Comparison of ICG-Guided Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging and Modified Inflation-Deflation Method in Identifying the Intersegmental Plane During Lung Segmentectomy of Infants

BACKGROUND

The identification of the intersegmental plane (ISP) is a crucial step in segmentectomy for children with congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) due to complex anatomical variations. However, there is very limited literature available on this aspect specifically for infant. In this study, we compared the intravenous indocyanine green (ICG)-guided near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging method with the modified inflation-deflation method in terms of their perioperative characteristics and summarized our experience.

METHODS

From June 2021 to November 2022, the data of 83 patients with CPAM who underwent segmentectomy by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery were retrospectively reviewed. Twenty-eight patients underwent ICG-guided NIRF method, and 56 patients underwent the modified inflation-deflation method, characteristics and clinical outcomes were compared.

RESULTS

The median age of the patients was 4.99 months (4.99 ± 1.51) with a mean body weight of 7.54 kg (7.54 ± 1.99). Both methods could accurately identify the ISP. The time taken to clearly display the ISP was shorter in ICG group than in the modified inflation-deflation group (0.18 ± 0.08 vs. 6.49 ± 1.67 min; P < 0.001), and the surgical duration (61.32 ± 14.28 vs. 88.18 ± 8.03 min; P < 0.001) were significantly shorter in the ICG group too. The two groups exhibited differences in the length of chest tube drainage (1.75 ± 1.24 vs. 2.36 ± 1.54 days; P = 0.072) and the length of hospital stay (4.61 ± 1.75 vs. 5.20 ± 3.07 days; P = 0.078), however, the differences were not statistically significant. There were no significant differences between the two groups in the blood lost and postoperative complications. At a follow-up of more than 1 year after operation, all patients had recovered well without recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

According to our experience, the ICG-guided NIRF method was safe and feasible for infants during thoracoscopic segmentectomy, it can quickly display the ISP and shorten the surgical duration compared with the modified inflation-deflation method.

Association of cerebral palsy with autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children: a large-scale nationwide population-based study

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association of cerebral palsy with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), providing evidence for interdisciplinary medical service for children with cerebral palsy.

DESIGN

A large-scale nationwide population-based study.

SETTING

The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).

PATIENTS

177 899 children aged 3-17 years among NHIS participants from 1997 to 2003 and 2008 to 2018.

RESULTS

Among the 177 899 children included in this analysis, 602 (0.33%) had cerebral palsy, 1997 (1.16%) had ASD, and 13 697 (7.91%) had ADHD. Compared with children without cerebral palsy, children with cerebral palsy had a higher prevalence of ASD (6.09% vs 1.15%; p<0.001) and ADHD (15.91% vs 7.89%; p<0.001). After adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, family highest education level, family income level and geographical region, the OR among children with cerebral palsy, compared with children without cerebral palsy, was 5.07 (95% CI 3.25 to 7.91) for ASD (p<0.001) and 1.95 (95% CI 1.43 to 2.66) for ADHD (p<0.001). Furthermore, the association of cerebral palsy with ASD and ADHD remained significant in all subgroups stratified by age, sex and race.

CONCLUSION

In a large, nationally representative sample of US children, this study shows that children with cerebral palsy are at an increased risk of ASD and ADHD.

Predictably manipulating photoreceptor light responses to reveal their role in downstream visual responses

Computation in neural circuits relies on judicious use of nonlinear circuit components. In many cases, multiple nonlinear components work collectively to control circuit outputs. Separating the contributions of these different components is difficult, and this hampers our understanding of the mechanistic basis of many important computations. Here, we introduce a tool that permits the design of light stimuli that predictably alter rod and cone phototransduction currents - including stimuli that compensate for nonlinear properties such as light adaptation. This tool, based on well-established models for the rod and cone phototransduction cascade, permits the separation of nonlinearities in phototransduction from those in downstream circuits. This will allow, for example, direct tests of how adaptation in rod and cone phototransduction affects downstream visual signals and perception.

Comparison of the efficacy and tolerability of different repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation modalities for post-stroke dysphagia: a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis protocol

INTRODUCTION

Up to 78% of patients who had a stroke develop post-stroke dysphagia (PSD), a significant consequence. Life-threatening aspiration pneumonia, starvation, and water and electrolyte abnormalities can result. Several meta-analyses have shown that repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) improves swallowing in patients who had a stroke; however, the optimum model is unknown. This study will be the first Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) to determine the best rTMS modalities for swallowing of patients who had a stroke.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Google Scholar, Cochrane, the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Chongqing VIP Database and WanFang Data will be searched from their creation to 2 September 2023. All randomised controlled trials associated with rTMS for PSD will be included. Only Chinese or English results will be studied. Two researchers will independently review the literature and extract data, then use the Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias 2.0 tool to assess the included studies' methodological quality. The primary outcome is swallowing function improvement, whereas secondary outcomes include side effects (eg, paraesthesia, vertigo, seizures) and quality of life. A pairwise meta-analysis and NMA based on a Bayesian framework will be conducted using Stata and R statistical software. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system will assess outcome indicator evidence quality.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

As all data in this study will be taken from the literature, ethical approval is not needed. We will publish our work in peer-reviewed publications and present it at academic conferences.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42023456386.

Diverse Data Generation for Retinal Layer Segmentation with Potential Structure Modelling

Accurate retinal layer segmentation on optical coherence tomography (OCT) images is hampered by the challenges of collecting OCT images with diverse pathological characterization and balanced distribution. Current generative models can produce high-realistic images and corresponding labels without quantitative limitations by fitting distributions of real collected data. Nevertheless, the diversity of their generated data is still limited due to the inherent imbalance of training data. To address these issues, we propose an image-label pair generation framework that generates diverse and balanced potential data from imbalanced real samples. Specifically, the framework first generates diverse layer masks, and then generates plausible OCT images corresponding to these layer masks using two customized diffusion probabilistic models respectively. To learn from imbalanced data and facilitate balanced generation, we introduce pathological-related conditions to guide the generation processes. To enhance the diversity of the generated image-label pairs, we propose a potential structure modeling technique that transfers the knowledge of diverse sub-structures from lowly- or non-pathological samples to highly pathological samples. We conducted extensive experiments on two public datasets for retinal layer segmentation. Firstly, our method generates OCT images with higher image quality and diversity compared to other generative methods. Furthermore, based on the extensive training with the generated OCT images, downstream retinal layer segmentation tasks demonstrate improved results. The code is publicly available at: https://github.com/nicetomeetu21/GenPSM.

Small-molecule α-lipoic acid targets ELK1 to balance human neutrophil and erythrocyte differentiation

BACKGROUND

Erythroid and myeloid differentiation disorders are commonly occurred in leukemia. Given that the relationship between erythroid and myeloid lineages is still unclear. To find the co-regulators in erythroid and myeloid differentiation might help to find new target for therapy of myeloid leukemia. In hematopoiesis, ALA (alpha lipoic acid) is reported to inhibit neutrophil lineage determination by targeting transcription factor ELK1 in granulocyte-monocyte progenitors via splicing factor SF3B1. However, further exploration is needed to determine whether ELK1 is a common regulatory factor for erythroid and myeloid differentiation.

METHODS

In vitro culture of isolated CD34+, CMPs (common myeloid progenitors) and CD34+ CD371- HSPCs (hematopoietic stem progenitor cells) were performed to assay the differentiation potential of monocytes, neutrophils, and erythrocytes. Overexpression lentivirus of long isoform (L-ELK1) or the short isoform (S-ELK1) of ELK1 transduced CD34+ HSPCs were transplanted into NSG mice to assay the human lymphocyte and myeloid differentiation differences 3 months after transplantation. Knocking down of SRSF11, which was high expressed in CD371+GMPs (granulocyte-monocyte progenitors), upregulated by ALA and binding to ELK1-RNA splicing site, was performed to analyze the function in erythroid differentiation derived from CD34+ CD123mid CD38+ CD371- HPCs (hematopoietic progenitor cells). RNA sequencing of L-ELK1 and S-ELK1 overexpressed CD34+ CD123mid CD38+ CD371- HPCs were performed to assay the signals changed by ELK1.

RESULTS

Here, we presented new evidence that ALA promoted erythroid differentiation by targeting the transcription factor ELK1 in CD34+ CD371- hematopoietic stem progenitor cells (HSPCs). Overexpression of either the long isoform (L-ELK1) or the short isoform (S-ELK1) of ELK1 inhibited erythroid-cell differentiation, but knockdown of ELK1 did not affect erythroid-cell differentiation. RNAseq analysis of CD34+ CD123mid CD38+ CD371- HPCs showed that L-ELK1 upregulated the expression of genes related to neutrophil activity, phosphorylation, and hypoxia signals, while S-ELK1 mainly regulated hypoxia-related signals. However, most of the genes that were upregulated by L-ELK1 were only moderately upregulated by S-ELK1, which might be due to a lack of serum response factor interaction and regulation domains in S-ELK1 compared to L-ELK1. In summary, the differentiation of neutrophils and erythrocytes might need to rely on the dose of L-ELK1 and S-ELK1 to achieve precise regulation via RNA splicing signals at early lineage commitment.

CONCLUSIONS

ALA and ELK1 are found to regulate both human granulopoiesis and erythropoiesis via RNA spliceosome, and ALA-ELK1 signal might be the target of human leukemia therapy.

Can we redevelop ammonia nitrogen contaminated sites without remediation? The key role of subsurface pH in human health risk assessment

Nitrogen fertilizer supports global food production, but its manufacturing results in substantial ammonia nitrogen (AN) contaminated sites which remain largely unexplored. In this study, ten representative AN contaminated sites were investigated, covering a wide range of subsurface pH, temperature, and AN concentration. A total of 7232 soil samples and 392 groundwater samples were collected to determine the concentration levels, migration patterns, and accurate health risks of AN. The results indicated that AN concentrations in soil and groundwater reached 12700 mg/kg and 12600 mg/L, respectively. AN concentrations were higher in production areas than in non-production areas, and tended to migrate downward from surface to deeper soil. Conventional risk assessment based on AN concentration identified seven out of the ten sites presenting unacceptable risks, with remediation costs and CO2 emissions amounting to $1.67 million and 17553.7 tons, respectively. A novel risk assessment model was developed, which calculated risks based on multiplying AN concentration by a coefficient fNH3 (the ratio of NH3 to AN concentration). The mean fNH3 values, primarily affected by subsurface pH, varied between 0.02 and 0.25 across the ten sites. This new model suggested all investigated sites posed acceptable health risks related to AN exposure, leading to their redevelopment without AN-specific remediation. This research offers a thorough insight into AN contaminated site, holds great realistic significance in alleviating global economic and climate pressures, and highlights the need for future research on refined health risk assessments for more contaminants.

Why do Chinese Youth Seek Cancer Risk Information Online? Evidence from Four Cities

This study, inspired by the Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model, examines the mechanisms by which perceived hazard characteristics and the informational subjective norms of Chinese youth, aged from 14 to 44 years old, become associated with their intentions to seek cancer risk information online. A sample of 684 Chinese youths was collected from four cities in Mainland China with results revealing that perceived hazard characteristics and informational subjective norms motivate their online cancer risk information seeking intentions. Specifically, perceived probability, perceived severity, and institutional trust are positively related to negative affect, however the relationship between personal control and negative affect is not significant. Institutional trust and personal control are positively related to positive affect while perceived probability and perceived severity have no significant effect on positive affect. Negative affect and informational subjective norms are positively related to perceived information insufficiency, while the relationship between positive affect and perceived information insufficiency is not significant. Negative affect, positive affect, informational subjective norms, and perceived information insufficiency are all positively related to the online cancer risk information seeking intentions of Chinese youth.

Stereo-complex polylactide composite aerogel for crude oil adsorption

Adsorption materials are a cost-effective and simple method for oil spill remediation, but their efficiency is limited by high crude oil viscosity. Additionally, non-degradable materials pose another risk of secondary pollution, such as microplastic debris. Here, an environmentally-friendly stereo-complex polylactide composite (SCC) aerogel were developed via water-assisted thermally induced phase separation. The SCC with 3 wt% carbon nanotubes had a hierarchical structure of micro/nanoscale pores and high content of stereo-complex crystallites (35.7 %). Along with the excellent water repellency (water contact angle: 157°), SCC aerogel was 2.7 times as resistant to hydrolysis than poly(l-lactide) aerogel (Ph = 13, 37 °C). Additionally, a maximum absorption capacity of 41.2 g g-1 and over 97 % oil/water separation efficiency after 10 cycles were obtained in low viscosity conditions; while in high viscosity conditions, it displayed excellent photothermal performance, reaching a surface temperature of 85 °C under 1 sunlight, reducing crude oil absorption time from 42 min to 60 s (97.6 %-time savings). Moreover, it facilitated continuous crude oil spill recovery under sunlight with an adsorption rate of 3.3 × 104 kg m-3 h-1. The SCC aerogel presents a potential route for utilizing solar energy in crude oil adsorption applications without additional environmental burden.

IL-36 Regulates Neutrophil Chemotaxis and Bone Loss at the Oral Barrier

Tissue-specific mechanisms regulate neutrophil immunity at the oral barrier, which plays a key role in periodontitis. Although it has been proposed that fibroblasts emit a powerful neutrophil chemotactic signal, how this chemotactic signal is driven has not been clear. The objective of this study was to investigate the site-specific regulatory mechanisms by which fibroblasts drive powerful neutrophil chemotactic signals within the oral barrier, with particular emphasis on the role of the IL-36 family. The present study found that IL-36γ, agonist of IL-36R, could promote neutrophil chemotaxis via fibroblast. Single-cell RNA sequencing data disclosed that IL36G is primarily expressed in human and mouse gingival epithelial cells and mouse neutrophils. Notably, there was a substantial increase in IL-36γ levels during periodontitis. In vitro experiments demonstrated that IL-36γ specifically activates gingival fibroblasts, leading to chemotaxis of neutrophils. In vivo experiments revealed that IL-36Ra inhibited the infiltration of neutrophils and bone resorption, while IL-36γ promoted their progression in the ligature-induced periodontitis mouse model. In summary, these data elucidate the function of the site-enriched IL-36γ in regulating neutrophil immunity and bone resorption at the oral barrier. These findings provide new insights into the tissue-specific pathophysiology of periodontitis and offer a promising avenue for prevention and treatment through targeted intervention of the IL-36 family.

Metagenomic Next-generation Sequencing for Pathogen Identification in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid From Neonates Receiving Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation

BACKGROUND

Neonates on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) are at high risk of infection. Rapid and accurate identification of pathogens is essential to improve the prognosis of children on ECMO. Metagenome next-generation sequencing (mNGS) has been used in recent years to detect pathogenic bacteria, but evidence for its use in neonates on ECMO is lacking.

METHODS

This retrospective study was conducted using an electronic medical record system. We analyzed the results of mNGS and conventional microbiological tests (CMTs) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of neonates receiving ECMO support with pulmonary infections in our hospital from July 2021 to January 2023.

RESULTS

We screened 18 ECMO-supported neonates with pneumonia for inclusion in the study. The median age of the included children was 2 (1-4) days, the median gestational age was 38.3 (33-40 +4 ) weeks, and the median weight was 3.3 (2.2-4.8) kg. The detection rate of mNGS was 77.8% (14/18), higher than the 44.4% (8/18) of CMT ( P = 0.04). A total of 20 pathogens were detected in mNGS, with the top 3 most common pathogens being Klebsiella pneumoniae , Acinetobacter baumannii and Escherichia coli . Mixed infections were found in 14 cases (77.8%), including 13 cases (72.2%) with mixed infections detected by mNGS and 7 cases (27.8%) with mixed infections detected by CMT. A total of 9 children underwent treatment changes based on mNGS results and all of them experienced relief of symptoms.

CONCLUSION

Compared with CMT, mNGS can detect pathogens earlier and more sensitively, and may play an important role in ECMO-supported neonatal pneumonia pathogen detection and optimization of antibiotic therapy.

Efficient Cr(VI) removal by pyrite/porous biochar: Critical role of potassium salt and sulphur

The excessive accumulation of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) in the environment poses a risk to environment and human health. In the present study, a potassium bicarbonate-modified pyrite/porous biochar composite (PKBC) was prepared in a one-step process and applied for the efficient removal of Cr(VI) in wastewater. The results showed that PKBC can significantly remove Cr(VI) within 4 h over a wide range of pH (2-11). Meanwhile, the PKBC demonstrated remarkable resistance towards interference from complex ions. The addition of potassium bicarbonate increased the pore structure of the material and promoted the release of Fe2+. The reduction of Cr(VI) in aqueous solution was primarily attributed to the Fe(II)/Fe(III) redox cycle. The sulphur species achieved Fe(II)/Fe(III) cycle through electron transfer with iron, thus ensuring the continuous reduction capacity of PKBC. Besides, the removal rate was also maintained at more than 85% in the actual water samples treatment process. This work provides a new way to remove hexavalent chromium from wastewater and demonstrates the potential critical role of potassium bicarbonate and sulphur.

A simultaneous strategy with multiple-signal amplification and self-calibration for ultrasensitive assay of miRNA-21 based on 3D MNPs-IL-rGO-AuNPs

MicroRNA-21 (miRNA-21) is a significant biomarker for the development and progression of diverse cancers but is present in relatively low concentrations. Detecting such low-abundance molecules accurately can be challenging, especially in early-stage cancers where the concentration may be even lower. Herein, a self-calibration biosensing platform based on 3D novel MNPs-IL-rGO-AuNPs nanocomposites was successfully established for the ultrasensitive detection of miRNA-21. Duplex-specific nuclease (DSN) was introduced to recognize perfectly matched duplexes and trigger target recycling, enhancing the specificity and sensitivity of the biosensor. DSN-assisted target recycling, in conjunction with magnetic separation enrichment and high-performance MNPs-IL-rGO-AuNPs, collectively formed a multiple-signal amplification strategy. The obtained biosensor could output dual signals in both electrochemical and fluorescent modes, enabling self-correcting detection to enhance the accuracy. The obtained dual-mode biosensor prepared exhibited a wide detection range from 5 fM to 100 nM with a remarkably low LOD of 1.601 fM. It accomplished the sensitive evaluation of miRNA-21 in total RNA extracted from various human cancer cell lines and normal cell lines. Additionally, the greatly satisfactory outcomes in the analysis of human serum samples suggested that the proposed biosensor was a powerful screening candidate in early clinical diagnosis of cancer.

Steroid receptor coactivator 1 promotes human hepatocellular carcinoma invasiveness through enhancing MMP-9

SRC-1 functions as a transcriptional coactivator for steroid receptors and various transcriptional factors. Notably, SRC-1 has been implicated in oncogenic roles in multiple cancers, including breast cancer and prostate cancer. Previous investigations from our laboratory have established the high expression of SRC-1 in human HCC specimens, where it accelerates HCC progression by enhancing Wnt/beta-catenin signalling. In this study, we uncover a previously unknown role of SRC-1 in HCC metastasis. Our findings reveal that SRC-1 promotes HCC metastasis through the augmentation of MMP-9 expression. The knockdown of SRC-1 effectively mitigated HCC cell metastasis both in vitro and in vivo by suppressing MMP-9 expression. Furthermore, we observed a positive correlation between SRC-1 mRNA levels and MMP-9 mRNA levels in limited and larger cohorts of HCC specimens from GEO database. Mechanistically, SRC-1 operates as a coactivator for NF-κB and AP-1, enhancing MMP-9 promoter activity in HCC cells. Higher levels of SRC-1 and MMP-9 expression are associated with worse overall survival in HCC patients. Treatment with Bufalin, known to inhibit SRC-1 expression, significantly decreased MMP-9 expression and inhibited HCC metastasis in both in vitro and in vivo settings. Our results demonstrated the pivotal role of SRC-1 as a critical modulator in HCC metastasis, presenting a potential therapeutic target for HCC intervention.

Structural insights into the activation and inhibition of CXC chemokine receptor 3

The chemotaxis of CD4+ type 1 helper cells and CD8+ cytotoxic lymphocytes, guided by interferon-inducible CXC chemokine 9-11 (CXCL9-11) and CXC chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3), plays a critical role in type 1 immunity. Here we determined the structures of human CXCR3-DNGi complexes activated by chemokine CXCL11, peptidomimetic agonist PS372424 and biaryl-type agonist VUF11222, and the structure of inactive CXCR3 bound to noncompetitive antagonist SCH546738. Structural analysis revealed that PS372424 shares a similar orthosteric binding pocket to the N terminus of CXCL11, while VUF11222 buries deeper and activates the receptor in a distinct manner. We showed an allosteric binding site between TM5 and TM6, accommodating SCH546738 in the inactive CXCR3. SCH546738 may restrain the receptor at an inactive state by preventing the repacking of TM5 and TM6. By revealing the binding patterns and the pharmacological properties of the four modulators, we present the activation mechanisms of CXCR3 and provide insights for future drug development.

OCTA-500: A retinal dataset for optical coherence tomography angiography study

Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is a novel imaging modality that has been widely utilized in ophthalmology and neuroscience studies to observe retinal vessels and microvascular systems. However, publicly available OCTA datasets remain scarce. In this paper, we introduce the largest and most comprehensive OCTA dataset dubbed OCTA-500, which contains OCTA imaging under two fields of view (FOVs) from 500 subjects. The dataset provides rich images and annotations including two modalities (OCT/OCTA volumes), six types of projections, four types of text labels (age/gender/eye/disease) and seven types of segmentation labels (large vessel/capillary/artery/vein/2D FAZ/3D FAZ/retinal layers). Then, we propose a multi-object segmentation task called CAVF, which integrates capillary segmentation, artery segmentation, vein segmentation, and FAZ segmentation under a unified framework. In addition, we optimize the 3D-to-2D image projection network (IPN) to IPN-V2 to serve as one of the segmentation baselines. Experimental results demonstrate that IPN-V2 achieves an about 10% mIoU improvement over IPN on CAVF task. Finally, we further study the impact of several dataset characteristics: the training set size, the model input (OCT/OCTA, 3D volume/2D projection), the baseline networks, and the diseases. The dataset and code are publicly available at: https://ieee-dataport.org/open-access/octa-500.

A Metabolomics Study of the Effects of Eleutheroside B on Glucose and Lipid Metabolism in a Zebrafish Diabetes Model

(1) Background: Diabetes is a common metabolic disease that seriously endangers human health. In the present study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of the active ingredient Eleutheroside B (EB) from the traditional Chinese medicine Eleutheroside on diabetes mellitus in a zebrafish model. Concomitant hepatic injury was also analysed, along with the study of possible molecular mechanisms using metabolomics technology. This work should provide some theoretical references for future experimental studies. (2) Methods: A zebrafish diabetes model was constructed by soaking in a 1.75% glucose solution and feeding a high-fat diet. The intervention drug groups were metformin (100 μg∙mL-1) and EB (50, 100, and 150 μg∙mL-1) via water-soluble exposure for 30 days. Glucose, TG, TC, LDL-C, and HDL-C were evaluated in different treatment groups. GLUT4 protein expression was also evaluated in each group, and liver injury was observed by HE staining. Metabolomics techniques were used to investigate the mechanism by which EB regulates endogenous markers and metabolic pathways during the development of diabetes. (3) Results: All EB treatment groups in diabetic zebrafish showed significantly reduced body mass index (BMI) and improved blood glucose and lipid profiles. EB was found to upregulate GLUT4 protein expression and ameliorate the liver injury caused by diabetes. Metabolomics studies showed that EB causes changes in the metabolic profile of diabetic zebrafish. These were related to the regulation of purine metabolism, cytochrome P450, caffeine metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, the mTOR signalling pathway, insulin resistance, and glycerophospholipid metabolism. (4) Conclusions: EB has a hypoglycaemic effect in diabetic zebrafish as well as significantly improving disorders of glycolipid metabolism. The mechanism of action of EB may involve regulation of the mTOR signalling pathway, purine metabolism, caffeine metabolism, and glycerophospholipid metabolism.

The multifaceted therapeutic value of targeting steroid receptor coactivator-1 in tumorigenesis

Steroid receptor coactivator-1 (SRC-1, also known as NCOA1) frequently functions as a transcriptional coactivator by directly binding to transcription factors and recruiting to the target gene promoters to promote gene transcription by increasing chromatin accessibility and promoting the formation of transcriptional complexes. In recent decades, various biological and pathological functions of SRC-1 have been reported, especially in the context of tumorigenesis. SRC-1 is a facilitator of the progression of multiple cancers, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, neurological cancer, and female genital system cancer. The emerging multiorgan oncogenic role of SRC-1 is still being studied and may not be limited to only steroid hormone-producing tissues. Growing evidence suggests that SRC-1 promotes target gene expression by directly binding to transcription factors, which may constitute a novel coactivation pattern independent of AR or ER. In addition, the antitumour effect of pharmacological inhibition of SRC-1 with agents including various small molecules or naturally active compounds has been reported, but their practical application in clinical cancer therapy is very limited. For this review, we gathered typical evidence on the oncogenic role of SRC-1, highlighted its major collaborators and regulatory genes, and mapped the potential mechanisms by which SRC-1 promotes primary tumour progression.

Development and Recent Progress of Hoses for Cryogenic Liquid Transportation

Recently, the application of cryogenic hoses in the field of cryogenic media has become a hot topic, especially in the industry of offshore liquefied natural gas and aerospace field. However, the structure of cryogenic hoses is complex, and reasonable structural properties are required due to the harsh working conditions. There is still plenty of scope for further development to improve the performance in all aspects. In this paper, the current development status of cryogenic hoses for liquefied natural gas (LNG) transportation is reviewed first, including the types, manufacturers, structural forms, performance, and key technical challenges. And then, the recent progress and prospect of cryogenic hoses for cryogenic liquid transportation (such as LNG and liquid oxygen) are summarized, including structure design, low-temperature resistant polymers, liquid oxygen compatible polymers, and leakage monitoring technologies. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the research development and application of cryogenic hoses. Moreover, future research directions have been proposed to facilitate its practical applications in aerospace.

Relationship between heart failure and intestinal inflammation in infants with congenital heart disease

OBJECTIVE

The association between heart failure (HF) and intestinal inflammation caused by a disturbed intestinal microbiota in infants with congenital heart disease (CHD) was investigated.

METHODS

Twenty infants with HF and CHD who were admitted to our hospital between October 2021 and March 2022 were included in this study. Twenty age- and sex-matched infants without HF at our hospital were selected as the control group. Faecal samples were obtained from each participant and analysed by enzyme-linked immunoassay and 16 S rDNA sequencing to assess intestinal inflammatory factors and the microbiota.

RESULTS

The levels of intestinal inflammatory factors, including IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-17 A and TNF-α, were greatly increased, while the levels of IL-10 were significantly decreased in the HF group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). The intestinal microbial diversity of patients in the HF group was markedly lower than that in the control group (p < 0.05). The abundance of Enterococcus was significantly increased in the HF group compared to the control group (p < 0.05), but the abundance of Bifidobacterium was significantly decreased in the HF group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). The diversity of the intestinal microbiota was negatively correlated with the levels of IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6 and TNF-α in the intestinal tract but was positively correlated with that of IL-10. The abundance of Enterococcus was positively associated with the levels of IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6 and TNF-α in the intestinal tract but was negatively correlated with that of IL-10. NT-proBNP was positively associated with the levels of IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6 and TNF-α in the HF group but was negatively correlated with that of IL-10. The heart function score was positively associated with the levels of IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6 and TNF-α in the HF group but was negatively correlated with that of IL-10.

CONCLUSIONS

Infants with CHD-related HF had a disordered intestinal microbiota, decreased diversity of intestinal microbes, increased levels of pathogenic bacteria and decreased levels of beneficial bacteria. The increased abundance of Enterococcus and the significant decrease in the diversity of the intestinal microbiota may exacerbate the intestinal inflammatory response, which may be associated with the progression of HF.

Research Advances in Neuroblast Migration in Traumatic Brain Injury

Neuroblasts were first derived from the adult mammalian brains in the 1990s by Reynolds et al. Since then, persistent neurogenesis in the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the hippocampus and subventricular zone (SVZ) has gradually been recognized. To date, reviews on neuroblast migration have largely investigated glial cells and molecular signaling mechanisms, while the relationship between vasculature and cell migration remains a mystery. Thus, this paper underlines the partial biological features of neuroblast migration and unravels the significance and mechanisms of the vasculature in the process to further clarify theoretically the neural repair mechanism after brain injury. Neuroblast migration presents three modes according to the characteristics of cells that act as scaffolds during the migration process: gliophilic migration, neurophilic migration, and vasophilic migration. Many signaling molecules, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), affect vasophilic migration, synergistically regulating the migration of neuroblasts to target areas along blood vessels. However, the precise role of blood vessels in the migration of neuroblasts needs to be further explored. The in-depth study of neuroblast migration will most probably provide theoretical basis and breakthrough for the clinical treatment of brain injury diseases.

A Bio-inspired Model for Bee Simulations

As eusocial creatures, bees display unique macro collective behavior and local body dynamics that hold potential applications in various fields, such as computer animation, robotics, and social behavior. Unlike birds and fish, bees fly in a low-aligned zigzag pattern. Additionally, bees rely on visual cues for foraging and predator avoidance, exhibiting distinctive local body oscillations, such as body lifting, thrusting, and swaying. These inherent features pose significant challenges for realistic bee simulations in practical animation applications. In this paper, we present a bio-inspired model for bee simulations capable of replicating both macro collective behavior and local body dynamics of bees. Our approach utilizes a visually-driven system to simulate a bee's local body dynamics, incorporating obstacle perception and body rolling control for effective collision avoidance. Moreover, we develop an oscillation rule that captures the dynamics of the bee's local bodies, drawing on insights from biological research. Our model extends beyond simulating individual bees' dynamics; it can also represent bee swarms by integrating a fluid-based field with the bees' innate noise and zigzag motions. To fine-tune our model, we utilize pre-collected honeybee flight data. Through extensive simulations and comparative experiments, we demonstrate that our model can efficiently generate realistic low-aligned and inherently noisy bee swarms.

Promoting Catalytic Performance Involving Hydrogen Spillover by Ion Exchange of Pt@A Catalysts to Regulate Reactant Adsorption

Zeolite-encapsulated metal nanoparticle systems have exhibited interesting catalytic performances via the hydrogen spillover process, yet how to further utilize the function of zeolite supports to promote catalytic properties in such a process is still challenging and has rarely been investigated. Herein, to address this issue, the strategy to strengthen the adsorption energy of reactant onto the zeolite surface via a simple ion exchange method has been implemented. Ion-exchanged linde type A (LTA) zeolite-encapsulated platinum nanoclusters (Pt@NaA, Pt@HA, Pt@KA, and Pt@CaA) were prepared to study the influence of ion exchange on the catalytic performance in the model reaction of hydrogenation of acetophenone to 1-phenylethanol. The reaction results showed that the Pt@CaA catalyst exhibited the best catalytic activity in the series of encapsulated catalysts, and the selectivity of 1-phenylethanol approached 100%. As revealed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations and acetophenone temperature-programmed desorption (acetophenone-TPD) experiments, in comparison with introduced cations of Na+, H+, and K+, ion-exchanged Ca2+ on the zeolite maximumly enhanced the adsorption of carbonyl groups in acetophenone, playing a critical role in achieving the highest activity and excellent catalytic selectivity among the Pt@A catalysts.

Derivation of human health and odor risk control values for soil ammonia nitrogen by incorporating solid-liquid partitioning, ammonium/ammonia equilibrium: A case study of a retired nitrogen fertilizer site in China

Nitrogen fertilizer supports agricultural intensification, but its manufacturing results in substantial contaminated sites. Ammonia nitrogen is the main specific pollutant in retired nitrogen fertilizer sites with potential human health and odor risks. However, few studies focus on ammonia nitrogen risk assessment at contaminated sites, particularly considering its solid-liquid partitioning process (Kd) and ammonium/ammonia equilibrium process (R) in the soil. This study took a closed nitrogen fertilizer factory site as an example and innovatively introduced Kd and R to scientifically assess the human health and odor risk of ammonia nitrogen. The risk control values (RCVs) of ammonia nitrogen based on human health and odor risk were also derived. The maximum concentration of ammonia nitrogen was 3380 mg/kg in the unsaturated soil, which was acceptable for human health because the health RCVs were 5589 ∼ 137,471 mg/kg in various scenarios. However, odor risk was unacceptable for RCVs were 296 ∼ 1111 mg/kg under excavation scenarios and 1118 ∼ 35,979 mg/kg under non-excavation scenarios. Of particular concern, introducing Kd and R in calculation increased the human health and odor RCVs by up to 27.92 times. Despite the advancements in ammonia risk assessment due to the introduction of Kd and R, odor risk during excavation remains a vital issue. These findings inform a more scientific assessment of soil ammonia risk at contaminated sites and provide valuable insights for the management and redevelopment of abandoned nitrogen fertilizer plant sites.

Evaluation of clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with Chlamydia psittaci infection based on metagenomic next-generation sequencing

INTRODUCTION

Psittacosis is a zoonosis caused by Chlamydia psittaci, the clinical manifestations of Psittacosis range from mild illness to fulminant severe pneumonia with multiple organ failure. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics of Chlamydia psittaci infection diagnosed based on metagenomic next-generation sequencing(mNGS), as well as the risk factors affecting the progress of Chlamydia psittaci infection, in order to improve the effect of therapeutics.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients infected with chlamydia psittaci in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from January 2021 to December 2021. The patient's past medical history, clinical manifestations, laboratory examinations, chest CT results, treatment status, and prognosis data were collected. we also investigated both the pathogenic profile characteristics and the lower respiratory tract microbiota of patients with Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia using mNGS.

RESULTS

All cases of Chlamydia psittaci in our research have been confirmed by mNGS. Among 46 cases of Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia, Poultry exposure was reported in 35 cases. In severe cases of Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia, Neutrophils, Procalcitonin (PCT), Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH), Hydroxybutyrate Dehydrogenase (HBDH), Creatine Kinase Isoenzymes-B (CK-MB) and D-Dimer levels were remarkably higher than that of non-severe cases, except for lymphocytes (all P < 0.05). Chest CT scans showed Bilateral (77.8%), multiple lobar lungs (85.2%), pleural effusions (44.4%) involvement in those suffering from severe Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia, whereas its incidence was 0%, 21.1% and 10.5% in non-severe patients, respectively (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that higher lymphocyte concentrations (OR 0.836, 95% CI 0.714-0.962, P = 0.041) were the only protective factor for survival. mNGS results indicated that 41.3% of patients (19/46) had suspected coinfections with a coinfection rate of 84.2% (16/19) in the severe group, much higher than that in the non severe group (p < 0.05). No significantly different profiles of lower respiratory tract microbiota diversity were found between non severe group and severe group.

CONCLUSION

A history of poultry exposure in patients can serve as an important basis for diagnosing Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia, and patients with severe Chlamydia psittaci pneumonia are more likely to develop elevated inflammatory biomarkers as well as elevated cardiac markers. Higher lymphocyte concentrations are protective factors associated with severe C. psittaci pneumonia. The higher proportion of patients with coinfections in our study supports the use of mNGS for comprehensive early detection of respiratory infections in patients with C. psittaci pneumonia.