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The construction industry is generally characterized by high emissions, making its transition to low-carbon practices essential for achieving a low-carbon economy. However, due to information asymmetry, there remains a gap in research regarding the strategic interactions and reward/punishment mechanisms between governments and firms throughout this transition. This paper addresses this gap by investigating probabilistic and static reward and punishment evolutionary games. The findings indicate that (1) Probabilistic rewards and penalties policies are more effective during the initial stages of the transition, whereas static mechanisms are more conducive to ensuring long-term stability. (2) The maximum values of rewards and penalties significantly influence the evolution of the low-carbon transition, with higher incentives enhancing motivation and more significant penalties imposing stricter constraints. (3) An increase in the cost of government involvement facilitates the low-carbon transition. (4) The benefits to both government and enterprises are critical in determining the application of static versus probabilistic rewards and penalties. The government may decide to cap probabilistic rewards and penalties by the magnitude of the benefits or adopt static rewards and penalties. This study offers theoretical support and a decision-making framework for developing effective low-carbon policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Serum uric acid (SUA) was a predictor of cognitive function. The association of SUA/serum creatinine ratio (Scr), which represents renal function-normalized SUA and cognitive function is unknown. Objective: This study investigated the association of the SUA/Scr with cognitive function and the potential mediation effect of inflammation in the above relationship. Methods: This study used 1–5 waves of data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. 3302 participants aged 45–60 years at baseline were included. Among them, 1129 who attended subsequent 2–3 waves were further included for cumulative exposure calculation to the SUA/Scr ratio. The Cox models were used to evaluate the impact of baseline SUA/Scr ratio and its cumulative exposure on cognitive function decline. Results: During a median follow-up of 8.6 years, there were 1512 (45.8%) cognitive function declined. After adjustment, the highest quartile of the SUA/SCr ratio was associated with the highest risk of cognitive function decline (Hazard ratio, 1.175; 95% confidence interval, 1.015–1.360). Restricted cubic spline showed a linear association between the SUA/Scr ratio and the risk of cognitive function decline (pnon−linear = 0.514). There were a stronger association of cumulative SUA/Scr ratio and its exposure burden with cognitive function decline [the highest versus lowest quartile: 1.635 (1.006–2.656), the high versus low group: 1.729 (1.212–2.466), respectively]. No significant mediating effect through white blood cell count or C-reactive protein in SUA/Scr ratio-cognitive function decline was found. Conclusions: The SUA/Scr ratio was associated with a higher risk of cognitive decline, whereas the mechanism mediated by inflammation indicators was not found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the hypolipidemic effects and antioxidant levels of total flavonoids from seabuckthorn fruit peel and residue, in vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to examine the hypolipidemic functionality of the purified total flavonoids from seabuckthorn fruit peel and residue (TFSE). The antioxidant activity of TFSE was determined through in vitro experiments, and its binding capacity to three types of bile acids was investigated by simulating the human gastrointestinal environment. This was conducted to evaluate its antioxidant and hypolipidemic effects in vitro. In the in vivo experiment, a high-fat diet-induced hyperlipidemia model was established in C57BL/6J mice, and TFSE was administered orally to compare its effects on body weight, serum, hepatic lipid levels, liver function indicators, and oxidative indicators. Then, histopathological observations of the liver tissue were completed. The in vitro study showed that TFSE exhibited strong scavenging abilities against DPPH and ABTS+ radicals, with IC50 values of 5.20 and 10.24 µg/mL, respectively, thus indicating effective antioxidant activity. Moreover, TFSE showed strong binding capabilities with sodium cholate, glycocholate, and taurocholate, with IC50 values of 11.11, 2.61, and 3.50 mg/mL, respectively, thus highlighting its binding solid capacity with bile acids. Results of the mice experiments showed that, compared to the model group (HFD), the L-TFSE and H-TFSE groups showed inhibited body weight gain, whilst (P<0.05) total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in serum and liver were significantly decreased. At the same time, significantly increased (P<0.05) high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and significantly decreased (P<0.05) levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in mice serum. Furthermore, TFSE significantly increased (P<0.05) the superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and catalase (CAT) levels in mice liver, and significantly decreased (P<0.05) the whilst malondialdehyde (MDA) content. In summary, TFSE would improve the hepatic pathological damage caused by a high-fat diet, showed effective lipid-lowering activity and antioxidant activity. This study would provide a theoretical basis for improving the added value of sea buckthorn peel residue products in Xinjiang. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active polysaccharides from plants are broadly applied in the food and health industry. The purpose of this study is to identify a new plant active polysaccharide and to investigate its role in modulating spatial memory. Ultrasonics and DEAE-52 chromatography were used to separate and purify the plant active polysaccharide (PAP). Mice were exposed to 100 ppm of lead acetate from birth to 7 weeks old to establish the memory impairment model. PAPs with concentrations of 200 or 400 ppm were fed to the subject mice each day after weaning in a spatiotemporally separated fashion. At the end of the intervention, mice were examined using the Morris water maze test, microbiome sequencing, cytokine profiling and protein analysis. The derived active polysaccharide was constituted by β-anomeric carbon, indicating a new form of PAP. The PAP significantly ameliorates the memory impairment caused by postnatal lead exposure, as evidenced by the preferred coverage of the test mouse in the hidden platform, demonstrating salient neuroregulatory activity. In terms of the gut microbiome in response to PAP treatment, it was found that the 400 ppm PAP reversed the gut dysbiosis, producing a comparable structure to the intact animals, represented by the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Muribaculum, Desulfovibrio, etc. For cytokines, the PAP reversed the plasma levels of IL-6, suggesting an anti-inflammatory trend in the context of proinflammation caused by lead invasion. By injecting an IL-6 antagonist, Tocilizumab, into the deficient mice, the spatial memory was significantly repaired, which demonstrates the central roles of IL-6 in mediating the positive effect of the PAP. Finally, a histone modification mark, H3K27me3, was found to be potent in responding to the signals conveyed by the PAP. The PAP could improve the memory deficits by remodeling the gut–brain axis centered at the microbiota and IL-6, which is regarded as an important cytokine-modulating brain activity. This is an intriguing instance linking neuromodulation with the active polysaccharide, shedding light on the innovative applications of plant polysaccharides due to the scarcity of similar phenotypic connections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dysregulation of the urea cycle (UC) has been detected in colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the impact of the UC's end product, urea, on CRC development remains unclear. We investigated the association between serum urea and CRC risk based on the data of 348 872 participants cancer‐free at recruitment from the UK Biobank. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were fitted to conduct risk estimates. Stratification analyses based on sex, diet pattern, metabolic factors (including body mass index [BMI], the estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] and type 2 diabetes [T2D]) and genetic profiles (the polygenic risk score [PRS] of CRC) were conducted to find potential modifiers. During an average of 9.0 years of follow‐up, we identified 3408 (1.0%) CRC incident cases. Serum urea showed a nonlinear relationship with CRC risk (P‐nonlinear:.035). Lower serum urea levels were associated with a higher CRC risk, with a fully‐adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 1.26 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13‐1.41) in the first quartile (Q1) of urea, compared to the Q4. This association was largely consistent across subgroups of sex, protein diet, BMI, eGFR and CRC‐PRSs (P‐interaction >.05); however, it was stronger in the T2D, with an interaction between urea and T2D on both additive (synergy index: 3.32, [95% CI: 1.24‐8.88]) and multiplicative scales (P‐interaction:.019). Lower serum urea concentrations were associated with an increased risk of CRC, with a more pronounced effect observed in individuals with T2D. Maintaining stable levels of serum urea has important implications for CRC prevention, particularly in individuals with T2D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of emergency hospitals is crucial for ensuring medical service provision during disasters. Assembled buildings have emerged as the preferred choice for large-scale emergency hospitals due to their rapid construction and high quality. However, the construction of emergency hospitals involves the collaboration of multiple departments, and there is a lack of research on the management of such construction projects. Given the urgent need for emergency hospitals, analyzing potential hazards in the construction process from a systemic perspective is essential to manage their construction effectively. In this study, the SWOT and STPA methods are employed to investigate the construction management of emergency buildings, with the Wuhan Vulcan Mountain Hospital in China serving as a case study for emergency management analysis. This study can provide ideas for emergency hospital management and a basis for controlling possible emergency construction accidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]