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The Folin-Wu method is one of the classic methods for blood glucose determination. It is the representative scientific research achievement of Hsien Wu, one of the most celebrated biochemists in China. This study focuses on the invention process of the Folin-Wu method by referring to the original papers of Folin and Hsien Wu and relevant second-hand historical materials. The implication of competition and cooperation in scientific community on further improvement of the Folin-Wu method is also discussed. The purpose is to evaluate the influence of the Folin-Wu method based on historical data, and to further clarify the academic contribution of Hsien Wu in the research process of this method.

Objective To evaluate the effect of chronic high fat diet (HFD) on brain injury in ischemia/ reperfusion (I/R) rats and its mechanisms. Methods.Sixty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal diet (ND) group (n = 30) and high fat diet (HFD) group (n = 30). Each group was further divided into Sham group and I/R group, with 15 rats in each group. Neurobehavioral method was used to evaluate the neurological deficits of rats in each group, HE staining was used to detect the pathological changes of brain tissue of rats in each group, the survival rate of neurons in each group was measured by Nissl staining, western blotting method was used to detect the Pyroptosis-related proteins (NLRP3, Caspase-1, IL-1, and HMGB1/TLR4/NF- KB signal pathway protein expression in brain tissue of rats in each group. Results.Compared with the ND group, the body weight, visceral adipose tissue, triglyceride, total cholesterol and glucose water of rats in HFD group were increased (all P < 0.05). In the I/R group, compared with the ND rats, HFD rats showed more severe neurological impairment, HE staining showed that HFD rats had more damaged cells, niss staining showed that the number of surviving neurons in HFD rats decreased, the expressions of pyroptosis related proteins (NLRP3, Caspase-1, IL- 1k) were higher in HFD rats, high expression of HMGB1 and its downstream factors TLR4 and NF- kB in HFD rats (all P < 0.05). Conclusion.HFD intake could aggravate pyrodeath and enhance the expression of HMGB1/ TLR4/NF-kB signaling pathway after brain I/R injury, leading to adverse outcomes after I/R. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New methods for preparation of chiral alkyl fluorides have been studied intensively in recent years due to the favorable physicochemical and biological properties of those structures. Herein, we describe the regio‐ and enantioselective allylic alkylation of α‐pyridyl‐α‐fluoroesters with allyl acetates promoted by Cu/Pd synergistic catalysis, constructing the carbon‐ fluorine quaternary stereocenters. In this co‐catalytic system, palladium catalyst mainly constructed the C−C bond, while chiral copper catalyst controlled the enantioselectivity. A series of aryl‐ and aliphatic‐substituted allyl acetates are applied, giving the corresponding products in high yield, excellent enantioselectivity, and E/Z (up to 98% yield, 98 : 2 er, E/Z>20 : 1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nanotubular porous porphyrin‐based network (NT‐PPN) was prepared through Friedel–Crafts alkylation polyreaction of meso‐tetraphenylporphyrin iron chloride and subsequent demetalization reaction with concentrated hydrochloric acid. As a superior support, NT‐PPN was decorated with Ag nanoparticles to generate the desired catalyst (Ag@NT‐PPN). Ag@NT‐PPN had a high BET surface area with plentiful hierarchical porosity, considerable CO2 adsorption uptake, as well as high CO2/N2 adsorption selectivity. In the presence of 1,8‐diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec‐7‐ene (DBU), Ag@NT‐PPN exhibited excellent catalytic performance for the solvent‐free synthesis of α‐alkylidene cyclic carbonates from propargyl alcohols and CO2 at 30 °C. Ag@NT‐PPN also displayed robust constancy, excellent recyclability, and acceptable substrate expansibility for this reaction. Moreover, low concentration of CO2 derived from mixed gas (15% CO2+85% N2 in volume) was positively amenable to this catalytic protocol. This work might offer an opportunity to design metal NPs‐based heterogeneous catalysts and provide a promising candidate for application in the transformation of CO2 into valuable cyclic carbonates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic cough is a common chronic respiratory disease in which cough is the only or main symptom. This cough typically lasts for more than eight weeks without significant abnormalities on the X-ray image. However, some chronic coughs may be diagnosed as chronic refractory cough (CRC) in two conditions; cough without definite causes after thorough examinations; symptoms without improving after conventional treatment. With the rapid advancement of science and society, CRC has received increased attention from clinicians, presenting the respiratory system research community with new challenges and opportunities. CRC has no specific name in the Chinese medicine system, but it can be named "Wan Ke" based on its "long duration". In the history of Chinese medicine, the treatment of "Wan Ke" has been scattered throughout the clinical theory and practice of Chinese medicine, but a systematic theory is still lacking. In this article, we use "multidimensionality" as an entry point to understand the pathogenesis of CRC in terms of its cause, nature, location, and syndrome, and to summarize the ideas of its syndrome differentiation and treatment variation. We believe that CRC is a disease of mixed deficiency and reality, with a mixture of cold and heat. The disease is located in the lungs, and its pathogenesis is closely related to the internal organs, with "lung and spleen related" being significant. The wind-evil hidden lung is the basic and central pathogenesis of CRC. In terms of treatment, the primary approach is Qufeng Xuanfei, combined with the identification of the symptoms and focusing on the lung and spleen. This is combined with syndrome differentiation to clear heat and dampness, invigorate the spleen, warm the lungs, dissolve drinks, and remove dampness and phlegm. In addition, we should also pay attention to the treatment of sparing the liver and regulating wood by changing the medication and dosage as the syndrome changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: It has been reported that long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs), such as metastasis‐associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1), act as key regulators of the development of inflammatory diseases. However, it is unclear whether MALAT1 regulates the function of human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) in periodontitis. This study is to explore the role of MALAT1 on inflammatory cytokine production of HGFs. Material and Methods: Primary HGFs were harvested from human gingiva. MALAT1 was detected in inflammatory and healthy gingival tissues via quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR). Bioinformatics analysis, dual‐luciferase reporter assay, and RNA‐binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP) were used to detect the relationship among MALAT1, toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4), and microRNA (miR) ‐20a. After transfection LPS‐treated HGFs with MALAT1 siRNA (si‐MALAT1), miR‐20a mimic or overexpression MALAT1 plasmid (sno‐MALAT1), the levels of MALAT1, miR‐20a, TLR4, IL‐6 and IL‐8 were analyzed by qRT‐PCR, enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, or western blot assay. Results: MALAT1 up‐regulated in inflammatory gingival tissues of chronic periodontitis. MiR‐20a was bound with MALAT1 and TLR4 3′‐UTR in RNA‐protein complex with Ago2, respectively. Moreover, MALAT1, TLR4, IL‐6, and IL‐8 increased while miR‐20a decreased after 1 μg/mL Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or Escherichia coli LPS stimulation. MiR‐20a inhibited the expression of proinflammatory cytokines via binding to TLR4 3′‐UTR. In addition, MALAT1 increased TLR4 level and the secretion of inflammatory cytokines. Conclusion: MALAT1 enhances inflammatory cytokine production through sponging miR‐20a and releasing TLR4, indicating a regulatory role of MALAT1 in periodontal inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The therapeutic needs of women with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), coupled with the increasing application of acupuncture in improving ovarian function, have highlighted the need to verify the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for DOR. This study aims to provide high-quality evidence by evaluating both ovarian reserve and in vitro fertilisation (IVF) outcomes., Methods and Analysis: A large-scale, multicentre, randomised controlled trial will be carried out across seven hospitals in China. 400 women with DOR will be randomised in a 1:1 ratio to an acupuncture group or a sham acupuncture group. Acupuncture or sham acupuncture will consist of 36 sessions per participant over 12 weeks. The primary outcome will be the change in antral follicle count (AFC) at week 12 from baseline. Secondary outcomes are AFC at week 24, the serum levels of basal follicle-stimulating hormone and anti-Mullerian hormone at weeks 12 and 24, the scores of the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale at weeks 12 and 24, clinical pregnancy rate, and IVF embryo transfer related outcomes. Any adverse events during treatment will be documented., Ethics and Dissemination: The study protocol has been approved by all the participating institutions. Written informed consent will be obtained prior to participant enrolment. The results of this study will be published in peer-reviewed publications., Trial Registration Number: ChiCTR2200062295 PROTOCOL VERSION: V2.0-20220317., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: To assess the effect of Tiaojing Cuyun acupuncture therapy (acupuncture for regulating menstruation and promoting pregnancy) on pregnancy outcomes in patients with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET)., Methods: Eighty women with DOR were divided into an observation group (40 cases, 1 case dropped out) and a control group (40 cases, 1 case dropped out) according to whether Tiaojing Cuyun acupuncture therapy was given or not. In the control group, IVF-ET was delivered. In the observation group, before IVF-ET, Tiaojing Cuyun acupuncture therapy was given. Two groups of acupoints were used alternatively, including Baihui (GV 20), Shenting (GV 24), Benshen (GB 13), Zhongwan (CV 12), Guanyuan (CV 4), and bilateral Tianshu (ST 25), Shenshu (BL 23), Ciliao (BL 32), etc. Acupuncture was operated once every other day, three interventions a week, for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was clinical pregnancy rate (CPR). Secondary outcomes included the total days and amount of gonadotropin (Gn) used, the number of oocytes retrieved, the number of oocytes in metaphase of second meiosis (MⅡ), the number of transferable embryos, the number of high-quality embryos, the cycle cancellation rate, the positive rate of human choriogonadotropin (HCG), the embryo implantation rate, live birth rate (LBR), the basal serum levels of sex hormones (follicular stimulating hormone [FSH], estradiol (E2), FSH/luteinizing hormone [LH]) and antral follicle count (AFC)., Results: CPR in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (53.8% [21/39] vs . 17.9% [7/39], P <0.05). The results of the number of oocytes retrieved, the number of oocytes in MⅡ, the number of transferable embryos, the number of high-quality embryos, the positive rate of HCG, the embryo implantation rate, and LBR in the observation group were higher than those in the control group ( P <0.05). The serum level of FSH and FSH/LH in the observation group were lower thau those in the control group ( P <0.05). The differences were not significant statistically in the total days and amount of Gn used, the cycle cancellation rate, serum level of E2 and AFC between the two groups ( P >0.05). Logic regression analysis showed that CPR increased in the observation group when compared with that of the control group ( OR = 5.33, 95% CI : 1.90-14.97, P = 0.001)., Conclusion: Acupuncture can improve the pregnancy outcomes of DOR women undergoing IVF-ET.

New methods for preparation of chiral alkyl fluorides have been studied intensively in recent years due to the favorable physicochemical and biological properties of those structures. Herein, we describe the regio- and enantioselective allylic alkylation of α-pyridyl-α-fluoroesters with allyl acetates promoted by Cu/Pd synergistic catalysis, constructing the carbon- fluorine quaternary stereocenters. In this co-catalytic system, palladium catalyst mainly constructed the C-C bond, while chiral copper catalyst controlled the enantioselectivity. A series of aryl- and aliphatic-substituted allyl acetates are applied, giving the corresponding products in high yield, excellent enantioselectivity, and E/Z (up to 98% yield, 98 : 2 er, E/Z>20 : 1)., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared.

Objective: To assess the value of chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) for the analysis of abortic tissues., Methods: A total of 242 samples of spontaneous abortion were collected and tested by CMA or NGS., Results: The detection was successfully in 238 cases (98.35%). In total 143 cases of chromosomal abnormalities were detected, which accounted for 60.08% of all cases. Numerical chromosomal abnormalities were found in 133 cases(93.01%), structural abnormalities were found in 9 cases (6.29%), and uniparental disomy was found in 1 case(0.70%)., Conclusion: Both CMA and NGS have the advantages of high-throughput, good coverage, high resolution and rapid analysis. They can be used for the detection of the causes of spontaneous abortions. CMA is more useful for the detection of aneuploidies and uniparental disomy, while NGS has advantages in its throughput, capacity in detecting low percentage chimerism and cost, which can provide more options for clinicians.