[Effects of acupuncture on hemorrhagic transformation and motor function in stroke patients after intravenous thrombolysis with rt-PA: a prospective cohort study].

Objective: To observe the effects of the (regaining consciousness and opening orifices) acupuncture on hemorrhagic transformation and limb motor function after intravenous thrombolysis with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) in stroke patients.

Methods: A total of 130 stroke patients after rt-PA thrombolytic were divided into an acupuncture group (58 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a non-acupuncture group (72 cases, 7 cases dropped off) according to whether they received acupuncture treatment. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to match each group, with 38 patients in each group.

Alkaline ceramidase () inhibition enhances heat stress response in (Reuter).

Ceramidases (CDases) are vital sphingolipid enzymes involved in organismal growth and development. They have been reported as key mediators of thermal stress response. However, whether and how CDase responds to heat stress in insects remain unclear.

Screening of core genes and prediction of ceRNA regulation mechanism of circRNAs in nasopharyngeal carcinoma by bioinformatics analysis.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) represents a highly aggressive malignant tumor. Competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) regulation is a common regulatory mechanism in tumors. The ceRNA network links the functions between mRNAs and ncRNAs, thus playing an important regulatory role in diseases.

Correction: Biofunctional Janus particles promote phagocytosis of tumor cells by macrophages.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/D0SC01146K.].

Assembly of Poly(ethylene glycol)ylated Oleanolic Acid on a Linear Polymer as a Pseudomucin for Influenza Virus Inhibition and Adsorption.

Biomimicry of the mucin barrier function is an efficient strategy to counteract influenza. We report the simple aminolyzation of poly(methyl vinyl ether--maleic anhydride) (PM) using amine-terminated poly(ethylene glycol)ylated oleanolic acid () to mimic the mucin structure and its adsorption of the influenza virus. Direct interactions between influenza hemagglutinin (HA) and the prepared macromolecule evaluated by surface plasmon resonance and isothermal titration calorimetry demonstrated that the multivalent presentation of on PM enhanced the binding affinity to HA with a decrease in of approximately three orders of magnitude compared with monomeric .

Knockdown of sphingomyelinase (NlSMase) causes ovarian malformation of brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål).

Sphingomyelinases (SMases) are a group of enzymes that catalyse the hydrolysis of sphingomyelins into ceramides and phosphorylcholine. They have been intensively investigated for their pathophysiological roles in mammals whereas much remains unclear about their counterparts in insects. Herein we report the cloning and functional characterization of four SMase homologue genes, designated NlSMase1-4, from brown planthopper (BPH).

Atomically Precise Water-Soluble Graphene Quantum Dot for Cancer Sonodynamic Therapy.

Although water-soluble graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have shown various promising bio-applications due to their intriguing optical and chemical properties, the large heterogeneity in compositions, sizes, and shapes of these GQDs hampers the better understanding of their structure-properties correlation and further uses in terms of large-scale manufacturing practices and safety concerns. It is shown here that a water-soluble atomically-precise GQD (WAGQD-C ) is synthesized and exhibits a deep-red emission and excellent sonodynamic sensitization. By decorating sterically hindered water-soluble functional groups, WAGQD-C can be monodispersed in water without further aggregation.

Loci Play Crucial Roles in Sexual Development but Are Dispensable for Asexual Reproduction and Pathogenicity in Rice Blast Fungus .

, a fungal pathogen that causes rice blast, which is the most destructive disease of rice worldwide, has the potential to perform both asexual and sexual reproduction. loci, consisting of genes, were deemed to determine the mating types of strains. However, investigation was rarely performed on the development and molecular mechanisms of the sexual reproduction of the fungus.

Construction of IL-13 Receptor α2-Targeting Resveratrol Nanoparticles against Glioblastoma Cells: Therapeutic Efficacy and Molecular Effects.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common lethal primary brain malignancy without reliable therapeutic drugs. IL-13Rα2 is frequently expressed in GBMs as a molecular marker. Resveratrol (Res) effectively inhibits GBM cell growth but has not been applied in vivo because of its low brain bioavailability when administered systemically.

Biofunctional Janus particles promote phagocytosis of tumor cells by macrophages.

Herein, a versatile strategy for the construction of biofunctional Janus particles (JPs) through the combination of Pickering emulsion and copper-free click chemistry is developed for the study of particle-mediated cell-cell interactions. A variety of biomolecules including bovine serum albumin (BSA), ferritin, transferrin (Tf), and anti-signal regulatory protein alpha antibodies (aSIRPα), , can be incorporated into the Janus platform in a spatially defined manner. JPs consisting of Tf and aSIRPα (Tf-SPA1-aSIRPα JPs) demonstrate a significantly improved binding affinity to either macrophages or tumor cells compared to their uniformly modified counterparts.

Neutral Ceramidase Is Required for the Reproduction of Brown Planthopper, (Stål).

Ceramides are bioactive sphingolipids that have been implicated in insect development; however, their role in insect reproduction remains poorly understood. Here, we report the pivotal role of neutral ceramidase (NCER) in the female reproduction of the brown planthopper (BPH), (Stål), a significant pest in rice cultivation in Asia. LC-MS/MS demonstrated that, among different developmental stages of BPH, the levels of ceramides were highest in 1st instar nymphs and lowest in adults.

Transcriptional changes revealed genes and pathways involved in the deficient testis caused by the inhibition of alkaline ceramidase (Dacer) in Drosophila melanogaster.

Sphingolipids are ubiquitous structural components of eukaryotic cell membranes which are vital for maintaining the integrity of cells. Alkaline ceramidase is a key enzyme in sphingolipid biosynthesis pathway; however, little is known about the role of the enzyme in the male reproductive system of Drosophila melanogaster. To investigate the impact of alkaline ceramidase (Dacer) on male Drosophila, we got Dacer deficiency mutants (MUs) and found they displayed apparent defects in the testis's phenotype.

Guanidinothiosialoside-Human Serum Albumin Conjugate Mimics mucin Barrier to Restrict Influenza Infection.

A guanidinothiosialoside-human serum albumin conjugate as mucin mimic was prepared via a copper-free click reaction. Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization-Time of Flight-Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) indicated that three sialoside groups were grafted onto the protein backbone. The synthetic glycoconjugate exhibited strong influenza virion capture and trapping capability.

Thiosialoside-decorated polymers use a two-step mechanism to inhibit both early and late stages of influenza virus infection.

We describe the preparation of thiosialoside-modified poly (methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic anhydride) as second-generation polymeric conjugates for the inhibition of influenza virus infection. These synthetic glycopolymers show significantly enhanced neuraminidase inhibitory and antiviral activity in enzyme and cellular levels, respectively. The polyvalent thiosialosides also exhibit comparable inhibitory activity to the first-line anti-influenza drugs Zanamivir® and Oseltamivir® against the PR8 influenza virus strain in virus growth inhibition assays, which may be attributed to multivalent binding to neuraminidase on the virion particles, leading to the virion aggregation and further inhibiting the attaching/fusion and releasing steps in the influenza virus life-cycle.

Correction: A handy method to remove bacterial contamination from fungal cultures.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Angiopep-2 conjugated nanoparticles loaded with doxorubicin for the treatment of primary central nervous system lymphoma.

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare brain tumor. Its therapeutic efficacy is much lower than that of traditional lymphoma, largely due to the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which hinders the effective drug delivery and deposition on the disease site. Angiopep-2 (ANG) can target low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP) on the surface of brain capillary endothelial cells (BCECs) and exhibits high BBB transport capability.

A handy method to remove bacterial contamination from fungal cultures.

Contamination control and removal are very important technical aspects of microbiological research. Bacterial contamination is very common in fungal cultures. Currently, the commonly used approach for inhibiting bacteria is antibiotic treatment; however, there are drawbacks to using antibiotics, including incomplete removal, limited antibacterial spectra, tendency toward recontamination, effects to fungal strains, and potential risks to the environment.

Alkaline Ceramidase Mediates the Oxidative Stress Response in Drosophila melanogaster Through Sphingosine.

Alkaline ceramidase (Dacer) in Drosophila melanogaster was demonstrated to be resistant to paraquat-induced oxidative stress. However, the underlying mechanism for this resistance remained unclear. Here, we showed that sphingosine feeding triggered the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).

Spontaneous formation of tumor spheroid on a hydrophilic filter paper for cancer stem cell enrichment.

Emerging evidence has demonstrated that cancer stem cells (CSCs) play critical roles in tumor invasion, metastasis and recurrence. The specific targeting capability on CSCs is of high importance for the development of effective anti-tumor therapeutics. However, isolation, enrichment and cultivation of these special and rare groups of tumor cells for in vitro analyses is a nontrivial job and requires particular culture medium and environmental control.

A neutral ceramidase, NlnCDase, is involved in the stress responses of brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål).

Ceramidases (CDases) are vital enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of sphingolipids, which are essential components of eukaryotic membranes. The function of these enzymes in insects, however, is poorly understood. We identified a neutral ceramidase (NlnCDase) from the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens, one of the most destructive hemipteran pests of rice.