Structural Alterations Research Articles

Associations between COVID-19 and putative markers of neuroinflammation: A diffusion basis spectrum imaging study

COVID-19 remains a significant international public health concern. Yet, the mechanisms through which symptomatology emerges remain poorly understood. While SARS-CoV-2 infection may induce prolonged inflammation within the central nervous system, the evidence primarily stems from limited small-scale case investigations. To address this gap, our study capitalized on longitudinal UK Biobank neuroimaging data acquired prior to and following COVID-19 testing (N = 416 including n = 224 COVID-19 cases; Mage = 58.6). Putative neuroinflammation was assessed in gray matter structures and white matter tracts using non-invasive Diffusion Basis Spectrum Imaging (DBSI), which estimates inflammation-related cellularity (DBSI-restricted fraction; DBSI-RF) and vasogenic edema (DBSI-hindered fraction; DBSI-HF). We hypothesized that COVID-19 case status would be associated with increases in DBSI markers after accounting for potential confound (age, sex, race, body mass index, smoking frequency, and data acquisition interval) and multiple testing.COVID-19 case status was not significantly associated with DBSI-RF (|β|’s < 0.28, pFDR >0.05), but with greater DBSI-HF in left pre- and post-central gyri and right middle frontal gyrus (β′s > 0.3, all pFDR = 0.03). Intriguingly, the brain areas exhibiting increased putative vasogenic edema had previously been linked to COVID-19-related functional and structural alterations, whereas brain regions displaying subtle differences in cellularity between COVID-19 cases and controls included regions within or functionally connected to the olfactory network, which has been implicated in COVID-19 psychopathology.Nevertheless, our study might not have captured acute and transitory neuroinflammatory effects linked to SARS-CoV-2 infection, possibly due to symptom resolution before the imaging scan. Future research is warranted to explore the potential time- and symptom-dependent neuroinflammatory relationship with COVID-19.

Alterations in mitochondrial structure and function in response to environmental temperature changes in Apostichopus japonicus

Global temperatures have risen as a result of climate change, and the resulting warmer seawater will exert physiological stresses on many aquatic animals, including Apostichopus japonicus. It has been suggested that the sensitivity of aquatic poikilothermal animals to climate change is closely related to mitochondrial function. Therefore, understanding the interaction between elevated temperature and mitochondrial functioning is key to characterizing organisms’ responses to heat stress. However, little is known about the mitochondrial response to heat stress in A. japonicus. In this work, we investigated the morphological and functional changes of A. japonicus mitochondria under three representative temperatures, control temperature (18 °C), aestivation temperature (25 °C) and heat stress temperature (32 °C) temperatures using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation of mitochondrial morphology combined with proteomics and metabolomics techniques. The results showed that the mitochondrial morphology of A. japonicus was altered, with decreases in the number of mitochondrial cristae at 25 °C and mitochondrial lysis, fracture, and vacuolization at 32 °C. Proteomic and metabolomic analyses revealed 103 differentially expressed proteins and 161 differential metabolites at 25 °C. At 32 °C, the levels of 214 proteins and 172 metabolites were significantly altered. These proteins and metabolites were involved in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, substance transport, membrane potential homeostasis, anti-stress processes, mitochondrial autophagy, and apoptosis. Furthermore, a hypothetical network of proteins and metabolites in A. japonicus mitochondria in response to temperature changes was constructed based on proteomic and metabolomic data. These results suggest that the dynamic regulation of mitochondrial energy metabolism, resistance to oxidative stress, autophagy, apoptosis, and mitochondrial morphology in A. japonicus may play important roles in the response to elevated temperatures. In summary, this study describes the response of A. japonicus mitochondria to temperature changes from the perspectives of morphology, proteins, and metabolites, which provided a better understanding the mechanisms of mitochondrial regulation under environment stress in marine echinoderms.

The direct impact of pegvisomant on osteoblast functions and bone development.

Acromegaly is a chronic disease characterized by growth hormone (GH) hypersecretion, usually caused by a pituitary adenoma, resulting in elevated circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor type I (IGF-I). Pegvisomant (PEG), the GH-receptor (GHR) antagonist, is used in treating acromegaly to normalize IGF-I hypersecretion. Exposure to increased levels of GH and IGF-I can cause profound alterations in bone structure that are not completely reverted by treatment of GH hypersecretion. Indeed, there is evidence that drugs used for the treatment of acromegaly might induce direct effects on skeletal health regardless of biochemical control of acromegaly. We investigated, for the first time, the effect of PEG on cell proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization in the osteoblast cell lines MC3T3-E1 and hFOB 1.19 and its potential impact on bone development in zebrafish larvae. We observed that PEG did not affect osteoblast proliferation, apoptosis, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and mineralization. After PEG treatment, the analysis of genes related to osteoblast differentiation showed no difference in Alp, Runx2, or Opg mRNA levels in MC3T3-E1 cells. GH significantly decreased cell apoptosis (-30 ± 11%, p < 0.001) and increased STAT3 phosphorylation; these effects were suppressed by the addition of PEG in MC3T3-E1 cells. GH and PEG did not affect Igf-I, Igfbp2, and Igfbp4 mRNA levels in MC3T3-E1 cells. Finally, PEG did not affect bone development in zebrafish larvae at 5days post-fertilization. This study provides a first evidence of the impact of PEG on osteoblast functions both in vitro and in vivo. These findings may have clinically relevant implications for the management of skeletal health in subjects with acromegaly.

Zr‐Porphyrin Metal–Organic Framework as nanoreactor for boosting the formation of hydrogen clathrates

AbstractWe report the first experimental evidence for rapid formation of hydrogen clathrates under mild pressure and temperature conditions within the cavities of a zirconium‐metalloporphyrin framework, specifically PCN‐222. PCN‐222 has been selected for its 1D mesoporous channels, high water‐stability, and proper hydrophilic behavior. Firstly, we optimize a microwave (MW)‐assisted method for the synthesis of nanosized PCN‐222 particles with precise structure control (exceptional homogeneity in morphology and crystalline phase purity), taking advantage of MW in terms of rapid/homogeneous heating, time and energy savings, as well as potential scalability of the synthetic method. Second, we explore the relevance of the large mesoporous 1D open channels within the PCN‐222 to promote the nucleation and growth of confined hydrogen clathrates. Experimental results show that PCN‐222 drives the nucleation process at a lower pressure than the bulk system (1.35 kbar vs 2 kbar), with fast kinetics (minutes), using pure water, and with a nearly complete water‐to‐hydrate conversion. Unfortunately, PCN‐222 cannot withstand these high pressures, which lead to a significant alteration of the mesoporous structure while the microporous network remains mainly unchanged.

Resveratrol showed anti-inflammatory effects on hippocampus via suppressing NFκB.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the damage to the brain caused by external blow or jolt to the head or body. TBI secondarily induces cell damage in the hippocampus. This study aimed to investigate effects of resveratrol treatment histological examination and nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) expression in hippocampus after TBI. Twenty-four rats were assigned to three groups: sham, TBI and TBI+Resveratol. TBI was conducted by dropping a 50-g weight from a 1-meter height from a tube to the head of animals. 20 mg/kg resveratrol was orally administered to rats after TBI. Blood was collected to measure malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) contents. Cerebral tissues were processed for histopathology and furtherly for immunohistochemical analysis. MDA content was significantly increased and GSH value were significantly decreased in TBI group compared to sham group. Resveratrol treatment significantly improved biochemical scores in TBI+Resveratrol group. Normal histological appearance was observed in hippocampal sections of sham group. In TBI group, neurons in hippocampus were degenerated. Their nuclei were pyknotic. Other neurons and supportive neuroglial cells in hippocampal proper and dentate gyrus were also disrupted. Hippocampal proper integrity was lost with vascular dilatation. NFκB was upregulated in hippocampal neurons of TBI group. Resveratrol treatment alleviated pathologies and downregulated NFκB expression in hippocampus. TBI caused adverse alterations in free radicals' balance system and histological structures of hippocampus. Resveratrol with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects reduced the damage caused by TBI.

Incremental Diagnostic Value of Right Ventricular Strain Analysis in Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy.

Strain analysis is a sensitive method for the assessment of ventricular structural or functional alterations. The authors aimed to determine whether right ventricular (RV) strain parameters can discriminate patients with revised Task Force Criteria-diagnosed arrhythmogenic RV cardiomyopathy (ARVC) incremental to the existing cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) criteria, thus improving the diagnostic yield of CMR in ARVC. A total of 74 patients with revised Task Force Criteria-diagnosed ARVC (37 borderline and 37 definite) and 37 controls were retrospectively enrolled for analysis. Using CMR feature tracking, RV global longitudinal (GLS), circumferential, and radial strain of all participants were evaluated. Compared with controls, the study patients demonstrated significantly impaired global biventricular strain in all 3 directions (all P<0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that RV GLS was the strongest discriminator among all RV strain parameters for the identification of patients with ARVC (area under the curve, 0.92). Using the Youden index, the authors determined RV GLS ≥-19.95% as the diagnostic criterion of ARVC. In patients diagnosed with borderline ARVC according to revised Task Force Criteria but with no or only minor CMR criteria, there were >50% presenting with impaired RV GLS. When both conventional criteria and RV GLS were considered together, this new diagnostic method demonstrated an overall diagnostic accuracy of 90%. The likelihood ratio test showed a significant incremental diagnostic value of RV GLS (P=0.02) over the existing CMR major criteria. The current study showed an improved diagnostic accuracy when both RV GLS and the existing CMR criteria were considered together, especially for patients with borderline diagnosis, suggesting the incremental value of strain analysis to the initial assessment of ARVC.

THE MAIN DIRECTIONS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR IN THE CONTEXT OF STRUCTURAL CHANGES

The fact that agriculture as a strategically important sector of the economy has its own specifics and this also requires expanding the application of the achievements of scientific and technical progress of economic subjects in the implementation of structural changes in production. According to this perspective, the optimal coordination of the activities of producers of products belonging to various forms of ownership is crucial to ensure the sustainable growth of agriculture at the current stage of structural alterations. By studying the issues mentioned in the article, the main directions of sustainable development of the agricultural sector are determined. The article analyzes transition from the current field management system to the functional management system, the widespread employment of managers, and marketing strategies should be the primary goals of developing a new management system and its constituent management mechanisms. This is necessary because, as a result of changes, private property will inevitably become the dominant type of ownership in the agricultural sector. The widespread use of self-management techniques is presently exhibited as one of the most significant concerns as a result of the application of management structures and mechanisms inherent in a market economy at all levels of the agro-food complex.

Experimental investigation of high-temperature insulation performance of vacuum encapsulated ceramic fiber-board

In this study, a thermal barrier coating (TBC) was used to encapsulate a porous ceramic fiber-board (CFB) under vacuum conditions. The thermal insulation performance and loading-bearing capacity of this structure were experimentally examined and compared to those of the original CFB and an atmospheric pressure encapsulated CFB (APE-CFB). Additionally, the heat transfer process of various specimen was numerically simulated. The thermal insulation experimental findings demonstrate that the 100 μm TBC is proficient in sealing the CFB against high-temperature oxidative ablation and water vapor intrusion in a thermal environment of 1373 K for 3000 s with negligible structural alterations. The TBC diminishes radiative heat transfer inside the CFB, while the vacuum encapsulated CFB (VE-CFB) effectively inhibits the gas heat transfer inside the CFB, substantially enhancing its thermal protection capabilities. Load testes indicate that TBC can increase the compressive capability of original CFB by as much as 73.5% up to 4.25 MPa within a 10% deformation range, which is advantageous in the design and application of integrated force-thermal load-bearing structures.

Thermal degradation of 3D printing processed polylactide samples by means of vibrational spectroscopy

In the present study, we utilized the fused deposition modeling technique (FDM) to prepare polylactide (PLA) samples and evaluate in real time their thermal degradation by means of vibrational spectroscopy. The FDM method is probably the most popular technology among 3D printing technologies due to the inexpensive and flexible extrusion systems used for the handling of several thermoplastic materials. Nevertheless, a thermal degradation phenomenon of the 3D-printed thermoplastic PLA samples occurs, which is an inevitable issue for long-term reliability of the material leading to poor product properties. We recorded the Fourier transform infrared spectra in real-time mode to monitor the thermal degradation kinetics of PLA samples at a specific temperature below the glass transition point and explore the induced structural alterations. The absorbance of specific spectral features was used to evaluate the concentration reduction of PLA functional groups during the thermal degradation process. The kinetics of the thermal degradation was estimated by means of the absorbance of the C-COO band which reflects the scission of the ester linkage due to degradation process. The kinetic rate constant was found Kt = 2.30 × 10−3 s−1. The results reported in this work were analyzed and discussed in view of relevant data reported for PLA samples prepared with traditional mechanical processing.

Microecological Shifts in the Rhizosphere of Perennial Large Trees and Seedlings in Continuous Cropping of Poplar.

The cultivation of poplar trees is hindered by persistent cropping challenges, resulting in reduced wood productivity and increased susceptibility to soil-borne diseases. These issues primarily arise from alterations in microbial structure and the infiltration of pathogenic fungi. To investigate the impact on soil fertility, we conducted an analysis using soil samples from both perennial poplar trees and three successive generations of continuously cropped poplar trees. The quantity and community composition of bacteria and fungi in the rhizosphere were assessed using the Illumina MiSeq platform. The objective of this study is to elucidate the impact of continuous cropping challenges on soil fertility and rhizosphere microorganisms in poplar trees, thereby establishing a theoretical foundation for investigating the mechanisms underlying these challenges. The study found that the total bacteria in the BT group is 0.42 times higher than the CK group, and the total fungi is 0.33 times lower than the CK group. The BT and CK groups presented relatively similar bacterial richness and diversity, while the indices showed a significant (p < 0.05) higher fungal richness and diversity in the CK group. The fractions of Bacillus were 2.22% and 2.41% in the BT and CK groups, respectively. There was a 35.29% fraction of Inocybe in the BT group, whereas this was barely observed in the CK group. The fractions of Geopora were 26.25% and 5.99%, respectively in the BT and CK groups. Modifying the microbial community structure in soil subjected to continuous cropping is deemed as the most effective approach to mitigate the challenges associated with this agricultural practice.

Toxicity assessment of perovskite nanocomposites: In vivo study.

Perovskite solar cells display potential as a renewable energy source because of their high-power conversion efficiency. However, there is limited understanding regarding the potential impact of perovskite on human health and the ecosystem. In this study, two sets of male Wistar albino rats received 35 injections of perovskite composite at a dosage of 0.372mg/kg body weight. The animals underwent thorough examinations, encompassing morphometric, hematological, biochemical, histological, and behavioral analyses. Liver, kidney, and testis biopsies were processed and examined histologically. Additionally, two groups of mice (perovskite-treated and control mice, each with n = 10) underwent three behavioral tests: the Elevated Zero Maze test, Marble Burying test, and Light-Dark Box test. Perovskite-treated rats displayed a significant increase in levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, triglycerides, cholesterol, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, white blood cells, and platelets. However, total bilirubin levels decreased, with no significant alteration in albumin values. Furthermore, exposure to perovskite composite resulted in a slight decrease in lactate dehydrogenase and red blood cell count. Histopathological examination revealed hepatic hydropic degeneration, Kupffer cells hypertrophy and hyperplasia, and renal hydropic degeneration, while testicular tissues remained unaffected. Moreover, behavioral changes were observed in perovskite-treated mice, including depression, anxiety, and compulsive burying activity. These findings suggest that exposure to perovskite can lead to significant hematological and biochemical changes, as well as hepatorenal histopathological alterations and behavioral changes. Additionally, chronic exposure to perovskite materials may induce structural and functional alterations in vital organs.

Improvement in spectral range of Sb 2 Se 3 absorption layer on Bi addition

Antimony selenide (Sb 2 Se 3) is a versatile material used in solar cells. The alteration in the physical properties of Sb 2 Se 3 alloys on Bi addition has been analysed. (Sb 2 Se 3)100-x Bi x (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, and 1.2) system has been studied to examine the structural alterations by computing physical parameters. The increase in parameters, i.e., average coordination number 〈Z〉, total number of constraints per atoms (N c ), and crosslinking density (D cl ) reflect an increase in rigidity of the Sb 2 Se 3 on Bi incorporation. The computed band gap decreases on Bi addition, from 1.095 eV to 1.079 eV, indicating an approximate increase in absorption wavelength from 1132.42 nm to 1149.21 nm. An increase in rigidity reflects reduction in defect states decreasing the recombination rate within absorption layer. There are variations in cohesive energy, electronegativity, and average single-bond energy. The study reveals that this composition can be utilized to develop novel solar absorber layer materials.

Mutations at proximal cysteine residues in PML impair ATO binding by destabilizing the RBCC domain.

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is characterized by the fusion gene promyelocytic leukemia-retinoic acid receptor-alpha (PML-RARA) and is conventionally treated with arsenic trioxide (ATO). ATO binds directly to the RING finger, B-box, coiled-coil (RBCC) domain of PML and initiates degradation of the fusion oncoprotein PML-RARA. However, the mutational hotspot at C212-S220 disrupts ATO binding, leading to drug resistance in APL. Therefore, structural consequences of these point mutations in PML that remain uncertain require comprehensive analysis. In this study, we investigated the structure-based ensemble properties of the promyelocytic leukemia-RING-B-box-coiled-coil (PML-RBCC) domains and ATO-resistant mutations. Oligomeric studies reveal that PML-RBCC wild-type and mutants C212R, S214L, A216T, L217F, and S220G predominantly form tetramers, whereas mutants C213R, A216V, L218P, and D219H tend to form dimers. The stability of the dimeric mutants was lower, exhibiting a melting temperature (Tm) reduction of 30 °C compared with the tetrameric mutants and wild-type PML protein. Furthermore, the exposed surface of the C213R mutation rendered it more prone to protease digestion than that of the C212R mutation. The spectroscopic analysis highlighted ATO-induced structural alterations in S214L, A216V, and D219H mutants, in contrast to C213R, L217F, and L218P mutations. Moreover, the computational analysis revealed that the ATO-resistant mutations C213R, A216V, L217F, and L218P caused changes in the size, shape, and flexibility of the PML-RBCC wild-type protein. The mutations C213R, A216V, L217F, and L218P destabilize the wild-type protein structure due to the adaptation of distinct conformational changes. In addition, these mutations disrupt several hydrogen bonds, including interactions involving C212, C213, and C215, which are essential for ATO binding. The local and global structural features induced by these mutations provide mechanistic insight into ATO resistance and APL pathogenesis.

A multi-type semantic interaction and enhancement method for tax question understanding

Problem classification serves as a fundamental process in a tax intelligence consulting system, enabling the categorization of user-posed questions according to their semantic attributes. This categorization is pivotal in ensuring accurate question comprehension. Nevertheless, the inclusion of intricate professional terminology and the frequent alterations in linguistic structures associated with tax-related matters may culminate in suboptimal classification outcomes and hinder the precise comprehension of user demands. To address these issues, we propose a multitype semantic interaction and enhancement method (MtSIEM) to classify tax related issues that integrates entity and nonentity semantics to represent the semantic features of tax-related domain issues. Specifically, a pretraining language model and multigram mechanism are adopted to enhance the feature extraction ability. A soft attention module is also simplified to allocate interaction information weights, thereby adaptively determining the importance of the feature elements. These three components are used to perform precise learning on the tax question data. Subsequently, a dynamic routing architecture is employed to capture the relationships between the different problem features, resulting in predictive vectors. A series of comparative experiments on tax question data demonstrated that the proposed model achieved a classification accuracy of approximately 94.46%, an improvement of 2.99% compared with the baseline. Therefore, the proposed model can be utilized to predict the semantic category of tax-related issues, assisting intelligent tax advisory systems in matching questions with the most relevant knowledge and professional domains, thereby enabling faster retrieval of pertinent information and enhancing the timeliness of responses.

Bone Morphogenetic Protein-4 Promotes Phenotypic Modulation via SMAD-4/MCT-4 Axis in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Introduction: This study aimed to determine whether bone morphogenetic protein-4 (BMP-4), which increases in response to intimal hyperplasia, promotes phenotype transition in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Methods: Balloon injury was used to induce intimal hyperplasia in rats. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to detect the alteration of vascular structure. Serum levels of BMP-4 and lactate were detected by ELISA. Human aortic smooth muscle cells (HA-SMCs) were cultured. Protein and mRNA expression levels were detected through Western blot and real-time PCR. Cell migration was measured by transwell assay. Results: Our data showed that serum concentration of BMP-4 was upregulated after balloon injury. Treatment with BMP-4 inhibitor DMH1 (4-(6-(4-isopropoxyphenyl)pyrazolo(1,5-a)pyrimidin-3-yl)quinoline) suppressed the abnormal expression of BMP-4 and inhibited the intimal hyperplasia induced by balloon injury. Compared to BMP-4-negative medium, BMP-4-positive medium was associated with higher synthetic VSMC marker expression levels and lower in contractile gene markers in cultured HA-SMCs. Transfection of monocarboxylic acid transporters-4 (MCT-4) siRNA inhibited the excretion of lactate induced by BMP-4. Conclusion: Our analyses provided evidence that BMP-4 and its regulator Smad-4 are key regulators in MCT-4-mediated lactate excretion. This indicates that BMP-4 stimulates the phenotypic transition of VSMCs via SMAD-4/MCT-4 signaling pathway.

Grey matter structural alterations in anxiety disorders: a voxel-based meta-analysis.

Anxiety disorders (ADs) are a group of prevalent and destructive mental illnesses, but the current understanding of their underlying neuropathology is still unclear. Employing voxel-based morphometry (VBM), previous studies have demonstrated several common brain regions showing grey matter volume (GMV) abnormalities. However, contradictory results have been reported among these studies. Considering that different subtypes of ADs exhibit common core symptoms despite different diagnostic criteria, and previous meta-analyses have found common core GMV-altered brain regions in ADs, the present research aimed to combine the results of individual studies to identify common GMV abnormalities in ADs. Therefore, we first performed a systematic search in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science on studies investigating GMV differences between patients with ADs and healthy controls (HCs). Then, the anisotropic effect-size signed differential mapping (AES-SDM) was applied in this meta-analysis.A total of 24 studies (including 25 data sets) were included in the current study, and 906 patients with ADs and 1003 HCs were included. Compared with the HCs, the patients with ADs showed increased GMV in the left superior parietal gyrus, right angular gyrus, left precentral gyrus, and right lingual gyrus, and decreased GMV in the bilateral insula, bilateral thalamus, left caudate, and right putamen. In conclusion,the current study has identified some abnormal GMV brain regions that are related to the pathological mechanisms of anxiety disorders. These findings could contribute to a better understanding of the underlying neuropathology of ADs.

T-cell immunophenotype correlations with cortical thickness and white matter microstructure in bipolar disorder

BackgroundInflammation and immunological alterations, such as T-cell and cytokine changes, are implicated in bipolar disorder (BD), with some evidence linking them to brain structural changes (e.g., cortical thickness (CT), gray matter (GM) volume and white matter (WM) microstructure). However, the connection between specific peripheral cell types, such as T-cells, and neuroimaging in BD remains scarcely investigated. Aims of the studyThis study aims to explore the link between T-cell immunophenotype and neuroradiological findings in BD. MethodsOur study investigated 43 type I BD subjects (22 depressive, 21 manic) and 26 healthy controls (HC), analyzing T lymphocyte immunophenotype and employing neuroimaging to assess CT for GM and fractional anisotropy (FA) for WM. ResultsIn lymphocyte populations, BD patients exhibited elevated CD4+ and CD4+ central memory (TCM) cells frequencies, but lower CD8+ effector memory (TEM) and terminal effector memory (TTEM) cells. Neuroimaging analysis revealed reduced CT in multiple brain regions in BD patients; and significant negative correlations between CD4 + TCM levels and CT of precuneus and fusiform gyrus. Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) analysis showed widespread alteration in WM microstructure in BD patients, with negative and positive correlations respectively between FA and radial diffusivity (RD) and CD4 + TCM. Additionally, positive and negative correlations were found respectively between FA and RD and the CD8 + TEM and CD8 + TTEM subsets. ConclusionsOur research revealed distinct T lymphocyte changes and brain structure alterations in BD, underscoring possible immune-brain interactions, warranting further study and therapeutic exploration.

Non-Financial Markets and Interconnectedness between US and Emerging Financial Economies: Evidence from Covid-19 Financial Crisis

During times of financial turmoil, when traditional assets experience significant volatility, commodity markets provide diversification benefits to investors. The objective is to investigate the factors influencing financial contagion between the United States and emerging Asian equity markets (China and India). The study analyzes the influential impact of the volatility index, gold, oil, and USD index on financial contagion among the markets. The dynamic conditional correlation analysis is utilized to explore the correlations during the US subprime and Covid-19 crises, and quantile regression analysis is conducted at different levels of time-varying correlations. The study's results suggest that financial contagion becomes more pronounced during periods of financial turmoil, and global financial crises contribute to alterations in the dependence structure between financial contagion among equity markets and global macroeconomic risk factors. The effect of financial contagion can be abridged through altering portfolio reallocation strategies according to investors’ risk appetite during high market volatility.

Serum-based Comprehensive N-Glycans Profiling Analysis in Different Gastric Disease Stages by Porous Graphitic Carbon Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Associated With Potential Marker Discovery.

N-glycans are potential serum biomarkers due to their aberrant structure and abundance alteration during disease progression. Few studies have been associated with relative quantitative N-glycans profiling during different gastric disease stages. In this study, we conducted an investigation on the profiling of N-glycans in patients with gastric disease, as well as in healthy controls. In this study, the porous graphitization carbon chromatography-high resolution Fourier transform mass spectrometry (PGC-FTMS) method was applied to assess comprehensive N-glycans profiling in patients at different stages of gastric disease, including gastritis, atrophic gastritis, gastric ulcer, gastric polyps, and gastric cancer. A total of 45 N-glycans (relative abundance >0.1%) were detected, and 9 N-glycans were found to be potential biomarkers for gastric disease detection. Along with the progression of gastric disease, the abundance of sialylated N-glycans increased, while that of core-fucosylated N-glycans decreased. Multivariate statistical analysis demonstrated that N-glycans profiling between gastritis and healthy controls had significant differences. The characteristic N-glycans distinguished gastric cancer from healthy controls, which had strong clinical diagnostic value. The relative quantitative profile of N-glycans in different gastric disease stages was revealed and serum N-glycans are proposed for distinguishing gastric disease stages in clinical application.

Anisotropic Gold Nanoparticles Synthesized using Litchi chinensis Leaf Extract and their Effect on Breast Cancer

For its medicinal potential, especially in cancer therapy, eco-friendly gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have gained a lot of interest. This investigation used Litchi chinensis leaf extract (LLE) as a reducing agent for the one-step synthesis of regulated-size GNPs. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum shows that the bio-molecules act as capping and reducing agents. The formation of GNPs has been confirmed using UV-vis absorption spectra. Effect of various synthesized parameters, i.e., reaction time (5–120 minutes), temperature (25–100°C), solvent quantity (5–45 μL), metal ion concentration (0.25–2 mM) and pH (2–10) has been studied. The size, distribution, and morphology (anisotropic) have been studied using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) techniques in the range of 10 to 70 nm. X-Ray diffraction (XRD) reveals that the particles were crystalline and had face-centered cubic (FCC) structure, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images revealed anisotropic morphology (spherical, hexagonal, and triangular). In-vitro studies of GNPs on breast cancer cell lines show cytotoxicity with cellular structural alterations and caused DNA damage without the micronuclei formation.