Simultaneous determination of 18 steroids in the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis based on UPLC-MS/MS with multimode ionization.

To objectively quantify changes in steroid hormones in organisms caused by adverse environmental loads, we developed a simple and sensitive UPLC-MS/MS (ultra-performance liquid chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry) method for the simultaneous determination of 18 steroid hormones on the HPG axis. This analytical method was based on liquid extraction and a multimode electrospray and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (ESCi) source, which was optimized by mass spectrometry, liquid phase and pretreatment for the quantification of cholesterol (CH), aldosterone (A), cortisone (E), hydrocortisone (F), 21-deoxycortisol (21-DF), corticosterone (B), 11-deoxycortisol (11-DF), androstenedione (A2), estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), 2-methoxyestradiol (2-MeE2), 21-hydroxyprogesterone (21-OHP), 17-α hydroxyprogesterone (17α-OHP), testosterone (T), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), progesterone (P4), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and pregnenolone (P5). The method exhibits linearity in the analyte-concentration range 0.03-1000 µg mL-1 (r2 > 0.99), the spiked recoveries for the concentration range tested are 76.22-113.66%, and the relevant parameters of precision are 7.52-1.14%. Compared to other methods, this new method not only uses a small amount of serum (only 100 µL), but also permits the analysis of the challenging steroid, cholesterol. Furthermore, the method was successfully applied to the determination of steroids in Mus musculus, Carassius auratus, Rana catesbeiana Shaw, and Rana nigromaculata serum samples from randomly selected individuals. Therefore, this method is efficient and a very useful tool for assessing changes in steroid hormones.

Cohort differences between preschool development of in vitro fertilization and naturally conceived infants.

To explore the differential cohort situation between preschool development of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and naturally conceived infants. From April 2014 to June 2022, 60 preschool IVFs were selected as the research subjects for follow-up at the pediatric health clinic of hospital's prevention and health department. They were set as the experimental group (Group S), and 60 naturally conceived infants of the same age were selected as the control group (Group Z). Data from both groups were collected through telephone follow-up and other methods. No significant difference showed between the 2 groups in age specific height, age specific weight, Gesell developmental score, Denver developmental screening test screening results, intellectual development index, and motor development index (P > .05). The influence of birth environment factors such as family background and maternal education level on children's height and weight was not significant (P > .05), while maternal education level had a significant impact on children's intellectual development index (P < .05). No significant difference showed in the development of preschool children in IVF compared to naturally conceived children, and the level of parental education has a significant impact on children's mental and motor development.

MALAT1 Knockdown Inhibits the Proliferation, Migration, and Collagen Deposition of Human Hypertrophic Scar Fibroblasts via Targeting miR-29a-3p/Smurf2 Axis.

Purpose: Hypertrophic scarring (HS) is commonly described as an abnormal post-traumatic tissue repair characterized by excessive hypercellularity and extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition. Mounting evidence suggests that MALAT1 is maladjusted in many fibrotic diseases, but its contribution to HS progression remains poorly understood. Hence, we sought to elucidate the fundamental role of MALAT1 in HS. Methods: The expression of MALAT1, miR-29a-3p, and Smurf2 in skin tissues and fibroblasts was assessed by RT-qPCR and Western blotting. Furthermore, lentiviruses, RNAi, or plasmids were utilized to transfect hypertrophic scar fibroblasts (HSFs) for gene overexpression or downregulation. The biological behaviors of HSFs were quantified by the CCK-8 assay, wound healing assay, transwell assay, and flow cytometry. Mechanistically, bioinformatics analysis, dual-luciferase reporter assays, and rescue experiments were performed to verify the relationship between miR-29a-3p and MALAT1 or Smurf2. Results: Our data indicate that MALAT1, Smurf2 were overexpressed while miR-29a-3p was suppressed in HS tissues and fibroblasts. Downregulation of MALAT1 may lead to decreased proliferation, migration, and invasion of fibroblasts, accompanied by enhanced apoptosis, reduced TGF-ß signal transduction, and ECM accumulation in HSFs, by enhancing miR-29a-3p and suppressing Smurf2 expression. Mechanistically, MALAT1 acted as a sponge for miR-29a-3p, while miR-29a-3p directly targeted Smurf2. More importantly, rescue experiments suggested that MALAT1 downregulation induced impact on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HSFs could be partially overturned through miR-29a-3p knockdown or Smurf2 overexpression. Conclusion: MALAT1 knockdown inhibits the proliferation, migration, invasion, and collagen deposition of HSFs via targeting the miR-29a-3p/Smurf2 axis, which may reveal a promising therapeutic exploitable vulnerability to HS.

Advances in research and utilization of botanical pesticides for agricultural pest management in Inner Mongolia, China.

Traditional Chinese herbal medicines not only cure human diseases, but also play an important role as insecticides. Compared with conventional chemical agents, traditional Chinese herbal medicines are characterized by low toxicity, low residues, and being eco-friendly, and they have become a research hotspot. Traditional Chinese herbal medicines have tremendous flexibility and indefinite potential. Therefore, this paper reviewed the types of insecticides belonging to traditional Chinese herbal medicines in Inner Mongolia, China, including their traditional uses, secondary metabolites, biological activities, action mechanisms, application methods, and development status. In addition, the most relevant issues involved in the development of traditional Chinese herbal medicines was discussed. We believe that traditional Chinese herbal medicines can be better implemented and developed; such that its other advantages, such as an insect repellent, can be promoted. Moreover, this study lays a solid foundation for further research on traditional Chinese herbal medicines in Inner Mongolia, China.

Comparison of the gastrointestinal bacterial microbiota between dairy cows with and without mastitis.

Mastitis causes significant losses in the global dairy industry, and the health of animals has been linked to their intestinal microbiota. To better understand the relationship between gastrointestinal microbiota and mastitis in dairy cows, we collected blood, rumen fluid, and fecal samples from 23 dairy cows, including 13 cows with mastitis and 10 healthy cows. Using ELISA kit and high-throughput sequencing, we found that cows with mastitis had higher concentrations of TNF-α, IL-1, and LPS than healthy cows (p < 0.05), but no significant differences in microbiota abundance or diversity (p > 0.05). Principal coordinate analysis (PCOA) revealed significant differences in rumen microbial structure between the two groups (p < 0.05), with Moryella as the signature for rumen in cows with mastitis. In contrast, fecal microbial structure showed no significant differences (p > 0.05), with Aeriscardovia, Lactococcus, and Bacillus as the signature for feces in healthy cows. Furthermore, the results showed distinct microbial interaction patterns in the rumen and feces of cows with mastitis compared to healthy cows. Additionally, we observed correlations between the microbiota in both the rumen and feces of cows and blood inflammatory indicators. Our study sheds new light on the prevention of mastitis in dairy cows by highlighting the relationship between gastrointestinal microbiota and mastitis.

Diabetes and vascular mild cognitive impairment among Chinese ≥50 years: A cross-sectional study with 2020 participants.

BACKGROUND: With the decline of cognitive function in vascular cognitive impairment, the burden on the family and society will increase. Therefore, early identification of vascular mild cognitive impairment (VaMCI) is crucial. The focus of early identification of VaMCI is on the attention of risk factors. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between diabetes and VaMCI among the Chinese, hoping to predict the risk of VaMCI by diabetes and to move the identification of vascular cognitive impairment forward. METHODS: We collected data from seven clinical centers and nine communities in China. All participants were over 50 years of age and had cognitive complaints. We collected basic information of the participants, and cognitive function was professionally assessed by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale. Finally, logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the correlation between each factor and VaMCI. RESULTS: A total of 2020 participants were included, including 1140 participants with VaMCI and 880 participants with normal cognition. In univariate logistic regression analysis, age, heavy smoking, and diabetes had a positive correlation with VaMCI. At the same time, being married, high education, and light smoking had a negative correlation with VaMCI. After correction, only diabetes (OR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01-1.09, p = 0.05) had a positive correlation with VaMCI, and high education (OR = 0.60, 95% CI:.45-.81, p = 0.001) had a negative correlation with VaMCI. CONCLUSION: In our study, we found that diabetes had a positive correlation with VaMCI, and high education had a negative correlation with VaMCI. Therefore, early identification and timely intervention of diabetes may reduce the risk of VaMCI and achieve early prevention of VaMCI.

Redundancy effect of initial enactment encoding and subsequent testing on memory enhancement: Insights from an electrophysiological study.

Testing is more beneficial for memory retention than restudying the same content. However, the effect of the initial encoding method on the testing effect remains unclear. In this study, a classical testing effect paradigm was employed, along with event-related potentials (ERP), to investigate the electrophysiological processes underlying the effect of enactment encoding on the testing effect. Participants were randomly assigned to the Self-Performed Test (SPT) or Verbalized Test (VT) groups. Both groups underwent three stages: an initial encoding phase, an initial test phase (comprising a source memory task and a restudy task), and a final test phase. During the initial encoding phase, the SPT group encoded action phrases through enactment, while the VT group encoded information through reading. During the initial test phase, the SPT group exhibited superior recognition performance in item memory compared with the VT group. Both groups exhibited significant parietal old/new effects in the source memory task, with only the SPT group displaying parietal positivity during the restudy task. During the final test phase, the behavioral testing effect was exclusively observed in the VT group. Furthermore, the VT group displayed a more pronounced parietal positivity in the test condition compared to the restudy condition, while the parietal positivity between the two conditions was comparable in the SPT group. In summary, the absence of a final behavioral testing effect in the SPT group may be attributed to both enactment and testing primarily enhancing memory performance through recollection-based retrieval, as indicated by the parietal positivity. Consequently, the initial enactment encoding method leaves limited scope for further improvements through subsequent testing. These findings suggest that initial enactment encoding, and subsequent testing may be redundant in improving episodic memory performance.

Global proteomic analysis reveals lysine succinylation is involved in the pathogenesis of hypertrophic scar.

Lysine succinylation (Ksucc) is a recently identified posttranslational modification that is involved in many diseases. This study examined the role of Ksucc in the pathogenesis of hypertrophic scar (HS). The presence of Ksucc in human skin was measured by immunoblotting. Ksucc occurs in many skin proteins ranging from 25 to 250 kDa, and higher levels of Ksucc are found in HS skin than in normal skin. An immunoaffinity approach coupled with LC-MS/MS was used to characterize the first succinylome of human skin, and 159 Ksucc sites in 79 proteins were identified. Among these, there were 38 increased succinylated sites in 29 proteins but no decreased succinylated sites in HS compared with normal skin. A parallel reaction monitoring assay was performed to validate the results of the succinylome and showed that the levels of Ksucc in decorin and collagens, which are involved in the pathogenesis of HS, were increased in HS than in normal skin. In addition, increasing the level of Ksucc enhanced cell proliferation and upregulated the expression of fibrosis markers (α-SMA, COL1, and COL3) in human skin fibroblasts. Our results provide global insights into the functional role of Ksucc in hypertrophic scarring.

Proteomic characterization of hUC-MSC extracellular vesicles and evaluation of its therapeutic potential to treat Alzheimer's disease.

In recent years, human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (hUC-MSC) extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been used as a cell replacement therapy and have been shown to effectively overcome some of the disadvantages of cell therapy. However, the specific mechanism of action of EVs is still unclear, and there is no appropriate system for characterizing the differences in the molecular active substances of EVs produced by cells in different physiological states. We used a data-independent acquisition (DIA) quantitative proteomics method to identify and quantify the protein composition of two generations EVs from three different donors and analysed the function and possible mechanism of action of the proteins in EVs of hUC-MSCs via bioinformatics. By comparative proteomic analysis, we characterized the different passages EVs. Furthermore, we found that adaptor-related protein complex 2 subunit alpha 1 (AP2A1) and adaptor-related protein complex 2 subunit beta 1 (AP2B1) in hUC-MSC-derived EVs may play a significant role in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) by regulating the synaptic vesicle cycle signalling pathway. Our work provides a direction for batch-to-batch quality control of hUC-MSC-derived EVs and their application in AD treatment.

Fibronectin binds integrin α5ß1 to regulate macular neovascularization through the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive, degenerative disease of the macula. The formation of macular neovascularization (MNV) and subretinal fibrosis of AMD is the most classic cause of the loss of vision in older adults worldwide. While the underlying causes of MNV and subretinal fibrosis remain elusive, the common feature of many common retinal diseases is changes the proportions of protein deposition in extracellular matrix (ECM) when compared to normal tissue. In ECM, fibronectin (FN) is a crucial component and plays a pivotal part not only in fibrotic diseases but also in the process of angiogenesis. The study aims to understand the role of ligand FN and its common integrin receptor α5ß1 on MNV, and to understand the molecular mechanism involved. To study this, the laser-induced MNV mouse model and the rhesus macaque choroid-retinal endothelial cell line (RF/6A) chemical hypoxia mode were established, and the FN-α5ß1 expression levels were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and quantitative real-time PCR analysis (qRT-PCR). Fibronectin expression was silenced using small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting FN. The tube formation and vitro scratch assays were used to assess the ability to form blood vessels and cell migration. To measure the formation of MNV, immunofluorescence, and Western blot assays were used. These results revealed that the expressions of FN and integrin α5ß1 were distinctly increased in the laser-induced MNV mouse model and in the RF/6A cytochemically induced hypoxia model, and the expression tendency was identical. After the use of FN siRNA, the tube formation and migration abilities of the RF/6A cells were lower, the ability of endothelial cells to proliferate was confined and the scope of damage caused by the laser in animal models was significantly cut down. In addition, FN gene knockdown dramatically inhibited the expression of Wnt/ß-catenin signal. The interaction of FN with the integrin receptor α5ß1 in the constructed model, which may act through the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway, was confirmed in this study. In conclusion, FN may be a potential new molecular target for the prevention and treatment of subretinal fibrosis and MNV.

Bisphenols and brominated bisphenols induced endothelial dysfunction via its disruption of endothelial nitric oxide synthase.

Emerging literatures have concentrated on the association between cardiovascular diseases risk of typical endocrine disruptor bisphenols, which also put forward the further studies need respect to the potential mechanism. Herein, we investigated the endothelial dysfunction effects of bisphenols and brominated bisphenols involved in aortic pathological structure, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) protein phosphorylation, synthase activity and nitric oxide (NO) production in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and C57BL/6 mice. Bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol S (BPS) increased NO production by 85.7% and 68.8% at 10-6 M level in vitro and 74.3%, 41.5% in vivo, respectively, while tetrabromobisphenol S (TBBPS) significantly inhibited NO by 55.7% at 10-6 M in vitro and 28.9% in vivo at dose of 20 mg/kg BW/d. Aortic transcriptome profiling revealed that the process of 'regulation of NO mediated signal transduction' was commonly induced. The mRNA and protein expression of phosphorylated eNOS at Ser1177 were promoted by BPA and BPS but decreased by TBBPA and TBBPS in HUVECs. Phosphorylation and enzymatic activity of eNOS were significantly increased by 43.4% and 13.8% with the treatment of BPA and BPS at 10-7 M, but decreased by 16.9% after exposure to TBBPS at 10-6 M in vitro. Moreover, only TBBPS was observed to increase aorta thickness significantly in mice and induce endothelial dysfunction. Our work suggests that bisphenols and brominated bisphenols may exert adverse outcome on vascular health differently in vitro and in vivo, and emphasizes areas of public health concern similar endocrine disruptors vulnerable on the vascular endothelial function.

Effects of congruent emotional contexts during encoding on recognition: An ERPs study.

Past research showed that emotional contexts can impair recognition memory for the target item. Given that item-context congruity may enhance recognition memory, the present study aims to examine the effect of the congruent emotional encoding contexts on recognition memory. Participants studied congruent word-picture pairs (e.g., the word "cow" - a picture describing a cow) and incongruent word-picture pairs (e.g., the word "cow" - a picture describing a goat) and, subsequently, were asked to report the nature of the picture (emotional or neutral). Behavioral results revealed that emotional contexts impaired source but not item recognition, with congruent word-context mitigating this impairment and enhancing item recognition. Neural results from ERPs and theta oscillations found the recollection process, as shown by the LPC old/new effect and theta oscillations, for both item and source recognition across emotional contexts, irrespective of congruity. Meanwhile, the familiarity process as indexed by the FN400 old/new effect was found only for item recognition in congruent emotional contexts. These findings suggest that the congruent relationship of item-context could mitigate the emotion-induced source memory impairment and enhance item memory, with neural results elucidating the memory processes involved in retrieval of emotional information. Specifically, while emotion-related information generally elicits the recollection-based memory process, only congruent emotional information elicits the familiarity-based process.

A NIR-II Photoacoustic/NIR-IIa Fluorescent Probe for Targeted Imaging of Glioma under NIR-II Excitation.

Fluorescence and photoacoustic (PA) imaging in the second near-infrared (NIR-II, 1000-1700 nm) window has garnered massive interest owing to high maximum permissible exposure of light, reduced autofluorescence, and improved deep penetration. However, active targeted NIR-II photoacoustic/NIR-IIa fluorescence imaging of glioma under NIR-II excitation has been seldom reported, which is partly ascribable to the lack of suitable materials. In this study, a small-molecule-based αvß3-targeted NIR-II photoacoustic/NIR-IIa fluorescent probe IR-32p was generated and subsequently evaluated in U87MG tumor-bearing mice excited with NIR-I and NIR-II light. Exceptional dual-modal imaging properties such as good tumor uptake, high targeting specificity, and high tumor contrast were achieved in an orthotopic glioma model under 1020/1064 nm excitation, exhibiting a superior imaging depth of glioma through the skull. Our study introduces an outstanding dual-modal contrast agent with NIR-II absorption and confirms the superiority of NIR-II excitation over NIR-I in in vivo NIR-II/PA imaging.

Cross-reaction mediated by distinct key amino acid combinations in the complementary-determining region (CDR) of a monoclonal antibody.

In immunology, cross-reaction between antigens and antibodies are commonly observed. Prior research has shown that various monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) can recognize a broad spectrum of epitopes related to influenza viruses. However, existing theories on cross-reactions fall short in explaining the phenomena observed. This study explored the interaction characteristics of H1-74 mAb with three peptides: two natural peptides, LVLWGIHHP and LPFQNI, derived from the hemagglutinin (HA) antigen of the H1N1 influenza virus, and one synthetic peptide, WPFQNY. Our findings indicate that the complementarity-determining region (CDR) of H1-74 mAb comprised five antigen-binding sites, containing eight key amino acid residues from the light chain variable region and 16 from the heavy chain variable region. These critical residues formed distinct hydrophobic or hydrophilic clusters and functional groups within the binding sites, facilitating interaction with antigen epitopes through hydrogen bonding, salt bridge formation, and π-π stacking. The study revealed that the formation of the antibody molecule led to the creation of binding groups and small units in the CDR, allowing the antibody to attach to a variety of antigen epitopes through diverse combinations of these small units and functional groups. This unique ability of the antibody to bind with antigen epitopes provides a new molecular basis for explaining the phenomenon of antibody cross-reaction.

Therapeutic effect of folic acid combined with decitabine on diabetic mice.

AIM: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of folic acid combined with decitabine on diabetic mice. METHODS: The diabetic model of db/db mice were randomly divided into model group, folic acid group, decitabine group, folic acid combined with decitabine group, and C57 mice as normal control group. The density of retinal blood vessels and retinal thickness were detected by fundus photography and optical coherence tomography, respectively. Pathological changes of retina were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The homocysteine (Hcy) in serum was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) was used to detect apoptosis in retinal tissue. Evans blue dye was used to detect the permeability of retinal blood vessels. The platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (CD31) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) protein were detected by Western blot. The 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) and 4-hydroxynonanine (4-HNE) were detected by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The density of retinal blood vessels, retinal thickness, retinal vascular permeability and the proportion of apoptotic cells of retinal tissue in the model group increased significantly than control group (P<0.05). The Hcy in serum and the levels of CD31, VEGFR, 3-NT, and 4-HNE in retinal tissue increased significantly in the model group (P<0.01). Folic acid and decitabine both reversed these changes significantly, and the combination of the folic acid and decitabine worked best. CONCLUSION: The combination of folic acid and decitabine has a more significant protective effect on the retina in diabetic mice.

Social anxiety modulates emotion processing for social threat words: Evidence from ERP.

The present study investigated whether the processing of social threat words was modulated by social anxiety used by recording electroencephalogram signals during the Stroop task. Behavioral results indicated that the High Social Anxiety (HSA) group exhibited slower RT than the Low Social Anxiety (LSA) group, and both groups had faster RTs when responding to threat words compared to neutral words. ERP data showed that threat words elicited more positive P2, compared with neutral words, in both groups. Neutral words elicited larger early posterior negativity (EPN) and social threat words elicited more positive LPP in the LSA group only. The HSA group did not exhibit the emotional effects of EPN and LPP. These data indicate that social anxiety can modulate the processing of social threat words.

Peripheral blood microR-146a and microR-29c expression in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia and its clinical value.

BACKGROUND: We investigated changes in microR-29c and microR-146a expression in the serum of children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia, analysed their relationship with inflammatory factors and disease severity, and evaluated their diagnostic significance. METHODS: Fifty-six children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia were enrolled as the Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia group; 37 healthy children were enrolled as the control group. The microR-29c or microR-146a serum expression levels were determined using real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Interleukin-17, tumour necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-1 beta levels were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The correlation between serum microR-29c or microR-146a expression and inflammatory factors was analysed using the Pearson's method. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the diagnostic value of serum microR-29c, microR-146a, and their combined detection in Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia. RESULTS: Compared with that in healthy children, the microR-29c and microR-146a serum levels were significantly downregulated in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia; the decrease was more obvious in children with severe cases than that in those with mild cases. In addition, microR-29c and microR-146a were negatively correlated with increased expression of interleukin-17, tumour necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-1 beta. Receiver operating characteristic curves showed that a combination of microR-29c and microR-146a was highly suitable for diagnosing Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia. CONCLUSION: Serum microR-29c and microR-146a were underexpressed in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia, and diagnostic accuracy was significantly improved with combined microR-29c and microR-146a detection. Therefore, both microR-29c and microR-146a levels can be used as biomarkers for the diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia.

Research on knowledge construction and analysis of pesticide exposure to children based on bibliometrics.

Pesticide exposure is a major health problem that cannot be ignored, and children are particularly vulnerable and sensitive. As a result, the study of health damage in children caused by pesticide exposure has gradually developed into an important cross-disciplinary research topic. In this study, we reviewed the current state, characteristics, and trends of existing research findings and summarized them comprehensively and systematically through bibliometrics. We collected and examined a large number of studies using Citespace and Vosviewer, employing a clustering method to analyze the effects of pesticide exposure on children and to highlight the hot keywords in the research field. Through an analysis of the active time of high-frequency keywords, we found that the research field is in a hot spot, and the occurrence value of keywords was used to judge the innovation of the research results, thereby highlighting the frontier and key directions of future research in this field. We conclude that in addition to core pesticides, children, exposure, and other malaria and polychlorinated biphenyls also appear as high-frequency keywords in the research field of pesticide exposure effects on children. The core issues of concern in this field include occupational pesticide exposure and childhood leukemia, history of pesticide exposure during pregnancy and childhood leukemia, environmental factors and dietary intake and organophosphorus pesticide exposure in children, and pyrethroid pesticide exposure and neurobehavioral development in children. Future research may focus on how to control the safe use of pesticides, quantitative research on pesticide hazards, and potential effects on children's health.

Chinese character unitization enhances item memory in addition to associative memory: Evidence from ERP and TFR.

While the effect of unitization on associative memory has been established, its effect on item memory remains debated. This study aimed to investigate the influence of unitization on item memory using Chinese characters to manipulate unitization and recording scalp EEG to elucidate the underlying neural mechanisms. In the learning phase, participants were asked to determine whether the character pairs presented could form a Chinese compound character. In the subsequent testing phase, participants performed item recognition and associative recognition tasks. Behavioral results revealed that unitization not only improved associative memory but also facilitated item memory. Event-related potential analysis indicated there were FN400 effect (related to familiarity) and LPC effect (related to recollection) during associative recognition after unitization, however, only the LPC effect was observed for the item recognition. More importantly, time-frequency analysis demonstrated stronger θ oscillations (associated with recollection) in the unitized condition compared to the non-unitized condition, which further partially mediated the reduction in RT during the item recognition. These results suggest that unitization enhances item memory through recollection, thereby leading to more confident recognition judgments, and that unitization does not impair item processing within an association but rather enables more precise and accurate processing.

Expression patterns of serum miR-27a-3p and activating transcription factor 3 in children with bronchial asthma and their correlations with airway inflammation.

INTRODUCTION: Bronchial asthma (BA) is a heterogeneous disease characterized by chronic airway inflammation. This study investigated the serum miR-27a-3p/activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) expression in children with BA and their correlations with airway inflammation. METHODS: Children with BA (N = 120) and healthy children (N = 108) were enrolled. Serum levels of interleukin (IL)-17, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, immunoglobulin E (IgE), miR-27a-3p, ATF3, and the number of eosinophils (EOS) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and an automatic hematology analyzer. The correlations between miR-27a-3p and ATF3 and between miR-27a-3p/ATF3 and inflammation-related factors were analyzed by the Pearson method. The diagnostic values of miR-27a-3p and ATF3 in BA were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The influencing factors of BA were assessed using multivariate logistic regression. Finally, the targeting relation between miR-27a-3p and ATF3 was predicted and analyzed by TargetScan and Starbase databases, and dual-luciferase assay. RESULTS: There were significant differences in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)% predicted and FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC)%, serum levels of IgE, IL-17, IL-6, and TNF-α, and EOS numbers between healthy children and BA children. Serum miR-27a-3p was negatively correlated with ATF3 and positively correlated with inflammation-related factors in BA children. Serum ATF3 mRNA levels were negatively correlated with inflammatory factors in BA children. miR-27a-3p and ATF3 had good diagnostic values in BA children. FEV% predicted, IL-6, TNF-α, miR-27a-3p, and ATF3 were independent risk factors for BA. miR-27a-3p targeted ATF3. CONCLUSION: Serum miR-27a-3p was highly expressed, whereas ATF3 was poorly expressed in BA children, and they were significantly correlated with airway inflammation, had good diagnostic values in BA children, and were independent risk factors for asthma.