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Imatinib mesylate (IMA) belonging to the selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor family has been proven to induce cardiotoxic effects along with therapeutic strategies. Nrf2-dependent ferroptosis has been implicated in the cardiotoxicity induced by IMA. The present study was designed to investigate the protective effects of berberine hydrochloride (Ber) on cardiac injuries induced by IMA and to explore its potential mechanisms. In H9c2 cells, cell viability, the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and labile iron pool (LIP) levels were measured. In a mouse model of IMA-induced cardiomyopathy, serum biomarkers and cardiac tissues were examined. A western blot assay was performed to evaluate the expression of ferroptosis-related proteins

Virtual reality education App is the product of the application of virtual reality technology in education, it is a new paradigm of educational technology in the digital age. In this study, Kano model was used to assess the learners' needs for specific design elements in the virtual reality education App from the perspective of user needs. Through the survey method verification, the learner has the high expectation to 7 attributes, carries on the optimization design to these aspects to have the good effect. According to the results, the concrete design scheme of virtual reality education App is summarized in order to guide the development of virtual reality education App in the future.

Background: Atherosclerosis (AS) is an important pathological basis of many cardiovascular diseases. Canagliflozin and dapagliflozin have yielded impressive results in the treatment of cardiovascular disease in both diabetic and non-diabetic patients. In this study, we investigated their targets and mechanism involved in the treatment of atherosclerosis using network pharmacology. Methods: The potential targets of canagliflozin and dapagliflozin were gathered from the database PharmMapper. Targets associated with AS were derived from the GeneCards, Drugbank, DisGeNet, and therapeutic target databases (TTD) by searching for keywords on atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. Overlap targets were collected by uploading drug and disease targets into jvenn. The cross-targets of the Venny plots were uploaded to the STRING database, and a protein–protein interaction (PPI) was constructed with their calculated features, aiming to reveal several key targets. Key targets were selected by using a plug-in of the Cytoscape software. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were performed using the database Metascape. Cytoscape was used to set up the pathways-genes network. Molecular docking with core targets and drugs was performed with AutoDock. Results: A total of 288 canagliflozin targets, 287 dapagliflozin targets and 4939 AS-related targets were obtained. A total of 191 overlapping targets were found after intersecting. Five core targets, including protein kinase B (Akt1), Mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1), Mitogen-activated protein kinase 14 (MAPK14), Proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase SRC (SRC) and Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) were collected. Pathways, biological processes, molecular functions and cellular components of canagliflozin and dapagliflozin were found. Conclusion: Canagliflozin and dapagliflozin play a role in atherosclerosis by regulating Akt1, MAPK1, MAPK14, SRC and EGFR. Our research provides further insights into the use of canagliflozin and dapagliflozin in the treatment of atherosclerosis.

The clinical use of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), a potent antitumor agent, was limited by severe cardiotoxic effects. The present study was aimed to investigate the protective effects of resveratrol (Res) on 5-FU-induced cardiotoxicity and to explore its potential mechanisms.The cardiotoxicity model was intraperitoneal injection of 5-FU at the dose of 30 mg/kg for 7 consecutive days. Plasma enzymes activities, cardiac tissues were assessed after treatment with Res for 3 weeks. Ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) was used as ferroptosis inhibitor. In H9c2 cardiomyocyte cells, cell viability, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial activity and cellular Fe

The percentage of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in total hemoglobin (Hb) is an important index for the diagnosis of Type II diabetes (T2D) because it reflects the long-term glucose level in blood. Herein, employing a one-pot co-reduction approach using glutathione (GSH) as structure-directing agent, a cluster-like AuAg nanoparticle (AuAg NPs) material was synthesized, therefore an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) aptamer-sensor for HbA1c detection was developed based on functionalized electrode with this material. Meanwhile, the quantitative determination of total Hb was realized based on the quenching effect of Hb on the fluorescence (FL) of luminol. Under compatible conditions, the results of both indexes can be satisfactorily acquired. This multimodal detection system has a good linear response toward Hb from 0.1 to 2.5 μM and HbA1c from 0.005 to 0.5 μM. The blood test proves this strategy is capable of accurate Hb and HbA1c detection, thus to obtain the percentage of HbA1c in total Hb (HbA1c%), which has the potential application for clinical diagnosis of diabetes mellitus.

The use of non-thermal plasma at atmospheric pressure has emerged as a technique for the substrate-free, gas-phase synthesis of graphene nanoflakes (GNFs). In this paper, a non-thermal plasma based...

Objectives Resveratrol (Res) was a naturally occurring polyphenol compound. It has various beneficial effects, including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-cancer effects. However, the anti-cancer activity was hindered by its low targeting and drug release performance. Thus, we synthesized transferrin-cathepsin B cleavable peptide modified mesoporous silica nanoparticle encapsulated Res (Tf-Res-MSN). Methods Res was encapsulated in mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN), which was a kind of drug carrier complex. Tf was modified to recognize the cancer cells. Cathepsin B cleavable peptide (Pep) was used to combine Res-MSN complex and Tf to construct the final product. Pep was used as linker and trigger for Res release. Key findings The smart nanocarriers were increased the drug release performance of Res in human breast cancer (MCF-7) cells. The physicochemical properties of Tf-Res-MSN were assessed by zeta potential, UV-Prove, diffraction scanning calorimetry (DSC), nitrogen physisorption analysis and transmission electron microscope (TEM). MTT assay, AO and Annexin V-FITC/PI staining were performed to explore the anti-tumour activity of Tf-Res-MSN. The results showed that Tf-Res-MSN significantly decreased cell viability and increased cell apoptosis. The inhibition rate and apoptotic rate of Tf-Res-MSN in MCF-7 cells were 95.75% and 80.8%, respectively. Conclusion Our study demonstrated that Tf-Res-MSN was a valuable technique with potential value in breast cancer applications.

The major problems with cancer therapy are drug-induced side effects. There is an urgent need for safe anti-tumor drugs. Artemisinin is a Chinese herbal remedy for malaria with efficacy and safety. However, several studies reported that artemisinin causes neurotoxicity and cardiotoxicity in animal models. Recently, nanostructured drug delivery systems have been designed to improve therapeutic efficacy and reduce toxicity. Artemisinin has been reported to show anticancer properties. The anticancer effects of artemisinin appear to be mediated by inducing cell cycle arrest, promoting ferroptosis and autophagy, inhibiting cell metastasis. Therefore, the review is to concentrate on mechanisms and molecular targets of artemisinin as anti-tumor agents. We believe these will be important topics in realizing the potential of artemisinin and its derivatives as potent anticancer agents.

A novel approach for the preparation of few-layer graphene nano-flakes (GNFs) is presented in this paper. The GNFs are continuously synthesized by thermal decomposition of hydrocarbons using a magnetically rotating arc at atmospheric pressure. The effects of magnetic field, arc current, feedstock gas flow rate, and feedstock gas type on the morphologies and microstructures of pyrolysis products are investigated and discussed. Results show that the microscopic characteristics of pyrolysis products are affected by the operating parameters. High temperature and high hydrogen concentration are considered the essential condition for the formation of GNFs. The synthesized GNFs are agglomerative flakes, where each flake is between 50 and 300 nm. Material analyses indicates that the GNFs have excellent properties such as a good crystalline structure, a low number of layers, and a large specific surface area. This indicates that the GNFs could be applied in fuel cells and energy storages. This method is suitable for mass production of few-layer GNFs since it is a continuous process with a relatively high yield (∼14%) and a relatively low energy cost (∼0.4 kWh/g).

Imatinib Mesylate (IMA) has been widely used to treat with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). However, cardiotoxicity associated with IMA is included among the therapeutic strategies. The present study was aimed to discover whether ferroptosis, a programmed iron-dependent cell death, is involved in IMA-induced cardiotoxicity. In vivo, mouse model was established after treated with 25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg IMA. Serum CK, LDH, AST activities were determined. Cardiac tissues were examined by HE and Oil Red O staining. MDA was measured to assess production of lipid peroxide. Tissue iron and GSH content were measured. In vitro, cell viability, mitochondria membrane potential, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cellular iron levels were performed to explore the mechanism of IMA. The in vivo results revealed that IMA treatment significantly increased serum CK, LDH and AST. HE staining showed that IMA caused cardiac structural injuries. The dose-dependent decrease of GSH and increase of tissue iron and MDA were observed in IMA-treated groups. Oil Red O staining suggested obvious cardiac lipid accumulation after treated with IMA. In H9c2 cardiomyocytes, IMA significantly inhibited cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Mitochondria membrane potential assay showed that IMA destroyed the mitochondrial function. Additionally, IMA increased the cellular ROS and iron levels. Furthermore, IMA down-regulated the expression of Nrf2 and up-regulated the expression of P53 and TfR. These results provided compelling evidence that ferroptosis participates in IMA-induced cardiotoxicity. Ferroptosis could be regarded as a target to protect against cardiotoxicity in IMA-exposed patients.

BackgroundNo studies have reported on how to relieve distress or relax in medical health workers while wearing medical protective equipment in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The study aimed to establish which relaxation technique, among six, is the most feasible in first-line medical health workers wearing medical protective equipment.MethodsThis was a two-step study collecting data with online surveys. Step 1: 15 first-line medical health workers were trained to use six different relaxation techniques and reported the two most feasible techniques while wearing medical protective equipment. Step 2: the most two feasible relaxation techniques revealed by step 1 were quantitatively tested in a sample of 65 medical health workers in terms of efficacy, no space limitation, no time limitation, no body position requirement, no environment limitation to be done, easiness to learn, simplicity, convenience, practicality, and acceptance.ResultsKegel exercise and autogenic relaxation were the most feasible techniques according to step 1. In step 2, Kegel exercise outperformed autogenic relaxation on all the 10 dimensions among the 65 participants while wearing medical protective equipment (efficacy: 24 v. 15, no space limitation: 30 v. 4, no time limitation: 31 v. 4, no body position requirement: 26 v. 4, no environment limitation: 30 v. 11, easiness to learn: 28 v. 5, simplicity: 29 v. 7, convenience: 29 v. 4, practicality: 30 v. 14, acceptance: 32 v. 6).ConclusionKegel exercise seems a promising self-relaxation technique for first-line medical health workers while wearing medical protective equipment among COVID-19 pandemic.

Cardiac fibrosis is a major contributor for diabetic cardiomyopathy and Dendrobium officinale possessed therapeutic effects on hyperglycemia and diabetic cardiomyopathy. To further investigate the possible mechanisms of the Dendrobium officinale on diabetic myocardial fibrosis in mice. Water-soluble extracts of Dendrobium officinale (DOE) from dry stem was analyzed by HPLC and phenol-sulfuric acid method. Diabetic mice were induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) (30 mg/kg) for 4 consecutive days after intragastric administration of a high-fat diet (HFD) for 2 weeks. The groups were as follows: control group, model group, DOE low, medium, high dose group (75, 150, 300 mg/kg) and Metformin positive group (125 mg/kg). The results showed that DOE dose-dependently lower serum insulin, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and grew the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) after 12 weeks of daily administration with DOE. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and Sirius red staining showed obvious amelioration of cardiac injury and fibrosis. In addition, the result of immunoblot indicated that DOE increased the expression of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-α (PPAR-α), phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 (p-IRS1) and E-cadherin and repressed the expression of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (p-JNK), Twist, Snail1 and Vimentin. The present findings suggested that DOE ameliorated HFD/STZ-induced diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). The possible mechanism mainly associated with DOE accelerating lipid transport, inhibiting insulin resistant and suppressing fibrosis induced by epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT).

In this study, a cylindrical plasma generator with an axial magnetic field is constructed to obtain the magnetically stabilized gliding arc discharge (MSGAD). Using high speed photography, voltage waveform analysis and spectral diagnostics, the MSGAD physical characteristics, such as arc voltage, rotation speed, electric field, excitation/rotational temperature, etc., are investigated under different magnetic field. The experimental results reveal that as the magnetic field increases, the arc voltage, rotation speed, electric field and non-equilibrium level increase, and the MSGAD is more stable under the larger magnetic field. Additionally, carbon black nanoparticles with “crumpled paper sheet” structure are prepared by the MSGAD. The results indicate that the enhanced magnetic field can promote the transition from amorphous carbon to crystalline graphite. It is inferred that the transition is likely relevant to the rotation speed and electron energy of the arc plasma.

Potassium ion batteries (PIBs) have drawn considerable attention owing to the low cost and high natural abundance of potassium. However, risks associated with the extremely high activity of potassium metal have motivated the search for alternative anode materials with high performance and good safety. Herein, an essential element of the human body, vitamin K, is applied as an organic redox-active electrode material for PIBs. This biomolecule has a quinone structure with two active redox carbonyl groups, which can provide a theoretical specific capacity of 313.5 mA h g−1. After hybridization with graphene nanotubes (GNTs), the composite delivered a high reversible capacity of 300 mA h g−1 and maintained 222.3 mA h g−1 after 100 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g−1 with a coulombic efficiency of ∼99%. Moreover, at higher current densities of 200, 500, and 1000 mA g−1, it maintained high discharge capacities of 203, 181, and 165 mA h g−1, respectively. The enhanced electrochemical performance of the composite might be attributed to the improved electronic conductivity and inhibition of vitamin K dissolution into the organic electrolyte. This biomolecule-based electrode offers a new alternative approach to the development of PIBs.

A cluster-like AuAg alloy hollow-nanoparticles (HNPs), synthesized by facile one-pot co-reduction under the guidance of bovine serum albumin (BSA), enhanced the electrochemiluminescence (ECL) of luminol, thus to be served as the sensing matrix of the enzymatic glucose biosensor. The prepared HNPs were characterized by electronic microscopy, UV–Vis spectrometry, IR spectrometry, X-ray diffraction analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and electrochemistry. Using hydrolyzed APTMS to connect AuAg HNPs on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass, the synergistic effect between two metals makes it had 20 multiple enhancement of ECL, and shows sensitive response toward reactive oxygen species. After loading GOD on this matrix to build the glucose sensor, it has a wide linear response range for the glucose from 5.0 μM to 1.0 mM with a detection limit as 0.40 μM. It can be applied for noninvasive detection of glucose with saliva as specimen, the results indicated the high-degree correlation of glucose contents between saliva and blood.

Herein, a novel cell-based electrochemiluminescent (ECL) sensing matrix was developed for probing reactive oxygen species (ROSs) produced from mouse macrophage cells. Uniformly sized Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) with an average diameter of 16 nm were decorated on the surface of indium tin oxide (ITO) glass through the connection of hydrolyzed 3-aminopropyl trimethoxysilane (APTMS) serving as a sensor substrate. Then, the surface was covered with a poly-l-lysine thin film, where mouse macrophage cells were successfully cultured. The morphology of the electrodes obtained was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, and their electrochemical properties were investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. A linear response was observed from the AuNPs/APTMS/ITO substrate with a sensitivity of 0.465 units per mg/l of H(2)O(2), and a higher sensitivity of 207 units per mg/l of zymosan. Thereafter, a factor of 84 molecules of H(2)O(2) produced by a single glycogen was estimated. The results demonstrated that the ECL response of this cell-based sensor quantitatively correlated with yielded ROSs during cell oxygen metabolism under the stimulation of zymosan. This work suggests that the prepared sensing matrix is efficient for monitoring the oxygen metabolism of living cells and can be applied in biological and clinical fields to provide significant information on the regular or abnormal function of cells.

A non-thermal plasma source based on magnetically stabilized gliding arc discharge (MSGAD) was used to prepare carbon nanoparticles via methane decomposition. Spherical carbon nanoparticles (SCNs), few-layer graphene nanoflakes (GNFs), and nitrogen-doped carbon nanoparticles were obtained. The results showed that the product microstructure was influenced by the buffer gas. In pure methane and argon, the products were a mixture of SCNs and GNFs. In helium and hydrogen, all products were highly crystalline GNFs with low defects, few layers, large BET surface areas, and excellent thermal stability. Under a nitrogen atmosphere, nitrogen-doped nanoparticles were formed, and the products were a mixture of GNFs, disordered graphitic layers, and tiny spots similar to carbon dots. The formation of GNFs was possibly related to the high input power and abundant hydrogen atoms, while the complex product morphology obtained under a nitrogen atmosphere was likely caused by the incorporation of nitrogen atoms.

Few-layer graphene nano-flakes (GNFs) are successfully prepared via hydrocarbon pyrolysis using a non-thermal plasma process based on a magnetically stabilized gliding arc discharge (MSGAD) at atmospheric pressure. The effects of feedstock gas type and hydrogen flow rate on the morphology of carbon nanomaterials are investigated. When the hydrogen/carbon (H/C) molar ratio is 4, the synthesized GNFs consist of 10 layers per stack with dimensions between 100 and 300 nm in a 4.57.2% yield. The energy cost is 0.1–0.2 kWh/g, which makes this process feasible for large-scale GNFs production. The results show that appropriately increasing the H/C molar ratio promotes the morphological transformation of carbon nanomaterials from spherical carbon nanoparticles (SCNs) to GNFs, improve the quality of GNFs and reduce the stacking of graphite layers. However, increasing the H/C ratio reduces the yields of carbon nanomaterials, so as to increase the energy cost. Analysis suggests that increasing the H/C ratio reduces the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and generates more H atoms, which helps form a two-dimensional nucleation and promotes planar growth. However, an excessive H/C ratio may introduce some defects due to an etching effect.

A novel non-thermal plasma process based on magnetically stabilized gliding arc discharge (MSGAD) is developed for continuous synthesis of carbon nano-onions (CNOs). CNOs with a diameter range of 70–200 nm are continuously prepared by propane decomposition. Results indicate that with increased residence time in the plasma region, the product morphology gradually changes from graphene nanoflakes (GNFs) to CNOs. It is proposed that CNOs synthesis mainly includes three stages: formation of GNFs, curving and closure of multiple GNFs, further graphitization. In addition, H2 content has a key role in CNOs formation since hydrogen has a significant effect on the formation and morphology of GNFs.

A thermal plasma process at atmospheric pressure is an attractive method for continuous synthesis of graphene flakes. In this paper, a magnetically rotating arc plasma system is employed to investigate the effects of buffer gases on graphene flakes synthesis in a thermal plasma process. Carbon nanomaterials are prepared in Ar, He, Ar-H2, and Ar-N2 via propane decomposition, and the product characterization is performed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and the Brunauer&ndash, Emmett&ndash, Teller (BET) method. Results show that spherical particles, semi-graphitic particles, and graphene flakes coexist in products under an Ar atmosphere. Under an He atmosphere, all products are graphene flakes. Graphene flakes with fewer layers, higher crystallinity, and a larger BET surface area are prepared in Ar-H2 and Ar-N2. Preliminary analysis reveals that a high-energy environment and abundant H atoms can suppress the formation of curved or closed structures, which leads to the production of graphene flakes with high crystallinity. Furthermore, nitrogen-doped graphene flakes with 1&ndash, 4 layers are successfully synthesized with the addition of N2, which indicates the thermal plasma process also has great potential for the synthesis of nitrogen-doped graphene flakes due to its continuous manner, cheap raw materials, and adjustable nitrogen-doped content.

While aging is associated with increased knowledge, it is also associated with decreased semantic integration. To investigate brain activation changes during semantic integration, a sample of forty-eight 25-75 year-old adults read sentences with high cloze (HC) and low cloze (LC) probability while functional magnetic resonance imaging was conducted. Significant age-related reduction of cloze effect (LC vs. HC) was found in several regions, especially the left middle frontal gyrus (MFG) and right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), which play an important role in semantic integration. Moreover, when accounting for global gray matter volume reduction, the age-cloze correlation in the left MFG and right IFG was absent. The results suggest that brain structural atrophy may disrupt brain response in aging brains, which then show less brain engagement in semantic integration.