Effects of ginseng berry saponins from panax ginseng on glucose metabolism of patients with prediabetes: A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trial.

Background: Prediabetes strongly increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular events. However, lifestyle intervention, the first-line treatment for prediabetes currently, was inconsistently beneficial for glucose metabolism, and the conventional medicines, such as metformin, is controversial for prediabetes due to the possible side effects.

Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate the effects of Zhenyuan Capsule, a Chinese patented medicine consisting of ginseng berry saponins extracted from the mature berry of Panax Ginseng, on the glucose metabolism of prediabetic patients as a complementary therapy.

Self-Reinforced MOF-Based Nanogel Alleviates Osteoarthritis by Long-Acting Drug Release.

Intra-articular injection of drugs is an effective strategy for osteoarthritis (OA) treatment. However, the complex microenvironment and limited joint space result in rapid clearance of drugs. Herein, a nanogel-based strategy is proposed for prolonged drug delivery and microenvironment remodeling.

Coronary microvascular dysfunction.

Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) is a key mechanism underlying ischemic heart disease (IHD), yet its diagnosis and treatment remain challenging. This article presents a comprehensive overview of CMD research, covering its pathogenesis, diagnostic criteria, assessment techniques, risk factors, and therapeutic strategies. Additionally, it highlights the prospects for future CMD research.

An insertion of transposon in DcNAP inverted its function in the ethylene pathway to delay petal senescence in carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.).

Petal senescence is the final stage of flower development. Transcriptional regulation plays key roles in this process. However, whether and how post-transcriptional regulation involved is still largely unknown.

Studies on Atrial Fibrillation and Venous Thromboembolism in the Past 20 Years: A Bibliometric Analysis Via CiteSpace and VOSviewer.

The conjunction of atrial fibrillation (AF) and venous thromboembolism (VTE) is common in clinical practice. Over the last 2 decades, a significant number of articles (2500) have been published about AF and VTE. To effectively analyze and present these vast amounts of information, this study uses bibliometric research methods to categorize and consolidate these publications.

The mutual regulation between DcEBF1/2 and DcEIL3-1 is involved in ethylene induced petal senescence in carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.).

Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) is a respiratory climacteric flower, comprising one of the most important cut flowers that is extremely sensitive to plant hormone ethylene. Ethylene signaling core transcription factor DcEIL3-1 plays a key role in ethylene induced petal senescence in carnation.

DcWRKY33 promotes petal senescence in carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) by activating genes involved in the biosynthesis of ethylene and abscisic acid and accumulation of reactive oxygen species.

Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) is one of the most famous and ethylene-sensitive cut flowers worldwide, but how ethylene interacts with other plant hormones and factors to regulate petal senescence in carnation is largely unknown. Here we found that a gene encoding WRKY family transcription factor, DcWRKY33, was significantly upregulated upon ethylene treatment.

miR-532-5p Inhibits Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Progression In Vivo and In Vitro by Targeting Yin Yang 1.

Lung cancer is a common cancer that is familiar to people and has the highest global incidence; among all lung cancer patients, 85% are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A number of microRNAs (miRNAs), including miR-532-5p, are implicated in the pathophysiological processes of tumorigenesis. However, the mechanism of miR-532-5p in NSCLC remains unclear.

An ultrasensitive electrochemical sensor based on synthesized manganese dioxide/gold nanoparticles nanocomposites for rapid detection of methylmercury in foodstuffs.

The inclusion of methylmercury (CHHg) in the environment and food chain has aroused wide concern due to its high neurotoxicity and cumulative effects. Herein, a highly sensitive electrochemical sensor based on manganese dioxide (MnO)/gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) composites is fabricated for CHHg detection in food. The MnO/AuNPs nanocomposites were synthesized on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode by an electrodeposition method and were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS).

Reductive Radical Annulation Strategy toward Bicyclo[3.2.1]octanes: Synthesis of -Kaurane and Beyerane Diterpenoids.

Here we report a general [3 + 2] radical annulation that allows the facile construction of bicyclo[3.2.1]octane motifs in -kaurane- and beyerane-type diterpenoids.

Association of Serum FAM19A5 with Cognitive Impairment in Vascular Dementia.

Objective: Family with sequence similarity 19 member A5 (FAM19A5), a novel chemokine-like peptide, is a secreted protein mainly expressed in the brain. FAM19A5 was recently found to be involved in a variety of neurological diseases; however, its correlation with vascular dementia (VaD) remains unclear. The aim of the study is to explore the association between serum FAM19A5 and cognitive impairment in subjects with VaD.

Effects of sang-qi granules on blood pressure and endothelial dysfunction in stage I or II hypertension: study protocol for a randomized double-blind double-simulation controlled trial.

Background: Worldwide, hypertension is an important public health challenge because of its high prevalence and the concomitant risks of cardiovascular disease. It induces half of the coronary heart disease and approximately two-thirds of the cerebrovascular disease burden. Vascular endothelial dysfunction has important roles in the pathophysiology of essential hypertension.

Design of a subwavelength all-metal grating for generating azimuthally polarized beams based on modified particle swarm optimization.

A subwavelength metal grating for generating azimuthally polarized beams was designed. The grating material was determined by calculating the total thermal conductivity coefficient. A modified particle swarm optimization (PSO), which has a two-step algorithm structure, and a particle position-determined inertia weight was performed to establish the grating's structural parameters.

The effect of ultrasonic vibration and surfactant additive on fabrication of 53.5gr/mm silicon echelle grating with low surface roughness in alkaline KOH solution.

In the silicon echelle grating fabrication process, the "pseudo-mask" formed by the hydrogen bubbles generated during the etching process is the reason causing high surface roughness and poor surface quality of blazed plane. Based upon the ultrasonic mechanical effect and contact angle reduced by surfactant additive, ultrasonic vibration, isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and 2,4,7,9-Tetramethyl-5-decyne-4,7-diol (TMDD) were used to improve surface quality of 53.5gr/mm echelle grating.

Biointerface by Cell Growth on Graphene Oxide Doped Bacterial Cellulose/Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) Nanofibers.

Highly biocompatible advanced materials with excellent electroactivity are increasingly meaningful to biointerfaces and the development of biomedicine. Herein, bacterial cellulose/poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene)/graphene oxide (BC/PEDOT/GO) composite nanofibers were synthesized through the in situ interfacial polymerization of PEDOT with the doping of GO. The abundant free carboxyl and hydroxy groups offer the BC/PEDOT/GO film active functional groups for surface modification.

Novel Cu@SiO2/bacterial cellulose nanofibers: Preparation and excellent performance in antibacterial activity.

The antibacterial composite based on bacterial cellulose (BC) was successfully prepared by in-situ synthesis of SiO2 coated Cu nanoparticles (Cu@SiO2/BC) and its properties were characterized. Its chemical structures and morphologies were evaluated by Fourier transformation infrared spectrum (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results demonstrated that the SiO2 coated Cu particles were well homogeneously precipitated on the surface of BC.

Regenerated bacterial cellulose microfluidic column for glycoproteins separation.

To analysis and separate glycoproteins, a simple strategy to prepare regenerated bacterial cellulose (RBC) column with concanavalin A (Con A) lectin immobilized in microfluidic system was applied. RBC was filled into microchannel to fabricate RBC microcolumn after bacterial cellulose dissolved in NaOH-sulfourea water solution. Lectin Con A was covalently connected onto RBC matrix surface via Schiff-base formation.

Three-Dimensional BC/PEDOT Composite Nanofibers with High Performance for Electrode-Cell Interface.

There is an increasing need to synthesize biocompatible nanofibers with excellent mechanical and electrical performance for electrochemical and biomedical applications. Here we report a facile approach to prepare electroactive and flexible 3D nanostructured biomaterials with high performance based on bacterial cellulose (BC) nanofibers. Our approach can coat BC nanofibers with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) by in situ interfacial polymerization in a controllable manner.

Oxidation and degradation of graphitic materials by naphthalene-degrading bacteria.

Nowadays, biologically oxidizing graphitic materials is of great importance for practical applications as an eco-friendly and low-cost method. In this work, a bacterial strain is isolated from the contaminated soil in a graphite mine and its ability to oxidize graphite, graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) is confirmed. After being cultivated with bacteria, graphite is inhomogeneously oxidized, and moreover oxidized sheets exfoliated from graphite are detected in the medium.

Preparation of N-doped graphene by reduction of graphene oxide with mixed microbial system and its haemocompatibility.

A steady, effective and environment friendly method of introducing nitrogen into graphene is by microbial reduction of graphene oxide with mixed microorganisms from the anode chamber of microbial fuel cells (MFC). Using this method, N-doped graphene is easily obtained under mild conditions and by simple treatment processes, with the N/C ratio reaching 8.14%.

Microbial oxidation of dispersed graphite by nitrifying bacteria 2011.2.

A facile and green microbial method to produce graphite oxide nanosheets and nanoparticles is described. The obtained graphite oxide nanosheets have few layers with 0.7-1.