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High applied thermal-stability and superior structural property for activated carbon adsorbent are extremely promising, which also is the determining short slab in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) adsorption applications. Herein, we develop the outstanding engineering carbon adsorbents from waste shaddock peel which affords greatly-enhanced thermal-stability and super structural property (SLang=4962.6 m2·g−1, Vmicro=1.67 cm3·g−1). Such character endows the obtained adsorbent with ultrahigh adsorption capture performance of VOCs specific to benzene (16.58 mmol·g−1) and toluene (15.50 mmol·g−1), far beyond traditional zeolite and activated carbon even MOFs materials. The structural expression characters were accurately correlated with excellent adsorption efficiency of VOCs by studying synthetic factor-controlling comparative samples. Ulteriorly, adsorption selectivity prediction at different relative humidity was demonstrated through DIH (difference of the isosteric heats), exceedingly highlighting great superiority (nearly sixfold) in selective adsorption of toluene compared to volatile benzene. Our findings provide the possibility for practical industrial application and fabrication of waste biomass-derived outstanding biochar adsorbent in the environmental treatment of threatening VOCs pollutants.

Background Historically, creating patient-derived models of lower-grade glioma (LGG) has been challenging, contributing to few experimental platforms that support laboratory-based investigations of this disease. Although organoid modeling approaches have recently been employed to create in vitro models of high-grade glioma (HGG), it is unknown whether this approach can be successfully applied to LGG. Methods In this study, we developed an optimized protocol for the establishment of organoids from LGG primary tissue samples by utilizing physiologic (5%) oxygenation conditions and employed it to produce the first known suite of these models. To assess their fidelity, we surveyed key biological features of patient-derived organoids using metabolic, genomic, histologic, and lineage marker gene expression assays. Results Organoid models were created with a success rate of 91% (n = 20/22) from primary tumor samples across glioma histological subtypes and tumor grades (WHO Grades 1–4), and a success rate of 87% (13/15) for WHO Grade 1–3 tumors. Patient-derived organoids recapitulated stemness, proliferative, and tumor-stromal composition profiles of their respective parental tumor specimens. Cytoarchitectural, mutational, and metabolic traits of parental tumors were also conserved. Importantly, LGG organoids were maintained in vitro for weeks to months and reanimated after biobanking without loss of integrity. Conclusions We report an efficient method for producing faithful in vitro models of LGG. New experimental platforms generated through this approach are well positioned to support preclinical studies of this disease, particularly those related to tumor immunology, tumor-stroma interactions, identification of novel drug targets, and personalized assessments of treatment response profiles.

Purpose Spina bifida occulta (SBO) is one of the most common congenital spinal deformities. Although many studies have demonstrated the influence of lumbosacral dysplasia on low back pain (LBP) in young athletes, there have been few studies on SBO among young people in other occupations. The purpose of this study is to investigate the distribution of SBO in young people with LBP and to classify SBO from the perspective of lamina development. Methods The X-ray films of 148 young patients with LBP were analyzed to quantify the distribution of SBO and classify abnormal laminae. Results Of the 148 patients, 93 (61.49%) had SBO: 83 cases involved S1 alone, 2 involved L5–S1, 5 involved S1–2, 2 involved S1–4, and 1 involved L4–S4. According to the degree of the defect, the patients with SBO were divided on the basis of five grades: 9 patients with grade I, 53 with grade II, 23 with grade III, and 8 with grade IV. The cases were classified by the shape of the laminae into 4 types: 15 cases of type a, 11 cases of type b, 37 cases of type c, and 30 cases of type d. Conclusion Among the young people with LBP that we surveyed, SBO is the most common lumbosacral dysplasia, which frequently involves the S1 segment. Most laminae in SBO are in the developmental stage of the spinous process, and an abnormal laminar growth direction and laminar stenosis are the most common laminar morphologies in SBO.

The multiscale structural, physicochemical, and digestible properties of potato starch before and after heat-moisture treatment were investigated, and further compared between repeated heat-moisture treatment (RHMT) and continuous heat-moisture treatment (CHMT). After heat-moisture treatment, there appeared partial disruption and pits on the starch granules, and the birefringence edges of HMT starch particles became blurred. Besides, the molecular weight of samples conspicuously decreased after two kinds of treatments. The crystal type of HMT starches transformed from B-type to C-type according to X-ray analysis. A decrease in the solubility and swelling power in high temperatures were identified. The pasting temperature, the gelatinization transition temperature (To , Tp , Tc ), and the slowly digestible starch (SDS) content of HMT starches were significantly higher than native potato starch, while the peak viscosity, the trough viscosity, the final viscosity, the breakdown, and the gelatinization enthalpy (ΔH) of RHMT and CHMT potato starches decreased compared to the native. RHMT potato starches displayed significantly higher relative crystallinity degree and gelatinization transition temperatures. The cooling process of RHMT in which the linkage between the recombinant amylose/amylopectin was enhanced compared with CHMT, which contributed to that RHMT potato starches exhibited greater advantages in practical applications. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The described RHMT and CHMT starches provide new ideas for the study of modified starch. Furthermore, this study revealed the mechanism of heat-moisture processing provided some instructions to the application of RHMT potato starch.

Background The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative is generally considered an effective way to promote breastfeeding. Although China has the largest number of baby-friendly hospitals in the world, research on baby-friendly practices in China is limited, and the rate of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) at 6 months, 20.7%, compared to the 2025 global goal of 50% is low. It is, therefore, important to determine the factors that remain significant barriers to EBF in China. To explore how the key baby-friendly practices affect EBF duration in China, we used a case-control study to compare the effects of baby-friendly-related practices on both EBF and non-breastfeeding (NBF) mothers at 3 months and to investigate the effects of both single and comprehensive baby-friendly practices in promoting EBF duration at 3 months, which is one step toward EBF at 6 months. Methods Participants were recruited from four maternal and child health hospitals in western (Chongqing), eastern (Qingdao), southern (Liuzhou), and central China (Maanshan). A total of 421 mothers (245 in the EBF group, 176 in the NBF group) of infants aged 3 months were surveyed through a self-reported questionnaire from April 2018 to March 2019. The experience of baby-friendly practices and breastfeeding during hospitalization were assessed with yes/no questions. Socio-demographic factors that influenced breastfeeding at 3 months were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results Of mothers in the EBF group, 65.57% reported engaging in at least seven baby-friendly practices compared to 47.72% of mothers in the NBF group. Significantly more mothers in the EBF group engaged in baby-friendly practices than in the NBF group. These practices included “breastfeeding within one hour after birth” (74.29% vs. 59.09%), “breastfeeding on demand” (86.48% vs. 75.00%), and “never use a pacifier” (46.53% vs. 31.25%). After adjusting for confounding variables, we found that the mothers who engaged in fewer than seven baby-friendly practices were about 1.7 times less likely to breastfeed than were those who engaged in seven or more baby-friendly practices (odds ratio [OR] 1.720, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.106, 2.667). Further, the mothers who did not breastfeed on demand were as likely to not breastfeed up to 3 months (OR 2.263, 95% CI 1.265, 4.049), as were mothers who did not breastfeed during hospitalization (OR 4.379, 95% CI 1.815, 10.563). Conclusions These data from hospitals in China suggest that higher compliance with baby-friendly practices may have a positive impact on EBF at 3 months, particularly in terms of promoting the implementation of breastfeeding on demand and breastfeeding during hospitalization in China.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. NAFLD is defined by excess fat in the liver and has a multidirectional relationship with metabolic syndrome. The prevalence of NAFLD has risen rapidly in recent years in line with the obesity epidemic and associated increases in type 2 diabetes, hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia. Patients with NAFLD are at risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, and in a proportion of individuals, NAFLD is associated with liver damage. This article summarises the epidemiology of NAFLD, the clinical approach to risk-assessing patients and briefly outlines current and future management options.

Effects of repeated heat-moisture treatment (RHM) and continuous heat-moisture treatment (CHM) on structural, physicochemical, and digestibility properties of mung bean starch were investigated. Rupture and scallops appeared on the surface of starch granules and some polarization cross disappeared after CHM and RHM. Besides, CHM starch exhibited severe rupture than RHM with the same treatment time. Crystal type of CHM and RHM starch maintained A-type while crystallinity decreased first but then increased as treating time increased. Besides, the relative crystallinity, transition temperatures, ΔH, and slowly digestible starch and rapidly digestible starch content of RHM were significantly higher than CHM whereas solubility, swelling power, and pasting viscosities of RHM samples were lower than CHM under the same treating time. Overall, RHM measures have more advantages than CHM in the modification of the structural, physicochemical, and digestibility properties of starch.

The performances of radio frequency (RF) heating treatment of pitaya fruits, with varying distances between the electrode plates, were investigated. The data indicated that a large gap between the electrode plates would reduce the highest temperature and the temperature rising rates. Contrarily, Smaller gap between the electrode plates always resulted in non-uniform heating. However, the RF heating treatment method was effective for enzyme inactivation. The results of the antiproliferative activity and cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) assay indicated that the RF heat treatment had limited effects on the functional features of the samples. However, the functional features of the pitaya samples obtained from the 100-mm and 120-mm gap RF heat treatments were better than those of the 140-mm and 160-mm gap RF heat-treated pitaya samples. The results suggested that RF heat treatment is an efficient method for enzyme inactivation.

Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) are important cell type for regenerative medicine. Previous studies showed that retinoic acid (RA) induces differentiation of SMCs from monolayer-cultured embryonic stem cells (ESCs) with high efficiency. However, the underlying mechanisms are still poorly defined. Here, we identified Wnt signaling as a primary regulator for RA-induced ESC differentiation. The activation of Wnt signaling inhibited the epithelial-mesenchymal transition during ESC differentiation, leading to inhibition of RA-induced SMC differentiation and promoting differentiation of ESCs toward primitive endoderm (PrE) lineage instead, while the inhibition of Wnt signaling promoted RA-induced SMC differentiation. Loss-of-function studies revealed that 7-like 2 (Tcf7l2) was the key transcription factor that Wnt operate through during RA-induced differentiation. Thus, this study revealed that the Tcf7l2-mediated Wnt signaling is a switch in determining the mesoderm/PrE fates in RA-induced ESC differentiation.

BackgroundHuman milk contains large amounts of exosomes (MEs) and their regulatory microRNA cargos, whereas infant formulas contain only trace amounts of MEs and microRNAs. Breastfeeding has been implicated in optimal brain development but experimental evidence linking ME intake with brain development is limited.ObjectivesWe assessed the transport of MEs across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and ME accumulation in distinct regions of the brain in brain endothelial cells and suckling mice. We further assessed BME-dependent gene expression profiles and effects on the dendritic complexity of hippocampal granule cells and phenotypes of BME depletion in neonate, juvenile and adult mice.MethodsThe transfer of MEs across the BBB was assessed by using bovine MEs labeled with FM4-64 or loaded with IRDye-labeled miR-34a in murine brain endothelial bEnd.3 cell monolayers and dual chamber systems, and in wild-type newborn pups fostered to exosome and cargo tracking (ECT) dams that express MEs endogenously labeled with a CD63-eGFP fusion protein for subsequent analysis by serial two-photon tomography and staining with anti-eGFP antibodies. Effects of MEs on gene expression and dendritic architecture of granule cells was analyzed in hippocampi from juvenile mice fed exosome and RNA-depleted (ERD) and exosome and RNA-sufficient (ERS) diets by using RNA-sequencing analysis and Golgi-Cox staining followed by integrated neuronal tracing and morphological analysis of neuronal dendrites, respectively. Spatial learning and severity of kainic acid-induced seizures were assessed in mice fed ERD and ERS diets.ResultsbEnd.3 cells internalized MEs by using a saturable transport mechanism and secreted miR-34a across the basal membrane. MEs penetrated the entire brain in fostering experiments; major regions of accumulation included the hippocampus, cortex and cerebellum. Two hundred ninety-five genes were differentially expressed in hippocampi from male mice fed ERD and ERS diets; high-confidence gene networks included pathways implicated in axon guidance and calcium signaling. Only one gene was differentially expressed in females fed the experimental diets. Juvenile pups fed the ERD diet had reduced dendritic complexity of dentate granule cells in the hippocampus, scored nine-fold lower in the Barnes maze test of spatial learning and memory (P < 0.01), and the severity of seizures was 5-fold higher following kainic acid administration in adult mice fed the ERD diet compared to mice fed the ERS diet (P < 0.01).ConclusionsMEs cross the BBB and contribute toward optimal neuronal development, spatial learning and memory, and resistance to kainic acid-induced seizures in mice.

BACKGROUND Jianpi Yiqi Taohua decoction (JYTD) has shown therapeutic effects in ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the pharmacological mechanism of JYTD against UC remains unclear. MATERIAL AND METHODS Compounds and targets of JYTD and UC-related genes were screened from public databases. Integrated analysis was performed to identify therapeutic targets of UC, followed by functional enrichment analysis. Protein-protein interaction interaction (PPI) and pharmacological networks were then established. Molecular docking was used to validate the affinity of compounds and their targets. Further, the efficacy of JYTD was evaluated by meta-analysis. Relevant studies were searched from 5 databases. Outcomes were complete response rate (CRR) and overall response rate (ORR), and pooled results were estimated by risk ratio (RR) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS The pharmacological network identified 13 herbal medicines, 28 compounds, 54 targets, and 20 pathways. Stigmasterol, liquiritigenin, and naringenin were potential active compounds, and PRKCA, NFKB1, ESR1, NTRK1, AKT1, PPARG, RXRA, and VDR were hub targets. Pathway analysis revealed that genes were mainly involved in the cellular response to lipids. Molecular docking indicated that AKT1, NFKB1, ESR1, NTRK1, PRKCA, and PPARG exhibited good affinity to 6 key compounds of JYTD. Then, meta-analysis revealed that Tao Hua decoction treatment significantly improved CRR (RR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.06-1.37; P=0.004) and ORR (RR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.08-1.24; P0.001). CONCLUSIONS JYTD was found to have preventive and therapeutic effects on UC through multiple compounds, targets, and pathways. These findings enhanced our understanding of the potential pharmacological mechanisms of JYTD against UC.

To meet the high demand for lightweight energy-efficient and safe structures for transport applications, a current state-of-the-art light rail vehicle structure is under development that adopts a multi-material design strategy. This strategy creates the need for advanced multi-material joining technologies. The compatibility of the adhesive with a wide range of material types and the possibility of joining multi-material structures is also a key advantage to its success. In this paper, the feasibility of using either epoxy or polyurethane adhesive joining techniques applied to the multi-material vehicle structure is investigated. Importantly, consideration is given to the effect of variation in bond thickness for both families of structural adhesives. Multi-material adhesively bonded single lap joints with different adhesives of controlled bond thicknesses were manufactured and tested in order to experimentally assess the shear strength and stiffness. The torsional stiffness and natural frequency of the vehicle were modelled using a global two-dimensional finite element model (FEM) with different adhesive properties, and the obtained vehicle performances were further explained by the coupon-level experimental tests. The results showed that the vehicle using polyurethane adhesive with a target bond thickness of 1.0 mm allowed for optimal modal frequency and weight reduction.

BackgroundThe presentation of SARS-CoV-2 infection varies from asymptomatic to severe COVID. Similarly, high variability in the presence, titre and duration of specific antibodies has been reported. While some host factors determining these differences, such as age and ethnicity have been identified, the underlying molecular mechanisms underpinning these differences remain poorly defined.MethodsWe analysed serum and PBMC from 17 subjects with a previous PCR confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and 10 unexposed volunteers following the first wave of the pandemic, in the UK. Anti-NP IgG and neutralising antibodies were measured, as well as a panel of infection and inflammation related cytokines. The virus-specific T cell response was determined by IFN-γ ELISPOT and flow cytometry after over-night incubation of PBMCs with pools of selected SARS-CoV-2 specific peptides.ResultsSeven of 17 convalescent subjects had undetectable levels of anti-NP IgG, and a positive correlation was shown between anti-NP IgG levels and the titre of neutralising antibodies (IC50). In contrast, a discrepancy was noted between antibody levels and T cell IFN-γ production by ELISpot following stimulation with specific peptides. Among the analysed cytokines, β-NGF and IL-1α levels were significantly different between anti-NP positive and negative subjects, and only β-NGF significantly correlated with anti-NP positivity. Interestingly, CD4+ T cells of anti-NP negative subjects expressed lower amounts of the β-NGF-specific receptor TrkA.ConclusionsOur results suggest that the β-NGF/TrkA signalling pathway is associated with the production of anti-NP specific antibody in mild SARS-CoV-2 infection and the mechanistic regulation of this pathway in COVID-19 requires further investigation.

Hadal trenches are commonly referred to as the deepest areas in the ocean and are characterized by extreme environmental conditions such as high hydrostatic pressures and very limited food supplies. Amphipods are considered the dominant scavengers in the hadal food web. Alicella gigantea is the largest hadal amphipod and, as such, has attracted a lot of attention. However, the adaptive evolution and gigantism mechanisms of the hadal “supergiant” remain unknown. In this study, the whole-body transcriptome analysis was conducted regarding the two hadal amphipods, one being the largest sized species A. gigantea from the New Britain Trench and another the small-sized species Bathycallisoma schellenbergi from the Marceau Trench. The size and weight measurement of the two hadal amphipods revealed that the growth of A. gigantea was comparatively much faster than that of B. schellenbergi. Phylogenetic analyses showed that A. gigantea and B. schellenbergi were clustered into a Lysianassoidea clade, and were distinct from the Gammaroidea consisting of shallow-water Gammarus species. Codon substitution analyses revealed that “response to starvation,” “glycerolipid metabolism,” and “meiosis” pathways were enriched among the positively selected genes (PSGs) of the two hadal amphipods, suggesting that hadal amphipods are subjected to intense food shortage and the pathways are the main adaptation strategies to survive in the hadal environment. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the gigantism of A. gigantea, small-sized amphipods were used as the background for evolutionary analysis, we found the seven PSGs that were ultimately related to growth and proliferation. In addition, the evolutionary rate of the gene ontology (GO) term “growth regulation” was significantly higher in A. gigantea than in small-sized amphipods. By combining, those points might be the possible gigantism mechanisms of the hadal “supergiant” A. gigantea.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a common malignant tumor with poor prognosis, poor treatment effect, and lack of effective biomarkers. In this study, bioinformatics analysis of immune-related genes of hepatocellular carcinoma was used to construct a multi-gene combined marker that can predict the prognosis of patients. The RNA expression data of hepatocellular carcinoma were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and immune-related genes were obtained from the IMMPORT database. Differential analysis was performed by Wilcox test to obtain differentially expressed genes. Univariate Cox regression analysis, lasso regression analysis and multivariate Cox regression analysis were performed to establish a prognostic model of immune genes, a total of 5 genes (HDAC1, BIRC5, SPP1, STC2, NR6A1) were identified to construct the models. The expression levels of 5 genes in HCC tissues were significantly different from those in paracancerous tissues. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that the risk score calculated according to the prognostic model was significantly related to the overall survival (OS) of HCC. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve confirmed that the prognostic model had high accuracy. Independent prognostic analysis was performed to prove that the risk value can be used as an independent prognostic factor. Then, the gene expression data of hepatocellular carcinoma in the ICGC database was used as a validation data set for the verification of the above steps. In addition, we used the CIBERSORT software and TIMER database to conduct immune infiltration research, and the results showed that the five genes of the model and the risk score have a certain correlation with the content of immune cells. Moreover, through Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and the construction of protein interaction networks, we found that the p53-mediated signal transduction pathway is a potentially important signal pathway for hepatocellular carcinoma and is positively regulated by certain genes in the prognostic model. In conclusion, this study provides potential targets for predicting the prognosis and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma patients, and also provides new ideas about the correlation between immune genes and potential pathways of hepatocellular carcinoma.

BackgroundRecent years, the global prevalence of breast cancer (BC) was still high and the underlying molecular mechanisms remained largely unknown. The investigation of prognosis-related biomarkers had become an urgent demand.ResultsIn this study, gene expression profiles and clinical information of breast cancer patients were downloaded from the TCGA database. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were estimated by Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. A risk score formula involving five novel prognostic associated biomarkers (EDN2, CLEC3B, SV2C, WT1, and MUC2) were then constructed by LASSO. The prognostic value of the risk model was further confirmed in the TCGA entire cohort and an independent external validation cohort. To explore the biological functions of the selected genes, in vitro assays were performed, indicating that these novel biomarkers could markedly influence breast cancer progression.ConclusionsWe established a predictive five-gene signature, which could be helpful for a personalized management in breast cancer patients.

Based on the type-II fuzzy logic, this paper proposes a robust adaptive fault diagnosis and fault-tolerant control (FTC) scheme for multisensor faults in the variable structure hypersonic vehicles with parameter uncertainties. Type-II fuzzy method approximates the original models while eliminating the parameter uncertainties. Hence the sensor faults are detected and isolated by the multiple output residuals and thresholds considering nonlinear approximation errors and disturbance. Based on the fuzzy adaptive augmented observer, the faults and disturbance are all estimated accurately by an improved proportional-differential part. Then a variable structure FTC scheme repairs the faults by the estimation, the fast-varying disturbance is considered in FTC scheme and is compensated by the control parameters designed based on its derivative function, thereby enhancing the output robust tracking accuracy of the variable structure hypersonic vehicles. The Lyapunov theory proves the system robust stability, semi-physical simulation verifies the validity of the proposed method and the superiority compared with the traditional method.

Background Morphea is an autoimmune, sclerosing skin disorder. Despite the recent emphasis on immune dysregulation in morphea, the role of autoantibodies in morphea pathogenesis or utility as biomarkers are poorly defined. Methods Autoantigen microarray was used to profile autoantibodies from the serum of participants from the Morphea in Adults and Children (MAC) cohort. Clinical and demographic features of morphea patients with myelin basic protein (MBP) autoantibodies were compared to those without. MBP immunohistochemistry staining was subsequently performed in morphea skin to assess for perineural inflammation in areas of staining. Immunofluorescence staining on mouse brain tissue was also performed using patient sera and mouse anti-myelin basic protein antibody to confirm the presence of MBP antibodies in patient sera. Results Myelin basic protein autoantibodies were found in greater frequency in morphea (n = 50, 71.4%) compared to systemic sclerosis (n = 2, 6.7%) and healthy controls (n = 7, 20%). Patients with MBP antibodies reported pain at higher frequencies. Morphea skin biopsies, highlighted by immunohistochemistry, demonstrated increased perineural inflammation in areas of MBP expression. Immunofluorescence staining revealed an increased fluorescence signal in myelinated areas of mouse brain tissue (i.e. axons) when incubated with sera from MBP antibody-positive morphea patients compared to sera from MBP antibody-negative morphea patients. Epitope mapping revealed target epitopes for MBP autoantibodies in morphea are distinct from those reported in MS, and included fragments 11–30, 41–60, 51–70, and 91–110. Conclusions A molecular classification of morphea based on distinct autoantibody biosignatures may be used to differentially classify morphea. We have identified anti-MBP as a potential antibody associated with morphea due to its increased expression in morphea compared to healthy controls and systemic sclerosis patients.

BACKGROUND: Our study aims to introduce a dynamic interval ratio method calculated using cervical hyperextension-flexion X-ray films. Secondarily, we aim to evaluate the relationship between the posterior atlanto-occipital interval ratio and cervical spondylotic myelopathy and explain the rationale. METHODS: We reviewed 83 cases with visible cervical dynamic X-ray films in our hospital from February 2015 to December 2018. Cases were divided into 2 groups according to their diagnosis (with or without spondylotic myelopathy). Radiographic measurements included the shortest distance between the posterior arch of the atlas and the occipital bone and cervical range of motion, and demographic data such as gender, age, and body mass index were also extracted. The posterior atlanto-occipital interval ratio (distance at hyperextension position/distance at hyperflexion position) was determined using logistic regression analysis models between the 2 groups. RESULTS: We included 40 cases in the disease group and 43 cases in the control group. The mean posterior atlanto-occipital interval ratio was 0.65±0.30 (mean ± standard deviation) in the disease group and 0.30±0.28 in the control group, with a significant difference (P

Objective Intermittent sequential pneumatic compression (ISPC) can effectively promote cerebral perfusion and collateral blood supply in patients with stroke. However, the effects of ISPC on cerebral oscillations are still unclear. Methods The tissue concentration of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin oscillations were measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopy under resting and ISPC conditions in 27 right-handed adult patients with stroke. Five characteristic frequency signals (I, 0.6–2 Hz; II, 0.145–0.6 Hz; III, 0.052–0.145 Hz; IV, 0.021–0.052 Hz; and V, 0.0095–0.021 Hz) were identified using the wavelet method. The wavelet amplitude (WA) and laterality index (LI) were calculated to describe the frequency-specific cortical activities. Results The ISPC state of patients with ischemic stroke showed significantly increased WA values of the ipsilesional motor cortex (MC) in the frequency intervals III (F37 = 8.017), IV (F37 = 6.347), and V (F37 = 5.538). There was no significant difference in the WA values in the ISPC state compared with the resting state in patients with hemorrhagic stroke. Also, the LI values of the prefrontal cortex and MC in patients decreased more obviously in the ISPC state than in the resting state despite no significant difference. Conclusion The significantly increased WA values in the frequency intervals III, IV, and V in the MC of patients with ischemic stroke might be related to cortical activity in the MC in addition to increased cerebral perfusion. The decreased LI values in the prefrontal cortex and MC indicated that the ISPC may have had a positive effect on the functional rehabilitation of these regions. Impact This study provides a method for assessing the effects of ISPC on cerebral oscillations, and the results benefit the optimization of ISPC parameters in personalized treatment for the functional recovery of patients with stroke.

Objective. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanism of action of the Chinese herbal formula Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BYHWD), which is commonly used to treat nerve injuries, in the treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI) using a network pharmacology method. Methods. BYHWD-related targets were obtained by mining the TCMSP and BATMAN-TCM databases, and SCI-related targets were obtained by mining the DisGeNET, TTD, CTD, GeneCards, and MalaCards databases. The overlapping targets of the abovementioned targets may be potential therapeutic targets for BYHWD anti-SCI. Subsequently, we performed protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis, screened the hub genes using Cytoscape software, performed Gene Ontology (GO) annotation and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis, and finally achieved molecular docking between the hub proteins and key active compounds. Results. The 189 potential therapeutic targets for BYHWD anti-SCI were overlapping targets of 744 BYHWD-related targets and 923 SCI-related targets. The top 10 genes obtained subsequently included AKT1, IL6, MAPK1, TNF, TP53, VEGFA, CASP3, ALB, MAPK8, and JUN. Fifteen signaling pathways were also screened out after enrichment analysis and literature search. The results of molecular docking of key active compounds and hub target proteins showed a good binding affinity for both. Conclusion. This study shows that BYHWD anti-SCI is characterized by a multicomponent, multitarget, and multipathway synergy and provides new insights to explore the specific mechanisms of BYHWD against SCI.

Hepatic fibrosis is one kind of liver diseases with a high mortality rate and incidence. The activation and proliferation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is the most fundamental reason of hepatic fibrosis. There are no specific and effective drug delivery carriers for the treatment of hepatic fibrosis at present. We found that when hepatic fibrosis occurs, the expression of CD44 receptors on the surface of HSCs is significantly increased. Based on this finding, we designed silibinin-loaded hyaluronic acid (SLB-HA) micelles to achieve the treatment of hepatic fibrosis. Meanwhile, we constructed liver fibrosis rat model using Sprague–Dawley rats. We demonstrated that HA micelles had specific uptake to HSCs in vitro while avoiding the distribution in normal liver cells and the phagocytosis of macrophages. Importantly, HA micelles showed a significant liver targeting effect in vivo, especially in fibrotic liver which highly expressed CD44 receptors. In addition, SLB-HA micelles could selectively kill activated HSCs, having an excellent anti-hepatic fibrosis effect in vivo and a significant sustained release effect, and also had a good biological safety and biocompatibility. Overall, HA micelles represented a novel nanomicelle system which showed great potentiality in anti-hepatic fibrosis drugs delivery., Graphical abstract The silibinin-loaded hyaluronic acid (SLB-HA) micelles were designed to achieve the treatment of hepatic fibrosis. The HA micelles had specific uptake to hepatic stellate cells in vitro and in vivo, while avoiding the distribution in other liver cells and the phagocytosis of macrophages.Image 1

To compare the risk angle and safety angle of needling Yamen (GV 15) between the atlanto-axial dislocation (AAD) patients and healthy subjects. A total of 177 AAD patients diagnosed and treated at the Center of Upper Cervical Vertebra of Beijing China-Japan Friendship Hospital between January 2010 and January 2018 were included in the AAD group. Another 207 healthy subjects were included in the normal group. There were totally 191 males and 193 females. The MRI scan was performed for the cervical vertebrae to measure the risk angle and safety angle of acupuncture at Yamen (GV 15) on the sagittal image. In the AAD group, the risk angle was (13.14±3.99)° and the relative safety angle was (10.31±3.23)° for the perpendicular needling, while the oblique needling risk angle was (9.09±3.09)° for the male; the risk angle was (12.12±2.74)° and the relative safety angle was (10.56±2.09)° for the perpendicular needling, while the oblique needling risk angle was (9.70±2.95)° for the female. In the normal group, the risk angle was (7.89±1.59)° and the relative safety angle was (10.21±3.55)° for the perpendicular needling, while the oblique needling risk angle was (16.07±1.77)° for the male; the risk angle was (6.93±1.45)° and the relative safety angle was (10.70±2.94)° for the perpendicular needling, while the oblique needling risk angle was (14.89±2.18)° for the female. The perpendicular needling risk angles for the males and females in the AAD group were larger than those in the normal group, and the differences were statistically significant (both P 0.05); however, the perpendicular needling risk angle for the male was larger than the female, and the difference was statistically significant in the normal group (P 0.05). For the inner-group comparison, there was no significant difference in the relative safety angle between the male and the female (P>0.05). The oblique needling risk angles for both the males and females were smaller in the AAD group than those in the normal group, and the differences were statistically significant (both P 0.05); in the normal group, the oblique needling risk angle for the male was larger than that for the female, and the difference was statistically significant (P

In this study, the sensitivity of 20 field populations of Chilo suppressalis (Walker) from five provinces in China to seven insecticides was evaluated during 2016–2018. The results indicated that 20 field populations of C. suppressalis had evolved moderate to high levels of resistance to triazophos (RR 64.5–461.3) and chlorpyrifos (RR 10.1–125.0). Furthermore, C. suppressalis exhibited low to moderate levels of resistance to abamectin (RR 6.5–76.5) and decreased susceptibility to cyantraniliprole (RR 1.0–34.0). The population collected from Nanchang in Jiangxi Province (JXNC) showed high resistance to chlorantraniliprole (RR 148.3–294.3), and other geographical populations remained susceptible to moderate levels of resistance (RR 1.0–37.5). In contrast, C. suppressalis remained susceptible to low levels of resistance to spinetoram (RR 1.0–6.7) and spinosad (RR 1.0–4.6). Significant correlations were found between the Log LC50 values of chlorantraniliprole and cyantraniliprole, chlorpyrifos and triazophos, as well as cyantraniliprole and chlorpyrifos and triazophos. Similarly, significant correlations were found among abamectin, chlorpyrifos, and triazophos. In addition, a significant correlation was also observed between the activity of the detoxification enzymes and the log LC50 values of chlorantraniliprole, cyantraniliprole, abamectin, chlorpyrifos, and triazophos. The findings provide an important reference for implementing effective resistance management strategies and the development of new insecticides in insect pest control.

PURPOSES Stroke survivors suffering from deficits in motor control typically show persistent motor symptoms and limited functional abilities, which affect their functional independence in daily life. Active rehabilitation training is commonly applied for stroke patients to recover from motor dysfunction. The global connectivity reflects the synchronization of cardiac and respiratory activities in the cerebral regions. However, the understanding of the patterns of frequency-specific global connectivity (GC) and functional connectivity (FC) when performing active rehabilitation training is still far from comprehensive. This study was conducted to investigate the brain network patterns of stroke patients while performing a four-limb linkage rehabilitation training using the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) method. METHODS Two groups of stroke patients (LH, left hemiplegia; RH, right hemiplegia) and one healthy group were recruited to participate in this study. The wavelet phase coherence (WPCO) method was used to calculate the frequency-specific GC and FC of the brain network in four frequency bands: I, 0.6-2 Hz; II, 0.145-0.6 Hz; III, 0.052-0.145 Hz; and IV, 0.021-0.052 Hz. RESULTS Results showed that the healthy group exhibited lower WPCO in the four frequency bands during the task state than during the resting state (P

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have attracted considerable attention across multiple fields, particularly biomedical research. However, the effects of GQDs on reproductive and offspring health in mammals are unclear. Here, we show that GQD exposure via oral gavage or intravenous injection had no effect on the frequency and timing of sexual behaviors in male mice. GQD-exposed male mice retained healthy structural and functional reproductive physiology (e.g., production and storage of healthy sperm, maintenance of normal total protein and key enzyme concentrations in testes) of the testes and epididymides, as well as normal testosterone levels. Female mice housed with GQD-exposed males produced first, second, and subsequent litters of healthy pups without obvious differences to females housed with buffer-treated males. These findings may be explained by the low toxicity of GQDs in germ cells and their rapid excretion after exposure in mice, mainly via the urine and/or feces; GQDs, even at high doses, are virtually undetectable in male mouse testis, epididymis, and brain. Our findings reveal the short- and long-term effects of GQD exposure on male mouse sexual behaviors, reproductive activity, and offspring development and indicate the potential mechanisms of action of GQDs to provide further insight into their bio-safety.