Progress in novel delivery technologies to improve efficacy of therapeutic antibodies

Monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics have achieved remarkable success in treating a wide range of human diseases. However, conventional systemic delivery methods have limitations in insufficient target tissue permeability, high costs, repeated administrations, etc. Novel technologies have been developed to address these limitations and further enhance antibody therapy. Local antibody delivery via respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, eye and blood-brain barrier have shown promising results in increasing local concentrations and overcoming barriers. Nucleic acid-encoded antibodies expressed from plasmid DNA, viral vectors or mRNA delivery platforms also offer advantages over recombinant proteins such as sustained expression, rapid onset, and lower costs. This review summarizes recent advances in antibody delivery methods and highlights innovative technologies that have potential to expand therapeutic applications of antibodies.

Whole-genome sequencing analysis in fetal structural anomalies: novel phenotype-genotype discoveries

OBJECTIVES

The identification of structural variants and single-nucleotide variants is essential in finding molecular etiologies of monogenic genetic disorders. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is becoming more widespread in genetic disease diagnosis. However, data on its clinical utility remain limited in prenatal practice. We aimed to expand our understanding of implementing WGS in the genetic diagnosis of fetal structural anomalies.

METHODS

We employed trio WGS with a minimum coverage of 40× on the MGI DNBSEQ-T7 platform in a cohort of 17 fetuses presenting with aberrations detected by ultrasound, but uninformative findings of standard chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) and exome sequencing (ES).

RESULTS

Causative genetic variants were identified in two families, with an increased diagnostic yield of 11.8% (2/17). Both were exon-level copy-number variants of small size (3.03 kb and 5.16 kb) and beyond the detection thresholds of CMA and ES. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, we have described the first prenatal instance of the association of FGF8 with holoprosencephaly and facial deformities.

CONCLUSIONS

Our analysis demonstrates the clinical value of WGS in the diagnosis of the underlying etiology of fetuses with structural abnormalities, when routine genetic tests have failed to provide a diagnosis. Additionally, the novel variants and new fetal manifestations have expanded the mutational and phenotypic spectrums of BBS9 and FGF8. © 2023 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

PARP1 UFMylation ensures the stability of stalled replication forks

The S-phase checkpoint involving CHK1 is essential for fork stability in response to fork stalling. PARP1 acts as a sensor of replication stress and is required for CHK1 activation. However, it is unclear how the activity of PARP1 is regulated. Here, we found that UFMylation is required for the efficient activation of CHK1 by UFMylating PARP1 at K548 during replication stress. Inactivation of UFL1, the E3 enzyme essential for UFMylation, delayed CHK1 activation and inhibits nascent DNA degradation during replication blockage as seen in PARP1-deficient cells. An in vitro study indicated that PARP1 is UFMylated at K548, which enhances its catalytic activity. Correspondingly, a PARP1 UFMylation-deficient mutant (K548R) and pathogenic mutant (F553L) compromised CHK1 activation, the restart of stalled replication forks following replication blockage, and chromosome stability. Defective PARP1 UFMylation also resulted in excessive nascent DNA degradation at stalled replication forks. Finally, we observed that PARP1 UFMylation-deficient knock-in mice exhibited increased sensitivity to replication stress caused by anticancer treatments. Thus, we demonstrate that PARP1 UFMylation promotes CHK1 activation and replication fork stability during replication stress, thus safeguarding genome integrity.

Efficacy and safety of bexagliflozin compared with dapagliflozin as an adjunct to metformin in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A 24-week, randomized, double-blind, active-controlled, phase 3 trial

BACKGROUND

Bexagliflozin and dapagliflozin are sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. No direct comparison of SGLT2 inhibitors in a randomized controlled trial has been reported to date.

METHODS

This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, active-controlled trial comparing bexagliflozin to dapagliflozin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults with disease inadequately controlled by metformin. Subjects (n = 406) were randomized to receive bexagliflozin (20 mg) or dapagliflozin (10 mg) plus metformin. The primary endpoint was noninferiority of bexagliflozin to dapagliflozin for the change in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) from baseline to week 24. Secondary endpoints included intergroup differences in fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2-h-postprandial glucose (PPG), body weight, and systolic blood pressure (SBP) from baseline to week 24. The trial also evaluated the safety profiles.

RESULTS

The model-adjusted mean change from baseline to week 24 HbA1c was -1.08% for bexagliflozin and -1.10% for dapagliflozin. The intergroup difference of 0.03% (95% confidence interval [CI] -0.14% to 0.19%) was below the prespecified margin of 0.4%, confirming the noninferiority of bexagliflozin. The changes from baseline in FPG, PPG, body weight, and SBP were -1.95 mmol/L, -3.24 mmol/L, -2.52 kg, and -6.4 mm Hg in the bexagliflozin arm and -1.87 mmol/L, -3.07 mmol/L, -2.22 kg, and -6.3 mm Hg in the dapagliflozin arm. Adverse events were experienced in 62.6% and 65.0% and serious adverse events affected 4.4% and 3.5% of subjects in the bexagliflozin and dapagliflozin arm, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Bexagliflozin showed nearly identical effects and a similar safety profile to dapagliflozin when used in Chinese patients on metformin.

Antibody level comparison after porcine epidemic diarrhea vaccination via different immunization routes

Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) is a disease extremely harmful to pig health. Intramuscular and Houhai acupoint injections are the main immunization routes to prevent and control PED. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of these two routes in pregnant sows based on serum IgG, IgA, and neutralizing antibody levels. PED virus (PEDV) immunoprophylaxis with live-attenuated and inactivated vaccines was administered. The vaccinations for the intramuscular injections elevated IgG and neutralizing antibody levels more than Houhai acupoint injections at most timepoints after immunization. However, the anti-PEDV IgA antibodies induced by vaccination with the two immunization routes did not differ significantly. In conclusion, intramuscular injections are better than Houhai acupoint injections for PEDV vaccination of pregnant sows.

Influence of intracranial hemorrhage on clinical outcome in acute vertebrobasilar artery occlusion undergoing endovascular treatment

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The effect of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) on the outcome of patients with large-vessel occlusion undergoing endovascular treatment (EVT) has mainly focused on the anterior circulation. Knowledge of the relationship between ICH and outcomes in patients with acute vertebrobasilar artery occlusion (VBAO) receiving EVT is limited. We aimed to assess whether ICH is a prognostic marker for acute VBAO following EVT.

METHODS

Patients who underwent EVT for acute VBAO in the acute posterior circulation ischemic stroke (PERSIST) registry were included. All patients were classified as having no or any-ICH. Any-ICH was subdivided into asymptomatic and symptomatic ICH. A multivariate regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between ICH and functional outcomes in patients with acute VBAO after receiving EVT.

RESULTS

Five hundred and forty-seven patients, including 107 patients with ICH (19.6%): 38 (7.0%) and 69 (12.6%) with symptomatic and asymptomatic ICH, respectively. After adjustment for potential confounders, any-ICH was independently associated with reduced chance of favorable outcome (OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.21-0.72, P=0.003), functional independence (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.16-0.52, P<0.001), and excellent outcome (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.15-0.75, P=0.008), and increased mortality risk (OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.30-3.51, P=0.003). Symptomatic ICH had a similar association. Moreover, asymptomatic ICH was a negative predictor of functional independence (OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.17-0.88, P=0.024).

CONCLUSION

Any- and symptomatic ICH were strongly associated with worse clinical outcomes and increased mortality in patients with acute VBAO who underwent EVT. Asymptomatic ICH was an inverse predictor of functional independence.

[The clinical value of heat shock protein 90α in predicting the prognosis of interventional therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma]

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between plasma heat shock protein 90α (HSP90α) levels and treatment response after four weeks and long-term prognosis after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: The clinical data of HCC patients who underwent TACE in the Department of Interventional Radiology, Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from August 2017 to December 2018 were retrospectively collected. Chi-square tests were used to analyze the relationship between plasma HSP90α level and clinicopathological features before TACE treatment. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors of TACE treatment response. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors of progression-free survival (PFS) after TACE treatment. Results: The expression level of plasma HSP90α in 96 patients before TACE treatment was (99.70 ± 66.61) ng/ml. Compared with the low HSP90α group (n=66), the high HSP90α group (n=30) had larger tumors, higher alpha-fetoprotein enrichment, more positive vascular invasions, and more advanced Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stages (all P<0.05). After four weeks of TACE treatment, 41 patients in the response group and 55 patients in the non-response group were evaluated. The difference of HSP90α expression levels between the response group and the non-response group before and after TACE treatment was (-32.20±22.79) ng/ml and (7.20±51.94) ng/ml, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that Child-Pugh classification (OR=0.186, P=0.046), vascular invasion (OR=0.132, P=0.025), and the percentage reduction of plasma HSP90α after TACE treatment (percentage reduction 25%-50%: OR=5.061, P=0.013; percentage reduction >50%: OR= 86.831, P<0.001) were independent influencing factors for the response to TACE treatment in HCC. The median PFS of the 96 patients was 8.7 months. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that BCLC stage (stage B: HR=2.804, P=0.008; stage C: HR=4.628, P<0.001) and the percentage reduction of plasma HSP90α after TACE treatment (percentage reduction 25%-50%: HR=0.569, P=0.051; percentage reduction >50%: HR=0.198, P<0.001) were independent influence factors for the PFS in these HCC patients after TACE treatment. Conclusion: Plasma HSP90α may represent a novel biomarker for predicting efficacy of TACE and PFS of patients with HCC.

The Roles of Plant-Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR)-Based Biostimulants for Agricultural Production Systems

The application of biostimulants has been proven to be an advantageous tool and an appropriate form of management towards the effective use of natural resources, food security, and the beneficial effects on plant growth and yield. Plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are microbes connected with plant roots that can increase plant growth by different methods such as producing plant hormones and molecules to improve plant growth or providing increased mineral nutrition. They can colonize all ecological niches of roots to all stages of crop development, and they can affect plant growth and development directly by modulating plant hormone levels and enhancing nutrient acquisition such as of potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen, and essential minerals, or indirectly via reducing the inhibitory impacts of different pathogens in the forms of biocontrol parameters. Many plant-associated species such as Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Streptomyces, Serratia, Arthrobacter, and Rhodococcus can increase plant growth by improving plant disease resistance, synthesizing growth-stimulating plant hormones, and suppressing pathogenic microorganisms. The application of biostimulants is both an environmentally friendly practice and a promising method that can enhance the sustainability of horticultural and agricultural production systems as well as promote the quantity and quality of foods. They can also reduce the global dependence on hazardous agricultural chemicals. Science Direct, Google Scholar, Springer Link, CAB Direct, Scopus, Springer Link, Taylor and Francis, Web of Science, and Wiley Online Library were checked, and the search was conducted on all manuscript sections in accordance with the terms Acinetobacter, Arthrobacter, Enterobacter, Ochrobactrum, Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, Serratia, Streptomyces, Biostimulants, Plant growth promoting rhizobactera, and Stenotrophomonas. The aim of this manuscript is to survey the effects of plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria by presenting case studies and successful paradigms in various agricultural and horticultural crops.

Characterization of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins in Healthy and Diseased States by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

Intrinsically Disordered Proteins (IDPs) are active in different cellular procedures like ordered assembly of chromatin and ribosomes, interaction with membrane, protein, and ligand binding, molecular recognition, binding, and transportation via nuclear pores, microfilaments and microtubules process and disassembly, protein functions, RNA chaperone, and nucleic acid binding, modulation of the central dogma, cell cycle, and other cellular activities, post-translational qualification and substitute splicing, and flexible entropic linker and management of signaling pathways. The intrinsic disorder is a precise structural characteristic that permits IDPs/IDPRs to be involved in both one-to-many and many-to-one signaling. IDPs/IDPRs also exert some dynamical and structural ordering, being much less constrained in their activities than folded proteins. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a major technique for the characterization of IDPs, and it can be used for dynamic and structural studies of IDPs. This review was carried out to discuss intrinsically disordered proteins and their different goals, as well as the importance and effectiveness of NMR in characterizing intrinsically disordered proteins in healthy and diseased states.

The Power of the Underutilized and Neglected Medicinal Plants and Herbs of the Middle East

The Middle east and North Africa harbour many native species with pharmaceutical and nutraceutical potential. Since the beginning of history, food and herbal medicinal plants have been an essential part of human lives and the traditional Middle Eastern healthcare system. The notable medicinal plants that have been mentioned in the Bible, which are common in West Asia and some regions of North Africa, are Aloe vera, anise, balm, cassia, cinnamon, cumin, flax, and fig. Chemical components of Aloe vera are aloin, sinapinic acid, catechin, chromone, myricetin, quercitrin and syringic acid. Anethole, safrole, and estragole are the main chemical components of anise. The chemical components of cassia are coumarin, emodin, cinnamyl alcohol, and cinnamaldehyde. The major chemical ingredients of cumin are terpinene, cuminaldehyde, sabinene, thujene, and thymoquinone. The goal of this article is to review the considerable health benefits and pharmaceutical benefits of medicinal herbs and plants that have been neglected and underutilized in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as to promote their utilization. On the basis of the results, the experimented neglected medicinal plant can offer various advantages when used together with conventional medicinal treatments for various health conditions, such as palliative care in managing the side effects of conventional treatments, access to a wider range of treatments, increased patient satisfaction, and improved emotional and mental well-being. Moreover-, consuming medicinal plants may help to manage and prevent diabetes, cancer, and heart disease with notable anti-tumor, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Amino Acids Biostimulants and Protein Hydrolysates in Agricultural Sciences

The effects of different types of biostimulants on crops include improving the visual quality of the final products, stimulating the immune systems of plants, inducing the biosynthesis of plant defensive biomolecules, removing heavy metals from contaminated soil, improving crop performance, reducing leaching, improving root development and seed germination, inducing tolerance to abiotic and biotic stressors, promoting crop establishment and increasing nutrient-use efficiency. Protein hydrolysates are mixtures of polypeptides and free amino acids resulting from enzymatic and chemical hydrolysis of agro-industrial protein by-products obtained from animal or plant origins, and they are able to alleviate environmental stress effects, improve growth, and promote crop productivity. Amino acids involve various advantages such as increased yield and yield components, increased nutrient assimilation and stress tolerance, and improved yield components and quality characteristics. They are generally achieved through chemical or enzymatic protein hydrolysis, with significant capabilities to influence the synthesis and activity of some enzymes, gene expression, and redox-homeostasis. Increased yield, yield components, and crop quality; improved and regulated oxidation-reduction process, photosynthesis, and physiological activities; decreased negative effects of toxic components; and improved anti-fungal activities of plants are just some of the more important benefits of the application of phenols and phenolic biostimulants. The aim of this manuscript is to survey the impacts of amino acids, different types of protein hydrolysates, phenols, and phenolic biostimulants on different plants by presenting case studies and successful paradigms in several horticultural and agricultural crops.

Mechanism of Action of Collagen and Epidermal Growth Factor: A Review on Theory and Research Methods

The most abundant protein found in mammals is collagen, and there are around 28 different types of collagen found in the human body, but there are five types, namely, Type I, Type II, Type III, Type V, and Type X, most generally applied in supplements, and the five common types of collagen are available in various forms and form different sources, which result in various potential benefits. The epidermal growth factor is one of the main growth factor proteins in the skin, which has an important function in the production of collagen, hyaluronic acid, and elastin to keep the skin healthy and dense appearance. It is a single-chain polypeptide of 53 amino acids, which is a potent mitogen for a variety of cells in vivo and in vitro. It triggers cells to grow, produce, and divide proteins, such as collagen. It may increase collagen production in granulation tissue by stimulation of fibroblast proliferation. This review article aims to provide an overview of different collagens and epidermal growth factors from recently published studies and some important directions for future research. The key words search for Collagen, Epidermal growth, Polypeptides, Amino acids, Protein, and tissue engineering were performed using Google scholar, PubMed, and Scopus. Fibrillar collagens are collagen types I, II, III, V, XI, XXIV, XXVII, and non-fibrillar collagens are collagen types IV, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII, XIX, XX, XXI, XXII, XXIII, XXV, XXVI, XXVIII, and XXIX. Collagen I can be found in bone, skin, tendon, cornea and vascular ligature; collagen II can be discovered in cartilage, vitreous body and gristle; collagen III is the main ingredient of reticular fibers which is often found alongside type I, the location of collagen III is also in skin, uterus, intestine, and vessels. Collagen IV can be identified in capillaries, the epithelium-secreted layer of the basement membrane and forms basal lamina. It forms basal lamina, capillaries, and the epitheliumsecreted layer of the basement membrane, while Collagen V can be discovered in bones, skin, cornea, hair, placenta, and cell surfaces. In addition, collagen VI is found in bones, skin, gristle, cornea and vessels, while collagen VII can be found in skin, bladder, mucous membranes, amniotic fluid and umbilical cord. Lastly, collagen VIII is found in the skin, heart, kidney, brain, bones, gristle and vessels. Moreover, collagen X, XI and IX can be found in the gristle.

Risk Factors for Locoregional Recurrence and Distant Metastasis in 143 Patients with Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the External Auditory Canal

AIMS

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) grows slowly and is characterised by potential recurrence and metastasis to distant organs. This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for locoregional recurrence (LRR) and distant metastasis in patients with ACC of the external auditory canal (EAC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Demographic, pathological, therapeutic and survival data of 143 patients with EAC ACC were reviewed in this study. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were carried out to determine the risk factors for LRR and distant metastasis. Factors associated with overall survival after LRR and distant metastasis were also analysed.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 49 months, 31 of 143 patients were observed with LRR and 34 developed distant metastasis. Bone invasion and histological subtype were independent risk factors for locoregional recurrence-free survival. T stage and LRR were independent risk factors for distant metastasis-free survival. Salvage surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy for LRR resulted in better survival, whereas extrapulmonary metastasis and LRR were associated with a higher risk of poor survival after distant metastasis.

CONCLUSION

Patients with distant metastases, especially those with LRR, are at significant risk of poor prognosis. Our findings emphasise the importance of long-term regular follow-up and recommend surgical intervention with radiotherapy for recurrent EAC ACC.

Two-Stage Treatment Protocol of Fungal Periprosthetic Hip and Knee Joint Infections: the Clinical Experience from a Single Center Experience

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

To evaluate the clinical results and safety of fungal periprosthetic joint Infections (fPJIs) using two-stage treatment protocol.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

8 patients with fPJIs (3 hips and 5 knees) using two-stage revision were reviewed retrospectively and followed up at least 2 years. The preoperative demographic data, two-stage treatment protocol, results of microbiology and histologic workup and postoperative follow-up results (reimplantation success rate and infection free time) were recorded.

RESULTS

7 patients got successful reimplantation, with a 75% reimplantation success rate. Two patients got knee arthrodesis eventually. All patients were infection free with a median follow-up of 4.0 ± 2.0 years (range, 2-7 years). Of them, Candida species were found in 7 patients, while non-Candida specimen was only isolated in 1 patient with Aspergillus. Only 2 patients had coexisting bacterial infection (Methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococci and Proteus mirabilis respectively). The average interval between the initial surgery and diagnosis of fPJIs was 21.50±34.79 months (range, 4-104 months). The mean time of spacer implantation was 7.75±2.77 months (range, 6-14 months). None serious complication or above knee amputation was found.

DISCUSSION

fPJIs are very rare and considerable challenge after total hip or knee arthroplasty. The goal of therapy is to eradicate local infection and maintain function. Candida species were the most common pathogen. The duration between spacer placement and staged reimplantation was highly variable, and generally dependent upon the results of joint aspirates and infl ammatory markers. The current study shows that the two-stage treatment protocol is recommended for fungal periprosthetic hip and knee joint infections.

CONCLUSIONS

The two-stage treatment protocol is recommended for fungal periprosthetic hip and knee joint infections. The safety and effi cacy of biantibiotical impregnated (antifungal + antibiotics) cement spacer is confi rmed. Further evidence-based work is needed to determine the optimal drug dose and reimplantation time.

KEY WORDS

two-stage treatment protocol, fungal periprosthetic infections, hip spacer, knee spacer.

The Significance and Importance of dPCR, qPCR, and SYBR Green PCR Kit in the Detection of Numerous Diseases

Digital PCR (dPCR) is the latest technique that has become commercially accessible for various types of research. This method uses Taq polymerase in a standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify a target DNA fragment from a complex sample, like quantitative PCR (qPCR) and droplet digital PCR (dd- PCR). ddPCR may facilitate microRNA (miRNA) measurement, particularly in liquid biopsy, because it has been proven to be more effective and sensitive, and in this method, ddPCR can provide an unprecedented chance for deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation research because of its capability to increase sensitivity and precision over conventional PCR-based methods. qPCR has also been found to be a valuable standard technique to measure both copy DNA (cDNA) and genomic DNA (gDNA) levels, although the finding data can be significantly variable and non-reproducible without relevant validation and verification of both primers and samples. The SYBR green quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) method has been reported as an appropriate technique for quantitative detection and species discrimination, and has been applied profitably in different experiments to determine, quantify, and discriminate species. Although both TaqMan qRT-PCR and SYBR green qRT-PCR are sensitive and rapid, the SYBR green qRT-PCR assay is easy and the TaqMan qRT-PCR assay is specific but expensive due to the probe required. This review aimed to introduce dPCR, qPCR, SYBR green PCR kit, and digital PCR, compare them, and also introduce their advantages in the detection of different diseases.

Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM) and Natural Remedies for Treatment of the Common Cold and Flu

Traditional Iranian medicine is usually used for both prevention and relief of cold and flu symptoms in China, Iran, and many other Asian countries all over the world. There are 4 kinds of influenza viruses. Unlike type B, which may cause seasonal epidemics, type A viruses can cause pandemics, and influenza C may lead to mild human infection with little public health effects. A literature review was done by using multiple databases such as ISI Web of knowledge, PubMed, Science Direct and Google Scholar. The most notable antiviral medicinal plants for flu and cold are honeysuckle flowers, thyme leaf, green chiretta, andrographis, peppermint oil and leaf and calendula. The most important expectorant medicinal plants for cold and flu are snake root, tulsi, licorice root, slippery elm, clove, and sage leaf. Recommended immunostimulant medicinal plants for cold and flu are eucalyptus, Echinacea root, ginseng, garlic, slippery elm, marshmallow, Usnea lichen, Isatis root, ginger root, and myrrh resin. Iranian traditional medicine, which is one of the oldest schools of traditional medicine, is one of the main concepts of disease and health, and it can be considered as an important complementary and alternative medicine, as in some cases, modern medicine has many side effects, low efficiency, and high costs. Medicinal plants and herbs, which are included in many traditional systems, have significant and promising bioactive components in organic life.

[Clinical analysis of sirolimus as an alternative GVHD prophylaxis for patients with kidney injury undergoing allo-HSCT]

Objective: To explore the feasibility of sirolimus as an alternative graft versus host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis in patients with kidney injury after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Methods: Retrospective case series study. Medical records of 11 patients in Peking University People's Hospital from 1 August 2008 to 31 October 2022, who received sirolimus instead of cyclosporine to prevent GVHD, due to renal insufficiency after allo-HSCT, were analyzed retrospectively. Incidence of GVHD, infection, and transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA-TMA), as well as renal function, were evaluated. Results: Among the 11 patients who received sirolimus, 6 were treated with haploidentical donor HSCT, and 5 were treated using matched sibling donor HSCT. The median (range) time of sirolimus administration was 30 (7-167) days after allo-HSCT, and the median (range) sirolimus course duration was 52 (9-120) days. During sirolimus treatment, 1 case did not undergo combined treatment with other prophylactic drugs, 3 cases received combined mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), and 1 case underwent combined CD25 monoclonal antibody treatment, while 6 cases had combined therapy with both MMF and CD25 monoclonal antibody. Of the 11 patients, 2 developed Grade Ⅲ acute GVHD, 1 developed severe pneumonia and died, and 1 developed TA-TMA, while nine patients had normal or improved renal function. Median (range) follow-up time was 130 (54-819) days. Non-relapse mortality was observed in 1 patient. Relapse mortality was also observed in 1 patient. Conclusion: Sirolimus-based alternative GVHD prophylaxis is a potentially viable option for patients undergoing allo-HSCT who cannot tolerate cyclosporine, but its efficacy and safety require further optimization and verification in prospective studies.

[Efficacy of adjuvant programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibody immunotherapy in Chinese patients with resected stage Ⅱ-Ⅲ melanoma]

Objective: To explore the efficacy of adjuvant programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibody immunotherapy in Chinese patients with resected stage Ⅱ-Ⅲ melanoma. Methods: A total of 296 patients who underwent radical surgery for stage Ⅱ-Ⅲ cutaneous orlimb melanoma at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Shanghai Electric Power Hospital between 2017 and 2021 and received adjuvant PD-1 monoclonal antibody immunotherapy, low-dose interferon (IFN), or observational follow-up were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into the PD-1 monoclonal antibody group (164 cases) and the IFN or observation group (IFN/OBS group, 132 cases) based on postoperative adjuvant treatment methods. Patients' disease recurrence and survival were observed. Results: Among the 296 patients, 77 had cutaneous melanoma and 219 had limb melanoma; 110 were stage Ⅱ and 186 were stage Ⅲ. Among stage Ⅱ patients, the median recurrence-free survival (RFS) in the PD-1 monoclonal antibody group (46 cases) did not reach, while the median RFS in the IFN/OBS group (64 cases) was 36 months. The 1-year RFS rates were 85.3% and 92.1% and the 2-year RFS rates were 71.9% and 63.7% in the PD-1 monoclonal antibody group and the IFN/OBS group, respectively, with no statistically significant difference (P=0.394). Among stage Ⅲ patients, the median RFS rates in the PD-1 monoclonal antibody group (118 cases) and the IFN/OBS group (68 cases) were 23 and 13 months, respectively. The 1-year RFS rates were 70.0% and 51.8% and the 2-year RFS rates were 51.8% and 35.1%in the PD-1 monoclonal antibody group and the IFN/OBS group, respectively, with a statistically significant difference (P=0.010). Stratified analysis showed that the advantage of PD-1 monoclonal antibody adjuvant therapy in improving RFS persisted in the subgroups of primary ulceration (HR=0.558, 95% CI: 0.348-0.893), lymph node macroscopic metastasis (HR=0.486, 95% CI: 0.285-0.828), stage ⅢC (HR=0.389, 95% CI: 0.24-0.63), and the subgroup without BRAF/c-Kit/NRAS gene mutations (HR=0.347, 95% CI: 0.171-0.706). In terms of recurrence patterns, in stage Ⅱ patients, the recurrence and metastasis rate was 15.2% (7/46) in the PD-1 monoclonal antibody group, significantly lower than the IFN/OBS group [43.8% (28/64), P=0.002]. In stage Ⅲ melanoma patients, the recurrence and metastasis rate was 42.4% (50/118) in the PD-1 monoclonal antibody group, also lower than the IFN/OBS group [63.2% (43/68), P=0.006]. Conclusions: In real-world settings, compared with patients receiving low-dose IFN adjuvant therapy or observational follow-up, PD-1 monoclonal antibody immunotherapy can reduce the recurrence and metastasis rate of cutaneous and limb melanoma, and prolong the postoperative RFS of stage Ⅲ cutaneous and limb melanoma patients. Patients with a heavier tumor burden benefit more from immunotherapy.

Retrospective analysis of medical emergencies in an oral emergency department

BACKGROUND

To retrospectively analyze the rescue of medical emergencies and critical patients in the oral emergency department in a hospital during the past 14 years; analyze the general condition of patients, their diagnosis, etiological factors, and outcomes of the disease, so as to improve the ability of oral medical staff to deal with emergencies; and optimize the emergency procedures and resource allocation in such departments.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Data and related information of critical patient emergency rescue from the Emergency Department of the Hospital of Stomatology, Peking University from January 2006 to December 2019, were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 53 critical patients were rescued in the oral emergency department in the past 14 years, which is an average of four cases per year, with an incidence rate of 0.00506%. The main type of emergency included hemorrhagic shock and active hemorrhage, with the highest incidence being in the age group of 19-40 years old. Among these cases, 67.92% (36/53) developed emergency and critical diseases before visiting the oral emergency department and 41.51% (22/53) had systemic diseases. After rescue, a total of 48 patients (90.57%) had stable vital signs and 5 (9.43%) died.

CONCLUSIONS

Oral doctors and other medical staff should be able to rapidly identify medical emergencies in oral emergency departments and commence emergency treatment. The department should be equipped with relevant first-aid drugs and devices, and medical staff should be regularly trained in practical first-aid skills. Patients with oral and maxillofacial trauma, massive hemorrhage and systemic diseases should be evaluated and treated according to their conditions and systemic organ function to prevent and reduce medical emergencies.

Morusinol Extracted from Morus alba Inhibits Cell Proliferation and Induces Autophagy via FOXO3a Nuclear Accumulation-Mediated Cholesterol Biosynthesis Obstruction in Colorectal Cancer

The incidence rate of colorectal cancer (CRC) has been increasing significantly in recent years, and it is urgent to develop novel drugs that have more effects for its treatment. It has been reported that many molecules extracted from the root bark of Morus alba L. (also known as Cortex Mori) have antitumor activities. In our study, we identified morusinol as a promising anticancer agent by selecting from 30 molecules extracted from Morus alba L. We found that morusinol treatment suppressed cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis of CRC cells in vitro. Besides this, we observed that morusinol induced cytoprotective autophagy. The GO analysis of differentially expressed genes from RNA-seq data showed that morusinol affected cholesterol metabolism. Then we found that key enzyme genes in the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway as well as the sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 2 (SREBF2) were significantly downregulated. Furthermore, additional cholesterol treatment reversed the anti-CRC effect of morusinol. Interestingly, we also found that morusinol treatment could promote forkhead box O3 (FOXO3a) nuclear accumulation, which subsequently suppressed SREBF2 transcription. Then SREBF2-controlled cholesterol biosynthesis was blocked, resulting in the suppression of cell proliferation, promotion of apoptosis, and production of autophagy. The experiments in animal models also showed that morusinol significantly impeded tumor growth in mice models. Our results suggested that morusinol may be used as a candidate anticancer drug for the treatment of CRC.

Quantitative image features of gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI for predicting glypican-3 expression of small hepatocellular carcinoma ≤3 cm

AIM

To explore the value of quantitative image features of gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for predicting Gglypican-3 (GPC3) expression of single hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ≤3 cm.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One hundred and forty-nine patients with histopathologically confirmed HCC were included retrospectively. Quantitative image features and clinicopathological parameters were analysed. The significant predictors for GPC3 expression were identified using multivariate logistic regression analyses. Nomograms were constructed from the prediction model and the progression-free survival (PFS) rate was evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

The tumour-to-liver signal intensity (SI) ratio on the hepatobiliary phase (HBP; odds ratio [OR] = 0.004; p=0.001), serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) > 20 ng/ml (OR=6.175; p<0.001), and non-smooth tumour margin (OR=4.866; p=0.002) were independent significant factors for GPC3 expression. When the three factors were combined, the diagnostic specificity was 97.7% (42/43). The nomogram based on the predictive model performed satisfactorily (C-index: 0.852). Kaplan-Meier curves showed that patients with GPC3-positive HCCs have lower PFS rates than patients with GPC3-negative HCCs (Log-rank test, p=0.006).

CONCLUSION

The tumour-to-liver SI ratio on the HBP combined with serum AFP >20 ng/ml and non-smooth tumour margin are potential predictive factors for GPC3 expression of small HCC ≤3cm. GPC3 expression is correlated with a poor prognosis in HCC patients.

The Application of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi as Microbial Biostimulant, Sustainable Approaches in Modern Agriculture

Biostimulant application can be considered an effective, practical, and sustainable nutritional crop supplementation and may lessen the environmental problems related to excessive fertilization. Biostimulants provide beneficial properties to plants by increasing plant metabolism, which promotes crop yield and improves the quality of crops; protecting plants against environmental stresses such as water shortage, soil salinization, and exposure to sub-optimal growth temperatures; and promoting plant growth via higher nutrient uptake. Other important benefits include promoting soil enzymatic and microbial activities, changing the architecture of roots, increasing the solubility and mobility of micronutrients, and enhancing the fertility of the soil, predominantly by nurturing the development of complementary soil microbes. Biostimulants are classified as microbial, such as arbuscular mycorrhizae fungi (AMF), plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), non-pathogenic fungi, protozoa, and nematodes, or non-microbial, such as seaweed extract, phosphite, humic acid, other inorganic salts, chitin and chitosan derivatives, protein hydrolysates and free amino acids, and complex organic materials. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are among the most prominent microbial biostimulants and have an important role in cultivating better, healthier, and more functional foods in sustainable agriculture. AMF assist plant nutrient and water acquisition; enhance plant stress tolerance against salinity, drought, and heavy metals; and reduce soil erosion. AMF are proven to be a sustainable and environmentally friendly source of crop supplements. The current manuscript gives many examples of the potential of biostimulants for the production of different crops. However, further studies are needed to better understand the effectiveness of different biostimulants in sustainable agriculture. The review focuses on how AMF application can overcome nutrient limitations typical of organic systems by improving nutrient availability, uptake, and assimilation, consequently reducing the gap between organic and conventional yields. The aim of this literature review is to survey the impacts of AMF by presenting case studies and successful paradigms in different crops as well as introducing the main mechanisms of action of the different biostimulant products.

Measurements of jet multiplicity and jet transverse momentum in multijet events in proton-proton collisions at s=13TeV

Multijet events at large transverse momentum (p T ) are measured at s = 13 Te V using data recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.3 fb - 1 . The multiplicity of jets with p T > 50 Ge V that are produced in association with a high-p T dijet system is measured in various ranges of the p T of the jet with the highest transverse momentum and as a function of the azimuthal angle difference Δ ϕ 1 , 2 between the two highest p T jets in the dijet system. The differential production cross sections are measured as a function of the transverse momenta of the four highest p T jets. The measurements are compared with leading and next-to-leading order matrix element calculations supplemented with simulations of parton shower, hadronization, and multiparton interactions. In addition, the measurements are compared with next-to-leading order matrix element calculations combined with transverse-momentum dependent parton densities and transverse-momentum dependent parton shower.

Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1 Lacking Enzymatic Activity Is Not Compatible with Mouse Development

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1) binds DNA lesions to catalyse poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PARylation) using NAD+ as a substrate. PARP1 plays multiple roles in cellular activities, including DNA repair, transcription, cell death, and chromatin remodelling. However, whether these functions are governed by the enzymatic activity or scaffolding function of PARP1 remains elusive. In this study, we inactivated in mice the enzymatic activity of PARP1 by truncating its C-terminus that is essential for ART catalysis (PARP1ΔC/ΔC, designated as PARP1-ΔC). The mutation caused embryonic lethality between embryonic day E8.5 and E13.5, in stark contrast to PARP1 complete knockout (PARP1-/-) mice, which are viable. Embryonic stem (ES) cell lines can be derived from PARP1ΔC/ΔC blastocysts, and these mutant ES cells can differentiate into all three germ layers, yet, with a high degree of cystic structures, indicating defects in epithelial cells. Intriguingly, PARP1-ΔC protein is expressed at very low levels compared to its full-length counterpart, suggesting a selective advantage for cell survival. Noticeably, PARP2 is particularly elevated and permanently present at the chromatin in PARP1-ΔC cells, indicating an engagement of PARP2 by non-enzymatic PARP1 protein at the chromatin. Surprisingly, the introduction of PARP1-ΔC mutation in adult mice did not impair their viability; yet, these mutant mice are hypersensitive to alkylating agents, similar to PARP1-/- mutant mice. Our study demonstrates that the catalytically inactive mutant of PARP1 causes the developmental block, plausibly involving PARP2 trapping.

Azimuthal correlations in Z +jets events in proton-proton collisions at s=13TeV

The production of Z bosons associated with jets is measured in pp collisions at s = 13 Te V with data recorded with the CMS experiment at the LHC corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.3fb - 1 . The multiplicity of jets with transverse momentum p T > 30 Ge V is measured for different regions of the Z boson's p T ( Z ) , from lower than 10Ge V to higher than 100Ge V . The azimuthal correlation Δ ϕ between the Z boson and the leading jet, as well as the correlations between the two leading jets are measured in three regions of p T ( Z ) . The measurements are compared with several predictions at leading and next-to-leading orders, interfaced with parton showers. Predictions based on transverse-momentum dependent parton distributions and corresponding parton showers give a good description of the measurement in the regions where multiple parton interactions and higher jet multiplicities are not important. The effects of multiple parton interactions are shown to be important to correctly describe the measured spectra in the low p T ( Z ) regions.

Azimuthal Correlations within Exclusive Dijets with Large Momentum Transfer in Photon-Lead Collisions

The structure of nucleons is multidimensional and depends on the transverse momenta, spatial geometry, and polarization of the constituent partons. Such a structure can be studied using high-energy photons produced in ultraperipheral heavy-ion collisions. The first measurement of the azimuthal angular correlations of exclusively produced events with two jets in photon-lead interactions at large momentum transfer is presented, a process that is considered to be sensitive to the underlying nuclear gluon polarization. This study uses a data sample of ultraperipheral lead-lead collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 0.38  nb^{-1}, collected with the CMS experiment at the LHC. The measured second harmonic of the correlation between the sum and difference of the two jet transverse momentum vectors is found to be positive, and rising, as the dijet transverse momentum increases. A well-tuned model that has been successful at describing a wide range of proton scattering data from the HERA experiments fails to describe the observed correlations, suggesting the presence of gluon polarization effects.

Study of Different Types of Fermentation in Wine-Making Process and Considering Aromatic Substances and Organic Acid

Fermentation is being utilized since ages as a safe process for food preservation. Fermentation in winemaking is the process which converts grapes juice into wine. Alcoholic fermentation is the principle for the manufacturing of alcoholic beverages like wine and beer. Several by-products are produced by the alcoholic fermentation of organic carbon sources by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The secondary bacterial fermentation is malolactic fermentation which is carried out in most red and some kinds of white wines. Malolactic fermentation causes acid reduction, flavor modification, and also is accountable for microbial stability. The present searching was carried out by the keywords in major indexing systems including PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Institute for Scientific Web of Science and the search engine of Google Scholar. The keywords were alcoholic fermentation, malolactic fermentation, bottle fermentation, carbonic maceration, Saccharomyces, Lactobacillus, Oenococcus oeni, aromatic substances, flavour quality, terpenes, esters, lactones, aldehydes, organic acid, pyrazines, mercaptans, and traditional fermented food. This review was done to highlight the significance, and introduce different kinds of fermentations carried out in wine-making process, specially alcoholic and malolactic fermentation, survey on aromatic substances, flavour quality, and organic acids, and introduce the most notable traditional fermented food in China.

[An improved 4-vessel intermittent occlusion method for establishing rat models of global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury]

OBJECTIVE

To improve the classical 4-vessel occlusion (4VO) model established by Pulsinelli and Brierley.

METHODS

Thirty-two male SD rats were randomized into sham operation group, I4VO-Con10 group, I4VO-Int10 group and I4VO-Int15 group. The sham surgery group underwent exposure of the bilateral vertebral arteries and carotid arteries without occlusion to block blood flow. The I4VO-Con10 group experienced continuous ischemia by occluding the bilateral vertebral arteries and carotid arteries for 10 minutes followed by reperfusion for 24 hours. The I4VO-Int10 and I4VO-Int15 groups were subjected to intermittent ischemia. The I4VO- Int10 group underwent 5 minutes of ischemia, followed by 5 minutes of reperfusion and another 5 minutes of ischemia, and then reperfusion for 24 hours. The I4VO-Int15 group experienced 5 minutes of ischemia followed by two cycles of 5 minutes of reperfusion and 5 minutes of ischemia, and then reperfusion for 24 hours. The regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was monitored with laser Doppler scanning, and survival of the rats was observed. HE staining was used to observe hippocampal pathologies to determine the optimal method for modeling. Another 48 rats were randomized into 6 groups, including a sham operation group and 5 model groups established using the optimal method. The 5 I4VO model groups were further divided based on the reperfusion time points (1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days) into I4VO-D1, I4VO-D3, I4VO-D7, I4VO- D14, and I4VO- D28 groups. Body weight changes and survival of the rats were recorded. HE staining was used to observe morphological changes in the hippocampal, retinal and optic tract tissues. The Y-maze test and light/dark box test were used to evaluate cognitive and visual functions of the rats in I4VO-D28 group.

RESULTS

Occlusion for 5 min for 3 times at the interval of 5 min was the optimal method for 4VO modeling. In the latter 48 rats, the body weight was significantly lower than that of the sham-operated rats at 1, 3, 7, 14 and 28 days after modeling without significant difference in survival rate among the groups. The rats with intermittent vessel occlusion exhibited progressive deterioration of hippocampal neuronal injury and neuronal loss. Cognitive impairment was observed in the rats in I4VO-D28 group, but no obvious ischemic injury of the retina or the optic tract was detected.

CONCLUSION

The improved 4VO model can successfully mimic the main pathological processes of global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury without causing visual impairment in rats.

Measurement of the mass dependence of the transverse momentum of lepton pairs in Drell-Yan production in proton-proton collisions at s=13TeV

The double differential cross sections of the Drell-Yan lepton pair (ℓ + ℓ - , dielectron or dimuon) production are measured as functions of the invariant mass m ℓ ℓ , transverse momentum p T ( ℓ ℓ ) , and φ η ∗ . The φ η ∗ observable, derived from angular measurements of the leptons and highly correlated with p T ( ℓ ℓ ) , is used to probe the low-p T ( ℓ ℓ ) region in a complementary way. Dilepton masses up to 1Te V are investigated. Additionally, a measurement is performed requiring at least one jet in the final state. To benefit from partial cancellation of the systematic uncertainty, the ratios of the differential cross sections for various m ℓ ℓ ranges to those in the Z mass peak interval are presented. The collected data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 36.3fb - 1 of proton-proton collisions recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy of 13Te V . Measurements are compared with predictions based on perturbative quantum chromodynamics, including soft-gluon resummation.

CMS pythia 8 colour reconnection tunes based on underlying-event data

New sets of parameter tunes for two of the colour reconnection models, quantum chromodynamics-inspired and gluon-move, implemented in the pythia  8 event generator, are obtained based on the default CMS pythia  8 underlying-event tune, CP5. Measurements sensitive to the underlying event performed by the CMS experiment at centre-of-mass energies s = 7 and 13Te V , and by the CDF experiment at 1.96Te V are used to constrain the parameters of colour reconnection models and multiple-parton interactions simultaneously. The new colour reconnection tunes are compared with various measurements at 1.96, 7, 8, and 13Te V including measurements of the underlying-event, strange-particle multiplicities, jet substructure observables, jet shapes, and colour flow in top quark pair (t t ¯ ) events. The new tunes are also used to estimate the uncertainty related to colour reconnection modelling in the top quark mass measurement using the decay products of t t ¯ events in the semileptonic channel at 13Te V .

Search for light Higgs bosons from supersymmetric cascade decays in pp collisions at s=13TeV

A search is reported for pairs of light Higgs bosons (H 1 ) produced in supersymmetric cascade decays in final states with small missing transverse momentum. A data set of LHC pp collisions collected with the CMS detector at s = 13 TeV and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138fb - 1 is used. The search targets events where both H 1 bosons decay into pairs that are reconstructed as large-radius jets using substructure techniques. No evidence is found for an excess of events beyond the background expectations of the standard model (SM). Results from the search are interpreted in the next-to-minimal supersymmetric extension of the SM, where a "singlino" of small mass leads to squark and gluino cascade decays that can predominantly end in a highly Lorentz-boosted singlet-like H 1 and a singlino-like neutralino of small transverse momentum. Upper limits are set on the product of the squark or gluino pair production cross section and the square of the branching fraction of the H 1 in a benchmark model containing almost mass-degenerate gluinos and light-flavour squarks. Under the assumption of an SM-like branching fraction, H 1 bosons with masses in the range 40-120GeV arising from the decays of squarks or gluinos with a mass of 1200-2500GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level.

Developing Sustainable Agriculture Systems in Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Production by Using Chitosan and Chitin-Based Biostimulants

Chitosan is illustrated in research as a stimulant of plant tolerance and resistance that promotes natural defense mechanisms against biotic and abiotic stressors, and its use may lessen the amount of agrochemicals utilized in agriculture. Recent literature reports indicate the high efficacy of soil or foliar usage of chitin and chitosan in the promotion of plant growth and the induction of secondary metabolites biosynthesis in various species, such as Artemisia annua, Curcuma longa, Dracocephalum kotschyi, Catharanthus roseus, Fragaria × ananassa, Ginkgo biloba, Iberis amara, Isatis tinctoria, Melissa officinalis, Mentha piperita, Ocimum basilicum, Origanum vulgare ssp. Hirtum, Psammosilene tunicoides, Salvia officinalis, Satureja isophylla, Stevia rebaudiana, and Sylibum marianum, among others. This work focuses on the outstanding scientific contributions to the field of the production and quality of aromatic and medicinal plants, based on the different functions of chitosan and chitin in sustainable crop production. The application of chitosan can lead to increased medicinal plant production and protects plants against harmful microorganisms. The effectiveness of chitin and chitosan is also due to the low concentration required, low cost, and environmental safety. On the basis of showing such considerable characteristics, there is increasing attention on the application of chitin and chitosan biopolymers in horticulture and agriculture productions.

[Clinical analysis of patients with oral and maxillofacial infections in oral emergency]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the composition, incidence and clinical characteristics of oral and maxillofacial infections in oral emergency.

METHODS

A retrospective study on patients with oral and maxillofacial infections who visited the Department of Oral Emergency in Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology from January 2017 to December 2019 was conducted. General characteristics, such as disease composition, gender, age distribution and position of involved teeth were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 8 277 patients with oral and maxillofacial infections were finally collected, including 4 378 male patients (52.9%) and 3 899 female patients (47.1%), with gender ratio of 1.12:1. The common diseases were periodontal abscess (3 826 cases, 46.2%), alveolar abscess (3 537 cases, 42.7%), maxillofacial space infection (740 cases, 9.0%), sialadenitis (108 cases, 1.3%), furuncle & carbuncle (56 cases, 0.7%) and osteomyelitis (10 cases, 0.1%). Male patients were more easily affected by periodontal abscess, space infection and furuncle & carbuncle than female patients with the gender ratios 1.24:1, 1.26:1, 2.50:1 individually, while the incidence of alveolar abscess, sialadenitis, furuncle & carbuncle had no significant gender difference. Different diseases were prone to occur at different ages. The peak ages of alveolar abscess were 5-9 and 27-67 years, while the peak age of periodontal abscess was 30-64 years. Space infection tended to occur between 21-67 years. There were 7 363 patients with oral abscess (3 826 patients with periodontal abscess and 3 537 patients with alveolar abscess), accounting for 88.9% of all the patients with oral and maxillofacial infections, involving 7 999 teeth, including 717 deciduous teeth and 7 282 permanent teeth. Periodontal abscess usually occurred in permanent teeth, especially the molar teeth. Alveolar abscess may occur in both primary teeth and permanent teeth. In primary teeth, the most vulnerable sites were primary molar teeth and maxillary central incisors while in permanent teeth the most vulnerable sites were first molar teeth.

CONCLUSION

Understanding the incidence of oral and maxillofacial infection was conducive to the correct diagnosis and effective treatment of clinical diseases, as well as targeted education for patients of different ages and genders to prevent the occurrence of diseases.

The Golden Spice for Life: Turmeric with the Pharmacological Benefits of Curcuminoids Components, including Curcumin, Bisdemethoxycurcumin, and Demethoxycurcumin

BACKGROUND

Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.), belonging to the Zingiberaceae family, is a perennial rhizomatous plant of tropical and subtropical regions. The three major chemical components responsible for the biological activities of turmeric are curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin.

METHOD

The literature search included review articles, analytical studies, randomized control experiments, and observations, which have been gathered from various sources, such as Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed, and ScienceDirect. A review of the literature was carried out using the keywords: turmeric, traditional Chinese medicine, traditional Iranian medicine, traditional Indian medicine, curcumin, curcuminoids, pharmaceutical benefits, turmerone, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin. The main components of the rhizome of the leaf are α-turmerone, β-turmerone, and arturmerone.

RESULT

The notable health benefits of turmeric are antioxidant activity, gastrointestinal effects, anti-cancer effects, cardiovascular and antidiabetic effects, antimicrobial activity, photoprotector activity, hepatoprotective and renoprotective effects, and appropriate for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and inflammatory and edematic disorders.

DISCUSSION

Curcuminoids are phenolic compounds usually used as pigment spices with many health benefits, such as antiviral, antitumour, anti-HIV, anti-inflammatory, antiparasitic, anticancer, and antifungal effects. Curcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin, and demethoxycurcumin are the major active and stable bioactive constituents of curcuminoids. Curcumin, which is a hydroponic polyphenol, and the main coloring agent in the rhizomes of turmeric, has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer, and anticarcinogenic activities, as well as beneficial effects for infectious diseases and Alzheimer's disease. Bisdemethoxycurcumin possesses antioxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-metastasis activities. Demethoxycurcumin, which is another major component, has anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, and anti-cancer activities and is the appropriate candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

CONCLUSION

The goal of this review is to highlight the health benefits of turmeric in both traditional and modern pharmaceutical sciences by considering the important roles of curcuminoids and other major chemical constituents of turmeric. .

Magnetic Weyl Semimetal in BaCrSe2 with Long-Distance Distribution of Weyl Points

Weyl semimetals (WSMs) have attracted great attentions that provide intriguing platforms for exploring fundamental physical phenomena and future topotronics applications. Despite the fact that numerous WSMs are achieved, WSMs with long-distance distribution of Weyl points (WPs) in given material candidates remain elusive. Here, the emergence of intrinsic ferromagnetic WSMs in BaCrSe₂ with the nontrivial nature explicitly confirmed by the Chern number and Fermi arc surface states analysis is theoretically demonstrated. Remarkably, unlike previous WSMs for which opposite chirality WPs are located very close to each other, the WPs of BaCrSe₂ host a long-distance distribution, as much as half of the reciprocal space vector, suggesting that the WPs are highly robust and difficult to be annihilated by perturbations. The presented results not only advance the general understanding of magnetic WSMs but also put forward potential applications in topotronics.

Newly proposed survival staging system for poorly differentiated thyroid cancer: a SEER-based study

OBJECTIVE

Despite the recent release of the 8th edition TNM staging system, the risk stratification for poorly differentiated thyroid cancer (PDTC) remains controversial.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective study.

SETTING

SEER database and the First Hospital of China Medical University (FHCMU) database.

METHODS

Between 2004 and 2015, 1201 PDTC patients from the SEER database were enrolled to propose a new staging system. 38 PDTC patients were included from the FHCMU.

RESULTS

A retrospective analysis of 1201 PDTC cases was performed, and a new staging classification was developed as follows: stage I: age < 55 and T1/any N/M0 (n = 127, 10.57%); stage II: age < 55 and T2-4/any N/M0 or age ≥ 55 and T1-2/any N/M0 (n = 523, 43.55%); stage III: age < 55 and any T/N0/M1 or age ≥ 55 and any T3/any N/M0 (n = 239, 19.90%); stage IV: age < 55 and any T/N1/M1 or age ≥ 55 and T4/any N/M0, and T/any N/M1 (n = 312, 25.98%). The 10-year disease-specific survival rates of patients in the new stages I, II, III, and IV were 97.9%, 77.9%, 35.3%, and 12.1%, respectively. The proportion of variation explained (PVE) for disease-specific survival of the proposed system was higher than that of the 8th AJCC TNM staging (30.61% vs. 27.15%). The accuracy of the staging system was verified in 38 PDTC patients from the FHCMU.

CONCLUSION

The proposed staging system provided a more accurate risk stratification for PDTC patients. The new staging model may facilitate the design of personalized treatment strategies for PDTC patients.

B-Cell-Derived TGF-β1 Inhibits Osteogenesis and Contributes to Bone Loss in Periodontitis

B cells play a vital role in the elimination of periodontal pathogens, the regulation of the immune response, and the induction of tissue destruction. However, the role of B cells in the dysfunction of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) differentiation to osteoblasts in periodontitis (PD) has been poorly studied. Here we show that the frequency of CD45^-CD105⁺CD73⁺ MSCs in inflamed periodontal tissues is significantly decreased in patients with PD compared with that of healthy controls. CD19⁺ B cells dominate the infiltrated immune cells in periodontal tissues of patients with PD. Besides, B-cell depletion therapy reduces the alveolar bone loss in a ligature-induced murine PD model. B cells from PD mice express a high level of TGF-β1 and inhibit osteoblast differentiation by upregulating p-Smad2/3 expression and downregulating Runx2 expression. The inhibitory effect of PD B cells on osteoblast differentiation is reduced by TGF-β1 neutralization or Smad2/3 inhibitor. Importantly, B-cell-specific knockout of TGF-β1 in PD mice significantly increases the number of CD45^-CD105⁺Sca1⁺ MSCs, ALP-positive osteoblast activity, and alveolar bone volume but decreases TRAP-positive osteoclast activity compared with that from control littermates. Lastly, CD19⁺CD27⁺CD38^- memory B cells dominate the B-cell infiltrates in periodontal tissues from both patients with PD and patients with PD after initial periodontal therapy. Memory B cells in periodontal tissues of patients with PD express a high level of TGF-β1 and inhibit MSC differentiation to osteoblasts. Thus, TGF-β1 produced by B cells may contribute to alveolar bone loss in periodontitis, in part, by suppressing osteoblast activity.

[Analysis of disease burden of occupational pneumoconiosis in Gansu Province from 2010 to 2020]

Objective: Through comparative analysis of the disease burden of occupational pneumoconiosis in Gansu Province from 2010 to 2020, the main influencing factors are screened, and scientific basis is provided for rational allocation of limited health resources, precise management and policy implementation. Methods: In August 2021, survey and collect information on surviving occupational pneumoconiosis patients and dead occupational pneumoconiosis patients diagnosed in Gansu Province from 2010 to 2020, and analyze and calculate indicators such as morbidity, mortality, and disability adjusted of life years (DALY). Analyzing the influencing factors of disease burden usirrg multiple linear regression. Results: From 2010 to 2020, the average annual incidence of occupational pneumoconiosis in Gansu Province was 0.9992/100000, the average annual mortality was 0.897/100000, the cumulative case fatality rate was 25.75%, and the cumulative DALY was 28932.96 person-years. The first stage of occupational pneumoconiosis was the highest among DALY loss (19920.14 person-years), and the DALY loss was positively correlated with the stage of occupational pneumoconiosis. Among occupational pneumoconiosis in Gansu Province, silicosis (13753.66 person-years) and coal worker's pneumoconiosis (13414.73 person-years) caused the highest disease burden, followed by cement pneumoconiosis and asbestos lung. Period, length of service, type of disease, and region are all influencing factors of DALY loss (P<0.05). Conclusion: From 2010 to 2020, the DALY losses caused by occupational pneumoconiosis in Gansu Province showed a fluctuating decrease, with the composition of DALY mainly changing from the loss of life years due to premature death to the loss of years due to injury and disability.

[Dexmedetomidine can not reduce the incidence of acute and chronic kidney disease after laparoscopic radical nephrectomy: a propensity score matching-based analysis]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine (DEX) on renal function after laparoscopic radical nephrectomy.

METHODS

We reviewed the clinical data of 282 patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), who underwent laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (LRN) in the Department of Urology, Third Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from November, 2020 and June, 2022.According to whether DEX was used during the operation, the patients were divided into DEX group and control group, and after propensity score matching, 99 patients were finally enrolled in each group.The incidence of acute kidney injuries were compared between the two groups.Serum creatinine (sCr) data within 3 months to 1 year after the operation were available in 51 patients, including 26 in DEX group and 25 in the control group, and the incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) was compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

After propensity score matching and adjustment for significant covariates, there were no significant differences in postoperative levels of sCr, cystatin C (CysC), β2-microglobulin (β2-MG), hemoglobin (Hb), or C-reactive protein (CRP), extubation time, incidence of AKI, or length of hospital stay between the two groups (P>0.05).The intraoperative urine volume was significantly higher in DEX group than in the control group (P < 0.05).A significant correlation between AKI and CKD was noted in the patients (P < 0.05).The incidence of CKD did not differ significantly between the two groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSION

DEX can not reduce the incidence of AKI or CKD after LRN.

Various Techniques for Molecular and Rapid Detection of Infectious and Epidemic Diseases

Background:

Polymerase chain reaction is an approach to make numerous copies of specific DNA. PCR has been applied for the investigation of infectious sicknesses caused by viral, protozoan, bacterial, fungal, or other infectious factors.

Objective:

This review manuscript aims to survey the usage of PCR, LAMP, RPA, and RAA in rapid detection and highlight molecular detection of various diseases and pathogens.

Methods:

Scientific sources like Science Direct, PubMed, Research gate, Scopus, and Google Scholar with highlighting on Science Direct and Scopus have been applied. A review of the literature was prepared by using the keywords PCR, LAMP, infectious disease, pathogen, RAA, RPA, and virus.

Results:

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a nucleic acid amplification method presenting the substitute to PCR. The LAMP assay is more rapid than nested PCR, is cost-efficient, and is simple to perform. LAMP technology has been widely used for the detection of crop pests, human pathogenic, pathogenic, organisms, bacteria, and components in meat products. Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) is a new isothermal technique to amplify the DNA as well as RPA. RPA combined the advantages of isothermal PCR with clarity and rapid amplification. Recombinase-aided amplification (RAA) assay has been successfully applied in the detection of bacterial and viral pathogens and controls the technical problems posed by DNA amplification techniques because it does not require thermal denaturation of the template and utilizes at a debilitated and continuous temperature.

Conclusion:

This manuscript has highlighted the importance of PCR and molecular detection as significant tools in the detection of infectious organisms, pathogens, toxins, and biological research.

[Malaria control knowledge and behaviors and their influencing factors among residents in Banlao Township, Cangyuan County, Yunnan Province]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the awareness of malaria-related knowledge, the use of mosquito nets and their influencing factors among residents in Banlao Township, Cangyuan County, Yunnan Province.

METHODS

In August 2020, 19 settlement sites in Banlao Township, Cangyuan County, Lincang City, Yunnan Province were selected as study areas, and permanent residents at ages of 10 years and older were enrolled for a questionnaire survey, including residents' demographics, family economic status, malaria control knowledge and use of mosquito nets. In addition, the factors affecting the use of mosquito nets in the night prior to the survey were identified using multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 320 questionnaires were allocated, and all were recovered (a 100% recovery rate). There were 316 valid questionnaires, with an effective recovery rate of 98.75%. The 316 respondents included 152 men and 164 women and 250 Chinese respondents and 66 foreign respondents. The awareness of clinical syndromes of malaria was significantly higher among Chinese residents (71.60%) than among foreign residents (50.00%) (χ² = 11.03, P < 0.01), and the proportions of Chinese and foreign residents sleeping under mosquito nets were 46.00% and 69.70% on the night prior to the survey, respectively (χ² = 11.73, P < 0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified ethnicity group and type of residence as factors affecting the use of mosquito nets in the night prior to the survey.

CONCLUSIONS

The awareness of malaria control knowledge, the coverage and the use of mosquito nets were low among residents in Banlao Township, Cangyuan County, Yunnan Province. Targeted health education is recommended to improve the awareness of malaria control knowledge and self-protection ability. In addition, improving the allocation of long-lasting mosquito nets and health education pertaining to their uses and increasing the proportion of using mosquito nets correctly is needed to prevent re-establishment of imported malaria.

A158 FINDINGS FROM A MULTIDISCIPLINARY DATABASE FOR PATIENTS WITH BARRETT'S ESOPHAGUS AND EARLY ESOPHAGEAL ADENOCARCINOMA

Background

Previously, Barrett’s esophagus (BE) with high grade dysplasia (HGD) or neoplasia was treated with esophagectomy; however, recent guidelines support the use of endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) for T1a esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and potentially T1b EAC. Long term data for outcomes from EMR are lacking and these treatments are often provided with minimal collaboration between gastroenterologists and thoracic surgeons.

Purpose

Our primary aim was to describe the findings from our multidisciplinary database of patients with Barrett’s esophagus and EAC undergoing endoscopic treatment. Secondary aims were to compare the overall survival and recurrence-free survival of patients undergoing endoscopic resection to those undergoing esophagectomy.

Method

For the endoscopic resection cohort, a combined retrospective and prospective database was created containing demographic, clinical, and oncologic variables for patients undergoing endoscopic resection for early stage EAC from 2009 to 2021. For the esophagectomy cohort, a pre-existing retrospective database including patients undergoing esophagectomy for esophageal cancer from 2012 to 2018 at a single institution was used. A multivariate cox proportional hazards model was developed for recurrence-free survival and overall survival using a hypothesis driven approach. A kaplan-meier (KM) curve with associated log-rank test was created to evaluate recurrence-free survival and overall survival stratified by treatment modality.

Result(s)

A total of 108 patients were included in the analysis (73 EMR, 35 esophagectomy). Baseline characteristics including age, sex, and co-morbidities were similar among the two groups. KM curves stratified by treatment modality are provided in Figure 1. Esophagectomy was associated with greater DFS on univariate log-rank test (p = 0.0127), but no difference in OS (p = 0.9306). There was no significant difference between esophagectomy and endoscopic resection in the cox-model for OS (HR 1.03, 95% CI 0.45-2.32, p = 0.914). Endoscopic resection was associated with increased hazards of disease recurrence in the cox model for DFS (HR 2.56, 95% CI 1.1-6.0, p = 0.032). In the logistic regression model, high grade disease (OR 5.43, 95% CI 1.1 – 26.1, p = 0.035) and submucosal involvement (OR 7.8, 1.9-31.4, p = 0.004) were identified as significant predictors of positive margin necessitating esophagectomy after initial endoscopic resection. All patients who experienced a positive margin after endoscopic therapy were evaluated by a thoracic surgeon and proceeded to esophagectomy.

Conclusion(s)

In this largely retrospective analysis, our multidisciplinary approach was shown to be highly efficacious in the treatment of BE with EAC. Through optimizing collaboration between thoracic surgeons and gastroenterologists, patients receive the best therapeutic approach for their unique condition, taking into account oncologic factors and clinical comorbidities.

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Disclosure of Interest

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Kashk and Doogh: the Yogurt-based National Persian Products

Background:

In this mini-review article, two important dairies which can be considered as functional foods from west and center of Asia, particularly Iran, have been discussed. Doogh and kashkh are considered as national drinks in Iran, and have tremendous health benefits.

Objective:

The goal of this manuscript is to survey the principal roles of Doosh and Kash as natural products in the modern era.

Methods::

All relevant information was searched for terms of Doogh, Kashk, black kashk, and traditional drinks from reliable databases, such as PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar

Results::

Doogh is the national Iranian traditional fermented drink produced from diluted yoghurt in dairy manufacturing units. Doogh, an acidic drink, is flavored with dried mint and rose or other spices. It may provide high quality protein, vitamins, calcium, and minerals such potassium and magnesium. It is a good source of probiotics, the healthy bacteria that may aid the gut, and improve the immune system. The most important microbes in Doogh are Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbriuekii sp. bulgaricus. Kashk is a typical dairy product served in the Middle East, mainly in Iran, made from sour milk. It is available as a liquid or in a dried form, which is important to be soaked and softened before it can be utilized in cooking. Numerous alcohols, aldehyds, alkenes, alkanes, esters, sulfur compounds, FFAs, ketones, and terpenes were detected in dried kashk, and the most common volatile compounds reported in kashk samples were two sulfur compounds (carbon disulfide, disulfide dimethyl), two alkanes (tetradecane, hexadecane), one terpene (dl-limonene), one aldehyde (nonanal), and methyl naphthalene.

Conclusion::

Both Doogh and kashk are dominant sources of protein and minerals in comparison with milk with ability to hold them longer, which can be considered as functional foods.

Assessment of Wine Quality, Traceability and Detection of Grapes Wine, Detection of Harmful Substances in Alcohol and Liquor Composition Analysis

Abstract:

Wine production is the result of the interaction between various strains and grapes, and its good quality is also affected by many factors. Aureobasidium, Cladosporium, Candida, Filobasidium, Hanseniaspora, Hannaella, Saccharomyces, Wickerhamomyce, Alternaria, Starmerella, Acetobacter, Papiliotrema, Bradyrhizobium, Leuconostoclia, Gluconobacter, Comamonas, and Massilia, are significantly correlated with changes of physiological properties and volatile compounds. Phenolic compounds, shortened as phenolics, are a vital parameter to the quality of wine, and wine phenolics include two main families: non-flavonoids, which consist of hydroxybenzoic acids (HBAs), hydroxycinnamic acids (HCAs), and stilbenes, and flavonoids, comprising flavonols, flavan-3-ols, and anthocyanins. Wine quality is determined by either sensory tests or physicochemical tests, and the latter analyse the wine’s chemical parameters such as sugar, pH, and alcohol level. The most important constituents found in wine are Terpenes; Aldehydes, Pyrazines, Esters, Ketones and diketones, Mercaptans, and Lactones. In wine quality analysis, the most chief variables are volatile acidity, alcohol, sulphates, citric acid, density, total sulfur dioxide, chlorides, pH, fixed acidity, free sulfur dioxide, and residual sugar. Some classifiers utilized for wine quality prediction in machine learning are: k-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), Random Forest, Decision Tree, Support Vector Machines, Linear Regression, Stochastic Gradient Descent, Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), and Naive Bayes. This article is aimed to review wine quality parameters, detection and traceability of wine, and detection of harmful substances in alcohol and liquor composition analysis.

Potential Roles of Longan as a Natural Remedy with Tremendous Nutraceutical Values

Background:

Longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) is a characteristic Sapindaceae fruit native to China and is a seasonal non-climacteric fruit with unique flavor, rich nutrients, and high economic value. Longan was used as a traditional Chinese medicine for various purposes, such as soothing nerves, relieving insomnia and increasing blood metabolism. Longan fruits are alternately eaten fresh, and they have elegant and sweet-tasting flesh. This fruit can also be processed to make dried pulp, jam, drinks, wine and canned fruit.

Objective:

The aim of this manuscript is to survey the chemical and natural constituents of longan and show the importance of longan in both modern and traditional pharmaceutical sciences.

Methods:

The goal of this article was to emphasize the most important benefits and pharmaceutical advantages of longan. The manuscript consists of randomized control experiments, review articles, observations and analytical studies, which have been gathered from various sources such as Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed and Science Direct. A review of the literature was done by using the keywords such as longan Dimocarpus, longan natural products, traditional Chinese medicine, and pharmaceutical benefits.

Results:

The most important chemical constituents of the pericarp of longan are friedelin, friedelanol, (24R)-stigmast-4-en-3-one, β-sitosterol, β-(2-furly) acrylic acid, 6-hydroxy-7-methoxycoumarin, β-daucosterol, corilagin, gallic acid, heptyl p-hydroxybenzoate, methyl gallate, 4-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-ellagic acid, and ellagic acid. The most notable antioxidant compounds extracted from longan shells are scopoletin, isovanillin, astragalin, quercetin, β-phenylethyl alcohol and hyperin. The most important biological properties of longan pericarp are tyrosinase inhibitory, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-glycated, anti-cancer, memory-increasing impact, and other parameters that have a significant contribution to human health.

Conclusion:

This review article finds that longan is an excellent source of constituents with beneficial nutritional and bioactive characteristics. More clinical research may be needed to reveal the countless substances and their impacts in longan that may affect public health.

Therapeutic Potential of Phenolic Compounds in Medicinal Plants-Natural Health Products for Human Health

Phenolic compounds and flavonoids are potential substitutes for bioactive agents in pharmaceutical and medicinal sections to promote human health and prevent and cure different diseases. The most common flavonoids found in nature are anthocyanins, flavones, flavanones, flavonols, flavanonols, isoflavones, and other sub-classes. The impacts of plant flavonoids and other phenolics on human health promoting and diseases curing and preventing are antioxidant effects, antibacterial impacts, cardioprotective effects, anticancer impacts, immune system promoting, anti-inflammatory effects, and skin protective effects from UV radiation. This work aims to provide an overview of phenolic compounds and flavonoids as potential and important sources of pharmaceutical and medical application according to recently published studies, as well as some interesting directions for future research. The keyword searches for flavonoids, phenolics, isoflavones, tannins, coumarins, lignans, quinones, xanthones, curcuminoids, stilbenes, cucurmin, phenylethanoids, and secoiridoids medicinal plant were performed by using Web of Science, Scopus, Google scholar, and PubMed. Phenolic acids contain a carboxylic acid group in addition to the basic phenolic structure and are mainly divided into hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids. Hydroxybenzoic acids are based on a C6-C1 skeleton and are often found bound to small organic acids, glycosyl moieties, or cell structural components. Common hydroxybenzoic acids include gallic, syringic, protocatechuic, p-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, gentistic, and salicylic acids. Hydroxycinnamic acids are based on a C6-C3 skeleton and are also often bound to other molecules such as quinic acid and glucose. The main hydroxycinnamic acids are caffeic, p-coumaric, ferulic, and sinapic acids.

A Friendly Strategy for an Organic Life by Considering Syrian Bean Caper (Zygophyllum fabago L.), and Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa L.)

Background:

Medicinal plants have become the focus of intense researches through the identification and determination of their pharmacological benefits with their different chemical constituents.

Objective:

The aim of this mini-review is to highlight the most important health benefits of Syrian bean caper and parsnip.

Methods:

The manuscript consists of review articles, randomized control experiments, and analytical studies, which have been gathered from different sources such as Scopus, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and PubMed. A review of the literature was carried out using keywords such as health benefits, pharmaceutical properties, Syrian bean caper (Zygophyllum fabago L.), and Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa L.).

Results:

Syrian bean caper is good for diabetes, lower cholesterol, is appropriate for people aiming for weight loss, is a good source of vitamin K for healthy bones, protects skin from harmful ultraviolet rays, prevents cancer and skin ailments, protects from allergies, helps in digestion, increases immunity, treats anemia, moistens skin, helps in relieving congestion. Syrian bean caper is also anexcellent source of minerals such as calcium, copper, iron, and sodium which gives stronger teeth, is a source of anti-ageing, good for the eyes, and reduces skin disorders, it consists of a good amount of iron and vitamin B which makes it a good candidate to have healthy hair, and relieves constipation. Parsnips are a type of root vegetable, closely related to parsley roots and carrots. Parsnips are an excellent source of various nutrients, minerals, and vitamins such as folate, vitamins C and K, they are rich in antioxidants, a great source of soluble and insoluble fiber, a great source of a healthy weight loss diet, and support immune function.

Conclusion:

According to phytochemical advantages and pharmacological benefits, Syrian bean caper (Zygophyllum fabago L.) and Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) show their importance as medicinal plants in both traditional and modern medicine.

TBMaLT, a flexible toolkit for combining tight-binding and machine learning

Tight-binding approaches, especially the Density Functional Tight-Binding (DFTB) and the extended tight-binding schemes, allow for efficient quantum mechanical simulations of large systems and long-time scales. They are derived from ab initio density functional theory using pragmatic approximations and some empirical terms, ensuring a fine balance between speed and accuracy. Their accuracy can be improved by tuning the empirical parameters using machine learning techniques, especially when information about the local environment of the atoms is incorporated. As the significant quantum mechanical contributions are still provided by the tight-binding models, and only short-ranged corrections are fitted, the learning procedure is typically shorter and more transferable as it were with predicting the quantum mechanical properties directly with machine learning without an underlying physically motivated model. As a further advantage, derived quantum mechanical quantities can be calculated based on the tight-binding model without the need for additional learning. We have developed the open-source framework-Tight-Binding Machine Learning Toolkit-which allows the easy implementation of such combined approaches. The toolkit currently contains layers for the DFTB method and an interface to the GFN1-xTB Hamiltonian, but due to its modular structure and its well-defined interfaces, additional atom-based schemes can be implemented easily. We are discussing the general structure of the framework, some essential implementation details, and several proof-of-concept applications demonstrating the perspectives of the combined methods and the functionality of the toolkit.

Heterologous Expression and Function of Cholesterol Oxidase: A Review

Cholesterol was first found in gallstones as an animal sterol; hence it is called cholesterol. Cholesterol oxidase is the chief enzyme in the process of cholesterol degradation. Its role is obtained by the coenzyme FAD, which catalyzes the isomerization and oxidation of cholesterol to produce cholesteric 4-ene-3-ketone and hydrogen peroxide at the same time. Recently, a great advance has been made in the discovery of the structure and function of cholesterol oxidase, and it has proven added value in clinical discovery, medical care, food and biopesticides development and other conditions. By recombinant DNA technology, we can insert the gene in the heterologous host. Heterologous expression (HE) is a successful methodology to produce enzymes for function studies and manufacturing applications, where Escherichia coli has been extensively used as a heterologous host because of its economical cultivation, rapid growth, and efficiency in offering exogenous genes. Heterologous expression of cholesterol oxidase has been considered for several microbial sources, such as Rhodococcus equi, Brevibacterium sp., Rhodococcus sp., Streptomyces coelicolor, Burkholderia cepacia ST-200, Chromobacterium, and Streptomyces spp. All related publications of numerous researchers and scholars were searched in ScienceDirect, Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar. In this article, the present situation and promotion of heterologous expression of cholesterol oxidase, the role of protease, and the perspective of its possible applications were reviewed.