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Evidence has demonstrated that oxidative stress plays a crucial role in regulating cellular glucose metabolism. In previous studies, wheat germ peptide (WGP) was found to effectively mitigate oxidative stress induced by high glucose. Based on the information provided, we hypothesized that WGP could exhibit antihyperglycemic and anti–insulin-resistant effects in cells. The insulin-resistant cell model was established by insulin stimulation. The glucose consumption, glycogen content, and the activities of hexokinase and pyruvate kinase following WGP treatment were measured. The protein expression of SOCS3, phosphorylated insulin receptor substrate-1 (p-IRS1), IRS1, phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-Akt), Akt, glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2), phosphorylated GSK 3β, GSK 3β, FOXO1, G6P, and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase were assessed by western blot analysis. Our results demonstrated that WGP treatment increased cellular glucose consumption and glycogen synthesis and enhanced hexokinase and pyruvate kinase activities. Additionally, WGP treatment was observed to cause a significant reduction in the expression of SOCS3, FOXO1, G6P, and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, as well as in the ratio of p-IRS1/IRS1. Conversely, the expression of GLUT2 and the ratios of p-Akt/Akt and p-GSK3β/GSK3β were upregulated by WGP. These findings suggested that WGP can activate the SOCS3/IRS1/Akt signaling pathway, thus promoting the phosphorylation of GSK-3β and increasing the expression of FOXO1 and GLUT2, which contribute to enhancing glycogen synthesis, inhibiting gluconeogenesis, and promoting glucose transport in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells. In HepG2 cells, the wheat germ peptide ADWGGPLPH reduces SOCS3 expression, inhibiting phosphorylation at IRS1 serine 307 and activating Akt phosphorylation. This enhances insulin signal transduction, improving insulin sensitivity and alleviating insulin resistance. Additionally, ADWGGPLPH promotes GSK3β phosphorylation, increases GLUT2 expression, and reduces FOXO1 expression as well as its downstream targets G6P and PEPCK. Abbreviations: Akt, protein kinase B; FOXO1, forkhead box O1; GLUT2, glucose transporter 2; GSK 3β, glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta; G6P, glucose-6-phosphatase; IRS1, insulin receptor substrate-1; PEPCK, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase; SOCS3, suppressor of cytokine signaling-3. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A great temperature difference (GTD) in changing environments has a great impact on human comfort and health. Thus, the optimization of human comfort in the GTD environment becomes extremely important. In this paper, the human thermal regulation and clothing heat transfer in the GTD environment were simulated. The predicted skin temperature was verified by the experimental results in the GTD environment. The absolute error percentage of skin temperature was less than 5 %, indicating that the model has good accuracy for prediction of skin temperature in the GTD environment. Influencing factors of thermal comfort in the GTD environment were studied by the validated model. It was found that the influence of clothing thermal resistance had a critical value on the thermal comfort. When the effective thermal resistance was less than the critical value, increasing clothing thermal resistance improved the thermal comfort, and vice versa. The influence of metabolic equivalent change on the thermal comfort in a low-temperature environment was greater than that in a high-temperature environment. Finally, the thermal comfort time of human was predicted by the model, which could predict the duration of thermal comfort state under different GTD environments. The findings have great significance to adjust the comfortable dress of human under the GTD environment. • A numerical model on thermal comfort of dressed body was developed. • The numerical model was comprehensively validated with human trials in GTD environments. • Influencing factors of thermal comfort in GTD environments were analyzed. • Thermal comfort time under various GTD environments was predicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both hospital-acquired infection (HAI) and cancer represents major health concerns worldwide, but there is a paucity of data describing HAI in Chinese cancer patients. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the prevalence, causative agents, antimicrobial use and risk factors for HAI in a cancer hospital in Southwestern China. We use the criteria of the Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China to define hospital-acquired infections. One-day cross-sectional surveys were annually conducted from 2014 to 2018. Trained staff collected hospital-acquired infections, antimicrobial use and clinical characteristics data of inpatients. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the potential risk factors associated with HAIs. Of the 6717 patients surveyed, there were 140 patients (2.1%, 95% confidence interval, 1.7–2.4%) with 144 distinct HAIs. Lower respiratory tract infections (47, 32.6%) and surgical-site infections (29, 20.1%) were the most common HAIs. Escherichia coli was the most common pathogen (29.6%). Risk factors for HAI included younger age (<18 years) or older age (>65 years), hospitalization in the intensive care unit, presence of central catheter and undergoing surgery in the previous 30 days. The overall prevalence of patients receiving antimicrobial agents was 15.2%. To control hospital-acquired infections in cancer patients, surveillance and prevention strategies to infections associated with central catheters or related to surgery should be augmented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we focus on studying picture fuzzy reasoning full implication methods. First, picture associated t -norm and its residuated implication operator are given. Then, picture fuzzy reasoning full implication principles and the solutions of picture fuzzy reasoning full implication methods based on picture associated t -norm are given. Moreover, the reducibility and robustness of picture fuzzy reasoning full implication methods based on picture associated t -norm are proved. Finally, pattern recognition problems can be successfully solved by the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N-doped carbon materials have great potential as functional materials for water pollution control. However, the synthesis of green and sustainable N-doped carbon catalysts face numerous challenges. This study uses a thermal treatment by directly heating a homogeneous mixture of cobalt acetate and dimethylglyoxime to synthesize lamellar ordering Co 3 O 4 /N/C compounds. Dimethylglyoxime was chosen to play duple roles as both nitrogen and carbon source. The obtained N-doped carbon material was used as a catalyst for effective aniline degradation by activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS). In this approach, nanomaterials with good catalytic performance, high stability, and magnetic property can be obtained, which facilitate recycle convenience. In this study, graphitic N is found to improve electron mobility, and the lone pair of pyrrolic-like N electrons tends to form effective Co-N 4 moieties with Co species, which can increase the catalyst activity. Therefore, the prepared catalyst has higher activity than individual Co 3 O 4 . Furthermore, the effects of N-doped carbon materials on aniline degradation by activated PMS and the proposed reaction pathways for the mineralization of aniline were explain in detailed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium oxysporum are very well known phytopathogens with worldwide spread that cause one of the most destructive diseases, resulting significant yield losses in crop production. In order to find effective fungicides for controlling phytopathogen, the structure-activity relationships of cinnamaldehyde and eugenol derivatives against R. solani and F. oxysporum were evaluated. Additionally, the composition and fungicidal activity of Cinnamomum cassia and Syzygium aromatica essential oils was assessed. Cinnamaldehyde (49.75%) is the major compound in cinnamon bark oil, and eugenol (89.17%) is most abundant in clove bud oil. The clove bud oil exhibited good antifungal activities against R. solani and F. oxysporum (IC 50 = 106.5 and 149.9 μg/mL, respectively). Cinnamon bark oil showed a lower activity than clove bud oil. The fungicidal activity of cinnamaldehyde (IC 50 = 75.4 and 156.9 μg/mL, respectively) and eugenol (IC 50 = 58.9 and 52.9 μg/mL, respectively) against R. solani and F. oxysporum was also evalutated. Comparisons of the antifungal activities of cinnamaldehyde and eugenol derivatives revealed that α-methylcinnamaldehyde, α-methylcinnamic acid, methyleugenol, acetyleugenol, isoeugenol, methylisoeugenol, and acetylisoeugenol showed good antifungal activities against R. solani and F. oxysporum . In structure-activity relationships, the fungicidal activity of cinnamaldehyde derivatives could be related to conjugated double bond and the length of CH chain outside the ring. In addition, the presence of the lipophilicity may have a considerable influence on the toxicity of phenylpropenes. The present approach may help future work in the search for fungicidal compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case report describes the treatment of a girl, age 11 years 10 months, with a cleft lip and palate and a postsurgical scar. The clinical examination showed a concave profile, a retrusive maxilla, an asymmetric face, severe dental crowding, a Class III dental relationship, and a complete dental crossbite. Maxillary expansion and distraction, chincap, and high-pull headgear were used to moderate the skeletal discrepancy. These approaches, combined with tooth extraction and fixed orthodontic appliances, finally established a functional and esthetic occlusal relationship, normal overjet and overbite, and a well-balanced facial appearance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Femtosecond laser direct-writing inscription of a 45° tilted fiber grating (TFG). • Such a 45° TFG as a polarizer for a net-normal-dispersion fiber laser was studied. • Various types of dissipative soliton outputs. • The results indicate that the feasibility and versatility of such a 45° TFG. The application of a femtosecond laser direct inscribed 45° tilted fiber grating (TFG) in a net-normal-dispersion mode-locked Er-doped fiber laser, as an in-fiber polarizer, has been systematically studied. The 45° TFG with a grating length of ~ 12.6 mm and a grating period of ~ 2.2 μm has a polarization dependent loss of ~ 9.8 dB and supports various types of dissipative soliton (DS) outputs. The achieved single DS mode-locked pulse centered at 1570.55 nm has a 3 dB bandwidth of 15.64 nm and a pulse duration of ~ 4.68 ps. By simply employing a section of single-mode fiber, the output pulse duration can be dechirped to ~ 250 fs. The fundamental repetition rate is 25.47 MHz and the maximum pulse output power is 24.04 mW. By appropriately adjusting the intra-cavity polarization states and increasing the pump power, the bound-state DS, as well as a harmonic mode-locked DS, can be generated. The bound-state pulse is composed of two identical DS pulses with a temporal interval of ~ 26.27 ps. The second- and third-order harmonic mode-locked DS pulses with repetition rates of 50.93 MHz and 76.40 MHz are obtained for pump powers of 298 mW and 528 mW, respectively. Our results indicate that the feasibility and versatility of the femtosecond laser inscribed 45° TFG to realize nonlinear polarization evolution mode-locking in various operation regimes. Combined with the flexibility of the femtosecond laser direct inscription technique, such a 45° TFG paves a promising route for the development of robust, compact and high-energy ultrafast all-fiber lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]