Anthocyanins from blueberry and blackberry ameliorate metabolic syndrome by Prevotella histicola and acetic acid.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a globally prevalent disorder and poses a significant threat to human health and social harmony. Consumption of anthocyanins has been proven to improve disrupted gut microbiota and obesity in mice and humans. However, the potential specific gut microbiota and metabolites that might mediate these beneficial effects on MetS remain unknown.

Analysis and prediction of immune cell infiltration characteristics in COPD: Folium isatidis and its active ingredients are able to combat lung lesions caused by COPD by correcting immune cell infiltration.

Objective: As a respiratory disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has become a common fatal disease worldwide. We aimed to screen active traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) for the treatment of COPD by COPD-related transcriptome gene chip analysis and verify their therapeutic activity for COPD.

Methods: We used bioinformatics analysis to predict potential therapeutic TCMs based on the immune cell infiltration characteristics in COPD.

Amelioration of metabolic syndrome in high-fat diet-fed mice by total sesquiterpene lactones of chicory modulation of intestinal flora and bile acid excretion.

Chicory ( L.) is a commonly used vegetable in Europe and is also regarded as a plant for both medicinal and edible uses in China. Chicory exhibits a substantial abundance of sesquiterpene lactone compounds within its composition.

Exposure to 6PPD-Q induces dysfunctions of ovarian granulosa cells: Its potential role in PCOS.

N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine-quinone (6PPD-Q), an environmental pollutant derived from the ozonolysis of the widely used tire rubber antioxidant 6PPD, has been found to accumulate in air, dust, and water, posing significant health risks. While its reproductive toxicity in male organisms has been established, its effects on female reproductive health remain unclear. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common endocrine disorder in premenopausal women, is known to be influenced by environmental pollutants.

The Effect of Dietary Phosphate Load on Urinary Supersaturation and Phosphate Metabolism in Non-Stone-Forming Asian Individuals.

Introduction: Phosphate ion is common in the core of urinary stones and may initiate stone formation. However, the precise role of phosphate in the initiation of stone formation remains obscure. We assessed the effects of dietary phosphate load on urinary stone risk and phosphate metabolism.

PFOS and Its Commercial Alternative, 6:2 Cl-PFESA, Induce Multidrug Resistance in Pancreatic Cancer.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), specifically perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and its alternative, 2-[(6-chloro-1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6-dodecafluorohexyl)oxy]-1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethanesulfonic acid (6:2 Cl-PFESA), are associated with environmental health concerns and potential cancer progression. However, their impact on multidrug resistance (MDR) in pancreatic cancer (PC) chemotherapy remains unclear. Here, we employed drug-sensitivity assays, including IC calculations, and models with various chemotherapeutics, and paclitaxel (PTX) as a representative agent, combined with transcriptomic/proteomic sequencing and clinical prognostic analysis, to identify MDR-related genes and validate their relevance, with the objective of establishing the correlation between PFOS/6:2 Cl-PFESA exposure and MDR in PC at molecular, cellular, and animal model levels.

Clinical application and effect evaluation of acupoint thread embedding therapy and traditional Chinese medicine treatment based on menstrual cycle characteristics in the management of breast hyperplasia: An observational study.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the combination of acupoint embedding therapy and traditional Chinese medicine dialectical treatment regimen in improving clinical symptoms, promoting tumor regression, controlling adverse reactions and complications, and enhancing patient satisfaction by comparing and analyzing the clinical data of 120 breast tumor patients. One hundred twenty patients with breast cancer were divided into a treatment group (60 cases) and a control group (60 cases) according to different treatment plans. Patients in the treatment group received a combination of acupoint embedding therapy and traditional Chinese medicine dialectical treatment based on different time points of the menstrual cycle.

6:2 Cl-PFESA, a proposed safe alternative for PFOS, diminishes the gemcitabine effectiveness in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)/pancreatic cancer, is a highly aggressive malignancy with poor prognosis. Gemcitabine-based chemotherapy remains the cornerstone of PDAC treatment. Nonetheless, the development of resistance to gemcitabine among patients is a major factor contributing to unfavorable prognostic outcomes.

Protective effect of short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides from chicory on alcohol-induced injury in GES-1 cells via Keap1/Nrf2 and NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathways.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that polysaccharides derived from chicory possess the ability to regulate host signaling and modify mucosal damage. Yet, the effect and mechanism of short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides (scFOS) on gastric mucosa remain unclear. Hence, the protective effect of three scFOS (1-Kestose, Nystose, and 1F-Fructofuranosylnystose) against ethanol-induced injury in gastric epithelial (GES-1) cells, and the underlying molecular mechanism involved was investigated in this study.

3D printed VEGF-CPO biomaterial scaffold to promote subcutaneous vascularization and survival of transplanted islets for the treatment of diabetes.

Diabetes is a complex metabolic disease and islet transplantation is a promising approach for the treatment of diabetes. Unfortunately, the transplanted islets at the subcutaneous site are also affected by various adverse factors such as poor vascularization and hypoxia. In this study, we utilize biocompatible copolymers l-lactide and D,l-lactide to manufacture a biomaterial scaffold with a mesh-like structure via 3D printing technology, providing a material foundation for encapsulating pancreatic islet cells.

Evidence of promoting effects of 6:2 Cl-PFESA on hepatocellular carcinoma proliferation in humans: An ideal alternative for PFOS in terms of environmental health?

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are synthetic chemicals, encompassing compounds like perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), which have widespread applications across various industries, including food packaging and firefighting. In recent years, China has increasingly employed 6:2 Cl-PFESA as an alternative to PFOS. Although the association between PFAS exposure and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been demonstrated, the underlying mechanisms that promote HCC proliferation are uncleared.

Deep learning nomogram for preoperative distinction between Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis and gallbladder carcinoma: A novel approach for surgical decision.

The distinction between Xanthogranulomatous Cholecystitis (XGC) and Gallbladder Carcinoma (GBC) is challenging due to their similar imaging features. This study aimed to differentiate between XGC and GBC using a deep learning nomogram model built from contrast enhanced computed tomography (CT) scans. 297 patients were included with confirmed XGC (94) and GBC (203) as the training and internal validation cohort from 2017 to 2021.

Phosphorus balance calculator: an individualized tool for treatment of hyperphosphatemia in hemodialysis patients.

Background: Lack of evaluations of the dietary phosphorus and dialysis phosphorus removal in daily clinical practice are common obstacles to assessing phosphorus balance and controlling phosphorus in hemodialysis patients. We aimed to investigate whether individualized therapy using a phosphorus balance calculator improves phosphorus control.

Methods: A randomized, open-label, multicenter, 4-week clinical trial was conducted.

The counterbalance of endothelial glycocalyx and high wall shear stress to low-density lipoprotein concentration polarization in mouse ear skin arterioles.

Background And Aims: Atherosclerosis preferentially occurs at regions in arterial branching, curvature, and stenosis, which may be explained by the geometric predilection of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) concentration polarization that has been investigated in major arteries in previous studies. Whether this also happens in arterioles remains unknown.

Methods: Herein, a radially non-uniform distribution of LDL particles and a heterogeneous endothelial glycocalyx layer in the mouse ear arterioles, as shown by fluorescein isothiocyanate labeled wheat germ agglutinin (WGA-FITC), were successfully observed by a non-invasive two-photon laser-scanning microscopy (TPLSM) technique.

MVI-TR: A Transformer-Based Deep Learning Model with Contrast-Enhanced CT for Preoperative Prediction of Microvascular Invasion in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

In this study, we considered preoperative prediction of microvascular invasion (MVI) status with deep learning (DL) models for patients with early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (tumor size ≤ 5 cm). Two types of DL models based only on venous phase (VP) of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) were constructed and validated. From our hospital (First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, P.

Risk Factors Affecting Muscle Mass Decline in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients.

Objective: There is a high prevalence of sarcopenia in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients, which is known to be associated with increased mortality. This study is aimed at analyzing the risk factors affecting muscle mass decline in MHD patients.

Methods: This retrospective study included MHD patients who underwent two body composition assessments in October 2013 and November 2017.

Study on Subjective Evaluation of Acoustic Environment in Urban Open Space Based on "Effective Characteristics".

With the continuous expansion of urban scale with dense population and traffic and the gradual improvement of residents' requirements for environmental quality, the traditional evaluation method relying on acoustic energy is not enough to reflect the feelings of urban crowds about acoustic environment quality. The acoustic environment quality evaluation method based on human subjective perception has gradually become one of the research focuses in the field of environmental noise control. In recent years, various subjective and objective acoustic characteristic parameters have been introduced into the study of acoustic environment assessment in the global literature.

Impaired endothelial cell proliferative, migratory, and adhesive abilities are associated with the slow endothelialization of polycaprolactone vascular grafts implanted into a hypercholesterolemia rat model.

Most small diameter vascular grafts (inner diameter<6 mm) evaluation studies are performed in healthy animals that cannot represent the clinical situation. Herein, an hypercholesterolemia (HC) rat model with thickened intima and elevated expression of pro-inflammatory intercellular adhesion molecular-1 (ICAM-1) in the carotid branch is established. Electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) vascular grafts (length: 1 cm; inner diameter: 2 mm) are implanted into the HC rat abdominal aortas in an end to end fashion and followed up to 43 days, showing a relative lower patency accompanied by significant neointima hyperplasia, abundant collagen deposition, and slower endothelialization than those implanted into healthy ones.

Northward migration of the East Asian summer monsoon northern boundary during the twenty-first century.

The northern fringe area of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) between arid and semiarid regions is a fragile eco-environment zone and ecological transition zone, and it is highly sensitive to climate change. Predicting the future migration of the northern boundary of the EASM is important for understanding future East Asian climate change and formulating of decisions on ecological protection and economic development in arid and semiarid regions. The reanalysis dataset and simulations of 23 models from the Coupled Models Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) were used to investigate the response of the boundary of the ESAM to the global warming.