The complexities of decision-making in food waste valorization: A critical review.

The efficient utilization of food waste (FW) resources through Food Waste Valorization (FWV) has received increasing attention in recent years. Various decision-making studies have been undertaken to facilitate FWV implementation, such as the studies on decision-making framework and FWV technology assessment. Food waste hierarchy is a widely discussed framework in FW management, but it was found too simplified and does not always contribute positively to environmental sustainability. Moreover, decision-making studies in FWV often focus on specific aspects of the food system and employ distinctive decision-making approaches, making it difficult to compare the results from different studies. Therefore, our literature review is conducted to provide a comprehensive understanding of FWV decision-making. This study identifies what decisions are needed, and three levels of decisions are revealed: system-level, FW stream-level, and FWV option-level. The assessment approaches and criteria used to support decision-making in FWV are also collected and analyzed. Building upon these findings, an hourglass model is synthesized to provide a holistic illustration of decision-making in FWV. This study untangles the complexities of FWV decision-making and sheds light on the limitations of current studies. We anticipate this study will make more people realize that FWV is a multidisciplinary issue and requires the collective participation of researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and consumers. Such collective engagement is essential to effectively address practical challenges and propel the transition of the current food system toward a more resource-efficient paradigm.

Two-stage mental health survey of first-line medical staff after ending COVID-19 epidemic assistance and isolation.

Facing with COVID-19 epidemic such a catastrophic health emergency, the mental health status of medical staff deserves attention. We conducted a two-stage of psychological status monitoring after the end of the assistance and 14 days of isolation, further targeted the vulnerable groups in need of intervention. The study is a cross-sectional survey on 1156 Yunnan medical staff aid to Hubei. Used Cluster sampling method to collect data at 2 time points (at the end of returning from Wuhan and the 14th day of isolation), from March 18, 2020 to April 6, 2020. Female and nurse had higher rates of depressive symptoms than male and doctors and other occupations. The proportion of female with mild and above moderate anxiety levels (22.91%, 2.61%) was higher than male (17.35%, 1.03%) (p < 0.05). Female had a better impaired sleep quality (45.06%, 17.49%) more than male (28.57%, 7.94%). Medical staff supported in Wuhan and with junior professional titles reported a higher proportion of sleep quality impairment. At the 14th isolation day stage, the proportion of nurses changed from depression to health (9.15%) and from health to depression (6.1%) better than doctors. The front-line medical staffs had suffered greater psychological pressure in the treatment process of major public health emergency. Researches on the dynamic monitor for the change of psychological status after aiding epidemic areas were still in relatively blank stage. Targeting the vulnerable characteristics of aiding medical staff is significant for effective psychological intervention and sustainable operation of health system.

The intersection of COVID-19 and cancer: signaling pathways and treatment implications.

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has emerged as a serious public health concern. Patients with cancer have been disproportionately affected by this pandemic. Increasing evidence has documented that patients with malignancies are highly susceptible to severe infections and mortality from COVID-19. Recent studies have also elucidated the molecular relationship between the two diseases, which may not only help optimize cancer care during the pandemic but also expand the treatment for COVID-19. In this review, we highlight the clinical and molecular similarities between cancer and COVID-19 and summarize the four major signaling pathways at the intersection of COVID-19 and cancer, namely, cytokine, type I interferon (IFN-I), androgen receptor (AR), and immune checkpoint signaling. In addition, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of repurposing anticancer treatment for the treatment of COVID-19.

COVID-19 prevention and control in China: grid governance.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spread worldwide and caused negative economic and health effects. China is one of the most seriously affected countries, and it has adopted grid governance measures at the basic level of society, which include city lockdown, household survey and resident quarantine. By the end of April, China had basically brought the pandemic under control within its own borders, and residents' lives and factory production gradually began to return to normal. In referring to the specific cases of different communities, schools, and enterprises in the four cities of Anhui, Beijing, Shenzhen and Zibo, we analyze grid-based governance measures and we summarize the effectiveness and shortcomings of these measures and discuss foundations and future challenges of grid governance. We do so in the expectation (and hope) that the world will gain a comprehensive understanding of China's situation and introduce effective measures that enable the prevention and control of COVID-19.

Environmental challenges from the increasing medical waste since SARS outbreak.

Medical waste is a special class of hazardous pollutants. Improper treatment would cause secondary environmental pollution, especially when responding to public health emergencies. However, there are relatively few researches on the generation of medical waste, and there is a lack of basic understanding of its spatial-temporal heterogeneity. The outbreak of SARS in 2002 is a turning point in China's medical system reform. We estimated the production of medical waste and pollutants on a provincial scale in China from 2002 to 2018, using the data of medical statistics. Moreover, we forecasted the trend of medical waste in China until 2030, using a combination of environmental pressure model (STIRPAT) and time series model (ARIMA). We found that with the development of China's medical system and economy (such as the increase in personal income and popularization of universal health care), the number of seeking medical treatment rapidly increase led to explosive growth in medical waste (∼240%) and pollutants (∼260%), and large hospitals are the major sources. By 2030, the production of medical waste would still increase by more than 50% compared with 2018 even there is no the pandemic due to the huge population. The production of medical waste in the eastern region was higher than that in the west under the influence of higher population and GDP, while the per capita medical waste was only affected by household consumption level which had no regional characteristic. Additionally, Hg loads from medical waste are more than twice as high as that from discharged wastewater in some regions, which are facing great control pressures. In the future, when planning for medical waste disposal, policymakers shall increase the disposal facilities based on population and promote mobile treatment equipment to improve efficiency, increase the number of beds in medical institutions rather than building more hospitals, and strengthen basic research on the environmental impact.

Association between suicide risk severity and sarcopenia in non-elderly Chinese inpatients with major depressive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia is a skeletal muscle disorder. Recent studies have shown an association between muscle health and suicide. However, there have been no previous studies on the relationship between suicide risk severity and sarcopenia in major depressive disorder (MDD). This study aimed to explore the association between suicide risk severity and sarcopenia in non-elderly Chinese inpatients with MDD. METHODS: The first-episode drug-naïve MDD inpatients aged 20-59 years with the 24-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-24) scores of >20 were included, who were then classified into low, intermediate, high and very high suicide risk groups according to the Nurses' Global Assessment of Suicide Risk (NGASR). The HAMD-24, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAMA) and the SARC-F questionnaire were used to assess depression severity, anxiety severity and sarcopenia, respectively. The plasma levels of cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) were measured. RESULTS: A total of 192 MDD inpatients (122 females, 70 males; aged 39.3 ± 11.7 years) were included, with 12.5% meeting criteria for sarcopenia. There were significant differences in gender, HAMD score and prevalence of sarcopenia among the suicide risk groups. Adjusted ordinal regression analysis showed that sarcopenia was significantly associated with more severe suicide risk (OR = 2.39, 95%CI 1.02-5.58, p = 0.044) independent of depression severity. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that sarcopenia was significantly associated with higher suicide risk in non-elderly Chinese MDD inpatients after adjustment for depression severity. Intervention of sarcopenia might be effective in reducing the risk of suicide in non-elderly MDD patients.

Nucleic Acid Biosensor Synthesis of an All-in-One Universal Blocking Linker Recombinase Polymerase Amplification with a Peptide Nucleic Acid-Based Lateral Flow Device for Ultrasensitive Detection of Food Pathogens.

In this study, a whole-course nucleic-acid-constructed biosensor that combines the all-in-one concepts of the universal blocking linker recombinase polymerase amplification (UBLRPA) and a peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-based lateral flow device (PLFD) has been developed for the ultrasensitive detection of food pathogens. Using the preamplification UBLRPA principle, a universal linker and C3 space blocker were utilized to produce the universal linker single-duplex DNA products. The developed amplification system was employed to convert duplex products to a single strand. In the signal recognition strategy, a special PNA probe was successfully employed in the portable PLFD. The UBLRPA products were identified visually using the PLFD through dual hybridization (a PNA probe on the gold nanoparticle (Au-NP) was combined with a universal linker on the end of the products; a PNA capture probe was used on the test line and a universal linker on the other end of the products). The accumulation of Au-NPs produced a characteristic red band, enabling the visual detection of a food pathogen without further testing. To demonstrate the value of the all-in-one biosensor, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar typhimurium was used as a model organism. The biosensor showed high selectivity and extraordinary repeatability using S. typhimurium, and the limit of detection was 4 CFU mL-1. Furthermore, when milk samples artificially contaminated with S. typhimurium were analyzed, the analysis was completed within 30 min without complicated instrumentation. The results exhibited good precision and recovery. This portable all-in-one biosensor demonstrates great promise for the screening of pathogens in food and environmental samples.

Transplantation of miRNA-34a overexpressing adipose-derived stem cell enhances rat nerve regeneration.

Peripheral nerve injury is an ongoing challenge in reconstructive surgery. Adipose-derived stem cell (ADSC) application is reported to improve nerve regeneration. In the present study, we evaluated the potential benefit of 34a-ADSCs for never regeneration. Lentiviral vectors containing miRNA-34a were constructed and ADSCs were transduced. The obtained 34a-ADSCs were used to regenerate the sciatic nerve in surgically induced sciatic nerve injury rat model. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into two groups, a 34a-ADSC group and an Lv-ADSC group. Functional nerve recovery was assessed by walking track analysis at 12 weeks after surgery. In addition, histology, including light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, and immunohistochemistry, was utilized to investigate the nerve repair effects of 34a-ADSC. Results showed that reconstruction of the injured sciatic nerve had been significantly enhanced by restoration of nerve continuity and functional recovery in the 34a-ADSC group compared with the Lv-ADSC group. Furthermore, sciatic nerve conduction velocity and compound nerve action potential in the 34a-ADSC group was much higher than that in the Lv-ADSC group (30.72 ± 2.95 m/s vs. 22.73 ± 1.91 m/s, p< 0.0001; 11.93 ± 0.76 mV vs. 9.52 ± 0.53 mV, p = 0.0418). This study raises the possibility of using miRNA-34a overexpressed ADSCs as a promising alternative for nerve regeneration.

MicroRNA-338 and microRNA-21 co-transfection for the treatment of rat sciatic nerve injury.

The objective of this study is to find if co-transfecting microRNA-338 and microRNA-21 into the neurons in the spinal cord can promote functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury in rats. Animals were divided into three groups: 20 animals in the GFP control vector group (group A), 20 animals in the GFP experimental vector group (group B) and ten animals in the normal control group. Right sciatic nerves of animals in groups A and B were transected and were bridged with collagen nerve conduits with 10 mm distance between the stumps. 3 µl GFP control vector or 3 µl lentiviral vectors encoding the sequence of microRNA-338 and microRNA-21 were injected in the conduit. 8 weeks after the surgery, the treatment effect was evaluated by functional analysis, electrophysiological analysis, immunohistochemical analysis as well as transmitting electronic microscope observations in all the rats. Animals treated with microRNA-338 and microRNA-21 showed significantly better recovery than GFP control group animals by means of functional analysis (Sciatic nerve index -47.7 ± 2.5 vs -59.4 ± 3.7), electrophysiological analysis (Conduction velocity 20.5 ± 2.8 vs 10.5 ± 1.4 m/s), ratio of wet weight of the gastrocnemius muscles (0.83 ± 0.03 vs 0.55 ± 0.06), axon diameter (5.0 ± 1.8 µm vs 4.0 ± 2.2), myelin sheath thickness (1.4 ± 0.43 vs 0.80 ± 0.31 µm) and G-ratio (0.80 ± 0.06 vs 0.75 ± 0.04). Lentiviral vectors encoding microRNA 338 and 21 might be explored in the future as potential therapeutic intervention to promote nerve regeneration.

Correlation of microRNA-10b upregulation and poor prognosis in human gliomas.

The aim of this study was to detect the association between the microRNA-10b (miR-10b) expression level and prognosis in glioma patients. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis was used to measure the expression of miR-10b levels in different-grade glioma tissues and normal brain tissues. The relationship between miR-10b expression levels and clinical pathological characteristics was statistically analyzed. The influence of miR-10b on survival of glioma patients was also analyzed. As a result, miR-10b expression levels in glioma tissues were significantly increased compared to those of normal brain tissues (p < 0.001). And the increased expression levels were associated with the advanced glioma grade (p < 0.001) and larger tumor size (p < 0.001). Moreover, the results of the Kaplan-Meier survival curve indicated that overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were significantly poorer in the high-expression-level group than those in the low-expression-level group (p < 0.001). Finally, the results of the multivariate Cox regression model indicated that the miR-10b expression level was an independent prognostic factor for glioma patients. Taken together, these findings offer convincing evidence that increased miR-10b expression may be an independent marker to predict poor prognosis in patients with gliomas.

Decreased expression of microRNA-107 predicts poorer prognosis in glioma.

The expression level of microRNA-107 (miR-107) has been proved to be decreased in many human malignant cancers. Especially in glioma, accumulating evidence indicates that miR-107 may play important parts in cell proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion in glioma. However, its clinical significance in glioma has not been investigated. This study aims at investigating the relationship between miR-107 expression level and clinical significance and analyzing its value of miR-107 in valuing the prognosis of glioma patients. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to measure the expression of miR-107 in 80 glioma and 17 normal brain tissues. The results showed the miR-107 expression level in glioma tissues was significantly lower than those in normal brain tissues (p < 0.001). The decreased expression of miR-107 in glioma was positively associated with high WHO grade (p < 0.001), low Karnofsky performance score (KPS) (p < 0.001), and large tumor size (p < 0.001) and had a significant impact on overall survival (OS) (p < 0.001) and progression-free survival (PFS) (p < 0.001) according to Kaplan-Meier survival with log-rank test. Finally, Cox regression analyses showed that low miR-107 expression (p < 0.001) might be an independent prognostic parameter to predict poor prognosis. In conclusion, it is the first data to prove that expression level of miR-107 may be a novel and valuable prognostic factor in glioma.

Lentiviral vectors enveloped with rabies virus glycoprotein can be used as a novel retrograde tracer to assess nerve recovery in rat sciatic nerve injury models.

Retrograde labeling has become the new "gold standard" technique to evaluate the recovery of injured peripheral nerves. In this study, lentiviral vectors with rabies virus glycoprotein envelop (RABV-G-LV) and RFP genes are injected into gastrocnemius muscle to determine the location of RFP in sciatic nerves. We then examine RFP expression in the L4-S1 spinal cord and sensory dorsal root ganglia and in the rat sciatic nerve, isolated Schwann cells, viral dose to expression relationship and the use of RABV-G-LV as a retrograde tracer for regeneration in the injured rat sciatic nerve. VSV-G-LV was used as control for viral envelope specificity. Results showed that RFP were positive in the myelin sheath and lumbar spinal motorneurons of the RABV-G-LV group. RFP gene could be detected both in myelinated Schwann cells and lumbar spinal motor neurons in the RABV-G-LV group. Schwann cells isolated from the RABV-G-LV injected postnatal Sprague Dawley rats were also RFP-gene positive. All the results obtained in the VSV-G-LV group were negative. Distribution of RFP was unaltered and the level of RFP expression increasing with time progressing. RABV-G-LV could assess the amount of functional regenerating nerve fibers two months post-operation in the four models. This method offers an easy-operated and consistent standardized approach for retrograde labeling regenerating peripheral nerves, which may be a significant supplement for the previous RABV-G-LV-related retrograde labeling study.

Evaluating community-embedded elder care: A case study of supply and demand in Hangzhou, China.

INTRODUCTION: With China's urbanization and demographic shifts significantly affecting elder care, this study examines the alignment of community-based elder care services in Hangzhou's Hemu Community. It addresses the gap in understanding how these services meet the needs of an aging population in a rapidly changing social context. METHODS: A comprehensive mixed-methods approach was utilized, involving interviews with community residents, observations of elder care service operations and thorough document analysis. The objective was to evaluate the adequacy, utilization and satisfaction levels concerning these elder care services. RESULTS: The research identified that, although the services generally meet the community's needs, there are notable challenges in content specificity, quality assurance and promotional efforts. These challenges lead to resistance among older adults. Additionally, issues with service visibility and the lack of robust feedback mechanisms were noted. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the critical need for a cooperative strategy involving government, community organizations, social entities and businesses in enhancing elder care services. It suggests that improvements in service visibility, content quality and targeted promotion are crucial to address the evolving needs of the aging population and to reduce reluctance in service utilization.

A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for major depressive disorder in undergraduate students: Dose- response effect, inflammatory markers and BDNF.

To examine the dose-response effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for college students with major depressive disorder (MDD), a randomized control trial with MBCT and a wait-list (WL) group was performed. All participants were invited to self-administer a set of questionnaires at baseline, mid-intervention (4th week), and post-intervention (8th week) by the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS). The serum levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, BDNF were detected at baseline and post-intervention. After intervention, the scores of PHQ-9, GAD-7, PSQI, and the levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α in the MBCT were significantly lower than those in WL group, and total scores of FFMQ, SCS, and the level of BDNF were significantly higher than those in WL group. In MBCT group, daily practice time and session numbers positively related to reduction rates of PHQ-9, GAD-7 and PSQI at post-intervention. The reduction rate of PHQ-9, GAD-7 and PSQI at post-intervention in the completers were higher significantly than those in the partial attendees. These findings suggested MBCT is effective for MDD, and the intervention has a dose-response effect. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registration number is [ChiCTR2100044309].

Variations and its driven factors of anthropogenic nitrogen loads in the Yangtze River Economic Belt during 2000-2019.

Since the millennium, China has economically taken off with rapid urbanization, and anthropogenic nitrogen emission intensity has undergone remarkable changes. To better understand the impact of urbanization on anthropogenic nitrogen, this study calculated the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of anthropogenic nitrogen in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) since 2000, based on the estimation, using obstacle analysis to quantify the driving of industry and agriculture on N growth and using the gray model to analyze the impact of urbanization on N changes. Additionally, using the environmental pressure model to predict the future N load. The results indicated N load in the YREB increased rapidly from 21.4 Tg in 2001 to a peak of 24.5 Tg in 2012 and then decreased to 22.2 Tg in 2019. Although N flux gradually increased from the west to the east of the YREB, the growth rate had an opposite trend with a negative growth in the eastern region. Hotspots are mainly concentrated in urban agglomerations, which contributed to ~ 60% N load of the YREB, and the YREB contributed to ~ 90% N load of the Yangtze River Basin. Obstacle degree scores indicated wastewater was a major industrial driver of N growth before 2010, and then became waste gas; increased mechanization and fertilizer control effectively reduced nitrogen emissions during agricultural development. The gray analysis of urbanization indicated urban population, industry, and services had the strongest correlation with N load changes. Scenario simulations suggest N loads of the YREB remain at a high level by 2030; however, there are still opportunities to effectively control N growth through high technological innovation and reducing the proportion of industry under an enormous population. This research contributes to a better understanding of the impact of urbanization on anthropogenic nitrogen and helps developing countries to precisely control nitrogen hotspots and sources.

Acetylated rice starch nanocrystals improved the physical, mechanical, and structural properties of native rice starch based films.

Rice starch nanocrystals (SNC) and acetylated rice starch nanocrystals (ASNC) with three different substitution degrees (DS) for 0.22 (ASNCa), 0.56 (ASNCb), and 0.83 (ASNCc), respectively, were synthesized. Starch nanocrystals (SNC, ASNCa, ASNCb and ASNCc) with varying concentrations (0-25 %) were used in the production of composite rice starch-based films plasticized with glycerol using the solvent casting technique. Films were compared concerning their morphology, moisture content and solubility, transmittance, tensile strength, elongation at break. The SNC and ASNC content and acetylated DS had a significant effect (p ≤ 0.05) on all the properties investigated when compared to the control film. The addition of ASNC resulted in less hydrophilic films and UV light barrier properties, and the addition of SNC and ASNC increased the rigidity of starch film. There was an increase of 156.7 % in tensile strength for 10 % ASNCc composite films and a reduction of 68.1 % in water vapor permeability for 20 % ASNCc composite films. The rice starch/ASNCb nanocomposite films with the addition of 5 % and 10 % ASNCb exhibited a compact, smooth, and flat surface structure. Therefore, these results showed that ASNC significantly improved the mechanical properties, surface morphology and thermal stability of the films.

Serum Abnormal Metabolites for Evaluating Therapeutic Response and Prognosis of Patients With Multiple Myeloma.

Aims: To evaluate abnormal metabolites related to treatment response and prognosis of multiple myeloma (MM) patients through ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). Methods: Forty-six symptomatic MM patients were included in this study who had a prior high level of positive monoclonal proteins before receiving targeted therapy with bortezomib-based regimens. UPLC-MS along with traditional immunofixation was performed on MM diagnostic samples and effective serum samples, and UPLC-MS was used to target valuable metabolic markers related to M protein.MM patients were segregated into pre-therapy (pre-T) and post-therapy (post-T) groups according to the response after chemotherapy. A monoclonal protein could be detected at baseline in 33 newly diagnosed MM (NDMM), 13 refractory and relapsed MM (RRMM) patients and 20 healthy controls (HC) by immunofixation. Results: Between pre-T and post-T patients, the data showed that 32, 28 and 3 different metabolites were significantly correlated with M protein in IgG, IgA and light chain-type MM, respectively. These identified metabolites were significantly enriched in arginine and proline metabolism as well as glycerophospholipid metabolism pathways. Among them, PC (19:0/22:2) was displayed to increase significantly and consistently with M protein in each subtype of MM after treatment, which obviously indicated that it was related to the treatment response of MM. Further survival analysis of metabolic markers found that aspartic acid, LysoPE (16:0), SM (d18:1/17:0), PC (18:0/24:1), PC (16:0/16:0), TG (18:1/18:1/22:5) and LysoPE (18:2) reaching a certain cutoff value may be associated with shorter progression free survival (PFS). Finally, Cox multivariate regression analysis identified three factors were independent prognostic factors of MM. Moreover, there were significantly different in PC (19:0/22:2) and in aspartic acid between MM patients and healthy people. Conclusion: This work identified significant metabolic disorders in 46 pairs off pre- and post-therapy MM patients, specifically in arginine, proline and glycerophospholipid pathways. The abnormal metabolites have the potential to serve as new biomarkers for evaluating treatment response and prognosis, as well as early monitoring of disease activity. Therefore, these systematic studies on abnormal metabolites as biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment will provide the evidence for future precise treatment of MM.

Circ_0001821 Affects Proliferation and the Cell Cycle in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Elevating BTRC-Mediated IKBA Ubiquitination.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a fatal human cancer featured with a tendency to metastasis and relapse. Increasing studies have emphasized the critical roles of circular RNAs (circRNA) in ESCC. This study targeted at a novel circRNA and uncovering its function and mechanisms in ESCC. Functional assays were implemented to evaluate proliferation and cell cycle of ESCC cells. Mechanistic analyses were conducted to explore the potential molecular mechanisms in ESCC cells. In vivo assay was also performed. Based on the collected data, circ_0001821 was highly expressed in ESCC cells. Circ_0001821 knockdown retarded ESCC cell proliferation and tumor growth, while promoting G2-M cell cycle arrest. With regard to its mechanism, RUNX3 promoted PVT1 transcription, further upregulating circ_0001821. Moreover, circ_0001821 sponged miR-423-5p to upregulate BTRC, thus promoting IKBA ubiquitination, and circ_0001821 decreased IKBA expression to activate NF-κB signaling pathway. Rescue assays demonstrated that circ_0001821 facilitated ESCC cell proliferation and cell cycle by downregulating IKBA. In summary, RUNX3-induced circ_0001821 switches on NF-κB signaling pathway via diminishing IKBA expression, functionally prompting ESCC cell proliferation and cell cycle. IMPLICATIONS: This study uncovered a novel molecular pathway in ESCC progression, which might provide potential biomarkers for ESCC diagnosis.

The Association of P300 Components With Clinical Characteristics and Efficacy of Pharmacotherapy in Alcohol Use Disorder.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the association of P300 components with clinical characteristics and efficacy of pharmacotherapy in alcohol use disorder (AUD). Methods: One hundred fifty-one AUD patients and 96 healthy controls were recruited and evaluated for the symptoms of depression, anxiety, sleep, and cognitive function by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Digit Symbol Substitution test (DSST), and event-related potential P300, which is one of the averaged scalp electroencephalography responses time-locked to specific events. Among the AUD group, 101 patients finished an 8-week pharmacotherapy and were evaluated for the above data at post-intervention. Results: 1. At baseline, AUD patients had higher scores of AUDIT, PHQ-9, GAD-7, PSQI, and P300 latency at Cz, Pz, and Fz and lower DSST score and smaller P300 amplitudes at Fz, Cz, and Pz compared with controls. P300 components correlated significantly with alcohol dose and score of AUDIT, PHQ-9, GAD-7, PSQI, and DSST. 2. After 8 weeks' treatment, there were significant changes for the P300 components; alcohol dose; and score of AUDIT, PHQ-9, GAD-7, PSQI, and DSST. Variables at baseline, including P300 amplitudes at Fz, Cz, and Pz; latency of Fz and Pz; alcohol dose; and scores of PHQ-9, GAD-7, PSQI, and DSST, were significantly associated with changes of reduction rate of AUDIT scores. However, P300 amplitudes at Fz, Cz, and Pz in AUD patients after 8-week treatment were still significantly shorter than healthy controls (HCs), and P300 latencies at Fz, Cz, and Pz were significantly longer than HCs. 3. When validated area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was over 0.80, the baseline variables including amplitudes at Cz and Pz, alcohol dose, and scores of PSQI could predict the changes of reduction rate of AUDIT score. Conclusion: P300 amplitudes and latencies at Fz, Cz, and Pz could be used as biological markers for evaluating the clinical characters and severity of AUD. P300 amplitudes at Cz and Pz, sleep condition, and cognitive function at baseline could predict the efficacy of pharmacotherapy for AUD patients.

Chitosan/silk fibroin-based tissue-engineered graft seeded with adipose-derived stem cells enhances nerve regeneration in a rat model.

Sciatic nerve injury presents an ongoing challenge in reconstructive surgery. Local stem cell application has recently been suggested as a possible novel therapy. In the present study we evaluated the potential of a chitosan/silk fibroin scaffold serving as a delivery vehicle for adipose-derived stem cells and as a structural framework for the injured nerve regeneration. The cell-loaded scaffolds were used to regenerate rat sciatic nerve across a 10 mm surgically-induced sciatic nerve injury. The functional nerve recovery was assessed by both walking track and histology analysis. Results showed that the reconstruction of the injured sciatic nerve had been significantly enhanced with restoration of nerve continuity and function recovery in the cell-loaded scaffold groups, and their target skeletal muscle had been extensively reinnervated. This study raises a potential possibility of using the newly developed nerve grafts as a promising alternative for nerve regeneration.