Ocean acidification alters microeukaryotic and bacterial food web interactions in a eutrophic subtropical mesocosm.

Ocean acidification (OA) is known to influence biological and ecological processes, mainly focusing on its impacts on single species, but little has been documented on how OA may alter plankton community interactions. Here, we conducted a mesocosm experiment with ambient (∼410 ppmv) and high (1000 ppmv) CO2 concentrations in a subtropical eutrophic region of the East China Sea and examined the community dynamics of microeukaryotes, bacterioplankton and microeukaryote-attached bacteria in the enclosed coastal seawater. The OA treatment with elevated CO2 affected taxa as the phytoplankton bloom stages progressed, with a 72.89% decrease in relative abundance of the protist Cercozoa on day 10 and a 322% increase in relative abundance of Stramenopile dominated by diatoms, accompanied by a 29.54% decrease in relative abundance of attached Alphaproteobacteria on day 28. Our study revealed that protozoans with different prey preferences had differing sensitivity to high CO2, and attached bacteria were more significantly affected by high CO2 compared to bacterioplankton. Our findings indicate that high CO2 changed the co-occurrence network complexity and stability of microeukaryotes more than those of bacteria. Furthermore, high CO2 was found to alter the proportions of potential interactions between phytoplankton and their predators, as well as microeukaryotes and their attached bacteria in the networks. The changes in the relative abundances and interactions of microeukaryotes between their predators in response to high CO2 revealed in our study suggest that high CO2 may have profound impacts on marine food webs.

Targeting ferroptosis using Chinese herbal compounds to treat respiratory diseases.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory diseases pose a grave threat to human life. Therefore, understanding their pathogenesis and therapeutic strategy is important. Ferroptosis is a novel type of iron-dependent programmed cell death, distinct from apoptosis, necroptosis, and autophagy, characterised by iron, reactive oxygen species, and lipid peroxide accumulation, as well as glutathione (GSH) depletion and GSH peroxidase 4 (GPX4) inactivation. A close association between ferroptosis and the onset and progression of respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute lung injury, bronchial asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and lung cancer, has been reported. Recent studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) compounds exhibit unique advantages in the treatment of respiratory diseases owing to their natural properties and potential efficacy. These compounds can effectively regulate ferroptosis by modulating several key signalling pathways such as system Xc- -GSH-GPX4, NCOA4-mediated ferritinophagy, Nrf2-GPX4, and Nrf2/HO-1, thus playing a positive role in improving respiratory diseases. PURPOSE: This comprehensive review systematically outlines the regulatory role of ferroptosis in the onset and progression of respiratory diseases and provides evidence for treating respiratory diseases by targeting ferroptosis with TCM compounds. These insights aim to offer potential remedies for the clinical prevention and treatment of respiratory diseases. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We searched scientific databases PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and CNKI using keywords such as "ferroptosis","respiratory diseases","chronic obstructive pulmonary disease","bronchial asthma","acute lung injury","pulmonary fibrosis","lung cancer","traditional Chinese medicine","traditional Chinese medicine compound","monomer", and "natural product" to retrieve studies on the therapeutic potential of TCM compounds in ameliorating respiratory diseases by targeting ferroptosis. The retrieved data followed PRISMA criteria (preferred reporting items for systematic review). RESULTS: TCM compounds possess unique advantages in treating respiratory diseases, stemming from their natural origins and proven clinical effectiveness. TCM compounds can exert therapeutic effects on respiratory diseases by regulating ferroptosis, which mainly involves modulation of pathways such as system Xc- -GSH-GPX4,NCOA4-mediated ferritinophagy, Nrf2-GPX4, and Nrf2/HO-1. CONCLUSION: TCM compounds have demonstrated promising potential in improving respiratory diseases through the regulation of ferroptosis. The identification of specific TCM-related inducers and inhibitors of ferroptosis holds great significance in developing more effective strategies. However, current research remains confined to animal and cellular studies, emphasizing the imperative for further verifications through high-quality clinical data.

Numerical Analysis and Quantification of Transfer Efficiency Coupled with Capillary and Quadrupole Ion Guide in an API-MS System.

Ion trajectory simulation is a significant and useful tool for understanding ion transfer mechanisms within the first vacuum region of the atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometer (API-MS). However, the complex dynamic gas field and wide pressure range lead to inaccurate simulation and huge computational costs. In this work, a novel electrohydrodynamic simulation called the statistical diffusion-hard-sphere (SDHS) mixed collision model was developed for characterizing the ion trajectories. For the first time, the influence of the dynamic pressure on the ion trajectory is considered for simulation, which helps to avoid an intolerable computational cost. Comparing with the conventional Monte Carlo collision model, the SDHS method helps to improve the calculation accuracy of ion trajectories under the first vacuum region and reduce the computational cost for at least 12-folds. Simulation results showed that the maximum ion loss came from the gap of the electrodes. The distance of the capillary-quadrupole ion guide was also a non-negligible factor. The trend of quantitative experimental results matches the SDHS simulation results. The maximum ion transfer efficiencies of quantitative experiment and simulation were 55% and 52%, respectively. Moreover, three ions, caffeine, reserpine, and Ultramark 1621, were measured for evaluating the applicability of SDHS in real API-MS. The trend of experimental results showed good agreement with that of computation. And the results of caffeine further illustrated the reason that the small mass ion transfer efficiency decreased with increasing radio frequency voltage. SDHS method is expected to be useful in the design of ion guides for further improvement of the sensitivity of API-MS.

Aerodynamic Simulation of Small Airway Resistance: A New Imaging Biomarker for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Purpose: To develop a novel method for calculating small airway resistance using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based on CT data and evaluate its value to identify COPD. Patients and Methods: 24 subjects who underwent chest CT scans and pulmonary function tests between August 2020 and December 2020 were enrolled retrospectively. Subjects were divided into three groups: normal (10), high-risk (6), and COPD (8). The airway from the trachea down to the sixth generation of bronchioles was reconstructed by a 3D slicer. The small airway resistance (RSA) and RSA as a percentage of total airway resistance (RSA%) were calculated by CFD combined with airway resistance and FEV1 measured by pulmonary function test. A correlation analysis was conducted between RSA and pulmonary function parameters, including FEV1/FVC, FEV1% predicted, MEF50% predicted, MEF75% predicted and MMEF75/25% predicted. Results: The RSA and RSA% were significantly different among the three groups (p<0.05) and related to FEV1/FVC (r = -0.70, p < 0.001; r = -0.67, p < 0.001), FEV1% predicted (r = -0.60, p = 0.002; r = -0.57, p = 0.004), MEF50% predicted (r = -0.64, p = 0.001; r = -0.64, p = 0.001), MEF75% predicted (r = -0.71, p < 0.001; r = -0.60, p = 0.002) and MMEF 75/25% predicted (r = -0.64, p = 0.001; r = -0.64, p = 0.001). Conclusion: Airway CFD is a valuable method for estimating the small airway resistance, where the derived RSA will aid in the early diagnosis of COPD.

Prevention and treatment of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity: A bibliometric analysis of the years 2000-2023.

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the global research trend in the prevention and treatment of cardiotoxicity caused by anthracyclines from 2000 to 2023, and to explore international cooperation, research hotspots, and frontier trends. Methods: The articles on the prevention and treatment of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity published from 2000 to 2023 were searched by Web of Science. The bibliometrics software CiteSpace was used for visual analysis of countries, institutions, journals, authors, cited authors, cited references, and keywords. Results: This study analyzed the current status of global research on the prevention and treatment of cardiotoxicity caused by anthracyclines. A total of 3,669 papers were searched and 851 studies were included. The number of publications increased gradually throughout the years. Cardiovascular Toxicology (15) is the journal with the most publications. Circulation (547) ranked first among cited journals. In this field, the country with the most publications is the United States (229), and the institution with the most publications is Charles Univ Prague (18). In the analysis of the authors, Tomas S (10) ranked first. Cardinale D (262) ranked first among cited authors. In the ranking of cited literature frequency, the article ranked first is "Early detection of anthracycline cardiotoxicity and improvement with heart failure therapy" (121). The keywords "heart failure" (215) and "oxidative stress" (212) were the most frequent. "Enalapril", "inflammation", "cell death", "NF-κB" and "Nrf2" were the advanced research contents in 2019-2023. Conclusions: This study provided valuable information for cardio-oncology researchers to identify potential collaborators and institutions, discover hot topics, and explore new research directions. The prevention and treatment of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity focuses on early detection and timely treatment. The results of the current clinical studies on the treatment of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity are contradictory, and more studies are needed to provide more reliable clinical evidence in the future.

Statistical methods to control for confounders in rare disease settings that use external control.

In the drug development for rare disease, the number of treated subjects in the clinical trial is often very small, whereas the number of external controls can be relatively large. There is no clear guidance on choosing an appropriate statistical method to control baseline confounding in this situation. To fill this gap, we conduct extensive simulations to evaluate the performance of commonly used matching and weighting methods as well as the more recently developed targeted maximum likelihood estimation (TMLE) and cardinality matching in small sample settings, mimicking the motivating data from a pediatric rare disease. Among the methods examined, the performance of coarsened exact matching (CEM) and TMLE are relatively robust under various model specifications. CEM is only feasible when the number of controls far exceeds the number of treated, whereas TMLE has better performance with less extreme treatment allocation ratios. Our simulations suggest bootstrap is useful for variance estimation in small samples after matching.

A novel quantitative method to evaluate lumbar disc degeneration: MRI histogram analysis.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to use MRI histogram analysis to routine MRI sequences to evaluate lumbar disc degeneration (LDD), illustrate the correlation between this novel method and the traditional Pfirrmann classification method, and more importantly, perform comprehensive agreement analysis of MRI histogram analysis in various situations to evaluate its objectivity and stability. METHODS: Lumbar MRI images from 133 subjects were included in this study. LDD was classified into grades by Pfirrmann classification and was measured as peak separation value by MRI histogram analysis. Correlation analysis between the two methods was performed and cutoff values were determined. In addition, the agreement analysis of peak separation value was performed by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) in four scenarios, including inter-resolution, inter-observer, inter-regions of interest (ROI) and inter-slice. RESULTS: Peak separation values were strongly correlated with Pfirrmann grades (r = - 0.847). The inter-resolution agreements of peak separation value between original image resolution of 2304 × 2304 and compressed image resolutions (1152 × 1152, 576 × 576, 288 × 288) were good to excellent (ICCs were 0.916, 0.876 and 0.822), except 144 × 144 was moderate (ICC = 533). The agreements of inter-observer (ICC = 0.982) and inter-ROI (ICC = 0.915) were excellent. Compared with the mid-sagittal slice, the inter-slice agreements were good for the first adjacent slices (ICCs were 0.826 and 0.844), and moderate to good for the second adjacent slices (ICC = 0.733 and 0.753). CONCLUSION: MRI histogram analysis, used in routine MRI sequences, demonstrated a strong correlation with Pfirrmann classification and good agreements in various scenarios, expanding the range of application and providing an effective, objective and quantitative tool to evaluate LDD.

Targeting programmed cell death in inflammatory bowel disease through natural products: New insights from molecular mechanisms to targeted therapies.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an autoimmune disorder primarily characterized by intestinal inflammation and recurrent ulceration, leading to a compromised intestinal barrier and inflammatory infiltration. This disorder's pathogenesis is mainly attributed to extensive damage or death of intestinal epithelial cells, along with abnormal activation or impaired death regulation of immune cells and the release of various inflammatory factors, which contribute to the inflammatory environment in the intestines. Thus, maintaining intestinal homeostasis hinges on balancing the survival and functionality of various cell types. Programmed cell death (PCD) pathways, including apoptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis, necroptosis, and neutrophil extracellular traps, are integral in the pathogenesis of IBD by mediating the death of intestinal epithelial and immune cells. Natural products derived from plants, fruits, and vegetables have shown potential in regulating PCD, offering preventive and therapeutic avenues for IBD. This article reviews the role of natural products in IBD treatment by focusing on targeting PCD pathways, opening new avenues for clinical IBD management.

NIR Absorbing Organic Chromophores Combination with NSAIDs for Remodeling of the Inflammatory Microenvironment to Amplify Tumor Ferroptosis-Photothermal Synergistic Therapy.

Photothermal therapy has emerged as a promising approach for cancer treatment, which can cause ferroptosis to enhance immunotherapeutic efficacy. However, excessively generated immunogenicity will induce serious inflammatory response syndrome, resulting in a discounted therapeutic effect. Herein, a kind of NIR absorption small organic chromophore nanoparticles (TTHM NPs) with high photothermal conversion efficiency (68.33%) is developed, which can induce mitochondria dysfunction, generate mitochondrial superoxide, and following ferroptosis. TTHM NPs-based photothermal therapy is combined with Sulfasalazine (SUZ), a kind of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, to weaken inflammation and promote ferroptosis through suppressing glutamate/cystine (Glu/Cys) antiporter system Xc- (xCT). Additionally, the combination of SUZ with PTT can induce immunogenic cell death (ICD), followed by promoting the maturation of DCs and the attraction of CD8+ T cell, which will secrete IFN-γ and trigger self-amplified ferroptosis via inhibiting xCT and simulating Acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4). Moreover, the in vivo results demonstrate that this combination therapy can suppress the expression of inflammatory factors, enhance dendritic cell activation, facilitate T-cell infiltration, and realize effective thermal elimination of primary tumors and distant tumors. In general, this work provides an excellent example of combined medication and stimulates new thinking about onco-therapy and inflammatory response.

Crosstalk among proximal tubular cells, macrophages, and fibroblasts in acute kidney injury: single-cell profiling from the perspective of ferroptosis.

The link between ferroptosis, a form of cell death mediated by iron and acute kidney injury (AKI) is recently gaining widespread attention. However, the mechanism of the crosstalk between cells in the pathogenesis and progression of acute kidney injury remains unexplored. In our research, we performed a non-negative matrix decomposition (NMF) algorithm on acute kidney injury single-cell RNA sequencing data based specifically focusing in ferroptosis-associated genes. Through a combination with pseudo-time analysis, cell-cell interaction analysis and SCENIC analysis, we discovered that proximal tubular cells, macrophages, and fibroblasts all showed associations with ferroptosis in different pathways and at various time. This involvement influenced cellular functions, enhancing cellular communication and activating multiple transcription factors. In addition, analyzing bulk expression profiles and marker genes of newly defined ferroptosis subtypes of cells, we have identified crucial cell subtypes, including Egr1 + PTC-C1, Jun + PTC-C3, Cxcl2 + Mac-C1 and Egr1 + Fib-C1. All these subtypes which were found in AKI mice kidneys and played significantly distinct roles from those of normal mice. Moreover, we verified the differential expression of Egr1, Jun, and Cxcl2 in the IRI mouse model and acute kidney injury human samples. Finally, our research presented a novel analysis of the crosstalk of proximal tubular cells, macrophages and fibroblasts in acute kidney injury targeting ferroptosis, therefore, contributing to better understanding the acute kidney injury pathogenesis, self-repairment and acute kidney injury-chronic kidney disease (AKI-CKD) progression.

Biomechanical changes in the proximal femur before and after removal of femoral neck system.

BACKGROUND: As an innovative internal fixation system, FNS (femoral neck system) is increasingly being utilized by surgeons for the treatment of femoral neck fractures. At present, there have been numerous finite element analysis experiments studying the immediate stability of FNS and CSS in treating femoral neck fractures. However, there is scarce mechanical analysis available regarding the effects post internal fixation removal. This study aimed to investigate the alterations in mechanical parameters of the proximal femur before and after the removal of FNS (femoral neck system), and to assess potential distinctions in indicators following the extraction of CSS (Cannulated Screws). METHODS: A proximal femur model was reconstructed using finite element numerical techniques. The models for CSS and FNS were formulated utilizing characteristics and parametric definitions. The internal fixation was combined with a normal proximal femur model to simulate the healing state after fracture surgery. Within the framework of static analysis, consistent stress burdens were applied across the entirety of the models. The total deformation and equivalent stress of the proximal femur were recorded before and after the removal of internal fixation. RESULTS: Under the standing condition, the total deformation of the model before and after removing CSS was 0.99 mm and 1.10 mm, respectively, indicating an increase of 12%. The total deformation of the model before and after removing FNS was 0.65 mm and 0.76 mm, respectively, indicating an increase of 17%. The equivalent stress for CSS and FNS were 55.21 MPa and 250.67 MPa, respectively. The average equivalent stress on the cross-section of the femoral neck before and after removal of CSS was 7.76 MPa and 6.11 MPa, respectively. The average equivalent stress on the cross-section of the femoral neck before and after removal of FNS was 9.89 MPa and 8.79 MPa, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The retention of internal fixation may contribute to improved stability of the proximal femur. However, there still existed risks of stress concentration in internal fixation and stress shielding in the proximal femur. Compared to CSS, the removal of FNS results in larger bone tunnels and insufficient model stability. Further clinical interventions are recommended to address this issue.

Effect of continuous measurement and adjustment of endotracheal tube cuff pressure on postoperative sore throat in patients undergoing gynecological laparoscopic surgery: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative sore throat (POST) is a common complication following endotracheal tube removal, and effective preventive strategies remain elusive. This trial aimed to determine whether actively regulating intraoperative cuff pressure below the tracheal capillary perfusion pressure threshold could effectively reduce POST incidence in patients undergoing gynecological laparoscopic procedures. METHODS: This single-center, randomized controlled superiority trial allocated 60 patients scheduled for elective gynecological laparoscopic procedures into two groups: one designated for cuff pressure measurement and adjustment (CPMA) group, and a control group where only cuff pressure measurement was conducted without any subsequent adjustments. The primary outcome was POST incidence at rest within 24 h post-extubation. Secondary outcomes included cough, hoarseness, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) incidence, and post-extubation pain severity. RESULTS: The incidence of sore throat at rest within 24 h after extubation in the CPMA group was lower than in the control group, meeting the criteria for statistically significant superiority based on a one-sided test (3.3% vs. 26.7%, P < 0.025). No statistically significant differences were observed in cough, hoarseness, or pain scores within 24 h post-extubation between the two groups. However, the CPMA group had a higher incidence of PONV compared to the control group. Additionally, the control group reported higher sore throat severity scores within 24 h post-extubation. CONCLUSIONS: Continuous monitoring and maintenance of tracheal tube cuff pressure at 18 mmHg were superior to merely monitoring without adjustment, effectively reducing the incidence of POST during quiet within 24 h after tracheal tube removal in gynecological laparoscopic surgery patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered at www.chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR2200064792) on 18/10/2022.

The impact of more restrictive hydrocodone rescheduling on unintentional pediatric opioid exposures.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of rescheduling hydrocodone combination products (HCPs) from schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act to the more restrictive schedule II on unintentional pediatric exposures (≤5 years old). METHODS: Using U.S. data on outpatient retail pharmacy dispensing, emergency department (ED) visits, and poison center (PC) exposure cases, we assessed trends in prescriptions dispensed and unintentional pediatric exposure cases involving hydrocodone (rescheduled from III to II) compared to oxycodone (schedule II) and codeine (schedule III for combination products) using descriptive and interrupted time-series (ITS) analyses during the 16 quarters before and after the October 2014 rescheduling of HCPs. RESULTS: Dispensing of hydrocodone products was declining before rescheduling but declined more steeply post-rescheduling. In ITS analyses, both hydrocodone and oxycodone had significant slope decreases in PC case rates in the post versus pre-period that was larger for hydrocodone, while codeine had a small but significant slope increase in PC case rates. An estimated 4202 ED visits for pediatric hydrocodone exposures occurred in the pre-period and 2090 visits occurred in the post-period, a significant decrease of 50.3%. Oxycodone exposures showed no significant decrease. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric hydrocodone unintentional exposure ED visits and PC cases decreased after HCP rescheduling more than would be expected had the pre-rescheduling trend continued; the acceleration in the decrease in hydrocodone PC cases was partially offset by a slowing in the decrease in codeine-involved cases. The trend changes were likely due to multiple factors, including changes in dispensing that followed the rescheduling. Unintentional pediatric medication exposures and poisonings remain a public health concern requiring ongoing, multifaceted mitigation efforts.

Association of circulating long-chain free fatty acids and incident diabetes risk among normoglycemic Chinese adults: a prospective nested case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Long-chain free fatty acids (FFAs) are associated with risk of incident diabetes. However, a comprehensive assessment of the associations in normoglycemic populations is lacking. OBJECTIVES: Our study aimed to comprehensively investigate the prospective associations and patterns of FFA profiles with diabetes risk among normoglycemic Chinese adults. METHODS: This is a prospective nested case-control study from the China Cardiometabolic Disease and Cancer Cohort (4C) study. We quantitatively measured 53 serum FFAs using a targeted metabolomics approach in 1707 incident diabetes subjects and 1707 propensity score-matched normoglycemic controls. Conditional logistic regression models were employed to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for associations. Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) penalty regression and quantile g-computation (qg-comp) analyses were implemented to estimate the association between multi-FFA exposures and incident diabetes. RESULTS: The majority of odd-chain FFAs exhibited an inverse association with incident diabetes, wherein the ORs per SD increment of all 7 saturated fatty acids (SFAs), monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) 15:1, and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) 25:2 were ranging from 0.79 to 0.88 (95% CIs ranging between 0.71 and 0.97). Even-chain FFAs comprised 99.3% of total FFAs and displayed heterogeneity with incident diabetes. SFAs with 18-26 carbon atoms are inversely linked to incident diabetes, with ORs ranging from 0.81 to 0.86 (95% CIs ranging between 0.73 and 0.94). MUFAs 26:1 (OR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.76, 0.94), PUFAs 20:4 (OR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.75, 0.94), and 24:2 (OR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.78, 0.97) demonstrated significant associations. In multi-FFA exposure model, 24 FFAs were significantly associated with incident diabetes, most of which were consistent with univariate results. The mixture OR was 0.78 (95% CI: 0.61, 0.99; P = 0.04159). Differential correlation network analysis revealed pre-existing perturbations in intraclass and interclass FFA coregulation before diabetes onset. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the variations in diabetes risk associated with FFAs across chain length and unsaturation degree, highlighting the importance of recognizing FFA subtypes in the pathogenesis of diabetes.

Normal spinopelvic parameters and correlation analysis in 217 asymptomatic children.

BACKGROUND: Understanding spinal sagittal balance is crucial for assessing and treating spinal deformities in pediatric populations. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present observational study is to examine the parameters of sagittal alignment of the regional spine and spinopelvic region in asymptomatic pediatric populations and the characteristics of these parameters with age and sex. METHODS: We enrolled 217 participants, consisting of 112 males (51.6%) and 105 females (48.4%), aged between 4 and 15 years, with an average age of 12.19 years. Pelvic incidence, pelvic tilt, sacral slope, lumbar lordosis, thoracic kyphosis, T1 slope, C7 slope, cervical sagittal vertical axis, and C2-7 Cobb angle were measured. Three spine surgeons conducted radiographic measurements utilizing the PACS software. The measurement reliability was assessed through ICCs. RESULTS: Our results show significant age-related changes in pelvic tilt and cervical sagittal vertical axis, with notable gender differences in pelvic tilt, lumbar lordosis, and thoracic kyphosis. Girls have larger PT, boys have larger cSVA. PI, PT, and cSVA also differ among different age groups. Correlation analysis shows that a series of relationships that align with adult population patterns between pelvic incidence, pelvic tilt, sacral slope, lumbar lordosis, and thoracic kyphosis. CONCLUSION: Significant variations in PT and cSVA across diverse age cohorts highlights notable disparities in the distribution of PT and cSVA values within the pediatric population. Gender-based differences in PT, LL, and TK and correlation in spinopelvic parameter could enhances our understanding of compensatory mechanisms.

Effects of Fu's subcutaneous needling at myofascial trigger points on pain and lumbar mobility in patients with lumbar disc herniation： a randomized controlled trial. / ç­‹è†œè§¦å‘ç‚¹æµ®é’ˆæ²»ç–—å¯¹è °æ¤Žé—´ç›˜çªå‡ºç—‡æ‚£è€ ç–¼ç—›åŠè °éƒ¨æ´»åŠ¨åº¦å½±å“çš„éšæœºå¯¹ç §ç ”ç©¶.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the therapeutic effect of Fu's subcutaneous needling at myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) on pain, lumbar mobility and the quality of life in patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH), so as to provide clinicians with new ideas and methods in treating LDH. METHODS: One hundred patients with LDH admitted to department of rehabilitation medicine of the affiliated hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2022 to January 2023 were collected as the subjects, and they were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 50 cases in each one. In the observation group, the spreading technique of Fu's subcutaneous needling was delivered at MTrP. In the control group, the routine acupuncture was applied to Shenshu (BL23), Weizhong (BL40) and MTrP. The treatment was given 3 times weekly, for 2 weeks in the two groups. The score of visual analogue scale (VAS) was evaluated before treatment, at the moment after the 1st treatment completion and after 2 weeks of treatment, separately, and the inclinometer was adopted to measure the range of motion (ROM) of the lumbar flexion, extension and lateral flexion. The numbers of MTrPs and their distribution were recorded before treatment and after the completion of a 2-week treatment in the two groups. Before treatment and in 4 weeks of follow-up, using SF-36 scale, the score of the quality of life was evaluated. The incidence of adverse effects was recorded. RESULTS: At the moment of the 1st treatment completion and after 2 weeks of treatment, VAS score and ROM of the lumbar region were significantly improved in comparison with those before treatment in the two groups and the improvement was superior in the observation group compared with the control group (P<0.05, P<0.01). After 2 weeks of treatment, the total number of MTrPs and the counts of MTrPs in each muscle zone were reduced when compared with those before treatment (P<0.05). In the observation group, the total number of MTrPs and numbers of MTrPs in the zones of quadratus lumborum, musculi multifidus and musculi iliocostalis lumborum decreased significantly when compared with the control group (P<0.05), while the difference was not significant in the numbers in the zone of musculi glutaeus medius between the two groups. In 4 weeks of follow-up, the scores of SF-36 scale were improved in comparison with those before treatment in each group and the result in the observation was better (P<0.05). No any adverse events occurred during treatment in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Fu's subcutaneous needling is effective for reducing the numbers of MTrPs and improving analgesia, ROM of the lumbar region, as well as the long-term quality of life in the patients with LDH.

Three-in-One Zinc Anodes Created by a Large-scale Two-Step Method Achieving Excellent Long-Term Cyclic Reversibility and Thin Electrode Integrity.

Practical aqueous zinc-ion batteries require low-cost thin zinc anodes with long-term reversible stripping/depositing. However, thin zinc anodes encounter more severe issues than thick zinc, such as dendrites and uneven stripping, resulting in subpar performance and limited lifetimes. Here, this work proposes a three-in-one zinc anode obtained by a large-scale two-step method to address the above issues. In a three-in-one zinc anode, the copper foil as an inactive current collector solves the gradual reduction of the active area when only the pure zinc as an active current collector. This work develops an automatic electroplating device that can continuously deposit a zinc layer on a conducting foil to meet the demand for zinc-coated copper foils. The sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC)-zinc fluoride (ZnF2) protective layer prevents direct contact between zinc and separator, and provides a uniform and sufficient supply of zinc ions. The CMC-ZnF2-coated copper foil performs up to 3000 reversible zinc deposition/stripping cycles with a cumulative capacity of 6 Ah cm-2 and an average Coulombic efficiency of 99.94%. The Zn||ZnVO cell using the three-in-one anode achieved a high capacity retention of over 70% after 15 000 cycles. The proposed three-in-one anode and the automatic electroplating device will facilitate industrialization of practical thin zinc anodes.

Meta-analysis and transcriptomic analysis reveal that NKRF and ZBTB17 regulate the NF-κB signaling pathway, contributing to the shared molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease and atherosclerosis.

INTRODUCTION: Alzheimer's disease (AD) and atherosclerosis (AS) are widespread diseases predominantly observed in the elderly population. Despite their prevalence, the underlying molecular interconnections between these two conditions are not well understood. METHODS: Utilizing meta-analysis, bioinformatics methodologies, and the GEO database, we systematically analyzed transcriptome data to pinpoint key genes concurrently differentially expressed in AD and AS. Our experimental validations in mouse models highlighted the prominence of two genes, NKRF (NF-κB-repressing factor) and ZBTB17 (MYC-interacting zinc-finger protein 1). RESULTS: These genes appear to influence the progression of both AD and AS by modulating the NF-κB signaling pathway, as confirmed through subsequent in vitro and in vivo studies. CONCLUSIONS: This research uncovers a novel shared molecular pathway between AD and AS, underscoring the significant roles of NKRF and ZBTB17 in the pathogenesis of these disorders.

Effect of Phenol and Alkylamide Interaction on α-Glucosidase Inhibition and Cellular Antioxidant Activity during In Vitro Digestion: Using Szechuan Pepper (Zanthoxylum genus) as a Model.

Although recent evidence indicated significant phenol and alkylamide interaction in aqueous solutions, the gastrointestinal digestion influence of the combination remains unclear. This study aims to investigate phenol and alkylamide interaction during in vitro digestion, focusing on bioaccessibility and bioactivity, including α-glucosidase inhibition and cellular antioxidant activity. Additionally, the structural mechanism of phenol and alkylamide interaction during in vitro digestion was explored. The results indicated that the presence of phenols and alkylamides significantly increased or decreased their respective bioaccessibility, depending on the Zanthoxylum varieties. Furthermore, although antagonistic phenol/alkylamide interaction was evident during α-glucosidase inhibition, cellular oxidative stress alleviation, and antioxidant gene transcription upregulation, this effect weakened gradually as digestion progressed. Glycoside bond cleavage and the methylation of phenols as well as alkylamide isomerization and addition were observed during digestion, modifying the hydrogen bonding sites and interaction behavior. This study provided insights into the phenol/alkylamide interaction in the gastrointestinal tract.