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Abstract Background By combining high-frequency and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), the position of the severed end of a finger extensor tendon injury and the injury classification can be determined as part of a comprehensive preoperative evaluation in clinical practice. However, there have been no reports of high-frequency ultrasound combined with CEUS for the preoperative diagnosis of human finger extensor tendon injury. Cases presentation One case of complete rupture of the extensor tendon was diagnosed by ultrasound, which was completely consistent with the surgery; one case of incomplete rupture was ultimately confirmed clinically; and one case of distal phalangeal bone base avulsion fracture with tendon contusion and missed diagnosis on the first radiographic examination was confirmed by follow-up radiographic examination. Conclusions Different types of finger extensor tendon injuries exhibit distinctive contrast-enhanced ultrasonography findings. Combined high-frequency and contrast-enhanced ultrasound can accurately locate the position of the severed end of the finger extensor tendon injury before surgery while observing the contrast agent filling area to clarify injury classification, providing a reliable imaging basis for clinical practice and ultimately developing personalized diagnosis and treatment plans for patients to ensure minimal trauma and pain, as well as optimal treatment effects.

Heatstroke is a condition caused by overheating of the body that leads to severe central nervous system dysfunction. Although there have been numerous studies on the pathological process of heatstroke, effective treatment methods are lacking. Astragaloside IV can protect the brain from inflammation and brain damage in various inflammation-related diseases, but it has not yet been used clinically for the treatment of heatstroke. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the neuroprotective effect of Astragaloside IV on heatstroke-induced central nervous system damage and its mechanism. Brain injury model under heatstroke was established using artificial climate simulation cabin. By scoring neurological deficits, performing histological and immunofluorescence staining of microglia, and detecting cytokine levels, we determined that Astragaloside IV alleviated brain injury and neuroinflammation. To further explore the potential molecular mechanism, RNA sequencing was performed to investigate the differences in the brain. The results revealed that the PI3K/AKT pathway is involved. In vitro experiments further confirmed that Astragaloside IV can abrogate the phenotypic changes in microglia induced by heatstroke. Moreover, Astragaloside IV promotes the polarization of M2 microglia by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway. In summary, these results indicate that Astragaloside IV alleviates neuroinflammation and brain injury induced by heatstroke through the PI3K/AKT pathway. Astragaloside IV is a commonly used therapeutic agent in the clinic, but its use in the treatment of heatstroke-induced brain injury has not been explored. This study reveals that Astragaloside IV may be a new therapeutic agent for the treatment of heatstroke-induced brain injury.

Studies regarding vegetation phenology variations along the urban-rural gradients (URGs) that rely on the binary classification of “urban-rural” cannot reveal fine-scale spatial heterogeneity. In this study, we selected the urban area of Dalian as an example and combined the urban spatial structure with vegetation phenology through local climate zones (LCZs), then investigated the spatial patterns and differences along the URGs to reveal the spatial heterogeneity of fine-scale vegetation phenology. The building LCZ types were radially concentrated, whereas that of natural LCZ types were relatively scattered. The start of growing season (SOS) and the end of growing season (EOS) were concentrated between 100–180 days and 260–330 days, respectively, with significant spatial heterogeneity. The percentage of building LCZ types exhibited a progressively diminishing tendency along the URGs, whereas the percentage of natural LCZ types exhibited a contrasting pattern. The SOS was typically delayed by 0.49 days, and the EOS was advanced by 0.41 days for every 1 km increase in distance. The SOS of building LCZ types was significantly earlier than that of natural LCZ types, while their EOS was not significantly different. This study relates the urban spatial structure with the vegetation phenology through LCZs, attempting to reveal the influence of urban spatial structure on vegetation phenology, which is of great significance for guiding the production of intelligent agriculture, enhancing land resource use efficiency, and monitoring dynamic urban ecological environment.

Abstract Numerous studies have substantiated the substantial impact of COVID-19 on metro travel, which is expected to gradually recover once the pandemic is controlled. Given the potentially more severe repercussions of COVID-19 on vulnerable groups like the elderly and people with disabilities, recovery patterns may differ significantly among various demographic segments. However, limited research has addressed this notable disparity. To address this gap, we collected metro travel data in Wuhan from March 2019 to April 2021. We analyzed changes in travel characteristics among different groups, such as the elderly, people with disabilities, commuters, school students, and others, before and after the pandemic. By employing interrupted time series analysis, we explored the short-term impact of the pandemic on different groups and their long-term recovery trajectories. We also investigated the factors influencing the recovery of metro travel among diverse demographic groups. The findings indicate the following: (1) All groups experienced a sharp decline in travel ridership and frequency in the short term due to the pandemic. (2) There are distinct variations in long-term ridership recovery among different groups, with commuters and school students showing the quickest recovery. However, ridership among people with disabilities remained below pre-pandemic levels even a year after the pandemic. (3) Given the inherent spatiotemporal regularity in residents’ daily activities, post-pandemic metro travel patterns closely align with the pre-pandemic patterns. (4) Different built environment factors exert varying degrees of influence on the recovery of metro ridership among different groups, and distinctions are evident between weekdays and weekends. These findings enhance our comprehension of the pandemic’s impact on diverse demographic groups, which can guide government agencies and urban planners in formulating more resilient strategies for rail transit operations and land use optimization.

Abstract N‐glycosylation has important implications for the physicochemical properties and biochemical activity of breast milk proteins. However, an in‐depth characterization of site‐specific N‐glycans in breast milk serum proteins is lacking. In this study, 875 site‐specific N‐glycans attached to 114 serum glycoproteins from breast colostrum (BC) and 427 site‐specific N‐glycans attached to 60 serum glycoproteins from breast mature milk (BM) were identified and quantified using label‐free site‐specific glycoproteomics. Among them, 24 site‐specific N‐glycans mapping to 11 N‐glycosites on 9 glycoproteins were significantly increased, and 76 site‐specific N‐glycans mapping to 19 N‐glycosites on 13 glycoproteins were significantly decreased. Gene ontology annotation analysis showed that BC and BM serum N‐glycoproteins were mainly enriched in complement activation, classical pathway, extracellular exosome part, and immunoglobulin receptor binding. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis revealed that BC and BM serum N‐glycoproteins were mainly involved in the PI3K‐Akt signaling pathway. Additionally, breast milk serum N‐glycoproteins carried fucosylated core structures as well as Lewis and sialylated branch structures that may contribute to neonatal retinal homeostasis. These results provide a molecular basis for understanding the unique biological activities of breast milk serum N‐glycoproteins.

The consensus problem in stochastic multi-agent systems (MASs) with Markovian switching is addressed by proposing a novel distributed dynamic event-triggered (DDET) technique based on periodic sampling to reduce information transmission. Unlike traditional event-triggered control, the proposed periodic sampling-based DDET method is characterized by the following three advantages: (1) The need for continuous monitoring of the event trigger is eliminated. (2) Zeno behavior in stochastic MASs is effectively prevented. (3) Communication costs are significantly reduced. Based on this, sufficient conditions for achieving consensus in the mean-square sense are derived using Lyapunov–Krasovskii functions, providing a solid theoretical foundation for the proposed strategy. The effectiveness of the proposed DDET control is validated through two numerical examples.

This systematic review rigorously explores the reciprocal relationship between teacher leadership and self-efficacy across a range of educational and cultural settings. Drawing on eleven peer-reviewed studies from 2013 to 2024 and guided by the PRISMA framework, the analysis substantiates a robust, bidirectional link: teacher leadership significantly bolsters self-efficacy, which, in turn, profoundly impacts educational practices and outcomes. The dynamics of this relationship exhibit considerable variation across cultural divides, with collectivist settings predominantly favoring a collaborative approach that enhances collective efficacy and teamwork, whereas individualistic contexts tend to prioritize personal achievement and empowerment. The findings highlight the imperative for culturally tailored professional development programs and affirm the critical influence of teacher self-efficacy in driving educational innovation and reform. Despite the richness of the insights presented, the studies’ limited sample sizes and the specificity of their educational contexts may temper the broader applicability of the conclusions. This review recommends that future research adopt longitudinal and mixed-methods approaches to deepen the understanding of these interactions across diverse cultural landscapes, thereby enriching the theoretical and practical implications for global educational advancement.

Abstract The severity of heat stroke (HS) is associated with intestinal injury, which is generally considered an essential issue for HS. Heat acclimation (HA) is considered the best strategy to protect against HS. In addition, HA has a protective effect on intestinal injuries caused by HS. Considering the essential role of gut microbes in intestinal structure and function, we decided to investigate the potential protective mechanism of HA in reducing intestinal injury caused by HS. HA model was established by male C57BL/6J mice (5–6 weeks old, 17–19 g) were exposed at (34 ± 0.7)°C for 4 weeks to establish an animal HA model. The protective effect of HA on intestinal barrier injury in HS was investigated by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and nontargeted liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry (LC‐MS) metabolomics. According to the experimental results, HA can change the composition of the gut microbiota, which increases the proportion of lactobacilli, faecal bacteria, and urinobacteria but decreases the proportion of deoxycholic acid. Moreover, HA can reduce liver and kidney injury and systemic inflammation caused by HS and reduce intestinal injury by enhancing the integrity of the intestinal barrier. In addition, HA regulates inflammation by inhibiting NF‐κB signalling and increasing tight junction protein expression in HS mice. HA induces changes in the gut microbiota, which may enhance tight junction protein expression, thereby reducing intestinal inflammation, promoting bile acid metabolism, and ultimately maintaining the integrity of the intestinal barrier. In conclusion, HA induced changes in the gut microbiota. Among the gut microbiota, lactobacilli may play a key role in the potential protective mechanism of HA.

As the backbone of passenger transportation in many large cities around the world, it is particularly important to explore the association between the built environment and metro ridership to promote the construction of smart cities. Although a large number of studies have explored the association between the built environment and metro ridership, they have rarely considered the spatial and temporal heterogeneity between metro ridership and the built environment. Based on metro smartcard data, this study used EM clustering to classify metro stations into five clusters based on the spatiotemporal travel characteristics of the ridership at metro stations. And the GBDT model in machine learning was used to explore the nonlinear association between the built environment and the ridership of different types of stations during four periods in a day (morning peak, noon, evening peak, and night). The results confirm the obvious spatial heterogeneity of the built environment’s impact on the ridership of different types of stations, as well as the obvious temporal heterogeneity of the impact on stations of the same type. In addition, almost all built environment factors have complex nonlinear effects on metro ridership and exhibit obvious threshold effects. It is worth noting that these findings will help the correct decisions be made in constructing land use measures that are compatible with metro functions in smart cities.

Abstract Background Civilian nurses have gradually become the main body of military nurses. Our study aimed to understand their occupational happiness and its influencing factors. Methods This descriptive study was conducted with 319 civilian nurses working in 15 military hospitals in China. Based on literature review, expert consultation and combined with the characteristics of civilian positions, this study developed a questionnaire on occupational happiness of civilian nurses in military hospitals. The questionnaire includes 7 dimensions as follows: work emotion, salary, work environment, professional identity, work output, interpersonal relationship, well‑being. The demographic questionnaire and occupational well-being questionnaire of civilian nurses in military hospitals were analysed by t-test, analysis of variance and Pearson correlation analysis. Results The occupational happiness score (3.83 ± 0.56, upper limit score: 5) was at the upper middle level. There were significant differences in occupational well-being by gender (t = -2.668, p = 0.008), age (F = 5.085, p = 0.007) and the type of city where the hospital was located (F = 15.959, p

Abstract We compared the relationship between sedentary activity (SA) and physical activity (PA) with bone mineral density (BMD) and body fat percentage in the United States and found a negative association between SA and BMD and a positive association with body fat percentage. A positive association between PA and BMD and a negative association with body fat percentage. SA and PA are associated with changes in skeletal parameters and body fat percentage, and we aimed to investigate and compare the relationship between SA, PA and bone mineral density (BMD) and body fat percentage in men and women. We assessed the relationship between SA, PA and BMD and body fat percentage in 9787 Americans aged 20–59 years (mean age 38.28 ± 11.39 years) from NHANES 2011–2018. BMD and body fat percentage were measured by dual-energy X-ray bone densitometry (DXA). We used multiple linear regression models to examine the relationships between SA, PA and lumbar spine BMD and total body fat percentage, adjusted for a large number of confounding factors. After adjusting for race/ethnicity, age, alcohol and smoking behavior, body mass index (BMI), total protein, blood calcium, blood uric acid, cholesterol, blood phosphorus, vitamin D, and blood urea nitrogen, SA was negatively associated with lumbar spine BMD (β = − 0.0011 95% CI − 0.0020 to − 0.0002, P = 0.022), and SA was positively associated with total fat percentage (β = PA was positively associated with lumbar BMD (β = 0.0046 95% CI 0.0010 to 0.0082, P = 0.012) and there was a negative association between PA and body fat percentage (β = − 1.177 95% CI − 1.326 to –1.027, P

Purpose: Eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1α2 (eEF1A2) promotes tumour progression in various cancers. We performed a pan-cancer analysis of eEF1A2 and explored its role in thyroid carcinoma (THCA). Methods: Databases from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), the University of Alabama at Birmingham Cancer data analysis Portal (UALCAN), and the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) were used to investigate the differential expression of eEF1A2 in pan-cancer. The pathological stage, prognostic characteristics, tumour microenvironment (TME), tumour mutational burden (TMB), and microsatellite instability (MSI) were analysed in diverse tumours with different expression levels of eEF1A2. The expression levels in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and its specific role in cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and cell glycolysis in PTC cells were verified by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), immunohistochemistry, cell counting kit-8, colony formation, wound healing, Transwell assay, and lactate acid and glucose assays.Results:eEF1A2 was differentially expressed in various malignant tumour tissues compared to control tissues and was associated with poor pathological stage and prognosis in most types of tumours. Moreover, eEF1A2 expression closely correlated with the infiltration of immunosuppressive cells, TMB, and MSI in some tumour types. Expression of eEF1A2 in PTC is higher than the para-carcinoma, and eEF1A2 downregulation suppressed TPC-1 and BCPAP cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and glycolysis. Conclusion: Our study suggests that the expression of eEF1A2 is related to the prognosis and immune infiltration of some tumours and may be a predictor of prognosis and immunotherapy. eEF1A2 could promote malignant behaviour of PTC cells.

Objective: In recent decades, thyroid cancer (TC) has exhibited a rising incidence pattern. Elevated levels of the transcription factor FOXP4 have been strongly linked to the progression of diverse tumors; nevertheless, its specific role in thyroid cancer remains underexplored. The primary objective of this study was to elucidate the functions of FOXP4 and its associated target gene, FBXW7, in the context of thyroid cancer. Methods: FOXP4 and FBXW7 expression levels in TC tissues and cell lines were assessed through immunohistochemistry and RT-qPCR analyses. The functional aspects of FOXP4, including its effects on cell proliferation, migration capabilities, cell cycle regulation, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), were investigated. Furthermore, the interaction between FOXP4 and FBXW7 was confirmed using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. The impact of FBXW7 on FOXP4-mediated cellular phenotypes was subsequently examined. Additionally, the in vivo role of FOXP4 and FBXW7 in tumor growth was elucidated through the establishment of a murine tumor model. Results: Elevated levels of FOXP4 were observed in papillary carcinoma tissues, and patients exhibiting high FBXW7 levels showed a more favorable prognosis. KTC-1 cells displayed a concomitant increase in FOXP4 expression and decrease in FBXW7 expression. FOXP4 overexpression in these cells enhanced cell proliferation, migration capabilities, and EMT. The interaction between the FOXP4 protein and the FBXW7 promoter was confirmed, and the effects of FOXP4 were mitigated upon overexpression of FBXW7. Furthermore, knockdown of FOXP4 led to decelerated growth of transplanted tumors and increased FBXW7 levels within the tumors. Conclusion: The findings of the current study underscore the regulatory role of FOXP4 in the transcription of FBXW7 and establish a clear link between aberrations in FBXW7 expression and the manifestation of malignant phenotypes in highly aggressive TC cells.

Abstract To determine the pattern of intra-articular calcaneal fractures (ICFs) by a three-dimensional (3D) mapping and determine whether there were consistent fracture patterns and comminution zones. In this study, 67 patients with ICFS by CT scan were included. The calcaneal fractures fragments in CT were multiplanar reconstructed and virtual reduced. 3D heat mapping was subsequently created by graphically superimposing all fracture lines onto a standard calcaneal template. The cohort included 26 (38.8%) left calcaneal fractures, 27 (40.30%) right calcaneal fractures, and 14 (20.9%) cases with bilateral fractures. Comminuted fractures accounted for 92.5%. Sagittal 3D mapping shows that the fracture line is mainly concentrated at the critical angle of Gissane and extending rear to the posterior of the tuberosity of the lateral wall and the anterior of the medial process of the calcaneus tuberosity but with more significant variation in the medial wall. The average angle of fracture lines concerning the long calcaneal axis (LCA) was 29.1° and 19.2° in the lateral and medial walls. Axial 3D mapping shows that fracture lines were primarily concentrated in the anterior area to the posterior joint facet and extending along the rear joint facet and calcaneus sulcus to the posteriorly of the tuberosity. The mean angle of fracture lines concerning the LAC was 11° in the axial wall. Our data provided elucidated that ICFs have consistent characteristic fracture patterns and comminution zones. This study provides visual guidelines for understanding fracture morphology, which may assist with fracture classification, preoperative planning, development of fixation concepts.

Abstract Background Kai-Xin-San (KXS) has been reported to have a good curative impact on dementia. The purpose of the study was to determine whether KXS might ameliorate cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 mice and to evaluate its neuroprotective mechanism. Methods APP/PS1 mice were employed as an AD animal model; Aβ1–42 and KXS-containing serum were used in HT22 cells. Four different behavioral tests were used to determine the cognitive ability of mice. Nissl staining was utilized to detect hippocampal neuron changes. ROS, SOD, and MDA were used to detect oxidative stress levels. Transmission electron microscopy and Western blot were used to evaluate mitochondrial morphology, mitochondrial division, and fusion state. Western blotting and immunofluorescence identified PSD95, BDNF, NGF, SYN, SIRT3, and NLRP3 inflammasome levels. Results The results indicated that KXS protected APP/PS1 mice against cognitive impairments. KXS suppressed neuronal apoptosis and oxidative stress among APP/PS1 mice. KXS and KXS-containing serum improved mitochondrial dysfunction and synaptic and neurotrophic factors regarding APP/PS1 mice. In addition, KXS and KXS-containing serum enhanced mitochondrial SIRT3 expression and reduced NLRP3 inflammasome expression in APP/PS1 mice. Conclusion KXS improves cognitive dysfunction among APP/PS1 mice via regulating SIRT3-mediated neuronal cell apoptosis. These results suggested that KXS was proposed as a neuroprotective agent for AD progression.

Objective: Thyroid cancer (THCA) is the most common endocrine cancer in the world. Although most patients with THCA have a good prognosis, the prognosis of those with THCA who have an extra-glandular invasion, vascular invasion, and distant metastasis is poor. Therefore, it is very important to find potential bioma rkers that can effectively predict the prognosis and progression of highly aggressive THCA s. It has been identified that forkhead box P4 (FOXP4) may be a new biomarker for the pro liferation and prognosis for tumor diagnosis. However, the expression and function of FOXP4 in THCA remain to be determined. Methods: In the present study, the function of FOXP4 in cells was investigated through the comprehensive analysis of data in The Cancer Genome Atlas and combined with experiments including immunohistochemistry (IHC), colony formation, Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, wound scratch healing, and transwell invasion assay. Results: In the present study, relevant bioinformatic data showed that FOXP4 was highly expressed in THCA, which was consistent with the results of the IHC and cell experiments. Meanwhile, 10 FOXP4-related hub genes were identifi ed as potential diagnostic genes for THCA. It was found in further experiments that FOXP4 was located in the nucleus of THCA cells, and the expression of FOXP4 in the nucleus was higher than that in the cytoplasm. FOXP4 knockdown inhibited in vitro proliferation of the THCA cells, whereas overexpression promoted the proliferation and migration of THCA cells. Furthermore, deficiency of FOXP4 induced cell-cycle arrest. Conclusion: FOXP4 might be a potential target for diagnosing and treating THCA.

Objective: Heatstroke (HS) is a severe acute disease related to gastrointestinal barrier dysfunction, systemic inflammation and multiple organ injury. Many of the functions of Intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) have been linked to gut homeostasis, gut barrier function and inflammation. However, the protective effect of IAP on heatstroke is not fully elucidated. This study aims to explore the protective effect of IAP on heatstroke by maintaining intestinal barrier and improving permeability. Methods: Male C57BL/6 mice were placed in a controlled climate chamber (ambient temperature: 40.0 ± 0.5 °C; humidity: 60 ± 5 %) until the maximum core temperature (Tc, max) reached 42.7 °C (the received criterion of HS). Then heat exposed mice (n = 195) were divided into three groups: 0.2 mL of 0.9 % physiological saline (HS) or vehicle (HS + Vehicle) or 300 IU IAP (HS + IAP) by gavage at 0, 24, and 48 h after onset. Control group mice (Con) (n = 65) were not exposed to heat and were gavaged with 0.9 % physiological saline of the same volume at the same time. Results: IAP treatment significantly reduced the levels of endotoxin, FD4, and D-lactate in the blood of heatstroke mice, reduced intestinal permeability and maintained the integrity of the intestinal barrier by increasing the expression of tight junction proteins. Meanwhile, IAP treatment alleviated liver and kidney damage caused by heatstroke, reduced serum levels of inflammatory cytokines, and thus improved survival rate of mice after heatstroke. Conclusion: This study indicates that IAP can improve the intestinal barrier function and intestinal permeability by increasing intestinal tight junctions, reduce systemic inflammation and multiple organ injury and improving the survival rate of heatstroke. Therefore, we consider IAP may be added to enteral nutrition formulas as a potential means for diseases characterized by intestinal permeability disorders, including heatstroke.

IntroductionTo analyze the impact of yoga and music intervention on child consumers, we selected 60 eligible child consumers from yoga and music companies.MethodsThis preliminary study used a randomized controlled design to investigate whether a 16-week combined yoga and music intervention improves attention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) in 60 children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) comorbid with ODD aged 4–6 years. It also preliminarily identified which intervention is best for these children among three types: combined yoga and music, yoga-only, and musiconly interventions. We used both the parent- and teacher-rated MTA SNAP-IV ADHD Rating Scale for data collection.ResultsWe found that the combined yoga and music intervention had a positive effect on inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, and ODD in children with comorbid ADHD and ODD. The combined yoga and music intervention was the most effective in reducing inattention (in repeated measures ANOVA effect size, 0.9; followed by the yoga- and the music-only interventions, respectively), hyperactivity/impulsivity (effect size, 0.92), and ODD behaviors (effect size, 0.93) in children with comorbid ADHD and ODD. Thus, the combined yoga and music intervention was the most effective and had a more comprehensive effect on children with combined ADHD and ODD compared with the two other interventions (i.e., yoga- and music-only interventions).DiscussionOur findings provide preliminary evidence for the use of combined yoga and music interventions on a daily basis as a safe and effective adjunctive treatment for children with comorbid ADHD and ODD. The children in the article refer to child consumers of yoga and music companies.

ObjectivesThe study aimed to investigate the effects of sleep and exercise, individually and jointly, on depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents.MethodsCluster sampling was used to conduct a cross-sectional, electronic survey among 11,563 students from five primary and high schools in Sichuan Province in Western China. The questionnaire contained custom-designed items concerning sleep and exercise, while it used the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale to assess depressive symptoms and the Core Self-Evaluations Scale to assess core self-evaluation. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate linear regression.ResultsA total of 10,185 valid questionnaires were collected, corresponding to an effective response rate of 88.1%. Among the respondents in the final analysis, 5,555 (54.5%) were boys and 4,630 (45.5%) were girls, and the average age was 15.20 ± 1.72 years (range, 11–18 years). Only less than half of the respondents (4,914, 48.2%) reported insufficient sleep, while the remainder (5,271, 51.8%) had adequate sleep. Nearly one-quarter (2,250, 22.1%) reported insufficient exercise, while the remainder (7,935, 77.9%) reported adequate exercise. More than half of the respondents (5,681, 55.7%) were from vocational high school, 3,368 (33.1%) were from junior high school, 945 (9.3%) were from senior high school, and 191 (1.9%) were from primary school. The prevalence of depressive symptoms among all respondents was 29.5% (95% CI 28.7%−30.4%). When other variables were controlled, the depression score did not vary significantly with gender (B = −0.244, SE = 0.127, P = 0.054), but it decreased by 0.194 points per 1-year increase in age (B = −0.194, SE = 0.037, P < 0.001). Students getting adequate sleep had depression scores 2.614 points lower than those getting insufficient sleep (B = −2.614, SE = 0.577, P < 0.001), while students who engaged in adequate exercise had depression scores 1.779 points lower than those not exercising enough (B = −1.779, SE = 0.461, P < 0.001). The depression score decreased by 0.919 points per 1-point increase in the core self-evaluation score (B = −0.919, SE = 0.008, P < 0.001). In regression controlling for gender, age, and core self-evaluation, sleep and exercise were found to be related significantly to influence depressive symptoms (B = 0.821, SE = 0.315, P = 0.009).ConclusionAdequate sleep and adequate exercise are individually associated with milder depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents. Our results further highlight the need for researchers and clinicians to take into account not only the individual but also the joint effects of sleep and exercise on depression in adolescents when conducting research and designing interventions. If sleep or physical exercise has substantially reduced the risk of depressive symptoms, further reductions by improving sleep and exercise become difficult and may even have opposite effects.

Aromatic ketones are important pharmaceutical intermediates, especially the pyridin-2-yl-methanone motifs. Thus, synthetic methods for these compounds have gained extensive attention in the last few years. Transition metals catalyze the oxidation of Csp3-H for the synthesis of aromatic ketones, which is arresting. Here, we describe an efficient copper-catalyzed synthesis of pyridin-2-yl-methanones from pyridin-2-yl-methanes through a direct Csp3-H oxidation approach with water under mild conditions. Pyridin-2-yl-methanes with aromatic rings, such as substituted benzene, thiophene, thiazole, pyridine, and triazine, undergo the reaction well to obtain the corresponding products in moderate to good yields. Several controlled experiments are operated for the mechanism exploration, indicating that water participates in the oxidation process, and it is the single oxygen source in this transformation. The current work provides new insights for water-involving oxidation reactions.

Malto-oligosaccharides (MOSs) from starch conversion is advantageous for food and pharmaceutical applications. In this study, an efficient malto-oligosaccharide-forming α-amylase AmyCf was identified from myxobacter Cystobacter sp. strain CF23. AmyCf is composed of 417 amino acids with N-terminal 41 amino acids as the signal peptide, and conserved glycoside hydrolase family 13 (GH13) catalytic module and predicted C-terminal domain with β-sheet structure are also identified. Phylogenetic and functional analysis demonstrated that AmyCf is a novel member of GH13_6 subfamily. The special activity of AmyCf toward soluble starch and raw wheat starch is 9249 U/mg and 11 U/mg, respectively. AmyCf has broad substrate specificity toward different types of starches without requiring Ca2+. Under ideal circumstances of 60 °C and pH 7.0, AmyCf hydrolyzes gelatinized starch into maltose and maltotriose and maltotetraose as the main hydrolytic products with more than 80% purity, while maltose and maltotriose are mainly produced from the hydrolysis of raw wheat starch with more than 95% purity. The potential applicability of AmyCf in starch processing is highlighted by its capacity to convert gelatinized starch and raw starch granules into MOSs. This enzymatic conversion technique shows promise for the low-temperature enzymatic conversion of raw starch.

ABSTRACT: Cow milk (CM) allergy is a worldwide concern. Currently, few studies have been performed on the immunoreactivity of CM and fewer still on the antigenicity of CM in vivo and in vitro. In this study, we assessed the potential allergenicity of enzymatically hydrolyzed CM using in vitro ELISA and oral sensitization and challenge of BALB/c mice. Alcalase-, Protamex-, and Flavourzyme-treated CM (all from Novozymes) diminished IgE binding capacity, with greatest reductions of 56.31%, 50.62%, and 56.45%, respectively. Allergic symptoms and levels of total IgG1 were reduced, and allergic inflammation of the lung, jejunum, and spleen was relieved. Moreover, the numbers of CD8+ T and B220+ cells decreased, and the balance of CD4+ T/CD8+ T cells was effectively regulated. These findings suggest that the potential allergenicity of CM was reduced by enzymatic hydrolysis, and our research will lay a solid foundation for developing high-quality hypoallergenic CM products.

Spine surgery is typically having a relationship to high degrees of pain and immobility. It is a known fact that the implementation of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) approach has led to a paradigm shift in various surgical specialties. These protocols require doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, patients, and their families to agree to strengthen communication with each other, and involve a long timeline and teamwork from start to finish. To our knowledge, the role of nursing in the ERAS of spine surgery has not been reported before. The purpose of this study is to summarize the role of nursing in ERAS programs in accordance with surgical periods. The methods applied for this review include literature review of the world's acknowledged databases such as Springer Link, PubMed, Embase, and Wanfang, especially in the period of 2000–2015. A total of 9 studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. The findings confirm that the nursing work continued throughout the perioperative procedure, which plays a key role in the successful ERAS pathway. According to different nursing measures, ERAS nursing can effectively promote the postoperative recovery of spine surgical patients, with fewer postoperative complications and increased patient satisfaction.

Urbanization is an inevitable process in human social progress; additionally, the ecological environment is the carrier and foundation of human social development. Considering central Shanghai, China, as an example, this study quantitatively analyzed the coupling coordination relationship between urbanization and the ecological environment based on urban functional zones; remote sensing images, Open Street Map roads, and point of interest data were analyzed for the urban functional zones via the remote sensing-based ecological index (RSEI), comprehensive nighttime light index (CNLI), and coupling coordination degree (D). The results revealed that urban functional zones in central Shanghai were mainly mixed functional zones and comprehensive functional zones, which formed a spatial structure that gradually radiated outward from the urban core. Additionally, CNLI values were high; the proportion of CNLI between 0.6 and 1 was 94.37%. Moreover, the RSEI showed spatial differentiation; it was low in the center and gradually increased outward. Additionally, D was at the primary coordination level. The coupling coordination type in the core area corresponded to an ecological environment lag, which gradually transitioned to a state of systematic balanced development from the core area outward, but showed sluggish urbanization in some areas. This quantitative analysis of the coupling coordination between urbanization and the ecological environment based on urban functional zones provides effective scientific references for optimization of spatial planning.

Female college students are more likely to have a strong stress response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which seriously affects their health and merits greater attention. The present study is a randomized controlled trial carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to explore whether a yoga intervention could have a positive impact on balance and flexibility and be the primary form of home exercise for female college students in China. Forty female college students were randomly selected for the study. After 16 weeks of yoga intervention, the ability of the yoga group to balance on one leg improved by 5.35 seconds (using the single-limb stance test) and 5.7 seconds (using the Romberg test). The flexibility of the lower back and legs increased by 3.5 cm (using the sit and reach test), and the flexibility of the groin and hip increased by 6 cm (using the Splits test). The balance ability and flexibility of the control group before and after the experiment were not significantly different (p>0.05). These results suggest that during the COVID-19 outbreak when access to public facilities was limited, a yoga intervention could have a positive impact on health and be the main form of home exercise for female college students. Schools and government departments could design online yoga classes to encourage individuals to actively participate in yoga to stay healthy.

Plant-associated nitrogen-fixing microorganisms (diazotrophs) are essential to host nutrient acquisition, productivity and health, but how host growth affects the succession characteristics of crop diazotrophic communities is still poorly understood. Here, Illumina sequencing of DNA- and RNA-derived nifH genes was employed to investigate the dynamics of total and active diazotrophic communities across rhizosphere soil and rice roots under four fertilization regimes during three growth periods (tillering, heading and mature stages) of rice in 2015 and 2016. Our results indicated that 71.9–77.2% of the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were both detected at the DNA and RNA levels. According to the nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordinations of Bray–Curtis distances, the variations in community composition of active rhizosphere diazotrophs were greater than those of total rhizosphere diazotrophs. The community composition (β-diversity) of total and active root-associated diazotrophs was shaped predominantly by microhabitat (niche; R2 ≥ 0.959, p

Nickel-induced allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is a common skin disease. The mechanism by which nickel causes ACD is not clear. There is no treatment for it, only symptomatic therapy. However, due to the lifetime sensitization characteristics, the recurrence rate in patients is high. T lymphocytes play a key role in nickel-induced ACD. Elucidating the potential mechanism underlying nickel-induced T lymphocyte signalling might make it possible to achieve targeted treatment of nickel-induced ACD. In our study, a phosphoproteomic approach based on tandem mass tag (TMT) labelling and LCMS/MS analyses was employed. An animal model of nickel allergy was established. Splenic T lymphocytes were purified for quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis. The numbers of phosphoproteins, phosphopeptides and phosphosites identified in this study were 3072, 7977 and 10,200, respectively. Comprehensive gene ontology (GO) analysis combined with Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis revealed that nickel can significantly affect the phosphorylation of the mTOR signalling pathway in T lymphocytes. Western blotting analysis was used to detect changes in the expression of autophagy-related proteins (Beclin 1, LC3II, and p62). Nickel allergy changed autophagy-related protein expression (p

Abstract No FDA approved pharmacological therapy is available to reduce neuroinflammation following heatstroke. Previous studies have indicated that dexmedetomidine (DEX) could protect against inflammation and brain injury in various inflammation-associated diseases. However, no one has tested whether DEX has neuro-protective effects in heatstroke. In this study, we focused on microglial phenotypic modulation to investigate the mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory effects of DEX in vivo and in vitro. We found that DEX treatment reduced the expression of CD68, iNOS, TNF-α, and IL-1β, and increased the expression of CD206, Arg1, IL-10 and TGF-β in microglia, ameliorating heatstroke induced neuroinflammation and brain injury in mice. TREM2, whose neuro-protective function has been validated by genetic studies in Alzheimer’s disease and Nasu-Hakola disease, was significantly promoted by DEX in the microglia. TREM2 esiRNA reversed the DEX-induced activation of PI3K/Akt signalling. Overall these findings indicated that DEX may serve, as a potential therapeutic approach to ameliorate heatstroke induced neuroinflammation and brain injury via TREM2 by activating PI3K/Akt signalling.

Papillary thyroid carcinoma, also known as PTC, is one of the commonest malignancies in the endocrine system. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in PTC could maintain proliferative signaling, induce therapeutic resistance, activate invasion and migration, and sustain stem cell-like characteristics. In this paper, results showed that lncRNA forkhead box P4 antisense RNA 1 (FOXP4-AS1) is downregulated in PTC tissues and cell lines. Patients in TCGA cohort with a higher FOXP4-AS1 expression showed a higher disease-free interval (DFI) rate, and the expression of FOXP4-AS1 is shown to be linked to the clinical stage, T stage, N stage, and extraglandular invasion condition of the TC patients. FOXP4-AS1 is localized in the cell cytoplasmic domain of PTC cells. Functionally, upregulated FOXP4-AS1 inhibited PTC cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration, whereas it downregulated FOXP4-AS1-promoted progression of PTC. In vivo assay also confirmed the tumor inhibitory effect of FOXP4-AS1 in PTC growth. Mechanism analysis indicated that FOXP4-AS1 can play its functions by regulating the AKT signaling pathway, and AKT inhibitor treatment could attenuate the impact of FOXP4-AS1 on PTC progression. Furthermore, FOXP4-AS1 also negatively regulates the expression of its host gene FOXP4. Collectively, we showed that FOXP4-AS1 inhibited PTC progression although AKT signaling and FOXP4-AS1 plays a tumor-suppressor role in PTC tumorigenesis.

This paper presents a solution to the consensus problem for a particular category of uncertain switched multi-agent systems (MASs). In these systems, the communication topologies between agents and the system dynamics are governed by a time-homogeneous Markovian chain in a stochastic manner. To address this issue, we propose a novel neuroadaptive distributed dynamic event-triggered control (DETC) strategy. By leveraging stochastic Lyapunov theory and matrix inequality methodology, we establish sufficient conditions for practical ultimate mean square consensus (UMSBC) of MASs using a combination of neural networks (NNs) adaptive control strategy and DETC method. Our approach employs a distributed adaptive NNs DETC mechanism in MASs with unknown nonlinear dynamics and upgrades it at the moment of event sampling in an aperiodic manner, resulting in significant savings in computation and resources. We also exclude the Zeno phenomenon. Finally, we provide numerical examples to demonstrate the feasibility of our proposed approach, which outperforms existing approaches.

BackgroundHeat stroke is the outcome of excessive heat stress, which results in core temperatures exceeding 40°C accompanied by a series of complications. The brain is particularly vulnerable to damage from heat stress. In our previous studies, both activated microglia and increased neuronal autophagy were found in the cortices of mice with heat stroke. However, whether activated microglia can accelerate neuronal autophagy under heat stress conditions is still unknown. In this study, we aimed to investigate the underlying mechanism that caused neuronal autophagy upregulation in heat stroke from the perspective of exosome-mediated intercellular communication.MethodsIn this study, BV2 and N2a cells were used instead of microglia and neurons, respectively. Exosomes were extracted from BV2 culture supernatants by ultracentrifugation and then characterized via transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis and Western blotting. N2a cells pretreated with/without miR-155 inhibitor were cocultured with microglial exosomes that were treated with/without heat stress or miR-155 overexpression and subsequently subjected to heat stress treatment. Autophagy in N2a cells was assessed by detecting autophagosomes and autophagy-related proteins through transmission electron microscopy, immunofluorescence, and Western blotting. The expression of miR-155 in BV2 and BV2 exosomes and N2a cells was measured using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Target binding analysis was verified via a dual-luciferase reporter assay.ResultsN2a autophagy moderately increased in response to heat stress and accelerated by BV2 cells through transferring exosomes to neurons. Furthermore, we found that neuronal autophagy was positively correlated with the content of miR-155 in microglial exosomes. Inhibition of miR-155 partly abolished autophagy in N2a cells, which was increased by coculture with miR-155-upregulated exosomes. Mechanistic analysis confirmed that Rheb is a functional target of miR-155 and that microglial exosomal miR-155 accelerated heat stress-induced neuronal autophagy mainly by regulating the Rheb-mTOR signaling pathway.ConclusionIncreased miR-155 in microglial exosomes after heat stroke can induce neuronal autophagy via their transfer into neurons. miR-155 exerted these effects by targeting Rheb, thus inhibiting the activity of mTOR signaling. Therefore, miR-155 could be a promising target for interventions of neuronal autophagy after heat stroke.

Abstract Background Parasitic infections are among the important causes of death of giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) that hamper their survival in the wild. There are about 35 species of parasites which have been identified in giant pandas, but no information is currently available regarding the infection of Babesia in giant pandas. Babesia spp. are common intraerythrocytic parasite in wildlife, transmitted by ixodid ticks, which cause babesiosis. Clinical signs of babesiosis include fever, hemolysis, anemia, jaundice and death. Methods A species of Babesia was detected in the blood of a giant panda based on morphology and PCR amplification of the 18S rRNA gene. The phylogenetic relationship of Babesia sp. infecting giant panda was assessed by gene sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis. Results Our analysis revealed that the Babesia isolate detected was most similar to an unidentified species of Babesia identified in black bears (Ursus thibetanus japonicus) from Japan (Babesia sp. Iwate, AB586027.1) with a 99.56% sequence similarity, followed by Babesia sp. EBB (AB566229.1, 99.50%) and Babesia sp. Akita (AB566229.1, 99.07%). Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first report of Babesia detected in the giant panda. The results indicate that this Babesia sp. may be a novel species, currently named Babesia sp. strain EBP01.

Abstract Background Myxobacteria are micropredators in the soil ecosystem with the capacity to move and feed cooperatively. Some myxobacterial strains have been used to control soil-borne fungal phytopathogens. However, interactions among myxobacteria, plant pathogens, and the soil microbiome are largely unexplored. In this study, we aimed to investigate the behaviors of the myxobacterium Corallococcus sp. strain EGB in the soil and its effect on the soil microbiome after inoculation for controlling cucumber Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum (FOC). Results A greenhouse and a 2-year field experiment demonstrated that the solid-state fermented strain EGB significantly reduced the cucumber Fusarium wilt by 79.6% (greenhouse), 66.0% (2015, field), and 53.9% (2016, field). Strain EGB adapted to the soil environment well and decreased the abundance of soil-borne FOC efficiently. Spatiotemporal analysis of the soil microbial community showed that strain EGB migrated towards the roots and root exudates of the cucumber plants via chemotaxis. Cooccurrence network analysis of the soil microbiome indicated a decreased modularity and community number but an increased connection number per node after the application of strain EGB. Several predatory bacteria, such as Lysobacter, Microvirga, and Cupriavidus, appearing as hubs or indicators, showed intensive connections with other bacteria. Conclusion The predatory myxobacterium Corallococcus sp. strain EGB controlled cucumber Fusarium wilt by migrating to the plant root and regulating the soil microbial community. This strain has the potential to be developed as a novel biological control agent of soil-borne Fusarium wilt. Video abstract.

As one of the important treatments of health care and anti-aging in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), moxibustion has been proved to have the effects of scavenging free radicals, anti-oxidation, reducing inflammatory reaction, regulating immunity and so on. Recent studies have shown that intestinal microbiota affect the process of aging. The relationship between aging, moxibustion and intestinal microbiota is still unclear. In this study, we explored the effects of moxibustion at Guanyuan (RN4) acupoint on intestinal microbiota, short-chain fatty acids and immunological characteristics of young and elder female Wistar rats to explore the relationship between aging, moxibustion and intestinal microbiota. Six 12-week-old female Wistar rats were young group (Y), and twelve 36-week-old female Wistar rats were randomly divided into elder group (C) and moxibustion group (M). The rats in M group were received mild moxibustion at Guanyuan (RN4) acupoint, 20 min/d for 40 days. The rats in Y group and C group were not given any therapeutic intervention. The results showed that moxibustion increased the abundance of intestinal probiotics (mainly Lactobacillus) and the level of short chain fatty acids, the microcirculation blood flow around Guanyuan (RN4) acupoint was also significantly improved in elder rats. In addition, the expression of MyD88, MAPK, TRAF6, NF-κB in intestinal tissue was down-regulated, and the levels of inflammatory cytokines in intestinal were decreased.

Malaria is still the most widespread parasitic disease and causes the most infections globally. Owing to improvements in sanitary conditions and various intervention measures, including the use of antimalarial drugs, the malaria epidemic in many regions of the world has improved significantly in the past 10 years. However, people living in certain underdeveloped areas are still under threat. Even in some well-controlled areas, the decline in malaria infection rates has stagnated or the rates have rebounded because of the emergence and spread of drug-resistant malaria parasites. Thus, new malaria control methods must be developed. As the spread of the Plasmodium parasite is dependent on the part of its life cycle that occurs in mosquitoes, to eliminate the possibility of malaria infections, transmission-blocking strategies against the mosquito stage should be the first choice. In fact, after the gametocyte enters the mosquito body, it undergoes a series of transformation processes over a short period, thus providing numerous potential blocking targets. Many research groups have carried out studies based on targeting the blocking of transmission during the mosquito phase and have achieved excellent results. Meanwhile, the direct killing of mosquitoes could also significantly reduce the probability of malaria infections. Microorganisms that display complex interactions with Plasmodium, such as Wolbachia and gut flora, have shown observable transmission-blocking potential. These could be used as a biological control strategy and play an important part in blocking the transmission of malaria.

Background. The growing body of evidence indicates aberrant expression of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in breast cancer. Nevertheless, a few studies have focused on identifying key lncRNAs for patients with luminal A breast cancer. In our study, we tried to find key lncRNAs and mRNAs in luminal A breast cancer. Methods. RNA sequencing was performed to identify differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs) and differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) in luminal A breast cancer. The protein-protein interaction (PPI), DElncRNA-DEmRNA coexpression, DElncRNA-nearby DEmRNA interaction networks, and functional annotation were performed to uncover the function of DEmRNAs. Online databases were used to validate the RNA sequencing result. The diagnostic value of candidate mRNAs was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results. A total number of 1451 DEmRNAs and 272 DElncRNAs were identified. Several hub proteins were identified in the PPI network, including TUBB3, HIST2H3C, MCM2, MYOC, NEK2, LIPE, FN1, FOXJ1, S100A7, and DLK1. In the DElncRNA-DEmRNA coexpression, some hub lncRNAs were identified, including AP001528.2, LINC00968, LINC02202, TRHDE-AS1, LINC01140, AL354707.1, AC097534.1, MIR222HG, and AL662844.4. The mRNA expression result of TFF1, COL10A1, LEP, PLIN1, PGM5-AS1, and TRHDE-AD1 in the GSE98793 was consistent with the RNA sequencing result. The protein expression results of TUBB3, MCM2, MYOC, FN1, S100A7, and TFF1 were consistent with the mRNA expression result COL10A1, LEP, PLIN1, PGM5-AS1, and TRHDE-AD1 were capable of discriminating luminal A breast cancer and normal controls. Four lncRNA-nearby and coexpressed mRNA pairs of HOXC-AS3-HOXC10, AC020907.2-FXYD1, AC026461.1-MT1X, and AC132217.1-IGF2 were identified. AMPK (involved LIPE and LEP) and PPAR (involved PLIN1) were two significantly enriched pathways in luminal A breast cancer. Conclusion. This study could be helpful in unraveling the pathogenesis and providing novel therapeutic strategies for luminal A breast cancer.

Abstract Background Luminal B cancers show much worse outcomes compared to luminal A. This present study aims to screen key lncRNAs and mRNAs correlated with luminal-B breast cancer. Methods Luminal-B breast cancer tissue samples and adjacent tissue samples were obtained from 4 patients with luminal-B breast cancer. To obtain differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs) and lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) between luminal-B breast cancer tumor tissues and adjacent tissues, RNA-sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were performed. Functional annotation of DEmRNAs and protein-protein interaction networks (PPI) construction were performed. DEmRNAs transcribed within a 100 kb window up- or down-stream of DElncRNAs were searched, which were defined as cis nearby-targeted DEmRNAs of DElncRNAs. DElncRNA-DEmRNA co-expression networks were performed. The mRNA and lncRNA expression profiles were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to validate the expression patterns of selected DEmRNAs and DElncRNAs. Results A total of 1178 DEmRNAs and 273 DElncRNAs between luminal-B breast cancer tumor tissues and adjacent tissues were obtained. Hematopoietic cell lineage, Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) and Primary immunodeficiency were significantly enriched KEGG pathways in luminal-B breast cancer. FN1, EGFR, JAK3, TUBB3 and PTPRC were five hub proteins of the PPI networks. A total of 99 DElncRNAs-nearby-targeted DEmRNA pairs and 1878 DElncRNA-DEmRNA co-expression pairs were obtained. Gene expression results validated in TCGA database were consistent with our RNA-sequencing results, generally. Conclusion This study determined key genes and lncRNAs involved in luminal-B breast cancer, which expected to present a new avenue for the diagnosis and treatment of luminal-B breast cancer.

Light can induce an alertness response in humans. The effects of exposure to bright light vs. dim light on the levels of alertness during the day, especially in the afternoon, as reported in the literature, are inconsistent. This study employed a multiple measurement strategy to explore the temporal variations in the effects of exposure to bright light vs. regular office light (1,200 lx vs. 200 lx at eye level, 6,500 K) on the alertness of participants for 5 h in the afternoon. In this study, 20 healthy adults (11 female; mean age 23.25 ± 2.3 years) underwent the Karolinska sleepiness scale (KSS), the auditory psychomotor vigilance test (PVT), and the waking electroencephalogram (EEG) test for two levels of light intervention. The results yielded a relatively lower relative delta power and a relatively higher beta power for the 1,200 lx condition in comparison with the 200 lx condition. However, the light conditions elicited no statistically significant differences in the KSS scores and performance with respect to the PVT. The results suggested that exposure to bright light for 5 h in the afternoon could enhance physiological arousal while exerting insignificant effects on subjective feelings and performance abilities relating to the alertness of the participants.

Background: Electromagnetic pollution cannot be ignored. Long-term low-dose electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure can cause central nervous system dysfunction without effective prevention. Materials/Methods: Male C57BL/6J mice (6–8 weeks, 17–20 g) were used in this study. Depression-like and anxiety-like behaviors detected by behavioral experiments were compared among different treatments. 16S rRNA gene sequencing and non-targeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) metabolomics were used to explore the relationship between EMF exposure and heat acclimation (HA) effects on gut microbes and serum metabolites. Results: Both EMF and HA regulated the proportions of p_Firmicutes and p_Bacteroidota. EMF exposure caused the proportions of 6 kinds of bacteria, such as g_Butyricicoccus and g_Anaerotruncus, to change significantly (p

Fatigue cracking of viscoelastic asphalt composite materials is one of the major distresses in asphalt pavements. To quantify the weakening effect of the fatigue cracks on the mechanical properties of the viscoelastic asphalt composite materials, this study takes an asphalt-filler composite system as an example, and micromechanics models are proposed by combining Eshbely’s equivalent inclusion theory and Mori-Tanaka approach. Dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) tests are performed on the viscoelastic asphalt-filler composite systems with two volumetric contents of inclusion (10% and 27%) at different frequencies (0.1–100 Hz), temperatures (15℃, 20℃, 25℃) and strain levels (0.01%-0.1% for nondestructive DSR tests; 5%, 6%, 7% for destructive DSR tests). Results show that the predicted shear modulus results by a modified viscoelastic strengthening coefficient (VSC) model match with the test results at both low and high filler contents. Then a viscoelastic strengthening coefficient with fatigue cracks (VSC-f) model is proved being capable of accurately predicting the shear modulus for the viscoelastic asphalt-filler composite systems at different strain levels, temperatures, filler contents and damage levels. Both the VSC and the VSC-f model are derived to be dependent of loading frequency, temperature and filler content, but independent of strain level.

Multi jet fusion (MJF) is an emerging powder three-dimensional (3D) printing technology with an ultrafast printing speed, in which polyamide 12 (PA12) is the main material currently utilised. Although structurally sophisticated 3D components have been printed by MJF, there are limitations due to the high cost of printing materials and inferior performance of the printed parts. Here, PA12/glass beads (PA12/GBs) composites with improved performance were manufactured via the MJF technique. Incorporating GBs effectively regulated the dimensional accuracy. Furthermore, the composite possessed lower surface roughness and higher surface hardness than neat PA12. Thermal analysis showed that the composite exhibited an enhanced decomposition temperature (390 °C) and char yield (38.4 wt.%) compared to neat PA12. Remarkably, the incorporation of GBs did not improve the flame retardance of neat PA12. We identified the improved functionalities of PA12/GBs composites in terms of dimensional accuracy, surface, and thermal properties and analysed possible mechanisms for the observed increased flammability.

Bacterial infection and imbalance of bacterial community in the genitourinary system of giant panda could affect the reproductive health. In severe cases, it can also lead to abortion. In this study, 13 of vaginal secretions in the estrue (E) group and seven of vaginal secretions in the non-estrue (NE) group were used to study the composition and diversity of vaginal bacterial communities between estrus and non-estrus by 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis. The results showed that the vaginal microbiome in giant pandas shared the same top five abundant species between estrus and non-estrus at the phylum level. However, the vaginal microbiome changed significantly during estrus at the genus level. In top 10 genera, the abundance of Escherichia, Streptococcus, and Bacteroides in the E group was significantly higher than that in the NE group (p

The post-lunch dip in alertness and performance was widely experienced during the early afternoon. Taking a short nap was documented as a practical strategy for habitual nappers to counteract the decline of alertness and performance. Yet, it remains unknown whether bright light exposure in the early afternoon working hours could alleviate the performance deficits caused by a post-lunch nap loss for habitual nappers. Seventeen undergraduate students who had a long-term habit of taking a post-lunch nap were assigned to three interventions: (1) a short nap + normal indoor light (100 lx, 4,000 K at eye level); (2) no nap + normal indoor light, and (3) no nap + blue-enriched bright light (1,000 lx, 6,500 K at eye level), in which subjective alertness (Karolinska Sleepiness Scale, KSS), mood (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, PANAS), and task performance in sustained attention (psychomotor vigilance test, PVT), response inhibition (go/no-go task), and working memory (paced visual serial addition test, PVSAT) were measured. Results showed that a post-lunch nap deprivation significantly increased subjective sleepiness and negative mood and impaired performance in PVT and PVSAT, while exposure to bright blue-enriched white light vs. normal indoor light in the early afternoon significantly relieved such negative effects on mood, sleepiness, and performance in PVSAT; subjective positive mood and performance in PVT and go/no-go task remained unaffected with light intervention. These findings suggested that bright blue-enriched white light exposure could be a potential strategy for those who are suffering from drowsiness and low working memory following a habitual midday nap loss.

Abstract Background Most mammary Paget disease (MPD) is associated with underlying in situ or invasive breast cancer. The objective of this study was to compare the clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes between breast cancer with Paget disease (PD) and breast cancer alone. Methods From the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, 2000‐2015, of the US National Cancer Institute, we identified 1569 women who had PD with invasive ductal carcinoma (PD‐IDC) and 1489 women who had PD with ductal carcinoma in situ (PD‐DCIS). Independent demographic and clinicopathological variables as well as survival outcomes of these patients were compared to patients with the corresponding breast cancer without concomitant PD. Results PD‐IDC and PD‐DCIS both had worse survival outcomes and poorer tumor characteristics than the corresponding disease without PD. Contrary to in the breast cancer alone groups, in the breast cancer with PD groups, the HR status (P = 0.182 in PD‐IDC and P = 0.371 in PD‐DCIS), HER2 status (P = 0.788 in PD‐IDC and P = 0.643 in PD‐DCIS), and combined molecular subtype (P = 0.196 in PD‐IDC and P = 0.853 in PD‐DCIS) were not found to affect disease prognosis. After matching tumor characteristics and treatment approaches, PD‐IDC as well as PD‐DCIS exhibited no significant difference in disease prognosis with corresponding IDC and DCIS. Finally, by comparative analysis, a kind of PD‐DCIS (ICD‐O‐3 code 8543/3) showed many invasive behaviors (31.8% of 8543/3 patients had stage I‐III cancer) and was associated with worse survival outcomes than the other type of PD‐DCIS. Conclusions Breast cancer with concomitant PD was associated with more aggressive tumor characteristics and worse survival outcomes. The HR status, HER2 status, and combined molecular subtype could not affect the prognosis of breast cancer with PD. Moreover, a portion of the PD‐DCIS cases were invasive breast cancer cases that required special treatment.

In this study, a novel exopolysaccharide (EPS) was extracted from Leuconostoc mesenteroides Shen Nong’s (SN)-8 which can be obtained from Dajiang. After the purification step, EPS-8-2 was obtained with molecular weights of 1.46 × 105 Da. The structural characterization of EPS indicated that the EPS belonged to the class polysaccharide, mainly composed of glucan and also contained certain mannose residues that were found to be connected by α-1,6 glycosidic bonds. Moreover, the results demonstrated that EPS displayed a significant capacity to scavenge free radical to some extent, and this anti-oxidant potential was found to be concentration dependent. The results further revealed that EPS displayed a significant inhibitory potential on the growth of HepG2 cells by promoting apoptosis and induced cell cycle arrest in G1 and G2 phases. Overall, these results suggested that EPS can be explored as a possible anti-cancer agent.

Ultrasonic testing can be used for a nondestructive and rapid determination of material properties. In this study, twelve asphalt mixture samples of four different types were fabricated and used in conventional material property tests and two ultrasonic wave tests. Physical properties such as bulk specific gravity and air void content, mechanical properties such as dynamic modulus and phase angle, and acoustic properties such as wave velocity were measured. Relationships between these properties were established and analyzed as a tool for the future material property determination. In addition, the dynamic modulus and phase angle, measured in a standard laboratory test, were used to construct two master curve models to predict their values at arbitrary temperatures and frequencies. Furthermore, a theoretical model for wave velocity in a linear isotropic viscoelastic material was utilized with measured density, Poisson’s ratio, phase angle and ultrasonic wave velocity to predict the dynamic modulus. Good agreement has been achieved between laboratory measurements and model predictions. It indicates that ultrasonic testing can serve as a rapid method for material property determination.

Background: Plasma lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) has emerged as a novel biomarker for coronary atherosclerosis. However, the association between Lp-PLA2 and plaque vulnerability in atherosclerosis of cervicocerebral arteries remains poorly defined, especially for intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS). We aimed to investigate the association between Lp-PLA2 and plaque vulnerability in transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients with unilateral middle cerebral artery stenoses (MCAs).Methods: In this study, a total of 207 patients were enrolled from April 2017 to April 2020. Clinical data were collected, and MCA plaques were examined with high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HRMRI). Baseline characteristics of patients were collected during hospitalization. Statistical comparisons were performed using Pearson's chi-squared test, Mann–Whitney U test, and the Breslow–Day/Tarone's test for the determination of heterogeneity in different age strata. Multivariate binary logistic analysis was used to investigate the potential independent predictors that were highly correlated to plaque vulnerability.Results: The results showed that a high Lp-PLA2 level (>221 ng/ml) was associated with plaque vulnerability in TIA patients with unilateral MCAs. High Lp-PLA2 was independently associated with plaque vulnerability in patients ≤ 60 years old [multivariate adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 9.854; 95% CI, 2.458–39.501] but not in patients >60 years old (multivariate adjusted OR = 1.901; 95% CI, 0.640–5.650). Predictors of plaque vulnerability in different age strata were also different.Conclusion: Lp-PLA2 levels may be correlated to plaque vulnerability in TIA patients with unilateral MCAs and might be a diagnostic biomarker for plaque vulnerability in this kind of patients, especially for ones aged ≤ 60 years old.