Periodic motions and homoclinic orbits in a discontinuous dynamical system on a single domain with multiple vector fields

In this paper, periodic motions and homoclinic orbits in a discontinuous dynamical system on a single domain with two vector fields are discussed. Constructing periodic motions and homoclinic orbits in discontinuous dynamical systems is very significant in mathematics and engineering applications, and how to construct periodic motions and homoclinic orbits is a central issue in discontinuous dynamical systems. Herein, how to construct periodic motions and homoclinic orbits is presented through studying a simple discontinuous dynamical system on a domain confined by two prescribed energies. The simple discontinuous dynamical system has energy-increasing and energy-decreasing vector fields. Based on the two vector fields and the corresponding switching rules, periodic motions and homoclinic orbits in such a simple discontinuous dynamical system are studied. The analytical conditions of bouncing, grazing, and sliding motions at the two energy boundaries are presented first. Periodic motions and homoclinic orbits in such a discontinuous dynamical system are determined through the specific mapping structures, and the corresponding stability is also presented. Numerical illustrations of periodic motions and homoclinic orbits are given for constructed complex motions. Through this study, using discontinuous dynamical systems, one can construct specific complex motions for engineering applications, and the corresponding mathematical methods and computational strategies can be developed.

[Preliminary study on differentially expressed proteins in a mouse model of secondary cystic echinococcosis based on data independent acquisition proteomics]

OBJECTIVE

To identify the differentially expressed proteins in different liver tissues in the mouse model of cystic echinococcosis (CE), so as to provide insights into the research and development of therapeutic drugs targeting CE.

METHODS

Female Kunming mice at ages of 6 to 8 weeks were randomly assigned into the CE group and the control group. Mice in the CE group were intraperitoneally infected with 2 000 Echinococcus multilocularis protoscoleces, while mice in the control group were injected with the same volume of physiological saline. All mice in both groups were sacrificed after breeding for 350 d, and the lesions (the lesion group) and peri-lesion specimens (the peri-lesion group) were sampled from the liver of mice in the CE group and the normal liver specimens (the normal group) were sampled from mice in the control group for data independent acquisition (DIA) proteomics analysis, and the differentially expressed proteins were subjected to Gene Ontology (GO) term enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 26 differentially expressed proteins were identified between the lesion group and the normal group and between the peri-lesion group and the normal group, including 8 up-regulated proteins and 18 down-regulated proteins. GO term enrichment analysis showed that these differentially expressed proteins were predominantly enriched in endoplasmic reticulum membrane (biological components), oxidoreductase activity (molecular function) and oxoacid metabolic process and monocarboxylic acid metabolic process (biological processes). KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the differentially expressed protein Acyl-CoA oxidase 1 (Acox1), which contributed to primary bile acid biosynthesis during the fatty acid oxidation, was involved in peroxisome signaling pathway, and the differentially expressed protein fatty acid binding protein 1 (Fabp1), which contributed to fatty acid transport, was involved in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

Differentially expressed proteins are identified in the liver specimens between mouse models of CE and normal mice, and some differentially expressed proteins may serve as potential drug targets for CE.

[Preliminary study on differentially expressed proteins in a mouse model of secondary alveolar echinococcosis based on data independent acquisition proteomics]

OBJECTIVE

To identify the differentially expressed proteins in different liver tissues in the mouse model of alveolar echinococcosis using high-resolution mass spectrometry with data independent acquisition (DIA), and to identify the key proteins contributing to the pathogenesis of alveolar echinococcosis.

METHODS

Protoscoleces were isolated from Microtus fuscus with alveolar echinococcosis and the experimental model of alveolar echinococcosis was established in female Kunming mice aged 6 to 8 weeks by infection with Echinococcus multilocularis protoscoleces. Mice were divided into the experimental and control groups, and animals in the experimental group was injected with approximately 3 000 protoscoleces, while mice in the control group were injected with the same volume of physiological saline. Mouse liver specimens were sampled from both groups one year post-infection and subjected to pathological examinations. In addition, the lesions (the lesion group) and peri-lesion specimens (the peri-lesion group) were sampled from the liver of mice in the experimental group and the normal liver specimens (the normal group) were sampled from mice in the control group for DIA proteomics analysis, and the differentially expressed proteins were subjected to bioinformatics analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 1 020 differentially expressed proteins were identified between the lesion group and the normal group, including 671 up-regulated proteins and 349 down-regulated proteins, and 495 differentially expressed proteins were identified between the peri-lesion group and the normal group, including 327 up-regulated proteins and 168 down-regulated proteins. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis revealed that these differentially expressed proteins were involved in peroxisome, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) and fatty acid degradation pathways, and the peroxisome and PPAR signaling pathways were found to correlate with liver injury. Several differentially expressed proteins that may contribute to the pathogenesis of alveolar echinococcosis were identified in these two pathways, including fatty acid binding protein 1 (Fabp1), Acyl-CoA synthetase long chain family member 1 (Acsl1), Acyl-CoA oxidase 1 (Acox1), Enoyl-CoA hydratase and 3-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase (Ehhadh) and Acetyl-Coenzyme A acyltransferase 1B (Acaa1b), which were down-regulated in mice in the experimental group.

CONCLUSIONS

A large number of differentially expressed proteins are identified in the liver of the mouse model of alveolar echinococcosis, and Fabp1, Acsl1, Acox1, Ehhadh and Acaa1b may contribute to the pathogenesis of alveolar echinococcosis.

[Microscopic observation of the enamel microstructures of SD rats with different degrees of fluorosis]

Objective: To establish a dental fluorosis model of SD rats with various degrees, to observe the microstructures of enamel samples under scanning electron microscope and to clarify the changes of enamel microstructures with various degrees of dental fluorosis, so as to provide clinical reference for the treatment of patients with moderate and severe dental fluorosis. Methods: Thirty male SD rats (6 weeks of age) were randomly divided into 3 groups with 10 rats in each group. The control group was fed with deionized water without fluoride, the low fluoride group was fed with 50 mg/L NaF deionized water and the high fluoride group was fed with 100 mg/L NaF deionized water in order to establish the dental fluorosis model of rats. After feeding for 6 weeks, the rats were sacrificed and the mandibular incisor teeth were collected and recorded. The surface and sagittal plane of each tooth were observed by scanning electron microscopy and the enamel thickness was measured. Results: In the control group, the enamel color was brown yellow. Enamel color discoloration occurred both in low-fluoride group and high-fluoride group. The enamel color in low-fluoride group was mostly yellow and white striped while in high-fluoride group was mostly chalky white. Under electronic microscope, the enamel rods were alternately arranged and their structure was clear and plump in the control group. The enamel rods of moderate fluorosis were arranged in a straight orientation like tips of bamboo shoots. The enamel rods of severe fluorosis, however, became thinner and the tips of rods were broken. In the control group, sagittal images of enamel turned out to be a dense outer structure with clear boundaries among the inner. The structure of the middle layer was reticulated showing a clear boundary with middle and outer layers. The structure of enamel rods in the inner layers was arranged vertically and horizontally. In the moderate fluorosis group, the outer layer of the enamel became thinner and the middle layer disappeared although the boundary between the outer and middle layers was still clear. In the inner layer, the vertically arranged enamel rods seemed still clear, however the horizontal enamel rods disappeared. In the severe fluorosis group, the outer layer could not be traced. The middle layer was exposed to the air and the inner enamel rods contracted. The inner layers of the enamel had gradually become thinner with the development of the dental fluorosis. The thicknesses of inner layers in control, moderate and the severe groups were (180.71±7.01), (157.10±11.04) and (121.10±12.56) μm respectively. As for the thicknesses of the full layers in the above mentioned three groups, the same trend was observed. The thicknesses, in order of the severity of dental fluorosis, were (241.54±7.76), (207.42±14.36) and (143.79±14.60) μm. Conclusions: With the development of dental fluorosis, the outer enamel layers became thinner or disappeared and the inner enamel layers became thinner or lost its normal structure as well. It is highly recommended that the resin penetration could be used for the proper treatment of moderate and severe dental fluorosis and the strong bleaching and the micro-grinding should be used cautiously.

[Study on epidemic trend of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in Zhejiang province, 2005-2020]

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and spatiotemporal distribution of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Zhejiang province from 2005 to 2020, and provide scientific information for the precise prevention and control of HFRS. Methods: Data on HFRS cases in Zhejiang province during 2005-2020 were collected from the China National Notifiable Infectious Disease Reporting Information System (NNDS) for a descriptive analysis, and software ArcGIS 10.2 was used for global autocorrelation and local autocorrelation analyses. Spatiotemporal clusters were scanned with SaTScan 9.4.4 and visualized with ArcGIS 10.2. Results: A total of 7 724 HFRS cases were reported in Zhejiang province from 2005 to 2020, including 25 deaths. There were two incidence peaks each year, in late spring and early summer (May-June) and in winter (November-January). The top three areas with high cumulative cases were Ningbo (1 875, 24.27%), Taizhou (1 642, 21.25%), and Shaoxing (1 123, 14.54%). Among the reported cases, with a male to female ratio of 2.73∶1(5 656∶2 068). The majority of HFRS cases were middle-aged and elderly people, with cases aged 41-70 years accounting for 60.95%. Most HFRS cases were farmers, accounting for 69.89% (5 398/7 724). The spatial distribution of HFRS in most years was correlated. SaTScan was used for retrospective spatiotemporal scanning and three clusters were detected: the first type clusters were in 21 counties in eastern Zhejiang province and central Zhejiang province, among which 4 were in Ningbo, Shaoxing and Jinhua, 8 were in Taizhou, and 1 was in Lishui (RR=13.69, LLR=5 522.60, P<0.001); the second type clusters were in Longquan and Qingyuan counties (RR=31.20, LLR=1 232.46, P<0.001); the third types of clusters were in Changxing and Anji counties of Huzhou in northern Zhejiang province (RR=3.42, LLR=23.93, P<0.001). Conclusions: HFRS mainly occurred in middle-aged,elderly and male farmers in Zhejiang province. The incidence was high in late spring, early summer and winter in eastern Zhejiang province. Precise prevention and control measures are needed for populations at high risk before the epidemic season.

Preparation of a novel bridged bis(β-cyclodextrin) chiral stationary phase by thiol-ene click chemistry for enhanced enantioseparation in HPLC

A bridged bis(β-cyclodextrin) ligand was firstly synthesized via a thiol–ene click chemistry reaction between allyl-ureido-β-cyclodextrin and 4-4′-thiobisthiophenol, which was then bonded onto a 5 μm spherical silica gel to obtain a novel bridged bis(β-cyclodextrin) chiral stationary phase (HTCDP). The structures of HTCDP and the bridged bis(β-cyclodextrin) ligand were characterized by the ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR), solid state ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (¹³C NMR) spectra spectrum, scanning electron microscope, elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, infrared spectrometry and thermogravimetric analysis. The performance of HTCDP in enantioseparation was systematically examined by separating 21 chiral compounds, including 8 flavanones, 8 triazole pesticides and 5 other common chiral drugs (benzoin, praziquantel, 1-1′-bi-2-naphthol, Tröger's base and bicalutamide) in the reversed-phase chromatographic mode. By optimizing the chromatographic conditions such as formic acid content, mobile phase composition, pH values and column temperature, 19 analytes were completely separated with high resolution (1.50–4.48), in which the enantiomeric resolution of silymarin, 4-hydroxyflavanone, 2-hydroxyflavanone and flavanone were up to 4.34, 4.48, 3.89 and 3.06 within 35 min, respectively. Compared to the native β-CD chiral stationary phase (CDCSP), HTCDP had superior enantiomer separation and chiral recognition abilities. For example, HTCDP completely separated 5 other common chiral drugs, 2 flavanones and 3 triazole pesticides that CDCSP failed to separate. Unlike CDCSP, which has a small cavity (0.65 nm), the two cavities in HTCDP joined by the aryl connector could synergistically accommodate relatively bulky chiral analytes. Thus, HTCDP may have a broader prospect in enantiomeric separation, analysis and detection.

Separation of chiral compounds on HTCDP.

Nickel-catalyzed enantioselective umpolung hydrogenation for stereoselective synthesis of β-amido esters

Nickel complexes ligated by strongly donating diphosphines catalyze enantioselective hydrogenation for the preparation of acyclic and cyclic β-amido esters. A combination of acetic acid and indium powder provides protons and electrons to form nickel hydrido complexes under umpolung hydrogenation conditions.

Pancreatic Carcinosarcoma with a Rare Presentation

Introduction/Objective

Carcino-sarcoma of the pancreas is a rare tumor and very limited clinical and pathologic data have been reported in the literature. As per World Health Organization (WHO) classification of tumors of the digestive system, the carcinosarcoma of the pancreas is classified together with sarcomatoid carcinoma and anaplastic giant cell carcinomas in undifferentiated carcinoma of pancreas. Carcinosarcoma is a rare entity with very poor prognosis.

Methods/Case Report

Here we report a rare case of pancreatic carcinosarcoma in a 68 year old male patient who underwent a pancreatoduodenectomy for unilocular cystic mass in the head of the pancreas. The mass grossly replaces the whole head of the pancreas. Histologically, the lesion showed a high-grade spindle cell component and adjacent moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. On immunohistochemical examination, the carcinomatous component was positive for epithelial markers, and the sarcomatous component was positive for DOG1 and had a focal cytoplasmic staining for S-100. The diagnosis of pancreatic carcinosarcoma was rendered. Treatment options are same as of pancreatic carcinoma. Surgical resection is the best option available for patients. Systemic chemotherapy is indicated for patients with distant metastasis or patients with other contraindications. Despite surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy, recurrence rates are high, and prognosis is poor. However, there are no relevant standard chemotherapies available. Based on the limited number of reported cases, the prognosis of carcinosarcoma of the pancreas appears to be poor. But some cases with long term survival have been reported. There are very few primary pancreatic neoplasms with carcinomatous and sarcomatous components reported in the current literature.

Results (if a Case Study enter NA)

NA

Conclusion

This case highlights the importance of familiarity with histopathology of this rare entity, and to order proper immunohistochemical and molecular work-up when there is a suspicious abnormal spindle cell component.

Investigation on the clinical efficacy and mechanism of compound kushen injection in treating esophageal cancer based on multi-dimensional network meta-analysis and in vitro experiment

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Esophageal cancer, as a high incidence of gastrointestinal cancer, has an indelible impact on human life and health. The combination of Chinese herbal injections and chemotherapy is commonly applied in the treatment of Esophageal cancer.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to confirm the clinical advantage of Compound Kushen Injection to treat esophageal cancer and explore its molecular mechanism.

METHODS

The network meta-analysis method was used for the clinical evaluation of anti-tumor Chinese herbal injections. Initially, several electronic databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials regarding Chinese herbal injections to treat esophageal cancer from their inception to September 5, 2020. Then, WinBugs and Stata software was used to calculate and analyze the outcome indicators, including total clinical efficiency, improvement of quality of life and adverse reactions. Furthermore, the surface under the cumulative ranking curve and three-dimensional cluster analysis were used to rank the efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal injections about each outcome. Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was used to observe the effect of Compound Kushen Injection on the proliferation of esophageal cancer cells. Real-Time Quantitative PCR and Western Blot analysis were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression of EGFR and AURKA in ESCA cells.

RESULTS

The surface under the cumulative ranking curve of Compound Kushen Injection combined with chemotherapy in total clinical efficiency, quality of life, reduction of nausea and vomiting were ranking at 89.1%, 81.8% and 92.4%, respectively. Compound Kushen Injection was determined as the dominant variety in the treatment of esophageal cancer which can inhibit the proliferation of esophageal cancer cells and downregulate the overexpression of EGFR and AURKA mRNA and protein.

CONCLUSION

In this study, network meta-analysis was applied to confirm that Compound Kushen Injection has a curative effect on esophageal cancer and is superior to other anti-tumor Chinese herbal injections. Combined with the network pharmacology and in vitro experiment, the mechanism of Compound Kushen Injection inhibiting the proliferation of esophageal cancer cells by regulating the abnormal expression of EGFR and AURKA was revealed.

Acridine-Based Covalent Organic Framework Photosensitizer with Broad-Spectrum Light Absorption for Antibacterial Photocatalytic Therapy

Antibiotic resistance is considered as one of the serious public health issues. Antibacterial photocatalytic therapy, a clinically proven antibacterial therapy, is gaining increasing attention in recent years owing to its high efficacy. Here, an acridine-based covalent organic framework (COF) photosensitizer, named TPDA, with multiple active sites is synthesized via Schiff base condensation between 2,4,6-triformylphloroglucinol (TFP) and 3,6-diaminoacridine (DAA). Owing to the increased conjugation effect of the COF skeleton and outstanding light harvesting ability of DAA, TPDA exhibits a narrow optical band gap (1.6 eV), enhancing light energy transformation and conferring a wide optical absorption spectrum (intensity arbitrary unit > 0.8) ranging from the UV to near-infrared region. Moreover, TPDA shows high antibacterial activities against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria within a short time (10 min) of light irradiation and is found to efficiently protect fish from skin infections. Molecular dynamics simulation data show that the introduction of DAA and TFP facilitates the interaction between TPDA and bacteria and is conducive to reactive oxygen species migration, which further improves the antimicrobial performance. These findings indicate the potential of TPDA as a novel photosensitive material for photodynamic therapy.

Identification of Key Genes Associated With the Process of Hepatitis B Inflammation and Cancer Transformation by Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has become the main cause of cancer death worldwide. More than half of hepatocellular carcinoma developed from hepatitis B virus infection (HBV). The purpose of this study is to find the key genes in the transformation process of liver inflammation and cancer and to inhibit the development of chronic inflammation and the transformation from disease to cancer.

Methods

Two groups of GEO data (including normal/HBV and HBV/HBV-HCC) were selected for differential expression analysis. The differential expression genes of HBV-HCC in TCGA were verified to coincide with the above genes to obtain overlapping genes. Then, functional enrichment analysis, modular analysis, and survival analysis were carried out on the key genes.

Results

We identified nine central genes (CDK1, MAD2L1, CCNA2, PTTG1, NEK2) that may be closely related to the transformation of hepatitis B. The survival and prognosis gene markers composed of PTTG1, MAD2L1, RRM2, TPX2, CDK1, NEK2, DEPDC1, and ZWINT were constructed, which performed well in predicting the overall survival rate.

Conclusion

The findings of this study have certain guiding significance for further research on the transformation of hepatitis B inflammatory cancer, inhibition of chronic inflammation, and molecular targeted therapy of cancer.

Investigation on the mechanisms of guiqi huoxue capsule for treating cervical spondylosis based on network pharmacology and molecular docking

BACKGROUND

Guiqi huoxue capsule (GQHXC) is a patented Chinese medicine used for treating a liver and kidney deficiency and blood stasis syndrome due to qi deficiency. It is caused by cervical spondylosis (cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR), mixed cervical spondylosis mainly composed of nerve root type). Its underlying mechanisms need, however, to be further clarified.

METHODS

In this study, collecting compounds, predicting therapeutic targets, constructing networks, and analyzing biological functions and pathways were based on network pharmacology analysis. In addition, molecular docking verification was engaged to assess the binding potential of selected target-compound pairs.

RESULTS

We established 5 networks: compound-putative target network of GQHXC, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network related to CSR, compound-CSR target network, potential therapeutic targets PPI network, and herb-compound-target-pathway network. Network analysis indicated that 7 targets (tumor necrosis factor [TNF], interleukin 6 [IL6], nitric oxide synthase 3 [NOS3], Interleukin-8 [CXCL8], prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 [PTGS2], vascular endothelial growth factor A [VEGFA], and AP-1 transcription factor subunit [JUN]) might be the therapeutic targets of GQHXC in CSR. Moreover, molecular docking verification showed that TNF, IL6, NOS3, CXCL8, PTGS2, VEGFA, and JUN had a good is interaction with the corresponding compounds. Furthermore, enrichment analysis indicated that GQHXC might exert a curative role in CSR by regulating some important pathways, such as TNF signaling pathway, NF-kappa B signaling pathway, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, and so on.

CONCLUSION

Our study preliminarily explained the underlying mechanisms of GQHXC for treating CSR, and molecular docking verification was adopted as an additional verification. These findings laid a valuable foundation for experimental research and further application of GQHXC in the clinical treatment of CSR.

Lysophosphatidic acid receptor 6 regulated by miR-27a-3p attenuates tumor proliferation in breast cancer

Purpose

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a bioactive molecule which participates in many physical and pathological processes. Although LPA receptor 6 (LPAR6), the last identified LPA receptor, has been reported to have diverse effects in multiple cancers, including breast cancer, its effects and functioning mechanisms are not fully known.

Methods

Multiple public databases were used to investigate the mRNA expression of LPAR6, its prognostic value, and potential mechanisms in breast cancer. Western blotting was performed to validate the differential expression of LPAR6 in breast cancer tissues and their adjacent tissues. Furthermore, in vitro experiments were used to explore the effects of LPAR6 on breast cancer. Additionally, TargetScan and miRWalk were used to identify potential upstream regulating miRNAs and validated the relationship between miR-27a-3p and LPAR6 via real-time polymerase chain reaction and an in vitro rescue assay.

Results

LPAR6 was significantly downregulated in breast cancer at transcriptional and translational levels. Decreased LPAR6 expression in breast cancer is significantly correlated with poor overall survival, disease-free survival, and distal metastasis-free survival, particularly for hormone receptor-positive patients, regardless of lymph node metastatic status. In vitro gain and loss-of-function assays indicated that LPAR6 attenuated breast cancer cell proliferation. The analyses of TCGA and METABRIC datasets revealed that LPAR6 may regulate the cell cycle signal pathway. Furthermore, the expression of LPAR6 could be positively regulated by miR-27a-3p. The knockdown of miR-27a-3p increased cell proliferation, and ectopic expression of LPAR6 could partly rescue this phenotype.

Conclusion

LPAR6 acts as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer and is positively regulated by miR-27a-3p.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12094-021-02704-8.

JS01.4.A The neurocognitive function changes with awake craniotomy for low-grade glioma in the left hemispheric eloquent regions

BACKGROUND

Cognitive deficit was frequently observed in glioma patients, especially for those on the eloquent area. Considering the increased life expectancy, brain mapping during awake craniotomy was preferentially applied to exacerbate neurocognitive deficits. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the neurocognitive changes during the perioperative period of resection of low-grade glioma (LGG) in the left side eloquent area with awake craniotomy in a major neurosurgical center in China for 5 years.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed patients with left-sided glioma in eloquent areas, who received awake craniotomy during 2016–2020. Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale, BN-20, and EORTC-QLQ-C30 questionnaire were applied for neurological cognitive assessment. We performed a correlation analysis between changes in cognitive performance and tumor characteristics, including tumor location, pathological grade. Treatment-related factors were also analyzed, such as the extent of resection (EOR), preoperative and postoperative Karnofsky Performance Score (KPS), postoperative treatment strategy (chemo- and radiotherapy), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

68 patients were included in our current study. For the language domain, memory domain, and executive functions, 7.4% (5/68) patients presented mild postoperative cognitive performance deterioration compared to preoperative. Tumor location was the only factor that greatly influenced the postoperative cognitive performance, while other features (EOR, KPS, pathological grades) and treatment strategy were found no effect on cognitive change. The extent of tumor resection ranged from 81% to 100%.

CONCLUSION

Our study underlines the importance of the application of brain mapping during awake craniotomy, which helps to maximize extent of tumor resection while preserving cognitive function in individuals with LGG in eloquent regions.

A Novel Wax Based Piezo Actuator for Autonomous Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty (Piezo-DALK)

This paper reports the design and evaluation of a novel piezo based actuator for needle drive in autonomous Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty (piezo-DALK). The actuator weighs less than 8g and is 20mm × 20mm × 10.5mm in size, making it ideal for eye-mounted applications. Mean open loop positional deviation was 1.17 ± 3.15um, and system repeatability and accuracy were 17.16um and 18.33um, respectively. Stall force was found to vary linearly with the cooling cycle and the actuator achieved a maximum drive force of 3.98N. When simulating the DALK procedure in synthetic corneal tissue, the piezo-DALK achieved a penetration depth of 643.56um which was equivalent to 92.1% of the total corneal thickness. This correlated closely with our desired depth of 90% ± 5% and took 2.5 hours to achieve. This work represents the first eye mountable actuator capable of "Big Bubble" needle drive for autonomous DALK procedures.

Long-term administration of low-dose selenium nanoparticles with different sizes aggravated atherosclerotic lesions and exhibited toxicity in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice

Exploration of long-term in vivo effects of nanomaterials, particularly those with potential biomedical applications, is quite important for better understanding and evaluating their biosafety. Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) has been considered as a good candidate in biomedical applications due to its high bioavailability, considerable biological activity, and low toxicity. However, its long-term biological effects and biosafety remain unknown. Our previous study demonstrated that 8-week supplementation with SeNPs (50 μg Se/kg/day) was safe and had an anti-atherosclerotic activity in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE^-/-) mice, a well-known animal model of atherosclerosis. As a chronic disease, atherosclerosis needs long-term drug therapy. The aim of this study is to investigate the long-term effects of SeNPs with different sizes on atherosclerotic lesions and their biosafety in ApoE^-/- mice fed with a high fat diet. Unexpectedly, the results showed that 24-week administration of SeNPs even at a low dose (50 μg Se/kg/day) aggravated atherosclerotic lesions. Furthermore, SeNPs exacerbated oxidative stress by inhibiting the activities of antioxidant enzymes and the expression of antioxidant selenoenzymes. SeNPs also exacerbated hyperlipidaemia by inducing hepatic lipid metabolic disorder. In the meanwhile, SeNPs aggravated organ injury, especially liver and kidney injury. The above adverse effects of SeNPs were size dependent: SeNPs with the size of 40.4 nm showed the highest adverse effects among the SeNPs with three sizes (23.1 nm, 40.4 nm, and 86.8 nm). In conclusion, the present work shows that long-term administration of low-dose SeNPs aggravated atherosclerotic lesions by enhancing oxidative stress and hyperlipidaemia in ApoE^-/- mice, indicative of cardiovascular toxicity. Moreover, long-term administration of SeNPs led to injury to liver and kidney. These results offer novel insights for better understanding the biosafety of SeNPs and other biomedical nanomaterials.

[Differential diagnosis and prevention of diabetic macular edema after cataract surgery in patients with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy]

Cataract surgery can increase the risk of diabetic macular edema (DME) and Irvine-Gass syndrome postoperatively in nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) patients. An accurate distinction between DME and Irvine-Gass syndrome in NPDR patients after cataract surgery is significantly important for the selection of subsequent treatment plans and guarantee of long-term vision quality. This article elaborates the differential diagnosis and prevention of DME, in order to provide a theoretical basis for the timely prevention, accurate diagnosis and standardized treatment of DME in NPDR patients after cataract surgery. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2021, 57: 546-551).

Comparative immunogenicity of outer membrane protein K and whole-cell antigens of Vibrio parahaemolyticus for diagnosis

The immunogenicity of soluble outer membrane protein K (OmpK)- small ubiquitin-like modifier, OmpK inclusion bodies, formalin, and heat-killed Vibrio parahaemolyticus cells were prepared and studied in a mouse model. The results of whole-cell ELISA and Western blot (WB) revealed that the serum against soluble OmpK and OmpK inclusion bodies reacted only with homologous V. parahaemolyticus. Furthermore, recombinant OmpK proteins were not recognized by the serum against whole-cell V. parahaemolyticus antigens. Unexpectedly, the serum against formalin and heat-killed V. parahaemolyticus reacted broadly with homologous (an immunization strain) and heterologous (non-immunization strains) V. parahaemolyticus and Vibrio species. The WB results revealed that the serum against the two V. parahaemolyticus whole-cell antigens primarily reacted with proteins that were approximately 100, 70, 36, 28, and 22 kDa in the cell lysates from different Vibrio strains, rather than the recombinant OmpK. The 70 and 28 kDa proteins exhibited specificity to Vibrio species, while the 22 kDa protein was more specific to V. parahaemolyticus. This study showed the limitation of recombinant OmpK to prepare diagnostic antibodies and revealed several specific Omps of Vibrio sp. and V. parahaemolyticus that were promising in diagnosis and vaccine development.

Dissecting the novel mechanism of reduning injection in treating Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) based on network pharmacology and experimental verification

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Reduning injection (RDNI) is a patented Traditional Chinese medicine that contains three Chinese herbal medicines, respectively are the dry aboveground part of Artemisia annua L., the flower of Lonicera japonica Thunb., and the fruit Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis. RDNI has been recommended for treating Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the "New Coronavirus Pneumonia Diagnosis and Treatment Plan".

AIM OF THE STUDY

To elucidate and verify the underlying mechanisms of RDNI for the treatment of COVID-19.

METHODS

This study firstly performed anti-SARS-CoV-2 experiments in Vero E6 cells. Then, network pharmacology combined with molecular docking was adopted to explore the potential mechanisms of RDNI in the treatment for COVID-19. After that, western blot and a cytokine chip were used to validate the predictive results.

RESULTS

We concluded that half toxic concentration of drug CC50 (dilution ratio) = 1:1280, CC50 = 2.031 mg crude drugs/mL (0.047 mg solid content/mL) and half effective concentration of drug (EC50) (diluted multiples) = 1:25140.3, EC50 = 103.420 μg crude drugs/mL (2.405 μg solid content/mL). We found that RDNI can mainly regulate targets like carbonic anhydrases (CAs), matrix metallopeptidases (MMPs) and pathways like PI3K/AKT, MAPK, Forkhead box O s and T cell receptor signaling pathways to reduce lung damage. We verified that RDNI could effectively inhibit the overexpression of MAPKs, PKC and p65 nuclear factor-κB. The injection could also affect cytokine levels, reduce inflammation and display antipyretic activity.

CONCLUSION

RDNI can regulate ACE2, Mpro and PLP in COVID-19. The underlying mechanisms of RDNI in the treatment for COVID-19 may be related to the modulation of the cytokine levels and inflammation and its antipyretic activity by regulating the expression of MAPKs, PKC and p65 nuclear factor NF-κB.