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Jingli Yang,1– 4 Yu He,1– 5 Qing Ai,1– 4 Chan Liu,1– 4 Qiqi Ruan,1– 4 Yuan Shi1– 4 1Department of Neonatology, Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China; 2National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China; 3Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China; 4Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Infection and Immunity, Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Neonatology, Jiangxi Hospital Affiliated to Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yuan Shi, Department of Neonatology, Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400014, People’s Republic of China, Email shiyuan@hospital.cqmu.edu.cnPurpose: Neonatal Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (NARDS) is a severe respiratory crisis threatening neonatal life. We aim to identify changes in the lung-gut microbiota and lung-plasma tryptophan metabolites in NARDS neonates to provide a differentiated tool and aid in finding potential therapeutic targets.Patients and Methods: Lower respiratory secretions, faeces and plasma were collected from 50 neonates including 25 NARDS patients (10 patients with mild NARDS in the NARDS_M group and 15 patients with moderate-to-severe NARDS in the NARDS_S group) and 25 control patients screened based on gestational age, postnatal age and birth weight. Lower airway secretions and feces underwent 16S rRNA gene sequencing to understand the microbial communities in the lung and gut, while lower airway secretions and plasma underwent LC-MS analysis to understand tryptophan metabolites in the lung and blood. Correlation analyses were performed by comparing differences in microbiota and tryptophan metabolites between NARDS and control, NARDS_S and NARDS_M groups.Results: Significant changes in lung and gut microbiota as well as lung and plasma tryptophan metabolites were observed in NARDS neonates compared to controls. Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota were increased in the lungs of NARDS neonates, whereas Firmicutes, Streptococcus, and Rothia were reduced. Lactobacillus in the lungs decreased in NARDS_S neonates. Indole-3-carboxaldehyde decreased in the lungs of NARDS neonates, whereas levels of 3-hydroxykynurenine, indoleacetic acid, indolelactic acid, 3-indole propionic acid, indoxyl sulfate, kynurenine, and tryptophan decreased in the lungs of the NARDS_S neonates. Altered microbiota was significantly related to tryptophan metabolites, with changes in lung microbiota and tryptophan metabolites having better differentiated ability for NARDS diagnosis and grading compared to gut and plasma.Conclusion: Significant changes occurred in the lung-gut microbiota and lung-plasma tryptophan metabolites of NARDS neonates. Alterations in lung microbiota and tryptophan metabolites were better discriminatory for the diagnosis and grading of NARDS.Keywords: Neonatal acute respiratory distress syndrome, NARDS, lung microbiota, gut microbiota, tryptophan metabolites, correlation analysis, predictive diagnosis

Yao Y, Li C, Qian F, et al. J Inflamm Res. 2021;14:6619–6632. The Editor and Publisher of the Journal of Inflammation Research are retracting the published article. The authors requested to correct errors with images from Figure 3, however it was found that some of the images had been duplicated with those from Yao YY, Li R, Guo YJ, et al. Gastrodin Attenuates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammatory Response and Migration via the Notch-1 Signaling Pathway in Activated Microglia. Neuromol Med. 2022;24:139–154. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12017-021-08671-1. Specifically, The images for Figure 3C, Control; p-STAT3; Lectin; Merge and LPS+Rg1(60µM); p-STAT3; Lectin; Merge have been duplicated with the images for Figure 3C, Control; NICD, Lectin; Merge and LPS; NICD, Lectin, Merge, respectively, from Yao YY et al (2022). The authors cooperated with our queries and explained the errors were made during the assembly of the figures and discovered following an internal academic review. The authors also provided the journal with original data from their study. However, the errors did raise concerns over the reliability and validity of the findings and the Editor and Publisher made the decision to retract the article and the authors do not agree with this decision. We have been informed in our decision-making by our editorial policies and the COPE guidelines. The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as “Retracted”.

Yueyi Yao,1 Changyan Li,1 Fusheng Qian,1 Yu Zhao,1 Xiaoyi Shi,1 Dan Hong,1 Qinglong Ai,2 Lianmei Zhong2 1Science and Technology Achievement Incubation Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650500, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650032, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Lianmei Zhong; Qinglong AiDepartment of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, 295 Xichang Road, Kunming, 650032, Yunnan Province, People’s Republic of ChinaTel/Fax +86-0871-65336015Email 13888967787@163.com; aiqinglong63@163.comPurpose: Neuroinflammation runs through the whole process of nervous system diseases and brain injury. Inflammasomes are thought to be especially relevant to immune homeostasis, and their dysregulation contributes to pyroptosis. The natural compound Ginsenoside Rg1 has been shown to possess anti-inflammatory effects; however, its underlying mechanisms are not entirely clear. Therefore, this study was undertaken to investigate the role and mechanisms of Rg1 in regulating the production of inflammasomes and pyroptosis of microglia in vivo and in vitro.Methods: BV-2 microglial cells were pretreated with Rg1, stattic and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and then stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (2μg/mL). Hoechst staining and Annexin V-FITC/PI assay were then carried out. The expression levels of cleaved-caspase-1, pro-caspase-1, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), mature-IL-1β, gasdermin D (GSDMD), activated NH(2)-terminal fragment of GSDMD (GSDMD-N), NOD-, LRR- and pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and phosphorylated STAT3 in BV-2 were detected by Western blotting. Additionally, immunofluorescence staining was used to determine the expression of NLRP3 and p-STAT3 in postnatal rat brain and BV-2 microglia subjected to LPS stimulation and Rg1 pretreatment. The targets of transcription factor STAT3 were predicted by hTFtarget and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) was used to confirm the interaction between STAT3 and AIM2.Results: We showed here that Rg1 effectively inhibited the expression of inflammasomes and microglia pyroptosis induced by LPS. The targets predicted data of Rg1 from Swiss target prediction database showed STAT3 had the highest thresholds of probability score. Rg1 can regulate the phosphorylation of STAT3, which binds to the promoter region of inflammasome AIM2.Conclusion: It is suggested that STAT3 signaling can initiate the transcription activity of AIM2. Rg1 regulates microglia pyroptosis in neuroinflammation induced by LPS through targeting STAT3 signaling.Keywords: neuroinflammation, AIM2, microglia, pyroptosis, Rg1

Nianhong Lu, Caihong Liu, Jiangyuan Wang, Ying Ding, Qing Ai Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Toxoplasmosis complicating lung cancer has been described only rarely. Here, we report a case of acute Toxoplasma gondii infection in a patient with squamous lung cancer. A 64-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a history of cough of 6 months' duration and chest pain of 1 week’s duration. Further examination revealed multiple swollen lymph nodes, palpable on the top of the right collarbone and without tenderness. The chest X-ray, bronchoscopy, and computed tomography scan confirmed squamous carcinoma of the right lung. The Wright-stained bronchoalveolar-lavage fluid cytology diagnosis was positive for T. gondii and tachyzoites were detected. All of them were of free type (ectocytic), without intracellular parasites. Serological examination revealed that the anti-T. gondii immunoglobulin (Ig) M and IgG antibodies were positive. Unfortunately the patient did not continue treatment and was lost to follow-up. Toxoplasmosis is a life-threatening opportunistic infection in patients with lung cancer. Prompt recognition of T. gondii infection among cancer patients with subsequent targeted treatment of toxoplasmosis could help alleviate symptoms and improve survival. Keywords: lung cancer, Toxoplasma gondii, bronchoalveolar-lavage fluid, tachyzoite

In the future new power system, the multi-agent trusted transaction and information security in the virtual power plant (VPP) will be complex and challenging. The features of blockchain technology, such as information security, distribution decision, smart contract and tamper-proof, provide a new idea for VPP multi-subject trusted transaction. This paper focuses on the benefits maximization formed by multi-aggregator inside VPPs and the efficiency of trusted transaction matching. Firstly, according to the different demands of transaction subjects, a master and multi-slave hierarchical interactive control architecture is established to integrate blockchain technology with multi-agent system. Secondly, a credible transaction matching mechanism is designed under the demand of multi-aggregator peer to peer transaction, and non-cooperative game model is introduced to ensure the interests of multi-aggregator subjects. Then, the blockchain-based distributed particle swarm optimization algorithm proposes a consensus algorithm improved by delegated proof-of-authority (DPoA) to improve the security of the transaction. Finally, the rationality and feasibility of the strategy proposed in this paper are verified by an example analysis, which effectively enhances the matching efficiency and security of multi-agent transactions.

In the context of the dual-carbon goal, virtual power plants, microgrids and other forms of prosumers have emerged on a large scale. Energy sharing among multiple prosumers can improve the overall economic efficiency and new energy consumption. A collaborative operation mechanism for energy sharing among multiple prosumers under the weak centralization model is proposed. The mechanism considers the data privacy of each prosumer. Firstly, an internal scheduling model of prosumers with multiple distributed resources is constructed. The model considers the volatility and randomness of load demand and new energy output, quantifying the risk of uncertainty based on conditional value at risk (CVaR). Then, a weakly centralized tariff iteration mechanism for multiple prosumers is proposed, which uses the supply and demand relationship to guide the tariff update. Meanwhile, considering the privacy protection of prosumers, the power data aggregation method is designed based on Paillier homomorphic encryption algorithm and secret sharing principle. The method is able to obtain the system supply and demand information while ensuring the privacy of all parties. Finally, the effectiveness and rationality of the mechanism proposed in this paper is verified by an arithmetic example, and the overall cost of multiple prosumers is reduced by 12.6% after energy sharing.

Water pollution remains a major environmental concern, with increased toxic by-products being released into water bodies. Many of these chemical contaminants persist in the environment and bio-accumulate in aquatic organisms. At present, toxicological tests are mostly based on laboratory tests, and effective methods for monitoring wild aquatic environments remain lacking. In the present study, we used a well-characterized toxic chemical, 3,3′,4,4′,5-polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB126), as an example to try to identify common biomarker genes to be used for predictive toxicity of this toxic substance. First, we used two laboratory fish models, the zebrafish (Danio rerio) and medaka (Oryzias latipes), to expose PCB126 to obtain liver transcriptomic data by RNA-seq. Comparative transcriptomic analyses indicated generally conserved and concerted changes from the two species, thus validating the transcriptomic data for biomarker gene selection. Based on the common up- and downregulated genes in the two species, we selected nine biomarker genes to further test in other fish species. The first validation experiment was carried out using the third fish species, Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus), and essentially, all these biomarker genes were validated for consistent responses with the two laboratory fish models. Finally, to develop universal PCR primers suitable for potentially all teleost fish species, we designed degenerate primers and tested them in the three fish species as well as in another fish species without a genomic sequence available: guppy (Poecilia reticulata). We found all the biomarker genes showed consistent response to PCB126 exposure in at least 50% of the species. Thus, our study provides a promising strategy to identify common biomarker genes to be used for teleost fish analyses. By using degenerate PCR primers and analyzing multiple biomarker genes, it is possible to develop diagnostic PCR arrays to predict water contamination from any wild fish species sampled in different water bodies.

Abstract Although molecular vibronic spectra generation is pivotal for chemical analysis, tackling such exponentially complex tasks on classical computers remains inefficient. Quantum simulation, though theoretically promising, faces technological challenges in experimentally extracting vibronic spectra for molecules with multiple modes. Here, we propose a nontrivial algorithm to generate the vibronic spectra using states with zero displacements (squeezed vacuum states) coupled to a linear optical network, offering ease of experimental implementation. We also fabricate an integrated quantum photonic microprocessor chip as a versatile simulation platform containing 16 modes of single-mode squeezed vacuum states and a fully programmable interferometer network. Molecular vibronic spectra of formic acid and thymine under the Condon approximation are simulated using the quantum microprocessor chip with high reconstructed fidelity ( > 92%). Furthermore, vibronic spectra of naphthalene, phenanthrene, and benzene under the non-Condon approximation are also experimentally simulated. Such demonstrations could pave the way for solving complicated quantum chemistry problems involving vibronic spectra and computational tasks beyond the reach of classical computers.

BackgroundExposure to occupational metallic mixtures has a potential impact on olfactory function. However, research evidence is limited on the potential impact of exposure to metallic mixtures and olfactory dysfunction. Furthermore, the coal dust generated contains multiple various metals during coal mining, and no study yet has focus on the olfactory dysfunction of coal miners.ObjectivesIn this study, we evaluate the association between urinary metallic mixtures and olfactory function in coal miners, while also exploring the potential applicability of plasma olfactory marker protein (OMP) as a biomarker for assessing olfaction.MethodsFrom July to October 2023, coal workers from seven different coal mining enterprises were recruited for the survey when they come for the employee health checkup. Ultimately, 376 participants were met the inclusion criteria and, respectively, determined with the concentrations of urine (16 metals) and plasma (OMP). Meanwhile, applying UPSIT to access their olfactory function. Binary logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) model were used to estimate the association of individual metals with olfactory function. Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) and Quantile g-computation (QG-C) regression were employed to assess the overall association between metal mixtures and olfactory function and identify the major contributing elements.ResultsIn a single-metal model, two metals in urine were found to be significantly associated with olfactory function. RCS analysis further revealed that the association between Iron (Fe) and olfactory function was linear, while Lead (Pb) exhibited a non-linear. The BKMR model demonstrated a significant positive association between metal mixture concentration and olfactory function. Combined QG-C regression analysis suggested that metals Cr, Fe, Se, Sb, and Pb could impact the performance of the olfactory test (UPSIT), with Pb being identified as the most influential contributor. The correlation between plasma OMP protein levels and urinary metal concentrations was weak.ConclusionMultiple metals are associated with olfactory function in the coal miners. A significant positive association was observed between metal mixture concentrations and olfactory function, with Pb being the most important contributor. In this study, plasma OMP has not been demonstrated to serve as a biomarker for olfactory function.

Lewy body disease (LBD), one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), is characterized by excessive accumulation of α-synuclein (α-syn) in neurons. In recent years, environmental factors such as exposure to herbicides and pesticides have been attributed to the development of this condition. While majority of the studies on neurotoxic effects of paraquat (PQ) have focused on α-syn-mediated neuronal damage in the early stages of α-syn accumulation in neurons, efforts to explore the key target for α-syn degradation are limited. Recent research has suggested that histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) might possibly regulate amyloid clearance, and that the metabolism of compounds in neurons is also directly affected by axonal transport in neurons. Dynein predominantly mediates reverse transportation of metabolites and uptake of signal molecules and other compounds at the end of axons, which is conducive to the reuse of cell components. However, the role of interaction of dynein with HDAC6 in metabolites transport is still unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the role of HDAC6 in α-syn accumulation/clearance in neurons and the associated possible influencing factors. The results revealed that HDAC6 could transport ubiquitinated α-syn, bind to dynein, form an aggresome, and relocate to the center of the microtubule tissue, ultimately reducing abnormal accumulation of α-syn. However, PQ treatment resulted in HDAC6 upregulation, causing abnormal aggregation of α-syn. Taken together, these findings indicated that PQ exposure caused abnormal accumulation of α-syn and decreased effective degradation of α-syn by HDAC6-mediated aggresome-autophagy-lysosome pathway.

Protonation of [(Me3tacn)MoO3] with one or two equivalents of strong proton acid afforded mono‐protonated complex [(Me3tacn)MoVIO2(OH)](CF3SO3) and bi‐protonated complex [(Me3tacn)MoVIO(OH)2](PF6)2, respectively. Sulfidation with iPr2NCS2Na or CS2 in acetonitrile, followed by in situ protonation of [(Me3tacn)MO3] (M=Mo, W), produced two monomeric complexes [(Me3tacn)MoVIO2S] ⋅ (iPr2NH2) ⋅ (PF6) ⋅ CH2Cl2 and [(Me3tacn)WVIO2S], and two dimeric complexes [(Me3tacn)MoVO(μ‐S)2MoVO(κ2‐S2C=O)] ⋅ CH3CN and [(Me3tacn)MoIVO]2(μ‐O)(μ‐S2) ⋅ 2DMF. The crystal structures of the two protonated molybdenum(VI) complexes and the four oxo‐sulfido molybdenum/tungsten complexes have been determined. Moreover, the complexes have been characterized by infrared, Raman, fluorescence and UV‐vis spectroscopies. (Me3tacn=1,4,7‐trimethyl‐1,4,7‐triazacyclonane). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]