Neuro-stimulating effect of Citri Reticulata Pericarpium Viride essential oil through regulating Glu/NMDAR on olfactory bulb to improve anxiety-like behavior

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Citri Reticulata Pericarpium Viride (also known Qing-Pi or QP) is a plant in the Rutaceae family, QP is a traditional Qi-regulating medicine in Chinese medicine that is compatible with other Chinese medicine components and has extensive clinical practice in treating anxiety and depression. Reports on the pharmacological effects of QP have demonstrated its neuroprotective effects and antioxidant capacities. Numerous pharmacological benefits of QP are attributed to its antioxidant abilities. Anxiety disorders are a broadly defined category of mental illnesses. Oxidative stress and an imbalance in the antioxidant defense system are typical pathological features of these disorders.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of QP essential oil on anxiety using animal models and investigate the underlying neurobiological mechanisms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study aimed to develop an animal model of anxiety using chronic restraint stress and investigate the effects of inhalation of Citri Reticulata Pericarpium Viride essential oil on anxiety-like behavior, olfactory function, and olfactory bulb neurogenesis in mice with anxiety.

RESULTS

The results showed that long-term chronic restraint stimulation caused a decrease in olfactory function, significant anxiety-like behavior, and a notable reduction in the number of neurons in the olfactory bulb. However, inhalation of Citri Reticulata Pericarpium Viride essential oil reversed these effects, improving the olfactory function, neuro-stimulating effect, alleviating anxiety-like behavior, and regulating theta (4-12Hz) oscillation in the hippocampus DG area. These effects were associated with changes in the expression levels of glutamate receptor NMDAR and NeuN in olfactory bulb.

CONCLUSIONS

The study revealed that mice with anxiety induced by chronic restraint stress exhibited significant olfactory dysfunction, providing strong evidence for the causal relationship between anxiety disorders and olfactory dysfunction. Moreover, QP essential oil has the potential to be developed as a therapeutic drug for anxiety disorders, in addition to its role as a complementary anxiolytic.

[Quantitative analysis of risk assessment indicators for re-introduction of imported malaria in China]

OBJECTIVE

To quantitatively analyze the risk indicators of re-introduction of imported malaria in China and their weighting coefficients, so as to investigate the difference in the contribution of risk indicators included in the current risk assessment framework for re-introduction of imported malaria in China to the risk assessment of re-introduction of imported malaria.

METHODS

Publications pertaining to the risk assessment framework for re-introduction of imported malaria in China that reported the risk indicators and their weighting coefficients were retrieved in PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang Data, and VIP with terms of "malaria", "re-introduction/re-transmission/re-establishment", "risk assessment/risk evaluation/risk prediction" from the inception of the database through 3 August 2023, and literature search was performed in Google Scholar to ensure the comprehensiveness of the retrieval. Basic characteristics of included studies were extracted using pre-designed information extraction forms by two investigators, and data pertaining to risk indicators of re-introduction of imported malaria were cross-checked by these two investigators. The risk indicators included in the risk assessment framework for re-introduction of imported malaria in China and their weighting coefficients were visualized with the Nightingale's rose diagrams using the software R 4.2.1, and the importance of risk indictors was evaluated with the frequency of risk indicators included in the risk assessment framework and the ranking of weighting coefficients of risk indicators. In addition, the capability of risk indicators screened by different weighting methods was compared by calculating the ratio of the maximum to the minimum of the weighting coefficients of the risk indicators screened by different weighting methods.

RESULTS

A total of 2 138 publications were retrieved, and following removal of duplications and screening, a total of 8 publications were included in the final analysis. In these 8 studies, 8 risk assessment frameworks for re-introduction of imported malaria in China and 52 risk indicators of re-introduction of imported malaria were reported, in which number of imported malaria cases (n = 8) and species of malaria vectors were more frequently included in the risk assessment frameworks (n = 8), followed by species of imported malaria parasites (n = 6) and population density of local malaria vectors (n = 6), and species of local malaria vectors (n = 6), number of imported malaria cases (n = 5) and species of imported malaria parasites had the three highest weighting coefficients (n = 4). The weighting methods included expert scoring method, combination of expert scoring method and analytic hierarchy process, and combination of expert scoring method and entropy weight method in these 8 studies, and the ratios of the maximum to the minimum of the weighting coefficients of the risk indicators screened by the expert scoring method were 1.143 to 2.241, while the ratios of the maximum to the minimum of the weighting coefficients of the risk indicators screened by combination of the expert scoring method and analytic hierarchy process were 34.970 to 162.000.

CONCLUSIONS

Number of imported malaria cases, species of imported malaria parasites, species of local malaria vectors and population density of local malaria vectors are core indicators in the current risk assessment framework for re-introduction of imported malaria in China. Combination of the expert scoring method and analytic hierarchy process is superior to the expert scoring method alone for weighting the risk indicators.

Classification method of traditional Chinese medicine compound decoction duration based on multi-dimensional feature weighted fusion

This paper extends a text classification method utilizing natural language processing (NLP) into the field of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) compound decoction to effectively and scientifically extend the TCM compound decoction duration. Specifically, a TCM compound decoction duration classification named TCM-TextCNN is proposed to fuse multi-dimensional herb features and improve TextCNN. Indeed, first, we utilize word vector technology to construct feature vectors of herb names and medicinal parts, aiming to describe the herb characteristics comprehensively. Second, considering the impact of different herb features on the decoction duration, we use an improved Term Frequency-Inverse Word Frequency (TF-IWF) algorithm to weigh the feature vectors of herb names and medicinal parts. These weighted feature vectors are then concatenated to obtain a multi-dimensional herb feature vector, allowing for a more comprehensive representation. Finally, the feature vector is input into the improved TextCNN, which uses k-max pooling to reduce information loss rather than max pooling. Three fully connected layers are added to generate higher-level feature representations, followed by softmax to obtain the final results. Experimental results on a dataset of TCM compound decoction duration demonstrate that TCM-TextCNN improves accuracy, recall, and F1 score by 5.31%, 5.63%, and 5.22%, respectively, compared to methods solely rely on herb name features, thereby confirming our method's effectiveness in classifying TCM compound decoction duration.

Individual perceptions of community efficacy for non-communicable disease management in twelve communities in China: cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses

OBJECTIVES

This objective of this study was to use empirical data to assess cross-sectional variation singular and changes over time in community efficacy for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) management (COEN) and to examine individual factors associated with changes in COEN.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a longitudinal observational study.

METHODS

Participants with hypertension and diabetes were randomly selected from 12 communities from three cities in eastern China, and a baseline survey and a 1-year follow-up were conducted. The COEN scale has five dimensions: community physical environment (CPE), behavioral risk factors (BRF), mental health and social relationships (MHSR), community health management (CHM), and community organisations and activities (COA). Mixed-effects models were used to investigate the change in COEN over time and the association between individual factors and changes in COEN.

RESULTS

COEN scores showed significant variation singular among the 12 communities (P < 0.001) at the baseline. In the mixed-effects model, CPE (β coefficient: 1.62, P < 0.001), BRF (0.90, P < 0.001), MHSR (0.86, P < 0.001), CHM (0.46, P < 0.001), and total scores (β = 3.57, P < 0.001) increased significantly over time. The changes in COEN were associated with individual characteristics (e.g., older, men, more educated).

CONCLUSIONS

Cross-sectional variations and changes over time in COEN demonstrated the utility of a sensitive instrument. Factors such as age, gender, marriage, education level, and employment may affect the financial and social resources assignment for NCD management. Our findings suggest that further high-quality studies are needed to better evaluate the effect of community empowerment on the prevention and control of NCDs.

Using Functionalized Liposomes to Harvest Extracellular Vesicles of Similar Characteristics in Dermal Interstitial Fluid

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are used by living cells for the purpose of biological information trafficking from parental-to-recipient cells and vice versa. This back-and-forth communication is enabled by two distinct kinds of biomolecules that constitute the cargo of an EV: proteins and nucleic acids. The proteomic-cum-genetic information is mediated by the physiological state of a cell (healthy or otherwise) as much as modulated by the biogenesis pathway of the EV. Therefore, in mirroring the huge diversities of human communications, the proteins and nucleic acids involved in cell communications possess seemingly near limitless diversities, and it is this characteristic that makes EVs so highly heterogeneous. Currently, there is no simple and reliable tool for the selective capture of heterogeneous EVs and the delivery of their undamaged cargo for research in extracellular protein mapping and spatial proteomics studies. Our work is a preliminary attempt to address this issue. We demonstrated our approach by using antibody functionalized liposomes to capture EVs from tumor and healthy cell-lines. To characterize their performance, we presented fluorescence and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) results, TEM images, and Western blotting analysis for EV proteins. We also extracted dermal interstitial fluid (ISF) from healthy individuals and used our functionalized synthetic vesicle (FSV) method to capture EVs from their proteins. We constructed three proteomic sets [EV vs ISF, (FSV+EV) vs ISF, and (FSV+EV) vs EV] from the EV proteins and the free proteins harvested from ISF and compared their differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). The performance of our proposed method is assessed via an analysis of 1095 proteins, together with volcano plots, heatmap, GO annotation, and enriched KEGG pathways and organelle localization results of 213 DEPs.

Yueju volatile oil plays an integral role in the antidepressant effect by up-regulating ERK/AKT-mediated GLT-1 expression to clear glutamate

Phytochemical investigation of the volatile oil of Yueju (YJVO) and its constituent herbs induced the detection of 52 compounds in YJVO, mainly monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes as well as a small amount of aromatic and aliphatic compounds. 5 of these compounds were found only in the YJVO instead of the volatile oil of its constituent herbs. The anti-depressant effect of YJVO was proved by behavioral tests in chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) mice. An acute oral toxicity evaluation determined the LD50 of YJVO was 5.780 mL/kg. Doppler ultrasound and laser speckle imaging have detected that the YJVO could improve depression-related cerebral blood flow. In addition, related neurotransmitters and proteins were analyzed through targeted metabolomics and immunofluorescence. The potential antidepressant mechanisms of YJVO related to significantly decreasing Glu in CUMS mice by up-regulating the ERK/AKT-mediated expression of GLT-1.

[Risk predictive models of healthcare-seeking delay among imported malaria patients in Jiangsu Province based on the machine learning]

OBJECTIVE

To create risk predictive models of healthcare-seeking delay among imported malaria patients in Jiangsu Province based on machine learning algorithms, so as to provide insights into early identification of imported malaria cases in Jiangsu Province.

METHODS

Case investigation, first symptoms and time of initial diagnosis of imported malaria patients in Jiangsu Province in 2019 were captured from Infectious Disease Report Information Management System and Parasitic Disease Prevention and Control Information Management System of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The risk predictive models of healthcare-seeking delay among imported malaria patients were created with the back propagation (BP) neural network model, logistic regression model, random forest model and Bayesian model using thirteen factors as independent variables, including occupation, species of malaria parasite, main clinical manifestations, presence of complications, severity of disease, age, duration of residing abroad, frequency of malaria parasite infections abroad, incubation period, level of institution at initial diagnosis, country of origin, number of individuals travelling with patients and way to go abroad, and time of healthcare-seeking delay as a dependent variable. Logistic regression model was visualized using a nomogram, and the nomogram was evaluated using calibration curves. In addition, the efficiency of the four models for prediction of risk of healthcare-seeking delay among imported malaria patients was evaluated using the area under curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). The importance of each characteristic was quantified and attributed by using SHAP to examine the positive and negative effects of the value of each characteristic on the predictive efficiency.

RESULTS

A total of 244 imported malaria patients were enrolled, including 100 cases (40.98%) with the duration from onset of first symptoms to time of initial diagnosis that exceeded 24 hours. Logistic regression analysis identified a history of malaria parasite infection [odds ratio (OR) = 3.075, 95% confidential interval (CI): (1.597, 5.923)], long incubation period [OR = 1.010, 95% CI: (1.001, 1.018)] and seeking healthcare in provincial or municipal medical facilities [OR = 12.550, 95% CI: (1.158, 135.963)] as risk factors for delay in seeking healthcare among imported malaria cases. BP neural network modeling showed that duration of residing abroad, incubation period and age posed great impacts on delay in healthcare-seek among imported malaria patients. Random forest modeling showed that the top five factors with the greatest impact on healthcare-seeking delay included main clinical manifestations, the way to go abroad, incubation period, duration of residing abroad and age among imported malaria patients, and Bayesian modeling revealed that the top five factors affecting healthcare-seeking delay among imported malaria patients included level of institutions at initial diagnosis, age, country of origin, history of malaria parasite infection and individuals travelling with imported malaria patients. ROC curve analysis showed higher overall performance of the BP neural network model and the logistic regression model for prediction of the risk of healthcare-seeking delay among imported malaria patients (Z = 2.700 to 4.641, all P values < 0.01), with no statistically significant difference in the AUC among four models (Z = 1.209, P > 0.05). The sensitivity (71.00%) and Youden index (43.92%) of the logistic regression model was higher than those of the BP neural network (63.00% and 36.61%, respectively), and the specificity of the BP neural network model (73.61%) was higher than that of the logistic regression model (72.92%).

CONCLUSIONS

Imported malaria cases with long duration of residing abroad, a history of malaria parasite infection, long incubation period, advanced age and seeking healthcare in provincial or municipal medical institutions have a high likelihood of delay in healthcare-seeking in Jiangsu Province. The models created based on the logistic regression and BP neural network show a high efficiency for prediction of the risk of healthcare-seeking among imported malaria patients in Jiangsu Province, which may provide insights into health management of imported malaria patients.

[Acetylcorynoline inhibits microglia activation by regulating EGFR/MAPK signaling to promote functional recovery of injured mouse spinal cord]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of acetylcorynoline (Ace) for promoting functional recovery of injured spinal cord in rats and explore the underlying mechanism.

METHODS

Rat models of spinal cord injury (SCI) were treated with intraperitoneal injection of different concentrations of Ace, with the sham-operated rats as the control group. After the treatment, the changes in motor function of the rats and the area of spinal cord injury were assessed with BBB score and HE staining, and the changes in pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and microglial activation were determined using PCR, ELISA and immunofluorescence staining. In a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated BV2 cell model, the effects of different concentrations of Ace or DMSO on microglial activation and inflammatory cytokine production were observed. Network pharmacology analysis was performed to predict the target protein and signaling mechanism that mediated the inhibitory effect of Ace on microglia activation, and AutoDock software was used for molecular docking between Ace and the target protein. A signaling pathway blocker (Osimertinib) was used to verify the signaling mechanism in rat models of SCI and LPS-treated BV2 cell model.

RESULTS

In rat models of SCI, Ace treatment significantly increased the BBB score, reduced the area of spinal cord injury, and lowered the number of activated microglia cells and the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (P < 0.05). The cell experiments showed that Ace treatment significantly lower the level of cell activation and the production of inflammatory cytokines in LPS-treated BV2 cells (P < 0.05). Network pharmacology analysis suggested that EGFR was the main target of Ace, and they bound to each other via hydrogen bonds as shown by molecular docking. Western blotting confirmed that Ace inhibited the activation of the EGFR/MAPK signaling pathway in injured mouse spinal cord tissue and in LPS-treated BV2 cells, and its inhibitory effect was comparable to that of Osimertinib.

CONCLUSION

In rat models of SCI, treatment with Ace can inhibit microglia-mediated inflammatory response by regulating the EGFR/MAPK pathway, thus promoting tissue repair and motor function recovery.

Pulsatilla chinensis saponins improve SCFAs regulating GPR43-NLRP3 signaling pathway in the treatment of ulcerative colitis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Pulsatilla decoction has been extensively used to treat ulcerative colitis (UC) in recent years. Pulsatilla chinensis saponin (PRS), the active ingredient of its monarch medicine Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel, plays a crucial role in the treatment of UC, but its specific mechanism of action has not been fully elucidated.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aims to investigate the protective effect and possible mechanism of PRS on DSS-induced ulcerative colitis in rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, the DSS-induced colitis model was used to explore the metabolism and absorption of PRS under UC, detect the content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in colon tissue, the expression of receptor G Protein-Coupled Receptor 43 (GPR43) protein and inflammasome NLRP3, and observe the expression level of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in colon tissue. The protective effect of the PRS was also observed.

RESULTS

It was found that in the UC group, the absorption rate and extent of drugs increased, and the elimination was accelerated. Compared with the control group, PRS increased the content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in colon tissue, promoted the expression of SCFAs receptor GPR43 protein, inhibited the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, and decreased the content of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α. PRS protects the colon in DSS-induced inflammatory bowel disease by increasing the content of SCFAs, promoting the expression of GPR43 protein, inhibiting the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, and reversing the increase in IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α levels.

CONCLUSIONS

PRS can increase the content of colonic SCFAs, activate the GPR43-NLRP3 signaling pathway, and reduce the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, thereby improving the symptoms of DSS-induced colitis.

Pulsatilla chinensis saponins ameliorated murine depression by inhibiting intestinal inflammation mediated IDO1 overexpression and rebalancing tryptophan metabolism

BACKGROUND

Current antidepressant therapy remains unsatisfactory due to the complex pathogenesis. Emerging evidence suggested that depression is associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), intestinal inflammation is an increasingly accepted factor that influences depression, but the mechanism is unclear.

PURPOSE

In the current study, we determined whether Pulsatilla chinensis saponins (PRS), a phytomedicine from Pulsatilla chinensis (Bunge) Regel with excellent anti-IBD effect, could improve the depression. Furthermore, we investigated the mechanisms to explore the relationship between IBD and depression and provide new source for the urgent development of antidepressants from phytomedicine.

METHODS

The antidepressant activity of PRS was accessed by behavioral test and multichannel technology in depression mice induced by Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress (CUMS). 16S rDNA-based microbiota and RNA-seq in colon was used to explore potential intestinal metabolism affected by PRS. To illustrate the underlying mechanisms of anti-depression effect of PRS, targeted metabolomics, ELISA assay, immunofluorescence staining, Western Blot, and qPCR were carried out.

RESULTS

The results clarified that CUMS induced depression with tryptophan (Trp) metabolism and intestinal inflammation. PRS effectively suppressed the depression and acted as a regulator of Trp/kynurenine (Kyn) metabolic and intestinal inflammation confirmed by analysis of microflora and colon RNA. Meanwhile PRS reduced interferon gamma (IFN-γ), inhibited JAK1-STAT1 phosphorylation, decreased IDO1 levels to protect against the overactivity of Trp/kyn path, suggesting that IFN-γ activated IDO1 probably a significant target for PRS to exert anti-depression effects. To further confirm the mechanism, this research expressed that PRS improved IDO1 activity and depressive behavior in mice with IFN-γ-induced depression. Furthermore, the therapeutic effect of 1-methyl-tryptophan (1-MT) well known as an IDO1 inhibitor in depression and clinically used anti-UC drug Mesalazine (MS) was demonstrated to confirm the potential mechanism.

CONCLUSION

The study is the first to reveal the antidepressant effect of PRS and further demonstrate its potential therapeutic targets. In addition, it also clarifies that the Trp/kyn pathway is the crosstalk between IBD and depression and provides new choice for depression treatment. And it also provides an important basis for the follow-up development and exploration of anti-intestinal antidepressants.

[Regular assessment is an effective approach to maintaining the capacity of prevention of re-establishment from imported malaria in China]

After achieving malaria elimination, preventing re-establishment from imported malaria and consolidating malaria elimination achievements are top priorities of the national malaria control program in China. Due to the long-term existence of overseas imported malaria cases and incomplete eradication of local epidemic conditions, there are multiple challenges for prevention of re-establishment from imported malaria in China. Hereby, we propose that regular assessment is an effective approach to maintaining the capability of prevention of re-establishment from imported malaria, and describe the purpose, significance, management and implementation of the capability assessment for prevention of re-establishment from imported malaria, so as to provide insights into the formulation and adjustment of malaria control strategies during the post-elimination phase.

Prognostic value of combined pre- and postoperative albumin-to-alkaline phosphatase ratio for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing trans-catheter chemoembolisation

AIM

To reveal the prognostic value of the postoperative and dynamic albumin-to-alkaline phosphatase ratio (AAPR) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients undergoing trans-catheter chemoembolisation (TACE).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In total, 545 HCC patients undergoing initial TACE were enrolled into the study. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to determine the best cut-off for AAPR. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to confirm the independent prognostic effect of AAPR on overall survival (OS). The predictive performance of AAPR was assessed by ROC curves, concordance index (C-index), and Akaike information criterion (AIC), and was compared to existing liver function assessment systems.

RESULTS

The optimal cut-off value for the AAPR was 0.26. Elevated AAPR (>0.26) was associated with a low risk of death after adjustment whether before (HR: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.4-0.69) or after (HR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.43-0.95) TACE treatment. The combined pre- and postoperative AAPR showed much better performance in ROC curve (1-, 3-, and 5-year AUCs: 0.69, 0.71, 0.69), C-index (0.65; 95% CI: 0.59-0.72) and AIC analyses than pre-AAPR and post-AAPR alone or liver function assessment systems.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated both preoperative and postoperative AAPR were independent prognostic factors for HCC patients undergoing TACE. In addition, the combined pre- and post-AAPR showed better predictive performance than pre-AAPR and post-AAPR alone or liver function assessment systems.

[Surveillance of Aedes populations in Jiangsu Province in 2020]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the seasonal Aedes population fluctuation and the resistance of Aedes populations to common insecticides in Jiangsu Province in 2020, so as to provide insights into vector-borne infectious diseases control.

METHODS

One village was randomly sampled from each of Xinbei District of Changzhou City and Zhangjiagang County of Suzhou City in southern Jiangsu Province, Hai'an County of Nantong City and Yandu District of Yancheng City in Central Jiangsu Province, and Suining County of Xuzhou City and Sihong County of Suqian City in northern Jiangsu Province during the period between May and October, 2020. A small ponding container was sampled, and larval Aedes mosquitoes were collected using straws once each in early and late stages of each month. All larvae were bred in laboratory to adults for population identification. In addition, larval breeding were observed in all small ponding containers in and out of 30 households that were randomly sampled from six surveillance sites, and the larval mosquito density was estimated using Breteau index. Larval A. albopictus mosquitoes were sampled around Cuiyuan New Village in Jintan District of Changzhou City, and bred in laboratory to the first offspring generation, and the susceptibility of adult female mosquitoes to deltamethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, malathion, and propoxur was tested using the filter-paper bioassay recommended by WHO.

RESULTS

A total of 1 165 larval Aedes mosquitoes were captured from small ponding containers in six surveillance sites of Jiangsu Province in 2020, and all were identified as A. albopictus following eclosion. The largest number of Aedes larvae captured was found in July. A total of 1 152 households were investigated in six surveillance sites, and the mean Breteau indexes were 9.58, 13.20, 13.71, 13.20, 12.18 and 5.58 from May to October, respectively, while a high Aedes transmission risk was seen in Xinbei District of Changzhou City, with a higher Breteau index than in Suining (H = 23.667, P_adjusted = 0.001) and Sihong (H = 22.500, P_adjusted = 0.003) counties. The field-captured A. albopictus from Cuiyuan New Village in Jintan District of Changzhou City remained sensitive to malathion, but was resistant to propoxur, and developed high-level resistance to deltamethrin and lambda-cyhalothrin.

CONCLUSIONS

A. albopictus was present in southern, central and northern Jiangsu Province in 2020, and the larval density peaked in July. A. albopictus captured from Cuiyuan New Village in Jintan District of Changzhou City has developed high-level resistance to pyrethroid pesticides.

Extracellular vesicles derived from mesenchymal stem cells confer protection against intervertebral disc degeneration through a microRNA-217-dependent mechanism

OBJECTIVE

Extracellular vesicles released by mesenchymal stem cells (MSC-EVs) can be applied to alleviate intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) by curbing apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs). The current study aims to evaluate the effect of MSC-EVs on NPC apoptosis and IVDD and the related regulatory mechanisms involving microRNA (miR)-217.

METHOD

Expression of miR-217 was examined in tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-induced NPCs and MSC-EVs, followed by identification in the relationship between miR-217, enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) and forkhead box O-3 (FOXO3). After isolation of EVs from MSCs and subsequent co-culture with NPCs, we assessed effects of miR-217 on NPC viability, autophagy, senescence and apoptosis along with extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation. Further in vivo experiments were conducted in rat models of IVDD to substantiate the effect of miR-217 on IVDD.

RESULTS

Poor miR-217 expression was found in TNF-α-induced NPCs, while high miR-217 expression was identified in MSC-EVs (P < 0.05). MSC-EVs transferred miR-217 to NPCs and increased its expression, thus attenuating NPC apoptosis and ECM degradation (elevated collagen II and aggrecan but reduced MMP13 and ADAMTS5) (P < 0.05). miR-217 targeted EZH2, and EZH2 bound to the FOXO3 promoter and consequently downregulated its expression. FOXO3 restrained NPC apoptosis and ECM degradation by stimulating cell autophagy (P < 0.05). Furthermore, in vivo experimental results confirmed the suppressive role of miR-217 shuttled by MSC-EVs in IVDD.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the delivery of miR-217 may be a novel mechanism underlying the effect of MSC-EVs on NPC apoptosis and ECM degradation following IVDD.

Melanoma in women of childbearing age and in pregnancy in California, 1994-2015: a population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

Melanoma is one of the most common malignancies during pregnancy. There is debate regarding the impact of pregnancy on the prognosis of melanoma. Recent large population-based studies from the United States are lacking.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the characteristics and survival of women with pregnancy-associated melanoma.

METHODS

This population-based, retrospective cohort study used California Cancer Registry data linked with state-wide hospitalization and ambulatory surgery data to identify 15-44-year-old female patients diagnosed with melanoma in 1994-2015, including pregnant patients. Multivariable logistic regression compared demographic and clinical characteristics between pregnant and non-pregnant women with melanoma. Multivariable cox proportional hazards regression models assessed melanoma-specific and overall survival.

RESULTS

We identified 13 108 patients, of which 1406 were pregnant. Pregnancy-associated melanoma was more frequent in Hispanic compared to non-Hispanic White women. Melanoma occurring post-partum was associated with greater tumour thickness (2.01-4.00 vs. 0.01-1.00 mm, odds ratio 1.75, 95% confidence interval: 1.03-2.98). There were otherwise no significant differences between pregnant and non-pregnant women. Worse survival was associated with Asian, Black and Native American race/ethnicity (vs. non-Hispanic White), lower neighbourhood socio-economic status, public insurance, tumour site, greater tumour thickness and lymph node involvement, but not pregnancy.

CONCLUSIONS

Melanoma occurring post-partum was associated with greater tumour thickness, but pregnancy status did not affect survival after melanoma. Race/ethnicity, socio-economic status and health insurance impacted survival, emphasizing the importance of reducing health disparities.

Raw and Wine Processed Schisandra chinensis Regulate NREM-Sleep and Alleviate Cardiovascular Dysfunction Associated with Insomnia by Modulating HPA Axis

Clinical studies have shown that insomnia and anxiety are usually accompanied by cardiovascular dysfunction. In traditional Chinese medicine, Schisandra chinensis (SC) and wine processed Schisandra chinensis (WSC) are mainly used for the treatment of dysphoria, palpitation and insomnia. However, little attention was paid to its mechanism. In this study, we monitored the effect of SC and WSC on the nervous system and cardiovascular system of free-moving rats in the real-time. Our results show that SC and WSC can alleviate cardiovascular dysfunction while promoting sleep, and we further explored their potential mechanisms. HPLC-QTOF-MS was used for the quality control of chemical components in SC and WSC. Data sciences international (DSI) physiological telemetry system was applied to collect the electroencephalogram (EEG), electrocardiogram (ECG) and other parameters of free-moving rats to understand the effects of long-term intake of SC and WSC on rats. The content of Cortisol (CORT), neurotransmitters and amino acids in rat pituitary and hypothalamus were analyzed by UPLC-MS to determine the activity of HPA axis. The expression of melatonin receptor MT1 was analyzed by immunofluorescence technique. Our results suggested that SC and WSC may play the role of promoting sleep by increasing the expression level of melatonin receptor MT1 in hypothalamus, and modulate the activity of HPA axis by regulating the levels of the related neurotransmitters and amino acid, so as to improve the abnormal cardiovascular system of rats. This study may provide theoretical support for explicating the advantages of SC and other phytomedicines in the treatment of insomnia.

Detection of Early Ischemic Changes with Virtual Noncontrast Dual-Energy CT in Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Noninferiority Analysis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Dual-energy virtual NCCT has the potential to replace conventional NCCT to detect early ischemic changes in acute ischemic stroke. In this study, we evaluated whether virtual NCCT is noninferior compared with standard linearly blended NCCT, a surrogate of conventional NCCT, regarding the detection of early ischemic changes with ASPECTS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Adult patients who presented with suspected acute ischemic stroke and who underwent dual-energy NCCT and CTA and brain MR imaging within 48 hours were included. Standard linearly blended images were reconstructed to match a conventional NCCT. Virtual NCCT images were reconstructed from CTA. ASPECTS was evaluated on conventional NCCT, virtual NCCT, and DWI, which served as the reference standard. Agreement between CT assessments and the reference standard was evaluated with the Lin concordance correlation coefficient. Noninferiority was assessed with bootstrapped estimates of the differences in ASPECTS between conventional and virtual NCCT with 95% CIs.

RESULTS

Of the 193 included patients, 100 patients (52%) had ischemia on DWI. Compared with the reference standard, the ASPECTS concordance correlation coefficient for conventional and virtual NCCT was 0.23 (95% CI, 0.15-0.32) and 0.44 (95% CI, 0.33-0.53), respectively. The difference in the concordance correlation coefficient between virtual and conventional NCCT was 0.20 (95% CI, 0.01-0.39) and did not cross the prespecified noninferiority margin of -0.10.

CONCLUSIONS

Dual-energy virtual NCCT is noninferior compared with conventional NCCT for the detection of early ischemic changes with ASPECTS.

Two Species Origins Comparison of Herba Patriniae based on Their Ingredients Profile by UPLC-QTOF/MS/MS and Orthogonal Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis

Herba Patriniae (HP) is widely used as a medicinal and edible material in China. Besides food value, HP attracts more attention due to its medicinal potential. Patrinia villosa Juss. ( PV ) and Patrinia scabiosaefolia Fisch. ( PS ) are the two species origins of HP. These two of HP show different effects on cell proliferation, migration, angiogenesis and anti-diabetic. As we have previously reported, PV and PS show significant differences on their anti-inflammatory ability in the same experimental model. Comparing the ingredient profiles of two different sources will not only facilitate the understanding of their medicinal effects, but also help the development and research of new activities. However, still now, there is no systematic and detailed study to compare the components of PV and PS . In present study, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was employed to achieve a high-throughput qualitative and thorough analysis of the chemical composition spectrum of HP. A total of 164 compounds were identified, among these compounds, 127 compounds were identified from PV , and 107 compounds were identified from PS . Most of the chemical components was discovered for the first time. Flavonoids, saponins, terpenoids and organic acids, as the main ingredients in PV and PS were 45.45%vs 28.46%, 12.61% vs 32.09%, 14.33% vs 22.38% and 14.58% vs 6.79%, respectively. Flavonoids are the main components of PV , while PS is rich in saponins. PV and PS were classified into two groups by principal component analysis (PCA) and screened out the main molecular differences responsible by orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). All the results will be a guide for the quality control, functional activity research, or better clinic use based on the ingredients profile between these two species. Besides, this first study on ingredients profile of two species origins will be beneficial for potential and best resources utilization of both PV and PS .

Scintillation light detection in the 6-m drift-length ProtoDUNE Dual Phase liquid argon TPC

DUNE is a dual-site experiment for long-baseline neutrino oscillation studies, neutrino astrophysics and nucleon decay searches. ProtoDUNE Dual Phase (DP) is a 6  ×  6  ×  6 m 3 liquid argon time-projection-chamber (LArTPC) that recorded cosmic-muon data at the CERN Neutrino Platform in 2019-2020 as a prototype of the DUNE Far Detector. Charged particles propagating through the LArTPC produce ionization and scintillation light. The scintillation light signal in these detectors can provide the trigger for non-beam events. In addition, it adds precise timing capabilities and improves the calorimetry measurements. In ProtoDUNE-DP, scintillation and electroluminescence light produced by cosmic muons in the LArTPC is collected by photomultiplier tubes placed up to 7 m away from the ionizing track. In this paper, the ProtoDUNE-DP photon detection system performance is evaluated with a particular focus on the different wavelength shifters, such as PEN and TPB, and the use of Xe-doped LAr, considering its future use in giant LArTPCs. The scintillation light production and propagation processes are analyzed and a comparison of simulation to data is performed, improving understanding of the liquid argon properties.

AB0864 A nomogram model combining inflammatory factors and MRI radiomics to assess the disease activity of the patients with axSpA in a prospective study

Background

Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) disease activity score (DAS) are measuring different aspects of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), they are essential in disease activity assessment. The radiomics was on facilitating readings by clinical specialists via enhancing the medical images in which subtle data differences could be distinguished.

Objectives

If the additional information of MRI imaging can be considered as a predictor for axSpA disease activity? In this study, we sought to construct a nomogram integrating the sacroiliac joint (SIJ)- MRI radiomics features and the inflammatory biomarkers to assess disease activity and compare it with clinical disease acitivity index in axSpA patients.

Methods

203 patients data were collected prospectively and confirmed as axSpA were randomly divided into training (n = 143) and validation cohorts (n = 60). 1316 radiomics features were extracted from the 3.0T SIJ-MRI. A Nomogram model was constructed using multivariate logistic regression analysis Incorporating independent clinical factors and radiomics features score (Rad-score). The performance of clinics, Rad-score and nomogram models were evaluated by ROC analysis, calibration curve and decision curve analysis (DCA), and compared with the disease activity index(Ankylosing Spondylitis DAS (ASDAS)-C reactive protein (CRP), ASDAS-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI)) and Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC) MRI scoring system.

Results

The Rad-score allowed a good discrimination in the training (AUC, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.85-0.96) and the validation cohort (AUC, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.73-0.96). The CRP-radiomics nomogram model also showed favorable discrimination in the training (AUC, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.93-0.99) and the validation cohort (AUC, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.80-0.98), better than BASDAI(AUC, 0.58), ASDAS-CRP(AUC, 0.72), ASDAS-ESR(AUC, 0.77), ESR(AUC, 0.72), CRP(AUC, 0.77) and BASFI(AUC, 0.73), had no statistical difference with SPARCC(AUC, 0.87). Calibration curves and DCA demonstrated the nomogram fit well (p > 0.05) and was useful for activity evaluation.

Conclusion

Rad-score showed good discriminative ability to assess disease activity in axSpA. The nomogram can increase the efficacy for assessment axSpA disease activity, which might simplify clinical evaluation.

Figure 1.

Comparison of ROC curve analyses in prediction models. ROC curves of the clinical features (green curve), radiomics signature model (blue curve), and hybrid model (gold curve) of axSpA in the training cohort (A) and validation cohort (B), respectively. In addition, there are AUC of ASDAS-CRP(pink curve), ASDAS-ESR(brown curve), BASDAI(purple curve), BASFI(azure curve) and SPARCC scoring system(yellow curve) in the validation cohort (B), respectively. AUC: area under the curve; ROC: receiver operating characteristic; SPARCC: Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada; BASDAI: Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index; ASDAS: Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score; CRP: C reactive protein; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; BASFI: Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index.

References

[1]Lee KH, Choi ST, Lee GY, Ha YJ, Choi SI. Method for Diagnosing the Bone Marrow Edema of Sacroiliac Joint in Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis Using Magnetic Resonance Image Analysis Based on Deep Learning. Diagnostics (Basel). 2021;11(7).

[2]Zheng Q, Liu W, Huang Y, Gao Z, Wu Y, Wang X, et al. Predictive Value of Active Sacroiliitis in MRI for Flare Among Chinese Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis in Remission. Rheumatol Ther. 2021;8(1):411-24.

Acknowledgements

No conflict of interest

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

POS0962 CAN RADIOMICS REPLACE SPARCC SCORING SYSTEM IN EVALUATING BONE MARROW OEDEMA OF THE SACROILIAC JOINTS IN AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS?

Background

Bone marrow oedema (BMO) of the sacroiliac joints (SIJs) is evaluated to diagnose, classify and monitor disease activity in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). Available quantitative methodologies rely on human visual assessment, and errors can’t be completely avoided. Radiomics can extract and select discriminative and quantified features from regions of interest (ROIs), making a more accurate and objective description of BMO.

Objectives

To develop a more objective and efficient method based on radiomics to evaluate BMO of the SIJs by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with axSpA in comparison with Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC) scoring system.

Methods

From September 2013 to July 2021, 523 patients with axSpA underwent 3.0T SIJ-MRI were included, who were randomly classified as training cohort(n=367) and validation cohort(n=156). The optimal radiomics features, selected from the 3.0T SIJ-MRI in the training cohort, were included to build the radiomics model. Four clinical risk predictors were adopted to build the clinical model. The performance of the clinical and radiomics models was evaluated by ROC analysis and decision curve analysis (DCA). Rad-scores were calculated by the radiomics model and SPARCC scores were performed to quantify the BMO of SIJs. We also assessed the correlation between Rad-score and SPARCC score.

Results

The radiomics model, built by 15 optimal features, showed favorable discrimination about SPARCC score <2 or ≥2 both in the training (AUC, 0.91; 95% CI: 0.88-0.94) and the validation cohort (AUC, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.84-0.94). DCA confirmed that the radiomics model was clinically useful. Furthermore, Rad-score has significant correlation with SPARCC score for scoring the status of BMO (rs=0.78, P< 0.001), and moderation correlation for scoring the change (r=0.40, P=0.005).

Conclusion

The radiomics can accurately assess the BMO of the SIJs in axSpA, providing an alternative to SPARCC scoring system. There was a positive correlation between Rad-score and SPARCC score.

References

[1]van der Heijde D, Sieper J, Maksymowych WP, Lambert RG, Chen S, Hojnik M, et al. Clinical and MRI remission in patients with nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis who received long-term open-label adalimumab treatment: 3-year results of the ABILITY-1 trial. Arthritis Res Ther. 2018;20(1):61.

[2]Landewé RB, Hermann KG, van der Heijde DM, Baraliakos X, Jurik AG, Lambert RG, et al. Scoring sacroiliac joints by magnetic resonance imaging. A multiple-reader reliability experiment. The Journal of rheumatology. 2005;32(10):2050-5.

[3]Cereser L, Zabotti A, Zancan G, Quartuccio L, Cicciò C, Giovannini I, et al. Magnetic resonance imaging assessment of ASAS-defined active sacroiliitis in patients with inflammatory back pain and suspected axial spondyloarthritis: a study of reliability. Clinical and experimental rheumatology. 2021.

[4]Maksymowych WP, Inman RD, Salonen D, Dhillon SS, Williams M, Stone M, et al. Spondyloarthritis research Consortium of Canada magnetic resonance imaging index for assessment of sacroiliac joint inflammation in ankylosing spondylitis. Arthritis Rheum. 2005;53(5):703-9.

[5]Gillies RJ, Kinahan PE, Hricak H. Radiomics: Images Are More than Pictures, They Are Data. Radiology. 2016;278(2):563-77.

Table 1.

Rad-scores corresponding to different SPARCC score intervals about the status of SIJ-BMO.

SPARCC scorenRad-scoreMean(sd)Median (iqr)Range0-1170-1.31(1.64)-1.39(2.16)-6.46, 2.352-61250.73(1.86)0.62(2.12)-3.08, 8.487-11552.25(1.80)2.36(1.79)-1.17, 8.3612-16432.65(2.14)2.66(3.21)-0.76, 7.3917-21383.31(2.05)3.25(2.88)-0.88, 7.5522-26263.08(1.55)3.38(2.12)-1.00, 5.3827-31253.77(1.36)3.77(1.59)0.40, 6.27>31414.10(1.51)4.32(2.28)1.00, 6.96

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

Impact Analysis of Different CT Configurations of Carotid Artery Plaque Calcifications on Cerebrovascular Events

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

CT is considered the standard reference both for quantification and characterization of carotid artery calcifications. Our aim was to investigate the relationship among different types of calcium configurations detected with CT within the plaque with a novel classification and to investigate the prevalence of cerebrovascular events.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Seven hundred ninety patients (men = 332; mean age, 69.7 [SD, 13] years; 508 symptomatic for cerebrovascular symptoms and 282 asymptomatic) who underwent computed tomography of the carotid arteries were retrospectively included in this institutional review board-approved study. The plaque was classified into 6 types according to the different types of calcium configurations as the following: type 1, complete absence of calcification within the plaque; type 2, intimal or superficial calcifications; type 3, deep or bulky calcifications; type 4, adventitial calcifications with internal soft plaque of <2 mm thickness; type 5, mixed patterns with intimal and bulky calcifications; and type 6, positive rim sign.

RESULTS

The highest prevalence of cerebrovascular events was observed for type 6, for which 89 of the 99 cases were symptomatic. Type 6 plaque had the highest degree of correlation with TIA, stroke, symptoms, and ipsilateral infarct for both sides with a higher prevalence in younger patients. The frequency of symptoms observed by configuration type significantly differed between right and left plaques, with symptoms observed more frequently in type 6 calcification on the right side (50/53; 94%) than on the left side (39/46; 85%, P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

We propose a novel carotid artery plaque configuration classification that is associated with the prevalence of cerebrovascular events. If confirmed in longitudinal analysis, this classification could be used to stratify the risk of occurrence of ischemic events.

Study on the new anti-atherosclerosis activity of different Herba patriniae through down-regulating lysophosphatidylcholine of the glycerophospholipid metabolism pathway

BACKGROUND

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a multifactor cardiovascular disease characterized by chronic inflammation. The safety of long-term medication is the focus of clinical treatment selection and application. It is urgent to develop more high-efficiency and low side effects drugs to treat AS. Therefore, the screening of anti-AS drugs with high efficiency and low toxicity from phytomedicine has attracted more and more attention.

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to explore the new pharmacological effect of Herba patriniae against AS, to find the best origin and extraction part of Herba patriniae, furthermore, to reveal its potential action mechanism.

METHODS

Apolipoprotein E gene-knockout (ApoE^-/-) mice were orally administered with different extracts of Patrinia villosa Juss (PVJ) and Patrinia scabiosaefolia Fisch (PSF). Their anti-AS effect was comprehensively evaluated by small animal ultrasound, HE staining, Oil-Red O staining, platelet aggregation rate and blood lipid level. Lipid metabolomics and network pharmacology were used to study the mechanism of drug action. Finally, the expression of related proteins were detected by western blots and immunofluorescence.

RESULTS

PVJ EtOAc extract and PSF EtOAc extract could significantly reduce vascular plaque, liver inflammation, platelet aggregation and blood lipid levels in AS model. By comparison, the effect of PVJEE was better than that of PSFEE. Furthermore, the results of differential metabolites indicated that PVJEE may inhibit the apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells, proliferation and migration of smooth muscle cells by reversing lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) in the glycerophospholipid metabolic pathway, so as to play an anti-AS role. This result was double verified by KEGG based metabolic pathway enrichment analysis and related protein expression study.

CONCLUSION

By changing glycerophospholipid metabolism pathway, Herba patriniae can significantly regulate lipid metabolism and inflammatory level, showing the development potential of anti-AS, which provides new candidate drugs and good prospects for the safe treatment of AS. In addition, through comparison, this study also confirmed that PVJEE was the best origin and extraction part of anti-AS.

A novel ultrasound-assisted vacuum drying technique for improving drying efficiency and physicochemical properties of Schisandra chinensis extract powder

Schisandra chinensis (S. chinensis) extract powder is an important intermediate for the preparation of many prepared medicines and health products. The physicochemical properties of S. chinensis extract powder have been found to vary tremendously and this has been attributed to the long drying time in the traditional drying method. In this study, S. chinensis specimens were authenticated as the dry fruit of S. chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. S. chinensis were extracted twice with 8 L kg-1 (liquid to solid ratio) distilled water. The extracts were mixed and concentrated under reduced pressure to 1.24 g cm-3. Ultrasound-assisted vacuum drying (UAVD) was employed as a new approach to improve the efficiency in drying S. chinensis extract powder and produce a higher quality product. The effects of drying temperature (70, 80, 90°C), ultrasonic power (40, 120, 200 W), and ultrasonic application time (4, 12, 20 min every 20 min) on the kinetics and quality of S. chinensis extract were investigated and compared with the conventional vacuum drying (CVD). It was shown that, with the increase in drying temperature, ultrasonic power, and time of UAVD, the drying time for S. chinensis extract to reach the equilibrium moisture decreased. The drying time was reduced by more than 25% when utilizing UAVD compared to the CVD method. The effective moisture diffusivity (D eff) values for CVD and UAVD were 3.48 × 10-9 m2·s-1 and 7.41 × 10-9 m2 s-1, respectively, at the drying temperature of 80°C, indicating an increase of 112.93%. It was also found that a Weibull distribution model was suitable for predicting the moisture content of S. chinensis extract (R 2 > 0.95). Furthermore, the content of Schisandrol A in the extracts obtained from UAVD was 12.79% higher than that obtained using CVD at 90°C. This demonstrates that UAVD is an efficient drying technique for S. chinensis extract.

Validation of the Thyrotoxicosis-associated Insomnia Model Induced by Thyroxine through Sympathetic Stimulation: Face, Construct and Predictive Perspectives

Insomnia has become a common central nervous system disease. At present, the pathogenesis of insomnia is not clear. Animal models can help us understand the pathogenesis of the disease and can be used in transformational medicine. Therefore, it is very necessary to establish an appropriate model of insomnia. Clinical data show that insomnia patients with high levels of thyroxine and often accompanied by cardiovascular problems, a common mechanism underlying all of these physiological disruptions is the sympathetic nervous system. Combined with the characteristics of chronic onset of clinical insomnia, an insomnia model induced by long-term intraperitoneal injection of thyroid hormone has been created in our laboratory. In this paper, the insomnia-like state of the model was evaluated based on three validity criteria. Face validity has been demonstrated in metabolism, the Morris water maze, electrocardiogram (ECG) and electroencephalogram (EEG). Structure validity has been proved by the results of targeted metabolomics. After treatment with diazepam, a commonly used clinical anti-insomnia drug, the above physiological and pathological disorders were reversed. The results of comprehensive analysis show that the established thyrotoxicosis-associated insomnia model meets the validity requirement to establish an appropriate animal model of insomnia. The model presented in this article might help to study pathogenetic mechanisms of clinical insomnia, as well as to test promising methods of insomnia treatment.

Era-like GTP protein gene expression in rice

The mutations are genetic changes in the genome sequences and have a significant role in biotechnology, genetics, and molecular biology even to find out the genome sequences of a cell DNA along with the viral RNA sequencing. The mutations are the alterations in DNA that may be natural or spontaneous and induced due to biochemical reactions or radiations which damage cell DNA. There is another cause of mutations which is known as transposons or jumping genes which can change their position in the genome during meiosis or DNA replication. The transposable elements can induce by self in the genome due to cellular and molecular mechanisms including hypermutation which caused the localization of transposable elements to move within the genome. The use of induced mutations for studying the mutagenesis in crop plants is very common as well as a promising method for screening crop plants with new and enhanced traits for the improvement of yield and production. The utilization of insertional mutations through transposons or jumping genes usually generates stable mutant alleles which are mostly tagged for the presence or absence of jumping genes or transposable elements. The transposable elements may be used for the identification of mutated genes in crop plants and even for the stable insertion of transposable elements in mutated crop plants. The guanine nucleotide-binding (GTP) proteins have an important role in inducing tolerance in rice plants to combat abiotic stress conditions.

Lactobacillus strains derived from human gut ameliorate metabolic disorders via modulation of gut microbiota composition and short-chain fatty acids metabolism

Regulation on gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are believed to be a pathway to suppress the development of metabolic syndrome. In this study, three Lactobacillus strains derived from the human gut were investigated for their effects on alleviation of metabolic disorders. These strains were individually administered to metabolic disorder rats induced by high-fat-high-sucrose (HFHS) diet. Each strain exhibited its own characteristics in attenuating the impaired glucose-insulin homeostasis, hepatic oxidative damage and steatosis. Correlation analysis between SCFAs and host metabolic parameters suggested that Lactobacillus protective effects on metabolic disorders are partly mediated by recovery of SCFAs production, especially the faecal acetic acid. Correspondingly, it indicated that probiotics restore the gut microbiota dysbiosis in different extent, thereby protect against metabolic disorders in a manner that is associated with microbiota, but not totally reverse the changed composition of microbiota to the normal state. Thus, Lactobacillus strains partly protect against diet-induced metabolic syndrome by microbiota modulation and acetate elevation.

Prospects for beyond the Standard Model physics searches at the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment: DUNE Collaboration

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) will be a powerful tool for a variety of physics topics. The high-intensity proton beams provide a large neutrino flux, sampled by a near detector system consisting of a combination of capable precision detectors, and by the massive far detector system located deep underground. This configuration sets up DUNE as a machine for discovery, as it enables opportunities not only to perform precision neutrino measurements that may uncover deviations from the present three-flavor mixing paradigm, but also to discover new particles and unveil new interactions and symmetries beyond those predicted in the Standard Model (SM). Of the many potential beyond the Standard Model (BSM) topics DUNE will probe, this paper presents a selection of studies quantifying DUNE's sensitivities to sterile neutrino mixing, heavy neutral leptons, non-standard interactions, CPT symmetry violation, Lorentz invariance violation, neutrino trident production, dark matter from both beam induced and cosmogenic sources, baryon number violation, and other new physics topics that complement those at high-energy colliders and significantly extend the present reach.

Prediction of Clinical Outcome in Patients with Large-Vessel Acute Ischemic Stroke: Performance of Machine Learning versus SPAN-100

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Traditional statistical models and pretreatment scoring systems have been used to predict the outcome for acute ischemic stroke patients (AIS). Our aim was to select the most relevant features in terms of outcome prediction on the basis of machine learning algorithms for patients with acute ischemic stroke and to compare the performance between multiple models and the Stroke Prognostication Using Age and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (SPAN-100) index model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective multicenter cohort of 1431 patients with acute ischemic stroke was subdivided into recanalized and nonrecanalized patients. Extreme Gradient Boosting machine learning models were built to predict the mRS score at 90 days using clinical, imaging, combined, and best-performing features. Feature selection was performed using the relative weight and frequency of occurrence in the models. The model with the best performance was compared with the SPAN-100 index model using area under the receiver operating curve analysis.

RESULTS

In 3 groups of patients, the baseline NIHSS was the most significant predictor of outcome among all the parameters, with relative weights of 0.36∼0.69; ischemic core volume on CTP ranked as the most important imaging biomarker with relative weights of 0.29∼0.47. The model with the best-performing features had a better performance than the other machine learning models. The area under the curve of the model with the best-performing features was higher than SPAN-100 model and reached statistical significance for the total (P < .05) and the nonrecanalized patients (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Machine learning-based feature selection can identify parameters with higher performance in outcome prediction. Machine learning models with the best-performing features, especially advanced CTP data, had superior performance of the recovery outcome prediction for patients with stroke at admission in comparison with SPAN-100.

Clinical characteristics and predictors of the duration of SARS-CoV-2 viral shedding in 140 healthcare workers

BACKGROUND

Epidemiological and clinical features of patients with COVID-19 have been reported, but none of them focused on medical staff, and few predictors of the duration of viral shedding have been reported. It is urgent to help healthcare workers prevent and recover quickly from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

METHODS

We enrolled 140 medical workers with COVID-19 in Wuhan. Epidemiological, demographic, clinical, laboratory, radiological treatment and clinical outcome data were collected, and predictors of the duration of viral shedding were explored through multivariable linear regression analysis.

RESULTS

The medical staff with COVID-19 presented mild clinical symptoms and showed a low frequency of abnormal laboratory indicators. All the medical staff were cured and discharged, of whom 96 (68.6%) were female, 39 (27.9%) had underlying diseases, the median age was 36.0 years, and 104 (74.3%) were infected whilst working in hospital. The median duration of viral shedding was 25.0 days (IQR:20.0-30.0). Multivariable linear regression analysis showed reducing viral shedding duration was associated with receiving recombinant human interferon alpha (rIFN-α) treatment, whilst the prolonged duration of viral shedding correlated with the use of glucocorticoid treatment, the durations from the first symptom to hospital admission and the improvement in chest computed tomography (CT) evidence. Moreover, infected healthcare workers with lymphocytes less than 1.1 × 10⁹ /L on admission had prolonged viral shedding.

CONCLUSION

Medical staff with timely medical interventions show milder clinical features. Glucocorticoid treatment and lymphocytes less than 1.1 × 109/L are associated with prolonged viral shedding. Early admission and rIFN-α treatment help shorten the duration of viral shedding.

PHACTR1, a pro-atherosclerotic mechanosensitive PPARgamma corepressor in endothelial cells

Background

Numerous genome-wide association studies revealed that SNPs at phosphatase and actin regulator 1 (PHACTR1) locus are strongly correlated with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the mechanism linking these variants to CAD remains uncertain.

Purpose

We studied the biological functions and molecular mechanisms of PHACTR1 in atherosclerosis.

Methods and results

Analysis of GTEx database showed that CAD-related SNPs in PHACTR1 are cis-eQTLs for PHACTR1 in arteries. Therefore, we generated Phactr1 knockout mice and crossed them with apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE−/−) mice to induce atherosclerosis by high-fat/high-cholesterol (HF-HC) diet. Phactr1 deficiency significantly inhibited atherosclerosis with decreased inflammatory cell infiltration. Western blot showed that PHACTR1 was restricted to endothelial cells (ECs) in mice. Mechanistically, RNAseq of aortic ECs revealed that the major molecular function of PHACTR1 was transcriptional regulation. PPARγ/RXRα was the top transcription factor, and PPARγ target gene expression substantially increased in Phactr1−/− mice. Moreover, we generated endothelial cell specific Phactr1−/−, ApoE−/− mice and found decreased atherosclerotic plaque area in aortic sinus. In vitro, PHACTR1 associated with PPARγ and inhibited PPARγ transcriptional activity. The inhibitory effect of PHACTR1 on PPARγ required its shuttling from cytosol to nucleus triggered by disturbed flow, a well-established pro-atherosclerotic stimulus.

Conclusion

Our results identified PHACTR1 as a mechanosensitive corepressor of PPARγ in ECs to promote atherosclerosis. Endothelial PHACTR1 is a potential therapeutic target for atherosclerosis treatment.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (CPSF)

Association study of SNCA gene polymorphisms with schizophrenia in a Chinese North Han population

OBJECTIVE

Previous studies suggested that the alpha-synapse protein (SNCA) gene and its coding product α-synuclein (α-Syn) may play a role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. The mutation of SNCA can influence the formation of nerve fibers and the function of dopaminergic neurons, and that may be related to addictive behavior, such as alcohol dependence. SNCA may overlap with the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease or alcohol dependence associated with the dopamine pathway. The aim was to determine the association between three SNCA SNPs (rs3822086C/T, rs11931074G/T, and rs356219A/G) and schizophrenia in a Chinese North Han population.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 878 subjects, with or without schizophrenia, were included in our study. DNA purification, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification, and subsequent restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis were manipulated to determine genotypes.

RESULTS

Between the schizophrenia group and healthy group, neither the genotype nor allele frequencies of rs3822086C/T, rs11931074G/T, or rs356219A/G differed significantly in either the total sample or the subgroups. In the haplotype analysis, the ATT and GTT haplotype frequencies differed significantly between the patients and controls in the total sample (χ2=6.052, p=0.0139; χ2=4.508, p=0.0337). In the female subgroup, the ATT haplotype frequency differed significantly between the patients and controls (χ2=4.219, p=0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

There was no association between SNCA polymorphisms and schizophrenia in the North Han Chinese population, and the ATT haplotype may be a susceptibility factor for schizophrenia.

Self-made Salmonella Pullorum agglutination antigen development and its potential practical application

Pullorum disease caused by Salmonella Pullorum is one of the most important infectious diseases in the poultry industry worldwide, which leads to serious economic losses in many developing countries because of its high mortality rate in young chicks. The traditional slide agglutination test with low cost, fast reaction, and on-site detection has been widely used in the diagnosis of Pullorum disease. However, in practice, the test performance is with the disadvantages of false positive results and unstable detection results. In this paper, we developed self-made agglutination antigens prepared by local isolates in the poultry farm and compare the detection performance with commercial agglutination antigens (China Institute of Veterinary Drug Control) and Group D Salmonella ELISA kit (BioChek UK Ltd). The results of detecting 200 serum samples indicated that the consistency of commercial agglutination antigen detecting in 2 times was only 79.5%. Using the ELISA kit as the reference method, the commercial agglutination antigen detecting results of the Kappa test were only moderately consistent (0.58 ∼ 0.59). Meanwhile, positive and total coincidence rates of the self-made agglutination antigen test with more reliable repeat could reach 97.4 and 88%, respectively, and the result of Kappa test was highly consistent (0.75). The Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analysis clarified that the area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve values of self-made and commercial agglutination antigen tests could reach 0.861 and 0.804, respectively. These results were coincident when detecting known positive serum from the infected chickens. It's worth mentioning that the visible positive reaction of self-made agglutination antigen test appeared faster and stronger than commercial antigen test. In conclusion, self-made Salmonella Pullorum agglutination antigen developed in this study was much better than commercial agglutination antigen and is expected to be a valuable tool in the diagnosis of the epidemiology of Salmonella Pullorum.

Chinese expert group consensus on diagnosis and clinical management of osteoradionecrosis of the mandible

Osteoradionecrosis of the mandible (MORN) is one of the most devastating complications caused by radiation therapy in the head and neck region. It is characterized by infection and chronic necrosis of the mandible as the main manifestation. Clinically, MORN-related symptoms include swelling, pain, dysphagia, trismus, masticatory or speech disorders, refractory orocutaneous fistula, bone exposure, and even pathological fracture. MORN has become a challenging clinical problem for oral and maxillofacial surgeons to deal with, but thus far, this problem has not been solved due to the lack of widely accepted treatment algorithms or guidelines. Because of the nonexistence of standardized treatment criteria, most clinical treatment against MORN nowadays is largely based on controversial empirical understandings, while recommendations on post-therapeutic evaluations are scarce. Therefore, to further unify and standardize the diagnosis and treatment of MORN, to decrease the huge waste of medical resources, and ultimately, to improve the wellbeing of the patients, the Chinese Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (CSOMS) convened an expert panel specialized in MORN from 16 domestic medical colleges and affiliated hospitals to discuss the spectrum of diagnosis and and formulate treatment. In addition, consensus recommendations were also revised with a comprehensive literature review of the previous treatment experiences and research pearls. This 'expert consensus statement on diagnosis and clinical management of MORN' is for clinical reference.

Autophagy triggered by MAVS inhibits Coxsackievirus A16 replication

Mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS), a crucial adaptor protein localized on mitochondria, plays vital roles in various biological processes. Autophagy and apoptosis are two independent and closely linked cell death pathways. But whether MAVS could induce apoptosis and autophagy in rhabdomyosarcoma cells (RD cells) and what is the relationship between autophagy and apoptosis still remains elusive. Here, we reveal that overexpression of MAVS could trigger both apoptosis and autophagy in RD cells. Interestingly, MAVS-induced apoptosis was dependent on the activation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway and inhibition of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway. Also, it was found that inhibition of autophagy by 3-methyladenine (3-MA) enhanced MAVS-induced apoptosis resulting in increased cleavage of caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Meanwhile, autophagy induction by rapamycin resulted in decreased MAVS-induced apoptosis. In addition, we found that MAVS expression was inhibited upon Coxsackievirus A16 (CA16) infection and overexpression of MAVS could inhibit CA16 replication. Collectively, our study provides novel insights into the link between apoptosis and autophagy induced by MAVS overexpression in RD cells and gains a greater understanding of MAVS-induced antiviral functions, which provide new targets for CA16 treatment. Keywords: CA16; MAVS; apoptosis; autophagy.