Exploring the mechanism of JiGuCao capsule formula on treating hepatitis B virus infection via network pharmacology analysis and in vivo/vitro experiment verification.

The JiGuCao capsule formula (JCF) has demonstrated promising curative effects in treating chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in clinical trials. Here, we aimed to investigate JCF's function and mechanism in diseases related to the hepatitis B virus (HBV). We used mass spectrometry (MS) to identify the active metabolites of JCF and established the HBV replication mouse model by hydrodynamically injecting HBV replication plasmids into the mice's tail vein. Liposomes were used to transfect the plasmids into the cells. The CCK-8 kit identified cell viability. We detected the levels of HBV s antigen (HBsAg) and HBV e antigen (HBeAg) by the quantitative determination kits. qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect the genes' expression. The key pathways and key genes related to JCF on CHB treatment were obtained by network pharmacological analysis. Our results showed that JCF accelerated the elimination of HBsAg in mice. JCF and its medicated serum inhibited HBV replication and proliferation of HBV-replicating hepatoma cells in vitro. And the key targets of JCF in treating CHB were CASP3, CXCL8, EGFR, HSPA8, IL6, MDM2, MMP9, NR3C1, PTGS2, and VEGFA. Furthermore, these key targets were related to pathways in cancer, hepatitis B, microRNAs in cancer, PI3K-Akt signaling, and proteoglycans in cancer pathways. Finally, Cholic Acid, Deoxycholic Acid, and 3', 4', 7-Trihydroxyflavone were the main active metabolites of JCF that we obtained. JCF employed its active metabolites to perform an anti-HBV effect and prevent the development of HBV-related diseases.

MobCovid: Confirmed Cases Dynamics Driven Time Series Prediction of Crowd in Urban Hotspot.

Monitoring the crowd in urban hot spot has been an important research topic in the field of urban management and has high social impact. It can allow more flexible allocation of public resources such as public transportation schedule adjustment and arrangement of police force. After 2020, because of the epidemic of COVID-19 virus, the public mobility pattern is deeply affected by the situation of epidemic as the physical close contact is the dominant way of infection. In this study, we propose a confirmed case-driven time-series prediction of crowd in urban hot spot named MobCovid. The model is a deviation of Informer, a popular time-serial prediction model proposed in 2021. The model takes both the number of nighttime staying people in downtown and confirmed cases of COVID-19 as input and predicts both the targets. In the current period of COVID, many areas and countries have relaxed the lockdown measures on public mobility. The outdoor travel of public is based on individual decision. Report of large amount of confirmed cases would restrict the public visitation of crowded downtown. But, still, government would publish some policies to try to intervene in the public mobility and control the spread of virus. For example, in Japan, there are no compulsory measures to force people to stay at home, but measures to persuade people to stay away from downtown area. Therefore, we also merge the encoding of policies on measures of mobility restriction made by government in the model to improve the precision. We use historical data of nighttime staying people in crowded downtown and confirmed cases of Tokyo and Osaka area as study case. Multiple times of comparison with other baselines including the original Informer model prove the effectiveness of our proposed method. We believe our work can make contribution to the current knowledge on forecasting the number of crowd in urban downtown during the Covid epidemic.

Assessing the causal relationships between human blood metabolites and the risk of NAFLD: A comprehensive mendelian randomization study.

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a liver disease associated with obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and metabolic syndrome. The risk factors for NAFLD have not been identified. Metabolic dysfunction has been found to be an important factor in the pathogenesis and progression of NAFLD. However, the causal impact of blood metabolites on NAFLD is unclear. Methods: We performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) with 7824 participants provided data on 486 human blood metabolites. Outcome information was obtained from a large-scale GWAS meta-analysis of NAFLD, which contained 8,434 cases and 770,180 controls of Europeans. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) model was chosen as the primary two-sample MR analysis approach, followed by sensitivity analyses such as the heterogeneity test, horizontal pleiotropy test, and leave-one-out analysis. In addition, we performed replication, meta-analysis, and metabolic pathway analysis. We further conducted colocalization analysis to deeply reflect the causality. Results: After rigorous genetic variant selection, IVW, sensitivity analysis, replication, and meta-analysis, two known metabolites were identified as being associated with the development of NAFLD [biliverdin: OR = 1.45; 95% CI 1.20-1.75; p = 0.0001; myristoleate: OR = 0.57; 95% CI 0.39-0.83; p = 0.0030]. Conclusion: By combining genomics with metabolomics, our findings provide a new perspective on the underlying mechanisms of NAFLD and have important implications for the screening and prevention of NAFLD.

The impact of wearing powered air purifying respirators or N95 masks on the olfactory function in healthcare workers: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: With the Coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic, wearing a mask has become routine to prevent and control the virus's spread, especially for healthcare workers. However, the impact of long-term mask wear on the human body has not been adequately investigated. This study aimed to investigate whether Powered Air Purifying Respirators and N95 masks impact the olfaction in healthcare workers. METHODS: We recruited fifty-six healthcare workers and randomly divided them into 2 groups, wearing a powered air purifying respirator (PAPR) (experiment group, N = 28) and an N95 mask (control group, N = 28). Olfactory discrimination and threshold tests were performed before and after wearing the masks. SPSS 26.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois) software was used for the statistical analyses. RESULTS: There was a statistical difference in the olfactory threshold test after wearing the mask in both PAPR Group (Z = -2.595, P = .009) and N95 Group (Z = -2.120, P = .034), with no significant difference between the 2 (χ2 = 0.29, P = .589). There was no statistical difference in the discrimination test scores in both 2 groups after wearing the masks. CONCLUSION: Wearing a mask affects the healthcare workers' olfaction, especially odor sensitivity. Healthcare workers have a higher olfactory threshold after long-term mask wear, whether wearing PAPRs or N95 masks.

Culturable bacteria diversity in stem liquid and resina from Populus euphratica and screening of plant growth-promoting bacteria.

BACKGROUND: Populus euphratica Olivier is a kind of tree capable of growing in extremely arid desert and semi-desert environments. In this study, a culture-dependent method was used to analyze the bacterial diversity of stem liquid of P. euphratica and resina of P. euphratica, and to further evaluate plant growth promoting (PGP) activity. RESULTS: A total of 434 bacteria were isolated from stem fluid and resina of P. euphratica in Ebinur Lake Wetland Nature Reserve and Mulei Primitive forest. The results of taxonomic composition analysis shows that Gammaproteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria_c are the three dominant groups in all the communities, and the representative genera are Bacillus, Nesterenkonia and Halomonas. The diversity analysis shows that the culturable bacterial community diversity of P. euphratica in Ebinur Lake Wetland Nature Reserve is higher than that in Mulei Primitive forest, and the bacterial community diversity of P. euphratica stem fluid is higher than that of resina. According to PGP activity evaluation, 158 functional bacteria with plant growth promoting potential were screened. Among them, 61 strains havephosphorus solubilizing abilities, 80 strains have potassium solubilizing abilities, 32 strains have nitrogen fixation abilities, and 151 strains have iron ammonia salt utilization abilities. The germination rate, plant height, and dry weight of the maize seedlings treated with strains BB33-1, TC10 and RC6 are significantly higher than those of the control group. CONCLUSION: In this study, a large number of culturable bacteria were isolated from P. euphratica, which provides new functional bacteria sources for promoting plant growth.

Systematic review: Clinical outcomes of discontinuation of oral antivirals in hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis.

Background: Discontinuation of Nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) remains one of the most controversial topics in the management of hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis. However, clinical outcomes after NAs discontinuation have not been studied. Aim: The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate existing data on clinical outcomes of NAs withdrawal in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with cirrhosis. Methods: A literature search (until May 2022) was performed in order to identify all published studies including hepatitis B-related cirrhotic patients who discontinued NAs in virological remission with off-therapy follow-up >12 months. Results: Nineteen studies with 1,287 hepatitis B-related cirrhotic patients were included. Most cirrhotic patients were compensated and achieved complete virological suppression when they stopped the antiviral therapy. The pooled proportions of virological relapse and clinical relapse after NAs discontinuation in cirrhotic patients were 55.23 (95% CI: 40.33-69.67) and 43.56% (95% CI: 26.13-61.85), respectively. HBsAg loss was observed in 56 of 500 (pooled proportion = 13.68%, 95% CI: 5.82-24.18) cirrhotic patients. And the pooled proportions of HCC development, hepatic decompensation and overall mortality were 8.76 (95% CI: 2.25-18.95), 3.63 (95% CI: 1.31-7.03), and 0.85% (95% CI: 0.35-1.57), respectively, after NAs discontinuation in cirrhotic patients. Conclusion: In hepatitis B-related compensated cirrhosis, who have achieved complete virological suppression, discontinuation of oral antivirals still carries a high relapse rate, but the incidence of adverse events is generally low and controlled during follow-up of at least 12 months. Of attention is that discontinuation of NAs can achieve a high rate of HBsAg seroclearance. This study may be helpful in the management of NAs in cirrhotic patients. Systematic review registration: http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42020170103.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Pectocera sp. (Elateridae: Dendrometrinae: Oxynopterini) and its phylogenetic implications.

The Elateridae family (click beetles) represents a highly diverse lineage that possesses a specialized clicking mechanism to startle predators. At present, however, phylogenetic relationships, especially among recognized subfamilies, remain contentious. Mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) can help resolve previously intractable phylogenetic relationships using morphological or limited molecular data. Here, we report the complete mitogenome of Pectocera sp. (Elateridae: Dendrometrinae: Oxynopterini), which was 15,962 bp in length and showed a typical gene number and order as most beetle mitogenomes, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and 1 noncoding control region (AT-rich region). Comparative genomic analyses showed a high degree of feature similarity among Pectocera sp. and other click beetles. Evolutionary analysis of all PCGs based on the nonsynonymous/synonymous substitution rate ratio (ω) indicated that cox1 and atp8 exhibited the lowest and highest evolutionary rates, respectively, and that the evolutionary rates of all PCGs, except for cox3, nad2, and nad3, were lower than the average ω of click beetles. Phylogenetic analyses based on concatenated and coalescent approaches indicated that Pectocera sp. was sister to Campsosternus auratus in the same tribe (Oxynopterini) with high support. This study offers insight into the mitogenomic basis of Pectocera sp. and provides an important data resource for exploring the taxonomy, phylogeny, and evolution of click beetles.

Photo-induced synthesis of ternary Pt/rGO/COF photocatalyst with Pt nanoparticles precisely anchored on rGO for efficient visible-light-driven H2 evolution.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have been recognized as a new type of promising visible-light-driven photocatalysts for H2 evolution, while it still is a key point to facilitate the separation and transfer of photoinduced charges for further enhancing their activities. In this work, we fabricated a new type of ternary Pt/rGO/COF photocatalysts with Pt cocatalyst precisely anchored on rGO serving as electron collector for largely enhanced H2 evolution. A series of ternary hybrid materials were obtained via one-pot photoreduction of Pt4+ and GO under visible-light irradiation in a solution the same as photocatalytic H2 evolution reaction and simultaneous self-assembling of rGO/COF heterostructure. No need isolation, the synthetic system could be further used for photocatalytic H2 evolution reaction and the results show the H2 evolution rate of Pt/rGO(20%)/TpPa-1-COF hybrid material is 19.59 mmol·g-1·h-1, 6.51 times higher than that of Pt/TpPa-1-COF. The essential role of the exclusively distributed Pt nanoparticles on rGO to the high H2 evolution activity was confirmed by various comparisons of activity for the samples with diverse Pt distribution.

Complete mitogenome and phylogenetic significance of Metoecus javanus (Pic, 1913) (Coleoptera: Ripiphoridae) from Southwest China, with notes on morphological traits of adult and immature stages.

Wedge-shaped beetles (Ripiphoridae) not only exhibit enigmatic morphological and biological traits but also disputable phylogenetic positions. At present, however, genetic information regarding this family remains limited. In this study, we report on the complete mitogenome of one ripiphorid beetle, Metoecus javanus (Pic, 1913), from Southwest China, as well as its different developmental stages, populations, and morphological variability. The complete mitogenome of M. javanus was 16 109 bp in length, containing 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and a noncoding control region. Of the 37 genes, 23 were located on the majority strand (J-strand) and 14 were located on the minority strand (N-strand). All PCGs started with "ATN" (N represents A, T, G, and C), and terminated with "TAA", except for NAD1 with "TAG" and COX2 with a single "T". The five most used codons in the PCGs were UUA(L), UCU(S2), CCU(P), UCA(S2), and GGA(G), indicating a strong bias toward A + T-rich codons. All 22 tRNAs showed typical cloverleaf structures, except trnS1, which lacked a dihydrouridine (DHU) stem. The control region contained five types of tandem repeats, with the repeat units ranging from 17 to 24 bp. Phylogenetic analysis of the concatenated set of 13 PCGs and two rRNAs (rrnL and rrnS) of M. javanus and 17 other Tenebrionoidea species indicated that M. javanus did not cluster with Pelecotoma fennica (Ripiphoridae: Pelecotominae), another wedge-shaped beetle, but was located at the base of the Mordellidae + P. fennica clade. This reconstruction supported the paraphyly of Ripiphoridae with respect to Mordellidae. Using the mitogenome COX1 data, wedge-shaped beetles from different stages (male adult, female adult, and pupa), different geographical populations (Nujiang and Lincang), and different wasp hosts (Vespidae: Vespa velutina Lepeletier, 1836 and Vespa bicolor Fabricius, 1787) were identified as a same species (i.e., M. javanus). Based on morphological observations of all specimens, we identified and described variability in the adult pronotum, male genitalia, and pupa of M. javanus. The present results provide important genetic and morphological information for further investigations on the phylogenetic position of Ripiphoridae and its evolutionary diversity.