Multi-omics integration reveals the hepatoprotective mechanisms of ursolic acid intake against chronic alcohol consumption.

Purpose: Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a major health issue globally. In addition to pharmacotherapy, dietary support is also regarded as reliable strategy for ALD management. As a widely distributed natural constituent within edible plants, the present study aims to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of ursolic acid (UA) against ALD and also to deepen insights into the underlying targets and mechanisms comprehensively.

Flexible Multiscale Pore Hybrid Self-Powered Sensor for Heart Sound Detection.

This research introduces an idea of producing both nanoscale and microscale pores in piezoelectric material, and combining the properties of the molecular β-phase dipoles in ferroelectric material and the space charge dipoles in order to increase the sensitivity of the sensor and modulate the response frequency bandwidth of the material. Based on this idea, a bi-nano-micro porous dual ferro-electret hybrid self-powered flexible heart sound detection sensor is proposed. Acid etching and electrospinning were the fabrication processes used to produce a piezoelectric film with nanoscale and microscale pores, and corona poling was used for air ionization to produce an electret effect.

A Promising Future of Ferroptosis in Tumor Therapy.

Currently, mechanisms and therapeutic approaches have been thoroughly studied in various prevalent malignant tumors, such as breast and lung cancer. However, there is inevitable tumor progression and drug resistance. Uncovering novel treatment strategies to inhibit tumor development is important.

Development and validation of ferroptosis-related lncRNAs signature for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with high heterogeneity is one of the most frequent malignant tumors throughout the world. However, there is no research to establish a ferroptosis-related lncRNAs (FRlncRNAs) signature for the patients with HCC. Therefore, this study was designed to establish a novel FRlncRNAs signature to predict the survival of patients with HCC.

Dietary Ursolic Acid Prevents Alcohol-Induced Liver Injury via Gut-Liver Axis Homeostasis Modulation: The Key Role of Microbiome Manipulation.

Ursolic acid (UA), a natural triterpenoid widely distributed within fruits and edible plants, has been proven to relieve alcoholic liver disease (ALD). However, the mechanisms involved largely remain unclear. This study investigated whether the beneficial effects of UA on ALD could be related to gut-liver axis (GLA) modulation.

Crystal Phase-Controlled Modulation of Binary Transition Metal Oxides for Highly Reversible Li-O Batteries.

Reducing charge-discharge overpotential of transition metal oxide catalysts can eventually enhance the cell efficiency and cycle life of Li-O batteries. Here, we propose that crystal phase engineering of transition metal oxides could be an effective way to achieve the above purpose. We establish controllable crystal phase modulation of the binary MnCoO by adopting a cation regulation strategy.

UV spectroscopy and HPLC combined with chemometrics for rapid discrimination and quantification of Curcumae Rhizoma from three botanical origins.

Curcumae Rhizoma (Ezhu in Chinese) is a multi-origin herbal medicine with excellent clinical efficacy. For fast discrimination and quantification analysis of Ezhu from three botanical origins (Curcuma kwangsiensis, Curcuma phaeocaulis, and Curcuma wenyujin), ultra-violet (UV) spectroscopy and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with chemometric tools were employed in this study. Firstly, the analysis method for the simultaneous determination of eleven compounds in Ezhu was developed by HPLC, and the UV spectra of thirty-eight batches of Ezhu were acquired.

High performance liquid chromatography fingerprint and headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry combined with chemometrics for the species authentication of Curcumae Rhizoma.

Curcumae Rhizoma (Ezhu), a multi-origin Chinese medicine, originates from the dry rhizomes of C. kwangsiensis, C. phaeocaulis and C.

Structure, Biological Activities and Metabolism of Flavonoid Glucuronides.

Background: Flavonoid glucuronides are a kind of natural products presenting a flavone linked directly with one or several glucuronides through O-glycoside bond. They had become of interest in natural product research in the past decades for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacteria activities. In particular, the compound breviscapine has a notable effect on cardiocerebrovascular diseases.

Cigarette smoking status alters dysbiotic gut microbes in hypertensive patients.

Smoking not only is one of the most important risk factors of hypertension (HTN), but also alters the composition of gut microbiota (GM) in previous studies. Although dysbiosis of GM has been implicated in HTN, how GM alters in patients with HTN under smoking status is still not clear. This study aimed to explore the difference in intestinal microflora among smokers with HTN (S-HTN), nonsmokers with HTN (NS-HTN), and smokers without HTN (S-CTR) and identify whether cigarette smoking led to disordered intestinal microbiota in patients with HTN.

Abnormal apelin-ACE2 and SGLT2 signaling contribute to adverse cardiorenal injury in patients with COVID-19.

Background: Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has recently been identified as the functional receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent response for novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to explore the roles of ACE2, apelin and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) in SARS-CoV-2-mediated cardiorenal damage.

Methods And Results: The published RNA-sequencing datasets of cardiomyocytes infected with SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 patients were used.

Divergent metabolic responses to sex and reproduction in the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus.

The sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus is an economically important marine organism, and its aquaculture has rapidly developed in China. The very large market demand puts forward higher requirements for the economically efficient breeding of sea cucumbers. Sex and the associated reproductive processes have been reported to affect the physiological characteristics of sea cucumbers.

CRISPR-Cas13a-based diagnostic method for from nongonococcal urethritis.

Development of a routine screening technique for infection. The proposed approach involves the CRISPR RNA (crRNA). In the presence of the target sequence, the RNase activity of the Cas13a protein is activated, and it cleaves RNA fluorescent probe so that fluorescence will be emitted.

Comparison of survival of preterm newborn rabbits at 25-28 days of gestation with perinatal therapies at birth transition.

Eligibility of ventilated preterm rabbit model to investigate extreme pulmonary immaturity at birth transition is unknown. By extending this model to early saccular stage of fetal lung development, we evaluated efficacy in survival, lung maturation, and underlying mechanisms of contemporary perinatal therapies. Pregnant New Zealand White rabbit does were given dexamethasone (DEX), or sham injection as control (NDEX), 48 and 24 h before delivery at gestational age (GA) of 25-28 days.

Plasma Galectin-3 is associated with progression from paroxysmal to persistent atrial fibrillation.

Background: Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is currently recognized as a promising biomarker for myocardial fibrosis. This study aimed to explore the potential association between plasma Gal-3 concentrations and atrial fibrillation (AF) progression in paroxysmal AF (PAF) patients METHODS: A total of 213 PAF patients were included for analysis in this study. All peripheral blood samples were prospectively collected and stored at -80℃ for subsequent Gal-3 quantification.

Characteristics and variation of fecal bacterial communities and functions in isolated systolic and diastolic hypertensive patients.

Background: Hypertension (HTN) is one of the major cardiovascular risk factors, which contributes to increasing target organ damages and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality worldwide. Isolated systolic HTN (ISH) and isolated diastolic HTN (IDH) are two important subtypes of HTN. Previous researches have demonstrated the alteration of fecal bacteria in HTN, but not down to these two sub-types.

Characterization of Expression in Mouse Cochlear Hair Cells.

Striatin-interacting protein 1 () is a core component of the striatin interacting phosphatase and kinase (STRIPAK) complex, which is involved in embryogenesis and development, circadian rhythms, type 2 diabetes, and cancer progression. However, the expression and role of in the mammalian cochlea remains unclear. Here we studied the expression and function of in the mouse cochlea by using knockout mice.

Next-Generation Sequencing Reveals That Oxidative Phosphorylation Might Be a Key Pathway Differently Expressed in the Third and Fourth Stages Larvae of .

Background: When develops from the third and fourth stage, it needs to change its host from the middle host, snail to the final host, rat. However, the mechanism involved in this change remains unclear.

Methods: The transcriptome differences of the third and fourth stages of were explored by next-generation Illumina Hiseq/Miseq sequencing in China, in 2018.

Gasdermin D pore structure reveals preferential release of mature interleukin-1.

As organelles of the innate immune system, inflammasomes activate caspase-1 and other inflammatory caspases that cleave gasdermin D (GSDMD). Caspase-1 also cleaves inactive precursors of the interleukin (IL)-1 family to generate mature cytokines such as IL-1β and IL-18. Cleaved GSDMD forms transmembrane pores to enable the release of IL-1 and to drive cell lysis through pyroptosis.

The apoptosis mechanisms of HepG2 cells induced by bitter melon seed.

Liver cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the world. Bitter melon seed (BMS) is well known for anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. MicroRNA-421 (miR-421) is considered as a regulator of cancer initiation, tumor metastasis, and progression, interfering with transcription of the mRNAs responsible for the cancer pathogenesis.

A birth population-based survey of preterm morbidity and mortality by gestational age.

Background: Despite 15-17 millions of annual births in China, there is a paucity of information on prevalence and outcome of preterm birth. We characterized the outcome of preterm births and hospitalized preterm infants by gestational age (GA) in Huai'an in 2015, an emerging prefectural region of China.

Methods: Of 59,245 regional total births, clinical data on 2651 preterm births and 1941 hospitalized preterm neonates were extracted from Huai'an Women and Children's Hospital (HWCH) and non-HWCH hospitals in 2018-2020.

Efficacy of intra-arterial thrombolytic therapy for vision loss resulting from hyaluronic acid filler embolization.

Background: The incidence of hyaluronic acid (HA) embolism has increased markedly in recent years. HA embolism can lead to serious complications such as blindness, eye and eyelid movement disorders, skin necrosis, and cerebral embolism. However, there is a lack of robust clinical evidence regarding the benefits of treatment of HA embolism with intra-arterial thrombolytic therapy (IATT).

Experimental Quantum Principal Component Analysis via Parametrized Quantum Circuits.

Principal component analysis (PCA) is a widely applied but rather time-consuming tool in machine learning techniques. In 2014, Lloyd, Mohseni, and Rebentrost proposed a quantum PCA (qPCA) algorithm [Lloyd, Mohseni, and Rebentrost, Nat. Phys.

Profile of gut flora in hypertensive patients with insufficient sleep duration.

Recently, the contribution of both insufficient sleep duration and gut microbiome dysbiosis to hypertension (HTN) have been revealed, yet the profile of gut flora in hypertensive patients with insufficient sleep duration remains unknown. To examine this condition, the specific shifts in the fecal microbiome of 53 participants with or without HTN were investigated. The patients were divided into those who slept short (≤6 h) or optimal (6-9 h) duration per day.