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BackgroundGuillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) is a polyradiculoneuropathy mediated by the immune system and is the primary reason for acute flaccid paralysis. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) is a recognized immunotherapeutic drug that can accelerate recovery from GBS. Limited literature exists concerning cerebral infarction complications with IVIg following its use in the treatment of GBS.Case presentationA patient was diagnosed with the acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy subtype of GBS, while another patient was diagnosed with the acute bulbar palsy variant of GBS 2 years prior and experienced a relapse of GBS. Both patients received immunoglobulin therapy, during which multiple acute cerebral infarctions were detected using magnetic resonance imaging. Both patients had a history of coronary artery atherosclerotic heart disease and vertebral artery stenosis, and D-dimer and fibrinogen degradation products were significantly elevated after immunoglobulin therapy.ConclusionsThe risk of cerebral infarction associated with IVIg is generally low in patients with different GBS variants. Nevertheless, the occurrence of cerebral infarction associated with IVIg might not be insignificant in older patients with vascular risk factors and should be carefully monitored.

Background: PM2.5 and its chemical components increase health risks and are associated with depression and gut microbiota. However, there is still limited evidence on whether gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) mediate the association between PM2.5, PM2.5 chemical components, and antenatal depression. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating role of maternal gut microbiota in correlations between short-term exposure to PM2.5, short-term exposure to PM2.5 chemical components, and antenatal depression. Methods: Demographic information and stool samples were collected from 75 pregnant women in their third trimester. Their exposure to PM2.5 and PM2.5 chemical components was measured. Participants were divided into the non-antenatal depression group or the antenatal depression group according to the cut-off of 10 points on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). The gut microbiota were analyzed using the 16 S rRNA-V3/V4 gene sequence, and the concentration of PM2.5 and its chemical components was calculated using the Tracking Air Pollution in China (TAP) database. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was used to analyze SCFAs in stool samples. In order to assess the mediating effects of gut microbiota and SCFAs, mediation models were utilized. Results: There were significant differences between gut microbial composition and SCFAs concentrations between the non-antenatal depression group and the antenatal depression group. PM2.5 and its chemical components were positively associated with EPDS scores and negatively associated with genera Enterococcus and Enterobacter. Genera Candidatus_Soleaferrea (β = −7.21, 95%CI −11.00 to −3.43, q = 0.01) and Enterococcus (β = −2.37, 95%CI −3.87 to −0.87, q = 0.02) were negatively associated with EPDS scores, indicating their potential protective effects against antenatal depression. There was no significant association between SCFAs and EPDS scores. The mediating role of Enterococcus between different lagged periods of PM2.5, PM2.5 chemical component exposure, and antenatal depression was revealed. For instance, Enterococcus explained 29.23% (95%CI 2.16–87.13%, p = 0.04) of associations between PM2.5 exposure level at the day of sampling (lag 0) and EPDS scores. Conclusion: Our study highlights that Enterococcus may mediate the associations between PM2.5, PM2.5 chemical components, and antenatal depression. The mediating mechanism through which the gut microbiota influences PM2.5-induced depression in pregnant women still needs to be further studied.

Abstract Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a globally prevalent respiratory disease, and programmed cell death plays a pivotal role in the development of COPD. Disulfidptosis is a newly discovered type of cell death that may be associated with the progression of COPD. However, the expression and role of disulfidptosis‐related genes (DRGs) in COPD remain unclear. Methods The expression of DRGs was identified by analyzing RNA sequencing (RNA‐seq) data in COPD. Further, COPD patients were classified into two subtypes by unsupervised cluster analysis to reveal their differences in gene expression and immune infiltration. Meanwhile, hub genes associated with disulfidptosis were screened by weighted gene co‐expression network analysis. Subsequently, the hub genes were validated experimentally in cells and animals. In addition, we screened potential therapeutic drugs through the hub genes. Results We identified two distinct molecular clusters and observed significant differences in immune cell populations between them. In addition, we screened nine hub genes, and experimental validation showed that CDC71, DOHH, PDAP1, and SLC25A39 were significantly upregulated in cigarette smoke‐induced COPD mouse lung tissues and bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS‐2B) treated with cigarette smoke extract. Finally, we predicted 10 potential small molecule drugs such as Atovaquone, Taurocholic acid, Latamoxef, and Methotrexate. Conclusion We highlighted the strong association between COPD and disulfidptosis, with DRGs demonstrating a discriminative capacity for COPD. Additionally, the expression of certain novel genes, including CDC71, DOHH, PDAP1, and SLC25A39, is linked to COPD and may aid in the diagnosis and assessment of this condition.

Background: The gut microbiota may affect mood through the microbiota-gut-brain axis. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the gut microbiota and its metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), on prenatal depression and to determine the role of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) on prenatal depression in association with the gut microbiota and its metabolites (i.e. SCFAs). Methods: Eighty-six pregnant women in the third trimester were recruited. Prenatal depression was determined by a score of 10 via the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale. Demographic data, stool, and blood samples were collected. The gut microbiota and its metabolites SCFAs were determined by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Plasma 5-HT was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Results: After controlling relevant covariates, our results found the higher the abundance of Candidatus_Soleaferrea, the lower the risk of prenatal depression; the higher the concentration of propanoic acid, the higher risk of prenatal depression. Our results also found the lower the plasma 5-HT, the higher the risk of prenatal depression, and 5-HT was related to unclassified_c_Clostridia and NK4A214_group. However, results of this study did not support the moderating effect of plasma 5-HT on the association of Candidatus_Soleaferrea or propionic acid with prenatal depression. Conclusions: Results of this study supported that changes in certain gut microbiota, SCFAs, and plasma 5-HT during pregnancy were associated with prenatal depression. This finding provides new ideas for interventions based on diet or probiotics to regulate mood during pregnancy.

AbstractThe Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), is one of the most harmful pests of many crops in Asia and Australia. This paper reports for the first time its occurrence and damage on basket willow (Salix viminalis L.). The finding allows us to alert farmers and institutions for further tracking its establishment and spread in monoculture and polyculture systems involving the basket willow in China and other countries.

Sericin derived from the white cocoon of Bombyx mori has been attracting more attention for its utilization in food, cosmetics, and biomedicine. The potential health benefits of natural carotenoids for humans have also been well-established. Some rare strains of Bombyx mori (B. mori) produce yellow–red cocoons, which endow a potential of natural carotenoid-containing sericin. We hypothesized that natural carotenoid-containing sericin from yellow–red cocoons would exhibit better properties compared with white cocoon sericin. To investigate the physicochemical attributes of natural carotenoid-containing sericin, we bred two silkworm strains from one common ancestor, namely XS7 and XS8, which exhibited different cocoon colors as a result of the inconsistent distribution of lutein and β-carotene. Compared with white cocoon sericin, the interaction between carotenoids and sericin molecules in carotenoid-containing sericin resulted in a unique fluorescence emission at 530, 564 nm. The incorporation of carotenoids enhanced the antibacterial effect, anti-cancer ability, cytocompatibility, and antioxidant of sericin, suggesting potential wide-ranging applications of natural carotenoid-containing sericin as a biomass material. We also found differences in fluorescence characteristics, antimicrobial effects, anti-cancer ability, and antioxidants between XS7 and XS8 sericin. Our work for the first time suggested a better application potential of natural carotenoid-containing sericin as a biomass material than frequently used white cocoon sericin.

Abstract Background Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains one of the most lethal cancers worldwide accompany with an extremely poor prognosis. Therefore, this study aims to screen for new molecules affecting ESCC and explore their mechanisms of action to provide ideas for targeted therapies for ESCC. Methods Firstly, we screened out the membrane protein SCARA5 by high-throughput sequencing of the ESCC patient tissues, and RT-qPCR and WB were used to verify the differential expression of SCARA5 in esophageal cell lines, and IHC analyzed the expression localization of SCARA5 in ESCC tissue. Then, flow cytometry, wound healing assay, Transwell assay and CCK-8 assay were used to explore the effects of SCARA5 on cell cycle, migration and invasion as well as cell proliferation activity of esophageal squamous carcinoma cells. Meanwhile, transmission electron microscopy was used to detect changes in cellular mitochondrial morphology, and flow cytometry were used to detect changes in intracellular reactive oxygen metabolism, and immunofluorescence and flow cytometry were used to detect changes in intracellular Fe2+. Mechanistically, co-immunoprecipitation was used to detect whether SCARA5 binds to ferritin light chain, and ferroptosis-related protein expression was detected by WB. Finally, the tumor xenograft model was applied to validation the role of SCARA5 tumor growth inhibition in vivo. Results We found that SCARA5 was aberrantly decreased in ESCC tissues and cell lines. Furthermore, we confirmed that SCARA5 suppressed the cell cycle, metastasis and invasion of ESCC cells. Meanwhile, we also found that overexpression of SCARA5 caused changes in mitochondrial morphology, accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species and increased intracellular Fe2+ in ESCC cells, which induced ferroptosis in ESCC cells. Mechanically, we validated that SCARA5 combined with ferritin light chain and increased intracellular Fe2+. As well as, overexpression SCARA5 induced ferroptosis by increasing ferritin light chain in nude mice subcutaneous tumors and inhibited the growth of nude mice subcutaneous tumors. Conclusion Collectively, our findings demonstrated that SCARA5 suppressed the proliferation and metastasis of ESCC by triggering ferroptosis through combining with ferritin light chain.

Abstract Background Fear of childbirth (FOC) is a common psychological problem in Chinese pregnant women. FOC can influence both maternal health and infants’ wellness. Special assessment tools for FOC in Mandarin Chinese are currently lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Mandarin Chinese of the Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire Version A (W-DEQ-A). Methods We recruited 364 Chinese pregnant women from April 2021 to July 2021. Translation and cultural adaptation, as well as reliability and validity testing were conducted. Analyses included the content validity, structural validity, criterion-related validity, convergent validity and reliability. The content validity indices were used to assess the content validity of the tool. The structural validity was tested through exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was used to evaluate the reliability of the W-DEQ-A Chinese version. Results The Chinese translation showed excellent similarities and equivalence to the original version, with the satisfactory content validity. Factor analysis indicated 5 factors, accounting for 57% of the total variance. Both criterion-related validity and convergent validity proved to be acceptable. The reliability was tested with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.911 for the total scale. Conclusion The W-DEQ-A Chinese version is a reliable and valid tool to identify FOC in Mandarin Chinese-speaking populations.

Background: Dementia is characterized by significant cognitive decline that results in disturbance of daily activities. Increasing number of meta-analyses has examined the efficacy of cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) for dementia. However, there is a lack of comprehensive reports that specifically discuss the strength of evidence to support CST for dementia. Purpose: This study aimed to summarize evidence regarding the efficacy of CST on people with dementia. Design: Umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Methods: We searched Cochrane Library, PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data, China Biology Medicine disc (CBMdisc), and VIP databases from inception to December 31, 2022. The methodological quality of the identified studies was assessed using A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR 2). Studies scoring 9–12 (moderate quality) points or higher were further analyzed using Grades of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) principles. Results: A total of 14 systematic reviews and meta-analyses were included in the umbrella review. The methodological quality of most included reviews was rated as moderate according to AMSTAR 2 rating system. In these studies, we summarized the characteristics of the content, providers, frequency, period and setting of CST, and examined eight health outcomes related to CST, including cognition, depression, behavioral symptoms, quality of life (QoL), activities of daily living (ADL), language and communication, anxiety, and memory. Eleven studies with low to high rating of overall confidence (OC) consistently reported that CST could significantly improve cognition of people with dementia, including high-quality supporting evidence. However, the effect of CST on other health outcomes for people with dementia (e.g., depression, behavioral symptoms, QoL, ADL) is inconsistent, with low- to moderate-quality evidence ratings. Compared with the above results, few studies have reported the effects of CST on communication, anxiety, and memory for people with dementia. Conclusions: In the future, the design and reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analyses should incorporate high-quality research metrics in accordance with AMSTAR 2 criteria. The current review supports CST as an effective treatment for improving cognitive function in patients with dementia. Multi-component interventions are more effective than single-component interventions and need to be delivered regularly. Registration: The protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) database (CRD42022364259).

Background and purposeCorpus callosum (CC) infarction is an extremely rare subtype of cerebral ischemic stroke, however, the symptoms of cognitive impairment often fail to attract early attention of patients, which seriously affects the long-term prognosis, such as high mortality, personality changes, mood disorders, psychotic reactions, financial burden and so on. This study seeks to develop and validate models for early predicting the risk of subjective cognitive decline (SCD) after CC infarction by machine learning (ML) algorithms.MethodsThis is a prospective study that enrolled 213 (only 3.7%) CC infarction patients from a nine-year cohort comprising 8,555 patients with acute ischemic stroke. Telephone follow-up surveys were carried out for the patients with definite diagnosis of CC infarction one-year after disease onset, and SCD was identified by Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) questionnaire. Based on the significant features selected by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), seven ML models including Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Logistic Regression (LR), Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM), Adaptive Boosting (AdaBoost), Gaussian Naïve Bayes (GNB), Complement Naïve Bayes (CNB), and Support vector machine (SVM) were established and their predictive performances were compared by different metrics. Importantly, the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) was also utilized to examine internal behavior of the highest-performance ML classifier.ResultsThe Logistic Regression (LR)-model performed better than other six ML-models in SCD predictability after the CC infarction, with the area under the receiver characteristic operator curve (AUC) of 77.1% in the validation set. Using LASSO and SHAP analysis, we found that infarction subregions of CC infarction, female, 3-month modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score, age, homocysteine, location of angiostenosis, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, pure CC infarction, and number of angiostenosis were the top-nine significant predictors in the order of importance for the output of LR-model. Meanwhile, we identified that infarction subregion of CC, female, 3-month mRS score and pure CC infarction were the factors which independently associated with the cognitive outcome.ConclusionOur study firstly demonstrated that the LR-model with 9 common variables has the best-performance to predict the risk of post-stroke SCD due to CC infarcton. Particularly, the combination of LR-model and SHAP-explainer could aid in achieving personalized risk prediction and be served as a decision-making tool for early intervention since its poor long-term outcome.

Abstract This retrospective study aimed to investigate the correlation between neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (NHB) and hypoglycemia (NH) in Chinese women with diabetes in pregnancy (DIP), and the influencing factors. All the data were collected July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2020, and 10,558 Chinese women with DIP and live births were included. Two separate multivariate binary stepwise forward logistic regression analysis calculated OR with 95% CI. The prevalence rates of NHB and NH was respectively 3.65% and 5.82% among women with DIP. The comorbidity of both diseases was 0.59%. NH were 1.81 times (OR 1.81, 1.19–2.76) more likely to have hyperbilirubinemia. NHB is positively correlated with NH (OR 1.93, 1.27–2.92). Increased gestational age has a protective effect on both NH (OR 0.76, 0.68–0.85) and NHB (OR 0.80, 0.69–0.92). Abnormal placental morphology is related to NH (OR 1.55, 1.16–2.08) and NHB (OR 1.64, 1.10–2.45). Regarding neonatal outcomes, congenital heart disease (CHD) (OR 2.16, 1.25–3.73; and OR 10.14, 6.47–15.90) was a risk factor for NH and NHB. NHB and NH were significantly correlated in women with DIP. The offspring of DIP with multiple risk factors have a significantly increased risk of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.

Tong et al. describe a super pangenome assembled from long-read sequences of 545 wild and domesticated silkworms. Naturally selected (diapause, aposemantic coloration) or artificially selected (silk yield and fineness) sets of genes are delineated.

BackgroundIt is critical to investigate the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms in the development of atopic dermatitis. The microbiota hypothesis suggested that the development of allergic diseases may be attributed to the gut microbiota of mother-offspring pairs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among maternal-offspring gut microbiota and the subsequent development of atopic dermatitis in infants and toddlers at 2 years old.MethodsA total of 36 maternal-offspring pairs were enrolled and followed up to 2 years postpartum in central China. Demographic information and stool samples were collected perinatally from pregnant mothers and again postpartum from their respective offspring at the following time intervals: time of birth, 6 months, 1 year and 2 years. Stool samples were sequenced with the 16S Illumina MiSeq platform. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the differences in gut microbiota between the atopic dermatitis group and control group.ResultsOur results showed that mothers of infants and toddlers with atopic dermatitis had higher abundance of Candidatus_Stoquefichus and Pseudomonas in pregnancy and that infants and toddlers with atopic dermatitis had higher abundance of Eubacterium_xylanophilum_group at birth, Ruminococcus_gauvreauii_group at 1 year and UCG-002 at 2 years, and lower abundance of Gemella and Veillonella at 2 years. Additionally, the results demonstrated a lower abundance of Prevotella in mothers of infants and toddlers with atopic dermatitis compared to mothers of the control group, although no statistical difference was found in the subsequent analysis.ConclusionThe results of this study support that gut microbiota status among mother-offspring pairs appears to be associated with the pathophysiological development of pediatric atopic dermatitis.

Background/purpose: Pyroptosis is a form of programmed cell death dependent on the activation of caspase-1. Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) is a major pathogenic bacterium in periodontitis and its lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can trigger inflammation. However, whether P. gingivalis-LPS affects epithelial connections or triggers pyroptosis in the gingival epithelium is unknown. Materials and methods: Gingival samples from human donors were collected and the expression levels of E-cadherin, nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), caspase-1/4/5, interleukin (IL)-18, and IL-1β were examined. P. gingivalis-LPS was injected into rat gingival sulcus to establish gingivitis models, and the expression levels of E-cadherin, NLRP3, caspase-1/11, IL-18, and IL-1β were compared via immunohistochemistry. The mRNA levels of E-cadherin, caspase-1, IL-18, and IL-1β were evaluated in oral mucosa epithelial cells (OMECs) and rat gingival tissues. Results: In the present study, NLRP3 (p

Type A Insulin resistance syndrome (TAIRS) is an autosomal dominant or recessive genetic disorder caused by insulin dysfunction resulting from insulin receptor (INSR) gene mutation. The main features of TAIRS include hyperinsulinemia, abnormal glucose metabolism, and changes in acanthosis nigricans. We identified, in China, a TAIRS family with a novel heterozygous missense gene mutation type. One patient from the Chinese Han family exhibited signs and symptoms of TAIRS and was presented for evaluation. Whole-exome sequencing revealed a heterozygous mutation. Both the patient proband and his father were identified with insulin receptor exon 19c.3472C>T(p.Arg1158Trp), which resulted in a missense mutation that led to replace by a base in the amino acid codon. We found that the patient proband and his father exhibited high insulin and C-peptide release after glucose stimulation by insulin and C-peptide release tests. At the same time, we also ruled out the possibility of islet βcell tumor through relevant examinations. These findings indicate that the INSR gene mutation may cause pancreatic β cell functional impairment and contribute to the development of diabetes.

Antheraea pernyi is one of the most famous edible and silk-producing wild silkworms of Saturniidae. Structural cuticular proteins (CPs) are the primary component of insect cuticle. In this paper, the CPs in the genome of A. pernyi were identified and compared with those of the lepidopteran model species Bombyx mori, and expression patterns were analyzed based on the transcriptomic data from the larval epidermis/integument (epidermis in the following) and some non-epidermis tissues/organs of two silkworm species. A total of 217 CPs was identified in the A. pernyi genome, a comparable number to B. mori (236 CPs), with CPLCP and CPG families being the main contribution to the number difference between two silkworm species. We found more RR-2 genes expressed in the larval epidermis of fifth instar of A. pernyi than B. mori, but less RR-2 genes expressed in the prothoracic gland of A. pernyi than B. mori, which suggests that the hardness difference in the larval epidermis and prothoracic gland between the two species may be caused by the number of RR-2 genes expressed. We also revealed that, in B. mori, the number of CP genes expressed in the corpus allatum and prothoracic gland of fifth instar was higher than that in the larval epidermis. Our work provided an overall framework for functional research into the CP genes of Saturniidae.

In China, there are about 131,500 new cases of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection every year. However, studies focused on the related cognitions in the general college-going population, who belong to an at-risk age group and are of childbearing age, are relatively limited. Thus, this cross-sectional online survey study, conducted from December 2018 to March 2019, sought to investigate HPV vaccination rates, knowledge, acceptance, and associated factors in this population. Descriptive analysis and ordinal logistic regression analysis were conducted to analyze the factors associated with HPV vaccination intention. A total of 1,029 questionnaires were collected, of which 1,022 were valid (males: 267, females: 755). As per the results, only 3.1% of the sample had been vaccinated against HPV. The overall levels of knowledge about HPV and its vaccination were low. Male students’ knowledge about HPV types, infection symptoms, vaccination cycles, and preventable diseases was significantly lower than that of female students. As for acceptance, only 36.9% of females and 24.8% of males indicated that they would choose to undergo HPV vaccination. Chinese college students’ knowledge of HPV and its vaccination is limited. More than half of the sample was unsure about undergoing HPV vaccination, with concerns about safety and effectiveness serving as the main barriers. Measures such as strengthening health education, improving vaccination safety and effectiveness, and reducing vaccine prices should be taken to promote HPV vaccination among Chinese college students.

This paper presents an absorptive microstrip-fed slot antenna with a wide reflectionless band and high radiation efficiency. The proposed antenna consists of a microstrip-fed slot antenna, a quarter-wavelength coupled-line bandstop filter (BSF), and absorptive resistors attached to a grounding pad. The BSF and absorptive resistors are connected to the end of the microstrip feedline. The slot antenna and the BSF are designed to work at the same frequency. In the working band, the high input impedance of the BSF exactly matches the slot antenna for effective radiation. While out of the working band, since the input impedance looking towards the end of the slot antenna matches well with that of the BSF, the energy will flow through the BSF and then be absorbed by the absorptive resistors. In this way, the energy both in and out of the working band will not be reflected back to the input port, which presents a wide reflectionless band. To demonstrate this idea, a prototype operating at 3 GHz is designed, fabricated, and measured. The measurements show that the proposed antenna is well matched ( $|S_{11}|< -10$ dB) in a wide frequency band from DC to 5.3 GHz, the 3-dB gain bandwidth covers from 2.85 GHz to 3.24 GHz with a peak gain of 4.54 dBi, the peak radiation efficiency can reach 93%, and a bidirectional radiation pattern is realized with more than 20 dB cross-polarization suppression in main radiation directions.

Being the most common cause of implant failure, peri-implantitis is defined as a pathological condition associated with the occurrence of peri-implant plaque, characterized by peri-implant mucosal inflammation and progressive loss of the supporting bone tissue attributed to the persistence of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is a type of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, is generally used for the treatment of many inflammatory diseases. However, a suitable form for dosing and its therapeutic effect on peri-implantitis remain unclear. In this study, a novel nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) loaded with squalene and DHA was fabricated (DHA-loaded NLC). The encapsulation efficiency and drug loading efficiency values of the DHA-loaded NLC were 78.13% ± 1.85% and 28.09% ± 0.48%, respectively. The release of DHA was gradual and steady until 144 h. In addition, the free-radical-scavenging rate of DHA-loaded NLC (0.57 ± 0.03) was much higher than that of sole DHA (0.17 ± 0.003). By inhibiting nuclear factor-κB p65 nuclear translocation, DHA-loaded NLC prevented the activation of nuclear factor-κB downstream inflammatory pathways and exerted anti-inflammatory effects on macrophages. Moreover, DHA-loaded NLC showed better effects on preventing alveolar bone resorption of rat peri-implantitis model than sole DHA. Hence, DHA-loaded NLC enhanced the anti-inflammatory bioavailability of DHA, offering a novel approach for the treatment of peri-implantitis.

In vitro construction is a major trend involved in cartilage regeneration and repair. Satisfactory in vitro cartilage regeneration depends on a suitable culture system. Current chondrogenic culture systems with a high content of transforming growth factor beta-1 effectively promote cartilaginous extracellular matrix (ECM) production but inhibit chondrocyte survival. As is known, inhibition of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway acts in blocking the progression of osteoarthritis by reducing chondrocyte apoptosis and cartilage destruction. However, whether inhibiting JNK signaling resists the inhibitory effect of current chondrogenic medium (CM) on cell survival and affects in vitro auricular cartilage regeneration (including cell proliferation, ECM synthesis, and degradation) has not been investigated. In order to address these issues and optimize the chondrogenic culture system, we generated a three-dimensional in vitro auricular cartilage regeneration model to investigate the effects of SP600125 (a JNK-specific inhibitor) on chondrocyte proliferation and ECM metabolism. SP600125 supplementation efficiently promoted cell proliferation at both cellular and tissue levels and canceled the negative effect of our chondrogenic culture system on cell survival. Moreover, it significantly inhibited ECM degradation by reducing the expressions of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1-beta, and matrix metalloproteinase 13. In addition, SP600125 inhibited ECM synthesis at both cellular and tissue levels, but this could be canceled and even reversed by adding chondrogenic factors; yet this enabled a sufficient number of chondrocytes to be retained at the same time. Thus, SP600125 had a positive effect on in vitro auricular cartilage regeneration in terms of cell proliferation and ECM degradation but a negative effect on ECM synthesis, which could be reversed by adding CM. Therefore, a combination of SP600125 and CM might help in optimizing current chondrogenic culture systems and achieve satisfactory in vitro cartilage regeneration by promoting cell proliferation, reducing ECM degradation, and enhancing ECM synthesis.

Abstract Background Netrin-1 functions largely via combined receptors and downstream effectors. Evidence has shown that astrocytes express netrin-1 receptors, including DCC and UNC5H2. However, whether netrin-1 influences the function of astrocytes was previously unknown. Methods Lipopolysaccharide was used to stimulate the primary cultured astrocytes; interleukin release was used to track astrocyte activation. In vivo, shRNA and netrin-1 protein were injected in the mouse brain. Infarct volume, astrocyte activation, and interleukin release were used to observe the function of netrin-1 in neuroinflammation and brain injury after middle cerebral artery occlusion. Results Our results demonstrated that netrin-1 reduced lipopolysaccharide-induced interleukin-1β and interleukin-12β release in cultured astrocytes, and blockade of the UNC5H2 receptor with an antibody reversed this effect. Additionally, netrin-1 increased p-AKT and PPAR-γ expression in primary cultured astrocytes. In vivo studies showed that knockdown of netrin-1 increased astrocyte activation in the mouse brain after middle cerebral artery occlusion (p

The fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) electrospun fibrous scaffolds with customizable shapes and large pores is a challenging task. In this study, for the first time, one-dimensional (1D) gelatin/poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) electrospun fibers were processed into inks suitable for 3D printing. By combining 3D printing and freeze drying, electrospun fiber-based inks were successfully fabricated into 3D-printed scaffolds (3DP) with precisely controlled shapes and large pores, in addition to fibrous surface morphologies similar to that of a native extracellular matrix (ECM). The 3DP exhibited good elasticity and water-induced shape memory, and was found to be superior to 3D-printed scaffolds fabricated using pure gelatin fibers and freeze-shaped scaffolds fabricated using non-fibrous gelatin/PLGA powder. Moreover, 3DP combined with chondrocytes achieved satisfactory cartilage regeneration in vivo. The novel strategy of 3D printing electrospun fibers established in this study provides a research model for the design and fabrication of multiple scaffolds for various tissue regeneration applications. Keywords: Electrospinning fiber, Biomimetic scaffold, 3D printing, Tissue engineering, Cartilage regeneration

Abstract Background Ischemic stroke causes a multitude of brain damage. Neurovascular injury and myelin sheath degradation are two manifestations of ischemic brain damage. Therapeutic strategies aiming only at repairing the neural components or the vessels cannot efficiently restore neurological function. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have the advantages of both promoting angiogenesis and secreting trophic factors that would promote neurogenesis. Chemokine cxcl12 gene therapy has also been shown to promote angiogenesis, neurogenesis, and remyelination, attracting EPCs, neural progenitor cells, and oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) to the injured sites of the brain. In this work, we tested whether these two therapeutics can be combined by genetically engineering the EPCs with cxcl12 to harness the synergistic effects of these two interventions. Methods We used lentivirus (LV) to deliver cxcl12 gene into human umbilical cord blood EPCs to generate the engineered CXCL12-EPCs, which were then delivered into the perifocal region at 1 week after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion to investigate the effects of CXCL12-EPCs on the functional recovery and angiogenesis, neurogenesis, and remyelination in ischemic stroke mice. Green fluorescent protein (gfp) gene-modified EPCs and LV-CXCL12 gene therapy were used as controls. Results CXCL12-EPC treatment significantly reduced brain atrophy and improved neurobehavioral function at 5 weeks after brain ischemia. The treatment resulted in increased blood vessel density and myelin sheath integrity, and promoted neurogenesis, angiogenesis, and the proliferation and migration of OPCs. In-vitro data showed that CXCL12-EPCs performed better in proliferation and tube formation assays and expressed a higher level of vascular endothelial growth factor compared to GFP-EPCs. Conclusions The synergistic treatment of CXCL12-EPCs outperformed the single therapies of GFP-EPCs or LV-CXCL12 gene therapy in various aspects related to post-ischemic brain repair. cxcl12-engineered EPCs hold great potential in the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Abstract Tumor treatment is still complicated in the field of medicine. Tumor immunotherapy has been the most interesting research field in cancer therapy. Application of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy has recently achieved excellent clinical outcome in patients, especially those with CD19-positive hematologic malignancies. This phenomenon has induced intense interest to develop CAR-T cell therapy for cancer, especially for solid tumors. However, the performance of CAR-T cell treatment in solid tumor is not as satisfactory as that in hematologic disease. Clinical studies on some neoplasms, such as glioblastoma, ovarian cancer, and cholangiocarcinoma, have achieved desirable outcome. This review describes the history and evolution of CAR-T, generalizes the structure and preparation of CAR-T, and summarizes the latest advances on CAR-T cell therapy in different tumor types. The last section presents the current challenges and prospects of CAR-T application to provide guidance for subsequent research.

In this paper, characteristic mode analysis (CMA) is originally applied to investigate complex spoof localized surface plasmon (LSP) resonators, including a traditional toroid spoof-LSP resonator, and three Fabry-Perot type spoof-LSP resonators with different boundary conditions: open, shorted, and reactive. Compared with three traditional analytical methods of spoof LSP: dispersion curve approximation, near-field measurement (NFM), and extinction cross-sectional simulation (ECSS), CMA has three main advantages: to provide an insight of intrinsic resonances independent of excitations, to provide eigencurrents distribution, and to track each resonant mode at the full frequency band even when many resonant modes coexist at a very narrow band. Resonant frequencies calculated by CMA match well with that obtained by NFM and ECSS, indicating the correctness of CMA method. Based on CMA, bandwidths and eigencurrents of different resonant modes are also presented. It is foreseeable that CMA could be further utilized in spoof-LSP designs for various applications.

(1) Background: Maternal diet and alcohol consumption can influence both maternal and infant’s gut microbiota. These relationships are still not examined in the Chinese population. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of alcohol consumption and maternal diet during pregnancy on maternal and infant’s gut microbiota. (2) Methods: Twenty-nine mother-child dyads were enrolled in central China. Fecal samples of mothers during late pregnancy and of newborns within 48 h were collected. The V3–V4 regions of 16S rRNA sequences were analyzed. A self-administrated questionnaire about simple diet frequency in the past week was completed by mothers before childbirth. The demographic information was finished by mothers at 24 h after childbirth. (3) Results: Among these 29 mothers, 10 mothers reported alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The PCoA (β-diversity) showed significant difference in maternal gut microbiota between the alcohol consumption group vs. the non-alcohol consumption group (abund-Jaccard, r = 0.2, p = 0.006). The same phenomenon was observed in newborns (unweighted-UniFrac full tree, r = 0.174, p = 0.031). Maternal alcohol consumption frequency showed positive associations with maternal Phascolarctobacterium (p = 0.032) and Blautia (p = 0.019); maternal Faecalibacterium (p = 0.013) was negatively correlated with frequency of alcohol consumption. As for newborns, a positive relationship showed between Megamonas (p = 0.035) and newborns with maternal alcohol consumption. The diet was not associated with both maternal and infant’s gut microbiota. (4) Conclusions: Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy influenced the gut microbiota on both mothers and the newborns. Future research is needed to explore these relationships in a lager birth cohort. Understanding the long-term effect of alcohol consumption on maternal and newborns’ gut microbiota is needed.

Infant temperament characteristics play a critical role in children’s developmental pathways and can predict adulthood psychopathology. The diversity and composition of the gut microbiota are associated with human temperament in both adults and young children. However, the relationship between the gut microbiota and temperament in 12-month-old infants is rarely studied; this developmental period is when temperament reaches a relatively stable stage. We used high-throughput sequencing methods to explore whether temperament characteristics were associated with gut microbiota diversity and composition. Infants’ fecal samples were collected at 12 months of age for the gut microbiota analysis. Based on the primary caregivers’ reports, infants’ temperaments were measured using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-revised (IBQ-R). This study included 51 infants, including 20 boys and 31 girls, with a mean age of 12.25 months. Results showed that soothability was positively correlated with maternal education level (β = 0.29, p = 0.043, adjust p = 0.025) and the abundance of Bifidobacterium genera (β = 0.62, p = 0.004, adjust p = 0.002). Conversely, cuddliness was negatively correlated with the abundance of Hungatella genera. There was no significant difference in temperament based on gender. This study demonstrated that gut microbiota composition was associated with temperament in 12-month-old infants. These results point to the importance of gut microbiota balance. Future studies on the mechanisms behind the gut microbiota affecting temperament are warranted.

In order to investigate the methane adsorption characteristics of coal seam materials in a “solid−gas” coupling physical simulation experiment, activated alumina, silica gel, the 3Å molecular sieve, 4Å molecular sieve and 5Å molecular sieve were selected as adsorption materials. According to the pore structure and adsorption characteristics, coal samples at the Aiweiergou #1890 working face were prepared as compared materials. The WY-98A methane adsorption coefficient measuring instrument was used to carry out this adsorption experiment under different temperatures, particle sizes and moisture contents. The results suggested that the adsorption principles of three kinds of molecular sieves under multiple factors do not fully fit a Langmuir adsorption model, and cannot be used as adsorption materials. The changing trend of the adsorption increment of activated alumina and silica gel are similar to that of coal samples, so they can be used as a coal-like materials. The methane adsorption coefficient a value changing trends of activated alumina and silica gel appear to be the same as the Aiweiergou #1890 coal samples, but the results from silica gel are closer to that of coal samples. Thus, silica gel is preferred as the adsorption material. The result provides an experimental basis for the selection of methane-adsorbing materials and carrying out “solid−gas” coupling physical simulation experiments in a physically similar testing model.

(1) Background: The human gut microbiota at early life is shaped by numerous factors, especially factors from mothers, which have huge influence on infants’ gut microbiotas. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of maternal adherence to Chinese traditional postpartum practices of “doing the month” on the development of infant gut microbiota at 6-month postpartum. (2) Methods: A cohort of 62 Chinese women at late pregnancy was recruited from a tertiary general hospital in a central region of China. The participants and their babies were followed up to 6 months postpartum. Finally, 50 mother-infant dyads were enrolled in the study. Women’s adherence to the traditional postpartum practices was measured by adherence to doing the month practices (ADP). Infant fecal samples were collected at six months of age and were analyzed using 16S rRNA V3 and V4 gene region sequences. (3) Results: Ruminococcus gnavus was significantly less abundant in infants whose mothers had a better adherence to the traditional postpartum practices of “doing the month.” Infants receiving Clostridium-butyricum during the first month after delivery had a significant dominance of Escherichia/Shigella. (4) Conclusions: Adherence to the traditional postpartum practices of “doing the month” can impact an infant’s gut microbiota at 6 months of age. Infants receiving probiotics during the first month after delivery had a significant dominance of opportunistic pathogens.

Microvitellogenin (mVg) is a relatively small vitellogenic protein only characterized in the eggs of the lepidopteran insects Manduca sexta and Bombyx mori. In the present study, we report a novel mVg (ApmVg) isolated from the Chinese oak silkworm Antheraea pernyi. The obtained ApmVg cDNA sequence contains an open reading frame of 783 bp encoding a protein of 260 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 29.96 kDa. This gene does not contain introns. Structural analysis revealed that this protein shares putative conserved domains with the lepidopteran low-molecular weight lipoprotein, which belongs to the lipoprotein_11 superfamily. The protein sequence of ApmVg exhibits 48% sequence identity with mVg from M. sexta and 40-47% sequence identity with the 30K lipoproteins from B. mori. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that ApmVg is a novel member of the lepidopteran low-molecular weight lipoproteins. Transcriptional analysis indicated that ApmVg mRNA is mainly expressed in the fat body (both female and male) during post-diapause development of the pupal stage, and it was also detected in ovaries and spermaries in smaller amounts. RT-PCR and Western blot analyses revealed that ApmVg is synthesized by the fat body and secreted into hemolymph and ultimately accumulates in eggs. The ApmVg transcript can be detected in the fat bodies of female pupae four days after treatment with 20-hydroxyecdysone and shows an expression pattern distinct from that of vitellogenin (Vg), which is detectable throughout diapausing and in post-diapause development. ApmVg decreased dramatically during embryonic development. These results represent the first study of mVg outside M. sexta and B. mori and provide insight into the physiological role and evolution of mVgs.

BACKGROUND: Germline defects of mismatch repair (MMR) genes underlie Lynch Syndrome (LS). We aimed to gain comprehensive genetic and epigenetic profiles of LS families in Singapore, which will facilitate efficient molecular diagnosis of LS in Singapore and the region. METHODS: Fifty nine unrelated families were studied. Mutations in exons, splice-site junctions and promoters of five MMR genes were scanned by high resolution melting assay followed by DNA sequencing, large fragment deletions/duplications and promoter methylation in MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2 were evaluated by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification. Tumor microsatellite instability (MSI) was assessed with five mononucleotide markers and immunohistochemical staining (IHC) was also performed. RESULTS: Pathogenic defects, all confined to MLH1 and MSH2, were identified in 17 out of 59 (28.8%) families. The mutational spectrum was highly heterogeneous and 28 novel variants were identified. One recurrent mutation in MLH1 (c.793C>T) was also observed. 92.9% sensitivity for indication of germline mutations conferred by IHC surpassed 64.3% sensitivity by MSI. Furthermore, 15.6% patients with MSS tumors harbored pathogenic mutations. CONCLUSIONS: Among major ethnic groups in Singapore, all pathogenic germline defects were confined to MLH1 and MSH2. Caution should be applied when the Amsterdam criteria and consensus microsatellite marker panel recommended in the revised Bethesda guidelines are applied to the local context. We recommend a screening strategy for the local LS by starting with tumor IHC and the hotspot mutation testing at MLH1 c.793C>T followed by comprehensive mutation scanning in MLH1 and MSH2 prior to proceeding to other MMR genes.