Musculoskeletal ultrasound to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture: a review.

Acupuncture is a typical example of Traditional Chinese Medicine and has been used in China for hundreds of years to treat a wide range of illnesses. However, in the clinic, issues and deficiencies were primarily seen in four areas: loss of accuracy in the operation process; difficulty understanding the depth of acupuncture; difficulty using reinforcing and reducing techniques; and lack of a clear dynamic effect of acupuncture points following acupuncture. Musculoskeletal ultrasonography may quantitatively evaluate the acupuncture location and display the distribution of small nerves near and within the fascia of the acupuncture point in real time. The subjects were asked how they felt about receiving Qi when the needle body reached different depths and different tissues. The Qi obtained from an acupuncture point and the connective tissue of the fascia can be further understood by combining the physiological response of the acupuncture point with the anatomical structure, which offers a new method for defining the nature of the acupuncture point and standardizing the acupuncture point.

Corrigendum: Sesquiterpene lactones attenuate paclitaxel resistance via inhibiting MALAT1/STAT3/ FUT4 axis and P-Glycoprotein transporters in lung cancer cells.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.795613.].

Astragalus polysaccharide improves diabetic ulcers by promoting M2-polarization of macrophages to reduce excessive inflammation via the ß-catenin/ NF-κB axis at the late phase of wound-healing.

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Astragalus polysaccharide (APS), the most biologically active ingredient of Astragali Radix, is used to treat diabetes mellitus (DM)-related chronic wounds in traditional Chinese medicine for several decades. This herb possesses an anti-inflammatory effect. Our study proved that APS can reduce excessive inflammation at the late phase of wound-healing in diabetic ulcers. Aim of the study: To clarify the molecular mechanism of APS in promoting wound-healing via reducing excessive inflammation in diabetic ulcers during the late stages of wound-healing. Methods and materials: The rat model of the diabetic ulcers was established via intraperitoneal injection of streptozocin (60 mg/kg). We detected the regulation of APS on diabetic ulcers by measuring wound-healing rates. Bioinformatics was used to predict the target genes of APS, and autodocking was used to predict the combination of APS and target genes. Immunohistochemistry, Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blot, immunofluorescence staining, flow cytometry, and flow cytometric sorting were investigated. Results: The results demonstrated that APS promoted wound-healing and inhibited excessive inflammation at the late phase of wound-healing in diabetic rats. Mechanistic findings showed that APS promoted the expression of ß-catenin and Rspo3 while inhibiting the expression of NF-KB and GSK-3ß, which leads to the transformation of M1-type macrophages into M2-type macrophages and thus reducing excessive inflammation at the late phase of wound-healing in diabetic ulcers. Conclusion: We found an interesting finding that APS promoted the polarization of macrophages towards M2-type through the ß-catenin/NF-κB axis to reduce excessive inflammation at the late phase of wound-healing. Therefore, APS may be a promising drug for treating diabetic ulcers in clinic.

How can Phycobilisome, the unique light harvesting system in certain algae working highly efficiently: The connection in between structures and functions.

Algae, which are ubiquitous in ecosystems, have evolved a variety of light-harvesting complexes to better adapt to diverse habitats. Phycobilisomes/phycobiliproteins, unique to cyanobacteria, red algae, and certain cryptomonads, compensate for the lack of chlorophyll absorption, allowing algae to capture and efficiently transfer light energy in aquatic environments. With the advancement of microscopy and spectroscopy, the structure and energy transfer processes of increasingly complex phycobilisomes have been elucidated, providing us with a vivid portrait of the dynamic adaptation of their structures to the light environment in which algae thrive: 1) Cyanobacteria living on the surface of the water use short, small phycobilisomes to absorb red-orange light and reduce the damage from blue-violet light via multiple methods; 2) Large red algae inhabiting the depths of the ocean have evolved long and dense phycobilisomes containing phycoerythrin to capture the feeble blue-green light; 3) In far-red light environments such as caves, algae use special allophycocyanin cores to optimally utilize the far-red light; 4) When the environment shifts, algae can adjust the length, composition and density of their rods to better adapt; 5) By carefully designing the position of the pigments, phycobilisomes can transfer light energy to the reaction center with nearly 100% efficiency via three energy transfer processes.

Establishment of a high-throughput screening platform based on drug repurposing targeting alpha-1-acid glycoprotein and discovery of potential weight loss drugs / 药学实践杂志

Objective Alpha-1-acid glycoprotein （ORM） was a new target for the development of weight loss drugs. To search for potential weight loss drugs that could target ORM from the compound library of already marketed drugs based on drug repurposing. Methods The pGL4.20-ORM1 promoter recombinant plasmid was contructed and validated, and then a lentiviral vector was utilized to establish stable AML12 cell lines expressing ORM1 promoter-LUC-PURO. This cell line was employed for high-throughput screening of compounds from the marketed drug library, and the luminescence value of the cells was characterized by enzyme marker. Results Primary screening and secondary screening of 1 470 compounds identified 42 compounds that increased ORM1 promoter expression and could be used for further weight loss effect assessment. Conclusion This study successfully constructed LV-AML12-ORM1 promoter-LUC-PURO stable expression cell lines using lentiviral vectors, laying a foundation for efficient and stable screening of weight loss drugs targeting ORM.

Clinical application of Visual throat forceps in the removal of hypopharyngeal foreign body / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective:To explore the feasibility of using self-made visual throat forceps to remove hypopharyngeal foreign bodies. Methods:The throat forceps were combined with the endoscope and connected to a monitor via a data cable resulting in a visual throat forceps apparatus. This device was utilized to examine and treat the hypopharyngeal foreign bodies. Results:Among 53 patients, foreign bodies were detected in 51,with 48 cases involving hypopharyngeal foreign bodies. All were successfully extracted using the visual throat forceps. Three cases, diagnosed as esophageal foreign bodies by electronic gastroscopy, were treated using the same method. Conclusion:Visual throat forceps can be used to examine the hypopharynx and remove foreign bodies. It has the advantages of simple operation, rapid operation, and high success rate of foreign body removal from the hypopharynx. It is worthy of clinical application.

Spatial transcriptomics reveals that metabolic characteristics define the tumor immunosuppression microenvironment via iCAF transformation in oral squamous cell carcinoma / 国际口腔科学杂志·英文版

Tumor progression is closely related to tumor tissue metabolism and reshaping of the microenvironment. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), a representative hypoxic tumor, has a heterogeneous internal metabolic environment. To clarify the relationship between different metabolic regions and the tumor immune microenvironment (TME) in OSCC, Single cell (SC) and spatial transcriptomics (ST) sequencing of OSCC tissues were performed. The proportion of TME in the ST data was obtained through SPOTlight deconvolution using SC and GSE103322 data. The metabolic activity of each spot was calculated using scMetabolism, and k-means clustering was used to classify all spots into hyper-, normal-, or hypometabolic regions. CD4T cell infiltration and TGF-β expression is higher in the hypermetabolic regions than in the others. Through CellPhoneDB and NicheNet cell-cell communication analysis, it was found that in the hypermetabolic region, fibroblasts can utilize the lactate produced by glycolysis of epithelial cells to transform into inflammatory cancer-associated fibroblasts (iCAFs), and the increased expression of HIF1A in iCAFs promotes the transcriptional expression of CXCL12. The secretion of CXCL12 recruits regulatory T cells (Tregs), leading to Treg infiltration and increased TGF-β secretion in the microenvironment and promotes the formation of a tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment. This study delineates the coordinate work axis of epithelial cells-iCAFs-Tregs in OSCC using SC, ST and TCGA bulk data, and highlights potential targets for therapy.

Uranyl Polyoxotungstate Cluster for Visible-Light-Driven Heterogeneous C-H Selective Fluorination.

The selective fluorination of C-H bonds at room temperature using heterogeneous visible-light catalysts is both interesting and challenging. Herein, we present the heterogeneous sandwich-type structure uranyl-polyoxotungstate cluster Na17{Na@[(SbW9O33)2(UO2)6(PO3OH)6]}·46H2O (denoted as U6P6) to regulate the selective fluorination of the C-H bond under visible light and room temperature. This is the first report in which uranyl participates in the fluorination reaction in the form of an insoluble substance. U6P6 is capable of the effective selective fluorination of cycloalkanes and the recyclability of the photocatalyst due to the synergistic effect of multiple uranyl (UO2)2+ and the insolubility of organic reagents of polyoxotungstate. In situ electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy captured the generation of cycloalkane radicals during the photoreaction, confirming the mechanism of direct hydrogen atom transfer.

Distribution pattern of medial group retropharyngeal lymph nodes and its implication in optimizing clinical target volume in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the diagnostic value of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and to elucidate the clinical characteristics of medial group retropharyngeal lymph nodes (RLNs) based on multi-modal imaging. Also, we intended to explore the feasibility of optimizing the CTV60 boundary based on the characteristics of medial group RLNs. Methods: A total of 549 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma received magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), DWI, and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) to detect and evaluate clinical characteristics of medial group RLNs. [18F]Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography was utilized to identify fluorodeoxyglucose uptaking and contrast-enhanced CT to ensure the reliability of CTV optimization during radiotherapy. The DESdC (Drinking, Eating, Swallowing Difficulties, and Coughing while Eating or Drinking) score was utilized to evaluate swallowing disability. Results: Fourteen of 549 patients had medial group RLNs with a transverse diameter of 2.0-19.0 mm, which distributed between the upper margin of 1st cervical vertebra (C1) and the upper one-third of C3. Lasso regression and Pearson chi-square test suggested that its occurrence was associated with stage N, bilateral cervical lymph node metastases, especially when the transverse diameter of cervical lymph nodes was > 3 cm. The sensitivity of DWI, T2 STIR, and contrast-enhanced CT was 100%, 57.1%, and 21.4%, respectively. We optimized CTV60 of medial group RLNs from the base of skull to the upper edge of C2 excluding specific cases. For patients with CTV60 optimization, radiation dose and volume of swallowing structures decreased obviously. Based on our radiotherapy strategy on CTV60, acute toxicities of enrolled patients were well tolerated. Ninety-six of 549 patients had scores with DESdC score. Eighty-three patients scored 1, seven patients scored 2, one patient scored 3, and three patients scored 4. The median interval from the onset of symptoms was 72 (4-114) months. The 5-year overall survival, progression-free survival, local recurrence-free survival, and distant metastasis-free survival were 87%, 80%, 93%, and 85%, respectively. None of the patients with regional recurrence happened in the optimized region. Conclusion: DWI possesses superiorities in displaying lymph nodes. Based on the low incidence of the medial RLNs, CTV60 of medial group RLNs from the base of skull to the upper edge of C2 is feasible and has dosimetric advantages for protecting swallowing structures.

Corrigendum to "Acupuncture regulates the Th17/Treg balance and improves cognitive deficits in a rat model of vascular dementia" [Heliyon 9 (2) (February 2023) Article e13346].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13346.].

Translational profile of coding and non-coding RNAs revealed by genome wide profiling of ribosome footprints in grapevine.

Translation is a crucial process during plant growth and morphogenesis. In grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.), many transcripts can be detected by RNA sequencing; however, their translational regulation is still largely unknown, and a great number of translation products have not yet been identified. Here, ribosome footprint sequencing was carried out to reveal the translational profile of RNAs in grapevine. A total of 8291 detected transcripts were divided into four parts, including the coding, untranslated regions (UTR), intron, and intergenic regions, and the 26 nt ribosome-protected fragments (RPFs) showed a 3 nt periodic distribution. Furthermore, the predicted proteins were identified and classified by GO analysis. More importantly, 7 heat shock-binding proteins were found to be involved in molecular chaperone DNA J families participating in abiotic stress responses. These 7 proteins have different expression patterns in grape tissues; one of them was significantly upregulated by heat stress according to bioinformatics research and was identified as DNA JA6. The subcellular localization results showed that VvDNA JA6 and VvHSP70 were both localized on the cell membrane. Therefore, we speculate that DNA JA6 may interact with HSP70. In addition, overexpression of VvDNA JA6 and VvHSP70, reduced the malondialdehyde (MDA) content, improved the antioxidant enzyme activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD), increased the content of proline, an osmolyte substance, and affected the expression of the high-temperature marker genes VvHsfB1, VvHsfB2A, VvHsfC and VvHSP100. In summary, our study proved that VvDNA JA6 and the heat shock protein VvHSP70 play a positive role in the response to heat stress. This study lays a foundation for further exploring the balance between gene expression and protein translation in grapevine under heat stress.

AjTGFß alleviates V. splendidus-induced inflammation through SMADs pathway in Apostichopus japonicus.

The inhibition of inflammatory response is an essential process to control the development of inflammation and is an important step to protect the organism from excessive inflammatory damage. As a pleiotropic cytokine, transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß) plays a regulatory role in inhibiting inflammation in vertebrates. To investigate the role of TGF-ß in the regulation of inflammation in invertebrates, we cloned and characterized the TGF-ß gene from Apostichopus japonicus via rapid amplification of cDNA ends, and the sample was designated as AjTGF-ß. For Vibrio splendidus-challenged sea cucumbers, the expression of AjTGF-ß mRNAs in coelomocytes decreased at 96 h (0.27-fold), which was contrary to the trend of inflammation. AjTGF-ß was expressed in all tissues with the highest expression in the body wall. When AjTGF-ß was knocked down by using small interfering RNA (siRNA-KD) to 0.45-fold, AjSMAD 2/3 and AjSMAD6 were downregulated to 0.32- and 0.05-fold compared with the control group, respectively. Furthermore, when the damaged sea cucumber was challenged by V. splendidus co-incubated with rAjTGF-ß, the damage area had no extensive inflammation, and damaged repair appeared at 72 h compared with the Vs + BSA group, in which the expression of AjSMAD 2/3 was upregulated by 1.35-fold. Under this condition, AjSMAD 2/3 silencing alleviated rAjTGF-ß-induced damage recovery. Moreover, rAjTGF-ß slightly induced the collagen I expression from 6.13 ng/mL to 7.84 ng/mL, and collagen III was upregulated from 6.23 ng/mL to 6.89 ng/mL compared with the Vs + BSA group. This finding indicates that AjTGF-ß negatively regulated the inflammatory progress and accelerated the repair of damage by AjSMADs to regulate the collagens expression.

Acupuncture regulates the Th17/Treg balance and improves cognitive deficits in a rat model of vascular dementia.

Objective: The present study was developed to explore the impact of acupuncture on the Th17/Treg balance in the brain and the periphery and associated changes in cognitive deficits in a rat model of vascular dementia (VD). Methods: Male Wistar rats (8 weeks old) were randomly assigned to sham-operated (Gs, n = 10), and operation (n = 30) groups. A VD model was established for all rats in the operation group via the permanent bilateral occlusion of the common carotid artery. Behavioral screening of these rats was conducted via a hidden platform trial at 2 months post-operation. These operation group rats were then further subdivided into impaired (Gi) and acupuncture (Ga) groups (n = 10/group). Acupuncture was performed over a 21-day period for rats in the Ga group. A Morris water maze (MWM) test was used to assess cognitive function for rats in all groups. Flow cytometry and fluorescent staining were used to detect Th17 and Treg cells in samples from these animals based on IL-17/FoxP3 or CD4+FoxP3+/CD4+RORγt+ staining profiles. Results: Relative to the Gs group, escape latency values for rats in the Gi group were significantly increased. Following treatment, rats in the Ga group exhibited significant reductions in escape latency values as compared to rats in the Gi group (P < 0.05). The relative Treg proportion in the peripheral blood and spleen additionally trended upwards in these Ga rats as compared to those in the Gi group (P > 0.05), whereas the frequency of Th17 cells in the peripheral blood and spleen of Ga group rats trended downward relative to the Gi group (P > 0.05). Significantly fewer CD4+RORγt+ and RORγt+ cells were detected in the Ga group relative to the Gi group, whereas CD4+FoxP3+ and FoxP3+ cell counts were increased (P < 0.01). Conclusion: In summary, VD model rats exhibited dysregulated Th17/Treg homeostasis. Acupuncture treatment was sufficient to reduce the frequency and numbers of Th17 cells in these animals while increasing Treg cell levels, thereby alleviating cognitive deficits with respect to both spatial learning and memory impairment. Consequently, the therapeutic benefits of such acupuncture treatment may be attributable to the regulation of the Th17/Treg balance and associated improvements in cognitive function.

Clinical application of Grunenwald incision in cervicothoracic junction surgery / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical application of Grunenwald incision in cervicothoracic junction surgery.Methods:The clinical data of 25 patients with cervicothoracic junction tumor and 1 patient with cervicothoracic junction trauma in the single treatment group of Department of Thoracic Surgery, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from December 2011 to September 2021 were analyzed retrospectively, including 19 males and 7 females, aged 9-73 years old. Among the 26 patients, there were 9 cases of upper mediastinal tumor, 6 cases of superior sulcus tumor, 4 cases of thyroid tumor invading the upper mediastinal, 4 cases of chest wall tumor, 2 cases of esophageal cancer combined with supraclavicular lymph node metastasis, and 1 case of foreign body penetrating injury at the cervicothoracic junction. Grunenwald incision or additional posterolateral thoracic incision, median sternal incision, neck collar incision were used in all patients. The degree of tumor resection was evaluated. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, length of hospital stay were observed, and the postoperative follow-up was analyzed.Results:There was no perioperative death in the whole group. 14 cases were treated with Grunenwald incision alone, 6 cases with additional posterolateral chest incision, 4 cases with additional neck collar incision, and 2 cases with additional median sternal incision. The tumors were completely resection in 22 cases, palliative tumor resection in 3 cases, and complete foreign body removal in 1 case. Postoperative pathology included 4 cases of schwannoma; 3 cases of lung adenocarcinoma, thyroid cancer and myofibroblastoma, respectively; 2 cases of supraclavicular lymph node metastasis of esophageal cancer and lung squamous carcinoma, respectively; 1 case of large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, metastatic carcinoma of the first rib after lung squamous cell carcinoma, ganglioneuroma, nodular goiter, hemangioma, well differentiated liposarcoma, vascular endothelial tumor and cavernous angioma, respectively. The operation time was 120-430 min, with a mean of(226.92±88.40)min. The intraoperative blood loss was 100-1 000 ml, with a mean of(273.46±196.34)ml. The length of hospital stay was 6-26 days, with a mean of(12.73±4.46 )days. 26 patients were followed up for 6-130 months, with a mean of(57.88±43.64) months. During the follow-up period, 6 patients died.Conclusion:Grunenwald incision can provide good exposure of the structures near the cervicothoracic junction, preserve the integrity of sternoclavicular joint, reduce shoulder deformity, and has advantages for patients with cervicothoracic junction tumors, high rib resection, and cervicothoracic junction trauma.

Perioperative management and operative treatment of malignant tumor of anal canal merging severe abdominal protuberance / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Objective: To report the perioperative management and robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery results of one case with malignant tumor of anal canal combined with severe abdominal distention. Methods: A 66-year-old male suffer from adenocarcinoma of anal canal (T3N0M0) with megacolon, megabladder and scoliosis. The extreme distention of the colon and bladder result in severe abdominal distention. The left diaphragm moved up markedly and the heart was moved to the right side of the thoracic cavity. Moreover, there was also anal stenosis with incomplete intestinal obstruction. Preoperative preparation: fluid diet, intravenous nutrition and repeated enema to void feces and gas in the large intestine 1 week before operation. Foley catheter was placed three days before surgery and irrigated with saline. After relief of abdominal distention, robotic-assisted abdominoperineal resection+ subtotal colectomy+colostomy was performed. Results: Water intake within 6 hours post-operatively; ambulance on Day 1; anal passage of gas on Day 2; semi-fluid diet on Day 3; safely discharged on Day 6. Conclusion: Robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery is safe and feasible for patients with malignant tumor of anal canal combined with severe abdominal distention after appropriate and effective preoperative preparation to relieve abdominal distention.

Short-course radiotherapy combined with CAPOX and PD-1 inhibitor for the total neoadjuvant therapy of locally advanced rectal cancer: the preliminary single-center findings of a prospective, multicentre, randomized phase II trial (TORCH) / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Objective: Total neoadjuvant therapy has been used to improve tumor responses and prevent distant metastases in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Patients with complete clinical responses (cCR) then have the option of choosing a watch and wait (W&W) strategy and organ preservation. It has recently been shown that hypofractionated radiotherapy has better synergistic effects with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors than does conventionally fractionated radiotherapy, increasing the sensitivity of microsatellite stable (MSS) colorectal cancer to immunotherapy. Thus, in this trial we aimed to determine whether total neoadjuvant therapy comprising short-course radiotherapy (SCRT) combined with a PD-1 inhibitor improves the degree of tumor regression in patients with LARC. Methods: TORCH is a prospective, multicenter, randomized, phase II trial (TORCH Registration No. NCT04518280). Patients with LARC (T3-4/N+M0, distance from anus ≤10 cm) are eligible and are randomly assigned to consolidation or induction arms. Those in the consolidation arm receive SCRT (25Gy/5 Fx), followed by six cycles of toripalimab plus capecitabine and oxaliplatin (ToriCAPOX). Those in the induction arm receive two cycles of ToriCAPOX, then undergo SCRT, followed by four cycles of ToriCAPOX. Patients in both groups undergo total mesorectal excision (TME) or can choose a W&W strategy if cCR has been achieved. The primary endpoint is the complete response rate (CR, pathological complete response [pCR] plus continuous cCR for more than 1 year). The secondary endpoints include rates of Grade 3-4 acute adverse effects (AEs) etc. Results: Up to 30 September 2022, 62 patients attending our center were enrolled (Consolidation arm: 34, Induction arm:28). Their median age was 53 (27-69) years. Fifty-nine of them had MSS/pMMR type cancer (95.2%), and only three MSI-H/dMMR. Additionally, 55 patients (88.7%) had Stage III disease. The following important characteristics were distributed as follows: lower location (≤5 cm from anus, 48/62, 77.4%), deeper invasion by primary lesion (cT4 7/62, 11.3%; mesorectal fascia involved 17/62, 27.4%), and high risk of distant metastasis (cN2 26/62, 41.9%; EMVI+ 11/62, 17.7%). All 62 patients completed the SCRT and at least five cycles of ToriCAPOX, 52/62 (83.9%) completing six cycles of ToriCAPOX. Finally, 29 patients achieved cCR (46.8%, 29/62), 18 of whom decided to adopt a W&W strategy. TME was performed on 32 patients. Pathological examination showed 18 had achieved pCR, four TRG 1, and 10 TRG 2-3. The three patients with MSI-H disease all achieved cCR. One of these patients was found to have pCR after surgery whereas the other two adopted a W&W strategy. Thus, the pCR and CR rates were 56.2% (18/32) and 58.1% (36/62), respectively. The TRG 0-1 rate was 68.8% (22/32). The most common non-hematologic AEs were poor appetite (49/60, 81.7%), numbness (49/60, 81.7%), nausea (47/60, 78.3%) and asthenia (43/60, 71.7%); two patients did not complete this survey. The most common hematologic AEs were thrombocytopenia (48/62, 77.4%), anemia (47/62, 75.8%), leukopenia/neutropenia (44/62, 71.0%) and high transaminase (39/62, 62.9%). The main Grade III-IV AE was thrombocytopenia (22/62, 35.5%), with three patients (3/62, 4.8%) having Grade IV thrombocytopenia. No Grade V AEs were noted. Conclusions: SCRT-based total neoadjuvant therapy combined with toripalimab can achieve a surprisingly good CR rate in patients with LARC and thus has the potential to offer new treatment options for organ preservation in patients with MSS and lower-location rectal cancer. Meanwhile, the preliminary findings of a single center show good tolerability, the main Grade III-IV AE being thrombocytopenia. The significant efficacy and long-term prognostic benefit need to be determined by further follow-up.

Nucleic acid nanoassembly-enhanced RNA therapeutics and diagnosis

RNAs are involved in the crucial processes of disease progression and have emerged as powerful therapeutic targets and diagnostic biomarkers. However, efficient delivery of therapeutic RNA to the targeted location and precise detection of RNA markers remains challenging. Recently, more and more attention has been paid to applying nucleic acid nanoassemblies in diagnosing and treating. Due to the flexibility and deformability of nucleic acids, the nanoassemblies could be fabricated with different shapes and structures. With hybridization, nucleic acid nanoassemblies, including DNA and RNA nanostructures, can be applied to enhance RNA therapeutics and diagnosis. This review briefly introduces the construction and properties of different nucleic acid nanoassemblies and their applications for RNA therapy and diagnosis and makes further prospects for their development.

Comparison of methods for determination of gross α and gross β radioactivity in soil / 中国辐射卫生

Objective To improve the determination of gross α and gross β radioactivity in soil, establish a fast and accurate method for soil radioactivity analysis, and provide a basis for establishing standard methods for analysis of gross α and gross β radioactivity in soil. Methods Using the method of soil nuclide extraction and the sample preparation method for low background α/β counter, an extraction-enrichment method was established to monitor the radioactivity of gross α and gross β in soil. Meanwhile, the radioactivity of gross α and gross β in the same soil samples was determined using the direct paving method. An optimal method of monitoring gross α and gross β radioactivity in soil was put forward by comparing the advantages and disadvantages of the two methods. Results With the direct paving method, the radioactivity of gross α and gross β in soil was 0.47 Bq/g and 0.85 Bq/g, respectively; and the minimum detection limit was 0.04 Bq/g and 0.02 Bq/g, respectively. With the extraction-enrichment method, the radioactivity of gross α and gross β in soil was 0.32 Bq/g and 0.29 Bq/g, and the minimum detection limit was 0.02 Bq/g and 0.01 Bq/g. Conclusion Comparison of the two detection methods showed that the direct paving method is more accurate and easier to operate, while the extraction-enrichment method is complex in operation and has relatively large system error but provides a lower minimum detection limit.

Nocturnal hypertension and riser pattern are associated with heart failure rehospitalization in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction / 老年心脏病学杂志（英文版）

BACKGROUND@#Nocturnal hypertension is reported as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to explore the potential association between nocturnal hypertension and heart failure (HF) rehospitalization in patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).@*METHODS@#A total of 538 patients with HFpEF from May 2018 to December 2021 were consequently recruited in this study and followed up until they were readmitted for HF or the end of this study. Cox regression analysis was used to reveal the potential association between nighttime blood pressure (BP) levels, nocturnal hypertension and nocturnal BP patterns and HF rehospitalization. Kaplan-Meier curve was used to assess the cumulative event-free survival rate between groups.@*RESULTS@#There were 537 patients with HFpEF were included in the final analysis. The mean age of the study population was 77.14 ± 8.68 years, and 41.2% of patients were men. After a median follow-up duration of 10.93 (4.19-21.13) months, 176 patients (32.7%) with HFpEF were readmitted for HF. Cox regression analysis had revealed that nighttime systolic BP level [hazards ratio (HR) = 1.018, 95% CI: 1.008-1.028, P = 0.001], nighttime diastolic BP level (HR = 1.024, 95% CI: 1.007-1.042, P = 0.007), nocturnal hypertension (HR = 1.688, 95% CI: 1.229-2.317, P = 0.001) were associated with HF rehospitalization. Kaplan-Meier analysis had demonstrated that patients with nocturnal hypertension had significantly lower event-free survival rate (log-rank P < 0.001). Furthermore, patients with a riser pattern had a higher risk of HF rehospitalization (HR = 1.828, 95% CI: 1.055-3.166, P = 0.031) and lower event-free survival rate (log-rank P = 0.003) than those with a dipper pattern. These findings were also confirmed in patients with HFpEF and hyperuricemia.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Nighttime BP levels, nocturnal hypertension and a riser pattern are independently associated with HF rehospitalization in patients with HFpEF, and prominently in patients with HFpEF and hyperuricemia. Well controlled nighttime BP levels should be emphasized and considered in patients with HFpEF.

Clinical prospects and research strategies of long non-coding RNA encoding micropeptides / 浙江大学学报·医学版

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) which are usually thought to have no protein coding ability, are widely involved in cell proliferation, signal transduction and other biological activities. However, recent studies have suggested that short open reading frames (sORFs) of some lncRNAs can encode small functional peptides (micropeptides). These micropeptides appear to play important roles in calcium homeostasis, embryonic development and tumorigenesis, suggesting their potential as therapeutic targets and diagnostic biomarkers. Currently, bioinformatic tools as well as experimental methods such as ribosome mapping and in vitro translation are applied to predict the coding potential of lncRNAs. Furthermore, mass spectrometry, specific antibodies and epitope tags are used for validating the expression of micropeptides. Here, we review the physiological and pathological functions of recently identified micropeptides as well as research strategies for predicting the coding potential of lncRNAs to facilitate the further research of lncRNA encoded micropeptides.