identified, and decarboxylation and dihydroxylation in phase I metabolism and sulfation, glucuronidation, and methylation in phase Ⅱ metabolism are considered the main in vivo biotransformation pathways of GA. Different types of nanocarriers, such as polymeric nanoparticles, dendrimers, and nanodots, have been successfully developed to enhance the health-promoting function of GA by increasing bioavailability. GA may induce drug interactions with conventional drugs, such as hydroxyurea, linagliptin, and diltiazem, due to its inhibitory effects on metabolic enzymes, including cytochrome P450 3A4 and 2D6, and transporters, including P-glycoprotein, breast cancer resistance protein, and organic anion-transporting polypeptide 1B3. In conclusion, in-depth studies of GA on food industry applications, health benefits, bioavailability, nano-delivery systems, and drug interactions have laid the foundation for its comprehensive application as a food additive and dietary supplement.

Clinical value of positive CNVs results by NIPT without fetal ultrasonography-identified structural anomalies.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical value of positive copy number variations (CNVs) results by non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) without fetal ultrasonography-identified structural anomalies, especially with several known CNVs results. METHODS: A total of 135,981 results of NIPT performed between April 1, 2017, and March 31, 2020, enrolled in the free NIPT service program implemented by the local government were retrospectively analyzed. Of these, 87 cases with positive NIPT screens for CNVs and no fetal ultrasonography-identified anomalies were recalled and provided genetic counseling. After obtaining full informed consent, these cases were provided invasive prenatal diagnosis by karyotyping and chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA)/copy number variation sequencing (CNV-seq) with follow-up. One case was lost, while 86 cases were successfully followed up. RESULTS: A total of 44 (50.6%) cases underwent invasive prenatal diagnosis, of which six cases were detected with abnormal karyotype. CMA/CNV-Seq revealed 11 fetuses with positive results for CNVs, among whom eight were consistent with NIPT results, two were partially consistent, one was inconsistent, and positive predictive value (PPV) was 22.7% (10/44). For known CNVs, PPVs were 20% (15q11.2-q13 microdeletion) and 33.3% (5p end deletions). Among 11 pregnant women with positive prenatal diagnosis, seven were confirmed to have pathogenic CNVs in their fetuses; four had CNVs of unknown clinical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Even in pregnancies without ultrasonography-identified anomalies, a positive NIPT screen for CNVs must be interpreted with caution and validated by additional diagnostic study.

Structural characterization of an inulin neoseries-type fructan from Ophiopogonis Radix and the therapeutic effect on liver fibrosis in vivo.

Ophiopogonis Radix is a well-known Traditional Chinese Medicine and functional food that is rich in polysaccharides and has fructan as a characteristic component. In this study, an inulin neoseries-type fructan designated as OJP-W2 was obtained and characterized from Ophiopogonis Radix, and its potential therapeutic effect on liver fibrosis in vivo were investigated. Structural studies revealed that OJP-W2 had a molecular weight of 5.76 kDa and was composed of glucose and fructose with a molar ratio of 1.00:30.87. Further analysis revealed OJP-W2 has a predominantly lineal (1-2)-linked ß-D-fructosyl units linked to the glucose moiety of the sucrose molecule with (2-6)-linked ß-D-fructosyl side chains. Pharmacological studies revealed that OJP-W2 exerted a marked hepatoprotective effect against liver fibrosis, the mechanism of action was involved in regulating collagen deposition (α-SMA, COL1A1 and liver Hyp contents) and TGF-ß/Smads signaling pathway, alleviating liver inflammation (IL-1ß, IL-6, CCL5 and F4/80) and MAPK signaling pathway, and inhibiting hepatic apoptosis (Bax, Bcl-2, ATF4 and Caspase 3). These data provide evidence for expanding Ophiopogonis Radix-acquired fructan types and advancing our understanding of the specific role of inulin neoseries-type fructan in liver fibrosis therapy.