Effects of oligosaccharides on the markers of glycemic control: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

: To investigate the effect of oligosaccharides on the markers of glycemic control, including fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting blood insulin (FBI), glycated hemoglobin (HbA), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and quantitative insulin sensitivity index (QUICKI). : PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched to find randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effect of oligosaccharide intervention on FBG, FBI, HbA, HOMA-IR, and QUICKI up to 7 June 2021. Data were pooled using weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), with a -value ≤0.

Toxoplasma gondii dense granule protein 3 promotes endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis by activating the PERK pathway.

Background: Toxoplasma gondii is a neurotropic single-celled parasite that can infect mammals, including humans. Central nervous system infection with T. gondii infection can lead to Toxoplasma encephalitis.

Emerging functional microfluidic assays for the study of thromboinflammation in sickle cell disease.

Purpose Of Review: This review briefly summarizes the significant impact of thromboinflammation in sickle cell disease in relation to recent advances in biomarkers that are used in functional microfluidic assays.

Recent Findings: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited hemoglobinopathy that affects 100 000 Americans and millions worldwide. Patients with SCD exhibit chronic haemolysis, chronic inflammation and thrombosis, and vaso-occlusion, triggering various clinical complications, including organ damage and increased mortality and morbidity.

Platelet-Inspired Intravenous Nanomedicine for Injury-Targeted Direct Delivery of Thrombin to Augment Hemostasis in Coagulopathies.

Severe hemorrhage associated with trauma, surgery, and congenital or drug-induced coagulopathies can be life-threatening and requires rapid hemostatic management via topical, intracavitary, or intravenous routes. For injuries that are not easily accessible externally, hemostatic approaches are needed. The clinical gold standard for this is transfusion of blood products, but due to donor dependence, specialized storage requirements, high risk of contamination, and short shelf life, blood product use faces significant challenges.

Mechanisms underlying microRNA-222-3p modulation of methamphetamine-induced conditioned place preference in the nucleus accumbens in mice.

Rationale: MicroRNA (miRNA) control of post-transcription gene expression in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) has been implicated in methamphetamine (METH) dependence. Conditioned place preference (CPP) is a classical animal procedure that reflects the rewarding effects of addictive drugs. miR-222-3p has been reported to play a key role in various neurological diseases and is strongly associated with alcohol dependence.

An Innovative Arteriovenous (AV) Loop Breast Cancer Model Tailored for Cancer Research.

Animal models are important tools to investigate the pathogenesis and develop treatment strategies for breast cancer in humans. In this study, we developed a new three-dimensional in vivo arteriovenous loop model of human breast cancer with the aid of biodegradable materials, including fibrin, alginate, and polycaprolactone. We examined the in vivo effects of various matrices on the growth of breast cancer cells by imaging and immunohistochemistry evaluation.

YAP signaling is involved in WDR1-regulated proliferation and migration of non-small-cell lung cancer cells.

As a major co-factor of F-actin depolymerization, WD-repeat domain 1 (WDR1) affects the cellular microenvironment by cytoskeleton remodeling, thereby influencing cell molecular behavior. Our previous study showed that WDR1 activates YAP (Yes-associated protein) signaling in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, but the mechanism remains unclear. We discovered that knockdown WDR1 in NSCLC cells decreased the expression of YAP and the nucleus-to-cytoplasm ratio.

Oxidative stress-induced endothelial cells-derived exosomes accelerate skin flap survival through Lnc NEAT1-mediated promotion of endothelial progenitor cell function.

Background: Flap transplantation is commonly used in reconstructive surgery. A prerequisite for skin flap survival is sufficient blood supply. However, such approaches remain unclear.

Arsenic induces bronchial epithelial carcinogenesis with mitochondrial dysfunction through AKAP95-mediated cell cycle alterations.

Arsenic is a widely existing pollutant in the environment, but the mechanism of occurrence and development of lung cancer by long-term arsenic exposure needs to be elucidated further. How the high and low doses of arsenic induce human bronchial epithelial cell transformation is yet to be elucidated. In the present study, human bronchial epithelial cells were exposed to varying high-dose sodium arsenite (NaAsO) for the short-term or treated with low dose for long-term.

Can Eat DNA as an Excellent Nitrogen Source to Grow Quickly.

Is DNA or RNA a good nutrient? Although scientists have raised this question for dozens of years, few textbooks mention the nutritional role of nucleic acids. Paradoxically, mononucleotides are widely added to infant formula milk and animal feed. Interestingly, competent bacteria can bind and ingest extracellular DNA and even integrate it into their genome.

Antithrombin-III mitigates thrombin-mediated endothelial cell contraction and sickle red blood cell adhesion in microscale flow.

Individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) have persistently elevated thrombin generation that results in a state of systemic hypercoagulability. Antithrombin-III (ATIII), an endogenous serine protease inhibitor, inhibits several enzymes in the coagulation cascade, including thrombin. Here, we utilize a biomimetic microfluidic device to model the morphology and adhesive properties of endothelial cells (ECs) activated by thrombin and examine the efficacy of ATIII in mitigating the adhesion of SCD patient-derived red blood cells (RBCs) and EC retraction.

Hollow nanoparticles synthesized via Ostwald ripening and their upconversion luminescence-mediated Boltzmann thermometry over a wide temperature range.

Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) with hollow structures exhibit many fascinating optical properties due to their special morphology. However, there are few reports on the exploration of hollow UCNPs and their optical applications, mainly because of the difficulty in constructing hollow structures by conventional methods. Here, we report a one-step template-free method to synthesize NaBiF:Yb,Er (NBFYE) hollow UCNPs via Ostwald ripening under solvothermal conditions.

Three-Dimensional Multi-Task Deep Learning Model to Detect Glaucomatous Optic Neuropathy and Myopic Features From Optical Coherence Tomography Scans: A Retrospective Multi-Centre Study.

Purpose: We aim to develop a multi-task three-dimensional (3D) deep learning (DL) model to detect glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON) and myopic features (MF) simultaneously from spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT) volumetric scans.

Methods: Each volumetric scan was labelled as GON according to the criteria of retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thinning, with a structural defect that correlated in position with the visual field defect (i.e.

CDPK3 Controls the Intracellular Proliferation of Parasites in Macrophages.

Interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-activated macrophages restrain the replication of intracellular parasites and disrupt the integrity of vacuolar pathogens. The growth of the less virulent type II strain of (such as ME49) was strongly inhibited by IFN-γ-activated murine macrophages. However, the mechanism of resistance is poorly understood.

and tea regulate AMPK signaling pathway to retard the progress of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic metabolic disease that easily induces hepatitis, cirrhosis, and even liver cancer. The long-term use of NAFLD therapeutic drugs produces toxicity and drug resistance. Therefore, it is necessary to develop high efficiency and low-toxicity active ingredients to alleviate NAFLD.

Construction of ssDNA-Attached LR-Chimera Involving Z-DNA for ZBP1 Binding Analysis.

The binding of proteins to Z-DNA is hard to analyze, especially for short non-modified DNA, because it is easily transferred to B-DNA. Here, by the hybridization of a larger circular single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) with a smaller one, an LR-chimera (involving a left-handed part and a right-handed one) with an ssDNA loop is produced. The circular ssDNAs are prepared by the hybridization of two ssDNA fragments to form two nicks, followed by nick sealing with T4 DNA ligase.

The role of low-frequency oscillations in three-dimensional perception with depth cues in virtual reality.

Currently, vision-related neuroscience studies are undergoing a trend from simplified image stimuli toward more naturalistic stimuli. Virtual reality (VR), as an emerging technology for visual immersion, provides more depth cues for three-dimensional (3D) presentation than two-dimensional (2D) image. It is still unclear whether the depth cues used to create 3D visual perception modulate specific cortical activation.

Deep Learning for Glaucoma Detection and Identification of Novel Diagnostic Areas in Diverse Real-World Datasets.

Purpose: To develop a three-dimensional (3D) deep learning algorithm to detect glaucoma using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) optic nerve head (ONH) cube scans and validate its performance on ethnically diverse real-world datasets and on cropped ONH scans.

Methods: In total, 2461 Cirrus SD-OCT ONH scans of 1012 eyes were obtained from the Glaucoma Clinic Imaging Database at the Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, from March 2010 to December 2017. A 3D deep neural network was trained and tested on this unique raw OCT cube dataset to identify a multimodal definition of glaucoma excluding other concomitant retinal disease and optic neuropathies.

Effect of shift work on fatigue, reaction time and accuracy of nurses in the Department of Neurology: A cross-sectional observational study.

Aims: The purpose of our study was mainly to explore the effect of different shift work on cognitive and executive performance in a real clinical environment among nurses from China.

Background: Working in shifts can disrupt circadian rhythm, resulting in reduced sleep duration, which can have a detrimental effect on cognitive function. To provide continuous service for patient care, shift work is often a special requirement for nurses.

Reaction-Free Concentration Gradient Generation in Spatially Nonuniform AC Electric Fields.

The ability to generate stable, spatiotemporally controllable concentration gradients is critical for both electrokinetic and biological applications such as directional wetting and chemotaxis. Electrochemical techniques for generating solution and surface gradients display benefits such as simplicity, controllability, and compatibility with automation. Here, we present an exploratory study for generating microscale spatiotemporally controllable gradients using a reaction-free electrokinetic technique in a microfluidic environment.

Genome-Wide Survey of Leucine-Rich Repeat Receptor-Like Protein Kinase Genes and CRISPR/Cas9-Targeted Mutagenesis in .

The leucine-rich repeat receptor-like protein kinase () family represents the largest group of RLKs in plants and plays vital roles in plant growth, development and the responses to environmental stress. Although families have been identified in many species, they have not yet been reported in . In this study, a total of 444 genes were identified in the genome of cultivar "Zhongshuang 11" (ZS11), and classified into 22 subfamilies based on phylogenetic relationships and genome-wide analyses.

Construction and performance of a simple and efficient g-CN photocatalytic hydrogen production system.

Surface and bulk structure modification is an effective strategy to improve the photocatalytic performance of g-CN (CN). In this work, dilute NaOH solution was used to regulate the CN structure for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Characterization results indicate that after treatment with dilute NaOH solution, the surface of CN was hydroxylated, resulting in the change of CN structure and the increase of BET specific surface area.