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Introduction Preliminary evidence from clinical observations suggests that Tai Chi exercise may offer potential benefits for patients with chronic coronary syndrom (CCS). However, the advantages for CCS patients to practice Tai Chi exercise as rehabilitation have not been rigorously tested and there is a lack of consensus on its benefits. This study aims to develop an innovative Tai Chi Cardiac Rehabilitation Program (TCCRP) for CCS patients and to assess the efficacy, safety and acceptability of the programme.Methods and analysis We propose to conduct a multicentre randomised controlled clinical trial comprising of 150 participants with CCS. The patients will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio into two groups. The intervention group will participate in a supervised TCCRP held three times a week for 3 months. The control group will receive supervised conventional exercise rehabilitation held three times a week for 3 months. The primary and secondary outcomes will be assessed at baseline, 1 month, 3 months after intervention and after an additional 3-month follow-up period. Primary outcome measures will include a score of 36-Item Short Form Survey and Chinese Perceived Stress Scale. The secondary outcome measures will include body composition, cardiopulmonary exercise test, respiratory muscle function, locomotor skills, echocardiogram, New York Heart Association classification, heart rate recovery time and laboratory examination. Other measures also include Seattle Angina Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 and Berg Balance Scale. All adverse events will be recorded and analysed.Ethics and dissemination This study conforms to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and relevant ethical guidelines. Ethical approval has been obtained from the Ethics Committee of Chinese People’s Libration Army General Hospital (approval number: S2019-060-02). Findings from this study will be published and presented at conferences for widespread dissemination of the results.Trial registration number NCT03936504.

Abstract The prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E) and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) has become a global public health problem. ESBL-E/CRE colonization can increase the risk of infection in patients and lead to poor disease prognosis. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate current decolonization strategies regarding ESBL-E/CRE and their efficacy. A literature search was conducted until August 2023 on the five databases to review decolonization strategies associated with ESBL-E/CRE. A meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.4 to compare differences in the decolonization strategy with placebo controls. The primary outcome was decolonization rates, with secondary outcomes of attributable death and adverse events. Quality of identified studies was determined using the Newcastle–Ottawa scale and cochrane risk assessment tool. Random and fixed effects meta-analyses were performed to calculate pooled value. A total of 25 studies were included. In five randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies, the decolonization effect of selective digestive decontamination(SDD) on ESBL-E/CRE at the end of treatment was significantly better in the experimental group than the controls [risk radio (RR): 3.30; 95% CI 1.78–6.14]. In three n-RCT studies, the decolonization effect in the experimental group was still better than the controls one month after SDD therapy [odds ratio (OR): 4.01; 95% CI 1.88–8.56]. The combined decolonization rates reported by six single-arm trial studies of SDD therapy ranged from 53.8 to 68.0%. Additionally, TSA analysis confirmed the effectiveness of SDD therapy. In studies on Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) therapy, the decolonization effect of the experimental group was significantly better than the controls 1 month after treatment (OR: 2.57; 95% CI 1.07–6.16). In studies without a control group and with varying follow-up times, the decolonization rates varied widely but indicated the effectiveness trend of FMT therapy (61.3–81.2%). Currently, research on the decolonization effect of probiotic therapy on ESBL-E/CRE is insufficient, and only a systematic review was conducted. SDD and FMT strategies have short-term benefits for ESBL-E/CRE decolonization, but long-term effects are unclear. The effect of probiotic therapy on ESBL-E/CRE decolonization is an interesting topic that still requires further investigation.

Field experiment was carried out at the Research Farm of Korea University, Republic of Korea to study effects of sulfur (S) fertilization on growth traits, yield and yield components of three Korean soybean varieties (Poongsunnamulkong, Saedanbaekkong and Daewonkong). Seeds were sown on black polythene mulched soil bed at the spacing of 15 X 60 cm both at control and sulfur fertilized (gypsum with 16% sulfur content at the rate of 200kg ha-1) plots following a Randomized Complete Block Design of the experiment applying three doses of sulfur together at the time of seed sowing and two doses together at V4 vegetative growth stage (4 nodes on the main stem beginning with the unifoliate node). The results showed that sulfur fertilization significantly increased all studied growth traits of three Soybean varieties except plant height when they all reached physiological maturity stage (120 DAS). It was also evident that sulfur fertilization in the form of gypsum can also increase the number and weight of soybean root nodules and enhance the ability of nitrogen fixation, and so reduce the input of nitrogen fertilizer. Similarly, all the studied yield and yield component related parameters were also significantly influenced by sulfur fertilization except seed number per pod and 100 seed weight. Varieties and sulfur fertilization also interacted significantly in all studied growth traits but the notable sole interaction effect was in plant height. Leaf area of Poongsunnamulkong and Saedanbaekkong variety increased significantly with sulfur fertilization while it was decreased significantly for Daewonkong. Similar trend was observed in their production of number of pods per plant and grain yield per plant indicating leaf area increment by sulfur fertilization played an important role in increasing yield of Poongsunnamulkong and Saedanbaekkong varieties though their performance was reverse in other growth traits. The improvement in growth and yield attributes after sulfur fertilization led to higher biological yield and enhanced seed yield.

Abstract Background Genetic variants in COL4A2 are less common than those of COL4A1 and their fetal clinical phenotype has not been well described to date. We present a fetus from China with an intronic variant in COL4A2 associated with a prenatal diagnosis of severe cerebral encephalomalacia and subdural hemorrhage. Methods Whole exome sequencing (WES) was applied to screen potential genetic causes. Bioinformatic analysis was performed to predict the pathogenicity of the variant. In in vitro experiment, the minigene assays were performed to assess the variant’s effect. Results In this proband, we observed ventriculomegaly, subdural hemorrhage, and extensive encephalomalacia that initially suggested cerebral hypoxic-ischemic and/or hemorrhagic lesions. WES identified a de novo heterozygous variant c.549 + 5G > A in COL4A2 gene. This novel variant leads to the skipping of exon 8, which induces the loss of 24 native amino acids, resulting in a shortened COL4A2 protein (p.Pro161_Gly184del). Conclusion Our study demonstrated that c.549 + 5G > A in COL4A2 gene is a disease-causing variant by aberrant splicing. This finding enriches the variant spectrum of COL4A2 gene, which not only improves the understanding of the fetal neurological disorders associated with hypoxic-ischemic and hemorrhagic lesions from a clinical perspective but also provides guidance on genetic diagnosis and counseling.

Abstract Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has been widely used to reveal the structures of proteins at atomic resolution. One key challenge is that almost all proteins are predominantly adsorbed to the air-water interface during standard cryo-EM specimen preparation. The interaction of proteins with air-water interface will significantly impede the success of reconstruction and achievable resolution. Here, we highlight the critical role of impenetrable surfactant monolayers in passivating the air-water interface problems, and develop a robust effective method for high-resolution cryo-EM analysis, by using the superstructure GSAMs which comprises surfactant self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and graphene membrane. The GSAMs works well in enriching the orientations and improving particle utilization ratio of multiple proteins, facilitating the 3.3-Å resolution reconstruction of a 100-kDa protein complex (ACE2-RBD), which shows strong preferential orientation using traditional specimen preparation protocol. Additionally, we demonstrate that GSAMs enables the successful determinations of small proteins (

Abstract 3-dB couplers, which are commonly used in photonic integrated circuits for on-chip information processing, precision measurement, and quantum computing, face challenges in achieving robust performance due to their limited 3-dB bandwidths and sensitivity to fabrication errors. To address this, we introduce topological physics to nanophotonics, developing a framework for topological 3-dB couplers. These couplers exhibit broad working wavelength range and robustness against fabrication dimensional errors. By leveraging valley-Hall topology and mirror symmetry, the photonic-crystal-slab couplers achieve ideal 3-dB splitting characterized by a wavelength-insensitive scattering matrix. Tolerance analysis confirms the superiority on broad bandwidth of 48 nm and robust splitting against dimensional errors of 20 nm. We further propose a topological interferometer for on-chip distance measurement, which also exhibits robustness against dimensional errors. This extension of topological principles to the fields of interferometers, may open up new possibilities for constructing robust wavelength division multiplexing, temperature-drift-insensitive sensing, and optical coherence tomography applications.

Abstract To detect the contaminate of faucets in hospitals and the splash during hand washing, and to explore the reasonable layout of hand washing pools. Two faucets with roughly the same spatial layout in the ICU of a third-class first-class general hospital were selected, and the farthest splashing distance and specific splashing points were measured by color paper. Samples were detected by ATP detection technology and routine microbial detection method, and the contaminate of faucets was analyzed. After 72 h of daily hand-washing activities, the furthest distance to the splash point was about 100 cm around the faucet, and the place 40–110 cm around the faucet was contaminated seriously. The farthest distance that the splash point reached was about 80 cm around the faucet with the center of the circle, and the area 40–60 cm around the faucet was heavily contaminated. The distance from the water outlet of the long handle and the short handle faucet to the detection point had a high negative correlation (r = − 0.811, P

Abstract In eukaryotes, the dynamic assembly of microtubules (MT) plays an important role in numerous cellular processes. The underlying mechanism of GTP triggering MT assembly is still unknown. Here, we present cryo-EM structures of tubulin heterodimer at their GTP- and GDP-bound states, intermediate assembly states of GTP-tubulin, and final assembly stages of MT. Both GTP- and GDP-tubulin heterodimers adopt similar curved conformations with subtle flexibility differences. In head-to-tail oligomers of tubulin heterodimers, the inter-dimer interface of GDP-tubulin exhibits greater flexibility, particularly in tangential bending. Cryo-EM of the intermediate assembly states reveals two types of tubulin lateral contacts, “Tube-bond” and “MT-bond”. Further, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations show that GTP triggers lateral contact formation in MT assembly in multiple sequential steps, gradually straightening the curved tubulin heterodimers. Therefore, we propose a flexible model of GTP-initiated MT assembly, including the formation of longitudinal and lateral contacts, to explain the nucleation and assembly of MT.

Background Dubin-Johnson syndrome (DJS), a rare autosomal recessive liver condition, is caused by biallelic loss-of-function mutations of the ABCC2 gene. This study aimed to investigate genetic variations in the drug efflux transporter ABCC2 (MRP2) gene in patients with DJS and to characterise the expression and mechanism of the ABCC2 gene variant.Methods Trio whole exome sequencing was performed in the family to identify the genetic causes. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to assess pathogenicity. In in vitro experiments, site-directed mutagenesis was used to introduce ABCC2 variants in constructs then expressed in HEK293T, HuH-7 and HepG2 cell lines. The expression of total and cell membrane MRP2 was quantified in cells expressing the wild-type or variant forms. Chloroquine and MG132 were used to evaluate the effects of p.R393W on lysosomal and/or proteasomal degradation.Results The twin probands carry DJS-associated variants c.1177C>T (rs777902199) in the ABCC2 gene inherited from the father and the c.3632T>C mutation in the other allele inherited from the mother. The ABCC2 variant, c.1177C>T, results in a p.R393W substitution in MRP2 that is highly conserved among vertebrates, drastically decreasing the expression of mutant protein by promoting proteasomal degradation. Another variant c.3632T>C results in a p.L1211P substitution in MRP2, decreasing the expression of membrane MRP2 but not changing the expression of total protein.Conclusion These results strongly suggest that the p.R393W variant affects the stability of the MRP2 protein and decreases its expression by ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal degradation, and the p.L1211P decreases the expression of membrane MRP2, indicating that these two variants, respectively, cause a loss-of-function of the MRP2 protein and membrane MRP2 ultimately leading to DJS development.

Fluoride induced reprotoxicity through oxidative stress-mediated reproductive cell death. Hence, the current study evaluated the importance of the MST/Nrf2/MAPK/NQO-HO1 signaling pathway in fluorosis-induced reproductive toxicity. For this purpose, the reproductive toxicity of sodium fluoride (NaF) at physiological, biochemical, and intracellular levels was evaluated. In-vivo, NaF at 100 mg/L instigated physiological dysfunction, morphological, stereological, and structural injuries in the gut-gonadal axis of fluorosis mice through weakening the antioxidant signaling, Nrf2/HO-1/NQO1signaling pathway, causing the gut-gonadal barrier disintegrated via oxidative stress-induced inflammation, mitochondrial damage, apoptosis, and autophagy. Similar trends were also observed in-vitro in the isolated Leydig cells (LCs) challenging with 20 mg/L NaF. Henceforth, activating the cellular antioxidant signaling pathway, Nrf2/HO-1/NQO1, inactivating autophagy and apoptosis, or attenuating lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can be the theoretical basis and valuable therapeutic targets for coping with NaF-induced reproductive toxicity.

Abstract Background Patients with a 5‐year recurrence‐free survival post liver resection for colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRLM) are considered to be potentially cured. However, there is a deficit of data on long‐term follow‐up and the recurrence status among these patients in the Chinese population. We analyzed real‐world follow‐up data of patients with CRLM who underwent hepatectomy, explored the recurrence patterns, and established a prediction model for a potential cure scenario. Methods Patients who underwent radical hepatic resection for CRLM during 2000–2016, with actual follow‐up data for at least 5 years, were enrolled. The observed survival rate was calculated and compared among the groups with different recurrence patterns. The predictive factors for 5‐year non‐recurrence were determined using logistic regression analysis; a recurrence‐free survival model was developed to predict long‐term survival. Results A total of 433 patients were included, of whom 113 patients were found non‐recurrence after 5 years follow‐up, with a potential cure rate of 26.1%. Patients with late recurrence (>5 months) and lung relapse showed significantly superior survival. Repeated localized treatment significantly improved the long‐term survival of patients with intrahepatic or extrahepatic recurrences. Multivariate analysis showed that RAS wild‐type CRC, preoperative CEA

Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) are widely distributed in the plant kingdom and play a vital role during the process of plant sexual reproduction. In this study, we performed a comprehensive identification of the PbrAGPs expressed in pear pollen and further explored their influences on pollen tube growth. Among the 187 PbrAGPs that were found to be expressed in pear pollen tubes, 38 PbrAGPs were specifically expressed in pollen according to the RNA-seq data. The PbrAGPs were divided into two groups of highly expressed and specifically expressed in pear pollen. We further tested their expression patterns using RT-PCR and RT-qPCR. Most of the PbrAGPs were expressed in multiple tissues and their expression levels were consistent with reads per kilobase per million map reads (RPKM) values during pollen tube growth, implying that PbrAGPs might be involved in the regulation of pear pollen tube growth. We also constructed phylogenetic trees to identify the functional genes in pear pollen tube growth. Therefore, 19 PbrAGPs (PbrAGP1 to PbrAGP19) were selected to test their influences on pollen tube growth. Recombinant proteins of the 19 PbrAGP-His were purified and used to treat pear pollen, and 11 of the PbrAGP-His recombinant proteins could promote pear pollen tube growth. Additionally, pollen tube growth was inhibited when the expression levels of PbrAGP1 and PbrAGP5 were knocked down using an antisense oligonucleotide assay. PbrAGP1 and PbrAGP5 were localized in the plasma membrane and might not alter the distribution of pectin in the pollen tube. In summary, this study identified the PbrAGPs expressed in pear pollen and lays the foundation for further exploring their functions in pollen tube growth.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the safety and efficacy of the thoracolumbar interfascial block (TLIPB) in percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP), and to confirm that the TLIPB further minimizes perioperative pain and residual back pain on the basis of local anesthesia.MethodFrom April 2021 to May 2022, 60 patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures were included in this prospective randomized controlled trial. Patients were randomly assigned to a local anesthesia group (A group) or a TLIPB on the basis of local anesthesia group (A + TLIPB group) before PKP. Pain level (visual analog scale, VAS), amount of analgesic rescue drugs (parecoxib), operative time, mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and complications were assessed and compared between the two groups.ResultsCompared with the A group, VAS scores were lower in the A + TLIPB group, respectively, when the trocar punctured the vertebral body (7.4 ± 0.7 vs. 4.5 ± 0.9; P

Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum (FOC), poses a serious threat to cucumber productivity. Compared to traditional chemical pesticides, biological control strategies have attracted more attention recently owing to their effectiveness against pathogens and their environmental safety. This study investigated the effect of white rot fungi Pleurotus ostreatus P5 on the production of cyclic lipopeptides (CLPs) of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens B2 and the potential co-culture filtrate of strains B2 and P5 to control cucumber Fusarium wilt. A PCR amplification of CLP genes revealed that B. amyloliquefaciens B2 had two antibiotic biosynthesis genes, namely, ituA and srf, which are involved in iturin A and surfactin synthesis. Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) revealed that CLPs derived from strain B2 contained two families, iturin A (C14, C15) and surfactin (C12–C17). The co-culture exhibited an enhanced accumulation of iturin A and surfactin compared to the monoculture of strain B2. Furthermore, the gene expressions of ituA and srf were both significantly upregulated when co-cultured with the fungus compared to monocultures. In an in vitro experiment, the co-culture filtrate and monoculture filtrate of B. amyloliquefaciens B2 inhibited mycelial growth by 48.2% and 33.2%, respectively. In a greenhouse experiment, the co-culture filtrate was superior to the monoculture filtrate in controlling cucumber Fusarium wilt disease and in the promotion of plant growth. Co-culture filtrate treatment significantly enhanced the microbial metabolic activity and decreased the abundance of FOC in the rhizosphere soil. These results show that the co-culture of P. ostreatus P5 and B. amyloliquefaciens B2 has great potential in cucumber Fusarium wilt disease prevention by enhancing the production of bacterial CLPs.

Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is a fatal inflammation with no effective treatment. Salidroside, a monomer isolated from the traditional Chinese medicine Rhodiola, has been shown cytoprotective roles in many inflammation-related diseases. However, whether salidroside plays a protective role in an acute inflammation like SAP in mice is unknown. In this study, we aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the pancreatic protection of salidroside. The results showed that salidroside attenuated caerulein with the LPS-induced pancreatic injury in a mouse model of SAP. Also, we found that salidroside ameliorated oxidative stress and inflammation responses in SAP mice. Furthermore, SAP mice treated with salidroside were associated with higher phosphorylation levels of Nrf2 and less nuclear accumulation of NF-κB p65. We further found that depletion of Nrf2 weakened the protective effect of salidroside in SAP mice. Collectively, salidroside mediated anti-oxidant stress and anti-inflammation in SAP mice partially through the Nrf2/NF-κB p65 pathway.

TCP proteins are plant-specific transcription factors, which are involved in a broad range of physiological processes of plant growth and development. However, the origin and evolutionary history of this gene family is not fully resolved. Here, we present a genome-wide survey of TCP genes in 59 species (including 42 genomes and 17 transcriptomes) covering all main lineages of green plants, and reconstruct the evolutionary history of this gene family. Our results suggested that the origin of TCP genes predated the emergence of land plants, possibly in the common ancestor of Phragmoplastophyta. The TCP gene family gradually experienced a continuous expansion and grew from a few members in algae, moss and lycophytes to dozens, and sometimes over 50 members in angiosperms. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that at least four subclades (Class I and three subclades of Class II) have been occurred in the ancestor of spermatophyte (seed plant). Both dispersed duplication and segmental duplication or whole-genome duplication (WGD) contributed significantly to the expansion of the TCP gene family over the course of evolution. Our findings provide a comprehensive evolutionary analysis of the TCP gene family and highlight the importance of gene duplications in the evolution of this plant-specific transcription factors.

Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury is a significant annual clinical threat. Reperfusion injury exacerbates this issue by causing an excessive overload of reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to heme degradation and dysfunction in mitochondrial complexes. Subsequently, this surge in ROS leads to mitochondrial damage, further compromising cardiomyocyte mitochondrial function and eventually causing cell death. Given its pivotal role, targeting ROS has emerged as a viable strategy for treating myocardial ischemic injury. One promising therapeutic intervention involves the use of nanomaterials to eliminate ROS. In this study, we synthesized a polyvinylpyrrolidone-modified ultrathin niobium carbide (Nb2C) MXene, which effectively alleviated myocardial IR injury by scavenging ROS and enhancing mitochondrial function. Nb2C demonstrated multiple enzymatic-like abilities, including catalase and superoxide dismutase, which offered effective protection against myocardial ischemic injury by neutralizing superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide. Furthermore, in the IR mice treated with Nb2C, mitochondrial injury was significantly reduced, and mitochondrial function was notably improved. Intravenous administration of Nb2C resulted in substantial recovery of cardiac function in IR mice and a marked reduction in the infarct area. This research offers insights into the potential of Nb2C MXene as a treatment for myocardial IR injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Few studies have focused on the role of hepatectomy for colorectal liver-limited metastases in elderly patients compared to matched younger patients. Methods From January 2000 to December 2018, 724 patients underwent hepatectomy for colorectal liver-limited metastases. Based on a 1:2 propensity score matching (PSM) model, 64 elderly patients (≥ 70 years of age) were matched to 128 younger patients ( 0.05). Old age was not an independent factor for DFS, OS, and CSS by Cox multivariate regression analysis (p > 0.05). Conclusions Hepatectomy is safe for colorectal liver-limited metastases in elderly patients, and these patients may subsequently benefit from prolonged DFS, OS, and CSS.

Abstract Background The mortality following pancreaticoduodenectomy has markedly decreased but remains an important challenge for the complexity of operation and technical skills involved. The present study aimed to clarify the impact of individualized pancreaticoenteric anastomosis and management to postoperative pancreatic fistula. Methods Data from 529 consecutive pancreaticoduodenectomies were retrospectively analysed from the Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery Unit I, Peking Cancer Hospital. The pancreaticoenteric anastomosis was determined based on the pancreatic texture and diameter of the main pancreatic duct. The amylase value of the drainage fluid was dynamically monitored postoperatively on days 3, 5 and 7. A low speed intermittent irrigation was performed in selected patients. Intraoperative and postoperative results were collected and compared between the pancreaticogastrostomy (PG) group and pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ) group. Results From 2010 to 2019, 529 consecutive patients underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy. Pancreaticogastrostomy was performed in 364 patients; pancreaticojejunostomy was performed in 150 patients respectively. The clinically relevant pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF) was 9.8% and mortality was zero. The soft pancreas, diameter of main pancreatic duct≤3 mm, BMI ≥ 25, operation time > 330 min and pancreaticogastrostomy was correlated with postoperative pancreatic fistula significantly. The CR-POPF of PJ was significantly higher than that of PG in soft pancreas patients; the operation time of PJ was shorter than that of PG significantly in hard pancreas patients. Intraoperative blood loss and operation time of PG was less than that of PJ significantly in normal pancreatic duct patients (p

In this work, magnetic tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA)-modified carboxyl–carbon nanotubes were synthesized, characterized, and used as adsorbents to conduct magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) for the preconcentration of seven local anesthetic drugs (procaine, lidocaine, mepivacaine, oxybuprocaine, bupivacaine, tetracaine, and cinchocaine) from human plasma. The separation and determination of analytes were performed on high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. Several factors affected the extraction efficiency, such as the amount of adsorbents used, extraction time, sample pH, and optimization of elution conditions. Under optimal conditions, satisfactory linear relationships were obtained in the range of 0.02–5.00 mg/L, with the limits of detection (LOD) ranging from 0.003 mg/L to 0.008 mg/L. The recoveries of analytes for spiked human plasma were in the range of 82.0–108%. Moreover, the precision with intra-day and inter-day RSD values were obtained in the range of 1.5–7.7% and 1.5–8.3%. The results indicated that this method could determine the concentration of seven local anesthetic drugs in human plasma with high precision and repeatability and provide support for the clinical monitoring of the concentration of local anesthetic drugs in human plasma.

Objective To provide a reference for the assessment of the disability grade of Kümmell’s disease cases, through the analysis of the basic situation, the disability grade and the causality of Kümmell’s disease cases. Methods Data of appraised individuals in 8 cases of Kümmell’s disease from traffic accident spinal injury cases accepted by the Institute from 2015 to 2017 were collected, and the basic situation, vertebral fracture sites and disability grades of the appraised individuals were analyzed. Results Among 8 cases of appraised individuals, there were 2 males and 6 females, the oldest 75 years and the youngest 50 years, with an average age of 62.5 years, all of whom suffered from single vertebral fracture. Among them, 1 patient had thoracic 11 vertebra fracture, 3 thoracic 12 vertebra fracture, 2 lumbar 1 vertebra fracture, 1 lumbar 2 vertebra fracture, and 1 lumbar 4 vertebra fracture, all of whom were assessed as grade 10 disability. Conclusion In the assessment of disability grade of vertebral fracture, dynamic observation of the vertebral fracture and its recovery should be made based on imaging data. If it is suspected that there is Kümmell’s disease, it should be differentiated from other diseases. Also, the disability grade will be assessed according to the corresponding standards when the morphology of the injured vertebral body is relatively stable.

High-quality specimen preparation plays a crucial role in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structural analysis. In this study, we have developed a reliable and convenient technique called the graphene sandwich method for preparing cryo-EM specimens. This method involves using two layers of graphene films that enclose macromolecules on both sides, allowing for an appropriate ice thickness for cryo-EM analysis. The graphene sandwich helps to mitigate beam-induced charging effect and reduce particle motion compared to specimens prepared using the traditional method with graphene support on only one side, therefore improving the cryo-EM data quality. These advancements may open new opportunities to expand the use of graphene in the field of biological electron microscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Increased sympathetic activity contributes to the development of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension. Exercise training lowers sympathetic activity and is beneficial for the prevention and treatment of hypertension and associated cognitive impairment. Increased BDNF expression in skeletal muscle, heart, and brain may contribute to these actions of exercise, but the mechanisms by which this occurs are unknown. We postulated that hypertension is associated with decreased hippocampal BDNF, which can be restored by exercise‐mediated upregulation of fibronectin type‐II domain‐containing 5 (FNDC5). Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar–Kyoto rats (WKY) were subjected to 5 weeks of motorized treadmill training. BDNF and FNDC5 expressions were measured in the left ventricle (LV), quadriceps, soleus muscle, and brain areas. Exercise training reduced blood pressure (BP) in both strains. BDNF and FNDC5 protein in the LV were increased in SHR, but exercise increased only BDNF protein in both strains. BDNF mRNA, but not protein, was increased in the quadriceps of SHR, and BDNF mRNA and protein were decreased by exercise in both groups. FNDC5 protein was higher in SHR in both the quadriceps and soleus muscle, whereas exercise increased FNDC5 protein only in the quadriceps in both strains. BDNF mRNA was lower in the dentate gyrus (DG) of SHR, which was normalized by exercise. BDNF mRNA expression in the DG negatively correlated with BP. No differences in FNDC5 expression were observed in the brain, suggesting that enhanced BDNF signaling may contribute to the cardiovascular and neurological benefits of exercise training, and these processes involve peripheral, but not central, FNDC5.