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This study explored the associations between peripheral immunity with cerebral small vessel diseases. Older adults without dementia from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative were investigated. Peripheral blood was obtained, and magnetic resonance imaging was performed to measure cerebral microbleeds (CMB), lacunar infarctions (LI), and white matter hyperintensities (WMH). Multivariable-adjusted regression models, linear mixed-effects models, and the Spearman correlations were used to evaluate the associations. At baseline, individuals with greater neutrophils (odds ratio [OR] =1.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00–1.20, p =0.042) and monocytes (OR=1.12, 95% CI 1.02–1.22, p =0.016) had higher WMH volume. On the contrary, a higher lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) was related to lower WMH volume (OR=0.91, 95% CI 0.82–1.00, p =0.041). Longitudinally, higher neutrophils (ρ=0.084, p =0.049) and NLR (ρ=0.111, p =0.009) predicted accelerated progression of WMH volume, while a greater LMR (ρ=−0.101, p =0.018) was linked to slower growth of WMH volume. Nevertheless, associations between peripheral immunity with CMB or LI were not observed at baseline and follow-up. Our study found that peripheral immune indexes could serve as convenient noninvasive biomarkers of WMH. • Participants with higher LMR at baseline had a lower risk of WMH. • Lower LMR or higher NLR at baseline predicted faster WMH progression longitudinally. • Innate immunity and adaptive immunity may play opposite roles in CSVD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sleep disorders are associated with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). Limited studies have focused on excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and its impact on jaw functions in TMD patients. Objective: The aim of the present investigation was to identify the impact of EDS on pain and jaw function in TMD patients. Methods: A total of 338 TMD patients (50 males and 288 females) was included. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) was used to classify patients into EDS group (score ≥ 10) and non‐EDS group (score < 10). The Jaw Functional Limitation Scale 8‐item (JFLS‐8) was used to assess the severity of jaw dysfunction. Pain intensity was evaluated using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Anxiety and depression were evaluated using the Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7‐item (GAD‐7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire 9‐item (PHQ‐9). All included patients were diagnosed with pain‐related TMD (PT), intra‐articular TMD (IT) or combined TMD (CT). Results: Compared with non‐EDS patients, EDS patients exhibited more severe jaw dysfunction, greater pain intensity and higher PHQ‐9 scores (p <.05). Multivariate analyses showed that EDS (B = 3.69), female gender (B = 3.69), and elevated GAD‐7 score (B = 0.73) were significantly associated with an increased score on the JFLS‐8 (p <.05). Moreover, bivariate logistic regression analysis indicated a significant relationship between EDS and PT (OR = 2.70, p =.007). Conclusion: The presence of EDS was more closely related to PT, but the causal relationship between them needs to be further confirmed. More concern and intervention to alleviate poor sleep quality might be highlighted during the treatment of TMD, especially PT subtype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Due to anatomical and functional similarities in microvascular beds, the brain and kidney share distinctive susceptibilities to vascular injury and common risk factors of small vessel disease. The aim of this updated meta-analysis is to explore the association between kidney function and the burden of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were systematically searched for observational studies that explored the association between the indicators of kidney function and CSVD neuroimaging markers. The highest-adjusted risk estimates and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were aggregated using random-effect models. Results: Twelve longitudinal studies and 51 cross-sectional studies with 57,030 subjects met the inclusion criteria of systematic review, of which 52 were included in quantitative synthesis. According to the pooled results, we found that low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2) was associated with cerebral microbleeds (odds ratio (OR) = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.26–1.90), white matter hyperintensities (OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.05–1.86), and lacunar infarctions (OR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.18–1.92), but not with severe perivascular spaces (OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 0.77–1.88). Likewise, patients with proteinuria (OR = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.47–2.09) or elevated serum cystatin C (OR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.25–1.83) also had an increased risk of CSVD. Conclusion: The association between kidney function and CSVD has been comprehensively updated through this study, that kidney insufficiency manifested as low eGFR, proteinuria, and elevated serum cystatin C was independently associated with CSVD burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparative study on the enhancement mechanism by various twisted tapes (TTs) in association with the local flow pattern is investigated in detail via computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The effect of gap between TT and tube is further examined based on prior experimental validation. Result shows that the Nusselt number and friction factor will be increased by 12.6% and 18.1%, respectively, and the comprehensive thermal performance (CTP) will be improved from 1.05-1.07 to 1.12-1.15 when the gap is reduced from 1.0 mm to zero. The obtuse V-cut design in the experimental study shows superior performance, and the related enhancement mechanisms by windward, isosceles, and leeward V-cut configurations are numerically investigated. By comparing the local streamline at V-cut regions and the velocity distribution on the cross section, the windward V-cut might notably introduce fluid into the cut region and toward the tube wall subsequently, thereby resulting in effective heat transfer augmentation near the tube wall. Compared to the isosceles V-cut TT, the CTP of windward V-cut TT can be augmented from 1.15-1.18 to 1.16-1.21. However, the leeward V-cut TT will impair the CTP due to its inconsistent turbulence direction to the main helical flow. On the other hand, it is also indicated that fabricating three windward V-cuts at each helical pitch shows the highest improvement on CTP. Further increment of V-cut number may reversely reduce the CTP because of the rapid increase of flow resistance. Moreover, fabricating windward V-cuts on bilateral edges of the TT shows limited improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To explore the relationship between craniomaxillofacial features and psychological distress among adult pretreatment orthodontic patients. Methods. A group of 190 patients (95 males and 95 females) was included. Questionnaires including the Kessler psychological distress scale (K10) were sent to patients, and cephalograms were collected. Patients were divided into two groups according to K10 score: psychological distress group (score ≥ 20) and no psychological distress group (score < 20). Nineteen hard tissue and thirteen soft tissue parameters were traced on cephalograms to characterize the craniomaxillofacial features. Results. There was no significant difference in gender or age distribution between the two groups. Male patients with psychological distress showed statistically significantly larger anterior facial height (AFH) (126.62 mm vs. 120.97 mm), upper lip length (25.11 mm vs. 23.26 mm), and smaller overbite (1.21 mm vs. 2.75 mm) than patients without psychological distress. Male patients with hyperdivergent pattern and open bite were more likely to have psychological distress. None of the parameters showed statistical differences across groups in females. Frankfort-mandibular plane angle (r = 0.235), Bjork's sum (r = 0.311), AFH (r = 0.322), overbite (r = − 0.238), AFH/posterior facial height (r = 0.251), and upper anterior facial height (UAFH)/lower anterior facial height (LAFH) (r = − 0.230) were correlated with K10 score in males. After adjusting gender and age, the AFH (B = 0.147) and UAFH/LAFH (B = − 14.923) were significantly related with the K10 score. Conclusion. Psychological distress was mainly correlated with hyperdivergent pattern, open bite, and larger lower anterior facial height proportion in pretreatment orthodontic patients. Orthodontists should be aware of the possible underlying psychological distress in patients with specific craniomaxillofacial features. Clinical assessment of psychological distress may need to take into account gender differences in patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monolayer BSi has received much attention due to its potential applications in the field of energy storage and superconductivity. However, the mechanical properties of monolayer BSi have not been fully elucidated yet. In this paper, the morphology, elastic constants and Young's moduli of raw and C, N, P, and S doped monolayer BSi have been investigated by the first principle density functional theory (DFT) calculation. The monolayer BSi exhibits an anisotropic mechanical performance. The results indicate that the C, N, P and S doping affect the value of Young's modulus of BSi, as well as the modulus distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Histone modification is an important form of epigenetic regulation. Thereinto, histone methylation is a critical determination of chromatin states, participating in multiple cellular processes. As a conserved histone methylation mark, histone 3 lysine 36 trimethylation (H3K36me3) can mediate multiple transcriptional-related events, such as the regulation of transcriptional activity, transcription elongation, pre-mRNA alternative splicing, and RNA m6A methylation. Additionally, H3K36me3 also contributes to DNA damage repair. Given the crucial function of H3K36me3 in genome regulation, the roles of H3K36me3 and its sole methyltransferase SETD2 in pathogenesis, especially malignancies, have been emphasized in many studies, and it is conceivable that disruption of histone methylation regulatory network composed of "writer", "eraser", "reader", and the mutation of H3K36me3 codes have the capacity of powerfully modulating cancer initiation and development. Here we review H3K36me3-mediated biological processes and summarize the latest findings regarding its role in cancers. We highlight the significance of epigenetic combination therapies in cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of kidney cancer in adults. Exosomes are membrane-enclosed extracellular vesicles, and exosomal RNA can be a biomarker for cancer diagnosis and prognosis in RCC patients. We aim to identify differences in miRNA expression profiles in peripheral blood exosomes between RCC patients and healthy subjects as well as to investigate novel markers of RCC. Methods: We performed exosomal miRNA sequencing of plasma samples obtained from five RCC patients and five control subjects, subsequently 22 RCC patients and 16 control subjects were investigated using qPCR to confirm the differential miRNA which from plasma exosomal RNA sequencing. ROC curves were constructed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of exosomal miRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers of RCC. Results: Exosomes were isolated with the exoeasy maxi kit and confirmed using TEM and NTA. They have a spherical structure with a diameter of approximately 40– 180 nm. The exosomal miRNA sequence results showed that a total of 2357 miRNAs were detected, and 245 miRNAs were differentially expressed between RCC patients and healthy controls (p< 0.001, average counts > 5, log|fc|> 1). Further analysis revealing that, versus the control, 17 miRNAs are up-regulated and 5 miRNAs are down-regulated under selection conditions with average miRNAs counts > 100. qPCR was performed using 38 subjects—the results showed that the expression levels of hsa-mir-149-3p and hsa-mir-424-3p were upregulated; the expression levels of hsa-mir-92a-1-5p were significantly downregulated in the plasma exosomes of RCC. For diagnosis of RCC, the AUC of hsa-mir-92a-1-5p, hsa-mir-149-3p and hsa-mir-424-3p was 0.8324, 0.7188 and 0.7727, with the sensitivity of 0.875, 0.750 and 0.750, and the specificity of 0.773,0.727 and 0.818, respectively, at the best cutoff value. Conclusion: Our study revealed that the expression levels of hsa-mir-92a-1-5p, hsa-mir-149-3p and hsa-mir-424-3p were significantly abnormal in RCC patients, which may be novel biomarkers for RCC diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this wok, a novel Bi 24 O 31 Br 10 /nano-ZnO composite photocatalyst has been synthesized with solvothermal method. The photocatalytic ability of the composite photocatalyst is estimated through degrading Rhodomine B (RhB) under visible light. The RhB degradation rate exceeds 90% in 40 min for the Bi 24 O 31 Br 10 /nano-ZnO (5%) composite, showing the most remarkable photocatalytic abilities. The excellent photocatalytic performance can be explained by the successful detachment and motion of photo-induced electrons (e−) and holes (h+) in the composite photocatalyst. Additionally, a probable photo-catalytic principle of the Bi 24 O 31 Br 10 /nano-ZnO composite for RhB degradation is discussed. This study could provide an original visible light driven photocatalyst on efficiently purifying dye wastewaters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the influence of outlet arrangement and plenum structure on impingement cooling is experimentally and numerically investigated in a typical 1-U confined server space. Three outlets include Z-type, bilateral, and U-type arrangements, and the plenum configurations contain partially inclined, fully inclined, and staged layouts. As a result, using the U-type outlet or staged plenum may prominently compromise the impingement cooling performance on the target plates with lower pumping power. With numerical investigation, it is found that, for the case with Z-type outlet, the flowrate of jet impingement increases alongside the streamwise direction. Besides, the impingement stagnation region on target plates with the minimum thermal resistance may shift toward the outlet. Meanwhile, the uniformity of jet impingement can be improved by 10.7% and 50.3% when the bilateral and U-type outlets are applied, respectively, and the jet impingement is changed to perpendicular direction due to the opposite cross flow from the coming flow direction. On the other hand, by applying the inclined plenum and staged plenum, the uniformity of jet impingement can be dramatically improved by 113.9% and 215.1%, respectively. However, the local jet impingement velocity distribution is still nonuniform. Hence, a novel design of impingement plate based on the concept of Coanda effect is proposed. The peak value of the thermal resistance on target plate can be reduced by 21.8% and 16.0% at the center region and the fore part of the jet array. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an investigation on a two-dimensional generalized thermoelastic problem of a fiber-reinforced half-space with diffusion whose upper surface is subjected to a zonal time-dependent thermal shock. Five generalized thermoelastic theories including Lord-Shulman theory, Green-Lord theory, Green-Naghdi theory of type II and type III, as well as Dual-phase-lag model are used to investigate the problem and the solution is obtained by solving finite element governing equations of the problem. The results of transient thermo-elasto-diffusive response including temperature, displacements and stresses, mass concentration as well as chemical potential are presented graphically. Comparisons are made among results predicted by the five theories to show the characteristic of different generalized thermoelasticities. In addition, the fiber-reinforced effect is studied by making comparisons between the results in the presence and absence of the fiber-reinforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel N -1-monoallylated 2,5-diketopiperazine derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as cytotoxic agents against eight cancer cell lines by using CCK8 assay. These derivatives were substituted with methoxyphenyl groups at C -6 position, and various long alkyl side chains at C -3-position of the 2,5-diketopiperazine ring. The cytotoxic results showed that 4-methoxyphenyl group was better than 2-methoxyphenyl group as optimal substitutive group, while 3-methoxyphenyl group was not a suitable one. When the number (n value) of the methylene groups for the long alkyl side chain was 3 (compounds 1c and 3c ), the derivatives had the strongest cytotoxicities. Compound 3c substituted with 4-methoxyphenyl group and pentylidene side chain exhibited strong activity (IC 50 = 0.36–1.9 μM) against all cancer cell lines, and could obviously induce apoptosis of cancer cell line U937 at 1.0 μM after 48 h treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A quantum battery consisting of an ensemble two-level atom is investigated. The battery is charged simultaneously by a harmonic field and an electrostatic field. The results show that the hybrid charging is superior to the previous case of only harmonic field charging in terms of battery capacity and charging power, regardless of whether the interaction between atoms is considered or not. In addition, the repulsive interaction between atoms will increase the battery capacity and charging power, while the attractive interaction between atoms will reduce the battery capacity and discharge power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Farrerol, isolated from rhododendron, has been shown to have the anti-bacterial activity, but no details on the anti-inflammatory activity. We further evaluated the effects of this compound in two experimental models of lung diseases. Methodology/Principal Findings: For the asthma model, female BALB/c mice were challenged with ovalbumin (OVA), and then treated daily with farrerol (20 and 40 mg/kg, ip) as a therapeutic treatment from day 22 to day 26 post immunization. To induce acute lung injury, female BALB/c mice were injected intranasally with LPS and treated with farrerol (20 and 40 mg/kg, i.p.) 1 h prior to LPS stimulation. Inflammation in the two different models was determined using ELISA, histology, real-time PCR and western blot. Farrerol significantly regulated the phenotype challenged by OVA, like cell number, Th1 and Th2 cytokines levels in the BALF, the OVA-specific IgE level in the serum, goblet cell hyperplasia in the airway, airway hyperresponsiveness to inhaled methacholine and mRNA expression of chemokines and their receptors. Furthermore, farrerol markedly attenuated the activation of phosphorylation of Akt and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) subunit p65 both in vivo and in vitro. However, farrerol has no effect on the acute lung injury model. Conclusion/Significance: Our finding demonstrates that the distinct anti-inflammatory effect of farrerol in the treatment of asthma acts by inhibiting the PI3K and NF-κB pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rosmarinic acid (RA), a polyphenolic phytochemical, is a natural prolyl oligopeptidase inhibitor. In the present study, we found that RA exerted potent anti-inflammatory effects in in vivo models of acute lung injury (ALI) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Mice were pretreated with RA one hour before challenge with a dose of 0.5 mg/kg LPS. Twenty-four hours after LPS was given, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was obtained to measure pro-inflammatory mediator and total cell counts. RA significantly decreased the production of LPS-induced TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β compare with the LPS group. When pretreated with RA (5, 10, or 20 mg/kg) the lung wet-to-dry weight (W/D) ratio of the lung tissue and the number of total cells, neutrophils and macrophages in the BALF were decreased significantly. Furthermore, RA may enhance oxidase dimutase (SOD) activity during the inflammatory response to LPS-induced ALI. And we further demonstrated that RA exerts anti-inflammation effect in vivo models of ALI through suppresses ERK/MAPK signaling in a dose dependent manner. These studies have important implications for RA administration as a potential treatment for ALI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Analytical pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) was employed to achieve fast pyrolysis of cellulose and on-line analysis of the pyrolysis vapors. Experiments were performed to reveal the effects of pyrolysis temperature and time on the distribution of the pyrolytic products, especially the formation characteristics of eighteen important products. During the fast pyrolysis process, the cellulose started decomposition to form organic volatile products at the set pyrolysis temperature of 400°C. The pyrolytic products included various anhydrosugars (dominated by the levoglucosan (LG)), anhydrosugar derivatives (mainly the levoglucosenone (LGO), 1,4:3,6-dianhydro-α-d-glucopyranose (DGP), 1,5-anhydro-4-deoxy-d-glycero-hex-1-en-3-ulose (APP) and 1-hydroxy-3,6-dioxabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-2-one (LAC)), furan compounds (typically the 5-hydroxymethyl-furfural (HMF), furfural (FF) and furan (F)), as well as light linear carbonyls (mainly the hydroxyacetaldehyde (HAA) and 1-hydroxy-2-propanone (HA)). These products were generated with different characteristics. The LG was the most important product, it was thermally stable, and its formation was favored at elevated pyrolysis temperature and time. Most of the other products were also enhanced at elevated pyrolytic conditions. However, some products, such as the LGO, were favorable to be produced at low temperatures. Based on these characteristics, discussion was performed on the possible pyrolytic pathways for the formation of the important products. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ginkgolide B is an anti-inflammatory extract of Ginkgo biloba and has been used therapeutically. It is a known inhibitor of platelet activating factor (PAF), which is important in the pathogenesis of asthma. Here, a non-infectious mouse model of asthma is used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory capacity of ginkgolide B (GKB) and characterize the interaction of GKB with the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. BALB/c mice that were sensitized and challenged to ovalbumin (OVA) were treated with GKB (40 mg/kg) one hour before they were challenged with OVA. Our study demonstrated that GKB may effectively inhibit the increase of T-helper 2 cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-5 and IL-13 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Furthermore, the eosinophil count in BALF significantly decreased after treatment of GKB when compared with the OVA-challenged group. Histological studies demonstrated that GKB substantially inhibited OVA-induced eosinophilia in lung tissue and mucus hyper-secretion by goblet cells in the airway. These results suggest that ginkgolide B may be useful for the treatment of asthma and its efficacy is related to suppression of extracellular regulating kinase/MAPK pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The potential application of monolayer BSi in Li- and Mg-storage has been investigated. • BSi exhibits theoretical capacities of 1374/2749 mAhg−1 towards Li/Mg storage. • The optimized adsorption site on the BSi surface was calculated. Monolayer BSi has been theoretically predicted as a phonon-mediated superconductor. The structural characteristics make two-dimensional (2D) BSi sheets an attractive anode material for rechargeable batteries as well as graphene. In this paper, the band structure, theoretical capacity, open circuit voltage and ion diffusion path of monolayer BSi are systematically investigated by first principle calculation. The monolayer BSi nanosheet exhibits theoretical capacities of 1374 mAhg−1 and 2749 mAhg−1 towards Li and Mg storage, respectively. The controllable volume change and high ion diffusion rate guarantee the high performance of monolayer BSi in Li- and Mg-ion batteries. These results can help to understand the energy-storage mechanisms and evaluate the potential application of 2D BSi materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression, a mood disorder, affects one in fifteen adults, has multiple risk factors and is associated with complicated underlying pathological mechanisms. P-coumaric acid (p-CA), a phenolic acid, is widely distributed in vegetables, fruits and mushrooms. P-CA has demonstrated a protective role against oxidative stress and inflammation in various diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. In the current study, we investigated the protection of p-CA against depression and memory impairment in a corticosterone (CORT)-induced chronic depressive mouse model. CORT administration resulted in depression-like behaviors and memory impairment. P-CA treatment alleviated CORT-induced depression-related behaviors and memory impairment. Network pharmacology predicted that p-CA had multiple targets and mediated various signaling pathways, of which inflammation-associated targets and signaling pathways are predominant. Western blotting showed CORT-induced activation of the advanced glycation end product (AGE)-receptor of AGE (RAGE) (AGE-RAGE) signaling and increased expression of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) in the hippocampus, while p-CA treatment inactivated AGE-RAGE signaling and decreased the levels of IL-1β and TNFα, suggesting that protection against depression and memory impairment by p-CA is mediated by the inhibition of inflammation, mainly via the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway. Our data suggest that p-CA treatment will benefit patients with depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting from the molecular picture for the D s 1 (2460) and D s 1 (2536) resonances, which are dynamically generated by the interaction of coupled channels, the most important of which are the D ∗ K for the D s 1 (2460) and D K ∗ for the D s 1 (2536) , we evaluate the ratio of decay widths for the B ¯ s 0 → D s 1 (2460) + K - and B ¯ s 0 → D s 1 (2536) + K - decays, the latter of which has been recently investigated by the LHCb collaboration, and we obtain a ratio of the order of unity. The present results should provide an incentive for the related decay into the D s 1 (2460) resonance to be performed, which would provide valuable information on the nature of these two resonances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors for postoperative delirium (POD) in elderly patients undergoing heart valve surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Methods: Elderly patients undergoing elective heart valve surgery with CPB in The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University between March 2022 and March 2023 were selected for this investigation. They were divided into a POD group and a non-POD group. Their baseline information was collected and recorded, and the patients were subjected to neurocognitive function assessment using the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment scales before surgery. We also recorded their intraoperative indicators such as duration of surgery, duration of CPB, duration of aortic cross-clamp, blood transfusion, and postoperative indicators such as duration of mechanical ventilation, postoperative 24-hour drainage volume, and pain score. Regional cerebral oxygen saturation was monitored intraoperatively by near-infrared spectroscopy based INVOS5100C Regional Oximeter. Patients were assessed for the occurrence of POD using Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit, and logistic regression analysis of risk factors for POD was performed. Results: The study finally included 132 patients, with 47 patients in the POD group and 85 ones in the non-POD group. There were no significant differences in baseline information and preoperative indicators between the two groups. However, marked differences were identified in duration of surgery, duration of CPB, duration of aortic cross-clamp, duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation, postoperative length of stay in cardiac intensive care unit, postoperative length of hospital stay, intraoperative blood transfusion, postoperative pain score, and postoperative 24-hour drainage volume between the two groups (p < 0.05). Additionally, the two groups had significant differences in rScO2 at each intraoperative time point and in the difference of rScO2 from baseline at each intraoperative time point (p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that duration of surgery > 285 min (OR, 1.021 [95% CI, 1.008–1.035]; p = 0.002), duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation > 23.5 h (OR, 6.210 [95% CI, 1.619–23.815]; p = 0.008), and postoperative CCU stay > 3.5 d (OR, 3.927 [95% CI, 1.046–14.735]; p = 0.043) were independent risk factors of the occurrence of POD while change of rScO2 at T1>50.5 (OR, 0.832 [95% CI 0.736–0.941]; p = 0.003) was a protective factor for POD. Conclusion: Duration of surgery duration of postoperative mechanical ventilation and postoperative CCU stay are risk factors for POD while change of rScO2 at T1 is a protective factor for POD in elderly patients undergoing heart valve surgery with CPB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To systematically review and summarize the available literature regarding the association between systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and sexual dysfunction (SD) in both sexes. Methods: We retrieved relevant studies from the following databases: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. Two reviewers independently reviewed the studies in our sample, assessed their validity, and extracted relevant data. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were performed to distinguish sources of heterogeneity. Results: Our search resulted in a sample of eight eligible studies, which involved 758 patients in the SLE group and 1724 individuals in the control group. The pooled RR for the increased risk for SD compared to those in the control group was 1.80 (95%CI 1.12-2.87). Subgroup analysis by sex revealed that males (pooled RR = 2.98, 95%CI 2.41-3.68) had a higher risk of SD compared to females (pooled RR = 1.56, 95%CI 0.99-2.48). Females with SLE had significantly lower values in FSFI compared to the healthy individuals (WMD=-0.224, 95%CI -0.441 to -0.078). Age of participants and the quality of studies might influence the results. Conclusions: Our meta-analysis suggests that SLE is significantly associated with an increased risk of sexual dysfunction. It is of great urgency to implement for active interventions that aimed to treat or prevent SD among SLE patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methamphetamine (METH) abuse is known to cause executive dysfunction. However, the molecular mechanism underlying METH induced executive dysfunction remains unclear. Go/NoGo experiment was performed in mice to evaluate METH-induced executive dysfunction. Immunoblot analysis of Nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), phosphorylated Nrf2 (p-Nrf2), heme-oxygenase-1 (HO-1), Glucose Regulated Protein 78(GRP78), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), Bcl-2, Bax and Caspase3 was performed to evaluate the levels of oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and apoptosis in the dorsal striatum (Dstr). Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity was conducted to evaluate the level of oxidative stress. TUNEL staining was conducted to detect apoptotic neurons. The animal Go/NoGo testing confirmed that METH abuse impaired the inhibitory control ability of executive function. Meanwhile, METH down-regulated the expression of p-Nrf2, HO-1 and GSH-Px and activated ER stress and apoptosis in the Dstr. Microinjection of Tert-butylhydroxyquinone (TBHQ), an Nrf2 agonist, into the Dstr increased the expression of p-Nrf2, HO-1, and GSH-Px, ameliorated ER stress, apoptosis and executive dysfunction caused by METH. Our results indicated that the p-Nrf2/HO-1 pathway was potentially involved in mediating methamphetamine-induced executive dysfunction by inducing endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis in the dorsal striatum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learner dependence on short videos has many pitfalls for learning outcomes, but the negative effects of excessive short video use have been little discussed in the learning psychology literature. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of excessive short video use on anxiety, depression, prospective memory, and academically delayed gratification (ADOG) in relation to online gaming-related behaviours, and explored the possible mechanisms by which excessive online gaming and short video use may lead to decreased ADOG, to expand our understanding of excessive short video use.Methods: Based on the whole class random sampling method, a questionnaire survey was conducted among college students in Northern Anhui, China from May 7 to July 27, 2022. The questionnaires included the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire Scale (PHQ-9), Prospective and Retrospective Memory (PRM) Questionnaire, and ADOG Scale.Results: A total of 1016 participants completed the survey. The study found that of all the internet behaviors, 20.8% of the college students mainly played online games, 43.9% mainly played short videos, and 35.3% conducted other online behaviors. When compared with other internet behaviors, online gaming and short video behaviors can cause more serious anxiety/depression and worse PRM and ADOG scores. As time spent playing online games and short videos increased, anxiety and depression became worse, and the scores for PRM and ADOG also declined. Anxiety, depression, and PRM mediate the relationship between time spent on online gaming/short videos and ADOG.Conclusion: Excessive short videos behaviour may produce the same psychological problems and learning problems as online gaming disorder. Excessive short video and online gaming behaviors may affect ADOG performance through anxiety, depression, and prospective memory. These findings could be used as a basis for future studies on the improvement of ADOG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgroud: The role of epigenetic modifications in tumorigenesis has been widely reported. However, the role and mechanism of H3K4me3 modification in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) are rarely reported systematically. We, therefore, sought to analyze the characteristics of LUAD associated with H3K4me3 modification, build an H3K4me3-lncRNAs score model to predict the prognosis of patients with LUAD and clarify the potential value of H3K4me3 in immunotherapy of LUAD. Methods: We evaluated H3K4me3-lncRNA patterns and H3K4me3-lncRNA scores of 477 LUAD samples based on 53 lncRNAs closely correlated to H3K4me3 regulators and comprehensive analyzed the role of these patterns in tumorigenesis and tumor immunity. Using Gene set variation analysis (GSVA), we systematically evaluated the H3K4me3 level of every sample and deeply analyzed the effect of H3K4me3 on the prognosis of LUAD. In addition, we included two independent immunotherapy cohorts to study the impact of high H3K4me3 score on the prognosis of patients. We also used an independent cohort with 52 matched paraffin specimens of LUAD to verify the impact of high H3K3me3 expression on the prognosis of patients. Results: We identified three H3K4me3-lncRNA patterns that exhibited specific immune characteristics. Characterized by immunosuppressive and increased TGFβ-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), patients with high H3K4me3-lncRNA score had a poor overall survival and decreased H3K4me3 score. H3K4me3 score was significantly positively correlated with CD4+T-cell and CD8+T-cell activation, programmed cell death and immune checkpoints (ICs) expression, and was negatively correlated with MYC pathway, TP53 pathway, and cell proliferation. Patients with high H3K4me3 score showed elevated expression of ICs, potentiated CD4 T-cell and CD8 T-cell activation, increased programmed cell death, and suppressed cell proliferation and TGFβ-mediated EMT. Patients with high H3K4me3 score and high expression of CTLA4, ICOS, TIGIT, PDCD1LG2, IDO1, CD274, PDCD1, LAG3, or HAVCR2 had the best survival advantage. Two independent immunotherapy cohorts verified that patients with high H3K4me3 score showed an increased inflamed tumor microenvironment (TME) phenotype and enhanced anti-PD-1/L1 immunotherapy response. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) data from 52 matched paraffin specimens of LUAD confirmed that the protein level of H3K4me3 in tumor was significantly lower than that of paracancerous tissues and H3K4me3 brought significant survival benefits to patients with LUAD. Conclusions: We build an H3K4me3-lncRNAs score model to predict the prognosis of patients with LUAD. More importantly, this study revealed characteristics of H3K4me3 modification in LUAD and clarified the important potential role of H3K4me3 on tumor immunotherapy and patients' survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Asia lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) is an ornamental aquatic plant with high economic value. Flower colour is an important ornamental trait, with much of N. nucifera breeding focusing on its yellow flowers. To explore the yellow flower colouration mechanism in N. nucifera, we analysed its pigment constituents and content, as well as gene expression in the flavonoid pathway, in two N. nucifera cultivars. Results: We performed metabolomic and gene expression analyses in two N. nucifera cultivars with yellow and white flowers, Molinqiuse (MLQS) and Yeguangbei (YGB), respectively, at five stages of flower colouration. Based on phenotypic observation and metabolite analyses, the later stages of flower colouration (S3–S5) were determined to be key periods for differences between MLQS and YGB, with dihydroflavonols and flavonols differing significantly between cultivars. Dihydroquercetin, dihydrokaempferol, and isorhamnetin were significantly higher in MLQS than in YGB, whereas kaempferol was significantly higher in YGB. Most of the key homologous structural genes in the flavonoid pathway were significantly more active in MLQS than in YGB at stages S1–S4. Conclusion: In this study, we performed the first analyses of primary and secondary N. nucifera metabolites during flower colouration, and found that isorhamnetin and kaempferol shunting resulted in petal colour differences between MLQS and YGB. Based on our data integration analyses of key enzyme expression in the putative flavonoid pathways of the two N. nucifera cultivars, NnFLS gene substrate specificity and differential expression of NnOMTs may be related to petal colour differences between MLQS and YGB. These results will contribute to determining the mechanism of yellow flower colouration in N. nucifera, and will improve yellow petal colour breeding in lotus species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Path planning is a critical issue to ensure the safety and reliability of the autonomous navigation system of the autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Due to the nonlinearity and constraint issues, existing algorithms perform unsatisfactorily or even cannot find a feasible solution when facing large-scale problem spaces. This paper improves the path planning of AUVs in terms of both the path planning model and the optimization algorithm. The proposed model is comprehensive, which aggregates the length, energy consumption, and collision risk into the objective function and incorporates the steering window constraint. Based on the model, we develop a nature-inspired ant colony optimization algorithm to search the optimal path. Our algorithm is named alarm pheromone-assisted ant colony system (AP-ACS), since it incorporates the alarm pheromone in addition to the traditional guiding pheromone. The alarm pheromone alerts the ants to infeasible areas, which saves invalid search efforts and, thus, improves the search efficiency. Meanwhile, three heuristic measures are specifically designed to provide additional knowledge to the ants for path planning. In the experiments, different from the previous works that are tested on synthetic instances only, we implement an interface to retrieve the practical underwater environment data. AP-ACS and the compared algorithms are thus tested on several practical environments of different scales. The experimental results show that AP-ACS can effectively handle the constraints and outperforms the other algorithms in terms of accuracy, efficiency, and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structure and dynamics inside permanently charged polyelectrolyte brushes, sodium polystyrene sulfonate brushes, during their response to the introduction of external ions (NaCl) are investigated by neutron reflectivity and dielectric spectroscopy. Neutron reflectivity measurements show that the segmental density of the inner part of the brushes decreases and that of the outer part increases when the salt level is tuned from the salt-free condition to a moderate level (<10-2 M)--the brushes swell further compared with the salt-free condition. This is attributed to the breakup of the multiplets formed by dipole-dipole pairs, and by this process, the previously constrained chain segments by the multiplets are released. Dielectric spectroscopy discovers a giant dipole by the charge separation of the adsorbed counterions and the PSS- chains, induced by electric field. The dynamics of the induced giant dipole is accelerated with the increase of external salt, as a result of the charge regularization by elevated salt level. At high-enough salt level, the screening effect reduces the electrostatic repulsion between the neighboring chains and makes the brushes shrink. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have a look at the P c s states generated from the interaction of D ¯ (⁎) Ξ c (′ ⁎) coupled channels. We consider the blocks of pseudoscalar-baryon ( 1 2 + , 3 2 +) and vector-baryon ( 1 2 + , 3 2 +) , and find 10 resonant states coupling mostly to D ¯ Ξ c , D ¯ ⁎ Ξ c , D ¯ Ξ c ′ , D ¯ ⁎ Ξ c ′ , D ¯ Ξ c ⁎ and D ¯ ⁎ Ξ c ⁎. A novel aspect of the work is the realization that the D ¯ Ξ c , D ¯ s Λ c or D ¯ ⁎ Ξ c , D ¯ s ⁎ Λ c channels, with a strong transition potential, collaborate to produce a larger attraction than the corresponding states D ¯ Σ c , D ¯ Λ c or D ¯ ⁎ Σ c , D ¯ ⁎ Λ c appearing in the generation of the strangenessless P c states, since in the latter case the transition potential between those channels is zero. The extra attraction obtained in the D ¯ Ξ c , D ¯ ⁎ Ξ c pairs preclude the association of these channels to the P c s (4338) and P c s (4459) states respectively. Then we find a natural association of the P c s (4338) state coupling mostly to D ¯ ⁎ Ξ c while the P c s (4459) is associated to the state found that couples mostly to D ¯ Ξ c ′. Four more states appear, like in other molecular pictures, and some of the states are degenerate in spin. Counting different spin states we find 10 states, which we hope can be observed in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A one-pot multicomponent approach was established for site selective synthesis of novel 1,3,6-trisubstituted 3,6-diunsaturated ( 3Z,6Z )-2,5-diketopiperazine derivatives with high stereoselectivity. The computational studies revealed that the steric hindrances between the 2-hydrogen atoms on the aromatic rings and the carbonyl, as well as the steric repulsions between the hydrogen atoms of the CH group in the benzylidene and the CH 2 group in the N -alkylative part might be responsible for the Z / E selectivity. Compound ( 3Z,6Z )- 3h (IC 50 =11 nM) has a close activity to the positive compound plinabulin (IC 50 =15 nM) against the cancer cell line HL60. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CC) is an uncommon primary liver malignancy and little known about the clinical and imaging characteristics of cHCC-CC. We aim to define the demographics, imaging features of cHCC-CC on contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) in this study.Methods: From January 2005 to December 2014, 45 patients with pathologically proven cHCC-CC who underwent preoperative CEUS and 43 patients who had additional CT scan in our institution were included. A retrospective review of the imaging studies and clinical data in these patients was conducted.Results: In our series, cHCC-CC accounted for 1.6 % of all primary liver malignancy. Mean age of patient with cHCC-CC was 52.8 year (range: 28-74 year) and 88.9 % (40/45) of patients were male. Thirty of forty five patients (66.7 %) had cirrhosis and 20 % (9/45) of patients had chronic hepatitis B without cirrhosis. Alpha--fetoprotein (AFP) was elevated in 62.2 % (28/45) of patients and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) elevated in 22.2 % (10/45) of patients). Both AFP and CA19-9 were simultaneously elevated in 15.6 % (7/45) of patients. Enhancement pattern resembling cholangiocarcinoma (CC) was noted in 53.3 % (24/45) of patients (on CEUS and in 30.2 % (13/43) of patients at CT. Enhancement pattern resembling hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was observed in 42.2 % (19/45) of patients on CEUS and in 58.1 % (25/43) of patients at CT. The percentage of tumors showing CC enhancement pattern (27.9 %, 12/43) was comparable with that of tumors showing HCC enhancement pattern (44.2 %, 19/43) on both CEUS and CT (p = 0.116). Simultaneous elevation of tumor markers (AFP and CA19-9) or tumor marker elevation (AFP or CA19-9) in discordance with enhancement pattern on CEUS was demonstrated in 51.1 % (23/45) of patients and on CT in 53.5 % (23/43) of patients, which was significantly more than simultaneous elevation of tumor markers (AFP and CA19-9) alone (p = 0.000).Conclusions: The clinical characteristics of cHCC-CC are similar to those of HCC. The cHCC-CC tumors display enhancement patterns resembling CC or HCC in comparable proportion on both CEUS and CT. Combination of simultaneous elevation of tumor makers (AFP and CA19-9) and tumor mark elevation (AFP or CA19-9) in discordance with presumptive imaging findings on CEUS or CT may lead significantly more patients to be suspicious of the diagnosis of cHCC-CC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: PolyC-RNA-binding protein 1 (PCBP1) functions as a tumour suppressor and RNA regulator that is downregulated in human cancers. Here, we aimed to reveal the biological function of PCBP1 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).Methods: First, PCBP1 was identified as an important biomarker that maintains LUAD through The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project screening and confirmed by immunohistochemistry and qPCR. Via colony formation, CCK8, IncuCyte cell proliferation, wound healing and Transwell assays, we confirmed that PCBP1 was closely related to the proliferation and migration of LUAD cells. The downstream gene DKK1 was discovered by RNA sequencing of PCBP1 knockdown cells. The underlying mechanisms were further investigated using western blot, qPCR, RIP, RNA pulldown and mRNA stability assays.Results: We demonstrate that PCBP1 is downregulated in LUAD tumour tissues. The reduction in PCBP1 promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of LUAD in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, the RNA-binding protein PCBP1 represses LUAD by stabilizing DKK1 mRNA. Subsequently, decreased expression of the DKK1 protein relieves the inhibitory effect on the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway. Taken together, these results show that PCBP1 acts as a tumour suppressor gene, inhibiting the tumorigenesis of LUAD.Conclusions: We found that PCBP1 inhibits LUAD development by upregulating DKK1 to inactivate the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Our findings highlight the potential of PCBP1 as a promising therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blapsols A–D ( 1 – 4 ), four new compounds possessing a 2,3-dihydrobenzo[ b ][1,4]dioxin group, together with five known N -acetyldopamine dimers ( 5 – 9 ), were isolated from Blaps japanensis . Their structures including the absolute configuration of (+)- 1 were determined by means of spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic methods. Chiral HPLC was used to separate (−)- and (+)-enantiomers of compounds 1 – 4 , which were isolated from this insect as racemic mixtures. All the compounds were found to have inhibitory effects towards COX-2 with IC 50 values in the range of 1.3–17.8 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Four dihydrothiophene-condensed chromones including two new compounds oxalicumones D–E (1–2) and known oxalicumones A–B (3–4), along with five other known chromones were isolated from a culture broth of the marine gorgonian-associated fungus Penicillium oxalicum SCSGAF 0023. The structures of 1–2 were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis. Eleven derivatives 3a–3i and 4a–4b were obtained from the acylation of 3 and 4, respectively. Compounds 1–4, 3a–3e, 3g–3h, and 4b showed significant cytotoxicity against several carcinoma cell lines with IC50 ⩽10μM. And their structure–bioactivity relationship was discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Phenolic compounds were selectively produced from K3PO4-catalyzed pyrolysis of biomass. [•] Phenol and 2,6-dimethoxy phenol were the two most abundant products from poplar wood. [•] The maximal peak area% of the phenolics was over 60% at high K3PO4 content. [•] The formation characteristics of the individual products were revealed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Inflammation, the main factor in the progression of osteoarthritis (OA), impairs the chondrogenesis of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), which is an appealing process to target to regenerate impaired articular cartilage. This article aimed to investigate whether SP600125, a competitive ATP-specific inhibitor of the JNK pathway, could promote the chondrogenesis of BMSCs by enhancing their anti-inflammatory capacity. Chondrogenic differentiation was assessed by Alcian blue staining, immunofluorescence staining, and Western blot. The inflammation level was associated with the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (Mmp), evaluated by Western blot. Intra-articular injection of BMSCs pretreated with or without SP600125 was carried out on C57BL/6 mice after inducing OA by surgical destabilization of the medial meniscus. Safranin O-fast green (SO) and hematoxylin-eosin staining were employed to evaluate the cartilage destruction and immunohistochemical analysis was adopted to detect the expression of Col2 and Mmp-13 proteins in the mouse knee joint. We showed that SP600125 could inhibit inflammation induced by tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and promote the chondrogenesis of BMSCs. In the presence of TNF-α, the expression of aggrecan (Agc) and collagen type II alpha 1 (Col2) was significantly decreased compared with that in the control group and increased with the addition of SP600125. Moreover, the expression of Mmp-1, Mmp-3, and Mmp-13 was increased in BMSCs treated only with TNF-α and downregulated in SP600125-treated BMSCs. In vivo study showed that SP600125 could enhance protective effects of BMSCs on OA mice. Our results indicated that SP600125 rescued the chondrogenesis of BMSCs by inhibiting inflammation induced by TNF-α, which provides a theoretical basis for solving the problem of cartilage repair under inflammatory conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Florfenicol has been shown to possess anti-inflammatory activity. However, its possible use for asthma has not yet been studied. First we investigated the anti-inflammatory properties of florfenicol using mice asthma model. BALB/c mice were immunized and challenged by ovalbumin. Treatment with florfenicol caused a marked reduction in inflammatory cells and three Th2 type cytokines in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluids of mice. The levels of ovalbumin-specific IgE and airway hyperresponsiveness were significantly altered after treatment with florfenicol. Histological studies using H&E and AB-PAS staining demonstrate that florfenicol substantially inhibited ovalbumin-induced inflammatory cells infiltration in lung tissue and goblet cell hyperplasia in the airway. These results were similar to those obtained with dexamethasone treatment. We then investigated which signal transduction mechanisms could be implicated in florfenicol activity. Our results suggested that the protective effect of florfenicol was mediated by the inhibition of the p38 MAPK-mediated phosphorylation of GATA 3. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Valnemulin reportedly regulates inflammatory responses in addition to its in vitro antibacterial activity. In this study, we established a mouse model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory lung injury and investigated the effect of valnemulin (100 mg/kg) on acute lung injury (ALI) 8 h after LPS challenge. We prepared bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) for measuring protein concentrations, cytokine levels, and superoxidase dismutase (SOD) activity, and collected lungs for assaying wet-to-dry weight (W/D) ratios, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, cytokine mRNA expression, and histological change. We found that the pre-administration of valnemulin significantly decreases the W/D ratio of lungs, protein concentrations, and the number of total cells, neutrophils, macrophages, and leukomonocytes, and histologic analysis indicates that valnemulin significantly attenuates tissue injury. Furthermore, valnemulin significantly increases LPS-induced SOD activity in BALF and decreases lung MPO activity as well. In addition, valnemulin also inhibits the production of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and interleukin-1β, which is consistent with mRNA expression in lung. The results showed that valnemulin had a protective effect on LPS-induced ALI in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unusual case of intraparenchymal myofibromatosis of the brain occurring in a 29-year-old woman is described. Preoperative CT and MRI examinations revealed two well-circumscribed nodular masses localized in the wall of the left lateral ventricle and right temporal lobe, respectively. Both masses were completely resected, and the patient remains disease-free 2 years post-surgery. Histopathologically, the lesions were characterized by stratification. From outer to inner, there was a reactive glial component, lamellated well-differentiated muscle-like cells, densely compact collagen fibers and cellular tumor with nodular and hemangiopericytoma-like patterns, respectively. The myofibroblastic nature of this tumor was verified by immunohistochemical staining and ultrastructural analysis. Intraparenchymal myofibromatosis may be confused with, and should be distinguished from, meningioma, myopericytoma, solitary fibrous tumor, leiomyoma and inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor for accurate diagnosis and optimal treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To review the clinicopathologic features of perivascular epithelioid cell tumor (PEComa) of the urinary bladder.Methods: Seven cases of bladder PEComa were studied by light microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).Results: In our 7 cases, 5 patients were female and 2 were male, with ages between 26 and 78 years. Patients presented with hematuria and recurrent abdominal discomfort as the main clinical symptoms. Microscopically, the epithelioid and spindle-shaped tumor cells with clear to granular eosinophilic cytoplasm were arranged in fascicular, acinar, or nested patterns. The tumor cells were positive for HMB45, melan-A, and SMA, but no TFE3 gene rearrangement was detected in any of the 7 samples by FISH. The analysis of all 35 cases from the literature and ours showed a patient age range from 16 to 78 years (mean age, 39 years), a male-to-female ratio of 1:1.3, maximal tumor diameters from 0.6 to 18.8 cm (mean, 4.5 cm). With a mean follow-up of 27 months, the recurrence, metastasis, and mortality rates were 10.7%, 10.7%, and 7.1%, respectively.Conclusions: Bladder PEComa is extremely rare, remains a diagnostic challenge, and needs more attention. Strengthening the understanding of this tumor will improve diagnostic accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, novel stannous oxide@hafnium carbide (SnO@HfC) nanocomposite was successfully manufactured by an appropriate hydrothermal scheme which was utilized for the photocatalytic degradation of BPA by stimulation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and self-cleaning application. Numerous methods were applied for the characterization of photocatalyst and demonstrated the successful preparation of SnO@HfC nanocomposite. The crystal structures, band structures and density of states for SnO and HfC were explored by DFT analysis. The amazing PMS stimulation performance of SnO@HfC nanocomposite originated from the establishment of a heterojunction, which led to the enhancement of the light response aptitude and the electron conduction competence of the composite. BPA was degraded by 0.75 g/L PMS and SnO@HfC at neutral pH during the period of 60 min. In order to identify active groups in the reaction procedure, quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) approaches were also used. In the subsequent active species scavenging assays, where sulfate radicals, hydroxyl radicals, holes, and superoxide radicals were engaged in the degradation of BPA. While, liquid phase mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used to pinpoint the intermediate metabolites in the course of degradation. SnO@HfC/PMS/light system delivered excellent TOC removal efficiency and less ions leaching. The SnO@HfC nanocomposite proved good durability and reusability in continuous cycle tests along with excellent self-cleaning function on the glass substrate. The SnO@HfC nanocomposite performs admirably in terms of self-cleaning application. The SnO@HfC nanocomposite is expected to be used in the future for the treatment of wastewater that contains pharmaceuticals due to its superior stability and reusability after five consecutive cycles. [Display omitted] • Mesoporous bifunctional SnO@HfC nanocomposite was prepared. • Excellent synergistic effect was found between PMS and SnO@HfC. • BPA elimination over SnO@HfC/PMS/Light occurred by radical/non-radical. • Degradation mechanism under SnO@HfC/PMS/light system was proposed. • SnO/Hf@SHS has exhibited excellent self-cleaning function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (CAS) and occlusion (CAO) disrupt cerebral hemodynamics. There are few studies on the brain network changes and compensation associated with the progression from chronic CAS to CAO. In the current study, our goal is to improve the understanding of the specific abnormalities and compensatory phenomena associated with the functional connection in patients with CAS and CAO. In this prospective study, 27 patients with CAO, 29 patients with CAS, and 15 healthy controls matched for age, sex, education, handedness, and risk factors underwent neuropsychological testing and resting-state functional magnetic resonance (rs-fMRI) imaging simultaneously; graph theoretical analysis of brain networks was performed to determine the relationship between changes in brain network connectivity and the progression from internal CAS to CAO. The global properties of the brain network assortativity (p = 0.002), hierarchy (p = 0.002), network efficiency (p = 0.011), and small-worldness (p = 0.009) were significantly more abnormal in the CAS group than in the control and CAO groups. In patients with CAS and CAO, the nodal efficiency of key nodes in multiple brain regions decreased, while the affected hemisphere lost many key functional connections. In this study, we found that patients with CAS showed grade reconstruction, invalid connections, and other phenomena that impaired the efficiency of information transmission in the brain network. A compensatory functional connection in the contralateral cerebral hemisphere of patients with CAS and CAO may be an important mechanism that maintains clinical asymptomatic performance. This study not only reveals the compensation mechanism of cerebral hemisphere ischemia but also validates previous explanations for brain function connectivity, which can help provide interventions in advance and reduce the impairment of higher brain functions. This trial is registered with Clinical Trial Registration-URL http://www.chictr.org.cn and Unique identifier ChiCTR1900023610. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are associated with intestinal microbiota and diseases in humans. SCFAs have a low response in mass spectrometry, and in order to increase sensitivity, reduce sample consumption, shorten analysis time, and simplify sample preparation steps, a derivatization method was developed. Methods: We converted seven SCFAs into amide derivatives with 4-aminomethylquinoline. The reaction occurred for 20 min at room temperature. The analytes were separated on a reversed-phase C18 column and quantitated in the positive ion electrospray ionization mode using multiple reaction monitoring. Acetic acid-d4 was used as the stable-isotope-labeled surrogate analyte for acetic acid in the working solutions, while the other stable-isotope-labeled standards were used as internal standards (ISs). Results: Method validation showed that the intra-day and inter-day precision of quantitation for the seven SCFAs over the whole concentration range was ≤3.8% (n = 6). The quantitation accuracy ranged from 85.5% to 104.3% (n = 6). Most important, the collected feces were vortexed immediately with ethanol. Conclusions: This study provides a new derivatization method for a precise, accurate, and rapid quantitation of SCFAs in human feces using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. This method successfully determined the concentration of SCFAs in human feces and could assist in the exploration of intestinal microbiota and diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive deficits are a core feature of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, there are no previous studies that directly compare cognitive performance between first-episode drug-naive depressive patients (FDDP) and medicated depressive patients (MDP). Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether there were the differences in cognitive functions between FDDP and MDP. Sixty-two FDDP, 111 MDP and 90 healthy controls were enrolled in a Chinese population. Cognitive functions were assessed using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). There were the differences in the RBANS total score (F = 26.55, p < 0.001), subscales of immediate memory (F = 3.95, p = 0.02), language (F = 54.11, p < 0.001) and delayed memory (F = 11.19, p = 0.001) among the three groups after controlling for gender, education, smoking and body mass index (BMI). These differences in the RBANS total score, subscales of language and delayed memory passed the Bonferroni corrections (all, p < 0.05). Compared to healthy controls, FDDP and MDP had poorer cognitive performance including the RBANS total score, and subscales of language and delayed memory (all, p < 0.05) after controlling for the variables. FDDP experienced greater language deficits than MDP (p < 0.05) after controlling for the variables. Education was correlated with the language score in FDDP (r = 0.61, p < 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis indicated that education was an independent contributor to the language score in FDDP (ß = 3.11, t = 5.48, p < 0.001). Our findings indicated that FDDP had poorer language performance than MDP. Moreover, education could influence the language performance in FDDP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the impact of prostate weight on outcomes of nerve sparing laparoscopic radical prosta-tectomy (LRP) and assess its predictive value on postoperative continence and potency recovery.Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on the clinical data of 165 patients with low risk prostate cancer (PCa) who underwent nerve sparing LRP. All the patients included had normal preoperative uri-nary and sexual function. The association of prostate weight with perioperative data was assessed using Spearman correlation coefficient. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were employed to identify prognostic predictors for continence and potency recovery.Results: Increased prostate weight was significantly associated with older age, higher prostate-specific antigen (PSA), lower biopsy and pathological T stage and Gleason score, longer operative time, and higher estimated blood loss (P < .05). The continence rates at the 3rd, 6th, and 12th month after surgery were 63.6% (105/165), 87.9% (145/165), and 95.8% (158/165); and the potency rates were 44.8% (74/165), 62.4% (103/165) and 77.6% (128/165), respectively. Furthermore, multivariate Cox analysis showed that patient age (HR = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.35- 0.76) and prostate weight (HR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.34-0.86) were independent predictors for continence recovery, while only patient age (HR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.45-0.96) could independently predict potency recovery.Conclusion: Larger prostate size was correlated with older age, higher PSA, lower tumor stage and grade, longer operative time, and more intraoperative blood loss in low risk PCa patients. Increased prostate weight may inde-pendently predict poor continence recovery after nerve sparing LRP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Decreased serum albumin levels may contribute to the psychopathology of schizophrenia. • A decline in serum albumin levels was associated with the severity of depressive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. • Serum albumin levels were not associated with other PANSS scores in patients with schizophrenia. Abstract Albumin is a metal-binding protein with free-radical scavenging properties and is recognized as a vital antioxidant. Moreover, an excess of free radicals may contribute to depressive symptoms and the psychopathology of psychiatric disorders. This study examined serum albumin levels, depressive symptoms, and their association in patients with schizophrenia. Thirty-four patients with schizophrenia (diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth edition) and 136 healthy controls were consecutively enrolled in this case-control study. The clinical psychiatric symptoms in patients with schizophrenia were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Serum albumin levels were measured in all participants using an immunoturbidimetric method. This study was conducted between 2016 and 2017. Serum albumin levels were significantly lower in patients with schizophrenia compared to healthy controls after adjusting for gender, age and education (F = 16.04, p = 0.000). Serum albumin levels were negatively correlated with the depressive score of PANSS in patients with schizophrenia (r = −0.37, p = 0.03). Additionally, a further stepwise multivariate regression analysis showed that serum albumin levels were significantly associated with the depressive score of PANSS in patients with schizophrenia (ß = −0.37, t = −2.25, p = 0.03). Our data suggested that decreased serum albumin levels may contribute to the psychopathology of schizophrenia and that a decline in serum albumin levels was associated with the severity of depressive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although microRNA (miR)-145 has been identified to be a tumor suppressor in various types of tumor, it promotes the progression of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the precise underlying molecular mechanism of its action remains unclear. The present study investigated the effects of miR-145 on the proliferation, invasion, metastasis and apoptosis of the NSCLC A549 cell line and the underlying molecular mechanism of its action. In vitro cell proliferation, invasion, migration and apoptosis assays were employed, and the expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), caspase-3and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) were evaluated by western blot analysis. The results demonstrated that ectopic expression of miR-145 inhibited the proliferation, invasion and migration of A549 cells, but promoted the apoptosis of A549 cells. Western blot analysis indicated that increased miR-145 levels led to a marked decrease in the expression of MMP-2, MMP-9 and Bcl-2. Upregulation of miR-145 expression increased the expression of Bax, thus increasing the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Additionally, the results indicated that miR-145 over expression promoted the cleavage of caspase-3 and PARP. Taken together, these results indicated that miR-145 suppresses the proliferative, invasive and migratory ability of A549 cells. Additionally, miR-145 upregulation induced apoptosis of A549 cells possibly by decreasing MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression, the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and the activity of the caspase-3 cascade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Extranodal follicular dendritic cell sarcoma (FDCS) is a very rare malignancy with a variable clinical course. It is often not considered and has the potential to result in a misdiagnosis of other common sarcomas or sarcomatoid carcinomas. This is particularly true with the preoperative biopsy specimen, in which the tissue sample is often small. Case presentation: A case of FDCS in a 63-year-old woman, arising in the urinary bladder, a previously unreported site, is described. The patient presented with the typical clinical symptoms of a bladder cancer and the morphology of the tumor was similar to a lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma, ultimately resulting in it being misdiagnosed. The patient received radical cystectomy, without further radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Two years after operation, a metastatic tumor to the lung was found. The mass of the right main bronchus lumen was frozen and resected through bronchoscopy and radiotherapy was performed. The patient has lived with the tumor since then. Conclusions: This paper presents the first FDCS occurring in the urinary bladder with metastasis to the lung and emphasizes potential diagnostic pitfalls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term antipsychotic treatment for schizophrenia is associated with the development of tardive dyskinesia (TD), which is involved in increased cognitive impairment. Dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) gene associated with dopamine and norepinephrine systems influences cognition. Schizophrenia with TD have higher DBH activity than those without TD. This study examined whether DBH5'-insertion/deletion (-Ins/Del) polymorphism could influence cognitive function in schizophrenia with and without TD. The presence of DBH5'-Ins/Del polymorphism was determined in 345 schizophrenia with TD and 397 schizophrenia without TD. The Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale and Repeatable Battery for Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) were used to assess TD severity and cognition. The allele and genotype frequencies of DBH5'-Ins/Del polymorphism did not differ between patients with and without TD (both p>0.05). RBANS total score and subscales did not differ by DBH5'-Ins/Del genotype groups in patients with TD (all p>0.05). However, attention score significantly differed by DBH5'-Ins/Del genotype groups in those without TD (p<0.05). Patients without TD who were Del homozygous had significantly lower attention score than those without TD who were Ins alleles (p<0.05). Immediate memory and attention scores were lower in patients with TD than without TD (both p<0.05). This study indicated that DBH5'-Ins/Del polymorphism may not play a role in the susceptibility to TD and cognitive deficits in schizophrenia with TD, but it may influence cognitive function in schizophrenia with non-TD. Moreover, schizophrenia with TD experienced greater cognitive deficits than those with non-TD, especially in immediate memory and attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]