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1.
Neurochem Res ; 2024 Jun 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38834846

ABSTRACT

Neuroinflammation and endothelial cell apoptosis are prominent features of blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption, which have been described in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and can predict cognitive decline. Recent reports revealed vascular ß-amyloid (Aß) deposits, Muller cell degeneration and microglial dysfunction in the retina of AD patients. However, there has been no in-depth research on the roles of inflammation, retinal endothelial cell apoptosis, and blood-retinal barrier (BRB) damage in AD retinopathy. We found that Raddeanin A (RDA) could improve pathological and cognitive deficits in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease by targeting ß-amyloidosis, However, the effects of RDA on AD retinal function require further study. To clarify whether RDA inhibits inflammation and apoptosis and thus improves BRB function in AD-related retinopathy. In vitro we used Aß-treated HRECs and MIO-M1 cells, and in vivo we used 3×Tg-AD mice to investigate the effect of RDA on BRB in AD-related retinopathy. We found that RDA could improve BRB function in AD-related retinopathy by inhibiting NLRP3-mediated inflammation and suppressing Wnt/ß-catenin pathway-mediated apoptosis, which is expected to improve the pathological changes in AD-related retinopathy and the quality of life of AD patients.

2.
Harmful Algae ; 135: 102633, 2024 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38830715

ABSTRACT

Nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria not only cause severe blooms but also play an important role in the nitrogen input processes of lakes. The production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and the ability to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere provide nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria with a competitive advantage over other organisms. Temperature and nitrogen availability are key environmental factors in regulating the growth of cyanobacteria. In this study, Dolichospermum (formerly known as Anabaena) was cultivated at three different temperatures (10 °C, 20 °C, and 30 °C) to examine the impact of temperature and nitrogen availability on nitrogen fixation capacity and the release of EPS. Initially, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and the quantification of heterocysts at different temperatures revealed that lower temperatures (10 °C) hindered the differentiation of heterocysts under nitrogen-deprived conditions. Additionally, while heterocysts inhibited the photosynthetic activity of Dolichospermum, the secretion of EPS was notably affected by nitrogen limitation, particularly at 30 °C. Finally, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to measure the expression of nitrogen-utilizing genes (ntcA and nifH) and EPS synthesis-related genes (wzb and wzc). The results indicated that under nitrogen-deprived conditions, the expression of each gene was upregulated, and there was a significant correlation between the upregulation of nitrogen-utilizing and EPS synthesis genes (P < 0.05). Our findings suggested that Dolichospermum responded to temperature variation by affecting the formation of heterocysts, impacting its potential nitrogen fixation capacity. Furthermore, the quantity of EPS released was more influenced by nitrogen availability than temperature. This research enhances our comprehension of interconnections between nitrogen deprivation and EPS production under the different temperatures.


Subject(s)
Extracellular Polymeric Substance Matrix , Nitrogen Fixation , Nitrogen , Temperature , Nitrogen/metabolism , Extracellular Polymeric Substance Matrix/metabolism , Anabaena/metabolism , Anabaena/physiology , Anabaena/genetics
3.
AMIA Jt Summits Transl Sci Proc ; 2024: 478-487, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38827053

ABSTRACT

The emerging large language models (LLMs) are actively evaluated in various fields including healthcare. Most studies have focused on established benchmarks and standard parameters; however, the variation and impact of prompt engineering and fine-tuning strategies have not been fully explored. This study benchmarks GPT-3.5 Turbo, GPT-4, and Llama-7B against BERT models and medical fellows' annotations in identifying patients with metastatic cancer from discharge summaries. Results revealed that clear, concise prompts incorporating reasoning steps significantly enhanced performance. GPT-4 exhibited superior performance among all models. Notably, one-shot learning and fine-tuning provided no incremental benefit. The model's accuracy sustained even when keywords for metastatic cancer were removed or when half of the input tokens were randomly discarded. These findings underscore GPT-4's potential to substitute specialized models, such as PubMedBERT, through strategic prompt engineering, and suggest opportunities to improve open-source models, which are better suited to use in clinical settings.

4.
Behav Ecol ; 35(4): arae037, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38779595

ABSTRACT

Male-male contests for access to females or breeding resources are critical in determining male reproductive success. Larger males and those with more effective weaponry are more likely to win fights. However, even after controlling for such predictors of fighting ability, studies have reported a winner-loser effect: previous winners are more likely to win subsequent contests, while losers often suffer repeated defeats. While the effect of winning-losing is well-documented for the outcome of future fights, its effect on other behaviors (e.g. mating) remains poorly investigated. Here, we test whether a winning versus losing experience influenced subsequent behaviors of male mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) toward rivals and potential mates. We housed focal males with either a smaller or larger opponent for 24 h to manipulate their fighting experience to become winners or losers, respectively. The focal males then underwent tests that required them to enter and swim through a narrow corridor to reach females, bypassing a cylinder that contained either a larger rival male (competitive scenario), a juvenile or was empty (non-competitive scenarios). The tests were repeated after 1 wk. Winners were more likely to leave the start area and to reach the females, but only when a larger rival was presented, indicating higher levels of risk-taking behavior in aggressive interactions. This winner-loser effect persisted for at least 1 wk. We suggest that male mosquitofish adjust their assessment of their own and/or their rival's fighting ability following contests in ways whose detection by researchers depends on the social context.

5.
PLoS One ; 19(5): e0296003, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38787854

ABSTRACT

Maintenance of the intestinal epithelium requires constant self-renewal and regeneration. Tight regulation of proliferation and differentiation of intestinal stem cells within the crypt region is critical to maintaining homeostasis. The transcriptional co-factors ß-catenin and YAP are required for proliferation during normal homeostasis as well as intestinal regeneration after injury: aberrant signaling activity results in over proliferation and tumorigenesis. Although both YAP and ß-catenin activity are controlled along canonical pathways, it is becoming increasingly clear that non-canonical regulation of these transcriptional regulators plays a role in fine tuning their activity. We have shown previously that MAMDC4 (Endotubin, AEGP), an integral membrane protein present in endosomes, regulates both YAP and ß-catenin activity in kidney epithelial cells and in the developing intestinal epithelium. Here we show that MAMDC4 interacts with members of the signalosome and mediates cross-talk between YAP and ß-catenin. Interestingly, this cross-talk occurs through a non-canonical pathway involving interactions between AMOT:YAP and AMOT:ß-catenin.


Subject(s)
Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing , Endosomes , Transcription Factors , Wnt Signaling Pathway , beta Catenin , Humans , beta Catenin/metabolism , Endosomes/metabolism , Transcription Factors/metabolism , Transcription Factors/genetics , Animals , Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/metabolism , Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/genetics , YAP-Signaling Proteins/metabolism , Phosphoproteins/metabolism , Phosphoproteins/genetics , Mice , Membrane Proteins/metabolism , Membrane Proteins/genetics , HEK293 Cells , Cell Cycle Proteins/metabolism , Cell Cycle Proteins/genetics , Protein Binding
6.
Inorg Chem ; 2024 May 31.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38818955

ABSTRACT

Investigating novel nonlinear optical (NLO) active units serves as a valuable method for broadening the research landscape of NLO materials. This study showcases the potential of the cytosinium cation (C4H6N3O)+ as a novel NLO-active motif through theoretical calculations. The title compound exhibited a wide band gap of 3.85 eV, along with a moderate second harmonic generation (SHG) response of 1.65 times that of KH2PO4 (KDP) and significant birefringence of 0.47. Its exceptional optical properties are primarily attributed to the synergy interaction between cations and anionic groups in the asymmetric unit.

8.
Arch Virol ; 169(5): 114, 2024 May 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38700535

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated gastric cancer (EBVaGC) is a distinct molecular subtype of gastric cancer (GC). At present, the clinical characteristics and prognostic implications of EBV infection and the potential clinical benefits of immune checkpoint blockade in GC remain to be clarified. Hence, this study was designed to analyze the clinical and pathological characteristics of GC patients with varying EBV infection states and compare their overall survival (OS). METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on 1031 consecutive GC patients who underwent gastrectomy at the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from February 2018 to November 2022. EBV-encoded RNA (EBER) in situ hybridization (ISH) was used for EBV assessment, and immunohistochemical staining was used for evaluation of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), and Ki67 expression. EBVaGC was defined as tumors with EBV positivity. In addition, EBV-negative GC (EBVnGC) patients were matched with EBVaGC patients based on seven clinicopathological parameters (age, gender, anatomic subsite, tumor size, Lauren classification, degree of differentiation, and tumor-node-metastasis [TNM] stage). The correlations of clinical features with HER2, PD-L1, and Ki67 expression were evaluated statistically. The survival of patients was assessed through medical records, telephone, or WeChat communication, and prognostic analysis was performed using the logrank test as well as univariable and multivariable regression analysis. RESULTS: Out of 1031 GC patients tested, 35 (3.4%) were diagnosed with EBVaGC. Notably, the EBVaGC group exhibited a distinct predominance of males and younger patients, significantly higher Ki67 and PD-L1 expression levels, and a lower prevalence of pericancerous nerve invasion than the EBVnGC group (P < 0.01). In the 35 EBVaGC cases, Ki67 expression was negatively correlated with age (P < 0.05), suggesting that a younger onset age was associated with higher Ki67 expression. In addition, PD-L1 expression was correlated with the degree of differentiation, T-stage, and clinical stage of the patient. Furthermore, PD-L1 expression was elevated in tumors with lower differentiation or at later stages (P < 0.05). Using univariate analysis, Ki67, PD-L1, and clinical stage were identified as significant factors influencing the overall survival (OS) of EBVaGC patients (P < 0.05). Moreover, multivariate survival analysis revealed that clinical stage and Ki67 expression were independent risk factors for the OS of the patients (P < 0.05), and the three-year OS rate of EBVaGC patients was 64.2%. CONCLUSION: EBV-ISH is a practical and valuable method to identify EBVaGC. Owing to its unique etiological, pathological, and clinical characteristics, patients with EBVaGC might benefit from immune checkpoint blockade therapy.


Subject(s)
Epstein-Barr Virus Infections , Herpesvirus 4, Human , Stomach Neoplasms , Humans , Stomach Neoplasms/virology , Stomach Neoplasms/pathology , Male , Female , Epstein-Barr Virus Infections/virology , Epstein-Barr Virus Infections/complications , Epstein-Barr Virus Infections/mortality , Middle Aged , Herpesvirus 4, Human/genetics , Prognosis , Retrospective Studies , Aged , Adult , B7-H1 Antigen/metabolism , B7-H1 Antigen/genetics , Receptor, ErbB-2/metabolism , Receptor, ErbB-2/genetics , Ki-67 Antigen/metabolism , RNA, Viral/genetics , Gastrectomy
9.
World J Gastrointest Surg ; 16(5): 1385-1394, 2024 May 27.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38817293

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have validated the efficacy of both magnetic compression and surgical techniques in creating rabbit tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) models. Magnetic compression achieves a 100% success rate but requires more time, while surgery, though less frequently successful, offers rapid model establishment and technical maturity in larger animal models. AIM: To determine the optimal approach for rabbit disease modeling and refine the process. METHODS: TEF models were created in 12 rabbits using both the modified magnetic compression technique and surgery. Comparisons of the time to model establishment, success rate, food and water intake, weight changes, activity levels, bronchoscopy findings, white blood cell counts, and biopsies were performed. In response to the failures encountered during modified magnetic compression modeling, we increased the sample size to 15 rabbit models and assessed the repeatability and stability of the models, comparing them with the original magnetic compression technique. RESULTS: The modified magnetic compression technique achieved a 66.7% success rate, whereas the success rate of the surgery technique was 33.3%. Surviving surgical rabbits might not meet subsequent experimental requirements due to TEF-related inflammation. In the modified magnetic compression group, one rabbit died, possibly due to magnet corrosion, and another died from tracheal magnet obstruction. Similar events occurred during the second round of modified magnetic compression modeling, with one rabbit possibly succumbing to aggravated lung infection. The operation time of the first round of modified magnetic compression was 3.2 ± 0.6 min, which was significantly reduced to 2.1 ± 0.4 min in the second round, compared to both the first round and that of the original technique. CONCLUSION: The modified magnetic compression technique exhibits lower stress responses, a simple procedure, a high success rate, and lower modeling costs, making it a more appropriate choice for constructing TEF models in rabbits.

10.
Nat Commun ; 15(1): 4444, 2024 May 24.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38789421

ABSTRACT

Mitochondrial respiration is essential for the survival and function of T cells used in adoptive cellular therapies. However, strategies that specifically enhance mitochondrial respiration to promote T cell function remain limited. Here, we investigate methylation-controlled J protein (MCJ), an endogenous negative regulator of mitochondrial complex I expressed in CD8 cells, as a target for improving the efficacy of adoptive T cell therapies. We demonstrate that MCJ inhibits mitochondrial respiration in murine CD8+ CAR-T cells and that deletion of MCJ increases their in vitro and in vivo efficacy against murine B cell leukaemia. Similarly, MCJ deletion in ovalbumin (OVA)-specific CD8+ T cells also increases their efficacy against established OVA-expressing melanoma tumors in vivo. Furthermore, we show for the first time that MCJ is expressed in human CD8 cells and that the level of MCJ expression correlates with the functional activity of CD8+ CAR-T cells. Silencing MCJ expression in human CD8 CAR-T cells increases their mitochondrial metabolism and enhances their anti-tumor activity. Thus, targeting MCJ may represent a potential therapeutic strategy to increase mitochondrial metabolism and improve the efficacy of adoptive T cell therapies.


Subject(s)
CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes , Immunotherapy, Adoptive , Mitochondria , Animals , CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology , CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism , Mitochondria/metabolism , Humans , Immunotherapy, Adoptive/methods , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Mitochondrial Proteins/metabolism , Mitochondrial Proteins/genetics , Cell Respiration , Cell Line, Tumor , Female , Ovalbumin/immunology , Melanoma, Experimental/immunology , Melanoma, Experimental/therapy
11.
PLoS Biol ; 22(5): e3002519, 2024 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38787858

ABSTRACT

When males compete, sexual selection favors reproductive traits that increase their mating or fertilization success (pre- and postcopulatory sexual selection). It is assumed that males face a trade-off between these 2 types of sexual traits because they both draw from the same pool of resources. Consequently, allocation into mate acquisition or ejaculation should create similar trade-offs with other key life history traits. Tests of these assumptions are exceedingly rare. Males only ejaculate after they mate, and the costs of ejaculation are therefore highly confounded with those of mating effort. Consequently, little is known about how each component of reproductive allocation affects a male's future performance. Here, we ran an experiment using a novel technique to distinguish the life history costs of mating effort and ejaculation for mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki). We compared manipulated males (mate without ejaculation), control males (mate and ejaculate), and naïve males (neither mate nor ejaculate) continuously housed with a female and 2 rival males. We assessed their growth, somatic maintenance, mating and fighting behavior, and sperm traits after 8 and 16 weeks. Past mating effort significantly lowered a male's future mating effort and growth, but not his sperm production, while past sperm release significantly lowered a male's future ejaculate quantity, but not his mating effort. Immune response was the only trait impacted by both past mating effort and past ejaculation. These findings challenge the assumption that male reproductive allocation draws from a common pool of resources to generate similar life history costs later in life. Instead, we provide clear evidence that allocation into traits under pre- and postcopulatory sexual selection have different trait-specific effects on subsequent male reproductive performance.


Subject(s)
Ejaculation , Reproduction , Sexual Behavior, Animal , Male , Animals , Ejaculation/physiology , Female , Sexual Behavior, Animal/physiology , Reproduction/physiology , Mating Preference, Animal/physiology , Spermatozoa/physiology , Sexual Selection
12.
Neural Netw ; 176: 106345, 2024 Apr 27.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38733798

ABSTRACT

Local Interpretability Model-agnostic Explanations (LIME) is a well-known post-hoc technique for explaining black-box models. While very useful, recent research highlights challenges around the explanations generated. In particular, there is a potential lack of stability, where the explanations provided vary over repeated runs of the algorithm, casting doubt on their reliability. This paper investigates the stability of LIME when applied to multivariate time series classification. We demonstrate that the traditional methods for generating neighbours used in LIME carry a high risk of creating 'fake' neighbours, which are out-of-distribution in respect to the trained model and far away from the input to be explained. This risk is particularly pronounced for time series data because of their substantial temporal dependencies. We discuss how these out-of-distribution neighbours contribute to unstable explanations. Furthermore, LIME weights neighbours based on user-defined hyperparameters which are problem-dependent and hard to tune. We show how unsuitable hyperparameters can impact the stability of explanations. We propose a two-fold approach to address these issues. First, a generative model is employed to approximate the distribution of the training data set, from which within-distribution samples and thus meaningful neighbours can be created for LIME. Second, an adaptive weighting method is designed in which the hyperparameters are easier to tune than those of the traditional method. Experiments on real-world data sets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in providing more stable explanations using the LIME framework. In addition, in-depth discussions are provided on the reasons behind these results.

13.
Pediatr Neurol ; 156: 59-65, 2024 Apr 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38733855

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) affects the microstructure of white matter in preterm infants, but its influence on the changes of the brain structural network has not been elaborated. This study aims to investigate the connectivity characteristics of the brain structural network of BPD by using diffusion tensor imaging. METHODS: Thirty-three infants with BPD and 26 infants without BPD were enrolled in this study. Brain structural networks were constructed utilizing automated anatomic labeling mapping by tracing the fibers between each pair of regions in individual space. We calculated network metrics such as global efficiency, local efficiency, clustering coefficients, characteristic path length, and small-worldness. Then we compared the network metrics of these infants with those of 57 healthy term infants of comparable postmenstrual age at magnetic resonance imaging scan. Finally, network-based statistics was used to analyze the differences in brain network connectivity between the groups with and without BPD. RESULTS: Preterm infants with BPD had higher local efficiency and clustering coefficient, lower global efficiency, and longer characteristic path length. Also, preterm infants with BPD had decreased strength of limbic connections mainly in four brain regions: the left lingual gyrus, the left calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex, the right parahippocampal gyrus, and the left precuneus. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that preterm infants with BPD have lower network integration and higher segregation at term-equivalent age, which may reflect a compensatory mechanism. In addition, BPD affects brain regions involved in visual as well as cognitive functions; these findings provide a new approach to diagnose potential brain damage in preterm infants with BPD.

14.
ACS Omega ; 9(12): 13975-13981, 2024 Mar 26.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38559941

ABSTRACT

Previously, it was believed that methylation was the body's primary method to detoxify inorganic arsenic. However, recent research has shown that the metabolized intermediate known as MMAIII is more toxic than arsenite and arsenate, contradicting a previous understanding. Another important question arises: is arsenical toxicity truly caused by arsenic binding to proteins through arsenic thiol adhesion? Based on the toxicity order of the experiment, with MMAIII being the most toxic, followed by arsenite, arsenate, DMAV, and MMAV, density functional theory (DFT) calculations can provide a straightforward assessment of this issue. Our practice captures all the transition states associated with a specific imaginary-frequency vibration mode, including proton transfer and simultaneous departure of leaving group. We have obtained the energy barriers for five arsenicals reacting with thiol, alcohol, and amine separately. In addition to energetic favorability, the following are the energy barriers for arsenic's reaction with thiol ranked from low to high: MMAIII (25.4 kcal/mol), arsenite (27.7 kcal/mol), arsenate (32.8 kcal/mol), DMAV (36.2 kcal/mol), and MMAV (38.3 kcal/mol). Results show that the toxicity of arsenicals is mainly caused by their reaction with thiol rather than with alcohol or amine, as supported by the trend of decreasing toxicity and increasing energy barriers. Thus, this DFT calculation may confirm the paradigm that arsenic-thiol adhesion is the primary cause of arsenic toxicity in the body.

15.
World Allergy Organ J ; 17(4): 100890, 2024 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38585333

ABSTRACT

Background: There are few studies concerning the impact of serum vitamin D status on the risk of allergen sensitization and atopic dermatitis (AD) during early childhood. Method: Children with AD and age-matched healthy controls (HC) were prospectively enrolled at age 0.5, 2, and 4 years. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) level was measured using Elecsys Vitamin D Total assay. The study utilized the ImmunoCAP assay to analyze specific IgE for food and inhalant allergens, along with total serum IgE levels. It explored the connection between vitamin D levels and allergen sensitization, as well as their influence on AD at different ages. Results: A total of 222 children including 95 (59 AD and 36 HC), 66 (37 AD and 29 HC), and 61 (32 AD and 29 HC) children were classified at age 0.5, 2, and 4 years, respectively. In children with AD, there was a significantly lower vitamin D level at age 2 and 4, but a significantly higher prevalence of food and mite sensitization at all ages in comparison with HC (P < 0.001). Vitamin D level was found to be inversely related to the prevalence of allergen sensitization at age 4 (P < 0.05). However, vitamin D level appeared to have high importance for allergen sensitization at all ages and AD at age 2 and 4 years. Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency is strongly associated with heightened prevalence of allergen sensitization, potentially increasing the susceptibility to AD in early childhood.

16.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38587569

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: To examine the impact of county-level colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates on stage at diagnosis of CRC and identify factors associated with stage at diagnosis across different levels of screening rates in rural Georgia. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis utilizing data from 2004 to 2010 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. The 2013 United States Department of Agriculture rural-urban continuum codes were used to identify rural Georgia counties. The 2004-2010 National Cancer Institute small area estimates for screening behaviors were applied to link county-level CRC screening rates. Descriptive statistics and multinominal logistic regressions were performed. RESULTS: Among 4,839 CRC patients, most patients diagnosed with localized CRC lived in low screening areas; however, many diagnosed with regionalized and distant CRC lived in high screening areas (p-value = 0.009). In multivariable analysis, rural patients living in high screening areas were 1.2-fold more likely to be diagnosed at a regionalized and distant stage of CRC (both p-value < 0.05). When examining the factors associated with stage at presentation, Black patients who lived in low screening areas were 36% more likely to be diagnosed with distant diseases compared to White patients (95% CI, 1.08-1.71). Among those living in high screening areas, patients with right-sided CRC were 38% more likely to have regionalized disease (95% CI, 1.09-1.74). CONCLUSION: Patients living in high screening areas were more likely to have a later stage of CRC in rural Georgia. IMPACT: Allocating CRC screening/treatment resources and improving CRC risk awareness should be prioritized for rural patients in Georgia.

17.
Hum Vaccin Immunother ; 20(1): 2339922, 2024 Dec 31.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38639480

ABSTRACT

The growing number of Mpox cases in China has posed a challenge to public health. The prevalence of men who have sex with men behaviors among students has been consistently increasing each year in China, accompanied by a high frequency of unprotected anal sex. As crowded places, schools are highly likely to cause an Mpox outbreak among students through long-term close contact. Understanding university students' perceptions about Mpox and willingness to vaccinate play a vital role in implementing preventive measures in schools. This study aimed to assess knowledge, concerns, and vaccine acceptance toward Mpox among university students in North and Northeast China. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 3831 university students from seven universities in North and Northeast China between September 10 and September 25, 2023. This study found a relative insufficiency in Mpox knowledge among university students (71.60%), with less than half expressing concern about the Mpox outbreak (39.57%), and the majority exhibiting a positive attitude to vaccination (76.30%). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that a good knowledge level was associated with age, study discipline, education level, and a high level of concern about Mpox. Male, elderly, or highly educated participants had a low level of concern about Mpox. Participants with a high level of knowledge toward Mpox were more likely to have the vaccination willingness. This study might help governments and schools to understand students' Mpox perceptions and vaccination intentions, enabling them to implement effective measures in addressing the issue of inadequate understanding regarding Mpox among university students.


Subject(s)
Mpox (monkeypox) , Sexual and Gender Minorities , Vaccines , Aged , Humans , Male , Female , Cross-Sectional Studies , Homosexuality, Male , Universities , China
18.
Ying Yong Sheng Tai Xue Bao ; 35(3): 759-768, 2024 Mar 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38646764

ABSTRACT

The increasing carbon emissions is one of the important reasons for global warming. As a key area of carbon emissions, carbon sequestration capacity of cities is urgently needed to be improved. Carbon sequestration ser-vices can be transferred between supply and demand areas due to the circulation of atmosphere. With Linyi City as an example, we used the minimum cumulative resistance model to extract the matching path of supply and demand, and constructed a carbon sequestration ecological network. The results showed that the regions with high supply of carbon sequestration services were located in the north and south of the study area, and that current total supply could solve about 60% of the total demand. Although the spatial distribution of supply and demand was uneven, 54% of the areas that could meet the surrounding carbon sequestration demand were still idle. The optimized supply-demand matching paths could maintain good transmission efficiency of material and energy, with lower costs. Paths with strong potential carbon sequestration capacity were located in the central and northwest part of the research area. In the construction of carbon sequestration ecological network, it is necessary to strengthen the protection and restoration of the supply side of carbon sequestration services, realize carbon reduction and strengthen carbon sequestration on the demand side, and optimize the matching path of supply and demand. This method provided services to the demand areas through the oversupply of ecosystem services, optimized the overall resource allocation, which could advance regional carbon sequestration capacity.


Subject(s)
Carbon Sequestration , Cities , Ecosystem , China , Conservation of Natural Resources/methods
20.
iScience ; 27(4): 109511, 2024 Apr 19.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38571759

ABSTRACT

Ferroptosis and ferritinophagy play critical roles in various disease contexts. Herein, we observed that ferroptosis and ferritinophagy were induced both in the brains of mice with diabetes mellitus (DM) and neuronal cells after high glucose (HG) treatment, as evidenced by decreases in GPX4, SLC7A11, and ferritin levels, but increases in NCOA4 levels. Interestingly, melatonin administration ameliorated neuronal damage by inhibiting ferroptosis and ferritinophagy both in vivo and in vitro. At the molecular level, we found that not only the ferroptosis inducer p53 but also the ferritinophagy mediator NCOA4 was the potential target of miR-214-3p, which was downregulated by DM status or HG insult, but was increased after melatonin treatment. However, the inhibitory effects of melatonin on ferroptosis and ferritinophagy were blocked by miR-214-3p downregulation. These findings suggest that melatonin is a potential drug for improving diabetic brain damage by inhibiting p53-mediated ferroptosis and NCOA4-mediated ferritinophagy through regulating miR-214-3p in neurons.

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