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Air pollution threatens adolescents' physical health and adversely affects adolescents' mental health. Previous studies mostly focused on the effects of air pollution on physical health, but there were few studies on the effects of air pollution on mental health. We collected scores of depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms from 15,331 adolescents from 43 schools in eleven provinces in September and November 2017. The data on air pollution comes from the China High Air Pollutants dataset, which included concentrations of particulate matter with diameters of ≤1.0 μm (PM 1), diameters of ≤2.5 μm (PM 2.5), and diameters of ≤10 μm (PM 10), as well as nitrogen dioxide (NO 2). The associations between air pollution and depressive and anxiety symptoms among adolescents were estimated using generalized linear mixed models. Depressive and anxiety symptoms among Chinese adolescents were 16% and 32%, respectively. In the adjusted model, an interquartile range (IQR) increase from PM 2.5 was associated with the odds of anxiety symptoms [odds ratio (OR) = 1.01; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.00, 1.01, P = 0.002]. Also, an IQR increase in PM 10 was significantly associated with the odds of anxiety symptoms (OR = 1.01; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.01, P = 0.029). Compared with the lowest quartile, the adjusted OR of anxiety symptoms for the highest quartile of PM 2.5 and PM 10 were 1.29 (1.15, 1.44) and 1.23 (1.06, 1.42), respectively. In addition, the association between PM 2.5 and depressive symptoms was significant. The robustness of the results was also confirmed by stratification and sensitivity analyses. Exposure values for airborne particulate matter were associated with depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms in adolescents, particularly for PM 2.5 and PM 10 with anxiety symptoms among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The effect of school-based greenness exposure on mental health among adolescents remains unclear. The study aimed to estimate the associations between school-based greenness and depressive and anxiety symptoms among adolescents and explore potential modifier and mediator between the associations.Methods: A cross-sectional survey involving 15,559 adolescents was conducted in China. The Chinese version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression 9-Item Scale and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale were used to assess the depressive and anxiety symptoms among adolescents. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index within a 400 m and 800 m zone surrounding schools was used to indicate the adolescents' exposure to greenness. We estimated daily concentrations of PM1.0, PM2.5, and NO2 from the China High Air Pollutants dataset. Multiple logistic regression models were used.Results: Higher exposure to greenness surrounding schools was negatively associated with depressive (OR: 0.774, 95%CI: 0.685-0.875) and anxiety symptoms (0.740, 0.669-0.818). We observed stronger associations between greenness and depressive and anxiety symptoms among girls, lower age group (11-15 years), and adolescents born to parents with lower education levels. PM1.0 (proportion mediated estimates: 14.3 %; 95 % CI: 4.2 %, 24.5 %) and PM2.5 (10.5 %; 95 % CI: 3.0 %, 17.9 %) mediated the associations between greenness exposure and depressive symptoms. The number of days adolescents attended physical education classes per week mediated -22.8 % (95 % CI: -38.5 %, -7.1 %) and -9.7 % (95 % CI: -15.5 %, -3.8 %) of the effects of greenness on depressive and anxiety symptoms.Conclusions: Increasing the greenness and improving the environment surrounding schools is effective in promoting the mental health of adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growing emphasis on underlying food safety, the diverse requirements for edible packaging materials are becoming increasingly prominent. Collagen offers multifaceted applications in food packaging and preservation. However, the major scientific challenge for existing collagen-based edible packaging materials lies in engineering proper biosecurity without compromising the materials' mechanical properties, water resistance, barrier properties, and so on. Herein, a novel hierarchical controlled degradation strategy was proposed for the systematic extraction of new-generation collagen aggregates for collagen-based edible packaging revolution. This strategy ensured a high biosafety profile at the source by extracting collagen aggregates with the intact multi-hierarchical aggregate-structure of nature collagen (HL-Col), collagen molecules (Col), gelatin (Gel) from decellularized dermal matrix (GADM). Subsequently, HL-Col, Col, and Gel were further processed into edible food packaging films. Our results showed that HL-Col, with its structure homologous to natural skin, exhibited significantly enhanced biocompatibility, mechanical properties, water resistance, and resistance to enzyme degradation compared to the traditional Col and Gel. Notably, while biodegradable, it could be preserved intact even after 72 h of in vitro enzyme degradation. Application experiments substantiated that edible food packaging films made from HL-Col achieved a breakthrough shelf-life of 9 days, representing a 4-day extension compared to traditional PE films, substantiating the immense potential of HL-Col for edible food packaging materials and further providing pregnant references for the development of highly-safe edible materials. [Display omitted] • Hierarchical controlled degradation strategy was proposed for on-demand extraction of natural collagen aggregates. • The strategy ensured a high biosafety profile at the source by extracting HL-Col from decellularized dermal-matrix. • HL-Col exhibited significantly enhanced comprehensive origins compared to traditional collagen materials. • HL-Col-based edible food packaging film achieves a breakthrough 9-day shelf life. • This study providing marks a pregnant progress in collagen-based food packaging materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under a simple redox system of selenite and ascorbic acid, we used Gracilaria lemaneiformis polysaccharides (GLPs) as a stabilizer and dispersing agent to generate well-dispersed and stable selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs). The size, stability, morphology and physicochemical properties of GLPs-SeNPs were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV–vis), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Thermogravimetric (TG). The results showed that orange-red, amorphous, zero-valent and spherical GLPs-SeNPs with mean diameter of approximately 92.5 nm were successfully prepared, which exhibited good storage stability at 4 °C and remaining highly stable at different ion strengths and pH. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-pycrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-Azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS) and superoxide anion radical (O 2 •−) radical scavenging ability of GLPs-SeNPs were higher than those of bare SeNPs, GLPs and sodium selenite (Na 2 SeO 3), and could reach 103.41%, 94.23%, 86% at a concentration of 1.5 mg/mL, respectively. Besides, GLPs-SeNPs also showed higher inhibitory effects on α-amylase and α-glucosidase. In vitro cytotoxicity assay and hemolysis activity examinations indicated that GLPs-SeNPs have excellent biocompatibility. Therefore, the GLPs-SeNPs might be used as a potential antioxidant agent and antidiabetic agent for food and medical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The merits of hyaluronic acid (HA) as a representative biological carbohydrate polymers especially in bioactivity and tailorability makes it ideal building block for the engineering of tissue engineering scaffolds. HA-based bio-composites integrate the characteristics of multi-component materials, possessing versatility and further improving the therapeutic efficacy. Human like collagen (HLC), which is hydrophilic, biomimetic, and bio-safe, with human tissue-derived collagen biofunction, has attracted extensive attention worldwide. Herein, we developed a novel method for HA/HLC bio-composite membranes preparation, comprising one-step surface modification-assembly process by which the HLC self-assembles are simultaneously loaded on the oxidized-modified HA (oxi-HA) from the surface/interface micro-scale. Comprehensive material characterizations and in vitro/in vivo biostudies proved that the HLC/oxi-HA composite membranes exhibited significantly enhanced biological activity, hemostatic performances, and wound healing properties compared to that of the pristine HA. The results of this study highlight the great potential of the prepared biomimetic HLC/oxi-HA bio-composites as a new generation of multifunctional HA-based wound-healing materials. • HLC/oxi-HA was synthesized by one-step surface modification-assembly process • HLC/oxi-HA exhibited higher biological activity properties than HA • HLC/oxi-HA-15 endowed satisfied hemostatic performance • Mechanism of one-step surface modification-assembly were explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Molecular-level light-emitting origins were strategically imparted to paper. • The morphology of AIE self-assembly can be adjusted on demand. • AFP-FP exhibited high selectivity, sensitivity and repeatable recognition of NH 3. • AFP-FP integrated with smartphone realized the visual food spoilage monitoring. Biogenic amines containing NH 3 are important indicators for conducting full-scale appraisal of food spoilage and disease diagnosis. However, the currently-used detection methods of NH 3 have several limitations such as time-consuming high cost, and inability to provide visual real-time monitoring. Therefore, researchers have attempted to explore strategies for quantitative real-time monitoring of NH 3 for food spoilage has attracted widespread attentions. Herein, we developed sustainable, fast response, hypersensitized, user-friendly and molecular-level light-emitting biomass-based materials (AFP-FP) containing on-demand nanostructured brain-cells-inspired aggregation-induced-emission (AIE) self-assembles for real-time visual monitoring of seafood spoilage. The 2-hydroxy-5-methyl-isophthalaldehyde-based AIE probe (AFP) was synthesized using a simple "one-step" route. AFP-FP exhibited high selectivity, sensitivity, repeatable and quantitative recognition (y = 7.292×103x + 7.621×104, R = 0.990) of NH 3 with a low detection limit (246 ppb) and fast response (<1 s). Furthermore, we integrated AFP-FP into a user-friendly smartphone color recognition app, enabling its practical application in visual, real-time daylight monitoring of food spoilage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skeletal muscle function declines in the aging process or disease; however, until now, skeletal muscle has remained one of the organs most undertreated with medication. In this study, naringenin (NAR) was found to build muscle endurance in wild-type mice of different ages by increasing oxidative myofiber numbers and aerobic metabolism, and it ameliorates muscle dysfunction in mdx mice. The transcription factor Sp1 was identified as a direct target of NAR and was shown to mediate the function of NAR on muscle. Moreover, the binding site of NAR on Sp1 was further validated as GLN-110. NAR enhances the binding of Sp1 to the CCCTGCCCTC sequence of the Esrrg promoter by promoting Sp1 phosphorylation, thus upregulating Esrrg expression. The identification of the Sp1-ERRγ transcriptional axis is of great significance in basic muscle research, and this function of NAR has potential implications for the improvement of muscle function and the prevention of muscle atrophy. [Display omitted] • NAR improves muscle function and prevents muscle atrophy in mdx mice • NAR increases oxidative myofiber numbers and enhances aerobic metabolism • NAR binds to Sp1 to increase its phosphorylation and transcription factor activity • NAR-mediated activation of the Sp1-ERRγ axis promotes muscle remodeling Lv et al. report a function of naringenin in improving muscle endurance in mice of different ages and ameliorating muscle atrophy in Duchenne muscular dystrophy mice via binding to transcription factor Sp1 to promote Sp1 phosphorylation. Phosphorylated Sp1 upregulates Esrrg expression, thereby regulating energy metabolism and muscle remodeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There remains a controversy regarding the risks in subsequent total joint arthroplasty (TJA) with and without previous bariatric surgery (BS). We performed a meta-analysis based on the current evidence-based study to determine the influences of prior BS on the short-term and long-term outcomes following TJA.Methods: From the inception to July 2018, the EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library electronic databases were searched for all relevant English language trials. The primary outcome measures were complications and revision, whereas the secondary outcomes included length of stay and operative time. Short-term follow-up was defined as that from hospital discharge to 90 days, and long-term follow-up was defined as more than 1 year.Results: A total of 9 studies with 38,728 patients were included. Overall, medical comorbidities were higher in the BS group compared with the control morbid obesity group before TJA. Our meta-analysis revealed that BS prior to TJA was associated with reduced short-term medical complications, length of stay, and operative time. However, BS did not reduce the short-term risks for superficial wound infection or venous thromboembolism, and the long-term risks for dislocation, periprosthetic infection, periprosthetic fracture, and revision. Subgroup analysis identified a significant reduction in the risk of short-term periprosthetic infection in the BS group after total knee arthroplasty, but not after total hip arthroplasty.Conclusion: BS prior to TJA was associated with partially improved short-term outcomes after TJA. However, BS did not improve the risks for long-term outcomes. Limited by relatively higher comorbidities burden, the short-term benefits of BS should be further revealed by high-quality, controlled study in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The argument on the clinical effects between gap balancing (GB) and measured resection (MR) in total knee arthroplasty remains to be resolved. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to investigate which technique in total knee arthroplasty has better clinical effect.Methods: A total of 20 studies involving 2259 cases were included in the meta-analysis. The primary outcome measure was Knee Society Score (KSS), whereas the secondary outcomes included other function assessment systems (eg, range of motion, Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index), radiological outcomes (eg, femoral component rotation, total outliers), revision rate, complications (eg, infection, loosening, instability), and surgical time.Results: The GB technique was associated with statistically significant increases in the primary outcomes of KSS-function in 1 year. However, a mean difference of 2.12 points was below the minimal clinically important difference of 6 points. No differences were found in the analyses of KSS-knee and KSS-function in any other follow-up periods. Secondary outcome assessments showed significant decreased surgical time (mean difference, 16.18; P < .00001) for MR. Although statistically significant difference in favor of GB was identified in total outliers (risk ratio, 1.72, P = .0004), the 2 techniques were comparable in range of motion, Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index, femoral component rotation, complications, and revision rate.Conclusion: We conclude that both techniques can result in equivalent results when done properly, and each surgeon must understand the strengths and weaknesses of each technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the characteristics of Multiple Global Navigation Satellite System (Multi-GNSS) ionospheric scintillation and cycle-slip occurrence through the analysis of Multi-GNSS data collected by a newly installed receiver located at Sha Tin of Hong Kong from 6 October 2015 to 31 December 2016. This period of time was under a moderate solar activity condition with average sunspot number and F 10.7 as 44 and 92, respectively. Considering the frequent occurrence of loss of lock in satellites measurements in the presence of ionospheric scintillation, a rate of geometry-free (ROGF) combination is proposed to take the time gap size between two data arcs into account in the cycle-slip detection. The results show that most ionospheric scintillation events and cycle-slips are observed from 20:00 LT to 0:00 LT. Under the strong scintillation ( S 4 > 0.6) conditions, it is found that the time series of wide-land (WL) ambiguity N WL and ROGF vary significantly and their range can reach more than 50 cycles and 0.1 m/s, respectively. However, the variations of the N WL and ROGF are generally small under weak scintillation (0.2 < S 4 ≤ 0.6) or non-scintillation ( S 4 ≤ 0.2) conditions. A strong correlation of scintillation and cycle-slip occurrence is also verified by the daily and spatial statistics results. In addition, it is found that on average every 1000 strong scintillation events can result in 200, 124, and 171 cycle-slip occurrences in GPS, GLONASS, and BDS, respectively, whereas these values are 7, 12, and 12 per 1000 under weak scintillation conditions. This study suggests that cautions be taken when GNSS measurements are contaminated by the strong ionospheric scintillation in GNSS applications such as real-time kinematic (RTK) and precise point positioning (PPP). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AKT and associated signaling pathways have been recognized as promising therapeutic targets for decades, and growing evidence indicates that inhibition or degradation of cellular AKT are viable strategies to treat cancer. Guided by an in silico modeling approach for rational linker design and based on our previous work in this field, we herein efficiently synthesized a small group of cereblon-recruiting AKT PROTAC molecules and identified a highly potent AKT degrader B4. Compared to the existing AKT degraders, B4 has a structurally unique AKT targeting warhead derived from the pyrazole-furan conjugated piperidine derivatives. It induces selective degradation of all three isoforms of AKT and exhibits efficacious anti-proliferation against several human hematological cancers. Notably, B4 demonstrates potent inhibition of AKT downstream signaling superior to its parental inhibitor. Together with its active analogs, B4 expands the arsenal of AKT chemical degraders as a valuable probe to uncover AKTs new functions and as a potential drug candidate to treat cancer. [Display omitted] • Structure-based rational linker design enables efficient discovery of AKT degrader B4. • B4 rapidly depletes cellular AKT and strongly suppresses AKT downstream signaling. • B4 potently inhibits MCL and MM cell growth and synergizes with Ibrutinib in cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein-stabilized nanoemulsion was successfully prepared by ultrasound-assisted method under optimal ultrasound conditions, so as to improve the defects of sea buckthorn fruit oil (SBFO) and increase its bioavailability. This paper investigated the performance of nanoemulsion obtained by sodium caseinate (SC) and whey glycoprotein (WGP) at different concentrations, including polymer dispersity index (PDI), particle size, zeta potential (ZP). The SBFO nanoemulsion prepared under the optimal concentration of protein has good microstructure and rheological properties. Under different temperature (20–80 °C), pH (3–9), salinity (50–200 mM) and storage time (4 weeks), the performance of SBFO nanoemulsion has been measured to prove that SBFO nanoemulsion can maintain stable state in most cases. The safety of the SBFO nanoemulsion was evaluated by cytotoxicity (MTT) method and the results showed non-toxic to normal human embryonic kidney cells (HEK 293T). SBFO nanoemulsion preparation, principle and partial characterization schematic diagram. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Duodenal cytochrome b (Dcytb) is a mammalian plasma ferric reductase enzyme that catalyses the reduction of ferric to ferrous ion in the process of iron absorption. The current study investigates the relationship between Dcytb, iron, dehydroascorbate (DHA) and Hif-2α in cultured cell lines. Methods: Dcytb and Hif-2α protein expression was analysed by Western blot technique while gene regulation was determined by quantitative PCR. Functional analyses were carried out by ferric reductase and 59Fe uptake assays. Results: Iron and dehydroascorbic acid treatment of cells inhibited Dcytb mRNA and protein expression. Desferrioxamine also enhanced Dcytb mRNA level after cells were treated overnight. Dcytb knockdown in HuTu cells resulted in reduced mRNA expression and lowered reductase activity. Preloading cells with DHA (to enhance intracellular ascorbate levels) did not stimulate reductase activity fully in Dcytb-silenced cells, implying a Dcytb-dependence of ascorbate-mediated ferrireduction. Moreover, Hif-2α knockdown in HuTu cells led to a reduction in reductase activity and iron uptake. Conclusions: Taken together, this study shows the functional regulation of Dcytb reductase activity by DHA and Hif-2α. General significance: Dcytb is a plasma membrane protein that accepts electrons intracellularly from DHA/ascorbic acid for ferrireduction at the apical surface of cultured cells and enterocytes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Challenges remain in the generation of heterogeneous tissues and the repairing of interfacial tissue between soft and hard tissues. The development of tissue engineering scaffolds with gradients in composition, structure, mechanical and chemical properties is essential to modulate cellular behaviors in a graded way and potentially support the growth of functionally graded tissues. Integrated with the three-dimensional (3-D) nanofibrous skeletal structure of native extracellular matrix, electrospun fibers with gradients in amino groups were generated in the current study through an aminolysis process by using a microinfusion pump. Gelatin grafts were constructed to create fibrous scaffolds with gradients in hydroxyapatite (HA) contents, crystal size and mechanical properties through in situ mineralization. Plasmid DNA (pDNA) was included during the mineralization process, and gradations in pDNA loading contents were created on fibrous scaffolds on the basis of HA gradients. Obvious gradients in cell density, osteoblastic differentiation and collagen deposition were demonstrated along the long axis of fibrous mats after cell seeding. Gradients in the amount of pDNA released and the expression of target proteins were indicated on the fibrous mats, which offered a temporally and spatially controlled delivery of growth factors in scaffolds. The creation of gradient futures on 3-D fibrous scaffolds may provide physical, chemical and biological cues and result in efficient regeneration of tissues with spatial distributions of the cell proliferation, differentiation, and matrix secretion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: β-Secretase is an important protease in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Some statine-based peptidomimetics show inhibitory activities to the β-secretase. To explore the inhibitory mechanism, molecular docking and three-dimensional quantitative structure–activity relationship (3D-QSAR) studies on these analogues were performed. The Lamarckian Genetic Algorithm (LGA) was applied to locate the binding orientations and conformations of the peptidomimetics with the β-secretase. A good correlation between the calculated binding free energies and the experimental inhibitory activities suggests that the identified binding conformations of these potential inhibitors are reliable. Based on the binding conformations, highly predictive 3D-QSAR models were developed with q2 values of 0.582 and 0.622 for CoMFA and CoMSIA, respectively. The predictive abilities of these models were validated by some compounds that were not included in the training set. Furthermore, the 3D-QSAR models were mapped back to the binding site of the β-secretase, to get a better understanding of vital interactions between the statine-based peptidomimetics and the protease. Both the CoMFA and the CoMSIA field distributions are in well agreement with the structural characteristics of the binding groove of the β-secretase. Therefore, the final 3D-QSAR models and the information of the inhibitor–enzyme interaction would be useful in developing new drug leads against Alzheimer’s disease. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]