Sleep promoting and omics exploration on probiotics fermented Gastrodia elata Blume.

Fermenting Chinese medicinal herbs could enhance their bioactivities. We hypothesized probiotic-fermented gastrodia elata Blume (GE) with better potential to alleviate insomnia than that of unfermented, thus the changes in chemical composition and the insomnia-alleviating effects and mechanisms of fermented GE on pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced insomnia zebrafish were explored via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectroscopy-coupled HPLC (HPLC-MS), phenotypic, transcriptomic, and metabolomics analysis. The results demonstrated that probiotic fermented GE performed better than unfermented GE in increasing the content of chemical composition, reducing the displacement, average speed, and number of apoptotic cells in zebrafish with insomnia.

Integrating network pharmacology and experimental validation reveals therapeutic effects of D-mannose on NAFLD through mTOR suppression.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a chronic liver condition and metabolic disorder, has emerged as a significant health issue worldwide. D-mannose, a natural monosaccharide widely existing in plants and animals, has demonstrated metabolic regulatory properties. However, the effect and mechanism by which D-mannose may counteract NAFLD have not been studied.

Modifying the amino acids in conformational motion pathway of the α-amylase of improved its activity and stability.

Amino acids along the conformational motion pathway of the enzyme molecule correlated to its flexibility and rigidity. To enhance the enzyme activity and thermal stability, the motion pathway of α-amylase has been identified and molecularly modified by using the neural relational inference model and deep learning tool. The significant differences in substrate specificity, enzymatic kinetics, optimal temperature, and thermal stability were observed among the mutants with modified amino acids along the pathway.

Application of 3D computed tomography in emphysematous parenchyma patients scheduled for bronchoscopic lung volume reduction.

Bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) is a feasible, safe, effective and minimally invasive technique to significantly improve the quality of life of advanced severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In this study, three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) automatic analysis software combined with pulmonary function test (PFT) was used to retrospectively evaluate the postoperative efficacy of BLVR patients. The purpose is to evaluate the improvement of lung function of local lung tissue after operation, maximize the benefits of patients, and facilitate BLVR in the treatment of patients with advanced COPD.

The Motion Paradigm of Pre-Dock Zearalenone Hydrolase Predictions with Molecular Dynamics and the Docking Phase with Umbrella Sampling.

Zearalenone (ZEN) is one of the most prevalent estrogenic mycotoxins, is produced mainly by the Fusarium family of fungi, and poses a risk to the health of animals. Zearalenone hydrolase (ZHD) is an important enzyme capable of degrading ZEN into a non-toxic compound. Although previous research has investigated the catalytic mechanism of ZHD, information on its dynamic interaction with ZEN remains unknown.

Risk factors associated with indoor transmission during home quarantine of COVID-19 patients.

Purpose: The study aimed to identify potential risk factors for family transmission and to provide precautionary guidelines for the general public during novel Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) waves.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study with numerous COVID-19 patients recruited was conducted in Shanghai. Epidemiological data including transmission details, demographics, vaccination status, symptoms, comorbidities, antigen test, living environment, residential ventilation, disinfection and medical treatment of each participant were collected and risk factors for family transmission were determined.

Electroacupuncture activated local sympathetic noradrenergic signaling to relieve synovitis and referred pain behaviors in knee osteoarthritis rats.

Introduction: Recent research has focused on the local control of articular inflammation through neuronal stimulation to avoid the systemic side effects of conventional pharmacological therapies. Electroacupuncture (EA) has been proven to be useful for inflammation suppressing and pain reduction in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) patients, yet its mechanism remains unclear.

Methods: In the present study, the KOA model was established using the intra-articular injection of sodium monoiodoacetate (MIA) (1 mg/50 μL) into the knee cavity.

[Application prospect of conditional gene editing animals and viral vectors in experimental research of acupuncturology].

Conditional gene editing animals and viral vectors have been widely applied in the research fields of biology and medicine. Recently, they are also used as the effective approaches to reveal the underlying mechanism of acupuncture from the nervous system to the specific molecules. In order to further understand the application of conditional gene editing animals and viral vectors, in this article, we analyze their characteristics, advantages and recent development in the field of acupuncture research and discuss their potential roles and prospect in the future.

A Nomogram Based on Atelectasis/Obstructive Pneumonitis Could Predict the Metastasis of Lymph Nodes and Postoperative Survival of Pathological N0 Classification in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients.

Unlabelled: The eighth TNM staging system proposal classifies lung cancer with partial or complete atelectasis/obstructive pneumonia into the T2 category. We aimed to develop nomograms to predict the possibility of lymph node metastasis (LNM) and the prognosis for NSCLC based on atelectasis and obstructive pneumonitis.

Methods: NSCLC patients over 20 years old diagnosed between 2004 and 2015 were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

[Preparation of Iron-modified Biochar and Its Application in Arsenic Contaminated Soil Remediation].

Biochar has a range of advantages including large porosity, high specific surface area, and strong adsorption capacity. It has been widely used in environmental pollution remediation, soil improvement, and carbon sequestration and emission reduction. Arsenic (As) is a highly toxic pollutant widely distributed throughout the soil.

[Effect of electroacupuncture on spontaneous pain during the synovial inflammatory response stage and allodynia at the later stage in rats with knee osteoarthritis].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on pain behavior, synovial inflammatory response and demyelination of saphenous nerve in the rats modeled with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and explore the effect mechanism of EA for reliving allodynia.

Methods: Eighty-four male SD rats were randomly divided into a control group, a model group and an EA group, 28 rats in each one. Intra-articular injection of sodium monoiodoacetate (MIA) was administered in right knee joint of each rat in the model group and the EA group to establish the KOA model.

Iron-catalyzed regioselective synthesis of ()-vinyl sulfones mediated by unprotected hydroxylamines.

An Fe-catalyzed unprotected hydroxylamine mediated Heck-type coupling between sulfinic acids and alkenes for the regioselective synthesis of ()-vinyl sulfones has been developed. Mechanism studies indicated for the first time that a radical process may be involved and that hydroxylamines play multiple roles, including those of a mild oxidant and an base. It was found for the first time that this transformation not only realizes C-S bond construction promoted by unprotected hydroxylamines, but also provides a practical and complementary method for the preparation of structurally important ()-vinyl sulfones.

[Sensory and sympathetic nerves are involved in the changes of skin temperature, blood infusion and inflammatory cytokines of cutaneous tissue in the sensitized area of colitis rats].

Objective: To investigate the changes of skin temperature, blood infusion and inflammatory cytokines of cutaneous tissue in the sensitized area of colitis model rats, as well as the relationship between sensory and sympathetic nerves and the formation of sensitized area, and to initially reveal the partial physicalchemical characteristics of the sensitized area in the colitis model rats.

Methods: Thirty-five male SD rats were randomly divided into a control group (=10), a model group (=18) and a guanethidine group (=7). 5% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) was adopted for 6-day free drinking to establish colitis model in the model group and the guanethidine group.

Alexa Fluor 488-conjugated cholera toxin subunit B optimally labels neurons 3-7 days after injection into the rat gastrocnemius muscle.

Neural tract tracing is used to study neural pathways and evaluate neuronal regeneration following nerve injuries. However, it is not always clear which tracer should be used to yield optimal results. In this study, we examined the use of Alexa Fluor 488-conjugated cholera toxin subunit B (AF488-CTB).

Discovery of Polyoxypregnane Derivatives From With Their Potential Antitumor Activity.

The bioassay-guided phytochemical study of an ethnic medicinal plant ta Hemsl. var. obcordata results in the isolation of eight new polyoxypregnane derivatives, named aspidatasides A-H (1-8), along with ten known analogs (9-18).

Insulin-Mimic Components in Leaves: Bio-Guided Isolation, Annual Variance Profiling and Regulating Pathway Investigated by Omics.

Insulin mimic can promote transporting glucose to muscle tissue and accelerate glucose consumption. It is commonly occurring in many functional foods or traditional medicines. Anti-diabetes molecules from food sources are highly safe and suitable for long-term use to prevent early diabetes.

Two new polyoxy steroidal glycosides from the roots of Hemsl.

Two new polyoxy steroidal glycosides, named as 11- O--acetyl-12-O--tigloyl- 3,14-dihydroxy-pregn-5-en-20-one-3-O--D-oleadropyranosyl-(1→4)--D-6-deoxy-3-O-methyl-allopyanoside () and 11- O--acetyl -12-O--benzoate-3, 14-dihydroxy-pregn-5-en- 20-one-3-O--D-oleadropyranosyl-(1→4)--D-6-deoxy-3-O-methyl-allopyanoside () were isolated from the roots of Hemsl. Their structures were elucidated by various spectroscopic techniques including UV, IR, HRESIMS, 1 D and 2 D NMR. All the two compounds were tested for their cytotoxic activity , and the result showed that compounds - displayed moderated cytotoxic activity against HL-60 cell line with IC values of 18.

Osseous Loading by a Volume-Reduced Tongue During Muscle Contractions.

Purpose: To investigate how tongue volume reduction affects loads on surrounding bone surfaces produced by neuromuscular stimulation of the tongue.

Materials And Methods: Of each pair of same-gender minipig siblings, 1 received tongue reduction and 1 underwent sham surgery. Either immediately (acute, 6 pairs) or 1 month (chronic, 5 pairs) after surgery, bone surface and/or suture strains and pressures were recorded from the following locations when the hypoglossal nerve trunk, hypoglossal nerve medial branch, hypoglossal nerve lateral branch, genioglossus, and styloglossus (SG) were electrically stimulated: 1) three rosette strain gauges on the premaxillary palatal surface (premaxilla [PM]) and lingual surfaces of the mandibular alveolus at anterior (mandibular incisor [MI]) and posterior (mandibular molar [MM]) locations; 2) two single-element strain gauges over the palatal surface of the premaxillary-maxillary suture and the lingual surface of the mandibular symphysis; and 3) two pressure transducers on the palatal surface of the maxilla (palatal process) and the lingual surface of the mandibular alveolus (mandibular corpus).

[The mechanisms of medial vascular calcification].

Vascular calcification is an active, invertible and highly regulated pathophysiological process, characterized by the deposition of hydroxyapatite crystal in vascular wall. Vascular calcification is classified into two types based on the sites of calcification: intimal atherosclerotic calcification and Mönckeberg's medial calcification. Medial vascular calcification is a pathological phenomenon commonly existed in diabetes, chronic kidney failure and aging.

[Cassane diterpenes from the seeds of Caesalpinia decapetala].

Four casssane diterpenes were isolated from the ethanol extract of the seeds of Caesalpinia decapetala (Fabaceae), with a combination of various chromatographic approaches, including silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, reverse phase C18 and so on. On the basis of spectroscopic data analysis, they were identified as caesalpinin MQ (1), neocaesalpin N(2), caesalmin F (3) and α-caesalpin (4). Among them, compound 1 is a new diterpene, compounds 2-4 were isolated for the first time from the plant of C.

Construction of Escherichia coli strains producing L-serine from glucose.

L-Serine is usually produced from glycine. We have genetically engineered Escherichia coli to produce L-serine from glucose intracellularly. D-3-Phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PGDH, EC 1.

Acid stabilization of Bacillus licheniformis alpha amylase through introduction of mutations.

This paper provided further understanding of the relationships between acid resistance and structural features of different mutants in Bacillus licheniformis alpha amylase (BLA) due to the changes of two crucial positions Leu134 and Ser320. In order to investigate effect of the two positions on the acid stability, we described the detailed characterization of wild-type and the single mutants L134R and S320A as well as the double mutant L134R/S320A. The highest k(cat)/Km with pH 4.

Characterisation of mutagenised acid-resistant alpha-amylase expressed in Bacillus subtilis WB600.

Based on the original thermostable alpha-amylase gene from Bacillus licheniformis, two amino acids were site-directed mutagenised by polymerase chain reaction to obtain a new gene. This gene, with Leu134-->Arg and Ser320-->Ala, was substituted for acid-resistant capability previously. To favor purification of the product, high-level expression and secretion of mature, authentic and stable recombinant mutagenised alpha-amylase were achieved with protease-deficient strain Bacillus subtilis WB600 as the host.