Hypocrellin A from an ethnic medicinal fungus protects against NLRP3-driven gout in mice by suppressing inflammasome activation.

Abnormal activation of NLRP3 inflammasome causes the progression of gout, and no small-molecule inhibitor of NLRP3 has been approved yet for clinical use. In this study we established a nigericin-induced inflammasome activation cell model for screening of a natural product library by measuring IL-1β secretion in cell supernatants. Among 432 compounds tested, we found that hypocrellin A (HA), one of the major active components of a traditional ethnic medicinal fungus Hypocrella bambusea in the Northwest Yunnan of China, exhibited the highest inhibition on IL-1β production (IC = 0.

Transcription Factor Pdr3p Promotes Carotenoid Biosynthesis by Activating Promoters in .

Pleiotropic drug resistance (PDR) family proteins have been extensively studied for their roles in transporting hydrophobic substances, including carotenoids. Overexpression of the PDR family regulator Pdr3p was recently found to boost the biosynthesis of carotenoids, which could not be explained by enhanced product secretion due to the meager extracellular proportions. To provide insights into the possible mechanism, comparative transcriptomics, reverse metabolic engineering, and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) were conducted.

Ileum intussusception secondary to submucosal liposarcoma in adult：A case report.

Intussusception in adults is a rare surgical emergency. Unlike in children, most adult intussusceptions arise from a pathological lead point. Ileal intussusception caused by a submucosal liposarcoma is a particularly rare phenomenon.

TSLP Induces Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Nasal Epithelial Cells From Allergic Rhinitis Patients Through TGF-β1/Smad2/3 Signaling.

Background: Airway remodeling is demonstrated in Asian patients with allergic rhinitis (AR). The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is one of the key mechanisms underlying airway remodeling. Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is an important contributor to airway remodeling.

Hyaluronic Acid-Based Nanocarriers for Anticancer Drug Delivery.

Hyaluronic acid (HA), a main component of the extracellular matrix, is widely utilized to deliver anticancer drugs due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, non-immunogenicity and numerous modification sites, such as carboxyl and hydroxyl groups. Moreover, HA serves as a natural ligand for tumor-targeted drug delivery systems, as it contains the endocytic HA receptor, CD44, which is overexpressed in many cancer cells. Therefore, HA-based nanocarriers have been developed to improve drug delivery efficiency and distinguish between healthy and cancerous tissues, resulting in reduced residual toxicity and off-target accumulation.

Metabolic Engineering of for Terpenoid Production: Tools and Strategies.

Terpenoids are a diverse group of compounds with isoprene units as basic building blocks. They are widely used in the food, feed, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries due to their diverse biological functions such as antioxidant, anticancer, and immune enhancement. With an increase in understanding the biosynthetic pathways of terpenoids and advances in synthetic biology techniques, microbial cell factories have been built for the heterologous production of terpenoids, with the oleaginous yeast emerging as an outstanding chassis.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Compete Asymmetrically for Amino Acids with Native and Invasive Solidago.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and soil amino acids both affect plant performance. However, little is known about how AMF compete for amino acids with native and invasive congeners. We conducted a factorial experiment (inoculation, native and invasive species, and amino acids) to examine the competition for amino acids between soil microbes and both native and invasive congeners.

Rational design of the carbonyl reductase EbSDR8 for efficient biosynthesis of enantiopure (R)-3-chloro-1-phenyl-1-propanol.

(R)-3-Chloro-1-phenyl-1-propanol ((R)-CPPO) is an important chiral intermediate for antidepressants. For its efficient biosynthesis, the carbonyl reductase EbSDR8 was engineered to asymmetrically reduce the unnatural substrate 3-chloro-1-phenyl-1-propanone (3-CPP) at high concentrations. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations of the resulting mutants suggested enlarged substrate binding pocket and more reasonable interactions between the enzyme and the substrate or cofactor as the reasons for the enhanced catalytic activity and thus the remarkably improved conversion of high-concentration 3-CPP.

Interleukin-17A up-regulates thymic stromal lymphopoietin production by nasal fibroblasts from patients with allergic rhinitis.

Purpose: Emerging evidence has shown that interleukin (IL)-17A is implicated in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis (AR). Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) orchestrates the immune response toward a Th2 phenotype. Although increased TSLP is found in AR, the contribution of IL-17A in TSLP production by nasal fibroblasts is not well understood.

Efficacy of path-oriented psychological self-help interventions to improve mental health of empty-nest older adults in the Community of China.

Background: China has the world's largest aging population and the number of empty-nest older adults is on the rise. In comparison to the aging population in general, empty-nest older adults have a lower level of subjective well-being and poorer mental health status due to a lack of emotional support from their children. The aim of this study is to conduct an empirical study to evaluate the efficacy of the 'Path-oriented Psychological Self-help Intervention' (P-oPSI) led by nurses on the mental health of empty-nest older adults in the community, to provide a scientific foundation for improving their quality of life.

Interleukin-17A potentiates interleukin-13-induced eotaxin-3 production by human nasal epithelial cells from patients with allergic rhinitis.

Background: Interleukin (IL)-17A is involved in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis (AR). Increased expression of IL-17A is correlated with disease severity and nasal eosinophilia. However, the molecular mechanisms by which IL-17A contributes to T-helper 2 cytokine IL-13-driven pathology in AR remain unclear.

Histamine H4 receptor regulates Th2-cytokine profile through thymic stromal lymphopoietin in allergic rhinitis.

Purpose: Epithelial thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) promotes Th2 inflammatory responses through induction of OX40 ligand (OX40L) on dendritic cells in allergic rhinitis (AR). Emerging evidence supports the important role of histamine H4 receptor (H4R) in allergic inflammation. This study aimed to investigate the effects of H4R in Th2-cytokine profile mediated by TSLP in AR.

Simple strategy for sensitive detection of dopamine using CdTe QDs modified glassy carbon electrode.

Background: Cellular and brain metabolism of dopamine can be correlated with a number of neurodegenerative disorders, our study was to explore a simple and efficient method to detect dopamine in real samples.

Methods: A new quantum dots (CdTe QDs) could be prepared using the hydrothermal method, the electrochemical biosensor was established by dropping CdTe QDs on the surface of glassy carbon electrode (GCE).

Results: The CdTe QDs/GCE exhibited the excellent electrochemical catalytic activity toward dopamine (DA) with good stability and high sensitivity in presence of interfering substances.

Therapeutic experience of 289 elderly patients with biliary diseases.

Aim: To present clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment strategies in elderly patients with biliary diseases.

Methods: A total of 289 elderly patients with biliary diseases were enrolled in this study. The clinical data relating to these patients were collected in our hospital from June 2013 to May 2016.

Dissecting -soil feedback in its real invasion.

The importance of plant-soil feedback (PSF) has long been recognized, but the current knowledge on PSF patterns and the related mechanisms mainly stems from laboratory experiments. We aimed at addressing PSF effects on community performance and their determinants using an invasive forb . To do so, we surveyed 81 pairs of invaded versus uninvaded plots, collected soil samples from these pairwise plots, and performed an experiment with microcosm plant communities.

Visualization of Protein in Peanut Using Hyperspectral Image with Chemometrics.

The study aims to explore the potential of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) with chemometrics for rapidly and non-invasively visualizing the spatial distribution of protein content which can affect the quality of peanut products as a critical component of peanut. Spectral data contained in the region of interest (ROI) of the corrected hyperspectral images of peanut were extracted and protein contents were measured with conventional chemical method. By comparing different pretreatments and modeling algorithms, the second-order derivatives (2nd-der) on spectra is optimal pretreatment, and partial ceast square (PLS) is the best regression method.

A Label-Free Electrochemical Biosensor Based on a Reduced Graphene Oxide and Indole-5-Carboxylic Acid Nanocomposite for the Detection of .

A label-free DNA hybridization electrochemical sensor for the detection of Klebsiella pneumoniae was developed, which could be helpful in the diagnosis of bacterial infections. Indole-5-carboxylic acid (ICA) and graphene oxide (GO) were electrodeposited on a glassy carbon electrode, and the resulting reduced GO (rGO)-ICA hybrid film served as a platform for immobilizing oligonucleotides on a single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) sequence. The conditions were optimized, with excellent electrochemical performance.

Preparation of quantum dots CdTe decorated graphene composite for sensitive detection of uric acid and dopamine.

The assembly of quantum dots (QDs) in a simply method opens up opportunities to obtain access to the full potential of assembled QDs by virtue of the collective properties of the ensembles. In this study, quantum dots CdTe and graphene (Gr) nanocomposite was constructed for the simultaneous determination of uric acid (UA) and dopamine (DA). The CdTe QDs-Gr nanocomposite was prepared by ultrasonication and was characterized with microscopic techniques.