Progress of researches on mechanisms of acupuncture therapy in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation. / é’ˆç¸æ²»ç–—è °æ¤Žé—´ç›˜çªå‡ºç—‡ä½œç”¨æœºåˆ¶ç ”ç©¶è¿›å±•.

Lumbar intervertebral disc herniation (LDH) is a common and frequently-occurring disease, which usually causes lumbar and leg pain. Studies have shown that acupuncture can improve the symptoms of LDH patients. In the present paper, we summarize the progress of researches on the mechanisms of acupuncture underlying improvement of symptoms of LDH in recent 10 years from 1) delaying the intervertibral disc degeneration (by down-regulating the expressions of matrix metalloproteinase ï¼»MMPï¼½-3 and MMP-4, up-regulating the expressions of diosaccharides and polyglycoprotein, inhibiting apoptosis and promoting mitochondrial autophagy of nucleus pulposus cells, etc.), 2) maintaining spinal column stability (by relieving rachiasmus and improving lumbar flexor and extensor muscle strength, lowering the degree of polyfidus edema and fat infiltration, and restoring the biomechanics of the spine), 3) regulating inflammation (by inhibiting the production of proinflammatory factors and increasing the production of anti-inflammatory factors, etc.), 4) regulating immune response (by promoting the activity of T cells and other immune cells, lowering serum levels of MMP-3, transforming growth factor-ß1 and prostaglandin E2, raising serum levels of IgA, IgG and IgM to improve immune function ), 5) modulating neural structure and function (by promoting myelin regeneration of sciatic nerve fibers, and reducing the edema of Schwann cells' cytoplasm and mitochondria, and improving neural ultrastructure, and sensory and motor functions of peripheral nerves, etc.), 6) relieving lumbar pain (by down-regulating expression of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase and activation of lumbar spinal cord glial cells, blocking nociceptive signal conduction, regulating the levels of pain-related factors, etc.), and 7) improving local microcirculation. These results may provide scientific evidence for acupuncture treatment of LDH.

Synthesis, characterization, and efficacy evaluation of a PH-responsive Fe-MOF@GO composite drug delivery system for the treating colorectal cancer.

Luteolin is a potent anti-colorectal cancer chemical. However, its effectiveness is hindered by its poor solubility in water and fat, and it is easy to degrade by gastrointestinal enzymes. In this study, a nano-composite carrier, NH2-MIL-101(Fe)@GO (MG), based on aminated MIL-101(Fe) and graphene oxide (GO) was developed and evaluated. This carrier co-delivered luteolin and matrine, while marine was used to balance the pH for the nano-preparation. The loading capacities for luteolin and matrine were approximately 9.8% and 14.1%, respectively. Luteolin's release at pH = 5 was significantly higher than at pH = 7.4, indicating it had an acidic pH response release characteristic. Compared to MOF and GO alone, MG and NH2-MIL-101(Fe)@GO@Drugs (MGD) enhanced anti-cancer activity by inhibiting tumor cell migration, increasing ROS generation, and upregulating the expression of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9. In conclusion, this study contributes new ideas and methods to the treatment strategy of multi-component anti-colorectal cancer therapy. It also advances drug delivery systems and supports the development of more effective and targeted treatment approaches for colorectal cancer.

Clinical study of NFNC in the treatment of acute exacerbation chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with respiratory failure.

BACKGROUND: Most patients with acute exacerbation chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) have respiratory failure that necessitates active correction and the improvement of oxygenation is particularly important during treatment. High flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy is a non-invasive respiratory aid that is widely used in the clinic that improves oxygenation state, reduces dead space ventilation and breathing effort, protects the loss of cilia in the airways, and improves patient comfort. AIM: To compare HFNC and non-invasive positive pressure ventilation in the treatment of patients with AECOPD. METHODS: Eighty AECOPD patients were included in the study. The patients were in the intensive care department of our hospital from October 2019 to October 2021. The patients were divided into the control and treatment groups according to the different treatment methods with 40 patients in each group. Differences in patient comfort, blood gas analysis and infection indices were analyzed between the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment, symptoms including nasal, throat and chest discomfort were significantly lower in the treatment group compared to the control group on the 3rd and 5th days (P < 0.05). Before treatment, the PaO2, PaO2/FiO2, PaCO2, and SaO2 in the two groups of patients were not significantly different (P > 0.05). After treatment, the same indicators were significantly improved in both patient groups but had improved more in the treatment group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, the white blood cell count, and the levels of C-reactive protein and calcitonin in patients in the treatment group were significantly higher compared to patients in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: HFNC treatment can improve the ventilation of AECOPD patients whilst also improving patient comfort, and reducing complications. HFNC is a clinically valuable technique for the treatment of AECOPD.

Enhanced TARP-γ8-PSD-95 coupling in excitatory neurons contributes to the rapid antidepressant-like action of ketamine in male mice.

Ketamine produces rapid antidepressant effects at sub-anesthetic dosage through early and sustained activation of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors (AMPARs), however, the exact molecular mechanism still remains unclear. Transmembrane AMPAR regulatory protein-γ8 (TARP-γ8) is identified as one of AMPAR auxiliary subunits, which controls assemblies, surface trafficking and gating of AMPARs. Here, we show that ketamine rescues both depressive-like behaviors and the decreased AMPARs-mediated neurotransmission by recruitment of TARP-γ8 at the postsynaptic sites in the ventral hippocampus of stressed male mice. Furthermore, the rapid antidepressant effects of ketamine are abolished by selective blockade of TARP-γ8-containing AMPAR or uncoupling of TARP-γ8 from PSD-95. Overexpression of TARP-γ8 reverses chronic stress-induced depressive-like behaviors and attenuation of AMPARs-mediated neurotransmission. Conversely, knockdown of TARP-γ8 in excitatory neurons prevents the rapid antidepressant effects of ketamine.

The Efficacy and Safety of Different Noninvasive Therapies in the Treatment of Central Poststroke Pain (CPSP): A Network Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of noninvasive therapies in the treatment of central poststroke pain (CPSP) by network meta-analysis and to provide an evidence-based basis for clinical practice. METHODS: PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP were searched for clinical randomized controlled studies on noninvasive therapy for CPSP. The retrieval time limit was from the establishment of each database to July 2022. The bias risk assessment tool recommended by Cochrane was used to evaluate the quality of the included randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Stata 14.0 was used for network meta-analysis, and Review Manager 5.3 software was used for traditional meta-analysis. RESULTS: Twelve RCTs involving 8 treatment schemes and 641 patients were finally included. The results of the network meta-analysis showed the following rankings in visual analysis scale (VAS): super laser injury on stellate ganglia (SLI) > transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) > music therapy (MT) > repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) > continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) > transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation (TAES) > common therapy (CT). The total clinical efficiency ranked as follows: psychological training of mindfulness (PT) > rTMS > CT. Clinical adverse reactions ranked as follows: rTMS > MT > CT > SLI. CONCLUSIONS: Noninvasive complementary therapy can effectively alleviate the pain of CPSP patients, and the efficacy and safety of SLI are relatively significant. However, due to the limitations of this study, the efficacy ranking cannot fully explain the advantages and disadvantages of clinical efficacy. In the future, more multicentre, large sample, double-blind clinical randomized controlled trials are needed to supplement and demonstrate the results of this study.

Towards sustainable management of agricultural resources: A framework to assess the relationship between water, soil, economic factors, and grain production.

As the requirements for environmental protection and high-efficiency economies increase, grain production (GP) across the globe faces more stringent ecological constraints and economic pressure. Understanding the relationships between natural resources and economic and agricultural factors in grain-producing regions is paramount for ensuring global food security. This paper proposes a methodological framework to explore the relationships between water and soil resources (WSRs), economic input factors (EIFs), and GP. We employed the northeast region of China as a case study to advance our understanding of the factors driving the development of grain-producing capacity. We first constructed and calculated the region's water and soil comprehensive index (WSCI) to describe water-soil properties. We then used hotspot analysis to explore the spatial agglomeration characteristics of WSRs, EIFs, and GP. Finally, we used threshold regression analysis to understand the effects of EIFs and GP with the WSCI as the threshold variable. With the improvement of the WSCI, the positive impact of fertilizer and irrigation on GP shows a U-shaped curve in elasticity coefficients. The positive effect of agricultural machinery on GP decreases significantly, and the impact of labor input on GP is insignificant. These results provide new insights into the relationship between WSRs, EIFs, and GP and a reference for improving GP efficiency globally. This work thus contributes to advancing our capabilities to enable food security while considering aspects of sustainable agriculture in important grain-producing regions across the globe.

Individual treatment strategy of thyroglossal duct cyst carcinoma: a case report.

Background: Neoplasia of ectopic thyroid components is relatively rare in thyroglossal duct cysts. We report a case of histopathologically confirmed papillary thyroid carcinoma in a thyroglossal duct cyst, discuss its clinical characteristics of, and provide reference for diagnosis and treatment. Case Description: We presented a 25-year-old female went to hospital because of "a tumor in her neck". She was preoperatively diagnosed with thyroglossal duct cyst by cervical ultrasound, and enhanced computed tomography (CT). However, the solid component of the mass suggested intracystic neoplasia. She underwent Sistrunk surgical resection, and postoperative histopathology showed thyroglossal duct cyst, and papillary thyroid carcinoma in the cyst wall. The patient had no high-risk factors and had a low risk of recurrence. After full disclosure, the patient chose close follow-up, and to date there has been no recurrence. Conclusions: There are controversies regarding the origin of thyroglossal duct cyst carcinoma and the extent of surgery required, and a lack of unified treatment guidelines. We recommend tailoring individualized treatment based on individual risk stratification. By reporting this case, we hope to inform surgeons of the various abnormalities that may occur in ectopic thyroid tissue.

Mechanism of Procyanidin B2 in the Treatment of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Based on Integrating Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking.

OBJECTIVE: To study the pharmacological mechanism of procyanidin B2 (PCB2) on chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) by integrating network pharmacological methods systematically. METHODS: Firstly, the potential target genes of PCB2 were predicted by the pharmacological database and analysis platform (TCMSP and Pharmmapper). Meanwhile, the relevant target genes of CML were collected from GeneCards and DisGene. Pooled data were collected to screen for common target genes. Furthermore, the above intersection genes were imported into the String website to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and the Gene Ontology (GO) functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway were further analyzed. Besides, molecular docking was performed to verify the possible binding conformation between PCB2 and candidate targets. Finally, MTT and RT-PCR experiments of K562 cells were performed to verify the above results of network pharmacology. RESULTS: A total of 229 PCB2 target genes were retrieved, among which 186 target genes had interaction with CML. The pharmacological effects of PCB2 on CML were related to some important oncogenes and signaling pathways. The top ten core targets predicted by Network Analysis were as follows: AKT1, EGFR, ESR1, CASP3, SRC, VEGFA, HIF1A, ERBB2, MTOR, and IGF1. Molecular docking studies confirmed that hydrogen bonding was the main interaction force of PCB2 binding targets. According to the molecular docking score, the following three target proteins were most likely to bind to PCB2: VEGFA (-5.5 kcal/mol), SRC (-5.1 kcal/mol), and EGFR (-4.6 kcal/mol). After treatment of PCB2 for 24h, mRNA expression levels of VEGFA and HIF1A decreased significantly in K562 cells. CONCLUSION: Through integrating network pharmacology combined with molecular docking, the study revealed the potential mechanism of PCB2 anti-chronic myeloid leukemia.

Real-world impact of a subsidy decision of sofosbuvir-velpatasvir for treatment of chronic hepatitis C on clinical practice and patient outcomes.

Background and Aim: Sofosbuvir-velpatasvir was recommended for subsidy to treat chronic hepatitis C in Singapore in 2018. We measured the impact of the subsidy decision on clinical practice and patient outcomes. Specifically, we looked at pre- and post-subsidy changes in the utilization and prescribing pattern of chronic hepatitis C treatment and the real-world clinical effectiveness. Method: Utilization trends and prescribing patterns were assessed using aggregated drug utilization data from public hospitals' dispensing systems and clinical data from the national electronic health record database, respectively. An audit was conducted to evaluate sustained virological response rate 12 weeks post treatment (SVR12). Results: Use of sofosbuvir-velpatasvir increased sharply since its subsidy listing and dropped subsequently, whereas the utilization of comparator drugs remained low. Prescribing rate of sofosbuvir-velpatasvir increased from 13.7% in the pre-subsidy period to 90.2% in the post-subsidy period; 39.1% of patients previously on pegylated interferon and ribavirin switched to sofosbuvir-velpatasvir following its subsidy listing. In the audit, 365 out of 375 patients (97.3% [95% confidence interval: 95.1-98.6%]) achieved SVR12. Conclusion: The subsidy decision led to increased accessibility to patients and intended changes in clinical practice. Sofosbuvir-velpatasvir was also clinically effective in the real world. These findings augur well for the continued eradication of chronic hepatitis C infection in Singapore.

The next step for China's national park management: Integrating ecosystem services into space boundary delimitation.

The contradiction between ecological conservation and economic development posed significant challenges to the management of National Parks. From the perspective of Ecological Economics, the cause of the contradiction is the difficulty of creating monetary profits from biodiversity conservation, which is the primary target of National Parks. Integrating Ecosystem Services (ESs) into space boundary delimitation is the next step in National Park management since ESs are closely related to human well-being and can provide monetary benefits. Extending the boundary of the National Park to high-ES areas and promoting ES trading can help generate funds for ecological restoration. Using the Sanjiangyuan National Park (SNP) as an example, this study proposed integrating ESs into National Park delimitation for sustainable National Park management. It was found that the current SNP boundary provides insufficient coverage of high-ES areas, while most of the multiple ES supply areas were dispersed to SNP's southeast edge. The Core conservation area showed the most prominent contradiction between ecological conservation and economic development, resulting in many low-level ES sites in the Traditional use area failing to be included in the Restoration area for protection. Future approaches would be well-advised to re-adjust SNP boundary by expanding the ES hotspot areas on the southeastern edge of SNP, as well as expanding funding sources via ecological product trade and other tools to supplement the input for ecological restoration. Overall, this study can act as a reference for optimizing National Parks within and beyond China, and promote the understanding of the Ecological Economy and sustainable development.

Brain-specific loss of Abcg1 disturbs cholesterol metabolism and aggravates pyroptosis and neurological deficits after traumatic brain injury.

Based on accumulating evidence, cholesterol metabolism dysfunction has been suggested to contribute to the pathophysiological process of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and lead to neurological deficits. As a key transporter of cholesterol that efflux from cells, the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter family exerts many beneficial effects on central nervous system (CNS) diseases. However, there is no study regarding the effects and mechanisms of ABCG1 on TBI. As expected, TBI resulted in the different time-course changes of cholesterol metabolism-related molecules in the injured cortex. Considering ABCG1 is expressed in neuron and glia post-TBI, we generated nestin-specific Abcg1 knockout (Abcg1-KO) mice using the Cre/loxP recombination system. These Abcg1-KO mice showed reduced plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and increased plasma lower-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels under the base condition. After TBI, these Abcg1-KO mice were susceptible to cholesterol metabolism turbulence. Moreover, Abcg1-KO exacerbated TBI-induced pyroptosis, apoptosis, neuronal cell insult, brain edema, neurological deficits, and brain lesion volume. Importantly, we found that treating with retinoid X receptor (RXR, the upstream molecule of ABCG1) agonist, bexarotene, in Abcg1-KO mice partly rescued TBI-induced neuronal damages mentioned above and improved functional deficits versus vehicle-treated group. These data show that, in addition to regulating brain cholesterol metabolism, Abcg1 improves neurological deficits through inhibiting pyroptosis, apoptosis, neuronal cell insult, and brain edema. Moreover, our findings demonstrate that the cerebroprotection of Abcg1 on TBI partly relies on the activation of the RXRalpha/PPARgamma pathway, which provides a potential therapeutic target for treating TBI.

Diagnosis and treatment strategy of periodontitis with diabetes / 中华口腔医学杂志

The number of diabetic patients visiting stomatology for periodontal disease is increasing, and the symptoms are relatively severe, and often complications increase the complexity of periodontal treatment. This article briefly describes the research progress and clinical manifestations of the epidemiology and related pathological mechanisms of periodontitis with diabetes, focusing on the treatment and providing reference for stomatologists in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of patients with diabetic periodontitis.

Analysis of verification results of protective effects of hearing protectors in different industries / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective: To get insight into the current practice of noise reduction effect of workers as they wore hearing protectors in different domestic enterprises and the possible affected factors. Methods: From October 2020 to April 2021, using a random sampling method, 1197 workers exposed to noise in petrochemical factories, textile factories, and parts manufacturing factories were selected as the study subjects. The noise reduction effect of hearing protectors worn by workers in daily use was tested using a hearing protector suitability testing system. The personal sound attenuation level (PAR) was compared among workers in three enterprises, Targeted intervention and repetitive testing were conducted for workers who did not meet the noise reduction effect required by the enterprise, and the changes in PAR of workers before and after the intervention were compared. The comparison of baseline PARs between two or more groups was performed using the Mann Whitney test, the comparison of baseline PARs with post intervention PARs was performed using the Wilcoxon signed rank sum test, and the comparison of qualitative data between two or more groups was performed using the Chi square test. Results: The median baseline PAR for all workers was 15 dB. Men, age<30 years old, education level at or above college level, working experience of 5 to 15 years, and those who used hearing protectors for 5 to 15 years had higher PARs, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). The median difference in baseline PAR among workers from three enterprises was statistically significant (H=175.06, P<0.01). The median PAR of subjects who did not pass the baseline increased from 3 dB to 21 dB after intervention (Z=-27.92, P<0.01) . Conclusion: Some workers wearing hearing protectors do not meet the required PAR, and low PARs may be related to incorrect wearing methods and incorrect selection of hearing protectors. As a tool for testing, training, and assisting in selection, the hearing protector suitability testing system is of great significance for worker hearing protection.

Establishment of contralateral arteriovenous fistula by using the waste vein on the side of central venous lesion: a case report / 中华肝脏病杂志

Central venous lesion is a difficult problem in the vascular access complications of hemodialysis, which can cause serious clinical symptoms and affect the quality of hemodialysis and life of patients. We established arteriovenous fistula of the contralateral graft blood vessel with the used vein on the diseased side of the central vein of the patient. The arteriovenous fistula of the graft blood vessel was successfully punctured and hemodialysis was performed 2 weeks later. In this way, we not only solved the problem of venous hypertension and subsequent vascular access in the patient, but also reserved more vascular resources.

Colletotrichum truncatum-A New Etiological Anthracnose Agent of Sword Bean (Canavalia gladiata) in Southwestern China.

Anthracnose is a disease caused by Colletotrichum species. They are well known as major plant pathogens, and a black stem disease, specifically caused by Colletotrichum truncatum and primarily infecting sword bean (Canavalia gladiata), was observed in the Yunnan province, China. To aid disease management and to determine pathogenic characteristics, the species causing the leaf spot disease of hairy vetch was verified as C. truncatum. A sequence analysis of the ITS, ACT, GAPDH, and HIS3 genes was conducted, as well as morphological and cultural characteristics, to identify this Colletotrichum species, which has curved conidia. C. truncatum isolates from sword bean formed a distinctive group among Colletotrichum species, including those that infect other forage and field crops. Artificially inoculated sword bean seedlings showed typical symptoms of anthracnose, which were similar to field observations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of C. truncatum causing black stem disease on sword beans in China.

Arthroscopic Treatment for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome in Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review was to analyze the effect of arthroscopic surgery for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAI) in adolescents and factors that may influence the revision rate. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. SETTING: PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and MEDLINE were searched from their earliest records to May 2021. PATIENTS: Adolescents who underwent primary arthroscopic treatment for FAI. INTERVENTIONS: Hip arthroscopic treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patient-reported outcomes (PROs), alpha angle, revision rates, and the rate of complications. RESULTS: A total of 832 hips in 753 patients were included in this study. All PROs improved significantly. The modified Harris Hip Score pooled mean difference was 24.99 (95% CI, 22.88-27.10, P < 0.0001, I2 = 19.9%), Hip Outcome Score (HOS)-Sports-Specific Subscale was 35.88 (95% CI, 33.07-38.68, P < 0.0001, I2 = 0%), HOS-Activities of Daily Living was 23.53 (95% CI, 21.21-25.85, P < 0.0001, I2 = 0%), and the Nonarthritic Hip Score was 22.34 (95% CI, 18.40-26.28, P < 0.0001, I2 = 40.9%). The visual analog scale for pain decreased by 40.39 (44.39-36.40, P < 0.0001, I2 = 0%). The alpha angle decreased by 22.0 degrees from 62.9 degrees to 40.9 degrees after arthroscopic surgery. The rate of complication and revision surgery was 1.2% (10/832) and 3.4% (28/832), respectively, with high postoperative patient satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: All PROs significantly improved after surgery, with a low rate of complications and reoperation. High postoperative patient satisfaction was also reported.

Reconstruction and analysis of potential biomarkers for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy based on a competing endogenous RNA network.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common heritable cardiomyopath. Although considerable effort has been made to understand the pathogenesis of HCM, the mechanism of how long noncoding RNA (lncRNA)-associated competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network result in HCM remains unknown. In this study, we acquired a total of 520 different expression profiles of lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) and 371 messenger RNAs (mRNA, DEGs) by microarray and 33 microRNAs (DEmiRNAs) by sequencing in plasma of patients with HCM and healthy controls. Then lncRNA-miRNA pairs were predicted using miRcode and starBase and crossed with DEmiRNAs. MiRNA-mRNA pairs were retrieved from miRanda and TargetScan and crossed with DEGs. Combined with these pairs, the ceRNA network with eight lncRNAs, three miRNAs, and 22 mRNAs was constructed. lncRNA RP11-66N24.4 and LINC00310 were among the top 10% nodes. The hub nodes were analyzed to reconstruct a subnetwork. Furthermore, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction results showed that LINC00310 was significantly decreased in patients with HCM. For LINC00310, GO analysis revealed that biological processes were enriched in cardiovascular system development, sprouting angiogenesis, circulatory system development, and pathway analysis in the cGMP-PKG signaling pathway. These results indicate that the novel lncRNA-related ceRNA network in HCM and LINC00310 may play a role in the mechanism of HCM pathogenesis, which could provide insight into the pathogenesis of HCM.

Novel melatonin-trientine conjugate as potential therapeutic agents for Alzheimer's disease.

Researchers continue to explore drug targets to treat the characteristic pathologies of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Some drugs relieve the pathological processes of AD to some extent, but the failed clinical trials indicate that multifunctional agents seem more likely to achieve the therapy goals for this neurodegenerative disease. Herein, a novel compound named melatonin-trientine (TM) has been covalently synthesized with the natural antioxidant compounds melatonin and the metal ion chelator trientine. After toxicological and pharmacokinetic verification, we elucidated the effects of intraperitoneal administration of TM on AD-like pathology in 6-month-old mice that express both the ß-amyloid (Aß) precursor protein and presenilin-1 (APP/PS1). We found that TM significantly decreased Aß deposition and neuronal degeneration in the brains of the APP/PS1 double transgenic mice. This result may be due to the upregulation of iron regulatory protein-2 (IRP2), insulin degrading enzyme (IDE), and low density lipoprotein receptor related protein 1 (LRP1), which leads to decreases in APP and Aß levels. Additionally, TM may promote APP non-amyloidogenic processing by activating the melatonin receptor-2 (MT2)-dependent signaling pathways, but not MT1. In addition, TM plays an important role in blocking γ-secretase, tau hyperphosphorylation, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and metal ion dyshomeostasis. Our results suggest that TM may effectively maximize the therapeutic efficacy of targeting multiple mechanisms associated with AD pathology.

Oxidation-reduction potential affects medium-chain fatty acid ethyl ester production during wine alcohol fermentation.

The medium-chain fatty acid ethyl esters (MCFAEEs) are a group of important aroma compounds generated during wine production. Wine alcohol fermentation involves several redox processes, which are affected by the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP). However, the mechanism via which ORP regulates MCFAEE production remains unclear. To investigate the effect of ORP on MCFAEE production, wine alcohol fermentation was performed using Saccharomyces cerevisiae under different ORPs. The results demonstrated that the ORPs studied (except for 90 mV) did not significantly affect cell growth, sugar consumption, and ethanol production, while the MCFAEE concentration in the simulated wines can be manipulated by ORP operation. MCFAEE levels increased till 96 h, and then decreased. The maximum MCFAEE level of 1222.97 µg/L was obtained after 96 h at 0 mV, which was 45.32% higher than that of the control. During the increase, higher relative expression of ACC1, FAS1, FAA2 and EEB1, elevated external citric acid flux, and moderate intracellular NADP+/NADPH ratio were observed at 0 mV compared to that at other ORPs. During the decrease, lowest relative expression of POX1 was detected at 0 mV. We showed for the first time the relationship between ORP operation and MCFAEE production in winemaking, which will improve the aroma quality of wine.

Impacts of land use/land cover changes on ecosystem services in ecologically fragile regions.

High-density human activities have rapidly changed the pattern of urban land use/land cover (LULC), affecting the supply of urban ecosystem services (ESs). This poses a challenge to the balance of urban development and ecological protection, which may be more serious in ecologically fragile regions. This study identified key LULC change (LULCC) impacts on ESs in Ordos, an ecologically fragile region in Northwest China. The urbanization process of Ordos will continue in 2030 under the business-as-usual scenario due to its strategic positioning in the National Energy Base of China. The future LULC simulation results showed that developed land in eastern Ordos will continue to expand in 2030, and more forest and grassland will appear in western Ordos as a result of ecological restoration. The results of the InVEST model in calculating four important ESs showed that the ES supply in the densely populated areas (eastern Ordos) has declined, and more attention must be given to natural vegetation protection in the urbanization process. Although carbon storage in the western region has increased due to afforestation, this also reduces the water yield supply, which may exacerbate the water shortage in Ordos. Supported by this framework, more sustainable urban land use management can be undertaken to balance the conflict between ecological protection and urbanization. This will contribute to regional ecological health and sustainable urban development.