Localization of Ectopic Hyperparathyroidism: Ultrasound Versus 99mTc-sestamibi, 4-Dimensional Computed Tomography, and 11C-choline Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the usefulness of ultrasound (US) for the localization of ectopic hyperparathyroidism and compare it with 99mTc-sestamibi (99mTc-MIBI), 4-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT), and 11C-choline positron emission tomography/ computed tomography (PET/CT). METHODS: Of the 527 patients with surgically confirmed primary hyperparathyroidism, 79 patients with ectopic hyperparathyroidism were enrolled. The diagnostic performance of US, 99mTc-MIBI, US + MIBI, 4D-CT, and 11C-choline PET/CT was calculated, and the factors affecting the sensitivity of US and 99mTc-MIBI were analyzed. RESULTS: Eighty-three ectopic parathyroid lesions were found in 79 patients. The sensitivity was 75.9%, 81.7%, 95.1%, 83.3%, and 100% for US, 99mTc-MIBI, US + MIBI, 4D-CT, and 11C-choline PET/CT, respectively. The difference in sensitivity among these different modalities did not achieve statistical significance (P > .05). The US sensitivity was significantly higher for ectopic lesions in the neck region than for those in the anterior mediastinum/chest wall (85.9% vs. 42.1%, P < .001). The 99mTc-MIBI and 4D-CT sensitivity was not significantly different between these two groups (84.1% vs. 94.6%, P = .193 and 81.3% vs. 85.7%, P = 1). The 11C-choline PET/CT sensitivity was 100% in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: US is a valuable tool for the localization of ectopic hyperparathyroidism, especially for ectopic lesions in the neck region.

A systematic review of ozone therapy for treating chronically refractory wounds and ulcers.

This study aims at evaluating the efficacy and safety of ozone therapy for chronic wounds. The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Ovid Embase, Web of Science, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database were searched. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) about participants with chronic wounds were included. Risk of bias assessment was performed by the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. A randomised-effects model was applied to pool results according to the types of wounds or ulcers. Among 12 included studies, ozone was implemented by topical application (ozone gas bath, ozonated oil, ozone water flushing) and systematic applications including autologous blood immunomodulation and rectal insufflation. The results indicated compared with standard control therapy for diabetic foot ulcers, ozone therapy regardless of monotherapy or combined control treatment markedly accelerated the improvement of the wound area(standardised mean difference(SMD) = 66.54%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = [46.18,86.90], P < .00001) and reduced the amputation rate (risk ration (RR) = 0.36, 95% CI = [0.24,0.54], P < .00001). But there is no improvement in the proportion of participants with completely healed wounds and length of hospital stay. No adverse events associated with ozone treatment have been reported. And the efficacy of ozone therapy for other wound types is still uncertain because of no sufficient studies. More high-quality randomised controlled trials are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of ozone therapy for chronic wounds or ulcers.

Familial study of spinal muscular atrophy carriers with SMN1 (2+0) genotype.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a common childhood neuromuscular disease inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern. The majority of SMA patients have a homozygous deletion of survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene. As a special SMA carrier, the (2+0) genotype ofSMN1 poses a great challenge for carrier screening and family genetic counseling. A previous study showed that polymorphisms of g.27134 T>G and g.27706_27707delAT had a predictive effect on (2+0) carriers in the Ashkenazi Jewish population. To further explore whether these two polymorphisms are specific to the Chinese population, the present study recruited 44 family members and 204 controls with knownSMN1copy number. These 44 family members were from nine unrelated SMA families withSMN1 homozygous deletion, and one of the proband parents was suspected to be a (2+0) carrier. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and short tandem repeat (STR) linkage analyses were used to determine the (2+0) genotype and polymorphism screening. Finally, by analyzing theSMN copies and haplotype from three generations of family members and two generations of multi-child families, ten individuals in nine families were confirmed as (2+0) carriers. Moreover, only one individual with three copies ofSMN1 carried the two polymorphisms of g.27134 T>G and g.27706_27707delAT. Therefore, we provided precise genetic counseling for these SMA families after confirming the (2+0) carriers. The association between the polymorphisms of g.27134T>G and g.27706_27707delAT and Chinese (2+0) carriers might be weak. Hence, it is necessary to find specific polymorphisms in the Chinese population to improve the detection rate of (2+0) carriers.

Effects of metalaxyl enantiomers stress on root activity and leaf antioxidant enzyme activities in tobacco seedlings.

The objective of this experiment was to study the effects of metalaxyl enantiomers on the activity of roots and antioxidative enzymes in tobacco seedlings. Water culture experiment was conducted to analyze the effects of different concentrations of metalaxyl enantiomers (30 and 10 mg L-1 ) on root activity and leaf superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) content of tobacco seedlings. The results showed that metalaxyl significantly inhibited root activity and significantly improved leaf SOD, POD, and CAT activities and MDA content. A better physiological response in tobacco seedlings was observed at 30 mg L-1 than at 10 mg L-1 metalaxyl. The stereoselectivity for different enantiomers had no obvious effect on root activity and the leaf POD activity, but it affected significantly the SOD and CAT activities and MDA content. The SOD activity was promoted more by R-enantiomer than by S-enantiomer at 30 mg L-1 metalaxyl, and the same effect was observed on CAT activity from the beginning to the end of the stress period. The MDA content under the stress by R-enantiomer was higher than that under the stress by S-enantiomer at 10 mg L-1 metalaxyl.

Overexpression of pyruvate kinase M2 predicts a poor prognosis for patients with osteosarcoma.

It is stated that high expression of pyruvate kinase (PKM2) emerges as a significant player in the metabolism and progression of various human malignancies. However, the expression of PKM2 and its association with the prognosis of osteosarcoma had not yet been studied. In the present study, the expression and biological significance of PKM2 in osteosarcoma were investigated. We found that PKM2 expression was elevated in the cancerous tissues and it was more abundant than the adjacent normal tissues (60.2 vs 26.1 %, p < 0.001). Moreover, we showed that high PKM2 expression was positively correlated with Enneking stage (p = 0.006) and distant metastasis (p = 0.007) but not with the age, gender, tumor site, tumor size, histologic grade, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and local pain of the patients. Furthermore, Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that the overall survival (OS) for patients with high PKM2 expression was significantly lower than those with low PKM2 expression (p < 0.001). Finally, multivariate analysis revealed that high PKM2 expression was an independent prognostic factor for osteosarcoma patients (p = 0.004). Collectively, these data indicated that elevated PKM2 might serve as a novel target for the treatment of osteosarcoma.

Enantioselective effects of metalaxyl on soil enzyme activity.

The enantioselective effects of the chiral pesticide metalaxyl on soil enzyme activity were investigated. Incubation experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of metalaxyl enantiomers at different concentrations on the activities of urease, invertase, and catalase as well as the type of activity change (activation vs. inhibition) at different times during incubation. The results indicated that the effects of metalaxyl on the activity of soil enzymes were not only related to the concentration of the enantiomers and soil incubation time, but also to the chiral configuration, suggesting the effects were enantioselective. A pattern of inhibition-recovery-slight stimulation was observed in urease activity of the soil samples treated with metalaxyl enantiomers, but the effects of (-) -R-metalaxyl were stronger than those of (+)-S-metalaxyl at the same concentration. Invertase activity in soil samples treated with metalaxyl enantiomers initially sharply decreased before finally returning to the normal level, and the effects of (+)-S-metalaxyl were stronger than those of (-) -R-metalaxyl at the same concentration. Metalaxyl enantiomers influenced catalase activity in a pattern of slight stimulation-inhibition-recovery, and the effects of (-) -R-metalaxyl were stronger than those of (+)-S-metalaxyl at the same concentration.

Correlation of PLS3 expression with disease severity in children with spinal muscular atrophy.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a common autosomal recessive neuromuscular disease in children caused by homozygous deletion of the survival motor neuron 1 gene (SMN1). Plastin 3 (PLS3) has been identified as a protective modifier of SMA. We analyzed the levels of PLS3 expression in peripheral blood from 65 children with SMA and 59 healthy controls by using real-time PCR. In healthy controls, younger children (3 years) showed >1.75-fold higher levels of PLS3 expression than did older child cohorts (∼3-6 years, ∼6-12 years and >12 years). In the older female subjects with SMA (>3 years), PLS3 expression was 56.7% lower in type II subjects than in type III patients (P=0.011). When these female subjects carried three copies of SMN2, PLS3 expression was 62.6% lower in the type II subjects than in type III subjects (P=0.008). Moreover, there was a trend toward higher PLS3 expression in older female patients who could walk unaided (>3 years and SMN2 copy number=3) than those who could not. However, these differences were not observed in male subjects examined by SMA clinical type and SMN2 copy number (P>0.05). We concluded that the PLS3 gene may have an age- and gender-specific role in the clinical severity of SMA in children afflicted with this condition.

Plasmonic colorimetry and G-quadruplex fluorescence-based aptasensor: A dual-mode, protein-free and label-free detection for OTA.

G-quadruplexes (G4) have received significant attention in the field of aptasensors owing to their unique physicochemical characteristics. A dual-mode, protein-free and label-free aptamer sensor based on plasmonic colorimetry and G4 fluorescence (PC@GF-aptasensor) was proposed for ochratoxin A (OTA). Colorimetry mode was achieved through the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect, which related to the OTA-Apt-based G4-OTA. The fluorescence mode was reflected by the insertion of thioflavin T (ThT) into G4-OTA. The OTA could be interpreted via three readouts: (1) naked eye (LOD of 2.0 ng mL-1), (2) smartphone (LOD of 1.65 ng mL-1), and (3) spectrofluorometer (LOD of 0.93 ng mL-1). The PC@GF-aptasensor exhibited several advantages, such as a standardised recognition group, simplified operation, low background signal, and practicality. The proposed PC@GF-aptasensor integrated SPR-based multicolour interpretation and ThT-inserted fluorescence reflection to obtain a dual-mode optical biosensor, which may provide valuable insights for the development of other targets with G4-based aptamers.

Characterisation of aroma compounds, sensory characteristics, and bioactive components of a new type of huangjiu fermented with Chinese wild rice (Zizania latifolia).

Chinese wild rice (CWR) is a nutritious and healthy whole grain, worth developing. To develop and use its value, a new type of huangjiu was brewed with CWR, and the flavour characteristics, sensory quality, functional and bioactive components were evaluated. CWR (67 flavour substances) and glutinous rice (GR)-CWR huangjiu (62 flavour substances) had a better flavour than GR huangjiu (54 flavour substances), and the overall style of GR-CWR huangjiu was more skewed towards GR. The fruity, honey, caramel-like, herb and smoky aroma attributes of CWR huangjiu were higher than those of GR huangjiu (P < 0.05), while only the alcoholic was weaker (P < 0.05) due to the lower alcohol content. The huangjiu brewed using CWR had a better taste than that brewed using only GR. Furthermore, CWR huangjiu had the highest content of total dietary fiber (732.0 ± 15.2 mg/100 g), followed by GR-CWR (307.0 ± 8.5 mg/100 g), and GR (127.0 ± 2.3 mg/100 g). CWR huangjiu also had the highest total phenolic compounds (3.32 ± 0.05 mg/100 g/%vol) and total saponins (2.46 ± 0.03 mg/100 g/%vol) contents, followed by GR-CWR and GR. This study provides guidance for exploring further possibilities for CWR in the future.

Study on Acoustic Emission Characteristics of Fatigue Damage of A7N01 Aluminum Alloy for High-Speed Trains.

Online monitoring of the fatigue damage process of A7N01 aluminum alloy base metal and weld seam was conducted based on acoustic emission (AE) and digital microscopic imaging technology. The AE signals were recorded during the fatigue tests and analyzed using the AE characteristic parameter method. Fatigue fracture was observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to analyze the source mechanism of AE. The AE results show that the AE count and rise time can effectively predict the initiation of fatigue microcracks in A7N01 aluminum alloy. The digital image monitoring results of a notch tip verified the prediction of fatigue microcracks using the AE characteristic parameters. In addition, the AE characteristics of the A7N01 aluminum alloy under different fatigue parameters were studied, and the relationships between the AE characteristic values of the base metal and weld seam and the crack propagation rate were calculated using the seven-point recurrence polynomial method. These provide a basis for predicting the remaining fatigue damage in the A7N01 aluminum alloy. The present work indicates that AE technology can be used to monitor the fatigue damage evolution of welded aluminum alloy structures.

Short-term effect of beinaglutide combined with metformin versus metformin alone on weight loss and metabolic profiles in obese patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: a pilot randomized trial.

Objective: To observe the effect of beinaglutide combined with metformin versus metformin alone on weight loss and metabolic profiles in obese patients with polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS). Methods: A total of 64 overweight/obese women with PCOS diagnosed via the Rotterdam criteria were randomly assigned to metformin(MET) 850 mg twice a day(BID) or combined MET 850 mg BID with beinaglutide (COMB) starting at 0.1mg three times a day(TID)and increasing to 0.2mg TID two weeks later. The main endpoints were changes in anthropometric measurements of obesity. Glucose and lipid metabolic, gonadal profiles, and antral follicle count changes as secondary outcomes were also observed. Results: 60(93.75%) patients completed the study. In terms of lowering weight, body mass index (BMI),waist circumference(WC) and waist to height ratio(WHtR), COMB treatment outperformed MET monotherapy. Subjects in the COMB arm lost weight 4.54±3.16kg compared with a 2.47±3.59kg loss in the MET arm. In the COMB group, BMI,WC and WHtR were reduced significantly compared with that in the MET group, respectively. COMB therapy is also more favorable in the reduction of fasting insulin(FINS), total testosterone(TT), and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance(HOMA-IR) when compared to MET therapy. Antral follicle count and ovarian volume were non-significantly changed in both groups.The most frequent side effects in both groups were mild and moderate digestive symptoms. Itching and induration at the injection site were reported with COMB treatment. Conclusion: Short-term combined treatment with beinaglutide and metformin appears superior to metformin monotherapy in lowering body weight, BMI, WC,WHtR and improving insulin sensitivity and androgen excess in women with PCOS and obesity, with tolerable adverse events. Clinical trial registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn/listbycreater.aspx, identifier ChiCTR2000033741.

Hydrochar more effectively mitigated nitrous oxide emissions than pyrochar from a coastal soil of the Yellow River Delta, China.

Application of char amendments (e.g., pyrochar or biochar, hydrochar) in degraded soils is proposed as a promising solution for mitigating climate change via carbon sequestration and greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission reduction. However, the hydrochar-mediated microbial modulation mechanisms underlying N2O emissions from coastal salt-affected soils, one of essential blue C ecosystems, were poorly understood. Therefore, a wheat straw derived hydrochar (SHC) produced at 220 °C was prepared to investigate its effects on N2O emissions from a coastal salt-affected soil in the Yellow River Delta and to distinguish the microbial regulation mechanisms in comparison with corresponding pyrochar pyrolyzed at 500 °C (SPC) using a 28-day soil microcosm experiment. Compared with SPC, the acidic SHC (pH 4.15) enriched in oxygenated functional groups, labile C and N constituents. SHC application more efficiently depressed cumulative soil N2O emissions (48.4-61.1 % vs 5.57-45.2 %) than those of SPC. SHC-induced inhibition of ammonia-oxidizing gene (amoA)-mediated nitrification and promotion of full reduction of N2O to N2 by nitrous oxide reductase gene (nosZ) were the underlying microbial mechanisms. Structural equation models further revealed that SHC-modulated bacterial N-transformation responses, i.e., inhibited nitrification and promoted heterotrophic denitrification, mainly contributed to reduced N2O emissions, whereas modification of soil properties (e.g., decreased pH, increased total C content) by SPC dominantly accounted for decreased N2O emissions. These results address new insights into microbial regulation of N2O emission reduction from the coastal salt-affected soils amended with hydrochar, and provide the promising strategies to enhance C sequestration and mitigate GHG emissions in the blue C ecosystems.

Rapid and sensitive detection of quizalofop-p-ethyl by gold nanoparticle-based lateral flow immunoassay in agriproducts and environmental samples.

Quizalofop-p-ethyl is a widely used herbicide that poses a threat to human health and environmental safety. In this study, anti-quizalofop-p-ethyl monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were prepared and used to develop a gold nanoparticle-based lateral flow immunoassay (AuNP-LFIA) for the detection of quizalofop-p-ethyl in agriproducts and environmental samples. Four hybridoma cell lines were obtained, among which 5B6D10E11 secreted mAb with the highest sensitivity, with a 50 % inhibition concentration of 4.57 ng/mL in the indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. After optimization, the AuNP-LFIA strip based on the mAb (5B6D10E11) showed a visual detection limit of 10 ng/mL, and the results could be directly determined by the naked eye within 8 min. The cross-reactivity of the AuNP-LFIA for analogs of quizalofop-p-ethyl was negligible except for quizalofop-p-acid. The established AuNP-LFIA was proven to be accurate and precise based on the recovery test. Furthermore, the detection results of AuNP-LFIA were consistent with those of ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

Predicting multigland disease in primary hyperparathyroidism using ultrasound and clinical features.

Background: The identification of multigland disease (MGD) in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) patients is essential for minimally invasive surgical decision-making. Objective: To develop a nomogram based on ultrasound (US) findings and clinical factors to predict MGD in PHPT patients. Materials and methods: Patients with PHPT who had surgery between March 2021 and January 2022 were consecutively enrolled to this study. Biochemical and clinicopathological data were recorded. US images were analyzed to extract US features for prediction. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify MGD risk factors. A nomogram was constructed based on these factors and its performance evaluated by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), calibration curve, Hosmer-Lemeshow tests, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results: A total of 102 PHPT patients were included; 82 (80.4%) had single-gland disease (SGD) and 20 (19.6%) had MGD. Using multivariate analyses, MGD was positively correlated with age (odds ratio (OR) = 1.033, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.190-4.047), PTH levels (OR = 1.001, 95% CI: 1.000-1.002), multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) (OR = 29.730, 95% CI: 3.089-836.785), US size (OR = 1.198, 95% CI: 0.647-2.088), and US texture (cystic-solid) (OR = 5.357, 95% CI: 0.499-62.912). MGD was negatively correlated with gender (OR = 0.985, 95% CI: 0.190-4.047), calcium levels (OR = 0.453, 95% CI: 0.070-2.448), and symptoms (yes) (OR = 0.935, 95% CI: 0.257-13.365). The nomogram showed good discrimination with an AUC = 0.77 (0.68-0.85) and good agreement in predicting MGD in PHPT patients. Also, 65 points was recommended as a cut-off value, with specificity = 0.94 and sensitivity = 0.50. Conclusion: US was useful in evaluating MGD. Combining US and clinical features in a nomogram showed good diagnostic performance for predicting MGD.

Study on the correlation between the dominant microflora and the main flavor substances in the fermentation process of cigar tobacco leaves.

The flavor of cigar tobacco leaf determines the quality of finished cigar tobacco, and the enhancement of flavor generally relies on microbial fermentation. In this paper, the correlation between the dominant microorganisms and the main flavor substances of cigar tobacco leaves during fermentation and the correlation between the two were investigated to reveal the correlation between microorganisms and flavor and the metabolic pathways of microorganisms affecting the flavor substances. During the fermentation process, the main flavors of cigar tobacco leaves were sweet, light and grassy, with hexanal, 2,6-dimethylpyridine, nonanal, phenylacetaldehyde, naphthalene, and methyl benzoate as the main constituents, and the key microorganisms Haloferax mediterranei, Haloterrigena limicola, Candidatus Thorarchaeota archaeon SMTZ-45, the genera Methyloversatilis, Sphingomonas, Thauera, Pseudomonas, Penicillium, and Aspergillus. Correlation analysis revealed that fungi were negatively correlated with the main aroma and inhibited the main flavor substances, while bacteria were positively correlated with Benzoic acid, methyl ester in the main flavor substances, which was conducive to the accumulation of green aroma. Functional analysis revealed that the dominant bacterial population was producing aroma by metabolizing glycoside hydrolases and glycosyltransferases, performing amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism and film transport metabolism. The present study showed that the bacterial and fungal dominant microorganisms during the fermentation of cigar tobacco were influencing the production and degradation of the main flavor substances through the enzyme metabolism by the occurrence of the Merad reaction.

Monitoring the baking quality of Tieguanyin via electronic nose combined with GC-MS.

Roasting is extremely important for Tieguanyin oolong tea production because it strongly affects its chemical composition and sensory quality. In addition, there were significant differences in the preference for roasted tea among different people. However, the effect of roasting degree on the aroma characteristics and flavor quality of Tieguanyin tea is still unclear. To further study this, an electronic nose combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to monitor the baking process of Tieguanyin. The physicochemical indexes, sensory quality, and odor characteristics of the tea leaves subjected to different roasting conditions were measured. The increase in the roasting degree caused a decrease in the amount of taste substances such as tea polyphenols, catechins, and amino acids and a sharp increase in the phenol to ammonia ratio. Sensory evaluation results showed that moderate roasting could help improve the quality of the tea leaves. The results obtained using the electronic nose and GC-MS showed that there were substantial differences in the volatile substances, and 103 flavor compounds were highly correlated with the aroma characteristics of roasted tea with different roasting degrees. In addition, the electronic nose combined with various classification models could better distinguish tea leaves with different roasting degrees. Among them, the accuracy of the RF training set and prediction set reached>98.44%. The results of this study will aid in comprehensively monitoring the effects of the baking process on the flavor, chemical composition, and aroma of Tieguanyin as well as in distinguishing Tieguanyin tea leaves with different qualities.

Subtle mutations in the SMN1 gene in Chinese patients with SMA: p.Arg288Met mutation causing SMN1 transcript exclusion of exon7.

BACKGROUND: Proximal spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a common neuromuscular disorder resulting in death during childhood. Around 81~95% of SMA cases are a result of homozygous deletions of survival motor neuron gene 1 (SMN1) gene or gene conversions from SMN1 to SMN2. Less than 5% of cases showed rare subtle mutations in SMN1. Our aim was to identify subtle mutations in Chinese SMA patients carrying a single SMN1 copy. METHODS: We examined 14 patients from 13 unrelated families. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification analysis was carried out to determine the copy numbers of SMN1 and SMN2. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and clone sequencing were used to detect subtle mutations in SMN1. SMN transcript levels were determined using quantitative RT-PCR. RESULTS: Six subtle mutations (p.Ser8LysfsX23, p.Glu134Lys, p.Leu228X, p.Ser230Leu, p.Tyr277Cys, and p.Arg288Met) were identified in 12 patients. The p.Tyr277Cys mutation has not been reported previously. The p.Ser8LysfsX23, p.Leu228X, and p.Tyr277Cys mutations have only been reported in Chinese SMA patients and the first two mutations seem to be the common ones. Levels of full length SMN1 (fl-SMN1) transcripts were very low in patients carrying p.Ser8LysfsX23, p.Leu228X or p.Arg288Met compared with healthy carriers. In patients carrying p.Glu134Lys or p.Ser230Leu, levels of fl-SMN1 transcripts were reduced but not significant. The SMN1 transcript almost skipped exon 7 entirely in patients with the p.Arg288Met mutation. CONCLUSIONS: Our study reveals a distinct spectrum of subtle mutations in SMN1 of Chinese SMA patients from that of other ethnicities. The p.Arg288Met missense mutation possibly influences the correct splicing of exon 7 in SMN1. Mutation analysis of the SMN1 gene in Chinese patients may contribute to the identification of potential ethnic differences and enrich the SMN1 subtle mutation database.

Geranyl flavonoid derivatives from the fresh leaves of Artocarpus communis and their anti-inflammatory activity.

Breadfruit (Artocarpus communis) is a widely distributed crop in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It is used in Southeast Asia and India to treat several inflammatory disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of anti-inflammatory flavonoids in A. communis leaves. Three new geranyl flavonoids, arcommunol C (1), arcommunol D (3), and 5'-geranyl-3,4,2',4'-tetrahydroxychalcone (5), together with four known compounds, prostratol (2), arcommunol E (4), 3'-geranyl-3,4,2',4'-tetrahydroxydihydrochalcone (6), and 3'-geranyl-3,4,2',4'-tetrahydroxychalcone (7), were isolated from the leaves of A. communis. Compound 4 was isolated for the first time from natural sources. The anti-inflammatory activity of the isolated compounds (1-7) was evaluated by determining their inhibitory activity on the production of proinflammatory mediators in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells. Compounds 2, 3, and 4 suppressed the LPS-induced production of nitric oxide (NO) in RAW 264.7 cells with IC50 values of 8.13 ± 0.17, 18.45 ± 2.15, and 22.74 ± 1.74 µM, respectively. Furthermore, 2 decreased lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated induction of protein expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in RAW 264.7 cells. It was also found that 2 suppressed LPS-induced phosphorylation of JNK and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling.

Diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in intravenous leiomyomatosis: a single-center experiences.

Objective: Intravenous leiomyomatosis (IVL) is a rare disease, and few studies have focused on the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in this condition. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of CEUS in IVL and summarize the specific CEUS characteristics of IVL. Materials and Method: From December 2016 to March 2021, 93 patients admitted to our hospital with inferior vena cava (IVC) occupying lesions were prospectively enrolled and underwent detailed ultrasound multi-modality examinations, including conventional and contrast-enhanced ultrasound scans. The diagnostic value of CEUS and conventional ultrasound (CU) in IVL was compared, and the specific IVL signs were summarized. Results: Among the 93 patients with inferior vena cava mass, 67 were IVL while 26 were non-IVL. The inter-observer agreement of the two senior doctors was good, with Kappa coefficient = 0.71 (95% CI: 0.572-0.885). The area under the ROC curve of CU for IVL diagnosis was 0.652 (95% CI: 0.528-0.776), and its sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, missed diagnosis rate, and misdiagnosis rate were 61.1%, 69.2%, 63.4%, 83.7%, 40.9%, 38.8%, and 30.8%, respectively. The area under curve (AUC) for IVL diagnosis by CEUS was 0.807 (95% CI: 0.701-0.911), and the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, missed diagnosis rate, and misdiagnosis rate were 82.0%, 84.6%, 82.8%, 93.2%, 64.7%, 15.4%, and 17.9%, respectively. In CEUS mode, "sieve hole sign" and "multi-track sign" were detected in 57 lesions, and the detected rate was higher than that of CU (https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/1014187 < 0.01). Conclusion: CEUS can better show the fine blood flow inside the IVL, which is important for IVL differential diagnosis. Moreover, CEUS can obtain more information about IVL diagnosis than CU, compensating for the shortcomings of CU in detecting more blood flow within the lesion. Thus, this technique has great significance for IVL diagnosis.

A Novel Chemiluminescent Method for Efficient Evaluation of Heterogeneous Fenton Catalysts Using Cigarette Tar.

The evaluation of the catalytic capacity of catalysts is indispensable research, as catalytic capacity is a crucial factor to dictate the efficiency of heterogeneous Fenton catalysis. Herein, we obtained cigarette tar-methanol extracts (CTME) by applying methanol to cigarette tar and found that CTME could cause CL reactions with Fe2+/H2O2 systems in acidic, neutral, and alkaline media. The CL spectrum experiment indicated that the emission wavelengths of the CTME CL reaction with Fe2+/H2O2 systems were about 490 nm, 535 nm, and 590 nm. Quenching experiments confirmed that hydroxyl radicals (•OH) were responsible for the CL reaction for CTME. Then the CL property of CTME was applied in-situ to rapidly determine the amounts of •OH in tetrachloro-1,4-benzoquinone (TCBQ)/H2O2 system in acidic, neutral and alkaline media, and the CL intensities correlated the best (R2 = 0.99) with TCBQ concentrations. To demonstrate the utility of the CTME CL method, the catalytic capacity of different types and concentrations of catalysts in heterogeneous Fenton catalysis were examined. It was found that the order of CL intensities was consistent with the order of degradation efficiencies of Rhodamine B, indicating that this method could distinguish the catalytic capacity of catalysts. The CTME CL method could provide a convenient tool for the efficient evaluation of the catalytic capacity of catalysts in heterogeneous Fenton catalysis.