Reducing carbohydrates digestion by having low glycaemic index (GI) foods has been linked to weight loss. Inhibiting related enzymes is an alternative way to decrease carbohydrate digestion. RCM-107, an eight-herb formula that is modified from the RCM-104, has indicated significant weight-loss action in clinical trials. However, no research has been conducted to study its effect on the activity of porcine pancreatic alpha-amylase (PPA), which is involved in carbohydrate absorption. In this paper, we used fluorescence PPA inhibition assay to investigate the inhibitory effects of RCM-107 and the individual herbs present in this herbal mixture on amylase activity. Subsequently, molecular docking predicted the key active compounds that may be responsible for the enzyme inhibition. According to our results, both the RCM-107 formula and several individual herbs displayed α-amylase inhibitory effects. Also, marginal synergistic effects of RCM-107 were also detected. In addition, alisol B, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and plantagoside have been predicted as the key active compounds that may be responsible for the α-amylase inhibition effect of RCM-107 according to inter-residue contact analysis. Finally, Glu233, Gln63, His305, Asp300 and Tyr151 are predicted to be markers of important areas with which potential amylase inhibitors would interact.
OBJECTIVE To discuss the clinical features, treatment, and prognosis of supratentorial cavernous angiomas in children. METHODS The clinical data of 25 pediatric patients with supratentorial cavernous angioma, 17 boys and 6 girls, aged 9.6 (1-15), were reviewed retrospectively, and the relationship between the duration of epilepsy before surgery and prognosis was analyzed. RESULTS The 14 patients with preoperative seizures underwent surgery. All (8/8) of the patients suffering from preoperative seizures with an history of less than one year were seizure free after operation, while only half (3/6) of the patients with an history suffering from preoperative seizures with an history of more than one year were seizure free after operation. Ten of the 11 patients with hemorrhage and hemorrhage-related neurological symptoms as the initial symptoms underwent surgery, and no symptoms of re-bleeding and seizure occurred postoperatively. CONCLUSION Craniotomy for lesionectomy results in good seizure control and re-bleeding avoidance. Better results with regard to seizure control are associated with shorter duration of symptoms before surgery.
Angiostrongylus cantonensis invades the central nervous system (CNS) of humans to induce eosinophilic meningitis and meningoencephalitis and leads to persistent headache, cognitive dysfunction, and ataxic gait. Infected mice (nonpermissive host), admittedly, suffer more serious pathological injuries than rats (permissive host). However, the pathological basis of these manifestations is incompletely elucidated. In this study, the behavioral test, histological and immunohistochemical techniques, and analysis of apoptotic gene expression, especially caspase-3, were conducted. The movement and motor coordination were investigated at week 2 post infection (PI) and week 3 PI in mice and rats, respectively. The cognitive impairs could be found in mice at week 2 PI but not in rats. The plaque-like lesion, perivascular cuffing of inflammatory cells, and dilated vessels within the cerebral cortex and hippocampus were more serious in mice than in rats at week 3 PI. Transcriptomic analysis showed activated extrinsic apoptotic pathway through increased expression of TNFR1 and caspase-8 in mice CNS. Immunohistochemical and double-labeling for NeuN and caspase-3 indicated the dramatically increased expression of caspase-3 in neuron of the cerebral cortex and hippocampus in mice but not in rats. Furthermore, western-blotting results showed high expression of cleaved caspase-3 proteins in mice but relatively low expression in rats. Thus, extrinsic apoptotic pathway participated in neuronal apoptosis might be the pathological basis of distinct behavioral dysfunctions in rodents with A. cantonensis infection. It provides the evidences of a primary molecular mechanism for the behavioral dysfunction and paves the ways to clinical diagnosis and therapy for A. cantonensis infection.
While adult fireflies are terrestrial, their larvae inhabit various habitat types, and a lack of comprehensive research on the feeding habits of these larvae across different habitats has greatly impeded the development of artificial diets. Here, we tested 14 types of foods, primarily covering gastropods, vertebrates, and fruit, to survey feed for aquatic (Aquatica leii and Sclerotia substriata), semi-aquatic (Pygoluciola qingyu and Pygoluciola sp.), and terrestrial (Pyrocoelia analis) fireflies. The results show that A. leii, S. substriata, P. qingyu, Pygoluciola sp., and P. analis fed on 12, 6, 10, 10, and 7 different foods, respectively, showing an obvious difference in feeding range among various inhabit types of fireflies. Aquatic lineages preferred to consume freshwater snails, followed by pork meat and land slugs, while semi-aquatic fireflies favored freshwater snails, followed by fish and shrimp. Favorite foods were thus freshwater snails such as Cipangopaludina chinensis for both aquatic and semi-aquatic fireflies, but feeding preference differed for second favorite foods (e.g., pork vs. fish meat). Terrestrial Pyrocoelia analis showed different feeding preferences compared withthe other two habitat lineages, with terrestrial snails and slugs as their favorite foods, followed by freshwater snails, such as C. chinensis. These findings not only uncovered larval feeding habits of fireflies across various inhabit types but also indicated that readily available and affordable C. chinensis products can serve as wild snail alternatives in the artificial feeding of fireflies. This study is the first to explore the feeding habits of firefly species inhabiting water and land habitat types, adding to the understanding of the feeding characteristics of fireflies.
Abstract Background In areas where Lyme disease is endemic, bites from ticks are common, but no vaccine is currently available against Lyme disease for humans. Therefore, the feasibility of using antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent Lyme disease after a tick bite is worth further exploration. Previous meta-analyses lack sufficient power to demonstrate the efficacy of about antibiotic prophylaxis for the prevention of Lyme disease following a tick bite. In this study, we explored more precise evidence and attempted to identify and update optimum treatment strategies. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for studies until March 23, 2021. We included studies if the enrolled patients were randomly allocated to a treatment or control group within 72 h following a tick bite and had no clinical evidence of Lyme disease at enrolment. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guidelines were followed for data abstraction. Two authors (GZZ and XX) independently reviewed the abstracts and identified articles for detailed assessment. We used a random-effects model to calculate the pooled results and reported the 95% confidence interval (CI). Study quality was assessed using a modified Jadad scale, and publication bias was assessed using Egger’s test. We calculated the risk ratio (RR) for the rates of unfavorable events in patients who received intervention versus the control group. This study is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42021245002. Results Six studies (3,766 individuals) were included. The pooled rate of unfavorable events in persons receiving treatment and the control group were 0.4% (95%CI: 0.1–1.1%) and 2.2% (95%CI: 1.6–3.0%), respectively. The pooled RR was 0.38 (95%CI: 0.22–0.66). Subgroup analysis revealed that the pooled RR was 0.29 (95%CI: 0.14–0.60) in the single-use 200-mg doxycycline group; 0.28 (95%CI: 0.05–1.67) in a 10-day course group (Amoxicillin, Penicillin or tetracycline); and 0.73 (95%CI: 0.25–2.08) in a topical antibiotic treatment group (Azithromycin). Conclusions The available evidence supports the use of antibiotics for the prevention of Lyme disease, and reveals advantages of using single-dose; however, further confirmation is needed.
The challenges of bee research in Asia are unique and severe, reflecting different cultures, landscapes, and faunas. Strategies and frameworks developed in North America or Europe may not prove applicable. Virtually none of these species have been assessed by the IUCN and there is a paucity of public data on even the basics of bee distribution. If we do not know the species present, their distribution and threats, we cannot protect them, but our knowledge base is vanishingly small in Asia compared to the rest of the world. To better understand and meet these challenges, this perspective conveys the ideas accumulated over hundreds of years of cumulative study of Asian bees by the authors, including academic, governmental, and other researchers from 13 Asian countries and beyond. We outline the special circumstances of Asian bee research and the current state of affairs, highlight the importance of highly social species as flagships for the lesser-known solitary bees, the dire need for further research for food security, and identify target research areas in need of further study. Finally, we outline a framework via which we will catalyze future research in the region, especially via governmental and other partnerships necessary to effectively conserve species.
Genetic diversity is an important factor affecting the efficiency of adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE). The recent development of precise tools and strategies for genomic engineering has greatly accelerated mutant library construction for ALE. Here, a global regulator library based on the CRISPR-enabled trackable genome engineering (CREATE) technology was first used to accelerate adaptive evolution for improved furfural tolerance in Escherichia coli, and the furfural tolerance was increased approximately 2-fold in the genetically diversified CREATE-based strains. The evolved strain tolerated up to 4.7 g/L furfural and also showed marked cross-tolerance to NaCl, isobutanol, butanol, ethanol, and high temperature. Whole-genome sequencing and mutant reconstruction analysis revealed for the first time that rpoBP153L mutation leads to greatly increased furfural tolerance. The expression of genes coding central carbon and energy metabolism was significantly altered according to transcriptome analysis. In particular, it was confirmed for the first time that the knockout of sRNA sgrS and the overexpression of sRNA arrS significantly increased furfural tolerance. This study provides evidence that combined ALE and the CREATE technology can not only obtain highly efficient strains with favorable mutation combinations but also accelerate ALE by providing much greater genomic and functional diversity.
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