Bacillus amyloliquefaciens attenuates the intestinal permeability, oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress: transcriptome and microbiome analyses in weaned piglets.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is related to oxidative stress (OS) and leads to intestinal injury. Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SC06 (SC06) can regulate OS, but its roles in intestinal ER stress remains unclear. Using a 2 × 2 factorial design, 32 weaned piglets were treated by two SC06 levels (0 or 1 × 108 CFU/g), either with or without diquat (DQ) injection. We found that SC06 increased growth performance, decreased ileal permeability, OS and ER stress in DQ-treated piglets. Transcriptome showed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) induced by DQ were enriched in NF-κB signaling pathway. DEGs between DQ- and SC06 + DQ-treated piglets were enriched in glutathione metabolism pathway. Ileal microbiome revealed that the SC06 + DQ treatment decreased Clostridium and increased Actinobacillus. Correlations were found between microbiota and ER stress genes. In conclusion, dietary SC06 supplementation increased the performance, decreased the permeability, OS and ER stress in weaned piglets by regulating ileal genes and microbiota.

Chlorogenic acid ameliorates intestinal inflammation by inhibiting NF-κB and endoplasmic reticulum stress in lipopolysaccharide-challenged broilers.

Intestinal inflammation is a primary contributor to poor growth performance during poultry production. Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a natural phenolic acid that exhibits superior anti-inflammatory activity and improved intestinal health. To investigate the protective effects and molecular mechanisms of CGA during intestinal inflammation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged broilers, we randomly divided 288 one-day-old male Cobb broilers into 4 groups: a control group fed a basal diet (CON group), a basal diet + LPS group (LPS group), and 2 basal diet groups fed 500 or 750 mg/kg CGA + LPS (CGA_500 or CGA_750 groups). Broilers were injected with LPS or saline at 15, 17, 19, and 21 d old. Chlorogenic acid supplementation improved the growth performance of LPS-challenged broilers by increasing average daily gain (ADG) and reducing feed/gain (F/G) ratios (P < 0.05). CGA also improved intestinal barrier function in LPS-challenged boilers by enhancing jejunum morphology and integrity, decreasing intestinal permeability, and increasing occludin 3, zonula occludens-1, and mucin 2 expression (P < 0.05). CGA supplementation also improved systemic and jejunum antioxidant capacity by significantly enhancing glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activities (P < 0.05), and reducing malonaldehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl (PCO) levels (P < 0.05). Chlorogenic acid supplementation reduced systemic and jejunum pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, and IL-12) and increased anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10) in LPS-challenged broilers (P < 0.05) by inhibiting the toll like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway (P < 0.05). In addition, the protective effects of CGA toward intestinal inflammation and apoptosis appeared to be correlated with inhibited endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress (P < 0.05). In summary, CGA supplementation improved intestinal morphology and integrity by inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB and ER stress pathways, which potentially reduced oxidative stress and inflammation, and ultimately improved the growth performance of LPS-challenged broilers.

Quantitative Phosphoproteomics Analysis Reveals the Protective Mechanism of Chlorogenic Acid on Immunologically Stressed Broiler Meat Quality.

Modern poultry production is stressful for the birds, and this stress is recognized as a major cause of inferior meat quality. Chlorogenic acid (CGA), a plant phenolic acid, has excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The antioxidant capacity and phosphoproteomics of immunologically stressed broiler breast muscle were assessed to elucidate the mechanism of the beneficial effects of CGA on meat quality. Dietary CGA decreased drip and cooking loss, postmortem pH and antioxidant capacity of breast muscle from stressed broilers, and increased MyHC-I mRNA levels. Quantitative phosphoproteomics revealed that CGA supplementation downregulated the phosphorylation of myofibrillar proteins, glycolytic enzymes, and endoplasmic reticulum proteins involved in homeostasis, which contributed to improving the meat quality of broilers. Moreover, 14 phosphorylation sites (e.g., P13538-Ser1236 and F1NN63-Ser117) in 13 phosphoproteins were identified as key regulators of processes related to broiler meat quality. Together, these findings provide novel regulatory targets and nutritional strategies for improving the stressed broiler meat quality.

Perceived social support mediates the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on job adaptation disorders of workers: An exploratory cross-sectional study.

COVID-19 lockdown can lead to job adaptation disorders, which are heterogeneous among individuals. The purpose of this study was to explore the association between perceived social support and job adaptation disorders among workers in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. The questionnaires of Psychological Questionnaire for Public Health Emergencies, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Work Attitude Scale were used for this cross-section study via an online survey. The study included 626 employees. Hierarchical regression analysis and Bootstrap method were used to investigate the mediation effect of perceived social support between the emergency and job adaptation disorders. The percentages of the 5 dimensions of depression, neurasthenia, fear, compulsion-anxiety, and hypochondria in workers were 59.7%, 56.1%, 92.3%, 42.0%, and 18.7%, respectively. Social support mediated the relationship between depression, neurasthenia, obsessive-compulsive anxiety and job adaptation disorder, accounting for 18.1%, 16.1%, and 17.5% of the total effect (ab/c), respectively. Perceived social support could alleviate COVID-19 pandemic-related depression, neurasthenia, compulsion-anxiety, and job adaptation disorder in Chinese workers. Improving their perception of social support, workers may better adapt themselves to work in the challenging of the public health emergency during COVID-19 pandemic.

The mediating effect of psychological flexibility on fatigue and depressive symptoms among nursing staff.

Objectives: To explore the relationship between depressive symptoms, fatigue and psychological flexibility, as well as their interactions on depression in Chinese nurses. Material and Methods: Using convenience sampling, a cross-sectional survey of 796 nurses in municipal hospitals of Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China, was conducted. The questionnaires of Work-related Acceptance and Action Questionnaire, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale and Fatigue Assessment Instrument were used. Hierarchical regression and bootstrap methods were used to examine the mediating effect of psychological flexibility between fatigue and depression. Results: More than 51.8% of the nurses were at risk of depression and 62.3% were at risk of fatigue. There was a significantly positive and moderate correlation between depression and fatigue severity, situation specificity, and consequences (r = 0.43, r = 0.24 and r = 0.31, respectively, p < 0.01). Depression was negatively correlated with psychological flexibility (r = -0.28, p < 0.01). Psychological flexibility had a negative impact on depression with the explained variance increased by 4.2% (ß = -0.211, p < 0.001). The bootstrap method showed that the mediating effect of psychological flexibility accounting for 8.5% and 12.3% on fatigue and depressive symptoms, respectively. Conclusions: Psychological flexibility plays a partial mediating role between the fatigue severity, consequences of fatigue and depressive symptoms of nurses. Hospital managers should improve medical staff work acceptance to alleviate their depressive symptoms. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2023;36(4):563-74.

Psychological Capital and Self-Acceptance Modified the Association of Depressive Tendency with Self-Rated Health of College Students in China during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: To explore the association between the self-reported health status, depressive tendency, psychological capital, and self-acceptance of college students in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Using the online survey platform "questionnaire star", a two-phase cross-sectional study was conducted on a total number of 1438 undergraduates with informed consents. The questionnaires of Self-Rated Health Measurement Scale (SRHMS), the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ-24), and self-acceptance questionnaire were administered to each participant. RESULTS: Male college students had significantly higher depressive tendency scores than female (17.59 vs. 15.82) (p < 0.01). College students having no siblings had significantly higher psychological capital scores than those having siblings (108.63 vs. 105.60) (p < 0.05). Exercise had significantly positive associations with self-rated health, psychological capital, and self-acceptance scores, while online time per day had significantly negative associations. Multivariate analysis showed that the interaction between depressive tendency, psychological capital, and self-acceptance was statistically significant (ß = 0.004, p = 0.013 for phase 1 and ß = 0.002, p = 0.025 for phase 2) in health status with depressive tendency ranking the top (ß = -0.54 for phase 1 and -0.41 for phase 2, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis showed that psychological capital and self-acceptance modified the association of depressive tendency with health status. CONCLUSION: Physical exercise is beneficial to both physical and psychological health. Depressive tendency is the main risk factor that associates with self-rated health. Regardless of depressive tendency level, high psychological capital and self-acceptance could improve college students' health.

Associations of Psychological Capital, Coping Style and Emotional Intelligence with Self-Rated Health Status of College Students in China During COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: COVID-19 lockdown can lead to mental health problem, and the problem is heterogeneous across individuals. In this study, we aimed to explore the association between the self-reported health status, emotional coping style, emotional intelligence and positive psychological state of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Methods: The questionnaires of Self-rated Health Measurement Scale (SRHMS), Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS), Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ), Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ) were used for online survey. The study included 367 undergraduates. Results: Undergraduate sex, sibling and birth of place were associated with either psychological capital scores or emotional intelligence. Online time per day had significantly negative associations with self-rated health and psychological capital scores. Multivariate analysis showed that the interaction between emotional intelligence, psychological capital and coping styles was statistically significant (ß = -0.112, p = 0.045) in health status with psychological capital ranking the top (ß = 0.428). Mediation analysis showed that psychological capital and coping style modified the effect of emotional intelligence on health status. Conclusion: Psychological capital and coping style modified the effect of emotional intelligence on health status in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this pandemic emergency, a comprehensive intervention, such as positive coping styles with optimistic emotional perception and understanding as well as social support, is an important measure against the pandemic-induced mental health problem in college students in China.

Wafer-Level Filling of MEMS Vapor Cells Based on Chemical Reaction and Evaporation.

Micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) vapor cells are key components for sensors such as chip-scale atomic clocks (CSACs) and magnetometers (CSAMs). Many approaches have been proposed to fabricate MEMS vapor cells. In this article, we propose a new method to fabricate wafer-level filling of MEMS vapor cells based on chemical reaction and evaporation. The Cs metals are firstly obtained through the chemical reaction between cesium chloride and barium azide in a reservoir baseplate. Then, the Cs metals are evaporated to the preform through the microchannel plate and condensed on the inner glass surface of the preform. Lastly, the MEMS vapor cells are filled with buffer gas, sealed by anodic bonding, and mechanically diced into three dimensions: 5 mm × 5 mm × 1.2 mm, 4 mm × 4 mm × 1.2 mm, and 3 mm × 3 mm × 1.2 mm. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) linewidth of the coherent population trapping (CPT) signal of the MEMS vapor cells is found to be 4.33 kHz. The intrinsic linewidth is about 1638 Hz. Based on the CPT signal, the frequency stability is 4.41 × 10-12@1000 s. The results demonstrate that the presented method of the wafer-level filling of MEMS vapor cells fulfills the requirements of sensors such as CSACs.

Electronic Regulation of ZnCo Dual-Atomic Active Sites Entrapped in 1D@2D Hierarchical N-Doped Carbon for Efficient Synergistic Catalysis of Oxygen Reduction in Zn-Air Battery.

Transition metal-based nitrogen-doped carbon (M-Nx -C) is considered as a promising catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in clean energy storage and conversion devices. Herein, ZnCo dual-atomic sites are incorporated in hierarchical N-doped carbon (HNC), with 1D nanotubes wrapped in 2D nanosheets structure (termed as 1D@2D ZnCo-HNC), via a one-step bio-inspired pyrolysis. The feeding ratio of Zn to Co precursor and pyrolytic temperature are critically modulated to achieve well-defined morphologies of the products, endowing them with the integrated merits of nanotubes and nanosheets as efficient ORR catalysts. Benefiting from the particular structure and electronic regulation of Zn on Co, the ZnCo-Nx dual-atomic system exhibits excellent ORR catalytic characteristics with an onset potential of 1.05 V and a half-wave potential of 0.82 V. Density functional theory calculations further explain the regulating role of Zn, such that the adjusted Co in ZnCo-Nx sites significantly reduces the energy cost to ultimately facilitate the ORR. Moreover, the Zn-air battery assembled with ZnCo-HNC is capable of delivering the maximum power density of 123.7 mW cm-2 and robust stability for 110 h (330 cycles). This method provides a promising strategy for fabricating efficient transition metal-based carbon catalysts for green energy devices.

Coordination regulated pyrolysis synthesis of ultrafine FeNi/(FeNi)9S8 nanoclusters/nitrogen, sulfur-codoped graphitic carbon nanosheets as efficient bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts.

Design of advanced carbon nanomaterials with high-efficiency oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activities is still imperative yet challenging for searching green and renewable energies. Herein, we synthesized ultrafine FeNi/(FeNi)9S8 nanoclusters encapsulated in nitrogen, sulfur-codoped graphitic carbon nanosheets (FeNi/(FeNi)9S8/N,S-CNS) by coordination regulated pyrolyzing the mixture of the metal precursors, dithizone and g-C3N4 at 800 °C. The as-prepared FeNi/(FeNi)9S8/N,S-CNS exhibited distinct electrocatalytic activity and stability for the ORR with positive onset (Eonset) and half-wave (E1/2) potentials (Eonset = 0.97 V; E1/2 = 0.86 V) and OER with the small overpotential (η = 283 mV) at 10 mA cm-2 in the alkaline media, outperforming commercial Pt/C and RuO2 catalysts. This research provides some constructive guidelines for preparing efficient, low-cost and stable nanocatalysts for electrochemical energy devices.

CoFe alloy embedded in N-doped carbon nanotubes derived from triamterene as a highly efficient and durable electrocatalyst beyond commercial Pt/C for oxygen reduction.

For development of green and sustainable energy, it is of importance to search highly efficient and low-cost electrocatalysts of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in energy conversion devices. Herein, CoFe alloyed nanocrystals embedded in N-doped bamboo-like carbon nanotubes (CoFe@NCNTs) were facilely synthetized by one-step co-pyrolysis with the mixture of triamterene, metal chlorides and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4). The resultant CoFe@NCNTs exhibited excellent ORR activity with the positive shifts in the onset potential (Eonset = 0.97 V) and half-wave potential (E1/2 = 0.88 V), outperforming commercial Pt/C (Eonset = 0.96 V; E1/2 = 0.84 V). Compared to metal organic frameworks (MOFs)-based strategy for synthesis of low-cost carbon-based ORR catalysts, this method is simple and convenient, coupled by avoiding the complicated synthesis of MOFs and its ligands. This work provides a promising route to fabricate advanced transition-metal-based carbon catalysts in the researches correlated with energy conversion devices.