Chromosome-level genome assembly of the medicinal insect Blaps rhynchopetera using Nanopore and Hi-C technologies.

The Blaps rhynchopetera Fairmaire is a significant medicinal resource in southwestern China. We utilized Nanopore and Hi-C technologies in combination to generate a high-quality, chromosome-level assembly of the B. rhynchopetera genome and described its genetic features. Genome surveys revealed that B. rhynchopetera is a highly heterozygous species. The assembled genome was 379.24 Mb in size, of which 96.03% was assigned to 20 pseudochromosomes. A total of 212.93 Mb of repeat sequences were annotated and 26,824 protein-coding genes and 837 non-coding RNAs were identified. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the divergence of the ancestors of B. rhynchopetera and its closely related species Tenebrio molitor at about 85.6 mya. The co-linearity analysis showed that some chromosomes of B. rhynchopetera may have happen fission events and it has a good synteny relationship with Tribolium castaneum. Furthermore, in the enrichment analyses, the gene families related to detoxification and immunity of B. rhynchopetera facilitated the understanding its environmental adaptations, which will serve as a valuable research resource for pest control strategies and conservation efforts of beneficial insects. This high-quality reference genome will also contribute to the conservation of insect species diversity and genetic resources.

Synergistic anti-aging effect of Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide and spermidine: A metabolomics analysis focusing on the regulation of lipid, nucleotide and energy metabolism.

The importance of synergy has been underscored in recent medical research for augmenting the efficacy of therapeutic interventions, targeting multiple biological pathways simultaneously. Our prior research elucidated that Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide (DOP) has the potential to prolong the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) via regulating gut microbiota. Concurrently, spermidine (Spd), as a mimicking caloric restriction, facilitates autophagy and exerts a pronounced anti-aging effect. To enhance the anti-aging capabilities of DOP, we conducted a comprehensive study examining the combined effects of DOP and Spd in C. elegans, incorporating metabolomics analysis to investigate the underlying mechanisms. A combination of 250 mg/L DOP and 29.0 mg/L Spd yielded the most favorable outcomes in lifespan extension, evidencing a synergistic effect with a combination index (CI) of 0.65. In oxidative and heat stress tolerance assays, the observed CIs were 0.50 and 0.33, respectively. Metabolomic analysis highlighted significant alterations in metabolites related to lipid, nucleotide and energy metabolism, notably regulating glycerol 3-phosphate, linoleoyl glycerol, docosapentaenoic acid and ß-nicotinamide mononucleotide, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. The effects of DS on lipid metabolism were further validated using Oil Red O staining and triglyceride level in C. elegans. The results indicated that DS may primarily be via modulating lipid metabolism. To further confirm these findings, a high-fat diet-induced mouse model was employed. Consequently, it can be inferred that the synergistic anti-aging impact of DOP and Spd is likely mediated primarily through alterations in lipid metabolic processes.

Heterogeneity of cerebral atrophic rate in mild cognitive impairment and its interactive association with proteins related to microglia activity on longitudinal cognitive changes.

BACKGROUND: Heterogeneity of cerebral atrophic rate commonly exists in mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which may be associated with microglia-involved neuropathology and have an influence on cognitive outcomes. OBJECTIVE: We aim to explore the heterogeneity of cerebral atrophic rate among MCI and its association with plasma proteins related to microglia activity, with further investigation of their interaction effects on long-term cognition. SUBJECTS: A total of 630 MCI subjects in the ADNI database were included, of which 260 subjects were available with baseline data on plasma proteins. METHODS: Group-based multi-trajectory modeling (GBMT) was used to identify the latent classes with heterogeneous cerebral atrophic rates. Associations between latent classes and plasma proteins related to microglia activity were investigated with generalized linear models. Linear mixed effect models (LME) were implemented to explore the interaction effects between proteins related to microglia activity and identified latent classes on longitudinal cognitive changes. RESULTS: Two latent classes were identified and labeled as the slow-atrophy class and the fast-atrophy class. Associations were found between such heterogeneity of atrophic rates and plasma proteins related to microglia activity, especially AXL receptor tyrosine kinase (AXL), CD40 antigen (CD40), and tumor necrosis factor receptor-like 2 (TNF-R2). Interaction effects on longitudinal cognitive changes showed that higher CD40 was associated with faster cognitive decline in the slow-atrophy class and higher AXL or TNF-R2 was associated with slower cognitive decline in the fast-atrophy class. CONCLUSIONS: Heterogeneity of atrophic rates at the MCI stage is associated with several plasma proteins related to microglia activity, which show either protective or adverse effects on long-term cognition depending on the variability of atrophic rates.

Association of maximum uterine diameter with postoperative complications in laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy: A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the maximum uterine diameter threshold associated with an elevated risk of complications following laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy (LSH). METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study from a single tertiary referral center. We enrolled patients who underwent LSH for benign indications at our hospital between January 2013 and June 2023. The primary outcome was the occurrence of surgical complications within the 30-day timeframe of hysterectomy. The covariate included the year of the procedure, patient age, body mass index, parity, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, comorbidities, history of previous abdominal and pelvic surgery, and preoperative anemia, blood loss, surgical time, hospital stay and pathology. The exclusion criteria comprised those who underwent hysterectomy for malignancy, individuals who underwent total vaginal hysterectomy or laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy, and those with missing data on uterine maximum diameter, study outcomes, or covariates. RESULTS: We included a final sample of 120 patients, revealing a median uterine diameter of 9.12 cm, with 9.2% experiencing complications. The median uterine weight among 40 patients was 275 g. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis suggested a potential cutoff of 11.55 cm for predicting complications, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.67. Multivariate logistic regression confirmed a significant association between uterine diameter exceeding the cutoff and increased complication risk (OR 33.925, 95% CI: 2.294-501.690, P = 0.0103). A correlation (r = 0.762, P < 0.001) between uterine weight and diameter indicated the latter's suitability for preoperative assessment of uterine weight. CONCLUSION: The maximum uterine diameter with an optimal cutoff of 11.55 cm was associated with increased complication risk.

PlantSR: Super-Resolution Improves Object Detection in Plant Images.

Recent advancements in computer vision, especially deep learning models, have shown considerable promise in tasks related to plant image object detection. However, the efficiency of these deep learning models heavily relies on input image quality, with low-resolution images significantly hindering model performance. Therefore, reconstructing high-quality images through specific techniques will help extract features from plant images, thus improving model performance. In this study, we explored the value of super-resolution technology for improving object detection model performance on plant images. Firstly, we built a comprehensive dataset comprising 1030 high-resolution plant images, named the PlantSR dataset. Subsequently, we developed a super-resolution model using the PlantSR dataset and benchmarked it against several state-of-the-art models designed for general image super-resolution tasks. Our proposed model demonstrated superior performance on the PlantSR dataset, indicating its efficacy in enhancing the super-resolution of plant images. Furthermore, we explored the effect of super-resolution on two specific object detection tasks: apple counting and soybean seed counting. By incorporating super-resolution as a pre-processing step, we observed a significant reduction in mean absolute error. Specifically, with the YOLOv7 model employed for apple counting, the mean absolute error decreased from 13.085 to 5.71. Similarly, with the P2PNet-Soy model utilized for soybean seed counting, the mean absolute error decreased from 19.159 to 15.085. These findings underscore the substantial potential of super-resolution technology in improving the performance of object detection models for accurately detecting and counting specific plants from images. The source codes and associated datasets related to this study are available at Github.

Fear of cancer recurrence in adolescent patients with malignant bone tumors: a cross-section survey.

BACKGROUND: Adolescent malignant-bone tumor patients' fear of cancer recurrence is a significant psychological issue, and exploring the influencing factors associated with fear of cancer recurrence in this population is important for developing effective interventions. This study is to investigate the current status and factors influencing fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) related to malignant bone-tumors in adolescent patients, providing evidence for future targeted mental health support and interventions. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey. METHODS: In total, 269 adolescent malignant-bone tumor cases were treated at two hospitals in Zhejiang Province, China from January 2023 to December 2023. Patients completed a General Information Questionnaire, Fear of Progression Questionnaire-Short Form (FoP-Q-SF), Family Hardiness Index (FHI), and a Simple Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ). Univariate and multivariable logistic regressions analysis were used to assess fear of cancer recurrence. RESULTS: A total of 122 (45.4%) patients experienced FCR (FoP-Q-SF ≥ 34). Logistic regression analysis analyses showed that per capita-monthly family income, tumor stage, communication between the treating physician and the patient, patient's family relationships, family hardiness a positive coping score, and a negative coping score were the main factors influencing FCR in these patients (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: FCR in malignant-bone tumor adolescent patients is profound. Healthcare professionals should develop targeted interventional strategies based on the identified factors, which affect these patients; helping patients increase family hardiness, helping patients to positively adapt, and avoid negative coping styles.

Buyang Huanwu Decoction Alleviates Atherosclerosis by Regulating gut Microbiome and Metabolites in Apolipoprotein E-deficient Mice fed with High-fat Diet.

ABSTRACT: The traditional Chinese herbal prescription Buyang Huanwu decoction (BHD), effectively treats atherosclerosis. However, the mechanism of BHD in atherosclerosis remains unclear. We aimed to determine whether BHD could alleviate atherosclerosis by altering the microbiome-associated metabolic changes in atherosclerotic mice. An atherosclerotic model was established in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice fed high-fat diet, and BHD was administered through gavage for 12 weeks at 8.4 g/kg/d and 16.8 g/kg/d. The atherosclerotic plaque size, composition, serum lipid profile, and inflammatory cytokines, were assessed. Mechanistically, metabolomic and microbiota profiles were analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and 16S rRNA gene sequencing, respectively. Furthermore, intestinal microbiota and atherosclerosis-related metabolic parameters were correlated using Spearman analysis. Atherosclerotic mice treated with BHD exhibited reduced plaque area, aortic lumen occlusion, and lipid accumulation in the aortic root. Nine perturbed serum metabolites were significantly restored along with the relative abundance of microbiota at the family and genus levels but not at the phylum level. Gut microbiome improvement was strongly negatively correlated with improved metabolite levels. BHD treatment effectively slows the progression of atherosclerosis by regulating altered intestinal microbiota and perturbed metabolites.

Early intrauterine pregnancy with an intrauterine device in place and terminated with spontaneous abortion: A case report.

RATIONALE: The overall pregnancy rate in individuals with an intrauterine device (IUD) for contraception is <1%. If pregnancy occurs while an IUD is in place, there is a higher risk of an ectopic pregnancy. We report the case of a woman with an IUD who was 7 weeks pregnant and experienced a spontaneous abortion 1 week later. PATIENT CONCERN: A 32-year-old woman presented to our outpatient department with intermittent vaginal staining for several days. DIAGNOSES: She was 7 weeks pregnant and had an IUD in place for over 4 years. A vaginal examination revealed no vaginal bleeding and no blood clots; however, a parous cervix was observed. The IUD string was not visible. Transvaginal ultrasonography revealed a gestational sac in the uterine cavity, with a fetal pole and a crown-rump length of 11.4 mm. The fetal heart rate was 159 beats/min. The IUD was located in the retroplacental region. The bilateral adnexa appeared normal (right ovary, 2.9 cm; left ovary, 2.5 cm). The patient was diagnosed with an intrauterine pregnancy with an IUD in place and threatened abortion. INTERVENTIONS: Attempts to remove the IUD were abandoned due to its location, and conservative treatment was initiated with Utrogestan (100 mg) administered 3 times a day for 1 week. Bed rest was advised. OUTCOMES: Unfortunately, she experienced a complete abortion 1 week later. LESSONS: The novelty of this case report lies in the rare occurrence of an intrauterine pregnancy with a long-term IUD in place, the challenges posed by the IUD's specific location, and the complex management of threatened abortion in this context. Our case highlights the diagnostic management approach for intrauterine pregnancy with an IUD in place. Furthermore, it explores the impact of IUD location on pregnancy prognosis.

GWAS determined genetic loci associated with callus induction in oil palm tissue culture.

KEY MESSAGE: GWAS identified six loci at 25 kb downstream of WAK2, a crucial gene for cell wall and callus formation, enabling development of a SNP marker for enhanced callus induction potential. Efficient callus induction is vital for successful oil palm tissue culture, yet identifying genomic loci and markers for early detection of genotypes with high potential of callus induction remains unclear. In this study, immature male inflorescences from 198 oil palm accessions (dura, tenera and pisifera) were used as explants for tissue culture. Callus induction rates were collected at one-, two- and three-months after inoculation (C1, C2 and C3) as phenotypes. Resequencing generated 11,475,258 high quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as genotypes. GWAS was then performed, and correlation analysis revealed a positive association of C1 with both C2 (R = 0.81) and C3 (R = 0.50), indicating that C1 could be used as the major phenotype for callus induction rate. Therefore, only significant SNPs (P ≤ 0.05) in C1 were identified to develop markers for screening individuals with high potential of callus induction. Among 21 significant SNPs in C1, LD block analysis revealed six SNPs on chromosome 12 (Chr12) potentially linked to callus formation. Subsequently, 13 SNP markers were identified from these loci and electrophoresis results showed that marker C-12 at locus Chr12_12704856 can be used effectively to distinguish the GG allele, which showed the highest probability (69%) of callus induction. Furthermore, a rapid SNP variant detection method without electrophoresis was established via qPCR-based melting curve analysis. Our findings facilitated marker-assisted selection for specific palms with high potential of callus induction using immature male inflorescence as explant, aiding ortet palm selection in oil palm tissue culture.

Fear of disease in patients with epilepsy - a network analysis.

Background: Disease-related fear among patients with epilepsy has significantly impacted their quality of life. The Disease-Related Fear Scale (D-RFS), comprising three dimensions, serves as a relatively well-established tool for assessing fear in these patients. However, certain problems potentially exist within the D-RFS's attribution of items, and its internal structure is still unclear. To establish an appropriate dimensional structure and gain deeper comprehension of its internal structure-particularly its core variables-is vital for developing more effective interventions aimed at alleviating disease-related fear among patients with epilepsy. Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional survey involving 609 patients with epilepsy. All participants underwent assessment using the Chinese version of the D-RFS. We used exploratory network analysis to discover a new structure and network analysis to investigate the interrelationships among fear symptom domains. In addition to the regularized partial correlation network, we also estimated the node and bridge centrality index to identify the importance of each item within the network. Finally, it was applied to analyze the differences in network analysis outcomes among epilepsy patients with different seizure frequencies. Results: The research findings indicate that nodes within the network of disease-related fear symptoms are interconnected, and there are no isolated nodes. Nodes within groups 3 and 4 present the strongest centrality. Additionally, a tight interconnection exists among fear symptoms within each group. Moreover, the frequency of epileptic episodes does not significantly impact the network structure. Conclusion: In this study, a new 5-dimension structure was constructed for D-RFS, and the fear of disease in patients with epilepsy has been conceptualized through a network perspective. The goal is to identify potential targets for relevant interventions and gain insights for future research.

Magnesium-L-threonate treats Alzheimer's disease by modulating the microbiota-gut-brain axis.

JOURNAL/nrgr/04.03/01300535-202410000-00029/figure1/v/2024-02-06T055622Z/r/image-tiff Disturbances in the microbiota-gut-brain axis may contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease. Magnesium-L-threonate has recently been found to have protective effects on learning and memory in aged and Alzheimer's disease model mice. However, the effects of magnesium-L-threonate on the gut microbiota in Alzheimer's disease remain unknown. Previously, we reported that magnesium-L-threonate treatment improved cognition and reduced oxidative stress and inflammation in a double-transgenic line of Alzheimer's disease model mice expressing the amyloid-ß precursor protein and mutant human presenilin 1 (APP/PS1). Here, we performed 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to analyze changes in the microbiome and serum metabolome following magnesium-L-threonate exposure in a similar mouse model. Magnesium-L-threonate modulated the abundance of three genera in the gut microbiota, decreasing Allobaculum and increasing Bifidobacterium and Turicibacter. We also found that differential metabolites in the magnesium-L-threonate-regulated serum were enriched in various pathways associated with neurodegenerative diseases. The western blotting detection on intestinal tight junction proteins (zona occludens 1, occludin, and claudin-5) showed that magnesium-L-threonate repaired the intestinal barrier dysfunction of APP/PS1 mice. These findings suggest that magnesium-L-threonate may reduce the clinical manifestations of Alzheimer's disease through the microbiota-gut-brain axis in model mice, providing an experimental basis for the clinical treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Evaluation of inpatient services of tertiary comprehensive hospitals based on DRG payment.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate inpatient services in 49 tertiary comprehensive hospitals using indicators from the diagnosis related groups (DRG) payment system. Method: DRG data from 49 tertiary comprehensive hospitals were obtained from the quality monitoring platform for provincial hospitals, and relevant indicators were identified. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used to compute the weight of each indicator. The rank sum ratio method was used to calculate the weight rank sum ratio (WRSR) value and the corresponding probit value of each hospital. The hospitals were divided into four grades based on the threshold value: excellent, good, fair, and poor. Results: Eight indicators of the 49 hospitals were scored, and the hospital rankings of indicators varied. The No. 1 hospital ranked first in the indicators of "total number of DRG", "number of groups", and "proportion of relative weights (RW) ≥ 2". The WRSR value of the No.1 hospital was the largest (0.574), and the WRSR value of the No. 44 hospital was the smallest (0.139). The linear regression equation was established: WRSRpredicted =-0.141+0.088*Probit, and the regression model was well-fitted (F = 2066.672, p < 0.001). The cut-off values of the three WRSRspredicted by the four levels were 0.167, 0.299, and 0.431, respectively. The 49 hospitals were divided into four groups: excellent (4), good (21), average (21), and poor (3). There were significant differences in the average WRSR values of four categories of hospitals (p < 0.05). Conclusion: There were notable variances in the levels of inpatient services among 49 tertiary comprehensive hospitals, and hospitals of the same category also showed different service levels. The evaluation results contribute to the health administrative department and the hospital to optimize the allocation of resources, improve the DRG payment system, and enhance the quality and efficiency of inpatient services.

Tiaogan daozhuo formula attenuates atherosclerosis via activating AMPK -PPARγ-LXRα pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Tiaogan Daozhuo Formula (TGDZF) is a common formulation against atherosclerosis, however, there is limited understanding of its therapeutic mechanism. AIM OF THIS STUDY: To examine the effectiveness of TGDZF in the treatment of atherosclerosis and to explore its mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In ApoE-/- mice, atherosclerosis was induced by a high-fat diet for 12 weeks and treated with TGDZF at different doses. The efficacy of TGDZF in alleviating atherosclerosis was evaluated by small animal ultrasound and histological methods. Lipid levels were measured by biochemical methods. The capacity of cholesterol efflux was tested with a cholesterol efflux assay in peritoneal macrophage, and the expression of AMPKα1, PPARγ, LXRα, and ABCA1 was examined at mRNA and protein levels. Meanwhile, RAW264.7-derived macrophages were induced into foam cells by ox-LDL, and different doses of TGDZF-conducting serum were administered. Similarly, we examined differences in intracellular lipid accumulation, cholesterol efflux rate, and AMPKα1, PPARγ, LXRα, and ABCA1 levels following drug intervention. Finally, changes in the downstream molecules were evaluated following the inhibition of AMPK by compound C or PPARγ silencing by small interfering RNA. RESULTS: TGDZF administration reduced aortic plaque area and lipid accumulation in aortic plaque and hepatocytes, and improved the serum lipid profiles of ApoE-/- mice. Further study revealed that its efficacy was accompanied by an increase in cholesterol efflux rate and the expression of PPARγ, LXRα, and ABCA1 mRNA and protein, as well as the promotion of AMPKα1 phosphorylation. Moreover, similar results were caused by the intervention of TGDZF-containing serum in vitro experiments. Inhibition of AMPK and PPARγ partially blocked the regulatory effect of TGDZF, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: TGDZF alleviated atherosclerosis and promoted cholesterol efflux from macrophages by activating the AMPK-PPARγ-LXRα-ABCA1 pathway.

The role and mechanism of RIPK1 in vascular endothelial dysfunction in chronic kidney disease.

Endothelial dysfunction is common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular events, but the mechanism is unclear. In our study, we found elevated levels of RIPK1 in patients with CKD and cardiovascular events through bioinformation analysis. Elevated RIPK1 levels were found in serum samples of CKD patients and were associated with vascular endothelial dysfunction and renal function. We constructed the five of six nephrectomy of CKD mice model, finding that RIPK1 expressions were elevated in abdominal aorta endothelial cells. After RIPK1 inhibition and overexpression, it was found that RIPK1 could regulate the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and cell adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), and activation of inflammatory responses and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. In addition, uremic toxin induced abnormal expression of RIPK1 in vitro. We observed RIPK1-mediating endothelial dysfunction and inflammation responses by ER stress pathways through gain and loss of function. In order to explore the specific mechanism, we conducted co-immunoprecipitation and expression regulation of RIPK1 and IKK, finding that RIPK1 formed complex with IKK and regulated IKK expression. In conclusion, we demonstrated that RIPK1 levels were closely associated with vascular endothelial dysfunction in patients with CKD. With uremic toxins, RIPK1 expression was elevated, which led to the activation of inflammation through the ER stress pathway, resulting in vascular endothelial injury. Besides, activation of RIPK1-IKK-NF-κB axis was a key driver of endothelial dysfunction in CKD. Our study provides a new perspective for the study of cardiovascular events in CKD.

Sodium Danshensu ameliorates cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury by inhibiting CLIC4/NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated endothelial cell pyroptosis.

Endothelial pyroptosis promotes cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CIRI). Sodium Danshensu (SDSS) has been shown to attenuate CIRI and have anti-inflammatory properties in endothelial cells. However, the mechanism and effect of SDSS on alleviating endothelial pyroptosis after CIRI remains poorly understood. Thus, we aimed to investigate the efficacy and mechanism of SDSS in reducing endothelial pyroptosis. It has been shown that SDSS administration inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis. As demonstrated by protein microarrays, molecular docking, CETSA and ITDRFCETSA , SDSS bound strongly to CLIC4. Furthermore, SDSS can decrease its expression and inhibit its translocation. Its effectiveness was lowered by CLIC4 overexpression but not by knockdown. Overall The beneficial effect of SDSS against CIRI in this study can be ascribed to blocking endothelial pyroptosis by binding to CLIC4 and then inhibiting chloride efflux-dependent NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

The role of visual rating and automated brain volumetry in early detection and differential diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: Medial temporal lobe atrophy (MTA) is a diagnostic marker for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the accuracy of quantitative MTA (QMTA) in diagnosing early AD is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the accuracy of QMTA and its related components (inferior lateral ventricle [ILV] and hippocampus) with MTA in the early diagnosis of MCI and AD. METHODS: This study included four groups: normal (NC), MCI stable (MCIs), MCI converted to AD (MCIs), and mild AD (M-AD) groups. Magnetic resonance image analysis software was used to quantify the hippocampus, ILV, and QMTA. MTA was rated by two experienced neurologists. Receiver operating characteristic area under the curve (AUC) analysis was performed to compare their capability in differentiating AD from NC and MCI, and optimal thresholds were determined using the Youden index. RESULTS: QMTA distinguished M-AD from NC and MCI with higher diagnostic accuracy than MTA, hippocampus, and ILV (AUCNC = 0.976, AUCMCI = 0.836, AUCMCIs = 0.894, AUCMCIc = 0.730). The diagnostic accuracy of QMTA was superior to that of MTA, the hippocampus, and ILV in differentiating MCI from AD. The diagnostic accuracy of QMTA was found to remain the best across age, sex, and pathological subgroups analyzed. The sensitivity (92.45%) and specificity (90.64%) were higher in this study when a cutoff value of 0.635 was chosen for QMTA. CONCLUSIONS: QMTA may be a better choice than the MTA scale or the associated quantitative components alone in identifying AD patients and MCI individuals with higher progression risk.

A novel network-based adaptive fault-tolerant control of switched nonlinear systems subject to multiple faults under prescribed performance.

It is the first report about fault-tolerant-based prescribed performance control of switched nonlinear systems under multiple faults. The concerned faults include not only external faults but also actuator faults. In the process of backstepping control design, prescribed performance control is fully considered, and the combination of unknown nonlinear functions is estimated by multi-dimensional Taylor network. Finally, the developed adaptive fault-tolerant control strategy guarantees the boundedness of all controlled signals while prescribed tracking performance is satisfied. In an effort to further manifest the validity of the fault-tolerant controller, a numerical simulation and a practical simulation are introduced.

Comparative analyses of eight complete plastid genomes of two hemiparasitic Cassytha vines in the family Lauraceae.

Cassytha is the sole genus of hemiparasitic vines (ca. 20 spp.) belonging to the Cassytheae tribe of the Lauraceae family. It is extensively distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. In this study, we determined the complete plastid genome sequences of C. filiformis and C. larsenii, which do not possess the typical quadripartite structure. The length of C. filiformis plastomes ranged from 114,215 to 114,618 bp, whereas that of C. larsenii plastomes ranged from 114,900 to 114,988 bp. Comparative genomic analysis revealed 1,013 mutation sites, four large intragenomic deletions, and five highly variable regions in the eight plastome sequences. Phylogenetic analyses based on 61 complete plastomes of Laurales species, 19 ITS sequences, and trnK barcodes from 91 individuals of Cassytha spp. confirmed a non-basal group comprising individuals of C. filiformis, C. larsenii, and C. pubescens in the family Lauraceae and proposed a sister relationship between C. filiformis and C. larsenii. Further morphological comparisons indicated that the presence or absence of hairs on the haustoria and the shape or size of fruits were useful traits for differentiating C. filiformis and C. larsenii.

Jia-Wei-Kai-Xin-San Treatment Alleviated Mild Cognitive Impairment through Anti-Inflammatory and Antiapoptotic Mechanisms in SAMP8 Mice.

Background: Alleviating mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is crucial to delay the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Jia-Wei-Kai-Xin-San (JWKXS) is applied for treating AD with MCI. However, the mechanism of JWKXS in the treatment of MCI is unclear. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of JWKXS in SAMP8 mice models of MCI. Methods: MCI models were established to examine learning and memory ability and explore the pathomechanisms in brain of SAMP8 mice at 4, 6, and 8 months. The mice were treated for 8 weeks and the effects of JWKXS on MCI were characterized through Morris water maze and HE/Nissl's/immunohistochemical staining. Its mechanism was predicted by the combination of UPLC-Q-TOF/MS and system pharmacology analysis, further verified with SAMP8 mice, BV2 microglial cells, and PC12 cells. Results: It was found that 4-month-old SAMP8 mice exhibited MCI. Two months of JWKXS treatment improved the learning and memory ability, alleviated the hippocampal tissue and neuron damage. Through network pharmacology, four key signaling pathways were found to be involved in treatment of MCI by JWKXS, including TLR4/NF-κB pathway, NLRP3 inflammasome activation, and intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that JWKXS attenuated neuroinflammation by inhibiting microglia activation, suppressing TLR4/NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome pathways, and blocking the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways leading to neuronal apoptosis suppression in the hippocampus. Conclusion: JWKXS treatment improved the learning and memory ability and conferred neuroprotective effects against MCI by inducing anti-inflammation and antiapoptosis. Limitations. The small sample size and short duration of the intervention limit in-depth investigation of the mechanisms. Future Prospects. This provides a direction for further clarification of the anti-AD mechanism, and provides certain data support for the formulation to move toward clinical practice.