Cerebral endothelial cells mediated enhancement of brain pericyte number and migration in oxygen-glucose deprivation involves the HIF-1α/PDGF-β signaling

The present study focused on whether hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1α) and platelet-derived factor-beta (PDGF-β) are involved in the crosstalk between brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) and brain vascular pericytes (BVPs) under ischaemic-hypoxic conditions. Mono-cultures or co-cultures of BVPs and BMECs were made for the construction of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) model in vitro and then exposed to control and oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) conditions. BBB injury was determined by assessing the ability, apoptosis, and migration of BVPs and the transendothelial electrical resistance and horseradish peroxidase permeation of BMECs. Relative mRNA and protein levels of HIF-1α and PDGF-β, as well as tight junction proteins ZO-1 and claudin-5 were analyzed by western blotting, reverse transcription quantitative PCR, and/or immunofluorescence staining. Dual-luciferase reporter assays assessed the relationship between PDGF-β and HIF-1α. Co-culturing with BMECs alleviated OGD-induced reduction in BVP viability, elevation in BVP apoptosis, and repression in BVP migration. Co-culturing with BVPs protected against OGD-induced impairment on BMEC permeability. OGD-induced HIF-1α upregulation enhanced PDGF-β expression in mono-cultured BMECs and co-cultured BMECs with BVPs. Knockdown of HIF-1α impaired the effect of BMECs on BVPs under OGD conditions, and PDGFR-β silencing in BVPs blocked the crosstalk between BMECs and BVPs under OGD conditions. The crosstalk between BMECs and BVPs was implicated in OGD-induced BBB injury through the HIF-1α/PDGF-β signaling.

A novel ratiometric sensor for fluorimetric and visual dual-mode detection of Al3+ in environmental water based on the target-regulated formation of Eu MOFs

Herein, a novel ratiometric sensor for fluorimetric and smartphone-assisted visual detection of Al3+ in environmental water was developed based on the target-regulated formation of Eu metal-organic frameworks (Eu MOFs). By employing 2-[4-(2-hydroxyethyl) piperazin-1-yl] ethanesulfonic acid (Hepes), Eu3+ and tetracycline (TC) as raw materials, Eu MOFs with red emission were facilely synthesized through the coordination of Eu3+ with Hepes and TC. However, upon the introduction of Al3+, a higher affinity of TC towards Al3+ resulted in the formation of a TC-Al3+ complex with green fluorescence and inhibited the generation of Eu MOFs. This led to an increase in green fluorescence and a decrease in red fluorescence accompanied by the fluorescence color of the solution changing from red to green under the illumination of the UV lamp. Thus, a ratiometric sensor for fluorimetric and the smartphone-assisted visual detection of Al3+ was established. The ratiometric sensor exhibited high sensitivity for Al3+ detection with a detection limit of 0.14 μM for fluorescence detection and 1.21 μM for visual detection. Additionally, the proposed strategy was successfully applied to detect Al3+ in the environmental water samples with satisfactory results, indicating great application prospects for environmental monitoring.

A facile fluorescence Eu MOF sensor for ascorbic acid and ascorbate oxidase detection

In this work, a facile fluorescence Eu3+-based metal-organic framework (Eu MOF) sensor for ascorbic acid (AA) and ascorbate oxidase (AAO) detection was developed. The fluorescence of the Eu MOF could be effectively quenched by Ce3+ but not by Ce4+ at an appropriate concentration, and thus, when the reductant AA was added into the solution containing Ce4+, Ce4+ was chemically reduced to Ce3+, which induced the decreased fluorescence signal of the Eu MOF. However, when AAO was introduced, AA was effectively oxidized to dehydroascorbic acid (DHAA) under the catalysis of AAO, and thus, Ce4+ could not be reduced, resulting in the fluorescence restoration of the Eu MOF. Hence, the concentration of AA and AAO could be determined by the fluorescence decrease and restoration of the Eu MOF. The fluorescent platform showed high sensitivity with a limit of detection of 0.32 μM for AA and 1.18 U L-1 for AAO, respectively. Moreover, the proposed method was successfully applied for AA and AAO determination in real samples, indicating great potential for biomedical application in complex matrices.

Hydrophilic 1T-WS2 Nanosheet Arrays toward Conductive Textiles for High-Efficient and Continuous Hydroelectric Generation and Storage

Flexible hydroelectric generators (HEGs) are promising self-powered devices that spontaneously derive electrical power from moisture. However, achieving the desired compatibility between a continuous operating voltage and superior current density remains a significant challenge. Herein, a textile-based van der Waals heterostructure is rationally designed between conductive 1T phase tungsten disulfide@carbonized silk (1T-WS2 @CSilk) and carbon black@cotton (CB@Cotton) fabrics with an asymmetric distribution of oxygen-containing functional groups, which enhances the proton concentration gradients toward high-performance wearable HEGs. The vertically staggered 1T-WS2 nanosheet arrays on the CSilk fabric provide abundant hydrophilic nanochannels for rapid carrier transport. Furthermore, the moisture-induced primary battery formed between the active aluminum (Al) electrode and the conductive textiles introduces the desired electric field to facilitate charge separation and compensate for the decreased streaming potential. These devices exhibit a power density of 21.6 µW cm-2 , an open-circuit voltage (Voc ) of 0.65 V sustained for over 10 000 s, and a current density of 0.17 mA cm-2 . This performance makes them capable of supplying power to commercial electronics and human respiratory monitoring. This study presents a promising strategy for the refined design of wearable electronics.

Adverse childhood experiences and sleep duration among U.S. 65 years and older: results from the 2020 BRFSS

BACKGROUND

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a risk factor for many chronic diseases and health behaviors. This study explores the relationship between ACEs and sleep duration in elderly populations in 22 U.S. states in 2020.

METHODS

This study is a cross-sectional analysis of aged 65 years or older in the 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Database (BRFSS). The weighted multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the association of ACEs status, ACEs type, and ACE scores with sleep duration. Subgroup analysis was used to estimate differences based on covariates.

RESULTS

Among the 42,786 participants (55.8 % female) included in this analysis, 50.5 % reported at least one ACE, and 7.3 % reported 4 or more ACEs. Adjusting for confounding factors, experiencing ACEs was associated with short and long sleep duration (Odds Ratio (OR): 2.03, 95 % Confidence Interval (CI): 1.51,2.73; OR:1.78, 95%CI:1.34,2.36). Older adults who experienced sexual abuse in children were 146 % more likely to short sleep (OR:2.46,95%CI:1.84,3.31) and 99 % more likely to long sleep (OR:1.99, 95%CI:1.35,2.92). There was a dose-response gradient between ACEs scores and sleep duration, reporting ≥ 4 ACEs had 3.10 (OR:3.10,95%CI:2.12,4.53) and 2.13 (OR:2.13, 95%CI:1.33,3.40) times the risk for short-sleep and long-sleep duration compared to respondents reporting no ACEs.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed the association between ACEs and a high risk of sleep duration, which increased with increasing ACEs scores.

MXene-Decorated Smart Textiles with the Desired Mid-Infrared Emissivity for Passive Personal Thermal Management

Multifunctional and long-term stable wearable heating systems have attracted extensive attention from experts, yet smart textiles that only rely on harvesting the body's heat without additional energy still face huge challenges in practical applications. Herein, we rationally prepared the monolayer MXene Ti₃C₂T_x nanosheets via an in situ hydrofluoric acid generation method, which was further employed to construct a wearable heating system of MXene @ polyester polyurethane blend fabrics (MP textile) for the passive personal thermal management through a simple spraying process. Owing to the unique two-dimensional (2D) structure, the MP textile presents the desired mid-infrared emissivity, which could efficiently suppress the thermal radiation loss from the human body. Notably, the MP textile with an MXene concentration of 28 mg/mL exhibits a low mid-infrared emissivity of 19.53% at 7-14 μm. Significantly, these prepared MP textiles demonstrate an enhanced temperature of more than 6.83 °C compared with those of favorably traditional fabrics, involving the black polyester fabric, pristine polyester polyurethane blend fabric (PU/PET), and cotton, suggesting a charming indoor passive radiative heating performance. The temperature of real human skin covered by MP textile is 2.68 °C higher than that covered by cotton fabric. Impressively, these prepared MP textiles simultaneously possess attractive breathability, moisture permeability, mechanical strength, and washability, which provide new insight into human body temperature regulation and physical health.

Isolation and identification of the components in Cybister chinensis Motschulsky against inflammation and their mechanisms of action based on network pharmacology and molecular docking

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Cybister chinensis Motschulsky belongs to the family Dytiscidae. As a traditional Chinese medicine, the insect is called Longshi in the folk and is commonly used to treat enuresis in children and frequent urination in the elderly.

AIM OF THE STUDY

Inflammation is involved in chronic kidney disease. The previous study proved ethanol extract of C. chinensis exhibited anti-inflammation effects in the Doxorubicin-induced kidney disease. However, the material basis and their possible mechanism of the insect were still unclear. Thus, we aimed to separate the active compounds of the ethanol extract from C. chinensis and to investigate their possible mechanism of anti-inflammation by network pharmacology and molecular docking.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The insect was extracted with 75% ethanol to produce ethanol extracts and then were extracted by petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and n-butanol respectively. Silica gel column chromatography and preparative HPLC were applied to separate the compounds of the extract. The compounds were characterized and identified by NMR and mass. The compound associated genes were collected by BATMAN-TCM database and the inflammation associated genes were obtained through DigSee database. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was carried out via Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Protein (STRING) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) target pathway analysis was performed in Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID). The possible mechanism of compounds against inflammation was investigated by molecular docking. Finally, the anti-inflammatory effect of the representative compound was verified by the LPS-induced Raw 264.7 cell inflammatory model. TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 of the cell supernatants were analyzed via using ELISA kits and the key proteins in JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway were verified via the Western blot assays.

RESULTS

Among crude extracts from C. chinensis, ethyl acetate extract showed the obvious anti-inflammatory effects. Nine compounds were isolated from ethyl acetate extract of Cybister chinensis for the first time, including benzoic acid (1), hydroxytyrosol (2), protocatechualdehyde (3), N-[2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl]acetamide (4), (2E)-3-phenylprop-2-enoic acid (5), 3-phenylpropionic acid (6), methyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (7), 1,4-diphenyl butane-2,3-diol (8) and p-N,N-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde (9). After searching in the database, 1079 compound associated genes and 467 inflammation associated genes were found. The 137 common targets covered 77 signaling pathways, in which HIF-1 signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, influenza A, PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway and Jak-STAT signaling pathway were important for inflammation. Molecular docking studies showed compound 1, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 were the potential inhibitors of JAK2 protein. In addition, the in vitro test showed compound 5 reduced the expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, it was found that compound 5 inhibited the expression of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells in a dose-dependent manner.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the network pharmacology and molecular docking, the study suggested that C. chinensis could relieve the inflammation based on the multi-compounds and multi-pathways, which provided the foundation for the medicinal application of C. chinensis.

Skimmed Milk Diluent Promotes the Sperm Motility and Conception Rate of Dorper Sheep Compared to Vitamin B12 Diluent

BACKGROUND

Dorper sheep is an ideal breed for improvement, with higher meat production and increased adaptability. Artificial insemination is an efficient technique for Dorper genetic improvement and reproduction management. However, there is no uniform diluent for Dorper semen dilution.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the effects of vitamin B12 (VB12) and skimmed milk diluents on sperm motility at different ratios and time points, and the effects on conception rate.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We detected the effect of diluents on sperm density, deformity, motility and conception rate of Dorper sheep.

RESULTS

We found the optimal dilution ratio of skimmed milk is 1:3. Compared to VB12, skimmed milk at 1:3 ratio prolonged semen storage time (48 h vs. 18 h, storage at a low temperature of 4°C) and increased the survival index of sperm (44.7 ± 2.8 vs. 18.5 ± 0.6, P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

Skimmed milk is more effective, nutritious and convenient than vitamin B12, representing a more advantageous diluent.

[CD(4+) T lymphocyte responses to anti-retroviral therapy, among HIV/AIDS patients aged 18 and over]

Objective: To compare the differences of CD(4) (+) T lymphocyte (CD(4)) counts between patients aged 18 and over, to explore the effect of age on treatment, 36 months after having received the China National Free AIDS Antiretroviral Treatment on HIV/AIDS. Methods: Through the National ART Information Ssystem, we selected those HIV/AIDS patients who initiated the ART 36 months after the ART, between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2012 in Guangzhou, Liuzhou and Kunming. Patients were divided into age groups as 18-49, 50-59 and 60 or over year olds, at the baseline of treatment. Under different levels of baseline CD(4) counts, we chose the baseline and different time-point of CD(4) counts as dependent variables, applied mixed linear model to analyze the effects of age, viral suppression, gender, baseline CD(4)/CD(8) ratio and initial treatment regimen. Results: A total of 5 331 HIV/AIDS patients were recruited. No differences were found on age group ratios between different levels of baseline CD(4) counts. At the level of baseline CD(4)<200 cells/μl, both the 50-59 and 60 or above years old groups had lower CD(4) counts than the 18-49 year-old group, within 36 months after the initiation of ART. However, at the baseline CD(4) level of 200-350 cells/μl, no significant differences on CD(4) counts between the 50-59 year-old and 18-49 year-old groups were noticed. CD(4) counts seemed lower in the 60 and above year-old group than in the 18-49 year-old group. Conclusion: Age might serve as an influencing factor on CD(4) counts within 36 months after the initiation of ART, suggesting that earlier initiation of ART might be of help to the recovery of immune function in the 50-59 year-old group.

Infections of nervous necrosis virus in wild and cage-reared marine fish from South China Sea with unexpected wide host ranges

The concerns about the impact of the nervous necrosis virus (NNV) infections in wild fish have been raised. This paper presents the results of quarterly surveys of NNV in wild and cage-reared marine fish from South China Sea. Samples of 892 wild fish belonging to 69 species and 381 cage-reared fish belonging to 11 species were collected and were detected by seminested PCR and nested PCR. In the case of seminested PCR, the positive signal was detected in 3.0% and 3.1% samples of wild and cage-reared fish, respectively. However, by nested RT-PCR, the positive signal was observed in 42.3% and 63.0% samples of wild and cage-reared fish, respectively. If the fish species were considered, the positive signal was detected in 21.7% and 72.7% species of wild and cage-reared fish by seminested PCR assay, respectively. However, by nested RT-PCR, the positive signal was observed in 65.2% and 100% species of wild and cage-reared fish, respectively. The nucleotide sequences of the nested PCR products were determined. Phylogenetic tree showed that all the obtained viral isolates belonged to the red-spotted grouper nervous necrosis virus (RGNNV) genotype. Thirty-five species of the marine fish were the new hosts of NNV.

Patterns of response to patient-centered decision support through a personal health record

BACKGROUND

Over 140 million people in the United States have at least one chronic medical condition, but they receive fewer than 60% of guideline-recommended services for these conditions. Increasing patients' involvement in their own care may improve the receipt of guideline-recommended services. We evaluated patients' patterns of responses to notifications regarding guideline-recommended services delivered through a personalized health record (PHR).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We enrolled 584 participants with high cardiovascular disease risk from 73 primary care practices into an active PHR in which they received patient-centered decision support-notifications delivered via a PHR regarding prevention gaps (i.e., unmet preventive healthcare or chronic disease monitoring). Participants with prevention gaps received up to three weekly messages regarding all services due within a 2-month time frame. These three-message cycles could repeat up to every 2 months for a new, or continuing, prevention gap.

RESULTS

Of the 584 participants, 501 (86%) received at least one reminder. Approximately 61% of these participants accessed the PHR or received the care that triggered the message after the first message and 73% after the first two messages. In subsequent three-message cycles, we observed no change in the number of messages required prior to participants accessing the PHR or receiving recommended care (chi-squared = 12.4, p = 0.3). Of the 2,656 prevention gaps these participants had over 1 year, 1,539 (58%) were closed.

CONCLUSIONS

In this low-intensity intervention, participants accessed the PHR and received recommended care. Providing notification through the PHR allows patients to choose when they receive, and take action on, the message. Notifications can be provided to patients through a PHR without alert fatigue and may be an additional tool to help patients achieve better health.

Multitrial evaluation of longitudinal tumor measurement (TM)-based metrics for predicting overall survival (OS) using the RECIST 1.1 data warehouse

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Background: We previously reported that alternative cutpoints and alternate categorical metrics to RECIST standards provided no meaningful improvement in OS prediction. Here, we sought to identify and validate continuous, longitudinal TM-based metrics for predicting OS. Methods: Data from 13 trials (1739 patients with sufficient imaging-based measurements from breast, lung or colon cancer) were randomly split (60:40) into training and validation datasets and landmarked at 12-weeks (w). Multiple candidate metrics that capture tumor curve trajectory were considered: first slope (or % change) from baseline to 6 w, last slope (or % change) from 6 w to 12 w, and indicator of increase (<5% (includes no increase or a decrease) vs. ≥5%) from the prior assessment (baseline to 6 w, 6 w to 12 w). Multivariable Cox models stratified by study and number of baseline target lesions (<3 vs. >3) and adjusted for baseline tumor burden (ratio of the sum of lesions/number of lesions) were fit for each tumor type. Predictive ability was assessed via concordance (c)-index (0.5: no association to 1.0: perfect association), and hazard ratios/p-values (HR/p). Results: Patients whose tumor size increased by at least 5% from the prior assessment, as well as whose tumors showed a positive slope (or % change) from 6 to 12 w (indicating tumor growth) had worse OS. The first slope (or % change) metric was less consistent, with an initial decrease in slope suggesting worse OS in some cases. Predictive ability of these metrics varied across tumor type with poorest prediction in Breast (Table). Conclusions: Continuous TM-based metrics performed no better than categorical RECIST metrics for OS prediction. [Table: see text]

[Inhibitory effect of DMPP on soil nitrification as affected by soil moisture content, pH and organic matter]

A laboratory incubation test with meadow brown soil was conducted to study the inhibitory effect of 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) on soil nitrification as affected by soil moisture content (40%, 60% and 80% of the maximum field capacity), pH (4, 7 and 10), and organic matter (retained and removal). With the decrease of soil moisture content, the degradation of DMPP in soil tended to slow down, and the oxidation of soil NH4+ was more inhibited. At pH 10, more DMPP was remained in soil, and had the greatest inhibitory effect; at pH 7 and pH 4, the DMPP was lesser remained, with a smaller inhibitory effect. The removal of organic matter prolonged the remaining time of DMPP in soil, and decreased the apparent soil nitrification rate significantly.

p53 mediates autophagy activation and mitochondria dysfunction in kainic acid-induced excitotoxicity in primary striatal neurons

The present study sought to investigate if p53 mediates autophagy activation and mitochondria dysfunction in primary striatal neurons in kainic acid (KA)-induced excitotoxicity. The excitotoxic model of primary striatal neurons was established with KA. The levels of p53, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3), Beclin1, and p62 were examined by Western blot and immunostaining. Autophagy activation was also determined with electron microscope. To evaluate the contribution of p53 to autophagy activation and mitochondria dysfunction in KA-induced excitotoxicity, the protein levels of LC3, Beclin1, and p62, the mitochondrial transmembrane potential and the mitochondrial Reactive oxygen species (ROS) after pretreatment with the p53 inhibitor pifithrin-alpha (PFT-α) and the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) were analyzed. Excitotoxic neuronal injury was induced after KA treatment as demonstrated by increases in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage and was significantly inhibited by PFT-α. Western blot and immunostaining showed that the induction of p53 protein occurred in the cytosol and the nucleus. Increases in autophagic proteins LC3 and Beclin1 were observed, whereas the protein levels of p62 decreased after KA treatment. Electron microscope analysis showed increased autophagosomes in the cytoplasm. The changes in LC3, Beclin1, and p62 levels were blocked by PFT-α, PFT-μ, 3-MA, and E64d but not Z-DEVD-FMK. JC-1 staining showed the depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential after excitotoxic insult. Mito-tracker and RedoxSensor Red CC-1 staining showed an increased production of mitochondrial ROS after excitotoxic insult. These effects were significantly suppressed after pretreatment with PFT-α and 3-MA. This study suggests that p53 mediates KA-induced autophagy activation and mitochondrial dysfunction in striatal neurons.