The transcription factor PbrbZIP52 positively affects pear pollen tube longevity by promoting callose synthesis.

In pear (Pyrus bretschneideri), pollen tube growth is critical for the double fertilization associated with seed setting, which in turn affects fruit yield. The normal deposition of callose mediates the polar growth of pollen tubes. However, the mechanism regulating callose synthesis in pollen tubes remains relatively uncharacterized. In this study, we revealed that the typical pear pollen tube lifecycle has a semi-growth duration (GD50) of 16.16 h under in vitro culture conditions. Moreover, callose plugs were deposited throughout the pollen tube lifecycle. The formation of callose plugs was inhibited by 2-deoxy-D-glucose, which also accelerated the senescence of pear pollen tubes. Additionally, PbrCalS1B.1, which encodes a plasma membrane-localized callose synthase, was expressed specifically in pollen tubes and restored the fertility of the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) cals5 mutant, in which callose synthesis is inhibited. However, this restoration of fertility was impaired by the transient silencing of PbrCalS1B.1, which restricts callose plug formation and shortens the pear pollen tube lifecycle. More specifically, PbrbZIP52 regulated PbrCalS1B.1 transcription by binding to promoter A-box elements to maintain the periodic formation of callose plugs and normal pollen tube growth, ultimately leading to double fertilization. This study confirmed that PbrbZIP52 positively affects pear pollen tube longevity by promoting callose synthesis. This finding may be useful for breeding high-yielding pear cultivars and stabilizing fruit setting in commercial orchards.

Riemerella anatipestifer UvrC is required for iron utilization, biofilm formation and virulence.

UvrC is a subunit of excinuclease ABC, which mediates nucleotide excision repair (NER) in bacteria. Our previous studies showed that transposon Tn4531 insertion in the UvrC encoding gene Riean_1413 results in reduced biofilm formation by Riemerella anatipestifer strain CH3 and attenuates virulence of strain YZb1. In this study, whether R. anatipestifer UvrC has some biological functions other than NER was investigated. Firstly, the uvrC of R. anatipestifer strain Yb2 was in-frame deleted by homologous recombination, generating deletion mutant ΔuvrC, and its complemented strain cΔuvrC was constructed based on Escherichia coli - R. anatipestifer shuttle plasmid pRES. Compared to the wild-type (WT) R. anatipestifer strain Yb2, uvrC deleted mutant ΔuvrC significantly reduced biofilm formation, tolerance to H2O2- and HOCl-induced oxidative stress, iron utilization, and adhesion to and invasion of duck embryonic hepatocytes, but not its growth curve and proteolytic activity. In addition, animal experiments showed that the LD50 value of ΔuvrC in ducklings was about 13-fold higher than that of the WT, and the bacterial loads in ΔuvrC infected ducklings were significantly lower than those in Yb2-infected ducklings, indicating uvrC deletion in R. anatipestifer attenuated virulence. Taken together, the results of this study indicate that R. anatipestifer UvrC is required for iron utilization, biofilm formation, oxidative stress tolerance and virulence of strain Yb2, demonstrating multiple functions of UvrC.RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTSDeletion of uvrC in R. anatipestfer Yb2 significantly reduced its biofilm formation.uvrC deletion led to reduced tolerance to H2O2- and HOCl-induced oxidative stress.The iron utilization of uvrC deleted mutant was significantly reduced.The uvrC deletion in R. anatipestifer Yb2 attenuated its virulence.

Safety of early antiplatelet therapy for non-cardioembolic mild stroke patients with thrombocytopenia. / åˆå¹¶è¡€å°æ¿å‡å°‘ç—‡çš„éžå¿ƒæºæ€§è½»åž‹è„‘å’ä¸­æ‚£è€ æ—©æœŸæŠ—è¡€å°æ¿æ²»ç–—çš„å®‰å ¨æ€§ç ”ç©¶.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the safety of early antiplatelet therapy for non-cardioembolic mild stroke patients with thrombocytopenia. METHODS: Data of acute ischemic stroke patients with baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score ≤3 and a platelet count <100×109/L were obtained from a multicenter register. Those who required anticoagulation or had other contraindications to antiplatelet therapy were excluded. Short-term safety outcomes were in-hospital bleeding events, while the long-term safety outcome was a 1-year all-cause death. The short-term neurological outcomes were evaluated by modified Rankin scale (mRS) score at discharge. RESULTS: A total of 1868 non-cardioembolic mild stroke patients with thrombocytopenia were enrolled. Multivariate regression analyses showed that mono-antiplatelet therapy significantly increased the proportion of mRS score of 0-1 at discharge (OR=1.657, 95%CI: 1.253-2.192, P<0.01) and did not increase the risk of intracranial hemorrhage (OR=2.359, 95%CI: 0.301-18.503, P>0.05), compared with those without antiplatelet therapy. However, dual-antiplatelet therapy did not bring more neurological benefits (OR=0.923, 95%CI: 0.690-1.234, P>0.05), but increased the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding (OR=2.837, 95%CI: 1.311-6.136, P<0.01) compared with those with mono-antiplatelet therapy. For patients with platelet counts ≤75×109/L and >90×109/L, antiplatelet therapy significantly improved neurological functional outcomes (both P<0.05). For those with platelet counts (>75-90)×109/L, antiplatelet therapy resulted in a significant improvement of 1-year survival (P<0.05). For patients even with concurrent coagulation abnormalities, mono-antiplatelet therapy did not increase the risk of various types of bleeding (all P>0.05) but improved neurological functional outcomes (all P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the occurrence of bleeding events, 1-year all-cause mortality risk, and neurological functional outcomes between aspirin and clopidogrel (all P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: For non-cardioembolic mild stroke patients with thrombocytopenia, antiplatelet therapy remains a reasonable choice. Mono-antiplatelet therapy has the same efficiency as dual-antiplatelet therapy in neurological outcome improvement with lower risk of gastrointestinal bleeding.

[18F]F-ET-OTSSP167 Targets Maternal Embryo Leucine Zipper Kinase for PET Imaging of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Maternal embryo leucine zipper kinase (MELK) is a serine/threonine kinase and is highly expressed in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). This study aimed to develop a 18F-radiolabeled tracer based on the structure of a small-molecule MELK inhibitor OTSSP167 and evaluate its application for PET imaging of MELK expression in TNBC. OTSSP167 was modified with ethylene glycol to adjust its pharmacokinetics and was then radiolabeled with 18F to obtain [18F]F-ET-OTSSP167 at a labeling yield of 7.14 ± 2.19% and a molar activity of 16.23 ± 1.13 MBq/nmol. In vitro binding assays showed differentiated binding affinities of [18F]F-ET-OTSSP167 in different breast cancer cell lines, with high uptake in MDA-MB-231 (mild MELK expression) and low uptake in MCF-7 (negative MELK expression). PET imaging revealed that MDA-MB-231 tumors could be clearly delineated in vivo, while low tracer uptake was observed in MCF-7 tumors. These findings were confirmed by ex vivo biodistribution studies and were consistent with the immunohistochemistry and tissue staining results. Tracer accumulation in MDA-MB-231 tumors was significantly inhibited by excess amounts of OTSSP167, indicating high specificity of the tracer. In summary, [18F]F-ET-OTSSP167, an easily-prepared probe, can be used to visualize MELK positive tumors, demonstrating its promising clinical potential in selecting patients for MELK inhibitor therapy.

How to balance ecosystem services and economic benefits? - A case study in the Pearl River Delta, China.

There is a significant challenge in resource management: the perceived trade-off between economic growth and ecosystem conservation. In this study, we integrate a variety of quantitative research methods and models, such as the ecosystem service value (ESV), interval parameter planning (IPP), Dyna-CLUE, and Monte Carlo methods, in an attempt to balance the ESV and economic benefits. The highest system benefits can be obtained, and uncertainty in the ecosystem assessment is considered. Taking the Pearl River Delta as the study area, the results show that when the GDP growth rate is less than 6%, the ESV in 2025 will be higher than the ESV in 2017. An interval approach (upper and lower bounds) is used. For a scenario with a 5% GDP growth rate, the ESV is RMB¥ [1.85, 20.79] × 109, which is more than the ESV of the scenario with a 9% GDP growth rate. When the GDP growth rates are 5% and 9%, the proportions of forestland are [61.5%, 61.7%] and [58%, 58.2%], respectively. Furthermore, spatialization was performed using the Dyna-CLUE model. In 2025, the simulated area of farmland is larger in some small regions with 9% GDP growth rate than it is in regions with 5% GDP growth rate, thus achieving a balance between occupation and compensation of regional farmland. By comparing ecosystem planning under different GDP growth rates, an optimized land-use allocation method can help decision makers balance system benefits and ecological risks, which can provide multiple options and specific locations for decision.

An Intrinsically Self-Healing NiCo||Zn Rechargeable Battery with a Self-Healable Ferric-Ion-Crosslinking Sodium Polyacrylate Hydrogel Electrolyte.

Self-healing solid-state aqueous rechargeable NiCo||Zn batteries are inherently safe and have a high energy density and mechanical robustness. However, the self-healability of solid-state batteries has only been realized by a few studies in which electron/ion-inactive self-healable substrates are utilized. This arises from the lack of self-healable electrolytes. Now an intrinsically self-healing battery has been designed that utilizes a new electrolyte that is intrinsically self-healable. Sodium polyacrylate hydrogel chains are crosslinked by ferric ions to promote dynamic reconstruction of an integral network. These non-covalent crosslinkers can form ionic bonds to reconnect damaged surfaces when the hydrogel is cut off, providing an ultimate solution to the intrinsic self-healability problem of batteries. As a result, this NiCo||Zn battery with this hydrogel electrolyte can be autonomically self-healed with over 87 % of capacity retained after 4 cycles of breaking/healing.

Accumulation and excretion of cadmium in three successive generations of Spodoptera exigua (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and impact on the population increase.

Nowadays, heavy metal pollution has become more and more serious. Cadmium is one of the heavy metals that have caused serious pollution. Spodoptera exigua Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), one of important agricultural pests, has broken out more frequently in recent years. In this study, accumulation at different developmental stages and excretion of Cd were detected, and effect of cadmium (Cd concentrations were 0.2, 0.8, 3.2, 12.8, and 51.2 mg/kg, respectively) on three successive generations of beet armyworm was also studied using life table in the laboratory. Results showed that Cd2+ contents were significantly different when S. exigua was reared under different Cd2+ concentrations in the same generation in a significant dose-dependent manner. The concentration of Cd2+ increased with extension of stress time. Cd2+ concentration at different developmental stages was different, that is, larvae > pupa > adult. After emergence, Cd2+ concentration in both females and males decreased gradually, but that in paired adults decreased to a greater extent than that in unpaired ones. Beet armyworm could excrete heavy metals by means of faeces, prepupa exuviate, and puparium. Life table of the laboratory population was constructed, which showed that low doses of cadmium promoted the increase of population, whereas high doses inhibited the increase, meanwhile, with the extension of exposure length, the index of population trend (I) declined more rapidly. The study might provide references for the long-term and objective assessment of heavy metal pollution and its effect on the populations of important agricultural pests.

Biomechanical analysis of titanium-alloy and biodegradable implants in dual plate osteosynthesis for AO/ASIF type 33-C2 fractures.

Background and objective: Treating geriatric osteoporotic distal femur fractures has always presented challenges, but developing biodegradable materials has brought new opportunities for therapeutic intervention. Despite this progress, there currently needs to be more evidence-based biomechanical guidelines for using dual plate fixation and biodegradable materials in treating osteoporotic comminuted distal femoral fractures.In this study, finite element analysis was conducted to evaluate the mechanical effectiveness of different implant materials (titanium alloys, biodegradable materials, and combinations of both) in the fixation of physiological and osteoporotic distal femoral fractures. Methods: We constructed finite element models of 33-C2 fractures and three types of plates: the Lateral Less Invasive Stabilization System (LISS) plate, the titanium-alloy medial plate (TAP), and the biodegradable plate (BP). To evaluate the biomechanical advantages in both physiological femur (PF) and osteoporotic femur (OF) conditions, three scenarios were developed: LISS + TAP, LISS + BP, and double biodegradable plates (DBPs). Five loading conditions were applied to measure structural stiffness, fracture micromotion, and implant stress: medio-lateral four-point bending, antero-posterior four-point bending, axial loading, torsional loading, and sideways falling. Several parameters were examined, including peak Von Mises Stress (VMS) of the femur and lateral plate, maximum displacement, bending angle, torsional angle of fracture, and risk of fracture. Results: In four-point bending tests, the lateral plate of the DBPs group exhibited a slightly lower peak VMS compared to the LISS + TAP and LISS + BP groups. When subjected to axial loading, the stiffness values of the LISS + TAP (OF) were 1.42 times and 1.86 times higher than LISS + BP (OF) and DBPs (OF) groups, and the peak VMS of lateral plate of DBPs (OF) construct was approximately 2% and 16% lower than that of the LISS + TAP (OF) and LISS + BP (OF) constructs. Under torsional loading, DBPs (OF) demonstrated rotational stiffness that was respectively 2% and 52% greater than that of LISS + TAP (OF) and LISS + BP (OF). Regarding the peak VMS of femur, the values of DBPs (OF) were almost 8% and 15% lower than those of LISS + TAP (OF) and LISS + BP (OF). Conclusions: The use of DBPs at 11.33 GPa facilitated early mobilization of load-bearing joints but exhibited limited ability to support full weight-bearing activities. Though LISS + TAP met practical strength requirements, one should consider the potential biological irritation and stress shielding. Thus, employing a combination of biodegradable and metal internal fixation is a valid approach to effectively treat weight-bearing joint fractures in clinical practice.

The determination of the optimal threshold on measurement of thyroid volume using quantitative SPECT/CT for Graves' hyperthyroidism.

PURPOSE: To investigate the optimal threshold for measuring thyroid volume in patients with Grave's hyperthyroidism (GH) by SPECT/CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 53 mL butterfly-shaped hollow container made of two 45-degree transparent elbows was put into a NEMA IEC phantom tank. The butterfly-shaped container and the tank were then filled with Na99mTcO4 of different radioactive concentrations, respectively, which could simulate thyroid gland with GH by different target-to-background ratios (T/B) (200:1, 600:1, 1000:1). The different T/B of planar imaging and SPECT/CT were acquired by a Discovery NM/CT 670 Pro SPECT/CT. With Thyroid software (Version 4.0) of GE-Xeleris workstation, the region of the thyroid gland in planar imaging was delineated. The thyroid area and average long diameter of both lobes were substituted into the Allen formula to calculate the thyroid volume. The calculation error was compared with the actual volume. Q-Metrix software was used to perform CT-based attenuation correction, scatter correction, resolution recovery. Ordered-subsets expectation maximization was used to reconstruct SPECT data. 20%, 25%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60% thresholds were selected to automatically delineate the volume of interest and compared with the real volume, which determinated the optimal threshold. We measured the thyroid volume of 40 GH patients using the threshold and compared the volumes obtained by planar imaging and ultrasound three-dimensional. The differences of the volumes with different T/B and thresholds were compared by the ANOVA and least significant difference t test. The volumes delineated by SPECT/CT were evaluated using ANOVA, least significant difference t test, correlation analysis and, linear regression and Bland-Altman concordance test plot. The differences and consistency of thyroid volume were compared among the above three methods. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the results between different T/B models (P > 0.05). The thyroid volume calculated by the planar imaging formula method was higher than the real volume, with an average overestimation of 22.81%. The volumes delineated by SPECT/CT threshold automatically decreased while the threshold increased. There were significant differences between groups with different thresholds (P < 0.001). With an average error of 3.73%, the thyroid volume analyzed by the threshold of 25% was close to the results of ultrasound measurement (P > 0.05). Thyroid volume measured by planar imaging method was significantly higher than ultrasound and SPECT/CT threshold automatic delineation method (P < 0.05). The agreement between the SPECT/CT 25% threshold and ultrasound (r = 0.956, b = 0.961) was better than that between the planar imaging and ultrasound (r = 0.590, b = 0.574). The Bland-Altman plot also showed that the thyroid volume measured by the 25% threshold automatic delineation method was in good agreement with the ultrasound measurement. CONCLUSIONS: The T/B has no effect on the measurement of thyroid volume in GH patients; planar imaging method can significantly overestimate thyroid volume in GH patients, and 25% threshold automatic delineation method can obtain more accurate thyroid volume in GH patients.

Diagnosis and prognostic predictive value of delineation methods from 18F-FDG PET/CT and PET/MR in pancreatic lesion.

The aim was to utilize three segmentation methods on 18F-FDG PET/CT and PET/MR images of pancreatic neoplasm patients, and further compare the effectiveness in differentiating benign from malignant, TNM-stage and prognosis. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 51 patients with pancreatic neoplasm who had undergone 18F-FDG PET/CT and PET/MR before treatment. The patients were categorized into malignant and benign groups. For each patient, the lesion was segmented by 3 thresholds and we recorded TNM-stage, treatment strategy, time to death, and the performance status of survivors. We used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to compare the diagnostic performance of different threshold delineations between benign and malignant, as well as TNM-stage of adenocarcinoma patients. The optimal model of prognostic value was also assessed by Cox proportional hazards regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. For both PET/CT and PET/MR, SUVmax had the best diagnostic efficacy in identifying malignant tumors. The background method of PET/MR exhibited the outstanding performance in M-stage (sensitivity/specificity, 92.90%/88.20%), with the weighted factor being whole-body total lesion glycolysis (WBTLG). In multivariate analysis, WBTLG (Exp [B] = 1.009; P = 0.009), and surgery (Exp [B] = 15.542; P = 0.008) were independent predictive factors associated with prognosis. This study found that SUVmax from PET/CT had the best diagnostic efficacy in identifying malignancy, while PET/MR showed higher specificity and accuracy for M-stage. The treatment strategy and WBTLG were independent prognostic factors in pancreatic neoplasm patients. PET/MR using the background method was identified as the optimal predictive model for prognosis.

Protective effects of Emblica officinalis polysaccharide against lead induced liver injury in mice model.

Heavy metal contamination especially lead (Pb) causes a serious threat to global public health. In the current study, we explored the protective and regulating effects of Emblica officinalis polysaccharide (EOP) in the liver against Pb-induced toxicity. According to our findings, EOP decreased the Pb-induced pathological lesions of liver and overall weight index in mice (p < 0.05). Following treatment with EOP, the levels of biological biomarkers for liver hepatic function (i.e., ALT and AST) were significantly decreased (p < 0.01) in a dose-dependent manner, consisted with histopathological changes. The key proteins involved in hepatic oxidative stress and apoptosis, including Nrf2, HO-1, Bcl-2, and Bax were quantified, which indicated EOP as an effective approach in protecting against the liver injury. Moreover, EOP treatment ameliorated the negative changes of liver metabolic profile (i.e., metabolites concentrations and metabolic patterns). In conclusion, EOP could protect the liver against oxidative stress and apoptosis induced by Pb poisoning, associated with the efficacy of ameliorating the negative changes in liver metabolic profile. Hence, the current findings recommend EOP as an efficient way for alleviating liver injury in lead poisoning.

Integrating ecosystem services and landscape connectivity into the optimization of ecological security pattern: a case study of the Pearl River Delta, China.

The ecological security pattern (ESP) focuses on key ecological elements in ecosystems by identifying, combining, and evaluating these elements. This study attempts to identify the ESP of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) and provide suggestions for optimization. Ecosystem services were calculated and applied to construct the ecological resistance surface; morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) and landscape connectivity analysis were used to identify ecological sources; and minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model was applied to extract ecological corridors and ecological nodes. The results show that during 1995 to 2015, the main landscape transformation occurred between forest, cropland, and urban land, and the location of the transformation was mainly in the central part of the study area. Regarding the ESP, the average resistance value increased from 0.30 to 0.33; the area of ecological sources decreased by 5.12%; the ratio of total cumulative resistance to the length of the corridors increased by 14.82%; and the number of ecological nodes increased from 71 to 99. For the ESP optimization, based on the correction of the resistance surface, 1348 km blue corridors and 61 blue nodes were extracted. Based on hot spot analysis, nine stepping stones were identified. This optimization compensates for the lack of ecological elements in the center of the study area, enhances weaker corridors, and improves the connectivity of the ESP, thus making the ESP more stable and complete. The ESP constructed and optimized in this paper holds great significance and serves as a valuable reference for ecological protection and environmental management.

Breastfeeding and Reduced Risk of Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Evidences which prove relation between breastfeeding women and risk of breast cancer have been limited. OBJECTIVE: A meta-analysis was carried out on the basis of published literature from clinical trials and studies among different parts of the world. METHODS: Studies were analyzed and extracted using PRISMA flowchart. RevMan 5.4.1 was used for analyzing the extracted data. Included studies were fully cited texts with complete information about studies, trails conducted for risk of breast cancer, and breastfeeding correlations. RESULTS: Menarche age, family history, lactation duration, and menopausal status have a strong effect on the risks of breast cancer. Family history studies concluded that for 95% CI, the risk ratio was 2.66 (2.00, 3.52). CONCLUSION: Findings have suggested that family history and lactation duration affect the risks of breast cancer.

Stability of internal fixation systems based on different subtypes of Schatzker II fracture of the tibial plateau: A finite element analysis.

Background: Schaztker II fracture is the most common type of the tibial plateau fractures (TPF). There has been a large number of cadaveric biomechanical studies and finite element simulation studies to explore the most stable fixation methods for this type of fracture, which were based on a single fracture morphology. But differences among fracture morphologies could directly affect the stability of internal fixation systems. In this sense, we verified the stability of existing internal fixation modalities by simulating Schatzker II fractures with different fracture morphologies. Objectives: To compare the stability of different filler types combined with locked compression plate/screw in different subtypes of Schatzker II TPF. Methods: Four subtypes of Schatzker II were created based on 3D map of TPF. Each of the subtypes was fixed with LCP/screw or LCP/screw combined with different fill types. Stress distribution, displacement distribution, and the load sharing capacity of the filler were assessed by applying the maximum load during gait. In addition, repeated fracture risks of depressed fragment were evaluated regarding to the ultimate strain of bone. Results: The stress concentration of the implant in each scenario was located on the screw at the contact site between the plate and the screw, and the filler of the defect site significantly reduced the stress concentration of the implant (Subtype A: Blank group 402.0 MPa vs. Experimental group 315.2 ± 5.5 MPa; Subtype C: Blank group 385.0 MPa vs. Experimental group 322.7 ± 12.1 MPa). Displacement field analysis showed that filler significantly reduced the reduction loss of the depressed fragment (Subtype A: Blank group 0.1949 mm vs. Experimental group 0.174 ± 0.001 mm; Subtype C: 0.264 mm vs. 0.253 ± 0.002 mm). Maximum strain was in subtype C with the value of 2.3% ± 0.1% indicating the greatest possibility of failure risk. And with the increase of its modulus, the bearing capacity of filler increased. Conclusion: The existence of filler at the defect site can effectively reduce the stress concentration of the implant and the reduction loss of the collapsed block, thus providing good stability for Schatzker II fracture. In subtype A fracture, the modulus of filler presented the slightest influence on the stability, followed by subtype C, while the stability of subtype B was most influenced by the modulus of filler. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the preoperative patient imaging data adequately to select the appropriate stiffness of the filler.

Comparative effects of different enzymatic hydrolysates of konjac glucomannan on gut flora and constipation in rats.

This study aimed to compare the effects of different hydrolysates (named GKOS and MKOS) on constipated rats, which were obtained by degradation from konjac glucomannan by ß-glucanase and ß-mannanase, respectively. GKOS and MKOS were characterized and administered by gavage at 100 mg kg-1 to constipated rats. The variation of the gut flora, content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), defecation function, gastrointestinal motility, and intestinal mucus secretion were determined to evaluate their regulatory effects on constipation. The results revealed the more prominent augmentation of species richness in MKOS than with GKOS. They also possessed diverse modulatory effects on different genera, such as Prevotella and Parabacteroides. Unexpectedly, there was no statistical divergence between GKOS and MKOS in defecation parameters, gastrointestinal transit, serum parameters, and mucous secretion. Overall, MKOS and GKOS exhibited differential regulatory function on gut microbiota in vivo, but with nearly consistent therapeutic effects on constipation.

Luteolin Suppresses Microglia Neuroinflammatory Responses and Relieves Inflammation-Induced Cognitive Impairments.

Microglia-mediated neuroinflammation in response to injurious self and non-self-stimuli exerts detrimental effects on neurons, which may lead to cognitive impairment. Luteolin, a typical kind of natural flavonoid in honeysuckle, chrysanthemum, and Herba Schizonepetae, is widely recognized to be anti-inflammatory and antioxidant against peripheral inflammation. However, its protective effect against inflammation-induced cognitive impairment is currently unknown. In this paper, we investigated the relief potential of luteolin against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cognitive impairment and neuroinflammation and its possible anti-inflammatory mechanisms in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated BV2 microglia cells. In this study, luteolin ameliorated LPS-induced cognitive impairments, indicated by behavioral performance of neuroinflammatory model mice in Morris water maze tests. Protein analyses and histological examination also revealed protective effect of luteolin against neuronal damage, through inhibiting overproduction of inflammatory cytokines in both hippocampus and cortex of mice. We also observed luteolin in vitro significantly suppressed the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 ß (IL-1ß), and inflammatory mediators like nitric oxide. Taken together, these results demonstrated luteolin was effective in alleviating cognitive impairment and limited neuronal damage via inhibiting the release of inflammatory mediators, suggesting luteolin is potential for further therapeutic research of neuroinflammation-related neurodegenerative diseases.

Identifying the key sectors for regional energy, water and carbon footprints from production-, consumption- and network-based perspectives.

Energy consumption, water use and carbon emission targets are important for promoting sustainable development. This study presents a multi-goal analytical framework based on an environmental input-output analysis, structural path analysis and correspondence analysis to identify the key sectors for energy, water and carbon footprints. Using Guangdong Province as a case study, the energy, water and carbon footprints are modelled from production-based, consumption-based and network (betweenness)-based perspectives. The results show that (1) the construction sector is a key sector for energy use/water use/carbon emissions from the three perspectives. The electricity and heat power production and supply sector emitted the most production-based CO2 (283.4 Mt), accounting for 52.3% of the total CO2 emissions. (2) The key sectors in terms of energy, water and carbon differ. The transport, storage and post sector is an important sector for energy consumption, and the agriculture sector and food and tobacco sector are important sectors for freshwater withdrawal. (3) The key sectors differ according to the three perspectives. For example, the energy production sector ranked first in production-based CO2 emissions (286.2 Mt), but heavy manufacturing ranked first in consumption-based CO2 emissions (146.3 Mt). This study recommends paying more attention to the abovementioned sectors, specifically concerning the transmission role of light manufacturing in freshwater withdrawal, and reducing energy consumption-intensive but low value-added exports (such as metal smelting and pressing). The findings highlight the need to consider multiple angles and elements to identify the key sectors and help decision makers better understand the relationships and flows among the industries.

Comparative study of the laxative effects of konjac oligosaccharides and konjac glucomannan on loperamide-induced constipation in rats.

Dietary fiber is the basic therapeutic method to relieve the symptoms of chronic constipation. The aim of this study was to compare the laxative effect of konjac glucomannan (KGM) and konjac oligosaccharides (KOS) on constipated rats. KGM and KOS were administered to loperamide-induced constipated rats at dosages of 100 mg per kg bw and 400 mg per kg bw for 15 days. Feces were collected to evaluate the defecation function. X-ray imaging and an electrophysiological system were used to determine gastrointestinal (GI) motility. Immunohistochemistry and western blotting were used to measure the protein levels. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed to assess flatulence. Our results demonstrated that low-dose KOS (L-KOS) exerted the best laxative effect. Compared to the normal control (NC) group, the fecal number in the L-KOS group increased by 39.4%, and the fecal weight significantly increased by 31.9% which was higher than those in the low-dose KGM (L-KGM) and high-dose KGM (H-KGM) groups. The fecal moisture content and transit scores were significantly increased only in the L-KOS group. Meanwhile, less GI gas was produced by KOS. Additionally, further investigations suggested that KOS could upregulate the protein expression of stem cell factors (SCF)/c-kit, and significantly promoted the secretion of mucus. In conclusion, compared to KGM, KOS had a conspicuous laxative effect especially at a low dosage. The potential laxative mechanisms of KOS probably are regulating the SCF/c-kit signalling pathway and increasing mucus secretion. These findings indicated that as a kind of functional oligosaccharide, KOS is more conducive to alleviating constipation compared to polysaccharides.

Laxative effect and mechanism of Tiantian Capsule on loperamide-induced constipation in rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Tiantian capsule (TTC), as a functional food, which consists of four herb medicines, including Aloe vera Burm.f. (25%), leaf juices, dried; Cucurbita moschata Duch. (25%), fructus, dried; Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf. (12.5%), sclerotium, dried; Tremella fuciformis Berk. (12.5%), fruiting bodies, dried, and one extract xylooligosaccharides (25%) from Maize Cob by enzymolysis, has been commonly used in China to ameliorate constipation. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of the work is to elucidate the potential laxative mechanisms of TTC in loperamide-induced constipated rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: LC-MS/MS was employed for analyzing the TTC extract. The gastrointestinal transit was evaluated by X-ray. The H&E and Alcian-Blue stain were applied to determine the changes of goblet cells and mucus layer, respectively. Meanwhile, levels of neurotransmitters were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The protein expressions were also measured by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. RESULTS: Our results showed that TTC administration attenuated constipation responses in aspects of fecal pellets number, water content of feces, stomach emptying and gastrointestinal transit. Further investigations revealed that TTC treatment not only induced the recovery of neurotransmitters, such as motilin, substance P, somatostatin, endothelin and vasoactive intestinal peptide, but also up-regulated the expressions of c-kit and stem cell factor (SCF). Additionally, the number of goblet cells and thickness of the mucus layer were elevated, and the guanylate cyclase C-cGMP signal pathway was also up-regulated after TTC treatment. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrated that the laxative effect of TTC in constipation rats is probably due to the regulation of bowel movement and intestinal fluid secretion.

Network of depression and anxiety symptoms in patients with epilepsy.

PURPOSE: Depression and anxiety are often comorbid in people with epilepsy. Network models consider this comorbidity as an interacting system of depressive and anxiety symptoms. The present study investigates the network structure of depressive and anxiety symptoms in people with epilepsy and aims to identify the central and bridge symptoms to provide suggestions for the prevention of and intervention for depression-anxiety comorbidity in patients with epilepsy. METHODS: A total of 313 patients with epilepsy were enrolled in our study. Anxiety symptoms were evaluated with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were evaluated with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Network analyses were used for the statistical analysis. RESULTS: The findings indicated that ten edges with the strongest regularized partial correlations existed in the network. Six were among depressive symptoms, such as "sleep difficulties" with "fatigue" and " feeling of worthlessness" with "thoughts of death". Four were among anxiety symptoms, such as "nervousness or anxiety" with "uncontrollable worry" and "uncontrollable worry" with "worry too much". Those strongest edges had no connection linking anxiety and depressive symptoms. The symptoms "depressed or sad mood", "trouble relaxing" and "uncontrollable worry" had the highest strength centrality in the network. The results revealed three bridge symptoms: "psychomotor agitation/retardation", "irritable", and "depressed or sad mood". CONCLUSION: "Feeling of worthlessness" was identified as a key priority due to associations with suicidal ideation. The current study highlighted the critical central symptoms "depressed or sad mood", "trouble relaxing" and "uncontrollable worry" and the critical bridge symptoms "psychomotor agitation/retardation", "irritable", and "depressed or sad mood". Implications for clinical prevention and intervention based on these symptoms are discussed.