Explore the vast range of titles available.

Background The gut-brain axis plays a critical role in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the mechanisms through which exercise modulates gut microbiota, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and central neurotransmitters to ameliorate ASD-like behaviors remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of exercise on ASD-like behaviors, gut microbiota, and metabolism in a valproic acid (VPA)-induced ASD rat model and to validate these findings via fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). Methods ASD rat models were established through prenatal exposure to VPA and divided into four groups: exercise (E_ASD), non-exercise (ASD), FMT, and sham FMT (sFMT). The E_ASD group underwent 6 weeks of voluntary wheel running, while the FMT group received fecal microbiota from the E_ASD group for 4 weeks. Behavioral assessments were conducted to evaluate cognitive and social functions. Fecal microbiota composition was analyzed via 16S rRNA sequencing, while SCFAs and neurotransmitters were measured using gas and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results Six weeks of voluntary exercise significantly alleviated ASD-like behaviors, particularly improving social interactions. Exercise also altered gut microbiota composition, increasing Limosilactobacillus and Lactobacillus while decreasing Allobaculum . Additionally, SCFAs and neurotransmitter levels in the prefrontal cortex were modulated. Notably, FMT from the exercise group replicated these behavioral and metabolic improvements in ASD rats. Exercise improves ASD-like behaviors by modulating gut microbiota, SCFAs, and neurotransmitter levels, and FMT offers further validation of these effects. Conclusion These findings highlight exercise and FMT as promising strategies for alleviating ASD-related symptoms through gut-brain axis modulation.

Objectives Seeking a noninvasive predictor for BRAF V600E mutation status of pleomorphic xanthoastrocytomas (PXAs) is essential for their prognoses and therapeutic use of BRAF inhibitors. We aimed to noninvasively diagnose BRAF V600E-mutated PXAs using MRI morphologic, DWI and clinical parameters. Methods The clinical findings, anatomical MRI characteristics, and diffusion parameters of 36 pathologically confirmed PXAs were retrospectively analyzed, and BRAF V600E-mutated ( n  = 16) and wild-type ( n  = 20) groups were compared. A binary logistic-regression analysis was performed, and a ROC curve was calculated to determine the independent predictors of BRAF V600E mutation status, diagnostic accuracy, and optimal cut-off value. Results A comparison of findings between groups showed that BRAF V600E-mutated PXAs were more frequent in children and young adults (≤ 35 years; P  = 0.042) who often had histories of seizures ( P  = 0.004). Furthermore, BRAF V600E-mutated PXAs generally presented as solitary masses ( P  = 0.024), superficial locations with meningeal attachment ( P  < 0.001), predominantly cystic with mural nodules ( P  = 0.005), and had greater minimal ADC ratio (ADC ratio ) values of the tumor and peritumoral edema ( P  < 0.001). Binary logistic regression showed that age ≤ 35 years, solitary mass, superficial locations with meningeal attachment, and a greater minimal ADC ratio of the tumor were independent predictors of BRAF V600E-mutated PXAs. The combination of all four independent predictors resulted in the highest sensitivity (100%) and specificity (90%), with AUC = 0.984. Conclusion The BRAF V600E mutation status of PXAs could be noninvasively predicted using clinical and MRI characteristics. Critical relevance statement The noninvasive diagnostic criteria for BRAF V600E-mutated PXAs could offer guidance for the administration of BRAF V600E mutation inhibitors in the future. Key points 1. The relevant features of PXAs were analyzed according to BRAF V600E mutation status. 2. The BRAF V600E mutation status of PXAs can be accurately and noninvasively predicted. 3. The result can provide guidance for the administration of BRAF V600E mutation inhibitors.

To explore whether red yeast rice is a safe and effective alternative approach for dyslipidemia. Pubmed, the Cochrane Library, EBSCO host, Chinese VIP Information (VIP), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Databases were searched for appropriate articles. Randomized trials of RYR (not including Xuezhikang and Zhibituo) and placebo as control in patients with dyslipidemia were considered. Two authors read all papers and independently extracted all relevant information. The primary outcomes were serum total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride (TG), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). The secondary outcomes were increased levels of alanine transaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase, creatinine and fasting blood glucose. A total of 13 randomized, placebo-controlled trials containing 804 participants were analyzed. Red yeast rice exhibited significant lowering effects on serum TC [WMD = -0.97 (95% CI: -1.13, -0.80) mmol/L, P<0.001], TG [WMD = -0.23 (95% CI: -0.31, -0.14) mmol/L, P<0.001], and LDL-C [WMD = -0.87 (95% CI: -1.03, -0.71) mmol/L, P<0.001] but no significant increasing effect on HDL-C [WMD = 0.08 (95% CI: -0.02, 0.19) mmol/L, P = 0.11] compared with placebo. No serious side effects were reported in all trials. The meta-analysis suggests that red yeast rice is an effective and relatively safe approach for dyslipidemia. However, further long-term, rigorously designed randomized controlled trials are still warranted before red yeast rice could be recommended to patients with dyslipidemia, especially as an alternative to statins.

The safety, efficacy and stability of natural antioxidants have been the focus of research in the food industry, with the aim of rapidly analyzing and controlling the quality of rosemary and its extracts, a novel analytical method involving high-performance liquid chromatography with evaporative light scattering detection (HPLC-ELSD) was developed for the simultaneous determination of rosmarinic acid, carnosol, carnosic acid, oleanolic acid and ursolic acid in rosemary. Chromatographic separation was conducted with gradient elution mode by using a Zorbax SB-C18 column (4.6 mm × 250 mm, 5 μm) with mobile phases of methanol and 0.6% acetic acid. The drift tube temperature of ELSD was 70 °C, and the pressure of nebulizer nitrogen gas was 40 Psi. The method developed has high sensitivity (with limits of detection from 1.3 to 8.6 μg/mL), acceptable linearity over the tested concentrations (with correlation coefficients from 0.991 to 0.999), good repeatability (with intra- and inter-day CV less than 3.1% for all analytes) and satisfactory accuracy (with recovery between 95.5% and 100.8%). The method has been demonstrated as a powerful tool for the functional ingredients analysis and quality control of rosemary and its extracts in a cost- and time-effective manner.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d) was used to detect neurodegenerations in aged monkeys. Our previous studies have shown that aging-related NADPH-d positive bodies (ANBs) and megaloneurites appeared in the lumbosacral spinal cord of aged rats and dogs, respectively. To determine the occurrence of megaloneurites and ANBs in non-human primates, we used NADPH-d histochemistry to perform an advanced study of aging-related alterations in aged male monkeys. We identified two distinct abnormal NADPH-d positive alterations, which were expressed as ANBs and megaloneurites, mainly distributed in the superficial dorsal horn, dorsal gray commissure, lateral collateral pathway (LCP) and sacral parasympathetic nucleus of the sacral spinal cord in aged monkeys. Meanwhile, large diameter punctate NADPH-d abnormalities occurred and scattered in the lateral white matter of the LCP and dorsal root entry zone at the same level of megaloneurites in the gray matter. Immunohistochemical results showed that megaloneurites and ANBs are two distinct abnormal alterations, with megaloneurites co-localizing with vasoactive intestinal peptide immunoreactivity, whereas ANBs were not co-localized. Both ANBs and megaloneurites provide consistent evidence that the anomalous NADPH-d alterations in the aged sacral spinal cord are referred to as a specialized aging marker in the pelvic visceral organs in non-human primates.

Current literature emphasizes surgical complexities and customized resection for managing insular gliomas; however, radiogenomic investigations into prognostic radiomic traits remain limited. We aimed to develop and validate a radiomic model using multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for prognostic prediction and to reveal the underlying biological mechanisms. Radiomic features from preoperative MRI were utilized to develop and validate a radiomic risk signature (RRS) for insular gliomas, validated through paired MRI and RNA‐seq data (N = 39), to identify core pathways underlying the RRS and individual prognostic radiomic features. An 18‐feature‐based RRS was established for overall survival (OS) prediction. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) were used to identify intersectional pathways. In total, 364 patients with insular gliomas (training set, N = 295; validation set, N = 69) were enrolled. RRS was significantly associated with insular glioma OS (log‐rank p = 0.00058; HR = 3.595, 95% CI:1.636–7.898) in the validation set. The radiomic‐pathological‐clinical model (R‐P‐CM) displayed enhanced reliability and accuracy in prognostic prediction. The radiogenomic analysis revealed 322 intersectional pathways through GSEA and WGCNA fusion; 13 prognostic radiomic features were significantly correlated with these intersectional pathways. The RRS demonstrated independent predictive value for insular glioma prognosis compared with established clinical and pathological profiles. The biological basis for prognostic radiomic indicators includes immune, proliferative, migratory, metabolic, and cellular biological function‐related pathways. We believe that our study makes a significant contribution to the literature because it introduced a prognostic radiomic risk signature (RRS), which allowed the noninvasive stratification of insular glioma patients and complemented the molecular diagnosis‐based glioma classification. Furthermore, it revealed the factors that influence prognostic radiomic traits, providing insights that offer strategies for targeted therapy and tailored management of insular gliomas.

Background This study aimed to investigate the ability of an ultrasound-based risk stratification model integrating carotid intima thickness (CIT) and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) to aid in risk stratification and assessment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), thereby providing an objective basis for identifying high-risk individuals and informing individualized management strategies. Methods A total of 105 patients with T2DM were enrolled in this study. According to the 10-year ASCVD risk score, patients were further classified into T2DM patients with low-to-moderate burden of other cardiovascular risk factors and T2DM patients with high burden of other cardiovascular risk factors. CIT was measured using high-resolution ultrasound to assess vascular structure, while cfPWV was evaluated using the automatic measurement of arterial stiffness (AMAS) system to assess vascular function. Logistic regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analyses were performed to identify independent risk factors of high ASCVD risk. Based on these risk factors, individual discriminative models and a nomogram were constructed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to evaluate model performance, and differences among models were assessed using the DeLong test. Results CIT, cfPWV, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were identified as independent risk factors of high 10-year ASCVD risk in patients with T2DM. The areas under the curve (AUCs) for the CIT model, cfPWV model, eGFR model, combined CIT–cfPWV model, and the nomogram were approximately 0.781, 0.808, 0.797, 0.831, and 0.875, respectively. The constructed nomogram demonstrated excellent discrimination, calibration, and clinical applicability. Conclusions CIT and cfPWV show strong potential for identifying T2DM patients at high ASCVD risk as estimated by the China-PAR model. Incorporating these parameters into vascular evaluation may aid in risk stratification and provide a robust basis for individualized clinical intervention strategies. Prospective studies are needed to validate their prognostic value for future ASCVD events.

Argonaute proteins (Agos) from thermophiles function as endonucleases via guide-target base-pairing cleavage for host defense. Since guides play a key role in regulating the catalytic specificity of Agos, elucidating its underlying molecular mechanisms would promote the application of Agos in the medical sciences. Here, we reveal that an Ago from Pyrococcus furiosus (PfAgo) showed a stepwise endonuclease activity, which was demonstrated through a double-stranded DNA cleavage directed by a single guide DNA (gDNA) rather than a canonical pair of gDNAs. We validated that the cleavage products with 5'-phosphorylated ends can be used as a new guide to induce a new round of cleavage. Based on the reprogrammable capacity of Ago’s stepwise activity, we established a rapid and specific platform for unambiguous multiplex gene detection, termed Renewed-gDNA Assisted DNA cleavage by Argonaute (RADAR). Combined with a pre-amplification step, RADAR achieved sensitivity at the femtomolar level and specificity with at least a di-nucleotide resolution. Furthermore, RADAR simultaneously discriminated among multiple target sequences simply by corresponding multiple guides. We successfully distinguished four human papillomavirus serotypes from patient samples in a single reaction. Our technique, based on the unique properties of Ago, provides a versatile and sensitive method for molecular diagnosis.

In this paper, an image encryption algorithm based on a hyperchaotic system and variable-step Josephus problem is proposed. Based on an in-depth analysis of the classic Josephus problem, a new variable-step Josephus problem that combines the pseudorandom sequence with the Josephus problem is proposed. Firstly, the hash value of the plaintext image is calculated, which is converted to the initial value of the chaotic system. Secondly, the chaotic system is iterated to generate four pseudorandom sequences X, Y, Z, and W. The sequences X, Y, and Z are input as parameters into the variable-step Josephus function to scramble the positions of the rows, pixel bits, and columns of the image, respectively. Finally, the elements of the sequence W and the image pixels are used to perform the addition operation. According to the experiments, the information entropy of the encrypted image with size 256∗256 reaches 7.997 and the adjacent correlations in three directions are within ±0.01. The experimental results show that image encryption algorithm proposed in this paper has plaintext sensitivity and can resist the common attacks.

Organic coatings containing solid lubricants effectively prevent contact between recycled aluminum alloy surfaces and molds, thereby preventing damage caused by impurities. PVB-based easily removable coatings show promise in the stamping industry, but there is scarce research on the interactions of various lubricating additives within easily removable binder systems and their lubrication effects. This paper primarily concentrates on the synthesis of PVB-based composite coatings containing PTFE and MoS 2 . It delves into the synergistic lubrication mechanism of MoS 2 and PTFE on mold steel, as investigated through cupping and tribological tests. The results show that the compounded coating exhibits superior dispersion, lubrication performance, tribological properties, and can withstand higher stamping loads compared to single-component coatings. MoS 2 demonstrates exceptional extreme pressure performance and enhances the transfer capability of the coating. PTFE reduces the friction coefficient while minimizing coating adhesion to the die surface. This study provides a theoretical foundation for selecting solid lubricants in organic thin coatings for stamping lubrication.