Real-time imaging of ipsilateral parathyroid glands by retrograde injection of methylene blue into the superior thyroid artery: a new intraoperative parathyroid protection method.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative hypoparathyroidism caused by parathyroid injury is a problem faced by thyroid surgeons. The current technologies for parathyroid imaging all have some defects. METHODS: Patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) who underwent unilateral thyroidectomy plus ipsilateral central lymph node dissection were recruited. We dissected the main trunk of the superior thyroid artery entering the thyroid gland and placed the venous indwelling tube into the artery. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 132 patients enrolled in this single-arm clinical trial, 105 of them completed retrograde catheterization via the superior artery. The sensitivity was 69.23 and 83.33% respectively. The specificity was 72.91 and 64.89%. The accuracy was 72.91 and 64.89%. The PPV was 85.71 and 81.08%. The NPV was 22.58 and 45.45%. There were no patients with allergic reactions to the methylene blue, or methylene blue toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: Retrograde injection of methylene blue via the superior thyroid artery is an effective and safe method to visualize parathyroid glands. This method can accurately locate the target organ by ultraselecting the blood vessel and injecting the contrast agent while avoiding background contamination and reducing the amount of contrast agent. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trial registration numbers and date of registration: ChiCTR2300077263、02/11/2023.

Optimizing energy efficiency in induction skull melting process: investigating the crucial impact of melting system structure.

Induction skull melting (ISM) technology could melt metals with avoiding contamination from crucible. A long-standing problem of ISM is that the low charge energy utilization and inhomogeneous fields have obstructed its application in many critical metal materials and manufacturing processes. The present work investigated the problem through the structure optimization strategy and established a numerical electromagnetic-field model to evaluate components' eddy current loss. Based on the model, the effect of crucible and inductor structure on charge energy utilization, etc. was studied. Furtherly, the charge energy utilization was increased from 27.1 to 45.89% by adjusting the system structure. Moreover, structure modifications are proposed for enhancing electromagnetic intensity and uniformity, charge soft contact and uniform heating. The work constructed a basis for framing new solutions to the problem through ISM device structure optimization.

Horizontal transfer characterization of ColV plasmids in blaCTX-M-bearing avian Escherichia coli.

Extended-spectrum-ß-lactamases (ESBLs)-producing Escherichia coli conferred resistance to most ß-lactams, except for carbapenems. To date, the transmission mechanism of blaCTX-M, as the most common ESBLs subtype, in E. coli has received sustained attention around the worldwide, but the research on the pathogenicity of blaCTX-M-bearing E. coli is still scarce. The aims of this study were to discern the spread characteristics of ColV (encoding colicin V) plasmids in blaCTX-M-positive E. coli. The multi-drug resistance traits, phylogroups, and ColV plasmid profilings were screened in 76 blaCTX-M-positive E. coli. Thereafter, the genetic profiles of E. coli G12 and GZM7 were determined by whole genome sequencing, conjugation and S1-pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. The median lethal dose was analyzed in E. coli G12 and TG12A, the ColV-plasmid transconjugant of G12. Of all 76 blaCTX-M-bearing E. coli, 67.11% exhibited resistance to at least 2 drugs in addition to ceftiofur, 14.47% carried ColV-positive plasmids, and 53.95% were phylogroup C. Further studies demonstrated that the blaCTX-M-bearing E. coli G12 was assigned to the predominant lineage O78:H4-ST117 of phylogroup G. In addition, its ColV-positive plasmid simultaneously carried multiple resistance genes, and could be independently transferred to confer partial pathogenicity on its host by plasmid mating. E. coli GZM7 was O53:H9-ST23 of phylogroup C, which belonged to another representative lineage of APEC (avian pathogenic E. coli). Its ColV-positive plasmid could complete conjugation with the help of the other coexisting-resistance conjugative plasmid, although it failed to transfer alone. Our findings highlight the flexibly horizontal transfer of ColV plasmids along with multidrug-resistant genes among blaCTX-M-bearing E. coli poses a threat to poultry health and food safety, which contributes to elucidate the concept of "One Health" and deserves particular concern.

Fabrication of a novel HKUST-1/CoFe2O4/g-C3N4 electrode for the electrochemical detection of ciprofloxacin in physiological samples.

In this work, a novel HKUST-1/CoFe2O4/g-C3N4 electrode was successfully prepared via the hydrothermal method and the high-temperature calcination method, which can be applied as an electrochemical sensor for the precise detection of ciprofloxacin (CIP) in physiological samples. The novel electrode was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and its electrochemical performance was further evaluated via the cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) techniques. The results demonstrated that the HKUST-1/CoFe2O4/g-C3N4 electrode exhibited an optimal linear range of 0.05-180 µmol L-1 for the CIP detection, which demonstrated a low limit of detection (LOD) of 0.0026 µmol L-1 and a low limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 0.0087 µmol L-1, respectively. Additionally, the novel semiconductor sensors exhibited exceptional selectivity, stability and repeatability in the determination of CIP. The recovery rate of CIP was found to range from 98.00% to 104.00% in serum, with the relative standard deviations (RSD) below 2.62% (n = 5), while the recovery rate of CIP was found to range from 96.00% to 105.00%, with the RSD less than 3.23% (n = 5) in urine. The current study extends to the application of the semiconductor-based electrochemical sensors and offers a new approach for the clinical pharmaceutical analysis to ensure medication safety, which could provide valuable insights into the potential of semiconductor sensors for future clinical applications.

The dynamic variation position and predominant quasispecies of hepatitis B virus: Novel predictors of early hepatocarcinoma.

To find the predictors of early HCC based on the dynamic changes of HBV quasispecies, this study utilizing the second-generation sequencing (NGS) and high-order multiplex droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) technology to examine the HBV quasispecies in serum of total 247 subjects recruited from high-incidence area of HCC. In the discovery stage, 15 non-synonymous Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) with higher variant proportion in HCC case group were founded (all P<0.05). Furthermore, the variant proportions in some of these SNPs were observed changing regularly within 5 years before the onset of HCC, and 5 of them located in HBX, 2 in HBS and 2 in HBC. The HBV predominant quasispecies and their consensus sequences were identified by genetic evolution analysis, in which the high HBS and HBC quasispecies heterogeneity were found associated with the forming of multifarious quasispecies clones, and the HBX gene had the highest proportion of predominant quasispecies (46.7 % in HBX vs 12.7 % and 13.8 % in HBS and HBC respectively) with the key variations (G1512A, A1630G, T1753C/G/A, A1762T and G1764A) determined. In the validation stage, we confirmed that the combined double mutations of G1512A+A1630G, A1762T+G1764A, and the combined triple mutations of T1753C/G/A + A1762T+G1764A, all expressed higher in early HCC cases when comparing with control group (all P<0.05). We also demonstrated the advantages of ddPCR using in multi-variations detection in large-sample for early HCC surveillance and screening. So we think that the dynamic of key HBV variation positions and their different combinations determined by quasispecies anlysis in this study can act as the novel predictors of early hepatocarcinoma and suitable to popularize and apply in HCC screening.

Research on Coix seed as a food and medicinal resource, it's chemical components and their pharmacological activities: A review.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Coix lacryma-jobi var. ma-yuen (Romanet du Caillaud) Stapf is a plant of the genus Coix in the Gramineae family. Coix seed is cultivated in various regions throughout China. In recent years, with the research on the medicinal value of Coix seed, it has received more and more widespread attention from people. Numerous pharmacological effects of Coix seed have been demonstrated through modern pharmacological studies, such as hypoglycemia, improving liver function, anti-tumor, regulating intestinal microbiota, improving spleen function, and anti-inflammatory effects. AIMS OF THE STUDY: This article is a literature review. In recent years, despite the extensive research on Coix seed, there has yet to be a comprehensive review of its traditional usage, medicinal resources, chemical components, and pharmacological effects is still lacking. To fill this gap, the paper provides an overview of the latest research progress on Coix seed, aiming to offer guidance and references for its further development and comprehensive utilization. MATERIAL AND METHODS: To gather information on the traditional usage, phytochemical ingredients, and pharmacological properties of Coix seed, we conducted a literature search using both Chinese and English languages in five databases: PubMed, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Springer. RESULTS: This article is a literature review. The chemical constituents of Coix seed include various fatty acids, esters, polysaccharides, sterols, alkaloids, triterpenes, tocopherols, lactams, lignans, phenols, flavonoids and other constituents. Modern pharmacological research has indeed shown that Coix seed has many pharmacological effects and is a natural anti-tumor drug. In addition to its anti-tumor effect, it also has pharmacological effects such as hypoglycemia, improving liver function, regulating intestinal microbiota, improving spleen function, and anti-inflammatory effects. CONCLUSIONS: This article provides a brief overview of the traditional uses, biotechnological applications, chemical components, and pharmacological effects of Coix seed. It highlights the importance of establishing quality standards, discovering new active ingredients, and exploring pharmacological mechanisms in Coix seed research. The article also emphasizes the significance of clinical trials, toxicology studies, pharmacokinetics data, and multidisciplinary collaboration for further advancements in this field. Overall, it aims to enhance understanding of Coix seed and its potential in pharmaceutical development and wellness products.

Development of A Nomogram for Progression-free Survival in Patients with Stage II/T3N0 Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma to Explore Different Treatment Modalities.

Purpose To explore the prognostic value of clinical and serological risk factors for progression-free survival (PFS) in stage II and T3N0 nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and construct a nomogram based on these factors. Additionally, to investigate the long-term survival and short-term toxic reactions of patients in different risk stratification under different treatment modalities. Methods The patients were randomly divided into training and validation cohorts in a 7:3 ratio. Independent prognostic factors were identified using Cox regression analysis, and a nomogram was constructed by combining these predictive factors with the TNM staging system. The nomogram was then validated in the validation cohort, and patients were classified into different risk groups based on the nomogram. The PFS, overall survival (OS), and acute toxicities were compared among different treatment modalities after balancing baseline characteristics. Results Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that pathological type, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were independent prognostic factors(p<0.05) in this study. The nomogram showed good prognostic accuracy in both the training and validation cohorts (C-index of 0.73 and 0.70, respectively). In the different risk subgroups, there were no statistically significant differences in PFS and OS between radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy groups(p>0.05). The treatment modality of combined chemotherapy was associated with more acute toxic reactions. Conclusion We established and validated a nomogram for predicting PFS in patients with stage II/T3N0 NPC. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) combined with chemotherapy did not provide additional survival benefits for these patients and was associated with more chemotherapy-related side effects.

Multi-Omics Analyses Unravel Metabolic and Transcriptional Differences in Tender Shoots from Two Sechium edule Varieties.

Chaylte vine, the tender shoot of Sechium edule, is popular among vegetable consumers because of its high nutritional content, crisp texture, and unique flavor. Existing studies on the nutrient composition of chaylte vines are mostly simple chemical determinations, which have limited the breeding of specialized cultivars and the development of related industries. Using metabolomics combined with transcriptomics, this study analyzed the metabolic characteristics and related molecular mechanisms of two common varieties of chaylte vines: green-skinned (SG) and white-skinned (SW). Between the two varieties, a total of 277 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) and 739 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Furthermore, chemical assays demonstrated that the SW exhibited a higher total flavonoid content and antioxidant capacity. In conclusion, it was found that the SG samples exhibited a higher diversity of flavonoid subclasses compared to the SW samples, despite having a lower total flavonoid content. This inconsistent finding was likely due to the differential expression of the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and chalcone synthase (CHS) genes in the two varieties. These results laid the foundation for investigating the mechanisms involved in flavonoid regulation and the breeding of specialized S. edule cultivars for chaylte vine production.

Recent advances in targeting leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 as a potential strategy for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease. Several single gene mutations involved in PD have been identified such as leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2), the most common cause of sporadic and familial PD. Its mutations have attracted much attention to therapeutically targeting this kinase. To date, many compounds including small chemical molecules with diverse scaffolds and RNA agents have been developed with significant amelioration in preclinical PD models. Currently, five candidates, DNL201, DNL151, WXWH0226, NEU-723 and BIIB094, have advanced to clinical trials for PD treatment. In this review, we describe the structure, pathogenic mutations and the mechanism of LRRK2, and summarize the development of LRRK2 inhibitors in preclinical and clinical studies, trying to provide an insight into targeting LRRK2 for PD intervention in future.

Selection of two intrathoracic anastomosis methods for transabdominal radical surgery for Siewert type II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction.

Introduction: The most common intrathoracic anastomosis techniques for Siewert type II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG) are the overlap and transorally inserted anvil (OrVil) methods. However, the criteria for choosing between these two methods require further study. Aim: This retrospective study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of overlap versus OrVil anastomosis in transabdominal radical surgery for Siewert type II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction. Material and methods: A total of 34 patients with Siewert type II AEG who underwent transabdominal radical surgery and intrathoracic anastomosis with the overlap or OrVil methods at our center from January 2018 to June 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The relevant surgical and postoperative complication data of the two groups were collected and analyzed. Results: Clinical characteristics: the mean tumor size was 7.5 ±2.4 cm in the OrVil group and 4.3 ±1.9 cm in the overlap group (p < 0.05). Surgery: the distance from the upper resection margin of the esophagus to the tumor was 3.2 ±0.84 cm in the OrVil group and 2.4 ±0.6 cm in the overlap group (p < 0.05). Postoperative complications: there were two cases of pleural effusion in the OrVil group and 18 cases of pleural effusion in the overlap group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: There is no significant difference between the OrVil and overlap anastomosis in terms of the feasibility and safety; however, OrVil anastomosis can provide a higher margin of resection of the esophagus and is suitable for tumors with extensive esophageal invasion.

Multi-Scale Dynamic Graph Learning for Brain Disorder Detection With Functional MRI.

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) has been widely used in the detection of brain disorders such as autism spectrum disorder based on various machine/deep learning techniques. Learning-based methods typically rely on functional connectivity networks (FCNs) derived from blood-oxygen-level-dependent time series of rs-fMRI data to capture interactions between brain regions-of-interest (ROIs). Graph neural networks have been recently used to extract fMRI features from graph-structured FCNs, but cannot effectively characterize spatiotemporal dynamics of FCNs, e.g., the functional connectivity of brain ROIs is dynamically changing in a short period of time. Also, many studies usually focus on single-scale topology of FCN, thereby ignoring the potential complementary topological information of FCN at different spatial resolutions. To this end, in this paper, we propose a multi-scale dynamic graph learning (MDGL) framework to capture multi-scale spatiotemporal dynamic representations of rs-fMRI data for automated brain disorder diagnosis. The MDGL framework consists of three major components: 1) multi-scale dynamic FCN construction using multiple brain atlases to model multi-scale topological information, 2) multi-scale dynamic graph representation learning to capture spatiotemporal information conveyed in fMRI data, and 3) multi-scale feature fusion and classification. Experimental results on two datasets show that MDGL outperforms several state-of-the-art methods.

Learning to Fuse Multiple Brain Functional Networks for Automated Autism Identification.

Functional connectivity network (FCN) has become a popular tool to identify potential biomarkers for brain dysfunction, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Due to its importance, researchers have proposed many methods to estimate FCNs from resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) data. However, the existing FCN estimation methods usually only capture a single relationship between brain regions of interest (ROIs), e.g., linear correlation, nonlinear correlation, or higher-order correlation, thus failing to model the complex interaction among ROIs in the brain. Additionally, such traditional methods estimate FCNs in an unsupervised way, and the estimation process is independent of the downstream tasks, which makes it difficult to guarantee the optimal performance for ASD identification. To address these issues, in this paper, we propose a multi-FCN fusion framework for rs-fMRI-based ASD classification. Specifically, for each subject, we first estimate multiple FCNs using different methods to encode rich interactions among ROIs from different perspectives. Then, we use the label information (ASD vs. healthy control (HC)) to learn a set of fusion weights for measuring the importance/discrimination of those estimated FCNs. Finally, we apply the adaptively weighted fused FCN on the ABIDE dataset to identify subjects with ASD from HCs. The proposed FCN fusion framework is straightforward to implement and can significantly improve diagnostic accuracy compared to traditional and state-of-the-art methods.

Succinate pretreatment attenuates intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting necroptosis and inflammation via upregulating Klf4.

Intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is a common pathophysiological process in various diseases, and the disruption of the intestinal barrier composed of tight junction proteins is the initiating factor, which then leads to a large number of bacteria and endotoxins in the intestine into the bloodstream causing stress and distant organ damage. The release of inflammatory mediators and abnormal programmed death of intestinal epithelial cells are important factors of intestinal barrier damage. Succinate is an intermediate product of the tricarboxylic acid cycle with anti-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic activities, but its role in the maintenance of intestinal barrier homeostasis after I/R has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we explored the effect of succinate on intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury and the possible mechanism of its role by flow cytometry, western blotting, real-time quantitative PCR and immunostaining. The results of pretreatment with succinate in the mouse intestinal I/R model and IEC-6 cells hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R) model revealed a reduction in tissue damage, necroptosis and associated inflammation due to ischemia-reperfusion. Furthermore, it was found that the protective effect of succinate pretreatment may be associated with the transcriptional upregulation of the inflammatory protein KLF4 and the protective effect of intestinal barrier of succinate was diminished after inhibition of KLF4. Thus, our results suggest that succinate can exert a protective effect in intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury through upregulation of KLF4 and also demonstrate the potential therapeutic value of succinate pretreatment in acute I/R injury of the intestine.

Experimental study on the atomization characteristics and dust removal efficiency of a fan-shaped nozzle for purifying working environment.

The inadequacy of the existing research in characterizing the atomization performance of the whole atomization field by the local region at nozzle axis hinders the improvement of dust removal performance of a spray system, especially for fan-shaped nozzles with large atomization angle. To solve this inadequacy, 88 measuring points were designed in this study to reveal the spatial distribution characteristics of atomization parameters of a fan-shaped pressure atomization nozzle using a 3D Fiber Phase-Doppler Anemometer. Moreover, the atomization performance and dust removal performance of the whole atomization field under different spray pressures were characterized. The results showed that the spatial distribution of atomization parameters in the axis and radial direction of the nozzle was inhomogeneous. As the axial distance from the nozzle outlet increased, the average droplet size showed a trend of first decreasing and then increasing, the proportion of the droplet of 15-70 µm showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing, while the average droplet velocity and droplet flux showed a decreasing trend. In addition, the spray orientation was perpendicular to gravity, and the atomization field was parallel to gravity, resulting in a significant difference in the average droplet size between the upper region and the axis. Compared with the upper and lower regions, the atomization effect at the axis was superior, manifested by higher average droplet velocity and droplet flux, indicating that characterizing nozzle atomization performance with atomization parameters at the axis will lead to overestimation. The increase of spray pressure can improve atomization performance and dust removal efficiency to a certain extent, but the improvement effect had a limit. The atomization field can be divided into atomization region, expansion region and contraction region, and the expansion region was considered as an effective dust removal region. These findings provide reference for the design and operation of a spray system.

Effect of temperature and storage methods on liquid digestate: Focusing on the stability, phytotoxicity, and microbial community.

Identifying the stability and phytotoxicity of liquid digestate (LD) is necessary for safe agricultural utilization. Storage temperature, method, and time are critical factors that affect the stability and phytotoxicity of LD. This study therefore aimed to explore the dynamics of stability, phytotoxicity, and microbial community of LD in cattle farms under different storage conditions. The results showed that the contents of solids, organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorous decreased during storage and exhibited temperature dependency. Conversely, the seed germination index increased, which was negatively correlated with dissolved organic carbon and ammonium nitrogen and positively correlated with certain bacteria (Thermovirga and Fastidiosipila). Open storage and/or higher temperature were found to contribute to the stabilization efficiency and phytotoxicity disappearance of LD. Open storage of LD at 30 °C for 60 days and 20 °C for 90 days was safe for its agricultural utilization, while hermetic storage of LD at 30 °C for 120 days and 20 °C for 150 days was safe. However, for storage at 10 °C for 180 days, additional post-treatment is required.

The Abnormal Proliferation of Hepatocytes is Associated with MC-LR and C-Terminal Truncated HBX Synergistic Disturbance of the Redox Balance.

Background: Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) are associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the concentrations of MC-LR in drinking water and the synergistic effect of MC-LR and HBV on hepatocellular carcinogenesis through their disturbance of redox balance have not been fully elucidated. Methods: We measured the MC-LR concentrations in 168 drinking water samples of areas with a high incidence of HCC. The relationships between MC-LR and both redox status and liver diseases in 177 local residents were analyzed. The hepatoma cell line HepG2 transfected with C-terminal truncated hepatitis B virus X gene (Ct-HBX) were treated with MC-LR. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured. Cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis were assessed with cell activity assays, scratch and transwell assays, and flow cytometry, respectively. The mRNA and protein expression-related redox status genes were analyzed with qPCR and Western blotting. Results: The average concentration of MC-LR in well water, river water and reservoir water were 57.55 ng/L, 76.74 ng/L and 132.86 ng/L respectively, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The MC-LR levels in drinking water were correlated with liver health status, including hepatitis, clonorchiasis, glutamic pyruvic transaminase abnormalities and hepatitis B surface antigen carriage (all P values < 0.05). The serum MDA increased in subjects who drank reservoir water and were infected with HBV (P < 0.05). In the cell experiment, ROS increased when Ct-HBX-transfected HepG2 cells were treated with MC-LR, followed by a decrease in SOD and GSH and an increase in MDA. MC-LR combined with Ct-HBX promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion of HepG2 cells, upregulated the mRNA and protein expression of MAOA gene, and downregulated UCP2 and GPX1 genes. Conclusion: MC-LR and HBV may synergistically affect redox status and play an important role in hepatocarcinoma genesis.

Targeting Gastric Cancer Stem Cells to Enhance Treatment Response.

Gastric cancer (GC) was the fourth deadliest cancer in the world in 2020, and about 770,000 people died from GC that year. The death of patients with GC is mainly caused by the metastasis, recurrence, and chemotherapy resistance of GC cells. The cancer stem cell theory defines cancer stem cells (CSCs) as a key factor in the metastasis, recurrence, and chemotherapy resistance of cancer. It considers targeting gastric cancer stem cells (GCSCs) to be an effective method for the treatment of GC. For GCSCs, genes or noncoding RNAs are important regulatory factors. Many experimental studies have found that some drugs can target the stemness of gastric cancer by regulating these genes or noncoding RNAs, which may bring new directions for the clinical treatment of gastric cancer. Therefore, this review mainly discusses related genes or noncoding RNAs in GCSCs and drugs that target its stemness, thereby providing some information for the treatment of GC.

6'-O-Galloylpaeoniflorin attenuates Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis via modulating Nrf2 pathway.

As a common disease of the digestive system, chronic gastritis is inflammation of the gastric mucosa caused by various factors. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is one of the main causes of chronic gastritis, which can lead to gastric mucosal damage and gland atrophy, thereby promoting gastrocarcinogenesis. Oxidative stress and the inflammatory response are important mechanisms of H. pylori-induced gastritis. 6'-O-Galloylpaeoniflorin (GPF) is a substance isolated from peony root with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. However, its role and mechanism in the pathogenesis of H. pylori-induced chronic gastritis remain unclear. This study explored the effects of GPF on H. pylori-induced gastric mucosal oxidative stress and inflammation using flow cytometry, western blotting, real-time quantitative PCR, and immunohistochemistry. We found that H. pylori infection increased oxidative stress and expression of inflammatory cytokines in vitro and in vivo and that these outcomes were inhibited by GPF. Furthermore, GPF activated nuclear factor erythroid-related factor-2 (Nrf2) and its downstream target genes in H. pylori-infected GES-1 cells and mice. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of GPF on H. pylori-infected cells were attenuated by an Nrf2 inhibitor. Taken together, these data suggest that GPF reduces H. pylori-induced gastric mucosa injury by activating Nrf2 signaling and that GPF is a potential candidate for the treatment of H. pylori-associated gastritis.

Changes in Triacylglycerols Content and Quality Control Implications of Coix Seeds during Processing and Storage.

Coix seed is a kind of widespread cereal, and it is used as a folk medicine in China. The present work focuses on the analysis of changes in triacylglycerols (TAGs) content and mycotoxins of coix seed during the processing and storage period for its quality control. Using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with evaporative light-scattering detector (HPLC-ELSD) techniques, 42 lipid components in coix seeds were identified, and seven molecular species of TAG in coix seeds from different localities in China were measured and compared, respectively. A correlation analysis between the morphological features and TAGs contents revealed the integrity instead of the particle size of the seed, displaying a highly positive correlation with its quality. The higher contents of TAGs in hulled coix seed than in polished coix seed proposed an alternative processing way. During storage, the changes in TAGs contents of seeds indicated that the storage period should be less than 3 months, and the intact seeds could maintain lipid stability better than the powder. Furthermore, the air humidity and temperature should be controlled during coix seed storage to prevent the production of mycotoxins. These results provide significant insight into the effective control of coix seed quality during processing and storage.