The Impact of COVID-19 Vaccination and Infection on the Exacerbation of Myasthenia Gravis.

Objectives: Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder that can exacerbate for various reasons, including vaccination and infection. This study aimed to investigate the safety of COVID-19 vaccines for MG patients, factors influencing MG exacerbation after COVID-19 infection (MECI), the course and prognosis of MECI, and the impact of COVID-19 vaccine on infected MG patients.

Methods: Patients were enrolled from the MG database in the Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University.

miR-455-3p regulates lymphangiogenesis in silicosis by regulating VEGF-C/VEGFR3.

Silicosis is a disease characterized by lung inflammation and fibrosis caused by long-term inhalation of free silicon dioxide (SiO). Recent studies have found that a large number of lymphatic hyperplasia occurs during the occurrence and development of silicosis. miRNAs play an important role in lymphangiogenesis.

Environmental factors affecting the risk of generalization for ocular-onset myasthenia gravis: a nationwide cohort study.

Background: The environmental effects on the prognosis of ocular myasthenia gravis (OMG) remain largely unexplored.

Aim: To investigate the association between specific environmental factors and the generalization of OMG.

Design: The cohort study was conducted in China based on a nationwide multicenter database.

A synonymous codon variant altering splicing of RBCK1 expands the phenotype and genotype spectra of polyglucosan body myopathy 1.

Polyglucosan body myopathy type 1 (PGBM1, OMIM #615895.) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by RBCK1 mutations. The patients displayed polyglucosan accumulation in skeletal and cardiac muscles, giving rise to loss of ambulation and heart failure with or without immune system dysregulation.

Wear Performance of Circular Shim against Cam in Engine Bench Test.

Unlike the conventional engine, the valve train of a certain type of engine uses a circular shim instead of a tappet to wear against the cam. To verify the reliability of the shim, an engine bench test was used to test its wear performance. The total duration of the bench test was 1000 h, which was divided into three stages.

The regulatory effect of pulmonary lymphatic drainage on silicosis fibrosis.

Silicosis is a fibrotic disease caused by long-term inhalation of SiO particles that currently has no effective treatment. Earlier studies have suggested that pulmonary lymphatic vessels play a key role in the transport of silica but have not address the long-term effects of altered pulmonary lymphatic drainage on silicosis. Here, we investigated the impact of impaired pulmonary lymphatic drainage on silicosis.

Investigation of Friction and Wear Behavior of Cast Aluminum Alloy Piston Skirt with Graphite Coating Using a Designed Piston Skirt Test Apparatus.

A piston skirt friction and wear apparatus that simulates the contact and the relative motion of piston and cylinder liner in a real engine has been designed and constructed. With this apparatus, the friction and wear behavior of a cast aluminum alloy piston with a graphite coating under different loads was studied, and the effectiveness of the apparatus was confirmed. The total wear of the piston skirt was higher under a higher load, and the upper part of the skirt surface (around the height of the piston pin) was worn more severely.

Phosphorylation at Ser of the ER stress sensor IRE1α governs its activation state and limits ER stress-induced hepatosteatosis.

Inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1) is an evolutionarily conserved sensor of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and mediates a key branch of the unfolded protein response in eukaryotic cells. It is an ER-resident transmembrane protein that possesses Ser/Thr protein kinase and endoribonuclease (RNase) activities in its cytoplasmic region. IRE1 is activated through dimerization/oligomerization and autophosphorylation at multiple sites, acting through its RNase activity to restore the functional capacity of the ER.

Clinical Predictors of Relapse in a Cohort of Steroid-Treated Patients With Well-Controlled Myasthenia Gravis.

Objective: Despite the high efficiency of glucocorticoids (GCs), ~18-34% patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) may experience relapses of the disease. Here, we aim to identify clinical factors related to relapses during steroid tapering or after withdrawal in MG patients who were well-managed on steroid monotherapy.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on 125 MG patients from the Xuanwu Hospital MG Trial Database.

Clinical and Imaging Features of Patients With Encephalitic Symptoms and Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibodies.

Background: Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-antibody (MOG-ab)-associated disease (MOGAD) has highly heterogenous clinical and imaging presentations, in which encephalitis is an important phenotype. In recent years, some atypical presentations in MOG-ab-associated encephalitis (MOG-E) have been increasingly reported but have not yet been described well. The aim of the study was to describe the clinical and imaging features of patients with MOG-E in our center.

Exposure to di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate reduces secretion of GDNF via interfering with estrogen pathway and downregulating ERK/c-fos signaling pathway in astrocytes.

Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a typical endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) that can increase the risk of central nervous system disease. This study aimed to investigate the in vitro and in vivo effects of DEHP exposure on GDNF secretion and the underlying mechanisms. Pregnant Wistar rats were randomly assigned into four groups and administered 0, 30, 300, or 750 mg/kg DEHP daily by oral gavage.

Anti-contactin-associated protein-like 2 antibody-associated cerebellar ataxia: A case report and literature review.

The spectrum of anti-contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CASPR2) antibody-associated disease is expanding and the involvement of cerebellum was reported in the past few years. We report a 45-year-old male with chronically progressive cerebellar ataxia. CASPR2 antibodies were detected in his serum and cerebellar atrophy was observed on MRI.

Artesunate inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells by down-regulating the expression of .

In recent years, more and more studies have shown that antiparasitic drugs can affect a variety of biological processes of tumor cells and exhibit a potential anti-tumor activity. Although artesunate (ART), a strong bioactive derivative of artemisinin and widely used clinically against malaria, was found to have an inhibitory effect on tumor cells, it is still unclear whether ART could regulate the tumor malignancy of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of ART on migration capacities in NSCLC cell lines of A549 and H1975.

Cage-confined photocatalysis for wide-scope unusually selective [2 + 2] cycloaddition through visible-light triplet sensitization.

Light-induced [2 + 2] cycloaddition is the most straightforward way to generate cyclobutanes, which are core structures of many natural products, drugs and bioactive compounds. Despite continuous advances in selective [2 + 2] cycloaddition research, general method for intermolecular photocatalysis of acyclic olefins with specific regio- and diastereoselectivity, for example, syn-head-to-head (syn-HH) cyclobutane derivatives, is still lack of development but highly desired. Herein, we report a cage-confined photocatalytic protocol to enable unusual intermolecular [2 + 2] cycloaddition for α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds.

Correlation between EDSS scores and cervical spinal cord atrophy at 3T MRI in multiple sclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Cervical spinal cord atrophy (CSCA), which partly reflects the axonal loss in the spinal cord, is increasingly recognized as a valuable predictor of disease outcome. However, inconsistent results have been reported regarding the correlation of CSCA and clinical disability in multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this meta-analysis was to synthesize the available data obtained from 3.

The Redox Coupling Effect in a Photocatalytic Ru -Pd Cage with TTF Guest as Electron Relay Mediator for Visible-Light Hydrogen-Evolving Promotion.

A nanocage coupling effect from a redox Ru -Pd metal-organic cage (MOC-16) is demonstrated for efficient photochemical H production by virtue of redox-guest modulation of the photo-induced electron transfer (PET) process. Through coupling with photoredox cycle of MOC-16, tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) guests act as electron relay mediator to improve the overall electron transfer efficiency in the host-guest system in a long-time scale, leading to significant promotion of visible-light driven H evolution. By contrast, the presence of larger TTF-derivatives in bulk solution without host-guest interactions results in interference with PET process of MOC-16, leading to inefficient H evolution.

Visible-light triggered selective reduction of nitroarenes to azo compounds catalysed by Ag@organic molecular cages.

Herein, a new Ag nanoparticle (Ag NP) loaded organic molecular cage is reported. The obtained Ag@1 can act as a highly efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the selective reduction of nitroarenes to azo compounds under visible-light irradiation.

Design and Enantioresolution of Homochiral Fe(II)-Pd(II) Coordination Cages from Stereolabile Metalloligands: Stereochemical Stability and Enantioselective Separation.

The stereochemistry of chiral-at-metal complexes is much more abundant, albeit complicated, than chiral-at-carbon compounds, but how to make use of stereolabile metal-centers remains a formidable challenge due to the highly versatile coordination geometry of metal ions and racemization/epimerization problem. We demonstrate herein a stepwise assembly of configurationally stable [Pd(FeL)] (Δ/Λ-MOCs-42) homochiral octahedral cages from unstable D-symmetry tris-chelate-Fe type metalloligands via strong face-directed stereochemical coupling and facile chiral-induced resolution processes based on stereodifferentiating host-guest dynamics. Kinetic studies reveal that the dissociation rate of MOC-42 cages is 100-fold slower than that of Fe-metalloligands and the racemization is effectively inhibited, making the cages retain their chirality over extended periods of time (>5 months) at room temperature.

Angiogenesis and Hepatic Fibrosis: Western and Chinese Medicine Therapies on the Road.

Hepatic fibrosis is a common feature of almost all chronic liver diseases. Formation of new vessels (angiogenesis) is a process strictly related to the progressive fibrogenesis which leads to cirrhosis and liver cancer. This review mainly concerns the relationship between angiogenesis and hepatic fibrosis, by considering the mechanism of angiogenesis, cells in angiogenesis, anti-angiogenic and Chinese medicine therapies.

Dual Heterogeneous Catalyst Pd-Au@Mn(II)-MOF for One-Pot Tandem Synthesis of Imines from Alcohols and Amines.

A new Mn(II) metal-organic framework (MOF) 1 was synthesized by the combination of 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-(4-(pyridin-4-yl)phenyl)butane-1,3-dione (L) and Mn(OAc) in solution. 1 features a threefold-interpenetrating NbO net containing honeycomb-like channels, in which the opposite Mn(II)···Mn(II) distance is 23.5075(10) Å.

Au@Cu(II)-MOF: Highly Efficient Bifunctional Heterogeneous Catalyst for Successive Oxidation-Condensation Reactions.

A new composite Au@Cu(II)-MOF catalyst has been synthesized via solution impregnation and full characterized by HRTEM, SEM-EDS, XRD, gas adsorption-desorption, XPS, and ICP analysis. It has been shown here that the Cu(II)-framework can be a useful platform to stabilize and support gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). The obtained Au@Cu(II)-MOF exhibits a bifunctional catalytic behavior and is able to promote selective aerobic benzyl alcohol oxidation-Knoevenagel condensation in a stepwise way.

Pd@Cu(II)-MOF-Catalyzed Aerobic Oxidation of Benzylic Alcohols in Air with High Conversion and Selectivity.

A new 3D porous Cu(II)-MOF (1) was synthesized based on a ditopic pyridyl substituted diketonate ligand and Cu(OAc)2 in solution, and it features a 3D NbO motif which is determined by the X-ray crystallography. Furthermore, the Pd NPs-loaded hybrid material Pd@Cu(II)-MOF (2) was prepared based on 1 via solution impregnation, and its structure was confirmed by HRTEM, SEM, XRPD, gas adsorption-desorption, and ICP measurement. 2 exhibits excellent catalytic activity (conversion, 93% to >99%) and selectivity (>99% to benzaldehydes) for various benzyl alcohol substrates (benzyl alcohol and its derivatives with electron-withdrawing and electron-donating groups) oxidation reactions in air.

[An epidemiological study on senile cataract in urban and rural areas of Chengdu].

Objective: To find out the status and distribution characteristics of senile cataract, which is one of the common disease affecting the quality of life of the elderly people.

Methods: One thousand and sixteen people aged 60 or more in the urban and rural areas of Chengdu were included by cluster random sampling and investigated by questionnaire method and medical examination.

Results: It was found that the prevalence of senile cataract was 52.