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Objective·To explore the value of miR-499 expression levels in the serum of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in predicting the severity of coronary artery disease.Methods·Seventy-four patients with ACS admitted to Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine were included and divided into a mild group of 30 cases, a moderate group of 21 cases, and a severe group of 23 cases according to the Gensini score. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) technology was used to detect the expression level of serum miR-499, while troponin (cTnI), creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB), myoglobin (Mb), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and other laboratory indicators were measured. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between the expression level of miR-499 and Gensini score, as well as the number of vessel branches in coronary artery disease. The evaluation value of miR-499 in assessing the severity of coronary artery disease was analyzed by using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results·The expression level of miR-499 increased with the severity of coronary artery disease (P=0.000). The expression level of miR-499 was positively correlated with Gensini score and cTnI (r=0.331, r=0.143, P0.05), while Gensini score was not correlated with cTnI and LVEF (P>0.05). ROC analysis showed that the AUC of miR-499 for assessing the severity of coronary artery disease was 0.802 (95% CI 0.698‒0.906), with sensitivity of 65.2% and specificity of 80.4%. The expression level of miR-499 increased with the increase of the number of coronary artery lesions, and was positively correlated with the number of coronary artery lesions (r=0.368, P

Traceability is an important tool in the harmonization and standardization of reporting laboratory results, making them comparable across measurement systems. Driven by International Standardization Organization (ISO) 15189 accreditation requirements, medical laboratories have entered the era of metrological traceability. Although calibrators are a key component in the entire metrological traceability system, there is controversy over internal quality control (IQC) materials. It has been proposed that trueness materials supplied by the system's manufacturer with metrological traceability can be used to confirm that the performance of the measuring system is properly unbiased. This article focuses on the implementation challenges and operational hurdles of applying traceability concepts to IQC materials for trueness verification in medical laboratories regarding the most recent 2022 edition of ISO 15189 standard requirements for IQC and metrological traceability. There are practical considerations concerning the acquiring of IQC materials. We must acknowledge the limitations and restrictions that manufacturers and laboratories face before the recommendations can be applied in routine practices.

Abstract Background Antibiotics biosynthesis is usually regulated by the cluster-situated regulatory gene(s) (CSRG(s)), which directly regulate the genes within the corresponding biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC). Previously, we have demonstrated that LmbU functions as a cluster-situated regulator (CSR) of lincomycin. And it has been found that LmbU regulates twenty non-lmb genes through comparative transcriptomic analysis. However, the regulatory mode of CSRs’ targets outside the BGC remains unknown. Results We screened the targets of LmbU in the whole genome of Streptomyces lincolnensis and found fourteen candidate targets, among which, eight targets can bind to LmbU by electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA). Reporter assays in vivo revealed that LmbU repressed the transcription of SLINC_0469 and SLINC_1037 while activating the transcription of SLINC_8097. In addition, disruptions of SLINC_0469, SLINC_1037, and SLINC_8097 promoted the production of lincomycin, and qRT-PCR showed that SLINC_0469, SLINC_1037, and SLINC_8097 inhibited transcription of the lmb genes, indicating that all the three regulators can negatively regulate lincomycin biosynthesis. Conclusions LmbU can directly regulate genes outside the lmb cluster, and these genes can affect both lincomycin biosynthesis and the transcription of lmb genes. Our results first erected the cascade regulatory circuit of LmbU and regulators outside lmb cluster, which provides the theoretical basis for the functional research of LmbU family proteins.

Diabetic retinopathy(DR)is a neurovascular disease caused by the neurovascular unit(NVU)impairment. Immune imbalance and inflammation are key factors that affect the normal function of NVU and lead to the progression of DR. Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)inflammasome is indicated as an important component of the inflammatory response, and it can identify endogenous danger signals, leading to the activation of caspase-1 and then activating a series of inflammatory cytokines and pyroptosis. Early activation of inflammasome maintains and promotes innate immunity against bacterial and viral infections, while excessive inflammasome activation results in excessive expression and ongoing action of inflammatory proteins, which in turn triggers off immune disorders and an inflammatory cascade that seriously harms the body. This review summarizes the recent research progress on the mechanism of NLRP3 inflammasome in NVU impairment of DR, including the related drugs targeting NLRP3 pathways.

Helicobacter pylori is a common gram-negative bacterium, which is associated with a variety of gastroenteric diseases, such as gastritis, duodenal ulcer and gastric cancer. Recent studies suggested a potential role of Helicobacter pylori in the pathogenesis of common ocular diseases, such as central serous chorioretinopathy, glaucoma, anterior uveitis and ocular adnexal lymphoma. Helicobacter pylori might affect the pathophysiological process of ocular diseases through oxidative damage, circulatory disorders and immune injury. Some studies also suggested that eradication of Helicobacter pylori had certain effects on some ocular diseases. This review aims to summarize current evidence of the Helicobacter pylori in the pathogenesis of common ocular diseases, so as to encourage innovative approaches in the prevention and treatment of these ocular diseases.

Painful neuropathy is present in 13% to 35% of diabetic patients, and the reasons for the differential clinical manifestations of painful and painless diabetic neuropathy (DNP) in diabetic patients are unclear. This review focuses on the latest clinical advances. It is observed that gender, diabetes type, glycosylated hemoglobin, and blood lipid levels have certain predictive effects on painful DNP. Clinical attention should be paid to pain and paresthesia caused by small fiber neuropathy. Existing diagnostic Methods have limited differential effect, and active drug treatment is required after the diagnosis of painful DNP is confirmed. Further research on the pathogenesis of painful DNP is required in order to find new therapeutic target.

The crystal phase, alongside the composition, morphology, architecture, facet, size, and dimensionality, has been recognized as a critical factor influencing the properties of noble metal nanomaterials in various applications. In particular, unconventional crystal phases can potentially enable fascinating properties in noble metal nanomaterials. Recent years have witnessed notable advances in the phase engineering of nanomaterials (PEN). Within the accessible strategies for phase engineering, the effect of strain cannot be ignored because strain can act not only as the driving force of phase transition but also as the origin of the diverse physicochemical properties of the unconventional crystal phase. In this review, we highlight the development of unconventional crystal-phase noble metal nanomaterials within strain engineering. We begin with a short introduction of the unconventional crystal phase and strain effect in noble metal nanomaterials. Next, the correlations of the structure and performance of strain-engineered unconventional crystal-phase noble metal nanomaterials in electrocatalysis are highlighted, as well as the phase transitions of noble metal nanomaterials induced by the strain effect. Lastly, the challenges and opportunities within this rapidly developing field (i.e., the strain engineering of unconventional crystal-phase noble metal nanocatalysts) are discussed.

This paper investigates the optimization of the inner thermal layout in nanofluid-filled horizontal annular pipes under natural convection conditions. Two-dimensional models of annular pipes are established using a numerical simulation approach. Then, using this as the simulation tool, the layouts of single-, triple-, and quadruple-heat-source annular pipes are optimized. The coordinates of the inner cylinders are defined as the decision variables, and the average Nusselt number (Nu) on the cold wall surface as the objective function. For the single-cylinder model, both the Bayesian optimization algorithm (BOA) and the genetic algorithm (GA) derive the same results: an axisymmetric layout where the single heat source is positioned slightly above the axis of the annulus. However, the BOA takes much less computational time than the GA and, consequently, is chosen for cases with more complex geometry. The optimization layout of the three-cylinder model also shows an axisymmetric distribution, while the result for the four-cylinder model presents a centrally symmetric distribution. Compared to the original average Nu, the optimized ones are enhanced by 17.83%, 8.36%, and 6.18% for single-, triple-, and quadruple-heat-source annular pipes, respectively. The results of this study can be used for guiding the layout design and optimization of the nanofluid-filled exchangers with multi-inner heat sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes, but the mechanism remains unclear. Recent studies have shown that inflammation may play a critical role in the development and progression of diabetic neuropathy. In the chronic low-grade inflammatory state of diabetes, the inflammatory signaling pathways in neurons and their surrounding cells are activated and interact with the released inflammatory factors to promote the occurrence of diabetic neuropathy. Advances in the understanding of inflammatory mechanism will facilitate the discovery of the potential therapeutic targets for the development of diabetic neuropathy.