Protective and risk factors in daily life associated with cognitive decline of older adults.

Background: Cognitive decline is a chronic condition which is characterized by a loss of the ability to remember, learn, and pay attention to complex tasks. Many older people are now suffering from cognitive decline, which decreases life quality and leads to disability. This study aimed to identify the risk and protective factors for cognitive decline of the older people from daily life and establish a predictive model using logistic regression.

JMJD3 deficiency disturbs dopamine biosynthesis in midbrain and aggravates chronic inflammatory pain.

Midbrain dopamine (mDA) neurons participate in a wide range of brain functions through an intricate regulation of DA biosynthesis. The epigenetic factors and mechanisms in this process are not well understood. Here we report that histone demethylase JMJD3 is a critical regulator for DA biosynthesis in adult mouse mDA neurons.

α-Lipoic acid chemistry: the past 70 years.

α-Lipoic acid (ALA) is a naturally occurring sulfur-containing fatty acid with high antioxidant activity. It is also used to treat diabetes, nerve pain, weight loss, heart disease, and primary mitochondrial disorders. Moreover, numerous therapeutic agents have been studied for managing other clinical conditions, including for anticancer, anti-HIV, anti-inflammatory, and anti-AD treatments.

Oxidative stress bridges the gut microbiota and the occurrence of frailty syndrome.

The incidence of frailty gradually increases with age. This condition places a heavy burden on modern society, of which the aging population is increasing. Frailty is one of the most complicated clinical syndromes; thus, it is difficult to uncover its underlying mechanisms.

A Novel Trimethylamine Oxide-Induced Model Implicates Gut Microbiota-Related Mechanisms in Frailty.

Frailty is a complicated syndrome that occurs at various ages, with highest incidence in aged populations, suggesting associations between the pathogenesis of frailty and age-related changes. Gut microbiota (GM) diversity and abundance change with age, accompanied by increased levels of trimethylamine oxide (TMAO), a systemic inflammation-inducing GM metabolite. Thus, we hypothesized that TMAO may be involved in the development of frailty.

[Screening of differentially expressed genes for colorectal cancer and prediction of potential traditional Chinese medicine: based on bioinformatics].

This study screened and analyzed the differentially expressed genes(DEGs) between colorectal cancer(CRC) tissues and normal tissues with bioinformatics techniques to predict biomarkers and Chinese medicinals for the diagnosis and treatment of CRC. The microarray data sets GSE21815, GSE106582, and GSE41657 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO), and the DEGs were screened by GEO2 R, followed by the Gene Ontology(GO) tern enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis of the DEGs based on DAVID. The protein-protein interaction network was constructed by STRING, and MCODE and Cytohubba plug-ins were used to screen the significant modules and hub genes in the network.

Gut microbiota alterations and health status in aging adults: From correlation to causation.

The deterioration of tissue structure and decline in physiological function during aging are accompanied by alterations to the gut microbiota. The elderly has higher risks of various diseases and chronic diseases. However, inter-individual differences are more apparent in elderly than younger, and a proportion of individuals have a delayed onset or even avoid developing chronic diseases.

A narrative review of the role of fibroblasts in the growth and development of neurogenic tumors.

Neurogenic tumors, a group of tumors arising from neurogenic elements, could theoretically appear in every region of human bodies wherever nerves exist. Patients with these tumors suffer from both physical and psychological problems. However, as a relatively rare tumor type, therapies are relatively scarce for these tumors due to the limited understanding of the underlying mechanisms.

Computed Tomography-Based Differentiation of Benign and Malignant Craniofacial Lesions in Neurofibromatosis Type I Patients: A Machine Learning Approach.

Because neurofibromatosis type I (NF1) is a cancer predisposition disease, it is important to distinguish between benign and malignant lesions, especially in the craniofacial area. The purpose of this study is to improve effectiveness in the diagnostic performance in discriminating malignant from benign craniofacial lesions based on computed tomography (CT) using a Keras-based machine-learning model. The Keras-based machine learning technique, a neural network package in the Python language, was used to train the diagnostic model on CT datasets.

Luteoloside Exerts Analgesic Effect in a Complete Freund's Adjuvant-Induced Inflammatory Model Inhibiting Interleukin-1β Expression and Macrophage/Microglia Activation.

Background: Flavonoid monomers are proved to have an anti-inflammatory effect and may also be promising for chronic pain treatment. In the present study, the analgesic effect and the relevant mechanisms of luteoloside, one of the flavonoid monomers, were investigated.

Methods: The analgesic effect of luteoloside was first evaluated in complete Freud's adjuvant induced inflammatory model by von Frey test and Hargreaves test in both male and female mice.

Safety and efficacy of metformin in systemic lupus erythematosus: a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Immunometabolism is involved in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of this study was to repurpose metformin, an anti-diabetic drug that regulates systemic and cellular metabolism, and assess its effects in Chinese patients with SLE without diabetes.

Methods: We did a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in three hospitals in Shanghai, China.

Low GRK2 Underlies Hyperalgesic Priming by Glial Cell-Derived Neurotrophic Factor.

We recently identified the balance between the level of G protein coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) and Epac1 in nociceptors as a key factor in the transition from acute to chronic pain that occurs in mice 'primed' by an inflammatory stimulus. Here, we examined the contribution of GRK2 and Epac-signaling to growth factor-induced hyperalgesic priming. Mice were primed by intraplantar injection with glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF).

Luteolin-7--Glucoside Present in Lettuce Extracts Inhibits Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Production and Viral Replication by Human Hepatoma Cells .

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is endemic in Asia and chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a major public health issue worldwide. Current treatment strategies for CHB are not satisfactory as they induce a low rate of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss. Extracts were prepared from lettuce hydroponically cultivated in solutions containing glycine or nitrate as nitrogen sources.

Red light at intensities above 10 lx alters sleep-wake behavior in mice.

Sleep is regulated by two mechanisms: the homeostatic process and the circadian clock. Light affects sleep and alertness by entraining the circadian clock, and acutely inducing sleep/alertness, in a manner mediated by intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells. Because intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells are believed to be minimally sensitive to red light, which is widely used for illumination to reduce the photic disturbance to nocturnal animals during the dark phase.

Asymmetric Michael Addition Induced by (R)-tert-Butanesulfinamide and Syntheses of Chiral Pyrazolidinone Derivatives.

A highly diastereoselective Michael addition of (R)-N-tert-butanesulfinyl imidates 8 to α,β-unsaturated pyrazolidinone 3a has been developed to afford pyrazolidinones 10 possessing three contiguous stereocenters with good to excellent yield and excellent diastereoselectivity. A two-step conversion of reduction and cyclization provides the bicyclic pyrazolopiperidine 12 in a good yield. A series of pyrazolopiperidine derivatives 18 with a quaternary carbon center at C-3a are stereoselectively synthesized via alkylation or Michael addition.

Total Synthesis of Lignan Lactone (-)-Hinokinin.

This research paper is aimed at studying the total synthesis of pharmacologically active lignan (-)-hinokinin. The synthesis features a three-step cascade reaction involving highly stereoselective Michael addition, anion-oxidative hydroxylation, and oxygen anion cyclization to construct the pivotal butyrolactonimidate intermediate.

Gelsemine alleviates both neuropathic pain and sleep disturbance in partial sciatic nerve ligation mice.

Aim: Gelsemine, an alkaloid from the Chinese herb Gelsemium elegans (Gardn & Champ) Benth., is effective in mitigating chronic pain in rats. In the present study we investigated whether the alkaloid improved sleep disturbance, the most common comorbid symptoms of chronic pain, in a mouse model of neuropathic pain.

Nutritional aspects of β-carotene and resveratrol antioxidant synergism in giant unilamellar vesicles.

Giant unilamellar vesicles of soy phosphatidylcholine are found to undergo budding when sensitized with chlorophyll a ([phosphatidylcholine] : [chlorophyll a] = 1500 : 1) under light irradiation (400-440 nm, 16 mW mm(-2)). 'Entropy' as a dimensionless image heterogeneity measurement is found to increase linearly with time during an initial budding process. For β-carotene addition ([phosphatidylcholine] : [β-carotene] = 500 : 1), a lag phase of 23 s is observed, followed by a budding process at an initial rate lowered by a factor of 3.

A review of clinical and histological parameters associated with contralateral neck metastases in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has a high incidence of cervical micrometastases and sometimes metastasizes contralaterally because of the rich lymphatic intercommunications relative to submucosal plexus of oral cavity that freely communicate across the midline, and it can facilitate the spread of neoplastic cells to any area of the neck consequently. Clinical and histopathologic factors continue to provide predictive information to contralateral neck metastases (CLNM) in OSCC, which determine prophylactic and adjuvant treatments for an individual patient. This review describes the predictive value of clinical-histopathologic factors, which relate to primary tumor and cervical lymph nodes, and surgical dissection and adjuvant treatments.

Use of the contralateral retroangular island flap for reconstructing midfacial defects after skin cancer ablation.

Background: The retroangular flap is usually used to reconstruct small ipsilateral facial defects. The purpose of this study was to explore the use of the contralateral retroangular island flap for reconstructing large midfacial defects.

Methods: Retroangular flaps raised from the contralateral infraorbital region were used to reconstruct midfacial defects in 12 patients after the resection of skin cancers.