RG-I pectin-like polysaccharide from Rosa chinensis inhibits inflammation and fibrosis associated to HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway to improve non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

A novel RG-I pectin-like polysaccharide, YJ3A1, was purified from the flowers of Rosa chinensis and its structure and hepatoprotective effect in vivo and in vitro were investigated. The backbone of this polysaccharide is mainly composed of 1, 4-galactan, 1, 4-linked α-GalpA and 1, 2-linked α-Rhap disaccharide repeating unit attached by 1, 6-linked β-Galp or 1, 5-linked α-Araf on C-4 of the Rhap. Interestingly, oral administration of YJ3A1 significantly ameliorates NASH-associated inflammation, oxidative stress and fibrosis and does not affect the liver morphology of normal mice at a dose of 50 mg/kg. The mechanism study suggests that the biological activity may associate to inactivating of high-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1)/TLR4/NF-κB and Akt signaling pathways by restraining the expression and release of HMGB1, thereby impeding the effect of NASH. The current findings outline a novel leading polysaccharide for new drug candidate development against NASH.

Fabrication of lignosulfonate-derived porous carbon via pH-tunable self-assembly strategy for efficient atrazine removal

Herein, a straightforward protocol was developed for the one-pot synthesis of N-doped lignosulfonate-derived carbons (NLDCs) with a tunable porous structure using natural amino acids-templated self-assembly strategy. Specifically, histidine was employed as a template reagent, leading to the preparation of 10-NLDC-21 with remarkable characteristics, including the large specific surface area (SBET = 1844.5 m2/g), pore volume (Vmes = 1.22 cm3/g) and efficient adsorption for atrazine (ATZ) removal. The adsorption behavior of ATZ by NLDCs followed the Langmuir and pseudo-second-order models, suggesting a monolayer chemisorption nature of ATZ adsorption with the maximum adsorption capacity reached up to 265.77 mg/g. Furthermore, NLDCs exhibited excellent environmental adaptability and recycling performance. The robust affinity could be attributed to multi-interactions including pore filling, electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bonding and π-π stacking between the adsorbents and ATZ molecules. This approach offers a practical method for exploring innovative bio-carbon materials for sewage treatment.

Advances in the application of extracellular vesicles derived from three-dimensional culture of stem cells

Stem cells (SCs) have been used therapeutically for decades, yet their applications are limited by factors such as the risk of immune rejection and potential tumorigenicity. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), a key paracrine component of stem cell potency, overcome the drawbacks of stem cell applications as a cell-free therapeutic agent and play an important role in treating various diseases. However, EVs derived from two-dimensional (2D) planar culture of SCs have low yield and face challenges in large-scale production, which hinders the clinical translation of EVs. Three-dimensional (3D) culture, given its ability to more realistically simulate the in vivo environment, can not only expand SCs in large quantities, but also improve the yield and activity of EVs, changing the content of EVs and improving their therapeutic effects. In this review, we briefly describe the advantages of EVs and EV-related clinical applications, provide an overview of 3D cell culture, and finally focus on specific applications and future perspectives of EVs derived from 3D culture of different SCs.

Isolated Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Veins: A 10-Year Experience at a Single Center

INTRODUCTION

Isolated partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection (PAPVC) is difficult to diagnose, and surgical indications remain controversial. We reviewed 10 y of isolated PAPVC cases.

METHODS

The data of patients with isolated PAPVC admitted to the Anzhen Congenital Heart Disease Department from 2010 to 2019 were reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTS

Thirty patients, aged between 4 mo and 32 y, were included in this study. Significant correlations were found between the right ventricle (RV), end-diastolic dimension Z-score (RVED-z) and age (r = 0.398, P = 0.03), and between estimated pulmonary pressure and age (r = 0.423, P = 0.02). However, no significant correlations were found between the RVED-z and the number of anomalous pulmonary veins (r = 0.347, P = 0.061), between estimated pulmonary pressure and the RVED-z (r = 0.218, P = 0.248), and between estimated pulmonary pressure and the number of anomalous veins (r = 0.225, P = 0.232). Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) confirmed 90% of isolated PAPVC cases. Surgical repair was performed in 29 patients with RV enlargement, persistent low weight, pulmonary hypertension, or respiratory symptoms. Among the surgical patients, nine had elevated pulmonary pressure before surgery, which decreased postoperatively; no mortality or reintervention was observed. The mean duration of echocardiographic follow-up was 1.9 y.

CONCLUSIONS

TTE is recommended for routine assessments, and further clarification can be obtained with computed tomography when TTE proves inconclusive for diagnosis. Transesophageal echocardiography and computed tomography are further recommended for adult patients if TTE fails to provide clear results. PAPVC should be considered as an underlying cause when unexplained RV enlargement is observed. Surgery is recommended for patients with RV enlargement, pulmonary hypertension, or respiratory symptoms.

Deep learning-based facial analysis for predicting difficult videolaryngoscopy: a feasibility study

While videolaryngoscopy has resulted in better overall success rates of tracheal intubation, airway assessment is still an important prerequisite for safe airway management. This study aimed to create an artificial intelligence model to identify difficult videolaryngoscopy using a neural network. Baseline characteristics, medical history, bedside examination and seven facial images were included as predictor variables. ResNet-18 was introduced to recognise images and extract features. Different machine learning algorithms were utilised to develop predictive models. A videolaryngoscopy view of Cormack-Lehane grade of 1 or 2 was classified as 'non-difficult', while grade 3 or 4 was classified as 'difficult'. A total of 5849 patients were included, of whom 5335 had non-difficult and 514 had difficult videolaryngoscopy. The facial model (only including facial images) using the Light Gradient Boosting Machine algorithm showed the highest area under the curve (95%CI) of 0.779 (0.733-0.825) with a sensitivity (95%CI) of 0.757 (0.650-0.845) and specificity (95%CI) of 0.721 (0.626-0.794) in the test set. Compared with bedside examination and multivariate scores (El-Ganzouri and Wilson), the facial model had significantly higher predictive performance (p < 0.001). Artificial intelligence-based facial analysis is a feasible technique for predicting difficulty during videolaryngoscopy, and the model developed using neural networks has higher predictive performance than traditional methods.

Association between red blood cell distribution width and all-cause mortality of patients after intra-aortic balloon pump in the intensive care unit

Objectives

This study aimed to explore the relationship between red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and all-cause mortality in critically ill patients undergoing intra-aortic balloon pumping (IABP) in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Methods

This study retrospectively analyzed data from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database. The primary endpoint was the 30-day mortality rate, while the secondary endpoint was the in-hospital mortality rate. Restricted cubic splines were used to assess the dose-response relationship. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and Kaplan-Meier curve analysis were carried out to evaluate the predictive performance of RDW. Moreover, multiple logistic regression analyses and subgroup analyses were conducted to investigate the relationship between RDW and 30-day mortality. Finally, propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to adjust for the imbalance of covariates.

Results

In total, 732 patients were finally identified from the MIMIC-IV database in this study. The RDW of patients in the non-survivor group was significantly higher compared with those in the survivor group (P < 0.01). Multiple logistic regression analyses corroborated RDW was an independent predictor of all-cause 30-day mortality in critically ill patients post-IABP. Meanwhile, ROC analysis identified an RDW cutoff of 14.2%. High RDW patients exhibited a 131% (OR = 2.31, 95% CI: 1.49-3.61) elevated risk of 30-day mortality after adjusting for confounders in multivariable logistic regression. After PSM, 412 patients were included in the matched cohort. In the original and matched cohorts, the high RDW group had higher 30-day and in-hospital mortality rates, as well as longer ICU stays. Lastly, the area under the ROC curve for 30-day mortality was 0.686, with an optimal cutoff point of 14.2 for RDW (sensitivity: 69.09 % and specificity: 63.32%).

Conclusion

RDW could be a simple and valuable prognostic tool to predict mortality in critically ill patients after IABP.

Convolutional neural network for identifying common bile duct stones based on magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography

AIMS

To develop an auto-categorization system based on machine learning for three-dimensional magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (3D MRCP) to detect choledocholithiasis from healthy and symptomatic individuals.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

3D MRCP sequences from 254 cases with common bile duct (CBD) stones and 251 cases with normal CBD were enrolled to train the 3D Convolutional Neural Network (3D-CNN) model. Then 184 patients from three different hospitals (91 with positive CBD stone and 93 with normal CBD) were prospectively included to test the performance of 3D-CNN.

RESULTS

With a cutoff value of 0.2754, 3D-CNN achieved the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 94.51%, 92.47%, and 93.48%, respectively. In the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) for the presence or absence of CBD stones was 0.974 (95% CI, 0.940-0.992). There was no significant difference in sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy between 3D-CNN and radiologists. In addition, the performance of 3D-CNN was also evaluated in the internal test set and the external test set, respectively. The internal test set yielded an accuracy of 94.74% and AUC of 0.974 (95% CI, 0.919-0.996), and the external test set yielded an accuracy of 92.13% and AUC of 0.970 (95% CI, 0.911-0.995).

CONCLUSIONS

An artificial intelligence-assisted diagnostic system for CBD stones was constructed using 3D-CNN model for 3D MRCP images. The performance of 3D-CNN model was comparable to that of radiologists in diagnosing CBD stones. 3D-CNN model maintained high performance when applied to data from other hospitals.

Eco-friendly regeneration of lignin with acidic deep eutectic solvent for adsorption of pollutant dyes for water cleanup

In this study, a simple and eco-friendly method was used to treat alkaline lignin with an acidic deep eutectic solvent (DES) to obtain regenerated lignin for the efficient adsorption of pollutant dyes from aqueous environment. Based on the yield and adsorption capacity of the sorbent for these dyes, conditions such as the type and concentration of DES component, solid-to-liquid ratio, reaction time, and temperature were optimized. By characterizing and comparing alkali lignin with regenerated lignin, a series of reactions were demonstrated to occur during the DES treatment process. The performance and mechanism of methylene blue and rhodamine B adsorption on regenerated lignin were studied systematically, and the maximum adsorbed amounts were 348.29 and 551.05 mg/g at 323 K, respectively. This study provides a new strategy for the green preparation of functionalized lignin and its use in the water pollutant treatment.

Natural intestinal metabolite xylitol reduces BRD4 levels to mitigate renal fibrosis

Renal fibrosis is a typical pathological change from chronic kidney disease (CKD) to end-stage renal failure, which presents significant challenges in prevention and treatment. The progression of renal fibrosis is closely associated with the "gut-kidney axis," therefore, although clinical intervention to modulate the "gut-kidney axis" imbalance associated with renal fibrosis brings hope for its treatment. In this study, we first identified the close relationship between renal fibrosis development and the intestinal microenvironment through fecal microtransplantation and non-absorbable antibiotics experiments. Then, we analyzed the specific connection between the intestinal microenvironment and renal fibrosis using microbiomics and metabolomics, screening for the differential intestinal metabolite. Potential metabolite action targets were initially identified through network simulation of molecular docking and further verified by molecular biology experiment. We used flow cytometry, TUNEL apoptosis staining, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting to assess renal injury and fibrosis extent, exploring the potential role of gut microbial metabolite in renal fibrosis development. We discovered that CKD-triggered alterations in the intestinal microenvironment exacerbate renal injury and fibrosis. When metabolomic analysis was combined with experiments in vivo, we found that the differential metabolite xylitol delays renal injury and fibrosis development. We further validated this hypothesis at the cellular level. Mechanically, bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) protein exhibits strong binding with xylitol, and xylitol alleviates renal fibrosis by inhibiting BRD4 and its downstream transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) pathway. In summary, our findings suggest that the natural intestinal metabolite xylitol mitigates renal fibrosis by inhibiting the BRD4-regulated TGF-β pathway.

Gut lymph purification alleviates acute lung injury induced by intestinal ischemia-reperfusion in rats by removing danger-associated molecular patterns from gut lymph

Background

The potential effect of removing danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) from gut lymph on reducing acute lung injury (ALI) induced by gut ischemia-reperfusion injury (GIRI) is uncertain. This study aimed to investigate whether gut lymph purification (GLP) could improve GIRI-induced acute lung injury in rats by clearing danger-associated molecular patterns.

Materials and methods

Rats were divided into four groups: Sham, GIRI, GIRI + gut lymph drainage (GLD), and GIRI + GLP. After successful modeling, lung tissue samples were collected from rats for hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and detection of apoptotic indexes. We detected the DAMPs levels in blood and lymph samples. We observed the microstructure of AEC Ⅱ and measured the expression levels of apoptosis indexes.

Results

The GIRI group showed destruction of alveolar structure, thickened alveolar walls, and inflammatory cell infiltration. This was accompanied by significantly increased levels of high mobility group protein-1 (HMGB-1) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6), while reduced levels of heat shock protein 70 (HSP 70) and Interleukin-10 (IL-10) in both lymph and serum. In contrast, the lung tissue damage in the GIRI + GLP group was significantly improved compared to the GIRI group. This was evidenced by a reduction in the expression levels of HMGB-1 and IL-6 in both lymph and serum and an increase in HSP 70 and IL-10 levels. Additionally, organelle structure of AEC II was significantly improved in the GIRI + GLP group compared to the GIRI group.

Conclusions

GLP inhibits inflammation and cell apoptosis in GIRI-induced ALI by blocking the link between DAMPs and mononuclear phagocytes, reducing the severity of ALI.

Inulin-like polysaccharide ABWW may impede CCl4 induced hepatic stellate cell activation through mediating the FAK/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in vitro & in vivo

Studies have shown that terrestrial acidic polysaccharides containing carboxyl groups and seaweed sulfated polysaccharides have strong potential in anti-liver fibrosis. However, there is no investigation on the anti-liver fibrosis of fructan, a ubiquitous natural polysaccharide. The present study aimed to understand the effect of fructan in ameliorating carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver fibrosis in mice. Here, an inulin-like fructan ABWW from Achyranthes bidentata Bl. was characterized by fructose enzymatic hydrolysis, methylation analysis, ESI-MS, and NMR. It was composed of →2)-β-d-Fruf-(1→ and →2)-β-d-Fruf-(1, 6→, terminated with →1)-α-d-Glcp and →2)-β-d-Fruf residues. The biological studies showed that ABWW could improve liver damage and liver fibrosis induced by CCl4in vivo and inhibit hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation and migration in vitro. We further demonstrated that ABWW inhibited LX2 activation via suppressing the FAK/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Hence, ABWW might be a potential novel active compound for anti-fibrosis new drug development.

Preparation, characterization, and application of waterborne lignin-based epoxy resin as eco-friendly wood adhesive

A series of novel waterborne lignin-based epoxy resin emulsions (WLEPs) were successfully synthesized, and then the WLEPs were cured with polyamide (PA) to give formaldehyde-free wood adhesives with high-performance. The chemical structures and properties of WLEP emulsions were determined. The effects of the emulsifiers on thermal and mechanical properties of the adhesives were investigated, and the potential application of WLEPs in the formulation of plywood were also evaluated. The results demonstrated that the WLEP dispersions presented excellent storage stability (>180 days) with their viscosities range from 110 mPa·s to 470 mPa·s and particle sizes in the range of 321-696 nm, which were beneficial for the fluidity and permeability of the wood adhesives. Furthermore, the thermal and mechanical properties of adhesives could be tuned effectively by controlling the length of PEG chains. The adhesive bearing PEG 6000 exhibited the highest tensile strength of 24.0 MPa and Young's modulus of 1439 MPa. Notably, the plywood prepared with the resulting adhesives displayed good bonding performance, especially water resistance, which were much higher than the national standard requirement for exterior-grade plywood type I. These results indicated that the WLEPs could be used as sustainable alternatives for traditional formaldehyde-based wood adhesives in practical applications.

A Novel Kunitz-Type Serine Protease Inhibitor (HcKuSPI) is Involved in Antibacterial Defense in Innate Immunity and Participates in Shell Formation of Hyriopsis cumingii

Serine protease inhibitors (SPIs) are abundantly reported for its inhibition against specific proteases involved in the immune responses, but SPI data related to calcareous shells are scarce. Previously, our research group has reported the proteome analysis of non-nucleated pearl powder, and a candidate matrix protein containing two Kunitz domains in the acid soluble fraction caught our attention. In the present study, the full-length cDNA sequence of HcKuSPI was obtained from Hyriopsis cumingii. HcKuSPI was specifically expressed in the mantle, with hybridization signals mainly concentrated to dorsal epithelial cells at the mantle edge and weak signals at the mantle pallium, suggesting HcKuSPI was involved in shell formation. HcKuSPI expression in the mantle was upregulated after Aeromonas hydrophila and Staphylococcus aureus challenge to extrapallial fluids (EPFs). A glutathione S transferase (GST)-HcKuSPI recombinant protein showed strong inhibitory activity against the proteases, trypsin and chymotrypsin. Moreover, HcKuSPI expression in an experimental group was significantly higher when compared with a control group during pellicle growth and crystal deposition in shell regeneration processes, while the organic shell framework of newborn prisms and nacre tablets was completely destroyed after HcKuSPI RNA interference (RNAi). Therefore, HcKuSPI secreted by the mantle may effectively neutralize excess proteases and bacterial proteases in the EPF during bacterial infection and could prevent matrix protein extracellular degradation by suppressing protease proteolytic activity, thereby ensuring a smooth shell biomineralization. In addition, GST-HcKuSPI was also crucial for crystal morphology regulation. These results have important implications for our understanding of the potential roles of SPIs during shell biomineralization.

Current Status and Prospects of Artificial Intelligence Technology Application in Oil and Gas Field Development

Artificial intelligence technology will be increasingly applied in the oil and gas industry. The rapid development of artificial intelligence technology can solve problems such as high environmental sensitivity and complex production processes in the oil and gas industry. In recent years, emerging technologies represented by artificial intelligence have developed rapidly, assisting petroleum enterprises in digital transformation and intelligent upgrading. This article elaborates on the development trend of artificial intelligence technology. Based on the business scenarios and characteristics of the oil and gas industry, the application status of artificial intelligence technology in domestic and foreign petroleum technology service enterprises was summarized and analyzed. The application scenarios of artificial intelligence technology in the fields of dynamic analysis of oil and gas reservoirs, intelligent historical fitting, numerical simulation proxy models, and production plan optimization were analyzed with emphasis. Based on the problems and challenges faced in the development process of oil and gas reservoirs, it is proposed that petroleum enterprises should attach importance to the "three modernizations" innovation of data standardization, oil and gas field intelligence, and platform collaboration, in order to achieve more refined intelligent analysis and management of oil and gas reservoirs and quickly develop more targeted oil and gas reservoir development plans to assist in the intelligent transformation of oil and gas reservoir development. On this basis, prospects for future artificial intelligence technology are proposed, pointing out that the development of artificial intelligence technology will be faster and faster, and there will be higher demand for artificial intelligence technology in the construction of digital oil and gas fields in China in the future. The research results have important reference value for the development of the oil and gas industry.

Whole genome sequencing and annotation of Daedaleopsis sinensis, a wood-decaying fungus significantly degrading lignocellulose

Daedaleopsis sinensis is a fungus that grows on wood and secretes a series of enzymes to degrade cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin and cause wood rot decay. Wood-decaying fungi have ecological, economic, edible, and medicinal functions. Furthermore, the use of microorganisms to biodegrade lignocellulose has high application value. Genome sequencing has allowed microorganisms to be analyzed from the aspects of genome characteristics, genome function annotation, metabolic pathways, and comparative genomics. Subsequently, the relevant information regarding lignocellulosic degradation has been mined by bioinformatics. Here, we sequenced and analyzed the genome of D. sinensis for the first time. A 51.67-Mb genome sequence was assembled to 24 contigs, which led to the prediction of 12,153 protein-coding genes. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database analysis of the D. sinensis data revealed that 3,831 genes are involved in almost 120 metabolic pathways. According to the Carbohydrate-Active Enzyme database, 481 enzymes are found in D. sinensis, of which glycoside hydrolases are the most abundant. The genome sequence of D. sinensis provides insights into its lignocellulosic degradation and subsequent applications.

Olgotrelvir, a dual inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and cathepsin L, as a standalone antiviral oral intervention candidate for COVID-19

BACKGROUND

Oral antiviral drugs with improved antiviral potency and safety are needed to address current challenges in clinical practice for treatment of COVID-19, including the risks of rebound, drug-drug interactions, and emerging resistance.

METHODS

Olgotrelvir (STI-1558) is designed as a next-generation antiviral targeting the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro), an essential enzyme for SARS-CoV-2 replication, and human cathepsin L (CTSL), a key enzyme for SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells.

FINDINGS

Olgotrelvir is a highly bioavailable oral prodrug that is converted in plasma to its active form, AC1115. The dual mechanism of action of olgotrelvir and AC1115 was confirmed by enzyme activity inhibition assays and co-crystal structures of AC1115 with SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and human CTSL. AC1115 displayed antiviral activity by inhibiting replication of all tested SARS-CoV-2 variants in cell culture systems. Olgotrelvir also inhibited viral entry into cells using SARS-CoV-2 Spike-mediated pseudotypes by inhibition of host CTSL. In the K18-hACE2 transgenic mouse model of SARS-CoV-2-mediated disease, olgotrelvir significantly reduced the virus load in the lungs, prevented body weight loss, and reduced cytokine release and lung pathologies. Olgotrelvir demonstrated potent activity against the nirmatrelvir-resistant Mpro E166 mutants. Olgotrelvir showed enhanced oral bioavailability in animal models and in humans with significant plasma exposure without ritonavir. In phase I studies (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05364840 and NCT05523739), olgotrelvir demonstrated a favorable safety profile and antiviral activity.

CONCLUSIONS

Olgotrelvir is an oral inhibitor targeting Mpro and CTSL with high antiviral activity and plasma exposure and is a standalone treatment candidate for COVID-19.

FUNDING

Funded by Sorrento Therapeutics.

Effect of chin brick tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze] on lipid metabolism and inflammation by modulating intestinal flora and bile acids in mice with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Tea (Camellia sinensis) has been consumed for centuries as a traditional remedy for various metabolic diseases. The pharmacological mechanisms of many conventional medicines, including tea, often need to be clarified. Chin brick tea is a unique Chinese black tea grown in Hubei, China, rich in tea elements such as tea polyphenols and tea polysaccharides.

AIM OF THE STUDY

We focus on the effects of commercial chin brick tea on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by altering intestinal flora and its metabolite, bile acids.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Targeted UPLC-MS/MS was employed to quantify the tea elements in commercial chin brick tea. In this study, we performed an integrated approach of animal experiments, 16 S rDNA, and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to explore the potential mechanism of action of chin brick tea in preventing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

RESULTS

After 14 weeks of administration, CBT extract could signiffcantly decrease the levels of body weight, liver weight, LDL-C, TC, ALT, IL-1β and IL-18, and slight increase HDL-C levels in NAFLD mice. The results indicated that the interventional impact of CBT with high-fat diet-induced NAFLD might depend on intestinal flora and its metabolites bile acids. Moreover, sequencing of 16 S rRNA genes demonstrated that CBT could signiffcantly improve the intestinal flora disorder of NAFLD mice. Speciffcally, CBT increased the levels of Lactobacillus, Alloprevotella, and Ruminococcaceae, while reducing the levels of Bacteroides in NAFLD mice. Then, a total of 23 bile acids were identified, 17 differential bile acids were obtained by screening, and CBT increase the primary bile acids/secondary bile acids ratio in NAFLD mice. Additionally, correlation analysis revealed that Bacteroides was negatively correlated with DCA and ωMCA, Lactobacillus was positively correlated with DCA and ωMCA, Bacteroides was positively correlated with NAFLD, Lactobacillus was negatively associated with NAFLD, and DCA and ωMCA were negatively correlated with NAFLD.

CONCLUSION

CBT extract has a good interventional impact on NAFLD mice. The mechanism by which this extract exerts its action is, at least partly, related to its regulation of intestinal flora and its metabolites bile acids.

First genome assembly and annotation of Sanghuangporus weigelae uncovers its medicinal functions, metabolic pathways, and evolution

Sanghuangporus, also known as "Sanghuang" in China, is a well-known genus of traditional Chinese medicinal macrofungi. To make more effective use of Sanghuangporus resources, we completed the first genome assembly and annotation of a monokaryon strain of S. weigelae in the present study. A 33.96-Mb genome sequence was assembled as 13 contigs, leading to prediction of 9377 protein-coding genes. Phylogenetic and average nucleotide identity analyses indicated that the S. weigelae genome is closely related to those of other Sanghuangporus species in evolutionary tree, which clustered in one clade. Collinearity analysis revealed a high level of collinearity of S. weigelae with S. baumii, S. vaninii, and S. sanghuang. Biosynthesis pathways potentially involved in medicinal properties, including terpenoid and polysaccharide synthesis, were identified in S. weigelae, while polysaccharides were identified as the main medicinal metabolites in S. weigelae, with flavonoids more important in Sanghuangporus than other medicinal mushroom groups. Genes encoding 332 carbohydrate-active enzymes were identified in the S. weigelae genome, including major glycoside hydrolases and glycosyltransferases predicted, revealing the robust lignocellulose degradation capacity of S. weigelae. Further, 130 genes, clustered in seven classes were annotated to encode cytochromes P450 in the S. weigelae genome. Overall, our results reveal the remarkably medicinal capacity of S. weigelae and provide new insights that will inform the study of evolution and medicinal application of S. weigelae. The data are a reference resource for the formulation of scientific and rational ecological protection policies for Sanghuangporus species.

Exploring the potential molecular mechanism of Gualou Guizhi decoction in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis based on network pharmacology and molecular docking

BACKGROUND

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used in China for a long time and is gradually gaining more and more recognition worldwide. Gualou Guizhi Decoction (GGD) has long been used as a folk medicine for the treatment of rheumatic diseases, but its bioactive components and therapeutic mechanisms are still unclear.

METHODS

An integrated approach using network pharmacology and molecular docking and using methotrexate as a positive control drug.

RESULTS

We obtained 157 active ingredients of GGD, 7542 RA disease targets and 49 intersecting targets. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that their functions were mainly related to cytokine active metal ion binding, enzyme binding and DNA binding, and enriched in TNF signaling pathway, T cell receptor signaling pathway, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, RA pathway and other signaling pathways that are closely related to RA. The molecular docking results show that the effector components of GGD bind better to the core targets of RA, and some are even better than methotrexate.

CONCLUSION

The therapeutic effect of GGD for RA is achieved by affecting the core targets such as VEGFA, IL-1β, IL6, CXCL8, CCL2, and JUN, which together interfere with the tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway and RA pathway to treat RA. The above study provides new ideas for further exploration of this classic formula in the future.

Unsupervised Online Paired Associates Learning Task from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB®) in the Brain Health Registry

BACKGROUND

Unsupervised online cognitive assessments have demonstrated promise as an efficient and scalable approach for evaluating cognition in aging, and Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, usability, and construct validity of the Paired Associates Learning task from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery® in adults enrolled in the Brain Health Registry.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, MEASUREMENTS

The Paired Associates Learning task was administered to Brain Health Registry participants in a remote, unsupervised, online setting. In this cross-sectional analysis, we 1) evaluated construct validity by analyzing associations between Paired Associates Learning performance and additional participant registry data, including demographics, self- and study partner-reported subjective cognitive change (Everyday Cognition scale), self-reported memory concern, and depressive symptom severity (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) using multivariable linear regression models; 2) determined the predictive value of Paired Associates Learning and other registry variables for identifying participants who self-report Mild Cognitive Impairment by employing multivariable binomial logistic regressions and calculating the area under the receiver operator curve; 3) investigated feasibility by looking at task completion rates and statistically comparing characteristics of task completers and non-completers; and 4) evaluated usability in terms of participant requests for support from BHR related to the assessment.

RESULTS

In terms of construct validity, in participants who took the Paired Associates Learning for the first time (N=14,528), worse performance was associated with being older, being male, lower educational attainment, higher levels of self- and study partner-reported decline, more self-reported memory concerns, greater depressive symptom severity, and self-report of Mild Cognitive Impairment. Paired Associates Learning performance and Brain Health Registry variables together identified those with self-reported Mild Cognitive Impairment with moderate accuracy (areas under the curve: 0.66-0.68). In terms of feasibility, in a sub-sample of 29,176 participants who had the opportunity to complete Paired Associates Learning for the first time in the registry, 14,417 started the task. 11,647 (80.9% of those who started) completed the task. Compared to those who did not complete the task at their first opportunity, those who completed were older, had more years of education, more likely to self-identify as White, less likely to self-identify as Latino, less likely to have a subjective memory concern, and more likely to report a family history of Alzheimer's disease. In terms of usability, out of 8,395 received requests for support from BHR staff via email, 4.4% (n=374) were related to PAL. Of those, 82% were related to technical difficulties.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings support moderate feasibility, good usability, and construct validity of cross-sectional Paired Associates Learning in an unsupervised online registry, but also highlight the need to make the assessment more inclusive and accessible to individuals from ethnoculturally and socioeconomically diverse communities. A future, improved version could be a scalable, efficient method to assess cognition in many different settings, including clinical trials, observational studies, healthcare, and public health.

Hyperon Polarization along the Beam Direction Relative to the Second and Third Harmonic Event Planes in Isobar Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

The polarization of Λ and Λ[over ¯] hyperons along the beam direction has been measured relative to the second and third harmonic event planes in isobar Ru+Ru and Zr+Zr collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV. This is the first experimental evidence of the hyperon polarization by the triangular flow originating from the initial density fluctuations. The amplitudes of the sine modulation for the second and third harmonic results are comparable in magnitude, increase from central to peripheral collisions, and show a mild p_{T} dependence. The azimuthal angle dependence of the polarization follows the vorticity pattern expected due to elliptic and triangular anisotropic flow, and qualitatively disagrees with most hydrodynamic model calculations based on thermal vorticity and shear induced contributions. The model results based on one of existing implementations of the shear contribution lead to a correct azimuthal angle dependence, but predict centrality and p_{T} dependence that still disagree with experimental measurements. Thus, our results provide stringent constraints on the thermal vorticity and shear-induced contributions to hyperon polarization. Comparison to previous measurements at RHIC and the LHC for the second-order harmonic results shows little dependence on the collision system size and collision energy.

A Versatile Extended Stöber Approach to Monodisperse Sub-40 nm Carbon Nanospheres for Stabilizing Atomically Dispersed Fe─N4 Sites Toward Efficient Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysis

The development of atomically dispersed iron-nitrogen-carbon (Fe─N─C) catalysts as an alternative to precious platinum holds great potential for the substantial progress of a variety of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR)-associated energy conversion technologies. Nevertheless, the precise synthesis of Fe─N─C single atomic catalysts (SACs) with a high density of accessible active sites and pronounced electrocatalytic performance still remains an enormous challenge. Herein, an innovative extended Stöber method is designed for the controllable preparation of monodisperse small-sized N-doped carbon colloidal nanospheres (≈40 nm) anchoring atomically isolated Fe─N4 sites (abbreviated as Fe-SA@N-CNSs hereafter) with a narrow size distribution and high uniformity. Benefiting from the single Fe─N4 moieties and the unique spherical carbon substrate, the resultant Fe-SA@N-CNSs exhibit excellent ORR activity, outstanding long-term durability, and methanol tolerance in KOH electrolyte. More impressively, when further assembled into a flexible solid-state rechargeable zinc-air battery (ZAB), the Fe-SA@N-CNSs-driven ZAB delivers a higher open circuit voltage, a larger power density, and robust cycling/mechanical stability, outperforming the state-of-the-art Pt/C-based counterpart and further testifying the great potential of the as-prepared Fe-SA@N-CNSs in diverse ORR-related practical energy devices. The developed extended Stöber method provides an efficient and versatile avenue toward the preparation of a series of well-defined SACs for diverse electrocatalytic systems.

A Hybrid Intelligence (HI) System for Segmenting Rectoprostatic Spacer Gel and Key OARs on CT Images for Prostate Cancer Radiation Therapy Planning

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Our hybrid intelligence (HI) system, combining natural and artificial intelligence, is effective for auto-contouring H&N and thorax organs at risk (OARs) for radiation therapy (RT) planning with FDA 510(k) clearance. The purpose of this study is to test the HI system to segment a commercially available retroprostatic hyaluronic acid spacer gel (RSG) and pelvic OARs in planning CT images for prostate cancer RT.

HYPOTHESIS

HI can achieve clinically acceptable auto segmentation for tissue-equivalent RSG in this domain.

MATERIALS/METHODS

RSG is injected in the peri-rectal space in men with prostate cancer prior to RT to minimize rectal toxicity. 190 patients with prostate cancer were included in this post-hoc image analysis from a multi-center, prospective, randomized trial, with 136 in the spacer arm. The HI system has 3 steps: rough recognition from fuzzy model (FM) based automatic anatomy recognition (AAR-R), deep learning-based recognition (DL-R) refinement, and deep learning-based delineation (DL-D) to contour objects guided by the recognition results. FM encodes high level 3D anatomy knowledge of object shape and its relationship with other OARs; DL-R and DL-D focus on pixel-level details. The 190 studies are divided into disjoint training (100) and testing (90) subsets. 100 samples are used in DL-R and DL-D training, with 45 to build the FM for AAR-R. RSG and 4 other OARs (pelvic skin, prostate, bladder, rectum) are contoured. Location error (LE) is used to evaluate recognition; Dice coefficient (DC) and Hausdorff distance (HD) are employed to evaluate delineation. Acceptability scores (AS) (range 1-5, 1 for poor quality, 5 for best quality) from an observer study are recorded for HI-output and ground truth masks of RSG for assessing segmentation quality.

RESULTS

The HI system achieves highest DC (0.94±0.07) and lowest HD (1.96±1.61 mm) for bladder, for rectum and prostate similar DC (0.82±0.08) and HD (2.62±1.65mm), for RSG, the most challenging object, a good DC close to 0.7 (0.67±0.10) and excellent HD (2.66±1.44mm). AS for auto-segmentations (3.86±0.85) were significantly better than those for ground truth segmentations (3.45±1.00) (p = 0.02, paired t-test). Table 1 summarizes results.

CONCLUSION

The HI system achieves clinically acceptable segmentations for pelvic OARs and significantly better acceptability of segmentation of RSG compared to clinically performed ground truth segmentations. This has implications in improving efficiency and accuracy of CT-based RT planning in patients with prostate cancer.

Visible-Light-Induced Desaturative β-Alkoxyoxalylation of N-Aryl Cyclic Amines with Difluoromethyl Bromides and H2O Via a Triple Cleavage Process

A visible-light-driven desaturative β-alkoxyoxalyation of N-aryl cyclic amines with difluoromethyl bromides and H2O has been reported. This tandem reaction is triggered by homolysis of the C-Br bond to produce the difuoroalkyl radical, which undergoes the subsequent defluorinated β-alkoxyoxalylation cascades to afford a wide range of β-ketoester/ketoamides substituted enamines. The prominent feature of this reaction contains photocatalyst-free, transition-metal free, and mild conditions. The 18O labeling experiment disclosed that H2O is the oxygen source of the carbonyl unit.

[The effect of strengthening nutrition education in the second trimester on the basis of the first trimester on blood glucose]

Objective: To explore the effect of strengthening individualized nutrition education in the second trimester based on first trimester on blood glucose. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 398 pregnant women aged (31.79±3.48) (23-41) years old who underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) from October 2021 to December 2022 at Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital. They were divided into two groups according to whether the women were re-visited in second trimester or not. The routine group consisted of 205 pregnant women aged between 24 and 41 (31.49±3.36) years old who only received the first trimester nutrition education and the strengthening group consisted of 193 pregnant women aged (31.92±3.97) (23-41) years old who received both the first and second trimester nutrition education. Then according to pre pregnancy body mass index (BMI), they were divided into normal (18.5 kg/m2≤BMI<24 kg/m2) and overweight (24 kg/m2≤BMI<28 kg/m2). The OGTT blood glucose level, the positive rate of gestational diabetes (GDM) and the weight gain during pregnancy were compared between the two groups with different BMI, in order to analyze the effect of strengthening nutrition education in the second trimester of pregnancy on blood glucose. Results: The differences between the two groups were not statistically significant in terms of the pregnant women's age, proportion of pregnant women aged≥35, proportion of pre-pregnancy BMI and overweight, parity and early pregnancy blood glucose (all P>0.05). The blood glucose levels of OGTT at 0, 1, and 2 hour were (4.57±0.37), (8.41±1.70), and (7.28±1.51) mmol/L, respectively, lower than those in the routine group [(4.74±0.48), (9.44±1.55), and (8.27±1.58) mmol/L, respectively, all P<0.001]. The positive rate of GDM in the strengthening group was 35.23% (68/193), which was lower than that in the routine group (91.71%, 188/205) (P<0.001). After the BMI stratification, the OGTT blood glucose levels and the positive rate of GDM in the strengthening group were still lower than those in the routine group (all P<0.05). The weight gain with normal BMI in the early pregnancy in routine group was higher than that in the strengthening group (P=0.003), but there was no significant statistical difference in weight gain of overweight pregnant women at different gestational weeks (all P>0.05). Conclusion: Strengthening a nutrition education about second trimester for pregnant women in the early stages of pregnancy can effectively improve blood glucose levels and reduce the positive rate of GDM.

Effects of Different Primers on the Bond Strength to Properly and Excessively Etched Ceramic-coated Zirconia

PURPOSE

To determine the effects of various primers on the immediate and long-term bond strength of ceramic-coated ultratranslucent zirconia that is properly or excessively etched.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Ceramic-coated zirconia plates were etched with 9.5% hydrofluoric acid (HF) for 2 or 5 minutes, after which the surface morphology and elemental composition were examined. The etched specimens were treated with different primers including methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate (MDP)-only containing primer, silane-only containing primer, MDP and silane-containing ceramic primer as well as MDP and silane-containing adhesive system. For surface contact angle and shear bond strength (SBS) data, the difference between groups was evaluated by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and three-way ANOVA factorial analysis, respectively. The statistical significance level of 0.05 was set and the Tukey test and the Dunnett-T3 test were used for post-hoc multiple comparisons.

RESULTS

Excessive etching (9.5% HF for 5 minutes) led to overconsumption of the glass layer and exposure of zirconia substrate compared to proper etching (9.5% HF for 2 minutes). Among different primers, the surface contact angle of the silane-only containing primer group was the lowest. The silane-only containing primer and MDP and silane-containing ceramic primer produced higher shear bond strength of properly and excessively etched ceramic-coated zirconia, respectively, both before and after thermal aging.

CONCLUSIONS

The silane-only containing primer and MDP and silane-containing primer can obtain better immediate and long-term shear bond strength for properly and excessively etched ceramic-coated zirconia, respectively.

A pectic polysaccharide isolated from Achyranthes bidentata is metabolized by human gut Bacteroides spp

Achyranthes bidentata (A. bidentata) is a famous traditional Chinese medicine (TGM) for treatment osteoporosis. Polysaccharides, a major factor for shaping the gut microbiota, are the primary ingredients of A. bidentata. However, bioactivity of A. bidentata polysaccharide on human gut microbiota (HGM) remains unknown. Here, a homogeneous pectic polysaccharide A23-1 with average molecular weight of 93.085 kDa was extracted and purified from A. bidentata. And A23-1 was compsed of rhamnose, glucuronic acid, galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose and arabinose in a molar ratio of 7.26: 0.76: 5.12: 2.54: 23.51: 60.81. GC-MS, partial acid hydrolysis and NMR results indicated the backbone of A23-1 was composed of 1, 2, 4-Rhap and 1, 4-GlapA, while the branches were composed of galactose, arabinose, glucose and glucuronic acid. Further, A23-1 was found to be degraded into monosaccharides and fragments. Taking Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (BT) as a model, we suggested three polysaccharide utilization loci (PULs) might be involved in the A23-1 degradation. Degraded products generated by BO might not support the growth of probiotics. Besides, acetate and propionate as the main end products were generated by Bacteroides spp. and probiotics utilizing A23-1. These findings suggested A23-1 was possible one of food sources of human gut Bacteroides spp.

A novel peptidoglycan isolated from Semiaquilegia adoxoides inhibits Aβ42 production via activating autophagy

The accumulation of amyloid β (Aβ) containing senile plaques is one of the key histopathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Increasing evidences demonstrated the important role of autophagy in Aβ clearance. Recent studies implied that extracts from Semiaquilegia adoxoides (DC.) Makino could ameliorate the memory of D-galactose induced aging mice. However, the bioactive substance and underlying mechanism remains unknown. Thus, the present study sought to explore the effects of a novel homogenous peptidoglycan on Aβ42 secretion and the underlying mechanism. Briefly, we extracted a novel peptidoglycan named SA02C using hot water extraction and alcohol precipitation with the Mw of 13.72 kDa. SA02C contains 73.33% carbohydrate and 27.83% protein. The structure characterization revealed that its glycan part might mainly composed of galacturonic acid with minor rhamnose in backbone, and branched with glucose, galactose, arabinose, xylose and galacturonic acid. The protein or peptide moiety in SA02C was bonded to the polysaccharide via threonine. Bioactivities test showed that SA02C could reduce Aβ42 production in a dose dependent manner with no obvious cytotoxicity. Mechanism study demonstrated that SA02C could modulate APP processing by upregulating the expression of ADAM10, sAPPα and downregulating BACE1, sAPPβ. Furthermore, SA02C also could stimulate autophagy by promoting the expression of the markers of autophagy such as LC3B and ATG5, resulting in the promotion of Aβ42 phagocytosis.

[Mechanism of Chaenomelis Fructus in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis based on network pharmacology and experimental verification]

The material basis and mechanism of Chaenomelis Fructus in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis(RA) were explored by network pharmacology, and the potential anti-RA targets of Chaenomelis Fructus were verified by molecular docking and animal experiments. The active components and targets of Chaenomelis Fructus were searched against the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform. GeneCards, DisGeNET, and OMIM were used to obtain RA-related targets. The common targets shared by Chaenomelis Fructus and RA were considered as the potential targets of Chaenomelis Fructus in the treatment of RA. Cytoscape 3.9.0 was employed to establish a "traditional Chinese medicine-active component-common target-disease" network. The protein-protein interaction(PPI) network was established by STRING, and the core genes were visualized by RStudio 4.1.0. DAVID was used for Gene Ontology(GO) annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment to predict and visualize the involved signaling pathways. Molecular docking was carried out with the active components screened out as ligands and RA core genes as the targets. Finally, the prediction results were verified by animal experiments. Four main active components of Chaenomelis Fructus were obtained, which corresponded to 137 targets. Chaenomelis Fructus and RA shared 37 common targets. GO annotation yielded 239 terms(P<0.05), and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis screened out 94 signaling pathways(P<0.05), mainly involving interleukin-17(IL-17), tumor necrosis factor, Toll-like receptor, and nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB) signaling pathways. Molecular docking results showed that the main active components of Chaenomelis Fructus bound well with the core targets of RA. The results of animal experiments proved that Chaenomelis Fructus can alleviate joint swelling in the mice with RA. The results of ELISA showed that Chaenomelis Fructus lowered the levels of interleukin-6(IL-6) and interleukin-1β(IL-1β). Western blot showed that Chaenomelis Fructus down-regulated the protein level of vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGFA). Chaenomelis Fructus exerts anti-inflammatory effect and reduces pannus formation by regulating the core targets such as VEGFA, IL-1β, and IL6 in the treatment of RA. The findings of this study provide new ideas for the future treatment of RA with Chaenomelis Fructus.

Crystallization Selectivity of Ribavirin Solution and Amorphous Phase

Crystallization selectivity is an important principle in polymorph control. Ribavirin Form I, Form II, DMSO solvate, and amorphous ribavirin are prepared, and the short-range order similarities between these solid forms and ribavirin aqueous solution and DMSO solution are compared via mid-frequency Raman difference spectra (MFRDS). The crystallization process from amorphous ribavirin to Form I and from solution to amorphous phase is explained. Reasons for the difficulty in preparing the DMSO solvate are proposed. The rationale provided for the crystallization selectivity provides a foundation for the synthesis of metastable phases with a robust and convenient method.

Au(I)-Catalyzed Regioselective Hydrofluorination of Propargylamines Using Aqueous HF

Gold-catalyzed regioselective hydrofluorination of alkynes using aqueous HF has been achieved by employing an amide directing group. For both aryl- and alkyl-substituted propargylamines, the fluorination occurred at the site distal to the amino group.

A novel branched galacturonan from Gardenia jasminoides alleviates liver fibrosis linked to TLR4/NF-κB signaling

Gardenia jasminoides (GJ) is a classic edible medicine in China of which the fruit has been proved to alleviate liver damage. We hypothesized whether polysaccharide in the fruit could have comparable bioactivity. To address this, a novel polysaccharide GJE0.2-2, is purified from the fruit of Gardenia jasminoides. Indeed, GJE0.2-2 may attenuate CCl₄-induced liver fibrosis in mice and impede the expression of critical fibrogenesis associated molecules such as α-SMA, FN1, and Collagen I induced by TGF-β in human hepatic stellate LX-2 cells. Mechanism studies suggest that this bioactivity may be implicated in TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway via directly binding to TLR4. The structure characterization shows that the backbone of this polysaccharide is mainly composed of galacturonic acid with minor rhamnose, branched with galactose and arabinose, galacturonic acid, and esterified hexenuronic acid (HexpA). These findings provide evidence for a novel pectin-linked polysaccharide-based new drug candidate development for liver fibrosis therapy.

Phylogeny and diversity of Rigidoporus (Hymenochaetales, Basidiomycota), including three new species from Asia

Phylogenetic and morphological analyses on Rigidoporus were carried out. The genus Rigidoporus (Hymenochaetales, Basidiomycota), typified by R. microporus (Fr.) Overeem. (synonym Polyporus micromegas Mont.), was established by Murrill in 1905. The genus is mainly characterized by annual to perennial, resupinate, effused-reflexed to pileate or stipitate basidiomata with azonate or concentrically zonate and sulcate upper surface, a monomitic to pseudo-dimitic hyphal structure, simple-septate generative hyphae, and ellipsoid to globose basidiospores. Phylogeny on species of the genus is reconstructed with two loci DNA sequences including the internal transcribed spacer regions and the large subunit. Three new species in Rigidoporus are described and illustrated from Asia, and one new combination in the genus is proposed. The main morphological characteristics of the currently accepted species of Rigidoporus are provided.

Measurements of the Elliptic and Triangular Azimuthal Anisotropies in Central ^{3}He+Au, d+Au and p+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

The elliptic (v_{2}) and triangular (v_{3}) azimuthal anisotropy coefficients in central ^{3}He+Au, d+Au, and p+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV are measured as a function of transverse momentum (p_{T}) at midrapidity (|η|<0.9), via the azimuthal angular correlation between two particles both at |η|<0.9. While the v_{2}(p_{T}) values depend on the colliding systems, the v_{3}(p_{T}) values are system independent within the uncertainties, suggesting an influence on eccentricity from subnucleonic fluctuations in these small-sized systems. These results also provide stringent constraints for the hydrodynamic modeling of these systems.

LBP1C-2 from Lycium barbarum alleviated age-related bone loss by targeting BMPRIA/BMPRII/Noggin

Age-related bone loss is unavoidable and effective safe drugs are in great need. The fruit of Lycium barbarum was recorded to strengthen bones in the "Ben Cao Gang Mu (Compendium of Materia Medica)". However, there lacks scientific explanation. Herein, we investigated L. barbarum water extract (LBE), L. barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) and the homogeneous polysaccharide LBP1C-2 on the bone loss in adult mouse, aging mouse and ovariectomized mouse models. LBE, LBP and LBP1C-2 all markedly increased bone mass and bone strength in these models and promoted osteoblast proliferation, differentiation and ossification. Mechanistic studies showed that LBP1C-2 binds directly to the BMP receptors (BMPRIA and BMPRII) and noggin, activates the phosphorylation of Smad and disrupts the interaction between noggin and BMPs. Our results clearly elucidate the mechanism, the critical component and the direct targets of L. barbarum and provide potentially safe natural products and new drug candidate against age-related bone loss.

Enlargement of the knowledge of Cortinarius section Anomali (Agaricales, Basidiomycota): introducing three new species from China

Cortinarius is a globally distributed agaricoid genus that has been well studied in Europe and America with over 1,000 described species. However, as part of an ongoing effort to investigate the diversity of Cortinarius section Anomali in China, the resource investigation and classification research are still limited, and the species diversity has not been clarified by far. During the re-examination of the Chinese Cortinarius specimens, C. cinnamomeolilacinus, C. subclackamasensis, and C. tropicus, belonging to the sect. Anomali, were described in China as new to science based on morphological examination and phylogenetic analysis. The three new species are described and illustrated in detail according to the Chinese materials. The phylogenetic analysis based on internal transcribed spacer sequences confirmed the placement of the three species in the Cortinarius sect. Anomali clade. Phylogenetically related and morphologically similar species to these three new species are discussed.

Observation of Directed Flow of Hypernuclei _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H in sqrt[s_{NN}]=3 GeV Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

We report here the first observation of directed flow (v_{1}) of the hypernuclei _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H in mid-central Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=3  GeV at RHIC. These data are taken as part of the beam energy scan program carried out by the STAR experiment. From 165×10^{6} events in 5%-40% centrality, about 8400 _{Λ}^{3}H and 5200 _{Λ}^{4}H candidates are reconstructed through two- and three-body decay channels. We observe that these hypernuclei exhibit significant directed flow. Comparing to that of light nuclei, it is found that the midrapidity v_{1} slopes of _{Λ}^{3}H and _{Λ}^{4}H follow baryon number scaling, implying that the coalescence is the dominant mechanism for these hypernuclei production in the 3 GeV Au+Au collisions.

Evaporative Crystallization of Simvastatin from Different Solutions Using Mid-Frequency Raman Difference Spectra Explanations

Amorphous simvastatin (amorphous SIM) and Form I of SIM were prepared separately from SIM acetone (AC)/ethyl acetate (ETAC)/ethanol (ET) solutions by simply controlling the solvent evaporation rate, and the kinetic formation of amorphous SIM from SIM AC/ETAC/ET solutions was explained using mid-frequency Raman difference spectra analysis. The mid-frequency Raman difference spectra analysis results indicate that the amorphous phase has close connections with solutions and might be the bridge, playing an important role in the intermediate phase, between solutions and their outcome polymorphs.

Beam Energy Dependence of Triton Production and Yield Ratio (N_{t}×N_{p}/N_{d}^{2}) in Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

We report the triton (t) production in midrapidity (|y|<0.5) Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=7.7-200  GeV measured by the STAR experiment from the first phase of the beam energy scan at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The nuclear compound yield ratio (N_{t}×N_{p}/N_{d}^{2}), which is predicted to be sensitive to the fluctuation of local neutron density, is observed to decrease monotonically with increasing charged-particle multiplicity (dN_{ch}/dη) and follows a scaling behavior. The dN_{ch}/dη dependence of the yield ratio is compared to calculations from coalescence and thermal models. Enhancements in the yield ratios relative to the coalescence baseline are observed in the 0%-10% most central collisions at 19.6 and 27 GeV, with a significance of 2.3σ and 3.4σ, respectively, giving a combined significance of 4.1σ. The enhancements are not observed in peripheral collisions or model calculations without critical fluctuation, and decreases with a smaller p_{T} acceptance. The physics implications of these results on the QCD phase structure and the production mechanism of light nuclei in heavy-ion collisions are discussed.

Exploring the chondroprotective effect of Chaenomeles speciosa on Glucose-6-Phosphate Isomerase model mice using an integrated approach of network pharmacology and experimental validation

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used in China for a long time and is gradually gaining more and more recognition worldwide. Chaenomeles speciosa (CSP) (Chinese Pinyin: mugua) is a medicinal and food herb that has long been used as a folk medicine for rheumatic diseases, yet its bioactive components and therapeutic mechanisms are not clear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

Exploring anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective effects of CSP on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and its possible targets of action.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, we performed an integrated approach of network pharmacology, molecular docking and experimental studies to explore the potential mechanism of action of CSP in the treatment of cartilage damage in RA.

RESULTS

Studies have shown that Quercetin, ent-Epicatechin and Mairin may be the main active compounds of CSP in the treatment of RA, while AKT1, VEGFA, IL-1β, IL-6, MMP9 etc. are considered as core target proteins to which the main active compounds in CSP bind, as further confirmed by molecular docking. In addition, the potential molecular mechanism of CSP for the treatment of cartilage damage in RA predicted by network pharmacology analysis was validated by in vivo experiments. CSP was found to downregulate the expression of AKT1, VEGFA, IL-1β, IL-6, MMP9, ICAM1, VCAM1, MMP3, MMP13 and TNF-α and increase the expression of COL-2 in the joint tissue of Glucose-6-Phosphate Isomerase (G6PI) model mice. Thus CSP contributes to the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis cartilage destruction.

CONCLUSION

This study showed that CSP has multi-component, multi-target and multi-pathway characteristics in treating cartilage damage in RA, which can achieve the effect of treating RA by inhibiting the expression of inflammatory factors, reducing neovascularization and alleviating the damage to cartilage caused by the diffusion of synovial vascular opacities, and reducing the degradation of cartilage by MMPs to play a protective role in RA cartilage damage. In conclusion, this study indicates that CSP is a candidate Chinese medicine for further research in treating cartilage damage in RA.

Glutamine inhibits inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis and ameliorates hyperoxic lung injury

Glutamine (Gln) is the most widely acting and abundant amino acid in the body and has anti-inflammatory properties, regulates body metabolism, and improves immune function. However, the mechanism of Gln's effect on hyperoxic lung injury in neonatal rats is unclear. Therefore, this work focused on examining Gln's function in lung injury of newborn rats mediated by hyperoxia and the underlying mechanism. We examined body mass and ratio of wet-to-dry lung tissue weights of neonatal rats. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was performed to examine histopathological alterations of lung tissues. In addition, enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) was conducted to measure pro-inflammatory cytokine levels within bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Apoptosis of lung tissues was observed using TUNEL assay. Western blotting was performed for detecting endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-associated protein levels. The results showed that Gln promoted body weight gain, significantly reduced pathological damage and oxidative stress in lung tissue, and improved lung function in neonatal rats. Gln reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine release as well as inflammatory cell production in BALF and inhibited apoptosis in lung tissue cells. Furthermore, we found that Gln could downregulate ERS-associated protein levels (GRP78, Caspase-12, CHOP) and inhibit c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and inositol-requiring enzyme 1 alpha (IRE1α) phosphorylation. These results in an animal model of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) suggest that Gln may have a therapeutic effect on BPD by reducing lung inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis and improving lung function; its mechanism of action may be related to the inhibition of the IRE1α/JNK pathway.

The protective effects of glutamine against bronchopulmonary dysplasia are associated with MKP-1/MAPK/cPLA2 signalingmediated NF-kappaB pathway

Glutamine is proven to have potential therapeutic effects on decreasing hyperoxia-induced acute pulmonary injury. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects and mechanism of glutamine on bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) induced by hyperoxia in rat alveolar type II epithelial cells (AECIIs) RLE-6TN. Following hyperoxia induction and glutamine treatment, ROS levels were detected by DCFH-DA assay and TUNEL staining was performed to detect cell apoptosis. The levels of inflammatory indicators and expression of apoptosis-related proteins were detected through ELISA and Western blot, respectively. Besides, the expression of related proteins in mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1)/mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK)/cytoplasmic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) signaling was also detected by Western blot. To further analyze the role of MKP-1/MAPK/cPLA2 signaling, MKP-1 was silenced and anisomycin was used to treat cells, respectively. It was shown that glutamine significantly decreased inflammation, oxidative stress and apoptosis in hyperoxia-induced cells while MKP-1 interference and anisomycin were able to reverse these effects, suggesting that the protective effects of glutamine on BPD induced by hypoxia were related to MKP-1/MAPK/cPLA2 signaling. To sum up, glutamine protected against BPD by decreasing inflammation, oxidative stress and apoptosis via MKP-1/MAPK/cPLA2 signaling.

Bamboo-based magnetic activated carbon for efficient removal of sulfadiazine: Application and adsorption mechanism

Due to increasing antibiotic pollution in the water environment, green and efficient adsorbents are urgently needed to solve this problem. Here we prepare magnetic bamboo-based activated carbon (MDBAC) through delignification and carbonization using ZnCl₂ as activator, resulting in production of an activated carbon with large specific surface area (1388.83 m² g^-1). The influencing factors, such as solution pH, initial sulfadiazine (SD) concentration, temperature, and contact time, were assessed in batch adsorption experiments. The Langmuir isotherm model demonstrated that MDBAC adsorption capacity on SD was 645.08 mg g^-1 at its maximum, being higher than majority of previously reported adsorbents. In SD adsorption, the kinetic adsorption process closely followed the pseudo-second kinetic model, and the thermodynamic adsorption process was discovered to be exothermic and spontaneous in nature. The MDBAC exhibited excellent physicochemical stability, facile magnetic recovery and acceptable recyclability properties. Moreover, the synergistic interactions between MDBAC and SD mainly involved electrostatic forces, hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking, and chelation. Within the benefits of low cost, ease of production and excellent adsorption performance, the MDBAC biosorbent shows promising utilization in removing antibiotic contaminants from wastewater.

A one-step base-free synthesis of N-arylamides via modified pivaloyl mixed anhydride mediated amide coupling

Pivalic anhydride is shown to be an effective reagent for direct amidation of carboxylic acids with N-alkyl anilines. The only by-product of this reaction is nontoxic pivalic acid, which can be easily removed by aqueous workup. The reactions are conducted under mild conditions and found to be compatible with a range of carboxylic acids, including aromatic, heterocyclic, acrylic, and aliphatic carboxylic acids and amino acids generating the desired amides in short reaction times.

LBP1C-2 from Lycium barbarum maintains skeletal muscle satellite cell pool by interaction with FGFR1

Muscle stem cells, called satellite cells (SCs), are employed to repair and rebuild muscle. SC-based therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. In this study, we showed that Lycium barbarum extract (LBE) improved the number of SCs and enhanced muscle regeneration by promoting SC activation and self-renewal in both adult and aging mice. L. barbarum polysaccharide (LBP), the main component of LBE, also played a similar role. More importantly, LBP1C-2, a homogeneous polysaccharide isolated from LBP, was uncovered to be an active component in regulating SC function. Mechanism study revealed that LBP1C-2 might bind to FGFR1 to activate SCs and promote SC self-renewal through Spry1 upregulation. This might be the first study to show that LBE participated in the regulation of SCs, and the active components and targets of LBE were identified. This study lays a theoretical foundation for the medicinal or auxiliary medicinal use of L. barbarum in skeletal muscle.

Photoredox-Catalyzed Redox-Neutral Decarboxylative C-H Acylations of Coumarins with α-Keto Acid

A novel and green photocatalytic strategy for the synthesis of C-4-acylated coumarins with α-keto acids and 3-nitrocoumarin has been developed. This operationally simple protocol works under mild reaction conditions, providing convenient access to 4-acyl coumarin derivatives. The control experimental results showed that the nitro radical produced by the cleavage of the C-N bond acts as an electron acceptor to complete the photocatalytic cycle, achieving a redox-neutral reaction.

Investigation on the synthesis of 24-(R)-hydroxycholesterol

A facile and novel strategy has been developed for synthesis of 24-(R)-hydroxycholesterol, a key intermediate of tacalcitol, starting from 24-dehydrocholesterol in seven steps with 48.2% overall yield and high diastereomer ratio. Photocatalytic oxidation of olefins by employing inexpensive Rose Bengal as photosensitizer and air as the sole oxidant for the preparation of Δ^5,25-3β-Hydroxycholestadiene-24-one-3-acetate is the key step in this synthetic route. This developed strategy features mild conditions, satisfied total yield and excellent stereoselectivity (24-R/S = 97.7:2.3), providing a novel access to the 24-(R)-hydroxycholesterol.

Measurement of Sequential ϒ Suppression in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV with the STAR Experiment

We report on measurements of sequential ϒ suppression in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV with the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) through both the dielectron and dimuon decay channels. In the 0%-60% centrality class, the nuclear modification factors (R_{AA}), which quantify the level of yield suppression in heavy-ion collisions compared to p+p collisions, for ϒ(1S) and ϒ(2S) are 0.40±0.03(stat)±0.03(sys)±0.09(norm) and 0.26±0.08(stat)±0.02(sys)±0.06(norm), respectively, while the upper limit of the ϒ(3S) R_{AA} is 0.17 at a 95% confidence level. This provides experimental evidence that the ϒ(3S) is significantly more suppressed than the ϒ(1S) at RHIC. The level of suppression for ϒ(1S) is comparable to that observed at the much higher collision energy at the Large Hadron Collider. These results point to the creation of a medium at RHIC whose temperature is sufficiently high to strongly suppress excited ϒ states.