Neurotensin-neurotensin receptor 2 signaling in adipocytes suppresses food intake through regulating ceramide metabolism.

Neurotensin (NTS) is a secretory peptide produced by lymphatic endothelial cells. Our previous study revealed that NTS suppressed the activity of brown adipose tissue via interactions with NTSR2. In the current study, we found that the depletion of Ntsr2 in white adipocytes upregulated food intake, while the local treatment of NTS suppressed food intake.

[Evaluation of the preclinical teaching effects of digital virtual simulation system in veneer tooth preparation].

Purpose: To evaluate the preclinical teaching effects of digital virtual simulation system applied in window-type veneer tooth preparation of undergraduate dental students.

Methods: In the early clinical exposure of five-year undergraduate students from School of Stomatology, Fudan University, Simodont virtual simulation system and conventional phantom-simulator system were alternatively used in the preclinical teaching of veneer tooth preparation. First, after theoretical training and tests of veneer tooth preparation, twenty-three students were randomly divided into two groups.

FBXW8 suppresses PDCoV proliferation via the NPD52-dependent autophagic degradation of a viral nucleocapsid protein.

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV), a newly discovered intestinal coronavirus, has rapidly spread among pigs worldwide and has shown the potential for cross-species infection. However, the interaction mechanism between PDCoV and the host's antiviral response is still poorly understood. In this study, an E3 ubiquitin ligase FBXW8 was explored on PDCoV proliferation.

Behavioral interventions for tobacco use in HIV-infected smokers: systematic review and pairwise, network meta-analysis of randomized trials.

Smoking among persons living with HIV infection (PLWH) is estimated to be 2-3 times greater than that in the general population. Data suggest that cigarette smoking is more common among PLWH because of several factors, including lower socioeconomic status, previous, or concurrent illicit drug and alcohol use, younger age, lower education level, and concomitant depressive symptoms. Cigarette smoking among PLWH has been associated with a higher risk of certain cancers and infections as well as lowered response to antiretroviral therapy.

Cross-country inequalities in disease burden and care quality of chronic kidney disease due to type 2 diabetes mellitus, 1990-2021: Findings from the global burden of disease study 2021.

Aim: To explore the trend of burden and care quality of chronic kidney disease due to type 2 diabetes mellitus (CKD-T2DM) and their cross-country inequalities from 1990 to 2021.

Materials And Methods: Data were from the Global Burden of Disease 2021 study. Disease burden and care quality were quantified using the disability-adjusted life years rate and the quality-of-care index (QCI).

Detection of "smoke powder" etomidate and its metabolite etomidate acid in blood and urine by UHPLC-MS-MS: application in authentic cases.

Recently, etomidate has been widely used as an alternative in illicit drug market. It is usually added to regular cigarette tobacco (commonly known as "cigarette powder") or mixed in e-cigarette oil sold through the Internet, retail stores, or entertainment outlets and other channels. An ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method was developed to quantify etomidate and etomidate acid in human blood and urine.

Exact burst-size distributions for gene-expression models with complex promoter structure.

In prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, most genes are transcribed in a bursty fashion on one hand and complex gene regulations may lead to complex promoter structure on the other hand. This raises an unsolved issue: how does promoter structure shape transcriptional bursting kinetics characterized by burst size and frequency? Here we analyze stochastic models of gene transcription, which consider complex regulatory mechanisms. Notably, we develop an efficient method to derive exact burst-size distributions.

A Mixture of Soybean Oil and Lard Alleviates Postpartum Cognitive Impairment via Regulating the Brain Fatty Acid Composition and SCFA/ERK(1/2)/CREB/BDNF Pathway.

Lard is highly appreciated for its flavor. However, it has not been elucidated how to consume lard while at the same time eliminating its adverse effects on postpartum cognitive function. Female mice were divided into three groups ( = 10): soybean oil (SO), lard oil (LO), and a mixture of soybean oil and lard at a ratio of 1:1 (LS).

Research Progress on Detection of New Psychoactive Substance Piperazines .

Piperazines are a class of new psychoactive substances with hallucinogenic effects that affect the central nervous system by affecting the level of monoamine neurotransmitters. Abuse of piperazines will produce stimulating and hallucinogenic effects, accompanied by headache, dizziness, anxiety, insomnia, vomiting, chest pain, tachycardia, hypertension and other adverse reactions, and may even cause cardiovascular diseases and multiple organ failure and lead to death, seriously affecting human physical and mental health and public safety. The abuse of new psychoactive substance piperazines has attracted extensive attention from the international community.

How to trace etomidate in illegal E-cigarettes from authentic human hair: identification, quantification and multiple-factor analysis.

Purpose: The abusive consumption of illegal E-cigarettes containing etomidate (ET) can have a significant impact on public mental and physical well-being. The purpose of this study is to establish a rapid quantitative method using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) for the targeted screening of etomidate (ET) and its metabolite etomidate acid (ETA) in hair samples.

Methods: A 1 mL methanol solution containing the internal standard ET-d at a concentration of 50 pg/mg was added to 20 mg of hair and milled below 4 °C.

Predicting prognosis outcomes of primary central nervous system lymphoma with high-dose methotrexate-based chemotherapeutic treatment using lipidomics.

Background: Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare extranodal lymphomatous malignancy which is commonly treated with high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX)-based chemotherapy. However, the prognosis outcome of HD-MTX-based treatment cannot be accurately predicted using the current prognostic scoring systems, such as the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) score.

Methods: We studied 2 cohorts of patients with PCNSL and applied lipidomic analysis to their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples.

Molecular Mechanisms and Potential Antiviral Strategies of Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation during Coronavirus Infection.

Highly pathogenic coronaviruses have caused significant outbreaks in humans and animals, posing a serious threat to public health. The rapid global spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in millions of infections and deaths. However, the mechanisms through which coronaviruses evade a host's antiviral immune system are not well understood.

Molecular dynamics study on the influence of thermal aging on the mechanical properties of epoxy resins for high voltage bushing.

Context: Thermal aging significantly deteriorates the mechanical properties and service performance of epoxy resins used for the high-voltage bushing. Current studies on the thermal aging behavior of epoxy resins mainly focus on experimental observations. However, an in-depth understanding of the mechanism of thermal aging of epoxy resins requires the monitoring of structural evolution of epoxy resins during thermal aging at the molecular level.

Network meta-analysis of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics for the treatment of chronic constipation in adults.

Objective: To compare the outcomes associated with the use of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics for the treatment of chronic constipation in adults.

Methods: We searched eight electronic databases from database inception to July 11, 2023, to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that report efficacy and safety for the treatment of chronic constipation. The risk of bias in the included RCTs was evaluated according to the Cochrane tool, and the certainty of the evidence was assessed using the Confidence in Network Meta-Analysis framework.

TSPAN8 myofibroblastic cancer-associated fibroblasts promote chemoresistance in patients with breast cancer.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are abundant stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment that promote cancer progression and relapse. However, the heterogeneity and regulatory roles of CAFs underlying chemoresistance remain largely unclear. Here, we performed a single-cell analysis using high-dimensional flow cytometry analysis and identified a distinct senescence-like tetraspanin-8 (TSPAN8) myofibroblastic CAF (myCAF) subset, which is correlated with therapeutic resistance and poor survival in multiple cohorts of patients with breast cancer (BC).

Elucidating phylogenetic relationships within the genus through the comprehensive analysis of the chloroplast genome of Roxb. 1810 (Zingiberaceae).

Roxb., a plant species of significant pharmaceutical interest, has been the subject of limited chloroplast genomic research. In this study, we present the sequencing and assembly of the chloroplast genome, which is characterized by a circular chromosome spanning 162,212 base pairs and a GC content of 36.

Fufang Luohanguo Qingfei granules reduces influenza virus susceptibility via MAVS-dependent type I interferon antiviral signaling.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Fufang Luohanguo Qingfei granules (LQG) is a Chinese patent medicine, clinically used to treat flu-like symptoms including cough with yellow phlegm, impeded phlegm, dry throat and tongue. However, the protective activity of LQG against influenza infection is indeterminate.

Aim Of The Study: This study is to investigate the therapeutic effect of LQG on influenza infection and elucidate its underlying mechanism.

Development of new matrix reference materials for quantitative urine analysis in drug tests.

Accurate quantitative analyses require standardized methods to control and improve the analytical process in the laboratory. The availability of urine reference materials (RMs) may offer a feasible option to improve the accuracy of urine analysis and to control matrix effects. This paper presents the complete process of the development of matrix RMs in urine, including sample preparation, homogeneity, and stability studies, as well as uncertainty assessment.

Efficacy and safety of pharmacological intervention for smoking cessation in smokers with diseases: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Objective: To investigate the most effective and best-tolerated drugs for treating diseased smokers.

Methods: Eight databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving different pharmacological interventions for smoking cessation in disease patients (January 2023). Network meta-analysis was performed using STATA 15.

The incidence and predisposing factors for irritable bowel syndrome following COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder. Several studies have analyzed the long-term GI symptoms and IBS following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the incidence and predisposing factors for IBS following COVID-19 by a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The effectiveness of continuing education programmes for health workers in rural and remote areas: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Health workers in rural and remote areas shoulder heavy responsibilities for rural residents. This systematic review aims to assess the effectiveness of continuing education programs for health workers in rural and remote areas.

Methods: Eight electronic databases were searched on 28 November 2021.

Comparative efficacy of exercise modalities on sleep quality in populations with sleep disorders: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

The effect of various exercise modalities on people with sleep disorders remains unclear. This network meta-analysis aims to explore the effects of various exercise modalities in improving sleep quality in people with sleep disorders. Four electronic databases were searched from inception to April 8, 2023.