Trametinib, an anti-tumor drug, promotes oligodendrocytes generation and myelin formation.

Oligodendrocytes (OLs) are differentiated from oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) in the central nervous system (CNS). Demyelination is a common feature of many neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and leukodystrophies. Although spontaneous remyelination can happen after myelin injury, nevertheless, it is often insufficient and may lead to aggravated neurodegeneration and neurological disabilities. Our previous study has discovered that MEK/ERK pathway negatively regulates OPC-to-OL differentiation and remyelination in mouse models. To facilitate possible clinical evaluation, here we investigate several MEK inhibitors which have been approved by FDA for cancer therapies in both mouse and human OPC-to-OL differentiation systems. Trametinib, the first FDA approved MEK inhibitor, displays the best effect in stimulating OL generation in vitro among the four MEK inhibitors examined. Trametinib also significantly enhances remyelination in both MOG-induced EAE model and LPC-induced focal demyelination model. More exciting, trametinib facilitates the generation of MBP+ OLs from human embryonic stem cells (ESCs)-derived OPCs. Mechanism study indicates that trametinib promotes OL generation by reducing E2F1 nuclear translocation and subsequent transcriptional activity. In summary, our studies indicate a similar inhibitory role of MEK/ERK in human and mouse OL generation. Targeting the MEK/ERK pathway might help to develop new therapies or repurpose existing drugs for demyelinating diseases.

Forest-to-Cropland Conversion Reshapes Microbial Hierarchical Interactions and Degrades Ecosystem Multifunctionality at a National Scale.

Conversion from natural lands to cropland, primarily driven by agricultural expansion, could significantly alter soil microbiome worldwide; however, influences of forest-to-cropland conversion on microbial hierarchical interactions and ecosystem multifunctionality have not been fully understood. Here, we examined the effects of forest-to-cropland conversion on intratrophic and cross-trophic microbial interactions and soil ecosystem multifunctionality and further disclosed their underlying drivers at a national scale, using Illumina sequencing combined with high-throughput quantitative PCR techniques. The forest-to-cropland conversion significantly changed the structure of soil microbiome (including prokaryotic, fungal, and protistan communities) while it did not affect its alpha diversity. Both intrakingdom and interkingdom microbial networks revealed that the intratrophic and cross-trophic microbial interaction patterns generally tended to be more modular to resist environmental disturbance introduced from forest-to-cropland conversion, but this was insufficient for the cross-trophic interactions to maintain stability; hence, the protistan predation behaviors were still disturbed under such conversion. Moreover, key soil microbial clusters were declined during the forest-to-cropland conversion mainly because of the increased soil total phosphorus level, and this drove a great degradation of the ecosystem multifunctionality (by 207%) in cropland soils. Overall, these findings comprehensively implied the negative effects of forest-to-cropland conversion on the agroecosystem, from microbial hierarchical interactions to ecosystem multifunctionality.

Temporal Dynamics of Fungal Communities in Alkali-Treated Round Bamboo Deterioration under Natural Weathering.

Microbes naturally inhabit bamboo-based materials in outdoor environments, sequentially contributing to their deterioration. Fungi play a significant role in deterioration, especially in environments with abundant water and favorable temperatures. Alkali treatment is often employed in the pretreatment of round bamboo to change its natural elastic and aesthetic behaviors. However, little research has investigated the structure and dynamics of fungal communities on alkali-treated round bamboo during natural deterioration. In this work, high-throughput sequencing and multiple characterization methods were used to disclose the fungal community succession and characteristic alterations of alkali-treated round bamboo in both roofed and unroofed habitats throughout a 13-week deterioration period. In total, 192 fungal amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) from six phyla were identified. The fungal community richness of roofed bamboo samples declined, whereas that of unroofed bamboo samples increased during deterioration. The phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota exhibited dominance during the entire deterioration process in two distinct environments, and the relative abundance of them combined was more than 99%. A distinct shift in fungal communities from Basidiomycota dominant in the early stage to Ascomycota dominant in the late stage was observed, which may be attributed to the increase of moisture and temperature during succession and the effect of alkali treatment. Among all environmental factors, temperature contributed most to the variation in the fungal community. The surface of round bamboo underwent continuous destruction from fungi and environmental factors. The total amount of cell wall components in bamboo epidermis in both roofed and unroofed conditions presented a descending trend. The content of hemicellulose declined sharply by 8.3% and 11.1% under roofed and unroofed environments after 9 weeks of deterioration. In addition, the contact angle was reduced throughout the deterioration process in both roofed and unroofed samples, which might be attributed to wax layer removal and lignin degradation. This study provides theoretical support for the protection of round bamboo under natural weathering.

Photo-electrochemical activation of persulfate for the simultaneous degradation of microplastics and personal care products.

The recent widespread use of microplastics (MPs), especially in pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), has caused significant water pollution. This study presents a UV/electrically co-facilitated activated persulfate (PS) system to co-degrade a typical microplastic polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and an organic sunscreen p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA). We investigated the effect of various reaction conditions on the degradation. PVC and PABA degradation was 37% and 99.22%, respectively. Furthermore, we observed alterations in the surface topography and chemical characteristics of PVC throughout degradation. The possible degradation pathways of PVC and PABA were proposed by analyzing the intermediate products and the free radicals generated. This study reveals the co-promoting effect of multiple mechanisms in the activation by ultraviolet light and electricity.

Minocycline in the eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Difficulty in obtaining tetracycline, increased adverse reactions, and relatively complicated medication methods have limited the clinical application of the classic bismuth quadruple therapy. Therefore, the search for new alternative drugs has become one of the research hotspots. In recent years, minocycline, as a semisynthetic tetracycline, has demonstrated good potential for eradicating Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, but the systematic evaluation of its role remains lacking. AIM: To explore the efficacy, safety, and compliance of minocycline in eradicating H. pylori infection. METHODS: We comprehensively retrieved the electronic databases of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, SinoMed, and Wanfang database as of October 30, 2023, and finally included 22 research reports on H. pylori eradication with minocycline-containing regimens as per the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The eradication rates of H. pylori were calculated using a fixed or a random effect model, and the heterogeneity and publication bias of the studies were measured. RESULTS: The single-arm meta-analysis revealed that the minocycline-containing regimens achieved good overall H. pylori eradication rates, reaching 82.3% [95% confidence interval (CI): 79.7%-85.1%] in the intention-to-treat analysis and 90.0% (95%CI: 87.7%-92.4%) in the per-protocol analysis. The overall safety and compliance of the minocycline-containing regimens were good, demonstrating an overall incidence of adverse reactions of 36.5% (95%CI: 31.5%-42.2%). Further by traditional meta-analysis, the results showed that the minocycline-containing regimens were not statistically different from other commonly used eradication regimens in eradication rate and incidence of adverse effects. Most of the adverse reactions were mild to moderate and well-tolerated, and dizziness was relatively prominent in the minocycline-containing regimens (16%). CONCLUSION: The minocycline-containing regimens demonstrated good efficacy, safety, and compliance in H. pylori eradication. Minocycline has good potential to replace tetracycline for eradicating H. pylori infection.

Probucol mitigates high-fat diet-induced cognitive and social impairments by regulating brain redox and insulin resistance.

Probucol has been utilized as a cholesterol-lowering drug with antioxidative properties. However, the impact and fundamental mechanisms of probucol in obesity-related cognitive decline are unclear. In this study, male C57BL/6J mice were allocated to a normal chow diet (NCD) group or a high-fat diet (HFD) group, followed by administration of probucol to half of the mice on the HFD regimen. Subsequently, the mice were subjected to a series of behavioral assessments, alongside the measurement of metabolic and redox parameters. Notably, probucol treatment effectively alleviates cognitive and social impairments induced by HFD in mice, while exhibiting no discernible influence on mood-related behaviors. Notably, the beneficial effects of probucol arise independently of rectifying obesity or restoring systemic glucose and lipid homeostasis, as evidenced by the lack of changes in body weight, serum cholesterol levels, blood glucose, hyperinsulinemia, systemic insulin resistance, and oxidative stress. Instead, probucol could regulate the levels of nitric oxide and superoxide-generating proteins, and it could specifically alleviate HFD-induced hippocampal insulin resistance. These findings shed light on the potential role of probucol in modulating obesity-related cognitive decline and urge reevaluation of the underlying mechanisms by which probucol exerts its beneficial effects.

Photocatalytic degradation of p-aminobenzoic acid on N-biomass charcoal etched with Fe-Al-bilayer hydroxide: New insights through spectroscopic investigation.

We investigated the photocatalytic property of etched iron­aluminum layered double hydroxide (LDH) composites using urea-modified biochar (N-BC) carrier to degrade para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), a refractory organic pollutant. The prepared FeAl-LDH@FeSx-N-BC composite exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance, attributed to the enhanced photogenerated charge-carrier separation by the etched LDH and the improved comparative surface areas by the doped N-BC. The composite photocatalytically degraded 96 % of PABA. The performance was affected by solute concentration, pH and photocatalyst dose. Adding p-benzoquinone and EDTA-2Na significantly decreased the degradation rate, suggesting that superoxide radicals and holes were co-involved in PABA degradation. The excellent PABA removal efficiency was consistent for three consecutive runs. The samples' reactive oxygen species was confirmed, as electron paramagnetic reverberation explained the photodegradation mechanism. Under xenon lamp irradiation, two PABA photocatalytic degradation pathways were proposed using Liquid Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer (LCMS) and density functional theory. As expected, FeAl-LDH@FeSx-N-BC showed excellent photocatalytic performance, expanding a new direction and possibility for future photocatalytic treatment of water pollutants.

Nanoplastics aggravated TDCIPP-induced transgenerational developmental neurotoxicity in zebrafish depending on the involvement of the dopamine signaling pathway.

Plastics pose a hazard to the environment. Although plastics have toxicity, microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) are capable of interacting with the rest pollutants in the environment, so they serve as the carriers and interact with organic pollutants to modulate their toxicity, thus resulting in unpredictable ecological risks. PS-NPs and TDCIPP were used expose from 2 h post-fertilization (hpf) to 150 days post-fertilization (dpf) to determine the bioaccumulation of tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) and its potential effects on neurodevelopment in F1 zebrafish (Danio rerio) offspring under the action of polystyrene nano plastics (PS-NPs). The exposure groups were assigned to TDCIPP (0, 0.4, 2 or 10 µg/L) alone group and the PS-NPs (100 µg/L) and TDCIPP co-exposed group. F1 embryos were collected and grown in clean water to 5 dpf post-fertilization. PS-NPs facilitated the bioaccumulation of TDCIPP in the gut, gill, head，gonad and liver of zebrafish in a sex-dependent manner and promoted the transfer of TDCIPP to their offspring, thus contributing to PS-NPs aggravated the inhibition of offspring development and neurobehavior of TDCIPP-induced. In comparison with TDCIPP exposure alone, the combination could notably down-regulate the levels of the dopamine neurotransmitter, whereas the levels of serotonin or acetylcholine were not notably different. This result was achieved probably because PS-NPs interfered with the TDCIPP neurotoxic response of zebrafish F1 offspring not through the serotonin or acetylcholine neurotransmitter pathway. The increased transfer of TDCIPP to the offspring under the action of PS-NPs increased TDCIPP-induced transgenerational developmental neurotoxicity, which was proven by a further up-regulation/down-regulation the key gene and protein expression related to dopamine synthesis, transport, and metabolism in F1 larvae, in contrast to TDCIPP exposure alone. The above findings suggested that dopaminergic signaling involvement could be conducive to the transgenerational neurodevelopmental toxicity of F1 larval upon parental early co-exposure to PS-NPs and TDCIPP.

Immunotherapy and drug sensitivity predictive roles of a novel prognostic model in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most significant causes of cancer-related deaths in the worldwide. Currently, predicting the survival of patients with HCC and developing treatment drugs still remain a significant challenge. In this study, we employed prognosis-related genes to develop and externally validate a predictive risk model. Furthermore, the correlation between signaling pathways, immune cell infiltration, immunotherapy response, drug sensitivity, and risk score was investigated using different algorithm platforms in HCC. Our results showed that 11 differentially expressed genes including UBE2C, PTTG1, TOP2A, SPP1, FCN3, SLC22A1, ADH4, CYP2C8, SLC10A1, F9, and FBP1 were identified as being related to prognosis, which were integrated to construct a prediction model. Our model could accurately predict patients' overall survival using both internal and external datasets. Moreover, a strong correlation was revealed between the signaling pathway, immune cell infiltration, immunotherapy response, and risk score. Importantly, a novel potential drug candidate for HCC treatment was discovered based on the risk score and also validated through ex vivo experiments. Our finds offer a novel perspective on prognosis prediction and drug exploration for cancer patients.

Construction and validation of a neovascular glaucoma nomogram in patients with diabetic retinopathy after pars plana vitrectomy.

BACKGROUND: Neovascular glaucoma (NVG) is likely to occur after pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for diabetic retinopathy (DR) in some patients, thus reducing the expected benefit. Understanding the risk factors for NVG occurrence and building effective risk prediction models are currently required for clinical research. AIM: To develop a visual risk profile model to explore factors influencing DR after surgery. METHODS: We retrospectively selected 151 patients with DR undergoing PPV. The patients were divided into the NVG (NVG occurrence) and No-NVG (No NVG occurrence) groups according to the occurrence of NVG within 6 months after surgery. Independent risk factors for postoperative NVG were screened by logistic regression. A nomogram prediction model was established using R software, and the model's prediction accuracy was verified internally and externally, involving the receiver operator characteristic curve and correction curve. RESULTS: After importing the data into a logistic regression model, we concluded that a posterior capsular defect, preoperative vascular endothelial growth factor ≥ 302.90 pg/mL, glycosylated hemoglobin ≥ 9.05%, aqueous fluid interleukin 6 (IL-6) ≥ 53.27 pg/mL, and aqueous fluid IL-10 ≥ 9.11 pg/mL were independent risk factors for postoperative NVG in patients with DR (P < 0.05). A nomogram model was established based on the aforementioned independent risk factors, and a computer simulation repeated sampling method was used to internally and externally verify the nomogram model. The area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity of the model were 0.962 [95% confidence interval (95%CI): 0.932-0.991], 91.5%, and 82.3%, respectively. The AUC, sensitivity, and specificity of the external validation were 0.878 (95%CI: 0.746-0.982), 66.7%, and 95.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION: A nomogram constructed based on the risk factors for postoperative NVG in patients with DR has a high prediction accuracy. This study can help formulate relevant preventive and treatment measures.

Pharmacokinetics and antioxidant activity of dihydrocaffeic acid grafted chitosan nanomicelles loaded with chicoric acid in broilers.

Chicoric acid (CA) is a natural nutrient found in plants, showcasing diverse biological activities, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Despite its valuable properties, CA faces limitations in bioavailability and susceptibility to oxidative breakdown during utilization. Previous research introduced synthesized dihydrocaffeic acid grafted chitosan self-assembled nanomicelles (DA-g-CS), demonstrating its potential to enhance CA absorption. This study aims to investigate the pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, and antioxidant activity of both CA and DA-g-CS loaded CA (DA-g-CS/CA) in broilers. An IPEC-J2 cell model was established and evaluated to delve deeper into the transport mechanism and antioxidant potential. The in vivo pharmacokinetic analysis in broilers highlighted a substantial difference: the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) of DA-g-CS/CA exceeded CA by 2.6-fold, yielding a notable increased relative bioavailability to 214%. This evidence underscores the significant enhancement in CA's oral absorption, facilitated by DA-g-CS. The collective evaluation outcomes affirm the successful development of the cell model, indicating its suitability for drug transporter experiments. The findings from the intestinal transit analysis revealed that both CA and DA-g-CS/CA underwent passive entry into IPEC-J2 cells. Notably, the cellular uptake rate of DA-g-CS loaded with CA was significantly amplified, reaching 2.1 times higher than that of CA alone. Intracellular transport mechanisms involved microtubules, lysosomes, and the endoplasmic reticulum, with an additional pathway involving the endoplasmic reticulum observed specifically for DA-g-CS/CA, distinguishing it from CA. Moreover, the results from both in vivo and in vitro antioxidant assessments highlight the potent antioxidant activity of DA-g-CS/CA, showcasing its efficacy in preventing and treating cellular damage induced by oxidative stress. In summary, these findings underscore the significant enhancement of CA's efficacy facilitated by DA-g-CS, establishing a robust theoretical foundation for the prospective application of CA within livestock and poultry farming.

m6A/m1A/m5C-Associated Methylation Alterations and Immune Profile in MDD.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent psychiatric condition often accompanied by severe impairments in cognitive and functional capacities. This research was conducted to identify RNA modification-related gene signatures and associated functional pathways in MDD. Differentially expressed RNA modification-related genes in MDD were first identified. And a random forest model was developed and distinct RNA modification patterns were discerned based on signature genes. Then, comprehensive analyses of RNA modification-associated genes in MDD were performed, including functional analyses and immune cell infiltration. The study identified 29 differentially expressed RNA modification-related genes in MDD and two distinct RNA modification patterns. TRMT112, MBD3, NUDT21, and IGF2BP1 of the risk signature were detected. Functional analyses confirmed the involvement of RNA modification in pathways like phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling and nucleotide oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor signaling in MDD. NUDT21 displayed a strong positive correlation with type 2 T helper cells, while IGF2BP1 negatively correlated with activated CD8 T cells, central memory CD4 T cells, and natural killer T cells. In summary, further research into the roles of NUDT21 and IGF2BP1 would be valuable for understanding MDD prognosis. The identified RNA modification-related gene signatures and pathways provide insights into MDD molecular etiology and potential diagnostic biomarkers.

The AMPK and AKT/GSK3ß pathways are involved in recombinant proteins fibroblast growth factor 1 (rFGF1 and rFGF1a) improving glycolipid metabolism in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed a high carbohydrate diet.

Fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) regulates vertebrate cell growth, proliferation and differentiation, and energy metabolism. In this study, we cloned rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fgf1 and fgf1a, prepared their recombinant proteins (rFGF1 and rFGF1a), and described the molecular mechanisms by which they improve glycolipid metabolism in carnivorous fish. A 31-d feeding trial was conducted to investigate whether they could enhance glycolipid metabolism in rainbow trout on high-carbohydrate diets (HCD). A total of 720 rainbow trout (8.9 ± 0.5 g) were equally divided into 4 groups: the chow diet (CD) group injected with PBS, the HCD group injected with PBS, the HCD group injected with rFGF1 (400 ng/g body weight), and the HCD group injected with rFGF1a (400 ng/g body weight). The results showed that short-term HCD had a significant positive effect on the specific growth rate (SGR) of rainbow trout (P < 0.05). However, it led to an increase in crude fat, serum triglyceride (TG) and glucose content, as well as serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) and glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (GOT) contents (P < 0.05), suggesting a negative health effect of HCD. Nevertheless, rFGF1 and rFGF1a showed beneficial therapeutic effects. They significantly reduced the crude fat content of the liver, serum TG, GOT, and GPT contents caused by HCD (P < 0.05). The upregulation in atgl, hsl, and acc2 mRNAs implied the promotion of TG catabolism. Moreover, rFGF1 and rFGF1a contributed to promoting lipolysis by activating the AMPK pathway and reducing lipid accumulation in the liver caused by HCD. In addition, the rFGF1 and rFGF1a-treated groups significantly reduced serum glucose levels and elevated hepatic glycogen content under HCD, and increased glucose uptake by hepatocytes. We observed a decrease in mRNA levels for pepck, g6pase, and pygl, along with an increase in mRNA levels for gys, glut2, and gk in the liver. Furthermore, these proteins regulated hepatic gluconeogenesis and glycogen synthesis by increasing the phosphorylation level of AKT, ultimately leading to an increase in GSK3ß phosphorylation. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that rFGF1 and rFGF1a can enhance lipolysis and glucose utilization in rainbow trout by activating the AMPK pathway and AKT/GSK3ß axis.

Reevaluating elevated HDL cholesterol levels in healthy older persons as a risk factor for various disease states.

This article reviews the role of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in the elderly population, questioning the established view that advocates the ubiquitous health benefits of HDL cholesterol. High levels of HDL-C have been found to be associated with an increased risk of debilitating fractures, dementia, and cardiovascular disease, predominantly affecting older men, through the use of large population-based studies such as the ASPREE trial and the UK Biobank. Possible mechanisms are closely linked to cholesterol crystallization and altered HDL particle function. These findings call for a refinement of the understanding of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), which implies adjustments to clinical guidelines and risk assessment strategies in older populations.

The transmembrane and cytosolic domains of equine herpesvirus type 1 glycoprotein D determine Golgi retention by regulating vesicle formation.

Accumulating evidence underscores the pivotal role of envelope proteins in viral secondary envelopment. However, the intricate molecular mechanisms governing this phenomenon remain elusive. To shed light on these mechanisms, we investigated a Golgi-retained gD of EHV-1 (gDEHV-1), distinguishing it from its counterparts in Herpes Simplex Virus-1 (HSV-1) and Pseudorabies Virus (PRV). To unravel the specific sequences responsible for the Golgi retention phenotype, we employed a gene truncation and replacement strategy. The results suggested that Golgi retention signals in gDEHV-1 exhibiting a multi-domain character. The extracellular domain of gDEHV-1 was identified as an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident domain, the transmembrane domain and cytoplasmic tail (TM-CT) of gDEHV-1 were integral in facilitating the protein's residence within the Golgi complex. Deletion or replacement of either of these dual domains consistently resulted in the mutant gDEHV-1 being retained in an ER-like structure. Moreover, (TM-CT)EHV-1 demonstrated a preference for binding to endomembranes, inducing the generation of a substantial number of vesicles, potentially originate from the Golgi complex or the ER-Golgi intermediate compartment. In conclusion, our findings provide insights into the intricate molecular mechanisms governing the Golgi retention of gDEHV-1, facilitating the comprehension of the processes underlying viral secondary envelopment.

Tailored therapy guided by genotypic resistance of clarithromycin and levofloxacin detected by polymerase chain reaction in the first-line treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to explore the efficacy and safety of tailored therapy guided by genotypic resistance in the first-line treatment of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in treatment-naive patients. METHODS: Gastric mucosal specimens were taken during gastroscopy, and main mutations of clarithromycin- and levofloxacin-resistant genes were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Sensitive antibiotics were selected individually for treating H. pylori infection with tailored bismuth-containing quadruple therapy (BQT) consisting of esomeprazole 20 mg twice daily, bismuth potassium citrate 220 mg twice daily, amoxicillin 1 g twice daily, and clarithromycin 500 mg twice daily, or levofloxacin 500 mg once daily, or metronidazole 400 mg four times daily. Safety and patient compliance were assessed 1-3 days after eradication. Treatment outcome was evaluated by urea breath test 4-8 weeks after eradication. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-two treatment-naive patients with H. pylori infection were included. PCR results suggested resistance rates of 47.7% and 34.9% for clarithromycin and levofloxacin, respectively, and a dual resistance rate of 18.2%. Eradication rates of tailored BQT were 87.1% and 95.8% by intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis and per-protocol (PP) analysis, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the efficacy of 7-day clarithromycin-containing, 7-day levofloxacin-containing, and 14-day full-dose metronidazole-containing BQT (ITT analysis: P = 0.488; PP analysis: P = 0.833). The incidence of adverse events was 19.7%, and patient compliance was 97.7%. CONCLUSION: Tailored BQT guided by genotypic resistance can achieve satisfactory efficacy, safety, and patient compliance in the first-line treatment of H. pylori infection.

Effects of oat ß-glucan on the retrogradation behavior of rice starch and its potential mechanism.

In this study, to minimize the quality deterioration caused by the retrogradation of starch-based food, the effect and mechanism of oat ß-glucan (OG) on the retrogradation of rice starch was investigated. OG effectively decreased storage modulus (G'), syneresis, and retrogradation enthalpy, indicating the inhibition of short-term and long-term retrogradation of rice starch. The competition for water molecules between the OG and rice starch resulted in partial swelling of the starch granules, consequently reducing particle size, lowering amylose leaching, and decreasing the proportion of short-amylose chains. The microstructure characterization showed that the OG-treated rice starch group (ST-OG) exhibited a smoother and denser surface. Particularly, no notable alterations were observed in the structure of the ST-OG sample during storage, owing to the improved water-holding capacity of starch gel and reduced proportion of free water caused by OG. Furthermore, the ordered structure results confirmed the occurrence of hydrogen bonding between OG and rice starch, which hindered the rearrangement of starch molecules. Therefore, OG is an effective natural additive for controlling the retrogradation of starch-based foods.

Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage and Sex Differences: Analysis of Epidemiology, Outcomes, and Risk Factors.

BACKGROUND: The differences in outcomes after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) between the sexes have not been concretely determined. This study aimed to evaluate the differences in epidemiology, outcomes, and risk factors between male and female patients with aSAH. METHODS: We performed a multicenter, retrospective study of patients with aSAH from 2017 to 2020. We investigated the epidemiological differences between the two sexes. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to compare short-term outcomes between the sexes. Binary logarithmic regression was performed to investigate the odds ratio (OR) for dependent survival in patients of different sexes. RESULTS: A total of 5,407 consecutive patients with aSAH were included in this study, and the female-to-male ratio was 1.8:1. The peak incidence of aSAH occurred in the 6th and 7th decades in males and females, respectively. There were more female patients with internal carotid artery or posterior communicating artery aneurysms (53.2%), and there were more male patients with anterior cerebral artery or anterior communicating artery aneurysms (43.2%). The incidence of multiple aneurysms was greater in female patients (21.5% vs. 14.2%, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in outcomes before and after PSM at discharge. The dependent survival risk was related only to the clinical condition on admission in women. In addition, age > 50 years (OR 1.88, 95% confidence interval 1.17-3.02; P = 0.01) and hypertension (OR 1.81, 95% confidence interval 1.25-2.61; P = 0.002) were also risk factors for male patients. CONCLUSIONS: There were more female patients with aneurysms than male patients in this study. Most aneurysm locations were different between the two groups. There was no significant difference in discharge outcomes before and after PSM. The risk factors for dependent survival were different between female and male patients.

Effects of evidence-based nursing on surgical site wound infections in patients undergoing surgery for liver cancer: A meta-analysis.

This study aimed to systematically evaluate the impact of evidence-based nursing (EBN) on perioperative wound infections and postoperative complications in patients undergoing surgery for liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC). Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) on the application of EBN on patients receiving LIHC surgery were searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, Wanfang, China Biomedical Literature Database and China National Knowledge Infrastructure from the inception of each database to September 2023. Studies were screened and evaluated by two investigators based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and data were extracted from the final included literature. RevMan 4.0 was used for data analysis. Overall, 15 RCTs involving 1374 patients with LIHC were included, with 687 in the EBN group and 687 in the conventional care group. The analysis revealed that the incidence of wound infections (odds ratio [OR] = 0.32, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.18-0.56, p < 0.001) and postoperative complications (OR = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.15-0.31, p < 0.001) was significantly lower in the EBN group than in the conventional care group. The available evidence suggests that nursing strategies for EBN applied in the perioperative period in patients with LIHC receiving surgery can effectively reduce the incidence of wound infections and postoperative complications and promote postoperative recovery.