Angelicin improves osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats by reducing ROS production in osteoclasts through regulation of the KAT6A/Nrf2 signalling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Angelicin, which is found in Psoralea, can help prevent osteoporosis by stopping osteoclast formation, although the precise mechanism remains unclear. METHODS: We evaluated the effect of angelicin on the oxidative stress level of osteoclasts using ovariectomized osteoporosis model rats and RAW264.7 cells. Changes in the bone mass of the femur were investigated using H&E staining and micro-CT. ROS content was investigated by DHE fluorescence labelling. Osteoclast-related genes and proteins were examined for expression using Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining, and real-time quantitative PCR. The influence of angelicin on osteoclast development was also evaluated using the MTT assay, double luciferin assay, chromatin immunoprecipitation, immunoprecipitation and KAT6A siRNA transfection. RESULTS: Rats treated with angelicin had considerably higher bone mineral density and fewer osteoclasts. Angelicin prevented RAW264.7 cells from differentiating into osteoclasts in vitro when stimulated by RANKL. Experiments revealed reduced ROS levels and significantly upregulated intracellular KAT6A, HO-1, and Nrf2 following angelicin treatment. The expression of genes unique to osteoclasts, such as MMP9 and NFATc1, was also downregulated. Finally, KAT6A siRNA transfection increased intracellular ROS levels while decreasing KAT6A, Nrf2, and HO-1 protein expression in osteoclasts. However, in the absence of KAT6A siRNA transfection, angelicin greatly counteracted this effect in osteoclasts. CONCLUSIONS: Angelicin increased the expression of KAT6A. This enhanced KAT6A expression helps to activate the Nrf2/HO-1 antioxidant stress system and decrease ROS levels in osteoclasts, thus inhibiting oxidative stress levels and osteoclast formation.

Differences in Genomic Alterations and Accumulations of Heavy Metals Between Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients with and without Bone Metastasis.

Purpose: Bone metastasis (BoM) has been closely associated with increased morbidity and poor survival outcomes in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Given its significant implications, this study aimed to systematically compare the biological characteristics between advanced NSCLC patients with and without BoM. Methods: In this study, the genomic alterations from the tumor tissue DNA of 42 advanced NSCLC patients without BoM and 67 patients with BoM and were analyzed by a next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel. The serum concentrations of 18 heavy metals were detected by inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results: A total of 157 somatic mutations across 18 mutated genes and 105 somatic mutations spanning 16 mutant genes were identified in 61 out of 67 (91.05%) patients with BoM and 37 of 42 (88.10%) patients without BoM, respectively. Among these mutated genes, NTRK1, FGFR1, ERBB4, NTRK3, and FGFR2 stood out exclusively in patients with BoM, whereas BRAF, GNAS, and AKT1 manifested solely in those without BoM. Moreover, both co-occurring sets of genes and mutually exclusive sets of genes in patients with BoM were different from those in patients without BoM. In addition, the serum concentrations of Cu and Sr in patients with BoM were significantly higher than in patients without BoM. One of our aims was to explore how these heavy metals associated with BoM interacted with other heavy metals, and significant positive correlations were observed between Cu and Co, between Cu and Cr, between Sr and Ba, and between Sr and Ni in patients with BoM. Given the significant impacts of molecular characteristics on patients' prognosis, we also observed a noteworthy negative correlation between EGFR mutations and Co, alongside a significant positive correlation between TP53 mutations and Cd. Conclusions: The genomic alterations, somatic interactions, key signaling pathways, functional biological information, and accumulations of serum heavy metals were markedly different between advanced NSCLC patients with and without BoM, and certain heavy metals (e.g., Cu, Sr) might have potentials to identify high-risk patients with BoM.

Bifunctional Chiral Electrocatalysts Enable Enantioselective α-Alkylation of Aldehydes.

Herein, we describe an innovative approach to the asymmetric electrochemical α-alkylation of aldehydes facilitated by a newly designed bifunctional chiral electrocatalyst. The highly efficient bifunctional chiral electrocatalyst combines a chiral aminocatalyst with a redox mediator. It plays a dual role as a redox mediator for electrooxidation, while simultaneously providing remarkable asymmetric induction for the stereoselective α-alkylation of aldehydes. Additionally, this novel catalyst exhibits enhanced catalytic activity and excellent stereoselective control comparable to conventional catalytic systems. As a result, this strategy provides a new avenue for versatile asymmetric electrochemistry. The electrooxidation of diverse phenols enables the C-H/C-H oxidative α-alkylation of aldehydes in a highly chemo- and stereoselective fashion. Detailed mechanistic studies by control experiments and cyclic voltammetry analysis demonstrate possible reaction pathways and the origin of enantio-induction.

Antiferromagnetic phase transition in a 3D fermionic Hubbard model.

The fermionic Hubbard model (FHM)1 describes a wide range of physical phenomena resulting from strong electron-electron correlations, including conjectured mechanisms for unconventional superconductivity. Resolving its low-temperature physics is, however, challenging theoretically or numerically. Ultracold fermions in optical lattices2,3 provide a clean and well-controlled platform offering a path to simulate the FHM. Doping the antiferromagnetic ground state of a FHM simulator at half-filling is expected to yield various exotic phases, including stripe order4, pseudogap5, and d-wave superfluid6, offering valuable insights into high-temperature superconductivity7-9. Although the observation of antiferromagnetic correlations over short10 and extended distances11 has been obtained, the antiferromagnetic phase has yet to be realized as it requires sufficiently low temperatures in a large and uniform quantum simulator. Here we report the observation of the antiferromagnetic phase transition in a three-dimensional fermionic Hubbard system comprising lithium-6 atoms in a uniform optical lattice with approximately 800,000 sites. When the interaction strength, temperature and doping concentration are finely tuned to approach their respective critical values, a sharp increase in the spin structure factor is observed. These observations can be well described by a power-law divergence, with a critical exponent of 1.396 from the Heisenberg universality class12. At half-filling and with optimal interaction strength, the measured spin structure factor reaches 123(8), signifying the establishment of an antiferromagnetic phase. Our results provide opportunities for exploring the low-temperature phase diagram of the FHM.

Risk Factors and Predictive Nomogram for Survival in Elderly Patients with Brain Glioma.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the factors that contribute to the survival of elderly individuals diagnosed with brain glioma and develop a prognostic nomogram. METHODS: Data from elderly individuals (age ≥65 years) histologically diagnosed with brain glioma were sourced from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The dataset was randomly divided into a training cohort and an internal validation cohort at a 6:4 ratio. Additionally, data obtained from Tangdu Hospital constituted an external validation cohort for the study. The identification of independent prognostic factors was achieved through the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariate Cox regression analysis, enabling the construction of a nomogram. Model performance was evaluated using C-index, ROC curves, calibration plot and decision curve analysis (DCA). RESULTS: A cohort of 20 483 elderly glioma patients was selected from the SEER database. Five prognostic factors (age, marital status, histological type, stage, and treatment) were found to significantly impact overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS), with tumor location emerging as a sixth variable independently linked to CSS. Subsequently, nomogram models were developed to predict the probabilities of survival at 6, 12, and 24 months. The assessment findings from the validation queue indicate a that the model exhibited strong performance. CONCLUSION: Our nomograms serve as valuable prognostic tools for assessing the survival probability of elderly glioma patients. They can potentially assist in risk stratification and clinical decision-making.

Catalase catalyzed tannic acid-Fe3+ network coating: A theranostic strategy for intestinal barrier restoration.

Epithelial barrier impairment of intestinal inflammation leads to the leakage of bacteria, antigens and consequent persistent immune imbalance. Restoring the barrier function holds promise for management of intestinal inflammation, while the theragnostic strategies are limited. In this study, we developed a novel coating by catalase (CAT)-catalyzed polymerization of tannic acid (TA) and combined chelation network with Fe3+. TA-Fe3+ coating was self-polymerized in situ along the small intestinal mucosa, demonstrating persistent adhesion properties and protective function. In enteritis models, sequential administration of TA-Fe3+ complex solution effectively restored the barrier function and alleviated the intestinal inflammation. Overexpressed CAT in inflammatory lesion is more favorable for the in situ targeting growth of TA-Fe3+ coating onto the defective barrier. Based on the high longitudinal relaxivity of Fe3+, the pathologically catalyzed coating facilitated the visualization of intestinal barrier impairment through MRI. In conclusion, the novel TA-Fe3+ delivery coating proposed an alternative approach to promote theranostic intervention for intestinal diseases.

Effect of probiotics on children with autism spectrum disorders: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Researches have found that alteration of intestinal flora may be closely related to the development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, whether probiotics supplementation has a protective effect on ASD remains controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to analyze the outcome of probiotics in the treatment of ASD children. METHODS: The Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Embase were searched until Sep 2022. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) relevant to the probiotics and placebo treatment on ASD children were screened. Quality assessment of the included RCTs was evaluated by the Cochrane collaboration's tool. The primary outcomes were ASD assessment scales, including ABC (aberrant behavior checklist) and CBCL (child behavior checklist) for evaluating the behavior improvement, SRS (social responsiveness scale) for social assessment, DQ (developmental quotient) for physical and mental development and CGI-I (clinical global impression improvement) for overall improvement. The secondary outcome was total 6-GSI (gastrointestinal severity index). RESULTS: In total, 6 RCTs from 6 studies with 302 children were included in the systemic review. Total 6-GSI (MD=-0.59, 95%CI [-1.02,-0.17], P < 0.05) decreased significantly after oral administration of probiotics. Whereas, there was no statistical difference in ABC, CBCL, SRS, DQ and CGI-I between probiotics and placebo groups in ASD children. CONCLUSION: Probiotics treatment could improve gastrointestinal symptoms, but there was no significant improvement in ASD.

Transformation of marginal zone lymphoma into high-grade B-cell lymphoma expressing terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase: A case report.

BACKGROUND: High-grade B-cell lymphoma (HGBL) is an unusual malignancy that includes myelocytomatosis viral oncogene (MYC), B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2), and/or BCL-6 rearrangements, termed double-hit or triple-hit lymphomas, and HGBL-not otherwise specific (HGBL-NOS), which are morphologically characteristic of HGBL but lack MYC, BCL-2, or BCL-6 rearrangements. HGBL is partially transformed by follicular lymphoma and other indolent lymphoma, with few cases of marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) transformation. HGBL often has a poor prognosis and intensive therapy is currently mainly advocated, but there is no good treatment for these patients who cannot tolerate chemotherapy. CASE SUMMARY: We reported a case of MZL transformed into HGBL-NOS with TP53 mutation and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase expression. Gene analysis revealed the gene expression profile was identical in the pre- and post-transformed tissues, suggesting that the two diseases are homologous, not secondary tumors. The chemotherapy was ineffective and the side effect was severe, so we tried combination therapy including venetoclax and obinutuzumab. The patient tolerated treatment well, and reached partial response. The patient had recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma and died of multifunctional organ failure. He survived for 12 months after diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Venetoclax combined with obinutuzumab might improve the survival in some HGBL patients, who are unsuitable for chemotherapy.

Bifonazole caffeate: The first molecular salt of bifonazole with enhanced biopharmaceutical property based on experiments and quantum chemistry research.

In order to make novel breakthroughs in molecular salt studies of BCS class-IV antifungal medication bifonazole (BIF), a salification-driven strategy towards ameliorating attributes and aiding augment efficiency is raised. This strategy fully harnesses structural characters together attributes and benefits of caffeic acid (CAF) to concurrently enhance dissolvability and permeability of BIF by introducing the two ingredients into the identical molecular salt lattice through the salification reaction, which, coupled with the aroused potential activity of CAF significantly amplifies the antifungal efficacy of BIF. Guided by this route, the first BIF-organic molecular salt, BIF-CAF, is directionally designed and synthesized with satisfactorily structural characterizations and integrated theoretical and experimental explorations on the pharmaceutical properties. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction resolving confirms that there is a lipid-water amphiphilic sandwich structure constructed by robust charge-assistant hydrogen bonds in the salt crystal, endowing the molecular salt with the potential to enhance both dissolvability and permeability relative to the parent drug, which is validated by experimental evaluations. Remarkably, the comprehensive DFT-based theoretical investigations covering frontier molecular orbital, molecular electrostatic potential, Hirshfeld surface analysis, reduced density gradient, topology, sphericity and planarity analysis strongly support these observations, thereby allowing some positive relationships between macroscopic properties and microstructures of the molecular salt can be made. Intriguingly, the optimal properties, together with the stimulated activity of CAF markedly augment in vitro antifungal ability of the molecular salt, with magnifying inhibition zones and reducing minimum inhibitory concentrations. These findings fill in the gaps on researches of BIF-organic molecular salt, and adequately exemplify the feasibility and validity by integrating theoretical and experimental approaches to resolve BIF's problems via the salification-driven tactic.

Acid Promoted Tetrafunctionalization of Terminal Alkynes: Geminal Diazidation and Dibromination.

The synthesis of complex alkanes by the tetrafunctionalization of alkynes is limited and challenging. Herein, an unprecedented efficient geminal diazidation and dibromination of terminal alkynes is developed, which provides novel access to structurally diverse organic azides. The approach has exclusive chemo- and regioselectivity and features mild reaction conditions, good tolerance of various functional groups, and more crucially, no metal involved in the reaction, thereby benefiting the late-stage decoration of medicinal molecules. A mechanistic study showed that the current geminal diazidation and dibromination proceeds via a radical pathway.

Zonular instability-associated morphologic features in eyes with primary angle closure disease using the swept-source anterior segment - optical coherence tomography system.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to investigate the morphologic features of the crystalline lens in Primary Angle Closure Disease (PACD) patients with zonular instability during cataract surgery using the swept-source CASIA 2 Anterior Segment-Optical Coherence Tomography (AS-OCT) system. METHODS: A total of 398 eyes (125 PACD eyes with zonular instability, 133 PACD eyes with zonular stability, and 140 cataract patient controls) of 398 patients who underwent cataract surgery combined or not glaucoma surgery between January 2021 and January 2023 were enrolled. The crystalline lens parameters were measured by CASIA2 AS-OCT. Then, logistic regression was performed to evaluate the risk factors associated with zonular instability. RESULTS: The results revealed that PACD eyes had a more anterior lens equator position, a steeper anterior curvature of lens, shorter Axial Length (AL), shallower Anterior Chamber Distance (ACD), higher Lens Vault (LV) and thicker Lens Thickness (LT), when compared to eyes in the cataract control group. Furthermore, PACD eyes in the zonular instability group had steeper front R, front Rs and Front Rf, flatter back Rf, thicker lens anterior part thickness, higher lens anterior-to-posterior part thickness ratios, shallower ACD, and greater LV, when compared to PACD eyes with zonular stability. The logistic regression analysis, which was adjusted for age and gender, revealed that zonular instability was positively correlated with anterior part thickness, lens anterior-to-posterior part thickness ratio, and LV, but was negatively correlated with lens anterior radius and ACD. CONCLUSION: Steeper anterior curvature, increased lens anterior part thickness, higher anterior-to-posterior part thickness ratio, shallower ACD, and greater LV are the anatomic features of PACD eyes associated with zonular instability.

Mini-dose methotrexate combined with methylprednisolone for the initial treatment of acute GVHD: a multicentre, randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: There is an urgent unmet need for effective initial treatment for acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) adding to the standard first-line therapy with corticosteroids after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). METHODS: We performed a multicentre, open-label, randomized, phase 3 study. Eligible patients (aged 15 years or older, had received allo-HSCT for a haematological malignancy, developed aGVHD, and received no previous therapies for aGVHD) were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either 5 mg/m2 MTX on Days 1, 3, or 8 and then combined with corticosteroids or corticosteroids alone weekly. RESULTS: The primary endpoint was the overall response rate (ORR) on Day 10. A total of 157 patients were randomly assigned to receive either MTX plus corticosteroids (n = 78; MTX group) or corticosteroids alone (n = 79; control group). The Day 10 ORR was 97% for the MTX group and 81% for the control group (p = .005). Among patients with mild aGVHD, the Day 10 ORR was 100% for the MTX group and 86% for the control group (p = .001). The 1-year estimated failure-free survival was 69% for the MTX group and 41% for the control group (p = .002). There were no differences in treatment-related adverse events between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, mini-dose MTX combined with corticosteroids can significantly improve the ORR in patients with aGVHD and is well tolerated, although it did not achieve the prespecified 20% improvement with the addition of MTX. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered with clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04960644).

Identification of lymph node adulteration in minced pork by comprehensive metabolomics and lipidomics approach based on UPLC/LTQ-Orbitrap MS.

The deliberate pork adulteration with lymph nodes is a common adulteration phenomenon, and it poses a serious threat to public health and food safety. An untargeted metabolomics and lipidomics approach based on ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled with linear ion trap quadrupole-Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry (MS) was used to distinguish lymph nodes from minced pork. The principal component analysis and orthogonal projection to latent structures discriminant analysis models were established with the good of fitness and predictivity. The results showed that there were significant differences in metabolites and lipids between lymph nodes and pork. A total of 16 significantly differentiated metabolites were identified, of which 1-palmitoylglycerophosphocholine, 12,13-dihydroxy-9-octadecenoic acid, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) were positively correlated with lymph node content and were identified as potential markers of lymph nodes. These three markers were combined to create a binary logistic regression model, and a combined-factor exceeding 0.75 was ultimately identified as a marker for pork adulteration with lymph nodes. The desorption electrospray ionization-MS images showed that PGE2 had a higher relative abundance in the lymph node region than in adjacent non-lymph node regions, indicating that PGE2 was a marker that contributed significantly for identifying lymph nodes adulteration into pork. Our results provide a theoretical basis for identifying lymph node adulteration, which will contribute to combating fraud in the meat industry.

Observation of Photoassociation Resonances in Ultracold Atom-Molecule Collisions.

We report on the observation of photoassociation resonances in ultracold collisions between ^{23}Na^{40}K molecules and ^{40}K atoms. We perform photoassociation in a long-wavelength optical dipole trap to form deeply bound triatomic molecules in electronically excited states. The atom-molecule Feshbach resonance is used to enhance the free-bound Franck-Condon overlap. The photoassociation into well-defined quantum states of excited triatomic molecules is identified by observing resonantly enhanced loss features. These loss features depend on the polarization of the photoassociation lasers, allowing us to assign rotational quantum numbers. The observation of ultracold atom-molecule photoassociation resonances paves the way toward preparing ground-state triatomic molecules, provides a new high-resolution spectroscopy technique for polyatomic molecules, and is also important to atom-molecule Feshbach resonances.

Characteristic and Import Mechanism of Protein Nuclear Translocation.

Coordination and information exchange among the various organelles ensure the precise and orderly functioning of eukaryotic cells. Interaction between the cytoplasm and nucleoplasm is crucial for many physiological processes. Macromolecular protein transport into the nucleus requires assistance from the nuclear transport system. These proteins typically contain a nuclear localisation sequence that guides them to enter the nucleus. Understanding the mechanism of nuclear import of macromolecular proteins is important for comprehending cellular processes. Investigation of disease-related alterations can facilitate the development of novel therapeutic strategies and provide additional evidence for clinical trials. This review provides an overview of the proteins involved in nuclear transport and the mechanisms underlying macromolecular protein transport.

Postoperative hyper-inflammation as a predictor of poor outcomes in patients with acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) undergoing surgical repair.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative hyper-inflammation is a frequent event in patients with acute Stanford type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) after surgical repair. This study's objective was to determine which inflammatory biomarkers could be used to make a better formula for identifying postoperative hyper-inflammation, and which risk factors were associated with hyper-inflammation. METHODS: A total of 405 patients were enrolled in this study from October 1, 2020 to April 1, 2023. Of these patients, 124 exhibited poor outcomes. In order to investigate the optimal cut-off values for poor outcomes, logistic and receiver operating characteristic analyses were performed on the following parameters on the first postoperative day: procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII). These cut-off points were used to separate the patients into hyper-inflammatory (n = 52) and control (n = 353) groups. Finally, the logistic were used to find the risk factors of hyper-inflammatory. RESULTS: PCT, CRP, IL-6, and SII were independent risk factors of poor outcomes in the multivariate logistic model. Cut-off points of these biomarkers were 2.18 ng/ml, 49.76 mg/L, 301.88 pg/ml, 2509.96 × 109/L respectively. These points were used to define postoperative hyper-inflammation (OR 2.97, 95% CI 1.35-6.53, P < 0.01). Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) > 180 min, and deep hypothermia circulatory arrest (DHCA) > 40 min were the independent risk factors for hyper-inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: PCT > 2.18, CRP > 49.76, IL-6 > 301.88, and SII < 2509.96 could be used to define postoperative hyper-inflammation which increased mortality and morbidity in patients after ATAAD surgery. Based on these findings, we found that CPB > 180 min and DHCA > 40 min were separate risk factors for postoperative hyper-inflammation.

Oropharyngeal Stenosis Caused by Significant Scar Hyperplasia Following Tonsillectomy: A Case Report.

Oropharyngeal stenosis (OPS) is a relatively rare long-term complication of tonsillectomy in children, resulting from the narrowing of the upper aerodigestive tract between the soft palate, pharyngeal sidewalls, and base of the tongue. This is the first reported case of OPS due to significant scar hyperplasia; however, whether it is as prone to recurrence as skin scar hypertrophy remains unknown. In this article, we present the case of a 5-year-old girl who presented to our otolaryngology clinic with sleep snoring and suffocation. Her medical history included tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, performed 3 years prior to presentation. The patient underwent a combination of surgery and administration of triamcinolone injections, resulting in significant symptomatic improvement. To date, no signs of recurrence have been reported.

Sivelestat in Patients at a High Risk of Postoperative Acute Lung Injury After Scheduled Cardiac Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Sivelestat, a neutrophil elastase inhibitor, is specifically developed to mitigate the occurrence of acute lung injury (ALI) in individuals who are undergoing cardiovascular surgery. However, its impact on patients who are at a heightened risk of developing ALI after scheduled cardiac surgery has yet to be determined. In order to address this knowledge gap, we undertook a study to assess the efficacy of sivelestat in protecting the lungs of these patients. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study involving 718 patients who were at high risk of developing postoperative acute lung injury (ALI) and underwent scheduled cardiac surgery between April 25th, 2022, and September 7th, 2023. Among them, 52 patients received sivelestat (administered at a dosage of 0.2mg/kg/h for 3 days), while 666 patients served as controls, not receiving sivelestat. The control conditions were the same for all patients, including ventilation strategy, extubating time, and fluid management. Subsequently, a propensity-score matched cohort was established, consisting of 40 patients in both the sivelestat and control groups. The primary outcome measure encompassed a composite of adverse outcomes, including 30-day mortality, ALI, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and others. Secondary outcomes assessed included pneumonia, ventricular arrhythmias, mechanical ventilation (MV) time, and more. Results: After conducting propensity matching in our study, we observed that there were no significant differences in 30-day mortality between the sivelestat and control groups (0% vs 2.5%, P=0.32). However, the use of sivelestat exhibited a significant reduction in the incidence of acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) compared to the control group (0% vs 55%, P<0.01), pneumonia (0 vs 37.5%, P<0.01), MV time (median:8 hours, IQR:4-14.8 hours vs median: 15.2 hours, IQR:14-16.3 hours, P<0.01). Compared to the control group, the sivelestat could significantly decrease white cell count (P<0.01), neutrophile percentage (P<0.01) and C-reactive protein (P<0.01) in the period of postoperative 5 days. Conclusion: The prophylactic administration of sivelestat has shown promising results in reducing the occurrence of acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) in patients with a heightened risk of developing these conditions after elective cardiac surgery. Our study findings indicate that sivelestat may provide protective effects by suppressing inflammation triggered by neutrophil activation, thereby safeguarding pulmonary function. Registration: ChiCTR2200059102, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=166643.

Decoherence-free-subspace-based deterministic conversions for entangled states with heralded robust-fidelity quantum gates.

The decoherence-free subspace (DFS) serves as a protective shield against certain types of environmental noise, allowing the system to remain coherent for extended periods of time. In this paper, we propose two protocols, i.e., one converts two-logic-qubit Knill-Laflamme-Milburn (KLM) state to two-logic-qubit Bell states, and the other converts three-logic-qubit KLM state to three-logic-qubit Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger states, through cavity-assisted interaction in DFS. Especially, our innovative protocols achieve their objectives in a heralded way, thus enhancing experimental accessibility. Moreover, single photon detectors are incorporated into the setup, which can predict potential failures and ensure seamless interaction between the nitrogen-vacancy center and photons. Rigorous analyses and evaluations of two schemes demonstrate their abilities to achieve near-unit fidelities in principle and exceptional efficiencies. Further, our protocols offer progressive solutions to the challenges posed by decoherence, providing a pathway towards practical quantum technologies.