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Background: Hemoglobin glycation index (HGI) is considered to be a convenient measurable indicator to assess the inter-individual variation of HbA1c. In the present study, we tested the relationship between HGI and risk of hypertension, and further explored the possible interacting influences of HGI with other such factors on hypertension risk among Chinese individuals.Methods: The eligible subjects were chosen from a community-based cross-sectional survey in China. We collected relevant data and clinical indicators for each participant. HGI was calculated as "measured HbA1c-predicted HbA1c" and divided into four categories according to quartile. The following indicators were used to assess interactive effects: (1) relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI); (2) attributable proportion due to interaction (AP); and (3) synergy index (SI). Statistical analysis was performed using R software.Results: Specifically, 1777 eligible participants were selected in this cross-sectional survey. There were 433 subjects who were identified to have hypertension (24.4%). A significant increase in the prevalence of hypertension from Q1 to Q4 of HGI was observed (p < 0.001). Multivariable logistic model demonstrated that subjects at the highest HGI group had a substantially increased risk of being hypertensive than subjects in the first quartile of HGI, as indicated by the OR value of 1.87 (95% CI 1.26-2.78). Moreover, a significant interaction between family history of hypertension and HGI on hypertension risk was detected (RERI: 1.36, 95% CI 0.11-2.63; AP: 0.43, 95% CI 0.17-0.69; and SI:2.68, 95% CI 1.10-6.48). The interactive effect between HGI and abdominal obesity was also found to be significant, as estimated by the value of RERI (1.04, 95% CI 0.24-1.85), AP (0.33, 95% CI 0.11-0.56) and SI (1.96, 95% CI 1.01-3.79). However, in the analysis of the interaction between HGI and general obesity, only the AP value (0.28, 95% CI 0.01-0.54) was observed to be significant.Conclusion: High HGI was independently associated with the risk of hypertension. Moreover, HGI significantly shared interactions with obesity and family history of hypertension that influenced the risk of hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease. Keratinocytes hyperproliferation and excessive inflammatory response contribute to psoriasis pathogenesis. The agents able to attenuate keratinocytes hyperproliferation and excessive inflammatory response are considered to be potentially useful for psoriasis treatment. Daphnetin exhibits broad bioactivities including anti-proliferation and anti-inflammatory. This study aims to evaluate the anti-psoriatic potential of daphnetin in vitro and in vivo, and explore underlying mechanisms. Methods: HaCaT keratinocytes was stimulated with the mixture of IL-17A, IL-22, oncostatin M, IL-1α, and TNF-α (M5) to establish psoriatic keratinocyte model in vitro. Cell viability was measured using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8). Quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed to measure the mRNA levels of hyperproliferative marker gene keratin 6 (KRT6), differentiation marker gene keratin 1 (KRT1) and inflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, IL-23A and MCP-1. Western blotting was used to detect the protein levels of p65 and p-p65. Indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) was carried out to detect p65 nuclear translocation. Imiquimod (IMQ) was used to construct psoriasis-like mouse model. Psoriasis severity (erythema, scaling) was scored based on Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI). Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was performed to examine histological change in skin lesion. The expression of inflammatory factors including IL-6, TNF-α, IL-23A and IL-17A in skin lesion was measured by qRT-PCR. Results: Daphnetin attenuated M5-induced hyperproliferation in HaCaT keratinocytes. M5 stimulation significantly upregulated mRNA levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, IL-23A and MCP-1. However, daphnetin treatment partially attenuated the upregulation of those inflammatory cytokines. Daphnetin was found to be able to inhibit p65 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation in HaCaT keratinocytes. In addition, daphnetin significantly ameliorate the severity of skin lesion (erythema, scaling and epidermal thickness, inflammatory cell infiltration) in IMQ-induced psoriasis-like mouse model. Daphnetin treatment attenuated IMQ-induced upregulation of inflammatory cytokines including IL-6, IL-23A and IL-17A in skin lesion of mice. Conclusions: Daphnetin was able to attenuate proliferation and inflammatory response induced by M5 in HaCaT keratinocytes through suppression of NF-κB signaling pathway. Daphnetin could ameliorate the severity of skin lesion and improve inflammation status in IMQ-induced psoriasis-like mouse model. Daphnetin could be an attractive candidate for future development as an anti-psoriatic agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Endurance training can have a negative impact on strength training and may lead to reduced strength gains, known as the interference effect. However, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) as an endurance training mode may reduce this interference effect. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to investigate the effects of concurrent HIIT and resistance training (RT) on lower body explosive strength and maximum strength. METHODS: Five electronic databases were searched. Subgroup analyses were performed to assess the effects of HIIT modality, training status, and training duration on strength development following concurrent HIIT and RT. RESULTS: Meta-analysis showed that compared to RT alone, concurrent HIIT and RT will not affect the development of countermovement jump (CMJ) (WMD = - 0.17, 95%CI = - 1.45 to - 1.11) and half squat (WMD = - 0.05, 95%CI = - 2.42 to 2.32). Further, subgroup analysis revealed that HIIT-running workout was conducive to the development of both CMJ and half squat. Longer training duration was found to be more effective in developing CMJ, while shorter training duration was more suitable for developing half squat. Additionally, athletes showed greater improvement than non-athletes. CONCLUSIONS: Combining HIIT and RT can enhance CMJ and half squat. The results of intervention are moderated by training variables and training status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a candidate material for hydrogen separation, Yb-doped SrCeO 3 has attracted increasing attention in recent decades. In the present study, Yb-doped SrCe 0.9 Yb 0.1 O 3-α ceramics were prepared by the dry pressing and sintering approach, with the microstructure evolution and the micro morphology investigated. It was indicated that the ceramics sintered in air were of a pure perovskite structure, and that the sintering temperature had a significant effect on the growth of ceramic grains. The average grain size increased from 1 ​μm to 10 ​μm with an increase in sintering temperature from 1300 to 1500 ​°C. Further investigation of the thermodynamics and kinetics of grain growth revealed that the grain boundary diffusion was the main driving force of grain growth during solid phase sintering, with a grain growth index of 4 and an activation energy of approximately 61.23 ​kJ ​mol−1. These results illustrate an obvious tendency of grain size growth. By electrochemical workstation with different atmospheres the effects of sintering temperature on the conductivity were characterized in the temperature range of 700–900 ​°C. The electrical conductivities σ of SrCe 0.9 Yb 0.1 O 3-α ceramics in different atmospheres were as follows: σ(wet hydrogen) ​> ​σ(dry hydrogen) ​> ​σ(dry air) ​> ​σ(wet air). In the test atmosphere containing water and hydrogen the conductivity of protons increased with increasing temperature because of the protons jump between lattices in the form of interstitial hydrogen ions or bare protons. [Display omitted] • After sintering, Yb was completely dissolved in SrCeO 3 , and the Yb doped SrCeO 3 had a pure perovskite structure. Cell parameters of Yb doped SrCeO 3 were increased compared with SrCeO 3. • The radial shrinkage of 10% Yb doped SrCeO 3 ceramics increased from 7.29% at 1300 ​°C to 11.95% at 1500 ​°C. The results of sintering kinetics illustrated that the grain growth index of ceramics was 4, which indicated that the grain growth is mainly from the grain boundary diffusion. The activation energy of grain growth was about 61.23 ​kJ ​mol−1. • At 700–900 ​°C, the electrical conductivity of SrCe 0.9 Yb 0.1 O 3-α ceramics in different atmospheres was as follows: σ(wet hydrogen) ​> ​σ(dry hydrogen) ​> ​σ(dry air) ​> ​σ(wet air). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrocarbon generation and expulsion experiment in account of pressure and expulsion effects is an important approach in resource assessment and petroleum formation mechanism.lt is necessary to integrate hydrocarbon generation process in pyrolysis experiments with geological maturity. An immature coal is pyrolyzed in three experiment models.The first two are in confined gold reactors at temperatures from 300°C to 650°C with heating rates of 2°C. h and 20°C/h and under a pressure of 30MPa.The third is in hydrocarbon generation and expulsion simulation rig at temperatures from 250°C to 650°C with rapid healing rates and holding lime of 72 hour and under a pressure of 30Mpa. The relationship between hydrogen carbon atomic ratio and vitrinite reflectance is confirmed by the mathematical statistics of 139 geological samples. In view of indicative feature of hydrogen-carbon atomic ratio for organic maturation and hydrocarbon generation, the curves between experimental thermal parameters and geological maturity are graphed for these three series of experiments. Compared with geological maturity Ro the value of solid residue in confined gold reactors is higher by 0-0.9%, and the value at higher maturity stage in hydrocarbon generation and expulsion simulation rig is lower by 0-0.2%. The values of Easy%Ro in the three series of experiments are 0-0.8% lower than the values of geological maturity. Obviously, the vitrinite reflectance of solid residue in hydrocarbon generation and expulsion simulation rig is nearer to geological maturity than in con fined gold reactor. The conclusion reflects that pressure and hydrocarbon expulsion play an important role in thernial maturity and hydrocarbon generation process of organic mailer. Krror analysis shows thai the corrected maturity of experimental samples with hydrogen carbon atomic ratio relationship are 0.25% lower in oil window,0.5% lower in gas stage than the real geological maturity. These curves can be applied to resource assessment in coal measures regions by pyrolysis experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Getter alloy has the advantages of low cost and high hydrogen purity in small and medium-scale hydrogen purification. However, the commonly used ZrMnFe alloy is reactive to various impurities in hydrogen, and requires a temperature above 600 °C to remove methane. To improve reactivity with methane and ensure a high hydrogen adsorption platform pressure, partial substitution of Fe with Ni, which has a smaller bonding energy with methane ligand, is beneficial. In this work, we prepared ZrMnFeNi alloys with different Ni stoichiometric ratios by suspension induction melting and investigated their performance in purifying hydrogen containing trace amounts of methane. All alloys maintain C14 Laves phase, and the interplanar spacing of the (103) crystal planes decreases with the replacement of Ni. It is proved that ZrMnFeNi alloys can significantly improve the absorb efficiency of methane in hydrogen and reduce the removal temperature. At 450 °C, ZrMnFe 0.7 Ni 0.3 can remove 10 ppm methane to 0.124 ppm. The purification efficiency of hydrogen at 450 °C can reach 96.94%, while the purification efficiency of ZrMnFe alloy is only 27.12%. The ZrMnFe 0.7 Ni 0.3 alloy decomposes methane into carbon and hydrogen during purification, and the carbon diffuses into the alloy at high temperature to form a metal carbide with zirconium. The XPS results show that the electron-rich state of Ni is more beneficial for activating the C–H bond breaking of methane. • Ni contents is optimized for the best hydrogen purification performance. • Purification temperature reduction and efficiency improvement attributed to Ni doping. • The ZrMnFe 0.7 Ni 0.3 can remove 10 ppm methane in hydrogen to 0.124 ppm at 450 °C. • Electron-rich Ni may be more conducive to the activation of C–H bond cleavage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the influences of iron-bearing minerals on gas generation and isotopic fractionation of organic matters was studied by hydrous pyrolysis of a type-II kerogen of low maturity in the presence or absence of Fe3O4. Quantitative determination of the gas products generated during the experiments indicated that the addition of Fe3O4 would lower the yields of gaseous hydrocarbons, H2 and H2S, whereas exerting little influence on the yields of CO2. Carbon isotopic analysis revealed that when Fe3O4 is added to the reaction system,the carbon isotope of methane was not significantly affected, however, the isotopic values of both ethane and propone showed increase to different degrees.In contrast, the hydrogen isotopic values of the gaseous products in the presence of iron-bearing mineral were more depleted, and the reduction of methane and the ethane were 5‰-50‰ and 24‰-40‰, respectively. Likewise, the isotopic analysis of the residues showed similar trends with the gas products, which is the lighter hydrogen isotope values in the experiments with Fe3O4, and there are no obvious differences of carbon isotope with or without Fe3O4. Additionally, H/C elemental ratios of the residues decreased at a slower rate and exhibited higher values in the cases of iron-bearing mineral added experiments. The above results indicated that different reaction systems are of different reacting mechanisms. When Fe3O4 is absent, the reaction system operates in the cationic reacting mode. However, when Fe3O4 is added to the reaction system, cationic reactions were inhibited, thus resulting in the reduction of gas generation, and there exists indirect hydrogenation controlled by the presence of hydrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to: (i) analyze the load characteristics of 4 weeks cross-country skiing altitude training; (ii) analyze the relationships between methods of monitoring training load and physiological indicators changes of elite male Chinese cross-country skiers during this period. Practitioners collected load data during 4 weeks of altitude training camp. Participants performed maximal oxygen uptake, lactate threshold, body composition, and skierg power test before and after the training camp to investigate the changes in physiological performance. Edwards TRIMP, Lucia TRIMP, and session rating of perceived exertion were collected as internal load. Training distance, time recorded by the Catapult module were collected as external load. The result revealed a " pyramid " pattern in the load characteristics during the altitude training camp. The correlation between luTRIMP and percent change in physiological indicators was highest. Percentage changes in lactate threshold velocity (r =.78 [95% CI -.01 to.98]), percentage changes in lactate threshold HR (r =.71 [95% CI.14-.99]), percentage changes in maximum HR (r =.83 [95% CI.19–1.00]), percentage changes in skierg power-to-weight ratio (r =.75 [95% CI -.28 to.98]) had very large relationships with luTRIMP. In cross-country skiing altitude training, training loads should be reasonably controlled to ensure that athletes do not become overly fatigued. Methods of training load monitoring that combine with athletes' physiological characteristics and program characteristics have the highest dose-response relationships, it is an important aspect of cross-country ski training load monitoring. The luTRIMP could be a good monitoring tool in cross-country skiing altitude training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrogen flux of Pd–Ru membranes was investigated after they were exposed to H 2 S at different concentrations and over various period of time. The membranes were characterized by XPS, XRD, SEM, and hydrogen permeation tests. The Pd–Ru membrane exhibits excellent sulfur tolerance. The results show that when exposed to 10–80 ppm H 2 S at 723 K for 7 h, the hydrogen flux remains 57–73%. After removal of 10 ppm H 2 S, 100% recovery of flux is observed, and the flux recovers to 94% and 89% for membranes exposed to 30 ppm and 50 ppm H 2 S, respectively. Irreversible flux loss occurs when the membranes are exposed to 80 ppm H 2 S for 7 h or 30 ppm H 2 S for 72 h. The combination of SEM, XRD and XPS results shows that the presence of Ru on the surface significantly prevents the sulfidation of Pd. The initial rapid decrease in hydrogen flux appears to be mainly due to the blocking of surface sites, exacerbated by the subsequent formation of chemically adsorbed sulfur compounds. The high temperature annealing in H 2 decomposes the chemically adsorbed species. • The Pd–Ru membrane shows excellent sulfur tolerance. • The presence of Ru on the surface significantly prevents the sulfidation of Pd. • The physical adsorption and chemical adsorption of H 2 S occur simultaneously. • Formation of sulfur compounds causes irreversible hydrogen flux loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic, progressive brain degenerative disease that is common in the elderly. So far, there is no effective treatment. The multi-target-directed ligands (MTDLs) strategy has been recognised as the most promising approach due to the complexity of the pathogenesis of AD. Herein, novel salicylic acid–donepezil–rivastigmine hybrids were designed and synthesised. The bioactivity results exhibited that 5a was a reversible and selective eqBChE inhibitor (IC50 = 0.53 μM), and the docking provided the possible mechanism. Compound 5a also displayed potential anti-inflammatory effects and significant neuroprotective effect. Moreover, 5a exhibited favourable stabilities in artificial gastrointestinal solution and plasma. Finally, 5a demonstrated potential cognitive improvement in scopolamine-induced cognitive dysfunction. Hence, 5a was a potential multifunctional lead compound against AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Location information is the core data in IoT applications, which is the essential foundation for scene interpretation and interconnection of everything, and thus high-precision positioning is becoming an immediate need. However, the non-line-of-sight (NLOS) effect of indoor complex environment on UWB signal occlusion has been a major factor limiting the improvement in ultra-wideband (UWB) positioning accuracy, and the optimization of NLOS error has not yet been studied in a targeted manner. To this end, this paper deeply analyzes indoor scenes, divides NLOS into two forms of spatial occlusion and human occlusion, and proposes a particle filtering algorithm based on LOS/NLOS mapping and NLOS error optimization. This algorithm is targeted to optimize the influence of two different forms of NLOS, using spatial a priori information to accurately judge the LOS/NLOS situation of the anchor, optimizing the NLOS anchor ranging using IMU to project the virtual position, judging whether the LOS anchor is affected by human occlusion, and correcting the affected LOS anchor using the established human occlusion error model. Through experimental verification, the algorithm can effectively suppress two different NLOS errors of spatial structure and human occlusion and can achieve continuous and reliable high-precision positioning and tracking in complex indoor environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymphopenia is a common adverse effect of radiation therapy (RT). Little is known about the difference in lymphopenia between intensity modulated (photon) radiation therapy (IMRT) and proton and carbon ion radiation therapy (PCIRT). This study aimed to investigate lymphopenia differences between IMRT and PCIRT in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Clinical and dosimetric parameters were collected from 343 patients who received definitive IMRT or PCIRT for NSCLC. Severe lymphopenia (SRL) was defined as an absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) ≤0.5 × 103 cells/μL. Overall survival (OS) was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Propensity score matching was performed between the IMRT and PCIRT groups. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analysis was used to select appropriate dosimetric parameters. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the predictors of SRL. Compared with the IMRT group, the PCIRT group was less likely to develop SRL (P <.001). Compared with the non-SRL group, the SRL group showed significant association with poorer OS, with a median survival time of 29.2 versus 15.0 months (P =.046). IMRT was an independent risk factor of SRL (P =.004). A lower ALC before RT (P =.030) and larger planning target volume (PTV) (P =.002) were also significant independent risk factors for SRL. Moreover, the majority of dosimetric parameters of organs at risk in PCIRT were lower than those in IMRT (P <.001). Thoracic vertebra V5 (P =.002) and aorta V5 (P =.026) were identified as independent risk predictors of SRL after adding dosimetric parameters to the regression model. Compared with IMRT, PCIRT could reduce SRL incidence, possibly by limiting thoracic vertebra and aortic doses, and SRL was associated with poor outcomes in patients with NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The specific characteristics of remote sensing images, such as large directional variations, large target sizes, and dense target distributions, make target detection a challenging task. To improve the detection performance of models while ensuring real-time detection, this paper proposes a lightweight object detection algorithm based on an attention mechanism and YOLOv5s. Firstly, a depthwise-decoupled head (DD-head) module and spatial pyramid pooling cross-stage partial GSConv (SPPCSPG) module were constructed to replace the coupled head and the spatial pyramid pooling-fast (SPPF) module of YOLOv5s. A shuffle attention (SA) mechanism was introduced in the head structure to enhance spatial attention and reconstruct channel attention. A content-aware reassembly of features (CARAFE) module was introduced in the up-sampling operation to reassemble feature points with similar semantic information. In the neck structure, a GSConv module was introduced to maintain detection accuracy while reducing the number of parameters. Experimental results on remote sensing datasets, RSOD and DIOR, showed an improvement of 1.4% and 1.2% in mean average precision accuracy compared with the original YOLOv5s algorithm. Moreover, the algorithm was also tested on conventional object detection datasets, PASCAL VOC and MS COCO, which showed an improvement of 1.4% and 3.1% in mean average precision accuracy. Therefore, the experiments showed that the constructed algorithm not only outperformed the original network on remote sensing images but also performed better than the original network on conventional object detection images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While benefits of greenness exposure to health have been reported, findings specific to lung function are inconsistent. The purpose of this study is to assess the correlations of greenness exposure with multiple lung function indicators based on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) monitoring database from multiple cities of Anhui province in China. Methods: We assessed the greenness using the annual average of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) with a distance of 1000-meter buffer around each local community or village. Three types of lung function indicators were considered, namely indicators of obstructive ventilatory dysfunction (FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, and FEV1/FEV3); an indicator of large-airway dysfunction (PEF); indicators of small-airway dysfunction (FEF25%, FEF50%, FEF75%, MMEF, FEV3, FEV6, and FEV3/FVC). Linear mixed effects model was used to analyze associations of greenness exposure with lung function through adjusting age, sex, educational level, occupation, residence, smoking status, history of tuberculosis, family history of lung disease, indoor air pollution, occupational exposure, PM2.5, and body mass index. Results: A total of 2768 participants were recruited for the investigations. An interquartile range (IQR) increase in NDVI was associated with better FVC (153.33mL, 95%CI: 44.07mL, 262.59mL), FEV1 (109.09mL, 95%CI: 30.31mL, 187.88mL), FEV3 (138.04mL, 95%CI: 39.43mL, 236.65mL), FEV6 (145.42mL, 95%CI: 42.36mL, 248.47mL). However, there were no significant associations with PEF, FEF25%, FEF50%, FEF75%, MMEF, FEV1/FVC, FEV1/FEV6, FEV3/FVC. The stratified analysis displayed that an IQR increase in NDVI was related with improved lung function in less than 60 years, females, urban populations, nonsmokers, areas with medium concentrations of PM2.5 and individuals with BMI of less than 28 kg/m2. Sensitivity analyses based on another greenness indice (enhanced vegetation index, EVI) and annual maximum of NDVI remained consistent with the main analysis. Conclusions: Our findings supported that exposure to greenness was strongly related with improved lung function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this exploratory study is (1) to determine the relationship between substitution network (Sub-N) parameters and teams' standings and (2) to find out the key individual performance indicators that differentiated substitution groups of players, and explore the association between players' percentages and team's standing within the obtained substitution groups. A total of 574,214 substitution events during the last 10 NBA seasons were analysed to construct Sub-N for each team observation. Three different player groups were obtained after clustering their playing time, clustering coefficient and vulnerability. Team's clustering coefficient, standard deviation of vulnerability and out-degree centrality of starters exhibited moderate to strong correlations with team's standing during playoffs (r = 0.54–0.76). The regression models showed that defensive win share (beta = 0.54–0.67), turnovers (−0.15 to −0.25) and assists (0.12–0.26) were predictive for all players' net ratings, and the role players who scored more points presented higher net ratings (0.34). Finally, players from top-playoff teams exhibited lower absolute value of vulnerabilities (r = 0.80). The findings demonstrate the feasibility of Sub-N for exploring the association between rotation and competitive performance, and provide quantitative reference for coaching staff to optimize substitution structures and rosters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The basis of orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) is the reconstruction of periodontal tissue under stress. Increasing the speed of OTM has always been the focus of attention. Objectives: Periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) are direct effector cells of mechanical force, but the mechanism by which PDLSCs sense mechanical stimuli is unclear. Methods: Human PDLSCs (hPDLSCs) were analyzed in the presence or absence of force loading with the Flexcell loading system in vitro. Then, periodontal tissues were analyzed after mechanical stimulation in vivo. In addition, cells in a confined microenvironment were analyzed to observe changes in the cytoskeleton and migration. Finally, TRPC6−/− mice were used to further verify the effect of TRPC6. After force application, the OTM distance, bone marrow density (BMD), TRPC6 and COL1 expression, and TRAP staining were evaluated in periodontal tissues. Results: RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and western blot analyses revealed that TRPC6 was important during mechanical force application to hPDLSCs. Appropriate mechanical force application also induced TRPC6 activation in the OTM model and the confined microenvironment. Under a slightly confined microenvironment, treatment with the TRPC6 inhibitor SKF96365 and TRPC6 knockout decreased the migration speed of hPDLSCs and mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (mBMSCs). In addition, TRPC6−/− mice showed lower OTM distances and reduced osteogenic and osteoclastic differentiation. Conclusion: In summary, TRPC6 activation in PDLSCs mediated by appropriate mechanical force application contributes to periodontal tissue reconstruction. PDLSCs modulate periodontal tissue remodeling under appropriate mechanical stimulation through TRPC6; however, under excessive stress, alveolar bone and tooth roots are readily absorbed. Under this condition, environmental factors play a leading role, and the regulatory effect of TRPC6 is not obvious. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To analyze the possible factors causing fatty liver in children based on ultrasound data of children in south Texas, and to establish machine learning models of fatty liver in children to provide ideas for the prevention and treatment of fatty liver in children.Methods: The binary classification model of fatty liver problem in obese children in Texas was established under the multiple model. First, we selected important features using the CatBoost algorithm. Second, the best parameters of the algorithm were selected on the training set and the validation set by using the grid search method, and all six models were tested on the test set. The six models then were compared by area under the curve value, precision, accuracy, recall rate, and F1 score in a model evaluation. Then, two algorithms, logic regression and CatBoost, were selected to establish prediction models of fatty liver disease in children.Results: We selected body mass index, height, liver size, kidney volume, glomerular filtration rate, and liver diameter as the features used in the machine learning model. The prediction models we chose showed that children with higher body mass index at the same age tended to have a greater probability of fatty liver.Conclusions: Based on the analysis of the results of the two prediction models established by logistic regression and CatBoost, we determined that the mean probability of fatty liver in severely obese children was between 74.47% and 92.22%, 73.45% and 85.41% in obese children, and slightly higher in boys than in girls, with a mean difference of 3.00% to 3.95%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new solar selective coating was optimization designed in our paper. Ti0.5Al0.5N and Ti0.25Al0.75N coatings were chosen as absorber layers and AlN coating was chosen as anti-reflection layer. The phase structure and optical constants of these coatings were studied by X-ray diffraction and spectroscopic ellipsometry, respectively. The Ti0.5Al0.5N coating has a cubic NaCl-type structure and exhibits metallic character. However, the Ti0.25Al0.75N coating consists of cubic NaCl-type structure and hexagonal AlN structure and exhibits semiconducting property. AlN coating is expected as a dielectric layer. The solar selective coating was optimized using a computer program named TFCalc and verified by experimental results. The absorptance and low emittance of the optimized solar selective coating were 0.945 and 0.04 (82°C), respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Ischemia-reperfusion injury is one of the reasons for failure of flap grafting. In the present study, we investigated the protective effect of irisin on the survival of perforator flaps in rats.Methods: A total of 48 adult Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 2 groups and subjected to vascular clipping of perforator flap. Rats in the experimental group (n = 24) received daily tail intravenous injection of irisin (2 ng/g) for 3 days, while the rest rats in the control group (n = 24) received injection of saline solution of the same dose. On the 7th post-operative day, the surviving area of the flaps were recorded as the percentage of the total flap area. Histology study with haematoxylin and eosin staining were performed in all flaps. Flaps were also evaluated with lead oxide-gelatine-enhanced flap angiography. Immunohistochemical study was performed to evaluate the expression of ErG, a marker of vascular endothelial cells. The tissue of "choke vessels" was excised for quantification of p-Akt/Akt by western blot assay on the 7th post-operative day.Results: On the 7th post-operative day, the percentage of surviving flap area was significantly larger in the rats with irisin administration (experimental group), compared with the control group (P = 0.011). The density of microvessels was significantly higher in the experimental group (P = 0.03) in the histological study and angiography, with a higher expression level of ErG in the immunochemical study (P = 0.01). The p-Akt/Akt was also higher in the experimental group in Western blotting analysis (P < 0.001).Conclusion: Irisin has a beneficial effect on protecting perforator flaps from ischemic-reperfusion injury following the flap grafting surgery. It was potentially achieved by promoting proliferation of vascular endothelial cells after flap revascularization. Upregulation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was potentially related with this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulation of evidences suggested that excessive amounts of AChE and BuChE in the brain of AD patients at the different stage of AD, which could hydrolyze ACh and accelerated A β aggregation. To develop new "hidden" multifunctional agents through AChE/BuChE would be a promising strategy to treat AD. To this end, firstly, a series of chalcone derivatives with chelating property was designed and synthesized. The in vitro results showed that compound 3f indicated significant selective MAO-B inhibitory activity (IC 50 = 0.67 μM) and remarkable anti-inflammatory property. It also significantly inhibited self-induced A β 1-42 aggregation and showed remarkable neuroprotective effects on A β 25-35 -induced PC12 cell injury. Furthermore, compound 3f was a selective metal chelator and could inhibit Cu2+-induced A β 1-42 aggregation. Based on this, the carbamate fragment was introduced to compound 3f to obtain carbamate derivatives. The biological activity results exhibited that compound 4b showed good BBB permeability, good AChE inhibitory potency (IC 50 = 5.3 μM), moderate BuChE inhibitory potency (IC 50 = 12.4 μM), significant MAO-B inhibitory potency, anti-inflammation potency on LPS-induced BV-2 cells and neuroprotective effects on A β 25-35 -induced PC12 cell injury. Compared with 3f , compound 4b did not show obvious chelation property. Significantly, compound 4b could be activated by AChE/BuChE following inhibition of AChE/BuChE to liberate an active multifunctional chelator 3f , which was consistent with our original intention. More importantly, compounds 3f and 4b presented favorable ADME properties and good stability in artificial gastrointestinal fluid, blood plasma and rat liver microsomes. The in vivo results suggested that compound 4b (0.0195 μg/mL) could significantly improve dyskinesia and reaction capacity of the AlCl 3 -induced zebrafish AD model by increasing the level of ACh. Together our data suggest that compound 4b was a promising "hidden" multifunctional agent by AChE/BuChE, and this strategy deserved further development for the treatment of AD. [Display omitted] • Compound 3f was a promising multifunctional chelator. • Compound 4b was a hidden multifunctional prechelator. • Compound 4b could be activated to compound 3f by AChE/BuChE. • Compounds 3f and 4b presented favorable drug-likeness. • 4b could improve AlCl 3 -induced zebrafish AD model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep-related breathing disorder characterized by intermittent and recurrent upper airway collapse during sleep that leads to chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH). The genioglossus (GG) is the largest dilator muscle, which controls the upper airway and plays an important role in OSA pathology. Elucidating its genetic alterations may help identify potential targets for OSA. However, the genetic aspects of the GG in CIH mice remain unclear. Here, we have conducted an RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis to assess the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the GG between CIH mice and normoxia (NOR) mice. A total of 637 DEGs were identified to be dysregulated in CIH mice compared with control mice. Bioinformatics analysis showed that the DEGs were related to various physiological processes, such as the endogenous stimulus responses, cellular component organization and metabolic processes. Extracellular matrix (ECM)–receptor interaction was the top KEGG pathway in the environmental information processing category with high significance and large fold changes. From the gene weight distributions of collagen (Col)-related biological processes (BPs), we found several significant DEGs, such as Col1a1, Col1a2, Mmp2, Col3a1, Col5a1, Fmod, and Col5a2. A PPI network showed that Col1a1 was linked to ECM–receptor interactions, responses to reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Col-related BPs. It was verified in vivo and in vitro that hypoxia can induce excess ROS and reduce Col expression levels. Moreover, we found NAC can effectively scavenge ROS and restore collagen synthesis. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms linking OSA and upper airway muscle injury and may help identify potential therapeutic targets. • 637 DEGs were identified in mouse genioglossus of chronic intermittent hypoxia model. • ECM–receptor interactions was highly enriched with transcriptional changes in collagen synthesis. • A PPI network showed that Col1a1 was linked to ECM–receptor interactions, responses to ROS and Col-related BPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Sendust FeSiAl alloy films were obtained by magnetron sputtering. • The oxygen content of the heat treatment is critical for the oxide layer. • Different compositions of oxides can affect the magnetic properties of the films. • Vacuum heat-treated film shows optimum electromagnetic properties. FeSiAl films were prepared by magnetron sputtering and heat-treated in different atmospheres. The films were characterized by SEM, XRD, XPS, VSM and VNA. Relationship between the composition, microstructure and static magnetic and electromagnetic properties of FeSiAl films was investigated. The results showed that an insulating oxide layer was formed on the surface of heat-treated FeSiAl films. The oxide layer significantly affects the resistivity, saturation magnetization strength and electromagnetic properties of films. The films heat-treated in vacuum show relatively high resistivity and excellent electromagnetic properties with saturation magnetization strength of 2190 emu/cm3 and resistivity of 250.5 μΩ/cm. The ferromagnetic resonance frequency of the film is 1.8 GHz. The extrema of the imaginary part of the complex permeability reaches 1699, which is nearly 7.4 times higher than that of the as-deposited FeSiAl film, showing excellent microwave attenuation performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 5,6-Dimethoxy-1-indanone-chalcone- O -carbamate 10c was a reversible hu AChE and hu BuChE inhibitor. • 10c also presented significant anti-inflammation effects, inhibition effects on A β 1-42 aggregation, and neuroprotective effect on A β 1-42 -induced PC12 cell injury. • 10c presented good metabolic stability and pharmacokinetic properties. • PET-CT imaging demonstrated that [11C] 10c could quickly penetrate the brain. • 10c could improve scopolamine-induced memory impairment. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic, progressive brain neurodegenerative disorder. Up to now, there is no effective drug to halt or reverse the progress of AD. Given the complex pathogenesis of AD, the multi-target-directed ligands (MTDLs) strategy is considered as the promising therapy. Herein, a series of novel donepezil-chalone-rivastigmine hybrids was rationally designed and synthesized by fusing donepezil, chalone and rivastigmine. The in vitro bioactivity results displayed that compound 10c was a reversible hu AChE (IC 50 = 0.87 μM) and hu BuChE (IC 50 = 3.3 μM) inhibitor. It also presented significant anti-inflammation effects by suppressing the level of IL-6 and TNF-α production, and significantly inhibited self-mediated A β 1-42 aggregation (60.6%) and hu AChE-mediated induced A β 1-40 aggregation (46.2%). In addition, 10c showed significant neuroprotective effect on A β 1-42 -induced PC12 cell injury and activated UPS pathway in HT22 cells to degrade tau and amyloid precursor protein (APP). Furthermore, compound 10c presented good stabilty in artificial gastrointestinal fluids and liver microsomes in vitro. The pharmacokinetic study showed that compound 10c was rapidly absorbed in rats and distributed in rat brain after intragastric administration. The PET-CT imaging demonstrated that [11C] 10c could quickly enter the brain and washed out gradually in vivo. Further, compound 10c at a dose of 5 mg/kg improved scopolamine-induced memory impairment, deserving further investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report the effect of the annealing process on the hydrogen permeation in/through Pd–Ru membranes. Pd–Ru membranes were deposited via sequential electroless plating method and annealed at different atmospheres and temperatures. The membranes were characterized by XRD, AES, SEM and hydrogen permeation test. The result shows that Ru is amorphous for the as-deposited Pd–Ru membrane. After annealing in H 2 , N 2 atmospheres and vacuum at temperatures higher than 923 K, amorphous Ru transformed into crystalline Ru, and bubble-like cavities appear. The membrane annealed in H 2 has larger and more bubble-like cavities compared with those annealed in N 2 and vacuum. And the hydrogen permeabilities of Pd–Ru membranes annealed in H 2 , N 2 atmospheres and vacuum decrease by 45–67% compared with that of the original as-deposited one. Furthermore, after annealed in hydrogen permeation process, the Pd–Ru membrane keeps compact and defect-free, and the Ru membrane remains in amorphous state. The hydrogen permeability of such Pd–Ru membrane is 1.2–1.3 times higher than that of the as-deposited one, which is mainly attributed to the dense structure and amorphous Ru in the membrane. [Display omitted] • Cavities appear in membrane after annealing in H 2 , N 2 and vacuum higher than 923 K. • Amorphous Ru transforms into crystalline Ru after annealing in H 2 , N 2 and vacuum. • Ru in Pd–Ru membrane remains amorphous after permeation annealing. • Amorphous Ru after annealing attributes for increase of hydrogen permeability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The transmittance and emittance of SiN/Ag/SiN of 30/15/55 nm is 74.6% and 3%. • The thickness of Ag film has larger effect on the spectral selectivity than SiN. • The mutual diffusion between Ag film and SiN layers causes failure over 300 ° C. SiN/Ag/SiN heat reflecting coatings were prepared by radio frequency reactive magnetron sputtering on glass substrates. Properties of the coatings were comprehensively investigated in terms of optical property, surface morphology, microstructure and element distribution. It shows that SiN/Ag/SiN coating with the thickness of 30/15/55 nm exhibits a high visible transmittance of 74.6%, and a low infrared emittance of 3.0%. The thickness of Ag film has a significant effect on the spectral selectivity, while the thicknesses of SiN layers affect diffraction position or intensity of the spectrum weakly. The optical property of coating is basically unchanged after annealing in air at 200 ° C for 48 h, but fails over 300 ° C because of the mutual diffusion between Ag film and SiN layers. The high visible transmittance and low infrared emittance of the SiN/Ag/SiN coating makes it a promising candidate for energy conservation coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Solar selective coatings draw much attention due to its critical role in solar receiver employed in solar heat power generation. Al/Ti0.5Al0.5N/Ti0.25Al0.75N/AlN solar selective coating exhibits a high absorptance of 0.926–0.945 in solar spectrum range and low emittance of 0.04–0.06 (82°C) in infrared spectrum range. The microstructure of the solar selective coatings by using Al as metal reflector layer had been analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), auger electron spectroscopy (AES), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM). After long time annealed in air, the coating is observed to lost effectiveness in solar spectrum adsorption. More Ti–N bonds rather than Ti–N–O bonds are observed in Ti0.5Al0.5N layer. The experimental results also indicate that the crystallization of the adsorption layers is not complete. It is believed that oxygen diffused into the Ti–Al–N layer to form Ti–Al–O–N structure, and the destruction of the four-layer structure, lead to the degradation of the coatings after long time (>192h) annealed in air at high temperature (500°C). Compared with the thermal stability in air, the coatings are much more stable in vacuum under high temperature, which makes it is more appropriate to be used in vacuum. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Significant improvements in the hydrogen absorption/desorption properties of the 2LiNH2–1.1MgH2–0.1LiBH4 composite have been achieved by adding 3wt% ZrCo hydride. The composite can absorb 5.3wt% hydrogen under 7.0 MPa hydrogen pressure in 10 min and desorb 3.75wt% hydrogen under 0.1 MPa H2 pressure in 60 min at 150 °C, compared with 2.75wt% and 1.67wt% hydrogen under the same hydrogenation/dehydrogenation conditions without the ZrCo hydride addition, respectively. TPD measurements showed that the dehydrogenation temperature of the ZrCo hydride-doped sample was decreased about 10 °C compared to that of the pristine sample. It is concluded that both the homogeneous distribution of ZrCo particles in the matrix observed by SEM and EDS and the destabilized N–H bonds detected by IR spectrum are the main reasons for the improvement of H-cycling kinetics of the 2LiNH2–1.1MgH2–0.1LiBH4 system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 4e was a potent and well-balanced huBuChE and huMAO-B inhibitor. • 4e presented significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effect. • 4e presented good BBB penetration and drug-like property. • 4e improved AlCl 3 -induced zebrafish AD. • 4e improved scopolamine-induced memory impairment. Herein, combining 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline and benzylpiperidine groups into cinnamic acid derivatives, a series of novel cinnamic acid hybrids was rationally designed, synthesized and evaluated by the multi-target-directed ligands (MTDLs) strategy. Hybrid 4e was the most promising one among these hybrids with a reversible hu BuChE inhibitor (IC 50 = 2.5 μM) and good MAO-B inhibition activity (IC 50 = 1.3 μM) and antioxidant potency (ORAC = 0.4 eq). Moreover, compound 4e significantly inhibited self-mediated A β 1-42 aggregation (65.2% inhibition rate). Compound 4e exhibited remarkable anti-inflammatory propery and neuroprotective effect. Furthermore, compound 4e displayed favourable blood–brain barrier penetration via parallel artificial membrane permeation assay (PAMPA). The obtained results also revealed that compound 4e significantly improved dyskinesia recovery rate and response efficiency on AD model zebrafish. Further, 4e did not show obvious acute toxicity at dose up to 1500 mg/kg in vivo and improved scopolamine-induced memory impairment. Importantly, compound 4e showed good stability in both artificial gastric fluid and artificial intestinal fluid. Therefore, compound 4e presented a promising multi-targeted active molecule for treating AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Runt-related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1), one subunit of core-binding factors in hematopoiesis and leukemia, was highly expressed in ovarian cancer (OC), but the role of RUNX1 in OC is largely unknown. Since we found that high expression of RUNX1 is correlated with poor survival in patients with OC through bioinformatic analysis of TCGA database, we developed RUNX1-knockout clones by CRISPR/Cas9 technique and discovered that RUNX1 depletion could promote cisplatin-induced apoptosis in OC cells, which was further confirmed by RUNX1 knockdown and overexpression. We also proved that RUNX1 could elevate the expression of BCL2. We then examined a total of 32 candidate miRNAs that might mediate the regulation between RUNX1 and BCL2, of which three miRNAs from the miR-17~92 cluster were found to be negatively regulated by RUNX1. Consistently, our analysis of data from TCGA database revealed the negative correlation between RUNX1 and the cluster. We further confirmed that miR-17~92 cluster could enhance cisplatin-induced apoptosis by directly targeting BCL2 3′UTR. Since rescue experiments proved that RUNX1 could repress cisplatin-induced apoptosis by up-regulating BCL2 via miR-17~92 cluster, combining RUNX1 inhibitor Ro5-3335 and cisplatin showed synergic effect in triggering OC cell apoptosis. Collectively, these findings show for the first time that combinational treatment of cisplatin and RUNX1 inhibitor could be used to potentiate apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells, and reveal the potential of targeting RUNX1 in ovarian cancer chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CASK forms an evolutionarily conserved tripartite complex with Mint1 and Veli critical for neuronal synaptic transmission and cell polarity. The CASK CaM kinase (CaMK) domain, in addition to interacting with Mint1, can also bind to many different target proteins, although the mechanism governing CASK-CaMK/target interaction selectivity is unclear. Here, we demonstrate that an extended sequence in the N-terminal unstructured region of Mint1 binds to CASK-CaMK with a dissociation constant of ∼7.5 nM. The high-resolution crystal structure of CASK-CaMK in complex with this Mint1 fragment reveals that the C-lobe of CASK-CaMK binds to a short sequence common to known CaMK targets and the N-lobe of CaMK engages an α helix that is unique to Mint1. Biochemical experiments together with structural analysis reveal that the CASK and Mint1 interaction is not regulated by Ca2+/CaM. The CASK/Mint1 complex structure provides mechanistic explanations for several CASK mutations identified in patients with brain disorders and cancers. • CASK CaM kinase domain binds to Mint1 with a nanomolar affinity • An elongated Mint1 fragment wraps around the back side of CaMK • Ca2+/CaM does not affect CASK-CaMK binding to Mint1 • The CASK/Mint1 structure explains some CASK variants found in patients Wu et al. discover that an elongated fragment of Mint1/X11α binds to both the N- and C-lobes of CASK-CaMK domain and reveal the mechanism underlying a new mode of highly specific and stable scaffolding role of CASK-CaMK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of Ag films were deposited on stainless steel by magnetron sputtering as an infrared reflective layer in solar selective absorbing coating, while their micro-morphologies and phase structure were characterized by SEM and XRD. The effects of different thickness, substrate roughness and deposition temperature on both spectrum reflectance and emittance are investigated. The minimum thermal emittance of 0.6% at 25 °C can be obtained with thickness of 120 nm and it is not affected by deposition temperature below 100 °C. The spectrum reflectance tends to decrease with an increase of the substrate roughness and deposition temperature. Depositing the TiAlON M /TiAlON D /AlON layer on the optimized Ag film, the emittance of the SSAC at 400 °C is only 5.8%, which meets the optical requirements for the IR-reflector. • A saturated Ag film of 120 nm has the lowest thermal emittance at 25 °C of 0.6%. • Substrate roughness and deposition temperature reduce the reflectance of Ag film. • The Ag/TiAlON M /TiAlON D /AlON has a high spectral selectivity of 0.953/0.058 (400 °C). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: This study evaluates the dosimetric impact of tumor matching (TM) and bone matching (BM) in carbon ion radiotherapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer., Materials and Methods: Forty patients diagnosed with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer were included in this study. TM and BM techniques were employed for recalculation based on re-evaluation computed tomography (CT) images of the patients, resulting in the generation of dose distributions: Plan-T and Plan-B, respectively. These distributions were compared with the original dose distribution, Plan-O. The percentage of the internal gross tumor volume (iGTV) receiving a prescription dose greater than 95% (V95%) was evaluated using dose-volume parameters. Statistical analysis was performed using a paired signed-rank sum test. Additionally, the study investigated the influence of tumor displacement, volume changes, and rotational errors on target dose coverage., Results: The median iGTV V95% values for the Plan-O, Plan-T, and Plan-B groups were 100%, 99.93%, and 99.60%, respectively, with statistically significant differences observed. TM demonstrated improved target dose coverage compared to BM. Moreover, TM exhibited better target coverage in case of larger tumor displacement. TM's increased adjustability in rotation directions compared to BM significantly influenced dosimetric outcomes, rendering it more tolerant to variations in tumor morphology., Conclusion: TM exhibited superior target dose coverage compared to BM, particularly in cases of larger tumor displacement. TM also demonstrated better tolerance to variations in tumor morphology., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: All institutional guidelines were followed. The study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Shanghai Proton Heavy Ion Hospital (SPHIC-THLC-2023-01(RS)). Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Over the past few decades, there have been advancements in the development of high-performance tissue adhesives as alternatives to traditional sutures and staples for rapid and effective wound closure post-surgery. While tissue adhesives offer advantages such as ease of use, short application time, and minimal tissue damage, they also face challenges related to biocompatibility, biodegradability, and adhesive strength. In this study, L-lysine diisocyanate (LDI) and trimethylolpropane (TMP) were utilized as the primary raw materials to produce a prepolymer terminated with NCO, resulting in the development of a new biocompatible polyurethane tissue adhesive (TMP-LDI). Additionally, SiO 2 nanoparticles were incorporated into the prepolymer, significantly enhancing the adhesive strength of the TMP-LDI tissue adhesive through the "nanobridging effect," achieving a strength of 170.4 kPa. Furthermore, the SiO 2 /TMP-LDI tissue adhesive exhibited satisfactory temperature change during curing and degradation performance. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that SiO 2 /TMP-LDI exhibited good biocompatibility, efficient hemostasis, antimicrobial properties, and the ability to promote wound healing. This research presents a novel approach for the development of tissue adhesives with superior adhesive performance., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background & Aims: Accumulating evidence suggests that exposure to single heavy metal can facilitate the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). However, the effects of exposure to mixtures of heavy metals on AMD remain largely unexplored. This study aims to investigate both the joint and individual impacts of arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) on AMD within a co-exposure framework., Methods: Data from subjects participating the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2005-2008) were analyzed. Concentrations of As, Hg, Cd, and Pb were determined in urine by inductively coupled plasma dynamic reaction cell mass spectrometry (ICP-DRC-MS) for As and Hg, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for Cd and Pb. The weighted quantile sum (WQS) and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) models were employed to assess the effects of heavy metal mixtures on AMD risk., Results: Both WQS and BKMR analyses consistently revealed a significant overall association between heavy metal mixtures and the risk of all types of AMD. The combined effect was more evident among patients with early AMD compared to those with late AMD. Cd and Hg were the main contributors driving these combined effects within the context of metal mixtures. Elevated urinary levels of Cd were positively correlated with an increased risk for all types as well as early AMD. Higher exposure to Hg corresponded with an elevated risk for early AMD. Furthermore, BKMR analysis indicated that the influence of Cd on early AMD exhibited a non-linear pattern., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that co-exposure to As, Hg, Cd, and Pb is associated with an elevated risk for developing AMD, particularly in its early stages. Furthermore, excessive exposure to Cd and Hg has been identified as key contributing factors in this process., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper, (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Background: The NLRP3 inflammasome, a pivotal mechanism regulating inflammatory responses and featuring the pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) within the NOD-like receptor family, is widely recognized as a central pathogenic factor in cardiovascular diseases. The present study endeavors to delve into the correlation and potential interplay between the rs10754558 polymorphism of NLRP3 and the predisposition to hypertension among the Chinese adult population., Methods: All the participants who came from a community in Bengbu, China were investigated by being interviewed with a questionnaire. Overall, 354 paired case-control participants were analyzed. Genomic DNA was extracted from 5ml venous blood using the Tiangen DNA extraction kit. The rs10754558 polymorphism of the NLRP3 gene was genotyped by TaqMan allelic discrimination real-time PCR.The association between the rs10754558 polymorphism and hypertension risk was investigated by a logistic regression analysis. Furthermore, an additive interaction analysis was conducted using related indicators, including the relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion due to interaction (AP), and synergy index (SI)., Results: Participants carrying the GG genotype were more likely to develop hypertension than participants carrying the CC genotype (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 2.16, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.33-3.52). A significant additive interaction between the NLRP3 polymorphism and obesity status concerning the risk of hypertension was observed, as estimated by all indicators: RERI (1.12, 95% CI: 0.70-1.5), AP (0.34, 95% CI: 0.14-0.53), and SI (1.92, 95% CI: 1.03-3.59). The values of RERI (1.74, 95% CI: 0.37-3.11), AP (0.46, 95% CI: 0.21-0.70), and SI (2.62, 95% CI: 1.18-5.83) showed that a significant interaction between the rs10754558 polymorphism and a family history of hypertension., Conclusions: Our findings indicate a significant association between the NLRP3 rs10754558 polymorphism and the risk of hypertension in Chinese adults. Moreover, a notable additive interaction emerges between NLRP3 polymorphisms and obesity status, further amplifying the risk of hypertension., Competing Interests: Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Bengbu Medical College (No. 202201). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Consent for publication Not applicable. Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Short-term exposure to ozone (O 3 ) has been associated with higher stroke mortality, but it is unclear whether this association differs between urban and rural areas. The study aimed to compare the association between short-term exposure to O 3 and ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke mortality across rural and urban areas and further investigate the potential impacts of modifiers, such as greenness, on this association., Methods: A multi-county time-series analysis was carried out in 19 counties of Shandong Province from 2013 to 2019. First, we employed generalized additive models (GAMs) to assess the effects of O 3 on stroke mortality in each county. We performed random-effects meta-analyses to pool estimates to counties and compare differences in rural and urban areas. Furthermore, a meta-regression model was utilized to assess the moderating effects of county-level features., Results: Short-term O 3 exposure was found to be associated with increased mortality for both stroke subtypes. For each 10-µg/m 3 (lag0-3) rise in O 3 , ischaemic stroke mortality rose by 1.472% in rural areas and 1.279% in urban areas. For each 0.1-unit increase in the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) per county, the ischaemic stroke mortality caused by a 10-µg/m 3 rise in O 3 decreased by 0.60% overall and 1.50% in urban areas., Conclusions: Our findings add to the evidence that short-term O 3 exposure increases ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke mortality and has adverse effects in urban and rural areas. However, improving greenness levels may contribute to mitigating the detrimental effects of O 3 on ischaemic stroke mortality., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a highly aggressive and life-threatening malignancy that metastasizes in ~50% of patients, posing significant challenges to patient survival and treatment. Fatty acid (FA) metabolism regulates proliferation, immune escape, metastasis, angiogenesis, and drug resistance in CRC. FA metabolism consists of three pathways: de novo synthesis, uptake, and FA oxidation (FAO). FA metabolism-related enzymes promote CRC metastasis by regulating reactive oxygen species (ROS), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), angiogenesis and epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT). Mechanistically, the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, wnt/β-catenin pathway, and non-coding RNA signaling pathway are regulated by crosstalk of enzymes related to FA metabolism. Given the important role of FA metabolism in CRC metastasis, targeting FA metabolism-related enzymes and their signaling pathways is a potential strategy to treat CRC metastasis., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: The aims of this study are to evaluate the effectiveness of different exercise interventions on patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and to provide evidence-based exercise prescriptions for this population., Methods: The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), VIP, and Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform were searched until January 2023. The data were pooled and a meta-analysis was conducted., Results: A total of 19 studies were conducted with 778 participants. The Schroth exercises group (mean difference = -3.48, 95% confidence interval = -4.73 to -2.23, P < 0.00001) and strength training group (mean difference = -3.43, 95% confidence interval = -4.06 to -2.80, P < 0.00001) had better recovery of the Cobb angle than the other groups. The Cobb angle rehabilitation effect was good in the time of less than 60-min group. In addition, there was no significant difference found between the different intervention periods groups ( P > 0.05)., Conclusions: Schroth exercise and strength training significantly improved Cobb angle of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients; exercising for less than 60 mins is effective for Cobb angle rehabilitation, but prolonging exercise time cannot improve training effectiveness; 12 wks of exercise significantly improved Cobb angle, but prolonged training periods did not have a significant impact., Competing Interests: Financial disclosure statements have been obtained, and no conflicts of interest have been reported by the authors or by any individuals in control of the content of this article., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Backgrounds: Extracellular matrix (ECM) is an important component of tumor microenvironment, and its abnormal expression promotes tumor formation, progression and metastasis., Methods: Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to identify ECM-related hub genes based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) data. COAD clinical samples were used to verify the expression of potential biomarkers in tumor tissues, and siRNA was used to explore the role of potential biomarkers in cell proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)., Results: Three potential biomarkers ( LEP , NGF and PCOLCE2 ) related to prognosis of COAD patients were identified and used to construct ERGPI. Immunohistochemical analysis of clinical samples showed that the three potential biomarkers were highly expressed in tumor tissues of COAD patients. Knockdown of LEP , NGF or PCOLCE2 inhibited COAD cell proliferation and EMT. Dictamnine inhibited tumor cell growth by binding to these three potential biomarkers based on molecular docking and transplanted tumor model., Conclusion: The three biomarkers can provide new ideas for the diagnosis and targeted therapy of COAD patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Yin, Yang, Cheng, Wang, Lei, Wang, Wang, Li, Mi and Yuan.)

Ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was employed to investigate the impacts of Pruni Semen processed with different methods(raw and fried) on the liver and spleen metabolism in mice. A total of 24 male mice were randomly assigned to three groups: raw Pruni Semen group, fried Pruni Semen group, and control(deionized water) group. Mice in the three groups were orally administrated with 0.01 g·mL~(-1) Pruni Semen decoction or deionized water for one week. After that, the liver and spleen tissues were collected, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS)-based metabolomic analysis was carried out to investigate the impact of Pruni Semen on the liver and spleen metabolism in mice. Compared with thte control group, the raw Pruni Semen group showed up-regulation of 11 metabolites and down-regulation of 57 metabolites in the spleen(P&lt;0.05), as well as up-regulation of 15 metabolites and down-regulation of 58 metabolites in the liver(P&lt;0.05). The fried Pruni Semen group showed up-regulation of 31 metabolites and down-regulation of 10 metabolites in the spleen(P&lt;0.05), along with up-regulation of 26 metabolites and down-regulation of 61 metabolites in the liver(P&lt;0.05). The differential metabolites identified in the raw Pruni Semen group were primarily associated with alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, purine metabolism, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, and D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism. The differential metabolites identified in the fried Pruni Semen group predominantly involved riboflavin metabolism, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, purine metabolism, alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism, and glutathione metabolism. The findings suggest that both raw and fried Pruni Semen have the potential to modulate the metabolism of the liver and spleen in mice by influencing the glutamine and glutamate metabolism.

A particular GTPase-activating protein called RACGAP1 is involved in apoptosis, proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance in a variety of malignancies. Nevertheless, the role of RACGAP1 in pan-cancer was less studied, and its value of the expression and prognostic of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has not been explored. Hence, the goal of this study was to investigate the oncogenic and immunological roles of RACGAP1 in various cancers and its potential value in NPC. We comprehensively analyzed RACGAP1 expression, prognostic value, function, methylation levels, relationship with immune cells, immune infiltration, and immunotherapy response in pan-cancer utilizing multiple databases. The results discovered that RACGAP1 expression was elevated in most cancers and suggested poor prognosis, which could be related to the involvement of RACGAP1 in various cancer-related pathways such as the cell cycle and correlated with RACGAP1 methylation levels, immune cell infiltration and reaction to immunotherapy, and chemoresistance. RACGAP1 could inhibit anti-tumor immunity and immunotherapy responses by fostering immune cell infiltration and cytotoxic T lymphocyte dysfunction. Significantly, we validated that RACGAP1 mRNA and protein were highly expressed in NPC. The Gene Expression Omnibus database revealed that elevated RACGAP1 expression was associated with shorter PFS in patients with NPC, and RACGAP1 potentially influenced cell cycle progression, DNA replication, metabolism, and immune-related pathways, resulting in the recurrence and metastasis of NPC. This study indicated that RACGAP1 could be a potential biomarker in pan-cancer and NPC., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: This study aims to compare, through quantitative analysis, the effectiveness of different endurance training types on increasing lower limb strength and muscle cross-sectional area (MCSA) in concurrent training., Methods: This systematic literature search was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) [PROSPERO ID: CRD42023396886]. Web of Science, SportDiscuss, Pubmed, Cochrane, and Scopus were systematically searched from their inception date to October 20, 2023., Results: A total of 40 studies (841 participants) were included in this meta-analysis. MCSA analysis showed that, compared to resistance training alone, concurrent high-intensity interval running training and resistance training and concurrent moderate-intensity continuous cycling training and resistance training were more effective (SMD = 0.15, 95% CI = -0.46 to 0.76, and SMD = 0.07, 95% CI = -0.24 to 0.38 respectively), while other modalities of concurrent training not. Lower body maximal strength analysis showed that all modalities of concurrent training were inferior to resistance training alone, but concurrent high-intensity interval training and resistance training showed an advantage in four different concurrent training modalities (SMD = -0.08, 95% CI = -0.25 to 0.08). For explosive strength, only concurrent high-intensity interval training and resistance training was superior to resistance training (SMD = 0.06, 95% CI = -0.21 to 0.33)., Conclusion: Different endurance training types have an impact on the effectiveness of concurrent training, particularly on lower limb strength. Adopting high-intensity interval running as the endurance training type in concurrent training can effectively minimize the adverse effects on lower limb strength and MCSA., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Society of Chinese Scholars on Exercise Physiology and Fitness. Published by Elsevier (Singapore) Pte Ltd.)

Purpose: To investigate the inhibitory effect of paeoniflorin(PF) with different concentrations on CAL27 cells of tongue squamous cell carcinoma in vitro and its possible mechanism., Methods: CCK-8 technique and clone formation trial were used to detect the effect of PF on the proliferation and clone formation of CAL27 cells. Scratch test and Transwell method was used to detect the effects of PF on migration and invasion of CAL27 cells. Staining of Hoechst33342 was employed to evaluate the influence of PF on apoptosis of CAL27 cells, while Western blot was utilized to investigate the effect of PF on the expression of NF-κB pathway related proteins and EMT related proteins. The effect of PF on NO production in CAL27 cells was detected by nitric oxide detection kit. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 27.0 software package., Results: PF inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion of CAL27 cells in vitro in a concentration-dependent way. Moreover, PF caused apoptosis of CAL27 cells. PF impeded NF-κB pathway activity, decreased the expression of P-P65, further reduced the expression of iNOS and MMP-9, suppressed the production of NO, and concurrently inhibited Vimentin,promoted E-cadherin., Conclusions: Paeoniflorin inhibits the proliferation, migration and invasion of CAL27 cells, which may play an anti-cancer role by inhibiting the activation of NF-κB pathway and EMT.