A Comprehensive Study to Identify Major Metabolites of an Amoxicillin-Sulbactam Hybrid Molecule in Rats and Its Metabolic Pathway Using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS.

Amoxicillin and sulbactam are widely used compound drugs in animal food. The amoxicillin-sulbactam hybrid molecule can achieve better curative effects through the combination of the two drugs. However, its pharmacokinetic behavior needs to be explored. In this study, a randomized crossover experiment was performed to investigate the metabolism of the novel amoxicillin-sulbactam hybrid molecule in rats after gastric administration. Ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) was used to isolate and to identify the metabolites in rats. Amoxicillin, amoxicilloic acid, amoxicillin diketopiperazine, and sulbactam were eventually detected in the plasma, liver, urine, and kidneys; no hybrid molecules and their metabolites were detected in feces. The in vivo metabolism results showed that the hybrid molecule was absorbed into the body in the intestine, producing amoxicillin and sulbactam, then amoxicillin was partially metabolized to amoxicilloic acid and amoxicillin diketopiperazine, which are eventually excreted in the urine by the kidneys. In this study, four major metabolites of the amoxicillin-sulbactam hybrid molecule were identified and their metabolic pathways were speculated, which provided scientific data for understanding the metabolism of the hybrid molecule and for its clinical rational use.

[Treatment of finger spasm after stroke with wheat grain moxibustion at Shixuan (EX-UE 11) combined with rehabilitation training: a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical effect of wheat grain moxibustion combined with rehabilitation training and simple rehabilitation training on finger spasm after stroke. METHODS: A total of 80 patients with finger spasm after stroke were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 40 cases in each group. The control group was given routine rehabilitation training, once a day, 30 min each time. The observation group was given wheat grain moxibustion at Shixuan (EX-UE 11) on the basis of the control group, 8~10 moxibustion cones at each point, once a day. Both groups were treated for 6 days as one course of treatment for 4 courses. The motor function of the affected hand (Fugl-Meyer assessment [FMA] score) and muscle tension (modified Ashworth scale [MAS] grading), surface EMG indexes (wrist dorsiflexor muscle and flexor carpal metacarpal muscle mean square [RMS] value), hand muscle strength (neurological deficit score [NDS]) and daily living ability (modified Barthel index [MBI] score) were compared between the two groups before and after treatment, and clinical efficacy was evaluated. RESULTS: After treatment, FMA and MBI scores in the 2 groups were increased compared with before treatment (P<0.05), and those in the observation group were higher than the control group (P<0.05). The RMS value of wrist dorsiflexor muscle and flexor carpal metacarpal muscle in relaxation and passive function testsand and NDS in the 2 groups were lower than those before treatment (P<0.05), and those in the observation group were lower than the control group (P<0.05). MAS grading in the 2 groups was improved compared with before treatment (P<0.05), and that in the observation group was better than the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate of the observation group was 92.5% (37/40), which was higher than that of the control group (80.0%, 32/40, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Wheat grain moxibustion at Shixuan (EX-UE 11) combined with rehabilitation training can improve the hand motor function and daily living ability of patients with finger spasm after stroke, improve the degree of spasm and the function of wrist dorsiflexor muscle and flexor carpal metacarpal muscle, the clinical effect is better than simple rehabilitation training.

Gene Expression Nebulas (GEN): a comprehensive data portal integrating transcriptomic profiles across multiple species at both bulk and single-cell levels.

Transcriptomic profiling is critical to uncovering functional elements from transcriptional and post-transcriptional aspects. Here, we present Gene Expression Nebulas (GEN, https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/gen/), an open-access data portal integrating transcriptomic profiles under various biological contexts. GEN features a curated collection of high-quality bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing datasets by using standardized data processing pipelines and a structured curation model. Currently, GEN houses a large number of gene expression profiles from 323 datasets (157 bulk and 166 single-cell), covering 50 500 samples and 15 540 169 cells across 30 species, which are further categorized into six biological contexts. Moreover, GEN integrates a full range of transcriptomic profiles on expression, RNA editing and alternative splicing for 10 bulk datasets, providing opportunities for users to conduct integrative analysis at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. In addition, GEN provides abundant gene annotations based on value-added curation of transcriptomic profiles and delivers online services for data analysis and visualization. Collectively, GEN presents a comprehensive collection of transcriptomic profiles across multiple species, thus serving as a fundamental resource for better understanding genetic regulatory architecture and functional mechanisms from tissues to cells.

GSA-Human: Genome Sequence Archive for Human.

The Genome Sequence Archive for Human (GSA-Human) is a data repository specialized for human genetic related data derived from biomedical researches, and also supports the data collection and management of National Key Research and Development Projects. GSA-Human has a data security management strategy according to the national regulations of human genetic resources. It provides two different models of data access: Open-access and Controlled-access. Open-access data are universally and freely accessible for global researchers, while Controlled-access ensures that data are accessed only by authorized users with the permission of the Data Access Committee (DAC). Till July 2021, GSA-Human has housed more than 5.27 PB of data from 750 datasets.

The Genome Sequence Archive Family: Toward Explosive Data Growth and Diverse Data Types.

The Genome Sequence Archive (GSA) is a data repository for archiving raw sequence data, which provides data storage and sharing services for worldwide scientific communities. Considering explosive data growth with diverse data types, here we present the GSA family by expanding into a set of resources for raw data archive with different purposes, namely, GSA (https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/gsa/), GSA for Human (GSA-Human, https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/gsa-human/), and Open Archive for Miscellaneous Data (OMIX, https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/omix/). Compared with the 2017 version, GSA has been significantly updated in data model, online functionalities, and web interfaces. GSA-Human, as a new partner of GSA, is a data repository specialized in human genetics-related data with controlled access and security. OMIX, as a critical complement to the two resources mentioned above, is an open archive for miscellaneous data. Together, all these resources form a family of resources dedicated to archiving explosive data with diverse types, accepting data submissions from all over the world, and providing free open access to all publicly available data in support of worldwide research activities.

Study on Interference Connection Based on Shape Recovery of NiTiNb Shape Memory Alloy.

Interference connection is an effective method for improving the fatigue life of bolt connections. In this paper, a new method of interference connection was designed based on the shape memory effect of shape memory alloy. Using the method of numerical simulation, a finite element model was established to analyze the stress-strain rule of the bolt and the hole wall under different interference fit sizes. The results show that the stress concentration is formed at the orifice of the connecting plate. When the interference fit size is less than 1%, the connection hole has elastic deformation. When the interference fit size is 1.5%, the hole wall has plastic deformation. When the interference fit size is 2.5%, the maximum stress on the connecting plate is close to the tensile limit of the material. If the interference fit size continues to increase, the strength of the connection structure will be damaged. The connection experiments with different interference fit size were designed, and the interference force was calculated by the pull-out force. The experimental results were compared with the numerical simulation results. The change trend of the interference force with the interference fit size is consistent, which verifies the rationality of the finite element simulation.

Reduced feelings of regret and enhanced fronto-striatal connectivity in elders with long-term Tai Chi experience.

The current study investigates how long-term Tai Chi experience affects the neural and emotional response to regret in elders. Participants perform the sequential risk-taking task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning. In the task, participants opened a series of boxes consecutively and decided when to stop. Each box contained a reward, except for one which contained a devil. If the devil was revealed, then this served to zero the participant's gain in that trial. Once stopped, participant's gains and missed chances were revealed. Behaviorally, the Tai Chi group showed less regret, reduced risk taking, higher levels of nonjudgment of inner experience and less emotional sensitivity to outcome. fMRI results showed that the Tai Chi group demonstrated stronger fronto-striatal functional connectivity in trials with numerous missed chances. The nonjudgment of inner experience mediated the impact of fronto-striatal functional connectivity on Tai Chi practitioners' emotional sensitivity to outcome. These results highlight that long-term Tai Chi exercise may be effective in alleviating feelings of regret in elders by promoting reduced judgment of inner experience and enhanced emotion regulation through the strengthening of fronto-striatal functional connectivity.

An online coronavirus analysis platform from the National Genomics Data Center.

Since the first reported severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic, spreading to more than 200 countries and regions worldwide. With continued research progress and virus detection, SARS-CoV-2 genomes and sequencing data have been reported and accumulated at an unprecedented rate. To meet the need for fast analysis of these genome sequences, the National Genomics Data Center (NGDC) of the China National Center for Bioinformation (CNCB) has established an online coronavirus analysis platform, which includes de novoassembly, BLAST alignment, genome annotation, variant identification, and variant annotation modules. The online analysis platform can be freely accessed at the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Resource (2019nCoVR) (https://bigd.big.ac.cn/ncov/online/tools).

The potential influence of long non-coding RNA PRKG1-AS1 on oral squamous cell carcinoma: A comprehensive study based on bioinformatics and in vitro validation.

BACKGROUND: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most frequent malignancies in oral cancer. Herein, we aimed to investigate the influence of lncRNA protein kinase cGMP-dependent type I-Antisense RNA 1 (PRKG1-AS1) in OSCC progression. METHODS: Basing on the data acquired from TCGA database, the expression and prognostic value of PRKG1-AS1 in OSCC patients were assessed. The expression of PRKG1-AS1 in OSCC cells was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell growth was evaluated by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) and colony-forming assays. Transwell assay was employed to test cell invasion and migration. The protein expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related markers was detected by Western blotting. RESULTS: The consequences displayed that PRKG1-AS1 was highly expressed in OSCC tissues and high expression of PRKG1-AS1 predicted poor outcomes. The expression of PRKG1-AS1 was higher in CAL27, SCC-9, and SCC-4 than that in normal human oral keratinocytes (NHOK). The results of biological experiments showed that deficiency of PRKG1-AS1 suppressed cell growth, invasion, and migration in CAL27 cells, and over-expression of PRKG1-AS1 accelerated cell growth, invasion, and migration in SCC-4 cells. Finally, silencing of PRKG1-AS1 obviously facilitated the protein expression levels of E-cadherin and reduced levels of N-cadherin, Vimentin, and Snail in CAL27 cells whereas over-expression of PRKG1-AS1 led to opposite results in SCC-4 cells. CONCLUSION: These outcomes indicated that PRKG1-AS1 functioned as a facilitator in OSCC cell growth, migration, and invasion, which all might be achieved by regulating EMT.

Investigation of γ-(2,3-Epoxypropoxy)propyltrimethoxy Silane Surface Modified Layered Double Hydroxides Improving UV Ageing Resistance of Asphalt.

γ-(2,3-Epoxypropoxy)propyltrimethoxy silane surface modified layered double hydroxides (KH560-LDHs) were prepared and used to improve the ultraviolet ageing resistance of asphalt. The results of X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS) indicated that KH560 has been successfully grafted onto the surface of LDHs. The agglomeration of LDHs particles notably reduced after KH560 surface modification according to scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which implied that the KH560 surface modification was helpful to promote the dispersibility of LDHs in asphalt. Then, the influence of KH560-LDHs and LDHs on the physical and rheological properties of asphalt before and after UV ageing was thoroughly investigated. The storage stability test showed that the difference in softening point (ΔS) of LDHs modified asphalt decreased from 0.6 °C to 0.2 °C at an LDHs content of 1% after KH560 surface modification, and the tendency became more pronounced with the increase of LDH content, indicating that KH560 surface modification could improve the stability of LDHs in asphalt. After UV ageing, the viscous modulus (G'') of asphalt significantly reduced, and correspondingly, the elastic modulus (G') and rutting factor (G*/sin δ) rapidly increased. Moreover, the asphaltene increased and the amount of "bee-like" structures of the asphalt decreased. Compared with LDHs, KH560-LDHs obviously restrained performance deterioration of the asphalt, and helped to relieve the variation of the chemical compositions and morphology of asphalt, which suggested that the improvement of KH560-LDHs on UV ageing resistance of asphalt was superior to LDHs.

Superior Photocatalytic H2 Production with Cocatalytic Co/Ni Species Anchored on Sulfide Semiconductor.

Downsizing transition metal-based cocatalysts on semiconductors to promote photocatalytic efficiency is important for research and industrial applications. This study presents a novel and facile strategy for anchoring well-dispersed metal species on CdS surface through controlled decarboxylation of the ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) ligand in the metal-EDTA (M-EDTA) complex and CdS mixture precursor to function as a cocatalyst in the photocatalytic H2 evolution. Microstructure characterization and performance evaluation reveal that under visible light the resulting pentacoordinated Co(II) and hexacoordinated Ni(II) on CdS exhibits a high activity of 3.1 mmol h-1 (with turnover frequency (TOF) of 626 h-1 and apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) of 56.2% at 420 nm) and 4.3 mmol h-1 (with TOF of 864 h-1 and AQE of 67.5% at 420 nm), respectively, toward cocatalytic hydrogen evolution, and the cocatalytic activity of such a hexacoordinated Ni(II) even exceeds that of platinum. Further mechanistic study and theoretical modeling indicate that the fully utilized Co(II)/Ni(II) active sites, efficient charge transfer, and favorable kinetics guarantee the efficient activities. This work introduces a promising precursor, i.e., M-EDTA for planting well-dispersed transition metal species on the sulfide supports by a facile wet-chemistry approach, providing new opportunities for photocatalytic H2 production at the atomic/molecular scale.

GSA: Genome Sequence Archive.

With the rapid development of sequencing technologies towards higher throughput and lower cost, sequence data are generated at an unprecedentedly explosive rate. To provide an efficient and easy-to-use platform for managing huge sequence data, here we present Genome Sequence Archive (GSA; http://bigd.big.ac.cn/gsa or http://gsa.big.ac.cn), a data repository for archiving raw sequence data. In compliance with data standards and structures of the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration (INSDC), GSA adopts four data objects (BioProject, BioSample, Experiment, and Run) for data organization, accepts raw sequence reads produced by a variety of sequencing platforms, stores both sequence reads and metadata submitted from all over the world, and makes all these data publicly available to worldwide scientific communities. In the era of big data, GSA is not only an important complement to existing INSDC members by alleviating the increasing burdens of handling sequence data deluge, but also takes the significant responsibility for global big data archive and provides free unrestricted access to all publicly available data in support of research activities throughout the world.