USP18 Curbs the Progression of Metabolic Hypertension by Suppressing JAK/STAT Pathway.

Hypertension is a pathological state of the metabolic syndrome that increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Managing hypertension is challenging, and we aimed to identify the pathogenic factors and discern therapeutic targets for metabolic hypertension (MHR). An MHR rat model was established with the combined treatment of a high-sugar, high-fat diet and ethanol. Histopathological observations were performed using hematoxylin-eosin and Sirius Red staining. Transcriptome sequencing was performed to screen differentially expressed genes. The role of ubiquitin-specific protease 18 (USP18) in the proliferation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress of HUVECs was explored using Cell Counting Kit-8, flow cytometry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Moreover, USP18 downstream signaling pathways in MHR were screened, and the effects of USP18 on these signaling pathways were investigated by western blotting. In the MHR model, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels increased, while high-density lipoprotein levels decreased. Moreover, high vessel thickness and percentage of collagen were noted along with increased malondialdehyde, decreased superoxide dismutase and catalase levels. The staining results showed that the MHR model exhibited an irregular aortic intima and disordered smooth muscle cells. There were 78 differentially expressed genes in the MHR model, and seven hub genes, including USP18, were identified. USP18 overexpression facilitated proliferation and reduced apoptosis and oxidative stress in HUVECs treated with Ang in vitro. In addition, the JAK/STAT pathway was identified as a USP18 downstream signaling pathway, and USP18 overexpression inhibited the expression of JAK/STAT pathway-related proteins. Conclusively, USP18 restrained MHR progression by promoting cell proliferation, reversing apoptosis and oxidative stress, and suppressing the JAK/STAT pathway.

Developing Air-Stable n-Type SWCNT-Based Composites with High Thermoelectric and Robust Mechanical Properties for Wearable Electronics.

Flexible organic thermoelectric generators are gaining prominence in wearable electronics, leveraging body heat as an energy source. Their advancement is hindered by the scarcity of air-stable n-type organic materials with robust mechanical properties. This study introduces two new polymers (HDCN4 and HDCN8), created through polycondensation of paraformaldehyde and diamine-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEGDA) with molecular weights of 4000 and 8000 g/mol into single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). The resulting HDCN4/SWCNT and HDCN8/SWCNT composites show impressive power factors of 225.9 and 108.2 µW m-1 K-2, respectively, and maintain over 90% in air for over four months without encapsulation. The HDCN4/SWCNT composite also demonstrates significant tensile strength (33.2 MPa) and flexibility (up to 10% strain), which is currently the best mechanically n-type thermoelectric material with such a high power factor reported in the literature. A thermoelectric device based on HDCN4/SWCNT generates 4.2 µW of power with a 50 K temperature difference. Additionally, when used in wearable temperature sensors, these devices exhibit high mechanical reliability and a temperature resolution of 0.1 K. This research presents a viable method to produce air-stable n-type thermoelectric materials with excellent performance and mechanical properties.

Bacteroid cerium oxide particles promote macrophage polarization to achieve early vascularization and subsequent osseointegration around implants.

The establishment of an osseointegration is crucial for the long-term stability and functionality of implant materials, and early angiogenesis is the key to successful osseointegration. However, the bioinertness of titanium implants affects osseointegration, limiting their clinical application. In this study, inspired by the rapid polarization of macrophages following the phagocytosis of bacteria, we developed bacteroid cerium oxide particles; these particles were composed of CeO2 and had a size similar to that of Bacillus (0.5 µ m). These particles were constructed on the implant surfaces using a hydrothermal method. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the particles effectively decreased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in macrophages (RAW264.7). Furthermore, these particles exerted effects on M1 macrophage polarization, enhanced nitric oxide (NO) secretion to promote vascular regeneration, and facilitated rapid macrophage transition to the M2 phenotype. Subsequently, the particles facilitated human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) migration. In vivo studies showed that these particles rapidly stimulated innate immune responses in animal models, leading to enhanced angiogenesis around the implant and improved osseointegration. In summary, the presence of bacteroid cerium oxide particles on the implant surface regulated and accelerated macrophage polarization, thereby enhancing angiogenesis during the immune response and improving peri-implant osseointegration.

The Construction of Three-Layered Biomimetic Arterial Graft Balances Biomechanics and Biocompatibility for Dynamic Biological Reconstruction.

The process of reconstructing an arterial graft is a complex and dynamic process that is subject to the influence of various mechanical factors, including tissue regeneration and blood pressure. The attainment of favorable remodeling outcomes is contingent upon the biocompatibility and biomechanical properties of the arterial graft. A promising strategy involves the emulation of the three-layer structure of the native artery, wherein the inner layer is composed of polycaprolactone (PCL) fibers aligned with blood flow, exhibiting excellent biocompatibility that fosters endothelial cell growth and effectively prevents platelet adhesion. The middle layer, consisting of PCL and polyurethane (PU), offers mechanical support and stability by forming a contractile smooth muscle ring and antiexpansion PU network. The outer layer, composed of PCL fibers with an irregular arrangement, promotes the growth of nerves and pericytes for long-term vascular function. Prioritizing the reconstruction of the inner and outer layers establishes a stable environment for intermediate smooth muscle growth. Our three-layer arterial graft is designed to provide the blood vessel with mechanical support and stability through nondegradable PU, while the incorporation of degradable PCL generates potential spaces for tissue ingrowth, thereby transforming our graft into a living implant.

A Novel and Green Method for Preparing Highly Conductive PEDOT:PSS Films for Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting.

As a π-conjugated conductive polymer, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is recognized as a promising environmentally friendly thermoelectric material. However, its low conductivity has limited applications in the thermoelectric field. Although thermoelectric efficiency can be significantly enhanced through post-treatment doping, these processes often involve environmentally harmful organic solvents or reagents. In this study, a novel and environmentally benign method using purified water (including room temperature water and subsequent warm water) to treat PEDOT:PSS film has been developed, resulting in improved thermoelectric performance. The morphology data, chemical composition, molecular structure, and thermoelectric performance of the films before and after treatment were characterized and analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), Raman spectrum, XRD pattern, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and a thin film thermoelectric measurement system. The results demonstrate that the water treatment effectively removes nonconductive PSS from PEDOT:PSS composites, significantly enhancing their conductivity. Treated films exhibit improved thermoelectric properties, particularly those treated only 15 times with room temperature water, achieving a high electrical conductivity of 62.91 S/cm, a Seebeck coefficient of 14.53 µV K-1, and an optimal power factor of 1.3282 µW·m-1·K-2. In addition, the subsequent warm water treatment can further enhance the thermoelectric properties of the film sample. The underlying mechanism of these improvements is also discussed.

Comprehensive repair of the alveolar cleft using cortical and cancellous bone layers: A retrospective study.

To retrospectively review the clinical effect of comprehensive treatment of alveolar cleft (CTAC) using the mandible as the bone source. Patients with alveolar clefts who met the inclusion criteria were subjected to a CTAC protocol that included the following: (1) preoperative orthodontic treatment for creating good soft-tissue conditions; (2) 'area-like grafting' with subperiosteal osteogenic chin bone instead of cartilaginous osteogenic iliac bone; (3) simulation of normal bone anatomy via a sandwich-like bone graft consisting of 'cortical bone + cancellous bone + cortical bone'; and (4) strong internal fixation to ensure initial bone block stability. At 6 months postoperatively, the titanium plate was removed and cone-beam computed tomography was performed to evaluate the surgical results. A total of 54 patients underwent treatment with the CTAC protocol. The average age at the initial operation was 10.3 ± 2.1 years, and the average hospital stay was 2.8 ± 0.6 days. At 6 months postoperatively, 49 patients (90.7%) showed good clinical results. The transplanted bone block formed a 'cortical bone + cancellous bone + cortical bone' structure similar to that of the normal jawbone. A mature bone bridge formed, and the impacted permanent teeth continued to erupt and enter the bone graft area. CTAC is a comprehensive restorative solution for alveolar cleft repair that integrates multiple concepts, including orthodontics, embryology, anatomy, and improvements to surgical methods. The method is easy to perform, causes little surgical trauma, and shows a stable success rate, and is thus worth promoting.

Reduced corrosion of Zn alloy by HA nanorods for enhancing early bone regeneration.

Zinc alloys have emerged as promising materials for bone regeneration due to their moderate biodegradation rates. However, the blast release of Zn2+ from Zn alloy substrates affects cell behaviors and the subsequent osseointegration quality, retarding their early service performance. To address this issue, extracellular matrix-like hydroxyapatite (HA) nanorods were prepared on Zn-1Ca (ZN) by a combined hydrothermal treatment (HT). HA nanoclusters nucleate on the presetting ZnO layer and grow into nanorods with prolonged HT. HA nanorods protect the ZN substrate from serious corrosion and the corrosion rate is reduced by dozens of times compared with the bare ZN, resulting in a significantly decreased release of Zn2+ ions. The synergistic effect of HA nanorods and appropriate Zn2+ endow ZN implants with obviously improved behaviors of osteoblasts and endothelial cells (e.g. adhesion, proliferation and differentiation) in vitro and new bone formation in vivo. Our work opens up a promising avenue for Zn-based alloys to improve bone regeneration in clinics.

Association of living alone with clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Living alone is an objective sign of social isolation. It is uncertain whether living alone worsens clinical outcomes in heart failure (HF) patients. We aimed to assess how living alone affected clinical outcomes in individuals with HF. We searched the electronic databases of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane from 1990 to April 2022 for studies comparing living alone with HF. A random-effects model with inverse variance was used to pool adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Seven studies were deemed to meet the standards. In patients with HF, compared with living with others, living alone was associated with an elevated risk of any hospitalization at the 30-day (HR: 1.78, 95% CI: 1.09-2.89), 90-day (HR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.02-1.51), or ≥1-year (HR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.04-1.26) follow-up periods. HF patients living alone also had a greater risk of any hospitalization or death at the 30-day (HR: 1.56, 95% CI: 1.15-2.11), 90-day (HR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.05-1.50), and ≥1-year (HR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.09-1.28) follow-up periods. However, patients living alone had no increased risk of all-cause death at the 30-day (HR: 1.0, 95% CI: 0.19-5.36), 90-day (HR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.03-7.42), or ≥ 1-year (HR: 1.10, 95% CI: 0.73-1.67) follow-up periods. In comparison to living with others, living alone was associated with an increased risk of any hospitalization but not all-cause death in HF patients.

Living alone increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis based on longitudinal studies.

BACKGROUND: Living alone is a prevalent psychological issue that has been found to have significant implications for lifestyle and health status. While considerable research has been conducted to explore the relationship between living alone and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the majority of studies have been cross-sectional, leaving direct correlations elusive. Therefore, this study aims to analyze data from longitudinal studies to determine whether living alone increases the risk of T2DM. METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted in the PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases to identify studies examining the association between living alone and T2DM risk. The search encompassed studies published until September 2023. Pooled analysis utilized the random-effects model with inverse variance and included adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: The meta-analysis comprised a total of 8 studies, which consisted of 5 prospective cohort studies and 3 retrospective cohort studies. The total population under consideration included 11,686,677 individuals without T2DM, of whom 54.3% were female. Among this population, 396,368 individuals developed T2DM. To account for heterogeneity, a random-effects model was employed. Overall, the pooled data demonstrated a significant association between living alone and an increased risk of T2DM when compared to living with others (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.06-1.46). Subgroup analysis revealed that this risk was not statistically significant for either males (HR 1.28, 95% CI 0.93-1.76) or females (HR 1.06, 95% CI 0.84-1.33), nor in prospective cohort studies (HR 1.26, 95% CI 0.91-1.74) or retrospective cohort studies (HR 1.26, 95% CI 0.91-1.74). CONCLUSION: Individuals living alone faced a significantly higher risk of developing diabetes compared to those who did not live alone. However, no significant difference in this risk was observed between genders and study types. Further high-quality studies are necessary in the future to elucidate this causal association.

Fluoride releasing photothermal responsive TiO2 matrices for antibiosis, biosealing and bone regeneration.

Peri-implantitis induced by infection leads to gingival recession, alveolar resorption and eventual dental implant failure. So, antibiosis and biosealing of abutments as well as osseointegration of roots need to be projected seriously during the whole service lifespan of dental implants. In this work, a multipurpose photothermal therapy strategy based on Si/P/F doped TiO2 matrix is proposed to address the above issues. This TiO2 matrix not only has outstanding photothermal response, but also triggers the release of F ions under near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation. Local hyperthermia assisted with the released F ions reduces adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis of staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), increases bacterial membrane permeability, and induces abundant of reactive oxygen species, resulting in the oxidation of cellular components and eventual death of bacteria. Furthermore, the synergic action of mild photothermal stimulation and Si/P/F ions of TiO2 matrix up-regulates gingival epithelial cells behavior (e.g., hemidesmosome formation) and osteoblasts response in vitro. In an infected model, this TiO2 matrix obviously eliminates bacteria, reduces inflammatory response, improves epithelial sealing and osseointegration, and reduces alveolar resorption by regulating NIR irradiation.

Role of NLRP3 inflammasome in diabetes and COVID-19 role of NLRP3 inflammasome in the pathogenesis and treatment of COVID-19 and diabetes NLRP3 inflammasome in diabetes and COVID-19 intervention.

2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) is a global pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). A "cytokine storm", i.e., elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the bloodstream, has been observed in severe cases of COVID-19. Normally, activation of the nucleotide-binding oligomeric domain-like receptor containing pyrin domain 3 (NLRP3) inflammatory vesicles induces cytokine production as an inflammatory response to viral infection. Recent studies have found an increased severity of necrobiosis infection in diabetic patients, and data from several countries have shown higher morbidity and mortality of necrobiosis in people with chronic metabolic diseases such as diabetes. In addition, COVID-19 may also predispose infected individuals to hyperglycemia. Therefore, in this review, we explore the potential relationship between NLRP3 inflammatory vesicles in diabetes and COVID-19. In contrast, we review the cellular/molecular mechanisms by which SARS-CoV-2 infection activates NLRP3 inflammatory vesicles. Finally, we propose several promising targeted NLRP3 inflammatory vesicle inhibitors with the aim of providing a basis for NLRP3-targeted drugs in diabetes combined with noncoronary pneumonia in the clinical management of patients.

Fabrication of Highly Conductive Porous Fe3O4@RGO/PEDOT:PSS Composite Films via Acid Post-Treatment and Their Applications as Electrochemical Supercapacitor and Thermoelectric Material.

As a remarkable multifunctional material, ferroferric oxide (Fe3O4) exhibits considerable potential for applications in many fields, such as energy storage and conversion technologies. However, the poor electronic and ionic conductivities of classical Fe3O4 restricts its application. To address this challenge, Fe3O4 nanoparticles are combined with graphene oxide (GO) via a typical hydrothermal method, followed by a conductive wrapping using poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonic sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) for the fabrication of composite films. Upon acid treatment, a highly conductive porous Fe3O4@RGO/PEDOT:PSS hybrid is successfully constructed, and each component exerts its action that effectively facilitates the electron transfer and subsequent performance improvement. Specifically, the Fe3O4@RGO/PEDOT:PSS porous film achieves a high specific capacitance of 244.7 F g-1 at a current of 1 A g-1. Furthermore, due to the facial fabrication of the highly conductive networks, the free-standing film exhibits potential advantages in flexible thermoelectric (TE) materials. Notably, such a hybrid film shows a high electric conductivity (σ) of 507.56 S cm-1, a three times greater value than the Fe3O4@RGO component, and achieves an optimized Seebeck coefficient (S) of 13.29 µV K-1 at room temperature. This work provides a novel route for the synthesis of Fe3O4@RGO/PEDOT:PSS multifunctional films that possess promising applications in energy storage and conversion.

An updated meta-analysis of cardiac resynchronization therapy with or without defibrillation in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is a major device therapy used to treat patients suffering from heart failure (HF) and electrical asynchrony. It can improve HF symptoms, reduce HF hospitalization time, and improve long-term survival in HF with and without implantable cardioverter (ICD) therapy. However, the benefit of defibrillator therapy in CRT-eligible patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) remains unknown. As a result, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare clinical outcomes in patients with NICM and HF who were treated with implantable CRT defibrillators (CRT-D) vs. a CRT pacemaker (CRT-P) alone. Methods: We searched the electronic databases PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane for all studies comparing CRT-D vs. CRT-P treatment in patients with NICM. The time frame was from 1990 to September 2022. All-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality were the primary clinical outcomes of interest to us. To pool adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), a random-effects model with inverse variance was used. Results: A pooled meta-analysis included two randomized controlled trials (RCTs), each with 1,200 CRT-eligible patients with NICM (592 with CRT-D and 608 with CRT-P) and nine cohort studies representing 27,568 CRT-eligible patients with NICM (16,196 with CRT-D and 11,372 with CRT-P). The adjusted HR for all-cause mortality for CRT-D vs. CRT-P was 0.90 (95% CI, 0.81-0.99). In a subgroup analysis of two RCTs and nine cohort studies, the adjusted HR for all-cause mortality was 0.72 (95% CI, 0.43-1.19) and HR 0.92 (95% CI, 0.83-1.03) for CRT-D vs. CRT-P, respectively. Conclusion: With the addition of defibrillation leads, we found a significantly lower risk of all-cause mortality in patients with NICM, but this association was not found in subgroup analyses of RCTs and observational studies.

Damage evolution law and failure mechanism of rock impacted by high-pressure water jet under in-situ stress condition.

To investigate the real physical mechanism of rock fragmentation subjected to water jet under in-situ stress condition, a numerical model based on the SPH algorithm was established using the rate-dependent constitutive model to simulate the rock-breaking process. First, the damage evolution law of rock impacted by high-pressure water jet under in-situ stress conditions was studied by analyzing the distribution characteristics of the damage field in the dynamic process of water jet impinging. The results showed that the damage field, widths of surface damage, maximum widths of damage and mean depths of damage of rock decreased with the increase of in-situ stress, indicating that the existence of initial in-situ stress had a strong inhibitory effect on rock fragmentation. The attenuation of the maximum widths of damage could be divided into two stages. The mean depths of damage of rock played a leading role in the number of damage elements. Furthermore, on this basis, the real physical mechanism of rock fragmentation subjected to water jet under in-situ stress condition was revealed by analyzing the stress states and damage history variables of the particles in the selected five typical regions. The study showed that the failure type of the upper rock elements in the crushing zone was brittle failure caused by a combination of compressive stress and shear stress with or without in-situ stress. However, the failure mechanisms of rock elements in crack zone were completely different with or without in-situ stress. In the absence of in-situ stress, the failure type of rock impacted by water jet was the coexistence of damage caused by compressive-shear stress and tensile stress, while in the presence of in-situ stress, the failure type of rock impacted by water jet was mainly the damage caused by compressive-shear stress.

Association between triglyceride glucose index and arterial stiffness and coronary artery calcification: a systematic review and exposure-effect meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The triglyceride and glucose (TyG) index has been linked to various cardiovascular diseases. However, it's still unclear whether the TyG index is associated with arterial stiffness and coronary artery calcification (CAC). METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of relevant studies until September 2022 in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases. We used a random-effects model to calculate the pooled effect estimate and the robust error meta-regression method to summarize the exposure-effect relationship. RESULTS: Twenty-six observational studies involving 87,307 participants were included. In the category analysis, the TyG index was associated with the risk of arterial stiffness (odds ratio [OR]: 1.83; 95% CI 1.55-2.17, I2 = 68%) and CAC (OR: 1.66; 95% CI 1.51-1.82, I2 = 0). The per 1-unit increment in the TyG index was also associated with an increased risk of arterial stiffness (OR: 1.51, 95% CI 1.35-1.69, I2 = 82%) and CAC (OR: 1.73, 95% CI 1.36-2.20, I2 = 51%). Moreover, a higher TyG index was shown to be a risk factor for the progression of CAC (OR = 1.66, 95% CI 1.21-2.27, I2 = 0, in category analysis, OR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.29-1.68, I2 = 41% in continuity analysis). There was a positive nonlinear association between the TyG index and the risk of arterial stiffness (Pnonlinearity < 0.001). CONCLUSION: An elevated TyG index is associated with an increased risk of arterial stiffness and CAC. Prospective studies are needed to assess causality.

Biomimetic Mineralized Fiber Bundle-Inspired Scaffolding Surface on Polyetheretherketone Implants Promotes Osseointegration.

The stress shielding effect caused by traditional metal implants is circumvented by using polyetheretherketone (PEEK), due to its excellent mechanical properties; however, the biologically inert nature of PEEK limits its application. Endowing PEEK with biological activity to promote osseointegration would increase its applicability for bone replacement implants. A biomimetic study is performed, inspired by mineralized collagen fiber bundles that contact bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) on the native trabecular bone surface. The PEEK surface (P) is first sulfonated with sulfuric acid to form a porous network structure (sP). The surface is then encapsulated with amorphous hydroxyapatite (HA) by magnetron sputtering to form a biomimetic scaffold that resembles mineralized collagen fiber bundles (sPHA). Amorphous HA simulates the composition of osteogenic regions in vivo and exhibits strong biological activity. In vitro results show that more favorable cell adhesion and osteogenic differentiation can be attained with the novelsurface of sPHA than with SP. The results of in vivo experiments show that sPHA exhibits osteoinductive and osteoconductive activity and facilitates bone formation and osseointegration. Therefore, the surface modification strategy can significantly improve the biological activity of PEEK, facilitate effective osseointegration, and inspire further bionic modification of other inert polymers similar to PEEK.

Alkaline "Nanoswords" Coordinate Ferroptosis-like Bacterial Death for Antibiosis and Osseointegration.

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent cell death and is associated with cancer therapy. Can it play a role in resistance of postoperative infection of implants, especially with an extracellular supplement of Fe ions in a non-cytotoxic dose? To answer this, "nanoswords" of Fe-doped titanite are fabricated on a Ti implant surface to resist bacterial invasion by a synergistic action of ferroptosis-like bacteria killing, proton disturbance, and physical puncture. The related antibiosis mechanism is explored by atomic force microscopy and genome sequencing. The nanoswords induce an increased local pH value, which not only weakens the proton motive force, reducing adenosine triphosphate synthesis of Staphylococcus aureus, but also decreases the membrane modulus, making the nanoswords distort and even puncture a bacterial membrane easily. Simultaneously, more Fe ions are taken by bacteria due to increased bacterial membrane permeability, resulting in ferroptosis-like death of bacteria, and this is demonstrated by intracellular iron enrichment, lipid peroxidation, and glutathione depletion. Interestingly, a microenvironment constructed by these nanoswords improves osteoblast behavior in vitro and bone regeneration in vivo. Overall, the nanoswords can induce ferroptosis-like bacterial death without cytotoxicity and have great promise in applications with clinical implants for outstanding antibiosis and biointegration performance.

Interfacial engineered PANI/carbon nanotube electrode for 1.8 V ultrahigh voltage aqueous supercapacitors.

Flexible three-dimensional interconnected carbon nanotubes on the carbon cloth (3D-CNTs/CC) were obtained through simple magnesium reduction reactions. According to the Nernst equation, the cell voltage based on these pure carbon electrodes without any additives could reach 1.5 V due to the higher di-hydrogen evolution over potential in neutral 3.5 M LiCl electrolytes. In order to improve the electrochemical performance of the electrodes, 3D-CNTs/CC electrodes covered with polyaniline barrier layer (3D-PANI/CNTs/CC) were prepared byin situelectropolymerization using interfacial engineering method. The assembled symmetric supercapacitors display a broadened voltage of 1.8 V, high areal capacitance of 380 mF cm-2, outstanding areal energy density of 85.5µWh cm-2and 84% of its initial capacitance after 20 000 charge-discharge cycles. This work demonstrated that the interface engineering strategy provides a promising way to improve the energy density of carbon-based aqueous supercapacitors by widening the voltage and boosting the capacitance simultaneously.

TiO2nanotubes induce early mitochondrial fission in BMMSCs and promote osseointegration.

Nanotopography can promote osseointegration, but how bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) respond to this physical stimulus is unclear. Here, we found that early exposure of BMMSCs to nanotopography (6 h) caused mitochondrial fission rather than fusion, which was necessary for osseointegration. We analyzed the changes in mitochondrial morphology and function of BMMSCs located on the surfaces of NT100 (100 nm nanotubes) and ST (smooth) by super-resolution microscopy and other techniques. Then, we found that both ST and NT100 caused a significant increase in mitochondrial fission early on, but NT100 caused mitochondrial fission much earlier than those on ST. In addition, the mitochondrial functional statuses were good at the 6 h time point, this is at odds with the conventional wisdom that fusion is good. This fission phenomenon adequately protected mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and respiration and reduced reactive oxygen species. Interestingly, the MMP and oxygen consumption rate of BMMSCs were reduced when mitochondrial fission was inhibited by Mdivi-1(Inhibition of dynamin-related protein 1 fission) in the early stage. In addition, the effect on osseointegration was significantly worse, and this effect did not improve with time. Taken together, the findings indicate that early mitochondrial fission plays an important role in nanotopography-mediated promotion of osseointegration, which is of great significance to the surface structure design of biomaterials.

Assessment of the relationship between living alone and the risk of depression based on longitudinal studies: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Living alone is one of the most common psychosocial factors that may have an impact on lifestyle management and health status. Although many previous cross-sectional studies have found that living alone increases the risk of depression. However, this risk has rarely been assessed on the basis of longitudinal studies. Therefore, we will explore this relationship on the basis of longitudinal studies. Methods: We systematically searched Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane databases up to May 2022. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled by a random-effects model using an inverse variance method. Results: Seven studies (six cohort studies and one case-control study) were included in our study. A total of 123,859 without a history of psychosis individuals were included, and the proportion of females was 65.3%. We applied a random-effects model to minimize the heterogeneity. Overall, the pooled data suggest that people living alone are associated with an increased risk of depression compared to those who do not live alone (OR 1.42, 95%CI 1.19-1.70). Conclusion: Compared to people who live with others, living alone increases the risk of depression. Only cross-sectional studies and a few longitudinal studies currently support this association; more high-quality studies will be required in the future to confirm this causal association.