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Electroacupuncture (EA) is an effective alternative for the treatment of functional dyspepsia (FD). It reduces low-grade duodenal inflammation and improves the symptoms of FD by downregulating the expression of NF-κB p65 and NLRP3, but its mechanism needs to be elucidated. To examine the regulatory effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on intestinal flora and NF-κB p65/NLRP3 pyroptosis pathway in FD rats. The FD rat model was established via multi-factor stress intervention for two weeks. The rats were randomly divided into the NC group, model group, NF-kB inhibitor group (NF-κB inhibitor BAY 11–7082 was administered), EA group, and EA + NF-kB inhibitor group. After 14 days of treatment, the rats were sacrificed, and the protein and mRNA levels of NF-κB p65, IκB, and NLRP3 in the duodenum were evaluated by Western blotting assays and real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR. The Illumina MiSeq sequencing platform was used to analyze the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene of intestinal flora and predict functional genes. The concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in feces was assessed by metabolomics. EA can decrease low-grade duodenal inflammation and promote gastrointestinal motility in FD rats. This effect is mediated by inhibition of the NF-κB p65/NLRP3 pyroptosis pathway, an increase in the alpha and beta diversity of gut microbiota in the duodenum, an increase in the abundance of beneficial bacteria at the phylum and genus levels, and an increase in the content of SCFAs. The protective effect of EA against FD might involve multiple hierarchy and pathways. EA may remodel intestinal flora by inhibiting the NF-κB p65/NLRP3 pyroptosis pathway, thereby improving low-grade duodenal inflammation in FD rats.

Psychological Capital (PsyCap) has received much attention in industrial-organizational research because it is linked to a broad spectrum of adaptive work-related outcomes. However, few studies have been conducted on PsyCap in non-Western school contexts, especially in the ethnic minority areas of Mainland China. The present study aims to validate the school PsyCap scale, examine the latent mean differences of school PsyCap across Dai and Han groups, and verify the correlation between school PsyCap and academic engagement, achievement emotions, and academic achievement in a sample of 769 Chinese school children (Han students = 249, Dai students = 520) in the seventh and eighth grades. Results demonstrated that the Chinese version of the school PsyCap scale had excellent psychometric properties. Besides, there were no significant differences in the mean level of school PsyCap between the two cultural groups of Chinese Dai and Han. However, the multi-group second-order CFA model showed that the mean level of Dai students' resilience was lower than that of Chinese Han. The findings also showed that school PsyCap has positive predictive effects on optimal academic outcomes (i.e., academic engagement, enjoyment, and academic achievement) but negatively affect boredom. This study enriches the understanding of school PsyCap from a cross-cultural perspective. Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

BackgroundEarly-onset sarcopenia refers to the progressive loss of muscle mass and function that occurs at an early age. This condition perpetuates the vicious cycle of muscle loss and is associated with adverse outcomes. It is important to identify the contributing factors for early intervention and prevention. While diet is known to impact muscle mass, the association of B vitamins with early-onset sarcopenia remains unexplored.ObjectivesTo investigate the association of B vitamins intake with early-onset sarcopenia risk in a cross-sectional study.MethodsWe conducted data analysis on a total of 8,711 participants aged between 20 and 59 years who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2011 to 2018. Early-onset sarcopenia was defined as a SMI measured by DXA that was one standard deviation below the sex-specific mean of the reference population. B vitamins intake (B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, and B12) was assessed by 24-h dietary recall. We used weighted multiple logistic regression and RCS models to estimate the OR and 95% CI of sarcopenia by B vitamins intake, adjusting for demographic, physical, lifestyle, comorbidities, and nutritional covariates.ResultsHigher intake of vitamin B1 was associated with a 22% lower sarcopenia risk (OR = 0.78, CI = 0.63–0.97, p = 0.022), and higher intake of vitamin B2 with a 16% lower risk (OR = 0.84, CI = 0.74–0.97, p = 0.012) in both genders. Gender-specific analyses showed a 28% reduction in sarcopenia risk among males with each additional mg of vitamin B1 intake (OR = 0.72, CI = 0.52–0.97, p = 0.038), and a 26% decrease among females with each additional mg of vitamin B2 intake (OR = 0.74, CI = 0.57–0.96, p = 0.021). No significant differences were found between vitamin B2 and males, or between vitamin B1 and females. The RCS model suggested a nonlinear relationship between vitamin B2 intake and sarcopenia risk (POverall = 0.001, PNonlinear = 0.033), with a plateau effect above 3 mg/d.ConclusionHigher intake of vitamin B1 and B2 may lower the risk of early-onset sarcopenia, with gender differences. This suggests the potential of nutritional intervention by increasing these vitamins intake through diet and supplements. Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms and design targeted interventions.

Background: Thromboelastogram (TEG) is an effective indicator that monitors the dynamic changes of blood coagulation in real-time. It still remains controversial about the performance and influence of coagulation at high altitude. The present study intends to describe comprehensively the clinical features of TEG in populations exposed to or transferring from high altitude. Methods: Two groups were recruited in the present study. Group A included young males who worked at high-altitude (4888 m or 5418 m) areas for some time, while Group B included young males who had recently returned from high-altitude (4888 m or 5418 m) areas. Medical examinations were performed using portable devices. Spearman's test was used to evaluate the correlations between thromboelastogram (TEG) variables and other variables. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the factors affecting various abnormal TEG variables. Results: A total of 51 adult males were included in the two groups. Significantly increased reaction time (R) and decreased maximum amplitude (MA) were found in group B (P

For secondary school students, peer support is an essential component of social support, which might significantly influence their academic achievement. However, the mediating mechanism between peer support and academic achievement needs to be further explored, especially in teaching English as a foreign language (EFL). The present study explored the relationship between peer support, foreign language (FL) self-concept, and EFL achievement based on the data of 499 Chinese secondary EFL learners. Structural equation modelling (SEM) and mediation analysis results demonstrated that peer support positively affected EFL achievement. FL self-concept fully mediated the relationship between peer support and EFL achievement after controlling for gender and age. The direction and strength of the mediating effect of FL self-concept between peer support and EFL achievement clarify the complex relationship between peer support and EFL achievement and helps EFL teachers and educators take intervention measures. Implications, limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

The control-value theory (CVT) of achievement emotions posits that achievement emotions are significantly associated with the key indicators of academic outcomes, including academic motivation, engagement, and performance. Existing studies have tested the theoretical hypothesis of the CVT in a variety of cultures, disciplines, and samples. However, evidence is limited for whether there are gender and grade differences in achievement emotions, especially in the context of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). 1,460 Chinese secondary school students (male N = 671; female N = 789; seventh-graders N = 731; eighth-graders N = 729) took part in the study. Confirmatory factor analyses and multi-group analyses were conducted to explore the possible gender and grade differences in EFL-related achievement emotions. Results indicated that there are gender or grade differences in EFL-related enjoyment, anxiety, and boredom, while hope and pride did not. Both limitations and implications are discussed.

IntroductionThe healing of tendon-bone injuries is very difficult, often resulting in poor biomechanical performance and unsatisfactory functional recovery. The tendon-bone insertion has a complex four distinct layers structure, and previous studies have often focused on promoting the regeneration of the fibrocartilage layer, neglecting the role of its bone end repair in tendon-bone healing. This study focuses on the role of treadmill training in promoting bone regeneration at the tendon-bone insertion and its related mechanisms.MethodsAfter establishing the tendon-bone insertion injury model, the effect of treadmill training on tendon-bone healing was verified by Micro CT and HE staining; then the effect of CX3CL1 on osteoclast differentiation was verified by TRAP staining and cell culture; and finally the functional recovery of the mice was verified by biomechanical testing and behavioral test.ResultsTreadmill training suppresses the secretion of CX3CL1 and inhibits the differentiation of local osteoclasts after tendon-bone injury, ultimately reducing osteolysis and promoting tendon bone healing.DiscussionOur research has found the interaction between treadmill training and the CX3CL1-C3CR1 axis, providing a certain theoretical basis for rehabilitation training.

From the perspective of positive psychology, academic enjoyment, a positive achievement emotion, positively impacts school outcomes. However, studies have yet to explore the mediating mechanism between academic enjoyment and achievement. This research investigated the direct and indirect effects of academic enjoyment on foreign language (FL) proficiency. Specifically, this study endeavored to test the role of FL enjoyment on FL elaboration strategies and whether FL elaboration strategies, in turn, affects FL proficiency. Data were collected from 505 Chinese secondary school students aged 12 to 15 using convenience sampling. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and mediation analyses found that FL elaboration strategies partially mediated the relationship between FL enjoyment and FL proficiency. Implications, shortcomings, and directions for further studies are also discussed.

Aims: Mechanical stimulation is a key factor in the development and healing of tendon-bone insertion. Treadmill training is an important rehabilitation treatment. This study aims to investigate the benefits of treadmill training initiated on postoperative day 7 for tendon-bone insertion healing. Methods: A tendon-bone insertion injury healing model was established in 92 C57BL/6 male mice. All mice were divided into control and training groups by random digital table method. The control group mice had full free activity in the cage, and the training group mice started the treadmill training on postoperative day 7. The quality of tendon-bone insertion healing was evaluated by histology, immunohistochemistry, reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, micro-CT, micro-MRI, open field tests, and CatWalk gait and biomechanical assessments. Results: Our results showed a significantly higher tendon-bone insertion histomorphological score in the training group, and the messenger RNA and protein expression levels of type II collagen (COL2A1), SOX9, and type X collagen (COL10A1) were significantly elevated. Additionally, tendon-bone insertion resulted in less scar hyperplasia after treadmill training, the bone mineral density (BMD) and bone volume/tissue volume (BV/TV) were significantly improved, and the force required to induce failure became stronger in the training group. Functionally, the motor ability, limb stride length, and stride frequency of mice with tendon-bone insertion injuries were significantly improved in the training group compared with the control group. Conclusion: Treadmill training initiated on postoperative day 7 is beneficial to tendon-bone insertion healing, promoting biomechanical strength and motor function. Our findings are expected to guide clinical rehabilitation training programmes. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2023;12(5):339–351.

Drawing up the control-value theory, the present study attempted to understand the relationships among Chinese secondary school students’ English learning anxiety, behavioural engagement, and English performance. A total of 230 (113 males, 117 females) English as a foreign language (EFL) learners from one Chinese secondary school completed the academic anxiety scale and behavioural engagement scale. Participants final examination scores measured their English achievement. Structural equation model (SEM) analyses demonstrated that EFL-related anxiety could directly affect EFL achievement and indirectly via the mediator of behavioural engagement. EFL-related anxiety was able to explain 44.9% of the variance in behavioural engagement and 22.6% of the variance in English achievement. Implications for English education and limitations and directions for future studies are discussed.

Purpose: There is growing evidence that genetic factors can influence human athletic performance. In many sports performances, excellent coordination and agility are the keys to mastery. However, few studies have been devoted to identifying genetic influences on athletic performance. Methods: We generated a derived measure of coordination and agility from the data of hexagonal jumps and T-runs and conducted genome-wide association and meta-analysis studies focused on coordination and agility. Results: The phenotypic correlation and genetic covariance analysis indicated that hexagonal jumps and T-runs were possibly influenced by the same set of genetic factors (R = 0.27, genetic covariance = 0.59). Meta-analysis identified rs117047321 genome-wide significant association (N = 143, P

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effect of virtual reality (VR) technology in children after surgery for concomitant strabismus. Methods: A total of 200 children with concomitant exotropia or concomitant esotropia were randomly divided into a training group and a control group according to the single even number random method (100 cases in each group). Patients in the training group received VR intervention training within 1 week after surgery. Patients in the control group did not receive any training. Results: Six months after the surgery, the orthophoria (the far or near strabismus degree was ≤8Δ) rate was significantly higher in the training group than in the control group (P = 0.001), while the eye position regression rate (compared to the strabismus degree within 1 week after the surgery, the amount of regression >10Δ) was significantly lower in the training group than in the control group (P = 0.001). Six months after the surgery, the number of children with simultaneous vision and remote stereovision was significantly higher in the training group than in the control group (P = 0.017 and 0.002, respectively). The differences in the number of patients with peripheral stereopsis, macular stereopsis, and stereopsis in macular fovea centralis at 1, 3, and 6 months after the surgery between the training and the control groups were not statistically significant (P = 0.916, 0.274, and 0.302, respectively). Conclusion: The intervention of VR technology after strabismus correction effectively improved children's visual function and maintained their eye position.

The problem of seasonal drought has intensified in recent years. Unfortunately, dry seasons can lead to poor water quality due to nitrogen (N) accumulation, which, in turn, may result in the gradual decline or even disappearance of submerged plants. This outdoor study was conducted to determine the morphological, biomass responses and C/N metabolism of Vallisneria spinulosa to the high N content and low water level. We used two N contents (i.e., low and high) and three simulated water levels (i.e., gradual water level increase from 60 cm to 150 cm over four periods (C), low water level of 60 cm maintained for three periods followed by an abrupt increase to 150 cm in the fourth period (CE) and low water levels of 60 ± 30 cm maintained for three periods followed by an abrupt increase to 150 cm in the fourth period (E)). For the low N content, low water levels for CE and E treatments caused increased ramet number and biomass of V. spinulosa. However, for the high N content, the low water levels did not cause such big changes in V. spinulosa. High N contents demonstrated a remarkably negative influence on the biomass of each organ (included leaf, stolon, root and tuber) of V. spinulosa and flowering ramet number. For C water level, the high N content caused an increase in free-amino acid (FAA) content in stolons and leaves, and no difference in soluble carbohydrate (SC) content. For E water level, there was no significant increase in FAA content of V. spinulosa under high N treatment; furthermore, there was no significant change in SC content under high N treatment except for leaves. In conclusion, low water levels exacerbated the damage to V. spinulosa caused by high nitrogen level.

Psychological Capital (PsyCap) has received much attention in industrial-organizational research because it is linked to a broad spectrum of adaptive work-related outcomes. However, few studies have been conducted on PsyCap in non-Western school contexts, especially in the ethnic minority areas of Mainland China. The present study aims to validate the school PsyCap scale, examine the latent mean differences of school PsyCap across Dai and Han groups, and verify the correlation between school PsyCap and academic engagement, achievement emotions, and academic achievement in a sample of 769 Chinese school children (Han students = 249, Dai students = 520) in the seventh and eighth grades. Results demonstrated that the Chinese version of the school PsyCap scale had excellent psychometric properties. Besides, there were no significant differences in the mean level of school PsyCap between the two cultural groups of Chinese Dai and Han. However, the multi-group second-order CFA model showed that the mean level of Dai students’ resilience was lower than that of Chinese Han. The findings also showed that school PsyCap has positive predictive effects on optimal academic outcomes (i.e., academic engagement, enjoyment, and academic achievement) but negatively affect boredom. This study enriches the understanding of school PsyCap from a cross-cultural perspective. Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

IntroductionTendinopathy, the most common form of chronic tendon disorder, leads to persistent tendon pain and loss of function. Profiling the heterogeneous cellular composition in the tendon microenvironment helps to elucidate rational molecular mechanisms of tendinopathy.Methods and resultsIn this study, through a multi-modal analysis, a single-cell RNA- and ATAC-seq integrated tendinopathy landscape was generated for the first time. We found that a specific cell subpopulation with low PRDX2 expression exhibited a higher level of inflammation, lower proliferation and migration ability, which not only promoted tendon injury but also led to microenvironment deterioration. Mechanistically, a motif enrichment analysis of chromatin accessibility showed that FOXO1 was an upstream regulator of PRDX2 transcription, and we confirmed that functional blockade of FOXO1 activity induced PRDX2 silencing. The TNF signaling pathway was significantly activated in the PRDX2-low group, and TNF inhibition effectively restored diseased cell degradation.DiscussionWe revealed an essential role of diseased cells in tendinopathy and proposed the FOXO1-PRDX2-TNF axis is a potential regulatory mechanism for the treatment of tendinopathy.

The traditional method for synthesizing NH3 is the Haber–Bosch process which results in high‐fuel consumption and environmental pollution. Therefore, ecofriendly electrochemical synthesis of NH3 through nitrate (NO3−) reduction is a good choice. Herein, an integral Au/Cu electrode to catalyze NO3− reduction to NH3 is introduced. The catalyst exhibits not only the highest NH3 yield rate (73.4 mg h−1 cm−2) up to now but also a very high Faradaic efficiency of 98.02% at −0.7 V at room temperature. It is commonly believed that the transformation of NO3− to nitrite (NO2−) is an obstacle to the NH3 generation from NO3− reduction. Surprisingly, unlike most of the other catalysts, Au/Cu exhibits better activity for NO3− reduction than that for NO2− reduction. Based on the detailed experimental and density functional theory calculations, the excellent performance of Au/Cu for selective NO3− reduction lies in the enhanced adsorption capabilities of Au/Cu to NO3− in the alkaline environment and the lower energy barriers of the electrochemical reduction reaction.

BackgroundCytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC) is the standard treatment for patients with peritoneal cancer (PC). Following CRS-HIPEC, patients may also face risks caused by whole body hyperthermia. This study analyzed the incidence of temperature increases following CRS-HIPEC and identified the attendant risk factors.MethodsA retrospective analysis was carried out among 458 patients who received CRS-HIPEC at the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University between August 2018 and January 2021. The patients were divided into two groups according to post-HIPEC axillary temperature (≥38°C), with the demographics and the laboratory test results subsequently analyzed and compared, and the risk factors pertaining to temperature increases analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression.ResultsDuring CRS-HIPEC, 32.5% (149/458) of the patients with a temperature increase had an axillary temperature of not lower than 38°C, and 8.5% (39/458) of the patients with hyperpyrexia had an axillary temperature of not lower than 39°C. Female gender, gynecological malignancies, type of chemotherapy drug, increased postoperative neutrophil percentage, and a sharp drop in postoperative prealbumin were associated with the incidence of a temperature increase and axillary temperatures of >38°C. Among these factors, the type of chemotherapy drug was identified as an independent risk factor for a temperature increase during CRS-HIPEC.ConclusionBy determining the risk factors pertaining to temperature increases during CRS-HIPEC, medical staff can identify the attendant risks among the patients and thus take preventive measures in a timely manner to maintain the patient’s body temperature at a stable level. This suggests that further clinical research should be conducted to build a risk-prediction model for temperature increases following CRS-HIPEC.

Abstract Background Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common complication of cesarean section. S-ketamine given intravenously during surgery can help prevent PPD. However, whether S-ketamine in patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) can reduce the incidence of PPD is unknown. This study assessed the effect of S-ketamine as an adjuvant in PCIA for preventing PPD in women undergoing cesarean delivery. Methods A total of 375 parturients scheduled to undergo cesarean section and then receive PCIA were recruited from a single center and were randomly assigned to control (C) group (sufentanil 2 μg/kg + tropisetron 10 mg) or S-ketamine (S) group (S-ketamine 0.5 mg/kg + sufentanil 2 μg/kg + tropisetron 10 mg). The primary outcome was the incidence of PPD measured by the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS) after surgery. The secondary outcomes were EPDS scores, visual analog scale (VAS) scores, Ramsay sedation scale (RSS) scores, and the rate of adverse events, including headache, nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, and vomit. Results A total of 275 puerperal women were included in the study. The rate of depression in parturient on postoperative days 3, 14, 28 in the C group and S group were 17.6 and 8.2% (p

To respond to the increasing demands for practical applications, stabilization and property modulation of metal nanoparticles have emerged as a key research subject. Herein, we present a viable protocol for preparing small metal nanoparticles (<5 nm; Ag, Pd, Pt, and Ru) via multidentate polyoxometalate (POM, [SiW9O34]10−) modification. In addition to enhancing stability, the POMs can modulate the electronic states of metal nanoparticles. Moreover, immobilization of the POM-modified metal nanoparticles on solid supports enables further tuning of the electronic states via a cooperative effect between the POMs and the supports without altering the particle size. Notably, POM-modified Pd nanoparticles on carbon support exhibited superior catalytic activity and selectivity in hydrogenation reactions in comparison with the catalyst without the POM modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract As an effective scale for the condition assessment of patients with chronic ankle instability (CAI), the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) is the most widely used scale, and its original version is written in English. Therefore, the purpose of our study is to apply the CAIT to Chinese patients and evaluate its responsiveness, reliability, and validity in terms of Chinese patients with CAI. First, we adapted the CAIT into the Chinese edition (CAIT-C), through which cross-cultural adaptation and translation can be carried out in a five-step procedure. Next, recruited patients completed the three periods of the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM), CAIT-C, and the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36 (SF-36) scales. Afterward, to assess the responsiveness, reliability, and validity, we calculated the standardized response mean (SRM), effect size (ES), Spearman's correlation coefficient (r s), minimal detectable change (MDC), standard error of measurement (SEM), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and Cronbach’s alpha. Generally, in the use of CAI, 131, 119, and 86 patients favorably completed the three periods of the scales. The CAIT-C was proven to have good test–retest reliability (ICC = 0.930) and fine internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.845–0.878). The low-value of MDC (0.04–2.28) and SEM (1.73) show it is possible to detect clinical changes when we take advantage of CAIT-C. Good or moderate correlations (r s = 0.422–0.738) were gained from the physical subscales of the SF-36 and the subscales of the FAAM and the CAIT-C. Fair or poor correlations (r s = 0.003–0.360) were gained between the mental subscales of the SF-36 and the CAIT-C, which sufficiently indicated that the CAIT-C had good validity. Moreover, good responsiveness was observed in the CAIT-C (ES = 1.316, SRM = 1.418). The CAIT-C scale is an effective, valid, and reliable tool to evaluate Chinese CAI patients.