The relationship between physical activity and depression among community-dwelling adults in Wuhan, China.

Background: While the association between physical activity (PA) and depression has been established, there is limited research on the effect of PA on the risk of depression among Chinese individuals. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between PA and depression among Chinese individuals. Methods: We used a stratified random sampling approach to recruit participants from five urban districts in Wuhan, China. A total of 5,583 permanent residents aged 18 years or older completed questionnaires, which included the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF) to measure PA, and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to evaluate depressive symptoms. To control for potential confounders, multiple logistic regression was employed to assess the association of PA with depression. Results: The depression group had significantly lower weekly PA levels, measured in metabolic equivalent of task-minutes per week (MET-min/w), compared to the non-depression group [1,770 (693-4,200) MET-min/w vs. 2,772 (1,324-4,893) MET-min/w, p < 0.001]. In the fully adjusted model, the moderate and high PA level groups had lower odds ratios (ORs) for depressive symptoms compared to the low PA level group [OR (95% confidence interval (CI)) = 0.670 (0.523-0.858), 0.618 (0.484-0.790), respectively]. Among males, moderate and high levels of PA were associated with lower risk of depression compared to low PA levels [OR (95% CI) = 0.417 (0.268-0.649), 0.381 (0.244-0.593), respectively]. However, this association was not observed in females [OR (95% CI) = 0.827 (0.610-1.121), 0.782 (0.579-1.056), respectively]. The study found a significant interaction between PA levels and gender in relation to depression (P for interaction = 0.019). Conclusion: The findings suggest a negative association between PA and risk of depressive symptoms, indicating that moderate to high levels of PA may serve as a protective factor against depressive symptoms.

Insights into the spontaneous multi-scale supramolecular assembly in an ionic liquid-based extraction system.

Herein, we report a four-step mechanism for the spontaneous multi-scale supramolecular assembly (MSSA) process in a two-phase system concerning an ionic liquid (IL). The complex ions, elementary building blocks (EBBs), [EBB]n clusters and macroscopic assembly (MA) sphere are formed step by step. The porous large-sized [EBB]n clusters in the glassy state can hardly stay in the IL phase and they transfer to the IL-water interface due to both electroneutrality and amphiphilicity. Then, the clusters undergo random collision in the interface driven by the Marangoni effect and capillary force thereafter. Finally, a single MA sphere can be formed owing to supramolecular interactions. To our knowledge, this is the first example realizing spontaneous whole-process supramolecular assembly covering microscopic, mesoscopic and macroscopic scales in extraction systems. The concept of multi-scale selectivity (MSS) is therefore suggested and its mechanism is revealed. The selective separation and solidification of metal ions can be realized in a MSSA-based extraction system depending on MSS. In addition, insights into the physicochemical characteristics of ILs from microscopic, mesoscopic to macroscopic scales are provided, and especially, the solvation effect of ILs on the large-sized clusters leading to the phase-splitting is examined. It is quite important that the polarization of uranyl in its complex, the growing of uranyl clusters in an IL as well as the glassy material of uranyl are investigated systematically on the basis of both experiment and theoretical calculations in this work.

A Comparative Study of Localized Corrosion and Stress Corrosion Cracking of 13Cr Martensitic Stainless Steel Using Acoustic Emission and X-ray Computed Tomography.

An accurate evaluation of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in 13Cr martensitic stainless steel (MSS) is still missing due to the lack of an in-situ insight into the process evolution and full characterization of the corrosion morphology. In this work, two main regimes involved in the SCC progression, including localized corrosion and cracking, were comparatively studied using in-situ acoustic emission (AE) monitoring and three-dimensional (3D) X-ray computed tomography (XCT) scanning. The stress corrosion tests were conducted with u-bent smooth specimens subjected to a single droplet of 1 µL 1% neutral NaCl solution. Localized corrosion and cracking evolution were controlled in tempered and quenched steel specimens, respectively. From XCT scanning, localized corrosion was featured by an irregular corrosion pit with deposited corrosion products containing cracks. The single dominant SCC crack was observed to initiate from corrosion pit and propagate with a 3D tortuous and discontinuous morphology. AE signals were detected in both cases. Correlated with in-situ observations and clustering analysis, source identification of AE signals was proposed. AE signals during localized corrosion were assessed to be mainly from cracking within the deposited corrosion products. Comparatively, hydrogen-bubble evolution, plastic deformation, and crack-branches coalescence were proposed as the AE sources of cracking evolution.

A uranium capture strategy based on self-assembly in a hydroxyl-functionalized ionic liquid extraction system.

A novel and efficient uranium capture strategy based on self-assembly is developed in an ionic liquid extraction system, by which the one-step separation and solidification of uranium are realized. This not only provides a promising method for separating metal ions but also promotes the development of a supramolecular assembly both in mechanism and application.

MiR-140 Expression Regulates Cell Proliferation and Targets PD-L1 in NSCLC.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Programmed death ligand1(PD-L1) plays a role in the development and progression of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to identify miRNA(s) that are responsible for regulation of expression of PD-L1 in NSCLC, and to investigate the role of PD-L1 in regulation of the cell cycle in NSCLC. METHODS: We predicted the target miRNA of PD-L1, which was miR-140, using the online tools TargetScan and miBase. In NSCLC cells obtained from clinical specimens, in addition to A549 and NCI-H1650 cell cultures, western blots were used to detect the level of expression of proteins, while real-time PCR was used to determine the level of expression of PD-L1, miR-140, cyclin E, and ß-actin. Transfection with miR-140 mimics, miR-140 inhibitors, and PD-L1 siRNA were conducted using commercial kits. To determine whether miR-140 directly binds PD-L1, a luciferase reporter gene with wild type or mutated PD-L1 was used. Cell viability was measured with the MTT assay, and PI staining was used for cell cycle analysis. RESULTS: We found low expression of miR-140 and high expression of PD-L1 and cyclin E in NSCLC cells. Over-expression of miR-140 suppressed the expression of PD-L1 by directly binding its 3' UTR, and was also associated with decreased expression of cyclin E and inhibition of cellular proliferation in A549 and NCI-H1650 cells. Inhibition of PD-L1, in the absence of manipulations to miR-140, also decreased the expression of cyclin E. CONCLUSION: We conclude that miR-140 directly suppresses PD-L1 and inhibits the miR-140/PD-L1/cyclin E pathway in NSCLC.

A New Remote Health-Care System Based on Moving Robot Intended for the Elderly at Home.

Nowadays, due to the growing need for remote care and the constantly increasing popularity of mobile devices, a large amount of mobile applications for remote care support has been developed. Although mobile phones are very suitable for young people, there are still many problems related to remote health care of the elderly. Due to hearing loss or limited movements, it is difficult for the elderly to contact their families or doctors via real-time video call. In this paper, we introduce a new remote health-care system based on moving robots intended for the elderly at home. Since the proposed system is an online system, the elderly can contact their families and doctors quickly anytime and anywhere. Besides call, our system involves the accurate indoor object detection algorithms and automatic health data collection, which are not included in existing remote care systems. Therefore, the proposed system solves some challenging problems related to the elderly care. The experiment has shown that the proposed care system achieves excellent performance and provides good user experience.

Association between the XPD/ERCC2 Lys751Gln polymorphism and risk of cancer: evidence from 224 case-control studies.

Genetic variations in the xeroderma pigmentosum group D (XPD) gene may increase cancer susceptibility by affecting the capacity for DNA repair. A lot of studies have reported the association of XPD Lys751Gln polymorphism with risk of cancer, but the results remained controversial. Hence, we performed a systematic review and conducted a meta-analysis to explore association of the XPD Lys751Gln polymorphism with risk of cancer (78,398 cases and 103,178 controls from 224 studies). Overall, a significantly increased cancer risk was found in all genetic models (dominant model: odds ratio (OR) = 1.10, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.06-1.14; recessive model: OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.05-1.15; homozygous model: OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.08-1.21; heterozygous model: OR = 1.09, 95% CI = 1.05-1.12; additive model: OR = 1.08, 95% CI= 1.05-1.11) when all eligible studies were pooled into the meta-analysis. In further stratified and sensitivity analyses, the elevated risk of cancer remained for subgroups of breast cancer, esophageal cancer, hepatocellular cancer, leukemia, lung cancer, and melanoma. In summary, this meta-analysis suggests the XPD Lys751Gln polymorphism is a genetic susceptibility for some cancer types. Moreover, ethnicity, histological type of cancer, and smokers seem to contribute to varying expressions of the Lys751Gln on some cancer risk. In addition, our work also points out the importance of new studies for Lys751Gln association in endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer, where at least some of the covariates responsible for heterogeneity could be controlled, to obtain a more conclusive understanding about the function of the Lys751Gln polymorphism in cancer development.

Hypoglycemic and anti-depressant effects of Zuogui Jiangtang Jieyu formulation in a model of unpredictable chronic mild stress in rats with diabetes mellitus.

This study aimed to investigate the hypoglycemic, lipid-lowering and antidepressant effects of Zuogui Jiangtang Jieyu formulation (ZGJTJY) in a model of unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) in rats with diabetes mellitus (DM; the UCMS-DM model). Sixty rats were randomly divided into blank control, vehicle (model plus vehicle), positive control (model plus metformin and fluoxetine), and high, medium and low dose ZGJTJY (model plus high, medium and low doses of ZGJTJY, respectively) groups. Following establishment of DM by a high-fat diet with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (38 mg/kg), the depression model was established by application of UCMS for 28 days. The behavioral scores of the rats were detected in an open field test and Morris water maze test. The levels of blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and blood lipids were assayed. The total scores of the open field test and the space exploration times (SETs) in the Morris water maze test were significantly lower and the escape latency (EL) times in the Morris water maze test were significantly longer in the vehicle group compared with those in the blank control group. In addition, in the vehicle group, the levels of blood glucose, HbA1c, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGs) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were significantly higher and the levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were significantly lower compared with those in the blank control group. The high dose of ZGJTJY decreased the locomotor activity levels in the open field test, the EL times of the model on day 4, the SETs in the Morris water maze test and the HDL-C levels, and reduced the blood glucose, HbA1c, TC, TG and LDL-C levels compared with those in the model group. Thus, ZGJTJY is a potential candidate for the prevention and treatment of the comorbidity of depression with DM.

Comparison between the pharmacokinetics of meranzin hydrate in a rat model of chronic depression and in controls following the oral administration of Chaihu-Shugan-San.

Previous studies have shown that meranzin hydrate (MH) may be beneficial in depressive disorders. However, to the best of our knowledge, the pharmacokinetic characteristics of MH in depression have not previously been investigated. Chronic mild stress (CMS) in rats is used as a model of depression. The present study was designed to evaluate and compare the pharmacokinetics of MH in CMS and control rats following the oral administration of Chaihu-Shugan-San (CSS). Rats were randomly divided into CMS and control groups and blood samples were obtained following the oral administration of CSS. The quantification of MH levels in the plasma for pharmacokinetic study was achieved using a simple and rapid ultra-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array (UPLC-PDA) method. Following the oral administration of CSS to CMS rats and controls, the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) of MH was 58.66±6.64 and 57.54±12.67 ng/ml at 108.00±26.83 and 54.00±8.22 min, respectively. Compared with the value of the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC)0-1440 in control rats (19,896.76±1,041.95 µg·min/l), the AUC0-1440 value was reduced in CMS rats (18,401.32±4332.65 µg·min/l). There were no significant differences in the majority of the pharmacokinetic parameters of MH, including the values for Cmax, AUC0-1440, clearance rate (CL/F) and mean residence time (MRT0-1440), between the CMS rats and the controls. However, the pharmacokinetic parameters showed that CMS accelerated the absorption of MH in rats following the oral administration of CSS.