Activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α7 subunit limits Zika viral infection via promoting autophagy and ferroptosis.

Vagus nerve regulates viral infection and inflammation via the alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR); however, the role of α7 nAChR in ZIKA virus (ZIKV) infection, which can cause severe neurological diseases such as microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome, remains unknown. Here, we first examined the role of α7 nAChR in ZIKV infection in vitro. A broad effect of α7 nAChR activation was identified in limiting ZIKV infection in multiple cell lines. Combined with transcriptomics analysis, we further demonstrated that α7 nAChR activation promoted autophagy and ferroptosis pathways to limit cellular ZIKV viral loads. Additionally, activation of α7 nAChR prevented ZIKV-induced p62 nucleus accumulation, which mediated an enhanced autophagy pathway. By regulating proteasome complex and an E3 ligase NEDD4, activation of α7 nAChR resulted in increased amount of cellular p62, which further enhanced ferroptosis pathway to reduce ZIKV infection. Moreover, utilizing in vivo neonatal mouse models, we showed that α7 nAChR is essential in controlling the disease severity of ZIKV infection. Taken together, our findings identify an α7 nAChR-mediated effect that critically contributes to limiting ZIKV infection, and α7 nAChR activation offers a novel strategy for combating ZIKV infection and its complications.

Applicability of wheat brewer's spent grain in steamed bread-making based on physicochemical and visual profiles assessment of doughs and breads.

Brewer's spent grain (BSG), one of the main byproducts of brewing, has been widely used in the food industry due to its high nutritional components of dietary fiber, proteins, polysaccharides, and polyphenols. This study investigated the influence of wheat brewer's spent grain (WBSG) on the physicochemical properties of dough and steamed bread-making performance. The incorporation of WBSG in wheat flour significantly increased water absorption, development time, and degree of softening while decreasing the stability time of blending dough. Excessive WBSG up to 20% restricted the dough formation. WBSG contributed to the remarkable increase of pasting viscosities, pasting temperature, and immobilized water proportion in doughs. For all doughs, storage moduli (G') were higher than viscous moduli (G″). WBSG addition resulted in higher moduli values and the formation of highly networked gluten structure, finally leading to the lower specific volume, spread ratio, and elasticity of bread. Lightness (L*) of bread decreased with increasing WBSG while redness (a*) and total color difference (ΔE) augmented. Low WBSG addition (≤5%) could endow steamed bread with the appearance of a chocolate-like color and pleasant malt flavor, which is acceptable for most consumers. Nevertheless, the improvement of nutritional and functional characteristics of steamed bread incorporated with WBSG should be more focused in the future.

Palmitic acid impairs human and mouse placental function by inhibiting trophoblast autophagy through induction of acyl-coenzyme A-binding protein (ACBP) upregulation.

STUDY QUESTION: Can exposure to palmitic acid (PA), a common saturated fatty acid, modulate autophagy in both human and mouse trophoblast cells through the regulation of acyl-coenzyme A-binding protein (ACBP)? SUMMARY ANSWER: PA exposure before and during pregnancy impairs placental development through mechanisms involving placental autophagy and ACBP expression. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: High-fat diets, including PA, have been implicated in adverse effects on human placental and fetal development. Despite this recognition, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying these effects are not fully understood. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: Extravillous trophoblast (EVT) cell line HTR-8/SVneo and human trophoblast stem cell (hTSC)-derived EVT (hTSCs-EVT) were exposed to PA or vehicle control for 24 h. Female wild-type C57BL/6 mice were divided into PA and control groups (n = 10 per group) and subjected to a 12-week dietary intervention. Afterward, they were mated with male wild-type C57BL/6 mice and euthanized on Day 14 of gestation. Female ACBPflox/flox mice were also randomly assigned to control and PA-exposed groups (each with 10 mice), undergoing the same dietary intervention and mating with ACBPflox/floxELF5-Cre male mice, followed by euthanasia on Day 14 of gestation. The study assessed the effects of PA on mouse embryonic development and placental autophagy. Additionally, the role of ACBP in the pathogenesis of PA-induced placental toxicity was investigated. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: The findings were validated using real-time PCR, Western blot, immunofluorescence, transmission electron microscopy, and shRNA knockdown approaches. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Exposure to PA-upregulated ACBP expression in both human HTR-8/SVneo cells and hTSCs-EVT, as well as in mouse placenta. PA exposure also induced autophagic dysfunction in HTR-8/SVneo cells, hTSCs-EVT, and mouse placenta. Through studies on ACBP placental conditional knockout mice and ACBP knockdown human trophoblast cells, it was revealed that reduced ACBP expression led to trophoblast malfunction and affected the expression of autophagy-related proteins LC3B-II and P62, thereby impacting embryonic development. Conversely, ACBP knockdown partially mitigated PA-induced impairment of placental trophoblast autophagy, observed both in vitro in human trophoblast cells and in vivo in mice. LARGE SCALE DATA: N/A. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: Primary EVT cells from early pregnancy are fragile, limiting research use. Maintaining their viability is tough, affecting data reliability. The study lacks depth to explore PA diet cessation effects after 12 weeks. Without follow-up, understanding postdiet impacts on pregnancy stages is incomplete. Placental abnormalities linked to elevated PA diet in embryos lack confirmation due to absence of control groups. Clarifying if issues stem solely from PA exposure is difficult without proper controls. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: Consuming a high-fat diet before and during pregnancy may result in complications or challenges in successfully carrying the pregnancy to term. It suggests that such dietary habits can have detrimental effects on the health of both the mother and the developing fetus. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): This work was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82171664, 82301909) and the Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing Municipality of China (CSTB2022NS·CQ-LZX0062, cstc2019jcyj-msxmX0749, and cstc2021jcyj-msxmX0236). The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: N/A.

Phylogenetic placement and comparative analysis of the mitochondrial genomes of Idiostoloidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera).

The classification system and the higher level phylogenetic relationships of Pentatomomorpha, the second largest infraorder of Heteroptera (Insecta: Hemiptera), have been debated and remain controversial over decades. In particular, the placement and phylogenetic relationship of Idiostoloidea are not well resolved, which hampers a better understanding of the evolutionary history of Pentatomomorpha. In this study, for the first time, we reported the complete mitochondrial genome for two narrowly distributed families of Idiostoloidea (including Idiostolidae and Henicocoridae), respectively. The length of the mitochondrial genome of Monteithocoris hirsutus and Henicocoris sp. is 16,632 and 16,013 bp, respectively. The content of AT is ranging from 75.15% to 80.48%. The mitogenomic structure of Idiostoloidea is highly conservative and there are no gene arrangements. By using the Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian site-heterogeneous mixture model, we inferred the phylogenetic relationships within Pentatomomorpha and estimated their divergence times based on concatenated mitogenomes and nuclear ribosomal genes. Our results support the classification system of six superfamilies within Pentatomomorpha and confirm the monophyletic groups of each superfamily, with the following phylogenetic relationships: (Aradoidea + (Pentatomoidea + (Idiostoloidea + (Coreoidea + (Pyrrhocoroidea + Lygaeoidea))))). Furthermore, estimated divergence times revealed that most pentatomomorphan superfamilies and families diverged during the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, which coincides with the explosive radiation of angiosperms.

Case report: Systemic presentation of ALK-positive Histiocytosis.

ALK-positive Histiocytosis (ALK-HSs) is a recently identified rare clinical entity characterized by tissue histiocytic alterations associated with ALK gene rearrangement. Clinical presentations can be solitary, multifocal, or systemic (involving multiple sites and organs). Due to limited reported cases, there is inadequate understanding of this disease. This report presents a case of ALK-HSs in a 71-year-old male patient who presented with hematuria for one week. Imaging studies conducted at an external hospital showed multiple lesions in the penis, bilateral testes, back skin, and the third lumbar vertebra. Histopathological findings included spindle and histiocytic cell proliferation with mild or indistinct cellular atypia, interstitial infiltration of lymphocytes, plasma cells, foamy histiocytes, and fibrous tissue proliferation. Immunohistochemistry of the lesion cells revealed positivity for CD68, CD163, ALK1, ALK (D5F3), and Vimentin. FISH testing indicated ALK gene separation in the lesion cells. NGS testing identified the fusion genes KIF5B(NM_004521) and ALK(NM_004304) in the lesion cells. We combined the characteristics of this case with a review of the literature to enhance our understanding of this rare clinical entity.

Angiogenesis-related lncRNAs index: A predictor for CESC prognosis, immunotherapy efficacy, and chemosensitivity.

Cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma (CESC) is a common gynecologic tumor and patients with advanced and recurrent disease usually have a poor clinical outcome. Angiogenesis is involved in the biological processes of tumors and can promote tumor growth and invasion. In this paper, we created a signature for predicting prognosis based on angiogenesis-related lncRNAs (ARLs). This provides a prospective direction for enhancing the efficacy of immunotherapy in CESC patients. We screened seven OS-related ARLs by univariate and multivariate regression analyses and Lasso analysis and developed a prognostic signature at the same time. Then, we performed an internal validation in the TCGA-CESC cohort to increase the precision of the study. In addition, we performed a series of analyses based on ARLs, including immune cell infiltration, immune function, immune checkpoint, tumor mutation load, and drug sensitivity analysis. Our created signature based on ARLs can effectively predict the prognosis of CESC patients. To strengthen the prediction accuracy of the signature, we built a nomogram by combining signature and clinical features.

Simultaneous determination of unecritinib (TQ-B3101) and its active metabolite crizotinib in rat plasma by LC-MS/MS：An application to pharmacokinetic studies.

Unecritinib (TQ-B3101) is a selective tyrosine kinase receptor inhibitor. In the study, in vitro metabolic experiments revealed that the hydrolysis of TQ-B3101 was mainly catalyzed by carboxylesterase 2 (CES2), followed by CES1. Next, a sensitive and reliable LC-MS/MS method was established for the simultaneous determination of TQ-B3101 and its metabolite crizotinib in rat plasma. To prevent in vitro hydrolysis of TQ-B3101, sodium fluoride, the CESs inhibitor at a concentration of 2 M, was immediately added after whole blood collection. Plasma samples were extracted by acetonitrile-induced protein precipitation method, and chromatographically separated on a Gemini C18 column (50 mm × 2.0 mm i.d., 5 µm) using gradient elution with a mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid and 5 mmol/L ammonium acetate with 0.1% formic acid. The retention times for TQ-B3101 and crizotinib were 2.61 and 2.38 min, respectively. The analytes were detected with tandem mass spectrometer by positive electrospray ionization, using the ion transitions at m/z 492.3 → 302.3 for TQ-B3101, m/z 450.3 → 260.3 for crizotinib, and m/z 494.0 → 394.3 for imatinib (internal standard). Method validation was conducted in the linear range of 1.00-800 ng/mL for the two analytes. The precision, accuracy and stabilities all met the acceptance criteria. The pharmacokinetic study indicated that TQ-B3101 was rapidly hydrolyzed to crizotinib with the elimination half-life of 1.11 h after a single gavage administration of 27 mg/kg to Sprague-Dawley rats, and the plasma exposure of TQ-B3101 was only 2.98% of that of crizotinib.

Traditional and non-traditional lipid parameters as risk factors for sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose was to explore the effects of traditional and non-traditional lipid parameters on Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL). METHODS: The study included 452 patients diagnosed with SSNHL, among whom 206 patients had a level of hearing improvement ≥10 dB after one month of follow-up. A propensity score-matched (2:1) control group was used. Conditional and unconditional logistic regression were used to analyze the risk factors for SSNHL. RESULTS: Patients with SSNHL had a higher risk of concomitant hypertension and elevated atherosclerogenic lipid levels, with apolipoprotein B and apolipoprotein E identified as independent risk factors for the onset of SSNHL. Additionally, the Lipid Comprehensive Index (LCI) was an independent risk factor for the degree of hearing loss. A positive linear correlation was revealed between triglyceride, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, atherogenic index, Castelli risk index, atherogenic index of plasma, LCI and hearing loss. However, no linear relationship was observed between hearing gain and any lipid parameters. When Total Cholesterol (TC) was in the range of borderline high, the treatment effect was the best. However, the statistical significance disappeared upon adjusting for confounding factors. CONCLUSION: Patients with SSNHL exhibited markedly dysregulated lipid metabolism. Elevated serum lipid levels may be a causative factor in auditory impairment and can influence the extent of hearing loss. Promptly improving cochlear microcirculation may benefit patients with borderline elevated TC.

Perceived school bullying and psychotic-like experiences in sexual minority adolescents: the mediating and moderating roles of resilience.

AIMS: This two-wave, longitudinal study aimed to examine the potential moderating and mediating effects of resilience on the association between perceived school bullying and psychotic-like experiences among Chinese sexual minority adolescents. METHODS: A total of 4192 senior high students were included and 984 (23.5%) of them were identified as a sexual minority (mean age = 16.68 years, SD = 0.71). Participants completed two online surveys during April 21 to May 12, 2021 and December 17 to 26, 2021, respectively, as well as completed self-report measures of sample characteristics, perceived school bullying, resilience, and psychotic-like experiences (including two dimensions: delusional experiences and hallucinatory experiences). RESULTS: Perceived school bullying and resilience were associated with psychotic-like experiences in sexual minority adolescents. Resilience mediated the relationship between perceived school bullying and subsequent psychotic-like experiences (b = 0.03, 95% CI = 0.01 ~ 0.04)/ delusional experiences (b = 0.03, 95% CI = 0.01 ~ 0.04)/ hallucinatory experiences (b = 0.02, 95% CI = 0.01 ~ 0.03). Additionally, resilience only moderated the associations of perceived school bullying with hallucinatory experiences (b = -0.06, 95% CI = -0.12 ~ -0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicated that resilience plays a crucial role in mediating or moderating the relationship between perceived school bullying and psychotic-like experiences. Assessing and reducing school bullying, as well as promoting resilience, may have important clinical implications for reducing the risk of psychotic-like experiences in sexual minority adolescents.

Increased coexpression of PD-L1 and IDO1 is associated with poor overall survival in patients with NK/T-cell lymphoma.

Immunotherapy with programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) blockade was effective in patients with NK/T-cell lymphoma. In addition to PD-L1, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO1) is one of the most promising immunotherapeutic targets. High proportions of PD-L1 and IDO1 proteins were observed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) from 230 newly diagnosed patients with NK/T lymphoma with tissue samples from three cancer centers and were associated with poor overall survival (OS) in patients with NK/T lymphoma. Importantly, the coexpression of PD-L1 and IDO1 was related to poor OS and short restricted mean survival time in patients with NK/T lymphoma and was an independent prognostic factor in the training cohorts, and which was also validated in 58 NK/T lymphoma patients (GSE90597). Moreover, a nomogram model constructed with PD-L1 and IDO1 expression together with age could provide concise and precise predictions of OS rates and median survival time. The high-risk group in the nomogram model had a positive correlation with CD4 + T-cell infiltration in the validation cohort, as did the immunosuppressive factor level. Therefore, high PD-L1 and IDO1 expression was associated with poor OS in patients with NK/T lymphoma. PD-L1 and IDO1 might be potential targets for future immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy for NK/T lymphoma.

Inventorization and ecological risk assessment of tetrabromobisphenol A and hexabromocyclododecane in sediments from Guangdong coastal area of South China Sea.

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) exhibit excellent flame retardant properties and are widely used in various industries. Among the common BFRs, tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDs) pose substantial ecological and human health risks due to their extensive application and long-range transport. This study established 131 sample collection sites along the coast of the South China Sea (SCS) in Guangdong Province to assess the concentration, distribution, inventory, and ecological risk of TBBPA and HBCDs in surface sediments. The concentrations of TBBPA in SCS sediments ranged from < limit of detection (LOD) to 80 µg/kg dry weight (dw), and those of HBCDs from < LOD to 18 µg/kg dw. The diastereoisomers of HBCDs (α-, ß-, and γ-HBCD) in the sediment samples accounted for 36 %, 13 %, and 51 %, respectively. Human activities, particularly those associated with nearby electronic waste disassembly and textile and garment industries, considerably influenced the dispersion of TBBPA and HBCDs. The inventories of TBBPA and HBCDs in Guangdong Province's SCS were estimated to be 3.2 × 105 kg and 7.2 × 104 kg, respectively. The average risk quotient values ranged from <0.01 to 0.016, indicating a low to negligible environmental risk. This study provides deeper insights into the distribution and scientific significance of HBCDs and TBBPA in SCS sediment samples, elucidates the current state of BFR contamination, and offers recommendations for future research on environmental safety and human health in the region.

Sarcopenic obesity in nursing home residents: a multi-center study on diagnostic methods and their association with instrumental activities of daily living.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenic obesity (SO) in nursing home residents is rarely studied. We aimed to evaluate and compare the prevalence and consistency of different SO diagnostic methods and to investigate which criterion demonstrated a stronger association with instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) disability. METHODS: We consecutively recruited older adults aged ≥ 60 years, residing in 15 nursing homes in Zigong City, China. Sarcopenia obesity was defined according to the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) and the European Association for the Study of Obesity criteria (SOESPEN), recommending skeletal muscle mass (SMM) adjusted by body weight (SMM/W) to identify low muscle mass. Further, we adapted ESPEN criteria (SOESPEN-M) by employing SMM adjusted by body mass index (SMM/BMI). RESULTS: We included 832 participants (median age 73.0 years, 296 women). The prevalence of SOESPEN and SOESPEN-M was 43.5% and 45.3%, respectively. SOESPEN showed good consistency with SOESPEN-M (Cohen's kappa = 0.759). More than one-third of participants in the normal weight group were diagnosed with SOESPEN or SOESPEN-M. Even within the underweight group, the prevalence of SOESPEN and SOESPEN-M was 8.9% and 22.2%, respectively. Participants with IADL disability had significantly lower SMM/W and SMM/BMI, but higher fat mass percentage of body weight (FM%) than participants without IADL disability. After full adjustment for potential confounders, SOESPEN-M (OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.21 to 2.32), but not SOESPEN (OR 1.28, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.75), remained significantly associated with IADL disability. CONCLUSIONS: Both SOESPEN and SOESPEN-M showed a high prevalence among nursing home residents, even among individuals with underweight or normal weight. While SOESPEN had a good consistency with SOESPEN-M, only SOESPEN-M was independently associated with IADL disability. Screening and diagnosis of SO should be conducted in nursing home residents irrespective of BMI.

Relationship between nutrition indicators and pneumonia risk among stable schizophrenia patients: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: It is reported that reduced physical activity and malnutrition may trigger pneumonia, and the utilisation of the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) upon admission to long-term nursing care can enable the implementation of accurate and timely rehabilitation and nutritional support, which may, in turn, minimise pneumonia incidence. However, to date, there is no reported association between GNRI and pneumonia among stable schizophrenic patients. METHODS: This is a retrospective investigation. We enrolled 434 hospitalised subjects aged ≥50 years, who were diagnosed with stable schizophrenia between January 2017 and June 2022. Baseline nutritional status information during the stable stage of schizophrenia was evaluated using body mass index, serum albumin, and GNRI. In addition, pneumonia-based information, including diagnosis and treatment, was retrospectively obtained within 1 year. To examine the potential association between nutrition indicators and pneumonia risk among stable schizophrenia patients, we employed a logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The pneumonia incidence among all stable schizophrenia patients was 10.14%, and there were no statistically significant difference between sexes (male vs. female, 10.63% vs. 9.44%, P = 0.687). Based on the univariate analysis of nutrition indicators and pneumonia, female patients exhibited a strong correlation between serum albumin and pneumonia (P = 0.022). Furthermore, we adjusted for potential influencing factors of pneumonia infection, and confirmed that only serum albumin was linked to pneumonia risk in female stable schizophrenia patients (odds ratio = 0.854, 95% CI: 0.749-0.975, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Based on our analysis, serum albumin was strongly correlated with pneumonia risk in female stable schizophrenia patients.

Thermosensitive gel-nano system against esophageal cancer via restoring p53 activity and boosting T-cell immunity.

In esophageal cancer (EC), clinical specimen testing has uncovered a significant increase in BTB and CNC homolog 1 (BACH1) expression and a shift towards an immunosuppressive environment, alongside a notable decrease in p53 protein expression. Therefore, therapeutic strategies focusing on BACH1 inhibition and p53 upregulation appear promising. Traditional oral treatments for EC lack precision and efficacy. Here, we propose a novel approach employing tumor-targeted nanoparticles (NPs) for drug delivery. However, the formation of a drug reservoir at the esophageal site, crucial for the sustained release of therapeutics, presents significant challenges in nano-delivery systems for EC treatment. To address this, we developed a thermosensitive hydrogel composed of F127 and tannic acid, serving as a vehicle for NP loading. These NPs, synthesized through the emulsion/volatization methods of mPEG-PLGA-PLL-cRGD, facilitate in situ drug delivery. Upon contacting esophageal tissue, the hydrogel transitions to a gel, adhering to the lining and enabling sustained release of encapsulated therapeutics. The formulation encompasses NPs laden with small interfering RNA targeting BACH1 (siBACH1) and the p53 activator PRIMA-1, creating a cohesive gel-nano system. Preliminary biological assessments demonstrate that this injectable, thermosensitive gel-nano system adheres effectively to esophageal tissue and targets EC cells. For better modeling clinical outcomes, a patient-derived organoid xenograft (PDOX) model was innovated, involving transplantation of EC-derived organoids into humanized mice, reconstructed with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Post-treatment analysis showed substantial EC growth inhibition (89.51% tumor inhibition rate), significant BACH1 level reduction, restored anti-tumor immune responses, and pronounced tumor apoptosis. In summary, our study introduces a thermosensitive gel-nano system for EC treatment via restoring p53 activity and boosting T-cell immunity, with potential for clinical application.

Robot-assisted minimally invasive bronchial resection with primary anastomosis for schwannoma arising from left main bronchus: a case report.

Background: Tracheobronchial schwannomas are extremely rare, which account for lower than 0.2% in all pulmonary tumors. In large part because of the rarity and insufficient reported clinical details, tracheobronchial schwannoma lacks guidelines or expert consensus for diagnosis and treatment, and the delay in diagnosis can range from months to years. The main treatment option is surgery. Endoscopic intervention can also be selected. An increasing number of thoracic surgery cases were performed on the robotic platforms in recent years. With their assistance, surgeons can accomplish the high technique required surgical procedures with ease. Case Description: In this case, a 48-year-old female had a history of shortness of breath for more than 1 year. The chest computed tomography (CT) and bronchoscopy examination revealed a new growth of nodule in the left main bronchus. The nodule was considered a schwannoma by transbronchial biopsy, which was removed by robot-assisted bronchial resection with primary anastomosis. The application of Da Vinci Si robotic surgical system benefited the process of this surgery. Pathology and immunohistochemistry results confirmed the diagnosis of schwannomas. The patient tolerated the treatment without any complications. No sign of recurrence was discovered at present, 6 months after the intervention. Conclusions: We reported the first sleeve resection for bronchial schwannoma using Da Vinci robotic surgical system. The clinical details of tracheobronchial schwannoma should be revealed more specifically to achieve more systematic diagnosis and treatment.

A brain functional network feature extraction method based on directed transfer function and graph theory for MI-BCI decoding tasks.

Background: The development of Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technology has brought tremendous potential to various fields. In recent years, prominent research has focused on enhancing the accuracy of BCI decoding algorithms by effectively utilizing meaningful features extracted from electroencephalographic (EEG) signals. Objective: This paper proposes a method for extracting brain functional network features based on directed transfer function (DTF) and graph theory. The method incorporates the extracted brain network features with common spatial pattern (CSP) to enhance the performance of motor imagery (MI) classification task. Methods: The signals from each electrode of the EEG, utilizing a total of 32 channels, are used as input signals for the network nodes. In this study, 26 healthy participants were recruited to provide EEG data. The brain functional network is constructed in Alpha and Beta bands using the DTF method. The node degree (ND), clustering coefficient (CC), and global efficiency (GE) of the brain functional network are obtained using graph theory. The DTF network features and graph theory are combined with the traditional signal processing method, the CSP algorithm. The redundant network features are filtered out using the Lasso method, and finally, the fused features are classified using a support vector machine (SVM), culminating in a novel approach we have termed CDGL. Results: For Beta frequency band, with 8 electrodes, the proposed CDGL method achieved an accuracy of 89.13%, a sensitivity of 90.15%, and a specificity of 88.10%, which are 14.10, 16.69, and 11.50% percentage higher than the traditional CSP method (75.03, 73.46, and 76.60%), respectively. Furthermore, the results obtained with 8 channels were superior to those with 4 channels (82.31, 83.35, and 81.74%), and the result for the Beta frequency band were better than those for the Alpha frequency band (87.42, 87.48, and 87.36%). Similar results were also obtained on two public datasets, where the CDGL algorithm's performance was found to be optimal. Conclusion: The feature fusion of DTF network and graph theory features enhanced CSP algorithm's performance in MI task classification. Increasing the number of channels allows for more EEG signal feature information, enhancing the model's sensitivity and discriminative ability toward specific activities in brain regions. It should be noted that the functional brain network features in the Beta band exhibit superior performance improvement for the algorithm compared to those in the Alpha band.

Increased ROS levels in mitochondrial outer membrane protein Mul1-deficient oocytes result in abnormal preimplantation embryogenesis.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are associated with oocyte maturation inhibition, and N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) partially reduces their harmful effects. Mitochondrial E3 ubiquitin ligase 1 (Mul1) localizes to the mitochondrial outer membrane. We found that female Mul1-deficient mice are infertile, and their oocytes contain high ROS concentrations. After fertilization, Mul1-deficient embryos showed a DNA damage response (DDR) and abnormal preimplantation embryogenesis, which was rescued by NAC addition and ROS depletion. These observations clearly demonstrate that loss of Mul1 in oocytes increases ROS concentrations and triggers DDR, resulting in abnormal preimplantation embryogenesis. We conclude that manipulating the mitochondrial ROS levels in oocytes may be a potential therapeutic approach to target infertility.

Annexin A2 combined with TTK accelerates esophageal cancer progression via the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

Annexin A2 (ANXA2) is a widely reported oncogene. However, the mechanism of ANXA2 in esophageal cancer is not fully understood. In this study, we provided evidence that ANXA2 promotes the progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) through the downstream target threonine tyrosine kinase (TTK). These results are consistent with the up-regulation of ANXA2 and TTK in ESCC. In vitro experiments by knockdown and overexpression of ANXA2 revealed that ANXA2 promotes the progression of ESCC by enhancing cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Subsequently, animal models also confirmed the role of ANXA2 in promoting the proliferation and metastasis of ESCC. Mechanistically, the ANXA2/TTK complex activates the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and accelerates epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), thereby promoting the invasion and metastasis of ESCC. Furthermore, we identified that TTK overexpression can reverse the inhibition of ESCC invasion after ANXA2 knockdown. Overall, these data indicate that the combination of ANXA2 and TTK regulates the activation of the Akt/mTOR pathway and accelerates the progression of ESCC. Therefore, the ANXA2/TTK/Akt/mTOR axis is a potential therapeutic target for ESCC.

Application and value of anxiety and depression scale in patients with functional dyspepsia.

BACKGROUND: Patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) cannot be assessed for their mental health using a suitable and practical measure. The purpose of the study is to investigate the usefulness of several anxiety and depression scales in patients with FD, offering recommendations for clinical identification and therapy. METHODS: From September 2021 to September 2022, patients were sought and selected. The psychological symptoms were assessed using ten depression or anxiety questionnaires. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, Spearman analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, and single factor analysis were applied. RESULTS: Prospective analysis was performed on 142 healthy individuals and 113 patients with FD. In the case group, anxiety and depression symptoms were more common than in the control group, and the 10 scales showed strong validity and reliability. HAMD had the strongest connection with the PHQ-9 score on the depression scale (0.83). The score correlation between SAS and HAMA on the anxiety analysis scale was the greatest at 0.77. The PHQ-9, SAS, HAMD, and HAMA measures performed exceptionally well in detecting FD with anxiety or depression symptoms (AUC = 0.72, 0.70, 0.70, 0.77, and 0.77, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: PHQ-9, SAS, HAMD, and HAMA scales have good application performance in FD patients. They can assist gastroenterologists in evaluating anxiety and depression symptoms, and provide reference and guidance for subsequent treatment.

Concentration and composition of odd-chain fatty acids in phospholipids and triacylglycerols in Chinese human milk throughout lactation.

Human milk represents the gold standard for infant nutrition, with approximately 50% of the energy in human milk derived from lipids. Odd-chain fatty acids (OCFAs) have been recognized as a category of bioactive milk fatty acids in recent research; however, limited data exist on OCFAs in human milk. This study collected human milk samples spanning the postpartum period from 0 to 400 days. Phospholipids containing OCFAs (PL-OCFAs) were determined in 486 human milk samples using hydrophilic liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-triquadrupole-mass spectrometry. Triacylglycerols containing OCFAs (TAG-OCFAs) were analyzed in 296 human milk samples using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The average total concentration of PL-OCFA ranged from 30.89 ± 14.27 mg L-1 to 93.48 ± 36.55 mg L-1 during lactation, and the average total TAG-OCFA content ranged from 103.1 ± 147.15 mg L-1 to 965.41 ± 651.67 mg L-1. Despite the lower absolute concentration of PL-OCFA, its relative concentration (8.75%-11.75%) was significantly higher than that of TAG-OCFA (0.37%-1.85%) throughout lactation. PC-OCFA, SM-OCFA and PE-OCFA are major sub-classes of PL-OCFA. Furthermore, C17:0 was the major chain length in both PL-OCFA and TAG-OCFA, followed by C15:0. C17:1 was characteristic of TAG-OCFA, while long-chain fatty acids C19:0, C21:0 and C23:0 were characteristic of PL-OCFA. Our findings highlighted the importance of bioactive lipids in human milk, suggesting that OCFAs could be targeted in future studies in relation to the health and development of infants.