Explore the vast range of titles available.

Ischemic stroke (IS) is a common neurological disorder associated with high disability rates and mortality rates. At present, recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-tPA) is the only US(FDA)-approved drug for IS. However, due to the narrow therapeutic window and risk of intracerebral hemorrhage, r-tPA is currently used in less than 5% of stroke patients. Natural compounds have been widely used in the treatment of IS in China and have a wide range of therapeutic effects on IS by regulating multiple targets and signaling pathways. The keywords “ischemia stroke, traditional Chinese Medicine, Chinese herbal medicine, natural compounds” were used to search the relevant literature in PubMed and other databases over the past five years. The results showed that JAK/STAT, NF-κB, MAPK, Notch, Nrf2, and PI3K/Akt are the key pathways, and SIRT1, MMP9, TLR4, HIF-α are the key targets for the natural compounds from traditional Chinese medicine in treating IS. This study aims to update and summarize the signaling pathways and targets of natural compounds in the treatment of IS, and provide a base of information for the future development of effective treatments for IS.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is common Cancer as well as the third leading cause of mortality around the world; its exact molecular mechanism remains elusive. Although CRC risk is significantly correlated with genetic factors, the pathophysiology of CRC is also influenced by external and internal exposures and their interactions with genetic factors. The field of CRC research has recently benefited from significant advances through Omics technologies for screening biomarkers, including genes, transcripts, proteins, metabolites, microbiome, and lipidome unbiasedly. A promising application of omics technologies could enable new biomarkers to be found for the screening and diagnosis of CRC. Single-omics technologies cannot fully understand the molecular mechanisms of CRC. Therefore, this review article aims to summarize the multi-omics studies of Colorectal cancer, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, microbiomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics that may shed new light on the discovery of novel biomarkers. It can contribute to identifying and validating new CRC biomarkers and better understanding colorectal carcinogenesis. Discovering biomarkers through multi-omics technologies could be difficult but valuable for disease genotyping and phenotyping. That can provide a better knowledge of CRC prognosis, diagnosis, and treatments.

Currently, exosome-enclosed microRNAs (miRs) in exhaled breath have potential for biomarker discovery in patients with pulmonary diseases. This study was performed to investigate the roles of M2 macrophage-derived exosomes expressing miR-328 in pulmonary fibrosis (PF). Microarray-based analysis was used to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and regulatory miRs in PF. The miR-target relationship between FAM13A and miR-328 was confirmed. The expression of FAM13A and miR-328 was measured in PF rats, and gain- and loss-of-function assays were conducted to determine the regulatory effects of FAM13A and miR-328 on PF. In addition, exosomes derived from M2 macrophages were isolated and then cocultured with pulmonary interstitial fibroblasts to identify the role of these exosomes in PF. Furthermore, the effects of M2 macrophage-derived exosomes overexpressing miR-328 on pulmonary fibroblast proliferation and the progression of PF were assessed in vivo. miR-328 might perform a vital function in PF by regulating FAM13A. FAM13A expression was downregulated while miR-328 expression was upregulated in rats with PF, and a miR-target relationship between miR-328 and FAM13A was observed. Additionally, miR-328 overexpression and FAM13A silencing each were suggested to promote pulmonary interstitial fibroblast proliferation and the expression of Collagen 1A, Collagen 3A and α-SMA. Then, in vitro experiments demonstrated that M2 macrophage-derived exosomes overexpressing miR-328 contributed to enhanced pulmonary interstitial fibroblast proliferation and promoted PF. Furthermore, in vivo experiments confirmed the promotive effects of M2 macrophage-derived exosomes overexpressing miR-328 on the progression of PF. Collectively, the results showed that M2 macrophage-derived exosomes overexpressing miR-328 aggravate PF through the regulation of FAM13A. Lung disease: Small RNAs promoting pulmonary fibrosis Studies in rats suggest that microRNAs, small molecules of ribonucleic acid, released by macrophage cells of the immune system can promote pulmonary fibrosis (PF), the formation of scar tissue in lungs. Gao-Feng Zhao, Li-Hua Xing and colleagues at The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in China investigated the role of microRNAs in rats with a form of PF that serves as a model for the disease in humans. Their findings confirm that specific microRNAs released in tiny membrane-bound sacs called exosomes interact with and inhibit a gene whose activity is known to be disrupted in PF. The protein encoded by this gene mediates crucial molecular signaling events in lung cells. Developing drugs that interfere with the activity of the microRNAs is a potential new treatment approach for PF.

To evaluate the process of nitrate accumulation and leaching in surface and ground water, we conducted simulated rainfall experiments. The experiments were performed in areas of 5.3 m2 with bare slopes of 3° that were treated with two nitrogen fertilizer inputs, high (22.5 g/m2 NH4NO3) and control (no fertilizer), and subjected to 2 hours of rainfall, with. From the 1st to the 7th experiments, the same content of fertilizer mixed with soil was uniformly applied to the soil surface at 10 minutes before rainfall, and no fertilizer was applied for the 8th through 12th experiments. Initially, the time-series nitrate concentration in the surface flow quickly increased, and then it rapidly decreased and gradually stabilized at a low level during the fertilizer experiments. The nitrogen loss in the surface flow primarily occurred during the first 18.6 minutes of rainfall. For the continuous fertilizer experiments, the mean nitrate concentrations in the groundwater flow remained at less than 10 mg/L before the 5th experiment, and after the 7th experiment, these nitrate concentrations were greater than 10 mg/L throughout the process. The time-series process of the changing concentration in the groundwater flow exhibited the same parabolic trend for each fertilizer experiment. However, the time at which the nitrate concentration began to change lagged behind the start time of groundwater flow by approximately 0.94 hours on average. The experiments were also performed with no fertilizer. In these experiments, the mean nitrate concentration of groundwater initially increased continuously, and then, the process exhibited the same parabolic trend as the results of the fertilization experiments. The nitrate concentration decreased in the subsequent experiments. Eight days after the 12 rainfall experiments, 50.53% of the total nitrate applied remained in the experimental soil. Nitrate residues mainly existed at the surface and in the bottom soil layers, which represents a potentially more dangerous pollution scenario for surface and ground water. The surface and subsurface flow would enter into and contaminate water bodies, thus threatening the water environment.

The etiology of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) and osteoarthritis (OA) is complex and multifactorial. Both predisposing genes and environmental factors are involved in the pathogenesis of IDD and OA. Moreover, epigenetic modifications affect the development of IDD and OA. Dysregulated phenotypes of nucleus pulposus (NP) cells and OA chondrocytes, including apoptosis, extracellular matrix disruption, inflammation, and angiogenesis, are involved at all developmental stages of IDD and OA. RNA binding proteins (RBPs) have recently been recognized as essential post‐transcriptional regulators of gene expression. RBPs are implicated in many cellular processes, such as proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Recently, several RBPs have been reported to be associated with the pathogenesis of IDD and OA. This review briefly summarizes the current knowledge on the RNA‐regulatory networks controlled by RBPs and their potential roles in the pathogenesis of IDD and OA. These initial findings support the idea that specific modulation of RBPs represents a promising approach for managing IDD and OA. RNA binding proteins induce RNA life in IDD and OA. RBPs play a central role in PTGR, including transcription, splicing, and export. The effective function of RBPs is critical for coordinating various post‐transcriptional events, and dysfunction of RBPs can lead to apoptosis, extracellular matrix disruption, angiogenesis, and inflammation, which cause IDD and OA.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is marked by hepatic steatosis accompanied by an inflammatory response. At present, there are no approved therapeutic agents for NAFLD. Dendrobium Huoshanense polysaccharide (DHP), an active ingredient extracted from the stems of Dendrobium Huoshanense , and exerts a protective effect against liver injury. However, the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of action DHP against NAFLD remain unclear. DHP was extracted, characterized, and administered to mice in which NAFLD had been induced with a high-fat and high-fructose drinking (HFHF) diet. Our results showed that DHP used in this research exhibits the characteristic polysaccharide peak with a molecular weight of 179.935 kDa and is composed primarily of Man and Glc in a molar ratio of 68.97:31.03. DHP treatment greatly ameliorated NAFLD by significantly reducing lipid accumulation and the levels of liver function markers in HFHF-induced NAFLD mice, as evidenced by decreased serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total cholesterol (TC) and total triglyceride (TG). Furthermore, DHP administration reduced hepatic steatosis, as shown by H&E and Oil red O staining. DHP also inhibited the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway expression, thereby reducing levels of hepatic proinflammatory cytokines. Besides, untargeted metabolomics further indicated that 49 metabolites were affected by DHP. These metabolites are strongly associated the metabolism of glycine, serine, threonine, nicotinate and nicotinamide, and arachidonic acid. In conclusion, DHP has a therapeutic effect against NAFLD, whose underlying mechanism may involve the modulation of TLR4/NF-κB, reduction of inflammation, and regulation of the metabolism of glycine, serine, threonine, nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism, and arachidonic acid metabolism.

The flotillin family member flotillin-1 (FLOT1) encodes a caveolae-associated, integral membrane protein that belongs to lipid raft family and involves in vesicular trafficking and signal transduction. However, the role of FLOT1 in development and progression of cancer remains largely unknown. The present study was aimed to investigate the clinical and prognostic significance of FLOT1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Real-time PCR and western blot analyses were applied to examine FLOT1 expression in fourteen HCC cell lines and one normal hepatic cell line, ten pairs of primary HCC and matched adjacent noncancerous liver tissues from the same patient. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to examine FLOT1 protein expression in paraffin-embedded tissues from 196 HCC patients. Statistical analyses were applied to evaluate the diagnostic value and associations of FLOT1 expression with clinical parameters. FLOT1 expression was evidently up-regulated in HCC tissues compared with that in the matched adjacent noncancerous liver tissues. In the 196 cases of tested HCC samples, FLOT1 protein level was positively correlated with Tumor size (P = 0.025), clinical stage (P<0.002), CLIP stage (P<0.001), vascular invasion (P<0.001), relapse (P<0.001), and serum AFP levels (P = 0.025). Patients with higher FLOT1 expression had shorter overall survival time, whereas those with lower FLOT1 expression had longer survival time. Our study demonstrated FLOT1 is associated with aggressive characteristics of HCC, and suggested the possibility of its use as a prognostic marker in patients with HCC.

The intricate pathogenesis of renal fibrosis necessitates identifying biomarkers at various stages to facilitate targeted therapeutic interventions, which would enhance patient survival rates and significantly improve prognosis. We investigated the changes in gut microbiota and serum metabolites during the early, middle, and late stages of renal fibrosis in rats using 16S rDNA sequencing and UPLC-QTOF/MS-based metabolomics. We identified 5, 21, and 14 potential gut microbial markers and 19, 23, and 31 potential metabolic markers in the MOD1, MOD2, and MOD4 groups, respectively. was identified as a shared microbial marker between the MOD1 and MOD2 groups; and were identified as shared microbial markers between the MOD2 and MOD4 groups. The pathways of arachidonic acid metabolism and retinol metabolism were found to play a significant role in the modulation of renal fibrosis at 1, 2, and 4 weeks. Notably, the metabolic biomarkers 8,9-EET and 5(S)-HPETE within these pathways emerged as critical determinants influencing renal fibrosis. Our findings demonstrated that the severity of renal fibrosis is associated with dysbiosis of the gut microbiota and alterations in serum metabolites.

Since the new tunnel is close to existing tunnel, the vibration wave induced by blasting endangers the safety and stabilization of the surrounding rock and the lining of existing tunnel. In the tunnel blasting vibration monitoring and safety prediction, Peak Particle Velocity (PPV) and vibration frequency are used widely as safety standards. To investigate the effect of blast-induced vibration from adjacent tunnel on existing tunnel, field monitoring experiments and a numerical method that is Finite Element Method (FEM) were adopted to study the blasting vibration velocity and vibration frequency of existing tunnel. Combined blasting vibration velocity with vibration frequency, the paper studied axial and radial blasting vibration velocity distributions and the corresponding Power Spectral Density (PSD) distributions of the existing tunnel under the effect of blast-induced vibration from adjacent subway tunnel. And the parameters of constitutive model and blasting loads were also discussed. It is shown that field monitoring experiment and numerical simulation can optimize blasting excavation program and provide a reference for other similar engineering projects.

To investigate potential differences in clinical and computed tomography (CT) features between patients with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant and the original strain. This retrospective study included 69 hospitalized patients infected with Omicron variant from November to December 2022, and 96 hospitalized patients infected with the original strain from February to March 2020 in Chongqing, China. The clinical features, CT manifestations, degrees of lung involvement in different stages on CT, and imaging changes after the reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results turned negative were compared between the two groups. For clinical features, patients with Omicron were predominantly old people and females, without manifestation of any clinical symptoms, who had low serum levels of C-reactive protein and procalcitonin. Shorter interval from symptoms onset to initial CT scan was observed in Omicron patients compared to patients with the original strain (all < 0.05). For CT features, patients with Omicron were more likely to present with round-like opacities and tree-in-bud pattern (all < 0.05), but less likely to exhibit a diffuse distribution, patchy and linear opacities, as well as vascular enlargement pattern (all < 0.05). The Omicron group was more susceptible to exhibiting lower CT involvement scores in each stage (all < 0.05) and imaging progression after the RT-PCR results turned negative ( < 0.001). Patients infected with the Omicron variant exhibited less severe changes on chest CT compared to those infected with the original strain. Furthermore, imaging progression under low viral load conditions was more common in patients with Omicron than in those with the original strain.