Effect of probiotics combined with Ulinastatin and Somatostatin in the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical effect of probiotics combined with Ulinastatin and Somatostatin in the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 160 patients with severe acute pancreatitis treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College from July 2021 to June 2023. There were 78 patients received Ulinastatin and Somatostatin treatment (Control group), and 82 patients received probiotics in addition to Ulinastatin and Somatostatin treatment (Observation group).

Genetically predicted immune cells mediate the association between gut microbiota and neuropathy pain.

Background: Previous observational studies have indicated a complex association between gut microbiota (GM) and neuropathic pain (NP). Nonetheless, the precise biological mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. Therefore, we adopted a Mendelian randomization (MR) approach to investigate the causal relationship between GM and neuropathic pain including post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN), painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (PDPN), and trigeminal neuralgia (TN), as well as to explore the potential mediation effects of immune cells.

Comparison of initial percutaneous balloon compression versus radiofrequency thermocoagulation followed by percutaneous balloon compression in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia.

Objectives: There are a variety of minimally invasive interventional treatments for trigeminal neuralgia, and the efficacy evaluation is different. The preferred treatment scheme is still controversial. This study aims to investigate the differences in treatment effects between patients with primary trigeminal neuralgia (PTN) treated with percutaneous balloon compression (PBC) for the first intervention and patients with pain recurrence after radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RT) who then received PBC for PTN, and to offer clinicians and patients more scientifically grounded and precise treatment alternatives.

Low pressure reversibly driving colossal barocaloric effect in two-dimensional vdW alkylammonium halides.

Plastic crystals as barocaloric materials exhibit the large entropy change rivalling freon, however, the limited pressure-sensitivity and large hysteresis of phase transition hinder the colossal barocaloric effect accomplished reversibly at low pressure. Here we report reversible colossal barocaloric effect at low pressure in two-dimensional van-der-Waals alkylammonium halides. Via introducing long carbon chains in ammonium halide plastic crystals, two-dimensional structure forms in (CH-(CH))NHX (X: halogen element) with weak interlayer van-der-Waals force, which dictates interlayer expansion as large as 13% and consequently volume change as much as 12% during phase transition.

The Efficacy and Safety of Polyethylene Glycol Cholesterol- and Tocopherol Polyethylene Glycol 1000 Succinate-Modified Transforming Growth Factor β1 Small Interfering RNA Lipid Nanoparticles in the Treatment of Paclitaxel-Resistant Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

The aim of this study was to explore the efficacy and safety of TGFβ1 siRNA lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) modified with different PEG derivatives (PEG5000 cholesterol, abbreviated as CE; tocopherol polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate, abbreviated as TPGS) in the treatment of paclitaxel-resistant non-small-cell lung cancer. Three kinds of TGFβ1 siRNA LNPs were prepared via microfluidics technology, using different PEG derivatives and dosages (CE1.5, CE2.

Stepwisely Assembled Multicomponent Fiber with High Water Content and Superior Mechanical Properties for Artificial Ligament.

The ligament, which connects bones at the joints, has both high water content and excellent mechanical properties in living organisms. However, it is still challenging to fabricate fibrous materials that possess high water content and ligament-like mechanical characteristics simultaneously. Herein, the design and preparation of a ligament-mimicking multicomponent fiber is reported through stepwise assembly of polysaccharide, calcium, and dopamine.

High-sensitivity and ultralow-hysteresis fluorine-rich ionogel strain sensors for multi-environment contact and contactless sensing.

Information transduction soft strain sensors under harsh conditions such as marine, oily liquid, vacuum, and extreme temperatures without excess encapsulation facilitates modern scientific and military exploration. However, most reported soft strain sensors struggle to meet these requirements, especially in complex environments. Herein, a class of fluorine-rich ionogels with tunable ultimate strain, high conductivity, and multi-environment tolerance are designed.

A Transformable Mucoadhesive Microgel Network for Noninvasive Multimodal Imaging And Radioprotection of a Large Area of the Gastrointestinal Tract.

The lack of noninvasive imaging and modulation of a large area of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract constrain the diagnosis and treatment of many GI-related diseases. Recent advances use novel mucoadhesive materials to coat a part of the GI tract and then modulate its functions. High mucoadhesion is the key factor of the partial coating, but also the limitation for not spreading and covering the lower GI tract.

Sequence-Isomerism-Controlled Macromolecular Self-Assembly in Dendritic Rod-Like Molecules.

Although in Nature sequence control is widely adopted to tune the structure and functions of biomacromolecules, it remains challenging and largely unexplored in synthetic macromolecular systems due to the difficulties in a precision synthesis, which impedes the understanding of the structure-property relationship in macromolecular sequence isomerism. Herein, we report the sequence-controlled macromolecular self-assembly enabled by a pair of rationally designed isomeric dendritic rod-like molecules. With an identical chemical formula and molecular topology, the molecular solid angle of the dendron isomers was determined by the sequence of the rod building blocks tethered with side chains of different lengths.

Direct 3D Bioprinting of Tough and Antifatigue Cell-Laden Constructs Enabled by a Self-Healing Hydrogel Bioink.

Three-dimensional (3D) extrusion bioprinting has emerged as one of the most promising biofabrication technologies for preparing biomimetic tissue-like constructs. The successful construction of cell-laden constructs majorly relies on the development of proper bioinks with excellent printability and cytocompatibility. Bioinks based on gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) have been widely explored due to the excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability and the presence of the arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) sequences for cell adhesion.

Acetylation of p65 by p300 in macrophages mediates anti-inflammatory property of berberine.

Nuclear factor (NF)-κB plays a pivotal role in the regulation of inflammatory response in macrophages. Berberine (BBR), which is an active constituent isolated from Coptis rhizome, possesses a prominent anti-inflammatory activity. Here we show that BBR changes the global acetylation landscape in LPS-induced protein acetylation of macrophages and reduces the acetylation of NF-κB subunit p65 at site Lys310(p65), leading to the inhibition of NF-κB translocation and transcriptional activity to suppress the expressions of inflammatory factors.

Trends and Opportunities in Organic Synthesis: Global State of Research Metrics and Advances in Precision, Efficiency, and Green Chemistry.

Organic synthesis continues to drive a broad range of research advances in chemistry and related sciences. Another clear trend in organic synthesis research is the increasing desire to target improvements in the quality of life of humankind, new materials, and product specificity. Here, a landscape view of organic synthesis research is provided by analysis of the CAS Content Collection.

Trends and Opportunities in Organic Synthesis: Global State of Research Metrics and Advances in Precision, Efficiency, and Green Chemistry.

Organic synthesis continues to drive a broad range of research advances in chemistry and related sciences. Another clear trend in organic synthesis research is the increasing desire to target improvements in the quality of life of humankind, new materials, and product specificity. Here, a landscape view of organic synthesis research is provided by analysis of the CAS Content Collection.

Biodegradable and Cytocompatible Hydrogel Coating with Antibacterial Activity for the Prevention of Implant-Associated Infection.

Implant-associated infection (IAI) caused by pathogens colonizing on the implant surface is a serious issue in the trauma-orthopedic surgery, which often leads to implant failure. The complications of IAI bring a big threat to the clinical practice of implants, accompanied by significant economic cost and long hospitalization time. In this study, we propose an antibiotics-free strategy to address IAI-related challenges by using a biodegradable and cytocompatible hydrogel coating.

Upregulation of adiponectin by Ginsenoside Rb1 contributes to amelioration of hepatic steatosis induced by high fat diet.

Background: Ginsenoside Rb1 (GRb1) is capable of regulating lipid and glucose metabolism through its action on adipocytes. However, the beneficial role of GRb1-induced up-regulation of adiponectin in liver steatosis remains unelucidated. Thus, we tested whether GRb1 ameliorates liver steatosis and insulin resistance by promoting the expression of adiponectin.

Treatment with spexin mitigates diet-induced hepatic steatosis in vivo and in vitro through activation of galanin receptor 2.

It was reported that spexin as an adipocyte-secreted protein could regulate obesity and insulin resistance. However, the specific metabolic contribution of spexin to fatty liver remains incompletely understood. Herein, we investigated the effects of spexin on hepatosteatosis and explored the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Carbon Emissions of the Tourism Telecoupling System: Theoretical Framework, Model Specification and Synthesis Effects.

The flows of people and material attributed to international tourism exert a major impact on the global environment. Tourism carbon emissions is the main indicator in this context. However, previous studies focused on estimating the emissions of destinations, ignoring the embodied emissions in tourists' origins and other areas.

Solvent-Free Templated Synthesis of Core-Crosslinked Star-Shaped Polymers in Supramolecular Body-Centered Cubic Phase.

This study reports the exploration of a solvent-free supramolecular templated synthesis strategy toward highly core-cross-linked star-shaped polymers (CSPs). To achieve this, a kind of cross-linkable giant surfactant, based on a functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) head tethered with a diblock copolymer tail containing reactive benzocyclobutene groups, is designed and prepared. By varying the volume fraction of linear block copolymer tail, these giant surfactants can self-assemble into a body-centered cubic (BCC) structure in bulk, in which the supramolecular spheres are composed of a core of POSS cages, a middle shell of crosslinkable poly(4-vinylbenzocyclobutene) (PBCB) blocks, and a corona of inert polystyrene (PS) blocks.

Crowding-Induced Unconventional Phase Behaviors in Dendritic Rodlike Molecules via Side-Chain Engineering.

Dendritic molecules with a fanlike or conelike conformation are common molecular building blocks to construct supramolecular columnar or spherical phases. Although it is well-accepted that the preferred molecular conformation of dendritic molecules dictates their packing schemes, manipulation of this crucial parameter usually requires significant changes in molecular structures and tedious synthetic efforts. Herein, we report a simple yet highly efficient strategy to tune the molecular conformation of dendritic rodlike molecules by adjusting the length of alkyl side chains tethered to the rods.

Increased Serum VEGF-B Level Is Associated With Renal Function Impairment in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes.

Aims/introduction: Renal function impairment related to type 2 diabetes (T2DM) presents serious threat to public health. Previous studies suggest that vascular endothelial growth factor-B (VEGF-B) might contribute to renal injury. Therefore, this study investigated the association of serum VEGF-B level with the risk of renal function impairment in T2DM patients.

Skeletal Muscle Fibers Inspired Polymeric Actuator by Assembly of Triblock Polymers.

Inspired by the striated structure of skeletal muscle fibers, a polymeric actuator by assembling two symmetric triblock copolymers, namely, polystyrene-b-poly(acrylic acid)-b-polystyrene (SAS) and polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide)-b-polystyrene (SES) is developed. Owing to the microphase separation of the triblock copolymers and hydrogen-bonding complexation of their middle segments, the SAS/SES assembly forms a lamellar structure with alternating vitrified S and hydrogen-bonded A/E association layers. The SAS/SES strip can be actuated and operate in response to environmental pH.

Thermoresponsive and Self-Healing Hydrogel Based on Chitosan Derivatives and Polyoxometalate as an Antibacterial Coating.

Hospital-acquired infections are a serious threat to the recovery of patients. To prevent such infections, an antibacterial coating is an effective method to eliminate bacterial colonization on healthcare-related surfaces. Herein, we report an antibacterial hydrogel composed of silver-containing polyoxometalate (AgPW POM) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC).

Spexin ameliorates skeletal muscle insulin resistance through activation of GAL2 receptor.

Skeletal muscle is a principal tissue involved in energy expenditure and glucose metabolism. Although the results of our and other studies show that spexin could decrease food intake and obesity, the specific metabolic effect of spexin on glucose metabolism of skeletal muscle is still unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate whether spexin might mitigate obesity-induced insulin resistance in skeletal muscles and to explore its underlying mechanisms.