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Jiang-flavor Baijiu is popular among consumers because of its profound cultural deposits, traditional solid-state brewing process, unique flavor, and sensory experience. In this study, 537 sensory descriptors for Jiang-flavor Baijiu were obtained from 121 articles and 96 standards regarding ‘Jiang-flavor’ and ‘Jiang-flavor Baijiu’ retrieved from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the National Public Service Platform for Standards Information and the Foodmate Website. By sorting out and analyzing these literature data, this paper briefly describes the formation, development, trend and standardization of the sensory quality descriptions of Jiang-flavor Baijiu, summarizes the relationship between the flavor substances and the odor characteristics of Jiang-flavor Baijiu, analyzes the problems with the existing descriptors, and proposes ideas and suggestions for constructing a sensory quality description system for Jiang-flavor Baijiu and using modern sensory evaluation techniques to characterize the sensory quality of Jiang-flavor Baijiu.

Background/Aim. There is growing evidence suggesting that high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is a reliable biomarker in patients with hypertension. While the relation-ship between hypertension and age is well established, the connection between hs-CRP and age remains unclear. The aim of the study was to determine a relationship between hs-CRP and age, body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure in middle-aged people. Methods. This cross-sectional survey was conducted in Shanghai, China, and it included data from 1,677 healthy male participants aged 18 to 50 years and 1,127 healthy female participants aged 19 to 49 years recruited during routine health examinations. The hs-CRP, BMI, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were recorded. Results. The participants were first separated into four age quartile groups, in which an increase in BMI, SBP, and DBP was observed but not in hs-CRP. Afterward, the participants were divided into four hs-CRP quartile groups, in which an increase in BMI, SBP, and DBP was noted, but not in age. Finally, using Pearson correlation, positive correlations were found between hs-CRP, BMI, SBP, and DBP, but no correlation was discovered between age and hs-CRP. Conclusion. The authors showed that age is likely a confounding factor that correlates with SBP, DBP, and BMI, but it does not directly correlate with hs-CRP.

Objective: To investigate the use of anti‐osteoporotic agents and refracture incidence in patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) following percutaneous vertebral augmentation (PVA) and to evaluate the real‐world treatment of patients using denosumab following PVA. This study aims to provide spine surgeons with empirical insights derived from real‐world scenarios to enhance the management of bone health in OVCF patients. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was based on data from the MarketScan and Optum databases from the USA. Female patients aged 55–90 years who underwent PVA for OVCF between January 2013 and March 2020 were included and followed up from the day after surgery. Patients who received at least one dose of denosumab were included in the denosumab cohort and were further divided into the on‐treatment and off‐treatment groups according to whether they received a second dose of denosumab, with follow‐up beginning on the index day (225 days after the first denosumab dose). In this study, the off‐treatment group was considered as the control group. Refracture incidence after PVA, the proportion of patients using anti‐osteoporotic agents in the total study population, and refracture incidence after the index day in the denosumab cohort were analyzed. Results: A total of 13,451 and 21,420 patients from the MarketScan and Optum databases, respectively, were included. In the denosumab cohort, the cumulative incidence of clinical osteoporotic fractures within 3 years after the index day was significantly lower in the on‐treatment group than in the off‐treatment group (MarketScan database: 23.0% vs 39.0%, p = 0.002; Optum database: 28.2% vs 40.0%, p = 0.023). The cumulative incidence of clinical vertebral fractures was also lower in the on‐treatment group than in the off‐treatment group, with a significant difference in the MarketScan database (14.4% vs 25.5%, p = 0.002) and a numerical difference was found in the Optum database (20.2% vs 27.5%, p = 0.084).The proportion of patients using anti‐osteoporotic agents was low at 6 months postoperatively, with only approximately 7% using denosumab and 13%–15% taking oral bisphosphonates. Conclusion: Postmenopausal women have a high refracture rate and a low proportion of anti‐osteoporotic drug use after PVA. Continued denosumab treatment after PVA is associated with a lower risk of osteoporotic and clinical vertebral fractures. Therefore, denosumab may be a treatment option for patients with osteoporosis after PVA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) lacks effective therapeutic targets. Scutellaria barbata D.Don (SB) has been revealed to have anti-breast cancer (BC) effect, but the effect of SB extract in TNBC is still unclear. Herein, this research delves into the underlying mechanism. Methods SB was extracted by solvent extraction, and the main components were identified using an Agilent 6,520 HPLC-Chip/Q-TOF (Chip/Q-TOF) MS system. In vitro cell experiments were conducted. The effects of SB extract alone, SB extract plus EGF, GSK alone, GSK plus Ezrin overexpression, or SB extract plus Ezrin overexpression on cell viability, invasion, migration, and apoptosis were examined by cell function experiments. The apoptosis- and RhoA/ROCK1 pathway-related protein levels were analyzed by western blot assay. Results Mass spectrometry analysis exhibited that SB extract mainly contains long-chain fatty acids and ursolic acid. SB extract mitigated TNBC cell biological phenotypes, apoptosis- and RhoA/ROCK1 pathway-related marker expressions, which were reversed by EGF. The further results found that GSK obviously weakens TNBC cell biological behaviors, apoptosis- and RhoA/ROCK1 signaling-related protein levels, while oe-Ezrin treatment reverses the effect of GSK on TNBC cells. Moreover, SB extract regulated Ezrin-mediated function of TNBC cells by impeding the RhoA/ROCK1 pathway. Conclusion Our findings demonstrated that SB extract regulated Ezrin-mediated proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of TNBC cells via suppressing the RhoA /ROCK1 signaling. Our results offer the experimental foundation for further investigation of the anti-cancer role of SB in TNBC cells. Highlights SB extract inhibits the biological phenotypes of TNBC cells. SB extract inhibits the biological behaviors of TNBC cells through the RhoA/ROCK1 pathway. SB extract modulates Ezrin-mediated TNBC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis via restraining the RhoA/ROCK1 signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vertebral augmentation, such as vertebroplasty (VP) or kyphoplasty (KP), has been utilized for decades to treat OVCFs; however, the precise impact of this procedure on reducing mortality risk remains a topic of controversy. This study aimed to explore the potential protective effects of vertebral augmentation on mortality in patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) using a large-scale meta-analysis. Materials and methods: Cochrane Library, Embase, MEDLINE, PubMed and Web of Science databases were employed for literature exploration until May 2023. The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were utilized as a summary statistic via random-effect models. Statistical analysis was executed using Review Manager 5.3 software. Results: After rigorous screening, a total of five studies with substantial sample sizes were included in the quantitative meta-analysis. The total number of participants included in the study was an 2,421,178, comprising of 42,934 cases of vertebral augmentation and 1,991,244 instances of non-operative management. The surgical intervention was found to be significantly associated with an 18% reduction in the risk of mortality (HR 0.82; 95% CI 0.78, 0.85). Subgroup analysis revealed a remarkable 71% reduction in mortality risk following surgical intervention during short-term follow-up (HR 0.29; 95% CI 0.26, 0.32). Furthermore, KP exhibited a superior and more credible decrease in the risk of mortality when compared to VP treatment. Conclusions: Based on a comprehensive analysis of large samples, vertebral augmentation has been shown to significantly reduce the mortality risk associated with OVCFs, particularly in the early stages following fractures. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that KP is more reliable and effective than VP in terms of mitigating mortality risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lentiviral‐vector‐based therapies, widely used for treating various diseases, face limitations because of release burst, rapid clearance, and immune activation. Herein, a lentiviral vector delivery platform is proposed utilizing a virus‐engineered microsol electrospun scaffold. Identifying a remarkable upregulation of polypyrimidine tract binding protein1 (PTB) in spinal cord injury (SCI) rats, a scaffold is constructed comprising a hyaluronic acid (HA) core encapsulating brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and a polydopamine (PDA)‐modified linear poly‐l‐lactic acid (PLLA) shell, with shPTB lentiviral vectors (LV‐shPTB) grafted via PDA. In vitro, the LV‐shPTB achieves an infection efficiency of 70%, and the oriented scaffolds significantly reduce the expression of inflammatory factors, induce the reprogramming of fibroblasts into neurons, and sustain the release of BDNF for over 2 weeks. In vivo, the scaffolds provide physical support and neural guidance, as well as released BDNF and LV‐shPTB. LV‐shPTB delivery leads to the reprogramming of fibroblasts into neurons, and the sustained BDNF delivery maintains the neurons' proliferation and growth, which further promotes the recovery of neurological function in SCI rats. These results demonstrate the potential application of virus‐engineered delivery platforms in SCI treatment and other medical fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nanowire-on-microrod structured polyaniline (PANI)@FeS2 hybrid was developed via a facile metal–organic framework (MOF)-derived chemical method. The in situ grown PANI nanowires on the surface of pyramidal FeS2 microrods displayed better mechanical flexibility and improved Al-storage performance. The PANI nanowires not only enhanced electron transfer during the electrochemical reaction, but also accommodated the volume expansion of FeS2 during discharge. The PANI@FeS2 hybrid as the cathode in AIBs delivered a reliable battery capacity of 152.8 mA h g−1 along with a Coulombic efficiency of >96.5% after 500 cycles at a current density of 1.5 A g−1. In addition, a high capacity retention of 160.2 mA h g−1 after 150 cycles at 0.5 A g−1 at −10 °C was achieved. These findings provide a feasible strategy by constructing a nanowire-on-microrod hybrid that can be applied in high-performance secondary batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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A foldable battery with high flexibility provides great potential in various wearable electronic devices for health and fitness tracking, chronic disease management, performance monitoring, navigation tracking, and portable gears for soldiers. We report a highly flexible, self‐healing Zn‐ion battery with a free‐standing cathode that is composed of a 3D gear‐like NH4V4O10@C composite on carbon paper. The battery retained a capacity of up to 102.4 mAh g−1 even after being folded 60 times with a high angle of 180°. An aqueous hydrogel consisting polyvinyl alcohol, glycerin and Zn(CF3SO3)2 was used as electrolyte, which showed as high as 580 % tensile strain under a loading weight of 78 N. The battery exhibited a better capacity retention of over 100 mAh g−1 and Coulombic efficiency of over 99.8 % after cutting and twisting to 90°, thereby indicating a great self‐healing performance. The gear‐like geometry greatly improved the volume accommodation due to the increased interval space between the blades and the outward configuration. Meanwhile the Zn2+ ionic conductivity was improved by rapid re‐binding of many existing hydroxy groups from the electrolyte and the enhanced contact surface area and diffusion route from the cathode material. The highly flexible, safe aqueous Zn‐ion battery opens a practical way to power various carry‐on electronics under mechanical agitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonflushing urinals show promising potential in saving millions of gallons of water every year. The recalcitrant nature of ceramic surfaces poses a big challenge in creating an additional layer to repel urine. In this study, a greatly strengthened polymer self-cleaning coating was successfully covered on a smooth glaze surface via a dual-layered, micro/nanohybrid configuration. The first layer was built up as a base matrix that provides microsized roughness and connection with the second layer, which provided superhydrophobic groups. The hierarchical architecture of the microstructure on the first layer and nanostructure on the second layer displayed an interlocked interaction to protect the functional groups, thus leading to an enhanced mechanical stability. The spray-coated glaze displayed a high hydrophobicity with a water contact angle (CA) of about 150°. The coating still showed a CA of about 130° over 2300 cycles upon sandpaper abrasion and a CA of >139.6° after 500 finger rubbing cycles. Under a high water flux of 179 Gph flushing, a high CA of 134.6° after 168 h was maintained. When immersed in 1.8 wt % urea solution, the CA was as high as 146° after 50 days. In the strong acid/alkaline solution with a wide pH span ranging from 1.0 to 14.0, the coating still showed a high chemical stability with a CA of >145°. The surface also showed a CA of ∼129° after 760 detergent cleaning cycles. In addition, the antibacterial property reduced the use of disinfectants for sterilization. The dual-layered coating design using a scalable spray method opens pathways in creating a strong self-cleaning coating on commercially available ceramic surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]