Search

Photovoltaic power generation and photothermal power generation are two forms of solar power generation. The development cost of photovoltaic is relatively lower than photothermal, but a certain proportion of energy storage and distributed synchronous condensers are needed to ensure the safe and stable operation of the system. As a result the cost of photovoltaic power generation rises. Photothermal comes with heat storage and output friendliness, so currently there is still a great dispute about the technical route of photovoltaic and photothermal. This paper takes Haixi area of Qinghai province as an example. Firstly, based on the characteristics of solar irradiation resources and output in the same time and space, the power guarantee capabilities of photovoltaic+energy storage and photothermal is compared. Then this paper compares photovoltaic+energy storage+condenser with photothermal from the perspective of power grid security and stability support ability. Finally, this paper compares the economics of solar thermal and photovoltaic based on the forecast of their cost declining trend. Photothermal has both thermal storage and conventional generator functions, providing short circuit capacity, reactive power compensation and moment of inertia support for the system. The results show the economy of photothermal is basically equivalent to, or even better than photovoltaic+energy storage+condenser after the cost reduction in the case of technical equivalence.

Objective To understand the current situation of research level and development ability of ICU specialist nurses in Guangxi, China, and to provide a reference basis for further improving the use and training of ICU specialist nurses. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a self-made structured questionnaire on the specialist nurses who obtained the ICU specialist nurse certification in Guangxi from 2010 to 2022. Results A total of 192 ICU specialist nurses were surveyed, 122 (63. 54%) had published papers, 45 (23. 44%) were the leading researcher of the project, 77 (40. 10%) had obtained patents; 51 (26. 56%) had participated in consultations, and 133 (69. 27%) had obtained specialist nurse certificates and then attended continuing education training. There were statistical differences in scientific achievements, participation in consultation and continuing education among specialist nurses with different titles, positions and working ages (P

Background: Sepsis is defined as a life‐threatening disease. Autophagy and the microbiome are increasingly connected with sepsis. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of autophagy and the possible mechanisms. Methods: The septic rat model was established by cecal ligation perforation (CLP). Rapamycin (Rap), 3‐methyladenine (3‐MA), and chloroquine (CQ) were administered to interfere autophagy. Western blot (WB) was used to detect the expression of key proteins in autophagy. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were used to identify the effect of autophagy on various organs. 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing was used to analyze the changes of the gut microbiota. Results: Rap significantly upregulated the expression of key autophagy proteins, and 3‐MA reduced the relative expression compared to the CLP group. The autophagic flux showed a corresponding trend. Interestingly, the autophagy inducer significantly decreased the mortality and the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) level in serum compared with the CLP group. Autophagy activation significantly improves the inflammatory response in sepsis. Histopathological sections showed that CLP destroyed the tight junctions between ileal epithelial cells, while autophagy induction reversed the damage. The sequencing results showed that autophagy activation increased the alpha diversity and alterted the composition and structure of gut microbiota. The abundance of Proteobacteria was markedly decreased in the Rap group, whereas Bacteroidetes was notably increased compared with the CLP group. Additionally, the protective effect of autophagy further changed the biomarkers in the microbial community. The top 35 functions in each sample were analyzed to obtain 18 genes including RNA synthesis, ATP binding and transport, chromosome assignment, osmotic polysaccharide transport, transcytosis, and methylation. Conclusion: Autophagy is able to improve inflammation and may directly or indirectly regulate the microbiota of septic rats. Autophagy may be an important target for future clinical interventions in the treatment of sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The gut microbiome has a significant impact on human wellness, contributing to the emergence and progression of a range of health issues including inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular problems, and psychiatric disorders. Notably, clinical observations have revealed that these illnesses can display differences in incidence and presentation between genders. The present study aimed to evaluate whether the composition of gut microbiota is associated with sex-specific differences and to elucidate the mechanism., Methods: 16S-rRNA-sequencing technology, hormone analysis, gut microbiota transplantation, gonadectomy, and hormone treatment were employed to investigate the correlation between the gut microbiome and sex or sex hormones. Meanwhile, genes and proteins involved bile acid signaling pathway were analyzed both in the liver and ileum tissues., Results: The composition and diversity of the microbiota from the jejunum and feces and the level of sex hormones in the serum differed between the sexes in young and middle-aged Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. However, no similar phenomenon was found in geriatric rats. Interestingly, whether in young, middle-aged, or old rats, the composition of the microbiota and bacterial diversity differed between the jejunum and feces in rats. Gut microbiota transplantation, gonadectomy, and hormone replacement also suggested that hormones, particularly testosterone (T), influenced the composition of the gut microbiota in rats. Meanwhile, the mRNA and protein level of genes involved bile acid signaling pathway (specifically SHP , FXR , CYP7A1 , and ASBT ) exhibited gender-specific differences, and T may play a significant role in mediating the expression of this pathway., Conclusion: Sex-specific differences in the structure of the gut microbiota are mediated by T through the bile acid signaling pathway, pointing to potential targets for disease prevention and management techniques by indicating that sex differences and T levels may alter the composition of the gut microbiota via the bile acid signaling pathway., 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 Duan, Nie, Xie, Zhang, Zhu, Zhu, Chen, Xu, Zhang, Yang, Yu, Cai, Wang and Tian.)

Purpose: This bibliometric study aims to reveal the current situation, cooperative teams, and future development trends of acupuncture for shoulder pain (SP)., Materials and Methods: The data source is the Web of Science Core Collection. The software programs used in this study are VOSviewer, Pajek, CiteSpace, Scimago Graphica, and Microsoft Excel. Co-occurrence analysis, descriptive statistical analysis, and burst keywords analysis are applied to analyze paper authors, institutions, countries or regions, keywords, and citations., Results: This study included 350 papers. In the first 30 years since 1976, the number of papers published was very limited. Since 2004, it has shown rapid growth momentum. High-yield countries and institutions were China (92) and Kyung Hee University (18), respectively. In terms of the cooperative relationship, the USA (centrality 0.34) and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (centrality 0.15) play central roles in the team. The author Macpherson H ranked first with 10 published papers. Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (27) has published the most papers. The keywords are grouped into five clusters. The most recent burst keywords include stroke, electroacupuncture, diagnosis, disability, stimulation, mechanism, bee venom acupuncture, and systematic review., Conclusion: In general, the research and international cooperation of acupuncture for SP will continue to emerge. Most of the current studies believe that acupuncture for SP is effective, and more studies will appear to verify its effectiveness. More well-designed trials will be introduced. More classification and detailed treatment methods for SP will be introduced to this research field., Competing Interests: None., (AJTR Copyright © 2023.)

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is the most common idiopathic interstitial lung disease, and it carries a poor prognosis due to a lack of efficient diagnosis methods and treatments. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a key role in IPF pathogenesis. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress contributes to fibrosis via EMT-mediated pathways. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation is a promising treatment strategy for pulmonary fibrosis and ameliorates lung fibrosis in animal models via paracrine effects. However, the specific mechanisms underlying the effect of transplanted MSCs are not known. We previously reported that MSCs attenuate endothelial injury by modulating ER stress and endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition. The present study investigated whether modulation of ER stress- and EMT-related pathways plays essential roles in MSC-mediated alleviation of IPF., Methods and Results: We constructed a A549 cell model of transforming growth factor- β 1 (TGF- β 1)-induced fibrosis. TGF- β 1 was used to induce EMT in A549 cells, and MSC coculture decreased EMT, as indicated by increased E-cadherin levels and decreased vimentin levels. ER stress participated in TGF- β 1-induced EMT in A549 cells, and MSCs inhibited the expression of XBP-1s, XBP-1u, and BiP, which was upregulated by TGF- β 1. Inhibition of ER stress contributed to MSC-mediated amelioration of EMT in A549 cells, and modulation of the IRE1 α -XBP1 branch of the ER stress pathway may have played an important role in this effect. MSC transplantation alleviated bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. MSC treatment decreased the expression of ER stress- and EMT-related genes and proteins, and the most obvious effect of MSC treatment was inhibition of the IRE1 α /XBP1 pathway., Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that MSCs decrease EMT by modulating ER stress and that blockade of the IRE1 α -XBP1 pathway may play a critical role in this effect. The current study provides novel insight for the application of MSCs for IPF treatment and elucidates the mechanism underlying the preventive effects of MSCs against pulmonary fibrosis., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Ruixi Luo et al.)

Objectives: Endothelial dysfunction is a precursor of cardiovascular disease, and protecting endothelial cells from damage is a treatment strategy for atherosclerosis (AS). Curcumin, a natural polyphenolic compound, has been shown to protect endothelial cells from dysfunction. In the present study, we investigated whether curcumin could ameliorate high oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced endothelial lipotoxicity by inducing autophagy in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs)., Materials and Methods: HUVECs were treated with 50 μM high ox-LDL alone or in combination with 5 μM curcumin for 24 hr. Cell viability and function were assessed by the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, tube formation assay and cell migration experiments. Oil red O staining was used to detect lipid droplet accumulation in HUVECs. The change in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in HUVECs was measured with the probe DCFH-DA. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and Western blotting were used to evaluate the mRNA and protein levels of several inflammatory and autophagy-related factors., Results: Cell viability was restored, tube formation and migration ability were increased, and lipid accumulation, oxidative stress and inflammatory responses were decreased in the curcumin-treated group compared with the high ox-LDL group. Furthermore, high ox-LDL inhibited HUVEC autophagy, and this effect was reversed by curcumin. Moreover, curcumin regulated the expression of several key proteins involved in the AMPK/mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that curcumin is able to reduce endothelial lipotoxicity and modulate autophagy and that the AMPK/mTOR/p70S6K pathway might play a key role in these effects.