In view of the few studies on the influence of Armillaria spp. infection on the content of the chemical components in different parts of Polyporus umbellatus sclerotia, this study determined the biomass of P. umbellatus sclerotia and the contents of ergosterol, polyporusterone A, polyporusterone B and polysaccharide in the separated cavity wall of the sclerotia and the uninfected part of the sclerotia in different harvesting years under the conditions of A. gallica and A. mellea infection respectively. According to the difference of content and dynamic changes of the polysaccharide and the steroid substances, the superior Armillaria sp. was screened to obtain the best harvest years of P. umbellatus. Using HPLC and UV-VIS spectrophotometry methods, the contents of ergosterol, polyporusterone A, polyporusterone B and polysaccharide in P. umbellatus sclerotia infected by the two Armillaria spp. in different years were determined. In addition, the differentially expressed genes related to P. umbellatus polysaccharide synthesis were screened according to the transcriptomic data of different parts of P. umbellatus after A. mellea infection. With the increase of years, the biomass of sclerotia infected by different Armillaria spp. had significant differences, and there were significant differences in the four components of sclerotia. The four components of the separated cavity wall of the sclerotia were significantly higher than those of the uninfected part. The best harvest time was the third year after cultivation. Transcriptomic analysis showed that the infection of Armillaria spp. could significantly promote polysaccharide synthesis, which provided a basis for polysaccharide content determination at the molecular level. The study clarified the influence of different Armillaria spp. infection on the accumulation of chemical components of P. umbellatus sclerotia, laying a foundation for exploring the symbiosis mechanism and provided a scientific clue for screening superior Armillaria sp. and guiding the artificial cultivation of P. umbellatus sclerotia.

Objective: Patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis are assessed for coronary artery disease (CAD) prior to transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with treatment implications. Invasive coronary angiography (ICA) is the recommended modality but is associated with peri-procedural complications. Integrating machine learning (ML)-based computed tomography-derived fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR) into existing TAVI-planning CT protocol may aid exclusion of significant CAD and thus avoiding ICA in selected patients. Materials and Methods: A single-center, retrospective study was conducted, 41 TAVI candidates with both TAVI-planning CT and ICA performed were analyzed. CT datasets were evaluated by a ML-based CT-FFR software. Beta-blocker and nitroglycerin were not administered in these patients. The primary outcome was to identify significant CAD. The diagnostic performance of CT-FFR was compared against ICA. Results: On per-patient level, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and diagnostic accuracy were 89%, 94%, 80%, 97% and 93%, respectively. On per-vessel level, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and diagnostic accuracy were 75%, 94%, 67%, 96% and 92%, respectively. The area under the receiver operative characteristics curve per individual coronary vessels yielded overall 0.90 (95% confidence interval 85%–95%). ICA may be avoided in up to 80% of patients if CT-FFR results were negative. Conclusion ML-based CT-FFR can provide accurate screening capabilities for significant CAD thus avoiding ICA. Its integration to existing TAVI-planning CT is feasible with the potential of improving the safety and efficiency of pre-TAVI CAD assessment.

A biosynthetic gene cluster for the bioactive fungal sesterterpenoids variecolin ( 1) and variecolactone ( 2) was identified in Aspergillus aculeatus ATCC 16872. Heterologous production of 1 and 2 was achieved in Aspergillus oryzae by expressing the sesterterpene synthase VrcA and the cytochrome P450 VrcB. Intriguingly, the replacement of VrcB with homologous P450s from other fungal terpenoid pathways yielded three new variecolin analogues ( 5- 7). Analysis of the compounds' anticancer activity in vitro and in vivo revealed that although 5 and 1 had comparable activities, 5 was associated with significantly reduced toxic side effects in cancer-bearing mice, indicating its potentially broader therapeutic window. Our study describes the first tests of variecolin and its analogues in animals and demonstrates the utility of synthetic biology for creating molecules with improved biological activities.

Aim To screen and study the expression of long non-coding RNA (IncRNA) in rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) with MCAO treated with Tao Hong Si Wu decoction (THSWD) and determine the possible molecular mechanism of THSWD in treating MCAO rats. Methods Three cerebral hemisphere tissue were obtained from the control group, MCAO group and MCAO + THSWD group. RNA sequencing technology was used to identify IncRNA gene expression in the three groups. THSWD-regulated IncRNA genes were identified, and then a THSWD-regu-lated IncRNA-mRNA network was constructed. MCODE plug-in units were used to identify the modules of IncRNA-mRNA networks. Gene ontology (GO) and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) were used to analyze the enriched biological functions and signaling pathways. Cis- and trans-regulatory genes for THSWD-regulated IncRNAs were identified. Reverse transcription real-time quantitative pol-ymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to verify IncRNAs. Molecular docking was used to identify IncRNA-mRNA network targets and pathway-associated proteins. Results In MCAO rats, THSWD regulated a total of 302 IncRNAs. Bioinformatics analysis suggested that some core IncRNAs might play an important role in the treatment of MCAO rats with THSWD, and we further found that THSWD might also treat MCAO rats through multiple pathways such as IncRNA-mRNA network and network-enriched complement and coagulation cascades. The results of molecular docking showed that the active compounds gallic acid and a-mygdalin of THSWD had a certain binding ability to protein targets. Conclusions THSWD can protect the brain injury of MCAO rats through IncRNA, which may provide new insights for the treatment of ischemic stroke with THSWD.

Objective:To investigate the level change of cytokines in patients with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (EBV-HLH).Methods:A retrospective case control study was conducted. The clinical data of 65 patients with EBV-HLH, 30 patients with infectious mononucleosis (IM) (IM group) and 40 patients with non-EBV infection-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (non-EBV-HLH group) who admitted to Tongji Hospital,Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology from February 2022 to February 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the expression levels of the interleukin (IL)-6, IL-2, IL-10, IL-8, IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon γ (IFN-γ) in serum samples of patients in the above 3 groups. The cytokines levels in EBV-HLH group were compared with those in IM group and non-EBV-HLH group, respectively.Results:The cytokines levels of IL-6, IL-2, IL-10, IL-8, IL-1β, TNF-α and IFN-γ in EBV-HLH group were higher than those in the non-EBV-HLH group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). The cytokines levels of IL-2, IL-10 and IFN-γ in EBV-HLH group were higher than those in IM group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Conclusions:The cytokines levels of IL-6, IL-2, IL-10, IL-8, IL-1β, TNF-α, IFN-γ are increased in EBV-HLH patients, which may play an important role in the development and progression of EBV-HLH.

Objective To study the application of CE-Chirp in the evaluation of hearing impairment in forensic medicine by testing the auditory brainstem response(ABR)in adults using CE-Chirp to ana-lyze the relationship between the V-wave response threshold of CE-Chirp ABR test and the pure tone hearing threshold.Methods Subjects(aged 20-77 with a total of 100 ears)who underwent CE-Chirp ABR test in Changzhou De'an Hospital from January 2018 to June 2019 were selected to obtain the V-wave response threshold,and pure tone air conduction hearing threshold tests were conducted at 0.5,1.0,2.0 and 4.0 kHz,respectively,to obtain pure tone listening threshold.The differences and statistical differences between the average pure tone hearing threshold and V-wave response threshold were compared in different hearing levels and different age groups.The correlation,differences and statistical differences between the two tests at each frequency were analyzed for all subjects.The lin-ear regression equation for estimating pure tone hearing threshold for all subjects CE-Chirp ABR V-wave response threshold was established,and the feasibility of the equation was tested.Results There was no statistical significance in the CE-Chirp ABR response threshold and pure tone hearing threshold dif-ference between different hearing level groups and different age groups(P>0.05).There was a good correlation between adult CE-Chirp ABR V-wave response threshold and pure tone hearing threshold with statistical significance(P<0.05),and linear regression analysis showed a significant linear correla-tion between the two(P<0.05).Conclusion The use of CE-Chirp ABR V-wave response threshold can be used to evaluate subjects'pure tone hearing threshold under certain conditions,and can be used as an audiological test method for forensic hearing impairment assessment.

Objective To construct a lentiviral vector for overexpression of bone morphogenetic protein 7(BMP7)in mice,and the effect of BMP7 overexpression on the expression of Jagged1 in mouse aortic endothelial cells and the calcification of the co-cultured vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs)were analyzed.Methods According to the target gene information Mouse-BMP7(NM_007557.3)and plasmid information pLVX-zsGreen-C1,gene sequence synthesis was carried out to construct BMP7 overexpression lentivirus.The efficiency of BMP7 overexpression lentivirus infection was detected by qPCR;the expression of Jagged1 protein in aortic endothelial cells from infected mice was detected by Western blot.The endothelial cells with lentivirus overexpressing BMP7 were co-cultured with VSMCs,and the calcification of VSMCs was observed by alizarin red staining.Results BMP7 overexpression lentiviral vector was successfully constructed and transfected into aortic endothelial cells.qPCR test results showed that the expression level of BMP7 mRNA was significantly increased in the BMP7 overexpression group than that in the normal control group(P<0.01),while there was no significant difference in the expression of BMP7 mRNA between the empty vector control group and the normal control group(P>0.05).Western blot results showed that the expression level of Jagged1 protein in endothelial cells of mouse in the BMP7 overexpression group was significantly lower than that in the normal control group(P<0.01),while there was no significant difference in the expression level of Jagged1 protein in endothelial cells between the empty vector control group and the normal control group(P>0.05).The results of alizarin red staining showed that the calcification of VSMCs was significantly increased after co-cultured with endothelial cells infected with BMP7 lentivirus.Conclusion Mouse BMP7 overexpression lentiviral vector was successfully constructed,and overexpression of BMP7 can reduce the expression of Jagged1 in mouse aortic endothelial cells and promote the calcification of co-cultured VSMCs.

Objective:To explore if miR-133a is involved in the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)via regulating G6PD.Methods:Bioinformatics analysis predicted the binding sites of miR-133a and G6PD;RT-PCR or western blot was used to assess the expres-sion of miR-133a and G6PD in HCC tissues and the adjacent normal tissues;CCK-8 and flow cy-tometry assays were performed to evaluate the effects of miR-133a/G6PD on cell proliferation,apop-tosis;Fluorescent reporter gene and western blot assays were used to assess the effect of miR-133a on G6PD expression.Results:miR-133a expression was decreased in HCC tissues while G6PD was increased(P0.01);Up-regulation of miR-133a significantly reduced G6PD expression(P＜0.01);up-reg-ulation of miR-133a inhibited cell growth and promoted cell apoptosis(P＜0.05),whereas these effects induced by miR-133a over-expression were all abolished when G6PD was up-regulated(P＜0.01).Conclusion:miR-133a represses the occurrence and development of HCC via targeting G6PD.

Objective To compare the bioavailability and bioequivalence of pivastatin calcium dispersive tablets in healthy Chinese subjects.Methods A single dose of pitavastatin calcium(2 mg)was orally administered to the test preparation or reference preparation under fasting and postprandial conditions,respectively.The plasma concentrations of pitavastatin calcium were measured at different time points before and after administration by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(HPLC-MS/MS).The bioequivalence of the two formulations was evaluated.Results Subjects received pitavastatin calcium test preparation and reference preparation in fasting condition,the Cmax were(47.79±23.99)and(46.03±21.82)ng·L-1;AUC0_,were(96.56±42.64)and(97.96±35.40)ng·h·L-1;AUC0_∞ were(102.09±43.01)and(103.46±35.62)ng·h·L-1,respectively.The 90％confidence intervals of the geometric mean ratios of Cmax,AUC0_t and AUC0-∞ of pitavastin-calcium test formulation and reference formulation were 96.28％-111.16％,94.46％-101.19％and 94.77％-101.31％,respectively.Subjects received pitavastatin calcium test preparation and reference preparation in fasting condition,the Cmax were(27.32±10.68)and(28.58±11.39)ng·L-1;AUC0_t were(82.76±27.58)and(84.06±29.12)ng·h·L-1;AUC0_∞ were(87.88±26.93)and(89.29±29.18)ng·h·L-1,respectively.The 90％confidence intervals of the geometric mean ratios of Cmax,AUC0_t and AUC0_∞ of the test formulation and the reference formulation of pitavastatin calcium were 87.39％-102.10％,94.62％-101.34％and 94.88％-101.47％,respectively.All of them were within the bioequivalence range of 80.00％to 125.00％.Conclusion Two pivastatin calcium dispersion tablets were bioequivalent and safe in healthy Chinese adult subjects.

Objective To compare the efficacy and safety of Saccharomyces boulardii and other probiotics in the treatment of pediatric diarrhea.Methods Retrieved from PubMed,Embase,CBM,Wanfang data,CNKI and VIP,randomized controlled trial(RCTs)about Saccharomyces boulardii(treatment group)vs other probiotics(control group)were collected.After screening the literature,extracting data and evaluating the quality,Meta-analysis was performed by using RevMan 5.3 and Stata 17.0 software.Results A total of 30 RCTs were included,involving 3 082 children.Results of Meta-analysis showed there was no statistical significance in the duration of diarrhea[mean difference(MD)=-0.65,95％confidence interval(CI)=-1.44-0.14,P＞0.05]or the total incidence of adverse reactions[odds ratio(OR)=0.85,95％CI=0.44-1.62,P＞0.05].The total effective rate(OR=1.60,95％CI=1.08-2.36,P＜0.05)and the number of stools(MD=-0.66,95％CI=-1.00--0.32,P＜0.01)in the treatment group were significantly better than control group.There was statistically significant difference in the duration of diarrhea between the two groups treated with diarrhea with fever(MD=1.81,95％CI=1.12-2.49,P＜0.01)and rotavirus gastroenteritis(MD=-0.92,95％CI=-1.20--0.64,P＜0.01).In the treatment of diarrhea with fever,the duration of diarrhea in the control group was significantly shorter than that in the treatment group.The duration of diarrhea in the treatment group was significantly shorter than that control group.At the same time,the duration of diarrhea in children with diarrhea treated with treatment group was significantly shorter than that of control group Bifidobacterium tetragenous viable(MD=-0.84,95％CI=-1.09--0.58,P＜0.01)and control group combined Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecium enteric-coated(MD=-1.35,95％CI=-2.30-0.39,P＜0.01).Conclusion The safety of Saccharomyces boulardii are similar to other probiotics.The efficacy and the number of stools with Saccharomyces boulardii are significantly better than other probiotics in the treatment of diarrhea.The duration of diarrhea in Saccharomyces boulardii group was significantly shorter than other probiotics,while in the treatment of antibiotic-associated diarrhea,the duration of diarrhea of Saccharomyces boulardii was the same as that of other probiotics.However,the duration of diarrhea in children with diarrhea treated with Saccharomyces boulardii was significantly longer than other probiotics.