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Glaucoma is a common blinding eye disease characterized by progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their axons, progressive loss of visual field, and optic nerve atrophy. Autophagy plays a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of glaucoma and is closely related to its pathogenesis. Targeting autophagy and blocking the apoptosis of RGCs provides emerging guidance for the treatment of glaucoma. Here, we provide a systematic review of the mechanisms and targets of interventions related to autophagy in glaucoma and discuss the outlook of emerging ideas, techniques, and multidisciplinary combinations to provide a new basis for further research and the prevention of glaucomatous visual impairment.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a globally transmitted mosquito-borne pathogen, and no effective treatment or vaccine is available yet. Lipophagy, a selective autophagy targeting lipid droplets (LDs), is an emerging subject in cellular lipid metabolism and energy homeostasis. However, the regulatory mechanism of lipid metabolism and the role of lipophagy in Zika virus infection remain largely unknown. Here, we demonstrated that ZIKV induced lipophagy by activating unc-51-like kinase 1 (ULK1) through activation of 5’ adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in Huh7 cells. Upon ZIKV infection, the average size and triglyceride content of LDs significantly decreased. Moreover, ZIKV infection significantly increased lysosomal biosynthesis and LD-lysosome fusion. The activities of AMPK at Thr-172 and ULK1 at Ser-556 were increased in ZIKV-infected cells and closely correlated with lipophagy induction. Silencing of AMPK expression inhibited ZIKV infection, autophagy induction, and LD-lysosome fusion and decreased the triglyceride content of the cells. The activities of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) at Ser-2448 and ULK1 at Ser-757 were suppressed independently of AMPK during ZIKV infection. Therefore, ZIKV infection triggers AMPK-mediated lipophagy, and the LD-related lipid metabolism during ZIKV infection is mainly regulated via the AMPK-ULK1 signaling pathway.

To investigate the static and dynamic trends of scientific research efficiency of different types of universities in China during the period of 2016 - 2020. Methods: Based on the scientific research data of six types of universities nationwide from 2016 to 2020, which are classified by the Compendium of Science and Technology Information of Higher Education Institutions published by the Department of Science and Technology of the Ministry of Education. We selected the full-time personnel (person-years) of research and development personnel and Internal expenditure for the year of science and technology funds (thousand yuan) as input evaluation indexes, and the number of Academic papers published abroad (articles), the number of international projects acceptance (item), the number of patent authorizations (item), and the number of Actual income of technology patents in the current year (thousands of yuan) as output evaluation indexes, and constructed the evaluation index system of scientific research efficiency of six types of universities nationwide. SPSS version 23.0 software was used for descriptive data statistics, and DEA-BCC model and DEA-Malmquist index model of DEAP2.1 software were used for static and dynamic evaluation of its scientific research efficiency from 2016 to 2020, respectively. Results ① Overall analysis: the level of scientific research efficiency of all types of universities is high, but the total factor productivity of scientific research shows a trend of rising and then declining during the 13th Five-Year Plan period, and the overall scientific research efficiency of universities has limited room for improvement. ② Comparative analysis: universities of comprehensive, science and technology, medicine and other universities have the highest level of scientific research efficiency, followed by universities of teacher training and lower universities of agriculture and forestry. ③ From 2017 - 2020, full-time personnel, internal expenditures of agriculture and forestry universities are input redundancy, patent authorization number and the actual income of agriculture and forestry universities are insufficient output. In 2020, full-time personnel, internal expenditures of normal universities are input redundancy, patent authorization number of normal universities is output insufficient. Conclusion: During the period of 2016 - 2020, all kinds of universities nationwide have achieved high research efficiency with high input and high output, which provides a strong reference for the national research management to allocate university research funds more scientifically and reasonably. This result to optimize the allocation of resources of university's scientific research in China and improve the economic benefit of university's scientific research has important theoretical and practical significance.

High-throughput sequencing technology combined with plate colony counting method was used to detect and analyze the microflora of water kefir and its starter water kefir granules. Probiotics were screened from naturally fermented water kefir and water kefir granules, and the selected probiotics were identified by individual and population morphological observation, physiological and biochemical experiments and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The results showed that lactic acid bacteria were the dominant bacteria in the two samples; whether it is water kefir or water kefir grain, Firmicutes and Proteus are the dominant bacteria, Lactobacillus and Acetobacter are the dominant bacteria, The bacterial diversity and richness of water kefir granules were higher than those of water kefir；A total of 7 strains of lactic acid bacteria with potential probiotics of acid and bile resistant salts were screened, and the identification results were four strains of Lactobacillus fermentum, one strain of Lactobacillus paracasei, one strain of Lactobacillus harbinensis and one strain of Lactobacillus rubrum were identified and named Lactobacillus fermentum cc4、Lactobacillus fermentum cc8、Lactobacillus fermentum cc9、Lactobacillus fermentum cc22、Lactobacillus paracasei cc1、Lactobacillus harbinensis cc5、Lactobacillus satsumensis cc12.

Two new aryltetralin-type lignans (1-2) were isolated from the dichloromethane fraction of 95% ethanol extract of Camellia oleifera fruit husk. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, and the absolute configurations of compounds 1-2 were determined by the comparison of measured ECD curves with the quantum chemical calculated ones. The new compounds were tested for their antioxidant activities and cytotoxicity against three human cancer cell lines (Huh-7, H460 and MCF-7). While compounds 1 and 2 only showed slight DPPH radical scavenging activities with the IC50 values of 38.68 ± 5.02 and 56.62 ± 1.49 μM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cygnus region, which contains massive molecular and atomic clouds and young stars, is a promising Galactic neutrino source candidate. Cosmic-ray transport in the region can produce neutrinos and γ -rays. Recently, the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) detected an ultrahigh-energy γ -ray bubble (Cygnus Bubble) in this region. Using publicly available track events detected by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in 7 yr of full detector operation, we conduct searches for correlated neutrino signals from the Cygnus Bubble with neutrino emission templates based on LHAASO γ -ray observations. No significant signals were found for any employed templates. With the 7 TeV γ -ray flux template, we set a flux upper limit of 90% confidence level for the neutrino emission from the Cygnus Bubble to be 5.7 × 10−13 TeV−1 cm−2 s−1 at 5 TeV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Independent factors are needed to supplement vesical imaging‐reporting and data system (VI‐RADS) to improve its ability to identify muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Purpose: To assess the correlation between MIBC and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) ratio, VI‐RADS, and other factors (such as tumor location). Study Type: Retrospective. Population: Sixty‐eight patients (50 males and 18 females; age: 70.1 ± 9.5 years) with bladder urothelial carcinoma. Field Strength/Sequence: 1.5 T, conventional diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI), and DKI (single shot echo‐planar sequence). Assessment: Three radiologists independently measured the diffusion parameters of each bladder cancer (BCa) and obturator internus, including the mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ADCmean), mean kurtosis (MK), and mean diffusion (MD). And the ratio of diffusion parameters between BCa and obturator internus was calculated (diffusion parameter ratio = bladder cancer:obturator internus). Based on the VI‐RADS, the target lesions were independently scored. Furthermore, the actual tumor‐wall contact length (ACTCL) and absolute tumor‐wall contact length (ABTCL) were measured. Statistical Tests: Multicollinearity among independent variables was evaluated using the variance inflation factor (VIF). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent risk factors of MIBC. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the efficacy of each variable in detecting MIBC. The DeLong test was used to compare the area under the curve (AUC). A P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: MKratio (median: 0.62) and VI‐RADS were independent risk factors for MIBC. AUCs for MKratio, VI‐RADS, and MKratio combined with VI‐RADS in assessing MIBC were 0.895, 0.871, and 0.973, respectively. MKratio combined with VI‐RADS was more effective in diagnosing MIBC than VI‐RADS alone. Data Conclusions: MKratio has potential to assist the assessment of MIBC. MKratio can be used as a supplement to VI‐RADS for detecting MIBC. Level of Evidence: 4 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resourceful and inexpensive seawater direct splitting omits the desalination process and effectively increases the efficiency of hydrogen energy generation. However, the development of seawater splitting is hampered by the competing selectivity challenges from anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and chlorine evolution reaction and the issues of electrode corrosion. Herein, the borate anion‐intercalated NiV‐LDH nanoflakes/NiCoP nanowires heterostructures supported on Ni foam (2D/1D NiV‐BLDH/NiCoP/NF) is synthesized. Theoretical calculations show that a small amount of V atom doping in Ni(OH)2 is favorable for changing the electronic environment around Ni atoms via bridging Ni─O, which can construct Ni─O─V to accelerate electron transfer and promote catalytic activity. The borate anions (B(OH)4−) intercalation not only results in the good hydrophilicity and high OH− selectivity but also weakens the adsorption of chlorine (Cl−), which effectively restrains the chlorine evolution reaction. Thus, the component optimized NiV0.1‐BLDH/NiCoP/NF electrocatalyst only requires 268 mV overpotential to reach 100 mA cm−2 for OER in an alkaline environment. Particularly, the NiCoP/NF||NiV0.1‐BLDH/NiCoP/NF cell exhibits attractive overall water splitting performance with a low voltage of 1.46 and 1.53 V at 10 mA cm−2 in alkaline freshwater and alkaline seawater, respectively. The design strategy of this electrocatalyst provides a new avenue for seawater splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objective: We aimed to investigate the prevalence of vascular complications in acute pancreatitis (AP), to compare patient outcomes using various treatments, and to explore the related risk factors. Methods: Consecutive AP patients admitted from January 2010 to July 2017 were retrospectively included. Demographics, vascular complications, laboratory indices, and imaging findings were collected. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to explore potential risk factors of vascular complications. Results: Of 3048 AP patients, 808 (26.5%) had vascular complications, including visceral vein thrombosis, sinistral portal hypertension, and arterial complications. And 38 (4.7%) patients received anticoagulant therapy and had a higher rate of recanalization (P < 0.001). Bleeding occurred in 95 (11.8%) patients, who received further treatment. Multivariate analysis identified male gender (odds ratio [OR] 1.650, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.101–2.472), hyperlipidemia (OR 1.714, 95% CI 1.356–2.165), disease recurrence (OR 3.727, 95% CI 2.713–5.118), smoking (OR 1.519, 95% CI 1.011–2.283), hemoglobin level (OR 0.987, 95% CI 0.981–0.993), white blood cell (WBC) count (OR 1.094, 95% CI 1.068–1.122), non‐vascular local complications (OR 3.018, 95% CI 1.992–4.573), computed tomography severity index (CTSI) (OR 1.425, 95% CI 1.273–1.596), and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II score (OR 1.057, 95% CI 1.025–1.090) were related to vascular complications. Conclusions: Vascular complications in AP is prevalent and their treatment is challenging. Further investigations are warranted to determine the optimal treatment strategy. Independent risk factors included male gender, hyperlipidemia, disease recurrence, smoking, WBC count, non‐vascular local complications, CTSI, and APACHE II score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammasome activation is exclusively involved in sensing activation of innate immunity and inflammatory response during viral infection. Accumulating evidence suggests that the manipulation of inflammasome assembly or its interaction with viral proteins are critical factors in viral pathogenesis. Results from pilot clinical trials show encouraging results of NLRP3 inflammasome suppression in reducing mortality and morbidity in SARS-CoV-2-infected patients. In this article, we summarize the up-to-date understanding of inflammasomes, including NLRP3, AIM2, NLRP1, NLRP6, and NLRC4 in various viral infections, with particular focus on RNA viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, HIV, IAV, and Zika virus and DNA viruses such as herpes simplex virus 1. We also discuss the current achievement of the mechanisms involved in viral infection-induced inflammatory response, host defense, and possible therapeutic solutions.