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Objective To determine the effect of pinoresinol diglucoside (PDG) on bone quality in growing rats and evaluate its potential as an anti-osteoporosis drug. Methods A total of 30 1-month-old female SD rats (body weight 107±7 g) were randomly divided into 3 groups: control group (Control), 25 mg/(kg·d) PDG treatment group (PDG-25) and 50 mg/(kg·d) PDG treatment group (PDG-50), with 10 rats in each group. The rats in the PDG-25 group and PDG-50 group were given corresponding doses of PDG intragastrically every day, and those of the control group was given equal volume distilled water. Their body mineral density (BMD) of the whole body was measured in 2, 4 and 6 weeks after treatment. In the end of 6 weeks, all rats were sacrificed, and organ coefficients of important organs were calculated. Micro-CT scanning, bone biomechanical test and serum biochemical tests of bone metabolism were performed. Results There were no significant differences in body weight and main organ coefficients among the groups. At 6 weeks, the BMD value was significantly higher in the PDG-25 group and PDG-50 group than the Control group (P < 0.05). The PDG-50 group had significantly higher relative bone volume, trabecular number and volumetric bone mineral density (P < 0.05), lower trabecular separation (P < 0.05) than the Control group, and the bone microstructure of PDG-25 group and PDG-50 group was significantly better than that of Control group. The PDG-50 group had elevated elastic modulus of femur (P < 0.05), larger maximum load of vertebrae (P < 0.05). The PDG-50 group had increased content of serum osteocalcin (P < 0.01), but obviously lower content of serum tartrate resistant acid phosphatase 5b (P < 0.01), when compared with the Control group. The content of serum osteocalcin in the PDG-25 group was significantly higher than that in the Control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion PDG can effectively improve bone mineral density, optimize bone microstructure, enhance bone strength, promote bone formation, inhibit bone resorption and improve bone quality.

To explore the effectiveness of prostate biopsy density in predicting prostate cancer under cognitive and systematic biopsy mode in multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI). Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data of 204 patients who were suspected of having prostate cancer with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels less than 50 ng mL− 1 and underwent cognitive and systematic biopsy through the perineal approach in our hospital from 2022 to 2023. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the odds ratios of prostate biopsy density and relevant clinical indicators. Logistic regression analysis was performed to establish a predictive model combining indicators with predictive value. The predictive value of each indicator and the new model was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the area under the curve (AUC). Results: The detection rate of prostate cancer in the study population was 32.35%. Multivariate analysis showed that age, PSAD, PI-RADS 2.1 score, and prostate biopsy density were independent predictors of prostate cancer. The ROC curve analysis revealed an AUC of 0.707 (95% CI 0.625– 0.790) for biopsy density, with a cutoff value of approximately 0.22 needle mL− 1. The best predictive model consisted of age, PSAD, PI-RADS 2.1 score, and biopsy density, with an AUC of 0.857. Conclusion: Biopsy density is associated with the detection of prostate cancer, with a critical value of 0.22 needle mL− 1. Combining biopsy density with other clinical indicators can significantly improve the ability to predict prostate cancer and avoid unnecessary prostate biopsy cores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamified and immersive educational interventions have proven to be powerful motivators to encourage participation in unattractive activities, and human–computer interaction (HCI) is crucial for the successful development of such educational interventions. However, existing interaction methods suffer from either visuo-tactile inconsistency or unfriendly interaction methods, resulting in an unenjoyable user experience. Hence, in this article, the visuo-tactile interaction design based on Norman's design principles (visibility, feedback, constraint, consistency, affordance, and mapping) and spatial augmented reality (SAR) for intuitive cultural education is proposed for the first time, and an application for Chinese chess, SARChess, is implemented as a case study. Players interact with tangible chess pieces rather than through a digital interface, and the visual output and tangible input are integrated seamlessly to achieve high-level visuo-tactile consistency. Furthermore, a mixed investigation method based on pretest–posttest design, subjective questionnaires, and theme-based interviews was designed and performed to evaluate the user experience, learning performance, and player motivation of SARChess from both objective and subjective perspectives. The results show that SARChess has a significantly better user experience, learning performance, and player motivation than conventional chess and mouse-interaction-based chess, and the unique gameplay and visual cues in SARChess make it more engaging to participants. Additionally, this study finds and summarizes some design implications for applying design principles to traditional cultural education applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structurally well-defined compounds have advantages for quality control in plant biostimulant production and application processes. Humic acid (HA) is a biostimulant that significantly affects plant growth, and soil-dwelling Protaetia brevitarsis larva (PBLs) can rapidly convert agricultural waste into HA. In this study, we use PBLs as a model to investigate HA formation and screen for structurally well-defined HA-related plant biostimulant compounds. Dephasing magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (13C DD–MAS NMR) analysis indicated HA structural changes during PBL digestion; metabolic profiling detected seven HA-related aromatic ring-containing compounds. A total of six compounds that significantly stimulate plant growth were identified through plant experiments, and all six compounds demonstrate the ability to enhance seed germination. It is noteworthy that piperic acid exhibits a remarkable promotion of root growth in plants, a finding reported for the first time in this study. Thus, this study not only provides insights into the insect-mediated transformation of HA but also illustrates a new method for discovering structurally well-defined plant biostimulant compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]