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1.
Cardiovasc Digit Health J ; 5(3): 149-155, 2024 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38989040

ABSTRACT

Background: The use of point-of-care (POC) tests prior to the COVID-19 pandemic was relatively infrequent outside of the health care context. Little is known about how public opinions regarding POC tests have changed during the pandemic. Methods: We redeployed a validated survey to uncompensated volunteers to assess preferences for point-of-care testing (POCT) benefits and concerns between June and September 2022. We received a total of 292 completed surveys. Linear regression analysis was used to compare differences in survey average response scores (ARSs) from 2020 to 2022. Results: Respondent ARSs indicated agreement for all 16 POCT benefits in 2022. Of 14 POCT concerns, there were only 2 statements that respondents agreed with most frequently, which were that "Insurance might not cover the costs of the POC test" (ARS 0.9, ± 1.0) and "POC tests might not provide a definitive result" (ARS 0.1, ± 1.0). Additionally, when comparing survey responses from 2020 to 2022, we observed 8 significant trends for POCT harms and benefits. Conclusion: The public's opinion on POC tests has become more favorable over time. However, concerns regarding the affordability and reliability of POCT results persist. We suggest that stakeholders address these concerns by developing accurate POC tests that continue to improve care and facilitate access to health care for all.

2.
Materials (Basel) ; 17(13)2024 Jun 21.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38998141

ABSTRACT

As worldwide plastic pollution continues to rise, innovative ideas for effective reuse and recycling of waste plastic are needed. Single-atom catalysts (SACs), which are known for their high activity and selectivity, present unique advantages in facilitating plastic degradation and conversion. Waste plastic can be used as a support or raw material to create SACs, which reduces waste generation while simultaneously utilizing waste as a resource. This work successfully utilized waste plastic polyurethane (PU) as a support, through a unique Rapid Thermal Processing Reactor (RTPR) to synthesize an efficient Pd1/PU SACs. At 25 °C and 0.5 MPa H2, Pd1/PU displayed outstanding activity and selectivity in the hydrogenation of styrene, as well as remarkable stability. Pd1/PU performed well in hydrogenating a variety of common substrates. These findings highlight the great potential of SACs in plastic waste reuse and recycling, offering intriguing solutions to the global plastic pollution problem.

3.
Microbiome ; 12(1): 129, 2024 Jul 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39026261

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Chronic exposure to microorganisms inside homes can impact respiratory health. Few studies have used advanced sequencing methods to examine adult respiratory outcomes, especially continuous measures. We aimed to identify metagenomic profiles in house dust related to the quantitative traits of pulmonary function and airway inflammation in adults. Microbial communities, 1264 species (389 genera), in vacuumed bedroom dust from 779 homes in a US cohort were characterized by whole metagenome shotgun sequencing. We examined two overall microbial diversity measures: richness (the number of individual microbial species) and Shannon index (reflecting both richness and relative abundance). To identify specific differentially abundant genera, we applied the Lasso estimator with high-dimensional inference methods, a novel framework for analyzing microbiome data in relation to continuous traits after accounting for all taxa examined together. RESULTS: Pulmonary function measures (forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and FEV1/FVC ratio) were not associated with overall dust microbial diversity. However, many individual microbial genera were differentially abundant (p-value < 0.05 controlling for all other microbial taxa examined) in relation to FEV1, FVC, or FEV1/FVC. Similarly, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), a marker of airway inflammation, was unrelated to overall microbial diversity but associated with differential abundance for many individual genera. Several genera, including Limosilactobacillus, were associated with a pulmonary function measure and FeNO, while others, including Moraxella to FEV1/FVC and Stenotrophomonas to FeNO, were associated with a single trait. CONCLUSIONS: Using state-of-the-art metagenomic sequencing, we identified specific microorganisms in indoor dust related to pulmonary function and airway inflammation. Some were previously associated with respiratory conditions; others were novel, suggesting specific environmental microbial components contribute to various respiratory outcomes. The methods used are applicable to studying microbiome in relation to other continuous outcomes. Video Abstract.


Subject(s)
Dust , Metagenome , Microbiota , Dust/analysis , Humans , Female , Male , United States , Microbiota/genetics , Middle Aged , Lung/microbiology , Adult , Bacteria/classification , Bacteria/genetics , Bacteria/isolation & purification , Forced Expiratory Volume , Agriculture , Respiratory Function Tests , Vital Capacity , Metagenomics/methods
4.
J Agric Food Chem ; 72(29): 16484-16495, 2024 Jul 24.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38990698

ABSTRACT

As a food contaminant that can be quickly absorbed through the gastrointestinal system, furan has been shown to disrupt the intestinal flora and barrier. Investigation of the intestinal toxicity mechanism of furan is of great significance to health. We previously identified the regulatory impact of salidroside (SAL) against furan-provoked intestinal damage, and the present work further explored whether the alleviating effect of SAL against furan-caused intestinal injury was based on the intestinal flora; three models, normal, pseudo-germ-free, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), were established, and the changes in intestinal morphology, barrier, and inflammation were observed. Moreover, 16S rDNA sequencing observed the variation of the fecal flora associated with inflammation and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Results obtained from the LC-MS/MS suggested that SAL increased furan-inhibited SCFA levels, activated the mRNA expressions of SCFA receptors (GPR41, GPR43, and GPR109A), and inhibited the furan-activated TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling. Analysis of protein-protein interaction further confirmed the aforementioned effects of SAL, which inhibited furan-induced barrier damage and intestinal inflammation.


Subject(s)
Bacteria , Fatty Acids, Volatile , Furans , Gastrointestinal Microbiome , Glucosides , Phenols , Signal Transduction , Toll-Like Receptor 4 , Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects , Glucosides/pharmacology , Phenols/pharmacology , Toll-Like Receptor 4/metabolism , Toll-Like Receptor 4/genetics , Animals , Signal Transduction/drug effects , Furans/pharmacology , Male , Fatty Acids, Volatile/metabolism , Humans , Mice , Bacteria/genetics , Bacteria/classification , Bacteria/isolation & purification , Bacteria/metabolism , Bacteria/drug effects , Intestinal Mucosa/metabolism , Intestinal Mucosa/drug effects , NF-kappa B/metabolism , NF-kappa B/genetics , Rhodiola/chemistry , Inflammation/metabolism , Inflammation/drug therapy , Mice, Inbred C57BL
5.
J Intell ; 12(6)2024 May 21.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38921687

ABSTRACT

Previous studies have demonstrated that thinking dispositions and working memory are closely related to students' critical thinking ability. However, little is known about whether bidirectionality between thinking dispositions, working memory, and critical thinking ability exists in adolescence. This study, therefore, explored this aspect across two time points. Participants were 509 Chinese adolescents (mean age at Time 1 = 14.09 years; 59.7% girls). At Time 1, adolescents were administered the measures of thinking dispositions, working memory, and critical thinking ability. They were reassessed using these measures at Time 2 one year later. The results revealed a bidirectional longitudinal relationship between adolescents' thinking dispositions and critical thinking ability, suggesting that thinking dispositions at Time 1 predicted critical thinking ability at Time 2; critical thinking ability at Time 1 also predicted subsequent thinking dispositions in adolescents. Furthermore, working memory at Time 1 showed a larger predictive effect on critical thinking ability at Time 2 compared with thinking dispositions at Time 1. These findings underscore the role of early thinking dispositions and working memory in promoting adolescents' critical thinking ability.

6.
Chem Sci ; 15(25): 9830-9841, 2024 Jun 26.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38939129

ABSTRACT

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is one of the most valuable clean energy sources with a rapidly growing requirement in industry and daily life. The direct synthesis of H2O2 from hydrogen and oxygen is considered to be an economical and environmentally friendly manufacturing route to replace the traditional anthraquinone method, although it remains a formidable challenge owing to low H2O2 selectivity and production. Here, we report a catalyst consisting of Pd(111) nanocrystals on TiO2 modified with single Pt atoms (Pt1Pd(111)/TiO2), which displays outstanding reactivity, producing 1921.3 µmol of H2O2, a H2 conversion of 62.2% and H2O2 selectivity of 80.3% over 30 min. Kinetic and isotope experiments confirm that the extraordinary catalytic properties are due to stronger H2 activation (the rate-determining step). DFT calculations confirm that Pt1Pd(111) exhibits lower energy barriers for H2 dissociation and two-step O2 hydrogenation, but higher energy barriers for side reactions than Pt1Pd(100), demonstrating clear facet dependence and resulting in greater selectivity and amount of H2O2 produced.

7.
Poult Sci ; 103(7): 103831, 2024 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38833958

ABSTRACT

The recent emergence of hepatitis-hydropericardium syndrome caused by highly pathogenic fowl adenovirus serotype 4 (FAdV-4) has resulted in significant economic losses to the poultry industry. However, the early innate immune response of immune organs within 24 hpi and the induction of autophagy in vivo after FAdV-4 infection have not been fully elucidated. In this study, 35-day-old specific pathogen-free (SPF) chickens were artificially infected with hypervirulent FAdV-4, which resulted in a mortality rate of up to 90%. The results showed that FAdV-4 infection rapidly triggered the innate immune response in vivo of chickens, with the spleen eliciting a stronger innate immune response than the thymus and bursa. During the early stage of viral infection within 24 hpi, the main receptors TLR3/7/21, MDA5, and cGAS were activated via the NF-κB and TBK1/IRF7-dependent signaling pathways, which up-regulated production of inflammatory cytokines and type I interferons. Additionally, the expression levels of the autophagy-related molecules LC3B, Beclin1, and ATG5 were significantly up-regulated at 24 hpi, while degradation of SQSTM1/p62 was observed, suggesting that FAdV-4 infection elicits a complete autophagy response in the spleen. Besides, the colocalization of Fiber2 and LC3B suggested that FAdV-4 infection induced autophagy which benefits FAdV-4 replication in vivo. This study provides new insights into the immunoregulation signal pathways of the early innate immunity in response to hypervirulent FAdV-4 infection in vivo within 24 hpi and the close relationship between viral replication and autophagy.


Subject(s)
Adenoviridae Infections , Autophagy , Aviadenovirus , Chickens , Immunity, Innate , Poultry Diseases , Spleen , Animals , Adenoviridae Infections/veterinary , Adenoviridae Infections/immunology , Adenoviridae Infections/virology , Poultry Diseases/virology , Poultry Diseases/immunology , Chickens/immunology , Spleen/virology , Spleen/immunology , Aviadenovirus/physiology , Aviadenovirus/immunology , Aviadenovirus/pathogenicity , Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms , Serogroup , Virulence
8.
Food Chem Toxicol ; 189: 114773, 2024 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38823497

ABSTRACT

Fluoride, a ubiquitous environmental compound, carries significant health risks at excessive levels. This study investigated the reproductive toxicity of fluoride exposure during puberty in mice, focusing on its impact on testicular development, spermatogenesis, and underlying mechanisms. The results showed that fluoride exposure during puberty impaired testicular structure, induced germ cell apoptosis, and reduced sperm counts in mice. Additionally, the SOD activity and GSH content were significantly decreased, while MDA content was significantly elevated in the NaF group. Immunohistochemistry showed an increase in the number of cells positive for GRP78, a key ER stress marker. Moreover, qRT-PCR and Western blot analyses confirmed the upregulation of both Grp78 mRNA and protein expression, as well as increased mRNA expression of other ER stress-associated genes (Grp94, chop, Atf6, Atf4, and Xbp1) and enhanced protein expression of phosphorylated PERK, IRE1α, eIF2α, JNK, XBP-1, ATF-6α, ATF-4, and CHOP. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that fluoride exposure during puberty impairs testicular structure, induces germ cell apoptosis, and reduces sperm counts in mice. ER stress may participate in testicular cell apoptosis, and contribute to the testicular damage and decreased sperm counts induced by fluoride.


Subject(s)
Apoptosis , Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP , Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress , Fluorides , Testis , Animals , Male , Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress/drug effects , Apoptosis/drug effects , Testis/drug effects , Testis/metabolism , Fluorides/toxicity , Mice , Sexual Maturation/drug effects , Heat-Shock Proteins/metabolism , Heat-Shock Proteins/genetics , Sperm Count , Spermatogenesis/drug effects
9.
Food Chem Toxicol ; 189: 114733, 2024 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38740238

ABSTRACT

Thermal processing of food is likely to form acrylamide (AA) and elaidic acid (EA), which are both mainly metabolized by the liver. The two substances are associated with the pathogenesis of liver disease. In the current study, we investigated the toxic effects of the combined action of AA and EA on HSC-T6 cells, and the mechanism of apoptosis exacerbated by the co-exposure. The results showed a synergistic effect of AA and EA, which exacerbated the damage and oxidative stress (OS) in HSC-T6. Meanwhile, the expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) proteins, such as GRP78 and CHOP, was increased, the ERS pathway was activated, and Ca2+ in cells was increased, which exacerbated mitochondrial damage, and opened IP3R-Grp75-VDAC1 channel. Both ERS and mitochondrial damage caused the process of cell apoptosis. Inhibition of ERS by 4-phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA) significantly reversed the synergistic effects on mitochondrial damage via ERS, suggesting that AA and EA exacerbated mitochondrial damage through ERS-mediated Ca2+ overload. AA and EA synergistically damaged the function of mitochondria through exacerbating ERS and led to cell apoptosis.


Subject(s)
Acrylamide , Apoptosis , Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress , Oleic Acids , Apoptosis/drug effects , Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress/drug effects , Acrylamide/toxicity , Animals , Cell Line , Oleic Acids/pharmacology , Oxidative Stress/drug effects , Calcium/metabolism , Rats , Mitochondria/drug effects , Mitochondria/metabolism , Transcription Factor CHOP/metabolism , Transcription Factor CHOP/genetics , Drug Synergism , Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP , Phenylbutyrates
10.
J Agric Food Chem ; 72(23): 13217-13227, 2024 Jun 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38809571

ABSTRACT

Myrosinase (Myr) catalyzes the hydrolysis of glucosinolates, yielding biologically active metabolites. In this study, glucoraphanin (GRA) extracted from broccoli seeds was effectively hydrolyzed using a Myr-obtained cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae) (BbMyr) to produce (R)-sulforaphane (SFN). The gene encoding BbMyr was successfully heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli, resulting in the production of 1.6 g/L (R)-SFN, with a remarkable yield of 20.8 mg/gbroccoli seeds, achieved using recombination E. coli whole-cell catalysis under optimal conditions (pH 4.5, 45 °C). Subsequently, BbMyr underwent combinatorial simulation-driven mutagenesis, yielding a mutant, DE9 (N321D/Y426S), showing a remarkable 2.91-fold increase in the catalytic efficiency (kcat/KM) compared with the original enzyme. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated that the N321D mutation in loopA of mutant DE9 enhanced loopA stability by inducing favorable alterations in hydrogen bonds, while the Y426S mutation in loopB decreased spatial resistance. This research lays a foundation for the environmentally sustainable enzymatic (R)-SFN synthesis.


Subject(s)
Aphids , Brassica , Glycoside Hydrolases , Isothiocyanates , Sulfoxides , Sulfoxides/chemistry , Sulfoxides/metabolism , Animals , Isothiocyanates/metabolism , Isothiocyanates/chemistry , Aphids/enzymology , Aphids/genetics , Glycoside Hydrolases/genetics , Glycoside Hydrolases/metabolism , Glycoside Hydrolases/chemistry , Brassica/genetics , Brassica/enzymology , Brassica/chemistry , Insect Proteins/genetics , Insect Proteins/metabolism , Insect Proteins/chemistry , Glucosinolates/metabolism , Glucosinolates/chemistry , Kinetics , Molecular Dynamics Simulation , Oximes/chemistry , Oximes/metabolism , Escherichia coli/genetics , Escherichia coli/metabolism , Directed Molecular Evolution , Imidoesters/metabolism , Imidoesters/chemistry
11.
Front Immunol ; 15: 1378359, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38779662

ABSTRACT

Skin tissue-resident memory T (Trm) cells are produced by antigenic stimulation and remain in the skin for a long time without entering the peripheral circulation. In the healthy state Trm cells can play a patrolling and surveillance role, but in the disease state Trm cells differentiate into various phenotypes associated with different diseases, exhibit different localizations, and consequently have local protective or pathogenic roles, such as disease recurrence in vitiligo and maintenance of immune homeostasis in melanoma. The most common surface marker of Trm cells is CD69/CD103. However, the plasticity of tissue-resident memory T cells after colonization remains somewhat uncertain. This ambiguity is largely due to the variation in the functionality and ultimate destination of Trm cells produced from memory cells differentiated from diverse precursors. Notably, the presence of Trm cells is not stationary across numerous non-lymphoid tissues, most notably in the skin. These cells may reenter the blood and distant tissue sites during the recall response, revealing the recycling and migration potential of the Trm cell progeny. This review focuses on the origin and function of skin Trm cells, and provides new insights into the role of skin Trm cells in the treatment of autoimmune skin diseases, infectious skin diseases, and tumors.


Subject(s)
Cell Plasticity , Homeostasis , Immunologic Memory , Memory T Cells , Skin Diseases , Skin , Humans , Homeostasis/immunology , Memory T Cells/immunology , Memory T Cells/metabolism , Skin/immunology , Skin/pathology , Cell Plasticity/immunology , Animals , Skin Diseases/immunology , Antigens, CD/metabolism , Antigens, CD/immunology
12.
Anal Chem ; 96(15): 5824-5831, 2024 Apr 16.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38573047

ABSTRACT

Infectious diseases pose a significant threat to global health, yet traditional microbiological identification methods suffer from drawbacks, such as high costs and long processing times. Raman spectroscopy, a label-free and noninvasive technique, provides rich chemical information and has tremendous potential in fast microbial diagnoses. Here, we propose a novel Combined Mutual Learning Net that precisely identifies microbial subspecies. It demonstrated an average identification accuracy of 87.96% in an open-access data set with thirty microbial strains, representing a 5.76% improvement. 50% of the microbial subspecies accuracies were elevated by 1% to 46%, especially for E. coli 2 improved from 31% to 77%. Furthermore, it achieved a remarkable subspecies accuracy of 92.4% in the custom-built fiber-optical tweezers Raman spectroscopy system, which collects Raman spectra at a single-cell level. This advancement demonstrates the effectiveness of this method in microbial subspecies identification, offering a promising solution for microbiology diagnosis.


Subject(s)
Escherichia coli , Optical Tweezers , Spectrum Analysis, Raman/methods
13.
Public Health ; 230: 190-197, 2024 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38565065

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: In observational studies, the 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level in body has been found to be closely related to particulate matter (PM) air pollution. In this study, we used the two-sample mendelian randomisation (MR) method to investigate and discuss the potential causal relationship and mode of influence. STUDY DESIGN: MR study. METHODS: PM data (PM10, PM2.5-10, PM2.5, PM2.5 absorbance) came from the UK Biobank database, and 25(OH)D data came from European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI) database. The analysis was conducted utilising three prominent methods (inverse-variance-weighted [IVW], MR-Egger, weighted median, weighted mode, and simple mode). The primary emphasis was placed on IVW, accompanied by heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy tests. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis was undertaken. RESULTS: The MR analysis revealed a significant association between exposure to PM10 and a decrease in levels of 25(OH)D (odds ratio [OR]: 0.878, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.789-0.977). However, no significant relationship was observed between PM2.5 exposure and 25(OH)D (OR: 0.943, 95%CI: 0.858-1.037). Further analysis indicated that the main contributor to the decline in 25(OH)D levels is linked to PM2.5-10 exposure (OR: 0.840, 95%CI: 0.751-0.940) and PM2.5 absorbance (OR: 0.875, 95%CI: 0.824-0.929). No heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy existed. CONCLUSIONS: The MR results suggest that PM (PM10, PM2.5-10 and PM2.5 absorbance) exposure lowers vitamin D (VD) levels, but PM2.5 was not found to have a significant effect on VD in humans.


Subject(s)
Air Pollution , Particulate Matter , Vitamin D/analogs & derivatives , Humans , Particulate Matter/analysis , Air Pollution/adverse effects , Air Pollution/analysis , Calcifediol , Vitamins , Mendelian Randomization Analysis , Genome-Wide Association Study
14.
J Geriatr Cardiol ; 21(3): 323-330, 2024 Mar 28.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38665288

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Smartwatches have become readily accessible tools for detecting atrial fibrillation (AF). There remains limited data on how they affect psychosocial outcomes and engagement in older adults. We examine the health behavior outcomes of stroke survivors prescribed smartwatches for AF detection stratified by age. METHODS: We analyzed data from the Pulsewatch study, a randomized controlled trial that enrolled patients (≥ 50 years) with a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack and CHA2DS2-VASc ≥ 2. Intervention participants were equipped with a cardiac patch monitor and a smartwatch-app dyad, while control participants wore the cardiac patch monitor for up to 44 days. We evaluated health behavior parameters using standardized tools, including the Consumer Health Activation Index, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder questionnaire, the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey, and wear time of participants categorized into three age groups: Group 1 (ages 50-60), Group 2 (ages 61-69), and Group 3 (ages 70-87). We performed statistical analysis using a mixed-effects repeated measures linear regression model to examine differences amongst age groups. RESULTS: Comparative analysis between Groups 1, 2 and 3 revealed no significant differences in anxiety, patient activation, perception of physical health and wear time. The use of smartwatch technology was associated with a decrease in perception of mental health for Group 2 compared to Group 1 (ß = -3.29, P = 0.046). CONCLUSION: Stroke survivors demonstrated a willingness to use smartwatches for AF monitoring. Importantly, among these study participants, the majority did not experience negative health behavior outcomes or decreased engagement as age increased.

15.
Discov Med ; 36(183): 666-677, 2024 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38665016

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Primary liver cancer (PHC) stands as one of the most prevalent malignant diseases in clinical settings. Studies have indicated that transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatment exhibits superior clinical outcomes, potentially increasing the complete necrosis rate in patients with PHC. A correlation exists between the clinical outcomes of TACE surgery and the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), yet the underlying mechanism remains a mystery. Hence, it is crucial to investigate the impact and mechanism of EMT on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Retrospectively, patients with advanced liver cancer who underwent TACE were selected and categorized into two groups based on the assessment of clinical efficacy: the effective group and the ineffective group. The expression levels of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9), Ki-67, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X (Bax), Vimentin, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin in tumor tissues were evaluated using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In vitro, Huh7 cells were cultured, and lentivirus infections were utilized to inhibit the overexpression of NF-κB and MMP9. The determination of EMT and cell viability was conducted through Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assays, RT-PCR, and Western blot. RESULTS: Sixty patients diagnosed with advanced liver cancer were selected for the study. Based on their clinical outcomes, 30 patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma were categorized into the effective group, while the remaining 30 patients were categorized into the ineffective group. The results of the Western blot analysis indicated that, in comparison to the effective group, the expression levels of NF-κB, MMP9, Ki-67, Bcl-2, Vimentin, and N-cadherin were significantly higher in the tumor tissues of the ineffective group. Conversely, the expression of Bax and E-cadherin was notably lower in the effective group. Following the individual knockdown of NF-κB and MMP9, the cell experiments revealed a remarkable decrease in the expression levels of Ki-67, Bcl-2, Vimentin, and N-cadherin, whereas the expression of Bax and E-cadherin showed significant elevation (p < 0.05). Furthermore, there was a significant increase in cell viability and a decrease in cell apoptosis after the knockdown of NF-κB and MMP9. CONCLUSIONS: The NF-κB/MMP9 signaling axis serves as a pivotal regulator that fosters proliferation and impedes apoptosis in Huh7 cells by modulating the process of EMT.


Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular , Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition , Liver Neoplasms , Signal Transduction , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/metabolism , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/therapy , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics , Cell Line, Tumor , Cell Proliferation , Disease Progression , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic , Liver Neoplasms/pathology , Liver Neoplasms/metabolism , Liver Neoplasms/genetics , Liver Neoplasms/therapy , Matrix Metalloproteinase 9/metabolism , NF-kappa B/metabolism , Retrospective Studies
16.
Brain Sci ; 14(3)2024 Mar 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38539657

ABSTRACT

Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), which is a group of pathological processes affecting cerebral microvessels, leads to functional loss in the elderly population and mostly presents as cognitive impairment and gait decline. CSVD is diagnosed based on brain imaging biomarkers, but blood biomarkers are of great significance for the early diagnosis and progression prediction of CSVD and have become a research focus because of their noninvasiveness and easy accessibility. Notably, many blood biomarkers have been reported to be associated with CSVD in a relatively large population, particularly serum neurofilament light chain (NfL), which has been regarded as a promising biomarker to track the variation trend in WMH and to predict the further status of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) and lacunar infarcts. And neuro-glio-vascular unit structure and blood-brain barrier function have been proposed as underlying mechanisms of CSVD. The article starts from the neuroimaging markers of CSVD, including recent small subcortical infarcts (RSSI), white matter hyperintensities (WMH), lacunes, cerebral microbleeds (CMB), enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS), cerebral atrophy, and the combined small vessel disease score, and attempts to systematically review and summarize the research progress regarding the blood biomarkers of CSVD that form the changes in the neuro-glio-vascular unit structure and blood-brain barrier function.

17.
Nutrients ; 16(5)2024 Feb 27.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38474800

ABSTRACT

Triglyceride (TG) and atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) have been acknowledged to be risk factors for vascular insults, but their impacts on the brain system remain elusive. To fill in some gaps, we investigated associations of TG and AIP with brain structure, leveraging the UK Biobank database. TG and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were examined at baseline and AIP was calculated as log (TG/HDL-C). We build several linear regression models to estimate associations of TG and AIP with volumes of brain grey matter phenotypes. Significant inverse associations of TG and AIP with volumes of specific subcortical traits were observed, among which TG and AIP were most significantly associated with caudate nucleus (TG: ß [95% confidence interval CI] = -0.036 [-0.051, -0.022], AIP: -0.038 [-0.053, -0.023]), thalamus (-0.029 [-0.042, -0.017], -0.032 [-0.045, -0.019]). Higher TG and AIP were also considerably related with reduced cortical structure volumes, where two most significant associations of TG and AIP were with insula (TG: -0.035 [-0.048, -0.022], AIP: -0.038 [-0.052, -0.025]), superior temporal gyrus (-0.030 [-0.043, -0.017], -0.033 [-0.047, -0.020]). Modification effects of sex and regular physical activity on the associations were discovered as well. Our findings show adverse associations of TG and AIP with grey matter volumes, which has essential public health implications for early prevention in neurodegenerative diseases.


Subject(s)
Atherosclerosis , Adult , Middle Aged , Aged , Humans , Triglycerides , Risk Factors , Cholesterol, HDL , Brain
18.
Soft Matter ; 20(13): 2937-2954, 2024 Mar 27.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38466149

ABSTRACT

A novel composite hydrogel with exceptional adsorption and photocatalytic properties was synthesized using modified coal-based humic acid (HA-C), modified titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles, acrylic acid (AA), and acrylamide (AM) as precursors. The modification of HA-C and TiO2 significantly enhances the structural support provided by the hydrogel for photocatalytic components. Moreover, we investigated the effects of monomer ratio, dye concentration, temperature, and pH on the material properties. Additionally, we tested the mechanical strength, swelling behavior, and reusability of the hydrogels. The composite hydrogel's adsorption performance and synergistic adsorption-photocatalytic performance were evaluated based on its removal rate for both absorbed and degraded methylene blue (MB). Remarkably, incorporating HA-C greatly improved the adsorption efficiency of the composite hydrogel for methylene blue to a maximum capacity of 1490 mg g-1. Furthermore, TiO2 nanoparticles in the structure promoted MB degradation with an efficiency exceeding 96.5%. The hydrogel exhibited excellent recoverability and reusability through nine cycles of adsorption/desorption as well as six cycles of degradation.

19.
Int J Anal Chem ; 2024: 7971021, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38463657

ABSTRACT

Ziyuglycoside I and ziyuglycoside II are important active components of Sanguisorba officinalis L., which have excellent pharmacological effects, such as antioxidant and anticancer effects. However, the bioavailability of ziyuglycoside I and ziyuglycoside II has not been reported. This work aims to establish a UPLC-MS/MS method to study the pharmacokinetics of ziyuglycoside I and ziyuglycoside II in rats under different administration routes (intragastric and intravenous administration) and to calculate the bioavailability. The concentration of ziyuglycoside I and ziyuglycoside II in rat plasma in the range of 2-2000 ng/mL showed a good linear relationship (r > 0.99). The intra-day accuracies of ziyuglycoside I and ziyuglycoside II ranged from 87% to 110%, and the inter-day accuracies ranged from 97% to 109%. The intra-day precision was less than 15% and the inter-day precision was less than 14%. The matrix effects ranged from 88% to 113%. The recoveries were all above 84%. The developed UPLC-MS/MS method for the determination of ziyuglycoside I and ziyuglycoside II in rat plasma was applied to pharmacokinetics. The bioavailability of ziyuglycoside I and ziyuglycoside II was measured at 2.6% and 4.6%, respectively.

20.
Appetite ; 197: 107320, 2024 Jun 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38537390

ABSTRACT

Screen use while eating has been recently identified as a highly common and potentially important specific setting of screen use in relation to eating disorder symptomatology. However, given this area of research is still in its infancy, how screen use while eating may be related to eating disorder symptomatology remains largely unexplored. To fill this gap, the present study probed the potential roles of mindfulness and intuitive eating in the association between screen use while eating and eating disorder symptomatology. A large sample of Chinese adults (N = 800, aged 18-67 years old) recruited through a Chinese survey platform, Credamo, completed questionnaires assessing screen use while eating, eating disorder symptomatology, mindfulness, and intuitive eating. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model. Results confirmed our hypotheses that the association between screen use while eating and eating disorder symptomatology was partially explained by mindfulness and intuitive eating, after adjusting for covariates (e.g., gender, age, body mass index, total screen time, and social media use). That said, higher screen use while eating was associated first with lower mindfulness and then with lower intuitive eating, which in turn were related to higher eating disorder symptomatology. The findings underline the importance of including eating-specific screen use for future research on eating disorder symptomatology and also have implications for an integrative intervention of mindfulness-based approaches and intuitive eating for mitigating the adverse effects of excessive screen use on eating behaviors.


Subject(s)
Feeding and Eating Disorders , Mindfulness , Adult , Humans , Adolescent , Young Adult , Middle Aged , Aged , Body Mass Index , Feeding Behavior , Surveys and Questionnaires , Eating
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