Prevention of supercritical carbon dioxide fluid extract from Chrysanthemum indicum Linnén on cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas progression following UV irradiation in mice.

Chrysanthemum indicum Linnén (C. indicum), a medicinal and food herb with various bioactive components, may be of beneficial use in cosmetics and the treatment of skin-related diseases. However, to date, few studies have been reported on its potential preventive and therapeutic effects on skin cancer. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect and potential mechanism of action of supercritical carbon dioxide extract from C. indicum (CISCFE) on UV-induced skin cancer in a mouse model. Kunming mice were allocated randomly to five treatment groups: Sham, model, low concentration CISCFE, high concentration CISCFE and positive control nicotinamide groups. The dorsal skin of mice was irradiated with UV light for 31 weeks. Histopathological changes, ELISA assays, immunohistochemical analysis and western blotting were performed to investigate the potential therapeutic effects of CISCFE. The results showed that CISCFE alleviated skin oxidative and inflammatory damage in a UV-induced mouse model of skin cancer. Moreover, CISCFE suppressed abnormal activation of proto-oncogene c-Myc and the overexpression of Ki-67 and VEGF, and increased expression of the anti-oncogene PTEN, thereby reducing abnormal proliferation of the epidermis and blood vessels. Additionally, CISCFE increased the protein expression levels of NAD-dependent protein deacetylase sirtuin-1 (SIRT1), Kelch-like ECH associated protein 1 (Keap1) and inhibited the expression of nuclear factor 2 erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), phosphorylated (p)-p62 (Ser 349), p-p65 and acetyl-p65 proteins in a UV-induced skin cancer mouse model. In summary, CISCFE exhibited potent anti-skin cancer activity, which may be attributed its potential effects on the p62/Keap1-Nrf2 and SIRT1/NF-κB pathways.

Relationship between albumin-corrected anion gap and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease varied in different waist circumference groups: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association of albumin-corrected anion gap (ACAG) with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and clinically significant fibrosis (CSF) defined by vibration-controlled transient elastography measurements. METHODS: This cross-sectional study including 4531 participants was conducted using the data from the NHANES database of cycles 2017-2018. The outcomes were set as NAFLD vs. non-NAFLD and NAFLD with CSF vs. NAFLD without CSF. The generalized additive model and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the nonlinear relationship. The generalized linear models, logistic regression models, sensitivity analysis, P trend test, subgroup analysis, and mediation analysis were employed to analyze the association. Finally, an ACAG-based model was constructed and evaluated. RESULTS: A higher ACAG level was an independent risk factor for NAFLD (P < 0.05), but not for CSF (P > 0.05). The sensitivity analysis and P trend test results substantiated the significantly positive relationship between ACAG and NAFLD (P < 0.05). Interestingly, the obvious connection between ACAG and NAFLD varied in different waist circumference groups and played a central role in the central obesity group. In addition, alanine aminotransferase and waist circumference were the mediators in their relationship. Moreover, the ACAG-based model performed well in predicting NAFLD. CONCLUSIONS: ACAG level is independently associated with NAFLD but not CSF. ACAG might be a novel and reliable biomarker for predicting NAFLD clinically especially in the central obesity population.

Value of Intrauterine Autologous Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy on Endometrial Receptivity: A Literature Review.

Endometrial receptivity is an important factor that influences embryo implantation. Thus, it is important to identify an applicable approach to improve endometrial receptivity in women undergoing assisted reproductive technology. Recently, growing evidence has indicated that intrauterine platelet-rich plasma (PRP) infusion is an effective method to obtain a satisfactory reproductive outcome by increasing endometrial thickness and improving endometrial receptivity. Therefore, the present review aims to outline the possible mechanisms of PRP on endometrial receptivity and summarize the present literature on the effects of PRP therapy in improving endometrial receptivity.

Construction of an Early Alert System for Intradialytic Hypotension before Initiating Hemodialysis Based on Machine Learning.

Introduction: Intradialytic hypotension (IDH) is prevalent and associated with high hospitalization and mortality rates. The purpose of this study was to explore the risk factors for IDH and use artificial intelligence to establish an early alert system before hemodialysis sessions to identify patients at high risk of IDH. Materials and Methods: We obtained data on 314,534 hemodialysis sessions conducted at Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital from the renal disease treatment information system. IDH was defined as a systolic blood pressure drop ≥20 mm Hg, a mean arterial pressure drop ≥10 mm Hg during dialysis, or the occurrence of clinical hypotensive events requiring nursing intervention. After pre-processing, the data were randomly divided into training (80%) and testing (20%) sets. Four interpolation methods, three feature selection methods, and 18 machine learning algorithms were used to construct predictive models. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was the main indicator for evaluating the performance of the models, while Shapley Additive ExPlanation was used to explain the contribution of each variable to the best predictive model. Results: A total of 3,906 patients and 314,534 dialysis sessions were included, of which 142,237 cases showed IDH (incidence rate, 45.2%). Nineteen parameters were identified through artificial intelligence feature screening. They included age, pre-dialysis weight, dry weight, pre-dialysis blood pressure, heart rate, prescribed ultrafiltration, blood cell counts (neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, eosinophil, lymphocyte, and platelet counts), hematocrit, serum calcium, creatinine, urea, glucose, and uric acid. Random forest, gradient boosting, and logistic regression were the three best models, and the AUCs were 0.812 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.811-0.813), 0.748 (95% CI, 0.747-0.749), and 0.743 (95% CI, 0.742-0.744), respectively. Conclusion: Our dialysis software-based artificial intelligence alert system can be used to predict IDH occurrence, enabling the initiation of relevant interventions.

Dexmedetomidine Pretreatment Protects Against Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury by Activating STAT3 Signaling.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial infarction is a common perioperative complication, and blood flow restoration causes ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI). Dexmedetomidine (DEX) pretreatment can protect against cardiac IRI, but the mechanism is still insufficiently understood. METHODS: In vivo, myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (30 minutes/120 minutes) was induced via ligation and then reperfusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) in mice. Intravenous infusion of 10 µg/kg DEX was performed 20 minutes before ligation. Moreover, the α2-adrenoreceptor antagonist Yohimbine and STAT3 inhibitor Stattic were applied 30 minutes ahead of DEX infusion. In vitro, hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) with DEX pretreatment for 1 hour was performed in isolated neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. In addition, Stattic was applied before DEX pretreatment. RESULTS: In the mouse cardiac ischemia/reperfusion model, DEX pretreatment lowered the serum creatine kinase-MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) levels (2.47 ± 0.165 vs 1.55 ± 0.183; P < .0001), downregulated the inflammatory response ( P ≤ .0303), decreased 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) production and cell apoptosis ( P = .0074), and promoted the phosphorylation of STAT3 (4.94 ± 0.690 vs 6.68 ± 0.710, P = .0001), which could be blunted by Yohimbine and Stattic. The bioinformatic analysis of differentially expressed mRNAs further confirmed that STAT3 signaling might be involved in the cardioprotection of DEX. Upon H/R treatment in isolated neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, 5 µM DEX pretreatment improved cell viability ( P = .0005), inhibited reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and calcium overload (both P ≤ .0040), decreased cell apoptosis ( P = .0470), and promoted STAT3 phosphorylation at Tyr705 (0.102 ± 0.0224 vs 0.297 ± 0.0937; P < .0001) and Ser727 (0.586 ± 0.177 vs 0.886 ± 0.0546; P = .0157), which could be abolished by Stattic. CONCLUSIONS: DEX pretreatment protects against myocardial IRI, presumably by promoting STAT3 phosphorylation via the α2-adrenoreceptor in vivo and in vitro.

Effect of magnesium on vascular calcification in chronic kidney disease patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of magnesium (Mg) supplementation on vascular calcification (VC) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Medline, Web of Science, CNKI, VIP, and WanFang databases were searched from build to July 2022. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) and non-RCT related to whether Mg supplementation inhibits VC in patients with CKD were included. The literature was screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and quality evaluation and data collection were performed. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4 software. RESULTS: 8 RCTs and 1 non-RCT studies with a total of 496 patients were eventually included. Compared to control groups, Mg supplementation increased serum Mg levels (SMD = 1.26, 95% CI: -0.70 to 1.82, p < 0.001), but it was not statistically significant in alleviating the degree of VC, increasing T50, and reducing serum phosphorus (P) levels in patients with CKD (all p > 0.05). Oral Mg reduced left (WMD=-0.06, 95% CI. -0.11 to -0.01, p = 0.03) and right (WMD=-0.07, 95% CI: -0.13 to -0.01, p = 0.02) carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT). Additionally, calcium (Ca) (SMD=-0.43, 95% CI: -0.74 to -0.11, p = 0.008) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) (SMD=-0.43, 95% CI: -0.75 to -0.11, p = 0.008) levels were reduced by increasing dialysate Mg concentration. CONCLUSIONS: Mg supplementation increased serum Mg levels and reduced Ca, PTH, and cIMT, but it did not reduce VC scores in patients with CKD. This still requires further studies with larger samples to evaluate the effect of Mg supplementation on VC.

Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Attenuates Oxidative Stress-Induced Injury in Diabetic Retinopathy Rats.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) on oxidative stress-induced injury of diabetic retinopathy (DR) rats. METHODS: DR rat model was constructed treated with Ad-CFTR. Hematoxylin and Eosin (HE) staining was applied for testing the thickness of each layer of retinal tissues. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine levels of serum inflammatory cytokines and contents of oxidative stress related genes in rats. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining was used to detect retinal cell apoptosis, and western blotting to measure the expression of MAPK/NF-κB pathway-related proteins in retinal tissues. RESULTS: Our experiment revealed the remarkable decrease of CFTR protein in retinal tissues of DR rats. DR rats had decreased body weight and increased blood glucose level, with decreased thickness of total retinal thickness (TRT), outer nuclear layer and outer plexiform layer (ONL + OPL), inner nuclear layer (INL), and inner plexiform layer (IPL). Besides, DR rats were apparently up-regulated in the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, with increased malondial dehyde (MDA), p-ERK1/2/ERK1/2 and p-JNK1/2/JNK1/2 expressions, decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in retinal tissues, as well as up-regulated p65 protein in nucleus and down-regulated p65 protein in cytoplasm. DR rats treated with Ad-CFTR were effectively improved regarding the above parameters except body weight and blood glucose. CONCLUSIONS: CFTR can inhibit MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway to ameliorate inflammatory response and oxidative stress-induced injury of DR rats, thereby reducing retinal cell apoptosis and playing a protective role in retina.

Common molecular mechanism and immune infiltration patterns of thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Background: Aortic disease (aortic aneurysm (AA), dissection (AD)) is a serious threat to patient lives. Little is currently known about the molecular mechanisms and immune infiltration patterns underlying the development and progression of thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms (TAA and AAA), warranting further research. Methods: We downloaded AA (includes TAA and AAA) datasets from the GEO database. The potential biomarkers in TAA and AAA were identified using differential expression analysis and two machine-learning algorithms. The discrimination power of the potential biomarkers and their diagnostic accuracy was assessed in validation datasets using ROC curve analysis. Then, GSEA, KEGG, GO and DO analyses were conducted. Furthermore, two immuno-infiltration analysis algorithms were utilized to analyze the common immune infiltration patterns in TAA and AAA. Finally, a retrospective clinical study was performed on 78 patients with AD, and the serum from 6 patients was used for whole exome sequencing (WES). Results: The intersection of TAA and AAA datasets yielded 82 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Subsequently, the biomarkers (CX3CR1 and HBB) were acquired by screening using two machine-learning algorithms and ROC curve analysis. The functional analysis of DEGs showed significant enrichment in inflammation and regulation of angiogenic pathways. Immune cell infiltration analysis revealed that adaptive and innate immune responses were closely linked to AA progression. However, neither CX3CR1 nor HBB was associated with B cell-mediated humoral immunity. CX3CR1 expression was correlated with macrophages and HBB with eosinophils. Finally, our retrospective clinical study revealed a hyperinflammatory environment in aortic disease. The WES study identified disease biomarkers and gene variants, some of which may be druggable. Conclusion: The genes CX3CR1 and HBB can be used as common biomarkers in TAA and AAA. Large numbers of innate and adaptive immune cells are infiltrated in AA and are closely linked to the development and progression of AA. Moreover, CX3CR1 and HBB are highly correlated with the infiltration of immune cells and may be potential targets of immunotherapeutic drugs. Gene mutation research is a promising direction for the treatment of aortic disease.

The current status of chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder management in China.

Chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD) is one of the most common complications of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). After considering updated international and domestic CKD-MBD management guidelines, the current management status of CKD-MBD in China remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the management status of CKD-MBD in China. A nationwide survey was combined with a real-world study from Sichuan. Targets recommended in KDIGO 2017 and Chinese 2019 guidelines were used as targets. We compared the data between Sichuan from western China and the eastern developed areas of China, and also compared the results of the real-world data from Sichuan with those of DOPPS5. In the questionnaire, a total of 51,039 maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients from 272 centers were involved. Estimated achievement rates for Ca (2.1-2.5 mmol/L), P (1.13-1.78 mmol/L), and iPTH (150-600 pg/mL) levels were 57.1%, 41.1% and 52.0%, respectively. Differences in MBD management between Sichuan from questionnaire and central region. In the real-world survey, a total of 7,053 patients were enrolled. Among them, 57.6%, 24.3%, and 55.0% of patients met corrected Ca, serum P, and iPTH targets specified in Chinese 2019 guidelines, respectively. The comprehensive achievement rate was 7.5%. There are differences in MBD management between Sichuan and DOPPS5 regions, with Sichuan being relatively poorer. The level of the above parameters varies among different genders, age groups, and hospital grades. The achievement rate of serum P was higher in tertiary hospitals and elderly patients (P < 0.05). Current MBD management is poor. Phosphate levels in patients treated in secondary and lower hospitals and young dialysis patients should be strengthened.

[Molecular Signatures of Dissolved Organic Matter in the Paihe River and Its Tributaries].

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is an abundant and critical component of aquatic ecosystems, participating in many physicochemical and biogeochemical processes. The Paihe River is the only inflow river in the Jianghuai section of "Yangtze-Huaihe water diversion" clear water gallery project; however, its DOM molecular composition information and characteristics are still unclear. In this study, the molecular characterization of DOM in the Paihe River and Guangming Dayan River was determined using Orbitrap mass spectrometry. The Pearson's correlation and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to study the relationship between molecular composition information, characteristics, and sources of DOM in two rivers. The results showed that the molecular weight and oxygen content of DOM molecules in the Paihe River were relatively low; the molecular weight, aromaticity, and unsaturation of DOM molecules in the Guangming Dayan River were relatively high. From the element composition and compound composition of the two rivers' DOM, both rivers were mainly composed of CHO-compounds, lignin, and tannins derived from land plants, which indicates that both rivers were severely affected by terrestrial input. There were high percentages of CHOS, protein, and lipid compounds of DOM in the Paihe River. According to the results of the Pearson's correlation and PCA analyses, the DOM molecules of the Paihe River were also influenced by wastewater from sewage treatment plants, urbanization processes, and microbial activity. Molecular composition information and characteristics of DOM can provide a detailed reference to improve the theoretical support for the Paihe River clear water gallery project.

Dexmedetomidine Alleviates Gut-Vascular Barrier Damage and Distant Hepatic Injury Following Intestinal Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Mice.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) challenge often results in gut barrier dysfunction and induces distant organ injury. Dexmedetomidine has been shown to protect intestinal epithelial barrier against I/R attack. The present study aims to investigate the degree to which intestinal I/R attack will contribute to gut-vascular barrier (GVB) damage, and to examine the ability of dexmedetomidine to minimize GVB and liver injuries in mice. METHODS: In vivo, intestinal ischemic challenge was induced in mice by clamping the superior mesenteric artery for 45 minutes. After clamping, the mice were subjected to reperfusion for either 2, 4, 6, or 12 hours. Intraperitoneal injection of dexmedetomidine 15, 20, or 25 µg·kg-1 was performed intermittently at the phase of reperfusion. For the in vitro experiments, the challenge of oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) was established in cultured vascular endothelial cells, and dexmedetomidine (1 nM) was used to treat the cells for 24 hours. Moreover, in vivo and in vitro, SKL2001 (a specific agonist of ß-catenin) or XAV939 (a specific inhibitor of ß-catenin) was applied to determine the role of ß-catenin in the impacts provided by dexmedetomidine. RESULTS: The attack of intestinal I/R induced GVB damage. The greatest level of damage was observed at 4 hours after intestinal reperfusion. There was a significant increase in plasmalemma vesicle-associated protein-1 (PV1, a specific biomarker for endothelial permeability) expression (5.477 ± 0.718 vs 1.000 ± 0.149; P < .001), and increased translocation of intestinal macromolecules and bacteria to blood and liver tissues was detected (all P < .001). Liver damages were observed. There were significant increases in histopathological scores, serum parameters, and inflammatory factors (all P < .001). Dexmedetomidine 20 µg·kg-1 reduced PV1 expression (0.466 ± 0.072 vs 1.000 ± 0.098; P < .001) and subsequent liver damages (all P < .01). In vitro, dexmedetomidine significantly improved vascular endothelial cell survival (79.387 ± 6.447% vs 50.535 ± 1.766%; P < .001) and increased the productions of tight junction protein and adherent junction protein (all P < .01) following OGD/R. Importantly, in cultured cells and in mice, ß-catenin expression significantly decreased (both P < .001) following challenge. Dexmedetomidine or SKL2001 upregulated ß-catenin expression and produced protective effects (all P < .01). However, XAV939 completely eliminated the protective effects of dexmedetomidine on GVB (all P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The disruption of GVB occurred following intestinal I/R. Dexmedetomidine alleviated I/R-induced GVB impairment and subsequent liver damage.

MicroRNA-93-5p participates in type 2 diabetic retinopathy through targeting Sirt1.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of miR-93-5p in rats with type 2 diabetic retinopathy (DR) through targeting Sirt1. METHODS: The targeting correlation between miR-93-5p and Sirt1 was validated by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rat models were received intravitreal injection of antagomir NC (negative control), miR-93-5p antagomir, miR-93-5p agomir and/or recombinant Sirt1, followed by observation of pathological changes in retina via HE staining. Besides, retinal vascular permeability was determined by fluorescein isothiocyanate-bovine serum albumin (FITC-BSA), while the retinal vasculature was observed through retinal trypsin digestion. Expression of miR-93-5p and Sirt1 was measured by qRT-PCR and Western blotting, while the levels of VEGF, proinflammatory cytokines and anti-oxidative indicators were determined using corresponding kits. RESULTS: MiR-93-5p could target Sirt1 as analyzed by the luciferase reporter gene assay. Rats in the T2DM group presented the up-regulation of miR-93-5p and down-regulation of Sirt1 in the retina, and miR-93-5p inhibition could up-regulate Sirt1 expression in the T2DM rats. Recombinant Sirt1 decreased retinal vascular permeability and acellular capillaries with improved pathological changes in retina from T2DM rats, which was abolished by miR-93-5p agomir. Moreover, miR-93-5p inhibition or Sirt1 overexpression decreased the levels of VEGF and proinflammatory cytokines while enhancing the activity of anti-oxidative indicators. However, indicators above had no significant differences between T2DM group and T2DM + agomir + Sirt1 group. CONCLUSION: MiR-93-5p, via targeting Sirt1, could affect the vascular permeability and acellular capillaries and mitigate the inflammation and oxidative stress in the retinas, which may play a critical role in DR.

HMGB1 signaling-regulated endoplasmic reticulum stress mediates intestinal ischemia/reperfusion-induced acute renal damage.

BACKGROUND: Ischemia/reperfusion of the intestine often leads to distant organ injury, but the mechanism of intestinal ischemia/reperfusion-induced renal dysfunction is still not clear. The present study aimed to investigate the mechanisms of acute renal damage after intestinal ischemia/reperfusion challenge and explore the role of released high-mobility group box-1 in this process. METHODS: Intestinal ischemia/reperfusion was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by clamping the superior mesenteric artery for 1.5 hours. At different reperfusion time points, anti-high-mobility group box-1 neutralizing antibodies or ethyl pyruvate were administered to neutralize or inhibit circulating high-mobility group box-1, respectively. RESULTS: Significant kidney injury was observed after 6 hours of intestinal reperfusion, as indicated by increased serum levels of urea nitrogen and creatinine, increased expression of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, interleukin-6, and MIP-2, and enhanced cell apoptosis, as indicated by cleaved caspase 3 levels in renal tissues. The levels of phosphorylated eIF2ɑ, activating transcription factor 4, and C/EBP-homologous protein (CHOP) were markedly elevated, indicating the activation of endoplasmic reticulum stress in the impaired kidney. High-mobility group box-1 translocated to cytoplasm in the intestine and serum concentrations of high-mobility group box-1 increased notably during the reperfusion phase. Both anti-high-mobility group box-1 antibodies and ethyl pyruvate treatment significantly reduced serum high-mobility group box-1 concentrations, attenuated endoplasmic reticulum stress in renal tissue and inhibited the development of renal damage. Moreover, the elevated expression of receptor for advanced glycation end products in the kidneys after intestinal ischemia/reperfusion was abrogated after high-mobility group box-1 inhibition. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that high-mobility group box-1 signaling regulated endoplasmic reticulum stress and promoted intestinal ischemia/reperfusion-induced acute kidney injury. High-mobility group box-1 neutralization/inhibition might serve as a pharmacological intervention strategy for these pathophysiological processes.

Quercetin alleviates seed germination and growth inhibition in Apocynum venetum and Apocynum pictum under mannitol-induced osmotic stress.

Quercetin is one of the main flavonoids in the human diet and mainly found in different plant tissues, including seeds, flowers, leaves, stems, and roots. However, its biological function in plant tissues, especially in seeds, is unknown. In this study, the seed germination and subsequent seedling growth of Apocynum pictum and A. venetum under osmotic stress (400 mmol L-1 mannitol) supplemented with 5 µmol L-1 quercetin were evaluated after 7, 14, and 21 days of germination. Results showed that quercetin improved the germination percentage and seed vigor, as indicated by the higher germination energy, shoot length, root length, dry weight, fresh weight, and chlorophyll content in A. pictum and A. venetum seedlings under the mannitol compared with those under the mannitol alone. Quercetin decreased H2O2 and O2- production and cell membrane damage, and mostly increased the gene expression of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, chalcone synthase and flavonol synthase in A. pictum and A. venetum seedlings under the mannitol compared with those under the mannitol alone. In addition, the germination energy of A. pictum was 21.57% higher than that of A. venetum, and the gene expression of key enzymes in quercetin biosynthesis in A. pictum was mostly higher than that in A. venetum after 1 and 7 days of germination. These results indicated that quercetin was an effective anti-osmotic agent that alleviated the adverse effect of mannitol-induced osmotic stress on seed germination and seed vigor, and A. pictum seeds were more osmotic resistant than A. venetum seeds.

Barbaram, a bicyclic neolactam from the root and stem of Lycium barbarum.

Barbaram (1), a neolactam together with other five known compunds (2-6) was isolated from the EtOAc-soluble fraction of an EtOH extract of the root and stem of Lycium barbarum by using silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography and semi-preparative RP-C18 HPLC. Based on HR-TOF-MS, NMR spectral data, quantum chemistry ECD calculations and referencing to the data reported earlier, the structures of these compounds (1-6) were determined, specially including the absolute configuration of the neolactam (1). Compounds 2 and 4 showed significant anti-inflammatory activity in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages with the IC50 values of 8.98 ± 0.57 µM, 6.68 ± 0.77 µM.

Dataset of full-length transcriptome assembly and annotation of apocynum venetum using pacbio sequel II.

Apocynum venetum, which belongs to Apocynaceae, is widely distributed throughout salt-barren zones, desert steppes, and alluvial flats of the Mediterranean area and Northwestern China. Apocynum venetum has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine because of its anti-inflammation, anti-oxidative, anti-hypertensive, anti-cancer, and bactericidal effects. However, the absence of genetic information on Apocynum venetum is an obstacle to understanding its stress resistance or medicinal function. This work was aimed at generating a full-length transcriptome of Apocynum venetum using Pacific Bioscience (PacBio) Single Molecule Real-Time (SMRT) sequencing technology. A total of 18,524 unigenes were obtained, and 18,136 unigenes were successfully annotated. The raw data were uploaded to SRA database, and the BioProject ID is PRJNA650225. The above data will provide the basis for further exploration and understanding of the molecular mechanism in stress resistance or medicinal function of Apocynum venetum.

Detection of Listeria monocytogenes in a patient with meningoencephalitis using next-generation sequencing: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) is a facultative intracellular bacterial pathogen which can invade different mammalian cells and reach to the central nervous system (CNS), leading to meningoencephalitis and brain abscesses. In the diagnosis of L. monocytogenes meningoencephalitis (LMM), the traditional test often reports negative owing to the antibiotic treatment or a low number of bacteria in the cerebrospinal fluid. To date, timely diagnosis and accurate treatment remains a challenge for patients with listeria infections. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 66-year-old woman whose clinical manifestations were suspected as tuberculous meningoencephalitis, but the case was finally properly diagnosed as LMM by next-generation sequencing (NGS). The patient was successfully treated using a combined antibacterial therapy, comprising ampicillin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. CONCLUSION: To improve the sensitivity of LMM diagnosis, we used NGS for the detection of L. monocytogenes. Hence, the clinical utility of this approach can be very helpful since it provides quickly and trust results.

[Biochar addition improves soil phosphorus availability: A meta-analysis]. / ç”Ÿç‰©ç‚­æé«˜åœŸå£¤ç£·ç´ æœ‰æ•ˆæ€§çš„æ•´åˆåˆ†æž.

Biochar is a potential source for improving soil fertility and crop yield by enhancing phosphorus (P) availability. But the information on quantitative effect of biochar addition on soil P availability is still limited. To address this query, we conducted a meta-analysis with 507 data from 95 eligible literature. The results showed that irrespective of biochar characters (raw material, C:N ratio, pyrolysis temperature, application rate), soil characteristics (texture, pH, organic carbon content), and fertilizer application, biochar addition significantly improved soil available P content by 57.6%. Meanwhile, biochar addition promoted P utilization of crops. The response ratios of plant P concentration to biochar addition were generally lower than those of soil available P. The average response ratio of plant P concentration was 30.6%. The biochars, derived from livestock manure, low-temperature pyrolysis, with lower C:N ratio, alkaline, or higher application rate, were more effective to improve soil available P content and plant P concentration in sandy and loamy soils. For main enzymes involved in P cycle, biochar addition increased activity of alkaline phosphatase (2.8%) but decreased the acid phosphatase activity (17.8%). Overall, biochar addition positively affects soil available and plant P concentration, but has a minute effect on soil phosphatase. The improvement of soil P availability might mainly be ascribed to a great amount of active P fractions in biochar itself.