Analysis of 15 bile acids in human plasma based on C18 functionalized magnetic organic polymer nanocomposite coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Because of the "enterohepatic circulation" of bile acid, liver damage can be reflected by monitoring the content of bile acid in the serum of the organism. To monitor the concentration of 15 bile acids in plasma samples, a new technique of PRiME (process, ruggedness, improvement, matrix effect, ease of use) pass-through cleanup procedure combined with high performance liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was developed. The sorbent used in the PRiME pass-through cleanup procedure is a new type of magnetic organic resin composite nano-material modified by C18 (C18-PS-DVB-GMA-Fe3O4), which has high cleanup efficiency of plasma samples. It also shows good performance in the separation and analysis of 15 kinds of bile acids. Under the optimal conditions, the results show higher cleanup efficiency of C18-PS-DVB-GMA-Fe3O4 with recoveries in the range of 82.1-115 %. The limit of quantitative (LOQs) of 15 bile acids were in the range of 0.033 µg/L-0.19 µg/L, and the RSD values of 15 bile acids were in the range of 3.00-11.9 %. Validation results on linearity, specificity, accuracy and precision, as well as on the application to analysis of 15 bile acids in 100 human plasma samples demonstrate the applicability to clinical studies.

Accelerated stability modeling of recrystallization from amorphous solid Dispersions: A Griseofulvin/HPMC-AS case study

Amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) represent an important approach for enhancing oral bioavailability for poorly water soluble compounds; however, assuring that these ASDs do not recrystallize to a significant extent during storage can be time-consuming. Therefore, various efforts have been undertaken to predict ASD crystallization levels with kinetic models. However, only limited success has been achieved due to limits on crystal content quantification methods and the complexity of crystallization kinetics. To increase the prediction accuracy, the accelerated stability assessment program (ASAP), employing isoconversion (time to hit a specification limit) and a modified Arrhenius approach, are employed here for predictive shelf-life modeling. In the current study, a model ASD was prepared by spray drying griseofulvin and HPMC-AS-LF. This ASD was stressed under a designed combinations of temperature, relative humidity and time with the conditions set to ensure stressing was carried out below the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the ASD. Crystal content quantification method by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) with sufficient sensitivity was developed and employed for stressed ASD. Crystallization modeling of the griseofulvin ASD using ASAPprime® demonstrated good agreement with long-term (40 °C/75 %RH) crystallinity levels and support the use of this type of accelerated stability studies for further improving ASD shelf-life prediction accuracy.

TCF12 Transcriptionally Activates SPHK1 to Induce Osteosarcoma Angiogenesis by Promoting the S1P/S1PR4/STAT3 Axis

Transcription factor 12 (TCF12) is a known oncogene in many cancers. However, whether TCF12 can regulate malignant phenotypes and angiogenesis in osteosarcoma is not elucidated. In this study, we demonstrated increased expression of TCF12 in osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines. High TCF12 expression was associated with metastasis and poor survival rate of osteosarcoma patients. Knockdown of TCF12 reduced the proliferation, migration, and invasion of osteosarcoma cells. TCF12 was found to bind to the promoter region of sphingosine kinase 1 (SPHK1) to induce transcriptional activation of SPHK1 expression and enhance the secretion of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), which eventually resulted in the malignant phenotypes of osteosarcoma cells. In addition, S1P secreted by osteosarcoma cells promoted the angiogenesis of HUVECs by targeting S1PR4 on the cell membrane to activate the STAT3 signaling pathway. These findings suggest that TCF12 may induce transcriptional activation of SPHK1 to promote the synthesis and secretion of S1P. This process likely enhances the malignant phenotypes of osteosarcoma cells and induces angiogenesis via the S1PR4/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Predictive value of the domain specific PLA2R antibodies for clinical remission in patients with primary membranous nephropathy: A retrospective study

BACKGROUND

M-type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) is a major auto-antigen of primary membranous nephropathy(PMN). Anti-PLA2R antibody levels are closely associated with disease severity and therapeutic effectiveness. Analysis of PLA2R antigen epitope reactivity may have a greater predictive value for remission compared with total PLA2R-antibody level. This study aims to elucidate the relationship between domain-specific antibody levels and clinical outcomes of PMN.

METHODS

This retrospective analysis included 87 patients with PLA2R-associated PMN. Among them, 40 and 47 were treated with rituximab (RTX) and cyclophosphamide (CTX) regimen, respectively. The quantitative detection of -immunoglobulin G (IgG)/-IgG4 targeting PLA2R and its epitope levels in the serum of patients with PMN were obtained through time-resolved fluorescence immunoassays and served as biomarkers in evaluating the treatment effectiveness. A predictive PMN remission possibility nomogram was developed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Discrimination in the prediction model was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC).Bootstrap ROC was used to evaluate the performance of the prediction model.

RESULTS

After a 6-month treatment period, the remission rates of proteinuria, including complete remission and partial remission in the RTX and CTX groups, were 70% and 70.21% (P = 0.983), respectively. However, there was a significant difference in immunological remission in the PLA2R-IgG4 between the RTX and CTX groups (21.43% vs. 61.90%, P = 0.019). Furthermore, we found differences in PLA2R-CysR-IgG4(P = 0.030), PLA2R-CTLD1-IgG4(P = 0.005), PLA2R-CTLD678-IgG4(P = 0.003), and epitope spreading (P = 0.023) between responders and non-responders in the CTX group. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that higher levels of urinary protein (odds ratio [OR], 0.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.26-0.95; P = 0.035) and higher levels of PLA2R-CTLD1-IgG4 (OR, 0.79; 95%CI,0.62-0.99; P = 0.041) were independent risk factors for early remission. A multivariate model for estimating the possibility of early remission in patients with PMN is presented as a nomogram. The AUC-ROC of our model was 0.721 (95%CI, 0.601-0.840), in consistency with the results obtained with internal validation, for which the AUC-ROC was 0.711 (95%CI, 0.587-0.824), thus, demonstrating robustness.

CONCLUSIONS

Cyclophosphamide can induce immunological remission earlier than rituximab at the span of 6 months. The PLA2R-CTLD1-IgG4 has a better predict value than total PLA2R-IgG for remission of proteinuria at the 6th month.

Discovery of Novel Hybrids of Edaravone and 6-Phenyl-4,5-dihydropyridazin-3(2H)-one with Antiplatelet Aggregation and Neuroprotection for Ischemic Stroke Treatment

Drugs with anti-platelet aggregation and neuroprotection are of great significance for the treatment of ischemic stroke. A series of edaravone and 6-phenyl-4,5-dihydropyridazin-3(2H)-one hybrids were designed and synthesized. Among them, 6g showed the most effective cytoprotective effect against oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation-induced damage in BV2 cells and an excellent inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate and arachidonic acid. Additionally, 6g could prevent thrombosis caused by ferric chloride in rats and pose a lower risk of causing bleeding compared with aspirin. It provides better protection against ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats compared with edaravone and alleviates the oxidative stress related to cerebral ischemia/reperfusion by increasing the GSH and SOD levels and decreasing the MDA concentration. Finally, molecular docking results showed that 6g probably acts on PDE3 A and plays an anti-platelet aggregation effect. Overall, 6g could be a potential candidate compound for the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Quantitative proteomic analysis reveals the mechanism and key esterase of β-cypermethrin degradation in a bacterial strain from fermented food

Beta-cypermethrin (β-CY) residues in food are an important threat to human health. Microorganisms can degrade β-CY residues during fermentation of fruits and vegetables, while the mechanism is not clear. In this study, a comprehensively investigate of the degradation mechanism of β-CY in a food microorganism was conducted based on proteomics analysis. The β-CY degradation bacteria Gordonia alkanivorans GH-1 was derived from fermented Pixian Doubanjiang. Its crude enzyme extract could degrade 77.11% of β-CY at a concentration of 45 mg/L within 24 h. Proteomics analysis revealed that the ester bond of β-CY is broken under the action of esterase to produce 3-phenoxy benzoic acid, which was further degraded by oxidoreductase and aromatic degrading enzyme. The up-regulation expression of oxidoreductase and esterase was confirmed by transcriptome and quantitative reverse transcription PCR. Meanwhile, the expression of esterase Est280 in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) resulted in a 48.43% enhancement in the degradation efficiency of β-CY, which confirmed that this enzyme was the key enzyme in the process of β-CY degradation. This study reveals the degradation mechanism of β-CY by microorganisms during food fermentation, providing a theoretical basis for the application of food microorganisms in β-CY residues.

TRIM44 Promotes Rabies Virus Replication by Autophagy-Dependent Mechanism

Tripartite motif (TRIM) proteins are a multifunctional E3 ubiquitin ligase family that participates in various cellular processes. Recent studies have shown that TRIM proteins play important roles in regulating host-virus interactions through specific pathways, but their involvement in response to rabies virus (RABV) infection remains poorly understood. Here, we identified that several TRIM proteins are upregulated in mouse neuroblastoma cells (NA) after infection with the rabies virus using RNA-seq sequencing. Among them, TRIM44 was found to regulate RABV replication. This is supported by the observations that downregulation of TRIM44 inhibits RABV replication, while overexpression of TRIM44 promotes RABV replication. Mechanistically, TRIM44-induced RABV replication is brought about by activating autophagy, as inhibition of autophagy with 3-MA attenuates TRIM44-induced RABV replication. Additionally, we found that inhibition of autophagy with rapamycin reverses the TRIM44-knockdown-induced decrease in LC3B expression and autophagosome formation as well as RABV replication. The results suggest that TRIM44 promotes RABV replication by an autophagy-dependent mechanism. Our work identifies TRIM44 as a key host factor for RABV replication, and targeting TRIM44 expression may represent an effective therapeutic strategy.

Tartronic Acid as a Potential Inhibitor of Pathological Calcium Oxalate Crystallization

Kidney stones are a pervasive disease with notoriously high recurrence rates that require more effective treatment strategies. Herein, tartronic acid is introduced as an efficient inhibitor of calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) crystallization, which is the most prevalent constituent of human kidney stones. A combination of in situ experimental techniques and simulations are employed to compare the inhibitory effects of tartronic acid with those of its molecular analogs. Tartronic acid exhibits an affinity for binding to rapidly growing apical surfaces of COM crystals, thus setting it apart from other inhibitors such as citric acid, the current preventative treatment for kidney stones. Bulk crystallization and in situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements confirm the mechanism by which tartronic acid interacts with COM crystal surfaces and inhibits growth. These findings are consistent with in vivo studies that reveal the efficacy of tartronic acid is similar to that of citric acid in mouse models of hyperoxaluria regarding their inhibitory effect on stone formation and alleviating stone-related physical harm. In summary, these findings highlight the potential of tartronic acid as a promising alternative to citric acid for the management of calcium oxalate nephropathies, offering a new option for clinical intervention in cases of kidney stones.

Predicting the risk of lung cancer using machine learning: A large study based on UK Biobank

In response to the high incidence and poor prognosis of lung cancer, this study tends to develop a generalizable lung-cancer prediction model by using machine learning to define high-risk groups and realize the early identification and prevention of lung cancer. We included 467,888 participants from UK Biobank, using lung cancer incidence as an outcome variable, including 49 previously known high-risk factors and less studied or unstudied predictors. We developed multivariate prediction models using multiple machine learning models, namely logistic regression, naïve Bayes, random forest, and extreme gradient boosting models. The performance of the models was evaluated by calculating the areas under their receiver operating characteristic curves, Brier loss, log loss, precision, recall, and F1 scores. The Shapley additive explanations interpreter was used to visualize the models. Three were ultimately 4299 cases of lung cancer that were diagnosed in our sample. The model containing all the predictors had good predictive power, and the extreme gradient boosting model had the best performance with an area under curve of 0.998. New important predictive factors for lung cancer were also identified, namely hip circumference, waist circumference, number of cigarettes previously smoked daily, neuroticism score, age, and forced expiratory volume in 1 second. The predictive model established by incorporating novel predictive factors can be of value in the early identification of lung cancer. It may be helpful in stratifying individuals and selecting those at higher risk for inclusion in screening programs.

Shape memory and self-healing in a molecular crystal with inverse temperature symmetry breaking

Mechanically responsive molecular crystals have attracted increasing attention for their potential as actuators, sensors, and switches. However, their inherent structural rigidity usually makes them vulnerable to external stimuli, limiting their usage in many applications. Here, we present the mechanically compliant single crystals of penciclovir, a first-line antiviral drug, achieved through an unconventional ferroelastic transformation with inverse temperature symmetry breaking. These crystals display a diverse set of self-restorative behaviors well above room temperature (385 K), including ferroelasticity, superelasticity, and shape memory effects, suggesting their promising applications in high-temperature settings. Crystallographic analysis reveals that cooperative molecular displacement within the layered crystal structure is responsible for these unique properties. Most importantly, these ferroelastic crystals manifest a polymer-like self-healing behavior even after severe cracking induced by thermal or mechanical stresses. These findings suggest the potential for similar memory and restorative effects in other molecular crystals featuring layered structures and provide valuable insights for leveraging organic molecules in the development of high-performance, ultra-flexible molecular crystalline materials with promising applications.

RNA modification-related EIF4G2 is an immunotherapy determinant in osteosarcoma: A single-cell sequencing analysis

The clinical outcomes of osteosarcoma are relatively dismal. As immunotherapy has revolutionized treatment for solid tumors, exploring novel immunotherapy-related therapeutic targets for osteosarcoma is important. In this study, we aimed to establish the connection between RNA modification and immunotherapy in osteosarcoma to identify novel therapeutic targets. An RNA modification-related signature was first developed using weight gene correlation network analysis and a machine-learning algorithm, random forest. The signature's prognostic value, drug prediction, and immune characteristics were analyzed. EIF4G2 from the signature was next identified as a critical immunotherapy determinant. EIF4G2 could also promote tumor proliferation, migration, and M2 macrophage migration by single-cell sequencing analysis and in vitro validation. Our signature and EIF4G2 are expected to provide valuable insights into the clinical management of osteosarcoma.

Advancements in nanoscale delivery systems: optimizing intermolecular interactions for superior drug encapsulation and precision release

Nanoscale preparations, such as nanoparticles, micelles, and liposomes, are increasingly recognized in pharmaceutical technology for their high capability in tailoring the pharmacokinetics of the encapsulated drug within the body. These preparations have great potential in extending drug half-life, reducing dosing frequency, mitigating drug side effects, and enhancing drug efficacy. Consequently, nanoscale preparations offer promising prospects for the treatment of metabolic disorders, malignant tumors, and various chronic diseases. Nevertheless, the complete clinical potential of nanoscale preparations remains untapped due to the challenges associated with low drug loading degrees and insufficient control over drug release. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the vital role of intermolecular interactions in enhancing encapsulation and controlling drug release within nanoscale delivery systems. Our analysis critically evaluates the characteristics of common intermolecular interactions and elucidates the techniques employed to assess them. Moreover, we highlight the significant potential of intermolecular interactions in clinical translation, particularly in the screening and optimization of preparation prescriptions. By attaining a deeper understanding of intermolecular interaction properties and mechanisms, we can adopt a more rational approach to designing drug carriers, leading to substantial advancements in the application and clinical transformation of nanoscale preparations. Moving forward, continued research in this field offers exciting prospects for unlocking the full clinical potential of nanoscale preparations and revolutionizing the field of drug delivery.

ZX703: A Small-Molecule Degrader of GPX4 Inducing Ferroptosis in Human Cancer Cells

Ferroptosis is a novel form of oxidative cell death triggered by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. The induction of ferroptosis presents an attractive therapeutic strategy for human diseases, such as prostate cancer and breast cancer. Herein, we describe our design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of endogenous glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) degraders using the proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) approach with the aim of inducing ferroptosis in cancer cells. Our efforts led to the discovery of compound 5i (ZX703), which significantly degraded GPX4 through the ubiquitin-proteasome and the autophagy-lysosome pathways in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Moreover, 5i was found to induce the accumulation of lipid reactive oxygen species (ROS) in HT1080 cells, thereby inducing ferroptosis. This study provides an attractive intervention strategy for ferroptosis-related diseases.

Zirconium-containing nanoscale coordination polymers for positron emission tomography and fluorescence-guided cargo delivery to triple-negative breast tumors

Nanoscale coordination polymer (NCP) is a class of hybrid materials formed by self-assembly of metal ions and organic ligands through coordination. The applications of NCP in biomedicine are quite extensive due to the diversity choice of metal ions and organic ligands. Here we designed Zr-P1 NCP based on Zr4+ selected as metal ion nodes and tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl) ethylene as bridging ligands. Zr-P1 NCP was modified with functionalized pyrene derived polyethylene glycol (Py-PAA-PEG-Mal) on the surface and further conjugated with cRGD for active targeting of integrin αvβ3 overexpressed in triple-negative breast cancer. Doxorubicin was loaded on Zr-P1 NCP with encapsulation efficiency up to 22 % for the treatment of triple negative breast cancer. 89Zr-P1 NCP can be used for in vivo tumor imaging due to the fluorescence properties resulting from the enhanced aggregation-induced Emission (AIE) behavior of P1 ligands and its positron emission tomography (PET) capability. Cellular evaluation indicated that the functionalized Zr-P1@PEG-RGD presented a good function for tumor cell targeting imaging and doxorubicin could be targeted to triple negative breast cancer when it was loaded onto Zr-P1@PEG-RGD, which corroborated with the in vivo results. In summary, 89Zr-P1@PEG-RGD can serve as a biocompatible nanoplatform for fluorescence and PET image-guided cargo delivery. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Nanoscale coordination polymer (NCP) is a class of hybrid materials formed by self-assembly of metal ions and organic ligands through coordination. The diversity of available metals and ligand structures upon NCP synthesis plays an advantage in establishing multimodal imaging platforms. Here we designed 89Zr-P1@PEG-RGD NCP based on Zr4+ selected as metal ion nodes and tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl) ethylene as bridging ligands. 89Zr-P1@PEG-RGD nanomaterials have positron emission tomography (PET) capability due to the incorporation of zirconium-89, which can be used for in vivo tumor imaging with high sensitivity. The chemotherapeutic drug DOX was loaded on Zr-P1 NCP for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer, and dual modality imaging can provide visual guidance for drug delivery.

Single-Atom Site SERS Chip for Rapid, Ultrasensitive, and Reproducible Direct-Monitoring of RNA Binding

Ribonucleic acids (RNA) play active roles within cells or viruses by catalyzing biological reactions, controlling gene expression, and communicating responses to cellular signals. Rapid monitoring RNA variation has become extremely important for appropriate clinical decisions and frontier biological research. However, the most widely used method for RNA detection, nucleic acid amplification, is restricted by a mandatory temperature cycling period of ≈1 h required to reach target detection criteria. Herein, a direct detection approach via single-atom site integrated surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) monitoring nucleic acid pairing reaction, can be completed within 3 min and reaches high sensitivity and extreme reproducibility for COVID-19 and two other influenza viruses' detection. The mechanism is that a single-atom site on SERS chip, enabled by positioning a single-atom oxide coordinated with a specific complementary RNA probe on chip nanostructure hotspots, can effectively bind target RNA analytes to enrich them at designed sites so that the binding reaction can be detected through Raman signal variation. This ultrafast, sensitive, and reproducible single-atom site SERS chip approach paves the route for an alternative technique of immediate RNA detection. Moreover, single-atom site SERS is a novel surface enrichment strategy for SERS active sites for other analytes at ultralow concentrations.

Identification of FLRT2 as a key prognostic gene through a comprehensive analysis of TMB and IRGPs in BLCA patients

Introduction

The tumor immune environment and immune-related genes are instrumental in the development, progression, and prognosis of bladder cancer (BLCA). This study sought to pinpoint key immune-related genes influencing BLCA prognosis and decipher their mechanisms of action.

Methods and results

We analyzed differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between high- and low- tumor mutational burden (TMB) groups. Subsequently, we constructed a reliable prognostic model based on immune-related gene pairs (IRGPs) and analyzed DEGs between high- and low-risk groups. A total of 22 shared DEGs were identified across differential TMB and IRGPs-derived risk groups in BLCA patients. Through univariate Cox and multivariate Cox analyses, we highlighted five genes - FLRT2, NTRK2, CYTL1, ZNF683, PRSS41 - significantly correlated with BLCA patient prognosis. Notably, the FLRT2 gene emerged as an independent prognostic factor for BLCA, impacting patient prognosis via modulation of macrophage infiltration in immune microenvironment. Further investigation spotlighted methylation sites - cg25120290, cg02305242, and cg01832662 - as key regulators of FLRT2 expression.

Discussion

These findings identified pivotal prognostic genes in BLCA and illuminated the intricate mechanisms dictating patient prognosis. This study not only presents a novel prognostic marker but also carves out potential avenues for immunotherapy and targeted therapeutic strategies in BLCA. By demystifying the profound impact of immune-related genes and the tumor immune environment, this study augments the comprehension and prognostic management of bladder cancer.

A population-based study of Helicobacter pylori: Does asymptomatic infection mean no gastroscopic lesions?

OBJECTIVES

We determined the common clinical characteristics of patients infected with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and investigated the relationship between H. pylori infection, and clinical symptoms, and gastroscopic manifestations. Our focus was specifically on the clinical manifestations in asymptomatic patients.

METHODS

We obtained the physical examination data of patients who underwent the 14C urea breath test between January 2018 and December 2020 at our Hospital. Basic demographic data, questionnaire data on clinical symptoms, and clinical examination data of the patients were also collected, and the correlation analysis was performed.

RESULTS

A total of 2863 participants were included in the study. The overall H. pylori infection rate was 26.30%. The clinical symptoms between H. pylori-positive patients and H. pylori-negative patients did not differ significantly (P > .05). However, H. pylori-positive patients exhibited more severe gastroscopic manifestations (P < .001). The 14C urea breath test disintegrations per minute (DPM) values in H. pylori-positive patients correlated with their serum pepsinogen and gastrin-17 levels. With an increase in the DPM value, more combinations of clinical symptoms appeared in the patients. Among H. pylori-positive patients, DPM levels in asymptomatic patients were lower than those in symptomatic patients (P < .001). However, gastroscopic manifestations did not vary significantly between asymptomatic and symptomatic patients (P > .05).

CONCLUSION

Patients infected with H. pylori showed no specific gastrointestinal symptoms. Patients with asymptomatic infection showed lower DPM levels, but their gastroscopic manifestations were similar to those of patients with symptomatic infection, and their lesions were more severe than H. pylori-negative people.

Mechanism of deltamethrin biodegradation by Brevibacillus parabrevis BCP-09 with proteomic methods

Ester-containing deltamethrin pesticides are widely used in farmland and have inevitable side effects on the biosphere and human health. Microbia have been used for efficient degradation of deltamethrin, but the related mechanism and enzyme characteristics have not been elucidated. In this study, a species Brevibacillus parabrevis BCP-09 could degrade up to 75 mg L-1 deltamethrin with a degradation efficiency of 95.41%. Proteomic and genomic methods were used to explore its degradation mechanism. Enzymes belonged to hydrolases, oxidases and aromatic compound degrading enzymes were expressed enhanced and might participate in the deltamethrin degradtion. RT-PCR experiment and enzyme activity analysis verified the degradation of deltamethrin by bacterial protein. Additionally, the formation of endospores can help strain BCP-09 resist the toxicity of deltamethrin and enhance its degradation. This study supplies a scientific evidence for the application of Brevibacillus parabrevis BCP-09 in the bioremediation of environmental pollution and enriches the resources of deltamethrin-biodegradable proteins.

Rapid determination of 61 acid dyes in chili paste, hotpot seasoning, and bearnaise using double liquid-liquid extraction and UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS

The aims of this study were to establish a novel method for simultaneously determining 61 acid dyes in chili, hotpot seasoning, and bearnaise sauce using double liquid-liquid extraction (d-LLE) technology. A mixture of water, methanol, and dichloromethane (1:3:1, v/v/v) was used as the extraction solution, which was actively separated into aqueous and organic phases at a fixed ratio. The clean-up step was initially completed by discarding the organic phase layer, which contained abundant lipophilic compounds. Subsequently, the aqueous phase was further separated by salting out, which effectively removed interference from the highly hydrophilic compounds. As a result of these two purification steps, the matrix suppression effect was significantly reduced by a minimum of 16.9%. Finally, the extract was analyzed using an ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole Orbitrap mass spectrometer (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS), and the characteristic ion fragments (SO3 - , m/z 79.9557) of the acid dyes were utilized for the preliminary qualitative analysis. The results showed that the 61 acid dyes showed a good linear relationship in the range of 0.01-0.2 µg/mL, and the limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.01 mg/kg. The average recoveries were 74.3%-99.7%, with relative standard deviations (RSD) ≤10%. The proposed method can rapidly identify and quantify acid dyes in complex foods at a low cost, with high sensitivity and reliability.

Identification and pretreatment analysis of endogenous degradation products of patulin in zebrafish

Identification and pretreatment analysis of endogenous metabolites of patulin (PAT) in zebrafish were successfully carried out using UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-HRMS. Three major metabolites, namely hydroascladiol, E-ascladiol, and Z-ascladiol, were identified. They exhibited similar fragmentation pathways to PAT, with the structurally significant ions *b' and *c' generated through the cleavage of the side chains of *b and *c, respectively. These ions were crucial for confirming the modification site and have been confirmed as characteristic fragments for the identification of PAT metabolites. Furthermore, a pretreatment method for analyzing PAT and the three metabolites in zebrafish was proposed, using solid-phase-assisted liquid/liquid extraction (SLLE) and matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) techniques. The initial purification process involved loading the aqueous phase onto a macroporous diatomaceous column, followed by elution with acetonitrile. Following this, neutral alumina powder was added to the organic phase, effectively eliminating interference from hydrophilic and lipid-soluble compounds through the optimization of this step. Due to their structural similarity, the three metabolites were semi-quantitatively analyzed using a PAT standard curve. The results demonstrated a good linear relationship in the concentration range of 0.001-0.02 μg/mL (r2 ≥ 0.999). The limit of detection for PAT and the three metabolites ranged from 0.01 to 0.03 mg/kg.

MDM2 provides TOP2 poison resistance by promoting proteolysis of TOP2βcc in a p53-independent manner

DNA topoisomerase II (TOP2) is an enzyme that performs a critical function in manipulating DNA topology during replication, transcription, and chromosomal compaction by forming a vital intermediate known as the TOP2-DNA cleavage complex (TOP2cc). Although the TOP2cc is often transient, stabilization can be achieved by TOP2 poisons, a family of anti-cancer chemotherapeutic agents targeting TOP2, such as etoposide (VP-16), and then induce double-strand breaks (DSBs) in cellular DNA. TOP2cc first needs to be proteolyzed before it can be processed by TDP2 for the removal of these protein adducts and to produce clean DNA ends necessary for proper repair. However, the mechanism by which TOP2βcc is proteolyzed has not been thoroughly studied. In this study, we report that after exposure to VP-16, MDM2, a RING-type E3 ubiquitin ligase, attaches to TOP2β and initiates polyubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. Mechanistically, during exposure to VP-16, TOP2β binds to DNA to form TOP2βcc, which promotes MDM2 binding and subsequent TOP2β ubiquitination and degradation, and results in a decrease in TOP2βcc levels. Biologically, MDM2 inactivation abrogates TOP2β degradation, stabilizes TOP2βcc, and subsequently increases the number of TOP2β-concealed DSBs, resulting in the rapid death of cancer cells via the apoptotic process. Furthermore, we demonstrate the combination activity of VP-16 and RG7112, an MDM2 inhibitor, in the xenograft tumor model and in situ lung cancer mouse model. Taken together, the results of our research reveal an underlying mechanism by which MDM2 promotes cancer cell survival in the presence of TOP2 poisons by activating proteolysis of TOP2βcc in a p53-independent manner, and provides a rationale for the combination of MDM2 inhibitors with TOP2 poisons for cancer therapy.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of 2-(naphthalen-1-yloxy)-N-phenylacetamide derivatives as TRPM4 inhibitors for the treatment of prostate cancer

Transient receptor potential melastatin 4 (TRPM4) is considered to be a potential target for cancer and other human diseases. Herein, a series of 2-(naphthalen-1-yloxy)-N-phenylacetamide derivatives were designed and synthesized as new TRPM4 inhibitors, aiming to improve cellular potency. One of the most promising compounds, 7d (ZX08903), displayed promising antiproliferative activity against prostate cancer cell lines. 7d also suppressed colony formation and the expression of androgen receptor (AR) protein in prostate cancer cells. Furthermore, 7d can concentration-dependently induce cell apoptosis in prostate cancer cells. Collectively, these findings indicated that compound 7d may serve as a promising lead compound for further anticancer drug development.

The role of alkyl chain length in the melt and solution crystallization of paliperidone aliphatic prodrugs

Fatty acid-derivative prodrugs have been utilized extensively to improve the physicochemical, biopharmaceutical and pharmacokinetic properties of active pharmaceutical ingredients. However, to our knowledge, the crystallization behavior of prodrugs modified with different fatty acids has not been explored. In the present work, a series of paliperidone aliphatic prodrugs with alkyl chain lengths ranging from C4 to C16 was investigated with respect to crystal structure, crystal morphology and crystallization kinetics. The paliperidone derivatives exhibited isostructural crystal packing, despite the different alkyl chain lengths, and crystallized with the dominant (100) face in both melt and solution. The rate of crystallization for paliperidone derivatives in the melt increases with alkyl chain length owing to greater molecular mobility. In contrast, the longer chains prolong the nucleation induction time and reduce the crystal growth kinetics in solution. The results show a correlation between difficulty of nucleation in solution and the interfacial energy. This work provides insight into the crystallization behavior of paliperidone aliphatic prodrugs and reveals that the role of alkyl chain length in the crystallization behavior has a strong dependence on the crystallization method.

Enhanced visible-light activation of persulfate for the removal of RhB by supported nano-(C,N,B)-tridoped TiO2/copper foam mixed-crystals

Photocatalytic persulfate activation by TiO2 and its application in sewage treatment have aroused great interest because of its high decontamination ability and strong adaptability, but the low light energy utilization rate and poor recycling of TiO2 limited its practical application. Herein, by using C-, N-, and B-modified TiO2 and immobilizing it on copper foam, we prepared a new and efficient (C,N,B)-TiO2/copper foam photocatalyst with enhanced visible-light activation performance of persulfate for the removal of RhB. It almost completely degraded RhB within 15 min of UV-vis light photocatalysis-assisted persulfate oxidation reaction with TOC removal of 53.17% in 30 min and presented the excellent long-term recyclability and stability, which is much better or comparative than those photocatalysts in the related literatures. (C,N,B)-TiO2/copper foam exhibited the largest apparent rate constant (0.149 min-1), 1.16 times higher than (C,N,B)-TiO2 (0.128 min-1), and 2.40 times higher than that of TiO2 (0.062 min-1), respectively. C,N,B doping modified the crystalline phase of TiO2, narrowed its band gap, and reduced charge-carrier recombination rate. These, together with the synergistic effect between photocatalysis and persulfate activation for enhancing generation of active species, jointly promoted the performance enhancement of TiO2. The 1O2 was the primary oxidation active species for the degradation of RhB, and the radical species (SO4•-, •O2-, and •OH) could further accelerate the photocatalytic activation of persulfate reaction.

Antigen processing and presentation-related signature-derived BNIP3 is a novel oncogene and immunotherapy determinant in osteosarcoma based on machine learning and in vitro validation

BACKGROUND

In recent decades, osteosarcoma has remained the most prevalent kind of malignant tumor. An important and crucial factor in immunotherapy is antigen processing and presentation (APP). The specific functions and pathogenic processes of APP in osteosarcoma have not, however, been studied.

METHODS

Patients with osteosarcoma were divided into groups using APP-related genes. Machine learning was used to further build the APP-related score. Investigated in-depth were the prognostic relevance of the score, mutation features, immunological aspects, and pharmacological prediction performance. Investigations of the prognostic utility, immunological traits, drug prediction effectiveness and immunotherapy prediction of BNIP3 were performed in-depth.

RESULTS

Investigations by cell counting kit-8, Transwell and 5-ethynyl-2-deoxyuridine (EdU) demonstrated that BNIP3 is an osteosarcoma tumor accelerator. The osteosarcoma gene BNIP3 may promote macrophage migration. The APP-related score shows potential for clinical use.

CONCLUSIONS

It was anticipated that more in vitro and in vivo studies would confirm BNIP3's tumorigenic and immunogenic processes in osteosarcoma.

Association of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) footprints with the comorbidity of latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection: A multicenter cross-sectional study

AIMS

This study aims to investigate the interplay between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and major forms of diabetes: type 1 diabetes (T1D), type 2 diabetes (T2D), and latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA).

METHODS

This multicenter study analyzed a cohort of 2699 diabetic and 7344 non-diabetic subjects who visited medical centers in China from 2014 to 2021. T1D, T2D, LADA, and HCV were diagnosed using standard procedures. High-throughput sequencing was conducted to identify genetic footprints of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles and haplotypes at the DRB1, DQA1, and DQB1 loci.

RESULTS

HCV infection was detected in 3 % (23/766) of LADA patients, followed by 1.5 % (15/977) of T2D patients, 1.4 % (13/926) of T1D patients, and 0.5 % (38/7344) of non-diabetic individuals. HCV prevalence was significantly higher in people with diabetes than in non-diabetic individuals (p < 0.01). HLA alleles (DQB1*060101, DQB1*040101) and haplotypes (DRB1*080302-DQA1*010301-DQB1*060101) in LADA patients with HCV revealed higher frequencies than in LADA patients without HCV (adjusted p < 0.03). Furthermore, a higher risk of diabetes complications was found among LADA patients with HCV infection (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

LADA patients are susceptible to HCV infection, potentially associated with certain HLA alleles/haplotypes. Early diagnosis and treatment of HCV infection among people with diabetes are important for the management of severe complications.

Subcytoplasmic location of translation controls protein output

The cytoplasm is highly compartmentalized, but the extent and consequences of subcytoplasmic mRNA localization in non-polarized cells are largely unknown. We determined mRNA enrichment in TIS granules (TGs) and the rough endoplasmic reticulum (ER) through particle sorting and isolated cytosolic mRNAs by digitonin extraction. When focusing on genes that encode non-membrane proteins, we observed that 52% have transcripts enriched in specific compartments. Compartment enrichment correlates with a combinatorial code based on mRNA length, exon length, and 3' UTR-bound RNA-binding proteins. Compartment-biased mRNAs differ in the functional classes of their encoded proteins: TG-enriched mRNAs encode low-abundance proteins with strong enrichment of transcription factors, whereas ER-enriched mRNAs encode large and highly expressed proteins. Compartment localization is an important determinant of mRNA and protein abundance, which is supported by reporter experiments showing that redirecting cytosolic mRNAs to the ER increases their protein expression. In summary, the cytoplasm is functionally compartmentalized by local translation environments.

Integration of Glutamate Dehydrogenase and Nanoporous Gold for Electrochemical Detection of Glutamate

Glutamate, a non-essential amino acid produced by fermentation, plays a significant role in disease diagnosis and food safety. It is important to enable the real-time monitoring of glutamate concentration for human health and nutrition. Due to the challenges in directly performing electrochemical oxidation-reduction reactions of glutamate, this study leverages the synergistic effect of glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) and nanoporous gold (NPG) to achieve the indirect and accurate detection of glutamate within the range of 50 to 700 μM by measuring the generated quantity of NADH during the enzymatic reaction. The proposed biosensor demonstrates remarkable performance characteristics, including a detection sensitivity of 1.95 μA mM-1 and a limit of detection (LOD) of 6.82 μM. The anti-interference tests indicate an average recognition error ranging from -3.85% to +2.60%, spiked sample recovery rates between 95% and 105%, and a relative standard deviation (RSD) of less than 4.97% for three replicate experiments. Therefore, the GLDH-NPG/GCE biosensor presented in this work exhibits excellent accuracy and repeatability, providing a novel alternative for rapid glutamate detection. This research contributes significantly to enhancing the precise monitoring of glutamate concentration, thereby offering more effective guidance and control for human health and nutrition.

Intramedullary nail fixation of fibular fractures in combination with extra-articular distal tibial fractures (AO/OTA 43A): a single-center retrospective study

Treatment of fibular fractures associated with extra-articular distal tibia fractures is technically challenging and the purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of intramedullary nail fixation of fibular fractures when associated with this fracture. Between January 2018 and December 2021, 33 patients presenting extra-articular distal tibia fractures and fibular fractures (AO/OTA 43A) were treated. Clinical and radiological data were collected during routine postoperative follow-ups. Thirty-one patients were monitored for a period of time ranging from 12 to 23 months, with an average follow-up of 17.5 ± 3.3 months. Fibular bone union took an average of 3.6 ± 0.9 months. At the last follow-up, the average fibular alignment and postoperative ankle talocrural angles were 1.8° and 9.1°, respectively. No detectable radiographic rotational malalignment and serious complications related to the fibular incision was observed. The average AOFAS and OMAS scores at the most recent follow-up were 88.3 ± 6.2 and 87.4 ± 6.0, respectively. Intramedullary nail fixation worked well to keep the fibula in place in fibular fractures connected to extra-articular distal tibia fractures.

Self-Cross-Linked Chitosan/Albumin-Bound Nanoparticle Hydrogel for Inhibition of Postsurgery Malignant Glioma Recurrence

The development of chemoimmunotherapy with reduced systemic toxicity using local formulations is an effective strategy for combating tumor recurrence. Herein, we reported a localized hydrogel system for antitumor chemoimmunotherapy, formed by doxorubicin (DXR)-loaded bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanoparticles self-cross-linked with natural polysaccharide chitosan (CS). The drug-loaded hydrogel (DXR-CBGel) with antiswelling performance and prolonged drug-release profile was combined with antiprogrammed cell death protein 1 (aPD-1) as an in situ vaccine for treating glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) lesions. The antiswelling hydrogel system shows excellent biosafety for volume-sensitive GBM lesions. Both the albumin-bound formulation and the in situ gelation design facilitate the local retention and sustained release of DXR to generate long-term chemoimmunotherapy with reduced systemic toxicity. The chemotherapy-induced immunogenic cell death of DXR with the assistance of immunotherapeutic CS can trigger tumor-specific immune responses, which are further amplified by an immune checkpoint blockade to effectively inhibit cancer recurrence. The strategy of combining albumin-bound drug formulation and biocompatible polymer-based hydrogel for localized chemoimmunotherapy shows great potential against postsurgery glioblastoma recurrence.

Epidemiological and clinical features of COVID-19 inpatients in Changsha, China: A retrospective study from 2020 to 2022

Objectives

The spread of SARS-Cov-2 remains a global concern along with the emergence of variants. This study aims to characterize the epidemiological and clinical features of hospitalized patients who were dragonized with five different variants of SARS-CoV-2 during the past 3 years.

Methods

This retrospective study recruited 432 COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized in the First Hospital of Changsha from January 2020 to August 2022. Clinical records on clinical symptoms, laboratory profiles, and chest CT images was collected. The epidemiological and clinical features were compared between COVID-19 patients infected with either the wild-type, Omicron variant or pre- Omicron variants (e.g., Alpha, Beta, Delta).

Results

A total of 432 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 inpatients were dialogized during three waves, including 247 cases during the wild-type transmission period, 65 cases during the transmission period of pre-Omicron variants, and 119 cases during the transmission period of Omicron variants. The proportion of moderately or severely ill inpatients showed a gradual decline from the wild-type transmission period to the Omicron transmission period. The common symptoms of inpatients infected with SARS-CoV-2 wildtype strains included fever (67.61 %), cough (57.89 %), fatigue (33.60 %), and shortness of breath (12.15 %). In contrast, patients infected with other variants mostly showed upper respiratory symptoms. Based on chest CT images, a lower degree of acute pulmonary infection was observed among inpatients infected with the Omicron variants than those infected with the wild-type strain (31.09 % vs 93.12 %, p-value<0.01).

Conclusions

Compared with the wild-type strain, SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, especially the Omicron variant, mostly caused a lower degree of acute pulmonary infection, indicating the reduced disease severity and mortality among hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Effect of organic acids on the solid-state polymorphic phase transformation of piracetam

Metastable polymorphs are frequently used in oral solid dosage forms to enhance the absorption of poorly water-soluble drug compounds. However, the solid phase transformation from the metastable polymorph to the thermodynamically stable polymorph during manufacturing or storage poses a major challenge for product development and quality control. Here, we report that low-content organic acids can exhibit distinct effects on the solid-state polymorphic phase transformation of piracetam (PCM), a nootropic drug used for memory enhancement. The addition of 1 mol% citric acid (CA) and tricarballylic acid (TA) can significantly inhibit the phase transformation of PCM Form I to Form II, while glutaric acid (GA) and adipic acid (AA) produce a minor effect. A molecular simulation shows that organic acid molecules can adsorb on the crystal surface of PCM Form I, thus slowing the movement of molecules from the metastable form to the stable form. Our study provides deeper insights into the mechanisms of solid-state polymorphic phase transformation of drugs in the presence of additives and facilitates opportunities for controlling the stability of metastable pharmaceuticals.

Network pharmacology and molecular docking reveal potential mechanism of esculetin in the treatment of ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease of the colonic mucosa. Esculetin is a type of natural coumarin that has many pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, etc. A previous study showed that esculetin improved intestinal inflammation and reduced serum proinflammatory cytokines in UC. The present study aimed to utilize network pharmacology and molecular docking to explore the potential mechanism of esculetin against UC. The potential gene targets of esculetin were predicted through SwissTargetPrediction and Super-PRED web servers. UC-related genes were obtained from DisGeNet, OMIM, and GeneCards databases. The overlap between gene targets of esculetin and UC-related genes were identified as the potential targets of esculetin against UC. The interaction between these overlapping genes was analyzed by the STRING database and the core genes were identified by Cytoscape platform. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis of the core genes were then performed. And the results of these analyses were further confirmed through molecular docking. A total of 50 overlapping genes were identified as the potential action targets of esculetin against UC. Among them, 10 genes (AKT1, STAT1, CCND1, SRC, PTGS2, EGFR, NFKB1, ESR1, MMP9, SERPINE1) were finally identified as the core genes. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis results showed that the top signaling pathway associated with the core genes of esculetin against UC was the prolactin (PRL) signaling pathway. Molecular docking results showed that esculetin has a strong binding affinity to the core genes, as well as PRL and prolactin receptor. This study suggests that esculetin may have a crucial impact on UC through the PRL signaling pathway and provides insights into the potential mechanism of esculetin in the treatment of UC, which may shed light on the mechanism and treatment of UC.

[Clinical observation on the efficacy and safety of dupilumab in the treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis]

To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of dupilumab in the treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD) in China. A small sample self-controlled study before and after treatment was conducted to retrospective analysis patients with moderate to severe AD treated with dupilumab in the department of dermatology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from July 2020 to March 2022. Dupilumab 600 mg was injected subcutaneously at week 0, and then 300 mg was injected subcutaneously every 2 weeks. The condition was evaluated by SCORAD(severity scoring of atopic dermatitis), NRS(numerical rating scale), DLQI(dermatology life quality index) and POEM(patient-oriented eczema measure). The improvement of SCORAD, NRS, DLQI and POEM was analyzed by paired t test and non-parametric paired Wilcoxon. The results showed that a total of 67 patients with moderate to severe AD received dupilumab treatment, of which 41 patients (the course of treatment was more than 6 weeks) had reduced the severity of skin lesions, improved quality of life and reduced pruritus. A total of 23 patients completed 16 weeks of treatment. At 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks, SCORAD, NRS, DLQI and POEM decreased compared with the baseline, and the differences were statistically significant. SCORAD (50.13±15.19) at baseline, SCORAD (36.08±11.96)(t=6.049,P<0.001) at week 4,SCORAD (28.04±11.10)(t=10.471,P<0.001) at week 8, SCORAD (22.93±9.72)(t=12.428,P<0.001) at week 12, SCORAD (16.84±7.82)(t=14.609,P<0.001) at week 16, NRS 7(6,8) at baseline, NRS 4(3,5)(Z=-3.861,P<0.001) at week 4, NRS 2(1,4)(Z=-4.088,P<0.001) at week 8, NRS 1(0,2)(Z=-4.206,P<0.001) at week 12, NRS 2(0,2)(Z=-4.222,P<0.001) at week 16, DLQI (13.83±5.71) at baseline, DLQI (8.00±4.02)(t=6.325,P<0.001) at week 4, DLQI (5.61±3.50)(t=8.060,P<0.001) at week 8, DLQI (3.96±1.99)(t=8.717,P<0.001) at week 12, DLQI (2.70±1.89)(t=10.355,P<0.001) at week 16, POEM (18.04±6.41) at baseline, POEM (9.70±4.70)(t=7.031,P<0.001) at week 4, POEM (7.74±3.48)(t=8.806,P<0.001) at week 8, POEM (6.35±3.33)(t=10.474,P<0.001) at week 12, POEM (4.26±2.51)(t=11.996,P<0.001) at week 16. In the 16th week, 100%(23 patients), 91.3%(21 patients), 34.8%(8 patients) and 8.7%(2 patients) of 23 patients reached SCORAD30, SCORAD50, SCORAD70, and SCORAD90 statuses, respectively. There were 82.6%(19 patients), 95.7%(22 patients) and 95.7%(22 patients) of 23 patients with NRS, DLQI and POEM improved by≥4 points compared with baseline. Twelve patients with AD who continued to receive dupilumab after 16 weeks showed further improvement in skin lesions. The adverse events were conjunctivitis and injection site reaction. In conclusion, dupilumab is an effective and safe treatment for moderate and severe AD. However, the longer-term efficacy and safety require further studies involving larger sample sizes and a longer follow-up time.

Prognostic risk of immune-associated signature in the microenvironment of brain gliomas

Understanding the key factors in the tumor microenvironment (TME) that affect the prognosis of gliomas is crucial. In this study, we sought to uncover the prognostic significance of immune cells and immune-related genes in the TME of gliomas. We incorporated data of 970 glioma patient samples from the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) database as the training set, and an additional set of 666 samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database served as the validation set. From our analysis, we identified 21 immune-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the TME, which holds implications for glioma prognosis. Based on these genes, we constructed a prognostic risk model on the 21 genes. The prognostic risk model demonstrated robust performance with an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.848. Notably, the risk score derived from the model emerged as an independent prognostic factor of gliomas, with high risk scores indicative of an unfavorable prognosis. Furthermore, we observed that high infiltration levels of certain immune cells, namely, activated dendritic cells, M0 macrophages, M2 macrophages, and regulatory T cells (Tregs), correlated with an unfavorable glioma prognosis. In conclusion, our findings suggested that the TME of gliomas harbored a distinct immune-associated signature, comprising 21 immune-related genes and specific immune cells. These elements significantly influence the prognosis and present potential as novel indicators in the clinical assessment of glioma patient outcomes.

Pharmacological activities of esculin and esculetin: A review

Esculin and esculetin are 2 widely studied coumarin components of Cortex Fraxini, which is a well-known herbal medicine with a 2000-year history. In vivo and in vitro studies have demonstrated that both have a variety of pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antidiabetic, immunomodulatory, anti-atherosclerotic, and so on. Their underlying mechanisms of action and biological activities include scavenging free radicals, modulating the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 pathway, regulating the cell cycle, inhibiting tumor cell proliferation and migration, promoting mitochondrial pathway apoptosis, inhibiting the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways, regulating CD4+ T cells differentiation and associated cytokine release, inhibiting vascular smooth muscle cells, etc. This review aims to provide comprehensive information on pharmacological studies of esculin and esculetin, which is of noteworthy importance in exploring the therapeutic potential of both coumarin compounds.

A graphene oxide-loaded processed pyritum composite hydrogel for accelerated bone regeneration via mediation of M2 macrophage polarization

A coordinated interaction between osteogenesis and the osteoimmune microenvironment plays a vital role in regulating bone healing. However, disturbances in the pro- and anti-inflammatory balance hinder the therapeutic advantages of biomaterials. In this study, a novel composite hydrogel was successfully fabricated using graphene oxide (GO)-loaded processed pyritum (PP) in combination with poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC). Subsequently, the immunomodulatory effects and bone regenerative potential of PP/GO@PEGDA/CMC were investigated. The results demonstrated that the PP/GO@PEGDA/CMC hydrogel possessed excellent mechanical properties, swelling capacity, and stability. Moreover, PP/GO@PEGDA/CMC prominently promoted M2 polarization and increased the levels of anti-inflammatory factors (interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, and transforming growth factor-β). These beneficial effects facilitated the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in vitro. Additionally, the in vivo results further verified that the implantation of PP/GO@PEGDA/CMC markedly reduced local inflammation while enhancing bone regeneration at 8 weeks post-implantation. Therefore, the results of this study provide potential therapeutic strategies for bone tissue repair and regeneration by modulating the immune microenvironment.

Exosome-shuttled miR-126 mediates ethanol-induced disruption of neural crest cell-placode cell interaction by targeting SDF1

During embryonic development, 2 populations of multipotent stem cells, cranial neural crest cells (NCCs) and epibranchial placode cells (PCs), are anatomically adjacent to each other. The coordinated migration of NCCs and PCs plays a major role in the morphogenesis of craniofacial skeletons and cranial nerves. It is known that ethanol-induced dysfunction of NCCs and PCs is a key contributor to the defects of craniofacial skeletons and cranial nerves implicated in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). However, how ethanol disrupts the coordinated interaction between NCCs and PCs was not elucidated. To fill in this gap, we established a well-designed cell coculture system to investigate the reciprocal interaction between human NCCs (hNCCs) and human PCs (hPCs), and also monitored the migration behavior of NCCs and PCs in zebrafish embryos. We found that ethanol exposure resulted in a disruption of coordinated hNCCs-hPCs interaction, as well as in zebrafish embryos. Treating hNCCs-hPCs with exosomes derived from ethanol-exposed hNCCs (ExoEtOH) mimicked ethanol-induced impairment of hNCCs-hPCs interaction. We also observed that SDF1, a chemoattractant, was downregulated in ethanol-treated hPCs and zebrafish embryos. Meanwhile, miR-126 level in ExoEtOH was significantly higher than that in control exosomes (ExoCon). We further validated that ExoEtOH-encapsulated miR-126 from hNCCs can be transferred to hPCs to suppress SDF1 expression in hPCs. Knockdown of SDF1 replicated ethanol-induced abnormalities either in vitro or in zebrafish embryos. On the contrary, overexpression of SDF1 or inhibiting miR-126 strongly rescued ethanol-induced impairment of hNCCs-hPCs interaction and developmental defects.

Post-synthesis of a titanium-rich magnetic COF nanocomposite with flexible branched polymers for efficient enrichment of phosphopeptides from human saliva and serum

A Ti4+-functionalized magnetic covalent organic framework material with flexible branched polymers (mCOF@ε-PL@THBA-Ti4+) built via an immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC) enrichment strategy was proposed through post-synthesis modification. Hydrophilic ε-poly-L-lysine (ε-PL) rich in amino active groups was first introduced in the fabrication of the phosphopeptide enrichment material to increase the hydrophilicity while providing more functional modification pathways of the material. 2,3,4-Trihydroxy-benzaldehyde (THBA) provides abundant binding sites for the immobilization of numerous Ti4+, which is advantageous for the subsequent efficient phosphopeptide enrichment. The magnetic nanocomposite exhibited outstanding performance of phosphopeptide enrichment with good selectivity (1 : 5000), a low detection limit (2 fmol), and relatively high loading capacity (66.7 mg g-1). What's more, after treatment with mCOF@ε-PL@THBA-Ti4+, 16 endogenous phosphopeptides from fresh saliva of healthy people were recognized by MALDI-TOF MS, and 50 phosphopeptides belonging to 35 phosphoproteins from the serum of uremia patients were detected by nano-LC-MS/MS. Proteomics data analysis for the differential protein selection between uremia and normal controls was conducted using R software, and four down-regulated and three up-regulated proteins were obtained. The results suggested that the prepared material has potential applications in biomarker discovery.

Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae detection methods: a minireview

Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp), characterized by high virulence and epidemic potential, has become a global public health challenge. Therefore, improving the identification of hvKp and enabling earlier and faster detection in the community to support subsequent effective treatment and prevention of hvKp are an urgent issue. To address these issues, a number of assays have emerged, such as String test, Galleria mellonella infection test, PCR, isothermal exponential amplification, and so on. In this paper, we have collected articles on the detection methods of hvKp and conducted a retrospective review based on two aspects: traditional detection technology and biomarker-based detection technology. We summarize the advantages and limitations of these detection methods and discuss the challenges as well as future directions, hoping to provide new insights and references for the rapid detection of hvKp in the future. The aim of this study is to focus on the research papers related to Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae involving the period from 2012 to 2022. We conducted searches using the keywords "Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae, biomarkers, detection techniques" on ScienceDirect and Google Scholar. Additionally, we also searched on PubMed, using MeSH terms associated with the keywords (such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Klebsiella Infections, Virulence, Biomarkers, diagnosis, etc.).

Object Detection Based on Lightweight YOLOX for Autonomous Driving

Accurate and rapid response in complex driving scenarios is a challenging problem in autonomous driving. If a target is detected, the vehicle will not be able to react in time, resulting in fatal safety accidents. Therefore, the application of driver assistance systems requires a model that can accurately detect targets in complex scenes and respond quickly. In this paper, a lightweight feature extraction model, ShuffDet, is proposed to replace the CSPDark53 model used by YOLOX by improving the YOLOX algorithm. At the same time, an attention mechanism is introduced into the path aggregation feature pyramid network (PAFPN) to make the network focus more on important information in the network, thereby improving the accuracy of the model. This model, which combines two methods, is called ShuffYOLOX, and it can improve the accuracy of the model while keeping it lightweight. The performance of the ShuffYOLOX model on the KITTI dataset is tested in this paper, and the experimental results show that compared to the original network, the mean average precision (mAP) of the ShuffYOLOX model on the KITTI dataset reaches 92.20%. In addition, the number of parameters of the ShuffYOLOX model is reduced by 34.57%, the Gflops are reduced by 42.19%, and the FPS is increased by 65%. Therefore, the ShuffYOLOX model is very suitable for autonomous driving applications.

Neutrino-Induced Coherent π^{+} Production in C, CH, Fe, and Pb at ⟨E_{ν}⟩∼6 GeV

MINERvA has measured the ν_{μ}-induced coherent π^{+} cross section simultaneously in hydrocarbon (CH), graphite (C), iron (Fe), and lead (Pb) targets using neutrinos from 2 to 20 GeV. The measurements exceed the predictions of the Rein-Sehgal and Berger-Sehgal PCAC based models at multi-GeV ν_{μ} energies and at produced π^{+} energies and angles, E_{π}>1  GeV and θ_{π}<10°. Measurements of the cross-section ratios of Fe and Pb relative to CH reveal the effective A scaling to increase from an approximate A^{1/3} scaling at few GeV to an A^{2/3} scaling for E_{ν}>10  GeV.

Active ingredients Isorhamnetin of Croci Srigma inhibit stomach adenocarcinomas progression by MAPK/mTOR signaling pathway

Gastric cancer (GC) remains the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the world, and ninety-five percent of GC are stomach adenocarcinomas (STAD). The active ingredients of Croci Stigma, such as Isorhamnetin, Crocin, Crocetin and Kaempferol, all have antitumor activity. However, their chemical and pharmacological profiles remain to be elusive. In this study, network pharmacology was used to characterize the action mechanism of Croci Stigma. All compounds were obtained from the traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology (TCMSP) database, and active ingredients were selected by their oral bioavailability and drug-likeness index. The targets of Croci Stigma active ingredients were obtained from the traditional Chinese medicine integrated database (TCMID), whereas the related genes of STAD were obtained from DisGeNET platform. Cytoscape was used to undertake visual analyses of the Drug Ingredients-Gene Symbols-Disease (I-G-D) network, and 2 core genes including MAPK14, ERBB3 were obtained, which are the predicted targets of isorhamnetin (IH) and quercetin, respectively. Data analysis from TCGA platform showed that MAPK14 and ERBB3 all upregulated in STAD patients, but only the effect of MAPK14 expression on STAD patients' survival was significant. Molecular docking showed that IH might affect the function of MAPK14 protein, and then the underlying action mechanisms of IH on STAD were experimentally validated using human gastric cancer cell line, HGC-27 cells. The results showed that IH can inhibit cell proliferation, migration, clonal formation, and arrest cell cycle, but promote the apoptosis of HGC-27 cells. qRT-PCR data demonstrated that IH downregulated the MAPK14 mRNA expression and EMT related genes. WB results showed that IH regulates MAPK/mTOR signaling pathway. These findings suggest that IH has the therapeutic potential for the treatment of STAD.

Value of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging for evaluating chronic kidney disease and renal fibrosis

OBJECTIVES

To identify optimized MRI markers for evaluating chronic kidney disease (CKD) and renal interstitial fibrosis (IF).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This prospective study included 43 patients with CKD and 20 controls. The CKD group was divided into mild and moderate-to-severe subgroups based on pathological results. Scanned sequences included T1 mapping, R2* mapping, intravoxel incoherent motion imaging, and diffusion-weighted imaging. One-way analyses of variance were used to compare MRI parameters among groups. Correlations of MRI parameters with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and renal IF were analyzed using age as covariates. The support vector machine (SVM) model was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of multiparametric MRI.

RESULTS

Compared to control values, renal cortical apparent diffusion coefficient (cADC), medullary ADC (mADC), cortical pure diffusion coefficient (cDt), medullary Dt (mDt), cortical shifted apparent diffusion coefficient (csADC), and medullary sADC (msADC) values gradually decreased in the mild and moderate-to-severe groups, while cortical T1 (cT1) and medullary T1 (mT1) values gradually increased. Values of cADC, mADC, cDt, mDt, cT1, mT1, csADC, and msADC were significantly associated with eGFR and IF (p < 0.001). The SVM model indicated that multiparametric MRI combining cT1 and csADC can distinguish patients with CKD from controls with high accuracy (0.84), sensitivity (0.70), and specificity (0.92) (AUC: 0.96). Multiparametric MRI combining cT1 and cADC exhibited high accuracy (0.91), sensitivity (0.95), and specificity (0.81) for evaluating IF severity (AUC: 0.96).

CONCLUSION

Multiparametric MRI combining T1 mapping and diffusion imaging may be of clinical utility in non-invasive assessment of CKD and IF.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT

This study shows that multiparametric MRI combining T1 mapping and diffusion imaging may be clinically useful in the non-invasive assessment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and interstitial fibrosis; this could provide information for risk stratification, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.

KEY POINTS

• Optimized MRI markers for evaluating chronic kidney disease and renal interstitial fibrosis were investigated. • Renal cortex/medullary T1 values increased as interstitial fibrosis increased; cortical shifted apparent diffusion coefficient (csADC) correlated significantly with eGFR and interstitial fibrosis. • Support vector machine (SVM) combining cortical T1 (cT1) and csADC/cADC effectively identifies chronic kidney disease and accurately predicts renal interstitial fibrosis.

A unified framework of medical information annotation and extraction for Chinese clinical text

Medical information extraction consists of a group of natural language processing (NLP) tasks, which collaboratively convert clinical text to pre-defined structured formats. This is a critical step to exploit electronic medical records (EMRs). Given the recent thriving NLP technologies, model implementation and performance seem no longer an obstacle, whereas the bottleneck locates on a high-quality annotated corpus and the whole engineering workflow. This study presents an engineering framework consisting of three tasks, i.e., medical entity recognition, relation extraction and attribute extraction. Within this framework, the whole workflow is demonstrated from EMR data collection through model performance evaluation. Our annotation scheme is designed to be comprehensive and compatible between the multiple tasks. With the EMRs from a general hospital in Ningbo, China, and the manual annotation by experienced physicians, our corpus is of large scale and high quality. Built upon this Chinese clinical corpus, the medical information extraction system show performance that approaches human annotation. The annotation scheme, (a subset of) the annotated corpus, and the code are all publicly released, to facilitate further research.

TRIM25 Suppresses Rabies Virus Fixed HEP-Flury Strain Production by Activating RIG-1-Mediated Type I Interferons

Rabies remains a great threat to public health worldwide. So far, the mechanism of rabies virus (RABV) infection is not fully understood, and there is no effective treatment for rabies. Identifying more host restriction factors of RABV will spur the development of novel therapeutic interventions against rabies. Accumulating studies suggest that tripartite motif-containing (TRIM) proteins have great effects on virus replication. TRIMs control the antiviral responses through either direct interaction with viral proteins or indirect regulation of innate immune signaling molecules in the host. The role of TRIM25 in rabies virus (RABV) infection is poorly understood. Using next-generation sequencing, we found that TRIM25 is upregulated during HEP-Flury infection. Knockdown of TRIM25 enhances HEP-Flury production, while overexpression of TRIM25 suppresses HEP-Flury replication. Knockdown of interferon α and interferon β weakens the anti-RABV response induced by TRIM25 overexpression, and potentiates RABV production. Furthermore, we found that TRIM25 regulates type-I interferon response by targeting retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) during HEP-Flury infection. Knockdown of RIG-I weakens the anti-HEP-Flury response induced by TRIM25 overexpression, indicating that TRIM25 regulates RABV production via the RIG-I-IFN axis. In addition, we observed that TRIM25 does not directly interact with HEP-Flury structural proteins, suggesting that TRIM25 regulates HEP-Flury production indirectly. Taken together, our work identifies TRIM25 as a new host factor involved in HEP-Flury infection, which may be a potential target for the development of antiviral drugs against RABV.

A Novel Prognostic Signature of comprising Nine NK Cell signatures Based on Both Bulk RNA Sequencing and Single-Cell RNA Sequencing for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has limited prognostic prediction due to its heterogeneity. Understanding the role of natural killer (NK) cells in HCC is vital for prognosis and immunotherapy guidance. We aimed to identify NK cell marker genes through scRNA-seq and develop a prognostic signature for HCC. Methods: We analyzed scRNA-seq data (GSE149614) from 10 patients and bulk RNA-seq data from 786 patients with clinicopathological information. NK cell marker genes were identified using clustering and marker finding functions. A predictive risk signature was constructed using LASSO-COX algorithm. Functional annotations and immune cell infiltration analysis were performed, and the nomogram's performance was evaluated. Results: We identified 79 NK cell marker genes associated with NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and immune response. The multigene signature significantly correlated with overall survival (OS) in TCGA-LIHC cohort and was validated in other cohorts. Low-risk patients exhibited higher immune cell infiltration, including CD8+ T cells. The risk signature was an independent prognostic factor for OS (HR > 1, p < 0.001). The nomogram combining the risk signature and clinical predictors demonstrated robust prognostic ability. Conclusion: We developed a nine-gene signature prognostic model based on NK cell marker genes to accurately assess the prognostic risk of HCC. This model can be a valuable tool for personalized evaluation post-surgery. Our study underscores the potential of NK cells in HCC prognosis and highlights the importance of scRNA-seq analysis in identifying prognostic markers.

Simultaneous Measurement of Muon Neutrino ν_{μ} Charged-Current Single π^{+} Production in CH, C, H_{2}O, Fe, and Pb Targets in MINERvA

Neutrino-induced charged-current single π^{+} production in the Δ(1232) resonance region is of considerable interest to accelerator-based neutrino oscillation experiments. In this Letter, high statistic differential cross sections are reported for the semiexclusive reaction ν_{μ}A→μ^{-}π^{+}+ nucleon(s) on scintillator, carbon, water, iron, and lead targets recorded by MINERvA using a wideband ν_{μ} beam with ⟨E_{ν}⟩≈6  GeV. Suppression of the cross section at low Q^{2} and enhancement of low T_{π} are observed in both light and heavy nuclear targets compared with phenomenological models used in current neutrino interaction generators. The cross sections per nucleon for iron and lead compared with CH across the kinematic variables probed are 0.8 and 0.5 respectively, a scaling which is also not predicted by current generators.