Abstract Background MAPK8IP2 is one of the JNK-interacting proteins (JIPs) family members, and is involved in the regulation of the JNK and P38 MAPK signaling pathways. MAPK8IP2 has been reported to be closely associated with several cancers. However, the biological function of MAPK8IP2 in prostate cancer (PCa) remains unclear. Methods MAPK8IP2 expression in PCa and subgroups of PCa was analyzed by public databases. The prognostic role of MAPK8IP2 in prostate cancer was analyzed using the...

Abstract Background Chrysanthemum virus B (CVB), a key member of the genus Carlavirus, family Betaflexiviridae, causes severe viral diseases in chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium) plants worldwide. However, information on the mechanisms underlying the response of chrysanthemum plants to CVB is scant. Methods Here, an integrated next-generation sequencing and comparative transcriptomic analysis of chrysanthemum leaves was conducted to explore the molecular response mechanisms of plants to a Chinese isolate of CVB (CVB-CN) at the molecular level. Results...

Abstract Background Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) have considerably high mortality and re-hospitalisation rate. Diaphragmatic dysfunction (DD) is common in COPD patients. However, whether diaphragmatic dysfunction is related to acute exacerbation is yet to be elucidated. This study aimed to evaluate the diaphragm function by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in COPD patients and assess whether the impact of DD may help predict AECOPD. Methods 20 healthy adult volunteers and 80 COPD patients...

Abstract Background The transcriptional changes around zygotic genome activation (ZGA) in preimplantation embryos are critical for studying mechanisms of embryonic developmental arrest and searching for key transcription factors. However, studies on the transcription profile of porcine ZGA are limited. Results In this study, we performed RNA sequencing in porcine in vivo developed (IVV) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryo at different stages and compared the transcriptional activity of porcine embryos with mouse, bovine and...

Objective: With the global epidemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), vaccination rates are increasing globally. This study evaluated the relevant clinical manifestations of vaccinated COVID-19 patients. Methods: We searched carefully in 11 databases such as PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Ovid, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Wan Fang Data, Sinomed, VIP Database, and Reading Showing Database up to 26 March 2022. To search for articles that have described the characteristics of vaccinated...

Abstract The innate immune system is the body’s first line of defense against pathogens and involves antibody and complement system-mediated antigen removal. Immune-response-related complement molecules have been identified in lamprey, and the occurrence of innate immune response via the mannose-binding lectin-associated serine proteases of the lectin cascade has been reported. We have previously shown that lamprey (Lampetra japonica) serum can efficiently and specifically eliminate foreign pathogens. Therefore, we aimed to understand the immune mechanism of...

Abstract The innate immune system is the body’s first line of defense against pathogens and involves antibody and complement system-mediated antigen removal. Immune-response-related complement molecules have been identified in lamprey, and the occurrence of innate immune response via the mannose-binding lectin-associated serine proteases of the lectin cascade has been reported. We have previously shown that lamprey (Lampetra japonica) serum can efficiently and specifically eliminate foreign pathogens. Therefore, we aimed to understand the immune mechanism of...

Abstract Aim of the study We aimed to elucidate the synergistic effect and potential mechanism of New Baitouweng Decoction (NBD) combined with fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in rats with DSS-induced ulcerative colitis (UC). Materials and methods Colitis was induced by 5% (w/v) dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in drinking water for 7 days. NBD or NBD combined with FMT were administered to the colitis rats. Body weight and disease activity index were measured, and the colon...

Abstract Background Microbiome-gut-brain axis may be involved in the progression of age-related cognitive impairment and relevant brain structure changes, but evidence from large human cohorts is lacking. This study was aimed to investigate the associations of gut microbiome with cognitive impairment and brain structure based on multi-omics from three independent populations. Methods We included 1430 participants from the Guangzhou Nutrition and Health Study (GNHS) with both gut microbiome and cognitive assessment data available as a...

Abstract Background Balance stabilization exercises are often prescribed to facilitate compensation in individuals with vestibular schwannoma (VS). However, both the assessment and prescription of these exercises are reliant on clinical observations and expert opinion rather than on quantitative evidence. The aim of this study was to quantify head motion kinematics in individuals with vestibular loss while they performed commonly prescribed balance stability exercises. Methods Using inertial measurement units, head movements of individuals with vestibular schwannoma...

Abstract Background C1q/TNF-related protein 9 (CTRP9) and adiponectin (APN) have beneficial metabolic regulatory and vasoprotective effects. This study explored alteration of CTRP9 and APN multimers during onset of ischemic stroke and development, to provide novel clinical and experimental basis for recognition and prevention of ischemic stroke. Methods There were 269 patients with ischemic stroke and 182 control subjects included in this study. Serum levels of CTRP9 and APN multimers in different disease stages were measured....

Abstract Background Neuronal injury is considered a critical risk factor in the pathogenesis of most neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms and identification of potential therapeutic targets for preventing neuronal injury associated with brain function remain largely uncharacterized. Therefore, identifying neural mechanisms would put new insights into the progression of this condition and provide novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of these diseases. Methods Stereotactic injection of AAV virus was used to...

Abstract Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive respiratory disease. COPD is associated with accelerated lung aging. Circadian clock is believed to play important roles in COPD. Although the circadian molecular clock regulates cellular senescence, there is no information available regarding the impact of COPD. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of the circadian clock protein BMAL1 and CLOCK in cellular senescence in order to understand the cellular mechanisms of...

Abstract Background Elucidating the phylogenetic relationships within species-rich genera is essential but challenging, especially when lineages are assumed to have been going through radiation events. Mahonia Nutt. (Berberidaceae) is a genus with cosmopolitan distribution, comprising approximately 100 species, two of which are known as Caulis Mahoniae (M. bealei and M. fortunei) with crucial pharmacological significance in Chinese herbal medicine. Mahonia is a taxonomically challenging genus, and intrageneric phylogenetic relationships still need to be explored using...

Abstract Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a common malignant tumor of the urinary system characterized by poor prognosis and difficult treatment. It has been reported that iron metabolism dysregulation is a common phenomenon in ccRCC and is closely related to the process of ccRCC. But still now, the exact function and underlying mechanisms of iron metabolism dysregulation in ccRCC have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we comprehensively investigated the prognostic value...

Abstract Object Scarlet fever is an acute respiratory infectious disease that endangers public health and imposes a huge economic burden. In this paper, we systematically studied its spatial and temporal evolution and explore its potential ecological drivers. The goal of this research is to provide a reference for analysis based on surveillance data of scarlet fever and other acute respiratory infectious illnesses, and offer suggestions for prevention and control. Method This research is based on...

Photochromic sapphires show an optically controllable orange coloration under ambient temperature, which strongly affects the color appearance and market value of gemstone sapphires. An in-situ absorption spectroscopy combined with a tunable excitation light source has been developed to investigate the wavelength- and time dependence of sapphire’s photochromism. An excitation of ≤370 nm and ≥410 nm introduces and removes the orange coloration, respectively, accompanied by a stable absorption band at 470 nm. Both the color enhancement...

Abstract Background Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used to treat various diseases for thousands of years. However, the uncertainty of dosage as well as the lack of systemic evaluation of pharmacology and toxicology is one major reason why TCM remains mysterious and is not accepted worldwide. Hence, we aimed to propose an integrated dose–response metabolomics strategy based on both therapeutic effects and adverse reactions to guide the TCM dosage in treatment. Methods The proposed...

Abstract Background Accumulating evidence implicates that gut fungi are associated with the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC). Our previous study has revealed that Candida tropicalis (C. tropicalis) promotes colorectal tumorigenesis by enhancing immunosuppressive function of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and increasing accumulation of MDSCs, but the underlying mechanisms remain unestablished. Methods Bone marrow–derived MDSCs were stimulated with C. tropicalis. RNA-sequencing analysis was performed to screen the differentially expressed genes. Quantitative real-time PCR and western blot...

China is a multi-ethnic country, and the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) infection may be diverse among ethnics. This meta-analysis was conducted to compare the prevalence of H pylori infection between Tibetans and Han ethnics. Ten studies that reported the prevalence of H pylori infection between Tibetans and Hans in China were eligible. The pooled prevalence of H pylori infection was 62.2% versus 55.3% among Tibetans and Hans, respectively. Tibetans had a higher risk...

Abstract Background Data from the Global Burden of Disease, Injury, and Risk Factor Study 2019 (GBD 2019) was used to assess the burden and change in prevalence, incidence, deaths, disability-adjusted life years, and risk factors for atrial fibrillation/flutter in 204 countries and territories between 1990 and 2019. Methods Incidence, prevalence, deaths, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and their age-standardized rates of AF/AFL were analyzed by age, sex, socio-demographic index (SDI), and human development index (HDI) using...

Abstract Background Radioresistance is the primary cause of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treatment failure. Previous studies have focused on the deficits in cellular apoptosis as a mechanism for radioresistance; however, additional potential death modes involved in modulating radiosensitivity of NPC have not been explored. Methods Pyroptosis was assessed by phase-contrast imaging, LDH release assays, live cell imaging, and Western blotting. In vitro and in vivo assays were used to investigate the function of gasdermin E (GSDME)...

Abstract Aim At present, the relationship between serum homocysteine (Hcy), fibrinogen (FIB), lipoprotein-a (LPa), and PAD is uncertain, and there has been no meta-analysis to establish the dose–response relationship between their exposure levels and PAD. Methods and results Relevant literature published in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science was retrieved. The robust error meta-regression method was used to assess the linear and non-linear dose–response relationship between exposure level and PAD risk. A total of 68...

Abstract Background Under abiotic stress conditions, cotton growth is inhibited and yield losses are severe. Identification of calnexin family members and function analysis under abiotic stress laid the foundation for the screening of stress-related candidate genes. Results A total of 60 CNX family members have been identified in Gossypium hirsutum, G. barbadense, G. arboreum, and G. raimondii, and they were divided into two categories: CNX and CRT genes. Through the construction of a phylogenetic tree,...

Abstract Background To explore the roles of Annexin A2 (ANXA2) on hepatocyte pyroptosis and hepatic fibrosis in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and underlying molecular mechanism. Methods Bioinformatics analyses were performed on transcriptome data of liver tissues from mice and patients with liver fibrosis for screening the hepatocyte pyroptosis-related differential genes. The in vivo NASH mouse model and in vitro NASH cellular model were established. The expression levels of Anxa2/ANXA2 were quantified. Then, the upstream transcription factor...