The predictive role of composite inflammatory ratio parameters in the conscious awareness recovery after severe acute ischemic stroke: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Inflammatory mechanisms play a significant role in ischemic stroke. Peripheral neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), which are indicators capable of reflecting the magnitude of the inflammatory response, have been research hotspots. However, few research findings evaluate the prediction significance of these biomarkers in the recovery of conscious awareness following severe acute ischemic stroke.

Novel insights into mechanisms and therapeutics for presbycusis.

Presbycusis, also referred to as age-related hearing loss, poses a substantial burden on both individuals and society. The hallmark of presbycusis is a progressive decrease in auditory sensitivity. Irreversible hearing loss occurs due to the limited regenerative capacity of spiral neurons and peripheral cochlear hair cells (HCs).

Investigation of Mother-to-Child Transmission of Hepatitis B in Yinchuan, China: Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

Background: Hepatitis B poses a significant global public health challenge, with mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) being the primary method of hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission. The prevalence of HBV infection in China is the highest in Asia, and it carries the greatest burden globally.

Objective: This study aims to critically evaluate the existing local strategies for preventing MTCT and the proposed potential enhancements by analyzing the prevalence of hepatitis B among pregnant women and their neonates in Yinchuan.

Application of a clamshell isothermal nucleic acid amplification analyzer in the detection of lower respiratory tract bacteria.

Objectives: The clamshell isothermal nucleic acid amplification analyzer RTisochip-S, a next-generation instrument featuring improved structural design, enhanced functional integration, reduced cost, and increased portability, was assessed for its suitability in clinical respiratory pathogens detection.

Methods: The certificated detection kit for lower respiratory tract bacteria (LRTB-kit) was applied to evaluate the performance of RTisochip-S via sensitivity, specificity, and repeatability analysis. The clinical specimens, including 51 sputum specimens and 10 bronchoalveolar lavage fluid specimens, were simultaneously detected on both RTisochip-S and a certificated reference instrument (RTisochip-A) to assess the consistency.

The prevalence of positive right to left shunt in migraine patients with and without aura: A new single-center study in China.

Background: Recently, many studies have reported that there may be association between positive right-to-left shunt (RLS) and migraine, especially Migraine with aura (MA) patients. However, these researches are mostly limited in Western country. And the latest study describing the prevalence of RLS in Chinese patients with migraine was conducted five years ago.

Transcriptome Analysis and Identification of Cadmium-Induced Oxidative Stress Response Genes in Different Developmental Stages.

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the major pollutants in the aquatic environment, and it can easily accumulate in aquatic animals and result in toxic effects by changing the metabolism of the body, causing a serious impact on the immune system, reproductive system, and the development of offspring. The clam is one of the commercially important species that is cultivated in large-scale aquaculture in China. To elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms of Cd in the developmental processes, fertilized eggs and larvae of at different developmental stages were exposed to Cd (27.

Identification of Candidate Genes Associated With Development of Vascular Cognitive Impairment by Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis Combined With Biological Experiments.

The morbidity and mortality associated with vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) generally increase steeply, and health systems will face increasing demand for services. The present study aims to screen key genes to give new insight into the mechanisms and treatment of VCI based on bioinformatic approaches combined with biological experiments in rats. The gene expression data of VCI patients contained in the GSE122063 data set were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus.

SARS-CoV-2 transmission via maritime cold chains: A statistical analysis of nucleic acid detection results of cold chain food imported from Fuzhou ports.

Numerous epidemic outbreaks related to cold chains have occurred since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, suggesting the potential danger of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission through cold chain foods (CCFs). By analyzing SARS-CoV-2 RNA contamination of CCFs imported from Fuzhou ports, this study evaluated the contamination and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 RNA via maritime cold chains, with the aim of provide suggestions for CCFs supervision and public health management. The statistical analysis included 131,385 samples.

The Effects of Different Soil Component Couplings on the Methylation and Bioavailability of Mercury in Soil.

Soil composition can influence the chemical forms and bioavailability of soil mercury (Hg). However, previous studies have predominantly focused on the influence of individual components on the biogeochemical behavior of soil Hg, while the influence of various component interactions among several individual factors remain unclear. In this study, artificial soil was prepared by precisely regulating its components, and a controlled potted experiment was conducted to investigate the influence of various organic and inorganic constituents, as well as different soil textures resulting from their coupling, on soil Hg methylation and its bioavailability.

Unbiased interrogation of functional lysine residues in human proteome.

CRISPR screens have empowered the high-throughput dissection of gene functions; however, more explicit genetic elements, such as codons of amino acids, require thorough interrogation. Here, we establish a CRISPR strategy for unbiasedly probing functional amino acid residues at the genome scale. By coupling adenine base editors and barcoded sgRNAs, we target 215,689 out of 611,267 (35%) lysine codons, involving 85% of the total protein-coding genes.

Evaluation of a novel lyophilized-pellet-based 2019-nCoV nucleic acid detection kit for the diagnosis of COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has swept the world and poses a serious threat to human health. In the post-pandemic-era, we must remain vigilant against the co-infection of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses. More accurate and convenient detection methods are required for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 due to its prolonged existence.

"Unpacking" cultural differences in social anxiety between Japanese and European Americans: the roles of threat appraisal and attentional bias.

Introduction: Cultural differences in self-reported social anxiety between people of East Asian heritage and European heritage may be related to differences in independent and interdependent self-construals, which potentially influence the processing of social threat.

Methods: We examined the roles of two different aspects of threat bias: threat appraisal (Study 1) and attentional bias (Study 2) to explain cultural group differences in social anxiety between Japanese and European American college students.

Results: Study 1 demonstrated that sequential mediations of lower independent self-construal and higher appraisal of threat among Japanese could explain their higher social anxiety compared to European Americans.

Advanced strategies for metabolic engineering of Bacillus to produce extracellular polymeric substances.

Extracellular polymeric substances are mainly synthesized via a variety of biosynthetic pathways in bacteria. Bacilli-sourced extracellular polymeric substances, such as exopolysaccharides (EPS) and poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA), can serve as active ingredients and hydrogels, and have other important industrial applications. However, the functional diversity and widespread applications of these extracellular polymeric substances, are hampered by their low yields and high costs.

Meta-analysis of iron metabolism markers levels of Parkinson's disease patients determined by fluid and MRI measurements.

Background: Parkinson' s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease featured neuropathologically by the loss of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra (SN). Iron overload in the SN is mainly relative to the pathology and pathogenesis of PD. Postmortem samples of PD has indicated the increased levels of brain iron.

Evaluation of the effects of long-term natural and artificial restoration on vegetation characteristics, soil properties and their coupling coordinations.

Vegetation restoration is the most important factor to restrain soil and water loss in the Chinese Loess Plateau, and its effect is long-term. Among them, the coupling and coordination relationship between vegetation and soil is the key to the smooth implementation of ecological restoration and the project of returning farmland to forest and grassland. However, people have neglected whether the choice of vegetation restoration method is suitable for the development of ecological environment in this region, and whether vegetation and soil coexist harmoniously.

Selenium/sulfur-modified montmorillonite materials mitigate mercury pollution in farmland.

Selenium (Se) amendment could reduce mercury (Hg) bioaccumulation in crops, but sometimes it could cause excessive Se accumulation in crops and potential Se exposure risks for humans. In this study, we designed and synthesized selenium and sulfur-modified montmorillonite materials (Se/S-Mont) to effectively reduce mercury levels and avoid excessive Se enrichment in plants. The results of pot experiments (1 g Se/S-Mont/100 g soil) and field microplot trials (0.

Ni-Ti Intercalated and Supported Bentonite for Selective Hydrogenation of Cinnamaldehyde.

Ni-Ti intercalated bentonite catalysts (Ni-Ti-bentonite) and Ni-TiO supported bentonite catalysts (Ni-TiO /bentonite) were prepared, and the effects of Ni-Ti supported and intercalated bentonite on the selective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde were investigated. Ni-Ti intercalated bentonite enhanced the Brønsted acid sites strength, decreased the acid amount and Lewis's acid sites strength, which inhibited the activation of the C=O bond and contributed to selective hydrogenation of the C=C bond. When Ni-TiO was supported on bentonite, the acid amount and Lewis's acid strength of the catalyst increased, providing additional adsorption sites and increased the acetals byproducts.

Distribution and Interactive Effects of Heavy Metals in Soil-Maize (Zea Mays L.) System in the Mercury Mining Area, Southwestern China.

The concentrations and interactive effects of beneficial elements (i.e., Se, Mo, and Zn) and heavy metals (As, Cd, Hg, and Pb) of maize (Zea mays L.

Anomalous concentrations and environmental implications of rare earth elements in the rock-soil-moss system in the black shale area.

Nowadays, rare earth elements (REEs) pollution caused by anthropogenic activities has aroused great attention, but the contribution of natural geological sources remains unclear. In this study, parent rocks, corresponding soil, and overlying moss (Pohlia flexuosa Harv. In Hook) were collected to identify the release, transportation, and environmental exposure of REEs in the black shale areas.

Putative functions of EpsK in teichuronic acid synthesis and phosphate starvation in .

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) are extracellular macromolecules in bacteria, which function in cell growth and show potential for mechanism study and biosynthesis application. However, the biosynthesis mechanism of EPS is still not clear. We herein chose CGMCC 2876 as a target strain to investigate the EPS biosynthesis.

Circular RNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 and emerging variants.

As the emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 continue to drive the worldwide pandemic, there is a constant demand for vaccines that offer more effective and broad-spectrum protection. Here, we report a circular RNA (circRNA) vaccine that elicited potent neutralizing antibodies and T cell responses by expressing the trimeric RBD of the spike protein, providing robust protection against SARS-CoV-2 in both mice and rhesus macaques. Notably, the circRNA vaccine enabled higher and more durable antigen production than the 1mΨ-modified mRNA vaccine and elicited a higher proportion of neutralizing antibodies and distinct Th1-skewed immune responses.

Production of polyunsaturated fatty acids by Schizochytrium (Aurantiochytrium) spp.

Diverse health benefits are associated with dietary consumption of omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 LC-PUFA), particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Traditionally, these fatty acids have been obtained from fish oil, but limited supply, variably quality, and an inability to sustainably increase production for a rapidly growing market, are driving the quest for alternative sources. DHA derived from certain marine protists (heterotrophic thraustochytrids) already has an established history of commercial production for high-value dietary use, but is too expensive for use in aquaculture feeds, a much larger potential market for ω-3 LC-PUFA.

Fulvic acid: A key factor governing mercury bioavailability in a polluted plateau wetland.

Fulvic acids (FAs) are known to regulate the fate of mercury (Hg) in sediments, but the key effects of their properties are still unclear. In this study, field investigations and simulation experiments were conducted in a heavy metal-polluted wetland to identify FA characteristics and their association with the production and bioaccumulation of methylmercury (MeHg). Compared to permanently inundated areas (PIA), seasonally inundated areas (SIAs) had lower total Hg levels in sediments, whereas higher MeHg levels in sediments (0.

Effects of High Hydrostatic Pressure on the Conformational Structure and Gel Properties of Myofibrillar Protein and Meat Quality: A Review.

In meat processing, changes in the myofibrillar protein (MP) structure can affect the quality of meat products. High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) has been widely utilized to change the conformational structure (secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure) of MP so as to improve the quality of meat products. However, a systematic summary of the relationship between the conformational structure (secondary and tertiary structure) changes in MP, gel properties and product quality under HHP is lacking.