Advancements in inhibitors of crucial enzymes in the cysteine biosynthetic pathway: Serine acetyltransferase and O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase.

Infectious diseases have been jeopardized problem that threaten public health over a long period of time. The growing prevalence of drug-resistant pathogens and infectious cases have led to a decrease in the number of effective antibiotics, which highlights the urgent need for the development of new antibacterial agents. Serine acetyltransferase (SAT), also known as CysE in certain bacterial species, and O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase (OASS), also known as CysK in select bacteria, are indispensable enzymes within the cysteine biosynthesis pathway of various pathogenic microorganisms. These enzymes play a crucial role in the survival of these pathogens, making SAT and OASS promising targets for the development of novel anti-infective agents. In this comprehensive review, we present an introduction to the structure and function of SAT and OASS, along with an overview of existing inhibitors for SAT and OASS as potential antibacterial agents. Our primary focus is on elucidating the inhibitory activities, structure-activity relationships, and mechanisms of action of these inhibitors. Through this exploration, we aim to provide insights into promising strategies and prospects in the development of antibacterial agents that target these essential enzymes.

Knowledge of Alzheimer's disease and associated factors among adults in Zhuhai, China: a cross-sectional analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the public knowledge regarding Alzheimer's Disease (AD) in Zhuhai, China, focusing on identifying knowledge gaps and the influence of demographic and health factors. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Zhuhai, China, from October to November 2022. A total of 1986 residents from 18 communities were selected employing stratified multi-stage equi-proportional sampling. Questionnaires covering general information and the Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS) were investigated face-to-face. Ordinal multiclass logistic regression was applied to assess the relationship between AD awareness and demographic and health characteristics. RESULTS: The average ADKS score was 18.5 (SD = 3.36) in Zhuhai. The lowest awareness rates were observed in the "Symptoms" and "Caregiving" subdomains of ADKS, with rates of 51.01% and 43.78%, respectively. The correct rates for the 30 ADKS questions ranged from 16.62 to 92.6%, showing a bimodal pattern with clusters around 80% and 20%. Women (OR = 1.203, 95% CI: 1.009-1.435), individuals aged 60 years or older (OR = 2.073, 95% CI: 1.467-2.932), those living in urban areas (OR = 1.361, 95% CI: 1.117-1.662), higher average monthly household income per capita (OR = 1.641, 95% CI: 1.297-2.082), and without any neurological or mental disorders (OR = 1.810, 95% CI: 1.323-2.478) were more likely to have higher levels of awareness about Alzheimer's disease. CONCLUSIONS: Adults in Zhuhai show a limited knowledge of AD, particularly in the 'Symptoms' and 'Caregiving' subdomains. Upcoming health campaigns must focus on bridging the knowledge gaps in different subdomains of AD, especially among subgroups with lower awareness, as identified in our study.

Lithium carbonate-induced giant goiter and subclinical hyperthyroidism in a patient with schizophrenia: A case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Lithium carbonate is used to manage various mood disorders, but it can cause thyroid abnormalities, including goiter, hypothyroidism, and hyperthyroidism. In rare cases, it can lead to giant goiter and subclinical hyperthyroidism, which may require surgical intervention in severe cases. CASE SUMMARY: This case represents a rare development of giant goiter and subclinical hyperthyroidism in a schizophrenia patient who was subjected to prolonged lithium carbonate treatment. The enlarged thyroid gland caused pressure on the airway and recurrent laryngeal nerve, which led to respiratory distress, hoarseness, and dysphagia. The immediate danger of suffocation required urgent surgical intervention. In this report, we describe the case of a 41-year-old Chinese woman. This sheds light on the etiology and challenges associated with managing a giant goiter. The patient underwent a subtotal thyroidectomy to relieve airway compression and facilitate airway expansion. Prior to the procedure, the patient was given iodine to prepare. Concurrently, changes were made to the psychiatric medication regimen. Following surgery, the patient's respiratory function and vocal cord functionality improved significantly, and her mental state remained stable. CONCLUSION: It is essential to monitor thyroid function, test thyroid antibody levels, and perform thyroid ultrasounds consistently in all patients undergoing long-term lithium carbonate treatment. This vigilance helps prevent severe and potentially life-threatening thyroid enlargement.

Comparative study of different dosages of grain-sized moxibustion on uterine artery blood flow in patients with cold and dampness primary dysmenorrhea. / ä¸åŒå‰‚é‡éº¦ç²’ç¸å¯¹å¯’æ¹¿å‡æ»žåž‹åŽŸå‘æ€§ç—›ç»æ‚£è€ å­å®«åŠ¨è„‰è¡€æµå½±å“çš„æ¯”è¾ƒç ”ç©¶.

OBJECTIVES: To observe the differences in the effects of different dosages of grain-sized moxibustion on uterine artery blood flow in patients with cold and dampness primary dysmenorrhea (PD). METHODS: A total of 60 patients with PD were randomly divided into 3 groups with 20 cases in each group. Acupoints Sanyinjiao (SP6), Diji (SP8) and Xuehai (SP10) were selected in all the 3 groups, and different dosages of grain-sized moxibustion were used (3 moxa cones, 6 moxa cones, 9 moxa cones) respectively. Treatment started 7 days before menstruation for 3 times, lasting for a total of 3 menstrual cycles. The values of uterine artery blood flow parameters including pulsatility index (PI), resistance index (RI), and systolic/diastolic ratio (S/D) were recorded before and after treatment. The visual analog scale (VAS) score and cox menstrual symptom scale (CMSS) score (including severity ［CMSS-S］ and time of duration ［CMSS-T］) were evaluated before treatment, at the end of each menstrual cycle, and one menstrual cycle after treatment. RESULTS: The values of uterine artery blood flow parameters (PI, RI, S/D) after treatment in the 9 moxa cones group were lower than those before treatment, as well as lower than those in the 3 and 6 moxa cones groups after treatment (P<0.05). The VAS scores of the 3 moxa cones group were lower than those before treatment in the first and second cycle (P<0.05). The VAS scores of the 6 and 9 moxa cones groups were lower than those before treatment at each observation point (P<0.05), and were lower than those of the 3 moxa cones group in the third cycle of treatment and follow-up period (P<0.05). And the VAS score of the 9 moxa cones group was lower than that of the 6 moxa cones group during the follow-up period (P<0.05). Compared with the scores before treatment, the CMSS-T scores at each observation point after treatment were lower in the 9 moxa cones group (P<0.05)；the CMSS-T scores in the second and third cycle after treatment, and follow-up period were lower in the 6 moxa cones group (P<0.05), with the CMSS-S scores in the second and third cycle after treatment, and follow-up period lower in the 6 and 9 moxa cones groups (P<0.05). The CMSS-T and CMSS-S scores of the 6 and 9 moxa cones groups were lower than those of the 3 moxa cones group in the third cycle and follow-up period (P<0.05). The CMSS-T and CMSS-S scores of the 9 moxa cones group were lower than those of the 6 moxa cones group during the follow-up period (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Grain-Sized moxibustion has dose-effect relationship in the treatment of PD. Compared with 3 and 6 moxa cones groups, 9 moxa cones group has advantages in improving uterine artery blood flow parameters and alleviating dysmenorrhea symptoms in PD patients.

Controllable Synthesis of Cadmium-Free Blue-Emitting Cu-Ga-Zn-S-Based Nanocrystals for Solution-Processed Quantum-Dot Light-Emitting Diodes.

The utility of semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) in light-emitting diodes (LED) has shown great potential in the field of display, whereas the challenge remains in developing efficient and stable cadmium-free blue-emitting LED devices due to the poor photophysical properties of blue-emitting NCs. Herein, we develop a controllable synthesis of Cu-Ga-Zn-S (CGZS) semiconductor NCs that show blue light emission with a relative photoluminescence quantum yield exceeding 90%. Furthermore, we have successfully fabricated a solution-processed quantum-dot LED (QLED) using CGZS NCs, achieving a notable maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 1.00% at a luminance of 100 cd/m2. Our work lays a foundational framework for advancing cadmium-free blue-emitting QLEDs and facilitates the development of quantum dot electroluminescent panchromatic displays.

Neurofibromin 2 modulates Mammalian Ste2-like kinases1/2 and large tumor suppressor gene1 expression in A549 lung cancer cell line.

AIM: To explore the impact of up- or down-regulation of Neurofibromin 2 (NF2) on the expression of downstream Hippo pathway genes, large tumor suppressor gene1 (LATS1), and phosphorylation of Mammalian Ste2-like kinases1/2 (MST1/2), in lung cancer cells. METHODS: A549 lung cancer cells were used. The NF2 was down-regulated by si-RNA interference and upregulated by lentiviral vector mediated overexpression. The LATS1 and MST1/2 expressions were evaluated by real-time PCR and western blot. RESULTS: Down-regulation of NF2 decreased LATS1 and MST1/2 level (P<0.05). Overexpression of NF2 increased LATS1 (P<0.05) and Mammalian Ste2-like kinases1 (MST1) (P<0.05), suggesting LATS1 and MST1 are modulated by NF2 in a lung cancer cell line. CONCLUSIONS: NF2 mediates the downstream LATS1 and MST1/2 expressions in a lung cancer cell line.

Modified TI-RADS Coupled with BRAFV600E Enhances Diagnostic Efficiency in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: Prospective Study.

Background: Thyroid disorders, relatively common diseases of the endocrine system, have risen gradually in recent years. Early detection and accurate diagnosis of thyroid cancer hold exceptional importance. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of a modified TI-RADS and BRAFV600E mutation testing for thyroid cancer (PTC) diagnosis. Methods: Ninety five thyroid nodules (48 benign and 47 malignant) from 81 patients were examined using Kwak Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) were subjected to shear wave elasticity (SWE), BRAFV600E genotyping and fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology. Results: The modified TI-RADS exhibited superior diagnostic accuracy compared to TI-RADS in differentiating benign nodules from malignant thyroid nodules. Moreover, the AUC of modified TI-RADS in conjunction with BRAFV600E was the highest at 95% CI (0.898-0.992, p=0.003), surpassing other diagnostic methods in enhanced sensitivity and maintaining high specificity. Conclusion: The diagnostic efficiency of this combination surpassed that of individual diagnostic methods.

Inhibition of fusarium graminearum growth and spore germination by a streptomyces amritsarensis strain capable of killing and growing on microcystis scum.

AIMS: Developing energy-saving and ecofriendly strategies for treating harvested Microcystis biomass. METHODS AND RESULTS: Streptomyces amritsarensis HG-16 was first reported to effectively kill various morphotypes of natural Microcystis colonies at very high cell densities. Concurrently, HG-16 grown on lysed Microcystis maintained its antagonistic activity against plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum. It could completely inhibit spore germination and destroy mycelial structure of F. graminearum. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that HG-16 attacked F. graminearum in a comprehensive way: interfering with replication, transcription, and translation processes, inhibiting primary metabolisms, hindering energy production and simultaneously destroying stress-resistant systems of F. graminearum. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study provide a sustainable and economical option for resource reclamation from Microcystis biomass: utilizing Microcystis slurry to propagate HG-16, which can subsequently be employed as a biocontrol agent for managing F. graminearum.

YAP inhibits NF-κB signaling and ccRCC growth by opposing p65-ZHX2 cooperativity.

Hippo pathway functions as a tumor suppressor pathway by inhibiting the oncogenic potential of pathway effectors YAP/TAZ. However, YAP can also function as a context-dependent tumor suppressor in several types of cancer including clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCC). Here we show that YAP blocks NF-κB signaling in ccRCC to inhibit cancer cell growth. Mechanistically, YAP inhibits the expression of ZHX2, a critical p65 co-factor in ccRCC. Furthermore, YAP competes with ZHX2 for binding to p65. Consequently, elevated nuclear YAP blocks the cooperativity between ZHX2 and p65, leading to diminished NF-κB target gene expression. Pharmacological inhibition of Hippo/MST1/2 blocked NF-κB transcriptional program and suppressed ccRCC cancer cell growth, which can be rescued by ZHX2/p65 overexpression. Our study uncovers a novel crosstalk between the Hippo and NF-κB pathways and its involvement in ccRCC growth inhibition, suggesting that targeting the Hippo pathway may provide a therapeutical opportunity for ccRCC treatment.

METTL3-mediated NDUFB5 m6A modification promotes cell migration and mitochondrial respiration to promote the wound healing of diabetic foot ulcer.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is the most devastating complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) and plays a major role in disability and death in DM patients. NADH: ubiquinone oxidoreductase subunit B5 (NDUFB5) plays an important role in maintaining mitochondrial respiration, but whether it is involved in regulating the progression of advanced glycation end products (AGEs)-mediated DFU is still unclear. METHODS: Firstly, the role of AGEs on cell viability, migration, and mitochondrial respiration in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was explored in vitro. Next, NDUFB5 expression was detected in human samples and AGEs-treated HUVECs, and NDUFB5's effect on AGEs-induced HUVECs injury and skin wound in diabetic mice was further clarified. In addition, the role of m6A modification mediated by methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) in regulating NDUFB5 expression and AGEs-induced HUVECs injury was investigated. RESULTS: NDUFB5 promoted cell viability, migration, and mitochondrial respiration in AGEs-treated HUVECs, whereas mitochondrial fusion promoter M1 facilitated cell viability, migration, and mitochondrial oxiadative respiration in NDUFB5 knockdown HUVECs. Meanwhile, NDUFB5 promotes skin wound healing in diabetic mice. Besides, METTL3-mediated m6A modification and insulin like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 2 (IGF2BP2) enhanced NDUFB5 expression in HUVECs. Furthermore, METTL3 promoted cell viability, migration, and mitochondrial respiration in AGEs-treated HUVECs by increasing NDUFB5. CONCLUSION: METTL3-mediated NDUFB5 m6A modification inhibits AGEs-induced cell injury in HUVECs. METTL3 and NDUFB5 might serve as potential targets for DFU therapy in the future.

How to update esophageal masses imaging using literature review (MRI and CT features).

MRI offers new opportunities for detailed visualization of the different layers of the esophageal wall, as well as early detection and accurate characterization of esophageal lesions. Staging of esophageal tumors including extramural extent of disease, and status of the adjacent organ can also be performed by MRI with higher accuracy compared to other imaging modalities including CT and esophageal endoscopy. Although MDCT appears to be the primary imaging modality that is indicated for preoperative staging of esophageal cancer to assess tumor resectability, MDCT is considered less accurate in T staging. This review aims to update radiologists about emerging imaging techniques and the imaging features of various esophageal masses, emphasizing the imaging features that differentiate between esophageal masses, demonstrating the critical role of MRI in esophageal masses. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: MRI features may help differentiate mucosal high-grade neoplasia from early invasive squamous cell cancer of the esophagus, also esophageal GISTs from leiomyomas, and esophageal malignant melanoma has typical MR features. KEY POINTS: MRI can accurately visualize different layers of the esophagus potentially has a role in T staging. MR may accurately delineate esophageal fistulae, especially small mediastinal fistulae. MRI features of various esophageal masses are helpful in the differentiation.

Fabrication of sea urchin shaped polyaniline-modified magnetic microporous organic network for efficient extraction of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs from animal-derived food samples.

In this work, a novel polyaniline-modified magnetic microporous organic network (MMON-PANI) composite was fabricated for effective magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) of five typical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) from animal-derived food samples before high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) detection. The core-shell sea urchin shaped MMON-PANI integrates the merits of Fe3O4, MON, and PANI, exhibiting large specific surface area, rapid magnetic responsiveness, good stability, and multiple binding sites to NSAIDs. Convenient and effective extraction of trace NSAIDs from chicken, beef and pork samples is realized on MMON-PANI via the synergetic π-π, hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic, and electrostatic interactions. Under optimal conditions, the MMON-PANI-MSPE-HPLC-UV method exhibits wide linear ranges (0.2-1000 µg L-1), low limits of detection (0.07-1.7 µg L-1), good precisions (intraday and inter-day RSDs < 5.4 %, n = 3), large enrichment factors (98.6-99.9), and less adsorbent consumption (3 mg). The extraction mechanism and selectivity of MMON-PANI are also evaluated in detail. This work proves the incorporation of PANI onto MMON is an efficient way to promote NSAIDs enrichment and provides a new strategy to synthesize multifunctional MON-based composites in sample pretreatment.

[Discussion on the effects of acupuncture-medication combination].

This article summarizes and discusses the collaborative effects of acupuncture and medication in treatment, including four aspects, named "acupuncture synergizing the effects of medication", "medication advancing the effects of acupuncture", "coordination of acupuncture and medication", and "antagonism of acupuncture and medication". Regarding "acupuncture synergizing the effects of medication", the actions of acupuncture are predominant, which affects the absorption and metabolism of drugs in the body, increases drug concentration in blood, enhances the targeting effect of drugs, guides meridian tropism, alleviates the drug dose and adverse reactions, avoids the first pass effect and accelerates the drug bioavailability. As for "medication advancing the effects of acupuncture", the synergistic effect of acupuncture is obtained by medication, besides, the medication itself may supplement the drug property to the needles during acupuncture pretreatment so as to increase the therapeutic effect. In terms of "coordination of acupuncture and medication", and "antagonism of acupuncture and medication", there are the underlying co-effects of acupuncture and medication in the body, and the action targets may be same or different between them, thus, it needs to be further explored.

An electric bicycle tracking algorithm for improved traffic management.

This paper proposes an efficient electric bicycle tracking algorithm, EBTrack, utilizing the high-precision and lightweight YOLOv7 as the target detector to enhance the efficiency of illegal detection and recognition of electric bicycles. The EBTrack effectively captures the position and trajectory of electric bicycles in complex traffic monitoring scenarios. Firstly, we introduce the feature extraction network, ResNetEB, specifically designed for feature re-identification of electric bicycles. To maintain real-time performance, feature extraction is performed only when generating new object IDs, minimizing the impact on processing speed. Secondly, for accurate target trajectory prediction, we incorporate an adaptive modulated noise scale Kalman filter. Additionally, considering the uncertainty of electric bicycle entry directions in traffic monitoring scenarios, we design a specialized matching mechanism to reduce frequent ID switching. Finally, to validate the algorithm's effectiveness, we have collected diverse video image data of electric bicycle and urban road traffic in Hefei, Anhui Province, encompassing different perspectives, time periods, and weather conditions. We have trained the proposed detector and have evaluated its tracking performance on this comprehensive dataset. Experimental results demonstrate that EBTrack achieves impressive accuracy, with 89.8 % MOTA (Multiple Object Tracking Accuracy) and 94.2 % IDF1 (ID F1-Score). Furthermore, the algorithm effectively reduces ID switching, significantly improving tracking stability and continuity.

GSDMB involvement in the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysm through regulation of macrophage non-canonical pyroptosis.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a dangerous condition affecting the aorta. Macrophage pyroptosis, phenotypic transformation, and apoptosis of aortic smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) are pivotal mechanisms in AAA pathogenesis. This study explores how Gasdermin B (GSDMB) regulates macrophage non-canonical pyroptosis and its impact on the phenotypic transformation and apoptosis of ASMCs, thereby unveiling the role of GSDMB in AAA pathogenesis. Immunofluorescence analysis was used to assess the expression levels and localization of GSDMB, cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease-4 (Caspase-4), and N-terminal of cleaved GSDMD (N-GSDMD) in AAA tissues. A cell model that mimics macrophage non-canonical pyroptosis was established by treating THP-1 cells with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). THP-1 cells with reduced or increased GSDMB were generated using small interfering RNA (siRNA) or plasmids. Co-culture experiments involving THP-1 cells and HASMCs were conducted to explore the impact of GSDMB on HASMCs. The mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) scavenger Mito-TEMPO lowered mtROS levels in THP-1 cells. Our findings revealed that GSDMB was significantly upregulated in AAA macrophages, which was accompanied by robust non-canonical pyroptosis. THP-1 cells showed non-canonical pyroptosis in response to LPS, which was accompanied by an increase in GSDMB. Further research demonstrated that altering GSDMB, either by knockdown or overexpression, can affect macrophage non-canonical pyroptosis as well as the phenotypic transformation and apoptosis of HASMCs. LPS-induced non-canonical pyroptosis in THP-1 cells was associated with an increase in mtROS, whereas Mito-TEMPO effectively decreased non-canonical pyroptosis and the expression of GSDMB. These findings suggest that GSDMB plays a role in AAA macrophage non-canonical pyroptosis, which influences the phenotypic transformation and apoptosis of HASMCs. The mtROS-Dynamin-Related Protein 1 (Drp1) axis is likely to regulate the GSDMB-mediated non-canonical pyroptosis.

Plasma lipidomics profiling in predicting the chemo-immunotherapy response in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) presents significant treatment challenges, with chemo-immunotherapy emerging as a promising approach. This study explores the potential of lipidomic biomarkers to predict responses to chemo-immunotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Methods: A prospective analysis was conducted on 68 NSCLC patients undergoing chemo-immunotherapy, divided into disease control (DC) and progressive disease (PD) groups based on treatment response. Pre-treatment serum samples were subjected to lipidomic profiling using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Key predictive lipids (biomarkers) were identified through projection to latent structures discriminant analysis. A biomarker combined model and a clinical combined model were developed to enhance the prediction accuracy. The predictive performances of the clinical combined model in different histological subtypes were also performed. Results: Six lipids were identified as the key lipids. The expression levels of PC(16:0/18:2), PC(16:0/18:1), PC(16:0/18:0), CE(20:1), and PC(14:0/18:1) were significantly up-regulated. While the expression level of TAG56:7-FA18:2 was significantly down-regulated. The biomarker combined model demonstrated a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.85 (95% CI: 0.75-0.95) in differentiating the PD from the DC. The clinical combined model exhibited an AUC of 0.87 (95% CI: 0.79-0.96) in differentiating the PD from the DC. The clinical combined model demonstrated good discriminability in DC and PD patients in different histological subtypes with the AUC of 0.78 (95% CI: 0.62-0.96), 0.79 (95% CI: 0.64-0.94), and 0.86 (95% CI: 0.52-1.00) in squamous cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma, and adenocarcinoma subtype, respectively. Pathway analysis revealed the metabolisms of linoleic acid, alpha-linolenic acid, glycerolipid, arachidonic acid, glycerophospholipid, and steroid were implicated in the chemo-immunotherapy response in advanced NSCLC. Conclusion: Lipidomic profiling presents a highly accurate method for predicting responses to chemo-immunotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC, offering a potential avenue for personalized treatment strategies.

A deep learning algorithm to identify carotid plaques and assess their stability.

Background: Carotid plaques are major risk factors for stroke. Carotid ultrasound can help to assess the risk and incidence rate of stroke. However, large-scale carotid artery screening is time-consuming and laborious, the diagnostic results inevitably involve the subjectivity of the diagnostician to a certain extent. Deep learning demonstrates the ability to solve the aforementioned challenges. Thus, we attempted to develop an automated algorithm to provide a more consistent and objective diagnostic method and to identify the presence and stability of carotid plaques using deep learning. Methods: A total of 3,860 ultrasound images from 1,339 participants who underwent carotid plaque assessment between January 2021 and March 2023 at the Shanghai Eighth People's Hospital were divided into a 4:1 ratio for training and internal testing. The external test included 1,564 ultrasound images from 674 participants who underwent carotid plaque assessment between January 2022 and May 2023 at Xinhua Hospital affiliated with Dalian University. Deep learning algorithms, based on the fusion of a bilinear convolutional neural network with a residual neural network (BCNN-ResNet), were used for modeling to detect carotid plaques and assess plaque stability. We chose AUC as the main evaluation index, along with accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity as auxiliary evaluation indices. Results: Modeling for detecting carotid plaques involved training and internal testing on 1,291 ultrasound images, with 617 images showing plaques and 674 without plaques. The external test comprised 470 ultrasound images, including 321 images with plaques and 149 without. Modeling for assessing plaque stability involved training and internal testing on 764 ultrasound images, consisting of 494 images with unstable plaques and 270 with stable plaques. The external test was composed of 279 ultrasound images, including 197 images with unstable plaques and 82 with stable plaques. For the task of identifying the presence of carotid plaques, our model achieved an AUC of 0.989 (95% CI: 0.840, 0.998) with a sensitivity of 93.2% and a specificity of 99.21% on the internal test. On the external test, the AUC was 0.951 (95% CI: 0.962, 0.939) with a sensitivity of 95.3% and a specificity of 82.24%. For the task of identifying the stability of carotid plaques, our model achieved an AUC of 0.896 (95% CI: 0.865, 0.922) on the internal test with a sensitivity of 81.63% and a specificity of 87.27%. On the external test, the AUC was 0.854 (95% CI: 0.889, 0.830) with a sensitivity of 68.52% and a specificity of 89.49%. Conclusion: Deep learning using BCNN-ResNet algorithms based on routine ultrasound images could be useful for detecting carotid plaques and assessing plaque instability.

The First Discovery of Marine Polyoxygenated Cembranolides as Potential Agents for the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis.

Cembranolides are characteristic metabolites in marine soft corals, with complex structures and widespread biological activities. However, seldom has an intensive pharmacological study been done for these intriguing marine natural products. In this work, systematic chemical investigation was performed on Sinularia pedunculata by HSQC-based small molecule accurate recognition technology (SMART), resulting in the isolation and identification of 31 cembrane-type diterpenoids, including six new ones. In the bioassay, several compounds showed significant anti-inflammatory activities on the inhibition of NO production. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) was comprehensively analyzed, and two most bioactive and less toxic compounds 8 and 9 could inhibit inflammation through suppressing NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways, and reduce the secretion of inflammatory cytokines. In a mouse model of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced acute colitis, 8 and 9 exhibited good anti-inflammatory effects and the ability to repair the colon epithelium, giving insight into the application of cembranolides as potential ulcerative colitis (UC) agents.