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Dental pulp is the only soft tissue in the tooth which plays a crucial role in maintaining intrinsic multi-functional behaviors of the dentin-pulp complex. Nevertheless, the restoration of fully functional pulps after pulpitis or pulp necrosis, termed endodontic regeneration, remained a major challenge for decades. Therefore, a bioactive and in-situ injectable biomaterial is highly desired for tissue-engineered pulp regeneration. Herein, a decellularized matrix hydrogel derived from porcine dental pulps (pDDPM-G) was prepared and characterized through systematic comparison against the porcine decellularized nerve matrix hydrogel (pDNM-G). The pDDPM-G not only exhibited superior capabilities in facilitating multi-directional differentiation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) during 3D culture, but also promoted regeneration of pulp-like tissues after DPSCs encapsulation and transplantation. Further comparative proteomic and transcriptome analyses revealed the differential compositions and potential mechanisms that endow the pDDPM-G with highly tissue-specific properties. Finally, it was realized that the abundant tenascin C (TNC) in pDDPM served as key factor responsible for the activation of Notch signaling cascades and promoted DPSCs odontoblastic differentiation. Overall, it is believed that pDDPM-G is a sort of multi-functional and tissue-specific hydrogel-based material that holds great promise in endodontic regeneration and clinical translation. Functional hydrogel-based biomaterials are highly desirable for endodontic regeneration treatments. Decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) preserves most extracellular matrix components of its native tissue, exhibiting unique advantages in promoting tissue regeneration and functional restoration. In this study, we prepared a porcine dental pulp-derived dECM hydrogel (pDDPM-G), which exhibited superior performance in promoting odontogenesis, angiogenesis, and neurogenesis of the regenerating pulp-like tissue, further showed its tissue-specificity compared to the peripheral nerve-derived dECM hydrogel. In-depth proteomic and transcriptomic analyses revealed that the activation of tenascin C-Notch axis played an important role in facilitating odontogenic regeneration. This biomaterial-based study validated the great potential of the dental pulp-specific pDDPM-G for clinical applications, and provides a springboard for research strategies in ECM-related regenerative medicine. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Problematic use of mobile phones (PMPU) has been described as a serious public health issue. This study was a parallel three-arm randomized controlled trial and has completed registration (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05843591). Ninety college students with PMPU were randomly assigned to the aerobic exercise group (AE group, n = 30), the Tai Chi Chuan group (TCC group, n = 30), or the wait-list control group (WLC group, n = 30). At the end of the intervention, stool samples from the study participants were collected for biological analysis based on 16 S rDNA amplicon sequencing technology. The primary outcome was addiction symptoms assessed by the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV). The secondary outcomes are emotional symptoms, physical symptoms, and flora species. Compared with the WLC group, the AE and TCC groups showed reductions in PMPU levels, physical and mental fatigue, but there was no difference between the two groups. Moreover, the effect of increasing self-esteem embodied in the TCC group was not present in the AE group. Compared to the WLC group, the relative abundance of Bacteroidaceae and Bacteroides were lower in the AE group, while the relative abundance of Erysipelotrichaceae and Alistipes were lower in the TCC group. And the relative abundance of Bacteroidaceae , Bacteroides , and Alistipes were significantly and negatively correlated with the decline in PMPU scores. AE or TCC is an effective, safe and efficient intervention for college students with PMPU, providing some physiological and psychological benefits and having some impact on their intestinal flora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, MgGeO 3 :Pr3+ system is prepared by high-temperature solid phase method under the condition of different temperature and Pr content. MgGeO 3 :Pr3+ could emit 622 nm (red), 716 nm (red), 903 nm (NIR) and 1081 nm (NIR) lights under the external excitation of 251 nm and 425–500 nm. Due to the different excitation wavelengths, MgGeO 3 :Pr3+ has completely different electronic transition paths, resulting in a much larger emission intensity under 251 nm excitation than that excited by 425∼500 nm. When the incident light wavelength is 251 nm, the excitation process is VB→1D 2 level of Pr3+, and the emission is due to transition of 1D 2 →3H 4 , 1D 2 →3H 5 , 1D 2 →3H 6 (3F 2) and 1D 2 →3F 3,4. When the wavelength of incident light is 425∼500 nm, the excitation process is 3H 4 →CB, the emission is CB→1D 2 , and then 1D 2 →3H 4 , 1D 2 →3H 5 , 1D 2 →3H 6 (3F 2) and 1D 2 →3F 3,4. At the same time, the emission spectrum and X-ray diffraction measurements show that the most fundamental factor determining the emission intensity of the sample is the concentration of the luminescent center (Pr3+ that can emit light) in the MgGeO 3 grain. Increasing the sintering temperature and Pr element content in raw materials can increase the of Pr3+ concentration in the grain (increase the concentration of the luminescent center). However, if the concentration of Pr3+ in the grain is too high, Pr3+ would lose the function of the luminescence center, resulting in a decrease in the concentration of the luminescence center, thereby reducing the luminescence intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Elevated TG and LDL-c were associated with PE. • A significant increase in TG or decrease in HDL-c were more prone to PE. • More attention should be paid to underweight, overweight, and primipara women. Little knowledge on the association of blood lipid levels with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) in twin pregnancy. To investigate the association of blood lipid levels with HDP in twin pregnancy. This is a retrospective study in the Beijing Birth Cohort on patients followed between January 2014 and November 2021. A total of 2628 women pregnant with twins were included and divided into HDP (n = 565) and normal blood pressure (NBP, n = 2063) groups. HDP subtypes included gestational hypertension (GH, n = 190) and preeclampsia (PE, n = 375). Dynamic changes in blood lipid profiles and their associations with HDP were assessed. Compared to NBP group, higher triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) in the first (T1) and second trimesters (T2) existed in women with PE. In addition, TG increased significantly from T1 to T2, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) decreased significantly since T2 in women with PE, especially in women with early-onset PE and severe PE. Elevated TG and LDL-c were associated with HDP, mainly PE. In a subgroup analysis, higher TG or LDL-c increased the risk of HDP for underweight, overweight and primipara women. In twin pregnancy, women with PE had higher TG and LDL-c, and elevated TG and LDL-c were associated with PE. A significant increase in TG or decrease in HDL-c were more prone to PE, especially early-onset PE and severe PE. It is helpful to monitor blood lipid levels in women pregnant with twins, especially in underweight, overweight, and primipara women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimate the association between index leg knee muscle strength and rate of torque development (RTD), and self-reported and performance-based (i.e., hop) knee function in persons 1–4 years after a sport-related knee joint injury. Data were collected at baseline of a clinical trial. Assessments included the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score Sport & Recreation subscale (KOOS sport), 6-m timed hop (TH), and peak concentric isokinetic knee extensor and flexor torque and isometric RTD. Associations between peak torque and RTD with KOOS sport and TH were assessed using multivariable regression with nonlinear transformations. 53 participants (64.2% female) were included. Knee extensor peak torque was nonlinearly related to TH time, with a strong inverse relationship at lower torque values that changed as torque increased. Results were inconsistent for flexor peak torque, extensor RTD and flexor RTD, with inconsistencies in relationship shape and estimates of association between primary and sensitivity analyses. There was no association between strength/RTD and KOOS sport. There was a nonlinear relationship between knee extensor strength and hop function, with lower strength being associated with a stronger relationship. As strength values increased, the relationship attenuated. Knee extensor and flexor strength, or RTD, were not associated with self-reported function. • The relationship between knee extensor strength and timed hop was nonlinear. • Muscle performance was unrelated to self-reported function after knee injury. • Clinicians should continue to focus on knee extensor strength recovery post injury. • These findings should not be interpreted as cause-effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • CaCl 2 improved the emulsification performance of shrimp MP. • CaCl 2 induced molecular stretching of shrimp MP. • CaCl 2 improved the rheology properties and gel strength of shrimp MP. • CaCl 2 improved the digestibility of MP gel. In this study, the effects of CaCl 2 (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 mM) on the gelling and digestive properties of the myofibrillar protein (MP) in Litopenaeus vannamei were investigated. The results showed that increasing CaCl 2 concentration led to changes in the tertiary structure of MP. Specifically, compared with the control group, a 64.31 % increase in surface hydrophobicity and a 45.90 % decrease in the sulfhydryl group were observed after 100 mM CaCl 2 treatment. Correspondingly, the water holding capacity and strength of the MP gel increased by 24.46 % and 55.99 %, respectively. These changes were positively correlated with the rheological properties, microstructure pore size, and content of non-flowable water. The mechanical properties of MP gel were improved, and the microstructure became more compact with the increase in CaCl 2 concentration. Furthermore, the particle size of the digested MP gels decreased in the presence of CaCl 2 , which improved the digestion characteristics of MP gels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Outlines the mechanisms of natural color formation in aquatic products. • Summarises the discoloration mechanisms of aquatic products during storage. • Recapitulates the comprehensive factors that affect the color of aquatic products. • Discusses current cutting-edge technology in color preservation of aquatic products. • Recommends the development of high-quality prefabricated aquatic products. Color plays a pivotal role in guiding and assessing the industrial production of aquatic products due to the swift sensory perception of information through vision. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the following four aspects: (a) mechanisms governing natural color formation in aquatic products, (b) factors and mechanisms contributing to the discoloration of aquatic products, (c) cutting-edge methods for color analysis and detection, and (d) current valuable techniques for preserving color quality. The natural color of aquatic products is derived from skin chromatophores, endogenous pigment proteins, and astaxanthin. Discoloration of aquatic products can occur due to lipid oxidation, as well as enzymatic and non-enzymatic browning. Furthermore, this review examines frontier color protective technologies, encompassing physical methods like ultra-high pressure, irradiation, and low-temperature plasma, as well as chemical methods involving natural preservatives. The findings of this study offer significant insights into the development of high-quality aquatic products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) pose a significant challenge in the medical field, particularly with the rising prevalence of diabetes. Consequently, there's a growing emphasis on devising effective prevention strategies to combat the high recurrence rate of these ulcers. Daily walking, while essential for maintaining a normal lifestyle and social interaction is also the primary source of external mechanical stress applied to the foot. Preserving the integrity of foot tissues during daily walking is critical for preventing foot ulcers. An increase in foot tissue temperature, a significant environmental factor induced by walking, can diminish the foot tissue's resistance to external mechanical stimuli by affecting tissue metabolism and biomechanical properties (tensile and compressive properties) during walking. This could be a key factor contributing to the high recurrence rate of foot ulcers, despite the advancement in clinical unloading protection technology. We propose a hypothesis that managing foot temperature and preventing a continuous temperature rise caused by walking could help protect the integrity of diabetic foot tissue. Long-term adherence to this approach could potentially reduce the incidence of DFUs. A clinical randomized controlled trial has been designed to evaluate this hypothesis from the aspects of tissue metabolism and biomechanical properties. This study aims to offer a novel method for protecting against DFUs and guide the design of foot aids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whereas there is a large literature evaluating the impacts of education, most of the focus has been on getting to universal primary enrollment and understanding the returns to basic education; but it misses the major shifts toward higher education in many fast-growing parts of the developing world over the last 20 years. In this paper, I study the returns to higher education in China using the reinstatement of the National College Entrance Examination in 1977 as a natural experiment, investigating the causal impacts of higher education on later life outcomes and well-being. Through a combination of regression discontinuity and difference-in-difference methods, I find that cohorts that were more likely to complete high school and obtain a college education as a result of the reform were no more likely to be employed, but were more likely to have a high-socioeconomic (SES) occupation in their early 30s, and lesser of the same in their 40s. Cohorts with higher education work for fewer days in a week, and, on average, earn a higher monthly income by 56 percent in their late 40s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]