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Lin-Yu Jin,1,2,&ast; Xin-Jin Su,3,&ast; Shuai Xu,1 Hai-Ying Liu,1 Xin-Feng Li2 1Department of Spinal Surgery, Peking University People’s Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Spinal Surgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Xin-Feng Li, Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, People’s Republic of China, Email lxfrenji@126.com Hai-Ying Liu, Department of Spinal Surgery, Peking University People’s Hospital, Peking University, No. 11, South Xizhimen Street, Beijing, 100044, People’s Republic of China, Email drlhypkuph@163.comObjective: Hounsfield Unit (HU) has been used to investigate the asymmetrical vertebral bone mass in patients associated with adult degenerative scoliosis (ADS). Therefore, there is an inevitable need to evaluate the performance of HU values in ADS subjects.Methods: A total of 162 patients (81 ADS patients and 81 non-ADS patients) aged ≥ 50 years undergoing the CT examination were reviewed. The HU values of the lumbar vertebral body (including total, convex side, and concave side) at bilateral pedicle plane were obtained and compared. The paired t-test, chi-squared test, independent samples t-test, and interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were used for statistical analyses.Results: The HU values were significantly different between the convex and concave sides of the lumbar vertebral body (P < 0.01). The total prevalence of osteoporosis (OP) in ADS patients was higher than that of non-ADS patients. The prevalence of OP in female or male of ADS patients was higher than that of non-ADS patients, respectively. Intra- and inter-rater reliability were very strong (both > 0.8) for measuring asymmetrical vertebral bone mass in ADS patients.Conclusion: HU value was a high reproducibility method for evaluating the vertebral bone mass in ADS patients. The HU values at the concave sides were significantly higher than that of convex sides at the lumbar vertebral body on the pedicle plane. The prevalence of OP in ADS patients was higher than that of non-ADS patients, especially for females associated with ADS. Moreover, the static asymmetric load did not enhance the bone mass at the concave side compared with the left/right side of non-ADS patients.Keywords: adult degenerative scoliosis, bone mass, Hounsfield units, reliability

Jie Hu,1,2 Xin-juan Su,2 Hui-Ling Si,2 Rui-Xiang Song,3 Fang Zhang,3 Xiang-Jun Qiu,3 Xing-Peng Chen2 1Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710049, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Anesthesiology, Luoyang Central Hospital, Luoyang, Henan Province, 471003, People’s Republic of China; 3School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471023, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xiang-Jun QiuSchool of Basic Medicine, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, 471023, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail lyxiangjun@126.comXing-Peng ChenLuoyang Central Hospital, Luoyang, Henan Province, 471003, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail lycxp2020@126.comBackground: An efficient, fast and sensitive ultra high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method for simultaneous determination of celecoxib (CEL), dezocine (DEZ) and dexmedetomidine (DEX) in beagle plasma were established.Methods: The beagle dogs plasmawas precipitated by acetonitrile. The column was Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column and the mobile phase was acetonitrile-formic acid with gradient mode, and the flow rate was set at 0.4 mL/min. Under the positive ion mode, CEL, DEZ, DEX and Midazolam (internal standard, IS) were monitored by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) as the following mass transition pairs: m/z 381.10→ 282.10 for CEL, m/z 246.20→ 147.00 for DEZ, m/z 201.10→ 94.90 for DEX, and m/z 326.10→ 291.10 for IS.Results: This UPLC-MS/MS method had good linearity for CEL, DEZ and DEX. The RSDs of inter-day and intra-day precision were the values of 0.31– 7.66% and 0.11– 9.63%, respectively; the RE values were from − 6.05% to 10.98%. The extraction recovery was more than 79%, and the matrix effect was around 100%. The RSDs of stability were less than 8.96%. All of them met the acceptance standard of biological analysis method recommended by FDA.Conclusion: This UPLC-MS/MS method is an effective tool for the simultaneous determination of CEL, DEX and DEX, and has been successfully applied to the study of pharmacokinetics in beagle dogs.Keywords: celecoxib, dezocine, dexmedetomidine, UPLC-MS/MS, pharmacokinetics, beagles

Mouse orthotopic xenograft tumor models are commonly employed in studies investigating the mechanisms underlying the development and progression of tumors and their preclinical treatment. However, the unavailability of mature and visualized orthotopic xenograft models of nasopharyngeal carcinoma limits the development of treatment strategies for this cancer. The aim of this study was to provide a simple and reliable method for building an orthotopic xenograft model of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (C666-1-luc) cells, stably expressing the firefly luciferase gene, were injected subcutaneously into the right axilla of BALB/C nude mice. Four weeks later, the resulting subcutaneous tumors were cut into small blocks and grafted into the nasopharynx of immunodeficient BALB/C nude mice to induce tumor formation. Tumor growth was monitored by bioluminescence imaging and small animal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The expression of histological and immunological antigens associated with orthotopic xenograft nasopharyngeal carcinoma was analyzed by tissue section analysis and immunohistochemistry (IHC). A visualized orthotopic xenograft nasopharyngeal carcinoma model was successfully developed in this study. Luminescence signal detection, micro-MRI, and hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed the successful growth of tumors in the nasopharynx of the nude mice. Moreover, IHC analysis detected cytokeratin (CK), CK5/6, P40, and P63 expression in the orthotopic tumors, consistent with the reported expression of these antigens in human nasopharyngeal tumors. This study established a reproducible, visual, and less lethal orthotopic xenograft model of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, providing a platform for preclinical research.

Objectives: Acute pancreatitis (AP) has a high incidence of hospitalizations, morbidity, and mortality worldwide. A growing number of studies on AP pathogenesis are based on cerulein-induced experimental model, which simulates human AP in vivo. It has been demonstrated that both pancreatic acinar cells and peritoneal macrophages are involved in pancreatic inflammation and damage. However, their connection has not been well understood., Methods: A cerulein-induced AP model was established on the pancreatic acinar cell line AR42J. Rat macrophages were isolated from the peritoneal cavity. The effects of cerulein-induced pancreatic exosomes on the peritoneal macrophage and pancreas in vivo and in vitro were examined. The underlying molecular mechanism was investigated by exploring the regulatory role of downstream molecules., Results: We found that exosomes derived from cerulein-treated AR42J cells induced rat peritoneal macrophage M1 polarization and pyroptosis. miR-24-3p was upregulated in cerulein-stimulated exosomes, whereas the miR-24-3p inhibitor counteracted the effect of pancreatic exosomes on peritoneal macrophage M1 polarization and pyroptosis. Furthermore, miR-24-3p inhibited March3 expression, whereas MARCH3 mediated NLRP3 ubiquitination in rat peritoneal macrophages, which, in turn, contributed to the apoptosis, reactive oxygen species production, and inflammation in AR42J cells., Conclusions: Exosomes derived from cerulein-stimulated pancreatic acinar cells mediate peritoneal macrophage M1 polarization and pyroptosis via an miR-24-3p/MARCH3/NLRP3 axis in AP., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Sanguinoderma ( Ganodermataceae ) is recognized as a valuable medicinal resource in Taiwan, China. Additionally, it serves as a traditional folk medicine for treating neurotic epilepsy in Malaysia. This study involved the collection of six specimens of Sanguinoderma from Yunnan Province, China. Employing multigene phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences, including internal transcribed spacer (ITS), nuclear large subunit (LSU), RNA polymerase II second largest subunit ( rpb 2), translation elongation factor 1-alpha ( tef 1-α), mitochondrial small subunit (mtSSU), nuclear small subunit (nSSU) and morphological examinations, three new species, viz. Sanguinoderma concentricum , S. dehongense and S. ovisporum , are introduced. Sanguinoderma concentricum is characterized by a central stipe basidiomata, an orbicular to suborbicular pileus, a grayish-yellow surface with alternating concentric zones and wavy margin-like petals and regular pileipellis cells (4-8 × 17-28 μm). Sanguinoderma dehongense is characterized by a long stipe and flabelliform basidiomata, a dark-grayish yellow-to-dark-yellow pileus surface, irregular pileipellis cells and wavy margin and ellipsoid basidia (8-11 × 9-13 μm). Sanguinoderma ovisporum is characterized by a reniform basidiomata, a heterogeneous context and ovoid basidiospores (7.5-8.6 × 5.5-7.2 µm). A detailed description and illustrations of these new species are provided, as well as a morphological comparison with similar taxa.

Background: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided pancreatic duct (PD) drainage (EUS-PDD) is being increasingly performed as an alternative method to surgical drainage to achieve PD decompression after failed endoscopic retrograde pancreatography (ERP). However, no directly study has compared EUS-PDD with surgical PD drainage after failed ERP in patients with chronic pancreatitis., Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent EUS-PDD or longitudinal pancreaticojejunostomy after failed ERP were retrospectively identified from our endoscopy and medical information systems. The primary end point was the Izbicki pain score. The secondary end points were pain relief at the end of follow-up, procedure outcomes, adverse events, readmission, and reintervention., Results: A total of 21 patients (11 EUS-PDD, 10 surgical drainages) were analyzed. There were no significant differences in mean Izbicki pain score (EUS-PDD, 13.6 ± 10.1 vs. surgical drainage 10.7 ± 7.9, p = 0.483) or complete/partial pain relief (60%/30% vs. 70%/30%, p = 0.752) at the end of follow-up of the two groups. The rates of overall adverse events (27.3% vs. 30.0%, p = 0.893) and readmission (63.6% vs. 40.0%, p = 0.290) were similar in the two treatment groups, while patients in EUS-PDD group required more reinterventions (45.5% vs. 0%, p = 0.039) compared with patients in the surgery group., Conclusion: EUS-PDD showed comparable pain relief and safety to surgical PD drainage after failed ERP, with a higher rate of reintervention. The selection of EUS-PDD or surgical drainage may be appropriate based on an individualized strategy., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background and Objectives: EUS is an important modality for diagnosis and assessment of gastrointestinal (GI) subepithelial lesions. However, EUS is invasive and operator-dependent and requires sedation in most cases. The newly developed ultrasound capsule endoscopy (USCE) system, with both white-light and ultrasound imaging modalities, is a minimally invasive method for superficial and submucosal imaging of the esophagus. This animal study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of the USCE system for upper GI tract and small bowel scanning., Methods: Three Bama miniature pigs were selected to scan their esophagus, stomach, small bowel, and simulated submucosal lesions. USCE was performed first, followed by EUS. The feasibility of USCE was measured by obtaining ultrasound images of normal GI walls and submucosal lesions under the guidance of optical viewing. The efficacy of USCE was evaluated by comparing tissue structures and lesion features shown on ultrasound images obtained with both instruments., Results: Under the optical mode of USCE, the GI tract was well visualized, and all simulated lesions were located. Clear ultrasound images of normal GI tract and submucosal lesions were acquired. Ultrasound images of the esophagus, stomach, and small bowel were characterized by differentiated multilayer structures on USCE, which was consistent with the structures displayed on EUS. And the visualization of submucosal lesions, using both USCE and EUS, was characterized by a hypoechoic and well-demarcated mass in the layer of submucosa., Conclusions: This animal study indicated the feasibility and potential clinical efficacy of this USCE for simultaneous optical mucosal visualization and transmural ultrasound imaging of upper GI tract and small bowel, providing possibility of using this technology for a wider range of GI tract., Competing Interests: Zhao-Shen Li is an Honorary Editor-in-Chief of the journal. This article was subject to the journal's standard procedures, with peer review handled independently of the editor and his research group., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc on behalf of Scholar Media Publishing.)

Objectives: Detection of early neoplastic lesions is crucial for improving the survival rates of patients with gastric cancer. Optical enhancement mode 2 is a new image-enhanced endoscopic technique that offers bright images and can improve the visibility of neoplastic lesions. This study aimed to compare the detection of neoplastic lesions with optical enhancement mode 2 and white-light imaging (WLI) in a high-risk population., Methods: In this prospective multicenter randomized controlled trial, patients were randomly assigned to optical enhancement mode 2 or WLI groups. Detection of suspicious neoplastic lesions during the examinations was recorded, and pathological diagnoses served as the gold standard., Results: A total of 1211 and 1219 individuals were included in the optical enhancement mode 2 and WLI groups, respectively. The detection rate of neoplastic lesions was significantly higher in the optical enhancement mode 2 group (5.1% vs. 1.9%; risk ratio, 2.656 [95% confidence interval, 1.630-4.330]; p < 0.001). The detection rate of neoplastic lesions with an atrophic gastritis background was significantly higher in the optical enhancement mode 2 group (8.6% vs. 2.6%, p < 0.001). The optical enhancement mode 2 group also had a higher detection rate among endoscopists with different experiences., Conclusions: Optical enhancement mode 2 was more effective than WLI for detecting neoplastic lesions in the stomach, and can serve as a new method for screening early gastric cancer in clinical practice., Clinical Registry: United States National Library of Medicine (https://www., Clinicaltrials: gov), ID: NCT040720521., (© 2024 The Authors. United European Gastroenterology Journal published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of United European Gastroenterology.)

Background and Objective: To compare the efficacy of EUS-guided celiac plexus neurolysis (CPN) and celiac plexus irradiation with iodine-125 ( 125 I) seeds with absolute ethanol for relieving pain in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data of 81 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer who underwent EUS-CPN or EUS- 125 I implantation between January 2017 and December 2020. Postoperative pain was assessed using visual analog scale (VAS) scores; self-assessments of quality of life and the median survival time were compared between the 2 groups., Results: EUS-CPN and 125 I implantation were performed in 43 and 38 patients, respectively. Postoperative VAS scores were significantly lower than the preoperative levels in both groups. One week after the operation, 26 patients (60.5%) in the EUS-CPN group achieved partial pain relief, whereas no patients in the EUS- 125 I seed group experienced pain relief. However, after 4 weeks postoperatively, VAS scores had decreased, and the rate of partial pain relief was higher for EUS- 125 I seeds than for EUS-CPN. Self-assessments of quality of life were similar in both groups during the first 1 month after the procedure., Conclusions: Both EUS-CPN and EUS- 125 I seeds can safely and effectively relieve pain in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Although EUS- 125 I seeds take additional time to show effects, the extent and duration of pain relief are better compared with CPN, and interestingly, the median survival time was different., Competing Interests: Zhen-Dong Jin is an Associate Editor of the journal. This article was subject to the journal's standard procedures, with peer review handled independently of the editor and his research group., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc on behalf of Scholar Media Publishing.)

In this study, we highlight the impact of catalyst geometry on the formation of O-O bonds in Cu 2 and Fe 2 catalysts. A series of Cu 2 complexes with diverse linkers are designed as electrocatalysts for water oxidation. Interestingly, the catalytic performance of these Cu 2 complexes is enhanced as their molecular skeletons become more rigid, which contrasts with the behavior observed in our previous investigation with Fe 2 analogs. Moreover, mechanistic studies reveal that the reactivity of the bridging O atom results in distinct pathways for O-O bond formation in Cu 2 and Fe 2 catalysts. In Cu 2 systems, the coupling takes place between a terminal Cu III -OH and a bridging μ-O⋅ radical. Whereas in Fe 2 systems, it involves the coupling of two terminal Fe-oxo entities. Furthermore, an in-depth structure-activity analysis uncovers the spatial geometric prerequisites for the coupling of the terminal OH with the bridging μ-O⋅ radical, ultimately leading to the O-O bond formation. Overall, this study emphasizes the critical role of precisely adjusting the spatial geometry of catalysts to align with the O-O bonding pathway., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The Red River Basin is located in the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot and is rich in lignicolous freshwater fungi, but no systematic research has been conducted. A systematic study on the species diversity of lignicolous freshwater fungi in the basin is ongoing. Seven distoseptispora-like specimens were collected from the Red River Basin in Yunnan. Phylogenetic analysis of ITS, LSU, tef 1-α, and rpb 2 genes and combined morphological data indicate that there are six distinct species of Distoseptispora , including two new species and four known species. Two new species were named D.suae and D.xinpingensis , and the four known species were D.bambusae , D.euseptata , D.obpyriformis and D.pachyconidia . This study provides detailed descriptions and illustrations of these six species and an updated phylogenetic backbone tree of Distoseptispora ., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Hong-Wei Shen, Dan-Feng Bao, Saranyaphat Boonmee, Yong-Zhong Lu, Xi-Jun Su, Yun-Xia Li, Zong-Long Luo.)

Acidosis is a hallmark of the tumor microenvironment caused by the metabolic switch from glucose oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis. It has been associated with tumor growth and progression; however, the precise mechanism governing how acidosis promotes metastatic dissemination has yet to be elucidated. In the present study, a long‑term acidosis model was established using patient‑derived lung cancer cells, to identify critical components of metastatic colonization via transcriptome profiling combined with both in vitro and in vivo functional assays, and association analysis using clinical samples. Xenograft inoculates of 1 or 10 acidotic cells mimicking circulating tumor cell clusters were shown to exhibit increased tumor incidence compared with their physiological pH counterparts. Transcriptomics revealed that profound remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) occurred in the acidotic cells, including upregulation of the integrin subunit α‑4 ( ITGA4 ) gene. In clinical lung cancer, ITGA4 expression was found to be upregulated in primary tumors with metastatic capability, and this trait was retained in the corresponding secondary tumors. Expression of ITGA4 was markedly upregulated around the vasculogenic mimicry structures of the acidotic tumors, while acidotic cells exhibited a higher ability of vasculogenic mimicry in vitro . Acidosis was also found to induce the enrichment of side population cells, suggesting an enhanced resistance to noxious attacks of the tumor microenvironment. Taken together, these results demonstrated that acidosis actively contributed to tumor metastatic colonization, and novel mechanistic insights into the therapeutic management and prognosis of lung cancer were discussed.

Study Design: A retrospective study., Background: Conventional cage-plate construct (CCP) was widely used in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), but the rigid fixation limits the motion of fused segments. Self-locking stand-alone cage (SSC) was an alternative for ACDF procedures and showed several superiorities. However, the effect of hybrid fixation in 3-level ACDF remains unknown., Objective: To assess the clinical and radiological outcomes of hybrid fixation with SSC and CCP against conventional CCP in 3-level ACDF., Method: A retrospective review of patients who underwent 3-level ACDF at Renji Hospital between January 2018 and December 2019 was performed. Eighty-three patients met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were stratified into 2 groups based on the fixation methods. The clinical outcomes, functional outcomes, and radiological parameters were collected and analyzed., Results: No significant difference was observed between the two groups in the mean age, sex, body mass index, hospital stay, and duration of follow-up. The postoperative C2-7 Cobb angle in the CCP group was significantly greater than that in the hybrid group. The rate of cervical proximal junctional kyphosis (CPJK) in the hybrid group was significantly lower than that in the CCP group. The CCP group suffered significantly higher rates of adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) than the hybrid group at 2 years postoperatively. Moreover, the incidence of postoperative dysphagia was lower in the hybrid group. No significant differences were observed in JOA and NDI scores between the two groups., Conclusion: The hybrid fixation achieved comparable clinical outcomes against CCP fixation, indicating that hybrid fixation is an alternative procedure in 3-level ACDF., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

During the investigation of lignicolous freshwater fungi in plateau lakes in Yunnan Province, China, eight Lentitheciaceae species were collected from five lakes viz. Luguhu, Qiluhu, Xingyunhu, Cibihu, and Xihu lake. Based on morphological characters and phylogenetic analysis of combined ITS, LSU, SSU, and tef 1-α sequence data, a new genus Paralentithecium , two new species ( Paralentithecium suae , and Setoseptoria suae ), three new records ( Halobyssothecium phragmitis , H. unicellulare, and Lentithecium yunnanensis ) and three known species viz. Halobyssothecium aquifusiforme , Lentithecium pseudoclioninum, and Setoseptoria bambusae are reported.

Background: This study examined the intent to be COVID-19 vaccinated and its correlates among patients with a pacemaker., Methods: This observational study was carried out between July 1, 2021, and May 17, 2022 in Beijing, China. Patients with a pacemaker were consecutively invited by a research physician to participate in the study. Intent to be COVID-19 vaccinated, depression, anxiety, insomnia, pain and smoking were measured with standard scales or questions., Results: Of the 206 participating patients, 72.82% (N = 150; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 66.74%-78.89%) expressed an intention to be COVID-19 vaccinated. Intent to be COVID-19 vaccinated was not significantly associated with severity of depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that patients believing that COVID-19 vaccines provided protection and smokers were more likely to express an intention to receive COVID-19 vaccines. In contrast, older patients and those with higher level of physical pain were less likely to express an intention to be vaccinated against COVID-19., Conclusions: Specific vaccination promotion strategies should be implemented targeting this vulnerable segment of the population., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Chronic pain causes both physical suffering and comorbid mental symptoms such as anhedonia. However, the neural circuits and molecular mechanisms underlying these maladaptive behaviors remain elusive. Here using a mouse model, we report a pathway from vesicular glutamate transporter 3 neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus to dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VGluT3 DRN →DA VTA ) wherein population-level activity in response to innocuous mechanical stimuli and sucrose consumption is inhibited by chronic neuropathic pain. Mechanistically, neuropathic pain dampens VGluT3 DRN  → DA VTA glutamatergic transmission and DA VTA neural excitability. VGluT3 DRN  → DA VTA activation alleviates neuropathic pain and comorbid anhedonia-like behavior (CAB) by releasing glutamate, which subsequently promotes DA release in the nucleus accumbens medial shell (NAcMed) and produces analgesic and anti-anhedonia effects via D2 and D1 receptors, respectively. In addition, VGluT3 DRN  → DA VTA inhibition produces pain-like reflexive hypersensitivity and anhedonia-like behavior in intact mice. These findings reveal a crucial role for VGluT3 DRN  → DA VTA  → D2/D1 NAcMed pathway in establishing and modulating chronic pain and CAB., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

While investigating the diversity of lignicolous fungi in Yunnan Province, China, six fresh collections of Torulaceae were collected and identified based on morphological examination and phylogenetic analyses of combined LSU, ITS, SSU, tef1-α , and rpb2 sequence data. Two new species, viz. Neopodoconisyunnanensis and Torulasuae , and three new records, viz. T.canangae (new freshwater habitat record), T.masonii (new host record), and T.sundara (new freshwater habitat record) are reported. Detailed descriptions, illustrations, and a phylogenetic tree to show the placement of these species are provided., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Wen-Peng Wang, Hong-Wei Shen, Dan-Feng Bao, Yong-Zhong Lu, Qiu-Xia Yang, Xi-Jun Su, Zong-Long Luo.)

RAD23 (RADIATION SENSITIVE23) proteins are a group of UBL-UBA (ubiquitin-like-ubiquitin-associated) proteins that shuttle ubiquitylated proteins to the 26S proteasome for breakdown. Drought stress is a major environmental constraint that limits plant growth and production, but whether RAD23 proteins are involved in this process is unclear. Here, we demonstrated that a shuttle protein, MdRAD23D1, mediated drought response in apple plants (Malus domestica). MdRAD23D1 levels increased under drought stress, and its suppression resulted in decreased stress tolerance in apple plants. Through in vitro and in vivo assays, we demonstrated that MdRAD23D1 interacted with a proline-rich protein MdPRP6, resulting in the degradation of MdPRP6 by the 26S proteasome. And MdRAD23D1 accelerated the degradation of MdPRP6 under drought stress. Suppression of MdPRP6 resulted in enhanced drought tolerance in apple plants, mainly because the free proline accumulation is changed. And the free proline is also involved in MdRAD23D1-mediated drought response. Taken together, these findings demonstrated that MdRAD23D1 and MdPRP6 oppositely regulated drought response. MdRAD23D1 levels increased under drought, accelerating the degradation of MdPRP6. MdPRP6 negatively regulated drought response, probably by regulating proline accumulation. Thus, "MdRAD23D1-MdPRP6" conferred drought stress tolerance in apple plants., (© 2023 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Study Design: Retrospective analysis., Objective: We investigated whether complete correction of cervical sagittal malalignment is necessary during 4-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) in patients with kyphosis., Methods: This retrospective study included 84 patients who underwent 4-level ACDF surgery at a university hospital between January 2010 and December 2015. Based on the degree of cervical lordosis correction, patients were categorized into the following groups: mild (0-10°), moderate (10-20°), and complete correction (>20°). The clinical outcomes, radiological parameters, and functional outcomes were analyzed., Results: We observed no significant intergroup differences in the baseline characteristics. The cervical sagittal vertical axis (CSVA) correction loss at the final follow-up was lesser in the mild- and moderate- than in the complete-correction group. The spinocranial angle (SCA) and T1 slope (T1 S) were significantly higher in the moderate- and complete-correction groups than in the mild-correction group, 3 days postoperatively. The cervical proximal junctional kyphosis (CPJK), adjacent segment degeneration (ASD), and ASD following CPJK rates were higher in the complete-correction group. We observed no significant intergroup differences in postoperative complications; however, 5 patients showed internal fixation failure in the complete-correction group; 4 of these patients required reoperation. No significant intergroup difference was observed in the Japanese Orthopedic Association and neck disability index scores at any time point., Conclusions: A mild-to-moderate correction of cervical lordosis is superior to complete correction in patients with kyphosis who undergo 4-level ACDF because this approach is associated with lesser axial stress and CSVA correction loss.

Background: This study was designed to investigate the prevalence and predictors of depression in patients after pacemaker implantation during the COVID-19 pandemic in addition to identifying specific depressive symptoms associated with quality of life (QOL) using network analysis (NA)., Methods: This cross-sectional, observational study was conducted in China between July 1, 2021, and May 17, 2022. Descriptive analysis was used to calculate depression prevalence. Univariate analyses were used to compare differences in demographic and clinical characteristics between depressed and non-depressed patients following pacemaker implantation. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to assess factors independently associated with depression. Network analysis "expected influence," and flow function indexes were used to identify symptoms central to the depression network of the sample and depressive symptoms that were directly associated with QOL, respectively. Network stability was examined using a case-dropping bootstrap procedure., Results: In total, 206 patients implanted with a pacemaker met the study entry criteria and completed the assessment. The overall prevalence of depression (PHQ-9 total score ≥ 5) was 39.92% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 29.37-42.47%]. A binary logistic regression analysis revealed that patients with depression were more likely to report a poor health status ( p = 0.031), severe anxiety symptoms ( p < 0.001), and fatigue ( p < 0.001). In the network model for depression, "Sad mood," "Poor Energy," and "Guilt" were the most influential symptoms. "Fatigue" had the strongest negative association with QOL, followed by "Sad mood" and "Appetite"., Conclusion: Depression is common among patients having undergone pacemaker implantation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Anxiety, central symptoms of depression (i.e., "Sad mood", "Poor Energy", and "Guilt") and depressive symptoms linked to QOL (i.e., "Sad mood", "Appetite", and "Fatigue") identified in this study are promising targets for interventions and preventive measures for depression in patients who have undergone pacemaker implants., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Lin, Cai, Liu, Su, Zhou, Li, Tang, Jackson and Xiang.)

Background: Geastrum is the largest genus of Geastraceae and is widely distributed all over the world. Four specimens which belong to Geastrum were collected during our scientific expedition to Cangshan Mountain, Yunnan, China. Based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis, a new species was introduced., New Information: Geastrumsuae is characterised by its large basidiomata (height 35-70 mm, diameter 18-37 mm) with long stipe (height 10-45 mm), smooth pink exoperidium and sessile globose endoperidial body. Phylogenetic analysis has been carried out, based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit ribosomal ribonucleic acid (nrLSU) sequence data. The illustration and description for the new taxa are provided., (Zheng-Quan Zhang, Chao-Hai Li, Lin Li, Hong-Wei Shen, Jun He, Xi-Jun Su, Zong-Long Luo.)

Insect herbivory in the forest canopy leads to a large amount of damaged leaves and frass input to soil, with consequence on soil carbon cycle. However, the influence of damaged leaves and frass from insect canopy herbivory on the soil priming effect is unclear. We examined the effects of leaf litter, leaf damage caused by Dendrolimus punctatus , and insect frass on soil priming effect by using the 13 C natural abundance technique. The results showed that the addition of leaf litter, damaged leaves, and frass significantly increased native soil organic carbon mineralization, producing a positive priming effect. Moreover, significant differences were observed among treatments. The accumulative priming effect induced by frass was the largest, followed by damaged leaves, and that of leaf litter was the smallest. The priming effect was positively correlated with total P, condensed tannin, total phenolic content, and the ratio of condensed tannin to P (condensed tannin/P), and negatively correlated with C/N, lignin/N, C/P, and lignin/P in the early stage of incubation. There was a significant negative correlation between the priming effect and lignin content in the later stage of incubation. Our results indicated that damaged leaves and frass increased the magnitude of positive priming effect, which was influenced by different factors at different incubation stages. Our results would strengthen the understanding in the effects of insect herbivory on soil carbon cycling in forests, and improve the accuracy of the assessment of its effects on forest carbon sink.

Background: Serrated polyps have been recognized as the important premalignant lesions. In this study, we aimed to analyze the clinicopathological features of sessile serrated polyps and determine the association between sessile serrated polyps and synchronous advanced adenomas., Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing diagnostic or therapeutic colonoscopies (including 156 681 diagnostic colonoscopies) from 2011 to 2019 were included., Results: A total of 958 patients, including 699 (73%) males, were detected with at least 1 sessile serrated polyp, and 65.9% (n = 658) of sessile serrated polyps were located in the distal colon. Advanced serrated lesions accounted for 9.1% (n = 91) of all the sessile serrated polyp (n = 999). The types of SSP included flat type (953/999, 95.4%) and sub-pedunculated or pedunculated type (46/999, 4.6%). Meanwhile, there was no obvious evidence supporting the association between advanced adenomas and characteristics of advanced serrated lesions or sessile serrated polyps., Conclusion: Sessile serrated polyps seem to be more frequently seen in the distal colon of men in this study. However, more evidence is required to confirm the actual distribution of sessile serrated polyp in colon among Chinese people. There is still much room for improvement of sessile serrated polyp detection rate, and more importance should be attached to sessile serrated polyp both for pathologists and endoscopists.

Sinoseneciopingwuensis (Asteraceae, Senecioneae), a new species from Pingwu county in northern Sichuan, China, is described and illustrated. This species is distinguished in Sinosenecio by having leathery, glabrous, ovate or ovate-oblong leaves often pinnately-veined and solitary capitula 2.3-4.3 cm in diameter, a unique character combination hitherto never recorded in the genus. Two floral micromorphological characters (configuration of filament collar of stamens and anther endothecial cell wall thickenings) and achene surface features of the new species are reported. Color photographs of living plants and a distribution map are also provided for the new species., (Xiu-Jiang Su, Wen-Qun Fei, Ding Zhao, Ying Liu, Qin-Er Yang.)

Sinoseneciominshanicus (Asteraceae, Senecioneae), a new species from south-eastern Gansu (Wenxian and Zhugqu counties) and northern Sichuan (Pingwu county), China, is described and illustrated. This species is similar to S.rotundifolius , a species locally endemic to Songpan county in northern Sichuan, in having a scapigerous habit, orbicular leaves and solitary capitula, but differs by the presence (vs. absence) of stolons and by having thinner rhizomes (ca. 2 mm vs. more than 5 mm in diameter), stems proximally sparsely fulvous arachnoid or glabrescent (vs. densely sericeous-villous) and obscure (vs. conspicuous) main veins on adaxial surface of leaves. The chromosome number of the new species is reported to be 2 n = 60. Colour photographs of living plants in the wild and a distribution map are provided for the new species and S.rotundifolius . The geographical distribution of S.rotundifolius is also corrected, with the previous record of this species from south-eastern Gansu (Wenxian county) actually referring to S.minshanicus ., (Xiu-Jiang Su, Wen-Qun Fei, Ding Zhao, Ying Liu, Qin-Er Yang.)

Rhododendron is an essential ornamental plant that is abundant in Yunnan province. In Cangshan Mountain, Yunnan, China, 61 species of Rhododendron have been reported. Endophytic fungi are internal plant tissue inhabitants that do not harm the host. It has emerged as an exciting research topic as they have the potential to provide numerous secondary metabolites. This study is focused on taxonomic novelties and new host records of endophytic fungi associated with Rhododendron plants collected from Cangshan Mountain in Yunnan Province, China. Pestalotiopsis fungi are associated with a vast array of plant species worldwide. In this study, fresh leaves of Rhododendron cyanocarpum , Rhododendron decorum , and Rhododendron delavayi were collected from Cangshan Mountain, Yunnan Province, China. Endophytic Pestalotiopsis fungi associated with Rhododendron were characterized based on phylogenetic analyses of combined ITS, TEF1-α, and TUB genes along with morphological characteristics. Six new species ( Pestalotiopsis appendiculata , Pestalotiopsis cangshanensis , Pestalotiopsis daliensis , Pestalotiopsis fusoidea , Pestalotiopsis rosarioides , and Pestalotiopsis suae ) and a new host record ( Pestalotiopsis trachicarpicola ) are described. Detailed descriptions and color photo plates of these species are provided. It is the first time that the endophytic fungi of Rhododendron plants in Cangshan Mountain have been studied., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The reviewer KC declared a shared affiliation with the authors D-FB and H-WS to the handling editor at the time of review., (Copyright © 2022 Gu, Bao, Shen, Su, Li and Luo.)

Ganoderma is a globally distributed genus that encompasses species with forestry ecological, medicinal, economic, and cultural importance. Despite the importance of this fungus, the studies on the species diversity of Ganoderma in Yunnan Province, China (YPC) have poorly been carried out. During this study, opportunistic sampling was used to collect 21 specimens of Ganoderma from YPC. Morphology and multigene phylogeny of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, the large subunit of nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nrLSU), the translation elongation factor 1-α gene (TEF1-α), and the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB2) were used to identify them. Morphological and molecular characterization of the 21 specimens showed that they belong to 18 species of Ganoderma , of which three are novel viz. G. artocarpicola , G. obscuratum and G. yunnanense . Ganoderma artocarpicola is characterized by the sessile and concrescent basidiomata, reddish brown to yellowish brown pileus surface, heterogeneous context, wavy margin, and ovoid basidiospores. Ganoderma obscuratum is distinguished by small pores (6-9 per mm), dorsolaterally sub-stipitate basidiomata which become greyish-brown when dry, and narrow ellipsoid basidiospores. Ganoderma yunnanense is characterized by cream color pore surface and context, centrally to laterally stipitate basidiomata with reddish-brown to violet-brown strongly laccate pileus surface, and broadly ellipsoid basidiospores. With the help of an extensive literature survey and the results of this study, a checklist of 32 Ganoderma species from YPC was established, which accounts for 71.11% of the known species in China. In addition, a key to the Ganoderma in YPC is also provided., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 He, Han, Luo, Li, Tang, Luo, Niu, Su and Li.)

Context: Thyroid hormones are associated with birth weight in singleton pregnancy. Twin pregnancies need more thyroid hormones to maintain the normal growth and development of the fetuses compared with single pregnancy., Objective: We aimed to investigate the association of thyroid hormones and birth weight in twins., Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study in a Chinese population. Pregnant women who received regular antenatal health care and delivered live-born twins from 2014 to 2019 were included (n = 1626). Linear mixed model with restricted cubic splines and logistic regression models were used to estimate the association of thyroid hormones with birth weight and birth weight discordance in twins., Results: We observed that both thyrotropin (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) were not associated with birth weight in twins overall, while when stratifying on fetal sex or chorionicity, there were nonlinear association between FT4 levels and birth weight in boys (Pnonlinear < .001) and in dichorionic (DC) twins (Pnonlinear = 0.03). Women with levels of FT4 lower than the 10th percentile had a higher risk of birth weight discordance in their offspring than women with normal FT4 levels (range, 2.5 to 97.5 percentiles) (odds ratio = 1.58; 95% CI, 1.05-2.33)., Conclusion: Our study suggests there was an association of FT4, but not TSH, with birth weight and birth weight discordance varied by sex and chorionicity. These findings could have implications for obstetricians to be aware of the importance of FT4 levels in preventing birth weight discordance in twin pregnancy., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society.)

Flexible pressure sensors still face difficulties achieving a constantly adaptable micronanostructure of substrate materials. Interlinked microcone resistive sensors were fabricated by polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanocone array. PDMS nanocone array was achieved by the second transferring tapered polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) structure. In addition, self-assembly 2D carbon nanotubes (CNTs) networks as a conducting layer were prepared by a low-cost, dependable, and ultrafast Langmuir−Blodgett (LB) process. In addition, the self-assembled two-dimensional carbon nanotubes (CNTs) network as a conductive layer can change the internal resistance due to pressure. The results showed that the interlinked sensor with a nanocone structure can detect the external pressure by the change of resistivity and had a sensitive resistance change in the low pressure (<200 Pa), good stability through 2800 cycles, and a detection limit of 10 kPa. Based on these properties, the electric signals were tested, including swallowing throat, finger bending, finger pressing, and paper folding. The simulation model of the sensors with different structural parameters under external pressure was established. With the advantages of high sensitivity, stability, and wide detection range, this sensor shows great potential for monitoring human motion and can be used in wearable devices.

The high incidence of treatment-resistant pain calls for the urgent preclinical translation of new analgesics. Understanding the behavioral readout of pain in animals is crucial for efficacy evaluation when developing novel analgesics. Mas-related G protein-coupled receptor D-positive (Mrgprd + ) and transient receptor potential vanilloid 1-positive (TRPV1 + ) sensory neurons are two major non-overlapping subpopulations of C-fiber nociceptors. Their activation has been reported to provoke diverse nocifensive behaviors. However, what kind of behavior reliably represents subjectively conscious pain perception needs to be revisited. Here, we generated transgenic mice in which Mrgprd + or TRPV1 + sensory neurons specifically express channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2). Under physiological conditions, optogenetic activation of hindpaw Mrgprd + afferents evoked reflexive behaviors (lifting, etc.), but failed to produce aversion. In contrast, TRPV1 + afferents activation evoked marked reflexive behaviors and affective responses (licking, etc.), as well as robust aversion. Under neuropathic pain conditions induced by spared nerve injury (SNI), affective behaviors and avoidance can be elicited by Mrgprd + afferents excitation. Mechanistically, spinal cord-lateral parabrachial nucleus (lPBN) projecting neurons in superficial layers (lamina I-II o ) were activated by TRPV1 + nociceptors in naïve conditions or by Mrgprd + nociceptors after SNI, whereas only deep spinal cord neurons were activated by Mrgprd + nociceptors in naïve conditions. Moreover, the excitatory inputs from Mrgprd + afferents to neurons within inner lamina II (II i ) are partially gated under normal conditions. Altogether, we conclude that optogenetic activation of the adult Mrgprd + nociceptors drives non-pain-like reflexive behaviors via the deep spinal cord pathway under physiological conditions and drives pain-like affective behaviors via superficial spinal cord pathway under pathological conditions. The distinct spinal pathway transmitting different forms of nocifensive behaviors provides different therapeutic targets. Moreover, this study appeals to the rational evaluation of preclinical analgesic efficacy by using comprehensive and suitable behavioral assays, as well as by assessing neural activity in the two distinct pathways., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wang, Su, Wu, Xu, Wang, Chen, Ye, Maimaitiabula, Liu, Sun and Zhang.)

Study Design: A retrospective study., Objective: To investigate the effects of percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic decompression (PTED) for lumbar stenosis associated with adult degenerative scoliosis and to analyze the correlation between preoperative radiological parameters and postoperative surgical outcomes., Methods: Two years of retrospective data was collected from 46 patients with lumbar stenosis associated with adult degenerative scoliosis who underwent PTED. The visual analog scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index, and modified MacNab criteria were used to evaluate the clinical outcomes. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the correlation between radiological parameters and surgical outcomes., Results: The mean age of the 33 female and 13 male patients was 73.5 ± 8.1 years. The mean follow-up was 27.6 ± 3.5 months (range from 24 to 36). The average coronal Cobb angle was 24.5 ± 8.2°. There were better outcomes of the VAS for leg pain and Oswestry Disability Index after surgery. Based on the MacNab criteria, excellent or good outcomes were noted in 84.78% of patients. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that Cobb angle and lateral olisthy may be the predictors for low back pain., Conclusion: Transforaminal endoscopic surgery may be an effective and safe method for geriatric patients with lumbar stenosis associated with degenerative scoliosis. The predictive factors of clinical outcomes were severe Cobb angle and high degree lateral subluxation. Transforaminal endoscopic surgery may not be recommended for patients with Cobb angle larger than 30° combined with lateral subluxation.

Study Design: This was a prospective controlled study., Objective: To compare the accuracy and clinical outcomes of robot-assisted (RA) and fluoroscopy-guided (FG) pedicle screw placement in posterior cervical surgery., Methods: This study included 58 patients. The primary outcome measures were the 1-time success rate and the accuracy of pedicle screw placement according to the Gertzbein-Robbins scales. The secondary outcome measures, including the operative time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, cumulative radiation time, radiation dose, intraoperative advent events, and postoperative complications, were recorded and analyzed. The Japanese Orthopedics Association (JOA) scores and Neck Disability Index (NDI) were used to assess the neurological function of patients before and at 3 and 6 months after surgery., Results: The rate of grade A was significantly higher in the RA group than in the FG group (90.6% and 71.1%; P < .001). The clinically acceptable accuracy was 97.2% in the RA group and 90.7% in the FG group ( P = .009). Moreover, the 1-time success rate was significantly higher in the RA group than in the FG group. The RA group had less radiation time ( P < .001) and less radiation dose ( P = .002) but longer operative time ( P = .001). There were no significant differences in terms of intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, intraoperative adverse events, postoperative complications, JOA scores, and NDI scores at each follow-up time point between the 2 groups., Conclusions: The RA technique achieved higher accuracy and 1-time success rate of pedicle screw placement in posterior cervical surgery while achieving comparable clinical outcomes.

Background and Objects: An atypical cytologic diagnosis arises from inflammation or early neoplastic process. It is commonly found in EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration/biopsy (EUS-FNA/FNB) tissue sampling of pancreatic malignancies. The aims of this study were to evaluate the diagnostic performance of EUS-FNA/FNB in patients with cytologic diagnosis of atypical cells and to develop a prediction model for malignant tumors of the pancreas in the atypical cytologic diagnostic category., Methods: Two hundred and twenty-six patients in the atypical cytologic diagnostic category were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine predictive factors for pancreatic malignancies. The final diagnoses were confirmed by repeat biopsy; surgical pathology, or clinical follow-up for at least 6 months., Results: The atypical cytologic diagnosis using EUS-FNA/FNB was associated with an absolute risk of malignancy (82.3%). Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that older age, long axis of the mass, and increased carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) were independent risk factors for true malignant pancreatic tumors among patients in the atypical cytologic diagnostic category. The calibration curve had a slope of 0.96, and a regression coefficient (R 2 ) of 0.91. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the validation group was 0.803., Conclusions: Atypical lesions of EUS-FNA/FNB have a higher risk of malignancy. Older age, the long axis of the mass, and elevated serum CA19-9 level were identified as independent risk factors for true malignant pancreatic tumors among patients in the atypical cytologic diagnostic category., Competing Interests: None

Somatostatin-positive (SOM + ) neurons have been proposed as one of the key populations of excitatory interneurons in the spinal dorsal horn involved in mechanical pain. However, the molecular mechanism for their role in pain modulation remains unknown. Here, we showed that the T-type calcium channel Cav3.2 was highly expressed in spinal SOM + interneurons. Colocalization of Cacna1h (which codes for Cav3.2) and SOM tdTomato was observed in the in situ hybridization studies. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting of SOM tdTomato cells in spinal dorsal horn also proved a high expression of Cacna1h in SOM + neurons. Behaviorally, virus-mediated knockdown of Cacna1h in spinal SOM + neurons reduced the sensitivity to light touch and responsiveness to noxious mechanical stimuli in naïve mice. Furthermore, knockdown of Cacna1h in spinal SOM + neurons attenuated thermal hyperalgesia and dynamic allodynia in the complete Freund's adjuvant-induced inflammatory pain model, and reduced both dynamic and static allodynia in a neuropathic pain model of spared nerve injury. Mechanistically, a decrease in the percentage of neurons with Aβ-eEPSCs and Aβ-eAPs in superficial dorsal horn was observed after Cacna1h knockdown in spinal SOM + neurons. Altogether, our results proved a crucial role of Cav3.2 in spinal SOM + neurons in mechanosensation under basal conditions and in mechanical allodynia under pathological pain conditions. This work reveals a molecular basis for SOM + neurons in transmitting mechanical pain and shows a functional role of Cav3.2 in tactile and pain processing at the level of spinal cord in addition to its well-established peripheral role., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Zhi, Cao, Su, Gao, Zheng, Jiang, Su, Liu, Wang, Zhang and Zhang.)

The neuron-restrictive silencer factor (NRSF), also known as repressor element 1 (RE-1) silencing transcription factor (REST) or X2 box repressor (XBR), is a zinc finger transcription factor that is widely expressed in neuronal and non-neuronal cells. It is a master regulator of the nervous system, and the function of NRSF is the basis of neuronal differentiation, diversity, plasticity, and survival. NRSF can bind to the neuron-restrictive silencer element (NRSE), recruit some co-repressors, and then inhibit transcription of NRSE downstream genes through epigenetic mechanisms. In neurogenesis, NRSF functions not only as a transcriptional silencer that can mediate the transcriptional inhibition of neuron-specific genes in non-neuronal cells and thus give neuron cells specificity, but also as a transcriptional activator to induce neuronal differentiation. Many studies have confirmed the association between NRSF and brain disorders, such as brain injury and neurodegenerative diseases. Overexpression, underexpression, or mutation may lead to neurological disorders. In tumorigenesis, NRSF functions as an oncogene in neuronal tumors, such as neuroblastomas, medulloblastomas, and pheochromocytomas, stimulating their proliferation, which results in poor prognosis. Additionally, NRSF-mediated selective targets gene repression plays an important role in the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain caused by nerve injury, cancer, and diabetes. At present, several compounds that target NRSF or its co-repressors, such as REST-VP16 and X5050, have been shown to be clinically effective against many brain diseases, such as seizures, implying that NRSF and its co-repressors may be potential and promising therapeutic targets for neural disorders. In the present review, we introduced the biological characteristics of NRSF; reviewed the progress to date in understanding the roles of NRSF in the pathophysiological processes of the nervous system, such as neurogenesis, brain disorders, neural tumorigenesis, and neuropathic pain; and suggested new therapeutic approaches to such brain diseases., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Su, Shen, Wang, Song, Yang, Wu, Shen and Zhu.)

This study investigated the differential mechanisms of Rehmanniae Radix and Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata in improving diabetes in mice through AMPK-mediated NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway. The diabetic mouse model was established with high-fat diet coupled with streptozotocin(STZ, intraperitoneal injection, 100 mg·kg~(-1), once a day for three consecutive days), after which the mice were randomly divided into model group, low-dose(5 g·kg~(-1)) and high-dose(15 g·kg~(-1)) Rehmanniae Radix groups, low-dose(5 g·kg~(-1)) and high-dose(15 g·kg~(-1)) Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata groups, catalpol group(250 mg·kg~(-1)), 5-hydroxymethylfurfural(5-HMF) group(250 mg·kg~(-1)), metformin group(250 mg·kg~(-1)), with the normal group also set. The organ indexes of heart,liver, spleen, lung, kidney and pancreas were calculated after four weeks of administration. The pathological changes and fibrosis of pancreas, kidney and liver in mice were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and Masson staining. Western blot was used to determine the expression levels of Toll-like receptor-4(TLR4), nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB), Nod-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3),interleukin-1β(IL-1β), adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase(AMPK), phosphorylated AMPK(p-AMPK) in the pancreas, kidney and liver of mice. Compared with the model group, the administration groups witnessed significant decrease in the liver,spleen, kidney, pancreas and fat indexes of diabetic mice, and there was no significant difference in heart and lung indexes. The pathological states and fibrosis of pancreatic, kidney and liver tissues were significantly improved after administration. Additionally, the expression levels of TLR4, NF-κB and NLRP3 in pancreas, kidney and liver of diabetic mice were significantly lowered. The expression levels of p-AMPK/AMPK were enhanced significantly in kidney and liver of mice in Rehmanniae Radix group while in pancreas, kidney and liver in Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata group. This suggests that Rehmanniae Radix and Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata differ in the mechanism of regulating energy metabolism of multiple organs and thereby exerting anti-inflammatory effects to alleviate symptoms of diabetic mice.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effects of a training program combining formal cytological curriculum and practical assessments on endosonographers and to determine how many operations were needed for training through learning curves., Methods: A formal cytological curriculum was implemented in November 2019 for four endosonographers. The competency of endosonographers before and after the curriculum was judged by quantitative scores. From December 2019 to October 2020, trainees independently examined the adequacy and atypia grade of pancreatic specimens acquired by EUS-guided-fine-needle biopsy based on specific atypical grading criteria. The accuracy of the adequacy and atypia assessment of each trainee was calculated, and learning curves were drawn to evaluate the improvement., Results: The median posttraining score improved by 87% from 49 to 91.5 out of 100. Ninety patients were enrolled in the practical assessments. The accuracy for specimen adequacy and atypia assessment of each trainee was 91.7%, 92.8%, 91.0%, and 89.3% and 80.0%, 82.1%, 81.0%, and 78.9%. The learning curves of each trainee showed a steady and significant improvement, and ninety cases were sufficient for satisfactory adequacy assessment., Conclusions: Basic knowledge of on-site cytopathologic evaluation can be gained through standardized and systematic training. Practical assessments showed that, at the completion of ninety cases, trained endosonographers reached a satisfactory level of recognizing specimen adequacy, but continue practice was needed for atypia assessment., Competing Interests: None

Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Estrogen receptors (ERs) regulate the development of the growth plate (GP) by binding to estrogen, a phenomenon that determines the growth of skeletal bone. However, the exact mechanisms underlying the regulatory effects of ERs on axial and appendicular growth plates during puberty remain unclear. In the present study, the strategy of ERβ blocking resulted in increased longitudinal elongation of the appendicular bone (P < 0.01), whereas ERα blocking suppressed appendicular elongation (P < 0.05). Blocking both ERs did not have opposite effects on axial longitudinal growth. The expression of chondrocyte proliferation genes including collagen II, aggrecan, and Sox9 and hypertrophic marker genes including collagen X, MMP13, and Runx2 was significantly increased in the growth plate of female mice treated with ERβ antagonist compared with that in the GP of control mice (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in local insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) expression among these groups (P > 0.05), and Indian hedgehog protein (Ihh) and parathyroid-related protein (PTHrP) expressions differed among these groups (P < 0.05). ERs appeared not to affect axial bone growth during puberty in female mice (P > 0.05). Our data show that the blocking of different ER subtypes might have a region-specific influence on longitudinal appendicular and axial growth.

Herein, we report the importance of structure regulation on the O-O bond formation process in binuclear iron catalysts. Three complexes, [Fe 2 (μ-O)(OH 2 ) 2 (TPA) 2 ] 4+ (1), [Fe 2 (μ-O)(OH 2 ) 2 (6-HPA)] 4+ (2) and [Fe 2 (μ-O)(OH 2 ) 2 (BPMAN)] 4+ (3), have been designed as electrocatalysts for water oxidation in 0.1 M NaHCO 3 solution (pH 8.4). We found that 1 and 2 are molecular catalysts and that O-O bond formation proceeds via oxo-oxo coupling rather than by the water nucleophilic attack (WNA) pathway. In contrast, complex 3 displays negligible catalytic activity. DFT calculations suggested that the anti to syn isomerization of the two high-valent Fe=O moieties in these catalysts takes place via the axial rotation of one Fe=O unit around the Fe-O-Fe center. This is followed by the O-O bond formation via an oxo-oxo coupling pathway at the Fe IV Fe IV state or via oxo-oxyl coupling pathway at the Fe IV Fe V state. Importantly, the rigid BPMAN ligand in complex 3 limits the anti to syn isomerization and axial rotation of the Fe=O moiety, which accounts for the negligible catalytic activity., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

A Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, non-lagellated and rod-shaped bacterium FML-4 T was isolated from a chlorothalonil-contaminated soil in Nanjing, China. Phylogenetic analyses of 16S rRNA genes revealed that the strain FML-4 T shared the highest sequence similarity of 97.1% with Ciceribacter thiooxidans KCTC 52231 T , followed by Rhizobium rosettiformans CCM 7583 T (97.0%) and R. daejeonense KCTC 12121 T (96.8%). Although the sequence similarities of the housekeeping genes thrC, rceA, glnII, and atpD between strain FML-4 T and C. thiooxidans KCTC 52231 T were 83.8%, 88.7%, 86.2%, and 92.0%, respectively, strain FML-4 T formed a monophyletic clade in the cluster of Rhizobium species. Importantly, the feature gene of the genus Rhizobium, nifH gene (encoding the dinitrogenase reductase), was detected in strain FML-4 T but not in C. thiooxidans KCTC 52231 T . In addition, strain FML-4 T contained the summed feature 8 (C 18:1 ω7c and/or C 18:1 ω6c), C 19:0 cyclo ω8c and C 16:0 as the major fatty acids. Genome sequencing of strain FML-4 T revealed a genome size of 7.3 Mbp and a G+C content of 63.0 mol%. Based on the results obtained by phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic analyses, phenotypic characterization, average nucleotide identity (ANI, similarity 77.3-75.4%), and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH, similarity 24.5-22.3%), it was concluded that strain FML-4 T represented a novel species of the genus Rhizobium, for which the name Rhizobium flavescens sp. nov. was proposed (type strain FML-4 T  = CCTCC AB 2019354 T  = KCTC 62839 T ).

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of erythropoietin (EPO) on the apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) induced by high glucose and its mechanism. Rat primary RGCs were extracted to establish high glucose-induced apoptosis models using a 30 mM high-glucose medium. Then flow cytometry, cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and Western blotting assay were performed to detect the effects of high-, medium- and low-dose EPO on the apoptosis of RGCs induced by high glucose. Next, the molecular mechanism by which EPO suppressed the high glucose-induced apoptosis of RGCs was explored via gene array assay and bioinformatics analysis. The results and mechanism of bioinformatics analysis were verified by Western blotting assay. Finally, the small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) experiment was applied to knock down tyrosine-protein phosphatase non-receptor type 1 (PTPN1) and PTPN11 to verify their roles in the inhibition of EPO on the apoptosis of RGCs triggered by high glucose. Flow cytometry-Annexin V/propidium iodide (PI) staining and CCK-8 assay confirmed that the high-, medium- and low-dose EPO inhibited the apoptosis of RGCs induced by high glucose in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05). Subsequently, Western blotting assay results manifested that the high-, medium- and low-dose EPO reduced the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins active-cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase 3 (Caspase 3) and active- Caspase 9 in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05). Moreover, according to gene array assay and bioinformatics analysis results, the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway, PTPN1 and PTPN11 might exert crucial effects in the inhibition of EPO on the apoptosis of RGCs induced by high glucose. Western blotting assay results also demonstrated that, compared with the high-glucose treatment, the high-dose EPO treatment decreased the protein expression level of phosphorylated (p)-JNK1/JNK but increased the protein expression levels of PTPN1 and PTPN11 (P<0.05). Moreover, flow cytometry-Annexin V/PI staining and CCK-8 assay results revealed that in EPO-treated cells, knocking down PTPN1 and PTPN11 significantly reversed the protective effect of EPO against high glucose-induced retinal ganglion cell apoptosis (P<0.05). Lastly, Western blotting assay illustrated that knocking down PTPN1 and PTPN11 significantly abolished the inhibition of high-dose EPO on the JNK signaling pathway. EPO may suppress the JNK signaling pathway by raising the expression levels of PTPN1 and PTPN11, so as to inhibit the apoptosis of RGCs triggered by high glucose., (Copyright 2020 Biolife Sas. www.biolifesas.org.)

Objective: Recovery of hand motor function after surgical treatment in myelopathy patients is commonly observed. Accurate evaluation of postoperative hand function contributes to assessing the efficacy of surgical treatment. However, no objective and effective evaluation method has been widely accepted in clinical practice. Therefore, the study aimed to explore the value of Myelopathy-hand Functional Evaluation System (MFES) in assessing the postoperative hand function for myelopathy patients., Material and Method: MFES mainly consist of a pair of wise-gloves and a computer with software. One hundred and thirty myelopathy patients were included and all of them received optimal surgery treatment. The Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores were marked at preoperative and at 6 months after surgery. All patients were asked to perform the 10-s grip and release test, and the hand movements were simulated and converted into waveforms by MFES. The waveform parameters were measured and analyzed., Results: The JOA scores and the number of grip-and-release (G-R) cycles significantly increased after surgery. Correspondingly, the waveforms of ulnar three fingers were significantly higher and narrower, along with the significantly declined average time per cycle in postoperative. The a/b ratio (Wave height/wave width) of five fingers were significantly higher in postoperative than that in preoperative. Based on the improvement rate of a/b, the excellent and good rate of surgical outcomes was 62.30 %, which was significantly higher than that (47.69 %) based on the improvement rate of JOA scores (P = 0.019)., Conclusion: MFES is an effective assessment tool in evaluating the postoperative hand function for myelopathy patients., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Carotenoids are liposoluble pigments found in plant chromoplasts that are responsible for the yellow, orange, and red colors of carrot taproots. Drought is one of the main stress factors affecting carrot growth. Carotenoids play important roles in drought resistance in higher plants. In the present work, the carotenoid contents in three different-colored carrot cultivars, 'Kurodagosun' (orange), 'Benhongjinshi' (red), and 'Qitouhuang' (yellow), were determined by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) after 15% polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000 treatment. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was then used to determine the expression levels of carotenoid synthesis- and degradation-related genes. Increases in β-carotene content in 'Qitouhuang' taproots under drought stress were found to be related to the expression levels of DcPSY2 and DcLCYB. Increases in lutein and decreases in α-carotene content in 'Qitouhuang' and 'Kurodagosun' under PEG treatment may be related to the expression levels of DcCYP97A3, DcCHXE, and DcCHXB1. The expression levels of DcNCED1 and DcNCED2 in the three cultivars significantly increased, thus suggesting that NCED genes could respond to drought stress. Analysis of the growth status and carotenoid contents of carrots under PEG treatment indicated that the orange cultivar 'Kurodagosun' has better adaptability to drought stress than the other cultivars and that β-carotene and lutein may be involved in the stress resistance process of carrot.

Study Design: A cross-sectional study., Objective: To assess the effectiveness of a new assessment tool, myelopathy-hand functional evaluation system (MFES), in evaluating the hand dysfunction of patients with cervical myelopathy in the 10-second grip-and-release test (10 second G-R test)., Summary of Background Data: Clumsy fingers movement is a common symptom of myelopathy patients. Evaluating the impaired hand function can provide a strong basis in assessing the severity of myelopathy. Currently, no objective and effective evaluation method is widely accepted in clinical practice., Methods: MFES mainly consists of a pair of wise-gloves and a computer with software. One hundred and ninety-eight consecutive participants were asked to wear the wise-gloves and then perform 10 seconds G-R test. The movements of each finger were recorded by MFES and converted into waveforms. Relevant waveform parameters were measured and analyzed. The Japanese Orthopedics Association (JOA) scores of each patient were marked and the maximum spinal cord compression (MSCC) was measured on midsagittal T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)., Results: Myelopathy patients had a lower number of G-R cycles and a longer time per cycle than healthy subjects. There were significant differences in adduction and abduction time in patients with JOA scores greater than 6, but not in healthy subjects and patients with JOA scores less than 6. The waveforms of ulnar three fingers in myelopathy patients were lower and wider than those in healthy individuals. The average ratio value of wave height to wave width (a/b) could quantitatively reflect such differences of waveforms. According to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the optimal threshold value of the normal average ratio was more than 1.92. The average a/b value was correlated with the JOA scores of the motor function in the upper extremities (r = 0.842)., Conclusion: MFES appears to be an objective and quantitative assessment tool for patients with cervical myelopathy., Level of Evidence: 3.

Background: Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is a very common disorder, and it is the second leading cause that results in blindness worldwide after cataracts. Previous studies have reported that dorzolamide/timolol-fixed combination (DTFC) can be used in treating POAG. However, there are still inconsistent results. Thus, this study will systematically investigate the efficacy and safety of DTFC on POAG., Methods: A comprehensive search will be carried out in Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHI, ACMD, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and WANGFANG database from origin to the present. There are no limitations related to the language and publication status. Only randomized controlled trials that assessed the efficacy and safety of DTFC for the treatment of POAG will be included. Two researchers will independently undertake record selection, data extraction, and study quality assessment. Any divisions will be solved by discussion with a third researcher. We will perform statistical analysis using RevMan 5.3 software RESULTS:: This study will summarize the present evidence to identify the efficacy and safety of DTFC in treating POAG through mean intraocular pressure, best corrected visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, bioelectric activity of the retina, rate of progression of glaucoma, quality of life, and adverse events., Conclusions: The results of this study will provide evidence of DTFC for the treatment of POAG., Systematic Review Registration: INPLASY202040120.

The NAC transcription factor participates in various biotic and abiotic stress responses and plays a critical role in plant development. Lignin is a water-insoluble dietary fiber, but it is second only to cellulose in abundance. Celery is the main source of dietary fiber, but its quality and production are limited by various abiotic stresses. Here, AgNAC1 containing the NAM domain was identified from celery. AgNAC1 was found to be a nuclear protein. Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants hosting AgNAC1 have longer root lengths and stomatal axis lengths than the wide type (WT). The evidence from lignin determination and expression levels of lignin-related genes indicated that AgNAC1 plays a vital role in lignin biosynthesis. Furthermore, the results of the physiological characterization and the drought and salt treatments indicate that AgNAC1-overexpressing plants are significantly resistive to salt stress. Under drought and salt treatments, the AgNAC1 transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants presented increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) content and size of stomatal apertures relatively to the WT plants. The AgNAC1 served as a positive regulator in inducing the expression of stress-responsive genes. Overall, the overexpressing AgNAC1 enhanced the plants' resistance to salt stress and played a regulatory role in lignin accumulation., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)