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In this work, the oxygen barrier property of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films was enhanced by optimizing the 'active' and 'passive' synergistic barrier approaches, that is, integration of high barrier material polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) and oxygen scavengers along with catalyst with PET before biaxially stretching the PET blended films. When the PEN content in the PET blended films reached 50wt%, the oxygen permeability coefficient was significantly reduced to 0.9687 cc*mil*[m.sup.-2]*[day.sup.-1] 0.1 [MPa.sup.-1], showing an enhancement of 117.4 times compared to the pure PET film. Furthermore, the water vapor permeability coefficient was reduced to 8.0208 g*mil*[m.sup.-2]*[day.sup.-1], representing a 45.5% reduction in comparison to the pristine PET film. It also maintained a higher transverse and longitudinal tensile strength (110.5 and 127.2 MPa) than PET film only with oxygen scavengers and catalyst (53.5 and 78.0 MPa). This work presents a viable and practical approach to endow PET materials with simultaneously enhanced oxygen, water barrier performance, and mechanical property. Highlights * The OPC of PET film was as low as 0.9687 cc*mil*[m.sup.-2]*[day.sup.-1]*0.1 [MPa.sup.-1]. * The 'active' and 'passive' barrier techniques together reduced the OPC of PET film. KEYWORDS blow molding, oxygen barrier, oxygen scavenging, polyethylene naphthalate, polyethylene terephthalate, water barrier, 1 | INTRODUCTION Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is widely used as a thermoplastic polyester in food packaging due to its excellent mechanical property, affordability, as well as high transparency. (1,2) Although [...]

In order to investigate the effect of vacuum precooling treatment on the lignification of Tricholoma matsutake during storage, the changes in the hardness of cap and stalk, pulp firmness, lignin, chitin and cellulose contents, and the activities of cellulase (CX), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), peroxidase (POD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) were studied during storage. The results showed that compared with the control group, vacuum precooling treatment could significantly inhibit the decline in the hardness of cap and stalk and pulp firmness, effectively inhibit the degradation of chitin and the increase of CX activity in the cell wall, maintain a higher cellulose content, and delay the accumulation of lignin. In addition, it could decrease the peak PAL activity of cap and stalk by 8.2% and 2.9%, the peak POD activity by 10% and 3.7%, and the peak PPO activity by 23.1% and 5.2%, respectively. In addition, compared with the cap, the peak time of lignification in the stalk was earlier, and lignification phenomenon was more likely to occur in the stalk. Therefore, vacuum precooling treatment can delay the lignification process and maintain the quality of T. matsutake.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of pantothenic acid (PA) on the lipid metabolism, and antioxidant function of Apis mellifera workers. The results showed that ether extract (EE) content of bees' body was significantly decreased when workers were supplemented with 147 mg/kg PA (P < 0.05). Further, supplemental PA reduced triglycerides (TG) and total cholesterol (TCHO) content in the hemolymph (P < 0.05), while 39.2 mg/kg PA supplementation improved hemolymph high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) concentration, while 261.6 mg/kg PA reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) concentration (P < 0.05). C12:0, C14:1, and C18:0 content values were notably increased in PA-supplemented groups, while those of C14:0, C18:2n-6, C20:4n-6, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and PUFA/saturated fatty acids were decreased (P < 0.05), while levels correlated with those of dietary PA. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content showed a downward trend in response to PA supplementation; however, total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) was increased (P < 0.05). Furthermore, fatty acid synthase (FAS) mRNA levels were significantly downregulated in bees supplemented 9.8, 19.6, and 39.2 mg/kg (P < 0.05) and lipase activity significantly improved following supplementation with 39.2, 78.4, and 147 mg/kg PA (P < 0.05). Thus, dietary PA significantly influenced worker bee lipid metabolism, and improved antioxidant function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular oxygen activation often suffers from high energy consumption and low efficiency. Developing eco-friendly and effective photocatalysts remains a key challenge for advancing green molecular oxygen activation. Herein, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) with abundant hydroxyl groups (HCN) was synthesized to investigate the relationship between these polar groups and molecular oxygen activation. The advantage of the hydroxyl group modification of g-C3N4 included narrower interlayer distances, a larger specific surface area and improved hydrophilicity. Various photoelectronic measurements revealed that the introduced hydroxyl groups reduced the charge transfer resistance of HCN, resulting in accelerated charge separation and migration kinetics. Therefore, the optimal HCN-90 showed the highest activity for Rhodamine B photodegradation with a reaction time of 30 min and an apparent rate constant of 0.125 min−1, surpassing most other g-C3N4 composites. This enhanced activity was attributed to the adjusted band structure achieved through polar functional group modification. The modification of polar functional groups could alter the energy band structure of photocatalysts, narrow band gap, enhance visible-light absorption, and improve photogenerated carrier separation efficiency. This work highlights the significant potential of polar functional groups in tuning the structure of g-C3N4 to enhance efficient molecular oxygen activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon-based perovskite solar cells (C-PSCs) have emerged as promising candidates owing to their cost-effectiveness, high stability, and simplified fabrication process. However, challenges related to stability and performance variations stemming from film quality persist as significant barriers to their widespread adoption. To address these concerns, additive engineering has emerged as a promising strategy. In our study, we introduced an appropriate amount of RbCl into the perovskite thin film. Rubidium (Rb), characterized by its smaller ionic radius, was anticipated to enhance annealing conditions, facilitating the formation of the perovskite phase and reducing bulk defects within the film. Additionally, the presence of Cl− ions was expected to delay perovskite nucleation, leading to improved film morphology and reduced defect formation at the buried interface. Our champion C-PSC achieved a remarkable power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 16.85%, surpassing the control C-PSC manufactured under identical conditions, which exhibited a PCE of only 14.61%. RbCl doping proved instrumental in promoting dense film growth, reducing bulk defects, and suppressing non-radiative recombination, thereby enhancing overall device performance. Furthermore, RbCl-doped C-PSCs demonstrated exceptional long-term stability and moisture resistance when exposed to ambient air. These findings contribute valuable insights into the development of efficient, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective C-PSCs, highlighting the potential of the additive engineering strategy for enhancing device performance and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy storage devices with high power and energy density are in demand owing to the rapidly growing population, and lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are promising rechargeable energy storage devices. However, there are many issues associated with the development of electrode materials with a high theoretical capacity, which need to be addressed before their commercialization. Extensive research has focused on the modification and structural design of electrode materials, which are usually expensive and sophisticated. Besides, polymer binders are pivotal components for maintaining the structural integrity and stability of electrodes in LIBs. Polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) is a commercial binder with superior electrochemical stability, but its poor adhesion, insufficient mechanical properties, and low electronic and ionic conductivity hinder its wide application as a high-capacity electrode material. In this review, we highlight the recent progress in developing different polymeric materials (based on natural polymers and synthetic non-conductive and electronically conductive polymers) as binders for the anodes and cathodes in LIBs. The influence of the mechanical, adhesion, and self-healing properties as well as electronic and ionic conductivity of polymers on the capacity, capacity retention, rate performance and cycling life of batteries is discussed. Firstly, we analyze the failure mechanisms of binders based on the operation principle of lithium-ion batteries, introducing two models of "interface failure" and "degradation failure". More importantly, we propose several binder parameters applicable to most lithium-ion batteries and systematically consider and summarize the relationships between the chemical structure and properties of the binder at the molecular level. Subsequently, we select silicon and sulfur active electrode materials as examples to discuss the design principles of the binder from a molecular structure point of view. Finally, we present our perspectives on the development directions of binders for next-generation high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries. We hope that this review will guide researchers in the further design of novel efficient binders for lithium-ion batteries at the molecular level, especially for high energy density electrode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate prediction of photovoltaic (PV) power is crucial for planning, constructing, and scheduling high‐penetration distributed PV power systems. Traditional point prediction methods suffer from instability and lack reliability, which can be effectively addressed through interval prediction. This study proposes a short‐term PV power interval prediction method based on the framework of sparrow search algorithm (SSA)‐variational mode decomposition (VMD)‐convolutional neural network (CNN)‐gate recurrent unit (GRU). First, PV data undergo similar day clustering based on permutation entropy and VMD is applied to solar radiation signals with high correlation. Then, the hyperparameters of GRU are optimized by SSA according to the comprehensive evaluation indicator of interval prediction proposed in this study. Subsequently, quantile prediction results are obtained based on CNN‐GRU using the optimal parameters from SSA optimization. Finally, the prediction interval is composed of multiple quantile prediction results. A MATLAB R2022b program is developed to compare different prediction methods. The results demonstrate that compared to single neural network methods, the proposed method effectively improves the coverage width‐based criterion. In the interval prediction of sunny and rainy similar days, the comprehensive evaluation indicators of the proposed method are only 54.3% and 37.4% of the single GRU, respectively, indicating significantly improved interval prediction accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) largely relies on intensive chemotherapy. However, the application of chemotherapy is often hindered by cardiotoxicity. Patient sequence data revealed that angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AGTR1) is a shared target between AML and cardiovascular disease (CVD). We found that inhibiting AGTR1 sensitized AML to chemotherapy and protected the heart against chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity in a human AML cell–transplanted mouse model. These effects were regulated by the AGTR1-Notch1 axis in AML cells and cardiomyocytes from mice. In mouse cardiomyocytes, AGTR1 was hyperactivated by AML and chemotherapy. AML leukemogenesis increased the expression of the angiotensin-converting enzyme and led to increased production of angiotensin II, the ligand of AGTR1, in an MLL-AF9–driven AML mouse model. In this model, the AGTR1-Notch1 axis regulated a variety of genes involved with cell stemness and chemotherapy resistance. AML cell stemness was reduced after Agtr1a deletion in the mouse AML cell transplant model. Mechanistically, Agtr1a deletion decreased γ-secretase formation, which is required for transmembrane Notch1 cleavage and release of the Notch1 intracellular domain into the nucleus. Using multiomics, we identified AGTR1-Notch1 signaling downstream genes and found decreased binding between these gene sequences with Notch1 and chromatin enhancers, as well as increased binding with silencers. These findings describe an AML/CVD association that may be used to improve AML treatment. Editor's summary: Chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) can result in cardiotoxicity. Pan et al. found that the angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AGTR1) was increased in the blood from patients with AML or with cardiovascular disease and that it could be targeted to both enhance chemotherapy and protect against cardiotoxicity in mouse models. Genetic deletion of the receptor in a human AML cell transplant mouse model and in two other genetic mouse models of AML resulted in decreased leukemic burden and increased survival. Treating mice with losartan, an AGTR1 inhibitor, both enhanced the efficacy of chemotherapy against AML and prevented cardiotoxicity associated with the chemotherapy treatment. Together, these findings demonstrate that AGTR1 may be a target for improving AML treatment. —Brandon Berry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the influence of many factors, distribution cables are often densely placed at the bottom of the cable trench. As a result, it is easy for distribution cables to become the thermal bottleneck of the whole transmission line. To address this dilemma, this paper establishes a finite element simulation model of a cable trench to analyze the hot spots of cables with different arrangements in the cable trench. Then, the model's accuracy is verified based on real temperature rise experiments. For an arrangement with overheating risk, the ampacity improvement method of filling the cable trench with high-thermal-conductivity material was proposed, and the ampacity improvement effect under different filling ratios was assessed. Finally, combined with the analysis of economic benefit and cost, the method of determining the optimal filling ratio was used, and the impact resistance of the cables under the impact of new energy load was analyzed. The results indicate that, for the case of the optimal filling ratio, the cables in the dense cable trench showed superior impact resistance. The investigations in this paper make significant contributions to the promotion of the maximum utilization of cables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distributed micro‐energy harvesting devices offer the flexibility, sustainability, and multi‐scenario applicability that will be critical to wearable electronic products in the Internet of Things. The radiofrequency and triboelectric (RF‐TE) hybrid energy harvester (HEH) concept and prototype is presented for the first time, to simultaneously capture the energy from ambient electromagnetic waves and biological motions. The proposed hybrid energy harvesting system consists of a wearable rectenna, a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), and a power management circuit (PMC). Among them, the all‐fabric rectenna exhibits good impedance matching characteristics in the ISM frequency. The flexible TENG unit can generate a maximum power density of 0.024 µW cm−2. The designed multifunctional fabric‐based PMC can considerably enhance the controllability of harvested hybrid energy. Additionally, a normalizable fabric circuit board quasi surface mount technology (FCB‐SMT) is proposed to integrate all modules on the same fabric substrate in one step, making the entire system superior mechanical robustness. The proposed wearable fabric‐based RF‐TE hybrid energy harvester is capable of successfully driving consumer electronics (such as sensors, watches, etc.). It provides a new energy solution strategy for self‐powered wearable electronic devices and is anticipated to encourage the efficient utilization of renewable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on improving the efficiency of collecting eggs from the dried fruit mite Carpoglyphus lactis for use as prey in mass-rearing predatory mites, highlighting the significance of this mite both as a pest and as prey. Topics include the challenges of collecting C. lactis eggs, the development of an improved collection method using mesh and cable tie pieces, and the advantages of this method over traditional sieving techniques in terms of efficiency and cleanliness.

In this study we delved into the effects of royal jelly supplementation on the life history traits of Amblyseius herbicolus, a thelytokous predatory mite with potential in biological pest control. Royal jelly, a nutrient-rich substance from honeybees, is known for its diverse biological activities in various species. Our experiments showed the concentration-dependent impacts of royal jelly supplementation on A. herbicolus. While royal jelly positively influenced mite survival at low concentrations (5%), a trade-off emerged: increased survival came at the cost of reduced fecundity. Also, royal jelly reduced ovipositional and post-ovipositional duration. Remarkably, maternal royal jelly supplementation influenced the pre-ovipositional duration of A. herbicolus offspring, suggesting transgenerational effects. However, certain traits, such as developmental time, size at maturity, and lifespan of both parents and offspring, remained unaffected. Our findings emphasise the specificity of royal jelly's impact on different aspects of mite biology and the possibility of inducing adverse influences on life history traits. To fully harness the potential of royal jelly in dietary supplementation, further research exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying these interactions is imperative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simultaneous measurements of atmospheric volatile organic compounds (VOCs), conventional gases and meteorological parameters were performed at an urban site in Jinan, East China, in June 2021 to explore the formation and evolution mechanisms of summertime ozone (O3) pollution events. O3 Episode Ⅰ, O3 Episode II, and non-O3 episodes were identified based on the China Ambient Air Quality Standards and the differences in precursor concentrations. The O3 concentrations in Episode I and Episode II were 145.4 μg/m3 and 166.4 μg/m3, respectively, which were significantly higher than that in non-O3 episode (90 μg/m3). For O3 precursors, VOCs and NOx concentrations increased by 48% and 34% in Episode I, and decreased by 21% and 27% in Episode II compared to non-O3 episode days. The analysis of the m,p-xylene to ethylbenzene ratio (X/E) and OH exposure demonstrated that the aging of the air masses in Episode II was significantly higher than the other two episodes, and the differences could not be explained by localized photochemical consumption. Therefore, we speculate that the high O3 concentrations in Episode II were driven by the regional transport of O3 and its precursors. Backward trajectory simulations indicated that the air masses during Episode II were concentrated from the south. In contrast, the combination of high precursor concentrations and favorable meteorological conditions (high temperatures and low humidity) led to an excess of O3 in Episode I. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) model results indicated that increased emissions from combustion and gasoline vehicle exhausts contributed to the elevated concentrations of VOCs in Episode I, and solvent usage may be an important contributor to O3 formation. The results of this study emphasize the importance of strengthening regional joint control of O3 and its precursors with neighboring cities, especially in the south, which is crucial for Jinan to mitigate O3 pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hole‐transport layer (HTL)‐free carbon‐based perovskite solar cells (C‐PSCs) have garnered significant attention in the research community due to their cost‐effectiveness and high stability. However, the absence of a traditional HTL can lead to substantial nonradiative recombination of charge carriers between the perovskite layer and the carbon electrode, significantly impacting efficiency. Herein, the performance effects of different alkylammonium chlorides, including butylammonium chloride, octylammonium chloride, and dodecylammonium chloride (DACl), on perovskite (FA0.1MA0.9PbI3) are investigated to produce high‐performance HTL‐free C‐PSCs. Following passivation, the film exhibits a more uniform grain size distribution and fewer grain boundary defects. Furthermore, with an increase in the alkyl chain length, enhanced interactions with the perovskite film result in reduced trap state density and increased carrier lifetime. After DACl passivation, the C‐PSC achieves a remarkable power conversion efficiency of 16.56% and a high open‐circuit voltage (Voc) of 1.074 V. The Voc enhancement is primarily attributed to the better energy‐level alignment, effectively improving hole transport and electron‐blocking capabilities while suppressing nonradiative recombination. Additionally, they demonstrate exceptional hydrophobic characteristics and robust stability in the presence of humidity, making them particularly promising for future practical applications in the field of photovoltaics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Environmental stress can induce oxidative stress in Apis cerana cerana, leading to cellular oxidative damage, reduced vitality, and even death. Currently, owing to an incomplete understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which A. cerana cerana resists oxidative damage, there is no available method to mitigate the risk of this type of damage. Cyclin plays an important role in cell stress resistance. The aim of this study was to explore the in vivo protection of cyclin H against oxidative damage induced by abiotic stress in A. cerana cerana and clarify the mechanism of action. We isolated and identified the AccCyclin H gene in A. cerana cerana and analysed its responses to different exogenous stresses. RESULTS: The results showed that different oxidative stressors can induce or inhibit the expression of AccCyclin H. After RNA‐interference‐mediated AccCyclin H silencing, the activity of antioxidant‐related genes and related enzymes was inhibited, and trehalose metabolism was reduced. AccCyclin H gene silencing reduced A. cerana cerana high‐temperature tolerance. Exogenous trehalose supplementation enhanced the total antioxidant capacity of A. cerana cerana, reduced the accumulation of oxidants, and improved the viability of A. cerana cerana under high‐temperature stress. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that trehalose can alleviate adverse stress and that AccCyclin H may participate in oxidative stress reactions by regulating trehalose metabolism. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the continuous increase in power density and power consumption, thermal management has become a crucial issue in electronic devices like integrated circuits. Polymer‐based thermal conductive composites possess excellent thermal and mechanical properties, making them ideal materials for thermal management in the modern microelectronic industry. In this work, we present a combination of filler hybridization strategy and 3D‐printing technology to synergistically enhance the thermal conductivity of graphite microplatelets (GMP)/alumina (Al2O3)/zinc oxide (ZnO)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite (o‐GAZP). When the content of GMP reaches 4.5 vol%, the 3D‐printed composite material exhibits a directional thermal conductivity of up to 4.51 W m−1 K−1. This value is significantly higher than the thermal conductivity of a randomly mixed GMP/Al2O3/ZnO/PDMS composite (1.98 W m−1 K−1). The remarkable thermal conductivity can be attributed to the anisotropic structural design, which benefits from the orientation of GMP and the creation of a multi‐scale dense structure through filler compounding. Additionally, the presence of Al2O3 and ZnO effectively separates the GMP particles, preventing the formation of electron transfer pathways and improving the electrical insulation performance of the composites. Furthermore, the impact of the anisotropic structural design on the thermal conductivity of the composites was verified through finite element simulation. This study demonstrates that constructing efficient thermally conductive and electrically insulating pathways by densely packing highly oriented two‐dimensional anisotropic graphite‐based fillers with uniformly dispersed thermally conductive and electrically insulating fillers is a simple and effective method to enhance the composites' thermal conductivity, electrical resistivity, and mechanical properties simultaneously. These findings hold great potential for various scalable thermal‐related applications. By implementing this approach, composites can exhibit excellent thermal conductivity, high electrical resistivity, and superior mechanical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing diagnostic methods of epilepsy have great limitations, and more reliable and less difficult diagnostic methods are needed. We collected serum samples of adult patients with first-diagnosed epilepsy (EPs) and seizure control patients (EPRs) for non-targeted metabolomics detection and found that they were both significantly altered, with increased expression of nicotine addiction, linoleic acid metabolism, purine metabolism, and other metabolic pathways. The diagnostic model based on 4 differential metabolites achieved a diagnostic efficiency of 99.4% in the training cohort and 100% in the validation cohort. In addition, the association analysis of oral flora, serum metabolism, and clinical indicators also provided a new angle to analyze the mechanism of epilepsy. In conclusion, this study characterized the serum metabolic characteristics of EPs and EPRs and the changes before and after epilepsy control based on a large cohort, demonstrating the potential of metabolites as non-invasive diagnostic tools for epilepsy., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Existing matrix factorization methods face challenges, including the cold start problem and global nonlinear data loss during similarity learning, particularly in predicting associations between long noncoding RNAs (LncRNAs) and diseases. To overcome these issues, we introduce HPTRMF, a matrix factorization approach incorporating high-order perturbation and flexible trifactor regularization. HPTRMF constructs a high-order correlation matrix utilizing the known association matrix, leveraging high-order perturbation to effectively address the cold start problem caused by data sparsity. Additionally, HPTRMF incorporates a flexible trifactor regularization term to capture similarity information on LncRNAs and diseases, enabling the effective handling of global nonlinear data loss by capturing such data in the similarity matrix. Experimental results demonstrate the superiority of HPTRMF over nine state-of-the-art algorithms in Leave-One-Out Cross-Validation (LOOCV) and Five-Fold Cross-Validation (5-Fold CV) on three data sets.HPTRMF and data sets are available in https://github.com/Llvvvv/HPTRMF.

Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) has been shown to confer strong neuroprotective effects in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). However, as the vast majority of research findings to date are based on its functions in microglia, the precise role of TREM2 in astrocytes after AIS is unknown. Here, both loss- and gain-of-function experiments were employed to investigate how astrocytic TREM2 influences the pathogenesis of AIS in vivo and in vitro. Our results demonstrated that cerebral ischemia triggered induction of TREM2 expression on reactive astrocytes following AIS. In addition, astrocyte-specific TREM2 knockout mice exhibited much greater brain injury than TREM2 flox/flox controls following AIS, as evidenced by increased cerebral infarct volume, neuronal apoptosis and neurological deficit, which was associated with an increased expression of pro-inflammatory molecule complement component 3 (C3) on reactive astrocytes and activation of microglia/macrophages but decreased expression of S100 calcium binding protein A10 (S100A10) and arginase1 (Arg1) on reactive astrocytes. Mechanistic analyses revealed that astrocytic TREM2 alleviated brain injury by inhibiting detrimental actions of reactive astrocytes but promoting their neuro- and glioprotective actions via the kruppel-like transcription factor-4-nuclear factor-κB axis. Together, this study provides novel evidence for a critical protective role of astrocyte-derived TREM2 in AIS and highlights a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of AIS., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Therapy with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is considered an attractive strategy for the repair or regeneration of damaged tissues. However, low survival of MSCs limits their applications clinically. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) is significantly increased in patients with hyperlipidemia and decreases the survival of MSCs. Bcl-2 is critically involved in important cell functions, including cell membrane integrity and cell survival. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that ox-LDL attenuates the survival of MSCs through suppression of Bcl-2 expression. Bone marrow MSCs from C57BL/6 mice were cultured with ox-LDL at different concentrations (0-140 μg/mL) for 24 h with native LDL as control. Ox-LDL treatment substantially decreased the survival of MSCs dose-dependently and enhanced the release of intracellular lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in association with a significant decrease in Bcl-2 protein level without change in BAX protein expression in MSCs. Bcl-2 overexpression effectively protected MSCs against ox-LDL-induced damages with preserved cell numbers without significant increase in LDH release. Treatment with N -acetylcysteine (NAC) (1 mM) effectively preserved Bcl-2 protein expression in MSCs and significantly attenuated ox-LDL-induced decrease of cell number and increase in the release of intracellular LDH. These data indicated that ox-LDL treatment resulted in a significant damage of cell membrane and dramatically decreased the survival of MSCs dose-dependently through inhibition of Bcl-2 expression. NAC treatment significantly protected MSCs against the damage of cell membrane by ox-LDL and promoted the survival of MSCs in association with preserved Bcl-2 expression.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged in December 2019 with staggering economic fallout and human suffering. The unique structure of SARS-CoV-2 and its underlying pathogenic mechanism were responsible for the global pandemic. In addition to the direct damage caused by the virus, SARS-CoV-2 triggers an abnormal immune response leading to a cytokine storm, culminating in acute respiratory distress syndrome and other fatal diseases that pose a significant challenge to clinicians. Therefore, potential treatments should focus not only on eliminating the virus but also on alleviating or controlling acute immune/inflammatory responses. Current management strategies for COVID-19 include preventative measures and supportive care, while the role of the host immune/inflammatory response in disease progression has largely been overlooked. Understanding the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and its receptors, as well as the underlying pathogenesis, has proven to be helpful for disease prevention, early recognition of disease progression, vaccine development, and interventions aimed at reducing immunopathology have been shown to reduce adverse clinical outcomes and improve prognosis. Moreover, several key mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence result in an enhanced binding affinity to the host cell receptor, or produce immune escape, leading to either increased virus transmissibility or virulence of variants that carry these mutations. This review characterizes the structural features of SARS-CoV-2, its variants, and their interaction with the immune system, emphasizing the role of dysfunctional immune responses and cytokine storm in disease progression. Additionally, potential therapeutic options are reviewed, providing critical insights into disease management, exploring effective approaches to deal with the public health crises caused by SARS-CoV-2., 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 Li, Mi, Liu and Rong.)

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a slowly progressive neurodegenerating disease that may eventually lead to disabling condition and pose a threat to the health of aging populations. This study aimed to explore the association of two potential risk factors, selenium and cadmium, with the prognosis of Parkinson's disease as well as their interaction effect., Methods: Data were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2006 to 2015-2016 and National Death Index (NDI). Participants were classified as Parkinson's patients by self-reported anti-Parkinson medications usage. Cox regression models and restricted cubic spline models were applied to evaluate the association between PD mortality and selenium intake level as well as blood cadmium level. Subgroup analysis was also conducted to explore the interaction between them., Results: A total of 184 individuals were included. In full adjusted cox regression model (adjusted for age, gender, race, hypertension, pesticide exposure, smoking status and caffeine intake), compared with participants with low selenium intake, those with normal selenium intake level were significantly associated with less risk of death (95%CI: 0.18-0.76, P = 0.005) while no significant association was found between low selenium intake group and high selenium group (95%CI: 0.16-1.20, P = 0.112). Restricted cubic spline model indicated a nonlinear relationship between selenium intake and PD mortality (P for nonlinearity = 0.050). The association between PD mortality and blood cadmium level was not significant (95%CI: 0.19-5.57, P = 0.112). However, the interaction term of selenium intake and blood cadmium showed significance in the cox model (P for interaction = 0.048). Subgroup analysis showed that the significant protective effect of selenium intake existed in populations with high blood cadmium but not in populations with low blood cadmium., Conclusion: Moderate increase of selenium intake had a protective effect on PD mortality especially in high blood cadmium populations., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This study aimed to explore the brain network characteristics in elderly patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) with depressive symptoms. Thirty elderly PD patients with depressive symptoms (PD-D) and 26 matched PD patients without depressive symptoms (PD-NOD) were recruited based on HAMD-24 with a cut-off of 7. The resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) was conducted by 53-channel functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). There were no statistically significant differences in MMSE scores, disease duration, Hoehn-Yahr stage, daily levodopa equivalent dose, and MDS-UPDRS III between the two groups. However, compared to the PD-NOD group, the PD-D group showed significantly higher MDS-UPDRS II, HAMA-14, and HAMD-24. The interhemispheric FC strength and the FC strength between the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC-L) and the left frontal polar area (FPA-L) was significantly lower in the PD-D group (FDR p < 0.05). As for graph theoretic metrics, the PD-D group had significantly lower degree centrality (aDc) and node efficiency (aNe) in the DLPFC-L and the FPA-L (FDR, p < 0.05), as well as decreased global efficiency (aEg). Pearson correlation analysis indicated moderate negative correlations between HAMD-24 scores and the interhemispheric FC strength, FC between DLPFC-L and FPA-L, aEg, aDc in FPA-L, aNe in DLPFC-L and FPA-L. In conclusion, PD-D patients show decreased integration and efficiency in their brain networks. Furthermore, RSFC between DLPFC-L and FPA-L regions is negatively correlated with depressive symptoms. These findings propose that targeting DLPFC-L and FPA-L regions via non-invasive brain stimulation may be a potential intervention for alleviating depressive symptoms in elderly PD patients., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (2024, National Center for Global Health and Medicine.)