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Cellular nanoparticles (CNPs), which refer to nanoparticles coated with natural cell membranes, are promising for neutralizing pathological agents. Here, we use CNPs as a medical countermeasure against the infection of SARS-CoV-2 variants in an animal model. CNPs comprise polymeric cores coated with the plasma membranes of human macrophages. The resulting nanoparticles (MΦ-NPs) act as host cell decoys to intercept SARS-CoV-2 and block its cellular entry, thus inhibiting subsequent viral infection. Our findings indicate that MΦ-NPs bind to the spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2 variants in a dose-dependent manner and inhibit the infectivity of live viruses. In hamsters infected with SARS-CoV-2 variants, MΦ-NPs significantly reduce the viral burden in the lungs, demonstrating their effectiveness in inhibiting viral infectivity in vivo. Furthermore, MΦ-NPs are primarily taken up by alveolar macrophages without inducing noticeable adverse effects. Given the crucial role of macrophages in viral infections, MΦ-NPs present a promising approach to combating emerging viral threats.

Effectively neutralizing inflammatory cytokines is crucial for managing a variety of inflammatory disorders. Current techniques that target only a subset of cytokines often fall short due to the intricate nature of redundant and compensatory cytokine networks. A promising solution to this challenge is using cell membrane-coated nanoparticles (CNPs). These nanoparticles replicate the complex interactions between cells and cytokines observed in disease pathology, providing a potential avenue for multiplex cytokine scavenging. While the development of CNPs using experimental animal models has shown great promise, their effectiveness in scavenging multiple cytokines in human diseases has yet to be demonstrated. To bridge this gap, this study selected macrophage membrane-coated CNPs (MФ-CNPs) and assessed their ability to scavenge inflammatory cytokines in serum samples from patients with COVID-19, sepsis, acute pancreatitis, or type-1 diabetes, along with synovial fluid samples from patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The results show that MФ-CNPs effectively scavenge critical inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, interferon (IFN)-γ, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, in a dose-dependent manner. Overall, this study demonstrates MФ-CNPs as a multiplex cytokine scavenging formulation with promising applications in clinical settings to treat a range of inflammatory disorders.

Background: Inadequate pain management not only results in prolonged physical discomfort but also causes a range of psychological and social issues, such as anxiety, depression, social withdrawal, and diminished work performance. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the duration of pain and depression. Methods: This study utilized data on pain and depression from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2011 to 2014. Participants with a health questionnaire score ≥10 were considered to have depressive symptoms. Weighted univariate, multivariate logistic regression analysis, sensitivity analysis, and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis were used to examine the relationship between pain duration and the risk of depression. Additionally, subgroup analysis was conducted to identify potential confounding factors that might affect this relationship. Results: Among the 2,248 participants, 442 (19.6%) were diagnosed with depressive symptoms, with an average age of 52 years, 69% of whom were female. After adjusting for all confounding factors, our results show a significant association between pain duration (in months) and depression. Individuals in the highest quartile of pain duration had a 154% higher likelihood of developing depression compared to those in the lowest quartile (OR = 3.375, 95% CI 2.329-4.886, P < 0.001), and the trend test was also significant (P for trend < 0.001). The RCS analysis indicated a linear relationship between pain duration and depression (P for nonlinearity = 0.427). Conclusion: This study's results indicate that inadequate pain control, resulting in extended pain duration, places patients at a higher risk for depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron phosphide (FeP) represents a promising anode material for sodium-ion batteries, attributed to its significant theoretical capacity, moderate operating potential, and natural abundance. However, due to the low conductivity and significant volume expansion of FeP electrodes, their specific capacity and cycle life decrease rapidly during charging and discharging. In this study, we synthesized FeP nanoparticles supported on a three-dimensional porous carbon framework composite (FeP@PCF) using a straightforward colloidal blow molding method, employing iron nitrate nonahydrate and polyvinylpyrrolidone as raw materials. The nanoscale size of the FeP particles, along with the abundant mesopores and high specific surface area of the 3D porous carbon framework, contribute to the impressive sodium storage performance of FeP@PCF. It is revealed that FeP@PCF achieves a remarkable capacity of 196.6 mA h g−1 at a current density of 1.0 A g−1. Furthermore, after 800 cycles at this current density, it retains a capacity of 172.4 mA h g−1, demonstrating excellent cycling performance. Kinetic and dynamic studies indicate that this exceptional performance is largely attributed to the well-designed FeP@PCF, which exhibits a high capacitive contribution of 88.3% at a scan rate of 1 mV s−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Methods Results Conclusion Excessive weight gain in childhood has been associated with poor health outcomes throughout life span and has a strong tracking effect in adulthood. This study aimed to investigate trends in the prevalence of overweight, obesity and severe obesity among Chinese children from 2010 to 2020.A total of 42 982 Chinese children aged 2–18 years were included in the Chinese Family Panel Studies carried out every 2 years from 2010 to 2020. Height and mass were reported by them or by their guardians and body mass index was calculated. The prevalence was estimated according to the International Obesity Task Force cut‐offs.There was no significant trend in the prevalence of overweight. The prevalence of obesity and severe obesity for the total population decreased from 8.3% and 3.7% in 2010 to 7.1% and 2.6% in 2020, respectively (p < 0.001). However, these decreases were attributed mostly to children aged 2–6 years and the prevalence increased among children aged 13–18 years. Male, rural residential area and younger age were risk factors for overweight and obesity.A decrease in the prevalence of excessive weight was a positive finding, but strategies that promote the health and well‐being of priority populations were needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The asphalts were aged at different ageing levels to simulate oxidative ageing evolution. The changes in the four components and chemical functional groups of the asphalts at different ageing stages were analysed, and their corresponding asphalt molecular models were established. Then, the self-healing molecular models during ageing evolution were established based on the asphalt molecular models. The self-healing characteristics of the virgin, fast-aging, slow-aging and full-aging stages were studied using the density, radial distribution function (RDF), energy, relative concentration and diffusion coefficients. The results show that the characteristic peak values of RDF curves at the same distance increase with ageing. The bond energy increases less in the fast-ageing stage but greatly in the slow-ageing stage, due to limited sulphur atoms in the asphalt molecule, while the non-bond energy increases greatly in the fast-ageing stage, and less in the slow-ageing stage, due to the stronger polarity of sulphoxide. The relative concentration of saturate changes most, and asphaltene changes less, aromatic and resins change evenly during ageing. The decrease rate of the diffusion coefficient of saturate, aromatic, resin and asphaltene is 12.6%, 11.12%, 10.42% and 9.2% in the fast-ageing stage and 0.62%, 0.60%, 0.55% and 0.62% in the slow-ageing stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of SBS-modified asphalt (SBSMA) deteriorates seriously due to aging. In this research, aging evolution experiments were conducted on base asphalt (BA) and its SBSMA. The rheological and fatigue properties of BA and SBSMA with different aging degrees were assessed through a series of Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) tests. The changes in the chemical functional group and the morphology of BA and SBSMA were analysed through the Fourier Transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR) and the fluorescence microscope to elucidate aging evolution mechanisms. The results show that the aging process for BA and SBSMA can be divided into two stages, the first aging rate is fast and the second aging rate is slow. The SBS degradation in SBSMA occurs primarily in the first aging stage, which shortens the rapid changes of rutting resistance and creep performance for SBSMA and enhance its high-temperature stability. The fatigue life of SBSMA increases by almost one order of magnitude larger than the BA due to SBS under the same aging time. The fatigue life of BA and SBSMA increases rapidly first and then slowly during aging, moreover, the external forces also have a certain impact on the fatigue life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asphalt oxidation kinetic aging effect on the adhesion behavior of asphalt-aggregate interfaces at atomistic scale was investigated in this study. The asphalts were aged at different aging durations. The sulfoxide and carbonyl functional group content as well as SARA fractions of the asphalts at different aging times were studied through the tests of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Saturate, Aromatic, Resin and Asphaltene (SARA) fractions. Asphalt molecular models of virgin, rapid-rate aged, slow-rate aged and full-aged were established based on SARA fractions and FTIR results, to construct asphalt quartz and asphalt-calcite interface systems at different aging stages. The simulation results showed that the nanostructure of asphalt is influenced by the aggregate type and asphalt oxidative aging. The growth rates of adhesion energy of asphalt-quartz and asphalt-calcite systems increase rapidly first and then slowly with aging time, but the growth rates are different. Meanwhile, the Van der Waals energy is the major energy source of adhesion energy, and the contribution of van der Waals and electrostatic energy to adhesion energy is different. The aging of asphaltene and resin promotes the adhesion ability to quartz or calcite, while the aging of aromatic components is not conducive and the saturate has almost no effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This meta-analysis and systematic review examined the effects of an exercise intervention on alcohol dependence and physical and mental states in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Data sources: PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EBSCO, and Embase. Study inclusion and exclusion criteria: Randomized controlled trials published in English from the inception of the database until June 30, 2024, were included. All forms of exercise intervention (aerobic, resistance, yoga, mixed exercise, etc.) were included in the study, using an exercise intervention for patients with AUD and a non-exercise control group. Studies that excluded acute exercise or did not describe a specific intervention program; duplicate publications; review articles, conference articles, etc.; and studies that did not report appropriate outcome metrics. Data extraction: This protocol was prepared according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol standard. The risk of bias was assessed via the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool as described by the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews and Interventions. Data synthesis: Alcohol dependence (number of drinks per day, number of drinks per week, AUDIT), physical and mental status [maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max), resting heart rate, anxiety state, depression state, stress level]. Results: Seventeen RCTs with a total of 1,905 patients with alcohol use disorders were included as subjects, and the results revealed that the exercise intervention had a significant effect on alcohol dependence, the number of drinks per day and the AUDIT score, the exercise intervention also had a significant effect on physical and mental status, VO2max, the resting heart rate, the anxiety state, the depression state, and the stress level. High heterogeneity in the number of drinks per day, anxiety, depression and stress outcomes (I2 > 50%), but Egger's test showed no publication bias for all outcome indicators (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Exercise intervention can effectively reduce alcohol dependence and significantly improve the physical and mental states of AUD patients, and exercise intervention as an adjunct to the treatment of AUD patients is significantly effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The increase in respiratory infections, particularly acute pneumonia, in puppies poses a significant health risk due to the disease's rapid severity. This study successfully identified four multidrug-resistant strains of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli from puppies with acute pneumonia, which contained various virulence genes and were classified using sequence typing. This study emphasizes the need to understand the molecular traits of Escherichia coli strains causing canine pneumonia. Such an understanding facilitates the formulation of targeted intervention strategies and the exploration of novel therapeutic approaches for the effective treatment of acute pneumonia in puppies. To determine the etiological agents responsible for acute pneumonia in puppies in China, this study utilized bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid extraction to enable the isolation, culture, biochemical identification, and 16S rRNA PCR amplification of the pathogens. Following preliminary identification, the pathogens underwent analysis for antibiotic resistance phenotypes and resistance genes. Additionally, the study examined the presence of virulence genes, conducted multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and performed whole-genome sequencing (WGS). The findings revealed that all four isolated pathogens were characterized as extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC). The examined ExPEC strains demonstrated resistance to cephalosporins, tetracyclines, and penicillins, while remaining susceptible to aminoglycosides, beta-lactamase inhibitors, carbapenems, chloramphenicols, and sulfonamides. An analysis of virulence genes identified the presence of eight genes, namely CNF-I, fyuA, fimC, papC, ompA, fimH, irp2, and iroN, which are implicated in their invasiveness and potential to inflict tissue damage. The MLST analysis revealed that all ExPEC strains were classified under either sequence type ST131 (Achtman database) or ST43 (Pasteur database). The study further determined that these strains were absent in the kennel's drinking water source, thereby ruling out water contamination as a potential factor in the emergence of ST131-type ExPEC. This study offers a theoretical framework and empirical evidence for elucidating the potential pathogenic mechanisms and clinical therapeutic strategies of ExPEC in the etiology of acute pneumonia in puppies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]