Optimal Organization of Functional Connectivity Networks for Segregation and Integration With Large-Scale Critical Dynamics in Human Brains.

The optimal organization for functional segregation and integration in brain is made evident by the "small-world" feature of functional connectivity (FC) networks and is further supported by the loss of this feature that has been described in many types of brain disease. However, it remains unknown how such optimally organized FC networks arise from the brain's structural constrains. On the other hand, an emerging literature suggests that brain function may be supported by critical neural dynamics, which is believed to facilitate information processing in brain.

Identification of Four Novel Variants and Determination of Genotype-Phenotype Correlations for ABCA4 Variants Associated With Inherited Retinal Degenerations.

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to describe the genetic and clinical features of 17 patients with ABCA4-related inherited retinal degenerations (IRDs) and define the phenotype-genotype correlations.

Methods: In this multicenter retrospective study, 17 patients from 16 families were enrolled, and ABCA4 gene variants were detected using targeted next-generation sequencing using a custom designed panel for IRDs. Sanger sequencing and co-segregation analysis of the suspected pathogenic variants were performed with the family members.

A novel approach for modulating the spatial distribution of fat globules in acid milk gel and its effect on the perception of fat-related attributes.

Modulating the inhomogeneous distribution of fat globules within an emulsion gel is now being considered an effective method to increase the perception of fat-related sensory attributes. However, the methods for preparing the inhomogeneous gel were relatively complicated in previous studies. In the present study, milks enriched with different sizes of fat globule were obtained and then used to prepare glucono-δ-lactone-induced milk gels.

Evaluation of the formation and antifouling properties of a novel adsorptive homogeneous mixed matrix membrane with generated Zr-based nanoparticles.

generation is a powerful technique used to prepare homogenous adsorptive mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) containing functional nanoparticles, although the mechanism of formation of the membranes is not yet clear and there have been few published evaluations of membrane fouling. We therefore used this method to prepare a novel homogeneous adsorptive Zr-based nanoparticle-polyethersulfone (PES) MMM and systematically studied the mechanism of membrane formation at the atomic level. As the amount of ZrOCl·8HO in the casting solution increased, the phase inversion kinetics changed from instantaneous demixing due to the thermodynamic enhancement effect to a delayed demixing process caused by viscosity hindrance.

Serious Workplace Violence Against Healthcare Providers in China Between 2004 and 2018.

Workplace violence (WPV) against healthcare providers has severe consequences and is underreported worldwide. The aim of this study was to present the features, causes, and outcomes of serious WPV against healthcare providers in China. We searched for serious WPV events reported online and analyzed information about time, location, people, methods, motivations, and outcomes related to the incident.

Do Maternal Microbes Shape Newborn Oral Microbes?

Strong evidence suggests that the early composition of the oral microbiota of neonates plays an important role for the postnatal development of the oral health or immune system. However, the relationship between the maternal microbiome and the initial neonatal microbiome remains unclear. In this study, 25 pregnant women and their neonates were recruited, and the samples were collected from the maternal oral cavity, amniotic fluid, placenta and neonatal oral cavity.

Deciphering the Key Pharmacological Pathways and Targets of Yisui Qinghuang Powder That Acts on Myelodysplastic Syndromes Using a Network Pharmacology-Based Strategy.

Background: Yisui Qinghuang powder (YSQHP) is an effective traditional Chinese medicinal formulation used for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). However, its pharmacological mechanism of action is unclear.

Materials And Methods: In this study, the active compounds of YSQHP were screened using the traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology (TCMSP) and HerDing databases, and the putative target genes of YSQHP were predicted using the STITCH and DrugBank databases.

Characterization of the relationship between olfactory perception and the release of aroma compounds before and after simulated oral processing.

Aroma is an important property of fermented milk, and it directly affects consumer acceptance. However, previous studies have mainly focused on analyzing the composition of aroma compounds in fermented milk in vitro, and the composition may be different from the real aroma composition that stimulates the sense of smell. Furthermore, the relationship between olfactory attributes and the release of aroma compounds was not fully understood.

Identification of Yak's Alternative Spliceosomes and Bioinformatic Analysis of TLR4 Protein Structure and Function.

In this study, the yak's gene alternative spliceosomes were investigated using PCR amplification and cloning to improve disease-resistance in yak and promote efficient utilization of yak's resources. qRT-PCR was used to determine the expression levels of two alternatively spliced transcripts of the gene in seven distinct tissues. To predict the function of proteins expressed by each spliceosome, bioinformatic analysis of yak's TLR4 protein structure and function was performed, which led to the identification of two alternative spliceosomes of yak's gene.

Natural flavonoid pectolinarigenin alleviated kidney fibrosis via inhibiting the activation of TGFβ/SMAD3 and JAK2/STAT3 signaling.

Renal fibrosis is a final common manifestation of CKD resulting in progressive loss of kidney function. The activation of SMAD3 and STAT3 played central roles in the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis, which has been recognized as potential targets for antifibrotic therapy. As we known, the potential of natural products as the candidates for drug discovery has been well recognized.

Efficacy of the combined use of donepezil with either quetiapine or sodium valproate in patients with Alzheimer's disease with behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, and their effects on vascular endothelial growth factors.

The present study aimed to compare the clinical efficacy of donepezil combined with quetiapine and with sodium valproate on behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and to explore the changes and clinical value of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). For this purpose, a total of 131 patients with AD admitted to the Infirmary of Shandong Agricultural University from January, 2017 to January, 2019 were included, of which 60 treated with donepezil combined with quetiapine were designated as group A, whereas 71 treated with donepezil combined with sodium valproate were designated as group B. The behavioral pathology in the AD rating scale (BEHAVE-AD) was used for the evaluation of the clinical efficacy, the brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS) for the mental state assessment, and the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) for the assessment of cognitive performance.

Phylogenetic and Physiological Diversity of Cultivable Actinomycetes Isolated From Alpine Habitats on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Actinomycetes in extreme alpine habitat have attracted much attention due to their unique physiological activities and functions. However, little is known about their ecological distribution and diversity. Here, we explored the phylogenetic relationship and physiological heterogeneity of cultivable actinomycetes from near-root soils of different plant communities in the Laohu Ditch (2200 - 4200 m) and Gaize County area (5018 - 5130 m) on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

The effects of morin on bone regeneration to accelerate healing in bone defects in mice.

Restoring bone defects are the major challenge facing clinical trial therapy, particularly skull related problems. Morin, a naturally occurring compound, has pro-osteogenesis. This research focuses on assessing the role of morin for its pro-osteogenesis activities.

Association of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms in ABCC5 Gene with Primary Angle Closure Glaucoma and the Ocular Biometric Parameters in a Northern Chinese Population.

Background: The rs1401999 gene in ABCC5 gene was the first locus confirmed by a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to be associated with both anterior chamber depth (ACD) and primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG); however, this locus was of obvious heterogeneity among different populations in the GWAS, and the conclusion has not been further verified by other studies. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate whether the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ABCC5 gene are associated with PACG and the ocular biometric parameters ACD and axial length (AL) in samples from northern China.

Methods: Case-control association study included 500 PACG patients and 720 unrelated controls from northern China, and genotyping was performed for ten SNPs in ABCC5 gene using an improved multiplex ligation detection reaction technique.

Myopia with X-linked retinitis pigmentosa results from a novel gross deletion of RPGR gene.

Aim: To identify mutations with whole exome sequencing (WES) in a Chinese X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP) family.

Methods: Patients received the comprehensive ophthalmic evaluation. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and subjected to SureSelect Human All Exon 6+ UTR exon capture kit.

[Clinical Characteristics and Bone Marrow Histopathology Features in Essential Thrombocythaemia Patients with Different Gene Mutation in China].

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics, laboratorial and bone marrow pathological features of primary thrombocytopenia (ET) patients with different mutations of CALR, JAK2 and MPL genes.

Methods: The chinical data of 120 cases of ET in Jiangsu provincial people's hospital/ The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2015 to December 2017 were collected and analyzed, including 76 cases with JAK2 gene mutation, 40 cases with CALR gene mutation, 2 cases with MPL gene mutations, 2 cases without gene mutation.

Results: Among the ET patients, compared with the JAK2 gene mutation, CALR gene mutation showed statistically significant deareament of white blood cells and hemoglobin (P=0.

Two novel gene mutations in Chinese family with achromatopsia.

Achromatopsia (ACHM) is an inherited retinal disease affecting the cone cell function. To date, six pathogenic genes of ACHM have been identified. However, the diagnostic and therapeutic methods of this disorder remain limited.

SNHG10/DDX54/PBX3 Feedback Loop Contributes to Gastric Cancer Cell Growth.

Background: The importance of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been identified in human cancers, such as emerged as tumor facilitator or tumor suppressor. Small nucleolar RNA host gene 10 (SNHG10) has been reported as an oncogenic lncRNA in hepatocellular carcinoma. However, its functional role and underlying mechanism in gastric cancer (GC) need to be further explored.

Scleral HIF-1α is a prominent regulatory candidate for genetic and environmental interactions in human myopia pathogenesis.

Background: Myopia is a good model for understanding the interaction between genetics and environmental stimuli. Here we dissect the biological processes affecting myopia progression.

Methods: Human Genetic Analyses: (1) gene set analysis (GSA) of new genome wide association study (GWAS) data for 593 individuals with high myopia (refraction ≤ -6 diopters [D]); (2) over-representation analysis (ORA) of 196 genes with de novo mutations, identified by whole genome sequencing of 45 high-myopia trio families, and (3) ORA of 284 previously reported myopia risk genes.

A oxygen vacancy-modulated homojunction structural CuBiO photocathodes for efficient solar water reduction.

The photoelectrochemical (PEC) water reduction performance of CuBi2O4 (CBO)-based photocathodes is still far from their theoretical values due to low bulk and surface charge separation efficiencies. Herein, we propose a regrowth strategy to prepare a photocathode with CBO coating on Zn-doped CBO (CBO/Zn-CBO). Furthermore, NaBH4 treatment of CBO/Zn-CBO introduced oxygen vacancies (Ov) on CBO/Zn-CBO.

Identification of specific microRNA-messenger RNA regulation pairs in four subtypes of breast cancer.

Four subtypes of breast cancer, luminal A, luminal B, basal-like, human epidermal growth factor receptor-enriched, have been identified based on gene expression profiles of human tumours. The goal of this study is to find whether the same groups' genes would exhibit different networks among the four subtypes. Differential expressed genes between each of the four subtypes and the normal samples were identified.

[Meta-analysis on effect of Grifola frondosa polysaccharide in regulating in vivo immunoregulatory function on animal disease models].

The study aimed to explore the in vivo immunoregulatory function of Grifola frondosa polysaccharide( GFP) on animal disease models. Databases of PubMed,Embase,Web of Scinece,CNKI,CBM and Wan Fang Data were searched from the date of their establishment to February 2018. Two reviewers independently screened included studies and evaluated their quality by using SYRCLE's risk of bias tool.