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Background and Aims: Accurate preoperative prediction of microvascular invasion (MVI) and recurrence‐free survival (RFS) is vital for personalised hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) management. We developed a multitask deep learning model to predict MVI and RFS using preoperative MRI scans. Methods: Utilising a retrospective dataset of 725 HCC patients from seven institutions, we developed and validated a multitask deep learning model focused on predicting MVI and RFS. The model employs a transformer architecture to extract critical features from preoperative MRI scans. It was trained on a set of 234 patients and internally validated on a set of 58 patients. External validation was performed using three independent sets (n = 212, 111, 110). Results: The multitask deep learning model yielded high MVI prediction accuracy, with AUC values of 0.918 for the training set and 0.800 for the internal test set. In external test sets, AUC values were 0.837, 0.815 and 0.800. Radiologists' sensitivity and inter‐rater agreement for MVI prediction improved significantly when integrated with the model. For RFS, the model achieved C‐index values of 0.763 in the training set and ranged between 0.628 and 0.728 in external test sets. Notably, PA‐TACE improved RFS only in patients predicted to have high MVI risk and low survival scores (p <.001). Conclusions: Our deep learning model allows accurate MVI and survival prediction in HCC patients. Prospective studies are warranted to assess the clinical utility of this model in guiding personalised treatment in conjunction with clinical criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

4H‐SiC based devices have garnered significant interest within the realm of high‐voltage and high‐frequency electronic equipment. Schottky barrier heights (SBHs) play a pivotal role in determining the properties of metal/4H‐SiC contacts and holding significance for electrical performance of 4H‐SiC devices. Herein, the first‐principles method is utilized to investigate the interface properties between various metals (Sc, Mg, Zr, Ag, Al, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ni, Au, Ir, and Pt) and 4H‐SiC. The results reveal an approximate linear relationship between SBH and work function of these metals. Fermi‐level pinning factors are determined to be 0.27 and 0.32 for the Si‐face and C‐face interfaces, respectively. The disparity in pinning factors arises from polarization differences between the two interfaces, which stem from uneven net charge distribution on the Si‐face and C‐face. Meanwhile, the SBH values indicate a strong pinning effect, due to the charge transfer occurring at the metal/4H‐SiC interface. Through further analysis of layer density and differential charge density, the interatomic interaction and charge transfer between metal and SiC atoms are analyzed. This work offers fundamental insights into the structural changes in metal/4H‐SiC interfaces and provides valuable guidance in the potential prediction and optimization of device performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the development of spinal endoscopic techniques, on the basis of our previous experience in treating various types of cervical disc herniation with this endoscopic technique, we took the lead in applying the percutaneous fully endoscopic anterior transcorporeal procedure to be utilized in the treatment of the isolated cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL). Case Presentation: A 66‐year‐old male patient who weighed 57 kg, with a height of 169 cm was admitted to the hospital on September 16, 2021 because of recurrent pain and numbness in the neck, shoulder, and right arm for 2 years, which as aggravated for the last 2 weeks. Two years ago, the patient developed neck and shoulder pain accompanied by right arm pain without obvious predisposing factors, and numbness in the first web space of the right hand. In the last 2 weeks, he had difficulty moving the right arm, but no pain or numbness in the contralateral arm. MRI and CT scans demonstrated that the ossified posterior longitudinal ligament of the cervical 5/6 vertebrae with spinal canal stenosis and seriously compressed the spinal cord patient was treated with a percutaneous fully endoscopic anterior transcorporeal procedure. Conclusion: Our percutaneous fully endoscopic anterior transcorporeal procedure is a feasible, minimally invasive surgery for treating isolated ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament in the cervical spine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to reveal immunophenotypes associated with immunotherapy response in bladder cancer, identify the signature genes of immune subtypes, and provide new molecular targets for improving immunotherapy response. Methods: Bladder cancer immunophenotypes were characterized in the bulk RNA sequencing dataset GSE32894 and Imvigor210, and gene expression signatures were established to identify the immunophenotypes. Expression of gene signatures were validated in single‐cell RNA sequencing dataset GSE145140 and human proteins expression data source. Investigation of Immunotherapy Response was performed in IMvigor210 dataset. Prognosis of tumor immunophenotypes was further analyzed. Results: Inflamed and immune‐excluded immunophenotypes were characterized based on the tumor immune cell scores. Risk score models that were established rely on RNA sequencing profiles and overall survival of bladder cancer cohorts. The inflamed tumors had lower risk scores, and the low‐risk tumors were more likely to respond to atezolizumab, receiving complete response/partial response (CR/PR). Patients who responded to atezolizumab had higher SRRM4 and lower NPHS1 and TMEM72 expression than the non‐responders. SRRM4 expression was a protective factor for bladder cancer prognosis, while the NPHS1 and TMEM72 showed the opposite pattern. Conclusion: This study provided a novel classification method for tumor immunophenotypes. Bladder cancer immunophenotypes can predict the response to immune checkpoint blockade. The immunophenotypes can be identified by the expression of signature genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distinctive hydrophobic hydration effect in the aqueous solution contributes to the success of the phospha‐Michael reaction between β‐CF3‐β,β‐disubstituted enones and diarylphosphine oxides, providing an access to biologically relevant γ‐ketophosphine oxides bearing a sterically highly congested CF3‐ and P(O)‐tetrasubstituted carbon center. More importantly, the resulting products could be further transformed into densely functionalized γ‐ketophosphine oxides containing a CF3‐ and P(O)‐tetrasubstituted carbon center. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Bone metabolism can be influenced by a range of factors. We selected children with self‐limited epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (SeLECTS) and lifestyles similar to those of healthy children to control for the confounding factors that may influence bone metabolism. We aimed to identify the specific effects of epilepsy and/or anti‐seizure medications (ASMs) on bone metabolism. Methods: Patients with SeLECTS were divided into an untreated group and a monotherapy group, and the third group was a healthy control group. We determined the levels of various biochemical markers of bone metabolism, including procollagen type I nitrogenous propeptide (PINP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteocalcin (OC), collagen type I cross‐linked C‐telopeptide (CTX), calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and vitamin D3 (VD3). Results: A total of 1487 patients (from 19 centers) were diagnosed with SeLECTS; 1032 were analyzed, including 117 patients who did not receive any ASMs (untreated group), 643 patients who received only one ASM (monotherapy group), and 272 children in the healthy control group. Except for VD3, other bone metabolism of the three groups were different (p <.001). Bone metabolism was significantly lower in the untreated group than the healthy control group (p <.05). There were significant differences between the monotherapy and healthy control group in the level of many markers. However, when comparing the monotherapy and untreated groups, the results were different; oxcarbazepine, levetiracetam, and topiramate had no significant effect on bone metabolism. Phosphorus and magnesium were significantly lower in the valproic acid group than the untreated group (adjusted p <.05, Cliff's delta.282–.768). CTX was significantly higher in the lamotrigine group than in the untreated group (adjusted p =.012, Cliff's delta =.316). Significance: Epilepsy can affect many aspects of bone metabolism. After controlling epilepsy and other confounders that affect bone metabolism, we found that the effects of ASMs on bone metabolism differed. Oxcarbazepine, levetiracetam, and topiramate did not affect bone metabolism, and lamotrigine corrected some of the abnormal markers of bone metabolism in patients with epilepsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expansive soil is a kind of special soil that mainly composes of hydrophilic minerals and has significant deformation characteristics of water absorption expansion and water loss shrinkage. The characteristics often bring great harms to engineering construction. Relying on the bridge foundation on the expansive soil slope of the Yangtze‐to‐Huaihe Water Diversion Project, this study simulates the humidity field with temperature field for expansive soil using the numerical simulation method when short‐term or long‐term rainfall occurs during slope excavation. The horizontal deformation of bridge foundation on expansive soil slope considering four factors such as self‐weight of slope soil, excavation unloading rebound, hygroscopic expansion of expansive soil, and decrease of soil strength caused by change of water content was studied herein. The research results show that during the excavation process, the bridge foundation produces a horizontal displacement towards the top of the slope, and the rainfall after excavation introduces a decrease to the horizontal displacement of the bridge foundation and gradually develops in the opposite direction. During the excavation process, the rebound of slope excavation is the main factor affecting the horizontal displacement of the bridge foundation. Under short‐term rainfall conditions, the hygroscopic expansion of the slope soil becomes the main influencing factor. Under long‐term rainfall conditions, the main influencing factors of horizontal deformation of bridge foundation are the self‐weight of slope soil and the decrease of soil's strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water contamination caused by highly toxic Cr(VI) should be resolved imminently with a more efficient photocatalytic approach. The interaction between photocatalyst heterostructure is critical for charge separation which largely affects the photocatalytic efficiency. Herein, TiO2 hollow sphere/UiO‐66‐NH2 (TiO2/UiO‐66‐NH2) heterostructures were successfully synthesized by an adsorption‐induced in‐situ solvothermal growth strategy. The UiO‐66‐NH2 particles were well dispersed on TiO2 hollow spheres by solvothermal treatment of Zr4+ adsorbed TiO2 hollow spheres with NH2‐BDC ligand. The photocatalytic activities of TiO2/UiO‐66‐NH2 heterostructures were investigated by reduction of Cr(VI) with visible light irradiation. With the introduction of UiO‐66‐NH2, the reduction efficiency toward Cr(VI) by TiO2/UiO‐66‐NH2 heterostructures reached 89% after 180 min of irradiation, which is much higher than those of TiO2 hollow spheres (10%) and UiO‐66‐NH2 crystals (29%). Moreover, the TiO2/UiO‐66‐NH2 heterostructures display good regeneration ability and can still maintain 70% of Cr(VI) removal ability after four cycles. The integration of TiO2 and UiO‐66‐NH2 could construct a type‐II heterojunction to broaden the absorption range of light and suppress the recombination of photoproduced electrons and holes. As a result, such unique composite structure significantly enhance the photocatalytic performance towards Cr(VI) reduction. This work not only inspires a new approach for in‐situ solvothermal synthesis of semiconductor@MOFs composites, but provides a novel photocatalyst for highly efficient removal of Cr(VI) from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bladder cancer (BC) is a common cancer worldwide with a high prevalence. This study was conducted to elucidate the expression and clinical significance of Sorbin and SH3 domain‐containing protein 1 (SORBS1) in BC as well as to explore its molecular mechanism in BC tumourigenesis. RNA‐sequencing data, microarray, and Immunohistochemistry (IHC) were applied to elucidated the SORBS1 expression at multiple levels. After that, the relationship between tumour‐immune infiltration and SORBS1 was also explored. Finally, SORBS1‐related genes in BC were identified to perform functional enrichment analyses. The expression integration revealed that the comprehensive expression of SORBS1 at the mRNA level was −1.02 and that at the protein level was −3.73, based on 12 platforms, including 1221 BC and 187 non‐BC samples. SORBS1 was negatively correlated with tumour purity (correlation = −0.342, p < 0.001) and positively correlated with macrophage (correlation = 0.358, p < 0.001). The results of enrichment analyses revealed that the most significant biological pathways of SORBS1‐related genes were epithelial‐mesenchymal transition. SORBS1 was significantly down‐regulated in BC and may play a role as tumour suppressor. This study provides new directions and biomarkers for future BC diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick‐borne disease with a high case fatality rate. Few studies have been performed on bacterial or fungal coinfections or the effect of antibiotic therapy. A retrospective, observational study was performed to assess the prevalence of bacterial and fungal coinfections in patients hospitalized for SFTSV infection. The most commonly involved microorganisms and the effect of antimicrobial therapy were determined by the site and source of infection. A total of 1201 patients hospitalized with SFTSV infection were included; 359 (29.9%) had microbiologically confirmed infections, comprised of 292 with community‐acquired infections (CAIs) and 67 with healthcare‐associated infections (HAIs). Death was independently associated with HAIs, with a more significant effect than that observed for CAIs. For bacterial infections, only those acquired in hospitals were associated with fatal outcomes, while fungal infection, whether acquired in hospital or community, was related to an increased risk of fatal outcomes. The infections in the respiratory tract and bloodstream were associated with a higher risk of death than that in the urinary tract. Both antibiotic and antifungal treatments were associated with improved survival for CAIs, while for HAIs, only antibiotic therapy was related to improved survival, and no effect from antifungal therapy was observed. Early administration of glucocorticoids was associated with an increased risk of HAIs. The study provided novel clinical and epidemiological data and revealed risk factors, such as bacterial coinfections, fungal coinfections, infection sources, and treatment strategies associated with SFTS deaths/survival. This report might be helpful in curing SFTS and reducing fatal SFTS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pituitary stalk interruption syndrome (PSIS), characterized by thinning or disappearance of the pituitary stalk, hypoplasia of the anterior pituitary, and an ectopic posterior pituitary, can lead to congenital combined pituitary hormone deficiency. There is a high prevalence of various metabolic disorders, including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), in this population. Objective: To investigate the characteristics of NAFLD in Chinese adult patients with PSIS and its association with growth hormone deficiency. Design: Retrospective cross‐sectional study in a tertiary referral center of China. Patients: Adult patients with PSIS diagnosed, followed up between September 2019 and August 2021, were consecutively enrolled. Measurements: Abdominal ultrasonography images were evaluated and noninvasive fibrosis scores were determined to assess the severity of NAFLD. Anthropometric, clinical, and biochemical parameters were compared between patients with and without NAFLD. Logistic regression was performed to assess the independent effects of insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) on NAFLD. Results: A total of 93 patients (77 men, 16 women, mean age: 29.6 ± 7.1 years) were included. The prevalence of NAFLD and advanced fibrosis/cirrhosis was 50.5% and 4.3%, respectively. Insufficient hormone therapy and prominent metabolic disorders, including central obesity, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome, were more common in the NAFLD (+) group. After adjusting for multiple variables, IGF‐1 <−2 standard deviation score (SDS) was found to be associated with an increased prevalence of NAFLD (odds ratio [OR]: 4.92, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.21–24.55, p =.035). Per 1 SDS increase in IGF‐1 was associated with a 27% lower risk of NAFLD (OR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.52–0.97, p =.042). Conclusion: NAFLD is a frequent comorbidity among Chinese adult patients with PSIS and is strongly associated with lower IGF‐1 levels. Timely and appropriate hormone replacement, particularly growth hormone may contribute to decreasing the risk of NAFLD in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytochrome P450 26A1 (CYP26A1) plays a vital role in early pregnancy in mice. Our previous studies have found that CYP26A1 affects embryo implantation by modulating natural killer (NK) cells, and that there is a novel population of CYP26A1+ NK cells in the uteri of pregnant mice. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of CYP26A1 on the subsets and killing activity of NK cells. Through single‐cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‐seq), we identified four NK cell subsets in the uterus, namely, conventional NK (cNK), tissue‐resident NK (trNK) 1 and 2, and proliferating trNK (trNKp). The two most variable subpopulations after uterine knockdown of CYP26A1 were trNKp and trNK2 cells. CYP26A1 knockdown significantly downregulated the expression of the NK cell function‐related genes Cd44, Cd160, Vegfc, and Slamf6 in trNK2 cells, and Klra17 and Ogn in trNKp cells. Both RNA‐seq and cytotoxicity assays confirmed that CYP26A1+ NK cells had low cytotoxicity. These results indicate that CYP26A1 may affect the immune microenvironment at the maternal‐foetal interface by regulating the activity of NK cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenge to improve the clinical efficacy and enlarge the population that benefits from immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is significant. Based on whole‐exosome sequencing analysis of biopsies from NSCLC patients before anti‐programmed cell death protein‐2 (PD‐1) treatment, we identified NLRP4 mutations in the responders with a longer progression‐free survival (PFS). Knockdown of NLRP4 in mouse Lewis lung cancer cell line enhanced interferon (IFN)‐α/β production through the cGAS‐STING‐IRF3/IRF7 axis and promoted the accumulation of intratumoral CD8+ T cells, leading to tumor growth retardation in vivo and a synergistic effect with anti‐PD‐ligand 1 therapy. This was consistent with clinical observations that more tumor‐infiltrating CD8+ T cells and elevated peripheral IFN‐α before receiving nivolumab treatment were associated with a longer PFS in NSCLC patients. Our study highlights the roles of tumor‐intrinsic NLRP4 in remodeling the immune contextures in the tumor microenvironment, making regional type I IFN beneficial for ICI treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interparticle spacing of a heterostructure is a crucial factor affecting electron transfer (ET) process. Herein, binary nanoparticle superlattices (BNSLs) composed of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) and Au nanoclusters (NCs) are prepared. Steady‐state and time‐resolved spectra illustrate that the ET accelerates as the pressure increases because pressure effectively adjusts the interparticle spacing. The results also demonstrate that the trap state of the CdSe/ZnS QDs affects the ET process of BNSLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Prepregnancy obesity is an epidemic disorder that seriously threatens both maternal and offspring health. This study investigated the effects of β3-adrenergic receptor (β3-AR) activation on the perinatal outcomes in a diet-induced prepregnancy obese (PPO) murine model.Methods: Four-week-old female C57BL/6 mice were fed high-fat diet or chow diet for 16 weeks to yield PPO mice and chow-fed (CF) lean mice, respectively. After successful mating with CF males, the PPO and CF mice were both randomly divided into vehicle control- or CL316,243 (a highly selective β3-AR agonist)-treated groups. On gestational day 7, subcutaneous infusion of CL316,243 or saline vehicle (1 mg/kg/d) was provided using osmotic pumps. The perinatal outcomes, adipose tissue morphology, and metabolic and inflammatory markers were examined.Results: Chronic β3-AR agonist infusion induced brown adipose tissue activation and white adipose tissue browning and countered obesity-induced alterations in lipid profiles, insulin resistance, and systemic and local inflammatory states. Moreover, β3-AR activation was associated with improved placental perfusion and offspring outcomes.Conclusions: Our results provide proof-of-principle evidence that pharmacological β3-AR activation may be of therapeutic potential in preventing prepregnancy-obesity-associated adverse maternal and offspring perinatal outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The internal structure of oceanic crusts is not well understood due to the limitation of deep drilling. However, that of ophiolites, i.e., on‐land ancient analogs of oceanic lithosphere, could be precisely mapped and measured. The Xigaze ophiolite in Tibet has been regarded as "peculiar", due to the sheeted sill complex in its upper crust, and non‐sheeted diabase sills/dikes crosscutting its mantle and lower crust, which are geometrically different from the primarily vertical sheeted dike complex. Based on extensive field observations, here we present petrological and geochemical data for the Xigaze ophiolite to decipher the origin of sheeted sill complex and its implications for the construction of oceanic crusts. Diabases in the Xigaze ophiolite could be subdivided into sheeted sills, Group 1 non‐sheeted dikes, and Group 2 non‐sheeted sills, based on their orientations. These diabases cut other lithologies, and hence belong to the latest‐stage products. Based on petrological, geochemical, and structural data, we highlight the important role of detachment fault in the generation of sheeted and non‐sheeted sills. During the formation of oceanic crust, large block exhumation, multi‐stage rotations, and foundering are argued here as key mechanisms for the generation of Xigaze sheeted and non‐sheeted dikes/sills, all of which are in the evolution of detachment fault systems. These processes are also not uncommon for asymmetrical segments at modern slow‐spreading and ultraslow‐spreading ridges, but are rare at symmetrical segments. Due to the evolution of detachment fault, the internal structures of (ultra)slow‐spreading ridges are more complex than those at fast‐spreading ridges. Key Points: The Xigaze ophiolite develops the peculiar sheeted sill complex, which is geometrically different from sheeted dike complexGeneration of sheeted sills is controlled by block exhumation, rotation, and foundering, which are associated with detachment faultsConstruction of slower‐spreading oceanic crusts is quite complex, and directly controlled by the evolution of detachment faults [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A general and efficient photocatalytic annulation‐carbohalogenation of 1,7‐enynes with a wide variety of alkyl halides was reported, which led to the atom‐economic synthesis of functionalized 3,4‐dihydronaphthalen‐1(2H)‐ones with good yields and high stereoselectivity under the mild and oxidant‐free conditions. The reaction demonstrated remarkable compatibility regarding alkyl halides as bifunctional reagents, such as ethyl 2‐bromo‐2,2‐difluoroacetate, ethyl 2,2‐difluoro‐2‐iodoacetate, perfluorobutyl iodide, bromotrichloromethane, and diethyl 2‐bromomalonate, and enabled wide substrate scope, high functional group tolerance, and 100% atom utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clinicopathological implication and prospective molecular mechanisms of miRNA‐145‐5p in the metastasis of prostate cancer (PCa) stand unclear. Herein, it is found that miRNA‐145‐5p expression was remarkably reduced in 131 cases of metastatic PCa than 1371 cases of localised ones, as the standardised mean differences (SMD) was −1.26 and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.86, based on miRNA‐chip and miRNA‐sequencing datasets. The potential targets of miRNA‐145‐5p in metastatic PCa (n = 414) was achieved from the intersection of miRNA‐145‐5p transfected metastatic PCa cell line data, differential expression of metastatic PCa upregulated genes and online prediction databases. TOP2A was screened as one of the target hub genes by PPI network analysis, which was adversely related to miRNA‐145‐5p expression in both metastatic PCa (r = −0.504) and primary PCa (r = −0.281). Gene‐chip and RNA‐sequencing datasets, as well as IHC performed on clinical PCa samples, showed consistent upregulated expression of TOP2A mRNA and protein in PCa compared with non‐PCa. The expression of TOP2A mRNA was also significantly higher in metastatic than localised PCa with the SMD being 1.72 and the AUC of sROC being 0.91. In summary, miRNA‐145‐5p may participate in PCa metastasis by binding TOP2A and be useful as a biomarker for the detection of metastatic PCa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The lack of access to public transport is generally considered to be a risk factor for childhood obesity by discouraging active transport and thus physical activity. To explore the association between access to public transport and childhood obesity, we have conducted a systematic literature search in the Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Web of Science for studies published before January 1, 2019. A total of 25 cross‐sectional and two longitudinal studies conducted in 10 countries were identified. Inconsistent findings were identified arising from a great variety of sample characteristics, definitions of exposure (ie, access to public transport), and outcome variables (eg, obesity), and analysis methods. While over half of the studies showed null associations between access to public transport and childhood obesity, we have observed more positive than negative associations among the rest of the studies. These observations suggest that an increased level of access to public transport may have a health‐promoting effect and hence prevent the development of childhood obesity. However, this conclusion needs to be further corroborated in future research on the basis of large‐sample health surveys, in situ observations, and comparative analyses among different study areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyp26a1 had important roles in mouse embryo implantation and was highly expressed in some of NK cells at the human maternal‐foetal interface in early pregnancy. However, the regulatory effect of Cyp26a1 on NK cells remains poorly understood. Through qPCR and flow cytometric assays, we found that Cyp26a1 was expressed by mouse uterine NK cells but not spleen NK cells during the peri‐implantation period and there was a group of NK cells that highly expressed Cyp26a1, that is Cyp26a1+NK cell subset. single cell‐population transcriptome sequencing on Cyp26a1+NK and Cyp26a1−NK cell subsets was performed. We found that there were 3957 differentially expressed genes in the Cyp26a1+NK cell subset with a cut‐off of fold change ≥2 and FDR < 0.01, 2509 genes were up‐regulated and 1448 genes were down‐regulated in Cyp26a1+NK cell subset. Moreover, cytokine‐cytokine receptor interaction signalling pathway and natural killer cell–mediated cytotoxicity signalling pathway were enriched according to KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. We further found that the expression of Gzma and Klrg1 was significantly increased and Fcgr4 was significantly decreased when inhibiting Cyp26a1. Our experimental results show that there is a novel NK cell subset of Cyp26a1+NK cells in mouse uterus and Cyp26a1 can regulate the gene expression of Gzma, Klrg1 and Fcgr4 in the Cyp26a1+NK cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of stable heterometallic Fe2M cluster‐based MOFs (NNU‐31‐M, M=Co, Ni, Zn) photocatalysts are presented. They can achieve the overall conversion of CO2 and H2O into HCOOH and O2 without the assistance of additional sacrificial agent and photosensitizer. The heterometallic cluster units and photosensitive ligands excited by visible light generate separated electrons and holes. Then, low‐valent metal M accepts electrons to reduce CO2, and high‐valent Fe uses holes to oxidize H2O. This is the first MOF photocatalyst system to finish artificial photosynthetic full reaction. It is noted that NNU‐31‐Zn exhibits the highest HCOOH yield of 26.3 μmol g−1 h−1 (selectivity of ca. 100 %). Furthermore, the DFT calculations based on crystal structures demonstrate the photocatalytic reaction mechanism. This work proposes a new strategy for how to design crystalline photocatalyst to realize artificial photosynthetic overall reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Aims: To develop and validate a novel score for prediction of 3‐month functional outcome in neurocritically ill patients. Methods: The development of the novel score was based on two widely used scores for general critical illnesses (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II, APACHE II; Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, SAPS II) and consideration of the characteristics of neurocritical illness. Data from consecutive patients admitted to neurological ICU (N‐ICU) between January 2013 and June 2016 were used for the validation. The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was used to evaluate 3‐month functional outcomes. APACHE II scores, SAPS II scores, and our novel scores at 24 hours and 72 hours in N‐ICU were obtained. We compared the prognostic performance of our score with APACHE II and SAPS II. Results: We developed a 44‐point scoring system named the INCNS score, and it includes 19 items which were categorized into five parts: inflammation (I), nutrition (N), consciousness (C), neurological function (N), and systemic function (S). We validated the INCNS score with a cohort of 941 N‐ICU patients. The 72‐hours INCNS score achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.828 (95% CI: 0.802‐0.854), and the 24‐hours INCNS score achieved an AUC of 0.788 (95% CI: 0.759‐0.817). The INCNS score exhibited significantly better discriminative and prognostic performance than APACHE II and SAPS II at both 24 hours and 72 hours in N‐ICU. Conclusion: We developed an INCNS score with superior predictive power for functional outcome of neurocritically ill patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of blood oxygen level-dependent magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-MRI) to evaluate visceral adipose tissue (VAT) oxygenation in Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats and its associations with systemic metaflammation.Methods: Five-week-old ZDF rats and Zucker lean (ZL) rats were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 18 weeks. A baseline BOLD-MRI scan of perirenal adipose tissue was performed after 8 weeks of HFD feeding, and then the rats were randomized to receive pioglitazone or a vehicle for the following 10 weeks. At sacrifice, BOLD-MRI scan, Hypoxyprobe-1 injection, and circulating T helper 17 (Th17), regulatory T (Treg) cells, and monocyte subtype flow cytometry analysis were performed.Results: HFD feeding led to a significant increase in VAT BOLD-MRI R2* signals (20.14 ± 0.23 per second vs. 21.53 ± 0.20 per second; P = 0.012), an indicator for decreased oxygenation. R2* signal was significantly correlated with VAT pimonidazole adduct-positive area, insulin resistance, Th17 and Treg cells, CD43 + and CD43+ + monocyte subtypes, and VAT macrophage infiltration. Pioglitazone treatment improved the insulin resistance and was associated with a delayed progression of VAT oxygenation.Conclusions: This work demonstrated the feasibility of BOLD-MRI for detecting the VAT oxygenation status in ZDF rats, and the BOLD-MRI signals were associated with insulin resistance and systemic metaflammation in ZDF rats during the development of obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytochrome P450 26A1 (CYP26A1) plays important roles in the mice peri‐implantation period. Inhibiting its expression or function leads to pregnancy failure. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms involved, especially the relationship between CYP26A1 and immune cells. In this study, using Cyp26a1‐specific antisense morpholigos (Cyp26a1‐MO) knockdown mice model and pCR3.1‐Cyp26a1 vaccine mice model, we found that the number of uterine CD45+CD11c+MHCIIlo‐hiF4/80− dendritic cells (DCs) was significantly decreased in the treated mice. The percentage of mature DCs (CD86hi) was obviously lower and the percentage of immature DCs (CD86lo) was remarkably higher in uterine DCs in the treatment group than that of the control group. Further experiments found that ID2, a transcription factor associated with DCs development, and CD86, a DC mature marker molecule, were both significantly reduced in mice uteri in the treated group. In vitro, ID2 and CD86 also decreased in bone marrow‐derived DCs under Cyp26a1‐MO treatment. These findings provide novel information that CYP26A1 might affect the embryo implantation via modulating the differentiation and maturation of uterine DCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial dysfunction is an early feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Accumulated damaged mitochondria, which are associated with impaired mitophagy, contribute to neurodegeneration in AD. We show levels of Disrupted‐in‐schizophrenia‐1 (DISC1), which is genetically associated with psychiatric disorders and AD, decrease in the brains of AD patients and transgenic model mice and in Aβ‐treated cultured cells. Disrupted‐in‐schizophrenia‐1 contains a canonical LC3‐interacting region (LIR) motif (210FSFI213), through which DISC1 directly binds to LC3‐I/II. Overexpression of DISC1 enhances mitophagy through its binding to LC3, whereas knocking‐down of DISC1 blocks Aβ‐induced mitophagy. We further observe overexpression of DISC1, but not its mutant (muFSFI) which abolishes the interaction of DISC1 with LC3, rescues Aβ‐induced mitochondrial dysfunction, loss of spines, suppressed long‐term potentiation (LTP). Overexpression of DISC1 via adeno‐associated virus (serotype 8, AAV8) in the hippocampus of 8‐month‐old APP/PS1 transgenic mice for 4 months rescues cognitive deficits, synaptic loss, and Aβ plaque accumulation, in a way dependent on the interaction of DISC1 with LC3. These results indicate that DISC1 is a novel mitophagy receptor, which protects synaptic plasticity from Aβ accumulation‐induced toxicity through promoting mitophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Various ɑ‐imino ketones were prepared in good yields through a copper‐mediated difunctionalization of alkenylboronic acids with benzotriazolamine in air. Mechanistic studies showed that ɑ‐imino ketones formation occurred through an initial copper‐mediated coupling reaction to form an enamine, followed by homolysis of the C−Cu bond to produce an ɑ‐radical imine, and finally radical oxidation by air. The ɑ‐imino ketones were easily converted to various useful scaffolds through further transformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Synthesis‐dependent strand annealing (SDSA) and single‐strand annealing (SSA) are the two main homologous recombination (HR) pathways in double‐strand break (DSB) repair. The involvement of rice RAD51 paralogs in HR is well known in meiosis, although the molecular mechanism in somatic HR remains obscure. Loss‐of‐function mutants of rad51 paralogs show increased sensitivity to the DSB‐inducer bleomycin, which results in greatly compromised somatic recombination efficiencies (xrcc3 in SDSA, rad51b and xrcc2 in SSA, rad51c and rad51d in both). Using immunostaining, we found that mutations in RAD51 paralogs (XRCC3, RAD51C, or RAD51D) lead to tremendous impairment in RAD51 focus formation at DSBs. Intriguingly, the RAD51C mutation has a strong effect on the protein loading of its partners (XRCC3 and RAD51B) at DSBs, which is similar to the phenomenon observed in the case of blocking PI3K‐like kinases in wild‐type plant. We conclude that the rice CDX3 complex acts in SDSA recombination while the BCDX2 complex acts in SSA recombination in somatic DSB repair. Importantly, RAD51C serves as a fulcrum for the local recruitment of its partners (XRCC3 for SDSA and RAD51B for SSA) and is positively modulated by PI3K‐like kinases to facilitate both the SDSA and SSA pathways in RAD51 paralog‐dependent somatic HR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A metal-free construction of highly diastereoselective nine-membered heterocycles is described via the cycloaddition and rearrangement of N-vinyl- α,β-unsaturated ketonitrones and isocyanates. Notably, the prepared nine-membered heterocycles afforded 2,3-dihydropyrrolizines under heating conditions. Mechanistic studies showed that the nine-membered rings might undergo decarboxylation, isomerization, aza-Michael addition, and aromatization to afford 2,3-dihydropyrrolizines in a one-pot reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of high-quality 3D polymeric photonic crystal (PC) films featuring fascinating tunable optical properties in a facile and time-efficient way remains a major concern. Herein, the rapid assembly of highly crystallized brilliant flexible 3D polymeric PC films and their application for multiresponsive colorimetric sensing are demonstrated. Monochromatic PC films with remarkably distinct structural color, narrow half-band width (27 nm), and broad tunability of band-gaps (from blue to red) are generated within seconds from highly concentrated and charged colloids (51 vol%, −57.6 mV) embedded in poly( N-isopropylacrylamide) matrix. A repulsion-induced precipitation assembly is found to be responsible for the ultrafast formation of close-packed PC colloidal arrays. Besides, the resultant PC films exhibit ultrasensitive and fast response to external stimuli, revealed by interesting droplet diffusion experiments. Thus these PC films can serve as efficient colorimetric sensing materials to visually determine diverse species including trace ionic strength (2.9 ppm), minor surfactant (1 × 10−3 m), alcohol, and pH variation (1.0-13.9). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two attractive chirons, aldehyde 6 and chloride 7, exhibiting functionalized ent-spongiane-type tricyclic skeletons (ABC ring system), have been constructed and their absolute configurations have been studied by NMR spectroscopy and confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Both of these chirons are derived from commercially available andrographolide in good yield. Aldehyde 6 is obtained through a novel K2S2O8-catalyzed aquatic ring-closing reaction of allylic sodium sulfonate and intramolecular 1,7-hydrogen atom transfer process. Further mechanistic investigations demonstrate that the 1,7-hydrogen atom transfer is a free-radical process, whereby hydrogen migrates from C18 to C17, as evidenced by double-18- deuterium-labeled isotope experiments. Prospective applications of these two chiral sources are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To determine whether elevated light levels in classrooms in rural areas can protect school-age children from myopia onset or myopia progression. Methods A total of 317 subjects from 1713 eligible students aged six to 14 in four schools located in northeast China participated in the study. Students received a comprehensive eye examination including cycloplegic refraction and ocular biometry, which included axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), and corneal curvature (CC) measurement, and completed a questionnaire. The intervention arm included 178 students in two schools with rebuilt elevated lighting systems and the control arm included 139 students in which lighting systems were unchanged. Results for the two arms were compared with a Wilcoxon rank sum test, a chi-squared test or a t-test, as appropriate. Factors that might help explain any differences were explored with multivariate linear regression analysis. Results The median average illuminance of blackboards and desks and uniformity of desk lighting were significantly improved, however, the uniformity of blackboard lighting declined after intervention. At baseline, the mean refraction, AL, CC, ACD and myopia prevalence between the two arms were not significantly different. After 1 year, compared with the control arm the intervention arm had a lower incidence of new myopia onset (4% vs 10%; p = 0.029), a smaller decrease in refractive error among no myopic subjects (−0.25 dioptre [D] vs −0.47 D; p = 0.001), and shorter axial growth for both non-myopic (0.13 vs 0.18 mm; p = 0.023) and myopic subjects (0.20 vs 0.27 mm; p = 0.0001). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed the intervention program, lower hyperopic baseline refraction, lower father's education level, longer time sleeping and less time in screen-viewing activities were associated with less refractive shift in the direction of myopia in non-myopic children. For myopic subjects, myopia progression was significantly associated with family income only. The intervention program and older age had a protective effect on axial growth for both myopic and non-myopic subjects. The father's education level and sleep duration were significantly associated with axial growth in non-myopic children. Conclusions Elevated light levels in classrooms have a significant effect on myopia onset, decreases in refraction, and axial growth; if the findings of lighting intervention are reproduced in future studies, the ambient light levels in schools should be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lanthanide trihalide molecules LnX3 (X = F, Cl, Br, I) were quantum chemically investigated, in particular detail for Ln = Lu (lutetium). We applied density functional theory (DFT) at the nonrelativistic and scalar and SO-coupled relativistic levels, and also the ab initio coupled cluster approach. The chemically active electron shells of the lanthanide atoms comprise the 5d and 6s (and 6p) valence atomic orbitals (AO) and also the filled inner 4f semivalence and outer 5p semicore shells. Four different frozen-core approximations for Lu were compared: the (1s2-4d10) [Pd] medium core, the [Pd+5s25p6 = Xe] and [Pd+4f14] large cores, and the [Pd+4f14+5s25p6] very large core. The errors of LuX bonding are more serious on freezing the 5p6 shell than the 4f14 shell, more serious upon core-freezing than on the effective-core-potential approximation. The LnX distances correlate linearly with the AO radii of the ionic outer shells, Ln3+-5p6 and X−- np6, characteristic for dominantly ionic Ln3+-X− binding. The heavier halogen atoms also bind covalently with the Ln-5d shell. Scalar relativistic effects contract and destabilize the LuX bonds, spin orbit coupling hardly affects the geometries but the bond energies, owing to SO effects in the free atoms. The relativistic changes of bond energy BE, bond length Re, bond force k, and bond stretching frequency vs do not follow the simple rules of Badger and Gordy ( Re∼BE∼ k∼ vs). The so-called degeneracy-driven covalence, meaning strong mixing of accidentally near-degenerate, nearly nonoverlapping AOs without BE contribution is critically discussed. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the feasibility of blood oxygen level dependent magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-MRI) in evaluating human visceral adipose tissue (AT) oxygenation induced by salt loading/depletion and its association with changes in circulating monocyte subsets. Methods A dietary intervention study was performed in 23 healthy volunteers beginning with a 3-day usual diet followed by a 7-day high-salt diet (≥15 g NaCl/day) and a 7-day low-salt diet (≤5 g NaCl/day). BOLD-MRI was used to evaluate oxygenation in perirenal AT. Results Salt loading led to a consistent AT hypoxia (increase in the R2* signal, 25.2 ± 0.90 s−1 vs. baseline 21.5 ± 0.71 s−1, P < 0.001) and suppression of circulating renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), as well as an expansion of the CD14++CD16+ monocytes and monocyte pro-inflammatory activation. In salt depletion phase, the hypoxic state of AT and the expanded CD14++CD16+ monocyte pool were regressed to baseline levels, accompanied by a rebound activation of RAAS. Moreover, AT oxygenation level was positively correlated with the CD14++CD16+ monocytes ( r = 0.419, P < 0.001). Conclusions This work provides proof-of-principle evidence supporting the feasibility of BOLD-MRI in monitoring visceral AT oxygenation in humans induced by dietary salt loading/depletion. In addition, the CD14++CD16+ monocytes may participate in the pathogenesis of high-salt intake induced AT hypoxia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prognostic role of inflammation index like neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains controversial. We conduct a meta-analysis to determine the predictable value of NLR in the clinical outcome of CRC patients. The analysis was carried out based on the data from 16 studies (19 cohorts) to evaluate the association between NLR and overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with CRC. In addition, the relationship between NLR and clinicopathological parameters was assessed. Hazard ratio (HR) or odds ratio (OR) with its 95% confidence interval (CI) was used as the effect size estimate. Our analysis results indicated that elevated pretreatment NLR predicted poorer OS (HR: 1.813, 95% CI: 1.499-2.193) and PFS (HR: 2.102, 95% CI: 1.554-2.843) in patients with CRC. Increased NLR is also significantly associated with the poorer differentiation of the tumor (OR: 1.574, 95% CI: 1.226-2.022) and higher carcino-embryonie antigen (CEA) level (OR: 1.493, 95% CI: 1.308-1.705). By these results, we conclude that NLR gains a prognostic value for patients with CRC. NLR should be monitored in CRC patients for rational stratification of the patients and adjusting the treatment strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant correlations between concentrations of PBDEs and heavy metals were observed in the human body. However, there is a lack of evidence on the linkage between the uptake of heavy metals and PBDEs. This study is the first report on the BDE-47 uptake profile in a human cell line. Hg and As exposures to KERTr (human skin derived keratinocyte) did not significantly ( p > 0.05) affect the uptake of BDE47, whereas Pb and Cd significantly ( p < 0.05) affected the uptake of BDE-47 in KERTr. The change in Km was minor after exposure to all heavy metals. The maximum transport rate ( Vmax) after exposure to Pb ( Vmax: 5.23 ± 0.49) and As ( Vmax: 4.95 ± 0.60) was significantly increased when compared with the background of the KERTr cell line ( Vmax: 4.07 ± 0.35). Real-time RT-PCR indicated that OATP-B, OATP-D, and OATP-E were expressed in the KERTr cell line. The upregulation or downregulation of OATP B and D genes were minor after exposure to heavy metals, but the OATP E gene was upregulated by three to fourfold in KERTr cell line after exposure to Pb an Cd, which may explain the significant increase of uptake of BDE-47 in KERTr after exposures to Pb and Cd. This study indicated that the uptake effects should be considered when performing risk assessment of human exposure to PBDEs and heavy metal. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 29: 354-361, 2014. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resonance Raman spectroscopy in conjunction with the density functional theory calculations were used to study the excited state structural dynamics of 2-mercapto-1-methylimidazole (MMI). The experimental UV absorption bands were assigned according to the time-dependent density functional calculations. The vibrational assignments were done for the A-band resonance Raman spectra of MMI in water and acetonitrile on the basis of the Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and FT-Raman measurements in solid, in water and in acetonitrile and the corresponding B3LYP/6-311+G(d, p) computations. The dynamic structures of MMI were obtained by analysis of the resonance Raman intensity pattern and normal mode analysis. The differences in the dynamic structures of MMI and thiourea were revealed and explained. The structural dynamic of MMI was found to be similar to that of 2-thiopyrimidone in terms of major reaction coordinates and thus favored the intra-molecular proton transfer reaction. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arecoline, the major alkaloid of areca nut, has been shown to cause strong genotoxicity and is considered a potential carcinogen. However, the detailed mechanism for arecoline-induced carcinogenesis remains obscure. In this study, we noticed that the levels of p21 and p27 increased in two oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines with high confluence. Furthermore, when treated with arecoline, elevated levels of p21 and p27 could be downregulated through the reactive oxygen species/m TOR complex 1 ( ROS/m TORC1) pathway. Although arecoline decreased the activity of m TORC1, the amounts of autophagosome-like vacuoles or type II LC3 remained unchanged, suggesting that the downregulation of p21 and p27 was independent of autophagy-mediated protein destruction. Arecoline also caused DNA damage through ROS, indicating that the reduced levels of p21 and p27 might facilitate G1/ S transition of the cell cycle and subsequently lead to error-prone DNA replication. In conclusion, these data have provided a possible mechanism for arecoline-induced carcinogenesis in subcytolytic doses in vivo. ( Cancer Sci 2012; 103: 1221-1229) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate reasons for the muscle increase observed when eggs are treated by IGF-1 and whether or not satellite cell activation is specific to different types of myofibers, duck eggs were administrated with IGF-1. After injection, during the neonatal stages, the duck breast muscle and leg muscle were isolated for analysis. The muscle weight, muscle fiber diameter (MFD), cross-sectional area (CSA), the number of myofibers per unit area (MFN) and frequency of satellite cell activation and mitosis at the embryo stage of 27 days (27E) and the postnatal stage of 2 days after hatching (P2D) were determined. In addition, expression of two important myogenic transcription factors MyoD and Myf5 were detected and compared in the two types of muscle tissues. Results indicated that IGF-1 administration increased the duck body weight, MFD, CSA, MFN, and quantity of activated satellite cells and mitotic nuclei in the two types of muscle tissues. The MyoD and Myf5 expressed at a higher level in IGF-1-treated muscle. IGF-1 stimulated muscle weight growth more in the leg muscle than in the breast muscle. These results indicate that in ovo feeding of IGF-1 can stimulate duck growth and, especially, lead to increased muscle hypertrophy. These increases appear to be mainly dependent on the activation of satellite cells, some of which proliferate and fuse to the myofiber, enabling increased muscle mass. IGF-1 can indirectly affect satellite cells by regulating the expression of two important myogenic transcription factors, MyoD and Myf5, which help activate satellite cells. J. Cell. Physiol. 227: 1465-1475, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Manuscript Type: Empirical Research Question/Issue: This study investigates the effect of CEO preference proxied by CEO-executive demographic dissimilarity on non-CEO executive turnover, and how such effect is moderated by CEO power-related variables (the CEO's founder status and CEO ownership) and firm performance in a sample of Chinese listed companies. Research Findings/Results: The results show that when CEO-executive demographic dissimilarity is inconsistent with social norms (e.g., the non-CEO executive is older and has longer team tenure than the CEO), the non-CEO executive is more likely to exit from the TMT. This association is strengthened by the CEO's founder status and low firm performance, whereas it is weakened by CEO ownership. Theoretical/Academic Implications: The theory of organizational politics proposes that competition among top managers plays an important role in the internal monitoring of firms. In contrast with most literature centering on the role of non-CEO executives in CEO turnover and succession, this study focuses on what kind of non-CEO executives CEOs are likely to dismiss and demonstrates how this process is influenced by CEO power and low firm performance. Practitioner/Policy Implications: Given a CEO's intention to dismiss a non-CEO executive when CEO-executive demographic dissimilarity is inconsistent with social norms, particularly when the CEO is powerful and firm performance is low, the board of directors should keep an eye on any conflict of interests or power struggle between the CEO and the non-CEO executive. The CEO should also be prudent in making executive turnover decisions, because the implications of dismissing such a non-CEO executive for reasons relating to firm performance are largely unknown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of Astragalus on human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) viability and apoptosis and to investigate the mechanism of Astragalus in a NPC cell line (CNE2). Cell viability was measured using the MTT assay. CNE2 cells treated with Astragalus were stained with acridine orange/ethidium bromide and subjected to fluorescence microscopy. Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3 and -8 were measured by western blotting. Rat NPC cells were used to establish a NPC model. Tumor weight, immune organ index and T lymphocyte subsets were employed to detect the immunoregulatory and antitumor effects of Astragalus after administration. Astragalus was effective in inducing apoptosis in CNE2 cells. Morphological changes associated with cell injury were found. Western analysis showed caspase-3, -8, and Bax protein levels were increased after Astragalus treatment, while the bcl-2 protein level was decreased. Astragalus increased the percentage of CD3, CD4 T-lymphocytes, and the ratio of CD4/CD8. Astragalus also restored the immunological effects of DDP-induced immunosuppression. These findings suggest that the immunomodulatory and anticancer effects of DDP + Astragalus were better than those of DDP alone, and Astragalus could inhibit immunosuppression induced by DDP. The combination of CDDP + Astragalus could be developed as an effective chemotherapeutic regimen in the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel sesquiterpene polyol esters with a dihydro-β-agarofuran (=(3R,5aS,9R,9aS)-octahydro-2,2,5a,9-tetramethyl-2H-3,9a-methano-1-benzoxepin) skeleton, (1α,2α,4β,8α,9α)-1,2,8,12-tetrakis(acetyloxy)-9-(furoyloxy)-4-hydroxydihydro-β-agarofuran (1) and (1α,2α,6β,8α,9α)-1,2,6,8,12-pentakis(acetyloxy)-9-(benzoyloxy)dihydro-β-agarofuran (2), and the three known compounds (1α,2α,4β,6β,8α,9β)-1,2,6-tris(acetyloxy)-9-(benzoyloxy)-4-hydroxy-8,12-bis(isobutyryloxy)dihydro-β-agarofuran (3), (1α, 2α,4β,6β,8α,9β)-1,2,6,8-tetrakis(acetyloxy)-9-(furoyloxy)-4-hydroxy-12-isobutyryloxy)dihydro-β-agarofuran (4), and (1α,2α,4β,6β,8α,9β)-1,2,6-tris(acetyloxy)-9-(benzoyloxy)-4-hydroxy-8-(isobutyryloxy)-12-[(2-methylbutanoyl)oxy]dihydro-β-agarofuran (5) were isolated from the root bark of Celastrus angulatus. Their chemical structures were elucidated by analyses of their MS and NMR data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. There is considerable evidence regarding the efficacy of statins for the primary and secondary prevention of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, due to lack of sufficient evidence, there is still doubt whether high-dose statin therapy prior to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is beneficial. In the present study, we performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of preoperative high-dose statin therapy on the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) after successful PCI. 2. Trials were retrieved through Medline (1980–2009) and the reference files limited to English-language articles. Data were abstracted using a standardized protocol and a meta-analysis was performed. 3. Five studies of a total 1789 patients with CAD qualified for analysis. Administration of high-dose statins in CAD patients before PCI was associated with a significant reduction in MACE 30 days after the procedure. The incidence of MACE in the high-dose statin group (6.98%) was significantly lower than that in the placebo group (14.77%), with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.43 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.31–0.59; P < 0.00001). The incidence of post-PCI increases in creatine kinase MB in the high-dose statin and placebo groups was 9.20% vs 18.83%, respectively (OR 0.43; 95% CI 0.33–0.58; P < 0.00001), whereas the incidence of increases in troponin I was 30.13% vs 44.53%, respectively (OR 0.53; 95% CI 0.43–0.67; P < 0.00001), respectively. 4. In conclusion, high-dose statin therapy before PCI provides a significant benefit over placebo in preventing post-PCI MACE. Findings from the present analysis strongly support a strategy of routine loading of high-dose statins before interventional therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]