Analgesic effect of flurbiprofen ester and its effect on serum inflammatory factors and Β-endorphin expression in rats with incision pain

Purpose: To study the analgesic effect of flurbiprofen ester in rats with incision pain, and its effect on serum inflammatory factors and β-endorphin expression. Methods: Seventy-five (75) healthy rats with foot contraction threshold induced by basic mechanical stimulation were randomly assigned to control, model control and treatment groups. Flurbiprofen was administered in 3 doses: 5, 10 and 15 mg/kg. Then, 3 mL of ventricular blood was taken from anesthetized rats and the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF- α), interleukin-1 β, interleukin-6 and β-endorphin were measured. The expression of β-endorphin in the spinal cord of rats with lumbar enlargement and ARC was determined. Results: The TNF- α, interleukin-1 β and interleukin-6 concentrations were significantly lower in treatment group than in model rats, and decreased with time and dose (p < 0.05). In the treatment group, the level of serum β-endorphin decreased with increase in dose at 1 h, but increased with increase in dose at 5 h and 10 h (p < 0.05). The levels of β-endorphin in the spinal cord, was significantly lower in model rats than in control rats (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Pre-administration of flurbiprofen ester reduces serum inflammatory factors and upregulates β-endorphin expression in rats with incision pain. Thus, it flurbiprofen exerts analgesic effect. Keywords: Flurbiprofen ester, Incision pain, Rat, Analgesia, Inflammatory factor, β-endorphi

Farmers' farmland quality protection behavior: influencing factors and policy implications in eastern coastal China

IntroductionFarmers' farmland quality protection behavior (FQPB) is influenced by many factors, which, by shaping decision-making processes of farmers impact the maintenance and enhancement of farmland quality.MethodsIn this study, the factors influencing FQPB in Yancheng Prefecture, in a typical area of Jiangsu Province, were explored using survey data of 190 farmers. The mechanisms underlying the influence of farmland utilization dynamics, agricultural production costs, agricultural machinery resource dynamics, family land resources, and agricultural cultivation patterns on FQPB were empirically tested using structural equation modeling.ResultsWe found a significant inhibitory effect of farmland use dynamics on FQPB. The greatest effects were those related to farmland transfer and the proportion of transferred farmland. Agricultural machinery resource dynamics, and specifically, the use and the degree of ownership of agricultural machinery and equipment, were also identified as having a significant effect on FQPB. The significant contribution of the agricultural cropping pattern on FQPB included total cropping type, non-food crop cropping, and non-food crop type.DiscussionFindings from this study reaffirm that policies promoting moderate farmland transfer and encouraging food crop cultivation may enhance farmers' motivation to engage in farmland quality protection. Enhancing agricultural extension services may also strengthen farmers' willingness to participate in farmland quality protection

Determination of standard molar volume of 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide on titanium dioxide surface

The fluids near the solid substrate display different properties compared to the bulk fluids owing to the asymmetric interaction between the fluid and substrate; however, to the best of our knowledge, no work has been conducted to determine the interfacial properties of fluids experimentally. In this work, we combined a pycnometer with experimental measurements and data processing to determine the standard thermodynamic properties of interfacial fluids for the first time. In the study, 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([Hmim][NTf2]) and titanium dioxide (P25) were chosen as the probes to prove the concept. It was found that, with the combination of the Gay-Lussac pycnometer and the colligative law, together with selecting a suitable solvent, it is possible and reliable to determine the standard molar volume of the immobilized [Hmim][NTf2]. Compared to the bulk phase, the molar volumes of [Hmim][NTf2] on the P25 surface reduce by 20.8%–23.7% at temperatures from 293.15 to 323.15 K, and the reduction degrees decrease with increasing temperatures. The newly determined standard thermodynamic data was used to obtain the model parameters of hybrid electrolyte perturbed-chain statistical associating fluid theory density functional theory (ePC-SAFT-DFT), and further predictions of the density of interfacial ionic liquids with different film thicknesses were proved to be reliable in comparison with the experiment results

Oral Probiotics Ameliorate the Behavioral Deficits Induced by Chronic Mild Stress in Mice via the Gut Microbiota-Inflammation Axis

In recent years, a burgeoning body of research has revealed links between depression and the gut microbiota, leading to the therapeutic use of probiotics for stress-related disorders. In this study, we explored the potential antidepressant efficacy of a multi-strain probiotics treatment (Lactobacillus helveticus R0052, Lactobacillus plantarum R1012, and Bifidobacterium longum R0175) in a chronic mild stress (CMS) mouse model of depression and determined its probable mechanism of action. Our findings revealed that mice subjected to CMS exhibited anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors in the sucrose preference test, elevated plus maze, and forced swim test, along with increased interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1 levels in the hippocampus. Moreover, the microbiota distinctly changed from the non-stress group and was characterized by highly diverse bacterial communities associated with significant reductions in Lactobacillus species. Probiotics attenuated CMS-induced anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors, significantly increased Lactobacillus abundance, and reversed the CMS-induced immune changes in the hippocampus. Thus, the possible mechanism involved in the antidepressant-like activity of probiotics is correlated with Lactobacillus species via the gut microbiota-inflammation-brain axis

LncRNA LCPAT1 Mediates Smoking/ Particulate Matter 2.5-Induced Cell Autophagy and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Lung Cancer Cells via RCC2

Background/Aims: Ecological studies have shown that air pollution and prevalence of cigarette smoking are positively correlated. Evidence also suggests a synergistic effect of cigarette smoking and PM2.5 exposure (Environmental Particulate Matter ≤ 2.5 µm in diameter) on lung cancer risk. We aimed to evaluate the interaction between smoking prevalence and PM2.5 pollution in relation to lung cancer mortality and determine its underlying mechanisms in vitro. Methods: “MOVER” method was used to analyze the interaction between smoking prevalence and PM2.5 pollution in relation to lung cancer mortality. Cell autophagy and malignant behaviors induced by cigarette smoke extract (CSE) and PM2.5 exposure were examined in vitro. Gene expression was examined by qRT-PCR and western blot. RNA and protein interaction was determined using a RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation assay. Results: An increased risk for lung cancer death (RERI (the relative excess risk) =0.28) was observed with a synergistic interaction between cigarette smoking and PM2.5 pollution. Cell migration, invasion, EMT (epithelial-mesenchymal transition) and autophagy were elevated when lung cancer cells were treated with CSE and PM2.5 in combination. A lncRNA, named lung cancer progression-association transcript 1 (LCPAT1), was up-regulated after the treatment of CSE and PM2.5, and knocking down the lncRNA impaired the effect of CSE and PM2.5 on lung cancer cells. In addition, LCPAT1 was shown to bind to RCC2, and RCC2 mediated the effect of LCPAT1 on cell autophagy, migration, invasion and EMT in lung cancer. Conclusions: Our results suggest that combined exposure to CSE and PM2.5 induces LCPAT1 expression, which up-regulates autophagy, and promotes lung cancer progression via RCC2

CT-Based Risk Factors for Mortality of Patients With COVID-19 Pneumonia in Wuhan, China: A Retrospective Study

Purpose: Computed tomography (CT) characteristics associated with critical outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been reported. However, CT risk factors for mortality have not been directly reported. We aim to determine the CT-based quantitative predictors for COVID-19 mortality.Methods: In this retrospective study, laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients at Wuhan Central Hospital between December 9, 2019, and March 19, 2020, were included. A novel prognostic biomarker, V-HU score, depicting the volume (V) of total pneumonia infection and the average Hounsfield unit (HU) of consolidation areas was automatically quantified from CT by an artificial intelligence (AI) system. Cox proportional hazards models were used to investigate risk factors for mortality.Results: The study included 238 patients (women 136/238, 57%; median age, 65 years, IQR 51–74 years), 126 of whom were survivors. The V-HU score was an independent predictor (hazard ratio [HR] 2.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.50–5.17; p = 0.001) after adjusting for several COVID-19 prognostic indicators significant in univariable analysis. The prognostic performance of the model containing clinical and outpatient laboratory factors was improved by integrating the V-HU score (c-index: 0.695 vs. 0.728; p < 0.001). Older patients (age ≥ 65 years; HR 3.56, 95% CI 1.64–7.71; p < 0.001) and younger patients (age < 65 years; HR 4.60, 95% CI 1.92–10.99; p < 0.001) could be further risk-stratified by the V-HU score.Conclusions: A combination of an increased volume of total pneumonia infection and high HU value of consolidation areas showed a strong correlation to COVID-19 mortality, as determined by AI quantified CT

Enhancement of PRMT6 binding to a novel germline <i>GATA1</i> mutation associated with congenital anemia

Mutations in the master hematopoietic transcription factor GATA1 are often associated with functional defects in erythropoiesis and megakaryopoiesis. In this study, we identified a novel GATA1 germline mutation (c.1162delGG, p.Leu387Leufs*62) in a patient with congenital anemia and occasional thrombocytopenia. The C-terminal GATA1, a rarely studied mutational region, undergoes frameshifting translation as a consequence of this double-base deletion mutation. To investigate the specific function and pathogenic mechanism of this mutant, in vitro mutant models of stable re-expression cells were generated. The mutation was subsequently validated to cause diminished transcriptional activity of GATA1 and defective differentiation of erythroid and megakaryocytes. Using proximity labeling and mass spectrometry, we identified selective alterations in the proximal protein networks of the mutant, revealing decreased binding to a set of normal GATA1-interaction proteins, including the essential co-factor FOG1. Notably, our findings further demonstrated enhanced recruitment of the protein arginine methyltransferase PRMT6, which mediates histone modification at H3R2me2a and represses transcription activity. We also found an enhanced binding of this mutant GATA1/PRMT6 complex to the transcriptional regulatory elements of GATA1’s target genes. Moreover, treatment of the PRMT6 inhibitor MS023 could partially rescue the inhibited transcriptional and impaired erythroid differentiation caused by the GATA1 mutation. Taken together, our results provide molecular insights into erythropoiesis in which mutation leads to partial loss of GATA1 function and the broader role of PRMT6 and its inhibitor MS023 in congenital anemia, highlighting PRMT6 binding as a negative factor of GATA1 transcriptional activity in aberrant hematopoiesis

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals &lt;1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead