Multispectral breast image grayscale and quality enhancement by repeated pair image registration & accumulation method.

Nowadays, for detecting breast cancer in its early stages, the focus is on multispectral transmission imaging. Frame accumulation is a promising technique to enhance the grayscale level of the multispectral transmission images. Still, during the image acquisition process, human respiration or camera jitter causes the displacement of the frame's sequence which leads to the loss of accuracy and image quality of the frame accumulated image is reduced. In this article, we have proposed a new method named "repeated pair image registration and accumulation "to resolve the issue. In this method first pair of images from the sequence is first registered and accumulated followed by the next pair to be registered and accumulated. Then these two accumulated frames are registered and accumulated again. This process is repeated until all the frames from the sequence are processed and the final image is obtained. This method is tested on the sequence of breast frames taken at 600 nm, 620 nm, 670 nm, and 760 nm wavelength of light and proved the enhancement of quality, accuracy, and grayscale by various mathematical assessments. Furthermore, the processing time of our proposed method is very low because descent gradient optimization algorithm is used here for image registration purpose. This optimization algorithm has high speed as compared to other methods and is verified by registering a single image of each wavelength by three different methods. It has laid the foundations of early detection of breast cancer using multispectral transmission imaging.

The safety evaluation of Shenze Shugan capsule and mechanism of apoptosis induced by five potentially nephrotoxic components.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Shenze Shugan capsule is a prescription of traditional Chinese medicine for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis treatment. It includes Rhei Radix et Rhizoma (RR), Cassiae Semen (CS) and Alismatis Rhizoma(AR), which widely contains rhein, emodin, aurantio-obtusin, alisol A and alisol B 23-monoacetate. AIM OF THE STUDY: In this study, we aimed to explore the safety of the medicine, and further elucidate the mechanism of apoptosis induction in HK-2 cells by five components, including rhein, emodin, aurantio-obtusin, alisol A and alisol B 23-monoacetate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We investigated the nephrotoxicity of Shenze Shugan capsule, including RR, CS, AR and mixed herbs given for two months in rats. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) in kidney tissues, urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (CRE) in serum were detected, and renal pathology analysis was performed. In cell experiments, the apoptotic rate and cell cycle distribution of HK-2 cells were tested by flow cytometry. The levels of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and related protein expression in mitochondrial pathway were measured as well. RESULTS: We confirmed that two months of administering high doses(60 times the dose for clinical use in adults) of RR, CS or mixed herbs upregulated the levels of CRE and RUN, inhibited SOD activity, and increased the degree of tubular degeneration and glomerular dilatation, but Shenze Shugan capsule has no significant differences in renal structure or renal function. In addition, we found that five components all concentration-dependently inhibited HK-2 cells proliferation and induced apoptosis, especially aurantio-obtusin as the novel nephrotoxic component. Rhein and emodin significantly induced S/M accumulation, but aurantio-obtusin, alisol A and alisol B 23-monoacetate significantly induced G1/M accumulation in HK-2 cells. Similarly, they could induce Caspase3 activation, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), and down-regulation of Bcl-2 and up-regulation of Bax. CONCLUSIONS: Through a two-month subchronic toxicity study in rats, our preliminary determination is that this formulation is safe and reliable for long-term use. Interestingly, the potentially toxic herbs such as RR, CS, AR can reduce toxicity by drug compatibility. When further exploring the mechanism of action of toxic herbs, we found that mitochondrial pathway is involved in the apoptosis of HK -2 cells induced by rhein, emodin, aurantio-obtusin, alisol A and alisol B 23-monoacetate. Our findings provide new ideas for safety studies of Shenze Shugan capsule.

Highly Accessible Co-Nx Active Sites-Doped Carbon Framework with Uniformly Dispersed Cobalt Nanoparticles for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Alkaline and Neutral Electrolytes.

Porous carbon materials with nitrogen-coordinated transition metal active sites have been widely regarded as appealing alternatives to replace noble metal catalysts in oxygen-based electrochemical reaction activities. However, improving the electrocatalytic activity of transition-metal-based catalysts remains a challenge for widespread application in renewable devices. Herein, we use a simple one-step pyrolysis method to construct a Co nanoparticles/Co-Nx-decorated carbon framework catalyst with a near-total external surface structure and uniform dispersion nanoparticles, which displays promising catalytic activity and superior stability for oxygen reduction reactions in both alkaline and neutral electrolytes, as evidenced by the positive shift of half-wave potential by 44 and 11 mV compared to 20% Pt/C. Excellent electrochemical performance originates from highly accessible Co nanoparticles/Co-Nx active sites at the external surface structure (this is, exposing active sites). The thus-assembled liquid zinc-air battery using the synthesized electrocatalyst as the cathode material delivers a maximum power density of 178 mW cm-2 with an open circuit potential of 1.48 V and long-term discharge stability over 150 h.

Regulation of polysaccharide in Wu-tou decoction on intestinal microflora and pharmacokinetics of small molecular compounds in AIA rats.

Wu-tou decoction (WTD), a traditional Chinese medicine prescription, is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It works by controlling intestinal flora and its metabolites, which in turn modulates the inflammatory response and intestinal barrier function. Small molecular compounds (SM) and polysaccharides (PS) were the primary constituents of WTD extract. In this work, a model of adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) in rats was established and treated with WTD, SM, and PS, respectively. 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to examine the regulatory impact of the various groups on the disturbance of the gut flora induced by RA. Further, since PS cannot be absorbed into the blood, the influence of PS on the absorption and metabolism of SM was studied by examining their pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters of 23 active components in SM by UPLC-MS/MS. WTD was found to be more effective than PS and SM in alleviating arthritis in AIA rats, which may be related to changes in gut flora. The PK properties of 13 active compounds were altered after PS intervene. Based on the findings, PS may be able to manage the disruption of intestinal microbiota, enhance the intestinal environment of model animals, and hence influence SM absorption and metabolism.

Electronic structure optimizing of Ru nanoclusters via Co single atom and N, S co-doped reduced graphene oxide for accelerating water electrolysis.

The development of efficient and stable electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is impending for the advancement of water-splitting. In this study, we developed a novel electrocatalyst consisting of highly dispersed Ru nanoclusters ameliorated by cobalt single atoms and N, S co-doped reduced graphene oxide (CoSARuNC@NSG). Benefitted from the optimized electronic structure of the Ru nanoclusters induced by the adjacent single atomic Co and N, S co-doped RGO support, the electrocatalyst exhibits exceptional HER performance with overpotentials of 15 mV and 74 mV for achieving a current density of 10 mA cm-2 in alkaline and acidic water. The catalyst outperforms most noble metal-based HER electrocatalysts. Furthermore, the electrolyzer assembled with CoSARuNC@NSG and RuO2 demonstrated an overall voltage of 1.56 V at 10 mA cm-2 and an excellent operational stability for over 25 h with almost no attenuation. Theoretical calculations also deduce its high HER activity demonstrated by the smaller reaction energy barrier due to the optimized electronic structure of Ru nanoclusters. This strategy involving the regulation of metal nanoparticles activity through flexible single atom and GO support could provide valuable insights into the design of high-performance and low-cost HER catalysts.

Effects of Steaming Treatment on the Effective Components and Efficacy in Vitro of Ginseng Flowers.

The effective composition, antioxidant, enzyme inhibition and bile binding ability of Ginseng flowers after different steaming times were studied. The results showed that different steaming times affected the effective components of ginseng flower, the content of polysaccharide and total saponins reached the highest when steaming for 5 times, the total flavonoids and phenol increased with the times of steaming. Steaming treatment significantly induced the ability of antioxidant and inhibition of α-amylase; but reduced the inhibition of α-glucosidase and cholate binding ability. Steaming treatment improved the effective content of ginseng flower and facilitate the production of low polar saponins; steaming changes the composition of ginsenoside.

SPI1-Mediated Upregulation of the CST1 Gene as an Independent Poor Prognostic Factor Accelerates Metastasis in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ESCC) by Interacting with MMP2.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a highly lethal tumor type, but studies on the ESCC tumor microenvironment are limited. We found that cystatin SN (CST1) plays an important role in the ESCC tumor microenvironment. CST1 has been reported to act as an oncogene in multiple human cancers, but its clinical significance and underlying mechanism in ESCC remain elusive. METHODS: We performed ESCC gene expression profiling with data from RNA-sequencing and public databases and found CST1 upregulation in ESCC. Then, we assessed CST1 expression in ESCC by RT‒qPCR and Western blot analysis. In addition, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to estimate the expression of CST1 in ESCC tissue and serum. Moreover, further functional experiments were conducted to verify that the gain and loss of CST1 in ESCC cell lines significantly influenced the proliferation and metastasis of ESCC. Mass spectrometry, coimmunoprecipitation, and gelatin zymography experiments were used to validate the interaction between CST1 and matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) and the mechanism of CST1 influence on metastasis in ESCC. RESULTS: Here, we found that CST1 expression was significantly elevated in ESCC tissues and serum. Moreover, compared with patients with low CST1 expression, patients with high CST1 expression had a worse prognosis. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were significantly unfavorable in the high CST1 expression subgroup. Likewise, the CST1 level was significantly increased in ESCC serum compared with healthy control serum, indicating that CST1 may be a potential serum biomarker for diagnosis, with an area under the curve (AUC) = 0.9702 and p < 0.0001 by receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis. Furthermore, upregulated CST1 can promote the motility and metastatic capacity of ESCC in vitro and in vivo by influencing epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) and interacting with MMP2 in the tumor microenvironment (TME). CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, the results of this study indicated that high CST1 expression mediated by SPI1 in ESCC may serve as a potentially prognostic and diagnostic predictor and as an oncogene to promote motility and metastatic capacity of ESCC by influencing EMT and interacting with MMP2 in the TME.

Effectiveness of online mindfulness-based interventions for cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Cancer is the second leading cause of mortality worldwide. Cancer negatively affects individuals' quality of life and overall health. Mindfulness-based interventions appear to be promising in the reduction of cancer- and treatment-related symptoms. This review aimed to determine the effectiveness of online mindfulness-based interventions on distress, anxiety, depression, stress, mindfulness, sleep disturbance, quality of life, rumination, fear of cancer recurrence, fatigue and post-traumatic growth among adult cancer patients. METHODS: A literature search was conducted across five electronic databases. Only randomized controlled trials were eligible. Two reviewers independently screened the studies, extracted data, and performed quality assessment using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool. Meta-analyses were conducted using review manager software, and standardized mean difference was used to determine intervention effects. Heterogeneity was examined using the I2 statistics. RESULTS: Ten studies were included with a total of 962 participants. Analyses revealed that online mindfulness-based interventions was effective in reducing distress (I2 = 98%；standardized mean difference = -2.21，95% confidence interval: -3.84 to 0.57；P = 0.008)， depression (I2 = 45%；standardized mean difference = -0.33，95% confidence interval: -0.64 to -0.03；P = 0.03), stress (I2 = 97%；standardized mean difference = -2.14，95% confidence interval: -4.24 to -0.03；P = 0.05) and sleep disturbance (I2 = 54%；standardized mean difference = -0.30，95% confidence interval: -0.59 to -0.01；P = 0.04), and improving quality of life (I2 = 94%；standardized mean difference = 0.92，95% confidence interval: 0.09-1.76；P = 0.03). The online mindfulness-based interventions had no significant effects on anxiety, mindfulness, rumination, fear of cancer recurrence, fatigue and post-traumatic growth. Subgroup analyses revealed that online mindfulness-based interventions resulted in higher effect sizes for distress when delivered by website than application, significantly higher effect sizes were also found for online mindfulness-based interventions with guidance, but not on treatment or cancer type. For sleep disturbance, and quality of life, no significant differences between subgroups were found. CONCLUSION: These results provide preliminary support that online mindfulness-based interventions may be feasible and acceptable, which can be used as an adjuvant therapy for the management of cancer-related symptoms among cancer patients.

Non-invasive detection of total bilirubin based on multi-wavelength PPG signal.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Abnormal bilirubin metabolism can result in various liver function disorders. Current clinical practice for bilirubin level detection involves invasive blood collection from patients, which is time-consuming, painful, and poses infection risks. Thus, there is a pressing need for non-invasive bilirubin detection methods. This study aims to develop a non-invasive total serum bilirubin(TSB) detection method in humans based on multi-wavelength photoplethysmography (PPG) signals. METHODS: The experimental instrument includes a light source and a spectrometer. PPG signals are collected from the subjects' fingers, and the samples are selected based on the PPG deviation degree screening method. The absorption spectrum of blood is extracted from the PPG signal using dynamic spectroscopy. Finally, locally developed software calculates the total bilirubin value. The instrument is modeled and validated according to the clinical-biochemical test values. RESULTS: The results of the prediction set (correlation coefficient is 0.91, RSMEP is 2.32 umol/L, average absolute error percentage is 9.3%) show that our method has a strong correlation with the detection results of clinical-biochemical analysis instruments. The Bland-Altman test showed that the device deviated from the data detected by biochemical methods in the clinic with a mean deviation of about 0.12 umol/L and a 95% confidence interval between -2.95 umol/L and 2.7 umol/L. CONCLUSIONS: This study's non-invasive bilirubin detection method has high accuracy, which can meet the needs of continuous non-invasive total bilirubin detection in clinical practice.

Red Ginseng Improves D-galactose-Induced Premature Ovarian Failure in Mice Based on Network Pharmacology.

In this study, we evaluated the ameliorative effect and molecular mechanism of red ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) extract (RGE) on D-galactose (D-gal)-induced premature ovarian failure (POF) using network pharmacology analysis. Ginsenosides are important active ingredients in ginseng, which also contains some sugar and amino acid derivatives. We aimed to determine the key proteins through which RGE regulates POF. In this work, we retrieved and screened for active ingredients in ginseng and the corresponding POF disease targets in multiple databases. A PPI network of genes was constructed in the STRING database and core targets were screened using topological analysis. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses were conducted in R software. Finally, molecular docking was conducted to validate the results. Female ICR mice were used to establish a POF mouse model for in vivo experiments. Serum levels of relevant estrogens were determined using ELISA and expression levels of relevant proteins in ovarian tissues were detected using immunofluorescence and western blot analysis. Network pharmacology analysis predicted that PI3K, Akt, Bax, Bcl-2, p16, and other proteins were highly correlated with POF and RGE. The results clearly showed that RGE could increase estradiol (E2) and lower follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels in D-gal-fed mice. RGE restored the expression levels of related proteins by reducing Nrf2-mediated oxidative stress, PI3K/Akt-mediated apoptosis, and senescence signaling pathways. Overall, RGE has the potential to prevent and treat POF and is likely to be a promising natural protector of the ovaries.

A combination of Sophora flavescens alkaloids and Panax quinquefolium saponins attenuates coxsackievirus B3­induced acute myocarditis in mice via NF­κB signaling.

Timely treatment of viral myocarditis (VMC), a form of cardiac inflammation caused by viral infections, can reduce the occurrence of dilated cardiomyopathy and sudden death. Our previous study demonstrated the anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects of KX, a combination of Sophora flavescens alkaloids and Panax quinquefolium saponins, on an autoimmune myocarditis model in vivo. The present study explored the effects of KX on coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3)-induced acute VMC in mice. Mice were randomly divided into four groups: Control, VMC, KX-high (275 mg/kg) and KX-low (138 mg/kg). Mice in the VMC, KX-high and KX-low groups received injections of CVB3 to establish the VMC model, and those in the KX-high and KX-low groups also received KX by gavage (10 ml/kg) 2 h after virus injection until euthanasia was performed on day 7 or 21. Mice in the control group received an equal KX volume of purified water. The levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase-myocardial band (CK-MB), cardiac troponin I (cTn-I), IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in mouse serum was measured using ELISA. Myocardial tissue structure and degree of injury were observed using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR were performed to detect the expression levels of NF-κB pathway-related mRNA and protein in myocardial tissue. The results showed that the inflammation and myocardial damage levels of the mice in the VMC group were higher at 7 days than those at 21 days. At both 7 and 21 days, KX decreased the serum CK-MB, LDH, cTn-I, IL-6, TNF-α and hs-CRP levels, and inhibited NF-κB pathway-related mRNA and protein expression in the myocardium of mice. These findings indicated that KX may reduce the inflammatory response and attenuate the pathological damage in the acute and subacute phases of CVB3-induced VMC through the NF-κB pathway.

Structural characteristics of mixed pectin from ginseng berry and its anti-obesity effects by regulating the intestinal flora.

Ginseng berry is the mature berry of ginseng and its polysaccharide has hypolipidaemic effect, but its mechanism remains unclear. A pectin (GBPA) with a molecular weight of 3.53 × 104 Da was isolated from ginseng berry, it was mainly composed of Rha (25.54 %), GalA (34.21 %), Gal (14.09 %) and Ara (16.25 %). Structural analysis showed that GBPA is a mixed pectin containing rhamnogalacturonan-I and homogalacturonan domains and has a triple helix structure. GBPA distinctly improved lipid disorders in obese rats, and changed intestinal flora with enrichments of Akkermansia, Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides and Prevotella, improved the levels of acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid and valeric acid. Serum metabolites which involved in the lipid regulation-related pathway, including cinnzeylanine, 10-Hydroxy-8-nor-2-fenchanone glucoside, armillaribin, 24-Propylcholestan-3-ol, were also greatly changed after GBPA treatment. GBPA activated AMP-activated protein kinase, phosphorylated acetyl-CoA carboxylase, and reduced the expression of lipid synthesis-related genes sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c and fatty acid synthases. The regulatory effects of GBPA on lipid disorders in obese rats are related to the regulation of intestinal flora and activation of AMP-activated protein kinase pathway. Ginseng berry pectin could be considered in the future as a health food or medicine to prevent obesity.

Comparative Study on Chemical Constituents of Ginseng Flowers with Four Consecutive Cultivation Age.

The harvest period of cultivated ginseng is generally 4-6 years. Ginseng flowers (GFs), the nonmedicinal parts, are usually removed every autumn, in which components are generally believed to stay unchanged with the increasing cultivation age. Recently, few documents were reported on the variation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other components about ginseng flowers. This study had an insight into the variation of the chemical constituents with the cultivation ages through the comparison of the volatile organic compounds, gross ginsenosides, crude polysaccharide, and gross proteins of ginseng flowers from 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-yr-old (GF3, GF4, GF5, and GF6) which were conducted by headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-QQQ/MS) and spectroscopic analysis combined with multivariate statistical analysis, including one-way ANOVA analysis and T test. The results indicated that the crude polysaccharide contents raised significantly depending on cultivation age except 6-yr-old, whereas the gross ginsenosides and the gross protein content were indistinctive. According to the peak intensity of determined VOCs, the contents of most differential compounds arranged in an order from high to low are GF3, GF4, GF5, and GF6, such as the compounds 2-15, 17-19, 22, and 25-26, therefore, they can be inferred that they are important markers to identify the age of GFs. 461 common differential compounds were gained and 26 common volatile organic compounds were identified with RSI >800 and RI and RIx no more than 30, including alcohols (such as 11, 12, and 15), sesquiterpenes (such as 2, 3, and 4), esters (such as 1 and 26), naphthalene and naphthol (such as 7 and 20), which had potential effects on curing Alzheimer's disease, inflammatory diseases, and prostate cancer based on network pharmacology analysis. This paper firstly revealed the variation rules of constitutions of GFs, which may provide a reference for the harvest and making rational application.

Prevention effect of total ginsenosides and ginseng extract from Panax ginseng on cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression in mice.

Oral decoction is widely applied in traditional Chinese medicines. The polysaccharides of decoction promote the exposure of small molecules and increase their bioavailability. This study mainly compared the component and activities of total ginsenosides (TGS) and ginseng extract (GE) on immunosuppressed mice induced by cyclophosphamide. Thirty-two mice were randomly divided into control, model, TGS, and GE groups. The mice were orally administered for 28 days and then injected with cyclophosphamide on the last four days. The results of component analysis showed the total content of 12 ginsenosides in TGS (67.21%) was higher than GE (2.04%); the total content of 17 amino acids in TGS (1.41%) was lower than GE (5.36%); the total content of 10 monosaccharides was similar in TGS (74.12%) and GE (76.36%). The animal results showed that both TGS and GE protected the hematopoietic function of bone marrow by inhibiting cell apoptosis, and recovering the normal cell cycle of BM; maintained the dynamic balance between the Th1 and Th2 cells; also protected the spleen, thymus, and liver. Meanwhile, TGS and GE protected the intestinal bacteria of immunosuppressed mice by increasing the abundance of lactobacillus and decreasing the abundance of the odoribacter and clostridia_UCG-014. The prevention effect of GE was superior to TGS in some parameters. In conclusion, TGS and GE protected the immune function of immunosuppressed mice induced by cyclophosphamide. Meanwhile, GE showed higher bioavailability and bioactivity compared with TGS, because the synergistic effect of polysaccharides and ginsenosides plays an important role in protecting the immune function.

Renal function protection and the mechanism of ginsenosides: Current progress and future perspectives.

Nephropathy is a general term for kidney diseases, which refers to changes in the structure and function of the kidney caused by various factors, resulting in pathological damage to the kidney, abnormal blood or urine components, and other diseases. The main manifestations of kidney disease include hematuria, albuminuria, edema, hypertension, anemia, lower back pain, oliguria, and other symptoms. Early detection, diagnosis, and active treatment are required to prevent chronic renal failure. The concept of nephropathy encompasses a wide range of conditions, including acute renal injury, chronic kidney disease, nephritis, renal fibrosis, and diabetic nephropathy. Some of these kidney-related diseases are interrelated and may lead to serious complications without effective control. In serious cases, it can also develop into chronic renal dysfunction and eventually end-stage renal disease. As a result, it seriously affects the quality of life of patients and places a great economic burden on society and families. Ginsenoside is one of the main active components of ginseng, with anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, antioxidant, and other pharmacological activities. A variety of monomers in ginsenosides can play protective roles in multiple organs. According to the difference of core structure, ginsenosides can be divided into protopanaxadiol-type (including Rb1, Rb3, Rg3, Rh2, Rd and CK, etc.), and protopanaxatriol (protopanaxatriol)- type (including Rg1, Rg2 and Rh1, etc.), and other types (including Rg5, Rh4, Rh3, Rk1, and Rk3, etc.). All of these ginsenosides showed significant renal function protection, which can reduce renal damage in renal injury, nephritis, renal fibrosis, and diabetic nephropathy models. This review summarizes reports on renal function protection and the mechanisms of action of these ginsenosides in various renal injury models.

Ginsenoside Re Attenuates Cisplatin-Induced Intestinal Toxicity via Suppressing GSK-3ß-Dependent Wnt/ß-Catenin Signaling Pathway In Vivo and In Vitro.

Previous reports have confirmed that crude saponins (ginsenosides) in Panax ginseng have a preventive effect on chemotherapy-induced intestinal injury. However, the protective effects and possible mechanisms of ginsenoside Re (G-Re, a maker saponin in ginseng) against chemotherapy-induced intestinal damage have not been thoroughly studied. In this work, a series of experiments in vivo and in vitro on the intestinal toxicity caused by cisplatin have been designed to verify the improvement effect of G-Re, focusing on the levels of Wnt3a and [Formula: see text]-catenin. Mice were intragastric with G-Re for 10 days, and intestinal injury was induced by intraperitoneal administration of cisplatin at a dose of 20 mg/kg. Histopathology, gastrointestinal digestive enzyme activities, inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative status were evaluated to investigate the protective effect. Furthermore, in IEC-6 cells, G-Re statistically reverses cisplatin-induced oxidative damage and cytotoxicity. The TUNEL and Hoechst 33258 staining demonstrated that G-Re possesses protective effects in cisplatin-induced apoptosis. Additionally, pretreatment with G-Re significantly alleviated the apoptosis via inhibition of over-expressions of B-associated X (Bax), as well as the caspase family members, such as caspase 3 and 9, respectively, in vivo and in vitro. Notably, western blotting results showed that G-Re treatment decreased Wnt3a, Glycogen synthase kinase [Formula: see text] (GSK-[Formula: see text]), and [Formula: see text]-catenin expression, suggesting that nuclear accumulation of [Formula: see text]-catenin was attenuated, thereby inhibiting the activation of GSK-[Formula: see text]-dependent Wnt/[Formula: see text]-catenin signaling, which was consistent with our expected results. Therefore, the above evidence suggested that G-Re may be a candidate drug for the treatment of intestinal injury.

Novel long noncoding RNA LINC02820 augments TNF signaling pathway to remodel cytoskeleton and potentiate metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in China. However, there are no targets to treat ESCC because the molecular mechanism behind the cancer is still unclear. Here, we found a novel long noncoding RNA LINC02820 was upregulated in ESCC and associated with the ESCC clinicopathological stage. Through a series of functional experiments, we observed that LINC02820 only promoted the migration and invasion capabilities of ESCC cell lines. Mechanically, we found that LINC02820 may affect the cytoskeletal remodeling, interact with splice factor 3B subunit 3 (SF3B3), and cooperate with TNFα to amplify the NF-κB signaling pathway, which can lead to ESCC metastasis. Overall, our findings revealed that LINC02820 is a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for the diagnosis and treatment of ESCC.

A modulation method that can improve the performance of LED multi-spectral imaging.

In the LED multi-spectral imaging (LEDMSI) system, modulation by using the square wave frequency division with frequency ratio of 2 can improve the image quality and acquisition speed, but it will occupy a wide frequency band. Moreover, since there is a simultaneous change in the state of multiple signals when this method is used, it will lead to serious ringing phenomenon or insufficient slew rate and affect the quality of multi-spectral images. To solve the above problems, this paper proposes a modulation method for LEDMSI system, which uses n same frequency square wave signals with different phases as the carrier signals. Comparing the multi-spectral images modulated by the proposed method with the multi-spectral images modulated by the traditional method, experimental results show that the quality of the image modulated by the proposed method is higher, which indicates that the proposed method is of great significance to improve the performance of LEDMSI system.

[Correlation Between 6 Characteristics of Perioperative Hypothermia and Allogeneic Red Blood Cell Transfusion in Abdominal Surgery Patients]. / è ¹éƒ¨æ‰‹æœ¯æ‚£è€ å›´æœ¯æœŸå ­ç§ä½Žä½“æ¸©ç‰¹å¾ä¸Žå¼‚ä½“çº¢ç»†èƒžè¾“æ³¨çš„å ³è”æ€§åˆ†æž.

Objective: To explore the correlation between six characteristics of perioperative hypothermia and allogeneic red blood cell (RBC) transfusions in patients who underwent abdominal surgeries. Methods: Patients who underwent abdominal surgeries at West China Hospital, Sichuan University between October 2019 and July 2021 were retrospectively enrolled. A wearable wireless temperature sensor was used to continuously monitor the core body temperature of patients throughout the perioperative period. The perioperative temperature nadir, maximum temperature loss, percentage of time with hypothermia, time-weighted average temperature, area under the curve (AUC) at 36 ℃, and AUC at 37 ℃ were calculated for the period from entering the operation room to 24 hours after the end of anesthesia. The restricted cubic spline (RCS) and multiple logistic regression models were used to explore the correlation between these temperature characteristics and perioperative allogeneic RBC transfusions. Results: A total of 3119 patients were included in the study, with an allogeneic RBC transfusion rate of 2.8%. The RCS model showed that allogeneic RBC transfusion was associated with the perioperative temperature nadir (Poverall=0.048) and AUC at 36 ℃ (Poverall=0.026) and no statistical significance was found in the nonlinear test. The association between allogeneic RBC transfusions and other temperature characteristics was not statistically significant. According to the RCS model results, cut-off points were taken to form groups based on the body temperature characteristics. Multivariate logistic regression showed that the perioperative temperature nadir<35.5 ℃ (odds ratio [OR]=2.47, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.21-5.03) and AUC at 36 ℃≥100 ℃·min (OR=2.24, 95% CI:1.09-4.58) were associated with increased demand for allogeneic RBC transfusion. Conclusion: Hypothermia is associated with an increased need for perioperative allogeneic RBC transfusions and has a cumulative effect over time. For patients at high risk of bleeding, attention should be paid to the prevention of perioperative hypothermia and reduction in the cumulative exposure to hypothermia, thereby reducing the need for blood transfusion.

Ginsenoside Rh2 Induces HeLa Apoptosis through Upregulating Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Related and Downstream Apoptotic Gene Expression.

Cervical cancer is a common gynecological malignancy afflicting women all over the world. Ginsenoside Rh2 (GRh2), especially 20(S)-GRh2, is a biologically active component in the natural plant ginseng, which can exhibit anticancer effects. Here, we aimed to investigate the effect of 20(S)-GRh2 on cervical cancer and elucidate the underlying mechanism through RNA-seq. In this study, the CCK-8 assay showed that 20(S)-GRh2 inhibited HeLa cell viability in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Caspase 3 activity and Annexin V staining results showed that 20(S)-GRh2 induced apoptosis of HeLa cells. Gene function enrichment analysis revealed that the biological process gene ontology (GO) terms were associated with the apoptotic signaling pathway. Biological process GO terms' similarity network indicated that apoptosis might be from endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERs). Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis revealed that 20(S)-GRh2 primarily modulates apoptosis pathway genes. Combined protein-protein interaction network, hub gene screening, and qPCR validation data showed that ERs-related genes (ATF4 and DDIT3) and the downstream apoptotic genes (JUN, FOS, BBC3, and PMAIP1) were potential novel targets of 20(S)-GRh2-inducing cervical cancer cell apoptosis. Differential transcript usage analysis indicated that DDIT3 is also a differential transcript and its usage of the isoform (ENST00000552740.5) was reduced by 20(S)-GRh2. Molecular docking suggested that 20(S)-GRh2 binds to the targets (ATF4, DDIT3, JUN, FOS, BBC3, and PMAIP1) with high affinity. In conclusion, our findings indicated that 20(S)-GRh2 might promote ERs-related apoptosis of cervical cancer cells by regulating the DDIT3-based targets' signal pathway. The role of 20(S)-GRh2 at the transcriptome level provides novel targets and evidence for the treatment of cervical cancer.