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Wohlfahrtia magnifica is a species of fly that parasitizes Bactrian camels. The adult flies lay their larvae near the vulva of the camels, and these larvae develop and cause damage to the vaginal tissues, resulting in vaginal myiasis. Olfactory organs play an important role in the identification and location of host, foraging, mating and oviposition behavior of W. magnifica. Olfactory genes were identified by antennal transcriptome analysis. Twenty-four odor-binding proteins (OBPs) and two chemosensory proteins (CSPs) were identified in the antenna transcriptome of W. magnifica, and then the phylogenetic analysis of the olfactory genes of W. magnifica and other species was carried out. RTqPCR was used for the first time to analyze the expression profile of OBPs in the antenna tissues of the W. magnifica. In the tissue expression analysis of OBP genes, it was found that many of them showed obvious gender bias in antennae, indicating their different roles in identifying pheromones. These results will help to lay a foundation for the future research on the sense of smell of W. magnifica and help to better reveal the change of odor reception of W. magnifica and provide new ideas for the research on biological prevention and control of vaginal myiasis.

In this study, the critical conditions for generating chaos in a Duffing oscillator with nonlinear damping and fractional derivative are investigated. The Melnikov function of the Duffing oscillator is established based on Melnikov theory. The necessary analytical conditions and critical value curves of chaotic motion in the sense of Smale horseshoe are obtained. The numerical solutions of chaotic motion, including time history diagram, frequency spectrum diagram, phase diagram, and Poincare map, are studied. The correctness of the analytical solution is verified through a comparison of numerical and analytical calculations. The effects of linear and nonlinear parameters on chaotic motion are also analyzed. These results are relevant to the study of system dynamics.

This study employs density functional theory (DFT) and time‐dependent density functional theory (TD‐DFT) to investigate a series of cyclometallated Ir(III) complexes for their application as OLED light‐emitting materials, including (dtp)2Ir(dpm), (mmpyp)2Ir(dpm), (dtp)2Ir(tpip), (mmpyp)2Ir(tpip), (dtp)2Ir(pic), and (mmpyp)2Ir(pic). Their geometries, frontier molecular orbital properties, ionization potential, electron affinity, absorption and emission spectra, and spin‐orbit coupling properties have been analyzed respectively. Through comparison, we have identified complexes with reduced efficiency roll‐off and enhanced kISC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) has an aggressive clinical course, and paclitaxel (PTX)‐based chemotherapy remains the main therapeutic drug. Metadherin (MTDH) acts as an oncogene that regulates proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and chemoresistance. This study aimed to investigate whether TNBC chemosensitivity to PTX was related to the MTDH/AKT/glycogen synthase kinase‐3beta (GSK‐3β) pathway. Clinical baseline characteristics and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to evaluate the expression and prognosis of MTDH and AKT (protein kinase B, PKB) in TNBC patient samples. MTDH shRNA, MTDH overexpression vector, MK‐2206, and PTX intervention were used in cell models and mouse tumor‐bearing models. Afterwards, mRNA and protein levels were assessed using quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. Evaluate the level of tumor cell apoptosis and cell cycle using flow cytometry. Cell viability was detected using Cell Count Kit 8. The in vivo imaging system is used to analyze the growth of tumors. We found that higher expression of MTDH or AKT resulted in poorer disease‐free survival and a lower Miller–Payne grade. MTDH promotes cell proliferation and increases p‐AKT and p‐GSK‐3β expression in TNBC cells. Notably, suppression of AKT terminated MTDH overexpression‐induced cell proliferation and apoptosis. MTDH knockdown or the AKT inhibitor MK2206 reduced the p‐AKT and p‐GSK‐3β ratio, reduced cell viability and proliferation, increased cell apoptosis, and increased chemosensitivity to PTX. In vivo, xenograft tumors of an MTDH knockdown+MK2206 group treated with PTX were the smallest compared to other groups. In short, MTDH inhibits TNBC chemosensitivity to PTX by activating the AKT/GSK‐3β signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, several Ir (III) complexes with transition metal as the central atom formed by the corresponding combination of two main ligands and three auxiliary ligands have been studied theoretically. The electronic structure, frontier molecular orbital, and spin orbit coupling data are used to analyze its application value in light emitting devices. The density functional theory is used to study (tbi)2Ir(bpp), (tbi‐c)2Ir(bpp), (tbi)2Ir(dbm), (tbi‐c)2Ir(dbm), (tbi)2Ir(pic), and (tbi‐c)2Ir(pic). bpp = (2Z)‐3‐hydroxy‐13‐diphenylprop‐2‐en‐1‐one; dbm = 1,3‐di‐phenyl‐1, 3‐propanedione; pic = picolinate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mushrooms have long been considered as delicacies as well as used as important dietary supplements and food. However, there are major concerns with poisonous mushrooms as these pose threats to public health and safety. In this paper, we provide a review focusing on poisonous mushrooms, their toxins, symptoms and utilizations. In addition, this paper establishes a poisonous mushroom list which includes 643 species from two phyla, 16 orders, 51 families and 148 genera. The toxicity of all these species was verified and 332 species were ranked as P1 signifying that these species have toxic studies and or clinical poisoning case records and 311 species were P2 meaning they had previously been recorded as poisonous in other studies. Furthermore, we discuss advances in technology including how genomic studies could be used as a breakthrough tool in the field of toxic mushrooms. With this comprehensive review, we aim to promote public awareness of poisonous mushrooms, including how to avoid mushroom poisoning, and how to better utilize poisonous mushroom resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Recent studies have demonstrated the positive roles of remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) in patients with cerebrovascular diseases; however, the mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the effect of serial RIC on dynamic cerebral autoregulation (dCA) and serum biomarkers associated with brain injury, both of which are related to the prognosis of cerebrovascular disease. Methods: This was a self-controlled interventional study in healthy adults. The RIC was conducted twice a day for 7 consecutive days (d1–d7) and comprised 4 × 5-min single arm cuff inflation/deflation cycles at 200 mmHg. All participants underwent assessments of dCA ten times, including baseline, d1, d2, d4, d7, d8, d10, d14, d21, and d35 of the study. Blood samples were collected four times (baseline, d1, d7, and d8) immediately after dCA measurements. The transfer function parameters [phase difference (PD) and gain] were used to quantify dCA. Four serum biomarkers associated with brain injury, ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1, neuron-specific enolase, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and S100β were tested. Results: Twenty-two healthy adult volunteers (mean age 25.73 ± 1.78 years, 3 men [13.6%], all Asian) were enrolled in this study. Bilateral PD values were significantly higher since four times of RIC were completed (d2) compared with PD values at baseline (left: 53.31 ± 10.53 vs. 45.87 ± 13.02 degree, p = 0.015; right: 54.90 ± 10.46 vs. 45.96 ± 10.77 degree, p = 0.005). After completing 7 days of RIC, the significant increase in dCA was sustained for at least 28 days (d35, left: 53.11 ± 14.51 degree, P = 0.038; right: 56.95 ± 14.57 degree, p < 0.001). No difference was found in terms of different serum biomarkers related to brain injury before and after RIC. Conclusion: The elevation in dCA was detected immediately after four repeated times of RIC, and 7-day consecutive RIC induced a sustained increase in dCA for at least 28 days and did not affect blood biomarkers of brain injury in healthy adults. These results will help us to formulate detailed strategies for the safe and effective application of RIC in patients with cerebrovascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing development of wireless sensor networks has been greatly restricted because of scarce spectrum resources, limited battery power, and ineffective topologic structures. Thus, how to construct a suitable topological structure and allocate the appropriate node channels has become an urgent problem. In this study, we built a game model that took into account the influence of channel allocation and topology structure on network performance. The game model considered the nodes in wireless sensor networks to be players and took transmitting power, node channels, and node rest energy into account to establish the income function. Then, the model certified that it has Nash equilibrium. Next, we propose an energy-optimized game algorithm joint topology and channel for wireless sensor network (CETGA) in accordance with the game model. The CETGA algorithm improved each node's income by changing the transmitting power and node channel gradually, assuming that the network retained connectivity. Then, we demonstrated that the algorithm could converge to a Pareto optimal. Finally, we used MATLAB software to verify the simulation. The results show that the topology created by CETGA is with low interference and long lifetime. In addition, the nodes' average residual energy is more balanced and the network robustness and real time are improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, to improve the situation of singleness of selecting results in hesitant fuzzy set decision-making and expand the range of choices for decision makers, we construct a hesitant fuzzy set clustering algorithm combined with fuzzy matroid operation. The algorithm synthesizes the r-cut set, fuzzy shrinking matroids in the fuzzy matroids and the operational properties of the fuzzy derived matroids, the r value also is used to connect the two types of fuzzy matroids to form a clustering algorithm. Finally, we apply the algorithm to the hesitant fuzzy set decision-making of job seekers choosing recruitment websites, each recruitment website as an optional scheme is divided into three categories of excellent to inferior schemes to provide job seekers with ideas and methods for favorably selecting recruitment websites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A piecewise hysteresis nonlinear dynamic model with nonlinear stiffness and damping is established for a system with alternating elastic constraints and hysteresis nonlinearity. First, the amplitude–frequency response equation of the system is solved by using the averaging method under periodic excitation. Two frequency regions with multiple solutions are then identified in the system, and the amplitude–frequency response characteristics under different system parameters are obtained. Thus, the influence law of different piecewise nonlinear factors on system stability is explored. Second, the bifurcation behavior of the system under different external disturbances is analyzed. Given the change of perturbation parameters, the system is found to be a complex dynamic system with alternating periodic, double periodic, and chaotic motions, and many other forms of movement. Moreover, lower buffer damping leads to the complex and unpredictable chaotic state of the system's dynamic behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Gout is a chronic disease that causes inflammatory arthritis, which is closely related to urate accumulation induced by a disorder of uric acid metabolism and the consequent deposition of monosodium urate crystals. Dendrobium loddigesii Rolfe is an herbal medicine that has been used in some traditional Chinese medicine formulae in the treatment of gout. This study aimed to explore and verify the antigout activity of Dendrobium loddigesii extract (DLE) on alleviating the hyperuricaemia of mice and the acute gouty arthritis of rats. Methods. An animal model of hyperuricaemia was established using potassium oxonate (PO). We analysed the expression of uric acid transporter mRNA in the kidney in the hyperuricaemic mice after treatment with DLE. Simultaneously, a monosodium urate crystal-induced acute gouty arthritis rat model was used to evaluate the effects of DLE, according to the level of ankle swelling, as well as the protein levels of inflammatory receptors and cytokines, as assayed by WB and ELISA. Results. DLE alleviated hyperuricaemia in mice and inhibited acute gouty arthritis in rats (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, DLE regulated the levels of uric acid transporters mRNA transcripts, including mouse organic anion transporter 1 (mOAT1), organic anion transporter 3 (mOAT3), urate transporter 1 (mURAT1), and glucose transporter 9 (mGLUT9) in the kidney (P < 0.05), suggesting that DLE promoted uric acid metabolism. Furthermore, DLE significantly suppressed the protein levels of TLRs, MyD88, and NF-κB in the ankle joint's synovium (P < 0.05), and the serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α were also reduced, which demonstrated the anti-inflammatory effects of DLE. Conclusion. DLE alleviates hyperuricaemia by regulating the transcription level of uric acid transporters in the kidney. It also inhibits acute gouty arthritis by inhibiting the pathway of TLRs/MyD88/NF-κB in the ankle joint's synovium. The findings of the present study imply that DLE alleviates gout by promoting uric acid metabolism and inhibiting inflammation related to the TLRs/MyD88/NF-κB pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing development of wireless sensor networks has been greatly restricted because of scarce spectrum resources, limited battery power, and ineffective topologic structures. Thus, how to construct a suitable topological structure and allocate the appropriate node channels has become an urgent problem. In this study, we built a game model that took into account the influence of channel allocation and topology structure on network performance. The game model considered the nodes in wireless sensor networks to be players and took transmitting power, node channels, and node rest energy into account to establish the income function. Then, the model certified that it has Nash equilibrium. Next, we propose an energy-optimized game algorithm joint topology and channel for wireless sensor network (CETGA) in accordance with the game model. The CETGA algorithm improved each node's income by changing the transmitting power and node channel gradually, assuming that the network retained connectivity. Then, we demonstrated that the algorithm could converge to a Pareto optimal. Finally, we used MATLAB software to verify the simulation. The results show that the topology created by CETGA is with low interference and long lifetime. In addition, the nodes' average residual energy is more balanced and the network robustness and real time are improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

>bold<>italic/italic<>/bold< The aim of this study was to investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) and prognosis of Chinese women with breast cancer. >bold<>italic/italic<>/bold< >bold<>italic/italic<>/bold< 3,380 primary breast cancer patients who underwent surgery from 2010 to 2012 were selected and classified as low BMI group (BMI < 25.0) and high BMI group (BMI ≥ 25.0). The follow-up data for disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were obtained from 3,178 patients (median follow-up of 58 months). Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate the effect of BMI on DFS and OS. >bold<>italic/italic<>/bold< The high BMI group showed more aggressive pathological features. BMI was negatively associated with OS (hazard ratio (HR) 1.33, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06–1.66; p = 0.012) but not DFS (HR 1.15, 95% CI 0.94–1.40; p = 0.17). Furthermore, when stratified by age, BMI was significantly and negatively associated with OS (HR 1.43, 95% CI 1.05–1.95; p = 0.025) in patients above 50 years of age, but this effect was not detected in younger patients. >bold<>italic/italic<>/bold< BMI was an independent prognostic factor of OS in Chinese women with breast cancer, and age might be a mitigating factor. Among patients above 50 years of age, those with a high BMI were at greater risk of poor prognosis compared to individuals with a low BMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distributions of β-defensin 1 and 2 in secretory host defense system throughout respiratory tract of healthy rats were immunohistochemically investigated. In the nasal epithelium, a large number of non-ciliated and non-microvillous cells (NCs) were immunopositive for both β-defensin 1 and 2, whereas a small number of goblet cells (GCs) were immunopositive only for β-defensin 1. Beta-defensin 2-immunopositive GCs were few. In the nasal glands, a small number of acinar cells and a large number of ductal epithelial cells were immunopositive for both β-defensins. In the laryngeal and tracheal epithelia, a very few NCs and GCs were immunopositive for both β-defensins. In laryngeal and tracheal glands, a very few acinar cells and a large number of ductal epithelial cells were immunopositive for both β-defensins. In the extra-pulmonary bronchus, a small number of NCs were immunopositive for both β-defensins. A small number of GCs were immunopositive for β-defensin 1, whereas few GCs were immunopositive for β-defensin 2. From the intra-pulmonary bronchus to alveoli, a very few or no epithelial cells were immunopositive for both β-defensins. In the mucus and periciliary layers, β-defensin 1 was detected from the nose to the extra-pulmonary bronchus, whereas β-defensin 2 was weakly detected only in the nose and the larynx. These findings suggest that the secretory sources of β-defensin 1 and 2 are mainly distributed in the nasal mucosa and gradually decrease toward the caudal airway in healthy rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous bacteria in the alimentary tract are exposed to various bactericidal peptides and digestive enzymes, but the viability status and morphological changes of indigenous bacteria are unclear. Therefore, the present study aimed to ultrastructurally clarify the degeneration and viability status of indigenous bacteria in the rat intestine. The majority of indigenous bacteria in the ileal mucous layer possessed intact cytoplasm, but the cytoplasm of a few bacteria contained vacuoles. The vacuoles were more frequently found in bacteria of ileal chyme than in those of ileal mucous layer and were found in a large majority of bacteria in both the mucous layer and chyme throughout the large intestine. In the dividing bacteria of the mucous layer and chyme throughout the intestine, the ratio of area occupied by vacuoles was almost always less than 10%. Lysis or detachment of the cell wall in the indigenous bacteria was more frequently found in the large intestine than in the ileum, whereas bacterial remnants, such as cell walls, were distributed almost evenly throughout the intestine. In an experimental control of long-time-cultured Staphylococcus epidermidis on agar, similar vacuoles were also found, but cell-wall degeneration was never observed. From these findings, indigenous bacteria in the mucous layer were ultrastructurally confirmed to be the source of indigenous bacteria in the chyme. Furthermore, the results suggested that indigenous bacteria were more severely degenerated toward the large intestine and were probably degraded in the intestine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which reports on an ultrastructural demonstration of the absorption and transportation of minute chylomicrons by subepithelial blood capillaries (sBCs) in rat jenunal intestinal villi. Findings include the most frequent sizes (MFS) of chylomicrons in areas near sBCs, in epithelial intercellular areas between sBCs and in central lymph vessels (CLV). It describes how chylomicrons are transported to different organs of the villi based on the sizes of the chylomicrons.

The article presents a study on the existence of receptor for the specific antibody-mediated persorption of antigenic molecules and particulates from the small-intestinal lumen into the peripheral blood in the rat small intestine. It discusses the methods used in the study, the absorption of sheep erythrocytes in the intestinal epithelium and the absorption of bovine lactoferrin by apoptotic villous columnar epithelial cells in rats.

The article presents an immunohistochemical and histoplanimetrical study on the spatial link between the settlement of indigenous bacteria and the secretion of bacterial peptides in rat alimentary tract. It notes that a comparison of this secretion with the degree of Gram-positive/negative bacterial colonization throughout the tract was made to make clear the regulatory mechanism by bactericidal peptides secretion. It cites a decline in immunopositive granules for lysozyme and secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) enzymes, in the small intestine. The results are said to indicate the contribution of these enzymes to the regulation of the proliferation of indigenous bacteria in the intervillous spaces of the small intestine.

The article presents an immunohistochemical analysis of phosphatidylserine and thrombospondin on denucleating erythroblasts in rat bone marrow. It says the immunohistological detection of both phosphatidylserine and thrombospondin as phagocytosis-inducing factors in general apoptotic events has confirmed the hypothesis about some roles being played by apoptotic factors in the denucleation of erythroblasts. It notes the detection of both of these factors on the surface of cell membrane of mature erythroblasts, while thrombospondin was also present in more immature erythroblasts. It cites the restriction of the positivities of both on the surface of the cell membrane that encloses the protruding nuclei, during denucleation.

The article presents a study which examined the special sugar expression lectin-histochemically on the fundamental settlement sites of indigenous bacteria throughout the rat alimentary tract. The special sugars were found to be expressed on the most luminal portions of mucosae as exclusive epithelial cell-shedding sites and that sugar expression is different among the various segments of the rat alimentary tract. It is concluded that the site differences might indicate differences in resident bacterial species in the alimentary tract.

The article focuses on one study which examines the regulatory effects of epithelial kinetics on indigenous bacterial proliferation in the large intestine. 30 seven-week old male Wistar rats purchased from Japan was included in the study, in which their epithelial cells in their proximal colon and middle colon were compared. Methods such as immunohistochemical detection, histoplanimetry and statistical analysis were conducted. After data analysis, it was revealed that the lifespan, migration and proliferation rate of epithelial cells were different depending on their location in colon.

The article presents a study that investigates the spatial relationship between mucosal lymphatic follicles (LF) distribution and bacterial colonies expansion across the alimentary tract of 19 male Wistar rats aged 7 weeks. These rats were kept in a normal laboratory housing conditions with access to food and water. Results revealed that the constant binding sites of indigenous bacteria (IB) are areas around the apices of intestinal villi in the small intestine and the most luminal mucosa in the large intestine, which are also the effete epithelial cells' shedding sites at late apoptotic stage. Moreover, the intestinal crypts lumina were filled with IB from cecum to proximal colon, however, no colonization of IB at intestinal crypts in the distal colon and rectum was detected.

The article presents the study on the relationship between the kinetics of villous columnar epithelial cells and the expansion of colonies of indigenous bacteria from the narrow apical portions of intestinal villi was investigated in the small intestine of bromodeoxyuridine administred Wistar rats. According to the result, the lifespan of villous columnar epithelial cells was slightly shorter in the distal ileum than in other portions of rat small intestine. In addition, the expansion of the indigenous bacterial colony from narrow villous apices also immediately shortened the heights of the intestinal villi. The study suggests that the migration speed of villous columnar epithelial cells might contribute to the regulation of the settlement of bacteria.

The metabolic and pharmacokinetic studies on complanatuside, a quality marker of a Chinese materia medicatonic, Semen Astragali Complanati, were carried out. The UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS (ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry) method was applied to identify the metabolites of complanatuside in rat plasma, bile, stool, and urine after oral administration at the dosage of 72 mg/kg. Up to 34 metabolites (parent, 2 metabolites of the parent drug, and 31 metabolites of the degradation products) were observed, including processes of demethylation, hydroxylation, glucuronidation, sulfonation, and dehydration. The results indicated glucuronidation and sulfonation as major metabolic pathways of complanatuside in vivo. Meanwhile, a HPLC-MS method to quantify complanatuside and its two major metabolites—rhamnocitrin 3-O-β-glc and rhamnocitrin—in rat plasma for the pharmacokinetic analysis was developed and validated. The Tmax (time to reach the maximum drug concentration) of the above three compounds were 1 h, 3 h, and 5.3 h, respectively, while the Cmax (maximum plasma concentrations)were 119.15 ng/mL, 111.64 ng/mL, and 1122.18 ng/mL, and AUC(0-t) (area under the plasma concentration-time curve) was 143.52 µg/L·h, 381.73 µg/L·h, and 6540.14 µg/L·h, accordingly. The pharmacokinetic characteristics of complanatuside and its two metabolites suggested that complanatuside rapidly metabolized in vivo, while its metabolites—rhamnocitrin—was the main existent form in rat plasma after oral administration. The results of intracorporal processes, existing forms, and pharmacokinetic characteristics of complanatuside in rats supported its low bioavailability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The changes in the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) before and after recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) treatment and the time point at which the PLR is a potentially valuable prognostic predictor in patients wit ischemic stroke remain largely unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics of the PLR and evaluate their effects on clinical outcomes before and 24 h after rtPA treatment., Methods: This study included 741 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke who underwent intravenous thrombolysis with rtPA. We collected data on demographics, vascular risk factors, medication history, and other clinical information pertaining to all patients. Specifically, blood samples for PLR measurement were collected on admission and 24 h after stroke. The outcome was assessed by using the Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 3 months and whether death occurred within 3 months or not. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association of the PLR with the risks of poor outcome (mRS>2) and death. An individualized prediction model was established to predict poor outcome., Results: Of the 741 patients, 255 (34.4%) had poor outcome, and 43 (5.8%) died. The PLR significantly increased 24 h after rtPA in patients with poor outcome and death. Logistic analysis revealed that higher PLR 24 h after rtPA was independently associated with increased risks of poor outcome and death. However, the PLR on admission was not associated with the risks of poor outcome and death. The individualized prediction model for poor outcome based on the 24-h PLR exhibited favorable discrimination (areas under the curves of the training and validation groups: 0.743 and 0.729, respectively), calibration ( P > 0.05), and clinical usefulness., Conclusions: We found the PLR to be a variable that potentially predicts the risks of poor outcome and death in patients with acute ischemic stroke 24 h after rtPA; however, it cannot make the same prediction on admission., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Sun, Wang, Wang, Sun, Qu, Zhu, Wang, Yan, Jin, Zhang, Yang and Guo.)

Background: In previous studies, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level was a prognostic factor for patients with ischemic stroke, and globulin level was associated with hemorrhagic transformation (HT) after intravenous thrombolysis (IVT). However, the association between these serum biomarkers and prognosis in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) who undergo IVT remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of serum ALP and globulin levels after IVT and to assess the relationship between these serum biomarkers and prognosis., Materials and Methods: This retrospective study used a prospectively collected database. We included patients with AIS who received recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) IVT. Demographic information, vascular risk factors, laboratory test results, and other stroke-related data were collected for analysis. Clinical outcomes included HT and 3-month poor outcome (modified Rankin Scale scores ≥ 2) after IVT. The association of ALP and globulin levels with HT and poor outcome was investigated using multivariate logistic regression analysis. An individualized prediction model based on ALP and globulin levels for functional outcomes was established., Results: We enrolled 750 patients in this study; 452 patients (60.3%) had poor outcome, and 117 patients (15.6%) had HT after IVT. After adjusting for all confounders, serum globulin level [OR = 1.055; 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.006-1.107; P = 0.028] was independently associated with HT in patients with IVT. Serum ALP (OR = 1.009; 95% CI: 1.002-1.016; P = 0.010) and globulin levels (OR = 1.062; 95% CI: 1.020-1.107; P = 0.004) were associated with 3-month poor outcome in these patients. The constructed individualized prediction model for the 3-month poor outcome comprised the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST), history of antihypertensive therapy, ALP and globulin levels. The area under the curve of the training and validation sets were 0.726 and 0.706, respectively, revealing that the model had good discriminating power. The P -values for the Hosmer-Lemeshow test in the training and validation sets were 0.978 and 0.148, respectively, indicating the model had good calibration., Conclusion: This study found that higher serum globulin levels were independently associated with HT. Additionally, higher serum ALP and globulin levels were independently associated with a poor outcome in patients after IVT., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Zhu, Sun, Guo, Qu, Sun, Jin, Wang, Xu and Yang.)

Background and Purpose: Platelet-to-neutrophil ratio (PNR) was suggested to be an independent protective predictor for 90-days outcomes in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients in previous studies. This study aims to investigate the association between PNR and outcomes of AIS in intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) group., Methods: Data on acute ischemic stroke patients who received intravenous thrombolysis from April 2015 to March 2019 were collected. We defined the PNR value at admission as pre-IVT PNR and after IVT within 24 h was defined as post-IVT PNR. Clinical outcome indicators included early neurological deterioration (END), hemorrhagic transformation (HT), delayed neurological deterioration (DND), and poor 3-month outcome (3m-mRS >2)., Results: A total of 581 patients were enrolled in the final analysis. The age was 61(53-69) years, and 423(72.8%) were males. Post-IVT PNR was independently associated with hemorrhagic transformation (OR = 0.974; 95%CI = 0.956-0.992; P=0.006), early neurological deterioration (OR = 0.939; 95%CI = 0.913-0.966; P = 0.01), delayed neurological deterioration (OR = 0.949; 95%CI = 0.912- 0.988; P = 0.011), and poor outcome (OR = 0.962; 95%CI = 0.948-0.976; P<0.001). PNR level was identified as high (at the cut-off value or above) or low (below the cut-off value) according to receiver operating curve (ROC) analyses on each endpoint. Comparison of early neurological deterioration, hemorrhagic transformation, delayed neurological deterioration, and poor 3-month outcome (3m-mRS >2) between patients at high and low levels for platelet-to-neutrophil ratio (PNR) showed statistical differences (p<0.001)., Conclusion: Post-IVT PNR was independently associated with early neurological deterioration, hemorrhagic transformation, delayed neurological deterioration, and poor 3-month outcome. Lower PNR can predict a worse outcome., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

The metabolic and pharmacokinetic studies on complanatuside, a quality marker of a Chinese materia medicatonic, Semen Astragali Complanati , were carried out. The UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS (ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry) method was applied to identify the metabolites of complanatuside in rat plasma, bile, stool, and urine after oral administration at the dosage of 72 mg/kg. Up to 34 metabolites (parent, 2 metabolites of the parent drug, and 31 metabolites of the degradation products) were observed, including processes of demethylation, hydroxylation, glucuronidation, sulfonation, and dehydration. The results indicated glucuronidation and sulfonation as major metabolic pathways of complanatuside in vivo. Meanwhile, a HPLC-MS method to quantify complanatuside and its two major metabolites-rhamnocitrin 3- O -β-glc and rhamnocitrin-in rat plasma for the pharmacokinetic analysis was developed and validated. The T max (time to reach the maximum drug concentration) of the above three compounds were 1 h, 3 h, and 5.3 h, respectively, while the C max (maximum plasma concentrations)were 119.15 ng/mL, 111.64 ng/mL, and 1122.18 ng/mL, and AUC(0-t) (area under the plasma concentration-time curve) was 143.52 µg/L·h, 381.73 µg/L·h, and 6540.14 µg/L·h, accordingly. The pharmacokinetic characteristics of complanatuside and its two metabolites suggested that complanatuside rapidly metabolized in vivo, while its metabolites-rhamnocitrin-was the main existent form in rat plasma after oral administration. The results of intracorporal processes, existing forms, and pharmacokinetic characteristics of complanatuside in rats supported its low bioavailability.