Measuring the Complexity of Self-Regulated Learning and Academic Challenges for Adolescents in Canada.

Research that uses self-report measures to examine the complexity of self-regulated learning (SRL) and academic challenges for adolescents is limited. This study examined the psychometric property of the Self-Regulated Learning Profile and Self-Diagnostic (SRL-PSD) instrument and addressed the multi-components of SRL and academic challenges for adolescents. Participants were 358 adolescents from a Canadian middle school. The subscales of SRL-PSD were administered to students through LimeSurvey during a 25-min instructional session over two days. Results demonstrated the SRL-PSD was a reliable and valid self-report instrument to measure adolescents' SRL practices and academic challenges. Also, all types of SRL practices and academic challenges were significantly intercorrelated. Additionally, all types of SRL practices were positively associated with school engagement, whereas all types of academic challenges were negatively associated with school engagement. Overall, this study provides a validated self-report measure for educators and researchers to examine adolescents' SRL practices and academic challenges.

Single-incision plus one-port laparoscopy surgery versus conventional multi-port laparoscopy surgery for colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The efficacy of single-incision plus one-port laparoscopic surgery (SILS + 1) versus conventional laparoscopic surgery (CLS) for colorectal cancer treatment remains unclear. This study compares the short-term and long-term outcomes of SILS + 1 and CLS using a high-quality systematic review and meta-analysis. METHOD: Literature search followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, drawing from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library until December 10, 2023. Statistical analysis was conducted using RevMan and Stata. RESULT: The review and meta-analysis included seven studies with 1740 colorectal cancer patients. Compared to CLS, SILS + 1 showed significant improvements in operation time (WMD = - 18.33, P < 0.00001), blood loss (WMD = - 21.31, P < 0.00001), incision length (WMD = - 2.07, P < 0.00001), time to first defecation (WMD = - 14.91, P = 0.009), time to oral intake (WMD = - 11.46, P = 0.04), and time to ambulation (WMD = - 11.52, P = 0.01). There were no significant differences in lymph node harvest, resection margins, complications, anastomotic leakage, hospital stay, disease-free survival, overall survival, and postoperative recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to CLS, SILS + 1 demonstrates superiority in shortening the surgical incision and promoting postoperative recovery. SILS + 1 can provide a safe and feasible alternative to CLS.

Rapid screening and evaluation of natural antioxidants from leaf, stem, and root of Artemisia argyi by online liquid microextraction combined with HPLC-based antioxidant assay system coupled with calibration quantitative analysis.

To reveal the utilization value of leaf, stem, and root of Artemisia argyi, a rapid online liquid microextraction combined with a high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with 2,2-nitrogen-di (3-ethyl-benzothiazole-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt antioxidant assay system was established for analysis of antioxidants in the leaf, stem, and root of A. argyi, and a calibration quantitative method of antioxidant activity with equivalent chlorogenic acid was proposed. Thirty-three positive peaks were identified; among them, 12 compounds were found that possess good antioxidant activity including eleven organic acids (components 2-4, 8, 11-14, 17, 19, and 21) and one flavonoids (component 22). The proposed calibration quantitative method avoided the influence of content of compound and compared the extent of radical scavenging capacity of five antioxidant compounds, which were ranked as follow: 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid > 3,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid ≈ 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid > 1,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid > chlorogenic acid. In conclusion, this study provided composition and biological potential for the future development of the leaf, stem, and root of A. argyi. It is believed that the online liquid microextraction combined with high-performance liquid chromatography based antioxidant assay system can be widely used for the rapid screening of natural antioxidant components in the different parts of natural products.

[Rapid determination of aesculin and aesculetin in Fraxini Cortex by high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet at equal absorption wavelength].

Fraxini Cortex is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine that has been used for thousands of years to treat dampness-heat diarrhea, dysentery, red or white vaginal discharge, painful swelling or redness of the eyes, and nebula. It contains various chemical components, including coumarins, iridoids, phenolic acids, and flavonoids. Coumarins are important active ingredients in Fraxini Cortex and have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor, and antiviral activities. Aesculin and aesculetin are two major coumarin components of Fraxini Cortex that are widely used in its quality evaluation. Previous HPLC methods for determination of aesculin and aesculetin present several limitations, such as long analysis times and high solvent and reference compound consumption. In this study, a rapid, eco-friendly and cost saving HPLC method for the determination of aesculin and aesculetin in Fraxini Cortex was established by using the core-shell column and equal absorption wavelength (EAW). Different factors influencing the extraction process, such as the extraction solvent, temperature, and time, were assessed to obtain the optimal extraction conditions. The results showed that Fraxini Cortex samples could be well extracted by ultrasonic extraction for 5 min with a 25% ethanol aqueous solution. A core-shell column was used, and different mobile phases and flow rates were investigated to obtain the best rapid-HPLC separation conditions. The optimized HPLC conditions were as follows: a Poroshell 120 EC-C18 column (50 mm×4.6 mm, 2.7 µm), acetonitrile-0.1% formic acid aqueous solution (6∶94, v/v) as the eluent, a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min, and a column temperature of 25 ℃. The EAW of aesculin and aesculetin was a key factor in their determination using a single reference compound. EAW selection was performed in two steps. First, the UV spectra of two equimolar concentrations of the reference compounds (aesculin and aesculetin) were compared to determine the EAW of the two analytes. The EAW results were then verified by the HPLC analysis of the reference compound solutions. The final EAW of aesculin and aesculetin was 341 nm. The determination of aesculin and aesculetin using only one reference compound (i. e., aesculin) was achieved by HPLC-UV at this EAW. The newly developed HPLC method revealed a good linear relationship between the two target analytes (r=1.0000). The limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantification (LOQs) were 1.5 µmol/L and 3.0 µmol/L, respectively, and the average recoveries of aesculin and aesculetin were 99.0% and 97.5%. The stabilities of the sample solutions were examined, and the two analytes demonstrated good stability for 24 h. The contents of the target analytes in 10 batches of Fraxini Cortex were determined using the proposed EAW method and the classic external standard method (ESM), and comparable concentrations were obtained. The contents of aesculin and aesculetin in the 10 batches of Fraxini Cortex were 0.26%-2.80% and 0.11%-1.47%, respectively. A t-test was conducted to compare the results of the proposed EAW technique with those obtained via the method reported in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, and no significant difference between the two assay methods was noted (P>0.05). Comparison of the newly established EAW method with those reported in the literature revealed that our method required only 10 min to complete and used as little as 0.5 mL of the solvent and only one standard. Therefore, the developed EAW method is a rapid, simple, eco-friendly, and cost-effective analytical method that is suitable for the determination of aesculin and aesculetin in Fraxini Cortex and its related products. The proposed technique is an improved method for determining aesculin and aesculetin and contributes to the enhancement of the quality evaluation of Fraxini Cortex.

[Mechanism of Sijunzi Decoction in treatment of Alzheimer's disease based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, network pharmacology, and experimental verification].

The study identified the blood-entering components of Sijunzi Decoction after gavage administration in rats by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS, and investigated the mechanism of Sijunzi Decoction in treating Alzheimer's disease by virtue of network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental verification. The blood-entering components of Sijunzi Decoction were identified based on the mass spectra and data from literature and databases. The potential targets of the above-mentioned blood-entering components in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease were searched against PharmMapper, OMIM, DisGeNET, GeneCards, and TTD. Next, STRING was employed to establish a protein-protein interaction(PPI) network. DAVID was used to perform the Gene Ontology(GO) annotation and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment. Cytoscape 3.9.0 was used to carry out visual analysis. AutoDock Vina and PyMOL were used for molecular docking of the blood-entering components with the potential targets. Finally, the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(Akt) signaling pathway enriched by the KEGG analysis was selected for validation by animal experiments. The results showed that 17 blood-entering components were detected in the serum samples after administration. Among them, poricoic acid B, liquiritigenin, atractylenolide Ⅱ, atractylenolide Ⅲ, ginsenoside Rb_1, and glycyrrhizic acid were the key components of Sijunzi Decoction in treating Alzheimer's disease. HSP90AA1, PPARA, SRC, AR, and ESR1 were the main targets for Sijunzi Decoction to treat Alzheimer's disease. Molecular docking showed that the components bound well with the targets. Therefore, we hypothesized that the mechanism of Sijunzi Decoction in treating Alzheimer's disease may be associated with the PI3K/Akt, cancer treatment, and mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK) signaling pathways. The results of animal experiments showed that Sijunzi Decoction significantly attenuated the neuronal damage in the hippocampal dentate gyrus area, increased the neurons, and raised the ratios of p-Akt/Akt and p-PI3K/PI3K in the hippocampus of mice. In conclusion, Sijunzi Decoction may treat Alzheimer's disease by activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. The findings of this study provide a reference for further studies about the mechanism of action and clinical application of Sijunzi Decoction.

Online Microextraction Coupled with HPLC-ABTS for Rapid Analysis of Antioxidants from the Root of Polygonum bistorta.

The root of Polygonum bistorta (PB) is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant material widely used in China. It has been commonly used for the treatment of hemostasis, detumescence, diarrhea, snake bite, and acute gastroenteritis. However, the research on the antioxidant properties and bioactive compounds from PB is inadequate. In the current research, an online microextraction (OLME) coupled with a high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with the 2,2-nitrogen-di (3-ethyl-benzothiazole-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt antioxidant assay (HPLC-ABTS) system for rapid analysis of antioxidants from PB was proposed. The PB sample (0.17 mg) was online extracted by mobile phase (acetonitrile and 0.2% acetic acid); a Poroshell 120 SB-Aq column was used for separation; then, an online ABTS assay system was used for screening the antioxidants. Finally, ten components were found in PB, and among them, eight components possessed antioxidant activities. Furthermore, five components (gallic acid, neochlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, and an unknown compound) were proved as major antioxidants when compared with rutin as an antioxidant marker. The results showed that the developed OLME-HPLC-ABTS system was a simple, rapid, green, and efficient instrument for the screening of antioxidants from PB, which provides a powerful tool for the discovery of natural antioxidants in Chinese medicines.

[Prediction of Q-markers of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium volatile oil and GC-MS based quantitative analysis].

This study was designed to predict the Q-markers of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium volatile oil and conduct quantitative analysis by GC-MS. The common components of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium volatile oil were detected by GC-MS. The network pharmacology approaches were utilized for constructing the component-target network and protein-protein interaction(PPI) network, followed by the GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis to clarify the pharmacological effects of common components. Molecular docking was conducted to observe the biological activities of common components, thus identifying the Q-markers of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium volatile oil. The obtained Q-markers were subjected to quantitative analysis by GC-MS. The GC-MS analysis of 19 batches of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium volatile oil revealed three common components, namely, D-limonene, γ-terpinene, and myrcene. The common components were analyzed based on network pharmacology, and the results showed that Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium volatile oil mainly acted on the core targets GABRA1, GABRA6, GABRA5, GABRA3, and GABRA2 through D-limonene and γ-terpinene, with five important pathways such as nicotine addiction and GABAergic synapse involved. The core targets were mainly distributed in olfactory region, cerebral cortex, cerebellum, basal ganglia, hippocampus, and amygdala to exert the pharmacological effects. As revealed by molecular docking, D-limonene and γ-terpinene exhibited good biological activities, so they were identified as the Q-markers of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium volatile oil. The results of quantitative analysis showed that the volume fraction of D-limonene was within the range of 0.77-1.03 µL·mL~(-1), and that of γ-terpinene within the range of 0.04-0.13 µL·mL~(-1). The prediction of D-limonene and γ-terpinene as the Q-markers of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium volatile oil has laid an experimental foundation for the establishment of the quality evaluation standard for Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium volatile oil.

The anti-inflammatory regulation of calcitonin gene-related peptide in mouse Aspergillus fumigatus keratitis.

AIM: To analyze the impact of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in mouse keratitis after Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) infection. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were treated subconjunctivally with different concentrations of exogenous CGRP, and BALB/c mice were treated with CGRP8-37 (a CGRP antagonist) before corneas were infected with A. fumigatus. The cornea was assessed under the slit-lamp and the clinical score was recorded. The mRNA levels of IL-1ß, TNF-α, IL-6, and MIP-2 were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), while the protein level of IL-1ß was determined by Western blotting. In vitro, RAW264.7 cells were used to investigate NLRP3 and IL-1ß expression induced by A. fumigatus after the pretreatment of exogenous CGRP or CGRP8-37. Cytokines expression in RAW264.7 cells was evaluated by real-time PCR and Western blotting. RESULTS: Using exogenous CGRP resulted in down-regulated synthesis of IL-1ß and MIP-2 stimulated by A. fumigatus in C57BL/6 mice keratitis, and the synthesis of IL-1ß, MIP-2 and IL-6 was up-regulated in BALB/c mice corneas after the pretreatment with CGRP8-37. Pretreatment with exogenous CGRP and CGRP8-37 did not influence TNF-α mRNA levels either in BALB/c or C57BL/6 mice keratitis. The levels of NLRP3 and IL-1ß were both reduced in A. fumigatus stimulated-macrophages after treatment with exogenous CGRP. And CGRP8-37 pretreatment would increase NLRP3 and IL-1ß levels. CONCLUSION: CGRP may alleviate the inflammatory reaction in mice keratitis after infection with A. fumigatus. The anti-inflammatory effect may be related to the inhibition of NLRP3 expression by CGRP.

High-mobility group box1 as an amplifier of immune response and target for treatment in Aspergillus fumigatus keratitis.

AIM: To determine the roles of high-mobility group box1 (HMGB1) in pro-inflammation, host immune response and its potential target for treatment in Aspergillus fumigatus (A.fumigatus) keratitis. METHODS: Expression of HMGB1 was tested in C57BL/6 normal and infected corneas. Dual immunostaining tested co-expression of HMGB1 with TLR4 or LOX-1. C57BL/6 mice were pretreated with Box A or PBS and then infected. Clinical scores, polymerase chain reaction, ELISA, and MPO assay were used to assess the disease response. Flow cytometry were used to test the effect of Box A on reactive oxygen species (ROS) expression after A.fumigatus stimulation in polymorphonuclear neutrophilic leukocytes (PMN). C57BL/6 peritoneal macrophages were pretreated with Box B before A.fumigatus stimulation, and MIP-2, IL-1ß, TNF-α, HMGB1 and LOX-1 were measured. Macrophages were pretreated with Box B or Box B combined with Poly(I) (an inhibitor of LOX-1) before stimulating with A.fumigatus, and MIP-2, IL-1ß, TNF-α, LOX-1, p38-MAPK, p-p38-MAPK were measured. RESULTS: HMGB1 levels were elevated in C57BL/6 mice after infection. HMGB1 co-expressed with TLR4, and LOX-1 in infiltrated cells. Box A vs PBS treated C57BL/6 mice had lower clinical scores and down-regulated corneal HMGB1, MIP-2, IL-1ß expression and neutrophil influx. Box B treatment amplified expression of MIP-2, IL-1ß, TNF-α, HMGB1 and LOX-1 that induced by A.fumigatus in macrophage. Compared to the treatment of Box B only, the protein expression of IL-1ß, TNF-α showed inhibition of Box B combined with Poly(I), which also reduced the A.fumigatus-evoked protein level of LOX-1 and phosphorylation level of p38-MAPK. The production of A.fumigatus-stimulated ROS was significantly declined after Box A pretreatment in PMN. CONCLUSION: Blocking HMGB1 reduces the disease response in C57BL/6 mice. HMGB1 can amplify the host immune response through p38-MAPK, and is a target for treatment of A.fumigatus keratitis.

Rapid screening and characterization of natural antioxidants in Polygonum viviparum by an on-line system integrating the pressurised liquid micro-extraction, HPLC-DAD-QTOF-MS/MS analysis and antioxidant assay.

Rapid discovery of active ingredients from complex matrices is one of great challenges for modern drug development. Traditional methods often require many sample treatment steps, including an extraction step with exclusively dedicated solvents followed by repeated separation and activities assessment. This present work described an integrated analytical setup for natural antioxidants discovery in which the online extraction (OLE) of a solid sample is directly coupled to its analysis by high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry and 2,2'-Azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS) antioxidant assay (OLE-HPLC-DAD-QTOF-MS/MS-ABTS). This developed approach makes sample extraction, chromatographic separation and chemical detection, and antioxidant assay integrated into a single HPLC injection and was successfully applied for the rapid discovery of natural antioxidant bioactives from Polygonum viviparum. A total of 21 secondary metabolites were characterized according to their retention times, ultraviolet (UV) spectra, exact mass and fragmentation ions in MS/MS spectra, and 18 of them displayed antioxidant activity (response as negative peaks in antioxidant assay). This work describes a simple, green and efficient approach to minimize the sample consumption (only 0.4 mg was required) and eliminate complex sample treatment procedures. The developed OLE-HPLC-DAD-QTOF-MS/MS-ABTS system offers new perspectives for rapid chemical profiling of natural products and their antioxidants discovery.