ObjectiveThis study aimed to elucidate the mechanistic role of Staphylococcus aureus in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD), a chronic inflammatory skin disorder characterized by pruritus and barrier dysfunction. A key focus was screening traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) active components with dual antibacterial and antipruritic efficacy, followed by systematic evaluation of their in vitro antibacterial activity. Additionally, a novel drug delivery system was constructed to enable localized efficient drug delivery, inhibiting S. aureus proliferation and alleviating its induced pruritus, thereby providing new strategies for targeted AD therapy. MethodsMale C57BL/6J mice aged 6-8 weeks (body weight 18-22 g) were used to establish an AD model via repeated oxazolone sensitization. On day 14, microbial samples were collected from the lesional area (1 cm²) using sterile cotton swabs, followed by vortex mixing, serial dilution, and plating on 5% sheep blood agar plates (incubated at 37°C for 24 h). Single colonies with complete transparent β-hemolytic zones were isolated and identified as vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA) via 16S rRNA sequencing. An S. aureus mono-infection animal model was then established by applying gauze saturated with bacterial suspension (McFarland turbidity 0.1) to the nape and back skin of mice. The pruritic phenotype and inflammatory cell infiltration induced by S. aureus were evaluated using comprehensive approaches including behavioral assays (e.g., scratching frequency recording), hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and toluidine blue staining. The in vitro antibacterial efficacy of the TCM monomer pseudolaric acid B (PAB) and double network hydrogel (DN) was separately assessed by disk diffusion assay, while the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of PAB was determined via broth dilution method. Further validation of the pharmacodynamic characteristics of the composite system (PAB@DN, composed of PAB and DN) was conducted through behavioral assays, HE staining, and dermatitis scoring, with its drug release profile evaluated by mass spectrometry analysis. Based on scratching behavioral analysis and dermatitis scoring, the optimal ratio and concentration of PAB@DN were optimized. ResultsThe S. aureus load in AD lesional tissues was significantly higher than in normal skin ((5.3±0.33)×10⁶ CFU vs. (3.6±0.26)×10⁷ CFU, P<0.001). In the S. aureus mono-infection group, mice exhibited a 6.7-fold increase in scratching frequency compared to the control group. HE staining revealed marked epidermal thickening ((10.4±2.39) μm vs. (85.6±1.95) μm, P<0.000 1), and toluidine blue staining showed a 23-fold increase in mast cell degranulation. Pseudolaric acid B exhibited a significant concentration-dependent inhibitory effect onS. aureus growth, with its in vitro antibacterial effect being 57% that of the antibiotic cefepime (inhibition zone diameter: PAB (1.885±0.036) cm vs. cefepime (3.636±0.005) cm, P<0.000 1) and a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 1 g/L. The carrier double network hydrogel (DN) itself lacked direct antibacterial activity (no significant difference in inhibition zone diameter compared to the control) but effectively ameliorated the dry symptoms of AD-like lesions. The PAB@DN composite system demonstrated a synergistic effect compared to individual components, resulting in a 50% reduction in scratching behavior, an 86% decrease in dermatitis score, and a 60% reduction in epidermal thickening. It also reduced the S. aureus load in mouse skin by approximately 34%, with the optimal effective formulation being PAB at 1 g/L loaded onto DN. ConclusionS. aureus colonization plays a critical driving role in the onset and progression of AD. Using an S. aureus infection model, this study confirmed that the pseudolaric acidB-hydrogel composite delivery system (PAB@DN) can effectively alleviate S. aureus-induced pruritus and skin damage, providing experimental evidence for microbiota-targeted therapy of AD.

The neurophysiological mechanisms by which exercise improves cognitive function have not been fully elucidated. A comprehensive and systematic review of current domestic and international neurophysiological evidence on exercise improving cognitive function was conducted from multiple perspectives. At the molecular level, exercise promotes nerve cell regeneration and synaptogenesis and maintains cellular development and homeostasis through the modulation of a variety of neurotrophic factors, receptor activity, neuropeptides, and monoamine neurotransmitters, and by decreasing the levels of inflammatory factors and other modulators of neuroplasticity. At the cellular level, exercise enhances neural activation and control and improves brain structure through nerve regeneration, synaptogenesis, improved glial cell function and angiogenesis. At the structural level of the brain, exercise promotes cognitive function by affecting white and gray matter volumes, neural activation and brain region connectivity, as well as increasing cerebral blood flow. This review elucidates how exercise improves the internal environment at the molecular level, promotes cell regeneration and functional differentiation, and enhances the brain structure and neural efficiency. It provides a comprehensive, multi-dimensional explanation of the neurophysiological mechanisms through which exercise promotes cognitive function.
Animals ; Humans ; Brain/physiology* ; Cognition/physiology* ; Exercise/physiology* ; Nerve Regeneration/physiology* ; Neuronal Plasticity/physiology*

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is an important sugar crop. Biotic and abiotic stresses such as diseases, cold, and drought are major factors limiting sugarcane production. β-1,3-glucanase (EC 3.2.1.39), a member of the pathogenesis-related protein family, plays an essential role not only in the plant defenses against pathogens but also in plant growth, development, and abiotic stress responses. To systematically investigate the sugarcane β-1,3-glucanase gene family, 132 glycoside hydrolase (GH) 17 family members were identified in the genomes of the sugarcane wild species Saccharum spontaneum 'Np-X', the tropical species S. officinarum 'LA-Purple', and the Saccharum spp. hybrid cultivar 'R570'. The results of the phylogenetic analysis categorized them into four subfamilies, of which subfamily Ⅳ had the largest proportion of members (102). The members of the sugarcane GH17 gene family contained five conserved motifs and 0-16 introns. The majority of the GH17 genes exhibited a genome-wide replication pattern, with 89.50% originating from S. spontaneum 'Np-X' and S. officinarum 'LA-Purple', while 58.10% of them in the Saccharum spp. hybrid cultivar 'R570' belonged to the discrete replication type. Four major classes of cis-acting elements were identified in the promoters, including the elements related to plant growth, development, and tissue-specific expression (14.21%), light-responsive elements (38.24%), biotic or abiotic stress-responsive elements (9.18%), and hormone-responsive elements (38.37%), which suggested that this gene family was involved in plant growth, development, hormone responses, and stress responses. Transcriptome and quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) analyses showed that the sugarcane GH17 genes exhibited tissue-specific expression and were differentially expressed under low temperature, drought, and hormone treatments, as well as during the interactions between different sugarcane genotypes and Sporisorium scitamineum, suggesting their potential roles in plant defenses. In addition, some SsGlu genes (SsGlu5, SsGlu20, SsGlu21, SsGlu25, SsGlu28, and SsGlu39) were expected to serve as candidate stress-related genes. This study lays a foundation for further revealing the molecular mechanisms of the stress resistance of sugarcane via β-1,3-glucanase genes.
Saccharum/physiology* ; Stress, Physiological/genetics* ; Glucan 1,3-beta-Glucosidase/metabolism* ; Multigene Family ; Phylogeny ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Plant Proteins/genetics*

L-valine is an important branched-chain amino acid widely used in the food, pharmaceutical, and feed industries. Microbial fermentation has become the primary production method for L-valine. However, current industrial production still faces issues such as inefficient carbon flux utilization, imbalance in cofactor supply and demand, and suboptimal fermentation processes, which limit the efficient synthesis of L-valine. To further enhance the production performance of L-valine, In this study, metabolic engineering was conducted for a previously constructed Escherichia coli strain with a high yield of L-valine to optimize carbon flux distribution and balance cofactor consumption. Dual-phase oxygen-controlled fermentation was carried out to enhance L-valine production. Firstly, to address the pyruvate loss, we knocked out multiple competing pathway genes (ldhA, poxB, pflB, frdA, and pta), which resulted in a 48% increase in flask yield of the constructed strain VL-04. Next, we optimized the cofactor supply and demand balance by replacing ilvE with bcd (NADH-preferential) from Bacillus subtilis to construct the strain VL-06, which achieved a flask yield of 22.80 g/L, a further improvement of 25.8%. Subsequently, the fermentation conditions of VL-06 were optimized in a 5 L bioreactor with dual-phase oxygen-controlled fermentation. After optimization, the L-valine production reached 86.44 g/L in 26 h, with a glucose-to-acid conversion rate of 44.08% and a production intensity of 3.32 g/(L·h). This study not only shortens the time for L-valine production but also improves the economic efficiency, providing insights for similar fermentation processes employing dual-phase oxygen control.
Metabolic Engineering/methods* ; Escherichia coli/genetics* ; Valine/biosynthesis* ; Fermentation ; Bacillus subtilis/genetics*

Objective:To investigate the surgical efficacy of the modified areolar triangular dermal-glandular composite flap in correcting moderate to severe congenital nipple inversion.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on clinical data collected from patients with moderate to severe congenital nipple inversion treated at the Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, between August 2018 and January 2023. Patients were divided into two groups based on the month of admission: the control group, treated with conventional areolar triangular flap, and the observation group, treated with the modified areolar triangular dermal-glandular composite flap. Postoperatively, nipple appearance, maintenance of nipple height, and incidence of complications were assessed in both groups. At six months after surgery, surgeons evaluated the therapeutic efficacy as good, fair, or poor; the total effective rate was calculated as (number of good + fair cases) / total number of cases ×100%. Patient satisfaction was rated as very satisfied, satisfied, fair, or dissatisfied; the satisfaction rate was calculated as (number of very satisfied + satisfied cases) / total number of cases ×100%. Nipple height (measured as the distance from the areolar plane to the apex of the nipple) was recorded before and after surgery. Measurement data were analyzed using the t-test, and categorical data were analyzed using the χ2 test. A P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:A total of 60 female patients (94 sides) were included in the study. In the control group (28 patients), the mean age was 28.5±5.2 years; 11 cases were unilateral, and 17 cases were bilateral; 22 sides were classified as moderate, and 23 sides as severe. In the observation group (32 patients), the mean age was 29.1±4.8 years; 15 cases were unilateral, and 17 cases were bilateral; 23 sides were moderate, and 26 sides were severe. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups regarding age, severity of nipple inversion, or the ratio of unilateral to bilateral nipple inversion (all P>0.05). Postoperative follow-up lasted 6 to 15 months, with 28 patients (43 sides) in the observation group and 24 patients (39 sides) in the control group completing follow-up. No severe complications, such as nipple necrosis, occurred in either group, and nipple morphology and appearance were generally normal. The total effective rates based on surgeons' efficacy evaluations were 94.87% (37/39) in the control group and 100.00% (43/43) in the observation group, with no statistically significant difference ( P>0.05). Patient satisfaction rates were 76.92% (30/39) in the control group and 93.02% (40/43) in the observation group, showing a statistically significant difference ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in preoperative nipple height between the two groups [-3.2±1.1 mm vs. -3.5±0.9 mm, P>0.05]. At 6 months post-surgery, nipple height in the observation group was significantly greater than in the control group [10.9±2.0 mm vs. 9.5±1.9 mm, P < 0.05]. Conclusion:The modified triangular dermal-glandular composite flap technique for correcting nipple inversion is relatively simple, demonstrates low long-term recurrence rates, and provides stable maintenance of nipple height. It is one of the preferred methods for treating moderate to severe congenital nipple inversion.

Glycoengineering was carried out in the mammalian cell line CHO for the production of pro-tein-based drugs.Firstly,the genome sequence of the Rosa26 locus of CHO cells was determined,the gRNA sequences were designed,and the landing pad was integrated into the Rosa26 locus of CHO cells by CRISPR/Cas9 technology.Three targeting vectors co-expressed by glycosyltransferases,which are β-1,4 galactosyltransferase(B4GALT1),α-2,6-sialyltransferase 1(ST6GAL1)and N-acetaminoglycosyl-transferase Ⅲ(GnT Ⅲ),were constructed by overlapping PCR and seamless ligation technology,and the three glycosyltransferase genes were integrated into the CHO Rosa26 locus by Cre enzyme-mediated cassette exchange technology.PCR confirmed that three glycosyltransferases had been successfully site-directed integrated into the Rosa26 site.The mRNA expression levels of the three glycosyltransferases were more than 50 000-fold by qRT-PCR,and the protein expression levels of the three glycosyltrans-ferases were more than 4-fold via western blotting(P＜0.001).A CHO-engineered cell line with three glycosyltransferases integrated into Rosa26 site was successfully constructed.

With the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence(GAI)technologies,their widespread application in academic research and writing is continuously expanding the boundaries of sci-entific inquiry.However,this trend has also raised a series of ethical and regulatory challenges,inclu-ding issues related to authorship,content authenticity,citation accuracy,and accountability.In light of the growing involvement of AI in generating academic content,establishing an open,controllable,and trustworthy ethical governance framework has become a key task for safeguarding research integrity and maintaining trust within the academic community.This expert consensus outlines ethical requirements across key stages of AI-assisted academic writing-including topic selection,data management,citation practices,and authorship attribution.It aims to clarify the boundaries and ethical obligations surrounding AI use in academic writing,ensuring that technological tools enhance efficiency without compromising in-tegrity.The goal is to provide guidance and institutional support for building a responsible and sustainable research ecosystem.

Objective:To investigate the effectiveness and safety of fluorescence thoracoscopy-assisted temporary occlusion of pulmonary arteries and veins during sublobar resection for the treatment of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Methods:This is a prospective cohort study. Patients with early-stage NSCLC who underwent fluorescence thoracoscopy-assisted temporary occlusion of pulmonary arteries and veins for sublobar resection in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, from January to April 2024 were included. Based on whether the artery or vein was blocked during surgery, the patients were divided into the arterial group and the venous group. The surgical time, intraoperative blood loss, distance from the lesion to the resection margin, and boundary duration were collected and compared between the two groups. Independent sample t test, Mann-Whitney U test, or χ2 test was used to compare the data between the two groups. Results:A total of 64 patients were enrolled. There were 25 males and 39 females, aged (57.3±12.1) years (range: 34 to 80 years). The tumor diameter was (9.8±2.9) mm (range: 5 to 16 mm). The distance between the surgical margin and the lesion was (16.5±3.9) mm (range: 10 to 30 mm) and the surgical time was (61.5±13.9) minutes (range: 30 to 120 minutes). Pathological examination of the surgical specimens showed that all margins met pathological requirements. The chest drainage tube retention time ( M(IQR)) was 2 (1) days (range: 1 to 7 days), and no serious postoperative complications occurred. The boundary duration for the arterial group ( n=23) and venous group ( n=41) was (147.9±22.2) seconds (range: 119 to 188 seconds) and (40.9±8.0) seconds (range: 20 to 60 seconds), respectively ( t=27.935, P<0.01). Conclusion:Fluorescence thoracoscopy-assisted temporary occlusion of pulmonary arteries and veins can effectively and accurately delineate surgical resection boundaries, ensuring sufficient margin width to meet oncological requirements.

Objective:To investigate the short-term efficacy and safety of intersegmental vein-centered planning sublobectomy (VCPS) in the treatment of intersegmental early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Methods:A prospective cohort study was conducted. A total of 68 patients with early-stage NSCLC who underwent VCPS in Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University from May to November 2023 were successively included. A group of 71 patients who underwent combined segmentectomy or subsegmentectomy (CSS) during the same period was selected as the control. Preoperative three-dimensional (3D) imaging technology was used for surgical planning in the VCPS group, with tumor resection centered around intersegmental veins during the operation. In the CSS group, combined segment or subsegment resection was performed based on preoperative 3D planning. The operative time, complications, resection margin distance, hospitalization costs, and short-term follow-up results of both groups were compared.Results:The VCPS group included 29 males (42.6%) and 39 females (57.4%), with the age of (61±11) years and the tumor diameter of (10.4±3.1) mm; the postoperative pathology types revealed adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) in 31 cases (45.6%), minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA) in 23 cases (33.8%), and invasive adenocarcinoma (IA) in 14 cases (20.6%). The CSS group included 27 males (38.0%) and 44 females (62.0%), with the age of (59± 11) years and the tumor diameter of (9.9±2.9) mm; the postoperative pathology types revealed AIS in 31 cases (43.7%), MIA in 27 cases (38.0%), and IA in 13 cases (18.3%). There were no statistically significant differences in gender, age, tumor diameter and pathological type distribution between the VCPS group and CSS group (all P > 0.05). The operative time [ M ( Q1, Q3)] in the VCPS group was shorter than that in the CSS group [90 (75, 100) min vs. 150 (120, 180) min, Z = -9.83, P < 0.01]; the hospitalization cost in the VCPS group was lower than that in the CSS group [(44 969±6 929) yuan vs. (61 476±10 661) yuan, t = -10.77, P < 0.01]. There was no statistically significant difference in resection margin distance between the two groups [(18±5) mm vs. (18±5) mm, t = 0.65, P > 0.05]. Postoperative complications in the VCPS group included 2 cases of prolonged air leak and 1 case of postoperative cholecystitis, while patients in the CSS group showed 4 cases of prolonged air leak and 1 case of conversion to thoracotomy due to intraoperative bleeding. There were no statistically significant differences in the incidence of postoperative prolonged air leak and drainage time of both groups (all P > 0.05). No tumor recurrence or metastasis was observed in either group during 3-month follow-up after operation. Conclusions:VCPS, which centers surgical planning around intersegmental veins, provides more precise anatomical localization for intersegmental NSCLC lesions, shortens operative time, reduces surgical difficulty and costs, and decreases postoperative complications.

To investigate the phenotype and genomic characterization of a mucoid-type Salmonella Saintpaul ST50 isolate from a urinary tract infection patient,promoting clinical diagnosis and treatment for urinary tract infections caused by Salmo-nella spp.Culture-based quantitative counts of midstream urine sample from the patient were conducted,and further biochemi-cal identification,mass spectrometry detection,serum agglutination test and antimicrobial susceptibility test(AST)were con-ducted on Salmonella isolate(2024JD5).Whole-genome sequencing(WGS)was performed on isolate 2024JD5 to predict sero-type,multilocus sequence type(MLST),resistance genes,and virulence genes.Two smooth-type of Salmonella Saintpaul ST50 were selected as comparative genomic reference strains from the Chinese local Salmonella genome database.The literature reviews of global Salmonella serotype of urinary tract infection were summarized.Specific serum agglutination confir-mation of isolate 2024JD5 failed due to characterization of the mucus type.The strain 2024JD5 was predicted as Salmonella Saintpaul(4,5,12:e,h:1,2)ST50 using WGS,and was resistant to ciprofloxacin,nalidixic acid,chloramphenicol and tetracy-cline with carrying aminoglycoside resistance genes aac(6')-Ⅰaa and aph(3)-Ⅱa,chloramphenicol resistance gene floR,tetra-cycline resistance gene tet,quinolone resistance gene qnrS1,and S83Y substitution in the gyrA gene was found in the quinolo-ne resistance determination region(QRDR).In addition,the strain 2024JD4 carried six types of non-plasmid-based mobile ge-netic elements and 144 virulence genes,including 71 secretion transporter genes and 58 fimbriae adhesion genes,respectively.Four types of fimbriae regulatory genes(csgB,csgC,fimW,fimY)were absent in comparison with smooth-type Salmonella Saintpaul.The literature reviews showed Salmonella Saintpaul was currently a rare Salmonella serotype in cases of urinary tract infections worldwide.Salmonella Saintpaul ST50 with mucoid-type is the pathogen of urinary tract infection with multi-drug resistant phenotypic and genotypic characteristics,and the high mucoid expression may be related to the compensatory mechanism of fimbriae regulatory genes absence in urinary tract colonization and adaptation.WGS combined with the Chinese local Salmonella genome database can effectively solve the diagnosis and biosafety assessments of rare Salmonella phenotypes.