Efficacy of Electronic Cigarettes vs Varenicline and Nicotine Chewing Gum as an Aid to Stop Smoking: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Electronic cigarettes (ECs) are often used by smokers as an aid to stopping smoking, but evidence is limited regarding their efficacy compared with nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), and no evidence is available on how their efficacy compares with that of varenicline. Objective: To evaluate whether ECs are superior to NRT and noninferior to varenicline in helping smokers quit. Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a randomized clinical trial conducted at 7 sites in China and including participants who were smoking at least 10 cigarettes per day and motivated to quit, not using stop-smoking medications or EC, and willing to use any of the study products. Participants were first recruited in May 2021, and data analysis was conducted in December 2022. Interventions: A cartridge-based EC (30 mg/mL nicotine salt for 2 weeks and 50 mg/mL after that), varenicline (0.5 mg, once a day for 3 days; 0.5 mg, twice a day for 4 days; and 1 mg, twice a day, after that), and 2 mg (for smokers of ≤20 cigarettes per day) or 4 mg (>20 cigarettes per day) nicotine chewing gum, all provided for 12 weeks and accompanied by minimal behavioral support (an invitation to join a self-help internet forum). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was sustained abstinence from smoking at 6 months as validated by an expired-air carbon monoxide reading (<8 parts per million). Participants lost to follow-up were included as nonabstainers. Results: Of 1068 participants, 357 (33.5%) were female, and the mean (SD) age was 33.9 (3.1) years. A total of 409 (38.3%), 409 (38.3%), and 250 (23.4%) participants were randomized to the EC, varenicline, and NRT arms, respectively. The 6-month biochemically validated abstinence rates were 15.7% (n = 64), 14.2% (n = 58), and 8.8% (n = 22) in the EC, varenicline, and NRT study arms, respectively. The quit rate in the EC arm was noninferior to the varenicline arm (absolute risk reduction, 1.47%; 95% CI, -1.41% to 4.34%) and higher than in the NRT arm (odds ratio, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.15-3.21). Treatment adherence was similar in all study arms during the initial 3 months, but 257 participants (62.8%) in the EC arm were still using ECs at 6 months, with no further use in the 2 other study arms. The most common adverse reactions were throat irritation (32 [7.8%]) and mouth irritation (28 [6.9%]) in the EC arm, nausea (36 [8.8%]) in the varenicline arm, and throat irritation (20 [8.0%]) and mouth irritation (22 [8.8%]) in the NRT arm. No serious adverse events were recorded. Conclusions and Relevance: The results of this randomized clinical trial found that when all treatments were provided with minimal behavior support, the efficacy of EC was noninferior to varenicline and superior to nicotine chewing gum. Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2100048156.

Development and validation of the Olfactory Memory Test Battery (OMTB) based on odors with high- and low-verbalizability.

BACKGROUND: Odor memory is an important field of clinical research for its distinctive characteristics, which differ from those of other sensory systems. To date, several tests have been implemented for the assessment of odor memory. Despite a range of studies demonstrating the importance of verbal mediation in odor memory, few have distinguished odor memory performance in different odor verbalization levels. NEW METHOD: We aimed to develop a standardized odor memory test toolbox with one group of odors that are easily verbally identified and the other group of odors that are difficult to identify. The test contained two odor categories (high- and low-verbalizability odors), each consisting of three subtests (short- and long-term memory and working memory). RESULTS: Satisfactory test-retest reliability and solid validity of the odor recognition and working memory test were shown in both odor categories. Moreover, people scored significantly better with high- than low-verbalizability odors. A negative age effect on odor memory performance was also found. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS: No previous odor memory test distinguished odor memory performance in different odor verbalization levels, while the Olfactory Memory Test Battery (OMTB) contains high- and low-verbalizability odors and each category has three subtests. CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicated the OMTB is a comprehensive assessment of odor memory with good reliability and validity. All subtests can be used separately or in combination with each other according to the clinical and research needs.

Hydrocephalus and Growth Retardation: A Fetal RNU4ATAC-opathy Missed by Whole-Exome Sequencing.

Introduction: Whole-exome sequencing (WES) is becoming widely available in prenatal diagnosis. However, as with most scientific methods, WES also has its limitations. The aim of the study was to report a fetal case of RNU4ATAC-opathy which was missed by prenatal WES. Case Presentation: A 28-year-old healthy primigravida was revealed by ultrasound at 20 + 3 weeks of gestation to have a fetus with ventriculomegaly (left 15.1 mm/right 11.9 mm), hypoplastic vermis, and mild growth retardation. Chromosomal microarray analysis and trio WES failed to detect a pathogenic copy number variation and sequence variant. A repeat ultrasound at 23 + 3 weeks showed worsened growth delay and hydrocephalus (left 20.3 mm/right 11.0 mm) with vermis hypoplasia and agenesis of corpus callosum. Further study with whole-genome sequencing (WGS) detected 2 missense mutations of the noncoding RNU4ATAC (NR_023343.1) gene, n.51G>A (rs188343279) and n.16G>A (rs750325275), in the fetus, which were inherited from the father and mother, respectively. Discussion: Our study highlights the limitation of WES. WGS might be a clinical option for patients who have a structurally abnormal fetus tested negative by WES.

Odour identification impairment is a trait but not a disease-specific marker for bipolar disorders: Comparisons of bipolar disorder with different episodes, major depressive disorder and schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: Olfactory deficits have been reported in bipolar disorder, but this finding is controversial. This study investigated whether olfactory deficit can serve as a specific marker for bipolar disorder by comparing olfactory function in different mood episodes of bipolar disorder. We also compared olfactory function in bipolar disorder and other mental disorders - namely, major depressive disorder and schizophrenia. METHODS: The study consisted of two experiments. Experiment 1 enrolled 175 bipolar disorder patients (70 depressed subgroup, 70 manic subgroup and 35 euthymic subgroup) and 47 controls. Experiment 2 enrolled the participants from Experiment 1, along with 85 major depressive disorder and 90 schizophrenia patients. The Sniffin' Sticks test was used to evaluate odour identification ability and odour threshold (as a measure of odour sensitivity). The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Young Mania Rating Scale were used to assess depressive symptoms in all subjects and manic symptoms in bipolar disorder patients, respectively. We also used the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale to assess clinical symptoms in schizophrenia patients. RESULTS: All three bipolar disorder patient subgroups (depressed, manic and euthymic subgroup) showed reduced odour identification ability compared to controls; however, only patients in the acute phase of a mood episode (depressed, and manic subgroup) showed impaired odour sensitivity. Clinical symptoms were negatively correlated with odour sensitivity but not odour identification ability. Bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder patients showed less odour identification and sensitivity impairment than schizophrenia patients. CONCLUSION: Odour sensitivity is a potential dopaminergic marker for distinguishing between bipolar disorder patients in acute phase vs remission, while odour identification is a trait but a nonspecific marker of bipolar disorder.

Early-Onset Schizophrenia Showed Similar but More Severe Olfactory Identification Impairment Than Adult-Onset Schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: "Early-onset schizophrenia" (EOS) is defined as disease with onset before the age of 18 years. This subset of schizophrenia exhibits worse cognitive function and carries a worse prognosis than adult-onset schizophrenia (AOS). Olfactory impairment has been found in patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. However, most research has focused on olfactory impairment in patients with AOS: olfactory function in EOS is not known. The aim of this study was to investigate the olfactory identification ability in EOS, and its relationship with negative symptoms. METHODS: We compared olfactory function between two independent samples: 40 patients with EOS and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs); as well as 40 patients with AOS and 40 age- and sex-matched HCs. The University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test was administered. RESULTS: The EOS group and AOS group exhibited worse olfactory identification ability than HCs; impairment correlated significantly with negative symptoms. Olfactory identification was worse in patients suffering EOS compared with those suffering AOS. CONCLUSION: Olfactory identification impairment may be a trait marker of schizophrenia.

Chemosensory Anhedonia in Patients With Schizophrenia and Individuals With Schizotypy: A Questionnaire Study.

Anhedonia, the loss or decline of the ability to enjoy pleasure, is an important clinical characteristic of schizophrenia. Schizotypal traits refer to the appearance of subclinical symptoms of schizophrenia across normal people. Still, few studies have investigated chemosensory anhedonia in schizophrenia patients and schizotypy individuals. Seventy-one schizophrenia patients (SCZ), 162 schizotypy individuals (SCT) as selected by the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ), and 182 healthy controls (HC) participated in our study. We used the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) to measure the clinical symptoms of schizophrenia patients. All participants completed the Chemosensory Pleasure Scale (CPS), which was used to assess participants' smell and taste hedonic capacities. We found that the three groups differed in chemosensory anhedonia. The SCZ group presented more severe chemosensory anhedonia than the SCT group, and the SCT group presented more severe chemosensory anhedonia than the HC group. We also found that chemosensory hedonic capacity was negatively correlated with negative schizotypal traits in the SCT group. Our results suggested that chemosensory anhedonia is an important characteristic of schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

The Mediator Effect of Meaningfulness on the Relationship Between Schizotypy Traits and Suicidality.

Introduction: Previous studies have found that schizotypy can predict suicide, and that meaningfulness has influential effects on suicidality in the general population. However, it is still not clear whether meaningfulness is associated with suicidality in individuals with schizotypy. The aim of this study was to assess the mediating effects of meaningfulness in the relationship between schizotypy and suicidality. Method: We recruited 2,615 university students (including undergraduates and postgraduates; mean age = 18.35, SD = 0.81; males, 39%) to participate in our study, and used the Meaningful Life Measure (Chinese, revised) to assess their experiences of meaningfulness, the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire (Chinese version) to evaluate participants' suicidal thoughts and attempts, and the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire to examine their personal schizotypal traits. Results: Meaningfulness was found to be inversely related to the other two factors, and schizotypy was positively associated with suicidality. The correlation between schizotypy and suicidality was reduced when meaningfulness was included, which may suggest that meaningfulness can partly mediate this relationship, accounting for 55.47% of the association. Conclusions: Prior research has suggested that assessing meaningfulness could provide more detailed information about suicide risk in individuals with schizotypy. Our study found that improving perceptions of meaningfulness can be an effective intervention in reducing suicide risk among people with schizotypy.

Role of LINC00152 in non-small cell lung cancer.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for about 85% of all lung cancer cases. The pathogenesis of NSCLC involves complex gene networks that include different types of non-coding RNAs, such as long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). The role of lncRNAs in NSCLC is gaining an increasing interest as their function is being explored in various human cancers. Recently, a new oncogenic lncRNA, LINC00152 (cytoskeleton regulator RNA (CYTOR)), has been identified in different tumor types. In NSCLC, the high expression of LINC00152 in tumor tissue and peripheral blood samples has been shown to be associated with worse prognoses of NSCLC patients. Overexpression of LINC00152 has been confirmed to promote the proliferation, invasion, and migration of NSCLC cells in vitro, as well as increase tumor growth in vivo. This review discusses the role of LINC00152 in NSCLC.

[Isolation and screening of a phytate phosphate-solubilizing Paenibacillus sp. and its growth-promoting effect on rice seeding]. / ä¸€æ ªæº¶æ¤é ¸ç£·ç±»èŠ½å­¢æ†èŒçš„åˆ†ç¦»ç­›é€‰åŠå¯¹æ°´ç¨»å¹¼è‹—çš„ä¿ƒç”Ÿä½œç”¨.

The phosphate-solubilizing medium plate screening and heavy metal resistance rescreening were used to isolate a phosphate-solubilizing bacterium (coded ZLT11) from the rhizosphere of Mikania micrantha. Results from 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that the strain ZLT11 belonged to Paenibacillus sp. The amount of phosphorus solubilized from calcium phytate and phytic acid by the ZLT11 was 84.10 and 73.84 mg·L-1, respectively. The maximum phosphate solubilizing activity to calcium phytate (95.66 mg·L-1) was at 30 ℃ and initial pH 9.0. The strain ZLT11 displayed the tolerance to ≤ 400 mg·L-1 Pb 2+, ≤ 100 mg·L-1 Cd 2+, and ≤ 40 mg·L-1 Hg 2+. With calcium phytate as phosphorus source, the inoculation strain ZLT11 treatment increased the average root length, root number, seedling height and total biomass of rice seedlings by 106.7%, 76.6%, 49.0% and 46.3%, respectively. The strain ZLT11 could improve rice seedlings growth under Cd stress.

[Leaf functional traits and nutrient resorption among major silviculture tree species in coastal sandy site.] / æ»¨æµ·æ²™åœ°ä¸»è¦é€ æž—æ ‘ç§å¶ç‰‡åŠŸèƒ½æ€§çŠ¶åŠå »åˆ†é‡å¸æ”¶ç‰¹å¾.

To understand the adaptative strategies of different tree species to drought and nutrient-deficient environment in coastal sandy site, leaf functional traits and nutrient resorption of four major silviculture tree species, i.e., Casuarina equisetifolia, Pinus elliottii, Acasia crassicarpa and Eucalyptus urophylla × E. grandis were analyzed. Leaf area and specific leaf area of coniferous species (C. equisetifolia and P. elliottii) were significantly lower, and leaf dry matter content and leaf thickness were significantly higher than those of broadleaved species (A. crassicarpa and E. urophy-lla × E. grandis). Nitrogen and P contents of mature leaf and leaf litter in broadleaved species were higher than those in coniferous species. Nitrogen and P contents of mature leaf were higher than those in leaf litter, but N:P was lower than that in leaf litter. Nitrogen and P resorption efficiencies were higher in coniferous species than those in broadleaved species. The P resorption efficiency in all species was significantly higher than N resorption efficiency. The N resorption efficiency of C. equisetifolia, P. elliottii, A. crassicarpa and E. urophylla × E. grandis was 64.2%, 63.1%, 47.0% and 16.8%, and the P resorption efficiency was 92.5%, 81.6%, 80.3% and 18.0%, respectively. The specific leaf area was significantly positively correlated with leaf N and P contents, but negatively correlated with leaf dry matter content, leaf thickness, and nutrient resorption efficiency. Leaf dry matter content was significantly positively correlated with leaf thickness and nutrient resorption efficiency. Therefore, C. equisetifolia and P. elliottii belonged to slow investment species with a higher nutrient resorption efficiency, while A. crassicarpa and E. urophylla × E. grandis belonged to fast investment species with lower nutrient resorption efficiency. Different tree species developed different adaptive strategies to coastal sandy environments through the interactions between leaf functional traits and nutrient resorption.

The Complete Chloroplast Genome of a Key Ancestor of Modern Roses, Rosa chinensis var. spontanea, and a Comparison with Congeneric Species.

Rosa chinensis var. spontanea, an endemic and endangered plant of China, is one of the key ancestors of modern roses and a source for famous traditional Chinese medicines against female diseases, such as irregular menses and dysmenorrhea. In this study, the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of R. chinensis var. spontanea was sequenced, analyzed, and compared to congeneric species. The cp genome of R. chinensis var. spontanea is a typical quadripartite circular molecule of 156,590 bp in length, including one large single copy (LSC) region of 85,910 bp and one small single copy (SSC) region of 18,762 bp, separated by two inverted repeat (IR) regions of 25,959 bp. The GC content of the whole genome is 37.2%, while that of LSC, SSC, and IR is 42.8%, 35.2% and 31.2%, respectively. The genome encodes 129 genes, including 84 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 37 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and eight ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. Seventeen genes in the IR regions were found to be duplicated. Thirty-three forward and five inverted repeats were detected in the cp genome of R. chinensis var. spontanea. The genome is rich in SSRs. In total, 85 SSRs were detected. A genome comparison revealed that IR contraction might be the reason for the relatively smaller cp genome size of R. chinensis var. spontanea compared to other congeneric species. Sequence analysis revealed that the LSC and SSC regions were more divergent than the IR regions within the genus Rosa and that a higher divergence occurred in non-coding regions than in coding regions. A phylogenetic analysis showed that the sampled species of the genus Rosa formed a monophyletic clade and that R. chinensis var. spontanea shared a more recent ancestor with R. lichiangensis of the section Synstylae than with R. odorata var. gigantea of the section Chinenses. This information will be useful for the conservation genetics of R. chinensis var. spontanea and for the phylogenetic study of the genus Rosa, and it might also facilitate the genetics and breeding of modern roses.

The Antibiosis Action and Rice-Induced Resistance, Mediated by a Lipopeptide from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens B014, in Controlling Rice Disease Caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae.

In the present study, a lipopeptide (named AXLP14) antagonistic to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) was obtained from the culture supernatant of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens B014. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis demonstrated that AXLP14 consisted of surfactin homologs. The minimum inhibition concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of AXLP14 against Xoo were determined to be 1.25 and 2.50 mg/ml, respectively. At a concentration of 0.613 mg/ml, AXLP14 strongly inhibited the formation of Xoo biofilm. AXLP14 also inhibited the motility of Xoo in a concentration-dependent manner. Applying AXLP14 to rice seedlings significantly reduced the incidence and severity of disease caused by Xoo. In Xoo-infected rice seedlings, AXLP14 strongly and continuously up-regulated the expression of both OsNPR1 and OsWRKY45. In addition, AXLP14 effectively inhibited the Xoo-induced up-regulation of the expression of the abscisic acid biosynthesis gene OsNECD3 and the abscisic acid signalingresponsive gene OsLip9, indicating that AXLP14 may protect rice against Xoo-induced disease by enhancing salicylic acid defense and interfering with the abscisic acid response to virulence.

[Diversity and tissue distribution of fungal endophytes in Alpinia officinarum: an important south-China medicinal plant].

In the present study, terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) technique was applied to assess the diversity and tissue distribution of the fungal endophyte communities of Alpinia officinarum collected from Longtang town in Xuwen county, Guangdong province, China, at which the pharmacological effect of the medicine plant is traditional considered to be the significantly higher than that in any other growth areas in China. A total of 28 distinct Terminal-Restriction Fragment (T-RFs) were detected with HhaI Mono-digestion targeted amplified fungal nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region sequences (rDNA ITS) from the root, rhizome, stem, and leaf internal tissues of A. officinarum plant, indicating that at least 28 distinct fungal species were able to colonize the internal tissue of the host plant. The rDNA ITS-T-RFLP profiles obtained from different tissues of the host plant were obvious distinct. And the numbers of total T-RFs, and the dominant T-RFs detected from various tissues were significantly different. Based on the obtained T-RFLP profiles, Shannon's diversity index and the Shannon's evenness index were calculated, which were significantly different among tissues (P < 0.05). Furthermore, two types of active chemicals, total volatile oils by water vapor distillation method and galangin by methanol extraction-HPLC method, were examined in the each tissue of the tested plant. Both of tested components were detected in all of the four tissues of the medicine plant with varying contents. And the highest was in rhizome tissue. Correlation analysis revealed there were significant negative correlations between both of the tested active components contents and calculated Shannon's diversity index, as well as the Shannon's evenness index of the fungal endophyte communities of the host plant (P = 0, Pearson correlation coefficient ≤ -0.962), and significant positive correlations between both of the tested active components contents and 325 bp dominant T-RF linkage to Pestalotiopsis (P = 0, Pearson correlation coefficient ≥ 0.975). In conclusion, A. officinarum is colonized by diverse fungal endophytes communities. The diversity of the fungal endophytes was found in the A. officinarum varied with differences of the tissue types of the host plants and was closely correlated with the accumulation of main active components, total volatile oils and galangin contents in the host plant tissue.

Characterization of bacteria in the rhizosphere soils of Polygonum pubescens and their potential in promoting growth and Cd, Pb, Zn uptake by Brassica napus.

Microbe-enhanced phytoremediation has been considered as a promising measure for the remediation of metal-contaminated soils. In this study, two bacterial strains JYX7 and JYX10 were isolated from rhizosphere soils of Polygonum pubescens grown in metal-polluted soil and identified as of Enterobacter sp. and Klebsiella sp. based on 16S rDNA sequences, respectively. JYX7 and JYX10 showed high Cd, Pb and Zn tolerance and increased water-soluble Cd, Pb and Zn concentrations in culture solution and metal-added soils. Two isolates produced plant growth-promoting substances such as indole acetic acid, siderophore, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic deaminase, and solubilized inorganic phosphate. Based upon their ability in metal tolerance and solubilization, two isolates were further studied for their effects on growth and accumulation of Cd, Pb, and Zn in Brassica napus (rape) by pot experiments. Rapes inoculated with JYX7 and JYX10 had significantly higher dry weights, concentrations and uptakes of Cd, Pb, Zn in both above-ground and root tissues than those without inoculation grown in soils amended with Cd (25 mg kg(-1)), Pb (200 mg kg(-1)) or Zn (200 mg kg(-1)). The present results demonstrated that JYX7 and JYX10 are valuable microorganism, which can improve the efficiency of phytoremediation in soils polluted by Cd, Pb, and Zn.

[Determination of trace elements in cardiocrinum giganteum by FAAS].

Conditions for simultaneous determination of multi-tract elements in Cardiocrinum giganteum by flame atomic absorption spectrometry were studied. Elements K, Ca, Na, Mg, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu and Cr in different growth periods of Cardiocrinum giganteum were determined, the relative standard deviation of the method is between 0.20% and 2.1%, and the recovery is between 97.8% and 104.9%. Analytical results were satisfactory. The results showed that some elements essential to human such as Zn, K, Ca, Mg and Mn in Cardiocrinum giganteum are abundant, implying that the nutritive value of Cardiocrinum giganteum is high.

[Effect of Terric acid on the growth, cellular morphology and macromolecular synthesis of C. albicans].

Terric acid,an antifungal metabolites produced by a marine mold Aspergillus flavis No. 179, was isolated and purified. The effects of terric acid at different concertrations on the growth and cellular morphology of C. albicans AS2, 538 were studied by the method of liquid dilution. The substance inhibits the growth of C. albicans AS2,538 obviously at low concentration and has fungicidal action at high concentration. The minimum inhibiting concentrations (MIC) and minimum lethal concentrations (MLC) on C. albicans AS2,538 were 6.25 microg/mL and 50 microg/mL, respectively. At Sub-MIC (3.13 microg/mL), terric acid inhibited the formation of pseudo-hyphal of C. albicans AS2, 538 and caused cell morphological change. After addition of terric acid to the medium to final concentration of 50 microg/mL, cell morphology of C. albicans AS2, 538 was irregular and some cells turned bigger and disrupted. The effects of terric acid on the synthesis of macromolecules, DNA, RNA or proteins of C. albicans AS2, 538 were estimated by measurement of incorporation of radioactive precursors, 14C-Thymidine, 3H-Uridine or 14 C-Valine, respectively. When C. albicans AS2, 538 was incubated for 4h in 5 g/mL terric acid medium, the incorporation of radioactive isoleucine and uridine decreased 47.8%, 70.7%, respectively, Compared with controls incubated in commonly medium. However, the incorporation of [3H]thymidine did not have significant change. This results indicated that terric acid inhibits the synthesis of protein and RNA but have no effect on DNA synthesis in a C. albicans AS2,538.