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Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has a close association with cardiovascular diseases. Few studies have investigated the association of Life's Essential 8 (LE8), the updated measurement of cardiovascular health (CVH), with MetS. Methods: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005–2018) data was extracted. The LE8 comprised 4 health behaviors (diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, and sleep health) and 4 health factors [body mass index (BMI), blood lipids, blood glucose, and blood pressure (BP)]. The total LE8 score is the average of 8 metric scores (0-100), categorized into low (0–49), moderate (50–79), and high CVH (80–100) levels. Multivariable logistic regression models, restricted cubic spline models and stratified analyses were performed to examine the relationship between LE8 and MetS. Results: In this study, a total of 21,543 participants represented 146.6 million non-institutionalized U.S. adults. Following adjustment for various potential covariates, participants who attained a moderate [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.234, 95% CI: 0.209, 0.262] or a high CVH level (AOR = 0.026, 95% CI: 0.021, 0.032) exhibited an inverse correlation with MetS risks when comparing those with a low CVH level. An inverse linear dose-response relationship between LE8 scores and MetS risks was also identified (P for nonlinearity > 0.05). Conclusions: LE8 was inversely associated with the risk of MetS. Adhering to LE8 guidelines to sustain a higher CVH level may be beneficial for preventing MetS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adsorption using biochar is a high-efficient method for removing dyes from wastewater, and it has become a hot research topic in recent years. Biochar produced from organic wastes through pyrolysis is a promising way to combine bioenergy recovery and dye removal. In this study, durian shell (DS) was used as a feedstock for biochar and bio-oil production under different pyrolysis temperatures (400, 500, and 600 °C) for bioenergy recovery. Then, the biochar was applied as the absorbent for methylene blue (MB) removal from wastewater under batch and continuous experiments. It was found that the bio-oil production was slightly affected by temperature, while the productivity of biochar decreased from 42.05% to 30.65% with the increase in pyrolysis temperature from 400 to 600 °C. Compared with the biochar produced at 500 °C (DS-500) and 600 °C (DS-600), the biochar obtained at 400 °C (DS-400) exhibited higher MB removal efficiency and adsorption capacity under various pH conditions due to the superior microstructure. A high pH condition was beneficial for the adsorption process with DS-400. Additionally, the MB removal efficiencies increased with the increase in biochar dosage by providing more activated sites. A high MB content can promote the adsorption process, but a too high MB content negatively affects the removal efficiency due to the sorption saturation. Adsorption processes are more likely to match a pseudo-second-order model by chemical reactions. In the long-term continuous experiment, MB can be effectively removed to match the discharge standard by DS-400. This study provided a sustainable pathway for organic waste disposal and dye wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To detect the alterations of the transcriptome in host cells infected by enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) and look for the genes involved in its infection so as to lay a foundation for the preliminary exploration of the infection mechanism. Methods The virus was inoculated into human rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) cells at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 0.01. After 24 h, RNA was extracted from the infected RD cells and control cells for transcriptome sequencing. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened and analyzed by using Gene Ontology (GO) functional enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Eight DEGs, EGR1, c-fos, ZNF625, ARRDC3, c-jun, ASNS, CHAC1 and ADM2 were validated by RT-qPCR. Results A total of 140 genes with at least 2-fold changes at expression level were identified from the sequencing results, of which 71 were up-regulated and 69 were down-regulated. The results of GO functional enrichment analysis mainly involved the regulation and response to ions while the results of KEGG enrichment analysis mainly related to parathyroid hormone synthesis, secretion and action, IL-17 and GnRH signaling pathway, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, and MAPK signaling pathway and so on. The RT-qPCR results showed that the trend of fold change of expression in the selected 8 genes was basically consistent with the sequencing results, and the expression levels of c-fos and c-jun were increased with the increase of virus MOI and infection duration. Conclusion By validating and using the functional and enrichment analysis, we infer that the mechanism of EV-D68 exacerbating asthma may be related to the up-regulation of c-fos, and MAPK signaling pathway may play a pro-inflammatory and antiviral role during EV-D68 infection.

Strategies to enhance autophagy flux have been suggested to improve outcomes in cardiac ischemic models. We explored the role of adiponectin in mediating cardiac autophagy under ischemic conditions induced by permanent coronary artery ligation. We studied the molecular mechanisms underlying adiponectin's cardio‐protective effects in adiponectin knockout (Ad‐KO) compared with wild‐type (WT) mice subjected to ischemia by coronary artery ligation and H9c2 cardiomyocyte cell line exposed to hypoxia. Systemic infusion of a cathepsin‐B activatable near‐infrared probe as a biomarker for autophagy and detection via noninvasive three‐dimensional fluorescence molecular tomography combined with computerized tomography to quantitate temporal changes, indicated increased activity in the myocardium of WT mice after myocardial infarction which was attenuated in Ad‐KO. Seven days of ischemia increased myocardial adiponectin accumulation and elevated ULK1/AMPK phosphorylation and autophagy assessed by Western blotting for LC3 and p62, an outcome not observed in Ad‐KO mice. Cell death, assessed by TUNEL analysis and the ratio of Bcl‐2:Bax, plus cardiac dysfunction, measured using echocardiography with strain analysis, were exacerbated in Ad‐KO mice. Using cellular models, we observed that adiponectin stimulated autophagy flux in isolated primary adult cardiomyocytes and increased basal and hypoxia‐induced autophagy in H9c2 cells. Real‐time temporal analysis of caspase‐3/7 activation and caspase‐3 Western blot indicated that adiponectin suppressed activation by hypoxia. Hypoxia‐induced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production and cell death were also attenuated by adiponectin. Importantly, the ability of adiponectin to reduce caspase‐3/7 activation and cell death was not observed in autophagy‐deficient cells generated by CRISPR‐mediated deletion of Atg7. Collectively, our data indicate that adiponectin acts in an autophagy‐dependent manner to attenuate cardiomyocyte caspase‐3/7 activation and cell death in response to hypoxia in vitro and ischemia in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spark discharge is essential for extracting energy from triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). However, the lack of universal technical standards for most discharge switches limits their widespread application. Herein, a buck circuit utilizing gas discharge tube (GDT) as discharge switches is presented. The GDT switch significantly enhances the instantaneous power to 30 mW, 15 times higher than the direct method. When VGDT (the breakdown voltage of GDT) ≤1000 V, it can be integrated with an LC converter, forming the GDTx‐Buck circuit with a maximum energy conversion efficiency of 92.2%. When VGDT >1000 V, GDT can combine with a transformer, forming the GDT‐nT circuit, which enables higher voltage power management. The results demonstrate GDT's universal applicability, reducing circuit complexity during design. In practical applications, the circuit can illuminate 1250 LEDs at an ultra‐low operating frequency of 0.6 Hz, generating electromagnetic waves during GDT breakover, which proves valuable for self‐powered wireless applications. Additionally, the circuit drives parallel calculators and thermometers at 2 Hz in micro‐nano energy applications and provides continuous power to high‐power fire sensors. Its high integration and simple design render it highly promising for large‐scale energy management applications based on TENGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microalgae cultivation using wastewater is a combined process for pollutant removal and lipid production that has been widely studied in recent years. In this study, the effects of anaerobic membrane effluent (AME) and municipal wastewater (MW) ratios on microalgae growth and pollutant removal processes were investigated, and the lipid production properties were also explored. Results show that microalgae can grow in all AME/WW ratios, and a 40% AME content is the optimal condition for microalgal biomass accumulation (52.9 mg/L·d) and lipid production (0.378 g/L). Higher AME addition would inhibit microalgae growth. In addition, high ammonia (approximately 97%) and phosphate (around 90%) removal efficiencies can be achieved in all AME/WW ratio conditions, while the total nitrogen removal efficiencies decreased with the addition of AME. Total nitrogen and phosphate are the limiting factors in treating water to meet the requirements of the integrated wastewater discharge standard. This study provided a new method for anaerobic digestion and municipal wastewater treatment and also realized green energy production based on the sustainable development principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Drug resistance is a prominent problem in the treatment of tuberculosis, so it is urgent to develop new anti- tuberculosis drugs. Here, we investigated the effects and mechanisms of cisplatin (DDP) on intracellular Mycobacterium smegmatis to tap the therapeutic potential of DDP in mycobacterial infection. Results: Macrophages infected with Mycobacterium smegmatis were treated with DDP alone or combined with isoniazid or rifampicin. The results showed that the bacterial count in macrophages decreased significantly after DDP (≤ 6 μg/mL) treatment. When isoniazid or rifampicin was combined with DDP, the number of intracellular mycobacteria was also significantly lower than that of isoniazid or rifampicin alone. Apoptosis of infected cells increased after 24 h of DDP treatment, as shown by flow cytometry and transmission electron microscopy detection. Transcriptome sequencing showed that there were 1161 upregulated and 645 downregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the control group and DDP treatment group. A Trp53-centered protein interaction network was found based on the top 100 significant DEGs through STRING and Cytoscape software. The expression of phosphorylated p53, Bax, JAK, p38 MAPK and PI3K increased after DDP treatment, as shown by Western blot analysis. Inhibitors of JAK, PI3K or p38 MAPK inhibited the increase in cell apoptosis and the reduction in the intracellular bacterial count induced by DDP. The p53 promoter Kevetrin hydrochloride scavenges intracellular mycobacteria. If combined with DDP, Kevetrin hydrochloride could increase the effect of DDP on the elimination of intracellular mycobacteria. In conclusion, DDP at low concentrations could activate the JAK, p38 MAPK and PI3K pathways in infected macrophages, promote the phosphorylation of p53 protein, and increase the ratio of Bax to Bcl-2, leading to cell apoptosis, thus eliminating intracellular bacteria and reducing the spread of mycobacteria. Conclusion: DDP may be a new host-directed therapy for tuberculosis treatment, as well as the p53 promoter Kevetrin hydrochloride. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of online education, piano online learning has become popular for its flexibility and convenience, but it lacks personalized instruction and real-time feedback. To solve this problem, this study uses support vector machine model to analyze the learning behavior data of learners and provides personalized learning path and real-time feedback mechanism, in order to improve the efficiency of piano online learning. The results show that AI-assisted system improves learners’ goal achievement rate and skill mastery rate by about 10% on average and effectively reduces the error rate. This study verifies the effectiveness of AI technology in piano online learning, indicating that it has important application value in improving learning efficiency and enhancing learning experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]