Pickering emulsion gel of polyunsaturated fatty acid-rich oils stabilized by zein-tannic acid green nanoparticles for storage and oxidation stability enhancement

HYPOTHESIS

Poor storage stability and oxidative deterioration are the common drawbacks of edible oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). We hypothesized that the natural zein/tannic acid self-assembly nanoparticles (ZT NPs) could be employed as stabilizers to anchor at the oil-water interface, thus constructing Pickering emulsion gel (PKEG) system for three types of PUFA-rich oils, soybean oil (SO), fish oil (FO) and cod liver oil (CLO), to improve the storage and oxidation stability.

EXPERIMENTS

ZT NPs were prepared by the anti-solvent coprecipitation method, and the three-phase contact angle, FT-IR, and XRD were mainly characterized. To observe the shell-core structure and oil-water interface details of SO/FO/CLO PKEGs by confocal laser scanning microscope and cryo-scanning electron microscope. Accelerated oxidation of FO was performed to assess the protective effect of PKEG on lipids.

FINDINGS

The SO, FO, and CLO PKEGs stabilized by 2 % ZT NPs, with oil fraction (φ = 0.5-0.6), were obtained. PKEGs show high viscoelasticity, clear shell-core structure spatial network structure, and ideal storage stability. Under accelerated oxidation, the degree of oxidative rancidity of FO PKEG was obviously lower than that of free FO. Overall, this work opens up new possibilities for using natural PKEG to prevent oxidative deterioration and prolong the shelf-life of PUFA-rich oils.

Revitalizing biopolymers to prepare temperature-resistant and salt-tolerant filtrate reducer by combining light-driven lignin depolymerization and subsequent photopolymerization on MIL-100(Fe)-NH2(20) photocatalyst

For the first time, this study integrate the light-driven depolymerization/activation of industrial grade sodium lignosulfonate and its subsequent photo-induced radical polymerization with acrylamide (AM) and 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS) into one-pot using MIL-100(Fe)-NH2(20) as a photocatalyst to synthesize fluid loss agent LSMP. Due to the significant hydrogen bonding effect, the agent owns excellent rheological and filtration properties. The filtrate volumes of drilling fluids containing 2.0 wt% agent before and after aging at 150 °C are only 3.6 and 4.6 mL, reducing by 85.0 % and 88.5 %, respectively, compared with pure fluids. Even at high temperatures and high salinity, LSMP still gives stunning performances with significant filtrate volumes decline of 96.58 % and 86.52 % under erosion of 25 wt% NaCl and 2.0 wt% CaCl2, separately. Meanwhile, the filtration reduction mechanism of LSMP is presented, and the probable photocatalytic mechanism is also explored: 1, under depolymerization process, the selective cleavage of ubiquitous C - O/C - C linkage bonds (β-O-4, β-5, α-O-4, β-β, 4-O-5, β-1, dibenzodioxocin, etc.) occur, accompanied by the aromatic rings intact; 2, with the action of photo-induced carriers generated on MIL-100(Fe)-NH2(20), absorbed photons are transformed into thermal energy and the radical polymerization of green synthesis are ultimately achieved.

Artificial superconducting Kondo lattice in a van der Waals heterostructure

Engineering Kondo lattice with tailored functionality is desirable for elucidating the heavy fermion physics. We realize the construction of an artificial Kondo lattice/superconductor heterojunction by growing monolayer VSe2 on bulk 2H-NbSe2 with molecular beam epitaxy. Spectroscopic imaging scanning tunneling microscopy measurements show the emergence of a new charge density wave (CDW) phase with3 × 3 periodicity on the monolayer VSe2. Unexpectedly, a pronounced Kondo resonance appears around the Fermi level, and distributes uniformly over the entire film, evidencing the formation of Kondo lattice. Density functional theory calculations suggest the existence of magnetic interstitial V atoms in VSe2/NbSe2, which play a key role in forming the CDW phase along with the Kondo lattice observed in VSe2. The Kondo origin is verified from both the magnetic field and temperature dependences of the resonance peak, yielding a Kondo temperature of ~ 44 K. Moreover, a superconducting proximity gap opens on monolayer VSe2, whose shape deviates from the function of one-band BCS superconductor, but is reproduced by model calculations with heavy electrons participating the pairing condensate. Our work lays the experimental foundation for studying interactions between the heavy fermion liquids and the superconducting condensate.

HyLight: Strain aware assembly of low coverage metagenomes

Different strains of identical species can vary substantially in terms of their spectrum of biomedically relevant phenotypes. Reconstructing the genomes of microbial communities at the level of their strains poses significant challenges, because sequencing errors can obscure strain-specific variants. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) reads are too short to resolve complex genomic regions. Third-generation sequencing (TGS) reads, although longer, are prone to higher error rates or substantially more expensive. Limiting TGS coverage to reduce costs compromises the accuracy of the assemblies. This explains why prior approaches agree on losses in strain awareness, accuracy, tendentially excessive costs, or combinations thereof. We introduce HyLight, a metagenome assembly approach that addresses these challenges by implementing the complementary strengths of TGS and NGS data. HyLight employs strain-resolved overlap graphs (OG) to accurately reconstruct individual strains within microbial communities. Our experiments demonstrate that HyLight produces strain-aware and contiguous assemblies at minimal error content, while significantly reducing costs because utilizing low-coverage TGS data. HyLight achieves an average improvement of 19.05% in preserving strain identity and demonstrates near-complete strain awareness across diverse datasets. In summary, HyLight offers considerable advances in metagenome assembly, insofar as it delivers significantly enhanced strain awareness, contiguity, and accuracy without the typical compromises observed in existing approaches.

Mussel-inspired adhesive drug-loaded hydrogels for oral ulcers treatment

Oral aphthous ulcers are common mucosal lesions that cause pain and discomfort. There are diverse biomaterials and drug treatments for oral ulcers used in both research and clinical settings. However, the complex oral environment often results in low adhesion and short drug retention times, which lead to poor drug availability and treatment outcomes. In this study, a mussel-inspired adhesive hydrogel was developed by grafting catechol onto hyaluronic acid (C-HA), and dopamine was added for oxidative pre-polymerization to form modified hyaluronic acid (M-HA), which remarkably increased the adhesion of the hydrogels. Then, M-HA was interpenetrated into the gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) network. Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) was then incorporated into the hydrogel to enhance its availability and therapeutic effect through its sustained-release capability. The GelMA/M-HA hydrogel demonstrated strong adhesion to wet tissues, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, and good biocompatibility. In both rat oral ulcers and infected wounds, the adhesive hydrogel significantly accelerated the healing of the ulcers and infected wounds. These results indicated that this adhesive hydrogel offers a promising new strategy for the treatment of oral ulcers in clinical practice. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Oral ulcers are a common and high-incidence mucosal condition that seriously affect people's daily lives, often making it difficult for patients to chew and speak. However, a dynamic oral environment with various types of bacteria influences drug availability and treatment effects in clinical settings. To address this challenge, an adhesive, mussel-inspired, drug-loaded hydrogel was constructed using natural macromolecules (hyaluronic acid and gelatin) with good biocompatibility. Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG), with its broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, has been incorporated to synergistically promote oral ulcer healing. The splendid adhesion, antibacterial, and therapeutic effects of this hydrogel demonstrated a new strategy for treating oral ulcers.

Hybrid recognition-enabled ratiometric electrochemical sensing of Staphylococcus aureus via in-situ growth of MOF/Ti3C2Tx-MXene and a self-reporting bacterial imprinted polymer

Rapid and effective analysis of foodborne bacteria is crucial for preventing and controlling bacterial infections. Here, we present the synthesis of a self-reporting molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) as an inner reference probe (IR), and the in-situ growth of metal-organic frameworks on transition metal carbon nitrides (MOF/Ti3C2TX-MXene) as a signaling nanoprobe (SP). These advancements are then applied in a ratiometric electrochemical bioassay for Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) using a hybrid recognition mechanism. When S. aureus is present, the aptamer-integrated MIP (MIP@Apt) efficiently captures it, followed by binding with SP to form a sandwich structure. This leads to decreased current response of IR (IIR) and increased current intensity of SP (Isp), enabling quantification through utilization of the ISP to IIR ratio. The biosensor shows a wide detection range (10-108 CFU mL-1) and low detection limit of 1.2 CFU mL-1. Its feasibility for testing complex samples indicates the potential application in food analysis.

The preliminary study of the effects of individual musculoskeletally stable position in the treatment of temporomandibular disorders

BACKGROUND

Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) is the dysfunction of group of muscles and bones in the joint area, the main symptoms of TMD are the pain of the chewing muscles and (or) the temporomandibular joints, mandibular movement disorders and joint noise. This study was designed to explore the therapeutic effects following Individual Musculoskeletally Stable (IMS) position stabilization splint therapy for TMD patients using Fricton index, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and surface-Electromyogram (sEMG).

METHODS

In this study, we enrolled 31 TMD patients (ranging from 18 to 26 years old, including 7 males and 24 females), first Fricton index was used to evaluate the clinical curative effect of TMD with the treatment of IMS stabilization splint; then CBCT was used to observe the TMJ condylar position changes of TMD before and after the treatment of IMS stabilization splint; finally sEMG was used to observe the changes of electromyography of anterior temporalis (AT) and masseter muscles (MM) of TMD before and after the treatment of IMS stabilization splint.

RESULTS

The course of treatment was 6-8 months, with an average of 7.6 months. After the IMS stabilization splint treatment, TMD symptoms relieved, especially in pain, mandibular movement disorder, but still slightly inferior in the treatment of joint noise. And there was a statistically significant difference in the anterior and inner joint space, the condyle had the tendency of moving forward and outward. AT presented reduction significantly of EMG value at rest position after treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

IMS stabilization splint is a therapeutic reversible treatment for TMD, especially for pain and mandibular movement disorder; it produces effects of forward and outward condylar movement and elimination of the masticatory muscles antagonism.

In-vitro blood purification using tiny pinch holographic optical tweezers based on deep learning

In-vitro blood purification is essential to a wide range of medical treatments, requiring fine-grained analysis and precise separation of blood components. Despite existing methods that can extract specific components from blood by size or by magnetism, there is not yet a general approach to efficiently filter blood components on demand. In this work, we introduce the first programmable non-contact blood purification system for accurate blood component detection and extraction. To accurately identify different cells and artificial particles in the blood, we collected and annotated a new blood component object detection dataset and trained a collection of deep-learning-based object detectors upon it. To precisely capture and extract desired blood components, we fabricated a microfluidic chip and set up a customized holographic optical tweezer to trap and move cells/particles in the blood. Empirically, we demonstrate that our proposed system can perform real-time blood fractionation with high precision reaching up to 96.89%, as well as high efficiency. Its scalability and flexibility open new research directions in blood treatment.

Ammonia-induced lysosomal and mitochondrial damage causes cell death of effector CD8+ T cells

Ammonia is thought to be a cytotoxin and its increase in the blood impairs cell function. However, whether and how this toxin triggers cell death under pathophysiological conditions remains unclear. Here we show that ammonia induces a distinct form of cell death in effector T cells. We found that rapidly proliferating T cells use glutaminolysis to release ammonia in the mitochondria, which is then translocated to and stored in the lysosomes. Excessive ammonia accumulation increases lysosomal pH and results in the termination of lysosomal ammonia storage and ammonia reflux into mitochondria, leading to mitochondrial damage and cell death, which is characterized by lysosomal alkalization, mitochondrial swelling and impaired autophagic flux. Inhibition of glutaminolysis or blocking lysosomal alkalization prevents ammonia-induced T cell death and improves T cell-based antitumour immunotherapy. These findings identify a distinct form of cell death that differs from previously known mechanisms.

Development of Neural Cells and Spontaneous Neural Activities in Engineered Brain-Like Constructs for Transplantation

Stem cell transplantation has demonstrated efficacy in treating neurological disorders by generating functional cells and secreting beneficial factors. However, challenges remain for current cell suspension injection therapy, including uncontrollable cell distribution, the potential for tumor formation, and limited ability to treat spatial defects. Therefore, implants with programmable cell development, tailored 3D structure, and functionalized biomaterials have the potential to both control cell distribution and reduce or heal spatial defects. Here, a biomimetic material system comprising gelatin, alginate, and fibrinogen has been developed for neural progenitor cell constructs using 3D printing. The resulting constructs exhibit excellent formability, stability, and developmental functions in vitro, as well as biocompatibility and integration into the hippocampus in vivo. The controllability, reproducibility, and material composition of the constructs show potential for use in personalized stem cell-based therapies for defective neurological disorders, neural development research, disease modeling, and organoid-derived intelligent systems.

Predictive model for postoperative unrecovered olfactory function in CRSwNP patients with olfactory disorder

BACKGROUND

Olfactory disorder (OD) is a prevalent and challenging symptom in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). This study aims to investigate the risk factors and develop a predictive model for poor olfactory prognosis in CRSwNP patients with OD after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS).

METHOD

Seventy-eight CRSwNP patients with OD who underwent ESS were enrolled. Preoperative and 6-month-postoperative olfactory function were assessed using Sniffin' Sticks. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves were constructed to set the cutoff points. Risk factors were determined by logistic models. A power analysis was conducted to evaluate the sample size.

RESULTS

Overall, 66.7% of CRSwNP patients had unrecovered olfaction after surgery. Patients with unrecovered olfaction displayed higher preoperative threshold-discrimination-identification (TDI) score, lower Questionnaire for Olfactory Disorders-Negative Statements (QOD-NS) score, lower total olfactory cleft score (TOCS), and fewer tissue eosinophils than those of the improved/recovered group. QOD-NS≤5.0, preoperative TOCS≤4.5 and tissue eosinophil count≤8.3 were independent risk factors for unrecovered olfaction. Based on these variables, a predictive model was developed. The area under the ROC curve for the model was 0.845, and the optimal cutoff value was 2.0 points, with a sensitivity of 82.7% and specificity of 80.8%.

CONCLUSIONS

Low levels of QOD-NS score (preoperative), TOCS (preoperative) and tissue eosinophil count are independent risk factors for short-term unrecovered olfaction in CRS patients with OD postoperatively. The predictive model developed here is practical and convenient for the early identification of poor prognosis of OD, enabling early additional intervention.

Dyadic social interaction paradigm reveals selective role of ovarian estrogen in the caring behavior and socially transferred pain in female mice

When a naïve observer meets with a familiar conspecific in pain, mice may have a myriad of social (sniffing, allolicking, allogrooming, huddling) and non-social (self-grooming) behaviors under dyadic social interaction (DSI) paradigm. Unlike male, female observers express more allolicking behavior toward injury site of a familiar female in pain, but with less body allogrooming. In current study, we investigated roles of natural estrus cycle phases and ovarian estrogen in these behaviors and results showed that: (1) there was no changes in above behaviors in terms of latency, time and bouts across different natural estrus cycle phases in intact female. (2) however, ovariectomy (OVX) changed estrus cycle phases, lowered circulating level of ovarian estrogen, reduced time and bouts of allolicking behavior and increased time of self-grooming without affecting other behaviors. Moreover, OVX in observers decreased social buffering effect of DSI on spontaneous pain-related behavior in demonstrator relative to naïve and sham controls. (3) treatment of OVX-female with β-estradiol (E2) or progesterone (PROG) as replacement therapies, only E2 reversed impairment of allolicking behavior. (4) Additionally, socially transferred pain could be identified in intact female across all estrus cycle phases post-DSI, but disappeared in OVX-female, which could be reversed completely by E2 but not by PROG. (5) Finally, serum levels of estrogen, PROG, oxytocin, arginine vasopressin (AVP), prolactin, norepinephrine and 5-HT were examined by ELISA after E2, results showed only AVP level was significantly increased. These results suggest both injury site-targeted caring behavior and socially transferred pain are selectively dependent on ovarian estrogen.

Molecular Engineering of Metal-Organic Frameworks for Boosting Photocatalytic Hydrogen Peroxide Production

The development of novel metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as efficient photocatalysts for hydrogen peroxide production from water and oxygen is particularly interesting, yet remains a challenge. Herein, we have prepared four cyclic trinuclear units (CTUs) based MOFs, exhibiting good light absorption ability and suitable band gaps for photosynthesis of H2O2. However, Cu-CTU-based MOFs are not able to photocatalyzed the formation of H2O2, while the alteration of metal nodes from Cu-CTU to Ag-CTU dramatically enhances the photocatalytic performance for H2O2 production and the production rates can reach as high as 17476 μmol g-1 h-1 with an apparent quantum yield of 4.72 %, at 420 nm, which is much higher than most reported MOFs. The photocatalytic mechanism is comprehensively studied by combining the isotope labeling experiments and DFT calculation. This study provides new insights into the preparation of MOF photocatalysts with high activity for H2O2 production through molecular engineering.

[Application of modified Z-shaped cosmetic incision in parotid benign tumor resection]

Objective:To explore the safety and aesthetic effect of modified Z-shaped cosmetic incision in parotid benign tumor resection. Methods:A prospective study was conducted. A total of 44 patients with benign parotid tumor resection were randomly divided into experimental group（n=22） and control group（n=22）. The experimental group underwent modified Z-shaped cosmetic incision, while the control group underwent the traditional S-shaped incision. The surgical duration, hospital stay, complications and maxillofacial aesthetics were compared between the two groups. Results:There was no significant difference in gender, age, surgical method, pathological type between the experimental group and the control group（P>0.05）. The maxillofacial aesthetics and surgical duration of the two groups was statistically significant（P<0.05）, while there was no statistically significant difference in terms of hospitalization days, surgical complications and Vancouver scar scale score （P>0.05）. Conclusion:The modified Z-shaped cosmetic incision has a better effect on improving the maxillofacial aesthetics after benign parotid tumor resection, and compared with the traditional S-shaped incision, the safety is consistent, so it is worthy of clinical promotion and application.

In-situ forming carboxymethyl chitosan hydrogel containing Paeonia suffruticosa Andr. leaf extract for mixed infectious vaginitis treatment by reshaping the micro-biota

Mixed infectious vaginitis poses a serious threat to female reproductive health due to complex pathogenic factors, a long course and easy recurrence. Currently, antibiotic-based treatment methods are facing a crisis of drug resistance and secondary dysbiosis. Exploring effective drugs for the treatment of mixed vaginitis from Paeonia suffruticosa Andr., a natural traditional Chinese medicine with a long history of medicinal use, is a feasible treatment strategy. P. suffruticosa Andr. leaf extract (PLE) has significant anti-bacterial effects due to its rich content of polyphenols and flavonoids. The polyphenols in peony leaves have the potential to make carboxymethyl chitosan form in situ gel. In the current study, PLE and carboxymethyl chitosan were combined to develop another type of natural anti-bacterial anti-oxidant hydrogel for the treatment of mixed infectious vaginitis. Through a series of characterisations, CP had a three-dimensional network porous structure with good mechanical properties, high water absorption, long retention and a slow-release drug effect. The mixed infectious vaginitis mouse model induced by a mixture of pathogenic bacteria was used to investigate the therapeutic effects of CP in vivo. The appearance of the vagina, H&E colouring of the tissue and inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-6) confirm the good anti-vaginal effect of CP. Therefore, CP was expected to become an ideal effective strategy to improve mixed infection vaginitis due to its excellent hydrogel performance and remarkable ability to regulate flora.

Development and validation of a perivascular space segmentation method in multi-center datasets

BACKGROUND

Perivascular spaces (PVS) visible on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are significant markers associated with various neurological diseases. Although quantitative analysis of PVS may enhance sensitivity and improve consistency across studies, the field lacks a universally validated method for analyzing images from multi-center studies.

METHODS

We annotated PVS on multi-center 3D T1-weighted (T1w) images acquired using scanners from three major vendors (Siemens, General Electric, and Philips). A neural network, mcPVS-Net (multi-center PVS segmentation network), was trained using data from 40 subjects and then tested in a separate cohort of 15 subjects. We assessed segmentation accuracy against ground truth masks tailored for each scanner vendor. Additionally, we evaluated the agreement between segmented PVS volumes and visual scores for each scanner. We also explored correlations between PVS volumes and various clinical factors such as age, hypertension, and white matter hyperintensities (WMH) in a larger sample of 1020 subjects. Furthermore, mcPVS-Net was applied to a new dataset comprising both T1w and T2-weighted (T2w) images from a United Imaging scanner to investigate if PVS volumes could discriminate between subjects with differing visual scores. We also compared the mcPVS-Net with a previously published method that segments PVS from T1 images.

RESULTS

In the test dataset, mcPVS-Net achieved a mean DICE coefficient of 0.80, with an average Precision of 0.81 and Recall of 0.79, indicating good specificity and sensitivity. The segmented PVS volumes were significantly associated with visual scores in both the basal ganglia (r = 0.541, p < 0.001) and white matter regions (r = 0.706, p < 0.001), and PVS volumes were significantly different among subjects with varying visual scores. Segmentation performance was consistent across different scanner vendors. PVS volumes exhibited significant associations with age, hypertension, and WMH. In the United Imaging scanner dataset, PVS volumes showed good associations with PVS visual scores evaluated on either T1w or T2w images. Compared to a previously published method, mcPVS-Net showed a higher accuracy and improved PVS segmentation in the basal ganglia region.

CONCLUSION

The mcPVS-Net demonstrated good accuracy for segmenting PVS from 3D T1w images. It may serve as a useful tool for future PVS research.

Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone contributes to an anti-inflammatory response to lipopolysaccharide

OBJECTIVE

During infection, metabolism and immunity react dynamically to promote survival through mechanisms that remain unclear. Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) cleavage products are produced and released in the brain and in the pituitary gland. One POMC cleavage product, alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH), is known to regulate food intake and energy expenditure and has anti-inflammatory effects. However, it is not known whether α-MSH is required to regulate physiological anti-inflammatory responses. We recently developed a novel mouse model with a targeted mutation in Pomc (Pomctm1/tm1 mice) to block production of all α-MSH forms which are required to regulate metabolism. To test whether endogenous α-MSH is required to regulate immune responses, we compared acute bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation between Pomctm1/tm1 and wild-type Pomcwt/wt mice.

METHODS

We challenged 10- to 14-week-old male Pomctm1/tm1 and Pomcwt/wt mice with single i.p. injections of either saline or low-dose LPS (100 μg/kg) and monitored immune and metabolic responses. We used telemetry to measure core body temperature (Tb), ELISA to measure circulating cytokines, corticosterone and α-MSH, and metabolic chambers to measure body weight, food intake, activity, and respiration. We also developed a mass spectrometry method to measure three forms of α-MSH produced in the mouse hypothalamus and pituitary gland.

RESULTS

LPS induced an exaggerated immune response in Pomctm1/tm1 compared to Pomcwt/wt mice. Both groups of mice were hypoactive and hypothermic following LPS administration, but Pomctm1/tm1 mice were significantly more hypothermic compared to control mice injected with LPS. Pomctm1/tm1 mice also had reduced oxygen consumption and impaired metabolic responses to LPS compared to controls. Pomctm1/tm1 mice had increased levels of key proinflammatory cytokines at 2 h and 4 h post LPS injection compared to Pomcwt/wt mice. Lastly, Pomcwt/wt mice injected with LPS compared to saline had increased total α-MSH in circulation 2 h post injection.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data indicate endogenous α-MSH contributes to the inflammatory immune responses triggered by low-dose LPS administration and suggest that targeting the melanocortin system could be a potential therapeutic for the treatment of sepsis or inflammatory disease.

Astragali radix (Huangqi): a time-honored nourishing herbal medicine

Astragali radix (AR, namded Huangqi in Chinese) is the dried root of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. var. mongholicus (Bge.) Hsiao or Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. As a widely used ethnomedicine, the biological activities of AR include immunomodulatory, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-oxidant, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-tumor, cardioprotective, and anti-diabetic effects, with minimum side effects. Currently, it is known that polysaccharides, saponins, and flavonoids are the indispensable components of AR. In this review, we will elaborate the research advancements of AR on ethnobotany, ethnopharmacological practices, phytochemicals, pharmacological activities, clinical uses, quality control, production developments, and toxicology. The information is expected to assist clinicians and scientists in developing useful therapeutic medicines with minimal systemic side effects.

Association between calcification and risk stratification in gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors

BACKGROUND

Risk assessment of gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), particularly those with a diameter ≤ 5 cm, remains a clinical challenge. Previous research has primarily focused on tumor size, ulceration, necrosis, and enhancement patterns, with less emphasis on the role of tumor calcification, which remains controversial regarding its correlation with malignancy risk.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to explore the characteristics of calcification in gastric GISTs and its correlation with risk stratification as defined by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to improve preoperative risk assessment for gastric GISTs ≤ 5 cm.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of 385 pathologically confirmed gastric GIST patients, including 178 with small gastric GISTs (< 2 cm), was conducted. Tumors were categorized into low-risk (very low / low) and high-risk (intermediate / high) groups based on NIH criteria. Variables such as age, gender, tumor long-axis diameter, calcification rates, calcification size, the number and distribution of calcification, calcification to tumor long-axis diameter ratio were analyzed. Logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of malignancy for gastric GISTs, with predictive values assessed via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

RESULTS

Significant differences were found between high-risk and low-risk groups in treatment methods, tumor long-axis diameter, the ratio of calcification to tumor long-axis, and calcification distribution (P < 0.05). Calcification rates varied across risk categories, with 23.6% in very low-risk, 31.6% in low-risk, 9.8% in intermediate-risk, and 31.7% in high-risk categories (P < 0.05). In GISTs ≤ 5 cm, both tumor long-axis diameter (OR = 3.07, 95% CI: 2.29-4.10) and calcification (OR = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.13-0.97) were independent predictors of malignancy risk (both P < 0.05). ROC curve analysis yielded areas of 0.849 for tumor long-axis diameter, 0.578 for calcification, and 0.862 for their combination.

CONCLUSION

The study indicates lower calcification rates in intermediate-risk gastric GISTs and higher rates in other risk categories. Additionally, tumors of different sizes exhibit two distinct calcification patterns, suggesting possible differing mechanisms of calcification in tumors. Calcification in gastric GISTs ≤ 5 cm acts as a protective factor against higher malignancy risk, and when combined with tumor long-axis diameter, significantly enhances predictive accuracy over long-axis diameter alone.

Reducing language barriers, promoting information absorption, and communication using fanyi

ABSTRACT

Interpreting genes of interest is essential for identifying molecular mechanisms, but acquiring such information typically involves tedious manual retrieval. To streamline this process, the fanyi package offers tools to retrieve gene information from sources like National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), significantly enhancing accessibility. Additionally, understanding the latest research advancements and sharing achievements are crucial for junior researchers. However, language barriers often restrict knowledge absorption and career development. To address these challenges, we developed the fanyi package, which leverages artificial intelligence (AI)-driven online translation services to accurately translate among multiple languages. This dual functionality allows researchers to quickly capture and comprehend information, promotes a multilingual environment, and fosters innovation in academic community. Meanwhile, the translation functions are versatile and applicable beyond biomedicine research to other domains as well. The fanyi package is freely available at https://github.com/YuLab-SMU/fanyi .

[Exploring potential serum metabolite markers of intrahepatic cholestasis based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry metabolomics technology]

Objective: To analyze the blood differential metabolites of patients with intrahepatic cholestasis (IHC) by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry metabolomics technology so as to find potential metabolic target. Method: Serum samples were collected from thirty patients with intrahepatic cholestasis and thirty healthy individuals after metabolomics analysis. The differential metabolites were initially screened based on the multiple differences and significance. KEGG enrichment analysis was performed on the differential metabolites to determine the candidate targets. The potential clinical application value of these characteristic metabolites was analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic curve. Result: A total of thirty patients with intrahepatic cholestasis and thirty healthy adults were included. The age difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (P>0.05). The clinical condition was consistent with the statistically significant differences in liver biochemical indicators, blood routine, coagulation, and inflammatory indicators between the two groups (P<0.05). Furthermore, a blood metabolomics screening analysis revealed 99 differentially expressed metabolites associated with intrahepatic cholestasis. Of these, 15 showed statistically significant differences. Glucose, lipid, and energy metabolisms were the various primary types of differential metabolites involved. The receiver operating characteristic curve>0.9 included the following twelve kinds of metabolites: 1H-indole-3-carboxaldehyde, 6-hydroxy-1H-indole-3-acetamide, phenylalanyl tryptophan, 1-methylguanosine, 2-ethoxy-5-methylpyrazine, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 5-(2-chlorophenyl)-3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrrole, methylthioadenosine, alanylisoleucine, anabsinthin, N-acetyl-DL-histidine monohydrate, N-methylnicotinamide, and others. The fifteen metabolites that were previously identified and calculated according to the differential quantitative value of the metabolite corresponding ratio exhibited fold-changes in the upregulated and downregulated potential biomarkers (phenylalanine tryptophan, phenylalanine, 5'-methylthioadenosine, anabsinthin, and N-methylnicotinamide) in combination with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve>0.9. Conclusion: Phenylalanyl tryptophan, phenylalanylalanine, 5'-methylthioadenosine, anabsinthin, and N-methylnicotinamide may serve as potential metabolic markers to distinguish patients with cholestasis from healthy controls. N-methylnicotinamide, among them, is of great importance as a potential marker.

Assessing the Effectiveness of Automatic Speech Recognition Technology in Emergency Medicine Settings: A Comparative Study of Four AI-powered Engines

Purpose Cutting-edge automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology holds significant promise in transcribing and recognizing medical information during patient encounters, thereby enabling automatic and real-time clinical documentation, which could significantly alleviate care clinicians' burdens. Nevertheless, the performance of current-generation ASR technology in analyzing conversations in noisy and dynamic medical settings, such as prehospital or Emergency Medical Services (EMS), lacks sufficient validation. This study explores the current technological limitations and future potential of deploying ASR technology for clinical documentation in fast-paced and noisy medical settings such as EMS. Methods In this study, we evaluated four ASR engines, including Google Speech-to-Text Clinical Conversation, OpenAI Speech-to-Text, Amazon Transcribe Medical, and Azure Speech-to-Text engine. The empirical data used for evaluation were 40 EMS simulation recordings. The transcribed texts were analyzed for accuracy against 23 Electronic Health Records (EHR) categories of EMS. The common types of errors in transcription were also analyzed. Results Among all four ASR engines, Google Speech-to-Text Clinical Conversation performed the best. Among all EHR categories, better performance was observed in categories "mental state" (F1 = 1.0), "allergies" (F1 = 0.917), "past medical history" (F1 = 0.804), "electrolytes" (F1 = 1.0), and "blood glucose level" (F1 = 0.813). However, all four ASR engines demonstrated low performance in transcribing certain critical categories, such as "treatment" (F1 = 0.650) and "medication" (F1 = 0.577). Conclusion Current ASR solutions fall short in fully automating the clinical documentation in EMS setting. Our findings highlight the need for further improvement and development of automated clinical documentation technology to improve recognition accuracy in time-critical and dynamic medical settings.

Doping bilayer hole-transport polymer strategy stabilizing solution-processed green quantum-dot light-emitting diodes

Quantum-dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs) are solution-processed electroluminescence devices with great potential as energy-saving, large-area, and low-cost display and lighting technologies. Ideally, the organic hole-transport layers (HTLs) in QLEDs should simultaneously deliver efficient hole injection and transport, effective electron blocking, and robust electrochemical stability. However, it is still challenging for a single HTL to fulfill all these stringent criteria. Here, we demonstrate a general design of doping-bilayer polymer-HTL architecture for stabilizing high-efficiency QLEDs. We show that the bilayer HTLs combining the electrochemical-stable polymer and the electron-blocking polymer unexpectedly increase the hole injection barrier. We mitigated the problem by p-doping of the underlying sublayer of the bilayer HTLs. Consequently, green QLEDs with an unprecedented maximum luminance of 1,340,000 cd m-2 and a record-long operational lifetime (T95 lifetime at an initial luminance of 1000 cd m-2 is 17,700 hours) were achieved. The universality of the strategy is examined in various polymer-HTL systems, providing a general route toward high-performance solution-processed QLEDs.