YiQi GuBen formula alleviates airway inflammation and airway remodeling in OVA-induced asthma mice through TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: We aim to investigate the effect of YiQi GuBen formula (YQGB) on airway inflammation and airway remodeling in the ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma model to further explore the potential mechanisms of YQGB in treating allergic asthma. METHODS: Mice were divided into five groups randomly (n = 10): the control group, OVA group, OVA + Dex (0.1 mg/kg) group, OVA + low-dose (1.1 g/kg) YQGB group, and OVA + high-dose (2.2 g/kg) YQGB group. Inflammatory cell count and IgE were detected in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Lung tissue histopathology was observed by using H&E, PAS, Masson, and immunohistochemistry staining. qRT-PCR and western blot were applied to analyze key genes and proteins associated with TLR4 and NF-κB signaling pathways. RESULTS: In OVA-induced asthma mice, YQGB decreased eosinophils and IgE in BALF. YQGB alleviated the OVA-induced inflammatory infiltration and declined IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, Eotaxin, ECP, GM-CSF, LTC4, and LTD4. YQGB attenuated the OVA-induced goblet cell metaplasia and mucus hypersecretion. YQGB mitigated the OVA-induced subepithelial fibrosis and lowered TGF-ß1, E-Cadherin, Vimentin, and Fibronectin. YQGB ameliorated the OVA-induced airway smooth muscle thickening and lessened α-SMA and PDGF levels. YQGB reduced the expression of TLR4, MyD88, TRAF6, IκBα, and p65 mRNAs, and IκBα and p-p65 protein levels were also reduced. CONCLUSION: YQGB exhibits the anti-asthma effect by reducing airway inflammation and airway remodeling through suppressing TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway, and is worth promoting clinically.

Targeting neddylation and sumoylation in chemoresistant triple negative breast cancer.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for 15-20% of breast cancer cases in the United States. Systemic neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT), with or without immunotherapy, is the current standard of care for patients with early-stage TNBC. However, up to 70% of TNBC patients have significant residual disease once NACT is completed, which is associated with a high risk of developing recurrence within two to three years of surgical resection. To identify targetable vulnerabilities in chemoresistant TNBC, we generated longitudinal patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models from TNBC tumors before and after patients received NACT. We then compiled transcriptomes and drug response profiles for all models. Transcriptomic analysis identified the enrichment of aberrant protein homeostasis pathways in models from post-NACT tumors relative to pre-NACT tumors. This observation correlated with increased sensitivity in vitro to inhibitors targeting the proteasome, heat shock proteins, and neddylation pathways. Pevonedistat, a drug annotated as a NEDD8-activating enzyme (NAE) inhibitor, was prioritized for validation in vivo and demonstrated efficacy as a single agent in multiple PDX models of TNBC. Pharmacotranscriptomic analysis identified a pathway-level correlation between pevonedistat activity and post-translational modification (PTM) machinery, particularly involving neddylation and sumoylation targets. Elevated levels of both NEDD8 and SUMO1 were observed in models exhibiting a favorable response to pevonedistat compared to those with a less favorable response in vivo. Moreover, a correlation emerged between the expression of neddylation-regulated pathways and tumor response to pevonedistat, indicating that targeting these PTM pathways may prove effective in combating chemoresistant TNBC.

Characteristics of upper respiratory tract rhinovirus in children with allergic rhinitis and its role in disease severity.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a global health challenge that particularly affects the quality of life of children. Human rhinovirus (HRV) infection usually causes common cold in the upper respiratory tract (URT) and can also affect airway allergy development, such as asthma exacerbation, but its relationship with AR is poorly understood. The study aimed to gain insight into the characteristics of HRV that is prevalent in AR children and its role in AR severity. A total of 362 children with symptomatic AR were enrolled from southwestern China during 2022-2023, and nasal lavage samples were collected for HRV molecular characterization and cytokine measurement. HRV was detected in 40% of the AR children, with peak detection in autumn. The positive rate was not correlated with whether the subjects were under allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT). Among the detected HRVs, 42% were species A, 36% were species B, and 22% were species C, involving 21 A genotypes, 6 B genotypes, and 7 C genotypes. HRV positivity was significantly associated with symptom severity (visual analog scale [VAS] score) and elevated levels of local nasal IgE, interleukin-25 (IL-25), IL-4, and CXCL13 in AR children who did not receive antiallergic treatment. All three species of HRV strains (A1B, A21, B27, B70, and C17) had been isolated and were able to infect respiratory epithelial tissue in vitro. Complete genome sequencing showed that the antigenic epitopes of the isolated HRVs had certain variations. Our work reveals the etiological characteristics of URT-HRV in AR children and suggests a role of HRV infection in the pathogenesis of childhood AR. IMPORTANCE: Our study revealed high human rhinovirus (HRV) detection rate in children with allergic rhinitis (AR), and HRV infection (A, B, or C species) is positively associated with the symptom severity in AR children. Elevated nasal IgE, interleukin-25 (IL-25), IL-4, and CXCL13 levels suggest a potential pathogenic mechanism by which HRV infection induces nasal type 2 immune/inflammation responses and local IgE production in AR patients. In addition, etiological analysis found that the main prevalent HRV species in AR children are A and B (~80%), which is different from acute respiratory infection and asthma exacerbation, where species A and C are dominant. The data reveal the distinct species prevalence characteristics of HRV infection in AR. Finally, we isolated all three species of HRV strains from nasal cavity of AR children with varying degrees of antigenic epitope mutations and in vitro infectivity, highlighting the importance of strengthening monitoring and intervention for respiratory HRV infection in AR children.

Scalable Dual In Situ Synthesis of Polyester Nanocomposites for High-Energy Storage.

Incorporating ultralow loading of nanoparticles into polymers has realized increases in dielectric constant and breakdown strength for excellent energy storage. However, there are still a series of tough issues to be dealt with, such as organic solvent uses, which face enormous challenges in scalable preparation. Here, a new strategy of dual in situ synthesis is proposed, namely polymerization of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) synchronizes with growth of calcium borate nanoparticles, making polyester nanocomposites from monomers directly. Importantly, this route is free of organic solvents and surface modification of nanoparticles, which is readily accessible to scalable synthesis of polyester nanocomposites. Meanwhile, uniform dispersion of as ultralow as 0.1 wt% nanoparticles and intense bonding at interfaces have been observed. Furthermore, the PET-based nanocomposite displays obvious increases in both dielectric constant and breakdown strength as compared to the neat PET. Its maximum discharged energy density reaches 15 J cm-3 at 690 MV m-1 and power density attains 218 MW cm-3 under 150 Ω resistance at 300 MV m-1, which is far superior to the current dielectric polymers that can be produced at large scales. This work presents a scalable, safe, low-cost, and environment-friendly route toward polymer nanocomposites with superior capacitive performance.

Serum Mrp 8/14 as a Potential Biomarker for Predicting the Occurrence of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Induced by Sepsis: A Retrospective Controlled Study.

Background: To date, there are no studies regarding the Mrp 8/14 in predicting the occurrence of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) induced by sepsis. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the expression of Myeloid-related proteins 8 and 14 (Mrp 8/14) and its role in ARDS induced by sepsis. Methods: A total of 168 septic patients were enrolled in the observational study. The baseline information and clinical outcomes were obtained retrospectively. Serum Mrp 8/14 level was determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The patients were categorized into sepsis and ARDS group based on whether they developed ARDS during the intensive care unit (ICU) hospitalization. Results: There was significant difference in the level of Mrp 8/14 between the sepsis group and ARDS groups (P < 0.05). Mrp 8/14 correlated positively with procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin-6 (IL-6), acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score on day 1, mechanical ventilation time, length of ICU stay and hospitalization expenses in ICU (all P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed Mrp 8/14 was the independent factor for forecasting the occurrence of sepsis- induced ARDS (P < 0.05). The areas under receiver operating characteristic curves for Mrp 8/14 were higher than that of PCT, APACHE II score and SOFA score on day 1 (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The serum Mrp 8/14 level at admission may be a potential marker for predicting the occurrence of ARDS induced by sepsis. Early detection of serum Mrp 8/14 could help clinicians to identify and evaluate the severity of ARDS induced by sepsis.

Novel Alkaloids from Aspergillus fumigatus VDL36, an Endophytic Fungus Associated with Vaccinium dunalianum.

Eleven alkaloids (1-11) including seven new ones, 1-7, were isolated from the solid fermentation of Aspergillus fumigatus VDL36, an endophytic fungus isolated from the leaves of Vaccinium dunalianum Wight (Ericaceae), a perennial evergreen shrub distributed across the Southwest regions of China, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic methods. The isolates were evaluated for in vitro antifungal activities against five phytopathogenic fungi (Fusarium oxysporum, Coriolus versicolor, Fusarium solani, Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium graminearum). As a result, the new compounds fumigaclavine I (1), 13-ethoxycyclotryprostatin A (5), 13-dehydroxycyclotryprostatin A (6), and 12ß-hydroxy-13-oxofumitremorgin C (7) exhibited antifungal activities with MIC values of 7.8-62.5 µg/mL which were comparable to the two positive controls ketoconazole (MIC = 7.8-31.25 µg/mL) and carbendazim (MIC = 1.95-7.8 µg/mL). Furthermore, compounds 1 and 5 demonstrated potent protective and curative effects against the tomato gray mold in vivo. Preliminary structure-activity relationships of the tested indole diketopiperazine alkaloids indicate that the introduction of a substituent group at position C-13 enhances their biological activities.

Optimal obesity- and lipid-related indices for predicting type 2 diabetes in middle-aged and elderly Chinese.

To investigate the screening and predicting functions of obesity- and lipid-related indices for type 2 diabetes (T2D) in middle-aged and elderly Chinese, as well as the ideal predicted cut-off value. This study's data comes from the 2011 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). A cross-sectional study design was used to investigate the relationship of T2D and 13 obesity- and lipid-related indices, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-height ratio (WHtR), visceral adiposity index (VAI), a body shape index (ABSI), body roundness index (BRI), lipid accumulation product (LAP), conicity index (CI), Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI), triglyceride- glucose index (TyG index) and its correlation index (TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, TyG-WHtR). The unadjusted and adjusted correlations between 13 indices and T2D were assessed using binary logistic regression analysis. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to determine the usefulness of anthropometric indices for screening for T2D and determining their cut­off value, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC). The study comprised 9488 people aged 45 years or above in total, of whom 4354 (45.89%) were males and 5134 (54.11%) were females. Among them were 716 male cases of T2D (16.44%) and 870 female cases of T2D (16.95%). A total of 13 obesity- and lipid-related indices were independently associated with T2D risk after adjusted for confounding factors (P < 0.05). According to ROC analysis, the TyG index was the best predictor of T2D among males (AUC = 0.780, 95% CI 0.761, 0.799) and females (AUC = 0.782, 95% CI 0.764, 0.799). The AUC values of the 13 indicators were higher than 0.5, indicating that they have predictive values for T2D in middle-aged and elderly Chinese. The 13 obesity- and lipid-related indices can predict the risk of T2D in middle­aged and elderly Chinese. Among 13 indicators, the TyG index is the best predictor of T2D in both males and females. TyG-WC, TyG-BMI, TyG-WHtR, LAP, and CVAI all outperformed BMI, WC, and WHtR in predicting T2D.

Four-years change of BMI and waist circumference are associated with metabolic syndrome in middle-aged and elderly Chinese.

The purpose of the study was to determine whether changes in body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) in middle-aged and elderly Chinese are associated with metabolic syndrome. In this cohort investigation, 3697 middle-aged and elderly people aged 45 or over were recruited from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (2005) defined metabolic syndrome (MetS). With Cox regression analysis, we calculated hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for MetS based on BMI-WC change categories. To assess the prevalence of MetS, the changes in BMI and WC levels were classified into four quartiles based on their relative and absolute changes. In subjects whose BMI and WC decreased (HR = 0.338; 95% CIs 0.264, 0.433) as well as those whose BMI increased and their WC decreased (HR = 0.375; 95% CIs 0.228, 0.499), metabolic syndrome risk was significantly lower compared with those with increases in both BMI and WC. Regarding the absolute changes in BMI, the lowest percentile of BMI was significantly lower in both males (HR = 0.302; 95% CIs 0.204, 0.448) and females (HR = 0.486; 95% CIs 0.354, 0.667) for the risk of metabolic syndrome. Similar results were observed in the absolute changes in WC, with the lowest quantile of WC having a significant impact on MetS risk in males (HR = 0.170; 95% CIs 0.107, 0.270) and females (HR = 0.303; 95% CIs 0.217, 0.424). The risk of metabolic syndrome was significantly associated with changes in BMI and WC in middle-aged and elderly Chinese. A reduced BMI and WC are associated with lower metabolic syndrome risks in middle-aged and elderly people.

eLIMS: Ensemble Learning-Based Spatial Segmentation of Mass Spectrometry Imaging to Explore Metabolic Heterogeneity.

Spatial segmentation is an essential processing method for image analysis aiming to identify the characteristic suborgans or microregions from mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) data, which is critical for understanding the spatial heterogeneity of biological information and function and the underlying molecular signatures. Due to the intrinsic characteristics of MSI data including spectral nonlinearity, high-dimensionality, and large data size, the common segmentation methods lack the capability for capturing the accurate microregions associated with biological functions. Here we proposed an ensemble learning-based spatial segmentation strategy, named eLIMS, that combines a randomized unified manifold approximation and projection (r-UMAP) dimensionality reduction module for extracting significant features and an ensemble pixel clustering module for aggregating the clustering maps from r-UMAP. Three MSI datasets are used to evaluate the performance of eLIMS, including mouse fetus, human adenocarcinoma, and mouse brain. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method has potential in partitioning the heterogeneous tissues into several subregions associated with anatomical structure, i.e., the suborgans of the brain region in mouse fetus data are identified as dorsal pallium, midbrain, and brainstem. Furthermore, it effectively discovers critical microregions related to physiological and pathological variations offering new insight into metabolic heterogeneity.

Investigation and Prediction of Nano-Silver Line Quality upon Various Process Parameters in Inkjet Printing Process Based on an Experimental Method.

As an emerging additive manufacturing technology, inkjet printing has been increasingly applied in microelectronics field. However, due to the impacting and rebounding behaviors of conductive ink droplets impinging onto flat substrates, it is challenging to fabricate conductive lines with desired quality, such as suitable line width and line thickness, and matching resistance when it is used for interconnecting multifarious electronic components if there is not a proper configuration of operating parameters. To address this research gap, this article aims to investigate the effect of process parameters on the quality of conductive lines, including the platform temperature, printing speed, number of layers, and delay time (droplet interarrival time), are selected to conduct a full factorial experiment. First, the approximate parameter ranges for ensuring the continuity of conductive lines are determined. Second, this study analyzes the interactive effect among process parameters on line quality. Third, an artificial neural network (ANN) is constructed to predict the quality of printed lines. Results show that the line width does not increase with an increased number of layers, while the line thickness shows an increasing trend. The low resistance and high aspect ratio of printed line are achieved by printing 5 layers with the platform temperature of 70°C, the delay time of 12.2 ms, and the printing speed of 1139.39 mm/min. Moreover, the ANN model can be used to predict line width and line thickness with excellent performance, except for the resistance due to the irregular line edge. This study provides a useful guide for the selection of appropriate printing parameters to realize a diverse range of quality properties for 3D printed conductive lines in integrated circuits.

The reactivation kinetic analysis, molecular docking, and dynamics of oximes against three V-type nerve agents inhibited four human cholinesterases.

Nerve agents pose significant threats to civilian and military populations. The reactivation of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is critical in treating acute poisoning, but there is still lacking broad-spectrum reactivators, which presents a big challenge. Therefore, insights gained from the reactivation kinetic analysis and molecular docking are essential for understanding the behavior of reactivators towards intoxicated AChE. In this research, we present a systematic determination of the reactivation kinetics of three V agents-inhibited four human ChEs [(AChE and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE)) from either native or recombinant resources, namely, red blood cell (RBC) AChE, rhAChE, hBChE, rhBChE) reactivated by five standard oximes. We unveiled the effect of native and recombinant ChEs on the reactivation kinetics of V agents ex vitro, where the reactivation kinetics characteristic of Vs-inhibited BChE was reported for the first time. In terms of the inhibition type, all of the five oxime reactivators exhibited noncompetitive inhibition. The inhibition potency of these reactivators would not lead to the difference in the reactivation kinetics between native and recombinant ChE. Despite the significant differences between the native and recombinant ChEs observed in the inhibition, aging, and spontaneous reactivation kinetics, the reactivation kinetics of V agent-inhibited ChEs by oximes were less differentiated, which were supported by the ligand docking results. We also found differences in the reactivation efficiency between five reactivators and the phosphorylated enzyme, and molecular dynamic simulations can further explain from the perspectives of conformational stability, hydrogen bonding, binding free energies, and amino acid contributions. By Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA) calculations, the total binding free energy trends aligned well with the experimental kr2 values.

Association between the frontoparietal network, clinical symptoms and treatment response in individuals with untreated anorexia nervosa.

Background: Anorexia nervosa (AN) has been characterised as a psychiatric disorder associated with increased control. Currently, it remains difficult to predict treatment response in patients with AN. Their cognitive abilities are known to be resistant to treatment. It has been established that the frontoparietal control network (FPCN) is the direct counterpart of the executive control network. Therefore, the resting-state brain activity of the FPCN may serve as a biomarker to predict treatment response in AN. Aims: The study aimed to investigate the association between resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) of the FPCN, clinical symptoms and treatment response in patients with AN. Methods: In this case-control study, 79 female patients with AN and no prior treatment from the Shanghai Mental Health Center and 40 matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited from January 2015 to March 2022. All participants completed the Questionnaire Version of the Eating Disorder Examination (version 6.0) to assess the severity of their eating disorder symptoms. Additionally, RSFC data were obtained from all participants at baseline by functional magnetic resonance imaging. Patients with AN underwent routine outpatient treatment at the 4th and 12th week, during which time their clinical symptoms were evaluated using the same measures as at baseline. Results: Among the 79 patients, 40 completed the 4-week follow-up and 35 completed the 12-week follow-up. The RSFC from the right posterior parietal cortex (PPC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) increased in 79 patients with AN vs 40 HCs after controlling for depression and anxiety symptoms. By multiple linear regression, the RSFC of the PPC to the inferior frontal gyrus was found to be a significant factor for self-reported eating disorder symptoms at baseline and the treatment response to cognitive preoccupations about eating and body image, after controlling for age, age of onset and body mass index. The RSFC in the dlPFC to the middle temporal gyrus and the superior frontal gyrus may be significant factors in the treatment response to binge eating and loss of control/overeating in patients with AN. Conclusions: Alterations in RSFC in the FPCN appear to affect self-reported eating disorder symptoms and treatment response in patients with AN. Our findings offer new insight into the pathogenesis of AN and could promote early prevention and treatment.

Mechanisms of tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment formation in esophageal cancer.

As a highly invasive malignancy, esophageal cancer (EC) is a global health issue, and was the eighth most prevalent cancer and the sixth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide in 2020. Due to its highly immunogenic nature, emer-ging immunotherapy approaches, such as immune checkpoint blockade, have demonstrated promising efficacy in treating EC; however, certain limitations and challenges still exist. In addition, tumors may exhibit primary or acquired resistance to immunotherapy in the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME); thus, understanding the TIME is urgent and crucial, especially given the im-portance of an immunosuppressive microenvironment in tumor progression. The aim of this review was to better elucidate the mechanisms of the suppressive TIME, including cell infiltration, immune cell subsets, cytokines and signaling pathways in the tumor microenvironment of EC patients, as well as the downregulated expression of major histocompatibility complex molecules in tumor cells, to obtain a better understanding of the differences in EC patient responses to immunotherapeutic strategies and accurately predict the efficacy of immunotherapies. Therefore, personalized treatments could be developed to maximize the advantages of immunotherapy.

KIAA1429 regulates lung adenocarcinoma proliferation and metastasis through the PI3K/AKT pathway by modulating ARHGAP30 expression.

BACKGROUND: Alterations in epigenetic factors are recognized as key contributors to the emergence of human cancer. The active and reversible alteration of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA is crucial for controlling gene activity and determining cellular destiny. Even with these insights, the triggering of KIAA1429 (also called VIRMA) and its role in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is mostly unclear. As a result, the objective of this study was to elucidate how KIAA1429 contributes to cancer development in LUAD. METHODS: This study utilized multiple methods for investigation, encompassing the in vitro functional examination of KIAA1429 in lung adenocarcinoma cells, transcriptome sequencing, methylation RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq), as well as RNA stability tests to ascertain the half-life and stability of the target genes. RESULTS: The results indicated that modifying the expression of KIAA1429 regulated the proliferation and metastasis of LUAD. By employing transcriptome sequencing alongside MeRIP-seq analysis, the research pinpointed genes affected by m6A alterations triggered by KIAA1429. In a more detailed manner, it was discovered that KIAA1429 plays a regulatory role in the expression of ARHGAP30. Suppressing KIAA1429 results in reduced m6A levels in the mRNA of the target gene ARHGAP30, boosting its stability and expression, thus inhibiting tumor proliferation and metastasis. CONCLUSION: This study revealed the activation mechanism and pivotal function of KIAA1429 in LUAD tumor development, paving the way for molecular-based interventions for LUAD.

Interfacial Second-Harmonic Generation via Superposition of Symmetries in a Double-Resonance-Enhanced Plasmonic Nanocavity.

Second-harmonic generation (SHG) has rapidly advanced with the miniaturization of on-chip devices and has found many applications, including optical frequency conversion, nonlinear imaging, and quantum technology. However, owing to the obvious phase-matching constraints involved in nonlinear optical interactions in bulk crystals and the decrease in the length and strength of nonlinear interactions in nanophotonic and surface/interface systems, improving the SHG efficiency and manipulating its optical properties at the nanoscale are challenging tasks. Herein, a monocrystalline silver microplate and nanocube-coupled nanocavity with double-resonance plasmonic modes and an ultrasmall gap were constructed, resulting in efficiently enhanced SHG. In particular, the SHG from the silver microplate (111) is polarization-dependent, and the anisotropy of the SHG in the plasmonic nanocavity can be further controlled via the superposition of symmetries at the interface and plasmonic waveguide-cavity modes. The interfacial SHG provides technology for developing lattice surface atomic arrangement and nanostructure rapid characterization, nonlinear light sources, and on-chip nonlinear nanophotonic devices.

Facile Synthesis of Fe-Doped, Algae Residue-Derived Carbon Aerogels for Electrochemical Dopamine Biosensors.

An abnormal level of dopamine (DA), a kind of neurotransmitter, correlates with a series of diseases, including Parkinson's disease, Willis-Ekbom disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and schizophrenia. Hence, it is imperative to achieve a precise, rapid detection method in clinical medicine. In this study, we synthesized nanocomposite carbon aerogels (CAs) doped with iron and iron carbide, based on algae residue-derived biomass materials, using Fe(NO3)3 as the iron source. The modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for DA detection, denoted as CAs-Fe/GCE, was prepared through surface modification with this composite material. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction characterization confirmed the successful doping of iron into the as-prepared CAs. Additionally, the electrochemical behavior of DA on the modified electrode surface was investigated and the results demonstrate that the addition of the CAs-Fe promoted the electron transfer rate, thereby enhancing their sensing performance. The fabricated electrochemical DA biosensor exhibits an accurate detection of DA in the concentration within the range of 0.01~200 µM, with a detection limit of 0.0033 µM. Furthermore, the proposed biosensor is validated in real samples, showing its high applicability for the detection of DA in beverages.

Obesity and lipid indices as predictors of depressive symptoms in middle-aged and elderly Chinese: insights from a nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Depressive symptoms are one of the most common psychiatric disorders, with a high lifetime prevalence rate among middle-aged and elderly Chinese. Obesity may be one of the risk factors for depressive symptoms, but there is currently no consensus on this view. Therefore, we investigate the relationship and predictive ability of 13 obesity- and lipid-related indices with depressive symptoms among middle-aged and elderly Chinese. METHODS: The data were obtained from The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Our analysis includes individuals who did not have depressive symptoms at the baseline of the CHARLS Wave 2011 study and were successfully follow-up in 2013 and 2015. Finally, 3790 participants were included in the short-term (from 2011 to 2013), and 3660 participants were included in the long-term (from 2011 to 2015). The average age of participants in short-term and long-term was 58.47 years and 57.88 years. The anthropometric indicators used in this analysis included non-invasive [e.g. waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), and a body mass index (ABSI)], and invasive anthropometric indicators [e.g. lipid accumulation product (LAP), triglyceride glucose index (TyG index), and its-related indices (e.g. TyG-BMI, and TyG-WC)]. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to examine the predictive ability of various indicators for depressive symptoms. The association of depressive symptoms with various indicators was calculated using binary logistic regression. RESULTS: The overall incidence of depressive symptoms was 20.79% in the short-term and 27.43% in the long-term. In males, WC [AUC = 0.452], LAP [AUC = 0.450], and TyG-WC [AUC = 0.451] were weak predictors of depressive symptoms during the short-term (P < 0.05). In females, BMI [AUC = 0.468], LAP [AUC = 0.468], and TyG index [AUC = 0.466] were weak predictors of depressive symptoms during the long-term (P < 0.05). However, ABSI cannot predict depressive symptoms in males and females during both periods (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The research indicates that in the middle-aged and elderly Chinese, most obesity- and lipid-related indices have statistical significance in predicting depressive symptoms, but the accuracy of these indicators in prediction is relatively low and may not be practical predictors.

Electroacupuncture blocked motor dysfunction and gut barrier damage by modulating intestinal NLRP3 inflammasome in MPTP-induced Parkinson's disease mice.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder commonly accompanied by gut dysfunction. EA has shown anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. Here, we aim to explore whether EA can treat Parkinson's disease by restoring the intestinal barrier and modulating NLRP3 inflammasome. We applied 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) to establish a PD mouse model and EA at the GV16, LR3, and ST36 for 12 consecutive days. The open-field test results indicated that EA alleviated depression and behavioral defects, upregulated the expressions of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and blocked the accumulation of α-synuclein (α-syn) in the midbrain. Moreover, EA blocked the damage to intestinal tissues of PD mice, indicative of suppressed NLRP3 inflammasome activation and increased gut barrier integrity. Notably, the antibiotic-treated mouse experiment validated that the gut microbiota was critical in alleviating PD dyskinesia and intestinal inflammation by EA. In conclusion, this study suggested that EA exhibited a protective effect against MPTP-induced PD by alleviating behavioral defects, reversing the block of motor dysfunction, and improving the gut barrier by modulating intestinal NLRP3 inflammasome. Above all, this study could provide novel insights into the pathogenesis and therapy of PD.