Vonoprazan-amoxicillin dual therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication in Chinese population: A prospective, multicenter, randomized, two-stage study.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of Vonoprazan-amoxicillin dual therapy (VAT) in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is controversial. AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of VAT in the Chinese population. METHODS: This prospective, multicenter, randomized, open-label, and two-stage study was conducted at 23 centers in Fujian, China (May 2021-April 2022). H. pylori-infected patients were randomized to bismuth quadruple therapy (BQT), BQT-Vonoprazan (BQT-V), seven-day VAT (VAT-7), ten-day VAT (VAT-10), and fourteen-day VAT (VAT-14) groups. The primary endpoint was the H. pylori eradication rate. The secondary endpoint was the frequency of adverse events. This study was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2100045778. RESULTS: In the first stage, VAT-7 and BQT-V groups were selected for early termination because less than 23 among 28 cases were eradicated. In the second stage, the eradication rates for BQT, VAT-10, and VA-14 were 80.2% [95% confidence interval (95%CI): 71.4%-86.8%], 93.2% (86.6%-96.7%), 92.2% (85.3%-96.0%) in the intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis, and 80.9% (95%CI: 71.7%-87.5%), 94.0% (87.5%-97.2%), and 93.9% (87.4%-97.2%) in the per-protocol analysis. The ITT analysis showed a higher eradication rate in the VAT-10 and VAT-14 groups than in the BQT group (P = 0.022 and P = 0.046, respectively). The incidence of adverse events in the VAT-10 and VAT-14 groups was lower than in the BQT group (25.27% and 13.73% vs 37.62%, respectively; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: VAT with a duration of 10 or 14 days achieves a higher eradication rate than the BQT, with a more tolerable safety profile in H. pylori-infected patients in Fujian.

[Mechanism of Qiwei Guibao Granules in treatment of premature ovarian failure based on metabolomics].

In this study, a mouse model of premature ovarian failure(POF) was constructed by injecting D-galactose(200 mg·kg~(-1)) into the back of the neck for 6 weeks. The mice were randomly divided into a normal group(group N), a model group(group M), and a Qiwei Guibao Granules group(group A, 12.87 g·kg~(-1)). Starting from the 11th day of modeling, group A was treated with Qiwei Guibao Granules by gavage for 32 days, while group M and group N were given equal volume of saline. Metabolomics analysis was used to explore the mechanism of action of Qiwei Guibao Granules in the treatment of POF. The results showed that compared with group N, the group M exhibited decreased wet weight of bilateral ovaries, increased levels of LH and FSH in serum, and significantly decreased levels of E_2 and PROG. After treatment with Qiwei Guibao Granules, compared with the group M, the group A showed a significant increase in the wet weight of bilateral ovaries, a significant decrease in the levels of FSH and LH in serum, and a significant increase in the level of E_2. Metabolomics analysis revealed 55 differential metabolites identified between group N and group M(14 upregulated and 41 downregulated compared with group N) and 82 differential metabolites identified between group M and group A(56 upregulated and 26 downregulated compared with group M), with 5 metabolites showing consistent changes between the group N vs group M. After excluding these 5 metabolites, 77 metabolites that changed after intervention with Qiwei Guibao Granules were focused on. These mainly involved histidine metabolism, glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism, and glycerophospholipid metabolism. Among them, carnosine, 1-methyl-L-histidine, imidazoleacetic acid, choline, L-threonine, beta-hydroxypyruvic acid, phosphatidylcholine, and glycerol-3-phosphate were the major differential metabolites in these three metabolic pathways. Therefore, Qiwei Guibao Granules may exert therapeutic effects on POF mice by regulating amino acid metabolism and lipid metabolism in the mouse body.

Chirality Sensing of Amino Acid Esters by S-2-Methylbutanamido-Substituted m-Phthalic Diamide-Linked Zinc Bisporphyrinate.

To understand the role of an additional coordination site in the linker in chirality sensing, we designed and synthesized an S-2-methylbutanamido-substituted m-phthalic diamide-linked zinc bisporphyrinate, [Zn2(S-MAABis)] and investigated its ability to sense the chirality of amino acid esters. The 1H NMR spectra and the crystal structure showed that the amido oxygen adjacent to the chiral carbon was coordinated with zinc. NMR and UV-vis titration showed that the binding of [Zn2(S-MAABis)] to amino acid esters occurred via two equilibria, forming 1:1 and 1:2 host-guest complexes. The CD spectra suggested that [Zn2(S-MAABis)] can effectively recognize the absolute configuration of amino acid esters. The sign of the CD spectra remained unchanged during the titration, indicating that the corresponding 1:1 and 1:2 host-guest complexes had the same chirality. This is different from previously studied amino-substituted m-phthalic diamide-linked zinc bisporphyrinate [Zn2(AmBis)], which showed chirality inversion during titration. Theoretical calculations indicated that the additional coordination sites (amido or amino) in the 1:1 host-guest complexes played different roles, leading to differences in chirality. Our studies suggest that the introduction of a coordination site can influence the chirality transfer process, but the results of chirality transfers are dependent on the specific binding modes.

Water decoction of Pericarpium citri reticulatae and Amomi fructus ameliorates alcohol-induced liver disease involved in the modulation of gut microbiota and TLR4/NF-κB pathway.

Introduction: Alcohol consumption alters the diversity and metabolic activities of gut microbiota, leading to intestinal barrier dysfunction and contributing to the development of alcoholic liver disease (ALD), which is the most prevalent cause of advanced liver diseases. In this study, we investigated the protective effects and action mechanism of an aqueous extraction of Pericarpium citri reticulatae and Amomi fructus (PFE) on alcoholic liver injury. Methods: C57BL/6 mice were used to establish the mouse model of alcoholic liver injury and orally administered 500 and 1,000 mg/kg/d of PFE for 2 weeks. Histopathology, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, Western blotting, qRT-PCR, and 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing were used to analyze the mechanism of action of PFE in the treatment of alcohol-induced liver injury. Results: Treatment with PFE significantly improved alcohol-induced liver injury, as illustrated by the normalization of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total triglyceride, and cholesterol levels in ALD mice in a dose-dependent manner. Administration of PFE not only maintained the intestinal barrier integrity prominently by upregulating mucous production and tight junction protein expressions but also sensibly reversed the dysregulation of intestinal microecology in alcohol-treated mice. Furthermore, PFE treatment significantly reduced hepatic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and attenuated oxidative stress as well as inflammation related to the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. The PFE supplementation also significantly promoted the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the ALD mice. Conclusion: Administration of PFE effectively prevents alcohol-induced liver injury and may also regulate the LPS-involved gut-liver axis; this could provide valuable insights for the development of drugs to prevent and treat ALD.

A novel technique for the single-port laparoscopic percutaneous extraperitoneal closure (SLPEC) of paediatric isolated giant inguinal hernias using double-modified hernia needles.

The objective was to explore the efficacy of single-port laparoscopic percutaneous extraperitoneal closure using double-modified hernia needles with hydrodissection (SLPEC group) and two-port laparoscopic percutaneous extraperitoneal closure (TLPEC group) for the treatment of giant indirect inguinal hernias in children. We performed a retrospective review of all children with giant indirect inguinal hernias (inner ring orifice diameter ≥ 1.5 cm) who underwent laparoscopic high ligation of the hernia sac at FuJian Children's Hospital from January 2019 to December 2021. We collected data from the medical records of all the children and analysed their clinical characteristics and operation-related and follow-up information. Overall, this study included a cohort of 219 patients with isolated giant inguinal hernias who had complete clinical data and who had undergone laparoscopic high ligation of the hernia sac at our centre. All procedures were successfully performed for the 106 patients who underwent SLPEC and for the 113 patients who underwent TLPEC at our centre. There were no statistically significant differences in patient age, sex, body weight, follow-up time or the side of inguinal hernia between the SLPEC group and the TLPEC group (P = 0.123, 0.613, 0.121, 0.076 and 0.081, respectively). However, there were significant differences in the bleeding volume, visual analogue scale (VAS) score, and postoperative activity time between the two groups (P ≤ 0.001). The operation times in the TLPEC group were significantly longer than those in the SLPEC group (P = 0.048), but there were no significant differences in hospital length of stay or hospitalization costs between the two groups (P = 0.244 and 0.073, respectively). Incision scars were found in 2 patients in the SLPEC group and 9 patients in the TLPEC group, and there was a significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.04). However, the incidence of ipsilateral hernia recurrence, surgical site infection, suture-knot reactions and chronic inguinodynia did not significantly differ between the two groups (P = 0.332, 0.301, 0.332 and 0.599, respectively). Postoperative hydrocele occurred in only 1 male child in the SLPEC group and in no male children in the TLPEC group, and there was no difference between the two groups (P = 0.310). In this study, there were no cases of testicular atrophy or iatrogenic ascent of the testis. Compared with the TLPEC group, the SLPEC group had the advantages of a concealed incision, light scarring, minimal invasiveness, a reduced operation time, minimal bleeding, mild pain and rapid recovery. In conclusion, SLPEC using double-modified hernia needles with hydrodissection and high ligation of the hernia sac is a safe, effective and minimally invasive surgery. The cosmetic results are impressive, and the follow-up results are promising.

Multifunctional single-component photosensitizers as metal-free ferroptosis inducers for enhanced photodynamic immunotherapy.

Immunotherapy can enhance primary tumor efficacy, restrict distant growth, and combat lung metastasis. Unfortunately, it remains challenging to effectively activate the immune response. Here, tertiary butyl, methoxy, and triphenylamine (TPA) were utilized as electron donors to develop multifunctional photosensitizers (PSs). CNTPA-TPA, featuring TPA as the donor (D) and cyano as the acceptor (A), excelled in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation due to its smaller singlet-triplet energy gap (ΔES-T) and larger spin-orbit coupling constant (SOC). Additionally, cyano groups reacted with glutamate (Glu) and glutathione (GSH), reducing intracellular GSH levels. This not only enhanced PDT efficacy but also triggered redox dyshomeostasis-mediated ferroptosis. The positive effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and ferroptosis promoted immunogenic cell death (ICD) and immune activation. By further combining anti-programmed cell death protein ligand-1 (anti-PD-L1) antibody, the powerful treatments of ferroptosis-assisted photodynamic immunotherapy significantly eradicated the primary tumors, inhibited the growth of distant tumors, and suppressed lung metastasis. In this study, a three-pronged approach was realized by single-component CNTPA-TPA, which simultaneously served as metal-free ferroptosis inducers, type-I photosensitizers, and immunologic adjuvants for near-infrared fluorescence imaging (NIR FLI)-guided multimodal phototheranostics of tumor. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: (1) CNTPA-TPA shared the smallest singlet-triplet energy gap and the largest spin-orbit coupling constant, which boosted intersystem crossing for efficient type-I photodynamic therapy (PDT); (2) Special reactions between cyano groups with glutamate and glutathione in mild conditions restricted the biosynthesis of intracellular GSH. GSH-depletion efficiently induced glutathione peroxidase 4 inactivation and lipid peroxide, resulting in ferroptosis of tumor cells; (3) The combination treatments of ferroptosis-assisted photodynamic immunotherapy induced by single-component CNTPA-TPA with the participation of anti-PD-L1 antibody resulted in increased T-cell infiltration and profound suppression of both primary and distant tumor growth, as well as lung metastasis.

Parabacteroides goldsteinii enriched by Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae 'Chachiensis' polysaccharides improves colitis via the inhibition of lipopolysaccharide-involved PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.

Epidemiological and preclinical studies have indicated a factual association between gut microbiota dysbiosis and high incidence of colitis. Dietary polysaccharides can specifically shift the composition of gut microbiome response to colitis. Here we validated the preventive role of polysaccharides from Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae 'Chachiensis' (PCRCP), a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, in colitis induced by dextrose sodium sulfate (DSS) in both rats and mice. We found that treatment with PCRCP not only significantly reduced DSS-induced colitis via down-regulating colonic inflammatory signaling pathways including PI3K-Akt, NLRs and NF-κB, but also enhanced colonic barrier integrity in rats. These protective activities of PCRCP against DSS-induced injuries in rats were in part due to the modulation of the gut microbiota revealed by both broad-spectrum antibiotic (ABX)-deleted bacterial and non-oral treatments. Furthermore, the improvement of PCRCP on colitis was impaired by intestinal neomycin-sensitive bacteria in DSS-exposed mice. Specifically, in vivo and in vitro treatment with PCRCP led to a highly sensible enrichment in the gut commensal Parabacteroides goldsteinii. Administration of Parabacteroides goldsteinii significantly alleviated typical symptoms of colitis and suppressed the activation of PI3K-Akt-involved inflammatory response in DSS-exposed mice. The anti-colitic effects of Parabacteroides goldsteinii were abolished after the activation of PI3K-Akt signaling pathway by lipopolysaccharide treatment in mice exposed to DSS. This study provides new insights into an anti-colitic mechanism driven by PCRCP and highlights the potential prebiotic of Parabacteroides goldsteinii for the prevention of ulcerative colitis.

Intensive Versus Moderate Statin-Based Therapies in Patients With Mild Ischemic Stroke: A Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Statins are widely used for treating patients with ischemic stroke at risk of secondary cerebrovascular events. It is unknown whether Asian populations benefit from more intensive statin-based therapy for stroke recurrence. Therefore, in the present study we evaluated the effectiveness and safety of high-dose and moderate-dose statins for patients who had experienced mild ischemic stroke during the acute period. METHODS AND RESULTS: This multicenter prospective study included patients with mild ischemic stroke who presented within 72 hours of symptom onset. The outcomes of patients in the high-intensity and moderate-intensity statin treatment groups were compared, with the main efficacy outcome being stroke recurrence and the primary safety end point being intracranial hemorrhage. The propensity score matching method was employed to control for imbalances in baseline variables. Subgroup analyses were conducted to evaluate group differences. In total, the data of 2950 patients were analyzed at 3 months, and the data of 2764 patients were analyzed at 12 months due to loss to follow-up. According to the multivariable Cox analyses adjusted for potential confounders, stroke recurrence occurred similarly in the high-intensity statin and moderate-intensity statin groups (3 months: adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.12 [95% CI, 0.85-1.49]; P=0.424; 12 months: adjusted HR, 1.08 [95% CI, 0.86-1.34]; P=0.519). High-intensity statin therapy was associated with an increased risk of intracranial hemorrhage (3 months: adjusted HR, 1.81 [95% CI, 1.00-3.25]; P=0.048; 12 months: adjusted HR, 1.86 [95% CI, 1.10-3.16]; P=0.021). The results from the propensity score-matched analyses were consistent with those from the Cox proportional hazards analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with moderate-intensity statin therapy, high-dose statin therapy may not decrease the risk of mild, noncardiogenic ischemic stroke recurrence but may increase the risk of intracranial hemorrhage. REGISTRATION: URL: www.chictr.org.cn/. Unique Identifier: ChiCTR1900025214.

maxPIE: An innovative high throughput approach to enhance pathogen inactivation practices.

Effective pathogen inactivation is highly desired in public health but limited by existing methods each capable of assessing pathogen inactivation effectiveness (PIE) only in a specific condition. We therefore developed a novel method maxPIE designed to identify maximal PIEs across inactivation conditions by leveraging the power of massive array technologies. maxPIE implements a three-step algorithm to quickly identify maximal PIEs of inactivation treatments: (1) dilute pathogens into different initial titers each stored in an array well, (2) submit one sorted array to one treatment, (3) scan the treated array to find the maximum. maxPIE outperformed the conventional methods in (a) inactivating S. aureus using ultraviolet light of different wavelengths with different durations; (b) antibiotic treatment of S. aureus, E. coli, and multidrug-resistant E. coli; (c) inactivating S. aureus in plasma using ultraviolet light in different wavelengths with and without riboflavin. maxPIE was easy to understand and interpret and was robust in situations where conventional PIE methods would suffer. Hence, maxPIE can serve as an innovative and high throughput approach that can be widely used to enhance pathogen inactivation practices.

[FeIIICl(TMPPH2)][FeIIICl4]2: A Stand-Alone Molecular Nanomedicine That Induces High Cytotoxicity by Ferroptosis.

Developing clinically meaningful nanomedicines for cancer therapy requires the drugs to be effective, safe, simple, cheap, and easy to store. In the present work, we report that a simple cationic Fe(III)-rich salt of [FeIIICl(TMPPH2)][FeIIICl4]2 (Fe-TMPP) exhibits a superior anticancer performance on a broad spectrum of cancer cell lines, including breast, colorectal cancer, liver, pancreatic, prostate, and gastric cancers, with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values in the range of 0.098-3.97 µM (0.066-2.68 µg mL-1), comparable to the best-reported medicines. Fe-TMPP can form stand-alone nanoparticles in water without the need for extra surface modification or organic-solvent-assisted antisolvent precipitation. Critically, Fe-TMPP is TME-responsive (TME = tumor microenvironment), and can only elicit its function in the TME with overexpressed H2O2, converting H2O2 to the cytotoxic •OH to oxidize the phospholipid of the cancer cell membrane, causing ferroptosis, a programmed cell death process of cancer cells.

Cynanchum paniculatum (Bunge) Kitag. ex H.Hara inhibits pancreatic cancer progression by inducing caspase-dependent apoptosis and suppressing TGF-ß-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Background: Cynanchum paniculatum (Bunge) Kitag. ex H.Hara, a member of the Asclepiadaceae family, has a rich history as a traditional Chinese medicinal plant used to treat digestive disorders. However, its potential anti-cancer effects in pancreatic cancer remain largely unexplored. Aim: This study delves into the intricate anti-pancreatic cancer mechanisms of C. paniculatum (Bunge) Kitag. ex H.Hara aqueous extract (CPAE) by elucidating its role in apoptosis induction and the inhibition of invasion and migration. Methods: A comprehensive set of methodologies was employed to assess CPAE's impact, including cell viability analyses using MTT and colony formation assays, flow cytometry for cell cycle distribution and apoptosis assessment, scratch-wound and Matrigel invasion assays for migration and invasion capabilities, and immunoblotting to measure the expression levels of key proteins involved in apoptosis and metastasis. Additionally, a murine xenograft model was established to investigate CPAE's in vivo anti-cancer potential. Results: CPAE exhibited time- and dose-dependent suppression of proliferation and colony formation in pancreatic cancer cells. Notably, CPAE induced apoptosis and G2/M phase arrest, effectively activating the caspase-dependent PARP pathway. At non-cytotoxic doses, CPAE significantly curtailed the metastatic abilities of pancreatic cells, effectively suppressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and downregulating the TGF-ß1/Smad2/3 pathway. In vivo experiments underscored CPAE's ability to inhibit tumor proliferation. Conclusion: This study illuminates the multifaceted anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, anti-invasive, and anti-migratory effects of CPAE, both in vitro and in vivo. CPAE emerges as a promising herbal medicine for pancreatic cancer treatment, with its potential mediated through apoptosis induction via the caspase-dependent PARP pathway and MET suppression via the TGF-ß1/Smad2/3 signaling pathway at non-cytotoxic doses. These findings advocate for further exploration of CPAE's therapeutic potential in pancreatic cancer.

Dimethyl fumarate ameliorates chronic stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors by decreasing neuroinflammation and neuronal activity in the amygdala.

BACKGROUND: Chronic stress-induced neuroinflammation plays a pivotal role in the development and exacerbation of mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression. Dimethyl Fumarate (DMF), an effective therapeutic agent approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, has been widely reported to display anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects. However, the impact of DMF on chronic stress-induced anxiety disorders and the exact underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. METHODS: We established a mouse model of chronic social defeat stress (CSDS). DMF was administered orally 1 h before daily stress session for 10 days in CSDS + DMF group. qRT-PCR and western blotting were used to analyze mRNA and protein expression of NLRP3, Caspase-1 and IL-1ß. Immunofluorescence staining was carried out to detect the expression of Iba 1 and c-fos positive cells as well as morphological change of Iba 1+ microglia. Whole-cell patch-clamp recording was applied to evaluate synaptic transmission and intrinsic excitability of neurons. RESULTS: DMF treatment significantly alleviated CSDS-induced anxiety-like behaviors in mice. Mechanistically, DMF treatment prevented CSDS-induced neuroinflammation by inhibiting the activation of microglia and NLRP3/Caspase-1/IL-1ß signaling pathway in basolateral amygdala (BLA), a brain region important for emotional processing. Furthermore, DMF treatment effectively reversed the CSDS-caused disruption of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission balance, as well as the increased intrinsic excitability of BLA neurons. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide new evidence that DMF may exert anxiolytic effect by preventing CSDS-induced activation of NLRP3/Caspase-1/IL-1ß signaling pathway and alleviating hyperactivity of BLA neurons.

Biomechanical analysis of adjacent segments after correction surgery for adult idiopathic scoliosis: a finite element analysis.

The biomechanical aspects of adjacent segment degeneration after Adult Idiopathic Scoliosis (AdIS) corrective surgery involving postoperative changes in motion and stress of adjacent segments have yet to be investigated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the biomechanical effects of corrective surgery on adjacent segments in adult idiopathic scoliosis by finite element analysis. Based on computed tomography data of the consecutive spine from T1-S1 of a 28-year-old male patient with adult idiopathic scoliosis, a three-dimensional finite element model was established to simulate the biomechanics. Two posterior long-segment fixation and fusion operations were designed: Strategy A, pedicle screws implanted in all segments of both sides, and Strategy B, alternate screws instrumentation on both sides. The range of motion (ROM), Maximum von Mises stress value of intervertebral disc (IVD), and Maximum von Mises stress of the facet joint (FJ) at the fixation adjacent segment were calculated and compared with data of the preoperative AdIS model. Corrective surgery decreased the IVD on the adjacent segments, increased the FJ on the adjacent segments, and decreased the ROM of the adjacent segments. A greater decrease of Maximum von Mises stress was observed on the distal adjacent segment compared with the proximal adjacent segment. The decrease of Maximum von Mises stress and increment of Maximum von Mises stress on adjacent FJ in strategy B was greater than that in strategy A. Under the six operation modes, the change of the Maximum von Mises stress on the adjacent IVD and FJ was significant. The decrease in ROM in the proximal adjacent segment was greater than that of the distal adjacent segment, and the decrease of ROM in strategy A was greater than that in strategy B. This study clarified the biomechanical characteristics of adjacent segments after AdIS corrective surgery, and further biomechanical analysis of two different posterior pedicle screw placement schemes by finite element method. Our study provides a theoretical basis for the pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment of adjacent segment degeneration after corrective surgery for AdIS.

Integrated mRNA-miRNA transcriptome profiling of blood immune responses potentially related to pulmonary fibrosis in forest musk deer.

Background: Forest musk deer (FMD, Moschus Berezovskii) is a critically endangered species world-widely, the death of which can be caused by pulmonary disease in the farm. Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) was a huge threat to the health and survival of captive FMD. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) have been involved in the regulation of immune genes and disease development. However, the regulatory profiles of mRNAs and miRNAs involved in immune regulation of FMD are unclear. Methods: In this study, mRNA-seq and miRNA-seq in blood were performed to constructed coexpression regulatory networks between PF and healthy groups of FMD. The hub immune- and apoptosis-related genes in the PF blood of FMD were explored through Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Further, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of immune-associated and apoptosis-associated key signaling pathways were constructed based on mRNA-miRNA in the PF blood of the FMD. Immune hub DEGs and immune hub DEmiRNAs were selected for experimental verification using RT-qPCR. Results: A total of 2744 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 356 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) were identified in the PF blood group compared to the healthy blood group. Among them, 42 DEmiRNAs were negatively correlated with 20 immune DEGs from a total of 57 correlations. The DEGs were significantly associated with pathways related to CD molecules, immune disease, immune system, cytokine receptors, T cell receptor signaling pathway, Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, intestinal immune network for IgA production, and NOD-like receptor signaling pathway. There were 240 immune-related DEGs, in which 186 immune-related DEGs were up-regulated and 54 immune-related DEGs were down-regulated. In the protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis of immune-related signaling pathway, TYK2, TLR2, TLR4, IL18, CSF1, CXCL13, LCK, ITGB2, PIK3CB, HCK, CD40, CD86, CCL3, CCR7, IL2RA, TLR3, and IL4R were identified as the hub immune genes. The mRNA-miRNA coregulation analysis showed that let-7d, miR-324-3p, miR-760, miR-185, miR-149, miR-149-5p, and miR-1842-5p are key miRNAs that target DEGs involved in immune disease, immune system and immunoregulation. Conclusion: The development and occurrence of PF were significantly influenced by the immune-related and apoptosis-related genes present in PF blood. mRNAs and miRNAs associated with the development and occurrence of PF in the FMD.

Research and application of the wavelet high-frequency coefficient direct mapping algorithm in the micro-defect target detection system of an infrared objective lens.

Various lens detection techniques for military sighting telescopes have been the focus of military production. However, most of the micro-defect detection of lenses is detected manually, which cannot guarantee the measurement precision and quality. In order to solve these problems, the wavelet high-frequency coefficients direct mapping algorithm is applied to the automatic detection system of a micro-defect target in an infrared objective lens, thus obtaining a new method of detection. The detection method utilizes the correlation feature between wavelet coefficient scales to process the acquired images to suppress the background signals. Then the noise is further filtered by the pipelined filtering method to finally realize the detection of micro-targets. The experimental results show that a relatively high signal-to-noise ratio can be obtained, and the method can detect the small and dim target whose signal-to-noise ratio is more than 2.5 times. The measurement range is ≥3p i x e l s and the error precision is 4±1 pixels.

The interfacial synergy of hierarchical FeCoNiP@FeNi-LDH heterojunction for efficient alkaline water splitting.

In response to the growing demand for clean, green, and sustainable energy sources, the development of cost-effective and durable high-activity overall water splitting electrocatalysts is urgently needed. In this study, the heterogeneous structure formed by the combination of FeCoNiP and FeNi-LDH was homogeneously dispersed onto CuO nanowires generated by in-situ oxidation of copper foam as a substrate using an electrodeposition method. This multilevel structure exhibits excellent bifunctional properties as an electrode material in alkaline solutions, for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) only 206 mV and 147 mV overpotentials are needed to achieve a current density of 100 mA cm-2 respectively. Full water electrolysis is thus enabled to take place at such a low cell voltage as 1.64 V to reach the current density of 100 mA cm-2, which exhibits a long-term stability of 30 h. These improved electrocatalytic performances stem from the construction of multilevel structures. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy suggests that strong electron transfer occurs between heterogeneous structures, thus facilitating the OER and HER process. The dispersion of CuO nanowires not only increases the electrochemically active surface areas but also improves the overall hydrophilic and aerophobic properties. This work highlights the positive effect of multilevel structure in the design of more efficient electrocatalysts and provides a reference for the preparation of other low-cost, high-activity bifunctional electrocatalysts.

Replacing soybean meal with fermented rapeseed meal in diets: potential effects on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and liver and intestinal health of juvenile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

This study aims to evaluate the effects of substituting soybean meal with fermented rapeseed meal (FRM) on growth, antioxidant capacity, and liver and intestinal health of the genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT, Oreochromis niloticus). A total of 450 tilapia (7.22 ± 0.15 g) were fed with five experimental diets, including a basal diet containing 40% soybean meal (CP0), which was subsequently replaced by 25% (CP25), 50% (CP50), 75% (CP75), and 100% (CP100) FRM in a recirculated aquiculture system for 9 weeks (30 fish per tank in triplicates). The results showed that the weight gain, specific growth rate, feed intake, feed efficiency, hepatosomatic index, and viscerosomatic index of fish in both CP75 and CP100 groups were significantly lower than those in CP0 group (P < 0.05). The fish in CP100 group had the lower content of muscle crude protein while the higher level of muscle crude lipid (P < 0.05). Activities of serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase along with total triglyceride in CP100 group were significantly higher than those in CP0 group (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the contents of liver protease, amylase, and lipase among five groups (P > 0.05). The activities of liver total antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase exhibited the increased tendency with the increase of FRM replacement levels from 25 to 50% (P < 0.05), while then significantly decreased from 75 to 100% (P < 0.05). Histological morphology indicated that the fish in between CP75 and CP100 groups had poor liver and intestine health. Intestinal microbial diversity analysis showed that the relative abundance of Cetobacterium and Alcaligenaceae in both CP75 and CP100 groups were lower than that in other three groups. In conclusion, the maximum replacement level of soybean meal with FRM in the diet was determined to be 50% without compromising the growth performance, antioxidant status, and liver and intestinal health of tilapia under the current experimental conditions. The observed decrease in food intake and subsequent retarded growth performance in the CP75 and CP100 groups can be attributed directly to a reduction in feed palatability caused by FRM.

Influence of ABC stroke score on late recurrence of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation following radiofrequency catheter ablation.

BACKGROUND: In this study we investigated the impact of ABC stroke score on the recurrence of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) following radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA). METHODS: A total of 132 patients with PAF who underwent RFCA from October 2018 to September 2019 were included in this study. During the first phase of this study the patients were categorized into two groups based on late recurrence of atrial fibrillation after RFCA. In the second phase, the patients were further divided into two groups based on whether their ABC stroke score was ≥ 6.5. RESULT: The univariate analysis indicated that the risk factors for late recurrence of PAF included early recurrence, ABC stroke score, CHA2DS2-VASc score, and NT-proBNP (P < 0.05). Cox multivariate regression analysis revealed that ABC stroke score (P = 0.006) and early recurrence (P = 0.000) were independent predictors of late recurrence, and ABC stroke score ≥ 6.5 was a risk for predicting recurrence of PAF after RFCA with a sensitivity of 66.7% and specificity of 65.7%. After the completion of the 1:1 matching, the univariate Cox analysis indicated that an elevated score of ABC stroke (≥ 6.5) was an independent predictor of late recurrence of PAF (HR = 2.687, 95% CI: 1.036-6.971, P = 0.042). However, using an ABC stroke score cut off at 6.4 predicted the recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmia with 85% sensitivity and 58.5% specificity. CONCLUSION: An ABC stroke score ≥ 6.4 is a predictor for late recurrence of PAF after RFCA.