A novel recognition method was put forward to identify the producing areas of the flue-cured tobacco leaves rapidly and non-destructively by using a near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer and a multi-layer-extreme learning machine (ML-ELM) algorithm. In contrast to traditional linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and extreme learning machine (ELM) algorithms, the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were the highest for the proposed ML-ELM algorithm. The ML-ELM models for different producing areas of Yunnan tobacco leaves had the best generalization ability and prediction results. Besides, the above three algorithms were also identified by using the chemical index data. The experimental results indicated that the NIR spectroscopy technology together with ML-ELM algorithm achieved the best prediction performance both using the NIR spectral data and chemical index data. It indicates that the combination of NIR and ML-ELM can recognize different producing areas of Yunnan tobacco leaves rapidly, accurately, and non-destructively.

Abstract Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a chronic systemic autoimmune disease, often affects different organs and tissues. It can be effectively managed using drugs; however, attention should be paid to the patient's quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of SLE on female sexual function based on current literature. Methods: The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for eligible studies published up to November 9, 2021. This review included all English studies that compared the sexual function between women with SLE and healthy women. A meta-analysis was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Results: A total of 367 records were retrieved from 3 electronic databases. Five studies that involved 710 women with SLE and 2059 healthy women were finally included in this meta-analysis. The result indicated a significant decrease (mean difference =−1.74, 95% confidence interval −3.14 to −0.34, p =0.02) in the total scores of the Female Sexual Function Index in women with SLE, implying that healthy women had better sexual function than those with SLE. Conclusion: The results of our study indicated that SLE could negatively affect the quality of sexual life in terms of desire, arousal, and pain. Thus, close attention should be paid to the sexual function of women with SLE. Trial registration: This study was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (registration number: CRD42021290439).

Resumo Introdução: A fenda labial não sindrômica, com ou sem fenda palatina, é um defeito congênito comum em todo o mundo, devido a uma combinação de fatores ambientais e genéticos. O genome-wide association studies relatou que o polimorfismo rs7078160 do Vax1 está intimamente relacionado à fenda labial não sindrômica, com ou sem fenda palatina em populações europeias. Estudos subsequentes mostraram os mesmos resultados nas populações mongol, japonesa, filipina e vietnamita etc. No entanto, pesquisas conflitantes foram relatadas na população chinesa. Objetivo: Investigar a associação entre o polimorfismo rs7078160 e fenda labial não sindrômica, com ou sem fenda palatina, em pacientes do sul da China. Método: Tentamos investigar a distribuição do polimorfismo rs7078160 em 100 trios completos de pacientes (39 pacientes com fenda labial e palatina não sindrômica; 36 pacientes com fenda labial somente, não sindrômica; 25 com fenda palatina somente, não sindrômica e seus pais), da etnia Han do sul da China, e em 60 trios saudáveis selecionados como controle. Reação de polimerase em cadeia e o sequenciamento de Sanger foram uszados para genotipar o polimorfismo rs7078160 do Vax1 e tanto os casos-controle quanto as associações baseadas na família foram analisadas. Resultados: As análises de caso-controle revelaram que o polimorfismo rs7078160 estava significativamente associado a fenda labial não sindrômica, com ou sem fenda palatina (p = 0,04) e fenda labial e palatina não sindrômica (p = 0,01), mas não estava associado a pacientes com fenda labial somente não sindrômica e fenda palatina somente não sindrômica. A composição do genótipo de rs7078160 compreende AA homozigoto mutado, AG heterozigoto e GG homozigoto selvagem. Casos com genótipos AG + AA comparados com GG homozigotos mostraram um risco aumentado de fenda labial não sindrômica, com ou sem fenda palatina (p = 0,04, OR = 2,05, IC de 95%: 1,01 ± 4,16) e fenda labial e palatina não sindrômica (p = 0,01, OR = 3,94, IC 95%: 1,34-11,54). Além disso, não detectamos desequilíbrio de transmissão em rs7078160 (p = 0,68). Conclusão: Este estudo sugere que o polimorfismo rs7078160 foi um fator de risco para fenda labial não sindrômica, com ou sem fenda palatina, e o gene Vax1 está fortemente associado com fenda labial não sindrômica, com ou sem fenda palatina em populações da etnia Han do sul da China.

Abstract Introduction: Non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate is a common worldwide birth defect due to a combination of environmental and genetic factors. Genome-wide association studies reported the rs7078160 of Vax1 is closely related to non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate in European populations. The following studies showed the same results in Mongolian, Japanese, Filipino, Vietnamese populations etc. However, conflicting research had been reported in Chinese population, Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the rs7078160 polymorphism and non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate in Southern Chinese patients. Methods: In this study, we investigated the polymorphism distribution of rs7078160 in 100 complete patient trios (39 patients with non-syndromic cleft lip and palate; 36 patients with non-syndromic cleft lip only; 25 had non-syndromic cleft palate only; and their parents) from Southern ethnic Han Chinese. 60 healthy trios were selected as control. Polymerase chain reaction and Sanger sequencing were used to genotype rs7078160 in Vax1; both case-control and family-based associations were analyzed. Results: The case-control analyses revealed the rs7078160 polymorphism was significant, associated with non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (p = 0.04) and non-syndromic cleft lip and palate (p = 0.01), but not associated with non-syndromic cleft lip only and nonsyndromic cleft palate only patients. The genotype composition of rs7078160 comprises mutated homozygous AA, heterozygous AG and wild homozygous GG. Cases with AG + AA genotypes compared with GG homozygotes showed an increased risk of non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (p = 0.04, OR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.01-4.16) and non-syndromic cleft lip and palate (p = 0.01, OR = 3.94, 95% CI: 1.34-11.54). In addition, we did not detect any transmissiondisequilibrium in rs7078160 (p = 0.68). Conclusion: This study suggests that rs7078160 polymorphism is a risk factor of non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate, and Vax1 is strongly associated with non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate in Southern Chinese Han populations.

Abstract Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a highly toxic mycotoxin that enters the human body through the food chain and poses a serious threat to human health. In this paper, polydopamine (PDA)-coated Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4@PDA MNPs) were prepared by the co-precipitation method to enrich aflatoxin from edible oil. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer were used to characterize the Fe3O4@PDA MNPs. Using the obtained Fe3O4@PDA MNPs as an adsorbent, a simple method for enriching AFB1 from samples by magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) combined with fluorescence rapid detection was developed. The effects of the ratio of Fe3O4 MNPs to PDA, adsorption dosage, sample volume, adsorption time, and elution time on enrichment of AFB1 were investigated to determine the optimal experimental conditions. This method has good intraday and daytime precision.

OBJECTIVES: Cerebral ischemia seriously threatens human health and is characterized by high rates of incidence, disability and death. Developing an ideal animal model of cerebral ischemia that reflects the human clinical features is critical for pathological studies and clinical research. The goal of this study is to establish a local cerebral ischemia model in rhesus macaque, thereby providing an optimal animal model to study cerebral ischemia. METHODS: Eight healthy rhesus monkeys were selected for this study. CT scans were performed before the operation to exclude cerebral vascular and intracranial lesions. Under guidance and monitoring with digital subtraction angiography (DSA), a microcatheter was inserted into the M1 segment of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) via the femoral artery. Then, autologous white thrombi were introduced to block blood flow. Immediately following embolization, multisequence MRI was used to monitor cerebrovascular and brain parenchymal conditions. Twenty-four hours after embolization, 2 monkeys were sacrificed and subjected to perfusion, fixation and pathological examination. RESULTS: The cerebral ischemia model was established in 7 rhesus monkeys; one animal died during intubation. DSA and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) indicated the presence of an arterial occlusion. MRI showed acute local cerebral ischemia. HE staining revealed infarct lesions formed in the brain tissues, and thrombi were present in the cerebral artery. CONCLUSION: We established a rhesus macaque model of local cerebral ischemia by autologous thrombus placement. This model has important implications for basic and clinical research on cerebral ischemia. MRI and DSA can evaluate the models to ensure accuracy and effectiveness.

Background: Light can be absorbed by bacterial pigment and affects its growth. Prodigiosin is a red pigment found in various bacterial species. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impacts of light on prodigiosin production, biomass formation, and membrane integrity of Serratia marcescens y2. Results: S. marcescens y2 grew better and produced more intracellular prodigiosin in darkness than in illumination. The pigment leakage ratio from cells was detected more in light than in darkness conditions. Ethidium bromide uptake assay could visually prove the prodigiosin-related loss of membrane integrity under illumination. A higher concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) was detected in light-treated culture than in darkness. Tests of different light treatments (red, yellow, blue and green) showed that the maximum extracellular pigment and the minimum biomass formation and intracellular pigment were obtained in green light. Conclusions: Prodigiosin could absorb light, and then initiate phototoxicity damage of the cytomembrane.

Recently, Yu and Guan proposed a modified PRP method (called DPRP method) which can generate sufficient descent directions for the objective function. They established the global convergence of the DPRP method based on the assumption that stepsize is bounded away from zero. In this paper, without the requirement of the positive lower bound of the stepsize, we prove that the DPRP method is globally convergent with a modified strong Wolfe line search. Moreover, we establish the global convergence of the DPRP method with a Armijo-type line search. The numerical results show that the proposed algorithms are efficient. Mathematical subject classification: Primary: 90C30; Secondary: 65K05.

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: Os anestésicos locais são amplamente utilizados na prevenção ou na reversão de dor aguda e no tratamento de dor crônica. A reação de cardiotoxicidade induzida pelos anestésicos locais é um evento acidental sem terapia farmacológica, exceto a infusão de intralípides relatados recentemente cujo mecanismo de ação ainda não é bem compreendido. CONTEÚDO: A cardiolipina, um fosfolipídio aniônico, desempenha papel relevante na determinação de reação respiratória mitocondrial, metabolismo de ácidos graxos e apoptose celular. A disfunção do metabolismo energético mitocondrial é sugerida em associação com a cardiotoxicidade dos anestésicos locais, a partir de um estudo in vitro de que ela talvez se deva a fortes ligações eletrostáticas entre os anestésicos locais e a cardiolipina na membrana mitocondrial. Não há, contudo, evidência experimental. Portanto, levantamos a hipótese de que as interações anestésico-cardiolipina sejam o principal determinante associado à reação de cardiotoxicidade, o que pode ser estabelecido com a adoção de métodos teóricos e biológicos estruturais. Esse modelo de interação nos daria uma pista sobre o mecanismo da cardiotoxicidade dos anestésicos locais, visando a futuras pesquisas na área de desenvolvimento de fármacos de prevenção a esse evento na prática clínica. CONCLUSÕES: A interação entre a cardiolipina mitocondrial e os anestésicos locais pode ser a principal fonte de sua cardiotoxicidade, em função de seus efeitos sobre o metabolismo energético e o estado eletrostático.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Local anesthetics are used broadly to prevent or reverse acute pain and treat symptoms of chronic pain. Local anesthetic-induced cardiotoxic reaction has been considered the accidental event without currently effective therapeutic drugs except for recently reported intralipid infusion whose possible mechanism of action is not well known. CONTENTS: Cardiolipin, an anionic phospholipid, plays a key role in determining mitochondrial respiratory reaction, fatty acid metabolism and cellular apoptosis. Mitochondrial energy metabolism dysfunction is suggested as associated with local anesthetic cardiotoxicity, from an in vitro study report that the local anesthetic cardiotoxicity may be due to the strong electrostatic interaction of local anesthetics and cardiolipin in the mitochondria membrane, although there is a lack for experimental evidence. Herein we hypothesized that local anesthetic-cardiolipin interactions were the major determinant of local anesthetic-associated cardiotoxic reaction, established by means of theoretic and structural biological methods. This interacting model would give an insight on the underlying mechanism of local anesthetic cardiotoxicity and provide clues for further in depth research on designing preventive drugs for such inadvertent accidence in routine clinical practice. CONCLUSIONS: The interaction between local anesthetic and mitochondrial cardiolipin may be the underlying mechanism for cardiotoxicity affecting its energy metabolism and electrostatic status.

A herbal ingredient kurannone (7, 2', 4,-trihydroxy-8-lavandulyl-5-methoxy flavanone) was isolated from the roots of sophoraflavescens Ait by ultrasonic extraction, which is one of tradicional Chinese medicine (TCM) materials. A reliable high performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) method was used for determination of kurarinone. C18 column (150x4.6 mm, 5 µm) and methanol-water mobile phase (70:30, by volume) were used in the chromatographic separation of active components from the herb. HPLC-ESI-MS (UV, 288 nm; m/z, 437.5 [M-H]-) was adopted for kurarinone identification. Kurarinone with purity of 95.5% was obtained by silica gel column foUowed by reverse-phase column chromatography. The thermal stability of kurarinone was investigated, which illustrates that kurarinone was stable below 25 °C in 48 h, but a degradation of 25.54% was observed at 80 °C for 2 h.