OsLESV and OsESV1 promote transitory and storage starch biosynthesis to determine rice grain quality and yield.

Transitory starch is an important carbon source in leaves, and its biosynthesis and metabolism are closely related to grain yield and quality. The molecular mechanisms controlling leaf transitory starch biosynthesis and degradation and their effects on rice (Oryza sativa) yield and quality are unclear. Here, we showed that OsLESV and OsESV1, the rice orthologs of AtLESV and AtESV1, are associated with transitory starch biosynthesis in rice. The total starch and amylose contents in leaves and endosperm were significantly reduced, and the final grain quality and yield were compromised in oslesv and osesv1 single and oslesv esv1 double mutants. Further, we found that OsLESV and OsESV1 bind to starch and that this binding depends on a highly conserved C-terminal tryptophan-rich region that acts as a starch-binding domain. Importantly, OsLESV and OsESV1 also interact with the key enzymes of starch biosynthesis, GBSSI, GBSSII, and PPDKB, and maintain their protein stability and activity levels. OsLESV and OsESV1 also assist in targeting GBSSI and GBSSII from plastid stroma to starch granules. Overexpressing GBSSI, GBSSII, and PPDKB partly rescued the phenotypic defects of the oslesv and osesv1 mutants. Thus, we demonstrated that OsLESV and OsESV1 play a key role in regulating the biosynthesis of both leaf transitory starch and endosperm storage starch in rice. These findings enhance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying transitory starch biosynthesis in rice leaves and reveal how transitory starch metabolism affects rice grain quality and yield, providing useful information for the genetic improvement of rice grain quality and yield.

Candidate Gene Identification and Transcriptome Analysis of Tomato male sterile-30 and Functional Marker Development for ms-30 and Its Alleles, ms-33, 7B-1, and stamenless-2.

Male sterility is a valuable trait for hybrid seed production in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). The mutants male sterile-30 (ms-30) and ms-33 of tomato exhibit twisted stamens, exposed stigmas, and complete male sterility, thus holding potential for application in hybrid seed production. In this study, the ms-30 and ms-33 loci were fine-mapped to 53.3 kb and 111.2 kb intervals, respectively. Tomato PISTILLATA (TPI, syn. SlGLO2), a B-class MADS-box transcription factor gene, was identified as the most likely candidate gene for both loci. TPI is also the candidate gene of tomato male sterile mutant 7B-1 and sl-2. Allelism tests revealed that ms-30, ms-33, 7B-1, and sl-2 were allelic. Sequencing analysis showed sequence alterations in the TPI gene in all these mutants, with ms-30 exhibiting a transversion (G to T) that resulted in a missense mutation (S to I); ms-33 showing a transition (A to T) that led to alternative splicing, resulting in a loss of 46 amino acids in protein; and 7B-1 and sl-2 mutants showing the insertion of an approximately 4.8 kb retrotransposon. On the basis of these sequence alterations, a Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR marker, a sequencing marker, and an Insertion/Deletion marker were developed. Phenotypic analysis of the TPI gene-edited mutants and allelism tests indicated that the gene TPI is responsible for ms-30 and its alleles. Transcriptome analysis of ms-30 and quantitative RT-PCR revealed some differentially expressed genes associated with stamen and carpel development. These findings will aid in the marker-assisted selection for ms-30 and its alleles in tomato breeding and support the functional analysis of the TPI gene.

Zeaxanthin impairs angiogenesis and tumor growth of glioblastoma: An in vitro and in vivo study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the therapeutic effects of Zeaxanthin (Zea), one of the oxidized xanthophyll carotenoids belonging to the isoprenoids, on inhibiting the angiogenesis and tumor growth of glioblastoma (GBM) via an in vitro and in vivo study. METHODS: The effects of Zea on the proliferation, adhesion, migration and invasion of human GBM cell lines were detected by cell proliferation assay, cell adhesion assay and Transwell assay. The effect of Zea on angiogenesis was detected by rat aortic ring assay and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in vitro tube formation assay. The effects of Zea on PARP, Caspase 3 and VEGFR2 phosphorylation as well as VEGFR2's downstream signaling pathway were detected by Western blot. The in vivo human GBM xenograft mouse model was employed to study the therapeutic efficacy of Zea. RESULTS: Zea impaired the proliferation, adhesion, migration and invasion of U87 and U251 cells as well as HUVECs. Rat aortic ring experiments displayed Zea significantly inhibited angiogenesis during VEGF-induced microvascular germination. In vitro and in vivo vascular experiments verified that Zea inhibited VEGF-induced HUVEC proliferation and capillary-like tube formation. Additionally, Zea induced GBM cells apoptosis via increasing the expression of cleaved PARP and Caspase 3. In HUVECs and U251 GBM cells, Zea down-regulated VEGF-induced activation of the VEGFR2 kinase pathway. Meanwhile the expression of p-AKT, p-ERK, p-STAT3 and FAK were all attenuated in U251 cells. Moreover, the effects of Zea on GBM cells proliferation could be blocked by VEGFR2 kinase inhibitor SU5408. These results suggest that Zea may hinder GBM angiogenesis and tumor growth through down-regulating a cascade of oncogenic signaling pathways, both through the inhibition of angiogenesis and the anti-tumor mechanism of a direct cytotoxic effect. Besides, Zea inhibits GBM angiogenesis and tumor growth exemplified through a xenograft mouse model in vivo. CONCLUSION: Zea impairs angiogenesis and tumor growth of GBM both in vitro and in vivo. It can be declared that Zea is a potential valuable anticancer candidate for the future treatment strategy of GBM.

Artificial Intelligence in Liver Diseases: Recent Advances.

Liver diseases cause a significant burden on public health worldwide. In spite of great advances during recent years, there are still many challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases. During recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has been widely used for the diagnosis, risk stratification, and prognostic prediction of various diseases based on clinical datasets and medical images. Accumulative studies have shown its performance for diagnosing patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and liver fibrosis and assessing their severity, and for predicting treatment response and recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma, outcomes of liver transplantation recipients, and risk of drug-induced liver injury. Herein, we aim to comprehensively summarize the current evidence regarding diagnostic, prognostic, and/or therapeutic role of AI in these common liver diseases.

Observation on Short-Term Therapeutic Effect of Electroacupuncture on Compensatory Hypertrophy Of Gastrocnemius Muscle: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: In Oriental women, having thick and short legs is a common posture problem, and having an imperfect lower leg shape is one of the factors that can cause feelings of inferiority. To address this issue, a retrospective cohort study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of electroacupuncture in improving compensatory hypertrophy of the gastrocnemius muscle while also reducing side effects. The goal of this study is to improve the clinical treatment plan for this type of problem. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted between December 2020 and March 2022 at the Changhai Hospital of Shanghai, Shanghai, China. This study included 80 patients who were divided into two equal groups - the infrared (IR) group and the electroacupuncture (EA) group, based on the type of treatment they received during the research. The EA group received electroacupuncture and infrared treatment, while the IR group used an infrared therapeutic instrument to irradiate their lower legs on both sides. The main outcome measures were 3 calf circumference levels and the cross-sectional area of the gastrocnemius muscle in two-dimensional ultrasound. The secondary outcome measure was the incidence of adverse events. Results: According to the data, before the treatment there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in calf circumference and ultrasound gastrocnemius cross-sectional area. After the treatment, the value of each calf circumference level and ultrasound gastrocnemius cross-sectional area were significantly lower than the value collected before the treatment in the EA Group. However, there is no significant change in the data of the infrared therapeutic group before and after treatment. By comparing the data between the 2 groups we collected after the treatment, the value of each calf circumference level and ultrasound gastrocnemius cross-sectional area of the EA group is significantly lower than that of the IR group. Only 8 patients suffered from lower limb pain and other discomfort after treatment, and these symptoms did not cause dissatisfaction. Conclusion: Electroacupuncture is an effective treatment for compensatory hypertrophy of the gastrocnemius muscle.

Primary Budd-Chiari syndrome versus sinusoidal obstruction syndrome: a review.

Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) and sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) are two major vascular disorders of the liver, of which both can cause portal hypertension related complications, but their locations of obstruction are different. BCS refers to the obstruction from the hepatic vein to the junction between the inferior vena cava and right atrium, which is the major etiology of post-sinusoidal portal hypertension; by comparison, SOS is characterized as the obstruction at the level of hepatic sinusoids and terminal venulae, which is a cause of sinusoidal portal hypertension. Both of them can cause hepatic congestion with life-threatening complications, especially acute liver failure and chronic portal hypertension, and share some similar features in terms of imaging and clinical presentations, but they have heterogeneous risk factors, management strategy, and prognosis. Herein, this paper reviews the current evidence and then summarizes the difference between primary BCS and SOS in terms of risk factors, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment.

Disruption of LPA-LPAR1 pathway results in lung tumor growth inhibition by downregulating B7-H3 expression in fibroblasts.

BACKGROUND: Lysophosphatidic acids (LPAs) belong to a class of bioactive lysophospholipids with multiple functions including immunomodulatory roles in tumor microenvironment (TME). LPA exerts its biological effects via its receptors that are highly expressed in fibroblasts among other cell types. As cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a key component of the TME, it is important to understand LPA signaling and regulation of receptors in fibroblasts or CAFs and associated regulatory roles on immunomodulation-related molecules. METHODS: Cluster analysis, immunoblotting, real-time quantitative-PCR, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system, immunohistochemical staining, coculture model, and in vivo xenograft model were used to investigate the effects of LPA-LPAR1 on B7-H3 in tumor promotion of CAFs. RESULTS: In this study, we found that LPAR1 and CD276 (B7-H3) were generally highly expressed in fibroblasts with good expression correlation. LPA induced B7-H3 up-expression through LPAR1, and stimulated fibroblasts proliferation that could be inhibited by silencing LPAR1 or B7-H3 as well as small molecule LPAR1 antagonist (Ki16425). Using engineered fibroblasts and non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cell lines, subsequent investigations demonstrated that CAFs promoted the proliferation of NSCLC in vitro and in vivo, and such effect could be inhibited by knocking out LPAR1 or B7-H3. CONCLUSION: The present study provided new insights for roles of LPA in CAFs, which could lead to the development of innovative therapies targeting CAFs in the TME. It is also reasonable to postulate a combinatory approach to treat malignant fibrous tumors (such as NSCLC) with LPAR1 antagonists and B7-H3 targeting therapies.

Nrf2 signaling pathway: current status and potential therapeutic targetable role in human cancers.

Cancer is a borderless global health challenge that continues to threaten human health. Studies have found that oxidative stress (OS) is often associated with the etiology of many diseases, especially the aging process and cancer. Involved in the OS reaction as a key transcription factor, Nrf2 is a pivotal regulator of cellular redox state and detoxification. Nrf2 can prevent oxidative damage by regulating gene expression with antioxidant response elements (ARE) to promote the antioxidant response process. OS is generated with an imbalance in the redox state and promotes the accumulation of mutations and genome instability, thus associated with the establishment and development of different cancers. Nrf2 activation regulates a plethora of processes inducing cellular proliferation, differentiation and death, and is strongly associated with OS-mediated cancer. What's more, Nrf2 activation is also involved in anti-inflammatory effects and metabolic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and multidrug resistance. Nrf2 is highly expressed in multiple human body parts of digestive system, respiratory system, reproductive system and nervous system. In oncology research, Nrf2 has emerged as a promising therapeutic target. Therefore, certain natural compounds and drugs can exert anti-cancer effects through the Nrf2 signaling pathway, and blocking the Nrf2 signaling pathway can reduce some types of tumor recurrence rates and increase sensitivity to chemotherapy. However, Nrf2's dual role and controversial impact in cancer are inevitable consideration factors when treating Nrf2 as a therapeutic target. In this review, we summarized the current state of biological characteristics of Nrf2 and its dual role and development mechanism in different tumor cells, discussed Keap1/Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway and its downstream genes, elaborated the expression of related signaling pathways such as AMPK/mTOR and NF-κB. Besides, the main mechanism of Nrf2 as a cancer therapeutic target and the therapeutic strategies using Nrf2 inhibitors or activators, as well as the possible positive and negative effects of Nrf2 activation were also reviewed. It can be concluded that Nrf2 is related to OS and serves as an important factor in cancer formation and development, thus provides a basis for targeted therapy in human cancers.

14-Day Vonoprazan-Based Bismuth Quadruple Therapy for Treatment-Naïve Patients with Helicobacter pylori Infection: A Retrospective Comparative Study.

Background: Until now, there is little evidence regarding clinical efficacy of 14-day vonoprazan-based bismuth quadruple therapy (BQT) for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication. Methods: Overall, 65 treatment-naïve patients with H. pylori infection who received 14-day vonoprazan-based BQT regimen (VBCA, n=17) or pantoprazole-based BQT regimen (PBCA, n=48) for H. pylori eradication were retrospectively included. Results: Neither successful H. pylori eradication (88.2% versus 91.7%, p=1.000) nor adverse event (52.9% versus 64.6%, p=0.397) was significantly different between VBCA and PBCA groups. Conclusion: Vonoprazan seems to be as effective and safe as pantoprazole during a 14-day BQT regimen in treatment-naïve patients with H. pylori infection.

Optical absorption enhancement in inhomogeneous InGaN nanowire arrays photocathode.

In the development of surface structures, nanowire arrays (NWAS) have been widely studied because of their trapping effect. In this paper, the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method is used to simulate homogeneous and inhomogeneous NWAS. We studied the influence of the structural parameters of InGaN NWAS and inhomogeneous arrays on optical response properties. The optical response includes light absorptivity and cutoff wavelength sensitivity. The simulation results show that the inhomogeneous NWAS can increase the effective transmission distance of light on the surface, thus greatly improving the optical absorption capacity of InGaN NWAS. We can obtain high sensitivity of cut-off wavelength by adjusting the structural parameters of the side nanowires. We find that by reducing the diameters and heights of the side nanowires, a higher light absorption rate can be obtained, which is a 5% improvement compared to uniform NWAS. Therefore, the research in this paper can provide some theoretical reference for the experiment and preparation of InGaN photocathodes.

Acupoint Application Combined with Acupoint Massage for Treating Constipation in a Patient with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common and frequent disease in elderly patients, with a tendency for progressive exacerbation. Constipation that reduces the quality of life and triggers the risk of diseases is a common concomitant symptom in patients with COPD. Currently, western medical treatment does not achieve the desired results for patients. A high recurrence rate accompanies it, whereas traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a long history and rich experience in treating chronic diseases. Both acupoint application and acupoint massage are characteristic therapies of TCM, with minor side effects, high safety, simple operation, and outstanding advantages. They are effective in treating constipation for patients with COPD and are considered an ideal alternative therapy for patients with chronic constipation. The purpose of this article is to introduce the method of acupoint application combined with acupoint massage for the treatment of constipation in patients with COPD, including the selection of points, items, treatment time, and operation procedure.

Exploration on structural stability, electronic and optical properties of Cs-activated and Cs/O-activated Al0.5Ga0.5N thin film and nanowire photocathode surface.

To explore effects of surface activation on AlGaN-based photocathode, this paper analyzes in detail the structural stability, charge transfer, band structure, density of states, absorption coefficient and reflectivity of Cs-activated and Cs/O-activated Al0.5Ga0.5N thin films and nanowires by using first-principles. Our results reveal that adsorption energy of Al0.5Ga0.5N thin films and nanowires adsorbed by Cs will gradually increase as Cs coverage increases, and structural stability will be weakened. Cs-adsorbed thin film surfaces are more stable than nanowire when Cs coverage is same. Cs/O co-adsorbed Al0.5Ga0.5N systems are more stable under high Cs coverage. And Cs/O co-adsorbed Al0.5Ga0.5N possess the most stable structure when the ratio of Cs to O is 2:1. Band structure and density of states imply that Cs and O adsorption introduce new energy levels, which are derived from s, p orbitals of Cs and s orbitals of O, respectively. Furthermore, only when the Cs/O ratio is 2:1, the work function of Al0.5Ga0.5N thin film is lower than that of Cs-only adsorption, which is conducive to electron escape and improving quantum efficiency. Results of optical properties show that Cs activation and Cs/O activation can greatly improve the optical performance of Al0.5Ga0.5N.

Krüppel-like factor 12 regulates aging ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis by repressing SPHK1 transcription and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) production.

Oxidative stress triggered by aging, radiation, or inflammation impairs ovarian function by inducing granulosa cell (GC) apoptosis. However, the mechanism inducing GC apoptosis has not been characterized. Here, we found that ovarian GCs from aging patients showed increased oxidative stress, enhanced reactive oxygen species activity, and significantly decreased expression of the known antiapoptotic factor sphingosine-1-phosphate/sphingosine kinase 1 (SPHK1) in GCs. Interestingly, the expression of Krüppel-like factor 12 (KLF12) was significantly increased in the ovarian GCs of aging patients. Furthermore, we determined that KLF12 was significantly upregulated in hydrogen peroxide-treated GCs and a 3-nitropropionic acid-induced in vivo model of ovarian oxidative stress. This phenotype was further confirmed to result from inhibition of SPHK1 by KLF12. Interestingly, when endogenous KLF12 was knocked down, it rescued oxidative stress-induced apoptosis. Meanwhile, supplementation with SPHK1 partially reversed oxidative stress-induced apoptosis. However, this function was lost in SPHK1 with deletion of the binding region to the KLF12 promoter. SPHK1 reversed apoptosis caused by hydrogen peroxide-KLF12 overexpression, a result further confirmed in an in vitro ovarian culture model and an in vivo 3-nitropropionic acid-induced ovarian oxidative stress model. Overall, our study reveals that KLF12 is involved in regulating apoptosis induced by oxidative stress in aging ovarian GCs and that sphingosine-1-phosphate/SPHK1 can rescue GC apoptosis by interacting with KLF12 in negative feedback.

Hormetic effects of EGC and EGCG on CES1 activity and its rescue from oxidative stress in rat liver S9.

Carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) is a hydrolytic enzyme that plays an important role in the activation or deactivation of many therapeutic agents, thus affecting their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic outcomes. Using rat liver S9 as an enzyme source and enalapril as a CES1 substrate, the present study examined effects of a number of flavonoids on the formation of enalaprilat (the active form of enalapril) produced by CES1-mediated hydrolysis. While a majority of flavonoids tested showed inhibition on CES1, an unexpected hormetic effect was observed for epigallocatechin (EGC) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), i.e., stimulatory effect at low concentrations and enzyme inhibition at high concentrations. Further experiments revealed that oxidative stress caused by hydrogen peroxide, arachidonic acid plus iron, and oxidized low density lipoproteins (oxLOL) reduced CES1 activity in rat liver S9 and the loss of CES1 enzyme activity could be rescued largely by EGC or EGCG. In contrast, such effects were minimal in human liver S9, probably due to the presence of a higher ratio of reduced vs oxidized forms of glutathione. The above findings suggest that the polyphenolic nature of EGC or EGCG might be responsible for rescuing CES1 activity under oxidative stress. Because of the importance of CES1 in drug activation or deactivation and rat liver S9 as a versatile in vitro system used for drug metabolism studies and drug safety assessment, caution should be exercised to avoid potential biases for data interpretation and decision making when CES1 activity in rat liver S9 is evaluated with dependency on experimental conditions.

Fine Mapping of fw6.3, a Major-Effect Quantitative Trait Locus That Controls Fruit Weight in Tomato.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a widely consumed vegetable, and the tomato fruit weight is a key yield component. Many quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling tomato fruit weight have been identified, and six of them have been fine-mapped and cloned. Here, four loci controlling tomato fruit weight were identified in an F2 population through QTL seq.; fruit weight 6.3 (fw6.3) was a major-effect QTL and its percentage of variation explanation (R2) was 0.118. This QTL was fine-mapped to a 62.6 kb interval on chromosome 6. According to the annotated tomato genome (version SL4.0, annotation ITAG4.0), this interval contained seven genes, including Solyc06g074350 (the SELF-PRUNING gene), which was likely the candidate gene underlying variation in fruit weight. The SELF-PRUNING gene contained a single-nucleotide polymorphism that resulted in an amino acid substitution in the protein sequence. The large-fruit allele of fw6.3 (fw6.3HG) was overdominant to the small-fruit allele fw6.3RG. The soluble solids content was also increased by fw6.3HG. These findings provide valuable information that will aid the cloning of the FW6.3 gene and ongoing efforts to breed tomato plants with higher yield and quality via molecular marker-assisted selection.

Auditory affective content facilitates time-to-contact estimation of visual affective targets.

Reacting to a moving object requires an ability to estimate when a moving object reaches its destination, also referred to as the time-to-contact (TTC) estimation. Although the TTC estimation of threatening visually moving objects is known to be underestimated, the effect of the affective content of auditory information on visual TTC estimation remains unclear. We manipulated the velocity and presentation time to investigate the TTC of a threat or non-threat target with the addition of auditory information. In the task, a visual or an audiovisual target moved from right to left and disappeared behind an occluder. Participants' task was to estimate the TTC of the target, they needed to press a button when they thought that the target contacted a destination behind the occluder. Behaviorally, the additional auditory affective content facilitated TTC estimation; velocity was a more critical factor than presentation time in determining the audiovisual threat facilitation effect. Overall, the results indicate that exposure to auditory affective content can influence TTC estimation and that the effect of velocity on TTC estimation will provide more information than presentation time.

Hormone replacement therapy alone or in combination with tamoxifen in women with thin endometrium undergoing frozen-thawed embryo transfer: A retrospective study.

Research question: To investigate the effects of two protocols (hormone replacement therapy (HRT) alone or in combination with tamoxifen) on the endometrium and pregnancy outcome of patients with thin endometrium in frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles. Design: A total of 465 infertile patients with thin endometrium who underwent FET between January 2020 to June 2021 at the Drum Tower Hospital affiliated with Nanjing University Medical School were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 187 patients were given tamoxifen in addition to HRT (TMXF-HRT group), whereas 278 patients were given only HRT (HRT group). Clinical data were compared between the two groups, including general characteristics, endometrial thickness, and clinical pregnancy outcomes. Results: There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics of all enrolled patients between two groups. Serum progesterone (P) was higher in HRT group than in the TMXF-HRT group (0.28 ± 0.53 ng/mL vs. 0.15 ± 0.25 ng/mL, P = 0.002). There was a significant increase in endometrial thickness in the TMXF-HRT group compared with the HRT group (OR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.32-1.75, P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the clinical pregnancy rate, embryo implantation rate, early miscarriage rate, or live birth rate between these two groups. Conclusion: Although tamoxifen when used in combination with hormone replacement therapy can significantly increase endometrial thickness, it may not have a role in improving the pregnancy outcomes of patients with thin endometrium undergoing FET cycles.

Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation Improves Postoperative Sleep Quality in Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Gastrointestinal Tumor Surgery: A Prospective, Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: This study was conducted to observe the effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on the postoperative sleep quality of patients undergoing gastrointestinal tumor surgery and to verify the possible mechanism. METHODS: Eighty-three patients were allocated to the TEAS or Sham group. Patients in the TEAS group received TEAS treatment (disperse-dense waves; frequency, 2/100 Hz) on bilateral Shenmen (HT7), Neiguan (PC6) and Zusanli (ST36) points for 30 min each time, total three times in the perioperative period. In the Sham group, electrodes were placed; however, no current was given. Sleep quality was assessed on the day before surgery (P1) and the first and third days after surgery (D1 and D3) using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS). Postoperative pain was assessed using visual analog scale (VAS) 72 h postoperatively. The incidences of abdominal distension, dizziness, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and pulmonary complications were recorded. Serum levels of inflammatory cytokines and the expression of key factors of oxidative stress and key molecules of the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2/antioxidant response element (Nrf2/ARE) signal pathway were measured. RESULTS: TEAS ameliorated sleep quality at D1 and D3 (PSQI P < 0.05, AIS P < 0.05) and decreased postoperative pain as demonstrated by lower VAS scores compared to the Sham group (P < 0.05). The incidences of abdominal distension and PONV were also lower in the TEAS group. Markers of oxidative stress were increased (P < 0.05), and the serum concentration of interleukin-6 (IL-6) was significantly lower in the TEAS group. The key mediators of the Nrf2/ARE pathway were enhanced after TEAS. CONCLUSION: Perioperative TEAS improved postoperative sleep quality, reduced postoperative pain and alleviated postoperative adverse effects in patients undergoing laparoscopic gastrointestinal tumor surgery resection. This may be associated with activating Nrf2/ARE signal pathway and decreasing its inflammatory actions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ( http://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx ), ChiCTR2100054971.

Magnetic covalent organic framework for the adsorption of silver nanoparticles and recycled as surface-enhanced Raman substrate and high-efficiency catalysts for 4-nitrophenol degradation.

A magnetic covalent organic framework Fe3O4@BM was prepared with melamine and 4-4'-biphenyldialdehyde as monomers and used as adsorbent for Ag NP removal. Fe3O4@BM was characterized by zeta potential analysis, transform infrared spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, contact angle, and N2 adsorption-desorption. Fe3O4@BM possessed plentiful amino groups, positive potential, and rapid separation performance, making it a promising adsorbent for silver nanoparticles. The adsorption process followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic equation and Langmuir isotherm model. The maximum adsorption capacity of Ag NPs calculated by the Langmuir isotherm model was 544.9 mg/g. The adsorption product Fe3O4@BM@Ag could be recycled and efficiently catalyze the degradation of 4-nitrophenol within 6 min. Meanwhile, the recycled Fe3O4@BM@Ag could also be used as a surface-enhanced Raman substrate for DTNB detection, and the limit of detection of DTNB reached as low as 10-7 mol/L. This work prepared a promising adsorbent Fe3O4@BM for Ag NP adsorption and provided a sustainable approach for the recycling of the adsorption product Fe3O4@BM@Ag.