Chiral Luminophore Guided Self-Assembly of Achiral Block Copolymers for the Amplification of Circularly Polarized Luminescence.

This work aims to examine the effect of self-assembly on the chiroptic responses of the achiral block copolymer (BCP) polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) associated with chiral luminophores, (R)- or (S)-1,1'-bi-2-naphthol ((R)- or (S)-BINOL), through hydrogen bonding. With the formation of a well-ordered helical phase (H*), significantly induced circular dichroism (ICD) signals for the PEO block in the mixture can be found. Most interestingly, a remarkable amplification with an extremely large dissymmetry factor of luminescence (glum) from 10-3 to 0.3 (i.e., induced circular polarized luminescence (iCPL) behavior) for the chiral BINOLs in the mixture can be achieved by the formation of the helical phase (H*) via mesochiral self-assembly. As a result, by taking advantage of BCP for mesochiral self-assembly, it is feasible to create a nanostructured monolith with substantial optical activities, offering promising applications in the design of chiroptic devices.

Clinical application of posterior tibial artery or peroneal artery perforator flap in curing plate exposure after ankle fracture fixation.

The study aims to evaluate the clinical application of posterior tibial artery or peroneal artery perforator flap in the treatment of plate exposure after ankle fracture fixation. A posterior tibial artery or peroneal artery perforator flap was used on 16 patients with plate exposure after ankle fracture fixation in our hospital between July 2018 and July 2021. The time required to harvest the flap, the amount of intraoperative blood loss, the duration of postoperative drainage tube placement, the outcome of the flap and the healing observed at the donor site are reported. The sizes of the flaps were 2.5-7.0 cm × 5.0-18.0 cm and averaged 4.0 cm × 12.0 cm. The time required to harvest the posterior tibial artery or peroneal artery perforator flap ranged from 35 to 55 min and averaged 45 min. The amount of intraoperative blood loss ranged from 20 to 50 mL and averaged 35 mL. The duration of postoperative drainage tube placement ranged from 3 to 5 days and averaged 4 days. A total of 15 flaps survived and one flap had partial necrosis and survived after conservative treatment. All donor area defects were directly sewed and stitched without complications. There are multiple advantages of the posterior tibial artery or peroneal artery perforator flap, including simple preparation technique, reliable repair of the defects and without the need for performing microvascular anastomosis. It can be safely used in curing plate exposure after ankle fracture fixation and worth popularizing in grassroots hospitals.

Genome-wide identification and analysis of a cotton secretome reveals its role in resistance against Verticillium dahliae.

BACKGROUND: The extracellular space between the cell wall and plasma membrane is a battlefield in plant-pathogen interactions. Within this space, the pathogen employs its secretome to attack the host in a variety of ways, including immunity manipulation. However, the role of the plant secretome is rarely studied for its role in disease resistance. RESULTS: Here, we examined the secretome of Verticillium wilt-resistant Gossypium hirsutum cultivar Zhongzhimian No.2 (ZZM2, encoding 95,327 predicted coding sequences) to determine its role in disease resistance against the wilt causal agent, Verticillium dahliae. Bioinformatics-driven analyses showed that the ZZM2 genome encodes 2085 secreted proteins and that these display disequilibrium in their distribution among the chromosomes. The cotton secretome displayed differences in the abundance of certain amino acid residues as compared to the remaining encoded proteins due to the localization of these putative proteins in the extracellular space. The secretome analysis revealed conservation for an allotetraploid genome, which nevertheless exhibited variation among orthologs and comparable unique genes between the two sub-genomes. Secretome annotation strongly suggested its involvement in extracellular stress responses (hydrolase activity, oxidoreductase activity, and extracellular region, etc.), thus contributing to resistance against the V. dahliae infection. Furthermore, the defense response genes (immunity marker NbHIN1, salicylic acid marker NbPR1, and jasmonic acid marker NbLOX4) were activated to varying degrees when Nicotina benthamiana leaves were agro-infiltrated with 28 randomly selected members, suggesting that the secretome plays an important role in the immunity response. Finally, gene silencing assays of 11 members from 13 selected candidates in ZZM2 displayed higher susceptibility to V. dahliae, suggesting that the secretome members confer the Verticillium wilt resistance in cotton. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate that the cotton secretome plays an important role in Verticillium wilt resistance, facilitating the development of the resistance gene markers and increasing the understanding of the mechanisms regulating disease resistance.

Improvement of optical properties of InGaN-based red multiple quantum wells.

The realization of red-emitting InGaN quantum well (QW) is a hot issue in current nitride semiconductor research. It has been shown that using a low-Indium (In)-content pre-well layer is an effective method to improve the crystal quality of red QWs. On the other hand, keeping uniform composition distribution at higher In content in red QWs is an urgent problem to be solved. In this work, the optical properties of blue pre-QW and red QWs with different well width and growth conditions are investigated by photoluminescence (PL). The results prove that the higher-In-content blue pre-QW is beneficial to effectively relieve the residual stress. Meanwhile, higher growth temperature and growth rate can improve the uniformity of In content and the crystal quality of red QWs, enhancing the PL emission intensity. Possible physical process of stress evolution and the model of In fluctuation in the subsequent red QW are discussed. This study provides a useful reference for the development of InGaN-based red emission materials and devices.

Machine learning model for prediction of low anterior resection syndrome following laparoscopic anterior resection of rectal cancer: A multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) severely impairs patient postoperative quality of life, especially major LARS. However, there are few tools that can accurately predict major LARS in clinical practice. AIM: To develop a machine learning model using preoperative and intraoperative factors for predicting major LARS following laparoscopic surgery of rectal cancer in Chinese populations. METHODS: Clinical data and follow-up information of patients who received laparoscopic anterior resection for rectal cancer from two medical centers (one discovery cohort and one external validation cohort) were included in this retrospective study. For the discovery cohort, the machine learning prediction algorithms were developed and internally validated. In the external validation cohort, we evaluated the trained model using various performance metrics. Further, the clinical utility of the model was tested by decision curve analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 1651 patients were included in the present study. Anastomotic height, neoadjuvant therapy, diverting stoma, body mass index, clinical stage, specimen length, tumor size, and age were the risk factors associated with major LARS. They were used to construct the machine learning model to predict major LARS. The trained random forest (RF) model performed with an area under the curve of 0.852 and a sensitivity of 0.795 (95%CI: 0.681-0.877), a specificity of 0.758 (95%CI: 0.671-0.828), and Brier score of 0.166 in the external validation set. Compared to the previous preoperative LARS score model, the current model exhibited superior predictive performance in predicting major LARS in our cohort (accuracy of 0.772 for the RF model vs 0.355 for the preoperative LARS score model). CONCLUSION: We developed and validated a robust tool for predicting major LARS. This model could potentially be used in the clinic to identify patients with a high risk of developing major LARS and then improve the quality of life.

Induced Circular Dichroism and Circularly Polarized Luminescence for Block Copolymers with Chiral Communications.

Many sophisticated chiral materials are found in living organisms, giving specific functions and required complexity. Owing to the remarkable optical properties of chiral materials, they have drawn significant attention for the development of synthetic materials to give optical activities for appealing applications. In contrast to a top-down approach, the bottom-up approach from self-assembled systems with chiral host-achiral guest and achiral guest-chiral host for induced circular dichroism and induced circularly polarized luminescence has greatly emerged because of its cost-effective advantage with easy fabrication for mesoscale assembly. Self-assembled hierarchical textures with chiral sense indeed give significant amplification of the dissymmetry factors of absorption and luminescence (gabs and glum ), resulting from the formation of well-ordered superstructures and phases with the building of chromophores and luminophores. By taking advantage of the microphase separation of block copolymers via self-assembly, a variety of well-defined chiral nanostructures can be formed as tertiary superstructures that can be further extended to quaternary phases in bulk or thin film. In this article, a conceptual perspective is presented to utilize the self-assembly of chiral block copolymers with chiral communications, giving quaternary phases with well-ordered textures at the nanoscale for significant enhancement of dissymmetry factors.

Artificial dermis combined with split-thickness skin autograft in the treatment of hand thermal compression wounds: a single center case-control study.

Objective: To explore the clinical effect of artificial dermis combined with split-thickness skin autograft in treating hand thermal compression wounds. Methods: Forty-two patients in our hospital from January 2016 to October 2022 with thermal compression wounds were divided into two groups. The survival rate of autologous skin grafts seven days after skin grafting, the number of operations, total hospital stay, total hospitalization cost, and bacterial culture results of secretions were recorded. The visual analog scale was used to evaluate the wound pain. The condition of skin graft rupture was recorded and the scar status of the donor site was evaluated by the Vancouver Scar Scale. Results: It showed combination of artificial dermis, split-thickness skin autograft, and vacuum sealing drainage improves the treatment of hand thermal compression wounds by enhancing the survival rate of skin grafting (95.24% > 66.67%), reducing the number of operations (P < 0.001), relieving wound pain (P < 0.001), effectively controlling wound infection (4.76% < 9.52%), and reducing the skin graft rupture rate after surgery (4.8% < 28.6%). There was no evident scar hyperplasia in the donor (P = 0.003) and skin graft areas (P < 0.001), which had a good recovery of hand function (P = 0.037); however, this treatment strategy may prolong the hospital stay (P = 0.030) and increase the total hospitalization cost (P = 0.030). Conclusion: The composite transplantation of artificial dermis and split-thickness skin combined with the VSD significantly improves treatment and aesthetic outcomes in patients with thermal compression wounds to the hand, which is worth promoting and applying in clinical practice.

Comprehensive abdominal composition evaluation of rectal cancer patients with anastomotic leakage compared with body mass index-matched controls.

BACKGROUND: Anastomotic leakage (AL) is a fatal complication in patients with rectal cancer after undergoing anterior resection. However, the role of abdominal composition in the development of AL has not been studied. AIM: To investigate the relationship between abdominal composition and AL in rectal cancer patients after undergoing anterior resection. METHODS: A retrospective case-matched cohort study was conducted. Complete data for 78 patients with AL were acquired and this cohort was defined as the AL group. The controls were matched for the same sex and body mass index (± 1 kg/m2). Parameters related to abdominal composition including visceral fat area (VFA), subcutaneous fat area (SFA), subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT), skeletal muscle area (SMA), skeletal muscle index (SMI), abdominal circumference (AC), anterior to posterior diameter of abdominal cavity (APD), and transverse diameter of abdominal cavity (TD) were evaluated based on computed tomography (CT) images using the following Hounsfield Unit (HU) thresholds: SFA: -190 to -30, SMA: -29 to 150, and VFA: -150 to -20. The significance of abdominal composition-related parameters was quantified using feature importance analysis; an artificial intelligence method was used to evaluate the contribution of each included variable. RESULTS: Two thousand two hundred and thirty-eight rectal cancer patients who underwent anterior resection from 2010 to 2020 in a large academic hospital were investigated. Finally, 156 cases were enrolled in the study. Patients in the AL group showed longer operative time (225.03 ± 55.29 vs 207.17 ± 40.80, P = 0.023), lower levels of preoperative hemoglobin (123.32 ± 21.17 vs 132.60 ±1 6.31, P = 0.003) and albumin (38.34 ± 4.01 vs 40.52 ± 3.97, P = 0.001), larger tumor size (4.07 ± 1.36 vs 2.76 ± 1.28, P < 0.001), and later cancer stage (P < 0.001) compared to the controls. Patients who developed AL exhibited a larger VFA (125.68 ± 73.59 vs 97.03 ± 57.66, P = 0.008) and a smaller APD (77.30 ± 23.23 vs 92.09 ± 26.40, P < 0.001) and TD (22.90 ± 2.23 vs 24.21 ± 2.90, P = 0.002) compared to their matched controls. Feature importance analysis revealed that TD, APD, and VFA were the three most important abdominal composition-related features. CONCLUSION: AL patients have a higher visceral fat content and a narrower abdominal structure compared to matched controls.

The biological function and diagnostic value of miR-762 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Low diagnostic efficiency and high metastasis and recurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) result in bad survival. A novel diagnostic biomarker is of great importance for the improvement of NPC management. This study aimed to state the biological function and diagnostic values of miR-762 in NPC to provide a novel insight into the detection and therapy of NPC. METHODS: The expression of miR-762 in NPC and healthy samples was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and its diagnostic value was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The functional roles of miR-762 in the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NPC cells were assessed by CCK8 and Transwell assay. RESULTS: The significant upregulation of miR-762 was observed in NPC serum compared with healthy controls, which was associated with the TNM stage and lymph node metastasis of NPC patients. The ROC curve showed that miR-762 could be a diagnostic biomarker for NPC with high accuracy and specificity. Additionally, miR-762 served as a tumor promoter, which could promote cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of NPC. CONCLUSION: The upregulation of miR-762 in NPC is associated with the disease progression and diagnosis of NPC. miR-762 might be involved in the tumor progression of NPC, which provides a potential therapeutic target for the treatment and management of NPC.

Interleukin-17A up-regulates thymic stromal lymphopoietin production by nasal fibroblasts from patients with allergic rhinitis.

PURPOSE: Emerging evidence has shown that interleukin (IL)-17A is implicated in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis (AR). Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) orchestrates the immune response toward a Th2 phenotype. Although increased TSLP is found in AR, the contribution of IL-17A in TSLP production by nasal fibroblasts is not well understood. We aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of IL-17A on TSLP production by human nasal fibroblasts (HNFs) from AR patients. METHODS: HNFs from AR patients were cultured and stimulated with IL-17A in the absence or presence of a Janus kinase (JAK) 2 or JAK1/3 inhibitor. Western blotting was used to assay phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (p-STAT3) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p65 in HNFs. The TSLP expression in the cells and culture supernatants was evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunoassay. RESULTS: Stimulation with IL-17A induced STAT3 phosphorylation, which was inhibited by the pretreatment with JAK2 inhibitor AZD1480 or JAK1/3 inhibitor tofacitinib. IL-17A promoted the nuclear translocation of NF-κBp65 protein, leading to increased TSLP production, while the pre-incubation with AZD1480 prior to IL-17A attenuated these effects. However, the pre-incubation with tofacitinib before IL-17A stimulation had no impact on the expression of NF-κBp65 and TSLP. CONCLUSIONS: IL-17A up-regulated TSLP production by HNFs through JAK2/NF-κB pathway. Although IL-17A induced STAT3 activation through JAK1/2/3, IL-17A-mediated TSLP expression was not dependent on STAT3 signaling. These observations would provide mechanistic insight into therapeutic strategies to improve the immune and inflammation associated with Th17A in the management of AR.

Correlations between age, biomedical variables, and cognition in patients with schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: To illustrate the influence of clinical variables on cognition performance in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ). METHODS: Using the 66nao Brain Training device (a novel measurement tool), the cognitive performance of 99 patients with SCZ was evaluated. Patients were diagnosed by the ICD-10 diagnostic criteria for SCZ, and their age were 16-68 years old. Furthermore, we explored the relationship between age, biomedical variables and specific cognitive domains in patients with SCZ. Patients were divided into two groups: various of cognitive domains impairment group and non-impairment group according to the norm scores. All data were analyzed using RStudio Version 1.0.44 (RStudio, Inc.). RESULTS: Patients with SCZ had obvious cognitive impairment in total and five subdomains of cognitive function. We found that 1) SCZ patients with impaired cognitive total score experienced significant older age and longer illness duration compared with those with normal cognitive total score. 2) SCZ patients with impaired memory experienced significant older age compared with those with normal memory. 3) SCZ patients with impaired attention showed significant lower serum triglyceride (TG) level compared with those with normal attention. 4) SCZ patients with impaired flexibility performed significant longer illness duration compared with those with normal flexibility. 5) SCZ patients with impaired cognitive agility performed significant older age, longer duration, and higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) compared with those with normal cognitive agility. 6) The age, illness duration and SBP in patients with impaired time perception were marginally different from those of subjects with normal time perception. CONCLUSION: There are five dimensions (memory, attention, flexibility, cognitive agility, and time perception) of cognitive dysfunction in SCZ patients. Age, illness duration, TG, and SBP might play vital roles in various subdomains of the cognitive deficits respectively in patients with SCZ.

Differentiating Westlake Longjing tea from the first- and second-grade producing regions using ultra high performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry-based untargeted metabolomics in combination with chemometrics.

There are numerous articles published for geographical discrimination of tea. However, few research works focused on the authentication and traceability of Westlake Longjing green tea from the first- and second-grade producing regions because the tea trees are planted in a limited growing zone with identical cultivate condition. In this work, a comprehensive analytical strategy was proposed by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry-based untargeted metabolomics coupled with chemometrics. The automatic untargeted data analysis strategy was introduced to screen metabolites that expressed significantly among different regions. Chromatographic features of metabolites can be automatically and efficiently extracted and registered. Meanwhile, those that were valuable for geographical origin discrimination were screened based on statistical analysis and contents in samples. Metabolite identification was performed based on high-resolution mass values and tandem mass spectra of screened peaks. Twenty metabolites were identified, based on which the two-way encoding partial least squares discrimination analysis was built for geographical origin prediction. Monte Caro simulation results indicated that prediction accuracy was up to 99%. Our strategy can be applicable for practical applications in the quality control of Westlake Longjing green tea.

[High-frequency Evolution of Urban Atmospheric Ammonia and Ammonium and Its Gas-to-Particle Conversion Mechanism in Nanjing City].

In this study, hourly mass concentrations of atmospheric gases (mainly NH3) and secondary inorganic aerosols (mainly NH4+, NO3-, and SO42-) in Nanjing City were continuously measured during the fall of 2018 by an online gas and aerosol chemical component monitor. The dataset was used to investigate the variation characteristics of ambient NH3 and NH4+ during polluted and non-polluted periods, and to explore the potential chemical mechanism during gas-to-particle conversion between NH3 and NH4+. The results show that throughout the sampling period, the mean values (±1σ) of the mass concentrations of NH3 and NH4+ were (15.3±6.7) µg·m-3 and (11.3±7.8) µg·m-3, respectively, and that their diurnal profiles were distinct between pollution and non-pollution periods. Analysis of the potential contribution sources indicated that local contributions exceeded long-range transport as the dominant source of measured NH3 and NH4+, suggesting that urban areas can be hotspots of NH3 emissions. Further in-depth analysis revealed that the process of gas-to-particle conversion was the main driving force with respect to controlling diurnal variations in NH3 and NH4+. Specifically, pollution episodes were characterized by low temperature (7.5-12.5℃) and high humidity (50%-90%) meteorological conditions. These conditions tended to accelerate the reaction rate of gas-to-particle conversion and facilitate the formation of aerosol ammonium, leading to pronounced (NH4)2SO4 and NH4NO3 increases during pollution events. These findings clarify the sources of NH3 in the urban atmosphere and its potential contribution to the formation of particulate matter.

Accuracy of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging for detecting extracapsular extension in prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) for detecting extracapsular extension (ECE) in patients with prostate cancer (PCa). METHODS AND MATERIALS: We searched MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane library up to December 2018. We included studies that used mpMRI to differentiate ECE from organ-confined PCa with a combination of T2 weighted imaging (T2WI), diffusion-weighted imaging, and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI. All studies included had pathological diagnosis with radical prostatectomy. Two reviewers independently assessed the methodological quality of included studies by using Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 tool. We calculated pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, diagnostic odds ratios and receiver operating characteristic curve for mpMRI from 2 × 2 tables. RESULTS: A total of 17 studies that comprised 3374 participants were included. The pooled data showed a sensitivity of 0.55 (95% confidence interval 0.43, 0.66]) and specificity of 0.87 (95% confidence interval 0.82, 0.91) for extracapsular extension detection in PCa. CONCLUSION: First, our meta-analysis shows moderate sensitivity and high specificity for mpMRI to differentiate ECE from organ-confined prostate cancer before surgery. Second, our meta-analysis shows that mpMRI had no significant differences in performance compared with the former meta-analysis with use of T2WI alone or with additional functional MRI. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: It is the first meta-analysis to evaluate the accuracy of mpMRI in combination of TWI, diffusion-weightedimaging and dynamiccontrast-enhanced-MRI for extracapsular extension detection.

Histamine H4 receptor regulates Th2-cytokine profile through thymic stromal lymphopoietin in allergic rhinitis.

PURPOSE: Epithelial thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) promotes Th2 inflammatory responses through induction of OX40 ligand (OX40L) on dendritic cells in allergic rhinitis (AR). Emerging evidence supports the important role of histamine H4 receptor (H4R) in allergic inflammation. This study aimed to investigate the effects of H4R in Th2-cytokine profile mediated by TSLP in AR. METHODS: Human nasal epithelial cells (HNECs) from AR patients were stimulated with histamine in the presence or absence of H4R agonist (4-methylhistamine, 4-MH) and antagonist (NJ7777120, JNJ) or H1R agonist (2-pyridylethylamine). TSLP protein was measured by Western blotting and ELISA. To further elucidate the role of H4R in the in vivo situation of experimental AR, rats were sensitized and treated with JNJ or 4-MH. TSLP and OX40 ligand (OX40L) in the nasal mucosa were assayed by Western blotting. Th2 cytokines including interleukin-4, 5 and 13 in nasal lavage fluids were detected by ELISA. RESULTS: Histamine alone did not induce TSLP production by HNECs. The pre-incubation with 4-MH prior to histamine promoted TSLP expression, which was inhibited by the stimulation with JNJ prior to histamine and 4-MH. The pre-incubation with 2-pyridylethylamine before histamine stimulation had no impact on TSLP production. In AR rats, the levels of TSLP and OX40L protein were increased as well as Th2 cytokines, which was further up-regulated by 4-MH treatment, while JNJ treatment attenuated these effects. CONCLUSIONS: H4R activation induced TSLP production by HNECs, which up-regulated OX40L expression in the nasal mucosa of sensitized rats. These factors promoted Th2-cytokine profile in AR.

Activation of CD3+ T cells by Helicobacter pylori DNA vaccines in potential immunotherapy of gastric carcinoma.

Most of gastric carcinoma (GC) is attributed to infection by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) but there is increasing evidence that the positive H. pylori status correlates with better prognosis in GC. The H. pylori-induced cellular immune response may suppress cancer and in this work, recombinant pcDNA3 plasmids encoding various fragments of H. pylori virulence genes of cagA, vacA and babA are constructed and combined into groups to immunize BALB/c mice. The activated splenic CD3+ T cells are purified and the anticancer effects are investigated in vitro and in vivo. The H. pylori DNA vaccines induce a shift in the response from Th1 to Th2 that mimicks the immune status in patients of GC with chronic H. pylori infection. The stimulated CD3+ T cells inhibit the growth of human GC cells in vitro and adoptive transfusions of the CD3+ T cells suppress the growth of GC xenograft in vivo. The effects may be caused by the larger ratios of infiltrated CD8+/CD4+ T cells, reduced infiltration of regulatory FOXP3+ T cells, and enhanced apoptosis induced by upregulation of Caspase-9/Caspase-3 and downregulation of Survivin. Our results reveal the potential immunotherapeutic value of H. pylori vaccine-activated CD3+ T cells in those with advanced GC.

The relationship between mouse lung adenocarcinoma at different stages and the expression level of exosomes in serum.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between N-methylN'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG)-induced lung adenocarcinoma mouse of different stages and the level of exosomes in serum. Methods: Fifty KM mice (4 weeks old, weighing 18-22 g, female) were selected for experiment. MNNG was applied to induce lung adenocarcinoma in mice for model establishment. HE staining method was used to observe pathological changes of lung tissues. Exosomes in serum were extracted, and observed under a Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Western blot was employed to examine the protein levels of exosome markers TSG101 and CD63. Results: HE staining results suggested MNNG-induced lung adenocarcinoma model mice were successfully constructed. The morphology of exosomes in serum of mouse model was observed under an Electron Microscopy, showing clear membrane structures presenting as saucer or concave hemisphere. In addition, the protein level of exosome marker CD63 in advanced mouse model was significantly up-regulated relative to that in the control group. Meanwhile, the expression of exosome marker protein TSG101 was found to be markedly increased in mouse models by comparison with that in control cases. Conclusion: In lung adenocarcinoma model mice, the occurrence and development of lung adenocarcinoma are greatly correlated with the expression level of exosomes in serum, which provides theoretical basis for the diagnosis of pathological staging of lung adenocarcinoma by exosomes.

New Nodule Type Found in the Lungs of Pomacea canaliculata, an Intermediate Host of Angiostrongylus cantonensis.

BACKGROUND: Pomacea canaliculata (P.canaliculata) lung nodules, were commonly caused by Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection. Here, we found a new nodule type without any parasites. METHODS: Overall, 447 P. canaliculata snails were collected in Ning Bo, Zhe Jiang, China in 2018. In order to exhibit the similarities and differences between two nodules types (2018, Huzhou Zhejiang, China), both types were collected in formalin for tissue pathological sectioning. Besides, to obtain the microbial community of the new nodule, the 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene of it was amplified and analyzed using the Illumina second-generation sequencing platform. RESULTS: Although two nodules were found in the lungs of P. canaliculata, they were different in shape and pathology. Illumina sequencing indicated Poterioochromonas sp., a species of golden algae, might be the causing agent of the new nodule. CONCLUSION: We firstly found a new pathological nodule type in the lungs of P. canaliculata, and this nodule might be induced by golden algae infection, however, the direct link between the golden algae and the new nodules, as well as the nodules' impact on the snails' physiology and A. cantonensis infection require further study.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of tricyclic pyrazolo[1,5-c][1,3]benzoxazin-5(5H)-one scaffolds as selective BuChE inhibitors.

Based on the structural analysis of tricyclic scaffolds as butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) inhibitors, a series of pyrazolo[1,5-c][1,3]benzoxazin-5(5H)-one derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and BuChE inhibitory activity. Compounds with 5-carbonyl and 7- or/and 9-halogen substitutions showed potential BuChE inhibitory activity, among which compounds 6a, 6c and 6g showed the best BuChE inhibition (IC50 = 1.06, 1.63 and 1.63 µM, respectively). The structure-activity relationship showed that the 5-carbonyl and halogen substituents significantly influenced BuChE activity. Compounds 6a and 6g were found nontoxic, lipophilic and exhibited remarkable neuroprotective activity and mixed-type inhibition against BuChE (Ki = 7.46 and 3.09 µM, respectively). Docking studies revealed that compound 6a can be accommodated into BuChE via five hydrogen bonds, one Pi-Sigma interaction and three Pi-Alkyl interactions.

Effect of low-level laser therapy on tooth-related pain and somatosensory function evoked by orthodontic treatment.

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) may have an effect on the pain associated with orthodontic treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of LLLT on pain and somatosensory sensitization induced by orthodontic treatment. Forty individuals (12-33 years old; mean ± standard deviations: 20.8 ± 5.9 years) scheduled to receive orthodontic treatment were randomly divided into a laser group (LG) or a placebo group (PG) (1:1). The LG received LLLT (810-nm gallium-aluminium-arsenic diode laser in continuous mode with the power set at 400 mW, 2 J·cm-2) at 0 h, 2 h, 24 h, 4 d, and 7 d after treatment, and the PG received inactive treatment at the same time points. In both groups, the non-treated side served as a control. A numerical rating scale (NRS) of pain, pressure pain thresholds (PPTs), cold detection thresholds (CDTs), warmth detection thresholds (WDTs), cold pain thresholds (CPTs), and heat pain thresholds (HPTs) were tested on both sides at the gingiva and canine tooth and on the hand. The data were analysed by a repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). The NRS pain scores were significantly lower in the LG group (P = 0.01). The CDTs, CPTs, WDTs, HPTs, and PPTs at the gingiva and the PPTs at the canine tooth were significantly less sensitive on the treatment side of the LG compared with that of the PG (P < 0.033). The parameters tested also showed significantly less sensitivity on the non-treatment side of the LG compared to that of the PG (P < 0.043). There were no differences between the groups for any quantitative sensory testing (QST) measures of the hand. The application of LLLT appears to reduce the pain and sensitivity of the tooth and gingiva associated with orthodontic treatment and may have contralateral effects within the trigeminal system but no generalized QST effects. Thus, the present study indicated a significant analgesia effect of LLLT application during orthodontic treatment. Further clinical applications are suggested.