Secure transmission in a W-band RoF system based on delta-sigma modulation.

In this Letter, a delta-sigma modulation (DSM) encryption technique in a W-band RoF system is proposed. By performing DSM with different over-sample ratios (OSRs) on the OFDM signal based on the controlled keys generated by the chaotic system at the transmitter and performing constellation masking to disturb the transmitting signal for encryption, a high-order QAM-OFDM-DSM encrypted signal is achieved. In order to further improve the security of the system, bit bidirectional diffusion scrambling is used to resist chosen-plaintext attacks. After experimental verification, under the same transmission power, the encrypted DSM signal can achieve better security than single OSR of DSM signals through a 50-km standard single-mode fiber (SSMF) and a 3-m wireless channel, with the gain of sensitivity increased by ∼1 dBm. From the reliability of the system, the encrypted signal of the proposed scheme can be recovered, which meets a hard decision-forward error correction (HD-FEC) threshold of 3.8 × 10-3.

Mogroside Alleviates Diabetes Mellitus and Modulates Intestinal Microflora in Type 2 Diabetic Mice.

Mogroside, the main component of Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey (Cucurbitaceae) is a natural product with hypoglycemic and intestinal microbiota regulating properties. However, whether the alteration of intestinal microbiota is associated with the antidiabetic effect of mogroside remains poorly understood. This study investigated the mechanism underlying the hypoglycemic effect of mogroside in regulating intestinal flora and attenuating metabolic endotoxemia. Kunming mice with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) induced by high-fat diet and intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin were randomly divided into model, pioglitazone (2.57 mg/kg) and mogroside (200, 100, and 50 mg/kg) groups. After 28 d of administration, molecular changes related to glucose metabolism and metabolic endotoxemia in mice were evaluated. The levels of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14) and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) mRNAs were measured, and the composition of intestinal microflora was determined by 16s ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequencing. The results showed that mogroside treatment significantly improved hepatic glucose metabolism in T2DM mice. More importantly, mogroside treatment considerably reduced plasma endotoxin (inhibition rate 65.93%, high-dose group) and inflammatory factor levels, with a concomitant decrease in CD14 and TLR4 mRNA levels. Moreover, mogroside treatment reduced the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria (the inhibition rate of Proteobacteria was 85.17% in the low-dose group) and increased the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes (growth rate up to 40.57%, high-dose group) in the intestines of diabetic mice. This study reveals that mogroside can relieve T2DM, regulating intestinal flora and improving intestinal mucosal barrier, indicating that mogroside can be a potential therapeutic agent or intestinal microbiota regulator in the treatment of T2DM.

Bioinspired Liquid Metal based Soft Humanoid Robots.

The pursuit of constructing humanoid robots to replicate the anatomical structures and capabilities of human beings has been a long-standing significant undertaking and especially garnered tremendous attention in recent years. However, despite the progress made over recent decades, humanoid robots have predominantly been confined to those rigid metallic structures, which however starkly contrast with the inherent flexibility observed in biological systems. To better innovate this area, the present article systematically explores the value and potential of liquid metals and their derivatives in facilitating a crucial transition towards soft humanoid robots. Through a comprehensive interpretation of bionics, we present an overview of liquid metals' multifaceted roles as essential components in constructing advanced humanoid robots - functioning as soft actuators, sensors, power sources, logical devices, circuit systems, and even transformable skeletal structures. We conceived that the integration of these components with flexible structures, facilitated by the unique properties of liquid metals, can create unexpected versatile functionalities and behaviors to better fulfill human needs. Finally, we envision a revolution in humanoid robots, transitioning from metallic frameworks to hybrid soft-rigid structures resembling that of biological tissues. This article is expected to provide fundamental guidance for the coming research, thereby advancing the area. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Tumors cells with mismatch repair deficiency induce hyperactivation of pyroptosis resistant to cell membrane damage but are more sensitive to co-treatment of IFN-γ and TNF-α to PANoptosis.

Hypermutated neoantigens in cancers with DNA mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR) are prerequisites for favorable clinical responses to immune-checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy. However, TMB is not significantly associated with favorable prognosis from Preclinical and clinical studies. It implies that except for TMB, other mechanisms should be needed to contribute to successful cancer immunotherapy. We found that the hyperactivation of PANoptotic effective molecules in dMMR tumor cells caused cell membrane damage, induced ESCRT-mediated membrane repair, and protected tumor cells from the damage caused by Triton X-100, while DNA mismatch repair proficient (pMMR) tumor cells were sensitive to Triton X-100 mediating cell membrane damage due to the lack of ESCRT-mediated membrane repair. There was hyperactivation of GSDMD, GSDME, and p-MLKL in dMMR tumor cells. Co-treatment of IFN-γ and TNF-α induced rapid death of dMMR tumor cells by inducing PANoptosis including pyroptosis, apoptosis, and no necrosis. pMMR tumor cells had defects in the PANoptosis pathway and were resistant to co-treatment of IFN-γ and TNF-α. In conclusion, we can activate immune cells to release IFN-γ and TNF-α to overcome resistance to ICB treatment.

Optimal obesity- and lipid-related indices for predicting type 2 diabetes in middle-aged and elderly Chinese.

To investigate the screening and predicting functions of obesity- and lipid-related indices for type 2 diabetes (T2D) in middle-aged and elderly Chinese, as well as the ideal predicted cut-off value. This study's data comes from the 2011 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). A cross-sectional study design was used to investigate the relationship of T2D and 13 obesity- and lipid-related indices, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-height ratio (WHtR), visceral adiposity index (VAI), a body shape index (ABSI), body roundness index (BRI), lipid accumulation product (LAP), conicity index (CI), Chinese visceral adiposity index (CVAI), triglyceride- glucose index (TyG index) and its correlation index (TyG-BMI, TyG-WC, TyG-WHtR). The unadjusted and adjusted correlations between 13 indices and T2D were assessed using binary logistic regression analysis. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to determine the usefulness of anthropometric indices for screening for T2D and determining their cut­off value, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC). The study comprised 9488 people aged 45 years or above in total, of whom 4354 (45.89%) were males and 5134 (54.11%) were females. Among them were 716 male cases of T2D (16.44%) and 870 female cases of T2D (16.95%). A total of 13 obesity- and lipid-related indices were independently associated with T2D risk after adjusted for confounding factors (P < 0.05). According to ROC analysis, the TyG index was the best predictor of T2D among males (AUC = 0.780, 95% CI 0.761, 0.799) and females (AUC = 0.782, 95% CI 0.764, 0.799). The AUC values of the 13 indicators were higher than 0.5, indicating that they have predictive values for T2D in middle-aged and elderly Chinese. The 13 obesity- and lipid-related indices can predict the risk of T2D in middle­aged and elderly Chinese. Among 13 indicators, the TyG index is the best predictor of T2D in both males and females. TyG-WC, TyG-BMI, TyG-WHtR, LAP, and CVAI all outperformed BMI, WC, and WHtR in predicting T2D.

Four-years change of BMI and waist circumference are associated with metabolic syndrome in middle-aged and elderly Chinese.

The purpose of the study was to determine whether changes in body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) in middle-aged and elderly Chinese are associated with metabolic syndrome. In this cohort investigation, 3697 middle-aged and elderly people aged 45 or over were recruited from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (2005) defined metabolic syndrome (MetS). With Cox regression analysis, we calculated hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for MetS based on BMI-WC change categories. To assess the prevalence of MetS, the changes in BMI and WC levels were classified into four quartiles based on their relative and absolute changes. In subjects whose BMI and WC decreased (HR = 0.338; 95% CIs 0.264, 0.433) as well as those whose BMI increased and their WC decreased (HR = 0.375; 95% CIs 0.228, 0.499), metabolic syndrome risk was significantly lower compared with those with increases in both BMI and WC. Regarding the absolute changes in BMI, the lowest percentile of BMI was significantly lower in both males (HR = 0.302; 95% CIs 0.204, 0.448) and females (HR = 0.486; 95% CIs 0.354, 0.667) for the risk of metabolic syndrome. Similar results were observed in the absolute changes in WC, with the lowest quantile of WC having a significant impact on MetS risk in males (HR = 0.170; 95% CIs 0.107, 0.270) and females (HR = 0.303; 95% CIs 0.217, 0.424). The risk of metabolic syndrome was significantly associated with changes in BMI and WC in middle-aged and elderly Chinese. A reduced BMI and WC are associated with lower metabolic syndrome risks in middle-aged and elderly people.

Integrated Photoelectrochemical-SERS Platform Based on Plasmonic Metal-Semiconductor Heterostructures for Multidimensional Charge Transfer Analysis and Enhanced Patulin Detection.

Comprehending the charge transfer mechanism at the semiconductor interfaces is crucial for enhancing the electronic and optical performance of sensing devices. Yet, relying solely on single signal acquisition methods at the interface hinders a comprehensive understanding of the charge transfer under optical excitation. Herein, we present an integrated photoelectrochemical surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (PEC-SERS) platform based on quantum dots/metal-organic framework (CdTe/Yb-TCPP) nanocomposites for investigating the charge transfer mechanism under photoexcitation in multiple dimensions. This integrated platform allows simultaneous PEC and SERS measurements with a 532 nm laser. The obtained photocurrent and Raman spectra of the CdTe/Yb-TCPP nanocomposites are simultaneously influenced by variable bias voltages, and the correlation between them enables us to predict the charge transfer pathway. Moreover, we integrate gold nanorods (Au NRs) into the PEC-SERS system by using magnetic separation and DNA biometrics to construct a biosensor for patulin detection. This biosensor demonstrates the voltage-driven ON/OFF switching of PEC and SERS signals, a phenomenon attributed to the plasmon resonance effect of Au NRs at different voltages, thereby influencing charge transfer. The detection of patulin in apples verified the applicability of the biosensor. The study offers an efficient approach to understanding semiconductor-metal interfaces and presents a new avenue for designing high-performance biosensors.

Neutral Cyanine: Ultra-Stable NIR-II Merocyanines for Highly Efficient Bioimaging and Tumor-Targeted Phototheranostics.

Fluorescence imaging (FLI)-guided phototheranostics using emission from the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window show significant potential for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Clinical imaging-used polymethine ionic indocyanine green (ICG) dye is widely adopted for NIR fluorescence imaging-guided photothermal therapy (PTT) research due to its exceptional photophysical properties. However, ICG has limitations such as poor photostability, low photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE), short-wavelength emission peak, and liver-targeting issues, which restrict its wider use. In this study, two ionic ICG derivatives are transformed into neutral merocyanines (mCy) to achieve much-enhanced performance for NIR-II cancer phototheranostics. Initial designs of two ionic dyes show similar drawbacks as ICG in terms of poor photostability and low photothermal performance. One of the modified neutral molecules, mCy890, shows significantly improved stability, an emission peak over 1000 nm, and a high photothermal PCE of 51%, all considerably outperform ICG. In vivo studies demonstrate that nanoparticles of the mCy890 can effectively accumulate at the tumor sites for cancer photothermal therapy guided by NIR-II fluorescence imaging. This research provides valuable insights into the development of neutral merocyanines for enhanced cancer phototheranostics.

The Association Between Rumination and Craving in Chinese Methamphetamine-Dependent Patients: The Masking Effect of Depression.

BACKGROUND: Craving is a core feature of addiction. Rumination and depression play a crucial role in the process of methamphetamine addiction. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between rumination, depression and craving in methamphetamine patients, which has not been explored yet. METHODS: A total of 778 patients with methamphetamine user disorder (MUD) at the Xinhua Drug Rehabilitation Center, located in Mianyang City, Sichuan Province, China. We used a set of self-administered questionnaires that included socio-demographic, detailed drug use history, rumination, depression and craving information. The Rumination Response Scale (RRS) was used to measure rumination, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) to measure depression and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) to measure craving. RESULTS: There was a significant positive correlation between rumination and craving, or depression, and between depression and craving. Furthermore, depression mediated between rumination and craving, with a mediation effect of 160%. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that there is a close interrelationship between rumination, craving and depression in MUD patients, and that depression may play a mediating role between rumination and craving.

This is the first study to investigate the relationship between rumination and craving during withdrawal in methamphetamine dependent patients and the mediating role of depression.Among methamphetamine patients, it was found that reflection was positively correlated with rumination and depression, depression and craving, rumination and craving, and depression plays the mediating role between rumination and craving.These findings suggest that interventions to reduce depression and rumination may also be effective for withdrawal and relapse reduction in methamphetamine patients, providing further rationale for the treatment of methamphetamine patients.

Obesity and lipid indices as predictors of depressive symptoms in middle-aged and elderly Chinese: insights from a nationwide cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Depressive symptoms are one of the most common psychiatric disorders, with a high lifetime prevalence rate among middle-aged and elderly Chinese. Obesity may be one of the risk factors for depressive symptoms, but there is currently no consensus on this view. Therefore, we investigate the relationship and predictive ability of 13 obesity- and lipid-related indices with depressive symptoms among middle-aged and elderly Chinese. METHODS: The data were obtained from The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Our analysis includes individuals who did not have depressive symptoms at the baseline of the CHARLS Wave 2011 study and were successfully follow-up in 2013 and 2015. Finally, 3790 participants were included in the short-term (from 2011 to 2013), and 3660 participants were included in the long-term (from 2011 to 2015). The average age of participants in short-term and long-term was 58.47 years and 57.88 years. The anthropometric indicators used in this analysis included non-invasive [e.g. waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), and a body mass index (ABSI)], and invasive anthropometric indicators [e.g. lipid accumulation product (LAP), triglyceride glucose index (TyG index), and its-related indices (e.g. TyG-BMI, and TyG-WC)]. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to examine the predictive ability of various indicators for depressive symptoms. The association of depressive symptoms with various indicators was calculated using binary logistic regression. RESULTS: The overall incidence of depressive symptoms was 20.79% in the short-term and 27.43% in the long-term. In males, WC [AUC = 0.452], LAP [AUC = 0.450], and TyG-WC [AUC = 0.451] were weak predictors of depressive symptoms during the short-term (P < 0.05). In females, BMI [AUC = 0.468], LAP [AUC = 0.468], and TyG index [AUC = 0.466] were weak predictors of depressive symptoms during the long-term (P < 0.05). However, ABSI cannot predict depressive symptoms in males and females during both periods (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The research indicates that in the middle-aged and elderly Chinese, most obesity- and lipid-related indices have statistical significance in predicting depressive symptoms, but the accuracy of these indicators in prediction is relatively low and may not be practical predictors.

[Ginsenoside Rg_1 ameliorates OGD/R-induced PC12 cell injury by inhibiting autography via IRE1-JNK-CHOP pathway].

This study investigated the protective effect of ginsenoside Rg_1(GRg_1) on oxygen and glucose deprivation/reoxygenation(OGD/R)-injured rat adrenal pheochromocytoma(PC12) cells and whether the underlying mechanism was related to the regulation of inositol-requiring enzyme 1(IRE1)-c-Jun N-terminal kinase(JNK)-C/EBP homologous protein(CHOP) signaling pathway. An OGD/R model was established in PC12 cells, and PC12 cells were randomly classified into control, model, OGD/R+GRg_1(0.1, 1, 10 µmol·L~(-1)), OGD/R+GRg_1+rapamycin(autophagy agonist), OGD/R+GRg_1+3-methyladenine(3-MA,autophagy inhibitor), OGD/R+GRg_1+tunicamycin(endoplasmic reticulum stress agonist), OGD/R+GRg_1+4-phenylbutyric acid(4-PBA, endoplasmic reticulum stress inhibitor), and OGD/R+GRg_1+3,5-dibromosalicylaldehyde(DBSA, IRE1 inhibitor) groups. Except the control group, the other groups were subjected to OGD/R treatment, i.e., oxygen and glucose deprivation for 6 h followed by reoxygenation for 6 h. Cell viability was detected by the 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide(MTT) assay. Apoptosis was detected by Hoechst 33342 staining, and the fluorescence intensity of autophagosomes by the monodansylcadaverine(MDC) assay. Western blot was employed to determine the expression of autophagy-related proteins(Beclin1, LC3-Ⅱ, and p62) and the pathway-related proteins [IRE1, p-IRE1, JNK, p-JNK, glucose-regulated protein 78(GRP78), and CHOP]. The results showed that GRg_1 dose-dependently increased the viability of PC12 cells and down-regulated the expression of Beclin1, LC3-Ⅱ, p-IRE1, p-JNK, GRP78, and CHOP, compared with the model group. Furthermore, GRg_1 decreased the apoptosis rate and MDC fluorescence intensity and up-regulated the expression of p62 protein. Compared with the OGD/R+GRg_1(10 µmol·L~(-1)) group, OGD/R+GRg_1+rapamycin and OGD/R+GRg_1+tunicamycin groups showed increased apoptosis rate and MDC fluorescence intensity, up-regulated protein levels of Beclin1, LC3-Ⅱ, p-IRE1, p-JNK, GRP78, and CHOP, decreased relative cell survival rate, and down-regulated protein level of p62. The 3-MA, 4-PBA, and DBSA groups exerted the opposite effects. Taken together, GRg_1 may ameliorate OGD/R-induced PC12 cell injury by inhibiting autophagy via the IRE1-JNK-CHOP pathway.

A review and new perspective on oral bacteriophages: manifestations in the ecology of oral diseases.

Objective: To explore the manifestations of bacteriophages in different oral disease ecologies, including periodontal diseases, dental caries, endodontic infections, and oral cancer, as well as to propel phage therapy for safer and more effective clinical application in the field of dentistry. Methods: In this literature review, we outlined interactions between bacteriophages, bacteria and even oral cells in the oral ecosystem, especially in disease states. We also analyzed the current status and future prospects of phage therapy in the perspective of different oral diseases. Results: Various oral bacteriophages targeting at periodontal pathogens as Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Treponema denticola and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, cariogenic pathogen Streptococcus mutans, endodontic pathogen Enterococcus faecalis were predicted or isolated, providing promising options for phage therapy. In the realm of oral cancer, aside from displaying tumor antigens or participating in tumor-targeted therapies, phage-like particle vaccines demonstrated the potential to prevent oral infections caused by human papillomaviruses (HPVs) associated with head-and-neck cancers. Conclusion: Due to their intricate interactions with bacteria and oral cells, bacteriophages are closely linked to the progression and regression of diverse oral diseases. And there is an urgent need for research to explore additional possibilities of bacteriophages in the management of oral diseases.

[The Regulatory Effect of RNA m6 A Methylation Modification on KDM4B Gene Expression in t (8;21) AML Cells by MeRIP-qPCR].

OBJECTIVE: To confirm the direct regulatory effect of WTAP-mediated RNA m6A modification on the KDM4B gene in t (8;21) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells through MeRIP combined with reverse transcription real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) technology. METHODS: The lentivirus-mediated shRNA target WTAP or KDM4B gene was used to transfect the t (8;21) AML cell lines: Kasumi-1 and SKNO-1, and cells transfected with randomly shuffled shRNA as the control. Using the Ultrapure RNA Extraction Kit (DNase I) to extract RNA. The Magna MeRIPTM m6A Kit was used to enrich methylated modified fragments, and detect the m6A methylated RNA regions by RT-qPCR, and the protein and mRNA expression levels of WTAP and KDM4B in cells were detected by Western blot and reverse transcription real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Colony formation assays were used to detect the colony ability of cells in vitro. RESULTS: Silencing the expression of WTAP in Kasumi-1 cells, the enrichment of m6A methylation modification was significantly decreased in the 3'UTR of KDM4B mRNA(P < 0.01), and the protein(P < 0.001) and mRNA (Kasumi-1:P < 0.001; SKNO-1: P < 0.01) expression levels of KDM4B were also significantly inhibited in Kasumi-1 and SKNO-1 cells upon WTAP knockdown (all P < 0.01), accompanied by a significant decrease in the colony-forming ability of both cell lines (both P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: In t(8;21) AML cell lines, WTAP could regulate the expression of KDM4B by regulating the m6A modification of the 3'UTR of KDM4B mRNA, and silencing the expression of KDM4B could inhibit the cellular proliferation in vitro.

Small RNA SmsR1 modulates acidogenicity and cariogenic virulence by affecting protein acetylation in Streptococcus mutans.

Post-transcriptional regulation by small RNAs and post-translational modifications (PTM) such as lysine acetylation play fundamental roles in physiological circuits, offering rapid responses to environmental signals with low energy consumption. Yet, the interplay between these regulatory systems remains underexplored. Here, we unveil the cross-talk between sRNAs and lysine acetylation in Streptococcus mutans, a primary cariogenic pathogen known for its potent acidogenic virulence. Through systematic overexpression of sRNAs in S. mutans, we identified sRNA SmsR1 as a critical player in modulating acidogenicity, a key cariogenic virulence feature in S. mutans. Furthermore, combined with the analysis of predicted target mRNA and transcriptome results, potential target genes were identified and experimentally verified. A direct interaction between SmsR1 and 5'-UTR region of pdhC gene was determined by in vitro binding assays. Importantly, we found that overexpression of SmsR1 reduced the expression of pdhC mRNA and increased the intracellular concentration of acetyl-CoA, resulting in global changes in protein acetylation levels. This was verified by acetyl-proteomics in S. mutans, along with an increase in acetylation level and decreased activity of LDH. Our study unravels a novel regulatory paradigm where sRNA bridges post-transcriptional regulation with post-translational modification, underscoring bacterial adeptness in fine-tuning responses to environmental stress.

Optogenetic Stimulation of the Cardiac Vagus Nerve to Promote Heart Regenerative Repair after Myocardial Infarction.

Background: It had been shown that selective cardiac vagal activation holds great potential for heart regeneration. Optogenetics has clinical translation potential as a novel means of modulating targeted neurons. This study aimed to investigate whether cardiac vagal activation via optogenetics could improve heart regenerative repair after myocardial infarction (MI) and to identify the underlying mechanism. Methods: We used an adeno-associated virus (AAV) as the vector to deliver ChR2, a light-sensitive protein, to the left nodose ganglion (LNG). To assess the effects of the cardiac vagus nerve on cardiomyocyte (CM) proliferation and myocardial regeneration in vivo, the light-emitting diode illumination (470 nm) was applied for optogenetic stimulation to perform the gain-of-function experiment and the vagotomy was used as a loss-of-function assay. Finally, sequencing data and molecular biology experiments were analyzed to determine the possible mechanisms by which the cardiac vagus nerve affects myocardial regenerative repair after MI. Results: Absence of cardiac surface vagus nerve after MI was more common in adult hearts with low proliferative capacity, causing a poor prognosis. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments further demonstrated that optogenetic stimulation of the cardiac vagus nerve positively regulated cardiomyocyte (CM) proliferation and myocardial regeneration in vivo. More importantly, optogenetic stimulation attenuated ventricular remodeling and improved cardiac function after MI. Further analysis of sequencing results and flow cytometry revealed that cardiac vagal stimulation activated the IL-10/STAT3 pathway and promoted the polarization of cardiac macrophages to the M2 type, resulting in beneficial cardiac regenerative repair after MI. Conclusions: Targeting the cardiac vagus nerve by optogenetic stimulation induced macrophage M2 polarization by activating the IL-10/STAT3 signaling pathway, which obviously optimized the regenerative microenvironment and then improved cardiac function after MI.

Panax notoginseng saponins prevent dementia and oxidative stress in brains of SAMP8 mice by enhancing mitophagy.

BACKGROUND: Mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the distinctive features of neurons in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Intraneuronal autophagosomes selectively phagocytose and degrade the damaged mitochondria, mitigating neuronal damage in AD. Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) can effectively reduce oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage in the brain of animals with AD, but their exact mechanism of action is unknown. METHODS: Senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) mice with age-related AD were treated with PNS for 8 weeks. The effects of PNS on learning and memory abilities, cerebral oxidative stress status, and hippocampus ultrastructure of mice were observed. Moreover, changes of the PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1)-Parkin, which regulates ubiquitin-dependent mitophagy, and the recruit of downstream autophagy receptors were investigated. RESULTS: PNS attenuated cognitive dysfunction in SAMP8 mice in the Morris water maze test. PNS also enhanced glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities, and increased glutathione levels by 25.92% and 45.55% while inhibiting 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine by 27.74% and the malondialdehyde production by 34.02% in the brains of SAMP8 mice. Our observation revealed the promotion of mitophagy, which was accompanied by an increase in microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) mRNA and 70.00% increase of LC3-II/I protein ratio in the brain tissues of PNS-treated mice. PNS treatment increased Parkin mRNA and protein expression by 62.80% and 43.80%, while increasing the mRNA transcription and protein expression of mitophagic receptors such as optineurin, and nuclear dot protein 52. CONCLUSION: PNS enhanced the PINK1/Parkin pathway and facilitated mitophagy in the hippocampus, thereby preventing cerebral oxidative stress in SAMP8 mice. This may be a mechanism contributing to the cognition-improvement effect of PNS.

The multi-slit very small angle neutron scattering instrument at the China Spallation Neutron Source.

A multi-slit very small angle neutron scattering (MS-VSANS) instrument has been finally accepted at the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS). It is the first spallation neutron source based VSANS instrument. MS-VSANS has a good signal-to-noise ratio and can cover a wide scattering vector magnitude range from 0.00028 to 1.4 Å-1. In its primary flight path, a combined curved multichannel beam bender and sections of rotary exchange drums are installed to minimize the background downstream of the instrument. An exchangeable multi-slit beam focusing system is integrated into the primary flight path, enabling access to a minimum scattering vector magnitude of 0.00028 Å-1. MS-VSANS has three modes, namely conventional SANS, polarizing SANS and VSANS modes. In the SANS mode, three motorized high-efficiency 3He tube detectors inside the detector tank cover scattering angles from 0.12 to 35° simultaneously. In the polarizing SANS mode, a double-V cavity provides highly polarized neutrons and a high-efficiency 3He polarization analyser allows full polarization analysis. In the VSANS mode, an innovative high-resolution gas electron multiplier detector covers scattering angles from 0.016 to 0.447°. The absolute scattering intensities of a selection of standard samples are obtained using the direct-beam technique; the effectiveness of this method is verified by testing the standard samples and comparing the results with those from a benchmark instrument. The MS-VSANS instrument is designed to be flexible and versatile and all the design goals have been achieved.

Home care needs assessment among caregivers of children and adolescents with osteogenesis imperfecta: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Children and adolescents with complex medical issues need home care services; however, few studies have provided insight into the unmet home care needs of the families of patients with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). In this study, we aimed to assess the home care needs of caregivers of children and adolescents with OI and the associated factors. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was administered online to 142 caregivers of patients with OI aged 3-17 years between May and October 2022 from 25 provinces in China. The questionnaire comprised 15 questions on demographic variables and 14 questions on home care needs. Chi-square analysis was used to compare group differences for categorical variables. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine predictors of caregivers' home care needs. RESULTS: The study findings indicated that 81.5% of caregivers had high home care needs. The three leading types of home care needs were helping the child carry out physical fitness recovery exercises at home (72.5%), understanding precautions regarding treatment drugs (72.5%), and relieving the child's pain (70.4%). OI patients' poor self-care ability (adjusted odds ratio = 5.9, 95% confidence interval = 1.8-19.0) was related to caregivers' high level of home care needs. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that future scientific research and nursing guidance should focus on OI patients' physical training, medication management, pain relief, fracture prevention, and treatment. In addition, caregivers of patients with poor self-care ability should receive special attention in the development of interventions. This study can help with addressing the unmet home care needs of caregivers of children and adolescents with OI. It is vital to develop a personalized intervention plan based on patients' self-care ability.

Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Hypertension Belief Assessment Tool.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is prevalent in China. Hypertensive patients suffer from many health problems in life. Hypertension is a common chronic disease with long-term and lifelong characteristics. In the long run, the existence of chronic diseases will affect the patient's own health beliefs. However, people's health beliefs about Hypertension are not explicit. Therefore, it is vital to find a suitable instrument to comprehend and improve the health beliefs of hypertensive patients, thus, better control of blood pressure and improvement of patient's quality of life are now crucial issues. This study aimed to translate the Hypertension Belief Assessment Tool (HBAT) into Chinese and examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Hypertension Belief Assessment Tool in hypertensive patients. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study. We translated the HBAT into Chinese and tested the reliability and validity of the Chinese version among 325 hypertensive patients. RESULTS: The Chinese version of the scale contains 21 items. The Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) revealed six factors and explained 77.898% of the total variation. A six-factor model eventually showed acceptable fit indices in the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). With modified Confirmatory Factor Analysis, the fit indices were Chi-square/Degree of Freedom (CMIN/DF) = 2.491, Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.952, Incremental Fit Index (IFI) = 0.952, Root-mean-square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.068, Tucker Lewis Index (TLI) = 0.941. The HBAT exhibits high internal consistency reliability (0.803), and the scale has good discriminant validity. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the HBAT is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the beliefs of Chinese hypertensive patients.

Polyvalent Aptamer-Functionalized NIR-II Quantum Dots for Targeted Theranostics in High PD-L1-Expressing Tumors.

Ag2S quantum dots (QDs) show superior optical properties in the NIR-II region and display significant clinical potential with favorable biocompatibility. However, inherent defects of low targeting and poor solubility necessitate practical modification methods to achieve the theranostics of Ag2S QDs. Herein, we used rolling circle amplification (RCA) techniques to obtain long single-stranded DNA containing the PD-L1 aptamer and C-rich DNA palindromic sequence. The C-rich DNA palindromic sequences can specifically chelate Ag2+ and thus serve as a template to result in biomimetic mineralization and formation of pApt-Ag2S QDs. These QDs enable specific targeting and illuminate hot tumors with high PD-L1 expression effectively, serving as excellent molecular targeted probes. In addition, due to the high NIR-II absorption of Ag2S QDs, pApt-Ag2S QDs exhibit remarkable photothermal properties. And besides, polyvalent PD-L1 aptamers can recognize PD-L1 protein and effectively block the inhibitory signal of PD-L1 on T cells, enabling efficient theranostics through the synergistic effect of photothermal therapy and immune checkpoint blocking therapy. Summary, we enhance the biological stability and antibleaching ability of Ag2S QDs using long single-stranded DNA as a template, thereby establishing a theranostic platform that specifically targets PD-L1 high-expressing inflamed tumors and demonstrates excellent performance both in vitro and in vivo.