Long noncoding RNA FTX promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition of epithelial ovarian cancer through modulating miR-7515/TPD52 and activating Met/Akt/mTOR.

Overexpressed long noncoding RNA FTX is associated with low survival rate of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients, and enhances tumor infiltration. Thus, we aim to illuminate the undefined underlying mechanisms. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was applied to detect the expressions of FTX, miR-7515, miR-342-3p, miR-940, miR-150-5p, miR-205-5p and tumor protein D52 (TPD52). Cell counting kit-8 and transwell assays were utilized to explore the cell viability, migration or invasion of EOC cells. Western blot was conducted to measure the expressions of E-cadherin, N-cadherin, Met, phosphorylated (p)-Met, Akt, p-Akt, mTOR and p-mTOR. LncBase and TargetScan predicted the binding of miR-7515 with FTX, and the binding of TPD52 with miR-7515, respectively. The two bindings were further validated by dual luciferase reporter assay. As a result, FTX sponged miR-7515 and miR-7515 targeted to TPD52. FTX was overexpressed in four EOC cell lines. Overexpressed FTX or miR-7515 inhibitor enhanced the cell viability, migration or invasion of EOC cells, elevated N-cadherin and TPD52 expressions, phosphorylated Met/Akt/mTOR, and inhibited E-cadherin expression. All these influences were subsequently reversed by silencing of FTX and miR-7515 mimic. Collectively, FTX regulates miR-7515/TPD52 to facilitate the migration, invasion or epithelial-mesenchymal transition of EOC through activating Met/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

Observational constraints reduce model spread but not uncertainty in global wetland methane emission estimates.

The recent rise in atmospheric methane (CH4 ) concentrations accelerates climate change and offsets mitigation efforts. Although wetlands are the largest natural CH4 source, estimates of global wetland CH4 emissions vary widely among approaches taken by bottom-up (BU) process-based biogeochemical models and top-down (TD) atmospheric inversion methods. Here, we integrate in situ measurements, multi-model ensembles, and a machine learning upscaling product into the International Land Model Benchmarking system to examine the relationship between wetland CH4 emission estimates and model performance. We find that using better-performing models identified by observational constraints reduces the spread of wetland CH4 emission estimates by 62% and 39% for BU- and TD-based approaches, respectively. However, global BU and TD CH4 emission estimate discrepancies increased by about 15% (from 31 to 36 TgCH4 year-1 ) when the top 20% models were used, although we consider this result moderately uncertain given the unevenly distributed global observations. Our analyses demonstrate that model performance ranking is subject to benchmark selection due to large inter-site variability, highlighting the importance of expanding coverage of benchmark sites to diverse environmental conditions. We encourage future development of wetland CH4 models to move beyond static benchmarking and focus on evaluating site-specific and ecosystem-specific variabilities inferred from observations.

Impact of antibody-level on viral shedding in B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant-infected patients analyzed using a joint model of longitudinal and time-to-event data.

Knowledge of viral shedding remains limited. Repeated measurement data have been rarely used to explore the influencing factors. In this study, a joint model was developed to explore and validate the factors influencing the duration of viral shedding based on longitudinal data and survival data. We divided 361 patients infected with Delta variant hospitalized in Nanjing Second Hospital into two groups (≤ 21 days group and > 21 days group) according to the duration of viral shedding, and compared their baseline characteristics. Correlation analysis was performed to identify the factors influencing the duration of viral shedding. Further, a joint model was established based on longitudinal data and survival data, and the Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm was used to explain the influencing factors. In correlation analysis, patients having received vaccination had a higher antibody level at admission than unvaccinated patients, and with the increase of antibody level, the duration of viral shedding shortened. The linear mixed-effects model showed the longitudinal variation of logSARS-COV-2 IgM sample/cutoff (S/CO) values, with a parameter estimate of 0.193 and a standard error of 0.017. Considering gender as an influencing factor, the parameter estimate of the Cox model and their standard error were 0.205 and 0.1093 (P = 0.608), the corresponding OR value was 1.228. The joint model output showed that SARS-COV-2 IgM (S/CO) level was strongly associated with the risk of a composite event at the 95% confidence level, and a doubling of SARS-COV-2 IgM (S/CO) level was associated with a 1.38-fold (95% CI: [1.16, 1.72]) increase in the risk of viral non-shedding. A higher antibody level in vaccinated patients, as well as the presence of IgM antibodies in serum, can accelerate shedding of the mutant virus. This study provides some evidence support for vaccine prevention and control of COVID-19 variants.

Evaluation of using design software to teach students about the removable partial denture framework.

BACKGROUND: Removable partial dentures (RPDs) are widely used as a repair means and have a wide application scope. OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of using design software in the preclinical teaching of removable partial dentures (RPDs). METHODS: Unreal Engine software was used to build the RPD framework design teaching and training software. All 131 undergraduate students majoring in stomatology in the class of 2018, Kunming Medical University, were randomly divided into three groups and received either traditional experiment teaching, flipped classroom teaching, or software teaching for RPD design. The application effect of the software in the preclinical teaching of RPD design was evaluated by analyzing the examination results and through the use of a questionnaire survey. RESULTS: The differences in the theoretical examination scores among the traditional teaching group, the flipped classroom group, and the software teaching group were not statistically significant (P> 0.05), while the average design scores of upper Kennedy Class I and lower Kennedy Class II subclass II in the software teaching group were significantly higher than those in the traditional teaching group (P< 0.05). Overall, 75% of the students in the software teaching group reported that this teaching method could improve their learning initiative, a higher percentage than in the traditional teaching group (55.8%, P< 0.05). Meanwhile, 90.9% of the students in the software teaching group reported that the software could make RPD-related theoretical knowledge more visual and intuitive, and 93.2% of these students felt it was helpful for understanding the RPD three-dimensional (3D) spatial structure. These percentages were higher than those in the traditional teaching and flipped classroom groups (P< 0.05). CONCLUSION: In the preclinical teaching of RPD design, software training helped the students better understand the 3D structure of RPDs and establish clear design ideas, and it may also be valuable for in-depth research and promotion purposes.

Deep Learning-Assisted Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering for Rapid Bacterial Identification.

Bloodstream infection (BSI) is characterized by the presence of viable microorganisms in the bloodstream and may induce systemic immune responses. Early and appropriate antibiotic usage is crucial to effectively treating BSI. However, conventional culture-based microbiological diagnostics are time-consuming and cannot provide timely bacterial identification for subsequent antimicrobial susceptibility test (AST) and clinical decision-making. To address this issue, modern microbiological diagnostics have been developed, such as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), which is a sensitive, label-free, and quick bacterial detection method measuring specific bacterial metabolites. In this study, we aim to integrate a new deep learning (DL) method, Vision Transformer (ViT), with bacterial SERS spectral analysis to build the SERS-DL model for rapid identification of Gram type, species, and resistant strains. To demonstrate the feasibility of our approach, we used 11,774 SERS spectra obtained directly from eight common bacterial species in clinical blood samples without artificial introduction as the training dataset for the SERS-DL model. Our results showed that ViT achieved excellent identification accuracy of 99.30% for Gram type and 97.56% for species. Moreover, we employed transfer learning by using the Gram-positive species identifier as a pre-trained model to perform the antibiotic-resistant strain task. The identification accuracy of methicillin-resistant and -susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA and MSSA) can reach 98.5% with only 200-dataset requirement. In summary, our SERS-DL model has great potential to provide a quick clinical reference to determine the bacterial Gram type, species, and even resistant strains, which can guide early antibiotic usage in BSI.

Thickness-dependent carrier transport of PdSe2films grown by plasma-assisted metal selenization.

Atomically thin narrow-bandgap layered PdSe2has attracted much attention due to its rich and unique electrical properties. For silicon-compatible device integration, direct wafer-scale preparation of high-quality PdSe2thin film on a silicon substrate is highly desired. Here, we present the low-temperature synthesis of large-area polycrystalline PdSe2films grown on SiO2/Si substrates by plasma-assisted metal selenization and investigate their charge carrier transport behaviors. Raman analysis, depth-dependent X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy were used to reveal the selenization process. The results indicate a structural evolution from initial Pd to intermediate PdSe2-xphase and eventually to PdSe2. The field-effect transistors fabricated from these ultrathin PdSe2films exhibit strong thickness-dependent transport behaviors. For thinner films (4.5 nm), a record high on/off ratio of 104was obtained. While for thick ones (11 nm), the maximum hole mobility is about 0.93 cm2V-1S-1, which is the record high value ever reported for polycrystalline films. These findings suggest that our low-temperature-metal-selenized PdSe2films have high quality and show great potential for applications in electrical devices.

Rosmarinic Acid-Grafted Dextran/Gelatin Hydrogel as a Wound Dressing with Improved Properties: Strong Tissue Adhesion, Antibacterial, Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory.

Designing a strong tissue adhesive and multifunctional hydrogel dressing for various skin injuries is still a significant challenge. Based on the bioactive activities of rosmarinic acid (RA) and its catechol structure being similar to dopamine, RA-grafted dextran/gelatin hydrogel (ODex-AG-RA) was designed and systemically characterized in this study. The ODex-AG-RA hydrogel exhibited excellent physicochemical properties, including fast gelation time (61.6 ± 2.8 s), strong adhesive strength (27.30 ± 2.02 kPa) and enhanced mechanical properties (1.31 × 104 Pa of G'). The examination of hemolysis and co-culturing with L929 cells showed the strong in vitro biocompatibility of ODex-AG-RA hydrogels. The ODex-AG-RA hydrogels exhibited a 100% mortality rate against S. aureus and at least 89.7% against E. coli in vitro. In vivo evaluation for efficacy in skin wound healing was carried out in a rat model of full-thickness skindefect. The amount of collagen deposition and CD31 on wounds in the two ODex-AG-RA-1 groups on day 14 was 4.3 times and 2.3 times of that in the control group, respectively. Furthermore, the mechanism of ODex-AG-RA-1 for promoting wound healing was proved to be related to its anti-inflammatory properties by adjusting the expression of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and CD163) and reducing the level of oxidative stress (MDA and H2O2). Overall, this study demonstrated the wound-healing efficacy of RA-grafted hydrogels for the first time. ODex-AG-RA-1 hydrogel, due to its adhesive, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antioxidative activities, was a promising candidate as a wound dressing.

Gab2 plays a carcinogenic role in ovarian cancer by regulating CrkII.

OBJECTIVE: To detect the expression of Growth factor binding protein 2 associated binding protein 2 (Gab2) and CT10 regulator of kinase II (CrkII) in ovarian cancer and analyze their clinical significance. To explore the effects of Gab2 and CrkII on the biological behavior of ovarian cancer cells. To analyze the possible molecular mechanism of Gab2 in the development of ovarian cancer. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of Gab2 and CrkII in ovarian cancer. Chi square test was used to analyze the correlation between Gab2, CrkII and clinical parameters. Using Cox regression model to evaluate the risk factors affecting the prognosis. To analyze the correlation between Gab2, CrkII and survival rate by Kaplan-Meier. Cell experiments were preformed to explore the effects of Gab2 and CrkII on the biological behavior of cells. The interaction between Gab2 and CrkII was explored by immunoprecipitation. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry revealed that high expression of Gab2 and CrkII in ovarian cancer. Patients with high expression of Gab2 or CrkII had higher International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, grade and platinum-resistance recurrence. Multivariate analysis showed that Gab2 and CrkII were independent prognostic factors. Kaplan-Meier curve showed that the higher Gab2 and CrkII were, the poor prognosis the patients had. We observed that the overexpression of Gab2 and CrkII promoted the proliferation, metastasis and reduced chemosensitivity of cells. Conversely, the knockdown of Gab2 and CrkII resulted in the opposite results. In CrkII-knockdown cells, we found that Gab2 mediates biological behavior through CrkII. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of Gab2 and CrkII increase in ovarian cancer. The higher expression of Gab2 and CrkII predict the poor prognosis of patients. Gab2 and CrkII promote the proliferation and migration and reduce the chemosensitivity of cells. Gab2 regulates the biological behaviors of ovarian cancer cells through CrkII.

Pseudohalogen Resurfaced CsPbBr3 Nanocrystals for Bright, Efficient, and Stable Green-Light-Emitting Diodes.

Lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (LHP NCs) are regarded as promising emitters for next-generation ultrahigh-definition displays due to their high color purity and wide color gamut. Recently, the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of LHP NC based light-emitting diodes (PNC LEDs) has been rapidly improved to a level required by practical applications. However, the poor operational stability of the device, caused by halide ion migration at the grain boundary of LHP NC thin films, remains a great challenge. Herein, we report a resurfacing strategy via pseudohalogen ions to mitigate detrimental halide ion migration, aiming to stabilize PNC LEDs. We employ a thiocyanate solution processed post-treatment method to efficiently resurface CsPbBr3 NCs and demonstrate that the thiocyanate ions can effectively inhibit bromide ion migration in LHP NC thin films. Owing to thiocyanate resurfacing, we fabricated LEDs with a high EQE of 17.3%, a maximum brightness of 48000 cd m-2, and an excellent operation half-life time.

Unequal exposure to heatwaves in Los Angeles: Impact of uneven green spaces.

Cities worldwide are experiencing record-breaking summer temperatures. Urban environments exacerbate extreme heat, resulting in not only the urban heat island but also intracity variations in heat exposure. Understanding these disparities is crucial to support equitable climate mitigation and adaptation efforts. We found persistent negative correlations between daytime land surface temperature (LST) and median household income across the Los Angeles metropolitan area based on Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station observations from 2018 to 2021. Lower evapotranspiration resulting from the unequal distribution of vegetation cover is a major factor leading to higher LST in low-income neighborhoods. Disparities worsen with higher regional mean surface temperature, with a $10,000 decrease in income leading to ~0.2°C LST increase at 20°C and up to ~0.7°C at 45°C. With more frequent and intense heat waves projected in the future, equitable mitigation measures, such as increasing surface albedo and tree cover in low-income neighborhoods, are necessary to address these disparities.

A LaCl3-based lithium superionic conductor compatible with lithium metal.

Inorganic superionic conductors possess high ionic conductivity and excellent thermal stability but their poor interfacial compatibility with lithium metal electrodes precludes application in all-solid-state lithium metal batteries1,2. Here we report a LaCl3-based lithium superionic conductor possessing excellent interfacial compatibility with lithium metal electrodes. In contrast to a Li3MCl6 (M = Y, In, Sc and Ho) electrolyte lattice3-6, the UCl3-type LaCl3 lattice has large, one-dimensional channels for rapid Li+ conduction, interconnected by La vacancies via Ta doping and resulting in a three-dimensional Li+ migration network. The optimized Li0.388Ta0.238La0.475Cl3 electrolyte exhibits Li+ conductivity of 3.02 mS cm-1 at 30 °C and a low activation energy of 0.197 eV. It also generates a gradient interfacial passivation layer to stabilize the Li metal electrode for long-term cycling of a Li-Li symmetric cell (1 mAh cm-2) for more than 5,000 h. When directly coupled with an uncoated LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 cathode and bare Li metal anode, the Li0.388Ta0.238La0.475Cl3 electrolyte enables a solid battery to run for more than 100 cycles with a cutoff voltage of 4.35 V and areal capacity of more than 1 mAh cm-2. We also demonstrate rapid Li+ conduction in lanthanide metal chlorides (LnCl3; Ln = La, Ce, Nd, Sm and Gd), suggesting that the LnCl3 solid electrolyte system could provide further developments in conductivity and utility.

SPINK4 promotes colorectal cancer cell proliferation and inhibits ferroptosis.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the role of serine peptidase inhibitor Kazal type 4 (SPINK4) in colorectal cancer (CRC) and ferroptosis. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of SPINK4 on CRC pathogenesis and ferroptosis. METHODS: SPINK4 expression was analyzed in public datasets and examined using immunohistochemistry. The biological function of SPINK4 in CRC cell lines and its effect on ferroptosis were tested. An immunofluorescence assay was performed to determine the location of SPINK4 in cells, and mouse models were established to determine the effects of SPINK4 in vivo. RESULTS: CRC datasets and clinical samples analysis revealed that SPINK4 mRNA and protein levels were significantly reduced in CRC tissues compared to control tissues (P < 0.05). Two CRC cell lines (HCT116 and LoVo) were selected, and the in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that overexpression of SPINK4 greatly promotes the proliferation and metastasis of CRC cells and tumor growth (P < 0.05). The immunofluorescence assay indicated that SPINK4 is mainly located in the nucleoplasm and nucleus of CRC cells. Furthermore, SPINK4 expression was reduced after cell ferroptosis induced by Erastin, and overexpression of SPINK4 greatly inhibited ferroptosis in CRC cells. The results of mouse model further demonstrated that SPINK4 overexpression inhibited CRC cell ferroptosis and facilitated tumor growth. CONCLUSIONS: SPINK4 was decreased in CRC tissues and promoted cell proliferation and metastasis; overexpression of SPINK4 inhibited CRC cell ferroptosis.

Computational Analysis of Vibrational Spectra of Hydrogen Bonds in sII and sH Gas Hydrates.

The amount of energy in natural gas hydrates is thought to be equivalent to twice that of all other fossil fuels combined. However, economic and safe energy recovery has remained a challenge till now. To develop a novel method of breaking the hydrogen bonds (HBs) surrounding the trapped gas molecules, we investigated the vibrational spectra of the HBs of gas hydrates with structure types II and H. Two models of 576-atom propane-methane sII hydrate and 294-atom neohexane-methane sH hydrate were built. A first-principles density functional theory (DFT) method was employed using the CASTEP package. The simulated spectra were in good agreement with the experimental data. Compared with the partial phonon density of states of guest molecules, we confirmed that the experimental infrared absorption peak in the terahertz region mainly arose from HB vibrations. By removing the components of guest molecules, we found that the theory of two kinds of hydrogen bond vibrational modes applies. The use of a terahertz laser to enable resonance absorption of HBs (at about 6 THz, to be tested) may therefore lead to the rapid melting of clathrate ice and release of guest molecules.

Puddle formation and persistent gaps across the non-mean-field breakdown of superconductivity in overdoped (Pb,Bi)2Sr2CuO6+δ.

The cuprate high-temperature superconductors exhibit many unexplained electronic phases, but the superconductivity at high doping is often believed to be governed by conventional mean-field Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory1. However, it was shown that the superfluid density vanishes when the transition temperature goes to zero2,3, in contradiction to expectations from Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory. Our scanning tunnelling spectroscopy measurements in the overdoped regime of the (Pb,Bi)2Sr2CuO6+δ high-temperature superconductor show that this is due to the emergence of nanoscale superconducting puddles in a metallic matrix4,5. Our measurements further reveal that this puddling is driven by gap filling instead of gap closing. The important implication is that it is not a diminishing pairing interaction that causes the breakdown of superconductivity. Unexpectedly, the measured gap-to-filling correlation also reveals that pair breaking by disorder does not play a dominant role and that the mechanism of superconductivity in overdoped cuprate superconductors is qualitatively different from conventional mean-field theory.

The posterior cruciate ligament index as a reliable indirect sign of anterior cruciate ligament rupture is associated with the course of knee joint injury.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to clarify the clinical value of the posterior cruciate ligament index (PCLI) in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture, to explore the relationship between the PCLI and course of disease, and to identify the influencing factors of the PCLI. METHODS: The PCLI was defined a quotient of the X (the tibial and femoral PCL attachments) and the Y (the maximum perpendicular distance from X to the PCL). A total of 858 patients were enrolled in this case-control study, including 433 patients with ACL ruptures who were assigned to the experimental group and 425 patients with meniscal tears (MTs) who were allocated to the control group. Some patients in the experimental group have collateral ligament rupture (CLR). Information, such as the patient's age, sex, and course of disease, was recorded. All patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) preoperatively, and the diagnosis was confirmed with the aid of arthroscopy. The PCLI and the depth of the lateral femoral notch sign (LFNS) were calculated based on the MRI findings, and the characteristics of the PCLI were explored. RESULTS: The PCLI in the experimental group (5.1 ± 1.6) was significantly smaller than that in the control group (5.8 ± 1.6) (P < 0.05). The PCLI gradually decreased with time and was only 4.8 ± 1.4 in patients in the chronic phase (P < 0.05). This change was not due to the decrease in X but rather the increase in Y. The results also showed that the PCLI was not related to the depth of the LFNS or injuries of other structures in the knee joint. Furthermore, when the optimal cut-off point of the PCLI was 5.2 (area under the curve = 71%), the specificity and the sensitivity were 84% and 67%, respectively, but the Youden index was just 0.3 (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The PCLI decreases due to the increase in Y instead of the decrease in X with time, especially in the chronic phase. The change in X in this process may be offset during imaging. In addition, there are fewer influencing factors that lead to changes in the PCLI. Therefore, it can be used as a reliable indirect sign of ACL rupture. However, it is difficult to quantify the diagnostic criteria of the PCLI in clinical practice. Thus, the PCLI as a reliable indirect sign of ACL rupture is associated with the course of knee joint injury, and it can be used to describe the instability of the knee joint. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: III.

The electronic medical record management systems may improve monitoring and control of disease activity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

To investigate the impact of an electronic medical record management system (EMRMS) on disease activity and the frequency of outpatient visits among patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). We identified 652 patients with AS who were followed up for at least 1 year before and after the first Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) assessment and compared the number of outpatient visits and average visit time within 1 year before and after the initial ASDAS assessment. Finally, we analyzed 201 patients with AS who had complete data and received ≥ 3 continuous ASDAS assessments at an interval of 3 months, and we compared the results of the second and third ASDAS assessments with those of the first. The number of annual outpatient visits increased after ASDAS assessment (4.0 (4.0, 7.0) vs. 4.0 (4.0, 8.0), p < 0.001), particularly among those with a high initial disease activity. The average visit time was reduced within 1 year after ASDAS assessment (6.4 (8.5, 11.2) vs. 6.3 (8.3, 10.8) min, p = 0.073), especially among patients whose with an inactive disease activity was < 1.3 (ASDAS C-reactive protein (CRP) 6.7 (8.8, 11.1) vs. 6.1 (8.0, 10.3) min, p = 0.033; ASDAS erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) 6.4 (8.7, 11.1) vs. 6.1 (8.1, 10.0) min, p = 0.027). Among patients who received at least three ASDAS assessments, the third ASDAS-CRP tended to be lower than the first (1.5 (0.9, 2.1) vs. 1.4 (0.8, 1.9), p = 0.058). The use of an EMRMS increased the frequency of ambulatory visits among AS patients with high and very high disease activity and reduced the visit time among those with an inactive disease. Continual ASDAS assessments may help control the disease activity of patients with AS.

Impact of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines on lung injury in B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant-infected patients.

BACKGROUND: Chest computerized tomography (CT) scan is an important strategy that quantifies the severity of COVID-19 pneumonia. To what extent inactivated COVID-19 vaccines could impact the COVID-19 pneumonia on chest CT is not clear. METHODS: This study recruited 357 SARS-COV-2 B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant-infected patients admitted to the Second Hospital of Nanjing from July to August 2021. An artificial intelligence-assisted CT imaging system was used to quantify the severity of COVID-19 pneumonia. We compared the volume of infection (VOI), percentage of infection (POI) and chest CT scores among patients with different vaccination statuses. RESULTS: Of the 357 Delta variant-infected patients included for analysis, 105 were unvaccinated, 72 were partially vaccinated and 180 were fully vaccinated. Fully vaccination had the least lung injuries when quantified by VOI (median VOI of 222.4 cm3, 126.6 cm3 and 39.9 cm3 in unvaccinated, partially vaccinated and fully vaccinated, respectively; p < 0.001), POI (median POI of 7.60%, 3.55% and 1.20% in unvaccinated, partially vaccinated and fully vaccinated, respectively; p < 0.001) and chest CT scores (median CT score of 8.00, 6.00 and 4.00 in unvaccinated, partially vaccinated and fully vaccinated, respectively; p < 0.001). After adjustment for age, sex, comorbidity, time from illness onset to hospitalization and viral load, fully vaccination but not partial vaccination was significantly associated with less lung injuries quantified by VOI {adjust coefficient[95%CI] for "full vaccination": - 106.10(- 167.30,44.89); p < 0.001}, POI {adjust coefficient[95%CI] for "full vaccination": - 3.88(- 5.96, - 1.79); p = 0.001} and chest CT scores {adjust coefficient[95%CI] for "full vaccination": - 1.81(- 2.72, - 0.91); p < 0.001}. The extent of reduction of pulmonary injuries was more profound in fully vaccinated patients with older age, having underlying diseases, and being female sex, as demonstrated by relatively larger absolute values of adjusted coefficients. Finally, even within the non-severe COVID-19 population, fully vaccinated patients were found to have less lung injuries. CONCLUSION: Fully vaccination but not partially vaccination could significantly protect lung injury manifested on chest CT. Our study provides additional evidence to encourage a full course of vaccination.

Acetylenic spiroketal enol ethers from Artemisia rupestris and their synergistic antibacterial effects on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Synergistic bioassay-guided isolation of the extracts of Artemisia rupestris L, which belongs to the family Asteraceae, afforded two acetylenic spiroketal enol ethers, namely rupesdiynes A (1) and B (2). Their structures were determined based on spectroscopic analysis and experimental and calculated ECD investigations. The two compounds exhibited synergistic activity and were able to reduce the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of oxacillin four-fold, with a fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) of 0.5 in combination with oxacillin against the oxacillin-resistant EMRSA-16. Biofilm formation inhibitory and Ethidium bromide (EtBr) efflux assay were further employed to verify the possible mechanism of the synergistic antibacterial effect. Additionally, molecular docking studies were conducted to investigate the binding affinities of the two compounds with penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a) of EMRSA-16. Taken together, rupesdiynes A (1) and rupesdiyne B (2) showed moderate synergistic activity against EMRSA-16 with oxacillin via inhibiting biofilm formation and efflux pump activity, respectively.

Sex Differences in Temporal Trends and Risk Factors of Aortic Dissection in Taiwan.

Background Although sex differences in the epidemiological features of aortic dissection (AD) are known, whether there were sex differences in the associations of comorbidities and risk factors with AD is unclear. We evaluated the temporal trends and risk factors of AD by sex. Methods and Results Using claims data from a universal health insurance program linked to the National Death Registry in Taiwan, we identified 16 368 men and 7052 women with newly diagnosed AD from 2005 to 2018. In the case-control analysis, a matched control group without AD was selected for men and women separately. Conditional logistic regression was used to evaluate risk factors of AD and sex differences. Over the 14 years, the annual incidence of diagnosed AD was 12.69 and 5.34 per 100 000 in men and women, respectively. The 30-day mortality was greater in women than in men (18.1% versus 14.1%; adjusted odds ratio [95% CI], 1.19 [1.10-1.29]), and the sex difference was observed mainly in patients not treated with surgery. The 30-day mortality declined over time in male patients undergoing surgical treatments, but no significantly temporal change was found in other patient groups stratified by sex and surgery. After multivariable adjustments, atrial fibrillation, chronic kidney disease, and coronary artery bypass graft surgery were associated with a greater increase in the odds of AD occurrence in women than in men. Conclusions Greater 30-day mortality and stronger associations of atrial fibrillation, chronic kidney disease, and coronary artery bypass graft surgery with AD in women than in men require further attention.

Resveratrol glycoside mediates microglial endoplasmic reticulum stress to mitigate LPS-induced sepsis-associated cognitive dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: As a common complication of sepsis, sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is characterized by diffuse brain dysfunction and neurological damage and closely associated with long-term cognitive dysfunction. The dysregulated host response triggered by neurotoxicity of microglia is an important cause of diffuse brain dysfunction in SAE. Resveratrol glycoside has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. However, there is no evidence whether resveratrol glycoside could alleviate SAE. METHODS: LPS administration was used to induce SAE in mice. Step-down test (SDT) and Morris water maze test (MWM) were performed to evaluate the cognitive function of mice with SAE. Western blot and immunofluorescence were used to reveal the endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) regulation. Microglia cell line BV-2 was used to validate the effect of resveratrol glycoside on LPS-stimulated ERS in vitro. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, LPS-stimulated mice had decreased cognitive function, but this phenomenon was well reversed by resveratrol glycoside administration, in which the SDT assay showed longer retention time, both in short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM). Western blot indicated that the expression of ER stress-related protein PERK/CHOP in LPS-stimulated mice were significantly increased, while that in the resveratrol glycoside-treated group were relieved. Furthermore, Immunofluorescence revealed resveratrol glycoside mainly worked on microglia in mediating the ER stress, in which the expression of PERK/CHOP were significantly inhibited in resveratrol glycoside group mice. In vitro, BV2 showed consistent results with the aforementioned. CONCLUSION: Resveratrol glycoside could alleviate the cognitive dysfunction caused by LPS-induced SAE, mainly by inhibiting the ER stress and maintaining the homeostasis of ER function of microglia.