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Background: Low back pain and sciatica are two of the most common health disorders that people experience. Both the number of hours that employees put in and the amount of money that is lost by the nation as a whole see significant reductions as a result of these changes. Before beginning any kind of treatment with these individuals, it is very necessary to do a thorough physical assessment on them. It is possible for symptoms to worsen as a result of receiving insufficient medical or surgical treatment, which increases the likelihood of this happening. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture in conjunction with PLID treatment. Methods: This inquiry took place at SUOXI Healthcare Limited in Shantinagar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. A 36-year-old male patient has been complaining of lower back discomfort, tingling and numbness of right leg for the last two years. The diagnosis was confirmed with a MRI of lumber spine. Results: Follow-up research showed promising outcomes. He no longer felt discomfort in his lower back and tingling and numbness of right leg, which he had been experiencing for two years. PLID patients may benefit from acupuncture, according to the findings of this study.

Hai-Liang Yuan,1 Xian Zhang,2 Dong-Zhu Peng,1 Guan-Bin Lin,1 Hui-Hui Li,1 Fang-Xian Li,1 Jing-Jing Lu,1 Wei-Wei Chu1 1Department of Gastroenterology, Beilun Branch of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Endocrinology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Wei-Wei Chu, Department of Gastroenterology, Beilun Branch of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, No. 1288, Lushan East Road, Beilun District, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-134 56123811, Fax +86- 574 86100266, Email chuweiwei920@163.comPurpose: Constipation is a common complication of diabetic patients, which has a negative impact on their own health. This study aims to establish and internally validate the risk nomogram of constipation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to test its predictive ability.Patients and Methods: This retrospective study included 746 patients with T2DM at two medical centers. Among the 746 patients with T2DM, 382 and 163 patients in the Beilun branch of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University were enrolled in the training cohort and the validation cohort, respectively. A total of 201 patients in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University were enrolled in external validation cohorts. The nomogram was established by optimizing the predictive factors through univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis. The prediction performance of the nomogram was measured by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), the calibration curve, and the decision curve analysis (DCA). Furthermore, its applicability was internally and independently validated.Results: Among the 16 clinicopathological features, five variables were selected to develop the prediction nomogram, including age, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), calcium, anxiety, and regular exercise. The nomogram revealed good discrimination with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.908 (95% CI = 0.865– 0.950) in the training cohort, and 0.867 (95% CI = 0.790– 0.944) and 0.816 (95% CI = 0.751– 0.881) in the internal and external validation cohorts, respectively. The calibration curve presented a good agreement between the prediction by the nomogram and the actual observation. The DCA revealed that the nomogram had a high clinical application value.Conclusion: In this study, the nomogram for pretreatment risk management of constipation in patients with T2DM was developed which could help in making timely personalized clinical decisions for different risk populations.Keywords: constipation, type 2 diabetes mellitus, model, nomogram, prediction

Background: Both sciatica and low back pain are common medical problems. The number of hours worked and the national economic loss will both go down as a result of these changes. Before beginning any sort of treatment, a thorough physical examination of these individuals is essential. A higher risk of this happening is associated with insufficient medical or surgical treatment, which may aggravate symptoms. The purpose of this study is to determine whether and how acupuncture enhances conventional PLID treatment. Methods: This inquiry took place at SUOXI Healthcare Limited in Shantinagar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. A 60-year-old female patient has been complaining of lower back discomfort for the last seven years. The diagnosis was confirmed with a MRI of lumbo sacral spine. Results: Positive findings emerged from further studies. It had been seven years since she had found relief from the pain in his lower back, but now she was pain-free. The results of this research suggest that acupuncture may be helpful for those with PLID.

Upgrading carbon dioxide/monoxide to multi-carbon C

Angelicae Sinensis Radix, as a medicinal and edible Chinese medicinal herb, is widely used in clinical practice. It is mainly cultivated in Minxian, Tanchang, Zhangxian and Weiyuan counties of Gansu province. In recent years, with the comprehensive and in-depth study of Angelicae Sinensis Radix in China and abroad, its chemical composition, pharmacological effects and application and development have attracted much attention. In this study, the chemical composition, traditional efficacy, and modern pharmacological effects of Angelicae Sinensis Radix were summarized. On this basis, combined with the core concept of quality markers(Q-markers), the Q-markers of Angelicae Sinensis Radix were discussed from the aspects of mass transfer and traceability and chemical composition specificity, availability, and measurability, which provided scientific basis for the quality evaluation of Angelicae Sinensis Radix.

Antimicrobial-resistant pathogens in the environment and wastewater treatment systems, many of which are also important pollutant degraders and are difficult to control by traditional disinfection approaches, have become an unprecedented treat to ecological security and human health. Here, we propose the adoption of genetic editing techniques as a highly targeted, efficient and simple tool to control the risks of environmental pathogens at the source. An 'all-in-one' plasmid system was constructed in Aeromonas hydrophila to accurately identify and selectively inactivate multiple key virulence factor genes and antibiotic resistance genes via base editing, enabling significantly suppressed bacterial virulence and resistance without impairing their normal phenotype and pollutant-degradation functions. Its safe application for bioaugmented treatment of synthetic textile wastewater was also demonstrated. This genetic-editing technique may offer a promising solution to control the health risks of environmental microorganisms via targeted gene inactivation, thereby facilitating safer application of water treatment biotechnologies.

Two-dimensional (2D) IV–VI nanomaterials have been important candidates for energy conversion and storage. However, there is still lack of a simple method of realizing control synthesis of IV–VI na...

Summary LncRNA PVT1 has been demonstrated to be upregulated in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients and indicates a poor prognosis. Nevertheless, its role in AML remains obscure. This study investigated the regulatory role and potential mechanisms of PVT1 in the progression of AML. Expression of PVT1, miR-29 family and WAVE1 was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. CCK8 and EdU assays were performed to assess the proliferation of AML cells. Cell cycle and apoptosis were determined by propidium iodide (PI) staining and Annexin V/PI staining on a flow cytometer. Transwell assay was carried out to evaluate the migration and invasion abilities. The interaction between miR-29 family and PVT1/WAVE1 was confirmed by dual luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation assay. The protein levels of WAVE1, Bcl-2, Bax, cleaved Caspase 3, cyclin D1, and p21 were detected by western blotting. Xenograft transplantation was performed to determine the tumourigenicity of AML cell in vivo. PVT1 expression was significantly increased in AML patient samples and cells, which positively correlated with WAVE1 expression. Silencing of PVT1 restrained growth, migration and invasion, while inducing apoptosis of AML cells. Moreover, PVT1 acted as a sponge for miR-29 family to increase WAVE1 expression in AML cells. Overexpression of WAVE1 partly counteracted PVT1 knockdown-induced anti-tumour effects on AML cells in vitro and xenograft tumour in vivo. PVT1 facilitated the progression of AML via regulating miR-29 family/WAVE1 axis, which supported the conclusion that PVT1 may be a promising therapeutic target for AML.

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) can cause placental dysfunctions, which may result in pregnancy complications. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are actively involved in the regulation of immune responses during pregnancy. The present study aimed to determine the lncRNA expression profiles in placentas from women with SLE to gain new insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms in SLE pregnancies.Methods: RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis was performed to identify SLE-dysregulated lncRNAs and mRNAs in placentas from women with SLE and normal full-term (NT) pregnancies. Bioinformatics analysis was conducted to predict biological functions of these SLE-dysregulated lncRNAs and mRNAs. Correlation relationships between these dysregulated lncRNAs and SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) scores were also assessed. Results: RNA-seq analysis identified 81 dysregulated lncRNAs in SLE placentas, including 53 that were up-regulated and 28 down-regulated. Additional 221 SLE-dysregulated mRNAs were also discovered, including 209 up-regulated and 12 down-regulated. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that SLE-dysregulated genes were associated with biological functions and gene networks, such as type I interferon signaling pathway, response to hypoxia, regulation of MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase)/JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) cascade, response to steroid hormone, heparin binding, and insulin-like growth factor binding. Correlation analysis showed that lncRNA NONHSAT246155.1 was positively correlated (r = 0.333, P = 0.037) with SLEDAI score.Conclusions: This is the first report of the lncRNA profiles in placentas from SLE pregnancies. These results suggest that the aberrant expression and the potential regulatory function of lncRNAs in placentas may play comprehensive roles in the pathogenesis of SLE pregnancies. These lncRNAs, including NONHSAT246155.1 may potentially serve as novel therapeutic targets for SLE during pregnancy.

Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is the most common acute leukemia in adults. Despite great progress has been made in this field, the pathogenesis of AML is still not fully understood. We report here the biological role of lncRNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 5 (SNHG5) in the pathogenesis of AML and the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that lncRNA SNHG5 was highly expressed in AML cancer cell lines. In vitro studies displayed that inhibition of SNHG5 with shRNA resulted in suppression of survival, cell cycle progression, migration/invasion of AML and capacity of adhesion and angiogenesis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Mechanistic studies revealed a SNHG5/miR-26b/connective tissue growth factor (CTGF)/vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) axis in the regulation of AML angiogenesis. Finally, Yin Yang 1 (YY1) was found to transactivate and interact with SNHG5 promoter, leading to the upregulation of SNHG5 in AML. Collectively, upregulation of lncRNA SNHG5 mediated by YY1, activates CTGF/VEGFA via targeting miR-26b to regulate angiogenesis of AML. Our work provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of AML.

In the ongoing efforts to discover natural cholesterol-lowering compounds, dihydrocucurbitacin B, isolated from Trichosanthes cucumeroides roots, was found to promote LDL uptake by upregulating LDLR protein in a PCSK9-dependent process. In this study, an in-depth investigation of T. cucumeroides roots afforded 27 cucurbitacins (1-27), including seven new cucurbitacins (1-7), and their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic data analyses. In order to gain insight into their structure-activity relationship, cucurbitacin derivatives (B1-11 and DB1-11) were synthesized. Evaluation of lipid-lowering activities of these cucurbitacins by an LDL uptake assay in HepG2 cells revealed that most of the compounds improved the LDL uptake rate, among which hexanorisocucurbitacin D (6) and isocucurbitacin D (21) exhibited the highest activities (rates of 2.53 and 2.47, respectively), which were comparable to that of the positive control, nagilactone B (rate of 2.07). According to a mechanistic study by Western blot analysis, compounds 6 and 21 dose-dependently increased LDLR protein levels and reduced PCSK9 protein levels, representing promising new lipid-lowering drug candidates.

Two host–guest inclusion compounds, [(4-fluorobenzylammonium)(18-crown-6)][ClO4] (1) and [(4-chlorobenzylammonium)(18-crown-6)][ClO4] (2), are found to undergo reversible phase transitions, which e...

Introduction. Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) is an extensively studied super-antigen. A previous study by us suggested that SEB exposure during pregnancy could alter the percentage of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the peripheral blood of neonatal offspring rats. Aim. It is unknown whether SEB exposure during pregnancy can influence the development of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the peripheral blood of neonatal offspring rats. Methodology. Pregnant rats at gestational day 16 were intravenously injected with 15 µg SEB. Peripheral blood was acquired from neonatal offspring rats on days 1, 3 and 5 after delivery and from adult offspring rats for determination of Treg number by cytometry, cytokines by ELISA, and FoxP3 expression by real-time PCR and western blot. Results. SEB given to pregnant rats significantly increased the absolute number of Tregs and the expression levels of FoxP3, IL-10 and TGF-β (PPPPP Conclusion. Prenatal SEB exposure attenuates the development and function of Tregs to repeated SEB exposure in the peripheral blood of adult offspring rats.

The study investigated the distribution of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) EA-IgA, VCA-IgA, and EBVNA-IgG antibodies in a local population of Wuhan, China. Chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) was used to detect EBV EA-IgA, VCA-IgA, and EBVNA-IgG antibodies in 972 subjects undergoing physical examination in Wuhan, and the results were analyzed. The detection rate of EBV was positively correlated with age. In the 972 cases, there was significant difference between different genders in the positive rate of VCA-IgA and EBVNA-IgG. Moreover, the positive rate of VCA-IgA and EBVNA-IgG was higher in men ≥ 60 years old than in those < 60 but no significant differences were found in three antibodies among various age groups. Our results suggested that the EBV infection should be intensively monitored in elderly people in Wuhan.

Recycling of deactivated palladium (Pd)-based catalysts can not only lower the economic cost of their industrial use but also save the cost for waste disposal. Considering that the sulfur-poisoned Pd (Pd

BackgroundSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) may cause pathogenic changes in the placentas during human pregnancy, such as decreased placental weight, intraplacental hematoma, ischemic hypoxic change, placental infarction, and decidual vasculopathy, which contribute to high maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity. Sex-specific adaptations of the fetus are associated with SLE pregnancies. The present study aimed to determine the transcriptomic profiles of female and male placentas from women with SLE.MethodsRNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed to identify differentially expressed protein-coding genes (DEGs) in placentas from women with SLE vs. normal term (NT) pregnancies with female and male fetuses (n= 3-5/sex/group). Real-time-quantitative PCR was performed (n= 4 /sex/group) to validate the RNA-seq results. Bioinformatics functional analysis was performed to predict the biological functions and pathways of SLE-dysregulated protein-coding genes.ResultsCompared with NT-female (NT-F) placentas, 119 DEGs were identified in SLE-female (SLE-F) placentas. Among these 119 DEGs, five and zero are located on X- and Y-chromosomes, respectively, and four are located on the mitochondrial genome. Compared with NT-male (NT-M) placentas, 458 DEGs were identified in SLE-male (SLE-M) placentas, among which 16 are located on the X-chromosome and zero on the Y-chromosome and mitochondrial genome. Twenty-four DEGs were commonly dysregulated in SLE-F and -M placentas. Functional analysis showed that SLE-dysregulated protein-coding genes were associated with diverse biological functions and pathways, including angiogenesis, cellular response to growth factor stimulus, heparin-binding, HIF (hypoxia-inducible factor)-1 signaling pathway, and Interleukin-17 (IL-17) signaling pathway in both SLE-F and -M placentas. Biological regulations were differentially enriched between SLE-F and -M placentas. Regulation of blood circulation, response to glucocorticoid, and rhythmic process were all enriched in SLE-F, but not SLE-M placentas. In contrast, tumor necrosis factor production, Th17 cell differentiation, and MDA (melanoma differentiation-associated gene)-5 signaling pathway were enriched in SLE-M but not SLE-F placentas.ConclusionThis report investigated the protein-coding gene profiles of placenta tissues from SLE patients using RNA-seq. The results suggest that the SLE-dysregulated protein-coding genes in placentas may contribute to the pathophysiological progress of SLE pregnancies in a fetal sex-specific manner, leading to adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Our previous study identified euphornin L as an active lipid-lowering compound in high-fat diet-fed Golden Syrian hamsters. The aim of the present study was to investigate the mechanisms underlying the lipid-lowering effects of euphornin L. Euphornin L in HepG2 cells was assessed via DiI-LDL update assays and found to increase LDL-update and LDLR protein levels. RNA interference assays demonstrated that its LDL-update effects were LDLR-dependent. Dual luciferase reporter and mRNA stability assays revealed that euphornin L had little effect on LDLR mRNA transcription but lengthened the half-life of LDLR mRNA by activating ERK protein in cells. Euphornin L decreased the secretion of PCSK9 protein and alleviated PCSK9-mediated LDLR protein degradation. In vivo experiments in hamsters, which were treated with euphornin L (30 mg/kg/day) for 3 weeks, confirmed these findings. LDLR protein levels in liver tissue were upregulated, while PCSK9 protein levels in serum were downregulated. Altogether, the present study demonstrated that euphornin L increased LDLR protein levels by dual regulation of LDLR mRNA and PCSK9 protein, and represented an active compound for lipid-lowering drug development.

Beyond the state-of-the-art Cd-containing quantum wires (QWs), heavy-metal-free semiconductor QWs, such as ZnSe, are of great interest for next-generation environmental-benign applications. Unfortunately, simultaneous, on-demand manipulation of their radial and axial sizes—that allows strong quantum confinement in the blue-light region—has so far been challenging. Here we present a two-step catalyzed growth strategy that enables independent, high-precision and wide-range controls over the diameter and length of ZnSe QWs. We find that a new epitaxial orientation between the cubic-phase Ag2Se solid catalyst and wurtzite ZnSe QWs kinetically favors the formation of defect-free ultrathin QWs. Thanks to their high uniformity, the resulting blue-light-active, phase-pure ZnSe QWs exhibit well-defined excitonic absorption with the 1Se–1Sh transition linewidth as narrow as sub-13 nm. Combining the transient absorption spectroscopy, we further show that surface electron traps in these ZnSe QWs can be eliminated by thiol passivation, which results in long-lived charge carriers and high-efficiency solar-to-hydrogen conversion.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a hypertensive pregnancy, which is a leading cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality during pregnancy. L-Tryptophan (Trp) is an essential amino acid, which can be metabolized into various biologically active metabolites. However, the levels of many circulating Trp-metabolites in human normotensive pregnancies (NT) and PE are undetermined. This study quantified the levels of Trp-metabolites in maternal and umbilical vein sera from women with NT and PE. Paired maternal and umbilical blood samples were collected from singleton pregnant patients. Twenty-five Trp-metabolites were measured in serum samples using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. The effects of L-kynurenine (Kyn) and indole-3-lactic acid (ILA), on function of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), were also determined. Twenty Trp-metabolites were detected. The levels of 9 Trp-metabolites including Kyn and ILA were higher (P

23,24-Dihydrocucurbitacin B (designated as C95 in this article) is a cucurbitane triterpenoid that has been shown to possess a variety of pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory and anti-HIV-1 activities etc. In this study, we investigated the effects of 23,24-dihydrocucurbitacin B on lipid regulation. We showed that 23,24-dihydrocucurbitacin B (1–5 μM) dose-dependently promoted DiI-LDL uptake in HepG2 cells by upregulating low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) protein. In HepG2 cells, 23,24-dihydrocucurbitacin B (1–10 μM) dose-dependently enhanced LDLR promoter activity by elevating the mature form of SREBP2 (sterol regulatory element binding protein 2) protein levels on one hand, and inhibited PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) promoter activity by attenuating HNF1α (hepatocyte nuclear factor-1α) protein levels in nuclei on the other hand. Consequently, the expression of LDLR protein markedly increased, whereas the PCSK9-mediated LDLR protein degradation decreased. In a high-cholesterol LVG golden Syrian Hamster model, administration of 23,24-dihydrocucurbitacin B (30 mg · kg−1⋅ d−1, intragastric, for 3 weeks) significantly decreased the serum LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. PCSK9 protein levels in the serum and liver tissues were significantly decreased, whereas LDLR protein levels in liver tissues were significantly increased in the treated animals as compared with the control animals. In conclusion, our study demonstrates for the first time that 23,24-dihydrocucurbitacin B exhibits dual transcriptional regulation of LDLR and PCSK9 in HepG2 cells by increasing SREBP2 protein levels and decreasing HNF1α protein levels in the nuclei. These results propose a new strategy to simultaneously manage LDLR and PCSK9 protein expression and provide a promising lead compound for drug development.

Background Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) has been found to play a major role in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) by promoting hyperlipidemia. Its inhibition has therefore emerged as a viable drug target for improving the outcome of ASCVD. However, current monoclonal antibody PCSK9 inhibitors are considered cost ineffective and there is the need to discover new effective and cheaper small molecule alternatives. Purpose The methanolic and ethanolic crude extracts of Nauclea latifolia have been shown to possess anti-hyperlipidemic activity, but the chemical component(s) responsible for this activity and the mechanism of action have remained unknown. The objective of this study was therefore to identify N. latifolia constituents with anti-hyperlipidemic activity and to investigate the inhibition of PCSK9 as a probable mechanism of action. Method In the present study, compounds were isolated from the ethanolic extract of the stem of N. latifolia. The alkaloids were evaluated for their DiI-LDL uptake promoting activity in HepG2 cell. The most active compound was further assessed for its effect on low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and PCSK9 protein expressions by western blot. Results 3R-3,14-dihydroangustoline (5), showed a relatively good activity in promoting LDL uptake (1.26-fold). It further increased LDLR protein expression and decreased the protein expression of PCSK9 in a dose dependent manner (1–50 µM). Conclusion Alkaloids from N. latifolia may serve as a source of new PCSK9 inhibitors.