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1.
Efficacy and pharmacoeconomic advantages of Fufang Huangbai Fluid hydropathic compress in diabetic foot infections: a comparative clinical study with antimicrobial calcium alginate wound dressing.
Yang, G, Wang, G, Li, Z, Deng, L, Wang, N, Wang, X, Zhou, T, Zhang, J, Lei, Y, Wang, T, et al
Frontiers in pharmacology. 2024;:1285946
Abstract
Objective: To compare the intervention effects and pharmacoeconomic advantages of Fufang Huangbai Fluid (FFHB) hydropathic compress versus Antimicrobial Calcium Alginate Wound Dressing (ACAWD) in the treatment of diabetic foot infections (DFI). Methods: Patients with DF who were hospitalized in the peripheral vascular Department of Dongzhimen Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine from December 2020 to February 2022 and met the inclusion and excluding criteria were allocated into the experimental group and control group through minimization randomization. The experimental group was treated with FFHB hydropathic compress for 2 weeks, while the control group was treated with ACAWD for the same duration. The wound healing of both groups was monitored for 1 month post-discharge. Clinical data from all eligible patients were collected, and differences in various indices between cohorts were analyzed. Results: 22 in the experimental group (including two fell off) and 20 in the control group. After the treatment, the negative rate of wound culture in the experimental group was 30% and that in the control group was 10%, There was no significant difference in the negative rate of wound culture and change trend of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of drug sensitivity (p > 0.05). The infection control rate of the experimental group was 60%, and that of the control group was 25%. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (χ2 = 5.013, p = 0.025). The median wound healing rate of the experimental group was 34.4% and that of the control group was 33.3%. There was no significant difference between the two groups (p > 0.05). During the follow-up 1 month later, the wound healing rate in the experimental group was higher, and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.047). Pharmacoeconomic evaluations indicated that the experimental group had greater cost-effectiveness compared to the control group. Conclusion: In the preliminary study, FFHB demonstrated comparable pathogenic and clinical efficacy to ACAWD in the treatment of mild DF infection, and exhibited superior pharmacoeconomic advantages. With the aid of infection control, the wound healing rate in the FFHB group showed notable improvement. Nevertheless, due to the limited sample size, larger-scale studies are warranted to further validate these findings. Clinical Trial Registration: (https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=66175), identifier (ChiCTR2000041443).
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2.
A metabolomics study on carcinogenesis of ground-glass nodules.
Zhang, X, Tong, X, Chen, Y, Chen, J, Li, Y, Ding, C, Ju, S, Zhang, Y, Zhang, H, Zhao, J
CytoJournal. 2024;:12
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to identify differential metabolites and key metabolic pathways between lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) tissues and normal lung (NL) tissues using metabolomics techniques, to discover potential biomarkers for the early diagnosis of lung cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS Forty-five patients with primary ground-glass nodules (GGN) identified on computed tomography imaging and who were willing to undergo surgery at Shanghai General Hospital from December 2021 to December 2022 were recruited to the study. All participants underwent video thoracoscopy surgery with segmental or wedge resection of the lung. Tissue samples for pathological examination were collected from the site of ground-glass nodules (GGN) lesion and 3 cm away from the lesion (NL). The pathology results were 35 lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cases (13 invasive adenocarcinoma, 14 minimally invasive adenocarcinoma, and eight adenocarcinoma in situ), 10 benign samples, and 45 NL tissues. For the untargeted metabolomics technique, 25 LUAD samples were assigned as the case group and 30 NL tissues as the control group. For the targeted metabolomics technique, ten LUAD samples were assigned as the case group and 15 NL tissues as the control group. Samples were analyzed by untargeted and targeted metabolomics, with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry detection used as part of the experimental procedure. RESULTS Untargeted metabolomics revealed 164 differential metabolites between the case and control groups, comprising 110 up regulations and 54 down regulations. The main metabolic differences found by the untargeted method were organic acids and their derivatives. Targeted metabolomics revealed 77 differential metabolites between the case and control groups, comprising 69 up regulations and eight down regulations. The main metabolic changes found by the targeted method were fatty acids, amino acids, and organic acids. The levels of organic acids such as lactic acid, fumaric acid, and malic acid were significantly increased in LUAD tissue compared to NL. Specifically, an increased level of L-lactic acid was found by both untargeted (variable importance in projection [VIP] = 1.332, fold-change [FC] = 1.678, q = 0.000) and targeted metabolomics (VIP = 1.240, FC = 1.451, q = 0.043). Targeted metabolomics also revealed increased levels of fumaric acid (VIP = 1.481, FC = 1.764, q = 0.106) and L-malic acid (VIP = 1.376, FC = 1.562, q = 0.012). Most of the 20 differential fatty acids identified were downregulated, including dodecanoic acid (VIP = 1.416, FC = 0.378, q = 0.043) and tridecane acid (VIP = 0.880, FC = 0.780, q = 0.106). Furthermore, increased levels of differential amino acids were found in LUAD samples. CONCLUSION Lung cancer is a complex and heterogeneous disease with diverse genetic alterations. The study of metabolic profiles is a promising research field in this cancer type. Targeted and untargeted metabolomics revealed significant differences in metabolites between LUAD and NL tissues, including elevated levels of organic acids, decreased levels of fatty acids, and increased levels of amino acids. These metabolic features provide valuable insights into LUAD pathogenesis and can potentially serve as biomarkers for prognosis and therapy response.
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Roles of Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
Shin, Y, Han, S, Kwon, J, Ju, S, Choi, TG, Kang, I, Kim, SS
Nutrients. 2023;(20)
Abstract
The gut microbiome is a diverse bacterial community in the human gastrointestinal tract that plays important roles in a variety of biological processes. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) are produced through fermentation of dietary fiber. Certain microbes in the gut are responsible for producing SCFAs such as acetate, propionate and butyrate. An imbalance in gut microbiome diversity can lead to metabolic disorders and inflammation-related diseases. Changes in SCFA levels and associated microbiota were observed in IBD, suggesting an association between SCFAs and disease. The gut microbiota and SCFAs affect reactive oxygen species (ROS) associated with IBD. Gut microbes and SCFAs are closely related to IBD, and it is important to study them further.
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The Gut-Brain Axis in Schizophrenia: The Implications of the Gut Microbiome and SCFA Production.
Ju, S, Shin, Y, Han, S, Kwon, J, Choi, TG, Kang, I, Kim, SS
Nutrients. 2023;(20)
Abstract
Schizophrenia, a severe mental illness affecting about 1% of the population, manifests during young adulthood, leading to abnormal mental function and behavior. Its multifactorial etiology involves genetic factors, experiences of adversity, infection, and gene-environment interactions. Emerging research indicates that maternal infection or stress during pregnancy may also increase schizophrenia risk in offspring. Recent research on the gut-brain axis highlights the gut microbiome's potential influence on central nervous system (CNS) function and mental health, including schizophrenia. The gut microbiota, located in the digestive system, has a significant role to play in human physiology, affecting immune system development, vitamin synthesis, and protection against pathogenic bacteria. Disruptions to the gut microbiota, caused by diet, medication use, environmental pollutants, and stress, may lead to imbalances with far-reaching effects on CNS function and mental health. Of interest are short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), metabolic byproducts produced by gut microbes during fermentation. SCFAs can cross the blood-brain barrier, influencing CNS activity, including microglia and cytokine modulation. The dysregulation of neurotransmitters produced by gut microbes may contribute to CNS disorders, including schizophrenia. This review explores the potential relationship between SCFAs, the gut microbiome, and schizophrenia. Our aim is to deepen the understanding of the gut-brain axis in schizophrenia and to elucidate its implications for future research and therapeutic approaches.
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Association between Liver MRI Proton Density Fat Fraction and Liver Disease Risk.
Xia, T, Du, M, Li, H, Wang, Y, Zha, J, Wu, T, Ju, S
Radiology. 2023;(1):e231007
Abstract
Background A better understanding of the association between liver MRI proton density fat fraction (PDFF) and liver diseases might support the clinical implementation of MRI PDFF. Purpose To quantify the genetically predicted causal effect of liver MRI PDFF on liver disease risk. Materials and Methods This population-based prospective observational study used summary-level data mainly from the UK Biobank and FinnGen. Mendelian randomization analysis was conducted using the inverse variance-weighted method to explore the causal association between genetically predicted liver MRI PDFF and liver disease risk with Bonferroni correction. The individual-level data were downloaded between August and December 2020 from the UK Biobank. Logistic regression analysis was performed to validate the association between liver MRI PDFF polygenic risk score and liver disease risk. Mediation analyses were performed using multivariable mendelian randomization. Results Summary-level and individual-level data were obtained from 32 858 participants and 378 436 participants (mean age, 57 years ± 8 [SD]; 203 108 female participants), respectively. Genetically predicted high liver MRI PDFF was associated with increased risks of malignant liver neoplasm (odds ratio [OR], 4.5; P < .001), alcoholic liver disease (OR, 1.9; P < .001), fibrosis and cirrhosis of the liver (OR, 3.0; P < .004), fibrosis of the liver (OR, 3.6; P = .002), cirrhosis of the liver (OR, 3.8; P < .001), nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (OR, 7.7; P < .001), and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) (OR, 4.4; P < .001). Individual-level evidence supported these associations after grouping participants based on liver MRI PDFF polygenic risk score (all P < .004). The mediation analysis indicated that genetically predicted high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and waist-to-hip ratio (mediation effects, 25.1%-46.3%) were related to the occurrence of fibrosis and cirrhosis of the liver, cirrhosis of the liver, and NAFLD at liver MRI PDFF (all P < .05). Conclusion This study provided evidence of the association between genetically predicted liver MRI PDFF and liver health. © RSNA, 2023 Supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorials by Reeder and Starekova and Monsell in this issue.
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Ferroptosis in tumors and its relationship to other programmed cell death: role of non-coding RNAs.
Zhang, Q, Fan, X, Zhang, X, Ju, S
Journal of translational medicine. 2023;(1):514
Abstract
Programmed cell death (PCD) plays an important role in many aspects of individual development, maintenance of body homeostasis and pathological processes. Ferroptosis is a novel form of PCD characterized by the accumulation of iron-dependent lipid peroxides resulting in lethal cell damage. It contributes to tumor progression in an apoptosis-independent manner. In recent years, an increasing number of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been demonstrated to mediate the biological process of ferroptosis, hence impacting carcinogenesis, progression, drug resistance, and prognosis. However, the clear regulatory mechanism for this phenomenon remains poorly understood. Moreover, ferroptosis does not usually exist independently. Its interaction with PCD, like apoptosis, necroptosis, autophagy, pyroptosis, and cuproptosis, to destroy cells appears to exist. Furthermore, ncRNA seems to be involved. Here, we review the mechanisms by which ferroptosis occurs, dissect its relationship with other forms of death, summarize the key regulatory roles played by ncRNAs, raise relevant questions and predict possible barriers to its application in the clinic, offering new ideas for targeted tumour therapy.
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Metal Hydrides with In Situ Built Electron/Ion Dual-Conductive Framework for Stable All-Solid-State Li-Ion Batteries.
Gao, P, Ju, S, Liu, Z, Xia, G, Sun, D, Yu, X
ACS nano. 2022;(5):8040-8050
Abstract
Due to their high theoretical specific capacity, metal hydrides are considered to be one of the most promising anode material for all-solid-state Li-ion batteries. Their practical application suffers, however, from the poor cycling stability and sluggish kinetics. Herein, we report the in situ fabrication of MgH2 and Mg2NiH4 that are uniformly space-confined by inactive Nd2H5 frameworks with high Li-ion and electron conductivity through facile hydrogenation of single-phase Nd4Mg80Ni8 alloys. The formation of MgH2 and Mg2NiH4 nanocrystals could not only shorten Li-ion and electron diffusion pathways of the whole electrode but also relieve the induced stress upon volume changes. Additionally, the robust frameworks constructed by homogeneous distribution of inactive Nd2H5 based on a molecular level could effectively alleviate the volume expansion and phase separation of thus-confined MgH2 and Mg2NiH4. More importantly, it is theoretically and experimentally verified that the uniform distribution of Nd2H5, which is an electronic conductor with a Li-ion diffusion barrier that is much lower than that of MgH2 and Mg2NiH4, could further facilitate the electron and Li-ion transfer of MgH2 and Mg2NiH4. Consequently, the space-confined MgH2 and Mg2NiH4 deliver a reversible capacity of 997 mAh g-1 at 2038 mA g-1 after 100 cycles.
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Efficacy and safety of acupuncture in combination with Chinese herbal medicine in dealing with osteoporosis: A protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
Long, P, Ju, S, Wang, J
Medicine. 2022;(52):e32441
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Osteoporosis (OP) has emerged as a major global public health issue due to its high prevalence, unknown pathogenesis, and lack of specific drugs for prevention and treatment. Studies have demonstrated that acupuncture in combination with Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is effective in treating OP. However, there is a scarcity of experience and high-quality evidence. A network meta-analysis and systematic review were used to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in combination with CHM for the treatment of OP. METHODS Comprehensive search of Chinese databases such as China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP, Wanfang, China Biomedical Literature Database and English databases for example PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMbase, etc. The search period was extended from the creation of the database to November 2022. All randomized controlled trials on acupuncture in combination with CHM in dealing with OP were collected. After literature analysis and data extraction, the Cochrance system was used to evaluate the high quality of the included articles and Stata 14.0 was used for the network meta-analysis. RESULTS The current systematic review and network meta-analysis will provide the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in combination with CHM in dealing with OP. CONCLUSION The research will provide reliable evidence for the clinical use of acupuncture in combination with CHM in dealing with OP.
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Chronic cough is associated with depressive mood in women regardless of smoking status and lung function.
Heo, IR, Kim, JY, Go, SI, Kim, TH, Ju, S, Yoo, JW, Lee, SJ, Cho, YJ, Jeong, YY, Lee, JD, et al
The clinical respiratory journal. 2021;(7):753-760
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic cough is a common respiratory symptom, and, if persistent, the patient's quality of life can worsen and result in a depressive mood, or vice versa. Although previous reports suggest a relationship between chronic cough and depression, we further investigated this relationship according to smoking status and lung function. METHODS This observational study used cross-sectional data from the 6th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2014 and 2016). Propensity score matching using age, sex, smoking status, and lung function was performed for participants with and without chronic cough to reduce the confounding effects associated with depressive mood. Questionnaires recorded coughs persisting for >3 months and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) assessed the severity of depressive mood. RESULTS Among 12 494 participants who were >18 years old, 226 with chronic cough were matched with 226 with non-chronic cough. Overall, chronic cough participants showed higher PHQ-9 scores than the non-chronic cough participants (4.29 ± 5.23 vs. 2.63 ± 3.38, P < .001). When stratified by sex, the difference remained significant in women (5.69 ± 5.96 vs. 3.05 ± 3.97, P < .001) but not in men (3.18 ± 4.27 vs. 2.31 ± 3.65, P = .092). When stratified by lung function status, the difference remained significant for those with normal lung function (4.32 ± 5.32 vs. 2.78 ± 3.86, P = .003) and reduced lung function (4.19 ± 4.93 vs. 2.11 ± 3.55, P ≤ 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that chronic cough was associated with PHQ-9 score (odds ratio [OR], 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.014-1.27, P = .014), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR, 4.87; 95% CI, 1.041-22.86, P = .044) and physician-diagnosed bronchial asthma (OR, 2.93; 95% CI, 1.162-7.435, P = .023). CONCLUSIONS Depressive mood is significantly correlated with chronic cough in females.
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Using Graphene Sulfonate Nanosheets to Improve the Properties of Siliceous Sacrificial Materials: An Experimental and Molecular Dynamics Study.
Chu, H, Wang, Z, Zhang, Y, Wang, F, Ju, S, Wang, L, Wang, D
Materials (Basel, Switzerland). 2020;(21)
Abstract
The fabrication of high-performance cement-based materials has benefited greatly from the extensive use of graphene and its derivatives. This paper studies the effects of graphene sulfonate nanosheets (GSNSs) on sacrificial cement paste and mortar (the tested materials) and other siliceous sacrificial materials, especially their ablation behaviors and mechanical properties. Decomposition temperatures and differential scanning calorimetry were used to examine how different contents of GSNSs determines the corresponding decomposition enthalpy of the tested materials and their ablation behaviors. Molecular dynamics was also used to clarify the mechanism how the GSNSs work in the CSH (calcium silicate hydrated)/GSNSs composite to increase the resistance to high temperature. The experimental results show that: (1) the contents of GSNSs at 0.03 wt.%, 0.1 wt.%, and 0.3 wt.% brought an increase of 10.97%, 22.21%, and 17.56%, respectively, in the flexural strength of siliceous sacrificial mortar, and an increase of 1.92%, 9.16%, and 6.70% in its compressive strength; (2) the porosity of siliceous sacrificial mortar was decreased by 5.04%, 9.91%, and 7.13%, respectively, and the threshold pore diameter of siliceous sacrificial mortar was decreased by 13.06%, 35.39%, and 24.02%, when the contents of GSNSs were 0.03 wt.%, 0.1 wt.%, and 0.3 wt.%, respectively; (3) a decline of 11.16%, 28.50%, and 61.01% was found in the ablation velocity of siliceous sacrificial mortar, when the contents of GSNSs were 0.03 wt.%, 0.1 wt.%, and 0.3 wt.%, respectively; (4) when considering the ablation velocities and mechanical properties of siliceous sacrificial materials, 0.1 wt.% GSNSs was considered to be the optimal amount; (5) the GSNSs contribute to the reinforced effect of GSNSs on CSH gel through the grab of dissociated calcium and water molecules, and the chemical reaction with silicate tetrahedron to produce S-O-Si bonds. These results are expected to promoting the development of new kinds of siliceous sacrificial materials that contain GSNSs.