The circadian clock plays a critical role in regulating various physiological processes, including gene expression, metabolic regulation, immune response, and the sleep-wake cycle in living organisms. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are crucial regulatory mechanisms to maintain the precise oscillation of the circadian clock. By modulating the stability, activity, cell localization and protein-protein interactions of core clock proteins, PTMs enable these proteins to respond dynamically to environmental and intracellular changes, thereby sustaining the periodic oscillations of the circadian clock. Different types of PTMs exert their effects through distincting molecular mechanisms, collectively ensuring the proper function of the circadian system. This review systematically summarized several major types of PTMs, including phosphorylation, acetylation, ubiquitination, SUMOylation and oxidative modification, and overviewed their roles in regulating the core clock proteins and the associated pathways, with the goals of providing a theoretical foundation for the deeper understanding of clock mechanisms and the treatment of diseases associated with circadian disruption.
Protein Processing, Post-Translational/physiology* ; Circadian Rhythm/physiology* ; Humans ; Animals ; CLOCK Proteins/physiology* ; Circadian Clocks/physiology* ; Phosphorylation ; Acetylation ; Ubiquitination ; Sumoylation

This study aimed to characterize and identify the non-volatile components in aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the stems and leaves of Rhododendron tomentosum by using sensitive and efficient ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry(UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS) combined with a self-built information database. By comparing with reference compounds, analyzing fragment ion information, searching relevant literature, and using a self-built information database, 118 compounds were identified from the aqueous and ethanolic extracts of R. tomentosum, including 35 flavonoid glycosides, 15 phenolic glycosides, 12 flavonoids, 7 phenolic acids, 7 phenylethanol glycosides, 6 tannins, 6 phospholipids, 5 coumarins, 5 monoterpene glycosides, 6 triterpenes, 3 fatty acids, and 11 other types of compounds. Among them, 102 compounds were reported in R. tomentosum for the first time, and 36 compounds were identified by comparing them with reference compounds. The chemical components in the ethanolic and aqueous extracts of R. tomentosum leaves and stems showed slight differences, with 84 common chemical components accounting for 71.2% of the total 118 compounds. This study systematically characterized and identified the non-volatile chemical components in the ethanolic and aqueous extracts of R. tomentosum for the first time. The findings provide a reference for active ingredient research, quality control, and product development of R. tomentosum.
Rhododendron/chemistry* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Plant Leaves/chemistry*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the partial biomechanical properties of the posterior occipital muscles (rectus capitis posterior major, rectus capitis posterior minor, and obliquus capitis inferior) in patients with cervical vertigo. METHODS: A total of 30 patients with cervical vertigo admitted from April 2024 to September 2024 were included in the vertigo group, and 30 age-and gender-matched healthy subjects were recruited as the normal group. In the vertigo group, there were 21 females and 9 males, with an average age of (24.00±2.25) years;in the normal group, there were 22 females and 8 males, with an average age of (23.00±3.00) years. Shear wave elastography was used to measure the thickness and stiffness of the posterior occipital muscles in both groups. RESULTS: In the vertigo group, there were no statistically significant differences in the Young's modulus values (E) of stiffness of the posterior occipital muscles (rectus capitis posterior major, rectus capitis posterior minor, obliquus capitis inferior) between the left and right sides(P>0.05). The Young's modulus values(E) of stiffness of the right posterior occipital muscles (rectus capitis posterior major, rectus capitis posterior minor, obliquus capitis inferior) in the cervical vertigo group were (39.66±8.21) kPa, (45.61±5.85) kPa, and (43.73±5.22) kPa, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the normal group 33.97(17.76) kPa, 41.38(8.99) kPa, 38.27(12.58) kPa, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). In the vertigo group, the Young's modulus values(E) of stiffness of the left rectus capitis posterior major and left obliquus capitis inferior were (40.41±9.13) kPa and (42.11±6.20) kPa, respectively, which were significantly greater than those in the normal group (33.30±11.31) kPa, 38.94(14.62) kPa, with statistically significant differences(P<0.05);however, there was no statistically significant difference in the left rectus capitis posterior minor between the two groups(P>0.05). In the vertigo group, there were no statistically significant differences in the stiffness of the posterior occipital muscles (rectus capitis posterior major, rectus capitis posterior minor, obliquus capitis inferior) between the left and right sides(P>0.05). Additionally, there were no statistically significant differences in the thickness of the bilateral posterior occipital muscles between the vertigo group and the normal group (P>0.05). CONCLUSION The posterior occipital muscles of patients with cervical vertigo are stiffer than those of healthy individuals, while there is no significant difference in muscle thickness between the two groups.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Elasticity Imaging Techniques/methods* ; Adult ; Vertigo/physiopathology* ; Neck Muscles/physiopathology* ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics of intestinal obstruction caused by Meckel diverticulum in children,so as to improve the understanding,diagnosis and treatment of this disease.Methods The clinical data of 103 children with intestinal obstruction caused by Meckel diverticulum admitted to Department of General Surgery,Wuhan Children's Hospital,Tongji Medical College,Huazhong University of Science and Technology from Jul.2015 to Jun.2022 were retrospectively analyzed.There were 78 males and 25 females,with an average age of(4.7±2.6)years old(ranged from 4 months to 12 years old).All 103 cases were admitted for abdominal pain,crying,vomiting or abdominal distension with unknown causes.Results Seventy-four children underwent exploratory laparotomy and 29 underwent laparoscopic exploration.During the operation,it was found that Meckel diverticulum combined with the formation of cord oppressed the intestinal tract,resulting in intestinal obstruction in 65 cases;diverticulum perforation and adhesion obstruction in 15 cases;and secondary intussusception leading to obstruction in 23 cases.Twenty-three cases of secondary intussusception underwent manual reduction of intussusception and Meckel diverticulectomy.Thirty-nine cases were complicated with intestinal necrosis,of which 38 cases underwent cord release,necrotic bowel resection,and intestinal anastomosis;1 case underwent necrotic bowel resection and intestinal fistula due to septic shock.Twelve cases underwent cord release and diverticulectomy,14 cases underwent laparoscopic cord release and diverticulectomy,and 15 cases underwent laparoscopic surgery conversion to diverticulectomy.All patients were clinically cured and followed up for more than 1 year,and no anastomotic leakage,wound infection or other complications occurred.Conclusion The formation of cord is the main cause of intestinal obstruction caused by Meckel diverticulum,with atypical early symptoms,lack of specific symptoms,signs and examination methods,leading to a high misdiagnosis rate.It often causes serious complications such as intestinal necrosis and septic shock.For cases of intestinal obstruction with unknown causes,we should be alert to the possibility of intestinal obstruction caused by Meckel diverticulum.

Background The serious air pollution of highway toll booths poses a high occupational exposure risk to toll collectors. It is urgent to develop purification methods suitable for airborne particles and microbial pathogens in highway toll booths. Objective To verify the purification effect of low temperature plasma air purifiers on airborne particles and microbes in highway toll booths. Methods Based on controlled-intervention design, we selected three toll booths in an expressway toll station as on-site experimental locations for 6 d (no-intervention period: the low-temperature plasma purifier was turned off in the first three days; intervention period: the purifier was turned on from 9:00 to 17:00 in the following three days). The indoor and outdoor PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ concentrations were continuously monitored during the study. At 9:00, 12:00, and 17:00 of every day during the experiment, indoor and outdoor air samples were collected to analyze the concentration of airborne culturable colonies with a plankton sampler. Airborne particle samples were collected in the outermost exit continuously from 9:00 to 17:00 every day during the experiment using a medium flow particulate sampler, and the species and relative abundance of fungi and bacteria contained in the samples were analyzed by gene sequencing. Independent-sample t test was used to compare the concentration of indoor PM_2.5, PM₁₀, and culturable colonies between the intervention period and the non-intervention period. α diversity analysis, β diversity analysis, and t test were used to compare the diversity and relative abundance of specific species of bacteria and fungi, as well as typical pathogenic bacteria and fungi in the samples between the non-intervention period and the intervention period to reflect the purification effect of low temperature plasma air purifier on airborne PM_2.5, PM₁₀, and microorganisms. Results During the intervention period, the mean indoor concentrations of PM_2.5, PM₁₀, and culturable colonies were lower than those of the no-intervention period (P<0.01 or P<0.001). The ratios of indoor to outdoor concentration (I/O) of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ during the intervention period were significantly lower than those of the no-intervention period (P<0.001), except the I/O of culturable colonies. Compared with the average concentration at 9:00, the average cleaning rates at 12:00 and 17:00 for PM_2.5 were 49.0% and 46.1%, for PM₁₀ were 49.7% and 45.4%, for airborne culturable colonies were 50.8% and 49.9%, respectively. The β diversity analysis showed that there were significant differences in composition at the level of species of bacteria, and at the levels of genus and species of fungi between the intervention and the no-intervention periods. The relative abundances of 10 species of bacteria such as Lactobacillus and 7 species of fungi such as Torula in the intervention period were significantly lower than those in the non-intervention period, but the relative abundances of fungi such as unclassified_f_cladosporiaceae, trichomerium, and cercospora were higher (P<0.05). For typical pathogenic bacteria, the relative abundances of Lactobacillus and Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 during the intervention period were 73.5% and 86.9% lower than those in the no-intervention period, and the relative abundance of Talaromyces was 53.5% lower (P<0.05). Conclusion Low temperature plasma air purifier has a good purification effect on indoor PM_2.5, PM₁₀, and culturable colonies in highway toll booths, and likely a limited effect on some fungi.

The abuse and irrational use of antibiotics in human veterinary medicine has seriously endangered the ecological environment and human health.In this study,a fully automatic solid-phase disk extraction-stable isotope dilution-ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method for determination of 17 kinds of sulfonamides antibiotics(SAs)in water was established,which was then applied to determination of SAs in real samples including tap water,river water and seawater,respectively.Meanwhile,the residual characteristics were discussed and the ecological risks were assessed.With this method,1.0 L water sample with 0.5 g/L Na2EDTA(pH=3)was extracted and enriched by 3M SDB-XC disk,and eluted by 10 mL of mixture of methanol and acetone(1:1,V/V),and the pretreatment time of the sample was about 60 min per six samples.Under the optimized conditions,the linearity of the method for detection of 17 kinds of SAs ranged from 0.05 to 100 μg/L,with correlation coefficients(R2)>0.999.In addition,the detection limits(S/N=3)were as low as 0.012-0.052 ng/L,and the recoveries were in the range of 76%-110%,with relative standard deviations of 0.5%-9.6%(n=5).The results showed that no SAs was detected in tap water,while 3 and 9 kinds of SAs were detected in river water of Zhoushan,and seawater of Wenzhou Sea area in Zhejiang province,respectively.The total concentrations of the detected SAs were 0.875-21.826 ng/L and 1.024-20.768 ng/L in river water and seawater,respectively,and among which,sulfamethoxazole(SMX)was the predominant compound in river water and seawater,accounting for 81%and 74%of the total SAs,respectively.The ecological risk assessment showed that the risk quotients of the detected SAs in the river water and seawater in the study area for the three kinds of trophic organisms(algae,Daphnia and fish)were far less than 0.01,meaning that the ecological risk was low.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of fire needling combined with Zishen Qinggan Decoction in the treatment of herpes zoster with heat stagnation in the liver channel syndrome.Methods Sixty patients with herpes zoster of heat stagnation in the liver channel type were randomly divided into observation group and control group,30 cases in each group.The control group was treated with fire needling into herpes,and the observation group was treated with Zishen Qinggan Decoction on the basis of the control group.Both groups were treated for four weeks.After one month of treatment,the clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated.The regression time of clinical symptoms after treatment in the two groups was observed,including the stop of herpes(the time when no new blister appeared),the complete regression of herpes(the time from the appearance of herpes to the complete regression),the disappearance of pain(the time from the onset of pain to the beginning of relief),scab formation(the time from herpes treatment to scab formation),and decrustation(the time from scab formation to decrustation).The changes of Visual Analogue Scale(VAS)of pain score,substance P(SP),prostaglandin E2(PGE2)and β-endorphin(β-EP),as well as immunoglobulin A(IgA),immunoglobulin G(IgG)and immunoglobulin M(IgM)were compared between the two groups before and after treatment.The safety and adverse reactions of the two groups were evaluated.Results(1)The total effective rate was 96.67%(29/30)in the observation group and 80.00%(24/30)in the control group.The curative effect of the observation group was superior to that of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).(2)After treatment,the herpes stopping time,herpes complete regression time,pain disappearance time,scab formation time and scab removal time in the observation group were significantly superior to those in the control group,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).(3)After treatment,the levels of SP,PGE2 and β-EP in the two groups were significantly improved(P＜0.05),and the improvement of SP,PGE2 and β-EP in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(4)After treatment,the VAS scores of the two groups were significantly improved(P＜0.05),and the improvement of VAS score in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group,the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).(5)After treatment,the levels of IgA,IgG and IgM in the two groups were significantly improved(P＜0.05),and the improvement in the levels of IgA,IgG and IgM in the observation group was superior to that in the control group,the difference being significant(P＜0.05).(6)The incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group was 10.00%(3/30),the control group was 6.67%(2/30).There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the observation group and the control group(P＞0.05).Conclusion Fire needling combined with Zishen Qinggan Decoction in the treatment of herpes zoster with heat stagnation in the liver channel syndrome can significantly shorten the regression time of clinical symptoms and reduce the pain symptoms of patients.The curative effect is significant and the safety is high.

Purpose::Cerebral edema (CE) is the main secondary injury following traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by road traffic accidents (RTAs). It is challenging to be predicted timely. In this study, we aimed to develop a prediction model for CE by identifying its risk factors and comparing the timing of edema occurrence in TBI patients with varying levels of injuries.Methods::This case-control study included 218 patients with TBI caused by RTAs. The cohort was divided into CE and non-CE groups, according to CT results within 7 days. Demographic data, imaging data, and clinical data were collected and analyzed. Quantitative variables that follow normal distribution were presented as mean ± standard deviation, those that do not follow normal distribution were presented as median (Q 1, Q 3). Categorical variables were expressed as percentages. The Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used to identify risk factors for CE. Logistic curve fitting was performed to predict the time to secondary CE in TBI patients with different levels of injuries. The efficacy of the model was evaluated using the receiver operator characteristic curve. Results::According to the study, almost half (47.3%) of the patients were found to have CE. The risk factors associated with CE were bilateral frontal lobe contusion, unilateral frontal lobe contusion, cerebral contusion, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and abbreviated injury scale (AIS). The odds ratio values for these factors were 7.27 (95% confidence interval ( CI): 2.08 -25.42, p = 0.002), 2.85 (95% CI: 1.11 -7.31, p = 0.030), 2.62 (95% CI: 1.12 -6.13, p = 0.027), 2.44 (95% CI: 1.25 -4.76, p = 0.009), and 1.5 (95% CI: 1.10 -2.04, p = 0.009), respectively. We also observed that patients with mild/moderate TBI (AIS ≤ 3) had a 50% probability of developing CE 19.7 h after injury (χ 2= 13.82, adjusted R2 = 0.51), while patients with severe TBI (AIS > 3) developed CE after 12.5 h (χ 2= 18.48, adjusted R2 = 0.54). Finally, we conducted a receiver operator characteristic curve analysis of CE time, which showed an area under the curve of 0.744 and 0.672 for severe and mild/moderate TBI, respectively. Conclusion::Our study found that the onset of CE in individuals with TBI resulting from RTAs was correlated with the severity of the injury. Specifically, those with more severe injuries experienced an earlier onset of CE. These findings suggest that there is a critical time window for clinical intervention in cases of CE secondary to TBI.