Enhancement of motor functional recovery in thoracic spinal cord injury: voluntary wheel running versus forced treadmill exercise.

JOURNAL/nrgr/04.03/01300535-202503000-00028/figure1/v/2024-06-17T092413Z/r/image-tiff Spinal cord injury necessitates effective rehabilitation strategies, with exercise therapies showing promise in promoting recovery. This study investigated the impact of rehabilitation exercise on functional recovery and morphological changes following thoracic contusive spinal cord injury. After a 7-day recovery period after spinal cord injury, mice were assigned to either a trained group (10 weeks of voluntary running wheel or forced treadmill exercise) or an untrained group. Bi-weekly assessments revealed that the exercise-trained group, particularly the voluntary wheel exercise subgroup, displayed significantly improved locomotor recovery, more plasticity of dopaminergic and serotonin modulation compared with the untrained group. Additionally, exercise interventions led to gait pattern restoration and enhanced transcranial magnetic motor-evoked potentials. Despite consistent injury areas across groups, exercise training promoted terminal innervation of descending axons. In summary, voluntary wheel exercise shows promise for enhancing outcomes after thoracic contusive spinal cord injury, emphasizing the role of exercise modality in promoting recovery and morphological changes in spinal cord injuries. Our findings will influence future strategies for rehabilitation exercises, restoring functional movement after spinal cord injury.

Effects of nanoselenium on the performance, blood indices, and milk metabolites of dairy cows during the peak lactation period.

To compare the impact of nanoselenium and sodium selenite on the performance, blood indices, and milk metabolites of dairy cows during the peak lactation period, two groups of dairy cows under the same conditions were selected as the control group (CON group) and treatment group (NSe group) for a 38-day (10 days for adaptation and 28 days for sampling) experiment. The control group (CON) was provided a basal diet +3.3 g/d of sodium selenite (purity1%), whereas the nanoselenium group (NSe) was offered the same diet +10 mL/d of nanoselenium (selenium concentration 1,500 mg/L). The results showed that NSe significantly increased the milk yield, milk selenium content, and feed efficiency (p < 0.05), but had no significant effect on other milk components (p > 0.05). NSe significantly increased blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (p < 0.05), but had no significant effects on malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), blood total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), or blood selenium (p > 0.05). In addition, the nontargeted metabolomics of the milk was determined by LC-MS technology, and the differentially abundant metabolites and their enrichment pathways were screened. According to these findings, NSe considerably increased the contents of cetylmannoside, undecylenoic acid, 3-hydroxypentadecanoic acid, 16-hydroxypentadecanoic acid, threonic acid, etc., but decreased the contents of galactaric acid, mesaconic acid, CDP-glucose etc. Furthermore, the enriched metabolic pathways that were screened with an impact value greater than 0.1 included metabolism of niacin and niacinamide, pyruvate, citrate cycle, riboflavin, glycerophospholipid, butanoate and tyrosine. Pearson correlation analysis also revealed a relationship between different milk metabolites and blood selenium, as well as between milk selenium and blood biochemical indices. In conclusion, compared with sodium selenite, nanoselenium improves the milk yield, feed efficiency, and milk selenium content of dairy cows and regulates milk metabolites and related metabolic pathways in Holstein dairy cows during the peak lactation period, which has certain application prospects in dairy production.

Highly Efficient Electrosynthesis of Urea from CO2 and Nitrate by a Metal-Organic Framework with Dual Active Sites.

Electrosynthesis of urea from CO2 and NO3- is a sustainable alternative to energy-intensive industrial processes. The challenge hindering the progress is the development of advanced electrocatalysts that yield urea with both high Faradaic efficiency (FE) and current density. In this work, we designed a new two-dimensional MOF, namely PcNi-Fe-O, constructed by nickel-phthalocyanine (NiPc) ligands and square-planar FeO4 nodes. PcNi-Fe-O exhibits remarkable performance to yield urea at a high current density of 10.1 mA cm-2 with a high FE(urea) of 54.1% in a neutral aqueous solution, surpassing those of most reported electrocatalysts. No obvious performance degradation was observed over 20 hours of continuous operation at the current density of 10.1 mA cm-2. By expanding the electrode area to 25 cm2 and operating for 8 hours, we obtained 0.164 g of high-purity urea, underscoring its potential for industrial applications. Mechanism study unveiled the enhanced performance might be ascribed to the synergistic interaction between NiPc and FeO4 sites. Specifically, NH3 produced at the FeO4 site can efficiently migrate and couple with the *NHCOOH intermediate adsorbed on the urea-producing site (NiPc). This synergistic effect results in a lower energy barrier for C-N bond formation than those of the reported catalysts with single active sites.

Rab11b promotes M1-like macrophage polarization by restraining autophagic degradation of NLRP3 in alcohol-associated liver disease.

Macrophage polarization is vital to mounting a host defense or repairing tissue in various liver diseases. Excessive activation of the NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is related to the orchestration of inflammation and alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) pathology. Rab GTPases play critical roles in regulating vesicular transport. In this study we investigated the role of Rab11b in ALD, aiming to identify effective therapeutic targets. Here, we first demonstrated a decreased expression of Rab11b in macrophages from ALD mice. Knockdown of Rab11b by macrophage-specific adeno-associated virus can alleviate alcohol induced liver inflammation, injury and steatosis. We found that LPS and alcohol stimulation promoted Rab11b transferring from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) cells. Rab11b specifically activated the NLRP3 inflammasome in BMDMs and RAW264.7 cells to induce M1 macrophage polarization. Rab11b overexpression in BMDMs inhibited autophagic flux, leading to the suppression of LC3B-mediated NLRP3 degradation. We conclude that impaired Rab11b could alleviate alcohol-induced liver injury via autophagy-mediated NLRP3 degradation.

A hypothalamic-amygdala circuit underlying sexually dimorphic aggression.

Male animals often display higher levels of aggression than females. However, the neural circuitry mechanisms underlying this sexually dimorphic aggression remain elusive. Here, we identify a hypothalamic-amygdala circuit that mediates male-biased aggression in mice. Specifically, the ventrolateral part of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMHvl), a sexually dimorphic region associated with eliciting male-biased aggression, projects densely to the posterior substantia innominata (pSI), an area that promotes similar levels of attack in both sexes of mice. Although the VMHvl innervates the pSI unidirectionally through both excitatory and inhibitory connections, it is the excitatory VMHvl-pSI projections that are strengthened in males to promote aggression, whereas the inhibitory connections that reduce aggressive behavior are strengthened in females. Consequently, the convergent hypothalamic input onto the pSI leads to heightened pSI activity in males, resulting in male-biased aggression. Our findings reveal a sexually distinct excitation-inhibition balance of a hypothalamic-amygdala circuit that underlies sexually dimorphic aggression.

The positive role of transforming growth factor-ß1 in ischemic stroke.

Ischemic stroke is one of the most disabling and fatal diseases around the world. The damaged brain tissues will undergo excessive autophagy, vascular endothelial cells injury, blood-brain barrier (BBB) impairment and neuroinflammation after ischemic stroke. However, there is no unified viewpoint on the underlying mechanism of brain damage. Transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1), as a multi-functional cytokine, plays a crucial role in the intricate pathological processes and helps maintain the physiological homeostasis of brain tissues through various signaling pathways after ischemic stroke. In this review, we summarize the protective role of TGF-ß1 in autophagic flux, BBB, vascular remodeling, neuroinflammation and other aspects after ischemic stroke. Based on the review, we believe that TGF-ß1 could serve as a key target for treating ischemic stroke.

SFN promotes renal fibrosis via binding with MYH9 in chronic kidney disease.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a clinical syndrome characterized by persistent renal function decline. Renal fibrosis is the main pathological process in CKD, but an effective treatment does not exist. Stratifin (SFN) is a highly-conserved, multi-function soluble acidic protein. Therefore, this study explored the effects of SFN on renal fibrosis. First, we found that SFN was highly expressed in patients with CKD, as well as in renal fibrosis animal and cell models. Next, transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-ß1) induced injury and fibrosis in human renal tubule epithelial cells, and SFN knockdown reversed these effects. Furthermore, SFN knockdown mitigated unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO)-induced renal tubular dilatation and renal interstitial fibrosis in mice. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP), and immunofluorescence co-localization assays demonstrated that SFN bound the non-muscle myosin-encoding gene, myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9), in the cytoplasm of renal tubular epithelial cells. MYH9 knockdown also reduced Col-1 and α-SMA expression, which are fibrosis markers. Finally, silencing SFN decreased MYH9 expression, alleviating renal fibrosis. These results suggest that SFN promotes renal fibrosis in CKD by interacting with MYH9. This study may provide potential strategies for the treatment of CKD.

Myeloid sarcoma with maxillary gingival swelling as the initial symptom: A case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Myeloid sarcoma (MS), also referred to as granulocytic sarcoma or chloroma, is a rare type of extramedullary malignant tumor. MS comprises primitive granulocytic precursor cells that play a key role in the early stages of white blood cell development. Notably, the occurrence of this tumor in the gingiva is rare. CASE SUMMARY: The present study reported the case of MS with gingival swelling in the maxillary region, with aleukemic presentation in a 32-year-old male patient. Following two courses of chemotherapy, computed tomography of the region demonstrated complete clearance of the tumor. At the 12-month follow-up appointment, the patient was in a stable condition with the absence of progression. The etiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and relevant treatment of MS are discussed in the present study. CONCLUSION: Diagnosis of MS may be confirmed following histological and immunohistochemical examinations.

Analysis of changes in social isolation, loneliness, or both, and subsequent cognitive function among older adults: Findings from a nationwide cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: The study aimed to investigate the associations of changes in social isolation, loneliness, or both, with cognitive function. METHODS: Data were from 7299 older adults in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. We defined four change patterns (no, incident, transient, and persistent) for social isolation and loneliness, and created nine-category variable to represent the joint changes. Tobit regression models and Cox models were performed. RESULTS: Incident, transient, and persistent social isolation or loneliness may accelerate cognitive decline (p < 0.05). Incident, transient, and persistent social isolation were associated with higher cognitive impairment risk, while only persistent loneliness was associated with higher cognitive impairment risk (p < 0.001). Notably, short-term or persistent social isolation was associated with accelerated cognitive decline and incident cognitive impairment, regardless of different loneliness change status (p < 0.05). DISCUSSION: Short-term or persistent social isolation and persistent loneliness may be a salient risk factor for cognitive decline and cognitive impairment. HIGHLIGHTS: Incident, transient, and persistent social isolation were associated with accelerated cognitive decline and higher cognitive impairment risk. Persistent loneliness was associated with accelerated cognitive decline and higher cognitive impairment risk. Short-term or persistent social isolation with concurrent different loneliness change status accelerated cognitive decline and higher cognitive impairment risk.

CT and MRI Findings of Renal Angiomyolipoma With Lung Metastasis: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Renal angiomyolipoma has two histological variants: classical and epithelioid. Epithelioid angiomyolipoma is considered as a potential malignant tumor, often leading to recurrence and metastasis, with rapid progression in most of the cases. The lung is one of the most commonly reported sites of metastasis, and pulmonary metastasis of renal angiomyolipoma is usually diagnostic by computed tomography (CT) scans. Here, we report for the first time renal angiomyolipoma with lung metastasis by combining CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Reconstruction of Defects After Oral Cancer Surgery With the Superior Thyroid Artery Perforator Flap.

OBJECTIVE: The superior thyroid artery perforator flap (STAPF) was previously presented as a type of locoregional pedicled flap for lateral facial and temple defects. In this study, we aimed to present our clinical experience with this flap for the reconstruction of soft tissue defects after oral cancer surgery. METHODS: From February 2019 to December 2022, 24 patients with oral cancers at the School and Hospital of Stomatology, Peking University were included. Among these patients, 10 had cancers located in the tongue, five in the cheek inside the oral cavity, three in the lower gingiva, two in the upper gingiva, two in the floor of the mouth, and two in the palate. All patients were treated with extended tumor resection, neck dissection, and STAPFs to reconstruct the soft tissue defects. The details of the flap, including the flap size, venous flow, vascular pedicle length, the attatched muscle, and operation time were evaluated. RESULTS: The dimensions of the flap skin paddle ranged from 3 cm × 5 cm to 6 × 14 cm. Fourteen patients had a closely concomitant superior thyroid vein perforator. Ten patients had non-closely concomitant superior thyroid veins perforators which retrograde external jugular vein. The vascular pedicle length ranged from 5 to 9 cm. The infrahyoid muscle group or sternocleidomastoid muscle was included in the flaps in three patients. A total of 23/24 flaps were successful. CONCLUSIONS: The STAPF is a viable reconstructive option for patients with oral cancers. It has the advantages of being robust, being thin, short operation time, and minor donor site complications. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 2024.

The surgical strategy "CSF decompression" facilitates outcomes of adults with Chiari malformation type I: An observational, real-world, single center study of 528 patients.

OBJECTIVES: We designed this study to introduce the surgical strategy "CSF decompression" in treating Chiari malformation type I (CMI), and compared the "CSF decompression" strategy with other surgical strategies to provide a solid basis for patient counseling. METHODS: A total of 528 consecutive CMI patients who underwent surgical interventions from 2012 to 2022 were enrolled. The surgical strategy for these patients was bony and dural decompression (BDD), anatomical reduction of herniated tonsils (AR) or CSF decompression (CSFD). Short-term results were determined after 3 months; long-term outcomes were evaluated at last follow-up and at least 18 months. RESULTS: The CSFD strategy was independently associated with better long- or short-term primary outcomes than AR or BDD (P < 0.001). Compared with short-term, the long-term outcomes were better in CSFD patients (P = 0.035), but were worse in BDD patients (P = 0.03). Specific surgical techniques cannot affect the long- and short-term outcomes of CMI patients. CSFD provided better long-term syringomyelia improvement than short-term (181/218, 83% vs 169/218, 77.5%; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The "CSF decompression" surgical strategy, but not a specific surgical technique or operative method, was associated with favorable neurological outcomes in adult CMI patients. The surgical technique and operative method should be selected according to the characteristics of each patient and the intraoperative condition to normalized CSF circulation at CVJ. The intraoperative target maybe smoothly CSF flow, out from the fourth ventricle and in to the bilateral Luschka foramina, could be observed.

Therapeutic effects of Lingguizhugan decoction in a rat model of high-fat diet-induced insulin resistance.

BACKGROUND: Lingguizhugan (LGZG) decoction is a widely used classic Chinese medicine formula that was recently shown to improve high-fat diet (HFD)-induced insulin resistance (IR) in animal studies. AIM: To assess the therapeutic effect of LGZG decoction on HFD-induced IR and explore the potential underlying mechanism. METHODS: To establish an IR rat model, a 12-wk HFD was administered, followed by a 4-wk treatment with LGZG. The determination of IR status was achieved through the use of biochemical tests and oral glucose tolerance tests. Using a targeted meta-bolomics platform to analyze changes in serum metabolites, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to assess the gene expression of the ribosomal protein S6 kinase beta 1 (S6K1). RESULTS: In IR rats, LGZG decreased body weight and indices of hepatic steatosis. It effectively controlled blood glucose and food intake while protecting islet cells. Metabolite analysis revealed significant differences between the HFD and HFD-LGZG groups. LGZG intervention reduced branched-chain amino acid levels. Levels of IR-related metabolites such as tryptophan, alanine, taurine, and asparagine decreased significantly. IR may be linked to amino acids due to the contemporaneous increase in S6K1 expression, as shown by qRT-PCR. CONCLUSIONS: Our study strongly suggests that LGZG decoction reduces HFD-induced IR. LGZG may activate S6K1 via metabolic pathways. These findings lay the groundwork for the potential of LGZG as an IR treatment.

Comparison of vonoprazan bismuth-containing triple therapy with quadruple therapy in Helicobacter pylori-infected treatment-naive patients: a prospective multicenter randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Helicobacter pylori infection is linked to various gastrointestinal conditions, such as chronic active gastritis, peptic ulcers, and gastric cancer. Traditional treatment options encounter difficulties due to antibiotic resistance and adverse effects. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of a new treatment plan that combines vonoprazan (VPZ), amoxicillin, and bismuth for the eradication of H. pylori. METHODS: A total of 600 patients infected with H. pylori were recruited for this multicenter randomized controlled trial. Patients treated for H. pylori elimination were randomly assigned at a 1:1 ratio to receive 14 days of vonoprazan-based triple therapy (vonoprazan + amoxicillin + bismuth, group A) or standard quadruple therapy (esomeprazole + clarithromycin + amoxicillin + bismuth, group B). Compliance and adverse effects were tracked through daily medication and side effect records. All patients underwent a 13C/14C-urea breath test 4 weeks after treatment completion. RESULTS: Intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses revealed no substantial differences in H. pylori eradication rates between groups A and B (ITT: 83.7% vs 83.2%; PP: 90.9% vs 89.7%). However, significant differences were observed in the assessment of side effects (13.7% vs 28.6%, P < 0.001). Specifically, group A had significantly fewer "bitter mouths" than group B did (3.7% vs 16.2%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Triple therapy comprising vonoprazan (20 mg), amoxicillin (750 mg), and bismuth potassium citrate (220 mg) achieved a PP eradication rate ≥90%, paralleling standard quadruple therapy, and had fewer adverse events and lower costs (¥306.8 vs ¥645.8) for treatment-naive patients.

Changes in visual performance after implantation of different intraocular lenses.

AIM: To evaluate the trending visual performance of different intraocular lenses (IOLs) over time after implantation. METHODS: Ninety-one patients received cataract surgery with implantations of monofocal (Mon) IOLs, segmental refractive (SegRef) IOLs, diffractive (Dif) IOLs, and extended-depth-of-focus (EDoF) IOLs were included. The aberrations and optical quality collected with iTrace and OQAS within postoperative 6mo were followed and compared. RESULTS: Most of the visual parameters improved over the postoperative 6mo. The postoperative visual acuity (POVA) of the Mon IOL, SegRef IOL, and EDoF IOL groups achieved relative stability in earlier states compared with the Dif IOL group. Nevertheless, the overall visual performance of the 3 IOLs continued to upturn in small extents within the postoperative 6mo. The optical quality initially improved in the EDoF IOL group, then in the Mon IOL, SegRef IOL, and Dif IOL groups. POVA and objective visual performance of the Mon IOL and EDoF IOL groups, as well as POVA and visual quality of the Dif IOL group, improved in the postoperative 1mo and stabilized. Within the postoperative 6mo, gradual improvements were observed in the visual acuity and objective visual performance of the SegRef IOL group, as well as in the postoperative optical quality of the Dif IOL group. CONCLUSION: The visual performance is different among eyes implanted with different IOLs. The findings of the current study provide a potential reference for ophthalmologists to choose suitable IOLs for cataract patients in a personalized solution.

Effect of microwaves combined with peracetic acid to improve the dewatering performance of residual sludge.

The activated sludge process plays a crucial role in modern wastewater treatment plants. During the treatment of daily sewage, a large amount of residual sludge is generated, which, if improperly managed, can pose burdens on the environment and human health. Additionally, the highly hydrated colloidal structure of biopolymers limits the rate and degree of dewatering, making mechanical dewatering challenging. This study investigates the impact and mechanism of microwave irradiation (MW) in conjunction with peracetic acid (PAA) on the dewatering efficiency of sludge. Sludge dewatering effectiveness was assessed through capillary suction time (CST) and specific resistance to filtration (SRF). Examination of the impact of MW-PAA treatment on sludge dewatering performance involved assessing the levels of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), employing three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (3D-EEM), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and scanning electron microscopy. Findings reveal that optimal dewatering performance, with respective reductions of 91.22% for SRF and 84.22% for CST, was attained under the following conditions: microwave power of 600 W, reaction time of 120 s, and PAA dosage of 0.25 g/g MLSS. Additionally, alterations in both sludge EPS composition and floc morphology pre- and post-MW-PAA treatment underwent examination. The findings demonstrate that microwaves additionally boost the breakdown of PAA into •OH radicals, suggesting a synergistic effect upon combining MW-PAA treatment. These pertinent research findings offer insights into employing MW-PAA technology for residual sludge treatment.

Analytical and experimental analysis of concrete temperature and energy considering open-air environmental variations.

Longwave radiation is an important open-air environmental factor that can significantly affect the temperature of concrete, but it has often been ignored in the temperature analysis of open-air concrete structures. In this article, an improved analytical model of concrete temperature was proposed by considering solar radiation, thermal convection, thermal conduction and especially longwave radiation. Temperature monitoring of an open-air concrete block was carried out to verify the proposed model and analyze the heat energy characteristics of open-air concrete. As demonstrated by the open-air experiment, under the influence of longwave radiation, the temperature at the top of the concrete block could decrease rapidly at night and even become lower than the minimum temperature at its bottom. Compared with the analytical model that ignores longwave radiation, the improved model that includes it better matches the measured temperature. According to the energy analysis, although solar radiation controls the transient variation in heat energy, the heat exchange caused by longwave radiation were more than that caused by convection on sunlit surfaces, which indicates the importance of considering longwave radiation.

Rapid solar-driven atmospheric water-harvesting with MAF-4-derived nitrogen-doped nanoporous carbon.

Sorption-based atmospheric water-harvesting (AWH) could help to solve global freshwater scarcity. The search for adsorbents with high water-uptake capacity at low relative humidity, rapid adsorption-desorption kinetics and high thermal conductivity is a critical challenge in AWH. Herein, we report a MAF-4 (aka ZIF-8)-derived nanoporous carbon (NPCMAF-4-800) with multiple N-doped sites, considerable micropore characteristics and inherent photothermal properties, for efficient water production in a relatively arid climate. NPCMAF-4-800 exhibited optimal water-sorption performance of 306 mg g-1 at 40% relative humidity (RH). An excellent sunlight-absorption rate was realized (97%) attributed to its high degree of graphitization. A proof-of-concept device was designed and investigated for the practical harvesting of water from the atmosphere using natural sunlight. NPCMAF-4-800 achieved an unprecedentedly high water production rate of 380 mg g-1 h-1 at 40% RH, and could produce 1.77 L kg-1 freshwater during daylight hours in an outdoor low-humidity climate of ∼25 °C and 40% RH. These findings may shed light on the potential of MOF-derived porous carbons in the AWH field, and inspire the future development of solar-driven water-generation systems.