Search

Introduction: Propofol is a widely used anesthetic and its dose is closely related to aging. Telomere length (TL) is a unique heritable trait, and emerging as a biomarker of aging, health and disease. Telomerase RNA component (TERC) plays an important role in maintaining TL. We proposed a hypothesis that propofol dose in general anesthesia can be predicted by measuring TL before operation, which greatly reduced the risk of anesthesia, especially the elderly. Methods: The association between the propofol dose in anesthesia induction and: TL in the DNA of peripheral blood leukocytes; body weight; sex; difference of the Bispectral Index (BIS) before and after anesthesia induction in patients was evaluated by multivariable linear regression analyses. The mutation at the 5'end or 3'end of TERC was detected. We recruited 100 patients of elective surgery. Results: We found that propofol dose in anesthesia induction was clearly correlated significantly with TL (r = 0.78, p < 0.001), body weight (r = 0.84, p = 0.004), sex (r = 0.83, p= 0.84, p = 0.004), sex (r = 0.83, p = 0.004), and difference of BIS before and after anesthesia induction (r = 0.85, p = 0.029). By comparing the absolute values of standardized regression coefficients (0.58, 0.21, 0.19, and 0.12) of the four variables, it can be seen that TL contributes the most to the propofol dose in anesthesia induction. However, the mutation at the 5' end or 3' end of TERC was not found. Conclusions: These findings provide preliminary evidence that the propofol dose in anesthesia induction was clearly correlated with genetically determined TL. TL may be a promising predictor of the propofol dose, which is beneficial to improve the safety of anesthesia and reduce perioperative complications.

[Objective] The effects of ryegrass growth on the physical properties and shear resistance of a mixed substrate were studied in order to provide a scientific basis for the rapid restoration of coal gangue hill vegetation and for the prevention of soil erosion. [Methods] The physical structure of gangue is poor and the nutrient content is low. Ryegrass was planted in pots to which phosphogypsum and mycorrhizal residue were added to determine the effect of ryegrass growth on the physical properties and shear resistance of a mixed substrate. [Results] ① The addition of different proportions of phosphogypsum and mycorrhizal slag significantly increased the growth of ryegrass. Height, aboveground dry biomass, root weight density, and chlorophyll content of ryegrass on the mixed coal gangue substrate consisting of 20% phosphogypsum and 10% mycorrhizal slag had the best effect, followed by the mixed substrate consisting of 10% phosphogypsum and 10% mycorrhizal slag. ② The addition of phosphogypsum and slag significantly increased the aeration and water-holding capacity of the gangue mixed substrate in which the natural water content, total porosity, capillary porosity, and non-capillary porosity of the gangue mixed substrate with 20% phosphogypsum and 10% slag were increased by 18.88%, 14.18%, 13.12%, and 18.08%, respectively, and the bulk density was decreased by 24.76% compared with the respective values observed for the gangue mixed substrate with only 10% slag. ③ The shear strength of the gangue mixed substrate with 20% phosphogypsum and 10% mycorrhizal slag increased by 71.71%, and the cohesion and internal friction angle increased by 102.84% and 45.05%, respectively, compared with the mixed substrate having only 10% mycorrhizal slag. [Conclusion] The coal gangue mixed substrate with ryegrass root complex having 20% phosphogypsum and 10% mycorrhizal residue had the greatest shear resistance and was beneficial for controlling soil erosion in coal gangue hills.

Natural silk fiber derived from the Bombyx mori (B. mori) silkworm has long been used as a luxury raw material in textile industry because of its shimmering appearance and durability, and as surgical suture for its high strength and flexibility. Regenerated silk fibroin, as the main protein extracted from the cocoons of the B. mori silkworm, recently has gained considerable attention due to its outstanding properties, including facile processability, superior biocompatibility, controllable biodegradation, and versatile functionalization. Tremendous effort has been made to fabricate silk fibroin into various promising materials with controlled structural and functional characteristics for advanced utilities in a multitude of biomedical applications, flexible optics, electronics devices, and filtration systems. Herein, reverse engineered silk fibroin extraction methods are reviewed, recent advances in extraction techniques are discussed. Fabrication methods of silk fibroin materials in various formats are also addressed in detail; in particular, progress in new fabrication technologies is presented. Attractive applications of silk fibroin-based materials are then summarized and highlighted. The challenges faced by current approaches in production of silk fibroin-based materials and future directions acquired for pushing these favorable materials further toward above mentioned applications are further elaborated.

This paper proposes an idea of pouring gasification ash into the underground goaf as a grouting fire prevention and extinguishing material. In order to effectively solve the problem that the gasification ash slurry of coal-based oil tends to block the pipeline in the process of grouting, the influence of three suspension agents such as xanthan gum, carboxymethyl cellulose(CMC) and sodium soil on the suspension rate and fluidity of gasification ash slurry was studied through a series of experiments. The results showed that with the increase of the amount of suspension agent, the suspension rate of slurry increased gradually, and its fluidity decreased gradually. More specifically, when the addition amount of xanthan gum, CMC and sodium-soil was 0.25%, 1.5%and 3%, respectively, the suspension rate reached the maximum with 81.82%, 72.73% and 53.24%, respectively. Among the three suspending agents, xanthan gum has the best suspending effect on gasification ash, followed by CMC and sodium-soil. The fluidity experiment showed that the fluidity of the slurry was the worst with adding xanthan gum to the slurry, which is not beneficial for the pipeline transportation of the slurry. While sodium-clay is added to slurry, the fluidity of the slurry is the best. But it is prone to water-cement separation and blockage of the pipe. Hence, considering suspension rate and flow, CMC was selected as suspension agent.

Abstract Radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis (RIPF) is a major side effect experienced for patients with thoracic cancers after radiotherapy. RIPF is poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options available in clinic. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) is advantaged and widely used for health promotion. However. Whether LGG is applicable for prevention of RIPF and relative underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we reported a unique comprehensive analysis of the impact of LGG and its’ derived lncRNA SNHG17 on radiation-induced epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro and RIPF in vivo. As revealed by high-throughput sequencing, SNHG17 expression was decreased by LGG treatment in A549 cells post radiation and markedly attenuated the radiation-induced EMT progression (p

Characterisation of gut microbiota shows that low-dose radiation enhances the metabolic defects induced by high-fat diet in mice, in a manner involving increased levels of pyrrolidinecarboxylic acid.

Abstract Nanoparticles (NPs) have become one of the most popular objects of scientific study during the past decades. However, despite wealth of study reports, still there is a gap, particularly in health toxicology studies, underlying mechanisms, and related evaluation models to deeply understanding the NPs risk effects. In this review, we first present a comprehensive landscape of the applications of NPs on health, especially addressing the role of NPs in medical diagnosis, therapy. Then, the toxicity of NPs on health systems is introduced. We describe in detail the effects of NPs on various systems, including respiratory, nervous, endocrine, immune, and reproductive systems, and the carcinogenicity of NPs. Furthermore, we unravels the underlying mechanisms of NPs including ROS accumulation, mitochondrial damage, inflammatory reaction, apoptosis, DNA damage, cell cycle, and epigenetic regulation. In addition, the classical study models such as cell lines and mice and the emerging models such as 3D organoids used for evaluating the toxicity or scientific study are both introduced. Overall, this review presents a critical summary and evaluation of the state of understanding of NPs, giving readers more better understanding of the NPs toxicology to remedy key gaps in knowledge and techniques.

Abstract Ionizing radiation (IR) has been extensively used for cancer therapy, but the radioresistance hinders and undermines the radiotherapy efficacy in clinics greatly. Here, we reported that the spliceosomal protein thioredoxin‐like 4B (TXNL4B) is highly expressed in lung tissues from lung cancer patients with radiotherapy. Lung cancer cells with TXNL4B knockdown illustrate increased sensitivity to IR. Mechanistically, TXNL4B interacts with RNA processing factor 3 (PRP3) and co‐localizes in the nucleus post‐IR. Nuclear localization of PRP3 promotes the alternative splicing of the Fanconi anemia group I protein (FANCI) transcript variants, FANCI‐12 and FANCI‐13. PRP3 regulates alternative splicing of FANCI toward the two variants, FANCI‐12 and FANCI‐13. Radioresistance was greatly enhanced through the combination of PRP31 and PRP8, the critical components of core spliceosome promoted by PRP3. Notably, the inhibition of PRP3 to suppress the production of FANCI‐12 would deprive PRP31 and PRP8 of such interaction. As a result, cell cycle G2/M arrest was induced, DNA damage repair was delayed, and radiosensitivity was improved. Collectively, our study highlights potential novel underlying mechanisms of the involvement of TXNL4B and alternative splicing in radioresistance. The results would benefit potential cancer radiotherapy.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a progressive disease of the liver covering a range of conditions from hepatic steatosis to liver fibrosis. NAFLD could be induced by High-fat-diet(HFD). Ionizing radiation is widely used in medical diagnosis and therapy as well as is a common risk factor in occupational environment. Whether the exposure of various dose of radiation has effects on HFD-induced NAFLD remains unclear. Here, we reported that radiation exposure promoted HFD-induced NAFLD in a dose-response manner. Furthermore, the gut microbiota composition had significant difference among mice with or without radiation treatment. Specifically, the Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio, the abundance of A. muciniphila, Butyricococcus, and Clostridiaceae decreased significantly in the mice with co-exposure of high dose of radiation and HFD treatment. A fecal transplantation trial (FMT) further verified the role of gut microbiota in the regulation of the liver response to co-exposure of high dose of radiation and HFD treatment. Notably, the gut microbiome analysis showed plasma lithocholic acid (LCA) level increased in the mice with co-exposure of high dose of radiation and HFD treatment. Following antibiotic and probiotic treatments there was a significantly decreased LCA bile acid concentration and subsequent promotion of INSR/PI3K/Akt insulin signaling in the liver tissues. Our results demonstrate that the co-exposure of radiation and HFD aggravates the HFD-induced NAFLD through gut microbiota-LCA-INSR axis. Probiotics supplementation is a potential way to protect against co-exposure of radiation and HFD-induced liver damage. Meanwhile, our study provide a new insight that population with potential HFD-induced damage should pay more attention on preventing from liver damage while exposing radiation.

Abstract Background Silica exposure underlies the development of silicosis, one of the most serious occupational hazards worldwide. We aimed to explore the interaction of the silica-induced epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related transcripts with the cellular metabolism regulated by p53. Methods We knocked out p53 using CRISPR/Cas9 in the human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cell line. The transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses and integrative omics were conducted using microarrays, GC–MS, and MetaboAnalyst, respectively. Results Fifty-two mRNAs showed significantly altered expression in the HBE p53-KO cells post-silica exposure. A total of 42 metabolites were putatively involved in p53-dependent silica-mediated HBE cell dysfunction. Through integrated data analysis, we obtained five significant p53-dependent metabolic pathways including phenylalanine, glyoxylate, dicarboxylate, and linoleic acid metabolism, and the citrate cycle. Through metabolite screening, we further identified that benzeneacetic acid, a key regulation metabolite in the phenylalanine metabolic pathway, attenuated the silica-induced EMT in HBE cells in a p53-dependent manner. Interestingly, despite the extensive p53-related published literature, the clinical translation of these studies remains unsubstantial. Conclusions Our study offers new insights into the molecular mechanisms by which epithelial cells respond to silica exposure and provide fresh perspective and direction for future clinical biomarker research and potential clinically sustainable and translatable role of p53.

This paper analyzes the elements and chemical components contained in the gasification ash through elemental analysis and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and proposes that the gasification ash should be poured into underground goaf as grouting fire prevention material. In order to solve the problem that the gasification ash slurry is easy to block the pipeline during the long-distance transportation process, the polymer surfactant carboxymethyl cellulose（ＣＭＣ） is used as the suspending agent. Water separation rate and fluidity of the slurry are tested by suspension and flow experiments under different water-cement ratios and suspending agent additions. The results show that the gasification ash contains a variety of metal elements and non-metal elements. These elements mainly exist in the form of oxides. The oxides with higher content are SiO2, Fe2O3, CaO and Al2O3. When the amount of gasification ash and CMC increased, the water extraction rate and fluidity of grout decreased gradually. Through the suspension test, when the slurry water-cement ratio is 1∶0.2, the CMC addition amount should be greater than 1.25%. When the water-cement ratio is 1∶0.4, 1∶0.6 or 1∶0.8, the CMC addition amount should be greater than 0.5%. If the water-cement ratio is 1∶1, the addition amount of CMC should be greater than 0.25%. If the water-cement ratio exceeds 1∶1, the slurry appears as paste, which does not meet the requirements of grouting.

Abstract Background The human myxovirus resistance 2 (Mx2/MxB) protein was originally found to regulate cytoplasmic-nuclear transport but was recently reported to restrict HIV-1 replication by binding to HIV-1 capsid (CA), preventing uncoating, the nuclear import of pre-integration complex (PIC) and viral DNA integration. This work explores the mechanisms of MxB-mediated HIV-1 inhibition. Results We demonstrated that MxB represses NUP358-mediated PIC nuclear import and HIV-1 replication. Moreover, MxB’s effects on PIC nuclear import and HIV-1 replication depend critically on cofactor cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor subunit 6 (CPSF6). MxB binds nucleoporin NUP358, blocks NUP358-CA interaction, thereby impeding the nuclear import of HIV-1 PIC with CPSF6 binding to PIC. More intriguingly, CPSF6’s role in nuclear import depends on MxB, being a facilitator of HIV-1 nuclear import on its own, but becoming an inhibitor when MxB is present. Conclusions Our work establishes that MxB impedes the NUP358-mediated HIV-1 nuclear import and viral replication cooperatively with CPSF6.

The research status and application of power system, explosion-proof design, multi-parameter monitoring and communication system of coal mine rescue robots at home and abroad were introduced, and the existing problems of coal mine rescue robots, such as limited cruising ability, short walking control distance, heavy weight of explosion-proof materials, poor reliability of information processing and transmission were pointed out. The development trend of coal mine rescue robots was prospected, that is, research and development of new energy batteries suitable for coal mine is one of the development trends of power supply of coal mine rescue robot, research and development of intelligent robots with autonomous walking, positioning and path planning is the development trend of coal mine rescue robots in the future, lightweight explosion-proof materials, intelligent integration of multi-source information, wireless and wired communication mode will also be the direction of intelligent development of coal mine rescue robots.

To realise wide-band stealth of radar absorbing material, a special-shaped honeycomb radar absorbing structure within nested cone-shaped scattering configuration is designed. Based on the HS theory and the impedance matching design, the rule about the influence of the geometry parameter and electromagnetic parameter on the absorbing performance is analysed. In addition, the reflectivity performance is analysed on the condition of oblique incidence angles. By optimising the geometry parameters of the special-shaped honeycomb structure and designing the multilayer composite structure based on impedance matching theory, the results indicate that the two absorbing peaks can be formed for the special-shaped honeycomb radar absorbing structure, and the reflectivity is improved for both the vertical and oblique incidence angles.

Organic solar cells (OSCs) have attracted much attention in recent years due to their solution processability, low cost processing, flexibility, etc. However, despite the rapid development in recent years, the commonly used bulk heterojunction (BHJ) structure requires careful optimization of phase separation. On the other hand, the layer-by-layer (LBL) strategy with a p-i-n structure can also achieve an ideal film morphology for OSCs, which is mainly attributed to the easy regulation of the vertical component distribution. In this work, a ternary LBL device is fabricated to further improve the device performance. Compared with the binary LBL device and BHJ device, the ternary LBL device exhibits improved charge separation, reduced energy loss, and ideal vertical phase separation and morphology. As a result, an outstanding power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 19.46% has been achieved with improvements in short circuit current density (JSC), open circuit voltage (VOC) and fill factor (FF). In particular, operational stability is increased by the combination of the ternary strategy and LBL structure, which induces a stable phase and morphology. This study demonstrates an efficient way to realize high performance and stable OSCs, which is conducive to the further development of OSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate prediction of coronary artery disease (CAD) is crucial for enabling early clinical diagnosis and tailoring personalized treatment options. This study attempts to construct a machine learning (ML) model for predicting CAD risk and further elucidate the complex nonlinear interactions between the disease and its risk factors. Employing the Z-Alizadeh Sani dataset, which includes records of 303 patients, univariate analysis and the Boruta algorithm were applied for feature selection, and nine different ML techniques were subsequently deployed to produce predictive models. To elucidate the intricate pathogenesis of CAD, this study harnessed the analytical capabilities of Shapley values, alongside the use of generalized additive models for curve fitting, to probe into the nonlinear interactions between the disease and its associated risk factors. Furthermore, we implemented a piecewise linear regression model to precisely pinpoint inflection points within these complex nonlinear dynamics. The findings of this investigation reveal that logistic regression (LR) stands out as the preeminent predictive model, demonstrating remarkable efficacy, it achieved an Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.981 (95% CI: 0.952–1), and an Area Under the Precision-Recall Curve (AUPRC) of 0.993. The utilization of the 14 most pivotal features in constructing a dynamic nomogram. Analysis of the Shapley smoothing curves uncovered distinctive "S"-shaped and "C"-shaped relationships linking age and triglycerides to CAD, respectively. In summary, machine learning models could provide valuable insights for the early diagnosis of CAD. The SHAP method may provide a personalized risk assessment of the relationship between CAD and its risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the decline of birth population and the development of medical technology in China, studies assessing how these changes have affected the adoption of congenital heart disease surgery at the national or regional scale are lacking. Methods: We investigated the status of congenital heart surgery in China in the period from 2017–2022, through investigation of the total rates of cardiac surgeries, cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), adult congenital heart surgeries (CHS), and pediatric CHS (<18 years old), as recorded by the Extracorporeal Circulation Branch of the Chinese Society of Biomedical Engineering. Subsequently, we evaluated correlations between these factors with economic, demographic, and other factors. Results: From 2017 to 2022, the total number of cardiac operations increased from 230,772 to 263,292, representing an increase of 14.09% over 6 years; the CHS dropped from 76,365 to 68,940 (10.19% decrease), and the proportion of CHS in the total cardiac surgeries dropped from 33.26% to 26.18% (7.08% decrease). Finally, cases of pediatric CHS decreased from 61,825 to 38,174 (38.25% decrease). The annual percentage change (APC) of the total amount of pediatric CHS cases was –10.03 (–15.95 to –3.69, p = 0.013). Adult CHS increased from 14,940 to 30,766 (105.93% increase). The proportion of adult CHS cases of the total number of cardiac surgeries increased from 6.47% to 11.68% (5.21% increase). From a regional perspective, the APC for the proportion of pediatric CHS in the local population was generally lower in western China. The proportion of CHS in the local population generally decreases from the north to the south, although the lowest incidence is found in the northeast region. Conclusions: Due to demographic changes, medical technology and economic factors, the number of surgical operations for congenital heart disease (CHD) in children decreased significantly from 2017 to 2022, and may decline further in the future. Nevertheless, in the same period, a significant increase in the number of operations for CHD in adults was observed, which brings new opportunities and challenges to the development of congenital cardiac surgery and cardiac critical care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]